Distress Signal
The Doctor knew the area of space well but he thought it had long been deserted. The Time War had decimated the planets in the area. All the planets that remained were barren wastelands devoid of any life. The Doctor hoped he would never have to come back to this region of space but he couldn't just ignore the distress call he had received. The TARDIS materialised where the distress call came from but the there was nothing there. The Doctor scanned the area using the TARDIS but found nothing. He thought to himself maybe I got the year wrong then he looked at the time and realised he was twenty seconds early. He then said "oh no."
A massive ship roughly three miles in length smashed into the TARDIS knocking into a nearby asteroid field. Asteroids smacked the TARDIS knocking the Doctor off his feet. He jumped back up and realised the problem the ship faced it was heading straight for the Asteroid field and didn't seem to be able to change course. The Doctor opened communications between the TARDIS and the ship and said "Hello, my name is the Doctor I received you distress signal what seems to be the problem with your ship?"
A response came quickly and eagerly a women's voice cackled over the speaker and said " that was quick, hello my name is Susan I am the captain of the ship, the engines have failed we are heading straight for an asteroid field and I think we were just attacked by a spinning blue box."
"Oh don't worry about the blue box that was my ship" said the Doctor reassuringly.
Susan asked "Your ship, how it's so small what help can that do us?"
"Now don't be rude about my ship she will save you" replied the Doctor.
The Doctor positioned the TARDIS in front of the ship and pulled it towards the planet which was surrounded by the asteroid field. He flew the TARDIS just below the asteroid field dragging the spaceship with it just avoiding the massive rocks that littered the area. The ship towed by the TARDIS entered the planet's atmosphere inside the TARDIS the Doctor was suddenly thrown into darkness. He said "what" and checked the control panel he then said "where's the power gone the TARDIS can't have run out I haven't long recharged it." The TARDIS lost its grip on the spaceship and fell to the planet no longer able to fly or tow the ship.
On the spaceship Susan tried to contact the Doctor but could not get any reply she realised the ship wasn't be towed any longer and ordered her crew to prepare for impact.
The Doctor ran down one of the numerous corridors in the TARDIS and found the room he was looking for. In the room he grabbed a massive battery and ran back to the TARDIS control room. He hooked the battery up to the console and it gave power to the TARDIS. The Doctor then found the ship and just managed to catch it with the TARDIS before it smashed into the ground.
The Doctor landed the TARDIS next to the ship. He swung the doors open and walked out onto the harsh blue world that stood before him. The ground, the sky all a dark navy blue. Around him were plants which were short but where they lacked in size they made up in colour intensity. The dark purple of them was so striking they stood out from the dark blueness of the rest of the world. The Doctor walked towards the vast ship in front of him trapped in its impressive shadow. He gained entry using the sonic screwdriver. He found the captain and said "is everyone alright do you know what's draining the power from your engines.
"How do you know that?" asked Susan.
"It done the same to mine that's why the ride was a little bumpy never mind that do you have an energy tracer mine is broken."
"Umm I don't know you will have to ask our engineer Brian." said Susan
"And where will I find him?" asked the Doctor
"In engineering" replied Susan
"Right" said the Doctor.
Susan led the Doctor to engineering where he was greeted by Brian. Brian asked him "how did a ship so small carry this ship it must have amazing power."
The Doctor looked around the room and then said "Well it did no time to explain we have to stop whatever is taking the power do you have an energy tracer."
"Yeah hold on" said Brian hastily.
Brian searched through a pile of tools and found the one the Doctor had requested.
"Here you go" he said as he passed it to the Doctor.
Activating the device the Doctor used it to trace where the power drain was occurring. He wandered down one of the ships numerous corridors followed closely by Susan and Brian. The device displayed a red arrow showing the direction of the power drain from their current position.
The lights in the corridor began to flicker off and on all of a sudden and the Doctor assumed the power drain was spreading. He quickened his pace and located the room where the power drain was taking place. He then said "I hope it's not one of them"
"One of what" said Susan.
The Doctor opened the door and before him Susan and Brian stood a seven foot creature whose eyes glowed in the darkness of the room Brian said "what the hell is that."
The Creature lunged forward revealing his features more clearly. It had a snout that resembled a lizard, razor sharp teeth that gleamed in the light from the corridor. It stood on all fours snarling at them. It had a massive tail that lashed angry back and forth. Its huge shining eyes looked directly at the Doctor and it could feel the energy of a Time Lord that burnt inside him.
The Doctor shouted "run!" and all three of them ran for their lives back down the corridor. The creature sprinted after them easily catching up to them due to the sheer power of the muscles in its legs. They just reached the end of the corridor and managed to shut the door saving them from the creature for the time being.
Brian grabbed the Doctor by the shoulder and said "tell me what the hell was that thing."
The Doctor turned away and then looked back and said "I don't know but I would say its dependant on draining power to survive it's not quite what I expected but seems a lot worse."
"We have to kill it" said Brian aggressively.
"Kill a defenceless creature don't you dare it's just trying to survive!" shouted the Doctor.
Brian replied "It's a danger to this ship and everyone on it I am putting it down."
"I won't let you it doesn't know any better it's just trying to live sedate it I can then drain the power from it and put it back into your ship and you can get back on your little trip."
"Why you so interested in it I bet you planted it on the ship didn't you and you only saved us because you had a guilty conscience" said Brian.
Susan interrupted and said "don't be stupid Brian; I doubt the Doctor had anything to do with it but someone on the ship must have."
"Is the ship carrying anything dangerous or valuable?" asked the Doctor.
"Our mission is top secret and I won't discuss it with you" said Susan hastily.
The Doctor looked at her and could see guilt in her eyes and assumed the ship must be harbouring something illegal or dangerous.
After a long pause the Doctor said "would your trip cause you to have any enemies?"
Brian said "don't play innocent you are one of them against us, idiot don't you see this is a positive thing for the human race."
"What is it just tell me" said the Doctor angrily.
"You are part of RETA aren't you Doctor, Brian arrest him" said Susan.
"What is RETA, Really Easy Teaching Aliens?" as the Doctor asked this the creature burst through the door and jumped on Brian and started mauling him. The Doctor pulled a syringe out of his pocket and stuck it into the creature's side. The Creature tried to grab the Doctor but collapsed into a peaceful sleep.
Brian now blood stained lay on the floor cuts embedded into his body. Susan ran to his side to check he was still alive she then grabbed her communicator to contact a medic.
The Doctor with the help of some crew men had carried the creature back into the TARDIS. Hooking it up to the battery he had used to power the control panel during its power blackout. He drained the space ships power it had taken and then returned to the ship with the battery.
In the medical bay Brian lay asking Susan to find the person who planted the creature and to make them pay.
The Doctor walked in and said "how you doing Brian?"
Brain grunted and then the Doctor turned to the captain and said "I have your ships power back I drained it from the creature and all you have to do is link this battery back up to your engines and it will be fine."
"Thank you Doctor for all your help" replied Susan.
"There is one thing I don't get though how did my ships power get drained it could have been the creature it needs to be next to the object to sap the energy. Do you have any idea who could have planted the creature?"
"No but we mustn't rule anyone out" said Susan.
"It would have to be someone who knows where to find one of those creatures and have how to install a power draining device on the ship" said the Doctor.
Brian sat up and said "that new assistant engineer Marcus I should have known."
"Where would I find him?" asked the Doctor.
"Engineering" said Brian.
The Doctor said "I am going to stop asking where the engineers are."
The Doctor, Susan entered the engineers quarters and found Marcus tinkering with a device he turned to great them and said "ah Susan do you like my device here I made it myself it drained the power well don't you think even if it did lock on to the wrong ship. My pet handled this ship well enough though."
"What do you want to stop this ship reaching its destination?" asked the Doctor.
"Can't say we have met sir but I bet they haven't told you what this whole journey is about. They are travelling to the planet Meemph they have a gas bomb, they are going to use it to kill the alien race that lives there all so they can fuel Earths need for power which the planet is abundant in" said Marcus calmly.
"What is this true Susan?" asked the Doctor surprised.
"Yes Real Evil To Aliens that's what RETA stands for they are try to be protect them. The Earths needs are greater than a bunch of animals on a planet rich with fuel." Susan pulled out a gun and aimed it Marcus's head. She smiled and said "stop us now"
Marcus smiled at her and said "I already have the ship is set to explode in two minutes you can kill me but you will still lose."
Susan shot Marcus hitting him in the knee which caused him to stumble to the floor she then pointed the gun at the Doctor and told him to stop the explosion.
The Doctor said "you will have to shoot me to what you are trying to do is sickening."
"Don't give me that Doctor please reverse the process now."
Susan aimed the gun at the Doctor's head when suddenly from behind the creature pounced on Susan knocking the gun out of her hand. The Doctor helped Marcus to his feet and they both ran out of there. Marcus whistled and the creature followed them. Marcus looked at his watch and saw they only had one minute left till the explosion.
Racing against time the Doctor and Marcus ran as fast as they could through the ship trying to find the exit. Marcus felt his legs buckling but the Doctor didn't let him fall and help him gain his balance again. They just got off the ship onto the planet's surface as the ship exploded behind them.
Marcus said "they had to be stopped they were trying to destroy a whole race to steal their power sources I couldn't let them do it."
"Can I have the power for my ship back" asked the Doctor.
Certainly Doctor I didn't mean to take it from your ship."
"I will take you and your creature back to Earth and to a hospital" said the Doctor quietly.
"We did the right thing Doctor twenty people died at the expense of millions of aliens on the planet, like that old quote; the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" said Marcus.
"Promise me you will do your best to stop people like them decimating worlds for their power need and by the way what species is the creature?" said the Doctor.
"She's a Lormavore they originate from the planet Xloriss."
"I thought it might have been a Lormavore I have only seen males before the female looks so different I thought it was a different race anyway I will take you both back to Earth."
They all entered the TARDIS and it left the blue world behind.
The End
By Paul C