Saturday 10 April 2010

TTV Series Episode 8: Judgement Day

“Crystal, can you see smoke coming from the console?”

Crystal looked up at the Doctor, who was spinning around the console, running his eyes over circuits and knobs and metal and wood, searching for the origins of the smoke that was slowly filling up the TARDIS. There were footsteps to the left of one of the coral arches, and Catherine Howard entered the room, showing off her ‘21st Century’ look.

“What do you think?” she asked. “And you call these jeans? I’ve never worn trousers before; it’s quite a strange experience.”
“You look great,” Crystal smiled.
“Is something wrong with the TARDIS?” Catherine continued. “It seemed to be acting queer when we visited the Spiral Galaxy, and there’s an awful lot of smoke coming from that box down there.”

She pointed at a small black box, and the Doctor raced around to pick it up. He shook it, and examined it with his brainy specs firmly squashed onto his face.

“Why didn’t I see that before?” he muttered. “Ooh, it’s a transporter box – it’s taking us somewhere! Hold tight!”

He clutched the console as the TARDIS began to move, dematerialising from its position on Earth and spinning through the vortex, as if some force was pulling it along. Catherine fell to the floor, and grabbed the console, as Crystal clung to the chair she was perched on. Suddenly the fierce movements stopped, and the TARDIS settled. The Doctor climbed to his feet, and headed towards the door.

“We’re here,” he announced. “Wherever here might be.”

He stepped out into a white room, and looked around. He saw several white tables, and white walls leading off to white corridors.

“It’s very white,” he called.
“Really wha – oh,” Crystal muttered, as she stepped out of the TARDIS. “Really really white.”
“What is this place?” Catherine asked, following behind.
“Welcome,” a voice hissed. “You are in the realm of the Death Collectors.”

Crystal had heard that name before. She frowned, trying to think where, until she remembered – Finley Bradford had warned her about the Death Collectors. They despised all immortals, and used golden gates that looked like heaven to trap people in dark worlds of pain. They had almost captured Crystal, but Finley had sacrificed himself and she’d remained safe.

“I think we should get out of here,” she whispered.
“Good idea,” Catherine replied.

She turned to head back into the TARDIS, but it had disappeared.

“Where’s the TARDIS?” she asked sharply.
“Follow me, and you’ll find it,” the voice replied.

Catherine turned to see a figure wearing a grey cloak. Beneath it she could make out skeletal wings, and sharp claws. It beckoned to her and the others, and led the way down the corridor.

“Looks like we’ll have to follow,” the Doctor said. “Come on.”

He led the way, ignoring Crystal’s look of fear. He remembered her description of the Death Collectors’ gate, and how they hated all immortals. Both Crystal and Catherine were immortals – so what would they do to them? The Doctor didn’t want to let on, but he was terrified for their lives. After several corridors and stairs, the group reached a courtroom, which was completely white, and filled with Death Collectors.

“Nice courtroom,” he called to the room. “I’m noticing an absence of wigs, however. Real courts have wigs.”
“Sit,” the Judge-like Death Collector hissed.
“Yes sir,” the Doctor saluted, perching his bottom on a bench. “Or is it madam? No offence, but you all look the same.”

The Death Collector ignored the last remark, and pointed at Catherine, indicating that she should sit down also. As Catherine sat down next to the Doctor, Crystal followed suit. The Judge however, shook his head, and motioned towards a separate seat. Nervously, Crystal headed towards the separate seat, which seemed to be in some sort of defendant’s box. All along the right wall were Death Collectors, sat in the Jury area.

“You all know why we’re here today,” the Judge began. “So let’s get this over with quickly. Yes, Doctor?”
“We actually don’t know why we’re here, your honour,” the Doctor said. “I’ve always wanted to say your honour, it kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? Feels like I should’ve done it in an American accent – you’re honour.”
“We’re here to judge Crystal Harris,” the Judge sighed. “As you all know, she is an immortal, and after six weeks of becoming one, we must judge them. If they are contributing to society, they are allowed to remain alive, but if they are not, they join us in the Doomsworld.”
“Doomsworld?” Catherine asked.
“Our world of pain,” the Judge explained. “It’s lovely, really. I see that you are also an immortal. How long has she been an immortal?”
“About a week,” the Doctor said.
“Then you’ve got five more weeks before we judge you too,” the Judge hissed. “Now, let us continue… I call to the stand, Crystal Harris!”

Crystal stood up from her seat, and moved to face the Death Collectors in the Jury area. One Death Collector stood up, and moved down the white steps to join her.

“Now, Crystal, tell us about your role in society,” the Questioner said.
“My… my role?” Crystal stammered. “Well… I travel with the Doctor, and Catherine, and…”
“So you have no job?” the Questioner asked.
“No,” Crystal shook her head. “But we stop aliens, we save lives, liberate planets, and…”
“You murder aliens?”
“No, we stop them,” Crystal said.
“Let me refer you to evidence A,” the Questioner smiled. “Roll the tape.”

Part of the white wall to the right of Crystal flipped around, revealing a screen. On it, the Doctor fought his way through crowds of people, before shooting Rumpleton.

“This was the day Catherine Howard joined you in the TARDIS, was it not?”
“Yes,” Crystal nodded.
“And did the alien hunter known as Rumpleton die on this day?” the Questioner asked.
“Well, yes,” Crystal said. “But…”
“I refer you to your previous statement – ‘no, we stop them’, in which you were referring to the aliens you encounter. You told me you don’t murder aliens, and yet here –”
“And let me refer you to evidence B,” the Doctor called out, standing up. “Please show the court our encounter with the Judoon. Do you see us murder any Judoon operatives, despite their attempts to harm us?”
“The court will not view evidence presented to it by someone other than a Death Collector,” the Judge shouted. “Now sit down, Doctor.”

Catherine took the Doctor’s hand, and pulled him back into his seat. He sighed, and continued to watch the interrogation.

“Now, let me remind you of your previous statement,” the Questioner said to Crystal.
“And what statement would that be?” Crystal asked.
“‘We save lives’,” the Questioner replied. “Let me show you evidence B. No, wait, it’ll have to be labelled evidence C now. Doctor, you have messed everything up!”
“Sorry,” the Doctor grinned.

On the screen, Crystal pulled Acerronia Polla by the hand. The two were attempting to escape from the oarsmen that were trying to kill Agrippina.

“Halt!” Acerronia cried. “I am Agrippina!”

Crystal gasped as the oarsmen began to run at Acerronia. There was a cracking of bone, and a splash, and Acerronia was dead.

“Tell me,” the Questioner said. “Did you not allow Acerronia Polla to die?”
“She saved our lives!” Crystal protested. “She did what she thought was right.”
“And what about your previous statement, ‘we save planets’?” the Questioner asked.
“We’ve never destroyed a planet, or let one be destroyed,” Crystal frowned.
“Play evidence… what is it now? C and D? Or D and E? Anyway, play evidence D!”

Crystal looked at the screen once more, and saw the Earth burn in a ball of flames, near the recently destroyed sun.

“I object!” the Doctor cried, standing up.
“Sit down, Doctor,” the Judge sighed.
“But that was a historical event; we had no control over what happened!”
“The Jury have noted your comments,” the Judge replied. “Now sit down!”

The Doctor sat down once more, next to a worried Catherine. The Questioner called for evidence E, and the screen changed once more. This time, Crystal was hanging, mid air, and a large hurricane was whipping up around her.

“Is this not the occasion when you became a poltergeist?” the Questioner asked.
“Yes,” Crystal muttered.
“And can we not clearly see you destroying the Earth?”
“That’s a little extreme,” Crystal protested. “It was only a little hill, and the buffet tables were fine! And you seem to be forgetting the fact that this was my own funeral.”
“Nonetheless, the Jury have to take into account the facts,” the Question said.
“Would the Jury please decide?” the Judge called. “Guilty, or not guilty?”
“To be or not to be?” the Doctor muttered.
“What?” Catherine whispered back.
“Oh, it was a bit after your time,” the Doctor sighed. “Shakespeare?”

Catherine shook her head, not recognising the name, and returned her attentions to the Jury. One of them stood up, and read from a white scroll.

“All this white’s hurting my eyes,” the Doctor said.
“We have reached a verdict,” the Death Collector announced. “The Jury have decided that Crystal Harris is… GUILTY!”

To Be Continued...

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