Frontios - Prologue and Epilogue
2 Short Stories by Steven Maggs
Inspired by the 1984 Doctor Who Story by Christopher H Bidmead
Inspired by the 1984 Doctor Who Story by Christopher H Bidmead
Indomitable - A Prologue
There was that awful rumbling sound again. It sounded like thunder, and yet it seemed to be coming from somewhere underground. Every night, when she got into bed, she could hear it.
Norna turned the page of her book. Page 174 – another glorious photograph from the planet Earth. This one was of something called ‘Big Ben’ in old London. And there were hundreds more – the Coliseum of Rome, the 24th Empire State Building, the Monoid Temples, Draconian Square in Barcelona. All these great buildings, all the wonders of 5 billion years of human civilisation.
But the Earth was gone now. Nothing but rocks and dust surrounding a dead star.
Norna’s book was called ‘Wonders of Planet Earth.’ Her Mother had given it to her when she had been just a girl. And on the first page, she’d written an inscription - ‘To my darling daughter, to the future of the indomitable human race.’ Norna treasured the book, even though she’d never been quite sure what ‘indomitable’ actually meant.
Norna’s Mother had told her so much about the Earth – all the civilisations that came and went, all those early explorers who travelled to the stars, stories of defeated invasions from Daleks and Cybermen.
Norna closed the book, and put it safely away under her bed. And as she did so, she felt the ground shudder again. What was that?!
Norna led down, and looked up at the night sky, through the skylight in her bedroom. If she angled her neck in just the right way she could see it - a tiny pinpoint of light that she knew to be planet Earth. Of course, the irony was - it wasn’t really there anymore. Because of the time it took light to travel across the galaxy, Norna was literally looking back in time. She was looking at Earth’s sun before it had gone supernova, she was looking back at the Earth before it had died.
It had been another hard day in the hospital. Four had been killed in today’s meteor attacks, several more were badly injured. The awful thing was that she was beginning to get used to it. Death seemed just part of the normal day on Frontios now. There had been reports of people going missing too. Nothing to do with the meteor attacks. ‘Deaths unaccountable,’ they’d called it. It was all very hush, hush. But with everything the way it was, Norna was beginning to lose hope.
Norna’s Mother and Father had been two of just a handful of people who actually remembered the Earth. The journey to Frontios had taken over a hundred years, so to most people (who had been born on the spaceship), Earth was just a story – almost a fairy tale. When Norna’s Mother and Father arrived on Frontios, they had become farmers. Aged just 136, they were still young and fit. And Captain Ravere had made it a priority to build a stockpile of food. Of course, no-one called it Frontios back then. For those first few years it only had a designation – Delta-14-Apple/3.
They had 10 years of happiness and then, when Norna was just six years old, the horrific meteor showers began. Norna’s mother had been one of the very first casualties. Her father had been devastated. Norna wasn’t grown up enough to fully understand what had happened. All she knew was that her mother had been taken away, that it hurt (a lot) and all that she had left now was this book.
Everyone in the colony had been so moved by the loss of their friend that they chose to name the planet after one of the last woman who had stood on the Earth. That’s how Frontios got its name. That’s how Jane Frontios had become a planet.
Norna was so tired, and as she drifted off to sleep, she could hear that noise again – rumbling, burrowing, like the ground beneath her was moving.
*
RRRRRINGG! Norna’s alarm clock always went off at half past Alpha O’clock. Just to give her enough time to read another chapter of the book before she had to get ready for work.
She reached out her arm, fumbled around on the floor under her bed, feeling for where she’d left the book. But she couldn’t seem to find it. Norna pushed back her bed covers, forced herself out of bed. She knelt down by the side of her bed, and peered underneath. But the book wasn’t there. And where it had been there was a gaping hole in the carpet, about 12 inches in diameter. It was as though something had burrowed its way through the carpet, grabbed the book and pulled it down into the ground. But that was impossible, wasn’t it?
Norna was devastated. She’d lost the book, the most valuable thing she possessed. Norna cried all day. This was the first time she’d cried since her mother died seventeen years ago. There were fifty casualties that day. And Norna cried for each and every one of them.
But when she got home that night, when she climbed into bed and looked at the Earth in the sky, she gave herself a good talking to. They were being attacked from above, now they were being attacked from below. They had a dwindling population, maybe even heading towards extinction. But despite this, despite everything, there was always hope.
And finally Norna understood the words written in the book by her Mother. She’d worked out what ‘indomitable’ actually meant.
Indomitable – (dictionary definition) – Incapable of being overcome, subdued or vanquished; unconquerable.
That had been the legacy of planet Earth, the legacy of her Mother. And it was to be the same on Frontios. Norna was never going to forget it.
THE END
Norna turned the page of her book. Page 174 – another glorious photograph from the planet Earth. This one was of something called ‘Big Ben’ in old London. And there were hundreds more – the Coliseum of Rome, the 24th Empire State Building, the Monoid Temples, Draconian Square in Barcelona. All these great buildings, all the wonders of 5 billion years of human civilisation.
But the Earth was gone now. Nothing but rocks and dust surrounding a dead star.
Norna’s book was called ‘Wonders of Planet Earth.’ Her Mother had given it to her when she had been just a girl. And on the first page, she’d written an inscription - ‘To my darling daughter, to the future of the indomitable human race.’ Norna treasured the book, even though she’d never been quite sure what ‘indomitable’ actually meant.
Norna’s Mother had told her so much about the Earth – all the civilisations that came and went, all those early explorers who travelled to the stars, stories of defeated invasions from Daleks and Cybermen.
Norna closed the book, and put it safely away under her bed. And as she did so, she felt the ground shudder again. What was that?!
Norna led down, and looked up at the night sky, through the skylight in her bedroom. If she angled her neck in just the right way she could see it - a tiny pinpoint of light that she knew to be planet Earth. Of course, the irony was - it wasn’t really there anymore. Because of the time it took light to travel across the galaxy, Norna was literally looking back in time. She was looking at Earth’s sun before it had gone supernova, she was looking back at the Earth before it had died.
It had been another hard day in the hospital. Four had been killed in today’s meteor attacks, several more were badly injured. The awful thing was that she was beginning to get used to it. Death seemed just part of the normal day on Frontios now. There had been reports of people going missing too. Nothing to do with the meteor attacks. ‘Deaths unaccountable,’ they’d called it. It was all very hush, hush. But with everything the way it was, Norna was beginning to lose hope.
Norna’s Mother and Father had been two of just a handful of people who actually remembered the Earth. The journey to Frontios had taken over a hundred years, so to most people (who had been born on the spaceship), Earth was just a story – almost a fairy tale. When Norna’s Mother and Father arrived on Frontios, they had become farmers. Aged just 136, they were still young and fit. And Captain Ravere had made it a priority to build a stockpile of food. Of course, no-one called it Frontios back then. For those first few years it only had a designation – Delta-14-Apple/3.
They had 10 years of happiness and then, when Norna was just six years old, the horrific meteor showers began. Norna’s mother had been one of the very first casualties. Her father had been devastated. Norna wasn’t grown up enough to fully understand what had happened. All she knew was that her mother had been taken away, that it hurt (a lot) and all that she had left now was this book.
Everyone in the colony had been so moved by the loss of their friend that they chose to name the planet after one of the last woman who had stood on the Earth. That’s how Frontios got its name. That’s how Jane Frontios had become a planet.
Norna was so tired, and as she drifted off to sleep, she could hear that noise again – rumbling, burrowing, like the ground beneath her was moving.
*
RRRRRINGG! Norna’s alarm clock always went off at half past Alpha O’clock. Just to give her enough time to read another chapter of the book before she had to get ready for work.
She reached out her arm, fumbled around on the floor under her bed, feeling for where she’d left the book. But she couldn’t seem to find it. Norna pushed back her bed covers, forced herself out of bed. She knelt down by the side of her bed, and peered underneath. But the book wasn’t there. And where it had been there was a gaping hole in the carpet, about 12 inches in diameter. It was as though something had burrowed its way through the carpet, grabbed the book and pulled it down into the ground. But that was impossible, wasn’t it?
Norna was devastated. She’d lost the book, the most valuable thing she possessed. Norna cried all day. This was the first time she’d cried since her mother died seventeen years ago. There were fifty casualties that day. And Norna cried for each and every one of them.
But when she got home that night, when she climbed into bed and looked at the Earth in the sky, she gave herself a good talking to. They were being attacked from above, now they were being attacked from below. They had a dwindling population, maybe even heading towards extinction. But despite this, despite everything, there was always hope.
And finally Norna understood the words written in the book by her Mother. She’d worked out what ‘indomitable’ actually meant.
Indomitable – (dictionary definition) – Incapable of being overcome, subdued or vanquished; unconquerable.
That had been the legacy of planet Earth, the legacy of her Mother. And it was to be the same on Frontios. Norna was never going to forget it.
THE END
The Transcendental Hatstand - An Epilogue
Today, planet Frontios was celebrating. They’d seen off the Tractactors, the planet was at peace and they were free (at last) to begin rebuilding the colony. Leader Plantagenet had declared that today would henceforward be known as ‘Doctor Day’. And ‘Doctor Day’ was to be a day to party!
….but something was out there. Green and hairy, with razor sharp teeth and red piercing eyes. Something from the wastelands was watching the colony…and was waiting…
Plantagenet didn’t really like street parties. The music was all just a bit too loud! So whilst his people were outside celebrating, Plantagenet preferred to stay in his office and do some paperwork. He was still quite new to the job after all, and he had a lot to still learn.
It was standing exactly where the Doctor had left it, in the corner of Plantagenet’s office. Apparently, it had come from Earth, so it was certainly very valuable. Anything left over from old Earth was highly treasured. It was thin, upright and tall - covered in some sort of plastic white substance that Tegan had called ‘paint’. There were 3 hooks on it, at the top, in some kind of strange circular design. Turlough had called it a ‘hat stand’. Anyway, it looked nice, and it was very kind of the Doctor to leave it as a parting gift. But what Plantagenet didn’t get, what he really didn’t understand was….what was it actually for?
Plantagenet couldn’t decide where to put it. It looked kind of good in the corner. But then again, maybe it was better off placed by the side of the door. Perhaps it would be better to put it in the conservatory. He could hang the Mumble Fish plants from it. Plantagenet was so indecisive.
There was something a bit odd about it though. It made a sort of humming sound. Not an annoying sound, it was actually strangely reassuring. But it was more than just that – there was something else. It was as though it was there and not there all at the same time. Sometimes, when he wasn’t looking directly at it, when he’d almost forgotten it was even there, he could hear it talking to him. As though the hat stand was almost – alive. But that was impossible...wasn’t it?
Suddenly, the door of his office flung open. The Chief Orderly stood there.
‘Don’t you ever knock?’ said Plantagenet.
But the Orderly was highly distressed, his clothes were torn and there was blood on his face. ‘Mr. Plantagenet, sir. We’re being attacked. There’s a creature - it climbed through the perimeter fence. It’s attacking our people! None of our weapons work against it! What do we do!?’
Plantagenet began to panic. His heart was pounding fast, and he was hyperventilating. They’d seen off the Tractators, but that was with the help of the Doctor. He didn’t know what to do about this new threat. He was so young, he wasn’t a natural leader. And he didn’t have a clue…!
‘Tell us! Tell us what to do!!!’ demanded the Chief Orderly.
Plantagenet sat down at his desk, his head in his hands. What would his father have done? What would the Doctor do? He needed some help, and he needed it now!
Plantagenet looked up at the hat stand – this unusual gift from the Doctor. And I know this sounds odd but…it seemed to be glowing. And then this thing….this hat stand’, it actually spoke to him…
Winston Churchill, Liz 10, King Peladon, Pandad the 3rd – all these great leaders, these great men and women across time and space, they were talking to him, inspiring him.
And suddenly, Leader Plantagenet knew exactly how to defeat the creature. He knew exactly what they had to do.
*
No-one ever found out precisely what Plantagenet had done that day. But the creature was soon disposed off, and never again were they left defenceless against the wild beasts that roamed the hills outside Frontios City. That was the day that Plantagenet saved the colony a second time. It was the day he earned his people’s respect.
Many years later, on the 250th anniversary of ‘Doctor Day’, King Plantagenet sat on his throne overlooking his kingdom. He was 367 now, nearing retirement. But he’d had a good life, and under his reign, the people of Frontios had prospered. This were a planet of industry, a booming population. It was a planet to be proud of.
Queen Norna sat by his side. And between them, their 8-year-old daughter – Princess Nancy. She was such a beautiful child – rich brown eyes, gorgeous curly dark hair. All she knew of Frontios was prosperity, happiness and peace.
The three of them watched the ‘Doctor Day’ procession. Some of the people in the crowd had even dressed up – some in cricket whites, some waving little flags with pictures of celery on them.
Nancy was reading a book. It had been given to her by her Mother, Norna. The book was called ‘Wonders of Planet Earth’. It was old now, brown at the edges and covered in mud; it looked like it had been dragged through a hedge backwards.
Princess Nancy turned to her mother, ‘What’s the book about, Mummy?’
‘It’s about where we all came from,’ replied the Queen. ’It’s about the planet our people lived on before they came to Frontios. It’s about the Earth.’
‘I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, Mummy. I like Frontios best,’ said Nancy.
Norna smiled. Frontios was such a beautiful place now. The fields were red like wine, the clouds were bright orange, and gigantic snow covered mountains towered into the sky. A wonderful civilisation built by those pioneering early settlers.
And Norna was so pleased she’d never given up hope. So pleased that, all those years ago, she’d had faith in the indomitable human spirit. Because Norna was happy. And she was looking forward to the future.
THE END
….but something was out there. Green and hairy, with razor sharp teeth and red piercing eyes. Something from the wastelands was watching the colony…and was waiting…
Plantagenet didn’t really like street parties. The music was all just a bit too loud! So whilst his people were outside celebrating, Plantagenet preferred to stay in his office and do some paperwork. He was still quite new to the job after all, and he had a lot to still learn.
It was standing exactly where the Doctor had left it, in the corner of Plantagenet’s office. Apparently, it had come from Earth, so it was certainly very valuable. Anything left over from old Earth was highly treasured. It was thin, upright and tall - covered in some sort of plastic white substance that Tegan had called ‘paint’. There were 3 hooks on it, at the top, in some kind of strange circular design. Turlough had called it a ‘hat stand’. Anyway, it looked nice, and it was very kind of the Doctor to leave it as a parting gift. But what Plantagenet didn’t get, what he really didn’t understand was….what was it actually for?
Plantagenet couldn’t decide where to put it. It looked kind of good in the corner. But then again, maybe it was better off placed by the side of the door. Perhaps it would be better to put it in the conservatory. He could hang the Mumble Fish plants from it. Plantagenet was so indecisive.
There was something a bit odd about it though. It made a sort of humming sound. Not an annoying sound, it was actually strangely reassuring. But it was more than just that – there was something else. It was as though it was there and not there all at the same time. Sometimes, when he wasn’t looking directly at it, when he’d almost forgotten it was even there, he could hear it talking to him. As though the hat stand was almost – alive. But that was impossible...wasn’t it?
Suddenly, the door of his office flung open. The Chief Orderly stood there.
‘Don’t you ever knock?’ said Plantagenet.
But the Orderly was highly distressed, his clothes were torn and there was blood on his face. ‘Mr. Plantagenet, sir. We’re being attacked. There’s a creature - it climbed through the perimeter fence. It’s attacking our people! None of our weapons work against it! What do we do!?’
Plantagenet began to panic. His heart was pounding fast, and he was hyperventilating. They’d seen off the Tractators, but that was with the help of the Doctor. He didn’t know what to do about this new threat. He was so young, he wasn’t a natural leader. And he didn’t have a clue…!
‘Tell us! Tell us what to do!!!’ demanded the Chief Orderly.
Plantagenet sat down at his desk, his head in his hands. What would his father have done? What would the Doctor do? He needed some help, and he needed it now!
Plantagenet looked up at the hat stand – this unusual gift from the Doctor. And I know this sounds odd but…it seemed to be glowing. And then this thing….this hat stand’, it actually spoke to him…
Winston Churchill, Liz 10, King Peladon, Pandad the 3rd – all these great leaders, these great men and women across time and space, they were talking to him, inspiring him.
And suddenly, Leader Plantagenet knew exactly how to defeat the creature. He knew exactly what they had to do.
*
No-one ever found out precisely what Plantagenet had done that day. But the creature was soon disposed off, and never again were they left defenceless against the wild beasts that roamed the hills outside Frontios City. That was the day that Plantagenet saved the colony a second time. It was the day he earned his people’s respect.
Many years later, on the 250th anniversary of ‘Doctor Day’, King Plantagenet sat on his throne overlooking his kingdom. He was 367 now, nearing retirement. But he’d had a good life, and under his reign, the people of Frontios had prospered. This were a planet of industry, a booming population. It was a planet to be proud of.
Queen Norna sat by his side. And between them, their 8-year-old daughter – Princess Nancy. She was such a beautiful child – rich brown eyes, gorgeous curly dark hair. All she knew of Frontios was prosperity, happiness and peace.
The three of them watched the ‘Doctor Day’ procession. Some of the people in the crowd had even dressed up – some in cricket whites, some waving little flags with pictures of celery on them.
Nancy was reading a book. It had been given to her by her Mother, Norna. The book was called ‘Wonders of Planet Earth’. It was old now, brown at the edges and covered in mud; it looked like it had been dragged through a hedge backwards.
Princess Nancy turned to her mother, ‘What’s the book about, Mummy?’
‘It’s about where we all came from,’ replied the Queen. ’It’s about the planet our people lived on before they came to Frontios. It’s about the Earth.’
‘I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, Mummy. I like Frontios best,’ said Nancy.
Norna smiled. Frontios was such a beautiful place now. The fields were red like wine, the clouds were bright orange, and gigantic snow covered mountains towered into the sky. A wonderful civilisation built by those pioneering early settlers.
And Norna was so pleased she’d never given up hope. So pleased that, all those years ago, she’d had faith in the indomitable human spirit. Because Norna was happy. And she was looking forward to the future.
THE END