Excerpt: Sacrifices for Queen and Country (working title)

The TARDIS shuddered to a stop and Jacqueline grabbed the screen to look at. "So where are we?" she asked, staring at the Gallifreyan symbols.

"According to the sensors this is a planet called Kentucky Fried Planet," the Doctor said, reading over Jacqueline's shoulder.

"You have got to be kidding," Iana said. "This I have to see!!" she said, running to the doors. She opened them and gasped at the sight.

Outside the TARDIS, there were flocks of six-legged chickens with four wings apiece racing around at top speed and clucking loudly. Within two minutes, Iana saw at least four flocks of dozens of chickens race past the TARDIS.

"What is it?" Jacqueline asked, standing beside her. "Wow, look at that, less competition for the legs and wings!" she declared.

The Doctor came and stood between them. "Well, those chickens certainly are in a hurry. I wonder why?"

"I don't know…shall we find out?" Jacqueline asked, reaching over to grab her coat from the balustrade beside the railing.

Iana and the Doctor exchanged wary looks but then grabbed their own coats and followed Jacqueline out. Jacqueline had already selected a particularly large chicken from a flock hurrying past and jumped on its back, riding the chicken through the crowd of clucking birds. The Doctor picked another chicken in the same flock and jumped on board, following Jacqueline's bird. Iana sighed and took off at a run, vaulting onto a slower chicken's back.

"So, where are we going?" Iana shouted at Jacqueline as her bird caught up.

"I don't know!" Jacqueline replied. "That's half the fun!"

Suddenly the birds sped up and began to run twice as fast as before. The Doctor Iana looked over her shoulder and screamed.

"What is that???" she screeched.

Jacqueline looked to see a black shadowy creature flying above them, nearly blacking out the entire sky. It looked vaguely like a bird, but it was difficult to make out any features in the sea of black. It loomed overhead, scaring the multi-limbed chickens and causing them to run even faster than before. Then the black creature opened its mouth and let out the most earth-shaking, ear-shattering screech Jacqueline had ever heard.

"Think that thing eats chicken?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm willing to bet…I just hope it spits out wool," Jacqueline said as she noticed the creature seemed to be aiming for her as it swooped slowly lower and lower.

"Jacqueline!!" Iana screamed as the creature snatched Jacqueline and her mount up in its jaws and returned skyward.

The Doctor yanked on the neck of her chicken mount and managed to slow it down, which it was already beginning to do now that the black creature had flown away. Iana saw what the Doctor was doing and managed to achieve the same. They sat on their mounts, surrounded by a sea of still-moving chickens, and looked up at the sky where Jacqueline and the creature were now a tiny speck in the distance.