Doctor Who

The Curse of the Nightmare Child

Ft. Paul Mcgann and John Hurt

By: BoxterWho

The Final Days of the War

Gallifrey the home planet of the Time Lords, and the battle ground of the last great time war. The war had been going for many years now, years of bloodshed, murder and the endless pain of the Daleks, the one true evil race of the universe resurrecting the dead and using them as weapons. The Doctor had been called to help in the final years of the war by the high council of Gallifrey, his eighth incarnation was one of the main reasons his planet was still in the sky, and however this was also the reason why his remaining family were dead. Exterminated by the 'Master Race'.

The citadel of the Time Lords was once a beautiful place, tall golden spires surrounded by a glass dome. It was different now though. Many of the building were abandoned or had collapsed, only the council spire remained intact. One of the rooms in this building was alive with noise, the Lord President and the remaining board were deciding the fate of the war.

'The Daleks have penetrated the outer layer of the planet, there will be nothing left soon my Lord.' Said one of the councilors in a very clumsy voice almost like he was scared of the President.

'Sources indicate that the Daleks have created a new master plan.' Spoke a young woman.

'Well let's hope it's not as bad the last solution.'

'Turning our dead brothers into Daleks, how can anything be worse?'

The Time Lords were all seated around a glass oval table with the President seated at the head.

'It has to be said that this war cannot be allowed to spread across the universes.'

'Once the Daleks obtain the time vortex no one will be able to stop them.'

The conversations were getting louder and louder but the President was just listening. Until…

'Is has been thought that, perhaps, and believe me sir I don't say this with ease, but perhaps planarity destruction is our only hope.'

'NO' the Lord President screamed

The room went silent.

'We are the oldest and most mighty race in all of time and space and you want to just let that go?!'

The elderly man sitting across from the President continued to speak.

'You have to understand sir, my whole family have been killed because of this was and were still losing. 4 million…'

The man was cut off with the over powering voice of the president.

'You have said quite enough!'

The Lord President reached into his robes and pulled out what looked like a Dalek gun, the weapon had clearly been modified for hand use. The gun was now pointed and the man and the President pulled the trigger. A look of fear and shock filled everyone's faces as the man was turned to dust with one shot.

'If anyone else has the same view, speak now.'

The doors blew open and stopped with a loud bang. A man wearing red robes was standing in the door way.

'What is the meaning of this?'

'I'm sorry sir but, it's him, the Doctor, he said he is ready and he wants to talk to you.'

The Doctor was working in a laboratory with wires and chemicals all connecting to the console at the edge of the room. The President entered the room but the Doctor didn't turn from the controls.

'What is the meaning…'

The Doctor cut him off.

'Do you know what their planning? The Daleks?' Said the Doctor turning to face the President.

'It's been rumored'

'Oh it's no rumor, the Daleks master plan sir is very, very real. Do you know what they plan to do? They are creating a device that will de-stabilize every eye of harmony in every Tardis on this planet. In turn creating a super black hole that will devour everything, including the time vortex, and therefore history will never have happened and the future will never have existed, everything will be gone.'

'We have plans.'

'NO, you have the final solution. Oh yes I know what you're planning. You and your little council in there and planning a machine that will turn all Time Lords into pure consciousness, you will exists outside the body. But I can't let that happen, because in that form you will be able to shape everything, you will change history. I will not allow that!'

'I will not let our race die, not now, not ever'

'I know, and that's what I have been working on, my final solution. The Time Lock. This machine will lock Gallifrey and the Time War in its current state in time, not dead only frozen. You will continue to exist in the final days of the time war.

'You would be willing to put everyone through that torture?!'

'It's the only way I can be sure.'

'Sure of what?'

'Containing you, because you will not destroy everything, not when I can stop you. And I will.'

'And you think we will just let you?' Threatened the President.

'You will have no choice…'

The Doctor pulled a lever opening to large doors reviling the Tardis.

'Where are you going?!'

'I'm going to collect the final parts from the Dalek command ship.'

The Doctor pulled out the Tardis key and unlocked the doors.

'This ends now, President.'

Before the President had time to reply to Tardis doors were closed and the sounds of the engine began.

The Tardis was no longer a time machine but a war machine, a war machine the Doctor was going to use to destroy is home. The dark console room began to shake and groan almost like it was in pain, and the Doctor fumbling at controls whipping a tear from his eyes. The Tardis cloister bell began to sound and the Doctor pulled down the scanner that read. 'Elysium'. Elysium was a quadrant of Gallifrey that the Daleks had taken control of at the beginning of the war and now used as their base.

I

At the citadel the President and the council were working on a way of tracking down the Doctor.

'I don't care what you need, find me the doctor!'

'Sir, we've located his Tardis.'

'Where?'

'You're not going to believe this… Elysium.'

'That's impossible, get me a link.

II

The time rotor began to move, slowly at first but the speed soon increased, smoke began flooding out of the console and the ship began to land.

'C'mon old girl, one last time eh?'

The Tardis began to land in one of the Dalek ships, this one was damaged wires and controls were hanging from the roof and walls. The Tardis landed. The door opened and a very tired looking Doctor stumbled out.

'Ok, I only need the temporal energy converter then I can leave.'

For about three hours the Doctor climbed through a surprisingly empty ship looking for a single device. The Doctor came to a set of metal doors pulled out his sonic screwdriver and unlocked them. They had not been opened in a long time because they had sealed together with rust. When the Doctor finally opened the doors he was greeted with a pitch black room.

'There has to be a button here somewhere.'

With no luck the Doctor, once again, pulled out his sonic and activated it. The room exploded with light and for a minute the Doctor was blinded, however when his sight returned what he saw was extremely nasty. Daleks, all around the edge of the room with their eyestalks and weapons pointing towards the floor almost like they were charging. Cables ran from the floor up the walls, across the ceiling and down the middle to one point, a black outline of a Dalek could just be made out and all of the cables were leading into it. The Doctor, hoping they wouldn't detect him, stepped into the room, however he was wrong. All of the consoles and panels started to glow with light and the figure in the middle could be seen very clearly. Davros. The blue eye in the middle of his head began to shine with light, the torso began to move. It was awake.

'Doc-tor?'

III

'Sir we have a fix on the Tardis, what should we do?'

'Bring it here, trap the Doctor!'

'Yes sir.'

A member of the council began to fiddle with some controls, then stopped, waited, and pulled a lever. The Tardis that had just been with the Doctor began to fade into sight.

'Now the Doctor is trapped we can destroy the Time Lock device and leave him for Davros.'

The Lord President pointed the gun at the controls the Doctor was previously working on and fired. There was a noise then smoke poured from the holes.

IV

'Davros! You're alive…How?'

'Simple tactics Doctor!'

The screeching voice and the echo in to room made Davros sound evil, although the Doctor already knew that.

'Hiding you mean?'

'Tactics you are very familiar with. Doctor.'

'Look at you! Time had it you ruled this race now look at you, they have you hooked up to this machine!'

'Do you know what this machine is?'

'By the looks of those temporal engines, I'd say a deep space receiver.'

'Oh more than that, much more. A space time receiver.'

'Why do you need one of those?'

'We have received a message. From one of the cult.'

'The cult of Skaro? Daleks designed to thing outside the shell.' The Doctor said with an amusing tone.

'But you don't understand'

'Don't I?'

'The message is coming from the time vortex itself. One of the cult have made contact from outside the war.'

'That's not possible!'

'What's wrong Doctor, are you scared? The Daleks will survive, the Daleks must survive.'

'Well that settles it then, the future can change and it will.'

'Explain yourself.'

'I have created a machine, a machine that will put a stop to this war and its future.'

'But it isn't ready, because if it was you wouldn't be hear.'

'Only one thing remains.'

'What?'

'The temporal energy converter.'

'Oh how fascinating you're planning to temporally lock the planet.'

The Doctor noticed that the Daleks around the edge of the room began to twitch and wake up. He stopped talking and started to run towards the door, but it was locked. Before he had time to unlock it he could hear the Dalek battle cry.

'EXTERMINATE!'

'STOP!' Yelled Davros.

'I beg your pardon.' Questioned the Doctor

'My children, the Doctor has plans to end the war by locking us in time.'

'HE MUST ME STOPPED' Screeched one of the Daleks

'Oh he will my child, but first we should give him a little gift. Bring me the nightmare child.

'OPENING NIGHTMARE CHILD'S TELEPORT!'

The room began to whirr and lights began to flicker, the Doctor looked at Davros and noticed he was smiling. This couldn't be good. Next to Davros a ball of energy started to appear, growing in size. The ball was drawing in energy from all over the room and a figure began to appear. As this was happening Davros began to laugh. A woman's voice could be heard from inside the energy ball. 'Help me!' The Doctor looked up recognizing the voice. 'No it can't be!' Cried the Doctor. The figure was becoming clearer until the energy was gone and only the person remained. Susan!?

'Susan!' shouted the Doctor.

The woman turned to face him.

'Who are you? Can you help me?'

'Susan it's me, the Doctor!'

'Grandfather? You've changed.'

'It's me I promise.'

As the Doctor finished his sentence Susan ran over and hugged the Doctor, both began to cry.

'I've missed you so much Susan.'

'I thought you were dead!'

'How did you get here?'

'The Daleks took me at the beginning of the war.'

After they had both stopped crying the Doctor put Susan down, whipped is eyes and began to look at the bruisers around her arms.

'What have you done to her? And why is she here?'

'She was necessary!' Screeched one of the Daleks

'How?'

'Your mind is the most advanced thorough out all Time Lords.'

'Thank you Davros.'

'Your mind would help us to win the war!'

'But why did you need me?' Screamed Susan

'To excel the power of your imagination to connect to the Doctor's.'

'And I imagine this was the Emperor's idea, no?'

'I am the true Dalek Emperor!'

'And yet here you are, stuck in a room connected to ship, alone.'

'You dare question me? The creator!'

'You're nothing Davros! Not anymore. You're just a spare part.'

'How dare you! You will be punished! Daleks, take them to cell 723!'

'What? No!'

Susan tried to struggle but the Daleks were pushing her and the Doctor down a corridor and into a small room.

The cell was very small, metal walls and ceiling with only one way in and one way out, there was a small camera in one of the corners watching their every move. The Doctor and Susan were sat on a hard metal table. There was a silence, then it was broken.

'When you left me all those years ago, I hated you, I thought I would never forgive you.'

'Susan I ha.'

'But then I realized that you were being kind, letting me and David spend the rest of our lives together.

'I know you understand my dear. How were you two?'

'We were always so happy together, me David and the children.'

'Ah how is Alex, he was always so rebellious.'

'You can say that again.' Susan chuckled

'We adopted you know, Barbra and Ian Campbell.'

'How are they?'

'Well Alex took them off to see the dancing stars of the snake head nebular, they won't be back for a while. I only hope I get out of this to see them again.'

'Susan, look at me, I promise you we are both going to stop this hellish war and get out alive.'

'You always have had a way of comforting people.'

'Why thank you, and what about David.'

'Well he died shortly after Alex was born.'

'Oh, I'm so sorry.'

'I like to think I'm over it, but it still hurts...'

The Doctor noticed Susan began to cry and opened his arms to comfort her. Susan stopped crying sat up and wiped her eyes.

'Anyway enough about me, what about you. You look totally different.'

The Doctor looked down at his tatty ripped clothes and dirty coat.

'Well I've seen better days.'

'What number are you then.'

'I'm the eighth.'

'Blimey it doesn't feel five minutes since we first fought the Daleks back on Skaro.'

'The Daleks, yes, I mustn't forget why I'm here.'

'Why are you here Grandfather?'

'I need a temporal energy converter.'

'Whatever for?'

'My plan is to Time Lock the planet.'

'What? How? That will take too much energy!'

'No I have a machine back at the citadel.'

'Well the Daleks will never let you back.'

'No, well I brought the Tardis and if my predictions are correct the President will have taken it back to him.'

The Doctor put his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out metal box with some small switchers and wires connected to it.

'Using this I can get us back there.'

The cell door began to open and a red Dalek was waiting.

'The nightmare child will follow!'

'No I won't let her!'

As the Doctor said that he felt the room getting longer and longer, he looked down and noticed an energy ball surrounding him blocking his sight.

'Grandfather!' Shouted Susan

The Doctor tried to reach out but the energy ball was stopping him, when it faded he realized he had been teleported back to Davros.

'No! What have you done to her?!'

'Doctor back so soon?'

'Where is she?'

Davros pointed to a large screen on one of the walls showing Susan being pushed into a room by the Dalek. This room was different to the cell, the walls looked stronger, cables were hanging from the ceiling and there was a small console by the edge of the room.

'Where are you taking her Davros?'

'I lied Doctor, when we collected her all those years ago it wasn't to search for you it was to give us time to work on her. She is our weapon and she doesn't know!'

'What does that mean?'

'That room is a regeneration energy converter!'

'No you can't!'

'Oh yes Doctor we can and we will. Susan will be forced to regenerate and the energy will be taken and harnessed. The pure energy will then power the black hole continuum turning this planet into the biggest black hole the universes have ever seen. So big it will devour everything. We will be safe of course, the Emperor will protect us.'

'You can't, the converter will take everything from her she won't be able to change and heal. You will kill her!'

'Oh yes Doctor but not before we kill you. Daleks EXTERMINATE!'

The Doctor quickly pulled out the silver box and active all the switchers, the Daleks fired but the Doctor was already gone.

V

The Doctor burst open the Tardis doors. It worked he was back with the President. He ran over to the controls and began franticly pressing all the buttons.

'What do you think you are doing?'

'I said I was going to stop you President and now is the time, before it is too late!'

The Doctor picked up a circuit board and ran back into the Tardis. Placing the wires on the Tardis console he began work. After a shot while he got up and pulled a large lever, flames began to light from all around him and the controls began to spark.

'Susan can you hear me?'

The Doctor had managed to get into the camera that was in the room with Susan and was now able to speak directly to her.

'Grandfather? Where are you?'

'I'm in the Tardis Susan, I'm going to get you out.'

'Except you're not.'

'What!?'

'I know what this room is and what it does. The Daleks are going to kill me and the universe.'

'Not if I stop them.'

'You can't, Grandfather listen to me. You don't have the temporal energy converter but you do have me.'

'What do you mean?'

'I can used the controls to divert my regeneration energy to the Tardis allowing you to lock the planet before it is too late.'

'Killing yourself. I won't let you!'

Susan began working at the controls.

'Grandfather make sure you are ready.'

'No! What about your children, what about us?'

'It was always going to come to this me and you saving the world, sometimes I wish mom was here to see.'

'You miss her.'

'All the time.'

'She was always so curious.'

'Ok it's done, the energy will be transferred to the Tardis, from then it's down to you.'

Susan turned from the controls and looked at the camera. At the Doctor.

'Grandfather.'

As she spoke the door opened and a Dalek began to enter.

'We have seen everything together, the whole of time and space I will be forever grateful. Promise me you will never forget the times we have had.'

'I promise, my Susan, my Granddaughter.'

The Dalek entered the room behind Susan lifted its gun.

'Grandfather, tell my children…Goodbye.'

'EXTERMINATE!'

'Susan NO!'

The Dalek shot a red beam of light straight into her chest, she fell to the ground with a crash. The Dalek moved out of the room, closed the door and activated the machine. Susan began to glow red then orange then a shockwave of energy exploded out of her, releasing the energy into the room and cutting the camera dead.

'NO, Susan!'

The Doctor stood staring at the screen, the closest thing to a daughter he had left. The ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate loss. There was no time to morn her before he could wipe his eyes the Tardis began to explode, the cloister began to ring and was getting louder and louder. The Doctor franticly smashed the controls to try and get the explosions to stop but it wasn't working. Then he just stopped, stepped away from the controls and began to cry, it was almost as if all of the shock of his situation had just hit him.

'I can't do this.' He said to himself.

'Everyone dies, because of me!'

What the Doctor hadn't noticed is that the Lord President had followed him into the Tardis when this began, and had seen everything. The President was holding his modified Dalek weapon at the Doctor

'Your right Doctor you can't, and you won't.'

'Do it, I have nothing else.'

'Oh Doctor you have made this so easy. No fight? Well I am surprised.'

'They killed her! Another victim of this pointless war!'

'Yet one pain still remains, I can't let you do this Doctor not when I have a chance to stop you.'

The President looked the Doctor in the eyes, smiled then fired the gun. The laser hit the Doctor between his hearts knocking him backwards. He was barely alive but something was keeping him standing, yellow energy began to flow from his hands and neck slowly at first but soon it was exploding from his body. The energy turned orange, blue then eventually red the Doctor began to scream. The energy was being forced out of his body so hard it blew the President backwards and knocked him to the ground, his gun flew out of his hand and landed next to the Doctor. The regeneration energy began to slow down but the Tardis couldn't handle it, alarms began to sound and the console began to explode. The energy stopped. The Doctor fell to the ground.

The Doctor came back round quickly to the sound of the cloister bell. He got up and looked at the President who was shocked.

'You shouldn't be alive!'

'Yet here I am.'

Everything about him had changed his hair, face and voice were all different. He was older, wiser and his memories were haunting him.

'You can't continue with this Doctor, help the Time Lords, and be part of the final solution.'

There was a silence.

'I'm not the Doctor, not anymore.'

He turned to the damaged controls and began to finish what he started, Susan's regeneration energy was stalled in the Tardis, and all he had to do was activate the Time Lock. The President stood up and began to run towards him, to stop him ending the war. The lonely god turned picked up the gun and shot the President draining the last of his life. Dead.

'I had no choice. I must end the war!'

He began to press buttons then pulled out his sonic screwdriver and held it against the console, the alarms stopped. He pulled the lever in the middle of the controls and the engines began to start. It was done. The Tardis started to dematerialize. Gallifrey was now sounded in a bubble of energy trapped forever. Frozen in time. The Tardis flying high above the battle ground taking the Doctor to safety, except he wasn't the Doctor, not any more.

VI

Inside the Time Lock Davros and his children were suspended time, not able to move only to see. The room began to brighten up and shake, towards the doorway a small ball of energy began to appear then grow and eventually it exploded into what looked like tiny shards of glass floating in a circle. A terrible noise could be heard from inside the portal, a cracked scream getting louder and louder. A gold Dalek began to fade into sight!

'CR-EA-TOR!'