Elsewhere (Chapter 1)

Chapter 1 (Life Elsewhere)

Elsewhere….




Holly Dangerfield stood beside the bay window, gazing out at the ash-covered street outside. This is what the world looked like now. This is how life was now. She tried to imagine how things would have been had the Riders never come to her world. People would be driving to and from work. Doing their shopping. Picking their kids up from school. Just all the normal things you’d expect to be doing. At least that’s what she had been told. She was 23 now. The Riders launched their first wave 20 years ago when she was just 3 years old. She couldn’t remember anything of the world back then. She remembered sunshine though. Always sunshine. She hadn’t seen sunshine in 20 years.

But she had a feeling it was going to come to an end soon.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. Standing there in a dirty, grey t-shirt and mucky combats was Alfie, his face unshaven and a scar on his forehead.

“You okay?” he asked. “You look cold.”

“I’m always cold,” said Holly.

“I’m always warm,” said Alfie. He rubbed his forehead and sat down on the old, battered armchair that had belonged to her father. “I just want to sleep.”

“Then sleep,” she said, still looking out of the window. “I can keep watch a bit longer.”

“What’s the point?” said Alfie, closing his eyes.

“You need to keep your strength up,” she said.

“What for? It won’t be long now before they kill us.”

“Don’t talk like that,” said Holly, rounding on him. “We can’t just give up.”

“And we can’t live like this for much longer. We’re on our way out, Holly, all of us. A few months ago we had the resistance, but the transmissions have stopped now. We don’t even have hope anymore.”

“Resistance comes and resistance goes. And besides, I think they might leave us soon,” said Holly, looking longingly out of the window.

“What makes you think that?” said Alfie.

“People have started going funny over this side. That Professor Aldridge bloke at Basement 5 said that they only spend 20 years in each dimension and then move on to the next one.”

“What makes you think we’ll be safe when they’ve gone?” said Alfie, sitting up a little and taking interest. “That we can go back to the life we once had?”

“I didn’t say we could. Aldridge reckons they’ll finish us all off before they leave. That they’ll wipe our dimension from existence.”

“Cheers, Holly,” said Alfie.

“Better dead than with them here.”

There came a scream from somewhere a few blocks away. Alfie jumped to his feet and Holly turned to look at him, worry on her face.

“Where did that come from?” he said, going for his rifle that he’d put down on a battered coffee table.

“Over towards Lindum St,” said Holly, tying her short hair into a micro-ponytail and going for her own weapon - a large dagger. “Sounded like a bloke.”

“We can’t go out there,” said Alfie.

“Don’t be a coward, Alfie,” said Holly, stuffing her dagger into her belt.

“It’s not about being a coward,” said Alfie, angrily. “It’s about wanting to stay alive. Is that so wrong?”

“What about the person who screamed out there? Don’t you think he wants to stay alive?” She zipped her jacket up to her chin and headed for the door. “Come on!”

Alfie reluctantly followed as they made their way out of the front door and into the front garden. The pair looked around themselves cautiously and then made their way down the street to the source of the scream.

They headed down Coronation Ave until they reached the corner of Lindum St. Holly motioned for Alfie to stay back. Standing in a ruined shop building was one of the Riders, dressed in armour plating and leather gloves and shoes. It was holding a sword that was dripping with blood, and laid on top of a pile of rubble was an unshaven man in his 30’s.

“We’ve gotta go back,” hissed Alfie.

“No chance,” said Holly. “I know that guy.”

Without another thought Holly brandished her knife and charged across the road. She leapt over a set of twisted, metal cycle stands and bounded through the remains of the wooden door.

The Rider turned to face her, looked at her curiously, and then smiled.

“Back off,” said Holly, holding the dagger out threateningly.

“You dare threaten me?” said the Rider, it’s lizard-like face dripping with sweat.

“You’ve injured him. I just want to help.”

“He is dead.”

“He’s not dead,” said Holly, nodding towards the body. Although he was bleeding from his wrist where his hand had been severed, his chest was still rising and falling.

“Then he soon will be,” said the Rider.

Holly raised her knife a little higher, but then staggered back when she saw something leap out from behind the shop counter and launch itself at the Rider.

The Rider was taken aback as a small, blonde woman with short hair leapt at it, a dagger drawn as she drove it deep into his neck.

The Rider coughed and spluttered and staggered backwards. The blonde woman fell to the floor and remained in a crouching position, her bright green eyes watching intently as the Rider tried to remove the dagger from its neck.

The woman got up off her haunches and ran to the Rider. She twisted its flailing sword from it’s hand, drew the sword back in the air and then swung it forward, hitting the Rider’s neck and slicing his head clean off.

The Rider staggered momentarily and then fell to the floor with a thud.

“Jesus,” said Holly.

The girl glanced at Holly fleetingly and then ran to the man’s side. “He’s out cold,” said the woman. She turned to Holly. “I need your help. Do you have somewhere we can stay?”

“Yeah,” said Holly. “Just a few streets away.”

“He’s in some sort of coma.”

“You’re Ellie, aren’t you? Richard and Ellie Hicks?”

The blonde woman nodded. “Yep. And I’ve got a bad feeling my brother is in big trouble.”




Our world…5 months later…




Holly closed her eyes and smiled. The sun was out and the birds were singing. Spring was in the air and she’d, thankfully, avoided the madness of Christmas. The TARDIS had parked up next to the Old Fat Cat and the Doctor had disappeared back inside the time machine.

Lilly tapped her on the shoulder and Holly opened her eyes.

“Hey,” said Holly, smiling.

“You in this world or another, Dangerfield?” she asked, smiling back at her.

“This world. Definitely.”

“Feel good to be home?” said Lilly, looking around and watching the people going about their everyday business.

“Sort of. After the madness of everything just recently, it is nice to get back to a bit of normality.”

“I’m no fan of normality,” said Lilly, “but even I’m glad to be back. Although I suspect normality is going to be short-lived.”

“Yes indeed,” said the Doctor, emerging from the TARDIS with a bag slung over his shoulder. “We’ve got about 24 hours until the Kro’Tenk break through, give or take a minute or two.”

“And are we prepared?” asked Holly, sitting down on one of the tables outside the Fat Cat.

“Are we ever prepared?” asked the Doctor.

“That doesn’t sound very optimistic,” said Holly.

“Surely you’ve got a plan,” said Lilly.

“I’ve been busy, in case you haven’t noticed. I never expected to end up battling Cybermen or chasing after time-crossed lovers.”

“Doctor…” said Holly, putting a hand to her forehead.

“I do have some ideas though,” continued the Doctor, “but first I need to travel down to London.”

“London?” queried Lilly. “Why?”

“I need to check on Richard Hicks. Make sure my friends are still taking care of him whilst he’s in his coma.”

“But you’re coming back, aren’t you?”

“Yes, once I’ve reconnected with Roger Stark I’ll be back up here.”

“But why here?” asked Lilly.

“Well here’s as good as anywhere else,” smiled the Doctor. He shook Holly’s hand. “I’ll see you soon, Miss Dangerfield.”

Holly smiled back at him.

“Coming, Lilly?” he said, stepping back into the doors.

“No,” said Lilly.

“No?” said the Doctor, looking a little concerned.

“I’ve got 24 hours. We’ve got 24 hours.” She turned to Holly. “I think it’d be nice to enjoy a bit of calm before the storm?”

The Doctor smiled and then nodded. “You’ve earned it. Both of you. See you soon.” He quickly dived in the TARDIS and flung the doors shut.

“He doesn’t like long goodbyes, does he?” said Holly.

“He hasn’t been on his own since before Caleb,” said Lilly. “It’ll be hard for him.”

“He’s only going to London for a few hours.”

Lilly turned to Holly. “But he’s on his own. When he’s on his own is when I worry about him.”

The air was filled with the sound of the TARDIS dematerialising. The both of them watched as the box disappeared from the side of the street.

“You can go and join him if you want,” said Holly. “There’s a train to London every hour.”

“No,” said Lilly, shaking her head and looking at Holly. “What I want is for me and you to walk into that pub right behind you and have a pint.”

“A pint? Is that wise with an alien invasion on our doorstep?”

“I think a pint is wisest decision in the world, Dangerfield.”

Holly smiled as the two of them headed into the Old Fat Cat.




The Doctor was stood at the console staring at the time rotor moving gently up and down. In a few seconds he would be in London. Back to civilisation. Back amongst people. He couldn’t stand the silence of the console room when there was nobody around.

He looked down at the console and flicked a switch. The scanner turned on and showed the swirling clouds of colour in the vortex. He concentrated on it for the next few seconds, blocking out the silence.

And then the TARDIS finally landed.

He relaxed, switched the scanner off and exited the time ship.

The TARDIS had landed on the pathway near Earl’s Court tube station. He locked up the box and went to his pocket, removing a mobile phone. He found his contact and dialled.

He waited for a few moments and then spoke. “Hello! Yes, Roger, it’s me. Don’t sound too surprised, will you? I said I’d be back. Now, how’s our patient been keeping?”

The Doctor listened and then frowned.

“What do you mean his family have gone? You were meant to be looking after them.” The Doctor exhaled angrily and then shook his head. “Give me five minutes. I’ll be right up.”

To be continued....