TRIAL OF A TIME LORD: THE VALEYARD

Chapter Eleven

(Adam's universe)

The doors opened as Adam, John and Nigel walked outside and Adam closed the doors, locking them. Nigel was stunned by the sight of the zeppelins floating lazily in the sky and Adam smiled.

"What year is this?" Nigel asked and Adam scratched the back of his neck.

"Not sure," Adam said while they watched Daisy turned into a large pile of crates and Adam handed John the imager. "Put that on."

"Why?" John asked, looking at it.

"Because the CCTV cameras will alert Torchwood the moment they see my image," Adam said when he placed the imager on and his appearance changed into a tall man with long black hair and ice blue eyes. He had a lean, muscular build and was wearing a leather jacket, a red t-shirt, a belt, jeans and leather boots. Shrugging, John placed the imager on and his appearance changed into a tall man with light brown hair and hazel eyes. He was muscular and had two hoop ear rings in his left ear. He wore a denim jacket, a black t-shirt, a belt, jeans and white converse sneakers.

"You guys look really cool," Nigel said with a grin and they started walking down the alleyway. They walked out of the alley when they headed down the pavement and Adam slid his hand into the leather jacket pocket, feeling the small metal disc against his fingers.

"Are we just going to walked into Torchwood and ask them if that thing's theirs?" John asked as Adam sighed and shook his head. John was using a Manchester accent as Nigel slightly smiled and Adam headed for the stairs that led down to the tube. Going down the stairs, he gently moved by some people coming up the stairs and John and Nigel followed close behind him. The people were buying tickets, standing near the gap as they chatted or read the paper and Adam walked to the left, heading down toward the end of the platform. Looking around, he hopped down when he started walking down the tunnel and Nigel shrugged, following him. "Bugger, why am I getting a bad feeling about this?"

Adam walked down the tunnel as John and Nigel half jogged up behind him and he looked up and down the semi dark tunnel.

"Either of you have a torch?" Adam thought.

"Just use your sonic screwdriver," John thought.

"Why are we talking this way?" Nigel thought.

"Because there are hidden microphones in the walls," Adam thought and they shrugged. Nigel took the torches out of his jacket pocket then handed one to Adam and Adam turned the torch on, a thin yellow light moved up and down the wall. Walking down the tunnel, Adam turned into a small side tunnel and placed his hand against the wall. Suddenly the sound of snorting and grunting filled the air as Adam stopped and help up his right hand. "Don't make any sudden moves."

In the dim light of the tunnel came the sound of feet shuffling toward them and low growling. John and Nigel's mouths dropped as several weevils walked toward them and the weevils moved their heads side to side. Adam didn't move as the largest of the weevils walked closer and placed its face inches in front of Adam's face, sniffing him.

No fear. We will not harm you.

As they placed the torches away, John and Nigel watched while Adam used sign language to speak to the large weevil as the large weevil blinked and rubbed the side of its hand on Adam's nose.

You smell like Time Friend.

The large weevil nodded its head as Adam smiled and nodded back.

I am and so are they.

The large weevil walked toward John and Nigel as it sniffed them then turned to the other weevils and made softy grunting and growling sounds. The other weevils headed down the tunnel when the large weevil waved its hand for them to follow and walked down the tunnel. Adam sighed then headed down the tunnel and John and Nigel followed behind him.

"Where are we going?" John thought as they walked down the tunnel and water dripped down the walls.

"They're taking us to their lair," Adam thought and John gave him a stunned look.

"But those are weevils, Mate, they'll eat us!" Nigel thought and Adam shook his head.

"No, they won't," Adam said when the large weevil waved its hand then pointed down the side tunnel to the left. They headed down the tunnel when they saw the main room where the weevils lived and Adam smiled. Crates sat around the room as some of the weevil sat on them, some other weevils laid on nests made of tattered blankets, and the weevils looked at them. One or two weevils held onto tiny baby weevils as the baby weevil lowered their heads and a low cooing sound filled the air.

Come!

The large weevil waved a hand as Adam followed it then turned, looking at John and Nigel. Nodding, he waved for them to follow him and they walked to a large opening in the wall. The smell of urine and rotting food make John and Nigel cough as they walked into the tiny room and saw a weevil sitting on tattered blankets. The large weevil waved its hand as Adam walked closer then knelt down on the blankets. Wheezing came from the weevil on the blankets when it slowly lifted its head and blinked its eyes at him.

It is Time Friend.

The weevil wheezed then made a coughing sound as it moved closer and sniffed Adam. Adam slowly moved his hand forward while the weevil did the same and they wrapped their fingers together. Adam squeezed the weevil's fingers then let go and smiled at it.

Time Friend, where have you been? Bad Ones come and hurt us.

Adam frowned as the weevil lifted the tattered shirt it was wearing and he saw the festering wounds on the weevil's chest and stomach. Adam tenderly reached over to touch the wounds but the weevil gently grabbed his wrist and shook its head. Nodding, Adam sat back on his legs and looked back at John and Nigel.

"He's been tortured," Adam thought.

"How do you know that it's a he?" John thought.

"The males are bigger than the females. This bloke looks like the elder. You can tell by the teeth," Nigel thought and Adam smiled at him.

"Very good, Grasshopper, extra noodles for you at dinner," Adam thought and Nigel scrunched his face at him then softly laughed.

I had to go away.

Why?

The Bad Ones were hunting me.

Adam, John and Nigel cupped their ears when the weevil raised its head then made a garbled roar and pounded the blankets. The roaring echoed through the tunnels when Adam uncapped his ears and placed his hands on the weevil's shoulders. The weevil calmed down as he sent love and comfort into its mind and it blinked its eyes at him.

Calm now, Friend, it is alright. My family and I are safe.

The weevil purred as it butted its head into his chest and Adam stroked its head. It gently moved its paw against his chest when Adam led his hand up then reached into his pocket, removing his wallet. He opened the wallet when he showed it pictures of Marion, River and James and it made soft purring sounds. When it saw the picture of David, it looked at Adam and pointed at the picture.

Time Friend has new cub?

Yes.

Cub looks like Time Friend.

The weevil looked at the next picture of the Doctor and Alan then pointed, tapping its finger on the picture.

Are Time Friend's nest mates, yes?

Yes.

The weevil handed the wallet back to Adam as he put it away then reached into his pocket and removed the silver metal disc, placing it on his lap.

I need you to look at this.

The weevils growled when he held up the silver metal disc and he folded his hand over it.

Time Friend bring pain maker!

So this is the pain maker?

Yes, why Time Friend bring it here?

I needed to make sure that this is the pain maker.

Sighing, Adam placed the small silver disc away then turned to look at Nigel and John and blinked.

"They recognize it," Adam thought and Nigel and John nodded.

Thank you for your help.

Time Friend is leaving?

Yes, but I will make sure the Bad Ones stop.

The weevil nodded then reached over and pulled Adam's head forward, going forehead to forehead with him. It grunted then lightly bumped foreheads and Adam rubbed his hand on the back of the weevil's neck. The weevil let go as Adam stood up and motioned with his head toward the main room. They walked into the main room then left as two weevils led them down the tunnel and Adam's hearts slammed in his chest.

The doors slammed open as Adam stormed up the ramp and Nigel closed and locked the doors after he and John came inside. Adam paced back and forth as he mumbled softly to himself and the silver metal disc sat on the console.

"Ok, care to explain what that was all about?" John asked while Adam leaned against the console and took the imager off, placing it on the console.

"You know that the rift between my brother's universe and this one is unreliable and stays open only for a few moments at a time," Adam said and Nigel frowned while John took the imager off, placing it onto the console.

"I never knew that," Nigel said and Adam rolled his eyes.

"It is and it was during one of the longer visits that he made friends with the weevils. He found out that they were a lost race known as M'Karni and they were docile."

"They are not docile, Mate. I have seen one shred a man in a matter of minutes."

"Some of them do but those are the ones that are crazed from hunger."

"How did they get here?" John asked.

"A large rift opened up and they crossed over. Being stuck here, they had to do what they had to survive. My brother promised that he would take them home but couldn't because Torchwood was hunting both my brother and me."

"How did it know it was you?" Nigel asked.

"Well, my brother and I both smell alike but it figured out who I was when I showed him the pictures of my kids."

"What about the disc?" John asked.

"I told you that we used to use it to control them. Having him prove that it was one of the control discs proves that the Valeyard and Daisy were here when River was kidnapped," Adam said and sighed.

"Then what about the Valeyard you killed?"

"Hold on! Adam killed the Valeyard?" Nigel asked with wide eyes. Nodding, Adam told him what happened and Nigel sank down onto the jump seat. "Fuck."

"I'm not sure," Adam said when they felt a soft blast of air in their minds and Adam looked at the ceiling.

"I shall show you," Daisy said when Adam walked around the console and she showed him which levers, switches and buttons to move. The engines made a soft wheezing and grinding around them while Daisy dematerialized and scrapes of paper swirled around in soft circles.

Compassion materialized in the passageway then looked around when she released the energy inside her and Rain held onto Hamish, who was about to fall to the floor.

"Where are we?" Rain asked as she handed Hamish the stick and Compassion looked around.

"This is where Daddy and Daddy Alan are," Namid said as she walked to Hamish and gently took his hand. "Are you alright, Teacher?"

"Aye," Hamish said, nodding his head. He lifted his head as he listened to the sounds of the passageway then gently placed his hand on the wall. "Are we in the TARDIS?"

"No, I don't think so," Namid said when she heard the sound of a hatch opening and gently pulled on Hamish's hand. They headed down the passageway when they came to the hatch and Namid waved her hand, causing the hatch to open. They walked into the next passageway when the hatch closed and separated Rain from Namid and Hamish. "No!"

"I'm alright!" Rain shouted from the other side of the door then set up privacy block, placing her hand against the door.

"Take Hamish and go find your father and your uncle," she thought.

"But, Mommy, I want..." Namid thought.

"No, you have to go! You're our only hope, Baby," Rain thought then sent love into her mind.
Hamish?"

"Aye" Hamish thought.

"Don't do anything stupid. I don't want to tell your dad that you decided to play Daredevil and accidentally got yourself killed," she thought then felt the confusion in his mind.

"He's a blind superhero," Namid thought then quickly showed him who Rain was talking about and he nodded.

"Now get going!" Rain thought then let go of their minds and stood against the hatch. She tried to reach out for the Doctor's mind when the door to her left opened and her hearts froze in her chest.

"Well, well, well, look who I found," the Valeyard said as he walked closer and an evil grin spread across his face.

Back                         Home                              Doctor Who Main Page                          Next