Chapter 1

The group walked along the courtyard. Snyder was cordial, outgoing. Canada was a stern, colourless man.

"It's lovely… I can understand why you are reluctant to leave, Mr Snyder."

"We are not just 'reluctant', Carolyn. It is imperative that we remain."

"It would be suicide to evacuate. It would destroy everything we've worked for two centuries to accomplish."

"You see, this is an engineered society."

"Engineered?"

"Genetically engineered." He paused, trying to find a way to explain this simply. "Our ancestors came from Earth to develop the perfect society. They believed that through controlled procreation, they would create people without flaws… and those people would build a paradise."

"All of you… have been selectively bred? Your DNA patterns chosen?"

Snyder turned and smiled at her. "Eight generations of us."

"We have immeasurably extended the potential of humanity – physically, psychologically – we have evolved beyond… beyond…" Canada realized he was in trouble.

"Beyond us."

"Frankly, yes. No one in this society would be blind, for example."

Snyder was embarrassed, looked at Canada with a critical eye, but with disarming humour. "Thank you, Ronald… Perhaps you've also made it clear that we still have a few imperfections we're working on… For the most part, we have achieved a fully integrated existence… not just among ourselves but with our environment… we don't just live here… we are part of the environment… it is part of us. Every plant life, every microscopic lifeform… is part of a master design. We cannot separate ourselves from it without irreparably altering who and what we are."

"Your presence here has already begun to affect the entire balance of our society."

"If we do not survive, the balance of our society won't mean a great deal… will it?"

Ronald harrumphed and walked away. Snyder led the group slowly into the courtyard, moving with them. "I apologize. But he is performing his function as he is designed to do."

"What 'function' would that be?"

"He is the interpreter of our founders' intentions for this society."

"A judge."

"Yes, more or less. Obviously, he has no diplomatic talents."

"And obviously you do."

Snyder smiled. "I have been bred to fill this specific role… we grow up knowing exactly what our society needs from us… what we are expected to do."

"Kind of takes some of the fun out choosing, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. My entire psychological makeup tells me that I was born to lead. I am exactly what I would choose to be. Think of it another way – are there still people in your society who have not discovered who they really are or what they're meant to do with their lives? They may be in the wrong job… they may be writing bad poetry. Even worse, there may be great poets working as labourers, never to be discovered. That does not happen here. It is, for us, an ideal existence and we won't give it up easily."

He was passionate, and eloquent as a leader should be. And Carolyn was impressed with him.

"We will do whatever we can to help you preserve it."

Their eyes met… his smile thanked her… And a personal connection was made between them.

Dey Young was a vital young woman, about 30, bright, attractive, and inquisitive… in a genome laboratory, working on Okudagrams regarding the fragment's path.

"Dey… I want you to meet our guests."

She looked up, enthusiastically, and came over to greet them. "Yes… from the starship… I've been looking forward to speaking with you."

"Dey Young is one of our scientists. She's an expert on biosphere homeostasis."

She found herself staring an extra beat at Michelle's fish-like face.

Michelle was uncomfortable at her stare. "I'm a Blowfish."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare… I've just never seen anyone like you."

Michelle was impatient. "I'll be glad to tell you about myself if there's time."

"Yes, of course, the fragment."

"Dey, Michelle has brought all the studies of the stellar core fragment done aboard her ship."

"Wonderful."

"If there is any way to shore up our defenses, Dey will find it. She has a remarkable talent in theoretical physics."

She moved to a work station… Michelle followed. "I've worked up a few schematics based on gravimetric potentials and deflector energy allocation."

"Michelle… Carolyn and I will return to the TARDIS… when you reach a conclusion, let us know."

"Ok."

"Nita, if Mr Snyder wouldn't object… I'd like to stay… and see more of his colony…"

They glanced to Snyder, who considered it for half a second. "No, no, that would be fine… I'd like you to see it."

Nita nodded, fine, and headed back to the TARDIS.

Carolyn and Snyder strolled the courtyard, examining the flowers and a few free-standing sculptures that were dotted about.

"You're sure my being here is not going to be disruptive?"

"Disruptive? Oh, you mean, what Ronald was saying."

"I certainly don't wish to throw off your entire 'balance'."

Snyder smiled. "Too late, the damage is done."

"Seriously."

"Sometimes, I think the strict interpreters like Ronald forget that we're still Human. We'll adjust, accommodate."

"There must be other unexpected events you have to deal with – an untimely death, an accident."

"Our geneticists are able to screen out any congenital health risks before conception, and the population is diverse enough to maintain a genetic balance in the event of accidental death. But very little that is unexpected occurs here. Am I making it sound incredibly dull?"

"Not at all."

Snyder laughed lightly. "I'll tell you the truth, and I'll deny it if you tell Ronald, but today has been exhilarating, meeting you, meeting new people, with new ideas."

"I feel the same about being here, I'm something of a student of Human nature, I find this all fascinating."

"A student of Human nature?"

"I'm a scientist."

"Ah, I'm afraid we have enough scientists here, Carolyn."

Carolyn smiled. "I'd book my next vacation at your hotel if you had one."

"Well, in that case, I'll have to have them build one."

And they exchanged a glance, that was definitely flirtatious in intent.

In the genome laboratory, Michelle was studying an okudagram. "The planet's orbit is completely disrupted and the surface stability becomes almost nonexistent as the core fragment passes by."

Dey, glum, moved away from the monitor. "The biosphere's superstructure will never withstand the tectonic shocks. The environment would be compromised."

"That's how I see it."

Dey mused thoughtfully, frowned, shook her head, a long beat. "Your ship… what kind of energy output is it capable of generating?"

"Artron Energy created by the Prime Eye of Harmony on Gallifrey is broadcast into the Space-Time Vortex. This energy travels though the Vortex's Time Contours. Attached to a TARDIS's Containment Sphere is the Receptor Antenna, which collects artron energy using chronon transduction. The naked singularity at the Heart of a TARDIS is directly linked to the Space-Time Vortex, and uses Chronon Transduction to collect the energy. Even the TARDIS' core power systems are powerful enough to destroy the universe, should something happen to it… what are you thinking about?"

"Well, either we're going to have to move… or that fragment is…"

Michelle reacted. "We can move a small moon or an asteroid, but a stellar core fragment? That's way too massive for our tractor beam."

Dey punched up something on her computer, a new Okudagram appeared.

"What's that?"

"A wild idea. Purely theoretical."

"A multiphase tractor beam?"

"When we first spotted the fragment approaching, I came up with the idea, but we can't generate the kind of energy we would need. You can."

Michelle reacted.

In the Genome courtyard, Snyder, Canada and Carolyn reacted as Michelle and Dey briefed them.

"Dey would have to come with us to the TARDIS."

"No."

"With my theories and their equipment, we might be able to alter the fragment's path – it's our only chance to avoid evacuation."

A long moment as Snyder wrestled with this one, then, "No one had ever come here, and no one had ever left. Until today. This is a date to note in our history books."

"This is in direct violation of the intentions of our founders, John…"

Snyder interrupted… "I don't think they intended us to die, Ronald."

"Her absence will create an additional imbalance."

"Temporarily. The circumstances require us to be flexible." Snyder took a beat to ask himself once more if this was the right thing to do… he glanced at Carolyn, who sympathized with a look… he knew that he'd given in another inch here… he wanted to hold the line but this was common sense. He nodded, satisfied with the decision. "You can go, Dey."

Michelle turned towards the TARDIS. "Let's go."

Carolyn turned to Snyder, "May I return later?"

Snyder looked at her, his mind still distracted by the events… "I look forward to it."

Michelle led the way to the TARDIS. Carolyn's eyes locked once more with Snyder's, and she smiled as she and the others entered. Snyder stared at the TARDIS. And he turned and strode off, leaving a dour Ronald looking after him.