LIFE CHANGING DECISIONS
On the surface of Skaro, in a clearing in the Petrified Forest, stood the incongruous shape of a Police Box. Inside could be heard heated arguments.
"I don't care what your feelings are on the matter, young fellow," stated the Doctor, "but I fully intend to visit that city."
"And place us all in potential danger?" Ian was shocked. He and Barbara barely knew the Doctor, but Ian had assumed that among the old man's priorities there would be some caution. Apparently not.
"Grandfather, please." His granddaughter, Susan, pleaded with him. "This is too much too soon for them. Why can't you . . . ? Oh, I don't know."
"No, you don't, my child." The Doctor's manner was gentler toward Susan. "I would hardly be going down there if I thought there was the slightest hint of trouble, now, hmm?"
"You might see it that way," Barbara noted, "but we have a say in this too."
"Oh, you think so, do you?" The Doctor remarked. "You barge your way into my ship . . ."
"Yes, we've been through all that," Barbara reminded him. "But now that we're here, we seem to be stuck with each other. So there."
The Doctor was shocked. Never before had his authority been questioned. Well, not for a millennia, anyway. "Miss Wright, I am in charge of this vessel, am I not?" He indicated the TARDIS. "So, surely I can choose whatever I can or can't do?"
"That may have been the case before, but now you have us to consider."
"Barbara's right," Ian joined in. "Up until now, there's just been you and Susan. But now you have two additional passengers - us. We may not be here by choice, but whatever occurs now, and in the future, you ought to consider our feelings too."
The Doctor looked at them all in turn; Barbara, Ian and Susan. They were right, of course. He had become so used to his own company, that the thought of considering other people's opinions had never been in question. Susan, of course, had always sided with him, but now her time spent on Earth at Coal Hill School and the influence of these schoolteachers had strengthened her spirit. Now, for the first time that he could remember, she opposed him. And that, more than anything, had made him reconsider his actions.
"Very well," he agreed. "But don't think that you're in charge here, Chesterton. This is my ship, and I am its captain."
Ian smiled, relieved. "Of course, Doctor. Whatever you say." He turned to Barbara, who was not looking her best. "You all right?"
She smiled back. "Just a headache."
"Oh, I've got some medication you could take for that," the Doctor assured her. "I'll just set the ship in motion."
*****
As the sound of dematerialisation began to echo around the surface of Skaro, a tall young man approached the TARDIS. He was a Thal, his name Alydon. As the ship began to fade away, leaving only a square indentation in the ground, Alydon looked down at the phials of anti radiation drugs in his hand.
He had been too late to warn the strangers. He hoped they would survive.
On the surface of Skaro, in a clearing in the Petrified Forest, stood the incongruous shape of a Police Box. Inside could be heard heated arguments.
"I don't care what your feelings are on the matter, young fellow," stated the Doctor, "but I fully intend to visit that city."
"And place us all in potential danger?" Ian was shocked. He and Barbara barely knew the Doctor, but Ian had assumed that among the old man's priorities there would be some caution. Apparently not.
"Grandfather, please." His granddaughter, Susan, pleaded with him. "This is too much too soon for them. Why can't you . . . ? Oh, I don't know."
"No, you don't, my child." The Doctor's manner was gentler toward Susan. "I would hardly be going down there if I thought there was the slightest hint of trouble, now, hmm?"
"You might see it that way," Barbara noted, "but we have a say in this too."
"Oh, you think so, do you?" The Doctor remarked. "You barge your way into my ship . . ."
"Yes, we've been through all that," Barbara reminded him. "But now that we're here, we seem to be stuck with each other. So there."
The Doctor was shocked. Never before had his authority been questioned. Well, not for a millennia, anyway. "Miss Wright, I am in charge of this vessel, am I not?" He indicated the TARDIS. "So, surely I can choose whatever I can or can't do?"
"That may have been the case before, but now you have us to consider."
"Barbara's right," Ian joined in. "Up until now, there's just been you and Susan. But now you have two additional passengers - us. We may not be here by choice, but whatever occurs now, and in the future, you ought to consider our feelings too."
The Doctor looked at them all in turn; Barbara, Ian and Susan. They were right, of course. He had become so used to his own company, that the thought of considering other people's opinions had never been in question. Susan, of course, had always sided with him, but now her time spent on Earth at Coal Hill School and the influence of these schoolteachers had strengthened her spirit. Now, for the first time that he could remember, she opposed him. And that, more than anything, had made him reconsider his actions.
"Very well," he agreed. "But don't think that you're in charge here, Chesterton. This is my ship, and I am its captain."
Ian smiled, relieved. "Of course, Doctor. Whatever you say." He turned to Barbara, who was not looking her best. "You all right?"
She smiled back. "Just a headache."
"Oh, I've got some medication you could take for that," the Doctor assured her. "I'll just set the ship in motion."
*****
As the sound of dematerialisation began to echo around the surface of Skaro, a tall young man approached the TARDIS. He was a Thal, his name Alydon. As the ship began to fade away, leaving only a square indentation in the ground, Alydon looked down at the phials of anti radiation drugs in his hand.
He had been too late to warn the strangers. He hoped they would survive.