You will probably want to read the Introduction before you start.
Prologue
It was just the fields. The never ending fields. They went on forever and ever and ever. All I wanted to do was see what was out there. I was curious. I was the only one who seemed bothered by the fact that we were on our own. So I went to have a look. I went for miles. Miles and miles and miles. I tried to go back but I couldn’t. I wanted to see my mum and my dad and Ellie. But there was nothing. I panicked. The sun was setting. My heart was in my mouth. Everything was spinning. But then everything began to slow down. I could feel my breathing soften and I stumbled. At least, I think I did. I became rooted to the spot, the wind blowing through my hair.
“It was my fault, I’m sorry. I made you into this. But now I can make you better again.”
“But… you can’t do this. It wasn’t – no, please. I didn’t.”
“You did. I can’t look at you, because I see what I’ve made.”
“This, though. This is too far. There must be another way.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No!”
“Goodbye.”
Valerie’s eyes opened wide. The bed sheets stuck to her and she could feel herself breathing heavily. She glanced at her watch. Half six. Sighing, she climbed out of the bed, trying not to wake up Paul. Valerie grabbed a box of matches and fumbled around, scratching at the side of the box. The match burst, a throbbing light illuminating the room. She held it to the cooker and several blue flames erupted from the stove. Out of the window she could see the village square. Everyone was slowly coming to life. It was a small village. Everyone knew everyone. There were only the houses that bordered a tree in the centre of the square, and three or four more on the outskirts. Then of course, there was the dig site. Valerie could see it from their other kitchen window. The men were beginning to work. The huge wheel and mounds of dirt. She had always thought of it as a real blot on the landscape, a pointless excursion that wasn’t going to go anywhere. It had all started after that girl disappeared. People felt the need to find out about things. Valerie didn’t see the point.
“It was my fault, I’m sorry. I made you into this. But now I can make you better again.”
“But… you can’t do this. It wasn’t – no, please. I didn’t.”
“You did. I can’t look at you, because I see what I’ve made.”
“This, though. This is too far. There must be another way.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No!”
“Goodbye.”
Valerie’s eyes opened wide. The bed sheets stuck to her and she could feel herself breathing heavily. She glanced at her watch. Half six. Sighing, she climbed out of the bed, trying not to wake up Paul. Valerie grabbed a box of matches and fumbled around, scratching at the side of the box. The match burst, a throbbing light illuminating the room. She held it to the cooker and several blue flames erupted from the stove. Out of the window she could see the village square. Everyone was slowly coming to life. It was a small village. Everyone knew everyone. There were only the houses that bordered a tree in the centre of the square, and three or four more on the outskirts. Then of course, there was the dig site. Valerie could see it from their other kitchen window. The men were beginning to work. The huge wheel and mounds of dirt. She had always thought of it as a real blot on the landscape, a pointless excursion that wasn’t going to go anywhere. It had all started after that girl disappeared. People felt the need to find out about things. Valerie didn’t see the point.
The Eighth Doctor Adventures
Series 1 - Episode 11
A Village Called Nothing
Written by Peter Darwin
“Ellie, what are you doing? What time is it?” Alex squinted at her. His daughter had always had a strange knack for getting up early.
“It’s only half past six.” She scribbled in her sketch book, not bothering to look up.
“Oh for goodness… fine,” he gave in. Alex stepped over her and walked through in to the kitchen, flicking the switch on the kettle.
“Is mum asleep?” Ellie asked.
“Yes,” Alex replied.
“Oh. Okay.”
“Don’t wake her up”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Good,” Alex walked through and smiled at her. She still didn’t bother to look up. “Remember, school today.”
“I don’t understand why you say that, it’s not exactly like I’m going to forget that I’ve got school.”
“Sorry,” Alex walked back in to the kitchen.
“Oh, by the way. There’s a letter for you.”
“At half six?”
“Yes,” Ellie pointed towards the coffee table that sat just in front of the TV. Alex took it and cut it open with his nails.
“Oh. It’s from Mr O’Brien,” Alex scanned it. “He wants to see me”
***
“Hello gentlemen. How are we doing?” Mr O’Brien shouted over to the dig site as he plodded over. His coat blew in the wind and he had to hold on to his hat. Duncan, the man in charge of the dig site, walked towards him.
“Pretty well,” Duncan said, brushing mud off his dungarees.
“That’s brilliant!” O’Brien grinned.
“The wheel isn’t gonna go for that much longer. When it cuts out there’s no way we can continue. We’ll have to install another. Although, we did find something.”
“What?” O’Brien’s face lit up.
Duncan reached in to his pocket and pulled out a small vial that contained a small heap of shiny dust.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Off the top of my head, metal of some kind. But I can’t be sure. Get someone to look at it.” Duncan passed it to him. O’Brien gently placed it in his pocket.
“This could provide some interesting information. Thank you. Don’t worry about the wheel. When it cuts out, we’ll close down the site,” O’Brien walked to the edge of the hole. The men working at the bottom were so far down they looked tiny.
“You what?” Duncan said.
“You heard me. I’m closing down the site”
“You can’t do that! It won’t just be me out of a job. Simon and Jeff as well.”
“I can do that. And I will. You’ve been working on this for months. And this is all you have to show for it,” O’Brien held up the vial.
“Every morning we climb down twenty-three ladders and spend all day working. We hardly even stop for lunch.” Duncan pointed down the hole. A ladder connected it to another, and so on, leading to the bottom of the pit. Occasionally there would be a ledge that would open out in to a tunnel.
“Congratulations to you and your men,” O’Brien said. “Don’t worry. You’ll be handsomely rewarded for your efforts.”
***
Paul walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Valerie passed him a steaming mug of tea.
“Hmm. Thanks,” Paul sipped it carefully.
“So,” Valerie sat down with a bowl of cereal. “What’re you doing today?”
“I’m not sure. The hedges out the back need trimming and next door want theirs doing.”
“Sounds fun.”
“You?”
“No, nothing much either. I’ll get the washing done,” she twirled the cereal round her bowl.
“You okay?” Paul asked.
“Yeah,” she was wondering whether to tell him. Should she? Valerie was mulling over the idea in her head. It might just worry him.
“I’m completely fine!” she fake-smiled. “Anyway, the bacon’ll be ready soon. Also, what do you want for dinner? I don’t have much in, but I’ll get something”
***
Alex knocked on the door of Mr O’Brien’s house.
“Ah, Alex. Do come in”
“Thank you,” Alex stepped inside.
“Do come through,” he led Alex in to an office with tall, crammed bookshelves and a cluttered desk. There was a leather arm chair in front of it.
“Can I get you a drink of some sorts?”
“No thanks”
“You’re probably wondering why I’ve called you here,” O’Brien pulled out his chair and sat down. “I am planning on closing down the dig site. We’re not really getting anywhere.”
“Okay.”
“And I’m wondering if we should reopen the case.”
Alex’s face fell. “What? Six months on?”
“Your daughter opened our minds. Without her we would still be sat here and life would be going on as normal. But no. When she went missing, everyone was interested. People wanted to know what’s out there. And even though we might not find her, we may still be able to find something interesting. You know, people won’t want their husbands and sons to go out for the sake of curiosity, but your daughter, that will give them a good enough reason. Think about what Greta says. A blow to one of us is a blow to us all. People still want to find your little girl.”
“You basically want to use the disappearance of my daughter as an excuse to go back out there and potentially lose even more people?”
“No. Sorry, I worded that completely wrong. I want to find your daughter. I feel responsible that we never found her because I was the one who shut down the case. I was just saying that while searching for her, we might find something out there that will help the research. And believe me, this time we know what we’re dealing with, so we won’t lose anyone.”
“Last time we lost three men. It took three men for you to realise that it was a lost cause.”
“I know we haven’t been on the best of terms since I decided that we should close the investigation. I thought you’d be all up for going back out there?”
“Yes, I would be. But it’s been six months. There is no chance she’s still out there.”
“But what if there’s something out there? Another village, or a town, or a city or something? She might be there. And we could bring her back.”
“I don’t want there to be any false hope for my wife and daughter.”
“There won’t be! We’ll just say that we’re giving it one more go.”
“I have a duty to protect my family. I clearly didn’t do a good enough job before. And to make up for that, I’m going to do that job now. Good day, Mr O’Brien.”
The TARDIS
The Doctor walked into the console room with a plate of toast and sat back on the sofa. He felt like changing it – it didn’t go with the rest of the room. Too modern. Look at me – refusing to move with the times.
Coming into the console room in the morning was a peaceful and calming experience these days. After the events of the night before, there should have been a cold, miserable ambiance. But Autumn sitting at the piano reciting a Ludovico Einaudi piece was enough to make the morning feel like a new day. She enjoyed Earth music, as the Doctor enjoyed Earth literature. The pair of them were fans. She stopped.
“Repent,” she said holding up a piece of paper. The Doctor remembered. “Why did you hide this from me?”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” he said, taking a bite of toast. “It’s probably nothing. Just something the Hunters left behind.”
“If someone’s blackmailing you-“
“They’re not.” The Doctor spoke softly and reassuringly. “No one else could get in this ship.”
“Russell was a stowaway.”
“Autumn, you’re paranoid. Stop. It’s fine.”
She continued playing, and the Doctor finished the slice he was eating. He knew, in his heart, that everything wasn’t fine.
The Village
Duncan was taking his lunch break, strolling down the paved streets on the outskirts of the village. He munched a sandwich. He saw Paul sat on a wooden bench outside his house, drinking from a mug of tea.
“Hi Paul,” Duncan smiled.
“Alright Duncan!” Paul grinned. Duncan came and sat down next to Paul.
“How are you?” Duncan asked between mouthfuls of bread.
“I’m great. Nothing much happening. Just some gardening, really. You?”
“Well, been better. O’Brien wants to shut down the dig site.”
“Oh dear,” Paul frowned. He pretended to frown, really. Secretly he was quite happy that the mess outside their window was being cleared up.
“Yeah. Not happy about that,” Duncan continued. “Don’t particularly take to O’Brien, though.”
“I can see where you’re coming from,” Paul sipped his tea. “I quite like him, though. He seems to know what he’s doing.”
Duncan nodded.
“Blimey. Is that the time?” Duncan stood up abruptly. “Must be off. Even if it is being closed down, we can’t stop work just yet.”
***
“Hello?” Fiona knocked on the door.
“Ah. Hello! Come in, come in!” Greta walked along the rows of desks, picking up sheets of paper that had been left there. She was a short, wrinkled lady, who wore a long, flowing skirt that made her look so elegant when she moved. Fiona stepped in to the classroom.
“What can I do for you?”
“I came to ask about Ellie.”
“Oh, yes. Ellie. She’s doing just fine. Nothing to worry about. Better than I expected to be honest. She’s only been back a few weeks.”
“That’s why I came to ask you. Any problems or anything? Not just with her ability or anything, but socially?”
“Not that I’ve seen. She seems to be as she was before she took her break.”
“And she’s not fallen behind or anything?”
“Listen, my dear. Stop worrying. I know it must be hard, considering, but by worrying you will do nothing but hold her back.”
“I’m obviously just worrying because, well, I have only one child, I suppose. I just want the very best for her.”
“As I said – the more you worry, the harder it will be for her.”
“I expect she’s used to me worrying now.”
“She will be, yes. The less you worry about her, the more comfortable you and her, and Alex as well, will be.”
“Okay. Thanks,” Fiona smiled.
“No problem. I am always here, if ever you need advice or anything else.”
“I appreciate it. I really do. You’re a valuable asset to this village, you know. Teaching the children and everything.”
“It’s such a good feeling, though, teaching. I get such a sense of achievement and warmth, I suppose, when a student tells me that they finally understand something. Anyway, off with you, you’ve got a family to get back to,” Greta laughed.
“Bye for now,” Fiona left, shutting the door behind her. Greta smiled. Poor woman. Poor family. Poor little Anna. It had reminded her, though: everyone knew everyone. There was such a sense of community. A blow to one of us is a blow to us all. That’s what it’s like. That’s what it was like when she disappeared. Greta turned to look at the blackboard that was mounted on the wall. Something was scrawled across it.
“It’s all a lie.”
She blinked. It was gone.
***
“Hi Paul!” Valerie said as she heard the door open. She knew that now was the time to tell him.
“Hello,” he placed his bag down gently by the door.
“How was your day?” she asked, as he walked in and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“Fine,” he smiled. “You?”
“Yeah. Okay,” she walked back over to the stove. Come on Valerie. She knew it had to be now.
“I saw Duncan today. Apparently Mr O’Brien wants to shut down the dig site thing.”
“Really?” Valerie’s face lit up. “Will they fill it in?”
“I don’t know. I hope so. I’d rather have a proper archaeological dig than a big empty hole.”
“I know what you mean,” she smiled. She didn’t really want to smile. “Listen, Paul,” she started.
“Hold on a second,” Paul turned in to the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later. “What was it you wanted to say?”
“Oh. Erm, don’t worry,” Valerie murmured. “Are we off to the pub later?”
“I think so.”
***
“Here he is!” Rob shouted. Mr O’Brien walked through the doors of the pub. There was a mixed response to his arrival. Some cheered. Duncan sat in the corner and groaned to himself.
“Pint, please,” as O’Brien arrived at the bar. Rob hammered it down on to the bar as O’Brien handed over a few coins. He took it over and sat next to Paul.
“Paul!” O’Brien said enthusiastically.
“O’Brien!” Paul struggled to return the remark.
“How are you?”
“Good, yes. Hey, is it true you’re shutting down the dig site?” Paul asked him.
“Ah, Duncan told you?”
“Yes. He’s not very happy.”
“I didn’t expect him to be. He has every right to be angry. Soon, everyone will find out why.”
“Can’t drop any sneaky hints?”
“Unfortunately not. Negotiations are still a bit up in the air,” O’Brien thought about Alex. “All will be revealed, though. I expect people will be pleased,” O’Brien joked. He had nearly finished his drink. There was a face at the bottom of the glass.
***
“I can’t help but feel there’s something you’re not telling me,” Fiona sat up in bed.
“I’ve told you everything. You just worry too much,” Alex said, climbing in.
“Maybe I do, but something has happened. You’ve been like this all evening. Was it because of that trip to Mr O’Brien’s?”
“No.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“Oh for goodness’ sake. He wants to reopen the investigation.”
“What? Really!” Her face lit up.
“Yes. But I said no.”
Her face fell. “Why would you say no?”
“It’s been six months.”
“The man who shut down the search last time has just offered to reopen it again and you said no?”
“Because three people disappeared during the search. And he doesn’t even want to find her, he only wants to see if he can find anything to help his stupid experiments.”
“I know you won’t believe it, but Mr O’Brien is a good man. He risked lives to find her last time. And if he’s willing to do that again, we should be taking that chance with both hands.”
“He closed down the case last time, what other reason would he want to open it again?”
“I just can’t believe it. You just won’t let it be water under the bridge. Whenever he offers to do something, you think it’s for other reasons, just because of what happened before. What the hell were you even thinking when you said no?”
“Also, the main reason I said no, is because I didn’t want to inspire a sense of false hope in you all – see, I’ve done it already. This is what I was worried about.”
“I will never stop worrying about her.”
“You don’t have to stop. But we can’t go out and look. You might go missing, or Ellie.”
“Ellie can go and stay with Greta.”
“But what if you go missing? Or me? We might both disappear. Then what happens to Ellie, the girl who we decided would be our first and only priority? It’s not safe.”
“I don’t care whether it’s not safe. We have to find her.”
“No.”
“Don’t just say no. It’s as if you don’t want to find her.”
“It’s because I can’t go out there and look for her, because we might find her dead. Happy?”
“At least we would then have some confirmation of where she was, and wouldn’t be left worrying about where she is now.”
“I’ll sleep on it.”
“Good.”
That night they didn’t face each other when they slept.
The TARDIS
“He'll be coming and going" he had said. "One day you'll see him and another you won't. He doesn't like being tied down--and of course he has other countries to attend to. It's quite all right. He'll often drop in. Only you mustn't press him. He's wild, you know. Not like a tame lion.”
The Doctor turned the page of his book, deeply immersed.
“Tea?” asked Autumn. “I’m getting myself a coffee.”
“Why not.” The Doctor was having a lazy day. Sometimes, the prospect of finishing a good book was far more enticing than a precarious adventure through time – especially following their quest through history. He suspected that it would be a while before he felt up to travelling again. The Hunters of Andromeda had drained him of his burning desire to travel. All he yearned for now was to sit still and forget his mistakes, because whenever he remembered them, they killed him. “And don’t go so heavy on the biscuits this time!” he called down the corridor, hoping Autumn would hear. He did anything to distract himself. Last night had brought back so much, then finishing with that projection of the village as a reminder of his greatest mistake. He wished it would go away. That was so long ago.
Feeling tired, the Doctor sat up and placed his book on the floor. Autumn re-entered with a tray carrying a tea, a coffee and a tray of biscuits. She picked up a Jammie Dodger and dunked it in the coffee. He glared, trying not to giggle. She took a bite out of it and closed her eyes, savouring the taste with a silent ‘Mmm’.
The Village
“No. We can’t stand for it. I won’t stand for it,” Duncan stormed around.
“Duncan, seriously, calm down,” Simon sat on a bit of tree stump.
“Calm down? We’ve worked for ages on this. I will not let some imbecile swan in and take down our operation.”
“To be fair, he has every right to. He started it all,” Simon replied calmly.
“I don’t care. I will not let him destroy everything we’ve been working on for six months.”
“But, Duncan-,” Simon was interrupted quickly.
“D’you know what? I’m not letting him get away with this. He didn’t even tell us why.”
“Please, don’t do anything stupid,” Simon sighed.
“I won’t. But we’ve got to find out what he’s planning. I won’t let him shut us down without any valid reason.”
“And how’d you plan on doing that?”
“You’ll see,” Duncan smiled mysteriously.
***
O’Brien opened the door. This time it wasn’t Alex standing there. It was Fiona.
“Ah! Fiona! Do come in. Can I get you a drink?” he shut the door behind her.
“No thanks. I only came to tell you that we want to pick up the investigation again.”
“Oh! Brilliant! Follow me,” he took her through in to a lounge and gestured towards an armchair in front of a blazing fire. He joined her. Fiona gazed around the room at the ornate lampshade, the artwork hanging on the walls and the books that lay piled up on a coffee table.
“Yeah. I discussed it through with Alex. He agrees.”
“Really! He disagreed completely yesterday.”
“Well, when I say I discussed, we talked about it last night. He didn’t exactly agree, but-”
“Fiona. We can’t continue it without his agreement. It will make things worse between you two and then he’ll see me as a real villain.”
“I think he already does. You’re both quite motivated people, I think that’s what went wrong last time.”
“If we go ahead he’ll hate me even more that he does already.”
“There’s an opportunity to find my daughter. I have to take it.”
“Okay. I’ll begin to make plans and I’ll contact you soon enough,” O’Brien stood up, following Fiona out. He left with her and shut the door behind him.
“Just off to the pub,” he smiled. “Bye for now”
Duncan and Simon had watched them say their goodbyes from just behind an alleyway. They crept out of the shadows. Simon had a small paperclip and fiddled with the lock. He heard it click, and the wooden door swung forwards. Simon knocked over a coat stand on his way in. It toppled over and sent him crashing to the floor. Duncan turned around and scowled at him.
“Sorry,” Simon whispered.
“He’s only gone out to the pub,” Duncan grumbled. They continued through the darkened corridor of the house.
“Right, be careful. Go through everything. Take out anything interesting you can find.”
Simon went in to the living room and Duncan to the office. They rummaged through draws and large wooden chests. There were piles of paper on the desk and Duncan flicked through those. Nothing. They checked dusty wardrobes, musty cupboards and ancient cabinets. Eventually, Simon began to pull out the books, throwing them on the floor behind him.
“What the hell are you doing?” Duncan asked.
“Checking the bookshelves!” Simon stated proudly.
“Oh for goodness’… right, okay”
“Hey, look at this,” Simon found a small black notebook. Duncan plucked it out of his hands and started flicking through it.
“It’s a diary,” Duncan continued through it. He stopped suddenly.
“Have you found anything?” Simon peered over his shoulder.
“He wants to open the investigation for that little girl again.”
“What do you mean?” Simon said, shocked.
“You remember, the one who went missing! He’s closing down the digsite! He must want funding or something. Well…,” Duncan’s voice trailed off.
“We can’t let him do it,” Simon began to put the books back on the shelf.
“Right. Come on. We need to get out of here,” Duncan said. When they had stacked the shelf neatly back up they made their way out, quietly shutting the front door behind them.
***
“Listen, Alex, I need to talk to you about something.”
“Sure. Anything.”
“Well, this probably isn’t what you want to hear.”
“Just tell me,” Alex laughed.
“I went to see him.”
“Who?”
“Oh for goodness’ sake, keep up. I went to see Mr O’Brien.”
“And…”
“I told him to go ahead.”
Alex looked at Fiona, shocked, almost horrified.
“You what?” he had a dark undertone in his voice.
“I went to see him, and I told him to open the investigation.”
“You went behind my back?”
“Yes, yes I did.”
“How dare you go behind my back-”
“She’s my daughter, I’ve got every right-”
“No! She’s our daughter. You have no right”
“You tell me I worry too much. Maybe it’s not me. Maybe you just control me way too much!”
“I don’t control you!”
“Well what do you do then? You didn’t even ask me whether I wanted to open the investigation when he first brought it up. You just said no, you went behind my back. I just did exactly what you did.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“Then we’re just as bad as each other,” Alex said.
They sat in silence.
“So what happens next?” he asked.
“I don’t know. He said he’d come round and talk to us about it.”
“One thing you have to promise me. You don’t go out there.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going out there.”
“Why can’t we both go?”
“As I said last night. Ellie needs at least one parent. I’ve talked about this a lot recently. It’s my job to protect you.”
“When you say it like that it makes me sound like I’m useless, like I need someone to defend me. It makes you sound like you’re… I dunno, oppressing me. It’s been like this since Anna went missing.”
“I don’t want it to sound like that. I just want to care for both of you.”
“And you do a good enough job. You always have done, and you always will do. It wasn’t your fault that she went missing. And it wasn’t mine either. We both have to remember that. Because that seems to be the main problem here,” Fiona smiled.
“Maybe it is.”
“Maybe it was a bad idea for me to open the investigation again. It’s just going to cause arguments.”
“I don’t know. Maybe there is a chance she’s still out there. We’ll find out soon enough.”
***
“Hello there!” Mr O’Brien called out. He stood on a wooden stage, the village gathered in front of him.
“I gather you here today, not as citizens, but as friends. Six months ago, this village saw the loss of a little girl. A loss that tore us apart. You could argue that we have still not recovered. And that may be true. Because the disappearance of little Anna has done more. It has opened our minds. Opened our minds to new possibilities that we never thought possible. Since she disappeared, we started the dig site. Dr Veronus is analysing something we found there the other day. Maybe one day, we will find out why we exist. But through all this time, I have felt personally responsible. For the fact that this little girl who inspired us to do so much has gone missing and that we have never found her. It is time for this burden to be lifted. I declare, the case of the disappearance of Anna Everett, open!”
The buzz of chatting swept across the crowd.
“I may not be a good man. Yes, I have done wrong things. Yes, I shut down the case in the first place. Yes, I have been behind people’s backs to get this case up and running again. Maybe people in this village do not trust me. I ask you to support Alex, Fiona and Ellie in the search for Anna. I beg of you. Any volunteers for the search? Please raise your hands.”
One by one, a few hands went up. First Tim, one of the village men, then Lee from the bookshop, and slowly more followed.
“Thank you. Thank you so much. Alex and Fiona will be so happy to know we’ve got this many of you. Good day to you all. Thank you for listening.”
The crowd gradually dispersed.
“Ah, Duncan!” O’Brien turned to see Duncan standing by the stage. “You’d be an ideal volunteer.”
“No. I’m not volunteering”
“Oh? Don’t want to support the hunt for a young child?”
“No. You’re closing down the dig site so you can reopen your investigation.”
“You know this how, exactly?”
“You had your diary with you. The other day at the dig site.”
“No, no, no. That diary doesn’t leave my house. Why’d you go in there?”
“I haven’t-”
“Don’t deny it. You made a schoolboy error.”
“Oh yes?”
“Well, to start off, you left the door unlocked. And, my house wasn’t as I left it.”
“What? You can’t… that doesn’t-”
“I should get you arrested.”
“Please, Mr O’Brien-”
“I’m not going to, though.”
“Thank you, thank you-”
“You have until the wheel breaks down.”
“What? Come on, please…”
“No. I’m sorry,” O’Brien walked off. “By the way. Don’t you ever break in my house again.”
The TARDIS
“Howlonsthbether.”
“Hmm?” The Doctor was afraid to admit he’d dozed off, and Autumn’s words woke him up.
“I said how long’s that been there?” she exclaimed, pointing at the time rotor.
“What…”
The Doctor stood up to get a closer look, stepping down the stairs to the console unit. He put his finger against it. The glass was cracked – someone must have used a sharp object. It would have taken a lot of strength and skill to etch the word ‘Repent’ onto glass without breaking it.
“Did you see who did it?” asked the Doctor.
“You were supposed to!” Autumn rolled her eyes. “I ran out of biscuits, so I left to get some. I opened three different packets. That took about four minutes, from here to the kitchen and back. Someone did that in four minutes. Why didn’t you see?”
“I was… asleep…” The Doctor scratched his head.
“Someone hates you that much,” remarked Autumn. “What the hell have you done, Doctor?” She backed away from him. “Am I safe?”
“I don’t know.”
“I know you might not trust me, but now is the time to come clean. If you’ve done something, I can help you. And trust me, I can forgive an awful lot. But if I find out you’ve lied to me about something - that you’ve, I don’t know, blown up some planet - and whoever did this finds you, I can’t guarantee that I’ll help you, and if your life is on the line, that I’ll safe you. Unless you tell me now. You have to start trusting me, Doctor. We have to start trusting each other.”
“Okay,” agreed the Doctor. It was reasonable by Autumn’s standards. “But I haven’t blown up any planets. Cross my hearts.”
The Village
“It’s about time we got the elephant in the room… you know, out of the room,” Paul sat next to Valerie, who was slumped on the sofa, sipping a mug of tea.
“What elephant?” Valerie laughed.
“I think you know what I mean. Whether I go out on the search.”
“I’ve sort of been wishing that we’d never have this conversation.”
Paul nodded. “I understand.”
“What do you think you’re going to do?”
“Well, I should go. It’s the thing to do. Do you want me to go?”
“What do you expect me to answer that question with? I can’t say that you should go and I’d be happy for you. I can’t say that I’d be pleased to see you go.”
“And I don’t expect you to. It wouldn’t be right if you were pleased to see me leave. I just want to know whether you think it’s the right thing to do?”
“You’re full of silly questions tonight, Paul. Yes, it’s obviously the right thing to do. But just because it’s the right thing to do doesn’t mean you should do it.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“No. If everyone had done the right thing in the first place, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation. If everyone did the right thing, then the original investigation would never have been shut down. We’d have lost even more men. Possibly even you. If everyone did the right thing, then life wouldn’t progress. It would just grind to halt,” Valerie took another sip of her tea.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“I can tell you don’t really want to leave.”
“I’m in a similar boat to you. I can’t say that I’d happily leave you behind. Because it wouldn’t be right if I was pleased to leave you.”
“Then don’t leave. Stay here.”
There was a long pause.
“If we were both good people who had never done anything wrong ever, then you’d happily wave me off, content that I’d be helping our friends. And I’d happily leave, feeling the same as you – content that I’m helping our friends,” Paul said.
“We’re clearly not good people then.”
Another pause.
“We’re horribly selfish as well. Leaving Alex and Fiona.”
“Crikey, Paul. You’re sending me mixed messages here. Do you want to go or not? And anyway, is it just me, or is it selfish of them to ask for another handful of men from the village to help them, after six months ago three women were told that their husbands weren’t coming home and two children were told daddy wasn’t coming back?”
“I don’t know whether I want to go or not! It’s not a black and white decision!”
“I’m going. Have a think about it,” she stood up and headed towards the front door, angrily pulling her coat from a peg.
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know. Have a think about that as well,” she slammed the door behind her. Paul sighed, burying his head in his arms. He looked up, a tear rolling down his cheek. There was a strange face reflected in the window on the door. He blinked and it vanished. Paul tried to forget about it, but he couldn’t help but wonder who it was and how it was reflected. The glass in the door was frosted, after all.
***
“Ah!” O’Brien saw Greta approaching. “Good evening Greta”
Greta sighed. She didn’t particularly take to the man. “Hello Mr O’Brien…”
“Lovely evening. Where’re you off to?”
“Yes. I suppose it is. I’m off to the pub,” she tried to continue on her way.
“I hope you’ll support the investigation. And wow, that’s brave of you, going to the pub at this time.”
“Yes. I have your back,” she continued.
“Whoa. Is there something up? You seem, all, funny?”
“Everything’s fine.”
“If you’ve got something to say to me, just say it.”
Greta stopped. “I’ve got something to say to you. But I’m not sure if it’s what you want to hear”
“I’m all ears.”
“You’re going to make a lot of enemies in this village, Mr O’Brien.”
“Yeah?” he grinned.
“Tonight, families will be in turmoil. Relationships in tatters. I honestly think that this is a bad move. You’ve got completely the wrong idea.”
“Think about it! A family united!”
“A family that were just beginning to recover. Also, I expect you’ve ruined a few others in the process.”
“Eh?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Couples saying their final goodbyes.”
“Hey. We’re taking extra safety precautions.”
“I don’t care. Everyone really knows how dangerous it is out there after last time. Believe me, if it were for any other reason, you’d have no volunteers. The only reason you’ve managed to get a few is because of Anna. People’s decisions are always swayed when children come into play.”
“I thought you said you’d support me?”
“I did. I want to find Anna. Just because I agree with what you’re doing, however, doesn’t mean I agree with the way you’re doing it. And with that, I shall bid you goodnight, Mr O’Brien,” she walked off towards the alleyway that led to the warm arms of the pub.
***
Mr O’Brien knocked on Dr Lucius Veronus’ door.
“Hold on,” his voice came from the other side. O’Brien could hear clattering and the odd curse. The door opened a crack. Veronus stood in the door, dressed in a long lab coat. He had wild hair that stuck out all over the place.
“Hello,” O’Brien smiled.
“Wait,” Veronus had to move a pile of books from behind the door for it to open fully.
“I’m here about the metal,” O’Brien said.
“Oh, come in,” Veronus said. “Follow me,” he led O’Brien over the clutter – there was piles of books and paintings that had never been hung up, and even a space lab coat that had just been thrown on to the floor. Dr Veronus opened a door that led in to a tight, cramped staircase and walked down, O’Brien following him close behind. At the bottom was a basement that had been converted in to a lab. It probably used to look a lot bigger, but because of the large work surfaces and shelves covered in books, jars containing peculiar liquids and other technical equipment. Dr Veronus led him to one of the work surfaces. There was a Bunsen burner set up and paper cluttered the table. O’Brien was surprised he hadn’t yet burned his house down. The metal dust was in a petri dish.
“Is this the metal?” O’Brien glanced at the dish.
“Yes,” Veronus crossed over to the other side of the room and picked up a scruffy notepad from his desk. He peered inside.
“So? Have you found anything?” O’Brien asked.
“Yes. The metal is certainly foreign to the structure of the ground.”
“Basically it’s not meant to be there?”
“Exactly. What kind of metal it is, well, I’ve got no idea. Never seen anything like it before. I’ve tried reacting it with… well, any chemicals I can get my hands on. And it does nothing.”
“Interesting. Well done, Lucius. Where would we be without you?”
“Well, I don’t know. But whatever that metal is, I want to continue my research. Because it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
***
“Aye, Greta!” Rob shouted from behind the bar as she walked in.
“Hello Rob,” she rummaged around in her pockets and pulled out a purse. “Just a small red wine, please.”
“I’ll bring it over,” he reached behind the bar. She fumbled around in her purse and placed some coins on the bar. Greta bustled over to a row of seats, sandwiched between two wooden dividers and slowly sat down. She sat there, fiddling with a bit of thread hanging off her cardigan. It wasn’t long before Valerie came over to her.
“Don’t mind if I sit here?” she asked, beginning to sit down before Greta even answered.
“No, not at all,” Greta said. Rob brought over her wine. “Thank you. Oh, and whatever Valerie’s having.”
“Thanks. Erm, just an orange juice, please,” she said. Greta handed another handful of coins to Rob.
“My dear. Tell me what’s happened?”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look it. I’m presuming it’s something to do with Paul?”
“How’d you know?”
“You’re in the pub without him. Normally you two are joined at the hip. Anyway. I’m all ears”
Rob placed the glass carefully on the table.
“Thanks,” Valerie said. “Anyway, so yeah. Paul wants to go out on the expedition”
“And good for him. The more men out there, the better. The more chance we’ll have of finding her.”
“Well, that’s one way of looking at it. But I just don’t want him to go. Please tell me you can understand where I’m coming from?”
“Yes, definitely.”
“I’m worried about him. I can’t let him go.”
“Of course. Three men disappeared last time. It’s understandable.”
“Exactly. What if that happens to him? I don’t know what it’s like to lose a loved one. I’m just scared about what will happen if he doesn’t come back. I can picture it. Mr O’Brien will knock on my door, and I’ll answer it. He won’t have to say anything. I’ll stand there, and he’ll stand there. We’ll both know. And then, he’ll tip his hat, and walk off. Then what will I do? Will life just continue as normal? I dunno. It gets even worse. I feel guilty for neglecting my friends, for not encouraging my husband to go out and search for their daughter. If they find out what I’ve been saying to him they’ll be furious. It’s all just one big mess.”
“Don’t be worried. You do realise that every couple in the village is in exactly the same position as you?”
“I suppose.”
“And everyone has learned, since last time. We know how dangerous it is out there now. We know that you can be with everyone, but turned around and then find yourself on your own. We know that we have to stick together, and that everyone should always have an eye on everyone else. He’ll be in safe hands.”
“I suppose so. But then I don’t think he wants to go either.”
“I think you need to go back to him. Talk to him. Take it slowly. It’s a hard decision to make, I know. But you and Paul, you’re strong. I have faith that you can do it.”
“Thanks,” Valerie smiled. “As soon as I’ve finished, I’ll go straight back.”
***
Fiona gently placed a few items in the rucksack. It was hard, almost as if someone was stopping her. It felt that by doing this, she was practically sending him away. There was a photo of the four of them on the pile of clothes. She picked it up, snivelling. She couldn’t bear to put it in the bag. At that moment, a hand placed itself on hers. Alex helped her put the photo inside.
“Thanks,” she said. He sat with her and helped load the rest of the items in to the bag.
Greta scuttled out of the alley between two of the houses, gripping her shawl tightly around her. The village square was lit by a lone lamp just next to the green where a small tree stood, surrounded by a network of flowers and shrubs. It always felt like a calm night in the little village. Apart from tonight. Greta could feel a shift, as if something had changed, like something was about to happen. She glanced at some of the houses. Paul and Valerie, snuggling on the sofa. Dr Veronus, his head buried in a book. Alex and Fiona laughing as they packed a bag. There was Mr O’Brien, writing in battered notepad. Duncan, eating his evening meal. She could see a few others as well, washing up, reading, drawing and one even playing the violin. Everything was normal, yet it seemed like hard times were going to hit. She turned her head towards the far end of the square. A figure stood there, masked by the shadows. From a distance, he looked like he was wearing a long coat.
“Hello there,” she said. “Lovely evening.”
As she approached, the man became clearer. He had short hair and held a peculiar torch.
“Hello?” she murmured. She was directly in front of him and reached out. Her hand connected with the man’s shoulder. He vanished.
***
Paul stood in front of the mirror that was mounted on the bathroom door. He wrapped a padded jacket around him, zipping it up. He grabbed a backpack and slung it over his shoulders. He walked towards the front door and lifted the latch, leaving slowly. He left the door unlocked in case Valerie decided to come back.
***
He was there, again. In the window from across the road. What was it? It was nagging Valerie now. A worry. A worry that was constantly badgering her. Pestering her. There was something that was missing. Why was he there? What was he doing? She thought of all the times she’d ever seen him. She could recall all of them. But it still felt like something wasn’t there. Then she remembered. The dreams.
***
Alex slung the rucksack over his shoulders as Fiona walked out the kitchen.
“It’s time already?”
“Yeah. I know. An early start”
The silence was almost awkward. Until she broke down and hugged him.
“Please, stay safe. Don’t do anything stupid, and come back alive for god’s sake,” her muffled voice said.
“Take care of Ellie.”
“I will,” Alex turned and opened the front door, stepping out in to the cold mist outside.
“Wow. It’s cold,” Fiona snivelled. She followed him out and stood by the door, as he gathered over by the rest of the men amidst a pile of luggage. Ellie ran out and joined her mother. O’Brien stood in the distance with a clipboard and a pen.
“So, gentlemen. Are we ready?” he asked them all. They all nodded. “Just some general, safety notices then. We stay together at all times. Don’t let anyone out of sight. That’s what went wrong last time.”
Eventually O’Brien stopped talking. They turned towards the horizon. Ellie began to wave excitedly. She had no idea what was really going on. Fiona hadn’t properly told her. Fiona waved as well, a sad smile on her face. They watched as the men disappeared in to the distance.
“Have they gone?” Valerie dashed out of her house.
“Yep,” Fiona said.
“Oh dear. We have to get them back. It’s not safe.”
“It’s too late. They’ve gone already.”
“I’ve just realised. Something is very, very wrong, and it all started in the fields. There’s something out there and they’ve just walked right in to it.”
“I’m sure you’re just upset about Paul and everything,” Greta walked over.
“There’s nothing out there, Valerie. Please, don’t say things like that. I understand what it’s like, your husband going out there. I’m just as worried as you are. Probably even more worried than you.”
“There’s something wrong”
“Just, shush. Be quiet”
“No. My husband and daughter are out there, don’t you say things like that and make this worse.”
“You need to understand. They won’t come back.”
“Greta,” Fiona said. “Can you look after Ellie?”
“Of course,” Greta said. Ellie followed her quickly.
“Just follow me,” Valerie said.
The TARDIS
“Doctor, I’ve just got this through on my vortex manipulator.” Autumn showed the Doctor her wrist device. A message flashed continuously in red lettering. “It’s locked. It’s not letting me do anything else.”
The Doctor examined the message closely.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DOCTOR, FOLLOW THESE COORDINATES
“The coordinates have been saved automatically,” explained Autumn. “I was going to just go, but with that conversation we had about trust – well, I thought you might need me.” The Doctor smiled. There was fear building up inside him, but he knew how blessed he was to have Autumn Rivers by his side. “So do you recognise the coordinates?”
“Yes. If I go, I could be risking everything. We need to play this carefully, Autumn. Subtly.”
“Why?”
He grimaced.
“Because we’re about to enter Dalek-Space.”
***
The men hadn’t been travelling long. They were already far from the village. He felt sick with worry. They plodded on over the rolling hills and the spacious fields. It was never ending. He realised that he was right. If he hadn’t listened to Fiona he would be at home with her and Ellie. Was that a bad thing? He wasn’t sure. He looked around for the rest of the men. They had disappeared.
“Hello?” he asked. He darted around. There was nothing. Everything had gone. “Anyone? Please”
“Alex?” O’Brien stood next to him. Alex turned his head and they were back. Eventually they came to a hill, taller than anything else they had seen so far. Tim, one of the men, climbed to the top of it.
“What’s that?” Tim shouted from the hilltop.
“You can see something? Wait,” Alex scrambled up next to him.
Alex could see something in the distance. The sun reflected off it. It looked metallic. O’Brien ran up and joined them, beckoning the rest of the men.
“We’ll go and have a look,” O’Brien slid his fedora up his head. The gang walked down the hill towards the thing.
“Aren’t you coming?” O’Brien asked Alex.
“Yeah,” Alex was mesmerised. “Sorry,” he followed him. There was something drawing him to the metal object. The silence was eerie.
***
Greta placed a cardboard box on the table.
“What’s that?” Ellie asked.
“Scrabble,” Greta took off the lid and poured out the little tiles.
“Oh. I’ve never played it before.”
“It’s really quite simple. You have to use the tiles to make words. Each tile has a letter on it. Different letters are worth different points. And the player with the most points wins.”
Greta began to scoop the tiles in to a bag.
“Right. Now you take seven letters from the bag and put them on the rack,” Greta held out the bag to Ellie, who picked seven letters. Greta slowly taught Ellie how to play. The board began to fill up. Greta blinked. The letters rearranged themselves.
THE WINDOW MAN IS REAL
She looked over. His reflection was in the window again. A chill ran down her spine. He was gone.
***
“Listen to me,” Valerie dragged Fiona in to the shop. Peter was stood behind the counter. “Peter,” she asked.
“You’ve gone mad,” Fiona grumbled.
“Yes. What can I do for you?” he said.
“Your stock. Where do you get it?”
Peter thought for a second. His face was blank.
“I don’t know,” he pondered. “I just… well, I don’t know. It’s just there”
“You see? He doesn’t know, nobody knows. Everyone here has been living a lie that nobody knows about.”
“This isn’t real. It can’t be.”
“It is. You know it is. You’ve been having bad dreams, haven’t you?”
It was slowly coming back to Fiona.
“Everyone has bad dreams. And everyone has been seeing things. You know, there’s this one of a man reflected in the window.”
“The man in the window. I’ve seen him.”
“Everyone has. You’ve just sent Alex out there. It’s dangerous. He won’t come back.”
***
Chink. They had hit something.
“DUNCAN!” Simon shouted.
“What is it?” his face appeared at the top of the hole.
“I’ve hit something!”
It took Duncan nearly ten minutes to reach the bottom. He grabbed a spade that was lying on the ground and stuck it in to the soft ground. It hit something metal. He began to dig vigorously. Something shiny appeared. Simon’s jaw dropped.
“What is that?”
“I don’t know,” Duncan got on to his knees and began to wipe away the mud. He tapped the surface with his finger.
“It’s metal. We’ve hit metal,” Duncan gulped.
Simon walked away a few feet and stuck his spade in the ground. It was metal over there.
“It’s all metal. The whole ground beneath our feet.”
Suddenly Duncan remembered. The dreams were coming back to him.
***
Alex approached the object. It was quite short, a box covered in lights and switches and buttons, shaped strangely familiarly, but in a way he couldn’t place.
“What is it?” O’Brien asked.
“I don’t know,” one of the men said.
“It looks like a body,” O’Brien said.
Suddenly it dawned on Alex.
“Oh my god. It does… it looks like a human torso.”
***
“Nobody can see it,” Valerie ran in to the village square, gazing around her. Duncan joined her.
“The ground is metal,” he screamed.
“Seriously, both of you, you’re going mad,” Fiona said.
“They’re not,” Greta stood in the doorway of her house.
“Excuse me?” Fiona walked over to her.
“As much as I hate to say it, they’re not. Something is wrong here. I realised last night. Something is wrong, and it has been for a very long time.”
Valerie looked over towards the tree. The man in the window with the long coat. He stood there, staring at her. As she look back, she realised everyone else could see him too.
“It’s you,” she reached out.
He stepped backwards, stumbling slightly and breathing heavily. Then he whispered.
“Valerie…”
“It’s only half past six.” She scribbled in her sketch book, not bothering to look up.
“Oh for goodness… fine,” he gave in. Alex stepped over her and walked through in to the kitchen, flicking the switch on the kettle.
“Is mum asleep?” Ellie asked.
“Yes,” Alex replied.
“Oh. Okay.”
“Don’t wake her up”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Good,” Alex walked through and smiled at her. She still didn’t bother to look up. “Remember, school today.”
“I don’t understand why you say that, it’s not exactly like I’m going to forget that I’ve got school.”
“Sorry,” Alex walked back in to the kitchen.
“Oh, by the way. There’s a letter for you.”
“At half six?”
“Yes,” Ellie pointed towards the coffee table that sat just in front of the TV. Alex took it and cut it open with his nails.
“Oh. It’s from Mr O’Brien,” Alex scanned it. “He wants to see me”
***
“Hello gentlemen. How are we doing?” Mr O’Brien shouted over to the dig site as he plodded over. His coat blew in the wind and he had to hold on to his hat. Duncan, the man in charge of the dig site, walked towards him.
“Pretty well,” Duncan said, brushing mud off his dungarees.
“That’s brilliant!” O’Brien grinned.
“The wheel isn’t gonna go for that much longer. When it cuts out there’s no way we can continue. We’ll have to install another. Although, we did find something.”
“What?” O’Brien’s face lit up.
Duncan reached in to his pocket and pulled out a small vial that contained a small heap of shiny dust.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Off the top of my head, metal of some kind. But I can’t be sure. Get someone to look at it.” Duncan passed it to him. O’Brien gently placed it in his pocket.
“This could provide some interesting information. Thank you. Don’t worry about the wheel. When it cuts out, we’ll close down the site,” O’Brien walked to the edge of the hole. The men working at the bottom were so far down they looked tiny.
“You what?” Duncan said.
“You heard me. I’m closing down the site”
“You can’t do that! It won’t just be me out of a job. Simon and Jeff as well.”
“I can do that. And I will. You’ve been working on this for months. And this is all you have to show for it,” O’Brien held up the vial.
“Every morning we climb down twenty-three ladders and spend all day working. We hardly even stop for lunch.” Duncan pointed down the hole. A ladder connected it to another, and so on, leading to the bottom of the pit. Occasionally there would be a ledge that would open out in to a tunnel.
“Congratulations to you and your men,” O’Brien said. “Don’t worry. You’ll be handsomely rewarded for your efforts.”
***
Paul walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Valerie passed him a steaming mug of tea.
“Hmm. Thanks,” Paul sipped it carefully.
“So,” Valerie sat down with a bowl of cereal. “What’re you doing today?”
“I’m not sure. The hedges out the back need trimming and next door want theirs doing.”
“Sounds fun.”
“You?”
“No, nothing much either. I’ll get the washing done,” she twirled the cereal round her bowl.
“You okay?” Paul asked.
“Yeah,” she was wondering whether to tell him. Should she? Valerie was mulling over the idea in her head. It might just worry him.
“I’m completely fine!” she fake-smiled. “Anyway, the bacon’ll be ready soon. Also, what do you want for dinner? I don’t have much in, but I’ll get something”
***
Alex knocked on the door of Mr O’Brien’s house.
“Ah, Alex. Do come in”
“Thank you,” Alex stepped inside.
“Do come through,” he led Alex in to an office with tall, crammed bookshelves and a cluttered desk. There was a leather arm chair in front of it.
“Can I get you a drink of some sorts?”
“No thanks”
“You’re probably wondering why I’ve called you here,” O’Brien pulled out his chair and sat down. “I am planning on closing down the dig site. We’re not really getting anywhere.”
“Okay.”
“And I’m wondering if we should reopen the case.”
Alex’s face fell. “What? Six months on?”
“Your daughter opened our minds. Without her we would still be sat here and life would be going on as normal. But no. When she went missing, everyone was interested. People wanted to know what’s out there. And even though we might not find her, we may still be able to find something interesting. You know, people won’t want their husbands and sons to go out for the sake of curiosity, but your daughter, that will give them a good enough reason. Think about what Greta says. A blow to one of us is a blow to us all. People still want to find your little girl.”
“You basically want to use the disappearance of my daughter as an excuse to go back out there and potentially lose even more people?”
“No. Sorry, I worded that completely wrong. I want to find your daughter. I feel responsible that we never found her because I was the one who shut down the case. I was just saying that while searching for her, we might find something out there that will help the research. And believe me, this time we know what we’re dealing with, so we won’t lose anyone.”
“Last time we lost three men. It took three men for you to realise that it was a lost cause.”
“I know we haven’t been on the best of terms since I decided that we should close the investigation. I thought you’d be all up for going back out there?”
“Yes, I would be. But it’s been six months. There is no chance she’s still out there.”
“But what if there’s something out there? Another village, or a town, or a city or something? She might be there. And we could bring her back.”
“I don’t want there to be any false hope for my wife and daughter.”
“There won’t be! We’ll just say that we’re giving it one more go.”
“I have a duty to protect my family. I clearly didn’t do a good enough job before. And to make up for that, I’m going to do that job now. Good day, Mr O’Brien.”
The TARDIS
The Doctor walked into the console room with a plate of toast and sat back on the sofa. He felt like changing it – it didn’t go with the rest of the room. Too modern. Look at me – refusing to move with the times.
Coming into the console room in the morning was a peaceful and calming experience these days. After the events of the night before, there should have been a cold, miserable ambiance. But Autumn sitting at the piano reciting a Ludovico Einaudi piece was enough to make the morning feel like a new day. She enjoyed Earth music, as the Doctor enjoyed Earth literature. The pair of them were fans. She stopped.
“Repent,” she said holding up a piece of paper. The Doctor remembered. “Why did you hide this from me?”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” he said, taking a bite of toast. “It’s probably nothing. Just something the Hunters left behind.”
“If someone’s blackmailing you-“
“They’re not.” The Doctor spoke softly and reassuringly. “No one else could get in this ship.”
“Russell was a stowaway.”
“Autumn, you’re paranoid. Stop. It’s fine.”
She continued playing, and the Doctor finished the slice he was eating. He knew, in his heart, that everything wasn’t fine.
The Village
Duncan was taking his lunch break, strolling down the paved streets on the outskirts of the village. He munched a sandwich. He saw Paul sat on a wooden bench outside his house, drinking from a mug of tea.
“Hi Paul,” Duncan smiled.
“Alright Duncan!” Paul grinned. Duncan came and sat down next to Paul.
“How are you?” Duncan asked between mouthfuls of bread.
“I’m great. Nothing much happening. Just some gardening, really. You?”
“Well, been better. O’Brien wants to shut down the dig site.”
“Oh dear,” Paul frowned. He pretended to frown, really. Secretly he was quite happy that the mess outside their window was being cleared up.
“Yeah. Not happy about that,” Duncan continued. “Don’t particularly take to O’Brien, though.”
“I can see where you’re coming from,” Paul sipped his tea. “I quite like him, though. He seems to know what he’s doing.”
Duncan nodded.
“Blimey. Is that the time?” Duncan stood up abruptly. “Must be off. Even if it is being closed down, we can’t stop work just yet.”
***
“Hello?” Fiona knocked on the door.
“Ah. Hello! Come in, come in!” Greta walked along the rows of desks, picking up sheets of paper that had been left there. She was a short, wrinkled lady, who wore a long, flowing skirt that made her look so elegant when she moved. Fiona stepped in to the classroom.
“What can I do for you?”
“I came to ask about Ellie.”
“Oh, yes. Ellie. She’s doing just fine. Nothing to worry about. Better than I expected to be honest. She’s only been back a few weeks.”
“That’s why I came to ask you. Any problems or anything? Not just with her ability or anything, but socially?”
“Not that I’ve seen. She seems to be as she was before she took her break.”
“And she’s not fallen behind or anything?”
“Listen, my dear. Stop worrying. I know it must be hard, considering, but by worrying you will do nothing but hold her back.”
“I’m obviously just worrying because, well, I have only one child, I suppose. I just want the very best for her.”
“As I said – the more you worry, the harder it will be for her.”
“I expect she’s used to me worrying now.”
“She will be, yes. The less you worry about her, the more comfortable you and her, and Alex as well, will be.”
“Okay. Thanks,” Fiona smiled.
“No problem. I am always here, if ever you need advice or anything else.”
“I appreciate it. I really do. You’re a valuable asset to this village, you know. Teaching the children and everything.”
“It’s such a good feeling, though, teaching. I get such a sense of achievement and warmth, I suppose, when a student tells me that they finally understand something. Anyway, off with you, you’ve got a family to get back to,” Greta laughed.
“Bye for now,” Fiona left, shutting the door behind her. Greta smiled. Poor woman. Poor family. Poor little Anna. It had reminded her, though: everyone knew everyone. There was such a sense of community. A blow to one of us is a blow to us all. That’s what it’s like. That’s what it was like when she disappeared. Greta turned to look at the blackboard that was mounted on the wall. Something was scrawled across it.
“It’s all a lie.”
She blinked. It was gone.
***
“Hi Paul!” Valerie said as she heard the door open. She knew that now was the time to tell him.
“Hello,” he placed his bag down gently by the door.
“How was your day?” she asked, as he walked in and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“Fine,” he smiled. “You?”
“Yeah. Okay,” she walked back over to the stove. Come on Valerie. She knew it had to be now.
“I saw Duncan today. Apparently Mr O’Brien wants to shut down the dig site thing.”
“Really?” Valerie’s face lit up. “Will they fill it in?”
“I don’t know. I hope so. I’d rather have a proper archaeological dig than a big empty hole.”
“I know what you mean,” she smiled. She didn’t really want to smile. “Listen, Paul,” she started.
“Hold on a second,” Paul turned in to the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later. “What was it you wanted to say?”
“Oh. Erm, don’t worry,” Valerie murmured. “Are we off to the pub later?”
“I think so.”
***
“Here he is!” Rob shouted. Mr O’Brien walked through the doors of the pub. There was a mixed response to his arrival. Some cheered. Duncan sat in the corner and groaned to himself.
“Pint, please,” as O’Brien arrived at the bar. Rob hammered it down on to the bar as O’Brien handed over a few coins. He took it over and sat next to Paul.
“Paul!” O’Brien said enthusiastically.
“O’Brien!” Paul struggled to return the remark.
“How are you?”
“Good, yes. Hey, is it true you’re shutting down the dig site?” Paul asked him.
“Ah, Duncan told you?”
“Yes. He’s not very happy.”
“I didn’t expect him to be. He has every right to be angry. Soon, everyone will find out why.”
“Can’t drop any sneaky hints?”
“Unfortunately not. Negotiations are still a bit up in the air,” O’Brien thought about Alex. “All will be revealed, though. I expect people will be pleased,” O’Brien joked. He had nearly finished his drink. There was a face at the bottom of the glass.
***
“I can’t help but feel there’s something you’re not telling me,” Fiona sat up in bed.
“I’ve told you everything. You just worry too much,” Alex said, climbing in.
“Maybe I do, but something has happened. You’ve been like this all evening. Was it because of that trip to Mr O’Brien’s?”
“No.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“Oh for goodness’ sake. He wants to reopen the investigation.”
“What? Really!” Her face lit up.
“Yes. But I said no.”
Her face fell. “Why would you say no?”
“It’s been six months.”
“The man who shut down the search last time has just offered to reopen it again and you said no?”
“Because three people disappeared during the search. And he doesn’t even want to find her, he only wants to see if he can find anything to help his stupid experiments.”
“I know you won’t believe it, but Mr O’Brien is a good man. He risked lives to find her last time. And if he’s willing to do that again, we should be taking that chance with both hands.”
“He closed down the case last time, what other reason would he want to open it again?”
“I just can’t believe it. You just won’t let it be water under the bridge. Whenever he offers to do something, you think it’s for other reasons, just because of what happened before. What the hell were you even thinking when you said no?”
“Also, the main reason I said no, is because I didn’t want to inspire a sense of false hope in you all – see, I’ve done it already. This is what I was worried about.”
“I will never stop worrying about her.”
“You don’t have to stop. But we can’t go out and look. You might go missing, or Ellie.”
“Ellie can go and stay with Greta.”
“But what if you go missing? Or me? We might both disappear. Then what happens to Ellie, the girl who we decided would be our first and only priority? It’s not safe.”
“I don’t care whether it’s not safe. We have to find her.”
“No.”
“Don’t just say no. It’s as if you don’t want to find her.”
“It’s because I can’t go out there and look for her, because we might find her dead. Happy?”
“At least we would then have some confirmation of where she was, and wouldn’t be left worrying about where she is now.”
“I’ll sleep on it.”
“Good.”
That night they didn’t face each other when they slept.
The TARDIS
“He'll be coming and going" he had said. "One day you'll see him and another you won't. He doesn't like being tied down--and of course he has other countries to attend to. It's quite all right. He'll often drop in. Only you mustn't press him. He's wild, you know. Not like a tame lion.”
The Doctor turned the page of his book, deeply immersed.
“Tea?” asked Autumn. “I’m getting myself a coffee.”
“Why not.” The Doctor was having a lazy day. Sometimes, the prospect of finishing a good book was far more enticing than a precarious adventure through time – especially following their quest through history. He suspected that it would be a while before he felt up to travelling again. The Hunters of Andromeda had drained him of his burning desire to travel. All he yearned for now was to sit still and forget his mistakes, because whenever he remembered them, they killed him. “And don’t go so heavy on the biscuits this time!” he called down the corridor, hoping Autumn would hear. He did anything to distract himself. Last night had brought back so much, then finishing with that projection of the village as a reminder of his greatest mistake. He wished it would go away. That was so long ago.
Feeling tired, the Doctor sat up and placed his book on the floor. Autumn re-entered with a tray carrying a tea, a coffee and a tray of biscuits. She picked up a Jammie Dodger and dunked it in the coffee. He glared, trying not to giggle. She took a bite out of it and closed her eyes, savouring the taste with a silent ‘Mmm’.
The Village
“No. We can’t stand for it. I won’t stand for it,” Duncan stormed around.
“Duncan, seriously, calm down,” Simon sat on a bit of tree stump.
“Calm down? We’ve worked for ages on this. I will not let some imbecile swan in and take down our operation.”
“To be fair, he has every right to. He started it all,” Simon replied calmly.
“I don’t care. I will not let him destroy everything we’ve been working on for six months.”
“But, Duncan-,” Simon was interrupted quickly.
“D’you know what? I’m not letting him get away with this. He didn’t even tell us why.”
“Please, don’t do anything stupid,” Simon sighed.
“I won’t. But we’ve got to find out what he’s planning. I won’t let him shut us down without any valid reason.”
“And how’d you plan on doing that?”
“You’ll see,” Duncan smiled mysteriously.
***
O’Brien opened the door. This time it wasn’t Alex standing there. It was Fiona.
“Ah! Fiona! Do come in. Can I get you a drink?” he shut the door behind her.
“No thanks. I only came to tell you that we want to pick up the investigation again.”
“Oh! Brilliant! Follow me,” he took her through in to a lounge and gestured towards an armchair in front of a blazing fire. He joined her. Fiona gazed around the room at the ornate lampshade, the artwork hanging on the walls and the books that lay piled up on a coffee table.
“Yeah. I discussed it through with Alex. He agrees.”
“Really! He disagreed completely yesterday.”
“Well, when I say I discussed, we talked about it last night. He didn’t exactly agree, but-”
“Fiona. We can’t continue it without his agreement. It will make things worse between you two and then he’ll see me as a real villain.”
“I think he already does. You’re both quite motivated people, I think that’s what went wrong last time.”
“If we go ahead he’ll hate me even more that he does already.”
“There’s an opportunity to find my daughter. I have to take it.”
“Okay. I’ll begin to make plans and I’ll contact you soon enough,” O’Brien stood up, following Fiona out. He left with her and shut the door behind him.
“Just off to the pub,” he smiled. “Bye for now”
Duncan and Simon had watched them say their goodbyes from just behind an alleyway. They crept out of the shadows. Simon had a small paperclip and fiddled with the lock. He heard it click, and the wooden door swung forwards. Simon knocked over a coat stand on his way in. It toppled over and sent him crashing to the floor. Duncan turned around and scowled at him.
“Sorry,” Simon whispered.
“He’s only gone out to the pub,” Duncan grumbled. They continued through the darkened corridor of the house.
“Right, be careful. Go through everything. Take out anything interesting you can find.”
Simon went in to the living room and Duncan to the office. They rummaged through draws and large wooden chests. There were piles of paper on the desk and Duncan flicked through those. Nothing. They checked dusty wardrobes, musty cupboards and ancient cabinets. Eventually, Simon began to pull out the books, throwing them on the floor behind him.
“What the hell are you doing?” Duncan asked.
“Checking the bookshelves!” Simon stated proudly.
“Oh for goodness’… right, okay”
“Hey, look at this,” Simon found a small black notebook. Duncan plucked it out of his hands and started flicking through it.
“It’s a diary,” Duncan continued through it. He stopped suddenly.
“Have you found anything?” Simon peered over his shoulder.
“He wants to open the investigation for that little girl again.”
“What do you mean?” Simon said, shocked.
“You remember, the one who went missing! He’s closing down the digsite! He must want funding or something. Well…,” Duncan’s voice trailed off.
“We can’t let him do it,” Simon began to put the books back on the shelf.
“Right. Come on. We need to get out of here,” Duncan said. When they had stacked the shelf neatly back up they made their way out, quietly shutting the front door behind them.
***
“Listen, Alex, I need to talk to you about something.”
“Sure. Anything.”
“Well, this probably isn’t what you want to hear.”
“Just tell me,” Alex laughed.
“I went to see him.”
“Who?”
“Oh for goodness’ sake, keep up. I went to see Mr O’Brien.”
“And…”
“I told him to go ahead.”
Alex looked at Fiona, shocked, almost horrified.
“You what?” he had a dark undertone in his voice.
“I went to see him, and I told him to open the investigation.”
“You went behind my back?”
“Yes, yes I did.”
“How dare you go behind my back-”
“She’s my daughter, I’ve got every right-”
“No! She’s our daughter. You have no right”
“You tell me I worry too much. Maybe it’s not me. Maybe you just control me way too much!”
“I don’t control you!”
“Well what do you do then? You didn’t even ask me whether I wanted to open the investigation when he first brought it up. You just said no, you went behind my back. I just did exactly what you did.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“Then we’re just as bad as each other,” Alex said.
They sat in silence.
“So what happens next?” he asked.
“I don’t know. He said he’d come round and talk to us about it.”
“One thing you have to promise me. You don’t go out there.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going out there.”
“Why can’t we both go?”
“As I said last night. Ellie needs at least one parent. I’ve talked about this a lot recently. It’s my job to protect you.”
“When you say it like that it makes me sound like I’m useless, like I need someone to defend me. It makes you sound like you’re… I dunno, oppressing me. It’s been like this since Anna went missing.”
“I don’t want it to sound like that. I just want to care for both of you.”
“And you do a good enough job. You always have done, and you always will do. It wasn’t your fault that she went missing. And it wasn’t mine either. We both have to remember that. Because that seems to be the main problem here,” Fiona smiled.
“Maybe it is.”
“Maybe it was a bad idea for me to open the investigation again. It’s just going to cause arguments.”
“I don’t know. Maybe there is a chance she’s still out there. We’ll find out soon enough.”
***
“Hello there!” Mr O’Brien called out. He stood on a wooden stage, the village gathered in front of him.
“I gather you here today, not as citizens, but as friends. Six months ago, this village saw the loss of a little girl. A loss that tore us apart. You could argue that we have still not recovered. And that may be true. Because the disappearance of little Anna has done more. It has opened our minds. Opened our minds to new possibilities that we never thought possible. Since she disappeared, we started the dig site. Dr Veronus is analysing something we found there the other day. Maybe one day, we will find out why we exist. But through all this time, I have felt personally responsible. For the fact that this little girl who inspired us to do so much has gone missing and that we have never found her. It is time for this burden to be lifted. I declare, the case of the disappearance of Anna Everett, open!”
The buzz of chatting swept across the crowd.
“I may not be a good man. Yes, I have done wrong things. Yes, I shut down the case in the first place. Yes, I have been behind people’s backs to get this case up and running again. Maybe people in this village do not trust me. I ask you to support Alex, Fiona and Ellie in the search for Anna. I beg of you. Any volunteers for the search? Please raise your hands.”
One by one, a few hands went up. First Tim, one of the village men, then Lee from the bookshop, and slowly more followed.
“Thank you. Thank you so much. Alex and Fiona will be so happy to know we’ve got this many of you. Good day to you all. Thank you for listening.”
The crowd gradually dispersed.
“Ah, Duncan!” O’Brien turned to see Duncan standing by the stage. “You’d be an ideal volunteer.”
“No. I’m not volunteering”
“Oh? Don’t want to support the hunt for a young child?”
“No. You’re closing down the dig site so you can reopen your investigation.”
“You know this how, exactly?”
“You had your diary with you. The other day at the dig site.”
“No, no, no. That diary doesn’t leave my house. Why’d you go in there?”
“I haven’t-”
“Don’t deny it. You made a schoolboy error.”
“Oh yes?”
“Well, to start off, you left the door unlocked. And, my house wasn’t as I left it.”
“What? You can’t… that doesn’t-”
“I should get you arrested.”
“Please, Mr O’Brien-”
“I’m not going to, though.”
“Thank you, thank you-”
“You have until the wheel breaks down.”
“What? Come on, please…”
“No. I’m sorry,” O’Brien walked off. “By the way. Don’t you ever break in my house again.”
The TARDIS
“Howlonsthbether.”
“Hmm?” The Doctor was afraid to admit he’d dozed off, and Autumn’s words woke him up.
“I said how long’s that been there?” she exclaimed, pointing at the time rotor.
“What…”
The Doctor stood up to get a closer look, stepping down the stairs to the console unit. He put his finger against it. The glass was cracked – someone must have used a sharp object. It would have taken a lot of strength and skill to etch the word ‘Repent’ onto glass without breaking it.
“Did you see who did it?” asked the Doctor.
“You were supposed to!” Autumn rolled her eyes. “I ran out of biscuits, so I left to get some. I opened three different packets. That took about four minutes, from here to the kitchen and back. Someone did that in four minutes. Why didn’t you see?”
“I was… asleep…” The Doctor scratched his head.
“Someone hates you that much,” remarked Autumn. “What the hell have you done, Doctor?” She backed away from him. “Am I safe?”
“I don’t know.”
“I know you might not trust me, but now is the time to come clean. If you’ve done something, I can help you. And trust me, I can forgive an awful lot. But if I find out you’ve lied to me about something - that you’ve, I don’t know, blown up some planet - and whoever did this finds you, I can’t guarantee that I’ll help you, and if your life is on the line, that I’ll safe you. Unless you tell me now. You have to start trusting me, Doctor. We have to start trusting each other.”
“Okay,” agreed the Doctor. It was reasonable by Autumn’s standards. “But I haven’t blown up any planets. Cross my hearts.”
The Village
“It’s about time we got the elephant in the room… you know, out of the room,” Paul sat next to Valerie, who was slumped on the sofa, sipping a mug of tea.
“What elephant?” Valerie laughed.
“I think you know what I mean. Whether I go out on the search.”
“I’ve sort of been wishing that we’d never have this conversation.”
Paul nodded. “I understand.”
“What do you think you’re going to do?”
“Well, I should go. It’s the thing to do. Do you want me to go?”
“What do you expect me to answer that question with? I can’t say that you should go and I’d be happy for you. I can’t say that I’d be pleased to see you go.”
“And I don’t expect you to. It wouldn’t be right if you were pleased to see me leave. I just want to know whether you think it’s the right thing to do?”
“You’re full of silly questions tonight, Paul. Yes, it’s obviously the right thing to do. But just because it’s the right thing to do doesn’t mean you should do it.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“No. If everyone had done the right thing in the first place, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation. If everyone did the right thing, then the original investigation would never have been shut down. We’d have lost even more men. Possibly even you. If everyone did the right thing, then life wouldn’t progress. It would just grind to halt,” Valerie took another sip of her tea.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“I can tell you don’t really want to leave.”
“I’m in a similar boat to you. I can’t say that I’d happily leave you behind. Because it wouldn’t be right if I was pleased to leave you.”
“Then don’t leave. Stay here.”
There was a long pause.
“If we were both good people who had never done anything wrong ever, then you’d happily wave me off, content that I’d be helping our friends. And I’d happily leave, feeling the same as you – content that I’m helping our friends,” Paul said.
“We’re clearly not good people then.”
Another pause.
“We’re horribly selfish as well. Leaving Alex and Fiona.”
“Crikey, Paul. You’re sending me mixed messages here. Do you want to go or not? And anyway, is it just me, or is it selfish of them to ask for another handful of men from the village to help them, after six months ago three women were told that their husbands weren’t coming home and two children were told daddy wasn’t coming back?”
“I don’t know whether I want to go or not! It’s not a black and white decision!”
“I’m going. Have a think about it,” she stood up and headed towards the front door, angrily pulling her coat from a peg.
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know. Have a think about that as well,” she slammed the door behind her. Paul sighed, burying his head in his arms. He looked up, a tear rolling down his cheek. There was a strange face reflected in the window on the door. He blinked and it vanished. Paul tried to forget about it, but he couldn’t help but wonder who it was and how it was reflected. The glass in the door was frosted, after all.
***
“Ah!” O’Brien saw Greta approaching. “Good evening Greta”
Greta sighed. She didn’t particularly take to the man. “Hello Mr O’Brien…”
“Lovely evening. Where’re you off to?”
“Yes. I suppose it is. I’m off to the pub,” she tried to continue on her way.
“I hope you’ll support the investigation. And wow, that’s brave of you, going to the pub at this time.”
“Yes. I have your back,” she continued.
“Whoa. Is there something up? You seem, all, funny?”
“Everything’s fine.”
“If you’ve got something to say to me, just say it.”
Greta stopped. “I’ve got something to say to you. But I’m not sure if it’s what you want to hear”
“I’m all ears.”
“You’re going to make a lot of enemies in this village, Mr O’Brien.”
“Yeah?” he grinned.
“Tonight, families will be in turmoil. Relationships in tatters. I honestly think that this is a bad move. You’ve got completely the wrong idea.”
“Think about it! A family united!”
“A family that were just beginning to recover. Also, I expect you’ve ruined a few others in the process.”
“Eh?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Couples saying their final goodbyes.”
“Hey. We’re taking extra safety precautions.”
“I don’t care. Everyone really knows how dangerous it is out there after last time. Believe me, if it were for any other reason, you’d have no volunteers. The only reason you’ve managed to get a few is because of Anna. People’s decisions are always swayed when children come into play.”
“I thought you said you’d support me?”
“I did. I want to find Anna. Just because I agree with what you’re doing, however, doesn’t mean I agree with the way you’re doing it. And with that, I shall bid you goodnight, Mr O’Brien,” she walked off towards the alleyway that led to the warm arms of the pub.
***
Mr O’Brien knocked on Dr Lucius Veronus’ door.
“Hold on,” his voice came from the other side. O’Brien could hear clattering and the odd curse. The door opened a crack. Veronus stood in the door, dressed in a long lab coat. He had wild hair that stuck out all over the place.
“Hello,” O’Brien smiled.
“Wait,” Veronus had to move a pile of books from behind the door for it to open fully.
“I’m here about the metal,” O’Brien said.
“Oh, come in,” Veronus said. “Follow me,” he led O’Brien over the clutter – there was piles of books and paintings that had never been hung up, and even a space lab coat that had just been thrown on to the floor. Dr Veronus opened a door that led in to a tight, cramped staircase and walked down, O’Brien following him close behind. At the bottom was a basement that had been converted in to a lab. It probably used to look a lot bigger, but because of the large work surfaces and shelves covered in books, jars containing peculiar liquids and other technical equipment. Dr Veronus led him to one of the work surfaces. There was a Bunsen burner set up and paper cluttered the table. O’Brien was surprised he hadn’t yet burned his house down. The metal dust was in a petri dish.
“Is this the metal?” O’Brien glanced at the dish.
“Yes,” Veronus crossed over to the other side of the room and picked up a scruffy notepad from his desk. He peered inside.
“So? Have you found anything?” O’Brien asked.
“Yes. The metal is certainly foreign to the structure of the ground.”
“Basically it’s not meant to be there?”
“Exactly. What kind of metal it is, well, I’ve got no idea. Never seen anything like it before. I’ve tried reacting it with… well, any chemicals I can get my hands on. And it does nothing.”
“Interesting. Well done, Lucius. Where would we be without you?”
“Well, I don’t know. But whatever that metal is, I want to continue my research. Because it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
***
“Aye, Greta!” Rob shouted from behind the bar as she walked in.
“Hello Rob,” she rummaged around in her pockets and pulled out a purse. “Just a small red wine, please.”
“I’ll bring it over,” he reached behind the bar. She fumbled around in her purse and placed some coins on the bar. Greta bustled over to a row of seats, sandwiched between two wooden dividers and slowly sat down. She sat there, fiddling with a bit of thread hanging off her cardigan. It wasn’t long before Valerie came over to her.
“Don’t mind if I sit here?” she asked, beginning to sit down before Greta even answered.
“No, not at all,” Greta said. Rob brought over her wine. “Thank you. Oh, and whatever Valerie’s having.”
“Thanks. Erm, just an orange juice, please,” she said. Greta handed another handful of coins to Rob.
“My dear. Tell me what’s happened?”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look it. I’m presuming it’s something to do with Paul?”
“How’d you know?”
“You’re in the pub without him. Normally you two are joined at the hip. Anyway. I’m all ears”
Rob placed the glass carefully on the table.
“Thanks,” Valerie said. “Anyway, so yeah. Paul wants to go out on the expedition”
“And good for him. The more men out there, the better. The more chance we’ll have of finding her.”
“Well, that’s one way of looking at it. But I just don’t want him to go. Please tell me you can understand where I’m coming from?”
“Yes, definitely.”
“I’m worried about him. I can’t let him go.”
“Of course. Three men disappeared last time. It’s understandable.”
“Exactly. What if that happens to him? I don’t know what it’s like to lose a loved one. I’m just scared about what will happen if he doesn’t come back. I can picture it. Mr O’Brien will knock on my door, and I’ll answer it. He won’t have to say anything. I’ll stand there, and he’ll stand there. We’ll both know. And then, he’ll tip his hat, and walk off. Then what will I do? Will life just continue as normal? I dunno. It gets even worse. I feel guilty for neglecting my friends, for not encouraging my husband to go out and search for their daughter. If they find out what I’ve been saying to him they’ll be furious. It’s all just one big mess.”
“Don’t be worried. You do realise that every couple in the village is in exactly the same position as you?”
“I suppose.”
“And everyone has learned, since last time. We know how dangerous it is out there now. We know that you can be with everyone, but turned around and then find yourself on your own. We know that we have to stick together, and that everyone should always have an eye on everyone else. He’ll be in safe hands.”
“I suppose so. But then I don’t think he wants to go either.”
“I think you need to go back to him. Talk to him. Take it slowly. It’s a hard decision to make, I know. But you and Paul, you’re strong. I have faith that you can do it.”
“Thanks,” Valerie smiled. “As soon as I’ve finished, I’ll go straight back.”
***
Fiona gently placed a few items in the rucksack. It was hard, almost as if someone was stopping her. It felt that by doing this, she was practically sending him away. There was a photo of the four of them on the pile of clothes. She picked it up, snivelling. She couldn’t bear to put it in the bag. At that moment, a hand placed itself on hers. Alex helped her put the photo inside.
“Thanks,” she said. He sat with her and helped load the rest of the items in to the bag.
Greta scuttled out of the alley between two of the houses, gripping her shawl tightly around her. The village square was lit by a lone lamp just next to the green where a small tree stood, surrounded by a network of flowers and shrubs. It always felt like a calm night in the little village. Apart from tonight. Greta could feel a shift, as if something had changed, like something was about to happen. She glanced at some of the houses. Paul and Valerie, snuggling on the sofa. Dr Veronus, his head buried in a book. Alex and Fiona laughing as they packed a bag. There was Mr O’Brien, writing in battered notepad. Duncan, eating his evening meal. She could see a few others as well, washing up, reading, drawing and one even playing the violin. Everything was normal, yet it seemed like hard times were going to hit. She turned her head towards the far end of the square. A figure stood there, masked by the shadows. From a distance, he looked like he was wearing a long coat.
“Hello there,” she said. “Lovely evening.”
As she approached, the man became clearer. He had short hair and held a peculiar torch.
“Hello?” she murmured. She was directly in front of him and reached out. Her hand connected with the man’s shoulder. He vanished.
***
Paul stood in front of the mirror that was mounted on the bathroom door. He wrapped a padded jacket around him, zipping it up. He grabbed a backpack and slung it over his shoulders. He walked towards the front door and lifted the latch, leaving slowly. He left the door unlocked in case Valerie decided to come back.
***
He was there, again. In the window from across the road. What was it? It was nagging Valerie now. A worry. A worry that was constantly badgering her. Pestering her. There was something that was missing. Why was he there? What was he doing? She thought of all the times she’d ever seen him. She could recall all of them. But it still felt like something wasn’t there. Then she remembered. The dreams.
***
Alex slung the rucksack over his shoulders as Fiona walked out the kitchen.
“It’s time already?”
“Yeah. I know. An early start”
The silence was almost awkward. Until she broke down and hugged him.
“Please, stay safe. Don’t do anything stupid, and come back alive for god’s sake,” her muffled voice said.
“Take care of Ellie.”
“I will,” Alex turned and opened the front door, stepping out in to the cold mist outside.
“Wow. It’s cold,” Fiona snivelled. She followed him out and stood by the door, as he gathered over by the rest of the men amidst a pile of luggage. Ellie ran out and joined her mother. O’Brien stood in the distance with a clipboard and a pen.
“So, gentlemen. Are we ready?” he asked them all. They all nodded. “Just some general, safety notices then. We stay together at all times. Don’t let anyone out of sight. That’s what went wrong last time.”
Eventually O’Brien stopped talking. They turned towards the horizon. Ellie began to wave excitedly. She had no idea what was really going on. Fiona hadn’t properly told her. Fiona waved as well, a sad smile on her face. They watched as the men disappeared in to the distance.
“Have they gone?” Valerie dashed out of her house.
“Yep,” Fiona said.
“Oh dear. We have to get them back. It’s not safe.”
“It’s too late. They’ve gone already.”
“I’ve just realised. Something is very, very wrong, and it all started in the fields. There’s something out there and they’ve just walked right in to it.”
“I’m sure you’re just upset about Paul and everything,” Greta walked over.
“There’s nothing out there, Valerie. Please, don’t say things like that. I understand what it’s like, your husband going out there. I’m just as worried as you are. Probably even more worried than you.”
“There’s something wrong”
“Just, shush. Be quiet”
“No. My husband and daughter are out there, don’t you say things like that and make this worse.”
“You need to understand. They won’t come back.”
“Greta,” Fiona said. “Can you look after Ellie?”
“Of course,” Greta said. Ellie followed her quickly.
“Just follow me,” Valerie said.
The TARDIS
“Doctor, I’ve just got this through on my vortex manipulator.” Autumn showed the Doctor her wrist device. A message flashed continuously in red lettering. “It’s locked. It’s not letting me do anything else.”
The Doctor examined the message closely.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DOCTOR, FOLLOW THESE COORDINATES
“The coordinates have been saved automatically,” explained Autumn. “I was going to just go, but with that conversation we had about trust – well, I thought you might need me.” The Doctor smiled. There was fear building up inside him, but he knew how blessed he was to have Autumn Rivers by his side. “So do you recognise the coordinates?”
“Yes. If I go, I could be risking everything. We need to play this carefully, Autumn. Subtly.”
“Why?”
He grimaced.
“Because we’re about to enter Dalek-Space.”
***
The men hadn’t been travelling long. They were already far from the village. He felt sick with worry. They plodded on over the rolling hills and the spacious fields. It was never ending. He realised that he was right. If he hadn’t listened to Fiona he would be at home with her and Ellie. Was that a bad thing? He wasn’t sure. He looked around for the rest of the men. They had disappeared.
“Hello?” he asked. He darted around. There was nothing. Everything had gone. “Anyone? Please”
“Alex?” O’Brien stood next to him. Alex turned his head and they were back. Eventually they came to a hill, taller than anything else they had seen so far. Tim, one of the men, climbed to the top of it.
“What’s that?” Tim shouted from the hilltop.
“You can see something? Wait,” Alex scrambled up next to him.
Alex could see something in the distance. The sun reflected off it. It looked metallic. O’Brien ran up and joined them, beckoning the rest of the men.
“We’ll go and have a look,” O’Brien slid his fedora up his head. The gang walked down the hill towards the thing.
“Aren’t you coming?” O’Brien asked Alex.
“Yeah,” Alex was mesmerised. “Sorry,” he followed him. There was something drawing him to the metal object. The silence was eerie.
***
Greta placed a cardboard box on the table.
“What’s that?” Ellie asked.
“Scrabble,” Greta took off the lid and poured out the little tiles.
“Oh. I’ve never played it before.”
“It’s really quite simple. You have to use the tiles to make words. Each tile has a letter on it. Different letters are worth different points. And the player with the most points wins.”
Greta began to scoop the tiles in to a bag.
“Right. Now you take seven letters from the bag and put them on the rack,” Greta held out the bag to Ellie, who picked seven letters. Greta slowly taught Ellie how to play. The board began to fill up. Greta blinked. The letters rearranged themselves.
THE WINDOW MAN IS REAL
She looked over. His reflection was in the window again. A chill ran down her spine. He was gone.
***
“Listen to me,” Valerie dragged Fiona in to the shop. Peter was stood behind the counter. “Peter,” she asked.
“You’ve gone mad,” Fiona grumbled.
“Yes. What can I do for you?” he said.
“Your stock. Where do you get it?”
Peter thought for a second. His face was blank.
“I don’t know,” he pondered. “I just… well, I don’t know. It’s just there”
“You see? He doesn’t know, nobody knows. Everyone here has been living a lie that nobody knows about.”
“This isn’t real. It can’t be.”
“It is. You know it is. You’ve been having bad dreams, haven’t you?”
It was slowly coming back to Fiona.
“Everyone has bad dreams. And everyone has been seeing things. You know, there’s this one of a man reflected in the window.”
“The man in the window. I’ve seen him.”
“Everyone has. You’ve just sent Alex out there. It’s dangerous. He won’t come back.”
***
Chink. They had hit something.
“DUNCAN!” Simon shouted.
“What is it?” his face appeared at the top of the hole.
“I’ve hit something!”
It took Duncan nearly ten minutes to reach the bottom. He grabbed a spade that was lying on the ground and stuck it in to the soft ground. It hit something metal. He began to dig vigorously. Something shiny appeared. Simon’s jaw dropped.
“What is that?”
“I don’t know,” Duncan got on to his knees and began to wipe away the mud. He tapped the surface with his finger.
“It’s metal. We’ve hit metal,” Duncan gulped.
Simon walked away a few feet and stuck his spade in the ground. It was metal over there.
“It’s all metal. The whole ground beneath our feet.”
Suddenly Duncan remembered. The dreams were coming back to him.
***
Alex approached the object. It was quite short, a box covered in lights and switches and buttons, shaped strangely familiarly, but in a way he couldn’t place.
“What is it?” O’Brien asked.
“I don’t know,” one of the men said.
“It looks like a body,” O’Brien said.
Suddenly it dawned on Alex.
“Oh my god. It does… it looks like a human torso.”
***
“Nobody can see it,” Valerie ran in to the village square, gazing around her. Duncan joined her.
“The ground is metal,” he screamed.
“Seriously, both of you, you’re going mad,” Fiona said.
“They’re not,” Greta stood in the doorway of her house.
“Excuse me?” Fiona walked over to her.
“As much as I hate to say it, they’re not. Something is wrong here. I realised last night. Something is wrong, and it has been for a very long time.”
Valerie looked over towards the tree. The man in the window with the long coat. He stood there, staring at her. As she look back, she realised everyone else could see him too.
“It’s you,” she reached out.
He stepped backwards, stumbling slightly and breathing heavily. Then he whispered.
“Valerie…”
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Next Time
Bigger on the Inside
On the run from the Daleks, the TARDIS takes the Doctor and Autumn to the one place in the universe worse than Dalek Space: an ordinary English village, where the Doctor finally meets the consequences of his worst mistake. Episode list: 1. The Time Museum 2. The Adulteress and Her Doctor 3. Peacepoint 4. Earthstop 5. Sunset Forever 6. The Planet Makers 7. Who Watches The Watchmen? 8. The Anger Games 9. Extinction 10. The Quest Through Time 11. A Village Called Nothing 12. Bigger on the Inside 13. Extermination of the Daleks |