Author's Note:
In the story "The Myth Makers", the Doctor, Vicki and Steven arrived at the Trojan War, just in time to witness the death of Hector. At the end of the story Vicki decided to stay behind in ancient Greece, to be with Troilus. She adopted the name Cressida.

 In Shakespeare's play of the same name, the romance between Troilus and Cressida is an unhappy one, and ends with Cressida marrying someone else.

 But Shakespeare's play ended with the death of Hector.

 Clearly, there's some discontinuity between the two versions. Therefore, I'm declaring Shakespeare uncanonical, for the first (and probably only!) time in my life. (Bwahaha). On with the story!

 Chapter 1 - Greece is the Word
By Susannah Tiller

 All eyes were turned to the viewing screens, which covered an entire wall of the command station. Space Probe Seven had taken off half an hour ago, and now most of the technicians were monitoring it closely as it headed to deepest space.

 When the alarms started ringing, they caught more than a few people unawares. Frantically, people scrambled back to their seats, and began typing furiously.

 "I want a situation report. I repeat, Sitrep," called Major Bromley, commander of the expedition.

 A young technician glanced up from his console. "The probe's hit some kind of asteroidal debris, ma'am. It's been deflected off course."

 "But that's impossible," one of the astrographers said. "We surveyed the entire site before launch. Calm as the proverbial millpond."

 "Never mind that," snapped Bromley. She glanced around at her crew, and spotted one of the few civilians. "Herriot! Calculate a new velocity for us. We need to change the course. And I mean now."

 Zoe Herriot blinked a few times. "Okay, it's alpha 1101 by beta 2332. Decrease velocity by -"

 She broke off, and stared around the room. "Does anyone hear music?"

 "Yeah," Bromley snapped. "There's a crukking brass band here to serenade us. Now give us those adjustments now."

 "We're about to lose control of the probe," one of the techies said.

 "Herriot!" Bromley said, threateningly.

 "What? Oh, sure," Zoe said "Decrease the velocity by 2.7 kph. No, increase by 2.7."

 As she spoke, technicians were altering the course of the probe, making minute adjustments. On the screens, the probe continued in its present course for a few seconds, then it shifted.

 "All clear," shouted the radio operator. "She's made it beyond the Oort cloud, and is back under our control."

 The room was filled with cheers. Only Zoe did not join in the celebrations, but remained impassive at her desk.

 Bromley made her way through the crowd, and looked at Zoe. She noted the dark circles under the girl's eyes, and something compassionate crossed her face. "Trouble sleeping?"

 Zoe nodded.

 Bromley patted her on the shoulder. "You did well today, Herriot. But you look like something the cat dragged in. Go home and get some sleep."

 The Institute's logo depicted a hand superimposed over a stylised human head. Apparently it was meant to show some fundamental belief about the relationship between thinking and doing. Zoe wasn't sure. She'd never even heard of the institue until the day, three weeks ago, when one of their holograms had shown up in her inbox.

 "Healing the body is easy," the synthesised voice had said. "At the Delphi institute, we heal the mind. Stress, anxiety, sleeping problems..."

 After the twelfth sleepless night, Zoe had given in, and rung their number. Anything for a decent night's sleep.

 Inside, the Institute was decorated in pristine blue, supposed to make clients feel at ease.

 It didn't work. Zoe felt goosebumps dancing up and down her arms as she approached the robo-receptionist. "I have an appointment with Professor Rubenstein," she smiled.

 The machine clicked and buzzed a few times. "Follow me," it said, in synthesized human speech. It turned and glided down the hall. Zoe followed it.

 Professor Rubenstein was a Seren. Sometimes, her green-tinted skin and metallic wings reminded Zoe of a giant dragonfly. But not today. The Professor had folded her wings behind her, and was wearing a neat suit, that made her look more human.

 As Zoe walked into her office, the Professor switched off her vidphone and smiled at the girl.

 "Hello," she said. The robo-receptionist surveyed the scene for a few moments longer, then buzzed away.

 "Please, sit down."

 Zoe took a seat in front of the Professor's desk. Rubenstein smiled up at her. "Bad dreams again?"

 Zoe nodded. "The same dream. I see a man without a face, and hear some kind of music. Like a flute. And today -" she stared away for a few seconds. "- today I heard the music while I was awake. I'm scared I'm going crazy."

 Professor Rubenstein tut-tutted sympathetically. "Of course you're not crazy, my dear. As I explained to you last time, dreams are generated by a tiny part of the brain that has nothing better to do. Here at the Institute, we pride ourselves on being able to solve these sorts of problems. In your case, it will be quite simple."

 Zoe considered for a few moments. "Will it affect my memory? I have 98.76 % recall efficiency... but that's been going lately. last night I was trying to remember the general who fought at the battle of Amphipolis, but it just wasn't there."

 "His name was Brasidas," the Professor smiled. "And don't worry, the only after-effect is a good night's sleep. Your perfect recall will return, I'm sure of that."

 Zoe took a deep breath. "When can you do it?"

 "As soon as you're ready."

 She nodded.

 "It's our delta wave augmenter," the Professor smiled. "It will adjust your brain's rhythms, to blot out all those distracting dreams."

 "Will it hurt?" Zoe asked, a little nervously.

 The Professor laughed. "Of course not. Those who've undergone the procedure find it quite relaxing. I believe it feels like a walk in the country." She opened a door in the side of the egg. "In you go."

 Zoe climbed in nervously. There was a padded seat in the middle, and she sat down. "What do I do now?" she asked.

 "Just relax," Rubenstein said. "After I've shut the door, there's a computer program that should start automatically. Just relax, and watch the lights."

 And with that, she shut the door.

 Zoe sat back in the darkness, and relaxed. Had she heard the conversation going on outside, she might not have been so relaxed.

 The Professor walked over to someone who'd been standing in the shadows near a control panel, watching the procedure.

 "You lied," the observer said. He was male, and looked humanoid.

 The Professor smiled. "She believed me. They always do." She adjusted the controls.

 But Zoe heard none of this, and was unconcerned when a red dot appeared, and began to move around the inside of the egg. She watched as it spun around the enclosure, leaving a little red trail behind it. And then there was another red dot, and another and -

 Soon, Zoe Herriot fell into a deep - and dreamless - sleep.

 Troilus, her husband, would no doubt say that the dreams were a dire warning of doom and gloom ahead of them. But Cressida knew better. It was probably from overindulging at the Bacchanal the night before.

 She shifted on her couch a little, never quite managing to find a comfortable position. Some mornings she wished she was back, travelling through time and space with the Doctor - if only to get a comfortable sleeping mat. But then she would remember Troilus, and be glad that she'd stayed in ancient Greece.

 "Wow!" she said to herself. It still seemed a bit way out. Here she was, living in ancient Greece. She'd seen the Trojan War end, and now she and her husband had happily settled in Corinth.

 Groaning a little, Cressida got off her sleeping couch, and splashed some water on her face. She thought wistfully of the TARDIS bathroom, complete with a huge bath that she could sit in for hours and hours.

 But enough daydreaming.

 She went outside, carrying the pitcher of water with it. Cressida poured a little of it on the ground, and looked up into the sky.

 "I thank you, oh gods on Mount Olympus, for this wonderful day." (Silly, really, but Troilus insisted. At least their nearest neighbors were several miles away, so there'd be no-one to see her running round in her nightie.)

 "Thank you Cronos. Than you Zeus -"

 There was a groan from behind the olive grove. Abandoning her libation, Cressida ran to the grove of bushes to investigate.

 There was a dark-haired woman lying there, dressed in some kind of shiny suit. The Vicki part of Cressida recognised it as a something from the future - the time she was born in. Quickly, she splashed some of the lustral water over the woman, who blinked a few times, and opened her eyes.

 "Where am I?" she muttered.

 "Lie still now," Cressida fussed. "You're in my olive grove. Greece. Ancient Greece. And you're from the future, aren't you?"

 The woman looked around groggily. "Delphi? Professor Ruben-" She lapsed back into unconsciousness. Cressida looked despairingly at her - and then jumped when someone placed a hand on her shoulder.

 "What's happened?" Troilus asked.

 "This woman is sick," Cressida told her husband. "She needs healing. Can we bring her inside?"

 Troilus nodded, and scooped the woman up in his arms. "I do not like being out here for too long," he said, and began striding quickly back to the house. "Pericles says that the monsters have been seen again."

 Cressida sighed as she followed him. There was no such thing as monsters - at least, not in the traditional Greek sense. No angry demons, or men turned to animals by a vengeful god.

 But there were unexplained things out there. Strange creatures that had been seen with increasingly regularity. Only yesterday they'd taken Xanthippus' best donkey. The Corinthians were convinced that they were cursed.

 Vicki, with her futuristic knowledge, thought otherwise.

 Cressida turned up her nose, and rummaged around in a chest that lay at the foot of her sleeping couch. When she'd decided to stay in ancient Greece, she'd cobbled together a first-aid kit from the TARDIS' supplies. Just in case.

 Now she removed a small phial, and gently placed it to the woman's lips. A few drops of liquid moistened the woman's lips, and she began coughing.

 When the fit was over, she smiled up at Cressida. "Thanks. Now please, tell me I'm dreaming."

 Cressida shook her head. "Sorry, but this isn't a dream. I know this might come as a shock to you, but I think you've traveled back in time, to ancient Greece."

 "Greece." The woman sounded thoughtful. "Which period? Hellenic? Bronze age? Dark age?"

 "Troy fell five years ago," Cressida. "That was when I arrived."

 The woman looked puzzled. "What do you mean, arrived? And while we're at it, why are you so calm. I thought you'd be worshipping me as a goddess, or something."

 Vicki laughed, and shook her head. "Don't be silly I'm a time traveler. I'm from far in the future." A thought struck her. "Say, you don't happen to know someone called the Doctor, do you?"

 The woman shook her head. "Doctor who?"

 "Never mind," Vicki said. "I'm Cressida... or Vicki, if you like."

 She held out her hand. The other woman clasped it, and shook it firmly. "Zoe Herriot."

 "I've been having bad dreams for months," Zoe said, munching on a piece of home-cooked bread. "So I went to a place called the Delphi Institute."

 "Did you say Delphi?" Vicki said.

 Zoe nodded. "Why? Does the name mean something to you?"

 "But of course," Troilus said. "Delphi is one of our most sacred sites, home to the Priestess of the god Apollo."

 Vicki giggled. "It's a sight! She goes into some kind of weird trance, and recites some mumbo jumbo."

 Troilus frowned at this disrespect, but Zoe looked thoughtful. "I'd forgotten about the oracle until you mentioned her to me. I guess I'm still a bit groggy from... whatever it was that brought me here. "Say, do you think there's some kind of connection between my Delphi and yours?" Vicki asked.

 Zoe shrugged. "Seems like a bit of a coincidence, otherwise."

 "There's only one way to find out," Cressida said. She turned to Troilus, and put on an appealing look. "Please, may we go and consult the Oracle at Delphi?"

 Troilus frowned. "Do you think it's safe, with the monsters around?"

 "There's no such thing as monster," Vicki smiled. "Please? Pleasepleasepleaseplease?"

 He sighed. "All right. You may go. But I'm coming with you."

 Zoe was feeling very uncomfortable. Riding was quite a new sensation, and goddess, it was uncomfortable! It didn't help that she kept falling off.

 She gingerly rubbed her lower back, wincing at the ache in her kidneys. the pain was real, no doubt about that. (Ouch!). Which meant that no, it wasn't a dream, or part of the professor's treatment. And yes, she really had stumbled back into ancient Greece.

 To cheer herself up, she began thinking what she'd say to Professor Rubenstein when she got back to the Institute. She'd gotten as far as invoking the International Ethics Committee and the Guild, when the mule stopped abruptly.

 She drifted back to reality. Vicki was holding the mule's rope, while ahead of them on the trail, Troilus was kneeling over several crumpled figures.

 "What is it?" Vicki called out.

 "Keep back," he shouted. He continued examining the figures. Finally, he got up, and walked back towards them, wiping his hands on his chiton. He left behind reddish smears.

 "Tell me, please," Cressida said.

 "Oxen," he said. "They've bled to death - looks like claw marks. It's the work of demons."

 He took the bridle from Cressida, and began to turn the mule around. "We're going home," he said. "It's not safe to roam while there are foul creatures about."

 As they turned, there was some kind of rustling in the bushes. A figure emerged. Zoe only caught a glimpse of wild tangled hair, and razor sharp teeth, before Troilus was pulling her from the mule and pushing her away.

 "That's Medusa," he cried, over the mule's braying, and some kind of hissing. "Don't look into her eyes or you'll turn to stone."

 "Too late," rasped the figure, in a hideous, gravelly voice. "Too late."

 With a hand on her forehead shielding her from the creature's gaze, Zoe glanced around. Vicki was unmoving. Her skin had a grayish tinge.

 "She's turned to stone!" Troilus exclaimed.

 TO BE CONTINUED