UNIT:X (Chapter 4)

Chapter 4 (Dream Catcher)

A UNIT soldier had brought Holly and the Doctor a cup of tea and a plate of custard creams. Faith waited until the two of them had settled into a couple of chairs and then walked over to the whiteboard with the map of Huxley.

“This town,” she started, “has had a hell of a lot done to it over the past few months what with the Kro’Tenk coming through and the damage to the town centre.” She turned to look at the map. “Unfortunately that has caused it to become noticed.”

“Noticed?” said the Doctor as he dunked a custard cream into his tea.

“It’s almost like a swarm of ants around a can of pop,” said Benton, taking over from Faith. “You leave a can of pop out on a warm day and pretty soon you’ll find the ants swarming around it.”

“We were here,” continued Faith, “you were here, Doctor with your TARDIS and the spatial disruption with the Kro’Tenk made this place a curiosity to alien life, and we suspect that the Dream Catcher is the first of many.”

“Dream Catcher?” said Holly, frowning. “Back up a bit.”

“Yes, sorry,” smiled Faith. “The Dream Catcher is what we named it.”

“I came up with it,” said Beth, smiling. “It’s a very good song by Newton Faulkner.”

Faith raised her eyebrows at the young woman and Beth smiled sheepishly.

“As I was saying, the Dream Catcher is what we named it. We don’t know what species it is. We’ve barely scratched the surface, but we know what it can do.”

There was a crackle from Taggart’s walk-talkie. “This is Foster to Swift, over.”

“Sorry,” said Taggart, putting the walkie to her mouth. “Go ahead, Foster.”

“Ma’am, we haven’t been able to find any sign of Richard Hicks anywhere.”

The Doctor and Holly looked over to the liaison officer. She looked back at them and then spoke into the walkie. “Are you sure, Foster.”

“Absolutely. We’ve looked everywhere he could have gotten to within running distance and he’s nowhere to be seen.”

“Did you check his house again?” asked the Doctor, getting to his feet.

“Blindingly obvious question, Foster, but did you check his house a second time?”

“He’s not there, but the door was unlocked and the back door was open.”

Taggart looked at Faith who put a hand to her forehead.

“What?” asked the Doctor. “What’s going on?”

Taggart looked up at Faith. “Orders, Sentinel?”

“Call them in,” said Faith. “There’s nothing we can do now.”

“What do you mean?” asked Holly, putting her mug of tea down. “What do you mean there’s nothing that you can do? Where is he?”

“Please, sit down Miss Dangerfield.”

“No,” said Holly, crossing over to the Doctor. “What are they on about?”

“Perhaps you should finish your little story,” suggested the Doctor, staring at her with angry eyes.

“Of course,” said Faith. She looked flustered and then returned to the map. “Well, about two weeks ago it was reported that people were going missing from the town. Normally we wouldn’t have investigated, but the numbers were growing.”

Benton pulled out a clipboard with numerous readings on it. “Initially just myself and Beth came up here.” He smiled at the young woman. “We detected some strange readings coming from the centre of the town.”

Faith pointed to a black sticky dot that had been placed near the vicinity of the town hall. “Benton and Beth alerted the rest of the team.”

“It was pointless to go it alone,” said Benton.

“More and more people were beginning to disappear.” Faith folded her arms. “We began to evacuate the town and set up camp here.”

Taggart put her walkie down on the table and walked over to Faith. “I went in with a troop.”

“Went in? Went in where?”

“Underneath the town hall,” said Taggart. She exhaled, remembering what had happened. “I didn’t see anything, but it began taking out my troops. They just disappeared into the darkness. I barely made it out of there alive.”

“So there’s something down there under the town hall causing people to disappear wherever they are in the town?” said the Doctor.

“Exactly,” said Faith.

“But where does the Dream Catcher name come into it?” asked Holly.

“Well, we can’t be certain,” said Benton, “but a number of people have been witnessed as seeing things. It looks like they’re talking to thin air, and then they just...poof...vanish.”

The Doctor rubbed his chin. “Interesting.”

“And you think that’s what’s happened to Richard?” asked Holly.

“I hope to goodness it isn’t,” said Faith, “but I’m very much afraid that it’s a possibility.”



Something wasn’t quite right. Richard was certain it had been dark. No, he wasn’t certain...it had been dark. Most definitely. But now he was standing in front of a barbeque with an apron on and it was broad daylight. It was also a warm, sunny day. He could smell the cooking meat on the barbeque and smiled.

He looked across his garden Cheryl was sat with Molly on her knee whilst Liam was reading a comic book.

“Don’t burn the food!” said Cheryl.

“Oh,” said Richard, quickly using his tongs to take the meat off the grill, “sorry.”

“You’ve done this a thousand times before,” said Cheryl, smiling.

“I know. I know. I just felt a little bit...out of it.”

“You haven’t touched the beer yet, have you?” she said with an inquisitive look at him.

“No, not while I’m cooking, sweetheart,” he said. He squinted his eyes. What was going on here? Why didn’t he feel right? He took the last of the meat off the barbeque and then put the tongs down. “Just gonna make sure the doors unlocked for when our friends get here.”

“Okay, love,” said Cheryl.

He made his way into the kitchen and turned back to face the kitchen window overlooking the garden. Something just wasn’t right. He had been in the dark. The food in the fridge had gone mouldy. Cheryl hadn’t been here. It wasn’t summer. He turned away from the window and jumped. Right in front of him, filling his entire field of vision was a huge, black face. It looked almost triangular in appearance with no visible mouth or nose – just two, burning red eyes glaring down on him. He panicked and stumbled back.

“This is what is real. This is your life,” came the deep, gravelly voice from somewhere within the thing.

Richard turned to his side and then...everything seemed to feel okay again. He turned to where he’d seen the creature and there was nothing there. He frowned as memories of the creature faded away. By the time he had reached the front door to greet Denise and Colin he had forgotten about anything else other than this life.

This was what was real. This was his life.



“Okay,” said the Doctor, sat in the chair, his elbows resting on the central tables, “so this thing, this Dream Catcher, has come to Huxley and is making people disappear, and it does that by, what, projecting their dreams? Enticing them in?”

“That’s about what we can work out,” said Faith. “But other than that we don’t know much more.”

“Has anyone attempted to go in and find the Dream Catcher again?”

“Uh-uh,” said Osborne, sipping on a glass of water, “we’ve stayed out of the centre. I don’t even feel safe here. We were even cautious about going to find you three.”

“But you haven’t lost anyone else since the initial first contact?”

“No,” said Taggart. “Us and our troops are pretty well trained to resist psychic suggestion.”

“Yeah,” said Beth, looking into the distance, “but every now and then I can feel it prodding away at me.”

Holly frowned. “In what regard?”

“It’s there. All the time,” said Beth, pointing to her temple. “Every now and then I’ll see something out the corner of my eye, trying to distract me. You just have to carry on. If I pay it any attention whatsoever it’ll take me.”

“It’s the same for all of us,” said Osborne. “I can hear my dad talking to me, telling me to go outside and talk to him, but I know it’s not real. Dad’s not even in the country at the moment.”

“Then why are you all here?” said the Doctor, arms outstretched. “You need to be as far away from Huxley as possible.”

“Because someone needs to protect it,” said Faith. “Someone needs to find a way of stopping this thing.”

“Fair point,” said the Doctor, nodding at her.

“The affects are worse the closer you get to the centre though,” said Osborne. “Hence why we haven’t been back.”

“But we need to go and find Richard,” said Holly.

“How?” asked Beth. “We don’t even know where these people go when they disappear.”

“Well, that’s not entirely true,” said Faith.

“Meaning?” asked the Doctor.

“There was one person who came back,” said Faith.

“Then let me speak to him,” said the Doctor.

“That may be a little difficult,” said Faith, “as he’s gone completely and utterly mad.”

To be continued...

UNIT:X (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3 (There's No "X" in "Team")

The Doctor was driven through more darkened Huxley streets before heading down the avenue that led towards the cemetery he had met Holly in way back. Strangely it made him feel a little nostalgic, but instead of carrying on it made a right turn through some gates and into a car park. At the end of the car park was a four-storey school building that sprawled across a large area and sported a field that ran along side of the cemetery.

“Where is everyone?” asked the Doctor. “You can’t fit an entire town in this school, big as it is.”

“Outside of the town,” said Faith, as the vehicle pulled up.

They left the landrover and headed towards the building. Two UNIT soldiers saluted as they approached. The Doctor nodded to them and gave a little salute.

Faith led the Doctor through the darkened corridor towards one of the classrooms. Inside a number of UNIT soldiers were busy at computer terminals. The white board had a map of the town pinned on it and in the centre of the room a number of desks had been pushed together whilst a group of plain-clothes people stood around it looking at various reams of paper with information printed out on them.

“You’re back,” said a young man with dark hair – Oliver Osborne, or Double Zero.

“Ta-da,” said Faith.

“You found him then?” said Osborne, nodding to the Doctor.

“Where’s Holly and Richard?” asked the Doctor.

“Pike picked up her up on Maple Ave. They should be here soon.”

“And Richard?” said the Doctor. “He’s at his house.”

“We’ve got someone going there now,” said Osborne, nodding reassuringly at him.

“Okay,” said Faith, clapping her hands, “perhaps some introductions are in order. Doctor, you’ve met Oliver before, codename Double Zero.”

Oliver frowned at the codename.

She pointed towards a tall, striking red head with pale skin and curly hair. “This is Swift aka Claire Taggart. She’s our UNIT liaison officer.”

“What about Brigadier Bambera?” asked the Doctor, shaking Taggarts hand.

“Bambera is my go-to officer,” said Taggart, smiling. “I’m here when she can’t be. I kind of, like, work for both UNIT and the X branch.”

“Hmmm,” said the Doctor, nodding. “It used to be less complicated in my day.”

“Times change, Doctor,” smiled Faith. She then nodded towards a woman in her early twenties. She had brownish-blonde hair and had a pretty face. “This is Midnight aka Beth Brett. She’s a whizz with computers and can hack everything.”

“Almost everything,” said Beth, blushing slightly.

“Everything,” said Faith, smiling at her.

“Nice to meet you, Beth,” said the Doctor, shaking her hand.

“And this young strapping fellow might be of some interest to you,” said Faith, guiding the Doctor to a stocky, tall man with neatly trimmed chestnut hair. He had a square jaw line and looked kind. “This is Obsidian aka Alistair Benton. He’s our scientific advisor.”

“Benton?” said the Doctor, standing in front of him, his eyes twinkling.

“My grandfather’s John Benton, sir.”

The Doctor smiled, grabbed Benton’s hand and then gave him a tight hug.

“It’s an honour to meet you, sir,” said Benton, looking a little flustered.

“Oh, no, Alistair, it’s an honour to meet you.” He pulled away and looked him up and down as a proud parent would look at their child on the first day of school. “Your grandfather was one of the best Human beings I ever knew.”

“I hope he still is,” said Benton. “He owns one of the largest car factories in America now.”

The Doctor smiled at the thought. “Good old Sgt. Benton.”

“And that’s it,” said Faith, clapping her hands together again. “Our merry little band of adventurers.”

“This is the UNIT: X team then,” said the Doctor.

“That’s correct,” said Faith. “We have a small group of soldiers with us, but ultimately we operate on our own.”

The doors burst open and the young soldier, Pike, and Holly entered.

“Hey, Miss Dangerfield,” said the Doctor giving her a hug.

“Someone tell this bloke where not to point his rifle,” said Holly, nodding towards an embarrassed Pike.

“Don’t be too harsh on him,” said Taggart, “with all that’s going on we can’t tell what’s real and what’s not.”

“Yes, you need to explain exactly what’s going on here,” said the Doctor.

“Well I wanted to wait for your friend, Richard, to get here first, but they must be delayed.”

Taggart picked up her walkie-talkie. “Corporal Foster was supposed to be going round to the Hicks household.” She pressed the talk button. “This is Swift to Foster. Come in, over.”

There was static for a moment and then a voice. “This is Foster, over.”

“What’s taking you so long with picking up Hicks?” she looked stern and the Doctor and Holly looked at each other.

“Ma’am, we got to the Hicks house but he’s nowhere to be seen.”

“I beg your pardon?” said Taggart.

“Where could he have gone?” asked Holly, looking at the Doctor.

“It’s possible you’ve missed him. He may have left the house, realised we weren’t there at the rendezvous point and then gone to look for us,” said the Doctor

“Foster, keep looking. He’s got to be around there somewhere. Keep your eyes peeled and be careful, over.”

“Will do, ma’am. Foster, out.”

“Do you think he’s okay?” asked Holly.

“I’d like to say yes, Holly, but we don’t even know what’s been going on here,” said the Doctor.

Faith looked at him and then at Osborne. “We can’t wait. I suppose we should fill you in on the details.”

“Please do,” said the Doctor. He frowned. “Where’s Roger anyway?”





On the outskirts of London stood a country manor. It had been home to UNIT back in the 20th century until they had moved out, letting it become rundown and falling into disrepair. Not long after Roger Stark had arrived and formed the UNIT: X team they had reacquired the building and moved the team into it.

It had twenty five bedrooms upstairs and the downstairs was an array of labs, storage rooms, medical bays and training rooms.

In one of the rooms – Lab 3 – Reikon was hunched over a work desk. On the work desk was a small, metal box with ornate carvings on each of its faces. Reikon was squinting at the box and then writing down notes in a notepad.

“Still trying to figure out how to open that thing?” said Roger, standing in the doorway. He was wearing a long, dark coat, trilby hat and a red scarf.

Reikon looked back at him, looked him up and down and then returned to his scribbling. “The Doctor handed this over to me when I came here. I promised I’d try and find a way of opening it.”

“Obsidian and Sentinel tried to get into that box for weeks – nothing.”

“It’s a siege mode TARDIS, not a box,” said Reikon, clearly annoyed with Stark’s interruption.

“I know that,” said Roger. “Just because you’re the new kid on the block doesn’t mean you’re about to crack open something like this.”

“I did used to be a TARDIS engineer back on Gallifrey, you know?” said Reikon, putting down his pencil and turning to face Stark.

“Back in the old days, old man,” smiled Stark. “Things have changed a lot since those times, Reikon.”

Reikon pointed his pencil towards the chestnut haired man. “I was turning TARDIS’s inside out before anyone on Gallifrey had the misfortune to create you.”

“Ouch,” said Stark, frowning at him.

“The Doctor said there’s something inside it – something trapped. I need to get it open for him.”

“Without even asking what it is?”

“He doesn’t know,” said Reikon. “All he knows is that his alternate self asked him to keep it safe.”

“It could be anything,” said Stark, walking over and peering down at the dormant TARDIS.

“It still needs to be let out.”

“Hmmm,” said Stark, scratching his chin, “If I were you I’d dig a big hole and bury it. Either that or drop it into the sun. An exploding star perhaps!”

“You have no compassion, do you?” said Reikon, returning to his notes. “There could be an innocent being in there. A friend of that other Doctor – Aldridge.”

“And there could be a terrifying, alien super being ready to kill anything in its path, trapped because Aldridge thought it best to lock it away.”

“If that were the case then Aldridge would have let his TARDIS be destroyed in his own universe. No, this is something else. Something....important.”

Stark shook his head and turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” asked Reikon.

He turned back. “The Doctor’s turned up in Huxley. The team are briefing him on the situation. I’m heading down there now.”

“The Dream Catcher?”

Stark nodded.

Reikon shook his head and then turned back to the box. “Tell him to watch his back. You know what he’s like with monsters.”

“Naturally,” said Stark, exiting through the double doors.

Reikon leant in a little closer to the box and frowned at it. “Just how am I going to crack you open, eh?” He tapped the box with a tuning fork and for a very brief moment there was a spark of blue electricity. Reikon jumped back and tilted his head to his side, looking at the box with curiosity. “Just what is inside of you?”

To be continued...

UNIT:X (Chapter 2)

Chapter 2 (Empty Houses)

The first thing that hit Richard when he stepped into the hallway of his rented house was how cold it was. Sure, it was cold outside, but in here it seemed bitter. It was almost as if nobody had lived here for quite some time. He reached for the light switch and flicked it – nothing.

It felt strange being back here. He had only been gone a short while, but to his wife he had been essentially dead for over five months at least. He never did find out when Roger Stark had told her he had died.

He turned left into the living room. It was as lived in as ever. Toys all over the floor and a half-eaten sandwich on the side next to a glass of gone-sour milk. He felt the bread – it was stale. He knelt down in front of the toys and picked up Molly’s Peppa Pig toy. That too felt cold. They had obviously left in a hurry.

He stood up and walked over to his favourite armchair and settled himself down. He closed his eyes and for a moment he thought he could hear the sounds of his children playing, but when he opened his eyes there was nobody there.

The house – and indeed the town – was silent.



The Doctor had reached a main road. Most of the cars were parked up, but there were one or two that had just been abandoned in the middle of the street, their doors left wide open. He crossed over to a small Fiat Punto and ran his screwdriver over it.

“No,” he said to himself, “just nothing.”

“Just nothing,” he heard a voice say. He spun around but there was nothing to be seen. Something sounded familiar about it.

“You’re going daft in your old age,” said the Doctor, tapping on his temple. “Silly, daft old Time Lord.”

He continued down the centre of the road. Not a single light shone out of a house. No streetlights. Nothing. This entire area of town – perhaps even the whole town – was totally deserted.

And that smell of eggs as well...

He was about to turn and go back when his foot hit something slimy. He almost went over but managed to steady himself.

He knelt down to examine it. It was a thick, black liquid – like slime – which had gathered in a three-foot diameter puddle. He ran his sonic screwdriver over it. It beeped angrily at him. He shook it and then stared at the readings.

“Interesting,” said the Doctor. He knelt down so his nose was just millimetres away from the slime and sniffed. “Very interesting. Eggs again.”

He was about to lick the slime when he heard the screeching of a car and a flash of headlights emerged from around a corner. He turned to his right and was momentarily blinded as a vehicle headed straight towards him.



Holly was on her knees now, her hands behind her head as the young soldier pointed the gun down at her.

“What’s your name?” he asked, his voice trembling.

“Holly. Holly Dangerfield,” she said. She looked up at him. “What’s going on here?”

“Have we met before?” he asked.

“What?”

“Answer the question!” he barked, gripping his rifle tighter. “Have we met before? Do we know each other?”

“No. No. Never!” she said quickly. “What’s your name?”

“You don’t need to know,” said the soldier. “Why are you here?” He picked up a walkie-talkie. “Why didn’t you evacuate with everyone else?”

“Is the whole town deserted?” asked Holly.

“Answer the question!” he shouted again.

“Will you stop shouting?!” Holly yelled back. She waited until he was silent. “I haven’t been evacuated because I’ve just arrived.”

“Arrived from where?”

“It’s a bit difficult to explain,” she said. “An hour ago I was at a party with Agatha Christie.”

The soldier brought his walkie up to his mouth and pressed the talk button. “This is Corporal Pike to Double Zero.”

Holly frowned. Double Zero sounded familiar.

“Go ahead, Pike,” came a London accent on the other end.

“I’ve caught a civilian here in the vicinity of Maple Avenue. Says she’s just arrived. What shall I do with her, over.”

“Has she given you a name, over?”

“Holly Dangerfield, over.”

There was silence.

“Sir?” said the private.

“Don’t panic, Pike. Get her back to base ASAP. I think she’s with the Doctor.”

“You know about the Doctor?” said Holly. “Then you must be UNIT soldiers.”

“UNIT: X to be precise, Miss Dangerfield,” said the coporal. He had relaxed a little. “If you’ll come with me, Double Zero and Sentinel will fill you in on what’s happened.”

“But I need to go and meet Richard and the Doctor back on Littlefield Avenue,” said Holly.

“There’s no time for that,” said Pike. “It’s not safe out here.”

“Not safe?” Holly sniffed. “Apart from the eggy smell what’s not safe about it?”

“Come with me and you won’t have to find out.”



Richard had made his way to the kitchen with the intention of making himself a cup of tea before realising that there was no electric and even the water wasn’t running out of the taps. He sighed and went in the fridge. All of the food was going mouldy, but there were two bottles of nicely chilled water. Only chilled because it was so cold in the house. He grabbed one of the bottles and downed half of it straight away.

“Daddy...”

He turned around at the voice. That was definitely a voice. It was his son, Liam. He frowned. Liam was nowhere to be seen.

“I’m going mad,” he said, putting the chilled bottle against his forehead and closing his eyes. “Too long in Star Trek land.”

“Daddy...” it came again.

He looked up. In front of him was the back kitchen window which looked out into the dark garden. He could just about make out the kids red and yellow slide but nothing more. He walked up to the window and put his face closer to the glass. He stared as hard as he could. There was nothing.

“Daddy...” came the voice again just as a dark shape rushed past the window making him jump back.

“Jesus bloody Christ!” said Richard.

His first instinct was to get the hell out of the house right now, but this was his house and he felt obliged to at least try and protect it and make it feel secure. If there was someone prowling around in his back garden he was going to make sure they didn’t prowl anymore.

He took the backdoor key off the hook beside the chalkboard and unlocked the door. He stepped outside into the cold night air. Without the reflections of the window he could see a little more clearly. There was definitely something in the corner of the garden beside the shed.

He stepped forward a little more. “Alright, mate, what you playing at?”

The shape didn’t move.

“Come on, I haven’t got the bloody time for this. Show yourself.”

The dark shape began to turn around to face him. Richard felt a sense of calm wash over him. Why? Why was he feeling calm? He didn’t know who are what this was. But the thing continued to turn and when Richard saw the face he gasped.

The small, thin, pink face with big, blue eyes. It was his son.

“Liam?”



“Please be careful!” said the Doctor as the landrover pulled up beside him, almost parking in the puddle of slime.

The door opened and a woman in a leather jacket and jeans stepped out flanked by two soldiers in black combats. She was tall, blonde and in her late thirties. She smiled down at the Doctor and spoke with an Australian accent. “How’s my favourite Scottish alien then?”

The Doctor looked up at her and smiled. “Faith Crossland.”

Faith extended her hand and the Doctor shook it. “Good to see you again.”

“You too, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”

The Doctor got to his feet and brushed down his trouser fronts. “What exactly has been going on around here?”

“We’ve had to evacuate the entire town for starters,” said Faith, zipping up her jacket and shivering a little.

“So it is the entire town?”

“Just about,” said Faith. “And we’ve set up a five mile exclusion zone as well.”

“But what for?” asked the Doctor.

Faith opened the landrover door and indicated for him to get in. “I’ll explain when we get back to base. You can meet the rest of the team then.”

“But I need to meet up with my friends.”

“Holly, Richard and Lilly?” asked Faith.

“Yes, well, just Richard and Holly. Lilly and I have parted company for the time being.” He clambered into the vehicle.

“Sorry to hear that, Doc.” She shut the door and walked around to the other door. “We’ve already picked up Dangerfield and someone’s on their way to get Richard now.”

“But maybe I should -”

“No, Doctor,” said Faith. “You don’t want to be out on these streets alone.”

“Why ever not? Apart from eggs and that patch of slime I’ve not seen anybody else.”

“No,” said Faith, nodding slowly, “but pretty soon you will do. Pretty soon the monster will come out and play.”

“Monster?” said the Doctor, wide-eyed.

“Oh, yeah,” said Faith, nodding.

“Excellent,” smiled the Doctor.

To be continued...

UNIT:X (Chapter 1)

Chapter 1 (The Smell of Eggs)

“I warned you!” shouted the Doctor as the room shook, two glasses of water falling to the floor and smashing.

“We had to find out!” yelled Reikon over the din.

“If a box is sealed up for a reason with no way in and a warning from beyond the grave, then you don’t open it up!” said the Doctor, staring into his eyes.

The light on the other side of the door was growing bright now; the locked door struggling to stay closed. Whatever was on the other side was threatening to burst out.

“I had to know,” said Reikon. He looked at the Doctor again, his eyes shadowed. “I had to know.”



Earlier

The TARDIS door closed shut and Holly marched purposefully into the console room. She was dressed in a slinky gold dress and red necklace. Her hair was neatly tied up into a 1920’s haircut and she looked annoyed.

“Miss Dangerfield!” said the Doctor, clapping his hands together. “I trust the mission was a success.”

She raised her eyebrows. “I nearly got myself killed.”

“Nonsense,” he replied, setting the TARDIS in flight. “Did you get the item I needed?”

“The little circuit with the two electrical prongs?” She put her hand down the front of her dress and pulled out the small device. “It wasn’t easy getting near that skinny guys pocket though.”

“Aha!” he said, taking it from her and kissing the top of it. “The object of my desires.”

“What is that thing?” asked Richard, leaning across the console to look at it.

“An Odial Filament. You may have noticed that this old girl’s been rattling around a bit of late. The Odial Filament stabilises our journey a little more.” He opened a panel on the console and slotted the circuit into it.

“How’d you know that skinny guy would have it though?” asked Richard.

“Tell him, Miss Dangerfield.”

Holly removed the jewellery from her hair and sat down on the sofa, crossing her legs. “Believe it or not, Richard, that skinny guy in the brown suit was him.”

Richard frowned as he looked between the Doctor and Holly. “You?”

“A previous incarnation,” smiled the Doctor. “A rather hyperactive one I might add.”

“Incarnation?” said Richard. He was getting lost.

“It’s...alien.” Holly smiled. Then she frowned. “I don’t get it though, won’t he recognise me in the future when he’s you.”

Richard scratched his head.

“Nah,” said the Doctor, flicking some controls and setting the TARDIS in flight again. “I remember now though. You see I lost my last Odial Filament ages ago when I was him, and then I realised where I’d lost it. Sometime in the 1920’s.” He grinned at Holly. “And then I recognised you.” He winked. “The cause/effect time loopy thing triggering the buried memories.”

“But she wasn’t real, was she?” asked Holly, taking the beads from around her neck. “The part of the person I had to play?”

“No,” said the Doctor. “The Unicorn was created purely by the TARDIS writing you into history.”

“So you stole this filament thing from your own self?” asked Richard, looking even more lost.

“Genius, yeah?” said the Doctor, grabbing hold of the zig-zag lever.

“It’d make sense if you never stole it from yourself in the first place,” said Holly, collapsing onto the sofa and kicking her legs up. “That way you’d never have to steal it from yourself to get it back.”

“Crazy,” said Richard. “So let me get this straight – you realised you needed this filament thing that you’d lost when you were a different version of yourself. Then you realised when you’d lost it and you remembered someone who looked like Holly. So you sent her back in time to steal it from yourself so you could get it back. Therefore creating some sort of weird already-happened-loop, yeah?”

“Bingo,” said the Doctor.

“This is why I need a bit of normal now,” said Richard, scratching his head.

“Just don’t get me to steal any plans for the Death Star, yeah?” said Holly.

“I just don’t do time loops. Aliens, yes, but not time loops,” said Richard, exasperated.

The Doctor smiled sadly at him. “Yes, I’m sorry Richard. I did say I’d get you home.” He straightened up. “Are you ready for this?”

“I’m ready,” he said.

“Then let’s take you home.” The TARDIS began to materialise as the time rotor slowed down. “Miss Dangerfield I suggest you change into something more practical.”

“Aye-aye, sir,” she said, mock saluting. “What kind of a name was ‘the Unicorn’ anyway?”



It had been raining, but the worst of it had passed. Large puddles remained on the pavement and raindrops dripped from the leaveless branches of the trees. It was getting dark and there was a chill in the air.

The TARDIS had landed at the end of a street lined with attractive terrace houses. The door to the ship opened and Holly and Richard stepped out. Richard had his holdall packed and Holly had changed into jeans, leather jacket and white top.

“Funny smell,” said Richard.

“Yeah,” said Holly, wrinkling her nose. “Smells of –”

“Gone off eggs,” said the Doctor, emerging from the TARDIS and locking the door. “Oh,” he said, smiling and sticking out his tongue to let a drop of rain land on it, “and it’s been raining.”

“Getting cold though,” said Holly, fastening her jacket up.

“Yes, we’re sometime in November.” He checked his watch. “Late afternoon.”

“Has there been a power cut?” asked Richard.

“What do you mean?” asked the Doctor, looking around him.

“Well, look,” said Richard, indicating the street lights. “Usually they’re on by now. And what about everyones homes? No lights on? No TV’s?”

“Maybe that doesn’t happen in every street,” suggested the Doctor.

“Of course it does, silly,” said Holly. “Something isn’t right here.”

“And there’s the smell of eggs too,” said the Doctor, tapping his right nostril.

The three of them made their way down the street before turning onto another one. Everywhere they went the houses were in darkness. Not a sign of life or a sign of light. They finally arrived at Littlefield Avenue – where Richard’s house was – and made their way to his front gate.

Richard stood in front of the iron gate and put his hand on it. The raindrops soaked his hand and he frowned.

“Well, here you are,” said the Doctor. “Home at last.”

Richard shook his head. “I don’t even know if Cheryl is still renting it.”

The Doctor pulled out a data pad and pressed a few switches. “Well, providing you don’t change history in the next few minutes this house still belongs to you and her. Or at least is still rented by the both of you.”

“But that other bloke, Toby Gilchrist. The guy she was with in the park –”

“Ah-ah, I can’t tell you too much information.”

“Spoilers,” said Holly, tapping her nose.

“But I can’t just walk in,” said Richard.

“Of course you can!” said the Doctor, clapping him on the back. “She’ll probably scream and faint and then have a cry and then you’ll be all happy families again.”

“But he can’t walk in, Doctor,” said Holly.

“Nonsense!”

“I really can’t,” said Richard. He indicated the darkened windows leading into the living. “Like every house down this street and the others around it there doesn’t seem to be anyone in.”

The Doctor frowned and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He twirled around on the spot, frowned, flicked the device, checked it again, spun around two more times and then pocketed the device. “Interesting.”

“And it still stinks of eggs,” said Holly.

“Tell you what,” said the Doctor, looking both ways down the street, “why don’t we split up and see what we can see.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Holly. “Meet back here in fifteen minutes, yeah?”

“Agreed,” said the Doctor. He turned to leave and then turned back to Richard. “Take care, Mr Hicks.”

Richard nodded and smiled.

Holly headed off down one way whilst the Doctor headed down the other. Richard then turned back to the door of his house, knelt down beside a plant pot on the top step leading to the door and lifted it up revealing a shiny yale lock key.

He exhaled, closed his eyes and then unlocked the front door.



Holly hadn’t intended to come home so soon. When she had said goodbye to her family she had promised to return eventually, but she had decided to have a life with Lilly out there in the beyond. Now she was back in Huxley she wasn’t entirely sure what she was going to do. Her parents’ house was only a fifteen minute walk away, but she didn’t know if she should go back there. It might stir up emotions in everyone. She wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet. She didn’t envy Richard and the emotions he was about to stir up.

“Thinking of me?” came a voice. It was as light as a whisper and she barely heard it. She spun around but there was nothing there.

“Hello?” said Holly. She listened. Nothing. “Stupid Dangerfield.”

She continued down the road, turned a corner, headed down a street with shops and then checked her watch. This was stupid. There should be some sign of life somewhere, but this entire part of the town was dead.

And then she started thinking back to her parents again. Back to her sister. If this part of the town was in darkness and abandoned, what about her part of the town?

She shook the thoughts away from her head. She knew she’d have to go and check it out, but she also knew that she had barely ten minutes left. By the time she met up with the Doctor again he’d have an answer to it somewhere.

She turned the corner into Maple Street and froze. Standing there in front of her, a rifle pointed directly at her face, was a man dressed in black combats and a red beret. He only looked to be in his early 20’s, his green eyes flickering with fear.

“Hi,” she squeaked.

“On your knees,” he trembled. “Or I’ll shoot you dead!”

To be continued...

Story 12: UNIT:X

“You don’t want to be out on these streets alone,” said Faith

“Why ever not? Apart from eggs and that patch of slime I’ve not seen anybody else.”

“No,” said Faith, nodding slowly, “but pretty soon you will do. Pretty soon the monster will come out and play.”



Richard Hicks has decided that it's time. Time to return to Huxley and let his wife and children know that he is still alive. It's been a short but eventful adventure for him, but it's time to get back to normality.


That is if it wasn't for the strange creature lurking underneath the town - the Dream Catcher. When the Doctor, Richard and Holly arrive they discover the town to be deserted except for the special UNIT:X task force, led by Faith Crossland, who have moved in to deal with the situation.


Meanwhile, on the outskirts of London, the Doctor's adopted brother is busy trying to open up the siege-mode TARDIS that UNIT:X were entrusted with. But what exactly is inside the box that could be so safely sealed away?



This is the twelfth in a series of adventures starring James McAvoy as the New Doctor, Felicity Jones as Holly Dangerfield and David Anders as Richard Hicks.

Looking Ahead to 2017

And so "Resurrection" is due to enter its third and final series/year. A few plans have changed along the way and I'm sure stories and ideas will continue to change, but here's what's coming up as we hit out final third:

The first story of 2017 will be "UNIT: X". Part of the team was introduced in "Elsewhere", but in this story we get to meet the rest of the team, which comprises of Roger Stark, Faith Crossland, Claire Taggart, Beth Brett, Alistair Benton and Oliver Osborne. As well as featuring a monster underneath the streets it also sees the progression of the story of Aldridge's siege-mode TARDIS, which Reikon has been trying to open.





Following that we have "The Haunting of Mrs. Webster". As I've
mentioned before this story is spun out of something I was told as a child and that allegedly happened to the lady who told them to me. Originally the story was going to be a direct telling of those events, but sadly the lady who it happened to passed away the other month and so the story has skewered a little more towards horror. Emily Webster and her teenage daughter, Eve, are haunted by an evil, old lady intent on causing them pain and misery. It's going to be a small piece featuring only a handful of characters and it's also going to throw in some...ahem...romance for the Doctor.

The series continues in "Dr. Who and the Men in the Moon", which features Holly and the Doctor travelling into an alternate dimension and meeting the Peter Cushing version - Dr. Who. Dr. Who has taken his friends to the moon and is preparing to make the onward journey to the Planet of Time where he hopes to become one of the legendary Time Kings, but the Moon-Men are out to stop him.







The penultimate adventure is called "The King of Jacarthia", which sees the Doctor returning to Gallifrey for an update on the Master. It will also see the final flashback to what happened before Holly arrived on the TARDIS and how Caleb died.

The final story, "Aftershock"...well, I can't tell you much about that, but all the story threads from the series will come together, which includes Lilly and Holly's relationship, the siege-mode TARDIS and the Master.









What lies beyond 2017? Well, I've always had it set in stone that the series will end with "Aftershock". I've never wavered from that as it has a clear beginning, middle and end, but that doesn't mean that the overall "Future Doctor" series is over. I have plans and I have very embryonic ideas of where to go next.

So what can I tell you? Well, there will be something in 2018. There will be some form of continuation of the "Future Doctor" series. How many stories it comprises of, how often they will be released and who will be in them, well, I just don't know yet. Writing, while enjoyable, is also very stressful knowing I have to keep ahead of the reader at all times to make sure I can upload a chapter a week.

So we may well upload less frequently as life takes over. There are other avenues I want to explore as well. I've been mulling over a few spin-off adventures, or at least spin-off specials. For example back in the "Darkpaths" days I wrote a story called "Before the Dawn", which takes place during the Dalek Invasion of Earth. I enjoyed writing for those characters and would like to further their adventures with another special story not featuring the Doctor. The characters from the forthcoming "UNIT: X" also have the potential to have their own story.

But then I also have ideas for where to go with the Doctor. These ideas buzz around my head for months - even years - and it's just about where we go with it. It has to be something different. "Resurrection" was a soft-reboot of "Darkpaths" with links being woven into the ongoing story. I'd want a new series to be very different and distinct, yet still being part of the wider "Future Doctor" universe. I have a few ideas. It just depends on whether I go traditional or do I go for something totally different.

It's all up in the air at the moment, but I'm sure the ideas will solidify as we head towards the end of 2017.

Enjoy!

Special - Ghosts of the Past

The tree tops blew wildly in the wind as she pulled her coat tighter around her. She narrowed her eyes as she looked into the distance, the snow-capped hills rolling off into the distance, nothing moving, life as still as you’d expect on a Christmas morning.

The sun was just beginning to come up as the wind whipped at the strands of brown hair that dangled from underneath her blue and white bobble hat.

This was Alice Stokes’s second Christmas back in Little Pebbleford since her excursion into time and space with the mysterious time traveller called the Doctor. It had been a brief, but eventful stay with him. She had seen the most amazing wonders and then experienced the most awful and terrible things. But she still couldn’t help but smile.

“Christmas day, eh?” came a familiar voice from behind her.

She smiled and turned to face the man – a well-built, handsome, dark-skinned man with shaved dark hair. He was wearing a green coat with a scarf wrapped tightly around him.

“Merry Christmas, Quinn,” she said, smiling at him.

Quinn Maxus had also travelled with the Doctor for some time. Although his journey hadn’t started with Alice, it most certainly had overlapped it in the most bizarre and tragic way.

“I thought it was the first of every month you came up here,” he said, standing next to her and gazing across the ever-brightening panorama.

“Usually it is,” she said, narrowing her eyes as the cold morning sunlight began to appear on the horizon, “but I don’t know...I just fancied coming up here today. It’s Christmas. We should be happy to be here.”

“I think of it every day,” he said, nodding. “I think of her every day.”

“I know,” said Alice, smiling sadly at him.

“And I’ve handed in my letter of resignation,” said Maxus.

“Thought you might. I’ll miss you, you know? All the kids will as well. The school won’t be the same without you.”

“I know, I know. Ever the joker,” he smiled.

“I can’t twist your arm and make you change your mind?” asked Alice, looking up at him hopefully.

“How much further are you gonna try and twist this arm?” he laughed.

“It’s always worth a try,” she laughed with him. “I guess there’s more to you than being a caretaker.” She looked back to him. “Have you even decided what you’re gonna do? Where you’re going to go?”

“I thought I’d go travelling for bit,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets and staring towards Harry Cooper’s farm at the bottom of the hill, a small wisp of smoke rising from the chimney. “Maybe wind up in London.”

“Oooh,” she said frowning, “give me the peace and quiet any day. Too much hustle and bustle down there.”

Before meeting the Doctor, Alice had been a school teacher in Little Pebbleford. A race of aliens called the Daleks had awoken underneath her school, the Doctor had shown up, defeated them, blown up the school and then whisked her away into time and space. When she’d returned from her travels she’d wanted normality. Something familiar and something she loved doing so she stayed in Little Pebbleford to begin work at the newly-built school.

She was content and happy.

Quinn Maxus, meanwhile, had certainly had a rough road. He’d come from the future, working for an agency called the Eyeglass. A ruthless agency that outlawed all alien tech and sought to do things for the better of the Human race. Maxus hadn’t entirely held with these beliefs, but he did his duty. He had met Alice and the Doctor in the most difficult of situations – his partner, Tylaya, had secretly possessed Alice to infiltrate the Doctor’s life. Alice soon became aware of this and Tylaya took over her body. Maxus and Tylaya were remorseful for what had been done. Alice’s body eventually rejected Tylaya and the young woman had died minutes after marrying Maxus.

It had taken the both of them a long time to come to terms with what had happened, but Alice and Maxus had opted to remain friends to help each other heal.

They had both healed, but Maxus had become restless.

“Looks like Harry’s out early,” said Maxus, nodding down the hill towards the farm.

Alice frowned. Harry’s pick-up truck was coming back from somewhere and there was an item underneath a tarpaulin on the back.

“Where the hell’s he been at this hour?” said Alice.

The truck suddenly stopped with a lurch not far from the outer wall of his farmhouse. Harry got out of the driver’s seat and slammed the door angrily. He frowned as he opened up the bonnet and stared down at the engine, scratching his head.

“We should help him,” said Alice.

“He’s right next to his house,” said Maxus, “he’ll be fine.”

“Oh come on, Quinn,” said Alice, “where’s your Christmas spirit?”

Maxus sighed and nodded his head. “Lead the way.”

The walk to the farmhouse wasn’t a very long one. They passed a couple of frozen over fields before hitting a dirt track which led across to the farmhouse. As they approached the building Alice smiled at the simple white and black building. She loved her cottage in the middle of the village, but she wouldn’t have minded somewhere like this. Surrounded by nothing but fields and trees. Peace and quiet.

“Everything alright, Harry?” asked Maxus.

Harry looked up from underneath the bonnet and frowned at them. He was a man in his late 50’s. He wore a black, woolly hat, grease-stained overalls and had white, wispy hair. But he smiled when he saw Alice.

“Merry Christmas, teacher,” he said.

“Merry Christmas, Harry,” smiled Alice. “What do you have here?”

“Engine trouble,” said Harry. “It just won’t start. It was working fine half hour ago when I set off. It just cut out on me for no reason.”

Maxus pushed his way past and looked down at the engine. “Looks like an electrical failure.”

“Good job I’m near home then,” laughed Harry.

There was a shudder from the back of the truck. The three of them looked towards the item under the tarp.

“What is that anyway?” asked Alice.

“Jim called me. Asked if I’d be interested in using it as scrap metal. He found it not too far away from the construction site. Odd looking thing though.”

“The construction site of the new school?” asked Alice.

“On the top of the hill, yeah. It was down at the bottom. He’d been keeping it in his shed.”

Although a large part of the cliff that the old school had been sat on top of had been blown away, the construction workers had managed to re-landscape the site and the new school was almost complete. Alice had been working in makeshift classrooms near to the village sports hall since then.

“Can I take a look?” asked Alice.

“It’s just scrap. Some kind of machinery,” said Harry, walking to the back of the truck. “Jim’s grandson said he was gonna turn it into some kind of futuristic bird bath or something. You know what students are like.” Harry chuckled.

“Futuristic bird bath...” said Alice, slowly.

Harry reached out to the tarp and grabbed the corner and began to pull.

Alice tensed up.

“Are you okay?” asked Maxus, leaving the engine to join her by her side.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” said Alice as the tarp was slowly pulled away to reveal...

“Cover it up! Cover it up!” yelled Alice, backing away from the object. It may have been battered and damaged and pock-marked with dents, but it was unmistakable. The silver dome, the limp eye stalk, the plunger and egg-whisk-style gun and the blue hemisphere’s dotted around its lower half.

A Dalek.

“What’s up love?” asked Harry. “Odd looking thing, isn’t it?”

“You need to listen to her,” said Maxus. “Cover the bloody thing up now.”

“Do you know something I don’t?” asked Harry.

There was a shudder from the Dalek and its eyestalk momentarily twitched.

“It’s still alive,” hissed Alice. “I thought we’d got them all.”

“Got all of what? What’s going on?” asked Harry.

“This thing caused the destruction of the old school,” said Maxus. “Well, not just this one - a group of them.”

“This thing? This little pepperpot.” Harry tapped the dome affectionately and the Dalek shuddered again. Harry jumped back.

“It’s a weapon,” said Maxus. “Don’t touch it!”

“A weapon from who?”

“Ex...” came a low, gurgle of a voice from within the Daleks casing.

“Oh, Christ Almighty,” said Alice, closing her eyes and backing away. “Please not again.”

“Ex...” it came again, this time its eyestalk twitching.

“It speaks?” said Harry.

“Back away from it,” said Maxus.

“Ex-ter...”

“Three guesses as to what’s it’s trying to say,” said Alice. “We need to run! Now!”

“But it’s harmless,” said Harry, lifting its plunger arm and letting it fall limply.

“It’s not harmless!” said Alice.

“Ex-ter...min...ate...” came the voice.

“Beg your pardon, chief?” said Harry, frowning at the battered creature.

“EXTERMINATE!” yelled the Dalek, its dome swivelling to look at Harry.

Harry backed away from it nervously. He wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but something was telling him to get away from it. Then, slowly the rest of the Dalek scraped itself on the back of the truck to turn around until it was fully facing the old man.

“Harry, run!” yelled Alice.

“EXTERMINATE!” screamed the Dalek.

A bolt of bright, blue light erupted from the Daleks gun-arm and hit Harry full-force in the chest. For a moment his body went a negative colour before the blast from the gun caused him to fly backwards, landing beside the dirt track still and silent.

“Run!” said Maxus as the two of them legged it towards the farmhouse.

“We can’t hide inside,” said Alice as he grabbed her hand and guided her towards the side of the house.

“We don’t have to hide inside,” said Maxus. “We just need to get some distance between us and it.”

They turned the corner and almost slipped on the ice as they skidded to a halt. Standing there on the other side of the house was something Alice thought she’d never see again. Well, apart from the Dalek of course. She had hoped to have never seen one of them again. Standing there shining bluer than she’d ever seen it before was a police box – the TARDIS.

The pair of them stared, unblinking at the time machine as the door opened. Alice gasped. Maxus swallowed. They waited. A man stepped from the box...

A man they didn’t recognise.

“Oh,” said Alice, her face falling.

“Hello, Miss Stokes,” grinned the man. He was young – possibly in his late 30’s – with short dark hair, a beard and a long, grey coat. His eyes were shining a brighter blue than the TARDIS and he was quite handsome.

“Do I know you?” asked Alice, suddenly forgetting about the slowly resurrecting Dalek around the corner.

“Do you know me?” he smiled, and then realisation dawned. “No. No of course you don’t.”

“Are you with the Doctor?” asked Alice, looking from the man to the TARDIS behind him.

The Doctor smiled and leant against the side of the TARDIS. “Do you mean a man about ye high, bald head and looking like a game show host?”

“That’s the one,” said Alice, nodding, her eyes transfixed on him.

“No,” he said bluntly. “No, I’m not with him. That man has gone. Well,” he said, scratching at his beard, “he’s not technically gone. He’s still living on, you see.” He leaned in closer to Alice and pointed to his eyes. “He’s still here if you look hard enough.”

Alice narrowed her eyes as she stared into the bright blue of the mans eyes...and then she gasped and stepped backwards almost colliding with Maxus, who was busy looking behind him to see for any sign of the Dalek.

“Penny dropped, Miss Stokes?” asked the man, smiling at her.

“It’s really you? You’re really him? The Doctor?”

“It’s really me. I’m really him. The Doctor,” he replied, nodding his head.

“But...you’re so different. You...You’ve got hair.”

“Be fair, Miss Stokes,” said the Doctor, checking his hair was still there, “you know about regeneration. You’ve seen echoes of my other incarnations.”

“Yeah, I know, but still. It’s a bit of a shock. And you’re not bad looking either.”

“Steady,” he laughed, holding a finger up. “That’s quite enough of that.”

“Listen, you two,” said Maxus, “I don’t know if you’ve forgotten, but there’s a Dalek on that pickup truck and if we’re not careful -”

“Maxus!” said the Doctor, walking past Alice and holding out his hand. “Quinn Maxus. It’s good to see you.”

“Yeah, good to see you, too,” said Maxus, taking his hand and shaking it, “but we’ve gotta deal with the problem at hand first, yeah?”

“Oh, the Dalek,” said the Doctor stuffing his hands into his coat pockets and wandering around the side of the building. “I haven’t forgotten about Pepper pot Paul over there.”

“What happened?” asked Alice. “How is it still here? I thought they were all destroyed.”

“I don’t know. It could have escaped I suppose. We don’t realistically know how many Daleks were in that shuttle, do we?” said the Doctor, wandering over to the truck. “It could have skulked out and got itself lost. I picked up a signal from here and thought I better check it out.”

“Harry said it was in his mates shed,” said Maxus.

“Hmmm,” said the Doctor, looking at the Dalek, which had now seemed have powered down again. “Where have you been hiding, eh?”

“You...are...the...Doctor,” said the Dalek slowly.

“Got it in one, chief,” said the Doctor.

The Daleks dome slowly rotated to look at him, its eye twitching. “I...escaped my...my...my craft.”

“Before the explosion?” said the Doctor, nodding knowingly. “Yes, I suppose I was a bit sloppy. I should have checked you’d all been wiped out. Let me guess? A short-range transmat?”

“That...is correct...correct...”

The Doctor looked at Alice and Maxus. “It probably randomly appeared not far from the blast zone.”

“And then wound up in Jims shed?” said Alice.

“Where it remained dormant. Until now that is.” The Doctor frowned at the Dalek. “The question is, what do I do with you now?”

“It’s dying, isn’t it?” asked Maxus. “Can’t you just push it on.”

“Is it dying though?” asked the Doctor, peering closer at the creatures slowly opening aperture on the end of the eyestalk. “Or is it just injured.”

“What does it matter?” asked Maxus. “It’s a Dalek. It needs to die.”

“It’s Christmas, Quinn,” said the Doctor. “Even I’d have trouble killing a Dalek on Christmas day.”

“I...I...we...will exterminate...y...you.”

“Ultimately,” said the Doctor, his nose almost touching the eyestalk, “I can’t allow a Dalek to remain at large.” He stepped away and folded his arms. “I’m not going to fix you. You’re damaged, but you can be repaired, but only with my help. And I’m not going to help you.”

“You...must...”

“Look at me,” said the Doctor. “I’m your sworn enemy. The Oncoming Storm. The Warrior.” He shook his head. “I’d never advocate not helping a creature in need, but for the greater good....” He sighed. “You know what you have to do.”

“It is my duty to...ex...exterminate...you.”

“And it’s my duty to make sure I stop you.”

The Doctor reached out for the Daleks dome and felt around. A few seconds later there was a click and the dome lifted up with a release of air. Or was it gas. Alice wasn’t sure, but it smelt awful.

“Doc, what are you doing?” asked Maxus.

“Giving it a helping hand,” said the Doctor, reaching into the Dalek and fiddling with something. “Ah-ha! It’s as I thought. The main cabling between the case and the creature has come loose. It needs reattaching. It won’t fix the Dalek, but it’ll give it a bit of a helping hand.”

“Are you mad?” asked Alice, looking horrified.

“Quite possibly,” smiled the Doctor, “but I’m not going to just murder this creature.”

“But you’re giving it its power back. You might not be able to beat it?”

“When have I not been able to beat them?” said the Doctor.

There was a click and the Doctor pulled his arm out quickly, the dome lifted up and flipped shut. There was a hum of power from somewhere deep in the Dalek as the dome lights began to glow brighter and brighter.

“How do you feel?” asked the Doctor.

“I...I....I am alive!” it screeched, its head swivelling to face the Doctor.

The Doctor smiled. “Your move, Dalek.”

The Dalek shifted about on the truck for a few moments as Alice and Maxus backed away. It then raised itself into the air and aimed its gun at the Doctor.

“Go on then,” he said, folding his arms.

“Doctor, no,” said Alice, grabbing his arm.

“Exterminate!” yelled the Dalek.

The gun twitched, but nothing happened.

“Did you really think I’d let you use your gun?” asked the Doctor, looking up at the hovering Dalek. “I said I’d give you a fighting chance. A fighting chance to run.”

“I do not understand.”

“Your kind – the Daleks. The most evil creatures ever created. Every fibre of who I am says I should kill you now, but I can’t? And do you know why? Because I am a Doctor. I heal. I make things better. And there’s one other very, very important reason behind why I’m letting you go.”

The Dalek looked at him. “Explain.”

“It’s Christmas. And sometimes – not very often – but sometimes....a Dalek can live.” He unfolded his arms and put them in his pockets. “So go. Get out. I’ve given you a fighting chance. See how far your built-in transmat gets you. There’s nothing for you here.”

“It is only a short-range transmat.”

“Not my problem, chief,” said the Doctor, turning away and heading towards the prone body of Harry.

“I cannot locate a focus point.”

The Doctor turned around, his face looked as though darkness itself had crept into his eyes. “Leave or Christmas is cancelled. There’s nothing for you here.”

“But I will-”

“LEAVE!” he thundered.

The Dalek twitched for a moment, looked away and then back at him.

“Remember who I am, Dalek,” he said, his eyes fixed and unblinking.

“Emergency transmat,” said the Dalek as it shook, shuddered and then disappeared leaving no trace.

The Doctor dropped to Harry and felt for a pulse. “He’s still alive.”

Later...

“Are you okay?”

Alice was standing in her dimly-lit cottage kitchen. She had been stirring her mug of tea for a little longer than was really needed. She stared out straight ahead watching the snowflakes gently fall from the orange-grey night sky.

“Sorry?” she asked, turning to Maxus.

“I asked if you were okay?”

“I think so,” she said. “I still think about her, you know? Tylaya. Sometimes I feel like she’s still in there.”

“It’s comforting to know,” smiled Maxus. “Did the Doctor say when he’d be back?”

“No,” said Alice, turning to face him. They had helped to wake up Harry, taken him to hospital and then the Doctor had disappeared inside his box, promising to return to say goodbye. “Where do you think the Dalek went?”

There was a knock on the door and Alice put her mug down and the both of them went to answer it. The Doctor was stood there, the snow gently collecting on top of his head and melting in his dark hair.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back,” said Alice, a smile playing on her face.

“I had to check for signs of the Dalek.” The Doctor looked sad for a moment. “I found it drifting in deep space. It’s dead.”

“So it killed itself?” said Alice.

“It didn’t have a choice, Alice,” said the Doctor. “I wasn’t going to let it go. It knew that. It also wasn’t going to survive on its own.”

“Sorry, Doc,” said Maxus, nodding sadly.

“It’s Christmas,” smiled the Doctor. “No need to be sorry. Be happy.”

“Oh,” said Alice, quickly, “are you coming in? We’re about to sit down and watch that sci-fi programme – the Christmas special. I’ve put the kettle on.”

The Doctor smiled and shook his head.

“Please,” said Maxus.

The Doctor looked at both of his travelling companions, scratched behind his ear and then nodded. “Okay. Just for an hour though.”



One hour had turned to two hours and the Doctor was on his third glass of Bailey’s. They’d sat and watched through a number of Christmas TV shows and Alice was beginning to feel sleepy.

“I really must be going,” said the Doctor, putting his glass down on the side.

“Do you have someone to get back to?” asked Alice.

“Sort of,” said the Doctor. “I’ve been travelling with a number of different people each with their own problems and issues to work out.”

“Why don’t you invite them in?” asked Maxus, looking towards the door.

“They’re not with me. I just hopped away for a few minutes. They’re sat in a cafe in 2032 enjoying coffee and cake. It’s a lovely Spring day there as well.”

“Are you happy?” asked Alice, looking at him sadly.

He slumped back in his chair. “I’ve had better days. Things have been difficult for a while now.”

Alice and Maxus looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

“I lost someone. Can you remember Caleb, my nephew?”

Alice nodded.

“It was an accident, but...well, it’s been difficult for all of us. But we’re getting there.” He got up and crossed over to the window and watched as the snow continued to land on the TARDIS. “I fear there are darker days to come though.” He shook his head and then turned to his two friends. “But how about you two? How’s the caretaking job?” he smiled at Maxus.

“I’m done with that, Doc,” he said. “It was good while it lasted, but not forever. I’m off to broaden my horizons a bit. Do something that I can get my head around.”

The Doctor smiled and then went into his inner pocket. “Maybe, if you’re in London at some point, you might want to check out these friends of mine.”

“Not Torchwood. Not Eyeglass,” said Maxus shaking his head, remembering the corrupt company he had previously worked for.

“No, no, no,” said the Doctor, “nothing like that. Ask for Roger Stark, he might be able to help. It’ll give you a chance to show the world what you’re made of.”

Maxus took the card and looked at it. “UNIT:X?”

“I’ve met some of the team. Good people. They’ll help you out.”

“Hmmm, maybe,” he said, popping the card into the back pocket of his jeans. “I fancy doing a bit of travelling first.”

“Good idea,” he said. “And you, Miss Stokes! There’s a place for you at UNIT:X.”

“Oh, no,” she said, finishing her glass of wine. “I’m quite happy teaching. I’m happy and settled.”

“She’s getting married, you know?” said Maxus.

“What? Where is he?” asked the Doctor, his eyes flitting around the room.

Alice smiled. “He’s visiting his parents in Blackburn. He’ll be home tomorrow if you want to meet him.”

“Oh, no, I’ll be long gone by then.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “But seriously, I’m happy for you two.”

“Three,” said Alice, smiling.

The Doctor looked down at her tummy and gasped. “But there’s nothing there! No bump. Nothing.”

“Only two months gone, you daft sod. I’m not showing yet.”

The Doctor laughed and gave her a hug. “You’re going the whole hog then. Husband and baby. A lovely little Stokes family.”

“Ah, except his name’s David Cooper, meaning she’s gonna be changing her name to - ”

“Alice Cooper, yes I know, Quinn,” said Alice, rolling her eyes.

“Hilarious,” said Maxus, laughing.

The Doctor gave her another hug and pulled her in tight. “I’m so happy for you, Miss Stokes. At least not everyone’s life I touch gets blown apart.”

They broke away and she looked at him sadly. “It’ll work out, Doctor. You’re a good man. It’ll always work out for you.”

He smiled and then turned to Maxus, shaking his hand. “And I’m proud of you, Quinn. How far you’ve come...”

“Thanks, Doctor,” he said.

“But I really must be going now,” he said, backing towards the door. “I have other friends out there whose lives need fixing. Holly’s needs to get her girl back and Richard needs his family back. Things to do and people to see.”

“Take care, won’t you? And don’t be a stranger,” said Alice.

“No,” said the Doctor, “I’m tired of being a stranger. You – you and Quinn and Holly and Richard and Lilly and all the others – you’re all so precious to me. And I love you all.”

He opened the door and a few snowflakes blew into the porch.

“Merry Christmas, Doc,” said Maxus.

“Merry Christmas, Doctor,” said Alice.

“Merry Christmas,” he smiled and then closed the door behind him.

Alice waited for a moment as she heard his crunching footsteps disappearing down the garden path. And then there was that familiar sound of the TARDIS; the wheezing and groaning of its old engines grinding into life. And then all was still. All was silent.

Alice turned to Maxus and smiled.



Midnight



Alice awoke with a start. Her first thought was to check her tummy. It was instinct really. And then she realised it wasn’t her body that had woke her up. It was something outside.

She rushed to the window. Somewhere over in the distance towards the park the clouds were glowing blue and something was falling from them leaving a trail of ice-white fire in its wake.

And then there was a splash of water as the object hit the pond.

She put on her dressing gown and slippers and raced out of the house making her way through the darkened streets of the village until she reached the small park with the duck pond. Sitting in the duck pound, steam rising from it was a person. The person was wearing what looked like some kind of advanced form of Kevlar body armour. It was grey and black and padded. The wrist had an overly complicated strap around it and the helmet looked like something out of Star Wars that the stormtroopers wore. It was black-grey with a black, glass visor.

“Are you okay?” asked Alice, shivering in the snow.

The figure got up out of the pond and waded to the edge.

Alice stepped back a bit as the person stepped onto the bank and then sat down on the ground. It then reached around the back of the helmet and pulled it off. Underneath the helmet was a young, female woman with long blonde hair. She must have only been in her early twenties.

“Is this Little Pebbleford?” asked the woman. She had a Scottish accent.

“It is,” said Alice, folding her arms and looking down at the new arrival.

The woman smiled. “Thank god for that.” She ran her hand through her hair and then leant back a little.

“Who are you?”

“I’m looking for the Doctor. My name’s Lilly Galloway, and I’ve come a long way to find him.”



The End

Doctor Who: Resurrection returns in January 2017 with its third and final series, kicking off with the opener "UNIT: X". More details to follow.