The Brink of Disaster

Dear Diary,

I’m afraid I must admit I’m not terribly proud of the actions I am about to relate to you, but I must write it down. Yes, yes, I must.

As I bent over the console, I was suddenly throttled from behind.

It was Chesterton!

The sleeping draught I’d prepared hadn’t worked, and he’d come for answers. As fate would have it, Miss Wright also entered the console room at that point, and he promptly fainted. I thought at the time he was play-acting, but I suppose it was a combination of the exertion and the drugged tea I’d given him.

I again accused them of trying to commandeer my ship and told them I would henceforth treat them as enemies.

The danger signal then sounded. When I checked, the entire area of the fault locator lit up, meaning the ship was on the point of disintegration. The danger signal began sounding every fifteen seconds.  The column began moving on its own. I felt there had to be some great force threatening us from without. Miss Wright insisted, foolishly, I thought at the time, that the TARDIS was trying to tell us something.

I wouldn’t listen, and sent Susan and Miss Wright away that I might confide in Chesterton that we had only a few minutes left.

A pattern began to emerge: The danger signal sounded every 15 seconds.  A pleasant scene would appear on the scanner and the doors would open. Then a dangerous scene and the doors would close. Finally, the scene expanded to a planet; then a solar system; and ultimately, a blinding flash! The cycle would then repeat.

It finally struck me. In my rush to leave Skaro, I threw the Fast Return switch. The spring in the switch had malfunctioned and we’d traveled too far back in time, to the beginning of this solar system! It was just a minor squeak, and easily repaired once found, but could have been disastrous.

The TARDIS, however, had refused to let itself be destroyed. It destroyed the clocks to focus our attention on time, and then gave it back to us in 15 second increments. There is no other way to describe it. The TARDIS refused to be destroyed and communicated to us as best it could in order to avert tragedy. Perhaps Miss Wright was right. Perhaps I don’t know everything about the TARDIS.

I am very proud of my companions. Susan was so brave. Even Chartow proved himself in the end. Most especially, however, we all owe Miss Wright our lives. She was right all along. It was difficult, but I forced myself to visit her in her quarters and admit so, telling her she’s quite a valuable person on our team. She is a most remarkable woman, and I fear I have seriously underestimated her.

I then set the coordinates as best I could for Earth. It appears we’ve materialised somewhere in the Himalayas. It really is frightfully cold, so I outfitted everyone with cold weather gear. The women went outside first, whilst I spoke with Chartow. Do you know, he selected that old Ulster I got off Gilbert and Sullivan? It suits him, I must admit.

Susan then called to us from the scanner. It appears they’ve discovered a very large footprint in the snow.

Based upon the teleplay by David Whitaker, first broadcast on BBC 15th February 1964