THE SCRONDAL
Utter devastation!
Remnants of buildings and what looked like rag dolls .... Life sized rag dolls, but all identically dressed. Some with a leg missing here, or an arm missing there, or a head ... . Some as if the stuffing had been ripped out, bits just scattered or lying, semi-buried under the building blocks that was once someone's home or place of occupation ... you couldn't tell.
There was a strange smell in the air, but vaguely familiar. Not exactly the stench you might have expected, but a sort of electrical/mechanical sort of smell, if there is such a thing!
How he was able to look at all this, in an apparent disaffected way, puzzled him, because he knew the abhorrence of what lay all around, should be generating some sort of feeling inside of him, other than what he was feeling, which was ..... He felt a sense of wonder, but his emotions seemed to be scattered or diffused.
How did this all happen?
Then, in that flash of a split second, that is all that is necessary for such a change, realisation hit him with such a force. It literally knocked him off his feet ...except it was more tangible ..... he was being shot at and the forcefield, his belt mounted generator was creating around him, had only just prevented his atoms from being dissipated into what was left of this atmosphere.
He turned .... and there it was .......
The Scrondral! It was all so .....
How long was it since they had arrived on this planet? It wasn't even a complete moon cycle, but it felt .....
They had landed on the outskirts of what must have once been a thriving, bustling city of long, single story, domed buildings, just on the edge of a large, lush expanse of purple. It was like a sea, the way it ebbed and flowed in the breeze. The Tardis's sensors told them there was no nutritional value in it, so it was just ... well, just pleasing to look at! There had been no sign that their materialisation had been noticed. In fact there was no sign of anyone. Which was odd, as they were so near to the city.
They had been on their way to Earth. He'd long promised himself a visit to Sarah and Svarg was looking forward to meeting one of her predecessors, having read about her in the Tardis's automatic log. Of course, there had been many travellers with the Doctor since Sarah Jane's time.
As had happened before, too many times for his liking, they had come to a halt in mid-flight, so to speak. Svarg had panicked. She, in her short sojourn with the Doctor, had never seen the rotor grind to a halt in flight before and Borusa's face appearing on the scanner, with no warning, was somewhat disconcerting. Although, of course she didn't know it was Borusa. The Tardis seemed to judder, as if it was trying to shake off something unwanted. Then the rotor recommenced it's movement. "Well? What have you done? Where are you sending us? I've told you before about controlling the Tardis. She doesn't like it ...."
"Doctor! Stop your babbling and LISTEN!"
"Don't ."
"LISTEN! ... You know we Time Lords, those of us responsible enough ."
"Responsible! .. You! ..."
"Don't interrupt! We Time Lords are constantly striving to increase the safety of the Universe and to do this, we go down several different avenues... Sorry, are you choking? .. Anyway, as I was saying, we explore all sorts of possibilities."
"What have you done wrong?"
"Will you just listen! There are .. no, were some rather ingenious creatures on a far distant planet, one you don't seem to have visited and brought your type of chaos to .."
"MY type of chaos! Why you...."
"We discovered that this race ... they have a particular talent for mecano- genetic transference and we saw their capabilities and decided we could give them some, ... err .. ways of increasing the results."
"Ye-ess!"
"Yee-esss! ... Somewhere ... our calculations seemed to have gone awry."
"Awry! .... AWRY! ... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"
"We had calculated all the permutations and created matricated models and all the data was pointing to a remarkable achievement."
"And something went wrong, as it always does with your meddling!"
"You can hardly accuse us of meddling, with your history!"
Svarg was slumped in the corner, one eye stalk gazing up at the monitor and the other, across at the Doctor, not really understanding at what was being said, but terrified at the tone in the Doctors voice. She had never heard such anger and she had certainly seen his anger before. Who was this person on the screen? Who were the Time Lords? She'd heard the Doctor mention them before, but he always dismissed her questions.
"Meddle! Why you arrogant .... Garrrgh! ... Words fail me.... So, what has YOUR meddling caused ... that you so obviously want me to rectify?"
"Doctor, we don't have the time for this. The Phijstrans have created the ultimate peace-keeper, except that they have, instead of instilling in it, a sense of obedience and caution, they have allowed it a free will of it's own. Something, that if there were any survivors, the Phijstrans would now regret, as indeed, do we!" The Doctor could barely disguise his incredulous anger, "You mean to say ... That's not a peace-keeper that's a genocide machine ... it is a machine? What did you say they had a talent for?"
"Ye-es, well it is a machine, but with organo-reproductive and chemo- neurone functions, that allow it to constantly replicate any damaged bio or metallic tissue. This also develops it's functions on a basis that perpetually self-improves itself. It's neurone control has effectively become it's brain and it has decided that it's original premise is to destroy any hostile force and has become it sole reason for existing. It's appearance and weaponry are evolving as a matter of course. It's personal survival and destruction of any hostility, however slight, are it's only thought, if in fact, it can be said to think." The colour, what there was, had drained from Borusa's face. His next words were almost whispered, "Then, before it leaves the planet, it initiates a chain reaction at the planet's core and ......"
"And THIS was the Time Lords idea of the saving the Universe. Utterly reprehensible!" he said, shaking his head, and supporting himself on the consul, his strength having been drained by the import of what Borusa was saying. "Well at least if the Universe ceases to exist, then there won't be anything for you and your fellow meddlers to worry about!!"
"We know what we have done." Borusa, physically squirming. His voice now trembling, "By Rassilon, we sorely know what we have done. But the consequences ... if we cannot stop it .... well you have already indicated ..... Besides Phijstro, it has destroyed the rest of their solar system plus 3 others nearby, which thankfully, were already dying and partially evacuated."
"Oh that's all right then!" he said, banging his fist down on the consul. The Tardis seemed to groan in reaction to this unusual violence. "By your actions, you have unleashed something on the Universe, that it could well have done without!"
"Before you ask, the Scrondal, for that is what the Phijstrans named it, has the ability to reverse its gravity and self propel itself through space. Luckily we refrained from giving it the ability to travel through time ."
"You refrained !.... I can't believe what I am hearing!"
"As I was saying, it has since travelled on to the nearest system and the outermost inhabited planet is Zarba Eladon. We have already diverted you there and you will materialise shortly. You may wonder .... why we just didn't reverse our actions by means of time, but the Phijstrans were aware of our manipulation of time and in order to prevent us from meddling with their affairs, had created a time force field, which although it allowed us to observe them, we could only communicate or physically travel there in real time."
"That must have stuck in your collective craw! If only they had made that technology available to a few other planets, they would have saved many lives."
"Nevertheless, the immense power of the Scrondal must be stopped. At all costs. It may already be too late for the Zarbans, but your unusual talents may be the only answer."
"And how exactly, am I supposed to do that? This unstoppable Scrondal! From the sound of it, if all I want to do, is shakes its hand or offer it a jelly baby, it would consider it an aggressive action and that would be that!!
"A weakness has manifested itself. It prefers to make its outward appearance in that of a humanoid bi-ped, but alters to the shape, similar to a Mirvanian Thrassle, when demonstrating its aggression. In it's humanoid form, it seems to be susceptible to damage, but self repair begins immediately. Once this occurs, it is unable to metamorphosize and it is only in its aggressive state that it can use all its incredible weaponry. It has the power to scatter your atoms. It can send pulses of burning light that scythe's through whatever it encounters, issue sound waves of such power, that buildings crumble. It can even tune its emitted sound waves to a sympathetic wave length of a particular substance and therefore can destroy the components that hold together a building, causing it to collapse. As for living tissue .... it's very unpleasant! When in this form, it is impervious to laser, heat, radiation or any other ballistic form of assault."
"Well that's very helpful!" was the best he could muster. He had fallen to his knees and was resting his forehead on the desk of the console, with his hands either side.
"The Phijstrans, before they had been destroyed, created a mini forcefield generator that has a constant variable particle wave length plus a refinement of ours, random time warp effect. Normally this is a danger to the normal fabric of time, but it is so localised, that it's incremental scatter field is negligible. We have replicated this generator and once you have materialised, they will arrive too."
As he said this, the Tardis screamed and groaned as the rotor gradually ceased its motion. They had materialised. There on the console, were two belts.
Svarg was now more frightened than she had ever been in her short life. Danger seemed to crop up wherever the Doctor went, but what she had just heard filled her with dread, made more terrifying by the Doctors obvious reaction of hopelessness. He, no matter the danger, had always shrugged it off and dealt with it in his own inimitable way. This was not now apparent, in the almost prone figure in front of her, hanging on to the Tardis's console for support.
Suddenly, he snapped his head up and looked around, spotted the two belts lying across some of the controls on the console. Then he noticed Svarg, as if for the first time, but just as instantly, realised what she had just witnessed and compassion filled his face. Smiling, he rose up and was with her, with his arms around her, almost squeezing the breath out of her.
"You shouldn't be here! Why did I bring you? You don't deserve this, but then again who does. Huh! Those meddlers! Why can't they leave the Universe alone?"
"We're going to die, aren't we?" She managed to mumble against his chest.
"No, No ..... No! ..... We-elll ......possibly ... But I've been in just as bad predicaments as this," he said, although he didn't really believe that himself. He continued "You know how we fixed those Transmutions, back on Mardle 4. You thought we'd had it then. And what about the Djamserts? If we hadn't arrived when we did, they would have ceased to exist. We ... that's you and me ... saved their race!"
"But .."
"Svarg, I know it sounds bad. We, I mean, I ... have got to try and stop this, this ... thing, whatever it is. I have got to try, or else ... it will just continue on its narrow minded interplanetary path of destruction."
He gently allowed her to lean back against the Tardis's softly vibrating wall, got up and went over to the console. He looked up at the scanner that was now blank, flipped a switch and there was the vista of what lay outside. A city on one side of them and countryside on the other, all beneath a pleasant orange sky. He scanned some dials, gently tapping one, then, obviously irritated, gave it a thump before smiling.
"That's better! Right Svarg, we won't need any breathing capsules for either of us. Let's see for ourselves what sort of planet, Zarba Eladon is." He slid the lever to open the Tardis doors. "Svarg! Come on!"
They stepped out into a strange orange iridescence. They could see no sun, but they could feel a light warmth, radiating down on them. Svarg raised her sensor tendrils.
"What is that? ... an interesting compound, but I cannot place it?"
"Yes, it is, but not unpleasant. In fact it is almost like a aromatic plant on Earth, like a Jasmine. Yes, very like a Jasmine. Must be the essence being given off by that purple field there."
As the Doctor was speaking, Svarg's sensor tendrils began to tremble. "Do- octor! There's something ... Can you feel it? .... I don't know what .."
The doctor turned, just as there was a shimmering in the air, as there besides them, a form materialised.
"Sorr we, startle ye hope non. Excuse we, just assimilating talk. Short time pass, absorb wave brain of, understand all," as there before them, stood a remarkably humanlike beauty. Feminine features, pale skin with small maroon blotches around the throat area, but no other tell tale female physical attributes, although it was difficult to tell in the plain white frock coat-looking garb. No seams, buttons or zips, as if it was worn back to front.
"Doctor, we have been expecting you. I am named Doulla and this is Emelo," indicating an almost identical Zarban, that had shimmered into being behind them. "I hope our means of travel has not start-led, is that how you say that? Yes, we hope we have not startled you. I see your companion sensed our arrival." Turning to Svarg, "You are of a different species, we have not seen your like before. You are very interesting. If matters were otherwise, we would very much have appreciated a copy of your chemo-bio plan."
They heard them speaking but they had not moved their thin purple lips. The words were in their heads. The Doctor was always surprised when confronted with the efficiency of telepaths.
"Yes, Doulla and .. was it Emelo? Yes .. Emelo, we are both very pleased to meet you both, but, as you are obviously aware, we have come, or rather been sent, to help you, if we possibly can."
"It is unnecessary to speak, as we read your brain patterns. Although yours, Doctor, are more complicated. There seems to be so much more activity. We have lost many of our kind on the other side of our planet. We are not an aggressive entity. We do not have weapons. We have never needed them. This ..thing that has come amongst us .... we are unable to communicate with it. It has brain patterns, but none that we can analyse. It has interpreted our attempts to communicate with it as aggression, which has resulted in an increase in its activity of destruction. It is a very sophisticated being, in one sense, but at the same time we cannot understand why it wishes to destroy us."
He hadn't so much as heard this, as a much as he was instantly aware of it in his head. Judging by Svarg's agitated manner, she had also received Doulla's little speech.
"Are there many fatalities?" he asked grimly.
"We have been unable to measure the numbers. We dare not approach the areas of destruction. Our thought searching seems to attract it with more speed, as it senses the origins of the probing. It has an anger. An anger that increases as it is unable to sense any physicality. Our buildings are also targeted needlessly and it has left vast areas polluted with svert ... we think you call that radiation. We have no, .. reply to this."
"Radiation? Mmmmmm! That means ....... and if ..... If we could somehow reverse the process and make it implode ....but what of the .. yes! might work ..Oh sorry! Thinking out loud, but of course you're with me already, aren't you?"
"Doctor, we have er ...heard what you are thinking, but we do not understand the technology. What we do understand is, that what you are theorising will also result in many cessations of life force and possibly your own."
"Yes, I know, but we can do what we can to minimise the numbers, if we cannot reduce them completely. You obviously already know what is required, proceed as swiftly as you can."
"Doctor, we have initiated evacuation already, but it is difficult."
"Ye-es? Good, I should have realised. Svarg, I want you to go back to the Tardis and get a piece of equipment for me. "
"What do they mean, many cessations a ..an..and ... and possibly your own?"
"Now don't fuss, Svarg, I need you to get this for me," he said, as he pulled out a pad from his pocket and quickly sketched what he needed. "It's fixed underneath the console, under the environmental dials. You should recognise it from this, once you get the panel off. With your multi-limbs, you'll be able to dismantle it for me, much, much quicker than I. "
"Doctor ...!"
"No, Svarg, just do this for me. Speed is of the essence ... Pleeeease Svarg! Off you go now."
"Now Doulla, we have to decide whereabouts, we are to stop this. I need to get close to it. I have a form of protection, but I don't know how well it works or even if it does work. I cannot approach it, as it may interpret that as an attack. Therefore I will have to wait for it to come to me."
"It is several garns away. There still many of us that are in its path. Our warnings are not being heeded by all. Fear is a new concept and difficult to instil, despite the knowledge of what is occurring. Emelo will remain here until your companion returns and will transport them to our location."
"You can do that .. amazing!"
There was a shimmering of the air about them and they were gone.
In the Tardis, Svarg was about to remove the equipment the Doctor had sketched. She knew roughly what it was, but didn't know why he wanted it. All this equipment was so alien to what she was accustomed to, but she had learnt a great deal, mainly through reading the Tardis's own databank. She had no idea if the Tardis could function without this .. this... oh .. whatever it was!
At last she had disconnected all the of the fine thread like wires. Exiting, she found Emelo waiting for her. Just as she was about to speak, her sensor tendrils began to shiver, as everything around her at first shimmered, then there was ... just whiteness. Then there, in front of them, was the Doctor and Doulla and she supposed, many more Zarbans. They were in a large hall-like area, with an oval domed structure above them.
"Ah! There you are. You've got it!" taking it from her, "Good, now with a few bits & bobs I have about my person ... we shall have something it just won't be able to resist. Do you have somewhere I can work on this? It shouldn't take too long."
As he was lead away to an alcove, Svarg looked around her, where she seemed to have attracted a small group of almost identical Zarbans. There was no sound, but she was sure they were reading her mind. She felt slightly light headed, not unpleasant but not quite right. As she thought this, they suddenly stopped staring at her and dispersed. The headiness went with them too. It was odd. She knew they were all in danger and that they should be showing more awareness of their plight. After all, it was quite likely that in a very short time, they might all be dead. A shiver went through her as this realisation sunk in.
Emelo was still by her side and reached out and touched her. She turned and knew Emelo had read her thoughts. "We cannot really understand this danger. We have never been in this situation before. It is not ... part of our way ..... we have no experience of how to react. I can feel your fear and it is very strange and alarming. We all know when our life force will cease. We know it from the time of our becoming. When that time comes, it is what happens and the normal way of things. But you do not have the same .... way ... you have a fear of the loss of your life force and this is what makes your thoughts disturbing to us."
"I cannot get used to you reading my mind. My species has a short duration, but we never know when it will actually happen and then of course there are many other possibilities that may shorten our existence, accidents and disease."
"Diz- eeze? We do not have this. We have nothing that affects our life force." "There are many causes of death on my planet and on most of the planets I have visited with the Doctor. However, war or aggression by one planet against another or sometimes beings of the same planet amongst themselves. Wherever we have gone there seems to be ... do you understand .. evil? It is a .... badness that somehow is incubated in a person and it feeds on itself and grows and spreads. From what I understand, the Doctor meets this .... evil all the time and overcomes it, but it is never really destroyed. How it is, that you have no concept of it, is truly amazing. But this thing that is here now .... why did it come here and how has it found any aggression from you, to cause it to carry out this ... this ... madness?!"
"Do you think your companion can help us?"
"I don't know. He always seems to find a solution, but he was very ...., earlier, before we arrived here ... I have only known him for a short time and I have never seen him so despondent as he was before we landed. He is very resourceful. His knowledge is amazing and although he sometimes appears to not know what he is doing, he has succeeded in beating every problem we have encountered, since I have travelled with him." She had said this more to convince herself, as she knew on this occasion .... She knew her mind was open to Emelo and quickly altered her thoughts to hide her fear.
"Do not trouble yourself, Svarg." Again, Emelo reached out and touched her, "I am not .. feared, if that is what it is, that you are feeling." It was odd that Emelo, one of these seemingly emotionless Phijstrans, had twice shown such compassion towards her. It showed a warmth that she had not expected.
"What is this place?" she said quickly before Emelo could react to her thoughts again.
"It is our gathering place. For many satisfactions and learnings. Here is where we come for our times of ... we call it Oorumou ... I cannot find it your mind, but in the Doctors mind it is something called music. We make the music in our minds, together. Although it is possible to create this when we are apart, the strength is weakened and the variations are not so .... It is better with many. It is an experience that is never forgotten. We are not all participants but the ... music ... it takes us over and we all seem to enjoin."
"I do not .. my species do not have ... music, although I have experienced the Doctor's music in the Tardis. Perhaps, if we have time, when this is all over ... if the Doctor succeeds, perhaps you will have one of these times of ... Oorumou. It would make me happy to experience it with you, Emelo."
For the first time, Svarg had seen some sign of disturbance pass over Emelo's expressionless face, but it returned to normality in moments, as Emelo continued, "This is also where we gather for learnings, to increase our knowledge. We are able to do this without gathering, but it is difficult to distribute over many of us simultaneously, when we are not in close proximity. Therefore it is more efficient, when a new discovery or improvement is created, to announce a gathering, to pass on the information to as many as possible"
"Do you mean you have no other form of communication?"
"Why would we require it? What one knows, another can know. If we wish to contact another, we direct our thoughts to that one. It is only for many, that it is not so effective. Some of us have greater power to send than others, but generally, it is not necessary. For greater distances, we just relay thoughts from one to another."
Just then, there was the muffled sound of a large explosion. It seemed as if it was a long distance away, but the ground felt as if it shifted beneath their feet. Several seconds after the sound, starting with a rustling sound, then leaves and vegetation, then more sinisterly, fragments of clothing were being blown in from the large opening at the far end of this building. This then it became a fierce wind. All sorts of objects were being hurled through and across the domed hall. They could barely stand, as they sought shelter towards the walls.
Then suddenly, just as it had started, it stopped. There was an enormous loud boom, although Emelo did not seem to hear it. It was then that Svarg had realised why. Neither Emelo, nor any of the other Zarbans had ears. But, of course why would they need them.
It had gone absolutely quiet, not a sound, until there was the tap-tap-tap of the Doctors shoes on the stone floor, as he ran over to them, clutching the box Svarg had removed from the Tardis. There were a few strange additions to it, but it basically looked the same.
"Right, it's ready! I have no means of starting the implosion remotely, so I'll have to do it myself. Now, I hate to ask this, but I need one of you to be with me, to do your molecular transportation trick. How quickly can you scramble our atoms before we can be harmed?" he said to Doulla, who had shimmered into being by his side moments earlier.
"Immediately, once the thought has initiated the transfer, we are safe as we no longer exist in that place. It is only our ..our ... image shadow that you see dissipate."
"And will that also apply to any companion, such as myself who do not have this ability?
"Certainly! We are able to spread our aura to several, if required. This is necessary with our new becomers, until they learn the ability."
"Good! Now I must explain, this device, once its process is initiated, will cause the power being exuded by this .. this .. Scrondal .... to implode upon itself. As it feels itself being attacked, so to speak, by its own power, in whatever form it has chosen, it will increase its power output and ferocity. If this works, it will not be able to sustain this power being forced back on itself. What I cannot be sure, is in what manner all this power, or what form, it will rupture, as indeed it inevitably must. I fear what I might be unleashing here, might be more terrifying than what we know so far!!"
We understand, Doctor! We have collectively decided that what you intend, must occur. We appreciate that many of us may cease, but this ... creature must be ceased also. It has already wrought it's destruction on other planets before arriving here. If we can end this now, then we are prepared to forfeit our being. We have long pondered our purpose. We have become. Our needs are few. We have no difficulties when we cease. Perhaps this has been our purpose. We are not technological, therefore no other planet has sought us out and we in turn have not sought others, in our .... limited ... I think is how you would describe it .... our limited being. You must proceed." The Doctor, despite his own decision, was taken aback at how these Zarbans knew and were prepared for their selfless sacrifice. Their emotionless faces were hard to discern, but he was sure that within them, there was a calm serenity, knowing that what they were about to do, would save innumerable planetoid systems, of which they had no way of being aware of their existence.
"Svarg, I need you to come with me, as I cannot make all the connections in time to start the process. The belts the Phijstrans created, will I hope, protect us, but I am going to set the Tardis to materialise beside us, by remote," fingering a small metal box he had withdrawn from the depths of his pocket. "and dematerialise again before the Scrondal implodes. Those belts had better be effective or we are lost." Svarg was looking distinctly worried now.
"Svarg, I would do this on my own, but I just cannot, you understand?" The Doctor said in a low gentle voice.
"Yes Doctor, but the belts are still in the Tardis."
"I'll get them now. Doulla, will you transport us to my Tardis, so I can set the necessary co-ordinates and timing, then you can take me and leave me where we agreed. Emelo, you take Svarg there and leave immediately to join Doulla at the safe area. Our timing will have to be precise."
"But Doctor, why cannot we transport you ...."
"Doulla, I am glad I was able to shield that thought from you, as I know what your reaction would be. I'm sorry, but it must be just Svarg and myself to position ourselves to await the Scrondal. You, Emelo and the others must retreat to the safe ... well, I hope it will be a safe area."
As Doulla and the Doctor shimmered before disappearing, the Doctor, tried to look re-assuringly at Svarg. Emelo came close up to Svarg and did something that had never occurred before. Svarg turned as she felt Emelo's arms around her, at just the very moment she had thought, that now was the time she could do with a gentle, protective hug. Her tendrils shivered and she made a satisfactory sigh, as they too shimmered and disappeared.
As they shimmered into being again, Svarg found herself in the middle of a plain, surrounded with gently rolling, azure coloured hills. The plain itself was various shades of gold & yellow, with the occasional clump of purple vegetation, similar to where the Tardis had landed. Whereas the sky was that iridescent orange, in one direction, it was now a gloomy dark red with clouds of blackness that seemed to billow & grow as she tried to discern how far away it was. The occasional flash pierced the black reddy gloom and seconds later, growling rumbles and booms were heard and also felt, as if the air itself was pulsing towards them.
As they stood there, their gaze fixed, Svarg felt a sense of unease from Emelo.
"I feel pain?! ... Arrrgh!" For the first time, the Zarban's face losing its expressionless look. .... "That is your word for what I am feeling, is it not? I have never felt that before, Svarg! There are many in .... pain ...Oh so much pain! As I sense one cease, I feel the pain of others replacing it .... Oh it's terrible ... Oh Svarg! .... Will it stop?" With that, Emelo slumped to its knees and held its head. The small maroon blotches that she had seen on their throats, she now noticed also on the back of Emelo's hands, except they seemed to be throbbing and were lighter in colour.
"Emelo! ... EMELO! ... What is it?" Svarg screamed, as she stood there, not knowing what to do. She tentatively coiled two of her limbs around Emelo, who was now shuddering, but seemed to calm at her touch.
Just then, the air besides them shimmered and the Doctor and Doulla appeared.
"Hello!, what's this then?" the Doctor, his kindly eyes flicking from one to the other, immediately realising Emelo's distress. "Come on now, we mustn't have this. Doulla, you and Emelo, you go off now and let Svarg and I do what we must. Make sure you get everyone away, as far as you can from here. Now we must just wait for the Scrondal to come across us. I'm sure it won't be able to resist the sight of Svarg and I, sitting here playing chess." Pulling out from inside his coat, a chess board and then two or three at a time, chess pieces from his other pockets.
Doulla had gone over and gently laid a hand on Emelo's bowed head, who looked up at the touch. Svarg, released her hold and joined the Doctor, who was now sitting cross legged on the ground, with the pieces scattered over the chess board laid out in front of him. The device from the Tardis, lying innocuously beside him, with all its bits and pieces and wires trailing around it, plus the two protective belts.
"Come on, off you go, you two!" then in a more serious, but gentle voice, "Doulla, I really think you ought to leave ... Good luck! Svarg, don't stand there, set the pieces out. Do you want black or white?"
Both Doulla and Emelo had somewhat puzzled looks on their normally expressionless faces as the they shimmered and were gone.
"Right Svarg, I thought they'd never leave. Come on, I know you and Emelo seem to have hit it off .... well as much as two very different species can ... I'm never very good at this sort of thing, but .... Emelo will be alright, Doulla will look after him ... Do you know, I don't really know if he is a him or even if they have hims! Or come to that if they have hers! Ha! What do you think, Eh?
"Doct ..." she started to say.
"No, we haven't got time for that. Now look at this," he said as he moved the device next to him onto the chess board, scattering the pieces she had just set out. "Think of this as an amplifier. It works on various levels, but it needs for all the connections to be initiated as simultaneously as possible. If we don't, the Scrondal will sense the fluctuations and may suspect we are up to something. When it finds us, we will be playing chess. Well it won't know that, but it will not see us as any danger or aggressive towards it. Most creatures seem to have an inbuilt curiosity. I'm hoping it will not be able to resist. It will come over, in it's humanoid form, to have a look. But as we move the pieces, we will also be making connections. The crucial moment will be these seven, they are all blue and green and must be connected together, more or less at the same time. That's why I need you. The last, the eighth, I will make. When you have done yours, I want you to move over there," pointing to a brown-reddish boulder, behind her. "Just wait there, the Tardis will materialise, and we will both jump in and she will dematerialise automatically as we close the door."
"Won't it realise?"
"Well, I hope not! We must avoid making the connections until it is next to us. As it moves in close you make your moves and slowly move away. When I think it right, I will make the last move and final connection. Nothing will happen straight away, but I will have summoned the Tardis. I muted it as much as I can, but by then the device will have started to generate its own sounds, that I hope it will consider as more aggressive than the Tardis."
"Doctor, what if it fires at us?"
"Ah yes! The belts! Here, take one. Switch it on now, it will be undetectable, so don't worry."
"But we don't know if they work!"
"Aw ... do you think the Time Lords would give us something that doesn't work! Mmmmmm ... Perhaps better not think about that. Yes! Yes! ... of course they work ... " he said, leaving both their doubts hanging there, in the air.
Svarg, slowly strapped the belt around her rotund body and switched it on. There was a slight ripple around her which lasted just moments. She moved to pick up one of the chess pieces, but they seemed to be repelled away from her reach.
"Oh, that's very handy!" frowned the Doctor, seeing the agitation that had washed over Svarg. "I hadn't counted on that at all!"
"Now, what do we do? We will be unprotected and what about when we switch them on, it will notice ..... Oh Doctor!"
"Now Svarg, don't worry. Just switch it on when the Tardis appears. It shouldn't want to harm you as you move away, but be careful."
"What about you?" she said with distinct panic in her voice.
"Ye-ess! It will be tricky, Hmmmmmm .... If anything ... happens .. you know what I mean ... make sure you shut the Tardis's door, or she won't dematerialise. She will take you to where Doulla and the others will be sheltering. You will be all right .... " and tailed off into some deep thought.
Svarg looked at the Doctor and shuddered as the realisiation of what he had just said, sank in.
"Doctor, I can't leave you ..."
"Yes you can, it's all you will be able to do. It's all you must do! But aren't we being a bit presumptuous here! What makes you think I won't make it? It'll be close, but ... You'll see! Anyway, black or white, have you decided?"
They started their game, an odd sight there in the middle of this plain, these two disparate beings, playing a game, despite the imminent danger and the fact that thousands were dying or dead, not far from them. Every now and again the ground shook, and seconds later there was a rush of foul smelling air and all sorts of debris, as the residual force, of whatever the Scrondal was inflicting in the distance, reached them.
"It's getting nearer. The vibrations in the air are knocking over the pieces now. Can you feel it?" the Doctor unnecessarily mouthed as they continued. "Do you know, I once met the chap who originated this game, oriental .... Now what was his name. Of course, it wasn't exactly like this, there were more pieces and the board was round .... Oh No! that was something else ... and he wasn't oriental at all, Milluvian I think .... Gosh! doesn't time fly ...time fly ..Huh! .. what a ridiculous notion!!!!!"
Just then, Svarg felt something. She sensed .... Her eye stalks flicked this way and that and stopped, focusing in the direction of the billowing smoke. It was a figure, quite a long way away, just walking towards them. It looked, at this distance just like someone on a determined walk, striding towards them.
"Yes, I see it. Just carry on. Remember, when I change hands, when I make my move, that's when I want you to start the final connections. Don't make any sudden movements, when you've completed, just slowly go over by the boulder. Nothing will start to happen, until I get up. Then, as has been said before .... all hell will break loose!"
The Scrondal continued its march towards them. It was indeed a march. Very erect, very straight and swinging its arms, just like some toy soldier back on Earth. On it came. Relentless.
The sky was loosing its orange iridescence as the smoke from the far distance had gradually drifted towards them. It was darkening and there was a foul stench that seemed to float their way, then moments later, it wasn't there. As if it was ebbing and flowing like waves. They could make out more details now. It didn't seem to be clothed yet it did not appear naked. It did not have features, its face seemed to be a blur, no eyes, no mouth, no nose or ears. It was as if it was some sort of effigy of a bipedal being, a very crude one. As it neared, they saw it had no hands, just blunt stumps at the end of its arms.
They continued to move the pieces around the board as it neared. They had actually stopped 'playing' when they had first caught sight of the Scrondal. It had slowed its pace as it approached them. So far so good. Svarg shivered every so often, but carried on. The Doctor, well, it was as if it was the most perfectly ordinary way to pass the time.
It had stopped just by the Doctor's side, almost standing on top of the device. It must have been over 7 feet tall. Its surface was all rough, as if it was an unfinished sculpture, except there were random ripples all over it. Its surface never still.
"Hello! We're just playing a game of chess!" he beamed at the Scrondal. "Do you know it? It's amazing how restful it is. My friend here, absolutely loves it, can't get enough. Eh! Svarg?" as he switched the Rook from his right to his left hand before placing it on the board.
Svarg, shivered again as she proceeded to move the connections with the pieces, as if it was a exactly what ought to be happening. The Scrondal made a strange noise, but Svarg finished her task and slowly move away. One of her eye stalks remained fixed on the Scrondal, which seemed to shift and grunt, but was distracted as the Doctor moved some of the pieces around the board.
He stood up, causing the Scrondal to shuffle and groan and move slightly back. His shape seemed to blur slightly but it settled back to it's crude biped. The doctor slowly bent down, keeping one eye on the Scrondal and the other, with great difficulty to where Svarg was just nearing. He moved a piece, making the final connection, at the same time fumbling in his pocket for the Tardis's recall remote.
The Scrondal was standing immediately next to the device on the ground, which now started to vibrate. At the same time the air was rippling by Svarg and there was a tearing sound as the Tardis materialised. The Scrondal was now alerted to the vibrations from the device, then to the sound of the Tardis. Its shape began to blur again as the device made a high pitched whistling sound. The ground beneath their feet was also vibrating. The Doctor was already half way to the Tardis, the air around him rippled as he turned on his belt. There was a flash that passed in front of him, as something seemed to hit Svarg, causing her to crumple and scream. She'd forgotten to switch on her belt!
"Svarrrrrrggggggg!"
Behind him, there was an explosion, but he was more intent on reaching Svarg and getting her into the Tardis. But Svarg was now in a heap on the ground. Lifeless! Her limbs, sensor tendrils and eyestalks limp. Just as he stopped in front of her, the air shimmered beside him. It was Emelo.
"Go Doctor! You cannot achieve anything more here. Go!"
"But ..."
"No! I was monitoring her thoughts when she realised that she had forgotten her protection device. She must have felt the presence of my mind, she told me to make sure you escaped. She knew she had reached her demise ..... I will stay. Go!"
All this had passed through his mind in an instant. He looked down at what had been one of his most wonderful companions. Then looked up at Emelo, expressionless except for the throat markings that were throbbing at an incredible rate. He knew. Nothing more passed between them. He entered the Tardis, taking one last glimpse at Svarg and closed the door.
The Tardis groaned and screamed as it dematerialised. More flashes and explosions, larger and longer each time. All around, the ground had been ripped asunder and whatever had been there previously, was now vapourised, along with the boulder and Svarg and Emelo. Where the Scrondal had stood, was now now a cavernous black pit, in the heart of which were more explosions, each in turn more powerful. The force was spreading. Everything in its path becoming nothing. Out and out it reached. Nothing seemed to hinder it.
Then, suddenly there was an enormous kerrrrraccckkkkkkkk! For a moment everything ceased. Stillness and utter silence. First slowly, then gaining in speed, all the debris, of what was left, began to rush back towards the centre of the explosion. It was as a vacuum, the void sucking back everything to the chasm that it now was. It even seemed to suck in the sky, as the clouds of smoke, formed by the explosions, poured into the opening. Debris, vegetation and bodies, must have been sucked from far, far distances, that had not been vapourised.
Some time later, as the process slowed, clouds of dust billowed all around, then rose upwards, before raining down. Eventually, wisps of orange sky began to appear through all the gloom. There, where the end had come, was now a huge mound. No trace of Svarg, Emelo or the Scrondal.
Inside the Tardis, the Doctor stood, supporting himself on the consul, staring up at the scanner, where moments earlier he had watched what had been Svarg and Emelo. The dials were now registering high radiation levels, but he had not noticed. The scanner now showed .... nothing. All was bare. The landscape irrevocably altered. Debris here and there, rubble, clouds of dust ..... Nothing.
The co-ordinates had been set to return to where they had first materialised, next to the purple field, now gone. He had been staring at the scanner unblinking. A shudder ran through him and he let out a scream that made all the consul vibrate.
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
His eyes snapped open. He sat up, bolt upright! Sweat pouring down his face. He was in a bed, warm, snug and comforting, in a room, magnolia walls, roses on the curtains. All cosy and safe. Sunshine was streaming through the window. He held his hand, up as it was making his eyes squint. He heard a voice. A soft and gentle voice, that said tentatively, "Doctor?"
He turned his head, to a figure seated on the edge of the bed.
"Doctor. You've had that dream again?"
"Sarah? Sarah, is that you? Is that really you?"
"Yes, of course it is, who did you think it would be?" she said smiling, with a look of kindly admonition.
"Oooooh! ..... Sarah! ..... Hello! .... How long have I been here?"
"Five days now. Well nearly six, as you arrived in the middle of the night, banging on the window! Gave me quite a scare. But as soon as I saw the dear old thing sitting there on the grass. It's been quite a novelty having a Police Box sat in the middle of my garden. My neighbours have been asking all sorts of questions. But I'm rambling on. How are you?"
"Well, I'm not quite sure. It's very strange how I got here. I .. really ....don't remember ...." Then suddenly, "Oh! .... I ... remember ...." as he broke off and rubbed both his hands over his face where the blood now seemed to be returning.
"You've had that nightmare every night .... and most days too. You have been asleep most of the time. I've brought you food several times, but you never touched any of it. I didn't worry about that too much because, well I know you of old. But you frightened me with your nightmares and your screams. I didn't know what to do."
Just then, the door was pushed open, followed by a familiar whirring sound. He turned towards it.
"Maa-ster!"
"K-9! ... Sarah!" he let out a sob. "My dear old friends!"
Utter devastation!
Remnants of buildings and what looked like rag dolls .... Life sized rag dolls, but all identically dressed. Some with a leg missing here, or an arm missing there, or a head ... . Some as if the stuffing had been ripped out, bits just scattered or lying, semi-buried under the building blocks that was once someone's home or place of occupation ... you couldn't tell.
There was a strange smell in the air, but vaguely familiar. Not exactly the stench you might have expected, but a sort of electrical/mechanical sort of smell, if there is such a thing!
How he was able to look at all this, in an apparent disaffected way, puzzled him, because he knew the abhorrence of what lay all around, should be generating some sort of feeling inside of him, other than what he was feeling, which was ..... He felt a sense of wonder, but his emotions seemed to be scattered or diffused.
How did this all happen?
Then, in that flash of a split second, that is all that is necessary for such a change, realisation hit him with such a force. It literally knocked him off his feet ...except it was more tangible ..... he was being shot at and the forcefield, his belt mounted generator was creating around him, had only just prevented his atoms from being dissipated into what was left of this atmosphere.
He turned .... and there it was .......
The Scrondral! It was all so .....
How long was it since they had arrived on this planet? It wasn't even a complete moon cycle, but it felt .....
They had landed on the outskirts of what must have once been a thriving, bustling city of long, single story, domed buildings, just on the edge of a large, lush expanse of purple. It was like a sea, the way it ebbed and flowed in the breeze. The Tardis's sensors told them there was no nutritional value in it, so it was just ... well, just pleasing to look at! There had been no sign that their materialisation had been noticed. In fact there was no sign of anyone. Which was odd, as they were so near to the city.
They had been on their way to Earth. He'd long promised himself a visit to Sarah and Svarg was looking forward to meeting one of her predecessors, having read about her in the Tardis's automatic log. Of course, there had been many travellers with the Doctor since Sarah Jane's time.
As had happened before, too many times for his liking, they had come to a halt in mid-flight, so to speak. Svarg had panicked. She, in her short sojourn with the Doctor, had never seen the rotor grind to a halt in flight before and Borusa's face appearing on the scanner, with no warning, was somewhat disconcerting. Although, of course she didn't know it was Borusa. The Tardis seemed to judder, as if it was trying to shake off something unwanted. Then the rotor recommenced it's movement. "Well? What have you done? Where are you sending us? I've told you before about controlling the Tardis. She doesn't like it ...."
"Doctor! Stop your babbling and LISTEN!"
"Don't ."
"LISTEN! ... You know we Time Lords, those of us responsible enough ."
"Responsible! .. You! ..."
"Don't interrupt! We Time Lords are constantly striving to increase the safety of the Universe and to do this, we go down several different avenues... Sorry, are you choking? .. Anyway, as I was saying, we explore all sorts of possibilities."
"What have you done wrong?"
"Will you just listen! There are .. no, were some rather ingenious creatures on a far distant planet, one you don't seem to have visited and brought your type of chaos to .."
"MY type of chaos! Why you...."
"We discovered that this race ... they have a particular talent for mecano- genetic transference and we saw their capabilities and decided we could give them some, ... err .. ways of increasing the results."
"Ye-ess!"
"Yee-esss! ... Somewhere ... our calculations seemed to have gone awry."
"Awry! .... AWRY! ... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"
"We had calculated all the permutations and created matricated models and all the data was pointing to a remarkable achievement."
"And something went wrong, as it always does with your meddling!"
"You can hardly accuse us of meddling, with your history!"
Svarg was slumped in the corner, one eye stalk gazing up at the monitor and the other, across at the Doctor, not really understanding at what was being said, but terrified at the tone in the Doctors voice. She had never heard such anger and she had certainly seen his anger before. Who was this person on the screen? Who were the Time Lords? She'd heard the Doctor mention them before, but he always dismissed her questions.
"Meddle! Why you arrogant .... Garrrgh! ... Words fail me.... So, what has YOUR meddling caused ... that you so obviously want me to rectify?"
"Doctor, we don't have the time for this. The Phijstrans have created the ultimate peace-keeper, except that they have, instead of instilling in it, a sense of obedience and caution, they have allowed it a free will of it's own. Something, that if there were any survivors, the Phijstrans would now regret, as indeed, do we!" The Doctor could barely disguise his incredulous anger, "You mean to say ... That's not a peace-keeper that's a genocide machine ... it is a machine? What did you say they had a talent for?"
"Ye-es, well it is a machine, but with organo-reproductive and chemo- neurone functions, that allow it to constantly replicate any damaged bio or metallic tissue. This also develops it's functions on a basis that perpetually self-improves itself. It's neurone control has effectively become it's brain and it has decided that it's original premise is to destroy any hostile force and has become it sole reason for existing. It's appearance and weaponry are evolving as a matter of course. It's personal survival and destruction of any hostility, however slight, are it's only thought, if in fact, it can be said to think." The colour, what there was, had drained from Borusa's face. His next words were almost whispered, "Then, before it leaves the planet, it initiates a chain reaction at the planet's core and ......"
"And THIS was the Time Lords idea of the saving the Universe. Utterly reprehensible!" he said, shaking his head, and supporting himself on the consul, his strength having been drained by the import of what Borusa was saying. "Well at least if the Universe ceases to exist, then there won't be anything for you and your fellow meddlers to worry about!!"
"We know what we have done." Borusa, physically squirming. His voice now trembling, "By Rassilon, we sorely know what we have done. But the consequences ... if we cannot stop it .... well you have already indicated ..... Besides Phijstro, it has destroyed the rest of their solar system plus 3 others nearby, which thankfully, were already dying and partially evacuated."
"Oh that's all right then!" he said, banging his fist down on the consul. The Tardis seemed to groan in reaction to this unusual violence. "By your actions, you have unleashed something on the Universe, that it could well have done without!"
"Before you ask, the Scrondal, for that is what the Phijstrans named it, has the ability to reverse its gravity and self propel itself through space. Luckily we refrained from giving it the ability to travel through time ."
"You refrained !.... I can't believe what I am hearing!"
"As I was saying, it has since travelled on to the nearest system and the outermost inhabited planet is Zarba Eladon. We have already diverted you there and you will materialise shortly. You may wonder .... why we just didn't reverse our actions by means of time, but the Phijstrans were aware of our manipulation of time and in order to prevent us from meddling with their affairs, had created a time force field, which although it allowed us to observe them, we could only communicate or physically travel there in real time."
"That must have stuck in your collective craw! If only they had made that technology available to a few other planets, they would have saved many lives."
"Nevertheless, the immense power of the Scrondal must be stopped. At all costs. It may already be too late for the Zarbans, but your unusual talents may be the only answer."
"And how exactly, am I supposed to do that? This unstoppable Scrondal! From the sound of it, if all I want to do, is shakes its hand or offer it a jelly baby, it would consider it an aggressive action and that would be that!!
"A weakness has manifested itself. It prefers to make its outward appearance in that of a humanoid bi-ped, but alters to the shape, similar to a Mirvanian Thrassle, when demonstrating its aggression. In it's humanoid form, it seems to be susceptible to damage, but self repair begins immediately. Once this occurs, it is unable to metamorphosize and it is only in its aggressive state that it can use all its incredible weaponry. It has the power to scatter your atoms. It can send pulses of burning light that scythe's through whatever it encounters, issue sound waves of such power, that buildings crumble. It can even tune its emitted sound waves to a sympathetic wave length of a particular substance and therefore can destroy the components that hold together a building, causing it to collapse. As for living tissue .... it's very unpleasant! When in this form, it is impervious to laser, heat, radiation or any other ballistic form of assault."
"Well that's very helpful!" was the best he could muster. He had fallen to his knees and was resting his forehead on the desk of the console, with his hands either side.
"The Phijstrans, before they had been destroyed, created a mini forcefield generator that has a constant variable particle wave length plus a refinement of ours, random time warp effect. Normally this is a danger to the normal fabric of time, but it is so localised, that it's incremental scatter field is negligible. We have replicated this generator and once you have materialised, they will arrive too."
As he said this, the Tardis screamed and groaned as the rotor gradually ceased its motion. They had materialised. There on the console, were two belts.
Svarg was now more frightened than she had ever been in her short life. Danger seemed to crop up wherever the Doctor went, but what she had just heard filled her with dread, made more terrifying by the Doctors obvious reaction of hopelessness. He, no matter the danger, had always shrugged it off and dealt with it in his own inimitable way. This was not now apparent, in the almost prone figure in front of her, hanging on to the Tardis's console for support.
Suddenly, he snapped his head up and looked around, spotted the two belts lying across some of the controls on the console. Then he noticed Svarg, as if for the first time, but just as instantly, realised what she had just witnessed and compassion filled his face. Smiling, he rose up and was with her, with his arms around her, almost squeezing the breath out of her.
"You shouldn't be here! Why did I bring you? You don't deserve this, but then again who does. Huh! Those meddlers! Why can't they leave the Universe alone?"
"We're going to die, aren't we?" She managed to mumble against his chest.
"No, No ..... No! ..... We-elll ......possibly ... But I've been in just as bad predicaments as this," he said, although he didn't really believe that himself. He continued "You know how we fixed those Transmutions, back on Mardle 4. You thought we'd had it then. And what about the Djamserts? If we hadn't arrived when we did, they would have ceased to exist. We ... that's you and me ... saved their race!"
"But .."
"Svarg, I know it sounds bad. We, I mean, I ... have got to try and stop this, this ... thing, whatever it is. I have got to try, or else ... it will just continue on its narrow minded interplanetary path of destruction."
He gently allowed her to lean back against the Tardis's softly vibrating wall, got up and went over to the console. He looked up at the scanner that was now blank, flipped a switch and there was the vista of what lay outside. A city on one side of them and countryside on the other, all beneath a pleasant orange sky. He scanned some dials, gently tapping one, then, obviously irritated, gave it a thump before smiling.
"That's better! Right Svarg, we won't need any breathing capsules for either of us. Let's see for ourselves what sort of planet, Zarba Eladon is." He slid the lever to open the Tardis doors. "Svarg! Come on!"
They stepped out into a strange orange iridescence. They could see no sun, but they could feel a light warmth, radiating down on them. Svarg raised her sensor tendrils.
"What is that? ... an interesting compound, but I cannot place it?"
"Yes, it is, but not unpleasant. In fact it is almost like a aromatic plant on Earth, like a Jasmine. Yes, very like a Jasmine. Must be the essence being given off by that purple field there."
As the Doctor was speaking, Svarg's sensor tendrils began to tremble. "Do- octor! There's something ... Can you feel it? .... I don't know what .."
The doctor turned, just as there was a shimmering in the air, as there besides them, a form materialised.
"Sorr we, startle ye hope non. Excuse we, just assimilating talk. Short time pass, absorb wave brain of, understand all," as there before them, stood a remarkably humanlike beauty. Feminine features, pale skin with small maroon blotches around the throat area, but no other tell tale female physical attributes, although it was difficult to tell in the plain white frock coat-looking garb. No seams, buttons or zips, as if it was worn back to front.
"Doctor, we have been expecting you. I am named Doulla and this is Emelo," indicating an almost identical Zarban, that had shimmered into being behind them. "I hope our means of travel has not start-led, is that how you say that? Yes, we hope we have not startled you. I see your companion sensed our arrival." Turning to Svarg, "You are of a different species, we have not seen your like before. You are very interesting. If matters were otherwise, we would very much have appreciated a copy of your chemo-bio plan."
They heard them speaking but they had not moved their thin purple lips. The words were in their heads. The Doctor was always surprised when confronted with the efficiency of telepaths.
"Yes, Doulla and .. was it Emelo? Yes .. Emelo, we are both very pleased to meet you both, but, as you are obviously aware, we have come, or rather been sent, to help you, if we possibly can."
"It is unnecessary to speak, as we read your brain patterns. Although yours, Doctor, are more complicated. There seems to be so much more activity. We have lost many of our kind on the other side of our planet. We are not an aggressive entity. We do not have weapons. We have never needed them. This ..thing that has come amongst us .... we are unable to communicate with it. It has brain patterns, but none that we can analyse. It has interpreted our attempts to communicate with it as aggression, which has resulted in an increase in its activity of destruction. It is a very sophisticated being, in one sense, but at the same time we cannot understand why it wishes to destroy us."
He hadn't so much as heard this, as a much as he was instantly aware of it in his head. Judging by Svarg's agitated manner, she had also received Doulla's little speech.
"Are there many fatalities?" he asked grimly.
"We have been unable to measure the numbers. We dare not approach the areas of destruction. Our thought searching seems to attract it with more speed, as it senses the origins of the probing. It has an anger. An anger that increases as it is unable to sense any physicality. Our buildings are also targeted needlessly and it has left vast areas polluted with svert ... we think you call that radiation. We have no, .. reply to this."
"Radiation? Mmmmmm! That means ....... and if ..... If we could somehow reverse the process and make it implode ....but what of the .. yes! might work ..Oh sorry! Thinking out loud, but of course you're with me already, aren't you?"
"Doctor, we have er ...heard what you are thinking, but we do not understand the technology. What we do understand is, that what you are theorising will also result in many cessations of life force and possibly your own."
"Yes, I know, but we can do what we can to minimise the numbers, if we cannot reduce them completely. You obviously already know what is required, proceed as swiftly as you can."
"Doctor, we have initiated evacuation already, but it is difficult."
"Ye-es? Good, I should have realised. Svarg, I want you to go back to the Tardis and get a piece of equipment for me. "
"What do they mean, many cessations a ..an..and ... and possibly your own?"
"Now don't fuss, Svarg, I need you to get this for me," he said, as he pulled out a pad from his pocket and quickly sketched what he needed. "It's fixed underneath the console, under the environmental dials. You should recognise it from this, once you get the panel off. With your multi-limbs, you'll be able to dismantle it for me, much, much quicker than I. "
"Doctor ...!"
"No, Svarg, just do this for me. Speed is of the essence ... Pleeeease Svarg! Off you go now."
"Now Doulla, we have to decide whereabouts, we are to stop this. I need to get close to it. I have a form of protection, but I don't know how well it works or even if it does work. I cannot approach it, as it may interpret that as an attack. Therefore I will have to wait for it to come to me."
"It is several garns away. There still many of us that are in its path. Our warnings are not being heeded by all. Fear is a new concept and difficult to instil, despite the knowledge of what is occurring. Emelo will remain here until your companion returns and will transport them to our location."
"You can do that .. amazing!"
There was a shimmering of the air about them and they were gone.
In the Tardis, Svarg was about to remove the equipment the Doctor had sketched. She knew roughly what it was, but didn't know why he wanted it. All this equipment was so alien to what she was accustomed to, but she had learnt a great deal, mainly through reading the Tardis's own databank. She had no idea if the Tardis could function without this .. this... oh .. whatever it was!
At last she had disconnected all the of the fine thread like wires. Exiting, she found Emelo waiting for her. Just as she was about to speak, her sensor tendrils began to shiver, as everything around her at first shimmered, then there was ... just whiteness. Then there, in front of them, was the Doctor and Doulla and she supposed, many more Zarbans. They were in a large hall-like area, with an oval domed structure above them.
"Ah! There you are. You've got it!" taking it from her, "Good, now with a few bits & bobs I have about my person ... we shall have something it just won't be able to resist. Do you have somewhere I can work on this? It shouldn't take too long."
As he was lead away to an alcove, Svarg looked around her, where she seemed to have attracted a small group of almost identical Zarbans. There was no sound, but she was sure they were reading her mind. She felt slightly light headed, not unpleasant but not quite right. As she thought this, they suddenly stopped staring at her and dispersed. The headiness went with them too. It was odd. She knew they were all in danger and that they should be showing more awareness of their plight. After all, it was quite likely that in a very short time, they might all be dead. A shiver went through her as this realisation sunk in.
Emelo was still by her side and reached out and touched her. She turned and knew Emelo had read her thoughts. "We cannot really understand this danger. We have never been in this situation before. It is not ... part of our way ..... we have no experience of how to react. I can feel your fear and it is very strange and alarming. We all know when our life force will cease. We know it from the time of our becoming. When that time comes, it is what happens and the normal way of things. But you do not have the same .... way ... you have a fear of the loss of your life force and this is what makes your thoughts disturbing to us."
"I cannot get used to you reading my mind. My species has a short duration, but we never know when it will actually happen and then of course there are many other possibilities that may shorten our existence, accidents and disease."
"Diz- eeze? We do not have this. We have nothing that affects our life force." "There are many causes of death on my planet and on most of the planets I have visited with the Doctor. However, war or aggression by one planet against another or sometimes beings of the same planet amongst themselves. Wherever we have gone there seems to be ... do you understand .. evil? It is a .... badness that somehow is incubated in a person and it feeds on itself and grows and spreads. From what I understand, the Doctor meets this .... evil all the time and overcomes it, but it is never really destroyed. How it is, that you have no concept of it, is truly amazing. But this thing that is here now .... why did it come here and how has it found any aggression from you, to cause it to carry out this ... this ... madness?!"
"Do you think your companion can help us?"
"I don't know. He always seems to find a solution, but he was very ...., earlier, before we arrived here ... I have only known him for a short time and I have never seen him so despondent as he was before we landed. He is very resourceful. His knowledge is amazing and although he sometimes appears to not know what he is doing, he has succeeded in beating every problem we have encountered, since I have travelled with him." She had said this more to convince herself, as she knew on this occasion .... She knew her mind was open to Emelo and quickly altered her thoughts to hide her fear.
"Do not trouble yourself, Svarg." Again, Emelo reached out and touched her, "I am not .. feared, if that is what it is, that you are feeling." It was odd that Emelo, one of these seemingly emotionless Phijstrans, had twice shown such compassion towards her. It showed a warmth that she had not expected.
"What is this place?" she said quickly before Emelo could react to her thoughts again.
"It is our gathering place. For many satisfactions and learnings. Here is where we come for our times of ... we call it Oorumou ... I cannot find it your mind, but in the Doctors mind it is something called music. We make the music in our minds, together. Although it is possible to create this when we are apart, the strength is weakened and the variations are not so .... It is better with many. It is an experience that is never forgotten. We are not all participants but the ... music ... it takes us over and we all seem to enjoin."
"I do not .. my species do not have ... music, although I have experienced the Doctor's music in the Tardis. Perhaps, if we have time, when this is all over ... if the Doctor succeeds, perhaps you will have one of these times of ... Oorumou. It would make me happy to experience it with you, Emelo."
For the first time, Svarg had seen some sign of disturbance pass over Emelo's expressionless face, but it returned to normality in moments, as Emelo continued, "This is also where we gather for learnings, to increase our knowledge. We are able to do this without gathering, but it is difficult to distribute over many of us simultaneously, when we are not in close proximity. Therefore it is more efficient, when a new discovery or improvement is created, to announce a gathering, to pass on the information to as many as possible"
"Do you mean you have no other form of communication?"
"Why would we require it? What one knows, another can know. If we wish to contact another, we direct our thoughts to that one. It is only for many, that it is not so effective. Some of us have greater power to send than others, but generally, it is not necessary. For greater distances, we just relay thoughts from one to another."
Just then, there was the muffled sound of a large explosion. It seemed as if it was a long distance away, but the ground felt as if it shifted beneath their feet. Several seconds after the sound, starting with a rustling sound, then leaves and vegetation, then more sinisterly, fragments of clothing were being blown in from the large opening at the far end of this building. This then it became a fierce wind. All sorts of objects were being hurled through and across the domed hall. They could barely stand, as they sought shelter towards the walls.
Then suddenly, just as it had started, it stopped. There was an enormous loud boom, although Emelo did not seem to hear it. It was then that Svarg had realised why. Neither Emelo, nor any of the other Zarbans had ears. But, of course why would they need them.
It had gone absolutely quiet, not a sound, until there was the tap-tap-tap of the Doctors shoes on the stone floor, as he ran over to them, clutching the box Svarg had removed from the Tardis. There were a few strange additions to it, but it basically looked the same.
"Right, it's ready! I have no means of starting the implosion remotely, so I'll have to do it myself. Now, I hate to ask this, but I need one of you to be with me, to do your molecular transportation trick. How quickly can you scramble our atoms before we can be harmed?" he said to Doulla, who had shimmered into being by his side moments earlier.
"Immediately, once the thought has initiated the transfer, we are safe as we no longer exist in that place. It is only our ..our ... image shadow that you see dissipate."
"And will that also apply to any companion, such as myself who do not have this ability?
"Certainly! We are able to spread our aura to several, if required. This is necessary with our new becomers, until they learn the ability."
"Good! Now I must explain, this device, once its process is initiated, will cause the power being exuded by this .. this .. Scrondal .... to implode upon itself. As it feels itself being attacked, so to speak, by its own power, in whatever form it has chosen, it will increase its power output and ferocity. If this works, it will not be able to sustain this power being forced back on itself. What I cannot be sure, is in what manner all this power, or what form, it will rupture, as indeed it inevitably must. I fear what I might be unleashing here, might be more terrifying than what we know so far!!"
We understand, Doctor! We have collectively decided that what you intend, must occur. We appreciate that many of us may cease, but this ... creature must be ceased also. It has already wrought it's destruction on other planets before arriving here. If we can end this now, then we are prepared to forfeit our being. We have long pondered our purpose. We have become. Our needs are few. We have no difficulties when we cease. Perhaps this has been our purpose. We are not technological, therefore no other planet has sought us out and we in turn have not sought others, in our .... limited ... I think is how you would describe it .... our limited being. You must proceed." The Doctor, despite his own decision, was taken aback at how these Zarbans knew and were prepared for their selfless sacrifice. Their emotionless faces were hard to discern, but he was sure that within them, there was a calm serenity, knowing that what they were about to do, would save innumerable planetoid systems, of which they had no way of being aware of their existence.
"Svarg, I need you to come with me, as I cannot make all the connections in time to start the process. The belts the Phijstrans created, will I hope, protect us, but I am going to set the Tardis to materialise beside us, by remote," fingering a small metal box he had withdrawn from the depths of his pocket. "and dematerialise again before the Scrondal implodes. Those belts had better be effective or we are lost." Svarg was looking distinctly worried now.
"Svarg, I would do this on my own, but I just cannot, you understand?" The Doctor said in a low gentle voice.
"Yes Doctor, but the belts are still in the Tardis."
"I'll get them now. Doulla, will you transport us to my Tardis, so I can set the necessary co-ordinates and timing, then you can take me and leave me where we agreed. Emelo, you take Svarg there and leave immediately to join Doulla at the safe area. Our timing will have to be precise."
"But Doctor, why cannot we transport you ...."
"Doulla, I am glad I was able to shield that thought from you, as I know what your reaction would be. I'm sorry, but it must be just Svarg and myself to position ourselves to await the Scrondal. You, Emelo and the others must retreat to the safe ... well, I hope it will be a safe area."
As Doulla and the Doctor shimmered before disappearing, the Doctor, tried to look re-assuringly at Svarg. Emelo came close up to Svarg and did something that had never occurred before. Svarg turned as she felt Emelo's arms around her, at just the very moment she had thought, that now was the time she could do with a gentle, protective hug. Her tendrils shivered and she made a satisfactory sigh, as they too shimmered and disappeared.
As they shimmered into being again, Svarg found herself in the middle of a plain, surrounded with gently rolling, azure coloured hills. The plain itself was various shades of gold & yellow, with the occasional clump of purple vegetation, similar to where the Tardis had landed. Whereas the sky was that iridescent orange, in one direction, it was now a gloomy dark red with clouds of blackness that seemed to billow & grow as she tried to discern how far away it was. The occasional flash pierced the black reddy gloom and seconds later, growling rumbles and booms were heard and also felt, as if the air itself was pulsing towards them.
As they stood there, their gaze fixed, Svarg felt a sense of unease from Emelo.
"I feel pain?! ... Arrrgh!" For the first time, the Zarban's face losing its expressionless look. .... "That is your word for what I am feeling, is it not? I have never felt that before, Svarg! There are many in .... pain ...Oh so much pain! As I sense one cease, I feel the pain of others replacing it .... Oh it's terrible ... Oh Svarg! .... Will it stop?" With that, Emelo slumped to its knees and held its head. The small maroon blotches that she had seen on their throats, she now noticed also on the back of Emelo's hands, except they seemed to be throbbing and were lighter in colour.
"Emelo! ... EMELO! ... What is it?" Svarg screamed, as she stood there, not knowing what to do. She tentatively coiled two of her limbs around Emelo, who was now shuddering, but seemed to calm at her touch.
Just then, the air besides them shimmered and the Doctor and Doulla appeared.
"Hello!, what's this then?" the Doctor, his kindly eyes flicking from one to the other, immediately realising Emelo's distress. "Come on now, we mustn't have this. Doulla, you and Emelo, you go off now and let Svarg and I do what we must. Make sure you get everyone away, as far as you can from here. Now we must just wait for the Scrondal to come across us. I'm sure it won't be able to resist the sight of Svarg and I, sitting here playing chess." Pulling out from inside his coat, a chess board and then two or three at a time, chess pieces from his other pockets.
Doulla had gone over and gently laid a hand on Emelo's bowed head, who looked up at the touch. Svarg, released her hold and joined the Doctor, who was now sitting cross legged on the ground, with the pieces scattered over the chess board laid out in front of him. The device from the Tardis, lying innocuously beside him, with all its bits and pieces and wires trailing around it, plus the two protective belts.
"Come on, off you go, you two!" then in a more serious, but gentle voice, "Doulla, I really think you ought to leave ... Good luck! Svarg, don't stand there, set the pieces out. Do you want black or white?"
Both Doulla and Emelo had somewhat puzzled looks on their normally expressionless faces as the they shimmered and were gone.
"Right Svarg, I thought they'd never leave. Come on, I know you and Emelo seem to have hit it off .... well as much as two very different species can ... I'm never very good at this sort of thing, but .... Emelo will be alright, Doulla will look after him ... Do you know, I don't really know if he is a him or even if they have hims! Or come to that if they have hers! Ha! What do you think, Eh?
"Doct ..." she started to say.
"No, we haven't got time for that. Now look at this," he said as he moved the device next to him onto the chess board, scattering the pieces she had just set out. "Think of this as an amplifier. It works on various levels, but it needs for all the connections to be initiated as simultaneously as possible. If we don't, the Scrondal will sense the fluctuations and may suspect we are up to something. When it finds us, we will be playing chess. Well it won't know that, but it will not see us as any danger or aggressive towards it. Most creatures seem to have an inbuilt curiosity. I'm hoping it will not be able to resist. It will come over, in it's humanoid form, to have a look. But as we move the pieces, we will also be making connections. The crucial moment will be these seven, they are all blue and green and must be connected together, more or less at the same time. That's why I need you. The last, the eighth, I will make. When you have done yours, I want you to move over there," pointing to a brown-reddish boulder, behind her. "Just wait there, the Tardis will materialise, and we will both jump in and she will dematerialise automatically as we close the door."
"Won't it realise?"
"Well, I hope not! We must avoid making the connections until it is next to us. As it moves in close you make your moves and slowly move away. When I think it right, I will make the last move and final connection. Nothing will happen straight away, but I will have summoned the Tardis. I muted it as much as I can, but by then the device will have started to generate its own sounds, that I hope it will consider as more aggressive than the Tardis."
"Doctor, what if it fires at us?"
"Ah yes! The belts! Here, take one. Switch it on now, it will be undetectable, so don't worry."
"But we don't know if they work!"
"Aw ... do you think the Time Lords would give us something that doesn't work! Mmmmmm ... Perhaps better not think about that. Yes! Yes! ... of course they work ... " he said, leaving both their doubts hanging there, in the air.
Svarg, slowly strapped the belt around her rotund body and switched it on. There was a slight ripple around her which lasted just moments. She moved to pick up one of the chess pieces, but they seemed to be repelled away from her reach.
"Oh, that's very handy!" frowned the Doctor, seeing the agitation that had washed over Svarg. "I hadn't counted on that at all!"
"Now, what do we do? We will be unprotected and what about when we switch them on, it will notice ..... Oh Doctor!"
"Now Svarg, don't worry. Just switch it on when the Tardis appears. It shouldn't want to harm you as you move away, but be careful."
"What about you?" she said with distinct panic in her voice.
"Ye-ess! It will be tricky, Hmmmmmm .... If anything ... happens .. you know what I mean ... make sure you shut the Tardis's door, or she won't dematerialise. She will take you to where Doulla and the others will be sheltering. You will be all right .... " and tailed off into some deep thought.
Svarg looked at the Doctor and shuddered as the realisiation of what he had just said, sank in.
"Doctor, I can't leave you ..."
"Yes you can, it's all you will be able to do. It's all you must do! But aren't we being a bit presumptuous here! What makes you think I won't make it? It'll be close, but ... You'll see! Anyway, black or white, have you decided?"
They started their game, an odd sight there in the middle of this plain, these two disparate beings, playing a game, despite the imminent danger and the fact that thousands were dying or dead, not far from them. Every now and again the ground shook, and seconds later there was a rush of foul smelling air and all sorts of debris, as the residual force, of whatever the Scrondal was inflicting in the distance, reached them.
"It's getting nearer. The vibrations in the air are knocking over the pieces now. Can you feel it?" the Doctor unnecessarily mouthed as they continued. "Do you know, I once met the chap who originated this game, oriental .... Now what was his name. Of course, it wasn't exactly like this, there were more pieces and the board was round .... Oh No! that was something else ... and he wasn't oriental at all, Milluvian I think .... Gosh! doesn't time fly ...time fly ..Huh! .. what a ridiculous notion!!!!!"
Just then, Svarg felt something. She sensed .... Her eye stalks flicked this way and that and stopped, focusing in the direction of the billowing smoke. It was a figure, quite a long way away, just walking towards them. It looked, at this distance just like someone on a determined walk, striding towards them.
"Yes, I see it. Just carry on. Remember, when I change hands, when I make my move, that's when I want you to start the final connections. Don't make any sudden movements, when you've completed, just slowly go over by the boulder. Nothing will start to happen, until I get up. Then, as has been said before .... all hell will break loose!"
The Scrondal continued its march towards them. It was indeed a march. Very erect, very straight and swinging its arms, just like some toy soldier back on Earth. On it came. Relentless.
The sky was loosing its orange iridescence as the smoke from the far distance had gradually drifted towards them. It was darkening and there was a foul stench that seemed to float their way, then moments later, it wasn't there. As if it was ebbing and flowing like waves. They could make out more details now. It didn't seem to be clothed yet it did not appear naked. It did not have features, its face seemed to be a blur, no eyes, no mouth, no nose or ears. It was as if it was some sort of effigy of a bipedal being, a very crude one. As it neared, they saw it had no hands, just blunt stumps at the end of its arms.
They continued to move the pieces around the board as it neared. They had actually stopped 'playing' when they had first caught sight of the Scrondal. It had slowed its pace as it approached them. So far so good. Svarg shivered every so often, but carried on. The Doctor, well, it was as if it was the most perfectly ordinary way to pass the time.
It had stopped just by the Doctor's side, almost standing on top of the device. It must have been over 7 feet tall. Its surface was all rough, as if it was an unfinished sculpture, except there were random ripples all over it. Its surface never still.
"Hello! We're just playing a game of chess!" he beamed at the Scrondal. "Do you know it? It's amazing how restful it is. My friend here, absolutely loves it, can't get enough. Eh! Svarg?" as he switched the Rook from his right to his left hand before placing it on the board.
Svarg, shivered again as she proceeded to move the connections with the pieces, as if it was a exactly what ought to be happening. The Scrondal made a strange noise, but Svarg finished her task and slowly move away. One of her eye stalks remained fixed on the Scrondal, which seemed to shift and grunt, but was distracted as the Doctor moved some of the pieces around the board.
He stood up, causing the Scrondal to shuffle and groan and move slightly back. His shape seemed to blur slightly but it settled back to it's crude biped. The doctor slowly bent down, keeping one eye on the Scrondal and the other, with great difficulty to where Svarg was just nearing. He moved a piece, making the final connection, at the same time fumbling in his pocket for the Tardis's recall remote.
The Scrondal was standing immediately next to the device on the ground, which now started to vibrate. At the same time the air was rippling by Svarg and there was a tearing sound as the Tardis materialised. The Scrondal was now alerted to the vibrations from the device, then to the sound of the Tardis. Its shape began to blur again as the device made a high pitched whistling sound. The ground beneath their feet was also vibrating. The Doctor was already half way to the Tardis, the air around him rippled as he turned on his belt. There was a flash that passed in front of him, as something seemed to hit Svarg, causing her to crumple and scream. She'd forgotten to switch on her belt!
"Svarrrrrrggggggg!"
Behind him, there was an explosion, but he was more intent on reaching Svarg and getting her into the Tardis. But Svarg was now in a heap on the ground. Lifeless! Her limbs, sensor tendrils and eyestalks limp. Just as he stopped in front of her, the air shimmered beside him. It was Emelo.
"Go Doctor! You cannot achieve anything more here. Go!"
"But ..."
"No! I was monitoring her thoughts when she realised that she had forgotten her protection device. She must have felt the presence of my mind, she told me to make sure you escaped. She knew she had reached her demise ..... I will stay. Go!"
All this had passed through his mind in an instant. He looked down at what had been one of his most wonderful companions. Then looked up at Emelo, expressionless except for the throat markings that were throbbing at an incredible rate. He knew. Nothing more passed between them. He entered the Tardis, taking one last glimpse at Svarg and closed the door.
The Tardis groaned and screamed as it dematerialised. More flashes and explosions, larger and longer each time. All around, the ground had been ripped asunder and whatever had been there previously, was now vapourised, along with the boulder and Svarg and Emelo. Where the Scrondal had stood, was now now a cavernous black pit, in the heart of which were more explosions, each in turn more powerful. The force was spreading. Everything in its path becoming nothing. Out and out it reached. Nothing seemed to hinder it.
Then, suddenly there was an enormous kerrrrraccckkkkkkkk! For a moment everything ceased. Stillness and utter silence. First slowly, then gaining in speed, all the debris, of what was left, began to rush back towards the centre of the explosion. It was as a vacuum, the void sucking back everything to the chasm that it now was. It even seemed to suck in the sky, as the clouds of smoke, formed by the explosions, poured into the opening. Debris, vegetation and bodies, must have been sucked from far, far distances, that had not been vapourised.
Some time later, as the process slowed, clouds of dust billowed all around, then rose upwards, before raining down. Eventually, wisps of orange sky began to appear through all the gloom. There, where the end had come, was now a huge mound. No trace of Svarg, Emelo or the Scrondal.
Inside the Tardis, the Doctor stood, supporting himself on the consul, staring up at the scanner, where moments earlier he had watched what had been Svarg and Emelo. The dials were now registering high radiation levels, but he had not noticed. The scanner now showed .... nothing. All was bare. The landscape irrevocably altered. Debris here and there, rubble, clouds of dust ..... Nothing.
The co-ordinates had been set to return to where they had first materialised, next to the purple field, now gone. He had been staring at the scanner unblinking. A shudder ran through him and he let out a scream that made all the consul vibrate.
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
His eyes snapped open. He sat up, bolt upright! Sweat pouring down his face. He was in a bed, warm, snug and comforting, in a room, magnolia walls, roses on the curtains. All cosy and safe. Sunshine was streaming through the window. He held his hand, up as it was making his eyes squint. He heard a voice. A soft and gentle voice, that said tentatively, "Doctor?"
He turned his head, to a figure seated on the edge of the bed.
"Doctor. You've had that dream again?"
"Sarah? Sarah, is that you? Is that really you?"
"Yes, of course it is, who did you think it would be?" she said smiling, with a look of kindly admonition.
"Oooooh! ..... Sarah! ..... Hello! .... How long have I been here?"
"Five days now. Well nearly six, as you arrived in the middle of the night, banging on the window! Gave me quite a scare. But as soon as I saw the dear old thing sitting there on the grass. It's been quite a novelty having a Police Box sat in the middle of my garden. My neighbours have been asking all sorts of questions. But I'm rambling on. How are you?"
"Well, I'm not quite sure. It's very strange how I got here. I .. really ....don't remember ...." Then suddenly, "Oh! .... I ... remember ...." as he broke off and rubbed both his hands over his face where the blood now seemed to be returning.
"You've had that nightmare every night .... and most days too. You have been asleep most of the time. I've brought you food several times, but you never touched any of it. I didn't worry about that too much because, well I know you of old. But you frightened me with your nightmares and your screams. I didn't know what to do."
Just then, the door was pushed open, followed by a familiar whirring sound. He turned towards it.
"Maa-ster!"
"K-9! ... Sarah!" he let out a sob. "My dear old friends!"