Authors note:

For reasons I dont understand and cannot begin to explain, all forms of punctuation marks are disappearing from documents as I upload them. Worrying I know. You will have to resort to common sense Im afraid.

Chapter Five: Without a Trace

Angel sat in the Sheriffs chair beneath the stuffed head of some poor hoofed mammal that couldnt outrun a bullet. Its eyes misty and lifeless, its fur caked with decades worth of dust. The whole office was dusty, a cluttered ransacked mess. The biggest desk was Dantes, the one he had generously offered to Angel to sit at as he lectured The Doctor on the long history of the Ranxs ghost infestation. The Sheriffs of Ambitions past had taken it upon themselves to carve their names into the desk draws, some worn away with the dry winds, becoming so smooth that they felt like they were part of the design. There were stacked books on colonial law and protocol in this sector of the galaxy, all written in 50th Century English which meant even the TARDIS all powerful telepathic translator functions couldnt recognise the new sentence structures and colloquialisms that had made it into every day speech. There were also a number of letters, some opened some not from Chilvester himself--- ah, but there discreetly tucked between the rules the regulations and the routine correspondences with head office was a surreptitious lingerie catalogue with well thumbed pages. For those warm evenings when crime was not threatening to break down the society they had built in the middle of a chip pan. Terwilligers desk was considerably smaller and closer to the cells, two large iron cages-- just like in the films. It struck Angel as curious how like a film Western the town of Ambition proved itself to be. Maybe that was all the architects had to go on. Or it was a coincidence. Angel tried not to believe in coincidence, it made her feel restless. Terwilliger was looking as much like a slowly roasting bull as he ever did, but now he was slowly roasting bull trying to do paperwork in this heat. Angel swivelled on the chair as she listened to what Dante had to say. He stood in the doorway that poked out onto one of the sidewalks of Ambition and talked directly to The Doctor who stood with his back against the bars of the cage

Dante stood in the doorway of his office, the noon sun bristling one side of his face, standing perfectly rigid; his arms folded, his head inclined, never taking his eyes of off The Doctor. It had to be admitted he didnt entirely trust the old man who had popped up out of nowhere with his alluring companion. But there was something in his manner that stirred the need to share in the young sheriff. Something in the glittering blue eyes and that inexplicable nature demanded to learn what there was to be learnt and would never let go until its insatiable thirst for information had been dampened. It had to occurred to Angel one or twice before that The Doctors desire to learn as much as he could was not to broaden his already immense horizons or for the simple of sake of being smarter it epitomised the phrase knowledge is power, that in learning everything he could prepare himself against what ever the universe was ready to throw at him.

The Doctor listened intently. Apparently it became an informal tradition of human colonised planets to develop a mythology and folklore of their own to compensate for the lack of any tangible history-- humans always felt profoundly uncomfortable in places with no past. These always developed out of the nature of the planets in questions, for instance water worlds always had a race of hideous sea creatures lurking beneath the surface ready to snap up unsuspecting lay-abouts stories to keep the children in line. Stories about ghosts started to crop up almost immediately after the first settlers made planet-fall. Such wide open spaces played with peoples visions, told them they saw things that werent there-- in this case pale shades wandering aimlessly across the prairies for eternity. Once again, these stories were promoted by parents to keep their little ones in check, dont wander out onto the prairie--- theres ghosts out there. The stories were never given any real credence, though they did make the prairies an ominous place to be at night-- where there was no way of guarding your back. And then, about a year ago, the stories suddenly became true. People began to see the white wraiths en masse. In secluded areas, lurking in the shadows, always just on the edge of sight they would just appear like they had stepped out of the air. They just stood and watched. People would catch glimpses of them out the corner of their eye and realise they had been being watched for god knows how long. Then they would retreat into the shadows again. Ambition had stories like that cropping up here and there, people seeing them as-large-as-life especially when they started turning up in the mine shafts. One night, a few were seen by a group of miners leaving the saloon after a lock-in and alerted Dante and Terwilliger. When they came to investigate there was not a sign of them. Nerves began to waver all over the Ranx, people becoming scared of their own shadows, paranoia caused violent outbursts or emotional problems all the time the ghosts were just stood watching with cold hollow eyes. And then people started to disappear. Through Ambition was relatively cut off from the other colonies, occasionally the trains would arrive with settlers who had put in for transfers, the inspectors who effectively lived off of the rails and visited each town and delivering their opinions to the ministry-- they all brought word of people being stolen away in the night; at first just individual occurrences but larger and larger numbers of people were disappearing from more and more town across the planet. The ministry didnt believe it. Thought it was just a means for the workers to not have to do any work and so didnt support and investigation. And all the time more and more people were snatched by the ghosts. The colonists became too frightened to venture out of doors and news of strikes had reached Ambition-- who had so far been spared of any abductions. But that soon changed. A week ago. One of the morning crews on their routine shift down in the mine-- theyre last radio transmission was something scrambled a new tunnel being found in the rock-- then silence. Not a single man returned.

now folks are too scared to go anywhere on their own, Dante continued. And there aint nothing I can do to help em Doctor, not a damn thing. He took his hat off and held it close to his side, looking out into his town. The Doctor looked straight back at him, never faltering.

Angel leant forward in her seat, from her position behind the desk she had a twinge of superiority. Her gaze was on The Doctor, who hadnt spoken or even moved since they had entered Dantes office.

Doctor, she said. His head arched round to face her, not a word wrinkled his face. All the time weve been wandering round in the TARDIS, weve heard a fair share of ghost stories havent we? Some of them admittedly truer than others but still The Doctor nodded slowly, his eyes bade the question as to where this question was going. Its just, weve never found anywhere that was well infested. Have we? The Doctor breathed in slowly, the air spreading to every corner of the old mans frame.

Infestation is just the word, Angel, he mused. Somethings going on here thats pretending to be something else. Im afraid to say its the oldest trick in the book

What would anyone get from posing as a load of ghosts? In her gut she knew the answer. And The Doctors stare reassured that watery feeling deep down in her.

Isnt it obvious Angel? And for what seemed an age the two time travellers locked onto one another. They were the only two people on the planet who knew what was happening. Whatever was posing here, at work on the Ranx, through their cloak and dagger techniques they got the population. They got them right were they wanted them, alone and unprotected on the surface of a parched world.

Never mind that Doctor Dante cut in. I get the feeling you two are holding something out on us

Out of the stuffy noon air came a rodent-like man in a dark blue uniform; more used to sitting in an air conditioned office than the mining towns. From looking at him one could tell he worked on the railways. It also looked like he'd been boiled. How far had he ran here in that formal dress? How long had he been dehydrated in his parched landscape? Foam spattered on thin black lips, and his eyes like wild dried husks rolled in his skull.

Sheriff! He wheezed. Its the Governors train sir! Its been raided!

------

Small clusters of anguished looking people stood in the street and looked at Dnate and The Doctor as they stepped out into the dusty road. A dozen pale faces mumbled and retreated indoors. Dante hadnt been kidding, Angel thought as she surveyed the town. People were skittish, even thought the town was bustling. It was all very professional. The sun was still high in the sky, lighting up everything like a reflective beaker, but the people of Ambition would not stray into the shadows. They all busied themselves keeping the town running perfectly, all on a knife edge. That is not to say that the town of Ambition had ground to a halt because of the recent unexplained activity. It was as bustling and as rapid as any other working society-- but the people were dampened with a feeling like something awful was about to happen, that the dark was waiting and ready to leap after them and snatch them away. To greet one of these people in the street would give you an idea of the true feelings of Ambition. There was something very definitely wrong.

Dante I need to see this train wreck, The Doctor said so suddenly and so surely that it even staggered Angel. Only then can I have an idea of whats really behind all this. His voice did not inspire argument, his resolve was iron cast. Angel had seen him determined before of course but not like this. This was motivated by more than just The Doctors regular instincts. It was somehow frostbitten. As though he feared for their own part in whatever game fate had turned upon them now. Dante looked at The Doctor and rubbed his stubbly chin.

Well I dont a darn thing about you Doctor, he said ponderously. But Im gonna go wit my gut instinct and bring you along Terwilliger snapped around and glowered at his youthful superior.

Hey now Sheriff, he said, keeping a careful watch on the old man. Angel didnt appreciate the insinuation in the deputys gaze. Are you sure we can trust these here characters? I mean-- I dont mean to insult your gut instinct but how do we know theyre even on our side? The Doctor raised a disdainful eyebrow at the deputy.

Youre such an angry little man Terwilliger The Doctor said with the bitingly dry wit that Angel simultaneously admired and envied, all the time with a smile on her face. Lets get this done with then you can go home and have a cup of tea and put your feet up or whatever the hell it is you do. The deputy spat in the dust and wandered off to the back of the sheriffs office where theyre private birds were held. Dante smiled with unspoken approval and followed Terwilliger to the stable. Angel was still smiling when The Doctor turned to face her, the hardened determination sweeping over him again. His eyes, always his eyes, were hard as steel. She thought she could see the unfeasible motion of his thoughts within his skull. Are you coming with us? He asked. Angel thought carefully. If she rode off with the Doctor and Dante to investigate the train-wreck shed just stand around getting dry roasted while The Doctor deducted and argued and eventually cake to some horrific conclusion that hed fix quickly enough by charging around and making a few quick jibes at people. There had to be a way she could be of more use to him through her own abilities. Well-- people had always said she was quite personable. And after all; knowledge was power. Perhaps she could try the domestic approach.

Erm she started. If its all the same to you Doctor Id like to stay see what I can find out from the locals. She smiled reassuringly. The Doctor smiled back.

Good, Im glad he said. Dante called to him from the sheriffs office, where he stood with his own chocolate coloured steed and a graceful looking pewter plumaged creature of incredible stature. The Doctor raised his hand, hed be along in a moment. Back to Angel. Find out what you can, where the ghosts are turning up, if theres anything that links the people who have been taken anything could be important. He sighed heavily, glanced at his shoes, and seemed to force a smile for the sake of maintaining appearances. He affectionately tweaked Angels nose and turned to go. Angel leapt forward and gripped his elbow.

Doctor she said. He stopped. Is there something youre not telling me? When Dante first mentioned ghosts, you well you gripped by shoulders so tight, it was like something had frightened you. Youve been off since we arrived here-- whats happening? He hazarded a step or two forwards.

The TARDIS developed its own flight pattern, it brought us here of its own free will

But its a machine

Sometimes I wonder about that. What it does mean is that it knows we are part of an established event and has brought us here to keep the appointment. Weve been brought to face our destinys Angel. Somethings going on here that you or me or both of us are a vital part of. And that frightens me frightens me more than anything they were silent for a moment until he freed Angel from his glare. Keep your wits about you. It is a ghost town after all. And walked away. Angel laughed.

I cannot believe you just made a pun she called after him. He waved back from the back of the bird, looking a little ridiculous and even more awkward as its squawked, flapped and galloped off out of Ambition and back onto the prairie with Dante and Terwilliger. Angel shook her head, put her hands in her pocket and decided to play detective.

The ruggedness of Ambition seemed to her to be a matter of convenience. By this late stage in human history shed known that most things were machine built, ran on automated computer systems and were on the whole very futuristic-- despite its official designation as the present. From what she had seen across the wilderness of the mining facility that was as she would expect for a 50th century colony. But perhaps the wooden buildings, the aqueducts, use of animals instead of mechanical transport was just a tried and tested method of holding up in these conditions that history had proved effective. She couldnt argue with it-- even if she looked a little out of place and got a few odd looks from people in the street. The last thing she wanted to hear was a few forboding banjo chords from one of the balconies. Instead, she heard a Texan accent as rugged as Terwilligers but quite amazingly feminine call to her calling her missy. A young blonde woman, about Angels age-- perhaps a little younger-- and obviously attractive. She leant on one of the sidewalk railings outside some sort of shop, in the shade cast by the above balcony.

Youre the one who turned up with that old guy aint yer? She said with potent confidence. Oh my god, Angel thought. Its Calamity Jane.

Yeah, thats me. Angel replied, wandering over.

You two sure were giving my uncle a hell of a time she said with a leer, one that probably worked on the hot blooded men of Ambition.

Terwilligers your uncle?

Yeah-- damn shame aint it? You can choose your friends but with your family youve gotta keep your fingers crossed I just didnt cross em hard enough. She stepped down from the sidewalk and approached Angel. She looked her up and down, smiled and nodded quietly. Names Sheridan.

Your names Sheridan?

Its what I said isnt it?

Urggh, maybe Angel thought, but instead just smiled politely. Im Angel.

Awww, thats adorable, Sheridan cooed. Obviously young women from high up in the society, even a society like Ambition, were the same the universe over. With unbelievable austerity, Sheridan tucked her arm around Angels and dragged in a half skip down the dusty street. So tell me sweetie, what in the hell are you and the Lone Ranger over there doing in a hell hole like Ambition? You in trouble or something? Everything about her had such energy that seldom encapsulated anyone but an only child, she strutted actually strutted despite her scarlet coloured period outfit as though she owned the place, and now Angel was her new best friend. Though Sheridan probably went through best friends as quickly as she went through dresses and hair styles. But she was just the sort of contact Angel needed. The Doctor would have approved.

Me and The Doctor? No, no, we just sort of arrived here our transport sort of, malfunctioned and we to make an emergency landing. It wouldnt do to just say we dropped in, she didnt Sheridan would believe it for a moment. Angel understand the vital necessity of jargon when travelling in the TARDIS, it had to be kept suitably vague to sound plausible but cover her otherwise crippling ignorance.

Little old for you aint he, cutie? Sheridans insinuation made Angels stomach turn.

Oh god no- were not no! Never! She shrieked much to Sheridans (perhaps cruel) delight.

Relax honey Im just yankin yer chain, she playfully barged Angel in the shoulder. So what is it? Your granddaddy? Is that it?

Actually, hes more like my boss

Well what sort of business have you two got going on out here? She shrieked. This, the back-end of nowhere? Hot and dry and boring as hell Angel chuckled.

Guess you dont like it too much, eh?

Meh, Sheridan shrugged. I get along with it fine. But Id rather be on one of the core worlds yknow? Like Natia, Ostrotiah hey maybe even Earth someday she winked and jostled Angel again in the manner that suggested the phrase thatll be the day. Angel smiled sweetly and couldnt resist playing with the delightfully arrogant little it girl.

Ive been to earth she said, the sentence sounding a little odd as it came out-- she had to admit to herself. The reaction from Sheridan was like Angel had announced the fact she sneezes gold, and there was not a shadow of a doubt over it.

You havent! She had. No way! Yes way. Whats it like? Youve gotta tell me everything!

Its very crowded, and very busy and nobody has the time to stop and talk one another. That was bound to be true even in this day and age. Especially in this day and age perhaps, where humanity had grown beyond what could be described as their natural barriers and blossomed out into the universe. But Sheridan just groaned dreamily, as though it was what she had always imagined and hoped it always had been. It was odd for Angel, her home world described as some romantic nirvana so far away. As they walked idly in the road she spied a trio of young and wan looking men being escorted from a bright looking building-- painted in deliberately extravagant emulsion on the swinging sign above the door was the green moon, the universally acknowledged symbol for health care. The doctors surgery? If so, what was wrong with these three men? They looked malnourished even though they were positively muscular, quite clearly hard labourers. Their skin was pale, their movements loose--- so were empty, a walking shell. It was horrifically fascinating to watch them shuffle in the dust as a health worker took them back (presumably) to their homes. Sheridan Angel ventured. Thats the doctors surgery isnt it? The girl inclined her blonde, probably sawdust filled head to the building where the men had departed.

Yeah, thats Doctor Montgomerys place been worked off his little feet lately

Oh? Whys that?

Curious little thing aint ya? She cheeped, laughing quietly. She span around and propped herself up so she could sit on the hitching post, employing such acrobatic methods that she didnt let out a groan or sigh or show any sign of discomfort at all. Angel was impressed, she was also determined. Sheridan understood this, and shared what she knew. The miners sometimes get poisoned by the stuff their digging up. Its not much of a problem, just sort of whacks em out for a bit-- no emotions for a while. Easily sorted. Ol Monty says its all about balancing the bodily chemicals. She laughed shamelessly. Or something like that

Angel pulled herself up onto the same hitching post to sit next to Sheridan. Oof. She wasnt as fit as she should be. Or perhaps she just wasnt as perky as Sheridan was. Either way, the way her body creased as she sprang up made her gurgle, something else that Sheridan found laughably adorable.

You mean like coal dust in the lungs?

Whats coal? Something you have on earth?

Er yeah. Miners get the dust in their lungs and it mucks up their respiratory tracts as they chip it out of the rock.

Yeah! Thats it! Its pretty much the same deal with our boys. Aint they handsome? She chuckled again. Though she felt guilty for the thought, it occurred to her that perhaps Sheridan was all fur-coat but no knickers and that more than a few of those rugged sun tanned miners and been intimate with her in one way or another. She was an infectiously likable person however, and Angel couldnt help but grin at the suggestion.

What do you mean pretty much?

Its not as icky as having bad lungs something in the chemical just jostles their emotions. Literally drains them. Like I said though, its easily cured, one of the hazards yknow?

Angel stared at her for a moment. THIS was important, she thought. The Doctor had never told her exactly what was being dug up on the Ranx, and if it was having this sort of effect on the populace-- she may have just uncovered a vital clue.

Wow, she said with genuine surprise. Ive never heard of anything that has that sort of effect. What the hell are you digging up here?

Pharatium

He paced up and down in the short arid grass like a tiger slowly maddening in its cage. The full length of the locomotive itself and the first three carriages, turning swiftly on his heel as he marched with the same iron-cast mind set that sent him down the line in the first place. The train looked dead and so vulnerable for the great metal device it was. It could have been lying there for centuries, the world kept turning around the hollowed husk. The trains around the Ranx were required to run like clockwork on pain of disciplinary measures for the engineers in charge. This one was due in Ambition hours ago, bringing with it Chilvester. Alarm bells started to ring then, so the station master sent out a scouting party to see what had befallen the new Governor. On arrival they found this. Dante, Terwilliger and two railway engineers in dirty overalls watched as The Doctor pondered quietly. Dante stood with a look of quiet fascination on his face as the old mans brow wrinkled with intense thought. Terwilliger, on the other hand, seemed to be on a slow boil-- standing with The Doctors coat.

Cmon then Doctor, Terwilliger spurted. Whats yer great diagnosis? His word was filled with childish challenging. The Doctor stopped dead and glared at him.

Coat racks shouldnt speak Terwilliger, just stand there and look wooden. Theres a good boy

Dante held his burly deputy back with his arm, not even trying to hide his admiration of The Doctors smart-mouth.

Any ideas Doctor? Dante rephrased.

The Doctor dropped down to his knees at the wheels of the locomotive bidding Dante to join him. The Sheriff jogged over to the old man and joined him on the soil. Hot air was rising from the dusty ground and swirled the granulated soil around their feet. The Doctor was looking hard at the wheels of the locomotive. He ran his bony fingers across the lumpy swirling patterns of melted then dried iron. The wheels looked like they had momentarily been liquefied and then solidified almost immediately, before the metal could just run away like water.

Have you ever seen anything like this Dante? The Doctors voice was a toughened hush, straggled with a horrified disbelief. Such devastating technology. Quite remarkable.

Dont admire them Doctor, whatever those damned ghosts really are attacked this train and kidnapped nearly two hundred colonists

You adapted to the idea of them being something other than ghosts rather quickly didnt you?

Im a rational human being Doctor, superstition is just something waiting to be found out.

The Doctor smiled. He admired the young Sheriffs thinking. He stood up and took the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

What are you thinking? Dante asked. The Doctor seemed almost absent, as though he was only half there.

So many things his face sneered, like something had offended his sentences. Can you taste that? He said, clicking his tongue. The sensation was sharp, acrid, and attacked the senses as it lingered in the air. Like burnt tin.

Well what does that mean?

Characteristic of short ranged teleports. His tongued clicked once or twice more before he span around quickly and clambered up into the cab with surprising spryness for his age. Dante followed suit. The Doctor looked the controls over of the train. Though it was a delightfully retro internal combustion engine it wasnt a coal burning furnace. And the controls were not typical of its long forgotten counterpart. But The Doctor knew a broken train when he saw one. The pressure gauges had ruptured, the furnace lay in pieces around it and the metal was still damp from steam. It was as though the train had been boiled externally-- but somehow without killing the passengers. And had teleported in to teleport them out? There was nowhere out there for them to teleport from. What was the point? The element of surprise? No. Once theyd disabled the train the passengers would be sitting ducks. Ready to be harvested. And the attack on the train itself made The Doctor wonder. It was powerful certainly, advanced undoubtedly but it lacked voraciousness. It wasnt violent in its employment. It was routine, necessary practical. This was a trap set and deployed with no sign of an actual hunt. It was heartless. The only sign of any real violence was that the doors of the train had been ripped open. But that was after the kidnap surely. They came back? Came back to see if anyone was left. No one left behind to tell the story. They needed the panic they caused, the façade they held over the people. They needed to be the bogeymen, they knew what people were thinking and employed it to their benefits. But they didnt exaggerate it-- that was what The Doctor found most bizarre. They didnt trump it up, they didnt make it any more extraordinary. Why was that? They melt the train to the tracks disabling it, kidnap the passengers to where? Did they beam down? No this colony wasnt composed of idiots theyd have known, anything in the sky would have been found out by their instruments. Then where? Somewhere where they could attack the train.

Dante, The Doctor asked. How well do you know the geography of Ambition?

Like the back o my hand

Good, at a rough guess what would you say was under this train track?

Directly under here? Nothing. But theres a network of mine tunnels about a mile that way in the sheriffs head a thought occurred to him, a jigsaw pieces slotted into place.

Yes?

The mine where the dawn crew went missing.

Really The Doctor said, turning slowly, looking out across the desolation. It hadnt occurred to him that the mines went so far out. Hed just assumed they were tunnelling down. Whatever these ghosts proved to be was hiding in the tunnels, that had become immediately apparent. So many ideas running through his head. Not random elements they all mattered, they all vital, if The Doctor could just get them to slip together. Kidnappings, the attack on the train, and underground base, using the superstition of ghosts to their advantage and then it hit him. And it turned his stomach. The world fell away around him and the coldness of the truth gripped him slowly. It turned him physically pale.

Doctor, said Dante. What is it? You think youve got it?

Oh I think so the Time Lord grumbled. I just pray to god that Im wrong