Chapter 1

The Doctor was waiting in Erwin's quarters when the door opened. Nita entered.

"Doctor?"

"Nita, yesterday, before we left starbase an old friend of mine came onboard: Doctor Bill Erwin. I arranged quarters for him. Here."

"I was not aware of this passenger."

"I'm sorry. I thought I told you."

"No, you didn't. Please go on."

"We were to meet for breakfast. But I can't seem to find him… or any of his things…"

"TARDIS, where is Doctor Bill Erwin?"

"There is no Doctor Bill Erwin aboard the TARDIS."

"Nita, Doctor Erwin is very old, and rather frail. If he fell somewhere…"

"I will look for him immediately."

"Thank you."

Nita paused in the doorway, and turned to look at the Doctor. "Even if Doctor Erwin had been injured… why would his belongings be missing?"

He answered her with an equally puzzled look. Nita nodded and left, leaving the Doctor alone in the empty room.

The Doctor sat at his desk in his study. Facing him was Ace and Nita.

"Doctor, I have been conducting a deck-by-deck search. It is not yet complete."

"I have scanned the entire ship, Professor. Other than the three of us, I can find no one else onboard."

"Your sensors wouldn't detect him… if he were dead…" said the Doctor, fearing the worst.

"That's right, Professor."

"Could my friend have returned to the starbase without telling me? An emergency of some sort? There were a few people going back and forth between the ship and the starbase yesterday. Please contact Starbase Command. We should leave nothing to chance."

"Yes, Professor."

The Doctor nodded. Nita and Ace left.

"I don't know why Nita didn't know about Doctor Erwin," the Doctor thought to himself.

Doctor Erwin had been stationed at the starbase for six years. The Doctor decided it might be prudent to find out if he'd acquired any enemies there. He stood and left the room.

In the Control Room, Nita was at the console. She nodded as the Doctor entered. "On course for Durenia Four, Doctor."

"Very good, Nita. Ace?"

"Professor, Starbase One-Three-Three has no record at all of a Doctor Bill Erwin."

"I thought he was stationed there for six years."

"Not according to their computer. I have also accessed Gallactic Alliance records. There is no doctor currently serving in the Alliance named Erwin. In fact I can't find any service record whatsoever. There are no birth records with that name. I find no-"

"Ace, I met him on Delos Four. I've known him for fifteen years."

"I don't doubt you, Doctor. However I have tried many phonetic variations of the name, and-"

"His name is Bill Erwin. E-R-W-I-N. Whatever the record say, they're wrong."

"Doctor, I completed my search. I couldn't find Doctor Erwin." Nita began to realize a terrible possibility.

"He was onboard. I met him at the door myself," said the Doctor. "It appears, for reasons unknown, someone has gone to great pains to erase all traces of this man."

"Who was in the Control Room when he came aboard?"

"You were."

"Me? When did he arrive?"

"Four PM yesterday."

"That was my watch. I was here when this man came aboard?"

"Yes. I was here to greet him. An elderly man? Not in the best of health?"

"I'm sorry. I do remember you were here for a short while. But you were alone."

The Doctor stared at her. "Was he invisible? Did I carry on a conversation with thin air?"

Nita looked at him as if he was doing that right now. "No, Doctor. As far as I can recall, you came in, looked around for a few moments… I asked you if I could help you with anything… All you said was "Thank you." I said "My pleasure," or something. That was the end of it. There was no one else here."

The Doctor was stunned.