Prologue
The sea hammered the life pod like a small toddler having a tantrum but the inside of the pod was well insulated against the harsh environment of the planet outside. This nameless world was completely covered in one huge ocean. The pod was in the shape of silver can and inside two occupants waited for rescue. Both had survived the horrendous crash of the Battleship Merciless. One was young, in her early twenties with curly red hair and fun caring features.
Her oil stained overalls attested she had been an apprentice engineer and had been lucky to escape the burning battleship with her life. The other was a stranger, a man with old eyes. He wore the weirdest apparel the Apprentice had ever seen. There was silence between the two for an age, both listening to the storm outside and feeling the motions of the ocean as it contended with the pod's kinetic stabilisation field. This continued until the pressure of their situation finally got to the apprentice engineer.
"Where are those rescue ships? Surely someone should have picked up distress beacon by now. I can't stand this waiting" screamed the Apprentice in desperation!
The Stranger sat forward in his metal seat and gave the Apprentice a charming smile.
“My Dear lady, it will be hours yet before the Earth Fleet will be able to send ships to our location. It is a big system after all. We just have to sit tight until help arrives. What is your name" asked the Stranger?
"Phoebe" blurted Apprentice Engineer Phoebe!
"Well Phoebe how about a story to pass the time" asked the Stranger?
"Haha it would have to be a really good story to take my mind off this mess" said Phoebe sardonically.
The Stranger smiled.
"Why yes, it is quite a tale. It has monsters, perilous situations and a lady in distress" commented the Stranger.
"Oh let me guess, it also has a dashing hero as well".
The Stranger snorted in derision.
"Not quite, for the main character of this story it is just a beginning. He is yet to reach his full potential. This story is a fork in the road. For all the things that happen in his future, this adventure will be a trial by fire" explained the Stranger.
"Ok, it doesn't sound too bad".
So the Stranger told his tale and Phoebe listened.
XXXX
This tale begins in an ordinary galaxy on the extraordinary planet of Gallifrey, where inhabitants had broken the tyrannical chains of magic and mysticism. They replaced there old ways with the cold hand of science. There labour in such arts bore early fruit and they learned the secrets of time. They became the first Time Lords and brought order to the Web of Time. Millions of years later there mantles began to decay with age and dust. Rather than guardians, the Lords had become scholars dedicated to the study of the universe. There edict was to watch and never to interfere.
Under a bright orange sky of Gallifrey was the land of White Mountains. The massive sun was sliding behind the ridge, mist already gathered in pockets of shadow, which readied its chilly fingers to fetch up the valleys like an old phantom. Dozing in a darkening valley under the silver leaves of a Kaden-Wood Tree was a young male humanoid. Sleeping face up to the ancient orange sun; the gentleman looked young, even by the standards of the short lived races. A pale face with a hawk like nose, angular features and jet black hair which was combed flat. The male was tall but slender, wearing the attire of an Earth Edwardian gentleman.
He lay in the brown grass, wearing a velvet vest with wing tip collar and cravat. His frock coat was folded into a pillow and was placed under his head. All his muscles were relaxed, dreaming of the things beyond his small world. The man was known by many names on this world. His cousins teasing named him Wormhole or Snail, while his friends at the Academy had given him the nickname; Theta Sigma.
However this man was known infamously by most Galifreyans as the Doctor. Infamously because controversy and scandal seemed to follow in the Doctor's wake. He was known from his days at the Academy as a troublemaker. His misdemeanours included everything from skipping class to sticking his 4-Dimensional Tachyon Studies Tutor in a time loop, where he taught the same lesson for ten years. The Doctor awoke when twilight had taken hold of the forest and Pazithi Gallifreya, one of Gallifrey’s twin moons could be seen next to the setting sun. He sat up and stared at the Moon's coppery surface and for the umpteenth time began wish for more from life.
The Doctor dreamed of other worlds, other places and times, somewhere beyond the boring Time Lord homeworld. Making up his mind up to head home, the Doctor got to his feet. Wiping off grass from his tartan trousers, the Doctor started to head home. Breathing heavily, the Doctor absorbed the night air. Taking in the forest sounds as he strolled leisurely down a faint track in the trees. He got half way when an unnatural noise started echoing around the forest.
A howling, which full of bloodlust, reverberated around the valley, driving fear into even the most fearless creature. The Doctor stopped, his eyes searching for the source of the noise. Four red eyes peered at him through the twilight grey. It opened its mouth to reveal a set of rotting fangs that gleamed yellow in the moon light. The young Doctor stared in fear like a rabbit caught in the headlights. He couldn't move. The Time Lord was complete immobilized with fear. Out of thin air, a hand clasped hold of the Doctor's sweaty palm.
The Doctor turned to the source of the hand and did a double take. The creature holding his hand was a woman, a Gallifreyan woman judging by the heightened double pulse the Doctor could feel through her hand. She was the most beautiful woman the Doctor had ever seen. The woman had long luxurious brown hair which cascaded down to her shoulders and chocolate brown eyes. She wore a tight white dress with black ankle high boots. Before the Doctor could recover there was a loud stamping of feet as the four eyed mutant charged the pair of Gallifreyans.
"Run" ordered the Lady!
She did it in such a commanding tone that the Doctor ran with the Lady as she bolted down the path. His hand still grasped tightly in hers.
