3. Battling the Chmoo.

"We need to meet them," the Doctor says decisively. "Confront them and oust them!"
"What, now?" Alyssa asks.
"Yes, now. We must carry candles for light - there's no power source for them to tap, extinguish and leave us in the dark!"
The Doctor reaches into a pocket in his robe and amazingly produces pond fishing nets for the family to carry to capture any they find, then leads the way out of the house to confront these power guzzling creatures.

Simeon captures one tiny Chmoo craft in his net and holds it to the ground while the others gather around it. The craft's no bigger than a small bat.

The Doctor speaks to it. "What are you doing here? What is your purpose in being here? Why are you here?" They feign not to understand. They refuse to believe the Doctor is talking to them in their own language, but it's the Tardis interpretation circuits that are translating via the Doctor.

The Doctor pretends that he has an interpreting machine nearby (not naming his Tardis). (This is the inverse of TV episode The Christmas Invasion where the Sycorax vehemently denied talking in English).

Only then do the Chmoo reply. "Our power was draining faster than we had predicted. We started to run short of power and we would be unlikely to reach our destination. We diverted to a known populated planet with known power sources. We were replenishing painfully slowly. Then something happened and we started to replenish much faster, but whatever it was fought our power drain on it. But then it rained heavily, and we had to stop."
"That would be my Tardis!" the Doctor mutters under his breath.

"What are you using to glean your power?" he asks.
"We won't tell you!" the Chmoo replies.
"Why not?"
"You wouldn't approve." Maybe they've researched the Doctor?
"Technology beyond your capabilities!" the Doctor accuses them. "Where did you get it?"
"I'll use a different phrase. Classified information!"
"You'll tell me, or I'll ensure you never leave this planet," the Doctor says boldly.
"Don't be sure we'll leave!"

"Why? When will you have charged up? When will you go?"
"We're not planning to go. We'll stay and populate this planet. It has many power sources that other planets don't."
"You're not staying here on this planet! I will definitely stop you!"

Another Chmoo craft swoops nearby and starts dive bombing the small group.

Alyssa grabs it in her net and holds it to the ground just as Simeon is holding his net.
Chloe captures another, but more Chmoo craft appear every second.

The Doctor soon recognises that the situation isn't sustainable. He reaches into another pocket and amazingly retrieves some tennis racquets! .
"Stand with our backs together, so we can defend ourselves," the Doctor says.
Soon the group are swatting the Chmoo.

An upstairs window opens, and Ben looks out and watches them.

"I recommend you don't continue this attack," the Doctor shouts. "We don't want to hurt you, but we must defend ourselves. Then you must go and never return!"

The Chmoo stop their swooping attack.

"We have one other piece of technology," the captured Chmoo claims. "We've reserved it, but we must use it now!"

The Doctor is annoyed at what they might have ready to use.
"No more alien technology!" the Doctor shouts. But he doubts the Chmoo will listen.

A rustling of leaves nearby attracts their attention. A round green football-sized creature steps forwards.
Alyssa laughs. "Is that what you look like when you're not in those small craft?"
"Yes. We have an enlargement gun."
"There's a problem with an enlargement gun," the Doctor says, concernedly. "Stay away from us or I'll have to show you what the problem is!"
"I've come to swat you!" the enlarged Chmoo says, producing a swatting stick.
Not the response the Doctor was expecting! "This planet is defended! Your last chance to retreat!" he says.

"Once in battle we never retreat!"
"Fortunately that isn't often," the Doctor says from his knowledge of the Chmoo. Advancing on the enlarged Chmoo, he reaches into a pocket and produces a long, sharp pin. "Don't say I didn't warn you!"

The Doctor deftly dodges a Chmoo swipe and lunges with his pin.

A loud bang echoes around the valley, the enlarged Chmoo disappears, and the group find themselves and everything around covered in a gooey substance. .

"As I say," the Doctor says steadily, wiping goo off his face, "the enlargement gun has some issues!" .

"What happened there?" Devyon says, arriving at the scene, along with Ben, having heard the bang.

"A Chmoo exploded," Simeon says. He's still rather shocked at the mess from the encounter.

"The enlargement gun just inflated a Chmoo like a giant frog," the Doctor says. "All I had to do was introduce a small rupture zone."
"And, Bang!" Simeon continues, laughing.

"The Chmoo are just leaving," the Doctor says pointedly, watching the few remaining tiny Chmoo spacecraft.

Wash up.

"This is the point where we say how it all went for each of us," the Doctor says. "But, I'm sorry, I don't think we've got time for everyone! Can we start with Chloe?" .
"Fine for me, but Alyssa had a problem keeping up earlier."
"I'm sorry, it was rather a long way yesterday!" the Doctor apologises.
"How did you know to have tennis racquets and nets, Doctor," Alyssa asks.
"Just part of my hunch," the Doctor replies.
"I didn't like losing our leader!" a Chmoo says, but he's side-lined. .
"Simeon?"
"I really liked the candlelit breakfast," Simeon says. Chloe looks at him and giggles, "I liked that, too!"

"Devyon?"
"I missed out on the Big Bang, it seems." .
"Don't worry, lots of people did!" .
"I've got to clean my back yard, thanks to you," Sheila says despondently. "Who are you guys, anyway?" .

The Doctor moves swiftly on, avoiding difficult questions. "I'm sorry, I'm sure a bit more rain would help! We must make a move now, we've a fair trek to our transport!" .
They all get up and start walking.
"Not you," Devyon says to the Chmoo. "Shoo!" .
"Why are you so big?" Chloe asks.
"Enlargement gun?"
"Are you stuck like that now?"
"Oops. We didn't think of that!" .

THE END

The previous episode in this series is called "The Daleks' Triumph" (ref. 43).

The next episode in this series is called "First Regeneration".

I hope to add further episodes soon.

Sparse References.

Reference 9 Episode Gallifrey Exhumed in this series,
where Gallifrey was rebuilt after the Master destroyed it and the Doctor found a way to restore it.

* Cancer-giving sticks. People may look back and view cigarettes with some such label. Currently the label of cancer stick might seem to apply in this day and age as we would consider it to be a way to give yourself cancer, but hopefully this closer association will recede as we move away from such addictions.

Sharing Arrangements.

Chloe and Alyssa are sisters and are used to sharing.
Simeon and the Doctor are both Gallifreyans. Whatever Gallifreyans do at night isn't likely to be sleep. They are likely to chat the night through and be as fresh in the morning.
Devyon and Meran are both Earth descended, although they are from different Earth colonies, Tinsel and Slint.

At points in the story where there is humour, an additional full stop is added. .

ANOTHER END