Reviewiverse : JAWS

                      Jaws : A Retrospective

                  By

                      Kevin Scott Bolinger

Movie Poster

   The word blockbuster is used to describe any film , usually shown in the summer months, that makes over 100 million in the domestic box office. Many famous films have had that distinction. Films like Star Wars, and its sequels, and prequels, Terminator 2 : Judgment Day, Independence Day, the list goes on and on. All these films owe their moniker of blockbuster to the film that started it all. The first ever blockbuster, 1975’s Jaws.

   Jaws, directed by a then very young Stephen Spielberg, was originally a novel by Peter Benchley . Set in the small town of Amity Island, a fictitious beach resort just off Long Island in New York State. It is simply a tale of a monstrous great white shark attacking the community and causing havoc as the Fourth of July holiday approaches. The book was a hit, but would pale in comparison to it’s celluloid offspring.

   Many changes were made turning the novel into a screenplay. For one, the Brody’s had three children in the book, while the film it was just two. A plot where Matt Hooper and Ellen Brody had an affair was dropped completely. Also, Hooper did not survive the book, his fate was far different. And as for the shark hunter, Quint, he did not use a harpoon gun, and his fate was closer to Captain Ahab. Even the shark itself met a different fate, simply dying of exhaustion from the chase, the barrels harpooned into it finally taking its toll. It was, how they say, anti climatic.

   The film itself was mainly shot on Martha’s Vineyard, NY. It was plagued by production problems, delays, and nearly cost Spielberg his job. Rewrites were being done at night, special effects men would try in vain to get the mechanical shark to work. There is a joke that Richard Dreyfuss always says when being interviewed about Jaws. There were radios all over the island, and everyday you would hear from them “The shark is not working, I repeat , the shark is not working.” This unwittingly became a blessing to the production, in that Spielberg had to come up with ways of showing the shark , without actually showing the shark. It led to the whole “less is more” approach, made famous in this film. Not seeing the shark seemed to elicit more terror from audiences. It was a masterstroke, all brought about by a faulty mechanical shark, named Bruce, after Spielberg’s lawyer.

    The casting was almost perfect. Police Chief Martin Brody was played by the late Roy Scheider, marine biologist Matt Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfuss, and in what became his most famous roll, the infamous Captain Quint was played by the late Robert Shaw. The three men would dominate the last half of the film. Not just a chase , or a hunt, it had real human moments, where the three men would bond.

   The supporting cast was also good, Lorraine Gary as Ellen Brody, the Chiefs loving wife. The late Murray Hamilton, as Mayor Vaughn, a man who would make errors in judgment over what he felt the best course of action was in dealing with the shark. Jeffery Kramer as Hendricks, Brody’s deputy.

   The film opens with an underwater shot, a fishes view of swimming, with the famous two note rhythm of John Williams’ score. We then see a beach party late at night, teens and young adults gathered around bonfires, drinking, relaxing. A young man catches the eye of a young girl, and she runs off. As he gives chase, she strips bare and wants to go swimming. Unfortunately, the man is far to drunk to follow, and he passes out on the beach.

   The young girl swims out towards a buoy, when suddenly something grabs her. What follows is a vicious and visceral scene of the girl being dragged violently back and forth in the water, pleading for help. She is briefly let go, grabs the buoy, only to be attacked again and dragged under.

   The next morning finds Chief Brody in his house, getting ready for work. He receives a phone call from the station, a man reporting a missing bather. After heading to the station, he, the young man, and Hendricks head to the beach where the young man had passed out the night before. As Brody questions the man, Hendricks blows his whistle, signaling the two men to his location. What they see is very disturbing, the remains of the girl, covered with seaweed and crabs. There isn’t much left of her.

   Back at the station, Hendricks and the young man are looking a bit sick, and in his office, Brody is typing up his report, a towel around his neck, he too had been sick. The coroner calls, and tells Brody it was a shark attack. Brody reacts quickly, asking his secretary for a full list of water activities planned for the day, then runs out to get some supplies.

As he walks back to the station with supplies, Hendricks pulls up to tell him a group of boy scouts is in the bay earning their merit badges. Brody gives the supplies to Hendricks, instructing him to have them with Beaches Closed, No Swimming. He then tells Hendricks to let his secretary do the printing. Brody leaves in the truck to stop the swimmers in the bay.

    As he drives onto the ferry, asking the ferryman to take him to the swimmer, another car pulls onboard. The Mayor, along with the newspaper editor, Meadows, and the coroner. The coroner changes his opinion, stating that it was a boating accident that claimed the girl, not a shark. The mayor tells Brody that he was overreacting and that he cannot close the beaches. Brody gives in, a decision he will soon come to regret.

   The next day, Brody and his family are on the beach with other locals. Tourists had yet to arrive, so things were quiet. As he sat there, locals would talk to him, yet he was paying more attention to the water. And then, to his, and everyone else’s horror on the beach, a young boy, Alex Kintner, is attacked while riding his rubber raft. Huge fins briefly break the surface as the boy is pulled down, a pillar of blood and water geysers upward.. Everyone flees from the water, only to have a mother, walking alone on the shoreline calling for Alex, his torn up and bloody raft feebly coming ashore.

   Alex’s mother puts out a $3000 bounty on the shark. During the emergency town meeting, Brody does say that he is closing the beaches. The mayor interjects saying it will only be for twenty-four hours. As argument ensues, a screeching is heard on the blackboard. Everyone looks to see the smiling face of Captain Quint, local shark hunter. He offers to kill the shark for $10,000, and warns them that if they decide to play it cheap, they will all be on welfare for the coming winter. His offer is…take under advisement.

   At the town docks the following day, hundreds of fishermen show up, hoping to claim the bounty. Young Matt Hooper comes onto the dock with help of local Ben Gardner. Matt was called in by Brody to help them figure out what they are dealing with. He examines the small remains of the girl, and says conclusively that it was a shark. On the docks, a group of fisherman have arrived with a very large shark carcass. Hooper measures the bite radius and determines it is not the shark they are after. Brody and Hooper tell the mayor, but he is adamant that they have the beaches open for the fourth.

   Brody sits at his dinner table that night, at a loss for what to do. As he sits there, Hooper shows up with wine, and invites himself to dinner. He tells Brody he wants to cut the shark open. It is a tiger shark with a very slow digestive system, so whatever it had eaten in the last few days would still be inside. They go to the docks and cut open the shark, finding only fish, a tin can and a license plate from Louisiana. They decide to hop on Hooper’s boat to search for the shark in the dark.

   They come upon Ben Gardner’s beat up fishing boat, prominent bite marks on it. Hooper decides to dive down to check Gardner’s hull. He sees a very large hole has been bitten into the boat, he then extracts a huge tooth, only to drop it when the corpse of Gardner, missing his eye, floats into the hole.

   The next morning finds the two arguing with the mayor. Hooper explains that they have a great white shark patrolling Amity’s waters. They go back and forth, the mayor not budging. They decide to bring on extra help, and have boats patrolling the beaches on the fourth.

   As bathers are enjoying the water, a shark fin appears, moving among them. There is a panic, and everyone exit’s the water. As the boats converge on the fin, it turns out to be two kids, playing a prank.
Meanwhile, in the estuary, Brody’s oldest, Michael and his friends are having issues with Michael’s sailboat. A woman onshore spots the shark just beneath the surface but no one believes her. A man is a dingy tries to offer advice to the boys, as he does, the shark bumps his boat, causing the man and also the boys on the sailboat to plunge into the water. The man is attacked, his severed leg sinking to the bottom. As Brody arrives, the shark heads back out to sea. His son is pulled onshore, in shock. He is taken to the hospital.

   In the hospital, Brody confronts a very distraught mayor Vaughn. He forces the mayor to sign the contract to hire Quint to kill the shark. Brody and Hooper then go to Quint’s house near the docks. Inside he has the jaws of hundreds of sharks he had killed over the years. They discuss terms and drink some homemade hooch.

The ORCA

   Now the real fun begins. Supplies are loaded onto Quint’s boat, the Orca. She is old and very well used. A shark jaw adorns her flying bridge. Yellow barrels adorn the bow, in front of them, an extended pulpit used for shark hunting. The three set off, Quint showing that he may not be quite right in the head. He and Hooper clash on numerous occasions. Brody is set to making a chum slick, to try and attract the shark. Hooper mans the flying bridge, but with the tide carrying them, he has nothing to do. Quint sits in the fighting chair, a rather large fishing pole in his lap. To help kill time, he tries teaching Brody how to tie knots. As Brody is practicing, Quint notices his line being ever so slowly being taken. He harnesses himself to the chair, and suddenly the line goes ripping from the pole.

   Quint barks orders to the two men, Brody to dump water on the reel to cool it, Hooper to start the engines and follow the line in the water. As Quint begins to slowly reel in , he realizes the shark has gone under the boat. Hooper is not convinced that it is the shark they are looking for. Quint orders them to put on gloves and Brody sees the leader wire. Hooper attaches a line to the leader and as he pulls, the leader snaps, throwing him to the deck. Quint and he argue, and Quint points out that whatever was on the line, had bitten through the piano wire he was using as a leader.

Brody, look behind you!

   More time passes, the three men doing nothing much more then sitting. Hooper plays solitaire, Brody Just sits against the transom, and Quint sits up in one of the crows nests in the ships mast. As he climbs down, he orders Brody to restart the chum line. He then orders Hooper to start the engines and go slow ahead. We now come to what is perhaps the most famous line from this film, a line completely adlibbed by Roy Scheider. As Brody tosses chum into the water, complaining, not paying attention, the shark rears its very large head out of the water. Brody is in shock, and slowly walks backwards into the boats cabin. He turns to Quint and says “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Quint takes that in for a moment, then runs out and orders Hooper to stop the engines.

    As the engines stop, the shark glides by, and the three finally see the monster they have come to kill. Hooper declares it a twenty footer, the more experienced Quint makes it to be twenty-five feet, and three tons. Quint grabs his harpoon gun and heads to the pulpit, while Hooper is trying to get Brody to pose in the foreground for a picture. Quint orders Hooper to attach the harpoon line to the first barrel. Hooper runs and grabs a piece of equipment first, delaying Quint from firing the harpoon into the sharks head. Hooper quickly ties the barrel to the harpoon, and in the last second manages to attach a radio tracker. The harpoon lodges in the sharks dorsal fin, and the barrel is pulled into the water. The shark then dives, dragging the buoyant barrel with it. Darkness begins to fall, as Brody tries to convince Quint to radio in for a bigger boat.

   Later that night, the three men are in the cabin, drinking. Hooper and Quint compare scars, the three bonding. Brody asks about one particular scar. It was from a removed tattoo of the USS Indianapolis. Quint then tells then the tale of the loss of the ship to Japanese torpedoes. Eleven hundred men went into the waters of the pacific. Sharks came in and tore many to pieces. For three days the survivors floated in the water, in the end, a little over three hundred were taken out , the sharks got the rest. This gives much insight into Quint’s character, and his hatred of sharks. As they begin singing, the camera switches to outside, where a barrel with a beeping transmitter makes its way to the boat. Suddenly the boat is attacked, small leaks begin, then the power to the lights is cut. Quint tries in vain to shoot the shark in the dark, but it leaves.

   The next morning finds the men repairing the Orca. The rudder is bent, salt water has leaked into the fuel. As Brody is on the bridge moving the wheel to help Quint, he spots the barrel. Quint rigs another barrel and gets the shark in its lower jaw. The shark dives again. Shortly thereafter, the barrels resurface. Quint has them snag the lines and tie them to the transom. As he begins trying to pull the shark with the barrels attached, the shark does the impossible and begins pulling the boat, backwards. The cleats are pulled right from the transom. The shark gets a third barrel attached and dives again. Brody tries to contact the Coast guard, but Quint destroys the radio.

    The barrels reappear, and Quint decides to lead the shark to shallow water and drown it. The shark chases them, forcing Quint to push the Orca’s damaged engines too far. The engines explode, and they are left adrift, as the barrels yet again sink beneath the surface.

     Quint asks Hooper if he has anything that can help. Hooper has poison onboard that can kill the shark, but he would need to get into his anti-shark cage and use a harpoon to get the shark in the mouth to inject the poison. The put the cage together, Hooper loads the harpoon, and is lowered into the sea. The shark glides by, and Hooper is shacked at its actual size. It vanishes into the gloom, and as Hooper is searching for it, it attacks the cage from behind. Hooper stabs its snout with a knife, the harpoon being lost in the violence of the attack. He manages to swim over the shark and hide in some seaweed as the shark attacks the cage and pulls the Orca lower into the water. The supports on the boat break and Body and Quint rig something quick to bring the cage up.

Farewell and adieu Quint...

    They look at what’s left, and as its dropped into the water, the shark leaps from the sea and lands on the transom, pulling the Orca down to sea level. Brody is in the cabin, trying to hold onto Quint, but loses his grip. Quint slide down the deck into the waiting jaws of the shark, trying to kick it away. The shark bites down on Quint’s legs, and as he screams, he stabs the shark with his machete. He is pulled deeper into the sharks mouth, and as he dies, the shark slides back into the water, with his body.

   Brody is now alone on the sinking boat. The cabin is level with the sea and the shark breaks in, opening its mouth to reveal bits of human flesh clinging to its teeth. Brody grabs one of Hooper’s extra air tanks and hit’s the shark repeatedly, until the tank gets lodged into the monsters jaws. Brody makes his way to the mast, climbing as high as he can while the boat sinks. He has a hand held harpoon and Quint’s rifle. The shark attacks again, and he stabs it repeatedly with the harpoon till it leaves. Brody then see the shark making a long distance run on him, he aims the gun, and fires numerous time, hoping to hit the tank in its mouth. As he says “Smile you son-of-a-bitch!” his shot connects and the shark is blown to bits.

"Smile, you son of a..."

   As Brody clings to the mast, it and the bow the only parts of the Orca not yet sunk, he is startled by Hooper as he resurfaces. The two men rig the remaining barrels together and make the long swim back to shore.

   The film became an instant hit. People were terrified to go swimming. Spielberg had created a masterpiece despite the production problems. The brilliance of using the yellow barrels to represent where the shark was during the hunt only added to the terror and fun.

   The USS Indianapolis speech became so well known, it inspired one young man to search out the truth about the lost ship. Most of that speech was filmed while Robert Shaw, a known alcoholic, was extremely drunk. Feeling embarrassed, some of it was re-shot the following night, yet most of the footage in the film was from the drunk cut.

   The film went on to gross over one hundred million , and given inflation, it still ranks as one of the highest grossing films of all time. It spawned three sequels , yet they paled in comparison to the original.
Even now, there are rumors of a remake. Some hope these rumors are false.

   The fan following for this film, even after thirty-five years is still very high. One of Roy Scheider’s last appearances is in the documentary, The Shark is Still Working. Unfortunately, Universal pictures has been dragging its feet on getting this wonderful documentary on the making and legacy of the film out on DVD for all to enjoy. Every year, thousands flock to Martha’s Vineyard to visit the areas where Jaws was filmed.

    It is the perfect summer movie. It has action, horror, comedy, and suspense rolled into one. To quote John Williams after he saw the rough cut , before creating his magnificent score, he said to Spielberg “Oh, you made a pirate movie!’ And yes, the second half did have that swashbuckler feel to it. Three men on a boat, against a force of nature. Can you ask for more from a film?

   I first saw this film when I was close to twelve years old. As soon as it got to the hunt on the sea part, I was hooked. I taped it off of TV, and would watch it over and over, wearing down the tape. I bought the VHS version when I started working, that too got worn down. I got the first DVD release, yet when the thirtieth anniversary edition came out, I was first in line to snatch it up. Jaws is my all-time favorite film.

    Without this film, where would Spielberg be? Would he be the powerhouse director he is today? Would films such as Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan even exist? He was a relative unknown, having only directed Duel and The Sugarland Express, neither one smash hits, yet not bad films in their own right. Universal took a big chance on him, and it nearly became too much for him. Jaws started a tradition that Spielberg follows to this day. He is never on set for the final shot of the film. He did that on Jaws, because he was afraid the cast and crew might murder him after what he put them through. Yet, in the end, it was all worth it.

   Jaws would go on to win three academy awards, Best Score, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing. It was nominated for best picture, losing out to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Over the decades it has found itself on numerous top one hundred lists. The Library of Congress deemed the film, culturally significant, and has had the film preserved.

    It inspired rides, and helped build theme parks. Jaws is still a hit attraction at both Universal Studios parks (Since this was written, the Jaws attraction in Orlando,FL has sadly been removed. I had the pleasure of going on this ride back in 1998, and it was very memorable.). There are still people to this day that will not enter the water. Spielberg himself usually will only wade up to his ankles, fearing reprisal from sharks for making the film.

     Jaws has even inspired games. The NES version was a mild success, but not very user friendly. It had elements from the original, but was mostly based on Jaws The Revenge, the third and worst sequel. A few years ago, a Jaws game was released on the PS2. It was not the greatest game, plagued by glitchy controls , a bad story, and only decent graphics. Yet it was unique in that you played as the shark, devouring humans, seals, whales, and other sharks. You could destroy boats, slide on beaches to grab bathers, and special killing moves, such as tossing a bather in the air and jumping up to chomp them as they fell, limbs flying everywhere. It was fun to play, just from that aspect alone. If the story and controls had been better, it might have been a hit.

    If you have never seen this film, do yourself a favor, rent it, turn down the lights, grab a bowl of popcorn, and enjoy! You will be treating yourself to a cinematic masterpiece.

     What else can be said, if you ever find yourself in the ocean, on a boat, and a monster shark appears, make sure you tell the captain he is gonna need a bigger boat!

The Triumvirate!

Ship of the Month 3

Ship of the Month 3

By

Kevin Scott Bolinger

   Hello and welcome aboard once again to my ship of the month. Forgive the absence of this, as real life has gotten in the way of my writing. This month, I will take us farther back in time then I have thus far. I bring to you a vessel of old, powered not my steam or diesel, but by wind. I bring you the true story that inspired one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century, MOBY-DICK. Let me now welcome you aboard the whaling ship ESSEX  and her fateful meeting with a sperm whale in the Pacific ocean. Let me just add that this ship was covered in fantastic detail by Nathaniel Philbrick in his book  In The Heart of The Sea. I highly recommend this outstanding look at a lost piece of American history.

An early example of whaling.

    To begin this tale, we must delve into the history of whaling itself, at least where it pertains to the  ESSEX  herself. Whaling for the early United States was mainly begun out of Nantucket island. In the early days, when whales were plentiful, long boats would be launched from shore, with harpooners aboard. The crew would row out to a pod of whales, and then strike. With the harpoon struck fast, the men would be taken on what became known as the “Nantucket sleigh ride,” where the whale would pull the long boat behind it till it grew tired. Lances would then be deployed, striking the worn out whale till it spouted blood. The whale would then be towed back to shore for processing.

     The men from Nantucket grew quite good at their jobs, so good, in fact, that the whale populations fell sharply in the waters near Massachusetts. A new way was needed to hunt the whale. So, the whale ship was born. A vessel, capable of circumnavigating the globe in search of it’s prey. Back n land, the whales would be cut up, and the blubber taken to rendering factories, where the oil would be extracted. A portable rendering factory was soon placed on board whale ships, allowing them to travel further, rendering the oil themselves, and storing it in barrels for the trip home. Traditional methods, such as the long boats and harpooners were still employed, but now the boats were launched from the ship to hunt.

A Sperm Whale, largest toothed mammal on Earth.

     Originally, the Right Whale was the proffered species to hunt, but soon man discovered a substance that existed in only the brain casings of Sperm Whales,  spermaceti, a waxy substance used back then to make long burning candles, soap, and other useful products. They would also find the highly sought after ambergris, another waxy substance found in the animals digestive tract, that when aged, became a fixative for use in perfume. In this way, the sperm whale became a highly profitable whale to hunt.

     Folks today look at television programs, like Deadliest Catch, and think how dangerous it is. It is nothing compared to hunting sperm whales. The death rate for whale men was extremely high. Some ships would set out from Nantucket, never to be heard from again. Many a Nantucket widow would keep her lonely vigil, waiting for husbands that would never return.  Today, many sea shore communities have houses featuring porches on the second, or even third floors, know as widow’s walks. They are called this, because in the days of whaling and wooden ships, that is what they literally  became. It took men of great courage to hunt the sperm whale, and despite the mortality rate, it was a very lucrative career.

     As time went on, and the task of whaling grew more successful, the ships would have to travel farther and farther to get sufficient quantities of oil. Voyages would regularly last two, even three years. As whales in the Atlantic grew scarce, men pursued them to the Pacific, either by going round South America’s horn or by way of Africa’s Cape of Good hope. Both were very dangerous propositions, not to be taken lightly. Deadly storms would swallow whole vessels, leaving no trace in their wake.

Model of the ESSEX.

    The ESSEX herself was laid down in Nantucket in the late 1700’s. At 87 ft in length, and only 238 tons when empty, she was small for a whale ship. However, she had many successful voyages in her day, and was thus considered a “lucky” ship. She was laid up and extensively refitted in the winter of 1819. By mid summer, she was ready to depart, under the command of 29 year old George Pollard, Jr., one of the youngest men to ever captain a whale ship. His first mate was 23 year old Owen Chase. The two men had served together on the  ESSEX during her previous, highly successful voyage, prompting both men to be promoted upon arrival back in Nantucket. Thomas Nickerson was the youngest on board of the twenty-one man crew. At 15, he served as cabin boy.
   
      The ship had four whale boats on board, all clinker type boats. A clinker boat was built with overlapping planks, instead of the traditional flush fitting planks which provided better water tightness. The clinker boat was not made to be durable, but was built for speed, they had to be able to easily catch a whale once they were lowered into the water.

      On August 12, 1819, the ESSEX set out from Nantucket on what was supposed to be a two and a half year voyage to the whaling grounds off the Pacific coast of South Africa. The voyage had an ominous start, when two days out from Nantucket, the ship was caught in a sudden and very deadly squall. She lost her topgallant sail, and three of her four whale boats were destroyed. Instead of turning back for repairs, Captain Pollard decided to press on.

      In January of 1820, the ship began to round South America’s Cape Horn. Again, she ran into many storms, and it took her five weeks to round the cape and enter the Pacific. The men began to speak of ill omens, some wishing to return to Nantucket empty handed. In fact, in September of 1820, one of the men, Henry De Witt, would desert the ship when she landed in Ecuador to re-supply.

     After the long winter spent mostly rounding the horn, the ESSEX  and her crew found themselves spending the spring near the Galapagos islands where they could get new provisions. During the long voyage, the ships carpenter had built three new whale boats, with help from some of the other crew members. However, upon reaching the nearby fishing grounds, they came to learn that the whales had been fished out. A few returning whale ships informed Pollard and his men that a new whaling ground had been discovered. The catch was that it was 2500 miles to the south-west. The ship had never before been taken so far from the safety of land. It was a long trip, but, they had to do it, or return profitless.

     This area of the Pacific was fairly unknown in that day and age. Rumors of many islands populated by cannibals abounded. Yet it is to this uncharted region the ship and her crew were soon heading towards. Upon arrival, they were coming up empty, day in and day out. Tension began to rise, especially between Pollard and his first mate Chase. Chase’s whale boat had been heavily damaged when a whale surfaced directly below it. Then, on the early morning of November 8, 1820, the lookouts spotted a pod of whales. Three of the boats were lowered into the water to hunt. Chase’s boat was again damaged, when the whale they had harpooned struck it with it’s fluke, breaking open the planking.

     While Chase and his men returned to the ship, now empty handed, the Captain in his boat, and second mate Matthew joy, had each scored hits, their boats being dragged n Nantucket sleigh rides. Chase was on board the ESSEX, repairing his boat when he spotted a rather large male sperm whale acting odd a few hundred yards off the ships port side. The whale , unusually large, estimated at 85 feet in length, or roughly the size of the ESSEX herself, laid upon the surface, it’s head pointed towards the ship. Suddenly, it began to move, picking up speed until it rammed the vessel on her side, causing the ship to heel over. As she righted herself, the whale surfaced along the starboard side, its head near the bow, tail by the stern.

A drawing of the whale's first attack.

    Chase looked down upon it, thinking the whale had been stunned by the impact. He grabbed a harpoon, and was going to strike, when he noticed how close the beast’s fluke was to the ships fragile rudder. If he harpooned the whale, it could destroy the rudder, trapping the ship in the middle of the Pacific ocean. In hindsight, this might have been a better option. What happened next had never been seen before in the recorded history of whaling. The whale moved away from the ship, and resurfaced some 550 yard away. It turned its head towards the bow, and began to approach, even faster then before. With a mighty crash, it slammed head on into the bow, crushing it and pushing the ESSEX backwards! After the whale dislodged itself, it swam off, never to be seen again.
 
     The ship was sinking fast. Owen Chase moved as quick as he could to get rigging into the last remaining whale boat. The steward went below, grabbing what navigational equipment he could. As the ship went under, the Captain and Second mate’s boats returned, after seeing the attack from a distance. They two had cut their prey free to return to the stricken vessel.

Thomas Nickerson's account of the sinking.

    For two days, they salvaged what supplies they could from the ship, then the three boat, woefully under supplied with food and fresh water, headed away from the scene. The captain wanted to steer a course to the west, using the prevailing winds to carry them to the Marquesas islands, the nearest too them, yet still over 1,200 miles away. The crew, lead by Owen Chase, objected, fearing cannibals, and demanded to head towards South America, some 2,000 miles east. The flaw in this plan was they would have to sail south, until the prevailing westerlies could carry them to South America, which by that time would then be 3,000 miles away. This decision would cost all but eight of the remaining men their lives.

     As the days became weeks, supplies began to run out. Then, miraculously, the men spotted an island, just as the first of them were beginning to die from dehydration. They landed on what is known as Henderson’s island, which is a part of the modern British territory including the legendary Pitcairn’s island, where the famous mutineers from the HMS BOUNTY would make their home, but that is a tale for another day. Henderson’s island had  fresh water spring, and there were fish and birds prevalent. However, by December 26, 1820, the men had exhausted most of the tiny island’s food supplies. All but three men decided to return to the boats.

    On New Years Eve, those that were leaving, having gathered supplies for the trip, had returned to the water, and set off. However, within three days, they had consumed all the fish and birds they had gathered on the island.  All they had left were a few rations of bread salvaged from the ESSEX. Yet again, the men began to die. The first of them to go, second mate Matthew Joy, died on January 10, 1821. He was sewn up in his own clothes and buried at sea. At this point, I will tell divergent tales, as a storm came up, separating Owen Chase’s boat from the other two.

    Chase’s boat, with fellow survivors, Richard Peterson, Isaac Cole, Benjamin Lawrence, and the young cabin boy, Thomas Nickerson, found themselves alone. On January 18, Peterson died, and he too was sewn up in his clothes, and buried at sea. He was followed on February the 8th by Cole, but unlike the others, he was not buried at sea. Chase and the other two remaining men had a very long discussion. With food running out, it was decided they would have to survive off of Cole’s remains. By the 15th, even that morbid source of food had become exhausted. Luckily, three days later, the British whaler INDIAN spotted the three men, and they were quickly rescued.

    Captain Pollard now only had two boats left of his command.  The second boat, now under command of Obed Hendricks, ran out of food on January 14. Pollard’s boat exhausted theirs on the 21st. On the 20th, Lawson Thomas passed away, and it was decided his body would be used to feed the rest. By the 28th, three more men had died, yet that day would see Hendricks’ boat, with Joseph West and William Bond also on board, become separated from Pollard’s. The three men were never seen again.

   On Pollard’s boat, even after consuming those that had died, the men again found themselves without food. It was decided that lots would be drawn for who would be the sacrificial lamb.  The unlucky man to draw the black spot was Owen Coffin, the young cousin of Captain Pollard, whom Pollard had sworn to protect. He offered to keep the young man from his fate, but Coffin simply replied, "No, I like my lot as well as any other." Next they drew lots to see who would kill the young boy. It fell to Coffin’s friend, Charles Ramsdell. He shot Coffin dead, and the Pollard, Ramsdell, and Brazillai Ray fed off him.

     On February 11, Ray also died, Pollard and Ramsdell using him to survive. As food again became scarce, the two men managed to live a bit longer by knowing at the bones of Ray and Coffin. By the 23rd, they had become so delusional, they never even noticed an approaching vessel. It was the DAUPHIN  a fellow Nantucket whaler. As the rescuers approached, Pollard and Ramsdell, now very dissociative,  became fearful of their own saviors.

    Shortly thereafter, in the port of Valparaiso, the five survivors from the two rescued boats were reunited. They then told of the three men they had left on Henderson’s island. A ship was dispatched, and by April 5th, though starving and near death, the three were rescued. All in all, seven crewmen had been consumed to keep those in the whale boats alive.

    All eight survivors of the ESSEX returned to Nantucket and all but one returned to a life at sea. Captain Pollard was given another whale ship, the TWO BROTHERS, but it too was lost, this time during a storm in the shoals off of Hawaii. Upon his return to Nantucket, he gave up a life at sea, becoming a Nantucket watchmen. On November 20, every year for the rest of his life, he would lock himself in a room and fast, in memory of those lost under his command.

Owen Chase in his later years of life

   Owen Chase never returned to sea. He was haunted by the memories of the experience. He was also plagued by debilitating headaches the rest of his life. He wrote an account of the sinking, entitled,  Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex. In late 1841, the son of Owen Chase was on board a whale ship in the Pacific, not far from the spot where his father’s ship was lost, so many years before. A chance meeting with another whaler, the ACUSHNET, out of New Bedford, MA lead to the young Chase befriending briefly a young man on the other ship. He lent this man his father’s story.

     The young man on board the ACUSHNET you ask? Why, Herman Melville, of course, who would go on to use Owen Chase’s account of the wreck of the ESSEX , to help inspire the narrative of his greatest work, Moby-Dick, or The Whale. 

    Thank you for letting me share this tale with you. It is a little known one from the early days of the United States. I hope you enjoyed it. Next time, I will be tackling the story of a White Star Liner from the early part of the 20th century, but not one any of you may have heard of. Till then, be well, and enjoy the voyage.




    

    

Fan Fiction Corner

A new entry here. I have written fan fiction in the past, and it was very well received. This is my very first Doctor Who story, hope you all enjoy it. As always, comments are very welcome!

Doctor Who

“ The Vengeance Factor “

By

Kevin Scott Bolinger

   The automatic lighting currently had the empty corridor in darkness. All of a sudden, the lights at the far end began to illuminate. An unearthly sound began to fill the corridor, echoing everywhere.  A shape began to shimmer into existence. As it took form, it began to resemble a blue police box.  With an odd thump, the TARDIS had landed at it’s latest destination.
     Inside, the Doctor, the last of the Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, checked over the control console surrounding the time rotor. Amy Pond, the fiery Scottish red head, and her somewhat goofy looking, but dedicated husband Rory Williams, came into the control room from the corridor leading to their bedroom, Amy bouncing down the stairwell, smiling, while Rory had a puzzled look on his face.
     “Ok Doctor,” Rory began, “Where have you taken us this time?”  Rory always seemed to ask this, due to the fact the Doctor had a knack for getting them into dangerous situations, something Rory was coming to despise. Just last week they had answered a distress call, and he and Amy ended up in a dollhouse, in a boys closet, chased by evil wooden dolls.
      “Ah, Rory!” the Doctor began in his usual manic style, clasping his hands in front of his chest as he gleefully moved around. “We are currently in a corridor, on the human  colony of Pequis, located on the planet Felstar, in the year 4063. Beyond that, I really cannot tell you more.” he said with a wink.
      Amy chimed in next. “Then why bring us here, you big goof.” she teased, the Doctor was her best friend, and she trusted him with her life.
      “That, Pond, is a very simple answer.” the Doctor said as he made his way to the TARDIS doors. “I have never been here before.” He turned back to look at her with a smile, and went through the doors that concealed the fact  that the blue box was far larger on the inside…and walked right into a group of soldiers pointing guns at him. As he was raising his hands in surrender, Amy and Rory also came through the door, bounding into him.
     “Ah, right, guns.”  he said, taken back a bit, “ I suppose an explanation is in order. And why not, mysterious blue box shows up in your  hallway, three people walk out of said box, and I am talking too much, aren’t I. I really must learn to keep silent.”
     A grizzled and worn man with one eye covered in a shiny metal eye patch stepped forward. “That would be wise, considering you are all trespassing on my colony. Give me one reason why I should not have you all shot on site. “
      “Well, “ the Doctor said, beginning to reach into his jacket, causing the men to re-aim their weapons just at him. “Um, if you would let me get to my credentials.” The leader motioned for his men to stand down for the moment. The Doctor reached into his tweed jacket and pulled out the small document holder containing his psychic paper, allowing those to look at it to see what the Doctor needed them to see.  The leader took it from him.
        “Says here you are a group of inspectors, from Earth. Why did Earth send you? I told them I could handle this problem myself. “ The one eyed man looked annoyed.
         “Ah well, I think formalities are in order first. I am the Doctor, by the way, and these are my assistants , Amy and Rory. “ The Doctor had regained his confidence, as he took back his psychic paper.
         “The name is Commander John Habbard, This is my colony, and these are my troops. “ The Doctor offered him his hand, but Habbard refused it.
        “Well then, Commander Habbard, “ the Doctor said, clapping his hands together  in front of him, “the next order of business should be, what sort of problem?”
       “I will not discuss it here in this hallway. Let us go to my office, where we can talk alone. “ Habbard motioned for his soldiers to disperse. All but one, a rather imposing looking woman with blond hair, left to return to their duty stations. The commander did not wait to see  if the Doctor and his companions were following, he just briskly began to walk away. The Doctor  looked back at his friends and smiled. They all set off after the Commander, the female soldier following behind. Rory looked at Amy and raised his eyes.
    “Here we go again.” he mumbled. His wife gave him a soft jab in the ribs.
    “Not now.” she warned.
   They walked down numerous corridor, past what looked like a mess hall for the troops stationed there. The then walked into a rotunda area, with doors leading to other  parts of the colony, many of them reading “civilians.”  Located centrally between the military and civilian areas, was the Commanders office. A large imposing metal door opened as they approached.
    The interior was spartan. The commander had a desk, a communications screen and a few chairs. He did not even have a simple desk plant. Everything inside was done in shades of grey. The Commander  sat behind his desk and offered a chair to the Doctor.  As the Doctor  sat in the proffered seat, the Commander was busy looking over the screen on his desk. Rory watched him, figuring he was looking at data concerning the colony. When Habbard seemed satisfied with what he had looked at, he looked up at his guests.
    “I am going to ask you once again, and please, do not lie.” The Commander shot the female soldier, who had stayed with them entering the  office, a glance. She quickly nodded back at him.
    The Doctor looked Habbard right in the eye. “I told you, I’m the Doctor, and this is Amy and Rory. Beyond that, there really isn’t much more to tell.”
    Habbard grunted. “I’m sure.”
    Rory looked at the Doctor, a small amount of nervousness on his face.
    “Well then, Doctor, what is there to keep me from locking the three of you in my brig and allowing you to rot?” Habbard warned.
    “I suspect the nature of your problem, Commander Habbard, “ answered the Doctor.  “I believe the old saying is, you have bigger fish to fry, so to speak. At the moment, the three of us are a mere inconvenience. Now, I will ask again,” he said with a smirk, “ what seems to be your problem?”
   The Commander chuckled, a dark laugh, devoid of all humor. “Very well, not as if you three will be of much help. This colony has recently come under attack. The perpetrator is a rather large creature, many times the size of a human. Its skin is grey, it has what appears to be worn animal skins as a loin cloth, of sorts. Piercing yellow eyes, and teeth that would scare a lion.  It seems to be a native resident, though all scans of the planet done years ago showed no such beast here. It appears the scans were in error.”
    “It would appear so,” the Doctor agreed, “please, do go on.”
    “We have only been in operation a few short months. Several civilians had gone missing, no trace ever found. Then, one day, the creature was spotted, walking away with one of them. Since no one has ever been found, we assume the latest victim has been killed as well.”
    “I see,” the Doctor said as he pondered this new information. “You know, I must warn you, Commander, in my experience, assumption can be a dangerous thing.”
    “Doctor, I will make any assumption I need to. I will make this beast pay with its blood! “ The Commander was clearly very agitated. “For you see, Doctor, the last victim was my son, my only child. I saw it take him with my own eye! It snatched him up, and I gave chase, sending several rounds of ammunition the creatures way. It seemed to shrug them off. It moved to fast for me to follow, but I saw where it went, towards the caves a few short hours walk from here, just beyond the trees. I say to you , Doctor, I will have the beasts head!” He had gotten to his feet and had leaned into the Doctors face from across the desk. The Doctor was unfazed.
     When the Commander sat back down, the Doctor spoke, softly, yet with authority. “You will take such a creature down, by yourself?” he asked.
     The Commander looked up at the blond soldier. “Captain Buckster,  assemble the troops in the mess.” he ordered. With a nod, the Captain left the office to do as ordered.
     “So, this creature, which you know nothing about, mind you, hurt you. And nothing will keep you from having your revenge. I wonder Commander Habbard, “ the Doctor said, his eyes burning deeply into the Commanders glance, “what sort of cost your vengeance will entail?”
     Habbard glared at him, then snarled, “ The only cost will be paid by that foul beast, Doctor. Mark my words.”
     The Doctor looked down, and spoke with a far softer tone. “What was his name? Your son, what was his name?”
      The Commander seemed to sag a bit, but it was almost unnoticeable.  “James, after my own father. He was just ten years old, and he had his mothers eyes. You see, I lost my wife to an accident when James was very young. He is all I had left of her. That beast took the only goodness I had left in this universe. I promised to keep him safe, and that creature made me break that promise. Death to the beast is the only thing that will bring me justice!” He closed his one good eye and brought his clasped hands to his mouth.
    “That creature’s death will not bring your son back.” the Doctor said, barely above a whisper.
   As the Commander was about to retort, the screen on his desk beeped for his attention. “Are you ready, Captain?” he asked the monitor, knowing who had paged him.
    Captain Buckster’s voice came from the speakers. “Yes sir, Commander, assemble and awaiting your presence.”
    Without reply, he terminated the connection and stood. “Come, Doctor, let me show you how we plan to deal with this problem.” Again, he did not wait for them to join him, but opened the door and walked out, towards the mess hall. The Doctor stood, Amy and Rory close behind. Rory did not look pleased.
    “I really think we should go this time, Doctor.” Rory said, his voice indicating he was serious. “We are clearly not wanted here.”
   “That has never stopped me before.” the Doctor muttered to himself, and he strode off after the Commander.
   “Great!” Rory exclaimed, throwing his hands up in disgust, “Just great, he never listens to me.” As he looked, he noticed Amy had walked off following the Doctor. With a shake of his head he followed. “Wait, I’m coming too.” he said at last.

    The trio entered the mess and made their way towards the middle, where Commander Habbard and Captain Buckster awaited them. On the opposite side of the Commander stood a rather large and imposing alien, his skin a mauve tone, yet slightly scaly. He was covered with marking from his home world, and from his tiny ears hung huge golden hoops. He looked down at the Doctor and leered a mischievous grin.
    The Doctor walked right over to him and looked up. “You must be from the planet Queeg, great hunters, your people. “ the Doctor sniffed in arrogance. “ What brought you here, I wonder?”
    The alien chuckled. “Aye,  my name is Tagoo. Even among my own kind, I am considered the best. I am here because the Commander is here.” he said stiffly.
    “I see. So you owe him a life debt sort of thing?” the Doctor asked, not taking his eyes from Tagoo’s.
    “Yes, he saved my life during a hunt that ended in disaster. Where he goes, I go.” Tagoo looked up and pumped his chest.
    The Doctor began to walk away, “I hope that dept does not cost you your life.” he said softly. Tagoo looked down at him, a small sneer on his lips as the Doctor went back to his companions.
    “Are you quite done, Doctor?” The Commander asked brusquely .
    “I am all ears, Commander.” The Doctor replied with a hand gesture.
    “ Very well.” Habbard began. “Men, what is our purpose here this day?”
    As one, they all sang out. “TO HUNT THE BEAST!”
    “And what will we do when we track it down?” asked Habbard of his men.
   “WE KILL IT!” again, said in unison.
   “That’s right. You have all sworn an oath to me to see this through. “ the Commander said, almost menacingly . Then, quickly he shouted out. “DEATH TO THE BEAST!”
   As if chanting, his men repeated it. “DEATH TO THE BEAST! DEATH TO THE BEAST!” Over  and over they  continued, the noise becoming deafening.
   As all this was going on, the Doctor kept moving his head around the room, as if searching for something.  He began to back away towards the far side of the room, Amy and Rory in tow. As it began to quiet down some, Amy got close to the Doctor’s ear.
     “What are you looking for, Doctor.” she asked, having notice his mannerisms.
     He answered her  while still glancing around. “I am looking for the mast with the gold doubloon nailed to it.”
      With a puzzled look, Amy asked, “The what?”
      “Never mind, ancient history.” he replied with a worried look on his face. “We really need to get back to the TARDIS.”
       “Finally!” Rory said with an exasperated breath.
       “We aren’t leaving.” the Doctor said with a glare towards Rory.
       “Of course not.” Rory frowned.
   The Commander made his way over to them. ”You see Doctor, all loyal to me. Everyone of them have sworn a blood oath!” He grinned, but it was a very frightening sight to behold.
    The Doctor tilted his head to look at him, his face cold and emotionless. “The trouble with blood oaths is, they involve blood.”  The Doctor turned his head away from Habbard. “You wont mind if my assistants and I retire for the evening to our transport?”
    “You mean that blue box you walked out of?” The Commander asked, looking a bit puzzled.
    “It has…sentimental value.” The Doctor replied.
     “I am sure more comfortable quarters can be arranged. “ The Commander offered.
     “The box will be fine.” said the Doctor.
       “Suit yourself.” He glanced over at Captain Buckster. “Captain, escort them to their little blue box, if you please.”
      “Right away sir.” She saluted, the looking towards the three travelers, “This way, please.”
  They all walked out of the mess and started back the way they had originally came. The Doctor held back, getting closer to Buckster. When they were clear of the mess hall, he began to strike up a conversation.
     “So, Captain Buckster, do you have a first name, or is it just Captain?” He said pleasantly
     “If you must no, my name is Elisabeth, but you will refer to me as Captain.” she replied, straight laced.
     “I noticed, Captain,” he said with his hands clasped in front of him, his head glancing towards the ceiling “That during all the chanting back there, you were oddly quiet, and you were staring at the floor.”
     She did not flinch, “I was not in a chanting mood.” she said simply.
     “Oh don’t give me that.” the Doctor continued. “I have been around soldiers many times in my life. I have also been around more lunatics then I care to admit. I see it in your eyes, even now. You do not approve of what is going on here.”
     She grew a bit cross at this. “I do as I am commanded, sir, nothing more.”
     “Do not insult me, Captain, I am quite good at reading people. You want this to stop.” He turned to face her directly. “Help me stop this, before more lives are lost. Help me end this madness.”
     They had reached the TARDIS, the Captain stared straight into the Doctor’s eyes. “I will do my duty. Goodnight, Doctor.” she spat out, turning and walking away at a brisk, angry  pace.
     The Doctor stood there a moment, watching her walk away, disappointment on his face. Amy and Rory had already gone inside the TARDIS. With a sigh, he turned and opened the door. As he walked in, he returned one last glance at Captain Buckster, then shut the door. He leaned against it with his head in his hands.
     Amy looked at him, concerned. “What’s wrong Doctor?”
     “Fools,” he breathed, “ the whole lot of them.” He began to walk back towards the control console, then turned to face Rory. “Rory, I have a job for you.”
    “A job?” Rory asked, a bit surprised. “For me?”
     “Of course for you..” the Doctor said, sounding agitated. “I need you to track down Captain Buckster. Tell her I sent you to apologize for my rudeness. That should get her attention. However, I also need you to determine where she truly stands in all this.”
     “But, Doctor…” Rory began, but was quickly cut off.
     “No buts, Rory, just do it!” the Doctor snapped. “This is important!”
    Rory glared at him, and stormed off towards the doors, slamming them behind him.
     Amy looked from the slammed doors then to the Doctor, her arms crossed in anger. “Oy, Don’t you snap at my husband like that again, raggedy man!”
     He looked her in the eye. “Not now Amy!”
     “Yes now.” she spat at him. “None of this secretive nonsense. Right  now, you tell me. What is going on here?”
     His eyes looked away from her and back towards the doors. “Oh, Pond. Haven’t you figured it out yet? Ahab needs to hunt his white whale.”

      As Rory was walking away from the TARDIS, he was grumbling to himself, moving his arms in anger as he did so. “Every time! He does this, every, single time! I am getting sick and tired of how he treats us. We are not his pets!” He continued on like this as he made his way to the most logical place he could think of, the mess hall.
     By the time he got there, most of the soldiers had dispersed,. Still mumbling to himself, Rory ran smack into something large and immobile. He looked up and noticed it was Tagoo.
      “You lost, little man?” the large alien asked with a twisted grin.
      “Ah, sorry, Tagoo. No, no, not lost, simply in need of a late night snack.” Rory nervously replied. With that he made his way to a cabinet, and pulled out the first things he saw, a can of tuna and some crackers.  Tagoo chuckled as he walked away.
      Rory, his snack in hand, looked around the room.  His gamble had paid off, with luck, in the far corner sat Captain Buckster, picking at her own late meal. He walked over towards her and cleared his throat as he approached.
      “Uh, Captain,” He began, “I would like to apologize for the Doctor’s rudeness. Sometimes that man can be very infuriating.”
      “He sent you, didn’t he?” She glared up at Rory.
      “Yes, yes he did, much to my chagrin.” Rory stared up at the ceiling.
      “You might as well take a seat and eat, though I will not be much company at the moment.” She offered the chair across from hers. Rory took it and opened the top of the tuna tin, then the crackers.
      The Captain watched him eat for a few moments, then began to speak. “Look, I know who and what he is. Our records may not be the most complete, but it showed me enough. He is not human. He has been known to change his face, though I am not sure I believe that.”
     “Yeah, well,” Rory began, bur Buckster cut him off.
“One thing I can tell you that our records show. He is a great meddler. Always sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.” She said angrily.
     “Tell me about it.” Rory said, looking away, and up towards the ceiling.
     “What really burns me up though, most of the records we have on him show that most of the time, he is right.” She sighed.
     Rory tried to lighten the mood a bit. “If it is any consolation, I can tell you I have been around him when he is wrong. It is not a pretty sight.”  Rory ended up frowning himself at that. The disaster at Demon’s Run, still fresh in his mind.
     They were quiet for a few moment, then the Captain began to speak softly. “Look, whether he is right or wrong does not matter. I cannot go against the Commander. That would be treason. I hope this Doctor of yours has something cleaver up his sleeve to end this madness, before it is too late.”
     Rory sighed, “I am sure he does, he always does.”  With a small frown he went back to eating his tuna and crackers. The Captain, finished with her meal, excused herself, leaving Rory alone.

      Rory had only been away from the TARDIS a few moments. The Doctor was pacing back and forth, thinking, muttering to himself.  Finally, with  a mighty, “AHA!” he ran over to the control console. Then he looked at the still slightly peeved Amy.
     “I have a job for you, Pond.” he smiled.
     “Oh, so now it’s me you have a job for. After you recent behavior, I am not sure I want to help.”  With that, she turned her back on him.
      He ignored her attitude for the moment. “This one is simple, while I am gone, have the TARDIS run a scan of this planet. Tell her to look for all indigenous species and see if any fit the Commander’s description. Also, have her look for anything unusual, out of place, so to speak.” He began to stride back towards the blue doors.
      “Wait, you’re leaving?” Amy asked, a bit shocked. “And where are you going?”
       “I am going to have another chat with our good friend Commander Habbard. There are still a few key pieces of information I need.” He continued his walk to the doorway.
      “You gonna try and get on his good side? I doubt he even has one.” She quipped. “ How are you going to manage that?”
      As he reached the doors, he turned back with a smirk. “Simple, just call me Ishmael.” And with that he was gone, and Amy set about setting up the scan he had asked for.

      None of the soldiers even made a move to stop him,  all of them having seen the Doctor standing with Habbard in the mess hall earlier. He reached his destination fairly quickly, and gently tapped his knuckles on the door.
       “Yes, what is it?” came the gruff reply form inside.
       The Doctor stuck his head inside and smiled. “Mind if we continue our chat from earlier?”
        Habbard looked up with a bit of a glare. “I should have known it was you, Doctor. Very well, come on in and have a seat.”
      The Doctor closed the door behind him, sat down and crossed his lower legs. “I was hoping I could join the hunt. It looks like you are planning to set out at first light, am I correct?”
      The Commander nodded an affirmative, then added, “I am not sure this hunt would sit well with you Doctor. To me, you just do not have that killer instinct.” He was goading the Doctor a bit.
      The Doctor merely sighed and looked down at the floor. “Oh how I wish that were true.” he frowned.
       Habbard stood up and looked out a very small window in his office, hands clasped behind his back. “This is war, Doctor. Something I fear you know nothing about.  I will not be denied my revenge.”
       “Of that, I have no doubt.” the Doctor said, still fairly quiet. “I only urge you to proceed with a bit of caution. “
       The Commander chuckled a bit, again, it was tainted with darkness. “Caution, you say. I actually expect that from you, Time Lord.”
       The last bit got the Doctor’s undivided attention. “How did you know?” he asked.
        “How could I not? There are agencies on Earth that have records of some of your activities.  Oh  yes, your face may change from time to time, but you are the very same man, and wherever you go, disaster follows in your wake.”
        The Doctor was now glaring. “Disaster happens when  stubborn beings like you fail to head my warnings. I tell you now, sir, abandon this fruitless bloodlust, before it fully consumes you.”
        Habbard turned around now, and put his hands on the edges of his desk so he could lean in closer to the Doctor. “What do you know of loss, Doctor? How can you, a time traveler, able to go wherever you wish, ever know of loss?”
        The Doctor was quickly on his feet, the now familiar fire of anger showing on his face. “You foolish human,” he began, a deadly quietness to his voice. “You could never know the amount of pain, guilt and loss I carry around after nearly one thousand years of life. You insult me sir.”  The age in his eyes was showing now, as he stared down the Commander. “There is one thing your records will never tell you about me. I am the last of my kind. You speak of war?  You know nothing of the true horrors of war. Your simple human mind could never comprehend the terrors my eyes have seen in all my long years.”
        He began to make his way to the door, as he opened it, he shot a warning glance back. “I have tried to keep you from making a terrible mistake, but you are clouded with madness. Your fate, and the consequences it brings, rest squarely now upon your shoulders.”  With that the Doctor left the office, slamming the door behind him. He briefly toyed with the idea of simply using his sonic screwdriver to lock it, but decided that it would accomplish nothing.
        As he angrily made his way back towards the TARDIS, he came across the alien Tagoo in one of the hallways.  Tagoo could see the look on the Doctor’s face, but approached him anyway.
        “Hello, Doctor. Is everything well? You seem a bit, disturbed.” He asked with a grin.
        The Doctor stopped and looked deeply into Tagoo’s eyes. “Actually, Tagoo, things are wrong. Very, very, wrong.” The Doctor decided to take a shot in the dark . “Why do you follow him Tagoo? You are not like the others. You are not military personnel, sworn to uphold his orders.”
         Tagoo just grinned. “I told you Doctor, he saved my life during a hunt, long ago.”
         “Would you mind filling me in on some of the details of his most courageous of acts?” The Doctor asked, hoping to gain insight, and maybe an ally.
         “Certainly, Doctor. It was many years ago. I was leading a hunt on the planet Thanatos Seven, are you familiar with it?” Tagoo inquired.
        “Of course I have heard of it, “ the Doctor said, his hands now clasped in front of his chest. “I avoid it like the plague. Why in all the universe would you hunt there?”
         Tagoo had an enormous grin on his face. “Simple! For us it is the most challenging place to hunt. Besides, wild treg pelts fetch a high price to the right buyer. “
         “I suppose the right buyer would be Dorium, in these parts anyway.” The Doctor quipped. “But, please go on with your tale.”
         “Our hunt had been very successful. However, as we were returning to our ship, we were ambushed.  About two dozen Cybermen from the Twelfth Cyber Legion came out of nowhere. They killed everyone in the hunting party except for me. Luckily, the then Captain Habbard and his men had been tracking them.  They managed to destroy the Cybermen and save me. From that day, I pledged my life to John Habbard.”
        The Doctor stood quiet for a moment. “Tagoo, I can see it in your eyes. You know this is a fools errand, and it will turn out all wrong.  Just do me one favor, if it comes down to your life debt or your life, choose the latter.”
    With that, he excused himself and resumed his quick pace back to the TARDIS.

    Rory had finished his snack, and was slowly making his way back to the TARDIS. As he rounded the last corner, he saw the Doctor ahead of him, moving at a fast pace. He noticed the Doctor had slammed the TARDIS doors behind him as he entered. Rory quickened his pace. Something was up, and he knew an angry Doctor was a dangerous Doctor.
   He walked through the doorway just in time to hear the end of the Doctor’s rant about stupid, pigheaded humans, and their reluctance to listen to him. Amy spotted her husband and quickly shook her head no.
    “Fools, every last one of them. Narrow minded automatons, following a strutting martinet!” The Doctor was so caught up in his vitriol, that he never noticed Rory enter the TARDIS. Amy remained silent, hoping the Doctor would calm down soon.
     As the Doctor began to calm down, Rory cleared his throat  to let the Doctor know he had returned. The Doctor looked over at him, a grimace still on his face.  “Ah, Rory the Roman. I hope you had a more productive evening then I.”
     “Well, that all depends on your idea of productive.” Rory said, matter-of-factly. “I did talk with the Captain. She is well aware of the problems with Commander Habbard. However, Doctor, she also seems to know a bit about you as well.” He had expected a far different reaction from the Time Lord than what he got.
     “That doesn’t surprise me. The Commander was kind enough to point out to me that they have files about me back on Earth. “ He glanced between this two companions a bit rapidly, “Remind me to do something about that when we have time.”
      “There is more, Doctor. “ Rory said, “Captain Buckster wanted you to know that she is aware of her duty.”
     The Doctor looked away from him, and back up at the control console. “Is that all, Rory?” he asked, seeming a bit defeated
     “Yeah, I’m afraid so. She walked away after that.” Rory looked up at Amy a bit nervously.
     “She is aware of her duty.” the Doctor repeated, almost absently. “There is that word again, duty. Such a small word, yet it’s meaning has cost countless lives in the history of the universe. Humans, there are times when your notions of duty fill me with despair.”
     It was Amy’s turn to clear her throat. “Ahem, Doctor, the TARDIS finished the scan you asked for. She found no indigenous life forms  that fit the Commanders description. However, she did curiously find some wreckage from a crashed ship a few hundred kilometers from our current location.”
     The Doctor’s mood turned in an instant . He bounded up the stairs to the scanner screen. “Pond, I could kiss you!” he exclaimed.
      “OY!” warned Rory from below.
      “Right,” the Doctor said awkwardly, “ Not kiss, I meant shake your hand.”  He looked over the reading on the scanner. “Yes, that’s it, that’s the answer I was looking for!” He looked over at Amy, “Tell me she also collected a readout of all the indigenous species.”
       Amy laughed, “Of course she did!”
        The Doctor went through the list and saw what he was looking for.  With glee, he raced back down the stairs, and towards the doors.
        Rory watched him then asked, “Where are you going now?”
        The Doctor, a huge grin on his face, looked back at the two of them. “Just going to test a theory, be back in a bit. You two stay put.”
        Amy yelled down to him, “At this time of night?”
        He smirked as he went through the doorway. “You know me. Geronimo!” And with that he was gone again.
        Amy  stood by the scanner, shaking her head. She glanced at the entry the Doctor had left on the screen. It showed a creature a bit larger than a tiger, but with far more teeth and claws. A warning was flashing at the bottom.. “Pack Hunters”

       The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He made his way down a hallway he knew would lead to an exit from the colony.  As he suspected, it was locked, but, his screwdriver quickly made short work of that, and he was soon outside, heading in the direction of the caves. As he walked, he made a few adjustments to his sonic, so that he would be able to scan for the pack hunters he had seen on the scanner. He was beginning to suspect that they were the real reason why some of the colonists had vanished without a trace. If he was right, that would mean the Commander and his men were after the wrong life form.
     He moved as  quickly as he could through the forest. As he was finally within sight of the caves, the sun was beginning to rise. He knew his time was short. Habbard and his men would be leaving the colony at any moment, heading this way, armed to the teeth.
     He scanned the cave entrances, trying to find the most likely one to be hiding Habbard’s nemesis. There was one, towards the south east that had an opening that seemed large enough to accommodate a being the proportions the Commander had described. The Doctor quickly made his way to it, sonic screwdriver held out in front of him.
    He had only gone a few meters in when he noticed his screwdriver had picked up something. “Gotcha.” he said quietly to himself.
      Without warning there was a huge bellowing roar from deep within the cave. The Doctor looked around, spotting a small hidden alcove on the far side of the cave. He dashed into it. Mere moments later, with thundering footsteps that shook the ground, the Doctor got his first good look at the great beast.
       He was smiling in wonder. He whispered to himself, “Oh, look at you! Such a magnificent specimen!”
       The large creature grunted, then looked directly at the alcove the Doctor was hiding in. It growled and grunted some more. The Doctor realized he could understand it.
      “Ah, yes,” he began, still staying hidden, “ I suspected you were intelligent. I am not here to attack you. That would be foolish. And right about now, I am hoping you can understand me as well.”
     The creature grunted. “Ah good, you do, that will make things so much easier. Alright, I am coming out now, and I am unarmed.” He chuckled to himself a bit, “If I had a jammy dodger for every time I have had to say that…”
     He moved very slowly out of hiding, and found himself face to face with what could only be described as a mountain of flesh and muscle. Habbard’s description did not do this creature justice. It’s arms were as big around as oak trees, they hung down almost like a gorillas. The hands ended in very long and sharp claws. It’s nose was small for it’s face, yet it’s mouth was very large. Two huge fangs protruded from its lower jaw. Small horns adorned its bald head. It was the eyes that caught the Doctor by surprise the most. They were kind, almost child-like, with a wonderful yellow  center.
     The Doctor was very pleased indeed. As he was clasping his hands before him, the creature spoke in its guttural tongue. “Ah, right, I suppose introductions are in order. I am the Doctor. I have come to warn you. The humans from the colony, as I am sure you are aware, are heading this way to destroy you. They fear you, simply because they misunderstand you.”
    The beast looked at the cave entrance and growled. Then it looked back to the Doctor, and spoke some more. The Doctor began to frown. “I know, believe me. I have been trying to stop this from happening, but their leader refuses to see reason. He claims you killed his son. “
    The next thing the Doctor heard from the creature brought instant joy to his whole being. “James is alive! Please, can you take me too him?”
     With barely a grunt, the beast beckoned for the Doctor to follow him, deeper into the cave. After a walk taking them through many side tunnels and turns, with only the light from the Doctor’s sonic to illuminate the way, they finally came to a very large cavern, filled with stalactite and stalagmites.  There, in the far corner, looking perfectly content as he sat in front of a small fire, was ten year old James Habbard.
     The Doctor quickly made his way over to him, the boy cowering a bit. “Please, do not be frightened, I am here to help you. I’m the Doctor, by the way, and you must be James. I know your father. He is very worried about you.”
      James looked down at his feet. He had a sad look on his face. “Funny how he acts worried now, when before I ended up here he never seemed to even have time for me.”
      The boy’s words cut deeply into both of the Doctor’s hearts. “I know he doesn’t show it, James, but deep down, I know he loves you. “
      The boy looked away. “I bet he has all his soldiers out looking to kill my new friend. It is how he reacts to everything, with force.”
     It was the Doctor’s turn to look away. “Of that, I am certain.” he said sadly. Then he turned back to the boy. “Listen James, I need you to stay back here, no matter what happens. I am still hoping to have a happy outcome to all this.”
     The boy pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. “Alright, I will. Just, please don’t let my dad hurt him, he really is nice.”
     “I know he is, James, I know he is.”  The Doctor said quietly. Then he walked over to the creature. “So you, I gather you are not native to this planet, judging by the wreckage my ship detected. So, what is your story?”
      The creature began to tell his tale. The Doctor listened closely as he learned that he had been captured and taken from his home world, by a group of aliens that wanted to use his size and strength as slave labor. They had underestimated the force of nature they had on their hands. Breaking his bonds, he had killed his captors, causing the ship to crash land here on Felstar. Needing shelter, he had eventually made his way to these caves.
     The Doctor’s mood was very gloomy now. “Such a senseless waste. You, ripped from your home, to live here in seclusion. And now pursued for a crime you are innocent of. Tell me, do you have a name?”
     He grunted a few unintelligible sounds, and it made the Doctor briefly smirked. “Ah, unpronounceable, I am very familiar with that exact problem.” he said with a wink. “This just leaves me one more question. How did James end up here with you?”
     The answer he received did not shock him. “Ah, I see, you rescued him from the pack hunters. Such beautiful but deadly creatures. I am glad you were able to keep the boy from meeting the fate so many others have fallen to.”
     The Doctor stood and paced a bit. “Now, how to get through to Commander Habbard. His misguided hatred has blinded him to all reason.”
      He lifted his left arm and looked at the time on his watch. “Well, I guess I am about to find out. The both of you stay here. Give me time to talk to them.”  As he began to leave the cavern and make his way back to the entrance, the alien grunted a warning to him. The Doctor turned his head, sadness and worry on his face. “I know.” was his only reply.

     Amy and Rory had barely been alone two hours when there was a sudden pounding at the TARDIS doors. Amy ran to the console and looked at the scanner screen. Commander Habbard and his troops were standing outside, heavily armed. Rory looked at his wife. “Get ready to raise the shields, I will go and see what he wants.” he said as he bounded down the stairs towards the entrance. Amy ran over to the shield controls, waiting for the signal to put them up.
     Rory only opened the door far enough to stick his head through. “Yes?” he asked, putting on a nervous act for the Commander.
     “Where is the Doctor?” demanded the Commander without any other formalities. “He wanted to see the beast himself. Now will probably be his last chance.”
     “Um, well, he isn’t here right now. Can I take a message?” replied Rory, adding a small stammer to his speech.
    “So, he ran out on us? I figured as much, he had the look of a coward.” Habbard removed his pistol from its holster, and pointed it at Rory. “Very well then, the two of you shall join us as we hunt down and destroy the vile beast.”
    Rory, his hands unseen, signaled to Amy. With a flip of a switch, the invisible shields activated around the TARDIS. Rory then glared at the Commander. “Oh, don’t give me that. Your guns don’t scare me. My wife and I have no intention of joining this madness.”
    Habbard raised his gun and fired at Rory’s head, the bullet being absorbed and disintegrated by the shielding. Rory smirked at him. “Shall I repeat my rejection to your generous offer?”
     The Commander snarled, defeated. He turned to his men. “Let them all cower in their little box. We have a monster to kill. DEATH TO THE BEAST!”
     The soldiers all chanted the last bit as they moved away from the TARDIS and back the way they came. As the last of them filed out, Rory caught Captain Buckster’s eye. She simply put her head down and shook it. Then she too joined the death march out of the colony. All Rory could do was close and lock the door, then he let his own head sag a bit.

     The Doctor stood at the mouth of the cave, waiting for the forces lead by Commander Habbard. He knew that any moment now, they would emerge from the woods a short distance off. He also knew he had a slim chance of stopping the inevitable confrontation. The creature had made it quite clear that he would defend himself to the detriment of those that hunted him.
     His wait was not as long as he had hoped. Soon movement was spotted in the woods, and then Habbard emerged, followed closely by the large and intimidating Tagoo. The rest of his soldiers were right behind him. As the Doctor watched them approach, he noticed Tagoo was carrying a rather large piece of artillery, more like a cannon than a simple gun.
    He looked down towards his feet, steeling his resolve, then put on a happy face, and walked out to meet them. “Good morning, Commander!” he shouted to them.
    Habbard glared angrily as he spotted the Doctor. “So, the coward has decided to join us after all. I suggest you head to the rear guard position Doctor, lest you get your hands dirty.”
    As the Doctor reached him, he got a serious look on his face. “I implore you once more, Commander, end this madness now before you make a mistake.”
    “My only mistake, Doctor, was allowing you to roam free on my colony! Now, out of my way!” He pushed the Doctor aside and continued onto the cave.
     “James is still alive!” the Doctor shouted after him. This got the Commander’s attention. He stopped and turned.
     “Alive? Then the beast has him held captive!” His eye was wide, he was looking back and forth quickly.
     “No, it’s not what you think. The one you hunt saved James from the pack hunters. Surely, you know of them. You did scans of this world before you set up your colony.” the Doctor said, desperate to diffuse the situation.
     “Nice try, Doctor.” Habbard said. “We learned about them when we did our scans, the pack hunters live hundreds of kilometers from here. They were why we chose our current location, to give room between us and them. There is no way they are responsible for all this.”
     “Did it ever occur to you that they would migrate?” the Doctor asked quickly.
     “Stop stalling me Doctor, I have a beast to kill, and a son to rescue!” He looked back towards his men. ”Captain, get this man out of my sight! As for the rest of you, lets move! DEATH TO THE BEAST!”
   Captain Buckster held back the Doctor as ordered, yet she looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to end this. The others started chanting “DEATH TO THE BEAST!” and just as he suspected, the Doctor heard the alien’s roar as it came charging out of the cave toward his attackers.
    Before any of them could take aim and open fire, there was a horrible screeching from the woods. Suddenly, a very large group of the pack hunters came charging at them all. The giant bellowed loudly, and rushing past the human, he leaped headlong into the onrushing horde. Moving almost in unison, the pack leapt upon him, many being instantly thrown off. He managed to grab a few, throwing them against rocks, or slamming them to the ground. For every one he defeated, two took its place.
    The Doctor looked back at Habbard and his men, then to the cave. He was barely visible at the entrance, but James had defied the Doctor’s wishes, and came out to see what was happening. The Doctor ran towards the cave, just as a group of pack hunters charged at Habbard and his men. The men opened fire, but they were quickly overwhelmed.
    The Doctor reached James and grabbed him. “James, please, get back inside. If the hunters spot you they will tear you to pieces. Those are what your friend was protecting you from!”
    Wide eyed, James did as he was told, and ran for cover, hiding in the very alcove the Doctor had used earlier. The Doctor turned, sonic screwdriver in hand. Carnage greeted his old eyes. Habbard and his men had formed a small circle, trying to cover all sides. Men were being dragged into the woods to meet a most gruesome fate. The Doctor looked towards the giant alien. He was beginning to get the upper hand on the pack, but he had suffered many wounds in the process.
     Tagoo had managed to get into a better fighting position, and was slowly thinning the numbers of the pack hunters. He too was suffering from wounds, but his resolve could not be conquered. The Doctor was so distracted watching all this, that he did not notice a small group of the hunters heading his way. As he turned and saw them, they were preparing to leap. The giant roared, and with a mighty jump, landed near the cave entrance, putting himself between the hunters, and his two friends in the cave.
    He had very little room to maneuver in this spot, and a few of the hunters scored critical wounds to is large body. A bit further away, Habbard and his remaining men had succeeded in beating back the hunters.
    It was at this point that the Doctor heard something he wished he hadn’t. The Commander shouted out an order. “Now men, while the beast is wounded and distracted, now is out chance!”
     Before the Doctor could shout, someone else did. “NO!”  The voice belonged to Captain Buckster. “Commander, it’s over, you were wrong. Can you not see? The Doctor was right. This creature you hunt, the one that has filled you with this insanity, is trying to protect us, the Doctor, and your son!”
     “Captain, you are relieved!” Habbard spat at her.
      She calmly drew her pistol and pointed it at her commanding officer. “No sir, you are relieved, under regulation forty-six. You are no longer fit to command.”
       Habbard yelled incoherently, and was on Buckster faster then she could react. He punched her in the face, grabbed his own gun, and shot her in the shoulder. As she fell to the ground, he began shouting like a man possessed. “I AM IN CHARGE HERE! THIS IS MY COMMAND! I give the orders! I say kill the beast!” None of the other soldiers moved at his command. He began waving his pistol at them all. “I will see you all hanged, do you hear me! ALL OF YOU!”
    Suddenly a rather large fist appeared, and Commander Habbard was down on the ground, barely conscious. Tagoo was standing over him, anger and shame showing on his face. “I swore to follow you no matter where you go.” the large Queegian said quietly, “ I swore to repay the life debt, and I have done so. I have just saved you from the one thing you could not, yourself, Commander.”
     Tagoo walked away, picking up his large cannon. The alien was still struggling with the last remnants of the pack, his strength beginning to fail him. Tagoo turned back to the soldiers. “Secure the Commander, and attend to the wounded. Those not needed for such task, I say  we help that creature! Are you with me!”
     A cheer went up from the men, and they followed after Tagoo, taking out the last of the pack. The giant turned to face the men, readying itself, but a gentle hand on the back of his leg stopped him. “It’s all right, they are no longer here to harm you.”  the Doctor said to him quietly.
     James had now come out of hiding. He looked up at his giant friend, tears in his eyes. The alien turned and looked down at the boy, smiling. Then, it began to stumble, finally collapsing on the ground near the caves mouth. The Doctor quickly scanned him with his sonic.
     “I’m sorry, I am so, so sorry.” he said, looking back at James. “His wounds are too great. There is nothing any of us can do for him.”
     Tagoo was now standing near the Doctor and the fallen giant. “There is one thing, Doctor. We can honor him.”
     The Doctor brought his right hand to his eyes. The alien grunted weakly a few more times. “Yes, the boy will be safe now. You did well.”
      His breathing becoming very shallow, it spoke a few last words to the Doctor. Then , with one last great exhale, the light of life left his yellow eyes. The Doctor sagged in sorrow, then reached up and gently closed the giants eyes. By now, those that could, including the now bound Commander Habbard, and the wounded Captain Buckster, had gathered around their fallen protector.
      Habbard leered down at the fallen alien. “So, the beast wasn’t so tough after all.”
      The Doctor whipped his head around, pure anger was all it showed. He got right up into the Commander’s face. “That beast, as you call him had more nobility then you could ever have!” He looked around, there were wounded and dead everywhere, both human and pack hunters alike. “All this damned bloodshed could have been avoided, if only you had listened to me!”
       “You still try to lecture me, don’t you Doctor. The great meddler, once again.” Habbard sneered at him. “This was my situation, to deal with my way. I did not ask, nor did I want help from the likes of you!”
       The Doctor grew quiet now, yet when he spoke, the true authority in his voice could be felt by all. “How much more blood will it take for you to see how wrong you truly are, I wonder. So many of your loyal followers, dead, and for what. A simple misunderstanding.” The Doctor turned to look back into the cave, beckoning James to come forth. “Let us now see the true price you paid, John.”
    As James came into view, Habbard looked at him. “JAMES! My boy! You see, I rescued you, I upheld my promise to protect you!”  The boy looked down at his fallen friend, tears still flowing. Then he looked up at his father, but he had hatred in his eyes. His words cut deeper then any saber ever could.
    “No, all you managed to do was get my friend killed. Your answer to every thing is violence. Sometimes I wish you had been taken from me, not my mother.” He turned his back on his father, walking back over behind the Doctor.
     Habbard, pain and understanding finally dawning on him, spoke softly. “James, I..I am sorry, my only concern was keeping you safe. Can you not see that?”
     “Then why is it you only paid attention to me when I was taken from you?” the boy bit back.
      Habbard sagged, he was beaten. He had no more words to defend himself with. He fell to his knees, a single tear falling from his good eye. James looked up at the Doctor. “I want to return home, to Earth. I want to live with my Aunt Tessa.”
      The Commander looked up as he heard this. “But, I am your father.” he said weakly.
      “No,” said James, “ you were always a commander first and a father second. I do not want to end up like you.”
      The Commander shook his head, but would say no more. Captain Buckster and Tagoo walked over to the Doctor, Tagoo speaking first. “I noticed you could understand him,” he said, indicating the fallen giant, “what was it he said to you before he died?”
      The Doctor looked up into Tagoo’s eyes. “He asked that we bring him back into the cave he has called home, and seal his body inside. He said his spirit is free.”
      Captain Buckster nodded her head. “We will see too it Doctor. I, I want to say I am sorry. I should have stood up to him when this all began.”
       The Doctor looked down at her,  he tried to hide the small amount of disgust in his voice when he spoke. “What does it matter now, in the end you did your duty.” With that, he turned and walked away, trying to help with the wounded.
       The Captain lowered her head in shame. Tagoo looked down at her. “Do not worry, Captain, I do not think the Doctor will hold a grudge against you forever.”
       She looked up at him. “No, Tagoo, he might not, but he has every right in the universe to do so.”
     
        Many long hours later, after the wounded and dead had been brought back to the colony, and the giant had been sealed in his tomb, the Doctor finally returned to the familiar corridor containing the TARDIS. James would be returning to Earth on the next transport. Captain Buckster  was officially put in command, and Habbard was ordered to return to Earth for court marshal, his career finished.
       As the Doctor reached the TARDIS, he put his head against her door. He then heard rather heavy footsteps behind him. He turned and saw Tagoo heading his way, a large duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
       “Doctor, would you mind giving this tired old hunter a lift home?”  he asked, hoping the answer would be yes.
       “Sure, why not.” the Doctor answered, though he could hardly disguise the slight annoyance in his voice. “Might as well rename myself the Time Lord Taxi Driver.” With that, he snapped his fingers, opening the TARDIS doors.
     Amy and Rory were waiting inside, Rory looking a bit shocked to see Tagoo with him.
Amy could see that now was not the time to talk to the Doctor, he would need a bit of space. They would talk later, when he was ready too. She nudged Rory, and indicated that they should head to their quarters.
    As they were heading up the stairs, the Doctor spoke, loud enough so they could hear. “Human beings,” he began, “I will never , ever finish saving you lot, even from yourselves.” With that, he grew quiet again, and closed the doors.
    A short time later, there was a small thump heard in the hallway. The light on top of the police box began to flash, and the eerie whirring began. Slowly, the TARDIS dematerialized, leaving the corridor the way they had found it ,utterly empty.

          The End