Series 27 Episode 3: Warriors Game Part 3

Warriors Game

Part 3

Ace and Gina continued to trott in the post apocalyptic landscape they had found themselves in. They both had endless amounts of questions, and no hope of returning home. Ace was cautious that the Doctor was in a great deal of danger. Gina was fearful of how Nathan was, despite her hatred of him. They both were wondering what the Sontarans and the Rutans had planned for the Snowzone base. They were both trying to find a way back home. However, that seemed impossible.

All the two of them knew was that according to a mysterious hooded woman who had crossed paths with Ace earlier, they were in Antartica. It did not look like Antartica to them. It must have been from their past, or their futures. One thing was for sure and that it was not the Antarctic they knew, and the Antarctic were Gina resided. They continued to journey towards an unknown and nonexistent destination. They still had hope that somehow they would be able to get back to where they needed to be, and stop Destari. Little did they know that the hope they had would soon be depleted.

Ace groaned as she was suddenly pulled to the floor. She grabbed a blaster from the side of her backpack and shot at whatever was grabbing her. The thing that was pulling her towards the surface made itself clear. It was a snake like creature, with fearsome claws and a meddlesome tongue. Ace attempted to crawl away. She kept shooting at the creature, but missed. Gina rushed towards the snake and stamped on it, forcing it back into the ground. Gina pulled Ace back up.

“Are you alright?” Gina asked. “I thought nothing could bring you down.”

“Those snakes are powerful,” Ace responded, “They could pull anyone or anything they wanted to down deep below the surface.”

“This place must be a death trap. Destari wants us gone, and I think this place may be designed to torture us to ensure that we are, the long way round.”

“She wants us to suffer,” Ace commented, “Well I am not letting that space witch taunt me, or make me suffer. I’m gonna get back there and kill her, whichever way I can. I am not letting her manipulate or control the Doctor anymore.”

“There is no way to get back,” Gina replied, “How do you suggest we get back to the Snowzone base? In our time, at least?”

Ace sighed. “There must be a way. And I am going to find it. Whatever the cost.” Ace’s head lighted up, as if she had just had an idea. “The six. The message on the mountains. It must mean something, surely? The hooded woman said it was something to do with Destari. Maybe it is a way for us to get us back home.”

“You’re not suggesting we climb that whole mountain?”

Ace nodded. “I don’t see any other way. It’s worth a try. The sooner we get back and save the Doctor and Nathan, the less chance they’ll both be dead when we get there.”

Ace led the way towards the mountain, and Gina quickly followed. They hurtled rapidly, forcing themselves through the barren mounds of dirt that partially restricted their movements. It did not take long before they reached the mountain. It was only a few moments. The mountain appeared further away than it actually was. Ace began to climb it. She turned around, but Gina did not follow. Gina was panting, struggling to breathe. She took a few steps behind her, and pulled Gina towards her and up the mountain.

“I’m sorry, I’m just tired out,” Gina commented. “Done a lot of running.”

Ace smirked. “We do way more running than this on a normal day. Come on, or I’ll leave you down there, slow poke!”

Ace and Gina continued to hurry up the Mountain, desperate to get a way back home in order to save their friends. Gina propelled herself upwards. Ace was miles ahead of her. Ace turned around, and noticed that Gina had just stopped once again.

“What’s up with you?” Ace questioned, whilst still towering ahead of her new friend.

“Nathan isn’t worth this,” Gina responded, “Not after what he did?”

“I thought you wanted to rescue him? I thought he was your friend? That’s why you wanted to come up to the Mountain?”

“It’s just come back to me now. It’s just come back to me who he is.”

“Who is he?” Ace asked, screeching at the top of her voice towards Gina who was much lower down the Mountain, “Please, tell me the reason he’s not worth you saving his life.”

A beam of light materialised around Ace. She found herself back in the Snowzone base, where Nathan was, surrounded by two Rutans. The temperature was too intense for her to deal with. Ace grabbed her weapon but the gusts of winds forced it down to the ground. She tried to grab the weapon but one of the Rutans glowed up their eyes, causing a ray of light to be exposed which destroyed the weapon. Ace grabbed another weapon but the same thing occurred. Ace opened up the door into the main part of the base but there was nothing behind it. Nathan chuckled. Ace was alarmed.

“Nathan, get away from them!” Ace demanded, struggling to speak through the heavy winds but aware that Nathan’s life could be at stake.

“How can I?” Nathan cheekily remarked, “I am them.”

Ace grabbed on to the wall, attempting to prevent herself from being propelled out of the base and into the bleak, cold, dark exterior. The Rutans began to shift towards her. One of the Rutans came close to her. Ace managed to kick the Rutan away into the other direction. She lost grip, one finger at a time. She felt herself being sucked out, but she was still managing to hold tight.

“I think she would make a good body,” Nathan remarked.

“Yes,” The Rutan agreed, “We wish we had thought of such a thing sooner.”

“Oh no you don’t!” Ace exclaimed. “Where is the Doctor?”

“He is long gone,” Nathan commented, “Destari and the Rutans are dealing with him and the Sontarans elsewhere. He is not here to save you.”

Inside of the TARDIS, the Doctor prepared to pilot the Snowzone base back to Earth to ensure that the Rutans did not succeed in their plot to destroy the Earth's atmosphere. Destari followed him in. The TARDIS doors slammed shut behind them.

“What are you doing?” Destari asked, still acting as if she was oblivious to everything that was going on around her, “Those things are out there. You need to stop them.”

“I know, Destari, but first we need to pilot the Snowzone base back to Earth. The Rutans played around with the controls, meaning that the temperatures on Earth sky rocketed below freezing. We need to get the base back to Earth so that we can fix the atmosphere of the planet. If we don’t, then the whole world will be destroyed.”

“The Rutans managed to change the Earths atmosphere?”

“Yes, and it will gradually become more and more inhospitable. The Rutans managed to pilot the base into space so that there is no way to reverse the atmosphere. But if I get the base back to Earth, then we can change things back.”

“No, Doctor,” Destari said, now aiming her gun at the Doctor. “I don’t think you’re going to do that. You’re going to go outside of the TARDIS and surrender yourself to the Rutans.”

“What are you talking about? Destari? What has happened to you?”

“Nothing happened to me, but I can tell you what will happen to you if you do not surrender yourself. You will regenerate. You do not want that. The Snowzone base shall remain in space, and the Earth shall be frozen. The Rutans will win, and the Earth shall become their battleground. Surrender, or die. Make your choice.”

“She was right, wasn’t she? Ace was right. You manipulated my memories. You controlled me. You made me think that you were my friend. You made me think I had known you all that time. And now I don’t even know Ace, my real companion. I didn’t even know she existed. I’ve potentially left her for dead. You, Destari, have manipulated me. Nobody manipulates me and gets away with it.”

Destari chuckled. “I’m sorry, Doctor. Well I’m not. Inside of my brain I have all of your memories. I sucked them up. Your memories are so luxurious. The pain, the suffering, the fear, the dread, the hate. All of it coddled up inside of there. Your past, your future. The other, the timeless child, lungbarrow, the hybrid, the Dominatrix. All of it lurks deep within.”

“You have no right to see my memories. You had no right.”

“I did not, but I did it anyway. What are you going to do to stop me? How exactly are you going to tackle me? In my mind, I have every way you have ever thwarted one of your enemies, and every way you will in your future.”

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

“Don’t you think it’s about time you tried saving the world, Doctor. I may have this gun, but I wouldn’t think that you’d be afraid. You’ve never been afraid of guns. You’ve never been afraid of others. All you’ve ever been afraid of is yourself.”

“Shoot me. End my life. It will only be a minor inconvenience to me. The real pity would be if you didn’t answer my questions and tell me who you really are.”

“I’m not going to tell you that. You’ve had enough information as it is.”

The Doctor pulled himself towards the TARDIS console and pressed a few buttons. Destari shot out her gun but no bullets fired. The Doctor turned around, stunned by this. He thought Destari would actually fire at him.

“Don’t worry, Doctor,” Destari commented, “I didn’t actually intend to shoot you because I knew that would not get either of us anywhere. Now, move away from the console or I will do something much worse than shoot you. Not just to you, but to your friends, and to everybody on this planet. Is that what you’d like?”

The Doctor continued to pilot the TARDIS, consciously ignoring the statements made by Destari. Destari reached out her hand towards the Doctor, as the TARDIS vanished from around them. The Doctor desperately attempted to plug in some coordinates. The console soon disappeared before he could. Everything around them descended into thin air. The background blended into that of the Snowzone base, which was now stuck in space. The TARDIS had gone, leaving the Doctor and Destari with the Rutans.

“Seems I didn’t have to go forward with my threats,” Destari remarked, “I just wanted to see whether you’d listen. I knew you wouldn’t.”

“What are you?” The Doctor replied. “I don’t understand.”

“Come on, Doctor, you are the most complex being I have ever encountered and not even you can understand me. I am more than you, Doctor. I am the darkness. I am the rage. I am the fear. I am the one who is going to destroy you. Your memories were yummy, and I’m sure your defeat will taste just as nice.”

The Doctor turned towards the Rutans, who were still plugging around on the controls. “The Earth will not be used as your battleground, Rutans, I will make sure of that.” He then turned back towards Destari. “What deal have you struck with them?”

“Once again, you know too much as it is. Why should I tell you more?”

The Doctor looked daunted. He was desperate for answers. There was a mysterious, unfamiliar woman who knew everything about him, and yet he knew nothing about her. He felt like he had no place left to turn. The TARDIS was gone, and the Rutans had thus far been successful. He found himself concerned about what to do next.

Meanwhile on the Snowzone base, the Rutans continued to lurk towards Ace, as she continued to clutch onto the walls of the building. The gusts of winds forced her away. She lost grip of the walls. The Rutans edge towards her. She let go of the building, and found herself flung towards the other side of the room. Before she could hit the wall, the TARDIS materialised, the doors opened and Ace found herself inside. Ace rushed towards the console and pushed a button which caused the doors to close.

There was knocking at the door. Ace gave a deep breath. She attempted to work the controls but it was no use. There was no way she was ever going to be able to pilot it. She knew she had to give it a go. To save the Doctor, Ace would do anything.

Ace pulled forward a lever towards her, immediately pinging back into the alternative direction. The ship shook from side to side, vibrating subtlely but not doing much more. She then pushed a series of buttons which were aligned in different directions. She pulled the same lever again, this time causing something to happen. The ship began to dematerialise. Ace screamed “Ace!” as she found herself with a victory for the first time in a long while. The TARDIS began to lift off, as it directed itself onto its next course. Ace hoped that it would lead her to the Doctor, but she was also aware that she had not been that lucky today.

Suddenly, the ship halted. It just stopped. Ace’s face turned from one of joyous success to one of fearful dread. The Rutans began to shift into the room, slowly and steadily, their forms becoming more clear by the second. They transformed from transparent to solid matter. Ace remembered that her weapons were still on the floor of the base. The Rutans moved towards her. Ace attempted to do the same thing as she did before, and the ship dematerialised once again.

“Come on, Jellyfishes, try me!” Ace screamed at the creatures, as they continued to dart themselves towards her. Ace looked prepared to ward them off. She played around with the buttons on the console. She pulled a miniscule switch towards her direction, which caused the doors to open. The Rutans were forced out of the ship abruptly, with Ace only just managing to hold on. She pulled the same switch back in the direction it was beforehand, and the doors of the ship closed once again.

Another figure began to shift through, once again going from transparent to solid matter. The features of this figure were very familiar to Ace. It was Nathan. Nathan strolled towards Ace’s direction, and pushed her away from the console.

“I knew you’d be able to tackle them in their Rutan form,” Nathan declared, “But can you question me when I am in my human form?”

Ace kicked Nathan in the groin, causing him to let out a giant scream of anger and rage and hurt. Nathan then followed Ace down the console, grabbing her neck and throttling her. Ace managed to kick him away, as Nathan fell onto the console floor. Nathan leaped up and moved towards the TARDIS console, plotting some coordinates in. Ace managed to push him away, back onto the floor.

The doors of the TARDIS opened, revealing a sight of familiarity. It was the Snowzone base. In front of her were the Doctor, Destari and a hoard of Rutans. She sighed. Nathan pushed Ace out into the base. Nathan stepped out of the ship. Destari clicked her fingers, and the TARDIS transported itself away once again.

“So we meet again, Ace,” Destari introduced.

“I’m so sorry, Ace,” The Doctor apologised, “I didn’t realise who she was. I didn’t realise you were telling the truth. I still don’t remember you.”

“It’s not your fault, Professor. I’m gonna kill that space hag!”

Ace rushed towards Destari, but Destari clicked her fingers and a white shield protected her. Destari grinnec cockily. Ace looked towards the Doctor. He saw emotions in his face that she had never seen from him before. Fear, anger, loathing, and worst of all: The feeling of being beaten. Destari had managed to outwit him.

“Try all you can, you two, but your combined abilities cannot defeat me. I am Destari, and I am stronger than either of you combined. I can erase your memories. I can summon things. I can destroy things. I can make people vanish.”

Destari tested out her powers by reaching out her hand towards one of the Rutans, causing it to imminently vanish.

Ace glared at Destari. “If you can make people disappear like that, how come you had to use a weapon to get rid of me and send me elsewhere?”

“It uses up a lot of energy to send people away using my abilities, and you are not worth that. I hope you enjoyed your time in the wasteland. It isn’t very nice there. There are things there that you would never believe. Anyways, I’m quite liking it here. The Earth is being destroyed down below us. The atmosphere is causing billions of lives to cease. It’s quite a lot of fun when you think about it.”

The Doctor glanced at her, sinisterly. “The Earth will not die. Not today.”

“And what are you going to do, eh? The legends claim you are the Doctor-The savior of worlds, the giver of hope, the carer of many, the salvation of reality, and yet you never know how to get through all of this, do you? You never have a plan. You never have a strategy. You never have an escape route. You rely on chance. That’s all. Pure and simple chance. And there’s never been a time when you’ve found yourself without it.”

“Until now,” The Doctor murmured.

“You’re not gonna act like you’re defeated, Professor?” Ace said, concerned.

“This woman knows everything about me. This woman took part of me away. This woman destroyed every last chance I have. She has my memories now. Every possible way out of this situation she will be able to prevent because she knows how my mind works, maybe even more than I do. I don’t even remember you as a result, and you are supposed to be an integral part of my life.”

“She’s not going to defeat us. I won’t let it happen.”

“But you already have!” Destari responded, “I have the Doctor's memories. I have the two of you onboard. The TARDIS is gone. The Earth is about to be destroyed. Nathan and Gina have both found themselves dealt with. I know every escape strategy the Doctor is thinking about. All that is left for me to kill you.”

“You aren’t doing anything of the sort,” Ace protested.

“Oh yes I am. I have no use for either of you anymore. Ace is too strong for me to destroy her memories, and the Doctor’s are destroyed already. I have no need for either of you. I’ll be nice and let you choose how you’d like to die. There’s no limitations.”

The Doctor chimed in. “Get on with it then. Kill us.” It was almost as if from his tone, he was admitting defeat, which was a delight for Destari.

“Doctor?” Ace questioned, stunned by this. “You’re seriously not giving up?”

“I am beaten. I am sorry, Ace. I’ve always been able to get myself out of whatever predicament I have found myself in. I’ve always been able to find a solution. There is no solution here. Take all my lives away from me. I have one last request.”

“Name it,” Destari answered, pleased with her position.

“Tell me who you really are and why you really wanted my memories. I see it behind your eyes. You’re even hiding what you have told us.”

“Isn’t there some solace in secrecy? I often believe so. But as your life is ending, I’ll be clean with you.” Destari moved around the room, closer towards the Doctor. The Doctor was fearful. He knew she was serious. She was about to end his life. She looked him deeply in the eye. “Don’t you recognise me?”

Destari placed her hand around the Doctor's head, and began to suck away his remaining regenerations from him. The Doctor screamed. Ace was unsure of what was happening. Ace hurtled towards her and tried pulling Destari away from him, but she was unsuccessful. Destari reached out her hand towards Ace and forced her back to the other side of the base. The Doctor appeared to be in pain. Destari removed her hand from behind his head. The Doctor breathed heavily.

“Shall we kill the girl?” One of the Rutans asked Destari.

“No! No! Patience is a virtue! Ace shall not die yet. I just came up with an interesting idea of how to kill her.”

“Well you’re not going to kill me,” Ace said, “What did you do to the Doctor?”

“She removed my remaining regenerations, Ace,” The Doctor confirmed, “She has made me mortal. I am like a normal human. When she inevitably kills me in a few moments time, I will die, and there’s no way going back from that.”

“No! I’m not letting you die, Professor. I’m not letting you kill her.”

“I can see you’re a tough one. I’m guessing that’s why I picked you as my associate. She’s still too powerful. You cannot destroy her. Her strength is unmatchable. Before she kills me, I need to say I’m sorry for forgetting you.”

“She made you, Professor. It was her fault.”

“Yes, I know, but it does not stop me from feeling guilty. I’ve never given up this easily before, but this woman knows me inside out. She knows every-”

The conversation was intruded by a tremendous shot at the base. Suddenly, everybody inside of the Snowzone base was thrust towards the other side of the structure. The Doctor, Ace, Destari and the Rutans found themselves thrown from one side of the building to the other. The base was still drifting through space, and the speed soon began to excel as a result of this blast. Everybody clutched on tightly. Another blast shot through the shield protecting the base from the exterior, causing the Rutans inside to be sucked offboard. Destari grabbed the Doctor and Ace, tightly clutching onto their hands. She managed to click her fingers, transporting them away.

The Doctor, Ace and Destari all found themselves in the TARDIS. Destari hurried towards the console and began to pilot the ship, pressing buttons and pulling levers. The Doctor was insulted that it was not him who was piloting the ship.

“What is going on?” Ace asked. “What happened back there?”

Destari responded, “I think it was the Sontarans. The ones back in Antarctica probably called for reinforcements. They must have sniffed out that Rutans were on board, and wanted them destroyed imminently.”

“Why did you not leave us there to die?”, The Doctor asked.

“Thankyou for saving my life would be a nicer response. You are mortal now, so you may need a little bit of help with staying alive.”

“Earlier on you wanted me dead. If we didn’t transport away, you probably would have shot me right there and then, along with Ace. What I don’t get is why you didn’t leave us there for the Sontarans to kill.”

Destari turned towards the Doctor. “Just be lucky you have a little bit of extra time.”

“I don’t think we can ever be friends with you, space hag,” Ace declared, “You want us dead, and you made the Doctor forget about me. What do you have in mind for us now?”

Destari grinned. “Well, seeing as though you have some more time, I think we’ll go to Earth, don’t you? I think that would be a rather nice place to go to. First of all though, I suggest we go and collect an old friend. Get the whole gang back together.”

The TARDIS found itself on the futuristic Wasteland where Ace had been left by Destari. The Doctor, Ace and Destari departed from the TARDIS. Destari hastily closed the ships doors from behind them. They looked around. Ace looked on the top of the mountain, and saw Gina. Ace attempted to run towards her, but Destari held Ace’s neck at the tip of her weapon.

“I’d suggest you don’t run off anywhere,” Destari said, “I can tell you want to survive for as long as is humanly possible, as I’m letting you live a little longer than I initially intended for you too. Don’t go anywhere just yet.”

Destari dragged Ace forward, still holding her at the tip of her gun. The Doctor closely followed, hesitant to escape as he feared that Destari would take his friends life. He looked up at the mountain and noticed the number six written in large letters, which took him by surprise. He did not know what this meant.

“What does six mean?” questioned the Doctor, “Do you have any idea, Destari?”

“I thought you were the one who was meant to know all the answers,” returned Destari.

Ace chimed in. “I know what it means. I didn’t have a chance to tell you earlier, Doctor. Somebody warned me about it-”

Destari interrupted. “Tell me, or I will shoot you.”

“I don’t care if you shoot me. You can do what you like. How much do you want me to tell you what that six means? Because we can come to a deal. It does concern you. Potentially it concerns your future.”

Ace spotted Gina rushing down the mountain, and upon spotting Ace, hurtled towards her friend. Ace ushered her towards them. Destari continued to hover her gun around.

“Tell me, or I will end your life.”

“Then you will never know, will you?” Ace responded, “Here’s the deal: You let me, the Doctor and Gina go free, and leave this place, and I will tell you everything.”

Destari looked frustrated. “You can never get rid of me, you know.”

The Doctor nodded. “I know that, but I need time to realise how to defeat you.”

Gina rushed towards them and hugged Ace. “I thought you’d gone for good! I thought you would never come back! My god, I am so relieved!”

“Alright, I’ll let you go if you tell me what that means,” Destari confirmed. “After all, I quite like a fair fight. It’s not as fun as I thought when the Doctor ends up losing. I’ve already took quite a lot away from him as it is.”

Ace began to explain, “There was this woman who told me everything. She told me that there was some kind of ancient prophecy which was fore-”

The Doctor dragged Ace and Gina into the TARDIS, and closed the doors behind him. He pressed a few buttons, and a noise began to signal. Red alerts began to come across the entire ship. Ace looked irritated.

“Doctor! We had a chance to get rid of her then!”

“Do you really believe that if you told her the truth, she would let you go? The ultra protective shields have been placed on the TARDIS. There is no way any being could transport themselves in and out when it is in this state.”

Gina looked stunned. “Is it unusual for me to say, what the hell is this place?”

The Doctor grinned. “It’s not unusual at all, but if you could try and get over it, that would be great as we’ve got enough on our plate as it stands.”

“We need to go back to the Snowzone base. We need to get Nathan.”

“I’m sorry, Gina, but the Rutans took Nathan’s form,” Ace confirmed. “He’s one of them now. I don’t think you’ve come across a Rutan yet, but they took the form of the Security guards earlier, and they wanted my form as well.” Ace then moved onto another trail of thought. “Anyway, I thought you didn’t care about Nathan. I got transported away before you got a chance to tell me why you loathed him so much.”

“It isn’t the time or place,” Gina replied, swiftly changing the subject in order to avoid giving answers. “So that was Antarctica then?”

The Doctor looked shocked. “What do you mean-That was Antarctica? You need to tell me everything that I do not know. There are a lot of pieces of this ever growing puzzle that I am yet to put together, but need to.”

Ace continued, “There was this hooded woman earlier who told me that we were already in Antarctica, and told me it was all because of Destari. What lies out there must be a future wasteland of the planet or something.”

The Doctor pressed in some buttons on to the console, and gasped at the result. Ace and Gina moved closer towards the console. “That can’t be possible,” The Doctor exclaimed.

“What?” Gina asked. “Just tell us, Doctor!”

“This is Antartica, you are right. But the year, it doesn’t add up.”

“What year is this? What year lies outside?”

“1990. The year is 1990. I’m sorry, both of you, but it’s too late. Destari won. The Rutans won. They got what they want. They’ve utilized Earth as their battleground against the Sontarans. They’ve managed to change the course of time.”

“This is the end of the world?” Ace commented, startled. “It can’t be.”

“I wouldn’t think so either, but no point in time is definite. I’m so sorry, both of you. She’s beaten me. She’s destroyed the planet. I don’t know what effect this will have on time but it will prove detrimental. It’s all my fault.”

The Doctor opened up the doors, and Destari strolled through. Ace rushed towards her and attempted to attack, but Destari held her by the wrist and threw her down to the ground. The Doctor walked towards her, wearing a face of grimace and anger. He was fearful at the prospect of being beaten. Gina did not know how to react. She did not even know if any of this was even real. It didn’t feel like it.

“How does it feel to be beaten, Doctor?” Destari asked, chuckling away to herself. “From what I understand, the Earth has always been a favourite of yours. Now it all burns. You are mortal, and could die at any second. You have no recollection of the one closest to you. The Rutans and the Sontarans will use this planet as a playing field. Your friends shall all suffer and burn. And I reign victorious. Perhaps this is suitable punishment for what you did to me.”

The Doctor was confused. “What I did to you?”

“This is my vengeance, Doctor. You made me like this. You destroyed me. And now, I have, and will continue to, destroy everyone and everything that you love.” Destari strolled towards the TARDIS console. “I understand that this ship is now mine then.”

The Doctor nodded. “There’s no point in me fighting you. It’s not going to get me anywhere.”

Ace was taken aback. “Doctor? She’s just destroyed everything and you’re just going to take it?”

“I don’t see you doing anything about it, Ace. There’s nothing I can do to stop her. Take my ship, take my friends, take my life. It’s all over. You’ve won.”

Destari smiled cockily. “Oh, I’ve waited so long to hear you say that! Now then, there’s no excuse for me not to kill you. It’s time to die, Doctor…”

To be Continued...