Doctor Who: Volume 6

Episode 4: A town called Mercy

The TARDIS lands as me and Liv step out "when and where are we?" "Nevada desert, 1908" "and how do you know that?" "Because that sign says established 1908 and the town looks brand new" Liv looks over at the little wild west esque town before saying "shall we have a look?" "Might as well" she smiles as we walk towards the town. Out of nowhere, something teleports near us, a half-man half-machine "what's that?" "Not sure.." He extends his arm as it seemingly powers up "run!" The pair of us leg it into the town without hesitation as he fires off shots that narrowly avoid us..

Me and Liv just stand there, panting a little as she asks "what the HELL was that?!" "Not sure, you alright?" "Fine yeah, let's go take a look in the town" I nod and we head into a bar after hearing talking and laughter, but when we walk inside, it all stops. "What can I get for you son?" A lady behind the bar asks "information if you could" "it'll cost ya darlin'" I chuckle and hand her some pennies and a button "you serious?" "Hardly ever, me and my friend just got attacked by.. Well we got attacked" "Doctor I don't think she's gonna believe you" I give Liv a look before everyone in the bar suddenly stands up "what did she say your name was?" A man asks, "uhm, the Doctor.." Their looks become even more stern before a younger man asks "can I ask somethin' sir, are you an alien?" "Bit personal.. I mean to me you're the aliens here but in this context yes, yes I suppose I am" I smile but they all suddenly rush out of the bar, picking me up and dragging Liv along with me "you could've bought me a drink first!" I call out before Liv just goes "get off me! Doctor what's going on?!" "No idea! I think we annoyed the locals!" "Well it wouldn't be the first time!" Eventually, they dump me outside the town, on the other side of a line of rocks sat beneath the town sign..

I stand up and see him, that cyborg man, teleporting closer and closer, towards me.. Suddenly, a gun is shot up into the air "let him back inside!" A man calls out as the townsfolk do as he says "but- Isaac, it might be him" "you know it ain't" "right uhm, thanks Isaac" I just say to him "no problem, come with me, make sure she comes along too" I nod and me and Liv follow him. Inside his office it becomes pretty evident that he's the sheriff, like the badge wasn't evident of that already. "So, the lovely people of good ol' Mercy are aware of an alien doctor that they THOUGHT was me, but you know it's not which means.. He's already here" "wait-" "it's alright Isaac" a man says, a man that stands up to face me from the other side of bars "hello, my name is Kahler-Jex, I'm the Doctor" I smile before Isaac lets him out, "oh the Kahler I love the Kahler! They could make a spaceship out of a teapot and moss!" I say gleefully as I shake his hand for maybe too long "ok that's enough spaceman" Liv says, I can't stop smiling as I ask Isaac "why is he behind bars though?" "Because the townsfolk are weary of me, which is only right I am from the stars after all" he says "fair enough I suppose, guessing you crashed here?" "That I did, I used the generator from my ship to power up a rudimentary lighting system for the town" "genius... BUT I'd like to take a look at that ship, if that's ok?" "Why do you want to do that?" "See if I can fix it, but I'd like to know about that cyborg bloke out in the desert" "we all call him the Gunslinger, he arrived at the same time as me" "crashed too?" "Yes" "how peculiar.. Well, I'm gonna have a look at that ship" "wait- Doctor, how are you gonna keep yourself safe?" Liv just asks me "this place has horses and I have a sonic, I'll be fine" "alright well just, be careful yeah?" "Always" I smile and head to the stables..

"His name is Joseph, it's from the Bible" the towns preacher tells me as I get ready to get on the house "no it isn't" "I'm sorry?" "He's called Susan and he wants you to respect his life choices" I smile and set off for the desert on horseback, admittedly some cowboy music plays in my head, I can't resist it right now.. Soon, I reach the ship that kind of looks like an egg, I just get on top of it and begin to scan it with the sonic. Annoyingly an alarm begins to blare as Susan neighs "yes I know it's loud but don't swear!" I say to him as I finally get it open "security breach, self-destruct initiated" a robotic voice says that emanates throughout the tiny ship "uh oh" I frantically mess about with the sonic and thankfully abort the self-destruct "welcome, Kahler-Jex, please select from: Ship schematics, Personal files and Date stamps" "give me personal files of Doctor Kahler-Jex" what I see next is.. Unspeakable, in short it's horrifying, disturbing and macabre, all at the same time..

I soon get back to the town, an unbridled rage enveloping me as I burst into the sheriffs office and grab Kahler-Jex by the collar "get out!" "Wh-" "get out!" He reluctantly walks out of the town with me trailing behind before he eventually gets on the other side of the rocks. The Gunslinger teleporting closer and closer towards him "please, let me back in" "no!" I grab a gun with no hesitation and point it at him. "You wouldn't" I cock it "I genuinely don't know.." A gun is shot up into the air once again, by Liv this time "what are you doing?" "THIS is not how we roll and you know it!" "He experimented on people! Turned them into weapons! He's a monster!" "So? Are you gonna hunt down and enact your justice on anyone that's made a gun or a bullet or a bomb?" "No don't you see Liv? I always give them a second chance but not today no! Today, I honour the victims first! His, the Master's, the Daleks, all the people who have died because of MY mercy!" She just looks at me, a disappointment but also a sadness dances across her eyes "see this is what happens when you forget who you are and travel alone for too long" I sigh and drop the gun, even despite all my feelings right now, nothing can change my mind when Liv gets inside my head..

I watch as the Gunslinger appears behind him. "Jex, get behind the line" "no Doctor, you're right.. I'm a monster, this.. Is my penance" "Jex don't!" He turns to face the Gunslinger "I'm sorry for what I did to you.. Do it" he nods and places his hand on his shoulder "I will kill you, for what you did not just to me, but my species too.. But not in front of them" he nods and the pair teleport away into the desert..

Me and Liv look on as we hear the blaster shot followed by the explosion "he self-destructed.." "What about his ship?" Liv asks me "it'll be lost to time.. Let's go" the townsfolk watch as the pair of us walk into the TARDIS and vanish..

Inside, Liv just says to me "you ok?" "Yeah.. It's just.." "You saw yourself in him.." "Yeah.." "Well, I'm glad I could stop you" "me too" I just smile and hug her deeply before putting my hand on the lever "ready?" "Always" we both smile as it takes off into the web of time..

NEXT TIME: A return to Nevada, but with an old enemy..