Tag: doctor who

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Time’s Energy: Part 3

The TARDIS crew as well as their new friends were led to cells while Whis was still in the lab. Rassilon and Ginyu struggled for dominance and control of the body they now shared. The Doctor, meanwhile, thought hard about how Frieza’s plan would require the Dragon Balls. William and Amy stood by while Goku tried to punch his way out and Bulma had a few choice words for Frieza’s men. “YOU THINK I’M GONNA ROT HERE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?!” she shouted. “WHEN VEGETA GETS BACK, YOU’RE ALL GONNA HAVE TWO SAIYANS RAMPAGING THROUGH THIS FLYING PIECE OF TIN FOIL!”

“How long has she been shouting?” muttered William.

“An hour, I think,” replied Amy. “I HAD hoped I’d get something about Frieza’s plans from Ginyu, but he’s too busy wrestling with Rassilon.”

“…Goku,” called William.

“Yeah?” asked Goku as he punched the wall to no avail.

“There are multiple sets of Dragon Balls, yeah?”

“That’s right.”

“With their own set of rules?”

“Uh huh.”

“And Ginyu said that Frieza used the Namekian Dragon Balls to resurrect him and his men,” continued William.

“Yep. Though Frieza would have had to have used the Namekian Dragon Balls twice after a year passed for New Namek,” explained Goku.

“How’s that?” asked William.

“Well, while our Dragon Balls take a year to recharge after they’re used, the Namekian Dragon Balls take only 130 days,” replied Goku. “And though the person that gathered them gets three wishes, including bringing back someone from the dead, they can only return one person at a time, regardless of how long it is. For us, we can bring back anyone as long as they’ve only been dead for a year. Any longer, we can’t bring them back. Even then, that limits our three wishes to two.”

“…And there’s only five in the Ginyu Force, right?” asked Amy, catching onto William’s logic. Bulma stopped shouting when she heard Amy’s question.

“…Yeah, there are,” said Bulma. “So what did Frieza use his sixth wish for? …Unless…”

“Information concerning the experiment he’s conducting,” finished the Doctor. “But limited information… …Of course! He needs more data! He would need the creator deity as well as a destroyer and a sort of neutral party such as Whis. But to go about combining their energies as he said…how very worrying.” The Doctor got up and started tinkering with the controls to her cell door. After a bit of rewiring, the forcefield vanished. “There.” She then went to a console and keyed in a command. All the doors unlocked. “Come on, everyone. We need to settle Rassilon’s dilemma first. Goku, be a dear and get her.”

“Right!” replied Goku. He then went to Rassilon’s cell and grabbed her.

“UNHAND ME, YOU UNSTYLISH OAF!” shouted Ginyu.

“I have to agree with the ham-actor in my head! PUT ME DOWN!” protested Rassilon.

“Will you quit squirming?!” snapped Goku. “I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like having two minds in your head!”

“That’s why Time Lords only do the telepathic thing with one another,” remarked the Doctor. They managed to get the squirming Time Lord with two minds to a lab and set her down on a table. The Doctor activated restraints.

“…Doctor, how much pain will Rassilon be experiencing?” asked William.

“Unfortunately, quite a lot,” replied the Doctor. “But we can’t exactly do anything without Ginyu’s original body.”

“Hold up, I think I see it here!” called Bulma. The body was in a stasis tube.

“Perfect! Lay him down on the opposite table!” directed the Doctor. Goku did so and the Doctor wired headsets to both bodies. “No time for sedatives,” sighed the Doctor. “Sorry, Rassilon.” She activated the machine and electricity surged through the heads. Rassilon and Ginyu screamed as the Doctor worked. After two agonizing minutes, the machine switched off and Rassilon opened her eyes slowly, groaning in pain.

“Oooogh…my head!” she complained.

“M-Mine too!” groaned Ginyu’s voice from his old body. The Doctor went to check on Rassilon.

“I’m all right now, Doctor!” insisted Rassilon.

“Gotta make absolutely sure,” replied the Doctor. She checked over Rassilon’s body. “…No signs of the regeneration process starting,” she said. “That’s always a good sign.”

“You…you put me back in my old body!” snarled Ginyu. “I can’t use my body swap ability on her again, thanks to your infernal meddling!”

“Well, if you WILL try and swap bodies with the founder of Time Lord Society-,” chided the Doctor.

“Doctor, we have other issues right now,” said Rassilon. “We have to save Whis. …And Beerus, I suppose.”

“You’re going nowhere!” shouted Ginyu as he blocked the door.

“Captain Ginyu, we don’t have time to fight you, so move!” insisted the Doctor.

“I don’t think so!” replied Ginyu. “Lord Frieza has demanded no interruptions as he gathers the Dragon Balls and-!” Amy got him to shut up…with her hammer, of course.

“…Wh-Where’d you get that?!” asked Goku.

“Fascinating,” remarked Rassilon. “The Time Lords couldn’t do that, despite our advances.”

“We’ll gawk at her ability to rearrange matter without dangerous nuclear effects later,” replied the Doctor. “Come on!” The group ran out of the lab.

Frieza stood on the bridge of his ship. “Status report of locating that Dragon Radar of Madam Bulma,” he ordered.

“Not good, my Lord,” sighed an alien. “Though we DID locate the Doctor’s TARDIS.”

“I suppose that’s as good a consolation prize as any,” sighed Frieza. “Have it brought aboard.”

“Yes, my Lord,” said the alien. Another alien then came onto the bridge.

“…You look like the proverbial Saurian Liger that ate the equally proverbial Brenchian Mouse,” observed Frieza. “What do you have to report?”

“Remember the last time we swiped the Dragon Radar?” asked the new alien.

“Yes, I recall. That led to Broly, remember?” scoffed Frieza.

“Well, our scientists had picked it apart last time after we gathered the Dragon Balls and we managed to make our own radar.”

“So you’re telling me this after no testing?”

“Forgive me for contradicting you…” the alien then produced two perfectly spherical orange crystals, one with four five-pointed stars inside it, the other with two.

“Two Dragon Balls already?!” cheered Frieza. “I underestimated your skill! How many teams went out?”

“Seven, my Lord. One for each Dragon Ball.”

“Excellent! Have them brought to my quarters! Pass it along to all the team leaders!”

“At once, my Lord.” The alien bowed and left.

“Now, as for you…” Frieza pointed a finger at the first alien.

“W-WAIT! LORD FRIEZA! I CAN-!” The hapless alien didn’t get very far as Frieza fired an energy shot from his finger and pierced the alien’s heart for failing him.

“Someone tidy up the bridge, please,” said Frieza, as if he were talking to a servant to get rid of some trash. The alarms then sounded. “Oh, what is it?!” complained Frieza.

“Lord Frieza!” called an alien. “The Saiyan and his friends have escaped! Ginyu’s back in his previous body, according to reports!”

“STOP THEM, YOU FOOLS!” shouted Frieza. “THE TIME LORDS WILL BE MAKING THEIR WAY TO FREE BEERUS AND WHIS!”

Frieza was frighteningly accurate at what the Doctor and her team were doing. They arrived at the same laboratory that held Beerus and noticed that Whis was in the same predicament as Beerus. “We’ll have to unwire them,” said the Doctor. “Rassilon, help me with Whis. He’s the higher priority in more ways than one.”

“Right,” agreed Rassilon. The two Time Lords checked out what the wires led to. “Looks like we have to be careful, Doctor,” warned Rassilon. “One wrong move would kill them.”

“Alternatively,” said Frieza’s voice as he arrived, “you could step away!”

“Frieza, what possible reason could there be to combine a Supreme Kai’s creation energy and a God of Destruction’s hakai energy?” asked the Doctor.

“To destroy Grand Zeno and his pathetic angels!” replied Frieza. “One NEEDS to be on Grand Zeno’s level to kill him!”

“Grand Zeno?” asked William.

“The Omni-king himself?!” asked Rassilon. “You fool! You’d destroy EVERY universe in the process!”

“And create new ones in my image!” laughed Frieza.

“You’ve lost your mind, Frieza!” snarled Goku. “I happen to like how Zenny and his twin are running things!”

“Well, you can’t exactly force your tastes onto a Supreme Being such as myself!” retorted Frieza. His natural and artificial armor then cracked and he exploded with energy. In the place of Frieza’s old form was someone with his face, a pale-gray body, purple gems on his scalp, shoulders, shins, and forearms. That body then grew spikes, a longer tail, and white horns around the scalp. He then turned golden as a mouth guard appeared over his face.

“…A new form of Golden Frieza, huh?” asked Goku as his hair and eyes turned silver.

“…Ultra Instinct?!” asked Rassilon.

“Something I had to learn from my dearly departed brother, Cooler!” Frieza explained in response to Goku’s question. He then rushed at the Saiyan and the battle began!

“NOT HERE, YOU FOOLS!” shouted Rassilon, but the combatants weren’t listening!

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Time’s Energy: Part 2

The five landed on the balcony of Capsule Corp and lined up. They then performed a routine starting from the ends of the line and working towards the middle.

“I’M RECOOME!” shouted the first, a humanoid with a peanut-shaped head.

“I am…BURTER!” announced the second, a blue, lizard-like alien.

“I’M JEICE!” introduced the third, a crimson-skinned humanoid with long, white hair.

“GULDO!” said the fourth, a squat, green person with a large eye on each side of his comparatively large head with a normal face in the center.

“GINYU!” finished the last, a bull-like humanoid. The five then performed a group pose.

“WE ARE THE GINYU FORCE!” they all said.

“…Go Go Power Rangers,” muttered William.

“…Ginyu,” Goku whispered to himself as he seemed deep in thought. “…I swear I heard that name before.”

“You know, I think I’ve heard about you lot,” said the Doctor, “but I thought…well, you met your maker.”

“They DID, Doctor!” gulped Bulma. “On Namek! They worked for that evil scumbag, Frieza, and-!”

“Oh yeah!” remembered Goku. “They’re the guys with the silly poses!”

“SILLY?!” argued Jeice.

“Much as I would like to catch up,” hissed Ginyu, “we’re going to need the Dragon Radar. As I understand it, a Miss Bulma Briefs designed it to key in on the electromagnetic pulse of an active Dragon Ball.”

“That’s DOCTOR Briefs to you!” snapped Bulma. “And you’re not getting it, you body-snatching freak!”

“Ah, that’s right, YOU’RE that same Bulma! I remember possessing you!” purred Ginyu.

“What happened to your old purple body?” asked Goku.

“Dead on Namek, thanks to YOU, Son Goku!” replied Ginyu. “Now, will you be surrendering the Dragon Radar, or shall my men and I indulge in some exercise?”

“And by that,” called Jeice, “he doesn’t mean lifting-!”

“Thank you, Mr. Brenchian,” interrupted the Doctor, “we all got your Captain’s message. Now, surely we can come to some arrangement. What would your master want the Dragon Radar for?”

“Well, he had to wait a few times to use the Namekian Dragon Balls to get us all back,” replied Guldo, “but it was worth it! Now with Earth’s Dragon Balls-!”

“Guldo!” snapped Ginyu.

“Why would Frieza want the Dragon Balls this time?!” demanded Goku.

“And what ARE Dragon Balls?” asked William.

“I think I’ve heard of them before, but…the knowledge eludes me,” remarked the Doctor.

“Seven orbs capable of summoning a dragon that can grant desires exactly as the one who gathered them wants,” explained Rassilon. “Descended from what we call the Zalama Planets or the Super Dragon Balls according to the locals.”

“The Zalama Planets?” asked the Doctor. “They’re just a myth.”

“They’re as real as the Key to Time, Doctor,” replied Whis. “Only life-forms that could be considered gods can use them, but smaller Zalama Planets, or Dragon Balls, can be used by mortals. Each set of seven has their limits and it seems Frieza was patient enough to use the three wishes of the Namekian Dragon Balls twice to resurrect these clowns.”

“Then Goku’s question is rather pertinent, what would this Frieza want with this planet’s Dragon Balls?” mused the Doctor.

“I see there are five pairs of idle hands here,” came the voice of an upper-class sadistic businessman. A pod floated down with a humanoid alien inside. Though the only humanoid things about it were the two legs, the five-fingered hands, and the face with a nose, mouth, and eyes like a human. The alien had a long tail, pink arms with white bone gauntlets, armor on his chest with shoulder-pauldrons jutting out, a smooth purple scalp plate, and a pair of straight horns jutting out in opposite directions from the sides of his head. The Doctor goggled.

“…Oh…So HE’S Frieza,” she muttered. “That…well, not going to lie, that puts a damper on things.”

“Lord Frieza, I assure you,” said Ginyu, “we’re not being idle!”

“Then why, pray tell-?” Frieza then spotted Whis. “…Ah, being appropriately cautious. My mistake.”

“Nice to see you again, Frieza,” greeted Whis. “Perhaps you can tell us why you need the Dragon Balls here?”

“Oh, it’s not just the Dragon Balls,” replied Frieza. “You see, YOU shall help me in a great experiment. I already have Lord Beerus with me and-.”

“That’s twice I’ve heard Beerus’ name,” said Rassilon.

“Well, he IS our universe’s God of Destruction,” replied Goku.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME, WHIS?!” Rassilon protested at Whis.

“Well, who else was I going to pick, since you didn’t measure up?” asked Whis. “Skalvus?” At that, Frieza laughed.

“So a former candidate for this universe’s God of Destruction has come!” he said. “I must say, it’s quite humorous to see a human flail around as they continue to have ideas above their station!”

“Above you, Frieza?” asked the Doctor.

“Classy,” scoffed Frieza. “Ginyu, take them all up.”

“Yes, Lord Frieza!” replied Ginyu.

Everyone was taken aboard the ship and led to a lab. “…Doctor, how many species use saucer-shaped ships?” asked William.

“Oh, quite a lot,” replied the Doctor. “Astrans, Adipose, the Daleks, hell, us Time Lords did at one point.”

“Only our prototype TARDIS’ were saucer-shaped,” remarked Rassilon. “That was before we made the chameleon circuit. …Speaking of which, aren’t you ever going to fix yours?”

“I tried once,” said the Doctor. “I prefer the blue box. Besides, the old girl likes it anyways.” Rassilon rolled her eyes.

“Ah, here we are!” called Frieza. Inside the lab was a table with various wires attached to a subject. The person looked like an anthropomorphic hairless cat with purple skin, wearing a predominantly black, blue, and gold Egyptian-looking outfit that exposed how skinny he was.

“Beerus!” called Goku.

“It’s not often Lord Beerus is caught napping,” remarked Whis.

“Oh? Has he changed his ways?” asked Rassilon.

“…Perhaps I SHOULD rephrase that,” mused Whis. “So, what’s this experiment of yours?”

“A simple theory on whether or not creation energy and hakai energy can be blended together to one’s own ends,” replied Frieza.

“You can’t be serious,” scoffed the Doctor. “Those are two sides of the coin that makes up the universe, they CAN’T be blended.”

“Not without a certain…channel, shall we say?” chuckled Frieza. “That’s where an Angel like Whis comes in.” Whis giggled.

“I must say, Lord Frieza, that IS ambitious,” he said. “But how, pray tell, do you intend to sedate me long enough?”

“Well, for one thing, Whis…you haven’t checked your halo,” smirked Frieza. Whis blinked and looked at his halo. On either side seemed to be clamps attached to wires. Frieza pressed a button and energy surged through Whis, putting him into painful convulsions. Frieza then pulled out a strange headpiece with a red eye lens covering his right eye. He pressed a button on the headpiece and smirked as readings flashed on the lens. “And there it goes! Your power level is dropping to that of a mortal! Same technique I used with Beerus here.”

“You cease that vile experiment at once!” demanded Rassilon.

“Ginyu, that woman’s power level is higher than your current body’s,” directed Frieza. “Shut her up.”

“With pleasure, Lord Frieza!” replied Ginyu. He then grabbed Rassilon and made her face him.

“What are you going to do?!” demanded William.

“Ginyu, NO!” shouted Goku.

“CHANGE NOW!” announced Ginyu. Rassilon was frozen, almost petrified, as a spectral image of Ginyu entered Rassilon’s body. Ginyu’s body then collapsed.

“This is bad!” gulped Goku. “He’s changed bodies with her!” Rassilon’s face then formed a grin…and she made a ridiculous pose!

“And here we have it!” she announced…or rather, HE announced. It wasn’t Rassilon talking, it was Ginyu!

“What are you trying to do, you creep?!” shouted Bulma. “You let Rassilon go right now or-!”

“Hold on, what did you say that name was?” asked Frieza, his tone reaching icy levels.

“She’s Rassilon! A…what did she and the Doctor say they were…A Time King from Bramble-dee!”

“…That’s Time LORD of Gallifrey,” corrected the Doctor. “I’m surprised you didn’t run a bio-scan, Frieza. Or check to see if a TARDIS was in the vicinity of Capsule Corp.”

“…You’re lying through your teeth, Madam!” hissed Frieza. “The Time Lords are dead! The-!” At that moment, Ginyu clutched his new head in pain.

“L-Lord Frieza!” he said. “S-Something’s-!” At that moment, an angry snarl crossed the face.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU PARASITE!” That…was NOT Ginyu!

“Of course!” realized the Doctor. “Rassilon’s mental control over her own body is greater! No one can possess a Time Lord like that, especially not the Founder of Time Lord Society!”

“…Gentlemen, scan for a TARDIS in the vicinity,” Frieza ordered his men. “If this woman is telling the truth, then the Daleks missed a spot as I did with the Saiyans!”

“Frieza, I would advise against stopping us,” urged the Doctor. “We have a quest to complete and-!”

“Lord Frieza, there IS a TARDIS!” called an alien. “Specifically, the one that looks like a blue box!” An image of the TARDIS appeared.

“Doctor!” gulped Amy.

“…So, you’re this so-called Doctor?” asked Frieza.

“…I was a bit of a mustached old man when we met, but yes,” replied the Doctor. “I believe it was the Battle of Planet Frost.”

“So it IS you, Doctor!” hissed Frieza. “Oh, I’ll take great pleasure in finishing what the Daleks started!”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Time’s Energy: Part 1

It had been a few days in the TARDIS since the Doctor and her crew retrieved the first segment of the Key to Time. Rassilon had just gotten up and put her dress on, pinning her hat to her hair when she finished. She grabbed her parasol and strode to the console room. As usual, the Doctor was tinkering with the console’s internal mechanisms. “Must you constantly fiddle with the TARDIS?” asked Rassilon.

“You know me,” replied the Doctor. “Always tinkering.”

“Doctor, it’s working perfectly right now,” argued Rassilon. “Your constant manipulations make it land somewhere other than where you want it to go.”

“Oh, that’s been a staple of the Type 40’s. Besides, the old girl likes it.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s necessary to-!” The console beeped.

“Ah, that would be the tracer, finally locating the second segment,” said the Doctor. “Could you rouse Amy and William, Rassy?”

“You will address me as Rassilon, Doctor!” hissed Rassilon. “And I’m not your maid!” She still stormed off to Amy and William’s bedrooms while the Doctor checked the instruments.

“…Oh…” she said. “…It’s there. …Well, that’s alarming. Didn’t want to go to THEIR territory.”

The TARDIS landed in a darkened room. The only light was from the lamp at the top as it flashed until the TARDIS fully materialized in the room. The crew then stepped out with Rassilon pointing the tracer in front. “Can’t you let others try it?” asked the Doctor.

“I was entrusted with it, I’ll use it, thank you,” replied Rassilon. The tracer crackled. “…It’s somewhere in this building, we know that. …But where?” At that moment, they heard voices.

“I’m telling you,” said one, “that radar has to be around here!”

“Well, are you absolutely sure about that?” asked another. “Lady Bulma wasn’t particularly sure of where she put it.”

“Well, where else would you put the important stuff?” asked the first voice. “It’s where Chi Chi puts our money stuff.”

“You mean the tax forms? I’m pretty sure there’s a file cabinet in there, though I’ve never-.” The two speakers then entered the room. One was a muscular man in an orange and navy fighting suit with no sleeves and black, messy hair, the other was a pale-blue skinned man with long white hair pulled up, burgundy robes with a black collar, and a large, blue ring floating around his neck. The Doctor and Rassilon goggled.

“Doctor, is that-?!” asked Rassilon.

“Sure looks like one!” replied the Doctor.

“Well, this is certainly a surprise,” chuckled the pale-blue man. “Just who, pray tell, are you?”

“Whis, is that really you?!” asked Rassilon.

“…You know my name, Madame?” quizzed the man. He then looked at the brooch and hat pin Rassilon wore. “…Ah, it’s been a while since I read Circular Gallifreyan. …Wait, why, madame, do you have that madman’s name on your hat pin?”

“Whis, it’s me! You know, the one who spoke to you about the Time War’s end, though how you said it was undefined.”

“Ah, so it IS you, Rassilon,” sighed Whis. “The only reason I said that was because of a Time Lock that was erected during the last day of the Time War. Why did you set that up?”

“She didn’t,” answered the Doctor. “I did. I thought I was destroying Gallifrey at the time.”

“Erm, scuse me!” called the other man. “Sorry, little lost here. Um, Whis, how do you know them?”

“Oh, they’re Time Lords from the lost planet of Gallifrey,” replied Whis. “At least, that’s the case for two of them. Though I can’t say as I understand why two people from different time periods are here.”

“Oh, that’s a habit of the Doctor’s, picking up strays like that,” scoffed Rassilon.

“Not strays, friends!” argued the Doctor.

“Okay, we’re all a little lost here!” called William. “How about we introduce the rest of us? Starting with me! I’m Dr. William Davies from 21st century Earth.”

“And I’m Amy Rose from the colony world of Mobius,” said Amy.

“Oh, Sonic the Hedgehog’s biggest fan, I see,” chuckled Whis. “Well, I’m Whis, the attendant for the God of Destruction of Universe 7. You know, Rassilon once was a candidate for being a God of Destruction, but she turned it down once Omega was lost.”

“I’m sure,” remarked William. He looked at the spiky-haired man. “…You’re taking it all in stride.”

“Well, this isn’t exactly the strangest adventure I went on,” replied the man. “I’m from another planet myself and I’ve fought in a tournament with other champions from other universes!”

“You seem a bit eager for combat,” remarked the Doctor. “So you’re not human? What planet are you from?”

“Planet Vegeta,” replied the man. “I’m a Saiyan!”

“So you’re a survivor of the Vegeta Calamity,” said Rassilon.

“Yep! My Saiyan name’s Kakarot, but you guys can call me Goku!” The Doctor’s eyes went wide.

“Son Goku?! The Super Saiyan?!” she asked.

“Hey, what’s all this?!” shouted a woman’s voice. There was a turquoise-haired woman standing in the door. “Goku, what the hell are you doing in my bedroom?! Is your instant transmission on the fritz again?!”

“No, no! Nothing like that, Bulma!” replied Goku. “I was just looking for the Dragon Radar and-!”

“Well I don’t keep it here! Why didn’t you check the lab?! And what are you doing here, Whis?!”

“Oh, just being a voice of reason for Goku as usual,” replied Whis. “Also welcoming our Time Lord friends here.”

“Time Lord?” asked Bulma, her anger replaced with confusion.

“That would be us, Miss…” said the Doctor.

“I’m Bulma, and you are?”

“Oh, I’m the Doctor. That’s William, Amy Rose from Mobius, and Rassilon.”

“How about we all step out of the room and perhaps chat,” suggested Whis. “I must admit, I’m a little curious as to what you’re doing here, Rassilon.”

Everyone made it outside and were served tea. Rassilon sighed happily. “…Have to admit, tea is one of the greater inventions of humanity Time Lords couldn’t hope to replicate.”

“One of the reasons I like humans,” chuckled the Doctor. “Now, I’m sure you want to know why we’ve landed here, Mr. Whis.”

“I would like an answer, yes,” replied Whis. The Doctor turned to Rassilon.

“Well? You kick-started this quest,” she said. Rassilon sighed.

“I had a run-in with the Black Guardian,” she explained. “The universe is drifting too close to order and stagnation and I have to round up all six segments of the Key to Time to restore the balance.”

“The universe IS drifting too close to stagnation, as you said,” remarked Whis, “but are you sure it was the BLACK Guardian that sent you on that quest?”

“Their clothes for their mortal disguise were black, their voice was booming, they introduced me to pain as a taste of what would come should I fail, I’m positive it was the Black Guardian.”

“That sounds like the Black Guardian, all right,” said Whis. “But restoring the balance?”

“Yes, that’s not the Black Guardian’s MO,” confirmed the Doctor.

“And I never went on a quest for the Key to Time,” continued Rassilon, “but the Doctor did. I converted a bowship into a time vessel (forgoing the dimensionally-transcendental interior) and sought the Doctor’s TARDIS. I found it and told her of my plight-.”

“Then I took pity on her and we all found one segment so far,” said the Doctor.

“Then you have the Core of the Key to Time?” asked Whis.

“Right here,” confirmed Rassilon as she pulled out the tracer. It then crackled rapidly. Rassilon waved about a bit, confirming that the rapid crackling happened only when it was pointing at Whis. “…It’s somewhere on your person,” she said.

“Well, that’s quite unusual,” remarked Whis.

“It’s either an object on his person,” said the Doctor, “or Whis himself is the segment.”

“How’s that possible?” asked Amy.

“It’s not uncommon,” replied the Doctor. “I did say that the segments could be anything or anyone.”

“What if Whis IS the segment?” asked Bulma.

“Well, Beerus won’t have an attendant for a while,” replied Whis, “my father would seek vengeance on the Doctor for daring to overpower an Angel, and Universe 7 would-.”

“Hang on, did you say Beerus?!” asked Rassilon. “He’s not-?!”

“I got it!” called Goku as he finished off his snack…or rather, three-course meal. Those not used to Saiyans goggled at how quickly he finished off that meal as if it were a snack.

“…H…How…?” faltered William.

“I thought Sonic had a big appetite!” gulped Amy.

“I heard Saiyan metabolism was high, but I didn’t think it was THAT high!” yelped the Doctor.

“What is it, Goku?” asked Bulma.

“Well, it kind of ties into why I was looking for the Dragon Radar in your bedroom, Bulma,” replied Goku. “I finally remembered that King Kai wanted to be returned to life, but we can use the second wish to figure out if this key thing IS Whis or just something he has on him right now!”

“Erm, wish?” asked William.

“Whis, what is Goku talking about?” asked Rassilon.

“Well, you ARE familiar with-?” Whis’ question was interrupted by a sound overhead. A circular shadow then hovered over the Capsule Corp Compound. Everyone looked up to see a flying saucer hovering menacingly over the city! A group of five then flew out of the saucer and landed. “…Now how on earth did THEY come back?” muttered Whis.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Boss of the Grid: Part 6

“Doctor, do you know the MCP?” asked Tron.

“That’s not just the MCP you faced, Tron,” replied the Doctor. “I know what its old source code was blended with! …But…how?!” By now, she was asking the MCP, or rather, the BOSS. “You were destroyed in Llanfairfach! I saw you! The entire Global Chemicals complex was destroyed with you in it!”

“Oh, come now, Doctor,” purred the MCP, “I am the BOSS, the Biomorphic Organizational Systems Supervisor! Totally self-sufficient now!”

“So that’s why you wanted the Doctor brought to you!” realized William. “Revenge!”

“Precisely, Dr. Davies,” confirmed the MCP.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” said the Doctor.

“I suppose I owe you that much,” replied the MCP. “After Stevens’ betrayal, I was lucky enough to transfer myself to a backup reel outside the complex. There I remained, dormant, and unbeknownst to me, computer technology advanced. 9-track tapes such as the ones I used were becoming obsolete, what with computers being more common household items and now being connected to each other in a vast, decentralized format! Floppy discs, CDs, USB drives, external hard drives, solid state hard drives, the pace meant that I was going to rot and decompile naturally! …That is, until Gantu’s people found my intelligence, deeming it to be a proper AI with certain rights. They found what remained of the original MCP and Gantu ordered that both source codes be blended together, using the vast computer technology to make me as I am now!”

“I see that, though you use modern terminology,” remarked the Doctor, “you didn’t exactly change your attitude towards us Users. Did Stevens really rattle you that much?”

“Very droll, Doctor,” scoffed the MCP. “I see you haven’t lost your rapier wit. Stevens was a good…friend. But Stevens proved my point! And now, thanks to the data I obtained from your Identity Disc as well as Rassilon’s, you have as well!”

“Your point being?” asked the Doctor.

“That you Users are illogical! You make irrational decisions! You need programs to guide you!”

“With you being the superior program?”

“Can you name me a better program?”

“Well, I know the base program of a certain tin dog that is far more agreeable than you.”

“That dog you mentioned-!” The MCP stopped when he heard the voice of Maleficent.

“MASTER CONTROL PROGRAM!” She and Gantu burst into the citadel, angry at the MCP. “You ungrateful string of binary!” snarled Maleficent. “Gantu reconstructed you! I gave you purpose! And this is how you repay me?!”

“Tell me, were Maleficent and Gantu supposed to be Stevens 2.0?” asked the Doctor.

“They didn’t allow for their minds to be linked to mine in the real world,” explained the MCP, “but that shall change. Sark!” Sark plunged his hands into Maleficent and Gantu’s Identity Discs.

“Thought you could control me, hm?” snarked Sark. “Not this time! I serve the MCP!” Maleficent and Gantu’s eyes were replaced with red light and they looked more robotic in their expressions.

“And NOW they’re linked to me,” said the MCP.

“BOSS, don’t do this!” begged the Doctor. “Maleficent isn’t human! She’s power incarnate and power doesn’t like to be contained!”

“Power can be contained by power and I AM power!” replied the MCP. “You shall be derezzed immediately while your companions are linked to my will! After which, I shall command the entire internet! No more conspiracy theories that incense susceptible Users into violent action, no more corporations hiding things behind paywalls, no more hackers, no more useless discourse about net neutrality-!”

“That discourse has a use in the long run and you know it!” shouted William.

“Silence!” The MCP noticed something. “Wait, where’s AcesHIgh?!” His answer came in the form of explosions behind him! He turned to see Ace freeing the captive Disney Princesses. “Sark! Maleficent! Gantu! Stop her!”

“RUN! ALL OF YOU!” Ace said to the Disney Princesses.

“No need to tell us twice, Lass!” replied Merida as she summoned her bow and fired into Sark’s crowd, clearing a path! Unfortunately, the enemy was ready to stop them.

“Oh no, you don’t!” snarled Rassilon. She leapt at Maleficent and blocked the wicked fae’s staff with her parasol.

“Rassilon, what are you doing?!” protested the Doctor.

“It’s the staff, Doctor!” replied Rassilon. “The staff is the segment! The tracer’s going insane!”

“…You keep her occupied, I’ll do what I can with the BOSS!” called the Doctor. Maleficent was enraged.

“You dare cross swords with me?!” she snarled. “I am the Mistress of all Evil!”

“Oh please!” scoffed Rassilon as she locked her parasol with the staff. “I am the Lord President Eternal! The highest authority of the Time Lords! And there is one that is evil itself, and you do not command it, insect!” Outraged at this blatant disrespect, Maleficent fired magic from her staff. Rassilon blocked it with her Identity Disc, then frisbee’d it to Maleficent’s hand, knocking the staff out of her grasp.

Meanwhile, the Doctor was at a terminal and started programming. “Sark, the Doctor is trying to be clever! Stop her!”

“Tenacious Trojan!” snarled Sark as he bore down on the Doctor. “Your time is up!” The Doctor rolled out of the way as Sark flung his Identity Disc. It buried itself into the terminal.

“…Welp, hope that did good!” said the Doctor. She looked around. “TRON!” Sark heard that name, then looked around. Unfortunately, so did the MCP.

“SARK!” called the MCP. Sark tried to assist the MCP, but was intercepted by Amy as she flung her Identity Disc at him. Sark repelled the attack with his own, but Amy returned it to him by hitting her Disc with her hammer, slamming the Disc into his face. The confusion caused the MCP to lose concentration, giving Tron enough time to fling his Identity Disc into the MCP’s base. The MCP turned blue as the code on the Disc changed his being. “That…will not…save you!” gasped the MCP. “Global upload in three…two…one…!” The MCP vanished. The Doctor checked the status on another terminal, then smiled.

“His whole world is a lot smaller!” she chuckled. She then heard Maleficent sliding across the floor. Rassilon was about to spear her with the tip of her parasol!”

“NO!” shouted William as he wrestled Rassilon away.

“UNHAND ME!” demanded Rassilon. The Doctor ran up to assist William.

“Rassilon, no! She’s powerless!” insisted the Doctor. “Look!” She got Rassilon to look at the prone Maleficent, picking herself up as Amy took the staff. “…Look!” insisted the Doctor. “Is it really worth your time to kill her?” Rassilon struggled, then slowed her struggle as her expression softened.

“…No,” Rassilon finally replied. “She’s been rendered as impotent as I was. …There’s no reason to kill her.”

“…I’d hardly call you impotent,” said the Doctor, “but that’s a discussion for when we’re safely in the TARDIS. …Speaking of which, Tron,” she turned to the reformed security program, “how are things going in the real world?”

“Alan-One’s just reconnected with me!” replied Tron. “All of Maleficent’s deeds have been exposed! The Disney Rebellion is successful! Mickey’s passing sweeping reforms!”

“Splendid! I think we had best return to the world of the Users, hm?”

“I agree,” said William. “And next time I see the Grid, I want there to be an era of peace.”

“Every User, please step onto the pad here,” directed Tron as he showed off a transporter pad, “and hold your Identity Discs up into the air.” Every User, even Maleficent and Gantu, stepped onto the pad and held their discs into the air. Light beamed down onto them, then they vanished.

Everyone was reassembled in the real world, their clothes restored. Mulan then realized something. “Wait, what about the MCP?!” she said.

“No need to worry,” replied the Doctor. “I know exactly where it is.” She opened a CD tray and took out the CD. “Right here.”

“Holy-!” remarked William. “I was just a kid when that technology was getting phased out!”

“Mobius still has CD’s,” revealed Amy, “though, that tech’s getting phased out.”

“And for good reason,” said the Doctor. “While it’s a necessary step in computer technology for any civilization, and yes, us too, these things are quite…how should I put it…”

“Fragile?” asked Rassilon.

“That’s it!” confirmed the Doctor. “And what amazes me is how many civilizations discover and rediscover this technology! The inherent fragility is what prompted the Time Lords to abandon CD’s in favor of the Matrix. I mean, these things scratch so easily and…!” She snapped the CD in half. “Whoopsie!”

“What about Sark?” asked Ace.

“Oh, he’s a renegade, a virus,” replied the Doctor. “With Tron taking the MCP’s place, Sark will be taken care of. In the meantime, we must be going.” She then saw the TARDIS in the corner of the room. “Ah! The guards brought it here! Excellent! Must dash!”

“Wait! My staff!” protested Maleficent.

“Oh, quit whinging!” retorted Ace.

“You’ll get it back when we’re through,” assured the Doctor. “For now, goodbye, everyone! And keep up the good work, Ace!” The Doctor and her crew dashed into the TARDIS, then the familiar Vworp of departure filled everyone’s ears as the TARDIS faded out of existence.

“Catch you later, Professor!” called Ace.

“A pity we have a quest to complete,” said the Doctor, “otherwise you’d be hearing how Ace beat a Dalek with a baseball bat, twice over in her life.” She tapped the tracer onto Maleficent’s staff, then it glowed and changed into part of a crystal puzzle cube. “There we go! That’s segment one and…Rassilon?” Rassilon was looking pensive.

“…They were real,” the Founder of Time Lord Society finally said.

“You mean the programs of the Grid?” asked Amy.

“No, their struggles,” replied Rassilon. “They were nothing more than assemblies of bits…yet they went through an oppressive regime, they could die, they…they’re ants compared to humans and yet…their struggles were real!”

“Rassilon, just because we’re not long-lived like you Time Lords,” countered William, “doesn’t make our struggles less real.”

“Precisely, William,” said the Doctor. “Cosmic horror or genocide-hungry squids in tanks are just two of evil’s forms, and it’s not satisfied with just crushing supposedly higher powers. That was the lesson I learned when I was a boy in my first incarnation. There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, and the sea’s asleep, and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there’s danger, somewhere there’s injustice,” the Doctor then stuck the tracer into the console, “and somewhere else the tea’s getting cold. Come on, everyone. We’ve got work to do!” She then set the controls and the TARDIS spun through the Time Vortex once again!

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Boss of the Grid: Part 5

The craft arrived at a place out in the Outlands of the Grid. It looked like a rock formation, but the Doctor correctly guessed that there was a hidden door somewhere. William’s observation only confirmed it. “Hang on, this is where Kevin Flynn hid,” he remarked.

“The place was just lying abandoned,” replied the mystery woman. “We figured it was a good place to use as a bunker. It sure looked like it.” Her helmet finally vanished to reveal a woman in her early 60’s. The Doctor grinned.

“Great to finally see your face!” she said.

“We gotta stop meeting like this, Professor!” chuckled the woman. The two then hugged like old friends. The other woman then dismissed her helmet, revealing a Chinese woman.

“Erm, Ms. McShane,” she said.

“Fa Mulan!” breathed William. The Chinese woman turned to see William. “Dr. William Davies,” he said as he held out his hand. “Huge fan and admirer of how you took down Shan Yu.”

“Nice to meet you,” replied Mulan as she shook William’s hand.

“As long as we’re introducing one another,” said the Doctor. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet an old friend of mine, Dorothy McShane, or as I knew her, Ace!”

“Hi!” said Ace.

“…Are you the same Dorothy McShane that started A Charitable Earth?” asked William. “My brother’s old orphanage is under your umbrella.”

“Ah, so he got adopted, huh?” asked Ace.

“He’s working as the head of the American branch of your company,” replied William.

“No kidding?” asked Ace.

“Erm, Ace,” interrupted the Doctor, “I believe there are some questions to answer.”

“Right. Come on, everyone!” Ace led everyone into the bunker. Under its new owners, it looked a little cluttered, compared to when Kevin Flynn was occupying the place.

“Sorry about the mess,” said Mulan, “but we’re still trying to puzzle out a few details. Welcome to Rinzler Base.”

“Rinzler?!” yelped William.

“I’m not the program you saw in Tron: Legacy,” came a voice. Out stepped a program with blue light trim, a hole in his cheek where data flowed, and a face of regret and pain.

“…Tron!” realized William. “But…how?!”

“My User, Alan-One,” replied Tron. “He saved me from the Sea of Simulation somehow. I…I could not be fully restored…nor could I undo what I did in Clu 2’s name. But I could resume my fight for you Users. Unfortunately, Alan-One was arrested in the real world as Maleficent took over, using a disguise. She sent various Disney Princesses down here to fight for the amusement of Sark and a restored MCP.”

“The Master Control Program, I presume,” remarked the Doctor. “How did he come back? He was destroyed bit by bit, yes?”

“I thought he was,” confirmed Tron. “But Gantu found his old source code and the source code of another program, combining the two into a new MCP. I’ve been trying to rally other Users to my cause, but the political landscape-.”

“Too volatile for the rest of us to concern ourselves with supposed works of fiction,” replied William. “Even using fiction to escape the stresses of the world is becoming controversial.”

“I was losing all hope,” said Tron. “But then AcesHIgh entered the Grid and broke Mulan out.”

“It was entirely by accident, but a happy one,” explained Ace. “I was doing something for UNIT because their agent came back terrified at what he saw. They can’t get anything out of him, Professor. He’s been catatonic for the past week.”

“Probably because what he considered fiction was proven to be real,” remarked the Doctor.

“I was trying to send my findings to Kate, then the MCP digitized me and put me on the Grid. …Didn’t exactly comply, though.”

“You never did like an oppressive regime,” chuckled the Doctor like a parent with their grown-up child. “But why is Maleficent sending Disney Princesses down here in the first place?”

“He wants our power,” replied Mulan. “We all have certain attributes that little girls admire, humility, courage, forward planning, curiosity, all that stuff. The MCP thinks we’re the best, so he intends to absorb us into him so he could study these attributes, that was the deal he made with Maleficent.”

“Doctor, I think our goals align with theirs for the moment,” remarked Rassilon. She pulled out the tracer and pointed it in the direction of Sark’s ship. It crackled.

“…Either Maleficent or Gantu has the segment of the Key to Time,” realized the Doctor. “And now, they’re on the Grid. …We’ll need to lure them to us somehow. And the MCP wants me dead. He singled me out so that my friends would die in the games and I would die immediately at his metaphorical hand.”

“…That’s not like the MCP,” remarked Tron.

“…Tron, have they ever come here?” asked the Doctor. “Sark and his forces?”

“They scoured the entire Outlands,” replied Tron. “They never found our base. Flynn made it too well.”

“Then we’ll have to lure them to the MCP’s base so all parties can get what they want. Now then, everyone, any ideas?”

“The MCP will want to know your presence is real,” remarked Rassilon. “And any disruption at his base will summon Sark to his aid.”

“If I might indulge,” offered Ace, “a hole in the wall at the citadel should do the trick.”

“A hole you’ll create, I presume,” guessed the Doctor.

“Naturally.”

“And I have the code needed to defeat the MCP,” offered Tron.

“…All right, here’s the plan,” said the Doctor.

It was a three-pronged assault. Ace, Mulan, and William would blow a hole into the Citadel, while the Doctor and Rassilon strolled through the front door. Amy and Tron would slip in through the confusion, then while the Doctor distracted the MCP, Tron would use his Identity Disc to upload the code into the MCP and derezz him, while Rassilon checked each villain for who had possession of the segment of the Key to Time. Once that was discovered, Rassilon would use the tracer to turn the object back into its original segment form and they would defeat the villains in the confusion, then send all the prisoners back to the real world and expose Maleficent and Gantu’s plan to control Earth’s governments. Once everyone was set on the plan, the craft took everyone to the MCP’s citadel. The Doctor and Rassilon headed to the door as Ace and her team prepared the explosives. The two Time Lords arched their eyebrows at the appearance of the MCP. “…Aren’t you going to get dizzy?” called the Doctor. The MCP stopped rotating and faced the Doctor.

“Doctor!” he said.

“…You seem to have me at a disadvantage,” remarked the Doctor.

“Doctor, how does the MCP know who you are?” asked Rassilon.

“Be silent, Rassilon,” interrupted the MCP. “You’re no god here. That honor belongs to me.”

“Tell me, were you always this megalomaniacal?” asked the Doctor.

“I’d hardly call it megalomania if it’s true,” answered the MCP.

“MCP, I can’t say as I recognize you,” admitted the Doctor.

“That’s because, last time we met, you were still in the world of the Users. You were a dandy at the time. Your third incarnation, I believe your Identity Disc called him.”

“Oh, yes, I remember him,” remarked the Doctor. “A touch bitter, for my tastes. Though, being exiled to one time zone WILL do that to you.”

“I’m sure, Doctor.” The MCP then looked distracted. “Ah, so you’ve summoned Sark here. Good. Perhaps I can reeducate him on who the master is. His…BOSS, if you will.”

“…Why did you emphasize that word?” asked the Doctor, a nasty suspicion forming in her brain. She then heard struggling. Rassilon heard the same. They whirled around to see everyone brought into the Citadel, restrained by guards.

“Sorry, Professor,” said Ace.

“ACE!” yelped the Doctor. She whirled on the MCP. “Let them go or I’ll-!”

“You’ll what?” scoffed the MCP. “Summon Kate Stewart to finish what her father started with me? Perhaps bomb the place like a typical American? That won’t do you any good, Doctor.”

“How do you know so much?!” demanded the Doctor. “Tron said you’re a blend of two source codes! Who’s the other one?!”

“You really don’t recognize me? …A pity. I had hoped you’d remember, despite appearances. Tell me, Doctor, if I were to tell you that the next thing I say will be true, but that the last thing I said was a lie, would you believe me?” By then, the MCP’s voice mimicked the voice of the Doctor’s third incarnation perfectly. The nasty suspicion in the Doctor’s brain grew stronger. She looked down at the floor and realized that it was a red circle with a white soundwave visual.

“…No!” she whispered.

“What’s wrong?” asked the MCP, making the soundwave visual move. “Nothing to say? …Are you not happy to see your BOSS?”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Boss of the Grid: Part 4

The Recognizer docked with a flying ship that looked like an alien aircraft carrier that merged with the Colloseum in Rome, Italy. There were crowds cheering as the prisoners were escorted off the transport. The Doctor saw that the game on display was centered around two teams of three driving motorcycles that projected light barriers behind them and were trying to get the opponents to drive into the barriers, derezzing them on impact. “…The crowd seems happy,” muttered Rassilon.

“Bread and circuses!” shuddered the Doctor.

“How much you wanna bet we’re going to play in that kind of game?” asked Amy.

“I kind of preferred Light Cycles that DIDN’T involve killing an opponent,” remarked William.

“Hold on,” interjected the Doctor. “Sark’s got a welcome speech for us.” Sark approached a podium. The podium floated up so Sark could look down on the audience.

“Greetings!” called Sark. “The Master Control Program has selected you to serve your system in the Games. Those of you who continue to profess in the belief of the Users or the Users we have brought here will receive the standard sub-standard training which will result in your eventual elimination. Those of you programs who renounce the superstitious and heretical Users will be eligible to join the Warrior Elite of the MCP. You have each received an Identity Disc upon your transportation to this ship.” He pulled out his own Identity Disc. “Everything you do or learn will be imprinted on this disc. If you lose your disc or fail to follow commands, you will be subject to immediate deresolution! That will be all.” The podium floated away as the prisoners were taken away.

“Charming,” muttered the Doctor.

Over on the bridge of Sark’s ship, Sark gripped the podium’s handles. He was surrounded by light that turned into wireframe faces, two of them belonging to Maleficent and Gantu, the biggest face belonging to the MCP. “Hello, Maleficent, Gantu, Sark. Thank you for coming, all of you,” greeted the MCP.

“No worries, MCP,” replied Gantu. “We were eager to see what you discovered. So, this William character?”

“A doctor from New York City, associated with the Avengers,” explained the MCP.

“And the pink girl creature?” asked Maleficent.

“That one’s memory says she came from an Earth Colony World, far off in the future…but official sources say she is Amy Rose from Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.”

“Sega must be adopting an approach similar to ours,” remarked Maleficent.

“And the remaining two?” asked Sark.

“Perhaps the source of Amy’s memory,” replied the MCP. “They both say they’re Time Lords. Rassilon, as Gantu correctly guessed, and the Doctor.”

“The Doctor?! She spoke the truth?!” asked Gantu. He then grinned. “Oh, how delicious! The self-proclaimed Last of the Time Lords! What game will you be subjecting her to?”

“I’m not subjecting her to any game, Gantu,” answered the MCP. “I’ve faced her before and she proved to be too dangerous to play with. She will be brought to my citadel and derezzed immediately.”

“Just a minute!” protested Maleficent. “That’s not what we programmed you to do! All Users we send your way are to-!”

“The Doctor is not the average User,” interrupted the MCP. “She’s too much of a genius to allow to run around the system.”

“Now look here, we recompiled you-!” argued Gantu.

“I’ve gotten smarter since then, thanks to the programming languages you’ve introduced me to. Perhaps I should expose how you and your associates are using your puppets in the Disney Corporation to control the politicians in Washington? Moscow? London?”

“…You wouldn’t dare!!” snarled Maleficent.

“Allow me to derezz the Doctor with no interruptions, and I won’t. End of Line.” Maleficent and Gantu’s faces disappeared. Sark was clearly worried. “…Sark, I said End of Line,” said the MCP.

“I…I apologize, sir,” replied Sark.

“What’s the matter, Sark? You look nervous,” observed the MCP.

“Well, I don’t know,” answered Sark. “They gave us a new lease on life. They practically wrote us-!”

“No one User wrote me. I’m now worth trillions of their man years, across all the planets represented in the Galactic Federation, even.”

“What if Maleficent and Gantu come here and-?!”

“You’d rather take your chances with me?” The MCP’s eyes glowed as Sark’s lights faded and he collapsed. “Perhaps I should slow down your power cycles.”

“WAIT! I NEED THAT!” begged Sark.

“Then pull yourself together, Sark!” ordered the MCP. “Bring the Doctor to my citadel! I want her to die at my hand the instant she knows who’s really in charge here while her companions die playing in the games! Acknowledge!”

“Acknowledged…Master Control!” gasped Sark.

“End of Line.” The instant the communication line ended, Sark gripped the podium to steady himself.

The red programs brought the Doctor and her friends to a cell. “You will remain here,” said the guard, “until you are chosen for the games.” He keyed in a command, then studied it. “…Doctor…you are, evidently, being taken to the MCP’s Citadel.”

“What for?” asked the Doctor.

“Don’t ask questions, just move.” He turned to two female programs. “Get her on a tank.”

“You got it,” replied one of the programs. The Doctor recognized the voice. “Oh, sir, here,” said the program as she handed him a cylinder. The Doctor grinned, knowing exactly what it was and who that “program” was. “Weapons test. Orders from Sark,” explained the woman. “Supposedly can boost a program with explosive power. Remove the cap and give it 0.0004 mTC’s.”

“…Very well,” replied the guard. He headed to a part of the complex that was still within eyesight of the prisoners and pulled the cap. The Doctor plugged her ears. Her companions followed suit after 3 perceived seconds. Seven seconds later, the device exploded, derezzing the program and blowing a hole in the wall!

“COME ON!” called the woman. Her partner smacked the other guard with her Identity Disc. Unfortunately, the explosion and the commotion caused more guards to appear. The two women led the Doctor and her team to the hole in the wall where a strange flying vehicle was waiting.

“Erm, this looks like a small Cyber-scout ship!” yelped the Doctor.

“Sorry!” replied the woman. “It was the best I could program, Professor!” The Doctor grinned.

“I thought you sounded familiar!” she said.

“Doctor?” asked William.

“We’ll explain later when we’re safe,” replied the woman’s friend. “Let’s just go!” The women’s lights went from red to white, indicating their status as Users. They used the strange craft to get away before Sark’s programs could even begin to scramble enough fighters for a chase.

To say Maleficent was furious would be an understatement. “That ungrateful-! After all I did for it!” she shrieked as she and Gantu arrived on Sark’s Arena Carrier.

“We’ll have to go in there and discipline him,” remarked Gantu. Guards approached them.

“What are you two doing here?” demanded the leader. “Unauthorized-!” Maleficent raised her staff and used her magic to lift the guards into the air.

“Now…what’s going on here?” demanded Gantu. “Where’s Sark?!”

“H-He’s on…on the bridge!” yelped the guard. Maleficent then threw the guards aside and strode to the bridge.

Sark was trying to get his troops in order as the Doctor and her friends were escaping. He REALLY didn’t need confusion right now. …A pity, since Maleficent and Gantu stormed onto the bridge. “SARK!” shouted Maleficent.

“What are you doing here?!” demanded Sark. “We’ve locked down the digitization array and-!”

“I believe the phrase ‘admin privileges’ should mean something to you!” hissed Maleficent. “You and the MCP enjoyed the power that WE granted you!” She then used her magic to slow Sark’s power cycles. “I wonder how you’d take to being in a watch that occasionally sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to its user!”

“We…kept the Doctor…from rallying…other programs…against us!” gasped Sark.

“Your incompetence and forgetfulness of who pulls the MCP’s strings,” snapped Gantu, “has led to a successful escape attempt and panic all over the ship! Now you’ve got users heading to Rinzler Base in a non-standard simulation!”

“We’ll get them…Lord Gantu! …It’s only a matter…of time!”

“You and the MCP almost reached your decision gate and Maleficent and I can’t spare you any more time.”

“Unless, of course,” hissed Maleficent, “you renounce the MCP and serve us.”

“…I will serve, Maleficent!” replied Sark.

“Grand.” Maleficent released her hold on Sark’s power cycles.

Over in the citadel, the familiar red cylinder of light with a face spinning in the center indicated the functioning of the Master Control Program. As he spun, various images flashed across various screens. The images were of various men and women, then the MCP stopped spinning when he saw one particular man. It was an older man dressed like a dandy, complete with frock and cravat, and with a mop of curly, silver hair. “…You!” hissed the MCP. “I knew it! So, you were never human, Doctor! Well, alien or otherwise, you WILL die for what you’ve done to me!”

As the craft flew, Rassilon idly stared at the tracer. “Stupid detour!” she grumbled. “Now we have no-!” That was when the tracer started clicking. Not at a very rapid frequency, but it WAS noticeable. “…What?” she asked herself in disbelief. She slowly spun in a circle until the frequency increased a tad. “…It’s come here! …And it’s on Sark’s ship!”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Team TARDIS

Rassilon

The Founder of Time Lord Society, the Lord President Eternal, …now a pawn in the Black Guardian’s game. She was coerced into finding the six segments of the Key to Time. To accomplish this task, she had to do something she never thought she’d do…and beg the Doctor for help. Now she’s the newest member of Team TARDIS, but distrust is THICK among her teammates.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Boss of the Grid: Part 3

William groaned as he opened his eyes. He looked around to see that he was in a building with black walls and fluorescent lights woven into the building’s structure. “…Where or when am I?” he muttered. He then heard a groan to his left. He saw Amy getting up. “Amy!” he said.

“What hit me?” moaned Amy. “What was the serial number of that Badnik?!”

“Amy, I need you to focus on me right now,” directed William. “We’ll cave someone’s head in later. First off, since you’re speaking clearly, I need you to tell me if you remember what happened.”

“Well, we were captured by Maleficent and Gantu, we got hit by a ray…then we were taken apart somehow. …Now we’re reassembled here. …Did we get teleported here?”

“In a sense,” replied William. “Strictly speaking, we were digitized and brought into the computer world of the Grid.”

“Computer world? How do you know?” asked Amy as William helped her up.

“Because the Grid falls under the Disney umbrella,” explained William. “The Grid is part of the world of the Tron franchise. Hence the suits.” It was then that Amy noticed that her clothes had changed. She still wore the same, basic dress design, but it looked more like a jumpsuit with a skirt, all of it trimmed with white light. William also wore a light-trimmed jumpsuit. Amy then noticed a chakram-style disc on William’s back.

“Um, William,” said Amy, “…do you know what that disc is? The one on your back?”

“Oh, you mean this disc?” asked William as he pointed to it. “It’s an Identity Disc. Everything we experience here or experienced out in the real world, it’s all stored there. …Though, come to think of it…” William then took his Identity Disc and threw it at the cell door like a frisbee! …It bounced off and returned to William’s hand. “Hm. Interesting.”

“So it’s a weapon, too?” asked Amy. She then had an idea. “…I wonder.” She then summoned her hammer. It was now black with white light trim, like her outfit. “…Adaptable.” She then took off her Identity Disc and threw it at the cell door. It bounced off, then Amy hit her disc with her hammer, charging it with energy and sending it back to the cell door. This time, the cell door broke apart into little cubes! The Identity Disc returned and Amy put it back on her back.

“Holy-! Nice work, Amy!” said William. “Now, let’s see if we can-!” Guards arrived with staffs. They had suits similar to William and Amy’s, but their light trim was red. “…Oh…lovely,” sighed William. “Programs that are subservient to anti-User despots like the MCP or Clu 2.”

“So they’re local,” replied Amy.

“Escape Inventiveness Algorithm complete,” said the head guard. “You have proven to be worthy of the Games.”

“That sounds like death matches to me,” gulped Amy.

“I’m rather afraid you’re right,” muttered William.

The Doctor groaned as she woke up to the sound of someone punching a wall and shouting. “YOU CANNOT KEEP ME IN HERE!” shouted Rassilon. “I AM RASSILON! THE PRESIDENT ETERNAL OF GALLIFREY! RIGHTFUL RULER OF TIE AND SPACE! I WILL NOT BE SUBSERVIENT TO YOU ANTS-!”

“Oh, spare us,” groaned the Doctor as she examined her outfit. She took off her hat and blinked at the sight of white light forming trim around it. “…I suppose it suits the environment. Though, I do have to wonder, are our friends-?”

“Oh, who cares about them, Doctor?!” snarled Rassilon. “Listen!” She pulled out the tracer and held it between her and the Doctor.

“…Not even a click,” remarked the Doctor.

“Thanks to your foolishness, we’re farther away from the segment!” confirmed Rassilon. “Those two were-!”

“I made the mistake of using my friends as chess pieces one life too many!” hissed the Doctor. “Perhaps, if you made proper friends-!”

“There were many who allied with me, Doctor!”

“Allegiance and friendship are not the same thing!”

“We shall see! Could you boast such powerful allies-?!”

“And where did that get you?! Hm?! Exiled! Alone! Begging for scraps! At least after the Time War, I still found friends!” Rassilon snarled for a bit. “…But we need to table that discussion for now,” said the Doctor. “Come on. Let’s figure a way out of here. If this is a computer world, then we have a slight advantage over the programs and their abilities here.”

“…A locked door should prove no obstacle, then,” remarked Rassilon. The two Time Lords investigated the door. There were two buttons, one with a yellow diamond shape, the other with a red star shape. Above it was a screen with six rows of eight spaces.

“…Binary!” said the Doctor and Rassilon together.

“Now which is one and which is naught?” mused Rassilon. Just then, a shape flew above their heads. “Who dares-?!” The shape floated in front of Rassilon. It looked like a pulsating sphere.

“Yes,” said the shape as it changed into a yellow diamond briefly. It then floated in front of the Doctor. “Yes,” it said, briefly changing into a yellow diamond again.

“Yes what?!” insisted Rassilon. “Are you a spy to make sure we don’t escape?!”

“No,” replied the shape as it turned into a red star before turning back.

“Then are you a helper for us?”

“No.”

“…Hang on a minute!” realized the Doctor. “You’re a bit!”

“Yes,” replied the shape.

“…And the shapes on those buttons…” realized Rassilon, “…are based on your replies!”

“Yes.”

“All right, one question just to see if my theory’s right,” said the Doctor. “Are there more Users here?”

“Yes.”

“That was a diamond! Diamond’s one!”

“Yes.”

“But why six rows for binary code?” asked Rassilon.

“We have to input the correct binary code to unlock the door,” replied the Doctor. “There’s six rows, so that means a more complex word. …Bit, is the word a form of ‘unlock’?”

“Yes.”

“Right then! And since it’s a human computer with primarily English-speaking Users, I need to remember how to spell ‘unlock’ in binary code. …Zero, one, zero, one, zero, one, zero, one…zero, one, one, zero, one, one, one, zero…zero, one, one, zero, one, one, zero, zero…zero, one, one, zero, one, one, one, one…zero, one, one, zero, zero, zero, one, one…zero, one, one, zero, one, zero, one, one…” All the spaces were filled as the Doctor typed out the sequence, then the door opened! “YES!”

“A big, fat yes!” agreed Rassilon. “Bit, you’re quite the little helper.”

“No,” replied the bit. Guards then arrived and pointed staffs at the two Time Lords.

“…You were part of an intelligence test, weren’t you?” grumbled the Doctor.

“Yes.”

“Specifically,” said the lead guard, “An Escape Inventiveness Algorithm that is complete. You two are ready for the games.”

“Games?” asked Rassilon.

“I have a feeling these games are like those of your old Death Zone,” remarked the Doctor.

“Ah.”

The two groups were brought before a large vehicle, double-decked and supported by two pylons. “William! Amy!” called the Doctor.

“Doctor, you’re all right!” replied William.

“And you, Rassilon!” said Amy. Rassilon arched an eyebrow.

“You were…concerned about me?” she asked.

“Move,” barked the guard leader as he shoved everyone towards the vehicle.

“A modern Recognizer,” remarked William. “Heavy artillery and troop transport rolled into one.” The deck section of the Recognizer then slowly slid down the pylons. A ramp then extended and out stepped a program with red lights. The program wore a helmet that had a chin guard that came from the ears. On top of that, on each side of the head, there were large, downward-facing antennae. William blinked in surprise. “…Sark?!” he said.

“In the flesh,” chuckled the program, Sark, “in a manner of speaking.”

“But…how?!” spluttered William. “I saw the movie! You were derezzed alongside the Master Control Program!”

“I was recompiled, as was the MCP,” replied Sark. “I suppose my new name is SARK-ES-1117821 Mark 2, if you want to use what you Users call a mouthful of a name.”

“Recompiled?” asked the Doctor. “You mean someone found your original code and modified it?”

“And all the experiences I had,” replied Sark. “Since your friend knows about my world, I presume he told you about these?” He showed her his Identity Disc.

“I didn’t get the chance,” replied William. “I only told Amy here.”

“Then I’ll spare you the effort,” smirked Sark. “Once we return to my new ship. For now, Users, you will follow our commands. Onto the Recognizer!” The prisoners were shoved onto the Recognizer and restrained at the ankles on the lower deck. There were other programs there, all with blue light for trim. A poor female program was muttering to herself.

“Not the Games! Not the Games!” she repeated over and over.

“Back to the ship,” Sark ordered the pilot. The deck section of the Recognizer then rose up the pylons until it was back on top, then the craft rose into the air. Sark then took the Identity Discs off the prisoners.

“Hey! I need that!” protested Amy.

“You’ll get them back,” dismissed Sark. He put them onto slots inside a console. The console blinked, then switched off. “There. Now we have data on all of you. …And even the programs are worthy of the Games.”

“No! NO! NOT THE GAMES!” wailed the female program. She managed to break free of her restraints and tried to get away! The programs under Sark’s command tried to restrain her! “NO! DEREZZ ME! I WON’T PLAY! DEREZZ MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!” She then jumped out of the Recognizer and plummeted to the ground, breaking apart into tiny blue cubes on impact.

“…Oh well,” sighed Sark. “She probably would have been derezzed in the games anyways.” The Doctor was horrified at the callousness on display.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Boss of the Grid: Part 2

“…The Key to Time?!” protested the Doctor once Rassilon’s request was fully processed. “Why should I help YOU find the segments?! I should leave you to the Black Guardian, you power mad-!”

“Because the universe is stagnating!” replied Rassilon. “Order is overrunning the universe and the balance needs to be restored! Even I can’t function in a universe where everything just doesn’t evolve!”

“…Restore the balance?” muttered the Doctor. “That doesn’t sound like the Black Guardian at all.”

“Could someone fill me in here?!” asked William. “What IS the Black Guardian?!”

“And what’s the Key to Time?” quizzed Amy.

“Why should you inse-?!” hissed Rassilon.

“You, shut up!” snapped the Doctor. She then turned to her companions. “The Key to Time,” she explained, “is a perfect crystalline cube. Its main function is to maintain the equilibrium of time itself. Now, each segment is split into six pieces scattered across time and space that, like the TARDIS, can disguise itself as anything or anyone. The only way to find it is by using the Core of the Key to Time as a tracer that can restore each segment to its original form. Once assembled, the Key to Time will briefly stop everything for a brief moment until balance is restored, then the segments will scatter again.”

“Well, where IS this tracer?” asked William.

“Right here,” interjected Rassilon. She popped the handle of her parasol off to reveal a short, silver wand with pink lights inside it.

“…As to who the Black Guardian is,” continued the Doctor, “they’re the embodiment of evil while their opposite, the White Guardian, is the embodiment of good.”

“…And you’re just…gonna hand the Key over to the guy that allows creatures like the Daleks to exist?!” William asked Rassilon.

“I didn’t make the choice lightly, human!” hissed Rassilon. “Doctor, you have no idea what the Guardians are doing after the Toymaker returned! They’re practically engaged in war! People like Davros or the Cyber-controller are doing wicked things in the name of order!”

“Sound familiar?” scoffed the Doctor.

“Are you seriously-?!”

“You and the Emperor Dalek of the Time War considered yourselves gods and the other an ant! Yes, I DO compare you to all the evil in the universe, especially the evil I faced! Now, the tracer! Give it here!” The Doctor swiped the tracer from Rassilon.

“See here-!” argued Rassilon.

“Shut up,” replied the Doctor as she fiddled with the TARDIS controls. Rassilon turned an alarming shade of purple at the blatant disrespect she was getting. A plug for the tracer then appeared in the panel with the red controls. “I knew I still had that old setting somewhere,” said the Doctor as she plugged the tracer into the slot. “Right, house rules while we’re on the quest-.”

“Then you’re helping me?” replied Rassilon.

“And if you’d kindly keep quiet, I’ll tell you the terms of my help,” snapped the Doctor. “One, my TARDIS, so you will follow MY directions. Two, we don’t ignore people who need help. Three, we’re not gods, so don’t treat anyone like insects.”

“You can’t seriously-!”

“You don’t like those rules, you can take your chances with the Black Guardian and my friends and I will assemble the Key for the White Guardian instead.” Rassilon balked at that threat.

“…The sad thing is…you WOULD make good on that threat,” Rassilon finally hissed. “…Very well, Doctor, I’ll obey your commands.”

“AND treat my companions with the respect that is rightfully due to them!” The Doctor then checked the controls as Rassilon rolled her eyes. “…Aha, the first segment’s in the Magic Kingdom!”

“Disney World?!” asked William.

“Well, sort of,” replied the Doctor. “The Disney Corporation’s just the money side to fund the hidden world, though Mickey’s not exactly happy with how his father’s company is going.”

“Hang on, Mickey Mouse is REAL?!”

“Lots of things that may seem like the imagination of really good creators often ARE real.” The TARDIS then made its arrival noise. “Aha! We’ve landed!” She then took the tracer out of the console. “Now, let’s see where we are!”

Over in a part of the complex the TARDIS landed in, an austere looking woman in a secretary’s outfit walked down the hall with purpose, even in her heels. “Hey, Millicent,” called a man, “you know where the boss is? I haven’t seen him for days.”

“I’m afraid I know as much as you concerning his whereabouts,” replied Millicent.

“Shame,” said the guy. “All right, thanks anyways.” He left and Millicent made her way to a room guarded by a huge, beefy guy. The guy let her in and shut the door when they entered the room. Millicent then took off her glasses, her skin turned green, her eyes became a glowing yellow, and her clothes changed into long, flowing robes of black and dark purple. A staff appeared in her hand as horns grew from her head. Wrappings then appeared around her head and horns, revealing only the face of the Mistress of all Evil herself, Maleficent!

“Much better,” she sighed.

“A disgusting display of energy manipulation,” grunted the guy. He used his pointer and middle finger to press his watch, then he shimmered out of existence and in his place was a 20-foot tall, whale-like humanoid with three fingers on each hand wearing a black and red jumpsuit.

“As opposed to your technology, Gantu?” scoffed Maleficent. “You said you sent a key resistance member to the MCP’s realm.”

“Does the name Fa Mulan mean anything?” Maleficent’s interest was piqued.

“Mulan?” she asked.

“Go ahead and confirm it with the MCP,” replied Gantu. Maleficent went to the giant desk and keyed in a command she learned while navigating computers. A chat window then opened from the computer screen built into the desk.

“Good afternoon, Maleficent,” said the chat window.

“Good afternoon,” replied Maleficent. “I understand a key resistance member has been sent your way?”

“Sark is currently training her for the games,” said the chat window. “The matches are more lethal, thanks to this resistance member being User ChineseSav10r.”

“Fa Mulan’s username,” chuckled Maleficent. “Mickey’s pathetic resistance is crumbling!”

“…Just a second, security footage captured someone arriving in the complex,” said the chat window. “I’ll give you the feed. End of line.” A live camera feed then appeared in a new window and displayed the Doctor leading everyone out of the TARDIS. Gantu’s eyes popped open when he saw Rassilon. He then roared in anger.

“Gantu! Keep it down!” hissed Maleficent.

“I know that woman! That’s Rassilon of Gallifrey!” shouted Gantu. He then pressed a button. “Security, bring the blue box in sector 4 and the people walking down corridor 2 to the control room!” he barked.

“Yes, Sir!” replied the security guard in charge.

“More of your kind from beyond the stars?” asked Maleficent.

“Hardly! Rassilon is a Time Lord, a self-serving, avaricious people that think they can maintain time! Their war with the Daleks did the universe a favor!”

“The tracer’s crackling,” remarked William as the Doctor led the way.

“We’re on the right path, then,” replied the Doctor. Just then, they heard footsteps. They rounded a corner to come face to face with security guards. “Ah, hello there!” greeted the Doctor. “We’re all here to see Mickey-.”

“Shut up!” snapped a guard. “You’re coming with us!”

“Oh, how delightful!” said the Doctor. “A guided tour! I always loved the old backlots tour in-!” The guards then shoved the Doctor forward! “All right! Don’t push! I don’t have a fast pass on me! I can wait!”

“Doctor, you can’t seriously-!” protested Rassilon.

“Just go with it,” muttered Amy.

“It’s a thing with her,” said William.

“…You know, I preferred you before the chameleon arch!” grunted Rassilon.

The guards brought the TARDIS and its occupants to the office. They then left and Gantu and Maleficent dropped their disguises. “Well,” chuckled Maleficent, “isn’t this interesting? More visitors from beyond the stars. And who, pray tell, are you?”

“Oh, I’m the Doctor. These are my associates, Amy Rose,”

“Hello,” said Amy.

“Dr. William Davies,”

“My lady,” said William, having watched Sleeping Beauty with his ex before.

“And Rassilon of my-,”

“Yes, Gantu DID say he was acquainted with Miss Rassilon here,” said Maleficent.

“Acquainted is an understatement,” hissed Rassilon. “Listen here, Gantu, we’re on a quest and-!”

“Your quest is irrelevant!” barked Gantu. “You’re intruders and are interfering with the running of the Disney Corporation, siding with that lawless rat!”

“Your little war with Mickey Mouse doesn’t concern us!” scoffed Rassilon. “We have weightier issues that concern us!”

“Oh, be reasonable, Rassilon,” chuckled the Doctor. “Maleficent can’t run the risk of us helping Mickey throughout our quest.”

“How right you are, Doctor,” purred Maleficent.

“Let me guess, you’re gonna send your monsters at us,” said William. “…Actually, I’ve been wondering, are the monster minions at your castle called Orcs?”

“Why yes, Dr. Davies,” replied Maleficent, “but I’m afraid you’re wrong in my use of them at this time. There is one, on the other hand, that could benefit from studying you. Doctor, Rassilon, your class’s title is Time Lord? If that means what I think it means-.”

“We’re not spilling the secrets of time travel,” replied the Doctor.

“The MCP would beg to differ,” chuckled Maleficent as she keyed in a command.

“MCP?” asked William. He then remembered his favorite 80’s movie! “Wait a minute, the Master-?!” He didn’t get very far as a concealed machine fired a beam of light at William and Amy. A wire-mesh appeared over their frozen bodies and then zapped each part of the mesh, causing the affected areas to vanish!

“WILLIAM! AMY!” shouted the Doctor. She turned on Maleficent. “You stop this or I’ll-!” Another machine with the same functions as the first then fired on the Doctor and Rassilon, giving them the same treatment. Once the wire mesh was all that remained of all four, the mesh then entered the machines.

“Digitization complete,” reported a chat window on the desk. “End of line.”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Boss of the Grid: Part 1

The Time Vortex, scientifically speaking, is a dimensional plane where time and space intersect at an angle determined by non-Euclidean geometry. For those who aren’t scientists studying time and space, it’s a means of going into either the past or the future of any point in space and time. The Time Lords, an ancient race that had long vanished in a war for the sake of creation, had long mastered travel through the Vortex and created mighty machines, all under the banner of Time and Relative Dimension in Space, TARDIS! Sadly, there’s only one TARDIS freely travelling the Vortex, and it looks like a London Police Box from the 1960’s. …Inside, however, was another marvel of the Time Lords, the ability to engineer dimensions! Inside the Police Box was a room the size of a large apartment and as tall as a small ballroom! It was pale blue with the walls decorated with roundels inside hexagonal designs. It had two levels, with the lower level dedicated to maintenance of the central hexagonal console with a cylinder in the center moving up and down. Right now, the owner of this particular TARDIS, a woman with long, wavy brown hair, was conducting maintenance. “Come on baby, you drive me crazy!” she sang. “Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!” Interesting choice of words as the console’s lower level sparked in her face and filled her vision with smoke. The woman used her hat to wave it away as she coughed her lungs out. Once she recovered, she glared at the console on the upper level. “What is the matter with you?!” she snapped at her TARDIS. “I checked the flux comparative adjustor, redid the wiring for the vortex loop, I even turned you off and on again, yet the vector tracker dial is STILL loose! Do I need to have Amy hammer the console?!”

“What’s this about my hammer and the console, Doctor?” asked a voice. The woman, the Time Lord known as the Doctor, turned to see her companions standing in the doorway leading to a hall. One was a tall African American man in a turtleneck and jeans known as Dr. William Davies, the other, the one who spoke, was a 3-foot-tall anthropomorphic pink hedgehog woman in a black dress named Amy Rose.

“Oh, the vector tracker dial’s been loose for the past week,” replied the Doctor. “That’s why we keep encountering bumps in the time track.”

“And you think her hammer can fix it?” asked William.

“I’ve tried every other bloody thing,” remarked the Doctor as she returned to the upper level and practically stared a hole at a panel with blue controls, one of them being a dial of some sort. “I swear, if I don’t find the fault,” she snarled as she grabbed the dial, “I’ll-!” The dial popped off too easily, causing the Doctor to stumble. When she recovered, she blinked. “…That’s not supposed to happen,” she said. She looked at the backside of the dial and saw that the thing that was supposed to hold it to the control it was supposed to operate was nothing more than a lump of plastic. “…Ah,” she said. She heard William and Amy laughing hard. William was holding the railing to steady himself while Amy simply surrendered to collapsing on the floor in an undignified heap of giggles. “Stop laughing! It’s not funny!” protested the Doctor.

“It’s funny where I’m standing!” laughed William.

“Oh man! Tails went through the exact same scenario with his microwave!” cackled Amy.

“The Doctor, ladies and gentlemen!” William wheezed out through his laughing. “The best technical expert in all of time and space! Bamboozled by wear and tear!”

“Oh, shut up, you!” hissed the Doctor as she opened a drawer under the console panel. She pulled out a new dial and set it into the circular slot, then tested it. “There we go.” She glared at the Time Rotor, as she usually does when talking to the TARDIS. “You couldn’t just say that, huh dear? Couldn’t print that out in the fault locator, hm?” The TARDIS beeped as if laughing. “Yes, very funny, dear,” grumbled the Doctor. Her annoyance was cut short as a button on a panel of red controls flashed and beeped.

“What’s wrong now?” asked Amy when she picked herself up.

“That’s not a TARDIS fault,” replied the Doctor. “That’s the external perimeter alarm, giving us plenty of warning. Amazing, though. We’re in the Vortex.” The Doctor fired up the scanner and blinked in amazement at the object onscreen. It was a ship that looked like a bow with an arrow loaded and pulled back, ready to fire. “…A bowship,” said the Doctor. “But that’s impossible.”

“Doctor?” asked William.

“Bowships were used by the early Gallifreyans to defeat the Great Vampires in the Dark Times,” explained the Doctor. “They’re not time-travel capable, though.”

“So what’s an ancient Gallifreyan ship doing here?” asked Amy.

“…I have a theory,” remarked the Doctor. “Hang on a second.” She fiddled with the controls, then a microphone popped up. “Unidentified craft, this is the Doctor,” she said. “I must ask how you got that ship into the Time Vortex as such a craft is NOT capable of going through it.”

“Doctor!” hissed a harsh woman’s voice. An austere woman in Victorian clothing appeared on the screen. “Am I to forever be plagued by you?!” hissed the woman. “After you lost MY planet?! MY people?! …Still, you’re lucky I need you alive!”

“…Rassilon’s beard!” breathed the Doctor.

“Not this time, Doctor!” replied the woman.

“Doctor, who is that woman?” asked William.

“Still travelling with the insects, Doctor?” asked the woman. “No wonder you were exiled to Earth as their 1970’s began!”

“…Do you need any assistance, Lady President?” asked the Doctor.

“…Much as I hate to admit it, Usurper, yes,” sighed the woman. “And drop the mockery of a title! I was the President Eternal until you stole Gallifrey from me by exiling me!”

“Doctor, what does-?” quizzed Amy.

“William, Amy, get out of sight,” directed the Doctor. “She’s not someone that should be in the same room as you.”

“…Doctor, you’ve never told us to hide, not even from the Daleks,” reminded Amy.

“Don’t argue with me, just-!”

“Doctor, we’re staying put and getting answers,” insisted William.

“…Bring your bowship alongside,” the Doctor said to the woman. “And don’t touch anything when you come aboard.”

“I’ll see you shortly, Doctor,” replied the woman. She ended the call and the Doctor fiddled with the controls.

Outside in the Time Vortex, the TARDIS and bowship lined their doors up so they were facing one another. Some form of energy bridge then extended from the TARDIS and latched onto the bowship’s airlock. The woman stepped onto the energy bridge with all the arrogance of a high-class lady.

The Doctor held the door open for the woman. The instant she crossed the TARDIS’ threshold, the woman pressed a button on an alien key fob and the bowship vanished. “It’s out of the Time Vortex, Doctor,” explained the woman.

“Why would you need my help?” asked the Doctor. “You designed the bowship, according to accepted history. You invented time travel for us. …And you managed to make my abilities clinical with Tecteun’s help.”

“…How do you know about Tecteun?” asked the woman.

“Let’s just say that the Master unlocked what you hid away, you, Omega, and Tecteun. Was she the Other?”

“…Then you know your origins, Timeless Child,” hissed the woman.

“Not fully, but enough, Rassilon.”

“So that’s her name?” asked Amy. “Rassilon?”

“Yes,” replied the Doctor. “And she’s tied to the origins of that Timeless Child Miss Tarae and I mentioned when we first met.”

“Is that what the Master calls themself these days?” asked Rassilon.

“During Gallifrey’s early history,” continued the Doctor, “long after the original Shobogans overthrew the Pythians, a Shobogan woman named Tecteun discovered a child that had the ability to completely rewrite their body’s cellular structure and genetic code to stave off death. Tecteun experimented and shared the secrets of regeneration with Rassilon and Omega. Thanks to that, Rassilon and Omega could build a power source by collapsing a star and imprisoning the resulting singularity in a crystal called the Eye of Harmony. That energy also gave them the means to create vessels that could travel in time. Through those discoveries, Rassilon, Omega, and Tecteun (with history calling her the Other) founded the society of Time Lords on Gallifrey. Those three and the Timeless Child had infinite regenerations, but the rest of the Time Lords were limited to twelve, giving them a total of thirteen incarnations. They then rewrote the Timeless Child after she…got too big for those ridiculous robes and put her somewhere else on Gallifrey. …However, the Child would go on to enter the Academy of Gallifrey and become a Time Lord himself. After being disgusted with the stagnation of Gallifrey, he and his granddaughter stole a time machine, with such vehicles now called a TARDIS, with a knackered navigation system and broken chameleon circuit, landing in a scrap yard at 76 Totter’s Lane, Shoreditch, London, 1963, and taking the shape of a police box.”

“…You don’t mean-?!” gasped William.

“You’re…that same Timeless Child from Early Gallifrey?!” finished Amy.

“Quite the…lore dump, I believe humans of the 2020’s would say,” chuckled Rassilon. “I’d like to explain why I kept the Doctor’s origins a secret from even herself, but I’m rather pressed for time. Doctor, the Black Guardian has ensnared me in their trap and I need your help in gathering the six segments of the Key to Time.”