The final flash came and was brighter than ever. It was followed by a high-pitched screaming sound which caused Richard and the others to clasp their hands over their ears. The sound quickly dissipated until the silence of the woods returned.
They continued to look up at the sky. There was something above them. It was hard to make out as it was in shadow, but it looked to be some kind of flying object. Lights flashed on its underbelly and as it descended into the clearing they could make out more detail. It was small and was gun-metal grey. It was almost shaped like half a shell of a nut with a window in the front for the cockpit.
The Leaders backed away into a small group as the ship touched down and a side door opened.
Joy gasped as Takka emerged in the light of the doorway, his hands held up.
“Please, my friends,” he said, “I am not a threat.”
“Is that an alien?” said Graham.
“Well,” said Andy, “it’s either an alien or a kid in a costume that’s just flown a highly advanced experimental craft into the woods.”
“Smart arse,” said Graham.
“Were you just bombing us?” asked Richard.
“I was not bombing you,” said Takka. “I was trying to bring down the exclusion field. It’s the reason you haven’t been able to leave.”
“You were still bombing us, mate,” said Graham,
“Are any of you hurt?” asked Takka. “Did any bombs land near you?”
Graham looked away.
“As I suspected.”
“Takka promised he wouldn’t hurt you,” came a female voice from behind him.
Realisation dawned on Andy as he pushed past Graham and Richard and stepped closer to the craft. “Nicole?”
Nicole emerged from the ship, beaming at Andy.
“He was right,” said Richard, leaning in to Graham, “she is a looker.”
“Nicole!” said Andy, running to her, ignoring Takka and hugging her tightly. “How the hell did you wind up here?”
“I’m afraid that’d be my fault, young man,” said Arthur, emerging from the door.
“Flick’s father?” said Andy, pointing to him.
“Yes indeed,” he said, shaking Andy’s hand. “We met a few years ago at the bingo event.”
“You won the giant box of Maltesers.”
“That’s correct,” beamed Arthur.
“But...but what are you doing here?” he asked Nicole again.
“We came looking for Felicity,” said Arthur. He shook his head. “She took my map.”
“The map of where she was found?” asked Graham.
“That’s right,” said Arthur.
“I didn’t expect to find this, though, sweetheart,” said Nicole, tapping Andy affectionately on his arm. “Aliens and spaceships and stuff.”
“Well whatever the reason,” said Andy, “we need to get you and our baby out of here.”
“The exclusion field is down,” said Takka, stepping down the small ramp that led from the ships doorway. “You can move your people out.”
“Come on,” said Andy, grabbing Nicole’s hand.
“My daughter...” said Arthur.
Nicole looked at the concerned old man and then back at Andy. “Look, babe, do you reckon we could stay and help him?”
“Nicole,” said Andy, guiding her away a little out of earshot of the rest of them, “there’s a group of dangerous creatures out there. Our one priority is to the baby.”
Nicole looked down at Andy’s hand which he had rested on her tummy. She nodded. “You’re right.”
“But I’ll do you a favour.” He guided her back towards the others. “Graham, will you get my good wife out of here?”
“What about you?” asked Nicole, as Graham folded his arms and nodded.
“I’ll go with Arthur and your alien buddy.”
“And me,” said Richard, giving a little wave. “I’m sure Big Foot here is quite able to get everyone out now.”
“Watch it, pal,” said Graham, giving him a cheeky smile.
“Andy, I came here to make sure you were safe,” said Nicole.
“And I will be,” said Andy, taking her hands, “but Arthur needs our help, and you certainly can’t stay.”
Nicole looked at him for a good few seconds and then smiled sadly. She knew there was no way to convince him not to. She gave him a hug and then a kiss on his lips as Takka began to make arrangements.
Kreek had activated a device on his wrist that had caused the dip in the ground to sink a little lower, revealing a small platform. The four of them had just about managed to squeeze on together and they had descended far down into the ground. Holly wasn’t sure how far exactly, but it had taken a good few minutes.
“How did you get down here?” asked Flick, as she tried her best to keep her arms away from the smooth, metallic walls.
“Our ancestor’s ship was testing a new teleportation device on the ship when it malfunctioned. The ship materialised beneath the surface of your planet.”
“Nasty things, teleportation devices,” said the Doctor, touching the smooth, circular wall as it zoomed past him. “These are manmade?”
“Yes,” said Kreek. “The Corbix was habitable, but damaged beyond repair so we had to dig ourselves these tunnels to get to the surface.”
“But what’s Lucy still doing down here?” asked Flick.
“All in good time,” said Kreek.
The lift finally came to a halt. They were standing in a dimly lit corridor. Kreek led them along the passageway until it emerged into a larger, open space. It looked like some kind of hangar. It was two levels with a set of metal stairs leading to a walkway around the upper floor with doors leading off.
A door behind the staircase opened and a pale creature, similar to Kreek but smaller and much older emerged. He was using a gnarled wooden staff to help him walk and he had a wispy white beard. He raised his head and squinted his eyes at the new arrivals.
“My friends,” said Kreek to the Doctor and his company, “this is our leader, Sonax.” Kreek bowed his head a little to the old man. “Sir, these are the strangers from above. The Time Lord.”
“Which is the Time Lord?” said Sonax, his voice old and cracked.
“I am,” said the Doctor, stepping forward and crouching a little, extending his arm to the old man. “I’m the Doctor. Please to meet you, sir.”
Sonax took his hand. “You’ve caused me quite some trouble, young man.”
The Doctor smiled. Nobody had called him ‘young man’ for quite some time. “I understand that some of the Human beings up there have caused a few issues this evening, but it’s something we can put right.”
“You don’t understand,” said Sonax. “The ship that is currently bombarding this forest with photon bombs is the ship of a police officer who was sent to hunt down the Corbix many years ago.”
“Why?” asked Holly. “What did you do?”
“It was a ship of criminals,” said Kreek, “but you have to understand that it was centuries ago. The police officer has slept whilst we have evolved. The ancestors – the criminals – have all died. We are their descendents.”
“And entirely innocent,” said the Doctor, nodding his head.
The door swished open again and a group of aliens entered with Mark in front of them. He looked worried, concerned and unsure of what was happening to him, but didn’t look like he had been harmed.
“Mark!” said Flick, running over to him before holding herself back before hugging him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he said, nodding. “I’ve been looked after.”
“Of course he has,” came another voice from behind the crowd. The aliens parted and a blonde haired woman, about the same age as Flick, emerged from behind them. She was wearing grey overalls and her eyes were pale blue.
“Lucy?” said Flick, trying to work out if it was her friend or not.
“Hey, Flick,” smiled the woman.
“Oh my god!” said Flick, approaching her old friend. “You’ve grown up.”
“We both have,” said Lucy. “It’s been a long time.”
The two women stood there for a good few seconds before finally Flick broke into a smile and embraced her long, lost friend, hugging her tightly.
“A happy ending,” smiled the Doctor to Holly.
“I still don’t get it though,” said Holly. She looked at Kreek. “What’s going on here?”
“We’ll explain,” said Kreek.
Sonax and Kreek led the Doctor, Holly, Flick, Mark and Lucy through the doorway behind the stairs and through another corridor. It opened up into another, larger cargo area. This was a hive of activity. There were dozens and dozens of the small aliens – males, females and children. The room was packed out with tents and shelters and stalls. The higher levels had similar set-ups and Holly couldn’t help but smile.
“We are a community,” said Sonax, pointing his staff to his people. “We have become a living, breathing society in the time we have been under this planet’s surface.”
“Did you never think of leaving?” asked the Doctor, as a small child pushed past him chasing a ball.
“We couldn’t leave,” said Sonax. “After our ancestors dug themselves out they encountered a family of Humans outside of your woods.”
“The Harrington family,” said Flick, nodding.
“Yes,” said Sonax. “The leader of the initial group had hurt their daughter. She required medical attention. Lord Harrington agreed to help conceal them from the Volatine police force if they gave the child the medical attention she needed.”
“But they never left?”
“No. The better element of the criminals formed a friendship with the Harrington’s after they helped the child, and Harrington agreed to keep the woods sealed off. The ancestors had no choice but to settle on the planet and rebuild.”
“But they could have signalled the police ship,” said Flick.
“And be taken prisoner?” said Sonax. He smiled and shook his head. “No. They may have wanted to settle down, but they were still criminals. They would have been executed.”
“Over the years the criminal element died away and the rest of the community flourished,” said Kreek, looking proud at his surroundings.
“But don’t you want to go home?” asked Holly.
“Volatinia is gone,” said Sonax, sadly. He sat down on the ground and shook his head. “It was lost in the War.” He looked at the Doctor.
The Doctor closed his eyes and shook his head.
“The War?” asked Holly.
“Let’s just leave it at that,” said the Doctor. He skipped over to Sonax and put a hand on his shoulder. “But you realise that that ship is up there looking to obliterate your little community? You need to leave now. I can help you repair your ship.”
“We’re not leaving,” said Sonax, getting to his feet.
“But you’re in danger. Lord Harrington – the last one that is – is dead. These lands are open now. You can’t stay here.”
“Why not?” asked Lucy. “We’ve been here for such a long time now.”
“We?” said Flick, frowning at her friend.
“You won’t remember,” said Lucy, “but when we came to the woods I fell and cracked my head open on some rocks.”
Flick frowned. There was something there. A cracking sound...but nothing concrete.
“Sonax and his people took me down here and fixed me, but I had to stay.”
“She requires constant medical attention to stop the swelling on her brain. Only the Corbix can provide that kind of care.”
“But I can help fix you,” said the Doctor.
“You don’t understand,” said Lucy. “I’ve grown up here. These are my people now.” She smiled as two of the child-creatures ran past her and waved at her.
“But if you can be fixed -”
“I don’t want to leave,” said Lucy.
Flick was about to protest when suddenly the entire ship shook. There were cries from the Volatine survivors and the room was plunged into darkness.
Emergency lighting flicked on, casting the room in a dark red colour. The Doctor got to his feet and looked at Sonax. “I’m afraid our police officer has just arrived.”
To be concluded...
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