Some where between the introduction of Turlough and the destruction of the
black Guardian the young Trion is advised to seek the aid of someone more
experienced than himself-as he obviously cannot kill the doctor alone. This
leads to more secrets, lies, love and certainly not the result the Black
Guardian wanted.
The TARDIS screeched into being with its usual siren wail, with Turlough glanced briefly around his room wondering if they had arrived anywhere close to their desired destination,
You failed me again!
The voice within his mind suddenly stole all other thoughts as the Black Guardian contacted him, the crystal he had left by his bed shining with a bright light. The young Trion had hoped that since his last failure the creature who had delivered him from Earth might leave him alone. Obviously that was too much to hope for.
You will not be given the chance to do so again. The voice seemed to echo around his skull and Turlough could already feel a head ache creeping up on him. You must find someone more able to carry out this most simple of tasks than you...
"Who?" Turlough asked only to be hit by a wave of psychic pain.
It is disrespectful to interrupt me. The voice replied. If you follow my instructions there will be no need for questions...
The Guardian continued to outline his plan, giving the red haired boy all the information he would need before asking; so now do you have any questions?
Turlough wisely remained silent until the Guardian had left him before rising unsteadily and making his way to the control room.
On entering the stark white room Turlough was surprised to find the doctor examining the controls, "Why are you still here?" he asked, trying not to sound too guilty, "I though you and Tegan would be off exploring."
The doctor had, unsurprisingly decided to visit Earth again, his favourite planet and Turlough's most hated. This time they had entered the world at least half a century after either Tegan or Turlough had left it.
"Tegan decided she'd like a change of clothes before we left." The doctor replied
"Well, I don't like to stand out like a sore thumb!" the girl replied as she entered the control room dressed in a garish outfit of blues, pinks and purple cut in a design totally alien to Turlough.
"Of course you don't." He replied quietly taking in the bright colours she wore.
"At least I'm wearing something remotely fitting this time period."
"You never cared before."
"Yes and look how much trouble not caring got us in to." Turlough couldn't argue with her there, since he'd joined the doctor in his time travelling TARDIS he had been dragged into adventure after adventure even without the aid of the Black Guardian's ever troublesome schemes to kill the time lord.
"Do you want to come with us?" The doctor asked ignoring the look of annoyance that touched Tegan's face. The Australian had never been able to trust Turlough, seeing through his many lies and deceits.
"No, I think I'll stay here for now, I might go for a walk a little later though." He added, a useful cover in case they returned before he had finished carrying out the Guardian's plan.
"If you're sure."
"He's sure." Tegan replied for him, "Now can we get going, I was hoping to find something to eat."
The doctor nodded, and glancing quickly at Turlough as if to check that they boy would be alright on his own lead the way out into Earth's future.
Fifteen minutes later Turlough followed their root into twenty-first century New York. The fifteen minute wait had not been wasted as the young Trion spent most of it searching for what passed for local currency-which turned out to be basically the futuristic version of a credit card. Now he began to follow the Guardian's directions twisting through back streets and dark alleys and moving further and further away from the bright lights of civilised civilisation.
Finally Turlough stopped at a blank grey door. His sharp eyes spotting the 'hidden' camera above as he approached. Stopping before the dull entranceway he knocked loudly on the metal. A few moments later he thought he heard a buzz of electricity, as if some appliance-a camera for instance- had been activated. The boy flicked a lose strand of hair behind his ear before knocking an imaginary speck of dust from the lapel of his blue blazer and folding his arms purposefully before him. As if as an after though he glared up at the concealed camera above him.
Shuffling footsteps sounded beyond the door. "Who is it?" A gruff voice asked, muffled by the thick door.
"I'm lost, I wondered if I could use you're phone."
There was the sound of bolts being drawn back and a thickset man filled the doorway. His face was hidden in shadow, but Turlough didn't need to see it to know that it was ugly, something about the voice screamed 'thug'. "I 'aint seen you before, who are ya?"
"Turlough, I was sent by a friend, he couldn't come himself for...reasons I'd rather not discuss." The Trion replied attempting to hide his apprehension. It was little surprise that the Guardian's instructions had gained him access to this place. When it came to information that could lead to the doctor's destruction the alien was rarely wrong.
"Oh, it's like that is it?" The man knew to ask no further questions, he was used to keeping his nose out of other's business.
"I'm looking for someone, Mediaz, do you know that name?"
"Of course, who doesn't?" the man replied with a leering grin, "You follow me an' I'll show ya."
Turlough found himself being lead down a steep, dark staircase, glowing panels lit the steps at intervals but it seemed that many no longer functioned. Finally he reached the end and another blank metal door. The room beyond must have been at least two levels under ground.
The door opened to reveal a smoke filled room with more dark corners than should be aloud. A bar lined the wall to his left and all around were round tables bolted to the flood with stools likewise secured. Turlough assumed this was to avoid them being used in any brawl. The tactic had failed. Large holes in the floor to his right showed where one of the tables had been hauled from the ground taking most of the concrete it was fixed to with it.
"There's the girl you want."
Girl? Turlough almost exclaimed, he hadn't thought that the one person to help him destroy the doctor would be female. If anything he had been expecting a brute not unlike the one who had shown him down here. But he followed the 'brute's' gaze through the smoky haze past the slouching drunks and mysterious men who slouched and sat around him to a table filled with empty glasses. He could barely tell that it was a girl who sat there, all he could see of her was a thick black cloak and hair that looked dull brown in this smoky room, held away from her face in a complex series of plaits. He did hear her musical laugh though as the man sat opposite her-if anything bigger than the 'brute' who had lead him there and covered in more piercings and tattoos than the young Trion would have thought humanly possible-toppled slowly to the floor with a thus that shook the ground.
Turlough thanked his guide who slouched off to the bar for a drink and made his way over to the girl. As he stepped up behind her she rose unsteadily before practically falling into his arms. She looked up into his pale blue- grey eyes meeting them with her own dark brown ones set in a beautiful, dark skinned face. "Sorry." She said, her drunkenness not disguising a British accent.
Turlough found his voice unwilling to come as he stared into those deep brown eyes. He watched her heading off towards the door before he realised that he still had a job to do. "Um...Miss Mediaz?"
"Huh?" The girl looked over her shoulder, slightly unsteadily.
"I, um I need your help."
"Hmmm?"
"I was told you had...certain skills that could be useful to me."
"Buy Me a drink and I'll think about it."
"I think you've had enough to drink." Turlough said as his fingers sought out the credit chip-the futures answer to the credit card-which he had placed in the inside pocket of his blazer. But the pocket was now empty. He began to search his other pockets when he realised that the girl was grinning at him.
"Maybe I'm not as far gone as you though." She replied, the drunken edge to her voice now gone, "So how about I buy the drinks?" She span the credit chip through her fingers and made her way top the bar. Turlough-not having any other choice-followed.
"Joliq." The girl told the barman handing him the 'borrowed' credit chip. Not knowing what drinks would be available in this time Turlough asked for the same. He watched as the barman grabbed two grimy glasses and wiped them with an even filthier cloth before pouring a deep golden-amber drink into each.
The girl sipped the drink and watched as her companion attempted to do the same. As the drink touched his tongue the young Trion wished he hadn't touched the stuff. His tongue felt as if it were on fire and as he swallowed the burning reached deep inside of him making him choke.
"You don't come down here very often do you?" The girl asked with a grin as she sipped more of the drink as if it were nothing more than water.
"What gave it away?" Turlough asked as the chocking subsided leaving his throat feeling worse than before.
"Need I answer that? You said you wanted my help?"
"Well not me exactly, my...superior told me to find someone called Mediaz and I was told that was you."
"It is, so what does your 'superior' want?"
"A little more than your pick-pocketing skills."
"I'd guessed as much, who does he/she want dead?"
"A man named 'the doctor'." Turlough answered suddenly feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing. The doctor had done nothing to support the Guardian's view of him; in fact he had been nothing more than friendly. Tegan on the other hand had been suspicious from day one. He wondered if he would find it easier to ask for her death...
"The doctor...strange name." The girl commented drawing the young alien from his thoughts, there was something in the girl's eyes, recognition maybe, or just the thrill of the kill to come. Turlough shivered.
"He's a strange person." He replied, "You know, I don't even know your name."
The girl blinked, "Alex." She replied, "Alexia Mediaz."
"Vislor Turlough." Turlough answered with his own name.
"Interesting..."
"I have interesting parents."
"And I have a job to do, how do you want this 'doctor' killed, when and where?"
"Kill him however you like, as soon as possible, and I'll show you where...how much is this going to cost me?"
"How much credit does this chip have?"
"I'm not sure."
"You're really not from around here, I'll take this as a deposit and I'll decide on the rest when he's dead, ok?" Turlough nodded, he felt sick and it wasn't just because of the drink, which he hadn't touched again. He didn't think he wanted to kill the doctor any more, but he was too scared not to.
They left the 'bar' and Turlough began to follow his route back to the TARDIS, Alex seemed content to remain silent so he didn't attempt to start any conversation.
A sound behind the pair made Turlough glance back the way they had come, he though he saw someone duck into the shadows and instinctively sped up towards the safety of the TARDIS. A man appeared from the shadows in front of them, a primitive laser pulse weapon in his hand. Turlough turned hoping to escape back the way he had come, two other men appeared from the shadows holding similar pulse pistols.
"Give me ya money or die." The man said in a bored voice as if he'd been doing this all day and wasn't in the mood for any trouble...
The TARDIS screeched into being with its usual siren wail, with Turlough glanced briefly around his room wondering if they had arrived anywhere close to their desired destination,
You failed me again!
The voice within his mind suddenly stole all other thoughts as the Black Guardian contacted him, the crystal he had left by his bed shining with a bright light. The young Trion had hoped that since his last failure the creature who had delivered him from Earth might leave him alone. Obviously that was too much to hope for.
You will not be given the chance to do so again. The voice seemed to echo around his skull and Turlough could already feel a head ache creeping up on him. You must find someone more able to carry out this most simple of tasks than you...
"Who?" Turlough asked only to be hit by a wave of psychic pain.
It is disrespectful to interrupt me. The voice replied. If you follow my instructions there will be no need for questions...
The Guardian continued to outline his plan, giving the red haired boy all the information he would need before asking; so now do you have any questions?
Turlough wisely remained silent until the Guardian had left him before rising unsteadily and making his way to the control room.
On entering the stark white room Turlough was surprised to find the doctor examining the controls, "Why are you still here?" he asked, trying not to sound too guilty, "I though you and Tegan would be off exploring."
The doctor had, unsurprisingly decided to visit Earth again, his favourite planet and Turlough's most hated. This time they had entered the world at least half a century after either Tegan or Turlough had left it.
"Tegan decided she'd like a change of clothes before we left." The doctor replied
"Well, I don't like to stand out like a sore thumb!" the girl replied as she entered the control room dressed in a garish outfit of blues, pinks and purple cut in a design totally alien to Turlough.
"Of course you don't." He replied quietly taking in the bright colours she wore.
"At least I'm wearing something remotely fitting this time period."
"You never cared before."
"Yes and look how much trouble not caring got us in to." Turlough couldn't argue with her there, since he'd joined the doctor in his time travelling TARDIS he had been dragged into adventure after adventure even without the aid of the Black Guardian's ever troublesome schemes to kill the time lord.
"Do you want to come with us?" The doctor asked ignoring the look of annoyance that touched Tegan's face. The Australian had never been able to trust Turlough, seeing through his many lies and deceits.
"No, I think I'll stay here for now, I might go for a walk a little later though." He added, a useful cover in case they returned before he had finished carrying out the Guardian's plan.
"If you're sure."
"He's sure." Tegan replied for him, "Now can we get going, I was hoping to find something to eat."
The doctor nodded, and glancing quickly at Turlough as if to check that they boy would be alright on his own lead the way out into Earth's future.
Fifteen minutes later Turlough followed their root into twenty-first century New York. The fifteen minute wait had not been wasted as the young Trion spent most of it searching for what passed for local currency-which turned out to be basically the futuristic version of a credit card. Now he began to follow the Guardian's directions twisting through back streets and dark alleys and moving further and further away from the bright lights of civilised civilisation.
Finally Turlough stopped at a blank grey door. His sharp eyes spotting the 'hidden' camera above as he approached. Stopping before the dull entranceway he knocked loudly on the metal. A few moments later he thought he heard a buzz of electricity, as if some appliance-a camera for instance- had been activated. The boy flicked a lose strand of hair behind his ear before knocking an imaginary speck of dust from the lapel of his blue blazer and folding his arms purposefully before him. As if as an after though he glared up at the concealed camera above him.
Shuffling footsteps sounded beyond the door. "Who is it?" A gruff voice asked, muffled by the thick door.
"I'm lost, I wondered if I could use you're phone."
There was the sound of bolts being drawn back and a thickset man filled the doorway. His face was hidden in shadow, but Turlough didn't need to see it to know that it was ugly, something about the voice screamed 'thug'. "I 'aint seen you before, who are ya?"
"Turlough, I was sent by a friend, he couldn't come himself for...reasons I'd rather not discuss." The Trion replied attempting to hide his apprehension. It was little surprise that the Guardian's instructions had gained him access to this place. When it came to information that could lead to the doctor's destruction the alien was rarely wrong.
"Oh, it's like that is it?" The man knew to ask no further questions, he was used to keeping his nose out of other's business.
"I'm looking for someone, Mediaz, do you know that name?"
"Of course, who doesn't?" the man replied with a leering grin, "You follow me an' I'll show ya."
Turlough found himself being lead down a steep, dark staircase, glowing panels lit the steps at intervals but it seemed that many no longer functioned. Finally he reached the end and another blank metal door. The room beyond must have been at least two levels under ground.
The door opened to reveal a smoke filled room with more dark corners than should be aloud. A bar lined the wall to his left and all around were round tables bolted to the flood with stools likewise secured. Turlough assumed this was to avoid them being used in any brawl. The tactic had failed. Large holes in the floor to his right showed where one of the tables had been hauled from the ground taking most of the concrete it was fixed to with it.
"There's the girl you want."
Girl? Turlough almost exclaimed, he hadn't thought that the one person to help him destroy the doctor would be female. If anything he had been expecting a brute not unlike the one who had shown him down here. But he followed the 'brute's' gaze through the smoky haze past the slouching drunks and mysterious men who slouched and sat around him to a table filled with empty glasses. He could barely tell that it was a girl who sat there, all he could see of her was a thick black cloak and hair that looked dull brown in this smoky room, held away from her face in a complex series of plaits. He did hear her musical laugh though as the man sat opposite her-if anything bigger than the 'brute' who had lead him there and covered in more piercings and tattoos than the young Trion would have thought humanly possible-toppled slowly to the floor with a thus that shook the ground.
Turlough thanked his guide who slouched off to the bar for a drink and made his way over to the girl. As he stepped up behind her she rose unsteadily before practically falling into his arms. She looked up into his pale blue- grey eyes meeting them with her own dark brown ones set in a beautiful, dark skinned face. "Sorry." She said, her drunkenness not disguising a British accent.
Turlough found his voice unwilling to come as he stared into those deep brown eyes. He watched her heading off towards the door before he realised that he still had a job to do. "Um...Miss Mediaz?"
"Huh?" The girl looked over her shoulder, slightly unsteadily.
"I, um I need your help."
"Hmmm?"
"I was told you had...certain skills that could be useful to me."
"Buy Me a drink and I'll think about it."
"I think you've had enough to drink." Turlough said as his fingers sought out the credit chip-the futures answer to the credit card-which he had placed in the inside pocket of his blazer. But the pocket was now empty. He began to search his other pockets when he realised that the girl was grinning at him.
"Maybe I'm not as far gone as you though." She replied, the drunken edge to her voice now gone, "So how about I buy the drinks?" She span the credit chip through her fingers and made her way top the bar. Turlough-not having any other choice-followed.
"Joliq." The girl told the barman handing him the 'borrowed' credit chip. Not knowing what drinks would be available in this time Turlough asked for the same. He watched as the barman grabbed two grimy glasses and wiped them with an even filthier cloth before pouring a deep golden-amber drink into each.
The girl sipped the drink and watched as her companion attempted to do the same. As the drink touched his tongue the young Trion wished he hadn't touched the stuff. His tongue felt as if it were on fire and as he swallowed the burning reached deep inside of him making him choke.
"You don't come down here very often do you?" The girl asked with a grin as she sipped more of the drink as if it were nothing more than water.
"What gave it away?" Turlough asked as the chocking subsided leaving his throat feeling worse than before.
"Need I answer that? You said you wanted my help?"
"Well not me exactly, my...superior told me to find someone called Mediaz and I was told that was you."
"It is, so what does your 'superior' want?"
"A little more than your pick-pocketing skills."
"I'd guessed as much, who does he/she want dead?"
"A man named 'the doctor'." Turlough answered suddenly feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing. The doctor had done nothing to support the Guardian's view of him; in fact he had been nothing more than friendly. Tegan on the other hand had been suspicious from day one. He wondered if he would find it easier to ask for her death...
"The doctor...strange name." The girl commented drawing the young alien from his thoughts, there was something in the girl's eyes, recognition maybe, or just the thrill of the kill to come. Turlough shivered.
"He's a strange person." He replied, "You know, I don't even know your name."
The girl blinked, "Alex." She replied, "Alexia Mediaz."
"Vislor Turlough." Turlough answered with his own name.
"Interesting..."
"I have interesting parents."
"And I have a job to do, how do you want this 'doctor' killed, when and where?"
"Kill him however you like, as soon as possible, and I'll show you where...how much is this going to cost me?"
"How much credit does this chip have?"
"I'm not sure."
"You're really not from around here, I'll take this as a deposit and I'll decide on the rest when he's dead, ok?" Turlough nodded, he felt sick and it wasn't just because of the drink, which he hadn't touched again. He didn't think he wanted to kill the doctor any more, but he was too scared not to.
They left the 'bar' and Turlough began to follow his route back to the TARDIS, Alex seemed content to remain silent so he didn't attempt to start any conversation.
A sound behind the pair made Turlough glance back the way they had come, he though he saw someone duck into the shadows and instinctively sped up towards the safety of the TARDIS. A man appeared from the shadows in front of them, a primitive laser pulse weapon in his hand. Turlough turned hoping to escape back the way he had come, two other men appeared from the shadows holding similar pulse pistols.
"Give me ya money or die." The man said in a bored voice as if he'd been doing this all day and wasn't in the mood for any trouble...