You will probably want to read the Introduction before you start.
Prologue
The Doctor stared again at the coordinates on his vortex manipulator, wondering why he was being led to Victorian London. It was a location he recognised from his many visits, but it was not where he expected. The TARDIS, he sensed, was far across the universe. Yet there it was – that same red lettering which had brought him to Dalek Space.
“Are you sure she sent it?”
“Yes…” The Doctor chewed some gum pensively; an old trick Autumn Rivers had taught him to keep himself awake. “I’m just trying to figure out why.” He snapped out of his trance, looking back at Robin. “Are you sure you want to come?”
“Will I be safe?” Robin asked, sitting down opposite the Doctor at her dining room table.
“Of course you will. She only wants me.”
“Well, there we go.” Robin smiled faintly. “God knows why, but you said you need me. I couldn’t refuse an offer for help.”
“I need you, because…” The Doctor spat the gum out into a tissue and threw it discreetly into the bin. “Because I need to know what it’s like to hate me.”
“What you need is a rest,” insisted Robin. “We’ve been over all this already.”
“I’m not resting until she’s safe,” decided the Doctor, as resolutely as a tired man could, and adjusted his vortex manipulator strap.
“Well then,” said Robin, getting up and putting on her jacket. “We’d better make a move, hadn’t we?”
Victorian London
Inspector Gregson paced strolled briskly along the Embankment. Autumn had settled in, and all the leaves were piled on the ground, save those which had blown off into the Thames. Big Ben signalled evening’s end, and the sky was turning an orangey-red; shepherd’s delight.
“Madame Vastra,” he said, addressing the veiled detective who stood looking curiously out towards parliament, casually awaiting his arrival. “There’s someone here to see you.”
The Doctor followed on, offering Vastra a handshake and briefly introducing Robin.
“Doctor,” she said, surprised. “How unexpected. What can I do for you?”
“I’m not exactly sure. I got coordinates sending me here.” He gestured to his vortex manipulator. “I don’t suppose you’ve bumped into anyone called Autumn? Autumn Rivers, she’s average height, blonde, beautiful… dressed out of her time. She should be here…”
“The name isn’t ringing any bells. Why were you expecting her to come to me?”
“I assumed the message was from her. Maybe it is. Maybe she’s led me here…” The Doctor pivoted on the spot, trying to work something out from his surroundings. His vortex manipulator blipped, startling him. A new message.
Cooper.
“Cooper…” read the Doctor.
“I’m sorry?”
“Does that name mean something to you?”
“By Goddess, yes!” Vastra was evidently stirred. “Charles Cooper. I’ve been trying to solve his murder for the past week – have I not?” She signalled to Inspector Gregson, who nodded in confirmation. “He was found here by his friend, an accomplished man renowned for his studies of the human mind. We eliminated him from our enquiries straight away due to his alibi, but at present he is the only witness we have.”
“Interesting…”
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
“How so?”
“Well, look at it.” The Doctor showed Robin the message on his vortex manipulator, as if she needed evidence.
“So?” Robin was puzzled. “She knows about the murder, big deal. You said she was good at that stuff.”
“Exactly! She’s getting me to solve this murder. She’s sent me a clue. I don’t know why, or what she wants… but maybe solving the murder is key to this. Okay, let me think.” He raised his index fingers to his temples, focusing. “We arrived here. Why here?”
“She was here. The detective, the, um-“
“Madame Vastra,” interjected Vastra. “And your companion has a point. Where else?”
“I think perhaps the question we should be asking is when else,” murmured the Doctor, turning to Vastra.
“I’m… not following,” admitted Robin.
“Vastra has been solving this murder for the past week. Autumn had a whole week to choose from but she put me here today. What’s significant about today? Vastra, any breakthroughs?”
“On the contrary! We’re more lost than ever.”
“Okay, again, interesting. Is this the first time you’ve been out by the Thames for the duration of the case?”
“It’s the first time in a couple of months, I think. I’ve been… preoccupied.”
“We had her on a case just outside the city before this week,” clarified Gregson.
“The last time you were here?”
“August,” answered Vastra.
“And now we’re well into Autumn…” The Doctor froze. “Ah.”
“Autumn. That was your friend’s name.”
“It was. It’s Autumn, by the River Thames. Autumn Rivers.”
“Very clever,” started Robin, “but she’s just spelt out her name. How does that help with the case?”
“The friend,” urged the Doctor. “What did you say he did?”
“He’s a brain scientist.”
“The same profession as Autumn - well, relative, for Victorian times - and she’s put us here and told us her name on purpose. Conclusion: the friend is your killer.”
“He can’t be! The alibi-“
“I’m sorry,” interrupted the Doctor, “but I don’t have time. You’ll have to look into it. I’ve just solved it. That must be what she wants…” He outstretched his arms and looked to the sky. “Hello?!” he called out. “Autumn! I’ve solved it!”
Gregson wobbled awkwardly on the spot. Vastra and Robin shared a baffled moment.
Then the Doctor’s vortex manipulator returned to life with another message.
“I think I’ve got a reply,” said the Doctor, lowering his voice. “Psychic association maybe – it can tell when I’ve solved the puzzle…”
“So, what is it?” asked Robin.
“More coordinates.” The Doctor smiled very, very darkly; the kind of smile that said he'd worked out something terribly bad that also happened to be ingenious to a standard he could admire. “We solve the puzzle and move to the next level – but I think this might take a while.” He held out his hand. “We’ve started playing the longest game of our lives.”
“Are you sure she sent it?”
“Yes…” The Doctor chewed some gum pensively; an old trick Autumn Rivers had taught him to keep himself awake. “I’m just trying to figure out why.” He snapped out of his trance, looking back at Robin. “Are you sure you want to come?”
“Will I be safe?” Robin asked, sitting down opposite the Doctor at her dining room table.
“Of course you will. She only wants me.”
“Well, there we go.” Robin smiled faintly. “God knows why, but you said you need me. I couldn’t refuse an offer for help.”
“I need you, because…” The Doctor spat the gum out into a tissue and threw it discreetly into the bin. “Because I need to know what it’s like to hate me.”
“What you need is a rest,” insisted Robin. “We’ve been over all this already.”
“I’m not resting until she’s safe,” decided the Doctor, as resolutely as a tired man could, and adjusted his vortex manipulator strap.
“Well then,” said Robin, getting up and putting on her jacket. “We’d better make a move, hadn’t we?”
Victorian London
Inspector Gregson paced strolled briskly along the Embankment. Autumn had settled in, and all the leaves were piled on the ground, save those which had blown off into the Thames. Big Ben signalled evening’s end, and the sky was turning an orangey-red; shepherd’s delight.
“Madame Vastra,” he said, addressing the veiled detective who stood looking curiously out towards parliament, casually awaiting his arrival. “There’s someone here to see you.”
The Doctor followed on, offering Vastra a handshake and briefly introducing Robin.
“Doctor,” she said, surprised. “How unexpected. What can I do for you?”
“I’m not exactly sure. I got coordinates sending me here.” He gestured to his vortex manipulator. “I don’t suppose you’ve bumped into anyone called Autumn? Autumn Rivers, she’s average height, blonde, beautiful… dressed out of her time. She should be here…”
“The name isn’t ringing any bells. Why were you expecting her to come to me?”
“I assumed the message was from her. Maybe it is. Maybe she’s led me here…” The Doctor pivoted on the spot, trying to work something out from his surroundings. His vortex manipulator blipped, startling him. A new message.
Cooper.
“Cooper…” read the Doctor.
“I’m sorry?”
“Does that name mean something to you?”
“By Goddess, yes!” Vastra was evidently stirred. “Charles Cooper. I’ve been trying to solve his murder for the past week – have I not?” She signalled to Inspector Gregson, who nodded in confirmation. “He was found here by his friend, an accomplished man renowned for his studies of the human mind. We eliminated him from our enquiries straight away due to his alibi, but at present he is the only witness we have.”
“Interesting…”
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
“How so?”
“Well, look at it.” The Doctor showed Robin the message on his vortex manipulator, as if she needed evidence.
“So?” Robin was puzzled. “She knows about the murder, big deal. You said she was good at that stuff.”
“Exactly! She’s getting me to solve this murder. She’s sent me a clue. I don’t know why, or what she wants… but maybe solving the murder is key to this. Okay, let me think.” He raised his index fingers to his temples, focusing. “We arrived here. Why here?”
“She was here. The detective, the, um-“
“Madame Vastra,” interjected Vastra. “And your companion has a point. Where else?”
“I think perhaps the question we should be asking is when else,” murmured the Doctor, turning to Vastra.
“I’m… not following,” admitted Robin.
“Vastra has been solving this murder for the past week. Autumn had a whole week to choose from but she put me here today. What’s significant about today? Vastra, any breakthroughs?”
“On the contrary! We’re more lost than ever.”
“Okay, again, interesting. Is this the first time you’ve been out by the Thames for the duration of the case?”
“It’s the first time in a couple of months, I think. I’ve been… preoccupied.”
“We had her on a case just outside the city before this week,” clarified Gregson.
“The last time you were here?”
“August,” answered Vastra.
“And now we’re well into Autumn…” The Doctor froze. “Ah.”
“Autumn. That was your friend’s name.”
“It was. It’s Autumn, by the River Thames. Autumn Rivers.”
“Very clever,” started Robin, “but she’s just spelt out her name. How does that help with the case?”
“The friend,” urged the Doctor. “What did you say he did?”
“He’s a brain scientist.”
“The same profession as Autumn - well, relative, for Victorian times - and she’s put us here and told us her name on purpose. Conclusion: the friend is your killer.”
“He can’t be! The alibi-“
“I’m sorry,” interrupted the Doctor, “but I don’t have time. You’ll have to look into it. I’ve just solved it. That must be what she wants…” He outstretched his arms and looked to the sky. “Hello?!” he called out. “Autumn! I’ve solved it!”
Gregson wobbled awkwardly on the spot. Vastra and Robin shared a baffled moment.
Then the Doctor’s vortex manipulator returned to life with another message.
“I think I’ve got a reply,” said the Doctor, lowering his voice. “Psychic association maybe – it can tell when I’ve solved the puzzle…”
“So, what is it?” asked Robin.
“More coordinates.” The Doctor smiled very, very darkly; the kind of smile that said he'd worked out something terribly bad that also happened to be ingenious to a standard he could admire. “We solve the puzzle and move to the next level – but I think this might take a while.” He held out his hand. “We’ve started playing the longest game of our lives.”
DWTV Anniversary Special
Shattered Time
Written by:
The Genie
Peter Darwin
and Dr. W fan
The Doctor and Robin shot out onto cold parched grass.
“Time travel out of a capsule – it can get a bit jumpy at times” The Doctor smirked while helping Robin get on her feet. All she could do was nod in response, trying to catch her breath.
The Doctor took out his sonic and played with it, trying to ascertain their surroundings.
“So where are we?” Robin asked breaking the silence.
“Well, it looks like a forest, and it is empty - no known life-forms detected.” The Doctor informed her, his expression quizzical. “And I hate empty forests, they are usually deadly. Come on Robin, let’s get out of here.” The Doctor continued as he began walking in a random direction, cautiously holding the sonic firmly in front of him.
Robin followed, carefully going over everything he had said in her mind. “Doctor, why did you say it looks like a forest?” Robin finally enquired.
The Doctor spun on his toes to face her, with a look of admiration. “Good, you are paying attention. I like it when people do that. Because, Robin it is not. Look at the sky,” he said pointing his sonic towards the sky and then he spun round again and carried on.
Robin looked, trying hard to find any irregularities. “There are no stars, it’s pitch black -” She said finally. “- then where is the light coming from?” She added.
“It’s a ceiling, Robin. Everything here is artificial,” the Doctor said still fumbling with his sonic. “Now if I can just find the projection unit –” Everything around them flickered for a few moments and then the forest disappeared leaving the Doctor and Robin standing in the corner of a small brightly lit square room. It was completely empty and there was door on the opposite side. “Primitive spatial folding – you can fit a whole forest in a room” the Doctor informed her.
Robin smiled in response. She could see the look of amusement on his face. He was clearly enjoying this. The Doctor took her hand and gestured to come along. He soniced the door and it opened with a faint sliding noise.
As soon as they were out the door, the alarms went off.
They found themselves standing in a long hallway lined with doors on either side, just like the one they had come out of. The Doctor looked at the doors, each numbered but in no particular order – random - and then he looked at their door.
ZERO, written in thick black.
“Doctor, what’s happening? Why the alarms? And where are –”
All of a sudden the atmosphere was shaken by a loud mechanical voice, roaring mercilessly at their ears.
Attention! Prisoner Zero has left their cell. Prisoner Zero is requested to return to their cell, or the prison will be self-destruct in 20 minutes. Repeat: Prisoner Zero is requested to …
“Doctor! I think we are Prisoner Zero.” Robin said with a tone of worry.
“Of course! This is a prison ship! They must be moving the prisoners.” The Doctor thought out loud. He took out his sonic and used it on door no. zero. For a moment it felt as if it had worked, but then the door sent sparks and green light on the door turned to red. “No, no…no no no, I tried to trick the system into thinking that everything was alright but there are too many protocols and software is glitchy. Now it’s locked us out and the door’s dead locked.”
“Doctor –” Robin said putting a hand on his shoulder, “- just how glitchy is the software?” She continued, pointing to a door nearby that had gone from flaunting a red light to a green one. Both of them observed as the same thing happened to several others, rendering them unlocked.
“Run…Robin, RUN!” the Doctor caught hold of her arm and pulled her into dash along the maze of hallways, as they continued to observe several other doors unlock. “We need to find the control station; I think I can manually disable the detonation from there.”
“And we need to find it fast, we don’t have much time.” The Doctor said glancing at her watch and then looking at the maze of hallways that greeted them just ahead.
17 minutes.
“Don’t worry Robin. I still have the vortex manipulator. I won’t let anything happen to you.” The Doctor said to her reassuringly. “There has to be a helping station here somewhere. Maybe we can find the map –” The Doctor stopped running all of a sudden as a shiver went through his spine.
“What? What happened?” Robin asked him, a tinge of curiosity and worry in her tone. She kept on checking the hallways, just to make sure that no other prisoner was chasing them. Finally, she looked at the Doctor; his eyes were closed in concentration. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but he looked worried as it was, so she dropped the idea. She trusted him, and that was all that mattered right now.
And then she saw it. A prison door opened at the far end of the hall and somebody came out. The prisoner was dressed in a dark crimson robe covering the entire body and a large hood covering the face. She turned to alert the Doctor but he was already watching, blood draining away from his face.
“What is it Doctor? What happened?” She asked him again worryingly.
“That prisoner –” He pointed to the red-robed man, who was now facing them and probably gauging them. “- is a Time Lord.” He had instinctively raised his sonic, as if arming himself in self-defence.
Attention! Prisoner 1176 has left their cell. Prisoner 1176 is requested to return to their cell, or the prison will be self-destruct in 15 minutes. Repeat: Prisoner 1176 is requested to …
The hooded man raised his right hand mirroring the Doctor, but he held no sonic. Just black leather gloves. The Vortex Manipulator on the Doctor hand gave a few bleeps and switched on instantaneously.
“Doctor! What did he do?”
The Doctor examined the device, sonicing it but it was to no avail. The device was malfunctioning. The coordinates were stuck. They were trapped, with another Time Lord and possibly various other dangerous criminals. And there was not enough time. A storm of thoughts was triggered in the Doctor’s mind, making him more anxious by the second.
What did Autumn want from him? What did he need to do to get the next co-ordinates? Or was this it? Was she in one of the cells, trapped? But the thought that troubled him the most was the identity of this other Time Lord. His dressing sense pointed to only one possibility - The Master.
Robin shook the Doctor out of the trance. “Doctor! You need to do something. We don’t have much time.” She said, her voice shaking with fear.
And then she did the unthinkable. She ran towards the other Time Lord, who was already running, disappearing into the mess of hallways.
14 minutes.
The Doctor jolted towards her.
“Robin! No, don’t. He can be dangerous.” He called after her, trying to stop her but she continued running.
They found the other Time Lord about two minutes later, operating a display at the opposite corner of a hallway. The Doctor fastened his pace to grab Robin by her shoulders, in an attempt to stop her, causing both of them to tumble on the floor. They stopped a few meters away from the other Time Lord, who upon noticing them darted for a nearby hallway expeditiously.
The Doctor raised himself and then helped Robin do the same before bellowing “Are you out of you mind? Do you even know how dangerous that stunt was? He could have killed you, or God knows, any other prisoner who might have escaped.”
In response she punched him in the arm. “Don’t shout at me. I only did that because you were busy daydreaming and we didn’t have enough time.” She retorted back. “I had a hunch that he knew the way out so I took a chance! ” Her glance immediately fell to her watch.
10 Minutes.
The Doctor followed her gaze. “I’m sorry.” He replied softly, disappointment evident in his voice. Immediately his eyes fixed onto the display still hanging in the corner of the hall. He lurched towards it, dragging Robin behind with him.
He analysed the contents on screen. Opened in front of him was a log of all the convicts, their entire biography, their crimes, their sentences. He soniced the screen to open the file on Prisoner 1176 but there were none found. That’s what the hooded man had been doing – wiping his records.
But why? Did he know who the Doctor was? Why would the Time Lord hide himself? He had felt the hooded man the first time, when he had come out of his prison. He knew that person. He had felt the darkness in his heart. What had the man done to his Vortex –
The Doctor’s thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected voice coming from the display. Robin moved forward to watch the video that had started playing on the screen.
Welcome to Rekhom Penitentiary. Our facility holds the answers to all your worries. Guarded by the Judoon and the Atraxi guards, this prison ship is laced with quantum secure caging and tortur--
The Doctor fast forwarded the video because there wasn’t much time.
—in compliance with Article 21 of the Shadow Proclamati—holds some of the most vicious criminals in our galaxy.
The words were followed by a montage of clips showing several people dying, children screaming and being killed, women being tortured in labour camps, planets burning - all the horrendous atrocities the prisoners here had committed.
Robin couldn’t watch it anymore; her heart was beating loudly in her chest but all she could feel was dread and disgust. She averted her gaze, falling into a mess of tears. Eventually, her eyes fell on the Doctor who had now switched off the video and was busy sonicing the information out of the display, his face showing the anger he felt inside. She knew what he was thinking.
“Doctor, you can’t.”
The Doctor took a deep breath before addressing her.
“Why not?” he said quietly.
“Because, I won’t let you. Because, then what would be the difference.” Her voice hollow yet firm.
“Robin, they don’t deserve mercy. All we need to do is safely get out.”
“And who are you to decide what they deserve or don’t deserve? Doctor, they are already in a prison. Don’t play God!” She urged him.
“If they find us here, the first thing they’ll do is kill us. I don’t care for killers.”
“You can’t let these people die because of an assumption. It’s our fault the ship is about to explode. Doctor, you have to stop it. You have to save these people. Please.”
“No. I won’t.” He yelled back at her before ripping the display out of the wall sending it ricocheting along the hallway.
She was completely taken aback by his fury. Her thoughts went back to the Christmas he has crashed into her house. He had changed so much since then. Maybe, it was because of his time with Autumn or it was because of the Dalek Camp, but he had changed, for the worse. He had been an idiot at times but never cruel, and in that moment she really hated them all, the Daleks, the Doctor and most of all Autumn.
“You don’t need to find her you know. She is like the rest of these criminals. Autumn. She doesn’t deserve saving.” Robin said sharply, wiping the tears off her cheeks, making sure the words hurt him.
The Doctor looked at Robin puzzled, unable to respond. He remained quiet for what seemed like an eternity, lost in his thoughts.
“This is why I don’t travel alone; there are things I am not good at. I forget. Thank you, Robin. Thank you.” He said softly, smiling, before cupping her face and kissing her forehead. “Thank you for being you.”
“So you are going to save them?” Robin tried to smile, still amazed how easily he had switched.
“I’ll try.” The Doctor answered honestly. “Right then, I’ve checked the prison schematics. This is the carrier vessel – sort of where they keep the prisoners. It’s currently drifting at the outskirts of the Poshe-Ecstatic nebula. The main control station is separate and is in orbit around this vessel, doing occasional repairs when necessary. The only way to get on that is through the teleport decks to the right of this hallway. It’ll take us about 3 minutes to get there. On the other hand there is a secondary control station – Sec – on this ship as well, to the left of this hallway.” The Doctor gestured to the left with his sonic. “It’ll take us about 2 minutes to get there. There is a chance that I could cancel the detonation from Sec as well but it’s a gamble. So what do you say? Your choice Robin Moon.”
There wasn’t any more time to waste. She checked her watch.
7 minutes.
“Okay, Sec it is.” She said, simultaneously grabbing his hand and making a dash for it. “Doctor, lead!”
He obeyed obediently. Both of them continued running, as the Doctor lead her through an array of hallways taking obscure turns every other second. She was starting to feel a bit dizzy.
“Doctor, why did you say he? Do you know who the other Time Lord is?” Robin asked, hoping for an honest answer.
“Maybe, but I am not sure yet. There are too many Time Lords I know, Omega , Morbius. Could be any one; all I know is that he feels familiar.” The Doctor said between heavy breaths. “Maybe he is family.” He added hesitantly.
“Doctor, there’s one more thing that’s been bugging me.”
“I know.” The Doctor said coming to an abrupt stop in front of a big door. His hands on his knees, gasping for breath. “Why haven’t we seen any other prisoners?”
“Yes, why?” asked Robin, leaning against a wall, panting likewise.
“I don’t know and I hate not knowing.” The Doctor replied, his mind racing and considering all possibilities.
5 minutes.
The Doctor soniced the door and it opened with load thud, but before he could proceed, he heard Robin shriek. There on the other side of the hallway was the hooded man, this time holding a disintegrator gun, pointing straight at Robin.
“Stop.” The Doctor snarled the other Time Lord. “Robin, remain calm. Trust me, I won’t let anything happen to you.” He added. “What do you want? Tell me, come on. Fast – we don’t have much time.” The Doctor continued, trying to remain in control.
The hooded man quickly walked towards the Doctor, who was now holding his hands above his head as a sign of good will.
“Robin, don’t move. I can deal with this. Just stay calm!”
That was when the man gave the Doctor a good smack on his head using the handle of the gun, causing him to fall down and cry out in pain. The man then proceeded to snatch the sonic out of his hand and entered the Sec, carefully closing it behind him and leaving Robin to attend to the Doctor.
“Doctor, are you alright?” Robin asked, concerned.
“Run.” The word came out muffled, as the Doctor tried his very best to get back onto his feet, as fast as possible.
“What?” Robin said, startled.
“Run, Robin RUN! RUN! RUN!” The Doctor finally shouted grabbing her by the arm and again pulling her into a dash across the hallways, both high on adrenaline from the recent turn of events. “Run Robin, We need to get to the teleport deck, we haven’t got much time.” He clamored.
“Oh why does there have to be so much running!” He heard Robin complain at his shoulder.
“Love the running!” He said in a playful way, but his mind still fixed on the fact that the hooded man had reeked of rotten flesh. Was the man really the Master?
2 minutes.
When they finally reached the teleport deck, the Doctor ran towards teleport controls, while Robin gazed at the linear arrangement of large eyeball like spaceships that lined the deck, and observed the small spherical orb that could be seen from the glass roof of the deck. The main control station.
“No, no no. You stupid machine.” The Doctor yelled at the controls before slamming his fist at the screen and turning around to face Robin. “The teleports need an authorization code; I need time to crack it; even with my sonic it would take at least 5 minutes - and we just don’t have any time. I am sorry.”
Robin could see the defeat on his face, his shoulders slumped, he had failed and right now he was standing under the burden of letting her and Autumn down, but she was as helpless as he was. All she could do now was comfort him.
“Whatever happens, happens Doctor! You don’t need to be sorry. If only you could see the light in you instead of the darkness.” And then she hugged him into a tight grip.
1 minute.
The Doctor swayed with her for a few seconds and then something hit him.
“What did you say?” He loosened the grip and pulled apart.
“Doctor?” Robin said confused by the smile on his face.
“Oh! Robin you are brilliant. Absolutely 100% brilliant.” He said with a big grin on his face.
“What have I done?” Robin asked, still puzzled by his sudden change of mood.
“Saved us,” he said pointing to his vortex , manipulator and then pressed the button, disappearing in front of Robin eyes, leaving her alone on the vessel to die, or so she thought.
30 seconds.
Robin couldn’t believe her eyes. What had just happened? She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. If this was her destiny then she would accept it. There was no point in being sad now, in the final few precious moments of her life. And then she felt a hand on her shoulder…and turned around in a jerk.
It was the other Time Lord.
15 seconds.
“Who are you? What do you want?” Robin shouted at him, but he just grabbed her arm with one hand and pointed the sonic at the teleport control with the other. The teleports activated, giving off a light green beam of light at their circumference.
10 seconds.
He pulled her toward the teleports, but she protested, trying to get away from him and his putrid stench. And in one swift motion she pulled off his hood… and witnessed the impossible.
“Doctor?”
5 seconds.
Still perplexed, she loosened her body and followed him inside the teleports only to meet with a sweet and simple word in response before they were teleported off the prison ship just one second before it blinked out of existence in a controlled implosion.
The word was – Gotcha!
***
“What?”
“I said Gotcha!”
“No but how? How could you be the other Time Lord?”
“Keep up!” He pointed to his Vortex Manipulator. “Time traveller. The Judoon and the Atraxi are one of the thickest races out there. They built a prison that jammed any outgoing teleportation, but allowed it internally.”
“But I saw you disable the Doctor’s – your – manipulator when you came out of the cell. You did it.”
“Oh no! I didn’t do anything, it was just something I remembered the other Doctor doing; you know when I saw him. The vortex manipulator in my hand automatically synchronized with itself, probably because of the temporal energy. Same vortex manipulator at different points in its own time stream; The space time coordinates synched for the sake of maintaining dimensional harmony, fixing them, like resonance.”
“But isn’t that a paradox? It’s like what came first, chicken or the egg?”
“Don’t be daft, it isn’t a paradox, it’s luck.”
“But then why didn’t you tell us who you were?” Robin asked him curiously. He just smiled at her, as though nudging her to think for herself. “Because…that would disrupt the timeline” She waited for his approval.
“Exactly!” he smiled. “Because that’s what happens and what will continue to happen, I cannot change my own personal history.”
She smiled but her smile faded as she remembered something. “Doctor, we couldn’t save the prisoners.”
“No, we couldn’t -” He replied in a soft voice, the cheeriness fading from his voice as well. “- because there were none to be saved.” He added in the same grim tone. “When I teleported back to Prison 1176, I found an old decaying corpse, I took its clothes – hence the smell – and waited for the Doctor to mess up. When my door unlocked, my first priority was to delete the records for Prisoner 1176 so that the Doctor wouldn’t find out about the real prisoner, and then I came to the deck to crack the authorization code. I eventually found out that there was one extra step needed which was to lock the outgoing coordinates but that again needed authorization from the Sec. I found an empty incinerator gun on the deck and then kind of figured out what needed to be done. I ran towards the Sec and found you two, knocked the Doctor on the head and entered the Sec. I locked the outgoing coordinates and copied the protocols into the sonic. Then I tried to disable the detonation but it failed. So the final thing I did was to run a scan for life forms aboard this ship.”
“And?” asked Robin curiously?
“They all died Robin. The Atraxi abandoned the prison in the middle of nowhere about two hundred years ago, to drift at edge of the universe. It was an automated system and there was no way of escape, not enough time, except if you –” The Doctor stopped mid-sentence.
“- except if you could time travel.” Robin completed the sentence for him.
“They all perished about fifty years ago. No other prisoner escaped because no other prisoner was alive.” He added, his eyes fixed to the ground.
Robin felt sad and the Doctor knew. She was too kind. She had reminded him of who he was when she had fought for the prisoners, of the kindness in his heart, kindness he often chose to forget because it felt pointless in the face of reality.
“I can’t believe you hit yourself.” Robin said finally breaking the ice and shaking him out of his thoughts.
“Yeah, got a bit carried away there,” he said, rubbing the side of his head. “Hurts like hell.”
Robin laughed. “So what do we do now?”
They were standing inside the main control room. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the computer. The main screen lit up with the display of fireworks and two words slowly transitioned into view on screen.
GOOD JOB!
The Doctor felt a sudden rush of anger at those words, and for the first and only time, anger at Autumn. Why was she doing this?
His vortex manipulator beeped as it received the new space time co-ordinates. “Well we can’t go anywhere but forwards, Robin Moon. Care to join me?” He gave her his hand.
Robin took a long sigh before taking his hand. “I don’t think I have anywhere else to be.” She beamed back at him, and then the Doctor pressed enter and they were sucked into the time vortex once more.
“Time travel out of a capsule – it can get a bit jumpy at times” The Doctor smirked while helping Robin get on her feet. All she could do was nod in response, trying to catch her breath.
The Doctor took out his sonic and played with it, trying to ascertain their surroundings.
“So where are we?” Robin asked breaking the silence.
“Well, it looks like a forest, and it is empty - no known life-forms detected.” The Doctor informed her, his expression quizzical. “And I hate empty forests, they are usually deadly. Come on Robin, let’s get out of here.” The Doctor continued as he began walking in a random direction, cautiously holding the sonic firmly in front of him.
Robin followed, carefully going over everything he had said in her mind. “Doctor, why did you say it looks like a forest?” Robin finally enquired.
The Doctor spun on his toes to face her, with a look of admiration. “Good, you are paying attention. I like it when people do that. Because, Robin it is not. Look at the sky,” he said pointing his sonic towards the sky and then he spun round again and carried on.
Robin looked, trying hard to find any irregularities. “There are no stars, it’s pitch black -” She said finally. “- then where is the light coming from?” She added.
“It’s a ceiling, Robin. Everything here is artificial,” the Doctor said still fumbling with his sonic. “Now if I can just find the projection unit –” Everything around them flickered for a few moments and then the forest disappeared leaving the Doctor and Robin standing in the corner of a small brightly lit square room. It was completely empty and there was door on the opposite side. “Primitive spatial folding – you can fit a whole forest in a room” the Doctor informed her.
Robin smiled in response. She could see the look of amusement on his face. He was clearly enjoying this. The Doctor took her hand and gestured to come along. He soniced the door and it opened with a faint sliding noise.
As soon as they were out the door, the alarms went off.
They found themselves standing in a long hallway lined with doors on either side, just like the one they had come out of. The Doctor looked at the doors, each numbered but in no particular order – random - and then he looked at their door.
ZERO, written in thick black.
“Doctor, what’s happening? Why the alarms? And where are –”
All of a sudden the atmosphere was shaken by a loud mechanical voice, roaring mercilessly at their ears.
Attention! Prisoner Zero has left their cell. Prisoner Zero is requested to return to their cell, or the prison will be self-destruct in 20 minutes. Repeat: Prisoner Zero is requested to …
“Doctor! I think we are Prisoner Zero.” Robin said with a tone of worry.
“Of course! This is a prison ship! They must be moving the prisoners.” The Doctor thought out loud. He took out his sonic and used it on door no. zero. For a moment it felt as if it had worked, but then the door sent sparks and green light on the door turned to red. “No, no…no no no, I tried to trick the system into thinking that everything was alright but there are too many protocols and software is glitchy. Now it’s locked us out and the door’s dead locked.”
“Doctor –” Robin said putting a hand on his shoulder, “- just how glitchy is the software?” She continued, pointing to a door nearby that had gone from flaunting a red light to a green one. Both of them observed as the same thing happened to several others, rendering them unlocked.
“Run…Robin, RUN!” the Doctor caught hold of her arm and pulled her into dash along the maze of hallways, as they continued to observe several other doors unlock. “We need to find the control station; I think I can manually disable the detonation from there.”
“And we need to find it fast, we don’t have much time.” The Doctor said glancing at her watch and then looking at the maze of hallways that greeted them just ahead.
17 minutes.
“Don’t worry Robin. I still have the vortex manipulator. I won’t let anything happen to you.” The Doctor said to her reassuringly. “There has to be a helping station here somewhere. Maybe we can find the map –” The Doctor stopped running all of a sudden as a shiver went through his spine.
“What? What happened?” Robin asked him, a tinge of curiosity and worry in her tone. She kept on checking the hallways, just to make sure that no other prisoner was chasing them. Finally, she looked at the Doctor; his eyes were closed in concentration. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but he looked worried as it was, so she dropped the idea. She trusted him, and that was all that mattered right now.
And then she saw it. A prison door opened at the far end of the hall and somebody came out. The prisoner was dressed in a dark crimson robe covering the entire body and a large hood covering the face. She turned to alert the Doctor but he was already watching, blood draining away from his face.
“What is it Doctor? What happened?” She asked him again worryingly.
“That prisoner –” He pointed to the red-robed man, who was now facing them and probably gauging them. “- is a Time Lord.” He had instinctively raised his sonic, as if arming himself in self-defence.
Attention! Prisoner 1176 has left their cell. Prisoner 1176 is requested to return to their cell, or the prison will be self-destruct in 15 minutes. Repeat: Prisoner 1176 is requested to …
The hooded man raised his right hand mirroring the Doctor, but he held no sonic. Just black leather gloves. The Vortex Manipulator on the Doctor hand gave a few bleeps and switched on instantaneously.
“Doctor! What did he do?”
The Doctor examined the device, sonicing it but it was to no avail. The device was malfunctioning. The coordinates were stuck. They were trapped, with another Time Lord and possibly various other dangerous criminals. And there was not enough time. A storm of thoughts was triggered in the Doctor’s mind, making him more anxious by the second.
What did Autumn want from him? What did he need to do to get the next co-ordinates? Or was this it? Was she in one of the cells, trapped? But the thought that troubled him the most was the identity of this other Time Lord. His dressing sense pointed to only one possibility - The Master.
Robin shook the Doctor out of the trance. “Doctor! You need to do something. We don’t have much time.” She said, her voice shaking with fear.
And then she did the unthinkable. She ran towards the other Time Lord, who was already running, disappearing into the mess of hallways.
14 minutes.
The Doctor jolted towards her.
“Robin! No, don’t. He can be dangerous.” He called after her, trying to stop her but she continued running.
They found the other Time Lord about two minutes later, operating a display at the opposite corner of a hallway. The Doctor fastened his pace to grab Robin by her shoulders, in an attempt to stop her, causing both of them to tumble on the floor. They stopped a few meters away from the other Time Lord, who upon noticing them darted for a nearby hallway expeditiously.
The Doctor raised himself and then helped Robin do the same before bellowing “Are you out of you mind? Do you even know how dangerous that stunt was? He could have killed you, or God knows, any other prisoner who might have escaped.”
In response she punched him in the arm. “Don’t shout at me. I only did that because you were busy daydreaming and we didn’t have enough time.” She retorted back. “I had a hunch that he knew the way out so I took a chance! ” Her glance immediately fell to her watch.
10 Minutes.
The Doctor followed her gaze. “I’m sorry.” He replied softly, disappointment evident in his voice. Immediately his eyes fixed onto the display still hanging in the corner of the hall. He lurched towards it, dragging Robin behind with him.
He analysed the contents on screen. Opened in front of him was a log of all the convicts, their entire biography, their crimes, their sentences. He soniced the screen to open the file on Prisoner 1176 but there were none found. That’s what the hooded man had been doing – wiping his records.
But why? Did he know who the Doctor was? Why would the Time Lord hide himself? He had felt the hooded man the first time, when he had come out of his prison. He knew that person. He had felt the darkness in his heart. What had the man done to his Vortex –
The Doctor’s thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected voice coming from the display. Robin moved forward to watch the video that had started playing on the screen.
Welcome to Rekhom Penitentiary. Our facility holds the answers to all your worries. Guarded by the Judoon and the Atraxi guards, this prison ship is laced with quantum secure caging and tortur--
The Doctor fast forwarded the video because there wasn’t much time.
—in compliance with Article 21 of the Shadow Proclamati—holds some of the most vicious criminals in our galaxy.
The words were followed by a montage of clips showing several people dying, children screaming and being killed, women being tortured in labour camps, planets burning - all the horrendous atrocities the prisoners here had committed.
Robin couldn’t watch it anymore; her heart was beating loudly in her chest but all she could feel was dread and disgust. She averted her gaze, falling into a mess of tears. Eventually, her eyes fell on the Doctor who had now switched off the video and was busy sonicing the information out of the display, his face showing the anger he felt inside. She knew what he was thinking.
“Doctor, you can’t.”
The Doctor took a deep breath before addressing her.
“Why not?” he said quietly.
“Because, I won’t let you. Because, then what would be the difference.” Her voice hollow yet firm.
“Robin, they don’t deserve mercy. All we need to do is safely get out.”
“And who are you to decide what they deserve or don’t deserve? Doctor, they are already in a prison. Don’t play God!” She urged him.
“If they find us here, the first thing they’ll do is kill us. I don’t care for killers.”
“You can’t let these people die because of an assumption. It’s our fault the ship is about to explode. Doctor, you have to stop it. You have to save these people. Please.”
“No. I won’t.” He yelled back at her before ripping the display out of the wall sending it ricocheting along the hallway.
She was completely taken aback by his fury. Her thoughts went back to the Christmas he has crashed into her house. He had changed so much since then. Maybe, it was because of his time with Autumn or it was because of the Dalek Camp, but he had changed, for the worse. He had been an idiot at times but never cruel, and in that moment she really hated them all, the Daleks, the Doctor and most of all Autumn.
“You don’t need to find her you know. She is like the rest of these criminals. Autumn. She doesn’t deserve saving.” Robin said sharply, wiping the tears off her cheeks, making sure the words hurt him.
The Doctor looked at Robin puzzled, unable to respond. He remained quiet for what seemed like an eternity, lost in his thoughts.
“This is why I don’t travel alone; there are things I am not good at. I forget. Thank you, Robin. Thank you.” He said softly, smiling, before cupping her face and kissing her forehead. “Thank you for being you.”
“So you are going to save them?” Robin tried to smile, still amazed how easily he had switched.
“I’ll try.” The Doctor answered honestly. “Right then, I’ve checked the prison schematics. This is the carrier vessel – sort of where they keep the prisoners. It’s currently drifting at the outskirts of the Poshe-Ecstatic nebula. The main control station is separate and is in orbit around this vessel, doing occasional repairs when necessary. The only way to get on that is through the teleport decks to the right of this hallway. It’ll take us about 3 minutes to get there. On the other hand there is a secondary control station – Sec – on this ship as well, to the left of this hallway.” The Doctor gestured to the left with his sonic. “It’ll take us about 2 minutes to get there. There is a chance that I could cancel the detonation from Sec as well but it’s a gamble. So what do you say? Your choice Robin Moon.”
There wasn’t any more time to waste. She checked her watch.
7 minutes.
“Okay, Sec it is.” She said, simultaneously grabbing his hand and making a dash for it. “Doctor, lead!”
He obeyed obediently. Both of them continued running, as the Doctor lead her through an array of hallways taking obscure turns every other second. She was starting to feel a bit dizzy.
“Doctor, why did you say he? Do you know who the other Time Lord is?” Robin asked, hoping for an honest answer.
“Maybe, but I am not sure yet. There are too many Time Lords I know, Omega , Morbius. Could be any one; all I know is that he feels familiar.” The Doctor said between heavy breaths. “Maybe he is family.” He added hesitantly.
“Doctor, there’s one more thing that’s been bugging me.”
“I know.” The Doctor said coming to an abrupt stop in front of a big door. His hands on his knees, gasping for breath. “Why haven’t we seen any other prisoners?”
“Yes, why?” asked Robin, leaning against a wall, panting likewise.
“I don’t know and I hate not knowing.” The Doctor replied, his mind racing and considering all possibilities.
5 minutes.
The Doctor soniced the door and it opened with load thud, but before he could proceed, he heard Robin shriek. There on the other side of the hallway was the hooded man, this time holding a disintegrator gun, pointing straight at Robin.
“Stop.” The Doctor snarled the other Time Lord. “Robin, remain calm. Trust me, I won’t let anything happen to you.” He added. “What do you want? Tell me, come on. Fast – we don’t have much time.” The Doctor continued, trying to remain in control.
The hooded man quickly walked towards the Doctor, who was now holding his hands above his head as a sign of good will.
“Robin, don’t move. I can deal with this. Just stay calm!”
That was when the man gave the Doctor a good smack on his head using the handle of the gun, causing him to fall down and cry out in pain. The man then proceeded to snatch the sonic out of his hand and entered the Sec, carefully closing it behind him and leaving Robin to attend to the Doctor.
“Doctor, are you alright?” Robin asked, concerned.
“Run.” The word came out muffled, as the Doctor tried his very best to get back onto his feet, as fast as possible.
“What?” Robin said, startled.
“Run, Robin RUN! RUN! RUN!” The Doctor finally shouted grabbing her by the arm and again pulling her into a dash across the hallways, both high on adrenaline from the recent turn of events. “Run Robin, We need to get to the teleport deck, we haven’t got much time.” He clamored.
“Oh why does there have to be so much running!” He heard Robin complain at his shoulder.
“Love the running!” He said in a playful way, but his mind still fixed on the fact that the hooded man had reeked of rotten flesh. Was the man really the Master?
2 minutes.
When they finally reached the teleport deck, the Doctor ran towards teleport controls, while Robin gazed at the linear arrangement of large eyeball like spaceships that lined the deck, and observed the small spherical orb that could be seen from the glass roof of the deck. The main control station.
“No, no no. You stupid machine.” The Doctor yelled at the controls before slamming his fist at the screen and turning around to face Robin. “The teleports need an authorization code; I need time to crack it; even with my sonic it would take at least 5 minutes - and we just don’t have any time. I am sorry.”
Robin could see the defeat on his face, his shoulders slumped, he had failed and right now he was standing under the burden of letting her and Autumn down, but she was as helpless as he was. All she could do now was comfort him.
“Whatever happens, happens Doctor! You don’t need to be sorry. If only you could see the light in you instead of the darkness.” And then she hugged him into a tight grip.
1 minute.
The Doctor swayed with her for a few seconds and then something hit him.
“What did you say?” He loosened the grip and pulled apart.
“Doctor?” Robin said confused by the smile on his face.
“Oh! Robin you are brilliant. Absolutely 100% brilliant.” He said with a big grin on his face.
“What have I done?” Robin asked, still puzzled by his sudden change of mood.
“Saved us,” he said pointing to his vortex , manipulator and then pressed the button, disappearing in front of Robin eyes, leaving her alone on the vessel to die, or so she thought.
30 seconds.
Robin couldn’t believe her eyes. What had just happened? She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. If this was her destiny then she would accept it. There was no point in being sad now, in the final few precious moments of her life. And then she felt a hand on her shoulder…and turned around in a jerk.
It was the other Time Lord.
15 seconds.
“Who are you? What do you want?” Robin shouted at him, but he just grabbed her arm with one hand and pointed the sonic at the teleport control with the other. The teleports activated, giving off a light green beam of light at their circumference.
10 seconds.
He pulled her toward the teleports, but she protested, trying to get away from him and his putrid stench. And in one swift motion she pulled off his hood… and witnessed the impossible.
“Doctor?”
5 seconds.
Still perplexed, she loosened her body and followed him inside the teleports only to meet with a sweet and simple word in response before they were teleported off the prison ship just one second before it blinked out of existence in a controlled implosion.
The word was – Gotcha!
***
“What?”
“I said Gotcha!”
“No but how? How could you be the other Time Lord?”
“Keep up!” He pointed to his Vortex Manipulator. “Time traveller. The Judoon and the Atraxi are one of the thickest races out there. They built a prison that jammed any outgoing teleportation, but allowed it internally.”
“But I saw you disable the Doctor’s – your – manipulator when you came out of the cell. You did it.”
“Oh no! I didn’t do anything, it was just something I remembered the other Doctor doing; you know when I saw him. The vortex manipulator in my hand automatically synchronized with itself, probably because of the temporal energy. Same vortex manipulator at different points in its own time stream; The space time coordinates synched for the sake of maintaining dimensional harmony, fixing them, like resonance.”
“But isn’t that a paradox? It’s like what came first, chicken or the egg?”
“Don’t be daft, it isn’t a paradox, it’s luck.”
“But then why didn’t you tell us who you were?” Robin asked him curiously. He just smiled at her, as though nudging her to think for herself. “Because…that would disrupt the timeline” She waited for his approval.
“Exactly!” he smiled. “Because that’s what happens and what will continue to happen, I cannot change my own personal history.”
She smiled but her smile faded as she remembered something. “Doctor, we couldn’t save the prisoners.”
“No, we couldn’t -” He replied in a soft voice, the cheeriness fading from his voice as well. “- because there were none to be saved.” He added in the same grim tone. “When I teleported back to Prison 1176, I found an old decaying corpse, I took its clothes – hence the smell – and waited for the Doctor to mess up. When my door unlocked, my first priority was to delete the records for Prisoner 1176 so that the Doctor wouldn’t find out about the real prisoner, and then I came to the deck to crack the authorization code. I eventually found out that there was one extra step needed which was to lock the outgoing coordinates but that again needed authorization from the Sec. I found an empty incinerator gun on the deck and then kind of figured out what needed to be done. I ran towards the Sec and found you two, knocked the Doctor on the head and entered the Sec. I locked the outgoing coordinates and copied the protocols into the sonic. Then I tried to disable the detonation but it failed. So the final thing I did was to run a scan for life forms aboard this ship.”
“And?” asked Robin curiously?
“They all died Robin. The Atraxi abandoned the prison in the middle of nowhere about two hundred years ago, to drift at edge of the universe. It was an automated system and there was no way of escape, not enough time, except if you –” The Doctor stopped mid-sentence.
“- except if you could time travel.” Robin completed the sentence for him.
“They all perished about fifty years ago. No other prisoner escaped because no other prisoner was alive.” He added, his eyes fixed to the ground.
Robin felt sad and the Doctor knew. She was too kind. She had reminded him of who he was when she had fought for the prisoners, of the kindness in his heart, kindness he often chose to forget because it felt pointless in the face of reality.
“I can’t believe you hit yourself.” Robin said finally breaking the ice and shaking him out of his thoughts.
“Yeah, got a bit carried away there,” he said, rubbing the side of his head. “Hurts like hell.”
Robin laughed. “So what do we do now?”
They were standing inside the main control room. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the computer. The main screen lit up with the display of fireworks and two words slowly transitioned into view on screen.
GOOD JOB!
The Doctor felt a sudden rush of anger at those words, and for the first and only time, anger at Autumn. Why was she doing this?
His vortex manipulator beeped as it received the new space time co-ordinates. “Well we can’t go anywhere but forwards, Robin Moon. Care to join me?” He gave her his hand.
Robin took a long sigh before taking his hand. “I don’t think I have anywhere else to be.” She beamed back at him, and then the Doctor pressed enter and they were sucked into the time vortex once more.
Manhattan, New York
Amy held the gadget out in front of her. It beeped repeatedly. Sam and Rory followed beside her, Rory propping up an umbrella and Sam fiddling with a gun. The rain battered the top of the umbrella, dribbling off the sides and onto the pavement.
“You got a precise location yet?” Sam asked.
“Nope. Still following it. Artron energy getting very strong,” Amy said. Rory manoeuvred the umbrella that was only barely wide enough for the three of them.
“What actually is it we’re looking for?” Rory said.
“No idea. Artron energy though is unnaturally high. Normally a bit of background energy remains but this, for 1939, is definitely a bit odd…”
“Woah,” Sam exclaimed as he turned the corner. Amy, Rory and Sam stood at the end of the street. The area had been cornered off by police officers. The rain pattered down on top of them, as they made their way slowly to one of the shop fronts. In the alleyway between that and a café lay a dead body. Blood swirled in with the puddles, running down the alley and in to the gutters. Rory walked over and knelt by the body. The victim wore a suit, the cotton shirt stained with red. Unbuttoning the shirt, Rory saw the bullet wound.
“Yep. Been shot. Hit a major artery, he didn’t last long.”
“Who is he?” Amy asked.
“Dunno,” Sam said.
“This is definitely where the energy is coming from?” Rory stood up. “Only, he looks fairly… normal.”
“No… normal, I wouldn’t go with that,” a voice came from behind them. Amy’s machine exploded, sending sparks showering in to the puddles. All three of them turned around.
“Sorry, hello,” the man said, ushering his friend forward.
“Who are you? And how did you make my gadget explode?” Amy asked.
“Don’t ask, it’s confusing. To cut a long story short, a friend turned against me, things happened and I ended up here. And I’m not the expert or anything – well, that’s debatable – but judging by that device I would say you’re not quite from 1939. Good to meet you.”
“You too. I would say you’re not quite from 1939 either. Dressed in that. Appeared out of nowhere.”
“I’m good at that.”
“Hold on – who actually are you?” Sam asked.
“Good question, Sam. Who are you?”
“I suggest you call me the Doctor.”
Her raggedy man. She had thought New York was trapped in a paradox. And anyway, he’d regenerated.
She shuddered. She’d cast the thought aside so casually. But it was still him. He was back. After all the mourning and all the healing, that last glimmer of hope suddenly became awfully proud of itself for hanging on.
“You – you regenerated.”
“I have done before. Sorry, do I know you?”
“Amy – don’t – don’t you remember me?”
“Nope... ringing no bells. This is Robin, by the way.”
“Amy – is this – this is the Doctor?” Rory stuttered.
“Yes, Rory.”
“But how?”
“I don’t know.”
“Now then,” the Doctor crouched by the body.
“What number are you?” Amy asked.
“Pardon?” the Doctor said.
“What number Doctor are you?”
“Eight.”
Robin raised an eyebrow.
“So…” Amy considered. “You haven’t met me yet?”
“No. Well, I definitely don’t remember it, sorry, and I usually do…”
“Oh my god! It’s you!” Amy did a little dance. The Doctor thought she was crazy. Definitely one of mine. “Sorry,” continued Amy. “Yes. Just, oh, wow. This is brilliant. Erm – still sort of in shock. But oh my god, it’s you!”
“Yes, it’s me! Now, we’ve got a murder to solve. Well, I think it needs solving. I’m just assuming, you see. I got brought here to the body of a dead man, so it seems like a logical conclusion. Besides,” he added darkly, “Autumn always loved a good murder.”
“So, who’s the dead guy?”
“Mark Lynch.”
“Wait – how did you know that?” Robin asked. The Doctor held up a wallet. There was a business card inside.
“Oh. Him,” Rory said. “We’ve heard of him”
“Never had the pleasure of meeting him,” Amy took the business card and looked over it.
“Do you know what he does?” the Doctor said.
“New York crime boss. People are terrified him. He’ll shoot people without the blink of an eye,” Sam said.
“Oh,” the Doctor ran a hand through his hair. “That’s all I need. A merciless crime boss found dead.”
“Let me think – trying to work out how many different people will try and get his spot now he’s gone, and also trying to work out the amount of them that’ll be killed in the process,” Sam said.
“Yes. It doesn’t bear thinking about. Are you three detectives?”
“We’re meant to be,” Sam joked.
“Now, tell me, where was this man shot from?”
“Well, it would be easier. Unfortunately, the rain has probably washed away any initial blood we could’ve used to track down where the killer stood. However, if we look at the angle of the wound, and the where the body has fallen – considering that having been shot, chances are he fell over, possibly moved forward slightly,” Sam looked down at the body and walked back a few steps. He traced with his finger to a building the opposite side of the street.
“Good. But wrong building. It was that one,” the Doctor gestured.
“You’re kidding me,” Sam said.
“… No,” the Doctor walked towards it. “It’s fairly easy, just –,” the Doctor was interrupted.
“Yeah, we’re not all Time Lord, Doctor,” Amy said.
“You know I’m a Time Lord?”
“Oh. Yes, yes I do.”
“Who are you?” the Doctor walked closer to Amy and Rory. “I don’t know… I feel something. You’re from my future? There’s definitely a connection, waiting to form…” he squinted suspiciously at Amy. “I don’t even know your names.”
“I’m Amy. That’s Rory. And over there, that’s our new friend Sam.”
“And you fight aliens in 1939?” the Doctor said.
“Yeah.”
“That’s… well, that’s brilliant!” the Doctor exclaimed. “Now, we have a murder to solve,” the Doctor strode towards the building.
“I don’t like him,” Sam said under his breath.
“Most people don’t,” Amy answered tactfully. “He takes a bit of getting used to”
A few minutes later, the Doctor, Amy, Rory and Robin were stood inside a block of flats. Robin pushed the door.
“It’s open.”
“It seems almost too deliberate – that they left the door open,” Rory stepped in after the other four. The place was wrecked. It was only tiny – glass bottles lay on the floor, papers were scattered everywhere.
“Someone clearly ransacked this place,” Amy picked up the papers and flicked through them.
“Anything of interest?” the Doctor moved his way to the corner where there was a window. He took out the sonic screwdriver. It beeped slowly.
“Doctor, before I picked up Artron energy,” Amy said.
“Yes, that would’ve been background energy from before I arrived.”
“But, why there? Why did you appear there?”
“I don’t know. It must be significant to what’s happening. Solve this murder, and I can move on.”
“Right – okay,” Amy said.
“Doctor, have you seen this?” Robin shouted from the bedroom. The Doctor walked in. In front of the bed was a large safe. The Doctor knelt down and waved the sonic screwdriver around the lock. It clicked, and before long swung lethargically open. Inside was an envelope. The Doctor took it out and slipped the bit of paper out. He cast his eyes over it.
Friday 16th June, 1939. 2 AM. Rose Lane Chapel.
“It doesn’t make much sense,” Robin said. The Doctor checked his watch.
“It’s midnight now. We’ll go”
“Doctor!” Amy’s voice came from the other room. The Doctor walked in. There was a desk, with one of the draws opened. Sam was looking inside.
“Bullets,” Sam tossed one over to the Doctor. “Same kind that killed the guy”
“So, whoever killed Lynch lived here?” Rory said.
“Can we find out who lived here?” the Doctor asked.
“I’ll head back to the office and do it,” Sam walked towards the door.
“Make sure you’re at Rose Lane Chapel by two. Whatever is happening here, we can find out then.”
“Certainly, boss.” Sam left.
“There’s nothing more here. That’s it,” Amy said. “However, maybe we should find Lynch’s house. Or flat. Or whatever it was he lived in”
“Good idea. We might be able to find something there.”
The remaining four began to leave. Rory stopped on his way out.
“Look at this,” he reached down and picked something up. It was one of Lynch’s business cards.
“Lynch was probably here. Wait, let’s think. Lynch came here to visit the occupant of this house, presumably to do with the letter in the safe. Lynch left, and then got shot, after which he died rather quickly.”
“It would make sense,” Amy said. “We still going to Lynch’s place?”
“Yes,” the Doctor said, grimly. “Whatever he came here for, it must’ve been pretty serious if he was shot afterwards.”
Sam was flicking through a filing cabinet. He pulled out a few sheets of paper, typed up neatly in typewriter. Murmuring the address to himself, he ran a finger down the sheets of paper. Weaver. Rob Weaver.
Soon, the Doctor, Robin, Amy and Rory stood outside a large mansion. There was a giant oak front door facing them. Amy tried it – it didn’t open. The Doctor quickly used the sonic screwdriver. It opened with ease.
“Can you get me one of those?” Amy asked. “I miss it so much.”
“I don’t see why not,” the Doctor laughed. They went inside. A large hallway, with black and white marble tiles, stretched out in front of them. There was a staircase to the left. The Doctor flicked a light switch, and soon they began to make their way through the house. Upstairs, the Doctor moved into an office. Upon the oak desk was a stack of letters. The Doctor flicked through them. All were addressed to Lynch, which would make sense. All were from a Mr Weaver. Some seemed to mention a Mr Louis as well.
“Whoever this Mr Weaver is… he was not very happy at all,” the Doctor murmured.
“Did he kill him?” Amy asked.
“Possibly,” the Doctor placed the letter down and picked up another one. It was exactly the same as the one from the flat before. The Doctor could just make it out - Rose Lane Chapel.
“Same as the previous one. That’s… interesting,” Amy said, still fumbling for a light switch. Finally she found one. As the light quickly illuminated the room, she saw a huge map pinned up above the desk, and on the top, a piece of paper with six numbers written on.
Sam picked up the phone in the office, and quickly dialled the number.
“Hey. Yeah, I’m looking for a Mr Weaver. His flat was wrecked, and I was wondering if he’d reported it or something. Thing is, it’s quite important.”
“Robert Weaver? I’m sorry sir, but he was found dead this morning.”
Sam slowly put the phone down. Then he heard a revolver click behind him.
“Numbers,” the Doctor took the piece of paper off the wall.
“Why? What is it, a date or something?” Amy asked.
“Could be. I’m not sure.”
“Numbers and a map. Any significance?”
“I don’t know,” the Doctor picked up a newspaper cutting with a picture of a large warehouse on fire. They heard a phone go. The Doctor placed it down again and looked at a sheet of paper covered in scientific diagrams and drawings. Amy looked over his shoulder.
“Paradoxes,” the Doctor whispered.
“We are trapped in one.”
“A paradox?”
“Yep. That’s why we’re here.”
“Did you travel with me?” the Doctor asked.
“I did. Or I will do.”
“But – you’re here. Where’s me?”
“With someone else.”
“I suppose, but why did you leave?”
“Spoilers.”
“Oh, don’t say that,” the Doctor said.
“Get used to it,” Amy laughed.
“No, but really. You’re from… around the 2010s, just like Robin. Why have you ended up here?”
“It’s complicated. I can’t really tell you. But we have fun.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Seriously, we do. So, so much fun. A madman with a box, the girl who waited and the Roman Centurion.”
“I don’t have a clue what you’re on about,” the Doctor said.
“No. But you will. Whatever happens, just remember that you’ve got great things to come. You always will do.”
“Thank you – I suppose,” the Doctor smiled. Rory and Robin walked in.
“Amy, Doctor, we need to go. It’s half one. Also, message from Sam. The guy who lived in the flat was Mr Robert Weaver.”
“Well. Time to meet our murderer, with a bit of luck…”
The Doctor, Robin, Amy and Rory stood outside the church. A car pulled up. Out climbed Sam and another man.
“Who’s this?” the Doctor asked.
“David Louis. He knows what is going on,” Sam said.
“Do you know who killed Mark Lynch?” the Doctor asked.
“Yes. This is far bigger than just mere assassinations. Lynch has enemies. He killed the families of people who didn’t like him. A Mr Robert Weaver. He had a wife. Two children. All three, killed, because he got on the wrong side of Lynch. Rob, he, he just did something. Can’t remember what it was now, but still. Rob’s family found dead, Rob probably killed Lynch.”
“No, it doesn’t make sense,” Rory interrupted. “Weaver’s flat was ransacked as well and Weaver has already been confirmed dead.”
“He probably killed himself,” David said.
“But… apparently Weaver and Lynch were friends. Both high up in the criminal hierarchy,” Rory said.
The Doctor looked up at the night sky. The rain was easing.
“Well go on then,” the Doctor looked up. “We’ve solved the murder.”
“Doctor? What’s happening?” Amy asked.
“I should be moving on now. Why am I still here…”
“There has to be something wrong. Weaver can’t have killed him, then,” Robin said.
“I told you already,” David said. “Weaver and Lynch were friends. Weaver took something from Lynch. Lynch killed his family. Weaver killed Lynch and left. Now, I’ve gotta go.”
“It seems a bit simple,” Amy said. David flung open the driver’s door and climbed inside. As if it was slow motion, they heard a tinkle as a small piece of metal connected with the ground. The Doctor walked over to it. A bullet. He showed it to the others. The same kind that they’d found in the flat. The same kind that had killed Mark Lynch. Sam pulled out his gun and pointed it towards David’s car. He ignored him and turned it around with great speed. Sam fired a shot at one of the tires. It shredded, sending the car to a halt and a terrible screeching echoing around the night. David stepped out of the car, hands up.
“Why?” the Doctor asked.
Amy held the gadget out in front of her. It beeped repeatedly. Sam and Rory followed beside her, Rory propping up an umbrella and Sam fiddling with a gun. The rain battered the top of the umbrella, dribbling off the sides and onto the pavement.
“You got a precise location yet?” Sam asked.
“Nope. Still following it. Artron energy getting very strong,” Amy said. Rory manoeuvred the umbrella that was only barely wide enough for the three of them.
“What actually is it we’re looking for?” Rory said.
“No idea. Artron energy though is unnaturally high. Normally a bit of background energy remains but this, for 1939, is definitely a bit odd…”
“Woah,” Sam exclaimed as he turned the corner. Amy, Rory and Sam stood at the end of the street. The area had been cornered off by police officers. The rain pattered down on top of them, as they made their way slowly to one of the shop fronts. In the alleyway between that and a café lay a dead body. Blood swirled in with the puddles, running down the alley and in to the gutters. Rory walked over and knelt by the body. The victim wore a suit, the cotton shirt stained with red. Unbuttoning the shirt, Rory saw the bullet wound.
“Yep. Been shot. Hit a major artery, he didn’t last long.”
“Who is he?” Amy asked.
“Dunno,” Sam said.
“This is definitely where the energy is coming from?” Rory stood up. “Only, he looks fairly… normal.”
“No… normal, I wouldn’t go with that,” a voice came from behind them. Amy’s machine exploded, sending sparks showering in to the puddles. All three of them turned around.
“Sorry, hello,” the man said, ushering his friend forward.
“Who are you? And how did you make my gadget explode?” Amy asked.
“Don’t ask, it’s confusing. To cut a long story short, a friend turned against me, things happened and I ended up here. And I’m not the expert or anything – well, that’s debatable – but judging by that device I would say you’re not quite from 1939. Good to meet you.”
“You too. I would say you’re not quite from 1939 either. Dressed in that. Appeared out of nowhere.”
“I’m good at that.”
“Hold on – who actually are you?” Sam asked.
“Good question, Sam. Who are you?”
“I suggest you call me the Doctor.”
Her raggedy man. She had thought New York was trapped in a paradox. And anyway, he’d regenerated.
She shuddered. She’d cast the thought aside so casually. But it was still him. He was back. After all the mourning and all the healing, that last glimmer of hope suddenly became awfully proud of itself for hanging on.
“You – you regenerated.”
“I have done before. Sorry, do I know you?”
“Amy – don’t – don’t you remember me?”
“Nope... ringing no bells. This is Robin, by the way.”
“Amy – is this – this is the Doctor?” Rory stuttered.
“Yes, Rory.”
“But how?”
“I don’t know.”
“Now then,” the Doctor crouched by the body.
“What number are you?” Amy asked.
“Pardon?” the Doctor said.
“What number Doctor are you?”
“Eight.”
Robin raised an eyebrow.
“So…” Amy considered. “You haven’t met me yet?”
“No. Well, I definitely don’t remember it, sorry, and I usually do…”
“Oh my god! It’s you!” Amy did a little dance. The Doctor thought she was crazy. Definitely one of mine. “Sorry,” continued Amy. “Yes. Just, oh, wow. This is brilliant. Erm – still sort of in shock. But oh my god, it’s you!”
“Yes, it’s me! Now, we’ve got a murder to solve. Well, I think it needs solving. I’m just assuming, you see. I got brought here to the body of a dead man, so it seems like a logical conclusion. Besides,” he added darkly, “Autumn always loved a good murder.”
“So, who’s the dead guy?”
“Mark Lynch.”
“Wait – how did you know that?” Robin asked. The Doctor held up a wallet. There was a business card inside.
“Oh. Him,” Rory said. “We’ve heard of him”
“Never had the pleasure of meeting him,” Amy took the business card and looked over it.
“Do you know what he does?” the Doctor said.
“New York crime boss. People are terrified him. He’ll shoot people without the blink of an eye,” Sam said.
“Oh,” the Doctor ran a hand through his hair. “That’s all I need. A merciless crime boss found dead.”
“Let me think – trying to work out how many different people will try and get his spot now he’s gone, and also trying to work out the amount of them that’ll be killed in the process,” Sam said.
“Yes. It doesn’t bear thinking about. Are you three detectives?”
“We’re meant to be,” Sam joked.
“Now, tell me, where was this man shot from?”
“Well, it would be easier. Unfortunately, the rain has probably washed away any initial blood we could’ve used to track down where the killer stood. However, if we look at the angle of the wound, and the where the body has fallen – considering that having been shot, chances are he fell over, possibly moved forward slightly,” Sam looked down at the body and walked back a few steps. He traced with his finger to a building the opposite side of the street.
“Good. But wrong building. It was that one,” the Doctor gestured.
“You’re kidding me,” Sam said.
“… No,” the Doctor walked towards it. “It’s fairly easy, just –,” the Doctor was interrupted.
“Yeah, we’re not all Time Lord, Doctor,” Amy said.
“You know I’m a Time Lord?”
“Oh. Yes, yes I do.”
“Who are you?” the Doctor walked closer to Amy and Rory. “I don’t know… I feel something. You’re from my future? There’s definitely a connection, waiting to form…” he squinted suspiciously at Amy. “I don’t even know your names.”
“I’m Amy. That’s Rory. And over there, that’s our new friend Sam.”
“And you fight aliens in 1939?” the Doctor said.
“Yeah.”
“That’s… well, that’s brilliant!” the Doctor exclaimed. “Now, we have a murder to solve,” the Doctor strode towards the building.
“I don’t like him,” Sam said under his breath.
“Most people don’t,” Amy answered tactfully. “He takes a bit of getting used to”
A few minutes later, the Doctor, Amy, Rory and Robin were stood inside a block of flats. Robin pushed the door.
“It’s open.”
“It seems almost too deliberate – that they left the door open,” Rory stepped in after the other four. The place was wrecked. It was only tiny – glass bottles lay on the floor, papers were scattered everywhere.
“Someone clearly ransacked this place,” Amy picked up the papers and flicked through them.
“Anything of interest?” the Doctor moved his way to the corner where there was a window. He took out the sonic screwdriver. It beeped slowly.
“Doctor, before I picked up Artron energy,” Amy said.
“Yes, that would’ve been background energy from before I arrived.”
“But, why there? Why did you appear there?”
“I don’t know. It must be significant to what’s happening. Solve this murder, and I can move on.”
“Right – okay,” Amy said.
“Doctor, have you seen this?” Robin shouted from the bedroom. The Doctor walked in. In front of the bed was a large safe. The Doctor knelt down and waved the sonic screwdriver around the lock. It clicked, and before long swung lethargically open. Inside was an envelope. The Doctor took it out and slipped the bit of paper out. He cast his eyes over it.
Friday 16th June, 1939. 2 AM. Rose Lane Chapel.
“It doesn’t make much sense,” Robin said. The Doctor checked his watch.
“It’s midnight now. We’ll go”
“Doctor!” Amy’s voice came from the other room. The Doctor walked in. There was a desk, with one of the draws opened. Sam was looking inside.
“Bullets,” Sam tossed one over to the Doctor. “Same kind that killed the guy”
“So, whoever killed Lynch lived here?” Rory said.
“Can we find out who lived here?” the Doctor asked.
“I’ll head back to the office and do it,” Sam walked towards the door.
“Make sure you’re at Rose Lane Chapel by two. Whatever is happening here, we can find out then.”
“Certainly, boss.” Sam left.
“There’s nothing more here. That’s it,” Amy said. “However, maybe we should find Lynch’s house. Or flat. Or whatever it was he lived in”
“Good idea. We might be able to find something there.”
The remaining four began to leave. Rory stopped on his way out.
“Look at this,” he reached down and picked something up. It was one of Lynch’s business cards.
“Lynch was probably here. Wait, let’s think. Lynch came here to visit the occupant of this house, presumably to do with the letter in the safe. Lynch left, and then got shot, after which he died rather quickly.”
“It would make sense,” Amy said. “We still going to Lynch’s place?”
“Yes,” the Doctor said, grimly. “Whatever he came here for, it must’ve been pretty serious if he was shot afterwards.”
Sam was flicking through a filing cabinet. He pulled out a few sheets of paper, typed up neatly in typewriter. Murmuring the address to himself, he ran a finger down the sheets of paper. Weaver. Rob Weaver.
Soon, the Doctor, Robin, Amy and Rory stood outside a large mansion. There was a giant oak front door facing them. Amy tried it – it didn’t open. The Doctor quickly used the sonic screwdriver. It opened with ease.
“Can you get me one of those?” Amy asked. “I miss it so much.”
“I don’t see why not,” the Doctor laughed. They went inside. A large hallway, with black and white marble tiles, stretched out in front of them. There was a staircase to the left. The Doctor flicked a light switch, and soon they began to make their way through the house. Upstairs, the Doctor moved into an office. Upon the oak desk was a stack of letters. The Doctor flicked through them. All were addressed to Lynch, which would make sense. All were from a Mr Weaver. Some seemed to mention a Mr Louis as well.
“Whoever this Mr Weaver is… he was not very happy at all,” the Doctor murmured.
“Did he kill him?” Amy asked.
“Possibly,” the Doctor placed the letter down and picked up another one. It was exactly the same as the one from the flat before. The Doctor could just make it out - Rose Lane Chapel.
“Same as the previous one. That’s… interesting,” Amy said, still fumbling for a light switch. Finally she found one. As the light quickly illuminated the room, she saw a huge map pinned up above the desk, and on the top, a piece of paper with six numbers written on.
Sam picked up the phone in the office, and quickly dialled the number.
“Hey. Yeah, I’m looking for a Mr Weaver. His flat was wrecked, and I was wondering if he’d reported it or something. Thing is, it’s quite important.”
“Robert Weaver? I’m sorry sir, but he was found dead this morning.”
Sam slowly put the phone down. Then he heard a revolver click behind him.
“Numbers,” the Doctor took the piece of paper off the wall.
“Why? What is it, a date or something?” Amy asked.
“Could be. I’m not sure.”
“Numbers and a map. Any significance?”
“I don’t know,” the Doctor picked up a newspaper cutting with a picture of a large warehouse on fire. They heard a phone go. The Doctor placed it down again and looked at a sheet of paper covered in scientific diagrams and drawings. Amy looked over his shoulder.
“Paradoxes,” the Doctor whispered.
“We are trapped in one.”
“A paradox?”
“Yep. That’s why we’re here.”
“Did you travel with me?” the Doctor asked.
“I did. Or I will do.”
“But – you’re here. Where’s me?”
“With someone else.”
“I suppose, but why did you leave?”
“Spoilers.”
“Oh, don’t say that,” the Doctor said.
“Get used to it,” Amy laughed.
“No, but really. You’re from… around the 2010s, just like Robin. Why have you ended up here?”
“It’s complicated. I can’t really tell you. But we have fun.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Seriously, we do. So, so much fun. A madman with a box, the girl who waited and the Roman Centurion.”
“I don’t have a clue what you’re on about,” the Doctor said.
“No. But you will. Whatever happens, just remember that you’ve got great things to come. You always will do.”
“Thank you – I suppose,” the Doctor smiled. Rory and Robin walked in.
“Amy, Doctor, we need to go. It’s half one. Also, message from Sam. The guy who lived in the flat was Mr Robert Weaver.”
“Well. Time to meet our murderer, with a bit of luck…”
The Doctor, Robin, Amy and Rory stood outside the church. A car pulled up. Out climbed Sam and another man.
“Who’s this?” the Doctor asked.
“David Louis. He knows what is going on,” Sam said.
“Do you know who killed Mark Lynch?” the Doctor asked.
“Yes. This is far bigger than just mere assassinations. Lynch has enemies. He killed the families of people who didn’t like him. A Mr Robert Weaver. He had a wife. Two children. All three, killed, because he got on the wrong side of Lynch. Rob, he, he just did something. Can’t remember what it was now, but still. Rob’s family found dead, Rob probably killed Lynch.”
“No, it doesn’t make sense,” Rory interrupted. “Weaver’s flat was ransacked as well and Weaver has already been confirmed dead.”
“He probably killed himself,” David said.
“But… apparently Weaver and Lynch were friends. Both high up in the criminal hierarchy,” Rory said.
The Doctor looked up at the night sky. The rain was easing.
“Well go on then,” the Doctor looked up. “We’ve solved the murder.”
“Doctor? What’s happening?” Amy asked.
“I should be moving on now. Why am I still here…”
“There has to be something wrong. Weaver can’t have killed him, then,” Robin said.
“I told you already,” David said. “Weaver and Lynch were friends. Weaver took something from Lynch. Lynch killed his family. Weaver killed Lynch and left. Now, I’ve gotta go.”
“It seems a bit simple,” Amy said. David flung open the driver’s door and climbed inside. As if it was slow motion, they heard a tinkle as a small piece of metal connected with the ground. The Doctor walked over to it. A bullet. He showed it to the others. The same kind that they’d found in the flat. The same kind that had killed Mark Lynch. Sam pulled out his gun and pointed it towards David’s car. He ignored him and turned it around with great speed. Sam fired a shot at one of the tires. It shredded, sending the car to a halt and a terrible screeching echoing around the night. David stepped out of the car, hands up.
“Why?” the Doctor asked.
Soon, all six of them sat in the church.
“A six digit code,” David said. “Weaver didn’t trust Lynch, so I had a copy of all of Lynch’s letters sent to me. Basically, Lynch had a code. A six digit code that nobody knew. He said it could hold power that was absolute and would destroy the world if in the wrong hands. He said it would unleash the demons of the past and the future at once, or something like that. Weaver thought he was talking rubbish.”
“It’s the key-code; the reference. Because that code, it breaks through the paradox and provides my way through to whatever is next. That’s what Lynch had, the key to open wherever I’m going next. By the sound of it, it’s not a very nice place.”
“And, the relationship between the two of them had worsened, so he got me in to help. We didn’t believe him about a code destroying the world or whatever. So he took us to a warehouse and he read out the code. He put them together, and there was an explosion. Building caught fire. We had to leave quickly. And yeah, we believed him then. So Weaver wanted to get hold of the code. Absolute power, he wanted. Then, hell broke loose, Weaver’s family were killed, and that. But I decided it was wrong. Nobody should have that much power.”
“So you killed both of them,” the Doctor finished David’s sentence.
“Yes. I sent letters to both, just with the address, Rose Lane Chapel. But when I found the two of them were meeting, I had to strike then. And when I found your detective friend, I decided I’d better shake you all of my scent and let you find me.”
“I’m going to read the code again.”
“But you can’t!” David exclaimed. “The world will burn – I saw its power before, I can’t see it again.”
“This time it’ll be fine. It wasn’t just solving the murder. I had to find the code too. Because the code is my way out of here. I’ve reached the next level.”
David nodded.
“Are you sure this is right?” Sam asked.
“Positive,” the Doctor said. The Doctor stood in front of the wooden table that stood in for an altar. He read out the code. Behind the altar, a blue portal burst into life. Robin and the Doctor stepped towards it. Sam shook the Doctor’s hand and gave Robin a friendly nod. Rory and Amy hugged both of them.
“Goodbye, not so raggedy man,” Amy grinned.
“I don’t know how we meet, or when, but I can’t wait,” the Doctor said. Amy laughed.
“Bye bye.”
Robin stepped in to the portal and vanished. The Doctor gave them all one more friendly look, and then did the same.
“A six digit code,” David said. “Weaver didn’t trust Lynch, so I had a copy of all of Lynch’s letters sent to me. Basically, Lynch had a code. A six digit code that nobody knew. He said it could hold power that was absolute and would destroy the world if in the wrong hands. He said it would unleash the demons of the past and the future at once, or something like that. Weaver thought he was talking rubbish.”
“It’s the key-code; the reference. Because that code, it breaks through the paradox and provides my way through to whatever is next. That’s what Lynch had, the key to open wherever I’m going next. By the sound of it, it’s not a very nice place.”
“And, the relationship between the two of them had worsened, so he got me in to help. We didn’t believe him about a code destroying the world or whatever. So he took us to a warehouse and he read out the code. He put them together, and there was an explosion. Building caught fire. We had to leave quickly. And yeah, we believed him then. So Weaver wanted to get hold of the code. Absolute power, he wanted. Then, hell broke loose, Weaver’s family were killed, and that. But I decided it was wrong. Nobody should have that much power.”
“So you killed both of them,” the Doctor finished David’s sentence.
“Yes. I sent letters to both, just with the address, Rose Lane Chapel. But when I found the two of them were meeting, I had to strike then. And when I found your detective friend, I decided I’d better shake you all of my scent and let you find me.”
“I’m going to read the code again.”
“But you can’t!” David exclaimed. “The world will burn – I saw its power before, I can’t see it again.”
“This time it’ll be fine. It wasn’t just solving the murder. I had to find the code too. Because the code is my way out of here. I’ve reached the next level.”
David nodded.
“Are you sure this is right?” Sam asked.
“Positive,” the Doctor said. The Doctor stood in front of the wooden table that stood in for an altar. He read out the code. Behind the altar, a blue portal burst into life. Robin and the Doctor stepped towards it. Sam shook the Doctor’s hand and gave Robin a friendly nod. Rory and Amy hugged both of them.
“Goodbye, not so raggedy man,” Amy grinned.
“I don’t know how we meet, or when, but I can’t wait,” the Doctor said. Amy laughed.
“Bye bye.”
Robin stepped in to the portal and vanished. The Doctor gave them all one more friendly look, and then did the same.
Torchwood Hub, London, Present Day
“Erm… Jack,” Dan called down to the bottom of the Torchwood Hub. “The Hub’s been breached. I’m picking up signals. Weird ones at that.”
“Breached? By what, the rift?” Jack bounded up the stairs towards Dan’s workstation.
“No. Something different. I can’t pick it up.”
“Guys. Get your guns ready. We might be about to be breached,” Jack said. Charlotte, Beth and Gwen walked up the stairs, preparing their weapons.
“By aliens?” Gwen asked.
“Probably,” Dan said. “Trying to isolate the signal now so I can pinpoint where they’re gonna come in.”
They waited, listening to Dan’s computer beep. “The lift”
All five of them aimed up to the lattice doors of the chamber that took people from the underground station above down in to Torchwood’s base. Suddenly, in a flash of light, a man, wearing a leather jacket and satchel with short hair and a tired, bruised face appeared in front of the doorway. Next to him stood a woman.
“Ah, hello. Nice to meet you. I’m the Doctor.”
“Doctor Who?” Charlotte asked.
“You were right, Robin,” the Doctor said.
“She said it. You told me someone would say it,” Robin walked forward, looking over the railing. “This is new,” she said.
“Yes. I’m not quite sure,” the Doctor joined her. “Sorry,” the Doctor smiled at the five below. They had placed their weapons back in their holsters, staring up at them in disbelief.
“Doctor?!” Jack exclaimed. “Dan, bio-scan”
Dan moved over to his computer and began to type. Beth joined him.
“No. That’s not – that’s not him!” Gwen said.
“Two hearts,” Beth’s eyes widened. “Two hearts. He’s got two hearts”
Jack bounded up the stairs to the Doctor. He saluted. There was silence.
“Sorry? Do I know you?” the Doctor asked. “I might do, memory like a sieve. Sometimes. It’s selective.”
“You don’t know me?” Jack took his arm down from his forehead.
“No. Sorry, should I?”
“Jack, what’s happened? He’s changed, he’s different!” Gwen ran up and joined him.
“Yes. I do that,” the Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and began slowly waving it around.
“But I think this must be the Doctor before he met me,” Jack said.
“Oh. You’ve met me, but I haven’t met you. Time travel. It does things like this,” the Doctor slipped his sonic screwdriver back in to his jacket pocket.
“Yeah. Loving this incarnation, by the way. Great shoes. Great everything, if I’m honest.”
“Rein it in, Jack,” Charlotte’s voice came from below. She returned to her desk.
“So, what is all this? Some kind of base, presumably.”
“This is the Torchwood Hub,” Jack said.
“And you’re Torchwood?”
“Yes. Outside the government, beyond the police. We fight aliens”
“Okay. Nice. Now then – sorry, who did you say you were?”
“Ah. Captain Jack Harkness. And who’s your companion?”
“Please don’t,” Robin said bluntly.
“I was just saying hello.”
“Now then, Jack. I’m looking for something that – well, I don’t know, that’s useful. It could’ve come out of the sky recently, these things usually do…”
“I dunno, lots of things fall out of the sky. That’s what we deal with.”
“No, no. This would be specific.”
***
Before long Torchwood, the Doctor and Robin were gathered around the conference table.
“Basically, Robin and I are following a trail, of sorts. These puzzles. They’re not very nice. I’d rather do a nice crossword or word-search. And we’ve been transported here, which means that our next puzzle must be here too.”
Dan opened the lid of his laptop in front of him.
“Something that’s fallen out of the sky? Like a meteor?” Dan said.
“Yes! Like a meteor!”
“Crashed about 15 minutes ago,” Dan continued.
“Which times precisely with their arrival,” Beth looked at her watch.
“Yeah. Message from the police. They want us to come and look at it.”
“No time to lose, then!” the Doctor said. “How do you lot get about? I’ve lost my motor”
***
Jack sat at the wheel of the SUV, with the Doctor next to him. Gwen, Charlotte and Robin sat in the back. The lift that the SUV was mounted on began to glide elegantly upwards. When it reached the top, as per usual, the door slid open and Jack put his foot down, the SUV firing out after a short delay. Jack quickly turned right, flicking a switch that turned on the sirens.
“This is flash,” Robin said.
“This is why I travel by TARDIS.”
“This is a range-rover, that’s a box,” Robin gloated.
“Mine goes anywhere in time and space.”
“But mine’s got sirens. Seriously, yours is a police vehicle and it doesn’t even have sirens,” Jack turned to him.
“It’s not a police vehicle but if we’re being pedantic it’s s a police box, and they don’t have sirens.”
“Can you two shut up?” Gwen asked. “You know, just before I shoot you both”
***
The SUV pulled up outside a tall block of flats that looked ever so slightly lopsided. Each different balcony on each different flat had a complete different look. Some looked like miniature rainforests, a tangle of brightly coloured flowers and dangling leaves and branches. Some held small washing lines that clothes hung from, blowing in the wind like ceremonial banners. Some of them had small deck chairs; some had drying racks, and some hanging baskets. The lawn area outside the flats had been cornered off by blue and white police tape that rattled in the wind. The five climbed out of the SUV and walked towards to policemen. Jack flashed up a wallet that contained what the Doctor saw as a blank piece of paper.
“Psychic paper?” the Doctor said. “How did you get one of those?”
“Oh. Yeah. Don’t worry about it,” Jack slipped the wallet back in to his pocket. They walked towards the centre of the lawn where there was a small dent in the ground, with a ball of rock sat in the middle, the smoke drifting lethargically up to the sky.
“Yes… this looks right,” the Doctor bent over it and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. “Meteors, not my speciality.”
“You told me your speciality was everything,” Robin said.
“Did I? I must be having a bad day. Although it usually is everything. Even knitting. And sheep-herding, hence the prolonged survival of the human race.”
“Is this the right thing?” Charlotte asked.
“I do hope so. It’s definitely not your average meteorite. I’m just waiting for the sonic screwdriver to start working again but it appears to be taking longer than usual.”
Jack knelt down beside him.
“Here, let me try this,” Jack pointed his wrist towards the meteorite. The vortex manipulator began to bleep. The Doctor felt like an idiot for not using his own.
“A vortex manipulator. You’re not from Earth, then?” the Doctor asked.
“No. A bit further away from that. And I’ve been about a bit.”
“So have I,” the Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver.
“Has it worked?” Jack asked.
“Oh dear,” the Doctor wrapped the collar of his jacket around his mouth. “All of you be careful and try to breathe as little of this smoke in as possible. Then again, it’s probably too late now. I expect it’s bonded with the oxygen.”
“What’s happening?” Gwen asked.
“Would you like the good news or the bad news first?”
“The bad news?” Charlotte said.
“We’re all going to be dead in an hour at the least.”
“And the good news?” she said.
“We can stop it,” the Doctor turned to Jack. “Have you got science-y stuff?”
“Yes. Hold on, I’ll phone Beth,” Jack pulled out a mobile phone from the pocket of his coat.
“What is it? What is the smoke?” Robin asked.
“Poison.”
“Bad poison?”
“Bad enough to wipe out Earth within an hour, yes. The compound is probably hanging around over England at the moment and is currently spreading over Europe and will soon hit North America. Give it two minutes and the deaths will start.”
“Doctor,” Jack ran over to him. “Beth wants to speak to you.”
The Doctor took the phone. “Hello!”
“Hello, Doctor,” Beth’s voice came down the phone. “We’ve got a whole database on various poisonous gases, terrestrial and extra-terrestrial. If you give me any readings you’ve picked out then we might be able to track it down.”
“Put her on loudspeaker,” Gwen mouthed. The Doctor pressed the button.
“Right. This is a cocktail of some of the worst dangerous chemicals I’ve ever seen. I’ve registered Spectrox Oxide, DN6,” the Doctor continued to list a mixture of long and short words that Charlotte and Gwen had never heard before.
“Erm… okay,” Beth’s voice came down the phone. “Searching the database now. It’s only narrowed it down to ten results. We’ve got to guess from ten.”
Charlotte stood watching all of this unfolding around her. Her vision slowly began to fade away. It was as if everything was falling down around her. She could hear herself coughing but couldn’t feel it. She felt a small bump as she collided with the ground.
“Oh, no, no,” Gwen ran over to Charlotte who lay sprawled out on the ground. “Jack!”
“Sorry, Beth. Must dash. Charlotte’s collapsed”
“Wait!” Beth cried out.
“What?”
“That could be just what we need. Someone who’s been infected, it could help us narrow it down with the symptoms.”
“Oh! OH! Beth, you are a genius.”
“Am I? Oh, thanks.”
The Doctor dashed over to Charlotte’s body. She was still coughing, occasionally sending up blood with her.
“Right, now, I need everyone to pay attention. Symptoms, what are they, go,” the Doctor said.
“Coughing up blood,” Robin jumped straight in.
“Charlotte?” Jack said. “What can you see?”
“Everything’s... everything’s blurry”
“Blurred vision,” the Doctor clarified. “What else, there has to be more”
Robin placed a hand to Charlotte’s forehead.
“Bloody hell, she’s boiling.”
“Temperature,” the Doctor said. He stood up and began to pace, taking the phone with him. “Does any of this narrow it down at all?”
“Five results,” Beth said. The Doctor ran back over to the others. “What do we know? What do we know about this gas? Anything, anything at all.”
“What do you mean anything? That’s a tad vague,” Robin stood up.
“Anything – how it got here, what it’s doing, what it’s going to do.”
“You said an hour!” Gwen exclaimed. “An hour until it kills us all”
“Oh, yes! Give or take the length of time it took us to get here, probably about an hour and a half in total after the gas is first released,” the Doctor said. “Does that help?”
“Three results.”
“Anything else, go on!”
“I don’t know! It came to Earth in a meteor, does that help?”
“Two results.”
“You said it binds itself with the air,” Gwen said.
“Yep. Does that help?”
“Still two.”
“Oh… oh. Let me think, we arrived around ten minutes ago. As soon as we arrived that gas would’ve started to make our way through our systems. So incubation period, probably between five and fifteen minutes. Which also means it’s probably not far off from getting us.”
“2K 05. That’s what the database is suggesting.”
“What does it say?”
“A poisonous gas that tends to travel deep within samples of alien rock. Presumably from another world. Incubation period five to twenty minutes, clings to the air, can wipe out an entire world between one and two hours.”
“Yes!” the Doctor exclaimed, an air of delight to his voice. “Can we stop it?”
“There’s a known compound that can break it apart from oxygen. The poison will then break down.”
“Where do we start?” the Doctor asked.
“I can probably prepare the compound myself. But we’re going to need a way to release it into the air.”
“I know. Start preparing the cure, we’ll be round at the Hub soon”
The Doctor hung up and tossed the phone over to Jack.
“There’s a cure and Beth is working on it now. We need to get Charlotte into the SUV and head back to the Hub. And then we need to build something.”
“What?” Jack asked.
“At atmospheric converter. Sort of.
It’ll work, trust me”
Jack picked up Charlotte’s body in his arms and brought it over to the SUV, placing it on one of the seats in the back. The others climbed in and Jack quickly started the vehicle up.
“Erm… Jack,” Dan called down to the bottom of the Torchwood Hub. “The Hub’s been breached. I’m picking up signals. Weird ones at that.”
“Breached? By what, the rift?” Jack bounded up the stairs towards Dan’s workstation.
“No. Something different. I can’t pick it up.”
“Guys. Get your guns ready. We might be about to be breached,” Jack said. Charlotte, Beth and Gwen walked up the stairs, preparing their weapons.
“By aliens?” Gwen asked.
“Probably,” Dan said. “Trying to isolate the signal now so I can pinpoint where they’re gonna come in.”
They waited, listening to Dan’s computer beep. “The lift”
All five of them aimed up to the lattice doors of the chamber that took people from the underground station above down in to Torchwood’s base. Suddenly, in a flash of light, a man, wearing a leather jacket and satchel with short hair and a tired, bruised face appeared in front of the doorway. Next to him stood a woman.
“Ah, hello. Nice to meet you. I’m the Doctor.”
“Doctor Who?” Charlotte asked.
“You were right, Robin,” the Doctor said.
“She said it. You told me someone would say it,” Robin walked forward, looking over the railing. “This is new,” she said.
“Yes. I’m not quite sure,” the Doctor joined her. “Sorry,” the Doctor smiled at the five below. They had placed their weapons back in their holsters, staring up at them in disbelief.
“Doctor?!” Jack exclaimed. “Dan, bio-scan”
Dan moved over to his computer and began to type. Beth joined him.
“No. That’s not – that’s not him!” Gwen said.
“Two hearts,” Beth’s eyes widened. “Two hearts. He’s got two hearts”
Jack bounded up the stairs to the Doctor. He saluted. There was silence.
“Sorry? Do I know you?” the Doctor asked. “I might do, memory like a sieve. Sometimes. It’s selective.”
“You don’t know me?” Jack took his arm down from his forehead.
“No. Sorry, should I?”
“Jack, what’s happened? He’s changed, he’s different!” Gwen ran up and joined him.
“Yes. I do that,” the Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and began slowly waving it around.
“But I think this must be the Doctor before he met me,” Jack said.
“Oh. You’ve met me, but I haven’t met you. Time travel. It does things like this,” the Doctor slipped his sonic screwdriver back in to his jacket pocket.
“Yeah. Loving this incarnation, by the way. Great shoes. Great everything, if I’m honest.”
“Rein it in, Jack,” Charlotte’s voice came from below. She returned to her desk.
“So, what is all this? Some kind of base, presumably.”
“This is the Torchwood Hub,” Jack said.
“And you’re Torchwood?”
“Yes. Outside the government, beyond the police. We fight aliens”
“Okay. Nice. Now then – sorry, who did you say you were?”
“Ah. Captain Jack Harkness. And who’s your companion?”
“Please don’t,” Robin said bluntly.
“I was just saying hello.”
“Now then, Jack. I’m looking for something that – well, I don’t know, that’s useful. It could’ve come out of the sky recently, these things usually do…”
“I dunno, lots of things fall out of the sky. That’s what we deal with.”
“No, no. This would be specific.”
***
Before long Torchwood, the Doctor and Robin were gathered around the conference table.
“Basically, Robin and I are following a trail, of sorts. These puzzles. They’re not very nice. I’d rather do a nice crossword or word-search. And we’ve been transported here, which means that our next puzzle must be here too.”
Dan opened the lid of his laptop in front of him.
“Something that’s fallen out of the sky? Like a meteor?” Dan said.
“Yes! Like a meteor!”
“Crashed about 15 minutes ago,” Dan continued.
“Which times precisely with their arrival,” Beth looked at her watch.
“Yeah. Message from the police. They want us to come and look at it.”
“No time to lose, then!” the Doctor said. “How do you lot get about? I’ve lost my motor”
***
Jack sat at the wheel of the SUV, with the Doctor next to him. Gwen, Charlotte and Robin sat in the back. The lift that the SUV was mounted on began to glide elegantly upwards. When it reached the top, as per usual, the door slid open and Jack put his foot down, the SUV firing out after a short delay. Jack quickly turned right, flicking a switch that turned on the sirens.
“This is flash,” Robin said.
“This is why I travel by TARDIS.”
“This is a range-rover, that’s a box,” Robin gloated.
“Mine goes anywhere in time and space.”
“But mine’s got sirens. Seriously, yours is a police vehicle and it doesn’t even have sirens,” Jack turned to him.
“It’s not a police vehicle but if we’re being pedantic it’s s a police box, and they don’t have sirens.”
“Can you two shut up?” Gwen asked. “You know, just before I shoot you both”
***
The SUV pulled up outside a tall block of flats that looked ever so slightly lopsided. Each different balcony on each different flat had a complete different look. Some looked like miniature rainforests, a tangle of brightly coloured flowers and dangling leaves and branches. Some held small washing lines that clothes hung from, blowing in the wind like ceremonial banners. Some of them had small deck chairs; some had drying racks, and some hanging baskets. The lawn area outside the flats had been cornered off by blue and white police tape that rattled in the wind. The five climbed out of the SUV and walked towards to policemen. Jack flashed up a wallet that contained what the Doctor saw as a blank piece of paper.
“Psychic paper?” the Doctor said. “How did you get one of those?”
“Oh. Yeah. Don’t worry about it,” Jack slipped the wallet back in to his pocket. They walked towards the centre of the lawn where there was a small dent in the ground, with a ball of rock sat in the middle, the smoke drifting lethargically up to the sky.
“Yes… this looks right,” the Doctor bent over it and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. “Meteors, not my speciality.”
“You told me your speciality was everything,” Robin said.
“Did I? I must be having a bad day. Although it usually is everything. Even knitting. And sheep-herding, hence the prolonged survival of the human race.”
“Is this the right thing?” Charlotte asked.
“I do hope so. It’s definitely not your average meteorite. I’m just waiting for the sonic screwdriver to start working again but it appears to be taking longer than usual.”
Jack knelt down beside him.
“Here, let me try this,” Jack pointed his wrist towards the meteorite. The vortex manipulator began to bleep. The Doctor felt like an idiot for not using his own.
“A vortex manipulator. You’re not from Earth, then?” the Doctor asked.
“No. A bit further away from that. And I’ve been about a bit.”
“So have I,” the Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver.
“Has it worked?” Jack asked.
“Oh dear,” the Doctor wrapped the collar of his jacket around his mouth. “All of you be careful and try to breathe as little of this smoke in as possible. Then again, it’s probably too late now. I expect it’s bonded with the oxygen.”
“What’s happening?” Gwen asked.
“Would you like the good news or the bad news first?”
“The bad news?” Charlotte said.
“We’re all going to be dead in an hour at the least.”
“And the good news?” she said.
“We can stop it,” the Doctor turned to Jack. “Have you got science-y stuff?”
“Yes. Hold on, I’ll phone Beth,” Jack pulled out a mobile phone from the pocket of his coat.
“What is it? What is the smoke?” Robin asked.
“Poison.”
“Bad poison?”
“Bad enough to wipe out Earth within an hour, yes. The compound is probably hanging around over England at the moment and is currently spreading over Europe and will soon hit North America. Give it two minutes and the deaths will start.”
“Doctor,” Jack ran over to him. “Beth wants to speak to you.”
The Doctor took the phone. “Hello!”
“Hello, Doctor,” Beth’s voice came down the phone. “We’ve got a whole database on various poisonous gases, terrestrial and extra-terrestrial. If you give me any readings you’ve picked out then we might be able to track it down.”
“Put her on loudspeaker,” Gwen mouthed. The Doctor pressed the button.
“Right. This is a cocktail of some of the worst dangerous chemicals I’ve ever seen. I’ve registered Spectrox Oxide, DN6,” the Doctor continued to list a mixture of long and short words that Charlotte and Gwen had never heard before.
“Erm… okay,” Beth’s voice came down the phone. “Searching the database now. It’s only narrowed it down to ten results. We’ve got to guess from ten.”
Charlotte stood watching all of this unfolding around her. Her vision slowly began to fade away. It was as if everything was falling down around her. She could hear herself coughing but couldn’t feel it. She felt a small bump as she collided with the ground.
“Oh, no, no,” Gwen ran over to Charlotte who lay sprawled out on the ground. “Jack!”
“Sorry, Beth. Must dash. Charlotte’s collapsed”
“Wait!” Beth cried out.
“What?”
“That could be just what we need. Someone who’s been infected, it could help us narrow it down with the symptoms.”
“Oh! OH! Beth, you are a genius.”
“Am I? Oh, thanks.”
The Doctor dashed over to Charlotte’s body. She was still coughing, occasionally sending up blood with her.
“Right, now, I need everyone to pay attention. Symptoms, what are they, go,” the Doctor said.
“Coughing up blood,” Robin jumped straight in.
“Charlotte?” Jack said. “What can you see?”
“Everything’s... everything’s blurry”
“Blurred vision,” the Doctor clarified. “What else, there has to be more”
Robin placed a hand to Charlotte’s forehead.
“Bloody hell, she’s boiling.”
“Temperature,” the Doctor said. He stood up and began to pace, taking the phone with him. “Does any of this narrow it down at all?”
“Five results,” Beth said. The Doctor ran back over to the others. “What do we know? What do we know about this gas? Anything, anything at all.”
“What do you mean anything? That’s a tad vague,” Robin stood up.
“Anything – how it got here, what it’s doing, what it’s going to do.”
“You said an hour!” Gwen exclaimed. “An hour until it kills us all”
“Oh, yes! Give or take the length of time it took us to get here, probably about an hour and a half in total after the gas is first released,” the Doctor said. “Does that help?”
“Three results.”
“Anything else, go on!”
“I don’t know! It came to Earth in a meteor, does that help?”
“Two results.”
“You said it binds itself with the air,” Gwen said.
“Yep. Does that help?”
“Still two.”
“Oh… oh. Let me think, we arrived around ten minutes ago. As soon as we arrived that gas would’ve started to make our way through our systems. So incubation period, probably between five and fifteen minutes. Which also means it’s probably not far off from getting us.”
“2K 05. That’s what the database is suggesting.”
“What does it say?”
“A poisonous gas that tends to travel deep within samples of alien rock. Presumably from another world. Incubation period five to twenty minutes, clings to the air, can wipe out an entire world between one and two hours.”
“Yes!” the Doctor exclaimed, an air of delight to his voice. “Can we stop it?”
“There’s a known compound that can break it apart from oxygen. The poison will then break down.”
“Where do we start?” the Doctor asked.
“I can probably prepare the compound myself. But we’re going to need a way to release it into the air.”
“I know. Start preparing the cure, we’ll be round at the Hub soon”
The Doctor hung up and tossed the phone over to Jack.
“There’s a cure and Beth is working on it now. We need to get Charlotte into the SUV and head back to the Hub. And then we need to build something.”
“What?” Jack asked.
“At atmospheric converter. Sort of.
It’ll work, trust me”
Jack picked up Charlotte’s body in his arms and brought it over to the SUV, placing it on one of the seats in the back. The others climbed in and Jack quickly started the vehicle up.
“Dan!” the Doctor strode into the Hub. Gwen and Robin followed him, with Jack close behind, a sleeping Charlotte in his arms. Jack walked over to the medical bay and gently placed her on the bed, stroking a strand of hair out of her face.
“Doctor!” Dan was sat at his computer, monitoring the meteor. “Having taken the usual spread pattern of the poison I’ve applied that to a map of the Earth, so we can see how far it’s gone. Pretty much the entire of the northern hemisphere has been caught under it now.”
“Well done!” the Doctor walked over to him. “I need you to help me build an atmospheric converter.”
“How do we do it? It’s probably possible; we’ve got a whole storage bunker filled with all sorts of bits of equipment. We’ve got it all documented on the system.”
“Right, shift, I’ll see if we have all the equipment.”
***
“Can you do it? You can heal her, right?” Jack said.
“I hope so,” Beth dashed about pouring test tubes in to a beaker.
“She looks very pale,” Robin said. “She can’t have long left.”
“I don’t think she does,” Beth moved the beaker over to the bed, with a test tube in her other hand.
“I’m only going to release a small amount of gas. And I really hope this works because I’ve never tried anything like it before.”
There was silence as Beth poured a tiny bit of liquid into the beaker.
Dan and the Doctor sat at a bench opposite his computer, soldering bits of wire together.
“What does this actually do?”
“Normally, it’ll clear the atmosphere. But this is a modified version, instead it will release a new gas into the atmosphere – the cure – that’ll clear away the poison.”
“Oh, clever,” Dan picked up a large, metal tube from behind him. He held it steady as the Doctor threaded the wires through the middle.
***
Gas began to spill from the beaker and Charlotte began to convulse on the table. Gwen, Jack and Robin stood back in horror. Colour began to return to Charlotte’s face and slowly she began to wake up.
“It’s working,” Jack said. Beth breathed a sigh of relief.
The Doctor placed the long, metal tube on a stand and picked it up.
“This should, hopefully, work,” the Doctor dashed over to the medical bay, where Charlotte sat alive and well.
“I’ve got the cure,” Beth said. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” the Doctor placed the device on the ground.
***
The Doctor, Robin and Jack stood on a rooftop. They could see the city below them, and they watched as people slowly began to fall victim to the gas. There were screams and cries and shouts as bit by bit, the human race began to die.
“Oh. I really hope this works,” the Doctor placed the atmospheric converter in the centre of the roof.
“So do I,” Robin said. “Seriously, you’ve got a lot riding on this one.”
“Good luck,” Jack smiled. “I know you’ll manage it. You always did. You always will do”
“I don’t know who you are, yet, but I look forward to it,” the Doctor knelt down by the device and pressed a small, red button at the base. He quickly moved back, as a blinding ball of bright blue fire leapt up to the sky and grew bigger as it went, exploding and covering the sky a shimmering, glittering blue.
“Is it – is it working?” Robin looked down at the streets below her. Suddenly Jack’s phone began to ring.
“Jack,” Dan said. “It’s worked. The gas is clearing up, it’s stopped.”
“We did it?” Jack exclaimed. Robin turned around and cheered.
“Yep. We did it,” Dan said.
“I’ll be back soon. Hold on,” Jack hung up. “Doctor. You stopped it”
“I couldn’t have done it without Torchwood,” he smiled. “And oh! The coordinates. 2K 05. That isn’t just the compound name. They’ve got to be the coordinates too.”
Suddenly a thin, blue scar opened up on the rooftop.
“That’s the rift,” Jack said. “Is that how you’re going to your next location, or whatever?”
“I should think so,” the Doctor looked in to the blue light.
“Well. I should be going,” Jack turned towards the ladder that led down below.
“Thank you, Jack. It was a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to you meeting me.”
“Yeah. It’s fun. You’ll have a great time. Without giving anything away, or anything. It’s great, though.”
“I look forward to it,” the Doctor said. Jack stood by the ladder and saluted, before making his way back down in to the building. The Doctor and Robin stood on the building in silence.
“You seem to have brightened up,” observed Robin. “That’s good. It’s because of Jack, isn’t it?” She looked up at the Doctor, smiling in ostensible understanding. “You know you’ve got a future. Some hope.”
“Doctor!” Dan was sat at his computer, monitoring the meteor. “Having taken the usual spread pattern of the poison I’ve applied that to a map of the Earth, so we can see how far it’s gone. Pretty much the entire of the northern hemisphere has been caught under it now.”
“Well done!” the Doctor walked over to him. “I need you to help me build an atmospheric converter.”
“How do we do it? It’s probably possible; we’ve got a whole storage bunker filled with all sorts of bits of equipment. We’ve got it all documented on the system.”
“Right, shift, I’ll see if we have all the equipment.”
***
“Can you do it? You can heal her, right?” Jack said.
“I hope so,” Beth dashed about pouring test tubes in to a beaker.
“She looks very pale,” Robin said. “She can’t have long left.”
“I don’t think she does,” Beth moved the beaker over to the bed, with a test tube in her other hand.
“I’m only going to release a small amount of gas. And I really hope this works because I’ve never tried anything like it before.”
There was silence as Beth poured a tiny bit of liquid into the beaker.
Dan and the Doctor sat at a bench opposite his computer, soldering bits of wire together.
“What does this actually do?”
“Normally, it’ll clear the atmosphere. But this is a modified version, instead it will release a new gas into the atmosphere – the cure – that’ll clear away the poison.”
“Oh, clever,” Dan picked up a large, metal tube from behind him. He held it steady as the Doctor threaded the wires through the middle.
***
Gas began to spill from the beaker and Charlotte began to convulse on the table. Gwen, Jack and Robin stood back in horror. Colour began to return to Charlotte’s face and slowly she began to wake up.
“It’s working,” Jack said. Beth breathed a sigh of relief.
The Doctor placed the long, metal tube on a stand and picked it up.
“This should, hopefully, work,” the Doctor dashed over to the medical bay, where Charlotte sat alive and well.
“I’ve got the cure,” Beth said. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” the Doctor placed the device on the ground.
***
The Doctor, Robin and Jack stood on a rooftop. They could see the city below them, and they watched as people slowly began to fall victim to the gas. There were screams and cries and shouts as bit by bit, the human race began to die.
“Oh. I really hope this works,” the Doctor placed the atmospheric converter in the centre of the roof.
“So do I,” Robin said. “Seriously, you’ve got a lot riding on this one.”
“Good luck,” Jack smiled. “I know you’ll manage it. You always did. You always will do”
“I don’t know who you are, yet, but I look forward to it,” the Doctor knelt down by the device and pressed a small, red button at the base. He quickly moved back, as a blinding ball of bright blue fire leapt up to the sky and grew bigger as it went, exploding and covering the sky a shimmering, glittering blue.
“Is it – is it working?” Robin looked down at the streets below her. Suddenly Jack’s phone began to ring.
“Jack,” Dan said. “It’s worked. The gas is clearing up, it’s stopped.”
“We did it?” Jack exclaimed. Robin turned around and cheered.
“Yep. We did it,” Dan said.
“I’ll be back soon. Hold on,” Jack hung up. “Doctor. You stopped it”
“I couldn’t have done it without Torchwood,” he smiled. “And oh! The coordinates. 2K 05. That isn’t just the compound name. They’ve got to be the coordinates too.”
Suddenly a thin, blue scar opened up on the rooftop.
“That’s the rift,” Jack said. “Is that how you’re going to your next location, or whatever?”
“I should think so,” the Doctor looked in to the blue light.
“Well. I should be going,” Jack turned towards the ladder that led down below.
“Thank you, Jack. It was a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to you meeting me.”
“Yeah. It’s fun. You’ll have a great time. Without giving anything away, or anything. It’s great, though.”
“I look forward to it,” the Doctor said. Jack stood by the ladder and saluted, before making his way back down in to the building. The Doctor and Robin stood on the building in silence.
“You seem to have brightened up,” observed Robin. “That’s good. It’s because of Jack, isn’t it?” She looked up at the Doctor, smiling in ostensible understanding. “You know you’ve got a future. Some hope.”
“No.” The Doctor shook his head sadly. “That’s not what it is at all – I was just making the most of it. This is it. She’s brought me back to the present day because I’m about to reach the end of the trail. We’re approaching the point of no return.” He pointed east. “Coal Hill School. Go to work, Robin Moon. Go back to your life and I’ll go forwards to mine.”
“You said I’d be safe.”
“I lied. Again. You’ll never be safe around me.”
“You said you needed me too. Were you lying about that?”
“Honestly?” The Doctor looked back out at the horizon. “Yes. I didn’t need you here. I just… wanted you here. I missed you.”
“You’re not the only one who’s lying, Doctor.”
“What do you mean?” asked the Doctor, confused.
“I’ll tell you eventually. It doesn’t matter right now.” Robin reached out and held the Doctor’s hand, tracing her finger delicately along its scars. “What matters right now is that I’m never going to leave you. It doesn’t matter if I’m safe or if you need me.”
“Thank you.”
***
Trenzalore
The Doctor pushed on through the snow, breathing in the fresh, cold air. He looked back to Robin, fairy-lights illuminating her face in the night. She brushed a pine tree as she walked past, admiring the village. It was a beautiful, picturesque place; the kind of town where nothing could go wrong, ever. A place too perfect for one to ever live in. The Doctor sensed something deeper – not sinister, but final. Anywhere this tranquil could surely only be a place of rest, and that could only mean one thing.
“End of the line,” remarked the Doctor. “She’s here, I know she is.”
Robin wondered if the Doctor meant Autumn or the TARDIS. “You know you’ll be alright. That Jack guy, he was from your future. That means you’ve got one.”
“Time’s in flux; my life, Robin, could go either way. And yours. Which is why I didn’t want you to come here, but now we’re here you might as well tell me. Your home was looking better than I’ve ever seen it, you’re looking better than I’ve ever seen you and the last time we met the only good thing to happen to you was a new job. What’s your secret?”
“A job that you got me. Oh my God, you don’t realise, do you?” She stopped along the path. “This was all you. You found me that job and I met Chris – Mr McKnight, I mean. He was just my boss, but we clicked straight away. Then you were away for so long, and, well… we got engaged.” She said it like it was nothing.
“Engaged?” The Doctor gasped. “Robin, if I’d have known…”
“If you’d have known, you wouldn’t have let me come with you, which is precisely why I wouldn’t let you know until now. Doctor, I only met him because of you. You might have screwed up my life but you fixed it to a standard better than it ever was without you. You owe me nothing. If anything, I’m indebted to you. So here I am.”
The Doctor searched for a response. “I-“
Autumn Rivers cleared her throat.
The Doctor froze, suddenly wide awake.
Robin turned too, realising from the Doctor’s reaction.
“Well this is all rather lovely, isn’t it?” Autumn approached the pair. “We’ve never met, Robin, but I’d like to congratulate you on your engagement. As far as unnatural and hackneyed unions of two individuals with specious delusions of love go, yours really reaches out to me.” She circled Robin like a hunter studying its prey. Robin unwittingly joined in, standing completely still. “And you, Doctor.” Autumn turned her head sharply. “It’s been, what, four years since we last met in the flesh. Only a week for me, of course, but that’s life as a time traveller.” She strode up to the Doctor, reading him as he’d presented himself. “Four years… how were they? Lonely? Painful?”
“Something like that,” uttered the Doctor.
A knife came between the two of them.
“Enough,” decreed Robin, keeping a tight grip on it and pointing in Autumn’s direction.
“Robin!” exclaimed the Doctor. “When-“
“Before we left, Doctor. You’ve been inattentive all day, not noticing anything. That’s why I told you to get some rest. But I knew how much you cared about Autumn, and I knew this would happen.” She turned to address Autumn. “I understand you’re angry. Really, I do. And I understand everything you’re feeling because once I felt the exact same thing. But this has got to stop. You’ve done enough. You’ve punished him enough. This conflict is over.”
“Says the woman holding a knife to me,” whispered Autumn. “I wonder, could you do it? Not that it matters. I can assure you that the Doctor was the only one to come unprepared.”
Before Robin could react, a gun was being pointed to her head. Two weapons, of roughly equal size, pointed in two different directions, in perfect balance. “If you stab me, I fire, and who knows who will be hit. If I shoot you… well, there’s no time to do anything then, is there?” Autumn laughed. “I hope you can see who’s in charge here, Robin.”
Reluctantly, Robin lowered her knife. “And where exactly is ‘here’?”
“Doctor?” called Autumn. “Any thoughts on the matter?”
“I’ll let you explain. You were always very good at it.”
“This is Trenzalore,” explained Autumn. “I’ve been here a while and done some research.” She gestured to the clock tower in the distance. “The Doctor’s over there, very slowly dying a long way in his future. This is his final resting place.”
“And do you know what that means?” tested the Doctor.
“Go on then. What does it mean?”
“It means you have two choices.” The Doctor swallowed. Autumn marvelled at how calm both parties were, the Doctor especially; thoughtful, articulate and even polite. “The first choice is that you kill me now. I’ll die here, and the version of me inside the clock-tower will cease to exist. The vortex manipulator will be yours, and you can travel the stars.”
“Sounds like a plan,” teased Autumn.
“The second choice,” continued the Doctor unaffected, “is that you take me to the TARDIS. I’ll use the very little life she has left to do something that hasn’t been done for a very long time – open your mind. I’ll connect you to the telepathic circuit at last and you can see everything how it is.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because the TARDIS is dying. All she’s ever felt is gone, but she’s still a time machine. If I open your mind you’ll see into a controlled fragment of the time vortex. Shattered time, if you like. You won’t see things from my perspective, but you won’t see them from your own either. You’ll see everything how it is, unbiased and true. And then you can make another decision – an informed one.”
“You could be lying.”
“He’s not,” interjected Robin. “I can tell. I think you can too.”
“Fine,” agreed Autumn. “Option two. It’s about time somebody told me the truth.”
“You said I’d be safe.”
“I lied. Again. You’ll never be safe around me.”
“You said you needed me too. Were you lying about that?”
“Honestly?” The Doctor looked back out at the horizon. “Yes. I didn’t need you here. I just… wanted you here. I missed you.”
“You’re not the only one who’s lying, Doctor.”
“What do you mean?” asked the Doctor, confused.
“I’ll tell you eventually. It doesn’t matter right now.” Robin reached out and held the Doctor’s hand, tracing her finger delicately along its scars. “What matters right now is that I’m never going to leave you. It doesn’t matter if I’m safe or if you need me.”
“Thank you.”
***
Trenzalore
The Doctor pushed on through the snow, breathing in the fresh, cold air. He looked back to Robin, fairy-lights illuminating her face in the night. She brushed a pine tree as she walked past, admiring the village. It was a beautiful, picturesque place; the kind of town where nothing could go wrong, ever. A place too perfect for one to ever live in. The Doctor sensed something deeper – not sinister, but final. Anywhere this tranquil could surely only be a place of rest, and that could only mean one thing.
“End of the line,” remarked the Doctor. “She’s here, I know she is.”
Robin wondered if the Doctor meant Autumn or the TARDIS. “You know you’ll be alright. That Jack guy, he was from your future. That means you’ve got one.”
“Time’s in flux; my life, Robin, could go either way. And yours. Which is why I didn’t want you to come here, but now we’re here you might as well tell me. Your home was looking better than I’ve ever seen it, you’re looking better than I’ve ever seen you and the last time we met the only good thing to happen to you was a new job. What’s your secret?”
“A job that you got me. Oh my God, you don’t realise, do you?” She stopped along the path. “This was all you. You found me that job and I met Chris – Mr McKnight, I mean. He was just my boss, but we clicked straight away. Then you were away for so long, and, well… we got engaged.” She said it like it was nothing.
“Engaged?” The Doctor gasped. “Robin, if I’d have known…”
“If you’d have known, you wouldn’t have let me come with you, which is precisely why I wouldn’t let you know until now. Doctor, I only met him because of you. You might have screwed up my life but you fixed it to a standard better than it ever was without you. You owe me nothing. If anything, I’m indebted to you. So here I am.”
The Doctor searched for a response. “I-“
Autumn Rivers cleared her throat.
The Doctor froze, suddenly wide awake.
Robin turned too, realising from the Doctor’s reaction.
“Well this is all rather lovely, isn’t it?” Autumn approached the pair. “We’ve never met, Robin, but I’d like to congratulate you on your engagement. As far as unnatural and hackneyed unions of two individuals with specious delusions of love go, yours really reaches out to me.” She circled Robin like a hunter studying its prey. Robin unwittingly joined in, standing completely still. “And you, Doctor.” Autumn turned her head sharply. “It’s been, what, four years since we last met in the flesh. Only a week for me, of course, but that’s life as a time traveller.” She strode up to the Doctor, reading him as he’d presented himself. “Four years… how were they? Lonely? Painful?”
“Something like that,” uttered the Doctor.
A knife came between the two of them.
“Enough,” decreed Robin, keeping a tight grip on it and pointing in Autumn’s direction.
“Robin!” exclaimed the Doctor. “When-“
“Before we left, Doctor. You’ve been inattentive all day, not noticing anything. That’s why I told you to get some rest. But I knew how much you cared about Autumn, and I knew this would happen.” She turned to address Autumn. “I understand you’re angry. Really, I do. And I understand everything you’re feeling because once I felt the exact same thing. But this has got to stop. You’ve done enough. You’ve punished him enough. This conflict is over.”
“Says the woman holding a knife to me,” whispered Autumn. “I wonder, could you do it? Not that it matters. I can assure you that the Doctor was the only one to come unprepared.”
Before Robin could react, a gun was being pointed to her head. Two weapons, of roughly equal size, pointed in two different directions, in perfect balance. “If you stab me, I fire, and who knows who will be hit. If I shoot you… well, there’s no time to do anything then, is there?” Autumn laughed. “I hope you can see who’s in charge here, Robin.”
Reluctantly, Robin lowered her knife. “And where exactly is ‘here’?”
“Doctor?” called Autumn. “Any thoughts on the matter?”
“I’ll let you explain. You were always very good at it.”
“This is Trenzalore,” explained Autumn. “I’ve been here a while and done some research.” She gestured to the clock tower in the distance. “The Doctor’s over there, very slowly dying a long way in his future. This is his final resting place.”
“And do you know what that means?” tested the Doctor.
“Go on then. What does it mean?”
“It means you have two choices.” The Doctor swallowed. Autumn marvelled at how calm both parties were, the Doctor especially; thoughtful, articulate and even polite. “The first choice is that you kill me now. I’ll die here, and the version of me inside the clock-tower will cease to exist. The vortex manipulator will be yours, and you can travel the stars.”
“Sounds like a plan,” teased Autumn.
“The second choice,” continued the Doctor unaffected, “is that you take me to the TARDIS. I’ll use the very little life she has left to do something that hasn’t been done for a very long time – open your mind. I’ll connect you to the telepathic circuit at last and you can see everything how it is.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because the TARDIS is dying. All she’s ever felt is gone, but she’s still a time machine. If I open your mind you’ll see into a controlled fragment of the time vortex. Shattered time, if you like. You won’t see things from my perspective, but you won’t see them from your own either. You’ll see everything how it is, unbiased and true. And then you can make another decision – an informed one.”
“You could be lying.”
“He’s not,” interjected Robin. “I can tell. I think you can too.”
“Fine,” agreed Autumn. “Option two. It’s about time somebody told me the truth.”
“Hello, old girl.” The Doctor sighed, carrying a lantern around the pitch-black console room. It was dead, even the sound of the engines had died down. The place smelt of dust and age.
“You know I’ll probably kill you anyway?” Autumn took a seat on the couch. “Still, I admire your self-belief, even if it is a little disgusting. You really do believe that you’re right here, don’t you?”
“I don’t believe I’m right,” said the Doctor, reaching underneath the console unit. “I believe I was wrong but reasoned. I believe I made a mistake, like anyone does. Like children, like leaders and workers and –“he stopped, undoing a latch and turning to face Autumn- “and like you, Autumn Rivers. Come over here. Robin, hold the lantern.”
Robin shone the lantern over the wires as the Doctor wrapped one around Autumn’s wrist. “I hope you can tolerate tingling.” The Doctor jabbed Autumn with a needle. Her arm quickly recoiled. “When I press this button, you’ll see the truth. Are you ready?”
Autumn nodded.
The Doctor looked down at the switch, hoping he was right. His finger hovered over it.
Do I have the right? To show right and wrong, whole truth, and all of time?
Of course, he concluded. I always did.
He flicked the switch.
The lights flickered on in the TARDIS and the hum of the engine returned. A warm red hue filled the room. Autumn stepped back, tripping on the stair. Her eyes opened wide, her pupils swirling blue and red like the time vortex, and past and future alike collided in her mind.
Full truth was a terrifying, terrible thing.
Autumn remembered what the Doctor had told her back at the beginning of time.
“The heart of the TARDIS has the power to change minds and hearts together.”
She fought to regain control, searching desperately for her own response. What had she said? What could anyone say to that?
She found it, remembering, and everything finally made sense.
“So do you.”
Autumn Rivers picked herself up, her body feeling suddenly heavy and like her own. For so long she’d felt like a ghost, passing through all lives including her own. Now all the weight was on her own shoulders. She reached out and embraced the Doctor, teary-eyed.
“I’m sorry,” she cried, burying her head in his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I’m…”
The Doctor hushed her, keeping firm hold of her in his arms. He nodded to Robin, a lump in her throat. It’s over.
***
Autumn sat on a bench outside the TARDIS, rubbing her hands together to warm them. Her head was heavy with tears.
“What now?”
“I’ve sent the trail.” The Doctor chuckled faintly. “I thought it was you all along luring me here, but it was me, knowing I could save you. A paradox. So,” he started, tapping the side of the TARDIS. “Come with me again. She’ll get better soon enough now her circuits are unscrambled. Robin’s going home to her fiancé. I’ll need some company, and you enjoyed it enough the first time, didn’t you?”
“I can’t,” murmured Autumn. “Not after what she showed me. Everything I put you through. If I’d… if I’d opened my eyes…”
“You lost everything.” The Doctor sat next to Autumn on the bench and put an arm around her. “You lost your parents. You lost your friends. You lost your whole world and for the rest of us it was just an administrative error. And you floated through space, all on your own, trapped and isolated for years. That’s enough to send anyone mad, and you, being you, were clever enough to latch onto the last mission you were given. You were brave and I was an idiot.” He patted her on the knee. “You owe me nothing. But, if you like, we can be equal. And we can start again.”
“But after everything, how can you trust me again?”
“I can hope.” The Doctor smiled. “I’m good at that.”
“Maybe there’s more to it than that.” Autumn perked up. “Let me fly the TARDIS. I’ll take off and come back for you. I could leave you here, but I won’t. That’s proof enough.”
“You mean…” Robin tried to comprehend it. “Like a trust exercise?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“That could work.” The Doctor considered. “If it’s what you want, go for it.”
***
Lord Dalta pressed the button which would open the door to his office, scanning anyone who entered and stopping any who were unrecognised. His personal security system was one of the most expensive in the galaxy but he was one of the most expensive men in the galaxy. Little was known about him, though his life story was easy enough to get hold of. Too easy, perhaps.
He admired his face in the reflection of his computer screen, all plastic and perfect. If one were to make an action figure of him, executing exact likeness would be no problematic task.
“Miss Rivers.”
Autumn stood courteously in front of the desk, her arms behind her back.
“What can I do for you?”
“There’s been a change of plan,” said Autumn formally, though her eyes were as ever functioning like a piece of x-ray equipment, scanning his whole form thoroughly. He should have paid for her instead of personal security. “The Doctor is alive and we are travelling together again.”
Dalta cursed. “You said he wouldn’t leave the Dalek Camp. You said he was as good as dead. You should have killed-“
“Lord Dalta, tell me.” Autumn pulled up a chair and sat down. “What do you know of the Dalek Camps?”
“I know that no one escapes,” he said, picking up and fiddling with a pen. “I know it’s a fate worse than death.”
“Exactly.” Autumn smiled. “If the Doctor can escape a Dalek Camp, death is no boundary at all. Do you think he’s just another target to be killed? He’s an utterly unique case. Accordingly, we must treat him and plan as such.”
“But he doesn’t trust you.”
“He does. I’ve made sure of that. The Doctor thinks his ship has made everything alright, but he’s so far from the truth. She’s inspired me, yes. Against him. I have a plan. A bigger, better plan that will destroy the Doctor once and for all. It concerns him – and a very, very close friend of his.”
“Are you sure we can risk this? I don’t want you taking liberties.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing and it’s all aimed at the Doctor. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated as I go.” Autumn got up. “But for now, I’m going to have adventures, and everything is going to be like a storybook. He won’t suspect a thing. Do you understand?”
“Perfectly.”
“Good. Because I need you on my side, Lord Dalta, and I need you close. This is only just the beginning, and soon the whole universe will have turned against the Time Lord. I wouldn’t want them against you as well.”
***
The Doctor considered the possibility that Autumn had lied one last time. That the TARDIS had shown her something else – something to turn her against the Doctor once and for all. He considered that he’d be trapped in his own resting place indefinitely; that the Doctor inside the clock-tower had arrived then and never left, and that Autumn Rivers would have the TARDIS, forever, and no one would be able to save her.
The sound of wheezing and groaning made him cast the prospect aside once and for all. Somehow, he trusted Autumn more than anyone now. The Doctor chuckled as snowdrops settled on Robin’s head.
Autumn poked her head out of the door, now changed into new attire. “Well then,” she called. “What are you waiting for?”
“You know I’ll probably kill you anyway?” Autumn took a seat on the couch. “Still, I admire your self-belief, even if it is a little disgusting. You really do believe that you’re right here, don’t you?”
“I don’t believe I’m right,” said the Doctor, reaching underneath the console unit. “I believe I was wrong but reasoned. I believe I made a mistake, like anyone does. Like children, like leaders and workers and –“he stopped, undoing a latch and turning to face Autumn- “and like you, Autumn Rivers. Come over here. Robin, hold the lantern.”
Robin shone the lantern over the wires as the Doctor wrapped one around Autumn’s wrist. “I hope you can tolerate tingling.” The Doctor jabbed Autumn with a needle. Her arm quickly recoiled. “When I press this button, you’ll see the truth. Are you ready?”
Autumn nodded.
The Doctor looked down at the switch, hoping he was right. His finger hovered over it.
Do I have the right? To show right and wrong, whole truth, and all of time?
Of course, he concluded. I always did.
He flicked the switch.
The lights flickered on in the TARDIS and the hum of the engine returned. A warm red hue filled the room. Autumn stepped back, tripping on the stair. Her eyes opened wide, her pupils swirling blue and red like the time vortex, and past and future alike collided in her mind.
Full truth was a terrifying, terrible thing.
Autumn remembered what the Doctor had told her back at the beginning of time.
“The heart of the TARDIS has the power to change minds and hearts together.”
She fought to regain control, searching desperately for her own response. What had she said? What could anyone say to that?
She found it, remembering, and everything finally made sense.
“So do you.”
Autumn Rivers picked herself up, her body feeling suddenly heavy and like her own. For so long she’d felt like a ghost, passing through all lives including her own. Now all the weight was on her own shoulders. She reached out and embraced the Doctor, teary-eyed.
“I’m sorry,” she cried, burying her head in his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I’m…”
The Doctor hushed her, keeping firm hold of her in his arms. He nodded to Robin, a lump in her throat. It’s over.
***
Autumn sat on a bench outside the TARDIS, rubbing her hands together to warm them. Her head was heavy with tears.
“What now?”
“I’ve sent the trail.” The Doctor chuckled faintly. “I thought it was you all along luring me here, but it was me, knowing I could save you. A paradox. So,” he started, tapping the side of the TARDIS. “Come with me again. She’ll get better soon enough now her circuits are unscrambled. Robin’s going home to her fiancé. I’ll need some company, and you enjoyed it enough the first time, didn’t you?”
“I can’t,” murmured Autumn. “Not after what she showed me. Everything I put you through. If I’d… if I’d opened my eyes…”
“You lost everything.” The Doctor sat next to Autumn on the bench and put an arm around her. “You lost your parents. You lost your friends. You lost your whole world and for the rest of us it was just an administrative error. And you floated through space, all on your own, trapped and isolated for years. That’s enough to send anyone mad, and you, being you, were clever enough to latch onto the last mission you were given. You were brave and I was an idiot.” He patted her on the knee. “You owe me nothing. But, if you like, we can be equal. And we can start again.”
“But after everything, how can you trust me again?”
“I can hope.” The Doctor smiled. “I’m good at that.”
“Maybe there’s more to it than that.” Autumn perked up. “Let me fly the TARDIS. I’ll take off and come back for you. I could leave you here, but I won’t. That’s proof enough.”
“You mean…” Robin tried to comprehend it. “Like a trust exercise?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“That could work.” The Doctor considered. “If it’s what you want, go for it.”
***
Lord Dalta pressed the button which would open the door to his office, scanning anyone who entered and stopping any who were unrecognised. His personal security system was one of the most expensive in the galaxy but he was one of the most expensive men in the galaxy. Little was known about him, though his life story was easy enough to get hold of. Too easy, perhaps.
He admired his face in the reflection of his computer screen, all plastic and perfect. If one were to make an action figure of him, executing exact likeness would be no problematic task.
“Miss Rivers.”
Autumn stood courteously in front of the desk, her arms behind her back.
“What can I do for you?”
“There’s been a change of plan,” said Autumn formally, though her eyes were as ever functioning like a piece of x-ray equipment, scanning his whole form thoroughly. He should have paid for her instead of personal security. “The Doctor is alive and we are travelling together again.”
Dalta cursed. “You said he wouldn’t leave the Dalek Camp. You said he was as good as dead. You should have killed-“
“Lord Dalta, tell me.” Autumn pulled up a chair and sat down. “What do you know of the Dalek Camps?”
“I know that no one escapes,” he said, picking up and fiddling with a pen. “I know it’s a fate worse than death.”
“Exactly.” Autumn smiled. “If the Doctor can escape a Dalek Camp, death is no boundary at all. Do you think he’s just another target to be killed? He’s an utterly unique case. Accordingly, we must treat him and plan as such.”
“But he doesn’t trust you.”
“He does. I’ve made sure of that. The Doctor thinks his ship has made everything alright, but he’s so far from the truth. She’s inspired me, yes. Against him. I have a plan. A bigger, better plan that will destroy the Doctor once and for all. It concerns him – and a very, very close friend of his.”
“Are you sure we can risk this? I don’t want you taking liberties.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing and it’s all aimed at the Doctor. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated as I go.” Autumn got up. “But for now, I’m going to have adventures, and everything is going to be like a storybook. He won’t suspect a thing. Do you understand?”
“Perfectly.”
“Good. Because I need you on my side, Lord Dalta, and I need you close. This is only just the beginning, and soon the whole universe will have turned against the Time Lord. I wouldn’t want them against you as well.”
***
The Doctor considered the possibility that Autumn had lied one last time. That the TARDIS had shown her something else – something to turn her against the Doctor once and for all. He considered that he’d be trapped in his own resting place indefinitely; that the Doctor inside the clock-tower had arrived then and never left, and that Autumn Rivers would have the TARDIS, forever, and no one would be able to save her.
The sound of wheezing and groaning made him cast the prospect aside once and for all. Somehow, he trusted Autumn more than anyone now. The Doctor chuckled as snowdrops settled on Robin’s head.
Autumn poked her head out of the door, now changed into new attire. “Well then,” she called. “What are you waiting for?”
Torchwood Hub, London
“So that was the Doctor.” Charlotte watched over the Hub with Jack.
“Yup.” Jack grinned. Still – always – the same man.
“Do you think we’ll see him again?”
“Logically? No way. Between you and me?” Jack leant over and whispered in Charlotte’s ear. “It’s inevitable.”
A shiver was sent down Charlotte’s spine – but a warm, exciting shiver, promising days of adventure to come.
Christmas, Trenzalore
April Sawyer rushed into the clock-tower, waking the Doctor from his sleep. He’d dozed off in the rocking chair again.
“It’s your ship! Doctor, the TARDIS, I heard it materialising…”
The Doctor sat up and took April’s hand as she sat down, tracing his fingers along its wrinkles. How quickly humans aged. Looking up, she still looked the same to him. That bright young woman was still alive and thriving, even if she now lived within.
With his other hand, the Doctor reached for his sonic screwdriver and scanned the crack. It was hissing today, glowing a brighter white than usual. “That’s messed up,” he observed. “Not even leading to Gallifrey at the moment, it’s got paths firing all over the place. London, the Medusa Cascade, even the Land of Fiction.”
“And that’s bad?” asked April.
“Nah, of course not. I was expecting this to happen, caused by the paradox. I forgot for all these years, time’s precaution, but I remember now. I came here before with Autumn Rivers. It’s scrambled the timelines, but they’ll normalise in a bit.”
“So the TARDIS – that was you in the past?”
“Yup.” The Doctor sat back in the rocking chair. “Oh, that takes me back. Dark days and happy days. But I’ll tell you about them another time, eh? Back to sleep.”
April nodded and left the clock-tower. The crack continued to hiss. The Doctor raised an eyebrow. Time did strange things whilst it was fixing itself.
As he started to nod off again, the light got brighter. He opened his eyes to a squint, the most he was capable of. A human figure emerged in the light, almost holographic; celestial. She was slim and an ordinary height; her features were perfect and angelic, her smile perfectly at peace, her hair frizzy.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“I shouldn’t be here. I don’t belong in this world, this story. And I don’t have long, so I need you to listen to me.” She spoke softly and precisely. “You think the universe doesn’t need you anymore, Doctor. That you don’t need to fight for your life and go in dignity. There’s something I want you to know. You told me about them – all of them. All the people you thought died in your name; Adric, Catarina, Sara, Lucie, Harriet, the wife, the detective... the best friend.”
“You think you can’t take it anymore. The wait, missing them, knowing you’re responsible. Being seen as a mighty warrior or a threat to mankind or worse, a convenience. But you’re none of them. You’re just a man who’s lived a long time, trying to make do with the rest of the universe. And look at this universe, this small pocket of time and space. Look at these people, Doctor – beautiful, ordinary people. They don’t need a god to save them or a demon to fight. They just need an ordinary man looking out for them.” She looked at the Doctor kindly. “A man who loves them.”
“You’re one of them, Doctor. They died because they chose to, not because you made them. Nobody died in your name. They died for a world they loved remembering you, and one day you’ll die for this world, remembering them. You have nothing to be guilty for, and you don’t need guilt to carry on being good. You just need to be you.”
“Why are you here?” asked the Doctor, captivated.
“I’m here because things are doing to get tough. There’s always hope. You might be happy again and see them all at the end of it. Hope’s all you’ve ever had, and you can hope for a kind universe. Just remember that there are dark days to come. Remember that the people who die aren’t dying in your name – they’re dying because they’re like you. And remember who you are. An ordinary man, making do, fixing toys. I’m here to tell you that however dark it gets, this war will end. And if you’re kind, and if you wait, you’ll be the one who sees that day come.”
“What’s your name?”
“Alex,” replied the woman.
The Doctor searched for the words. Time found them for him.
“Thank you, Alex.”
“You’re welcome.” She faded, and the crack returned to normal. Her voice echoed around the room as a whisper; an after-image, so faint the Doctor couldn’t even be sure if it was real. “You always were.”
The Doctor picked up a toy soldier and started working on it, looking for the gun that was supposed to rest in its hand. He searched around in his box of spare parts, fishing out a phone.
That was all there was, and it would have to do.
“So that was the Doctor.” Charlotte watched over the Hub with Jack.
“Yup.” Jack grinned. Still – always – the same man.
“Do you think we’ll see him again?”
“Logically? No way. Between you and me?” Jack leant over and whispered in Charlotte’s ear. “It’s inevitable.”
A shiver was sent down Charlotte’s spine – but a warm, exciting shiver, promising days of adventure to come.
Christmas, Trenzalore
April Sawyer rushed into the clock-tower, waking the Doctor from his sleep. He’d dozed off in the rocking chair again.
“It’s your ship! Doctor, the TARDIS, I heard it materialising…”
The Doctor sat up and took April’s hand as she sat down, tracing his fingers along its wrinkles. How quickly humans aged. Looking up, she still looked the same to him. That bright young woman was still alive and thriving, even if she now lived within.
With his other hand, the Doctor reached for his sonic screwdriver and scanned the crack. It was hissing today, glowing a brighter white than usual. “That’s messed up,” he observed. “Not even leading to Gallifrey at the moment, it’s got paths firing all over the place. London, the Medusa Cascade, even the Land of Fiction.”
“And that’s bad?” asked April.
“Nah, of course not. I was expecting this to happen, caused by the paradox. I forgot for all these years, time’s precaution, but I remember now. I came here before with Autumn Rivers. It’s scrambled the timelines, but they’ll normalise in a bit.”
“So the TARDIS – that was you in the past?”
“Yup.” The Doctor sat back in the rocking chair. “Oh, that takes me back. Dark days and happy days. But I’ll tell you about them another time, eh? Back to sleep.”
April nodded and left the clock-tower. The crack continued to hiss. The Doctor raised an eyebrow. Time did strange things whilst it was fixing itself.
As he started to nod off again, the light got brighter. He opened his eyes to a squint, the most he was capable of. A human figure emerged in the light, almost holographic; celestial. She was slim and an ordinary height; her features were perfect and angelic, her smile perfectly at peace, her hair frizzy.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“I shouldn’t be here. I don’t belong in this world, this story. And I don’t have long, so I need you to listen to me.” She spoke softly and precisely. “You think the universe doesn’t need you anymore, Doctor. That you don’t need to fight for your life and go in dignity. There’s something I want you to know. You told me about them – all of them. All the people you thought died in your name; Adric, Catarina, Sara, Lucie, Harriet, the wife, the detective... the best friend.”
“You think you can’t take it anymore. The wait, missing them, knowing you’re responsible. Being seen as a mighty warrior or a threat to mankind or worse, a convenience. But you’re none of them. You’re just a man who’s lived a long time, trying to make do with the rest of the universe. And look at this universe, this small pocket of time and space. Look at these people, Doctor – beautiful, ordinary people. They don’t need a god to save them or a demon to fight. They just need an ordinary man looking out for them.” She looked at the Doctor kindly. “A man who loves them.”
“You’re one of them, Doctor. They died because they chose to, not because you made them. Nobody died in your name. They died for a world they loved remembering you, and one day you’ll die for this world, remembering them. You have nothing to be guilty for, and you don’t need guilt to carry on being good. You just need to be you.”
“Why are you here?” asked the Doctor, captivated.
“I’m here because things are doing to get tough. There’s always hope. You might be happy again and see them all at the end of it. Hope’s all you’ve ever had, and you can hope for a kind universe. Just remember that there are dark days to come. Remember that the people who die aren’t dying in your name – they’re dying because they’re like you. And remember who you are. An ordinary man, making do, fixing toys. I’m here to tell you that however dark it gets, this war will end. And if you’re kind, and if you wait, you’ll be the one who sees that day come.”
“What’s your name?”
“Alex,” replied the woman.
The Doctor searched for the words. Time found them for him.
“Thank you, Alex.”
“You’re welcome.” She faded, and the crack returned to normal. Her voice echoed around the room as a whisper; an after-image, so faint the Doctor couldn’t even be sure if it was real. “You always were.”
The Doctor picked up a toy soldier and started working on it, looking for the gun that was supposed to rest in its hand. He searched around in his box of spare parts, fishing out a phone.
That was all there was, and it would have to do.
|
|