Chapter Text
Memoirs Of A Lost Companion
by Charles Mento
PROLOGUE - THE HAUNTED HOUSE
A doctor with a large eye piece on over his head in white smock, red with blood, laughed out at a passing chair. His nurse, a white haired witch, no teeth, just blooded gums, screeched out at a new green car passing. A large board stumped out at the car and on it was a giant
white ghost with the head of a giant spider and the legs sprouting out of its ears, all eight, four on either side.
The cars passed. The lights went bright in the haunted house ride, then dimmed even more. A voice from the ride operator. "Doctor, oh doctor," it said, "We have a delay."
The nurse said, "Probably just another short."
"Did you say short?" A new gravely voice echoed.
The doctor said, "Hey, is someone in there? Don't panic, we'll get you out soon enough. Just stay in your seat."
Neither could see beyond the area the voice echoed from but it came from where new cars should come. A green car turned rapidly around a corner and came at them. A hand rose and in it, a knife. The two ride operators backed away, called for their co workers. But while they watched the knife, they didn't see the short thing's other hand which fired death at them.
"Indiana Beach offers something for every member of the family with amusement rides, shows, shops, water for swimming, floating, or thrills on our water slides, a sand beach, a lake cruise, miniature golf, a haunted castle, shooting galleries, dancing, food, music, fine dining in the Skyroom, games of skill, amusement game arcades, liquid refreshments or just enjoying the view. There are 26 adult rides and 9 kiddy rides offering a variety of excitement depending on
your desires. The Water Park features 5 tube slides, a speed slide, and a quarter mile long Action River. Ride and Waterpark prices can be tailored to your choice from individual single ride tickets to an all day pass for rides and the Water Park. Our Aqua Theater features an aquatic stunt show 4 times a day from June 12 through August 22. Indiana Beach offers a wide variety of gift, souvenir, and sportswear shopping. The Summer Shop carries the latest in swimwear and summer beach fashions for the entire family. Other shops on the Boardwalk
offer miniatures, collectible dolls, gourmet food items, candy, hand blow glass, hats, T-shirts, and sundries. Night time entertainment features dancing in the Skyroom Restaurant and in the Roof Lounge. A teen disco operates on holidays, Friday, and Saturday nights."
This is the ad he sent me via e mail. My grandparents had the money and I had some desire to go to Indiana. I couldn't tell you why. Perhaps being cooped up here all my life in San Francisco, or at least based here all my life, for when HE showed up with some whacky assistant, I knew it would be travel time. But no, this time, I wanted a normal trip, with someone normal.
Landen Allen was the same age as I, fifteen. I met him on line at the library computer. My grandparents were wary of the computer and didn't want me to have one in my house...back then when I was thirteen. Landen was kind of a bookworm but he was cool. Too cool to let go as a friend. He was always researching something strange and I liked that. Once he needed information about a site in California that was being haunted by a Medevil Knight, or so he said. He seemed to have his seccrets, I seemed to have mine. But he was nice and he flew here to meet my grandparents last year, when we were fourteen. He was diminutive, smaller than I, blond hair, blue eyes, always wore a hooded sweat jacket. His dad, worked for the government as some rep kind of dude to Puerto Rico.
Anyway, Landen was a cool kid and he sent me this ad for this park near where he lived. The park was as nice as the ad said and the weather was nice and cool, at least compared to California heat. To the people here, it was hot though and Landen didn't seem to notice. Landen, not the bravest of souls, strayed me away from the one place I really wanted to visit--the Haunted Castle.
It was getting toward night time when I saw the sign: DON'T FORGET TO VISIT THE HAUNTED CASTLE WHERE YOU CAN MEET THE GOOD DOCTOR AND HIS
NEW ASSISTANTS. This touched something in me. Of course, I knew it couldn't be THE Doctor but there was still something...no, I chastized myself, I would not think of the Doctor, his blue box or that monster who killed my parents, the so called Master. What a joke, Master of nothing, he was, that one. The Doctor saw to that, he did. But...I would see to his death. We rode the car into the haunted castle and rode into...sheer horror...
"Doctor..." Tegan called from the darkness, "This is not Heathrow!!!!"
"No, no," the Doctor's voice floated out from the darkness where the TARDIS, embedded in darkness stood, "No?" He came outside of the TARDIS, "No, it's not, is it?"
"But just what is it?" Tegan asked, in her purple stewardess outfit.
"The dark planet Fargus 6?" The Doctor shrugged.
"It's Earth, Doctor," the young boy's voice called after him.
"Ahhh, Adric, are you sure?"
"We both checked, Doctor," a girl in a brown frilly dress, Nyssa of Traken, followed Adric out of the TARDIS.
"Look, you told me...we've only just left Castrovalva...and you promised to take me back to Earth," Tegan said.
"Well, I have, then, haven't I!" The Doctor smiled and looked Tegan up and down in the face.
"Doctor..." Adric warned.
"Fine, then if this is Earth why is it so...so..."
"Creepy?" Nyssa put in.
"That's the word," Tegan said.
"I don't know but perhaps we're inside a house someplace.."
"Doctor," Adric repeated.
"Once we get out of it, we can find a way to Heathrow..."
"Then we aren't in Heathrow...I bet we're not even on the same continent..." Tegan stamped her foot.
"Now Tegan at least it's Earth and in no time you will be there. We've even probably arrived plenty of time before your plane is to lift off." The Doctor took his hat off and put it in his pocket.
"Doctor," Adric pushed between Tegan and the Doctor.
"Really?" Tegan seemed amiable.
"Yes," the Doctor said, "After all, it is the year...."
"2001 Anno Domini," Adric shut his eyes, waited for the even louder fight that he knew would follow.
"That does it," Tegan yelled, "I am getting away from you, Doctor!"
Tegan stormed off into the darkness.
Adric blinked, "WHERE's she going?"
Nyssa shrugged, "Doctor, don't you think..."
"Both of you stay here," the Doctor strode off after her.
"I am not going to put up with this nonsense, he'll see, I'll get myself back to Heathrow..."
"Tegan, please come back. You're not thinking clearly...again...."
"What?"
"I mean we'll try again! Stop running!"
Tegan turned but as she did, she kept moving and suddenly, still talking, she plunged into darkness as a hole opened up under her. She screamed a short scream so the Doctor knew she hadn't fallen far. He peered over the hole. "Tegan!" Suddenly he was pushed from behind.
"Doctor, what's wrong?" Adric called.
"Doctor, Tegan!" Nyssa yelled.
From the darkness they saw the Doctor's hat and coat moving at them. "Why didn't you answer us, Docccc-gahhhh!"
Like some horrid parody of the Doctor, and wearing their mentor's jacket and hat, came a smelly, disfigured, charred skinned Time Lord. Both Nyssa and Adric knew him. Both gasped, "The Master!"
Adric pulled Nyssa, "Quick inside!"
The Master, his pop eyes looking at them, pointed his tissue elminator at them, "No, need, my son. Whoever you are...and you my dear girl, what a pretty thing. If you go into that infernal hunk of junk...your two friends will die, whoever they are."
"You know who they are, well the man anyway." Nyssa spoke up.
"My dear girl," the Master chuckled, "A man? Is that what you think he is? Is that what he told you?"
"Ahh, yes, the Doctor, a new one again," the decrepit Master laughed.
"What do you want?" Adric asked...., "this time?"
"Not your death, nor even the Doctor's surprizingly enough. After Gallifrey, I long for one thing...to get myself back to...you see," he slimed as he spoke and moved toward them and rounded them out from the TARDIS doors, "No, no, do go in," he ranted, breathing heavily,
"You see...I...want my old mobility..."
"Yes," Nyssa recalled. And recoiled.
"And in this TARDIS is the Doctor's body imprint...with it, I can make myself just like the Doctor, with it I can be the Doctor...with it I can restore myself and all I need is its memory bank of the Doctor, the imprint, and a cell or two from the Doctor. I have but one of those. But..."
"You need someone to operate the entire thing, don't you?"
"Yes," he slurred, "Yes and you..." He pointed a skin flayed hand, bone seen through the shards of hanging flesh, "BOY, will do it!"
Nyssa gasped, "Never!"
"And you will help him, my dear."
"If you bring the Doctor and Tegan here," Adric said, "...first."
"A reasonable request..." He pointed, "But you will bring them here. I will show you where they are."
The trio left. Adam and Landen had been watching from the shadows of a figure of Death, scythe and all. "Now," Adam said. The two had found the shrunken bodies of the fake doctor and nurse, ride operators, here to scare the patrons.
Landen seemed to be thinking, in his own world, mentally concentrating or something. Adam didn't know what. Landen turned to Adam, "Listen, I don't expect you to totally believe me but..."
"No, go on," Adam said.
"Listen, I think there is some kind of force field around this castle."
"How do you know that?"
"One thing at a time, let's get inside that machine..."
"It's called a TARDIS..."
end prologue