TTV Series Episode 11: True Blood

“We’ve delayed for too long!” Seldon Oz sighed. “Bring her in!”
“We really should vote about this,” Vivian Darkwood said. “She was present at Finley’s death…”
“All in favour of Crystal Harris, say I,” Tina Felden smiled.

She stood up, and raised her hand. Seldon also stood up, and raised his hand, as did Dennis Welch. Vivian remained firmly in her seat, as did Mercedes Tiermann.

“I ain’t voting in another white girl,” she muttered.
“Then it’s up to you, Hadrius,” Tina smiled. “What do you say – Crystal Harris, joining the Inner Circle. Are you in, or out?”

Hadrius Andes stood up, and raised his hand. Tina looked triumphant, and sat down, as did her supporters.

“I’m in, and I guess Crystal is too.”

***

The Doctor looked around, and saw Crystal running back to the TARDIS. He raised the Sonic Screwdriver and blasted the control panel. The locks around his wrists broke, and he began to run.

“Crystal, get inside the TARDIS!” he yelled.

She turned around and grinned as the Doctor came racing after her. She looked back at the TARDIS once more as it began to dematerialise.

“What’s going on?” the Doctor cried.
“The TARDIS is leaving without us!” Crystal shouted back.

She reached the TARDIS and pulled the door open. She leapt inside, and heard the Doctor enter just as it disappeared.

“What’s going on?” Crystal asked as she climbed to her feet.
“I dunno,” the Doctor frowned, leaping around the console. “The TARDIS is being taken somewhere.”
“Ooh, a mystery,” Crystal grinned.

The TARDIS ground to a halt, and the Doctor headed over to the doors. Crystal followed, and together, hand in hand, they stepped out of the TARDIS.

“Hang on,” Crystal frowned. “I’ve been here before…”
“The Inner Circle,” the Doctor nodded. “Ah, here we go.”

He nodded towards a doorway as Tina stepped through it. She smiled at the pair, and led the way to the main room. As they entered, they looked at the five faces sitting down at the table.

“As you can see,” Tina indicated, sitting down at her place at the table. “One seat is empty.”
“Finley Bradford,” Crystal nodded. “He died to save my life.”
“And we’ve decided to let that go unpunished,” Vivian said. “But we need a new member to fill the seat he left behind.”
“I guess you’re lucky you didn’t kill me before then,” Crystal shot back.
“We want you to fill this seat,” Seldon continued. “We all voted, and there was a majority in favour of having you.”
“You mean there’s nobody else,” the Doctor laughed. “No other immortals.”
“When you put it like that, we do sound pretty bad,” Dennis admitted.
“The point is, Doctor, we need someone to fill this seat,” Hadrius said.

He waved a hand, indicating two seats against a wall. The Doctor took the chairs and set them beside the table, sitting in one. Crystal sat in the other, and glared at the members of the Inner Circle.

“I didn’t vote for no girl,” Mercedes frowned. “Does anyone really want girl to join us? I liked Finley.”
“I didn’t want her to join,” Vivian sighed.
“That’s settled then,” the Doctor smiled. “We’ll be leaving.”

He stood up, but Hadrius also rose. Crystal took the Doctor’s hand and pulled him back down.

“What would it mean if I joined you?” Crystal asked.
“You would sit with us at the table,” Tina smiled. “And we would all make decisions involving the Inner Circle of life itself.”
“Which involves?”
“The Death Collectors for one thing,” Hadrius said. “I heard they killed a good friend of yours. If you joined us, we could protect you, and your family, and the Doctor.”
“But I wouldn’t be able to travel with him anymore,” Crystal realised.
“We all have to make sacrifices,” Hadrius nodded. “But your life would improve greatly; you wouldn’t have to worry about the Death Collectors anymore.”

Crystal thought back to Catherine Howard, who was in the Salvation Realm right now because of her.

“But Catherine wouldn’t have ended up in the Salvation Realm if she hadn’t been travelling in the TARDIS – she would have just drifted, her life was better with us!”
“Be quite Doctor,” Hadrius snapped.
“Or what?” the Doctor asked.

Hadrius raised his hand, and the Doctor disappeared. Crystal screamed and pushed the chairs out of the way. She ran to the other side of the room, but the door slammed in her face.

“Let me go!” she screamed. “Bring the Doctor back, now!”
“I’m afraid we can’t do that,” Hadrius said. “Join us or we will force you to join us.”
“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” Crystal cried, falling to the floor. “Just tell me where the Doctor is, and I’ll join you. I want to know that he’s okay.”
“The TARDIS and the Doctor have been transported to Earth,” Hadrius replied.
“They will be safe,” Tina smiled. “That’s all that matters. Now, come and join us at the table. Crystal – it’s in your blood. Your true blood – you belong with us!”

Crystal hesitated, and moved towards the table. Just as she was about to sit down, the TARDIS materialised behind her. She stepped back, smiling as the Inner Circle rose from their seats, horrified. The TARDIS doors opened, and the Doctor leaned out.

“Come on Crystal, let’s go,” he said angrily.
“Doctor… Please…” Tina began.
“Enough!” the Doctor shouted. “You’ve made this old Time Lord angry. Now leave my friend alone.”

Crystal hurried into the TARDIS, terrified of the angry Doctor. Five of the Inner Circle sunk into their seats – but Hadrius remained standing.

“Leave, Time Lord,” he said. “And never come back.”

The Doctor shut the doors to the TARDIS, and it dematerialised. Hadrius looked at the other members, and spat onto the table.

“There are gonna be some changes around here,” he announced angrily. “The Inner Circle is going public. Alert the Death Collectors.”
“They won’t act,” Vivian stammered. “The Doctor has Madame Rene on his side.”
“Then we’ll take Madame Rene out,” Hadrius replied. “Leave Crystal Harris to the Death Collectors; and leave Madame Rene to me.”

The End