Series 1 Episode 1: First Encounters

First Encounters

It was a grim Monday morning, and Lydia Barker was restless. She had struggled to sleep the night before due to the amount of stress she was in. Not only was her mother critically ill, but her boss was on the verge of firing her. She didn’t even believe she had done anything wrong! Lydia awoke from her bed, and carried out her normal morning procedure, before leaving her house and making her way to work.

Lydia worked inside of the Manchester City Council building. She was always the busiest member of staff there: Making the coffee, working on the computers, helping the boss of the company, among other things. The Council was going through a very difficult time, with many jobs on the line. Lydia entered her office, where her boss was standing. She knew that he was about to fire her.

“So Lydia,” He began, in a frustrating tone, “You know we always appreciate your work here…”

Lydia didn’t know that...That’s because it wasn’t true.

“It’s never easy to say this to a respectable member of staff,” He continued, “But we’ve been forced to let you go, I’m afraid. Don’t fear, you’re not the only one: Daniel and Janine have been fired too."

Lydia was relieved. She hated Janine.

“We’ll give you a decent amount of redundancy pay, don’t worry.”

Lydia sighed, before strolling off towards her office. She sat down, and burst into tears. Her boss returned to his office. Lydia was upset: She did not want to take no for an answer. Storming back into her boss’s office, Lydia made a stand:

“I work my arse off here for you and this is how you repay me. I know you’ve fired Daniel and Janine, but that’s different because Daniel and Janine are bloody useless. Particularly Janine anyway. I-”

“I’m sorry. It’s just how it is I’m afraid. We’re in a difficult position at the moment, and the new bosses have told us that we need to get rid of a certain amount of staff. I’m so sorry.”

Lydia realised there was nothing she could do, and stormed out of the office. She strolled towards the coffee house, where she ordered a double latte as per usual. The coffee house was quieter than usual: Probably because it was only just after Nine O'Clock in the morning. She couldn’t hide her emotions. She was upset, she couldn’t doubt that. She took a sip of her coffee, and sighed as another piece of her crumbled away.

Suddenly, there was this noise: A scream. A distant scream. She looked out of the window, where she noticed that the window of her boss’s office had been demolished. She departed the coffee house and noticed that the boss was lying on the street pavement. She checked him over, but it was too late. He was dead.

It was only a mere few minutes before the ambulance arrived. The residents were shocked. Everyone was in a state of panic. Nobody knew how it had happened. Did he jump out of the window to end his life? Why did the window collapse? There was no way to find out.

All the workers left their offices, shocked at the death of their boss. One moved over to Lydia and asked her if she was okay. She didn’t answer because she was too shocked by all that had happened. It was too much for her to cope with. Little did she know, things would soon get much worse.

Another chapter of Lydia’s life was over.

The TARDIS exploded into a pit of flames. The Doctor had regenerated again.

Waking up on the floor of his time machine, the Time Lord attempted to recall what had happened to him. He had no recollection of events leading up to his regeneration. In fact, he couldn’t even remember the regeneration had occurred at this point. He leaped up off the floor and moved towards the TARDIS console, where he leaned towards the mirror.

“Hmm, new face.” He smirked, “Interesting. Not as good as the last one, but good enough. It’ll do.”

It took a moment for the Doctor to process what was really happening. The TARDIS was falling apart, and the Doctor didn’t even realise it.

“Wait a second, that smells like burning. Oh no, that isn’t good. The TARDIS is exploding again. Oh, why does this always have to happen when I regenerate? Okay, don’t panic now, Doctor, just stay calm. I just need to get this under my control.”

The Doctor flicked a few switches, which opened the door of the ship. He desperately tried to grip onto the console, but it was no use. Losing his grip, he was flung out of the TARDIS door and into orbit as the TARDIS drifted away in front of him. He let out a great scream as he fell towards the surface of the planet Earth.

Lydia was surprised by the recent turn of events. She’d been fired seconds before the mysterious death of her boss. But life moves on. She felt guilty for not figuring out what was going on, but she had other things to be doing. She could do it later. She had promised her mother that she would visit her at some point during the day. Arriving at the hospital, Lydia greeted her mother. Her mother was called Andrea, and her condition was deteriorating by the moment. Lydia knew that Andrea didn’t have long left on this Earth, but she tried to pretend that was not the case.

“How are you doing, Mum?”, Lidyia asked, placing her hand on Andreas thigh.

“I could be better, I can’t lie. You?”

“I’ll repeat your answer.” Lidyia chuckled, “Matt told me he was coming round to drop something off for you.”

“Yes, yes he did. He’s a lovely chap, isn’t he? You do deserve that, my dear. Definitely after all the idiots that came beforehand.”

Lydia giggled. Matt was her new boyfriend, who in fact was rather secretive about most things he did. He never spoke about his work life. Apparently he couldn’t. Lydia suspected he worked for MI6 or something along those lines. Lydia remained with her mother for a while, holding her hand, but she realised she couldn’t stay there forever. Lydia soon departed the hospital.

On the way home, the death of her boss flashed before her eyes. She just couldn’t believe that it was reality and not some kind of fantasy. She couldn’t believe that all this was true. Lydia opened the door of her house where Matt stood in front of her. She ran up to him and gave him a hug, which made her feel much better.

Matt grinned, “You’re not usually this sensitive. What’s up?”

“Just a difficult day at work, that’s all.”

“What is it?”

Matt looked at her hand, and noticed a strange tattoo: One which he recognised very well. He grabbed a gun from a nearby cupboard (A gun that Lydia was not even aware about) and aimed it at his girlfriend. She raised her hands.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Matt? Have you gone nuts?”

“That tattoo on your hand. It’s a Tsuraxi tattoo. You’re dangerous.”

Lydia was shocked that the person she loved the most in the world had just turned a gun on her. She didn’t know what he was doing, or what this Tsuraxi was.

“Look please, if you put that gun down then we can be civil and you can explain exactly what these Tsuraxi are.”

Matt panicked, “I can’t put my gun down. You could be a threat.”

“Oh come on, you really think I could be a threat to you?”

“With that tattoo I do, yes.”

They stood motionless for a second, as each were in disbelief at the position they had been placed in. Suddenly, a man fell through the roof of the house and collapsed onto the floor. Any normal person would be injured, but this wasn’t a normal person. He was a time lord. He jumped up of the floor, grabbed his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and aimed it at Lydia.

“Oh come on this is getting stupid now. I don’t need any more men pointing weapons at me today.”

“Who are you?”, the man asked.

“That’s what I should be asking you.” Remarked Lydia, “You just crashed through the roof of my house, landed on the floor and got up without a single bruise on your body.”

“I do that kind of thing a lot. Don’t worry, I mean no harm, but I think he may do. Put the gun down please, sir.”

“I can’t do that I’m afraid, she has the tattoo of a Tsuraxi on her hand.”

The Doctor scanned Lydia’s hand with his sonic screwdriver. Matt and Lydia shared confused expressions.

The Doctor had a confused expression fixed on his face, “Well, it hasn’t been activated, but if it is then it could be incredibly dangerous.”

Lydia was stunned. “I’m really confused at all this, and I’d be rather grateful if somebody explained to me what is going on. Who are you and why are you in my house?”

“My name’s the Doctor, but it’s not as simple as a title. I’ve just changed my body once again, which means I don’t know who I am here. I don’t know what I want to be or who I want to be. It takes a while for me to settle in and realise who I really am.”

“And what do you mean about the Tsuraxi or whatever it’s called?”

“The Tsuraxi are a vicious alien cult,” Answered the Doctor. “I’ve faced them once before, a little while back, and I’m sure I’ll encounter them again.

”

“And Matt, since when were you an expert on vicious alien cults?”

“I work for an organisation known as UNIT (The Doctors face suddenly lit up with glee) who deal with thwarting potential alien threats and dealing with supernatural lifeforms. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about it, Lydia, and I’m sorry I had to reveal the truth to you here and now in front of this stranger, but it seems like the right time to. The Tsuraxi place tattoos on targets: They do it without you even realising. They can do whatever they want with the tattoos. They can use those with the tattoos as bombs, or teleports, or weapons, or whatever they deem fit. But what do they want with you?”

The Doctor pointed at Lydia, “What’s your name?”

“Lydia. Lydia Barker.”

“Aw that’s a great name. You could potentially be in danger, but as you connect us to the Tsuraxi, you could be of help.”

The Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at Lydia’s hand, scanning it and beaming them aboard a spacecraft. It was desolate, with strange humanoid lifeforms manning the controls. Lydia was startled by all of this, shocked at the prospect of alien lifeforms, but even more shocked at the fact that the Doctor and Matt just acted casually about it. Suddenly, a Tsuraxi came from behind Matt and Lidyia and held them by the tip of a sword. The Doctor tried to escape but another warrior soon grabbed him too.

A being similar to the other soldiers but with a larger build stepped down from the control panel and approached the trio. “Do not do anything, or our soldiers shall destroy you. Who are you and how did you get on our ship?”

The Doctor shifted towards him and out of the swords grip. “This young lady here had one of your tattoos planted on her hand, and we wanted to know why you have targeted her. She doesn’t even know who you are, so why should she be a target?”

“We are familiar with the three of you. You are the feared ones.”

The Doctor frowned, “Oh no, not another sinister nickname. The oncoming storm, the Bringer of Darkness, the Feared One. Why can’t I be like the Happy Bunny or something?”

“Silence,” The Tsuraxi Leader demanded, “Our branch of Tsuraxi come from your future, where most of our race have been destroyed as a result of your actions. We wish to destroy you and your friends before you do just that.”

The Doctor sighed, “You cannot change the course of time.”

“We will do anything to secure the future of the Tsuraxi.”

“Am I the only one one who doesn’t have any idea what’s going on here?” Asked Lydia.

“Yeah, I think you are,” Revealed the Doctor. Another soldier grabbed him, holding their sword against the Time Lords throat. “Tell me, how come you’ve kept us alive? Why didn’t you just kill the three of us when you had your first opportunity?”

“Because we knew you could never escape us,” The Tsuraxi Leader scoffed, “And even if you did escape, we just witnessed your demise, Doctor. Your ultimate demise. Kill them now, Soldiers!”

The Tsuraxi held their weapons at the Doctor and his friends throats, but the Time Lord wasn’t ready to die again. He remembered he was still in the process of regeneration recovery. The Doctor released a burst of regeneration energy, distracting the Tsuraxi and knocking everyone on both sides to the floor.

The Tsuraxi woke a mere few moments later, but there was no sight of the Doctor or his friends. On their scanner, they spotted the Time Lord, who was now inside of a Tsuraxi time machine and projecting a message to the Tsuraxi mother ship.

“I’m very clever aren’t I?”, Scoffed the Doctor, impressed with himself, “You see the thing is now I think I’ve realised who I am. I’m a bit clever, I’m a bit stupid, I’m a bit weird, I’m a bit human. Well, on my mothers side. I’m a bit exciting, I’m a bit boring. I’m a bit kind, but the thing is, I’m not a bit scared to do what some wouldn’t believe to be right either. I don’t give second chances. I’m not that kind of person any more. But I’ve also realised what I am most of all. I’m the Doctor. I’m a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey in the Constellation of Kasterborous, and whatever you have seen in my future I’m ready to face. Goodbye.”

The Tsuraxi Leader screamed, “If you destroy the mothership, it may be the end for us, but not the end of us for you. We shall still be there. At the collapse of the Destruction Bridge and the destruction of Gallifrey, we shall be there to see you and your soldiers last stand. Just you wait.”

“Looking forward to it. Must dash!”

The Doctor pressed a button on the console, destroying the Tsuraxi mother ship alongside the last remnants of the warrior race.

“What are we supposed to do now?” asked Matt.

“I guess it’s best I go on the search for my ship,” The Doctor replied, “I can’t wander around the universe in this heap of junk. After all, nothing can replace my girl.”

“Oh, you have a special someone?”, Lydia asked.

“I don’t think you’d understand.”, The Doctor grinned.

Lidyia was still confused. “I don’t understand anything that’s happened today. I just want to go home.”

“Home it is for the both of you then! Where do you live, by the way? I forgot to ask.”

“Manchester!”, Lidyia responded.

The Doctors face lit up, “I’ve always wanted to go to Manchester! It’s on my bucket list. Come along!”

Arriving in the city centre, the Doctor, Lidyia and Matt parted ways. Matt offered out his hand to Lidyia, but she decided to decline it.

Lidyia paused for a moment while she figured out what to do next. After all, she was still irritated at Matt for hiding the truth from her. She stepped towards the machine. “Actually, Doctor, where are you going?”

“I was thinking about going to Manchester. Do some shopping. Eat some chips and mushy peas. I’ve always wanted to eat mushy peas!”

“No, I mean where are you going after Manchester? Where do you live, Doctor?”

The Doctor didn’t answer that question. “I’m going to be travelling in this Tsuraxi time ship through time and space to everywhere and anywhere I may come across. It’s not going to be as fun on my own.”

“I’ve got questions I need answers to here, but I can wait,” Lidyia smiled. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“Are you sure you want to come with me? It’s going to be dangerous.”

“Anything to get away from here. Where are we going to go first?”

The Doctor paused for a moment, and offered Lydia a joyous grin. “Everywhere.”

The Doctor and Lidyia entered the time pod as it disappeared, stunning the by-passers. Matt stood outside of the ship, sad because of Lidyia’s decision. Lidyia and the Doctor had gone. And there’s no limit to where.

Centuries before these events, a Tsuraxi mothership hurtled through orbit, carrying a large quantity of warriors aboard. They were all armed as if they were preparing for battle. The leader of the troops leaned towards the control panel of the spacecraft, aware that their next destination would be of great importance.

“Our next destination shall be Moros,” Announced the Tsuraxi Leader. “We all know what has to happen next. Even if it means risking everything, we must serve our purpose here. When we find the Doctor, the Tsuraxi Master Plan shall commence.”

Next Week: Silence from Mars