Chapter 1: The Thal
"This is outrageous!" snarled the Doctor. "What do you mean, you have no record of my mission? I was acting on direct orders!"
"I don't mean to antagonise you, Doctor," said the calm, bureaucratic voice on the other end of the line. "However, given our non-interference ethos, it seems highly unlikely that you would have been 'sent' on such a mission. Might you have misremembered? We understand there were problems with your last regeneration—"
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with my memory. Your records are faulty. Look, it doesn't matter. I just wanted to let the Council know that I've made up my mind. I'm going to see if I can—"
"No, Doctor," said the voice. "Based on what you've told us, I'd say you've…er…done enough already. It gives me no pleasure to say this, but this unfortunate event proves that we've been right to disapprove of your interfering. There's going to have to be an inquiry. Until then I must ask you not to—"
"I can't hear you," hissed the Doctor. "You're breaking up." He savagely punched the viewscreen off. Muttering darkly to himself, he moved to the other side of the console, and began setting temporal and spatial coordinates.
He glanced up, and saw that Rose was grinning at him. She leaned across the console and whispered conspiratorially, "So, Skaro it is, then?"
(Skaro is home to the Kaleds, a peaceful race of scientists and engineers--thanks to the Alt!Eighth Doctor's interference in their history. However, his destruction of the Daleks's Genesis had consequences more terrible than anyone ever could have imagined: the Big Rip, a catastrophic and dramatically premature ending to the universe. For more details, read Doomsday Dimensions and The Restaurant at the End of the Multiverse
Silvery grass, cloud-leafed trees, ethereal flowers, whirring birds...and then a slight shimmer in the air. Moments later, a sliver of doorway hung in midair and widened, revealing Rose and the Doctor. They stepped outside.
"I despise this invisibility circuit," said the Doctor as he closed the TARDIS doors. "Such a bother trying to find something that you can't see."
"Captain Jack managed it," said Rose.
"Who's Captain Jack?"
Rose suddenly wondered if there were a parallel Captain Jack in her universe. What would he be like? Would he be male or female? Would it matter? She giggled. "Um...Captain Jack...it's hard to explain. Anyway--what's the plan? Change the past? Stop yourself from--"
"Now there's a thought! Change the universe's most pivotal event, cross my own timeline, and create a massive paradox all in one go. Alternately, I could just open up a big rift in the Void and invite the Reapers round for tea."
Rose rolled her eyes. "You could have just said no. So what are we--"
The Doctor put his finger to his lips, shushing her. He turned around, looking this way and that, apparently trying to get his bearings. He beckoned Rose to come closer. "Unfortunately, I think we landed rather far from the Kaled city," he whispered in her ear. "Be on your lookout for Thals. Typically they're harmless, not too bright, but occasionally--"
"What do they look like?" Rose asked; but the Doctor didn't need to reply.
From a thicket of trees stepped a spectacularly tall man, bare-chested, with tight-fitting trousers fashioned from animal skins. His bronze skin was stretched across taut, well-defined muscles. He had a mane of wavy blonde hair, chiseled features, and startlingly green, almond-shaped eyes. He was holding a massive spear. Rose stared at him, open-mouthed. He was perhaps the most perfect man she had ever seen in her life.
"Hello!" said the Doctor, brightly. "How do you do, I'm the Doctor. As you can see, we're not from around here, we're travellers, strangers to these parts. I do hope it's not too much of an imposition, but do you think you could possibly point us in the direction of the Kaled city? We'd appreciate it ever so--"
Suddenly, the Thal thundered, "Stop your babbling!"
"Er...quite," said the Doctor. "We'll be going. Come along, Rose."
A spear blocked their path. The Thal stared from Rose to the Doctor to Rose again. To the Doctor, he said, finally, "You are a stranger. You belong to a strange tribe. Thus I challenge you. The prize is your woman."
"I'm not a 'prize'!" said Rose angrily.
"No," said the Doctor, stepping in front of her. "That won't do at all. Rose is very modern. She chooses her own prizes." He started to edge away, keeping Rose behind him. "As I said, we'll just be leaving now, wouldn't want to waste any more of your exceedingly valuable time--"
The enormous Thal swatted the Doctor aside, sending him flying at least twelve feet. He hit the ground, senseless. Rose ran to his side.
"Doctor! Doctor, wake up--OH!"
The Thal had reached down and grabbed her by the hair and was now lifting her up by it.
"Stop, that HURTS!" she screamed, trying vainly to free herself from his grasp. "Let me go!"
He lifted her up with one hand and slung her over his shoulder. "You are my woman now, not his. There is no going back. Accept what fate has destined for you."
