The Time of Change

Enter the Heroine

"Let them go," I say as toughly as I can manage, pointing the stolen gun at the backs of the lizards. Mo quickly positions himself on my far right to corner them from the side. The woman I met earlier—Nasreen, I think her name was—whips around and looks at us with a look of mingled shock and happiness. The Doctor's eyes light up at the sight of me, a grin blooming across his face. He lets out a breath of air he looks like he's been holding in for a while.

"Annalise Song," he laughs. "There's a woman to rely on."

It takes a monumental amount of effort not to smile at him. "You're covered both ways," I tell the more official-looking reptile, whose feminine body is clothed in a military-like uniform, "so don't try anything clever."

Nasreen stares at my new friend for a few moments before she can comprehend who she's looking at. "Mo!" she calls. He glances her way and beams.

I hold the gun a little higher and tighter in my hands to hide the fact that I'm shaking. "Now, let them go, or I shoot." The one to whom I am speaking moves closer to me, and my muscles tense. "I'm warning you!" I add, my voice breaking. Out of the corner of my eye I see the Doctor struggle to stand still against the hold of the other creature. When the lizard-woman gets close enough, she stares at me in such a condescending way that I feel like a bug beneath her boot. Then she roughly knocks the gun out of my hand, almost pushing me to the ground with the force. I stumble back into a dark stone column.

"Don't you touch her!" the Doctor shouts.

The creature turns on Mo now. "And you," she snarls, slapping the weapon out of his hold as well. The first, who keeps the Doctor in place despite his fighting, says, "Alright, Restac, you've made your point."

"This is now a military tribunal," declares the one apparently called Restac. "Go back to your laboratory, Malohkeh!"

Malohkeh releases the Doctor and strides forward, hissing at Restac. They speak in low, guttural noises for a minute. Now Malohkeh growls, "This isn't the way."

"Prepare them for execution," Restac orders him. She jerks the Doctor over to her by his arm, and Nasreen, arms up in a conciliatory fashion, approaches peacefully. She and the Doctor are shoved my way, along with Mo. "Okay, sorry," I tell them all. "As far as rescues go, my plan didn't quite live up to its potential."

Nasreen and Mo are taken to a column on the left side of the room by Malohkeh, and the Doctor and I are chained to the smooth stone against which Restac pushed me. She restrains us side-by-side, both of us facing the huge table in the middle of the room. In my peripheral vision, I see Mo and Nasreen getting the same treatment. When we are fully bound, Restac stalks away.

"You with a gun?" the Doctor quips, grinning crookedly at the floor. "Quite a sight."

"It made Mo feel better, like he was in control."

"Can you blame him? He is a man, after all."

"Unlike you, right?"

"Correct. I'm glad you're catching on."

I roll my eyes with a chuckle, then swallow hard. "I wouldn't have used it, y'know."

"I know that, love. I was never worried about that." He pauses, and I can almost hear him smiling. "Even as against weapons as I am, you did look rather impressive holding one."

"Well, I guess I've finally found the key to being sexually attractive: lethally arming myself."

"You certainly don't need to do that to be attractive, but I won't lie. The thought is giving me some ideas for when we get out of this."

"Oh, I'm sure it is."

He laughs under his breath. I sigh, shaking my head at myself, and feel him gently take my trembling hand, an act that goes unnoticed by the creatures. "I'm glad you're okay," he whispers to me.

I gaze at him sideways. "Same for you. Lizard people, though..."

"Homo Reptilia," he explains at once. "Sometimes better known as Silurians. They occupied the planet before humans. Now they want it back."

"After they've wiped out the human race!" calls Nasreen from across the room.

I nod, my eyes wide. "Right. I preferred it when I didn't know to be honest." There's a slight tremor to my voice. The Doctor gives my fingers a reassuring squeeze.

"Why are they waiting?" Nasreen's voice asks no one in particular. "What do you think they're gonna do with us?"

I look at my husband, who meets my eye with furrowed brows. Confusion amalgamates with my fear. What are they going to do?