Hi everyone, and welcome to the second story in my 'Family Reunion' tale. This adventure was inspired by two different comic strips. The first is 'The Fires Down Below', originally written by John Peel and published in Doctor Who Magazine #64, while the second is 'The Psychocrystals', a story published in issue 34 of the Gold Key 'Star Trek' comics of the 60s and 70s.
A cool gentle breeze blew through the air as Izor patrolled the breeding fields. It was a pleasantly warm evening, the sky was clear, and the stars twinkled brightly in the heavens above. It was just the sort of thing that made him enjoy his work as one of the assigned guardians of the young children of Kosron. He was feeling in very high spirits, but he knew he had to remain vigilant, lest some kidnapper came to steal away one of the precious young ones for whatever dubious reason.
The Kosronans were a rather unusual species, in that their bodies were almost entirely crystalline in nature. To the eyes of a flesh-and-blood humanoid, Kosronans look rather like walking jewels, with the various parts of their bodies seeming like multi-coloured gems stuck together, making them each seem like an abstract piece of art. They were a generally simple and gentle people, but because of their unique form, they tended to be targeted by passing aliens, who wanted to dissect them and sell their various body parts as jewellery. For this reason, the Kosronans had built their civilisation underground the surface of their world, safely hidden away from the prying eyes of unscrupulous fortune hunters.
However, one draw back to this was that the young babies of their race had to be grown on the surface, like flowers laid out in gardens under the sunlight. So guardians were assigned to constantly watch over the children, who currently looked like big round diamonds. Izor was one such guardian, and for the last three years of his life, he had performed his duty with the utmost diligence, ensuring that none would come to threaten the children.
Although they had long dispensed with more advanced science in favour of a more uncomplicated form of society, Kosronans were not as helpless as they might at first appear. The unique form enabled them to absorb light as energy to sustain them, and they could use this stored power to generate powerful laser beams that they can shot out of their foreheads. This ability had enabled the Guardians to fend off many who had attempted to seize the young ones, who grew among the blue grass and exotic flowers.
Izor had grown fairly confident in his skills to defend the children. But over-confidence can lead to complacency, and tonight, Izor was in for an unpleasant surprise.
The night before, there had been reports of a strange light in the sky, which had disappeared down the open mouth of a volcano named Mount Kulcade. Though this volcano was many miles away from the fields, the guardians had been instructed to be extra cautious just in case. But as yet, there seemed to be no sign of any danger, and as Izor reached the western birthing field and surveyed the many children laid out in rows before him, he felt certain that no harm would come to the young ones. For even if the guardians failed, the babies had some strong telepathic abilities of their own, which they can use against the minds of any potential attackers. These abilities eventually weaken, but by that time, the young will have become old enough to walk, and can thus join the rest of their people underground.
Izor gazed affectionately at the babies before him, which looked like a collection of gigantic diamonds, then he suddenly stiffened, as he sensed some unknown presence nearby. They were not alone. There was something alien with them.
Keeping a firm hold on the sharp spear he carried around with him, Izor probed the various trees and foliage surrounding him and the breeding field. The forest was so dark and dense that it easy for a predator to hide. But Izor's senses, trained to be absolutely acute, were warning him that there was danger close by.
"I know you are there, alien," rasped Izor in a loud, but calm voice. "Come out now and surrender."
There was a rustle as the bushes were abruptly shoved aside,allowing the intruder to appear. Izor had not known what to expect, but it most certainly was not the strange creature stomping towards him on two block-shaped feet. It appeared to be some kind of squat robotic machine, grey and black in colour. It had a large cuboid-shaped body, with rectangular compartments on its chest, from which folded out a pair of cuboid arms, equipped with weaponry and manipulating appendages. It stood on two stout legs, and its 'head', which was placed on top of the cuboid body, consisted of a sphere, with sharp metal spikes coming out of each side, as well as the top.
"Do not move," commanded the robot, in a strange, child-like electronic voice. "You will lower your weapon, or you will be destroyed."
Izor did not bother to reply to this threat. Instead, he looked at the strange invader and unleashed a terrific beam of red light from his forehead, which struck the robot's head, blasting it into pieces. With a mechanical groan, the hostile machine fell flat on its back, smoke billowing out from the hole where its head used to be. Then the whole body exploded into tiny little fragments.
Izor made a mistake at this point. He assumed the danger was past and relaxed. A very grave error.
While Izor's attention had been focused on the first alien robot, a second one had appeared behind him, its energy weapon ready for the kill. Just too late, Izor sensed the danger from behind and began to spun around, just as the robot opened fire, sending a bolt of ultrasound energy right at him. Izor tried to jump clear, but the energy blast still clipped his right arm, causing it to shatter into glassy fragments. With a cry of excruciating pain, Izor fell to the ground, the agony becoming unbearable. Consciousness was fast escaping him, and as he struggled to remain awake, he saw more of the robots appear and advance menacingly on the children.
"No..." he gasped, struggling to get up. "Don't touch them..."
But his injuries proved too much for him, and he fell into the grassy earth, as blackness consumed his mind.
The rising sun marked the beginning of a new day for Kosron. The soft light of dawn washed over the exotic forests, casting a warm glow on the vibrant blue grass. A gentle slope beside a flowing river became the canvas for an unexpected apparition, as, with its usual wheezing, groaning noice, the blue Police Box shape of the TARDIS materialised on the grassy ground.
After a while, the doors of the Police Box opened, and Jenny emerged from within, an enthusiastic look on her face as she took in the scenery.
"Wow! This sure looks a pleasant place, Mum," she said, as the Doctor also came out of the TARDIS and walked over to join her.
"Yeah, nothing quite like the first few steps on a brand new world," smiled the Doctor, as she and Jenny breathed in the clear air. "Brand new sky, brand new jungles, brand new rivers... It sure is nice to land on such a lovely-looking planet."
Jenny nodded, her eyes wide with excitement. "I can't wait to explore! What do we do first?"
The Doctor looked around thoughtfully, her gaze landing on the river. "Well, let's follow the water. It's often a source of life, and who knows what we'll find along the way?"
Jenny eagerly agreed, and the two of them set off down the slope, their boots crunching the soft, dewy grass beneath them.
Jenny had to admit, it was nice to arrive somewhere peaceful for a change. Six months had passed since she had been reunited with the Doctor, and in that time, the pair of them had gone through many hair-raising adventures. They had crossed swords with a Stenza warrior called Tzim-Sha during a visit to Earth; befriended a kind and brave woman called Rosa Parks in 1950s America; chased a pesky creature called a Pting (a hunger-some alien that Jenny thought looked deceptively cute) on a hospital ship... And that was all just for starters!
And along the way, the Doctor and Jenny had in that short time managed to develop a proper mother/daughter bond between them. The Doctor had adjusted to her new role as a mother quite quickly, while Jenny learnt a great deal from her parent. She had already picked up a lot of the Doctor's ideals and personality-traits, but the young woman now understood a lot more about her inherited Time Lord physiology than before, such as how her respiratory bypass system could allow her to survive without breathable air longer than humans could, and she had started developing telepathic and time-sensitive abilities like other Gallifreyans. Jenny also wondered if she might have developed regenerative powers as well after travelling in the time vortex, though neither she nor the Doctor had any intention of putting this to the test.
In the short time since she had started travelling with the Doctor, Jenny had seen new worlds and fabulous wonders, but there had been a fair amount of danger along the way too. So, as they continued walking down the slope away from the TARDIS and along the path running alongside the glistening river, it was perfectly understandable for Jenny to ask her mother:
"You don't think there are any hostile inhabitants on this planet, do you? This tranquil scenery seems a bit too good to be true."
The Doctor chuckled. "Don't worry, Jenny. I'm sure there's nothing in the least bit dangerous around here. Perfect spot for a family holiday. You know, we could have a family picnic out here later on."
"Let's explore a bit more before we start thinking about anything like that," smiled Jenny, as they paused a moment to get their bearings and take in more of the attractive forest. Then she frowned, as she noticed a peculiar pattern of footprints leading into the forest. They were rectangular in shape, and judging by the depth of the indentations, had been made by something rather heavy.
"Hey, Mum, take at look at this," said Jenny, as she knelt down to examine the odd footprints.
The Doctor's expression grew with interest as she looked over the strange markings left in the ground. "That's... unexpected," she murmured. "Those don't look like anything natural to this environment."
They followed the tracks, which grew clearer as they moved away from the river and deeper into the foliage. The trees grew closer together, the air thick with the scent of blooming flowers and the distant hum of alien wildlife. The Doctor's eyes darted around, scanning the underbrush for any signs of movement or danger. Then she broke into a run, her long skirt flapping about her legs, as she urgently dashed towards something she had spotted just ahead. Jenny hurried close behind, and together, they emerged into a clearing, with what looked like a small field of brown earth before them. Sprawled out on the soil was what looked like the shape of a humanoid figure, except its body seemed to be made of crystal blocks, joined together like an abstract crystal sculpture. Jenny was amazed when she realised that the crystal man was not an actual sculpture, for it was moving and giving out groans of pain through a slit -like mouth as it tried feebly to get up. The crystal figure was clearly in pain, evidently because of a nasty break in its glass-like right arm.
The Doctor knelt down and gently cradled the crystal man, helping him to sit up.
"It's okay, take it easy," said the Doctor soothingly, as Jenny also knelt down to help the injured figure, who looked dazedly at them.
"Who... Who are you?" he asked in a strained voice, which had a soft, yet almost mechanical quality to it.
"I'm Jenny, and this is my Mum, the Doctor," said Jenny, with a reassuring expression. "What's your name?"
"Guardian Izor," said Izor, as he tried to clear his head. "Wha... What are you doing here?"
"Oh, just a pair of good samaritans passing through," said the Doctor simply, as she check Izor's shattered arm over. "That's a nasty break, Izor. How did that happen? Did you trip over?"
"No..." said Izor, as he struggled to recall the events of the night before. "I was attacked... Some metal creatures... They... They took the children..."
Izor gave out a sob, as he realised that he had failed in his duty. The children of Kosron were in danger, and it was all his fault.
The Doctor looked thoughtfully at the field, noting the indentations left in the brown soil. "These children... They were planted in the soil here?"
Izor nodded, as the Doctor and Jenny gingerly helped him to his feet. "Yes. Kosronan young have to grow on the surface of our world, until they are old enough to walk and join the rest of our people underground. We thought that placing them in the forests would help hide them, and if that they failed, their telepathic abilities would protect them."
"Clearly we're dealing with something resistant to your children's telepathic defences," mused the Doctor. "A metal creature did this you say?"
Izor nodded and recounted in as best detail as he could what had happened. As he mentioned how he had destroyed one of the two attacking creatures, Jenny caught sight of the blackened remains of the destroyed invader.
"Could be some kind of robot," suggested Jenny. "That would account for why telepathy would fail, since they would not have minds that can be attacked."
The Doctor nodded. "Yes, though there's not enough left to easily identify what it was."
She then looked at Izor. "You say you're a Kosronan, right? I've heard of your people. A very friendly civilisation if I recall, unfairly hunted down like wild animals by fortune hunters."
"That is correct," said Izor. "You seem remarkably well-informed for a stranger to our world."
"Well, I do hear a lot on my travels," said the Doctor. "But never mind that now. The important thing is to get you medical help."
"Is it far to this underground settlement?" asked Jenny.
"Yes, but it may not be safe for you,"cautioned Izor, who could already feel his strength ebbing again. "We have long led a life of total seclusion, hidden from the rest of the universe. If I show you where our city is, the President may not allow you to return to wherever you came from."
"Let's worry about that when we get to it," said the Doctor firmly. "Tell us the way, Izor, and we'll carry you to your city. Then we might see about helping to track your kidnapped young down."
To Be Continued...