The Journey Through the Beyond
"How many more? Just think, how many have died in your name? The Doctor, the man who keeps running, never looking back, because he dare not, out of shame."
-Davros, Journey's End
...
The Doctor strode across the grassy field, staring at the display of the small device he held in his hand. The TARDIS could be seen in the distance, tilted slightly to one side on the uneven ground of a small hill.
Further in the distance beyond that was the city of Troy - the bustling intact city of Troy.
It was now several years before its fall at the hands, or more accurately, the swords of the Greeks. The Doctor did not need to worry about the risk of bumping into Vicki or Steven, or even his earlier self, at this point in time.
The TARDIS had detected a slight blip in the temporal stability of the area, and the Doctor was investigating any possible connection that it may have with the Vicki android.
However, now that he was here, the Doctor was unable to pinpoint any specific anachronistic anomaly.
"Well, you weren't any help at all," he muttered to the scanning device in his hand as he shook it slightly, annoyed that even the tiny radial dish was not revolving as it should.
And he usually enjoyed the tiny radar dish. It was the highlight of the palm scanner.
He put the device in his jacket pocket as he approached the main dirt road that led to the city. He stopped and stood at the side of the road for a moment, taking in the scenery.
Time...
Did he have the time to do this? He had a time machine, one would think he had all the time in the multiverse. But he couldn't turn back time on this body of his. He could feel the itch of regeneration crawling beneath his skin. He was unsure how much time he had left.
Did he really want to waste it on a wild Graske chase trying to discover the origin of the android? Vicki was safe in the current timeline. Her life had not been altered or meddled with in any way.
He had so much more to do.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a gentle tug on his sleeve.
The Doctor turned around and glanced down to see a young girl standing next to him, perhaps about six years of age. She was wearing a simple white dress, dirty with continued use, probably the only dress she had.
Smiling at him, she raised her hand, holding out a fistful of flowers.
He smiled back. "Oh, hello. Thank you." But he didn't take the flowers.
Noticing a woman nearby, drawing water from a well a short distance from the road, he added, "But why don't you save those for your mum, eh? Looks like she could use them more than me."
The little girl glanced at her mother, then turned to him and nodded, still smiling. She ran off to join her mother at the well, but stopped and looked back when he called to her.
"Wait," he asked, "What's your name?"
"Katarina," was the girl's reply. As she turned and ran off, the Doctor's smile faded.
With an ache in his chest, he turned and hurriedly walked back to the TARDIS, tears threatening to sting his eyes.
There was no further point in staying here any longer.
...
The Doctor reached the TARDIS, pausing to retrieve the key from his pocket.
"Doctor! Oh, Doctor!"
He turned to see Vicki rushing towards him.
"Oh, my dear child!" he exclaimed, "Oh, how lovely to see you. Where have you been all this time? And where's Steven?"
The city was under siege. All around them battle raged between Greeks and Trojans.
"Doctor, he's over there," she told him, "But I've got to talk to you."
"Oh, now one thing at a time, child," he replied, "Where's the young man?"
Vicki turned to the young woman that was following her. "Katarina, this is the Doctor. Now, go and find the man you call Diomede. He's hiding amongst those pillars over there."
Katarina was looking at the Doctor, apparently noticing his odd attire. "You are from... the other place?"
The Doctor glanced at her briefly before turning to Vicki. "But who is this child?" He shook his head. "Now pull yourself together. We've got to go."
"Katarina, go and find Diomede. He will be there." Vicki paused and gestured to the TARDIS. "Bring him to my temple, quickly."
Katarina nodded and hurried away.
"We must all go and find him," insisted the Doctor, "Come along."
Vicki shook her head. "No, Doctor. Into the TARDIS, quickly."
"Listen, my dear child," he said, "The boy, the boy."
"Open the door and listen to me, please."
The Doctor nodded. 'Oh, yes, but just be patient will you."
"Steven is safe," she told him, "Katarina will bring him. Come on, I've got to talk to you."
...
Katarina made her way through the city square to find Steven slumped against a pillar.
"Diomede," she announced, "Cressida has sent me."
Steven glanced at her. "Who are you?"
"I've come to take you to your temple," she told him, "Oh, come quickly."
"I can't."
Katarina glanced at his wounds and realised that he had been gravely injured.
"Lean on me," she said, stepping forward to help him to his feet.
...
A short while later, the Doctor was manipulating the controls on the TARDIS console. The exit doors slid open and Katarina entered with Steven.
The Doctor went to them and helped Steven onto the medical bed that had slid out from the wall. The young man was in worse condition than he had thought.
The doors slid closed and the central column of the control console began to rise and fall.
Registering the size of the room they were in, Katarina had fallen to her knees, bowing her head.
"That's not good," the Doctor was saying as he examined Steven's wounds, "That's not good at all. We must get help."
"What help is there in limbo?" Katarina managed to say.
The Doctor glanced at her. "What's that, my dear?"
"Vicki." moaned Steven, struggling to sit up.
The Doctor turned back to him, placing a hand on his chest. "No, no, no, no, no. Keep calm, keep calm."
"Is she all right?" asked Steven.
"Yes, yes," the Doctor told him, "She's all right. Yes, yes."
Steven noticed the young woman on her knees near the doors. "What's she doing over there?"
"No, no, no. That's not Vicki," replied the Doctor, "That's not Vicki. Now keep calm."
"Not Vicki?"
"Be quiet!" The Doctor activated the control panel on the side of the bed.
"Where is she? The Trojans will kill her."
"She's all right. She wanted to stay."
The Doctor attached a small device to the side of Steven's left arm.
"The Greeks," muttered Steven, "The Greeks, the Trojans."
"Keep still," the Doctor told him, sliding a finger along the bed's control panel.
"Vicki," whispered Steven as a sedative entered his bloodstream.
"She's all right," the Doctor said again, "I know she is. She's gone to find Troilus and she'll be quite all right. This is just what she wanted. Now calm down. Yes, quiet, quiet."
Steven's breathing calmed as he fell asleep.
The Doctor nodded and turned to Katarina. "You'll have to look after that young man," he told her, "I think he has calmed down."
Katarina bowed to him. "Strange god, you bring me peace."
He stared at her. "What? What are you talking about?"
She gestured at their surroundings. "This is your temple," she said.
"It is nothing of the kind," the Doctor replied firmly, "It is my ship."
"This is no ship," Katarina laughed. "Where are the sails? Where are the oarsmen?" She shook her head. "No, this is your temple, and we are journeying through the Underworld to the Palace of Perfection."
"No," replied the Doctor, "I don't know what Vicki has advised you, but-"
"The Priestess Cressida told me all would be well," said Katarina, "And I knew it was to come."
"What was to come, my dear?"
"That I was to die."
"My dear child," he told her, "You're not dead. That's nonsense."
"This is not Troy," she replied, "This is not even the world. This is the journey through the beyond."
The Doctor sighed. "Well, as you wish."
"Thank you."
"Yes, yes, yes, as you wish, my child. Now, I want you to keep an eye on that young man." He gestured to Steven. "Will you?"
She nodded. "Yes, great god."
"His name is Steven," continued the Doctor, "And remember Katarina, you must call me Doctor."
Katarina nodded again. "Oh, as you wish Doc."
"I am not a Doc," he told her, "I am not a god." He sighed and muttered to himself. "Oh, my dear Vicki, I hope you'll be all right. I shall miss you child." He glanced at Steven. They would need medicinal drugs that he currently did not have aboard the TARDIS. "Yes, now. Those drugs, those drugs. What am I going to do? I must stop somewhere."
...
Some time later, Steven had regained consciousness.
Katarina was by his side. "The Doctor will return very soon," she announced, "He will get help."
He stared at her. "Where are we?" he asked.
"On our way through the underworld," was her confident reply.
He blinked. "What? Look, I don't understand. Vicki. Troy." He stared at her a moment and added, "Oh. You helped me when that Trojan-"
"Deep calm. You must rest."
"Did the Doctor bring you on board?" he asked.
Katarina nodded. "Yes. We all make the journey together."
"Who are you?"
"Katarina. I served as handmaid to the High Priestess Cassandra. But you must rest. The Doctor will bring help. Don't ask any more questions."
...
The next time Steven awoke, he was confused to find himself in the middle of a jungle. Katarina was once again by his side.
"Where's the Doctor?" he asked groggily.
"He will be here soon," she replied.
"I don't understand. Where are we?" He shook his head. "I can't think straight."
"You must rest. The tablets I gave you have made you better, but you must still rest."
"Tablets?" he asked, "What's going on here? What are we doing out here in the jungle?" He found it difficult to keep his eyes open.
"We had to leave the temple," replied Katarina, who paused for a brief moment to correct herself, "The TARDIS. The evil ones came."
"Evil ones?"
She nodded. "He called them... Daleks?"
"Daleks!"
Still weakened by his fever, Steven drifted back into unconsciousness.
A sudden sound alerted Katarina and she turned to see the Doctor approach.
"Katarina!" he exclaimed, surprised to see her outside the safety of the TARDIS.
She bowed her head. "My lord."
"Doctor. Doctor," he corrected, glancing at the unconscious Steven. "What are you both doing here?"
"The evil ones searched for us but Bret helped us," she told him, "He said they were evil."
The Doctor nodded. "Yes, well, whoever this Bret is, he's quite right. The Daleks are evil things."
"Bret is the man you put in your magic chair."
"What? That young ruffian?"
"But he helped us," said Katarina.
"And you released him?"
"Was I not right to do so?" she asked, "When the evil ones came he said we had to flee from your temple."
"My TARDIS, child, my TARDIS," said the Doctor with a sigh, "Yes, you were right. I mean, he wasn't to know that you were quite safe away from the Daleks in there." He paused and turned to Steven. "How is this young man?"
Steven was awake now. "I'll be all right in a minute or two. Thanks, Doc."
The Doctor nodded. "Good, good, good."
"Bret says the time is four thousand," said Katarina, "And he came here, and only just got away from the evil ones. He gave Steven some white tablets, and he's almost well again."
The Doctor nodded again. "I see, I see. Yes, and I clamped him in that chair, and he turned out to be the very fellow with the antitoxin we needed." He turned back to Steven. "Well, young man, you'd better pull yourself together. We've got some work to do."
...
You show me so many strange mysteries. With you I know I'm safe.
...
Aboard the spaceship, the criminal Kirksen had grabbed Katarina and held her in a vice-like grip before him. "Keep back!" he growled.
"Who are you?" demanded the Doctor, "What do you want? Release that girl!"
"Never mind! Who's in charge of this thing? Answer me!"
"I am," replied Bret.
"Where are you heading?"
"Earth."
Kirksen shook his head. "Change course. Change it!"
"To where?' asked Bret.
"Not Earth. Go to the planet Kembel."
"Kembel!' scowled the Doctor. They had just escaped Kembel.
"Shut up and do as I say!" demanded Kirksen.
"Kembel's deserted, man," Bret told him, "It's as bad as Desperus."
"Nowhere's as bad as Desperus!" exclaimed Kirksen.
"The Daleks are on Kembel!" piped in Steven.
Kirksen glared at him. "So?"
"The Daleks are no help," said the Doctor, "We're going back to Earth."
"Then I shall be sent back to the Devil's planet!" complained Kirksen, "No, whoever the Daleks are, they'll help me."
Steven stared at him. "You don't know about them?"
"I said go to Kembel! Kembel!" yelled Kirksen.
Bret adjusted the ships's navigation controls.
"We're changing course,' announced the Doctor, "Now release that girl."
"Do you think I'm a fool?" growled the criminal.
"Course is changed," insisted Steven, "We're heading for Kembel."
"It doesn't feel as if we've changed," said Kirksen.
"Well, look up at the screen and you'll see," said Bret.
As Kirksen glanced at the visual screen, Steven rushed towards him. Kirksen shoved him away and tightened his grip on Katarina, dragging her with him into the airlock. The door slid closed.
"Open the door from the control panel,' Steven said to Bret, "I'll rush him!"
The Doctor shook his head. "The girl will be dead before the door's half open!" He glanced at Bret. "Can we talk to him in there?'
Bret nodded. "Yes, I've turned on the talkback."
"Let's try a little bluff, suggested the Doctor. He raised his voice, addressing the criminal. "Now, then! Listen to me, whoever you are. Bring that girl in here, or we will press a button, and you will be sucked through the outer door into space."
"Then the girl dies too," replied Kirksen, "If you open the outside door I'll press the inner release and then we'll all be dead!"
Bret shook his head. "We can't seem to get through to him. He's crazy."
"We've got to get Katarina out of there!" exclaimed Steven.
Bret deactivated the audio link to the airlock.
"Turn that back on again!" demanded Steven.
"There's no point," Bret told him.
"Turn it on again, before he really hurts her."
"Look," said Bret, "He can't kill her or he hasn't a hostage."
Steven glared at him and turned the audio link back on, shouting, "You animal!"
"Now that's just for starters," said Kirksen, "Do as I say!"
"Change course," said the Doctor.
Kirksen nodded. "Now, that's more like it!"
"Take him back to Kembel," continued the Doctor, "Take him back to Kembel! Let the Daleks deal with him."
"Yes," muttered Steven, "And us."
"Don't worry, dear boy," he told him, "We'll find a way out."
Katarina screamed, struggling to get free of Kirksen's grip.
"Stop that or you're dead!" the criminal told her.
"I can't sacrifice everything for the sake of that one girl," said Bret.
"Listen," said Steven, "Without us you wouldn't have got off Kembel at all, and nothing would be worth bothering about!"
"All right, so we all go back together," replied Bret, "But without me, I doubt that you would have got this far either."
"Yes, all right," conceded Steven, "But I won't let you hurt Katarina. We'll head back for Kembel as the Doctor says. On the way we may find a way to get her out of there."
Katarina's scream brought their attention back to the airlock. She struggled again to pull free of Kirksen, clawing at his face with one hand and reaching for the door controls with the other.
"You won't," said Kirksen confidently.
"No, not that one!" exclaimed Steven, "Katarina!"
Katarina's hand struck a button on the controls, and the outer doors slid open behind her and Kirksen. She glanced a final time at the Doctor before she and Kirksen were pulled out the airlock and into space.
"Katarina!" called Steven, but it was too late.
There was a stunned silence aboard the ship, and after a long moment, Steven said quietly, "She pressed the wrong button, Doctor."
The Doctor wasn't so convinced. "She may have wanted to...," he trailed off and cleared his throat, "Dear boy, she wanted to save our lives."
"It must have been quick," said Bret.
"I hope she's reached her Palace of Perfection," said the Doctor.
"Yes, but not that way," replied Steven.
"She didn't understand," continued the Doctor, "She couldn't understand. She wanted to save our lives, and perhaps the lives of all the other beings of the Solar System. I hope she's found her Perfection. Oh, how I shall always remember her as one of the Daughters of the Gods. Yes, as one of the Daughters of the Gods."
...
Sweet Katarina. She had sacrificed herself for the Doctor. For her own personal god. She did not fear death, and in fact embraced it. She respected death and viewed it as a part of life. As a final reward, even. Her religious beliefs would not allow her to be happy if she were to be taken from that death, a noble death that had been in tribute to her lord, and brought back to the world of the living. She would no doubt actually consider it an insult, and would view a life after which not worth living. After all, she had actually thought she was already dead, travelling the afterlife in her lord Doctor's magical temple. This was her journey through to the Beyond.
