A Series of, under OTHER circumstances, what would have been some very UNLIKELY and UNRELATED events . . . .

Draw up in puzzlement as they hear something like . . . . . .a large beast wheezing? Is that the Dragon? If so, then what is wrong with it?!

. . . .

Okay, if you have not figured out by NOW that the grinding sound was from a big blue box with a flashing light on it and NOT the dragon, then where have YOU been? Seriously?

Yes, that Timelord called the Doctor is making a call. He and his companions had been Tasked by Rule 1 to take care of a situation who's makings had been in the works before even the first Champion had been inducted into the ranks. Yes, back before the danger to the Dark Tower was resolved, reader. Events that vaguelly follow that one Doctor Who set of episodes about The Key to Time. Except in THIS case, the segments that made up THIS KEY was actually worthy of the name. Hah! See, back in the TV show, the Key was to one measely universe's time. THIS key would unlock (supposedly) the very heart of the Dark Tower, which meant it would be the Key to all the multi-verse's time streams. . . .

Well, that was what the Demons who'd set up this scheme had thought, anyway. It had been a sweet gamble that they just couldn't pass up if it meant yet another leg up against the Opposition in their eternal battle. Frankly, the Doctor and the others aren't exactly sure if this Key actually had been able to do such a thing BEFORE the danger to the Dark Tower got resolved. It sure as Hell wouldn't unlock (or even raise a twitch from) the Dark Tower, NOW.

However...

Those "components" though . . . Had a lot of POWER in them that could be harnessed by local mortals (or whatever) for still dark purposes. The fact that these "components" were (through unnamed means not under their control) people (who were or had been at one time or another human beings) mattered little here to the Demons. What did They care if lives could be interrupted (maybe ruined and destroyed) in the process when they were, eventually, collected when the time was ripe? Well, there was that one minor Demon who'd taken great pleasure in lining up things so that . . .

Nevermind, you'll figure out who that Demon's name was. Frankly, his name probably is the only name ever really mentioned in that "Terra Prime" story thread. Goes by the initials of "R.F"? Good enough hint? No, then perhaps this episode from long ago could give you an idea as to why "R.F." doesn't LIKE two particular human beings (re: 14683)

Well, no matter. Let us just say that an overwhelming majority of the number of people who'd been tagged to be the components of this super Key are (or were) named "Fred" and "Astra".

So, with that in mind one can surmise correctly that the proto-Dark Elves named "Artizza" and "Fertal" are hot commedities! That undead creep named Imhotep wanted the female elf for his dark plans (though Fertal would make a nice addition to his plans).

As for the Doctor and his group, the task was simple enough. For the safety of the other mortal citizens of the plane that the "components" walked, they were to round up and collect them for later "neautralization".

Full details on what that meant (as well as the exact way this Task was set up). . . .

A grey girl named "Chiana" was going over the basics on just HOW they'd gotten the information they'd gotten.

....

Or maybe it's more like grousing. Which stops suddenly when her husband, Sigin, asks a simple question.

"Dear," he says softly. "And how does your heart feel about facing yet another adventure?"

She blinks when she realizes....it's actually going to be . . . exciting?

That's surprising, but it's part and parcel of what Rules and Agents want in their Champions . . . . a sense of adventure that never is (quiet) satisfied.... So it is with Chiana, we'll just say and leave it at that...

Anyway, let's just add one thing here. The details of where to land had been somehow gained through a "distress call" the Doctor picked up by TARDIS radio while he'd been looking for some place to land. The call hadn't made much sense, (almost like if the caller was talking in his sleep) had something to do with a "psychic" distress call from a long lost mind reading cousin of one Robot turned Golem named "Daneel" who'd been "dug up" by a VERY disoriented set of "Mobile Infantry" (ala Starship Trooper) who'd been answering a spaceship distress call from this one chap named "Avon" . . .

See, Avon (of Blake's 7) had been on holiday, being shuttled to the most expensive of resort planets, when the pilot of the craft had picked up an automated radio distress call (took a bit of doing to cypher out the strange protocol of the ship, but the pilot managed). By space going custom, the pilot was obligated to attempt a rescue (despite some objections from his filthy rich passenger about lost time). The come upon the twisted wreckage of a spaceship of unknown design that was dangerously close to a rather unstable region of space (but safe enough for the time being, the pilot thought). Later, if there had been time, would have revealed the ship systems within were . . .antiquated by Avon's standards (only vacuum tubes?!). Most of the "crew" (machine men, it'll turn out) are messily in pieces (beyond salvage) except for one "crewmember". It'll turn out to be a Robot from that one universe that Inquirer and friends visited awhile ago and this robot (who hasn't . . . yet) morphed into a Golem was from that doomed star travel experiment (re: 17356). This is one of the ships that had apparently been destroyed, but by some fluke it had been time/space warped (for a time) here. Now, the advanced circuitry (positronics) made both pilot and Avon drool at the profit they'd generate by selling the tech to the highest bidder after they got the Robot (still knocked out in "safe mode" after that wave of mystical energy had engulfed his ship). But before they could well do anything on that, they and their ship get caught in a flare of energy from that rift in space and get sucked into another universe, spinning out of control down towards an Earth like planet. They almost clip another strange starship tumbling about in orbit over this planet (something called "U.S.S. Defiant", as seen in Star Trek: TOS' episode The Tholian Web ). The pilot barely manages to crash land the ship safely enough for life to be spared, but THEY manage to knock themselves unconscious by the impact. As per standard procedure, the ship automatically starts it's automated mayday (signaling that it was a "Federation" starship in distress.....owner hadn't gotten around to updating that, oops). Okay, to add to this madness, that same rift in space had (through some deliberate manipulation by a certain chap with the initials RF) to somehow suck up some cap troopers who'd been on their way down on their first drop (for some) in a battle which was named "Operation Bughouse". Instead of landing on the Bug homeworld, the confused troopers found themselves on a very....familiar seeming world. Almost like Earth, in enviroment (different geographic, but with Earth like animal and vegetation). Still confused, the CO picks up the distress call from the civillian "Federation" spaceship and does what he sees as his duty. That is, go out with his troops and attempt to aid civillians in distress (as per what Starship Troopers are supposed to do as part of their job description,). They arrive a few hundred miles later (on the bounce) at the crash sight, finding the wounded humans being attended to by a still confused Robot turned Golem, the mind reading cousin Robot of Daneel. They poor guy had woken up, dreaming of actually giving off a strange psionic message to somebody named "The Doctor", and found himself here (where ever that was) with humans needing help. Let us just say that things get confusing for all here above ground at the crash sight (only a hop, skip, and jump away from the entrance to what the natives call the Southern Caverns).

Good grief, we have a really nasty crossover potential here! Think of Starship Troopers above ground with one of Blake's 7 with a character from Asimov's Robot series and something from that horror flick "The Mummy" below, along with the resident evil dragon within the caves. Along with the TARDIS and others down below....

Head hurts....

Ah, later....!

Later.

1. Right now, let's get with the Doctor's group, shall we? Two new (if only temporary) members named Hathar'ruil and A'eitia . . .

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