The Doctor's rewiring was complete. He was not sure exactly what he had done and it didn't seemed to be making much effect, but he had finished. And just in time too, as the sound of an alarm klaxon could he heard resonating all around him, with the sound of many guards running towards him. He ran towards the nearest trans-mat bay. 'Was it this one I arrived in?' he asked himself and the reply was a short, but quick answer: 'Not sure.' He entered the area and as he did so was met with a gust of air. He looked up and saw a giant fan set high in the roof, sucking and re-cycling the air. The Doctor could also see the deep blue sky through the swirling blades. 'So, at least I know where the heart is kept - it's in the underground passages of Corision.' The sound of the alarms hit him again and he walked in to the trans-mat tube and promptly vanished.
~~~
The market place was a bustle of activity. Many people had turned up to see the first Tharil execution for a long time. Lazlo was marched into the market place, his scarred, bleeding face still retaining a certain amount of pride in it. The guards chained him to the wall and a firing squad arrived.
Four mercenaries loaded their rifles. The command of 'Aim!' was given and the four guards shouldered their weapons. Then, before the next command could be given, a curious buzzing noise filled the air and the atmosphere in front of Lazlo blurred. Thaup's voice recovered first:
'Someone is beaming in!' he said and stood watched as a figure in a clashing coat and yellow and black striped trousers appeared from no-where and gained a solidity.
The Doctor glanced around the tight circle. 'Oh dear,' he said at last, 'I seem to have got the wrong trans-mat after all.'
Thaup's vicious smile said it all. 'Never mind,' he said to the Doctor, 'I believe we have some unfinished business. First, attempted Tharil snatching, and then the murder of one of our best jailers.' He spoke the last few words with as much conviction as possible - in reality, he had hated the fat slob. Thaup's smile turned into a line of sharp teeth. 'Guards! Secure him! You have yet another candidate for execution.'
The Doctor was battling with his mind to think up a way out of his predicament. He clicked his fingers. 'Ah,' he said to Thaup, 'You must be looking for my twin brother. I was looking for him myself by using the trans-mat.' He smiled and thought to himself, 'Brilliant, Doctor, but you must give up telling lies before it becomes a habbit.'
Thaup considered what the Doctor had said. It was possible that he did have a rebellious twin roaming the planet somewhere. 'Very well. We'll imprison you until we can confirm if that's truth. Meanwhile,' he said to his assistant, 'get all security forces on full alert - I want that maniac caught!'
One of the guards looked up. 'What about the execution of the Tharil?'
Thaup turned to Lazlo. 'Postpone it until tomorrow.' He marched away, flanked by his guards, and the Doctor and Lazlo were led away to the cells.
~~~
The cell was small, very bare, and as far away from the other Tharils as possible. Lazlo was sitting in a corner while the Doctor paced back and forth trying to think up a new plan. 'You do realise that when Thaup finds out you were lying our punishment will be five times harsher than before. He has communication outlets spanning an entire planet and will know whether you were telling the truth or not in only an hour or so.'
The Doctor turned to Lazlo. 'An hour or so? That's not very long.' He had examined the door for hidden catches twice, emptied his pockets once and had tried to make a sonic lance out of two old cytron generators. 'I'm afraid, I'm baffled' he said to Lazlo. 'We're living on borrowed time.'
The door opened and in came their jailer. He placed a tray of food on the floor and turned to leave when the strangest thing happened to him. He froze. The Doctor cautiously approached the living statue and touched him on the shoulder. The jailer fell, face first to the ground, making no attempt to stop himself smashing his nose on the floor.
The Doctor looked out the door. A second guard was frozen while opening a door. A clumsy office boy was suspended in mid-air, a pile of papers he dropped were frozen in mid-air also. A cup of wine knocked from a desk was held in nothingness. The Doctor smiled. 'A time lock. But how?'
A voice, clear and sharp spoke behind him. 'It was you and I who froze the planet into a time lock, Doctor.'
The Doctor turned and there, his majestic mane swept back and his eyes burning with victory was Biroc.
'But you said, you couldn't interfere...' the Doctor started.
'I said, I could not interfere until...until the time comes. This is the time I have been waiting for.' Biroc smiled and chuckled, 'You looked confused, Doctor. And you have every right to be.' Biroc turned to Lazlo and they embraced.
All three then sat on the cold, lifeless floor. Biroc began: 'Although you didn't know it, I have inhabited your mind ever since you left the TARDIS. I have observed everything you have, felt every pain and anguish you have.'
The Doctor glanced up at the Tharil. 'But how did you freeze Corision into a time lock?' he queried. Biroc's smile spread wider and laughter was more raucous.
'When you trans-matted to the underground of Corision, I was still in your mind. Do you remember, after you saw the Heart of the Zero Point for the first time, you began to rewire a power console?'
The Doctor and remembered that he wasn't sure of why he had actually done the rewiring. Biroc continued: 'I was in total control of your mind at that point in time. I fed you the information, you tampered with the Heart's time stabilisers, and, having been set to activate ten minutes after you left, it was just a matter of waiting for the time lock to start.'
The Doctor was beginning to understand. 'So it was me who caused the time lock...'
'Precisely!' was Biroc's reply.
One more question nagged at the Doctor's brain. 'But why bother with a time lock?'
The Tharil crossed his arms. 'The first reason was to give me mobility among mortals and secondly, so we can get to work on sending the Heart back to E-Space and depriving the Taligions of their power. When the Heart reaches the negative universe, all Tharils will once again be free!'
The Doctor, now satisfied he understood everything, asked one more simple question - 'Shall we go?'
The Doctor led the time-sensitives through the passages until they reached the trans-mat area. 'Let's hope I chose the right travel tube this time!' he said, and entered the nearest door. A hum of power and all three were gone.
~~~
The Doctor's arms were full with equipment, but he still had time to stop for a second or two and watch the glowing entity.
Biroc called to the Doctor, 'What is your plan, Doctor?' the Tharil asked.
The Doctor responded with a grunting noise and, after removing the spanner from between his teeth said, 'I'll need the TARDIS.'
'No problem.' was Biroc's response and he promptly vanished. Seconds later the TARDIS appeared next to the tall plinth that held the Heart. Biroc came out, smiled and said, 'No problem at all.'
The Doctor looked at Biroc. 'I don't suppose you could put it up there, could you?' he asked indicating the plinth.
'Just say the word.' Biroc replied.. The Doctor began unreeling lengths of wire from two big spools. He then connected this up to the plinth and activated an array of switches. The Heart vanished.
Lazlo was still on the viewing balcony when the Heart vanished. 'Where's the Heart gone?' he shouted down to the Doctor.
The Time Lord smiled. 'I've sent it two minutes into the future with this,' he indicated the wiring, 'I've wired it up to the time conductor. Now for the tricky bit.' He entered the TARDIS and beckoned to Biroc to follow.
Within the while walled console room, the Doctor told Biroc his plan. 'This,' the Time Lord began, 'is extremely dangerous. I'm unsure myself, whether it will work, but let's give it a bash. I'd like you to move the TARDIS on top of the plinth now please, Biroc.'
Biroc snapped his fingers and the scanner screen revealed their new position. 'All done.' he said. 'Now what?' asked Biroc.
The Doctor continued with his plan. 'First, I'd like the co-ordinates for E-Space, Biroc.' The Tharil made his way around the console and began punching in reams of figures.
'What use will that be, Doctor?'
'Once the figures are in the computer we'll wait for the Heart to re-materialise. When it does, we'll de-materialise. This will suck the Heart with us along your co-ordinates and into E-Space. The force of the Heart "going home" as it were, should throw the TARDIS back into N-Space. This, to my knowledge, is the first time that a time bounce has been attempted. If it goes wrong, we'll be totally obliterated.' He patted the console and whispered, 'Nothing to worry about ,old girl.' He stroked his cat on the lapel of his coat a third time that day for luck and crossed his fingers.
Biroc looked towards the Doctor. 'The Heart of the Zero Point is re-materialising.'
The Doctor threw the last de-materialisation switch. 'Here goes nothing.' he said.
Lazlo was still on the balcony, totally oblivious to what was going to happen. Then, in a blinding flash, the Heart appeared for a second and, with a loud explosion, totally vanished with the TARDIS.
The familiar whiteness of the E-Space gateway and mirrors greeted the Doctor and Biroc for a second and then they were back on Corision. The time bounce worked. Time started flowing again. The time mercenaries, with their supply gone, were in total disarray. All the Tharils marched through the streets, their jails having decayed into nothingness as the Heart of the Zero Point re-accustomed itself to E-Space.
~~~
Many had sought revenge on the jailers and guards but were stopped by Lazlo. 'Be at peace, brothers and sisters,' he cried, 'It is not enough that we are free?' The Tharils stopped in an instant many clawed paws punched into the air and shouts of 'Freedom!' reverberated throughout every market place and passage way on Corision.
Biroc left the merry throng and went to find the Doctor. The Time Lord was checking over the TARDIS for any damage, and found nothing wrong.
Biroc tried to speak, but a stutter came from his lion-whiskered mouth.
'It's alright, Biroc. Seeing you and your people free one again, is enough thanks for me. I really must be going, I've had a rather busy day.'
The time sensitive smiled. 'We can never thank you enough, Doctor. If you ever need us, we will be there.'
The Doctor grinned broadly. 'That's very reassuring - thank you Biroc. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going on holiday. Goodbye, Biroc. Oh, and no more hijackings for a little while please.'
Biroc laughed. 'With our new freedom, we'll never, hopefully, need your help again. We will build ourselves a new world in E-Space. And there will be no slaves.'
Exchanging a handshake, the Doctor entered the TARDIS. As it de-materialised, Biroc was sure that he could hear the Doctor saying, 'Next stop, Sintiminus Virgo...fingers crossed!'
written by
ROBERT HAMMOND
copyright 2010
artwork by
ROBERT HAMMOND
COLIN JOHN
copyright 2010