Free Death of the Doctor by Gary Russell Page A

Weave power throbbed and throbbed, louder and louder.
    ‘Concentrate,’ Azure demanded. ‘Think of the key!’
    ‘I’ve got the original key in my pocket.’ The Doctor’s voice came from outside in the corridor. ‘You can have it if you let them go.’
    The Shansheeth looked at one another.
    ‘Don’t be stupid,’ Karim spat at them. ‘Let him inside this room and he’ll destroy us! Keep going!’
    She ramped the dial up more and Sarah Jane finally cried out in pain.
    ‘Think of the TARDIS,’ said Azure.
    ‘Think of the key,’ said Aureolin.
    ‘Remember,’ said Amaranth, strumming faster and louder.
    And Sarah Jane flinched, trying not to remember.
    But images formed in the air, created by the power of the Cradle’s music, showing her memories: being inside the Tenth Doctor’s coral TARDIS, with Rose and Mickey. And Martha. And Donna. And of course, Captain Jack Harkness. The Fourth Doctor’s TARDIS, as she said her goodbye, walking out on to the cold streets of Aberdeen, watching that door close behind her.
    Other times outside the TARDIS – the South Pole, the realm of Mandragora, Zeta Minor, Nerva Beacon, Peladon, Exxilon…
    So many memories…
    And Jo was doing the same, another hologram in the air, showing her memories of the key in use. Inter Minor, the realm of Kronos, Skybase One, Peladon, Uxaerius…
    ‘The memories coalesce!’ said Amaranth gleefully.
    ‘The key…it takes shape,’ Aureolin announced.
    ‘Can’t…stop…’ Sarah Jane cried, watching as her memories, her beautiful, amazing, treasured, precious memories were used against her will, creating a duplicate TARDIS key in the air before her. ‘How…dare…you?’ she cried at Karim, who just laughed cruelly, and her eyes blazed in triumph as the key started to solidify!
    Out in the corridor, the Doctor was concentrating.
    ‘There’s no other way in?’ he asked the Groske. ‘No ventilation duct?’
    ‘Not big enough,’ the Groske said. ‘Just air vents.’
    Clyde grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall and slammed it against the door with all his might, but it didn’t even scratch it.
    Santiago then kicked angrily at the sealed door. ‘Need a bulldozer,’ he said.
    Rani was looking around. ‘Maybe there’s a fire axe or something?’
    ‘There isn’t,’ the Doctor said sadly. ‘And it wouldn’t do any good – that door’s built to withstand a lot.’
    ‘Then what can we do?’ she replied.
    He looked at the three faces of the humans in front of him: anxious, terrified, alarmed…all hoping he would come up with something.
    And the little Groske, sadly standing apart from them.
    The Doctor loved humans – these three kids were fantastic, determined, never giving up, with total belief that they could rescue Sarah Jane and Jo. It was why he loved humans, why he always remembered to have one travelling with him because –
    ‘Memories! They are using Sarah Jane and Jo’s memories!’ He yelled.
    ‘We know!’
    ‘Then don’t you see? We do exactly the same!’ He yelled through the door. ‘Sarah Jane! Jo! Listen to me!’
    ‘The key…’ That was Jo.
    ‘It’s almost solid…’ That was Sarah Jane.
    And the Doctor spoke so softly and yet powerfully that there was no doubt his voice would carry into the room.
    Clyde shivered. It was like the air in the corridor had stopped moving, like the whole world was suddenly still.
    Even the throbbing of the Memory Weave within the sealed room seemed to drop, as if it too was somehow listening to the Doctor’s voice.
    ‘Listen to me. Both of you. I want you to remember everything. Every day with me. Every single second. Let those memories come, stop fighting the Weave. Because your memories are more powerful than anything else on this entire planet. Give the Memory Weave everything! Every planet. Every face. Every madman. Every loss. Every sunset, every scent, every terror, every joy. Every Doctor. Every me!’
    Inside the Funeral Chamber, Karim was at the