The woman eyed him suspiciously, though extended a hand by way of greeting. Steven took it and shook. 'Professor Eleanor Novik, head of the TTR Division here. This planet is Manalex Alpha and you’re standing in the city-dome of Selafan. Any more questions?'
'Steven Taylor, and just one – TTR?'
'Time Travel Research. Though it seems you know a little about that already.' Novik looked him over, still trying to determine whether he posed any threat. If so, he knew a considerable amount, but still...
'You said there’s talk of a war. What is it this time - land, money, fuels?' Steven thought back to his last fight, trying to remember the exact cause of it, and still not entirely sure what it was. All those years trapped and he never knew the real reason why.
'You mean you don’t know?' Novik looked genuinely surprised. 'Oh Mr Taylor, it’s something far more precious than land or money. It’s stolen time.'
~~~
'They don’t look very friendly. Why can’t we land somewhere nice for a chance, where people go out of their way to help us?' Vicki asked the Doctor after watching the guards assemble around the TARDIS.
'Well my dear, I’m afraid that a lot of the universe is full of closed minds. If we can open them a little, perhaps one day we shall find a society of enlightenment, hmm?' He grasped his lapels and stared at the now working scanner screen. 'Look! They’re laying down their arms! What an extraordinary sight! Come, child, let us go and make our peace before they change their minds!'
The Doctor operated the doors controls, Vicki helping him on with his cape as they made for the doors. As they stepped outside, the soldiers made no movement to raise their weapons, and a solitary figure moved to greet them.
'Welcome friend, welcome. I am General Munro of the Selafan Concordance. Your craft is a time ship is it not?'
The Doctor looked to Vicki, giving her a look that conveyed the fact that he’d been impressed already. 'Why yes young man, it is indeed a time ship. You have knowledge of such things?'
The General nodded. 'We have knowledge of such things. Indeed we intend to win the war with our own devices. Yet, we need an edge, and we feel that your craft is unique enough to give us that edge.'
The Doctor’s face soured. 'A war you say? No, I’ll have no part in it! A petty squabble over religion or land no doubt! No, that sir is where I draw the line.' The Doctor stood up to his full height, level with the General.
The General’s face softened. 'Come now, traveller, you know this conflict is different! This war is of far greater importance than any feud over land rights!'
'I know nothing of the kind! What wretched place is this anyhow?' The Doctor’s ire had been inflamed by the talk of conflict. With it came death and destruction, pain and misery, and the Doctor wanted no part of it.
The General looked to his men, then to Vicki, then back to the Doctor. 'You don’t know of us? You mean you weren’t sent here, to Manalex Alpha?'
At the mention of the planet’s name, Vicki’s ears pricked up. Before the Doctor could offer another indignant reply, Vicki spoke. 'Did you say Manalex Alpha? The Manalex Alpha?'
The General furrowed his eyebrows. 'The only one we are aware of, why?'
Vicki turned to the Doctor. 'Do you mean you haven’t heard the legends of this war, Doctor, about what they are fighting for? About what happened here?'
The Doctor sighed. 'No, for once I am in the dark, my child. But you know of this place?'
Vicki nodded. 'My father used to talk of the war here. He said it had been going on for as long as he could remember, yet it also seemed to have always only just started.'
'Don’t talk in riddles child? Whatever do you mean?'
The General watched, equally confused, as Vicki continued. 'He said they’d been fighting, fighting over something very important, but as a child it made no sense to me.' The Doctor gave her a look to encourage her to continue. 'He said...he said they’d been fighting over a missing year!'
'A year? Missing? That’s ridiculous! How can time disappear?' Steven looked incredulous.
'That’s what we’re attempting to find out Mr Taylor. The current theory is that the Voltrani – the indigenous population here – have taken it, done something with it. No one can remember what happened in that year, but it’s thought that it was something vital.' Novik watched as Steven processed the information.
'Well, I’ll have to believe you because I know nothing about the place. So your research, this is all in aid of finding out what happened?'
Novik nodded. 'We’ve got to find out what it was before we sustain any more damage. We’ve been building our own time craft ready for the first assault of the Voltrani. We won’t strike unless they do, but that threat is growing ever closer.'
Steven sighed. He couldn’t believe was he was about to say, but he had little choice. 'I’ve fought before, and I have a limited knowledge of time travel. Since I appear to have been abandoned here, can I help in any way?'
Novik smiled. 'I was hoping you’d say that. Let’s give you a scan first, and then I’ll fill you in on everything.'
So, this is what becomes of me then, thought Steven, back in the fight once more. Goodbye Doctor, I hope I can make a life here. He followed Novik out of the room with a heavy heart, but certain that his destiny was now decided for him.
~~~
'Well, well, well, that is something isn’t it? Fighting over time! Now I’ve heard it all!' The Doctor looked to the General for confirmation of Vicki’s tale, though he knew he had no reason not to believe her.
'It’s true Doctor, every word of it. And you still refuse to help us?' the General asked.
'Conflict is conflict, no matter what the cause. I cannot allow myself or Vicki to be drawn into such a brutal and barbarous undertaking. No, I stand resolute that I will not offer my help.' The Doctor almost stamped down a foot, as if marking a full stop at the end of his sentence.
'And you child? Is this your wish also?' The General turned to Vicki.
Vicki nodded. 'I’ve seen enough bloodshed in my travels. I don’t want any on my conscience thank you very much!'
The General stood tall. 'Very well.' He spoke into a small device on his wrist. 'Commander, I am sorry to involve you, but a rogue element will not cooperate.'
'Rogue element! Do you mean me sir?' The Doctor looked affronted once more, but the General didn’t reply.
The device on the General’s wrist bleeped as if turning off, and mere moments later a door at the far end of the room opened. Through it stepped two armed guards, flanking the Commander that the General had spoken to.
The man’s face had a full beard and his hair was flecked with grey, but as Vicki looked she realised exactly who it was.
'Steven!' She rushed up to him, and hugged him, Steven dismissing the guards as she did so.
'Hello Vicki, it’s been a long time.' He smiled at her, then looked to the Doctor, striding forward with a hand outstretched. The Doctor grasped it with both of his own and shook it vigorously.
'Steven, so good to see you my boy! I see you’ve made a home for yourself here then, hmm?'
Steven shrugged. 'Well what choice did I have? You left me here!'
The Doctor shook his head. 'No, not at all, not at all. The Ship took off again of its own accord just after you left!' He pointed around. 'Now these men here want to take command of it, for their own nefarious ends!'
A sad smile crossed Steven’s face. 'I’m sorry Doctor, but this is a war. We need all the resources we can get.'
Vicki strode up to him. 'How can you be so callous? That’s not the Steven I knew!'
He looked at her, and gave her a sly wink, imperceptible to anyone save her and the Doctor. 'I’m sorry Vicki, but in times of war...'
She shook her head. 'No, no I won’t believe it' She ran, back into the TARDIS.
'See what you’ve done, upsetting the poor girl! This won’t do at all!' The Doctor made to leave, but Steven held onto his shoulder.
'Oh no, you’re not going in there without me.' He turned to the guards. 'If I’m not out in 5 minutes, come in after me. You have my permission to shoot them if they resist.'
The Doctor was muttering as he walked, Steven giving him a little shove through the doorway.
The General looked on. The war would be won with this craft. Yes, the war would be won.
As the travellers entered the TARDIS, Vicki closed the doors behind them and looked up at Steven and smiled. The first thing she noticed was that his beard was gone, the grey vanished from his hair.
The Doctor chuckled. 'Well done my boy, well done! A very clever little ploy there!'
Steven felt up to his face and noticed the changes too. 'I was hoping that would happen.'
'The internal dimension of the Ship is quite different to out there. Time seems to be something of a mystery out there.'
Steven looked at him. 'You don’t know the half of it! We need to get away from this place though, and quickly.'
The Doctor fiddled with controls on the console, and the ship began its far from noiseless take off procedure.
Vicki sidled up to Steven and gave him a small punch in the arm. 'You nearly had me going there.'
Steven smiled at her. 'Sorry about that. But I had to make sure we got out of that place. I’ve got a long story to tell you both.'
The Doctor collapsed into a chair. 'Thank goodness for that! Now, do tell us this tale dear boy, and then we can forget about this whole wretched business.'
'Alright,' said Steven, 'but get yourself comfortable. It’s going to be a long tale.'
to be continued...
written by
ANDY WESTON
Vicki nodded. 'I’ve seen enough bloodshed in my travels. I don’t want any on my conscience thank you very much!'
The General stood tall. 'Very well.' He spoke into a small device on his wrist. 'Commander, I am sorry to involve you, but a rogue element will not cooperate.'
'Rogue element! Do you mean me sir?' The Doctor looked affronted once more, but the General didn’t reply.
The device on the General’s wrist bleeped as if turning off, and mere moments later a door at the far end of the room opened. Through it stepped two armed guards, flanking the Commander that the General had spoken to.
The man’s face had a full beard and his hair was flecked with grey, but as Vicki looked she realised exactly who it was.
'Steven!' She rushed up to him, and hugged him, Steven dismissing the guards as she did so.
'Hello Vicki, it’s been a long time.' He smiled at her, then looked to the Doctor, striding forward with a hand outstretched. The Doctor grasped it with both of his own and shook it vigorously.
'Steven, so good to see you my boy! I see you’ve made a home for yourself here then, hmm?'
Steven shrugged. 'Well what choice did I have? You left me here!'
The Doctor shook his head. 'No, not at all, not at all. The Ship took off again of its own accord just after you left!' He pointed around. 'Now these men here want to take command of it, for their own nefarious ends!'
A sad smile crossed Steven’s face. 'I’m sorry Doctor, but this is a war. We need all the resources we can get.'
Vicki strode up to him. 'How can you be so callous? That’s not the Steven I knew!'
He looked at her, and gave her a sly wink, imperceptible to anyone save her and the Doctor. 'I’m sorry Vicki, but in times of war...'
She shook her head. 'No, no I won’t believe it' She ran, back into the TARDIS.
'See what you’ve done, upsetting the poor girl! This won’t do at all!' The Doctor made to leave, but Steven held onto his shoulder.
'Oh no, you’re not going in there without me.' He turned to the guards. 'If I’m not out in 5 minutes, come in after me. You have my permission to shoot them if they resist.'
The Doctor was muttering as he walked, Steven giving him a little shove through the doorway.
The General looked on. The war would be won with this craft. Yes, the war would be won.
~~~
As the travellers entered the TARDIS, Vicki closed the doors behind them and looked up at Steven and smiled. The first thing she noticed was that his beard was gone, the grey vanished from his hair.
The Doctor chuckled. 'Well done my boy, well done! A very clever little ploy there!'
Steven felt up to his face and noticed the changes too. 'I was hoping that would happen.'
'The internal dimension of the Ship is quite different to out there. Time seems to be something of a mystery out there.'
Steven looked at him. 'You don’t know the half of it! We need to get away from this place though, and quickly.'
The Doctor fiddled with controls on the console, and the ship began its far from noiseless take off procedure.
Vicki sidled up to Steven and gave him a small punch in the arm. 'You nearly had me going there.'
Steven smiled at her. 'Sorry about that. But I had to make sure we got out of that place. I’ve got a long story to tell you both.'
The Doctor collapsed into a chair. 'Thank goodness for that! Now, do tell us this tale dear boy, and then we can forget about this whole wretched business.'
'Alright,' said Steven, 'but get yourself comfortable. It’s going to be a long tale.'
to be continued...
written by
copyright 2013
artwork by
artwork by
COLIN JOHN
