9781405970150

THE ADVENTURES AFTER

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Written by Carole Ann Ford, Rob Craine, Beth Axford, Rochana Patel, David N. Smith, Paul Magrs, Katy Manning, Mark Griffiths, Janelle McCurdy, Alfie Shaw

First published 2025 001

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THE ADVENTURES AFTER

The Adven T ures Before

EIGHT SEQUELS TO FAMOUS STORIES ACROSS TIME AND SPACE

[Title page to come]

1. THE VERGE OF DEATH ......................................

A sequel to TheEdgeofDestruction by Carole Ann Ford, with Rob Craine and Beth Axford 2.

FACE OF FEAR .............................................

A sequel to The Web of Fear by Rochana Patel and David N. Smith

Paul Magrs

Katy Manning

Janelle McCurdy

THE VERGE OF DEATH

CAROLE ANN FORD, WITH ROB CRAINE AND BETH AXFORD

The Doctor was dying. Susan’s grandfather was dying. Under attack from his very protector.

The Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara had just entered the TARDIS after a lengthy journey with Italian merchant and explorer Marco Polo. The ship had landed in the snowy Himalayas, where it had lost all functionality, and while exploring, they’d encountered Polo and his fellow travellers. They were taken to Peking with the TARDIS , where the Doctor lost his ship to the mighty Kublai Khan in a game of backgammon. Polo ultimately decided to return the key to them, and the travellers couldn’t be more relieved.

‘I’m so glad to be back.’ Barbara sighed as she studied the majesty of the TARDIS – its roundel-covered walls, the doorways leading off into other parts of the ship, and of course, the central console. She had done this many times – but she continued to be impressed by the ship as if she was always seeing the interior again for the first time.

‘Yes, I couldn’t agree more,’ Ian said, placing a comforting arm around Barbara’s shoulders. He looked over to Susan, who seemed to be staring absently into the distance.

Leaving Ping-Cho after their recent travels had affected her more than she thought. She loved her grandfather, of course, and Ian and Barbara had now become great friends to Susan. But in Ping-Cho, she felt she had found a best friend. A soul mate. Of course, if Ping-Cho had learned Susan’s true age and history, she may not have believed her. But outwardly, they shared the same youthful disposition and wonder at the world around them. Susan would miss her greatly.

‘Are you all right, Susan?’ puzzled Ian.

Susan snapped out of her trance. ‘Yes, Ian, I’m fine. Sorry, I was miles away.’ She attempted a smile to hide her feelings. The Doctor, meanwhile, was studying the console’s instruments with a satisfied look on his face, and the three went over to join him.

‘Well, despite the ship’s recent malfunction, it seems to be operating normally again. Interesting. Perhaps our lengthy absence allowed it to fix itself, hmm?’ He clasped his lapels in thought.

‘You speak as if it’s a living thing, Doctor . . .’ Ian remarked.

‘Do I, young man?’ the Doctor replied with a mischievous grin. He returned his attention to the console, and his smile turned into a frown. ‘Some of the readings seem to be a little . . . erratic, though. Susan, my child, can you check the fault locator for me?’

‘Yes, Grandfather,’ replied Susan. Opposite the console was a large glass screen, and behind it, a computer-lined wall where the fault locator was situated. She walked over and checked the readout. ‘That’s strange. It’s saying there’s something wrong with the helmic regulator.’

‘At least it’s not the fluid link,’ said Ian, with a knowing look at the Doctor.

‘Yes, quite Chesterton, quite,’ bristled the old man as he knelt beneath the console. He muttered to himself while removing a cover from one of the sections. ‘Very strange indeed. I only just effected a repair. Now –’ he peered into the maze of circuitry and cables – ‘what seems to be . . .’

Suddenly, a cable sprang out from the compartment with a violent whipping sound and started to coil around his neck, tightening itself as it did so.

The Doctor let out a cry and fell back, clasping his throat, trying to claw away the cable.

‘Doctor, what’s wrong?’ Ian shouted as he and Barbara ran round to the other side of the console. They saw their friend writhing on the floor, vainly trying to grasp the thick wire, fighting for breath. ‘Susan, help us!’ screamed Barbara.

‘Grandfather!’ Susan gasped as she hurried back towards her grandfather, joining Ian and Barbara as they tried to free him. The Doctor’s face was starting to turn blue and he was rapidly losing consciousness.

The Doctor was dying. Susan’s grandfather was dying. And the travellers seemed powerless to stop it.

Suddenly, and as quickly as it had sprung to life, the cable went limp. ‘It’s stopped!’ shouted Ian, and the three frantically grabbed hold of the free end, attempting to wrestle it from around the Doctor’s neck. Barbara and Ian threw the cable to one side while Susan knelt by her grandfather, hugging him tearfully, begging him to wake up.

The Doctor gave an almighty gasp and coughed violently, his eyes springing open. ‘Oh, Grandfather, thank

goodness,’ Susan said with relief. ‘What happened?’ she demanded of Ian and Barbara as the Doctor, still coughing, indicated for her to help sit him up.

‘We don’t know,’ replied Barbara. ‘One moment he was looking under the console, the next he was being strangled by that cable!’

Though she’d seen the cable fall from her grandfather’s neck, Susan stared at it in disbelief. ‘I don’t understand. How is that possible?’

The Doctor was managing to breathe normally again, massaging his neck now. Barbara noticed a weal on his skin where the cable had dug in tightly. ‘Susan, can you fetch something to help him?’

‘Yes, of course,’ she replied. She looked warmly into the Doctor’s eyes. ‘I’ll be right back, Grandfather.’

The Doctor nodded and continued rubbing his neck, muttering and mumbling as he slowly returned to his senses.

Ian and Barbara knelt beside him, trying to comfort their friend, despite their shock.

Susan crossed the control room and opened the double doors that led to the living quarters. But as she was crossing the threshold, they promptly sprang back and slammed into her, throwing her across the floor. She landed on her back with a thud, banging her head, and let out a cry.

Ian sprang up from where he was kneeling. He ran over to Susan and gently helped her to sit up. ‘Susan, are you all right?’

‘Yes, yes, I think so,’ she replied, wincing in pain and rubbing the back of her head.

Ian looked back at Barbara, who was still kneeling by the Doctor’s side. ‘What’s going on?’ he muttered under his breath. Almost as if he was afraid that their attacker would hear him.

‘There’s something wrong with this ship!’ the Doctor replied with a tremble in his voice. He looked at Barbara. ‘My dear, would you kindly help me up? I must check the instruments.’

‘Are you sure, Doctor? That’s a nasty wound you have. We should dress it.’

‘Yes, yes. I’m fine, my dear. It will heal,’ he assured her. Barbara put her arms under the Doctor’s shoulders and eased him to his feet. Once upright, he held her hands gently and thanked her, before crossing over to the console to begin checking the dials for any evidence of what could be going on with his ship.

Ian helped Susan up and she joined her grandfather, still rubbing her head.

Now back on her feet, Barbara frowned and rubbed her temples. A little unsteadily, she took herself over to the

wooden Knossos chair by the roundel-covered wall and sat down gingerly, continuing to massage her head. Ian noticed and went to comfort her, resting his hand on her shoulder. His worry was growing. Were they in danger inside the TARDIS – their only place of complete safety?

‘Sorry, Ian. I suddenly feel rather dizzy . . . a headache . . .’

‘I’m not at all surprised, Barbara,’ said the Doctor as he continued to study the instruments on the console. ‘This situation is most alarming. It’s as if the ship is under some sort of attack. But, from what?’

He looked at his granddaughter, who shook her head. ‘It’s like –’ She looked at the console buttons. ‘Like the TARDIS is attacking us. Like before. When it was warning us about the faulty Fast Return switch?’

‘This is more than a warning, child. With what just happened to us both, this is a threat!’

Ian could see that the Doctor’s and Susan’s ominous words were affecting Barbara. She was bending forward, her head in her hands.

‘I think Barbara should go and have a lie-down,’ Ian advised.

The Doctor looked at the schoolteachers. ‘Hmm? Oh yes, Chesterton, yes,’ he said. ‘Please go with her and look

after her. That would be most kind.’ And with that, he returned his attention to the console.

Ian guided Barbara to the living quarters’ entrance. He hesitated for a moment, studying the doors. Were they about to strike again? Ian exchanged an anxious glance with Barbara. Taking a deep breath, he nervously pushed the doors. They opened normally. Beyond them, he could see the welcoming sight of the living quarters’ beds and breathed a sigh of relief.

Back at the console, Susan and the Doctor continued to study the instruments.

‘Hmm. Everything seems to now be operating normally. No malfunctions . . .’ He flicked a couple of switches as if testing the theory and then clasped his lapels, deep in thought. The time rotor – the intricate glass cylinder at the heart of the console – rose and fell quietly as the ship continued its flight.

‘I think I need some water after that shock,’ said Susan. ‘And I imagine Barbara and Ian need something to eat. Nobody has had a proper meal in a while – no wonder Barbara felt faint.’

‘Yes, quite, child,’ said the Doctor. ‘I think we could all do with a good rest, hmm? Things have been non-stop since we left Shoreditch.’ He gazed around the console room. ‘You

know, we haven’t had the safety of the ship, or even our home on Earth, for a while now.’

‘I’m surprised you think of Earth as home, Grandfather,’ Susan remarked.

‘Well, it was for a while, Susan.’ The Doctor placed his arm around her shoulders. ‘Yes, we did our best to try and blend in, as it were. Though, perhaps –’ he looked into Susan’s eyes, gently cajoling her – ‘perhaps trying to tell your history teacher that her facts were incorrect was not the best idea, hmm?’ He chuckled, and she joined in with his laughter. ‘Come along, let’s get something for Ian and Barbara to eat. You must be famished, too!’

Susan smiled at him, and they went across the console room. On the opposite side of the living quarters was another doorway, leading to a smaller room that contained the food machine. They both entered, but Susan went over to the food machine while the Doctor stayed by the entrance, keeping an eye on the console. The machine itself was a large, box-like structure, with an array of lights on the top, small selector switches in the middle, and two large dials dominating the centre. It was capable of producing nutritional bars in the flavour of any chosen meal. Susan switched on the machine and began turning the two dials.

‘I don’t know if I prefer the vegetable soups we ate on Gallifrey, or the Earth meals I used to eat. Coal Hill School did the loveliest casseroles. And not forgetting Barbara’s favourite – bacon and eggs!’ She laughed, feeling hungrier the more she thought about food.

‘Indeed, or Ian’s preferred dish – roast beef and Yorkshire pudding!’ said the Doctor with a smile.

‘Oh yes, that was delicious, too,’ agreed Susan as she continued to press the various switches, unable to decide what she wanted.

Suddenly, the Doctor looked around him with a puzzled frown. ‘That’s strange. It seems to be getting a touch warmer.’ He adjusted his shirt collar as the temperature began to climb.

Susan stepped back from the device and considered the room. ‘You’re right. I thought it was the machine warming up, but yes. It’s getting hot. Very hot.’ She fanned herself with her hand. ‘Grandfather, what is happening?’

‘I don’t know, child.’ Beads of sweat were now forming on their skin. ‘Perhaps . . .’ The food machine interrupted the Doctor’s thought with some low clunking noises. Susan and the Doctor exchanged baffled glances. The sounds then started to grow in volume and the machine began to vibrate. Susan edged towards it, reaching out her hand.

‘Be careful, child!’ warned the Doctor as a plume of smoke erupted from the device, along with a jet of water.

‘Look out!’ Susan screamed, and they both ducked down. Susan did not make it unscathed, letting out a cry and gripping her left hand in pain.

‘What is it, child? What’s wrong?’ the Doctor shouted, rushing to his granddaughter.

Susan showed him her injury, which was bright red. ‘My hand! It burned my hand!’ Her face contorted in agony. ‘Oh, Grandfather. I’m scared!’

The Doctor examined it, his brow furrowing in a mixture of confusion and worry. ‘Oh, dear child, let me fetch you a dressing.’ He moved over to one of the roundels set into the wall and opened it carefully. There was a small cavity inside, and nestled within, a box. He opened it to reveal items of first aid, including a small canister, bandage and dressing tape. ‘Here, Susan. Give me your hand.’ He took it gently and pressed the top of the canister, which emitted a small spray on to her hand. Susan gave a deep sigh of relief. ‘Now, hold it still and I’ll apply the bandage.’

‘Something is wrong, Grandfather,’ Susan said worriedly.

‘I know, child,’ said the Doctor with a sigh. ‘After everything we’ve been through, this really is becoming most disturbing.’ Once he’d finished bandaging her hand, he

placed the first-aid box back behind the roundel and then turned to study the room.

‘Since leaving Gallifrey, I – well, we – have always thought of the TARDIS as our home. The ship has been our place of safety, the haven we could always return to at times of great peril. Now, it is attacking us and making it something we fear. Why, hmm? Why.’ He looked at Susan and held out his hands as if encouraging her to offer an explanation.

Susan began pacing the room. ‘It’s like I said earlier. The TARDIS has been acting strangely ever since we left Skaro!’

‘I hope it’s nothing more than a malfunction, Susan. Something the console just hasn’t detected yet,’ said the Doctor. He tried to adopt a reassuring tone. ‘The ship has them from time to time. And although this one is indeed something far more serious, I’m sure I can solve it.’

‘But, Grandfather!’ Susan replied sharply. ‘Remember last time? The ship acted strangely, and we found the doors open. Things haven’t been right ever since. You see, I don’t think it is a malfunction. It’s as if someone got in here and has been messing with the controls. Someone . . . or something !’

The living quarters was a room of medium size, with a wardrobe against one wall, a table and chair against the other, and a chest of drawers in the corner. The beds were like

beach loungers, rectangular single units with sheets, covers and pillows that lifted into the walls when not in use. Ian had cleverly arranged for two of these to come down from the wall so that Barbara could use them as a double bed, where she was currently sitting up, resting.

‘How are you feeling now?’ Ian asked, trying to remain calm.

‘I suddenly felt so tired,’ Barbara replied. ‘Tired and dizzy. Something just came over me. It’s like nothing I’ve experienced before.’

‘I’m sure it’ll pass,’ Ian tried to reassure her. ‘I mean, let’s face it. We have been through an awful lot. One minute, it’s just another day at Coal Hill School, then the next we’re thrown into space and time travel!’ He looked around the room. ‘And we’re living in a police box!’ Ian laughed at the absurdity of it all. ‘You’ll be fine. You just need a good rest. We all need a good rest.’

‘Yes, you’re probably right,’ agreed Barbara. ‘No wonder I’m exhausted. We’ve been with the Doctor and Susan only a few weeks, yet it feels like we’ve lived several lifetimes!’

Ian chuckled, nodding his head.

‘Do you think Susan is all right?’

‘What makes you ask that?’ said Ian.

‘Oh, it’s just she seemed so distant when we left. I think saying goodbye to Ping-Cho . . . Well, I think she’s going to miss her. They had become such close friends. I was happy for her. Considering she didn’t have many friends at Coal Hill – if any, come to that.’ She stopped, deep in reflection.

‘Barbara, she must be used to it,’ Ian said. ‘Don’t forget that before we met them, the Doctor and Susan had been travelling for a while. They must have had countless adventures. Met all kinds of people. I’m sure many left their mark on them both.’

‘Yes,’ countered Barbara. ‘But they were on Earth for such a long time before we joined them. Susan must have had some sense of feeling settled, and then we came along and made them leave in such a hurry. I know Susan loves travelling among the stars, but the journey with Polo was one of the longest times we’ve spent with anyone. It was clear Susan and Ping-Cho adored each other’s company. She must miss that.’

‘Susan will be fine. I promise you that, Barbara. She’s as tough as old boots.’ Ian laughed. ‘And I tell you something else . . .’ His voice suddenly trailed off.

‘What is it?’ asked Barbara.

Scanning the room, Ian started rubbing his arms up and down. ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m suddenly feeling rather cold,’ he replied.

Barbara looked at him in confusion. ‘I don’t feel anything.’

Ian got up and walked around the living quarters. ‘No, the temperature . . . the temperature is definitely dropping.’

He looked over at Barbara, baffled. ‘I’m surprised you can’t feel it.’ He started rubbing his arms more vigorously, the chill getting to him. ‘Maybe the controls have malfunctioned again.’

‘No, I . . . oh . . .’ Barbara suddenly lay back on her bed.

‘Barbara? What’s happening?’

‘I’m . . . I’m feeling dizzy again. I . . .’ Barbara’s voice fizzled away into a mumble.

‘Yes, it’ll be the cold,’ said Ian. He looked around the room. ‘It’s almost freezing in here. I’ll get you a blanket.’

He walked over to a cupboard inside the wall and searched through it. ‘Nothing. Can’t be!’ He checked the wardrobe.

Nothing again.

Frustrated, he crossed the room to the chest of drawers and opened each in turn. One contained a selection of books.

Another held a series of trinkets, and various objets d’art filled the drawer at the bottom. There was nothing of any help, and the temperature was plummeting rapidly.

‘There must be one somewhere!’ He looked again at his weakening friend. ‘It’s all right, Barbara. I’ll go and fetch the

Doctor. He’ll know where they are – and hopefully he can fix the temperature.’

He walked over to the huge, square doors and just as he was about to exit the living quarters, they suddenly slammed in his face.

‘What is going on?’ Ian exclaimed. He tried them once again, pushing and pulling the door knobs with all his might, but they remained resolutely shut.

‘Ian, what is it?’ Barbara asked, her voice sounding weaker.

‘They won’t open,’ Ian said, panic rising. He turned to Barbara. ‘We’re locked in!’

Back in the room containing the food machine, the temperature was continuing to rise. The Doctor was leaning against the wall, distressed, his jacket and waistcoat strewn on the floor. His collar was open, his necktie undone and askew, and he was mopping his face and brow to no avail. Susan was lying in a heap on the opposite side of the room, breathing rapidly.

The Doctor’s voice was faint, but he tried with all the strength he could muster to call out to his friends. ‘Barbara! Ian! Where . . where are you? Can you hear me? Help! We need help!’

Pushing himself unsteadily off the wall, the Doctor staggered over to the door to find it closed. He tried in vain to open it, but it was locked. He turned his back to the door and leaned against it, looking across the room to Susan. She was beginning to pass out.

‘I’m sorry, child. I don’t know what to do,’ he whispered, gasping for breath. ‘We’re trapped . . .’

And that was the final thing Susan heard before everything went black.

‘I don’t understand it,’ said Ian. ‘The door won’t budge! And it’s so cold.’

Barbara was struggling with the plummeting temperature and had curled herself up on her bed in an attempt to keep warm. The surfaces in the living quarters had now begun to show an icy film, and the Coal Hill teachers could see their breath hanging in the air. Their voices were beginning to shake.

‘Maybe Susan was right,’ Barbara said through chattering teeth.

‘In what way?’ asked Ian.

‘Before we came in here to rest. Remember what she said? That it all feels the same as before, when the TARDIS went haywire. Something might have entered the ship . . .’

‘Yes,’ agreed Ian. ‘She did. Maybe she was right. The doors were open . . .’

‘Ian, all of this, it’s like before, but more sinister. The ship attacking us in this way.’

Ian went over to the bed and sat beside her again. ‘Yes, I know what you mean. Last time, the ship was warning us. It was our friend, our ally, and that was the only way it knew to alert us. But . . .’ He shuddered at the memory. ‘Susan – she threatened me with those scissors . . .’ Ian looked around the room. ‘In here ! That can’t have been part of the ship’s warning to us. What she did, or what she tried to do, that was part of something else. And that something else must be still here.’

‘But what does it want, do you think?’ Barbara tried to hug the bed, still attempting to warm up.

Ian rose, shivering, and walked to the door. ‘I don’t know, Barbara. But one thing’s for sure . . .’ He gasped as he felt the cold. ‘It doesn’t want us here.’ Feeling weak, Ian banged on the door for a moment. ‘Oh, what’s the use!’

‘Why can’t they hear us? Why don’t they come and get us? What if something has happened to them, too?’ said Barbara, attempting to sound brave but stifling a cry.

Giving the door one final futile thud, Ian shivered violently. The temperature was still dropping and he could

hardly move. His breath hung like a heavy fog in the air. He steadily returned to Barbara’s bed.

‘Come on,’ he said shakily. He slowly helped Barbara to sit up and then put his arms around her. ‘We need to try . . . try and stay warm.’

Ian and Barbara stayed huddled together, their breath more laboured with every inhale and exhale. Then, slowly, they fell into unconsciousness.

Susan saw a fog. A very different fog to the icy one that was wrapping itself around Ian and Barbara. This fog was rich and textured, imbued with a deep orange hue that she immediately recognised.

It began to thin into a mist and, through the haze, she could make out many shapes: some tall, some short and some more broad than others. The orange radiated from above as if painting them all. Then the picture crystallised. There was a sweeping mountain range under an orange sky and, embedded in the centre, a majestic castle-like structure enclosed in a glass dome. It was the Capitol on Gallifrey. Susan was home.

The picture suddenly dissolved like a rippling lake and reformed into a new image. A large, regal room with ornate decorations and substantial windows looking out on to the mountains.

Susan looked around and saw people sitting in chairs, all her own age, wearing the same black-and-white robes – the student uniform at the Time Academy. She was in her classroom at school. In the centre was a large hologram of the planets surrounding Gallifrey, and standing next to it was an older woman wearing traditional Time Lord high-collared robes. Susan remembered the woman well. It was Principal Flavia, her mentor and the most respected teacher at the Academy, who turned from the holographic display and focused on Susan with a look of deep concern.

‘You are in danger, Susan. You are all in danger. A force threatens to destroy you, your grandfather and your friends. You must fight it.’ The frown on her face vanished, replaced by a confident smile.

‘But you know that. Your unconscious mind has brought you home, back to Gallifrey. However, I am not here to teach you. My purpose is to remind you. Remind you of the strength that lies deep within you, the strength that was –’ she paused and gave her next words more emphasis – ‘so apparent in your time at the Academy. Use it, Susan, and trust in yourself. You will succeed.’

Suddenly, the view of her mentor and classroom took on a darker hue as a new fog surrounded it, framing its edges. But unlike the welcoming mist that had taken Susan to

Gallifrey, this was more threatening, crackling with lightning as if trying to overcome her mind. She tried to ask her mentor what it was, but the view of her classroom faded. It briefly unnerved her, but Principal Flavia’s words echoed through her mind.

The fog crackled again, then faded, and her view changed to a different classroom, another that she recognised immediately. It was Coal Hill School. Standing at the front of the class were the figures of Ian and Barbara. Their voices were faint, but it looked like they were teaching a history class. Once the vision came into focus, it was clear that the teachers were talking to Susan directly.

‘Susan, I know you felt like an outsider at school, that you found it difficult to blend in and find friends,’ said Barbara. ‘And I’m sorry that Ian and I viewed you with that same curiosity,’ she added, an apologetic tone to her voice.

‘We knew you were intelligent, but we didn’t realise how brave you were,’ said Ian triumphantly. ‘Going to prehistoric Earth and inspiring us to escape from the Cave of Skulls. Then our encounter with the Daleks on Skaro. You went back to the TARDIS in that terrifying jungle, all on your own, to fetch the drugs that saved our lives!’

Barbara’s voice was soft. ‘And then your friendship with Ping-Cho. I know it truly warmed your heart. She was facing

such a personal dilemma.’ Her voice rose as her championing of Susan became stronger.

‘You challenged Polo and Tegana when they tried to arrange her marriage to an elderly man. You defended her with all your might. She wanted none of it, but couldn’t find the strength she needed to fight her corner. But you did. You helped her be a stronger person. So much so that instead of returning home to Samarkand, she decided to stay in Peking and forge a new life for herself. She would never have had that confidence if she hadn’t met you.’

‘Susan, school isn’t just a place where you learn facts,’ said Ian. ‘It’s where you build character and confidence. The means to face life and challenge it – when life does all it can to challenge you. And since we have got to know you, to really know you, we understand why you came top in every class. You know more about Earth’s history than Barbara. You know more about science than I ever will. You are a truly remarkable young woman, a real problem-solver!’

‘Yes, I couldn’t agree more,’ said Barbara. ‘Susan, we are now in a place of great threat. But you must stop your fear from taking over. You have one of the most impressive, intelligent brains we’ve ever encountered. You must use it. I mean, really use it.’

Ian nodded. ‘Your mind can overcome anything!’ Susan’s science teacher punched his left hand into his right palm, for added emphasis.

Barbara indicated the classroom. ‘At Coal Hill, you’re an alien. So very different from everyone else. But do you let it stop you? No. And you never must.’

‘Barbara’s right,’ said Ian.

‘Susan, we must now leave you. Please, dig deep into your mind and use your strength. You can save us all. Me, Barbara, your grandfather. You can do it, Susan! Now, go.’

‘But I want to stay here, with you,’ pleaded Susan. ‘I feel safe here.’

But even as those words left her mouth, the view of the classroom began to shimmer and fade, and the threatening mist started to appear again. The lightning crackles were more intense this time. ‘We will be in contact again soon,’

Barbara’s voice said faintly before she, Ian and the room disappeared.

Contact. The Time Lord ability to communicate telepathically. Barbara had emphasised the word. What were they trying to tell her?

The fog and lightning dominated Susan’s vision, but this time it felt different. Like it was alive – like it was annoyed and angry. Perhaps the reassuring words Susan had heard

were maddening it somehow. As her unconscious mind pondered this, the mist vanished and she was confronted with a new vision. She was back in Cathay, at the Way Station Courtyard, standing next to the pond. She felt a presence by her side. Turning to face it, she was greeted by the smiling face of Ping-Cho. Susan suddenly felt the warmest glow overcome her. She was so happy to see her friend again, even though they hadn’t long said goodbye.

‘You are the wicked goldfish!’ said Ping-Cho, reminding her of their earlier conversation in the courtyard.

‘Oh, Ping-Cho, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re here!’ Susan exclaimed, hugging her friend.

‘And soon I will be in Peking – my new home. I know, Susan, that you are far away from home, but the TARDIS has everything you need. Your grandfather, Ian and Barbara. But you must act quickly, or you are in danger of losing everything you hold dear. Your home and your family.’

Susan nodded, understanding the importance of everything her friend was telling her.

Ping-Cho took Susan’s hands and gazed directly into her eyes. ‘Susan, always remember, you are a Time Lady. Something is trying to contact you, something bad.’ There it was again. Contact.

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