Episode 1: The New Zygon World Part 4

“Skarasen stop!” a Zygon ordered, “Hold its ropes!” Another Zygon ran around the lake and pulled something near the thing they were building. Zac saw a huge dark shape turn in the water, there was a splash as the thing returned to the watery depths of the lake.

“What was that?” Zac said.
“A monster”, Student Null stammered.
“Did you bring that thing here?” Zac asked.
“We do not answer human questions”, one of the Zygons snarled, “All humans from Yurren are to be captured if they escape”.
“We aren’t from Yurren, so there”, Professor Makensi said lamely.
“You come from that direction”, the Zygon muttered, “We will capture you anyway”.

“We cannot take them to the ship”, another Zygon replied, “Un-arranged teleports are not tolerated. We will have to keep them here”.
“The Skarasen is hungry”, the first Zygon said, “He may not continue to obey our orders, if we keep food here”.
“But they aren’t needed”, the other Zygon said, “If the Skarasen is hungry they can get eaten”.
“We don’t know if they are needed”, the first Zygon muttered, “If they are needed by Commander Zagrafix, then we would get into deep trouble if they are eaten”. Zac, Student Null and Professor Makensi, meanwhile, were still stood in the freezing water. Zac had been thinking of running back the way he’d came, but he thought he’d seen a Zygon moving in the trees.

“Then we shall contact the Commander”, the second Zygon replied, “But if he is unhappy, you will take all the blame for summoning him!”
“If I must”, the first Zygon said coolly and walked back to the thing they were building.


Meanwhile, the Doctor, Georgia and Student Fajartop were walking away from the thicket, into a large clearing, so they could be teleported to the spaceship.
“Excuse me Commander Zagrafix”, the Doctor said, “In a poem which I’ve read, I heard that there was a swamp in this area of the planet”.
“That is correct”, Commander Zagrafix said.
“So, isn’t that all you want”, the Doctor replied, “Why don’t you ask the city if you can have the swamp. I’m sure they’d decide on a peace treaty”.
“The city of Yurren has denied us the swamps of this planet for years”, Commander Zagrafix said, “We no longer want peace with Yurren! We want them all dead”.

“Excuse me”, Student Fajartop began.
“Who is the man?” Zagrafix asked the Doctor.
“I’m Student Fajartop”, Student Fajartop answered.

“STUDENT FAJARTOP!” a scartchy voice came through on Zagrafix’s communication device.
“Zark, what is it now?” Zagrafix said into the communicator.
“Student Fajartop must die”, Zark said from on board the ship, “The poem! The poem!”
“I’m sorry Commander Zagrafix”, Brantok said into the communicator, “High priest Zark is in another of his trances”.
“What does he mean, the student must die?” Zagrafix asked.
“I have no idea”, Brantok said.
“STUDENT FAJARTOP WILL STOP THE INVASION!” Zark said.
“Tell Zark we aren’t killing them”, Zagrafix said into his communicator, “We are taking them to the ship. Teleport us on board!”
“Yes sir”, Brantok obeyed, “Zark, stop that-“ A fizzing noise came through Zagrafix’s communicator.

“What’s going on?” Georgia asked.
“The ships communicator is in sleep mode”, Zagrafix replied. The ship was now above them. Georgia saw that a tentacle like device was coming up of one of the ships sides. At the end of the tentacle was a large hole.

“It’s a biological laser!” the Doctor said, “Get down!”
“They wouldn’t dare fire at us!” Zagrafix shouted. Zagrafix was wrong, a large green light shot out of the tentacle hitting the ground metres from Student Fajartop. The Zygons shrieked and scurried away. Zagrafix dived into a bush. Georgia grabbed the Doctor and began to run, followed by Student Fajartop. Another beam hit a tree, which caught fire. The Doctor kept running for ages, with explosions following them. The ship was trying to kill him or maybe Fajartop…

“How long can we keep this up for?” Georgia asked.
“We need to get inside the protection of the city”, the Doctor said, as they got closer and closer to the city. Georgia saw that the city seemed to be surrounded by a very thin layer of clear ectoplasm. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver as they reached the ectoplasm and a square door appeared in the shielding. The Doctor pulled open the door and ran inside the city, followed closely by Georgia and Fajartop. The explosions suddenly stopped. Georgia looked up at the ectoplasm layer and saw that it was shaking.

“It shouldn’t be shaking”, the Doctor said, “The barriers must have been lowered, that shielding is too thin”.
“What can we do?” Student Fajartop asked.
“We need to get to the President of Yurren!” the Doctor answered, “Quickly, I think it’s this way”.


Zac, Student Null and Professor Makensi had been tied up and blindfolded. Zac could see a bit through his blindfold. He was in a room, and he could see others in the room too. At least five others.
“Who’s there?” Zac asked.
“Me, I’m here and I think Professor Makensi’s next to me”, Student Null said, “I thinks he unconscious”.
“Who are those other people?” Zac asked.

“I am the President of Yurren”, the President said, “Those Zygons stole me weeks ago and they put me here. The other two are my closest colleagues”.
“Someone is posing as you then”, Student Null said, “Unless, you’re a Zygon pretending to be the President”.
“I am not!” the President replied, “But I think there is a Zygon pretending to me. I suppose it doesn’t know my personality very well, so the Zygons replaced my colleagues, so no-one would notice I’d changed”.
“You’re probably right”, Zac said, “Do you have any idea where we are?”

“I think we’re near the lake”, a female voice said, “I’m Shalkoloyp by the way, vice-president”.
“Near the lake”, Student Null interrupted, “I hope we won’t get eaten by that monster”.
“The Skarasen you mean?” the President asked.
“Yeah I think that’s what they called it”, Zac said, but he then fell silent as he heard footsteps. The footsteps got closer and closer. Raised voices were then heard.

“All three of them?” one of the Zygons who had captured Zac said.
“Yes, the idiot Zark went mental when I said I wouldn’t kill the Student”, a new voice said, “He knocked out Brantok, cancelled out teleportation and started firing lasers at Fajartop and the others. When Brantok awoke three other Zygons had locked Zark up in a cell. The Doctor, his companion and Fajartop have got inside Yurren’s protection”.

“But if Zizum is found out as the President, Zagrafix”, the first Zygon said, “Then we shall never get into the city”.
“Then he’d better not fail”, Zagrafix snarled, “So where are they?”
“That one is the Doctor’s companion, I’m guessing”, the other Zygon said, “The other two are the Doctor’s allies”.
“They can all be killed”, Zagrafix snapped.
“No!” Student Null exclaimed, “You can’t kill us!”
“Kill me instead of the young”, the real President shouted. Zac heard a thump and the President exclaimed.
“That’ll teach you to suggest plans!” Zagrafix said to the President, “Feed them to the Skarasen! Before it dies of starvation”.
“It’ll be my pleasure sir”, the first Zygon said and more footsteps were heard. Zac was grabbed from behind and he thought he heard Student Null and Professor Makensi moan, as they were taken too.


Back inside the city the Doctor had reached the President’s headquarters and had marched inside, followed by Georgia and Student Fajartop. The Doctor searched the ground floor for the President, but did not find him. One of the President’s colleagues unhelpfully suggested to check the swimming pool, as the President enjoyed an afternoon swim. The Doctor finally found the President in his office upstairs.
“President!” the Doctor said entering the room.
“What are you doing here?” the President asked, “Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but you need to strengthen your barriers”, the Doctor said.
“They’ve been lowered”, Georgia added. The Doctor ran over to a corner in the room ,where a large machine stood. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and started scanning the machine.

“What are you doing?” the President asked.
“Checking for glitches”, the Doctor replied, “Something must be wrong with the machine”. The Doctor continued to scan the machine. The Doctor then froze.
“What’s up Doc?” Student Fajartop asked.
“The President is what’s up”, the Doctor said turning around, “You’ve lowered the barriers. You aren’t the real President, you’re just pretending to be him!” The Doctor bleeped his sonic screwdriver and the disguise seemed to fade away revealing a sneering Zygon.

“Now, you’ve found me out”, the Zygon said, “There are Zygons surrounding the city, all I need to do is lower the barriers, and they’ll be in”.
“Don’t you dare”, the Doctor said, as the Zygon pushed the Doctor out of the way with his suckered hand. The Doctor fell to the ground stunned.
“What have you done to him!” Georgia shrieked.
“Nothing much”, the Zygon replied pulling a lever, “The city of Yurren is now doomed. This is the new Zygon world! And it is good!”


Back by the lake Zac’s blindfold was removed. Zac was free to walk, but his hands were bound. He was standing on the edge of the lake, ripples were appearing in the water. A Zygon behind him poked him with a stick.
“Walk forward boy!” the Zygon ordered, Zac walked forward into the freezing cold water. Professor Makensi and Student Null watched, scared, from the edge of the lake as the ripples got bigger and a dark shape appeared in the water. A huge, scaly, serpent like creature rose out of the water and faced Zac.


TO BE CONTINUED