Trav, Stanley and Amanda head up the curve of the ring.  It takes perhaps thirty minutes to reach the edge of the fields, and by this time they can see the buildings and other structures beyond more clearly.  The largest building has a form that Stanley can recognize as a temple in an Asian style: it's solidly constructed from wood, and has minimal ornamentation.  There are a number of smaller outbuildings that appear to be of similar design and materials, but there are also what look like additional, hastily built shelters made from miscellaneous sheet metal.

Now that Trav has a better look at the ship, it looks like it's a commuter passenger vessel, made for intra-system flights to move people in bulk on trips lasting days at most.

The faces that look up at them from the fields are varied.  Many are human or human-like, but Trav spots a few other well-known species among them: several Silurians and a burly Terileptil, a couple of neko-form individuals who might be Amanda's distant descendants.  They look like they're all doing hand cultivation of various food crops.  About two in three of them are wearing simple rough-spun clothing, some with faded yellow sashes that she recognizes from Zheng Ru's order.  The remainder of those out in the field are wearing clothes of assorted modern fabrics and styles.

As the travellers' approach is noted, the Terileptil turns to one of the other simply dressed workers and says something.  That person hurries off toward the temple while the heavy reptilian ambles toward Trav, Stanley and Amanda.

"Welcome," he rumbles.  "Am I right in thinking that you have come fleeing the Fists as well?  We did not see the coming of your vessel, but we are nevertheless glad to offer what sanctuary we may."

Trav responds with the Shao Lin, palm over fist salute. "Actually, I'm here to help against them. I'n an old friend of brother Zhu Rheng, I've come in response to his request. Please let him know that the Traveller has arrived. These are my companions, Dr Stanley Newston and Miss Amanda Khebares. If you have wounded or sick, Doctor Newton can help to treat them.  I also have food and other emergency supplies back on my ship."

Trav is trying to stay focussed, but she's fidgeting, nervous.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Stanley says, not even attempting to replicate Trav's greeting gesture for fear of getting it wrong. He is also trying not too stare too much at the alien, because even though he is used to how Amanda looks, a giant reptile thing was something different.

"Like Trav said, I'd be happy to help. I can imagine that all the refugees might have taken a toll on your resources."

The Terileptil returns Trav's salute... but he also bows to Stanley, when he repeats the gesture to him.  "Your kindness and your talents are appreciated, and I fear we do have need of them.  We have done the best we could for the injured that were brought here, but a trained doctor will be of great assistance."  He straightens.  "My name is Vosk.  Please, follow me."

Vosk sets off toward the main temple at a surprising pace.  Walking along the circumference of the rim is a deceptive experience: the eye tells Stanley that he's going up but the centrifugal force that anchors him to the ground is nearly (though not quite) perpendicular to his feet.

As they come closer to the buildings, Vosk is indicating one of the out-buildings, saying, "The injured are lodged here.  I am afraid our facilities and supplies are not the most modern that science has to offer...."  He leads Stanley inside, and Amanda follows.  About twenty people of various descriptions are lying here on cots: furred, scaled, insectile or human-like.  Although some of the anatomy is initially bewildering to Stanley, he recognizes splinted limbs, burn dressings, bandages.

(Amanda leans close and whispers, "Don't worry, Stanley, I can help.  I know my bug-eyed monsters, a bit."  She winks.)

While Trav is watching the two of them, she is distracted when she notices a carving over the lintel of the main temple.  The temple was here the last time she visited, back when she was Her, but the carving is new.  It looks like it might have been added with the help of a psi-sculptor, because even beyond the influence of the TARDIS she can tell that the words are trying to make themselves understood in a variety of tongues: Mandarin, English, Old Gallifreyan, even what might be Mechanoid machine code.

Trav looks up.

She smiles, as tears come down her eyes, unbidden.

"Oh, Zu, you didn't forget."

Stanley puts on a pair of medical gloves. "I'll manage, I have worked in hospitals without reliable electricity and even two or three where the roof leaked." he says smiling. "This is more than sufficient for most things. You did a good job."

"Anything in particular I should know about that species?" Stanley asks Amanda whilst looking at the patient in the first bed.

He walks up to the first patient and begins examining the alien. "Hello, I am Doctor Stanley Newton and I am going to do a quick examination.'

Amanda peers at the chitin-sheathed person.  "Um, if that bit happens to come off, it's not an injury; it just means she's molting.  And those'll be... spinnerets, if you were wondering."

If you want, you can roll an Ingenuity + Medicine and add your Empathy.  This is just for a feel of how well you do with the situation overall and how confident you help all the patients feel; the people here aren't in critical condition, although the work the monks have done can probably be improved upon.

"Young lady?"

Trav perks up at a familiar voice.

When she turns, she sees Zheng Ru approaching with the young monk that Vosk sent up ahead to the temple when he spotted her and her friends, before they'd introduced themselves.  Ru moves with more precision than she remembers; Trav guesses that he must have seen fifteen or twenty years since the last time they met, and he wasn't what you'd call young even then.  But he still looks lean and hale.

Ru's gaze sharpens, his eyes searching Trav's.  "Wait.  Surely-- surely you cannot be the Marshall?"  He starts to bow at the waist.

"Oh, Ru, sweety. The Marshall is gone. I mean, I'm still the same woman, but, I'm just the Traveller now. The Marshall's time is done. She lost. We all lost. Everyone lost." As hard as she tries to fight it, her eyes are welling up with tears. The Marshall always called him, for that brief time, Master Zheng. Only The Traveller ever called him sweety.

She clutches that same fedora hat - the hat she was religious about wearing when she was the Traveller that Ru met, the hat that was given to her by the Doctor, the hat that she absolutely refused to wear when she was the Marshall.

She smiles at him, and takes a big SNIFF. She chuckles nervously.

"Ru, it's *so good* to see you again." She wants to run to him, embrace him, beg and plead him for forgiveness. But all she can do is clutch her hat, and look at him nervously. Her eyes, containing centuries of grief, should explain everything.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:44, Wed 04 Dec 2013.

Zheng Ru sighs.  "Oh, Traveller, Traveller."  Despite the words and tone, his expression grows bright, and entirely unnoticed tears well in his eyes.

"It is never easy for you, is it?  More than most of us, you are always tempted to dwell in the past or the future, and to disregard the present moment.  I finally called you -- called who I thought you were -- because I had surrendered to despair and thought, at last, that war was the only open way.  And instead you come with hope that you don't even recognize."

Ru steps to Trav and pulls her into a gentle hug.  "It's all right, Trav.  It's all right.  You are not defined by what you have been or what you have done; you are exactly what you are right now."

Trav practically falls into his arms. and out comes an uncontrollable torrent of crying. "Oh Ru, I tried and I tried and I tried, but I killed them, I killed them all, I gave him the Moment, I begged and pleaded with Rassilon but he was going to kill EVERYTHING and we had to stop him and the war was killing everything.  I HAD TO STOP THEM, I HAD TO." She gently clutches his robes, staring into his eyes. "I had to,"

She steps away from him. "So." She pulls out a hanky. HONK. "A good few centuries of guilt. 'You will make your own punishment,' the Moment told me. A weapon with a conscience. I'm sorry about that, Ru. Heh. I'd be sneering at myself if I were younger and had red hair." She blows her nose again. "Oh, baby, you look great. It is *so good* to see you." As she finishes cleaning her face, she opines, "Yeah, I just broke down on you. But fuck it all, I've earned the right to occasionally be a wreck. Oh, I swear a lot more, Ru, I hope that doesn't bother you. But I will never, ever apologize for my emotions - not anymore. I spent 300 years as a tightass stone cold bitch, and I was miserable. But, BUT, let me show you this!"

She slips her arm into his. Out comes from her bag her billfold. Out comes the polaroids. "I met a guy! And had a family! And had kids!" She smiles like a niece showing off family photos to a family friend. "And I have some goodies for you from Sgt Patel. She's way sweet on you, you know."

She waves Stan and Amanda over, so she can introduce them.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:28, Wed 04 Dec 2013.

"I was indeed wondering."

With Amanda's help, Stanley quickly and methodically examines the patients. He changes a couple of dressings and does some other minor things, whilst being friendly to the patients.

When they have helped the last person, Stanley walks over to Trav, who was waving at them.

17:23, Wed 04 Dec 2013: Stanley Newton rolled 20 using 2d6+10 ((5,5)).
(Ingenuity 4 + Medicine 4 + Empathic 2)

This message was last edited by the player at 16:54, Wed 04 Dec 2013.

Trav is beaming, although her cheeks and eyes are red from all the crying. "Ru, this is Doctor Stanley Newton, from 2013. He's recently joined me. He's an awesome medical doctor and has that good heart I need to see things with. And this is Amanda Khebares, the daughter of the President of the United States in the 35th Century. She's also indescribably awesome, is a terrific biochemist and a hell of a shot. Stan, Mandy, this is Master Ru Zheng. He's a Shao Lin temple priest from 13th century China, he knew me back when I had black hair and a large butt. He put up with me for a number of years before I helped set him up here."

She texts back to the TARDIS - trundling out of the door is a line of scudders, carrying crates filled with food, medical supplies, and various equipment that Stanley or the Farhavians may need.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, mister Zheng." Stanley says. "Amanda and I just had a look at the patients. Your people did, and are doing, a good job helping out the refugees.  If you don't mind me asking, I thought I heard Trav say that you were from the 13th century. Why did you decide to live here, I mean live now? Live in this century?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:03, Wed 04 Dec 2013.