Deep And Dark Spaces

The princess stared at the droplets of water falling off the roof of her wooden hut. Her blue eyes traced the path they took, from the top, sliding down the twigs that subtly stuck out, and finally pit-pattering to the dirt ground. When she first came to the planet Revio, she had been annoyed by the constant rivers that would fall from the sky, drenching her dresses every time she walked out. However, she had come to enjoy hearing the rain, and considered it a calming influence. In her line of work as a doctor, she often needed something to calm her.

“Good day, Lady Nyssa,” called out a young voice, waking the princess from her reverie. Nyssa smiled, as she knew the young boy who had just said her name. It was Sarin, the boy whose parents had come to her just a few weeks ago. The mother had accidentally gotten cut with a nasty gash after falling on some farming equipment, and had come to Nyssa for help, as their usual doctor was out of town. For Nyssa, it was a pretty simple application of antibiotics and stitches. The family had been extremely grateful, and Sarin always took some time to greet Nyssa every few days. (To be honest, Nyssa suspected the boy had a crush on her.)

“Hello, Sarin,” Nyssa said. “How are you? And for the last time, just call me Nyssa.” She grabbed a towel from a shelf, and pulled it over her head. Walking into the rain, she could see the large grin on Sarin, who was cradling a piece of paper in his arms. His yellow robes were stained with rain, and his hair looked frazzled.

“Nyssa, I made a gift for you!” said Sarin. “Can you guess what it is?”

Nyssa shook her head.

“It's a picture I made!” the boy said. He threw it into her hands, and Nyssa drew the towel over herself, careful not to get Sarin's masterpiece wet. Inspecting the picture, she could tell it was supposed to be her. Well, Nyssa's brown hair looked longer, and curlier than in the drawing, and her eyes were more blue than in the drawing. But, it wasn't a bad likeness.

“Ah, this is supposed to be me!” said Nyssa, with exaggerated surprise for the boy's benefit. “Thank you, Sarin. It looks wonderful.”

The boy blushed. After a pause, he said “Mother's still recovering, but father says she'll do fine. I wanted to thank you for helping her get better.”

“You didn't have to. But I welcome your thanks, anyway.” She tousled his hair affectionately. “Now, go home, before you get sick.”

Sarin gave her a quick hug, which Nyssa returned. “Please come by, one day!  My mother cooks fine Risenup stew!” Then he ran down the street, in the direction of his home.

 Nyssa sighed. Ever since she had left the Terminus ship, she had kept to herself. Being a princess in Traken meant that all her friends were provided for her. Now, in a world where she had no history, nor any relatives, it was hard to rebuild, and find new friends. Even though she was sure she would enjoy meeting Sarin's family, hesitancy still was in her mind. To be honest, perhaps she was afraid. Eventually, the conversation with Sarin's family  would turn to talk of family and friends. That conversation would both be too confusing, and too painful, to have. No, solitude was probably the better way, at least for now.

Nyssa realized she was still in the rain, and swiftly returned to her tent, laying Sarin's picture down carefully. It lay besides the pictures of Tegan, Adric, and the Doctor she kept on her table. Nyssa decided to check her tools. Nyssa had unfortunately been the victim of thieves not too long ago, and so she had gotten a little more careful with her belongings. Scalpel, cleaning liquid, microscope, virus scanner, rubber gloves—all of those and others were still there. It had been a long day--perhaps she should take a shower and go to bed. Nyssa was about to walk into the bathing part of her tent, when she heard footsteps behind her.

“May I get a checkup, Doctor?” said a voice behind her. Nyssa turned to see a man in a black jacket. She immediately knew he was a foreigner—the fabric of the jacket was clearly from one of the outer worlds. He had short brown hair, and a leisurely gait. His blue eyes swept over the tent, pausing at the picture of Adric. Before Nyssa had even answered, the man was lounging on the couch she usually sat on. Nyssa frowned, but the man didn't notice, or ignored her.

“Why do you need a checkup? Are you feeling sick?” said Nyssa skeptically. The man didn't look sick at all.

“Hmm...yes. Well, no. More like my heart's feeling funny,” said the man. He was looking at the picture of the Doctor, and seemed like he was suppressing a laugh.

“Well, then, let me hear your heart. I charge by the hour, just so you know,” said Nyssa.

The man looked affronted. “By the hour? What if I'm dying?”

“Then I'd save your life, and then charge you for wasting my time with silly questions,” said Nyssa.

The man laughed at that.

Nyssa took out her stethoscope, and listened to the man's heart. It sounded normal. Yet, there was something odd about it, like there was another sound in his chest…

“Anything wrong?”said the man. He was still looking around. Nyssa was somewhat annoyed with how nosy he was being with her room.

Nyssa replied “Nothing. It's just that your heartbeat is...off. Like there's another rhythm behind your heart's beating. It reminds me of...”   Nyssa felt her blood rush, and she nearly dropped her stethoscope.

 She looked into the man's eyes. He was grinning widely.

“Hello, Nyssa,” said the Doctor.

“Is it really you?” asked Nyssa. This man looked nothing like the blonde-haired alien she had traveled with years ago. For one, he seemed a lot more irritating.

“Of course. Don't you remember the time we faced Omega? Or when we battled evil on Akeshemon? Or the time Tegan and you would change the labels on my console, leaving me confused for days? I still check my console to this day,” said the Doctor.

“When did we last meet?” said Nyssa. She saw the Doctor shift a little in his seat. Something about the question unnerved him. Perhaps he hadn't gotten used to endings after all these years.

“On Terminus,” the Doctor said without a pause. “You decided to throw yourself in the service of a group of people you've ever met, and give up the last family you had up to that point. To be honest, in my very long lives, it's one of the bravest things I've ever seen,” the Doctor said. His blue eyes stared into Nyssa's, and  unlike before, Nyssa could tell that the man was very serious.

She gulped, and her self-consciousness threatened to overwhelm her. Deciding that just sitting dumbly would look silly, Nyssa said “W-what a surprise, my dear Doctor. It's nice of you to come see me.”

The Doctor nodded, but then he frowned. “It really is absolutely fantastic seeing you again. But I didn't just come here to say hello. I came here to warn you, Nyssa.  You need to take the next space flight out of here tomorrow, and leave. Something bad is coming tomorrow, and I may not be able to protect you when it comes.”

“What's coming?” asked Nyssa. Of course, the Doctor would only show up when there's danger. “And let me remind you, I've been protecting myself for a while now.”

“Next time you go about, try asking what's underground. Or don't, because if you care about being alive, you'll be on the next flight out of here. I'd be leaving, but I got to stick around,” said the Doctor.

“I'm a doctor. If these people will be in danger, I need to be around to help them,” said Nyssa.

“Suit yourself,” said the Doctor. Without giving Nyssa a chance to respond, he lifted himself from the chair, and threw a bundle of coins at her. It hit Nyssa in the chest, but the Doctor didn't seem to notice. “Not much you'll be able to do if you're dead though.” The Doctor pushed his way out the tent. “All I'm going to say is that if the skies start getting dark, find someplace to hide.”

That was the last that Nyssa saw of the Doctor for several days. In that time, she walked around the town, asking about the history of the underground.

She found no real history, but quite a few myths. There was a myth that underneath the city were the vessels for 100 souls. These souls, once gathered, could awaken a god that lived beneath the city. Some said this creature would rain down fire upon the planet. Nyssa   had heard of this story before, but she ignored it, as she ignored all fanciful stories. She was a scientist, even before she was a doctor or a princess—she couldn't afford such foolishness. But the Doctor had mentioned it—why?

Nyssa stood outside the library, feeling the wind on her face. Thousands of thoughts raced through her mind. Why had the Doctor never replied in the interim? He seemed so different from the blond man she had called friend. Yet, she was certain that was the Doctor. But why would he be so serious? What was coming, that scared him so?

Her thoughts were broken by a Sontaran who bumped into her. Nyssa still froze whenever she saw one of the warrior race around, even though she knew that the ones who lived in this town were harmless. Despite being a clone race, there were differences between individual Sontarans. Some were different enough to, if not outright being peaceful, at least live quietly amoung the rest of the town.

“My apologies, dear simian,” said the Sontaran. “I did not mean to bump into you.”

“It's fine,” said  Nyssa.

“Do I unnerve you?” said the Sontaran. “Do not be afraid of me. I have not killed anyone in...I believe, 50 years.”

“Good for you,” said Nyssa slowly.  She felt slightly unsettled by something in the Sontaran's glance, but ignored it as bias. “Most Sontarans are very violent.”

“It is against my religion to kill a person in cold blood,” said the Sontaran.

“Sontarans have religion?” asked Nyssa. The alien looked at her like she was a child.

“Of course we do. All warriors need something to devote their bloodshed to. I, Karax, devote mine to Ar'kan, the Dark Shadow,” boasted the Sontaran proudly. “Others pray to other gods, but they are foolish for praying to such inferior spirits, and deserve to be slaughtered.”

“I'm sure they think the same of you and your god,” pointed out Nyssa.

Karax licked his lips, and rolled his eyes. “Keep your opinions to yourself, young lady.” With that, he bowed in the conventional way of this town, and Nyssa bowed back. Then, he walked away.

After traveling through the market, and reaching her home, Nyssa lied in her bed, thinking about the Doctor. She resolved to go look for him tomorrow, and find out what worried him so.

The next day, Nyssa woke up to see Sarin outside her door. Sarin's face look frightened, like he had seen a ghost.

“The sky is getting dark,” said Sarin, pointing to the sky.

Indeed, the sun was almost completely covered. Shadows seemed to be squirming across the sky, rippling down from the heavens. Nyssa fished through her pocket, and looked at her watch. The time was still in the day. Sarin could barely be seen in the light that was left.

Nyssa mentally checked to see if an eclipse was happening. She didn't remember hearing about any, and from the crowd of people walking about, no one else was.

“Stay here,” she said to the boy. She pulled on a blue jacket, and they walked through the market, feeling half-blind in the darkness. Crowds were milling around her, as many other people realized that something was very wrong.

“Doctor!” Nyssa called out. “DOCTOR!” Her voice echoed in her ears, but it was being blocked out by something else. Some loud buzzing in Nyssa's ears. It sounded like a voice in her ears--

HELLONYSSAOFTRAKEN

She found herself on the floor, holding her hands in her ears. The voice was just there an instant, but it felt like someone had slammed a brick into her brain.  It was an assault upon her very being, a sick root worming into her consciousness. There was only one being who could do that...but it was long dead. It was impossible that this thing could be here.

Nyssa coughed, and pushed herself off the floor slowly. The crowds were looking up at the sky, and something was coming down from the sky. Nyssa couldn't believe her eyes.

It was a Sontaran battleship. Nyssa could feel the heat from the ship's engines as it landed down to the ground. The door to the ship pulled open with a loud sliding sound, and out came a Sontaran with large armor and an elaborate helmet. He was armed with a gun, and looked up at their sky.

“That fool has started the ritual already,” snarled the Sontaran. “This planet must be cleansed.”

“NO!” screamed Nyssa. The Sontaran looked at the girl with an unreadable expression.

“This world has never given the Sontarans any trouble. You can't just decide to kill these people,” said Nyssa. “Why are you here?”

The Sontaran stared at the girl. “I am the Captain Sonaax. We are here to apprehend the criminal, Karax, for doing illegal religious practices.”

“'Illegal religious practices'?”said Nyssa. “You're just as terrible as any human.”

The Captain walked past her, but called back “You see the dark sky? That is a sign of a creature arising from the deep of your Earth. When it rises, it will bring great destruction upon this world. So, we will eliminate the threat, by eliminating the planet.”

“I can't let you do that”, said Nyssa.

The Captain made a noise that might have been a laugh. “Then you can burn with the rest of the world.”

There was a clapping noise. Nyssa and the Captain looked to the side, where the Doctor was clapping loudly.

“Absolutely fantastic. Blow it all up!” said the Doctor. He folded his arms, leaning on the side of a store. His face looked positively frightening in the darkness. “It's the worst plan I've ever heard!”

“Who are you?”asked the Captain.

“The Doctor. Like I said, your plan is dreadful,” said the Doctor. His name caused a gasp from the other Sontarans, but he pretended to not notice. “There's a big beastie in the ground. It's ancient, and it's been living in the planet, like a man in a prison cell. And you're going to open up this planet with your weapons, and let it out. Like I said, worst plan in the world.”

“Who are you to question our plans? It will not fail!” said the Captain.

“Ah, so you're an idiot,” said the Doctor. He turned to Nyssa, and waved. “Hello. Weren't you supposed to be leaving the planet? Naughty Nyssa, you never listen.”

“Hello, Doctor,” said Nyssa. “Do you know what's going on?”

“Oh, I have an idea,” said the Doctor. “But first, Nyssa...”

Nyssa was suddenly dragged by the Doctor down the street, and heard the sound of the Captain saying “Stop them! That is the Doctor!” Bolts of energy flew by Nyssa's ears, and her jacket ended up singed a bit. The Doctor took her through the streets, into the mountains that surrounded the town.

“Stop,” said Nyssa. The Doctor let go of her hand, and raised his eyebrows. “Doctor, I'm not leaving these people. There are people I care for here—innocent people. I'm not running to safety.”

“Running? If you wanted to run, you should have done it yesterday,” said the Doctor. “I'm not taking you to safety. I'm taking you to the only thing that might be a solution.” He marched up a hill, where 3 columns were laid in a circle. Nyssa followed him, wrapping her jacket close to her chest.

Withing the circle of columns was a stone square on the ground. The Doctor pressed his hand to the square, and the square opened up. Nyssa peered at the opening, and saw stairs leading down.

“So, the stories about a monster living in the ground? They're real,” said Nyssa. The Doctor didn't respond, and walked down the stairs.

Nyssa followed the man down the stairs, into dusty, dark hallways. There was a creepy, dark tension flowing through her veins. As she walked through the hall, the walls seemed to be bending around her, closing in on her. Perhaps it was claustrophobia, but Nyssa had never had that problem before.

COMEHERENYSSA

“Nyssa!”the Doctor said. He was standing over her. “You just fell, out of nowhere. Are you alright?”

Nyssa shook her head. “I'm not sure what's going on. Something is talking to me, trying to destroy my mental defenses.”

“Who?”said the Doctor.

“It's...it can't be,” said Nyssa. “When I was young, my mother once took me to a distant part of Traken. An underground chamber, where nothing good grew. There was a crystal there, in the middle of the chamber. I could tell my mother was scared of it. I wondered why my mother would be scared of a silly gem. She told me to touch the crystal, if only for a moment. I always liked pretty things, so I grabbed it with both hands.”

Nyssa gulped, then continued “When I grabbed it, I felt something vile. It was like a snake slithering into my heart. Darkness clouded my mind, and I felt anger, rage, jealousy—every negative emotion ever—pulse through my mind like a river. In that moment, all I desired was destruction. My mother then took it from my hands, and threw the crystal to the ground. She told me that what I had touched was the last living fragment of the Melkur, and that if I ever felt that evil, I must be ready to fight to my last. I never saw that fragment again, and I believe my mother disposed of it. But the voice I felt now...it carried the unmistakable stench of the Melkur. ”

A loud rumbling came from further down the hallway. Nyssa immediately ran down the hall, toward the noise. She could hear the sounds of the Doctor telling her to come back, but she had to see if it was real.

She ended up in a hall filled with glass coffins. In them were a number of different people. Some of them were dressed in the way of the villagers in the town. (Nyssa winced when she remembered that the Sontarans were still in the town.) Some had on clothes that seemed to be from an earlier period. One girl had on what Nyssa recognized as the Union Jack Flag on her shirt.

And, further down the hall, was a large black coffin. It almost seemed to be pulsating.

COMEHERENYSSA

Nyssa walked closer to the coffin. Her fingers were outreached, and her breath was slowed.

ITISTIME

“Yes,” said Nyssa. “It's time.”

“No!” said the Doctor. Nyssa turned back to look at him, just as her hand touched the coffin.

And then she felt it. The dark power of Ar'kan, the last Melkur, flowed through her.

She saw how, when Ar'kan had escaped the defeat of the Melkur's creator, it traveled the cosmos until it found a new planet. It drew the Sontarans to him, twisting their desire for violence into pure worship. It eventually battled a woman called the Doctor, and suffered too many injuries. It slumbered in the ground, recuperating, and weaving itself into the myths of the primitive inhabitants,  hoping that one day, one of his servants would be foolish enough to gather enough souls to feed his life force. That day was now. The Melkur was rising again.

Nyssa felt her head being turned outside her volition. She looked at the Doctor, as if through a veil. She realized with horror that the Melkur was controlling her.

“Hello, Doctor. What a surprise to see you,” said the Melkur.

“Nyssa...that isn't you. I'm speaking to the Melkur now, right?” said the Doctor.  “Let Nyssa go, or I will make you regret it.” With the Melkur looking through her, she could see his anger, his rage. She could taste it on her tongue, like cinnamon sweetness in her mouth.

“We've battled so many times, Time Lord,” the Melkur continued. “This feels like meeting an old friend.”

“What do you want with this world?”asked the Doctor. “If you try to hurt anyone here--”

“Oh, stop playing the hero. You Time Lords have always been hypocrites, and you are biggest hypocrite of all,” said the Melkur. Nyssa felt the Melkur curl her mouth into a smile. “Hmm”, said the Melkur. “I felt some resistance from the Traken princess there. She admires you even more than me...have you told her of the War?”

The Doctor gave a quick smile. “Which one? I've been in a lot of wars.” Nyssa/Melkur could smell the fear on him, though.

“Let me show her. Let me show her who you are.”

And then Nyssa saw. She saw how the Doctor killed innocents, burned down villages, allowed whole worlds to burn—and how he pulled the trigger. And how he was rageful, and warlike, and both cruel and cowardly. How he was a Warrior, and gave into everything he said he never would.

And then Nyssa saw how he, when the Moment came, he destroyed an entire planet.

“Do you see, Nyssa?”asked the Melkur, in her mind. “Do you see who your hero really is?” Out loud, it said “You should see her mind! You should see the doubt, the fear, the hurt! She doesn't know what to believe! Why don't you tell her, Doctor? Why don't you tell her that I'm lying, that you never destroyed your homeland?”

“I...”said the Doctor.

“Go ahead! Tell her that I'm LYING!” the Melkur screamed through Nyssa's voice. Nyssa's heart was sinking, as she saw the truth in the Doctor's expression.

The Doctor said “It's not a lie, but...”

“Silence, hypocrite!” the Melkur said.

“Listen!” the Doctor said. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. “Just leave us alone. Yes, I'm a hypocrite. Ya got me. Walk away, and do what you will with the planet above. Just let us be last to suffer. Please!”

The Melkur laughed. “Do you see, Nyssa? See him grovel, taste his weakness. Yes, I will leave you both here to wallow in each other's misery. A princess who could not protect either of her home worlds, and a Doctor who destroyed his. I will give you both a fitting death when I return.”

The coffin opened up behind Nyssa. Out came the Melkur. Nyssa saw it smile at her, and then it walked down the hall, and above.

 With that, the Doctor was left in the chamber with Nyssa. The man turned to the woman and started “Nyssa--”

“Did you really kill your own people?” said Nyssa. Her mouth felt dry.

“Yes. I...had—oh, bloody hell,” said the Doctor. “Do you think I liked it? Cause I didn't. I had to do it. It was either destroy everything in the Time War, or let the universe burn. Gallifrey was already dying a slow death.”

“You think that makes it right?” asked Nyssa.

“Right?  There were no right choices, Nyssa. Just a whole lot of wrong. I chose the least wrong,” said the Doctor. His eyes were the saddest eyes Nyssa had ever seen.

“Oh, Doctor,” said Nyssa. She impulsively wrapped her arms around him.

“It hurts, Nyssa. I remember what Gallifrey looked like. I remember what it smelled like on early mornings. I remember seeing my son,” the Doctor paused for a second, then continued “seeing my son play in the barn where I used to grow up. I remember the look on the face of Atilha's son, as I walked away, telling him that in a Moment, I would make everything okay. And I burnt it all away. With my own hands.”

Nyssa wiped her wet cheeks, and looked into the Doctor's pale blue eyes. “Was it that bad?”

“Worse than you could ever imagine,” said the Doctor. “I will never let that happen again. That's why we got to go up and stop ol' Grumpy Face.”

“I thought--”

“That I was giving up, said the Doctor. He snorted. “As if I'd ever.”  Nyssa saw his grin, but knew he was just papering over his hurt. He fished out his sonic from his jacket, and twirled it. “Fortunately, I keyed into his psychic frequency. Come on, we've got work to do!”

The Doctor and Nyssa walked through the hallway, and up the stairs. Nyssa thought they were going to the town, but instead they went further away. Soon, she saw a familiar blue box. The Doctor opened the door, and soon Nyssa saw a very modified version of the console room.

“If the Melkur is using the people's life force to live, can't we just disconnect them to stop it?” said Nyssa. In the distance, she could hear screaming, and hear gunfire. The Melkur had already returned to town.

“It's got a psychic link to everybody in their. If we disconnect them, it might make them lose important brain functions, like breathing, or worse, the ability to taste chocolate.” The Doctor began flicking on the controls.

“What's our plan?”asked Nyssa.

The Doctor frowned. “You know, I hadn't quite figured that part out. Any ideas?”

Nyssa thought. “Well, it relies on a psychic link...and it's using it to survive. Maybe we could shut of the link?”

“Would be very difficult,” said the Doctor. “The TARDIS might, but even this old girl might have trouble with a Melkur.”

“In the old days, the Keeper of Traken would use his or her psychic powers to defeat it. Maybe I could--”

“You're just one person, Nyssa,” said the Doctor. “The mental strain would be too much. I'll do it. I'm a Time Lord, I can--”

“You're just one person too, Doctor!” Nyssa rebuked.

“Well, unless we have multiple people to use--” started the Doctor.

“Wait. I have an idea,” said Nyssa.

A few minutes later, the TARDIS was flying over the city of Revio. Underneath people were battling in the streets—Sontarans vs villager. Even some of the villagers were beating each other up.

“Stupid apes! They're acting like animals down there!” said the Doctor.

“It's the Melkur. It spreads evil wherever it is,” said Nyssa.

“Good thing we're about to stop it,” said the Doctor. He fitted the psychic amplifier onto Nyssa's head. “Ready?”

“Yes,” said Nyssa.

“Alright,” said the Doctor. Opening the TARDIS doors, he called out “Hey Melkie! Hey Grumpy Pants!”

A loud booming voice from below replied “Hello, Doctor. Murdered of your own kind.”

“That's old news, Grumpy,” said the Doctor. “So, how's your “take-over-the-world” plan going?”

“The Sontarans are ripping themselves and the human apart. I will enslave the survivors,” replied the Melkur. “I've changed my mind. I'll kill you both now. First, I will make Nyssa kill you, then herself. Slowly.”



Nyssa immediately felt a mental assault from the Melkur again.

“Now, Nyssa!” said the Doctor.

Nyssa closed her eyes, and called upon every faculty she had. Ignoring the Melkur's infiltration, she called out to all the people he had enslaved. Every person he had gathered over the 50 years—she asked them to help her cast out the Melkur.

“What are you doing?”asked the Melkur. “STOP”

The Melkur slammed into her mind again and again. Nyssa felt her nose bleed. But she ignored it, and pushed through.

Soon, she felt other minds. The other people, who had been locked in those chambers for years, woke up slowly. Their minds fought against the Melkur's influence, and soon she could feel it weaken. Until, it was nothing but a speck of black dust in her mind.

She opened her eyes. The Doctor was pointing at the sky. It was clear again.


A few days later, the Doctor and Nyssa were eating brunch outside the TARDIS. It had been quite an eventful past few days. Many of the people who woke up were from another time period altogether, and it would take time for them to get used to this new age. The Sontarans had been reluctant to leave, but the Doctor negotiated the return of Karax, who was rather mad that his god had been defeated.

Now, the Doctor was preparing to leave. Nyssa was reluctant to say bye.

“Your companion had been down in the catacombs this whole time?”asked Nyssa.

“Yep. That's why I've been here—waiting for the time to get her out. She was one of the first of Karax's victims to be brought down as life force food for the Melkur,” said the Doctor. The Doctor looked straight into Nyssa's eyes. “You sure you won't come with me?”

“Yes, Doctor,” said Nyssa. “I have friends here. Thank you, though.” She paused, then said “Doctor, about Gallifrey...”

“I really don't want to talk about it,” said the Doctor.

“I know what it feels like to lose everyone. I know what it feels like to be alone. You'll learn to deal with the pain, in time. You, and Tegan, and Adric taught me how, all those years ago,” said Nyssa. “And you're still a good man.”

The Doctor stared at her. For a second, she thought he was angry. Then, he hugged her tight.

“Goodbye, Nyssa. And thank you,” he said. He walked into the TARDIS.

The blonde girl, Rose, walked in behind him.

“Wait, Rose,” said Nyssa.

“Yeah?” said the girl.

“Treat him well. He'll need it,” said Nyssa.

“I can still hear you, you know,” said the Doctor within the ship.

“Shut up,” said Rose playfully to him, sticking out her tongue. To Nyssa, she said “I will. He's a great guy.”

“Yes, he is,” said Nyssa.

Then the TARDIS was off.

Nyssa returned to her tent, thinking deeply. Sarin was there, looking at Nyssa's tent, which had been trashed in the fighting last night. Nyssa searched for her bag of tools, but a nudge at her side made her turn.

“I grabbed your stuff before I ran” said Sarin.

Nyssa sifted through the wreckage. She pulled out a piece of paper. “Your drawing's still intact, too.”

Nyssa dug into the bag, then pulled out some sheets of paper from the bottom.

“What are those?”asked Sarin, peering over her shoulder.

“A little project I was working on before I came here, to this planet” she said. “I think I should restart it.”

“What's it about?”asked Sarin.

“Something called Lazar's Disease,” said Nyssa.