Adventure Calendar Day Twenty-Four

Day 24

24th Dec 2011

Read part 3 of Attack of the Snowmen online or print off the pdf version of the entire story! (pdf, 208KB).

Attack of the Snowmen: Part Three

By Mark B. Oliver

The Doctor stood alone, his hoverboard in his hand. First Millie, and now Louie and his Aunty Rachael. All taken, or worse... With the snowman that attacked his companions advancing on his position, he jumped on his board and sped away. He would approach the factory from the woods after all.

Millie held her breath for what seemed like an eternity. The sentry was scanning the immediate vicinity but as she remained hidden in the shadow of the building, it failed to spot her and eventually moved away. She let out her breath, gasping for air, then sprinted across the open terrain and into the relative safety of the woods.

The suited alien, Fasheith, was examining the unconscious man in the makeshift laboratory when another alien entered. With the exception of slightly different facial features he was identical in appearance to Fasheith. Looking up, a quizzical expression passed over his face.

'Where are the others Hazneer?'

'They are still in London concluding negotiations with the Zu'nar, and coordinating a response to the military attacks on our sentries. Your appraisal that it was safe to reveal our presence was premature. The humans on this continent are not yet significantly weakened.' Hazneer's tone was sharp, abrupt. Clearly the two were not friends.

'All twelve of us must be here,' snapped Fasheith ignoring the criticism of his tactical analysis. 'It has taken us decades to get this close to the Time Lord.'

Hazneer considered continuing the argument, but he could deal with Fasheith later if necessary. 'Show me the analysis of the girl.'

Millie was crouched in the dense undergrowth. Red light was being reflected around the trees as the sun started to set. Snowmen sentries. She had only made it about a third of a mile into the forest when she had to seek cover. There were at least six of them patrolling. From the quick glimpses she had dared sneak they appeared to be searching for something - her.

'I have to find the Doctor,' she thought, but she daren't move. The slightest noise would alert the sentries to her presence. Getting colder she settled in. This might be a long wait.

'There's no doubt that chronon energy was present in her body,' said Fasheith. 'After the temporal disturbance was detected several hours ago, I traced the Doctor's craft. An attempt to apprehend him nearby was unsuccessful, but using the girl as a lure is an easier solution.'

'A girl, a human girl,' sneered Hazneer, 'that you let escape.'

'She cannot be far, the sentries will soon capture her. Besides, that may not be necessary.'

'You said yourself that we need her as bait.' Hazneer was becoming more and more exasperated with his colleague.

A cold smile passed over Fasheith's face. 'There's more than one kind of bait.' Both turned as Louie and Aunty Rachael were shepherded into the room by a sentry.

The Doctor was making his way through the trees by foot, carefully avoiding the snowmen that seemed to be everywhere. He brushed passed a dead branch which immediately broke off. He froze as a sharp cracking noise reverberated around the forest.

Rachael's relief upon overhearing that her daughter was alive and free evaporated when the horned aliens strapped her nephew to the evil looking contraption. 'Leave him alone!' she screamed, despite being caught in a beam of light projected from the sentry's eyes. Louie was held tight, exactly where Millie had been less than an hour earlier.

'Observe these readings,' said Fasheith ignoring Rachael as she continuing to plead with them.

'He's only a child,' she implored.

'They show significant improvements over the adult specimen. Greater adaptability, superior skeletal structure that is less prone to damage, and greater resilience. The Zu'nar may wish to modify their order.' Hazneer was impressed by his colleague's findings, but refused to acknowledge it.

'I will alert the rest of the council,' he said simply.

The red glow from the sentries' eyes seemed to be moving off into the distance. 'Now or never,' Millie thought to herself, but as she went to stand something clasped itself around her mouth. How could she have been so foolish! But then whatever was holding her released her gently. She turned and relief flooded through her.

'Doc...' But she fell silent as the Doctor held a finger to his lips. He motioned for her to follow him.

'The Zu'nar are examining your findings,' said Hazneer tersely. Fasheith ignored his tone. He knew the Zu'nar wouldn't be able to resist what they were now able to offer, and he had found the Doctor, the key to their salvation. Geoff Bluth began to stir.

'Another example of the superiority of the younger units,' declared Fasheith. 'The elder human has been unconscious for hours.'

Louie had been listening closely to their exchange and now made himself heard. 'What, you think children are superior to adults? Tell me something new. Every kid on the planet knows that.'

'Which is why the Zu'nar will purchase juvenile specimens of your species.'

'You're going to sell children?'

'Precisely, so we have no need for these decrepit specimens,' said Fasheith indicating Rachael and Geoff. 'Extinguish life!' he ordered the sentry. The man let out an involuntary gasp and Rachael fell to her knees as the sentry moved forward to carry out his instructions.

The Doctor was approaching the side door of the factory. The lock was rusted shut; the sonic wasn't going to work. Rummaging around in his pockets he found a piece of wire, and carefully started to unpick the lock, failing to notice the sentry watching his every move.

'Stop!' commanded Hazneer, and the sentry disengaged. 'Humans are sentimental creatures, the woman may be useful in controlling the boy.' Fasheith nodded in agreement. Rachael was racked with pain, lying on the floor, but alive.

'Oh, Aunty,' said Louie in despair.

'The male is all but dead, remove him,' said Fasheith dispassionately. As the sentry moved to obey, it turned towards Fasheith, silently communicating with him. 'The Doctor is here.'

'Have the sentries apprehend him!' Hazneer barked.

'No, let him think he has the element of surprise, he is coming to us.'

'I'll summon the others.'

The Doctor steadily made his way through the building. Despite the numerous sentries outside there appeared to be none inside, and it was eerily quiet. He heard a faint noise in the distance - a woman in pain - he moved deeper into the structure.

'What do you want with us?' Louie demanded.

'We don't want you, human,' Hazneer replied, 'You're nothing more than a commodity to be bought and sold on the intergalactic markets. And the Zu'nar are willing to pay a very generous price for each batch of 100,000 units.'

'You're going to sell 100,000 people into slavery?'

Both aliens laughed contemptuously. 'We are selling thousands of batches, and will continue to do so indefinitely. We will rotate through your continents in turn so as to ensure a steady supply. By the time the other continents are exhausted, supplies on this continent, Europe, will have replenished. A constant source of income for the Council, and workers for the Zu'nar.'

'But against every known intergalactic law,' interrupted the Doctor who was leaning rather nonchalantly against the open doorway.

'At last we meet, Doctor,' said Hazneer, but the Doctor ignored him as he helped Rachael to her feet.

'Millie?'

'She's safe. Far away from here by now.' The news calmed Rachael; whatever happened to them, her baby girl was going to be OK. Still weak she leaned against the wall for support. The Doctor turned his attention back to the aliens.

'You're Scrollnée; when did you become slave traders?'

'We're not just Scrollnée, we are The Council, their leaders.'

'The Council? But The Council was deposed in a popular uprising years ago. All the members of the council were reported killed as they attempted to flee the planet.'

Hazneer smiled. 'Nearly right Doctor. Our bodies died but we survived.'

'That just makes no sense,' interrupted Louie. 'You're walking and talking. Not many dead folk do that.'

'Our bodies are no more than cadavers animated by our consciousness.'

'You mean...'

Fasheith unbuttoned his suit jacket and pulled open his shirt revealing decaying flesh.

'I thought the Council of the Dead was just a myth, a scary story to tell Scrollnée fawn,' said the Doctor disbelievingly. 'But here you are resorting to petty crime; I wouldn't like to be in your rather shiny black shoes when the Judoon catch up with you.'

'The Judoon are no match for us.'

'Fighting talk, I'll give you that, but a few dead people against an entire planet, and the intergalactic police?'

'We may be few, but our business transactions have provided much wealth, and with wealth comes power. Power to buy advanced weaponry and assemble armies on an unimaginable scale.'

'Still, one nasty fall, and you're not going anywhere,' rejoined the Doctor.

A woman Scrollnée stepped from the shadows.

'Enough!' secure him. More Scrollnée appeared, grabbing hold of the Doctor, strapping him to the machine next to Louie. For dead people they had a very firm grip.

'Killing us won't achieve anything,' Rachael told them as she staggered forward.

The woman observed her. 'Killing you will amuse me no more,' she replied dismissively, 'but when we kill the Doctor, the last of the Time Lords, he will begin to regenerate.' Finally the Doctor understood the full extent of their plan.

'That's why you wanted me. You're going to try to use my regeneration energy to rejuvenate your bodies, to live again.'

'You cheat death Doctor, and now the Council of the Dead will too, we will be reborn! Extinguish life!'

As the machinery was activated, every fibre in the Doctor's body was on fire, he was beginning to lose consciousness, a regeneration imminent. Faint yellow light began to emit from his fingertips which was channeled to the members of the council who stood around him.

As the light began to intensify, a gust of wind swept through the room, a wheezing, groaning sound filling the air. The TARDIS materialized on the far side of the room and Millie stepped out confidently. She was holding an egg-shaped device in her hands. 'Release him, now!'

But the Scrollnée ignored her as they fed on the energy. Realizing they weren't going to comply, Millie pressed a small indentation on the device. The effect was immediate and dramatic.

The yellow light abruptly vanished, and the Scrollnée council screamed in unison. As they fed on the energy they had relaxed their mental holds on their bodies. Without their overriding will to live, the bodies began to twist into grotesque shapes, before collapsing onto the floor. Soon they were no more than dust on the breeze.

'Now that's what I call an entrance, Mills!' exclaimed Louie, as Millie began to release him. Rachael did likewise for the Doctor, before hugging her daughter.

'But how did you pilot the TARDIS?'

'Oh, I didn't, not really. The Doctor gave me a homing device to plug into the console, and as soon as I did the TARDIS dematerialized, bringing me here. And the Doctor just happened to have this little thing,' she said holding up the powerful contraption, 'on him when he found me in the woods.'

'You knew it was the Council of the Dead all along?' asked Louie incredulously.

'I saw a man in a pin-striped suit and bowler hat out of the corner of my eye when we were attacked in the street. Not typical wear these days.'

'So you were just stringing them along, earlier?'

'I needed to give Millie time to reach the TARDIS,' he replied. The Doctor strode over to the Scrollnée's controls. 'A few minor alterations should take care of our unfriendly snowmen.' All across Europe the snowman sentries disintegrated as power surged through their robotic bodies.

'What about the Zu'nar? Aren't they still out there?' asked Rachael.

'To them this was a simple business transaction. I expect the Council told them they had dominion over the Earth. When I appraise them of the situation, they'll withdraw gracefully. They won't want to face the Judoon.' Millie was glancing around.

'Have you seen a man? He's called Geoff - he was being held captive with me.' Her mother's face dropped and Millie thought she was going to cry. 'I told him I'd come back for him.'

'No, no, Millie, it's OK,' said the Doctor. 'I found him discarded in a corridor where he had been left to die, but he's tougher than the Scrollnée gave him credit for. He's alive, Millie.'

Relieved, she smiled. 'We must get him to the hospital,' she declared.

Several days later, the sun had melted the accumulations of snow, and life was slowly returning to normal. Millie and Louie were sat on the swings in the local park with the Doctor, gently rocking back and forth. It was hard to believe everything that had happened.

'So when your parents said I could take you out for a day, I had something a little more exciting in mind,' as he nodded his head towards the nearby TARDIS.

The friends stood on the threshold of the TARDIS, looking out.

'Three, two, one,' counted down the Doctor. And in the blackness of space a brilliant blue lighted erupted on the horizon before a cascade of colors spread out before them.

'The Salcreyan Nebula...' whispered Louie, as the cousins held hands and watched in amazement.

THE END