Teaser: “Paradise in Shadows”

THE TARDIS wheezed and groaned reassuringly before landing with a resonant thud. The Doctor, cradling the console, beamed at his travelling companion.

“Now, wasn’t that something!” he proclaimed. “I’ve missed doing that.”

Riddell was unmoved. “And you’re quite sure we’re where you think we are?”

The Doctor looked hurt. “But of course! I know I’m a little out of practice navigating the old girl for myself, what with how long we were subjected to the randomiser, but”—he jabbed firmly at his forehead—“you don’t forget hundreds of years’ of navigational experience just like that.”

“Well, you say that, but that’s pretty much my concern,” said Riddell with a frown. “Remind me again, how did you come by the TARDIS in the first place, and why precisely did you flee Gallifrey?”

The Doctor waved away Riddell’s challenge. “Details, John, mere details! The point is that the High Council don’t care where I go or what I do anymore, so let’s enjoy our newfound freedom.” He flicked a switch on the console with a flourish, and the view screen inside the TARDIS rippled into life, revealing nothing short of a tropical paradise. “There you have it: the Kingdom of Hawai’i! We’ve been through purported heaven and actual Hell to get here, I grant you, but this is a time and place of luxury and natural beauty. Tourists travel whole star systems to come here. Present company included, I suppose.”

Riddell was genuinely impressed at the vista on the screen, and eager to set foot in such blissful surroundings given recent events. He activated the TARDIS doors and strode outside. A hot, humid wind hit his face, stirred further by the roaring engines of high-tech if clunky aero-shuttles taking off nearby. The concrete walls of what appeared to be a bustling travel-port were just a few yards from the TARDIS’s landing position. “What year is this?” he asked the Doctor? “You said this is a ‘kingdom’?”

“Mid-twenty-fourth century, or thereabouts,” replied the Doctor as he pulled on his Panama and joined his friend outside. “Hawai’i seceded from the United States of America some time back, during its collapse.”

Riddell raised an eyebrow.

“Best we don’t talk about that either,” the Doctor added. “We’re here to have fun, remember?”

Riddell looked farther afield, taking in the palm trees and vibrant green grass that surrounded them. Towards the horizon, beneath a deep blue, cloud-studded sky, stood the dark shapes of majestic mountain peaks and a glimpse of a glistening blue ocean. He now allowed himself to smile broadly, and stepped forward in anticipation of exploring this paradise further.

Suddenly, the Doctor convulsed as if he had received a violent jab to his chest and let out a sharp cry. In an instant, Riddell’s instincts kicked in, as he sought to determine what was wrong. The Doctor fumbled in his linen jacket’s inside pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, which was whirring and blinking furiously.

“Well, that’s rude!” shouted the Doctor indignantly at no one in particular as he wrestled with the device to no avail.

“What is it?” asked Riddell urgently.

“It would appear, John, that some lamentable soul has gained remote access and is circumventing my control. Put simply, my sonic screwdriver is being hacked!”