This is novel 5 out of 5 in the order of: Unusual Circumstances, Nasty Surprises, Interrogating Answers, Time Heals and The Day of Destruction. This follows directly from the ending of Time Heals.
Prologue
Heat Miles Base
The beach on the Island and the Black Lighthouse zooms into view. At first everything is as it should be – the untouched beach and deserted lighthouse. The waves carefully lapping up the sand. And for the first couple of seconds everything is quiet. Just as it is supposed to be.
And yet that is only until the Ice Girl suddenly appears on the rocks.
One second she is not there, but then you blink and then she is there as if she has been there all along. But somehow it seems as if her appearance disrupts the flow of the beach. The Ice Girl appears and all chaos erupts. The waves, that were calm before, now smack harshly into the rocks. The wind is strong and the white beam from the Black Lighthouse flashes for the first time.
Lucien leans forward, elbows resting on his knees as he stares intently at the image of the beach on the small television screen in front of him. Life from the Heat Miles base buzzes outside the office door, and yet Lucien is too concerned about what happens to this Ice Girl.
Up on the wall in front of him are a dozen screens that show the beach and the Black Lighthouse from different angles. All in all the footage lasts around ten minutes. It begins with the calm beach. Then the Ice Girl appears. Chaos erupts. And then the Black Lighthouse starts to flash. Lucien is not bothered by seeing the way in which the Ice Girl struggles on the rocks and starts to deteriorate. All he cares about is the shadow that is released from the Black Lighthouse and kills the girl.
The Cytracik is a glorious object which Lucien is desperate to own – despite what his boss, Rodger Barratt says about it – but it is the looming shadow released from the Black Lighthouse that neither he, nor anyone else in Heat Miles can understand. Rodger Barratt does not show any hint of knowing what it might be. Instead Lucien is constantly ordered to study these footages to find out. He has been at this for weeks, but nothing is evident to prove anything.
The shadow is released from the lighthouse and disperses across the beach towards the Ice Girl.
Once the shadow takes the Ice Girl from the rocks and disappears, everything on the beach calms down once more. The waves return to their normal, smooth pace and the Black Lighthouse looks as empty as it did ten minutes ago before the Ice Girl appeared.
Lucien does not hesitate before he plays the recording again. This time he looks at the screen which has a closer look at the Black Lighthouse. However concentrating on this particular angle does not show any sign as to what the shadow may be.
Lucien's eyes glance down to the paperwork on the desk to his right. The top sheet gives out a list of details about the Day of Destruction. He pushes it to the side and glances at the following page: the aims and outcomes of the Day of Destruction.
The first Day of Destruction happened five years ago and the model village Heat Miles created on the Island was destroyed after the first day. The townspeople are not a concern. They happily volunteered for what they thought was to be a game. But a woman stepped out of line and everything was wiped out. Lucien scans the page of notes and finds the name Lustworve. Just at the look of the name Lucien cannot help but chuckle to himself.
Ellis Lustworve was forced to work for Heat Miles soon after the death of his wife during that first Day of Destruction. It was his wife that stepped out of line and therefore, Ellis needs to be looked out for. And yet five years later, Ellis seems like one of them. Lucien is surprised Ellis has agreed to stay on with them for so long seeing as Ellis did not seem threatened at all by the outcome when first informed five years ago.
If one leaves the company of Heat Miles – whether that is by choice or not – they are to hold their tongue about the company's work as the privacy of their work is in danger of being released into the public. Fail to do so and they would have to face certain punishments. Most often than not it will be a case of removing ones tongue, therefore they have no way of announcing Heat Miles' plans to anyone. But in certain circumstances, the punishment can just be execution. And through this execution, it may be a case of forcing one to volunteer for the Day of Destruction and their death to look like an accident.
Lucien lets out a loud sigh as he turns his attention back to the task at hand. He watches the videos of the beach over and over again, trying his best to understand the meaning of it. Now that Heat Miles have taken ownership of the Black Lighthouse and have banned all two-thousand-five-hundred villagers from crossing the cliff, things seem to be running smoothly. However while Major Rodger Barratt is fighting his way to the top, wanting to be King of the Island, he leaves Lucien the somewhat impossible task of trying to understand what this episode with the Ice Girl on the beach is all about.
And no matter how many times he watches and observes the footages, not once can he discover what this shadow is. It is dispersed from the Black Lighthouse after the fifth flash, flies across the beach and smothers the Ice Girl before taking her away, inevitably killing her.
Lucien's attention is drawn away from the screens again and to the sound box sitting to his right. The bars on the screen rise and fall rapidly, indicating that sound can he heard there on the beach. Unfortunately what the sounds may be, Lucien does not know as only silence comes from the footages. And yet there isn't anything within this episode that makes that much sound other than the harsh waves. Lucien takes note of this before he turns his attention back to the Ice Girl.
The Ice Girl stands at the bottom of the cliff on the moss covered rocks, looking out to the Black Lighthouse. She's dressed in tight black jeans, a bright red t-shirt and muddy white trainers. Her black hair falls over her shoulders. Lucien has been given very little information about this Ice Girl other than the basics. April Hollerford. Twenty-one years old, going on twenty-two. Has been watching the Black Lighthouse flash five times since her parents death when she was thirteen. Daughter of Declan and Suzette Hollerford. Twin brother of Maxwell Hollerford, also known as the Lost Brother. She is one of four people that holds time in the palm of their hands, including the last Time Lord, Rose Tyler and the Cyborg Terry. Right now this young woman who's known by the whole universe as the Ice Girl, seems more of an unnecessary obstacle. She seems to have no more importance other than her title and the fact that she is the only one who has seen the Black Lighthouse flash five times. Lucien knows that there is more to this woman than what Rodger Barratt admits. Even when Lucien asks, Rodger Barratt just grunts at the sound of her title and mutters something incoherent. It's clear that Rodger Barratt has a strong dislike towards the Ice Girl but does not explain much upon the matter.
Lucien hates the way Rodger Barratt has all these secrets he does not discuss with him. He knows far more than he lets on. Lucien has been there by his side since day one and is often given jobs that Rodger Barratt would not trust anyone else to complete. Lucien thinks that his boss should at least let him in on some of his secrets. These secrets just makes Lucien's job in researching more difficult than it really needs to be. However, Lucien finds himself more interested in the Ice Girl's father, Declan Hollerford, for he was the one who had the power to open the Cytracik in the first place.
Lucien rewinds the footage one more time, knowing that he will not sleep until he figures out what is to be done.
With his hands dug deep in his white lab coat pockets, Ellis Lustworve marches through the corridors of the Heat Miles base. He hangs his head low, avoiding the looks from his passing colleagues, wanting to reach his office and get out the building before anyone can stop him. He knows that what he is about to do is the right thing to do, even if that does mean that he'll be spending the rest of his life in silence. But working with Heat Miles is only disrespecting his wife's death. She never liked Heat Miles, but after she was killed nearly five years ago, he was forced to work with them. Surely by now they must trust him.
The work he has to do here is exactly what his wife hated about Heat Miles, for he is part of the team that plans out the next Day of Destruction. It is already May and they have five months left until the Black Lighthouse is predicted to flash. And it is around the same time the Day of Destruction will be held. October is the month Ellis knows he will dread for the rest of his life. The Day of Destruction occurs every year in the final week of October. If they are lucky, it might be over before November starts. But because of this, Ellis refuses to work for the company any longer.
The Heat Miles base is busy and as Ellis reaches his office door, he is thankful that he did not pass Rodger Barratt or any of his other bosses. As he opens his office door, he is even more thankful to find his office empty. There are no other sounds but the hum of the computers and the mini refrigerator in the far corner of the office.
Ellis' possessions have already been packed. For the past couple of weeks he has slowly taken home a few of his office equipment, but now the rest of his possessions are packed in a very worn rucksack sitting on his seat by his desk.
Closing the door behind him, Ellis walks across the office, staring down at his desk which he has been sitting at for the past five years of his life. He is thankful that this job kept him busy for so long as it helped him to move on from his wife's death. But it has not helped his daughter's health.
For one brief second Ellis hesitates. Is leaving Heat Miles is a good idea? Leaving will leave him speechless for the rest of his life. And depending on Rodger Barratt's and Lucien's mood, he will probably lose his tongue before he reaches his home tonight.
But then Ellis thinks about his daughter. Little Amelia Lustworve. She is the only joy he has left in his life after his wife and he knows that he has to do this for her. He will leave Heat Miles and they will leave the Island. There must be life outside of this Island surely. Ellis and his daughter can start afresh on another land. Get in a boat and sail out to sea. There has to be land elsewhere. Somewhere beyond the horizon.
If they leave this Island, they will be free from Heat Miles, the Black Lighthouse and the constant fear of the Day of Destruction. The Island is far from the paradise the two and a half thousand civilians here believe it to be.
Without any further hesitation, Ellis picks up his resignation letter from his top desk drawer and leaves the office. Like before, he marches through the corridors with his head held low, letting his colleagues pass him unnoticed.
The last thing Ellis thinks of before knocking on the door to the head office is whether or not he should walk in wearing the white lab coat.
"Shit!" Lucien hisses as he spills the hot coffee from his mug all over his black trousers.
The knock on the door is unexpected and Lucien only prays that it is not Rodger Barratt. Lucien slams the now empty coffee mug on the desk and rubs away at the burning coffee stain on his legs. There is another knock at the door, this time a little impatient.
"Hold on a moment!" Lucien shouts as he dabs at his trousers with a tissue. However this seems to make matters worse as bits of the tissue stick to his trousers. Giving up, Lucien throws the tissue away and storms across the office. As he opens the door, the last person he is expecting to see is Ellis Lustworve.
Ellis' eyes briefly take note of the coffee spill over Lucien, his team leader, before taking in a nervous breath. "May I have a word?"
"Yes but you're limited. What do you want?"
"It is something not to be discussed out in the open."
Lucien narrows his dark grey eyes before running his fingers through his greasy blond hair. He steps to the side, allowing Ellis to step into his office. He then closes the door, shutting out the light from the corridor and storms back across the office. In a panic, he shuts off the screens, changing the images to CCTV cameras around the base, removing all images of the Ice Girl and the beach that Ellis is evidently pretending not to have seen. Lucien then flicks on the lamp on his desk and almost throws himself down in his chair.
There is a slight squelch as he sits in a small puddle of hot coffee. Lucien just grits his teeth and pretends that everything is fine.
"You have ten words." Lucien says as he crosses his legs, trying to hide as much of the coffee stain and bits of tissue as he can.
Ellis is aware that Lucien is seething with rage for him having disturbed whatever work he was doing before. But Ellis is desperate to get out the base as soon as possible.
"I know what the outcome will be if I do this." Ellis says slowly and sternly as he hands his letter of resignation to Lucien.
"That's twelve words."
"Eleven, actually."
Lucien glares up at Ellis suspiciously before snatching the letter. Uncrossing his legs, Lucien rests both his elbows on his knees and rips open the letter. There is silence as he reads Ellis' neat handwriting on the paper and his face instantly drops.
"You having me off?" Lucien snaps.
"Why would I joke about this?" Ellis asks. "I am not lying, sir, I have a doctor's note to prove that my daughter needs my care. When she is like this, I am no use here." Ellis holds out the doctor's note and Lucien only looks at it if it is dirt.
"After everything we have done for you, is this how you repay us?"
"Surely my work here the past five years has been enough repayment." Ellis says indifferently.
Lucien glares at Ellis for a long while before he grunts. "You will be bound to silence from here on, Lustworve. Unfortunately you are not in a position for a total tonsillectomy but I suppose you have done Heat Miles good. I will inform Major Barratt of this and I am sure that he will not be best pleased. But we trust you enough to remain silent."
Ellis is shocked for a brief moment. "Thank you."
"Now get out of my sight. I want to hear nothing from you ever again." Lucien snaps as he pinches the bridge of his nose.
Ellis turns on his heel and leaves the office with a sly smirk. Oh yes, Ellis thinks to himself, I am sure you will be hearing plenty of me later this year.
However, Ellis only takes a couple steps away from the office before Major Rodger Barratt appears from the other end of the corridor. Leaning lightly on his walking stick which he evidently does not need, he marches slowly down the corridor, not once acknowledging Ellis.
It is as if Ellis is not there.
Rodger Barratt pushes open the door to the main office and steps inside, saying something to Lucien.
Ellis turns and slides through the door and back into the office before Rodger has the chance to shut him out. Rodger and Lucien do not see or hear Ellis as he stands in the shadows, listening in on them.
With his arms folded across his chest, Rodger Barratt walks across the office and stands in front of the many television screens. Ellis stands back and watches the screens that no longer show CCTV footages, but videos of a beach and a lighthouse. The videos are silent and are only ten minutes long, but each screen shows the beach from different angles. It then hits Ellis that this is the beach that is so often talked about in the village, but a place that is strictly out of bounds. Ellis has very little knowledge of the beach other than Heat Miles have taken ownership of the lighthouse that sits at the edge of the Island, overlooking the horizon. Ellis' briefing on this lighthouse and the beach was very brief and he is aware that there is a hidden road travelling under the cliff that leads to the beach. But he has never been given the opportunity to go to this lighthouse. His work remained at the base.
Knowing that there is no way Rodger Barratt or Lucien will be able to see him, Ellis steps out of the shadows and takes a closer look at the screens. The screen in the centre, the one Rodger has his focus on, shows a female. A young pale woman with black hair that sits just below her shoulders.
The Ice Girl.
"Any ideas?" Rodger Barratt asks.
"I'm afraid not, sir," Lucien replies, holding his hands behind his back. "Other than it's clear her appearance causes some sort of disruption to the beach."
"Well yes because the whole thing is in her head." Rodger Barratt's voice is low and menacing.
Lucien turns to look at his boss who still looks at the screen showing the Ice Girl.
"What is yet to happen?"
Rodger Barratt does not flinch at the question but seems to enjoy leaving the silence draw out before he replies. "I am sure at the end of this week we are to inform Heat Miles that the Doctor is on his way to the Island."
Lucien shuffles on the spot. "The Doctor? The Oncoming Storm" His voice is surprised. "He is coming into land?"
"The Doctor and his many companions. The Ice Girl for one. The lost Brother. Rose Tyler and his cyborg."
"Any prediction as to when they will turn up?"
"Let's just say that the Day of Destruction will be fully prepared and ready to go when they do," Rodger Barratt chuckles. "You know, Lucien, I believe the whole universe is on its way to the Island right now."
Lucien starts laughing at the idea of the whole universe coming to the Island. It seems a preposterous idea, but Ellis knows that Rodger Barratt is not joking. It is a true fact. Lucien then realises this and stops laughing. The sudden realisation is shown across his young face.
"You're serious?"
"We have five months until their arrival and they are all after one thing."
"The Cytracik." Lucien's voice is a whisper.
"Well yes of course. But the universe also wants to watch the fall of the Doctor."
Lucien nods. "I see. Are we to do any preparation for their arrival?"
"No. They have to figure things out for themselves. And when they do it'll be too late."
Ellis notices the way Lucien tries to cover up the way he is suddenly very nervous.
"So far I have been unsuccessful in trying to observe the shadow that emerges from the Black Lighthouse," Lucien says with a nervous edge to his voice, avoiding looking at his boss. "We can only assume that it is something from the Cytracik as it kills the Ice Girl. I believe that a lot of this is revolved around this young woman but I do not think she quite realises that."
The look of disgust is clear on Rodger Barratt's face at another mention of the Ice Girl. "I don't know who she thinks she is," he hisses. "She's as much use to me as a spoon for spaghetti." His words are more to himself.
"She just wants to save her own skin." Lucien mutters.
"Yes but she would put her friends before herself. Lucien, I have informed you about why we have the Day of Destruction."
"In so many words yes."
"Well here is some news to you. The Cytracik created this Island. Our visitors are going to have to abide to our rules if they want to live."