Into the Worm Hole (Collaborative Story)

[Tardis]

Alrighti, this is where all your energy for fantasy, science fiction .... can be spent.  Any species that you can dream of can be entered here.  This is not RP so grammar and such I don't see as being particularly important, as long as we understand what you are trying to say.  The idea is to write a story together and have fun.  All characters must be entered using this form.


Name:
Gender (feel free with this as long as you can keep track):
Species:
Species description (put enough for us to know what it can do):
Age:
Appearance:
Personality:
Special tools or equipment (optional):
History (optional):

Here is my character.

Name: The Doctor or Doctor
Gender (feel free with this as long as you can keep track): Currently male, but can regenerate as female if so wishes
Species: Timelord
Species description (put enough for us to know what it can do): Travels through time and space, humanoid, has two hearts, can preform regeneration.  
Age: 750 years
Appearance: Dark brown hair and brown eyes.  Hight is slightly above average, lean.
Personality: unpredictable, sometimes does stuff that makes absolutely no sense.  Hates fighting.
Special tools or equipment: Has space ship, sonic screw driver and psyche paper.
History (optional): Thought to be the last of his species, left his planet and have been traveling ever since.

I hope in time someone would join me in this  Admins, special request to allow double posting on this topic as long as posts makes sense?
=========================


The Doctor stepped out of his spaceship, his TARDIS, and gazed around at the new landscape.  He was sure he had never been to this planet before.  There were things that he was tempted to call trees.  He remembered trees from earth, green, usually tall and motionless.  These 'tree" things were a fiery red, and as he watched, they seemed to shudder and sway though no win was present.  The Doctor glanced back at the TARDIS, "Right, this would just be a mo.  I promise old girl."

From what seemed all around him came the musical voice of a woman, the voice of the TARDIS.  He had done some adjustments to the controls and now she was able to talk to him.  She was, after all, a living thing and he knew first hand how lonely one could get traveling alone through time and space. "That's what you always say.  I'll just take a snooze and you can call me when you are back or need anything."

The Doctor smiled cheerily, "Right old girl, off i pop then.  Don't let any strangers in you, you sexy thing."

"As if i would." the blue police box from 1960 London retorted.  The Doctor grinned, brandished his sonic screw driver, a silver blue cylinder, and bounded off into the trees as if he was a little boy.  His brown cloak flapped with the motion, and with wonder he glanced around him.  After a few minutes, he was certain of one thing.  His first impression of the treelike things was correct.  They breathed, and not only that, they could even move.  He had seen them do so from the corners of his eyes and his curiosity was further peaked.  He sighed to himself.  Looked like the TARDIS was right after all.  This wouldn't be a short trip.  But then, how could she expect him to just turn away from such amazing creatures?  With a chuckle, he decided it was her fault.  It was she who landed him here after all.  As he took a pause to survey the landscape with new eyes, there came from the distance, a long quavering cry.  Without knowing, or frankly caring what he would get himself into this time, he hurried in the direction of the call.

[Tardis]

Pleasantly, he reached a gurgling stream.  The water was a translucent light indigo.  The Doctor dipped a foot in and swiftly yanked it back.  The water was freezing.  He was about to look for a way across when movement caught his eyes.  Were the tree like things closer?  He ignored it, and continued down stream.  Then he saw a crude bridge made of stones.  Each slab of stone was perfectly round and smooth.  He placed one foot onto the first step.

"Stop." the voice boomed around him.  The Doctor froze and glanced up with more curiosity than fear.  The firry trees had formed a dense circle around him the color of their branches even more brilliant than before if possible.  They practically glowed.  Wondering if they would react, he stepped again onto the first stone. "Stop." the deep voice said again.  The Doctor looked up at the trees and waited. "Stranger, passage is forbidden."

"Forbidden?" the Doctor said with wide eyes.

"Yes stranger."

"But why?" Before any of the trees could answer, the long quavering cry he had heard earlier came again; strait across the water.  "Someone sounds like they're in pain.  I must go."

"Explain."

"It's what I do.  I am The Doctor."

"A doctor?"

"That's right old chap.  And before you ask, I'm a doctor of everything." There was a pause of hesitation.  The Doctor took the opportunity, "So you see, if there is some one, some creature suffering out there, I have to go to help them."

Another pause greeted his words, then, "No.  You cannot go there.  This planet is under quarantine."

The Doctor shrugged, "I wasn't prevented from coming.  Does the Galactic Council know?"

"They do."

"Well that's all well and good, but since i'm here..., I might as well make the best of it."  This time he started across the stone bridge for real.  In a speed that he didn't expect, a blazing tree thing blocked his path.

"No.  We cannot let you continue." The Doctor pondered if it would be quicker he just swam across.  As if reading his mind, the treelike thing said, "The water contain creatures that are poisonous to all life but their own."

Intrigued, the Doctor gave his full attention to the tree creatures. "Looks like there's a long story i need to hear."

"There is." the creature said. "Come with us and we will tell you of it."

One of the other trees moved closer and waved its branches as it spoke. "Elder, we had asked for help.  Could this tiny creature be the person we are waiting for?"

"We will know in time, my sister.  Now, let us proceed to the cavern of the high council.  Come stranger."  

The doctor followed the tree things as they drifted before him.  he wasn't sure what he was to expect.  For that matter, he didn't even know what species he was conversing with.  He decided that he would find a way across that stream some way or other.  But for now, it looked like he would have some of his questions answered.  Eventually, the tree creatures stopped.  The red aura that surrounded them allowed him to make out the mouth of a giant cavern.  To his surprise, he found that despite the light from the tree creatures, he wasn't able to make out much inside the cave.  It was almost as if mist had formed a solid barrier before the opening.  He cocked his head to the side slightly.  There was something about the translation barrier that tugged at his mind.  He had seen something similar before.  Where, and when?  Absentmindedly, he began flicking his sonic screw driver against his side.

"Think, think, think, think, think." he murmured to himself.  

He was about to exclaim in realization when his thoughts were put into words by the tree creature beside him. "A truth exes." it said.  "After passing the nexus, you would only speak the truth."

"Ah!  A truth exes!" the Doctor clapped his hands together. "How wonderful!  This must be at least a level twelve planet then correct?"

The tree creature ignored him. "If you lie, you will suffer tremendous pain."

"Yes, yes, yes," the Doctor said eagerly.  "I can't wait to meet your council.  But tell me this, what was the reason for the quarantine of this planet?  And what are you?"

The tree creature that apparently was the leader of this bunch, tugged at his sleeves with a lower branch, "The council will tell you everything, if, you are the expected visitor."

"And what if i'm not?" The Doctor inquired, fully aware of the fact that his arrival is more than likely accidental.  The TARDIS had never liked bringing him where he programmed unless she was in the mood.

"If you are not, then you will be fed to the Chacars." the way the tree creature said "Chacar" made it clear that whatever it does to you, it would be worse than the worse death imaginable.

"Right..." the Doctor said slowly.  "I hope i won't meet them then."

"Come, the council is ready to meet with you." the tree creature pushed the Doctor forward.

"Aren't you coming too?"

"We are not needed.  We are needed to protect the parameters."

The Doctor knew it would be no good asking why a parameter had to be defended.  Without a single glance back, he walked forward, the vastness of the cave mouth completely dwarfing him. As he stepped through the shimmering barrier, he felt a tingle sweep through his body and he had the sudden urge to confess everything, all his fears, all his dreams, even his name.  He shook himself.  He knew perfectly, that it was only the nexus working on him.  He continued forward in the only direction he could, A dim glow in the distance was the only thing he could make out in the pitch darkness. He didn't know what he would find.  He didn't know if he would even survive to see the outside of this cavern again.  But he had his sonic screw driver and his psyche paper.  It was just another day in his crazy life.  He continued forward.  Danger called, and that was something that he could never resist.

[Tardis]

As he drew closer to the glow, he saw that it emanated from the rocks themselves.  He had reached the back of the cavern.  Before him was a raised platform of some sort and behind it stood five tree creatures.  Their red glow cast an eerie light on the ground around them.  They were red like the ones he had met, say for the golden and silver streaks that ran along their branches like liquid fire.  

“We are the council of the Narani.”

“Ah… is that what you are?” The Doctor blinked.  “Hold on, aren’t you suppose to be more transparent?”

One of the Narani shifted uneasily. ‘That is so.  But time have changed.”

“The quarantine.”

“Correct.”

The Narani furthest to the left waved some of its branches, “We have answered your questions.  Now you must answer one of ours’.  Who are you?”

The Doctor gave a disarming smile, “I am The Doctor.”

“Are you the help we had called for?”

The Doctor paused, he knew being a Timelord, he could withstand much that would kill any normal creature, but it took tremendous energy.  In the end, he opted to stick with the truth. “Honestly, I don’t quite know.  I was hoping you could help me with that.”

Just than, one of the patrol hurried in. “Council – “ it began.

“I have told you that defending the border is of great importance during this time.  Why have you come to disturb our peace?”

The Narani was apologetic, ‘I apologize, but we have found a blue box just inside our borders.”

“Ah, that would be –“ The Doctor didn’t get to finish his sentence.

“I fear it may be one source of the contaminant.”

“would be my spaceship.” The Doctor finished despite knowing he was being ignored.

One of the council spoke, “If it is suspected, you know what to do.  There is no need to come here.”

“I am very sorry, but the box seem to be indestructible.”

“The box is called a TARDIS.”

“This box is yours then Doctor?” the council member inquired.  

“That’s right, and if I’m right, then it may contain the things that could help you.”

The patrol Narani grew agitated.  “If it belongs to him, this TARDIS, whatever it may be, it is dangerous.”

“The TARDIS dangerous?’ The Doctor said in incredulity. “No way.  She’s just a large blue box.  She’d do you no harm.”

The patrol Narani turned to him, “Then why did we find this just a few feet away?”

The Narani shifted so that The Doctor and the five council members can make out a form on the ground.  Curious, The Doctor stepped closer and bent down.  Before him lay an inert form of a Narani; except that this one hadn’t even a spark upon its body.  It was black, and if it wasn’t for the light provided by the rocks and the other Naranis themselves, it would be all but invisible.  The Doctor looked up tears glinting slightly in his eyes.  “I’m so sorry.” He whispered.  When he was young, really young, about seventeen, he had heard tales of the Naranis.  They were said to be creatures of crystals with the most beautiful lights dancing under their skin.  He looked down at the black form in front of him.  Sadness swept through him, that such a beautiful creature should become like this. “I’m so sorry.” He said again, but this time to the dead Narani.  He ran his hands along the form.  It was smooth as glass, yet somehow flexible.

“Doctor, do not touch him.  He may still transmit the disease that killed him.”

“Why warn him?” the patrol Narani said in disgust, “he is the one who killed Charaki.” The Narani whirled in anger to face The Doctor. “Bring him back.  Bring Charaki back right now!”

“I can’t.” The Doctor said simply.

“Then you must be punished.” The patrol Narani said.  

‘Hold on.’ The Doctor took out his sonic screw driver and pressed a tiny button on its side.  A green light came on, and a low buzz filled the air.

“What are you doing?”

“just checking for something.” The Doctor replied.  In all honesty, he hadn’t a clue what he was looking for; perhaps something abnormal that would give him a clue to what was happening.  Then he saw the marks.  They were thin and in the dimness, he wasn’t sure how many there were, or what caused them, but he was certain that he had seen tiny fishers scattered across the skin of the dead Narani in a web like pattern.  With a gentle finger, he traced along one of the fishers. “Hmmmm.” He bent further and sniffed the body.

“Doctor?  What in Naranian are you doing?” one of the council asked.

“Perhaps he is removing all evidence of his tampering.” Said the patrol Narani.

The Doctor ignored this last remark and directed his gaze at the council. “I think you should see this.  But not in here.  It would be better if we moved Charaki’s body outside where there’s more light.”

“Have you found the reason for his death Doctor?” There was a tinge of hope in the council member’s voice, and The Doctor didn’t want to disappoint it.

[Tardis]

“There’s a chance.  But first, I need to examine his body closer.”

“Very well.” The council member said. “since you have not been plunged into intolerable pain, you appear to have thus far spoken only of the truth.”

“Then let us proceed outside.  Bring the body.”

To The Doctor’s surprise, the body of Charaki, despite its size and bulk was light as a feather.  Outside, The Doctor gestured for the council members and the patrol Narani to come closer.

“See those marks?” the others nodded. “Well, they’re not just marks.  They’re cracks in the skin itself.  Whatever killed Charaki burned him first.  Well, not burn exactly, not in the sense of being burned with fire, but more like acid, a very, very high dose of acid.  Probably hydrochloric acid.   I detected traces of it anyway.” The Doctor took a breath.  He looked up expectantly.  All the Narani were confused. “Look.” He said, “just say, whatever it is that killed Charaki, is very, very bad.”

“And you know how to find and destroy the threat? The council member asked.

“Yes I do.” The Doctor said cheerily. “Well, probably.  Well, I need to find the thing or things that did it first.”

“And you know where this thing or things can be found?”

The Doctor shrugged, “Oh, I haven’t a clue.”

“But you will try?” the council leader pressed.

‘Of course.” The Doctor smiled.

“Then you better start, Doctor.” The council member said. “Darani, you and your group continue to patrol the borders.  Report anything that appears odd.  And if you find any more bodies, bring them here.” The council member turned to The Doctor, “Would you need to look at more bodies to be sure of your theory?”

“I would.  Not to sound harsh but I need to be sure that the narani are dying from the same cause and not just randomly.”

Darani made his way back to his group.  When he was out of earshot, the lead council Narani turned its attention back to The Doctor. “Doctor, you must forgive Derani for being so suspicious of you.  Charaki was his birth brother.”

The Doctor nodded, “That’s quite alright old chap, and I will do my best to find out what’s happening.”

“Your help would be most appreciated.  Do you have an idea where you will start?”

Again, The Doctor nodded, “Across that indigo stream there.” He waved a hand in its general direction.

“Go then.  All our luck be with you.  My name is Naruki.”

“I promise to do my best.  I am honored to be trusted by you and your people Naruki.”

“Some may resist your efforts, but understand they are merely afraid.  Nothing of such magnitude had ever made it self known on Naranian.”

“Council!  We found another one!” Derani came panting into the clearing.  His eyes touched upon The Doctor for a moment, and the Doctor saw only hatred.  

“Bring the body.  Is he identified?”

“Yes, it’s Sarunki.  He’s still alive.”

“Hurry, we might be able to learn something from him.” The Doctor urged, eager to know more.

“Here he is.” Derani said and stepped aside to let two Narani pass him.  The two Narani lay the one who was called Sarunki with gentle care on the ground.

[Tardis]

The Doctor crouched and leaned close to the dying narani. “Hey there my friend, easy.” Sarunki convulsed and uttered a cry of pain. His glow flickered and all The Doctor could do was to lay a calming hand on his side. “Can you tell me what happened?” he murmured gently.

“I – in the forest. Lo – oking for food.” Sarunki gasped and his branches waved in frantic sweeps.

“Shhhh, it’s alright.” The Doctor looked up at the anxious faces of the narani, “He’s suffering. I have something that could at least be in more comfort. But I need to go to the TARDIS.”

“Go then, and make speed.” Naruni said.

“No!” Deruni blocke The Doctor’s path as he turned to go. “He had taken enough of us. If you let him go to his ship, he would simply worsen our current situation.”

There was a crack, and Sarunki’s body seemed to darken. “Help me. Please.”

“If you can reduce his suffering, go and retrieve your tools Doctor.”

“But the danger – “

“Silent Derani. I have seen enough pain this day. Your brother is dead.”

“The Doctor is responcibke.”

“The Doctor claims he could help. And even if he cannot, he can at lease allow our brother to go in peace.”

“But – “

“I will hear no more of your protests Derani. I will have The Doctor try his way. He will be charged to try and heal Sarunki. If he fails, and if he causes more deaths, we will bring him to the Chacars. This I swear.”

“Can I please go to get something to make this poor creature some comfort?” The Doctor was frankly peeved. For all their talk about not liking pain and suffering, they were certainly dragging the process out for Sarunki. He decided he would just return to the TARDIS for what he needed. The others can bicker for as long as they wanted. He had seen enough deaths. He wasn’t about to let one happen while he was around without giving it all he had. The Doctor began to run. Real plants, purple leaves brushed against his face and hidden roots strove to fling him to the ground. He kept going. Behind him he could hear angry shouts then the command to capture him. He ran faster and slowed only when he spotted the loyal form of the TARDIS.

“Wow, look at that.” The TARDIS’s voice teased, “This time you did keep your word.”

“Open up!” The Doctor shoved the key into the lock and turned it. Nothing happened. He looked down, he had the key for the drawer for his bowties. He muttered a curse and found the right key. It glowed a golden yellow and the doors to the TARDIS swung open. He started to rummage in the first box he found. It contained lots of egg shaped things., “What’s all these stuff?” he snapped.

“I think you got those from the Blue planet.” The TARDIS said dryly.

“Well, what are they for exactly?”

“Dragon eggs. Want to hear more?”

“No!” he began to flick his screwdriver against his leg again. “I need I need I need,… Ahuh! I need the Gragonian icepack.”

“Left drawer. No, not that one, the green one.”

“Brilliant!” The Doctor brandished what seemed like a cube of yellow ice in the air.”

“Can’t we go somewhere else?” pleaded the TARDIS. “I’ve seen those creatures here. All they do is come rushing at me and then turn black.”

“No, no, no!” The Doctor hopped out of the TARDIS. “You brought me here. These creatures are Narani and they’re dying. And I, am going to find out what exactly is going on.” He waved his screwdriver at the blue box, “You stay here.

“Not like there’s anything better to do.” The TARDIS sighed. The Doctor didn’t wait to hear what else she had to say. He vanished into the shrubbery and made his way back to the clearing.

To his relief, he saw that Sarunki still had a slight glow. Perhaps there was hope. The clearing was empty. It looked like all the narini had gone on the hunt for him. Well, they could keep searching all they like. He had a life to save. He knelt, and stroke one of his branches gently. “Sarunki, can you hear me?” A twitch. “Don’t be afraid, I can’t be sure this won’t hurt.”

The Doctor lay the yellow ice cube against one of the deeper cracks. Smoke rose from it at once, thick, and a vile green. Sarunki rived, but The Doctor pinned him down. Again and again he ran the little yellow ice cube along the cracks. Finally, Sarunki twitched and lay quite still. The Doctor watched in dismay as Sarunki’s glow blazed for an instant, flickered, and sputtered out.

“I was too late. I couldn’t save you.” He sat back on his heels an ran a hand across his face. At that moment, he could feel every one of his seven hundred and fifty years. He had seen one genocide. He had been part of it. Now, he might be forced to witness the extinction of the Narani race.

Cashes through the underbrush. Then several narani appeared , looked at The Doctor and the lifeless Sarunki and shouted, “Sarunki is dead! Derani was right all along. The Doctor must be punished.”

“Doctor, would you like to explain why you have deserved us?” Nauni said with such a stern tone that The Doctor took a step back.

“I was trying to heal Saunki with the Gragornian ice cube.” He held up the yellow cube, ‘it’s suppose to remove all of the acid and neutralize – “ he stopped as he realized he wasn’t making any sense in to the narani. He tried again. “Basically, this cube contains a basic solution, above the pH eight and what it does is to react with the low pH – “ he gave up. None of the Narani was listening. Lead by Derani, they had formed a circle and were now closing the gap towards him. In their branches, they waved threads that glinted in the sunlight. Although they were thin, The Doctor knew with instinct that they would not be easy to escape from.

“To the Cjhacars!” Derani yelled and the others echoed his cry.

“To the Chacars! To the Chacars!”

As one Narani lifted him up with ease, and dangled him in mid air, the others gathered round and began to wind the thread around his body. Around and around they went, until he couldn’t budge his hands or his legs. Then they marched him back into the cavern. However, instead of halting where the council table had stood, they went further. One brushed one of his branches against the stone and it slid aside, to reveal a hidden passage. The group marched on. The Doctor began to loose track of time. When the group stopped, he chanced a glance down. Directly below him was a pit of undeterminable depth. What appeared to be mud sparkled an iridescent white. It would all had been quite beautiful if it wasn’t for the low growls and moans that rebounded off the rock wall.

[Tascalusa]

Name: Evalley Critos
Gender (feel free with this as long as you can keep track):? Female
Species: Daemic Thycilion
Species description (put enough for us to know what it can do):? This creature is one that reflects the appearance of a hound, but it's length is much larger. Its tail is extended and takes after a lion. Its ears are enlarged, as well as its coat.
Very colorful.
Age:? 12 Years (5 in human years)
Appearance:? Species description. Its main colors are blue, orange, yellow, and white.
Personality:? Ev acts like the typical child - mood swings, dramatic, and occasionally temper outbursts. She is sweet when she wants to be, but one false move can make her collectiveness crack.
Special tools or equipment (optional):?
History (optional):?

Evalley flew through the fire engulfed trees, dust picking up from behind her before dissipating to nothing. The trees swayed with her in a rhythmic pace, turning and twirling with her, on beat like a perfect dance. This was her home - the creatures she'd grown accustomed to were family. She only had the trees, but they sparked a flame in her heart that kept her warm inside and out. They protected her, and she amused them. It was perfect balance for the secretive life they shared. Quarantined. Hidden from the galaxy - strangers forbidden, and those who trespass are executed. Words gotten around that one had come, but his fate wad unknown. Evalley didn't care; she had too much playing to do. However, his alias was intriguing: Doctor.. no, The Doctor. Was he the doctor of her world? Hm. She just had to ask: "Is he going to save us?" Her voice pipped out in a high pitched, halting beside a tree and pawed at it playfully.
"Nobody knows." A solemn answer slowly replied. She sighed, but it was enough to get her mind off it.

[Tardis]

“To the Chacars!” the Narani cried all together and with a heave, they flung The Doctor from their branches. The Doctor felt the wind rush past his face, and his cloak flapped out, somewhat slowing his fall. Even so, he landed in the muck with a giant plop and sank immediately to his neck.

“Now you will repay what you have taken from us.” Derani called down long after the others had left. He gazed down at The Doctor as he struggled to make his way through the pit’s contents. “Now you will suffer as I will. Good bye Doctor. Try to heal yourself after the Chacars are through with you.”

With effort, The Doctor weighed through the half congealed sand like substance. Though he tried to look through the substance to try and see what awaited him, he wasn’t able to. His foot caught on something hard, and he stumbled, momentarily falling into the substance. Hurriedly, he regain his footing and half chuckled to himself, “Well, looks like you got yourself into some trouble old chap.’

A roar split the silence and he jumped involuntarily. In the distance, something moved. He wasn’t sure at first, but it soon became clear that the something was headed his way. The surface of the pit rippled, and The Doctor did his best to get as far as he could away from the creature. He hadn’t moved two feet when the creature had cut the distance from itself to him by half. The Doctor knew it would only be a matter of seconds before the creature would reach him. He had never heard of the Chacars before, so there wasn’t much he could do but to rummage without a clue in his many pockets. His fingers closed around his screwdriver, a yo-yo, the Grigonian ice cube, some kind of squishy thing and finally around something square and hard. Not caring what it was he whipped it out and waved it in front of himself. The object was barely larger than his palm, and as far as he knew was totally useless. But then the Chacar didn’t know that, and as long as that remained true, he may be able to use it to stave it off.

The roar came again, angrier, deeper. The Doctor saw the serpent head and sighed. He never did like snakes. Still, if he didn’t do something soon, the Chacar would have him for dinner. All at once, the surface of the pit heaved and he Chacar was airborne. Although it dove back into the sand like substance a second later, The Doctor had seen that the serpentine head, complete with scales, joined at the neck to the body of a lion. He shuddered. The claws of that creature was sharp. He gave the object in his hands a closer examination; it was a piece of highly polished glass with a silver tint that reflected the white of the sand. A smile twitched his lips as a plan began to form in his mind. It wasn’t an overly complex plan, but then he was always a believer of the simple answers.

He studied the pit. Now, if he could just find the right angle… Movement made him glance up. The Chacar had managed to loop around him so that it was now at his back. Only his sharp reflex saved him from being cleaved into half by those razor teeth. He made a sift calculation then lifted the square. At the same time, he ducked. A scream of pain set his ears ringing. When he returned his attention to the Chacar, he was amazed to see that the creature was now lying on its back, quite relaxed. Despite its bulk, it didn’t sink and only it’s head moved, regarding The Doctor with a expression of curiosity.

“There’s a good chap.” The Doctor murmured. He lifted his piece of glass and the Chacar made a sound that was half whimper and half excitement. It squirmed closer and The Doctor did his best not to show his fear. “Right then, let’s take a look at you old chap.” He stretched out a hand and lay it gently on the Chacar’s head. He knew what the glass he held was now. It transmitted light into heat that can be directed in a narrow stream. He realized that by holding the glass at the right angle, he had sent heat into the Chacar. His original idea was simply to blind it with the reflection on the silver. But with what just happened, his mind swiftly came to a conclusion. “Hmmm, heat. Now what does this mean?” he gazed at the Chacar, and began thinking out loud. “Heat equals energy… and energy equals life, or well, usually it does. The sand. You like the heat, but this place is boiling. So why…” His gaze fastened onto the sand. “There must be something important about the sand.”

As an experiment, The Doctor held the glass up, focused it and directing a less intense beam of heat towards the Chacar. The creature hissed low in it’s throat, and came even closer. It’s four paws now waved in the air happily and it nudged the Doctor’s hand as if asking for more. Obliging, The Doctor held the glass steady so that a continuous stream of heat was directed at the creature. His mind was racing and he ran one hand through the sand. Its gluey quality made it stick to his palm and soon built up into a thick layer.

A sudden thought hit The Doctor and he swiveled his head around. “The Narani mentioned Chacars, as in more than one. So where are your friends?” As if in reply, there came a mighty roar and several snake heads popped out of the sand. They came speeding towards him mouths extended to expose the dark hollow of their throats. In no time at all, they were upon him.

Their bodies slammed into his and he went under the sand. He only had two thoughts: to prevent himself from suffocating and to hang onto the piece of glass for dear life. Thoughts flickered through his mind. Should he put himself into suspended animation? But then he could only maintain that state for a short while. If he let himself sink to the bottom of the pit, he’d suffocate anyway. A Chacar body was on top of him and despite his strength, it was too heavy for him to shove it off. Sand meant swimming wasn’t an option. He braced himself for death. How ironic, that his death should be such an ordinary one as suffocation. He was rather disappointed. His lungs near bursting, he reached under his coat and felt his fingers close around a rubbery thing. It was a doggy toy. His hearts lifted in hope. He pulled it out, then squeezed it as hard as he could. A deafening beep surrounded him. He hoped sand conducted sound as well as water. The weight on his back vanished, and he came up spluttering and spitting. The sand tasted terrible.

A survey of his current situation caused his eyes to widen. He blinked, but he wasn’t imagining it. The Chacar that he had shocked with heat earlier seemed to be in a battle against its friends. Every time one of them approached The Doctor, it slammed it aside and snapped at the other’s neck. Then it came back and hissed at him. The Doctor lifted the glass and shot some heat into the Chacar, then did the same for the others. At once, the others, that were still prowling in an attempt to bring him down stopped in their tracks. Then like the first, became practically docile. The Doctor grinned with delight and petted the first Chacar.

‘Thank you old Chap. I would have died if it wasn’t for you.’ The Chacar hissed and as The Doctor made his way to the others, it followed, like a dog would. The Doctor laughed, “All you lot wanted was some heat don’t you? All living thing has heat so by eating them, you absorb it into yourself. But why couldn’t you just take the heat from this cavern?” He ran his fingers down the glossy purple scales of the first Chacar, who seemed quite happy to receive the attention. “I know it’s the sand somehow, but how does it work exactly?”

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