The End is Near

"I think so," said Demifox Astra. "He seems cowardly, but not malicious. He--"

She was interrupted as a crackling apparition appeared in the air, stopping them in their tracks. It was a strange man in a black leather jacket, whose features seemed to be constantly shifting. "This is Agent 4," he said. "Someone, anyone, please come in. The Office of Evil's lates plan has unleashed Ishbosheth, an elemental force of devouring chaos. We can't stop it. The only way to stop it is if someone drinks of the waters of the River of Time. The only person who has drunk from the river of time and lived, Minestus, has now been killed by Agent Strange. Someone, please come in..."

The heroes stopped in their tracks, troubled. "Is this genuine?" said the Doctor.

"As an Eternal Champion, I think I could tell if it were false. It seems genuine to me," said Human Fred.

"And me as well," said Human Astra.

"Do you know what happens when you drink of the River of Time?" said the Doctor to the Frogman.

"Eet ees deeficoolt to say, Docteur," said the Frogman. "Most of zose who have drunk of ze Rivair of Time have died, or been erazed from le existance. Zose who have not have usually gone mad."

"So if this is genuine, which of us should?" said Demifox Fred.

"I think we should decide by lots," said Human Astra. "It should be either the Doctor, who is a Time Lord, or Fred and I, who are Eternal Champions. That would make us more likely to survive the Waters of Time with our sanity intact."

"It should be me," said the Doctor. "You are still young and very much in love. You have your whole lives ahead of you. I am an old man who has no one except my granddaughter, and she can easily pick up where I leave off."

"No, Doctor!" says the Frogman, much to everyone's surprise. "Eet should be moi. I have never done anytheeng worthwhile for anyone, and I speak in zees stupid cliched accent. You will be one of ze greatest heroes in the multiverse."

"I think we should decide by lots," said Astra. The Doctor solemnly nodded in agreement. He drew three straws out of his pocket and asked Fred and Astra to close their eyes and draw two. It was Fred who came up with the short straw.

"I'm sorry," he said to Astra. "I will do my best to make it through this, and if I do not, then keep on fighting for my sake." The two kissed, passionately, perhaps for the last time. Demifox Fred regretted that he might not get a chance to know his counterpart better, and hoped that he would get a chance to know the other Astra.

Suddenly, the ground of the fortress began to shake. "What's happening?" said Demifox Fred. "Was Minestus killed somehow?"

"I don't know," said the Doctor, "but I don't want to wait around and find out. Where's the river?"

"Hurry! Quick! It ees over here!" said the Frogman. The five heroes ducked into a cavern through which flowed a massive river that seemed to glow with an eerie light. In it they could see their own reflections, but changed and distorted--some seemed younger, some seemed older, some seemed the same age but compeltely different. A small boat, only barely large enough to fit them, was tied to a pier nearby.

The cavern began to rumble again, even louder, and a rockslide began above them. It was colliding right into Demifox Astra. "No!" said the Frogman, pushing her out of the way just in time and sending her falling into the boat. He was crushed beneath the rockslide and instantly killed. "Hurry!" shouted the Doctor over the noise of falling rocks. The Freds and the other Astra jumped into the boat, and Fred cut the rope loose with their sword. The Doctor took his place at the oars. While he seemed old and frail, rowing the boat seemed almost second nature to him. He seemed as if he was in a dream. He swiftly rowed the boat out of the cave, just as it collapsed...

1. ...and they were now adrift on the River of Time.

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