Post by Fitz Kreiner on Jun 17, 2008 12:54:31 GMT
The Doctor was walking round the console, his face like thunder. Tom and Steven had retreated to the far edge of the console room, watching as he grumpily jabbed at controls. The picture of his future self on the scanner had died away in a haze of static, causing the Doctors mood to nose dive.
“What do you think’s happening?” Steven whispered to Tom, who was stood, thoughtfully chewing the skin beside the nail of his right forefinger.
“I haven’t a clue.” He replied between nibbles. “But I can tell you this; whatever it is, it’s involving at least three versions of the Doctor and that can only mean trouble.”
“Ah ha ha ha! I’ve found it! I’ve found it!” The Doctor cried out gleefully, his mood returning to good as he chuckled gently to himself.
“What is it?” Tom asked cautiously, half expecting a snappy reprisal.
“The time traces my boy, the time traces. Going to two other points in my future and coming from a third.” The Doctor replied, straightening up and gripping his lapels.
“And what does that mean, exactly?” Steven asked.
Turning back to the console, the Doctor busied himself at the controls, seemingly ignoring Steven’s question. Sighing in frustration, Steven rolled his eyes and stood forward to ask his question again.
“I think what he means is that there are four of him involved; yours, mine, the one we saw on the screen and another. That and he’s found where they are. I think.” Tom said, now chewing the skin on the side of his middle finger.
Another chuckle from the pre-occupied Doctor caused Tom and Steven to look up as the old man shuffled round the console.
“Well, Mr. Rowan. It looks like we might be able to get you back to where you belong after all.” The Doctor said looking up. “I’ve isolated faint temporal traces that may be possible to track.”
“Oh well-” Tom began before getting cut off as the Doctor carried on.
“Of course, if one of my other selves gets there before hand and sends out a recall signal, then that would make things an awful lot easier, hmm, my boy?”
“Well, can’t you send the signal yourself?” Tom asked, walking over to the console, reaching to a control and getting his hand swatted away by the Doctor.
“Now now, young man. I can’t do that until we’ve landed somewhere, but even then, it would involve the ship being in the same place four times over. Have you any idea how much damage that could cause to causality, hmm?” The Doctor gabbled as he reached back to the controls. “Think of it like four magnets, each with the same charge. They repel each other. But that’s putting it in its most simple form. The temporal instability could cause terrible damage to the local dozen galaxies and local four or five millennia in both directions.”
“So, no pressure about getting it right then?” Tom asked wryly as another light on the console started to flash. “Doctor?”
Ignoring both him and the light, the Doctor muttered to himself as he continued looking at the panel he was stood before. Turning to face Steven, Tom was greeted with a shrug.
“He gets like this.” Steven said.
Turning back to the console, Tom raised his voice. “Now Doctor, I’m no expert, but isn’t this the homing beacon you were talking about?”
“Hmm? What’s that young man?” The Doctor asked as he moved over next to Tom. Not wanting to feel left out, Steven walked over and looked over the Doctors shoulder.
“This light wasn’t on before, and it’s not the time curve indicator.” Tom said. “You’ve changed the TARDIS about a bit by the time I’m with you, but isn’t that the recall signal. I remember you saying something about it not long after we’d first met.”
“I do believe you’re right young man.” The Doctor said, looking at the light. “It’s been such a long time since it’s worked I’d almost forgotten.”
“And yet you were waiting for it to activate.” Tom muttered quietly, causing Steven to smirk.
“Hmm?” The Doctor looked up. “Well of course I was expecting it, young man. I was also trying to think of a way to solve the problem of the ship being at the same place four times over. Now, do you mind?”
Tom looked at the Doctor, who brushed him aside as he pottered about the console.
The TARDIS landed with a shudder. Almost losing her balance, Jess grabbed out for the console to steady herself.
“Easy old thing.” Harry said, as he reached out to help steady Jess.
“Thanks.” She smiled round at Harry. “Well, you’ve plenty of time to practice these landings before I travel with you.” Jess said to the Doctor.
“Indeed. That was a touch rough Doctor.” Harry confirmed.
“Sorry about that.” The Doctor apologised. “Trying to get the TARDIS to land in this area of space wasn’t easy.” Not looking up at all, the Doctor moved about the console until a small light started flashing with a gentle chiming sound accompanying it. “There we are. Only one thing to do now.” The Doctor finally said, grinning his toothy grin.
“What’s that?” Harry asked. “And what’s that light thing for?”
“That, Harry, is the recall signal. Now we just have to wait until the others get here. Then we can get Sarah back and send you back to where you came from, Jess.” He replied looking at his two companions.
“So what’s out there?” Jess asked.
Turning back to the console, the Doctor activated the scanner screen once again. The screen cover slid unrevealing nothing but an opaque white void.
“There’s nothing there.” Jess said, expecting an exotic alien landscape.
“Nulled space.” The Doctor said. “There isn’t going to be much to look at.” As the Doctor finished speaking, the blue rectangular shape of the TARDIS appeared to the edge of the scanners image. “Now I wonder who that could be.” He grinned
“It’s the TARDIS.” Harry said quietly. “I say, it’s not a reflection of us or something is it?”
“What is there out there to reflect us?” Jess asked.
“Mmm, good point, old thing.”
“I do know the difference between my own TARDIS and a reflection, Harry.” The Doctor said, turning his head to look at Harry before turning back to the scanner and pointing. “And that is definitely my TARDIS.”
“But we’re in your TARDIS.” Harry muttered rubbing the back of his neck. “I say, this is just dashed confusing.”
“It’s one of your other selves, isn’t it?” Jess asked, realisation fast dawning.
“Exactly. Exactly.” The Doctor said his grin and eyes wide. “You know, I can see why I picked you.” He added, looking at Jess. “Now, stay here, the pair of you!” The Doctor said his mood suddenly serious. “Nulled space is very dangerous and could cause untold damage to human tissue.”
“But what about you?” Harry asked.
“I’m a Time Lord, and besides, I’ve got to go talk to myself.” He grinned as he activated the door control. “Now remember, do not, and I mean, do not, leave the TARDIS. Got that?” Looking from Harry to Jess, the Doctor pulled his felt hat out of his pocket and jammed it onto the mass of curls and strode from the TARDIS.
Dodo watched as the Doctor busied himself about the console. He’d briefly disappeared into an alcove of the console room that resembled a kitchen and brought her a mug of cocoa only to then continue with what he was doing about the console. Every so often, she would glance over to the sleeping form of the girl that the Doctor had called Sarah. Why he had sedated her, she didn’t know.
“Now this is interesting. Very interesting indeed.” The Doctor muttered, peering at a small screen. Reaching up, he pulled over the scanner to where he was standing and activating it, looked between it and the console as he tapped at the controls.
“What is it?” Dodo asked, coming and standing beside the Time Lord.
“Well, according to the TARDIS instruments; that little bit of unstable space that washed over us wasn’t a natural phenomenon.” The Doctor replied, putting his fingers to his lips thoughtfully. “You know, Dodo, sometimes I can really be quite dim!” He said, smacking the palm of his hand against his forehead.
“What d’ya mean?” Dodo asked, wrinkling her nose at the Doctor, really not sure how to react to his behaviour. He was so different to her Doctor, the Doctor.
“If it is artificial in source,” The Doctor started, speaking rapidly, “then technically I should be able to track it and match its temporal frequency, and that should allow me to get back in touch with me, as well as me and me a lot easier than if it were a natural phenomenon. Although, why someone would want to disguise a temporal wave like that as a natural phenomenon, I do not-” Slowly, and looking up, the Doctor trailed off, before turning to face Dodo, his face deadly serious.
“You know, I really was right about being a bit dim.” He said. “Of course, if someone were disguising something to appear natural there’s only one reason for that, isn’t there?”
Dodo continued to stare at the Doctor. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that he’d lost her some time ago. He was far more manic than she was used to and couldn’t keep up with the speed of his summarising.
“Oh come on, Dodo. Why would you dig a hole and then cover it with branches and leaves? It’s a trap.”
“What do you think’s happening?” Steven whispered to Tom, who was stood, thoughtfully chewing the skin beside the nail of his right forefinger.
“I haven’t a clue.” He replied between nibbles. “But I can tell you this; whatever it is, it’s involving at least three versions of the Doctor and that can only mean trouble.”
“Ah ha ha ha! I’ve found it! I’ve found it!” The Doctor cried out gleefully, his mood returning to good as he chuckled gently to himself.
“What is it?” Tom asked cautiously, half expecting a snappy reprisal.
“The time traces my boy, the time traces. Going to two other points in my future and coming from a third.” The Doctor replied, straightening up and gripping his lapels.
“And what does that mean, exactly?” Steven asked.
Turning back to the console, the Doctor busied himself at the controls, seemingly ignoring Steven’s question. Sighing in frustration, Steven rolled his eyes and stood forward to ask his question again.
“I think what he means is that there are four of him involved; yours, mine, the one we saw on the screen and another. That and he’s found where they are. I think.” Tom said, now chewing the skin on the side of his middle finger.
Another chuckle from the pre-occupied Doctor caused Tom and Steven to look up as the old man shuffled round the console.
“Well, Mr. Rowan. It looks like we might be able to get you back to where you belong after all.” The Doctor said looking up. “I’ve isolated faint temporal traces that may be possible to track.”
“Oh well-” Tom began before getting cut off as the Doctor carried on.
“Of course, if one of my other selves gets there before hand and sends out a recall signal, then that would make things an awful lot easier, hmm, my boy?”
“Well, can’t you send the signal yourself?” Tom asked, walking over to the console, reaching to a control and getting his hand swatted away by the Doctor.
“Now now, young man. I can’t do that until we’ve landed somewhere, but even then, it would involve the ship being in the same place four times over. Have you any idea how much damage that could cause to causality, hmm?” The Doctor gabbled as he reached back to the controls. “Think of it like four magnets, each with the same charge. They repel each other. But that’s putting it in its most simple form. The temporal instability could cause terrible damage to the local dozen galaxies and local four or five millennia in both directions.”
“So, no pressure about getting it right then?” Tom asked wryly as another light on the console started to flash. “Doctor?”
Ignoring both him and the light, the Doctor muttered to himself as he continued looking at the panel he was stood before. Turning to face Steven, Tom was greeted with a shrug.
“He gets like this.” Steven said.
Turning back to the console, Tom raised his voice. “Now Doctor, I’m no expert, but isn’t this the homing beacon you were talking about?”
“Hmm? What’s that young man?” The Doctor asked as he moved over next to Tom. Not wanting to feel left out, Steven walked over and looked over the Doctors shoulder.
“This light wasn’t on before, and it’s not the time curve indicator.” Tom said. “You’ve changed the TARDIS about a bit by the time I’m with you, but isn’t that the recall signal. I remember you saying something about it not long after we’d first met.”
“I do believe you’re right young man.” The Doctor said, looking at the light. “It’s been such a long time since it’s worked I’d almost forgotten.”
“And yet you were waiting for it to activate.” Tom muttered quietly, causing Steven to smirk.
“Hmm?” The Doctor looked up. “Well of course I was expecting it, young man. I was also trying to think of a way to solve the problem of the ship being at the same place four times over. Now, do you mind?”
Tom looked at the Doctor, who brushed him aside as he pottered about the console.
*
The TARDIS landed with a shudder. Almost losing her balance, Jess grabbed out for the console to steady herself.
“Easy old thing.” Harry said, as he reached out to help steady Jess.
“Thanks.” She smiled round at Harry. “Well, you’ve plenty of time to practice these landings before I travel with you.” Jess said to the Doctor.
“Indeed. That was a touch rough Doctor.” Harry confirmed.
“Sorry about that.” The Doctor apologised. “Trying to get the TARDIS to land in this area of space wasn’t easy.” Not looking up at all, the Doctor moved about the console until a small light started flashing with a gentle chiming sound accompanying it. “There we are. Only one thing to do now.” The Doctor finally said, grinning his toothy grin.
“What’s that?” Harry asked. “And what’s that light thing for?”
“That, Harry, is the recall signal. Now we just have to wait until the others get here. Then we can get Sarah back and send you back to where you came from, Jess.” He replied looking at his two companions.
“So what’s out there?” Jess asked.
Turning back to the console, the Doctor activated the scanner screen once again. The screen cover slid unrevealing nothing but an opaque white void.
“There’s nothing there.” Jess said, expecting an exotic alien landscape.
“Nulled space.” The Doctor said. “There isn’t going to be much to look at.” As the Doctor finished speaking, the blue rectangular shape of the TARDIS appeared to the edge of the scanners image. “Now I wonder who that could be.” He grinned
“It’s the TARDIS.” Harry said quietly. “I say, it’s not a reflection of us or something is it?”
“What is there out there to reflect us?” Jess asked.
“Mmm, good point, old thing.”
“I do know the difference between my own TARDIS and a reflection, Harry.” The Doctor said, turning his head to look at Harry before turning back to the scanner and pointing. “And that is definitely my TARDIS.”
“But we’re in your TARDIS.” Harry muttered rubbing the back of his neck. “I say, this is just dashed confusing.”
“It’s one of your other selves, isn’t it?” Jess asked, realisation fast dawning.
“Exactly. Exactly.” The Doctor said his grin and eyes wide. “You know, I can see why I picked you.” He added, looking at Jess. “Now, stay here, the pair of you!” The Doctor said his mood suddenly serious. “Nulled space is very dangerous and could cause untold damage to human tissue.”
“But what about you?” Harry asked.
“I’m a Time Lord, and besides, I’ve got to go talk to myself.” He grinned as he activated the door control. “Now remember, do not, and I mean, do not, leave the TARDIS. Got that?” Looking from Harry to Jess, the Doctor pulled his felt hat out of his pocket and jammed it onto the mass of curls and strode from the TARDIS.
*
Dodo watched as the Doctor busied himself about the console. He’d briefly disappeared into an alcove of the console room that resembled a kitchen and brought her a mug of cocoa only to then continue with what he was doing about the console. Every so often, she would glance over to the sleeping form of the girl that the Doctor had called Sarah. Why he had sedated her, she didn’t know.
“Now this is interesting. Very interesting indeed.” The Doctor muttered, peering at a small screen. Reaching up, he pulled over the scanner to where he was standing and activating it, looked between it and the console as he tapped at the controls.
“What is it?” Dodo asked, coming and standing beside the Time Lord.
“Well, according to the TARDIS instruments; that little bit of unstable space that washed over us wasn’t a natural phenomenon.” The Doctor replied, putting his fingers to his lips thoughtfully. “You know, Dodo, sometimes I can really be quite dim!” He said, smacking the palm of his hand against his forehead.
“What d’ya mean?” Dodo asked, wrinkling her nose at the Doctor, really not sure how to react to his behaviour. He was so different to her Doctor, the Doctor.
“If it is artificial in source,” The Doctor started, speaking rapidly, “then technically I should be able to track it and match its temporal frequency, and that should allow me to get back in touch with me, as well as me and me a lot easier than if it were a natural phenomenon. Although, why someone would want to disguise a temporal wave like that as a natural phenomenon, I do not-” Slowly, and looking up, the Doctor trailed off, before turning to face Dodo, his face deadly serious.
“You know, I really was right about being a bit dim.” He said. “Of course, if someone were disguising something to appear natural there’s only one reason for that, isn’t there?”
Dodo continued to stare at the Doctor. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that he’d lost her some time ago. He was far more manic than she was used to and couldn’t keep up with the speed of his summarising.
“Oh come on, Dodo. Why would you dig a hole and then cover it with branches and leaves? It’s a trap.”
