Lieutenant Adventures Season 17 Chapter 14, 27 September 2023. Into the Abyss: Uncovering Secrets.
16th Lieutenant: 'In this pivotal chapter, I recount the extraordinary journey of my 14th incarnation, burdened by the weight of depression, yet determined to lead a life brimming with purpose and happiness. I share with you the profound tale of my 14th incarnation's courageous endeavor.
'Within the depths of the Time Vortex, my 14th incarnation grappled with an invisible nemesis—depression. Silent and pervasive, it threatened to engulf me entirely, but I refused to succumb. With indomitable spirit, I embarked on time-traveling escapades alongside my loyal companions: Sandy, a valiant warrior; Catina, a cunning strategist; and Ann, a compassionate healer. Together, they formed an unbreakable bond, destined to face the perils of the universe as a united force.
'My travels across time and space were laden with mystery, danger, and awe-inspiring wonders. My 14th incarnation discovered that the universe was a tapestry woven with enigmatic secrets, waiting to be unraveled. Through our adventures, we journeyed into the deepest abysses, uncovering hidden truths that lay veiled beneath the fabric of reality.
'While my 14th incarnation traversed the vastness of the cosmos, my loyal companions were unaware of the tempest raging within me. My battles against despair and desolation were fought in silence, but my unwavering determination never waned. I found solace and strength in the love and support of Sandy, Catina, and Ann, who unknowingly became beacons of light in my darkest hours.
'Within the endless expanse of time and space, my 14th incarnation gleaned moments of respite and joy. I marveled at the celestial majesty of distant galaxies, danced amid the vibrant hues of alien sunsets, and embraced the wonders of civilizations both long gone and yet to come. Through it all, I sought to prove that my worth was not defined by the depths of my struggle, but by the heights of my resilience.
'With unwavering determination, my 14th incarnation sought help, understanding that the power of healing and self-discovery lay within his grasp. I navigated the labyrinthine corridors of my own mind, shedding light on the secrets that had veiled my soul. It was an arduous journey, but one that allowed me to emerge stronger, wiser, and filled with renewed hope.
'This chapter reveals the indomitable spirit of my 14th incarnation, who refused to be defined by the shadows that sought to engulf me. My tale serves as a reminder that even amidst the vastness of the universe and the trials we face, we have the strength to confront our inner demons and find the path to fulfillment.
'I stand in awe of the resilience and fortitude displayed by my 14th incarnation. The echoes of my story resonate through time, inspiring us all to embrace our own journeys of self-discovery, to unravel the secrets that lie within, and to forge ahead with unwavering determination in our pursuit of a life illuminated by joy and purpose.
14th Lieutenant: The Lieutenant was sitting in his armchair in the console room, staring into the Time Rotor as it gently moved, the TARDIS in motion. It was quite settling to watch. He was very quiet, deep in thought.
'Are you OK, old man?' asked Ann, looking over at the Lieutenant, looking concerned.
The Lieutenant snapped out of his silence, his darkness. 'Oh, er, yes, thank you, sorry, was just having a moment,' he said, trying his best not to fade back into the dark place he had been in. He heaved himself up and walked over to the console. 'Can't go back there, don't make me go back,' he said, out of context.
'Sorry?' asked Catina.
'Distraction, need a distraction,' the Lieutenant said to himself, then looked at Catina. 'Sorry, dear, all good, or will be in a moment.' He arrived at the Navigation panel and punched in co-ordinates for the Forbidden Realm of Eldaros and pulled the Master Lever. 'Wait until we get to this place, it's a great distraction. Pick a thought you have often, one you don't really like that much and hold onto it for a moment, do that now, everyone,' said the Lieutenant, looking around at them. 'How does it make you feel? I know mine, it makes me feel terrible, like I can't cope. You will be free of those thoughts in Eldaros, no more,' he said.
Sandy thought, even if Catina and Ann hadn't copped on, that he knew what was going on with the Lieutenant but didn't say anything.
'I don't really know why it's forbidden, because the way it makes you think is just so perfect.
The TARDIS materialised.
Almost the speed of light, the Lieutenant had the door control activated and was heading for the door.
'Lieutenant!' exclaimed Sandy.
The Lieutenant stopped and spun round to Sandy. 'What's wrong?' he asked.
'Don't you think we had better check it's safe outside first?' asked Sandy.
'Well, I have been here before, Sandy, but, just in case it's changed since then, yes, I suppose so,' said the Lieutenant, re-activating the door control to close the door and activating the hologram, seeing the miles of lush grass and plants. 'Nothing's changed, visually, is the console detecting a poisonous atmosphere?' he asked, more to himself than telling someone to do it.
'No,' said Ann. 'Air is breathable,' she said.
'Good, good,' said the Lieutenant. 'Nothing's changed,' he said, re-activating the door control and leading them out of the TARDIS. He pushed the door closed behind them.
The TARDIS morphed briefly into a tree and then back into the familiar old cardboard box she had been for so long at this point.
'What's happening?' asked Catina, alarmed.
'This place makes everyone who visits here realise they can do things they didn't realise they can do. The TARDIS is not a machine, she's a being, born and bred on Gallifrey. She's kidded herself into thinking she can't change to blend into her surroundings and this realm has just made her realise she can. I think, deep down, I knew she can too,' said the Lieutenant. 'No need for alarm.'
'I see how that works now,' said Catina.
'Oh?' asked the Lieutenant. 'What are you realising?'
'Well, I always fear our travels, what if everything goes wrong, what if we can't get back but there's always a way out, there's always a way back, there's no need for worry,' said Catina.
'No, and I have those concerns myself, will I ever see my wife and son again? Of course I will, things always work out in the end,' said the Lieutenant, turning his gaze to Ann and Sandy.
Ann raised her eyebrows, realising the Lieutenant was waiting for her to speak.
'Anything?' asked the Lieutenant.
'Yes, just listening, for a change, I don't have to ride my mouth all the time, I can listen, and I quite enjoy it,' said Ann.
'Very good. Sandy?' asked the Lieutenant.
'Well, haven't you noticed I am not the best at adapting?' asked Sandy.
'You do adapt well, actually,' said the Lieutenant.
'Yeah, I do, eventually, but it takes a lot to get there,' said Sandy.
'Oh, I've never noticed that,' said the Lieutenant.
'I easily adapted this time,' said Sandy.
'There you go,' said the Lieutenant. 'There we go, that was only a short time but we have been able to let go for a short time. Back to the TARDIS,' he said, gesturing to the TARDIS with his head and leading them all back into the TARDIS. He went to the console, re-activated the door control, then, moving around to the Navigation panel, punched in coordinates for the Time Shards and pulled the Master Lever.
The TARDIS dematerialised.
The Lieutenant retyped the coordinates once in the Vortex, because he knew landing would be tricky and he wanted to make sure he got it right. He pushed the Master Lever back the other way.
The TARDIS materialised.
'Don't forget to check outside first this time, Lieutenant, said Sandy.
The Lieutenant smiled slightly out of the corner of his mouth. 'We won't be going outside this time, too dangerous,' he said.
'Just checking,' said Sandy.
'And your compassion and support is noted and appreciated, thank you,' said the Lieutenant. 'Nothing poisonous out there, just plenty of places to fall and if you do, you fall into the void. You would feel no pain because you would be burnt to a cinder immediately,' he explained. 'We've materialised on a piece of time,' he said.
'Come again?' asked Ann.
The Lieutenant grinned. 'I knew you'd say that,' he said. 'We're on a piece of time,' he said, activating the hologram.
'It looks like glass,' said Catina.
'Yes!' exclaimed the Lieutenant. 'Looks like glass but it's a shard of time, hence, its name, the Time Shard. I don't know what exactly happened here but this is a very famous event, it even feels strange to me to call this an event and not a place, but as we are dealing with time, this is an event. There are very, very few people in this Universe who do not know about the Time Shards. This is an ancient event and the Universe holds this event in frozen time, appearing, as Catina said, like glass, containing the explosion here because if it slips or erupts again, it would take out the Universe,' he explained.
'Are we able to find out anything about what happened here?' asked Sandy.
'I wonder what happens if I...' trailed off the Lieutenant as he punched something into the Navigation panel.
The TARDIS jolted.
Sandy, Catina and Ann grabbed the console.
'What was that?' asked Sandy, almost shouting.
'Nothing to worry about, that was intended,' said the Lieutenant.
'You could have warned us,' said Catina.
'Sorry,' said the Lieutenant. He then twisted a knob, not touching the coordinates, and pulled the Master Lever.
The TARDIS dematerialised.
'This will be tricky, have to be careful,' said the Lieutenant, continuing to twist a circular knob.
'Where are we going?' asked Ann.
'No, no, we're traveling in time, we're staying on the same spot,' said the Lieutenant.
The TARDIS jolted again and seemed to spin out of control.
The Lieutenant gripped the console, not taking his eyes off the knob, twisting it anti-clockwise.
'Lieutenant!' exclaimed Ann.
'Grip the console, don't let go for anything!' exclaimed the Lieutenant.
'What's happening?' asked Sandy.
'We were on a piece of time, but when traveling in time, that is no longer solid, our coordinates don't know what's happening because our position is not a shard anymore,' said the Lieutenant. He suddenly had a very stupid and dangerous idea but he was going to try it anyway. He rolled across the surface of the console, letting the force of the room fling him across the room, then he reached a lever which he grabbed at and swung out of it.
The TARDIS jolted.
The Lieutenant fell against the console, reached for the blue stabilisers and pressed them.
The TARDIS jolted again and then the room stabilised.
The Lieutenant straightened up. 'See? Nothing to worry about,' he said.
The TARDIS Cloister Bell started chiming rapidly.
The Lieutenant looked around, spooked, all colour drained from his face.
'What's wrong?' asked Sandy, panicking a bit.
'I've never known the Cloister Bell to ring like that before,' said the Lieutenant. 'The Cloister Bell chimes when we're in trouble, usually much slower than this, which must mean we're in grave danger, whatever caused the Time Shards was far too dangerous to get anywhere near,' he said, rushing to the console and yanking the Master Lever so hard it nearly came off.
The TARDIS dematerialised.
The Lieutenant stood, panting, staring down at his hand on the Master Lever for what seemed like an eternity.
Ann went over to the Lieutenant and put her hand on top of his. 'You can relax now,' she said to him softly. 'Whatever was out there doesn't matter now, you got us out of there alive,' she said.
'I nearly didn't,' said the Lieutenant, not daring to let go or look up.
'That doesn't matter, you did,' said Ann. She stepped back.
Catina moved forward and took Ann's place. 'Lieutenant, if you think something's wrong-' she started.
'What's wrong?' asked the Lieutenant, still not letting go or looking up.
'Before you bite my head off, just listen,' said Catina.
'Sorry,' said the Lieutenant.
'If you think something is wrong, it's not weak to accept it and seek help, it's OK, and if you need that space, we will give you that space,' said Catina.
The Lieutenant slowly let go of the Master Lever. His breathing normalised and he straightened up and looked at Catina, Ann and Sandy in turn. 'You're right,' he said. 'What did I ever do to deserve friends like you lot?' he asked. 'You're right, I'll seek help and we'll see, then, where we are,' he said.
Ann, Catina and Sandy left the Lieutenant alone in the console room.
The Lieutenant leant on the console, looking down at it, reluctant to actually act but in the end he sighed and punched in the coordinates for Gallifrey, to seek professional help for his depression.
NEXT TIME
My fourteen point fifth incarnation was an accident, he completely was not supposed to exist but, as the older folk amongst you know, the older you get, the more things stop working they way they should. In this chapter, I recount the peculiar tale of my unexpected transformation and unwitting creation of the legendary creature known as Bigfoot. Their distant gazes filled with fear and curiosity contributed to the birth of the Bigfoot legend, forever intertwining this incarnation's identity with this mythical creature. Having another, brief, sharp moment, he remembered what direction the TARDIS was in and ran off towards it.
The Lieutenant
Liam Hickey
Elvish Pretzelly
Sandy Ulrich
Emma Watson
Catina Gunter
Miranda Kerr
Ann Allen
Julianne Hough
Director
Darwin Meads
Writer
Liam Hickey
Executives
Darwin Meads
Liam Hickey
M/S 2023