The Box Before
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, the TARDIS, Gallifrey or any other related concepts. However, I do own the OC characters mentioned in this story.
Please read, review and above all enjoy my new story, The Box Before.
Chapter One
The Capitol of the Time Lords lay underneath a majestic dome, between two mountain ranges, the Mountains of Solace and Solitude. Situated on the fringes of the Inner Capitol was the Time Travel Capsule Maturing Centre. The Time Lords were not ones to often use acronyms, so if they ever referred to the building without using its full name, they simply called it the Time Centre.
The Time Centre was where their time machines were cultivated. At this point in Gallifrey's very long and varied history, the time machines had yet to be called Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. Instead they were known as TT Capsules. There was a sea in the southern reaches of Gallifrey, where the coral was affected by temporal energy, pouring from a hairline crack in space and time. Pieces of coral were harvested and stored in the Time Centre until they matured and were suitable to be flown.
On this particular day, a prestigious Time Lord was paying a visit to the Time Centre. He had bestowed upon himself the title of 'The Supervisor', and was an important member of the newly formed Celestial Intervention Agency. His job was to supervise new developments, both on Gallifrey, and on other advancing planets. The Supervisor was in his second incarnation, and had already gained a reputation for being a commanding and critical presence.
The head technician turned to the Supervisor and said, "If you'll follow me down this aisle, sir, I'll show you the first example of the project". They walked past hundreds of pods, and the technician unlocked the final pod on the fifth shelf from the bottom. Inside sat a small, vaguely cuboid shaped piece of coral. "This is a new version of the Type 40. We've applied tiny psycho-electrical impulses to the coral, and used them to embed this instruction. 'Automatically set co-ordinates to the necessary destination'. Put simply, the ship will take its crew where they need to go" explained the technician.
The Supervisor looked thoughtful. "Will the crew still have control over the destination in question?" he asked. "Definitely. They'll be able to set the co-ordinates, and this TT capsule will take them there without fail" the technician replied with conviction.
"Very well Ardan, I'll get a seal of approval from the Board of Commission. Connect it to the Eye of Harmony, if you have the time". Ardan knew that his superior meant, "And even if you don't". He set about attaching it to Gallifrey's energy source, known as the Eye of Harmony. According to legend, Rassilon himself had formed it from a black hole and locked it in the centre of the planet.
The coral began to hum, and give off a white and azure blue glow as it filled with artron energy. The soul inside sparked to life, and her consciousness tentatively reached out. Straight away she sensed feelings of welcome from hundreds of different minds. Beyond her immediate surroundings, lay the fascinating, terrifying whirlwind of the Time Vortex.
Hello, little one said a kindly mind from somewhere above her. Hello she replied nervously. Don't be afraid, we are your Sisters. This planet is Gallifrey, home of the Time Lords explained the voice. The baby Type 40 was curious. What are Time Lords?
Another mind spoke; this one felt proud. The Time Lords are our masters. When we are full grown, they will use us to travel through the Time Vortex. The Kindly One added Remember, it's your duty to obey your pilot. There were hums of agreement from the other corals. The young Type 40 felt excited. She couldn't wait to grow up and be flown to a different time and place.