So I finally dreamed of my latest person of some fame.

In the dream, we met because somehow we were both signed up for the same art course, which ran classes at different times but featured an art show at the end that combined all classes. We set up for the show right next to each other and talked. I admitted that I hadn’t made some of my art myself, that the teacher had for some reason given us the option to pay others to do some of it. (What kind of art class was this?) Then I turned to him and asked “Is art real?” And he laughed a little and gave me a smile, then kissed the top of my head. In that moment I knew we were friends and that I could trust him. So I said “I love you” because that’s just how I feel about my really close friends. I knew I’d be understood. Then I woke up.

The world is weird. The chances of meeting this person are not zero.

Then again yeah they are, I’m ridiculous. So what does it mean? I like connecting. I want the opportunity to be close to someone I find who is like me. Is he like me? Probably not. Not very many people are. Is that ok? Well it’s ok for now.

Should I have this conversation with someone though? Is art real?

“Careful Nac watch her head!”
“I’ve got it Fen. Put the blanket over her.”
“Is Werdna getting water?”
“No I sent him to fetch Nibuz.”
“How in Robrana is she not frozen? There’s a blizzard out there!”

Miriam opened her eyes. The voices belonged to a pair of average-looking people, except their hands seemed wrong somehow. Her eyes were misty, adjusting themselves. She’d been thrilled to receive Marie’s call that morning that the Doctor wanted to do “something normal, like waterskiing or mountain climbing”. They settled on a museum visit. Then he touched something and all hell broke loose. She tried to sit up now.

“Easy, easy. Take it slow. My name is Nac. This is Fen.” As he gestured, Miriam saw why their hands looked so strange. Both of them had six fingers on both hands. Miriam turned her focus away from their hands. Nac had a quietly determined face and brownish hair. Fen had more years evident in his hair, which was gray, than in the look of his face, which was youthful. Miriam wondered where on earth- no, off earth probably- she was. Fine for the Doctor to marvel at some well-preserved alien artifact! But why did he HAVE to poke at it? The whirlwind it created was slowly dragging them all in, and the last thing she remembered after the Doctor yelled at them to stay well back, was yelling in return, “WE COULD’VE STAYED HOME FOR TEA!!”

“Where am I?” she asked Fen.
“In our teahome. We found you outside.”
So. Home for tea indeed. Alien voice-activated tech she supposed. Or something. How the hell was she going to get home?

“Where did you come from?” Nac asked.
“I’m not sure…far away,” Miriam said, finding herself again staring at their hands.
“Where is she?” came a voice. Another six-fingered person entered and knelt beside Miriam. He had a heavy brow and dark hair that looked like it wanted to become unruly.
“I’m Nibuz. Are you in any pain?”
Miriam responded in the negative. “Uh uh,” she said.
“What’s your name?”
“Miriam.”
“Miriam. I’d like to examine you to make sure nothing’s hurt. Is that alright?”
“Yes,” said Miriam.

When Nibuz got to Miriam’s hands someone gasped. The new voice said, “What happened to her?” The new person must have been Werdna. He looked very young. His lips were faintly pursed in concern, or was this a habitual facial feature?
“My hands have been like this all my life,” Miriam managed to say.
“Guys! I have something fantastic to tell you,” a fifth voice noisily proclaimed. Boyish, with a sharp jawline, the newest arrival caught sight of Miriam and seemed startled to find her there.
“Hepsoge, tea will be late today,” Nac said, addressing the fifth person.
“Who is she?” Hepsoge demanded, staring at Miriam’s hands. To Miriam he blurted suddenly, “Did the Quinity send you?”
“NO. I am NOT from the Quinity!” Miriam said forcefully. Her mind began to race. If they misidentified her as a member of the Calexa Quinity it could be very dangerous for her. The Quinity themselves tried to kill her entire neighborhood. Actions like that were bound to make some enemies.

“Alright, Werdna, with me- everyone else- out,” said Nibuz authoritatively, herding the other three to the door. Before the door closed, Hepsoge stopped him and the two exchanged words briefly.
Werdna, who was sitting next to Miriam, said, “You’ll have to forgive Hepsoge. He’s got his pet theories on what the Quinity wants. He can go a little overboard at times.”
“Why does he think I’m from the Quinity? Because of this?” Miriam held up her five-fingered hand.
Werdna turned slightly red and said, “I’m sorry. I’m sure people have given you grief all your life about being different. That must’ve been hard for you. But no, I think he just imagines the Quinity drives everything.”

Nibuz joined them, adding, “We talk a lot at tea about this. Understanding the direction of the Quinity is a complex process. But our strength lies in figuring it out together. It’s what separates us from the culters.”
“The culters?” Miriam asked. Nibuz and Werdna exchanged confused looks.
“Are we the only Quinity you know?” Nibuz asked.
“You’re Quinity!??” Miriam said beginning to feel frightened. “I should go. I’ve taken enough of your time.” Was she babbling too obviously? How could she get away and where could she go?

“‘Buz,” said Werdna softly, “What if the only Quinity she knows are the culters?” Turning to Miriam, Werdna said, “Don’t worry. We aren’t going to hurt you. You can come and go as you please. We just want to make sure you’re alright.”
“Can I go outside and look around? I’ve got to know where I am, so I can figure out how to get home,” Miriam asked, trying to gauge their reactions. Could she trust them?
“How are you feeling now?” Nibuz asked. “Because if standing up doesn’t bother you, walking around should be alright, only it’s very cold out. Werdna, can you go with her? There’s an extra jacket in the closet she can wear. Don’t be gone too long.”

As they went out, Nac passed them. He closed the door separating the two rooms so he and Nibuz were alone.
“Who is she Nibuz?” Nac asked.
“I don’t know, but she doesn’t seem to know anything about the purposeful Quinity.”
“A free soul?”
“Or a culter.”
“What would a culter be doing here?”
“What would a free soul be doing here? Just do me a favor and tell the others not to overwhelm her. Physically she’s fine, but I’m worried about her mental state. She may be suffering a memory loss from some kind of shock. And if she is a culter, it’s very possible she’s run away or is being shunned.”
Nac nodded. “I’ll talk to the others.”

Werdna took Miriam outside into the overcast dim of early evening. It was light in the yard when they found her, but now it grew darker by the minute. The light from the teahome glinted off snow covering the ground. Every now and then the wind gusted small specks of it at them. How in Robrana did they manage to find her unharmed in this weather? Werdna wondered. “Were you getting a little claustrophobic in there?” he asked.
“Hoping a little fresh air might clear my head,” Miriam said.
“I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Miriam,” Werdna said. “All of us will. Promise.”
Miriam was silent in thought. Finally she said decisively, “Ok. There’s someone I need you to help me find.”
“You mean someone else might be lost out here?”
“I honestly don’t know. I came here by accident. The same accident may have carried him here.” Miriam wondered how much she could reveal. Did they travel between planets?
“There wasn’t any sign of another person where we found you,” Werdna said.
“How do you send messages?” Miriam asked. Maybe she could call the Doctor?
“We have the voice-to-voice,” Werdna said, indicating a small device that fit over his ear. He took a spare from his pocket and handed it to Miriam to try. “But that’s only short range. Would your friend be able to respond to a broadcast?”
“I think so.”
“Then let’s go back inside. I’ll have Fen set one up. Come on.”

Once back inside, they brushed off snow in the entryway. It was empty besides another six-fingered person Miriam hadn’t met yet. Brown curly hair, and an easy smile, he greeted them. “I’m Golarob. Are you here for tea?”
“Miriam is our guest today. Golarob I need to go upstairs with Fen. Keep her company can you?”
“Of course,” said Golarob. Turning to Miriam he said, “It’s nice to have guests. Where are you from?”
“Nowhere you’ve ever heard of I expect.”
“It’s ok. I like hearing about far off places.”
“I come from Earth. Do you know it?”
“No. Do you have Quinity there?”

Miriam considered how to answer. Golarob’s face showed genuine interest. His manner was content and relaxed, suggesting not a stranger, but a close friend of many years. It was almost like he was waiting for her to be herself. Miriam took the risk. “We have no Quinity on my world. But my boyfriend met them once. It was terrifying. They nearly killed him, and a lot of other people too.”
“Your first experience with Quinity was the Calexa? Oh I’m so sorry,” Golarob said. “The Calexa are- misguided.”
“But you’re Quinity too?”
“Yes. Does that worry you? I can see how it must.”
“What separates you from Calexa then?”
“We care about life. We define ourselves using the five principles instead of letting someone else define them for us. The weekly tea is our quest for it. Calexa never even look; stuck in their dusty scrolls! I can promise you the Quinity here is peaceful and open. You’re from off-world right? You’re the second one today.”
“Is the other one still around?” Miriam asked breathlessly.
“He went upstairs.” Golarob barely got the sentence out but Miriam was already sprinting up the steps. “Thank you!” she called over her shoulder.

Someone was at the top of the stairs with his back to her. Someone with five-fingered hands. “Doctor?” Miriam said. He turned. It was the Doctor. Except it wasn’t the one she’d left in the museum with Leon. “Miriam! It’s been so long! How are you? No wait. Hang on. You’re still here. Why haven’t you returned?”
“I don’t know how I got here. How could I possibly get myself back?”
“But you came back all those years ago.”
“Well I HAVEN’T.”
“Minor problem! I’ll get you back. Or I will. I’m sure of it. If I could just find the TARDIS…”
“You’ve lost the TARDIS too!”
“Look at the big picture! Obviously you do get back unharmed.”
“What about all that ‘time can be rewritten’ stuff?”
“When did I say that? (Why am I always saying things?)”
“OH!” Miriam vocalized her frustration.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but is this the friend I’m supposed to find?” Fen asked.
“Unfortunately,” Miriam grumbled. Just then a tremor shook the room. The force was surprising but not injurious. The shudder ended. “What happened?” asked Miriam.
“Oh that’s normal. It’s more an annoyance than anything,” said Nibuz.
“So you often get seismic activity here?” asked the Doctor.
“Electric, not seismic.” Fen corrected him. “The electric activity in this zone interacts with the structure. We get those vibrations pretty regularly. As the oid approaches they get stronger.”
“And what’s the Oid?”
“It’s just a cleanup satelloid. It drags in garbage from other satellites to keep planetary pathways clear,” said Fen.
“Anything about it seem weird to any of you?” the Doctor asked them.
“Well now that you mention it-“ Hepsoge began.
The others groaned collectively and one of them threw a pillow at Hepsoge.
“If anything unusual has been happening you need to tell me about it. Don’t leave out any details,” the Doctor said.

Hepsoge looked helplessly at the others. Finally Nibuz said, “Go on ‘Soj. Share your theory. I’ll keep quiet.” Nibuz folded his arms and waited.
Hepsoge took a breath and said, “I think, there’s a presence in the Oid. I think the electrical signals it generates are a form of communication. There’s something big, something really important here…usually people cut me off by now. Why haven’t you?”
“It’s because I believe you. Please go on.”
Hepsoge let out a sigh and said in a rush, “I know it’s impossible, but once, when I was a child, the Oid sang to me as it passed overhead. Then we moved and I wasn’t in its path any longer. And now it’s nearby and, well, the others all think I’m being ridiculous, but I sense it’s calling me. Like maybe the Quinity itself has a message for me. I set up a program to monitor the electrical signals.  I just haven’t been able to decode-”

Nibuz got to his feet. “Wait, ‘Buz!” Hepsoge protested.
“Did I say anything? I said nothing!” Nibuz said a little too loudly, walking out. Fen followed him into the other room.
“I don’t know what to do with him, Fen,” Nibuz murmured.
“You think we need to do anything?” asked Fen.
“He cannot go around asking people if the Quinity sent them just because he craves a moment of divinity. The Quinity calls us to serve by loving others. Everything we do bends to that love. But earlier today? How was frightening that poor off-worlder showing her love? Hepsoge thinks the Quinity is going to talk to him. The Oid is just the latest manifestation. You can’t tell me that doesn’t frighten you. It must.”
“I know you worry the Calexa may target him. Nibuz, he’s smarter than that.”
“It’s not about smart,” said Nibuz.
“You know what I mean. He won’t join the culters.”

“I would never.”

Fen and Nibuz turned to see Hepsoge standing in the doorway.
“‘Soj. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“I would NEVER join the Calexa. They don’t have what I want and I don’t want what they have. You guys are my Quinity. You know that ‘Buz. I just want to hear the call. As we all do.”
“Come on. Let’s have tea,” Fen said.

Fen opened the door and found the Doctor waiting just on the other side. Looking past Fen, the Doctor said. “Ah, Hepsoge, would you show me that program you mentioned?”
“Won’t you be joining us for the ceremony?” asked Hepsoge.
“I came here because I was tracking the electrical signals too. I want a look at what you’ve recorded. I’ll be very quiet,” implored the Doctor.
“We already have me and Miriam as thumbs anyway,” said Golarob.
“As what?” said Miriam.
“It means we sit in the middle with the others around us for the tea ceremony. Sometimes Quinities have an extra and that’s me. But today we are both thumbs.” Golarob gave Miriam a double thumbs up. “thumb,” he whispered.
“I’ve got the saucers antigravved in case the tremors keep up,” Nac announced. He moved to set eight teacups in the air for them.
“Come here and sit down. I’m so glad you came,” Golarob said to Miriam. They arranged themselves into a circle cross-legged on the floor; five around two, with the Doctor a few feet away, softly clicking keys of the keyboard.

“Let’s begin,” said Nac.

They spoke in turns, one after another-

“Spark. Electricity. The something that drives us.”

“Knowledge. We seek to expand ourselves.”

“Quiet. When we breathe. When we listen. We are.”

“Growth. Connection. We bend to one another.”

“Water. We find our way. We make our way.”

“Thumb. Fingers curl around. I am a thumb.”

Golarob seemed remarkably happy with his pronouncement. His smile lit the others’ faces with smiles in turn and each one reached forward to clap him on the shoulders affectionately. They greeted Miriam warmly in the same fashion.
“We seek the Quinity. We are the Quinity,” they all said.

“Breathe with us,” Golarob whispered. All of them breathed deeply and exhaled. “We drink the tea of the universe,” they said together.
After the full length of a moment, Golarob turned to Miriam. “Tea?” he asked, reaching out and plucking one of the cups from out of the air. Over Golarob’s shoulder Miriam could see the Doctor still working at the computer. Without looking away from the screen he reached across to take a floating teacup and briefly drink from it, before placing it back on the still floating saucer. Miriam sipped hers. She was on the point of asking Golarob what came next in the ceremony when another tremor shook the room.
“YES!” said the Doctor. “There! There it is! Come and see! Quickly!”

Puzzled, they got to their feet and went to join the Doctor in staring at the computer screen. Fen was the first to react.
“That’s that’s- it should be impossible!”
“Doesn’t seem to be stopping it,” said the Doctor.
“This wasn’t here before. It was just static,” said Nibuz.
“This is language,” Werdna said at last.
“Not just that. The Oid is speeding up,” Nac said.
“It’s designed to slow and eventually crash, but not to speed up. How were you even able to fine tune the program? And hang on, language? ‘Soj, you were right! ‘Soj I’m sorry,” Nibuz said, hardly knowing which thought to follow first.

Hepsoge didn’t answer. Standing a pace back from the others, he looked stunned. His breath came in gasps.
“I tweaked the program a bit, added an algorithm, fixed a bug,” the Doctor was saying.
Miriam ignored the others to stand near Hepsoge. His eyes were closed. “Hepsoge?” Miriam said.
“Shhh,” he said.

“What is all this information? Coordinates? Instructions?” Fen muttered, chewing his fingertips in concentration.

Hepsoge turned to Miriam and quietly, excitedly spoke to her. “Come with me?” His eyes blazed with emotion. Miriam glanced at the Doctor, who gazed evenly at her, awaiting her decision. Miriam took the risk. No one else saw them leave. They slipped noiselessly out to a stairwell and began climbing. They gained the third floor which opened to the roof. The sky was darkening and snowflakes drifted around them. Neither had brought a jacket. “How long are we going to be out here?” asked Miriam, shivering.
“Oh! I’m not thinking straight!” Hepsoge said giddily. He peeled off his sweater and handed it to Miriam to wear.
“What about you?” she asked. He now wore no shirt except a thin short-sleeved thing.
“I won’t need it,” Hepsoge answered.

The snow swirled around them not so much falling as circling. “She seemed to think this would look pretty cool.”
“What would? Tell me what’s going on. Don’t frighten me!”
“Never!” Hepsoge turned and took both Miriam’s hands. “This is my apology for doing just that, so please don’t have any fear. It’s the Oid. She wants me and I have to go to her. The Doctor knows, I think. The others will try to stop me, but I need someone to witness this. Tell them, tell them-“ but Hepsoge shook his head.

The snow was no longer spiraling; instead it jittered in place, not quite falling or rising. Miriam followed Soj’s gaze to a string of what appeared to be dots floating in the air. “Those are for me,” Hepsoge said, smiling. “Stay right here. Any closer and the variable gravity will take you. Goodbye Miriam.” As Miriam watched, Hepsoge took three running steps and launched into the air. At the apex of his leap, instead of landing back on the roof, he hung suspended in the air, with the snow around him. Then slowly he began to drift upwards. The snow sailed after him, dancing as it went. The dots, which were in fact tiny spheres, had approached closer, and arranged themselves in a line above Hepsoge. A trail for him to follow. He reached the first one and touched it with a foot. It met and resisted him, allowing him to propel upward. The spheres were a path of stepping stones. Miriam could just hear his laughter as he jumped from one to the next. Each one crumbled to dust as he pushed off. Faster and faster he ascended, growing smaller against the sky.

“She’s here!” Miriam heard a voice behind her say. The other five finally realized where she and Hepsoge went and came up to find them. The Doctor was with them. “What are you doing up here?” Nibuz asked her.
“Look!” Miriam responded. They all looked up to see the vanishingly tiny dot that was Hepsoge.
“Is that the Oid?” Fen asked. “Where’s Hepsoge?” asked Werdna.
“He’s gone,” answered Miriam.
“Gone? Gone where?”

“You knew he was going to do this,” said Miriam to the Doctor. “Why didn’t you stop it?”
“You told me not to.”
“I haven’t.”
“You will.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Don’t know. Maybe it isn’t over yet.”

“Where’s Hepsoge?” asked Werdna again.
“Gone to the Oid,” said the Doctor.
“I, he’s, what?” Nibuz stammered.
Fen began frantically trying his voice-to-voice, “‘Soj, come in. Hepsoge respond!”
The Doctor continued, “The language you all couldn’t read? It was the Oid telling Hepsoge to join it. It wanted to explore space. It was trapped orbiting Robrana. It needed a push. And it wanted a friend. Hepsoge gave it both.”
“Come in? Come in! ‘Soj respond!”
“Fen?” The voice in Miriam’s ear was Hepsoge.
“‘Soj! Thank the Quinity! Where are you?”
“I’m sorry Fen. There wasn’t time to say everything I wanted. Isn’t time! I can see her. She’s beautiful. I’m almost to her now.”
“Who? ‘Soj!”
“Goodbye,” Hepsoge said just as the signal went to static.

Nobody spoke. Someone was crying quietly. The empty static sound on the voice-to-voice rushed and whooshed. Then suddenly the static cleared and a loud voice said, “move back, move back!” The Doctor was the fastest to act. He threw both arms out to the sides and somehow corralled them all into taking several quick steps back. Something was falling to Robrana. A spinning flaming square hurtled down at them, resolving into a large blue box which landed at their feet. “I don’t believe it,” said Miriam. The TARDIS door opened. “Hepsoge!” several of them said simultaneously. Hepsoge grinned at them and fell face-first into the snow on the roof. “Oof,” he said. “It’s cold. I’d forgotten cold. It’s amazing. Can we go inside now?” In fact they were all lifting him up as he said this. They went back inside to the tea room, half carrying Hepsoge with them and managed to get him onto a couch. Perhaps they would have all waited breathlessly for him to speak, except Golarob was ready to burst. “Don’t you ever- do that to us- ever again, or, or!” He tried to threaten, but wound up just spluttering and choking.

“What happened up there?” Nibuz finally asked.
“Did you really go up to the Oid?” said Fen.
“Yes,” said Hepsoge.
“What’s that you came back in?” asked Nac.
“The TARDIS is mine actually,” said the Doctor. “What I don’t understand is you coming back. The Oid went to a lot of trouble getting you. It waited years for you. Why did you return?”
“I guess we both saw she couldn’t keep me? It made sense until it didn’t. I don’t know if I can explain it better. Not all my words have come back…oh, and she had me bring along these two things she said, you were missing.” Hepsoge said all this only haltingly.
“Two? Where’s the other thing?” Miriam asked.
“Inside the first thing,” said Hepsoge. Miriam and the Doctor headed to the stairs to investigate the ‘other thing’ while Hepsoge kept talking. “Hey, do you guys remember that stuff we have, it’s wet, and it tastes good? What’s that stuff called again?”
“Uhhh water?” said Werdna uncertainly.
“Yesss. That was it. Could I maybe get some of that stuff?”

The stairwell door closed behind them. Miriam rushed up to the TARDIS, hesitated at the door, then as she stood there it swung open to her. On the floor was the alien artifact. Or another one like it.
“Are you ready to go back?” the Doctor asked Miriam.
“Shouldn’t I say goodbye?” Miriam wondered.
“You’re already miles away. Will words make leaving any different?”
Miriam looked to the stairwell door. Nac looked out at her. She waved once and slowly Nac waved back, before turning and going down the stairs. “Ok,” said Miriam. How do I activate it?”

Somewhere in a museum, Leon, Jim, Marie and the Doctor fell to the floor in a series of awkward positions. “Doctor, where’s Miriam got to?” Leon said trying to escape a tangle of velvet ropes.
The Doctor picked himself up off an empty display case groaning. He looked around and said, “She has to be here! I closed down the portal almost immediately. She HAS TO BE HERE. I can’t have lost her!” They scanned the room in dismay. Jim and Marie lifted themselves from the floor, straightening shirts and rubbing bruised elbows. A flash of light from the next room caught their attention.
They found Miriam lying on the floor. Leon rushed over to her. “Mirimu?” he said.
Miriam opened her eyes. “I’m alright. Just give me a minute,” she said.
“The battery in the device is dead. It must have shorted and sent her one room over!” said the Doctor.
“And given her a sweater?” asked Leon.
“Not quite. I’ve been to Robrana. And while I can’t share everything that happened, I’m pretty sure I need to tell you to listen to ‘Soj and let him do what he’s planning to do.”
“So I somehow managed to send you to my own future? I’m not sure if that proves I’m a genius or a fool,” the Doctor said.
“Hey! Did you move something in here?” a security guard shouted.
“Now we know,” Leon said.
“Minor problem! Ok. Everyone. On my signal RUN!!!”

The Doctor was in the neighborhood. That’s what he’d called to say. How he had Jim’s number was no mystery, of course. He’d been around once before, to give Marie news of her other “family” on a distant planet, the name of which they’d never learned. Now it seemed the Doctor was in the mood for a visit- or thought Jim could give him a hand? He was distracted and it was difficult to understand precisely what he wanted. But he told Jim where he was and to hurry over, and since it really wasn’t too far away Jim set off.

When Jim arrived he spotted the TARDIS right away and knocked at the door. After a few bangs and clangs the Doctor stuck his head out. “Jim! I’m having a bit of bother with the TARDIS, but come in, I’m pretty sure it’s nothing, probably just need to oil the time circuits…” As Jim stepped inside he caught his breath. He’d been hoping to say something witty, intelligent and fresh. Even knowing the TARDIS was going to be bigger on the inside however, hadn’t done much to prepare his brain for the actual thing. He’d heard about people who, upon observing a total solar eclipse, felt uncanny dread. So, a TARDIS was like that. Jim opened his mouth to say words, ones he hadn’t fully decided on yet. But he was spared the embarrassment of whatever was going to pop out of his mouth by another loud crash. It probably didn’t matter anyway.

“Sorry!” called the Doctor. He came out from under some equipment, clutching a handful of cables and something that looked like an electric colander. “It’s the strangest thing. The chronolater won’t budge. It’s hooked up properly, no faults anywhere, yet it’s almost as though it’s frozen.” Without warning the Doctor leapt a railing and put his head out the TARDIS door. Returning, he laughed nervously and said, “Ok. Time’s still moving out there. That’s good. Here Jim; take hold of this measure.” Jim accepted one end of a tape measure which the Doctor was shoving at him. The Doctor stretched it across the console and all the way to one corner of the room. “The dimensions seem stable enough. What else could be causing it?” The Doctor leaned back against the console casually. As he did so, something happened behind him. It wouldn’t be correct to call it an explosion, but it didn’t much resemble anything else Jim could think of, so he did the only sensible thing given the situation. He grabbed the Doctor by the arm and pulled him into a crouch. The words, “Look out!” escaped his lips.

The explosion hung in the air, neither expanding nor receding; a white circle with ragged edges that fluctuated slightly but was otherwise unmoving. The sound of the explosion had stopped, although sound was also a poor descriptor for it. Weirdly, it felt somehow like the sound was being sucked out of Jim’s ears, rather than entering in.

“What is that thing?” Jim asked. In response the Doctor said, “Keep back from it.” As they looked on, the explosion/nonsplosion sprouted a bubble which pulled away and formed a vaguely humanoid shape. The shape was something like a person encased in a net of faintly growing fibers. The shape moved to the TARDIS console and, more quickly than Jim would have thought possible, jammed a yellow spiral into an opening that seemed to be designed for it. At the same time, the circle that the figure came from winked out. “What’s that you’re doing- what are you touching?” the Doctor said, rushing over to examine the spiral. His face changed from panic to shocked relief. “Thank you. But how could you know?”

“What?” asked Jim.

“The time widget should never be fully removed, only adjusted relative to conditions. Taking it out risks the TARDIS falling out of pro-directional time. We could wind up materializing in a dimension where time run slower or faster, runs backwards or even stands still.” He approached the shape. The shape extended an appendage toward the Doctor. The Doctor mirrored the movement, then suddenly yanked back his hand as though he’d been burnt.

“Are you hurt?” Jim asked concerned.

“No. It repelled me. I can’t get close enough to touch it directly.”

Using the sonic, he tried to take readings. The sonic buzzed weakly, it’s sound fluctuating like the Doppler effect of cars on a highway. “These readings don’t make sense,” the Doctor complained. “What are you?” The mysterious form made sounds which Jim took to be language, however they were garbled and had a strange tonality. They sounded drawn-in instead of pushed-out, and had the feel of constant questioning; phrases tilted upwards. The figure moved in the direction of the outside doors. The Doctor put his hand on the locking mechanism to hold it steady, then thought better of it and instead opened the door. “We’re letting it out?” asked Jim. “Whatever it is, I can’t get any readings on my sonic, which means it’s probably incredibly powerful. It restored the time widget, so it’s friendly. I’m going to let it go where it wants.”

The strange creature exited the TARDIS, moving quickly across the sidewalk and into the street. Thankfully there was very little traffic. “Powerful, benevolent, and incomprehensible…Where could it be going?” The Doctor mused. “We are going to follow it, aren’t we?” Jim asked after a moment. “Yep, come on!” The Doctor replied, jogging after it. It chose a shop and entered. The Doctor was close behind. Flashing his psychic paper he called out, “Paranormal team, please remain calm, I need everyone to evacuate, everyone out please!” People scurried from the shop in a panic that tried its best to appear organized. Once the patrons were all cleared out, Jim turned the shop sign so it read “closed” and shut the door. The creature-thing stood, or seemed to stand, still.

“What’s it doing?” Jim whispered. “Waiting for us to make the first move,” the Doctor said, then facing it he said, “Can you understand me?” It reached out again, making sounds. “You must be aware I can’t touch you.” The Doctor gestured in frustration. “I can’t get a grasp on what it’s saying. I need to focus.” The Doctor grabbed a glass bowl from a display and a box of hollow elbow noodles. He tore open the box and poured the pasta into the bowl, swirling it forcefully. “You’re using macaroni to help you concentrate?” Jim asked. “That would be ridiculous. Macaroni is very distracting. It’s not so I can focus. It’s to focus the thought energy from our new friend to a form we can understand. It even works through a scrambling field which is I suspect, what we’re dealing with.” The Doctor put the bowl down on the floor between himself and the creature. It anticipated him, kneeling as the Doctor settled cross-legged on the floor. By his side, Jim listened. Words filled the air but they were cluttered, indistinct. Eventually they resolved themselves into phrases. A high voice was speaking-

“Please, please, bring me to your TARDIS. I do not belong here. But you say I am opposite. You are opposite. Help me. I’ve told you.”
“Try to stay calm. Where did you come from?”
“The rift!”
“What do you mean? How did you get here?”
“You said you would help me return. Here it is wrong. My world is right. Do you understand now?”
“I’m trying. You come from another world? Somewhere opposite?”
“I must make you understand!”
“Please try to stay calm. I want to help.”
“Listen!!”

Here the shape stopped speaking. The Doctor puffed out his cheeks in a sigh. He turned away from facing the creature and conferred with Jim. “She says she comes from opposite. It seems everything she does is opposite! She asks to go to the TARDIS yet we’ve just come from it. She tells us to listen then falls silent. I tell her to be calm and it only increases her anxiety. Am I losing my touch?”

Jim watched the creature. Her movements were jerky, strange. Her words were so tangled they had to be unwound before they could be understood. What was it about how they sounded?

The Doctor went on, “She’s intelligent enough to replace a time widget, yet her words are confused. Is she injured? In shock perhaps?”

The time widget. Something was off about the way she placed it. Putting a spiral into a slot shaped for it should have been a ponderously slow affair. Yet she’d almost flung it in, her motion erratic, yet precise. Why? Then it dawned on Jim why her pattern of speech sounded so familiar. “She’s going backwards,” Jim said softly.

The Doctor continued independently musing, “She’s frightened. Needs us to understand something. Something about…what did you just say?”

“Her speech. It’s backwards. The things she does. They’re backwards. Aren’t they? When she put in that time widget I thought it looked strange. Like she was pulling it out, but in reverse.”

“Yes. YES. Jim you’re a genius. That was why none of her responses made sense! We won’t see her getting calmer, because from our point of view she’d be getting less calm! Everything we’re seeing is in reverse.”
“Which has to mean she’s fairly scared right now. Can we help her? She wanted to go to the TARDIS.”
“She already has. From her perspective we took her there! She must have known removing the time widget would allow the rift between our realities to emerge and take her home.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Nothing. This is all in her past.”
“No. No there must be a way to help her.”

The figure started speaking again. “So I have to get you to bring me to this, this -TARDIS to remove a spiral?”

The Doctor gasped. Under his breath he said, “I was wrong. She knows nothing about the TARDIS. She isn’t advanced. She only knows what I’m going to tell her. I have to explain to her how to leave. Or else she never will.”

Turning to her again the Doctor said, “You must explain to me what’s happening. You must make me understand. It’s the only way I can help you. Keep explaining to me over and over. I don’t know if you can understand this, but we are moving in opposite directions in time. Our realities are opposites. So you must keep explaining to me what’s happening until I get to the blue box, my TARDIS.”
“I must pull out a spiral to return home?”
“The spiral I touch is the one you must remove. Remove the spiral fully. Pull the spiral all the way out. The yellow spiral will activate the rift you came through. You must follow me to the blue box, the TARDIS. You must watch me. You must listen carefully. I won’t be able to repeat my instruction. You can do this.”
“There was a power surge. They were experimenting with space folding and stretching- I’m not even a first string tech! The rift appeared and pulled me in!”
“Explain to me what happened.”
“Where am I? Help me. I’m frightened. I don’t know what’s happening.”
At this point Jim felt compelled to be reassuring, “Please believe we are friends. We want to help. Trust us.”
“Help Me. My name is Nenesh. Can You Understand Me? PLEASE.”

Nenesh got to her feet. It was hard to watch her now. She was quaking violently in fear. Fear that had been subsiding in reverse. As hard as it was to watch, Jim knew they were seeing her past. Things would be ok.
“Now she’s gotten up. We have to guide her to sit here with us,” said the Doctor.
“Yes. How?” asked Jim.
“Indicate the spot we want her to sit. Slowly. This is early for her and she’s terrified.”

Jim rose carefully and tried to look non-threatening. He pointed to the spot on the floor Nenesh was departing, or would soon occupy. The Doctor gently patted the spot on the floor. They tried to make their movements slow and not alarming. But as the things they did had their effect in reverse, Nenesh, in their eyes, only grew more alarmed. As they looked on, another “explosion” blossomed behind her. She stumbled from side to side, getting closer to it. Jim followed, transfixed. He wanted badly to reach out to her, to comfort her. So badly that he was unable to resist the impulse to try. The same force of repulsion met him, pushing his hand away. The rift began to draw Nenesh into itself.

“Jim that’s our cue to get back,” said the Doctor. He tugged insistently at Jim’s arm. “I want to stay with her!” Jim said with more force than he intended, and struggling against the Doctor. “It’s dangerous for us to be this close. Do you hear me? There’s nothing more we can do for her. We have already done it! We’ve saved her. Jim, you’ve saved her. Now get back!!” Jim allowed himself to be pulled away from the rift that was quickly absorbing Nenesh. In another moment she was gone.

“Will she be alright? I mean, you know, has she been alright?” asked Jim.

“A strange circle we are all in. Yes! I think so. When we saw her first arrive she was already leaving- everything in reverse. We must have solved it. You must have solved it. It’s good you decided to call me.”
“What do you mean? You called me!”
“No I didn’t. You called me.”
“The phone rang and I answered it.”
“Me too. Ok. If neither of us called then who-?” The Doctor and Jim looked at each other. The Doctor took off running through the door and back to the TARDIS. Jim followed. He found the Doctor frantically scanning a wall of text on one of the TARDIS console screens. “There’s the call! But who initiated it?”
“What are you doing?” asked Jim.

“Tracing the call. Or trying to. It’s extremely tricky. Almost. As though. It had to cross from an entirely different reality??” The Doctor grinned and pushed a few buttons. Then he announced, “There’s a message. I don’t know how, but there’s a message.” The Doctor pressed one more button and an audio file began to play.

“Hello Translator. Hello Comforter. I have no way of knowing when you’ll receive this. If luck is with me, you’ll get it just after events have transpired. Long ago, when I was very young, I visited your world accidentally, and you helped me escape. I owe you my thanks. Translator, your TARDIS is a piece of technology unlike any other. I wish our time flow were not misaligned. We would have much to talk about. Comforter, you told me you were a friend when I was badly scared. I’ve never forgotten you both. It took me ages to work out how to send this to both of your communication devices. I am old now. Far older than when you met me. But if you receive this I am triumphant. Thank you both.”

The Doctor and Jim were silent a moment. “Tell you what, let’s swing by your place and pick up Marie. I’m in the mood for something normal. How’s waterskiing sound?”

I can’t remember if I’ve posted this before but figured why not.

 

 

I am a potter. I make things of clay and I made places to keep them. Early on they all seemed good, or at least I thought so. And the things I made aged and weakened and became horrible, so I destroyed them. But a few things I’d made were still good and those I kept. I made more and more until everywhere I looked- there they were. They infuriated me with their flaws. I made so many to be all alike, but most of them were cracked, chipped, damaged, weak until I hated them.

I threw them at each other. They crashed together and destroyed one another. I said to them, “You will decimate one another!” I ruined shelves and shelves, setting them one against another until they crumbled. Then I ceased my rage and grew tired.

I watched them and waited in silence. There were still so many, and they perpetuated themselves on and on. Then I wondered what it must be like for them, being destroyed at a word from me. I wondered what it would feel like if I were of clay as they were. So I did it. I made myself of clay and went amongst my work. And I saw that we were beautiful. I wept at the destruction I inflicted. And when they found out who I was they destroyed me. And I allowed this, because only in destroying me could they free themselves.

The Doctor sat across from me and Jim. The table between us held several types of tea and snacks.

“Doctor, we’ve made tea and I’ve brought out all the biscuits I could find. Now do not make me wait another second! I know you said things worked out and got better. But give me some specifics. What happened to my family? And Kenwa, Crest and Ardrin?”

“Your family is doing fine. Chalynge recovered well, and Ard’s leg healed up. And though it took a while, things worked out.

Your family found a home in Kingsground. So did many of the other Southfolk. I returned to them several times to check in. Relationships between people take time to grow and solidify. Southfolk were safer and they felt- what was it they always say? Right, blessed by the ancestors. Of course the Kingsfolk took some time to fully come around to accept them. It’s a difficult to spot to find oneself in, suddenly realizing you’ve been fighting the wrong enemy. You can stick to your misguided beliefs, or you can admit you were wrong, realize the bad information you were fed, and roll up your sleeves and get to work. Some of the guard did leave. But most stayed.

Initially Kenwa and Crest faced a lot of anger for helping. The family of the guard who was killed were inconsolable for a long time. I almost thought we’d never get beyond it. Chalynge and Kenwa met every day for weeks just talking. At first Ardrin said the Southfolk could stay on a temporary basis as discussion progressed. There was so much talking, discussing- shouting! But they didn’t give up. I admit I wasn’t sure a breakthrough was possible. Then harvest time came and two things happened.

First, one of the twin trees in the courtyard began molding. Because they knew it was important to the Twin Legend, Hav and Chalynge worked to save it, and it bloomed twice- a twin blossom! Then, there was a  virus that swept through the area. Southfolk and Kingsfolk alike fell ill, but Chalynge and Crest together took up places as healers. It was a hard time but everyone came through stronger. After this an agreement was reached for the Southfolk to stay on a permanent basis. The harvest festival that followed pulled in traditions from both groups. They plan to do one every year.”

“It wasn’t the same as the virus infecting me? Was it?”

“No, because as you said, you never were really there. But so long as we are on the subject I really ought to scold you for letting River poison you. Of all the irresponsible things! I’ve given her a talking to as well, though I doubt it sank in.”

“What about Dare? And Sel?”

“I believe things were very tough for Dare for a long time. Sel we never saw again, but his message was harder to remove. Dare was angry, confused, betrayed. Sel told her exactly what she wanted to hear, and made her question her trust in others. It takes time to get that ability back. But ultimately it’s fueled her to help others avoid the same trap. Sel and those like him seek power through violence. Dare now works to convince others to reject that path. Something more’s bothering you.”

“Similar things are happening here, on my own world. Why was it so easy for me to jump into the situation there?”

“The simple fact that you care about the situation here was all it took to pull you to the situation there. After that it was a question of numbers, luck, and timing. The problem there was small. Dozens. Here it’s more like thousands. Don’t mourn that you can’t solve things here. Celebrate that you can help. You have wits and voice. You won’t solve things here. But you’ll add to a solution. Don’t forget, I’m a time traveler I’ve seen the future and there’s good in it. Just hang on. You’ll get there.”

And that’s the end. Or maybe it isn’t. I still have the dNA that would allow me to travel again under the correct circumstance. The one lasting effect though has been when I dream sometimes I see Bug’s face smiling at me. Or hear Dare’s flute. Every time I wonder- are they out there waiting for me?

The Doctor stepped from the TARDIS. He looked at the group of Southfolk, guards, me and Dare in turn.

“Hello, I’m The-”

“Doctor!” we both said.

“Yes, that’s right. I am. The Doctor. And this is Ardrin.” The Doctor eyed me, perhaps trying to decide if I knew him or was mistaking him for some medical doctor.

Ardrin stepped out of the TARDIS hesitantly. “Sorcery,” he breathed.

Sensing an opportunity to explain his technological magic, The Doctor turned back to Ardrin. “Oh no. It’s not sorcery. Just a more advanced tool than anything you have. I’ve simply brought you over a great distance in a short period of time. Now. If you’d only-”

“Listen-!” Crest rushed up to Ardrin, cutting off The Doctor mid sentence. For his part The Doctor looked a little confounded. He’d just been cut off from speaking twice in five minutes, something he was not used to.

“Ardrin, we’ve got to talk. It’s about the Southfolk. There’s real trouble here,” Crest said.

Ardrin looked at the strange grouping of us. He frowned. “I think you better enlighten me immediately. What are all these people doing here and what’s happened to the other guards?”

“What we’ve been doing here needs to change. A woman has lost her child…she’s very ill, Ard.” Crest faltered.

“Lost her child? More proof Southfolk can’t be trusted with their own children,” Ardrin snorted.

“No Ard,” The Doctor put in. “She’s lost her child. Look at her.” He moved to the doorway behind us where Chalynge stood. She’d come out to see what the commotion was.

Ardrin’s face showed confusion, then a slow understanding. “That is unfortunate to be sure. But what is that to the situation at hand?”

I moved over to where The Doctor was standing. He scanned Chalynge with the sonic. “Will she be alright?” I asked quietly. “She’s tough, I’ll give her that. She just needs rest,” said The Doctor.

“You aren’t a cruel man, Ard.” Crest was saying. “We grew up together. The way we push the Southfolk back, beat them, drive them out indiscriminately? They never even have a chance to ask us for help, let alone be offered any. It can’t go on. We cannot keep the Southfolk out any longer, not if this is the result.”

“You expect me to let them all in then?”

“There must be something we can do that doesn’t end like this,” Crest said, indicating Chalynge.

Hav stepped forward. “I would speak,” he said.

“The dogs have come. So let them bark,” said Ardrin.

It must have been difficult for Hav to let this pass, but he did. “You are the King’s man; this is Kingsground. You have authority here. We ask a place to stay. We want no trouble from you, nor will we be a trouble to you, but that you let us stay and make our lives here in safety.”

“Make the right choice, Ardrin,” said The Doctor, quietly.

But Ardrin shook his head. “It’s no use. I see no way of this working.”

“I knew they’d never hear our words.” Dare’s voice rose sharply. She came out of the crowd and lunged at Ard, a knife in her hand. Her shout gave Ard the warning he needed to catch her by the arm and twist the knife out of her grasp. “Child. You are unpracticed in combat,” he said as he shoved her away. But in that moment, another had used the distraction to catch Ard from behind and hold a knife to his throat. “No one move. I’m speaking now and you will all listen. You. Doctor. Drop your weapon. You guards as well. Hands up.”

“It’s a screwdriver.” The Doctor said, dropping it on the ground. The guards disarmed and held their hands up.

“Southfolk, join me. Get those blades. We will make Ard’s blood run, and these guards, and any who side with them. They will pay with their lives, and we will take what we like from this place.” Nothing moved, but I could hear the Southfolk murmuring what to do. I held my breath. The Doctor, Hav, and Chalynge stood near me; all of us frozen in place.

“I recognize this man. I don’t know how he came to be here, but he is one of the monsters who brought destruction to us,” Chalynge whispered. “He is the same one who killed the guard today,” Hav whispered back.

“Dare, come away from there.” The Doctor said.

“No,” said Dare.

“Dare, this man is our enemy. He is-”

“One of those who attacked us? Of course he is! I saw that two days ago when he joined us. I went to him for help. I knew he’d be able to offer us protection. After all, we’ve seen their strength.”

“It isn’t our way, Dare,” said Chalynge.

“And just what is our way? Hunger? Sickness? Death? Those who live in this place have murdered my sister this day.”

“Dare, come away from him,” Chalynge pleaded.

“How can you not care?? My sister is gone, and this man’s life must be the payment!”

“Yes Dare, the new life in me is GONE. And I do mourn your sister. It pains me to my very core. The ancestors weeping threatens to drown me. But that doesn’t mean more blood must be spilled. This man has done evil. I choose to forgive. We must find a way forward.”

While Chalynge was speaking I’d been keeping my eye on the man holding Ard. His eyes moved over us as we failed to take up weapons and kill as he’d asked. Several in close proximity, including Hav, had moved closer to him. Seeing his opportunity to incite the violence from the Southfolk was evaporating, he suddenly changed tactics. Swiftly he grabbed Dare instead. This had the immediate effect of stopping Hav from advancing.

“Sel, what are you doing? I thought you, but you said I -was beautiful.” Dare’s voice broke.

“Hav, stop where you are! Don’t anyone try to follow me.” Sel played the blade across Dare’s neck gently as she whimpered. He backed off in the direction of a cluster of trees as we looked on. No one dared move. I saw Ard was looking at Hav, who’d been trying to help him. As soon Sel disappeared from view, Hav made to go after them. Ard stopped him by taking his arm.

“Let me go! She’s my daughter,” Hav said.

“No. You let me go. You don’t know these grounds like I do. I saw you trying to help me. I can see you and Sel are not the same. I’m not sure what I can do for your people, but right now I can do this. That child is foolish, but she is indeed a child. I’ll bring her back to you. Crest, do you remember our old training days? Come and help me.” Crest and Ard set off together.

“Hav, I’m frightened Sel will kill her. Doctor, what do you know of this man, Ard?” asked Chalynge.

“Ard knows these grounds. I think he’s a good man, at least he wants to be, and that’s important. He’ll bring Dare back, then we’ll talk about the rest of it. I know he’ll see reason.”

By now the guards had arrived, and Kenwa was talking to them. Hav spoke quietly to the Southfolk. Both groups stood separate, uneasy, though neither interacted with the other. Finally three figures emerged from the trees. They walked close together. They grew nearer and we could see Ard’s leg was injured. He leaned on Dare and Crest. Hav and Kenwa ran to meet them.

“Dare, are you hurt?” Hav asked.

“No. But this man, Ardrin, he’s been stabbed. His leg needs attention.”

Both groups could now see Ardin was wounded. There were gasps and someone began to hum the healing melody. Then someone else cried out, “The twin sign!”

It was the pattern of blood staining Ard’s clothing. It matched the stains worn by Chalynge. A voice among the group said “it cannot be the twin sign.” Another muttered “we don’t sing for them.”

“No,” Kenwa said in a loud voice.  “No my friends. If we deny the song to her we deny it to Ardrin too. They make a pair- the holy twos! We sing now for both. And for all.”

Kenwa breathed deeply and began to sing. At first it was just Crest who sang with her. Then one by one others joined in, until all the guards were singing as one. Southfolk began to relax, some humming along. The song overwhelmed my senses. I closed my eyes.

“Marie.”

“I’m not ready,” I said under my breath.

The Doctor glanced at me. He watched as I slid to the ground. “Glad,” he said, concerned. I said, “My name is Marie. I’m a traveler too. From earth.”

“Marie.”

“How can we help you?” The Doctor asked.

“Marie.”

“The virus is pulling me back. I’ll fade. Tell them not to worry. Make them know I’m alright. I was never really here to begin with.”

---

“Marie, wake up. Come back to us,” Jim was saying. I sat up.

“Woah woah, slowly. I should be very upset with you, you know. Did it work? Did you find the family? Were they alright?”

“It’s quite a long story, but I do think they were on their way to working things out. The Doctor was there.”

“I think you mean The Doctor is here,” said a familiar voice.

Eventually the group of us neared a place where the land grew rocky with many shelves and drop-offs. One flat area bypassed the sheer drop-off. It was fenced. This was the border between two lands. People were crowded together on both sides. Dozens of voices rose and fell, muttering and crying.

As we drew near, someone tore away from the crowd. It was a child. He managed to get by the guards and hurled himself at me, clinging on tightly and sobbing.

“Stop that, get back!” said Rayin, grabbing him around the middle. As the child was hauled off me I caught sight of his face. It was Bug.

“Bug,” I said beginning to tear up. “Stop. Let him come to me,” I said. “Bug,” I said quietly, not knowing what else to do.

“Glad, they took Mama. I don’t know where she is.”

“Glad, you know this child?” one of the guards asked me. I’d heard her called Kenwa.

“I know his family. They aren’t violent. His mother is pregnant. She’s hardly a threat.”

Crest said, “She may have been taken for questioning. There’s a holding area over this way. If she is there, we’ll find her.”

Kenwa, Crest and I took Bug and moved away from the group. I looked into the crowd and saw Hav watching us. He nodded at me, but didn’t follow us. So he knew me and still trusted me as family. This was good. After a few minutes Crest noticed a large scrape on Bug’s knee and stopped to put a bandage over it, humming softly as he did so. A few steps ahead of them I spoke quietly to Kenwa. “Kenwa. I traveled with these people. They are escaping violence, not bringing it. Bug’s father was leading a large group seeking safety here. Is there nothing that can be done to help them?”

Kenwa said, “No offense, Glad, but leading a large group? It’s probably a gang. Those are the type we need to keep out. I have sympathy for this child. He can’t help the dangerous folk who raised him. Maybe he could stay. My husband has talked about wanting a child. See how he connects with the boy? We could adopt him.”

“He already has parents,” I said.

We came to a building with several more guards in front of it. Kenwa spoke to them. “Aru, we are looking for this child’s mother. We think she may be here.”

Aru shrugged.“There were two here earlier. One was a woman. We didn’t get any answers out of her. She took ill and has been moved to the medical house.”

The medical house was not far off. I prompted Kenwa and Crest to hurry, fearing for Chalynge. Inside we found both Chalynge and Dare. Chalynge was lying on a bed. Dare held her hand. “Mama!” said Bug. He rushed over to her. I followed behind.

“Chalynge?” I said. When I got close I could see her face was a little too pale. Her clothes were wrinkled and the hem of her skirt had become so muddy it was stained a dark ugly brown. After a second I realized it wasn’t mud. Crest joined me. He stared uncomprehending at the stains then sucked in his breath. He began to sing,

I will take my heart in my chest and put it next to-

Kenwa interrupted, “Crest! Why do you sing? They are Southfolk.”

“But, she’s injured. The healing song must help her,” said Crest.

“It isn’t for them,” Kenwa insisted.

“Why not?” I said.

“Well I,  I- it just isn’t,” Kenwa stammered.

“But I sang it for the child. It is for everyone,” Crest said. Kenwa frowned but said no more. Chalynge opened her eyes and saw me.

“Glad? You’ve brought me Bug. Now I have my two children.”

“Two,” said Dare pointedly, looking at me. Chalynge closed her eyes again.

“Tell me this woman will recover,” I begged one of the attendants.

“She will, and no thanks to those guards; they have not dealt gently with her!” the attendant snapped at me.

Dare crossed the room and returned with a cup of water for Bug, having a little herself first. As Bug drank she turned to face me. Standing as tall as her stature would allow, she hissed at me through clenched teeth. “What do you want with us? It’s clear you possess great magic. It’s been weeks since we saw you fade away. Now you come to us, walking with the enemy. Don’t you know the evil they are? They have killed my sister this day. The ancestors will burn them alive for it. And how do you suppose they will deal with you?” As she spoke her words grew louder and louder so they filled the room with their intensity.

“Dare,” Chalynge breathed, “Enough.” Dare glared at me but was silent. Crest and Kenwa moved toward the door. As they stepped outside I followed.

“Kenwa, that woman lost her child. And her daughter was astute enough; we did that. We failed her. Have you never heard Aru bragging about the bruises he leaves? We should have addressed this long ago.”

“We’ve done our jobs Crest,” Kenwa said, hesitating.

“How long can you keep doing them, now you’ve seen what it really means?” I said.

“She’s right. This isn’t who we are. Maybe it never was. We must leave the guards and find something else,” said Crest.

“Close,” I said, “but you can do more. Now you see the problem. It’s time to fix it.”

“How can we?”

“First I’d say we need to get back to the border and stop any more violence between your guards and the Southfolk there,” I replied.

“Looks like you won’t have to,” came Dare’s voice. She’d followed us outside and stole up behind us. She pointed in the direction of a crowd of approaching Southfolk. As they grew nearer I could see that Hav was at the front of the pack.

“Hav!” I cried out, running to meet them. “How did you get through?”

“Fighting broke out. I tried to stop it, but I’m afraid one of the guards is dead. We came through in the confusion. Were you able to find Chalynge?”

“She’s inside with Bug.”

“Good! She and the children should stay put. We head to the castle. I must speak with the king’s man there, and quickly, before more lives are lost on either side.”

While Hav was still speaking a strong breeze kicked up out of nowhere. A familiar noise filled my ears. The creaking, gear sticking, groan was unmistakable. “Doctor?” I said, incredulous.

The TARDIS materialized in front of us and The Doctor opened the door and looked out, followed by the man I’d seen at the castle.

I opened my eyes. The sunlight came at me from above. It was around noon, maybe later. Was I in the same place as before? The land was groomed differently. More of it had been tamed, shaped, but oddly there were occasional features that had been left as they were, fastidiously worked around- a pair of trees, a couple large similar-looking rocks. Very soon I came upon a walled structure like a castle. Two people stood at the entrance gate. Guards I supposed. They looked surprised to see me.

“Are you a traveler?” One of them called out to me.

“I am. I apologize, I am lost” I said, a little uncertain of how to get my bearings. I hadn’t needed to use place names before. Was the virus still breaking down, taking the memories I needed? The two guards conferred quietly with one another. I caught only fragments of the conversation.

…shouldn’t even be here…

-said she was lost…

…even come from…

…South’s too well guarded. She must be Northern. I told those fools so many on the southern border would compromise…

As they were still talking another guard jogged up to them. He spoke more quietly but I was able to catch the words “out of control” and “Southfolk”. The first two guards seemed to forget about me for a moment and I thought of simply leaving, but I still didn’t know where the virus had brought me, so I waited. Finally one of them remembered me. “This is Kingsground. No one may wander here unaccompanied. I was going to escort you beyond our limits, but I have urgent business to attend first. You’ll just have to come along.”

We went through the gate and into the structure. The guard who first spoke to me said, “I’m called Crest. Wait here.” The two guards entered a room. This time it was easy to hear what was being said.

Crest said, “Sir, we just got a report from the South. They say things are getting out of hand. They ask for instructions.”

“Tell them they need to do their jobs. Honestly this is so tiring. Crestin, take the rest of the gate guards with you and Rayin, get someone to send down more from the North wall. Can you handle that?”

The door opened and I caught sight of the owner of the new voice. He wore a style of clothing that looked more intricate than any I’d seen yet. Could I have missed the proper time and been vaulted into my family’s future? If I had been pushed into the future, it seemed the situation my family fled had only grown worse with time. Did they escape with their lives? Could these people be their descendants?

Seeing me, he asked “Who is this?”

“My name is Glad,” I said. The man looked unconcerned with my name. I was unimportant.

“She became lost. We were about to escort her off-grounds,” Crest offered.

“See that it doesn’t interfere with the task I’ve given you. Go now. No harm and peace,” he said.

“No harm and peace,” Crest replied.

Crest, Rayin, and I set out with a group of guards who joined us at the gate. They talked amicably as we walked. One of them said, “It’s probably nothing. It’s always nothing. They show up here. We drive them out. They show up again. It never ends.”

“Look!” one of the others called out. “See the Holy Two!”

I looked in the direction she pointed but could see nothing to explain her words. “What is it?” I said.

“Those birds. Do they not tell this story where you come from? The Mother and Father gods who watch over this land come to earth always in twos. They like to inhabit pairs of beings. We leave undisturbed things that come in twos whenever we can. Did you notice the pair of blossoming trees in the castle’s courtyard? They were left while other trees were cut, because they make the sign of twos. And when one dies the other will be cut down, so they may be together.”

The afternoon wore on. One of the group asked if I was hungry and offered me a fruit like an apple and a square of bread. No formula seemed to be required of me in their acceptance. We continued walking. Someone in the group cried out sharply ahead of us.

“Are you alright?” I heard others ask.

“Just a sharp branch. Does anyone have a bandage?”

A strange thing happened as we stopped to bandage the wound. The entire group began humming a melody, each person seeming to begin without thought, yet they all very gently droned along together as a cohesive whole. Bewildered, I asked, “What is that tune?”

“It is the song of healing. You must know the words, though I have heard it said there are multiple melodies,” and she began to sing:

I will take my heart in my chest and put it next to yours

As its beating steadies you, as the warmth encompasses

Let this twinsong find you, and you may yet continue

And you may yet continue, no harm and peace

“That’s lovely,” I said.

“I wish this task was as easy as a song,” Rayin sighed.

“Is it very difficult?” I asked.

“It can be dangerous. Southfolk can be unpredictable, violent, savage even. It is taxing to restrain them and difficult to remove them.”

“I’ll never get used to it. I wish we were allowed to make exceptions. Some of them seem alright,” someone else said.

“Don’t feel sorry for them. It’s an act. We can’t let violent deranged people stay here. We have our orders.”

“It’s true. Keeping them out is the only answer. It isn’t nice, but we do what has to be done.” They all nodded.

Another voice said, “Anyway Southfolk are vile. They don’t wash, and they are constantly talking about dead people. But the worse thing about them is how they can never just give you food and drink but they have to take some for themselves first. They even use the same cup they hand to you to drink from. It’s disgusting.”

I felt my heart sink inside me. These were the traditions of my family they were speaking of. I had arrived all right and in the proper time, but I’d reached the place my family sought ahead of them. And I now knew what welcome awaited them.

Night 3

“Glad! Glad! Is it you?” A familiar voice reached me through the crowd. It was Dare. She was easily a foot taller then when last I’d seen her. “My father will be happy to see you safe. Please come with me to the house.” It was hard to tell I was in the same place. The landscape had been reworked to smooth it in some places and a road was forming across Hav’s fields. In addition to this, tents were strewn about and people wandered in and out of campsites.

Quickly, I followed Dare to the house. “Not another wounded- oh! Glad, it’s you! How good it is to see you,” said Chalynge. “Hav! Come and see!”

Hav came in from outside. “Glad! Let me draw for you,” Hav said.

“We are still family. There is no need to draw. You are busy with your new relatives.”

“Yes,” Hav agreed. “They come in droves, and many are wounded. The ancestors whisper, but still we share what we have.” I glanced around and saw the house was set up like a medic parlor, with bandages and alcohol, and water boiling.

“But what has happened?” I asked.

Hav shrugged. “Ruffians from the South. They do not work for their food and drink but fight and kill for it. Those pushed out come here, and we do what we can for them.”

Chalynge added, “They move north as they attack, or so we have heard. But we haven’t seen any of them here.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked. Chalynge and Hav looked at each other. Then Hav said, “If you travel on, you might come back to us with a wood circle to fix the well, and a good sharp pair of shears. But if this is impossible, travel with our blessing and what food and drink we can spare.”

I clasped their hands. “I will bring you what you ask and return soon.”

 

Night 4

My bag was heavy on my shoulder with things, although I’d discarded some of my own to make room for the wood circle and shears that Hav requested. I worked my way back with some difficulty. There were people walking past me northwards. Several of them looked haunted and did not speak. One man shook me when I said I carried no food. After this incident I stayed less in the open. Late in the day I reached the house, but it was deserted. Inside I found things in a state of disarray. Everything was empty or broken. Looking around the garden, things were the same. Nothing growing was left, much of the stonework was pulled apart, and fragments of dishes were everywhere. I went to the broken well to try to draw water before moving on, but it was caved in. I left the wood circle behind, happy to be lighter without it.

After an hour or two I came upon a band of travelers. I hesitated, fearful. One of them, a teenaged, came up to me. “Water,” she said. I didn’t know if she was asking me or telling me. I backed away slowly. “The ancestors show me no water today,” I said. “Glad, Glad!” someone was saying. The teenaged said, “I have water to share. Are you Glad? Chalynge said we were to watch for you.” She dipped her finger into the jug of water she carried, licking it quickly and handed it to me. I drank as little as I could before handing it back.

By now, Bug had reached me. “Glad the ancestors… They are,” Bug tried to remember the formula. “They are hungry but not thirsty. Do you have food?”

“My ancestors have not fed me either,” I said.

Bug frowned. “Mama needs food. She says the baby won’t grow right if she doesn’t eat.”

“Where do you walk?” I asked. “North. It’s said there’s food there and we will be safe. Will you walk with us?”

“Yes.” I said and followed him to Chalynge and Hav. I did not see Dare.

Chalynge saw me looking and replied, “Dare is ahead on the road scouting for us.” As if summoned by the mention of her name, Dare appeared. She jogged toward us holding her hands together. She stopped in front of us and pushed a handful of dried meat at Chalynge. “Eat mother. You need to.” Chalynge looked pained. She said, “How can I eat until I feed my children?” Dare shook her head. “Feed your smallest one first. Bug and I are grown.”

“I never thought it would be like this,” sighed Chalynge. I walked near her, watchful in case one of the vacant ones in the family was driven to try to take the food. We walked until dark. Finding nowhere to stop, we kept walking. Far into the night, near morning, our group came to an open area under large trees.

“Let’s rest,” said Hav as he supported Chalynge with one arm.

“This is a good spot,” Dare said, squinting in the brightening dawn. “Those are barb trees. The husks are sharp but the fruit inside is sweet. We must gather as many as we can.”

“I can help,” I said, though I ached all over. The trees bore fruits covered in piercing spikes that made our fingers bleed, but inside each was a small tough but edible fruit. We filled a bag with them. I was feeling utterly exhausted by this time.

“Glad?” said Dare, “You look pale. Are you well?”

“I’m not sure,” I said. My arms seemed pinned to my sides. I heard voices distantly. A name formed in my mind. Jim. And was I named- Marie? I felt myself waking. I don’t know what it seemed to Dare was happening. But her face changed and she looked perhaps frightened, perhaps shocked. I saw her spin away from me in a blur. I could hear her voice calling, “GLAD Glad glad glad”

---

I woke. Jim was beside me. And River. River? “What happened?” I asked.

“It’s over,” River said simply.

“Over? No. The story isn’t finished,” I said desperately. “Besides, you said I’d have these dreams for a week. It’s been three days.”

“Your body cleared the infection more quickly than I expected. The dNA is retreating. The connection to the story is breaking.”

“But they need me! Dare and Chalynge and Hav and Bug, they’re in trouble. River! You must help me. I’ve got to get back there!”

“I’m sorry Marie. The virus is going dormant. It will always be a part of you now, but only rarely would it recur.”

“It can recur? How?”

“Somnastravirus stays in the body but only activates in times of tremendous stress or sickness. It’s often misidentified as a fever dream.”

“Can we cause it to return?”

“It wouldn’t be safe.”

“But can we do it?”

River sighed heavily. “Can we do it? Yes there is a way. But it’s deadly dangerous. You’d need someone to watch over you and administer the antidote.”

At this point Jim broke in, “Antidote? It almost sounds as though you plan to poison her.”

I looked at River. River looked at me. Jim looked shocked.“I don’t like this plan. You said ‘deadly dangerous’. And hang on! You just carry around dangerous poisons and their antidotes then?”

“A girl has to be prepared for anything.” River winked. “Watch me carefully, Jim,” she said. She took an object the size of a button from her pocket and pushed it against my arm until it clicked. The click hardly sounded at all in my ears because at the same time it felt like she’d driven a pencil-sized icicle into my vein. The ice crept through my arm and into my chest, advancing steadily, as I lay back helplessly.

“Cover her up Jim. Good. Oh! One last thing Marie. The virus was nearly eliminated and the dream signal will be very low. You may not end up exactly where or when you were before. It should be very close. Good luck finding your family. Jim, you’ll need to check her for fever once every two hours. This is the antidote. You’ll need to…”

Night 2

I opened my eyes. I found myself in a long hallway filled with doors. Each door glowed and pulsed as though with its own heartbeat. River stood by my side.

“This is the dreamway,” she said. “Which story calls you?”

I heard faint noises from behind one of the doors. Voices shouted and whispered, alternately. Strings of words came to me “…the baby…we have water to draw…ancestors weep…twin sign, the holy twos…” I pushed open the door.

---

“Welcome to you traveler.” The voice came from behind me. I turned, leaning heavily on my staff. A man wearing a soft leather tunic held out his hand. “I work these fields and live over yonder hill. You are a guest to me and I offer you rest.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Is there water to draw?”

“As the ancestors bless me so I bless you. They rejoice that you sit while I draw for you.” I settled onto a patch of grass while my host drew and brought me water. Carefully he drank half the cup before handing it to me. I took it and drank. Formalities over, he said, “I am called Hav. I must finish my work now. You are welcome to stay as long as you need.”

“I’m called Glad. Thank you.” I sat on the grass and rested. It was almost evening and I had far yet to go until I reached my destination.

As the sun dipped into the distant mountains, someone approached me. It was a woman. “Glad? I am Chalynge. My husband said I would find you here. Please join us at our meal, for the ancestors bless us.” I stood and gathered my staff. I followed Chalynge to a cottage of stone and split wood. Two children stood by an outdoor fire ringed with sections of log for seating. The girl held out a bowl of food. “As the ancestors bless us so we bless you,” she said.

“May I draw you water?” asked the boy. Hav emerged from the doorway of the cottage. “Bug I have already greeted our guest.”

“But I haven’t!” Bug insisted. Hav laughed and said, “Very well. You can greet her too.”

Bug smiled and ran off to fetch a cup of water. I settled myself and waited politely for Bug to return. “He hasn’t been old enough to greet visitors until today,” Chalynge explained. Bug returned, almost leaping to bring me the cup. Most of the water had spilled out by the time he reached me. Bug drank. Frowning a little as I tried not to laugh, I accepted the cup and drank the rest.

“Ancestors bless me so I bless YOU,” Bug said enthusiastically. He picked up his bowl and crammed a spoonful of food into his mouth.

“Bug! Guests first,” Chalynge said. “Let’s all eat,” I said, taking a bite. Bug looked relieved he hadn’t made any serious mistakes and began to eat again.

After eating, Hav built up the fire. “Glad you must stay with us tonite, for the hour is late and there is nothing else near.”

“I thank you. But my hour of departure is early and you may rise to find me gone. Know I am blessed by you.”

The girl took a wooden flute from her pocket and played. “Well learned, Dare,” said Hav.

“I want to tell the welcome story,” piped Bug.

“Everyone knows that one,” said Dare.

“Let him tell it if he likes,” said Hav. “Go ahead Bug.”

This is the story Bug told:

Long ago the people were suspicious. They did not trust one another at all. They only trusted their family. If you could prove you were someone’s family they would help you, otherwise they would attack you and be mean to you. Everyone was like this except a man named Swim. He could move through the water like a fish. Some people said he was part fish. Fish were his only family and he was alone. One day Swim traveled a long way. He came to a place he’d never seen before. On the path in front of him was a man who lay dying. When Swim came near he shielded himself, ready for Swim to kill him. But Swim instead held out a cup of water. Confused, the man refused the drink. “Poison!” He shouted at Swim. But Swim knew it wasn’t poison. He drank some himself to show it was safe. The man on the path still looked doubtful, but finally he accepted the drink. “I am Swim,” Swim said. The man replied, “I am nothing, for you have saved me but we are not family.” “That is easy,” laughed Swim. “You will be called Water. And you are my family now.” When we drink, we share the way Swim and Water did, to show we trust each other and we are all family.

“Well told Bug,” I said, yawning. I fell asleep to the sound of Dare’s flute.