Tuesday, 7 July 2020

Fans Fiction The Planet of Agony by Matt Rabjohns



It was a beautiful planet.

Its crystal seas had flowed clean of debris and waste for a billenia. There was hardly any industry on Rith Prime so the wildlife still flourished. The skies were full of exotic and gorgeous birds of all colours of the rainbow and some beyond.
   A perfume seemed to envelope the whole globe. Almost as if the very atmosphere was scented.
   Of all the many beaches found on Rith Prime, it was Oliwia Beach that was the most beautiful part. The sand was soft as down and warm as a light fur coat. And the sea was the shade of clearest purple to be found from here to the Eye of the Orion.
   Many Rithian children build multi levelled sand castles in the sand. Their relaxed parents dozed on sun loungers or swum in the ocean, Some on the backs of dolphin like creatures who seemed to delight in delighting the Rithians.
   Contentment written on every single face. No joke. A planet of total serenity. Any human eye would have beheld this planet as nothing short of paradise.

*

Afayliune had never been happier in her whole life. She twiddled her tentacles in the sand, and sipped from her glass of Rithian Mark Juice. Her two daughters, Kelieke and Ekbal, were building their own quite glorious sand castles in front of her. She felt her husband's tentacle in hers and she brought it to her first mouth and kissed it.
   "So, you think the strata will produce something then, darling?" she offered Belak her most playful smile. He sent it back with a wink of his own.
   "The Draconians are most interested in its properties. Well they should" Belak nodded. His own glass of Rith Root Byur frothed in his grasp. He was definitely a man who liked his drinks hot.
   "What did they offer you for it?"
   "They offered a million galactic credits. Of course, I told them they could have it for free. They were most agreeable about that. Most agreeable!"
   "You, Belak, are such a warm-hearted softie" Afayliune beamed as she downed the last of her juice.
   "Well, we don't need the money do we love, we have all we could possibly want" Belak allowed himself a pretty exuberant yawn of contentment. Afayliune couldn't remotely blame him for it. Life had been utterly amazing to them both of late.
   "Daddy! Daddy!" Ekbal called in his usual high-pitched whine of a voice.
   "Yes buddy?" Belak grinned as his son jumped onto his lap, his two main tentacles going to coil around Belak's neck in a fervent embrace.
   "Do you like my castle Daddy?" Ekbal cooed.
   "I don't like it, I absolutely love it...You and your sister are so creative lad...." Belak kissed his son with his second mouth.
   Ekbal gave a delighted warble of ecstasy.
   Afayliune rose to her feet, placing her empty glass down on the sand. She stretched out her tentacles and then fixed her gaze on the warm sea.
   "Mummy! You going swimming now?" Kelieke paused in her castle building as her Mother ruffled her hair.
   "Of course, you going to join me?" Afayliune asked with a knowing glint of mischief in her eye.
   "You bet I am!" she took hold of her Mother's tentacle and they both headed cheerily for the water. Afayliune always welcomed the feel of the warm milk like purple water on her body.
   "Bet you can't catch me!" Kelieke bellowed and dove away from her Mother. Kelieke had been a powerful swimmer for a long time. Afayliune couldn't help but chuckle at her daughter's endless energy and lust for life. It was infectious and amazing.
   Afayliune could never hope to beat her daughter in a swimming race. But she didn't care about that at all. It was the very spice of life to have children free of care or burden. It was a feeling to truly be savoured.

*

Mix waved to the Draconian Prince as he boarded his Battlecruiser. Mix was actually more than a little fearful of the ship, if he was honest with himself. He knew the missile tubes were empty, and indeed the Prince had been a thoroughly pleasant and affable friend to make.    But their technology still frightening Mix a lot.
   But as the ship lifted off the launch pad and shot at hyper speed into the atmosphere, Mix let out a sigh of relief. He turned to walk back into the office apartment. Cronile was still at her desk, sorting out the paper work that the Draconian Prince had left with their company for safe keeping. Not that it was really paperwork as such. Just a pleasant written agreement for the Draconian Embassy to be free to extract the Myrid Strata whenever they wanted.
   "They get off alright Mix?" Cronile asked as the automatic door slid shut behind him.
   "Fine sweetie, fine." Mix beamed what he hoped was his most alluring and resplendent smile.
   "Good, good!" Cronile winked and both her mouths twisted into sly grins.
   "You know I do sometimes think we are the most blessed creatures in all of the universe!" he exhaled. “You know, I think I may even treat myself to a trip to Oliwia!”
   Cronile squealed with unconcealed joy.
   “Oh Sir, can I come too?!”
   Mix gave his wife of 200 years a warm knowing look.
   “Well, I don't know...have you been a good girl recently?”
She had by now left her desk and her tentacles were intertwining with his. A moment later and their combined four mouths were meeting for a deep kiss.
   “Ah yes, I should say you have been a most wonderful wife indeed,” Mix admitted without a trace of doubt in his voice. “Well then dearest, I think that means you can come too.   Oliwia...oh what a delight!”

*

Afayliune was panting, her every sinew begging for mercy. She couldn't swim for a moment longer, she knew that. She sagged onto the sand as her daughter's laugh resonated through her ears.
   “Mum, you are so slow!” Kelieke ribbed her playfully, dancing around her as if she hadn't just swum nearly a half mile out to sea and back again, always 20 feet ahead of her Mother who loved the water but was no born athlete like Kelieke.
   “And you are too cheeky, madam!” Afayliune dug her daughter in the ribs and Kelieke giggled.
   Ekbal had long since fallen asleep on Belak's chest, a line of dribble tracing from his mouth onto his father's stomach.
   “And just look at his energy” Kelieke mouthed. “ Oh man, its making me go dizzy his snoring like that!”
Belak twiddled his son's ear, but the sleeping boy didn't respond. He was well away.
   “About the only thing that could make this day any better would be if the Doctor were to visit again!” Afayliune said brightly as she sagged back down onto her blanket.
   “Life couldn't ever be that good to us again sweetness, could it?” Belak said simply, but the hope in his eyes was plain to see as well.

*

Another laser bolt tore past Graham's ear. He cried out in annoyance and alarm. Already he'd been lucky as another bolt had melted his jacket arm badly. Luckily, he hadn't been too badly hurt by the heat blast. But now he was in real trouble. Ever since they'd landed on Areelia...oh man it was just typical!
   “That's the thanks I get for staying with you, is it?” he yelled back at his persuer with the laser. The three-metre tall Areelian was immensely powerful, rippling muscles and biceps and a face that was now a very perturbing shade of purple.
   “I will smash your skull to pulp, you interfering petty thief!”
Graham patted the pouch nestled in his jacket pocket. It was still there. And there was no way the Areelian was going to get his hand back on the stuff. Graham had already more than enough of a night to last a lifetime. He had barely managed to get the 100 metres from the house that he had. The Areelians were so damn quick on their feet despite their tree trunk frames.
   “You should be grateful; I’m saving you from making a right silly nuisance of yourself!”
Graham shivered at the memory of the night. Of course, the Doc, Yaz, Ryan and Senteela had gone to the Town Centre annual ball to make silly pillocks of themselves. Graham had been having none of it. He loved to watch dancing on telly, but he was absolutely no good as a dancer himself. And in no way was he going to make a prat of himself. So, he had decided to stay behind in the rental chalet with Graasse, and boy had that been a lucky escape.
   The Doctor had neglected to inform him of the Areelian's volcanic hormone drive.
Graasse had almost gotten her wicked way with him. It was only that he had seen her popping the white substance into the champagne glass from the clear bag she had obviously thought she was concealing. When he had challenged her she had begun with the lustful looks. Then she had launched at him...
   “Why can’t we just have one little cuddle eh, then I'll let you go?” Graasse now lowered her laser rifle, obviously engaging a new tactic. But Graham wouldn't be falling for it this time.
   “Not on your nelly, girl!” Graham said. He knew he was now only a few hundred feet from the safety of the TARDIS. Luckily the Doc had had the good sense to give him a spare key.    And now he ached in relief as the TARDIS came into view.
   He made a sprint for it.
   Grraasse was too quick for him.
She had known full well he would head for the TARDIS.
She was in front of it just as he was fumbling for the key.
   “Oh no, for goodness sake Graasse...” he groaned as a hand gripped his own with some uncomfortable force.
Graasse's face broke into a grin of triumph.
   “Did you think you could get away from me Graham? Why fight me...do you think I'm not attractive?” a huge finger stroked at his cheek. Graham winced with obvious displeasure.
   “Of course not Graasse, but I'm only recently a widower and...”
Suddenly the laser rifle was right under his nose. Graham's mouth fell open in an oh of expectant humiliation and shock.
   “I can easily knock you out boy. You can either have fun awake, or I can fiddle with your unconscious body. I'd much rather you join in thou-”
Graasse suddenly shuddered slightly and fell silent.
For just a second Graham had no clue what was happening.
But then he saw the pinky finger that had jabbed itself into the flesh of Graasse's neck and he whistled in relief.
   “You took your time Doc!” Graham almost harrumphed with relief.
   “I'm sorry Graham, I'm always forgetting Areelian elders in summertime!” the Doctor said breezily. But then her voice hardened as she turned to Graasse, her finger still in place in the Venusian nerve pinch.
   “Now Graasse, if I let you go, do you promise to leave Graham unmolested?”
With all her strength Graasse could only manage a meek nod under the influence of the aikido hold.
   “Take her gun Graham, and throw it over there...”
Graham gratefully took the laser and heaved it away from them out of danger.
   “Now when I let you go, you go back home and keep your lust under better control, understand?” the Doctor spoke commandingly. “And dont try a thing or next time you're out for hours...”
Graasse wheezed out a crackle of a positive response. The Doctor finally withdrew her pinky. Graasse gasped for breath and fell back against the TARDIS. Only to be felled by a firm slice on her neck by Senteela. She slid to the floor in a dead heap.
   “There was no need for that Senteela!” The Doctor flared angrily at her friend.
   “She would have had Graham for breakfast, and you know it!” Senteela cried out her defence. The Doctor gave her a disapproving look but then proceeded to open the TARDIS door.
Yaz and Ryan then finally appeared, both sporting happy contented smiles. Yaz was sporting a beautiful sparkling evening dress and Ryan looked decidedly smart in his suit too.
   “You lot have a great time; I nearly get indecently assaulted!” Graham sighed as they all entered the safety of the TARDIS. Graham had long considered the inter-dimensional box home now.
The Doctor laid a hand on his shoulder. “You OK Graham?”
He held up the packet. “I still got this, hopefully she won’t be doing it to any other man for a while!” he threw the bag onto the console.
   “What have you been up to, Gramps?” Ryan asked with mock innocence.
Yaz dug him playfully in the ribs.
   “Ah, nothing son, nothing. Let's just get away from here please!” Graham raised an eyebrow. The Doctor took the hint.
   “Right fam, why don't you go and get into something summerier, eh? I've just had a brilliant idea!”
Yaz and Ryan exchanged glances.
   “So, where are we going now?” Yaz asked, with maybe just a hint of forced enthusiasm.
   “Miss Khan, you will love it. I've never told you about Rith Prime, have I?” she was bobbing about excitedly. Senteela was already beginning to notice the Doctor was always like this. So optimistic and sunny and full of playful fizz. It took some serious getting used to after the hell she had been used to in her life for so long. But she was not going to complain. Quite the opposite. The last week or so had been one of the most beautiful of her life.
   “And see if you can find the bucket and spade in the third cupboard, will you?”
   “OK, come on you lot. Let's get changed!” Ryan beckoned to his three fellow travellers.

*

Mix could already see the purple of the glinting sea. It was even more light and beautiful than he remembered. He could still feel Cronile's tentacles wrapped around his midriff as he steered the hovercar forward towards the wonderful beach.
   “Wow, just look at those Bycustrians!” Cronile pointed a tentacle tip to the air, where a flock of exultant bright yellow and blue birds spun in an elegant display.
   “Yeah, they're nearly half as alluring as you, sweetness.” Mix couldn't disagree with her though. The birds were stunning, their displays almost like enchanted stage dances. They had always captivated him as a youngster and they had not lost any of their infinite beauty.
   “You always say the loveliest things” her tentacles brushed his neck and he giggled.
   “Hey, watch it love, I'm driving!” he warned but it was only half in jest. There was no one ever playing on the sides of the road. The children of Rith Prime were renowned for being sensible when it came to travelling and road safety.
   “Sorry love.” Cronile went back to just hugging his midriff.
   “You can tickle me when we're in the water” he promised her with a twinkling star in both his eyes. His two tongues licked their respective lips in unison.
   “Oh, I know love. I know. Don't worry, You'll be giddy soon enough!”
The road was ending. The hover car park was now in sight. Not that there were that many vehicles in it. Most Rithians still walked everywhere these days. Mix pulled up in his usual space and turned off the engine. He exited the hover car and moved to open the passenger door. His wife gently took his tentacle and hopped out onto the sand. She cooed with delight as her extremities touched the sand.
   “You still look 15 to me when you start doing that!” Mix informed her as she started galloping for the sea. She gave everyone else on the beach waves of greeting as she darted for the purple sea. He was already lagging about 30 feet behind her. He was out of shape!

*

Belak yawned and closed his eyes.
Ekbal was still snoozing on his chest, and now the pool of dribble on his chest was a river. Belak patted his son's head.
Afayliune had fallen asleep on the sand next to him too. Only Kelieke was still bobbing up and down in the waves like a dervish. He had never known a more lively Rithian in all his life. He was the most blessed of men. He had known that for a long time.
Life was there to be lived to the full. Now he could see that Mix had appeared. He was a little surprised by that, but not perturbed. Mix seldom ever let himself relax. Maybe his wife had worked on him to not be so uptight and wound up. And he looked at ease and happy as he tried to follow his wife into the sea that lapped softly onto the shore of Oliwia.
Mix's presence meant that the deal with the Draconians was now signed and sealed. And that made him even more happy.

*

Meena wasn't quite as content as the rest of her family. She had had to cover a shift again as Mereka was off sick. She was certain that her young counterpart was a lazy little slacker. Contentment was good, but too much contentment could also be a very bad thing.
She tried to pull herself out of her terse mood. It was not everyone who had the honour of keeping an eye on the First Nerve centre. The Nerve Centre had to be protected at all costs. After all, it was not without good reason that they all called it the Nerve Centre. But she would be having words with Mix about Mereka. She would not be left to slog away on careful watch whilst that lazy little bark had fun elsewhere all the freaking time.
Meena knew she still had led quite some charmed life though. Being given such a massive wage for this job had meant that her children had done well at school. Especially Vike, he was turning into a real diamond. Meez was not that much less attentive and willing to learn either.
   Meena chuckled though at the thought of her youngest daughter, Thea. She was the tearaway, the proper little minx at times. But that was the spice of a good life wasn't it, a little discord and defiance. And Thea knew never to push any of her family too far!
She stared at the photograph of them on the desk and allowed herself a happy smile on both her mouths.
   “You can have that hoverbike, Meez!” she breathed, stroking the face of her daughter in the picture. Her gaze then moved to Vike. “Yeah, and you can have that Embrile collection!” and then finally her gaze settled on Thea. “And what do you want eh?!”
Suddenly she was surprised as the proximity alarm warbled into life. That was extremely unusual...She looked again at the scanner screen set into the wall. Apparently, something had set off the alert procedure. But she could see nothing within the chamber that shouldn't have been there. The Centre still pulsed in the exact centre of the room, connected to the feeding and comfort support wires. All was as it should-
   Then she saw it taking form.
Her tentacles darted desperately for the repulsion control, but she was too late.
   Because quite suddenly her body was transfixed by the rawest shafts of agony she had ever experienced in her life. She let out a piercing scream of pain as her blood suddenly turned to raging lava. She collapsed into a writhing convulsive ball on the floor. It was beyond any feeling she had ever known before. Her every cell screeched in primal anguish.

*

The Doctor emerged gleefully from the TARDIS. She had her shades on and a pair or striped blue shorts. And her rainbow t-shirt had been replaced by a t-shirt displaying a finger waggling Donald Duck.
   “Oh, yeah here we are fam!” she said as she stepped out into the chamber, in which the TARDIS was now in residence in the centre of.
   “I thought you said this was a beach!” Senteela groaned as she took in the sight of the blue metal walls around them.
   “It is not far, Quit griping!” the Doctor bit back defensively.
Graham, Ryan and Yaz filed out of the TARDIS and the Doctor pointed to the door set into the wall at the edge of the chamber.
   “Just through there!” she was already bouncing over to it, brandishing her sonic screwdriver at the control pad inset in the wall.
   “I have a bad feeling about this” Yaz spoke softly.
   “Oh rubbish!” the Doctor beamed back at her. “Believe me Rith Prime will seriously impress you once we get outside! This is just the trade centre, I do believe!”
Ryan though was less dismissive of his friend.
   “You OK Yaz?” he asked with concern.
   “I can just feel something in the air...I don't know quite what...”
   “You're becoming a real broody guts!” Graham jabbed her on the shoulder.
   “Oh, maybe you're right” Yaz said as the Doctor succeeded in getting the door open. She was heading through the door when she suddenly halted, Senteela almost ploughing into her back.
   “No, maybe you're right again, Yaz.” the Doctor's tone was suddenly as serious as they had ever heard it. And then they saw why she was sounding so concerned. The thrashing woman on the floor was quite some massive give away. They ra towards her almost in unison.
The Doctor knelt by Meena. Meena's flaying tentacles swiped her in the face. The Doctor gasped at the ferocity of the blow, but Senteela was soon grappling with the girl. She managed to pin her down on the ground at last so the Doctor could run her sonic over her. But Meena's face was streaming tears and her mouth was open in a paroxysm of gurgling agony.
   “What the hell's wrong with her, Doc?”
The Doctor brought the sonic up to her nose.
   “I'm not sure Graham. But this lady is in a whole lot of pain. Excruciating pain!” the Doctor spoke with a shake of the head.
   “Yeah, we can quite see that. Haven't you got any tranquilizers in the TARDIS?” Senteela asked, she could feel the girl still writhing under even her quite assured grip. She couldn't keep her restrained like this for long.
   “Great thinking Senteela, Ryan!”
Ryan needed no further inducement, he headed back to the TARDIS and disappeared back inside.
   “It's alright love” Graham spoke soothingly to the woman on the floor, but it was obvious she couldn't hear him through what she was being assailed with. The Doctor swiped the sonic over her again.
   “Yaz...check over that console over there will you please?” she pointed to the desk where Meena had been sitting mere minutes ago.
Yaz moved over without a word, and her eyes scanned the simple controls laid into the corner of the desk. There was a scorch mark in the centre of the panel.
   “It looks like some circuitry has blown over here, Doctor” she replied.
The Doctor joined her as Ryan re-emerged from the TARDIS carrying a medi kit. As he was stepping from the interior though, he was almost sure he felt the whole Police Box shudder.
   “Woah...” he stumbled from the TARDIS, but quickly regained his footing. He glanced back at the ship, and it was still.
   “Good man!” the Doctor breathed, grabbing the bag from his grasp and diving back towards the writhing girl on the floor. She produced a medi pouch. She tore of the plastic and then gently pressed the pouch against Meena's neck. Immediately the girl stopped thrashing, and was still.
   “You can let go now Senteela, thanks!” the Doctor informed her, and Senteela finally relinquished her grip.
   “It really is always like this with you isn't it Doctor?” Senteela said soberly.
   “Pretty much, yeah” Graham replied first.
The Doctor scrunched up her nose at his jibe, but she couldn't remain angry at him for long. She shrugged.
    “Maybe it's just a seizure?” Ryan ventured helpfully.
    “I don't think so” Yaz breathed, still eyeing the damaged console.

*

Belak was the first to feel the twinge in his forebrain. He had been dead to the world until suddenly a vicious stab of pain had wrenched him from his sleep and he cried out, a tentacle flying to his forehead.
   “What in hell's name...”
Afayliune was looking at him, her eyes moist and her mouths quivvering in alarm too. So she had felt the stab of pain also. He knew that as soon as he looked at her. But then a highly fearful thought struck him. He gazed out to the sea in front of him.
Where were Ekbal and Kelieke?!
He couldn't see them! He jumped up on the sand, his mouths both as dry as timber. Aayliune was gripping his hand then. She was sharing his raw anxiety now.
   “Did you feel that?” she breathed hoarsely.
   “Yes I did, Afay!” he was running towards the water, scanning frantically.
   “Daddy, you OK?!” Ekbal's voice then met his ears, and both parents whirled around in relief to see both children on the sand behind them, a huge sandcastle of complex design risen between them.
   “There you are! You scared the lifeblood out of me!” Afayliune ran to them, her tentacles wrapping them both in an embrace. “Are you OK?” she rasped. Then suddenly a new slice of pain made the two adults stumble. They fell to the sand, gripping their heads.
And if they had been able to look around them, they would have seen that every adult on the beach was groaning and clasping their heads too. Even Mix's eyes were wide and uncomprehending as he fell, feeling sick and strange on the soft sand that suddenly seemed to burn like lava under his feet.
   “Mummy! Daddy!” Kelieke shouted as her parents began to writhe like dying fish out of water.

*

   “I don't know what could have done this. I think we should check the surrounding area” the Doctor spoke gravely. Her face was a mask of concern and consternation. A look the rest of the fam had grown to know only too well over the recent months. “See if anyone else is affected...”
   “I can't see what it is this console's connected to” Yaz spoke quizzically. “It says on this broken screen there are four NC's in contact...what does that mean>”
The Doctor was momentarily just totally lost too.
   “And did you feel that little quake, or whatever it was? Felt like something under the TARDIS!” Ryan offered, recalling how the ship had shaken when he had been bringing the medi kit from the TARDIS.
   “I didn't feel anything” Graham answered, but the Doctor's head suddenly snapped up to fix Ryan with a confused stare.
   “What happened Ryan?” she breathed.
   “Like I said, I felt the TARDIS kind of shake...or shudder as I came out the second time...” he pointed back to the shape of the Police Box in the other room.
Senteela made to move back to check the ship, but the Doctor put a hand up and halted her advance. Then she took a step and studied the room in which the TARDIS was now parked. Then her eyes alighted on the tubes emerging from the back of the ship to a vent in the wall. Fluid seeped from the broken ends of them as they lay crushed under the ship's weight.
   “Oh my goodness....I am an absolute fool! You guys, stay here!” and with that she ran like a devil possessed for the TARDIS, slamming the doors behind her and the rest of her friends watched in surprise as the ship suddenly began its elephantine roar of dematerialisation. As the ship faded, Graham could now see the writhing and thrashing mass of tentacles underneath where the ship had landed.
   “Oh...” he spoke feebly as the tentacles seemed to heave in a wave of anguish. Green blood flew all over them all. As soon as the ship had faded, it began to re-assert itself in the room they now stood in, away from the crushed mass of writhing tentacles on the ground. Then it solidified and the Doctor flew out of the door, and then she staggered to a halt as she beheld the mess of the creature the ship had only just stopped crushing to death.
   “I am so so so...sorry...” she mouthed. Her eyes were getting moist.
   “What happened?” Senteela was still confused.
   “Can't you see, we landed on the Rithian central nerve body! Their hind brain if you like....no wonder that girl was in so much pain.” the Doctor let out a sigh of annoyance and grief. If there was one thing she had always detested it was her herself being responsible for causing any life form pain. She ran forward and collapsed next to the languishing creature. Yet its thrashing was becoming more languid, feebler.
   “Oh no you don't, you won't die on me!” the Doctor wailed almost like a child. Her right hand shot out to grab one of the creature's damaged tentacles. She brought it up to her face, her eyes fixed. Then the fam watched as what they knew to be regeneration energy sparkled at her finger tips, lancing slowly through the tentacle to flow through the creature. The little ball of thrashing tentacles seemed to quiver for a moment, then they began to finally stop writhing. The energy glowed brighter. The creatures burst open wounds covered over, and it began to stop wailing.
   “Is it alright Doc?” Graham ventured hopefully.
The Doctor finally let the tentacles go, and the creature heaved in what they took to be a shudder of infinite relief.
   “I am really really sorry I did this.” The Doctor whispered, stroking a tentacle like she were its Mother.
Yaz was immediately moving to place a hand on the Doctor's shoulder.
   “We all are. But it was only an accident, Doctor.” she reminded her friend.
   “That doesn't make me feel any better...check on the girl!”
Senteela broke away from them and moved back to Meena's side. The girl was breathing steadily, regularly.
   “She's alright, Doctor” she replied with an obvious amount of belief.
The Doctor nodded. Then she suddenly thumped a fist down on the ground next to the now slowly recovering creature.
   “So, even just landing now and I'm bringing suffering...uggghhh!”
   “How could we have known?” Ryan asked reasonably,
The Doctor's eyes flared with anger. “And why didn't you tell me straight away that you felt the TARDIS shudder eh?” she glowered at him.
Ryan recoiled under the angry gaze, but Yaz immediately stepped in front of him.
   “A mistake. That's all. We all make them, Doctor!” Yaz snapped forcefully. The Doctor looked like she would give some hot comeback, but then her face clouded with emotion and her head lolled down.
The small mass of tentacles had now totally stopped. Its anguished writhing's now subdued and staved off. She could see the tentacles moving in and out. Breathing in and out.
   “My memory is getting so terrible. How did I forget the Rithian Central Nerve centre....what a damned fool!”
Then she landed a vicious swipe of the hand on her own face.
   “No one can remember everything!” Graham informed her with honesty and wisdom. Yaz now dropped to her side, putting an arm around her shoulder. She could feel the Doctor release a shuddering breath, and then she buried her face in Yaz's shoulder.

*
Mix barely had time to mop his brow before the rest of the people on the beach of Oliwia crowded around him begging to know what had just happened to them all. But he wasn't really truly concentrating on them at the moment. He was more interested in getting his wife to breathe. She had been swimming when the wave of mental agony had struck them all. Somehow the youngsters hadn't felt it quite so badly, but the adults were all still tender. And his wife was now on the shore, and his tentacles were pumping on her chest in frantic actions. She must have fallen unconscious under the sudden assault and had gone under the waves for quite some considerable time before a Wylian Delphtin kindly nosed her onto the beach. They were always so selfless and helpful, those alien dolphins.
But his wife was still not responding to his frantic actions. His eyes were filling with tears.
   “Cronile, please wake up....please!”
   “Sir, let me try...” Belak pulled the blubbing Mix away and took over, but with more focus and less heavy handedness.
   “Please save her, Belak!”
   “Just give me some space, Mix!” Belak warned. Mix reluctantly slithered backwards, bumping into another confused citizen as he did so.
   “Oi, watch it will you!” the Rithian spat in annoyance. “My head's still not right yet!”
   “Sorry..sorry..” Mix blubbed feebly.

*

Meena's eyes opened.
   “It's OK” Graham said softly into her ear. “We're friends”
Meena groaned groggily. Yaz laid a hand on a tentacle for support.
   “I...what happ....who are you?” she moaned feebly, trying to sit up.
   “Take it easy darling” Senteela ordered calmly, yet firmly. “You've just had rather a nasty nervous shock...”
Meena was in no position to argue with any of them.
Now she realised she was no longer in the observation chamber. No she was in quite another chamber. A chamber that smelt oddly of some alien flower.
   “Don't be alarmed, you're in the zero room!” the Doctor smiled down at her, but it was a wan and mostly forced effort. Guilt still flowed through both her hearts right now.
   “I know who you are....You are....” Meena spoke hoarsely.
   “I'm the Doctor, yes. Though I don't much feel like it right now. After having put you through such agony...”
Meena still had no idea what she was talking about. All she knew was her head was tingling and her whole body ached.
   “Just rest, you'll soon feel better” Senteela added.
   “The nerve centre!” Meena suddenly recalled vividly.
She made to sit up, but Senteela held her down firmly.
   “It's OK. He's recovering. No thanks to me” the Doctor spoke soberly. “I can't apologise enough for landing on your hind brain like that. It's inexcusable...”
Meena could now recall more.
She looked up at the Doctor, a wistful look in her eyes.
   “I'm glad to meet you Doctor. Welcome back to Rith Prime...I'm...Meena...” she beamed, her tentacles moving the time lady's hand up and down in the usual Rithian greeting.
   “I'm so glad to meet you Meena.” the Doctor's face was laced by trickling tears.
   “It was only an accident” Meena breathed. “You did not materialise your ship on him on purpose...now did you?” she added with a half grin. “So please don't beat yourself up...”
   “You Rithians, always first to forgive...” the Doctor bowed her head to the ground.

*

The small mass of tentacles had now been re-attached to its feeding and life support tubes. Graham sat on the floor next to it, watching carefully.
The Nerve centre seemed to be recovering quite well. But even Graham knew it would take time. Having a TARDIS nearly pulverize you had to hurt. Graham couldn't quite believe that the Nerve Centre had survived the event. It must be incredibly resiliant.
Which was just as well, consdiering the whole Rithian race was connected to it. They must have all felt the wave of pain. The whole race must be in dissarray at the moment. He couldn't imagine that.
   “You have to be so vulnerable....” he mouthed.
The Nerve Centre seemed to at last notice his presence. Two tentacles reached out, as if in greeting. Graham raised his hand.
   “You're back with us?” he said calmly, as the tentacle edges brushed his finger tips.
   “That was unpleasant...” the voice didn't come from the room, it whispered like a warble in his mind.
   “Yeah..yeah, we're all really sorry about that, mate..” Graham replied audibly. The tentacles retreated.
   “You're with the Doctor, aren't you? How is he?” the Nerve centre asked quietly.
   “She, mate” Graham grinned broadly.
The Nerve Centre fell silent for a moment. Another pained warble flashed through Graham's mind.
   “So, she's a she now? That's a turn up...last time she came she had a vegetable on her lapel. Mad about cricket as I remember!” the Nerve centre again seemed to right itself.
   “No way! I love a good ball game myself!” Graham hadn't thought about the Sheffield Gangers for a long time. They knew how to wack a good cricket ball about.
   “I still ache all over...”
   “We truly are sorry about that, if there's anything...”
Graham didn't finish his sentence, because at that precise instant in time a crashing spaceship ploughed into the observation dome...

*

The impact shook the TARDIS like a bean in a tin.
Yaz cried out as she lost her footing, flying into a wall of the console room. The Doctor's eyes widened in shock at the impact. Then she didn't wait for the reaction of the others before she dashed for the front doors and out of the ship.
A blast of heat sent her reeling back as she threw open the door. A cry of horror escaped her lips. Senteela ran to her side, helping her to keep her footing. The Doctor gave her a grateful look and then she ran to the console. She worked like a dervish at the controls. And now there was a look of total panic in her gaze.
Graham...

*

The Nerve Centre had leapt onto his back, forcing him to the ground as the ship ploughed into the observation dome. Fire and fury exploded around him, but somehow he was still alive.
Graham tried to grab in a lungful of air. But he couldn't move for now. Then he suddenly felt a blast of water hit him full in the face.
He had no clue what was happening. Suddenly as they had begun, the smoke and fire had left his vision and the smoke had cleared. He tried to stand up. The Nerve Centre slid from his back as he did so. The creature flopped to the ground and was rigid and still.
Graham's hand flew to his mouth.
His hand reached for the main body mass. He ran a gentle hand over its surface. He could find no pulse anywhere.
The Nerve Centre was dead.

*

Meena screamed, her face melting into a sudden mask of complete surprise and total devastation. Yaz and Ryan were at her side as she fell, and they both dove forward to grab her as she sank to the floor. Just for a moment the Doctor had not seen or heard the mini melee, she had been focused on putting out the fire outside quickly and effectively. The contents of the TARDIS swimming pool she had quickly translocated to throw over the inferno of the spaceship wreck. And now she whooped with delight as she saw that somehow, miraculously, Graham was still alive.
But her elation was swatted from her face all too soon when she noticed that he was kneeling down by the Nerve Centre, a completely aghast and grey complexion to his features. And at the same time she then caught sight of Meena as Ryan and Yaz laid her on the floor. Yaz was feeling for a pulse as the Doctor flew over like a crazed flash of lightning.
   “She's....” Yaz's words turned to thick wads of cotton wool in her mouth.
All colour had fled the Doctor's face. She ran for the door of the TARDIS once more.

*

She dashed over to the fallen Nerve Centre. There was no doubt about it. She had to do it again.
   “I will not be responsible for the death of yet another entire race!” she screamed, her anger untamed and flying form her like a cacophony of knives.
She gripped the Nerve Centre by the tentacle, and again a spark of her regenerative energy pulsed through the tentacle.
The Nerve Centre convulsed.
But there was still no sign of an output.
   “Please!” the Doctor's voice was cracking now. Imploring and desperate. “Please, wake up!”
The energy rippled over the Nerve Centre like a small cloud, but again the creature was unresponsive.
   “No! No!” the Doctor cried in desolation.
Graham had already moved to bring his arm around her shoulder. So much horror had happened in less than a few minutes, and it had all been far too much.
   “Please!” the Doctor's cheeks were now awash with bitter tears.
   “Doc, the Nerve Centre....it's dead...” Graham spoke softly, and without blame in his voice. He knew for a fact she would already be flaming up the fires of self loathing again within herself. Like the spaceship crashing had been her fault.
Oliwia Beach was now a shore line strewn with sad, fallen bodies. Even Mix and Cronile lay entangled on the sand together. Belak had still been working on Cronile's chest when the wave had hit them. None of them even knew what had happened, they just fell like logs onto the soft sand and did not move at all.

*

Yaz heard the sobs from the console room. She had watched for just a moment on the TARDIS scanner as the Doctor had knelt by the Nerve Centre, and now she and Senteela exchanged a look and ran from the ship. Ryan followed. Relief flooding through him that Graham had escaped the crash unscathed.
The Doctor was crumpled in Graham's arms. He had tears strobing down his own cheeks too. But Yaz and Ryan had never ever seen the Doctor as broken as she looked now. She looked like a child in Graham's arms, and her body wracked and rocked with intense sobs.
They all sank onto their knees around the dead Nerve Centre. Yaz joined Graham in cradling the ashen Doctor.
Senteela's own lips quivvered.
   “This was not your fault Doc” Graham spoke into her ear.
The Doctor suddenly pushed him away, wriggling out of both her friends grip. She jumped to her feet, her eyes were pools of red raw fury.
   “How is this not my fault? If I hadn't of landed my damn ship on top of him in the first place, he wouldn't have been distracted!” she seethed. She ran to the TARDIS door and crowned herself viciously on it.
Yaz was the first to react as the Doctor began incessantly repeating the vicious action. She darted forward, yanking the Doctor away from the TARDIS doors with such force enough to even make the Time Lady gasp. She tried to pull herself free of Yaz but she held on, and then cocooned the time lady in a fierce embrace.
Ryan grasped Graham's hand. “Gramps, don't cry...” he ordered quietly. Graham swiped at his eyes and then offered his Grandson a knowing wink of acknowledgement.
   “What's wrong with crying?” he whispered.
   “I'm not getting at you Gramps...I just hate seeing you so cut up..”
A clang suddenly made every one of them snap out of their broken reveries.
   “What was...” the Doctor cried.
Through a mound of broken wall debris they could see a form moving! A short bipedal creature was heading towards them. There had obviously been a survivor of the crash.
   “Hello.” Senteela spoke commandingly, trying to not sound fearful.
The short creature now came into sight. The Doctor gasped as she saw the Draconian child stagger over the debris.
   “Please...please...can you help my Dad?” she croaked hoarsely.
The Doctor swiped the tears from her face and moved to bow before the reptilian girl.
   “My life at your command.” she said, but the girl waved the gesture away.
   “Please don't bother with niceties, my Dad...he's trapped in the control room..!”
The Doctor launched herself through the debris.
She soon found the buckled entrance bay to the shattered wreck of the Draconian Battle cruiser. She knew instantly what had happened. The ship had been struck by meteorites. Dents and peeled back shards of argonite shielding told her that much.
The Doctor ignored the smoke and haze and shoved on through the rubble. The Draconian Girl was at her side all the way.
Prince Grethoriss's eyes flickered open.
A smell like roses wafted up his nose.
There was a pain in his back. He struggled to focus on his surroundings. His daughter's beautiful and concerned features were the first thing his eyes settled on. She gripped his hand and kissed it hard.
   “Oh Father, you're awake!” she cried out in a shrill stab of relief.
Grethoriss managed a weak smile.
Then he noticed the five humanoids behind her and his eyes grew fearful.
   “Don't worry, Prince. You're going to be alright...my life at your command!” Ryan said, taking hold of the Prince's other hand and giving the formal greeting.
   “I don't understand..where am I?”
   “You're on board the TARDIS. We rescued you from your crashed ship” Senteela informed him. “This is the zero rom, it's healing you. But take it easy..”
   “TARDIS...? Why do I know that word?” Grethoriss rasped.
   “That's the Doctor, Dad!” Cheya said quietly.
The Doctor was standing away from the rest of the group, her whole posture was one of exhaustion and stress.
   “The Doctor..you mean the same Doctor who helped us avert the dire course of the Human Draconian Space war 80 years ago?!”
   “The very same” Yaz beamed at him.
   “History says the Doctor was male.”
   “History didn't lie, prince” the Doctor finally spoke, her voice thick with repressed emotion. “But I am a Time Lord. We can change our form, male to female, female to male...never mind...” her voice trailed off as another sob threatened to escape her lips.
   “Thank you for saving me, and my daughter.” the Prince moved to stand up. “No, I can manage.” he waved off their offers of assistance.
The Doctor then turned and strode out of the Zero Room.
Yaz waited for just a moment, and then followed her.

*

She had seen too much suffering. She had caused too much suffering. What the hell use was she to the universe anymore? She was getting old. Far too old to be of any good use anymore. She was putting all her friends lives at risk now. She had to get them home.
The Doctor stumbled towards the TARDIS console and began setting the co-ordinates for Earth. A finger moved to input the data, but another hand gripped the digit and moved it back. The Doctor sighed and looked up at Yaz. Her eyes were misting over again.
   “Please Doctor. I know what you're thinking” Yaz spoke calmly.
The Doctor tried to push her away.
   “Oi, don't you dare try pushing me away. You're my mate. I care for you, if you don't mind.”
   “I killed a whole species Yaz...do you have the first inclination what that is like?!” the Doctor shouted.
   “No, you didn't actually. There are four Control Nerve Centre bodies on Rith Prime” Yaz spoke with assurity,
    “And who the hell told you that?”
  “The broken console remember? The read out on the computer screen said four NC's in contact...” Yaz spoke. The Doctor's mouth fell open.
   “There are another three...!” she croaked, “Then maybe there's a chance I cou-!” The Doctor suddenly whooped for joy, punching the air.
Yaz's face was a mask of bafflement.
   “I may just be able to seriously atone for my monumental stupidity!”

*

An hour later the Doctor was crying again, but this time with unremitting joy. The Second Nerve Centre had of course felt the intense pain of its First Centre's dying moments , and had already begun to formulate a way to bring assistance to the apparently dead quarter of the world which was biologically linked to the First Nerve Centre. Four Centres and their offspring. Ad their offspring's offspring...All connected to the Centre on the four segments of the planet. And the Draconian Prince and his Daughter had already begun the work on repairing their vessel.
   “Nerve Centre Two has taken on the responsibility of linking up to this quarter of Rith Prime as well as its own. And it's strong enough!”
Graham was relieved to see the Doctor so overjoyed and exuberant once more.
   “And he was able to transmit a revival pulse...to bring them all back!” and then she was diving towards the newly wired up Second Nerve Centre, and planting a big wet kiss on its forehead. Both the Second Nerve Centre's mouths seemed to twitch in pleasure at that.
   “Boy, aren't we all glad about that!” Senteela said gruffly.
   “And it is so good to finally get to meet you properly Doctor!” Meena announced happily.
The Doctor gave the Rithian a firm shake of the tentacle.
   “I nearly ended your life” the Doctor reminded her.
   “Oh do stop going on about that silly accident will you, you're getting on my nerves!” Meena giggled at her own jokes.
The Second Nerve Centre too seemed to quiver in agreement.
Graham, Ryan and Yaz all looked on in wonderment as Meena worked on repairing the console.
   “And how did I guess you'd be at the centre of this!” a new voice broke in on their senses. The Doctor gasped and swung round to face the Rithian who had spoken.
   “Belak!” she danced merrily over to her old friend, the tentacles wrapped around her midriff. “I'm so sorry I caused you all such excruciating pain..”
Belak's two mouths planted wet kisses on her Donald Duck t shirt.
   “We forgive you, you know we do” another female voice spoke from behind Belak. The Doctor was jubilant as Afayliune sprang off the floor into the Doctor's arms. The Doctor nearly toppled over as she felt the weight of the Rithian writhing happily in her arms.
   “What's it like being a woman now, eh?” Afayliune chortled.
   “It's so brilliant” the Doctor smiled.
   “And these are all your new pals I take it?” Belak pointed to the quartet standing by the TARDIS.
They waved back in unison.
   “Senteela, Ryan, Graham and Yaz!” the Doctor introduced them all with childlike glee.
   “Your companions always were so brilliant too, I recall Miss Nyssa..” this new voice belonged to none other than Mix.
   “Oh Mix! You too!” the Doctor cheered. “Oh mate, how are you for goodness sake?”
   “Glad my best employee was able to revive my wife before all this silly chaos broke out!” Mix spoke with mock distemper.
Graham whispered in Ryan's ear. Ryan nodded and dodged back into the TARDIS for a moment. A moment later and he re-appeared, clutching a large bucket and spade in his hands.
   “So am I, Mix” the Doctor's voice was riddled with emotion she could no longer control; “So am I!”
   “So, who's for the beach then?” Yaz bellowed exultantly.
The Doctor saw the bucket and spade and her eyes went like big childish saucers.
   “Last one to Owilia is a zenobian slime dollar!”
Everyone ran or slithered for the beach.

*

The TARDIS dematerialised.
Senteela shook the sand out of her hair.
Graham threw his deckchair onto the floor and yawned.
The Doctor remained by the console, lost in thought.
   “I think we deserve holidays like that more often!” Yaz said.
   “It would have been perfect” the Doctor exhaled. “If not for the funeral” she said sadly.
   “It was a beautiful ceremony Doc” Graham reminded her.
   “And Mix did say the First Nerve Centre had lived for 2900 years!” Ryan added.
The Doctor nodded, but still didn't seem all that convinced.
   “He had had a great life. His own memory records said how content and happy he was!” Yaz was at the Doctor's side now. She pulled her gently away from the console. “It really won't do, you know Doctor. This blaming yourself for everything!”
The Doctor looked into Yaz's eyes with her own red ringed and tired pair.
   “I'm sorry Yaz, but I cannot do this anymore”
   “Can't do what anymore?”
   “I am placing you all in so much danger. I have gotten you all into so much trouble recently....I think I should take you all home”
All four of her friends were shocked at the statement.
   “Not on your ruddy nelly!” Graham was the first to speak.
   “We ain't going home, and that's a dead cert!” Ryan agreed.
   “I've only just joined you and the guys, I don't want to go home now” Senteela protested vehemently.
   “And that is the end of it” Yaz flashed out a hand and her fingers quickly drummed on the co-ordinate programmer. She hit some random digits.
   “Excuse me, do you mind?” the Doctor made to pull her hand away.
Yaz slapped the Doctor's wrist hard.
   “No, I don't mind. I don't mind at all!” Yaz laughed. “Get it into your thick skull..” she prodded the Time Lady on the forehead. “We are staying with you. You got that?”
The Doctor closed her eyes, shaking her head. But a smile slowly spread across her lips.
Then her eyes opened once again.
   “I don't deserve you guys...I really don't” she exhaled.
This got her a proper rap round the head from Yaz.
   “Oww!” the Doctor yelped.
   “Well, You stop talking complete trash then I'll stop!” Yaz ordered defiantly, clipping her again.
   “Alright, alright! I promise. I'll stop!” the Doctor chuckled, and made to swish her own hand round Yaz's temple. But Yaz caught her hand and then the two women burst into peels of beautiful laughter. They hugged each other close.
Which was when the lights of the console room decided to blink out.
The TARDIS suddenly ground to a complete and shuddering halt.
   “Oh, for goodness sake” mouthed Graham. “What now?!!!”

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