Evelyn Smythe groaned as she stepped out of the TARDIS. It was her worst nightmare come true. Since she had started travelling with the Doctor, she had been to places she would never want to visit ever again. But this! This was her own personal hell.
Beside her the Doctor was locking the TARDIS door. He turned, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of their landing site.
"Ah, the swinging sixties," he said with obvious satisfaction. "Flower power, Woodstock, peace and love." He grinned. "Welcome to the Summer of '69."
Evelyn grimaced. "I didn't like the sixties when I had to live through them. I certainly never thought I would see them again."
"But you never banked on stepping aboard a TARDIS," the Doctor told her. He patted the Police Box shell affectionately. "This is one time and place she fits into rather well."
"A bit like you then," Evelyn commented.
"How do you mean?" the Time Lord inquired.
"Your coat. It's positively psychedelic! You could walk down Oxford Street without being noticed."
The Doctor glanced around the street they were in. Men and women were walking past, their clothes a riot of clashing, bright colours. He frowned slightly.
"I'll have you know I am the height of sartorial elegance, anywhere in the Universe," he said huffily.
Evelyn smiled, despite herself. "Of course you are, Doctor. Silly of me to think otherwise."
"Anyway," the Doctor said, changing the subject, "what have you got against the sixties?"
"Well, look at me," she replied, gesturing to her long skirt, tweed jacket and cardigan. "I never was with it, so I was ridiculed. Friends, colleagues, students, they all thought I was the biggest square around. And they were right."
"Nonsense," the Doctor declared. "It takes a strong personality to stand alone against the tides of fashion, music and free love. It's to your credit that you managed it so well."
Evelyn frowned. "Are you laughing at me, Doctor?"
"Not at all," he replied, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Now, shall we explore?"
***
They spent the next few hours window-shopping. The Doctor offered to buy Evelyn a caftan, while she suggested a lava lamp would brighten up the console room. They compromised and bought neither.
The Doctor paused outside an electrical shop. In the window, a number of televisions were showing the same grainy, black and white image.
"The first Moon landing," the Doctor said wistfully. "A major turning point in human history."
"Because it was our first small step to the stars?" Evelyn asked, raising an eyebrow.
"More to the point, it brought Mankind to the attention of numerous aggressive species." He looked back at the flickering screens. "Hello, what's that?"
On the televisions, an astronaut had picked up what appeared to be a smooth rock. He turned it over in his gloved hands.
The Doctor paled visibly. "No," he whispered. "No, put it down." His voice rose. "Put it down and walk away!"
"What is it?" Evelyn asked, aware they were drawing some attention.
"Something more dangerous than you can possibly imagine!"
As the Doctor watched with growing horror, the astronaut stowed the rock carefully in a carrying case and started bounding back towards the landing vehicle.
The Doctor groaned. "Will your species never learn?" he said to Evelyn. "The phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' wasn't made up for fun, you know!"
"Don't go blaming me for the stupidity of Mankind," his companion shot back. "Anyway, what is that rock?"
The colourful Time Lord sighed. "It's a Karnwasi egg. If hatched, there will be a near unstoppable alien killing machine on the loose."
"So what do we do about it?" asked the ever practical Evelyn.
"We must stop it reaching Earth."
"The TARDIS?"
The Doctor shook his head. "Not this time. We must alert the authorities and get the crew to leave it on the Moon. The thin atmosphere and light gravity will stop it hatching."
"So where do we go. The police?"
The Doctor smiled slightly. "UNIT."
"UNIT? Oh yes, your nice friend Alistair."
Now the Doctor frowned. "Oh dear. I hadn't thought of that."
"Thought of what?"
"Well, our recent meeting was the first time Alistair had encountered this version of me. Now we're thirty years into his past."
Evelyn nodded. "I see. Temporal troubles."
"You could say that. But there's nothing else for it. Time has a way of sorting these things out. The Karnwasi menace is too important. We'll need the help of UNIT to convince the Americans to get rid of the egg."
***
Captain Jimmy Munro was looking forward to a quiet afternoon when a flustered Private knocked loudly on his door.
"What is it, Osgood?" he snapped when the soldier poked his head round the door.
"Gentleman to see you, sir. Asked for the Brigadier by name, sir. Most insistent he is."
Munro opened his mouth to reply when the door burst open in front of Osgood. In stepped a man in a garishly coloured coat, followed by a tweedy woman in her mid sixties.
"Thank you, Private," the man said dismissively. He turned to Munro. "Captain, how nice to see you."
"Have we met?" asked a bewildered Munro.
The multi-coloured man paused, considering. "No, not yet. Now, where's Alistair?"
"If you mean Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, he's away in Geneva."
The man seemed pleased by this. "And has he ever mentioned someone called the Doctor?"
Munro thought for a moment. "Scruffy little chap, some sort of genius, I believe."
Now the visitor beamed. "Quite. Well, I'm, er, a colleague of the Doctor. My name is Doctor Smith, but just Doctor will be fine. This is my friend, Doctor Evelyn Smythe."
Munro nodded to Evelyn, then turned to the Doctor. "But what do you want with UNIT?"
"Are you in charge while Alistair is away?"
"Yes," Munro replied cautiously.
"Good. Now, here is the problem..."
Jimmy Munro listened patiently for half an hour as Doctor Smith related a tale of insectiod warriors, genetically engineered to kill as soon as they hatched. How difficult they were to destroy, how quickly they moved, how deadly they were. And how one of the Apollo Eleven astronauts had found an egg on the Moon that could bring one of these aliens to Earth.
He then spent two hours on the phone. First to NASA Mission Control, who wouldn't answer his questions. Then to Geneva, who promised to contact NASA. His second call to Mission Control brought more success, but also some bad news.
Munro put the phone down, his face grim. "Apollo Eleven blasted off from the Moon's surface just under an hour ago," he told the Doctor and Evelyn. "That egg is on its way to Earth."
The Doctor frowned. "Then I need to be there when it arrives. I need to be aboard the retrieval vessel."
"I'm sure that can be arranged," Munro said with a slight smile. Another phone call and it was indeed sorted out. "You'll fly to America on the new supersonic aircraft, Concorde. You'll be met by a NASA official and transferred to Mission Control, where you'll be able to fly out by helicopter to the rescue ship."
"Sounds adequate," the Doctor said.
"Would this be a good time to mention I don't like flying?" Evelyn asked.
"Well, you could always stay here," the Time Lord suggested.
"No chance!" she said emphatically. "And let you have all the fun? I'll manage."
"I'd like someone to go with you both," Munro said. "An official UNIT presence, as it is officially our operation." He stood, walked around his desk and opened the office door.
A young soldier was walking past and Munro caught his attention.
"Corporal Benton, where is Sergeant Yates at the moment?"
"He's on leave, sir," Benton replied quickly.
"Ah, yes, so he is." Munro remembered approving the request himself. He considered for a moment. "What about Sergeant Hawkins?"
"In the mess, sir. Eating steak and kidney pie."
"Thank you for the detail, Corporal. Now, go along to the mess and tell Sergeant Hawkins to report to my office when he has finished his meal."
"Yes sir," Benton said, saluting and heading towards the mess hall.
Ten minutes later there was a knock at the door. "Enter," Munro called.
A tall, dark-haired soldier in a light brown uniform with sergeant's stripes stepped into the office. He saluted his superior.
"You asked to see me, sir."
"Yes, Sergeant. I want you to accompany Doctor Smith here and his colleague, Doctor Smythe, to NASA Mission Control, where you will all rendezvous with the returning Apollo module. They will brief you on the flight out."
"Certainly, sir." Hawkins saluted again. "Is there anything else, sir?"
"Yes, just one thing. You have time to change your uniform shirt. There's a gravy stain on your breast pocket."
***
"You seem to be enjoying the flight," the Doctor said to his knitting companion.
Evelyn scowled at him. "Please, Doctor, try not to use the 'F' word. I'm trying to block the fact of where exactly we are and what we are doing from my conscious mind."
He nodded. "So, where are you pretending you are?"
"Taking a train journey to see my sister in Sheffield," Evelyn replied.
"A supersonic train journey?" the Doctor smiled slightly. "It might happen, one day."
"I suppose all this is beneath you, having travelled by TARDIS for so long."
"Well, I quite enjoyed Concorde the first time," the Doctor admitted.
"You've travelled supersonic before then?"
"Yes, about 140 million years ago."
"And you don't look a day over forty-five," Evelyn said with a smirk.
"I meant 140 million years into Earth's past," the Doctor corrected her. "As for myself, I'm approaching 900 with great dignity."
"Of course you are, Doctor," Evelyn replied, returning to her knitting to hide her smile. "Of course you are."
***
Sergeant Hawkins took in the passing streets as the NASA car ferried them from the airport to Mission Control.
"First time in America?" Evelyn asked.
He nodded. "I joined the army to see the world. So far I've only been to Germany and Ireland."
"Plenty of time to see the rest, young man," she told him.
"How long have you been with UNIT?" the Doctor inquired.
"Nearly two years, from when it was formed."
"Did you see action against the Cybermen?"
Hawkins smiled at the memory. "I was with the assault teams at the IE building. That's how I got my promotion to Sergeant."
The Doctor nodded absently. "Very good," he said, suddenly becoming interested in the view himself.
***
After a quick briefing at Mission Control, they were off again, this time with a NASA official, Ted Jacobs, in tow.
The Doctor stood in the open hatchway of the helicopter, the wind ruffling his hair and the multi-coloured tails of his coat. As the 'copter touched down on the deck he jumped out, turning to help Evelyn.
Her face was pale, with a slight greenish tinge. She grimaced.
"Is this a good time to mention I don't like sea travel?"
"Probably a bit late to worry about that," the Doctor shouted back over the noise of the rotor blades.
As Hawkins and Jacobs jumped down beside them, the helicopter lifted from the deck and soon vanished into the grey skies.
"How long until splashdown?" Hawkins asked.
"Not long," the Doctor replied. "Just long enough for a cup of tea and a greasy breakfast."
Evelyn pulled a face as she followed the three men below decks.
***
An hour later the Doctor, Evelyn, Hawkins and Jacobs were back on the deck, along with most of the crew. Everybody was staring upwards, watching the flimsy looking capsule float down on its parachutes.
"It looks smaller than on television," Evelyn commented.
"Doesn't everything," the Doctor replied lightly.
They watched in silence until the module splashed into the ocean some distance away.
Sergeant Hawkins released the breath he had been holding. "Amazing!" He turned to his companions. "I know I've come face to face with aliens, but to be here, at this moment..." His voice trailed off, choked with emotion.
The Doctor nodded his understanding. "It's an incredible achievement for any species," he said quietly. "But don't forget we're here for a reason, not just to sightsee."
As they had been talking, a boat had set out and was now alongside the module. The door of the craft opened and three smiling astronauts emerged, fresh from their lunar adventure.
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were brought aboard the rescue ship, then ferried back to land by helicopter while their module was winched aboard.
Now the Doctor swung into action. Along with Jacobs, he approached the capsule, Evelyn and Hawkins trailing behind.
"Neil said he placed the rock you're interested in into an airtight container in the sample storage locker," Jacobs said as the Doctor squeezed his bulk through the hatch.
"And where is that, exactly?" the Time Lord asked. He followed Jacobs' pointing finger and quickly located the container he wanted.
Hunched over in the cramped space, he passed the container to Hawkins, who was waiting just outside.
As he tried to clamber back through the hatch however, the Doctor became stuck. Passing the precious container to Jacobs, Hawkins went to his aid.
After a few moments of effort, the Time Lord managed to get free and join the others on the deck.
"I can see I'll have to stop making you so many chocolate cakes," Evelyn said with a smile.
The Doctor's face fell. "That was a very small hatch!" he protested.
A noise from overhead made them look up. A helicopter was descending further down the deck.
"Our lift has arrived," Evelyn commented.
The Doctor turned to Jacobs. "Now, you will be careful..."
But it was already too late. In the down draft of the helicopter, Jacobs stumbled. The container slipped from his grasp.
As if in slow motion, it clattered to the deck, spilling its cargo. The Karnwasi egg rolled free.
For a few moments, it seemed everything was going to be all right. Then, with a loud popping sound, the egg cracked open.
The alien appeared quite small at first. Then it unfolded its many jointed limbs, extending itself to a skinny but impressive seven feet tall. The head was elongated and shiny, with compound eyes and short, sharp teeth. The six limbs ended in wicked looking claws.
With a feral snarl, it charged.
The Doctor, perhaps surprisingly, reacted first. He pushed Evelyn and Hawkins away, falling backwards himself as he did so.
But the Karnwasi warrior ignored them, jumping over Jacobs as well. It had another priority. The helicopter.
With a spring heeled bound it leapt through the open hatch as the 'copter descended. Seeing what was about to happen, the pilot lifted quickly, but it was far too late.
Muffled sounds of combat came to them as the pilot pulled his craft out over the sea again. The Karnwasi had obviously encountered the crew.
"They don't stand a chance," the Doctor said quietly as Sergeant Hawkins helped him to his feet.
The four of them watched as the aircraft started to wobble. Suddenly it dipped towards the sea.
"The pilot," Evelyn gasped.
When it seemed the helicopter was about to plunge into the sea, it suddenly brought its nose up. Levelling out over the waves, the craft slowly started to rise.
Evelyn grinned. "Thank goodness for that," she exclaimed.
The Doctor glanced at her, his eyes hooded. "What do you think just happened?"
"Well, the pilot must have fought it off. Maybe even killed it."
The Time Lord shook his head grimly. "Karnwasi are extremely difficult to kill. It's much more likely the warrior killed the pilot, absorbed his memories and took control of the helicopter."
"It can do that?" Hawkins asked.
The Doctor nodded confirmation. "It's how the young Karnwasi learn. Absorbing the memories of those they kill."
Jacobs was still looking slack-jawed at the now receding helicopter. "That, that thing. It was an alien!"
The Doctor smiled, patting the man's shoulder. "Try not to think about it," he said simply.
"What will the Karnwasi do now?" Evelyn wanted to know.
The Doctor became grim again. "It will head for land, then locate a populated area and begin killing."
***
Within ten minutes they were aboard another helicopter. This time the Doctor was up in the cockpit, as they tracked the Karnwasi 'copter on radar.
They crossed over the coastline and the helicopter started to descend. A few minutes later they were landing beside another craft.
The Doctor was first out again, checking the other aircraft cautiously. As Evelyn and Hawkins approached he waved them away.
"I wouldn't go in there," he said, frowning deeply. "The Karnwasi has gone."
"Where?" Evelyn asked, but the Doctor just shrugged.
In the distance, the roar of a crowd could be heard, followed by raucous music.
"What was that?" Hawkins wanted to know.
"I don't know," the Doctor replied. He scrambled back aboard their helicopter, where he asked the pilot.
A few moments later he returned, then started striding away across the fields.
"There's a rock concert going on," he called over his shoulder. "Seems a good place to start looking."
***
Dave stumbled slightly as he left the toilet tent, his right shoe getting stuck in the clinging mud of the festival field. But he didn't care because the day was just so far out.
He smiled at the memory of Jimi on stage, using his guitar like an extension of his own body. That performance had just reinforced Dave's opinion that Hendrix was indeed God.
But that wasn't the only reason Dave was grinning as he squelched his way back towards the stage. Tom had given him some gear. Good gear too. That's why Dave had been in the toilet tent. He hadn't been obeying the call of nature, he had been elevating himself to a higher state of consciousness.
So it was that Dave wasn't at all surprised when a spindly limbed alien appeared in front of him. All he thought was that Tom had given him some really groovy gear. It was the last thought he ever had.
***
The Doctor, Evelyn and Sergeant Hawkins stood on a small hill overlooking the rock festival. Thousands of long haired, colourfully dressed young people danced, jumped and swayed below them.
"I think we should split up," Hawkins said. "We'll cover more ground that way."
Evelyn frowned. "How will we ever find the Karnwasi among that lot?"
The Doctor's face darkened. "Follow the screams," he said simply.
***
Ten minutes later the Doctor tripped over a body. Literally.
A denim-clad leg sticking out from some bushes had caused his fall. Once he was back on his feet, the Doctor took a closer look.
The man was lying face down. He was obviously dead from the pool of blood gathered around his body. As the Doctor turned him carefully over, something crunched in the man's back pocket.
It was a broken syringe. The Doctor extracted it cautiously and sniffed the residue. He scowled. Drugs.
"At least the Karnwasi was quick," he muttered, gazing down at Dave's corpse. "It saved you from a long and lingering death."
His mood darkening further, the Doctor moved on.
***
Hawkins wasn't a follower of music or fashion. He did buy some records, but not the stuff pumping out from the stage to his right.
He also didn't like hippies. They were a force for chaos, with their long hair, loud music and pacifist ideals. Hawkins believed in order. That's why he had joined the army.
So it was a kind of relief when he spotted the alien. Here was something he had been trained to deal with.
The Karnwasi turned and saw him. It took a step forward and Hawkins raised his service pistol.
The Karnwasi seemed to hesitate. It took another half step towards Hawkins, then with a muted cry it slumped to its knees, then fell forward onto its face.
Hawkins was frozen to the spot in surprise. He had been expecting some kind of battle with the alien. In a way, he felt let down by its collapse.
He was shaking off his stupor when a multi-coloured blur passed through his peripheral vision. It was the Doctor, who was now kneeling down beside the warrior.
"Careful, Doctor, it may still be dangerous," Hawkins advised, stepping up beside the Time Lord.
The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at the Sergeant. "This Karnwasi won't be a danger to anybody now. It's dead."
"How?"
"I have some suspicions," the Doctor said, frowning. "But I'll need to do an autopsy to prove them." He sighed, rising to his feet once more. "You had better call in the local UNIT people to take the body away, before these people notice anything. Then we need to find Evelyn."
Nodding, Hawkins reached for his radio.
***
Two days later the three of them sat opposite Munro in his London office.
Captain Munro was leafing through the report on the Karnwasi incident. He paused at the Doctor's autopsy notes, then looked up at the Time Lord.
"What did it die of, exactly?"
"A drug overdose," the Doctor replied. "Young Karnwasi absorb the brains of their victims, to learn about the local environment and dominant species. However, this Karnwasi encountered a victim who had taken a mind altering chemical. That chemical, reacting with the alien biochemistry of its new host, caused the Karnwasi to have a brain seizure."
Munro nodded. "So this," he flicked back a couple of pages, "David Hinchcliffe did us all a bit of a favour."
"It cost him his life," the Doctor said, a hard edge in his voice. "Even if it did stop the Karnwasi, it was one life too many."
"Yes, Doctor, I do understand. But the problem was sorted out without too much fuss and that has to be good for the world."
"I cannot condone the taking of drugs under any circumstances, just so the world can sleep peacefully at night. There should have been another way."
"But there wasn't," Munro stated. "We all have to live with the consequences of our actions."
"It doesn't make it any easier," the Doctor said quietly.
***
"You've hardly said a word since leaving UNIT," Evelyn said as the walked down Carnaby street towards where the TARDIS was parked.
The Doctor sighed. "I hate to see life wasted."
"I know what you mean," she told him. For a moment they walked in silence. Then Evelyn took his arm. "I was only joking when I said I would stop making you chocolate cakes."
The Time Lord's face brightened instantly. "You were?"
"Of course I was. Now, what type of icing do you want on the next one?"
They entered the TARDIS, discussing the type of cake Evelyn was going to bake. A few moments later the TARDIS vanished noisily.
Across the road, two hippies were leaning against a wall, smoking. One turned to the other.
"Did you see that?"
The other hippy nodded. "Far out man."
"Yeah," replied the first hippy. "Like, groovy man."
