Post by medusacascade on Feb 5, 2009 0:12:05 GMT
I do not own Doctor Who, but I share the same love of the programme, the stories and the 10th Doctor. There is limited violence in this story, there is no bad language, and it is in keeping with the whole genre that is DOCTOR WHO.
A ghost, a Doctor and a new beginning!
'Look kid, I know how you feel but this is wrong.' Captain Jack Harkness, the tall and good looking ex Time Agent stood facing the young man with the thick dark hair and dark blue eyes. He watched as he gathered up his belongings and pulled back the pistol in his hands. 'This isn't the way to go, Miguel, please.'
'They destroyed my grandfather and even if I have to hunt them all down, I will.' The boy growled back.
'You can't.'
'Why not?'
'They're dead, the Time War wiped them out. All but one.'
'Then the job will be easier.'
Jack stood closer to the young man he'd taken under his wing. There was a history between them, a closeness, a kindred spirit. He felt responsible for the boy's existence and although he never admitted it, he cared for him deeply.
'Miguel, please. Think about what you're saying.'
Miguel stared at him, the tall American was the closest thing to a brother he could ever wish for, but the loss of his grandfather could never ease the pain he felt.
'I have to Jack. I have to find him. I need the truth.'
'And then what?' Jack enquired as the boy clicked on the co-ordinates on the vortex manipulator strapped to his wrist.
'Then I kill him.'
'NO.'
The boy disappeared in a flash of light and Jack stood alone in the hub staring at the empty space and a feeling of hopelessness. He could only pray that fate intervened before Miguel killed the last of the Time Lords.
Beaumont Estate was a three storey light sandstone house that belonged to the late Beaumont family. Lady Clarissa was reputed to haunt the rooms on all levels, her search for her lover Ralph DeWitt, an American she had met while out in the colonies before returning home kept her spirit alive. She had died young, pining for her lover, her ghostly figure dressed in a white satin dress that trailed behind her, and her golden hair that hung low over her shoulders and down her back in loose curls. She was the only child of the late Earl of Beaumont, only the man servants and footmen controlled the home and opened it to the public.
Visitors from all over the world visited the Estate, it was well advertised as a ghost hunting package with guaranteed sightings of the young and beautiful Lady Clarissa which were highlighted in bold on the brochures. The Doctor turned it over in his hand and read with scepticism the details within. He pushed it into the inside pocket of his brown striped jacket and strode through the hallway as if he owned the place, his hands behind his back as if he were the Earl himself.
There were thirty guests booked in, their loud voices could be heard disappearing up the stairs to their rooms. The further through the hallways and doorways distanced the Doctor from them. He acknowledged the servants and chambermaids in their antique costumes of the period as he passed them along the narrow passages between the rooms and stepped out into the large courtyard at the back of the house. The smell of a used stable caught his nostrils and he pulled a face, it smelt of pig.
In its day the Estate had been home to horses and carriages, a workman's hut to repair the wooden contraptions that ferried the owners back and forth now sat empty, with the odd remnants of the trade. He turned and looked back at the house and caught sight of a young man staring back at him, his short black spiked hair and dark menacing features sent a shiver through the Doctor.
The spread for the guests in the large dining room was sumptuous; a large banquet table spread along one wall consisted of food fit for a king. Large turkeys, hams and meats of several varieties filled large silver trays. Tureens of vegetables, bread rolls in wicker baskets, fruit, and jugs of wine and beer, trifles and gateaux, pies and creams overflowed the table. The young man felt sick and returned to the table and drank his water. He watched people filter back and forth to the table and refill their plates as if one heaped plate just wasn't enough. He caught sight of the striped suited man wandering back to the table, his plate piled with assorted meats and bread rolls. He was talking to a woman next to him, laughing at a joke before seating himself beside her and tucking into his meal.
The Doctor glanced at the people at his table, rich and oversized men and women who viewed this trip as an excursion and worth blowing a few hundred dollars if it meant they saw an English ghost.
Lifting the glass of water to his lips he turned towards the opposite table and caught the hard stare of the young man from the window. He lowered the glass and smiled to be polite but felt that same cold feeling.
A high pitched voice from the banquet table took his attention from the boy and he spun around to see a strange image of a man with only his head visible. He was dressed in a white wig, his face powdered white and had red circles on his cheeks. He looked grotesque. The loud American with the beer gut and the triple chins guffawed at the sight of the man, suspecting it to be a cheap gimmick, but loving it nonetheless.
The head bobbed about over the food bowls, it spoke in a foreign accent that the young man couldn't make out. It was inaudible but had the servants rushing about like fools in a show. The tables were in uproar, the tourists laughed and cheered, clapping when the head disappeared into the trifle bowl with a splash and had to be removed physically by a waiter in full dinner suit, complete with white gloves.
The night air chilled the bones but the young man needed space to breathe. There was something about that tall man in the suit that un-nerved him. He crossed the garden towards the trees and the walled in orchard and saw the object he'd only seen in dreams and at Jack's. The upright 1950's Police Call Box stood quietly beside the fruit trees that rubbed against it in the light breeze. He touched the wooden door and heard the inner lock click. He pushed the door open and inhaling deeply stepped inside. The central control unit hummed in a low voice as he walked towards it. The various controls and gadgets that sat around it were strange and looked as thought they'd been gathered from a tip or scrapyard. An old telephone from the 1970's sat in one segment, a pulley and a dial from a bygone day sat in another. The only up to date gadget appeared to be a monitor that spun several circles this way and that like the cogs inside of a clock.
The young man closed his eyes and reached his hand out towards the segment he was standing beside and placed his hand over the switches. Something clicked, whirred and as he opened his eyes another level appeared above his head and a spiral staircase wove up towards it. He climbed slowly and reaching the top found himself to be inside a large walk in wardrobe. On various levels of pole he saw clothing, a vast array of menswear from all different centuries. At the back of the room stood a wardrobe that was sealed shut. He looked about the unit and saw it was made of wood like the outside of the ship. He felt with his hand all about for a lock or a handle and heard the inner workings of a lock click once more, he grinned to himself.
The door popped open and he stood facing a red satin dress with frills about the hem. At the front of the dress a pattern stood out that caused him to step back horrified. He gasped and took several minutes to regain his composure and look back at the dress. He lifted it from the wardrobe, it still held her scent and he felt the prickle of emotion creeping through his nose and throat and the tear that escaped down his cheek and dropped onto the the soft red satin.
Lady Clarissa ran along the corridor, a door to the right was open and she ran inside. It was the loud treble chinned American at the front of the dining hall. He was pulling on his pyjamas while his wife cleaned her teeth in the bathroom next door. He saw the glow of her ghostly image and looked up amazed and a little horrified.
'Oh my god....' He started to say as she stepped towards him and kissed him on the mouth. At first he could do nothing, the shock alone was enough to contend with, but now he couldn't breath, now he had to push her away. He felt sick and dizzy.
'I'm sorry, I'm really sorry.' She ran along the corridor, her footsteps heavy on the carpet, her ghostly glow gone. She ran on, cutting through the servants quarters and down the stairs towards the stables, as a woman's scream alerted her that time was precious and she ran on faster.
Miguel sat bolt upright in the bed, he pulled his pistol from under the pillow and ran to the door, pulling it open a crack he listened for the sounds of running footsteps and voices at the end of the corridor. He pushed the gun into the top of his trousers and pulled over the jacket and followed the voices. In a room no bigger than his own, he saw the big American lying on the floor, and his wife crying over his body. The loud American was dead!
The stranger with the suit was crouching beside the dead man, Miguel saw him check his pulse and shake his head slowly at the newly grieving widow.
'I'm so sorry.' He spoke softly with an English accent.
As the crowd dispersed back to their own rooms ushered by a tall, well spoken butler, Miguel stayed beside the door and watched the man console the woman.
'What do you think caused it?' He found himself asking the man.
The Doctor stepped away from the grieving woman and stepped into the hallway. He looked back at the man on the ground before settling his eyes upon the young man with his hand firmly gripping something concealed inside his jacket.
'Asphyxia. There's no physical signs of a struggle, no hands around the neck, but it does look like someone took his breath away. Who would do something like that I wonder?'
'Right.' Miguel felt uncomfortable in the presence of the man, his hand felt clammy against the butt of the pistol.
'If you're going to do it, get it over with, don't hesitate.' The Doctor spoke coldly.
'Wha....?' Miguel froze, the cold rush of fear poured over him.
'The gun inside your jacket. I take it that's why you're here, or is this message for someone else?' He produced a brown leather wallet from his pocket and flipped it open. There flashing across the psychic paper were the words: WATCH YOUR BACK!
Miguel lowered his hand and leaned against the wall, defeated.
'Jack!'
The stable was quiet, the servants and staff were bustling about the guests and calming them down, nobody was looking for a ghost. Clarissa pulled a face and clasped a hand to her mouth, she'd forgotten what it was to smell as a mortal. Straw and excrement lay about the floor in the double roomed stable. A bed of straw and a thick rug lay against the middle of the far wall and she stepped precariously towards it. Her slippered shoes squelched in unseen poo and much and she pulled several faces in the light of the moon.
She looked about her and considered the hiding places for a precious jewel. She pulled another face when she realised that it was quite likely hiding beneath the bed.
'Ewww.' Her hand tentatively pushed its way through the straw and touched on moist dirt. She felt as though she would hurl and stemmed a desire to do just that. She heard noises above her, the footsteps were coming down the stairs, she didn't have much time. She forced her hand in deeper and touched on a solid object. She clasped her fingers around the object and pulled, but it snagged on a broken floorboard and wouldn't budge. She became desperate and plunged both hands under the bed as a deep and menacing voice growled behind her.
'What do you think you're doing?'
She spun around and saw a large pig in a flat cap, its evil eyes glinting from the light shining through the window from the moon. She watched as it transformed into the evil Russilion that had kidnapped her. His six feet of muscle and deformed mechanical arm slammed on the light switch, it lit up the room and showed him for the pirate he really was. The camera lens for an eye spun in and out like a telescope sighting land or the enemy and the full length mechanical arm held a sharp blade at the hand and was terrifying at any angle.
'Please Bonaparte, you have to let me go.' Lady Clarissa begged freeing herself from the muck beneath the bed. 'What good is there keeping me here?'
'You killed a guest, people will come now. You disappoint me Princess.' He lashed out with the good arm and sent her flying back into the dirt. She cried out in pain from the cut to her cheek and as he leaned over her she felt her body resuming the ghostly image she'd been so desperate to shake.
Bonaparte lumbered towards his bed and lifted the blanket. He kicked the metal box back under the floorboard and slammed his bed back down, glowering at the girl. 'You just remember what happens to those that try to take the amulet. Remember DeWitt, now back into the houose and don't let me catch you down here again.' He growled.
The Doctor waited for the young man to speak and grew tired. He leaned against the opposite wall and folded his arms, his dark eyes scrutinised the young man, he tried to probe his mind but the young man looked back up at him.
'Don't. If you want to know me, answer me this. Why do you have her dress in your ship?'
The Doctor frowned. 'What dress?'
'In a locked wardrobe at the back of your ship, you have her red dress, why?'
The Doctor opened and closed his mouth several times before he glared furiously at the Miguel. 'How did you get into the wardrobe, actually how did you get into my ship?'
'The dress, tell me about the dress?'
'Nobody can get into that cupboard except for a Time Lor....d' He pulled out his sonic screwdriver as the young man reached for his gun. 'Don't be stupid, a murder has just been committed and you're brandishing a weapon!'
'Tell me about the dress, now.' He clicked the hammer back on the pistol and the Doctor dropped the sonic back into his pocket and stared at the barrel. He looked into the eyes of the young man, they were so full of hate and revenge that he wondered if telling him would save his soul.
'The dress belonged to someone I used to know. She lived a long time ago and died before I came to Earth.'
'She was murdered, she never got old enough to die naturally.' The young American boy growled.
'How would you know this?' The Doctor looked quizzically at Miguel.
'Because my grandfather told me. She was murdered by the Time Lords, executed for a crime she didn't commit, and you were there.'
'She was married to a tyrannical lunatic who destroyed many planets and civilisations across the galaxy.' It was the Doctor's turn to growl. 'The Time Lords had little choice but to sanction new Laws to aid the capture of one Luman Petrillian the second.
'But they killed her, why?'
'It was the Law, to persecute all those related to Petrillian. It was wrong I grant you, but when the Laws are set, there's no going back.'
'And you let it happen, you couldn't save her, why not? You save so many people from death and destruction and you couldnt save her?'
'I wanted to believe me.' He looked at the emotional young man, the gun wavering like a wand. 'Is that why you're here, to punish me?'
'Why is her dress in your wardrobe?'
'Because I loved her and its all I have left to remind me of her. We were in love and because despite my commitment, despite everything I ever believed in, I couldn't live without her.'
'But you did, because she was murdered by you and your race.'
'Not by me. But there was nothing I could do.' He looked at Miguel, the young man had watery eyes, and an anger and rage not so dissimilar to his own back then.
'Why is she so important to you, you wouldn't have been born then?'
'She was my great grandmother.'
The Doctor fell silent.
'Her death destroyed my grandfather. He couldn't forget what your people did to her. For years he believed that he was the son of a tyrant, but he wasn't and its not fair. How can it be that the people who destroyed her are still a part of my life?' He yelled angrily at the Doctor and lowered the gun. 'By killing her, you doomed us all.'
'I don't understand, how does her death affect you?'
'Your disease destroyed my grandfather, it killed my mother and I guess it'll destroy me too in the end.'
'What disease?'
'I don't know what its called, but they all got sick, and they died, they all died.' He choked back the tears and ran from the room slamming the door behind him. The Doctor made to follow but stopped as the clatter of furniture hit the door and he heard the young man cry.
The next morning felt no different to the last as Miguel walked through the grounds of the Estate. He passed the tall butler in full dress and nodded at him as the butler said good morning. Miguel stared at the dilapidated structure in the overgrown field where buttercups and rosebay willow herb grew in clumps everywhere. The pink and yellow flowers blended well in the field and lifted the drab green colour pleasantly. He waded through the long grass and came upon a tunnel. He walked around the outside and discovered it to be a stone bridge, the other side collapsed and mounds of soil and rocks had made a small rockery of woodland plants and lichen. He climbed onto the mound and cupped his hands above his forehead and stared about him at the immense acres of land either way. The estate was huge, acres of grassland and woods as far as the eye could see.
He climbed back down the structure and stepped into the gloomy arch with its overgrown flooring and plants growing in the cracks along the walls. As he turned back towards the entrance, something bright flashed from an alcove. He touched the loose stone and pulled it away revealing a hidden space with a disk like object with an orange flashing light on the top. He carefully lifted it out and turned it over in his hands, it was no bigger than a mug coaster, it was metal in construction and no thicker than a chicken egg. It looked heavy but felt light. A shadow blocked the entrance and he subconsciously reached for his gun but relaxed slightly when he saw who it was.
The Doctor frowned at the reaction of the young man, but let it pass. He too had seen the dilapidated structure and had come to see what it held. He strode towards the young man and pulling his glasses from his pocket snatched up the device and peered at the tiny indentations around the rim.
'It's a Z8 transponder, used back on Delta Spectron, but what its doing over here.' Miguel gave up glaring at the Doctor and stared at the device he was playing with. 'Now, if I flip this over and wiggle that inner section there....it should....got it.' The Doctor announced as the transponder clicked and whistled and a green light released itself and lit up the entire tunnel.
'What does it do?' Miguel found his voice.
'It sends and receives messages.' He looked out of the tunnel and up into the sky and squinted at the brightness of the day. 'But who would be using it out here is a little worrying.'
'Why?'
'The people who carried these were pirates, they used these devices to escape capture, but their ship would need to be close by.'
'Pirates?'
'Yeah, you know, 'avast me hearties, yo, ho ho. Pirates.' The Doctor replied staring in wonder at the young man.
Miguel reached for his pistol as a series of angry grunts and rustling through the undergrowth came to their ears.
'You'd better put this back. I think we've just alerted someone.' He tossed the device to Miguel who pushed it back into the alcove and followed the Doctor to a safe vantage point.
They watched from the cover of the fir trees as a Berkshire pig wearing a flat cap ran towards the structure they'd just left. It looked about itself and kicking with its back trotter, kicked its underbelly and began to transform into a two legged creature before their eyes.
'What the hell is that?' Miguel whispered unable to take his eyes off the creature with a large camera lens for an eye and a sharp blade for a hand. It looked more machine than human, a real nightmarish creature from a horror film or game.
'It's a Russilion.' The Doctor said distastefully.
'The pirate?'
'They're battle transformers, started out as normal pirates but after every skirmish they're rebuilt from machines by machines. They're more droid than human. In the years before the Time War there were fleets of them in the Corul System, fighting never ending battles. But what they're doing here on Earth, I have no idea.'
'But all of that - in one pig.'
'Less conspicuous.'
'Right, and a talking pig with a flat cap on running about a house full of tourists doesn't look odd to you?' Miguel replied facing the Doctor.
They watched as the Russilion pulled out the device from the wall and activated it inside the tunnel. The Doctor didn't feel comfortable being this close to the blade.
'We should go.'
Bonaparte clicked on the underside of the now opened transponder device, a recall switch relayed the last few moments of its use and the Russilion saw the same two men that were exiting the field behind the trees.
Miguel watched as the Doctor strode across the gardens towards the house. All the while as he stood in the tunnel not once had he attempted to kill the Time Lord. He had every opportunity at his disposal. He walked back to his room and came face to face with a ghost!
It bothered the Doctor a lot that a Russilion could be living amongst them, and they rarely travelled alone. He studied the workforce from the maids to the servants who worked with the tourists. Since the death of the large American yesterday, no Police had been called, no authorities notified and yet both the body and the wife had disappeared and their room cleared of their belongings. He lowered his sonic screwdriver, something was going on, something was wrong.
He strode back along the corridor towards his room and heard a loud commotion a few doors ahead of him, he looked up in time to see the young man crawl on all fours and collapse half in and half out of his room. A young woman in a flowing white satin dress and long flowing golden hair pushed past him as he ran to his aid. He stared back at her as she rounded a corner and disappeared before returning to stare at the young man whose lips were turning blue.
He felt for a pulse and lifted the boy up, noticing how light he felt in his arms and carried him to his bed, kicking the door shut behind him. He lay the boy down and pulled out the stethoscope and felt for a pulse. His eyes widened and he backed away knocking the young man's jacket onto the floor, it landed with a thump.
He picked it up and the object that had fallen onto the carpet. He knew what it was even before he flicked the cover, and dropped it into his own pocket. He looked back at the young man and heard a voice echo in his head from yesterday in the hallway.
'She kept my grandfather safe.'
'But that's....no....he can't be.' The Doctor's heart ached, the pain of what couldn't possibly be the truth was lying unconscious on his bed. 'Ragda why didn't you tell me?' He felt the same emotion, the same heart felt anger that he'd harboured on the day she died. Once again he was staring at another child of Gallifrey, an echo from his past and it hurt.
Lady Clarissa hid inside the broom cupboard and peered out at the milling crowd. She kicked herself for picking a busy corridor and wished for nightfall when the halls would be safe to run freely. But the energy was limited. She peered out again and took her chances, only the butler saw her exiting the cupboard and followed quietly as she ran towards the study on the top floor. He watched her as she peered out of the window at Bonaparte entertaining the younger guests by dancing about on two trotters.
'It's not safe to be out here my lady.' He said softly behind her.
'It's not safe full stop.' She retorted sarcastically. She sighed and turned to face the butler. 'All I want is the amulet and I can go home, Gemini. Please, he wouldn't hurt you, you're part of the crew.'
'My lady, you ask too much from me. Bonaparte will kill anyone who nears the stables, especially since the death of the American.'
'That was an accident.'
'He had to kill the wife, could you imagine the trouble we'd be in? The authorities would never be off our backs, we're trying to blend in, my lady. You've got to stay hidden.'
'If I'm not home before the second alignment of the moon, my throne goes to the second family, surely you understand what that means.' She implored.
'My lady, you're asking me to sacrifice everything for you. Haven't I done enough already?'
'Gemini please.'
Gemini backed away shaking his head. 'Please, return to your room, if you displease Bonaparte again, he'll kill us all, throne or no throne.' He held the door open for her and reluctantly she returned to her room in the north facing tower.
The Doctor watched over the young man as he lay on the bed unconscious. His pulse had slightly improved but he was still pale and his lips remained a dark reddy blue colour. He was a very thin young man, but then looking at his own physique, so was the Doctor. He looked about the room and pulled out drawers for an ID. As he stood by the rich mahogany unit near the window his Converse shoe rested upon a canvas bag pushed underneath the chest of drawers. He pulled it out and peered inside. Setting out the contents on top of the unit he inspected the metal cube that rattled when he shook it. It was hollow and seemed to have no visible signs of entry. He pressed the sonic and released a tiny catch invisible to the naked eye, a small hiss of gas released itself into the room and he lifted the lid and using his finger and thumb in a pincer like movement, pulled out the tiny data chip, it had a familiar circular inscription along one side of it, and pulling on his spectacles saw it to be the insignia of the Time Lords. He pocketed that also and looked back at the child asleep on the bed, he was awakening.
He kicked the canvas bag with the contents back under the unit and pulled out his stethoscope and listened to a healthier rhythm than before.
Miguel was unsure where he was when he awoke, he sat up to see the Doctor sitting at the end of the bed, the vortex manipulator looped around an upturned finger.
'I think we need to talk, don't you?'
The Doctor listened as Miguel explained about the device in his hand, he told him about Jack and the hub and Torchwood, but the Doctor was well aware of Captain Jack Harkness and his travelling teleport device. What he didn't know was that Jack had always known about the young man.
Miguel listened as the Doctor told him about his great grandmother; he filled his head with the exact images that he had stored in his memories. He listened as the Doctor reminisced about life on Gallifrey and the Time Lords, he learned about the last great Time War and the Daleks and saw a sadness in the Doctor's eyes as he spoke of the loss of his own family and friends.
The Doctor looked at the young man sitting quietly on the bed absorbing the information like a sponge.
'Well that's my story, where do you fit in?'
'My grandfather was aboard a shuttle bound for Earth almost two hundred years ago, not many survived the crash. He was a grown man, had a family, a daughter - my mom. He was a very bitter man. He always wanted to avenge the death of his mother, despite the stories that the elders on Aboras told him, he wasn't prepared to believe them. They told him he was the son of the tyrant Luman Petrillian II, but he knew he wasn't and that's what hurt the most. He became really bitter, tried to kill himself on more than one occasion. Mom went the same way, this evil trait must be inherent in all of us. They both wanted to return to Gallifrey and take out those responsible for Ragda's death, but without the right mode of transport that was going to be impossible. Not everyone can rift hop.'
'Nobody should rift hop, it breaks down the very fabric of the Universe.'
'Yeah, whatever.' Miguel replied. 'Your Laws condemned us all, every member of my family is dead, every memory of who I am is on that memory chip in your pocket.'
The Doctor touched the pocket in question and looked up curiously. 'How did......?'
'I have one or two gifts. Jack said I reminded him of someone he knew.'
'I can't be your great grandfather, it's not possible.' The Doctor replied sadly.
'That'll make it easier to kill you then.' Miguel raised an eyebrow.
'Is that what you want to do?'
'She was killed by your race, it's only fitting that you should die by her race.'
'She came from Gallifrey, theoretically you'd be erasing her memory too.'
'No, your people did that already.'
The Doctor lifted down the holster that swung at the end of the bed on a hook and pulled out the black Beretta. His hand fitted snug in the grip and he felt the cold steel in his palm. He inhaled deeply and with a loose quiver of fear handed the gun to the young man.
'You do know that Time Lords regenerate don't you, so that every time you shoot me, I'll come back to life.' He added, looking at Miguel and the pistol aimed at him.
'How many times?'
'Does it matter?'
'Yes.'
'Thirteen.'
'Oh.' The young man lowered the weapon. 'I only have enough for one shot.' He sighed and lowered the hammer, securing the safety he tossed the gun back at the Doctor. 'If I'm the last of my species and I'm likely to die the same way as my family, then one shot should do it. Your turn.'
The Doctor lifted the weapon back into his hands and pointed it at the boy. He released the safety catch and Miguel waited for that final moment. The Doctor stared with what looked like a steely determination, then frowned.
'You have two hearts and one bullet.' He lowered the weapon. 'What would be the point?'
'Two hearts?'
'Like I said, Ragda came from Gallifrey, if your grandfather was indeed her son, then he too would have had two hearts. That orangy yellow glow that you saw would be him regenerating. Sometimes it goes wrong. Sometimes the results can be horrific. We only survive to the thirteenth regeneration, then we're gone. Had he regenerated before that?'
'I don't know.' He thought hard for a moment. 'No, he's always looked the same, I'm sure of it.'
'It could be that he fought with the regeneration, scared of what was taking place. Sometimes mid way things can affect who we turn into. If he was full of hate and malice......'
'Who else loved Ragda other than you?'
'She had many admirers.' He smiled.
'There was always one name that came up time and time again when my grandfather rambled about the identity of his real father.'
The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat.
'If you're not my great grandfather, then the man I search for is already dead.'
'What was his name?'
Miguel slid from the bed and walked towards the window as dusk enveloped the countryside. The black Beretta lay on the light yellow throw.
'His name was the Doctor.'
Nightfall blanketed the ground and the entire countryside. Owls hooted in the trees and foxes yelped in the darkness. Miguel sat on the steps of the house and felt the cold air cling to his face and clothing. He had travelled so far to find the Time Lord and now it wasn't even the right one. He felt so lost and alone and without the transport home unless he rift hopped, he was screwed.
He sensed someone behind him but didn't reach for his gun. It cleared its throat.
'Can I be of service sir?' It was Gemini, standing as before with a silver tray awaiting an order.
'Not unless you've got a teleport machine I could use.'
'I'm sorry sir, I have no idea what you're talking about.' He laughed falsely. Miguel turned to look at the man in the uniform.
'You're a Gemini 450ZX with a titaneum transfer. I think you do know what I'm talking about.'
Gemini froze, his eyes widened like saucers and he quickly glanced behind him for dear of someone overhearing.
'How did you know?'
'As droids go, you're a fairly new model. That usual whirring of your internal mechanics is masked by the titanium. There's just that tiny ticking sound that can't be heard by the human ear.'
He saw a fear etched across the droids face. 'I won't tell, not if you help me.'
A bright yellow sun warmed the Earth and brightened up the mood of the guests the following morning. Peac*cks pecked the grass on the front lawn around the strange topiary shrubs beside the maze. A young fox cub ran across the gravel path, its tail between its legs as a large pig with a tuft of brown hair gave chase, snarling.
The Doctor and Miguel joined the guests in the dining room, a sombre affair in light of the disappearance of the American and his wife and a handful of guests spread out around the large room. The appearance of the bodyless man came and went without laughter or interest. Miguel chased the bacon around his plate and gave up, picking up the mug of coffee to awaken his senses. The Doctor polished off his second plate of eggs and bacon and wiped his mouth on the napkin resting on his knee. He inspected the meagre amount of guests in for breakfast, and the young man amongst them. He seemed distant until Gemini bowed beside him and whispered in his ear, then both men left together. The Doctor followed after a few moments and skulked in the shadows as Miguel headed out towards the back of the building and into the courtyard with the servant.
'I'm risking a lot telling you this.' Gemini whispered in a low voice.
'Go on.' Miguel urged, looking directly at the servant.
'Bonaparte and most of us here belong to a race called the Russilions. I take it you've heard of those.' Miguel nodded. 'Our ship lost orbit, battle damage, we landed here eight Earth years ago and have been waiting and biding our time until we can return to the Delta vector.' He looked about him for signs of Bonaparte and the crew but only the Doctor lurked beside the opened door of the back kitchen, where the smells of the fry up still hung in the air.
He listened while Gemini told Miguel of the ghost who happened to be a kidnapped Princess from the senate of Delta vector and the house of Bordermon. It had always been a tough battleground, the lines drawn against the senate and the Russilions and the level of ground they occupied. But the last skirmish had taken its toll on the crew, families were killed in the gunfire that wiped out three quarters of the Russilion population and battalion. There was only one option left and that was to take the senate by force. The royal family were caught up in the scuffle and young Clarissa was kidnapped while her brother died trying to save her.
'So she's not a real ghost.' Miguel asked.
Bonaparte knew if he kept her life energy she would assume the life of a ghost and be unable to pick up the amulet and return home.' Gemini continued.
'What's the amulet?'
'It's a part of who she is, her real self. Bonaparte keeps it hidden in his stable.'
'Why?'
'If she returned home, our mission would have failed.'
'Mission, you're stranded on Earth.' Miguel replied sarcastically.
'If Bonaparte knows I've talked to you.'
'You're a droid, what can he do to you?'
'You have no idea of his powers, he's not just a pig, he's......'
'I've seen the two legged version thanks.' Miguel added.
A thump of movement behind the Doctor caused him to take drastic action. A two legged Russilion with a bladed hand was storming towards him, another step and he wowuld see the Time Lord standing beside the open door. He dove into the kitchen and through the connecting door leading back upstairs through another set of stairs. Bonaparte was raging, his senses were slipping into overdrive. Baccus the kitchen porter had informed him of Gemini's change of allegiance, it was time to bring the crew back into check.
'What are you doing discussion our business with a human, Gemini?' He growled as droid went through respiratory breakdown.
'Leave him alone, he's done nothing wrong, we were just trading.....recipes.' Miguel replied lamely.
The Russilion swiped him with the side of the bladed hand sending him sprawling backwards onto the stone floor.
'I'll deal with you in a moment.' Bonaparte snarled over his shoulder.
'Now...Bonaparte, leave him alone, he's safe, he's not like the others.' Spluttered the droid as Bonaparte turned upon him.
'Trading recipes with a droid? I don't think so. You've been seen Gemini, consorting with the enemy. What did I say would happen to those who went against me?' The Russilion drew to full height and towered over the droid, who gulped and struggled with his answer.
'You'd....make them wish they'd never been born, sir.'
'You were always a disappointment to me.' He hurled the droid against the nearest wall, a clang of metal and body hit the brickwork and slumped to the ground, fizzing and twitching. He turned his attention to the young man pointing a Beretta in his direction and laughed.
'Your puny weapons are no match for me.' He roared and ran in huge strides towards Miguel who fired a shot at the shoulder of the pirate, it penetrated his skin but didn't slow him down.
'Ok, that didn't work.' Miguel backed away as the giant swipe of the bladed hand came at him like a rotor blade, it narrowly missed him. He fired another shot, this time clipping the pirate in the bladed arm, something hissed and incited the pirate even further. He pushed the pistol back into his shoulder holster. The bladed hand crashed near him and he dodged, cartwheeling away from the blade as it came again and again. Miguel was running out of space, the giant Russilion was gaining on him and there was no sign of help from any quarter. The Time Lord he'd sensed beside the door was nowhere to be seen.
The Doctor was having problems of his own. The Russilion pirates were aware of conflict within their ranks and were beginning to arm themselves with any weapons they could muster.
'This is not good.' He said as all avenues were blocked and the only exit was through a window and up the stairs into the tower room. The stairs seemed to go on for ever, but eventually stopped outside a black oak door with a large metal key still hanging in the lock. He smiled at their lapse of security and pushed the heavy door, it creaked open.
'Princess Clarissa of Borderman, I presume.' He smiled at the semi ghost before him. She rose from the bed and ran to him, but he held up his hands.
'No. Let's not.' He advised.
'How do you know who I am?' She spoke in a soft voice, her life energy almost back to ghost form.
'Your friendly butler Gemini was only too keen to tell the young man you almost kissed to death downstairs.'
'I wasn't going to kill him, I needed his energy, I want to get back the amulet. I must go home, the second alignment of the moon is almost in place, when that happens, the House of Borderman will be no more.' She said woefully.
'Then we'd better go and pick up your amulet, your highness.' He grinned and stepped aside to let her pass. 'Where is it kept?'
'Bonaparte has it in his stable. We must hurry.' She urged and floated ahead at speed. The Doctor ran to catch up, but not being able to float through walls he was already at a disadvantage. She returned and grinned apologetically.
'Sorry, forgot. This way.' The Doctor ran behind her, through the second dining room, along the corridor, avoiding three servants fighting over the suit of armour weapons and headed towards the stables. Miguel was still battling the huge Russilion but now he was using the only other gift he possessed - telekinesis.
Bonaparte despite his strength and muscle was unable to reach the boy on the other side of the domed forcefield he'd generated. Miguel knew he couldn't hold it forever, the weight and force of Bonaparte was stronger than the might of ten men, but as he saw the Time Lord with the Princess heading towards the stables, he had to keep it going for as long as possible to buy them some time, but his strength was already waning.
Gemini sat up, his mind fizzed in and out of focus, he observed the movement in front of him , the towering giant against a child with what looked like a clear dome of energy. He staggered to his feet and readjusted his head, it clicked into place, the normal whirring that continued within his armour settled down and ticked quietly. HIs right hand was damaged, the artificial skin hung off in a clump revealing machine beneath and the lights that moved each joint flickered up at him.
He saw the Princess hovering in the stable, her face was bright and beaming as the Doctor emerged carrying the metal box containing the amulet. He glanced towards Bonaparte, the boy was wavering, the energy forcefield was failing.
He saw the Doctor struggling with the tin box all the while staring from that to the boy. He wanted to help them both, but the amuleet was equally as important. He saw the frustration of the Time Lord as his fingers scrabbled with the rusty lid. He tried with the sonic screwdriver, the high pitched whistle drew the attention of Bonaparte who turned and faced the Time Lord. Miguel collapsed against the stones of the courtyard, his chest heaving in and out as he gulped in the air. He was exhausted, he had used his reserve energy, Bonaparte could swing his blade and he wouldnt be able to move.
The Doctor felt the lid give way, it spurred him on to tug harder but Bonaparte was gaining ground. He put some distance between them and ran back into the stinking pig sty sealing the door closed with the screwdriver while he struggled with the lid. He felt the door take the full force of the angry Russilion and continued his quest until finally free, he held the amulet up triumphantly, grinning from ear to ear.
It shone so brightly, the red corazon crystal in the centre of the gold crested titanium metal.
The door on its final pounding gave way and fell flat near the feet of the Time Lord, as Bonaparte blocked the Doctor's only means of escape, he held the amulet aloft in his left hand. The pirate stopped moving, his bladed hand dropped down by his side, he breathed heavily, his heart pounding against his metal body.
'You will let me pass, Bonaparte. Is that your real name?' The Doctor asked curiously.
'What of it, the amulet is mine.'
'This amulet belongs to the princess of the Bordermon reign, not the Russilion pirates.'
'You have no idea of our world, Earth man.' The pirate glowered.
'You're stranded here, but she can return home. Why do you need her?'
'Our borders were shortened by the senate, they had no right to destroy our land and our homes. They had to be stopped.'
'Surely there were better embargoes than kidnapping?'
'They refused to listen. My crew had family, children and lives on the Delta vector, but the House of Bordermon instructed the senate to destroy three quarters of our land and everyone upon it.'
'Then they were wrong, and I will do what I can to put everything right.' The Princess implored hovering in front of the pirate. 'I know my family did a wrong to your people, but you were no better to the people of Pentaseven, you massacred an entire race. Sanctions had to be met, but this war must stop and I can make it happen, if we can work together.' She put across a good argument, but Bonaparte only had eyes for the Amulet.
'You're good at talking but that's it my lady.' He strode towards the Doctor, his bladed fist struck the stall and sliced through it like butter. The Doctor took this moment to run for the door and out into the courtyard as the young man picked himself up off the ground with help from Gemini.
'Give me that amulet.' The Russilion ran from the destroyed stable and came at the Doctor. He tossed the amulet towards Miguel who caught it deftly as the pirate was almost upon the Doctor. Miguel ran with it across the courtyard while the pirate gave chase.
From the kitchen and out of the door came the crew of the pirate ship, their weapons varied from axes, swords still attached to the shield from the walls, and rolling pins. The Doctor felt sick at the thought of taking them on as well as the huge Russilion.
Miguel had run towards a dead end, he'd taken the wrong turning and cursed himself. The giant was within spitting distance of beheading him. He caught sight of the princess hovering above the head of the giant. He glanced past the giant at the Doctor and hurled the amulet far above the giants head. He called to the princess as Bonaparte ran towards the Doctor.
'If you kiss me now, you can get the amulet yourself.' He said.
The Doctor glanced back as he ran with the amulet, Miguel's legs were buckling as the princess became a solid form. Gemini ran towards Miguel and held him up as the Doctor circumnavigated the courtyard while the crew watched from their safe vantage point. He saw Miguel and the princess and threw the amulet. It went high and wide and as fast as Bonaparte could stride, he just couldn't reach the amulet in time. Clarissa caught it and held it against her chest. A bright light flashed from the amulet and blinded the group who covered their eyes momentarily.
Clarissa rose higher and higher into the air, her true form changing and becoming lighter and more fairy like than ever before.
'Thank you.' She called down to the men who dared risk themselves for her.
As the light faded and the princess and the amulet had gone forever, Bonaparte focussed on the droid and the two men. He stormed towards Miguel and swung the blade in his direction. Gemini knew the boy had no chance against the mighty pirate, not after giving up most of his energy and stood before him, taking the full force of the blade as it ripped through his systems and severed him from his lower half. A milky substance spurted from the droid as it collapsed and flinched several times before stopping.
Miguel became incensed at the vicious attack on an unarmed combatant. Bonaparte looked down at his empty holster against his waist and sneered evily at the boy.
'You better hope you can use that weapon because I've a blade that needs a new body.' He snarled and faced Miguel head on as the blade dripped the milky droid fluid, that glooped onto the courtyard.
'You've nowhere left to go Bony, this is it. You have a choice, a life as a pig working in this house, bringing in enough money you could afford to fix your ship, or......' Miguel started.
'Or what?' Bonaparte growled
'Or I pull the trigger and we all die.'
'You wouldn't dare.' Bonaparte dared.
'Cluster bullets spread out and disintegrate everything in its way. Watch me.'
The Doctor knew that the boy was serious, he'd seen the cluster weapon used before and the effects were devastating. He turned to face the crew standing together beside the damaged stables and pleaded with them.
'Is this what you want, a war that never ends? You're never going to make it back to Delta vector if he pulls the trigger. Make a difference, you like this place, I've seen you smile, I've heard your songs from the galley, those old sea shanty's. This is like fleecing the ships in the galaxy, only over here, the tourists are willing to pay to stay here.'
'They won't now the Princess has gone.' Baccus complained.
'So invent one, use the bodyless crew member, turn it into a theme park, your're pirates, you've always thought on your feet. What's wrong, lost your spark. COme on Bony, this isn't like you.'
'You don't know me Earth man.'
'I'm not from Earth, my planet has long since gone, but the name lives on in the heart of the many and the few.' The Doctor spoke in a dark menacing voice.
'So what are you then?'
'TIME LORD.'
The Russilion's gasped, the crew dropped their weapons instinctively. They knew the might of the Time LOrds, it didnt go in their favour to argue with one.
Bonaparte straightened himself and turned to face the Doctor.
'They were wiped out, how did you survive?'
'Unlucky I guess. But I know of the Russilions, their fighters, true, but they're also thinkers and schemers and I know for a fact that your land was part of the Delta Spectron farming cluster. This crew were selected purely because they were all that were left after the war. They're not fighters, Bony.' He raised an eyebrow and continued. 'You could live out your days here, bring this house into the 21st century, make your money on Earth.' He looked at the crew, they were nodding their heads. A life off the ship, a life working the soil as farmers as their fathers and fore fathers had done.
The giant shrugged and felt suddenly tired, his loyal crew were disbanding. He turned back to face the young man with the gun still pointing at him.
'No hard feelings.' He forced a smile and offered an outstretched hand in friendship to the young man. He stood for a moment or two, watching for signs of a trap, but saw nothing. He lowered the weapon and shook the giants hand. The giant pulled him close and Miguel felt the blade of the other hand puncture his skin. He gasped and sputtered. He heard the Doctor yell, he tasted blood in his mouth and saw it on the sleeve of arm of the pirate. Miguel twitched and with a final release of the trigger released one round into the pirates chest before falling to the ground.
The bright light blinded him for a second as Bonaparte became dust. The crew and the Doctor picked themselves up from the ground and looked about them. Bonaparte was gone.
The Doctor ran to Miguel, his almost lifeless body stared up at the sunlight, he was still gasping for air and shivering.
The Doctor cradled him in his arms and touched his face that felt so cold and pale.
'Stay with me, you can do this.' He said coming over with emotion.
'I never did ask your name.' Miguel spoke through the shivering.
'I'm the Doctor, your great grandfather.' He said swallowing heavily.
'Fine time to tell me now.....I....feel so....cold.' He replied.
'You can regenerate, it's in your data chip, your grandfather and mother were the same. Just let it happen, you have to let it happen. Please.' He whispered as his chin quivered and the tears began to fall.
Miguel arched his back as the pain became too much to bear and the Doctor felt his body go limp in his arms.
Eventually he laid the boy down on the courtyard and sat beside him crosslegged, the blood still on his hands.
As he watched the face of the young man, an orange glow flickered over his face and hands and he stepped away as the regeneration process took over.
The crew ran back into the house as the energy from the young man erupted from his body. As it eased, the young man lay on the courtyard floor, his shirt still bore the ripped material but the wounds were gone. He was the same as before, but now he was alive.
The Doctor grinned and pulled the young man to his feet and stared at the grinning face before him.
It was the start of a new beginning, the Tardis had another crew member, and this time it was family.
*********************************************
A ghost, a Doctor and a new beginning!
'Look kid, I know how you feel but this is wrong.' Captain Jack Harkness, the tall and good looking ex Time Agent stood facing the young man with the thick dark hair and dark blue eyes. He watched as he gathered up his belongings and pulled back the pistol in his hands. 'This isn't the way to go, Miguel, please.'
'They destroyed my grandfather and even if I have to hunt them all down, I will.' The boy growled back.
'You can't.'
'Why not?'
'They're dead, the Time War wiped them out. All but one.'
'Then the job will be easier.'
Jack stood closer to the young man he'd taken under his wing. There was a history between them, a closeness, a kindred spirit. He felt responsible for the boy's existence and although he never admitted it, he cared for him deeply.
'Miguel, please. Think about what you're saying.'
Miguel stared at him, the tall American was the closest thing to a brother he could ever wish for, but the loss of his grandfather could never ease the pain he felt.
'I have to Jack. I have to find him. I need the truth.'
'And then what?' Jack enquired as the boy clicked on the co-ordinates on the vortex manipulator strapped to his wrist.
'Then I kill him.'
'NO.'
The boy disappeared in a flash of light and Jack stood alone in the hub staring at the empty space and a feeling of hopelessness. He could only pray that fate intervened before Miguel killed the last of the Time Lords.
Beaumont Estate was a three storey light sandstone house that belonged to the late Beaumont family. Lady Clarissa was reputed to haunt the rooms on all levels, her search for her lover Ralph DeWitt, an American she had met while out in the colonies before returning home kept her spirit alive. She had died young, pining for her lover, her ghostly figure dressed in a white satin dress that trailed behind her, and her golden hair that hung low over her shoulders and down her back in loose curls. She was the only child of the late Earl of Beaumont, only the man servants and footmen controlled the home and opened it to the public.
Visitors from all over the world visited the Estate, it was well advertised as a ghost hunting package with guaranteed sightings of the young and beautiful Lady Clarissa which were highlighted in bold on the brochures. The Doctor turned it over in his hand and read with scepticism the details within. He pushed it into the inside pocket of his brown striped jacket and strode through the hallway as if he owned the place, his hands behind his back as if he were the Earl himself.
There were thirty guests booked in, their loud voices could be heard disappearing up the stairs to their rooms. The further through the hallways and doorways distanced the Doctor from them. He acknowledged the servants and chambermaids in their antique costumes of the period as he passed them along the narrow passages between the rooms and stepped out into the large courtyard at the back of the house. The smell of a used stable caught his nostrils and he pulled a face, it smelt of pig.
In its day the Estate had been home to horses and carriages, a workman's hut to repair the wooden contraptions that ferried the owners back and forth now sat empty, with the odd remnants of the trade. He turned and looked back at the house and caught sight of a young man staring back at him, his short black spiked hair and dark menacing features sent a shiver through the Doctor.
The spread for the guests in the large dining room was sumptuous; a large banquet table spread along one wall consisted of food fit for a king. Large turkeys, hams and meats of several varieties filled large silver trays. Tureens of vegetables, bread rolls in wicker baskets, fruit, and jugs of wine and beer, trifles and gateaux, pies and creams overflowed the table. The young man felt sick and returned to the table and drank his water. He watched people filter back and forth to the table and refill their plates as if one heaped plate just wasn't enough. He caught sight of the striped suited man wandering back to the table, his plate piled with assorted meats and bread rolls. He was talking to a woman next to him, laughing at a joke before seating himself beside her and tucking into his meal.
The Doctor glanced at the people at his table, rich and oversized men and women who viewed this trip as an excursion and worth blowing a few hundred dollars if it meant they saw an English ghost.
Lifting the glass of water to his lips he turned towards the opposite table and caught the hard stare of the young man from the window. He lowered the glass and smiled to be polite but felt that same cold feeling.
A high pitched voice from the banquet table took his attention from the boy and he spun around to see a strange image of a man with only his head visible. He was dressed in a white wig, his face powdered white and had red circles on his cheeks. He looked grotesque. The loud American with the beer gut and the triple chins guffawed at the sight of the man, suspecting it to be a cheap gimmick, but loving it nonetheless.
The head bobbed about over the food bowls, it spoke in a foreign accent that the young man couldn't make out. It was inaudible but had the servants rushing about like fools in a show. The tables were in uproar, the tourists laughed and cheered, clapping when the head disappeared into the trifle bowl with a splash and had to be removed physically by a waiter in full dinner suit, complete with white gloves.
The night air chilled the bones but the young man needed space to breathe. There was something about that tall man in the suit that un-nerved him. He crossed the garden towards the trees and the walled in orchard and saw the object he'd only seen in dreams and at Jack's. The upright 1950's Police Call Box stood quietly beside the fruit trees that rubbed against it in the light breeze. He touched the wooden door and heard the inner lock click. He pushed the door open and inhaling deeply stepped inside. The central control unit hummed in a low voice as he walked towards it. The various controls and gadgets that sat around it were strange and looked as thought they'd been gathered from a tip or scrapyard. An old telephone from the 1970's sat in one segment, a pulley and a dial from a bygone day sat in another. The only up to date gadget appeared to be a monitor that spun several circles this way and that like the cogs inside of a clock.
The young man closed his eyes and reached his hand out towards the segment he was standing beside and placed his hand over the switches. Something clicked, whirred and as he opened his eyes another level appeared above his head and a spiral staircase wove up towards it. He climbed slowly and reaching the top found himself to be inside a large walk in wardrobe. On various levels of pole he saw clothing, a vast array of menswear from all different centuries. At the back of the room stood a wardrobe that was sealed shut. He looked about the unit and saw it was made of wood like the outside of the ship. He felt with his hand all about for a lock or a handle and heard the inner workings of a lock click once more, he grinned to himself.
The door popped open and he stood facing a red satin dress with frills about the hem. At the front of the dress a pattern stood out that caused him to step back horrified. He gasped and took several minutes to regain his composure and look back at the dress. He lifted it from the wardrobe, it still held her scent and he felt the prickle of emotion creeping through his nose and throat and the tear that escaped down his cheek and dropped onto the the soft red satin.
Lady Clarissa ran along the corridor, a door to the right was open and she ran inside. It was the loud treble chinned American at the front of the dining hall. He was pulling on his pyjamas while his wife cleaned her teeth in the bathroom next door. He saw the glow of her ghostly image and looked up amazed and a little horrified.
'Oh my god....' He started to say as she stepped towards him and kissed him on the mouth. At first he could do nothing, the shock alone was enough to contend with, but now he couldn't breath, now he had to push her away. He felt sick and dizzy.
'I'm sorry, I'm really sorry.' She ran along the corridor, her footsteps heavy on the carpet, her ghostly glow gone. She ran on, cutting through the servants quarters and down the stairs towards the stables, as a woman's scream alerted her that time was precious and she ran on faster.
Miguel sat bolt upright in the bed, he pulled his pistol from under the pillow and ran to the door, pulling it open a crack he listened for the sounds of running footsteps and voices at the end of the corridor. He pushed the gun into the top of his trousers and pulled over the jacket and followed the voices. In a room no bigger than his own, he saw the big American lying on the floor, and his wife crying over his body. The loud American was dead!
The stranger with the suit was crouching beside the dead man, Miguel saw him check his pulse and shake his head slowly at the newly grieving widow.
'I'm so sorry.' He spoke softly with an English accent.
As the crowd dispersed back to their own rooms ushered by a tall, well spoken butler, Miguel stayed beside the door and watched the man console the woman.
'What do you think caused it?' He found himself asking the man.
The Doctor stepped away from the grieving woman and stepped into the hallway. He looked back at the man on the ground before settling his eyes upon the young man with his hand firmly gripping something concealed inside his jacket.
'Asphyxia. There's no physical signs of a struggle, no hands around the neck, but it does look like someone took his breath away. Who would do something like that I wonder?'
'Right.' Miguel felt uncomfortable in the presence of the man, his hand felt clammy against the butt of the pistol.
'If you're going to do it, get it over with, don't hesitate.' The Doctor spoke coldly.
'Wha....?' Miguel froze, the cold rush of fear poured over him.
'The gun inside your jacket. I take it that's why you're here, or is this message for someone else?' He produced a brown leather wallet from his pocket and flipped it open. There flashing across the psychic paper were the words: WATCH YOUR BACK!
Miguel lowered his hand and leaned against the wall, defeated.
'Jack!'
The stable was quiet, the servants and staff were bustling about the guests and calming them down, nobody was looking for a ghost. Clarissa pulled a face and clasped a hand to her mouth, she'd forgotten what it was to smell as a mortal. Straw and excrement lay about the floor in the double roomed stable. A bed of straw and a thick rug lay against the middle of the far wall and she stepped precariously towards it. Her slippered shoes squelched in unseen poo and much and she pulled several faces in the light of the moon.
She looked about her and considered the hiding places for a precious jewel. She pulled another face when she realised that it was quite likely hiding beneath the bed.
'Ewww.' Her hand tentatively pushed its way through the straw and touched on moist dirt. She felt as though she would hurl and stemmed a desire to do just that. She heard noises above her, the footsteps were coming down the stairs, she didn't have much time. She forced her hand in deeper and touched on a solid object. She clasped her fingers around the object and pulled, but it snagged on a broken floorboard and wouldn't budge. She became desperate and plunged both hands under the bed as a deep and menacing voice growled behind her.
'What do you think you're doing?'
She spun around and saw a large pig in a flat cap, its evil eyes glinting from the light shining through the window from the moon. She watched as it transformed into the evil Russilion that had kidnapped her. His six feet of muscle and deformed mechanical arm slammed on the light switch, it lit up the room and showed him for the pirate he really was. The camera lens for an eye spun in and out like a telescope sighting land or the enemy and the full length mechanical arm held a sharp blade at the hand and was terrifying at any angle.
'Please Bonaparte, you have to let me go.' Lady Clarissa begged freeing herself from the muck beneath the bed. 'What good is there keeping me here?'
'You killed a guest, people will come now. You disappoint me Princess.' He lashed out with the good arm and sent her flying back into the dirt. She cried out in pain from the cut to her cheek and as he leaned over her she felt her body resuming the ghostly image she'd been so desperate to shake.
Bonaparte lumbered towards his bed and lifted the blanket. He kicked the metal box back under the floorboard and slammed his bed back down, glowering at the girl. 'You just remember what happens to those that try to take the amulet. Remember DeWitt, now back into the houose and don't let me catch you down here again.' He growled.
The Doctor waited for the young man to speak and grew tired. He leaned against the opposite wall and folded his arms, his dark eyes scrutinised the young man, he tried to probe his mind but the young man looked back up at him.
'Don't. If you want to know me, answer me this. Why do you have her dress in your ship?'
The Doctor frowned. 'What dress?'
'In a locked wardrobe at the back of your ship, you have her red dress, why?'
The Doctor opened and closed his mouth several times before he glared furiously at the Miguel. 'How did you get into the wardrobe, actually how did you get into my ship?'
'The dress, tell me about the dress?'
'Nobody can get into that cupboard except for a Time Lor....d' He pulled out his sonic screwdriver as the young man reached for his gun. 'Don't be stupid, a murder has just been committed and you're brandishing a weapon!'
'Tell me about the dress, now.' He clicked the hammer back on the pistol and the Doctor dropped the sonic back into his pocket and stared at the barrel. He looked into the eyes of the young man, they were so full of hate and revenge that he wondered if telling him would save his soul.
'The dress belonged to someone I used to know. She lived a long time ago and died before I came to Earth.'
'She was murdered, she never got old enough to die naturally.' The young American boy growled.
'How would you know this?' The Doctor looked quizzically at Miguel.
'Because my grandfather told me. She was murdered by the Time Lords, executed for a crime she didn't commit, and you were there.'
'She was married to a tyrannical lunatic who destroyed many planets and civilisations across the galaxy.' It was the Doctor's turn to growl. 'The Time Lords had little choice but to sanction new Laws to aid the capture of one Luman Petrillian the second.
'But they killed her, why?'
'It was the Law, to persecute all those related to Petrillian. It was wrong I grant you, but when the Laws are set, there's no going back.'
'And you let it happen, you couldn't save her, why not? You save so many people from death and destruction and you couldnt save her?'
'I wanted to believe me.' He looked at the emotional young man, the gun wavering like a wand. 'Is that why you're here, to punish me?'
'Why is her dress in your wardrobe?'
'Because I loved her and its all I have left to remind me of her. We were in love and because despite my commitment, despite everything I ever believed in, I couldn't live without her.'
'But you did, because she was murdered by you and your race.'
'Not by me. But there was nothing I could do.' He looked at Miguel, the young man had watery eyes, and an anger and rage not so dissimilar to his own back then.
'Why is she so important to you, you wouldn't have been born then?'
'She was my great grandmother.'
The Doctor fell silent.
'Her death destroyed my grandfather. He couldn't forget what your people did to her. For years he believed that he was the son of a tyrant, but he wasn't and its not fair. How can it be that the people who destroyed her are still a part of my life?' He yelled angrily at the Doctor and lowered the gun. 'By killing her, you doomed us all.'
'I don't understand, how does her death affect you?'
'Your disease destroyed my grandfather, it killed my mother and I guess it'll destroy me too in the end.'
'What disease?'
'I don't know what its called, but they all got sick, and they died, they all died.' He choked back the tears and ran from the room slamming the door behind him. The Doctor made to follow but stopped as the clatter of furniture hit the door and he heard the young man cry.
The next morning felt no different to the last as Miguel walked through the grounds of the Estate. He passed the tall butler in full dress and nodded at him as the butler said good morning. Miguel stared at the dilapidated structure in the overgrown field where buttercups and rosebay willow herb grew in clumps everywhere. The pink and yellow flowers blended well in the field and lifted the drab green colour pleasantly. He waded through the long grass and came upon a tunnel. He walked around the outside and discovered it to be a stone bridge, the other side collapsed and mounds of soil and rocks had made a small rockery of woodland plants and lichen. He climbed onto the mound and cupped his hands above his forehead and stared about him at the immense acres of land either way. The estate was huge, acres of grassland and woods as far as the eye could see.
He climbed back down the structure and stepped into the gloomy arch with its overgrown flooring and plants growing in the cracks along the walls. As he turned back towards the entrance, something bright flashed from an alcove. He touched the loose stone and pulled it away revealing a hidden space with a disk like object with an orange flashing light on the top. He carefully lifted it out and turned it over in his hands, it was no bigger than a mug coaster, it was metal in construction and no thicker than a chicken egg. It looked heavy but felt light. A shadow blocked the entrance and he subconsciously reached for his gun but relaxed slightly when he saw who it was.
The Doctor frowned at the reaction of the young man, but let it pass. He too had seen the dilapidated structure and had come to see what it held. He strode towards the young man and pulling his glasses from his pocket snatched up the device and peered at the tiny indentations around the rim.
'It's a Z8 transponder, used back on Delta Spectron, but what its doing over here.' Miguel gave up glaring at the Doctor and stared at the device he was playing with. 'Now, if I flip this over and wiggle that inner section there....it should....got it.' The Doctor announced as the transponder clicked and whistled and a green light released itself and lit up the entire tunnel.
'What does it do?' Miguel found his voice.
'It sends and receives messages.' He looked out of the tunnel and up into the sky and squinted at the brightness of the day. 'But who would be using it out here is a little worrying.'
'Why?'
'The people who carried these were pirates, they used these devices to escape capture, but their ship would need to be close by.'
'Pirates?'
'Yeah, you know, 'avast me hearties, yo, ho ho. Pirates.' The Doctor replied staring in wonder at the young man.
Miguel reached for his pistol as a series of angry grunts and rustling through the undergrowth came to their ears.
'You'd better put this back. I think we've just alerted someone.' He tossed the device to Miguel who pushed it back into the alcove and followed the Doctor to a safe vantage point.
They watched from the cover of the fir trees as a Berkshire pig wearing a flat cap ran towards the structure they'd just left. It looked about itself and kicking with its back trotter, kicked its underbelly and began to transform into a two legged creature before their eyes.
'What the hell is that?' Miguel whispered unable to take his eyes off the creature with a large camera lens for an eye and a sharp blade for a hand. It looked more machine than human, a real nightmarish creature from a horror film or game.
'It's a Russilion.' The Doctor said distastefully.
'The pirate?'
'They're battle transformers, started out as normal pirates but after every skirmish they're rebuilt from machines by machines. They're more droid than human. In the years before the Time War there were fleets of them in the Corul System, fighting never ending battles. But what they're doing here on Earth, I have no idea.'
'But all of that - in one pig.'
'Less conspicuous.'
'Right, and a talking pig with a flat cap on running about a house full of tourists doesn't look odd to you?' Miguel replied facing the Doctor.
They watched as the Russilion pulled out the device from the wall and activated it inside the tunnel. The Doctor didn't feel comfortable being this close to the blade.
'We should go.'
Bonaparte clicked on the underside of the now opened transponder device, a recall switch relayed the last few moments of its use and the Russilion saw the same two men that were exiting the field behind the trees.
Miguel watched as the Doctor strode across the gardens towards the house. All the while as he stood in the tunnel not once had he attempted to kill the Time Lord. He had every opportunity at his disposal. He walked back to his room and came face to face with a ghost!
It bothered the Doctor a lot that a Russilion could be living amongst them, and they rarely travelled alone. He studied the workforce from the maids to the servants who worked with the tourists. Since the death of the large American yesterday, no Police had been called, no authorities notified and yet both the body and the wife had disappeared and their room cleared of their belongings. He lowered his sonic screwdriver, something was going on, something was wrong.
He strode back along the corridor towards his room and heard a loud commotion a few doors ahead of him, he looked up in time to see the young man crawl on all fours and collapse half in and half out of his room. A young woman in a flowing white satin dress and long flowing golden hair pushed past him as he ran to his aid. He stared back at her as she rounded a corner and disappeared before returning to stare at the young man whose lips were turning blue.
He felt for a pulse and lifted the boy up, noticing how light he felt in his arms and carried him to his bed, kicking the door shut behind him. He lay the boy down and pulled out the stethoscope and felt for a pulse. His eyes widened and he backed away knocking the young man's jacket onto the floor, it landed with a thump.
He picked it up and the object that had fallen onto the carpet. He knew what it was even before he flicked the cover, and dropped it into his own pocket. He looked back at the young man and heard a voice echo in his head from yesterday in the hallway.
'She kept my grandfather safe.'
'But that's....no....he can't be.' The Doctor's heart ached, the pain of what couldn't possibly be the truth was lying unconscious on his bed. 'Ragda why didn't you tell me?' He felt the same emotion, the same heart felt anger that he'd harboured on the day she died. Once again he was staring at another child of Gallifrey, an echo from his past and it hurt.
Lady Clarissa hid inside the broom cupboard and peered out at the milling crowd. She kicked herself for picking a busy corridor and wished for nightfall when the halls would be safe to run freely. But the energy was limited. She peered out again and took her chances, only the butler saw her exiting the cupboard and followed quietly as she ran towards the study on the top floor. He watched her as she peered out of the window at Bonaparte entertaining the younger guests by dancing about on two trotters.
'It's not safe to be out here my lady.' He said softly behind her.
'It's not safe full stop.' She retorted sarcastically. She sighed and turned to face the butler. 'All I want is the amulet and I can go home, Gemini. Please, he wouldn't hurt you, you're part of the crew.'
'My lady, you ask too much from me. Bonaparte will kill anyone who nears the stables, especially since the death of the American.'
'That was an accident.'
'He had to kill the wife, could you imagine the trouble we'd be in? The authorities would never be off our backs, we're trying to blend in, my lady. You've got to stay hidden.'
'If I'm not home before the second alignment of the moon, my throne goes to the second family, surely you understand what that means.' She implored.
'My lady, you're asking me to sacrifice everything for you. Haven't I done enough already?'
'Gemini please.'
Gemini backed away shaking his head. 'Please, return to your room, if you displease Bonaparte again, he'll kill us all, throne or no throne.' He held the door open for her and reluctantly she returned to her room in the north facing tower.
The Doctor watched over the young man as he lay on the bed unconscious. His pulse had slightly improved but he was still pale and his lips remained a dark reddy blue colour. He was a very thin young man, but then looking at his own physique, so was the Doctor. He looked about the room and pulled out drawers for an ID. As he stood by the rich mahogany unit near the window his Converse shoe rested upon a canvas bag pushed underneath the chest of drawers. He pulled it out and peered inside. Setting out the contents on top of the unit he inspected the metal cube that rattled when he shook it. It was hollow and seemed to have no visible signs of entry. He pressed the sonic and released a tiny catch invisible to the naked eye, a small hiss of gas released itself into the room and he lifted the lid and using his finger and thumb in a pincer like movement, pulled out the tiny data chip, it had a familiar circular inscription along one side of it, and pulling on his spectacles saw it to be the insignia of the Time Lords. He pocketed that also and looked back at the child asleep on the bed, he was awakening.
He kicked the canvas bag with the contents back under the unit and pulled out his stethoscope and listened to a healthier rhythm than before.
Miguel was unsure where he was when he awoke, he sat up to see the Doctor sitting at the end of the bed, the vortex manipulator looped around an upturned finger.
'I think we need to talk, don't you?'
The Doctor listened as Miguel explained about the device in his hand, he told him about Jack and the hub and Torchwood, but the Doctor was well aware of Captain Jack Harkness and his travelling teleport device. What he didn't know was that Jack had always known about the young man.
Miguel listened as the Doctor told him about his great grandmother; he filled his head with the exact images that he had stored in his memories. He listened as the Doctor reminisced about life on Gallifrey and the Time Lords, he learned about the last great Time War and the Daleks and saw a sadness in the Doctor's eyes as he spoke of the loss of his own family and friends.
The Doctor looked at the young man sitting quietly on the bed absorbing the information like a sponge.
'Well that's my story, where do you fit in?'
'My grandfather was aboard a shuttle bound for Earth almost two hundred years ago, not many survived the crash. He was a grown man, had a family, a daughter - my mom. He was a very bitter man. He always wanted to avenge the death of his mother, despite the stories that the elders on Aboras told him, he wasn't prepared to believe them. They told him he was the son of the tyrant Luman Petrillian II, but he knew he wasn't and that's what hurt the most. He became really bitter, tried to kill himself on more than one occasion. Mom went the same way, this evil trait must be inherent in all of us. They both wanted to return to Gallifrey and take out those responsible for Ragda's death, but without the right mode of transport that was going to be impossible. Not everyone can rift hop.'
'Nobody should rift hop, it breaks down the very fabric of the Universe.'
'Yeah, whatever.' Miguel replied. 'Your Laws condemned us all, every member of my family is dead, every memory of who I am is on that memory chip in your pocket.'
The Doctor touched the pocket in question and looked up curiously. 'How did......?'
'I have one or two gifts. Jack said I reminded him of someone he knew.'
'I can't be your great grandfather, it's not possible.' The Doctor replied sadly.
'That'll make it easier to kill you then.' Miguel raised an eyebrow.
'Is that what you want to do?'
'She was killed by your race, it's only fitting that you should die by her race.'
'She came from Gallifrey, theoretically you'd be erasing her memory too.'
'No, your people did that already.'
The Doctor lifted down the holster that swung at the end of the bed on a hook and pulled out the black Beretta. His hand fitted snug in the grip and he felt the cold steel in his palm. He inhaled deeply and with a loose quiver of fear handed the gun to the young man.
'You do know that Time Lords regenerate don't you, so that every time you shoot me, I'll come back to life.' He added, looking at Miguel and the pistol aimed at him.
'How many times?'
'Does it matter?'
'Yes.'
'Thirteen.'
'Oh.' The young man lowered the weapon. 'I only have enough for one shot.' He sighed and lowered the hammer, securing the safety he tossed the gun back at the Doctor. 'If I'm the last of my species and I'm likely to die the same way as my family, then one shot should do it. Your turn.'
The Doctor lifted the weapon back into his hands and pointed it at the boy. He released the safety catch and Miguel waited for that final moment. The Doctor stared with what looked like a steely determination, then frowned.
'You have two hearts and one bullet.' He lowered the weapon. 'What would be the point?'
'Two hearts?'
'Like I said, Ragda came from Gallifrey, if your grandfather was indeed her son, then he too would have had two hearts. That orangy yellow glow that you saw would be him regenerating. Sometimes it goes wrong. Sometimes the results can be horrific. We only survive to the thirteenth regeneration, then we're gone. Had he regenerated before that?'
'I don't know.' He thought hard for a moment. 'No, he's always looked the same, I'm sure of it.'
'It could be that he fought with the regeneration, scared of what was taking place. Sometimes mid way things can affect who we turn into. If he was full of hate and malice......'
'Who else loved Ragda other than you?'
'She had many admirers.' He smiled.
'There was always one name that came up time and time again when my grandfather rambled about the identity of his real father.'
The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat.
'If you're not my great grandfather, then the man I search for is already dead.'
'What was his name?'
Miguel slid from the bed and walked towards the window as dusk enveloped the countryside. The black Beretta lay on the light yellow throw.
'His name was the Doctor.'
Nightfall blanketed the ground and the entire countryside. Owls hooted in the trees and foxes yelped in the darkness. Miguel sat on the steps of the house and felt the cold air cling to his face and clothing. He had travelled so far to find the Time Lord and now it wasn't even the right one. He felt so lost and alone and without the transport home unless he rift hopped, he was screwed.
He sensed someone behind him but didn't reach for his gun. It cleared its throat.
'Can I be of service sir?' It was Gemini, standing as before with a silver tray awaiting an order.
'Not unless you've got a teleport machine I could use.'
'I'm sorry sir, I have no idea what you're talking about.' He laughed falsely. Miguel turned to look at the man in the uniform.
'You're a Gemini 450ZX with a titaneum transfer. I think you do know what I'm talking about.'
Gemini froze, his eyes widened like saucers and he quickly glanced behind him for dear of someone overhearing.
'How did you know?'
'As droids go, you're a fairly new model. That usual whirring of your internal mechanics is masked by the titanium. There's just that tiny ticking sound that can't be heard by the human ear.'
He saw a fear etched across the droids face. 'I won't tell, not if you help me.'
A bright yellow sun warmed the Earth and brightened up the mood of the guests the following morning. Peac*cks pecked the grass on the front lawn around the strange topiary shrubs beside the maze. A young fox cub ran across the gravel path, its tail between its legs as a large pig with a tuft of brown hair gave chase, snarling.
The Doctor and Miguel joined the guests in the dining room, a sombre affair in light of the disappearance of the American and his wife and a handful of guests spread out around the large room. The appearance of the bodyless man came and went without laughter or interest. Miguel chased the bacon around his plate and gave up, picking up the mug of coffee to awaken his senses. The Doctor polished off his second plate of eggs and bacon and wiped his mouth on the napkin resting on his knee. He inspected the meagre amount of guests in for breakfast, and the young man amongst them. He seemed distant until Gemini bowed beside him and whispered in his ear, then both men left together. The Doctor followed after a few moments and skulked in the shadows as Miguel headed out towards the back of the building and into the courtyard with the servant.
'I'm risking a lot telling you this.' Gemini whispered in a low voice.
'Go on.' Miguel urged, looking directly at the servant.
'Bonaparte and most of us here belong to a race called the Russilions. I take it you've heard of those.' Miguel nodded. 'Our ship lost orbit, battle damage, we landed here eight Earth years ago and have been waiting and biding our time until we can return to the Delta vector.' He looked about him for signs of Bonaparte and the crew but only the Doctor lurked beside the opened door of the back kitchen, where the smells of the fry up still hung in the air.
He listened while Gemini told Miguel of the ghost who happened to be a kidnapped Princess from the senate of Delta vector and the house of Bordermon. It had always been a tough battleground, the lines drawn against the senate and the Russilions and the level of ground they occupied. But the last skirmish had taken its toll on the crew, families were killed in the gunfire that wiped out three quarters of the Russilion population and battalion. There was only one option left and that was to take the senate by force. The royal family were caught up in the scuffle and young Clarissa was kidnapped while her brother died trying to save her.
'So she's not a real ghost.' Miguel asked.
Bonaparte knew if he kept her life energy she would assume the life of a ghost and be unable to pick up the amulet and return home.' Gemini continued.
'What's the amulet?'
'It's a part of who she is, her real self. Bonaparte keeps it hidden in his stable.'
'Why?'
'If she returned home, our mission would have failed.'
'Mission, you're stranded on Earth.' Miguel replied sarcastically.
'If Bonaparte knows I've talked to you.'
'You're a droid, what can he do to you?'
'You have no idea of his powers, he's not just a pig, he's......'
'I've seen the two legged version thanks.' Miguel added.
A thump of movement behind the Doctor caused him to take drastic action. A two legged Russilion with a bladed hand was storming towards him, another step and he wowuld see the Time Lord standing beside the open door. He dove into the kitchen and through the connecting door leading back upstairs through another set of stairs. Bonaparte was raging, his senses were slipping into overdrive. Baccus the kitchen porter had informed him of Gemini's change of allegiance, it was time to bring the crew back into check.
'What are you doing discussion our business with a human, Gemini?' He growled as droid went through respiratory breakdown.
'Leave him alone, he's done nothing wrong, we were just trading.....recipes.' Miguel replied lamely.
The Russilion swiped him with the side of the bladed hand sending him sprawling backwards onto the stone floor.
'I'll deal with you in a moment.' Bonaparte snarled over his shoulder.
'Now...Bonaparte, leave him alone, he's safe, he's not like the others.' Spluttered the droid as Bonaparte turned upon him.
'Trading recipes with a droid? I don't think so. You've been seen Gemini, consorting with the enemy. What did I say would happen to those who went against me?' The Russilion drew to full height and towered over the droid, who gulped and struggled with his answer.
'You'd....make them wish they'd never been born, sir.'
'You were always a disappointment to me.' He hurled the droid against the nearest wall, a clang of metal and body hit the brickwork and slumped to the ground, fizzing and twitching. He turned his attention to the young man pointing a Beretta in his direction and laughed.
'Your puny weapons are no match for me.' He roared and ran in huge strides towards Miguel who fired a shot at the shoulder of the pirate, it penetrated his skin but didn't slow him down.
'Ok, that didn't work.' Miguel backed away as the giant swipe of the bladed hand came at him like a rotor blade, it narrowly missed him. He fired another shot, this time clipping the pirate in the bladed arm, something hissed and incited the pirate even further. He pushed the pistol back into his shoulder holster. The bladed hand crashed near him and he dodged, cartwheeling away from the blade as it came again and again. Miguel was running out of space, the giant Russilion was gaining on him and there was no sign of help from any quarter. The Time Lord he'd sensed beside the door was nowhere to be seen.
The Doctor was having problems of his own. The Russilion pirates were aware of conflict within their ranks and were beginning to arm themselves with any weapons they could muster.
'This is not good.' He said as all avenues were blocked and the only exit was through a window and up the stairs into the tower room. The stairs seemed to go on for ever, but eventually stopped outside a black oak door with a large metal key still hanging in the lock. He smiled at their lapse of security and pushed the heavy door, it creaked open.
'Princess Clarissa of Borderman, I presume.' He smiled at the semi ghost before him. She rose from the bed and ran to him, but he held up his hands.
'No. Let's not.' He advised.
'How do you know who I am?' She spoke in a soft voice, her life energy almost back to ghost form.
'Your friendly butler Gemini was only too keen to tell the young man you almost kissed to death downstairs.'
'I wasn't going to kill him, I needed his energy, I want to get back the amulet. I must go home, the second alignment of the moon is almost in place, when that happens, the House of Borderman will be no more.' She said woefully.
'Then we'd better go and pick up your amulet, your highness.' He grinned and stepped aside to let her pass. 'Where is it kept?'
'Bonaparte has it in his stable. We must hurry.' She urged and floated ahead at speed. The Doctor ran to catch up, but not being able to float through walls he was already at a disadvantage. She returned and grinned apologetically.
'Sorry, forgot. This way.' The Doctor ran behind her, through the second dining room, along the corridor, avoiding three servants fighting over the suit of armour weapons and headed towards the stables. Miguel was still battling the huge Russilion but now he was using the only other gift he possessed - telekinesis.
Bonaparte despite his strength and muscle was unable to reach the boy on the other side of the domed forcefield he'd generated. Miguel knew he couldn't hold it forever, the weight and force of Bonaparte was stronger than the might of ten men, but as he saw the Time Lord with the Princess heading towards the stables, he had to keep it going for as long as possible to buy them some time, but his strength was already waning.
Gemini sat up, his mind fizzed in and out of focus, he observed the movement in front of him , the towering giant against a child with what looked like a clear dome of energy. He staggered to his feet and readjusted his head, it clicked into place, the normal whirring that continued within his armour settled down and ticked quietly. HIs right hand was damaged, the artificial skin hung off in a clump revealing machine beneath and the lights that moved each joint flickered up at him.
He saw the Princess hovering in the stable, her face was bright and beaming as the Doctor emerged carrying the metal box containing the amulet. He glanced towards Bonaparte, the boy was wavering, the energy forcefield was failing.
He saw the Doctor struggling with the tin box all the while staring from that to the boy. He wanted to help them both, but the amuleet was equally as important. He saw the frustration of the Time Lord as his fingers scrabbled with the rusty lid. He tried with the sonic screwdriver, the high pitched whistle drew the attention of Bonaparte who turned and faced the Time Lord. Miguel collapsed against the stones of the courtyard, his chest heaving in and out as he gulped in the air. He was exhausted, he had used his reserve energy, Bonaparte could swing his blade and he wouldnt be able to move.
The Doctor felt the lid give way, it spurred him on to tug harder but Bonaparte was gaining ground. He put some distance between them and ran back into the stinking pig sty sealing the door closed with the screwdriver while he struggled with the lid. He felt the door take the full force of the angry Russilion and continued his quest until finally free, he held the amulet up triumphantly, grinning from ear to ear.
It shone so brightly, the red corazon crystal in the centre of the gold crested titanium metal.
The door on its final pounding gave way and fell flat near the feet of the Time Lord, as Bonaparte blocked the Doctor's only means of escape, he held the amulet aloft in his left hand. The pirate stopped moving, his bladed hand dropped down by his side, he breathed heavily, his heart pounding against his metal body.
'You will let me pass, Bonaparte. Is that your real name?' The Doctor asked curiously.
'What of it, the amulet is mine.'
'This amulet belongs to the princess of the Bordermon reign, not the Russilion pirates.'
'You have no idea of our world, Earth man.' The pirate glowered.
'You're stranded here, but she can return home. Why do you need her?'
'Our borders were shortened by the senate, they had no right to destroy our land and our homes. They had to be stopped.'
'Surely there were better embargoes than kidnapping?'
'They refused to listen. My crew had family, children and lives on the Delta vector, but the House of Bordermon instructed the senate to destroy three quarters of our land and everyone upon it.'
'Then they were wrong, and I will do what I can to put everything right.' The Princess implored hovering in front of the pirate. 'I know my family did a wrong to your people, but you were no better to the people of Pentaseven, you massacred an entire race. Sanctions had to be met, but this war must stop and I can make it happen, if we can work together.' She put across a good argument, but Bonaparte only had eyes for the Amulet.
'You're good at talking but that's it my lady.' He strode towards the Doctor, his bladed fist struck the stall and sliced through it like butter. The Doctor took this moment to run for the door and out into the courtyard as the young man picked himself up off the ground with help from Gemini.
'Give me that amulet.' The Russilion ran from the destroyed stable and came at the Doctor. He tossed the amulet towards Miguel who caught it deftly as the pirate was almost upon the Doctor. Miguel ran with it across the courtyard while the pirate gave chase.
From the kitchen and out of the door came the crew of the pirate ship, their weapons varied from axes, swords still attached to the shield from the walls, and rolling pins. The Doctor felt sick at the thought of taking them on as well as the huge Russilion.
Miguel had run towards a dead end, he'd taken the wrong turning and cursed himself. The giant was within spitting distance of beheading him. He caught sight of the princess hovering above the head of the giant. He glanced past the giant at the Doctor and hurled the amulet far above the giants head. He called to the princess as Bonaparte ran towards the Doctor.
'If you kiss me now, you can get the amulet yourself.' He said.
The Doctor glanced back as he ran with the amulet, Miguel's legs were buckling as the princess became a solid form. Gemini ran towards Miguel and held him up as the Doctor circumnavigated the courtyard while the crew watched from their safe vantage point. He saw Miguel and the princess and threw the amulet. It went high and wide and as fast as Bonaparte could stride, he just couldn't reach the amulet in time. Clarissa caught it and held it against her chest. A bright light flashed from the amulet and blinded the group who covered their eyes momentarily.
Clarissa rose higher and higher into the air, her true form changing and becoming lighter and more fairy like than ever before.
'Thank you.' She called down to the men who dared risk themselves for her.
As the light faded and the princess and the amulet had gone forever, Bonaparte focussed on the droid and the two men. He stormed towards Miguel and swung the blade in his direction. Gemini knew the boy had no chance against the mighty pirate, not after giving up most of his energy and stood before him, taking the full force of the blade as it ripped through his systems and severed him from his lower half. A milky substance spurted from the droid as it collapsed and flinched several times before stopping.
Miguel became incensed at the vicious attack on an unarmed combatant. Bonaparte looked down at his empty holster against his waist and sneered evily at the boy.
'You better hope you can use that weapon because I've a blade that needs a new body.' He snarled and faced Miguel head on as the blade dripped the milky droid fluid, that glooped onto the courtyard.
'You've nowhere left to go Bony, this is it. You have a choice, a life as a pig working in this house, bringing in enough money you could afford to fix your ship, or......' Miguel started.
'Or what?' Bonaparte growled
'Or I pull the trigger and we all die.'
'You wouldn't dare.' Bonaparte dared.
'Cluster bullets spread out and disintegrate everything in its way. Watch me.'
The Doctor knew that the boy was serious, he'd seen the cluster weapon used before and the effects were devastating. He turned to face the crew standing together beside the damaged stables and pleaded with them.
'Is this what you want, a war that never ends? You're never going to make it back to Delta vector if he pulls the trigger. Make a difference, you like this place, I've seen you smile, I've heard your songs from the galley, those old sea shanty's. This is like fleecing the ships in the galaxy, only over here, the tourists are willing to pay to stay here.'
'They won't now the Princess has gone.' Baccus complained.
'So invent one, use the bodyless crew member, turn it into a theme park, your're pirates, you've always thought on your feet. What's wrong, lost your spark. COme on Bony, this isn't like you.'
'You don't know me Earth man.'
'I'm not from Earth, my planet has long since gone, but the name lives on in the heart of the many and the few.' The Doctor spoke in a dark menacing voice.
'So what are you then?'
'TIME LORD.'
The Russilion's gasped, the crew dropped their weapons instinctively. They knew the might of the Time LOrds, it didnt go in their favour to argue with one.
Bonaparte straightened himself and turned to face the Doctor.
'They were wiped out, how did you survive?'
'Unlucky I guess. But I know of the Russilions, their fighters, true, but they're also thinkers and schemers and I know for a fact that your land was part of the Delta Spectron farming cluster. This crew were selected purely because they were all that were left after the war. They're not fighters, Bony.' He raised an eyebrow and continued. 'You could live out your days here, bring this house into the 21st century, make your money on Earth.' He looked at the crew, they were nodding their heads. A life off the ship, a life working the soil as farmers as their fathers and fore fathers had done.
The giant shrugged and felt suddenly tired, his loyal crew were disbanding. He turned back to face the young man with the gun still pointing at him.
'No hard feelings.' He forced a smile and offered an outstretched hand in friendship to the young man. He stood for a moment or two, watching for signs of a trap, but saw nothing. He lowered the weapon and shook the giants hand. The giant pulled him close and Miguel felt the blade of the other hand puncture his skin. He gasped and sputtered. He heard the Doctor yell, he tasted blood in his mouth and saw it on the sleeve of arm of the pirate. Miguel twitched and with a final release of the trigger released one round into the pirates chest before falling to the ground.
The bright light blinded him for a second as Bonaparte became dust. The crew and the Doctor picked themselves up from the ground and looked about them. Bonaparte was gone.
The Doctor ran to Miguel, his almost lifeless body stared up at the sunlight, he was still gasping for air and shivering.
The Doctor cradled him in his arms and touched his face that felt so cold and pale.
'Stay with me, you can do this.' He said coming over with emotion.
'I never did ask your name.' Miguel spoke through the shivering.
'I'm the Doctor, your great grandfather.' He said swallowing heavily.
'Fine time to tell me now.....I....feel so....cold.' He replied.
'You can regenerate, it's in your data chip, your grandfather and mother were the same. Just let it happen, you have to let it happen. Please.' He whispered as his chin quivered and the tears began to fall.
Miguel arched his back as the pain became too much to bear and the Doctor felt his body go limp in his arms.
Eventually he laid the boy down on the courtyard and sat beside him crosslegged, the blood still on his hands.
As he watched the face of the young man, an orange glow flickered over his face and hands and he stepped away as the regeneration process took over.
The crew ran back into the house as the energy from the young man erupted from his body. As it eased, the young man lay on the courtyard floor, his shirt still bore the ripped material but the wounds were gone. He was the same as before, but now he was alive.
The Doctor grinned and pulled the young man to his feet and stared at the grinning face before him.
It was the start of a new beginning, the Tardis had another crew member, and this time it was family.
*********************************************
