The repairs lasted a while. During that time, the ship was still hanging in space just above the planet. Finally, the Doctor grumbled and pulled herself out of the console she was working on. “…Well?” asked Tavis.
“…There’s nothing wrong with your sensors and Tevik’s math is correct,” sighed the Doctor.
“What on New Davius is THAT supposed to mean?!” protested Demna. “That planet looks nothing like Skaro! …Anything on long-range yet?”
“No saucers,” replied Tevik, “but I’d rather not run the risk.”
“And what I said means exactly what it means,” said the Doctor. “Your equipment is working perfectly and there’s no operator error. That IS Skaro we’re orbiting.”
“But that’s-!” argued Tysar.
“Look,” interrupted the Doctor, “us repeating the fact that the planet doesn’t look like how we remember seeing Skaro from space won’t change the fact that everything is working perfectly and Tevik’s the best damned helmsman of New Davius. The only way we can settle this mystery is to go down to the planet’s surface, risking the potential for a trap to be sprung.”
“That’s always fun,” sighed Tysar.
“The radiation may be less than normal Skaro readings,” said Tavis, “but I’m not running that risk. Demna, our stock of anti-radiation drugs?”
“We have enough for the Doctor and our friends,” replied Demna.
“Good. Tysar, you’ll need to arm yourself-.”
“Hold on! I didn’t need a weapon during my time in Gotham-!”
“Tysar, you ARE on my ship and I WON’T have my sister be exterminated so soon after reuniting with her. Arm yourself. That is an order.”
“Tysar, I loathe guns like you do,” said the Doctor, “but the Daleks will kill or enslave anyone that is unarmed. Not everyone can talk their way out of extermination like we do. Besides, those ARE stun weapons, enough for a quick getaway back to the ship or the TARDIS. Should the Daleks’ potential trap result in my death, take your people into the TARDIS and it will take you all back to New Davius. So, please, for my peace of mind, take it.”
“…Fine, Doctor,” grumbled Tysar.
“That goes for you two,” Tavis said to Eric and Setsuna.
“…Much appreciated,” said Setsuna, “but I am already armed.” She raised her hand. “Ordinarily, I’d consider everyone as civilians and wouldn’t do this in a public setting, but we’re pressed for time. Pluto Planet Power, MAKE UP!” A bright light surrounded Setsuna as her civilian clothes changed into her outfit as Sailor Pluto! Eric blinked.
“…You girls are real?!” he asked. “I thought you were just some superhero girl group from Japan!”
“We’re as real as you Power Rangers, Eric,” replied Sailor Pluto.
“…Sailor Scouts, I HAVE heard of,” remarked Demna, “but what are Power Rangers?”
“We’ll explain later,” replied the Doctor.
The Bettan landed near the jungle. Everyone inside took their first dose of anti-radiation drugs and stepped out. …It felt like the Amazon Rainforest to the Doctor! Hot and humid with massive trees and plants! “Even the jungles I visited when I blundered onto Skaro,” muttered the Doctor, “weren’t Earth-like!”
“This should be a petrified jungle,” remarked Tysar.
“Readings indicate,” said Tevik, “that we’ll take our next anti-radiation treatment in six earth hours.”
“Excellent,” said Tavis. “Now, stay close and be careful. Slythers could enjoy a jungle like this.”
“Slyther?” asked Eric.
“A carnivorous beast, large and inky black,” replied the Doctor, “with fearsome claws on its hands. It’s a nocturnal predator, but it HAS been known to eat during the day.”
“And it’s got thick skin in the most literal sense,” said Tysar.
“EXCUSE ME! ALL OF YOU!” shouted a voice.
“Well, that’s not a Dalek,” remarked the Doctor. A Thal man then approached the group.
“Dr. Vrelan!” sighed Tavis in relief. “Thank our ancestors, we found you!”
“Yes, yes, you did! Now who are you?!” demanded the new Thal, Vrelan.
“We’re the rescue party from New Davius,” replied Demna. “We were sent to retrieve you and your team as Skaro is too dangerous for-.”
“Then tell High Command that your mission is a failure! I’m too busy!” snapped Vrelan.
“…I don’t think you understand,” said Tavis. “We’re taking you home, away from-.”
“No, no, no, NO! My work here on Skaro is too important!” insisted Vrelan.
“Sir, this isn’t up for debate!” snapped Tavis. “We’ve called this the Forbidden Planet for a reason and-!”
“I don’t care! GO AWAY!”
“Dr. Vrelan,” interjected the Doctor, “what is so important that you would risk being shot at by Daleks right on their native world?”
“That’s not your concern, human!”
“Time Lord,” corrected the other Thals.
“…Pardon?”
“Yep, that’s the Doctor,” said Tysar. “You know, the one who saved our ancestors’ butts?”
“Her TARDIS is on my ship,” said Tavis. “The same ship you WILL be boarding.”
“…I see,” remarked Vrelan. He then gave his attention to the Doctor. “Doctor, you’ll have to forgive me for dragging you into such a trifle, but my work is extremely important. Even-.” That’s when a scream echoed throughout the jungle.
“Tevik!” yelped Tavis. He and the group followed the scream. “Tevik, are you-?!”
“I-I’m fine, physically!” replied Tevik as he pointed to the body of a big, black, hulking thing with claws on its hands and eyes protruding on stalks like snails. “But seeing a shredded Slyther corpse will haunt my nightmares!” The Doctor stepped forward to investigate. Part of the flesh was missing and there were severe bite marks, meaning that the missing flesh was probably in the biter’s gullet and being digested.
“Whatever did this must have been strong,” remarked Tysar. “Those things can’t even be pierced by Varga plant spikes.”
“Or be stung by the flytrap type of Varga,” said the Doctor as she took readings from the sonic screwdriver. She checked the readings and goggled when she saw traces of chloroplasts and schizophytes around the bite marks! “But it WAS a plant that killed this Slyther!”
“What plant could do that?” asked Sailor Pluto.
“None of the native Skaro flora could-,” said Tysar.
“Exactly, none of the NATIVE Skaro flora,” interrupted the Doctor. “This wasn’t done by a native plant. I think I know why the Daleks haven’t attacked us, they had to abandon the planet! That would partially explain the lower radiation and the appearance of a proper jungle! I think Skaro’s home to a Krynoid!”
“Preposterous!” scoffed Vrelan.
“A Krynoid, Doctor?” asked Tysar. “What’s that?”
“I can’t say as I’ve heard of a Krynoid,” remarked Tavis.
“Well, on most planets, animals eat the vegetation, yes?” asked the Doctor. Everyone nodded. “On planets where the Krynoid gets established, the tables are turned.”
“What, all plants turn carnivorous?” asked Demna.
“Yes,” replied the Doctor. “The Krynoids are vegetable life that feed on animal life. Dr. Vrelan, if the Daleks are wisely leaving this world, you should too!”
“I can’t! My work is too important!” insisted Vrelan. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the lab before I actually start believing spaceport stories about plant men!” He stormed off!
“Dr. Vrelan, come back here! My ship is THAT way!” called Tavis.
“Now that IS peculiar,” mused the Doctor.
“What is?” asked Eric.
“Not once did I mention plant men,” explained the Doctor, “but that IS one of the stages of the Krynoid’s growth.”
“Doctor, I think you’d better fill us in on how these Krynoids grow,” said Demna.
“They start off as seed pods, half as big as your head,” began the Doctor. “Once the seeds are given enough warmth and nutrients, they split open and a shoot grabs a nearby animal, then fuses with it, pumping it full of Krynoid-based schizophytes, plant bacteria. The schizophytes then consume the animal tissue while the host is alive, then the Krynoid cells take the consumed animal cells’ place. Eventually, the Krynoid will assume a vaguely humanoid shape and look for food and warmth. After a while, the Krynoid will just be a mound of vegetable matter with tendrils, ready to eat and spread more of its seed pods, as well as telepathically control any plant life to achieve its aims of killing all animal life.”
“And we’re in a minefield under Krynoid control!” gulped Tysar.
“Not yet,” said the Doctor, “or the plants would have attacked us already. I think something’s keeping our Krynoid at bay. …And I believe Dr. Vrelan will provide the answers.”
Back in the lab set up by Dr. Vrelan, said scientist had pulled out a recording device set next to two opened seed pods! He activated the device and spoke into it. “The pods have germinated well,” he said. “The first subject has responded to the treatment well. She has grown into a fine specimen; however, the lack of regular amounts of food, water, and sunlight has left her weak. This has allowed for some control. I am preparing the next test. In the first test, I allowed the shoot from the pod to fuse with the test subject in accordance with the natural life cycle of a Krynoid. The next few tests were smaller scale ones to see if Krynoid DNA would change them and also served to see if the deployment system I developed would work. While the test subjects after the control didn’t survive, the control could use the dead subjects as a sort of green bomb, hence the sudden appearance of the jungle and decreased radiation. Now I shall see if a direct injection into something bigger shall produce a faster result for something like the control.” He ended his log and pulled up the security feed to show the Doctor and her friends approaching the lab. “Once again, Doctor, you shall help us Thals in our greatest peril.”