A new narrator takes over for Ro Laren partway through the chapter! Meet the Doctors' cousin. Lady Allison Prydonia is still a kid as far as time ladies are concerned- not yet 150 and still acts like one. However, as we shall see, Alley does have some redeeming qualities and secrets too! Enjoy the chapter and have a swell weekend!- K&K
CHAPTER 37 'Gate Vs Gate' or 'Satan Meets Demon & Rose'
DISCLAIMER: OK Doctor the First, you're on. That's all, ma'am? Just the legal announcements? I will gladly do so, my dear child. We all want to say thanks to the fine folks whose creations we are permitted to use. We claim no rights to any of that stuff. However, we do claim rights to anything we ourselves have created. Anyone who wants to may use our creations so long as we get the credit for their creating.
A special thank you goes to Mr Haruka-San Takachiho who created our fabulous Angelic darlings Kei O'Halloran and Yuri Donovan just to name the two main heroines of our tales of derring do! How was that, Miss? Quiet K-9! We are in no real danger aboard this fine floating hotel. Very well! My dear, do sit down and strap in! My 4th self is going to place our TARDIS beside Warrior's Gate which will place us all outside the realms of space and time as we know them.
Guess I may as well do a brief recap while this police box is being maneuvered into position by the Doctor.
By the by, this is Captain Ro Laren, the newly appointed executive officer of the Mary Celeste space rig. That means I'm her top doggie behind Brigadier Edna Jordan, our commanding officer. OK. Our chief engineer, Dynamo, had just finished replacing our warp core, the exciting football match betwixt the Kaguran Kittyhawks and the Tholian Thundercats had ended with most of us pocketing a lot of ready cash from our wagers on the outcome of the game and now we were about to get our second glimpse of Warrior's Gate.
I hope it's better than what I saw when i peered out the 'star room' 'window' on the Angel 2. What had I seen out there? Ya won't believe me but it was a big blob of- nothing! We were outside the true realms of space and time so I guess that explains it, huh?
The whole ship shivered again and then shook like some giant was shaking us like a ragdoll! Then we settled down again and when we didn't move or jerk or twist, I cautiously released my straps and stood up. Bad idea! The whole place was spinning like a top and I fell foewards and into the arms of a Triceratops dinosaur alien creature.
"Steady there, Cap. You feeling OK now, Ro?" asked a concerned Dynamo and I tried to shove him off me. His bear hug held firm and a good thing too because I was really feeling whoozy. Landing in an area barren of gravitational pull at a pressure of G 600 tends to have that effect on people! I insisted on seeing the new warp core so, against his better judgment, Dynamo helped me into a lift car and then into his engine room.
A huge thing that resembled an old-fashioned steam cabinet for a giant or two was gleaming in the pale grey light. Junpei and Blackfire were busily inserting long Kelvinite rods into it. Without their presence, the core would overheat the warp drive and go supernova on us. That would cause a chain reaction of explosions which would destroy the Mary, the Angel 2, all the ships berthed aboard them and maybe even the TARDIS within which all of our ships were currently berthed!
"We can give you up to 60 Warp in 8 seconds flat, Cap. Now I insist that Doc Mike have a look at ya while Nurse Dixie bandages that forehead of yours. Black? You're in charge. Do a complete diagnostics check on every damned system in here. Junpei can help ya and leave those stabilizer rods right where they are, Elf Hunter Boy! C'mon, Ro. To the doctor's we will go." said Suba Dynamo and I allowed him to half walk, half carry me up to sick bay where Dr Morton shook his head and clucked his tongue a few times.
"You really smoke too much, Captain and you are drinking way too much caffeine! You need rest as well. Here's bottle of Noddy Nods to help you sleep. Take one caplet before you go to bed tonight and repeat that dosage for the next few nights. Then I want to see you back here for a check-up, young lady. You need something to stimulate your appetite. These are St John's Wort. Take one an hour before mealtimes for the next couple of months. Good strong heartbeat but your pulse is racing like a triphammer. What's her BP, Dix? A bit low but that could be this damned godforsaken place we're in. You're done." said a cross Dr Mike and I sat down on the table to allow Dixie McCall to dress my head wound.
"This is Kolacydyl & Synthenol, Captain. It may sting so please try and keep your head still." said our resident nurse.
"Ouchie! That stuff burns like fire!" I yelled, tears in my eyes.
"That means it's doing you some good. If it hurts too much, I can give you a shot of Axileine 30X, Ro." said Dr Mike but I shook my head, earning myself a frown from Dixie who was bandaging my forehead.
"This gauze bandaging that we got from Doctor Grandfather (Dr #1) is pre-treated with antiseptics of some kind. It has a red stripe which slowly fades to pink as the wound heals and then to white when the medicines have completely sealed the wound. I wonder if we could take some home with us?" said Dixie. I quickly put the kibosh on that idea!
"No way, girl! You cannot bring stuff from the future back to the past! We'd get a fast visit from the Guardians of the Universes before you could say Jack Robinson! The Doctor would have a royal fit! No telling what harm you'd cause with a trick like that!" I admonished her and then she helped me to my feet and assisted me to the door and down the hall to my own suite.
Ginny was already at her vidcomputer and transcribing notes she'd made in her PDO unit. Edie was on one of our divans, java cup in hand. Trish was trying on dresses with Rio and Diana was practicing lassoing the bunk post with her golden 'truth' lariat. I repped up tea and scones for myself and wearily lowered myself onto the other divan.
"Ro! Are you OK? That looks like you took quite a jolt! We're not doing any exploring tonight so you'd best get some sleep. Mike give you any Noddy Nods? I have some in my overnight case if you need them. (I held up my own mini meds cabinet of pills and capsules) I take it Dynamo has finished repairs? (I nodded and winced) Good. When the alchemists are done here, I don't fancy hanging around here. Nighty night, girls." said our CO and she went to her own suite.
"Does it hurt, Roesie?" asked Rio and she pushed her fingers right into the bandage above the wound. I jumped a kilo!
"Ow! It does when you do that!" I howled and Ginny observed "Then don't touch it, Dumbass." wihout turning around.
Trish brought me some water and made me take a Noddy Nod and get into my bunk while she read me a bedtime story. I yawned several times and asked her to stop and put out the illuminator.
"Then I won't find out how it ends, Captain." she pointed out crossly.
"Read it to Rio then. I'm tired. G'Night." I said and snapped off my illuminator.
"-and Ali Baba and Morgana were wed, birthed many babies and lived happily ever after, my good Sultan of the Sun and the Moon. Now the next tale was on this wise-" read Trish.
"Trish! That's the Arabian Nights! It took me a month of Sundays to read that thing! Turn off your illuminators and let us sleep." moaned a grumpy Wonder Girl. She had the pillow over her head.
"Ginny! Are you about done? I got first watch tmorrow. I need sleep!" grumbled Rio. Gina sighed, stretched, snapped off her desk illuminators and got ready for bed. Does time pass at all outside of time itself? My wristchromo vibrated and I saw it was midnight. I debated getting up to check the night bridge watch but what the Hell? Why bother? None of our ships were going anyplace. The TARDIS had stopped pulsing at last and all was as still as the grave.
The Noddy Nod did its job and Morpheus wrapped me in his arms as I drifted into a deep slumber. I dreaned that the Ice Roads Minister, Alex Devagorsky, was lecturing all of us on the evils of smoking, drinking and gambling and he was staring at Rio. I awoke with a start when I heard someting hit the ceiling.
I glanced up and Trish was flying but the kid was sound asleep! Sleep-flying? Everyone else was dead to the universes so I got up and put on my rocket boots. I jetted upwards and gently lowered Trish into her bunk. Every piece of furniture on a space craft of any size, type or sort was equipped with straps and our bunks were no exception. I strapped the errant nun into her bunk and returned to my own. I swallowed another Noddy Nod and dropped off immediately.
"Ro! Roe-Sie! Get up! It's almost 0930 and the Boss wants to have a pow-wow before the alchies get started! We'll catch unholy Hell if we're late dammit! Get up!" howled Rio. Ginny was slapping my face or so I was told later. Trish was fanning me with her coronet nun cap. Angie and Zach were dumping cold water on me to try and wake me up. Lady Alley had changed into a normal flightsuit (Those time lady robes were the pits!) and was reading the label on the Noddy Nods. She looked worried.
"There are supposed to be thirty caplets in this container. Now there are only 28!" said our new-found friend.
"So? Don't give her any more, Alley! We want her to wake up, not go to sleep! Roesie Laren, this is your nine o'clock alarm call!" Rio was shouting at me and shaking the bunk until the slats broke and the entire bunk crashed to the deck! I slumbered on.
"It says here that only one is to be taken every fifteen hours! She took two!" yelled Alley.
"So?" an exasperated Rio wanted to know. Rio is so dense sometimes!
"She'll sleep for at least thirty hours. If she took them both close together around midnight, she's been asleep nine hours or so. That means she won't wake up, even if the ship explodes, for 21 more hours. Around 6 AM, OK, 0600 hours tomorrow morning! I told her to take one of those NN's. They're really potent but she needed rest. Someone should stay with her around the clock so let's move her to my sick bay, girls. Nurse McCall will take first watch over her. We can see and hear the meeting from there.
"I'll write her an excuse for not being at the conference and Rio can show it to the Brig and the Boss Lady. Here ya go, Rio. Don't lose it, OK? Now scat, all of you!" said Dr Mike while he and Ginny carried me over to a nice soft bunk in sick bay. I heard later that Trish had asked Dynamo for some wooden boards to fix my bunk. Instead, he had repped up a new one and dumped the old one down the re-use chute. We 'replicate' anything using and re-using everything, the ultimate form of recycling as it were!
The mattress, however, he dragged back to Engineering so his watch crews would have a place to catnap. It was tough getting in a quick forty winks on the Kelvinite floor of the deck! Then he took Trish back over to sick bay and show the poor kid that I was perfectly OK, just sleeping. When I awakened at long last the next day, did I ever get the Riot Act read to me by everyone aboard it seemed!
The gist of the to do session was that Doctors #1 through #7 all agreed that only the barest minimum of us should be allowed outside of the TARDIS where it was sitting in 'N Space'. The Boss reluctantly agreed and decided she would lead the away team. That went over like a lead balloon!
After much dickering from everyone, the away team was chosen. Owing to his superior knowledge of wherever the devil we were in 'N Space', which stood for 'nothing' because that was all that was beyond Warrior's Gate- a whole lotta nothing, Doctor #4 was chosen as leader with K-9 as his guide 'dog'. Van Hohenheim needed to find the exact co-ordinates for Satan's 'Gehenna's Gate' and he insisted that both Gaara the Kazekage (Wind Shadow) and Angie deRoncesvalles accompany him.
Edie was deemed too young to go and I was chosen. Then the fireworks began. Rio had given my 'excuse' to Edie and she now handed it to the Boss without a word. The tall redhead was furious! Her face was a dark thundercloud over Pluto in deepest winter! She trilled Mike Morton who told her that there was no way in the nine Hells of Dante's Inferno that he would even attempt hitting me with any stimuli before tomorrow. Then he commanded the Boss to obey his orders and not to disturb me anymore today.
It took the Boss five whole minutes before she realized that the Terran physician had blanked his vidscreen and turned off its vidmikes. Rio immediately volunteered for the away team and was shushed by Brigadier Marlene Angel. Sh shook her head and apologized but the atmosphere outside was not condusive to her strange metabolism or she'd go in a heartbeat. Edie asked if she could go if Wonder Girl accompanied her. The Boss can be brutally frank sometimes and this was one of 'em! Reds told her that she far too damned young for such a dangerous assignment and a Marshall outranked a Brigadier!
Then Doctor #4 solved the problem by telling us he'd take Alley for his final team member. One of Captain Tarrant's young guardsmen had accompanied us from Gallifrey and Ensign Stevenson of the Archibauld clan handed a stasis rifle to Alley. The team being set, Doctor #4 insisted that only stasis weapons be carried by everyone on the team. There was grumbling all around until the Doctor told them that any other type of an energy discharge in this place that was not a place, in this time that was beyond time, could have disastrous chain reaction effects on all the Universes!
Angie handed Edie her Mark XII and her Mark XXXV long-barrelled sonic beam cannon and accepted a hand stasis pistol and a stasis pulse rifle in their places. Van refused any weapons as did Gaara. Kakashi Sensei asked that Doctor #4 take one more team member along and he pointed to Hinata's brother Neji Hyuuga whose far sighted Byakugan eyes were far superior to his half sister's. The Doctor finally agreed and he led the way back to his TARDIS's main control room bridge. From there, they would use his exterior video cameras to reconnoitre the area ouside before they went out to explore it and seek the two gates- Gehenna's and Warrior's.
I think it best now if I turn this narrative over to someone who was on that away mission so say howdy do to Milady Allison of the clan Prydonian and the Doctors' distant cousin. A mere kid at 149, she was still a time lady with skills and powers of her own. When the Doctor lead the way with K-9 by his side, Alley covered the flanks. There was no cover at all we were told by Neji afterwards and his Byakugan eyes can sense things that are well over six kilometres away!
We seemed to have been walking for hours before #4 called a halt. He posted me and K-9 on guard while we rested. We time people are tireless yet I felt very fatigued indeed and that is not normal for us. Did #4 feel this weariness? If he did, he would never admit it, especially to me, a woman!
Another day had begun as I reckoned from my wristchromo because we had no feeling or sense of time and there were no stars, planets, suns or moons above us in the sky. In fact, was it a sky? Far above, Master Hyuuga told me he could sense an ending, a ceiling or a roof of some kind. I was reminded of Los Noches in a demonic dimension that Miss Rukia had told me about that they had encountered while they were battling against Lord Aizen, his Hollows and Espera creatures. She had said there was a sky above but it had a roof above it. Like this place, there were no stars, planets, suns or moons, not even an atoll asteroid!
"Come along, dear lady. Don't dawdle. (#4 lowered his voice) I sense nothing here. You? (I agreed it was an empty place) The boy? (He meant Neji and I confided to #4 what Master Hyuuga had told me. Suddenly, #4 gripped my arm painfully and pointed ahead at something) See it, Alley? See it, girl? That shimmering thing way out there. (Then I saw it. A gigantic door! It dwarfed the Great Gate of the Citadel back home and I felt a twinge of fear) Go find Mr H and bring him here. Masters Neji and Gaara as well! Be quick, girl!" said #4 and I had soon returned with Mr Hohenheim as well as the two young Ninja masters.
"What can you sense beyond that thing, Neji? Feel anything at all, Gaara? Mr H? Is that thing what I believe it to be? That other Gate we seek?" asked #4 quietly.
"Satan's back door. The Gehenna Gate. (He pointed upwards) That roof up there must mean that this entire area up to that Gate of Satan is the other door- Warrior's Gate. Does that not sound plausible, Doctor?" asked the Elrics' dad and #4 agreed.
"Would you say that we are right about halfway between Gehenna and where you landed the TARDIS? (#4 nodded) Then my alchemists must divide into two groups. One will set up shop as close to Satan's Gate as it can get. The other will set up camp just outside of your police box. Each team must construct a Grand Arcum, a huge transmutation circle. Then each team must slowly move that circle towards each other until they intertwine and form one Arcanum which must be pushed into that Gate of Gehenna. The resulting explosion and shockwave will rock this place but it will not destroy Warrior's Gate.
"Doctor, your task will be to materialize your TARDIS around both of my teams and whatever remains of the two Arcanum circles. Then they must both be imprisoned forever in a time loop, within a time vortex, with a time corridor and all must be kept isolated within your Gallifreyan MATRIX. Then and only then will Satan be defeated and his Gates gone forever." explained Van Hohenheim to us.
#4 thought and mulled things over a little before he snapped his fingers, a most annoying habit!
"This Grand Arcanum circle of yours, Mr H? Is it drawn like this? (#4 is a pretty good artist and what he drew was very strange indeed. To me, anyhow but not to Mr Hohenheim who was as confused as Lord Kolodius was when he overimbibed on mead last Christmas!) I thought as much. You call it alchemy? When we Gallifreyans discovered it, we called it the Science of Transposition. When our founder, Lord Rathelon, saw its deadly potential and devastating possibilites, he sealed away its secrets in his Tower and forbade anyone to ever practice these Forbidden Arts ever again.
"Lord Casterlein took its secrets to Terra with him countless millennia ago when he and eight friends of his who had accompanied him in his TARDIS, founded the Order of the True Knights of Gallifrey. (Everyone seemd at a loss including yours truly) You would know of it as the Order of the Knights of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem but now they are merely known as Knights Templar." explained #4.
"Lord Casterlein is still here but what happened to the other eight time lords who founded the Knights?" asked Miss deRoncesvalles.
"They are still there, under different identities of course. One of them became quite popular. You may even have heard of the gentleman- Comte de St Germaine? Another of them decided to write down what he knew would happen and for that he was turned mortal and has since died yet his name lives on- Comte de Note Dame, Nostradamus." replied #4.
"Then Lord Casterlein is really and truly my own ancestour, Doctor? (He nodded) And we are the only two known survivours of the Knights? (Again #4 nodded) But those other seven are still there? May have sired children? Started whole new lines of geneaology?" she asked.
"Only Lord Rathelon and Lord Casterlein know these others' true identities and their new names. Only they know who the other descendants are on Terra today and no, they will never reveal those secrets to anyone, Angela, not even you who are of their own blood. You, dear child, are half human and half Gallifreyan. You are a time lady although you will not have a life span as long as Alley's or the Gallifreyan time ladies.
"Anyhow, that is why the Knights Templar knew so much about the secrets of the Universes. The 'Ultimate Secret' referred to in Great Book of Rathelon which is known on Terra as the Necronomicon is the secret of Transposition or as you call it, Alchemy. Dr Hi Mac (Hiram MacDougal the archaeologist) discovered the key to this science in those Pere Reis scrolls he found on Venus. Pray that he nor anyone else ever discovers that secret because, with it, someone could reverse the Universes and 'unmake' everything!
"It's getting late and I don't fancy camping out this close to Satan's domain. Alley, empty out your rucksack and put your stuff in someone else's pack. Spread out your empty rucksack there and anchor it with one of Gaara's kanai daggers. I know they both brought weapons with them even after I told them not to bring anything that could kill. Water under the bridge. Lethbridge-Stewart used to say things like that. He was a Brigadier too, ran UNIT in ancient Terra's Britain in the 20th Century, you know?
"That's got it, Alley. Why you ladies have to bring so much junk with you is a mystery to me. I suppose you'll tell me that you'd be lost without that stuff? Put those little things in your pockets, Alley." ordered #4 and I had to obey him.
"Why?" I demanded.
"You'll soon see, my child." he replied cryptically. I had to run to catch up with the rest of the group. We had just lost sight of my 'marker' when we stopped. I judged us to be only three metres or halfway back to the TARDIS.
"Drop something, Alley. You are marking our trail. Your job will be blazing the trail so we can find that dashed Gate agin and our last campsite. I didn't like it but I saw that his reasoning, as always, was sound so I dropped a very expensive lipstick and followed the rest.
Every hundred metres, I dropped other stuff. Compact, cigarettes, lighter, tissue box, snuff box (I don't use it but it's nice for trinkets), pocket flask (Gallifreyan Punch), wallet and finally my precious PDO had been left behind us. That was all I had left or so I thought!
Before we had reached that silly looking blue phone booth, I had dropped gloves, scarf, boots, socks, flightsuit, jeans and polo shirt. We reached the TARDIS with me in my 'skivvies' to use Rio's word! I was very embarrassed and darned mad as well. Luckily, I was staying on #4's TARDIS so I made a beeline to my own quarters as soon as we'd entered the Type 40 machine.
I rejoined the others on #4's bridge and swore them all to secrecy! I told Angie I'd pound her if anyone found out and I told Neji and Gaara that applied to them as well! That was all I needed! If the High Councillors ever found out I'd done a Gypsy Rose Lee number, I'd never get accepted at Kandis Academy and I'd never get to learn codes and ciphers which was my dream. The higher-ups on my world frown on humourous and ribald antics, no matter what the reasons! I felt a tap on my arm.
"The Doctor tells me you're good with puzzles, codes and the like? (I nodded and then wished that I had lied instead. Of course, we Gallifreyans are not capable of telling falsehoods) Excellent! You'll be on my Gehenna team. I need Angela on the Warriors team. Come to my rooms on the Angel 2 after lunch. You're a lifesaver, my dear child." said Van Hohenheim.
"I'm older than you are, sir! Please don't call me a child." I called.
"Wanna bet?" called back his son, Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Kid. #4 chuckled and then laughed. I looked at him.
"Mr H practiced forbidden alchemy and injested a Philosopher's Stone. He did that while still young when he worked as a slave in Xerxes. That was four millemmia ago, Alley. Van is even older than the Councillors back home. He may even predate Lord Rathie himself." chortled #4. A floating head materialized and I resisted the urge to faint. It was just Lord Rathelon.
"He is. Much older than I am. How goes it, Doctor? Is there a chance? Do we have hope?" asked the bearded head.
"He has a plan. It's risky and, in my own opinion, foolhardy but what other choice have we, milord?" I replied.
"I wasn't speaking to you, Allison of Prydonia. As you were saying, #4?" said the time lord's founder, frowning at me.
Our society on Gallifrey is a mite male Chauvinistic but we gals tolerate it. They do appreciate us because from us come the little time lords and time ladies and they know it! The cloister bell bonged twelve times and I hurried over to the Angel 2's dining hall for lunch. Neji and Gaara each took one of my arms and we entered the dining hall. I wanted to stop at the bar next door but I didn't feel like being 'code keyed' to prove I was old enough to drink and I knew that neither Gaara nor Neji were anywhere near drinking age.
We sat at a table with two very old and distinguished gentlemen (They were 50 at least) who were both puffing on pipes. Also sitting there was a guy who kept flashing some hunk of shiny metal at our waitresses. There was a tall handsome cowboy and his paunchy sidekick. A tall blonde guy and a dark-haired Greek looking guy couldn't take their eyes off me. Then I saw they were staring at some catgirl beside me!
"Mind if we sit here or are these seats taken, Allison?" asked a shorter dark-haired guy. He and his friend, a big galloot with a bushy beard, were both smiling.
"Of course not. Do I know you, sir?" I asked and the bigger guy laughed.
"Jonathan knows all about you, pretty lady. He's an Angel ya know. Hi there. My name's Mark Gordon. He's Jonathan Smith. I have a car here. After lunch, how about coming with me for a spin around the bays? Get your own gal, Jonny! Here comes one that looks like she's your type. (Angela is strikingly beautiful with that fiery red hair and she's tall for a woman, almost two metres!) How about it, Honey? We could watch the stars upstairs in the 'star room' if you'd like, Alley?" Mark was lovestruck. I found out later that this affliction struck a lot of the guys and gals on these ships.
"We have plans to make after lunch, Mark. We're with Team Gehenna. You know that, Mark." said Jonathan.
"I'm on that team, guys. Sorry, Jonny but Angie's on Team Warriors. We could have a short ride before the briefing if Mark still wants to drive us. Maybe you and Angie could borrow that cool Corvette from Mr Stiles and join us." I replied, not realizing that the two moonstruck Lotharios across from us were the Corvette boys.
"Already asked 'em. Here's the keys to the convertible." said Jonathan.
"We'd better order. I did not know they had slave labour here? Should not these children be in school?" I asked innocently. I had not met the Sailor Soldier Army until now. Sailor Mercury took our orders and then jetted off to the galleys. I made a pig out of myself by eating three big Philly cheesesteaks, fries, onion rings, garlic bread Bruschettas, three small mince pies and seven chocolate milkshakes.
I thought that was being piggish but I was hungry and nobody seemed to mind at all. Then I saw why! A Ninja kid in orange was eating ramen beside a big white-haired dog kid in a red and white bathrobe! They kept yelling for more bowls and Mercury told me they averaged a hundred bowls per meal! She pointed and I saw two huge guys with muscles like treetrunks! Each one had a stack of a dozen trays in front of them while they were chowing down on another tray of goodies.
"Why don't you clear away those old trays to give them more space?" I asked.
"Ya don't get near those two when they're eating! Those empties in front of them were full three minutes ago, Alley. Those are our resident pigs. Vegeta and Goku are Saiyaans and all they know how to do is fight and eat! Oh no! Here comes Kouga! Food fight warning!" said Mercury.
Some mangy looking wolf thing sta down and yelled for raw meat. Then he filched a full bottle of wine from a passing anti-grav trolley and shook it up. Then I saw it was champagne! He pointed it at Dog Boy.
"Take that, ya mangy mutt!" yelled Kouga and InuYasha ducked but the lady with the pretty blue hair in the fancy gold pantsuit didn't!
"Oopsy! Sorry, Bulma. I was aiming-" said Kouga before her boot crunched into the wolf's shin.
"This was a NEW outfit! I paid twenty thousand Woolongs for it at Zak's on 14th Street in Moravian City (Mars) and I was gonna surprise my hubby with how thrifty I have been! Now it's ruined! When are you idiots gonna grow up? Star, can I borrow one of your pantsuits? It's OK. I know your key codes. Maybe if I sponge this off soon enough, the stains won't set." she fumed.
"Hi Miz Brief. Want me to launder that for ya after ya get changed? I'm a really good maid!" asked Kurumi the Steel Angel. She'd hitched a lift for MEGAS, Kiva, Coop and herself from Bulma. She was wearing a maid's uniform complete with cap and apron.
"Thanks. That'll be a Kami-send for me, Honey. Lead the way." replied a grateful Bulma Brief. Kurumi was bunking with Star and the Teen Titans. With a handful of napkins and towels pressed against breasts and legs, a sopping wet blue-headed bombshell followed a trim little maid to the lifts.
"You morons! Sit, boy! (InuYasha crashed to the deck) Bulma searched through seven boutiques to find that suit! If you two wrecked it, you're gonna pay for a new one! Got it?" seethed a very angry Kagome Higurashi.
"It ain't my fault, Honey! That mangy wolf done it!" yelled Dog Boy.
"It is too your fault, ya many mutt! You ducked! That's why Bulma got hit! I aimed for you, not her!" howled Kouga.
"I don't care whose fault it was! I'm holding you both equally to blame! If it's ruined beyond repairs, you'll each fork over ten K Woolongs for a new one! Understand?" yelled Kaggie. Both hanyou and youkai nodded and Kiva (MEGAS's pilot, not Captain Nerese of Starfleet) started laughing.
"I don't think what happened to poor Bulma was funny, Kiva!" admonished Kaggie.
"I know it wasn't but that suit was a one of a kind exclusive. There ain't another like in the whole galaxy! Best you can do is a repped up copy, Kaggie." replied Kiva with mischievous grin.
"Look at the time, Wolf! We're gonna be late for guard duty again!" said InuYasha and Kouga agreed. They beat a hasty retreat to report to Fritzy von Dekker, the 'Blue Baron' who was this watch's guard CQ (charge of quarters, the head guard guy).
Their passing us left a cold breeze across my bare legs! I suddenly regretted changing into a sleeveless top, cutoffs and sneakers!
Naruto chuckled and Sakura whacked his arm with her spoon.
"Ow! Well, anyone dumb enough to wander around this place like it's summertime deserves to be laughed at, Sakki!" grumbled the keeper of the nine-tailed Kyune or demonic fox.
"She don't know no better. She's one of them time lady freaks! It's her first time aboard the Angel, ain't it, Neji?" asked Ten Ten in a voice meant to be a whisper but which came off like a low shout.
"Nevertheless, she is still our guest so stop embarrassing the poor kid and that's an order, Shinobi mine." said Kakashi Sensei who was trying to eat and read his naughty and ribald novel at the same time.
"Any pitchers in there, Mr K?" asked Rin who was an adopted ward to InuYasha's youkai brother, Sesshomaru.
"No! That's not the kind of book for little girls to see, Rinny!" said Angie, steering Rin away from our table.
"Hi there, Milady. Have a nice hike today?" asked Angie who was with Team Warriors which meant she'd be working right outside of the TARDIS, not a six hours' march across the desert!
"Hi there, Angela. Please call me Alley. You sure lucked out. Wanna trade?" I asked politely.
"Not on your Nellie! Besides, as a True Knight, I cannot get too close to Satan and his Gate! That was why Van put me on Team Warriors instead of Team Gehenna. It wasn't all that bad, was it?" asked Angie and I grinned.
"Not too bad. Keep a secret, Angela? (She nodded. I dropped my voice to a whisper and bent over her ear) To mark the trail, towards the end, I had to do a Gypsy Rose Lee striptease act! I got back wearing only my skivvies as Sakura called my undergarments! I guess we begin the Arcanums tomorrow?" I replied.
"Dunno. There's no night here according to Doctor #4 so we could leave tonight." said Angie, lighting a cheroot and offering me one which I refused. I tried a cigarette once and it made sick!
"I doubt that very much, Angela. #4 didn't seem that keen on camping out near Satan's domain that late in the day. There's Mr H. Maybe he knows. Excuse me, sir? Mr Hohenheim, sir?" I called and the benevolent gentleman came striding our way.
"Milady? I mean, Alley? Did you need something?" he asked.
"When do we begin constructing the Arcanums? Tonight or tomorrow?" I asked and he puffed on his pipe a moment.
"Tomorrow. We will begin at 1100 hours. That is eleven o'clock, the hour before noon. I have briefed Doctor #4 and Doctor #2 who is in command of Angie's Team Warriors. I imagine your Team Gehenna will have no problems locating the site for your circle, will they, Alley? (He winked and I wondered who else knew that I had played 'almost naked trail blazer' today?!) Best get some rest tonight, kiddies. Oh and the Doctors will be briefing their respective teams sometime tonight. I told them to make them very short briefings so you guys can get some sleep so no partying tonight, OK?" he chortled and blew an impressive smoke ring. Angie speared it with her stylus which was how they 'wrote' on their PDO unit thingys.
He made his adieus and we both ordered more Bepsi java mochas. They were really good! Like old-fashioned ice cream sodas. Sergeant Friday told me that chocolate sodas used to be called 'egg creams' and Officer Gannon tapped his tummy and said he'd put away quite a few when he was a boy! Mr Holmes and Dr Watson told us that on ancient Terra, in their Victorian Age era, one needed a 'gasogene' and a 'tantalus' to make ice cream sodas!
"BJMs huh? I used to 'jerk' those things when I worked at Archie's when I was a kid! Got canned for drinking up too much of the profits!" chuckled Wes 'Flash' Shipp, the hero of the Kittyhawks! Hooray! I made a nice piece of change off that game!
"Crap! I amost forgot! Angie, That 'little fella' Doctor's having a briefing at 2200, ten o'clock in the Angel's 'star room' and #4's having one for his team at 2300, an hour later. His is being held on his TARDIS's bridge. Don't be late, ladies. Unh unh! There's Dynamo! Gotta fly! I'm supposed to be fetching a drive socket for the core of Edie's rig! Later!" he said and the Flash was gone!
"Ya seen that goldbricking jackanapes Flash around? I've been waiting for a drive socket an hour!" growled Dynamo and we assured the big guy that we hadn't seen the errant boy. Well, little white lies don't hurt anyone, right?
"Five minutes in the 'star room' on Seven if you're on Team Warriors. Latecomers must clean the erasers." said Doctor #2 in his squeaky voice.
"I want my Team Gehenna assembled on my TARDIS's bridge room at eleven tonight. Alley, a word if you please." said Doctor #4.
"Bring along any codes and cipher stuff you can find. Old Hiram (MacDougal) left his scrolls on your bed. Bring them as well. Have Angela lend us that Necronomicon after the 'little fellow' is done using it. Don't forget." he said.
"I heard that! I am NOT the 'little fellow' dash your eyes!" shrieked Doctor #2, stomping his foot.
"Look in a mirror, Shortie!" giggled Ten Ten and Kakashi Sensei whacked her with his book.
"We are the Doctors' guests. Behave yourself, Ten Ten. Darn! You made me lose my place! The starlet had just entered her shower and she was naked, I think." said the Ninja Jonin a mite too loudly.
"Mr Kakashi! There are children present!" warned Doctor #3, wagging a long forefinger at the taller Sensei teacher. He apologized and continued on his merry way.
We were on our way back to the bar when a tall blonde guy and his shorter dark-haired partner stopped us.
"Hiya, name's Buzz Murdoch and this big dope's Todd Stiles. Jonathan and Mark are both taking this lovely muffin here (He grabbed my arm) for a spin around the holodecks. Todd lent 'em his Corvette. Here they come now." said Buzz and Todd gently placed his arm under Angie's arm.
"That leaves you, my dear young lady, with us. Buzz and I have Mark's Gran Torino. Not quite as romantic but practical. If it rains, the top does not have to be put up. How about it, girls?" asked Todd and I could see that Angela was melting fast! I was not too far behind her!
Angela faced Mr Stiles who was one of the few men on these crafts that she had to stand on tiptoe to face head on. Make that eye to nose! I stood a half head taller than Buzz but I was taller than Mark and I towered over Jonathan!
"We'll go under one condition, sir. We have got to be back here by ten o'clock tonight or at least, I do." said Angie.
"I have to be back by eleven exactly or-" I began but Buzz interrupted. People seem to do that a lot around here and it is quite annoying!
"Lemme guess. Ya both turn into pumpkins, right?" he laughed but we stared back at him and suddenly both guys knew we were being dead serious about this.
"Worse! Our nasty fairy godfather doctors will become very cross indeed." I replied.
"They'll tell our CO's and we'll be pulling double guard shifts for a week or worse!" added Angela deRoncesvalles.
"What could be worse than that, Honey?" asked Todd.
"KP duty for a month, old buddy. We'll get ya home in plenty of time, kids. You two game?" asked Buzz and we both nodded eagerly. We promised to be on the Angel's Level Seven outside of the Holodeck Six archway by half past eight. Then we ran for the lifts and our temporary quarters on Level Five of this mammoth flagship.
Angie casually explained that the 'Lovely Angel 2' had 14 decks, 9 surface and 5 sub-surface ones. My head was already spinning when she told me that they stored their 'God Gun' on Level Six! No, I had not understood her. The gun itself WAS Level Six! It runs the length of the ship which Angela told me was close to two miles! It was half as wide and fired beams of light it made itself and a teeny spiral staircase (Which was well concealed) on Level Five was its only access. There was no way to enter its level from above on Seven! I was fascinated!
"So it's just like a great big stasis rifle?" I asked innocently. I was not prepared for her answer.
"Hardly. On its lowest setting, this thing can vapourize a small moon, Alley." she replied and I blanched dead white!
Angela assured me that the gun had 4 locks on it with an override by 'CC' just in case! We both went back home to change clothes for our respective rendezvous. We keyed the archway and walked into a lovely autumn countryside under a blazing sun with just a hint of rain and morning dew in the air.
"Your chariot awaits, Milady Alley." invited Mark and Jonathan opened the door to the Corvette coupe for me and then followed me in himself. Mark was driving.
"Hey Alley. let's have a race!" called Angela from the back seat of mark's Gran Torino. Buzz was at the wheel with Todd beside him.
"You're on, boy!" yelled Mark Gordon and we took off like a rocket! Our coupe easily outdistanced Mark's 'boat' which Buzz was driving. Then we stopped in a very nice picnic grove for a bite to eat. All repped foods, of course, but still yummy! After our repast was finished, we went for another drive at a more sedate rate of velocity and I was glad of that.
"Man! Look at these wheels, baby! Doctor? Ian? Barbara? Where is everyone?" squeaked a voice coming from the tiny floorspace behind me and a short blonde head popped up. The girl was about 14, wore some sort of frock over dark stockings and boots.
"Hi! I'm Vicki. Pleased ta meet ya!" she said and we shook hands.
"Wonder where Barbie Doll and Ian got themselves to?" she wondered and Jonathan assured the poor kid he had a feeling they weren't too far away from us and, as always, the Angel was right!
"Oof! Oh, I do beg your pardon, my dear. Barbara? You here as well? Seen the old Doctor anywhere?" asked a tall, handsome chap in 20th Century Terran clothing.
"I'm here, Ian. Excuse me, sir! I seem to be sitting on this gentleman's lap!" said a tallish raven-haired beauty in dark turtleneck and white jeans.
"I say! You seem to look vaguely familiar, Miss. Barbara, where have we seen this young lady? Was it Orion? Zarbi? Surwely not Skarran? I give up. Oh, whwre are my manners? The young lady on this gentleman's lap is Barbara Wright and my name's Chesterton, Ian Chesterton. Say! Where's our Vicki?" asked Ian Chesterton.
"This Doctor of yours is aboard this vessel, Ian. Vicki? Is she a short, blonde kid, a teen?" asked Buzz Murdoch.
"Yes! That's her! That's our Vicki! Where is she?" asked Barbara Wright who shifted her weight and sat on Todd's keys which brought tears to his eyes. He pointed across to our car. Vicki had already seen Ian and Barbara and she waved to them.
Mark hit the brakes and so did Buzz. Both cars slid to a screeching halt and the trio was reunited.
"Where are we I wonder?" asked Barbara.
"And when are we?" added Ian.
"Where is the Doctor?" demanded Vicki.
"You are nowhere and in no time either, Mr Chesterton, Miss Wright, Miss Vicki. This place is Warrior's Gate and it exists in N- Space which is outside of time and space. Your Doctor is aboard with us. I mean that we are aboard his TARDIS. Oh, look at the time! I've got a briefing to attend at 2200 in our 'star room'. Alley's got one on the TARDIS's bridge an hour later. It's ten to ten so I must say adieu. so do Todd and Buzz. Catch ya later, Alley?" said Angie.
"Yeah. Better motor, guys, because I have to cram a little before my eleven o'clock briefing with #4. Angie? You got #2, the little fellow, right?" I called but Angie and her two 20th Century drifters had already gone.
"Really was nice to drive that Corvette of Todd's even if it was just a simulated version, Jonathan. That thing can really go!" said Mark and Jonathan grinned.
"You guys and your toys! Well, Ian and Barbara went with Todd, Buzz and Angie so Vicki can come with us. If that is OK with you, Alley?" said Jonathan Smith.
"Sure. Let's get a wiggle on because I need to get some codes and ciphers vidfiles and vid-disks before our briefing. I guess you're on Team Gehenna, Vicki. Ian and Barbara are gonna be on Team Warriors if I know a certain redhead and I don't mean the Boss Lady." I chortled and off we went. I took Vicki to my own quarters. I was sure that Angie would bring Barbara and Ian back here as well.
I was proven correct. When we arrived at my quarters, Angie, Barbara and Ian had preceded us. Ian snapped his fingers and pointed at Angie.
"Now I remember! Your name is Angela deRoncesvalles and we met you when the Doctor and his TARDIS visited ancient 9th Century Britain. We met Giles de something or other, the chap who founded the Knights Templar. But you couldn't have been there, me dear, could you? The time lords of Gallifrey are the only people in all the Universes that know the secret of time travel. Yet I could have sworn I met you there." said a confused Ian. Angie took his hand and smiled.
"We did meet, Mr Chesterton. I had just lost Grandfather and I had discovered that I was the sole surviving descendant of that venerable order. Annie Hathaway was ordered back to that time era on a mission and I was allowed to tag along. That was a rare treat inasnuch as I had only just joined the InterGalactic Space Command as a mere sub-ensign. However, I recall that you and Miss Wright were acting like souvenir hunters and Annie had to admonish you severely about the hazards of taking items from one time era to another! I interceded and asked that you be allowed to take my own laser sword hilt which had yet to be manufactured and Annie had grudgingly agreed." said Angie.
"Well! It is certainly nice to meet you again, Subby de Roncesvalles." said Ian, shaking her gloved hand.
"Same here but Mr Chesterton, I am now a Subaltern, a Suba for short. Call me Angie. We don't stand on protocol here." replied Angie.
"Only if you will drop the Mr Chesterton bit. You make me sound like that old man we tool around the galaxies with, the Doctor! Make it plain olf Ian and she's Barbara. You have met our Vicki." said Ian, making the introductions.
"What's this? What's this? Old man indeed! Just because I am very much older than you are, my boy, I am not the doddering old fool you are painting for these people, young man. I see that the three of you have found each other, hmmn?" said Doctor #1 who had quietly entered our rooms and they were fast turning into Grand Central at rush hour as Mr Stiles pointed out.
Angie, Todd and Buzz soon left with Rio and Ginny. I arranged my notes, vidfiles and disks and packed all of them into my ruck sack. Just a few minutes before eleven, I hefted my pack, roused Mark and Jonathan and off we went to our own briefing with Trish flying above our heads down the long corridors to the TARDIS's bridge room.
"We had almost given up on you four! Did you bring those codes and cipher books and the Necronomicon as I asked, Cousin Allison? Well, don't stand there like a bump on a log. Come in and find a seat. I have a lot of calculations to make before tomorrow." said an impatient #4. I looked and saw that someone had provided courches and cushions but there were no chairs. All the couches were full so we were forced to kneel on cushions.
I handed over my rucksack and #4 began to sort through them the same way Mr Holmes did. That is, he scattered on the floor whatever he did not need, clucking his tongue several times. Finally he nodded his head and spoke.
"Capital, my dear cousin! This is exactly as I thought. Tomorrow morning, we leave at dawn. (We all did a double take!) I know we thought it would be later in the day but there is a juxtaposition of planets we must catch. We must have our Grand Arcanums in place and moving towards each other before high noon. Alley will again be our trailblazer since we must approach Satan and his gate and get as near as we possibly can.
"Alley, it would behoove you to have some good sized markers repped up for us. That is, of course, unless you wish to repeat the same marking method you used today? (He chuckled and my face got quite red indeed! I told him I'd have Jonathan the Angel show me how to replicate).
"I will not say that this is going to be an easy task and I fear that this may be the 'swan song' performance for some of you. Anyone who wishes to withdraw from this undertaking, now is the time to tell me. I have several regenerations remaining to me and my dear cousin has all 12 of hers remaining so the danger for us is immaterial. The same is true of the 'little fellow', however, the rest of you have a single life save perhaps, Neko over there who is part cat. Jonathan Smith, our resident Angel, has already shuffled off his mortal coil.
"I want all of you to think carefully about this venture. Take ten full solar minutes and decided whether or not you are willing to risk your lives for the Universes. An hour ago, I was present when the 'little fellow' made a similar pitch to his Team Warriors. I now advise my Team Gehenna to consider carefully and weight the pros against the cons and make your own decisions."
Doctor #4 leaned back against his console and sighed deeply. For the very first time, I realized that not all of us might be returning from this mission. Trish began to cry. I shushed the girl nun and the Duchess spoke.
"As far as my fellow 3WA/UG/IGSC/KASP/Starfleet peple go, it is a moot point. We all took the Galactic Oath and swore to protect and defend the Universes with our lives if necessary. Just to let ya know, I was at the 'little fellow's briefing earlier and none of his Team Warriors chose to withdraw." said the Grand Admiral. We all cheered.
"I do wish you would stop referring to me as the 'little fellow'! Mr Gordon? I am not 'Shortie' either! Mr MacCrimmon (Jamie the Jacobite Scot)? I am not a 'little shrimp' as you have been calling me! Do not forget that I made a Doctor than that doddering old fool who came before me!" said #2.
"Whom are you referring to a a doddering old fool, sir? I did not crash our TARDIS every time I turned around like you do!" said an upset Doctor the First, waving his stick in the air.
"You must admit, #1, that I was much better than our third regeneration." replied #2 and #1 smiled.
"You have me there, sir. However, all #4 ever does is run his overworked mouth." said #1 and all #4 did was grin and offer everyone one of his ever present 'jelly babies' which, I must admit, are quite delicious.
"Let's face facts, folks. If we don't do this thing, who will? Now that this planet lineup thingy is in the mix, we really have no choice, have we? There's no time to find anybody else, is there? I call for a vote. All in favour of seeing this thing through to the end, say aye!" yelled Mark Gordon. The small room shook with 'Ayes'!
"Opposed?" added Jonathan.
"In for a penny, in for a pound, young sir. My boy Sherman and myself are in. As there are no dissenters, the 'Ayes' have it. Motion carried." said Mr Peabody and he yawned.
"Past our bedtimes, Sherman. I bid you good night. Come, boy." he added and off he strolled, Sherman dogging (Pardon the pun!) his master's footsteps.
"Sir? Mr Doctor, sir? I'm in as well." said Trish who had finally turned off the waterworks.
"No. You will not be coming along tomorrow, Sister. You, Rio and Fllay Allster will be held in reserve. Two of the Ice Roaders' Brigade, Mr Drew and Mr Rick will be placed in charge of you. Trish, you will have a very important job. Satan and his minions are probably monitoring our comm relay signals. Therefore, you will be our messenger should either team have need to communicate with the other team or the Boss's flagship. Will you do that job for us, my dear?" asked #4 and she nodded.
"Excellent! According to my own time chromos, dawn will be at 0500 hours. Sorry but I do advise all of you to get as much rest as you can before then. I want every team member fully equipped and ready to travel. We depart for Gehenna at 0500 sharp! Any questions?" asked #4.
"Why can't we use the speeders, aircars, skysleds, skycycles, Mark's Torino or Todd's Corvette? It'd be better than another 60 mile hike!" said Buzz Murdoch logically.
"Because motors and engines will not function in N-Space, Mr Murdoch. Satan will place all sorts of obstacles in our path so it will not be a cake walk like today's jaunt. He will attempt to turn us against one another. He will try to cloud our minds. He will place barriers in our way including his own monsters.
"However, he too is bound by N-Space rules so everything he creates to use against us is merely an illusion. Remember that, above all else, he too is vulnerable to our own tricks and illusions. Now, off to your bunks. Dismissed." said #4 and I began to gather up the mess of papers, scrolls, scripts, vidfiles, vid disks and the rest of the junk he had scattered all over the floor.
"Leave that, Alley. I have what I need for tomorrow. Most of that stuff's just rubbish anyway. Better get some sleep, girl. Good night, Lovey." he yawned and I sighed, remembering how he and his regenerated selves used to bounce me upon their knees while cooing 'Lovey Dovey' to me all the while. I felt like I was floating all the way abck to my temporary quarters on the big flagship.
Meanwhile, in the commander's quarters, as I found out later, the 'Rose of Tralee' and the 'Demon o' Dublin' were having a heated debate, OK, an argument.
"I said no, Airhead! You are going to stay behind with Team Warriors! I am accompanying Team Gehenna and that's all there is to it! End of discussion, dammit!" growled the red-headed Boss Lady angrily.
"I went with 'em today, darn it! Why do I gotta stay behind this time?" demanded Grand Admiral Donovan.
"Because I said so, that's why and that's a direct order, Admiral or are you not taking orders anymore?" seethed Imperial Grand Marshall O'Halloran very quietly.
"We need one of us with each team. Gehenna needs the stronger one of us. Do you dispute that I am not the stronger one of us, Yuri? (She shook her violet-maned head) OK. I will need you to co-ordinate Team Warriors for us. (The Boss sighed) Yuri, you do realize that one or both of us might not survive this time, don't you?" said a very subdued Gaelic CO.
"Yeah, sure- but I, we- we have almost always faced long odds and come through OK, haven't we?" replied Yuri.
"Always, kiddo. However, we ain't never ever had to face pure evil, a demigod capable of unmaking Creation itself! Here. I had 'CC' print this out onto a vid disk for ya. Just in case, ya know?" said Kei, handing her exec a disk which began "I, Keirran Maureen Deirdre O'Shaunessy O'Halloran, being of sound mind and body..."
"OK. In that case, you should take this. Just in case, ya know, man? I want all my kitties to go to a good home so promise me that you'll take 'em if the worst happens, Maureen?" said Yuri.
"You now you didn't even have to ask, Bridget, didn't ya and you'll see that Kakashi gets a nice home, right?" replied Kei.
"That stupid baka snake? Oh, OK. I'll give him to Tomah. He's got lots of pets so one more won't matter." giggled Yuri just before she began to tear up.
"Something in my eye. Probably from all of your smoking. G'Night." added a sobbing Yuri. Then, a strange thing happened! She Who WILL Be Obeyed began to bawl like a little kid!
Our two Commandants were not the only ones exchanging last wills and testaments that night, not by a long shot! Even I jotted down a short note leaving all my stuff to Lady Gloriana, my Auntie who had raised me until I was 78. How old am I now? Well, a lady never reveals her real age but, suffice it to say, the Councillors won't be treating me like a kid much longer! Lady Valeria told me that she was a lot older than me before she had her first regeneration.
Lady Vanessa told me that when we time lords and ladies regenerate, we do not know just what the new 'us' will look like. In fact, she said that in one of her own earlier regenerations, she was a he! I thought she was just funning me again because she's a great kidder. Then one day, I worked up the gumption to ask Lord Rathelon himself. He told me that, as a rule, males regenned into males and females into females. However, in rare instances such as Lady Van's, females could become males or males become females.
Ro Laren told me that 'trills' which were sorta like 'Daleks' used a 'host' body and cross genering regennings were not uncommon. Jadzia Dax, Commodore Worff's wife, used to be named Samwise Dax and stood as tall as Dynamo! He was twice as strong as a Triceratops as well! By this time, I'd prepared for bed and figured I'd better get some shuteye. My wristchromo tinged midnight and I had soon surrendered to Morpheus.
I awoke refreshed when my wristchromo tinged 0430 hours. I rose and did my morning calisthenics which awakened the whole room! I kept slapping the deck hard when I did my 200 airborne push-ups. Ginny awakened and she was grumpy as she usually was in the morning. She told me no jumping jacks today and she meant it too! Trish tried to sleep in but Rio dumped her bunk and the Sister fell right on her rump- hard! I showered and dressed quickly. Then I repacked my rucksack, not forgetting the few hundred 'markers' that Jonathan had repped up for my 'trailblazing'.
Edie and Ro were already breakfasting when we reached the dining hall. The two Doctor team leaders were busily packing lunches for themselves. I reached inside my pack and felt the Elfin 'Lembas' wafers that Lt Ari and Sgt Junpei had insisted I take along. Seems these things are like ancient Terran WWII's K Rations in that a little went a long way. One time I got piggish and ate a whole wafer back on Gallifrey. Ari giggled and told me that a full wafer was three square meals times seven- a whole week of food! My poor tummy! I must have gone through a case of Galusol!
Mr Naraku handed me two full Thermos flasks of hot mocha java with thick clotted cream and lots of sugar. I thanked him and stowed them away. I told the others that we only had ten minutes left to report to #4 and they made a beeline for their quarters to pack for the long journey to Gehenna. I thanked my lucky stars that I'd packed already and had brought all of my junk to breakfast with me.
Trish yawned and sta down at the table with her breakfast tray. Surprisingly, she was still in her 'bunny' pajamas! Not for long though!
"Sister Patricia! If you don't mind, would you please get into uniform before you report to your team leader? Try not to let the Boss find you like that, please!" admonished the Angel 2's second-in-command quietly. Trish nodded and flew back to the lifts.
She just made it before the Boss arrived to give us a last minute pep talk. That was when we found out that Team Warriors had lucked out. It seemed that the Admiral was now assigned to their team while we were getting the Amazon firebrand Hellcat herself!
How we managed to cover fifty odd miles in an hour was beyond my understanding but we did. I faithfully 'trailblazed' like mad and when #4 finally called a halt, we were within sight of the Gehenna Gate and a stone's throw away from our former campsite. It was still marked by my rucksack weighted down with odds and ends from my pack exactly the same as we had left it yesterday. I sat down heavily. Time lords and ladies, as a rule, are virtually tireless but I felt like I'd marched up Mt Ziggauraut on Pluto in full kit!
#4 was using his sextant and compass while K-9 was pointing towards the Gate. The Boss growled that we weren't staying here very long and to stay alert. Finally, our team leader turned to us.
"His evil lordhip will expect us to make right for his Gate. However, we will outfox him, eh, Senor Zorro? I want you, Pancho, Cisco and Mr Gordon to head due North. Mr Holmes? I want you, the good doctor, Sgt Friday and Officer Gannon to head due South. Jonathan? I want you, Mr Stiles, Mr Murdoch and Captain Laren to head West, back the way we just came.
"Keep moving for oh, say, 90 miles. Take your time because I want you to stop wherever you are at a quarter to high noon. Meanwhile the rest of us will begin constructing a Grand Arcanum circle at the same time that the 'little fellow' and his Team Warriors begin constructing their own circle.
"I know that fifteen solar minutes is not much time for such a vast undertaking. However, it is essential that you complete your circle before noon. At high noon, Team Warriors will begin to move their circle towards ours and we will begin to head ours towards theirs.
"Once we meet and both circles are superimposed one over the other with ours atop theirs, we will head towards Gehenna Gate. The force of the two circles crashing into the Gate should 'unmake' the blasted thing. Any questions?" explained #4 and this time it was Mr Stiles who was curious.
"I understand splitting their forces by sending out false trails, sir. However, why aren't we using that time to build this circle thing? Seems to me that would be more feasible." said Todd Stiles.
"Feasible, yes. Practical, no. You've forgotten that while we are constructing the GA circle, Satan's forces will be trying to discourage us. It takes a long time to create illusions and I intend to take away that extra time, Mr Stiles. Understand please that the forces sent to harry and dog those other three false trail groups cannot be used for any other ulterior purposes by the Lord of Light. He will be forced to use his strength to maintain his final Gate and there we will have him because we have many more alchemists, alkahestrists, mages, magicians, BetaZoids, sorcerers and sorceresses than Satan." explained the tall Doctor.
"How absurdly simple!" I was certain sure that is what Dr Watson would have said. Why was I along? I don't like to brag and put on Alms House airs but I am part BetaZoid and I was top of my class in alchemy. I once constructed a Grand Arcanum circle all by myself, albeit nowhere close to the size these two would have to be!
I'll not bore you with the juxtapositions and ramifications of placing everyone in correct positions and then concentrating until we had blocked out everything except making that big circle. Luckily, one of our shuttles had been sent back to Pluto to fetch Suba Zoe Morton. She was the only one of us who knew the binding spell litanies which would strengthen our circle a thousandfold!
Five suns were almost to the azimuth of the skyline before Miss Azumi announced that we were ready. Suddenly one of the suns went into shadow! Then Trish swooped down and handed a vidpad to me. Why? Who knows? Anyhow, it was from Mr Hohenheim at Team Warriors. It said that they too had finished their huge creation.
I tossed the vidpad to #4 who hastily used his sonic screwdriver to jot down a few words to the effect that at one minute to high noon, we would each countdown from five to zero at which point in time, we would each begin heading our circle towards the other one. He handed the pad to Trish who leaped straight up and was soon lost to sight in the heavens above us.
All went well and at the scheduled time, we began concentrating our minds and pusing the huge monstrosity due West while the others were hopefully shoving their own due East. Trish soon brought us the news that they too were heading our way even as we were heading theirs. #4 sent her to inform the three 'false trail groups' to return to our original bas camp of yesterday and wait, keeping alert for anything unusual.
Finally, after an age and a half or so it seemed to us, Team Warriors had superimposed their circle over ours with no gaps showing between them. Then a marvelous thing happened! The light of five suns, fourteen moons and twelve miniscule planets shone down upon our creations and the circle began to glow with a fierce green light!
"Now! Take this thing due East as quickly as you can get it there!" yelled #4 and we concentrated until it hurt! Slowly but surely the circle, glowing like a supernova on Steroids, began to head towards Gehenna Gate and doom for Mr Satan! Trish seems to turn up right when she's needed and there she was.
"Tell our three groups ahead of us at base camp to make an all out attack against the Gate as soon as they spot us and the circle. Tell 'em to stay well to the sides and, under no circumstances, allow the circle to even singe their hair! We are running the gauntlet with this circle come Hell or high water! Put yer minds into it! Push! Now, Trish! Go!" ordered #4 and he too bent his great mind to the same task with us. I assumed that #2 was doing the same back at the TARDIS where he was waiting to whisk us out of danger when the Gate blew!
"Caramba! It is the Holy Mother herself bringing us a sign! Surely we shall triumph now, mi amigos!" shouted Zorro.
"Nah! It's just Trishy, Fox. What news, kiddo?" asked Buzz Murdoch and she poured out all of #4's orders. Zorro was ordered to keep a sharp lookout for us and our big 'light-up toy'. Shading his eyes from the five suns, he stared due West and in an hour he sang out that he had spotted us.
"C'mon chaps! Charge!" shouted Dr Watson and with Sherlock by his side, they charged headlong at the Gate! Then the demons appeared to halt their progress. Poor Dr Watson was certain sure that these were merely illusions and he opened fire with his trusty Webley .375 revolver! His aim was true as befitted the runner-up to our shooting games and the lithe demoness fell and vanished in a tiny puff of grey smoke.
"They are not so tough, eh Pancho? Shoot, amigos! Aim for their centres! Fire!" shouted Cisco, both .44 Colts blazing away. Pancho fired again and again and again, never missing his mark even once. Luckily for them, in N-Space, their weapons automatically reloaded time and time again.
Suddenly lightning bolts began striking hard at the gate itself! I was puzzled but found out later that the Mary Celeste had been sent to our aid with Brigadier Jordan at the comm. Plasma bombs and photon torpedoes peppered it next and we were moving ever closer until we were a mere 100 metres from the Gate itself.
"Fall back! Fall back! Avoid the circle! I wasn't a US Marine Corps drill sergeant for nothing, folks! Give 'em the facts, guys, just the facts! Take that, you crooked thing and that and that!" yelled Sgt Friday, spurring the withdrawal. He was a real GI Joe!
"You heard Joe! To the sides and give that thing a wide berth, people! Get back here, Sherlock! You too, Johnny! Here they come! Hold fast!" howled Officer Bill Gannon. Zorro raced forward despite orders to cease and desist.
"Oh no! That idiot's trying to carve his damned mark of the 'Z' in the Gate, Buzz! Go stop him before he gets killed!" screamed Todd Stiles. Just as Buzz ran forward to grab him, the black garbed hero was flung violently back at us!
"Fool! You cannot cut through the work wrought by Satan!" shrieked a horrible and at the same time, silky and oily voice. Suddenly atop the Gate appeared a huge horned ram with a pointed tail and wielding a trident that looked to be so long as to be lost in the heavens! Buzz and Todd dragged the unconscious Zorro behind the lines.
His mask askew, both Todd and Buzz as well as Sherlock and Watson saw that he was Don Diego de la Vega! Then, Sherlock had wrenched the mask back into place.
"I saw nothing, old boy. Did you, Watson?" asked a smiling Holmes.
"No, Holmes. Not a thing." agreed Watson.
"His use to his people would be ended if his identity became known. Do you not agree, Mr Stiles, Mr Murdoch?" asked Mr Peabody who was tending to the burning gash across Zorro's chest.
"Every man has his secrets." replied Todd.
"No concern of ours, guys." agreed Buzz.
"The way is clear! Now! Charge!" shouted #4 and the circle began moving towards the Gate rapidly and then even faster until-
"Halt! Break off and let 'er go! Doctor! Ari! Anybody listening out there? We need pickup now! Brace yourseleves for impact!" yelled Van Hohenheim and there was a gigantic blast of azure energy and then the Gate slowly dematerialized! I had the sensation of being drawn from my body, spun about quite rapidly and then poured back into my own body! How they ever got used to this method of travel I shall never know! As I came to my senses, I felt that my wobbly knees would not support me and I collapsed in a heap on the deck of the TARDIS!
"Watson! In this case I can do nothing while you can do much! Lady Allison has been injured, I fear!" shouted Mr Holmes.
"Not to worry, old boy. She's merely fainted. A little whiff of amyl nitrite and she'll be as right as rain. There we go. You gave Holmes quite a start, my dear. Feeling better now? Holmes! Brandy. Here, my dear. Drink this and you'll feel better." said Watson. I swallowed the acrid junk and retched. I am ashamed to admit that I then upchucked all over #1 who was bending over me in a fatherly attitude!
He didn't say anything but I could tell he was angry. The others were plastered to the vidscreen which showed the outside of the TARDIS. It took a full solar day and half of another for the Gehenna Gate to completely dissolve but I didn't get to see any of it. Dr John ordered me right to bed where Fllay Allster ministered to my meeds and fed me gallons of chicken soup she had made herself so I didn't feel right in complaining that it tasted like motor oil but it sure did!
END OF Chapter 37. Chapter 38 'Look Homeward, Angels' or 'Academy Bound' will follow soon. Guess I'll have a go at signing off. We all loves ya. There! I said it, Shinobu and Kaede! Have a very nice Labour Day (Whatever that might be) everyone! Don't be piggies and eat or imbibe overmuch. No phoning, comm relaying or texting while operating your motor carriages and watch out for the animals in the motorways. Have a safe holiday for us, OK?- Alley Prydonia, Citadel, Gallifrey. Y'all cone back and see us real soon, ya hear?