The Stockbridge Horror (comic story)

Summary
An impression of the TARDIS is found embedded in the limestone of the Stockbridge quarry. The Doctor goes to see if his TARDIS is still where he left it but finds it covered in mud and muck. While investigating the impression in the stone, the Doctor encounters a forest fire. At the center of the fire is an Elemental Being who seems to be controlling the fire. Surrounded in flames, The Doctor dives into the TARDIS and dematerializes.

Unfortunately, the Elemental has attached itself to the outside of the TARDIS and manages to possess the main computer of the TARDIS and removing it from The Doctor's control. When even the emergency shutdown fails to work The Doctor tries to make his way to the central computer core. Luckily, attempting to use the emergency shutdown alerted Gallifrey who sends Shayde to aid The Doctor. Shayde enters the master computer and is able to apprehend the Elemental Being.

The Doctor then heads to Gallifrey in order to repair his TARDIS and heal the wounds he received during the events leading to the forest fire. Once that has been accomplished, however, The Doctor finds himself under trial for allowing the Elemental to run on Earth and to kill and harass the people of Earth for millions of years. The records of the TARDIS state that the Elemental Being had possessed the TARDIS on a previous occasion and while The Doctor was enjoying the quiet life of rural England it had taken the TARDIS millions of years back in time to witness the beginnings of life on Earth. Once there, the Elemental abandoned the TARDIS to sink into the mud and eventually return itself to The Doctor's time period. Left stranded in the past the Elemental existed on Earth for all those years until the present day where it once again possessed the TARDIS.

Shocked by all of this, and looking to clear himself, The Doctor notes that all the evidence against him comes from the TARDIS and that its memory banks have been incorrect before. The prosecutor of the trial states that the one other bit of evidence is the impression of the TARDIS in the limestone back in the Stockbridge quarry. However, before it can be used in the trial, Shayde destroys the imprint. Left without credible evidence, The Doctor is set free but wondering why Shayde helped him and if he can ever truly be free.

Characters

 * Fifth Doctor
 * Shayde
 * Tubal Cain
 * Elemental Being

Continuity
to be added

Timeline

 * This story takes place after DWM: Stars Fell on Stockbridge
 * This story takes place before DWM: Lunar Lagoon