I was so glad that grandfather had landed us somewhere tranquil, as utterly serene and magnificent as the planet Esto. I was convinced grandfather would have landed us in some smelly old swamp and asked me to wade through to do some calculations about the consistency of the mud. Grandfather was always like that at first, pushing me out of the ship doors and straight into a study session.
"I think you'll learn a thing or two, my dear," he'd say as he pointed to wherever it was I was meant to be going. He'd normally follow on behind, making notes as he went, and letting out little noises as he examined the fauna and flora of many an alien world. But never to interfere, that was rule number one.
On this occasion it was a warm and sunny day. We looked over the readings of the temperature and humidity of the planet Esto on the TARDIS computers, and grandfather wanted to make sure we were properly kitted out for the trip. He fetched a satchel which he filled with water packets, food packages, UV protection for our skin and eyes, and of course his pipe and some tobacco. He also carried with him various paper notebooks and electronic recording devices. I grabbed the hand held Geiger counter just in case the radiation meter on the ship was faulty. Grandfather was so very curious but he was also so very nervous of being unprepared. We'd built up this routine you see, this way of day to day living. We'd left our planet in such a hurry that we were now so very careful about the planning, making sure we were aware of potential hazards. Of course it was all so unpredictable and we often found that we got into trouble by accident, but even then, even when we were caught unaware, well, we just left. Just like that, we left.
As we stepped out of the TARDIS we turned to see what the ship had disguised itself as. Stood against the greenery and plant life was a silvery tree with pine cones hanging from its branches. That was a new shape for the TARDIS and one I liked very much.
This particular planet was covered with vegetation, so much so that it was hard to tell whether there were any people there at all. Vines and creepers covered large stretches of land, and the rivers and seas were filled with water plants that crept to the surface and were lit with the sunlight. It was so beautiful to look at. I immediately got out my sketch pad and began to draw everything around me. Grandfather started taking photographs, hastily snapping pictures as though we were in the most tremendous rush. I sat on a rock that was covered in some sort of moss that felt slimy on my trousers. I grimaced.
"Susan, be careful, you'll be covered in the stuff."
"I just want a seat so I can sketch these flowers, Grandfather."
He softened and offered his jacket for me to sit on. He often was grumpy, often scowling or cross, but on occasion when the world was silent, and there was nothing to worry him, he could be the kindest and sweetest man alive. He tapped me on the head playfully and smiled, watching me as I started to put pencil to paper. The old fashioned way of drawing was always my favourite. He'd bought me the art supplies as a present on one of our first visits to the planet Earth, and I was very grateful.
"Come along Susan," he said when he'd finally got bored and made my decision for me.
I didn't really have time to argue as grandfather grabbed my arm and pulled me along. We walked for a while, it felt like ages, and I could sense he was getting tired. He huffed and puffed, grabbing his handkerchief and mopping his brow every few moments. The sun was vivid in the sky, the air was humid and dry, and my skin felt like it was crawling. Even with all the UV protection, I felt like my body was on fire. Grandfather suggested we were to cut our trip short as the midday sun blazed high in the sky.
We walked a few paces in the direction to the TARDIS and both breathed heavily as the heat engulfed us. We hadn't reached very far on our trek when I stopped to have another look at some of the most vivid pink flowers I had ever seen. Grandfather was waving his finger at me.
"Susan my dear, we haven't got time for this. I underestimated the amount of heat we could tolerate."
"Just a moment Grandfather," I told him. "I'll probably never get to see this again, let me just have a lasting look at these pretty things."
He folded his arms, sighed and pouted, and waved his hand erratically at me. I could see his eyes narrowing as he glanced in the direction of the TARDIS.
"Alright, but be quick hmmmm?"
I stepped closer to the fuchsia flowers. They had huge petals that smelt like perfume, and long slender stems that bent over like old men. The flowers faced each other; all stretched neatly in rows as though two sides of an army. The path between them was quite intimidating- my first thought was that they were going to spray venomous sap over me. Grandfather obviously hadn't had the same thought as he'd already begun to inspect the path and even touch some of the stems. I carefully did the same, they felt soft between my fingers, and as I stroked one of the flowers gently it seemed to move slightly as if responding to my very touch. The plant grandfather was touching suddenly shifted position rapidly and seemed rigid and afraid. It angled its stem away from him and its petals enclosed.
"Oh Grandfather you must be more gentle."
"Nonsense, perhaps he's just shy."
I giggled and then let go of the plant and trod across more of the path until we reached some deep blue flowers with the same bent over stems. They also stood facing one another like soldiers in war and I was enamoured by their beauty as they swayed lightly in the summertime breeze.
A moment later I sensed grandfather trying to get my attention but when I turned to him he wasn't even looking at me, he was preoccupied with something on the ground, a small creature of some kind. I could hear some strange high pitched voices in my head, some fuzzy distant words that I couldn't decipher. Where was it coming from?
"Grandfather, can you hear that?" I asked.
He looked up quickly and told me he hadn't heard a thing. He resumed his study of the wriggly creature on the floor.
"Hello?" I whispered.
"Hello," I heard back. I giggled nervously as I realised that the plants were bent even more toward me. They had all moved! The voice was getting louder, more fuzzy and distorted as it repeated things to me over and over. I didn't even have to speak. I thought for a moment how scared I was and then a voice reassured me I was fine. One of the flowers leaned right forward and nudged me under the chin.
"Step back," it said with a high screech of noise. "You are too close."
I nearly screamed as the sound of intense whirring filled my head as I could hear all the plants' voices in my mind at once telling me to move out of the way.
"Grandfather the plants are communicating with me," I let out in excitement.
I really hadn't expected my own grandfather to laugh at me but he chuckled in that way he did when something truly tickled him. I hushed him and told him what had happened. He seemed curious and his eyes darted around him.
"You're telling me you're having a conversation with these flowers?"
"Well not exactly, but I can hear them and they can hear me. What does it mean Grandfather?"
He considered for a moment and wriggled his fingers over his chin. He angled his face upwards.
"Most interesting, most interesting. These plants must communicate with other plant life by using thought transference. You my dear have interrupted the transmission."
I stepped back off the path. "Oh I'm dreadfully sorry, I didn't mean to. Please forgive me flowers."
"We forgive you Susan," I heard them say in polite unison. I giggled again, they sounded very friendly!
Grandfather stomped his foot childishly as he focused his attentions to the plant and attempted to gain access to the plants' minds as I had done.
"This isn't working," he said to me. "Nothing but silence."
"Your mind isn't open grandfather. For someone as curious as you, you're very particular about things."
I shouldn't have said that.
"Come along, we haven't got time for all this," he said with a gruff voice.
He didn't say anything more but he was clearly put out by not being able to communicate with another life form. He liked to believe he was very open-minded, but in many ways he was the exact way he was trying very hard not to be.
I heard some faint voices in my head as we began to leave the section where the blue flowers resided. They were saying something to me, but it was so distant and I hadn't quite got to grips with how it all worked and how to control it. I held grandfather back.
"Wait, they're trying to say something," I said. I stood still and listened carefully, concentrating harder than before and deciphering the voices.
"Beware," the plants were saying. "Danger ahead."
I shuddered and turned to grandfather, biting my fingernails in terror. "We can't go on Grandfather- the plants say there's danger."
"Nonsense, we came this way."
"But…"
"Susan!" he said with force. "I will not tell you again."
I obeyed him; it was easier to follow him than get into an argument. I never won the arguments anyway. One day I knew I'd finally stand up for myself when I had something important to say, but this wasn't the time, he was hot and tired and I wanted him to be comfortable with what he thought was right.
We trekked further along the path, and as we did so we noticed the creepers we'd seen earlier were now blocking our path, like they'd grown around us. They were huge, fat, slimy, and terrifying, like octopus tentacles sprawled out on the ocean floor.
Grandfather frowned and sighed. "Looks like we're going to have to climb over this lot, my dear."
"But how did it grow so fast?"
"I'm not sure Susan, but it's a very unique planet, I'm not sure I have the answers."
As we began to clamber over the vines, I felt something brush against my ankle. I looked down and saw a green creeper wrap itself around my leg, its arms slithering upwards and tightening around me. I screamed. Grandfather thrashed at the plant with his walking stick and the vine retreated momentarily, recoiling with the shock of the attack from him. It didn't deter it however, and a moment later it attacked again, this time sending out a screeching noise to disable us. The noise was the most horrific sound I'd ever heard, and one I don't think I'll ever forget. It was high-pitched and sounded like the screams of sea creatures dying. Grandfather was holding his ears in distress and I was doing the same, trying my best to not pass out with the screeching. I started to panic, trying to get closer to grandfather and make sure he was alright. A creeper had wrapped itself around his waist, and I was terrified it was going to crush him. He was all I had left, he couldn't die- he couldn't!
I thought for a moment and then concentrated. I placed my hands over my temples and closed my eyes. I focused. I could hear the blue plants calling my name. They could hear that I was scared and needed help.
"Help me!" I called out.
They were telling me not to fear. A moment later, a low growling sound filled the air, and it hummed repetitively like the hum of the TARDIS. It was loud and intrusive, and immediately the vines that were attacking us recoiled again and slithered away slowly, distressed by the low frequency. One vine seemed to turn a shade darker and crack slightly along its body.
"They're leaving Grandfather!" I cried with joy.
He tried to get his breath back as I hugged him closely, checking over him to make sure there were no injuries. He patted my hair and smiled.
"Did you save us Susan?" he asked. "Did you use your mind to save us, my dear?"
I laughed. "I think I did!"
He chuckled, wheezing from exhaustion as he did so, and as I helped him to his feet he put his arm around my shoulder and held me close to him.
"Ah, see what did I tell you my dear, all this learning has paid off, hmmm?"
"Yes Grandfather," I said with a grin. "But I suppose it's time to move on isn't it?"
He nodded and we made our way towards our home, taking one last look at the beauty and terror of the silent but strangely deafening world of Esto.
We crossed over the threshold of the TARDIS and I was so happy to hear the familiar ambience of the interior as we made ourselves comfortable on the chairs in the console room.
…
Grandfather draped a blanket over me that evening as I sat in the living quarters reading a book. He bought me a hot drink and sat opposite me on his favourite chair.
"Good book?" he asked.
I showed him the cover of the book, which was a guide of England on the planet Earth in the period of the 1960's. I told him I'd found it in the library and that it seemed like a time and place I'd be really interested in. The fashions looked amazing and the hairstyles were big and brilliant, even the little streets were adorable and foggy and unclean. He nodded and smiled widely.
"Maybe one day I can take you there my child," he said.
And one day he did.