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.'What are you doing?' asked Benny.'Setting the co-ordinates.''You can do that?' Benny was impressed by the younger woman's knowledge.'Course I can - I've watched the Professor enough times,' she said superiorly.'Besides I've got some extra help!''Who?' asked Charlie.'The TARDIS herself!''And just where do you think you're taking us?' asked Benny sternly.'Antykhon of course.When the TARDIS "crashed" it split itself into two, right? Well, there must have been a reason for it… ''I thought it was to separate us, to keep you from getting the TVG.''Why? I might know more about the TARDIS than you do, but I still wouldn't have known what to do with the TVG.Khan's taking over the TARDIS - but he's only taking over half a TARDIS! The other half is waiting for us on Antykhon! The TARDIS had planned it all along!'' "Two for the price of one",' muttered Benny.201'What?''Oh, just something a Lamb said to me once.'Ace drew Benny and Charlie's attention to the large central time rotor: it was slowly descending to a halt.They had arrived back on Antykhon; Ace activated the scanner controls, and the panels on the screen slid open to show them the image of what was outside.They had landed in the Hive — a Hive which was now strangely empty.Opposite them stood that part of the TARDISwhich had bought Ace to Antykhon.'Now what?' asked Benny.'I think it's being taken out of our hands now.' said Ace.The time machine shuddered as Khan became aware of the presence of another TARDIS.He reached out his mind, trying to embrace its power as he had done that of the original TARDIS, and in doing so relaxed his hold.Inside the console room, the lights dimmed and the central time rotor blazed a fiery red.The air was filled with a curious wheezing noise, not the usual sound of dematerialization, but a deeper, more strained sound, like someone groaning in pain.Ace, Benny and Charlie looked at the walls of the console room: they were bending and shimmering as the TARDIS tried to take advantage of Khan's momentary relaxation of power and expel the foreign intelligence which had dared to invade her very being.Part of the console exploded in a flash of flame.On the scanner screen they watched the other TARDIS tremble - and then dematerialize.'He's transferred himself to the other TARDIS!' said Benny.'He's going to win after all!'Charlie pointed to the LED display on the TARDIS's navigation board.'What are them numbers changing for?' he asked.Ace and Benny looked at each other.The TARDIS's co-ordinates were changing, seemingly by themselves.Ace shrugged at Benny.'What do I do now?'202'This,' she said, and rammed down the main dematerialization lever.As the TARDIS vanished from the surface of Antykhon, Benny pointed to a small screen on the navigational panel which was flashing an urgent message.She didn't like the sound of it.'Ace, what's a Time Ram?'Ace's face turned even whiter than it was normally.She remembered something the Professor had once said, about one of the most dangerous manoeuvres a TARDIS could ever perform.'It's when two objects occupy exactly the same place in both space and time.''That's impossible.''Exactly.This Universe ain't going to be big enough for the both of us.'Somewhere in the Time Vortex, that indefinable somewhen which exists between all the known and unknown dimensions, a flash of energy appeared, shining in the unfathomable darkness like a tiny star.In the eternal infinity of the Vortex, however, it was insignificant, the slightest ripple in the ever-changing, ever-unpredictable possibilities of time and space.An infinitesimal fraction of a nanosecond later, another flash of energy tried to appear, attempted to occupy the same space as the first energy source.For another fraction of a nanosecond the two shone brightly as one, each one jostling for position.And then the second pinprick of energy was expelled, sent hurtling out of the Vortex, into the real world of space and time, and to its pre-ordained destruction.Somewhere over the barren wastes of Tungasaku, in a land called Siberia on the last day of June 1908, the part of the TARDIS that she herself had willingly sacrificed to Jared Khan exploded.And across the ages a Great Divide was opened.203Report from Nature magazine, 29 May 1965The most spectacular meteor fall to be recorded in modern times occurred on June 30 1908 in the basin of the Podkanemaia River, Siberia, some miles to the north of Lake Baykal.It was seen in the cloudless sky over an area of about 1,500 km.The fall was accompanied by violent radiation and shock phenomena, the meteorological and geomagnetic fields were registered at points around the world.No trace of a crater was found.204Chapter 28The East End, London.7.30 a.m., Saturday 24 April AD 1909With the Great Divide now completely stabilized the Charrl were appearing in the East End in scores.Bellingham had been there to greet them and had provided a warehouse in which they could hide until enough of their number had crossed over.Ch'tizz had been the first to arrive and she was supervising the operation with a deep sense of achievement.She had not failed her people or the Goddess: she had sworn to find them a new home and she had kept her word.She turned to Muldwych.'You have done us a great service, Muldwych.What can the Charrl do to repay you?''There's no reward I need from the Charrl, Your Majesty,' he said.'But you helped us harness the energy of the Great Divide, trained our Chronomancers to reach back through time and contact the Khan Mammal.'She looked suspiciously at the fat little man.'Why have you helped us so, Muldwych?''I too need my freedom,' he replied.'The survival of your race and my own are closely interlinked.For almost a thousand years I was stranded on Mount Kukuruk, an exile.Now with the Great Divide stabilized, and the TARDIS restored to its proper condition, I will at long last be allowed the freedom to travel in all space and time.'As if on cue, the TARDIS materialized, and Ace, Benny and Charlie stepped out.Charlie clutched at Benny as he saw the figure of Ch'tizz.Ace took in the situation instantly: Muldwych, Ch'tizz and the scores of Charrl which thronged and chirruped about her.She strode angrily up to the Queen of the Hive.205'We had a deal!' she said.'You said you wouldn't cross over until I tried to bring you some help!'Ch'tizz turned away from Ace's accusing stare.'The Charrl must survive,' she said fiercely.'A broken promise is nothing when compared to the continuance of the Species.'Ace turned savagely on Muldwych.'And you said they were the noblest species going!' she reminded him, but she could see that even Muldwych was disturbed by Ch'tizz's reneging on her promise.'But you can't take over the Earth,' protested Benny.'What about mankind?''The planet is too small: it will not support our two species.The Mammals will have to be destroyed,' Ch'tizz stated coldly.'Killing goes against the Way of the Charrl; but our Species must survive.'In the shadows Bellingham grew pale: this talk of destruction was not what he and the other members of the New Dawn had planned.Even Muldwych himself looked shocked.'When I agreed to help you, you made no mention of killing,'he said.'Would you have helped me if I had, Muldwych? asked Ch'tizz.'We have both used each other.We now have a new planet on which to swarm.' She glanced over at the TARDIS.And you have what you want, you have your freedom.'Ace glared evilly at the fat old man: it was all his fault, she realized.If the Charrl destroyed mankind it was Muldwych, in his desperate attempt to escape Antykhon, who would be to blame.'You're all out of your tree, Ch'tizz,' Ace said.'Look at this place.Mankind's already started to screw up the atmosphere, and pollute his own planet.''Compared to Antykhon this place is a garden,' said Ch'tizz
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