Mondas Down (Chapter 7)

Chapter 7 (Let Emotions Get the Better of Me)

Chartell and her father stood before the council, their hands clasped together. Chartell squeezed her father’s hand tightly.

“I don’t have anything wrong with me, Dad,” said Chartell.

He looked at her and brushed a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes. “I know, sweetheart. But it’s what they want.”

“I’m only 25 though. I’m fit and healthy.” She looked at the huge box that was strapped to her father’s chest keeping him alive.

“We can’t fight against them anymore, Chartell.”

A man with jet black hair but wearing a full, silver suit with metal struts running down the arms and legs approached them. “You are here for conversion, yes?”

“No, Verax,” said Chartell. “I don’t want to be converted. Why should we have to be?”

Verax looked momentarily sad and then shook his head. “We have no choice. To survive we must continue to upgrade and improve ourselves.”

“Don’t you care?” said Saragon. “Don’t you care what you’re doing to my daughter? I thought you loved her!”

Verax closed his eyes, swallowed hard and then turned away to a couple of waiting soldiers. “Take them to the conversion chamber.”




Saragon stood outside the domed building, staring into the middle-distance. Now his memories were coming back to him. How his daughter had met the man called Verax and fallen in love. Verax was going to marry Chartell, but then bad things happened to Mondas. Verax was put in charge of converting that sector of his town and he had had no choice.

Saragon knew that right now he should be feeling anger, but he wasn’t able to. He wasn’t able to feel anger towards the man that had effectively killed his own daughter.

“Turns out,” said Brax, sipping on a bottle of water, “that that structure keeps this town powered up. It’s like a generator. It also explains how you’re still active after the ship crash landed. You were caught in it’s beam.” Brax smiled. “Or so the Doctor said.”

“Where is the Doctor?” said Saragon.

“He’s inside with Verax trying to convince him to set up a rescue mission, although I can’t see where we’re gonna go. We’re trapped on this planet and that bloke is weird.”

“Verax will not help.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“He was the one who was in charge of conversions back on Mondas.”

“You’re joking?”

“I do not joke,” said Saragon. “He was only a small part in a bigger cog, but he was still responsible for my daughter’s conversion.”

“Sounds like you’re angry.”

“I do not have the capability to be angry,” said Saragon.

“Really? Maybe you ought to get that emotion chip checked out.”

Saragon frowned as Brax walked away. Maybe something was wrong.

“Penny for your thoughts?” said the Doctor, emerging from the doorway behind Saragon.

“I do not understand,” said Saragon.

“It’s an old Earth term,” smiled the Doctor, remembering a fond memory. “You seem to be lost in your thoughts.”

“He’s pretending he’s not angry,” said Brax, who was sat on a tree trunk a little way off.

The Doctor frowned and looked up at Saragon. “Verax has agreed to send out three of his soldiers to help to look for my friends.”

“That’s big of him!” said Brax.

“They have built a community here based on peace. Logic, yes, but peace. They’re not like the others.” The Doctor placed a hand on Saragon’s arm. “You and Chartell could settle here.”

“Chartell may be dead,” said Saragon blankly.

“You don’t know that,” said the Doctor.

“But she may be,” said Saragon.

“What’s the deal with that Verax guy anyway?”

“You mean his face? He tried to replace the cybernetic parts of him with synthetic flesh. Tried to turn himself back, but he’s not had much success.”

“Maybe he is trying to atone for what he did to the rest of us,” said Saragon.

The Doctor didn’t get to probe Saragon’s musings any further. He didn’t get a chance because the town around them was suddenly thrown into chaos by a huge explosion. A huge plume of fire and smoke erupted right next to the dome followed by a number of further explosions. The blast was so strong that it threw the Doctor and Saragon off their feet.

The Doctor was momentarily dazed as he lay on his back staring up at the clear, night sky. And then he could hear screaming from nearby.

Odd, he thought. Cybermen don’t feel pain, so who’s screaming?

And then he realised. He sat up and saw Brax, half of him engulfed in flames writhing around on the floor.

“Brax!” yelled the Doctor, jumping to his feet, whipping his coat off and throwing it over the man. Eventually, after rolling around for an agonising few seconds, Brax stopped struggling and instead let out whimpers of pain, the flames extinguished.

“I need some help over here!” shouted the Doctor to a couple of Mondassians that were looking dazed and confused. “Hurry up!”

The Mondassians stumbled over as Verax emerged from the Dome. “What’s going on?” he said, looking to the sky.

“We were attacked from above,” said the Doctor, removing the cover from Brax. His face was partially burnt and his clothes were blackened and stuck to his flesh, but he was alive.

“It must be the Telosians,” said Verax. He pointed to one of the Mondassians that had assisted the Doctor with Brax. “Jaspar, organise a party. Take Cathtan with you. Find as many weapons as possible.”

“Verax, is that wise?”

“Is what wise?” said Verax, as he hefted Brax up in his arms and began carrying him into the Dome.

“Going to war with the Telosians?”

“The Doctor is right,” said Saragon, who had picked himself up from a nearby shelter he had landed in and followed them into the Dome.

“I have the final say on this,” said Verax as they entered the Dome and Verax laid Brax down on a table. He gestured towards another Mondassian. “Seeth, make sure he is cared for.”

“Yes, Verax,” replied Seeth.

“They have attacked us from above, Doctor,” said Verax, looking down at the man. “I am not prepared to let that go unpunished.”

“You haven’t met the Telosians,” said the Doctor. “They are not like you. They are cold, emotionless and logical.”

“And we are not?” said Verax. He pointed down at the Doctor. “Don’t mistake our peaceful intentions as weakness. We can kill without a single thought.”

“I don’t doubt that,” said the Doctor, “but you could end up wiping this entire colony out.”

“Let me deal with that,” said Verax, as he pushed his way past Saragon and the Doctor and back outside.

Outside the dome Jaspar was standing in front of a squad of twenty Mondassians, each armed with various different weapons - axes, weapon-dishes and even tree branches.

“Look at this rag-tag bunch,” said the Doctor to Saragon. “They don’t stand a chance against the Cybermen.”

“We are Cybermen,” said Verax. He had overheard the Doctor.

Saragon nodded. “Verax has a point. If they don’t fight back then the Telosians will simply decimate this place, upgrade the survivors and take them back to Telos.”

“I know, I know” said the Doctor, exasperated.

“So what do you suggest they do?” said Saragon. “Give up or go out fighting?”

Saragon was right. There was no arguing with the Mondassians. If they didn’t fight then they would be wiped out. He couldn’t advocate a civil war, but he understood why they were doing it.

The Doctor watched on as Verax and Saragon began coordinating battle plans with Jaspar and his troops. It was a situation he wasn’t going to have any control of, but he knew that he had to rescue Holly, Lilly and the rest of the Coronation crew from what was about to become a battleground.




Holly was almost asleep when Lilly woke her up. She jumped and almost banged her head on the wall she had been leaning against.

“What is it?” she said, feeling disconnected from their surroundings.

“Something’s going on?” said Lilly. She slid over to Chartell and Fletcher and woke them up.

“What’s happening?” said Holly. The Cybermen were busy milling around, exiting and re-entering, checking readings on data pads and crosschecking figures.

“Hey,” said Lilly, “what are you up to?”

The Cyberleader turned to look at the group of Humans. “We have discovered a colony across the mountains. We have attacked them.”

“Why?” said Holly. She became fearful. That was where the Doctor had headed. She didn’t really know him that well, but she felt he was the only chance of actually getting through this and getting back home.

“We will lure them out of their camp and we will upgrade them.” The Cyberleader stepped a little nearer to them. “You will also become like us.”

“What if we don’t want to become like you?” said Holly defiantly.

“Waste of time arguing with them, Hols,” said Lilly.

“You have no choice.” He turned to leave.

“Have you met them before?” said Holly. “Because you seem to know what we should and shouldn’t be doing.”

“I haven’t met them before,” she said, “but I know of them. Anyone who travels with the Doctor gets to know all of his favourite enemies.”

“Great,” said Holly, leaning her head back against the wall.

Fletcher slid over to them. “We need to try and make a run for it,” he whispered.

“We don’t stand a chance,” said Natalie. “All due respect, sir, but where are we going to run to?”

“Where the Doctor and Brax went to.”

“The same place that’s just been attacked. I don’t think so,” said Lilly.

Another Cyberman entered and grabbed Chartell by the shoulders, hauling her to her feet. Chartell didn’t flinch as the Cyberman’s hand flipped down to reveal the same metallic needle as before.

“Wait!” said Holly, leaping to her feet.

Another Cybermen knocked her down and she fell hard on the ground.

The four looked on in horror as the Cyberman moved it’s hand towards Chartell’s forehead. “She will be the first to be upgraded.”

Chartell felt different as she felt the needle pierce her cloth skin. Not cold and logical. Not resigned to her fate. She felt…angry. She didn’t want to become like them. She didn’t want to become cold and emotionless. But wasn’t she already cold and emotionless? She felt…confused. Angry and confused. Emotions she hadn’t felt for many, many years.

Why am I feeling emotions? she thought to herself.

Chartell made a split decision - she didn’t want to become like them. She let the emotion rise up inside of her. She let the anger and the fear take over and used it to her advantage. Her hand snatched up and grabbed the Cyberman’s arm, twisting it out of the way and the needle out of her forehead.

The two Cybermen were caught off guard as Chartell twisted further on the Cyberman’s arm and ripped it out of it’s socket. The Cyberman stumbled to the ground as the other tried to grab Chartell. She threw a punch at the face panel and dented it, causing the Cyberman to stagger backwards.

“Way to go, Chartell!” said Natalie with glee.

“I will not be like you,” said Chartell with a growl. “I am not you!” She kicked out at the first Cyberman and then brought her foot down on it’s chest unit, causing it to explode and splutter. White goo poured from the chest unit as the second Cyberman threw itself at her.

She swung her elbow around and struck the dented Cyberman in the chest. She then grabbed the handles at the side of the head and with a huge yank she ripped its head from it’s shoulders.

The others looked on in horror as white goo sprayed out from where the head had been. Chartell threw the head to the ground and remained in an attack stance, breathing heavily.

Fletcher got to his feet and put a hand on her shoulder. She swung around and was about to hit him when she realised who it was.

“Easy. Easy,” said Fletcher. “It’s over.”

“What happened?” said Natalie.

“I felt emotion again,” said Chartell. She looked at the group, visibly relaxed and then her odd, cloth mouth twisted into a strange shape that looked almost like a smile. “I felt emotion.”




Angie Grant and Roy Hobbin watched as a number of Cyber shuttles lifted up from the jungle and headed out across the lake and in the direction of the mountains. They had watched earlier as a single shuttle had taken off and they had watched on in horror as an explosion had gone off in the distance.

“That doesn’t look good,” said Angie. “We need to try and rescue our people.”

“That’s if they’re still alive,” said Roy solemnly.

Angie looked at him. “Look, Roy, I know you’re grieving, but you’re also an officer. You need to pull yourself together.”

Roy looked at her and smiled. It wasn’t a friendly smile though. It was an accusing smile. “You know that old thing about feeling what your twin feels?”

Angie nodded.

“Well I felt it. I felt it when that metal beam sliced through Rick. And I felt it when he died. It felt like my heat had fallen apart.”

“Roy-”

“I feel like half a man now. Even less of a man that those Cyber-things.”

Angie wasn’t sure what she could say to him. Rick and Roy had been close. Twins were generally close anyway so she didn’t really have any idea what he was going through. She had lost her older system to the Teskian Flu five years ago and it had devastated her.

There was a commotion from up the beach. Angie looked on as A number of Cybermen emerged, walking backwards, from the jungle, firing shots from their guns into the trees. She frowned and then almost fell over when she saw Chartell emerge, skilfully dodging the laser blasts and taking out the Cybermen with a number of drop kicks and punches.

She grabbed one of the blasters from a fallen Cyberman and started blasting at the remaining ones. When all was quiet Holly, Lilly, Fletcher and Natalie came out from their cover in the jungle.

“They’re alive!” said Angie. She turned to Roy who looked as distant as he had been so far. “They’re alive!”

Angie and Roy had made their way back along the beach and reunited with the rest of the team. Holly had explained how they had escaped with Chartell’s help, taking out the remaining Cybermen, but that a squad, led by the Cyberleader, had headed out towards the Mondassian camp.

“Can you all swim?” said Fletcher to the team, reasserting himself as the leader again.

They all nodded. Holly became thankful for taking those swimming lessons when she had turned 15. Before then she hadn’t ever dared to try and swim. She had a fear of the water after she nearly drowned on holiday in Spain when she was just 9.

“Are you telling me we’re going into the lake?” said Lilly.

“That’s correct,” said Fletcher, looking out across the lake.

“Dangerous,” said Angie. “We can’t go swimming into a war zone.”

“War zone or not, Brax and the Doctor are out there. I don’t know much about the Doctor, but I want my team back together so we can figure out a way to get home.”




Back at the camp the Doctor stood over Brax, who had been hooked up to a life support unit, wires attached to his chest and a plastic oxygen-type mask over his mouth. He was fast asleep, but his breathing was laboured.

Verax walked up behind the Doctor. “He is dying.”

“He is not dying,” said the Doctor sadly.

“Even you must admit the facts,” said Verax.

“I should never have brought him out here,” said the Doctor. “I don’t even know anything about him.” The Doctor noticed some charred paper sticking out of Brax’s trouser pocket. He plucked it out and turned it over. It was a photograph. Although partially burnt, the Doctor could see a beautiful, dark-haired woman, her hand under her chin as she blew a kiss. On the back it read ‘Happy travelling, Space Boy, Love Samantha.”

The Doctor closed his eyes and returned the photo to Brax’s pocket.

“There is a way to save him,” said Verax.

“No,” said the Doctor, walking away.

“We can convert him.”

“No,” said the Doctor again.

“It will save him,” said Verax.

“I said no,” said the Doctor, turning and facing the huge man. “I don’t know much about him, but I know that Harry Brax would rather die than become an emotionless giant.”

“I don’t think you understand what I am saying, Doctor. I will save him. Not because you say yes or no, but because I need him. I need more warriors from the coming battles. So, with or without your consent, Brax will become like us.”

To be continued...

Mondas Down (Chapter 6)

Chapter 6 (Logic vs. Logic)

The path between the mountain range was becoming more and more narrower and they had lost the light. The Doctor, Brax and Saragon held up brightly burning torches to guide their way, but it was much too treacherous now.

“We cannot stop,” said Saragon.

“Saragon,” said a weary Doctor, “you may have super-human strength and stamina, but even I reach a point where I have to rest.”

“I’m with the Doctor, Big Man,” said Brax, sitting himself down against the mountainside. “We’ve lost the light. We need to rest.”

“The structure is just ahead,” said Saragon, gesturing upwards at the silver structure, barely visible in the darkness.

“It ain’t going anywhere,” said Brax.

“Look,” said the Doctor, “I know you’re eager to get to your people, but we have to rest.”

“I will carry on ahead.”

“No,” said the Doctor. “We don’t know what to expect.”

“Just sit down, Saragon,” said Brax.

“I have no need for sitting.”

“Maybe not,” said Brax, “but you’re making me feel uncomfortable.”

Thirty minutes passed and Saragon had opted to remain standing on guard. The Doctor and Brax had started drifting off, when Saragon became aware of a sound from up ahead. It sounded like a low drone and it was getting louder.

Saragon’s eyes searched the landscape. Although he still had Human eyes, they had been significantly improved upon to include night vision, zoom and focus. His eyes focused on a shape in the distance. It was some sort of shuttle pod and it was heading their way.

Saragon grabbed the handles of the dish that was fixed to the bottom of his breathing apparatus. He would be ready if it was unfriendly.

“Wake up,” said Saragon bluntly.

The Doctor and Brax didn’t stir.

“Wake up!” said Saragon, louder this time.

The Doctor jumped and then flinched, opening one eye to see Saragon standing over him. “What is it?”

“Something is coming towards us,” said Saragon.

The Doctor grabbed a pair of glasses from in his coat pocket. They had a small dial on the side and he turned it activating night vision in his glasses. “It’s almost on top of us. Some sort of shuttle.”

Brax had woken up now and was looking to see what the commotion was about.

“Flag them down,” said the Doctor.

But, before they could do, a bright beam of light shot down on them, temporarily blinding them.

The Doctor shielded his eyes against the light as the beam slowly lowered as the craft came in to land.

His eyes adjusted to the light and he could see tall figures leaving the craft. There were four of them, each of them identical to Saragon and each of them with their disc guns ready to be fired.

“We’re here to see you,” said the Doctor, taking the initiative.

“What are your names?”

“I’m the Doctor, this is Brax and this gentleman here is one of your own kind - Saragon.”

The lead Mondassian walked up to Saragon and their eyes locked for what seemed like an eternity. And then the Mondassian extended it’s arm forward.

“Welcome to Remos.”

“A happy reunion,” smiled the Doctor.

“So far,” said Brax under his breath.




“We need to help her,” said Holly, as the Cyberleader aimed his gun at Chartell’s head.

“We need to stay the hell away from them,” said Lilly.

“Who are they?”

“Cybermen,” said Lilly with an annoyed voice.

“I know that,” said Holly, “but they look different.”

“They’re the Telosians,” said Lilly. “The other faction that broke away. The bad ones.”

“Oh great,” said Holly.

“Holly’s right, though,” said Natalie, “we do need to help Chartell.”

“Absolutely not,” said Angie. “Our priority is to keep safe until the Doctor returns.”

“But she hasn’t done anything wrong,” said Natalie. “What makes her any different from us?”

“That’s enough,” said Angie.

“Natalie’s right,” said Fletcher, causing Angie to snap her head around to look at him, “we need to help her.”

“Listen, Captain Suicide,” said Lilly, looking up at him, “these are Cybermen. The deadly ones. The ones who invade planets and convert others into them. You can’t just stroll up to them and demand Chartell back.”

“Wait!” said Holly, squinting in the darkness, “something’s happening.”

Two of the Cybermen had grabbed Chartell by her shoulders and another was knelt down beside her. It’s hand had been replaced by some sort of large, metal needle.

“Please stay back. Please!” cried Chartell.

“What the hell are they doing to her?!” said Natalie.

“Not only that,” said Lilly, “but she’s got emotions.”

“What?” said Fletcher.

“Listen to her. She’s begging them. Pleading them.”

The Cyberman with the appendage began pressing it into Chartell’s forehead causing her to scream out in agony.

“That’s it,” said Holly. “Let’s go!”

“WAIT!” said Angie as Fletcher, Natalie and Holly broke cover and ran towards the group of Cybermen, Natalie and Fletcher with their blasters in hand.

“Holly, wait!” said Lilly, chasing after the dark-haired woman.

Fletcher muscled in and shoulder-barged one, only to be knocked back as if he had hit a brick wall.

“Remain still,” said the Cyberleader, grabbing Holly by the arm.

“Let go!” said Holly.

“Remain still or I will remove your limb.”

Another Cyberman grabbed Natalie and Fletcher and twisted the blasters out of their hands.

“What are you doing to her?” said Natalie, as she broke away and crouched in front of Chartell, who was looking a little confused.

“She will be like us,” said the Cyberleader.

“She’s already like you,” said Fletcher, who was now looking up at the barrel of his own gun.

“She is of primitive design. She must be upgraded.”

“Please…please…” said Chartell.

Holly wasn’t sure, but she was certain she could see tears welling up in Chartell’s eyes.

“We must take these back to the ship,” said the lieutenant.

“Are there any more?” asked the Leader.

“No more have been located,” it replied.

Angie and Roy watched from their cover as the rest of them were escorted back into the jungle.

“Idiots Are Us,” said Angie under her breath.

“Shouldn’t we rescue them?” said Roy.

“You’ve just seen what they can do,” said Angie. “No, Roy, I’m afraid they’re on their own. We wait for them to clear out then return to the original camp site and wait for the Doctor to come back.”




The little girl skipped down the street, stopped, took a few steps back and then crouched down over the small, yellow flower that had grown up through the gap in the pavement. She looked at it intently, the beautiful, bright yellow almost dazzling her in the artificial sunlight.

She touched the petals. They were soft and she smiled.

“Ah, there you are,” came a voice from up ahead.

She looked up to see a tall man with a beard and short brown hair. He was already wearing his black robes and she smiled when she saw him.

“Daddy,” she said, running up to him and flinging her arms around him.

“Hello, sweetheart,” he said, giving her a tight hug. “Your mum said you’d ran on ahead.”

“I wanted to see you before you did the sermon.”

“I know, sweetheart. I had to leave so early this morning. I needed to see the doctor, remember?”

The little girl suddenly looked upset. “How will you be able to breathe?”

“It’s nothing to worry about. They take my bad lungs out and give me some new ones. Some mechanical ones. I’ll be absolutely fine.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” He tapped her on the nose and she laughed. “In a few years we’ll all be wearing things that make us better. It’s the way forward.”

“As long as it makes you better. That’s the main thing.”

“Exactly. And you know I’ll never stop loving you, sweetheart.”

“Oh, Daddy,” she said, rolling her eyes at him.

“Now run along back to your mum,” he said.

She turned and ran, stopped and looked back at him. “I love you, daddy.”

“I love you too, Chartell.”




Chartell opened her eyes, but didn’t say anything. The needle had been removed from her head, but the pain was still there. Whatever the Cybermen had tried to do hadn’t been completed. She felt so sad and the dream hadn’t helped. No, it wasn’t a dream. It was a memory.

“Are you okay?” came Holly’s voice.

“I am fine,” she said.

“Okay. If you need anything just let us know.”

Chartell didn’t respond.

Holly frowned and shuffled herself back to where Lilly was sitting with Fletcher. They had escorted them back to the crashed remains of the Mondassian ship and had put two guards on them whilst the Cyberleader and others had gone back outside. They hadn’t even bothered to remove or cover up Rick’s body.

“What are you doing?” said Lilly.

“What do you mean?” asked Holly, not quite grasping what had rattled Lilly’s cage this time.

“You’re trying to comfort a Cyberman,” said Lilly.

“Oh come on, Lilly. I know you can be cold, but you can see she’s in discomfort.”

“Me? Cold? You don’t know the half of it, kid.”

“Kid?!”

“Alright now ladies,” said Fletcher, holding his hands up between the two of them. “Perhaps we should try speaking to Chartell. She’s clearly not like the others.”

“Talk, talk, talk,” said Lilly with a shake of her head.

“Well what else would you have us do, eh?” said Holly. “Fight? Because we can’t fight those things. The most we can hope is that the Doctor finds the other Mondassians and brings them back to rescue us.”

“And what’s to say they aren’t just as hostile as these ones?”

“She’s got a point, Holly,” said Fletcher.

“Because Saragon said that they didn’t all hold the same ideals as each other. Just like the Human race. Some are bad, some are good. Some are emotional, some are emotionless,” she said, looking at Lilly.

Lilly’s face looked like it was going to explode. “Do not mistake me for a normal Humanoid,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Then why don’t you tell us a little more about yourself,” said Holly. “Tell us some more about you and the Doctor, cos I’m damned if I can work the both of you out.”

“When the Doctor is ready, he will tell you, but you’ll be back on Earth by then and we won’t have to see you again. As for me - you’ll never get anything out of me. We’re not friends. I don’t like you and I most certainly wouldn’t save you if one of these things attacked you.”

“Maybe you should have thought about that when you were comforting me earlier on when the ship was crashing.”

Lilly didn’t answer, she looked away from Holly. Holly knew she had hit a nerve. As insufferable as Lilly was, she knew there was a warmer heart in there somewhere. She just couldn’t decide if she had the desire to find the real person or not. Something had happened to her, but she couldn’t for the life of her work out what it was.




The sun was rising behind the mountains by the time the transport had returned to the structure. The structure towered over a small town full of brick and wooden buildings. All around there were, what the Doctor could only assume, generators with cables snaking out of them and into the ground. He theorised that it must have been how these particular Mondassians kept themselves powered up. He also wondered if the double-arch had something to do with it all.

The transport touched down beside a large, domed building made out of battered, metal parts. The Mondassian that had greeted them motioned for them to leave the shuttle, and then he escorted the Doctor, Saragon and Brax towards the building.

The Doctor looked around him. All around where Mondassians, watching them with curious eyes. Some were busy doing jobs like building fires and others were constructing small structures out of wood and scraps of metal.

“Keep going,” said the Mondassian as they went through a small door in the dome and into a larger chamber.

Sat in the middle of the dome, flanked by two Mondassians, was a different kind of Mondassian. This one didn’t have the distinctive “handle bars” on the top of it’s helmet and there was no lamp either. It had also removed the dish-like weapon. It’s face was the strangest. The cloth had been removed and replaced by what looked like rubbery skin. It looked almost Human.

“Lord Verax,” said the Mondassian, bowing his head slightly. “These were sighted headed towards the town.”

The Human-like Mondassian, Verax, nodded at the first Mondassian and then stood up. He looked a little unsteady on his feet and he frowned at the Doctor’s party.

“It’s good to meet you,” said the Doctor.

Verax walked a little from his chair and looked at each of them in turn. The Doctor could see his pale, grey eyes studying each of them intently.

He stopped at Saragon and spoke. “What is your name?” His voice still had the electric buzz about it, but it didn’t have the same sing-song that the others had.

“My name is Saragon.”

“The lost ship,” said Verax.

“That is correct. Our ship was following the flight path to Remos when we encountered engine failure and then ship-wide failure. These Humans reactivated us.”

“Where is your ship now?” asked Verax. “We could use it’s parts in continued construction.”

“It broke up and is on the other side of the lake,” said Saragon.

“How many survived?”

“Only myself, and another, Chartell, is lost in the jungle. There is a group of Humans as well.”

Verax’s eyes narrowed. “Your names are familiar.”

“On Mondas I was a clergyman. Chartell is my daughter.”

Realisation dawned on Verax’s face. “I remember you both. I was very…close to your daughter.”

“She was only 25 when she was converted by the council.”

Brax spoke up. “This reunion is all very touching fella’s, but we’ve got more of our people out by that lake who need our help.”

“They are all dead,” said Verax, looking at Brax.

“Dead? What do you mean? They can’t be,” said the Doctor.

“During the night we detected another ship touch down in the jungle. On closer inspection we discovered that it was also of Cyber origin.”

“Another Cybership?” said the Doctor, confused.

“What is your name?” said Verax, crossing over to the Doctor.

“My name’s the Doctor.”

Verax nodded. “When we landed on this planet we did out very best the keep it’s whereabouts secret.”

“Why?”

“Because those of us who travelled to Remos did not believe in the cause of the Council on Mondas. We believed we should all be free. Our beliefs never changed when we arrived on Remos. We masked ourselves from the detection of other Cybermen. The Telosians were cold and logical. If they had discovered us then we would have been made to think the way they think.”

“Are you telling me that that ship that landed in the night is full of Telosian Cybermen?”

“That is correct,” said Verax. “And we believe it is your ship, Saragon, that led them to us.”

“Hang on,” said Brax, “what does this all mean?”

“It means,” said the Doctor, “that we might be about to be caught up in a Cyberman civil war.”

To be continued...

Mondas Down (Chapter 5)

Chapter 5 (Crash-landing)

The ship burst through the atmosphere trailing flame and smoke. From the outside it was quite obvious that the ship had been severely damaged with a huge gash extending from where the airlock used to be and to the right-side engine. The ship slowly tipped downwards towards the planets surface.

Below, the surface was a mixture of desert areas, tall palm-tee-like trees that become thick, dense jungles and large lakes of clear water. Strange, alien birds wheeled in the sky and swooped out of the way as the ship streaked past.

Inside the Doctor and Natalie were at the navigational controls desperately trying to level their descent.

Holly clung onto a railing for support, Brax was now unconscious with Roy partially laying over him to keep him safe. Saragon and Chartell stood over the Doctor and Natalie supervising, Fletcher and Grant were holding onto metal beams at the side of the control room, Rick was frantically trying to move equipment into the ante-chamber to get it out of the way for when the inevitable happened, and Lilly was leant up against the wall.

Holly could feel the panic rising up inside of her. She was briefly reminded of a scene from a Star Trek film she had seen once when the USS Enterprise had crash-landed on a nearby planet. She hoped that she would be as lucky as those guys were.

The Doctor turned from the console and addressed the room. “We’ve managed to level off our descent, and we’re heading for a large lake, but we’re going to hit the trees before we hit the lake, so prepare for some turbulence”

Lilly shuffled over to Holly and looked at her. “You alright?” she asked.

Holly was speechless. Was Lilly actually concerned about her? “I’m scared,” said Holly. “I’ll admit that. I’m scared.”

Lilly slid down the wall to sit next to her and then, to Holly’s amazement, she grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. “We’ll be fine. Just hold on.”

Holly looked at Lilly and for the first time she saw a normal, frightened young woman who was just as terrified as she was.

“Everybody hold on!” shouted Natalie over the rapidly rising sound of the ship creaking and falling apart.

The initial impact was unlike anything Holly had ever felt before. When she had been 14 she had gone on a school trip to the Science Museum in London and the school had hired out a small minibus. Halfway into the journey a car had crashed into the back of the minibus and her and the rest of her classmates had been thrown forward. There had been, thankfully, no serious injuries, but the majority of them had suffered whiplash and it had taken a few months of physiotherapy to get her back to normal.

That had hurt.

This hurt more.

The whole ship lurched forward, but instead of everyone being thrown forwards, they were thrown upwards and on her way down Holly hit her forehead on a metal barrier.

Mercifully, Holly was knocked out cold and never witnessed the carnage that followed.




When she opened her eyes again she was part-propped up against the same railings she had knocked herself out with. Something wet was trickling down her forehead and down the side of her face. It was warm and sticky.

Blood.

She put her fingers to her face and then brought them away, staring curiously at her red, sticky fingers glistening in the flashing lights.

“Holly. Holly,” came the Doctor’s voice as she saw him bound across the room and drop down to a crouch in front of her. “Take it slowly, Holly.”

“What…?”

“We crashed,” he said, grabbing a handkerchief from somewhere within his coat and placing it against the cut.

She winced in pain and felt like throwing up. “I know that, silly.”

“You just need to take it easy,” he said again.

“Is everyone alright?” she said, trying to take in her surroundings.

The Doctor looked crestfallen. “Rick’s dead. His neck was broken whilst he was trying to clear the control room.”

“Oh god…” trailed off Holly.

“Doctor, we need you,” said Lilly, appearing at the edge of her vision.

“Just lie still,” said the Doctor as he got up and returned the blurred chaos in front of her.

The blurs faded to grey and then to blackness as she drifted out of consciousness again.




She could hear birds tweeting above her somewhere. At least she thought they were birds. They sounded a little different. Their song wasn’t something she was familiar with, and they sounded more low-pitched than she was used to.

She dared to open her eyes again. Above, the sky was blue and she could see palm-tree-like trees swaying gently in the breeze. The breeze felt good on her skin and she felt a little more comfortable. Underneath her was sand and she could hear the gentle lapping of water nearby.

“How you doing?” came Lilly’s voice.

Holly turned a little to see Lilly standing over her, her jeans ripped down one leg, a large gash on her arm and her face blackened with smoke with her bright blue eyes shining brighter than ever.

“Concerned for my wellbeing twice in one day?” said Holly, arching her eyebrows.

“Actually,” said Lilly. “I’m trying to make sure you don’t die.”

“What?” said Holly, edging up on her elbows and getting herself into a sitting position.

“I’m trying to help the Doctor prove a point.”

“Which is?” said Holly, feeling the bandage that had now been placed around her forehead.

“That not everyone who travels with him winds up dead.” She got to her feet and then threw Holly a bottle of water. “Drink up, Dangerfield.”

Holly took in her new surroundings. She was sat on a small beach with a large lake stretching out in front of her. Behind her were the trees that had been partially crushed by the ship. The ship was scattered all around the jungle and somewhere back a few metres away there was a trail of smoke rising from behind the trees. In the distance, across the lake, was a large mountain range and what looked like a metal structure - two curved arches meeting in the middle.

Fletcher and Grant were sat with their knees drawn up to their chests, staring out across the lake whilst Natalie was consoling Roy in her arms.

The Doctor, Brax, Chartell and Saragon where nowhere to be seen.

“Drink up, I said,” said Lilly, nodding towards the bottle. “You don’t wanna become dehydrated.”

Holly did as she was told and gulped down almost half the bottle.

“Easy though,” said Lilly, taking the bottle away from her.

“Where’s the Doctor?” asked Holly, gasping for air after the huge gulp of water.

“He took off that way,” said Lilly, pointing towards the mountain range. “Him, Brax and Saragon. Reckoned they were going to get help from that structure.”

“How long ago?”

“About an hour,” said Lilly.

“An hour?! Jesus! I’ve been out cold for an hour?”

“That’s what I said,” said Lilly. “He told us to wait here, but I think we need to find shelter. It’s going to get dark soon,” she said, her blue eyes looking up at the already darkening sky.

“What about Chartell? Did she go with them?”

Lilly shook her head. “Chartell’s disappeared. The Doctor reckoned she must have been ripped out of the ship as it fell apart.” She looked at the jungle towards the smoke. “She’s out there somewhere. Dead or alive.”




Brax could barely keep up with Saragon and the Doctor. Saragon he could understand. He was, after all, a superhuman, cyber-augmented man, but the Doctor was just like him - flesh and blood. He didn’t let up.

They had walked into the lake and swam across. Brax was tired by the time they’d arrived at the other side, but Saragon and the Doctor had continued on, barely allowing time for their clothes to dry. Now they were walking in a narrow valley set into the mountain range, the metal structure looming up in the distance.

“We need to stop soon,” said Brax, out of breath.

“A fit man like you?” said the Doctor, glancing back.

“As fit as I may be, I’m not a superhuman.”

The Doctor chuckled. “Neither am I, Mr Brax. I’m just flexing my muscles. Enjoying it.”

“Enjoying what?” said Brax, finally stopping and sitting on a rock.

“The adventure.”

Saragon stopped and looked back. “We should continue moving.”

“In a moment,” said the Doctor, joining Brax, taking a swig of water, and sitting down on the ground next to him.

“And you’re enjoying the adventure?” said Brax, shaking his head. “Have you forgotten that Rick Hobbin is dead?”

“I never forget anyone’s death,” said the Doctor. “I remember every single one of them. I didn’t used to, of course, but life is precious. You have to remember death to remind you of how precious it is.”

“Doctor,” said Brax, “it’s a bit too deep for me, you know? I’m knackered.”

“Harry,” said the Doctor, clapping him on the back, “you can rest when you’re dead.”

Brax laughed. “Hopefully not any time soon, eh? And you better remember my death!”

Saragon stood in front of him. “Your conversations are confusing. You laugh about your demise.”

“Listen, Saragon,” said the Doctor, looking up at the giant, “you may not be able to feel, but surely you remember something before you were converted?”

“It was a long time ago,” said Saragon, suddenly looking a little distant. “I was converted during the first run. I used to be a vicar.”

“A vicar? That’s….fascinating.”

“I do not see what is fascinating about it. My people simply eliminated the irrational belief of a deity and replaced it with calculations and logic.”

“And you were comfortable with this?”

“It would be illogical to not be comfortable with it.”

“And what about Chartell?” said Brax. “The female one.”

“There is no gender within the Cyber-race.”

“But she was a woman, wasn’t she?”

“She was my daughter.”

“I’m sorry,” said the Doctor sadly. Sometimes he forgot that the Mondassians were once people with lives and jobs and family.

“Do not be sorry,” said Saragon, turning and beginning his march again. “I may not agree with forcing others to become like us, but we chose to be this way. It was the logical choice.”

The Doctor looked at Brax, but neither men said a word as the giant walked away.




Fletcher was lost in his own thoughts as he watched the flames dancing about in the breeze. The temperature had dropped considerably since they had arrived and the Doctor, Brax and Saragon had been gone for over three hours. Chartell hadn’t shown up either. Another death, perhaps? He felt angry with himself for letting the Doctor lead the small party away. He was the captain. He should be leading; setting an example.

It was Angie that had convinced him to stay with the rest of the group.

“You are the captain of this crew,” she had said as she wiped the nearly-dry blood off the side of her face. “The ship may be gone, but you’re still it’s captain.”

Fletcher hadn’t the energy to argue. He had simply stood aside as the Doctor led the other two out into the lake and swam away.

“Sir,” said Angie, coming out from behind the foliage of the jungle behind.

Fletcher turned to her as she emerged with two steaming mugs of coffee. He smiled at her.

“I found my ration pack,” said Angie, handing him and mug and sitting beside him. “Used water from the bottles and boiled it on the fire back towards the wreckage.”

It was the policy of all NESP officers that they should carry emergency rations in the back pack of their spacesuits. The rest of the team had removed their suits and Fletcher presumed they were now scattered around the jungle. Angie had gone looking and had found the rations lying around.

“Did you get any for the others?” said Fletcher.

“Fair do’s, captain, there were only two packets.”

“Angie,” said Fletcher, disappointed.

“It’s alright,” said Angie, holding a hand up, “I found some powdered orange juice. They’re enjoying it now.”

“Good,” said Fletcher, looking relieved.

“How are you doing, sir?” said Angie, giving a rare-sympathetic smile.

“Well, I’ve just lost my ship and stranded us all on an alien world full of possible cybernetic killers.” He looked at her and laughed at the madness of it all. “I’m doing fine, thanks.”

There came the sound of frantic footsteps in the jungle foliage and Natalie emerged from the foliage, looking flustered and worried.

“What’s up?” said Angie, getting to her feet.

“I was taking a pee and I heard footsteps somewhere back there,” she said, pointing back towards the jungle. “Twigs and branches cracking.”

“Where they close?” said Lilly, who had run up with Holly.

“I have no idea, but they sounded heavy.”

“It’s Chartell. It’s got to be.”

“There was more than one set of footsteps, believe me.”

“Gotta be Cybermen, yeah?” said Holly, looking back towards the darkened jungle, nervously. “They must have heavy feet.”

“Possibly,” said Fletcher. He looked at the fire. “Put that out, grab our things and we’ll move out of here.” He looked over to a smaller fire further down the beach where Roy was sat staring morosely at it.

“I’ll get Roy,” said Natalie, jogging away.

Fletcher, Lilly, Holly and Angie began gathering their things together and then they covered over the fire with handfuls of sand, extinguishing the flames.

After a few moments Natalie returned with a very dejected looking Roy in tow.

“You alright?” said Fletcher.

Roy nodded. “We need to get Rick out of the ship.”

“Not now,” said Fletcher. “There’s something moving about in the jungle. We need to move away from here.”

“But-”

“No buts, Hobbins,” barked Angie. “You’re still on an officer. You follow your captains orders.”

Quickly and quietly the group moved away from the campsite and headed further down the beach, careful to stay as close to the tree line as possible to keep camouflaged as best they could.

When they were about 50 yards away they heard a branch break.

“Quick!” said Holly, as they all crouched down just inside the tree line and peered out at what was back where they had been.

Emerging from the jungle was a group of six Cybermen, but these Cybermen looked different to Saragon and Chartell. They were more metallic. More solid. Their faces were not cloth-like either. They were solid, hard steel. They were blank and emotionless. These Cybermen were shining silver and they carried weapons. Large weapons that were slung over their shoulders.

“These lot certainly look different,” said Holly.

“Yep,” said Lilly. “Very different.”

“And not very friendly,” continued Natalie.

“Be fair,” said Holly, “Chartell and Saragon don’t exactly look friendly.”

The lead Cyberman turned to what they presumed was his lieutenant and spoke. It’s voice was more of a buzz and sounded harsh and electronic. “Report on life signs?”

The lieutenant replied. “Readings indicate a small group of Humanoids were here. They have only just left.”

“Bring out the prisoner.”

To the groups horror, Chartell was pushed out of the jungle, collapsing to her knees.

“Where are they?” said the Cyberleader.

“I don’t know,” said Chartell.

“You will tell us.”

“Why?” said Chartell.

“Because they must be destroyed.”

To be continued...

Mondas Down (Chapter 4)

Chapter 4 (Friendly Neighbourhood Cybermen)

By now the entire crew of the Coronation had transferred from their ship to the Cybership, much to Angie Grant’s frustrations. So far Saragon and Chartell had proven to be mostly harmless. The Doctor felt almost guilty for tarnishing them all with the same brush. He had only met the Mondassians a few times and most of his other Cyberman encounters had involved offshoots or Cybermen from alternate worlds.

These were the original and he was beginning to realise that maybe there was more to them than the constant assimilation of other races. After all, if another race had bad leaders - like the Mondassians originally did - it didn’t necessarily mean that the entire race was bad.

Brax, Chartell and Lilly had headed down to the engine room to try and get the damaged systems up and running whilst the Doctor had stayed in the upper decks with Holly, Fletcher and the rest of them.

The Doctor noticed Holly sat against the wall, a look of concentration on her face.

“How’s everything going?” he asked as he slid down the wall to sit next to her.

“It’s good. Thank you,” she said flashing him a smile.

“Then why do you look so disconnected from everything,” said the Doctor.

Holly smiled again, but this time it was a genuine, warm smile. “I guess I didn’t really know what I was letting myself in for. Aliens and spaceships…”

“You did throw yourself at us. Literally,” laughed the Doctor.

“I know, I know. I never expected you and Lilly would be living in a time machine though.”

“I’m going to have to take you back after all this, you know?”

She nodded. “I know. I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but I understand.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Well,” said Holly, “I don’t actually understand why you have to take me back yet.”

“Lilly and I work better on our own.”

“Do you mean you and Lilly, or just Lilly?”

The Doctor nodded, a knowing smile on his face. “Lilly is very protective of the life we lead.”

“Who is she?” said Holly.

“Who is Lilly?” The Doctor looked up towards the ceiling, lost in thoughts. “Lilly is an enigma.”

“An enigma? Is that what we’re calling grumpy people these days.”

“Lilly has her reasons,” said the Doctor, the smile fading slightly. “She’s been through a lot since I met her, and before as well.”




Down in the engine room Brax was under a large propulsion system whilst Chartell crouched nearby. Lilly meanwhile was sat on a computer bank studying a data pad. She was reading some navigation information that Chartell had shown her.

“How are the engines?” asked Chartell.

“Give me a minute,” said Brax, glancing at her from under the machinery, a screwdriver in his mouth.

“You weren’t that far from Remos, you know?” said Lilly, turning the pad for Chartell to see.

“This we knew about,” said Chartell, “I can only assume that the others arrived there.”

“Well we know what happened to the ones who went to Telos,” said Lilly darkly.

“It was inevitable that a faction would follow the ideals of our leaders.”

“And with your ship dead in the water, there was no way to detect you.”

“Yeah,” said Brax, his voice slightly obscured by the screwdriver in his mouth, “we only detected you by chance.”

“I am pleased that you did,” said Chartell.

“Pleased?” queried Lilly. “That’s an emotion too.”

Lilly wasn’t certain, but she thought she saw a slight smile play across the clothed-face Cyberman, but before she could say anything Brax cried out in glee as a humming sound came from the systems, power flowing back into the engines. He rolled out from under the equipment and got to his feet, his face beaming.

“You fixed it!” said Lilly.

“Everything seems to be in working order,” said Chartell, inspecting the engine systems.

“Good news,” said Lilly. “Now maybe we can get off this crate.”




Back up top the team were gathered around. Saragon thanked Brax who looked pleased as punch.

“Well, I think that’s all the time we have for this little excursion,” said Fletcher, as his team began to suit up again.

“We need to get the power back to the Coronation,” said Grant, “and get back home.”

“It is impossible,” said Saragon.

“I beg your pardon?” said Grant.

“Our ship has drained the power from your ship. There is no way for it to be transferred back without our ship becoming dead again.”

“Terrific!” said Fletcher, shaking his head in frustration. “You said you could help us transfer the power back.”

“That was my initial plan,” said Saragon, “but since I have discovered that the independent generator that powers the ship has been damaged.”

“So we go and help you and then you leave us dead in the water.”

“No, not dead in the water, as you say,” said Saragon. “You may come with us to Remos.”

“And become like you?!” spat Roy.

“That is not what Saragon said,” said Chartell, interrupting.

“We ain’t living with you folks,” said Brax with an incredulous chuckle.

“Okay people,” said the Doctor, who was already beside the TARDIS. “My ship is capable of taking everyone back instantly.”

“We need to go back with the ship, Doctor,” said Fletcher. “It has all of our data and records not to mention questions will be asked if we turn up a month early without a very valuable ship.”

“How about this then,” said Holly, feeling a little more confident now. “We go with the Cybermen to Remos and then once they’re safely on the surface we can transfer the power back to the Coronation and you lot can fly home.”

“There’s no guaranteeing what we’ll find when we get there,” said Grant, her voice rising in pitch slightly.

“We won’t know unless we go,” said the Doctor. “And after all, it could be quite an adventure.”

“No, Doctor,” groaned Lilly, leaning her forehead against the TARDIS.

“It shouldn’t take more than a few hours to get there,” said the Doctor, grabbing Lilly’s pad and showing the others. “If you really want to get your ship back then it’s the only way.”

Fletcher looked at the Doctor, then the Cybermen and finally Grant.

“It’s your call, Captain,” said Angie, refusing to meet her eyes.

“It seems we have no choice.” He looked at Saragon and held up a finger. “But any tricks and we will take you down.”




Somewhere in the far reaches of space, cold, emotionless eyes observed a star-chart on a large, computer screen. A three-fingered metallic hand pressed a button beside the screen and focused in on a digital image of the Mondassian ship with the Coronation docked alongside it. The ship was moving, slowly, but it was definitely heading somewhere.

This was their chance. Their chance to locate the missing colony. To locate Remos and bring the race back together…




They were about an hour into the journey to reach Remos when it happened. The Doctor was hunched over a navigational control console inspecting the complicated controls and systems with Saragon at his side, watching intently.

“You seem curious,” said Saragon.

“I am curious, Saragon,” said the Doctor, standing up straight to face the giant. “In all my travels I’ve never had the chance to actually stop and examine any kind of Cybership.”

Saragon did not say anything. He continued to stare at the Doctor.

“I was there at the birth of your race and at Mondas’s demise,” said the Doctor sadly. “But always your race comes back. Just like the Daleks.”

“You keep mistaking us with the other factions.”

The Doctor sighed. “I know. You have to forgive me, Saragon, but it’s difficult when you’ve fought so many bad variations of your kind.”

“I…wish…to change your opinion of my race.”

“I hope your wish comes true,” smiled the Doctor sadly.

The room was thrown into chaos when the ship suddenly lurched violently, throwing everyone off their feet. Brax smacked his head against a metal railing and Rick was at his side instantly with a medical kit.

“What the hell was that?!” said Holly, racing up to the Doctor who was struggling to get back on his feet. “Were we hit?”

“No,” said Chartell, checking the readings. “The engines have exploded.”

“We fixed them,” said Lilly, joining the Cyberman at the console.

“We patched them up as best we could,” said a dazed Brax.

“Can we get to the Coronation?” asked Fletcher. “We can redirect the power back to our ship.”

“That might be a bit difficult,” said the Doctor, gazing out of a porthole.

Outside the ship the Coronation had been shaken free, splinters of the docking tube glittering in space like dust particles. The rocket slowly tumbled further and further away, sparks coming from the side of the ship.

“It must have been damaged by the blaster,” said Grant in disbelief.

“The TARDIS!” said Holly. “We can get out that way.”

“Ah,” said the Doctor, looking out of the porthole again.

Holly felt her heart sink and fear creep up inside of her as she saw the blue TARDIS tumbling away from them.

“What happened?” said Lilly as the ship began to rattle and tilt forward.

Saragon checked the readout. “We lost that section of the ship. I am afraid we are dead in space.”

“Not dead in the middle of nowhere though,” said Natalie, checking the navigation console. “Look.”

On the screen was a flashing yellow dot.

“Well, we’ve arrived at Remos,” said the Doctor, “but the gravitational pull of the planet is going to pull us down.”

“We’re going to crash?” said Holly, worriedly.

“We’re going to crash,” nodded the Doctor.

To be continued...

Mondas Down (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3 (The Awakening)



1986




The old man watched the computer screen on board the Cyberman spaceship as the planet bubbled and smoked and broke into a million different pieces. Whole continents disintegrated and crumbled, the seas boiling. He couldn’t hear it from where he was, but he hoped the poor souls on the planet had a swift death. No matter what the Cybermen had done, he felt that not all of them were to blame.

But right now he was feeling very weak. He looked across to his companion, Polly, before drifting out of consciousness again.




Now




Fletcher continued to peer down into the container, studying the Cyberman figure that lay dormant inside. It frightened him. He’d heard stories of the Cybermen over the years. They’d appeared throughout various points in Human history, always bringing a wave of destruction with them, but he’d never expected to see one himself. They were almost like a legend to people back on Earth.

“So what happened to them?” asked Natalie.

“It looks like they put themselves into suspended animation,” said the Doctor, not meeting Natalie’s gaze, but looking grimly at the containers.

“They look…odd,” said Brax. “Not like the Cybermen we’ve seen in the pictures back on Earth.”

“These are different ones,” said the Doctor, allowing himself to relax a little more. “These are the originals. Cyber-Mondassians. Go back to your records - 1986. A planet moved into your solar system. Mondas. This is where these folks came from.”

Natalie nodded, remembering a little of her history. “Didn’t the planet break up?”

“It did. It absorbed too much power from Earth and exploded. The Cybermen left on Earth collapsed due to lack of power from their planet.” He put his hand on the container.

“But the Cybermen came back?”

“Offshoots of the originals, yes. Newer, more advanced ones with conquest being their only motivation. These were the original. Their means and methods were misguided, maybe, but they did what they did to try and stay alive. The Mondassians all died out.”

“Obviously not,” said Holly.

“Indeed. These are being kept alive by a separate power unit. Like a generator,” he said, examining a collection of wires that snaked from each pod to a single unit near to the centre of the room.

“Then we need to disconnect the stasis pods,” said Lilly bluntly.

“It’ll kill them,” said Fletcher. “Bit harsh isn’t it?”

“Well we can’t wake them up,” said Lilly.

“I won’t advocate murder,” said the Doctor, glaring at Lilly.

“Oh, come on, Doctor. You’ve told me about the Cybermen before. Nasty pieces of work.”

“Yes, the regular Cybermen. The every day Cybermen you see flying through space and causing misery and destruction. But these are not those Cybermen.”

“You said their methods were wrong,” said Holly.

“I said misguided. They were going to die and needed to survive. The need to survive can make everyone do misguided things.”

“Maybe we should just turn the ship around and leave this crate out here,” said Brax, his arms folded as he looked into the containers.

“I’m in agreement,” said Fletcher. “We shouldn’t have come here.”

“No,” said Natalie, “I think the Doctor’s right.”

“I beg your pardon, Flintlock?” said Fetcher, using her last name for the first time.

She suddenly remembered who was in charge. “I’m sorry, sir, but these people are in need.”

The Doctor held up his hands. “Woah there, everyone. I didn’t say we were going to help them. I just said that I wasn’t going to execute them.”

“Then what do you suggest we do, Doctor?” said Fletcher. “Because I need to get my crew back home, yet I have an obligation to make sure the Cyberman threat doesn’t have a chance of coming back to Earth.”

“That may be true, captain, but killing defenceless creatures-”

“Wait!” said Holly. “Can you hear that?”

The group stopped talking and fell silent. The Doctor’s eyes narrowed. Somewhere on the edge of their hearing, there was a humming sound, and it’s pitch was increasing.

“Where’s that coming from?” said Lilly, looking around for the source.

“From there,” said Holly, pointing at the generator that connected the containers via the cables.

The Doctor dropped to his knees and ran his sonic screwdriver over the generator. His face froze into a look of fear. “Something’s reactivated the stasis pods. They’re waking up.”

“What?!” spat Fletcher. “How? None of us have touched it.”

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck. “We must have triggered something when we came on board. Mondas was able to absorb power from Earth. Perhaps the ships work in the same way.”

There came a crackle over Fletcher’s communicator.

“Ange, what is it?”

Grant’s worried voice came over the comm system. “Captain, we’re experiencing power losses on the ship.”

“No, no, no,” said Fletcher. He looked at the Doctor. “Can you shut it down?”

“I’m trying,” said the Doctor, on his knees and checking the systems.

Fletcher turned to Roy and Brax. “You two get back to the Coronation. See what you can do over there.”

“Aye sir.”

“Any luck?” said Lilly, crouching beside the Doctor.

“No,” he said, frustration in his voice. “Even if I could disconnect these cables, they’re already starting to wake up.”

Holly looked down into one of the containers. The still, silent figure seemed to be still dormant and she felt her pulse slow slightly. And then she jumped when she saw the pale, Human hand begin to twitch it’s fingers, slowly at first, before closing and opening to a clench.

“Doctor,” said Holly, “I think you better look at this.”

The Doctor was over in a shot. Now both of the Cybermen’s hands were moving about and within the holes of the cloth-face dark eyes were staring out.

“Everybody out of here,” said the Doctor, edging away from the container. “We need to seal this ship up and get out.”

There came a huge thump from one of the other containers and Natalie let out a yelp, putting her hand to her mouth.

Fletcher was over to her, his hands on her shoulders as he guided her back. “Easy now, Nat.”

Another thump.

“I know I said I wanted adventure, but I didn’t expect to find this.”

Another few thumps.

Fletcher’s radio crackled again. “This is Commander Grant….the Coronation is dead in the water.”

Thump! Thump! Thump!

“Disconnect, Angie, disconnect!” said Fletcher as they backed up towards the TARDIS.

The thumping was coming from two containers now.

“We don’t have the power to disconnect.”

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

“Unlock the door!” yelled Lilly as the Doctor fumbled for the TARDIS key.

BANG!

The lids of the containers flew open, coming off their hinges and landing just a few centimetres away, shattering the glass fronts and landing in front of onlookers with a huge clang.

The Doctor stepped out in front of the group and urged them to stay back as he straightened his back and raised his head.

A hand emerged from within one of the containers and slowly the Cyberman struggled to sit up. It looked confused as it’s eyes looked all around the room and then locked onto the Doctor as he stood resolutely in front of it.

Then the other Cybermen emerged. One of it’s arms wasn’t working and swung beside it limply.

“Good morning,” said the Doctor, his face expressionless. “I trust you slept well.”

The first Cyberman simply looked at him, it’s mouth open, but with no sound coming out.

“Cat got your tongue?” said Lilly from back towards the TARDIS.

“Sush, Lilly,” said the Doctor.

The two figures remained in their sitting positions, watching the Doctor intently.

“Why don’t they speak?” asked Holly with a whisper.

“Maybe they can’t,” said Fletcher. “They’ve been stuck in those things for an entire century.”

“Maybe they’re waiting for the right moment to attack,” said Natalie ominously.

The Doctor took another pace towards the containers but froze in his tracks as one of the Cybermen leapt out of the container and then fell flat on it’s face.

Holly stifled a laugh. As horrible as they looked, that was possibly the most comical thing she’d ever seen. A scary, hodgepodge cybernetic man slipping and falling on it’s arse.

To Holly’s horror, the Doctor crouched down and offered a hand for the Cyberman to get up.

“Be careful,” warned Lilly.

The Cyberman looked at the Doctor’s hand with curiosity and then took it as the Doctor helped the seven-foot man to his feet.

It looked down at him, it’s eyes still transfixed on him.

“Do you know who you are?” said the Doctor.

The voice that came out of the figures mouth was not what Holly had expected. She had thought it would have some kind of robotic voice, but instead it was almost comical in a frightening sing-song type way. It’s mouth opened wide, it’s lips did not move, and the voice sing-song-ed out.

“My name is Saragon. This is Chartell.”

“Good to meet you Saragon. You too, Chartell.”

The other Cybermen, who was still sat in the container, nodded it’s head once in greeting.

“And you are?”

“I’m known as the Doctor.”

“Doctor. That name is familiar to my kind. You were at Snowcap Base during my peoples landing on your planet.”

“I was indeed.”

“But our records have you with a different face.”

The Doctor gave a wry smile. “I’ve aged a lot since then.”

“Your planet burned up. It was destroyed,” said Fletcher.

“Yes. Mondas absorbed too much power and burned up.”

“Then how are you alive?” asked Lilly. “Surely your entire race was reliant on Mondas’s power.”

The other Cyberman spoke. It had a higher-pitch voice. Almost feminine. “A group of us on the planet surface had become concerned for some time about what our leaders had intended to do and so we escaped the planet before it disintegrated.”

“You became concerned?” said the Doctor, his eyes narrowed.

“Not all of us agreed with the committee and their plans,” continued Saragon. “I and a group of scientists devised power sources that could be built into our own individual ships such as this.”

“When it became apparent that the plans of our leaders had failed, a number of us broke free and escaped the solar system.”

Lilly had a glint in her eyes as she turned to Holly. “Some of them must have become the Cybermen we all know and love. Is that the right word?”

Holly frowned as she realised she was talking to herself more than to her.

“Where did you intend to go? How many of you were there?” asked the Doctor.

“There were many ships,” continued Chartell. “Our ship was critically damaged and we had to put ourselves into these hibernation pods.”

“Whilst the others became the ruthless, cold Cybermen I’ve run into time and time again and that settled on Telos.”

“Cold and ruthless?” asked Saragon.

“It doesn’t matter,” said the Doctor.

“Wait,” said Chartell, finally clambering out of the container. “Telos was the name of one of the locations for settlement. The others were Remos and Phraxin.”

“I don’t understand,” said the Doctor. “What do you mean?”

“There were a few ships,” said Chartell. “And there were three locations. Three planets. Telos, Remos and Phraxin. Our ship was bound of Remos.”

Saragon nodded. “We were divided into three groups and tasked with settling on all three planets. Surviving.”

“We never made it,” said Chartell. “Our ship was one of the first to leave. There were nine of us in total onboard. We were caught in an explosion from Mondas and the ships vital systems shut down. We had no choice but to go into hibernation and hope for the best.”

“Hope?” said the Doctor, now sat on the edge of a container and swinging his legs backwards and forwards like a child. “Hope is a very Human emotion.”

“Where’re the rest of your crew then?” asked Holly, feeling brave enough to edge a little closer.

“Take a look around you,” said Lilly.

Holly hadn’t paid it much attention before, but now she looked she could see amongst the rubbish strewn around the room, melted silver suits and puddles of goo. She felt sick again.

“Rotten corpses,” said Lilly, to emphasise Holly’s feelings. “Cabbages.” She grinned at her.

There came the sound of footsteps followed by Grant and Brax brandishing two large plasma rifles. Both of them looked terrified as they aimed at the two Cybermen and fired.

“No!” said the Doctor, as the shots screamed just past the faces of the Cybermen.

“I don’t know who you are,” said Grant, glancing momentarily at the Doctor, “but these things are dangerous. They’ve drained our ships power.”

“By accident, Angie,” said Fletcher.

“What?” said Grant, frowning at her captain.

“Their ships are designed to drain power from foreign power sources,” said the Doctor.

“That is correct,” said Saragon. “It is not intended to be an act of aggression from us. We can help you to restore power to your craft.”

“Lower the gun, Angie,” said Fletcher. “You too, Brax.”

“I hope you’re right about this, sir,” said Angie.

“I am. Now do as I say. Obey my commands.”

Slowly the two officers lowered their guns. Holly felt herself relax a little.

“So what now?” said Lilly.

“I think a few more explanations are in order,” said the Doctor.

To be continued...

Mondas Down (Chapter 2)

Chapter 2 (The Tomb)

The toast popped up and Fletcher grabbed it before it fell to the floor. Again. He really needed to get the spring sorted out in that contraption. He quickly spread a little butter on the toast, took a bite and then started clambering into his spacesuit.

Grant walked in and glanced at the toast on the side. She picked it up, put it on a plate and wiped the crumbs on the side into the palm of her hand before brushing them into the small bin at the side.

“Do we really have time for toast?” said Grant, leaning against the counter.

“Gotta eat, Ange,” smiled Fletcher, taking another bite of the toast.

“You know Flintlock’s already at the airlock waiting to get out?”

“I thought we’d docked,” said Fletcher, finishing the bit of toast. “See, they can move quickly when they’re properly motivated.” He laughed.

Grant rolled her eyes. They had a good crew, but the trip had been a long one and by the end of the outward leg, after being cooped up in the ship for a whole month, they were rarely quick to do anything. Grant had to admit that getting off the ship and doing a little bit of investigating could be good for them.

“Everything secure?” said Fletcher as he grabbed his helmet.

“Yes,” said Grant, “but I don’t think you should be going across, sir.”

“And why not?” he said as they both stepped out into the narrow corridor that ran between the quarters.

“Because it could be dangerous.”

“Angie, I take on board your concerns,” he put his gloved-up hands on her shoulders, “but that ship is dead. The chances of anything being alive on it is minimal.”

Angie pursed her lips together and let out a sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

He smiled. “You know I am.”

“Just be careful,” she said.

He gave her a mock salute as he walked to the bottom of the corridor and through the doors at the end.

When he reached the airlock Natalie, Roy and Brax were suited up and waiting beside the door. Natalie looked impatient and Fletcher had to smile at her.

“Everybody good?” he asked.

“Aye, sir,” said the three of them in unison.

“Docking wasn’t a problem,” said Natalie. “The chute fitted over like a shoe in a footprint.”

“Only just,” said Roy, looking through the window at the small, four feet docking chute that had connected to the outside of the ship. “Those doors are much bigger than ours.”

“We’re lucky they had an airlock,” said Brax, leaning against the wall as he pulled his gloves on.

Fletcher and the team entered the airlock and then crossed the chute to the derelicts door. Brax felt around the doorway but there was no sign of an opening. Just a tiny window that showed another door further inside.

“Now what?” said Natalie, clearly disappointed.

“Do we cut it open?” asked Brax. “I’ve got a perfect cutting torch back in the workshop.”

“Not yet,” said Fletcher. “Keep looking for a way in. I don’t want to damage the ship just in case there is someone, or something, inside.”




Inside was darkness. It was still and lifeless, but the sound of silence was broken with the sound of scraping of keys on piano strings heralding in the appearance of a large, blue box - the TARDIS.

A few seconds later the door opened. The Doctor was the first to step out, holding up a small torch and shining it around, the dust particles dancing in the beam of light. He was followed by Lilly, who marched out so quickly that she almost collided with the Doctor.

Lastly was Holly, who stood in the doorway and nervously placed her foot outside onto the metal-panelled floor. She felt wobbly and slightly dizzy and steadied herself by holding onto the doors. She could hardly believe this was happening to her. Thirty minutes ago she was on Earth in her own town, and now she was standing in an - albeit very dark - spaceship. It was madness. Insane! Fantastic!

“Everything okay?” asked the Doctor, twirling around to shine the torch in Holly’s face, reminding her of the first time they had met.

“Just getting adjusted to it,” said Holly.

“Don’t take all day,” said Lilly, hands stuffed deep in her pocket like she had seen this numerous times before.

“I won’t.” said Holly with a smile. She was determined to try and get on with this Lilly girl. “Was this what it was like on your first trip?”

Lilly flashed a rare smile. “I can’t remember my first trip. I woke up in a hospital bed.”

“Yes,” said the Doctor, shining the torch around the darkened room again, “Lilly was not well when I took her on board the TARDIS.”

Holly frowned. She didn’t want to push at it, but she wanted to get to know more about the Doctor and Lilly. They acted like they had been together for quite a long time, but the Doctor didn’t seem particularly phased by her rudeness. He must have become accustomed to it. She made a mental note to do more digging.

“So where are we?” asked Lilly.

“In a room,” said the Doctor. “A dark room.”

Lilly rolled her eyes. “I could have told you that.”

“It’s cold as well,” said Holly, wrapping her arms around herself and rubbing them to keep herself warm. “And it stinks.”

“Yes,” said the Doctor, tapping his nose. “Stinks of what though?”

“Rotten cabbages,” said Holly, remembering helping her granddad empty out the shed of his friend, Alfred, who had died. They found a ton of rotting vegetables in there and it had almost made Holly throw up.

“No,” said Lilly. “It smells of rotting corpses.”

“What?!” said Holly, suddenly feeling very, very sick.

“Rotting corpses don’t smell like that,” said the Doctor, trying to find a door.

“Not normal ones perhaps,” said Lilly. “Ones augmented with cybernetic components do.”

The Doctor turned and frowned.

Lilly knew she had their attention. “Something to do with the electricity running through their flesh. It taints the flesh.”

“Can we change the subject, please?” said Holly praying that they weren’t about to run into a bunch of dead bodies. Again.

“Aha!” said the Doctor. “A door!”

Holly and Lilly crossed over to the door. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the centre of the door. He then ran the screwdriver over the edges of the doors and with a click it released and slid open.

“Progress,” said the Doctor with a smile.

They shone the torch inside. It was a small compartment with a tiny window set higher in the door.

“Looks like an airlock to me,” said Holly.

The Doctor looked despondent. “You’re right there, Holly.”

“Hey,” said Lilly, suddenly remembering, “what about that ship we saw outside? They may have docking capabilities.”

“So you think they may come in this way?” said Holly.

“Unless they have a matter transmitter then yeah.”

“Wait,” said the Doctor, putting his ear to the door. “I can hear voices.”




On the other side of the door Fletcher was growing impatient, Natalie even more so as Brax and Roy continued to check the door for any way in.

“I can’t see anything, captain,” said Brax. “The cutting torch is still an option,” he said with a hint in his voice.

Fletcher sighed, but nodded. “Go get it, Brax.”

“Wait!” said Roy, looking up at the tiny window. “There’s a light in there, look.”

The four of them glanced up and sure enough there was the occasional flash of light coming from the window.

“If I’m mistaken,” said Roy, “it looks like someone is in the airlock with a torch.”

The four of them looked at each other.

Natalie was about to say something when suddenly there was a click and the door slid open revealing a young, unshaven man in a grey coat holding a handheld metal cylinder with two young women either side of him.

For a moment the seven of them stared at each other in disbelief, and then the man broke into a smile. “Good morning, I’m the Doctor.”




The group had made their way into the darkened room of the spaceship. Brax had gone back to the Coronation and returned with floodlights which illuminated the room, although there wasn’t much to see other than the blue TARDIS standing in the corner. It was more like an entrance room beyond the airlock and there was another door leading out of it.

“So,” said Fletcher, sat down opposite the Doctor on the floor, “explain it to me again.”

“We’re travellers. We came here in this box.”

“Nope,” said Fletcher. “Still not getting it.”

“But you believe us?”

“Well either you’re space travellers who got here in a blue box, or this is your spaceship. I don’t actually know which one to believe.”

“It has got some kind of power running through it though,” said Natalie, her hand up against the box. “It’s humming with power.”

“And what’s your name, miss?” asked the Doctor.

“Flintlock. Natalie Flintlock.”

“Good to meet you, Natalie,” said the Doctor with a smile.

“Hands off the TARDIS,” said Lilly, glaring at her.

“Believe me,” said Holly, sitting down next to Fletcher, “I had difficulty believing in all of this myself. I’ve only just seen the ship actually, but it’s all true.”

“And you are?”

“Holly Dangerfield,” she extended her hand and shook his. “I come from the year-”

“A year ago,” said the Doctor, interrupting her quickly. He noticed Fletcher’s confused face. “That is, we’ve been travelling for a year.”

“That’s impossible,” said Brax. “We’re the first ship from Earth to get out this far.”

“As far as you’re aware,” said the Doctor. “We don’t work for a space agency.”

“Oh brilliant,” said Roy, crossing over to the inner door, “they’re independents. Always trying to steal NESP’s thunder.”

“Okay, that’s enough Roy.” Fletcher let out a sigh. “I guess I’m going to have to believe you for now, because, to be honest, we don’t have a lot of time and I need to get my crew home.”

“What are you doing checking out this old derelict then?” said Holly, looking around the darkened room.

“Curiosity more than anything,” said Natalie. “Just one little look before we head home.”

“Can you open this door with that thing, mate?” asked Brax.

The Doctor got to his feet. “Yes, it shouldn’t be a problem, but the real question is: do we want to open the door?”

“Why wouldn’t we want to?” asked Brax.

“We don’t know what’s on the other side,” said Holly, chipping in. “And Lilly says that it smells of cybernetic corpses.”

“And most cybernetic creatures are not the best company we could be keeping right now,” said the Doctor. “In fact, something about the design in here is very familiar.”

“I understand your concerns, Doctor, but I have a duty to at least find out a reason for why this old crate is drifting.”

“Fair enough,” said the Doctor, holding his hands up. “I suppose if there were anything alive right now then we’d have known about it.”

“So you’ll open the door?” asked Fletcher.

The Doctor smiled. “I’ll open the door.”

A few moments later and the door had been opened. The team moved the floodlights through the doorway and into the next chamber. It was a hexagonal shape with computer banks adoring the walls. Across on the far side were around 6 containers with a bubbled glass top.

The Doctor stood in the certain of the room, turning on the spot. Something about this was definitely feeling very familiar. Lilly mentioning cybernetics had only served to more or less confirm his fears.

“What are these?” asked Holly, crossing over to one of the containers and peering into the glass. She gasped and took a step back before peering in again like a curious child.

“What is it?” asked Natalie.

“Take a look for yourselves.”

The rest of the gang - excluding the Doctor - gathered around the containers to peer inside.

“It’s hardly possible,” said Fletcher.

“We should have left this alone,” said Lilly, shaking her head.

“Doctor,” said Holly, looking across at his worried face, “don’t you want to see?”

“I already know what’s in those containers. I thought I recognised the design of the ship.” The Doctor held out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it towards one of the computer banks. From the banks were cables leading to the base of each of the containers. “They’re still on low power.”

“What do you mean?” asked Brax, kneeling down to examine the cables.

The Doctor crossed over to the containers and peered inside, taking a deep sigh. Inside was a large, eight-foot figure cladded in a silver suit. On it’s chest was a huge, metallic box with various dials and vents. Down the silver suit were rods of metal and the figure had human hands. It was the head and face that was more frightening. Where the face was there was a grey cloth with holes for a mouth and eyes. Inside the holes were closed eyelids. The figure wore a metal helmet with a lamp on top and tubes running from where the ears would be to the lamp at the top.

“You recognise them?” asked Roy, looking from the Doctor to the figure.

“Unfortunately I do. They are Cybermen.”

To be continued...

Mondas Down (Chapter 1)

Chapter 1 (Box of Tricks)

Holly was sat on a cool, shiny white floor. Wherever she was it was bright and it took her eyes a moment to adjust from the daylight outside to the artificial light in the box. When she had dived through the unlocked doors she had expected to come crashing down on top of the Doctor and Lilly in the cramped, darkened space, but that wasn’t to be the case. She had actually travelled a few feet from the doors and landed hard on the ground.

“What in the name of all that is bloody holy….?” came the familiar Scottish females voice.

“What on Gallifrey…?” came the Doctor’s voice.

Holly blinked and looked around her as the room came into focus. The room was bright white and huge. It was dome-shaped and in the centre was a mushroom-like control panel with a glass cylinder rising from the centre to the roof, contained within were blue glowing rods. The domed walls were adorned with glowing blue circles and the air smelt of mint. In the far wall was a door leading to goodness knows where and on either side of the domed room were staircases leading downwards.

She turned to look behind her to check where she had actually come from and to her amazement could see the back of the police box doors.

Standing beside the control mushroom was the Doctor and Lilly. Lilly looked like she was about to throttle her, whereas the Doctor stood with one hand on his hips and the other hand scratching his head.

Holly panicked, got to her feet and ran to the police box doors. She tried them but they were locked. And then she staggered back. She could just see out of the windows. Beyond the doors wasn’t the old builders yard she had come from, but instead was a flying maelstrom of coloured clouds and light.

“I told you to lock the sodding doors,” said Lilly.

“Alright Lilly,” warned the Doctor.

Holly turned to face them. “What the hell…?”

“Welcome to the TARDIS,” said the Doctor. “Welcome to my time machine.”




2086




The SS Coronation had just passed Pluto and was heading out into deeper space. It had only taken them a month to get this far out from Earth using the new experimental stellar drives built for NESP - the New Earth Space Programme - and Captain Nicholas Fletcher, or Nick to his friends, was looking forward to getting back to his job at the space research facility in Utah.

His crew of six had set out with one goal - get to the edge of the solar system and come back. It was a two month mission and he was promised it would go smoothly and without a hitch. So far, so good…

Fletcher stood in the control centre of the ship, leaning over a round monitor table which showed a digital image of the solar system and their location in relation to the planets. He nodded and turned to face his team. His second in command was a woman called Angie Grant, a tall, blonde woman in her mid forties. She was strict and stern but she commanded the respect of them all. Chief engineer was a younger man in his late twenties called Harry Brax. He was wide-eyed, eager for new challengers and always covered head to toe in engine dirt. Fletcher wondered if he ever washed.

In charge of navigation was a dark-skinned woman called Natalie Flintlock. She had been eager to explore the edges of the solar system; to be one of the first women to do it. She dreamt of getting even further out there. The final two members of the team were a pair of bespectacled twins called Rick and Roy Hobbin. Rick was the ships doctor and Roy the scientist. They both kept themselves to themselves, but were amiable enough.

“Right folks,” said Fletcher, never one to adopt a strict code of conduct policy, “it’s been a long month getting out here, but we’ve finally done it. We’ve just passed Pluto. It’s time to turn back.”

There were a number of congratulations heard as well as some smiles.

“Silence please,” said Grant, bringing the rest of them to quiet again.

“Sir?” said Natalie Flintlock.

“Go ahead, Natalie,” said Fletcher.

“Can we not just stick around for a little bit? You know, explore a little further?”

“Whilst we’re here we should do,” piped up Roy.

“The purpose of the mission,” said Fletcher, “was to see if we could travel this out far. There’s nothing out here that’s not already been picked up by the probes over the last century.”

Roy and Natalie looked crestfallen, but Fletcher smiled. “I promise you all, the next ship that comes out here will have a recommendation from myself for you to be on board.”

“I’m quite happy to go home,” said Rick. “I miss my bed.”

There was a murmur of agreement around the room.

Grant stepped out in front of Fletcher, her hands behind her back. “Everyone to their stations. Let’s turn this crate around.”

Before anyone could follow the captains orders through, there was a rhythmic beep from the digital readout. Fletcher craned his neck to see what it was.

Grant frowned and tapped a few buttons on the screen.

“What is it?” asked Fletcher, crossing over to her.

“Strange. We’re picking up another ship out there.”

“All the way out here? That’s impossible. Are you sure it’s not a probe?”

Roy was at the screen now. “Definitely not a probe, Captain. This thing has engines.”

“It may have engines,” continued Grant, “but it’s drifting. The engines aren’t working.”

Natalie turned from her navigation panel, her dark eyes twinkling. She was trying to hide her excitement. “I think we should investigate, sir.”

Fletcher stroked his short beard and pursed his lips together. “We really need to get back. We only have enough fuel for this one journey.”

“Sir,” continued Natalie, “the ship always carries a small reserve bank of fuel just in case of emergencies.”

“That’s enough, Flintlock,” said Grant, trying to curb the navigators excitement before it become too overbearing. “That fuel reserve is, as you say, for emergencies.”

“No, it’s okay, Angie,” said Fletcher. He stared down at the readout. If there was a ship out there and it was drifting then the crew may definitely need help. But then again he’d heard stories of ships on the fringes of the solar system, scavenging aliens that tricked passers by into boarding their ships and then killing them. They were just stories though. No one had been out this far yet.

He sighed and looked from person to person. The Hobbin twins were too hard to read. They lived for their jobs, but they would do whatever their captain asked them to do. Natalie was a no-brainer. She wanted to be on that ship right now. Brax looked nonchalant. He never bothered with much other than his engines and Grant…well, Angie was loyal and trusting. She’d go with whatever he asked even if she didn’t entirely agree with it herself.

His mind was made up. If someone was in trouble then they had to help.

“Natalie,” he said to Flintlock, “let’s bring the ship alongside her, yeah?”

Natalie broke into a wide smile, turned and programmed in the controls.

Fletcher turned to the rest of the team. “I promise this won’t take long, and then we’ll head on home. Natalie, Brax and Roy suit up. You‘ll be coming across with me. Angie, stay on board the ship with Rick.

There was a chorus of, “Aye, sir,” as they moved off to get ready.

“Not long, eh, sir?” said Grant.

“We’ll be on our way before you know it, Angie,” smiled Fletcher.




Holly was sat on an beautiful carved wooden chair with a glass of cool, still water. She felt dizzy and sick, but the Doctor reassured her it was just her bodies way of adjusting to the dimensional changes. She had lost him at "adjusting".

Lilly was stood at the control panel, checking various readouts and carefully monitoring the controls whilst the Doctor was sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Holly, smiling at her.

Holly drained the last of the water.

“Better?” said the Doctor.

She nodded. She still felt off, but the effects were wearing off.

“Good,” said the Doctor. “Now, what are you doing on my ship?”

“Ship?” said Holly.

“I’ll explain in a bit, but first you need to answer my question. What are you doing on my ship?”

“I needed to know.”

“Know what?” said Lilly from the controls without turning around.

“Where you two came from. I knew there was something different about you.”

“Hear that, Lils, we’re different.”

“You knew more about those Kro’Tenk things than you should have done.”

“Well, that’s because I’m a little more involved with things that are not…normal.”

“This is a spaceship, isn’t it?” said Holly, looking around her and her eyes returning to the colours swirling beyond the doors.

“Yes, but as I said before it’s a time machine as well,” said the Doctor. “A spaceship and a time machine rolled into one.”

Holly blew out some air from her cheeks and shook her head. “I gotta focus here.”

“Is it so hard to believe?”

“Not really I suppose,” said Holly. “I mean a few days ago I was running from dead bodies and having visions of alternate worlds. A time machine is just another thing to file away in the weird box.”

The Doctor smiled. “From the sounds of it, you’ve always been willing to accept things that belong in the weird box.”

Holly couldn’t help but agree. All of her adventures and interests as a child and teenager proved that.

“I need you to keep quiet about it though. When I take you home-”

“What? Take me home?”

“You’ve gotta go,” said Lilly. “You have no right being here.”

“Okay, Lilly, there’s no need for that. Holly understands.”

Lilly turned to face the Doctor, her face screwed up in frustration. “She forces her way on here without a care for where she was going. She could have damaged the doors. She could have damaged the interior dimensions. You know take off and landing is the most dangerous moment.”

“Lilly,” he got to his feet, “I’ve been flying around in this old box for thousands of years-”

“Thousands!” exclaimed Holly. “How old are you?”

“All in good time, Holly,” said the Doctor. He turned back to Lilly. “I know everything there is to know about this box. I don’t need you to lecture me.”

“Not lecture, Doctor,” said Lilly, turning back to the controls, “but maybe you need someone to keep your mind focused on things. Remind you of what‘s important and what isn’t.”

The Doctor frowned and for the first time since she’d known these two, Holly thought the Doctor looked incredibly pissed off with his friend.

“I’m sorry,” said Holly. “Genuinely I am, but I couldn’t just let you leave. How was I supposed to go back to my old life knowing what was going to come in five months time?”

“You’re a Human,” said Lilly.

“And you’re not?” said Holly. “And what’s that meant to mean anyway?”

“What Lilly means,” said the Doctor, “is that you’re not used to experiencing the things you’ve experienced.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” said Holly, “but believe me, I’ve read up about these things. When we were kids Foxy and Roxy and me and the others had a club. We had a Den in the woods and we read up about aliens and ghosts and stuff.”

Lilly laughed. “This is real life.”

“Lilly,” said the Doctor again, through gritted teeth.

Holly got up off the stool, wobbled slightly - the Doctor grabbed her to support her - and then she crossed over to Lilly. “Do you have a problem with me? I haven‘t forgotten that you punched Roxy in the nose.”

“Now, now ladies,” said the Doctor.

“The Doctor and I have been quite happily travelling around the universe for quite a while now. We don’t need another kid to show the wonders of the universe too.”

“Another kid? I’m 23.”

“That’s enough,” said the Doctor. “Holly, I am not apposed to having you onboard, but I’m afraid mine and Lilly’s lives are a little bit too dangerous right now. Maybe when it’s all over you can come with us, but for now-”

The Doctor was cut off by a high-pitched beeping sound coming from the control console. Lilly flicked a few switches and a holographic screen materialised on the far side wall. It showed an advanced rocket manoeuvring into position beside a battered old chunky flying saucer-type vessel.

“Just outside the vortex,” said Lilly, checking the readings. “Do we check it out?”

The Doctor looked at Holly who was staring with wide eyes at the two spaceships.

“I’d like to see,” said Holly, trying to keep her excitement under control.

The Doctor turned back to Lilly. “Take us in to land.” He stroked his stubble. “Let’s be careful though. Something about that ship looks familiar.”

To be continued...