CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS
- Koravox: Present Day -
Governor Braithwaite sat in silence in a large and long room, flanked on all walls by endless shelves containing nothing but books. He was staring in silence at the body that was laying on the floor in front of him, which was slowly regaining consciousness.
"Good morning," the Governor greeted.
"Is .. it morning?" the figure slowly and softly replied.
"What does it matter," the Governor replied taking a deep breath. "I am Governor Braithwaite, perhaps you've heard of me? This is my estate, my town." The Governor paused for a moment before continuing, "I didn't catch the name friend?"
"I didn't throw it friend," the person answered in a hard tone throwing a hostile look at Victor
Behind the Governor's chair stood Victor who looked down on the person with serious eyes. "Perhaps you should be a little more polite, it may affect your long-term health here."
The person looked up in silence for a moment or two before responding. "My name, is Malcolm."
The Governor looked at Malcolom blankly for a few moments, "Malcolm, tell me about that tattoo on the palm of your hand."
Malcolm looked down at his right hand, looking intently at his palm which had imprinted, a tattoo of a crescent moon. "Don't ask," he replied softly.
"You don't want to tell me?" the Governor asked raising an eyebrow.
"I lost my memory," Malcolm answered. "and perhaps my mind. I don't know anything about this tattoo ....."
"You're right Victor?" the Governor asked looking slightly off to his side.
"Of course," he quickly answered as he looked at Malcolm.
"There's quite a legend in Koravox you know Malcolm," The Governor said looking back at Malcolm.
"What kind?" Malcolm asked, not daring to move from his spot.
The Governor smiled to nobody in particular for a brief moment before standing up and taking a few steps towards Malcolm. "There exists a place that's free of death and ageing, an intriguing place where all dreams come true. They call it, the city of moons."
"What does this city of moons have to do with me?" Malcolm asked, looking up into the eyes of the Governor.
"I will tell you." Victor said. "Those who enter the city and then return here are marked with a crescnet tattoo on their hands. Does that make any sense Malcolm?"
"I'm such a man?" Malcolm asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"I'm telling you nothing," the Governor said, "But should you find your path back to the city of moons perhaps you will regain your mind and save your life at the same time."
"What!" Malcolm gasped, his eyes wide in shock.
Governor Braithwaite stood up and brushed his hands together, "I'm tired of him Victor."
"Yes sir." Victor simply replied with a smile on his lips. He walked over to Malcolm and helped him to his feet.
Malcolm brushed himself off and got frog-marched out to the front of the building. Outside Victor turned and faced him.
"Tough luck stupid." Victor chuckled, "Better luck next time."
Victor gave him a sly smile and then returned back into the building closing the gates behind him.
Malcolm glared intently at the building which he just came from and huffed to himself. "Petty little man, think he can threaten people in that manner," he uttered with hate.
He turned around on his feels and walked straight into Iris who was walking towards him.
"I'm sorry," Malcolm quickly apologised, "my fault."
"Don't worry chuck," Iris replied as she watched Malcolm regain his composure and scurried off past her and down the street. "People always in a hurry to be somewhere they probably shouldn't be," Iris spoke softly.
"Speaking of such people," Powell said giving a side-long glance to Iris.
Iris turned her attention to her companion who was standing by her side and sighed. "Indeed luv, I'm most concerned about our Ace. It's not like her to be absence for this amount of time without trying to contact me. I think something stinks around here, and I intend to find the source."
"How are you going to do that Iris?" Powell asked.
"I'm going to go back to my TARDIS and see if I can track her down that way." Iris answered as she started walking a little faster.
They turned a corner and started walking through the hustle and bustle of the local market, a temptation for distraction if Iris ever saw one. The vibrant colours of the clothing, the rich pungent smells of the food that was fresh that day, and the pleasantness of the locals.
"Hello there," a voice announced to Iris as she walked past a stand.
She and Powell looked back to see a flower shop set just back from the market itself with a display of brilliant colours. Standing there was a middle aged woman who had long flowing dark hair which had faint touches of grey in. She was looking at Iris and smiling softly.
"Good morning," Iris replied.
"You must be the traveller."
"Yes, I'm Iris," she answered looking at the display of flowers. "I didn't know so many people knew of my arrival?"
"Not much happens around here that the locals don't know about," the woman answered. "My name is Rose." She paused briefly as a small boy came out of the shop and gave Rose a pair of clippers. "This here, is little Robert."
"Cool, a real traveller mum." Robert said excitedly looking up at Iris. "I'm gonna be a real traveller one day."
"Perhaps." Rose commented with a warm smile. "One day you will Robert. But right now, we're here to serve our Governor. Okay, let's get todays flowers ready, Governor Braithwaite likes fresh flowers in the offices. Nice meeting you, Iris."
Iris turned her attention back to the task at hand and both she and Powell carried on their way towards the TARDIS.
"So Iris," Powell started as they made their way through the maze of roadways, "Just how many time have you been in a situation like this?"
"What's that chuck, looking for my assistant?" Iris replied as she started rummaging through her handbag.
"No," Powell replied with a chuckle, "I mean finding yourself on a planet and ending up helping them out of a problem?"
"Well," Iris started, then paused for a moment to think. "After so many years, you kind of start forgetting just how many races you save from immanent disaster. I remember this one time I was on this planet with Ace being attacked by these, things, they looked they had giant potato heads and .."
"Potato heads?" Powell repeated in puzzlement.
"Who were they," Iris muttered as she carried on looking in her bag. "Oh yes, Sontarans. That's who they were."
"They don't sound nice," Powell commented as they turn into street and away from the market place.
"No they're not chuck," Iris agreed. "They're not very nice at all." She looked up finally and smiled at Powell, "It's funny, that no matter where we go, we always seem to find trouble."
"Really?" Powell commented, not really sure what to say.
"Yes," Iris muttered softly as she pulled her hand out of her handbag with a small bag in her hand. "Jelly baby?"
Powell looked inside the bag tentatively for a moment before putting his hand inside and pulling out a red jelly baby.
"Hmm, those ones are the nicest," Iris chuckled softly. "Back there, that woman, Rose. She said that she served the Governor. Are there many people like that in Koravox?"
"Well," Powell started as he slowly began chewing on the jelly baby. "I guess there are a small number of people who serve the Governor outside the Council Chambers. Besides Rose, there is Doctor Morse who's the physician to Governor Braithwaite and Mac who is a clock maker."
"Clocks did you say? I didn't peg the Governor to have such a passion for time pieces."
"Well from what I gather it's only a recent interest," Powell commented. "It's only become a fascination of his over the past few months or so."
"Hmm, interesting," Iris mused as they got nearer to the warehouse that held her bus.
What is peace? What is contentment? Or to be precise, what is the price for these answers? At this moment, Paul thought he knew the answers. He was at peace, contented with his life nd more than that, in a state of complete bliss. He was totally unaware of where he was or what had happened to him.
He was inside his world now, his little world wrapped in a shroud of blackness and silence, where he was everywhere and nowhere at the same time and where he knew both everything and nothng.
A soft male voice called from somewhere in the blackness, too low for him to hear the words clearly.
"Excuse me?" Paul commented. "Who is there?"
The voice called again, a little louder but he still had difficulty hearing.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Paul commented again.
He suddenly felt a presence nearby, and something touching him on his shoulder and in that instance he was pulled from the blackness.
"I'm sorry to have disturbed you," a male voice commented, "you looked so comfortable. But I needed to know, is this the train due soon?"
"Train?" Paul repeated in an extremely puzzled tone in his voice.
He took a few moments and looked around the place, taking in the scenery. It seemed to be a warm summer evening, and Paul was situated on what looked like a platform of a long Victorian style railway station. Free from litter, and for most part, people the only other person who was there was the person who had disturbed him.
"I'm sorry," Paul commented after he composed himself. "I am not entirely sure."
"That is quiet okay," the man replied. "I have all the time in the world."
Paul breathed softly as the man walked away, down along the platform. He wasn't sure as to what was happening, didn't understand the circumstances. Was he dreaming again, like he regularly did. Paul stood up from the seat and walked in the opposite direction along the platform, looking at the posters and information that was dotted around. Timetables and names displaying information to peruse.
He stopped at the foot of a large stairway that lead upwards towards a walkway that lead to the otherside of the platform and beyond out of the station. Placed midway up the wall held a large metal plate with a large name stamped into it. Paul reached out and trace his fingers along the lettering, his lips softly repeating the letters that he was reading.
"Excelis," he read out softly.
A sensation ripped through his body at that moment and he spin quickly on his heels around behind him, and as he did, the scenery changed once again.
Yes he had been dreaming, but the images, the sounds, everything seemed so vibrant, so real. It was overwhelming. Paul needed several minutes to compose himself, breathing deeply his nostrils were once inveloped with the familiar senses and his eyes were greeted by the sun and the moon high in the sky.
Slowly he leaned up and turned around. From his vantage point from the roof of a nearby building he looked down at the streets below, the people passing by, living out their lives in peace and ignorance.
His attention was grabbed by the sound of two individuals approaching where he was. Looking down he saw Iris and Powell walking along the street towards a large warehouse. A smile crossed Paul's lips and his eyes glinted in the sunlight. He turned back and reached for his bag. He opened it up and slowly pulled out his gun, his target had been acquired.
- Koravox: Present Day -
Governor Braithwaite sat in silence in a large and long room, flanked on all walls by endless shelves containing nothing but books. He was staring in silence at the body that was laying on the floor in front of him, which was slowly regaining consciousness.
"Good morning," the Governor greeted.
"Is .. it morning?" the figure slowly and softly replied.
"What does it matter," the Governor replied taking a deep breath. "I am Governor Braithwaite, perhaps you've heard of me? This is my estate, my town." The Governor paused for a moment before continuing, "I didn't catch the name friend?"
"I didn't throw it friend," the person answered in a hard tone throwing a hostile look at Victor
Behind the Governor's chair stood Victor who looked down on the person with serious eyes. "Perhaps you should be a little more polite, it may affect your long-term health here."
The person looked up in silence for a moment or two before responding. "My name, is Malcolm."
The Governor looked at Malcolom blankly for a few moments, "Malcolm, tell me about that tattoo on the palm of your hand."
Malcolm looked down at his right hand, looking intently at his palm which had imprinted, a tattoo of a crescent moon. "Don't ask," he replied softly.
"You don't want to tell me?" the Governor asked raising an eyebrow.
"I lost my memory," Malcolm answered. "and perhaps my mind. I don't know anything about this tattoo ....."
"You're right Victor?" the Governor asked looking slightly off to his side.
"Of course," he quickly answered as he looked at Malcolm.
"There's quite a legend in Koravox you know Malcolm," The Governor said looking back at Malcolm.
"What kind?" Malcolm asked, not daring to move from his spot.
The Governor smiled to nobody in particular for a brief moment before standing up and taking a few steps towards Malcolm. "There exists a place that's free of death and ageing, an intriguing place where all dreams come true. They call it, the city of moons."
"What does this city of moons have to do with me?" Malcolm asked, looking up into the eyes of the Governor.
"I will tell you." Victor said. "Those who enter the city and then return here are marked with a crescnet tattoo on their hands. Does that make any sense Malcolm?"
"I'm such a man?" Malcolm asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"I'm telling you nothing," the Governor said, "But should you find your path back to the city of moons perhaps you will regain your mind and save your life at the same time."
"What!" Malcolm gasped, his eyes wide in shock.
Governor Braithwaite stood up and brushed his hands together, "I'm tired of him Victor."
"Yes sir." Victor simply replied with a smile on his lips. He walked over to Malcolm and helped him to his feet.
Malcolm brushed himself off and got frog-marched out to the front of the building. Outside Victor turned and faced him.
"Tough luck stupid." Victor chuckled, "Better luck next time."
Victor gave him a sly smile and then returned back into the building closing the gates behind him.
Malcolm glared intently at the building which he just came from and huffed to himself. "Petty little man, think he can threaten people in that manner," he uttered with hate.
He turned around on his feels and walked straight into Iris who was walking towards him.
"I'm sorry," Malcolm quickly apologised, "my fault."
"Don't worry chuck," Iris replied as she watched Malcolm regain his composure and scurried off past her and down the street. "People always in a hurry to be somewhere they probably shouldn't be," Iris spoke softly.
"Speaking of such people," Powell said giving a side-long glance to Iris.
Iris turned her attention to her companion who was standing by her side and sighed. "Indeed luv, I'm most concerned about our Ace. It's not like her to be absence for this amount of time without trying to contact me. I think something stinks around here, and I intend to find the source."
"How are you going to do that Iris?" Powell asked.
"I'm going to go back to my TARDIS and see if I can track her down that way." Iris answered as she started walking a little faster.
They turned a corner and started walking through the hustle and bustle of the local market, a temptation for distraction if Iris ever saw one. The vibrant colours of the clothing, the rich pungent smells of the food that was fresh that day, and the pleasantness of the locals.
"Hello there," a voice announced to Iris as she walked past a stand.
She and Powell looked back to see a flower shop set just back from the market itself with a display of brilliant colours. Standing there was a middle aged woman who had long flowing dark hair which had faint touches of grey in. She was looking at Iris and smiling softly.
"Good morning," Iris replied.
"You must be the traveller."
"Yes, I'm Iris," she answered looking at the display of flowers. "I didn't know so many people knew of my arrival?"
"Not much happens around here that the locals don't know about," the woman answered. "My name is Rose." She paused briefly as a small boy came out of the shop and gave Rose a pair of clippers. "This here, is little Robert."
"Cool, a real traveller mum." Robert said excitedly looking up at Iris. "I'm gonna be a real traveller one day."
"Perhaps." Rose commented with a warm smile. "One day you will Robert. But right now, we're here to serve our Governor. Okay, let's get todays flowers ready, Governor Braithwaite likes fresh flowers in the offices. Nice meeting you, Iris."
Iris turned her attention back to the task at hand and both she and Powell carried on their way towards the TARDIS.
"So Iris," Powell started as they made their way through the maze of roadways, "Just how many time have you been in a situation like this?"
"What's that chuck, looking for my assistant?" Iris replied as she started rummaging through her handbag.
"No," Powell replied with a chuckle, "I mean finding yourself on a planet and ending up helping them out of a problem?"
"Well," Iris started, then paused for a moment to think. "After so many years, you kind of start forgetting just how many races you save from immanent disaster. I remember this one time I was on this planet with Ace being attacked by these, things, they looked they had giant potato heads and .."
"Potato heads?" Powell repeated in puzzlement.
"Who were they," Iris muttered as she carried on looking in her bag. "Oh yes, Sontarans. That's who they were."
"They don't sound nice," Powell commented as they turn into street and away from the market place.
"No they're not chuck," Iris agreed. "They're not very nice at all." She looked up finally and smiled at Powell, "It's funny, that no matter where we go, we always seem to find trouble."
"Really?" Powell commented, not really sure what to say.
"Yes," Iris muttered softly as she pulled her hand out of her handbag with a small bag in her hand. "Jelly baby?"
Powell looked inside the bag tentatively for a moment before putting his hand inside and pulling out a red jelly baby.
"Hmm, those ones are the nicest," Iris chuckled softly. "Back there, that woman, Rose. She said that she served the Governor. Are there many people like that in Koravox?"
"Well," Powell started as he slowly began chewing on the jelly baby. "I guess there are a small number of people who serve the Governor outside the Council Chambers. Besides Rose, there is Doctor Morse who's the physician to Governor Braithwaite and Mac who is a clock maker."
"Clocks did you say? I didn't peg the Governor to have such a passion for time pieces."
"Well from what I gather it's only a recent interest," Powell commented. "It's only become a fascination of his over the past few months or so."
"Hmm, interesting," Iris mused as they got nearer to the warehouse that held her bus.
What is peace? What is contentment? Or to be precise, what is the price for these answers? At this moment, Paul thought he knew the answers. He was at peace, contented with his life nd more than that, in a state of complete bliss. He was totally unaware of where he was or what had happened to him.
He was inside his world now, his little world wrapped in a shroud of blackness and silence, where he was everywhere and nowhere at the same time and where he knew both everything and nothng.
A soft male voice called from somewhere in the blackness, too low for him to hear the words clearly.
"Excuse me?" Paul commented. "Who is there?"
The voice called again, a little louder but he still had difficulty hearing.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Paul commented again.
He suddenly felt a presence nearby, and something touching him on his shoulder and in that instance he was pulled from the blackness.
"I'm sorry to have disturbed you," a male voice commented, "you looked so comfortable. But I needed to know, is this the train due soon?"
"Train?" Paul repeated in an extremely puzzled tone in his voice.
He took a few moments and looked around the place, taking in the scenery. It seemed to be a warm summer evening, and Paul was situated on what looked like a platform of a long Victorian style railway station. Free from litter, and for most part, people the only other person who was there was the person who had disturbed him.
"I'm sorry," Paul commented after he composed himself. "I am not entirely sure."
"That is quiet okay," the man replied. "I have all the time in the world."
Paul breathed softly as the man walked away, down along the platform. He wasn't sure as to what was happening, didn't understand the circumstances. Was he dreaming again, like he regularly did. Paul stood up from the seat and walked in the opposite direction along the platform, looking at the posters and information that was dotted around. Timetables and names displaying information to peruse.
He stopped at the foot of a large stairway that lead upwards towards a walkway that lead to the otherside of the platform and beyond out of the station. Placed midway up the wall held a large metal plate with a large name stamped into it. Paul reached out and trace his fingers along the lettering, his lips softly repeating the letters that he was reading.
"Excelis," he read out softly.
A sensation ripped through his body at that moment and he spin quickly on his heels around behind him, and as he did, the scenery changed once again.
Yes he had been dreaming, but the images, the sounds, everything seemed so vibrant, so real. It was overwhelming. Paul needed several minutes to compose himself, breathing deeply his nostrils were once inveloped with the familiar senses and his eyes were greeted by the sun and the moon high in the sky.
Slowly he leaned up and turned around. From his vantage point from the roof of a nearby building he looked down at the streets below, the people passing by, living out their lives in peace and ignorance.
His attention was grabbed by the sound of two individuals approaching where he was. Looking down he saw Iris and Powell walking along the street towards a large warehouse. A smile crossed Paul's lips and his eyes glinted in the sunlight. He turned back and reached for his bag. He opened it up and slowly pulled out his gun, his target had been acquired.
