Earthlight
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Doctor Who and its characters, which belong to the BBC.
-O-
PREFACE: In the late 1990's, I wrote two Doctor Who stories and, more recently, posted them to FanFiction. They are called 'Empire of the Daleks' and 'The Overlords'. I have now written another story, using the same characters that appear in the other two stories. This story will have three chapters.
-O-
Chapter 1 – Return to Earth
"So, where are we going?" Jade looked excited, like a girl waking up on Christmas morning.
"Your home planet," the Doctor replied.
"Why are we going there again?" Orleo looked less than impressed.
"I need some more mercury and Earth is one of the best sources," the Doctor replied.
The Tardis materialised but, when the Doctor activated the viewing screen, there was complete blackness outside, "That's odd," the Doctor rubbed his chin, thoughtfully, "it's not even night time according to my instruments, yet there's no light at all. We'll have to investigate."
Jade gave Orleo a knowing look and rolled her eyes, "What century are we in?" she asked.
"I set the controls to bring us back to the twenty-seventh century, when we were here before. Except, we've overshot a bit so it looks like we're about twenty years on from our last visit. I wonder how Leanne and Lothan fared: they'll be older now, of course."
The Doctor flipped a switch to open the doors of the Tardis and the black screen of the viewing scanner was confirmed to be correct: there was complete darkness outside. There was also an eerie silence.
"This is very mysterious," the Doctor began searching for some torches. Finding some in a cupboard, he handed Jaded and Orleo one each and switched on his own one. Then he marched forward out of the door, hotly pursued by his two companions.
Some dead trees could be seen in their torch beams, but no signs of life or lights could be seen anywhere. Suddenly, Jade spotted something in the inky blackness: it was a faint glow, "Doctor, do you see that?"
The Doctor had also spotted it, "Yes, it looks like a light: probably some way off...I suggest we head that way."
They traipsed for what seemed like hours in the impenetrable gloom, although it was actually about thirty minutes. As they approached the source of the light, they realised that it was a building that they had visited on their last trip to Earth, in the city of the Immortals! However, it was not brightly lit like the last time.
"Well," the Doctor said, "I think I might find some mercury here. We'll just have to dodge those Immortals this time."
They entered the building and stood in the entrance hall, but there was no sign of life. The only lights in the place emitted a faint glow, like emergency lighting.
"I don't like it," Jade remarked, "It's creepy."
"HALT!" a woman's voice came from behind them and they spun around to see a female, dressed in a uniform, pointing a weapon in their direction.
"We mean you no harm," the Doctor reassured her, holding his hands aloft, "We just need some mercury for my ship."
"Doctor?" the woman exclaimed, letting her weapon drop to her side, "Is that you?"
"Leanne!" the Doctor gasped.
Leanne rushed to greet the Doctor, Jade and Orleo, "How can it be you? You don't look a day older!"
"That's because we're not, comparatively speaking," the Doctor replied, "We've jumped twenty years of your time."
The Doctor studied Leanne's face in the gloom: she looked a lot older and very thin and gaunt, "What's happened here? Why is it so dark?"
"It's the planet Sigma," Leanne explained, "It arrived ten years ago and blocked the sun from the Earth. Everything is dead."
"The planet Sigma?" the Doctor queried.
"Yes, well that's what the scientists called it. Sigma is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet and the planet blocked out the sun on the eighteenth of August that year. I think that's why they called it that."
"Where did it come from?"
"No-one knows. The scientists tracked it as it approached, at first they were worried that it was going to collide with the Earth, but it settled onto an orbit round the sun. Trouble is, it was just the right size to eclipse the sun and it always sits between the sun and our planet. So, without sunlight, all life on Earth ceased to exist."
The Doctor looked at Leanne steadily, "But you're still alive...how do you explain that?"
"After Sigma came, all able-bodied people were drafted into the army. They built a spaceship to fly to Sigma in the hopes that life could exist there as it gets sunlight. Some personnel left for Sigma on the ship and others took over the cities, like this one. We have survived by growing our own food in the greenhouses in the cities, helped by artificial sunlight. That's why I'm posted here, to stop any marauders from stealing the food. There are still some Immortals in the Outlands who try to break in."
"So, the Immortals don't control the cities anymore?" Jade asked.
"No!" Leanne replied, "They were banished to the Outlands after the coming of Sigma. I expect a lot of them are dead now, they lost their surgeons in the Sigma holocaust and, when they couldn't get any life essence from people, they weren't immortal anymore."
"What happened to your brother Lothan?" Orleo asked.
Leanne looked sad, "He was drafted into the army too and went to Sigma on the spaceship. That was eight years ago now. I had to stay here as I was assigned to protect the greenhouses in the city. They were going to fly back to pick up survivors if they managed to find a home on Sigma, but no-one ever came back. I don't know if he's alive or dead."
"I'm sorry," the Doctor looked at Leanne with compassion, "He was a good man."
"Thanks," Leanne gave the Doctor a weak smile, "We've not heard anything from the ship since they left, it is possible that they survived, but we've no way of knowing. We'd need power to transmit and receive signals and all our remaining power has to go to the greenhouses, to keep us alive."
"Well," the Doctor summed up the situation, "I think I need to visit this Sigma to see what's going on. But first, I need that mercury. Is there any in the city, Leanne?"
"I don't know," Leanne answered, "But I know they used it in that stabilising station that the Daleks built."
"The Daleks!" the Doctor gasped, "Are they still here on Earth?"
"No," Leanne replied, "Once they had finished building that dome, they left. It was around the same time that the new planet arrived. The human race was devastated and the Daleks could not enslave anyone as there was practically no-one left alive. I suppose they thought that Earth was a dead planet by then and of no more use to them."
"Well, I need to get to the stabilising station to get some mercury," the Doctor said, "and then I intend going to Sigma to see what's going on there."
"Can I come with you?" Leanne asked, tentatively, "I might be able to find out what happened to Lothan."
"Yes, of course," the Doctor smiled.
The four of them, torches at the ready, headed off into the darkness. There was a little light from the moon, which was obviously catching the sun's rays from behind Sigma, but the Earth was completely eclipsed by the planet. It was just as well that Leanne knew the way, as they gained very little assistance from their torches or the feeble light from the moon. They picked their way carefully across the barren terrain, mindful not to trip up and injure themselves.
Eventually, they reached the dome. The stabilising station had been left intact by the Daleks, who had built it with the aid of their human slaves. The Doctor and his companions found the entrance and made their way inside the structure. It was eerily quiet inside and, like the building in the city, only lit by a faint glow. They made their way around a platform, edging towards a ramp which descended to the floor of the dome. There did not appear to be anyone around but, in the gloom, they caught sight of a figure sitting in a chair. It was an old woman, who tried to shield herself from view as they approached.
"Don't be alarmed," The Doctor tried to put her mind at rest, "We mean you no harm."
"What do you want?" the old woman asked, "Where have you come from?"
"Dorraine?" Leanne had recognised the voice, although the appearance of her ex-mistress had completely changed. She was shrivelled up and wrinkled and looked every one of her three-hundred and twenty years of age.
Dorraine looked carefully at Leanne, "I know you! You used to be a slave girl once, before they came and drove the Immortals out of their rightful home."
"What's happened to you?" Leanne was shocked to see Dorraine like this. She had always looked so young, despite her great age, but that was only due to the regular injections of life-essence from hapless victims and without those, her body was reverting to its proper age.
"I'm dying," Dorraine said, pathetically, "When the Outlanders ousted us from the city, they signed our death warrant. Most of the Immortals are gone now...I'm one of the last survivors. I only have a limited supply of food left and, when that's gone, it will be the end for me. I'm too weak now to carry out a food raid on the city and most of my companions who could help me are dead. I'm doomed."
Leanne took the Doctor to one side, "Isn't there anything we can do for her?"
"Why would you care what happens to her?" the Doctor replied, "Don't you remember how she tried to do away with you that time when you helped us all those years ago?"
"I remember," Leanne flinched at the memory, "But I hate to see her suffering now. She was only protecting herself...she didn't know any better. That's how the Immortals had been for years and it was instinctive for her to behave the way she did."
"You are a very forgiving person, Leanne...and it's more than she deserves, but I'll see what I can do. Although I imagine her life is coming to an end in any case. That's the way of the universe."
The Doctor addressed Dorraine, "I can get you some food, but I need something in return."
Dorraine eyed the Doctor suspiciously, "You are an enemy of the Immortals, how do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't." The Doctor answered, curtly, "But I give you my word that I will help you, as long as you help us."
"How can I help you?" Dorraine still looked suspicious.
"I need mercury for my ship," the Doctor came to the point, "You could save us a lot of time if you tell us where we can find some in this dome."
Dorraine rose unsteadily to her feet, "Follow me," she gestured for them to accompany her. Her gait was that of someone who suffered from severe arthritis and she stooped as she hobbled along.
Dorraine guided them to the supply of mercury and the Doctor thanked her for her assistance. He was about to pledge to her that he would return with some food, but Dorraine suddenly collapsed, clutching her chest.
"This is it," Dorraine croaked as she lay on the floor, "My time has come!"
Leanne took Dorraine's hand in her own.
Dorraine looked at Leanne's hand and then at her face, "I'm sorry for the way I treated you," Dorraine's words were hardly audible, "I'm not afraid of death now...this life is...well, it isn't a life. I've lived longer than any human being has a right to. This is my final..."
Leanne felt Dorraine's hand lose its weak grip on hers.
"She's gone," the Doctor said, quietly.
Leanne felt sad. She did not cry, as part of her still disliked Dorraine for the way she used to be, but she still felt sorrow at the loss of another human life.
Next chapter: Sigma
