A Million Years From Now

The curator for the historical museum of alien xenobiology stopped outside the exhibit of perhaps the most mysterious species. "The people we call Duemarrns are a most curious and puzzling enigma. We have no idea what killed them or how it happened. All we know of this dead civilisation are facts gleaned from a few records we have managed to decipher and a lot of educated guess work on the items we have discovered. Who were they? How did they live? Did they live like us or where they totally alien to us? Some of these questions we may never know, but we'll never stop asking them until we do find some answers to them." The curator moved onto the next exhibit, not noticing that two members of the group had stayed behind to look at the exhibit.

The tall man, dressed in an oversized burgundy coat and matching scarf, looked solemnly at the few scant remains. "Do you remember?" he asked his blonde haired companion.

"Yes," the slender woman in the pink coat replied, with a lot of sadness in her voice. "I remember it all, like it was yesterday." Her frown was etched into her face as if it had been carved from stone by a renaissance sculptor.

The man put his hands on the woman's shoulder. "We did our best to help them Romana."

The woman put her hand softly over the man's and patted it twice. "I know Doctor, I know."

Almost Tomorrow

The field was empty. Yesterday it had echoed with the sound of children laughing as they played games and told jokes. Today it was silent save the slightness of the breeze and the materialisation of a slightly battered blue police telephone box. The doors opened and a woman, dressed in a long pink coat with a long white scarf draped across her shoulders, ran out of front of the box.

"You'll never catch me Doctor!" she laughed and went around the far side of the box to hide from her best friend.

A second person, dressed in a large grey coat and a multi-coloured scarf emerged from the blue box. He was ever so tall with a smile that emitted kindness and friendship like a lighthouse emitting a beam of light. "I know you're hiding Romana." The Doctor looked left and right. "But you're forgetting one important thing."

"What's that?" Romana threw her voice to make it sound like she was standing next to the Doctor.

"I'm the one with the jelly babies." Reaching into his pocket the Doctor took out the white paper bag of sweets.

"You don't play fair," Romana pouted before sneaking up next to the Doctor and helping herself to a green one.

"Are you accusing me of cheating?" the Doctor asked his blonde haired best friend. "I don't think it's cheating; well not much anyway."

"No, it's not cheating," Romana decided. "I just have a fondness for jelly babies."

"Yes." The Doctor smiled even more. "Shall we explore over there by the tree, or that way along the pathway?"

Romana looked in both directions. "Can't we play hopscotch instead?"

"After we've finished exploring Romana, you must get your priorities right. You know, this is one of Earth's furthest colonies according to the TARDIS records. According to the records each sector is based on a different culture of Earth's. I wonder if the people changed at all now that they're out here among the stars? Doesn't discovering new things appeal to you Romana?"

"I'd rather have another jelly baby first," Romana grinned and helped herself to an orange one.

"Yes, that's much better. Now let's go this way, I've always liked a nice walk through the countryside."

"What about K-9?" Romana asked suddenly.

The Doctor looked back at the TARDIS. "Maybe next time hmm?"

Romana blew a kiss to K-9, who was still in the TARDIS, before hurrying to catch up with the Doctor and listening to him name all the various kinds of grasses and plants as they walked along.

He looked at the results one more time, just to be sure there was no mistake but there wasn't one. These results couldn't be right but they were. Please god; don't let these figures be right, he thought. He lowered his head and let the sheaf of computer printouts fall to the floor of his laboratory. 'What have I done?' He looked at the latest test subject, a small monkey. It was in pain and he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop the pain. What have I done?

"Dr Tajiri." Nurse Chapel ran into the laboratory. "We have the results of the latest test subjects."

Tajiri looked at the young nurse and managed a weak unconvincing smile. "I know what they say. It's accelerating. It didn't work and now it's worse than ever."

"Yes Dr Tajiri, how did you know?"

"I ran my own analysis, it's a cruder method but the results were there."

"Perhaps the new serum will work?"

"What new serum?" Tajiri asked. "There's nothing left to try, we run every single variation the computer came up with and a few that it didn't."

"We can't just give up though, can we?" Nurse Chapel rubbed a tear away from her eye. "I've got a son, he's only three and he's not been so good lately."

"Go to him, your place is with your family. My place is here, I don't know why but it's never affected me yet. Divine retribution from my ancestors perhaps? I get to watch everyone die because of my pride and my arrogance. It's poetic is it not?"

"Perhaps god is sparing you to find a cure?" the junior nurse replied. "Don't give up hope of a solution doctor or we're all dead."

"Look at all the pretty flowers." Romana gathered a bunch of dandelions up as she went along, before handing them to the Doctor. "For you Doctor, these roses are beautiful, aren't they?"

"They're dandelions Romana," the Doctor stated. "They're a lovely thought though. Is it me or is their normal vitality waning a little?"

"They're not supposed to wilt like that?" Romana asked.

"No, maybe I'm comparing them to you though. It's an awfully sweet gesture though. Would you like a jelly baby?"

"Yes." Romana threw her head back and smiled as the sunlight caressed her face with its warmth. "It’s such a nice day for giving dandelions to a friend, don't you think so Doctor?"

"Yes." The Doctor selected one and poked the stem through the buttonhole of his jacket lapel followed by another one and another one. "There, now doesn't this complete my outfit? I think it looks very splendid."

"That's what I thought."

"Yes, very splendid."

"Splendid."

"Yes, that's my first thought too. I said to myself this looks very splendid Doctor."

"Me too."

"You're a good girl Romana, I wonder what's over there?"

Romana cast her eyes around for some good stones to play hopscotch with later on. She didn't notice the Doctor stop to look around.

"I say." The Doctor pointed down the gentle slope of the hill they were following. "There's someone down there. It would be terribly rude if we didn't go and introduce ourselves to them, wouldn't it?"

"Oh yes, lets go and talk to them." Romana took the lead as they hurried down the hill.

Ted Bradley looked up as two people came running towards him. "Oi, what's your game?" he shouted as they drew close and closer to his position.

"I like cricket," the Doctor smiled. "You can tell a lot from someone who likes cricket."

"I like cricket too," Romana added. "Hitting the little ball with the wooden stick and trying to get it into the hole at the far end of the green."

"That's golf Romana," the Doctor corrected his poorly educated friend. "Cricket is the one where you wear white and try to hit the ball to the boundary."

"I thought that was rugby," Romana replied. "Well I like cricket too, the running and bowling and all the cups of tea in the pavilion."

"Yes," the Doctor said. "Do like cricket?" he asked the new found friend.

"You two are bloody loonies!" Ted exclaimed before trying to make a run for it.

"Obviously not a cricket fan," the Doctor said to Romana once the man was out of range.

"That's what I thought," Romana agreed. "What's that over there?" She pointed to a low white building.

"Some sort of government research facility," the Doctor informed his best friend.

"How can you tell?" Romana asked.

"You're standing on the keep out sign." The Doctor pointed down to Romana's feet.

"Shall we see if they need any help?"

"Yes, I'm sure they'll want to meet me. Everyone we meet is eager to see me."

"Then things go tragically wrong and they imprison us in a cell and then we escape and run up and down a lot of corridors. Exciting isn't it?" Romana asked.

"Yes, we don't want to keep them waiting." The Doctor took hold of Romana's hand and they ran the short way to the front door.

Dr Tajiri heard something and it broke his concentration. "I thought I asked to be left alone," he snapped irritably.

"I don't think he likes cricket either Romana," the Doctor hazarded a guess.

"Hello," Romana beamed a smile to the upset man. "I'm Romana and this is the Doctor."

"Hello there," the Doctor waved casually. "We're sorry for barging in here unannounced and is that a variable pitch oscillator?" He walked over to the machine and began to disassemble it. "Yes I think so. Come and have a look at this Romana, you'll never see another antique like it again."

Romana looked at the obsolete machine. "What does it do Doctor?"

"Well it oscillates doesn't it?" the Doctor replied rhetorically. "Sometimes I'm sure you never learn a single thing I tell you."

"Do you know what it does?" Romana continued.

"Well not as such but I'm sure I can find out."

"Shall we ask him?" Romana pointed to the man staring in disbelief at them.

"Well I don't want to impose, we haven't been properly introduced."

Romana looked at the name badge of the man in the white lab coat. "Dr Hikaru Tajiri. It's such a pleasure to meet you. Doctor, this is Dr Hikaru Tajiri. Dr Tajiri this is the Doctor."

The Doctor shook hands with the bewildered scientist. "Well, now all that's out of the way perhaps you can tell us what this machine does?"

"That's a variable pitch oscillator," Dr Tajiri said.

"Yes, we know that," the Doctor said. "What does it do?"

"I'm using it to help in the analysis of some cells."

"Ah," Romana and the Doctor said at the same time.

"Can I help?" Romana asked. "I got a triple A plus in science at the Academy."

"I'm sorry but this is private research. Now who are you and what are you doing here?"

"He's the Doctor." Romana pointed to the Doctor and used her eyebrows to greet the human with genuine friendship in the Delphon language.

"She's Romana." The Doctor pointed to Romana. "We're terribly interested in what you're doing here. If I didn't know better I'd swear you were mapping out the DNA of that cell sample."

"How can you know that?" Tajiri asked. "No one outside the ministry knows of my researches."

"Ah well, we're from a lot further than the ministry," the Doctor stated cryptically.

"A lot, lot further," Romana added and pointed upwards. "We're from there, second star past the belt of Orion, turn left and go on to the constellation of Kasterborous. Ask anyone there about us and they'll tell you where Gallifrey is."

Tajiri scratched his head in confusion. "Are you the French delegation?"

"No," the Doctor replied. "But we did enjoy the Eiffel Tower a lot when we were there last."

"And the Louvre," Romana said with a smile. "Don't forget the Louvre."

"How can I with that Time break? It set my teeth on edge for a week. Duggan did much the same to people but far less pleasantly as I recall." The Doctor looked down at the scientist. "Now what are you doing? It's not weapons research is it?"

Romana picked up a leaflet. "It's something to do with genetic experiments Doctor."

The Doctor looked at the scientist. "It's a dangerous game, dabbling with the forces of creation. You never know what you might end up with, if you tweak this chromosome or turn that one upside down. One false step and it all comes undone."

Close to tears Tajiri summoned up enough strength for one impassioned statement. "It has already become undone!" He fell to his hands and knees as his strength left his body.

The Doctor looked sharply at Romana. "Start going over all of this, I'll have a talk with Dr Tajiri here about ethical conduct and responsibility."

Romana picked up the large folders of files and went into the next room where she could read up on everything with a little bit of peace and quiet.

The Doctor looked at Dr Tajiri. "Now then I'm not one to lecture but I can tell you're quite upset by something. Tell me everything and don't leave anything out. We might be the only hope you have."

Tajiri looked at the tall man and saw a wisdom and sadness in his eyes. "It was two years ago. Without permission I started a programme to grow a crop of genetically modified corn. We monitored it at all stages as it grew and matured. We didn't know at the time but some of the pollen escaped through the filters. It got into the regular corn and fertilised it. It was fed to farm animals, the first link in the food chain. What we found out was that the corn's genetic structure had mutated, every single plant just fell apart after a year. We found the defective gene and changed it and that was that or so we thought."

"What happened next?" the Doctor asked.

"Animals started being unaccounted for. They had been fed some of the infected grain. This cross-pollinated corn was more dangerous than the original crop. It passed some enzymes into the animals and they seemed fine until one day they were gone. Their bodies were broken down into particles finer than dust. Someone caught it on video camera and the panic spread. Not long after that the first few people started disappearing."

The Doctor looked at the shattered scientist. "Did you find out a way to cure this?"

"Not yet," Tajiri replied. "I've spent the last year trying every possibility to counteract the killer gene. Once enough of them build up in something or someone then that person just crumples into powder. A newsreader was on air when she just wasn't there anymore." Tears rolled down his cheeks. "Help me, please? They've all gone, everyone else who was here. My wife, my children, my parents have all gone. Please, will you help me Doctor?"

"No," the Doctor said after a few seconds. "You must help yourself. Believe me when I say that I want to help, but there are something's even I am forbidden to interfere with."

Romana entered the room. "I think there may be a way to help. I've read all the data, it's pretty basic but I think I can find a solution."

"We're leaving Romana, come along."

Romana shook her head. "I can't."

"Come along Romana, we have to go back to the TARDIS."

"Then go Doctor." Romana crossed her arms. "I'm staying here to help these people."

"You could die Romana. This genetic blight could affect you if you stay."

"If we leave we might take it with us and besides our physiology is no less immune than that of this misguided man. I'm staying Doctor. I have to stay. A friend taught me that sometimes you have to put yourself in harms way to help someone you love, or a stranger. I can't turn my back and leave when I can help save these people, save our selves. You know I'm right."

"This must have been a very special friend," the Doctor stated.

"The best," Romana replied. "He taught me that sometimes you have to stand up for your beliefs even if you know you'll only get hurt because of it. Come on Doctor, you have to help me. I need your experience because there's so much I've still got to learn from you."

The Doctor looked at Romana's earnest, pleading face. "That was a good speech Romana, of course I'll let you help me. Jelly baby?"

"Yum, yum," Romana said as she took a yellow one. "Right, these are the changes we need to make to your latest test sample. We don't have time to make it from scratch. I know it's a radical looking solution but it's the only one that can plug up the damage already caused and prevent any more from occurring to the cells. People are going to be sick for a while because of it but it's a lot better than the alternative. This is only a temporary solution. In the long term you'll have to allow the balance of nature to be restored if your world is to recover."

Tajiri bowed deeply and stiffly to the blonde woman. "A thousand thanks Ms Romana. I am your humble servant."

"I'd rather you were my helpful lab assistant," Romana said with a broad smile. "Now lets get busy."

The Doctor looked at the greyish blue grass outside. As he watched the ground got balder and balder until only the brown soil remained. "This does not look good Romana." The Doctor pointed to a small rabbit that turned to dust in mid-hop. "We should distribute your antidote as soon as possible."

"I should sample it," Tajiri said and took a drink from one of the diluted flasks.

Romana gasped as Tajiri's body turned to dust before her eyes and the glass flask smashed onto the floor with the remains of his stomach. The cells in it had been stabilised and so it was all that remained of his body. She turned away in shock and buried her face into the Doctor's chest. "Are we going to end up like that?"

The Doctor looked down at the few surviving pieces of the dead human. "We know the antidote works, for him."

"You mean we've gone through all that and it might not save us?" Romana asked.

"Yes, but look on the bright side, we've got so many people left to save."

"Hello, is anyone in here?" the Doctor asked. "I do hope I'm intruding, I've got some rather good news." All he found in the house was a TV left switched on and four crumpled piles of clothes belonging to two adults, a young child and a baby. He turned the TV off and left the sombre room to try elsewhere.

Romana followed the sound of voices, she saw three children playing a jumping game with a rope. As she advanced towards them however the girl doing the jumping disintegrated in mid jump and her two friends started screaming. Romana hurried over but then the other two children, a boy and a girl, were gone before she could reach them, their remains scattered on the gentle breeze.

"Hello," the Doctor said to a frightened man. "I'm the Doctor and I'm here to help."

"How can you help me?"

"Lets just drink a free sample of this new drink together first hmm?"

"They're gone, so many gone."

"Yes, why don't you drink this and tell me all about it?"

"Aren't you listening to me? Everyone on this planet is dead. My wife, my son, my brother, my parents. Everyone I have ever loved has died."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said slowly.

"This place used to be filled with the sound of children playing. Now listen to it, it's as quiet as the grave. Where has the laughter gone?"

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said again.

"Don't be, we'll be dead soon anyway."

"Well I'll just leave this here for you." The Doctor placed a vial of the antidote on a low wall nearby.

"Make peace with whatever you believe in, because nothing is going to be alive by this time tomorrow."

"Perhaps," the Doctor replied. "I think we arrived too late to help. A day earlier and perhaps, perhaps."

Everywhere else that Romana looked she found only the empty piles of clothing that indicated someone's untimely death. After fifty such piles her mind stopped counting them, the sheer scale of the apocalypse was too horrible for her to think about anymore. Was this to be her fate too? Just a few dusty garments to mark her passing on a forgotten dead colony world? She had promised herself she wouldn't take the antidote until she knew for sure that there was no one else alive. She stopped looking for death and ran away looking for life in the only place where she knew she could find it - the Doctor.

The Doctor saw Romana come running towards him. "Did you find anyone?"

"Three children died right in front of my eyes," Romana replied

"I tried to help that man." The Doctor pointed over to where he had left the unhappy man. "I guess he didn't drink the antidote I left him in time."

"We have to leave," Romana insisted. "There's too much death here for anyone to deal with."

"You reminded me that we have to try Romana, we can do no less." The Doctor led the way towards the next village. "This is a relatively small colony world. It shouldn't take us more than a year to scour every inch of its surface."

"These people don't have a year Doctor, and neither do we."

"Never the less we have to try," the Doctor started walking. "I'm told that we're close to the Chinese themed sector. We can go and look at the dragons if you like."

They wandered far and wide over the immediate lands but they didn't find another single living being where there was once one billion people. The plants and animals seemed to vanish in front of their eyes as if they were draining down into the ground. Finally the two Time Lords drank one flask each of the solution and left the remains on the ground outside of the TARDIS. When the TARDIS dematerialised one of the flasks was blown over by the wind and it landed on a small square of flattened grass, which had been left under the time machine.

A Million Years From Now

The curator for the historical museum of alien xenobiology stopped outside the exhibit of perhaps the most mysterious species. "The people we call Duemarrns are a most curious and puzzling enigma. We have no idea what killed them or how it happened. All we know of this dead civilisation are facts gleaned from a few records we have managed to decipher and a lot of educated guess work on the items we have discovered. Who were they? How did they live? Did they live like us or where they totally alien to us? Some of these questions we may never know, but we'll never stop asking them until we do find some answers to them." The curator moved onto the next exhibit, not noticing that two members of the group had stayed behind to look at the exhibit.

The tall man, dressed in an oversized burgundy coat and matching scarf, looked solemnly at the few scant remains. "Do you remember?" he asked his blonde haired companion.

"Yes," the slender woman in the pink coat replied, with a lot of sadness in her voice. "I remember it all, like it was yesterday." Her frown was etched into her face as if it had been carved from stone by a renaissance sculptor.

The man put his hands on the woman's shoulder. "We did our best to help them Romana."

The woman put her hand softly over the man's and patted it twice. "I know Doctor, I know."

"Look at that." The Doctor pointed to a small image. "That's a forest. I thought everything had died off."

"Me too," Romana replied. "Perhaps we managed to save something after all."

"Perhaps, but it's never enough is it?"

"No, no it's not." Romana paused for a brief second when she had a sudden thought. "I wonder if there's dandelions there Doctor?"

"We can only hope Romana. Never give up on hope or we give up on everything. We should leave." The Doctor pointed over to the TARDIS. "I want to go somewhere that has some life on it."

"Earth?" Romana suggested. "We can take K-9 for a walk."

"Earth," the Doctor confirmed as he unlocked the TARDIS doors and they walked inside. Seconds later the box and its inhabitants were as distant a memory as the civilisations displayed as exhibits in the museum.