• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

"There can be nothing left alive on that planet.'

'I don't believe that, and you can't possibly know for sure.' The Doctor continued his repairs.

'Stand away from that equipment.' The Kusk took a lumbering step towards him, but was clearly reluctant to leave the delicate operations of the memory pod.

The Doctor flashed the creature a steely look, as if he thought his gaze a weapon strong enough to keep it at bay.'I can't. I'm sorry.'

'Any rerouting of power may cause the information I am downloading to corrupt.'

'Good,' called the Doctor over his shoulder. But the Kusk moved with a frightening speed towards him. The Doctor tried to feint backwards as the creature lashed out at him, but a bony wrist caught him across the temple and he was knocked flying the length of the room.

Rolling over as he landed, he reached out a hand to a patch of wires protruding from a heavy cable pulled away from the wall. 'Just the job.' He smiled grimly, and pushed them into a gaping socket.

A blinding flash of electrical light passed through the matter transmitter and the Kusk technician howled with despair as it staggered back over to the console. The Doctor climbed shakily to his feet.

'The planet is in its death throes,' rumbled the Kusk. 'The link is burning out.

There is no more time -'

'Take it from one who knows,' interrupted the Doctor, backing away before the advancing creature. There's never enough.'

The technician's eyes burnt a deep crimson, its sharp teeth snapping together in anger. 'You have cheated my people of their dreams.'

The Doctor found himself shouting back. 'Your selfish, infantile dreams of conquest have taken away someone precious to me!'

'What worth is one life against -'

'Don't talk to me about worth.' The Doctor waved an arm angrily.'You can have no conception -'

The technician's words steamrollered over his own, and chilled him.

'Your friend, coming through. I shall take her from you.'

'No!' The Doctor's head spun round to look at the image forming in the sudden luminescence filling the transmission area. A girl - a woman...

***

Sam had dragged Tanhith through the thick mud that sucked at her trainers into the cover of the small forest, but she knew it wouldn't take the Kusk long to find them. She'd stopped by a small sapling, its berries bright and tiny.

Tanhith was semi-conscious. 'I remember everything,' he muttered,'everything that's ever happened to me.' He stifled a cry of pain.'It's killing me, Sam!'

Sam backed off, all-too-familiar tears welling up in helpless frustration as Tanhith writhed in agony. The growing wind blew through the grove, the sky grew still darker.

'Shan't be sorry to see the back of today,' she muttered. Then an idea hit her. 'Tanhith, listen. This little tree. If it's young, it shouldn't be as strong, should it?' The dying man just stared in painful confusion at her, but she continued. 'Pull on one berry. It should send you back a little way in time.

Just one, maybe it'll be a few minutes, or an hour or something.'

He still just stared at her, and the tears came again. 'Look, / don't know!'she hissed.'You can't move,you won't be able to get away in time. It's all I can think of! I'll wait for you, I promise. I'll -'

The Kusk burst through about ten metres away, and roared in triumph.

Tanhith reached over to a berry and pulled on it as Sam stood there. He vanished, but as he went Sam saw some trace of determination in his eyes.

He wasn't so keen to die, maybe. Did that make the situation better or worse?

Sam backed away as the Kusk stared in confusion at the patch of ground where Tanhith had been. The creature moved cautiously towards her, perhaps expecting a trap. Could she send it back as she had the other?

Behind the creature, she saw Tanhith blur into view again, and her heart leapt. The plan had worked - she just had to get rid of the Kusk long enough to double back and rescue him.

'You know,' she said, rubbing her streaming nose. 'I really fancy a run.What do you say?'

But the Kusk