AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story was written as both an experiment and a challenge. I set myself a 15-minute time limit to write a short Doctor Who story based on a random word provided to me via Twitter. (You can follow me at dashwestwood). That word was "lion", as supplied by ultrahotpink. This story is the result.

Fifteen minutes. One keyword. No planning, no preparation.

Enjoy!

"Behold, the great galactic bestiary of Alaxforgaria!"

The Doctor spread his arms to Rory and Amy, inviting them to take in their surroundings. Running the lengths of an extended hallway were rows upon rows of glass cages - some were only a few feet wide, while others extended much further and deeper into the high walls of the room. Dozens - hundreds - of transparent cages.

And every single one housed a creature.

"They're a little weird," said Rory, pressing his face against the glass of a nearby display.

The Doctor peered over his shoulder. Inside was what at first glance appeared to be an ordinary house cat, but its appearance was wildly wrong. Aside from sporting two tails, its fur was bright green and flecked with yellow stripes. And instead of meowing, it barked like a dog.

"Yes, well that's what you get when historians don't do their research," the Doctor said. "Remember, we're in the year 301,238 - domestic cats have been extinct for centuries. In fact, every animal here is extinct. These are synthetic replicas - artificial lifeforms based on best guesses and fragmented archives. Like putting together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture and bits of an old washing machine."

"This one looks okay to me," said Amy.

Rory and the Doctor turned to see Amy staring through the glass at a majestic lion. Golden, bushy mane. Sparkling eyes. Sharp, white teeth. From end to end, it was the perfect image - a beast that stood in stark contrast to the mish-mash of creatures that surrounded it.

"I don't understand," said the Doctor, brow furrowed. "Why is this lion... a lion?"

"Because it's the original product."

All three looked around to a new voice in the room - an elderly being. Fins for hands, mustard skin, holding a mop and wearing grubby overalls. He pushed the mop along the floor, paying more attention to his cleaning than to the three standing before him.

"This place," the man said. "It's not what you think it is. These animals are not 'best guesses' - they're the original species in their purest form. They're reproductions, yes, but they're made from one hundred percent original DNA." He snorted. "Those humans of the past, they didn't know how to preserve wildlife. They didn't look after it, or they hunted it to extinction. And the ones they didn't destroy got out of hand. They evolved to become mongrels of their true selves. Honestly, a cat with one tail? Madness!"

Rory pointed to the cat. "You're saying that's... normal?"

"As pure as the driven snow," the man said. "And that lion - gorgeous, isn't he? Pride of the initiative."

"But it's not any different to the lions of old Earth," said the Doctor. "It's exactly the same."

"Why shouldn't it be?" said the man. "Lions are popular targets. The company has to keep travelling back and planting new specimens into the ecosystem. The lion never get a chance to evolve - those daft humans keep driving it to extinction. We have to keep replacing it."

The Doctor tapped his chin with a curled finger. "So you're not an archive of animal history..."

"That's right," said the man. "We're the ones who create it, sustain it. We're the ones that keep travelling back in time to ensure that animals of Earth have a history. And despite our best efforts, we still have no idea why those humans seem intent on eliminating it."