I felt myself being pushed back through time and when I opened my eyes I noticed that the ball of light, that was used to protect me from the vortex was beginning to deuterate the longer time went by. Soon my body was completely exposed to the vortex with no means of protection and it burned. I wanted to scream out, but found that I couldn't and when I finally landed I fell onto the floor.
"I say who is that" I heard a man say, "Who", a woman asked, "That", the man stated as I felt a hand touch my arm and I was flipped over. Slowly I opened my eyes and saw a woman I didn't recognize or thought I didn't recognize, everything was so confusing.
"Who are you", I asked her and she chuckled unsure, "I was about to ask you the same thing", she told me.
"I don't know", I said honestly, "How'd you get in here", a man asked suspiciously. I groaned as I stood up as I was getting a headache and made a flash gesture.
"A light", I said annoyed as another older man and girl came over to se what was going on.
"But that's impossible-", "There will be more time for questions later my boy", the older man told him cutting him off.
A name popped into my head as soon as I saw the older man, "Doctor", I said pointing to him and then named out the rest as soon as I my headache went away, "Ian, Barbara, and Susan. Well, it's good to see you all again under these circumstances", I said brushing my hair from my face and noticed it was red.
It startled me, "Red hair", I exclaimed taking a good look at it, "Wait, how do you know our names", Ian asked me and my jaw immediately clenched. Was this our first meeting, I wondered.
"Well, I-" "She's from the future young man", I began to say before the Doctor cut me off, "From our future, you've met us all already it would seem. What's your name?"
"Yes and my name is Acacia", I replied, "What", Ian asked confused and then rubbed his forehead.
"I've already explained this before with the Tardis, but it would seem she can do the same", Susan explained. The Doctor and Susan seemed to able to understand while Ian couldn't wrap his head around it.
"And it would seem she has recently regenerated", the Doctor said, "That would explain why she was glowing before", Susan added.
"Regenerated" Barbara questioned, "Hm, yes", the Doctor replied, but didn't bother to answer her question.
"We're beginning to land", Susan said as the Tardis's console began to slow down, "Yes", the Doctor replied as the Tardis came to a stop and Ian looked at the Doctor expectantly.
"Have you taken us back to our own time", Ian questioned, I guessed he was referring to Barbara and himself.
"You know I can't do that. Be reasonable", the Doctor told him, "What", Ian exclaimed not believing what he was hearing.
"Please you must take us back you must", Barbara pleaded and that's when I noticed that all of their wardrobe was dirty, just what happened before I got here, I wondered. The Doctor looked back at me questioningly and I was quick to shut my mind off from him.
Before he could ask I quickly said, "He's unable to", then the Doctor added, "You see this isn't operating properly", the Doctor said gesturing towards the console and hopefully forgetting that I accidently entered his mind. The Doctor then proceeded to say that he needed the right coordinates and time to get back, but at this time he had none to his disposal since their journey was too quick.
"Are you saying you don't know how to work this thing", Barbara questioned, "Well of course I can't I'm not a miracle worker", the Doctor said honestly.
"Excuse me", I questioned not believing what I was hearing.
"Just a minute did you try to take us back to our own time", Ian asked the Doctor, "Well, I got you away from that other time didn't I ", the Doctor told him.
"Other time", I asked Susan, "Cavemen", she replied and I raised my brows at that.
"That isn't what I asked you", Ian said getting agitated, "It's the only way I can answer you young man", the Doctor told him and the Tardis began to stop. "Now, now, now we shall see", the Doctor said opening the screen or scanner to reveal that their was a jungle outside.
"A jungle", I sighed.
"It could be anywhere", the Doctor said, "Dear, dear, dear, dear. It's no help at all. Well, I suggest before we go outside and explore let us clean ourselves up", the Doctor told us and we all agreed, "What's the radiation read Susan?" "It reads normal Grandfather", She replied.
Then we went our separate ways to get cleaned up and dressed. When I saw my reflection in the mirror I noticed I had a longer nose, smaller brown eyes, and red hair; it startled me at first but I quickly got used to it.
Once we were done we went outside to check it out, only everything was white and ashen, "It's like a forest fire went through here", Barbara commented, "I guess", I said unsure.
"The heat must have been indescribable", the Doctor said before bending down to touch the dirt, "Look at this soil here. Look at it. It's all turned to sand and ash. Extraordinary."
"Nothing can grow here" I added, "Exactly", the Doctor said and then tapped his chin.
"Something else that's strange. There's quite a breeze blowing", Ian commented, I narrowed my brows and then looked to the branches.
"But the branches aren't moving", I said, "Yes, everything is absolutely still", Ian said, then grabbed a branch to show me, before it crumbled to ash.
"It's petrified", I commented.
"A petrified jungle. How fascinating. Hm, extraordinary. Yes, I must investigate that", the Doctor said before grabbing another branch, "Couldn't have been heat then and age would merely decay."
We didn't know what could have petrified an entire alien jungle so we decided to press on, before we reached the edge of a cliff to see a city down in the valley.
"Most fascinating", the Doctor said as he pulled out a pair of binocular glasses to see the city, "Well, Doctor can you see anything? Any signs of life", I an asked.
"No, no, no. No sign of life. No, just buildings-", Oh let me have a look", the Doctor was cut off by Susan and the Doctor handed her the binocular glasses.
"What do you think happened Doctor", I asked, "I don't know, I don't know. Whatever it was destroyed the vegetation here certainly hasn't damaged the city", the Doctor told us.
"But no sign of life", I asked, "No. No movement, no light, no...No, I shall know more about it when I've been down there", the Doctor told us. I was curious to see what was down there as well, what could've caused this to happen, what was inside of those buildings, what were the buildings made of, etc.
But before I could continue my train of thought Barbara said firmly, "Down there? Oh no. We're going back to the ship." Well there goes my idea about going down there out the window. I guess they really do want to go home, I thought disappointed. This time the Doctor turned around to give me a look and I was quick to shut him out. I gave him a look saying I was sorry, I was so used to being tuned in with the Doctor back when we were both captured by the Master now I kept forgetting to shut him out. The Doctor lifted a brow at that, shit I thought and then shut him out again.
"Now don't be ridiculous", the Doctor told Barbara forgetting about the exchange for the moment, he thought the connection had something to do with the Tardis, "That city down there is a magnificent subject of study and I don't intend to leave here until I've thoroughly investigated it", the Doctor told Barbara.
The Doctor's feeling about exploring the city was rubbing off on me that I even said quietly, "It would be nice to explore", at least before Ian and Barbara gave me a look.
"Well it's too late to talk about it now. It's getting dark. We'll discuss it when we get back to the ship", Ian told us.
"Yes, whatever you decide it'd too late to go down there now", Susan told both the Doctor and I, before handing back the binocular glasses.
I nodded as the Doctor said, " Yes, yes, all right, but I assure you I'm determined to study that place", the Doctor told us.
We all turned around to go back to the ship, but once outside of the Tardis I noticed Susan wasn't with us, "Where's Susan", I asked and that's when we heard a scream and Ian was quick to run off.
"You don't understand", Susan said as we all walked into the Tardis, "Someone touched me. Something is out there", Susan exclaimed and then walked away to another room.
Barbara, Ian, and the Doctor walked up to the console as I followed after Susan who was sitting at a desk drawing a flower. "What's that", I asked her, "A flower I saw in the jungle", she told me.
"Why don't you tell me what happened", I asked Susan, "Well, I thought there was someone near me. So I stopped and looked around, but I was so scared. And then someone touched me on the shoulder. I couldn't have mistaken it", she told me.
"It's okay. I believe you, but-", "But Grandfather doesn't believe anything can live out there. I know", she told me cutting me off.
"It's not that he doesn't, he just can't go against his scientific facts", Barbara said walking into the room, "How about you forget it for the moment?"
"For the moment", Susan said, before we could hear knocking from outside of the Tardis, "There was somebody there", Susan exclaimed.
Then we made our way onto the console room where the Doctor opened the scanner to see what was outside, but there was nothing there.
"Nothing. Nothing's there", Ian said, "But something must've made that noise", Susan exclaimed, "Yeah, we all heard it", I added.
"I've had enough of this. Please can't we get out of here", Barbara pleaded, "Ah, but the city I must see the city", the Doctor told her, "But why", Barbara questioned.
"I will not be questioned", then the Doctor said quietly, "Uninvited passengers. I didn't invite them to the ship. I shall do what I want to do", the Doctor said the last part loudly for all of to hear.
"Why endanger the rest of us by staying here", Ian asked the Doctor, "Can't you get us out of here", Barbara pleaded again.
I sighed, "Look they just want to go home", I told him, "No. This is my ship we are staying here", the Doctor told us.
"Grandfather please. Please", Susan pleaded with the Doctor, he patted her shoulder and nodded before using the console.
We began to leave before the console abruptly stopped and I looked over to the Doctor suspiciously.
"What's the matter", Susan asked, "I don't know the power take was rising normally and..." the Doctor trailed off.
"What's wrong", Ian questioned, "What happened", I added.
"Oh, don't distract me please", the Doctor told us rubbing his forehead.
"Shall I trace it on the fault locater, Grandfather", Susan asked, "Yes, I think you better child", the Doctor said and Susan was quick to check it.
"K7", Susan told him while over at the fault locator that was against the wall, "K7. Of course the fluid link. Yes, yes, yes", the Doctor said before bending down to pull out the fluid link from under the console.
"Yes there we are you see", the Doctor said showing us the fluid link, "It's unscrewed itself and the fluid has run out."
"Well have you got a spare" Ian asked him as I placed my hand onto the console to keep myself steady, "Oh no, no, no need for that. This is easily repairable. All we have to do is refill it", the Doctor told Ian.
"Are you all right", Barbara asked me, "Yeah, just tired", I told her.
The Doctor and Ian carried on like that until they came to an agreement that we would have to get mercury from the city and that we would leave at first light. The next morning we got ready and ate before going into the console room.
The Doctor opened the scanner to see outside, "Well it's light out and there doesn't seem to be anything out there, We might as well get started. Oh and Doctor remember we're going to this city to find mercury and once we've found it we're coming straight back here. Is that clear", Ian told the Doctor as if he were talking to a child.
"Quite so. Quite so", the Doctor said not even arguing and I looked at him suspiciously as we walked out of the Tardis. I had a bad feeling about this and my mind was foggy as if I was drained, but I kept pushing forward.
Well, shall I lead", Ian asked, "Yes, by all means", the Doctor replied.
"Hm, look", Ian said pointing to a metal box on the ground.
"Don't touch it it might go off", Barbara warned and I lifted a brow at her, "Looks like a plain metal box to me", I said and went to kick it before Ian pulled me back. "Just in case", he told me. Before bending down next to it, grabbing a stick, and poked it to see if it would go off. It didn't.
Ian sighed in relief, "Acacia was right it's just a normal metal box", Ian said before picking up and opening the box. Upon inside we saw there were rows of vials inside filled with some sort of liquid.
"Look a box of glass vials", Ian commented, "So there was somebody here last night. I knew I was right", Susan said. "Yes sorry Susan", Ian told her.
The Doctor took one of the vials out to examine it, "Yes, I'd like to run a few tests on those. Susan could you take these into the ship please", the Doctor said before putting the vial back into the box.
"Yes", Susan said before grabbing the metal box and brought them inside of the Tardis before coming back out.
Then we all made our way into the city, before going our separate ways to explore it. To divide and conquer on trying to find a lab that had mercury in it, before we all met again back at the entrance from where we came only Barbara was missing.
After a couple of minutes went by, we left in search of her; that's when we heard a scream and then we ran towards that direction.