Chapter 2 (Flying)
The TARDIS materialised beside a huge tree trunk. Around the trunk was a wooden platform with rope around the edges to prevent anyone from toppling over. A number of gangways and walkways snaked off from the circular walkway and numerous steps that spiralled upwards and towards higher levels.
The Doctor stepped out, gave a furtive look around and then smiled. “Come on out, you three.”
Richard was the first to emerge. The heat hit him first. It felt like stepping off a plane in a hot country and he found himself unbuttoning his shirt sleeves and rolling them up.
“Well,” asked the Doctor, “what do you think?”
Richard looked up at the various walkways and bridges that spanned from this tree to others. He span around on the spot and then broke into a huge smile. “It’s…it’s unbelievable.”
The Doctor smiled and joined him, placing an arm around him as he peered down over the rope barrier. The tree trunk disappeared into the foliage below where there were smaller trees and bushes.
“He wasn’t lying,” said Holly, as she stepped out of the TARDIS, “it is hot out here.”
“And it looks like we’re on the lowest level of the settlement,” said the Doctor, looking down over the edge. “Nothing below us.”
“The lowest?” said Richard. “But we’re still high up.”
Lilly wrinkled her nose as she slowly walked out of the TARDIS. “It stinks.”
“What?” said Holly, frowning at her. “Of what?”
“Hot, sticky, sweaty jungle. Ick!”
Holly rolled her eyes and took her hand. “Cheer up, eh? What’s up?”
Lilly looked at her and then looked at the Doctor and Richard. “Ask me later when I haven’t got such a banging headache.”
“Are you alright, Lilly?” asked the Doctor. “Perhaps you should go back in to rest.”
“I’m fine,” said Lilly, peering over the edge. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind.” Holly looked as Lilly’s hand casually went to her side and began scratching. She frowned, but dismissed any thoughts when the Doctor headed towards the steps that snaked up and around the tree trunk.
“Shouldn’t we wait to be greeted first?” asked Holly.
“They don’t know we’re here yet,” said the Doctor, excitedly. “Let’s go and make our presence known.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” said Holly, as her and Lilly watched Richard enthusiastically follow the Doctor up the steps.
The four travellers had only been climbing for about five minutes when they reached another platform. This time it was built outwards and spanned across mid-air to connect to another platform. Here a number of huts were dotted about, but there was no sign of life.
“Nobody in?” said Richard, as he looked at each of the huts in turn.
“Maybe they’ve all popped to the pub,” said Lilly.
“No,” said the Doctor, noticing an overturned table and objects scattered over the floor. “Whoever was here left in a hurry.” He picked up something resembling a wooden spoon. It was covered in a sticky, black liquid which he touched with his finger and then sniffed.
“All the huts are the same,” said Richard as he emerged from one at the furthest edge of the platform. “Nobody inside, but there’s stuff lying around.”
“Maybe they were scared off by something,” said Holly.
“Well, this is the lowest of the living platforms in this area,” said the Doctor, gazing out across the jungle. “Perhaps they’ve moved upstairs.”
Holly was about to reply when suddenly there was a sound of something stretching, a rush of air and then she found herself being lifted off her feet. She stifled a scream as she found herself swinging through mid air, over the edge of the platform and then upwards.
She could hear the sound of the Doctor, Richard and Lilly shouting something down below. She finally felt the upwards motion stop and everything came to a stand still. She tried to regain focus on her surroundings. She was perched on a thick branch and the platform she had been on was far below.
And then she started to panic.
She felt a spindly, insect-like hand on her shoulder, tried to move away, almost slipped off the branch and then was grabbed by two hands. She looked up. Keeping hold of her was an insect-like creature. It was blue with large, black eyes, a small body and tiny, thin arms and legs.
“Do not struggle,” came a high-pitched voice from the creatures wasp-like mouth.
“Who-Who are you?” asked Holly.
“Not an enemy,” said the creature, “but I am not at liberty to discuss this with you.”
“How did you get me up here?” said Holly, trying to look for some wings on the creature.
“Vines,” said the creature with what she assumed was a smile from it‘s jagged-toothed mouth.
Holly realised what he was saying. He had swung from one platform, scooped her up and then swung upwards to a higher platform.
“I need to get back to my friends.”
“We are all going to the same place,” said the creature. She looked down and saw Lilly, the Doctor and Richard surrounded by four more of the creatures. They jabbed spears towards them and indicated for them to move up the steps. “I’m sorry you were startled, but we couldn’t be certain that you were not dangerous.” The creature looked at Holly with curious eyes. “What is your name?”
“Holly. Holly Dangerfield.”
“Mine is Kitz.”
“And you’re one of the Gandrans?”
“Yes I am,” said Kitz. He grabbed the vine and put his arm around Holly’s waist. “Hold on tight, Holly Dangerfield.”
Holly instinctively grabbed a hold of his leather-like body as Kitz leapt from the branch. Holly screamed as she soared through the air again and landed - rather gracefully she thought - on the living area platform.
“Welcome back,” said the Doctor as he began the descent of the steps.
“Are you alright?” said Lilly, panicked.
“I’m fine. I’m fine,” said Holly, trying to act cooler than she felt.
“This is brilliant,” said Richard, looking at Kitz and then the other creatures. “Real life alien creatures. It’s fantastic!”
“You’ll get used to it, Richard,” smiled Holly, thinking back to her first time meeting an alien. Unfortunately for her it was a Cyberman and she was scared out of her wits. At least Richard seemed to be enjoying himself.
“Don’t encourage him,” hissed Lilly who had been hanging at the back of the line.
“Why not?” frowned Holly. She looked back at Kitz who was smiling at her. “He needs something to take his mind off back home.”
“Not necessarily.”
“What do you mean?”
“He needs to focus on what he wants. Getting excited at Tarzan-swinging aliens is not focusing.”
“Oh, come on Lilly, it’s his first trip.”
“He shouldn’t be having any first trips or any trips.”
Holly turned to look back at her. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been grumpy ever since he joined. It’s like you and me all over again.”
“It’s because I liked it as just you, me and the Doctor. We’re in danger of overcrowding the TARDIS.”
“The TARDIS is massive! It’s not going to affect anything, you know?”
“And that’s not just the reason.”
Holly waited for her to continue. “Go on.”
“The Doctor is terrified of being on his own. I think he’s invited Richard along because he’s worried we’re going to leave him.”
“Leave who? The Doctor? Why would we?”
“Eventually you will or I will, and that means that both of us will go.”
“Really?” said Holly. She tried to hide a smile.
“As if you even need to ask.”
Holly smiled and then reached for Lilly’s hand. “Don’t worry about Richard. It’ll all work out in the end. Trust me. And I’m not going anywhere. The TARDIS is my home now as well.”
But Holly noticed that Lilly was scratching at her side again and she still had a permanent frown stuck on her face.
The alien leader finally took them up to another platform where a crowd of similar aliens were waiting. An older-looking alien with long, black flowing robes stepped out from behind the crowd, a smile on his face.
Here the platform was dotted with much larger, more impressive buildings several floors high. They were all made of wood but some had painted, decorative sections and others were trimmed with gold. In the centre of the platform was a three story building with a large doorway and a domed roof.
“Welcome, visitors,” said the alien, his voice almost too jolly.
“See, I told you they’d be friendly,” smiled the Doctor.
“Welcome to Gandra. My name is Tees. I am the governor for Habitant Quill.”
“Habitat Quill?” queried Richard.
“The jungle stretches the entire planet,” said the Doctor, answering before Tees could. “Each area of the jungle has it’s own habitat.”
“Like a town?”
“Exactly,” said the Doctor. He extended his hand and Tees shook it. “So very good to meet you at last.”
“I do apologise for the way in which you were greeted by Captain Jag and his men.” Tees looked at the slightly taller Jag, who shook his head.
“Don’t worry, don’t worry,” said the Doctor, holding his hands out.
“We thought they were Surfacers,” said Jag.
“Surfacers?” said Holly.
“Wild animals,” said Tees quickly. “They live in the lower regions and come up every now and again.”
“Does that explain why that lower platform was abandoned?”
Tees frowned and then broke into a smile. “Yes. It was much too far down. We’ve moved all of our people higher up.”
“Sir, we lost one of our own on our way down - Pol.”
Tees shook his head. “Such a waste.”
“One of the vines was weak and he fell, broke his neck on the way down.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said the Doctor, sadly.
Richard was again at a barrier looking over the edge, staring down into the endless trees. “I still can’t quite believe this.”
“Is this your first time on another world?” asked Kitz, crossing over to the Earth man.
“Yeah,” said Richard, looking a little nervously at the alien.
“Don’t be afraid,” said Kitz. “We are quite a peaceful race.”
“So I’m led to believe,” said the Doctor.
“Perhaps you would like some refreshments?” suggested Tees.
“That would be nice,” said the Doctor.
“Excellent,” said Tees, clapping his hands together. He pointed to three grey-robed aliens. “Bara, Frax and Impanol, take our guests to a place where they can freshen up. We have a long evening ahead of us.”
“Oh, really? What’s happening?” asked the Doctor, as the three began to guide them away.
“We have an Age Festival tonight.”
“An Age Festival?” queried Lilly.
“Yes. They are most wondrous affairs,” he beamed.
“And what do these Age Festivals entail? A coming of age for the young, maybe?” asked the Doctor.
“Oh, no, no, no. They are for the old. We have two elders attending tonight.”
“That’s lovely,” said Richard, smiling. “They have festivals for their old people. We should have that back on Earth. Celebrate an OAP day.”
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” said Kitz, as he hurried alongside the four of them, his voice low so Tees couldn‘t hear him.
“Wouldn’t what?” asked Holly.
“Have them on Earth.”
“Why ever not?” asked the Doctor.
“Because an Age Festival is where our older people are brought the day before they die.”
To be continued...
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