1. Return to Rotenhend Hotel 360
The TARDIS arrived in the lobby of the Rotenhend Hotel 360. The blue box materialised, whooshing and grinding very loudly before it made a loud thump to land. There was no-one about at the reception desk. No-one sat or stood about in the lobby either. Thus no-one had seen the TARDIS arrive.
Eventually, the TARDIS doors opened and out stepped the Doctor. She was a blonde-haired woman who wore a lilac-blue trench coat. She marvelled at the lobby in wonder, having a huge grin on her face.
“And here we are!” she declared happily, spreading out her arms for all to see. “Welcome to the Rotenhend Hotel 360!”
She turned to her three friends who stepped out of the TARDIS – Graham, Ryan and Yaz. They looked around confused, wondering why the Doctor had brought them to this place.
“You brought us to a hotel?” Graham queried sceptically.
“Not just any hotel, Graham,” the Doctor told him. “A space hotel! Look!”
Taking her three friends to look outside an observation window, the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz saw stars outside – billions of them.
“Whoa!” Ryan cried out amazed. “A hotel in outer space! That is proper awesome!”
“Very impressive,” Yaz agreed. “I’m glad we can still breathe in this place while we look into outer space.”
“Artificial atmosphere and gravity,” the Doctor explained. “This hotel is one of a chain of space hotels. They’ve been successful in terms of business over the years.”
“So this is what the future’s going to be like hey, Doc?” Graham checked. “People going out into space and having holidays in space at hotels.”
“Space hotel, Graham,” the Doctor reminded him. “And by 38th century standards, yeah.”
“38th century?!” Yaz reacted amazed. “Seriously? We’re in the 38th century?”
“About in the middle of the second half of the 38th century, I should think,” the Doctor said. “You three are a long way from home in Sheffield now, ain’t you?” After a pause, she said encouragingly, “Come on, gang! Let’s go and see if anyone’s at reception; shall we?”
With that, the Doctor made her way over to the reception desk. Her friends followed her. Once the Doctor was at reception, she banged the bell.
“Hello!” she called out. “Service!”
A moment of silence ensued. No response.
“So why exactly are we here?” Ryan asked. “Have you booked us any rooms at this hotel?”
“Oh yeah,” the Doctor answered quickly. “We’re here to see an old friend of mine. Two old friends of mine in fact.” The Doctor became impatient as she banged the reception desk bell again. “Come on, come on,” she called impatiently. “We want some service here!”
It did seem to take a while for someone behind reception to answer.
Eventually, Graham broke the silence. “So, this isn’t exactly a holiday you’ve prepared for us.”
“Not exactly, no,” the Doctor admitted. “It’s a visit I’ve been meaning to catch up on for quite some time. Got a bit side-tracked in the proceedings, you see.”
Graham, Ryan and Yaz weren’t surprised by that.
Thinking this was getting ridiculous, the Doctor banged the reception desk bell a third time, calling out impatiently. “Come on, come on! Where’s service when you need it? Service! Service!”
Eventually, a young woman came out of the private office to enter behind the reception desk. She was a bit flustered, trying to regain her composure.
“Sorry for being late,” she apologised. “My husband and I have been a bit busy around the back. Normal service is being resumed as soon as possible. Now, what can I do you four? Checking in, are we…?”
“Lady Tari!” the Doctor exclaimed, interrupting her.
The young woman became perplexed. “I beg your pardon?”
“Lady Tari of the planet Migra-Minor! Once a little girl tormented by evil magicians; eventually became adopted by Delta of Chumeria – lovely woman; grew up to become a young woman; later got engaged to Harry Rotenhend, Gordon Rotenhend’s grandson, after spending time on Earth before coming here to co-run the Rotenhend Hotel 360 with your husband.”
Graham, Ryan and Yaz were just as perplexed as the young woman was.
“Doctor, you’re startling the poor young lady here,” Graham told her.
“Yeah, tell us what’s going on, Doctor,” Yaz insisted.
The Doctor didn’t hear Graham and Yaz as she suddenly realised something. “Of course!” she said to the young woman. “You wouldn’t recognise me, would you? I’ve changed the last time we met. You used to know me as skinny, spiky-haired chap with a pinstripe suit and sand shoes. Afterwards, it was a young man with a bit of a chin and a bow tie. I’ve regenerated recently. Twice since we last met.”
It then clicked for the young woman called Lady Tari. She took the Doctor in and became amazed. “The Doctor!” she exclaimed. “You’re…you’re the Doctor!”
“That’s me,” the Doctor grinned. “And look behind me! There’s TARDIS there!”
Tari looked and saw the TARDIS parked in the hotel lobby. She looked back at the Doctor, still amazed. “Is it really you, Doctor? You’ve changed so much!”
“Yeah, I know,” the Doctor replied. “It’s the hair, isn’t it? Or is it the eyes? The ears; the nose? The nose might’ve been difficult for you to recognise me.”
Overjoyed, Tari came out from behind the reception desk to hug the Doctor. The Doctor received Tari warmly. They embraced each other in a hug. Graham, Ryan and Yaz were happy to see a reunion between old friends, despite still being perplexed.
Letting go, Tari said, “It’s so good to see you again, Doctor. I didn’t think we’d ever see you again.”
“Neither did I,” the Doctor said. “But I do travel a lot. Doesn’t mean I forget the friends I’ve made.”
Giggling delightedly, Tari called to the private office, “Harry! Harry, come out here! We’ve got a visitor!”
A voice called back, “Hold on! I’m coming!” Eventually, a young man came out of the private office. “Now what’s all the kerfuffle about? I thought I heard a commotion going on…”
“Harry, it’s the Doctor!” Tari exclaimed. “The Doctor’s back and has brought friends along!”
“What?!” Harry was amazed. Then he pointed. “You mean…that’s the Doctor!”
“No, you numpty!” Graham told him off. “She’s the Doctor, not me!”
“Hello Harry,” the Doctor said cheerily. “You’ve changed quite a bit. Like the moustache.”
It was true. Harry had grown a moustache since the last time he met the Doctor.
Harry was amazed to see her. “You’re the Doctor! You! The one we met back on Earth in November 2013 during that business with Skeletrons and the Zorbius creature!”
“The same one! I have changed quite a bit mind.”
“I know, but…but…”
“Oh come on, Harry! You know all about Time Lords regenerating, don’t you?”
“I know you used to be different people. The old man; the cricketer and the one in the bow tie. But I didn’t expect you to end up like this.”
“I didn’t expect to end up like this either.”
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Tari said giddily. “The Doctor’s come back to visit us.”
“It is wonderful, yes,” Harry agreed, dazed. “Wonderful…and surprising.”
“Sorry for being out of depth,” Yaz interrupted, “but…”
“Could someone please tell us what’s going on here?” Ryan finished.
“Oh sorry,” the Doctor apologised. “Where are my manners? Introductions! Tari; Harry, these are my three best friends, Graham O’Brien; Ryan Sinclair and Yasmin Khan. Graham, Ryan and Yaz, this is Lady Tari and her husband Harry Rotenhend. We know each other from way back.”
“We gathered that,” Graham said. “Nice to see old friends of yours.”
“Yeah,” Ryan agreed. “Hope we’ll get to know them more.”
Just then, baby sounds echoed from inside the private office. Tari and Harry turned to hear them.
“Oh no,” Harry realised. “Tari, I should’ve told you…”
“You brought the babies into the office, didn’t you?” Tari surmised.
“I did. You called for me and I had to put them in the office…”
“No need to explain. We’ll put them back in their cots, shall we?”
“You have kids?” the Doctor realised. “Both of you have kids?”
“Do you want to see them?” Tari asked. “They’re lovely little girls. I’m sure they’d like to see you, Doctor.”
“Oh, I’d love to see your kids, Tari,” the Doctor answered happily. “I love babies. I speak baby! At least I used to.”
“Come this way, Doctor,” Tari said. “Your friends are welcome to see the baby too.”
The Doctor turned to Graham, Ryan and Yaz. “Come along then.”
Graham, Ryan and Yaz came happily as they went into the private office.
In the private office, the Doctor was soon cradling a baby wrapped in a pink towel whilst Graham cradled the other baby in a blue towel. Ryan and Yaz took it in turns to cradle a baby too. Tari and Harry looked on happily.
“What names have you given them?” the Doctor asked.
“The one in pink is Donna; the one in blue is Clara,” Tari told her.
The Doctor beamed. “Oh, great names! Well done, you two! They’re such sweet things, aren’t they?”
The babies were content whilst they slept.
“They are lovely,” Yaz remarked happily.
Tari smiled. “Do you have any children, Doctor?”
The Doctor looked up at Tari, smiling sadly. “Used to. Not anymore.”
Nobody asked any further on that. Silence ensued for a moment.
“I’ll tell you something, Tari; Harry,” Graham broke the silence, “If you ever have another baby, Ryan and me – we’d make a good midwifery team.”
“Really?” Harry reacted surprised.
“Don’t listen to him,” Ryan advised.
But Graham went on. “We were good helping a man to deliver his babies on the Tsuranga hospital ship. Weren’t we, Ryan?” He asked this last question to his grandson.
“Stop advertising us, granddad,” Ryan told him off. “They might take it seriously and consider us.”
Ripples of laughter ensued between the Doctor, Graham, Yaz, Tari and Harry for a bit. Ryan was reluctant at first but he soon joined in the laughter. They kept the laughter quiet to make sure the babies didn’t wake up.
“We’ll take it into consideration,” Tari told Graham and Ryan. “Thank you for your kind offer.”
Graham and Ryan nodded appreciatively.
Harry and Tari then turned to the Doctor.
“Doctor, we are pleased to see you again after all these years,” Harry said.
“But you didn’t come here for a social call, did you?” Tari interjected.
The Doctor looked at Tari and Harry, nodding. “You know me too well. I came to give you something.”
With that, the Doctor passed the baby Donna in the pink towel over to Ryan. She soon took out a set of two crystal fragments and a crystal piece from her trench coat pockets. Graham, Ryan and Yaz were astonished to see them.
“Blimey, how long have you had those in your pockets, Doc?” Graham enquired.
“What are they?” Yaz asked. “They look like…pieces of crystal or something.”
“Exactly what they are, Yaz,” the Doctor replied. “Two fragments and a piece of the Zorbius crystal. I picked them up during a previous encounter I had with Zorbius.” She turned to Tari and Harry. “You two still have the Zorbius crystal, don’t you?”
Tari and Harry looked at each other for a moment before they turned back to the Doctor.
“We’ve kept it safe since the last time we met you, Doctor,” Tari said.
“I didn’t think we’d be opening that safe again so soon,” Harry added.
Eventually, Tari and Harry went over to a combination-lock safe situated in a nearby corner of the office. They knelt down. Harry began to enter into a keypad on the safe itself.
“I hope you remember the combination lock, dear,” Tari said.
“Of course,” Harry answered. “We’ll have to change it though once we’ve opened it, sweetheart.”
“I haven’t forgotten, darling,” Tari replied.
Eventually, the two had the safe open. They took out from it a shining star-like crystal. Tari held it in her hands for the Doctor to see.
“Here you are, Doctor,” Tari said. “The crystal is here and all in one piece.”
Graham, Ryan and Yaz were gobsmacked to see the shining crystal before them.
“That is one pretty awesome crystal you got there,” Ryan remarked.
“It’s beautiful,” Yaz said.
“Stonking beautiful is what I would call it,” Graham remarked.
“It isn’t mine,” Tari told them. “I’m just looking after it.”
“By all rights, the crystal does belong to you, Tari,” the Doctor told her. “I wouldn’t be offended if you claimed it as yours.”
“But the crystal is a part of you, Doctor,” Tari reminded her.
“And it’s a part of you, Tari, remember?” the Doctor told her.
Tari looked away, recollecting the memory of having a crystal fragment inside her once before the magicians of Migra-Minor attempted to extract it from her body as a little girl.
Meanwhile, the Doctor took out her sonic screwdriver and placed it on the two Zorbius crystal fragments and the crystal piece she had in her right hand. Screwing her eyes shut and buzzing her screwdriver away, the crystal fragments and the crystal piece soon glowed bright before they zapped into the main crystal itself held by Tari. Everyone else was amazed to see this happen. The Doctor anticipated that something like this would happen and just shrugged.
“How did you do that?” Ryan asked, mesmerised.
“Like Tari said, the crystal is a part of me,” the Doctor explained. “Therefore, any command I give to it and its fragments and pieces allows me to do whatever I want. I wanted the crystal fragments and the piece to merge with the main crystal and it did just that. With a focus of my brain power when I closed my eyes and concentrated.”
“You didn’t have to use your sonic device for the merging process, did you?” Harry checked.
“Of course I did,” the Doctor argued. “The sonic amplifies the process. Speeds it up a bit. Without it, I would’ve applied a lot of hard thinking and concentration to achieve instant contact with the crystal. Thus it would’ve taken a lot of time.”
“So you went for the easy option,” Tari surmised.
“In a nutshell, yes.”
“Sorry to backtrack here,” Graham interrupted. “But what is Zorbius exactly?”
“Yeah, we don’t really know what it’s all about, do we,” Yaz added.
“Couldn’t we have some explanation on what Zorbius is all about, Doctor?” Ryan asked.
Another moment of silence ensued as the Doctor considered for a bit. “Yes, Graham; yes, Ryan; yes Yaz. Sorry, should’ve explained at the start. Don’t worry! All will be revealed and all in good time. I’ll tell you about the Zorbius crystal and how much it means to me in my travels over the years.”
“We can discuss it over afternoon tea, if you like,” Harry offered. “We can have it in the lounge area.”
“Yes, we’ll bring our babies out in the lounge area too,” Tari added. “Harry and I will look after them whilst you Doctor explain things about Zorbius to your friends. I’ll lock the Zorbius crystal back in the safe with a new combination code before we go.”
“Brilliant!” the Doctor cheered happily. “Good thinking! And love afternoon tea! Thank you, Tari; Harry. Afternoon tea will be splendid. Got any custard creams with that by the way?”
A while later, the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz had afternoon tea with Tari and Harry. The Doctor got her custard creams as well as her cup of tea. Graham and Ryan enjoyed the finger sandwiches they had and they with Yaz enjoyed their cups of tea too. Tari and Harry kept watch over their babies Donna and Clara as they lay in their cots, sitting opposite the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz. The Doctor was in the process of explaining to her friends what Zorbius was about.
“So you see, a long time ago, the Zorbius crystal was created on my home planet. Essentially it’s a crystal that can control any space-time event in the universe, allowing you to do whatever you want when you use it.”
“Wait a minute, Doc,” Graham realised. “Does that mean, I could use the Zorbius crystal to bring Grace back from the dead…?”
The Doctor interrupted him. “I wouldn’t advise it, Graham. The crystal can also be used to corrupt the mind. Trust me; I’ve seen it done a number of times in my encounters with the Zorbius crystal. Tempting as it is, I wouldn’t use it to bring Grace back from the dead.”
Graham thought about it for a moment. Eventually, he said glumly, “Fair enough, Doc. You’re the boss.”
“But how come the crystal ended up with your friends Tari and Harry?” Yaz asked. “And why did it end up with them specifically?”
“Ah yes,” the Doctor realised. “To cut a long story short, the crystal got smashed once. I found opportunities to restore and reshape the crystal to its original form. When I met up with Tari the first time, she was a little girl. I was looking for someone to take care of the Zorbius crystal instead of me, but I ended up giving it to the wrong guy. I gave it to Tari instead to keep it for me as I believed her to be trustworthy. Also for the fact she had a Zorbius crystal fragment inside of her and was good on the inside.”
“That was when the Doctor and Donna, a friend of the Doctor’s, came and rescued me from those horrible magicians who wanted to extract the Zorbius crystal fragment from me,” Tari told the Doctor’s friends. “Harry and I named our first daughter after Donna by the way. The Doctor gave me the Zorbius crystal and I was later adopted by Delta of Chumeria who became my foster mother.”
“Years later, I met up with Tari, who was grown-up and a lady by then,” the Doctor continued. “She was going undercover as Rita on the planet Earth in Chichester, November the 23rd 2013. Harry was there too, going undercover, trying to find out why I wasn’t in some of his family photos, I believe.”
“That’s right,” Harry said. “That was when the Doctor was with a girl called Clara. We named our second daughter after Clara, since she was another friend of the Doctor’s. When Tari and I first met, we had many adventures with the Doctor and Clara. We stopped Skeletrons and a nasty creature from changing history. We saved the Doctor’s life many times to ensure time and space weren’t destroyed.”
“It was a rocky journey, but we got there in the end,” Tari said happily. “Harry and I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the Doctor?” She placed an affectionate hand on Harry’s.
Harry smiled back at her. The TARDIS fouresome were moved by Tari and Harry’s love for each other.
“Aww,” the Doctor said. “You would’ve found each other anyway without my help.” Eventually she continued the story. “So, once we dealt with the Skeletrons and the Zorbius creature trying to destroy my lifetimes as well as obtain the crystal, I asked Harry and Tari to keep on looking after the Zorbius crystal for me whilst I was out travelling about the universe. I hoped to find more Zorbius crystal fragments before I reunited with Tari and Harry in order to merge them with the main crystal.”
“It has taken a while for you to reunite with us,” Tari said. “But you came in the end.”
“Yeah, sorry about the delay,” the Doctor said. “Good side-tracked, you see. I’ve been telling my friends the same thing.” The Doctor then turned to Graham, Ryan and Yaz. “Does that make things any clearer for you three about Zorbius?”
“Not really,” Graham answered. “But I think I’ve got the gist of what you’re saying, Doc.”
“Yeah, me too, definitely,” Ryan joined in.
“Absolutely,” Yaz added.
The Doctor couldn’t help but feel a little bit frustrated. She honestly wished that her three friends could keep up at times when she explained things. She told them this herself, causing another ripple of light laughter between the group of old friends and new in the lounge area.
“So apart from that, everything else alright with married life and running this hotel, you two?” Graham checked with Tari and Harry.
“Yes, we’re very happy in our married lives,” Harry answered. “Aren’t we, Tari?”
“Oh yes, absolutely,” Tari cheerfully said, nodding.
“No-one’s tried to steal the Zorbius crystal from you two since you’ve put it in that safe of yours?” Ryan asked. “No-one’s been greedy for power lately, have they?”
“None at all,” Tari said. “We’ve even attached an alarm system to warn us about anyone who tampers with the safe, should they try to break into it. So far, no-one’s shown an interest or tried to steal from us.”
“Except there’s something bothering you, isn’t there?” the Doctor pointed out. “I can see it in your eyes.”
Tari looked down to the floor for a moment before she smiled wryly and looked back up at the Doctor. “You know me too well, Doctor. You pick out the details that everyone else fails to notice.”
The Doctor leant over and placed a hand on Tari’s shoulder. “Tari, if you have suspicions about something, it’s very important that you tell us.”
Gradually, and after much hesitation, Tari answered, “It could be nothing, but I’m worried about the latest guests we’ve had to our hotel. They’re staying overnight for the weekend. It seems their android can pick up energy traces of the Zorbius crystal in our safe. We don’t know how, but it can. Harry and I noticed it when our latest guests checked in at the reception desk this morning.”
“Are these guests anyone special then?” Graham enquired.
“It’s two women and their android,” Harry answered. “The women are of royal blood apparently. One is insect-like and the other is a gold-haired beauty.”
“She’s a snob, Harry,” Tari stated bluntly.
“Oh yeah, the gold-haired one upset Tari upon arrival,” Harry explained. “Commenting that the lobby wasn’t clean enough, except it had been cleaned the night before.”
Curious, the Doctor enquired, “These guests you mention. You wouldn’t happen to know their names, would you?”
“I know their names off by heart from reading the guest register,” Tari said. “Cigihana, Queen of Tendrasta and her wife Emsteron of the planet Zangy. Their android butler and bodyguard is called Sparta, I believe.”
“What, Crown Cow?!” the Doctor exclaimed. “Insect Girl and Boring Android?!”
“Doctor?” Yaz reacted curiously and befuddled.
“Sorry,” the Doctor apologised. “Old habits coming back. Must try to call them by their proper names.”
Just then, an alarm went off. It startled Graham, Ryan, Yaz, the Doctor, Tari and Harry in the lounge area. It woke up the babies too as they cried profusely, upset by the loud noise. Tari tried to calm them down whilst Harry checked his info-pad nearby.
“What’s all that about?” Graham asked, shouting above the noise. “Is there a fire drill happening?”
“Not to my knowledge, no,” Harry answered. “Don’t worry! I’ll check what’s going on. We’ll sort it out.”
Eventually, Harry finished looking through his info-pad. She turned to Tari, feeling and looking grim.
“What is it Harry, what’s happening?” Tari asked, trying to calm down the babies simultaneously.
“It’s one of the swimming pool areas, Tari,” Harry told her. “Swimming pool #2 of the swimming pool complex on Level #7. We must go there and find out what’s happening.”
“See if you can turn off the alarm system as we go down there,” Tari said. “Our babies are getting upset by the minute. I must get them back to the nursery as soon as possible.”
“Nursery first, then swimming pool #2, right.”
Doing as he was told, Harry attended to the alarm system controls for the hotel via his info-pad. At the same time, he got up and helped Tari to take the cots containing their babies back to the nursery. They began to make their way to a turbo-lift nearby.
Tari turned to the Doctor. “Doctor, will you and your friends help us?”
“Tari, you don’t have to ask,” the Doctor answered happily. “Of course, we’ll help. Lead the way.”
With that, the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz followed Tari and Harry into one of the turbo-lifts. Most of the afternoon tea was left unfinished.
After attending to putting the babies back in the nursery, Tari, Harry, the Doctor; Graham; Ryan and Yaz entered swimming pool #2 on Level #7. Harry had managed to switch off the alarm systems by then, using his info-pad. Once they entered the area, Tari, Harry and the TARDIS foursome saw people injured. Some swimmers were red raw with burns, coming out of the pool which was piping hot. Ryan and Yaz went over to check on the injured. The Doctor used her sonic screwdriver to check they were okay.
“How could this have happened?!” Tari reacted shocked. “The heat levels have increased in the main pool area!”
“Where are the heat controls?” the Doctor asked.
“Over here at the other end of the pool area,” Harry answered. “We’ll show you! Come!”
With that, the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz followed Tari and Harry as they went over to the heat controls, hoping to turn down the heat levels as soon as possible. Once there, they saw someone at the heat controls, tampering with them.
“Oy!” the Doctor cried. “Get away from those heat controls! You’re burning people up in the main pool!”
The person turned to face the Doctor and the others. “I’m not trying to burn people up,” he said blankly. “I’m sorry for any inconvenience.”
The Doctor recognised this person. “Sparta! I should’ve guessed.”
“You know me, madam?” Sparta enquired.
“It’s me, Sparta,” the Doctor told him. “It’s me, the Doctor! You remember me, don’t you?”
Sparta looked the Doctor up and down, becoming curious. “You don’t correspond to my image memory of the Doctor, madam. The Doctor is a…”
“White-haired Scotsman, yeah I remember,” the Doctor replied bluntly. “But I’ve changed. Regenerated. You know about regeneration, don’t you? Maximus was a once a man before he ended up as a woman.”
Before Sparta answered any further, two women in swim-suits came up behind him as they came out of the ladies’ changing room. One was a gold-haired beauty; the other was insect-like.
“Sparta, have you seen to our jacuzzi?” the gold-haired beauty enquired brusquely.
“Yes, her majesty and I must have our jacuzzi at the right temperature,” the insect-like girl said.
The Doctor rounded on them. “And here are two more bad pennies. Queen Cigihana of Tendrasta and her wife Emsterdon. I would’ve thought you two would’ve been more responsibility for your actions.”
“How dare you speak to a queen of Tendrasta like that, whoever you are,” Cigihana shot back.
“And believe me, Cigihana, I’m trying very hard not to call you by the nickname I gave you,” the Doctor continued, “but you’re not making it very easy for me.”
“Sparta, who is this person?” Emsterdon demanded to know.
“She claims to be the Doctor,” Sparta said. “The one who helped save Tendrasta from the threat of the Dalek invasion in the Goseker system.”
Cigihana and Emsterdon reacted with surprise.
“No way!” Cigihana exclaimed. “You can’t be the Doctor! The Doctor was…”
“Yeah, yeah, we’d been all through that,” the Doctor said impatiently. “White-haired Scotsman, I remember. But I’ve changed; regenerated! You must remember about regeneration, you two?”
“When Maximus changed from an old man into a young woman,” Emsterdon recalled.
“Thank you, Emsterdon,” the Doctor was very gratified. “I’m so pleased that someone’s got a good memory here.”
“That explains a lot,” Cigihana realised. “The reason why Sparta detected Zorbius crystal energy nearby when we checked in at reception. When we were given funny looks by the hotel manager and his wife.”
“Don’t trust them, Doctor,” Tari warned her. “These two and their android can’t be trusted.”
“Oh it’s alright,” the Doctor reassured Tari. “These two are gooduns as far as I know.”
“Doctor,” Emsterdon began to apologise. “Had we known you were coming here to this hotel, Cigihana and I would’ve given you a warm welcome…”
“You’re not worming your way around that easily,” the Doctor said to them, quite angrily. “After the harm you’ve caused today, give me one good reason why I should be lenient towards you.”
“Harm?” Cigihana became perplexed. “What are you talking about?”
The Doctor pointed to the injured swimmers. “Look at all these people suffering in this area!”
Cigihana and Emsterdon looked and became shocked and horrified.
“Sparta, we told you to heat up the jacuzzi area,” Emsterdon told him off. “Not the swimming pool area.”
“I apologise,” Sparta said blankly. “I’m not used to adjusting these heat controls.”
“You shouldn’t have been adjusting heat controls at all,” Graham told the android off.
“Yeah, what are you an idiot or something?” Ryan joined in.
“I was following orders from Queen Cigihana and her wife Emsterdon,” Sparta stated.
“That figures,” Yaz said disapprovingly.
At that moment, another alarm went off. Everyone became anxious once the alarm went off.
“Oh what now?” Graham groaned. “Not another emergency, is it?”
Harry checked his info-pad for a moment. Eventually, he said to Tari, “My dear, it’s coming from the main lobby. We should go there, right now.”
“Right,” Tari agreed. “But someone needs to stay here and look after these poor people.”
“Ryan and I will come with you,” the Doctor told Tari and Harry. She then turned to Graham and Yaz. “Graham; Yaz, you see these to these people suffering. Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta will help out.”
“Why us help out?” Cigihana protested.
“You two started this, didn’t you,” the Doctor reminded the queen. “You help out like I tell you to.”
“Technically this was Sparta’s fault,” Emsterdon pointed out.
Sparta said nothing. He usually got the blame for anything that went wrong by Cigihana and her wife.
The Doctor ignored Cigihana and Emsterdon as she said to Graham and Yaz, “We’ll see you two later.” She turned to Ryan, “Come on, Ryan. Off we go to help Tari and Harry.”
“Be careful, Doctor,” Graham said. “You too, Ryan.”
“Yeah,” Ryan acknowledged. “You and Yaz take care of yourselves down here as well.”
With that, the Doctor and Ryan headed off to join Tari and Harry back to the main lobby. Graham and Yaz started to attend to the injured people in the swimming pool area. Cigihana and Emsterdon sighed grudgingly before they and Sparta helped out too.
“We haven’t had our jucuzzi time yet,” Cigihana grumbled.
Eventually, the Doctor, Ryan, Tari and Harry returned to the main lobby. They looked out through the observation window and saw a mysterious planet approaching the hotel. They were amazed to see it as it moved it by itself through space towards them. The Doctor gradually became horrified as she saw it.
“What is that planet?” Tari demanded to know. “Where did it come from?”
“I’ve never seen it before in Zondor space,” Harry said. “It’s also a planet I’ve never seen the like of.”
“I know that planet,” the Doctor declared. “I also know who’s ruling that planet. I’m shocked that he should bring it to this sector of space?”
“Who’s on that planet then, Doctor?” Ryan asked.
“That planet, Ryan, belongs to Salvador,” the Doctor said grimly.
“Salvador?” Ryan, Tari and Harry reacted in confusion and unison.
“Tari; Harry, remember what I said to you about the Zorbius crystal containing my essence which is augmented with someone else’s DNA? A person called Salvador?”
Tari and Harry vaguely remembered as they nodded.
“Well,” the Doctor went on, “that person Salvador is on that planet. At least, one of them anyway.”
“One of them?” Ryan enquired.
“Yes, you see, Ryan,” the Doctor explained, “I have a bit of a history with a Spanish boy called Salvador. He came from the planet Earth before he came to Gallifrey. When he was on Gallifrey, I was training him to become a Time Lord. During that time, I created the Zorbius crystal, using a combination of my DNA with his. There’s a bit of me as well as bit of him inside the Zorbius crystal.”
“You didn’t mention that part during afternoon tea,” Ryan commented.
“Sorry. Lots to think about, you see,” the Doctor excused herself. “Anyway, cutting a long story short, in one of my encounters with Zorbius, I ended up dividing Salvador into two people. One to go with the Daleks that invaded the Goseker system; the other to go ruling a planet of his own.” Pointing at the planet for Ryan, the Doctor continued, “The Salvador ruling the planet is the one we’re dealing with here.”
“Okay,” Ryan said, getting the gist of what the Doctor was saying. “Does that mean him and his planet are a good thing or a bad thing?”
“I’m not sure,” the Doctor admitted. “But if the Salvador on that planet knows the Zorbius crystal is here on this hotel, we must be in serious trouble.”
Tari became concerned. She looked to the private office where the Zorbius crystal was being kept inside.
“Wait a minute,” Ryan realised. “If one of the Salvadors is on that planet, where’s the other one?”
“Would you like to ask me?” a dark, Spanish-accented voice said behind them.
The Doctor, Ryan, Tari and Harry turned around to see the other Salvador behind them. He had a small army of Skeletrons accompanying him – twenty in total. Rainclouds were above their heads with rain pouring down upon them.
“Ah!” the Doctor realised as she confronted the dark lord. “Dear Salvador! I wondered when we’d meet again. I take it you’re working with the Salvador who rules that planet approaching this hotel, right?”
“You can’t stop us, Doctor,” Other Salvador taunted. “Very soon, we Salvadors shall beat you!”
“Tari,” Harry looked to her. “Did that hotel guest check in about a week ago?”
“Yes Harry,” Tari answered, becoming fretful. “I’m sorry, Doctor. Had we known…?”
“Nothing for you two to worry about,” the Doctor assured them. “Besides, Salvador can find a way to slip into places quite easily whenever he wants to. Isn’t that right, Salvy boy?”
“You have plenty to worry about, Doctor,” Other Salvador told her. “We Salvadors shall defeat you twice over at our end.”
“Not surprised by my change of appearance, are you?” the Doctor enquired. “Me being a woman and all? I get a lot of reactions from old friends who see me as a woman nowadays.”
“We have dipped into your future, Doctor,” Other Salvador told you. “We are connected to you through the Zorbius crystal. You know all about your past and future selves.”
“Of course,” the Doctor said glumly. She then became hopeful. “Is there a future where you and I become good friends, Salvador? I’d like that very much.”
“We never become good friends, Doctor,” Other Salvador said bitterly.
“Shame,” the Doctor said. “I’d like us to become good friends. We can stop this fighting each other malarkey and be sensible grown-ups for a change. Wouldn’t you like that? I’d like to think your counterpart on that planet has learnt some moral lessons and compassion along the way.”
“King Salvador wants you destroyed as much as I do,” Other Salvador goaded.
“Pity,” the Doctor became glum again. “I thought he’d be better than that.” She then looked at Other Salvador curiously. “King Salvador? That’s very high-handed of him.”
Other Salvador looked to Tari and Harry. “You two have the Zorbius crystal! You will give to me!”
“No, we won’t,” Tari answered back. “The Doctor told us never to give the crystal to anyone.”
“Ditto,” Harry joined in. “Besides, you seem to a person that’s not trustworthy to have the crystal.”
“And as long as the Doctor protects us, we don’t feel threatened by you,” Tari added.
“Very well,” Other Salvador said. “I shall remove the Doctor from your sight to ensure you do as I say! Then you won’t have her protection.”
“No!” Tari protested. “Don’t remove the Doctor! She’s only just arrived!”
Salvador then considered for a moment. “Or else I can crush you both and obtain the crystal myself. See how the Doctor can really protect you with the power at my fingertips.”
“Don’t harm, Salvador!” the Doctor told him. “I won’t let you harm Tari and Harry like that!”
“It’s a simple choice, Doctor,” the other Salvador said goadingly. “Be escorted by half of my Skeletron forces down to the king’s planet; or remain here to see you friends suffer. Not just the hotel manager and his wife. But him too!” He pointed at Ryan.
Ryan staggered, feeling threatened by this stranger the Doctor knew well. “Doctor, what does that mean? What does he mean that I suffer?”
Just then, Graham and Yaz entered the lobby, accompanied by Queen Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta.
“Doctor, we’ve seen to our patients in the swimming pool area,” Graham said. “We’ve done the best we can for them, but…”
“Graham, look!” Yaz cried out, as she took in the scene that was happening with the other Salvador and the Skeletrons in the lobby.
Other Salvador pointed at Graham, Yaz, Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta for the Doctor to see. “These people too! They’re your friends, Doctor! They shall suffer if you refuse to accept my conditions. You will be escorted by half of my Skeletrons down to the planet of King Salvador. And you won’t cause trouble!”
Cigihana became surprised. “It’s him! Salvador! is back!”
“Oh great, now we’re in trouble!” Emsterdon whimpered.
The Doctor was silently grim for a moment. She then looked at Other Salvador. “How do I know you’ll keep your promise and won’t harm these people? These friends of mine?”
“I don’t make promises, Doctor,” Other Salvador goaded.
A moment of grim silence ensued.
Eventually, the Doctor said, “Very well, Salvador. I agree to your terms. I’ll be escorted by your Skeletrons to King Salvador’s planet.”
“Doctor, no,” Tari protested before the Doctor looked to her.
“Trust me, Tari,” she assured her. “I know what I’m doing. I’ll come back, I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Other Salvador taunted her.
The Doctor ignored him. “What must I do? How do you want me to be escorted, Salvador?”
“Enter your TARDIS!” he commanded. “The Skeletrons shall go inside with you. They will see to it that you get to King Salvador’s castle on the planet safely.”
“How considerate of you,” said the Doctor sardonically.
“Your accomplices – the ones you call Graham, Ryan and Yaz – will go with you too.”
“What, us?” Graham reacted surprised.
“They haven’t done anything,” the Doctor protested. “Leave them out of this, Salvador!”
“They’re friends of yours!” Other Salvador stated. “Being a friend of the Doctor is a great sin! The greatest sin ever committed in the name of Salvador!”
“That’s not fair,” the Doctor cried.
“Agree to my terms, Doctor!” Other Salvador bellowed. “Your three friends are to accompany you down to the planet. Or else, I shall wipe them out of existence!”
The Doctor stared hard at Other Salvador who stared back at her. No reasoning was to be made.
“It’s alright, Doctor,” Yaz assured her. “We’ll come with you. In order to stop this trigger-happy person getting his way.”
“Yeah, come on, Doctor,” Ryan agreed. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Make sure no-one else gets hurt today, right Doc?” Graham added jovially.
Very soon, the Doctor conceded. She, Graham, Ryan and Yaz were escorted into the TARDIS by ten Skeletrons who charged their weapons at them. The rain continued to pour down above the Skeletrons’ heads whilst it missed the TARDIS foursome as they entered the TARDIS. The Skeletrons snarled viciously, following the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz inside. Very soon, the TARDIS dematerialised, whooshing and grinding as it went. Cigihana and Emsterdon were disappointed that they didn’t get to catch up with the Doctor more. Tari and Harry were wondering how the Doctor was going to get back.
Eventually, the TARDIS landed on Salvador’s planet. The TARDIS doors opened and out stepped the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz. They had the ten Skeletrons escorting them with their weapons charged. The rainclouds continued to pour rain down upon the Skeletrons’ heads whilst not on the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz’s heads.
“Doctor, what are these things?” Graham asked anxiously. “They look like skeletons except their bones are attached to robot bodies.”
“They’re Skeletrons, Graham,” the Doctor answered. “They’re servants of the Zorbus entity inside the Zorbius crystal. And yes, they’re a combination of skeleton bones and robots. Rather crude for my liking.”
“Wait, you said an entity inside the Zorbius crystal,” Yaz recalled.
“Yeah, sometimes it’s malevolent, sometimes it’s benevolent. Two minds working as one. One is Salvador’s, the vengeful mind and the other is me. Sometimes the malevolent Salvador mind overcomes the benevolent me.”
“Why do these skeleton robot things have rainclouds above their heads?” Ryan asked.
“That’s the thing that allows them to keep them going,” the Doctor explained. “Rainclouds. Except they’re not rainclouds. Inside the rain is a chemical to promote the Skeletrons’ victims sleep. Much to the advantage of the one who controls the Skeletrons.”
“So, if we were like underneath the Skeletrons’ rainclouds right now…” Yaz began.
“You’d be under their spell; fall asleep and dream,” the Doctor finished for her. “So please bear in mind, you lot. No walking under the Skeletrons’ rainclouds.”
“No fear,” Graham remarked. “But hang on, if the Skeletrons use rainclouds above their heads, why aren’t they above our heads? Why haven’t they made us fall asleep and dream yet?”
“Trust me, they won’t hesitate to use them, Graham,” the Doctor said grimly. “Provided we don’t escape.”
Yaz realised. “So the rainclouds are only above the Skeletrons’ heads and they’ll use them on us…”
“As a precaution, yes,” the Doctor finished for Yaz again.
“So we’d better not make a run for it then, hadn’t we,” Ryan concluded.
“Better not, no,” the Doctor agreed. “Let’s stick together for now and see what happens when we get to King Salvador’s castle.”
Just then, the TARDIS foursome saw the Rotenhend Hotel 360 in clear view up in the sky. It was almost about to collide into the planet’s atmosphere.
“Oh Salvador and Salvador,” the Doctor muttered grimly. “What do you two think you’re doing?!”
“I take it that’s not good when the hotel enters the planet’s atmosphere,” Graham remarked.
“Indeed not,” the Doctor replied. “The atmosphere will probably be crushed by the hotel’s impact upon entry. More importantly, it’ll destroy the hotel itself. A huge collision of hotel and planet will occur.”
“With Lady Tari and her husband Harry on it,” Yaz realised. “As well as their two baby daughters.”
“And Queen Cigihana, Emsterdon and their android, Sparta,” the Doctor added.
“Perhaps this King Salvador won’t go for that,” Ryan tried to be optimistic. “Maybe he’ll use a bargaining chip to get something from you, Doctor. Then he won’t crush the hotel by making it enter the planet.”
“Good point, Ryan,” the Doctor acknowledged. “But I can’t imagine what bargaining chip Salvador will use to get what he wants from me.”
Before the Doctor could say any further, the Skeletrons forced the TARDIS foursome to stop. They placed their hands on their shoulders, causing them pain for a moment.
“What’s happening?” Graham asked, confused, feeling a twinge of pain from the Skeletrons’ grip on his shoulders. “Why have we stopped all of a sudden? Are we there yet?”
At that moment, other soldiers came up to meet them. There were two groups of soldiers. One group had identical tall bearded men and the other group had red-haired young girls. The leaders of the two groups stepped forward to address the Skeletrons.
“Thank you for bringing us the prisoners,” the leader of the red-haired young girls said.
“We shall accompany you to King Salvador’s castle,” bellowed the leader of the tall bearded men.
With that, the group of young red-haired girls led the way whilst the group of tall bearded men took up the rear behind the Skeletrons that escorted the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz. They continued to make for King Salvador’s castle.
“These must be King Salvador’s troops,” Ryan surmised.
“I’m glad we can tell the two groups apart,” Yaz commented. “All identical men and identical women.”
“I’ve seen these people before,” the Doctor remarked.
“What’s that, Doc?” Graham asked.
“Well, when I say I’ve seen them, I saw one of each of them at the time,” the Doctor explained. “It was when I fought in a war and Salvador put me through a dreamscape. The tall bearded man was called Lou-Arms and the young red-haired girl was called Clo-Zen.”
“You fought in a war?” Yaz was surprised.
“Don’t like to talk about it,” the Doctor interjected. “Besides, these were the people that Salvador – King Salvador mind – was supposed to lead on his home planet in an age of peace, compassion and prosperity. Clearly, his majesty King Salvador has used these duplicates of Lou-Arms and Clo-Zen to form an army, much to my disappointment.”
“What’s going to happen when we get to King Salvador’s castle?” Graham enquired. “What will he do to us when we meet him?”
“Not sure,” the Doctor admitted. “But I can’t say it’ll be pleasant. Just let me do the talking, you three. I’ll see to it that I’ll get you all out of this mess.”
The Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz continued to be escorted by the Skeletrons, with the group of Clo-Zens at the front and the group of Lou-Arms at the rear.
Eventually, the TARDIS foursome… or ‘Fam’ as the Doctor liked to call them… were brought in to meet King Salvador in his throne room at the castle. Salvador sat proud and sinister on his throne, wearing a crown on his head. The Skeletrons, the Lou-Arms and the Clo-Zens semi-circled around the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz, preventing their escape.
“At last!” King Salvador declared boldly. “Kneel before me, Doctor! Kneel before your majesty!”
“Mind if I don’t,” the Doctor replied. “Knees feel wobbly. Getting on a bit, you see.”
The Doctor was then forced down to her knees by a Lou-Arms and a Clo-Zen. She looked up at Salvador, a serious, grim expression on her face.
“You will all kneel before me!” the king went on. “The word of Salvador is law!”
At that, Graham, Ryan and Yaz were pushed down to their knees by the Skeletrons. They didn’t like being pushed around.
“This is very childish, Salvador,” the Doctor told him off. “Leave my friends alone!”
“I shall exact my revenge upon you, Doctor,” Salvador declared viciously. “You will pay for all the suffering you’ve caused me!”
“I criticise your leadership of this planet,” the Doctor declared. “This isn’t what I expected of you! I expected you to rule a planet in peace! To show compassion to others! Isn’t that the lesson I tried to teach you last time? Learning about compassion!”
“I don’t want to know about compassion, Doctor,” the dark lord said savagely. “I want to thunder on with the universe. For it to know my hatred of you!”
“You see, that’s the problem you have,” the Doctor interrupted. “With me having regenerations, I can become a better person than I once was before. With you, you don’t change. You just hate and hate. Why can’t you learn to have a peaceful life, Salvador? Isn’t that what you used to have? A peaceful life!”
“I came from a war, Doctor!” Salvador shouted. “Or have you forgotten that?!”
“Life wasn’t always war when you were a little boy.”
“Shut up! Just shut up! I hate you and that’s how it’s going to be! Nothing can change that! I won’t change! Soon, I shall extract my connection from you and you will die alone without me to die with you!”
“Doctor, what does that mean?” Yaz asked anxiously. “What does he mean you’ll die alone without him to die with you?”
The Doctor looked to Yaz. “Remember what I said about the Zorbius crystal connecting me and Salvador, Yaz?” She looked back at Salvador. “Salvador can’t kill me without killing himself. He’s been trying to find ways to torture me, but all of them failed. I overcame them with moments of compassion. Something which he fails to comprehend.”
“My counterpart will acquire the Zorbius crystal from your so-called friends aboard the hotel, Doctor,” King Salvador bellowed. “They will give him the crystal or else their little ones die.”
“No, mate!” Ryan protested. “You can’t let that happen! Tari and Harry’s kids don’t deserve to die! It’s not right for you and the other Salvador to kill them if you two don’t get what you want!”
“I don’t care!” Salvador snapped. “Anyone who’s an associate of the Doctor must die! Anyone who knows the Doctor must die! The Doctor ruined my life! I hate her! And I’m going to make the universe suffer for allowing her to exist!”
“Were you always this cruel?” Graham said disapprovingly.
“You don’t deserve to wear that crown, mate!” Ryan told him.
“Who do you think you are?” Yaz challenged him.
“SILENCE!!!” Salvador roared, enraged. “I hate you all! I deserve to rule! I deserve it! I am your saviour! You should all worship me!”
“This has gone on long enough, Salvador!” the Doctor told him, bitterly disappointed. “It’s become pitiful! Cease this sense vengeance!”
“It’s not senseless!” Salvador thumped his fist on the throne. “It’s not, Doctor! My hatred is justified!”
“I’m warning you, Salvador,” the Doctor said. “End this now or else I’ll stop you!”
Salvador laughed out loud mockingly. “You’ve kept on trying to stop me for the past number of years! What makes this any different?”
After a moment’s silence, the Doctor got up off her knees and stood before Salvador, getting a bit closer.
Salvador felt intimidated. “Stay back, Doctor! Don’t come any closer!”
“I’m not going to hurt you, Salvador,” the Doctor said. “I’m not even going to touch you. Not yet anyway. I’ve thought long and hard about how I’ll cease your endless vengeance towards me. I’ve got a couple of ideas up my sleeve that I think will work. Dunno which one I’ll use, but I promise you, Salvador. Your reign of terror will end. You’ve disappointed me long enough, but that doesn’t mean I can’t stop you from causing any more harm to other people. I will stop this terror you’re about to unleash.”
A moment of silence ensued. King Salvador leaned in closer for the Doctor to hear him. “There are two of us, Doctor. Two Salvadors. It’s not going to be easy for you to defeat us.”
“Who says I’m going to defeat you two Salvadors?” the Doctor challenged him. “I may just end up defeating one of you.”
“One Salvador dies and the other will kill you,” King Salvador taunted. “It’s still not going to be easy.”
“I won’t kill you, Salvador,” the Doctor told him. “Whatever you may think of me, I won’t kill you.”
Another moment of silence ensued. The Doctor and King Salvador stared intently at each other. Graham, Ryan and Yaz could’ve almost heard a pin drop as the Doctor and King Salvador stared at each other.
Eventually, King Salvador looked up and said to his subjects, “Take these four away! Lock them up! Make sure they don’t escape!”
A few Lou-Arms, a few Clo-Zens and few Skeletrons began to lift Graham, Ryan and Yaz up from the floor. They were about to escort them away.
Just as a Lou-Arms and a Clo-Zen were about to escort the Doctor away, Salvador said to her, “Believe me, Doctor! I will steal the Zorbius crystal from that hotel manager and his wife. I’ll destroy the hotel if I have to.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” the Doctor retorted. She was soon being dragged away by the Lou-Arms and the Clo-Zen soldiers, taken to a prison cell with Graham, Ryan and Yaz.
“Oh by the way, Doctor,” Salvador interjected. “I’m taking that sonic screwdriver off from you!”
With that, Salvador raised his right hand and summoned the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver from one of her trench coat pockets. The Doctor was shocked to see Salvador summon her sonic screwdriver and hold it in his right hand. He placed it on the throne beside him.
“Just to make sure you and your friends don’t escape once you’re inside your prison cell,” he added.
“This isn’t over, Salvy boy!” the Doctor said defiantly as she was being taken away. “I will stop you! I haven’t given up on teaching you the values of compassion! Someday you will learn those lessons I gave you! Someday…”
Her voice became distant as she was led out of the throne room with Graham, Ryan and Yaz.
Salvador sat back on his throne, chuckling sinisterly. “You’ll have a long time to wait, Doctor. A very long time to wait.”
King Salvador looked out of a nearby window, seeing the space hotel in clear view. It was almost about to crash its way into the planet’s atmosphere. It appeared that his and the other Salvador’s scheme to acquire the Zorbius crystal and exact revenge upon the Doctor was working according to plan.
© Tim Bradley, 2020
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