Chapter One
Ruined London, Earth 1989.
Tegan Jovanka had gathered a group of some of the last members of the human resistance group, above ground in one of the safer areas of bombed out, ruined London resting before the next raid started. A grass area near Grange Road, close enough to the Dalek base for a sneak attack.
This area was one of the few the patrols rarely visited. It was too over grown for anything but Spider Daleks, and most of them had been destroyed a few raids back.
Unluckily there were still dozens of the normal Dalek's around. Too many for Tegan's liking. Their forces seemed to grow stronger by the day. What was left of her group had little chance of defeating them now. Far too many people had died trying already. Tegan despaired, she didn't know how to lead the rebels any more. She'd been fighting too long.
So long that she couldn't see the fight ever ending and a normal life returning to the people of Earth, and herself.
Or at least what passes as a 'normal' life for Tegan.
Her life hadn't been 'normal' since that fateful day when on the way to her new job as an air hostess at Gatwick, her Aunt's car had broken down. Trying to call for a repair crew she'd wandered into what she'd thought was a Police Public phone booth and had turned out to be a time machine.
She'd been whisked off across the cosmos to a place called Logopolis and ended up in the middle of a plot to destroy the universe by the Master. She'd helped a strange and mysterious middle aged man called the Doctor to stop this attempt. Finally she'd left in the time machine with a strange and quite ill young man, which is what he'd turned into through something he called Regeneration. She didn't quite understand how he could change his entire appearance, but he'd told her that it had happened several times before.
She gave up becoming an air hostess to nurse him along with help from his other companions: Nyssa and Adric. Afterwards she'd travelled across most of the galaxies and time frames with her new friends. It had been fun while it lasted, until she'd reached this time frame of Earth's future. Not being able to stand the fighting anymore, she'd stayed in 1984, three years away from her own time.
Tegan was so bone tired she could hardly move. None of her group (herself included) had taken more than quick cat naps over the last few weeks. There just hadn't been time between raids. The Daleks were attacking more and more often. Several attacks each and every day. Man just wasn't designed to cope with such things. You couldn't fight for your life almost every minute of every day.
Tegan sighed, she hated the constant fighting and even more so the person she'd had to become simply to survive in this strange world so far away from her home.
As she lay on a small patch of tired, balding grass her mind started to wander. She began thinking about her old, mysterious friend, the Doctor.
Tegan still missed him and Turlough a lot. She'd left the TARDIS and their lifestyle because the adventuring had become too much for her to stand. The deaths, the fighting, the life risking situations with the last minute rescues, the never knowing if this was the last day she'd see, but mainly the deaths. No one should have to see the amount of death she had.
She laughed bittersweetly. "If I'd know this would be my future, would I have stayed with the Doctor?" she muttered out loud.
"Probably not." Tegan decided. She'd been in such a state at her time of leaving. With the concussion. The horrors she'd faced on the planet Frontios and all the people murdered by the Daleks.
All the people who had given their lives so she could get to safety and try to bring help. The Doctor had won in the end, he always did. Good over evil etc. etc. But for Tegan the price for that victory had been far too high.
She could still remember the Doctor's shocked and hurt face when she'd told him she wanted to stay behind on this Earth.
He seemed to have taken it personally. It was his fault what had happened to her or something like that.
Worst of all she still remembered the Doctor's heartfelt plea as she ran away: "No, Don't leave. Not like this. At least let me get you back to your own time!"
Tegan had heard more emotion in those simple words when she ever had in all the time they had been friends. It hadn't mattered though.
"I must. I'm sorry ...I'm sorry." she'd replied and disappeared around a corner in the old warehouse.
That memory still hurt. Time heals she'd once been told. It wasn't true. Time had never healed that open wound. She didn't expect that it ever could.
She started to think about some of the adventures they'd had together. Like on Frontios. The planet they weren't allowed to go for risk of changing the way the colony evolved. But the Doctor had never been one for sticking to rules. They just spoiled his fun!
Tegan smiled at her memories of the Doctor. He'd been a very close friend, become like a brother to her. They'd had some fun on their travels,but sooner or later something bad would happen. Tegan realised she still missed her two friends a great deal, even after all this time. She also missed all the little things that had annoyed her so much at the time:
The slight directional problems the TARDIS had which constantly escaped the Doctor's seemingly endless repairs.
The million and one uses he had for a cricket ball, only the last one of them for actually playing cricket!
And the thing that had annoyed her most of all. His terrible sense of humour. The worse the situation they were in got, the worse his jokes became. She'd learned to gauge their life span and danger from the jokes after a while.
"Oh Doctor, why don't you visit? You know where I am. Surely you can't still be upset over the fact I left. I'd love to see you again, if only for a moment." Tegan said.
A horrible thought appeared in Tegan's mind. What if the reason he hadn't visited her was because he had died. The Doctor didn't live a very healthy life style. Put his life at risk all the time. Maybe his luck had run out, and for once his daily last minute escape plans to avoid certain death hadn't worked out.
That would explain why he hadn't been drawn to the Daleks in Tegan's time. He was always drawn to danger. What would the universe be like without the Doctor meddling to keep the peace?
Not a very nice place she decided.
Tegan hoped that she was wrong. Without the Doctor there was no hope. She closed her eyes and pictured the Doctor in her mind. She sent her mind outwards, not really knowing what she was doing.
The Doctor had always been telepathic, maybe she could reach him with her thoughts. Her biological body chip made her telepathic in some ways. Maybe just enough for contact to be made.
Tegan didn't know what she was doing, how could she reach mentally another being that was millions and millions of galactic miles away, maybe not even in her plain of reality!
Something had to happen soon, she had no idea what to do. If she could reach the Doctor, he might be able to help her. How to contact him was another matter though, an almost impossible one!
Frustrated Tegan lay back and closed her eyes, trying not to think of anything except the Doctor. Any memory of him. His face, something they'd done or somewhere they'd gone.
Tegan looked around herself. She was standing by the central control column in the TARDIS's console room. Alarm bells were sounding loudly.
Turlough came through the main door from the TARDIS's inner chambers. "What is that noise?" he complained covering his ears.
The Doctor pulled himself out from under the console and answered "Psychic intruder warning." at the same time as she did.
Tegan sighed. No one had reacted to her voice or even noticed her. She had to be the intruder.
"Is the presence dangerous?" Turlough asked.
The Doctor shook his head as he sorted through a tray of tools. "The Cloister bell would warn us if there was any chance of danger to the TARDIS."
"Then, what is it?"
"Either a friendly entity or the TARDIS has got a crossed circuit somewhere." he answered.
The Doctor walked around the console flipping switches and pressing buttons. "This screen is flashing up that whoever it is has been bio-patterned into the TARDIS data banks." he muttered.
"What does that mean?" Turlough asked.
"That the intruder has travelled with me at some point".
"A friend then?"
"I'd assume so. It would be extremely narrow minded of me to input the bio-data of someone dangerous", he glanced up at Turlough, "Although there have been one or two exceptions".
Turlough blushed, remembering exactly how he'd began his travels. "How did the person get into the TARDIS in mid-flight?" he asked.
"Psychic projection of some kind. Although that would take immense mental power and technology stolen from the Time Lords or at least based upon it."
Tegan sat on the floor under the coat rack and sighed. "I have to make him hear me, but how?" she exclaimed.
"Who ever the 'ghost' is, there must be some reason why he or she is here. Something the person needs to tell you" Turlough commented.
"That is more than likely Turlough, but as I can't see the person or think of a way to communicate, until I can come up with a solution to that little problem we just won't know." the Doctor exclaimed frustrated.
"Could I move something to show them where I am?" Tegan wondered out loud, "After all, for all intense and purposes I am a ghost here."
"There must be a way that the TARDIS can locate the intruder." Turlough asked walking around the console and standing by the coat rack.
The Doctor pressed more buttons, "The TARDIS thinks she can locate the entity." he answered.
"I've programmed in a set of instructions which should aid location, hopefully." the Doctor said.
Tegan crossed her fingers, hoping it would work.
The TARDIS console started spitting out a long chain of paper. The Doctor ripped it off and scanned the results. "The person is female, around 30 years old and human." he said.
"Location?" Turlough asked .
"According to this, she is sitting under the coat rack about two steps away from you." he answered.
Turlough instinctively stepped backwards and looked nervously.
The Doctor concentrated at the place silently willing that some connection would be made,,but nothing happened. He shook his head annoyed. Tegan feeling exasperated, kicked out at the coat rack. Knocking it half way across the room. "I think we can safely say that someone was sitting there!" the Doctor said, calmly picking up the rack.
She reached out and touched his arm, hoping that he might feel her presence. It worked, the Doctor shuddered at her touch. "I can feel her. She wants to communicate, but doesn't know how."
Tegan grabbed his arm firmly. "If you can feel me like this, maybe you can hear me." she said, "The TARDIS can sense me. Link with her!"
The Doctor pulled away, "Who ever it is she is getting very annoyed!"
"Sounds like Tegan then. She always had a quick temper." Turlough commented.
"Turlough, how could Tegan, on Earth in the late 1900's have the ability to communicate and enter a TARDIS in mid flight on the other side of the universe to her?
"If the TARDIS can see the person, why can't it show you?" Turlough asked.
"Turlough, you are amazing!" he exclaimed.
The Doctor placed his hand in the special slot, closed his eyes and waited for the connection with his ship to be made.
He opened his eyes to see Tegan standing in the console room. The two of them were alone now, Turlough not being able to use the link had remained in the real console room of the real TARDIS. This was some kind of psychic resonance that only the ghost could exist in.
Tegan sat down on the floor, with her back towards him, and crossed her legs. "Okay, ghost stuff?" she muttered, "Moving things, did that. Giving cold shivers through touch, did that. Tried talking and it didn't work. What would a ghost do if they couldn't communicate?"
She couldn't think of anything else, "I've failed." she muttered holding her head in her hands. Muffled sobs followed.
"Failed with what, Tegan?" the Doctor asked softly.
Tegan jumped up holding a small knife, when she saw who was there she lowered her blade. "Took you long enough to think of this!" she complained.
"You haven't changed at all." he said wistfully, "Even the same clothes, you must have died soon after I left."
Tegan looked down at herself and discovered she was wearing the same leather short skirt and white with red slashes shirt, she had on the day they'd parted.
Using her knife blade as a makeshift mirror (the only part of her new self that had survived the transfer), she saw that her hair had shortened and gone back to the old style she'd had then too. The years of worry lines had been erased from her face along with the scars of countless raids.
"What happened?" Tegan asked looking up at him, "I don't look anything like this any more. My hair's longer and my face ... I don't even think that I own these clothes anymore!"
"The TARDIS must be showing me what it remembers of you, on that final day." he answered.
"It least its letting you see me. I thought I wasn't going to get through to you." Tegan said.
"How did you die?" the Doctor asked sadly.
"I haven't, I'm still alive and fairly healthy. Still living on Earth, in whats left of London. Right where you left me." she said.
"Tegan, you have to accept your death if you are to move on." he insisted.
"I am not dead!" she explained stretching out each word from sheer annoyance,, "I'm still on Earth. I contacted you through some telepathic equipment designed by my late husband. The whole human race is in great danger, we need your help!"
"What kind of danger?" he asked intrigued.
"Great Dalek wars, they've been going on forever it seems. I've done all I can, but we have no chance. The Daleks are too powerful, too many nasty add on's." Tegan answered.
The Doctor looked sad, "I can't help you. If I make changes in your time line I will be in serious trouble with the High Council. The Dalek wars must happen. So many races must stop their own petty wars to fight against the Daleks."
"You have to. You are our only hope." she begged.
"I am so sorry Tegan, but I'm not allowed to interfere unless under direct orders from the High Council." he insisted.
Tegan laughed bitterly, "You know, I have no idea why I bothered coming here. You are just another Gallifreyain wimp, too scared to come out of your little safe world and see what is going on with the rest of the universe's. You wouldn't help a dying man!"
"That was harsh Tegan, you know I'm not like the other Time Lord's." he said softly looking sad.
"Your old age has changed you into one of them. The Doctor I knew never let a few stupid rules get in the way of saving millions of lives." Tegan snapped.
"This is not a stupid rule." the Doctor insisted.
She glared at him.
"Okay, maybe it is stupid. Unluckily its one of the few rules I can't break!" he replied.
Tegan touched the TARDIS doors, they drifted open silently.
"Where are you going?" the Doctor asked.
"Back to Earth. Its the closest place I have to a home. Although its not much of one. Now its just one big Dalek crawling bomb site. I have to get back there somehow, to save my people as you can't be bothered!" she snapped.
"You know I'd help you if I could." the Doctor exclaimed.
"You used to tell me that you loved Earth and humans. That was just make believe, wasn't it? Just to keep your companions quiet and happy. The Red Neck, bare foot and pregnant syndrome!" Tegan asked.
"I've never lied to you." he said.
"No, you just didn't tell me anything that might upset me!" she said.
"You were young, there are things in the universe's, that no one should see." he said.
"Well, I'm not the girl you knew. Naive and innocent. Sweet and good. I've seen murder and death more times than even you have. I've lost close friends. I've seen people taken to pieces in front of my eyes. I've been hunted, trapped, imprisoned, tortured, even enslaved." Tegan said softly, "But I can still help my race, even if I die trying."
"You sound like a fanatical combat ready member of Earth's useless Army, ready to risk all for Queen and country." the Doctor muttered thinking about UNIT.
"Death holds no fear for me. I've been close to it often enough. My life is nothing, what I can do with it is everything. If I save just one person before I die, then my fight was worth while. If I
can save more, I will." Tegan said.
"You can't save an entire race on your own." he insisted.
"Then come with me, please Doctor." she begged one last time.
"You know that isn't possible." the Doctor snapped.
"Oh, go away, I don't need you. We can die on our own!" Tegan snapped and faded away.
The Doctor stood looking at the coat rack where she'd faded from. "I'm sorry Tegan, I'll find a way to help you. Somehow." he muttered.
He put his hand back in the slot on the console and the room faded from around him.
The Doctor woke up in his own room. "Tegan's in trouble." he whispered, "Must get to her quickly!"
Then realised where he was. His own room, cricket trophies every where. His jacket on a peg by the door with his hat. All familiar items.
His door opened and Turlough entered looking confused, "How did I get here?" he asked.
"Where were you headed?" the Doctor asked grateful for the distraction.
"The console room to check the scanner." Turlough answered.
"The TARDIS keeps doing this, she must miss Tegan." the Doctor said thinking about his 'dream', "We all do."
"Can we visit her?" Turlough asked.
"Not yet, the time frames are too close. Just two weeks apart. We could leap back into the same time line as before, which would be too dangerous. Temporal distortions, two versions of one person can not exist in the same place and time." he said.
"Couldn't we dive into the future a few weeks and see her that way?" he asked.
The Doctor shook his head. "Not with that time tunnel still around, if we get caught in it he could be pulled down into the wrong time frame. I can't take the risk. If the High Council caught me, I could be in serious trouble."
"More so than for running away from being Lord President of Gallifrey?"
"Well, lets just hope they don't catch up with us."
"Is there really no choice, but waiting?"
"I'm sorry, Turlough. We'll go soon, I promise."
Turlough nodded.
"Lets try and get to the console room together. I'll take you back to the Eye of Orion. We deserve a rest." the Doctor said cheerfully leading his friend out into the corridor.
Secretly he was worrying over what he'd seen. He didn't dream, never had.
Until these last few weeks since he'd lost Tegan. Everything he saw was telling him that she was in danger. Every instinct he had was telling him to go to her, but he couldn't risk it.
Not yet, the TARDIS was being too unreliable again. He needed to get her mended somehow. Although where he had no idea, now Logopolis had been destroyed by the Master.
"I'll come as soon as I can Tegan, I promise. Once I can escape these fools following me, " he whispered.
The console room door flew open, and the Doctor bustled through with Turlough following. He punched several buttons and then looked up at his companion. "On course for the Eye of Orion, we should arrive shortly. Now, how about some breakfast?"
Turlough shrugged and followed him back out of the door. As is closed behind them, a shadowy figure appeared. Features hidden by a large black cloak with is hood pulled right over the person's face. They had been hiding behind the open door.
Now, the figure checked that the two travellers were out of sight and silently shut the door. Barring it with the coat stand. Quietly, he crossed to the console and checked the display screen.
"Eye of Orion?" the figure whispered, "Not right now Doctor, I'm afraid that a sight detour is in your stars for today!"
Pressing buttons and changing the direction of the ship, so smoothly that the Doctor never realised. Finally he locked the co-ordinates into the memory banks. Preventing any tampering before arrival at ground zero.
Again silently, the figure returned the coat rack to its usual position, and vanished.