Out of Time

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

 “So Doctor this planet sits on the edge of the Universe?”

 It was raining heavily and in the gloom it was difficult to make out anything of discernable note.Adam pulled up the hood on the parka jacket with the lurid orange lining that the Doctor insisted all the cool kids were wearing, Adam wasn’t too convinced but was grateful for the coat. He was only just recovering from travelling at the speed of light; Adam had been seconds away from redecorating the TARDIS control room with the contents of his stomach.

 “It most certainly does Adam and its’ the last place anyone would look.” The Doctor glanced up at the unending grey skies. “Already been a wet fish today…” The Doctor grumbled to himself as he opened his multi-coloured umbrella but then smiled, cheerfully resolved to his fate and explained to his companion. “Oh well it is the rainy season after all… Though we were bound to catch the rain as it rains nine hundred and nighty nine days out of a thousand.”

 “Who could possibly live on such a dismal dump?” Adam asked pulling a perplexed face realising he had fallen into step with the Doctor as they squelched across the gravelly surface of the desolate planet and had unwittingly become his latest companion, down to the art of asking the downright obvious questions…The Doctor kind of had that effect on you. “Does this planet even have a name?”

 “If it does it’s slipped from out of recorded history, from time itself…Which is kind of appropriate for the entity that is rumoured to inhabit this planet who incidentally happens to be an old friend of mine…Look.” The Doctor pointed to a weather beaten shack on the horizon, it was made of wood with a roof of corrugated of copper; it looked to be the only thing in the whole world and it very probably was as the shack stood with silent defiance, rattling against the elements.

 “Now why didn’t I see that before?” Adam mumbled to himself. “Doctor what could possibly be here that can help us?” Adam asked with exasperation but as he turned round he realised the Doctor wasn’t standing beside him anymore but was already on his way and running in his lopsided style towards the shack.

 “Time’s running out! Come along Adam Tallis.” The Doctor shouted with annoying persistence.

 “How does he do that?” Adam shook his head with mild incredulity as he chased after the Doctor, all the time his thoughts were with Anna hoping wherever she was; she wasn’t in any immediate danger….

 Anna Bailey was running for her life for the second time today, the novelty of running was beginning to wear off… She was making speedy progress as she headed towards the doom laden fortress on the horizon. Unfortunately the howling in the background hadn’t been part of Anna’s imagination as a pair of oversized wolf like creatures with snarling teeth and shining, demonic eyes were now chasing after her with all the fierce intensity of blood thirsty beasts. “If I fall over now than it’s all over…Luckily the Doctor isn’t with me so I should be alright…Almost there!” Anna’s frantic thoughts leapt through her head while she gulped in the sharp sulphuric air, though the lactic acid was building up in her legs again and her left one still sore from the ancient ones scratch. But Anna kept running because the alternative didn’t bear thinking about. “I’m nearly there! I’m almost there! I’m getting too old for all this…Oh dear God no!” The Fortress wall of the prison loomed up to greet Anna but like the worst kind of nightmare she could see no obvious entrance into the building and though the wall was no higher than a two storey building there was no footholds to help her climb the smooth, glacial walls which resembled the architecture of the glass towers of Verdopolis. But then unexpected assistance came in a nick of time, saving Anna from an horrific end.