‘Rescue’s too late already …’ The Doctor started working the TARDIS controls, scanning for traces of life on board. There were none. Flicking on the microphone she leaned forward. ‘Space Defence Centre? This is the Doctor.’

‘Thank God. What the hell’s been happening? Over.’

‘That alien ship, what happened to it? Over.’

‘Ship has gone, Doctor, repeat, it’s gone. Once it had blown the hell out of that station, it took off fast.’

The Doctor’s hearts were sinking. ‘And took Ryan and Graham with it,’ she said miserably.

Will’s voice sounded strained as he continued. ‘Everyone’s going crazy down here. Alien space stations, alien spaceships … when’s it going to be all … Over.’

‘You tell me, Will. What did you mean, the station will be gone? Over.’

‘That ship’s blown it out of lunar orbit. In 12 hours the whole thing will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.’ Will paused. ‘Did you get a fix on Ryan and Yaz when they were taken? I mean, they were taken, right? I can’t get hold of Dorothy to confirm. Over.’

The Doctor sighed heavily, pressed transmit. ‘No fix, repeat, no fix. And … Dorothy’s been taken too. Over.’

There was silence for what felt like a whole minute. ‘Taken?’ Will’s voice sounded quite fragile but hardened fast. ‘Repeat, Dorothy taken? Taken where? Over.’

‘Transported. Beamed across space. I don’t know where.’ Now the Doctor was glad for the primitive two-way radio that didn’t allow for interruptions until transmissions were ended. ‘But I promise you, I’ll find her, Will. I’m coming back down, now, and I’ll make contact as soon as I’m able. We’re going to figure this out, and I’m not even going to say “Over”, because it’s not, OK? It’s not … over.’ The Doctor took a deep and shaky breath. ‘Ryan, Graham, Ace, Chantelle, Kim … Wherever you are, I’ll find you. I swear, I’ll find you.’

She turned and strode outside, picked up Squidget and tucked it under her arm. Then she pushed the ruined console back into her ship, and closed the doors behind her.

A few seconds later, with a strangled groan, the TARDIS disappeared from the dying station.

INTERLUDE
1990

Ace pelted through the warped landscape, her boots thudding over ground the colour of burnt sugar, sticking close to the cover of crumbling arches and rocky ruins. Her head still spun and sparked with the visions she’d seen, and her skin crawled with the touch of the Wraiths. Behind her she could hear sounds of pursuit as Astingir troops took their trail, but beyond that crash and clatter she sensed the shadow-men she’d seen in the Anvil following too, looming out at her from the ruined doorways, rising from the blackened stone to press fingers against her flesh.