TIME LORDS DON'T CRY
CHAPTER NINETEEN Marie came up behind the Doctor and looked at the view screen. “That’s Mr. Peacock who owns the hardware store! And there’s old Mr. and Mrs. Gordon, and Mr.Orsini who runs the general store. Doctor, half of the people in our town must be out there!” After a long pause, she looked at the Doctor’s face somberly. “Does that mean they’re all dead?” The Doctor’s hands balled into fists, his eyes dark and grim. He sighed heavily, closed his eyes and nodded his head. “Yes. I’m afraid so.” He opened his eyes and looked at Marie. “But, sweetheart, there’ll be many, many more deaths–the entire planet, if I don’t stop this.” Ducking under the console once more, the Doctor continued to fiddle with some of the wiring and other components. “Now,” he said crisply, lying flat on his back, “if I can just get this one setting properly calibrated….there–gotcha’, you beau-ty!” With a small yell of triumph, the Doctor nimbly jumped up and pounced on the Tardis console, pushing one last button. Grinning like a little kid, he said to Marie, “There! That oughta’ fix his wagon, as you Yanks would say.” Marie turned a puzzled stare on him. “I never heard anyone say that. What did you do, Doctor?” The Doctor merely gave her a lopsided grin, tapped the side of his nose and said, “Patience!” He gently nudged Marie over to stand in front of the console’s monitor screen. “Wait and see, Marie, wait and see.” The Doctor said criptically. A few moments later, the Doctor was standing outside the Tardis, trying to buy some time. He was wearing his long coat and it billowed out behind him in the sharp bitter wind. That little trick he did with one of the Tardis’ relay circuits should work, but the circuit in question needed charging and that would take a few extra minutes–minutes he wasn’t entirely sure that he had. “I am the Sovereign. You will be assimilated.” A voice spoke from the trees. The snow was falling heavily now, and it swirled around the walking human cadavers as they began marching towards the Doctor. The Doctor jammed his hands in his pockets and assumed a casual expression. “Oh yeah? So you keep saying.” Then, the Doctor began pacing angrily, back and forth in front of the Tardis door. He was about to allow himself a bit of a rant. “What if I don’t want to be assimilated, eh? What if I’m perfectly happy just as I am?” “You will be assimilated,” the grating voice said, “the Exogen will survive. You cannot resist.” The Doctor stopped and faced the soverign. He shook his head at the armored creature, his face dark and ominous. “You lot are very single minded, I’ll give you that…” he leaned forward, “I imagine that’s because you’re stupid. No imagination at all. Just push on ahead, regardless of the consequences. You want what you want and to heck with everyone and everything else in the universe. You really are pathetic,” he said scornfully, “and what’s more, you can’t possibly win. So why don’t you just call it quits, and go back where you came from?” In answer, the Sovereign roared and lunged and clanged towards the Doctor. “You WILL be assimilated! I shall assimilate you, personally!” The Doctor merely stood still, with his arms crossed and looking rather tired. Pulling out a pair of sunglasses, he put them on. He was surrounded on all sides. Uncle Tobias was reaching for the Doctor’s neck when suddenly, a blinding beam shot out from all sides of the Tardis, emanating from the light atop her roof. It illuminated not only the surrounding forest, but the whole of the little mountain valley. Shrieks arose from the walking dead, and they collapsed all at once. At first, the Sovereign seemed immune. But then, slowly by inches, his armor began to crack and fissures began to open. With a mighty roar, the Sovereign disappeared in a swirl of snow. A short while later, the Doctor returned to the Tardis. Marie came up to him, her young face creased with worry. Pulling on the sleeve of his coat, she asked, “Are you alright Doctor? What did you do? Will they come back?” The Doctor pocketed his sunglasses and looked down at Marie. He gave her a tired smile. “I merely adjusted the Tardis’ relay circuits, and re-directed a tiny portion of the time vortex energy into a highly focused, super-charged ultra-violet beam. Not even the sovereign’s UV armor could handle light of that intensity.” Marie still seemed very unsettled. The Doctor knelt down by her, and looked her somberly in the eyes. “It’s alright, Marie. He’s gone and he’s not coming back.” She shook her head, sadly. “But, neither are they others, are they? They’re all dead.” She looked up at him, with a bit of fear in her eyes. “Doctor, what’s going to happen to me?” For a mere second, the Doctor looked nonplussed. Then he grinned. “It just so happens, I have a friend in Scotland. She is one of the kindest people I know. I think maybe she might be able to help. Ever been to Scotland?” Marie shook head no. The Doctor beamed. “Lovely country, nice people, lots of open spaces where she is…you’ll love it! And, before we do that, I think we might just make a stop at the mall on Stergil Three and get you some things you’ll need.” “A Mall?” Marie asked. “I’ve never been to a mall.” “Awww-you’ll love it!” the Doctor smiled at her. “Ten thousand shops, an amusement park, botanical gardens, intergalactic zoo, six-ring circus and Punch and Judy show all under one roof.” Marie’s eyes widened with surprise and all she could say was a reverant, “Wow—!” Just then, Marie noticed that one of the Doctor’s pockets was moving of its own accord. Drawing back, she pointed. “Doctor! Your pocket…there’s something in there!” The Doctor looked puzzled. “What?” Then his face lit up with a boyish grin. “Oh, how stupid of me! I nearly forgot. I got you something while I was out.” Reaching into his coat pocket, the Doctor took out a tiny ginger and white kitten. “I found this little fella’ wandering around all alone in the forest. I thought perhaps you might be able to look after him.” Marie took the kitten and held it gently against her, tears brimming in her eyes. She gazed wonderingly at the Doctor. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I didn’t think anyone in the world cared about me. Now I know I was wrong.” The Doctor drew back and looked at her. Just for a brief instant, he had trouble seeing. Must be that debris from the tunnel had gotten into his eyes, making them tear over, he thought–though he knew that wasn’t really true. Then, with a slightly mischievous smile he leaned over Marie, and whispered in her ear: “Be happy. Have a good life.”
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