The Final Darkness (short story)

The Final Darkness was a story featured in Doctor Who Files 4: The Sycorax. It was written by Stephen Cole.

Summary
A translation is provided by UNIT Alien-English software of a journal of the Sycorax ship's scribe (whose duty it is to record a journal of the ship's events).

The journal recounts how the Sycorax were first made aware of the planet Earth through its probes that it sent out into "the darkness between the stars" (space). Signals intercepted by the Sycorax confirm the presence of "soft and fleshy and primitive" people who call themselves humans. The Sycorax world-seer reports to the Sycorax leader that he senses metals and minerals beneath the planet's surface, while the leader believes that the slave traders could pay well for supplies of "human cattle". After the ship enters the solar system, it swallows a probe near the red planet. Studying the probe, the Sycorax find human blood samples which their "shamen" [sic] (who practised the forbidden arts of Astrophia) could use to exercise blood control over one third of the cattle, encouraging them into an easy surrender and submission, despite it not being able to kill even "stupid human cattle", only compel them stand at the top of high buildings.

The Sycorax bring aboard the cattle's skinny woman leader (Harriet Jones), and her wise men (Daniel Llewellyn and Alex) and chief warrior (Major Blake), to the ship's Hall of War Pacts, where all of the Sycorax have gathered to scare the cattle. The leader kills one of the wise men for wanting compassion, along with the dark warrior. The leader tells the skinny woman to surrender half of her people to be slaves, or watch as a third of the blood controlled humans die. Foreign machinery on the planet Earth is detected which is quickly teleported on board. It is a "clever" blue wooden box, (the TARDIS) that also brings with it a yellow girl (Rose Tyler), who amuses the Sycorax with her "stolen words", and a dark boy (Mickey Smith). The Sycorax stop laughing when a stranger, whose rank is "Doctor" (the Tenth Doctor), emerges from the doors of the box, and breaks their leader's Staff of Helkaac-ak-ac before freeing the cattle of the influence of the blood control.

It is a first for the Sycorax when this Doctor invokes the sanctified rules of combat and stands as the Champion of the Earth against their leader. "Oh the sport," thinks the scribe while watching the fight, their leader forcing the Doctor backwards like a lowly dalskaak, backwards out onto the wing of the ship where with a masterful stroke the leader slices the Doctor's hand off! And then there is the "stab of purest fear" that the scribe has not felt since he was "first torn as a pup from the belly of [his] father and thrown to the snake baths of Hennteck" as they witness the Doctor grow another hand – true witchcraft.

Renewed, the Doctor turns the fight and the Sycorax leader is forced to the edge, forced to promise to leave the Earth and never to return, until the Doctor's back is turned and the Sycorax tries another strike. Without even looking this Doctor triggered the kojux-flap in the wing of the ship and the leader plummets to the ground miles below.

Bound by the ancient rites of combat, blood charms broken and leaderless, the Sycorax ship leaves the Earth to return to the Sycorax Armada but that is not all. These human cattle are treacherous; more foreign machinery is detected on the planet. Sycorax sensors detect a destructive energy beam heading towards them from which they cannot escape. Defiantly the scribe bellows that Sycorax shall "fill the darkness with our blood, with our curse, with our hate, with our vengeance", and that the armada shall scent their blood and be drawn to Earth as the Sycorax all chant: "Sycorax strong! Sycorax mighty! Sycorax ..."

Characters

 * Sycorax scribe
 * Sycorax world-seer
 * Sycorax leader
 * Tenth Doctor
 * Rose Tyler
 * Mickey Smith
 * Harriet Jones
 * Daniel Llewellyn
 * Alex
 * Major Blake

Worldbuilding

 * Sycorax terminology;
 * Kiskfaa – unit of distance (one kiskfaa seems to be equal to a 1000 miles)
 * Slinkjaak – one of the Sycorax trade rewards along with goods and money
 * Kojux-flap – name of the small panel on the ship's exterior

Continuity
to be added