This story is based on a beautiful alien planet with an extra TARDIS member. Quite a bit of this focuses on the different relationships between the companions, with a terrorist threat thrown in. I hope you enjoy it. Reviews will be appreciated.
"What am I supposed to do?" Alec asked, whispering to the Doctor who knelt by his side.
"Shut up!" the Doctor whispered. "Don't let on!"
"High Priest, please accept our humble gifts," the Priestess smiled, handing Alec a papyrus scroll from her tanned, jewelled hands.
"Yes . . . This looks . . . Nice," Alec stuttered, accepting the scrolls.
"Smile," Sasha mouthed. She stood at the other end of the crypt, posing in her golden outfit.
Alec smiled. "Servant, take this to the sarcophagus," Alec instructed.
"Yes, High Priest," Shannon grunted, taking the papyrus from Alec.
"What else will you be requiring?" Alec asked the Priestess.
"I have a question for you," the Priestess replied.
"Yes?" Alec insisted.
"Why would you think I wouldn't realise you were time travellers?" the Priestess asked. "Do you really think I'd mistake you for the High Priest?"
"What?" the Doctor gasped, his jaw dropping.
"Ha!" the Priestess laughed. "Don't think you're the only one!" she laughed, and from her majestic robes, pulled a large, blue gun.
Alec and the Doctor raised their hands in surrender. "Don't shoot!" Alec pleaded.
"Tough look, kid. Servants, leave. One word of this and you'll be flayed!" the Priestess ordered. "I'll dispose of theses two imposters."
"No chance, sweetie!" Sasha cried, hitting the Priestess on the back of the head with an elaborate vase. "Oh my God, that was awesome!" Sasha laughing, dancing on the spot as the Priestess crumpled to the floor.
"Jesus! You just hit her!" the Doctor gasped.
"Don't worry, I didn't kill her. She's just a little concussed," Sasha groaned.
"Not even that," Shannon corrected her, pointing to the Priestess, "she's getting up."
"RUN!" Alec cried, taking the gun from the Priestess' hands.
The Priestess activated a button on her wrist, disguised by an expensive bracelet. "Contacting IJA! The intruders are alerted! Back-up requested at the crypt! Immediate assistance!"
"Shut up," Alec groaned, pushing the Priestess to the floor as he ran from the crypt with the Doctor, Sasha and Shannon.
There was an explosion, singeing the ends of the Doctor's hair has he burst through the doors of the TARDIS. The assistance the Priestess asked for had arrived, chasing after the four of them, armed with guns and grenades. Panting, he screamed at his companions to follow, ushering them into his ship – Sasha, then Alec, then Shannon. A bullet flew through the TARDIS, cracking a hole at the other end of the ship, avoiding any fatalities. There was an explosion, blazing heat through the TARDIS as the Doctor was thrown to his back.
"DOCTOR!" Sasha screamed, pulling the Doctor from the floor.
"CLOSE THE DOORS!" Alec yelled.
The Doctor slammed the doors shut. "Did they touch you? Is anyone hurt?" the Doctor inquired, inspecting Sasha for any injuries.
"No, I'm fine. The bullets nearly hit me but I ran in a zig-zag, like they always say on those crummy prime time shows on the American channels that no-one really watches," Sasha insisted. "Those guns - were they head-dresses?"
"No, they were guns. But they looked like head-dresses," the Doctor corrected her.
"But why?" Sasha asked.
"It's 50BC, Egypt. No guns yet. Not even plasma rifles and high density pulse explosives."
"And you? Are you ok?" the Doctor asked, checking Shannon's hands.
"I'm good," Shannon replied.
"Doctor, who were they? You didn't explain," Alec wondered.
"Well, we were running," Sasha added.
"Intergalactic Justice Agency – basically a terrorist group," the Doctor explained, setting the TARDIS into flight.
"What, like Al Qaeda?" Alec clarified.
"Yes, but intergalactic and in the future. They correct parts of history that they believe to be wrong or immoral. They'll kill kings early in their reign, destroy whole species or entire constellations. It wreaks havoc through time, so they have to be stopped wherever possible," the Doctor continued.
"I'm guessing they're not the type that hides bombs or hijack planes then?" Alec sighed.
"More of a mix of planet crushing weapons, experimental bombs and a sneaky murder every now and again. They certainly have an imaginative way of distorting time," the Doctor told them.
"So what were they doing in ancient Egypt?" Shannon asked.
"Judging by the time, I'd say they were trying to kill Cleopatra before her death. She was a powerful and cruel woman. Just the sort of target IJA usually go for."
"So why did we save her?" Alec asked.
"Because it's history. Don't mess with it . . . And she's one hell of a woman!" the Doctor grinned.
"Ew!" Sasha grimaced. "So many unneeded comments."
"Where are we going?" Alec asked.
"You heard then," the Doctor frowned, "they're planning something."
"Yes," Sasha remembered. "They were saying something about a garden."
"Why do terrorists want a garden?" Shannon thought.
"Not a garden, the garden!" the Doctor corrected them.
"And the difference is?" Alec persisted. "There must by millions of gardens in the universe. We can't see them all!"
"You don't get it, do you?" the Doctor said, pulling a lever and sending a TARDIS into a spin." There's only one planet they could have been talking about."
"Then take us there!" Shannon announcing, holding onto the console as the TARDIS shook.
The Doctor was the first to step out of the TARDIS. He looked around. "Ok. We're here!" he called.
"Finally!" Sasha groaned. "What did it take – six attempts? It's fine when we arrive on some empty distant moon, but we caused a lot of problems with Queen Victoria . . . And the Aztec priest. We would've known it was Alec that started the Doomsday calendar."
"I couldn't help it," Alec defended himself. "I thought I was making a mural, not predicting the end of life on Earth."
"Where are we?" Shannon asked, following Alec and Sasha out of the TARDIS, stepping out onto a patch of green grass.
"The planet Bellamore," the Doctor announced. "The fifth planet in this star system, first discovered by a human colony, two thousand years ago. It was named 'Tourist Planet of the Year' ten years ago and is one of the best travelling destinations of all time."
The planet was one continuing garden. The grass wasn't always green; some areas were red and others were yellow, and the bushes were of every possible shape, delving into the realms of fantasy. Purple flowers stretched metres high into the air, and water fountains of cherubs and exotic animals spat water of every colour. High in the sky stood another layer of the garden, joined by flights of stairs. The entire planet was a complex of beautiful and unusual gardens, layer upon layer.
"We're on the fifth floor," the Doctor told them, "and there are another seven above ours. Do you like it?"
"Of course," Sasha gasped, looking out over the miles of flowers and pottery features.
"So, Doctor, explain," Alec demanded, pulling Shannon along with him as he followed the Doctor through the garden.
"This planet has been visited by every developed civilisation in the universe. Not far from here is a black hole, just far enough for this planet to not be sucked in. Every year it's pulled away, which can disturb the plants but that's all maintained. About ten years from now, a plant will grow, one that's never been seen before. A mutant plant will develop – one with the potential to destroy whole civilisations if its juices are concentrated," the Doctor explained.
"And the terrorists want the plant?" Sasha asked.
"No. They want it destroyed," the Doctor remarked.
"But why?" Shannon inquired.
"The plant is used to destroy the terrorist group, finally ending their tyranny. The terrorists know that it's going to be used against them, so they've designed a plan to destroy it. Any moment now, their plan begins. Well, I say that, but it could be anytime between now and ten years."
"Then how will you know?" Sasha asked.
"The TARDIS takes me where I need to go. She'll know where to take us."
"Freaky plants," Shannon commented, pointing to a house-sized leaf which dripped with yellow goo.
"The garden's take inspiration from every corner of the universe. There's a bit of Earth, a bit of Chen, a bit of Calisto P."
"And we're at?" Shannon asked.
"Umm . . ." the Doctor thought. "There's a bit of Versailles down there, but I think we're a mix of Middle Age Candonia and twenty eighth century Scarton. Not sure about these purple flowers, though," the Doctor added, looking up at the petals that towered into the sky.
"You're making that up, aren't you?" Sasha guessed, whispering to the Doctor.
"Basically, yes," the Doctor laughed. "But Alec believed it, so everything's turned out fine."
"Is he . . .?" Sasha stopped to watch as Alec laughed with Shannon by a beautiful bush of cubed roses. "Is Alec trying to impress Shannon? Is this a date?"
The Doctor's eyes furrowed together. "So romantic – on the hunt for time-travelling terrorists, not sure how long it'll be until the fireworks begin. Does this make us the third and fourth wheels?"
"Unfortunately, yes," the Sasha smiled.
"He's your brother, your problem," the Doctor reminded her.
Sasha gasped, coming to a halt. "He is, isn't he . . ."
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah. It's just weird. I've not had a brother for years, and suddenly he's my responsibility. He's interested in girls. He's a spy! Is it me or is this a bit too fast?"
"If you didn't find this difficult then there'd be a problem."
"Do I have to do anything? Do I have to have those parent conversations with him, even though I'm his sister? Do I need to have a talk about girls? Do I set his rules? Do I need to introduce him to social networking?"
"Calm down!" the Doctor interrupted. "Slow down. Don't worry, it's just a suppressed reaction. Everything's ok. You'll be able to tell what to do; let your instincts take control."
"My instincts tell me to never let him near a girl, ever, in the whole of his life."
"Then ignore your instincts completely."
"You're right. You must be! You're an alien that's over a thousand years old. Thanks, Doctor," she grinned, hugging him slightly, which he protested to.
"Come on!" the Doctor called to Alec and Shannon. "Up here!" he gestured to a set of marble stairs which led up to the next floor of the complex.
It took shorter than expected to climb up to the next floor, leaving the garden below them. The higher level was much more fantasy, with spiralling bushes and plants that seemed to sing a little, glittering in the beams of light. There was building along a path, a bit like a cottage.
"What's that?" Shannon asked.
"Gift shop? Tourist centre? A big shed?" the Doctor guessed.
"Then let's find out," Alec decided, leading them along the path towards the cottage.
The cottage was some sort of tourist centre. Wood lined the room, added to the fairytale effect the rest of the planet seemed to have. Tables and stands were everywhere, holding strange objects: what seemed to be alien eggs, mysterious boxes, letters, musical instruments . . . No-one of it seemed to be related; it was all too chaotic to be part of one single collection.
"What is all of this?" Alec asked, picking up a green box with intricate patterns stretching over it.
"Put it down!" the Doctor instructed, raising his eyebrows. "A thousand Mordanian legions fought over that box, and trust me, you don't want to find out why."
Alec apologised and placed it down.
"It's like a gift shop," Shannon deciphered, "but nothing's labelled or priced. Everything has a different origin, and cultural design. It's not a shop, but is still a collection of work from places all over the universe, I'd guess. Like an inter-species gallery."
"Good. Very nearly," the Doctor congratulated her. "Like I said, this is a tourist planet. What do tourists do? They put love letters into cracks in walls, throw coins in fountains, put locks on bridges and throw they key into the river beneath it. Not here. People leave tokens here – marks to represent their planet," the Doctor explained, inspecting the tokens with wide, interested eyes.
"Should we leave something?" Sasha wondered.
"If you want. It's not an obligation; no-one's forcing you. It's just a tradition," the Doctor suggested. "I would, but I don't carry much on me."
"We should," Sasha decided. "We're the only people from where we come from that'll ever have the chance of being here." Sasha removed her necklace and draped it over a stand beside several other pieces of alien jewellery. "There. My mark in time and space."
"Whose was it?" the Doctor asked.
"I recognise it," Alec recalled. "It was left in your will, wasn't it? Are you sure, Sasha; it's important?"
"I'm sure," Sasha replied. "The necklace isn't important, it's who the necklace was from. I'm sure."
There was a clatter in the room as an object was knocked over. The Doctor and his companions turned to look. A woman appeared from behind a large painting – she had a pointed face, with blue, scaled skin. Her tongue ended with a forked point, and her eyes were large and green. Red lace was draped over her, making her look mystical, like an ancient prophet.
"Thank you for your offering," the woman said as she bowed. "We appreciate your kindness." She patted Sasha fondly, and smiled at the necklace. "It is a very beautiful gift, if I may add."
Sasha was taken aback, having to supress a gasp. "Erm . . . Do you understand me? Do you speak English?"
"Ah," the Doctor interrupted, "that'll be the TARDIS. An extra bit of help. It'll translate any language for you."
"Seriously?" Sasha gasped. "Even Gaelic?"
"Yes, even Gaelic."
"Could I talk to a Martian?"
"I'm sure you could."
"Then, are you not actually speaking English? Are you speaking Gallifreyan this very moment?"
"No; I speak English."
Sasha giggled. "That's awesome."
"Please, browse the rest of the collection," the scaled woman insisted. "We have art work and preservations and music. Also food."
"How can all of this fit into a cottage?" Shannon asked.
"Bigger on the inside?" Alec guessed.
"I'm pretty sure," the Doctor confirmed. "Be careful. Something could be booby trapped," the Doctor reminded them.
Shannon searched through the objects, leaning over to look at strange glass ornaments and artwork. Stepping to side, she knocked an object, unable to prevent the black egg from toppling to the floor. As it split open on the floor she gasped, stepping back as it oozed a green gas.
"Step back!" the Doctor ordered, pulling Shannon back from the gas.
"Sorry!" Shannon cried. "Is this the terrorist trap?"
"Doctor, what is it?" Sasha panicked, pulling Alec back too. "Is this what the terrorists have done?"
"I don't know," the Doctor gasped. "And I'm not sure whether I want to find out."
"I'm so sorry!" Shannon apologised.
"No. It is fine," the Doctor insisted. "What's going to happen would've happened anyway."
"Doctor, what's it doing?" Alec watched as a creature crawled from the shattered egg. It was small and black, hairy with a grotesque face. "What is that?"
"It's like some sort of a baby," Shannon observed.
"Is this it?" Sasha panicked.
"I think so," the Doctor gasped. "But why this? What's it going to do?"
Then it began to grow. It bones shuddered and sprouted from its joints, it squealed and cried out. Its teeth were pointed and stretched, its whole body twisted as it grew.
"We should all take a step back," the Doctor warned, stepping with Sasha behind a desk.
The creature staggered to its feet. It was large, and with fur so dark it seemed to swallow the light around it. Its body was part way between a bear and a gorilla, similar to its face. Pointed teeth like a vampire hung from its mouth, beneath a set of large, angry eyes.
"We should run!" the Doctor cried.
At that moment, the room flared with red lights, along with a wailing siren. A voice cried out, "Planet in lockdown! Unauthorized life form detected!"
"Run!"
"Alec! Get by me!"
"Shannon!" Alec cried, grabbing Shannon and pulling away from the creature. He stretched out his hand to Sasha. It wasn't enough. A wall fell between them, separating the Doctor and Sasha, and Alec and Shannon, with an inch of metal. "Sasha! DOCTOR!" Alec screamed.
"ALEC!" Sasha cried from the other side.
"Alec!" Shannon gasped, nudging him.
Alec turned to look. The monster was fully formed, and turned to face Alec and Shannon, pinning them up against the wall, snarling with its flared nose and glaring eyes. Alec pressed against the wall, holding Shannon's hand, trapped by large objects either side of him.
"Alec, I'm sorry," Shannon shuddered.
"Don't you dare," Alec grinned a little, but couldn't feign the bravery much longer. Looking down to his feet, Alec noticed a line around him, carved into the floor. "Do you trust me?" Alec asked.
"At this moment, I have to," Shannon stuttered.
Alec pulled Shannon beside him. "JUMP!" Both of them jumped, making the floor beneath them split open as the creature swiped at them, falling through the ground.
"ALEC! SHANNON!" Sasha screamed.
"Wait! Shush!" the Doctor instructed, pressing his ear against the wall.
"Why? Doctor? They could've been killed!"
"No they haven't. We didn't hear it," the Doctor explained, slightly oblivious to his companions upset.
"What are you doing?" Sasha asked.
"Listening," the Doctor replied. Sasha also pressed her ear to the wall, listening to the monster's grunts, and the grating of its claws against the floor. For a moment there was silence, only the worried panting of Sasha and the Doctor. CRASH! The wall shuddered as the monster jumped at it, forcing its entire body at the wall.
"Are we safe?" Sasha panicked. "It can't get through, can it?"
"Why are you asking me?" the Doctor snapped.
"You're the expert on literally everything! You tell me! Can it get through?"
"Well," the Doctor considered, scratching his head as the monster continued to run at the wall. "Well, considering the approximate depth and density of the wall, along with the mass and force of the monster . . . I'll take a stab at no."
A chunk of metal flew from the wall, scattering with thin slithers which were thrown from it as a set of long, sharp claws protruded from the other side.
"You should probably reconsider your reply," Sasha groaned.
"We should probably run," the Doctor gasped, watching as more of the wall was forced from its place. As the claws continued to tear at the wall, there was a roaring growl and roar.
"Doctor, we should go!" Sasha insisted.
"Yes. You're right," the Doctor agreed, taking Sasha by the hand. "RUN!"