 decided to return to the ship at once by slowly edging along the rocky walls, but as I turned to do so I was confronted by a third Dalek - a red one - coming straight for me!
‘You-are-the-Doc-tor!’ it snapped, ‘You-will-be-ex-ter-min-ated! Ex-ter-min-ate! Ex-ter-min-ate!!’
‘Ex-ter-min-ate-the-Doc-tor!!!’ the other two chanted as they closed in on me.
I clenched my fists and shut my eyes tightly, bracing myself for the inevitable thunder-bolts of death from the Dalek guns as those horrid little monsters screamed with insane hatred. In my mind I saw the ghosts of my former lives, and realised that my earlier experience in the ship must have been some kind of premonition. Here we go, Doctor, I thought - there's no escaping this: this is you death! ‘Ex-ter-min-ate!!!’
All was black. All was calm. All was quiet. Silence. And then a low murmur...of voices...behind me. Did I hear K9 speaking? I opened my eyes and found that I was alive.
The cavern was dark and the Daleks were gone. Confused, i dashed blindly for the TARDIS and slumped over the hexagonal pyramid that was the console, setting the ship in flight; the time column resumed its steady rising and falling action.
What could have happened? Only the Time Lords could have intervened in such a way to save my life. I mean, everything had just stopped! My head was too sore to even think about it...I wasn't myself anymore. My identity was slipping away, I needed a good rest. A century or two would do the trick. But the awful realisation dawned on me that this nightmarish experience was not yet over, for I still had this dreadful murmuring of voices in my head.
‘K9?’ I mumbled, raising myself from the console and then standing in wide-eyed amazement at the astonishing scene before me. Humans! Earthlings! In my TARDIS?! How...? Some cruel game concocted by the Master? Were they real humans? Autons, perhaps?
‘What are you people doing in my ship?’ I demanded.
But they simply stood there, staring at me. At me! As if it was I who were out of place! My TARDIS...! Of all the nerve!
There were titters from a group of youths all whom were dressed in frock-coats and long scarves - they'd been in my closet! - and giggles from small children standing there with their parents who chortled in their silly hats and sunglasses flashing their instamatic-cameras at me! What was this - a guided tour? Of my TARDIS? MY TARDIS?! Laughing at me - they were laughing at me!! This worthless species whose miserable planet I had so often risked my own life to save, thereby sacrificing centuries of existence in wasted incarnations!
‘Wretched ingrates!’ I bellowed. ‘Get out of here now!’
‘Just come along with us, sir. I'm sure we can sort this thing out,’ said a voice as someone behind me grabbed my arms. Policemen! Autons, after all?
‘You are making a mistake, officer.’ I appealed. ‘This isn't a real Police Box. Please let me go. You know. I'm really not feeling too good. Listen to me - get in touch with U.N.I.T. Ask for Brigadier Gordon McAllister...oh dear...I haven't been myself lately..I...I...feel rather dizzy...I must warn you, young man, that I am an expert in Martian Kung-fu! I am...Dr Who, and this is my time and space mach...ine...the...TAR...DIS...Ughhhh…’
written by
IAN McPHERSON
copyright 2009
artwork by
IAN McPHERSON
copyright 2009
 
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