The Doctor, currently in his second incarnation, had decided the visit his old friend, Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. The two of them were strolling around the grounds of U.N.I.T. Headquarters, reminiscing about things past.
"Yes. Yeti, Cybermen. We've seen some times, Doctor."
"And Omega," the Doctor reminded him. "Don't forget Omega."
"As if I could," The Brigadier replied with feeling.
"And the terrible Zodin."
"Who?"
"Oh, you weren't concerned with her, were you," the Doctor remarked. "No, she happened in the future." He paused, remembering. "They were covered in hair and they used to hop like kangaroos."
"Who did?"
"The Filathy, Zodin's servants," the Doctor told him. "Look, I'd better start at the beginning. It all happened like this..."
***
When the Doctor gave her the news Zoe was out of the TARDIS like a shot from a gun. She looked around the city with keen interest, spotting things she recognized and a few she didn't. A huge grin spread over her face.
"It's great to be home, Doctor," she enthused as her friend locked the door of the TARDIS. He smiled at her.
"Well, it wasn't planned, Zoe," he said.
"Ye don't surprise me," replied Jamie, his other travelling companion. The Doctor frowned at Jamie's statement.
"Anyway, Zoe," the Doctor continued, "It's not exactly your time. We've arrived about fifteen years after we picked you up."
"Oh, it's close enough. Can we stay for a while?"
The Doctor smiled benignly. "I don't see why not. Earth in the early twenty second century is one of the planet's most peaceful times. A near disaster at a sea base a couple of decades ago finally brought the world's powers to their collective senses and Earth is finally at peace with itself."
Zoe was still grinning from ear to ear as they set off down the street they had materialised in, heading towards the centre of town.
As they turned a corner a group of young people were walking the other way. They were all dressed the same, in grey robes that trailed on the ground. They were shaven headed and each carried an energy weapon in the belts of their robes. On the front of the robes was a symbol, a letter Z in a circle with a stylised lightening bolt through it.
Jamie grunted. "Looks like trouble, Doctor."
"Not necessarily, Jamie. Let's not be hasty."
As the two groups drew near, the young man at the front of the robed youths bowed his head slightly in the direction of the time travellers.
"Peace be with you and may Zodin watch over you," he intoned as he passed.
"Oh, erm, thank you very much," the Doctor called after him.
"What was that all about?" Jamie asked when the youths were out of earshot.
"I've no idea," the Doctor confessed. "Zoe, do you remember any religious groupings who worshipped someone called Zodin?"
Zoe looked as confused as her friends. "No, I don't think I've ever heard the name before."
The Doctor looked concerned. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all. There's something very wrong here; I can feel it. Come along, you two. Let's investigate."
Jamie looked over at Zoe, who raised her eyebrows in return. "Here we go again," Jamie said for both of them.
The Doctor and his friends had checked into a nearby hotel. They met up in the Doctor's room to decide what to do next.
"Well, we could access a Public Information Terminal. That would give us anything currently in the database," suggested Zoe.
"What's this wee box?" asked Jamie from the corner of the room.
"It's an entertainment screen," the Doctor told him. "Do you still have your access documents?" he inquired of Zoe.
Her face fell. "They're back in my quarters on the Wheel."
"Well, it's not very entertaining," Jamie commented, staring at the blank screen.
"You have to switch it on first," the Doctor said, indicating a switch on the screen.
"Oh, aye," said Jamie, flicking the switch. Sound and pictures burst from the screen.
"Turn it off, Jamie," the Doctor shouted. "We're trying to talk over here."
Jamie nodded, reaching for the button. The Doctor stopped him.
"Och, will you make up your mind. Do ya want it on or off?"
"Leave it on for now, Jamie, there's a good lad."
"...before we leave you, a personal message from Zodin. Over to our reporter in the park."
"Thank you, Richard. Now, Zodin, since you came to Earth a little over a month ago, you have done a great deal for us. What would you like to say to the people of Earth?"
A tall, blonde, powerful looking woman smiled into the camera, showing perfect teeth.
"My human friends, thank you for giving me and my followers hospitality on your world. The least I can do is repay your kindness by offering, where I can, to help your government to make life easier for you. I only want to help the people of Earth to reach their full potential. Together we can make the future better."
The woman smiled again and her image was replaced by a symbol.
"Sounds like a Party Political Broadcast," the Doctor said thoughtfully.
"What that then?" Jamie asked.
"Oh, it's just something that used to waste peoples time during the twentieth century. Did you notice the symbol?"
"Aye, it's the same one those kids were wearing," Jamie replied.
"She seemed nice," said Zoe. She had a faraway look in her eyes.
"I suppose that was the plan," the Doctor told her. "I think there's something else going on here."
"You're so paranoid, Doctor," Zoe commented. "Why can't you just accept that someone is doing something good for a change and that sometimes there are no monsters or evil villains."
The Doctor looked shocked at Zoe's outburst. He wasn't the only one.
"Hey, there's no need to be like that," Jamie said to his friend. "I happen to think the Doctor's right. That woman is odd."
"And since when did you start being a detective. In fact, when did your opinion count for anything!"
"Now that's enough, Zoe," the Doctor said.
"No, Doctor, it's not nearly enough. Can't you see? Zodin only wants to do good."
"I don't see it like that."
"Well, more fool you!" So saying, Zoe stormed out of the room.
"What was that all about?" Jamie asked when she had gone.
"Oh, dear, Jamie. I'm afraid things are much worse than I feared. Much, much, worse."
Zoe was not in her room and when the Doctor inquired at the desk they told him that she had left the hotel. It must have been just after her row with the Doctor and Jamie.
"Where can she have gone, Doctor?"
"I'm afraid I don't know, Jamie. This is close to her own time, she will have friends here, places she knows. She could be anywhere."
"So what do we do?"
The Doctor sighed. "I honestly don't know."
"Why did she turn on us like that?"
The Doctor shrugged. "Hypnotic suggestion?"
"Why didn't it work on us, then?"
The Doctor thought about that. "Maybe because this is her time zone. You're from the 17th century and I'm, well, I'm not from this time. Maybe that could be it."
"So this Zodin is hypnotising people into thinking what she wants them to think."
"That's it!" the Doctor exclaimed. "She must be using broadcasts like the one we saw to spread hypnotic suggestion!"
"So what do we do about it, Doctor?"
The Doctor smiled. "We go to meet Zodin."
***
They had stopped at the TARDIS first, where the Doctor had spent a few hours searching in various storage lockers and compartments. He wouldn't tell Jamie what he was looking for, but said it was very important.
After what seemed to Jamie like days, they set off in search of Zodin. The news report had given her location as a park, so they went looking for the nearest.
After dodging a couple of groups of what they now knew to be called The Children of Zodin, they arrived at a park.
"This must be it," the Doctor said. "Look how many of her followers are about." The park seemed to be full of The Children of Zodin.
They set off cautiously through the park, keeping to the bushes. After about half an hour, they found what they were looking for.
A large saucer shaped craft sat on four legs in the centre of the park. The Children of Zodin stood guarding the boarding ramp.
"What do we do now, Doctor?" asked Jamie.
The Doctor grinned at him. "We go up to the front door and knock."
Moments later they stood at the foot of the ramp. One of The Children stopped them.
"I'm here to see Zodin," the Doctor announced, drawing himself up to his full height.
The young man smiled at them and turned to lead them up the ramp.
"Well, that was easy," the Doctor said to Jamie.
"Aye, a little too easy, if ye ask me."
Up the ramp and along a corridor, they found themselves in a control centre. The Doctor looked around, impressed. He started examining control panels with interest, checking readings and studying dials.
Around the circular control area, alien creatures were at work. They were basically humanoid, with two arms, a head and facial features, but they were totally covered in brown hair and had only one leg, as thick as two, which they used to hop around. They also had a thick tail, which they used as balance.
"What are yon creatures, Doctor?"
"They are the Filathy and they are my servants," boomed a voice.
The Doctor was so startled he nearly dropped his sonic screwdriver, on which he had been changing the settings. He quickly finished and put it back in his pocket.
"Welcome, Doctor," the voice said again.
The Doctor looked around, but there was nobody there. "How do you know me, Zodin?"
"Very good, Doctor. I know of you. Your reputation precedes you." The Doctor frowned.
"Of course," Zodin continued, "a little help never hurts."
A door slid aside, revealing a figure dressed in the grey robe of The Children of Zodin. It was Zoe.
"Zoe!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
"Of course she is," said Zodin's disembodied voice. "She came to me this morning, begging to join me and telling me about her friend the Doctor, a traveller in time, who didn't believe in my message."
"Maybe if I could meet you, I might understand you better."
"Is that wise, Doctor?" whispered Jamie. The Doctor shushed him.
"Very well, I shall grant your wish. Not many people get to penetrate my inner sanctum. Follow your friend, Zoe."
Zoe turned and lead them through another corridor. At the end, a door swished open, letting them into a small room.
If Jamie had been expecting to see the tall blonde woman they had seen on the screen earlier, he was disappointed. Sitting on a throne in the centre of the room was a small, wizened woman with grey hair.
"Zodin, I presume," the Doctor said, stepping up to the throne.
The woman chuckled. "I think I can let you in on a little secret, Doctor. Where I come from I'm known as The Terrible Zodin."
"And where do you come from?"
"Another dimension. I was banished to your realm by my own kind, stripped of my power and my title."
"So you were a dictator among your own people?"
"I was their Empress. I ruled them. I was like a God to them."
"Until they turned on you."
"Yes, the spiteful cretins. One day I shall go back and then they shall see what suffering is."
"I like the trick with the broadcasts," the Doctor told her. "Very cunning. Is that an actress, a holographic image or a computer simulation?"
Zodin smiled. "None of them. It's a hypnotic suggestion. The minds of these Earth people are so weak they will believe anything."
The Doctor nodded. "So you intend to enslave Earth and use it as a base for your new empire?"
"But of course. Nobody can stand against me."
"Jamie and I can resist your hypnotic transmissions."
"Yes, but you are exceptions. Exceptions that will not live to upset my plans, so there is no danger in my letting you know all this."
"But what if someone were to jam your transmission frequency?" the Doctor asked.
"That is not possible. It would take days to figure out the frequency."
"Is it 390.7 Gigahertz on the ultra high frequency band?" the Doctor inquired innocently.
Zodin's jaw dropped, but she quickly regained her composure. "So you know the frequency. You would need a powerful jamming device."
The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and turned it over in his hands. "Like this, you mean?"
Again Zodin was surprised, but again she rapidly recovered. "So you've jammed my transmissions. Once you have been executed and I have destroyed your device, these, sheep, will follow me again."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you." The Doctor grasped the left lapel of his jacket, where a tiny pin badge glinted in the light. "This is a miniature camera. It's been transmitting our conversation all over the world. I think you'll find your sheep are not as docile as they were."
Zodin was now quivering with rage. "Guards, take him away and kill him," she ordered. "Slowly."
When nobody came to obey her order, she turned to Zoe. "You, kill him! Now!"
Zoe shook her head. "No, I don't think so. It wouldn't be polite."
The Doctor beamed. "I think your rule is over, Zodin. The natives are revolting."
Zodin fumed. "You will pay for this one day, Doctor. I will see to it personally."
***
Some hours later, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe were returning to the TARDIS. Zodin had been taken into custody by the Earth authorities and life was starting to return to normal.
Zoe had been quiet for some time. Now, she could contain herself no longer.
"Doctor, Jamie, I'm sorry. I did and said some terrible things. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Aye," said Jamie, "you did say some things that ye shouldn't."
"But we forgive you," the Doctor added.
"Aye, we do."
Zoe hugged them both. "I thought you might leave me here," she confessed.
"Don't be silly, Zoe," the Doctor said as he unlocked the TARDIS.
"The Doctor's right," Jamie agreed. "We couldn't leave you here. Who would make the tea?"
Zoe thumped him playfully on the arm as they entered the TARDIS, bound for another adventure.
***
"So what happened to, what did you call them? The Filathy?" the Brigadier asked.
"Yes. They were given some land in Australia. I believe they're very happy."
"So you saved the day again, eh, Doctor." The Doctor just smiled.
When he realised, relating his tale had taken them completely around the grounds. They were close to where they had started out.
"Well, I really must say goodbye, Brigadier," the Doctor said. "I really shouldn't be here at all. I'm not exactly breaking the laws of time, but I am bending them a little."
"You never did bother much about rules, as I remember," the Brigadier replied, a wistful smile on his face.
