h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

'Ah just the place, no danger, no death and no one jamming a gun of some sort at my head? Yes this is perfect!' the Doctor breathed as he surveyed the barren desert before him.
Suddenly there cam a heavy clang at the back of the workshop, Dolan whirled around, his left eye bulged behind the magno-glass distorting his vision for a moment.

'Who's there? This work side to only admitted to registered engineers' he hissed but froze as a hand tapped him on the shoulder.


'Honestly Doctor, the Daleks are nothing compared with the Purge, they are a Summer's breeze!' Lippish snapped loudly.

'You stand there claiming that you've come to help these people yet all you do is cause harm to others!' the Doctor retorted loudly but Lippish merely smirked.


'I have come for my pay Mr Lippish, your order has been delivered and now for my fee?' Dolan hissed, holding out a wizened claw.

'Payment? Oh yes after you supplied the Purge with weapons before, endangering my world in the process!' Lippish muttered.

'It was a mistake Sir but business is business?' Dolan murmured and Lippish stepped aside towards the vast forms.

'Great workmanship deserves great praise' he said slowly and then clicked his fingers.

'However for the crimes you have committed, for the lives you caused to be lost there is only one payment I offer: Kill him!' Lippish hissed.

SHADOWS OF THE HEART

EPISODE ONE:

'Shadows of the Heart that bind us together are dark and unwanted. I feel them within your mind and form, a troubled being are you' said the voice as it floated into the man's mind.
The light danced across the rough dwelling from the fire that burn in a metal dish not far from the huddled form sitting cross-legged before the man.
He bowed before the great creature, casting his eyes to the red-brown dust that filled the creature's dwelling.
'I am troubled by conscience great Artimous, my mind threatens to snap on decision but you can see that, I know you can' the man said pleasantly.
'Step forward, allow me to touch your memories?' the being said in the man's mind.
The man dressed in an expensive looking grey suit and silver waistcoat took a nimble step towards the creature, resting on one knee, he bowed his head and waited.
The being raised a scaly brown claw and laid it softly on the man's head, the creature closed its eyelids slowly and started to focus.
Immediately a mass of images was thrust into the beings mind, shouts and screams of agony and hatred smothered into its mind.
Raising its arm slowly and slipping it back into its ancient robes the creature's eyes flickered open.
'You are indeed in trouble but revenge is not the way forward for you, you must embrace the pain close to your heart and know it to be true but this is not why you have come here is it not?' the creature replied.
The man raised his head looking to the figure with forever changing eyes, he admired the telepath as he started to speak.
'No, I too have foreseen such terror to come to your world, to threaten your people. I feel that I must defend your world?' the man said flatly.
The man raised his head slowly, still looking to the being before him, the being raised a claw in some sort of gesture of alarm.
'Threaten us? Who would threaten our world?' the figure asked.
'A living nightmare, but fear not Artimous I shall make every attempt to prevent the destruction of your people' the man replied and bowed respectfully before leaving the dwelling.
The figure, the Artimous looked to the side, to the fire as it danced in the music of the breeze.
Something was coming, yet he feared that man he had seen would become part of the problem?

The dust on Karr Tem's surface blew up gently through the air, reddish as it settled momentarily around the edges of a once green withered bush, whose branches while dead to the world added shelter to what little life flourished in the shade.
A vast burning ball hung over the red sky, its light cast harshly over the red plain and dark black mountains that hung high over the flatlands.
Here in a niche in the valley lay a mass of strange shanty towns, their roofs supporting a multitude of strange blinds covered the darkened streets below.
Alien beings of all kinds commuted here under businesses. Most seemed to be humans, ex-colonists, soldiers and geologists.
Karr Tem was a small world on the border of the Canterreka system, a world for meditating and forgetting the past. A world to forget the past, free and fair.
'Ah this is perfect, no death, no danger or anyone pointing a gun at my head, no this is perfect' the Doctor breathed as he surveyed the world before him.
Standing on a low hill overlooking the settlement, he sheltered his eyes looking down at the small figures going about their daily lives.
'Yes I feel definitely feel better now for the change of scenery around me. This world holds promise, no more do I have to look for danger but to explore' the Doctor said aloud.
He breathed in the dry, untouched air but then then as a strange scent invaded his nostrils he started to cough violently.
Doubled over gripped his thighs, he lowered his head as close to the ground as possible to breath in what little air remained.
'By Rassilon's beard! What is that smell?' the Doctor found himself asking, looking around him at the surroundings and then his careful eyes noted the streams of blac that seemed to lace themselves in the air.
They were coming from a cumbersome looking building that glinted in the light of the sun.
'Hmm? Carbon-based pollution, slightly sulphuric fumes, which denote some quite of workshop? Someone's working with machinery down there? I wonder what they're making?' the Doctor pondered.
Though he wanted to explore this world, this new step out for him, free from danger and excitement he found himself wanting to be dragged closer.
'Down into the depths I go, What lies beneath I surely don't know?' the Doctor muttered to himself as he started down the rough slope towards the town.
The TARDIS stood there, now alone in the baking sun as its owner vanished from view.

Within the vast metallic building, heavy machinery clunkered and whirred loudly as it pressed and processed metal into the precise parts.
As the large machine floor filled out with metal sheets, moving slowly along the conveyor, vast mechanical arms fed the metal through various machinery, sparks flew, glittered and quick like a swarm of blind fireflies that soared high before plummeting to the ground a foot away.
'Elbran! Elbran where are you?' someone shouted high across the machine floor.
A hulking sloth-like figure appeared from the a row of metal sheets, his neck was hunched to one side, dressed in tight fitting rough clothes. Its skin was green and dark spotted and slimy.
Across one eye, he wore a magno-glass, used to check circuitry.
'Elbran! Where are you, you slimy half-wit of my dumb brother?' the creature hissed looking about him.
He would be in Grocker's Pool, chatting up those servers, they were robots. He knew that but Elbran, the runt of the spawn was an idiot!
The business needed two operator, himself, the leader and negotiator and Elbran the idiot who ran productions.
He gave one more look about him before stalking back from the noisy racket into the rows of metal and tanks of oil back towards the shop.
From behind a tank, Elbran, looking cross-eyed and very delirious smiled broadly as he guzzled down a precious bottle of Lockjaw. The flavour bubbled across his long tongue and he belched loudly.
Perhaps he had been working long enough, why not pop down to Grocker's and talk to that female, sure she ignored him but he knew she was looking at him.
He smiled at the though of talking to her, letting her touch his green skin and...
He bubbled the liquid in his mouth and looked down to see his brother standing there staring angrily at him.
'Elbran! Why did you not answer me?' he snapped but looking to his brother's face, he could see the stupid expression across his face.
'I see, did you receive the order?' his brother demanded and Elbran simply pointed towards the box-like device sitting on the wall.
'Got a call' he mumbled and his Brother stared at him before pointing to the controls.
'Get back to work, we've got a heavy delivery planned!' he hissed and as his brother slipped away he approached the machine on the wall.

'Hungry Chartil?' asked a fair sounding woman approaching a crosslegged native sitting on a simple straw-like mat.
Chartil shook its head, its form was a brown and green colour, scaly but also holding certain insect characteristics blended into its form.
'I am not hungry Norla but pray sit with me, I sense something troubling your mind' came 'his' words into her mind.
She sat down slowly next to him, she liked to think of it as 'he' despite the fact that all Karr Tem were hermaphrodites, she felt comfortable with its sex being male.
'You are having trouble at work and at home?' Chartil asked and Norla nodded.
'Business is going downhill at the moment, hardly anyone really needs Supplanter feeds for cultivating at the moment' Norla replied.
A woman of thirty dressed in white or once white clothes looked to Chartil's scaly and mandibled face.
'Your problem is not vast, for like rain it will fall again as will the need to grow crops and for us all to feed again. What is your trouble at home?' Chartil asked politely.
Norla looked a little less concerned about its pondering but Karr Tem were peaceful and offered no malice to anyone.
'Joth has gone off again in one of his moods into the desert, it has been many moons since I last heard from him' Norla replied.
Chartil lay a comforting claw across her shoulder and she looked up into its eyes calmly.
'His anger leads him not into peril but into understanding of his nature, he will return when he is ready' Charil replied.
Norla took hold of Chartil's arm and released his hold of her, he withdrew it back into his sleeve.
'Thank you Chartil, is there anything I can get you at all?' she asked.
'One saucer of water is all that I need but I sense you wish to ask me something further?' he said in her mind.
Norla walked to the table by her side, taking a plate and a jug and returning to his place.
'I wondered if you would accept a meal at my home this night?' she asked as she poured the water into the plate and passed it to him.
'I would feel honoured Norla, perhaps later?' he said as he drank, a great advantage he had there.
Norla smiled as she sat down there beside him as he returned the plate to her grasp.
'About the ninth hour?' she asked and surprisingly Chartil nodded.
'The Ninth hour it will be, I await this night whatever it brings' he said and Norla, more relaxed started to tuck into her delicious meal.

The Doctor walked through the streets glancing this way and that at the many open shops and businesses filling nearly every conceivable space.
There were homes too, but packed into such tight places, they were reduced to rough dwellings in the walls.
He smiled at the beings he encountered until he reached an open shop, free of walls, a stall holding many strange and glittering items met his eyes.
'A Bazaar, I think it's been such a long time since I was at one? I wonder why I haven't picked anything else up?' he muttered as he started to examine the hanging artefacts.
'See anything you like?' asked the Trader; he was tall and bald wearing dirty white robes.
'Yes, yes well I'm browsing. You have many interesting things here?' the Doctor replied as he flickered through the collected junk on the stall.
'Perhaps this might interest you? An ancient abacus designed by the ancients' the Trader said taking hold of a strange looking abacus that shone and glittered with a strange light.
'The ancients?' the Doctor repeated and the Trader nodded eagerly, suppressing a smile in the process.
'Actually I think you'll find that it's Kraldevan Prime loader control pad, Kraldevan's are extra dimensional beings that why it doesn't work or will work?' the Doctor sighed and for a moment the Trader looked annoyed before he passed the Doctor a unique looking mirror.
'And what do we have here?' the Doctor asked as he examined the attractively framed glass.
'A most excellent piece of mirror engineering found anywhere, please, allow me?' the Trader said taking the mirror from the Doctor and then effortlessly let it slip from his grip.
The mirror twisted down and down to land quite unharmed on the stone ground.
'You see, a miracle glass' the Trader replied.
'Actually that's Dynacron, the surface of a Grakite war drill, not exactly very effective, highly destructive in certain kinds of radiation. Have you got anything here that isn't weapon related?' the Doctor asked.
The Trader suppressed an agitated grin quickly and dropped the mirror back on the stall.
However, the Doctor's quick eyes plucked forth a shimmering pearl that sat in a metal box.
'What do we have here?' the Doctor replied but quickly the Trader reached back to take.
'I'm afraid that has already been sold, perhaps you would choose again?' he said quickly.
'Interesting?' the Doctor replied noting the seal on top of the box- it was the Seal of Rassilon.

'Dolan, I want those schematics of the world, you will deliver them by the deadline!' hissed the electronic voice over the communicator.
Dolan hissed as he pressed the switch back, his left eye twitching behind the magno-glass.
'I promise you Sir, I always deliver. It will take time, I have a large order to make, as son as it is done I will send you everything' Dolan hissed.
'You would better Dolan or else you will know pain better than you know breathing!' the voice warned before it fizzled out.
Dolan swallowed nervously, he felts his gills coming into action, he could close them down, his arms started to jiggle about. Beneath his gloves he could feel the webbing start to inflate.
He coughed and gagged hard as he struggled to close his gills, no water present. No water, just ground. Miles of dry dust, no water in sight.
It wasn't working! He was going to suffocate in a fit of nerves and there was nothing he could do to stop it?
'Hi Brother, what's matter with you?' Elbran called as he smacked a heavy glove down on his back, hard!
Dolan, so annoyed and irritated by this outburst finally heaved a coughed a vast amount of bubbling liquid from his mouth and wheezed deeply as his lungs started to function.
'Elbran, we are in serious glop! How long until the order is completed?' Dolan snapped and then started to cough hard again.
'We should meet quota around six days or so?' Elbran hissed but Dolan was shaking his head quickly.
'Not with you down at Grocker's, how long if we eliminate the time to drink, waste, or sleep?' Dolan wheezed.
'About one day or so? I'm thirsty I go to Grocker's' Elbran replied but Dolan grabbed him by the throat, tightening it hard.
'No you fool, you're going to get the production line up, fully running! We sacrifice everything until this order is completed. You will do as I say Elbran or else we shall both be... be... just get on with it!' Dolan hissed and released his brother.
'But the girls? They will want to see me?' Elbran retorted lowly but his Brother pointed to the controls at the far end.
There then came a strange ringing from the front.
'Customers, now you Elbran get up there and work that machine, now!' he hissed loudly.
Elbran slowly slumped off towards the control box while Dolan wiped free the froth from his mouth, wiping it over his dried skin and smartened up his collar.
He smiled uneasily before walking politely off towards the shop.

'This buyer, how much did he offer?' the Doctor asked now feeling adamant that this box should be returned home.
'Really Sir, what do you take me for? We have deals made and business is kept to business' the Trader said expressing a great deal of technical jargon but the Doctor merely looked a little bemused.
'Come now, he's paid you all ready but I could offer more, depending on a little information on who is the buyer and where did you get this orb from?' the Doctor asked.
The Trader looked hungry for the money but shook his head quickly, dragging the box off the stall.
'No Sir, all of these are trade secrets. Buyer's name, details etc, etc. You understand?' the Trader retorted.
'I'll double what he's paying you' the Doctor replied and the Trader's eyes widened with hunger.
'His name is Lippish, he is an off worlder like yourself. The box, it was given to me by a being to safeguard' the Trader replied quickly.
The Doctor delved into his pockets but only as he dug deeper he found to his horror that he had forgotten his wallet.
Patting his pockets he withdrew a bag of marbles. Could it work?
'These are Gallifreyan Ice globes, very hard to come by' the Doctor tried, pulling open the bag and pulling free several shining marbles.
'Nonsense, they are ordinary Ice globes, not quite so rare but still worth a lot' replied a smug sounding man in a grey suit.
The Doctor parted way to allow the man behind him entry. The man squeezed through the gap and took the box from the trader.
'Mine I believe? Thank you so much for keeping hold of it for me' the man replied.
'It was nothing Mr Lippish, perhaps you would choose to come back again to this humble stall?' the Trader asked but Lippish stared down the man.
'Of course I would not, I am not a fool unlike others' Lippish replied looking briefly to the Doctor and then back to the trader.
'Hello there? I was wondering if...?' the Doctor began but Lippish walked back into the crowds.
'You can do all the wondering you want, it's a free planet, with free speech' Lippish retorted.
'Sorry to intrude but I was wondering what was so special about that box? Why you paid so much for it?' the Doctor asked but Lippish merely stared down at him.
'It's just an interesting artefact I would like for my collection. If that is I must go now, I have other places to see, excuse me?' Lippish replied politely before turning away leaving the Doctor alone.
'I wonder? Perhaps you could tell me a bit about him?' the Doctor asked but the Trader was all ready courting other potential customers.
'Oh well Doctor, if you want something done properly best follow that man?' he muttered to himself and hurried after the man, who was becoming a blur in the distance of the street.
Pushing delicately past others, smiling and apologising as he went, he finally reached the end of the street only to enter a T-junction.
There was no sign of Mr Lippish? What was it about that name and indeed his form that seemed so familiar to him?

Norla had had a good day, that talk with Chartil had given to her new thoughts. Now she had to prepare for the meal.
She held up a straw basket as she paid the merchant for the green potato-shaped things that lay in rows before her.
'That will be five luarqs?' the merchant replied and Norla fished in to her pocket to drop five shining, silver discs into his open palm.
Placing three of the things, Lanscheens, they were called next to purple celerey-shaped fronds, some apples and all was needed was some meat of some sort?
As she turned away, she almost collided with a stranger, a man dressed in old clothes.
'Oh, I'm very sorry Miss' he said as he stepped back to allow her room but as he did someone lurched into him knocking hard into her.
'Again I am very sorry Miss?' the Doctor replied giving a few irate stares over at the various persons around him but no such luck?
'Norla. If you will excuse me?' she said but as she made to go, a vast traffic of beings was going this way and that, effectively blocking them into the corner of the street.
'Oh, I'm sorry we do seem to be boxed in here? How do you do Miss Norla, I'm the Doctor' he said and shook her free hand.
'Think nothing of it, hard rush that's all, soon simmer down I expect, it usually does' Norla replied.
She noted him looking about the area around him.
'Did you loose someone?' she asked, which broke his concentration and he looked down to her.
'Yes I did, someone I though I knew, rather arrogant chap dressed in silver, bought something I liked, went by the name of Lippish' the Doctor replied.
'Oh, well isn't that a coincidence?' she breathed.
'It is?' the Doctor asked and Norla nodded.
'Your friend Mr Laurence Lippish has an apartment above mine, he's been a bit of trouble lately' Norla replied and the Doctor looked a little surprised.
'Really? Now that is lucky, I don't suppose you would mind me imposing on you for getting to this place?' the Doctor asked.
'Not at all but you could help me by shopping' Norla replied.
'Shopping?' the Doctor repeated looking down the basket she held, she passed it to him.
'I'm entertaining a guest tonight and I need some food prepared, namely something delicious' Norla replied.
'Looking at what you have here, I'm pretty sure I could rustle up something for you?' he said.
'You can cook but aren't you a Medic?' she asked but the Doctor simply looked to her.
'I'm many things apparently and culinary cuisine is merely one of my talents' he said simply.

The interior of the craft was dark, very little light shone through but had it done so it was a ghastly sight to behold.
Ragged, decaying clumps of wet, rotting flesh stuck to the floor. Scattered amongst these desiccated remains stood once tall, glittering instruments lay surrounded by wet red strands.
'Try Dolan's communication again!' rasped a hissing distortion.
'Yes Warleader' replied a similar rasp and immediately a luminescent green flooded into the chamber.
The two beings present were hulked in the shadows, the leader appeared to be eating something, wrapped tightly in its grip.
'This is Command ship to Dolan, respond?' rasped the creature at the controls.
There was nothing but static as the green showed but thr Warleader's gnawing continued, agitatedly.
'Why does he not answer?' rasped the Warleader.
'Perhaps he fears?' replied the Underleader.
'Without the schematic we shall not be able to feed, to gorge and taste of life!' rasped the Warleader and threw the object from his grasp to land close to the screen.
It was half a human skull; sharp, twisted remnants remained of the nose ridge and right cranium.
'The Communications maybe delayed, he may be acquiring them now?' the Underleader suggested but the Warleader hissed hard spitting remnants of bone and blood from his gaping maw.
'When we attain these plans, then we shall feast new blood to taste, Dolan will respond to us, communicate every seven Raars to him, if he continues to keep us then he will be the first to fall!' the Warleader rasped.
The Underleader seizing his chance grabbed at the skull and started to gnaw loudly.
'It will be done Warleader' he hissed between bites, pleasuring his hunger for real food.
'On receiving these information you will commence de-hibernation of all decks, issue command for gorging, we will feast well!' the Warleader replied as he pulled free a new arm, still coated in flesh and proceeded to pull it apart, discarding the cancerous, rotting flesh to the side to get at food beneath.
'At your order Warleader, we shall gorge!' hissed the Underleader as it tore at the eye socket and munching down hard on the fragments.

'How quaint this place of yours is' the Doctor said as he carried in another log from outside, through the door, across the living room to the fireplace.
Norla followed after him, carrying another large log and deposited it down next to him.
'Paid for it with my husband Arex, though when he passed on it was hard for me, a Supplanter to work alone' Norla replied as she crossed over to the front door of the lobby and closed it firmly.
There was a staircase leading off to the right, while to the left sat her apartment.
'I would have thought it would have been easy? Doesn't Karr Tem have a rich nitrate concentration?' the Doctor called as he started to light the fire.
'True but with little rainfall we've been having for the last few months, its a wonder that I've still enough money to support myself?' Norla retorted.
Her apartment was well-furnished boasting a fireplace, a table and chairs and a rug with a bookcase by the side and ottoman-sofa standing not far away.
'Mm. What is that smell?' she asked as she breathed in a delightful aroma.
'What smell?' the Doctor asked as he lifted his head from the fire and breathed deep.
As soon as the smell met his nostrils he left the side of the fire and hurried into the kitchen.
It was a rough looking room with a crude basin and a multitude of taps and hot, wrought iron stove. Sitting atop it was a silver basin of boiling, bubbling water holding chopped vegetables.
A chopping board lay on the side, a knife still held slivers of vegetable along its blade.
The Doctor stepped up to the basin, pulling free a wooden spatula dipping it into the basin and tasted the tip.
'Hmm? Seems to be going very well?' he breathed and returned to the dining room.
From the fireplace a weak-looking flame had started to sprout up amongst the small looking fire-lighters.
'There now, I think I can leave the rest with you?' the Doctor replied.
'Are you sure Doctor? I must say we've got enough for you, if you'd like to stay?' Norla asked but the Doctor was passing towards the door.
'No, I'd just get in the way. Don't want to intrude, now this man Lippish has the room above you?' he asked but before Norla could respond the Doctor was gone.
'He'll be back, especially when he realises that you need a key or an invite from Lippish himself' she muttered and resumed her attention to the fire.

'Thank you Sir, as soon as as this order is done I shall feed in the right schematics' Dolan hissed as Being before his counter dropped a black heavy-looking bag onto to the counter.
'Will this cover it?' the female asked and Dolan hungrily nodded.
'It will suffice, I shall just and tell my associates what is to happen, excuse me?' he said quickly and hurried off with the bag of money into the back.
'Elbran?' he yelled high above the whirring of machinery.
As no one answered him, he looked through his magno-glass to see no one at the control box. Was he down at Grocker's again?
'Elbran?' he yelled again, then suddenly there came a clanging from behind him at the metal stores.
'Elbran!' he yelled but since no one answered him and there came no further sound of life.
'Elbran answer me?' he yelled but suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder and turning angrily expecting to see his brother he saw someone else: a man in a grey suit.
'Good afternoon Dolan, I trust my order is now completed?' he asked.
Dolan nodded quickly and gestured a gloved hand towards a vast metal, polished wall.
'They are over here Mr Lippish, allow me?' he said and gestured for Lippish to step back as he crossed over to a control panel by the wall.
Pressing the red control, there was a pause before it roughly slid up scratching at the gears as it went.
Behind it stood many dark looking figures, their forms gleaming with silver.
'The delivery awaits you Sir. Fifty well constructed battle units, AI measuring high scale, equipped to survive, protect and defend' Dolan replied.
Lippish crossed towards the machines, he eyed them carefully.
'Voice control modulated to my vocal patterns?' Lippish asked and Dolan nodded quickly.
'They will respond to your every command, there is of course the payment I need?' Dolan asked but instead Lippish continued to examine them closely.
'They will be perfect as for battle conditions I may require a demonstration?' he asked but Dolan looked uneasy.
'Mr Lippish you have already seen them work? Why you need another? My fee, may I have it?' Dolan asked.
'Perfect' Lippish breathed as he eyed the figures with ever changing eyes.

The Doctor scurried up the rough stone stairs until he came to a silver framed metal door, beside the wall there stood a gold looking pad.
'Hmm? DNA coded by the look of it? This Lippish character obviously prepares for everything? Very cautious, which points the question: Why?' the Doctor wondered.
'Now how to get in? Hmm?' the Doctor muttered and then went for the sonic screwdriver tucked into his coat pocket.
Plucking it out, he applied the tool to the hand pad. There came a whine as the tool connected with the surface and immediately the metal door slid open.
'Ah hah! Open sesame' the Doctor replied, pocketing the screwdriver he stepped into the room, unaware as it closed behind him.
Inside it was dark and gloomy, unable to see anything he crossed over to the the window and pulled open the shutters to create a beam of light across the room.
Framed in the light there stood a table covered in papers of all kinds?
Crossing over to them he flickered through the various notes, examining some carefully laid plans?
'Hmm? Interesting this Mr Lippish has a lot to answer for? These papers refer to star charts, he's been tracking something?' he breathed.
However standing in the shadows something was there. It could see the being quite clearly, its vision denoted a humanoid- Caucasian, male.
Conducting bioscan.... Bioscan complete. Its vision changed to an X-ray view showing the many organs, the skeleton of the intruder. The figure noted the presence of twin cardiovascular systems. It was not its master.
'Fascinating? He's made some enquiries about the Karr Tem, about defences, about the inhabitants present? I wonder why?' the Doctor muttered.
The figure received an encoded message: To defend and protect its Master. It stopped its stealth behaviour and proceeded straight into hostile action!
There came a low creak from behind him, realising that he was not alone, he spun about to see: No one!
Shrugging off this feel, he returned his view to the notes then suddenly he caught sight of a figure standing in the half-shadows and froze.
Its blank, featureless agile figure topped by a blank egg-like head, completely silver met his vision.
He remembered what it was as it twitched from time to time: A Raston Warrior Robot!
He was trapped!

'Raston Robots- Assassin class, perfect in every detail and exactly what I need. Fifty of the most perfect killing machines ever devised. You Rastons do me proud Dolan' Lippish breathed as he glanced at the immobile figures.
'Sir, Mr Lippish I need the money now. I have business ahead of me, work that has to be done?' Dolan spoke aloud.
'Such as?' Lippish asked looking towards the creature.
'Other clients await confirmation of materials, I'm sure that you can understand what I mean?' Dolan asked and Lippish nodded.
That I do Dolan, for you see I am not an ignorant fool. I have a love for this world Karr Tem and the natives. They are friends, and were allies of my people and I know how much you like them?' Lippish replied flatly.
Dolan scratched at a piece of dry skin over his left eye looking curious at the man before him.
'I do not know what you mean Mr Lippish? I respect all of the Karr Tem fully' Dolan said quickly.
'Really? So you would want to get rid of me because of your Masters are getting impatient? The Purge are without question a vicious force to deal with and I am nearly as cruel as they can be!' Lippish said as he looked to the Raston before him.
Dolan looked uneasy at this off worlder, how did he know of such things? It mattered not, he was not telepathic, he was sure.
'I do not know what you mean, Mr Lippish andf now about my fee?' Dolan asked.
'Payment? Oh yes, after you supplied the Purge with weapons, endangering my world in the process!' Lippish muttered.
'It was a mistake Sir but any business is good business?' Dolan murmured extending his hand toward the man but he side-stepped to the nimble forms before him.
'Great workmanship demands great praise' Lippish replied and clicked his fingers, the Robots heads' raised slowly as Lippish turned towards Dolan, his eyes changing colour within that face of his.
'However for the crimes you have committed, for the lives that you have caused to be lost, there is only one payment I offer' Lippish hissed.
Target acquired: the machines agreed as their sensors focussed on Dolan, looking panicky he turned and ran but suddenly a robot stood facing him and there was another and another. He was surrounded by them.
Lippish looked down at his form and spat those words: 'Kill him!'

SHADOWS OF THE HEART

EPISODE TWO:

'No, please? Please?' Dolan cried as the figures advanced closer, they twisted at the light as Lippish stood there smiling. As the first of the blades descended Lippish raised a hand a nod spoke in a calm, flat voice 'Stop. Resume normal operations'
The figures straightened up remaining immobile around Dolan giving him space to breathe, before he had felt his blood freeze but now it bubbling with his veins.
'You... You were going to kill me?' he babbled, Lippish noting the panic in his eyes.
'Not at all, why should I kill someone whose role is so essential in the proceedings?' Lippish replied.
'I... I am?' Dolan asked and Lippish smiled.
'Of course you are Dolan, after all you being the Purge's contact is going to tell them everything they need to know about this planet, to the letter, however what is to stop you from telling more than necessary?' Lippish pondered before turning to a silver figure.
'You will watch this creature as he reports to the Purge. Should he attempt to divert from the specific details then you will shoot a spear into his chest, missing all important organs in the process' Lippish instructed.
'Nod your acceptance' he replied and figure managed a stiff nod.
'You can't do this to me? The Purge will kill me!' Dolan cried but Lippish simply smiled.
'Then look on this day as a turning point, either you become a good, efficient business man or a literal backstabbing, corrupt black marketeer. It's your choice?' Lippish countered.
'Very well I'll agree to your terms' Dolan found himself replying.
'Excellent, this why why Dolan I prefer machines, they do what I say: Kill. I have waited long for a moment like this and it will not be halted by anyone especially you. Attempt to warn others and you shall acquire more visceral non-lethal accessories!' Lippish warned before clicking his fingers.
'Follow me!' he ordered and Dolan watched as the long line of figures filed out of the room and left him alone with his guard.
He coughed slowly and nodded to the guard as he hobbled over to the communicator.

The Doctor froze as his eyes stared directly at the figure, as his eyes blinked the figure scuttled to the side.
'Important not to move unless completely necessary?' the Doctor muttered through gritted teeth as he surveyed his attacker.
They act on movement, any movement and kill. Currently it could kill him but he wasn't moving and therefore non-hostile action was being displayed.
'Guard duty eh?' the Doctor called but the figure remained motionless.
The robot's attention was shortly distracted by someone tapping the door's surface.
'Doctor? Are you all right?' Norla asked and the Doctor noticeably flinched.
Why did they never listen to him? The robot in turn shifted its attention towards the door giving the Doctor enough time to side-step against the wall.
He froze as the robot moved, a blade extruded from its arm towards the wall ending a few inches from his throat.
'Doctor? Are you in there?' Norla called again and the Doctor riskally replied through gritted teeth:
'Yes Miss Norla I'm in here and I've company except its the wrong kind of company I want?' the Doctor retorted.
'Is there anything I can doto help you?' Norla asked but the Doctor stood there staring into the blank silver oval of a face.
'No not really? Best that you return to your home and continue with your work, I'm going to be detained until this machine's master returns' the Doctor replied.
'Are you sure Doctor? Is it really that serious?' Norla asked.
'It is indeed Miss Norla, this machine is a competent killer, if you were here as well it would go for any movement and strike! Not to worry, I'm pretty sure this Mr Lippish will return?' the Doctor replied quietly.
'All right then' she called and from the door there went scurrying feet forever fading away.
'Now then Mr Raston Warrior Robot, who's going to break this staring contest on pain of death?' the Doctor replied to the silent figure still frozen in its position, his face reflected back in its cold, featureless visage.

Dolan felt uneasy as the robot was staring over his shoulder as he marched past the communicator towards a computer system on the walls.
For a moment there was a stillness in the air and suddenly there on the right was the machine, staring back at him.
'All right, I'm getting the codes' he said but then he remembered that he was talking to a machine, a killing machine on a muzzle, a very thin muzzle!
As he pulled free a group of quantum CDs they fell from a shelf to to the ground to lie in a disorganised mess. Panicking Dolan bent to pick them up but then looked up at the towering machine.
Retrieving the correct disc he left the others behind as he approached the communicator.
The silence that had fallen was broken by a heavy rattling coming from the machine, Dolan was so on edge that he almost dropped the disc again.
'Raston! Where are the codes?' rasped the distorted slavering tones of the Warleader.
On hearing this as was the robot assassin, he tried his best not to moan or squeal as he answered them.
'I have information disc here, the full biospectrum, all recorded personnel, defence grid controls, everything thingyou need to know about Karr Tem to make your invasion successful' Dolan replied in a calm, confident voice.
'Why are you like this now? So eager to help us, no attempt to conceal your fear or hatred of working for us?' the Warleader demanded.
'No reason. I am a businessman as long as you are going to spare my life and the money you promise me?' Dolan replied quickly.
He pressed the disc into the system and waited patiently.
'Excellent, you have done us justice. As for your pitiful self, yes you will live. You are useful but dare you challenge us for more or lie to our cause then I will personally tear out your skull and bite it to shreds!' the Warleader slavered.
'I would never lie to you great Purge. I only wish to serve' he said before switching the communicator off.
'There there I said nothing. What more do you want?' Dolan retorted expecting to see the robot go but it remained.
'I have a business to run and preparations for the attack' Dolan said but the machine remained there, watching him.
It had no other orders as of yet?

The front door to the block opened smoothly admitting Lippish, closing the door behind him he was surprised to find the door to his left was ajar.
'Is everything all right through there?' he called and stepped back as Norla appeared in the door.
'Everything is fine Mr Lippish, I was expecting someone else. You were out?' she said unwisely inviting questioned looks from Lippish.
'What is that supposed to mean?' he asked and looking at him, she realised her mistake.
'I thought I heard someone upstairs, someone moving about?' she said quickly.
'Upstairs? As you can see I live alone, there is no one upstairs. Perhaps you are hearing mice or some other vermin scurrying about through the crawl space?' Lippish retorted.
Norla looked a bit uneasy but then advanced forward, looking worried.
'I'm pretty sure I heard something Mr Lippish? Someone perhaps?' Norla said quickly and Lippish looked from her to upstairs.
'I see? Do not let it concern you? I seem to have bats in my belfry, excuse me?' he said and carried on up the stairs.
Pausing outside his room, he removed a silver disc from his pocket and tapped its surface once before pressing his hand onto the pad.
The pad glowed bright and the silver door slid back, he paused on the threshold looking back briefly before entering the room.
'Lights!' Lippish commanded as he stepped into the room and as the room glowed into action he spied the Doctor.
'Good afternoon there?' the Doctor replied but Lippish merely stared down at him.
'The man from the market place, what are you doing here?' Lippish demanded.
'Keeping your guard company, I have no choice in that' the Doctor replied.
'Stand down' Lippish instructed and the robotic figure straightened up facing the Doctor.
'Oh, that's mostly civil of you?' the Doctor said as he pulled himself free of the wall.
'Yes it is. Now you are going to explain why you are here in my quarters! Restrain him!' Lippish ordered and there was blur and suddenly the Robot held the Doctor in a tight grapple.

'Psycho-analysis completed Warleader' hissed the Underleader as he turned to face the dark rusting throne.
'Elaborate Underleader?' rasped the Warleader, as he raked his dry claws across the rusted armrests impatiently.
'The Raston's brainwaves were fluctuating during communication. His levels of agitation, stress were high' the Underleader hissed and bowed his twisted form.
'Then he was lying to us, the information he gave us. Was it correct?' the Warleader rasped.
'Our systems have made full checks on the data stream. He has given all correct information referring to the life forms. These Karr Tem are bone-filled as are humans, Skellans, Martians. All rich in white blood' the Underleader rasped licking his dry teeth with stickly saliva.
The Warleader's face scrunched up, his one seeing eye, the other grey, unseeing stared into the darkness surrounding the room.
'Then what lie has he woven?' he roared.
The Underleader awaited the occasional strike from his leader but none came, this time the Warleader was still.
'The moment we arrive in orbit scan the surface and area for any potential traps, we will outmatch them but it would be safer to know of what Dolan is planning?' the Warleader rasped as he climbed from the dark throne.
'It will be done Warleader, shall I begin preparations to de-hibernate our forces?' he asked and the Warleader merely sighed, a torrent of pulped bone and saliva drooped from the corners of his mouth onto the sticky floor.
'Do so, I believe that we shall feast well this day. We shall gorge well. Underleader, if Dolan dares to contact again instruct him that his name will be first on the agenda of delicacies!' the Warleader rasped as he wrapped his decaying clock around his monstrous form and sat back in the throne.
The Underleader grinned maniacally and bowed.
'Yes Warleader' he slavered as he returned his gaze to the bloodstained controls and decaying flesh covering his seat.

'This is very hard to say Mr... Lippish?' the Doctor said as he felt the robot bend his arms tightly.
'Laurence Lippish, you are a very foolish man to come here in search of a box? I assume you came here in search of it?' Lippish replied.
'Yes... Yes I was. The design, the seal of Rassilon engraved on the surface really caught at my eye' the Doctor said.
'Interesting that. A man who tries to bribe someone else with Gallifreyan Ice globes, nothing more than marbles that children play with. Your speech and appearance denote that you come from Earth, twentieth century bordering on nineteenth?' Lippish replied.
'More than that actually as are you. Someone who has been tracking something across this system, someone who is very knowledgeable of the Time Lords' the Doctor retorted.
'I'm asking the question here, your behaviour interests me. Your ability to irritate me bears some resemblance to a certain person that I know of. Who are you?' he snapped.
'I would shake your hand if this raston robot wasn't being such a nuisance? I'm Smith, Doctor John Smith' the Doctor said.
Lippish's face opened, a colour of recognition swam before his features.
'Really, now that is interesting. The man I know of, a meddler, a Gallifreyan goes by that name. Are you truly the Doctor?' Lippish asked.
The Doctor resigned himself in the robot's grip, never was the one to start a fight.
'Yes I am he, and you I suspect know me?' he said slowly.
Lippish grinned viciously as he advanced towards the man.
'Has it really been that long Doctor? Since I last met you, a new face? What was wrong with the last pray tell? An accident? A sacrifice? Something the name's sake of your precious people- the humans?' Lippish taunted.
'You know me then, you have me at an advantage then? But I suspect from your tone and words that you are not so good?' the Doctor breathed.
'What is good Doctor? Someone's good is another's evil! A different side of the coin but as you know nothing of me then I can act safely' Lippish replied as he examined the Doctor's new form and then turned away.
'Then you'll release me?' he asked but Lippish shook his head.
'I could but then again, you would interfere in my plans and that would not do. Instead you are going to tell why you are here on this planet' Lippish instructed.

'So you came here for the box?' Lippish said as he sat at the table eyeing the intruder carefully.
'Not quite but what lay on the box, the seal of Rassilon, no doubt you know what it means?' the Doctor asked.
'Ah, now there is another point. You tried to buy the box using ordinary marbles, that children play with. Gallifreyan Ice globes, I believe you called them?' Lippish retorted.
'Well they were, that's what we called them. You know something of the Time Lords then?' the Doctor asked.
Lippish eyed the Doctor suspiciously as he tried to break free of the robot's grip.
'So you are a Time Lord, yet your appearance, tongue and behaviour denotes that you are from Earth, nineteenth to Twentieth century? What does a Time Lord want on Karr Tem?' Lippish asked.
The Doctor unable to fight back further reluctantly responded to the grinning host.
'I'm just an explorer here while you yourself have other ideas? Star maps, charting something coming into this system of space, using a Raston robot to guard your home' the Doctor retorted loudly.
'I'm asking the questions!' Lippish demanded, glancing across the table to the intruder.
'If you are exploring this planet then why are you following me, interfering in my work where it does not concern you?' Lippish demanded.
The Robot twisted the Doctor's arm more so making the Doctor cry out in agony.
'Idle curiosity. What sort of man are you to be using a Raston Warrior Robot as a bodyguard? Very dangerous in my book' the Doctor snapped.
Lippish griined, faintly amused by this man's behaviour and he nodded to the robot, which its grip on his arm again.
'Really? Is that what you see? Well then perhaps you will return to your TARDIS and bid farewell here, I have important work going on here and your presence is not needed here!' Lippish retorted.
'Come now Mr Lippish, it's a free planet. Why is Karr Tem so important to you?' the Doctor asked and noted the strangely familiar eyes that changed colour.
'I have my reasons and they are no business of yours!' Lippish snapped and pointed towards the door.
'Cast him out!' Lippish ordered but as the robot manhandled the Doctor towards the door, he felt that he knew this man? So familiar to him, he had felt much pain?
The door slid open and with one precise throw the Doctor hit the rock wall hard.

Norla on hearing this pulled open her door and glanced out at the lobby before here, expecting to see someone?
There came a low moan and leaving the door open she climbed the stairs and there in a crumpled heap lay the Doctor.
Struggling up the stairs she came across him, he seemed all right, rubbing his head.
'Ow, that robot packs quite a punch!' he muttered as he struggled to his feet.
'You are all right Doctor? Come this way?'' Norla replied helping him down the stairs and into her apartment.
'There's no need for this Miss Norla, I'll be all right, it's Lippish I'm worrying about' the Doctor said.
'What are you talking about Doctor? That man is a bigoted, arrogant man and looking at you now, he just roughed you up?' Norla retorted.
'Not him, a raston robot. Caught me while I was browsing through his papers. I know Lippish from somewhere, he's not stupid though, clever, calculating and is planning something?' the Doctor muttered as Norla set him down onto the ottoman.
Returning to the door to close it, she caught a shadow on the stairs, looking up she could see nothing as she bolted the door.
'Mm? That stew smell almost ready to add the meat?' the Doctor said looking around him.
'Are you're all right? You're lucky that robot didn't kill you?' Norla said and looked astonished as the Doctor rose from the ottoman.
'I am greatful for your help Miss Norla, you've seen Raston robots before then I take it?' he asked.
'There's a factory business here on Karr Tem, two rastons construct them- Dolan and Elbran. Sell them to anyone who has money. They use the madlands around here to test them' she said.
'Madlands?' the Doctor repeated looking quite confused.
'The desert region, in the mountains the native Karr Tem meditate while below fighting occurs, I've seen what they can do' she said.
'As have I, now then perhaps we should continue with this stew?' the Doctor said as he walked into the kitchen.
Lippish. Why was that name familiar as the smirk across his face? Laurence Lippish, a man who knew he was a Time Lord? More to the point, who was he?

Dolan stood there looking uneasy as the constant silver figure followed him around the workshop.
Since he had made the report he had thought that it would have gone off to its new master but it prevented him from going anywhere.
'Will you leave me alone?' he yelled, his voice drowned out by the vast machinery as it whirred and groaned.
The figure remained still then it advanced closer.
He turned trying hide his resentment of this machine of the industry that his race should have been so proud of?
Just then there came a crackling from the communicator, just the thing to make his day complete.
Walking over to it, he pressed the switch and tried his best attempt to sound calm but beneath his form he was quivering with anger but this fell away to a torrent of fear as that voice rasped into his head.
'Dolan, why do you lie to us?' came the tones of the Underleader across the speaker.
'Lie to you? I have not. I have delivered to you all the information your race needs to take Karr Tem apart' Dolan hissed agitatedly as the robot drew closer.
'Your vocal patterns speak otherwise, the information you have given is correct but you fear something? Us?' the Underleader rasped and quickly Dolan shook his head.
'No, nothing like that. I have not seen what your race can do?' Dolan babbled.
'But you have heard stories about us? We do not take to liars, you withhold something from us. What is it? Speak!' the creature demanded fiercely.
'I am merely anxious for you to arrive here as are we all' he said and ventured a look round to see the robot less that an inch away from him.
'Who's your friend Dolan?' gurgled Elbran as he appeared from around the side of the machinery.
'Elbran! Use the master control and switch it off!' Dolan hissed, staring at his dumb sibling praying that he would get it right.
Surprisingly Elbran hefted a strange control panel and aimed it at the robot, it shook and then crumpled to the ground.
Wasting no time Dolan turned back to the communicator and pressed the switch.
'We had a problem here but it's been sorted now. As will you when you arrive...' Dolan explained.

The stew lay simmering on the stove slowly, bubbles appeared across the top of the film of water within the basin.
The Apartment now held an air of comfort that was so rarely founded in his life, however the Doctor was in no mind of resting but trying to force a memory to the surface.
'Any luck?' Norla asked from the kitchen but the Doctor shook his head.
'No good, I've racked it hard, probably too hard? I know his name from somewhere?' he said as Norla came through with two glasses.
Passing one to him, he took it and glanced at the glass, unaware of what it was?
'Sanquen Wine, my husband Arex used to make it, I've saved quite a few bottles away. He used to say that a drop of this and you'll remember anything?' she said.
'Sanquen? No, I don't believe I've ever heard of it? Oh well, I suppose it can't hurt?' the Doctor said and took a sip, he felt the nectar lick his tongue and then the shocking taste asit caught at his thoat.
'Hmm? That is strong stuff, though I do wonder if it's pushed anything back rather than forward?' he said.
Norla looked up to see a time piece mounted on the wall and sighed.
'Two hours before Chartil arrives, now if I were to put the stew on for an hour, would that be enough time?' Norla wondered.
'Chartil?' the Doctor asked.
'Chartil Orrinthos, he's the guest I said was coming, he's a Karr Tem' Norla replied.
'Hmm? It's been a long time since I met with their race, curious one too: Hybrid insectoid-reptillian, hermaphrodites and telepathic. Odd that, I can remember them but not Lippish?' the Doctor murmured.
'Perhaps you're mistaken?' Norla asked and the Doctor shrugged.
'Yes, I suppose you're right Miss Norla, though his face, those eyes. He's not human yet he could see that I was a Time Lord? How long has he been here?' the Doctor asked as Norla started to lay the cloth.
'A year, never says anything to anyone though except for the others. No humans, won't as much as look at us' Norla said.
'Interesting that, I seem to recall a figure, someone a bit blurred now who also felt the same way? What was his name?' the Doctor pondered.
He stood up from the table and went to help Norla with the cutlery.

Lippish sat in a comfortable seat watching as the Raston robot seemed to distort as vibrations emanated from its form and into speech.
He smiled unexpectantly as he could hear to two of them talking about him downstairs.
'The Doctor, how long has it been since I had to face that cretin? A new face, new regeneration but still the naive fool that was and still is' Lippish remarked to himself.
As the conversation continued to flow out of the robot, Lippish's grin broadened.
'Having a tea party, how quaint? Would it be best to feign my ignorance of him, invite him up and reveal my plans? Probably not, it would seem rude of me to interrupt that dinner party' Lippish countered.
'Much better that his suspicions should be nutured, let them grow larger and until his accusations bring him up to me and then I shall reveal it all' Lippish decided.
'Bon appetite Doctor, I do hope you enjoy your meal, however I think it would be best to know what those foolish imbeciles Dolan and Elbran are up to?' he said.
Pulling free another metal disc, he pressed its centre and immediately the disc glowed with instrument details.
'Activate external sensors, aural and visual!' he instructed but as the disc blurred the image became a blank screen.
Looking up to the guard before him, his eyes seemed to burn, glowing scarlet one moment and then to green.
'The Raston Assasin unit within the factory, do your sensors detect its active presence in the killer network?' Lippish asked.
The robot was still for a moment then it raised its head to search for all known servers, entering the network system. After a moment it shook its head.
'Then Dolan has betrayed me to the Purge, what action should I take now? They're almost on my doorstep and I have yet to acknowledge what's going on?' Lippish snapped.
The robot stood there silently, awaiting its next instruction.
'Continue spy mode, I must know everything that the Doctor is saying, perhaps when the time comes he will understand?' Lippish replied and a second later the sounds from downstairs entered his quarters.

Dolan stepped over the disabled raston machine eyeing it with contempt, he kicked at its shining form briefly before resuming his anger on his idiotic brother.
'Now listen here Elbran! You are going to shut up shop! Every door must be locked and securely! Understand?' Dolan yelled.
Elbran looked at his brother, the still dazed look glazed across his face.
'Do you understand?' he snapped and knocked the bottle from his lips for it smack hard against the metal of the walls.
'Yes Bruver, lock all doors' Elbran muttered.
'And close all shutters, must I tell you everything twice? We are going to have visitors here, not friendly ones and we have to be prepared!' Dolan squeaked.
His brother slowly nodded and performed a mock salute. Why did he have to look after this idiot? Why did he promise to his makers that he would look after him? He could shout and shout but he'd never get through to him?
'Elbran, I'm sorry for what I said. Please close all the barriers' he said in a less harsh voice.
Elbran nodded and managed an idiot smile before wondering off towards the shop entrance. As he left Dolan rubbed at his slimy temples. The Purge were coming here, he knew even as he had ratted out Lippish that they were angry with him.
From the front came the screeching of gears and looking towards the entrance he breathed a sigh as he heard the locking clamps fall.
'Doors now secured Bruver' Elbran called and Dolan sighed thankful.
'Turn off the machine, I have to get our defence system ready' Dolan instructed and as Elbran wandered off towards the control box, Dolan crossed over to a compartment beneath the communicator and pushed open a loose flap.
Reaching in he pulled out a bulbous, chunky-looking rifle.
He smiled as he checked out the sights, trigger and settings as the machinery closed down around him.
Fixing a cylindrical-like case in the bottom of the barrel, he grinned.
'What is that thing Dolan?' Elbran asked and Dolan passed it to him.
'Our salvation Elbran!' Dolan cackled.

As the evening started to seep into the night sky there came a gentle rap at the door.
Norla on going to answer it smiled as Chartil appeared in the doorway.
'Chartil. Right on time too' Norla replied.
'Directly on the ninth hour as you requested Norla, is everything all right, I sense that you are uneasy over something?' Chartil said, his words forming in her mind.
'It's nothing, won't you come in Chartil?' Norla replied opening the door to it, as he passed through into the room, his eyes fluttered as he met the warm bathe of the fire's heat.
'You have done much Norla, I hope that I can help you out?' he asked.
'Take a seat and relax yourself Chartil. How's it going in there Doctor?' Norla called.
The Doctor stood over the pot, the fumes sliding into his mouth.
'Just about ready, if you would both go to the table?' he replied and withdrew the pot from the stove and walked into the dining room.
'You are a stranger to me, yet your mind speaks of many times' which came to the Doctor as a strange warbled buzzing in his head.
'Well I have been around, I'm the Doctor and this is something I would like to call Irish stew' the Doctor said as he lowered the basin onto the table.
'Irish stew? Forgive but I have never heard of such a delicacy?' Chartil said.
'Nor have I Doctor?' Norla replied.
'It's nothing special, a few substituted ingredients but I hope you enjoy it?' he said as he sat down.
'You know Norla as an acquaintance I see yet your mind wanders on others things?' Chartil said.
'You also know that to read others without permission could prove to be quite rude?' the Doctor retorted as he took hold of Norla's plate and held out a portion first to her and then to Chartil.
'Ah, you know our customs. You have not visited our world for sometime I see?' Chartil said.
'I did say not to do that?' the Doctor countered but Norla gestured.
'No, he means that we should be saying grace' she said and the Doctor nodded.
'Sorry, mind like... a dictionary?' he muttered.

Lippish listened carefully and then reached down to his coat pocket and removed the disc, it was glowing all on its own.
From what he could see, Dolan and Elbran were tooled up with defence armour and holding formidable looking weapons.
'Don't worry Elbran, they'll achieve planetfall in five hours, by that time we'll be ready!' Dolan was saying before Lippish closed the disc.
'Five hours! That's too soon!' he gasped.
Beneath him the conversation was progressing well as everyone seemed to be enjoying the meal.
'You know there was a similar thing that happened on Zame Five, the Zame, hygienically fanatical almost gave me the death penalty because of unauthorised food, they were only jelly babies!' the Doctor joked.
Norla sniggered trying cover it up as she drank at the wine but the giggles she held almost made her choke.
'Doctor, I'm sorry to stop you but I feel that you are focussed on one thing. A man's name eludes you and you want to know it? I and other Karr Tem can search your mind?' Chartil said slowly.
'Well I really didn't want to disturb the proceedings? It is playing on my mind and I would embrace any help at all?' he said.
'Lower your head, close your eyes. You shall feel my hand on your head but do not fear' Chartil said in a soothing tone.
The Doctor shifted himself round to an angle and did as Chartil instructed, the moment he touched the Doctor's head, he could see images, people, good people and monsters and darkness.
For the Doctor he was in Leicester square, the streets were gloomy and dark, explosions rang out, he could see a man sitting at a desk writing reports, a man grinning at him.
The eyes that swirled into colour, the brown hair and beard, he seemed to be talking to him.
Just then it came to him as Chartil raised his hand, the Doctor swallowed as he brought the answer to mind.
'Are you all right Doctor?' Norla asked.
'Better than all right, thank you Miss Norla, Chartil. Lippish! Hmm, now why didn't I see it before?' the Doctor said as he walked to the door and without further notice he left the room.

The Doctor arrived breathless at the top of the stairs and taking a breath he knocked politely at the door.
'Come in?' came an equally polite response, the door slid open and the Doctor, a bit cautious stepped through to spy Lippish standing there.
'Welcome back... Doctor' he said eyeing the Doctor carefully, he offered his hand and the Doctor shook it warmly.
'Thank you... Phillips, you're very kind' he retorted.
'Ah, at last the blind man sees' Phillips breathe but the Doctor was in no game for jokes.
'I'm not so blind to see you meddling in the affairs of others again! No doubt you have some extended vendetta towards humanity on the mind still?' the Doctor snapped.
'Not at all Doctor, if I meant you harm before I could have had my guard kill you where you stood or even now' he said gesturing to the robot standing not far away.
'But you aren't? How untypical of you? Unless of course you have something else planned?' the Doctor asked.
'No Doctor, this time I have plans but Karr Tem is threatened but not by me. I'm sure you will understand?' Phillips said as he crossed over to the table and withdrew a flat screen.
'What parlour tricks are you playing now Phillips? Why should I believe you?' the Doctor asked as Phillips handed him the screen.
'What is this?' he asked as Phillips crossed over to the window.
'A visual link to Karr Tem's communications satellite and you'll see that I have nothing to do with trouble brewing' Phillips replied.
As the screen flickered into life in the Doctor's hands he could see presumably a shot of Karr Tem from space but then there were several vast dark objects, sleek and jagged talons.
'Those ships, there's thousands of them!' the Doctor breathed.
'It's an invasion force Doctor, the Purge!' Phillips replied.
'The Purge? I've never heard of them, they are dangerous presumably?' the Doctor asked and Phillips exchanged a slight smile.
'They make your Daleks seem like a Summer breeze and Karr Tem is their next target' Phillips said coldly glancing up to the night sky, fully aware of what sat above them all...

'Warleader! We have completed all suitable scans of the planet for any possible danger. The scans show negative on all factors' the Underleader reported as the Warleader stood before the vast screen.
'Excellent, now begins our time. Underleader begin de-hibernation sequence, transfer it to all ships. Let the order be given: Awakening!' he rasped loudly.
'Yes Warleader' the Underleader hissed as he started to tap in the various controls on his dimly lit rusted console.
In the rest of the ship lay a network of man sized puddles of dark looking water, as a series of lights pulsed from above casting over all puddles, the surface started to bubble slowly.
Inside the synthetic wombs, forms stirred, talons flexed, eyes rolled open as the dark skin started to violently bubble, the lights above increased faster and faster.
Suddenly a twisted claw pierced through the dark, slime covered pools, it was followed by another as a twisted form emerged into the cold vicious stench of decay.
As each of the twisted figures rose from their synthetic wombs, each was the same, battle scarred in some places but each hissed viciously.
From above came the rasping voice of the Underleader.
'We are the Purge, we are the time, gorging is upon us. A world of taste lies below us. We will taste!'
'Taste and gorge!' hissed one of them, this in turn was picked up by another and another until a vast rasping tone filled every space.
On the bridge of the leading ship, the Underleader scuttled forward towards the dark, powerful figure of the Warleader as he surveyed Karr Tem below.
'Warleader, the troops have awoken, they await the order to land' the Underleader hissed.
The Warleader held out his twisted claw towards the image, pretending that he could hold the world before him.
'Good! So begins the time of gorging, that world is now ours! We shall taste of their flesh and gorge on their bones!' the Warleader roared and with a link from him, the Underleader and the other Purge creatures howled their anger, their ferocity to the void!

SHADOWS OF THE HEART

EPISODE THREE:

'You know these creatures then? Funny sort of company you keep?' the Doctor said but on seeing Phillips standing there still, he felt the urge to change his mind on the subject.
'Do you know what the Purge are, what they can do, Doctor?' Phillips asked aloud as he stared out beyond the space outside as he remembered a place and a time far into the past.
'No, no I suppose I haven't but from your tone, you have?' the Doctor asked.
'They are scourge of the universe, the terror of a thousand nightmares. They attacked Vrella once, long before the great desolution' Phillips said from his place at the window.
'What happened to your people?' the Doctor asked.
'Two thirds of the population fell before the invaders fell' he said as pictured the once lush green valleys now blackened and heaped with a carpet of rotting corpses.
'Then why have you brought them here? To serve as your revenge upon humanity once more?' the Doctor asked but Phillips turned ferociously on the Doctor staring down at him into his seat.
'The Purge are a race of biologically enhanced killing creatures that can tear the bone from the flesh in a matter of seconds! My people were allies of the Karr Tem, do you think that I would stand back and watch them die?' Phillips snapped.
'Bone from the flesh? They eat bone?' the Doctor said looking confused before rising from his seat.
'The times I have met you Phillips, the way you have announced the fact humanity killed your race, yet this is not like you?' the Doctor breathed.
'A lot has changed since we last met Doctor, they are like Daleks except that they do not defile the bodies of the dead and the living and eat them!' Phillips said as he crossed to the Doctor and removed the screen from his hands.
'You expect me to believe that you, Phillips have turned over a new leaf? I don't believe it?' he retorted.
'Whether you choose to or not I have changed on the inside as you have on the outside. I am no fiend here, look up there to see what true evil is' Phillips countered.

'Will the Doctor be all right?' Norla asked as she and Chartil sat silent.
'The Doctor is speaking with the man from his mind, someone who has done so much evil yet now finds himself working for a just cause' Chartil replied.
'How's the stew?' she asked.
'It is refreshing yet I sense that it was to the Doctor's design?' Chartil replied.
Norla looked at Chartil, into his eyes, the Karr Tem she noted had multi faceted eyes like a fly's but at the centre there was a slit pupil.
'Do you know the Doctor? He claims that he has been to Karr Tem before?' Norla asked.
'From what I saw of the Doctor's mind, he has been here before when he was older. He is an explorer of some sort, he has seen the jewels of the universe and spied the darkest corners' Chartil replied, captivating Norla's senes.
'Older? You mean he grows younger?' Norla asked looking puzzled but Chartil held up a claw.
'It is not for us to question his life, all life is different within being, so nature decrees that infinite possibilities. He looks like a human but there are other races that look alike yours, Phillips for example is not human' Chartil said as he drank from a saucer.
'Phillips? I don't know any Phillips?' Norla retorted.
'He hides behind a falsehood, Lippish. I too have seen his mind, much agony and suffering he has seen. He works only to bail water from a sinking raft' Chartil replied.
Norla looked towards the ceiling, her mind troubled as it was over what was going on up there? Chartil offered a claw to her form, touching her shoulder gently, offering comfort.
'Do not worry Norla, he will return, I am sure of that?' Chartil replied, sounding as soothing as he could muster.

'Tell me more about the Purge creatures?' the Doctor asked as he started to flick through the notes on the table.
'They were once a race of insectoids, fiercely driven hive system but were corrupted by a genetic engineer Doctor Zachary Jackott. They developed an insatiable appetite for bone, for calcium of any kind. They kill and eat their victims and scavenge the technology, particularly weapons' Phillips replied.
'Calcium, any calcium?' the Doctor asked and Phillips nodded.
'All bone, nothing is wasted except the flesh and blood. Since all beings present on Karr Tem hold a skeletal structure of some sort. No one will be spared' Phillips replied.
'Then we best find out a way to stop them?' the Doctor said hurriedly but then noticed Phillips lack of interest on the subject.
'You did hear what I said Phillips? This world you are so keen to protect will fall to them unless we compile our efforts' the Doctor said but as Phillips turned around he was visibly smirking.
'Really Doctor? You believe that I would hang around this world all this time and not prepare myself? I have spent time wisely. Communing with the Karr Tem, I have countermeasures ready and waiting' Phillips replied and clicked his fingers.
'Would you care for a drink Doctor?' he asked and motioned to the robot to come forward, acting like a butler.
'Would you care to explain yourself Phillips? This playful manner is very reminiscent of your past life, I almost feel the need to question your motives?' the Doctor asked eyeing Phillips suspiciously.
'Quite simply that I have had an army built for this invasion, an army whose loyalty is guaranteed, an army that will never tire' Phillips replied as he went to sit at the other end of the table.
'Oh I see now? Raston Warrior Robots?' the Doctor asked and Phillips nodded.
'Assassin class, much more efficient killers. The Purge are very hard to kill but for fifty killing machines it will do very well!' Phillips replied.
'You would kill them all? Never attempt to reason with them? There must be another way?' the Doctor said quickly.
'You would think so wouldn't you? These creatures have killed hundreds of races, there is no such other punishment worthy to stop them!' Phillips countered.
'No, no I won't except that, there has to be another way?' the Doctor said quickly as he continued to read through the notes.
'You are wasting your time Doctor, the Purge will arrive on this world within five hours and here they will die!' Phillips retorted.

The Doctor sat there for a moment unable to think beyond what Phillips had said then he had a passing thought.
'You say these creatures feed off calcium, any calcium?' the Doctor asked.
'It turns their actions to a frenzy, any calcium does this. Jackott was the first to realise the horror, he was their first meal. You're wasting your time on whatever you're thinking' Phillips retorted.
'Am I? Do the Karr Tem share your views on this action or do they know nothing of it?' he said but as Phillips said nothing the Doctor smiled grimly.
'You know that you'll have a full scale panic on your hands!' the Doctor retorted loudly.
'They will be protected, forty five will be deployed at the main site of arrival and five will remain here to defend the people' Phillips replied.
'What of the humans in all this? Will they too be spared?' the Doctor asked but saw Phillips grim expression.
'Will they or won't they?' the Doctor asked.
'It will be considered Doctor' Phillips retorted.
The Doctor rose up from his seat, feeling complete contempt for the man facing him.
'I should have realised, you haven't changed at all Phillips, still the cold, vicious maniac as ever! How can justify your actions, you'll never get your world back, it's finished!' the Doctor snapped.
'I did once, I walked on my world again yet I'm sure that you have forgotten everything. I do not' Phillips said as he stood up from his place and crossed over to the Doctor's place.
'What are you doing?' the Doctor asked as Phillips place a hand on the Doctor's temple, he felt a surge of heat and then the world around him blurred out of existence.
He found himself in a ruined world, a world he knew well, a sky of purple and green and yellow.
'Gallifrey, my home. What happened here?' he asked, his voice floating on the winds before it dissipated back into the room.
'What? What was that?' the Doctor asked.
'A memory balm, a memory of a memory, mine. We hold similar powers, regeneration of new tissue but Vrellans are immune to phenomena, you are privileged to remember my pain' Phillips hissed and watched as the Doctor crumpled to the floor.

From downstairs on the door came a heavy thudding, Norla excusing herself from Chartil's company went to answer the door.
Standing there before her were two people, a man and a woman dressed in Colony Survival uniforms, a sort of military unit.
'Norla Drens?' asked the tough sounding man with the shaved head.
'Yes, can I help you at all?' she asked and the woman facing her nodded.
'I am Major Kardeen and this is Sergeant Deagon, we require your services immediately' the woman said.
'Well I'm quite busy at the moment...?' she said but the two shook their heads.
'We need you to come with us now Miss Drens, the safety of Karr Tem is in stake' Deagon replied as he stepped around her pulling closed the door.
'If it's really that serious, why can't you deal with it?' she asked but was quickly ushered along by them.
'No time to explain here, you are a valued member of the Terran ethnic group. Particularly your profession will be of use in the defence tower' Kardeen replied but before Norla could reply she was ushered away into the night.
The three of them were marched down the long, now deserted streets where few traders remained sleeping at their stalls.
One or two of jerked awake as dust hit their faces but as they looked around spying it was dark they returned to their dreams of untold wealth.
'Is this really necessary?' Norla asked as she was forced onwards.
'It is Miss Drens, very important. You are a Supplanter and geologist for this world, you have employed many personnel but they have left your service' Deagon reported.
'Yes, what of it?' Norla asked but Kardeen pushed her on.
'It is not safe to talk out here, when we get to the defence tower, you will know what is happening to Karr Tem and why it is important to us' Kardeen retorted as she left the market place and advanced towards a strange looking archway.

Chartil had sensed that something was wrong the moment the door had closed. On standing up he had crossed over to the door, no longer sensing her presence. Instead he could feel pain, pain from upstairs.
Climbing upstairs he paused outside the the door sensing great pain from within, a mind being tortured. Touching the pad with a claw, he focussed his mind on the task.
The Doctor struggled for air as before his eyes he could see fire and pain. Screams of agony clutching at his ears, which he did himself to filter out the agony within.
'What is this I feel? Why are you doing this to me?' he demanded as Phillips watching him.
'To make you understand my loss, my commitment. You see Gallifrey in tatters, who did this act? Search your mind, you have the means now' he retorted.
'Daleks on Gallifrey? An invasion force, when did this happen? A time paradox' the Doctor muttered.
'In the past, a self-contained event that I remember, my world shimmering and alive snatched from my grasp. Do you see my pain in there Doctor?' Phillips asked.
'I do. Your world, so wondrous now, I can feel the air on my face, hear the Mantriax song' he groaned just as the door panel glowed and the silver door slid open.
Phillips turned to see a Karr Tem standing in the doorway, his first action to summon the robot into action was gone from his mind.
'Phillips, release the Doctor from this torture' Chartil ordered.
'Torture? I am merely showing him, the other side of the coin. He is not suffering' Phillips retorted.
Chartil raised a claw, pointing towards the Doctor, whose mind started to clear at once.
'It is not your place to teach others of your loss but your place to learn from your loss. You are better now Doctor?' Chartil replied.
The Doctor rubbed at his head as he climbed to his feet rubbing at his head.
'Much better now, thank you Chartil, no thanks to you Phillips!' the Doctor retorted loudly.
'Silence! This is not the time for bickering I have words to tell you Doctor and you have something to tell me?' Chartil said and waited patiently.
Phillips remained silent, watching with contempt as the Doctor started to explain.

The centre of operation for the defence tower was a vast circular room packed with dated but still operating facilities. Two bald-headed youths sat at consoles in silver metallic chairs overseeing many screens.
'Now that we are safe, we can explain why you have been brought here. Two reasons: One there has been a steady decline in Calcium carbonate from the surrounding area and Two, there has been no confirmation from our limited specialists as to why this is happening?' Kardeen explained.
'No carbonate present? In what context are we dealing with here?' Norla asked, shrugging off her awkward journey and setting straight down into her scientific perspective.
'A steady decline taking place for more than an hour, avalanches from the mountains. We were concerned for the Karr Tem might be threatened? The avalanches were nothing, the rocks crumbled into brittle dust' Deagon replied.
'Brittle? The mineral structures found on Karr Tem are very rare and possess certain elements for successful cultivation. To destabilise the rocks to dust would indeed require removing the calcium from the mineral' Norla replied.
'Thanks but we all ready knew that' Deagon retorted.
Norla crossed over to the screens checking the figures displayed on them.
'Not possible?' she said.
'What is Miss Drens?' Kardeen asked.
'According to your instruments, there is calcium still beneath the surface, up to about one foot has been removed from the Calcium reserves such as the mountains and soil' Norla replied.
'Should we then prepare for an evacuation of the settlement? Earthquakes and such could occur, couldn't they?' Deagon asked but Norla shook her head.
'No, Karr Tem doesn't have any seismic fields in this region, we should be safe but this is strange? We should be receiving rainfall as well?' Norla said.
'Sir, we're picking up something on master scan?' replied one of the youths. Kardeen walked to his side glancing down at him.
'What are you picking up?' she asked.
'Something is locked into the orbit ring but by what little data I'm receiving it's very big!' the youth reported.
'Great! This is just what we need. Continue your scan, I want a full report every ten minutes!' Kardeen snapped.

'These people she went off with Chartil, can you tell me anything about them?' the Doctor asked.
'They were humans but not like Norla, they were disciplined minds, one of them was a leader. Some sort of task they needed Norla for' Chartil said.
'Sounds like abrupt discourse of the Colony Survival unit?' Phillips replied as he poured himself a glass of wine.
'You know these people as well then?' the Doctor asked, not even trying to conceal a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
'They are like a consulates, in particular they police humans here on Karr Tem, they made the mistake of perceiving me as one of them. An odd bunch to behold, marching around declaring their superiority' Phillips retorted.
'Then you might know where they are? There must be another way to defend Karr Tem without bloodshed?' the Doctor said.
'There is Doctor, that we Karr Tem, lay down our lives in the sake of yours' Chartil replied promoting a reaction in Phillips.
'No! Chartil, you cannot do this? I have seen and heard of whole worlds consumed by that race, tearing people, cities apart! I won't allow it to happen!' Phillips hissed.
'You have no say in this Phillips, we remember your race. We remember how are lives grew but now we change. Our time will pass' Chartil replied.
'This is not the way Chartil! They will kill you and then us, they cannot be appeased?' Phillips snapped.
'I too find myself agreeing with Phillips, that way is pointless. There must be another way, can either of you tell me where these Survival people are?' he asked.
Phillips walked to the window and gazed out at the still night sky before him, thus leaving the Doctor with the Karr Tem, Chartil.
He pointed beyond the walls to his side.
'They lie in that direction, a shining tower that dares provoke the sky' he said.
'Thank you Chartil, I shall try not be so long?' the Doctor said as he went to the door.
'Perhaps you could try to console...?' the Doctor said as he left the room.
'Phillips, I know your pain. I feel it as you allow yourself to be read. There is no other way?' Chartil said as he laid a claw on Phillips' shoulder.
'But there is, come dawn and I will save you all' he breathed.

As the Doctor scurried through the streets, catching sight of a bronze coloured metallic tower.
'Well now, that must be the Colony tower, now I wonder what they want with Miss Norla?' the Doctor muttered.
'Eh?' asked someone down by his feet, looking down he could see a merchant lying half-asleep on the dust covered ground.
'Oh, no you just go back to sleep, just pretend I'm not here, yes. You're having a bad dream and are going back to a nice, calm place' the Doctor said.
'Yes' the merchant muttered and as he nodded back into sleep the Doctor paused for a moment regarding the stalls and other merchants and traders lying there beside their valuables.
'Hmm? Can't hang around here all day or night? Have things to do!' the Doctor replied.
'What?' asked the merchant again from his slumbers but instead the Doctor merely creeped away from him, walking as silently as he could.
As he passed by a dim alley two figures emerged wearing heavy battle armour of some sort.
'Why are we doing this Bruv?' Elbran asked.
'It's simple- the only place around here that's bound to be safe is the tower, the Purge will never get in!' Dolan retorted quietly.
'Yeah but you said these guys were going to hurt you?' Elbran gurgled loudly until Dolan grabbed his lips.
'Yes, I know that but what have I told you about businesses, never trust anyone before they pay up, particularly the Purge. We'll be safe in there!' Dolan explained.
'But what about the others? The servers at Grocker's?' he asked and Dolan sighed deeply. Why for once couldn't Elbran use some intelligence?
'Elbran, they're robots. They're less than the cleaners. We matter, our business locked down now as it is matters, no one else!' Dolan hissed.
'No one? Then what of the others in the tower? The Karr Tem?' he asked.
'Why do you think we brought the blasters along? The Karr Tem are Purge fodder, we'll live through this! Now follow that man, he can let us in!' Dolan ordered grinning savagely.
Elbran gurgled as he followed after his brother, swinging the barrel about in his hands as he felt something start to fall.
Sprinkling over them, a white fine rain.
'Oh look Bruv, it's snowing!' Elbran cried but he received a stare from Dolan.
'Shut up and follow me!' he ordered.

'Well?' Kardeen asked as the youth technical operator named Gagger swivelled around to face her.
'Essential scans reveal negative, the objects of correlating mass remain stationery in our orbit' Gagger replied.
'Keep me posted' she said as she crossed over to Norla, who was examining her finds on the instruments.
'How's it going Miss Drens?' Kardeen barked but Norla was not impressed by how she was acting?
'Very slowly Major, this sample of rock has had all Calcium molecules drained from its place in the rock. If you're wondering how this has happened, then it's a new one on me' Norla replied.
'Major?' called a lower voice from the intercom, crossing over to the wall she pressed the switch.
'This is door control Major, there's a man down here who says he would like to see the specialist Norla, I told him he was mistaken but he really insisted that she was here' came the reply.
'Show him up' Kardeen spat before crossing back to Norla.
'Who's this?' she asked but Norla, her mind on other things was not interested.
'Well?' Kardeen yelled, rousing Norla from her studies.
'I don't know Major, perhaps it might be the Doctor?' she said.
'Doctor? Doctor who? Is he an assistant to you or your superior?' Kardeen asked but Norla shook her head.
'He's just a friend, that's all' Norla replied.
'Well it better be!' Kardeen snapped and then looked to the door as it slid open and admitted the Doctor.
'Hmm? So this is some sort of monitoring station? Primitive technology but still working, good, no point in removing it until it breaks down' the Doctor said.
'What the? Are you this Doctor that Miss Drens has been talking about?' Kardeen demanded.
'It would help if I knew who Miss Drens was? I came here to find Miss Norla?' he said but as looked around the room he caught sight of her.
'Ah there you are Miss Norla, I had thought that you were in some sort of trouble?' he said.
'We are Doctor, we are' Norla replied.

'Halt! Who goes there?' ordered the guard from the entrance to the defence tower.
'Silence you!' Dolan cried as he stepped from the shadows followed by Elbran. To the guard, seeing the two-frog-like aliens holding those guns, he recognised them as the Rastons Dolan and Elbran.
Before he could speak further, Dolan raised his gun and fired, the guard cried out hoarsely before crashing to the ground.
'Doctor? What sort of Doctor are you?' Kardeen demanded.
'Oh, all sorts. This and that' he said but before Kardeen could continue Gagger called out.
'Those readings are moving Major, large object descending from orbit ring'
'That will be the Purge. Your world is under attack from a hostile, dangerous force but not to worry there, Mr Phillips... Lippish has had an army constructed to counter them!' the Doctor replied quickly.
'You what? Are you threatening Karr Tem?' Kardeen demanded.
'No... Major? I am simply telling you what I know, that this planet is going to be invaded but Phillips has made countermeasures despite the fact that I disagree with them. Now what is the trouble?' the Doctor said.
'An invasion? And we're safe?' Norla asked looking worried.
'Yes, just about. Phillips has amassed an army of Raston Warrior Robots to deal with them, however I would feel best if we could have some sort of general alert made on the town?' the Doctor said.
'Major, those objects are coming down, ETA about two hours or so?' Gagger reported.
'What's that on your shoulders?' Norla asked pointing to the white dust on the Doctor's shoulders.
'Sorry forgot to brush it off, it seems to be snowing outside?' he said as he started to brush it off his jacket.
'Snowing?' Kardeen replied suspiciously.
'Raining this fine white dust or whatever it is?' he said but then raised a dust covered hand to his nose and sniffered.
'Interesting? That's smells like calcium...?' he stopped in mid-sentence. A horrible thought invaded his mind.
'Calcium but that's not possible?' Norla said as she looked at the dust on her hand.
'Of course! That's it!' the Doctor breathed.

Inside the lift stood Elbran as Dolan plucked free the safety chain from a guard's neck.
'There now, we have the key! Make room Elbran!' Dolan snapped as he climbed into the lift.
'What now Bruv?' Elbran asked.
'Set the blasters on kill! We're taking this tower over!' Dolan hissed.
'What do you mean by that Doctor?' Kardeen demanded but the Doctor ignored her.
'Calcium? But that's just it. Major, from what you have said Karr Tem is missing calcium in its mineral structure. And now its raining down. The Purge thrive on calcium, they're bone eaters, so Phillips proclaims' the Doctor explained.
'But this is pure calcium and if what you've said it true then its falling everywhere' Norla replied.
'And it's collecting in the atmosphere, getting into our lungs. We're breathing in but it's not for our benefit! For theirs!' the Doctor said as he walked around to where the youths sat working.
'What? You talk in riddles Doctor, tell me straight what the hell is going on?' Kardeen said loudly.
Silence fell across the room as the Doctor addressed them all.
'The Purge are fierce, savage creatures that feast on bone when they do they go into a frenzy, very hard to kill and very ingenious. Don't you see? The moment they land out there they'll inhale...' he said and saw the looks of horror starting to descend across their faces.
'You mean they'll go mad?' Norla asked breaking the stillness.
'Mad with greed. Hunger possessing them, completely uncontrollable monsters and if they reach the settlement then I think I think Hell will be a suitable world to describe the event!' the Doctor breathed.
'Dear God! What can we do? There are innocent people out there!' Kardeen cried.
'There's nothing any of us can do, our fate rests in Phillips' hands' the Doctor replied.
Just then the door to the lift opened and in stepped Dolan followed by Elbran.
'Nobody move! This Tower is now under our control!' Dolan hissed levelling his gun at all of them.
'Oh no!' the Doctor sighed as he turned to see them.
'Silence! We are your.... no you are our prisoners, you will remain silent or die!' Dolan added.

The first streaks of light started to emerge from behind the shelter of the mountain ridge.
One man stood there in coolness of the faint darkness, he could feel the heat as the rays of the light caught at his face.
Overhead he frowned as several dark talons descended from the morning sky coming into settle not too far away, he breathed in the calcium that he had tasted. He should have expected this trick but he hadn't?
His thrust his concentration forward as there came a low hiss from the ships' gears as the landing ramp descended.
This was his time as he stood on the ridge over looking the ships and watched as the doors slid open and out they filed out into the dim light, even from where he stood he felt the chill grip him.
These creatures, these monsters were a vicious sight to behold.
As more and more descended, scuttling about on four sharp claws, eyes, scarlet and flickering.
The man, Phillips surveyed them as they breathed deep the air, he could see drool descending from their double-jaws.
He wanted to act but he knew to wait until their leader appeared, only then would he act against them!
As the last of the ships opened, leading the way walking on two legs dressed in a decaying cloak walked the Warleader followed by the Underleader.
Like the others a skeletal creature looking unlike a giant quadrapedal spider with twin sets of jaws, black and scaly.
These were the Purge, these were the nightmares that he would finally face this day.
The Warleader was addressing each one of his fellows, the Underleader waited by the ship, inhaling deep the air that that made each drool, eyes flickered as their bodies embraced rapture.
Phillips turned back to see in the distance around him, shining forms gleaming in the rays of then sun. Knights ready, his army waiting for the order of attack.
He smiled triumphantly at them and nodded before looking back at the enemy before him.
The Purge, such a feeling swam deep in him, one that threatened to tear him apart but he steadied himself carefully. The time would come!

'Now look here? There's really no need for this?' the Doctor said as he raised his hands and walked towards them.
'I said silence! Now get back over there! Now!' Dolan yelled pointing his gun in the Doctor's direction.
The Doctor froze in mid-stance but then advanced.
'You don't really want hurt anyone do you? Simply frightened aren't you?' the Doctor said, noting the creature's agitated look, his eyelids wobbling.
'I said silence!' Dolan squeaked as he pointed the gun at the Doctor's head.
'When you put it like that?' the Doctor said slowly.
Phillips decided that it was time to act, they were moving out of the valley, clasping his hands to his mouth he cried out challengingly.
'Warleader!'
The Warleader looked around before spying the sole figure on the horizon.
'Human' he roared and Phillips sighed briefly before retaliating.
'No, I am not human. Purge!' he yelled and noted the creatures start to hiss and rasp in excitement.
'You know our race? Then you should fear!' the Warleader roared.
'I fear nothing, I challenge you creatures, I challenge you for this planet!' Phillips retorted.
The Purge on hearing this howled with laughter, the loudest was the Warleader's.
'You dare to challenge us, you alone?' he roared but Phillips raised a hand clicked his fingers.
The air blurred for a second and then across the lip of the ridge appeared a line of silver figures.
'Not quite Purge creatures! I challenge you cowards!' Phillips shouted.
That word cut hard into the Warleader's mind, he turned bearing his fangs.
'I will enjoy tearing off your face and feeding it to the crows! Purge, taste of their flesh, gorge on their bones!' the Warleader howled.
Philips stopped raising his hand towards the encroaching wave of anger and hate, eyes burning.
'Robots! Terminate them immediately!' Phillips ordered and immediately each of the figure leaped ito the air and started to attack.
The Battle for Karr Tem had begun!

SHADOWS OF THE HEART

EPISODE FOUR:

'Dolan, this is an act of piracy!' Kardeen yelled but received only a wave of the gun barrel towards her form.
'He's scared Major, that's his only crime for the moment. He fears the Purge, which begs the question how did he know that they were coming?' the Doctor retorted loudly and clearly.
'Shut up humans, now move over there! Elbran, keep them covered. Elbran!' Dolan snapped as his brother started to wave the gun about wildly.
'How did you know the Purge was coming or is arriving? No one else seems to know out there, yet?' the Doctor asked.
'These are Elbran and Dolan, they're the Raston makers I told you about' Norla replied.
'Ah, now that would explain it. Congratulations are in order gentlemen for creating such a powerful army, now doubt Phillips let something slip about them coming?' the Doctor asked but Dolan stepped forward past his brother.
'Watch your mouth human!' Dolan warned.
'Oh I do, that's how I talk. More to the point I'm not human, how else do you think I know of the Purge and what they can do? Well?' he demanded.
Dolan's face was betraying him, he had wanted to be strong, to be powerful so he would be safe and his brother. He tried to lift the blaster again but it dropped and fell from his hands onto the ground.
'We told them about Karr Tem, gave them information. They were going to pay us, we'd no longer hide out here' Dolan babbled, looking to the floor in shame.
Major Kardeen, seizing her chance rushed at him, pinning him against the wall hard.
'Your fault Dolan, this is all your fault! I ought have you shot right here and now!' she yelled making him flinch.
'Leave him Major, he was scared, blinded by greed' the Doctor replied pulling her from him, to let him start to whimper.
'What did he mean by hiding?' Norla asked.
'Raston Warrior Robots were outlawed against in several major cities, beyond their planet they are illegal weapons' the Doctor replied.
'But they're out there now killing the enemy, surely we're safe?' Norla asked.
'We are but for everyone else out there they won't be, Phillips has a few robots out there in case the Purge attack the town, and I'm pretty sure they will' the Doctor said grimly.
'Then what do suggest we do about it Doctor?' Kardeen snapped.
'That's the trouble. I don't have the foggiest?' he simply said.

Phillips was smiling as he surveyed the carnage, each of the silver figures stood out against the many black, hissing monsters as they grappled for something.
But they were organic, the Purge found out the hard way, some were dismembered while others received vicious spears and discs to the head of body.
As more of them fell, others, double or quadruple plunged in but something caught his eye, turning he could see a great wave of blackness descending across the other side of the town.
He focussed and vanished before he appeared once more on the roof of the apartment staring out at the encroaching darkness.
He bit his lip tightly feeling blood trickle down inside his mouth, a look of anger was possessing him.
'No!' he yelled as loud as possible, not caring if anyone around could see or hear him.
Focussing again he reappeared with his room and hurriedly crossed to the windows and bolted them shut looking around him though, there was no sign of Chartil!
'No! No you can't have been so stupid as to have done that?' Phillips muttered angrily, his eyes met the still form of the Raston Warrior Robot.
'When did the Karr Tem leave here, display in hands for minutes' Phillips instructed.
The robot held up its hands and started flash them quickly allowing its Master to count them.
Sixty-one minutes, Chartil had been gone.
Phillips felt uneasy, then from outside there came screams, people of any sort screaming.
He didn't have to see it to know what nightmare was happening again.
'You will accompany me and defend me and anyone I choose without hesitation!' Phillips instructed as he felt claws scything at the shutters across the windows.
Then he could hear scurrying feet on the steps and then scratches at the door outside.
The Robot extended a hand to its Master's shoulder and as he focussed they both faded away as the door burst open admitting a mass of black crawling death!
Each one them hissed angrily deprived of their meal but as screams filled the air, they turned tail and withdrew from the room leaving its interior in a mangled ruin.

The settlement stood there in the niche of the dust valley, so quiet and still.
A merchant lay there by his stall of glittering things, wanting to protect his haul from any wanton thieves, competition took all forms. Turn your back long enough and look back and you have no stall.
As he lay there, his head to the ground, he could hear distant rumbling, it seemed to be getting louder? Opening his weak eyes to look up, he could see no clouds yet the sound was getting louder.
Pulling himself up he yawned loudly and glanced around through unready eyes squinting around the street then he saw a black wave above the crest of the town.
He opened his mouth to scream backing away into another disturbing them but kept screaming, the others disturbed by this had only seconds to act before the tide of Purge swept down upon them...
From the shelter of the mountains there stood Chartil surveying the chaos, behind him stood his people.
'They are innocents my people, we should act to halt this' Chartil implored.
'I sense that you know more about this presence Chartil. These people are not all innocents, some do lie freely but this death is unwanted' replied another Karr Tem.
'It is true, they feed on bone. They would tear open these people, whose time is not yet and eat of their life spirit. We who stand here are our world, we are its earth, the sky, air we breathe and them down there. We have to act now' Chartil retorted.
The other Karr Tem, many of them nodded with him.
'We protect our nests and theirs, thus ends us and gives life to them. We shall perish for them' a Karr Tem spoke to him.
Chartil looked down at the swollen darkness blotting out the jewel of the town. He had known so many good people in his many years, he all felt for them now. Knowing what he and his others would do would be for the best.
Suddenly two figures appeared before them, a silver robot and Phillips.
'I know what you're going to do and I want you to stop!' he commanded loudly.

Within the tower Elbran and Dolan sat quietly, their guns had been removed from them and they were under the watch of Sergeant Deagon.
'Look Major, I don't have all the answers on me? All I know is what I've been told. Phillips' robot will try and deal with them as best as they can?' the Doctor said as Kardeen stared down at him.
'Major, I'm picking up multiple alien signatures advancing into the colony' Gagger reported.
Immediately Dolan started to panic.
'It's them! It's them they've come for us!' he babbled.
'Shut up you!' Deagon ordered knocking Dolan back against the wall.
'A moment please?' the Doctor said as he crossed the room to kneel down by the side of the Rastons.
'Mr Dolan, what do you know of the Purge?' he asked calmly.
'They... they are killers, they tear, eat, feast on the living!' Dolan screeched but qut quickly the Doctor pushed him back against the wall.
'Easy now, you're quite safe. Now tell me what you know of the Purge?' he said and slowly Dolan started to speak.
'They are bone eaters, their leaders War and Under, they control them. The others have no control, come by dawn, take and feast on the living!' Dolan whimpered.
'What a crock of sh...!' Deagon grunted but the Doctor motioned his silence.
'Only by dawn, never by night?' the Doctor asked and saw Dolan shook his head.
'How does this help us? You listen to the ramblings of a traitor?' Kardeen retorted.
'A traitor who knows of them, a fierce hive based society but more to that, so unstrategic wouldn't you say Major?' the Doctor replied looking up to her towering form.
'What?' was all Kardeen could say in a tone of bitter sarcasm.
'Supposing you are an invading army, when do you attack? You wait for night and use that cover, makes you wonder why the Purge haven't done that?' the Doctor explained.
'Perhaps they're scared of it?' Deagon laughed.
'Either that or they can't see through it?' the Doctor breathed, looking carefully around the room before spying the right instrument panel.
Would it work? He asked himself.

'Phillips, it is not your time. We must do this to save all' Chartil explained but Phillips shook his head free of those words advancing on the Karr Tem.
'No! This is not the way! I am saving you, I am going to save you all and this is not the way. You lives are important to me! This is my fault and I will make amends' Phillips cried.
Chartil took a step towards Phillips, he and the others could sense pain, anger and hatred clouding his mind as he fell to his knees.
Lowering a claw across the top of Phillips' head, he tuned glancing through all of the memories. All Phillips had known, it seemed was pain. Chartil pitied him, no soul should suffer so much but beneath the blanket of anger he could sense guilt, overwhelming guilt.
'Now do you see, this is all my fault. I never wanted any of this and throwing your lives away will not help anyone?' Phillips yelled.
'You mind tells a story, a story of pain, of agony. I feel for you as should we all Phillips. Your anger blinds you snap this way and that at people who would help you. Our time is coming' Chartil replied to him alone, raising his claw.
'No, no I will not allow you to do this. The Purge are my mistakes, I have suffered their crimes too long and I will not watch you take your lives for them' Phillips retorted as he climbed to his feet looking down at the being before him.
Chartil gestured to all of the Karr Tem behind him, all looking towards Phillips' form.
'We have lived long Phillips, like your people, who were so wrongly taken from the light. Our time must pass but the future will show you the way. This gift I show you' Chartil replied soothingly.
Phillips felt a warm glow filling his mind, its source was Chartil, the feeling of pain was fading, all ready anger fell from his mind.
He gasped as he clutched at his head, he was calm again as the warm balm now faded from his mind.
'I have cured your trouble but now the rest is up to you as it falls to us to make our moment' Chartil breathed.
Phillips stood there before turning to face the Raston Robot before him.
'You will go the settlement, you will defend all beings, destroy the Purge, go!' Phillips instructed and for a moment the air blurred as it vanished.
Phillips watched as the Karr Tem started to move off and all he could do was watch.

'What a load of crud!' Deagon replied loudly.
'Really Sergeant? You surprise me? These creatures could have arrived sooner but they waited until dawn to arrive- why?' the Doctor asked and unsurprisingly silence met his ears.
'They must have some reason programmed into them to function in the light, Phillips said they were biologically enhanced, their weakness may lie in having an aversion to darkness?' the Doctor deduced.
'Well isn't that going to be a bit of a problem out there Doctor? It's daylight now and it's getting brighter all the time!' Kardeen snapped.
Turning on his heel, he glanced down at the Major, his careful eyes looking over her.
'Come now Major, what sort of leader are you that points out the negative all the time? Quite simply, can you move the communications satellites from here?' he asked towards the youth, Gagger.
Gagger quickly nodded at this and looked from the Major to Doctor.
'It's possible, what do you want me to do?' Gagger asked.
'Nothing. They pretty valuable where they are now!' Kardeen snapped but received the flat palm of the Doctor in her face.
'But could you say move them directly over the settlement, thus creating an imposing shadow over everything?' the Doctor asked.
'Yes, that would work, wouldn't it?' Norla asked and the Doctor nodded.
'Giving Phillips' army time to strike more effectively!' the Doctor breathed looking to Kardeen.
She considered his actions, for the loss of life happening now she nodded quickly to Gagger.
'Do it. I'm only hope you're right Doctor?' Kardeen replied flatly and Gagger started to type in quickly into the keyboard.
'Satellite receiving instructions, now moving to new orbit' reported Gagger.
Across the surface of red planet glided the vast circular sphere of polished metal as its after-burners activated.
Down in the streets people cowered behind makeshift barricades as shining silver forms fought the continuing wave of monsters, screams of agony and terror were swallowed by howls of greed as the Purge were gorging.
As the satellite stopped above the settlement, a vast shadow start to encircle it, before finally the light vanished. Silence fell.

'What is this?' the Warleader rasped as he stood on the ramp of his ship. A vast dark clod seemed to form directly over the area freezing all Purge to statues as it touched their forms.
While they stopped fighting the Rastons amongst them continued quickly to rip his troops apart, pressing the chest communicator on his cloak he signalled to the Underleader on the bridge.
'Identify this obstruction!' he ordered and immediately the Underleader started to type in a computer sequence until it flashed up on a screen before him.
'Scan indicates it to be an unnatural blockade, long range identifies it as artificial, metallic' the Underleader rasped.
'This is is culling out numbers, destroy the shield!' the Warleader rasped viciously.
'Warleader, if we destroy it then it will crush our forces within their city?' the Underleader asked.
'Does that matter? We will have bone meal for the survivors!' the Warleader slavered.
Unable to argue with his leader, the Underleader pressed a computer sequence into action. From the back of the ship a scorpion-like tail emerged, wriggling this way and that as though it were alive?
Suddenly a fireball emerged from its tip, pulsing with light as it shot up through the night sky collecting heat from the atmosphere impacting hard into its metallic belly, crashing hard.
'Again!' rasped the Warleader and watched as two blasts hit at the satellite, crippling, crushing and finally amongst a flurry of sparks the vast silver orb splintered and finally exploded.
Fiery debris screamed silently as it and its shadow crashed down towards the surface.
Freed from the shield, the Purge, now agitated attacked the robots in full force, no longer caring for pain they felt. They tore the robots apart but on finding no bone they turned their hunger towards the settlement... and the meal that awaited them!
'Go Purge! Go my subjects, bone meal awaits you all!' the Warleader rasped, eyes burning, jaws drooling as he pointing a jagged claw towards the city.

As the metallic shutters on the tower screens slid up, the occupants gazed out at the darkness surrounding them.
'Thus falls the shadow' the Doctor replied.
Kardeen glanced to Deagon, who nodded in response.
'Yes Sir!' he said saluting and crossed over to a compartment on the wall.
'What are you doing?' Norla asked as the locker slid back to reveal many vicious looking rifles.
'This colony is under attack by a hostile alien force and as we're the only two soldiers on duty we have a right to defend it' Kardden snapped as she received a rifle from Deagon.
'No Major, this is not the way! Those robots will handle it now, if you get in the way you too could get hurt or worse...?' the Doctor said barring her way.
'Get out of the way Doctor, you've given us a chance and we're going to use it!' Kardeen retorted but the Doctor remained still.
'Your weapons won't have any effect on those creatures!' the Doctor warned but with one sharp move Deagon shoved him to the side.
'How would you know Doctor? You've only worked on what you learned from frog features!' he gesturing to Dolan and Elbran.
'Um, Sir? Major, I've got some important news for you?' Gagger called.
'Really? Can't it wait?' Kardeen called but Norla on seeing his worred face stepped away from the console.
'The satellite, Major. It's no longer there!' Gagger called.
'You what?' she called but Norla was the first to see.
'Look out there!' she said and as they all turned, the shadow had vanished, sunlight was pouring in across the town.
'Oh no! Everyone get out of here! Get out now!' the Doctor called.
'Why? What's the matter now Deagon chuckled?
'The problem Sergeant is that they've shot the satellite down and where is it hanging above?' the Doctor cried.
Silence filled the room as everyone suddenly hurried to the lift, Deagon dragging Elbran, while Dolan scurried into the lift.
As the doors closed the tower stood silent awaiting its end.

The Purge within the streets, recovering in time lashed out viciously at the beings, who dared to halt their hunger, some knocked a robot hard into a wall, cement and rubble cracked at the machine blurred and reappeared casting a vicious disc down into the group, slicing a Purge creature in half.
As the doors to the tower slid open, Major Kardeen and Sergeant Deagon broke cover no longer heeding the words of the Doctor firing energy bolts at anything that moved.
'Get these people out of here!' the Doctor cried towards Gagger and Norla, who stood there with Elbran and Dolan.
'But Doctor we need you?' Gagger called but he motioned for them to go on without him.
'Get as far away to the mountains as possible, I need to see someone!' the Doctor retorted and without listening anymore he was gone from Norla's eyes.
Dodging this way and that the Doctor wove, he was praying to the Time Lords to really step in now and do something?
Of course they'd only intervene when in suited them or else they'd try and intercept him. Just typical he thought as he wove around people barricade in their homes, Purge creatures scratching at the windows.
As he trod on, his shoes registered soggy ground but he dared not look down as the smell meet his nostrils.
In this part of the settlement, down the street merchant stalls and carts had been overturned and beside them lay the cast off remains of the merchants.
The Doctor felt sick, clutching at his mouth he carried on, he flinched as screams filled his ears, they seemed to be coming from all around him then the howls and the tearing of...
The Doctor had reached the edge of the settlement, there were many remains of fallen innocents.
'What do we have here?' came a slavering rasp from behind him, whirling round he could see one of the Purge creatures, though different.
Standing on two legs wearing a crude cloak of some sort covered in decay and rotting flesh.
'Just passing through, though I assume you're not?' the Doctor asked.
The Warleader's jaws were coated in what the Doctor guessed was blood.
'I am the Warleader of the Purge and you food' he rasped.
'Actually you are mistaken, I am the Doctor and didn't your father ever tell you not to play with your food, you never know when the sandwich might bite your hand?' the Doctor replied pleasantly.

'This way, I'm sure of it?' Gagger said as he led the group up a side alley.
'You're wrong, you've been in that tower too long, this will only lead back to the other street' Norla retorted.
Dolan glanced around him, he could almost hear the crunching of bones as they drew nearer, he was shaking as he glanced around and then spied the gleam form of his factory standing not far away.
'There! We can shelter in the factory' he said quickly.
'No, we can't we'd still be left in the impact crater, we have to get to those hills over there' Gagger replied pointing to the distant hills.
'How long have we got until then?' Norla asked.
'Not enough to reach those hills, we best go to the factory' Gagger said and quickly Dolan seized his chance.
As more Purge flooded into the town, threatening to upset the robots Dolan pressed the door lock open and the door slid open, grabbing hold of Elbran Dolan hurried in but as the others tried to follow the door closed.
Norla hit out at the door while Gagger yelled hard.
'Let us in!' he cried but Dolan, now safe felt strangely relieved.
'There now Elbran, we're safe!' Dolan exclaimed happily.
'Where are the others?' Elbran asked.
'They had to go but the important thing is, we survive!' Dolan replied.
Elbran could not believe it, that woman, who had looked after him Dolan had left outside deliberately, this made him angry.
'No Bruv, they must live!' he said as he walked towards the door.
'Elbran don't do this? You'll let them in!' Dolan squealed.
Elbran pressed his hand on the door panel and as Dolan watched Norla and and Gagger pressed forward into the safety of the factory.
'What was all that about?' Gagger asked as Elbran shut the door.
'Technical problems' Dolan said quickly.

'You are different aren't you? Upright, possess higher brain functions than the others. Some sort of higher evolution?' the Doctor asked and the Warleader spat a chunk of fresh flesh to the ground.
'No so high up as I thought?' he added and stood perfectly still as the towering form of the Warleader stepped closer.
'You too are like no other that I faced, you do not run and hide, I taste bone in you but you are not human?' the Warleader rasped.
'Really? And you presumably eat more than humans or is it simply them and you just like to cause terror for the sake of it?' the Doctor asked.
'Human bone is a delight to taste as will yours, are you that different?' the Warleader rasped.
'I don't run from you nor do I fear you? Of course you could always slice me open now but that wouldn't do?' the Doctor said, side stepping but still he locked his eyes with the creature.
'You are like our father, cowardly fool who hides behind a shield of anger' the Warleader retorted.
'Your father? An unscrupulous scientist delving with the unknown, he must have got a shock when you ate him' the Doctor replied as he encircled the monster.
'Ate him? We tried but he escaped, we ate his team of science masters and from them we learnt to live, to grow! My caste devoured knowledge as we also took their science masters, who taught us then they filled our stomachs' the Warleader hissed slicking his mandibles with a dart-like black tongue.
'Escaped? But that's not what Phillips said?' the Doctor retorted.
'Ah, you know our father, our maker who left us to become strong!' roared the Warleader.
No! He could not have been so blind as to follow him word to word, trusting him like that! Silver-tongued devil! The Doctor suddenly realised where he'd seen such behaviour before although this creature was certainly vicious, it was all too characteristic of one man!

Phillips stood there in the shelter of the mountains, he stood there watching the scenes that he knew well.
Screams of horror piercing his ears, the mass of darkness festering in the town like maggot on rotting meat.
He wanted to do something, to turn back the clock but he knew that he could not. The Robots on the far side had ceased their fighting.
He focussed on that location and crossed time and space before arriving at what lay of Raston robots, arms, legs and heads lay in discarded piles. No sign of any Purge creatures met his eyes.
He plucked free the shining disc from his pocket and pressed the centre, immediately around the many discarded pieces started to roll across the dust towards assorted bodies. They met, forming into blank figures before they too rose up as the forty-five Rastons he had deployed.
'The city needs your help, the Purge must be destroyed! All other life must be spared' Phillips ordered and with a blur they all faded from sight leaving their master alone.
He sighed before turning only to spy something very large heading through the atmosphere. It looked like sharp, jagged rain of rocks? Though as they sparkled in the light he knew it to be metal.
At the rate it was falling, there would be less than an hour to evacuate everyone!
'No! No this cannot be happening?' Phillips cried, he stared in horror at what he knew would happen.
'All my fault, everything here is my fault!' he cried before noticing the Purge ships. The rough, crude-looking jagged machines standing not too far away.
Hurriedly he concentrated, using the last of his energy to warp onto the ramp, tired as he was he clambered up the ramp.
Looking around him at the many passages, he finally came across the flight deck and hurriedly started to type in. He recognised the technology at once and how to act.
Pressing the co-ordinates to match with the debris, he triggered the ship's weapons.
The tail glowed red before a ball of energy shot out across the sky, as Phillips stood there watching, praying the energy ball impacted with a vast slice of debris casting it to dust on the air.
'So our maker returns?' rasped a voice from behind him. The Underleader stood there ravenous.

Phillips.
'He was your maker? He created you?' the Doctor asked unable to believe the creature's words?
'He showed us a way, we were weak but he made us supreme, I would have devoured his mind and bones, he leads a conflict against us. He will fall as will you!' the Warleader hissed.
'Will I? You forget I am not human, so stay back unless you wish to get hurt?' the Doctor warned.
The Warleader stared down at this pitiful being, was it being truly serious? Or was it frozen with fear?

'What can you do to hurt me, little one?' the Warleader hissed as he advanced on the Doctor, whom unprepared for this started to feel through his pockets before removing a green yo yo.
'Stay back or prepare to meet your doom!' the Doctor said as darkly as possible but since the Warleader's expression was unrecognisable the Doctor guessed he was bemused?
Instead he started to sway the yo yo up and down before the great creature, who stood feeling intimidated.
'That's right, fear it! This is the enemy that will strike you down without warning!' the Doctor warned but just then the yo yo fell to the ground.
'What great weapon is this?' he demanded.
The Doctor knelt down to pull free a handful of dust together with the yo yo.
'It takes time for it to work but be assured it will?' he said then as he was about to perform his trick he saw a ball of light shoot through the air.
'Well, well? I've heard of falling stars but never rising stars?' the Doctor said as he glanced up to see the debris as the ball hit it.
There was a blast of overpowering white light as the explosion caught at the twisted metal.
'The remains of the satellite' the Doctor breathed.
'We shot it down' retorted the Warleader.
'I had a feeling you would do that but now it's gone up in a puff of smoke, kind of like this' the Doctor said and threw the contents of his hand into the Warleader's single eye.
Immediately it clawed at its eye, screaming in agony, it lashed out blindly at the Doctor.
'Sorry to cut and run but I believe the party's just started?' he said quickly as he hurried off.
'It matters not little man, I shall taste you out and devour you all, we are the Purge, we shall gorge!' the Warleader rasped after him.
'We shall see?' the Doctor breathed as he hurried on up the lip of the ridge, there had to be a way to stop the Purge but there were simply too many of them.

Phillips backed away from the creature as it advanced on him.
'Get away from me!' he ordered but the Underleader was unaffected by his statement.
'What? How can you say that about us Maker? You made us what we are, we would be nothing without you?' the Underleader rasped viciously.
'You are nothing, you were a mistake! I should never have created such a foul species' Phillips snapped.
'Foul? We take after you. To kill humanity that was why you made us, we remember it all and since you come back to us now, perhaps you would hug us to your breast?' the Underleader rasped.
Phillips grabbed at the creature as it tried to snap hard at him wrestling it against the computer instruments.
'As I said, you were a mistake and I am finally correcting it!' Phillips spat as he hit the creature hard into the screen.
'I do not bleed that easily Maker' he rasped as he launched himself at Phillips, his talons slashed at Phillips' face.
With a cry of pain he tried to pull free the creature from his form but it was of little use.
'Any last words Maker?' the Underleader rasped.
'No, nothing lasts for me' he said and closed his eyes and then faded from the Underleader's view.
Unperturbed by this he raised his tongue and tasted the air, his prey was not too far away.
Phillips lay the dust as he tried to crawl away as the form of the Underleader met the daylight, spying Phillips' form, it grinned before howling and leapt for him, talons outstretched, fangs ready!
The Doctor hurried up the bank as two Purge creatures pounced down before him, unable to do anything but stand there waiting for the first attack.
As the Warleader howled in the valley below so did the other purge, the gorging would now start!

High above the carnage stood a mass of figures all dressed similarly. They were Karr Tem and at the centre stood Chartil, surveying the carnage, the people suffering.
So many suffering.
'We must act now. Concentrate your thoughts' Chartil said aloud, he thought of the people he knew, of how they needed help. There was no other way.
The Karr Tem started to think, started to focus their minds and as their thought on those who had shown them their minds, their respect, their power grew stronger.
The Underleader buried Phillips as he descended to tear out his jugular then suddenly he stopped, raising his talons to his head. He rattled his mandibles before collapsing to the ground and lay still.
As the first Purge made to attack the Doctor, it gasped clutched at its head and then it fell to the dust, a moment later its 'companion' fell too.
'Intriguing?' the Doctor muttered as he tapped at the creature. It was dead but how?
He glanced around then he caught sight of a line of figures, Karr Tem.
'A mind balm, no they can't be so foolish as to?' the Doctor muttered.
All around the surface Purge creatures clawing at doors and windows, fighting Raston robots fell to the ground.
The last to fall victim was the Warleader, stumbling as he went he rasped hard, drooling and screeched as he clawed at his head.
'Never... die' he gasped before he finally lay still. Up on the ridge the Karr Tem had fallen, all was left was Chartil, who slowly slumped to the ground.
His last thoughts were of the people he had known personally, Norla, a great friend to him, the Doctor, new and wise a man and lastly Phillips, the Vrellan who had suffered so much, now he would find the answers.
His eyes flickered once more glancing at the light of the sun before he too lay still.
Phillips stood there on the lip of the ridge staring across at the slumped forms, they had spared his life but at their greatest cost.
He wept now, no longer feeling anger but guilt blinding him hard as he stared to the dark form of the Purge Underleader at his feet he felt like screaming.
Karr Tem lay silent and still, for life had survived and would flourish again.

'Philips?' the Doctor called as he finally climbed onto the ridge to see Phillips standing there on the edge, surveying the settlement below him.
'Doctor, it all ended wrongly' Phillips slowly said.
'It did. Why did you lie to me? You claimed it was a scientist Jackott that created the Purge?' the Doctor asked.
'It was, he was the project leader. I merely altered the project to suit my needs' he said.
'Your needs? The destruction of humanity? You haven't changed one bit Phillips, still the deranged temporal misfit that I've always known, a liar, a cheat and a manipulator!' the Doctor snapped.
'Yes Doctor I know. I created the Purge, I did all of this, they ravaged my world, I left them. Abandoned them and they did this to me! Search your mind! You can see what I have seen' Phillips retorted.
'What if I just stepped off now, would you feel better?' he added.
The Doctor met his scowl with a look of worry and stepped back against the Karr Tem.
'Before the earth year twenty-five hundred that's when humanity strikes! And that is where you'll find me!' Phillips suddenly said and stepped off the ledge.
The Doctor hurried over to see Phillips fall quickly before he faded from view, he eyed what remained below him.
He looked towards the Karr Tem, towards Chartil's form and wondered if he had been right to say such things?
'Rest easy now, humble spirits your time has passed as has the evil from our lives. May your spirits find their place in time' the Doctor breathed and then turned away back towards the distant form of the TARDIS.
Below him in the valley, without a master to serve, the Rastons had frozen on the spot awaiting an order, an order that would never come.
The Time of the Karr Tem was over but in their place, they would be remembered for their noble sacrifice.
Life would return to normal, it had been given a second chance and now it would flourish once more. From new soil, new life would grow free again, free from evil.
Karr Tem was once more at peace again.