3. A Chance to Change History
Back on Salvador’s planet, the Doctor continued to ponder how to outwit the two Salvadors. Ideas were already formulating in her head, but she needed the right moment in order to execute them. She also hoped her ideas would ensure Ryan and Yaz’s safety.
“Admit it,” King Salvador said gloatingly. “You’ve lost, Doctor! We Salvadors have won!”
“We may not like each other,” the other Salvador said, “but we Salvadors are more powerful than you!”
“You just can’t bear the notion of us being more powerful than you,” King Salvador goaded.
“That’s why we’re going to bring your downfall!” finished Other Salvador.
“Not today if you don’t mind,” said the Doctor simply.
King Salvador laughed. “You still believe you can outwit us?”
“Even when we have the upper hand,” Other Salvader laughed too.
“You’ve both forgotten, haven’t you,” the Doctor said triumphantly. “I still have the Zorbius crystal.” She held it out for the two Salvadors to see.
“Not for long if we have anything to say about it,” said King Salvador defiantly. “We can easily snatch it out from you!”
“Then why don’t you?” the Doctor challenged the king. “Is it too powerful for you to take from me?”
“Nothing is too powerful for Salvador to take,” chided King Salvador.
“Even if you kept it firm in your hands, you won’t use it to kill us!” Other Salvador added.
“In all the years we’ve known each other; you still don’t get it, do you?” the Doctor said sadly. “I’ve never wanted to kill you, Salvador and Salvador.”
“Because we’re connected? All three of us?” King Salvador snorted. “If you tried to kill us, you’d die as well? There’s more than one of us to contend with, Doctor. Not so easy anymore, is it?”
“That’s not the reason, no,” the Doctor retorted. “Not just that. I have compassion, Salvadors, and I wish to share that compassion with you two in a way you won’t see it coming.”
“And how exactly do you plan to share that compassion to us?” Other Salvador enquired.
“By doing this!”
With that, the Doctor grabbed the two Salvadors together.
“What are you doing, Doctor?!” the two Salvadors panicked in unison. “Stop this at once!”
Eventually, taking the two Salvadors with her, the Doctor fell underneath the rainclouds where the Skeletrons stood. Very soon, the Doctor and the two Salvadors fell asleep with Ryan and Yaz underneath the rainclouds. The Doctor and the two Salvadors mind-linked with Ryan and Yaz at that moment-.
Waking up, the Doctor and the two Salvadors found themselves in the barren misty wastelands where Ryan and Yaz were. Ryan and Yaz saw them. The Doctor went over to see them as he got up off from the ground.
“Ryan; Yaz, two alright?” The Doctor could see that they were very pleased to see her.
“Doctor,” Ryan cheered. “Thank goodness you’re here!”
“I’m sorry I got you two in this mess,” she apologised. “I’m also very sorry I left you two behind. Didn’t mean to.”
“Doctor,” Yaz said anxiously. “I saw my family. My mum; my dad; my sister! They were here with us in the wasteland. Salvador brought them forth.”
“And I saw my nan,” Ryan added. “My nan appeared right before us!”
“Ryan, Yaz,” the Doctor said wearingly. “Salvador’s been playing tricks on your minds. You mustn’t listen to him! Not when he’s trying to weaken you!”
“We also saw Tim Shaw,” Yaz continued. “He came before us! About to kill my family!”
“And my nan again,” Raz added. “We saw Tim Shaw about to kill Yaz’s family and my nan again!”
“Is that going to happen in the future, Doctor?” Yaz wanted to know. “Will my family die because of Tim Shaw coming back?”
“And will my nan be brought back to life and killed again?” Ryan added.
Seeing Ryan and Yaz’s despair, the Doctor turned to the two Salvadors angrily. “Look what you’ve done to them! You weren’t always heartless, Salvadors. Why can’t you show an ounce of compassion?”
“Can’t you see?!” said King Salvador savagely. “We don’t want to be like you, Doctor! You say we’re a disgrace? Well, we say you’re a disgrace to us!”
“Our ways are law!” the other Salvador declared. “The rule of the two Salvadors must prevail! There’s nothing you can do to stop us!”
“And I told you before,” the Doctor persisted. “I still have the Zorbius crystal! I have the option of changing things around. I have a way out of this predicament that you two have created.”
“You can’t escape this realm, Doctor!” King Salvador goaded menacingly.
“Not when your two friends turn against you!” Other Salvador added.
Just then, the Doctor turned around to see Ryan and Yaz getting up from the ground and walking towards her menacingly.
The Doctor backed away. “Ryan, Yaz, what are you doing? Why are you coming towards me like that?”
“You ruined our lives, Doctor,” Ryan said, zombie-like. “We should destroy you with our bare hands!”
“We can’t let you ruin our lives anymore, Doctor,” Yaz joined in, zombie-like. “We have to stop you!”
Gradually, out of the corner of her eye, the Doctor soon saw that behind Ryan and Yaz were another Ryan and Yaz, weakened to the ground. Realising what was happening, the Doctor turned back to look at the two Salvadors.
“It’s not going to work, Salvadors,” she told them. “These aren’t the real Ryan and Yaz. They’re your creations to intimidate and scare me. I tell you, it won’t work!”
“You suffer at our will, Doctor,” King Salvador declared bitterly.
“We will continue you to make you suffer until you answer for your crimes!” Other Salvador added.
“Oh come on!” the Doctor groaned, annoyed. “Haven’t I suffered enough for one day?”
“It’s not enough,” bellowed King Salvador angrily. “We want more of your suffering until you break!”
“You will break, Doctor,” Other Salvador declared. “We will break your will against us!”
“Then I’ll have to make sure you don’t break me hard enough,” the Doctor retorted, as she closed her eyes and buzzed her sonic screwdriver at the Zorbius crystal in her hand. The crystal glowed brightly. Eventually, the fake Ryan and Yaz vanished. The real Ryan and Yaz looked up at the Doctor after she had just wiped out their fake counterparts.
“Doctor, that wasn’t us,” Ryan said apprehensively. “Those weren’t us wanting to kill you!”
“We would never want to harm you, Doctor,” Yaz added.
“I know,” the Doctor reassured them. “I know you wouldn’t.” She turned back to the two Salvadors grimly.
“But we certainly would,” King Salvador said, goadingly.
“That’s what you have in mind to say to your two young friends, isn’t it, Doctor?” Other Salvador added.
“It’s now my current intention to change things about your history, Salvadors,” the Doctor said to them. “I should never have divided the original Salvador into two beings. Had I known it would make you bitter and more vengeful, I could’ve prevented more heartbreak and hardship.”
“That’s because you didn’t teach us properly,” scoffed King Salvador.
“You’ve never been a good teacher, Doctor,” Other Salvador said bitterly.
“No, I haven’t,” the Doctor responded. “But I will make you two an offer in order to change things if you’d be so willing.”
“Do you think that offer will save your other friends aboard the hotel?” the king challenged her.
The Doctor became anxious at that. “You’ve sent an invasion fleet up to the hotel already, haven’t you?”
“While we’ve been asleep, yes,” Other Salvador taunted. “A number of Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens have been sent in ships to attack the space hotel. You can’t save them whilst you’re down here on this planet, Doctor. We’ve thought of everything, us two Salvadors.”
“No!” a weakened Ryan cried out. “You can’t hurt Graham! Not ever!”
“Doctor, please tell us Graham is safe,” Yaz joined. “And Tari, and Harry and everyone else.”
Feeling grim, the Doctor looked down to the floor. “Oh Graham. What have I got you into?”
Back with Graham on the space hotel, everyone became satisfied with the amount of holographic defences at the ready for any spaceships that came to attack. Graham thought there may have been too many defences being prepared.
“You’re sure this’ll be enough?” he asked Tari and Harry.
“We’re fast work at this,” Tari reminded him, noting the sarcasm in Graham’s voice.
“Oh I’ve no doubt, love,” Graham told her. “But will it be enough to hold back the amount of enemy ships coming to attack?”
“It should be enough,” Harry said as he concentrated on his tasks.
“I wish I can contact Tendrasta to summon more ships to come to our aid,” Cigihana said.
“Then why don’t you know, your majesty?” Graham asked reasonably. “It’d save us a lot of trouble having to contend with holograpm technology to fool the enemy.”
“We’ve tried breaking through the communication barriers,” Emsterdon replied. “But for some reason, Sparta can’t get through.”
“I’ve done all I can, your majesties,” Sparta told Cigihana and Emsterdon solemnly.
“Don’t worry, Sparta,” Cigihana reassured him. “Just keep at it using your neural net connected to our sailing ship and you’ll probably get through.”
“Very well, Queen Cigihana,” Sparta answered. “I will keep trying.”
“Is this Salvador’s work then?” Graham asked. “Blocking the communication barriers? He must be a real clever-clogs doing that.”
“The communications problems began when our Salvador checked in at the hotel,” Tari said before realising. “I’m beginning to see why that is.”
“Yes. Had we known he had a vendetta against the Doctor, we might’ve been well-prepared,” Harry said.
“Don’t blame yourselves; you two,” Graham said. “I’m sure we’ve all been there. Unprepared in unusual situations. So long as we keep to the plan like the Doctor said; we’ll be able to win this.”
Just then, an alarm bell went off.
Graham grimaced. “That’s not good news, I take it?”
Tari checked the instrument panels nearby at the reception desk. Eventually she looked up at everyone. “Enemy ships approaching. From the planet surface. It must be the Skeletrons. As well as the Lou-Arms and the Clo-Zens the Doctor warned us about.”
“Let’s check at the observation window!” Harry suggested.
Eventually, at the observation window, Graham, Tari, Harry, Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta looked out to see. Enemy ships were approaching, about to attack at the hotel. Harry checked a nearby instrument panel to confirm and identify how many ships there were in space.
“About three hundred ships coming this way,” Harry announced.
“Three hundred?!” Graham exclaimed. “That’s rather unfair on us, isn’t it?”
“We only just had the shuttle bays redecorated,” Tari said sadly.
Harry checked the instrument panel again. “Confirmed. Ships contain a quantity of five hundred soldiers overall, consisting of Skeletrons; Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens.”
“What, you can pick up Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens from that computer scanner of yours?” Graham reacted surprised.
“Trust us, Graham,” Tari told him. “The hotel computers are very quick tracking down whatever lifeforms it can detect, whether it’d be Skeletrons, Lou-Arms, Clo-Zens or the like. We have to be careful that we don’t have any of them aboard the hotel. We must have the shields up at all times, which won’t be easy.”
“Well, aren’t the shields strong enough?” Graham asked.
“Oh yes, they should be,” Harry answered.
“Oh thank goodness for that,” Graham said relieved.
“But that doesn’t mean they’re impregnable. The Skeletrons, the Lou-Arms and the Clo-Zens are likely to break through our defences eventually.”
“Oh. Not so good then.”
“But will we be able to last long enough until the Doctor and the others return to us or something?” Cigihana asked anxiously.
Just then, Emsterdom became fretful. “Err…I think we’re about to find out, Cigihana dearest.” She pointed to outer space. “Look! They’re about to fire!”
At that, the enemy ships opened fire. There was a lot of pounding about upon the space hotel’s outer shell. Violent shuddering occurred, but thankfully Graham and the others were safe for the time being.
“Tari; Harry, you need to see your children,” Graham said. “Make sure that they’re kept safe whilst all this is happening!”
“I’ll go to them,” Tari said before she looked to her husband. “Harry, you stay with Graham. Defend this hotel should the soldiers come into the lobby.”
“We will,” Harry assured her. “We’ve got firearms to protect ourselves in the lobby. You take the kids down to Level #59. Take them to a simi-suite where they’ll be protected.”
“Of course,” Tari acknowledged, as she kissed her husband. “Look after yourself, husband. Be careful.”
“You too,” Harry said. “Take care of our babies!”
With that, Tari made to set off downstairs.
Once Tari had gone, Harry turned to Graham. “I assume you know how to use a firearm, Graham.”
“Of course,” Graham said nervously as if unsure at first. “What do you take me for?”
“Good, good,” Harry said satisfied. “We’ll defend this hotel to the last once the soldiers board in.”
“Emsterdon, Sparta and I are willing to help defend this hotel to the last,” Cigihana announced. “Aren’t we, Emsterdon; Sparta?”
“Absolutely,” Emsterdon said cheerily. “Let’s get to it!”
“Affirmative,” Sparta joined in.
“We’ve got firearms of our own by the way, so don’t worry,” Cigihana said, assuring Harry and Graham. “And we’ll definitely need Sparta’s thermal induced hands in a scrape.”
Satisfied with Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta’s willingness to help, Harry soon got out firearms for himself and Graham to use. Harry and Graham had their firearms ready as well as Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta. The group waited patiently whilst the hotel was being bombarded by heavy firepower from the enemy ships outside.
“Sorry you had to go through all of this, Graham,” Harry said. “Not exactly a peaceful visit to the Rotenhend Hotel 360, is it?”
Graham smiled as he tightened the grip on his firearm. “Nah, no problem, Harry. This is what usually happens when travelling with the Doc.”
Back in the wilderness where the Doctor confronted the two Salvadors and where Ryan and Yaz were weakened on the ground, the two Salvadors made a counter-offer.
“We will spare everyone aboard the space hotel if you adhere to our demands, Doctor,” King Salvador declared. “Give us the Zorbius crystal!”
“It is a simple choice to make,” the other Salvador interjected.
“That’s not fair,” the Doctor protested. “Especially when you haven’t heard my offer yet.”
“We don’t wish to hear it,” King Salvador said. “There is nothing you can give us except the Zorbius crystal, which we desire so greatly.”
“Yes! We hunger for the crystal, Doctor,” the other Salvador said.
The Doctor turned to her friends. “Ryan; Yaz! Don’t give in to your fears! Stay strong! I will protect you through this!”
“How can you say that, Doctor?” Yaz said despairingly. “Those two are so powerful!”
“They know everything about us,” Ryan commented. “How is that even possible?”
“Trust me,” the Doctor persisted. “I know how the Salvadors’ minds work. They can be easily distracted with anything I throw at them.”
“What say you, Doctor?” King Salvador demanded challengingly.
“You’d better not try opposing us when we can so easily catch you out!” Other Salvador said.
“I wouldn’t dream of opposing you Salvadors,” said the Doctor innocently. “No way hosay!”
“Then what were you whispering to your companions?” King Salvador demanded to know.
“Nosey parkers,” the Doctor retorted.
“It doesn’t matter,” Other Salvador interjected. “Hand over the crystal, Doctor, and we shall spare the lives of the friends you love!”
“Somehow I doubt the pair of you will keep your words,” the Doctor said.
“Hand us the crystal, Doctor,” bellowed the two Salvador in unison.
“Okay, okay,” the Doctor answered. “No need to get so hoity-toity. Here you are! Here’s the Zorbius crystal!” With that, she took it out of one of her trench coat pockets to show it to them.
“No tricks!” the other Salvador warned her.
King Salvador eyed the crystal hungrily. “At last! It will soon be ours!”
“Except,” the Doctor interjected, “I can still use the crystal whilst holding it in my hand. So…”
Instantly, the Doctor closed her eyes; concentrated; and buzzed her sonic screwdriver onto the crystal.
“NO!!!!” screamed the two Salvador in unison.
They lunged forward but it was too late. The Zorbius crystal glowed brightly in the Doctor’s hands and the scenery changed around her; the two Salvadors; and Ryan and Yaz.
Opening her eyes, the Doctor took a step back and made sure the two Salvadors didn’t get their hands on the Zorbius crystal. The two Salvadors ended up falling to the ground made of sand, whilst the Doctor pocketed the Zorbius crystal back into one of her trench coat pockets.
Satisfied with how this turned out for her, she told the two Salvadors, “Once you two get up from the ground, take a look round and see where we are.”
Pretty angry with what just happened and how the Doctor tricked them so easily, the two Salvadors eventually got up from the sandy ground. They did as the Doctor said and looked about the place. They were on a beach. It seemed strangely familiar to the two Salvadors.
Ryan and Yaz got up from the ground too. They had fully recovered by this point.
“Doctor, what just happened?” Yaz asked quizzically.
“A minute ago I was fretting away like an idiot,” Ryan said. “Now I feel better and sure of myself.”
“It’s alright, you two,” the Doctor said. “King Salvador had some kind of hold on you in the dreamscape we’re in. It’s taken a while, but I’ve been able to break through the barriers and shut off the hold placed on you by the two Salvadors. The change of scenery with my sonic screwdriver on the Zorbius crystal is proof of that.” She eyed the crystal admiringly. “Pretty handy crystal this.”
“And how exactly does the change of scenery work to our advantage?” Yaz enquired.
The Doctor indicated to Ryan and Yaz. “Look at them! See how the two Salvadors react to this place.”
Taking in their surroundings, Ryan and Yaz saw the beach they were on. It wasn’t the brightest of days and it seemed the day was coming to an end.
“Don’t see anything significant,” Ryan said. “It’s an ordinary beach at the end of an ordinary day.”
“This happens to be Santa Cruz de Tenerife, one of Spain’s port cities,” the Doctor told her friends.
“And that’s significant because…”
“What we’re seeing is the aftermath of the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1797.” Just then, the Doctor pointed. “Look! See the battle going on in the fair distance, you two? Hear the battle sounds?”
Ryan and Yaz looked to see. The Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife of 1797 was indeed taking place.
“Whoa!” Ryan exclaimed, surprised.
“Have you taken us back in time?” Yaz asked the Doctor. “With the Zorbius crystal, I mean?”
“Not really!” the Doctor answered. “This is a simulation of the battle at a distance inside the dreamscape we’re in. We’re still on Salvador’s planet in orbit of the Rotenhend Hotel 360.”
“Still don’t see how this is significant to the two Salvadors we have here,” Ryan plaintively pointed out.
“Look!” the Doctor pointed again. “See whose coming!”
At that, a little boy ran barefoot on the sands of Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s beach. The boy was frightened. Ryan and Yaz were surprised to see the little boy.
“Poor lad,” Yaz remarked.
“Indeed he is,” the Doctor acknowledged as she looked to the two Salvadors. “Isn’t that right, you lads?”
The two Salvadors were astonished and confused.
“What are you doing to us, Doctor?” King Salvador demanded to know.
“What is this point of all this?” Other Salvador added.
“Do they know this little boy then?” Ryan asked.
“They should do,” the Doctor answered. “This, Ryan and Yaz, happens to be…Salvador as a little boy. This is where it all started for Salvador. He ran away to escape a terrible place before he found himself on Gallifrey, the home of the Time Lords, by entering a portal.”
Astonished, Ryan and Yaz watched as the little Spanish boy kept running away from the battle that took place in the port city.
The little boy cried out loud, shrieked and sobbed. “Mama! Mama! Quiero que mi mama!”
Back in outer space, the siege of the space hotel was underway. The defences were working. The holographic ships being projected tackled the enemy ships on approach. The safeties were off and the holographic ships opened devastating firepower. The protective shielding was secure so far. Harry and Graham didn’t need to use their weapons yet. Neither did Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta. No Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens beamed in to attack. It seemed to go well, but Harry had doubts.
Sparta meanwhile informed Cigihana, “I’ve broken through the communication barriers, your majesty! I’ve made contact with Tendrasta. Reinforcements are on their way. They’re coming to the hotel.”
“Excellent!” Cigihana said pleased. “When will they get here, Sparta?”
“In two hours’ time.”
“Two hours?!” Emsterdon reacted shocked. “We might be dead by then before the crisis is over!”
“Our safety won’t last forever,” Harry said grimly. “Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens will break through the barriers and there’ll be nothing for us to stop it!”
“A ray of sunshine, aren’t you,” Graham said admonishingly. “Have faith, Harry! We’ll get through this!”
“How can you be so sure?” challenged Harry.
“Well,” Graham hesitated, not sure how to answer at first. “The Doctor will sort everything out, trust me.”
“That’s the other thing,” Harry went on. “Where’s the Doctor when he need her? We need her desperately in a time of crisis!”
Graham had to agree. “If only there was a way we can contact her. I wish I had a Zorbius crystal of sorts to go down to the planet and fetch the Doctor.”
“Your wish is my command,” said a voice behind Graham.
Graham, Harry, Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta turned to see Tari coming towards them. She held something in her right hand.
“What are you doing here, Tari?” Harry was shocked.
“I thought you were looking after your babies in one of the simi-suites on Level #59,” Cigihana remarked.
“Yes, what’s become of them?” Emsterdon asked.
“Don’t worry,” Tari said. “I’ve got a babysitter looking after them in the simi-suite. A holographic babysitter mind. They should be okay where they are.”
“What made you want to come up here, Tari dear?” Harry asked earnestly.
“I came to give Graham this,” Tari told her husband as she showed a Zorbius crystal piece in her hand. “I just remembered I had it in my possession when I took the babies down to the simi-suite.”
“Where did you get that from, Tari?” Graham asked.
Tari handed the crystal piece to Graham and he took it. “I stole it when the Doctor wasn’t looking. It was when she asked me for the Zorbius crystal.”
“What?!” Graham was astonicked. “You nicked a piece of crystal before you gave the whole thing to the Doctor. Sneaky!”
“It was in case of an emergency,” Tari argued. “I wonder if I should’ve taken a few more pieces rather than one piece from the crystal.”
“This is a perfect opportunity for you, Graham!” Harry declared. “To use the crystal piece and get down to the Doctor on the Salvador planet.”
Graham became nervous. “Oy, oy, hang on! I can’t just go beaming onto the planet to find the Doctor and summon for help. Besides, I don’t even know how to use the crystal thing.”
“Oh it’s alright, Graham,” Tari assured him. “It’s very easy, I’ll help you. Just concentrate and focus your mind on what you want the piece to do. Bear in mind, it’s quite limited on power.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s a crystal piece after all, not a full crystal. If you had a full crystal, you can do anything with it. But you’ll probably have a one-shot trip if you want to beam down to the planet and reach the Doctor.”
“Then I’ve got no chance,” Graham said.
“Surely you must have some idea of where the Doctor is on the planet,” Harry prompted encouragingly.
“No I don’t…” Graham stopped and then thought. Eventually, hsaid, “Well, I suppose there is King Salvador’s throne room I can check. The Doctor, Ryan, Yaz and those two Salvadors could be there.”
“That’s where you need to go then,” Tari said. “You need to focus your mind going to Salvador’s throne room in his castle should the Doctor, Ryan, Yaz and the two Salvadors be there. And that’s with the limited power you’ve got in that Zorbius crystal piece I’ve given you.”
Just then, the hotel shuddered violently. The continual firepower from the enemy ships was getting worse. Thankfully the hotel and everyone inside was intact.
Cigihana grew anxious however. “We’d better hurry up with sending Graham down to the planet. Otherwise we’ll be finished as toast in outer space.”
“Agreed,” Harry said apprehensively. “Graham, you need to decide now! Go down to the planet or not?”
Growing apprehensive and thinking about it, Graham eventually said, “We really need the Doctor and the others back. I don’t see we have any choice.” He soon turned to Tari. “Show me what to do, Tari dear.”
Tari nodded. She placed Graham’s hands on the crystal piece she gave him, guiding him how to use it.
“Close your eyes, Graham.”
At that, Graham closed his eyes.
“Breathe deep.”
Graham breathed deep.
“Think calm thoughts.”
Ironic, Graham thought, since they were being attacked by enemy ships in outer space.
Tari continued instructing him. “Focus your mind on what you want the crystal piece to do. See the Doctor, Ryan and Yaz in your mind. Then see the throne room of King Salvador’s. Let the thoughts you have in your mind become reality! Let the crystal piece allow it to happen!”
Still breathing deep and having calm thoughts, Graham didn’t realise the crystal piece glowed brightly in his hands. Tari freed her hands off Graham’s. He was soon transported away out of the hotel and down to the planet. Tari, Harry, Cigihana and Emsteron continued to keep the fight up aboard the space hotel.
Down on Salvador’s planet, in the dreamscape, the Doctor, Ryan and Yaz continued to see where the little boy Salvador was running off to. The two grown-up Salvadors watched as well. As the little boy Salvador ran, a portal soon opened before him.
“A portal just opened!” Yaz exclaimed.
“Yeah,” the Doctor said grimly. “And this is where it all started to go wrong where it could’ve gone right.”
Gradually, the little boy Salvador made his way to the portal, about to enter inside. Once the little boy had gone through, the portal closed in an instant. Ryan and Yaz were quite surprised.
“What just happened?” Ryan asked. “Where did that little boy go?”
“Like I said,” the Doctor gradually answered. “Salvador’s gone to Gallifrey.”
“Where he’ll meet you,” Yaz realised.
“Where he’ll meet me,” the Doctor confirmed. “As well as many other Time Lords who wanted to dispose of him.”
“But you stopped them, didn’t you, Doctor,” Yaz said. “You stopped your own people from hurting him to give the boy a chance of life.”
“Yes,” the Doctor nodded. “Yes, I suppose I did, didn’t I?”
Ryan looked at the two Salvadors. “You ungrateful…how can you two forget that the Doctor saved your lives when you were a little boy? This is how you repay her? By getting revenge on what she did to you.”
“That’s the thing with Salvador,” the Doctor told Ryan. “He easily forgets. The mind-set of a little Spanish boy for you. When it’s stunted, he chooses not to remember the circumstances of how he ended up on Gallifrey in the first place. On how things could’ve been different had the Time Lords had their own way and not mine? Salvador only remembers the bad things I did to him. Not the good.”
“There’s nothing good about you, Doctor,” King Salvador snapped sharply. “You’re the one who’s a disgrace! Not us! You’re an abomination towards us!”
“What’s the point in showing us that?!” Other Salvador demanded to know. “Your showing of us as a little boy won’t change anything with what you did to us! Nothing!”
“Don’t be sure about that, Salvadors,” the Doctor told them. “I can give you the option to have it all changed. For you to never meet me.”
The two Salvadors were confused by that remark. “What do you mean?” they asked in unison.
The Doctor took a while to answer. “I can go back in time to Santa Cruz de Tenerife 1797 to prevent you entering the portal and stop you stepping foot onto Gallifrey. You’ll have no memory of me and no memory of the Time Lords. You’ll never have the cursed existence that you currently have. You can spend the rest of your days on Earth with no knowledge of what happened to you. You’ll forget being the master of reality. I can change all that, if that’s what you want.”
The two Salvadors were surprised by this offer.
“You’d really do that?” King Salvador asked. “Change our history!”
“We would never have met or known you as well as the Time Lords if you change things?” Other Salvador enquired.
“Yeah, why not?” the Doctor answered. “I’d be very willing to do that!”
Ryan and Yaz stepped forward to protest.
“Doctor, you can’t,” Yaz cried. “If you change Salvador’s history, surely you’ll be changing the histories of everything else, including Earth and the whole universe.”
“Wouldn’t you be changing things in how we met you, Doctor?” Ryan asked. “Would changing Salvador’s history prevent you meeting me, Yaz, Graham and my nan in Sheffield when Tim Shaw came?”
“Oh, I’m sure I can work things around that,” the Doctor said cheerily. “Salvador was one thing that made me want to leave Gallifrey. It won’t affect the other reasons when I change Salvador’s timeline.”
“You can’t do this, Doctor,” Yaz protested. “It’s not worth the risk. You can’t do it!”
“It’s Salvador’s choice, Yaz,” the Doctor told her, being adamant. “I’m giving him the option if he wants it. If he finds all this suffering too much, then I should give him the option to not meet me.” She turned back to the two Salvadors. “Well, you two. What’s it going to be?”
It seemed as if the two Salvadors were properly considering the Doctor’s offer. Eventually, they chuckled out loud in unison.
“It’s very kind of you, Doctor,” Other Salvador said.
“But we must politely decline your offer,” King Salvador finished.
“Why?!” the Doctor asked, exasperated. “I thought this is what you two would’ve wanted. To not know me anymore. Why resist the opportunity?”
“You just don’t get it, do you, Doctor,” Other Salvador snapped. “We don’t want to be rid of these powers! We love them! We love using them to torment you! It’s what we do best!”
“And we’re going to keep on using our powers until we see you break!” King Salvador added.
The Doctor got really annoyed. “I’ve had enough of you two chasing me around the universe! I want it to stop! You can stop chasing me, you know!”
“Tough!” bellowed King Salvador. “You will come to understand that you’ve hurt us so much! Our pursuit of you will never end! It will never stop! It will last forever and forever!”
“You two are pretty selfish!” the Doctor told them off. “Haven’t you considered other people’s feelings rather than your own?”
“We don’t care about other people’s feelings,” Other Salvador shouted. “We matter! No-one else! No-one else matters but us!”
“And now we’re going to crush you and kill your two friends once and for all!” declared King Salvador.
The Doctor quickly realised the two Salvadors meant Ryan and Yaz. She stepped forward to protect them. “Don’t you two dare,” she said. “I won’t let you harm Ryan and Yaz!”
“You cannot stop us,” goaded the two Salvadors in unison.
Just then, Graham appeared out of nowhere right beside the Doctor, Ryan and Yaz. “Not if I have anything to say about it, you two won’t!”
“Graham!” the Doctor reacted surprised. “Where did you come from?”
“No time for that now, Doc,” Graham said. “Have you still got the Zorbius crystal?”
“Yes I have, but…”
“Good! Then I’ll just use this!”
At that, Graham closed his eyes and used the Zorbius crystal piece he had in his hands. He weakened the two Salvadors. The two Salvadors groaned in pain as they crumbled to the ground.
“Headache!” King Salvador cried. “HEADACHE!!!”
“Too much pain!” Other Salvador cried. “TOO MUCH PAIN!!!”
Opening his eyes and giving the Zorbius crystal piece to the Doctor, Graham said urgently, “Quick, Doctor! Get us out of here wherever we are while we still can!”
Taking the point, the Doctor took the crystal piece from Graham and pocketed it. She then took out her sonic screwdriver and the whole Zorbius crystal from one of her trench coat pockets. She used the screwdriver on the crystal, as it buzzed away.
“NO!!!” roared King Salvador.
“Don’t you escape, Doctor!” shouted Other Salvador. “Don’t escape!”
But it was too late. The Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz already zapped out.
Finding themselves back in the real world, the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz were now in Salvador’s throne room in the king’s castle. No Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens were about, but there were the two Skeletrons. The Doctor disabled them instantly with her sonic screwdriver. They collapsed to the floor.
The Doctor turned on Graham, rather annoyed. “Graham, how did you get here? And where did you get this Zorbius crystal piece from?” She took it out of her trench coat pocket again for Graham to see.
“Sorry, Doc,” Graham apologised. “I should’ve given you a warning, but then I saw you, Ryan and Yaz on the floor once I came down here. I figured you were in a coma. So I used the crystal piece to get into your minds to see if you were alright.”
“I find that very intrusive, Graham O’Brien,” the Doctor protested. “Looking into other people’s minds without asking permission.”
“And where did you get the crystal piece from, Graham?” Yaz wanted to know.
“Lady Tari gave it to me,” Graham answered. “She told me she nicked off a piece of the main crystal when she handed it over to the Doctor.”
“What, she nicked it,” Ryan reacted surprised.
“Oh the little tyke!” the Doctor exclaimed. “I’ll have a few words to say to that young lady when I get back to the hotel and meet her!”
“That’s why I came down here, Doctor,” Graham explained. “We need your help back on the hotel. Tari, Harry, Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta seem to be doing okay, but I doubt the defences are going to last much longer. Not with them enemy ships attacking!”
“We’d better go back there and help them out,” Ryan suggested to the Doctor.
“It’s the least we can do,” Yaz added.
The Doctor thought for a moment. She was little rattled about coming out of the dreamscape so abruptly, but eventually she said, “Very well. We’ll see how the progress is up there.” Taking out the sonic screwdriver and the Zorbius crystal again, she began to apply her sonic onto the crystal in an instant. “Hopefully the crystal should take us back to the lower levels where we need to be. We’ll make our way to the main lobby from there.”
“What about the two Salvadors?” Ryan asked aloud.
“They’re still inside the dreamscape, aren’t they?” Yaz asked.
At that moment, the two Salvadors appeared in the throne room with the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz. The TARDIS foursome backed away.
“You cannot escape us, Doctor!” King Salvador said.
“You will never escape us!” Other Salvador joined in.
“Graham, Ryan, Yaz! Hold onto me!” the Doctor urgently told her friends.
Her three friends did as they were told as they held onto her.
“NO!!!” shouted the two Salvadors in unison.
“And one, two, three, boof we go!”
With that, the Doctor buzzed her sonic onto the Zorbius crystal. The Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz soon zapped out of the throne room, returning to the space hotel. The two Salvadors stamped their feet in anger before making plans to pursue the Doctor; her friends and the Zorbius crystal.
The Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz did return safely to the lower levels aboard the space hotel. It was still dark in the corridors and there was heavy firepower pounding from outside by the enemy ships which the TARDIS team felt.
“I take it that’s from the Lou-Arms, Clo-Zens and Skeletrons attacking,” the Doctor checked.
“Yeah,” Graham answered. “Let’s hope they haven’t broken through the hotel’s shielding yet.”
“We’d better get up to the main lobby as fast as we can,” Ryan suggested.
“Agreed!” Yaz joined in. “Tari, Harry and the others will need all the help they can get!”
“You two go ahead!” the Doctor told Ryan and Yaz. “Graham and I will catch up!”
Yaz frowned, confused, “You and Graham not joining us?”
“Graham and I need to check something back here before we tag along,” the Doctor told her. “Don’t worry, we’ll follow.”
Accepting her answer, Ryan and Yaz soon headed off for a turbo-lift nearby in order to get up to the main lobby upstairs.
Graham looked to the Doctor. “What do you need checking, Doc?”
“You, Graham,” the Doctor told him seriously.
“Me?” Graham reacted confused.
“In the time you had that crystal piece Tari gave you, have you used it for anything else apart from saving us?” the Doctor asked.
“Nothing else apart from saving you, Ryan and Yaz, no.” Graham reacted confused. “Why?”
The Doctor said it gradually, “You haven’t used it to…you know…bring others back from the dead?”
Graham now saw what the Doctor was getting at. Eventually, he said, “I did consider using the crystal piece Tari gave me to bring Grace back from the dead.” He paused for a moment. “But I didn’t in the end. I guessed that wouldn’t be right.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” the Doctor said simply.
“I figured it might make a monkey of things if I used the crystal piece to bring Grace back.” Graham paused for another moment. “It’s tempting yes, but I wouldn’t do it, Doc. I’d like to think I’m made of stronger stuff than that.”
Satisfied with Graham’s answer, the Doctor smiled. “You are, Graham O’Brien. You are made of stronger stuff. That and more, I daresay.”
Graham smiled back.
Eventually, the Doctor took out her sonic screwdriver; the Zorbius crystal and the crystal piece from her trench coat pockets. He used her sonic to zap the crystal piece back into place with the Zorbius crystal itself. Once that was done, the crystal was complete again.
The Doctor tugged Graham and said, “Come on! Let’s catch up with the others!”
With that, they made their way forward in the corridor, heading for the turbo-lift Ryan and Yaz went into.
In the hotel lobby, Ryan and Yaz re-joined Tari, Harry, Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta. They were currently gunning down Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens stomping towards them. The enemy had managed to break into the hotel’s shielding and board the lobby itself. The Skeletrons, the Lou-Arms and the Clo-Zens open-fired their weapons too.
“Hiya!” Ryan called. “We’re back!”
“Got your hands full, I see,” Yaz said.
“Very full,” Tari replied. “The shielding lasted for as long as it could. Harry needs all the help he can get!”
“Which I’m not happy about,” Harry stated. “Tari should be downstairs looking after our two little babies in the simi-suite.”
“The babysitter is looking after them, remember, Harry?”
“The babysitter?!”
“I thought our Tendrasta fleet would be here by now,” Cigihana interjected, firing her own weapon at the approaching enemy soldiers. “It is two hours since you contacted them, isn’t it, Sparta?”
“No,” Sparta responded, as he fired bolts of fire from his thermal-induced hands. “It’s been an hour since then, your majesty.”
“Drat and double drat,” Cigihana muttered.
“Typical Tendrasta efficiency,” Emsterdon complained. “It’s always delays with their reinforcements!”
“Less of that, my dear,” Cigihana told her off. “Tendrasta’s fleets are the best from the Goseker system!”
“Where’s the Doctor when we need her?” Harry demanded to know. “Didn’t your Graham bring her here as well as you two?”
“Of course he did,” Yaz answered.
“The Doctor will be here shortly,” Ryan assured Harry.
At that, Graham and the Doctor turned up. The Doctor took out her sonic screwdriver and the Zorbius crystal from her trench coat pockets once again, seeing the many soldiers of Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens coming towards them.
“Ooh dear,” she remarked. “That’s quite a lot of soldiers to handle here!”
“Can you get rid of them?” Graham asked.
“Of course I can’t,” the Doctor retorted. “I’m not a matter destroyer like the Salvadors are, Graham.” She paused for a moment. “But I am a matter keeper. And I can keep these soldiers in place whilst sparing everyone that’s fighting against the Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens. And I can do that with the Zorbius crystal!”
The Doctor soon buzzed her sonic screwdriver onto the Zorbius crystal, closing her eyes and concentrated. The crystal glowed brightly and pretty soon, the army of Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens became trapped in glass prisms. Just like how Tari used the Zorbius crystal to keep her family and everyone else safe aboard the space hotel from Other Salvador. The fighting ceased. Silence ensued.
“Whoa!” Yaz exclaimed, surprised. “That was easy!”
“Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” the Doctor said, eyeing the crystal admiringly in her hands again. “I wonder if I should use the crystal more often when I go on my travels.”
“Didn’t you say the crystal can make you corrupt the more times you use it?” Ryan asked.
“You don’t want to have that on your conscience, do you?” Yaz joined in.
“You might end up like me who wanted to bring Grace back from the dead, Doc,” Graham commented.
At that, the Doctor snapped out of it. She turned to her friends. “You’re right, you three. Usage of the crystal should only be when necessary.” She pocketed the crystal and her sonic screwdriver back into her trench coat pockets again.
“Wait a minute,” Cigihana began to complain. “Why didn’t you use the crystal to stop the army of Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens coming here before they boarded the hotel?”
“We could’ve saved a lot of time and effort if you just used the crystal,” Emsterdon joined in.
“I needed to distract the two Salvadors,” the Doctor argued. “I had to get them meeting each other for the first time on the planet below. Having them on the planet rather than the hotel lessens the risk of the two Salvadors causing harm to others. And I really needed to use the Zorbius crystal to ensure the outcome.”
“Shouldn’t you be giving the crystal back to us, Doctor?” Tari asked. “My husband and I are still the crystal’s keepers after all.”
“Quite right, Doctor,” Harry agreed. “You’ve had that crystal for far too long. Like you said, only use it when necessary.”
“Trust me, you two,” the Doctor told them. “Once this crisis is over, I will give the crystal back to you as soon as I can.” She then looked at Tari disapprovingly. “And you and I need to talk, young lady. Nicking crystal pieces out of the main crystal without my knowledge?!”
“It helped Graham with getting you, Ryan and Yaz off the planet and escaping the two Salvadors,” Tari argued. “At least be grateful about that.”
“She has got a point, Doc,” Graham said.
“What of Salvador though?” Ryan interrupted. “The two of them – they’re still on the planet, aren’t they?”
“They haven’t chased us since we escaped either,” Yaz added. “Why haven’t they caught up with us? What could they be doing on the planet?”
“I dunno,” the Doctor answered truthfully. “It’s very hard to reason with Salvador, even when there are two of them. As I indicated, with two of them, their vengeance towards me is far greater than any of us can realise.”
“They didn’t even accept your offer to change their history,” Ryan said.
“Be grateful that the Doctor hasn’t done it, Ryan,” Yaz said. “Changing Salvador’s history could still in turn change our history.” She looked to the Doctor. “You weren’t actually going to do it, were you, Doctor?” A moment’s silence. No response. “Doctor?”
The Doctor didn’t answer. She was deep in thought. She spoke more to herself now. “No. No it could work. Or perhaps not. Maybe. Maybe, it could work. I dunno. It’s worth a try, isn’t it? No. Perhaps…”
As the Doctor babbled away, Graham pointed out to everyone, “Those two Salvador blokes will probably try sending another army of Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens to attack us. Or maybe destroy us.”
“Probably,” Ryan agreed. “There aren’t many Skeletrons though. It’s mostly Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens.”
“That’s what I thought, yes,” Yaz remarked.
“Point still stands,” Graham reiterated. “What are we going to do from here?”
Eventually, the Doctor made an announcement as she turned to everyone. “Keep holding the fort! I need to go to somewhere.”
“Down to Salvador’s planet?” Ryan enquired.
“Not exactly,” the Doctor answered. She then turned to Tari and Harry. “Tari; Harry! I’ll be coming back! I will give you the Zorbius crystal back, I promise.” Just then, the Doctor used her sonic screwdriver to extract some crystal pieces from the main crystal. She gave them to Tari. “Here! Use these when absolutely necessary! Especially when you’re guarding the soldiers in their prisms here.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Tari said, clutching the crystal pieces. “My husband and I will use them wisely.
The Doctor smiled back before as she addressed Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta. “Your majesty; Emsterdon; Sparta. You three help Tari and Harry looking after our guests.” She indicated the soldiers. “Make sure they don’t break out of their prisms. I’ll sort out the invasion force once I’ve been to this place I need to be. Then you Cigihana and you Emsterdon can enjoy your honeymoon together.”
“I’ll hold you to your word on that, Doctor,” Cigihana answered, smiling.
“We have a lot to talk about, I know,” the Doctor acknowledged. “Especially about your late husband and your recent kid.”
Cigihana and Emsterdon were surprised at that. How could the Doctor know?
Eventually, the Doctor made her way to the nearest turbolift. Graham, Ryan and Yaz followed.
“Hey, hey, hang on, what about us?” Graham argued.
“Where are you going, Doctor?” Yaz asked.
“Heading back to my TARDIS,” the Doctor answered. “It’s still downstairs in the lower levels.”
“We’re coming with you,” Ryan announced.
“No,” the Doctor told them. “I need you three to stay here!”
“Fiddlesticks,” Graham snorted. “We’re coming with you, Doctor.”
“You’re not going to stop us helping you,” Yaz told her.
“No way hosay!” Ryan added.
Eventually, the Doctor groaned as she said, “Oh very well, come along. But this still could be dangerous!”
With that, the Doctor led the way as she, Graham, Ryan and Yaz made for the turbolift. They soon went down to the lower levels whilst Tari, Harry, Cigihana, Emsterdon and Sparta remained in the lobby to guard the Skeletrons, Lou-Arms and Clo-Zens in their glass prisms.
Meanwhile, on King Salvador’s planet, in the throne room of his castle, the two Salvadors discussed how they were going to overthrow the Doctor and obtain their objectives. Sometimes, it didn’t go well with the two Salvador bickering with each other.
“This is your fault!” King Salvador pointed the finger at the other Salvador.
“That’s right,” Other Salvador scoffed. “Blame me when it’s so clearly your fault!”
King Salvador ignored the other Salvador. “It would’ve been better if the Doctor hadn’t divided us up into two people. We should’ve been one entity running the entire operation at ruining the Doctor.”
“Perhaps that’s what we should do,” suggested the other Salvador. “We should obtain the Zorbius crystal in order to merge us into one being again.”
“How can we do that when the Doctor manages to outwit us?” King Salvador asked disparagingly. “We should crush the Doctor and her friends! The will of Salvador cannot be opposed!”
“I sense the Skeletrons, the Lou-Arms and the Clo-Zens trapped in prisms aboard the hotel,” the other Salvador told King Salvador. “Just like when that Tari woman saved her friends and family using the Zorbius crystal.”
“We shall see to it that the Skeletrons, the Lou-Arms and Clo-Zen are broken out of their prisms before the Doctor…”
Just then, King Salvador was interrupted as the TARDIS materialised in their throne room, whooshing and grinding very loudly.
“The TARDIS is here!” the other Salvador exclaimed.
“How dare she park her TARDIS in our throne room,” King Salvador snapped. “Such sacrilege!”
Very soon, the TARDIS landed with a thump in the king’s throne room.
Eventually, the Doctor popped her head out and said, “Hey, Salvy boys! Not stopping long! Just to say, see you later! I’m paying a visit to Earth. Sure you’ll understand! Bye!”
With that, the Doctor popped back inside the TARDIS and closed the door behind her. Soon, the TARDIS was off again, whooshing and grinding loudly as it went. Once the TARDIS left, the two Salvadors looked at each other, confused.
“What did she mean by that?” King Salvador asked. “Paying a visit to Earth?”
“I have no idea. The Doctor is such a babbler…” the other Salvador trailed off as he soon realised what the Doctor was talking about. He became horrified. “She’s gone back to Earth! She’s gone to change our history! She’s going to stop us getting to Gallifrey!”
“She can’t do that!” King Salvador bellowed. “She must not do that! It’ll be the end of our power! Our existence will be no more!”
“She must be stopped!” Other Salvador insisted. “She must!”
“I will attend to her,” King Salvador declared. “You go and attend the hotel. See to it that our invasion forces are successful in wiping out the Doctor’s friends.”
“Very well,” Other Salvador agreed. “Let’s be quick about it!”
With that, the two Salvadors parted company, vanishing from sight. King Salvador went off to stop the Doctor on Earth whilst the other Salvador attended to the space hotel.
© Tim Bradley, 2020
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