14.
Megan was slowly being transformed into a ghoul creature as the Doctor and Jack watched. "This is what happened to Sir William and the constable!" cried Jack,
"I know," replied the Doctor, his eyes wide with both fascination and worry at Megan's transformation. "And the other two ghouls there are our missing backpackers!" He set his jaw defiantly. "But it doesn't have to be like this!" He turned to Megan, held her shoulders firmly and looked deeply into her now pale grey eyes that were filled with pain and fear. "Megan! Megan, listen to me! You can fight this; fight it Megan!"
Through the haze of pain and the terrible images that flooded her mind, Megan heard the Doctor's firm yet soothing voice. "I can't!" she gasped. "I can't – its' devouring me!"
The Doctor shook his head. "No," he muttered through clenched teeth, "I will not lose you this way!" He closed his eyes and concentrated, reaching out with his mind until he could picture the Jassra before him. His brow furrowed with the effort and beads of sweat began to trickle down his face.
Jack watched the Doctor and Megan nervously but turned as the Jassra creature suddenly howled with rage. The skull face was burning redder and darker, the silver glow that emanated from its eyes was brighter than ever; and its' skeletal hands clenched and unclenched in spasms. It howled again and then without warning, suddenly evaporated into swirling grey mist.
The Doctor took a huge lungful of air as he opened his eyes. Much to his relief and delight, he saw the colour start to return to Megan's cheeks. Her blonde hair was full and long, her teeth lost their pointed fangs and lastly, her eyes slowly faded from pale grey back to their normal bright blue.
Megan blinked, took a deep breath and then hugged the Doctor tightly. "Oh my God; what was happening?"
"You were turning into one of them." The Doctor pointed to the four ghoul creatures that had suddenly turned with a yelp and started to scrabble away, further and deeper into the gorge.
You saved me?" asked Megan weakly.
The Doctor nodded and grinned. "Yes; yes I did!"
15.
Megan took a step forwards and swayed precariously as she regained the control of her muscles. Smiling encouragingly, the Doctor held her arm as her strength returned to her.
"What did you do Doctor?" asked Jack curiously.
The Doctor scratched the back of his head. "I managed to beat the Jassra at its' own game I think – countering the psychic attack." He let out a long breath; he was clearly exhausted after the confrontation. Megan could see the dark circles under his eyes and the sweat on his brow
"Could you do it again?" asked Jack evenly, eager to find a way they could beat the alien menace.
The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know. The Jassra wasn't expecting it this time so….." He paused and watched the retreating ghouls as they ran deeper into the shadowy gorge, "I wonder where they're going?" He took a deep breath, gathering his strength. "I've got to go after them."
"You've got to be joking!" gasped Megan. "After what you've just been through?"
"The Jassra has to be stopped," replied the Doctor simply, "But you can stay here if you want?"
Megan looked around at the gathering gloom and shook her head. She knew the Doctor was right.
The Doctor smiled proudly at her. "Come on then!"
******************
Holloway and Grant pushed Katherine and Louisa ahead of them as they climbed to the top of the ridge. They looked across to see the old stone bridge that spanned the gorge, but could see no movement between the rocks and boulders beneath it.
Holloway grabbed Katherine's arm. "I thought you said they went to the bridge?" He pointed his sonic balster at her. "If you've lied to us?" he threatened.
Katherine's eyes flashed angrily. She wasn't used to being pushed about like this. "That's where they said they were going, now leave us alone!"
Holloway just sneered at her. "Not a chance sweetheart. You're going to be a great way of getting Harkness when we find him."
Grant swung a small electronic tracker around in front of him. "There's been an energy trace here recently."
Holloway nodded and gestured to the bottom of the gorge. "Let's try down there."
16.
The Doctor, Jack and Megan soon found the split boulder that had been moved to reveal the dark tunnel that led into the side of the gorge.
"This is where the capsule that contained the Jassra must have crashed in the twelfth century," the Doctor explained. "I can't be sure, but I'd bet the monks sealed up the site with these huge rocks to stop 'the Devil' getting out - particularly after the poor friar fell to his death from the bridge." He paused and looked back at Jack and Megan. "You don't have to come with me you know."
"We're with you," replied Jack, and Megan nodded nervously.
"Good," grinned the Doctor, "glad of the company!" He started down the cold, dark tunnel and pulled out his sonic screwdriver to give them some light. He paused and pushed a cobweb from his face. "Won't you come into my parlour…."
Megan rolled her eyes. "Oh, do you have to rub it in?"
Suddenly, the terrifying figure of the Jassra materialised in front of them in a swirl of grey mist. Its eyes flashed with an intense light and the Doctor was instantly flung to the ground, crying out in agony at the ferocity of the mental assault. Megan screamed in terror and before Jack had chance to act, the Jassra turned to look at her. "Nothing can save you now!" it hissed. Megan screamed again and then her eyes grew pale and her face became blank. The Jassra gave a terrible cruel laugh and there was another swirl of mist; both the Jassra and Megan vanished from sight.
Jack looked around desperately. He hadn't even been able to draw his revolver. He reached down and helped a groaning Doctor to his feet. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Doctor, I couldn't save her! It all happened so fast!"
The Doctor nodded. "I know; it's not your fault. I told you I couldn't always beat it. It was too strong this time." He looked worriedly at Jack. "We should never have brought her here Jack!"
Jack nodded grimly. "I know. What now?"
The Doctor gazed down the tunnel and into the darkness. "We go on!"
17.
The Doctor and Jack continued carefully down the tunnel. The Doctor's breathing was laboured. He knew what he must face and he was preparing himself for it. Similarly, Jack held his service revolver in front of him. The tunnel suddenly opened out into a small chamber about five metres in diameter. The Doctor held his sonic screwdriver up and in the dancing shadows they could see twisted wreckage. "The Jassran prison vessel!" breathed the Doctor.
From the darkness behind the wreckage came the sounds of snarling and hissing. Four ghouls started to advance towards the Doctor and Jack, whilst in the centre of the wrecked craft, the familiar swirling mist began to appear as the Jassra started to materialise. As the Jassra took solid form, next to it stood a partly transformed Megan. Her hair was withered and grey, her skin pale, eyes that glittered with malice, and long fangs and claws.
"The final battle!" said the Doctor firmly, closing his eyes to prepare for the Jassran mental assault.
Jack fired two shots into the oldest and largest ghoul. It screamed in pain as grey blood exploded from the two smoking holes in its chest and it collapsed to the ground.
Suddenly, there was the sound of running feet from behind the Doctor and Jack. The Time Agents Holloway and Grant, followed by Katherine and Louisa, burst into the chamber. The two agents were amazed by the horrifying sight before them, but their training was sound and they opened fire with their sonic blasters.
The ghouls and Megan leapt towards with a screech. One ghoul was shot expertly by Holloway and fell dead, but the other two avoided Grant's sonic beam and jumped on him, tearing and rending the flesh from his bones. With a dreadful scream, he was pushed to the floor as the two creatures continued to rip and bite at him.
Katherine gasped at the creature that Megan had become, but was determined that her friend should not hurt herself or try to kill anyone. Shouting to Louisa to help her, the two women grabbed the spitting and snarling Megan and held her firmly against the tunnel wall.
The Jassra screamed at the demise of two of its' servants and then turned its' baleful gaze towards the Doctor.
18.
The terrible images of death and destruction started to flood the Doctor's mind, but this time he was prepared. He had realised how he could beat the Jassra. He focussed his mind on a single constant – the image of a young blonde girl – Rose Tyler. Rose's compassion, inner strength, ingenuity, and joy of life filled the Doctor's mind as he remembered his friend.
The effect on the Jassra was incredible. It had never encountered such faith and passion before, especially from a mind as strong as the Doctor's. It was the antithesis of all that it represented and the psychic feedback it generated was devastating. The creature began to wail and screech in agony. It twisted and writhed, caught within a focus of positive thought and emotion and instead of becoming a whirling mist, it began to become transparent and fade from sight.
The two remaining ghouls faced off against Holloway and Grant and snarled viciously like trapped animals. They suddenly leapt towards the two men and around them, intending to scrabble into the darkness of the tunnel and escape. But both Jack and Holloway were expert marksman. There were two booms from Jack's service revolver followed by the hum of sonic energy from Holloway's blaster. The two ghouls lay on the tunnel floor, still twitching and hissings until all the life energy left them and they lay still.
Katherine and Louisa still held the struggling Megan. However, as the Jassra twisted and screamed, Megan's snarling lessened and she started to droop in their arms. Katherine nodded to Louisa, who sat a now dazed Megan on the floor of the tunnel. Her hair and teeth were returning to normal again, and she shook her head and blinked as her eyes returned to their usual blue colour.
The Doctor opened one eye tentatively and saw what was happening to the weakened Jassra. He grinned and then opened both eyes just as the Jassra faded completely from view with a last terrifying howl of rage and anger. The Doctor rushed over to the centre of the wreckage and jumped on what appeared to be a golden metallic strongbox. "Gotcha!" the Doctor yelled triumphantly.
19.
There was a deafening silence in the tunnel. "Everyone alright?" asked the Doctor, clutching the metallic box.
Katherine looked at Megan with concern, but Megan just smiled a little dazedly and nodded. Louisa sat back on the floor of the tunnel and smiled as well, pushing her dark hair away from her eyes.
Holloway and Jack regarded each other coldly and then both swung their weapons up to cover the other. "Don't move Harkness!" snarled Holloway, clutching his sonic blaster tightly. He pointed to the body of Grant that lay twisted and bleeding on the ground. "That's another Agency death you've caused, and you're going to pay!"
Jack shook his head. "It's not like that," he said quietly through gritted teeth, "it was never like that!"
The Doctor got slowly to his feet. "Guys, guys," he said lightly, "we've probably just saved the world. Let's not argue about this now." His tone became more serious. "There's been enough death for today."
Holloway's cold expression never faltered. "My orders are clear Doctor. Harkness killed a Time Agent and stole his bracelet. Ask him?"
The Doctor looked to Jack and raised a eyebrow. "Well?"
Jack shook his head again but lowered his revolver. "We did pick up the Agent in Cardiff, but he was injured when we found him and we couldn't save him. But he was escaping from the Agency anyway!" Jack turned to face the Doctor. "The Time Agency has become corrupt! Remember when we first met? Those two years I told you about? The Agent told me what had happened. My brother….."
Holloway cut him off. "You're lying!" He raised his sonic blaster and his finger started to squeeze the trigger. Suddenly he cried out in pain as the metallic box the Doctor had been holding hit him in the shoulder and threw off his aim. The energy from the sonic blaster hit the wall of the tunnel with a boom and then Jack was on him, struggling for control of the weapon.
The Doctor started forwards, intending to help Jack, but as the two men twisted and fought, Jack grasped Holloway's Time Bracelet. Jack managed to glance quickly at the Doctor and then pressed a button sequence. There was a whine of power then both men were enveloped in a golden, shimmering beam of energy.
"Jack!" screamed Katherine, but as the energy dissipated, both men had vanished completely.
20.
Katherine sat in the bar of 'The Stag' and took another sip of her wine. So much had happened since yesterday afternoon when they had defeated the Jassra. She still couldn't believe that Jack had gone, but the Doctor had been philosophical about it and had refused to go after him, much to Katherine's chagrin. It had been almost as difficult saying goodbye to Louisa Deering, but as a new widow, she had busied herself organising the funeral of her late husband.
As for Megan, Katherine had grown to be very fond of the young Welsh girl and had been delighted when the Doctor had agreed to her request. Katherine watched Megan as she gave her father a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek before picking up a hastily packed backpack.
Megan crossed the bar to where Katherine stood just as she finished her wine. "Ready?" asked Katherine.
Megan nodded and smiled. "I told Dad I'm going travelling. I've got a few weeks before I go back to university and he can manage the bar without me. We rang Mum, but she was off on work business," her smile faltered, "as usual. She won't even know I've gone!"
Katherine jumped off the barstool and gestured at Megan's backpack. "Well you've got more than me when I started, come on!"
"Where are we going?" asked Megan with surprise as Katherine led her not outside, but to the cellar door.
Katherine grinned as she opened the door and started down the stairs. "Wait and see!"
With a frown, Megan followed Katherine down the stairs to the cellar. The girls stopped at the foot of the stairs and Megan looked around expectantly. "Now what?" she asked a little nervously, dark memories resurfacing in her mind.
Moments later, they heard the unearthly wheezing, groaning sound as the TARDIS materialised in the gloomy cellar. The Doctor stepped out with a grin. "That's the Jassra sorted out. I don't think even it could stand the heat of a supernova." He looked at Megan with a smile. "Hello! Fancy a trip?"
Megan was speechless, a huge grin on her face, but she managed to nod her head up and down as she gazed past the Doctor and into the huge space inside the TARDIS. "It's bigger……"
The Doctor laughed. "Yes it is!" He spun around and gestured towards the cellar. "You won't be getting any more collie-wobbles in here either. Do you know, the Jassra tunnel led in precisely in this direction. You must've felt a small psychic bleed." The Doctor gestured inside. "Shall we?"
The TARDIS dematerialised leaving the cellar in darkness - silent darkness.
Next Time: A crisis in deep space awaits the Doctor, Katherine and Megan in 'The Karzak Gambit'.
The Curse of the Jassra – Confidential
So my first change in the regular characters came with this story as Jack leaves the TARDIS crew and Megan joins. There were several reasons why this happened.
As I have said before, when I started writing this series, I did so on very much an ad hoc basis with little planning, just writing to see where the story took me. I thought including Jack again would be a good idea as it would give the readers someone familiar to identify with (crucial in a story by a 'new' writer'), Jack is good fun to write for, and finally that he serves a very good purpose – that of the 'soldier' in many stories.
However, as I wrote 'Time of the Witch', it soon became apparent that I had my own original companion to include in the form of Katherine de Gallois. As I look back over the first stories, I realised how much effort I had to put in so that she was not overshadowed by the more ebullient, charismatic and knowledgeable Captain Jack Harkness. His couldn't really continue, so by 'Splinter of Steel', Jack's days were numbered.
I wrote the start of the arc to write out Jack in this story by having the then un-named Agent Holloway making a cameo appearance as a 'man from the ministry'. I knew that they would turn up again in this story and effectively get rid of Jack, at least for the time being. I also managed to create a bit more back-story for Jack with the Time Agency and his missing memory, and even mentioned his brother far before 'Torchwood' did!
And then there's Megan. Again, Megan didn't start out as a companion but just grew that way from the way she started to come to life off the page and I realised I shouldn't let this character go! The dynamic between Katherine and Megan compared to Katherine and Jack would be completely fresh and different. It would also mean that Katherine wouldn't effectively get 'shut out' of conversations between the Doctor and Jack and give the two girls a chance to 'gang up' on the Doctor too!
I'm very fond of the new TARDIS crew and I hope you like them too…………