Chase The Wind: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 1]

Deep Freeze

Deep Freeze

(Original Story: Part 1)

A/N: Okay so I'm not quite finished with this arc yet but SOMEONE *cough* spudsandbandit *cough* was pestering me for an update so here you go.

After the Torajii sun, the Doctor made good on his promise to take them somewhere cold.

Unfortunately, he also landed them a mere few hundred years early, when the planet of Cuhlhan still had an intense prejudice against time travelers. They'd had guns pulled on them the moment they stepped out of the TARDIS.

Fortunately, the Doctor had managed to create a distraction big enough that they avoided getting arrested. A nice change of pace, that.

"But how did they know we were time travelers?" Mallory asked as the TARDIS dematerialized once more.

"Artron energy," the Doctor explained from the console. "You pick it up when you travel through the Vortex, like a sort of background radiation. It's harmless," he assured them. "In this period of their history they've got sensors for it to so they can detect time travelers."

"Suppose that's one way to do it," Matt said.

"Got a better idea, anyway!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Rijul VI. In the forty-fifth century it is the winter resort in the galaxy. There's a particularly nice spot on one of their northern continents, an excellent place for some R&R. Trois Mont, it's called."

"Like we'll ever get R&R while he's around," Mallory whispered to Matt, who chuckled in response.

They landed with a bump that had them all stumbling, though the two humans, at least, were saved a few bruises by the fact they were still wearing thick, puffy winter coats—his a deep blue, hers bright red. The Doctor, of course, had nothing beyond his typical long brown coat, apparently uncaring of the cold.

The Time Lord bounded out with all his usual enthusiasm, leaving the two humans to pick themselves off the grating and exchange glances—and eventually grins. Matt held out a hand and Mallory found herself taking it just a moment later.

There were plenty of things that needed to be said aloud... but now, at least, it no longer felt like they were pretending.

"Ah, feel that fresh mountain air!" the Doctor exclaimed as they stepped outside.

For all his build-up the place of their arrival didn't look too much different from a twenty-first century ski resort—bright white mountains, snow-covered pines, and dozens of cozy looking cabins with smoke rising from their chimneys. The sun hovered over the horizon, though whether rising or setting Mallory didn't know, but lightly glowing lights marked out neatly kept brick paths.

"All sorts of things we can do here! Ice fishing, ice skating, ice skiing—no, that's just skiing, isn't it?"

The two trailed behind while the Doctor continued to ramble, letting his verbose explanations wash over them and only really paying attention when he stopped.

A portly man had bumbled into the Time Lord, cutting him off mid-sentence. "I'm sorry, sir, really terribly sorry to bother you, but please, please tell me, have you seen my daughter?" He held out a small, tablet like device, that the Doctor began to examine with interest.

Matt and Mallory came up beside him and the man moved his tablet over so they could see. On the translucent surface was a picture of a young girl, maybe eight or so, with frizzy red hair, freckles, and a wide grin that showed off a pair of buck teeth. Mallory felt a pang of sorrow go through her, and hoped desperately that the child had just holed up somewhere and wasn't really lost, hurt, or worse.