"Doctor, we've arrived", I heard a boy say behind me, when I turned around I saw a woman and a girl as well. They glanced between the Doctor and I questioningly as the Doctor walked around me to get to the console.
"Oh, a bit ahead of schedule. When was your flight again", the Doctor asked the woman, "Flight", I wondered out loud.
"Yes, A 778; 17:30 hours", the woman told him, "February 28th, 1981", the Doctor commented, "Doctor", I asked, "Hm", he said looking up at me and then I lifted my eyebrows at him, glanced around at the others, and then lifted a brow in question at the Doctor.
Getting the hint, the Doctor exclaimed, "Oh, Acacia this is Teagan, Nyssa, and Adric", the Doctor introduced as he gestured to each of them by name and then continued to type on the console.
"How do you do", Nyssa greeted, "Nice to meet you", Teagan greeted, "Yeah", Adric said awkwardly and I smiled politely to each of them.
"Oh", the Doctor said suddenly, "You'll have time to have a cup of tea, it's only 16:15 hours…that's 4:15", the Doctor explained the last part to me and I nodded.
However, when he opened the screen to reveal what was outside of the Tardis; we saw some sort of…lab? I wondered where we were, because we were definitely not at the airport.
"That doesn't look like Heathrow to me", I heard Teagan say, "Last time I was there, they were doing strange things to Terminal three", the Doctor commented, still looking at the console.
"Doctor, I think you should take a closer look…it doesn't look like any sort of airport I've ever seen", I told him.
"Hm", the Doctor asked as he looked up at the screen, "Oh…no you're right it doesn't", the Doctor said and then turned his head to face Adric, who looked offended.
"Well, don't look at me", Adric said flustered, "I set the coordinates as you instructed. 6309 in the spiral arm of the Galaxia Kiklos."
Teagan sighed in frustration, "But, Heathrow is on M4, not Carfu", Teagan told him, "M4 is the motorway and Carfu is the airport she works at", the Doctor explained to me and Teagan sighed again.
"And Adric's just showing off, he means the Milky Way, your galaxy", the Doctor told Teagan as he walked over to Adric.
The Doctor looked down at the console, "Ha! Massive magnetic field shift", the Doctor said suddenly, making me jump.
"Looks like some sort of control room", Adric told the Doctor, "Or a lab", I added.
"I suppose it could be part of the Piccadilly Line or some sort of laboratory", the Doctor said, thinking out loud.
"Well, either way there's a possibility I could catch a train", Teagan said happily and made her way over to the Tardis's door.
At least until the Doctor stopped her by saying, "No! No, no, wait, wait, wait. The atmosphere is wrong", the Doctor told us.
"What", Teagan asked, "What's wrong with the air", I added.
The Doctor looked up at me and then at the others, "Diminution of oxygen, nitrogen, traces of mercurial compound, intense proton activity", the Doctor said as he ran into another room.
"I thought Earth was supposed to be primitive", I heard Nyssa say and my head turned around to face her.
"Oh, did you", Teagan asked sounding insulted, "Their instruments are very advanced. That looks like a resonant stroboscope", Nyssa told her.
"I hate to break it to you, but that's not Earth", I told them, "How do you know", Teagan asked me.
"I was with the Doctor in the early 70s when we were stuck on Earth. If they were close to be building something like that, I would know", I told her.
"You what", she asked as she looked at me unbelievingly, then the Doctor exited out of the other room, carrying some sort of air supply helmet.
"Um…I'm going to have a look around. Now, none of you leave here. Is that clearly understood", the Doctor told us, as he said the last part mostly to myself.
I narrowed my eyebrows at him and placed my hands on my hips, "I mean it", he told me as he pulled on his helmet, pulled the lever to open the door to the Tardis, and walked out.
"You're going out there with him, aren't you", I heard Teagan asked, "Yup", I replied. Then walked into the other room, grabbed a helmet, and walked back to the console room.
"Maybe you should do as he says", Adric told me unsure as I pulled on my helmet, then I looked back the three as they gazed back worried.
"I'll be fine", I reassured, "Will you guys be alright when I'm gone", I asked them, "Yes", Nyssa replied before the others could speak.
There was a bit of hesitation, before the other two nodded, "We'll be right back", I told them and then I was out the door.
Once out the door, I noticed that the Doctor was flicking some switches at a random machine. Placing my hands on my hips and lifting a brow, I asked, "What are you doing?"
I watched as the Doctor jumped in surprise and glanced back me as I was holding back a chuckle, his hand was over his chest as he sighed.
"What are you doing out here? I thought I told you not to leave the Tardis", the Doctor told me, and I crossed my arms.
"I'm not going anywhere", I told him, "Right…come on", he said after much hesitation, I narrowed my eyes at him, but did as he said and followed him.
The Doctor walked over to another control panel, flipped a switch, and a window opened right beside us revealing what was outside. As it turned out, we were in a spaceship and outside was outer space.
"Looks like you were right, Acacia, it doesn't appear to be that we are in Cardiff. Now the only question is…what kind of spaceship are we on", the Doctor told me as we walked over to another control panel, to have a look at it.
As we looked around the room, we soon realized we were being observed by some sort of small sphere as it floated in the air, following us around the room. The Doctor smiled curiously up at it, before grabbing my hand, and pulled me with him as we went back into the Tardis.
"Well, as it turns out…we're on a spaceship", the Doctor told the others as we pulled off our air supply helmets.
The Teagan stormed up to us, "So much for promises, you both have lost me my job", she told us, and my eyebrows raised in concern.
"Patience", the Doctor told her, "Men…and you're no better", she told the Doctor and the last part to myself.
"I'm sorry…we'll try to get you back to work on time, but I think there's something more important at hand here", I told her and then cursed myself at my poor choice of words.
"" More important", what's more important than my job", she told me hysterically, "Well I could name a number of things that were more important. However, seeing the look on her face might not be the best time to mention it" , I thought, "Good idea", I heard the Doctor voice in my head.
"Adric, through there are space packs. No need to bother with the visors", the Doctor told Adric, sending him off to fetch the air supply helmets.
"Yes, Doctor", Adric said before leaving, before the Doctor walked over to Nyssa, "There's a lot to interest you out there, young lady. Highly advanced innovative stuff", he told her.
"That's a resonant stroboscope isn't it", Nyssa asked, "Yes, there appears to be machinery out there, but we are under scrutiny. There's a monopician out there", the Doctor told her.
"What's that", Nyssa asked, "Well, I guess it could be described as a sort of mobile black eye with a hypnotic stare", the Doctor told her, "It's like a floating security camera", I explained.
"Oh", Nyssa said, "Yes, now whoever or whatever is running this ship, they know we're here. So, we'll have a little scrutiny for ourselves", the Doctor said, just as Adric returned to give Nyssa her helmet.
Then the Doctor walked over to the console to grab something, "Should we meet anyone, you take your cue from me", he said as he made his way over to me.
"Spare key", he said as held a key in his hand, offering it to me, "Should we be separated, we come back here", the Doctor said as I held out my hand, he placed the key in my hand, closed it, and then looked back up at me.
"Can't I stay here", Teagan asked, "Yes, if you like you can stay here", the Doctor said as he walked over to Teagan.
"Are you sure you want to stay here by yourself. Alone", I asked as I was half teasing and the Doctor smiled amused, before pocketing his hands.
Teagan sighed, "Fine…I'll come", she told us and Adric gave her the helmet. After placing the key in my pocket, the Doctor and I pulled on our helmets before we all walked out of the Tardis where the monopician was waiting for us.
We all looked up at it as it was floating in the air, staring at us, "Hello again", the Doctor greeted the sphere, "You must be having a ball", the Doctor joked.
I mentally facepalmed as my eyes closed tight, "Really…a pun", I asked, "Why not", the Doctor replied, and I just shook my head.
"These are our friends", the Doctor told the monopician as he gestured to our group, before the Doctor nodded and we all walked over to a machine nearby.
The Doctor was in awe of it all, "Amazing work! Worthy of Galifrey! Non-corrosive alloys, saturated polymers, highly advanced", the Doctor said.
Look at that", Nyssa exclaimed as she walked to another machine, "Yes! An interferometer", the Doctor told her.
"What's that", Adric asked, "This is for measuring gravitation waves, but you could use it on the time curve circuits", Nyssa explained, "Look a gravitation crystal detector", Nyssa exclaimed walking to another machine.
"What's that for", Adric asked, "Same thing, except on Trakon the interferometer superseded the crystal", Nysa explained.
"Yes, that's interesting…Acacia, see if you can get it going", the Doctor asked me, "What? I'm learning as I go...how am I supposed to know how to turn this on", I asked him.
"Just…give it a try, you may more than you think", the Doctor told me, and I gave him a confused look, before slowly walking over to the machine were Nyssa was standing.
She moved aside, and I looked at Doctor questioningly, "Go on", he pushed, I lifted a brow and sighed. Then I looked back the machine, first I held down a couple of buttons with one hand, pressed a few more with the other, then I flipped a switch, and the whole thing turned on.
I smiled, then sighed in relief and confusion as I looked back the Doctor who seemed to be smiling as well, before he walked over to the monopician. He then raised his hands to measure the air around it.
"Ah, a magnetic field", the Doctor said as I moved aside so Nysa could work on the machine.
"I mean you no harm. I wonder, could you tell me who or what you are? And where we are", the Doctor asked the sphere or more like the people beyond the floating camera.
I looked up the sphere in wonder, "I know we're trespassing, but I would like an opportunity to explain the circumstances if you'd be so kind", the Doctor asked.
"Doctor, don't we have some sort of- ", "So your lips are sealed. Well, would it be in order for you to take us to your leader", the Doctor told the sphere as he cut off Adric while holding up one hand, telling him he needed to be quiet.
Suddenly, a door opened from the second floor, "Look a door", Teagan exclaimed, "Well, that's a friendly gesture. Come on Acacia", the Doctor said and then I followed after him.
"Right", I said and the I paused right at the foot of the stairs, "Teagan, would you like to come with us", I asked her, "Sure", she replied and walked over to us, I heard the Doctor sigh behind me and I gave him an annoyed look.
Adric was about to follow us, before the Doctor said, "Uh, perhaps one of us should stay with Nyssa, Adric", "No", Adric exclaimed.
The Doctor ignored him, "Good man, come on", the Doctor said, then Teagan and I followed the Doctor up the stairs and through the door.
As we walked down the hall, we spotted another monopician, "Ah, a twin", the Doctor stated as we walked through another door, before it closed behind us.
Then we walked down a long hallway, turned a corner, walked through another door, walked down another flight of stairs, and through another door just as Teagan complained about how much further we had to walk. We walked down another long hallway, before going through another door to enter a large room.
"Here we are", the Doctor said, "At last", Teagan added breathless, "But where are we", I asked looking around the room, before pausing as I took in the sight of three people who were green, sitting on three types of thrones wearing green and gold robes.
"I am monarch", the one in the middle introduced, "You look as if you might be", the Doctor said with an awkward smile.
"This is Enlightenment", Monarch said as he gestured towards the person towards his right, "Enlightenment, how do you do", the Doctor greeted as he held out his hand, however she only responded by nodding towards him.
"And this is Persuasion", Monarch introduced the man to his left, "Friendly, I hope", the Doctor commented.
"And you are", Monarch asked, "I'm the Doctor", the Doctor introduced.
"A doctor", Enlightenment asked, "A doctor of what", asked Persuasion, "Of Everything", answered the Doctor and I rolled my eyes.
"How modest", Teagan said sarcastically, "Very", I agreed.
"An Earthling", Monarch stated as if he already knew the Doctor's species.
"A Gallifriyan, in fact both my friend, Acacia, and I are Gallifryan. Teagan is an Earthling, Adric is an Alzarian, and Nyssa there is from Trakon", the Doctor told them as he pointed to our two young friends on the monitor, which was on the wall behind us.
"You come in peace", Persuasion asked, "Of course", replied the Doctor, "And inadvertently as a matter of fact."
"Control, release full life support atmosphere, please", Monarch said, before we heard the vents from above us.
"Remove your encompasses", Monarch ordered and the three of us took off our helmets.
"Thank you. May I ask who you are", the Doctor asked the three, "I am Supreme Leader of the people of Urbanka, in the Solar System of Inokshi in the Galaxy RA 1489", Monarch told us, the Doctor looked at him sadly and worried.
"Goodness me, you are a long way from home", the Doctor told them, "As indeed are you and your friend. You must be tired…Control, refreshments for our guests", Monarch ordered.
"You're very kind", the Doctor told him, "I'm merely being civilized", Monarch corrected.
"Is that the best-dressed Earthling and Galifrien women are wearing these days", Enlightenment asked Teagan and I curiously. I looked down at my clothing, now realizing I was still in my white dress.
"These days", I heard Teagan ask, "It's been 2,500 years since we were last on Earth and we've never been to Galifrey", Enlightenment replied. "Not that we ever had access to it", Persuasion added.
"That long", I asked, "Yes, Urbanka and Earth are rather far apart. We go as often as we can", Monarch told me, "Control isolate the girl", he said suddenly. We turned around to look at the monitors behind us and realized Monarch meant Nyssa.
"We've been to Earth plenty of times and nothing changes so often as the fashion", the Doctor joked as he gestured between himself and I.
"Are either of you fashionable, Teagan and Acacia", Enlightenment asked us.
"This is my uniform", Teagan told her, "And I just forgot that I…had this on. This isn't what I'd normally wear", I said embarrassed as I thought about the implications of wearing a white dress meant.
"Then what is your manner of dress when not in uniform or your unusual dress", Enlightenment asked us.
"It's difficult to explain, I can draw it for you", Teagan told them, and Monarch gestured for her to do so. "Have you got paper and a pencil or pen", she asked the Doctor, and the Doctor gave her both.
As she drew, Enlightenment looked at me expectantly, "I'll just have Teagan explain…our fashion maybe a little similar", I said awkwardly as I saw the Doctor shuffle a bit and then smile.
"Is this one of your drop-in times, Doctor and Acacia", Monarch asked after a while, "Drop-in times", the Doctor asked.
"Your visits to planet Earth", Monarch explained, "Yes…we've…promised Teagan to get her on her plane", the Doctor said as he glanced back me, which didn't go unnoticed by the three who sat on their thrones.
"Her astral plane", Monarch asked, "Yes, in a sense…they go from Heathrow Airport", the Doctor told them, and I looked at the Doctor with narrowed brows.
"Doctor…those are not similar at all", I told him, "I know that", he told me, and I raised my brows at him.
"This is not Heathrow Airport", Monarch stated, "No, not even a quarantine area", the Doctor said and then the Monarch laughed.
"Forgive my curiosity as to how your craft came aboard", Monarch asked the Doctor, "An error, my assistant miscalculated the coordinates", the Doctor told him.
"Too right, he did", Teagan commented from the floor as she was drawing.
"Or it could have been your dense magnetic field causing a fluctuation of my artron energy", the Doctor told them, "What is that", Monarch asked, and the Doctor went silent, realizing he said too much.
After a few moments of no explanation, Monarch asked impatiently, "You possess energy you don't understand?"
"Yes, silly isn't it? Only my professor at the academy seemed to understand it. Just goes to show you how academic everything is", the Doctor told him as Adric entered the room.
"Do you know what Arton Energy is", Monarch asked me before noticing that Adric had entered the room, "Ah! The boy who got his sums wrong", Monarch exclaimed.
"No, I didn't. I'm a mathematician", Adric told him.
"Mathematician, eh", Monarch asked, "Well, what do you understand by e=mc2?"
"Doctor, Ac- ", "Come on Adric and Acacia answer his questions", the Doctor told us as he cut off Adric.
"I don't actually know what atron energy is", I answered, but I had an idea what it might be.
Monarch frowned at that and then turned his attention to Adric, "Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared", Adric answered easily, "Now, where's Nyssa", Adric asked us.
The Doctor and I looked at him concerned, "You grasp the theory of relativity", Monarch asked, then we turned our attention to to the man who sat in the middle throne.
"Doesn't everyone", Adric asked, "No, I don't", Teagan answered, "Not everyone has your high intellect Adric, I told him and Adric gave me a confused look.
"And if we don't get back to Heathrow, I'm going to lose my job", Teagan complained as she handed her drawing over to Enlightenment.
I just sighed and rolled my eyes, "Adric, where's Nyssa", I asked him as I placed my thumb and finger on the bridge of my nose.
"That's the thing, I don't know. I thought she'd be here", Adric told me, then I lowered my hand and wondered where she could've gone.
"Well, you will be escorted to your refreshments", Monarch told us as Enlightenment examined the drawing that was given to her.
"Thank you, Monarch", the Doctor said politely, "Majesty", Persuasion corrected, "Majesty", the Doctor said unsure, before we all left the room.
Adric was telling us that we had to look for Nyssa, that she could've been in trouble.
"But…look, Doctor- ", "I'm sure she's alright", the Doctor told Adric, cutting him off.
"But even so, shouldn't we go looking for her", I asked as we went down a flight of stairs and then entered a room, only to find Nyssa waiting.
I sighed in relief, "What did I tell you", the Doctor told us smugly, "Alright", I said and shook my head.
"Are you alright", Adric asked as he walked up to her, "Just about", she replied as she took off her helmet.
"That's good", I said relieved as the Doctor walked up to the monopician that was hanging out in the room.
"Ah! That's reassuring…hello there", the Doctor greeted as he looked up at the sphere.
"Reassuring…more like unnerving", Teagan commented, "I agree", I added, and the Doctor sighed.
"Doctor and Acacia…when I came into this room I saw a man, and he was human", Nyssa told us.
"That's impossible", the Doctor told her, "What do you mean", I asked as I approached the pair.
"He was humanoid", Nyssa told us as the Doctor looked around the room.
"Welcome, my name is Bigon", a man who called himself Bigon said, as he entered the room carrying a tray full of food and drinks.
"Oh, hello. I'm the Doctor; this is Teagan, Adric, Nyssa, and Acacia", the Doctor introduced as he approached the man.
"How do you do", I greeted, "We've meet", Bigon stated, referring to Nyssa.
"Are you an Earthling", the Doctor asked, "Yes", Bigon replied, "Greek", the Doctor asked, "Athenian", Bigon corrected.
"What are you doing here", the Doctor asked, "And how did you get here", I added.
"Will it please you to eat and drink? A simple meal, vegetarian: citrus fruits, apples, nuts, avocado pears, and grape juice", Bigon told us as he set the tray down on the table, completely ignoring us. All of us sat at the table as we helped Bigon lay out the food and drinks.
"Oh, a small river fruit", Adric exclaimed as he grabbed an avocado, which Bigon corrected as he called an avocado pear.
"Uh, could anyone pass the sodium chloride, please",Adric asked and I lifted a brow at him, "You mean the salt", I asked, "Yes", he replied, I nodded before passing it to him.
"If you're an Earthling, how did you come to be on this ship", the Doctor asked Bigon, "I was wondering the same thing", I said as another man entered the room.
He looked like he had come from some sort of tribe or village? His chest was tattooed in tan makings and he wore a brown loin cloth. Whereas Bigon wore an off-white robe over a toga.
Then the man with the tan tattoos spoke in a language I've never heard of before and Teagan replied in the same language, which caught me by surprise.
"You speak the dialect", the Doctor asked, "He's an Australian Aborigine", she told us, "Well, I know that", the Doctor told her.
"What is he saying", I asked, "Well, he's welcoming us in the name of peace", she told us, "Oh", I asked and smiled at the man, who nodded towards me.
"What's he doing here", the Doctor asked, "I was asking", Teagan told him, frustrated. Then she turned back to speak to the man in his language and he replied.
"He says he's going to walk about to the time of the dreaming", Teagan told us, "The "Dreaming"", the Doctor asked.
"Heaven", she explained, "He says he's going to heaven…that we're all going to heaven", I didn't know what to think when I heard that.
"When does he expect to get there", the Doctor asked, "I'm frightened", Adric suddenly said, "So am I", Nyssa added.
"It's okay, you're going to be okay", I told them, trying to calm them down.
"Is that where you're going", the Doctor asked Bigon, "I'm not a believer", he told the Doctor, "No, of course you're not", the Doctor replied.
"Doctor", I whispered loudly, "Hm", he replied, before looking at me, "Stop talking about it", I whispered angrily at him and he gave me a confused look. Then another person walked into the room and this time it was a woman.
"Allow me to introduce Princess Villagra", Bigon said as the woman approached the table.
"How do you do your highness", the Doctor greeted, as he stood and held out his hand for her to shake. Princess Villagra greeted us using a downward hand motion and I smiled politely at her before she walked away.
"The Princess has vowed not to talk again until she is reunited with her people", Bigon told the Doctor as he sat back down.
"Who are her people", the Doctor asked him, "The Mayan people of the Americas", Bigon replied. I looked around at the three people who looked like they were plucked from Earth's history.
"Goodness! That's going back a bit", the Doctor exclaimed. Then another man walked in and bowed, "Greetings", he said, "Greetings", the Doctor said, "Hello", I added.
"I am Lin Futu", the man introduced, "Well, I'd never would have guessed it. You look in perfect health to me", the Doctor joked awkwardly.
"What he means to say is that it's nice to meet you all", I said and Lin Futu smiled at that, "Nice to meet you all as well", he replied.
"Yes…well, are you all Earthlings? What are you doing on this ship", the Doctor asked them, but they didn't answer, "Are you all hostages is that it", still no answer. "Well, Bigon", the Doctor asked the man and that's when I heard the monopician in the room make a strange sound.
"You have not been told by Monarch", Bgon asked, "No", the Doctor replied, "Then we must be silent on this", he told the Doctor.
Then there was a man and a woman who dressed in a green suit and dress, who walked down the steps into the area we were in. Teagan, I noticed, looked at them in confusion.
"His majesty commands me to tell you that we arrive on planet Earth in four days", the woman told us, "He invites you to complete your journey as his guests."
They both seemed familiar somehow, but then it clicked, and my eyes widened in astonishment.
"Well, that's very civil of His Majesty, who are you", the Doctor asked, "We've already met. This is Enlightenment and I am Persuasion", the man or should I say Persuasion told us.
"Goodness, how've you've changed", the Doctor told them, "You're what I sketched", Teagan exclaimed, bewildered.
"Yes. You're a very good draughtswoman, my dear", Enlightenment told Teagan, "I want to go", Teagan suddenly told the Doctor and I, before he held up his hand for her to be quiet.
"There's no need to be frightened, please", Enlightenment told her as both people from Teagan's drawing approached her. This is like a scene from the Twilight Zone, I thought.
"How did you do it? Change like that", Adric asked, "We enjoy the most advanced technology in the universe", Enlightenment told him.
"Magical", the Doctor said sarcastically, "No, not magic Doctor. A skill like no other", Enlightenment explained, taking what he said seriously.
"You mean anyone can do it", Adric asked, "Yes", Enlightenment replied, "Me", Adric asked, "If you wished, but there is no need…yet", Enlightenment told him.
"But you have", the Doctor stated, "As you've seen", Enlightenment replied.
"But, why take that form", I asked curiously, even if I did have somewhat of an idea why they did.
"The dominant emotion on planet Earth is fear. When last, we were there, our reception was hostile", Persuasion told us.
"Yes, that doesn't surprise me", Teagan said, "I'm sorry you had to go through something like that", I told them.
Enlightenment and Persuasion looked at me in confusion, "It's just that...people back on Earth tend to fear or hate or both on whatever is different or new. It's hard for some people to understand that there are different things and people out there that are different", I told them, then the Doctor nodded and then looked at the pair.
"You are Galifrien correct", Enlightenment asked as she approached me, "Yes", I replied confused, "Is there by chance you were raised on Earth", Persuasion asked as well, and my heart dropped.