The Corrosion of Time

Story 7 and the welcome return of Tom Butler to the fold! The Seventh Doctor this week, and another interesting twist on the initial premise, which should become clear as you read. Sit back and enjoy...

The Corrosion of Time

    Cacophony. That was the most apt word that could have been used had anyone been around to hear it; the sound of time and space being rent asunder as the TARDIS materialised against a background of cold, dull metal. The Doctor and Glitz emerged from the blue box with a shiver.

    "Where are we now Doctor?" whined Glitz.

    "I'm afraid my calculations may have been a bit off."

    "That fills me with confidence."

    "Frozen lakes, metallic walls. We're at the end."

    "Oh that's very cheerful!" Glitz moaned sarcastically.

    "No, we're at The End. The planet right out on the edge of time and space, the furthest anyone has ever been able to travel."

    "Oh right. And here's me without a camera."

    The Doctor scowled at Glitz.

    "It's no accident we're here," he ominously said. "Something drew the TARDIS in, something powerful. Very powerful indeed."

    "Trouble?"
    "Most definitely."
    "It's about time!" Glitz rubbed his hands together like a greedy little boy in a sweet shop.
    "This is far more serious than you could ever imagine Glitz. You humans, always so ready to go to arms." He paused. "Glitz, when Mel left me on Iceworld, why exactly were you so keen to travel with me?"
    Glitz held his arms out, almost in a shrug. "Well, I thought, with Mel leaving you you'd be...in need of some company."
    "Oh pull the other one Glitz! You, doing something with no benefit whatsoever for yourself?" The Doctor narrowed his eyes, seeming to stare into Glitz's very soul.
    Immediately, Glitz responded, knowing there was no point in trying to appease the Doctor with lies. "Well come on Doctor, a chance to travel in time and space! Think of the possibilities! Who could turn that down?"
    "Yes, that's what worries me." Glitz didn't seem to have heard it, the Time Lord turning away from him as he spoke in a low whisper.
    Something on the floor glistened brightly and caught the Doctor's eye. He crouched down near the floor and pushed his hat up on his head, clearing his view. Buried in the ground was a human skull. It had been there a long time; as the sand and dirt in the air had passed over it the skull had been embedded into the ground. Fused into the skeleton were slivers of a metallic compound, some of which had wires attached.
    "Is that human?"
    "Yes, in a manner of speaking," replied the Doctor gravely. "I have a feeling I know who brought us here, I just don't know why."
    The Doctor spun round and grabbed Glitz by the arms.
    "Glitz listen to me very carefully."
    Suddenly all Glitz could see were bright lights, every colour crashing into one searing blur. He tried to concentrate on the Doctor.
    "There are three rules you must absolutely adhere to if we are to make it off this planet in one piece. First rule..."
    The colours shone brighter than before and in one painful crash of light and sound Glitz suffered from a hideous stabbing sensation in his head. As suddenly as it had started it stopped, and Glitz blinked the dots from his eyes. The Doctor was no longer in front of him. He looked around, confused. This wasn't The End. He was in some sort of underground tunnel, the sharp, jagged rock piercing the air around him.
    "Doctor?" Glitz's voice rang out in the dark, dank air. His eyes darted around, still adapting to the low light. He couldn't see anything.
    "Doctor?!" he shouted again. This time, he heard a reply.
    "Glitz?"
    "Doctor?"
    "Glitz?"
    "Doctor?"
    "Stop saying 'Doctor'!" Out of the darkness came his unmistakable figure, all panama hat and umbrella.
    "Doctor!" Glitz exclaimed.
    "What did I just say?" the Doctor scolded. "Running about the place caterwauling all day long. How did you get so far behind anyway?"
    "Sorry, I must have blacked out. The last thing I remember is being outside, looking at that skull. THREE RULES! There were three rules I had to remember to survive. What were they?"
    "Rules? You've gone insane, quite obviously. Down here two days and you've already lost your marbles."
    "Two days?"
    "Yes, two days, forty-eight hours, two thousand eight hundred and eighty minutes, one thousand seven hundred and two..."
    "Oh alright you pompous gasbag! I get the picture. How did I get down here?"
    "You walked, with me, the entire way. You haven't blacked out for one moment Glitz. The only time you've been out of my sight was in the last few minutes when you inexplicably dropped behind us."
    "But I don't remember any of it."
    "How very peculiar. I don't like the sound of that. What do you last remember?"
    "We were outside, we'd just landed on The End. You found a skull, it had bits of metal on it..."
    "The End? The planet at the furthest explored limit of time and space? Well that's impossible. I was right the first time, you've gone completely barmy!"
    "No, we were there. Just now. You had three rules, three rules to get us out alive. Only I blacked out before I heard them. Well, it was less black more every other colour." Glitz paused. "Hold on, did you say us?"
    Then from the darkness, as if on cue, emerged several people, dressed in aboriginal clothing. The men wore loincloths and ponchos made of animal hide, the women fur cowls that would have passed for dresses on Earth. They shuffled towards the Doctor and Glitz, clutching primitive weapons of clubs and spears.
    "Who are they?" Glitz asked.
    "Thelonians," the Doctor replied. "A primitive species perhaps but excellent hosts. We are on our way to a banquet, some sort of celebration I believe, in honour of a gallant hero. Either that or an execution. My Thelonian is a little rusty."
    Completely confused, Glitz followed the Doctor and the Thelonians further into the dark tunnel.

*****

    "It's happened again," complained a young female voice. "Another hole in time."
    "You must break eggs to make an omelette Esseltine," replied Professor Swift. Swift was an educated man with multiple academic qualifications from many different worlds. However he was never satisfied with his place in the universe. He far preferred the idea of changing the world and making it his than teaching others how to do so. When something gave him the chance to do just that, he jumped at the opportunity.
    "But it's different this time. There's a far larger energy displacement from this world to the next. As if..."
    "Somebody was sucked through. But that's impossible. We're the only people here."
    "Well, apart from..."
    "They're not people. Not anymore anyway." Professor Swift turned to glare at Esseltine. "If one of them has been sucked into the void they'll come looking for someone to blame. And I'll make sure they find you entirely responsible."
    "But I didn't..." started Esseltine.
    "End of discussion. Investigate the discrepancy and report back. Nothing can stop them from succeeding. This world and all worlds beyond it shall be theirs. We have pledged our lives to the cause Esseltine, do not go weak on me now. The consequences are fatal."
    "Yes Professor." Esseltine retreated from the argument. She had come to Professor Swift for reassurance as she was never comfortable with how they were bending and tearing time and space for their own whims. A student of Swift's, Esseltine admired the man's intelligence and was overwhelmed when he asked her to join him on a very special assignment. Little did she know what was in store for her, especially encountering their new employers. She'd never seen a species so cold and absolute. It chilled her to the bone and from that moment she had been regretting her decision to join the Professor.

*****

    The Thelonians lead the Doctor and Glitz into a massive room, a banquet hall carved out of the underground stone. It still had jagged bits of rock sticking out of the walls but was beautiful all the same. There was a huge spread of food laid out on several tables and a trio of musicians playing flute-type instruments. The songs were upbeat but due to the hollow construction of the instrument they were haunting.
    "I see I was right," exclaimed the Doctor. "About the celebration at least."
    "Look at that grub!" Glitz was practically drooling. He turned to one of the Thelonians.
    "When can we tuck in?"
    The Doctor stepped in, pulling Glitz away from the baffled Thelonian.
    "I'm terribly sorry," apologised the Doctor. To Glitz he spat, "That's the High Chief Thelonian. You don't ask royalty 'what time do we tuck in'! They may be a primitive species but they've still got more manners than you Glitz!"
    "It's been a very confusing morning!" Glitz attempted to defend himself. "First I was at The End, then I was in a cave, now I'm staring at food and I've just realised I haven't eaten in hours!"
    "You humans. If it's not violence it's greed. Food, money, relationships of a carnal nature. No wonder you get invaded by other worlds on such a regular basis! Sometimes I think the universe would be better off..."
    Glitz didn't get to hear the rest of the lecture, although he had a feeling he knew where it was going. The bright lights and shrill whine were back, this time even stronger and brighter and louder. Glitz let out a scream and clutched his head as the sound and light engulfed his mind.
    It subsided quickly and he opened his eyes. He was back on The End, back in front of the Doctor.
    "This is no time for silly beggars Glitz! Now follow me!"

*****

  

    Deep in the bowels of The End were Esseltine and Professor Swift. In their makeshift lab set up within one of the metallic structures scattered upon the planet, they were repairing a giant device made of the same bold metal as the building they were in.
    "It's no use, it's beyond solving now," claimed Professor Swift.
    "But if we don't fix it time will continue to rip apart. We can't let that happen Professor!"
    "It's too late, the device is in the final stages. If we try to fix it now we could end up doing more damage."
    Esseltine's disappointment was soon forgotten as she heard the unmistakable clunk of metal on metal. The footsteps of their employers. It entered the room, all seven foot of it, glistening against the metallic walls.
    "Is the device ready?"
    "Yes, it has just entered the final stages. Now all we need is..."
    "The catalyst. He is here. Find him and bring him to us."
    "Yes, of course, it shall be done." Professor Swift grovelled.
    The giant lumbered past a cowering Esseltine. It stopped in front of her and turned to face her. Its head spun towards her, shortly followed by its entire body.
    "Your loyalty will be rewarded."
    Esseltine could only manage a whimper and a gentle nod. The metallic behemoth turned again and left the room, stomping down the corridor, the sound echoing through the building.
    "Really Esseltine, is that all you can manage? It's very disrespectful. Come on, let's go find the catalyst. Grab the Locator on your way out."
    Esseltine stood tall again and took the Locator, a simple piece of equipment that allowed them to track the heat signature of any life-form – providing it had one.

*****

    In the lobby of the metallic structure the Doctor and Glitz waded through debris. The floor was covered with bits of metal and rock, a sign of years of neglect.
    "It seems as though no-one has set foot in here for quite some time."
    Glitz had other thoughts on his mind. Ever since the first jump, he had been trying to understand the events unfolding. The bright lights, the noise; what was triggering it? And how had the Doctor not noticed?
    "Doctor, what's happening to me?" Glitz asked.
    "What do you mean?"
    "I keep... switching. Like I'm zapping to different places in time."
    "Really?" The Doctor was intrigued. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Glitz with a furrowed brow. "Where do you go when you're... switching?"
    "We were in a cave..."
    "We? I was with you? I haven't felt anything like you're explaining."
    "No, it was you but a different you, if that makes any sense at all."
    "Not really Glitz, but then you never do make much sense."
    Glitz glared at the Doctor. He had gotten used to him treating human events flippantly, but this was not the time for jokes.
    "This is serious! There's something wrong with me."
    "Oh Glitz, you're making it too easy!" the Doctor continued to jape.
    "Doctor! What's going on? Why me?" demanded Glitz.
    "I don't know, some kind of void in time and space that keeps sucking you in. What have you been touching?" The Doctor pointed an accusatory finger at the former mercenary.
    "I haven't touched anything! It just... happens!"
    "Hmm..." The Doctor pondered on the situation for a moment. "Some kind of outside force is pulling you out of this time and into another – then pulling you back just as fast. And it started when we arrived on The End? In that case the problem must be here with us. The only logical thing to do is find the source of the problem and resolve the situation. Glitz? Are you listening to me?"
    But Glitz wasn't listening to the Doctor. He couldn't. All he could do was try and block out the searing colours and noises as he was displaced in time once more.

*****

  

    "Fantastic stew, don't you think?"
    Glitz was dazed and unsure of how to answer the Doctor's latest question. For all the colours and noise, stew was the last thing on his mind.
    "I said fantastic stew Glitz. Try the sour bread." The Doctor gulped down the warm food. After two days without sustenance, even a Time Lord got hungry.
    "It happened again Doctor."
    "What did?"
    "The switch. I was pulled out of time again."
    "Whatever are you going on about Glitz? I shall have to give you a full medical examination when we return to the TARDIS, you're obviously not quite right."
    Glitz silenced himself further and tried to get his head round the enormity of what kept happening to him. Was he still walking and talking back on The End with the other Doctor? Or did he just slump to the ground when he switched? This Doctor said he was fine before, so did that mean this version of himself was now back on The End, just as confused as he was? It was all a little too much to take in, so Glitz helped himself to a bowl of stew. The Doctor was right, it was delicious.
    "Here, we go. Time for the giving of the riches," the Doctor said excitedly.
    "Riches?" Glitz's head snapped up at the sound of extremely expensive items. Old habits died hard.
    "The banquet is just the beginning of the celebration. The really good part is the parade of riches. The hero will be laden with untold treasures that the Thelonians have been collecting for years, for such an occasion. It really is an honour to see it live."
    "Who's the lucky feller?" Glitz said, only ever so marginally hoping to hear it was him.
    "I'm not quite sure. I've not seen anyone I would regard as heroic. But I suppose it is heroic actions that make a hero. I must ask him afterwards what it was he did."
    The parade had started and several of the Thelonians slowly carried a large golden crate past the tables. Inside the crate were riches the likes of which Glitz had only ever dreamt of. Rubies, gold doubloons, precious silver hempweed from the Fortuna Jungles. It was a sight to behold all right.
    "There must be millions in that crate!" exclaimed Glitz.
    "Millions upon millions," replied the Doctor. "And thoroughly well deserved, you can be assured of that."
    The Thelonians had passed all of the tables but one now.
    "Uh, Doctor. They seem to be heading for us!" Glitz could hardly contain his excitement.
    "That can't be. You're mistaken Glitz."
    "No, they're definitely coming for us Doctor! It's ours! The riches are ours!" Glitz was beside himself, much to the Doctor's displeasure.
    The crate slammed to the floor as the Thelonians dropped its heavy mass in front of the Doctor.
    "No, no, I couldn't," insisted the Doctor, flattered. "I was simply doing what any Time Lord would do. Well, not any Time Lord... Really, I cannot accept this gift."
    "Are you out of your mind?!" Glitz erupted. "If you don't want it, I'll have it!"
    "No you won't! And neither will I. It was a simple good deed, a problem I felt compelled to act on. I shall not accept this gracious gift, as humbled as I am."
    Glitz was about to erupt again when his head was swamped with the bright lights once more.
    "Oh God, not now! Please not now! He'll give it away if I'm not here!"
    But his pleas were to no avail. If there was a higher power, it wasn't listening. With bright lights and a shrill whine Glitz was back in his own time.

*****

    "NO!" shouted Glitz at the top of his voice. "That was it, the mother-load! I could have been set for life!"
    Glitz moped to himself for a moment before realising he was alone. Where was the Doctor now? He thought about shouting out loud before he heard footsteps, not far away. He hurried around a corner to catch up with the Doctor, assuming he'd been left behind again. Instead, he came face to face with Esseltine and Professor Swift.
    "Who are you?" Glitz asked, surprised to see anybody else on The End, let alone humans.
    "I am Professor Swift and this is my assistant Esseltine. I run this facility. May I ask how you got here?"
    "I'm travelling with a friend." Glitz knew not to give too much information away until he knew for sure that these people were friendly.
    Professor Swift gave a knowing smirk to Esseltine. They had set out to find someone in particular and, unfortunately for Glitz, were under the belief that they had found him.
    "Then I presume I am speaking to the Doctor?" Professor Swift asked confidently.
    Glitz was about to correct him when his mind darted back to the other Doctor and the riches bestowed upon him. He had no idea how long he'd been away from The End. Perhaps the Doctor had been up to his old heroic tricks again? His roguish brain kicked in, his former lifestyle rearing its ugly head. He couldn't let this opportunity pass him by; it could well be another gracious gift of untold fortune.
    "Yes, it is I," Glitz spouted, as regally as he could. Nobody would believe he was the Doctor if he spoke in his normal vagabond-English.
    "Excellent," grinned the Professor sinisterly. "Esseltine, would you be so kind as to show the Doctor the way to the great hall?"
    He turned to Glitz and spoke softly yet firmly.
    "You must meet the Leader."
    Esseltine didn't speak, she just started walking. Glitz followed her, liking the sound of 'the Leader'. If he was anything like the Thelonian High Chief he would want to reward Glitz immediately. The Professor followed behind Glitz, trapping him between the two scientists that were leading him to his death.

*****

    It was in a giant fortress of a room that Glitz first came in contact with the awesome menace of the Cybermen. The room was like a cathedral fashioned out of the metal structure. It was stunning. And yet Glitz's gaze was drawn solely to the Cybermen in front of him. Towering above the humans in the room, their eyes were black as the night, their frames solid and powerful. He was unashamedly frightened.
    "Leader" Professor Swift greeted the Cyberman in the throne directly ahead. "I present, the Doctor."
    The Cyber Leader stood up and stomped over to Glitz. It held out its hand, in which was a small scanning device. It pointed it at Glitz and the beam moved up and down his body before the scanner sounded out a dull buzz.
    "This is not the Doctor. This is an insignificant human."
    "But, but, he answers to the title Doctor!" Professor Swift insisted.
    Glitz was quiet. He was aware that all eyes in the room were on him.
    "I thought there might be riches," he said feebly.
    Professor Swift's face turned red with anger. His fists clenched up and hung at his sides like wrecking balls. Before he could explode and swing at Glitz, the Cyber Leader spoke.
    "Remove yourself from the room Professor Swift."
    He couldn't move. He was so tightly wound now that he couldn't move if he tried. Esseltine, not wanting to see any harm come to him, grabbed hold of his shoulders and dragged him into the laboratory next door.
    Glitz had been quiet, not wanting to remind the Cybermen of his presence. However, his curiosity got the better of him and he had to speak.
    "What happens to me?" Glitz nervously asked, almost not wanting them to answer in fear of hearing the words he expected.
    The Cyber Leader looked down at Glitz and he stared back. He stared into those deep, black holes they had for eyes. In that darkness he saw his imminent future and it was black indeed. The Cyber Leader's voice roared with deafening volume.
    "You will be ERADICATED!

*****

    "This can't be."
    Professor Swift was pacing the lab, trying to think of a solution to his problem. The Cybermen would surely show no mercy in punishing him for his mistake.
    "It's not your fault, he tricked you." Esseltine tried to comfort him.
    "He didn't trick me!" Professor Swift spat at Esseltine, masking his embarrassment with spite. Then he had an idea. He didn't have to take the blame for this incident. After all, he had an assistant who was willing to follow him anywhere. It would be easy to coerce Esseltine into shouldering his responsibility.
    "You! It was you!" He pointed his short, stubby finger at her. "You believed he was the Doctor and you convinced me! That's the only reason I brought him before the Cybermen. You were tricked by that imposter and now you must face the wrath of the Leader, and rightly so!"
    "But you know that's not true!" Esseltine could not believe what she was hearing. After all she had done to help him, despite the toll it took on her conscience.
    "Isn't it? I think you're forgetting the cause Esseltine. If I am dead, who will help the Cybermen then? You? You possess less than a tenth of my vast intellect. You must be to blame for this incident!"
    "No!" Esseltine shouted. "How could you Professor? You've been treating me poorly for a long time but this is when it stops. It's your word against mine. The Cybermen will kill us both, but at least you will finally be stopped. You've gone too far, you've crossed a line and you can never go back!"
    "I see." Professor Swift had no other choice. He had to be quick, as Esseltine was a good thirty years his junior. "I'm sorry to hear that Esseltine, I really am. You showed such promise."
    Professor Swift lunged at Esseltine, who tried to bat him away with her arms. It was no use; despite her age advantage he was much stronger than her. He clasped he hands around her throat and wrung it tightly. Squeezing with all his might he forced her windpipe back with his thumbs.
    "Please!" Esseltine pleaded, her voice but a whisper, "Please... Roger!"
    Professor Swift tightened his grip and twisted his hands, snapping her neck instantly. The sound rang out around the room, echoing off the polished walls. He let her drop to floor, lifeless.
    "Goodnight Esseltine."

*****

    Glitz had managed to hide himself behind a crate on the other side of the room. He knew it was of little help, especially with a roomful of Cybermen watching his every move. They knew exactly where he was and started to move in on his position. Escape was out of the question as the doors had been sealed shut once Glitz had entered the room. As the Cybermen stomped towards him, he pressed his hands together and prayed for the first time in his entire life.
    "As I thought: Cybermen. Only a species so cold could survive on The End."
    The voice came from behind the Cybermen, who turned to see the Doctor. He had been searching for Glitz, certain he had been captured by the cyborgs. Finding an old air duct, the Doctor had crawled through the tiny space in order to make his surprise entrance and spring his trap.
    The Cyber Leader held out his scanner again, pointing it squarely at the Doctor.
    "The scan confirms you are the Doctor!"
    "Yes, I am. And you are the Cybermen. And this is where your diabolical plan comes to an end."
    "On the contrary!" shouted Professor Swift. He raced towards the Doctor with a metal pipe. It had been sharpened at the end, fashioned into a sword.
    The Doctor flipped over his umbrella in his hand and parried the Professor's strike before landing a blow to the old man's leg. Swift fell down on one knee and the Doctor retreated.
    "Whatever they've offered you it's lies," the Doctor warned Professor Swift. "Do you really think they'll keep you around after they've achieved what they want? You'll be eradicated along with the rest of the universe."
    "No!" Swift laughed at the Doctor's ignorance. "I've been promised a place in the CyberWorld! I will be a king!"
    Behind Professor Swift a Cyberman approached. It moved with more agility than the others, its footsteps quieter and more considered.
    "You poor deluded fool," the Doctor continued to convince Swift. "You were never an equal. You can never be an equal. You're nothing but a CyberSlave!"
    The unseen Cyberman raised its arm above Professor Swift, the fingers on its hand extending out. It was ready to strike.
    "I am no slave! I will be the most powerful human being that ever lived! I will be remembered for all time!"
    With that said, the Cyberman brought his hand down firmly onto Professor Swift's head. Millions of volts of electricity sparked through the old man's body, frying his skin and boiling his organs. He jolted a deathly jig before the assassin let him go, and he slumped to the floor.
    The Doctor looked on. These moments were the hardest. Swift was an evil entity, intent on helping the Cybermen rule the universe. But no-one deserved to die like that.
    "Seize him!" ordered the Cyber Leader, breaking the silence.
    Several Cybermen advanced towards the Doctor, who paid them little attention.
    "You never learn do you? No matter how many times I face you, no matter how many times I defeat you, you never learn!"
    The Doctor pulled out a small rotor from his jacket pocket, wires dangling from the back of the blades.
    "I think you'll find your time device utterly useless without this," he said with a smile. "You see, I know what you're planning. And I know that this little contraption missing from that big contraption is enough to spoil your entire attempt at universal domination."
    "You will return the rota to us immediately!" the Cyber Leader insisted.
    The Doctor smiled again.
    "You never learn!"
    He threw the rota down to the floor as hard as he could. It smashed into a thousand pieces and then darted between two of the advancing Cybermen. He reached his umbrella out to Glitz, still hiding behind the crate.
    "Come on Glitz!"
    Grabbing the question mark-shaped umbrella handle, Glitz was hoisted up by the Doctor.
    "But what about the door?" Glitz shouted.
    The Doctor turned to the Swift's assassin. He put two fingers in his mouth and let out the loudest wolf whistle. The Cyberman turned towards them and raised his hand.
    "Now when I say duck," the Doctor began to say to Glitz, "DUCK!"
    He pushed Glitz out of the way and the Cyberman unloaded a heavy dose of electrical force at the door, blasting it from its hinges and clearing the way for their escape. Glitz wasn't wasting any time in getting out of there. He lifted the Doctor back to his feet and they ran for their lives.
    "We're just going to leave them there?" Glitz shouted as he ran.
    "Precisely!" replied the Doctor. "Especially as I've also disabled their transportation device!"

*****

    The TARDIS had never seemed so warm and friendly to Glitz. He collapsed onto the floor, relieved he had survived.
    The Doctor set new co-ordinates, ready to be rid of The End and the Cybermen.
    "So what was their plan? What were they doing all the way out here?"
    The Doctor stopped what he was doing and turned to Glitz. He had a solemn tone.
    "That, you don't need to know. As you travel with me Glitz you will learn about the universe on a need to know basis. That's what the universe needs you not to know. I don't trust you Glitz, not fully. If I were to explain to you the nefarious plans of the universe's most villainous minds, who's to say you won't get ideas. A time will come when you get bored of me, the TARDIS, all of this, and you'll return to your former life. When that day does come I'll sleep better knowing I haven't given you the inspiration to ruin the universe."
    With that, the Doctor turned his attention back to the console. Glitz was quiet. He thought about what the Doctor had said. He realised it was true. Nothing compared to the thrill he got chasing other people's fortunes. He knew then that one day he'd return to his life of crime, as the Doctor predicted.
    But not before he'd learnt a few new tricks, whether the Doctor liked it or not.