Tag: ghostbusters

The Monster’s Ghosts: Part 4

Post author By Samuel Vinton
Post date June 14, 2026
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The Controller led the Doctor and her group to a cave as Godzilla fought Ghost Godzilla. Inside it were piles of alien technology. The Doctor gasped softly. “This was all I could salvage from my ship,” explained the Controller.

“It’s…perfect!” whispered the Doctor.

“Doctor, what are you planning?” asked Egon.

“What good will a Class A hyperdrive,” quizzed Tysar, “and a subspace relay do for us?”

“Dr. Spengler,” said the Doctor, “I need the plans for your proton packs and the traps.”

“Hold on, Doc,” interjected Peter, “that’s proprietary secrets!”

“Peter, it’s the end of the world we’re talking about here!” protested Winston.

“He’s right,” said Egon as he pulled papers out of his pocket and handed them to the Doctor. She checked them over quickly, then looked around at the technology on display.

“…Right,” she declared. “Dr. Spengler, you, Tysar, Sty, and the Controller help me out in getting the parts we need for a little lash-up. Winston, Milla, you keep watch over Ben and Albedo’s fight. Peter, you tell us how Godzilla’s faring against Ghost Godzilla. …I’m going to need to do some calculations in my head. …Actually, have you got paper, Controller?”

“We Xiliens,” bragged the Controller, “are a paperless organization, Time Lord. We pride ourselves on-.”

“Oh, do shut up! Now’s not the time!” hissed the Doctor. She then grabbed the Controller’s arm, rolled up the sleeve, and wrote some numbers down on her skin.

“HEY!” protested the Controller.

“Once I set up the equations,” directed the Doctor, “feed these figures into the computer. They’ll work out what power we can achieve and whether or not it will be enough to ensnare Ghost Godzilla.”

“And if it isn’t?” asked Sty.

“The technology here can also be used for boosting equipment,” replied the Doctor. Everyone then got to work.

Outside, Humungousaur rolled out of the way of Negative Ultimate Humungousaur’s shots. “Give it up, Tennyson!” bellowed Negative Ultimate Humungousaur. “You cannot defeat me!”

“Where have I heard THAT before?” snarked Humungousaur. He then looked at the gauntlet. “All right, Azmuth,” he said, “how do YOU see what Ultimate Humungousaur looks like?” He then slapped on the gauntlet’s Omnitrix symbol. A light then surrounded Humungousaur. His mouth became a beak, a pair of long horns grew above his eyes and a horn grew on his nose, and stegosaur-plates grew from his back as he grew to Negative Ultimate Humungousaur’s size. He then grew a frill behind his head and his tail gained the same spikes one would see on a Stegosaurus. The light faded as he gained a toga. “ULTIMATE HUMUNGOUSAUR!” he shouted. Negative Ultimate Humungousaur laughed.

“So Azmuth thinks that the Vaxasaurians will evolve into an herbivorous species through millions of years of best-case scenarios?!” he mocked. “How about calling that form Pathetic Humungousaur?!” He opened fire and the missiles raced towards Ultimate Humungousaur…then the horn on Ultimate Humungousaur’s nose glowed and he raised his hands. The missiles stopped in their tracks! Negative Ultimate Humungousaur gasped and Ultimate Humungousaur smiled at the development.

“The Moothronians are vegetarians,” said Ultimate Humungousaur, “and look how war-like THEY are!” He thrust his hands forward and the missiles changed direction and hit Negative Ultimate Humungousaur. The worse-case evolved Vaxasaurian stumbled and shook his head, then Ultimate Humungousaur rushed at him, the impact feeling like a freight train to Negative Ultimate Humungousaur. Ultimate Humungousaur didn’t stop, his path plowed Negative Ultimate Humungousaur into several rock formations. Ultimate Humungousaur then jerked his head to the side, tossing Negative Ultimate Humungousaur aside. Negative Ultimate Humungousaur groaned and the Ultimatrix beeped for a bit until he turned back into Albedo. Albedo was unconscious for a while. Ultimate Humungousaur towered over Albedo, then he performed a victory dance. “Oh yeah!” he said. “It’s scary being this good!” The earth then shook, snapping Ultimate Humungousaur out of his celebration and reminding him of the two Godzillas fighting. “Oh, yeah. Giant lizard fight.” He picked up Albedo and rushed to the cave as the Doctor and her friends were working on the machine. “Hey, Doc!” he called. “You might wanna hurry! Godzilla’s not looking too hot!”

“Nearly there!” replied the Doctor. She then screwed in one last panel. “Right! Help me out here!” Everyone that was conscious helped the Doctor move some sort of oversized version of the Ghostbusters’ neutrino wands attached to a large control mechanism. Milla and Ultimate Humungousaur used their psychic powers to help set the machine up outside.

“Feeding the figures in,” called the Controller as she typed in what the Doctor wrote on her arm.

“Powering up,” reported the Doctor.

“…We DO need the boosters!” called Egon.

“Feeding in the boosters,” said Tysar as she and Sty flicked switches.

“Power levels achieved!” reported Ray. “We gotta aim that thing now!”

“Not while Godzilla’s still there!” argued Tysar.

“Let me try,” said Ultimate Humungousaur. “HEY! BIG GUY! GET OUT OF THE WAY!” Godzilla shoved Ghost Godzilla back and looked down to see Ultimate Humungousaur gesturing for him to get out of the way. Godzilla dove out of the way as the device was aimed at Ghost Godzilla.

“NOW!” called the Doctor. The Ghostbusters activated the machine and a large proton stream erupted from the device’s barrel, ensnaring the spectral Godzilla. The ghostly kaiju thrashed, then the device deployed another machine that opened and bathed Ghost Godzilla in light. The Ghostbusters switched off the stream and Ghost Godzilla was sucked into the new machine! The new machine closed once Ghost Godzilla was inside it and it sparked a bit…then beeped. No one dared to breathe for a few seconds, then the Doctor checked the readings. She smiled.

“Ghost Godzilla is safely contained,” she reported. “UNIT and the Plumbers will transport the giant trap to the Firehouse of this time.” The Ghostbusters then grinned at one another.

“Giant in the box!” began Peter.

“Ready to go!” continued Ray.

“We be fast,” Egon went on.

“And he be slow!” finished Winston. The Omnitrix then beeped and Ultimate Humungousaur shrank back into Humungousaur, then shrank back into Ben.

“So that’s it?” asked Ben.

“That’s it, kiddo!” replied Peter. “We’re the best, we’re the bad, we’re the beautiful, we’re the only…Ghostbusters!”

“I presume this means-?” asked the Controller. Sty then decked the Xilien with enough force to knock her unconscious.

“…I don’t think that was entirely necessary,” remarked the Doctor.

“No, but it WAS therapeutic,” replied Sty.

UNIT and the Plumbers arrived and transported the trap to the Firehouse in New York and arrested Albedo and the Xilien Controller. Meanwhile, Dr. Sato wished everyone farewell. “Come visit us!” she said.

“We will, though the order might be confusing,” remarked the Doctor as she bundled the Ghostbusters and Milla into the TARDIS. Her companions followed suit and the Doctor shut the doors, then pulled the take-off lever. “Now,” she said to the Ghostbusters and the Psychonaut, “the TARDIS has already calculated where you all came from, so we’ll start with the Ghostbusters first.”

“Are you sure I can’t get any lotto numbers?” asked Peter.

“NO!” insisted his coworkers.

“Just saying, we could-.” Ray, Egon, and Winston clapped their hands over his mouth. Peter protested at that, but all that came out were mumbles.

“Doctor, send us back, please!” begged Egon.

“Farewell!” called the Doctor as she sent the Ghostbusters back. Once they faded, Milla sighed in relief.

“I think it’s time I returned home, Darling,” she said.

“Agreed,” said the Doctor. “Raz still needs your guidance.” She then set the coordinates for Milla. “All right! Adios!”

“Adios!” replied Milla as she faded. Soon, it was just the Doctor, Tysar, and Sty.

“…Is this your life?” Sty asked the Doctor.

“As of now, yes,” replied the Doctor.

“How have you not broken from the stress?!”

“…I have,” answered the Doctor. “That’s a story for another time, though. Put simply, my fourteenth incarnation is getting some much needed therapy with Donna Noble and her family.”

“…Even you need mental help?” asked Tysar.

“Stress accumulates and can break even Time Lords,” replied the Doctor. “For a while, I kept running away, not daring to look back because it would kill me. …But now, I’m in a much better place, mentally. If the Grouping happened earlier, I would have certainly died from all the mental agony. …Speaking of which, in all that chaos, we didn’t check to see where Omega vanished to.” The Doctor ran a few readings, then spotted something. “Aha! Got it! …Inkadia!”

“Again?” asked Tysar.

“Not the Squid Kid place!” protested Sty. “That whole thing, running from the Judoon, was embarrassing for the Empire!”

“I’m sorry to say that we have to go there. We’ve got three people from three different time-zones making a beeline there.” The Doctor then set course for Inkadia, home of the Inklings and the Octarians.

Tags ben 10, doctor who, fan companion, fan doctor, ghostbusters, godzilla, psychonauts

Doctor Who: Crossings Series 7

The Monster’s Ghosts: Part 3

Post author By Samuel Vinton
Post date June 14, 2026
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While Albedo was running, the Doctor, the Ghostbusters, and Tysar arrived at the northern shores of the island. Right now, two women were dueling. One of them was using energy blasts, the other was using psi blasts! The Doctor blinked in surprise. “The Xilien Controller?!” she yelped.

“Everyone, get ba-!” yelped the other woman. The Xilien Controller then fired an energy blast and knocked the other woman out.

“…Thank you for that opportunity, Time Lord,” she said. “You ARE the same Time Lord that foiled my original plans on this island, yes?”

“That’s me, all right,” confirmed the Doctor. “Now, perhaps an explanation as to how you survived is in order.”

“Oh?” asked the Controller.

“If I recall correctly, Godzilla fired his atomic breath at your ship and Gigan.”

“Your recollection is correct. Gigan and my ship fell into the ocean, killing the rest of my crew, but I survived. I managed to swim to the surface and, when I recovered, it was clear I was marooned on Monster Island with no functional or effective means of communication. In time, I practiced what my family usually did in secret, sorcery! After a while, my mother arrived, explaining that she was not really a Xilien, but an Anodite.”

“An Anodite? Ben’s part Anodite if I recall.”

“After more practice with her, I regained my Xilien form…and destroyed her!”

“Your own mother?!” asked the Doctor, horrified.

“She lied about her heritage! Her power is now mine! …Still, the sorcery she taught me was enough to plot my revenge. You, William, Godzilla, you will all know what true terror is!”

“So where does Albedo fit into this?” asked the Doctor.

“The former Galvan needed facilities to complete his Ultimatrix, I gave him the means to do so,” replied the Controller. “He should be dealing with that Tennyson character.”

“And the woman you’re fighting?”

“She just appeared out of nowhere, so I retaliated. …I just hadn’t expected psychic powers.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the Psychonauts for you,” remarked the Doctor. The Controller then realized something and looked to see that the woman had vanished!

“HEY!” she protested. Then she got hit by another psi-blast. The woman had recovered and was revealed to be an attractive woman with long hair and a slight psychedelic outfit.

“There ARE more constructive ways to vent your frustrations, darling,” said the woman, her Brazilian accent coming out.

“Agent Milla Vodello,” greeted the Doctor. “The Mental Minx!”

“And you’re the same Doctor that helped take care of a psychic emergency at the Motherlobe, yes?” asked Milla. “Razputin told me you changed your face after he came back from that adventure of his.”

“Doctor, there’s something wrong here!” warned Egon. “The PKE readings are spiking bad!”

“Controller, what did you do?!” demanded the Doctor.

“Did you know that those that died on this island chain during this planet’s second world war believe that the rest of the human race forgot the horrors of that conflict?” smirked the Controller. “It wasn’t that hard to convince them to go on a rampage.” Pale, cold lights then swirled around the place!

Back in his cave, Godzilla slowly woke up. He stretched as he stood up…then realized something was off. …He then heard something. It was outside his cave and…the trees were bending as if a wind was making them bend that way. Godzilla poked his head out of the cave and noticed that the wind was gathering in one spot. He followed the direction the trees were bending in and saw a pale blue light on the island’s northern shore. The light source was as big as him…and seemed to be dying down as it formed a shape. The light fully faded…to reveal that the shape was his own! Upon closer inspection, Godzilla noticed that his doppelganger had white claws and white orbs for eyes. The other Godzilla had an unsettling aura and the eyes enhanced it. Still, unsettling did not mean Godzilla was afraid. He gave off a warning roar for his twin to leave his island. The other Godzilla responded by slamming his tail in the water, causing a wave! Godzilla adopted a defensive stance and roared a challenge roar. His opponent’s acceptance roar was the same as his own!

“A few people around the planet called him Ghost Godzilla,” explained the Xilien Controller.

“You utter fool!” protested the Doctor. “You robbed those people of their rest! Imprisoned them in the shape of a living warning AGAINST atomic warfare!”

“If they want out, they’ll have to obey-!” The wave Ghost Godzilla generated knocked everyone further inland. Milla was clutching her head in pain.

“Such…such rage!” she strained. “…Focused…on…enslaver!”

“What?!” protested the Controller. “IMPOSSIBLE! I RAISED GHOST GODZILLA! HE WILL OBEY ME!”

“You intellectual dwarf!” came a child’s voice as Albedo arrived. “This was NOT what you promised! Even I wouldn’t fiddle with necromancy on that scale! …Then again, I don’t fiddle around with magic anyways.”

“Looks like all the noise attracted the real Godzilla,” remarked Ray. Just then, Sty, Dr. Sato, and Wildmutt arrived. Wildmutt recoiled in terror before slapping the Omnitrix dial and returning to Ben.

“What just happened?!” protested Ben.

“Why not ask the maker of our predicament?!” replied Albedo as he pointed at the Xilien Controller.

“Ungrateful-! I made that thing and-!” she spluttered.

“…The amateur necromancer’s gone bye-bye, Egon,” said Peter. “What’s the plan?”

“Sorry, Peter,” replied Egon. “I’m terrified beyond the capacity of rational thought.”

“You’ve faced Gozer before,” remarked the Doctor.

“We had to cross the streams from our proton packs,” replied Winston.

“…Remind me how bad that is, Dr. Spengler,” said the Doctor.

“Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously, and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light,” explained Egon.

“…You just described total protonic reversal,” remarked the Doctor.

“…That sounds bad,” said Ben.

“It’s worse than it sounds,” replied the Doctor. “But we need a big enough stream to contain Ghost Godzilla!”

“…Fine, fine, you can use the tech I scavenged,” sighed the Controller.

“What?! You promised that technology to me!” protested Albedo.

“Only so you could get the parts needed to rebuild your Ultimatrix,” replied the Controller. “Now the excess can be used to make whatever machine the Doctor has planned.”

“That intellectual dwarf couldn’t hold a candle to my own intellect!”

“…This is the first time anyone’s actually accused me of being stupid,” remarked the Doctor. “In any event, needs of the many and all that. Controller, where is this tech stashed?”

“This way!” replied the Controller. She was about to lead the way, but a red light blocked her way and a Vaxasaurian with red eyes glowered over them.

“Albedo, use your head!” complained Peter.

“I AM using my head, you backwards simian!” snarled Albedo as Negative Humungousaur. “That technology is mine!”

“Albedo, come on!” complained Ben as his hand activated the selection dial hologram. “We’ve got a world to save!”

“No! For once, you are going to die along with this miserable planet!” replied Negative Humungousaur. Ben then slammed his hand down on the Omnitrix and became…

“HUMUNGOUSAUR!” he shouted. And he was.

“Pah!” scoffed Negative Humungousaur. “We’ve been here before!” He slapped on the Ultimatrix dial and grew, his hands growing claws, a metal helmet forming around his head, and an ankylosaur style backside appearing. He was now Negative Ultimate Humungousaur. “And last time I checked, a Vaxasaurian can’t compete against an Ultimate Vaxasaurian!” His hands then turned into four-barreled missile launchers! He fired, prompting Humungousaur to grow to his maximum height and shield the others with his own body. It was still painful for him, though.

“We REALLY don’t have time for this!” snarled the Controller. She then pulled a device out of her coat’s pocket. It looked like some sort of green gauntlet with the Omnitrix symbol on the back of the hand. The glove’s symbol then fired a beam of light at the Omnitrix symbol on Humungousaur’s chest.

“Hey! What-?!” spluttered Humungousaur.

“Synchronization complete,” said the Omnitrix. The light then switched off abruptly and the glove changed in size to fit Humungousaur’s left hand.

“Okay, so it’s meant to be linked to the Omnitrix,” muttered the Vaxasaurian. “What is it?”

“Device is officially classified as an Evolutionary Gauntlet,” replied the Omnitrix. “It will subject the DNA to evolutionary scenarios to change the form into what the species will perhaps look like in millions of years.”

“Hang on, you’re saying that this glove here is an Ultimatrix?” asked Humungousaur. “I thought Azmuth said that the evolutionary function is just begging for trouble.”

“Wait, Ben,” said the Doctor, “didn’t you say that Albedo’s version puts the DNA through millions of years of worse-case scenarios?” Humungousaur blinked, then his eyes widened.

“Then this thing…does the opposite?” he asked. He then put it on his left hand. “How do I use this thing anyways?”

“You won’t get the chance!” called Negative Ultimate Humungousaur as he opened fire again.

“RUN!” shouted Humungousaur. The Doctor and her group didn’t need telling twice.

Tags ben 10, doctor who, fan companion, fan doctor, ghostbusters, godzilla, psychonauts

Doctor Who: Crossings Series 7

The Monster’s Ghosts: Part 2

Post author By Samuel Vinton
Post date June 14, 2026
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Everyone gathered at the Monster Island base and things were explained. “Not exactly how I wanted to time travel,” remarked Peter.

“This is incredible!” said Ray. “The amount of energy needed to send someone through time-!”

“It’s dangerous,” replied Egon. “Doctor, you said we’re in the future?”

“2026,” confirmed the Doctor.

“Then how can we be assured that we won’t accidentally bring something from this time back to the 1980’s?”

“The fact that you’re asking says you know already but just want confirmation. Let’s just say the Time Lords have set a law upon themselves that history cannot be changed in any way, otherwise it would cause damage to all of time and space.”

“…So no asking for lottery numbers,” grumbled Peter.

“Peter, that thing’s a scam anyways,” retorted Winston.

“Now, obviously you gentlemen need to go back to your proper time,” said the Doctor, “but we need to find the last Grouping Victim. They came from 2012, I know that much.”

“Then we gotta find them before Albedo does,” said Ben. The Doctor blinked.

“Who’s Albedo?” she asked.

“That’s what I wanted to tell you,” explained Dr. Sato. “Galvan Mark II told us that one of its renegades, a former Galvan scientist called Albedo, escaped incarceration and rebuilt something called the Ultimatrix.”

“Ultimatrix?” asked the Doctor. “Sounds like a knock-off of the Omnitrix.”

“The Omnitrix is a myth,” scoffed Sty.

“No it’s not,” said Ben as he showed off his watch. “This thing is why I was Ghostfreak when the Ghostbusters were shooting at me.” Sty blinked in surprise. “And to answer your question, Doctor, it is. Though Albedo had an Omnitrix originally.”

“Um…AN Omnitrix?” asked the Doctor. “I thought Azmuth only made one and you had the prototype for a while until Azmuth gave you the final product.”

“He did, but Albedo made another one, not realizing my own DNA would be the default.”

“Well, that makes sense. I mean, you ARE the bearer of the Omnitrix.”

“So what happened to make Albedo become an enemy of yours?” asked Tysar.

“Well, after he made his Omnitrix, he became stuck looking like me,” replied Ben. “We fought, then he turned into an albino version of me and lost his Omnitrix, then he created something called the Ultimatrix that could turn someone into aliens, but also had an evolutionary function, putting the DNA through millions of years of worst-case scenario situations.”

“That’s just begging for trouble,” said the Doctor. “Besides, if you want to make an evolutionary device, why not put the DNA through millions of years of best-case scenarios?”

“Well, I took the Ultimatrix and the transformations just felt wrong,” continued Ben, “so he was still stuck looking like me. After that, he made a device that let him change his DNA at will, but my DNA was still the default. Then he created a stabilizer and added an evolutionary function to that, effectively recreating the Ultimatrix. After a fight, he then was stuck looking like an albino 11-year-old me, then he lost his Ultimatrix and was stuck looking like me forever.”

“So he blames you for his condition?” guessed the Doctor.

“And he’s probably trying to rebuild the Ultimatrix,” replied Ben.

“Right, well, we’d better take care of him before-.” The alarms interrupted the Doctor’s declaration. “What the-?!”

“Intruder alert!” realized Dr. Sato. “Someone just broke into the base!”

“Can we get footage?!” asked Ben.

“One second!” Dr. Sato then pulled up the security footage to see a blue-furred primate with four arms, two legs, three fingers on each hand, three toes on each foot, two pairs of black orbs for eyes with a red tint, and a tail with stripes near the tip. Ben and the Doctor saw the red Omnitrix symbol.

“That must be Albedo,” guessed the Doctor. “But why an Arachnachimp?”

“Probably needs Spidermonkey’s agility to dodge the soldiers,” replied Ben.

“…Spidermonkey’s a bit on the nose, don’t you think?” snarked the Doctor.

“Oh, come on! Spidermonkey fits!”

“Activating Arachnachimp Transformation,” said the Omnitrix.

“What?! WAIT! I DIDN’T SAY TO TURN ME INTO-!” protested Ben. Too late. A green light surrounded him and he became an Arachnachimp. “…Spidermonkey!” grumbled Ben, now Spidermonkey. Unlike Albedo, his eyes and Omnitrix stayed green.

“Well, looks like we have the means to counter Albedo,” said Sty.

“Hold on a minute,” said Egon as he checked his PKE meter. “There’s something hot going on at the island’s northern shores, just on the other side of Godzilla’s cave.”

“Drat, two problems at once,” muttered the Doctor. “Right, we’ll just need to split up. Sty, you’re with Ben and Dr. Sato. Tysar, you go with me and the Ghostbusters to the north.”

“What if it’s big?” asked Spidermonkey.

“Godzilla’s not far,” replied the Doctor. “He’ll be grumpy, but he’ll help. Besides, you know Albedo better than any of us.”

“All right, fine,” muttered Spidermonkey.

“…And there’s one other thing,” said the Doctor. She then whispered in Spidermonkey’s ear. A look of horror flashed across his face as he looked at Sty. Sty guessed why Spidermonkey had that look.

“…I promise, Doctor,” said Spidermonkey. He then turned to Sty and Dr. Sato. “Come on, you two! Let’s go stop Albedo!”

Albedo as Negative Spidermonkey was causing chaos for the soldiers shooting at him. He fired webs from his tail and decked the soldiers with all four of his arms. “HEY! ALBEDO!” came another voice.

“Tennyson!” snarled Negative Spidermonkey. He turned to see Spidermonkey in a tree branch. “So, the unworthy bearer of the Omnitrix challenges me!”

“I dunno,” replied Spidermonkey, “I’m still doing a better job with this thing than you! How did you escape, anyways?”

“Believe me, I had numerous plans of escape. …Though I was forced to resort to plan 27, faking illness.”

“No way would Azmuth fall for that!”

“For all his genius,” retorted Negative Spidermonkey, “he doesn’t fully study the life-forms he’s catalogued. Taking advantage of his ignorance of pre-adolescent human biology was a simple matter!”

“Then how did you get here?” asked Spidermonkey. “I mean, if you’re supposed to be stuck as a kid-.”

“I took the parts needed to make an Omnitrix,” replied Negative Spidermonkey. “But I needed transport off, as I’m sure your feeble mind can guess! I managed to sneak into a Plumber cargo container and hide there for the trip to Earth. Not exactly ideal as I risked making noise when getting food, but it served its purpose. I then found my way from the Plumber base to this island as I heard there was Xilien tech to be scavenged!”

“…And a Xilien is…?” asked Spidermonkey.

“Be patient. You may see my Xilien partner. …Or maybe not! In any event, the isolation was all I needed to recreate the Ultimatrix! Once I kill you, I’ll take your Omnitrix and cure myself of the disgusting human form!” Negative Spidermonkey then slapped the symbol on his chest and he grew into a six-armed gorilla with pale-purple skin, yellow spider fangs on each side of his mouth, a split in the middle of the lower jaw, and three pairs of red eyes.

“…And that’s Ultimate Spidermonkey,” remarked Spidermonkey. “Hey, as long as you’re still willing to talk, how about you answer one question.”

“Speak!” replied Negative Ultimate Spidermonkey.

“How come, when I had the original Ultimatrix, my Ultimate Spidermonkey was just a normal gorilla with retractable spider legs at the waist?!” Negative Ultimate Spidermonkey blinked.

“…That WOULD explain a flaw in the simulations of the original Ultimatrix,” he muttered.

“HA! Azmuth was right! The original Ultimatrix was just pathetic workmanship! No wonder it always felt weird every time I went Ultimate!” Spidermonkey’s cackling made Negative Ultimate Spidermonkey snarl.

“It was still a vast improvement over the original!” he declared. “As my own is superior to the current Omnitrix!” His lower jaw split and he spat out a giant web. Spidermonkey grabbed Sty and Dr. Sato and leapt into the branches.

“One spider against another, then!” declared Sty as she activated her PAK’s legs.

“Wait, you guys have robot legs?!” yelped Spidermonkey. Sty leapt of the branch and landed on Negative Ultimate Spidermonkey’s back.

“GET OFF!” roared Negative Ultimate Spidermonkey. Sty leapt off and Negative Ultimate Spidermonkey tried to swat her. Spidermonkey took the opportunity to shoot webbing from his tail right at Negative Ultimate Spidermonkey’s face. Negative Ultimate Spidermonkey swung wildly and tried to get the beastly stuff out of his eyes. Spidermonkey and Sty stood their ground as Negative Ultimate Spidermonkey slapped the Ultimatrix Dial on his chest. He then turned into an orange-furred creature with no eyes, three gills on each side of its neck, and long, thick arms.

“And now he’s Wildmutt,” said Spidermonkey.

“I’d hardly call a Vulpimancer a mutt,” remarked Sty. Spidermonkey slapped the Omnitrix Dial on his chest and turned into Wildmutt. Negative Wildmutt grinned before he slapped the Ultimatrix Dial. His fur then turned maroon, he grew a long tail with a stinger, dorsal spikes on his back, and sharper claws.

“So what did you call this form, Tennyson? Ultimate Wildmutt?” asked Negative Ultimate Wildmutt. Wildmutt snarled and growled. “…You’re lucky I could still understand you, at least, as much as I can understand human babble!” Negative Ultimate Wildmutt roared and charged at Wildmutt. The two wrestled and tried to bite one another. Sty tried to sneak around, but Negative Ultimate Wildmutt caught her and slammed her to the ground. “Did you seriously try to sneak up on me, you pathetic Irken?! My senses are heightened and-!” Wildmutt then slammed his fist right into the Ultimatrix Dial and turned Negative Ultimate Wildmutt back into Albedo. Albedo shook his head to clear the dizziness. “…Clearly, I need to reinforce the interface!” he grumbled. He then took off into the forest!

“HEY! COME BACK HERE!” shouted Sty. Wildmutt charged after Albedo. “Come on!” Sty grabbed Dr. Sato and followed Ben.

“H-How can-?!” stammered Dr. Sato.

“Vulpimancers perceive the world through their other senses,” explained Sty, “giving them a 360-degree awareness of their surroundings. Ben’s on the trail now!”

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Doctor Who: Crossings Series 7

The Monster’s Ghosts: Part 1

Post author By Samuel Vinton
Post date June 14, 2026
No Comments on The Monster’s Ghosts: Part 1

The Doctor continued checking readings on the console. “…Five? …Wait a minute, it’s two chronal surges…ah! One of them took a group of four! 19…88! And the other…2012! Perfect! Now to find out who they all are! …And see if there’s a trace of Omega to follow.”

“Doctor?” asked Tysar as she and Sty entered the console room. Sty looked like she was still processing how big the TARDIS could get.

“Just double-checking the readings,” replied the Doctor. She then caught sight of a reading. “…Sty, your PAK…”

“What about it?” asked Sty.

“You’ve limited it to defensive capabilities, I see,” explained the Doctor.

“Guns didn’t exactly save Irk, so what’s the point?” asked Sty.

“…Fair enough. I personally don’t like guns anyway. In any event, we’re about to approach our destination.”

In a secluded part of an island, an 11-year-old boy was working on something. This boy…did not have the usual human features. Oh, he had the human body type, but he had natural eyebags, red eyes, white hair, and pale skin. This wasn’t a normal albino human. No, this was someone with actual sinister intentions. He slipped a device onto the back of his hand, then turned a black dial with a red hourglass on the device which activated a hologram of another life-form. He turned the dial again and another life-form appeared. The boy grinned. “Excellent!” he praised himself. “After being stuck on Galvan for so long, I’ve finally recreated the Omnitrix! No, once again, I’ve exceeded it!” The boy then looked himself over. “…Now if only it would restore me to my proper Galvan state-!”

“Trouble?” asked a voice. It sounded like a woman with vengeance on her mind and barely trying to hide it.

“…Something like that,” replied the boy. “My Ultimatrix is still synced to the original Omnitrix. The Galvan form is still a part of a mere playlist.”

“Then you’re back at square one,” said the woman as she stepped out of the shadows, revealing her burn scars underneath her leather trenchcoat.

“Only until I get my hands on the Omnitrix,” corrected the boy. “I can use it to reset my Ultimatrix, then the human form will be a mere playlist setting.”

“You speak as though that’s a simple task. Admit it, Albedo, we NEED each other.” The boy, the former Galvan scientist known as Albedo, growled.

“No, Controller! I need the Omnitrix, and you Xiliens WANT it. I suffered from an alliance like that with Vilgax before!”

“I DON’T want the Omnitrix!” snarled the woman, the Xilien Controller. “What use would that be in a war?! I want Monster Zero One’s head on a pike! And I want revenge on that Doctor!”

“…Doctor?” asked Albedo.

“A Time Lord. Travels in a blue box!” explained the Xilien Controller. Albedo then recalled something. …Back on Galvan, Azmuth DID work with someone that traveled in a blue box. He then pondered if Time Lord DNA was on any active playlists. He checked his Ultimatrix…and saw it!

“So that doctor IS a Time Lord!” he chuckled to himself. “It seems our interests align, Controller.”

In an extinct volcano, there was a huge cave. In that cave resides a huge creature. The creature is usually described as a bipedal lizard with charcoal gray scales, oak-leaf dorsal plates, and sharp teeth and talons. Right now…the creature was sleeping. His snores shook the cave. Then…he heard a noise. The creature slowly opened his amber eyes to see something fade into existence. It was a blue box…and oddly familiar. The doors of the box opened and out stepped the Doctor, Tysar, and Sty. “Let’s see, we’ll need to start wiiiiiHELLO!” The Doctor’s sudden word change was caused by looking directly at the creature. Tysar and Sty goggled as well.

“…Kaiju?!” gulped Sty. “Earth has kaiju?!”

“A wide variety of them,” confirmed the Doctor, “with this one being the King of the Monsters. His name is Godzilla.” Godzilla rumbled as he fixed his gaze on the Doctor. She seemed…yes, he remembered seeing her before. Her and that shape-shifter helped him against his clone. “Listen, Godzilla,” said the Doctor, “we’re still dealing with a mess that involves people or kaiju being taken out of time-zones and into new ones. If we could…exit your cave and investigate?” Godzilla stared a bit more…then grunted in annoyance as he shut his eyes. He was getting way too old for that nonsense. Better to let the ants deal with the mess THEY started. At least he wasn’t getting blamed for it. “You’re a diamond!” thanked the Doctor. “Come along, you two.” The group then left the cave.

Sty waited until they were a good distance away before she started shaking in terror with Tysar. “That was too close!” yelped the Irken.

“Those teeth were huge!” gulped Tysar.

“Could have landed in a better place,” muttered the Doctor. “Then again, he didn’t stomp on us. Now, let’s see…”

“Doctor?!” asked a voice. The group turned around to see a Japanese woman approaching them.

“Dr. Sato!” greeted the Doctor. “Tysar, Sty, meet Dr. Sato of UNIT’s Japanese branch!”

“Unit…unit,” muttered Sty. “…Oh! Tallest Zim once talked about UNIT when the Zygons pretty much ordered both him and Tallest Tak to wait until later to fight the Civil War!”

“That’s it!” confirmed the Doctor.

“…Don’t tell me you were there for it.”

“I played a small part in it. Now, onto business! Dr. Sato, I’m afraid my arrival on Monster Island isn’t a social call. Remember how I explained how SpaceGodzilla arrived in 2025?”

“A chronal surge, yes?” asked Dr. Sato.

“Bingo! Well, there’s two centered around here. One of them took a group from the 80’s, the other took someone from 2012.”

“We’ll take a look. Right now, though, perhaps you can settle a mystery. You see, we had recently encountered a man calling himself Omega and-.” By then, the Doctor seized Dr. Sato by the shoulders.

“Where and when did he go?!” she demanded.

“Doctor?!” gulped Dr. Sato.

“Dr. Sato, this is the same Omega that took UNIT HQ to an anti-matter universe in 1973! You must have read reports about that from the Brigadier!”

“Th-The reports said that Omega used to be a Time Lord!” confirmed Sato.

“And now he IS one again! Now where and when did he go?!”

“W-We don’t know! He left something behind that we can’t translate!”

“Lovely. We’d better find the chronal surge victims, get them home, then maybe the TARDIS translator circuits can puzzle it out! Is there still a presence on Monster Island?”

“Yes, but-!”

“Have them move my TARDIS from Godzilla’s cave! We landed there in pursuit of-!” A stream of orange light with a ribbon of blue light then whizzed over everyone’s heads, interrupting the Doctor. “…A proton stream?” asked the Doctor.

“GET AWAY FROM ME! I’M NOT A GHOST!” wailed a raspy voice. …A figure that sure looked like a ghost then flew out of the trees. It had the stereotypical ghost tail, green chains coiled around it and clasped at the neck and wrists, and a single green eye. The Doctor then saw the black circle with a green hourglass design on it.

“Ben?!” yelped the Doctor. The creature then moved its eye along one of the black lines.

“Doctor?!” rasped the ghost-creature.

“Ben Tennyson! It IS you!” cheered the Doctor. “Okay, a few questions. What are you doing here? Why are you an Ectonurite? Who was that firing that proton-?”

“OVER THERE!” called a voice. Four men then burst from the bushes, carrying large packs with rifle-like wands attached to the packs via a hose.

“Ask a silly question, get a silly answer,” sighed the Doctor. She then got between the men and the ghost creature, Ben 10 as Ghostfreak. “Gentlemen, gentlemen, believe it or not, that’s not a ghost you’re shooting at.”

“Lady, get out of the way!” protested the de-facto leader of the group.

“Dr. Venkman, if you and your fellow Ghostbusters will lower your weapons, I can explain everything.”

“The Ghostbusters?” asked Ghostfreak. “You mean they were real?”

“As real as the Omnitrix, Ben,” replied the Doctor.

“Hold on a minute, Peter,” said the Ghostbuster with the glasses. “I think there’s more to this situation than we realize.”

“Egon, you can’t be serious!” protested the one black man of the group.

“Hopefully, he’s as serious as back when we had to fight Gurast and the Sontarans, Winston,” remarked the Doctor. All four Ghostbusters goggled.

“…Madame, how do you know about that?” asked the last fellow.

“Doctor, you met these gentlemen before?” asked Sty.

“Doctor?” asked Peter Venkman. “Lady that travels through time in a blue box?”

“That same blue box is over in that cave,” replied the Doctor as she pointed out Godzilla’s cave, “but I wouldn’t go in there, not with a kaiju trying to nap in there.”

“But…HOW?!” asked Venkman.

“Remember that I’ve got alien biology?” asked the Doctor.

“I’m afraid it’s true,” said Ghostfreak. “Time Lords tend to change their face when they’re about to die.” Just then, the Omnitrix symbol beeped. “Oh, NOW you time out on me!” grumbled Ghostfreak. A green light surrounded him and he turned back into a young man with brown hair, green eyes, and what looked like a smartwatch on his left wrist. “Real funny there!” grumbled the man, Ben Tennyson. The last fellow, Ray Stanz, pulled out a PKE meter.

“Guys, the ectoplasmic reading is gone!” he said to the Ghostbusters.

“Like I was telling you, not a ghost! An alien form this watch gives me!” snapped Ben.

Tags ben 10, doctor who, fan companion, fan doctor, ghostbusters, godzilla, psychonauts

Doctor Who: Crossings Series 6

Let Freedom Ring: Part 4

Chojin Bird-Man Castle was sighted in Gotham Bay. The Coast Guard did what they could, but the fortress deployed a red, umbrella styled shield in front and spun it to kick up the water. Inside the fortress, the Penguin cackled. “Believe it or not, Gotham,” he said, “this penguin moves just as fast on land as it does at sea…and it’s got one hell of a bite! You were all fools and just like the state of Kai in Feudal Japan, I’ve played you all like a harp from Hell!”

Back with the Doctor and her group, the Master was still in the throes of a heart attack. “Tysar, help me get his shirt off!” directed the Doctor. “Batman, Winston, I need three AED pads and something that can generate electricity!”

“Three AED pads?” asked Winston as he got the pads and attached cables. “That’s how many a Time Lord needs?”

“Both hearts need to be reset simultaneously!” replied the Doctor as she and Tysar tore the Master’s shirt off.

“Would the Shock Batarang work?” asked Batman as he pulled out said Batarang.

“Gimme!” Batman handed the Doctor the Batarang and Winston handed over the pads. The Doctor then wired the pads to the Batarang, then placed one of the pads on each side of the Master’s chest while the third and final was applied to the top just above the vessels bridging his two hearts. “Now, Batman, monitor for a double pulse.” The Doctor switched the Batarang on. “Clear!” She pressed the button and delivered the shock. The Master went silent and still. For a few tense seconds, everyone was praying the Doctor didn’t kill her patient. …The Master then shot up, screaming and scaring everyone but Batman into screaming. He stopped screaming, then sighed.

“…Hello, Rightie!” he said.

“Both hearts are beating,” reported Batman.

“Now…” The Master tore the pads off. “Time to pluck a penguin’s feathers!”

“Master, there IS a way to beat him, yes?” asked the Doctor with a smirk.

“…Don’t say it!” hissed the Master.

“Well, it seems to me…”

“If you say it, I WILL use the TCE on-!”

“We’ll need to work together,” finished the Doctor. The Master snarled, then sighed in defeat.

“…We need to disconnect the Quake Engine component from Chojin-jo’s main control room,” he said. “And the most vulnerable point is when it assumes battle mode.”

“Battle mode?” asked the Doctor.

“Chojin-jo’s Wind Forest Fire Mountain transformation,” explained Batman.

“…A little over the top. We’ll need to trick the Penguin into engaging it. But we follow Batman’s no kill rule.”

“Doctor-!” argued the Master.

“We’re guests in Batman’s city and temporary Bat Family members. We follow HIS rules.”

“…All right, what’s the plan?”

Chojin Bird-Man Castle marched closer to the shores of Gotham, ready to trample it. Inside the control room, the Penguin cackled as various Emperor Penguins squawked. “That’s right, my fine-feathered friends!” squawked the Penguin. “Gotham will be all ours! Then the Eastern Seaboard, then the rest of the continent, then the whole damn hemisphere, then-!” The computers flashed alarms. “Huh? What’s…GIANT FLY TRAPS?! IVY! Fine then, time to do some weeding! CHOJIN BIRD-MAN CASTLE: WIND FOREST FIRE MOUNTAIN TRANSFORMATION!

“Where did those plants come from?!” demanded the Doctor as giant fly traps grew while Chojin-jo rearranged itself into a battle configuration that looked like the Penguin, complete with a top hat, monocle, and hidden guns behind the umbrella shield.

“Those aren’t real plants,” remarked Batman. “Someone activated holograms. Who-?”

“Excuse me!” called Dr. King as he and Alfred arrived.

“What are YOU doing here?!” protested the Doctor.

“I’m sorry, Doctor, I wanted to help,” replied Dr. King.

“Don’t be too hard on him, Doctor,” said Alfred. “He overheard the plan and activated the holo-emitters based on Poison Ivy’s plants.”

“…I appreciate the help, Dr. King,” said the Doctor. “But I’d advise you to go back to Wayne Manor. If the boy you’re possessing dies, you fade away from history and the United States can’t have that.”

“…I understand, Doctor,” said Dr. King.

Back in Chojin Bird-Man Castle’s control room, the Penguin saw what was going on. “Holograms! Batman, you idiot! You really think that’s gonna stop me?!”

“No, but this will!” replied Batman from the ceiling. A kunai then buried itself into the controls!

“WHAT?! NO!” shouted the Penguin. He snarled as Batman landed. The Penguin then activated his concealed sword from his umbrella and attacked with Batman keeping out of reach.

While the fight was going on, the Doctor, Tysar, Winston, and the Master entered the engine room. There, the power convertor for the Quake Engine rested. “That’s it!” called the Master.

“All right, start disconnecting,” directed the Doctor. As they started yanking wires, Tysar spotted a big one coming from the power convertor.

“Now if that isn’t a main power line…” she smiled and yanked it out! The fortress then juddered as the lights went off!

“Good eye, Tysar!” praised the Doctor.

“Doctor, outside!” called Winston. “The fortress stopped!” Winston was right. The legs of the fortress had stopped before they could reach the shore.

“The Power Convertor!” squawked the Penguin. He snarled at Batman. “You distracted me, didn’t you?!”

“Wasn’t all that much of a challenge,” replied Batman. The Penguin then leapt from the control room’s window and flew down to the engine room where he saw Tysar teasingly holding the main power wire.

“Lookie here!” she chuckled. “A local flightless bird getting too close to the sun!”

“Learned about the wildlife of Earth, did you?!” snarled the Penguin.

“Move aside!” commanded the Master as he shoved Tysar aside.

“Master, what are you doing?!” yelped the Doctor.

“Cutting a problem down to size!” replied the Master. “One shrunken penguin, coming-!” The Master then realized his pocket was empty. “…Wh…Where’s the-?!”

“Looking for this?!” cackled the Penguin as he held up a black rod with a sphere on the end of it.

“My Tissue Compression Eliminator!” gasped the Master in sheer outrage that a mere human stole HIS weapon. “How-?!”

“You dropped it during your heart attack!” cackled the Penguin. “Now let’s see how it works!” He activated the device, aiming it at the Master…but nothing happened. “…Oh, because, of course, you made it so this thing can’t be turned against you!” snarled the Penguin. He then smashed it to the floor.

“A pity, hm?” chuckled the Master. “But there’s something to be said about taking heads the old-fashioned way!” He grabbed a foil and swung it, but the Penguin blocked with his concealed sword and the two dueled.

“Come on!” called Batman as he grabbed the power converter. As the two villains dueled, everyone made their way to safety.

The Gotham News explained that the duel between the Penguin and the Master ended in a stalemate, resulting in the Penguin being impeached as Mayor of Gotham and both him and the Master being transported to Arkham Asylum. Within the Batcave, the Doctor was altering the Quake Engine’s power convertor. “And there we go!” said the Doctor. “All done!” Alfred then entered the Batcave.

“I just received a call from Lucius Fox,” he said with a smile. “He remembers Dr. King and his contributions to the continuing Civil Rights Movement. So do all those who temporarily forgot him.”

“Thank goodness for that,” remarked Dr. King. “…That means my young self’s time is up at least in this part of history.”

“Trust me, it will take a major catastrophe to utterly erase you from history,” chuckled the Doctor.

“Let me just…” Dr. King’s young self then closed his eyes and collapsed as his ghost left. Dr. King’s ghost looked as he did seconds before his assassination.

“That’s the face of a Civil Rights leader I know!” remarked Winston. The Doctor then keyed in a command. The power convertor glowed, then it and the young Martin Luther King Jr. vanished while his ghost remained.

“And that, as they say, is that,” sighed the Doctor.

“It’s a pity some Americans would rather forget about Dr. King,” sighed Winston.

“As long as people still practice compassion,” replied the Doctor, “I don’t see him fading away from history any time soon. Dr. King, I can’t say when, but that dream where humans let freedom ring WILL come true. There WILL be a time where everyone can say ‘Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we’re free at last’!” Dr. King smiled.

“That’s good to know, Doctor,” he said. “Now, I better get back to Coretta. See you all on the other side!” His ghost faded away, but his memory remained.

“…Well, with all that,” said the Doctor, “I think it’s time I take Tysar home. This point is deep in her people’s past, you know.”

“Tysar, stay safe with the Doctor, hm?” said Batman.

“As long as you keep Gotham safe,” replied Tysar. She and the Doctor then entered the TARDIS and it dematerialized.

“So, you understand what I’m currently doing?” asked the Doctor. “I don’t know if I can take you directly back.”

“…I don’t think the direct way back will be necessary,” replied Tysar.

“You understand it’s dangerous, yes? There’s a temporal catastrophe going on and certain time-travelling races will capitalize on it. Especially the Daleks.”

“We Thals may be pacifists, but we don’t run from our problems. Not anymore.” The Doctor smiled.

“Welcome aboard, Tysar!” The Doctor set the controls and the TARDIS whizzed off to track the next chronal surge!

Tags batman, doctor who, fan companion, fan doctor, ghostbusters, martin luther king jr.

Doctor Who: Crossings Series 6

Let Freedom Ring: Part 3

“…How…do you lose…a TARDIS?!” asked the Doctor.

“You tell me!” replied the Master.

“So you’re stuck in one point in space/time,” remarked Batman. He then smirked. “Just like us humans.”

“Wipe that smirk off your face, Batman! It doesn’t suit you!” hissed the Master.

“So you need the Quake Engine to restore your time travel capabilities,” said the Doctor. She then looked at the Penguin. “What about your angle, Mayor Cobblepot?”

“Do you know how the Quake Engine works?” asked the Penguin.

“Can’t say as I do.”

“Batman, you tell her. You were caught up in its effects along with us.”

“The Quake Engine,” began Batman, “treats time like origami, folding it into various shapes.”

“What?!” gasped the Doctor. “That’s dangerous! One mistake and you tear time like an amateur origami artist tears paper!”

“The Quake Engine can also be used to rewrite parts of history,” continued Batman. “After my adventure in Japan, Ra’s Al Ghul got ahold of it and used it to try and eliminate all but the strongest of humanity, rewriting the Justice League’s history so they would become Yakuza members. Because we existed outside of time for a brief moment, we could access the Quake Engine and refold history back into its proper shape. I thought we took it apart.”

“You did,” replied the Penguin, “but you know me, Batman. I have a nose for information!”

“So your thugs attacked one of the vaults hiding a part of the Quake Engine!”

“And they pulled off the operation beautifully!”

“I then blundered here and found the Penguin working on the Quake Engine,” explained the Master, “and offered my help in helping him turn history into its coherent state in return for locating my TARDIS.”

“Mayor Cobblepot, you have to stop this!” warned the Doctor.

“Nice try, but a lady’s tears won’t move me!” dismissed the Penguin.

“I don’t know what the Master has planned, but this ISN’T about recovering his TARDIS in the long run!”

“Doctor, you’ve entertained the Mayor and I with your theories long enough,” said the Master. “…Now, my Laser Screwdriver? You DID take it while Batman explained the Quake Engine.”

“…Oh well,” sighed the Doctor as she handed over a rod with three laser emitters on one end. “Can’t blame a Time Lady for trying.”

“Doctor, that trick hasn’t worked on me since the days of the Academy!”

“I think we’ve heard enough!” snapped the Penguin. “Batman, you and your friends can leave!”

“Come on, everyone,” said the Doctor. “I think we heard enough.” She and her friends then left.

“Right then,” grumbled the Master. “Now, if Young Martin can return with the power supply, that would be splendid!”

“…I didn’t see him when I brought those guys here,” remarked the Penguin. He pressed a comms button. “Security, someone find that boy.”

“Sir, he left a minute ago,” replied the guard.

“WHAT?!” shouted the Penguin and the Master.

Back in the Batmobile, the Doctor, Winston, Batman, and Tysar were discussing what they learned. “Why would the Master want a coherent past if he’s planning on ruling all of time and space?” muttered Winston. “And why would they WANT to preserve Martin Luther’s history?”

“The Master isn’t exactly a civil rights activist,” remarked the Doctor. “Questions, questions.”

“Perhaps I can provide some answers?” asked the voice of a young boy! Batman turned towards an empty alley and stopped the Batmobile. Everyone turned to see Young Martin in the Batmobile with them!

“What are you doing here?!” yelped Tysar. “It’s not safe!”

“It’s safer than staying with those two,” replied Young Martin. “And I know what they’re up to. They both plan to be the sole ruler of time and space.”

“Because, of course, they don’t trust each other,” sighed the Doctor. “But that doesn’t explain why…Winston, something on your person is beeping.”

“Huh?” Winston listened to the beeping. “…That’s my PKE Meter,” he said. He pulled out the device and the arms of the PKE meter flashed and moved to a near vertical position when the device was waved over Young Martin. “What the-?! The living shouldn’t have a PKE reading! …Unless…” The Doctor and Winston goggled.

“…He didn’t, did he?!” whispered the Doctor.

“What is it, Doctor?” asked Tysar.

“…That would explain why the temporal degradation is so slow,” muttered the Doctor.

“I met him once before on the job,” said Winston. “Let me compare notes.” He pulled out a notebook and looked between the numbers on the PKE meter and the numbers in the book. “…It is! Martin Luther King’s ghost is possessing his younger self!”

“What?!” asked Batman.

“A pleasure to see you again, Dr. Zeddemore,” greeted Martin Luther King Jr, America’s greatest Civil Rights hero!

“So, the mind of your younger self is asleep!” realized the Doctor. “You’re keeping him from learning too much of the future!”

“That’s the idea, Doctor,” confirmed Martin Luther King Jr. “When people started forgetting and I saw my younger body outside the Gotham courthouse, I had to try something. But it seems as if my possessing my younger self has consequences.”

“Yes, but it slowed down the rate of people forgetting you, Dr. King,” said the Doctor. “We need to bring your younger self back to when you jumped out of your house’s second story.”

“Interesting that I was plucked out of time at a low end of my life.”

“The Grouping doesn’t really have much in the way of rhyme or reason.”

“The Grouping?” asked Tysar.

“Those chronal surges are happening all across time and space,” said the Doctor. She then snapped her fingers as she remembered something. “Batman, you and the Justice League are going to meet my past self, but it will happen in your future. You need to remember to tell my past self about the Grouping.”

“Got it,” replied Batman.

“Doctor, I know what the Quake Engine is being used for,” said Martin Luther King Jr. “The Penguin mentioned something about a bird man castle and how he intends to use the Quake Engine to power it.”

“Chojin-jo?! He’s rebuilt it?!” asked Batman.

“Chojin-jo being?” asked Tysar.

“It’s the Penguin’s robotic fortress, also called Chojin Bird-Man Castle, from when the Quake Engine was first used so the Gotham Villains could take over Feudal Japan!”

“But that would mean starting the Industrial Revolution too early for Japan!” yelped the Doctor.

“We fixed that, thank goodness,” replied Batman. “But if the Penguin’s getting his old castle working-!”

“He’ll rule not only Gotham, but the entire eastern seaboard of the United States,” finished the Doctor. “We have to find Chojin Bird Man Castle! Dr. King, do you know where-?!”

“The main factory’s in the underground pumps station,” explained Martin Luther King Jr.

“That’s Killer Croc’s old lair,” remarked Batman. “The pumps are supposed to keep Gotham Bay from flooding.”

“Apropos that a man that themes himself after an aquatic bird should choose that for his base,” said the Doctor.

In the underground pumps station, the Penguin and the Master were putting the finishing touches on Chojin Bird-Man Castle. “And there we go!” laughed the Master as he made the last connection. “All done!”

“Perfect!” cackled the Penguin.

“Hold it!” called Batman’s voice.

“Penguin! Master! Drop this nonsense now!” shouted the Doctor.

“No!” snarled the Master. “Not while I’m so close! You won’t stop me this time, Doctor! Hand over Young Dr. King and I’ll return him to his native time, then come back and rule over this planet!”

“Bit of a complication in returning him,” replied the Doctor. “In any event, you can’t launch this contraption! It’ll fold the Time Vortex into five dimensions instead of the usual four!”

“I’ve come too close! You’ll not ruin my plans this time, Doctor!” The Master grabbed a fencing foil and swung at the Doctor. The Doctor grabbed another and the two dueled. The Doctor noticed a tray of sushi with chopsticks nearby and dueled the Master long enough to disarm him and point her foil’s tip at his left-hand heart. She then grabbed the chopsticks and used them to pick up a sushi roll.

“I still find that violent exercise makes me rather hungry. Do you?” The Doctor ate the sushi roll with a grin.

“Smile all you want, Doctor!” snarled the Master. “It’s still launch capable! One voice command is all that’s necessary.”

“Don’t you dare!” warned the Doctor.

“Oh, I’ll more than dare! Chojin-jo! HASSHIN!” …Nothing happened. “…Chojin-jo…hasshin!” The Master tried again. “…Oh for-! CHOJIN-JO! HASSHIN!” The Master then felt a sharp pain in his right-hand heart. The Doctor saw it in his eyes, he was NOT faking it! He clutched the heart like one does when they’re having a heart attack!

“What in-?!” The Doctor felt for his heartbeat. “…No electrical signal?! How-?!”

“A little something I picked up in the Orient!” cackled the Penguin. “You really think I’d let an alien like the Master or you, Doctor, control MY history?!”

“You paranoid little-!” snarled the Master through his heart attack. “WE HAD A DEAL!”

“And now I have a better one, what with me learning how to stop the electrical signals to a heart! Thanks for leaving your Laser Screwdriver out! Now…time to feather the nest I built! FLY, CHOJIN BIRD-MAN CASTLE! SPREAD YOUR WINGS!” The fortress then moved as the Penguin used his umbrella to fly up to the control room!

Tags batman, doctor who, fan companion, fan doctor, ghostbusters, martin luther king jr.

Doctor Who: Crossings Series 6

Let Freedom Ring: Part 2

The Doctor and Tysar were brought to the Batcave and brought up to speed on their investigation of Martin Luther King Jr’s disappearance from history. “I’m actually surprised,” muttered the Doctor as she looked up something on the Batcomputer. “It hasn’t been THAT long since his assassination. I’d have…Nichelle Nichols.”

“What about her?” asked Bruce.

“SHE didn’t know about Dr. King.”

“That’s impossible! He’s the reason she stayed on as Uhura when Star Trek was being broadcasted!”

“I wonder if…aha! Found it!”

“Found what, Doctor?” asked Winston as he arrived.

“Another chronal surge! An energy wave that plucks someone from one point in space/time and drops them off in another, either in the past or the future.”

“Then Dr. King was taken by a chronal surge like me?” asked Tysar.

“It seems that way, but the probabilities of him going back into his time are still in effect,” replied the Doctor. “If I had forgotten him, it would have been too late and I doubt Lucius Fox would be the man he is today.”

“Then, for Lucius’ sake, we need to find Dr. King,” declared Bruce. “Where and when is he is the big question.”

“I’m going to allow the Batcomputer to temporarily use the TARDIS computers to calculate where and when he was taken,” said the Doctor as she worked. The computer beeped and Circular Gallifreyan appeared. “Aha! Access granted! Now let’s see…hm, as a funny little man once said…oh my word!”

“Doctor?” asked Winston.

“I’ve found when he was taken!” explained the Doctor. “In his history, he just jumped out of the second story window of his house!”

“Which attempt?” asked Winston. “There were two points he did that, both of which were the result of him blaming himself for someone else’s death.”

“Looks like…after his brother, A.D, slid down the banister and knocked their sister, Jennie, unconscious. Calculating his temporal path now…oh no!”

“What?” asked Bruce.

“He’s…he’s in Gotham right now! In the Mayor’s house!”

“Great, a kid riddled with guilt finds himself in a 21st century city. He’ll believe he’s in Hell! And if he’s in the Mayor’s house, he’s definitely gonna be scared out of his mind!”

“Especially with Mr. Cobblepot as the current Mayor,” remarked Alfred as he revealed himself with a set of tea.

“…Did you say Cobblepot, Alfred?” asked the Doctor. “As in…Oswald Cobblepot? The Penguin?!”

“The very same. Tea, Doctor?”

“…Please,” sighed the Doctor as she put her head in her hands. “What kind of election fraud-?!”

“I already checked,” replied Bruce. “There WASN’T any election fraud. Gotham elected the Penguin of their own free will.”

“I don’t know if that makes the situation better or worse! …Come to think of it, I don’t know as you looking into the election results-.”

“Perhaps we should table that for now, Doctor,” said Winston. “We need to save Little Martin Luther Jr. and figure out if the Penguin has any plans for him.”

“Not a bad idea,” agreed Bruce.

“…Right then, Bruce, suit up,” declared the Doctor. “We need to speak to Mayor Cobblepot tonight!”

In the Mayor’s home, a short, beak-nosed man was getting ready for bed. He took off his monocle, then lit up a cigar as he looked out the window and saw Gotham. “…Look at me now, Wayne!” he cackled to himself, his laugh sounding like an Emperor Penguin. “Your family never could achieve THIS kind of power! I’ll run Gotham-!” He was interrupted by a buzzer. “…What now?!” complained Mayor Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin. He pressed a button on his intercom. “What is it?!” he demanded.

“A Mr. Batman and his retinue here to see you, your Honor,” replied his security guard. “They just arrived at the front gate.”

“What?!” squawked the Penguin in surprise. “He’s never been THIS bold before! …Color me intrigued! Send them up!”

“Very well, your Honor.”

Batman, the Doctor, Tysar, and Winston left the Batmobile and Batman locked it. They were escorted to the Mayor’s Office where the Penguin, dressed in his tuxedo, top hat, monocle, and umbrella, waited for them. “…Leave us,” the Penguin ordered the guard. The guard hesitated.

“I won’t hurt him,” promised Batman.

“He’s right,” said the Penguin. “Rather gauche for Batman to go after someone in their own home.” The guard nodded, then headed off. “…So, Batman, just waltzing up to the front door. That’s not like you. Unless…your plan requires…delicacy?”

“We believe you have someone here,” replied Batman. “A little boy, African American, accent from Atlanta, Georgia.”

“Ah, so the kid’s important to you, huh?” chuckled the Penguin.

“Important to all of time and space, if you can believe it,” replied the Doctor.

“Who are you?” asked the Penguin.

“I’m usually known as the Doctor, although my enemies have given me some rather…colorful names.”

“Doctor of what?”

“Well, a little of everything, really,” replied the Doctor. “Let’s just say we’re working a case, a rather open and shut case of Martin Luther King Jr. being taken out of time.”

“…You mean with people forgetting him?” asked the Penguin. “You’re saying you figured out he was removed from history altogether?”

“Not yet, or I wouldn’t remember him. There’s something keeping him from being forgotten, but it’s being whittled away, and I believe the boy you have in your…care is connected.” The Penguin said nothing. “…You’re not dismissing my suggestions as utter nonsense.”

“Penguin, why wouldn’t you say anything?” asked Batman.

“Because the boy appeared during one of my experiments with time travel,” revealed the Penguin.

“Time travel? How’s that?” asked the Doctor.

“Come with me,” directed the Penguin. He led the group out of his office.

In another room, a man was working on a machine. He keyed in something on a computer, then the machine sparked. “Drat!” grumbled the man. “Young man, I need another power supply. Get one from the stores, please.” The young boy nodded silently and walked off. “…Why we’re keeping him here, I have no idea. I need stable history to work with.” The door opened. “That was quick,” remarked the man before he looked up and saw the Penguin with his guest. “Oh! Your Honor! …And Batman, I see.” The Doctor saw the man and her face darkened.

“…You know that man personally?” asked Tysar.

“During the election of 2028,” explained the Doctor, “HE masqueraded as an American politician that became one of the two main candidates for President. …Unless that hasn’t happened to you yet?”

“Hang on, you’re THAT Doctor?” asked the Penguin.

“Oh good! You know who that man really is!” said the Doctor. “Saves me the long, boring explanation for you at least.”

“DOCTOR!” snarled the man.

“Hello again, Master!” chuckled the Doctor. “So, what will happen in Batman’s future HAS already happened to you, hm?”

“What are you doing, Cobblepot?!” the Master demanded. “Bringing her here?! Do you know how dangerous she is?!”

“Never mind him, let’s talk about you,” said the Doctor. “Why are you still slumming around with American politicians, even small time ones like the Penguin? And…is that a time displacement machine?!”

“It’s a machine of Gorilla Grodd’s design called the Quake Engine, Doctor,” explained the Master. “And we need to use it to bring a boy back after a chronal surge took him.”

“Is this what you’re looking for?” asked the boy as he arrived.

“Yes, that’s it, young man!” said the Master. The Doctor then pointed her sonic screwdriver at the boy.

“…What is that?” asked Winston.

“The Sonic Screwdriver, Winston!” replied the Doctor. “A multi-tool of my design!” She checked the readings and goggled. “…Erm, young man, could you leave us for a second?” asked the Doctor. The boy looked at the Master and the Penguin.

“…You can go,” said the Master. The boy nodded and headed off. Once the door shut, the Master grinned. “Figured it out, Doctor?” he asked.

“That was him?” asked Batman. “Young Martin Luther King Jr?”

“The very same,” confirmed the Doctor. “But what’s your angle in sending him back, Master?”

“The preservation of Earth’s history, naturally,” replied the Master. “Even I can venerate Dr. King. He IS the greatest Civil Rights activist Earth ever produced.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing you say something I actually agree with,” hissed the Doctor. “But you’re no scholar of civil rights!”

“I have many strengths, Doctor.”

“Why use the Quake Engine?” asked Batman.

“And how much did you tell Young Martin about our time?” asked Winston.

“One of the Quake Engine’s components,” said the Master, “was held in a vault in the Penguin’s lair and I told Young Martin nothing. I can’t exactly command Earth if one shred of its history is unstable!”

“So that’s the ultimate reason why you want the Quake Engine!” declared the Doctor. “The Grouping is making time bend away from your will!”

“…Oh no, you figured me out.” Sarcasm was thick in the Master’s voice. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have a Quake Engine to fix up!”

“You could have just used your TARDIS to send him back,” remarked the Doctor.

“A brilliant idea, Doctor! Except I lost my TARDIS after my presidential campaign!”

Tags batman, doctor who, fan companion, fan doctor, ghostbusters, martin luther king jr.

Doctor Who: Crossings Series 6

Let Freedom Ring: Part 1

In a mansion on the edge of a city, the butler was finishing up a phone call. “…I see. …Very well, Mr. Fox. Mister Wayne will contact you shortly. …Goodbye, sir.” He hung up the phone and sighed. “…To lose Lucius Fox, of all people…” his thoughts were interrupted by a bookcase sliding to the left automatically, revealing a concealed staircase. The butler’s employer walked up the stairs and into the main mansion. “Good evening, Master Bruce,” greeted the butler. “I hadn’t expected you to use that entrance until after your evening patrol.”

“I needed to use the Batcomputer to double-check that reading I needed help with,” explained the butler’s employer, Gotham’s richest man, Bruce Wayne. “Who were you talking to, Alfred?”

“To Mr. Fox. I’m sorry to report that we’ve lost him.” Bruce’s eyes widened.

“…Nothing?” he asked.

“Not a trace,” sighed Alfred sadly. “He didn’t recognize the standard quotes at all.”

“It’s getting worse!” growled Bruce.

“First Master Grayson, then Miss Kyle, now Lucius,” recalled Alfred. “How can one forget a man like Martin Luther King Jr.?”

“I’m hoping a specialist I called can shed some light,” remarked Bruce.

“A specialist, Sir?” The buzzer then rang. Alfred answered it. “Wayne Manor. How may we assist?”

“Winston Zeddemore here,” replied the person at the door. “I heard there was a theory that a ghost was involved in the good Reverend’s disappearance from national memory?” Alfred looked at Bruce in surprise.

“He’s a bit early, but we need speed, Alfred. …He knows about my night life.”

“…Come right in, Dr. Zeddemore,” bid Alfred as he pressed the button that opened the gate. He and Bruce then headed to the front door and let Winston in.

“Welcome to Wayne Manor, Dr. Zeddemore,” greeted Bruce as he and Winston shook hands.

“Please, just call me Winston,” replied Winston. “So, the famous Batman wants my help, huh?”

At the outermost edge of Bruce’s property, a blonde woman in strange clothes pulled out a recorder. “Personal Log entry 7Z. Earth date, seventh month, twenty-second day, two thousand twenty-seventh year. Local civilization, Gotham, United States of America. Lieutenant Tysar reporting. Yet again, I’ve been skulking around like the criminals that run rampant throughout Gotham, stealing food to survive. …I’m starting to hate hot dogs, but they’re the nearest thing I can get right now. …Sorry, it’s just…it’s been at least three Earth years since I was taken from New Davius. I…I really miss home. …No real new thing, other than a famous Earth figure disappearing from public…huh?” Tysar stopped recording as she heard a noise. It sounded like something going Vworp repeatedly, then it ended in a thud. “…Log entry addendum: I think I heard a peculiar noise that no Earth machine makes. I’m going to investigate.” Tysar packed her supplies and wandered along the edge of the property for a few yards…then she saw it. It was a blue box with windows and signs. Tysar gasped in disbelief. “…You…you haven’t-! …Have you?!” Tysar rushed to the door, then stopped, hesitating. “…Log entry addendum: I think…either the loneliness of being stranded on Earth starting the second quarter of its 21st century is getting to me…or I may be saved! …I’m looking at a vehicle of historical significance for our people! It’s a blue box that locals would call a Police Box from London in the 1960’s. Our people would know it as a vehicle that brought four people to our ancestors in the time of their greatest need on the ancestral homeworld. …If this is real, I’m going to attempt to enter it.” Tysar stopped recording and read the sign. The letters were English, but somehow they were translated into characters and words she understood so she could read that one had to pull to open the doors. She hesitated…then pushed the doors. They swung inside and Tysar gasped. “…It’s real! …I don’t believe it! The TARDIS! …It’s real! …And I can go home!” Happy tears welled up in her eyes as she stepped inside the box.

Tysar looked around the interior as it defied geometry! The inside was bigger than the outside! There was a hexagonal control console in the center with a glass cylinder in the center of the console. “…Log entry addendum!” Tysar said as she began recording again. “It’s real! The TARDIS! It’s real! …I can see a path to home, after three years of losing hope! …I’ve entered the TARDIS, but the Doctor is nowhere to be seen. …Hang on, there’s a display saying something. I’m going to read it.” The display read “Decontamination complete. Awaiting pilot recovery.” Tysar blinked. “…Pilot recovery?” she muttered. “What happened here?” The display then changed.

“Non-Gallifreyan detected. Spatio/temporal origin not of local time zone or planet.”

“…N-No, I’m not,” confirmed Tysar. “Look, what required decontamination?” The display changed.

“Pilot was infected with artificial virus of Skarosian origin. Cure has been synthesized and introduced into air supply and all traces of virus have been purged.”

“Skarosian virus?” asked Tysar in horror. “The Doctor just came from an encounter with my people’s greatest enemy?! Where-?!” The display changed.

“Proceed to Zero Room where pilot is being healed. Path will be indicated. Pilot requires reviving.” Lights then lit up on the floor.

“…Right, I’ll do what I can!” Tysar followed the lights deeper into the TARDIS and found herself outside a room. She entered the room and saw a woman with African features sleeping in mid-air! The woman wore a burgundy outfit with a rose-hemmed skirt and a headband with a large rose on the left side, but her outfit wasn’t important. “…This is your pilot?” asked Tysar. “…This is…the Doctor?” The woman then groaned.

“Oogh, Amy!” said the woman groggily. “I warned you about your hammer!” The woman’s eyes fluttered open. “…The…the Zero Room? …Oh…oh yes, Amy…and Lurra…the disease! I-!” The woman then saw Tysar. “…Am…I seeing things?” asked the woman.

“No, I can assure you that I’m real,” said Tysar. “Your ship landed on Earth and-.”

“Landed?” Memories then stirred in the woman’s mind. “…Yes…yes, I programmed the TARDIS to land when…when all traces of a disease were eliminated. I had accidentally contracted it and…wait, if the TARDIS landed and you’re here…then it worked!” The woman then floated in a fashion that put her upright. Her feet then touched the floor. “I think some introductions are in order. Who are you?”

“…Lieutenant Tysar, New Davius Scientific Survey Corps!” replied Tysar. “Current status: stranded on Earth in its 21st century! Local civilization name: Gotham!

“New Davius?” The woman’s eyes widened. “You’re a Thal! But you lot shouldn’t-! …Did an energy wave grab you from wherever you were and plop you here in…Gotham, you said? American city?”

“Erm, yes, to all those questions,” answered Tysar. “And you…?” The woman took off her glove and held her wrist out. Tysar checked the woman’s pulse…and her eyes widened. “…A double pulse!” she whispered. “…You really ARE the Doctor!”

“And I’ve been tracking those energy waves,” explained the Doctor as she put her glove back on. “They’re called chronal surges and they have a tendency to take people out of their native time and space and put them into new ones, either in the past or in the future. So…looks like I need to bring you back to New Davius.”

“I’d like that, yes,” said Tysar.

“First things first,” declared the Doctor, “let’s see if there are any chronal surges here, hm?” With that, the Doctor hurried to the console room with Tysar behind her.

While Tysar got acquainted with the Doctor, Alfred checked the grounds, having heard the TARDIS’ arrival. “I’m SURE I’ve gone senile, Sir,” remarked Alfred over the comms. “It sounded similar to when the Doctor’s vehicle vanished, but…”

“If you have the presence of mind to say you’re senile,” replied Bruce, “there’s a good chance you’re not.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence, Sir.” Alfred then goggled. “…Sir, the TARDIS IS on the edge of your property.”

“See if you can make contact with-.” The doors opened and the Doctor and Tysar came out with the Doctor looking worried.

“This is impossible,” she muttered. “He can’t just vanish from time like-!” She then saw Alfred. “…Alfred Pennyworth!” she said with a smile.

“A new companion for the Doctor?” asked Alfred.

“Try again,” replied the Doctor as she presented her wrist. Alfred then felt her pulse.

“…Sir, has Superman ever said anything about Time Lords changing faces?” Alfred asked over the comms.

“He said it was a survival mechanism, according to the Kryptonian Archives,” replied Bruce. “Why? Is the Doctor different?”

“If you want further proof,” said the Doctor, “I offered you the chance to come on a trip after Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn’s disastrous mess with the Krynoid, but you said you had a vacation all lined up.”

“Master Bruce, the Doctor HAS changed her face,” confirmed Alfred. “And far be it for me to tell you what to do, but I believe she may help us and Dr. Zeddemore in this caper.”

“Dr. Zeddemore?” asked the Doctor. “Then Martin Luther King Jr’s ghost is gone as well?”

Tags batman, doctor who, fan companion, ghostbusters, martin luther king jr.

Doctor Who: Crossings Series 1

Specters of War: Part 4

The alarms sounded throughout the base. Gurast and Stregg entered the laboratory “What’s happening here?!” demanded Gurast.

“It looks like the female and the Doctor’s companion escaped with the help of a green blob,” replied Strev.

“Slimer?!” protested Peter. “That spud’s here?!”

“An escape attempt?” muttered the Doctor. That was when William, Slimer, and Janine ran into the lab with angry Sontarans unleashing plasma bolts behind them!

“FOOLS! NOT IN HERE!” shouted Strev.

“CEASE FIRE, YOU FOOLS! THAT EQUIPMENT’S-!” Stregg’s order came too little, too late. Slimer flew through the temporal bombardment array, leaving slime behind. The Sontaran trooper then shot it, causing it to go haywire!

“Oh no!” gasped the Doctor. “EVERYONE OUT!” The Doctor hustled everyone, even Slimer, out of the place. As they ran through the corridors, the Sontarans started dropping like flies! The energies being released went through their probic vents! …Or rather…their SOULS!

“They’re dying?!” yelped Peter. “How?!”

“Explanations later!” answered William.

“Over there!” called the Doctor as she pointed out the door. Slimer got it open and everyone got out. By then, Gurast’s voice was laughing. Her face appeared on the surface of the Battle Sphere as it started rising in the air, crackling with energy.

“I had not expected to get my army so quickly,” she said, “but a Sontaran Battle Sphere too! Oh, this is too much! I suppose I should thank your pet ghost!”

“Okay, what’s going on?!” called Winston.

“The temporal bombardment array,” began the Doctor, “was synced with ectoplasmic energy at the ratio I recommended thanks to Slimer sliming that thing! It gave Gurast the means to channel herself into the Battle Sphere’s computer systems and bring it into a spectral state!”

“You mean it’s a ghost ship now?!” gulped William.

“With a ghost crew!” replied the Doctor.

“It’s worse than that!” interjected Egon. “The Sontarans took apart our proton packs!”

“What?!” yelped the Doctor. “How are the Neutrino Wand cartridges configured?!”

“In an Ionic transfer circuit for more power!” The Doctor rubbed her temples as a headache was coming on, thanks to the situation being worse than she thought.

“Once the cartridges are depleted,” she said, “Gurast will start drawing on the ectoplasmically and temporally charged engine core of the Battle Sphere which will cause an implosion of the Battle Sphere, causing a singularity of disastrous, nay, BIBLICAL proportions!”

“Hang on, Doctor,” said Winston. “Singularity? As in…Black Hole?!”

“With Manhattan as the epicenter!” confirmed Ray.

“But the Sontarans took all our gear!” protested Peter, once he got the translation.

“…Even the ghost traps?” asked William. The Doctor and Egon then arrived at the same conclusion.

“Yes, even the ghost traps!” confirmed Egon. “If we can remotely activate them simultaneously-!”

“Then somehow draw the Battle Sphere into the containment unit-!” continued the Doctor.

“The ectoplasmic energy within the containment unit will overpower the temporal energy and avert the implosion!” the Doctor and Egon said together.

“We’ll have to draw them towards the firehouse!” said Ray.

“Boys, girls, and ectoplasmic beings,” said the Doctor, “get into Ecto-1! Egon, the equipment on top of Ecto-1-?”

“There’s a twin barreled Mega Proton Cannon on the roof!” replied Egon. “It works like our packs!”

“That’s all I need to know!” Everyone then jumped into Ecto-1 with the Doctor riding on top behind the Proton Cannon. The Battle Sphere fired on innocent people until the Doctor fired on it with the Proton Cannon.

“ARGH!” shouted Gurast as her face appeared. “WHO DARES-!”

“COOEE!” called the Doctor. The Battle Sphere rotated so that Gurast could see the Doctor. “NICE TASTY TIME LORD HERE!” continued the Doctor.

“I’ll finish what the Daleks started and slaughter you, Doctor!” promised Gurast as the Battle Sphere brought its guns to bear.

“NOW, WINSTON!” called the Doctor. Winston gunned the engine and Ecto-1 raced down the streets with the Battle Sphere giving chase.

They arrived at the firehouse ahead of Gurast and the Doctor and Egon rushed downstairs. “We don’t have much time!” warned the Doctor. “We need to establish a remote link with the traps from here!”

“I know the frequency of the traps’ laser containment grid,” said Egon, “but using a radio link-!”

“Laser containment? That’s easier for me to work with! Give me that frequency!”

“S-Sixteen by four by eight by two!” stammered Egon as he balked at the idea. “Doctor, we can’t use a light frequency!”

“I will admit, it’s a bit advanced for this time,” replied the Doctor, “but you just wait until the advent of LIDAR!”

“Of what?!”

“Spoilers! Come on, Egon!” She started taking apart traps. Egon did the same, then helped her construct a machine, linking it to the containment unit with plenty of cable! Once they were done, they brought the new machine outside.

“Doctor, Gurast and her Sontarans are almost right on top of us!” warned William.

“Don’t worry, we just need to ensnare them all at once!” replied the Doctor. “Proton Cannon! NOW!”

“Got it!” called Peter as he fired Ecto-1’s Proton Cannon at the Battle Sphere. Gurast’s face appeared again.

“That tickles!” she cackled wickedly. “Look upon me, Time Lord, and know your doom!”

“More like you should know your OWN doom!” replied the Doctor as she got under the Battle Sphere.

“You cannot hide from me that way! I have control of this ship’s tractor beam!”

“I was rather hoping you’d say that!” Gurast was confused…for all of two seconds once the Doctor fired up the machine! Gurast felt everyone being pulled into the machine! Herself, her crew, her ship, everything that made her up right now!

“NO!” she wailed. “YOU…CANNOT…IMPRISON ME! …I…AM…GURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!” The machine pulled the Battle Sphere into itself and everyone saw a glowing object travel down the cables and into the containment unit! The Doctor and Egon followed the glow and yanked the cables from the containment unit once the glow went inside. They then shut the unit and kept their hands on the door…then the light flashed green. Egon sighed and relaxed.

“Containment successful,” he said. “Gurast and the Sontarans are safely inside the unit.” The Doctor then relaxed as well.

“…So that’s how Gurast faded from existence,” she said. The other Ghostbusters, Janine, and William then rushed downstairs.

“EGON!” called Janine as she rushed to Egon and hugged him.

“Doctor, are you-?!” asked William.

“I’m all right,” replied the Doctor. Egon managed to wiggle out of Janine’s grip as his buddies joined him.

“This is incredible!” called Ray as he looked through some sort of viewer connected to the containment unit. “Look!” Everyone each managed to get a turn of seeing the sight of Stregg and the Sontarans fighting Gurast.

“The containment unit’s energy,” mused Egon, “must have shattered Gurast’s control over the Sontarans.”

“And their natural chauvinism is chafed thanks to being forced to take orders from a woman,” remarked the Doctor.

“…That…was intense!” breathed William.

“Feels like I’m tying up a lot of loose ends left by the Time Lords,” muttered the Doctor. “Well, William, what say we find some time to relax?”

“Which part of history or the future?” asked William.

“You’re leaving?” asked Winston.

“Mr. Zeddemore, I’m from Earth in the future,” replied William. “I stay here any longer, I might cause a paradox that would erase me from existence. Trust me, the Doctor’s right on this one.”

“But if there’s something strange in our neighborhood, well, we know who to call,” said the Doctor as she and William headed back upstairs.

The Doctor and William were back in the TARDIS. The Doctor set the controls and the console’s time rotor moved up and down, indicating that they were now in flight! “There we are! Off we go to Tolkost VII! Lovely place! Beautiful art museums, best doctors in their galaxy, the lot! …So, as long as we have time…” The Doctor leaned on the console as she arched an eyebrow at William. “You were about to say a word that started with ‘Gr’ before using Mr. Zeddemore’s name. That ‘Gr’ wouldn’t have been the start of ‘Granddad’ now, would it?”

“…Grandpa, actually, but yes,” replied William. “Winston Zeddemore is my maternal grandfather. Maybe I was being selfish in not telling him anything about the future, but I didn’t want to fade from existence like Marty from Back to the Future.”

“That’s not selfish, that’s intelligent and safe-guarding the laws of time,” corrected the Doctor. “Now, if I were to bring us to Poland in 1939, or to any point along Africa’s western coasts before the official end of the slave trade, or to a year before the Black Plague…how tempted would you be to warn them?”

“…Overly, but if a small bit of time is so fragile for myself, it would be fragile for all points in time.”

“Exactly. Much as people like us want to change history for the better, we can’t or we’d doom all of time.”

“…Doctor, there’s something else I need to know,” said William. “What Gurast said about you being the last…” The Doctor stopped, then held the console and sighed deeply. “…If that’s too personal, you don’t-.”

“Yes, I do,” replied the Doctor. “…William, it started with a war. A time war. The Last Great Time War. …My people, my entire home planet of Gallifrey, went to war against a race known as the Daleks for the sake of creation and both sides lost. Accompanied by eleven points in my past and one point in my future, I sent Gallifrey into a pocket dimension while the Dalek fleet that surrounded the planet destroyed itself in its own crossfire. For a while, I thought I destroyed Gallifrey, then found that I didn’t. …The Daleks are now remnants trying to rebuild their empire of hate while the Time Lords were hidden away. …But then another Time Lord, one I used to call friend during my childhood, discovered the truth about Time Lord society and killed all the inhabitants of Gallifrey in his rage. …They’re all gone now. My family…my friends…even that sky. …I’m not just a Time Lord, I’m not even just a Gallifreyan. …I’m the last child of Gallifrey, the last of the Time Lords.”

“…I’m sorry,” said William. “I shouldn’t have pried.”

“No, no, you needed to know,” assured the Doctor.

“…I hope you had other companions before me,” remarked William.

“Oh, I’ve had companions long before the Time War,” replied the Doctor. “I initially left Gallifrey because, for all our brilliance, us Time Lords were too complacent and stuffy!”

“So you ran away?”

“Stole the TARDIS for good measure!” The Doctor’s face brightened, now focused on happier parts of her past. “And I’ve never regretted it to this day!” Her fingers were now a happy blur as she fiddled with the controls!

Tags doctor who, fan companion, fan doctor, ghostbusters

Doctor Who: Crossings Series 1

Specters of War: Part 3

The Doctor and the Ghostbusters were taken to the Sontaran Battle Sphere. Outside, the Doctor spotted William and Janine. “William!” she called. The Sontarans allowed her to join with him.

“Doctor!” replied William. The two hugged. “Doctor, what’s going on?! These creeps know you and apparently Gurast-!”

“These creeps, as you so put it,” explained the Doctor, “are called the Sontarans, a belligerent clone species dedicated to war. These particular Sontarans are the 13^th Sontaran Space Brigade. …Or rather, that’s their official name. Those that probed deeper into Sontaran Intelligence would know it as the First Sontaran Temporal Operations Brigade. They’re time travelers from the 51^st century. …Which begs the question of why you lot would free Gurast at this time in the first place.”

“The preservation of history, Doctor,” replied Stregg. “You of all people should know that if certain events didn’t happen, the web of time would unravel.”

“What bargain did you strike with Gurast anyways?”

“Come now, Doctor. Your people’s Cardinal Ollistra didn’t tell the Daleks her strategies and neither did the Dalek Time Strategist tell the Time Lords his own.”

“Enough prattle!” hissed Gurast. “Doctor, was it?”

“That’s me,” replied the Doctor. Gurast scoffed.

“Why you Time Lords insist on being addressed by titles, I’ll never understand. …I HAD hoped to destroy you all myself, but I heard rumors that Gallifrey already fell.”

“…I hate to have to confirm those rumors.” Gurast laughed at the Doctor’s admission.

“Then the Sontarans spoke true! You ARE the last of the Time Lords!”

“The last?” asked William. “Doctor, what’s-?!”

“When we’re safer, William,” replied the Doctor. “Gurast, what can the Sontarans offer you?”

“Oh, come, come, Doctor,” chuckled Gurast. “Surely you, of all people, know how warlike the Sontarans are! Their war with the Rutans is so delicious!”

“100,000 years, from Stregg’s standpoint. One hundred thousand years of bloodshed and for what?!”

“For victory!” replied Stregg. “Sontar HA! Sontar HA! Sontar HA!” The Sontarans took up the chant. The Doctor rolled her eyes at that.

“Tell me, what’s the point?” she asked. The Sontarans stopped as Stregg looked at her like she sprouted another head.

“…You’re a veteran of the greatest war in all of time and space,” he said, “and you seriously ask what the point of war is?”

“You’re talking as if war is all you guys know!” protested William.

“Silence, prisoner!” barked Stregg.

“Silence yourself!” retorted William. “I’ve never met a more useless society! Everything wrong with my own gender’s cultural expectations across the planet, that’s what you guys personify!”

“BE QUIET!” shouted Gurast. The air chilled. Gurast then drew in a breath to calm herself. “…Stregg, you said that your temporal expertise is good, but not at the level of a Time Lord’s, yes?”

“That is correct,” replied Stregg. “…Perhaps the Doctor CAN prove useful!”

“In what way?” asked the Doctor.

“A little experiment we’re running,” answered Gurast. “We’re trying to genetically alter a person to be immune to the ravages of time and the warping effects of spectral energy.”

“What?!” yelped Egon after a while. “Madam, you can’t do that! The body would detonate if too much spectral stress is on it!”

“And all things need to decompose,” said the Doctor. “This is inhuman!”

“The only humans here are the Ghostbusters, their receptionist, and your pet human, Doctor,” chuckled Gurast. “And thank you for volunteering your team, Dr. Spengler. I could use some help from spectral specialists.”

“Well, I won’t do it!” declared the Doctor. “So there!”

“…Very well,” mused Stregg as he aimed his rifle at William and Janine.

“WAIT!” yelped the Doctor and the Ghostbusters.

“It’s a simple choice, Doctor,” remarked Gurast. “You and the Ghostbusters assist us in our experiment, or people start dying, starting with William and Janine.”

“…Very well,” grunted the Doctor.

“Thanks a heap, Egon,” snarked Peter.

The Doctor and the Ghostbusters were taken to the lab while William and Janine were taken to the holding cells. The Doctor looked over the equipment. “Very intricate,” she said.

“My batch brother, Strev,” said Stregg, “will welcome the assistance.” His batch brother then entered the lab. “Ah, here he is!”

“Which one is the Doctor?” asked the new arrival, Strev.

“That would be me,” replied the Doctor. “Am I correct in assuming you’re Strev the Knowledge Bringer? The greatest mind Sontar has ever produced?”

“You would be correct,” confirmed Strev. “And these are…?” he gestured to the Ghostbusters.

“I’m Dr. Egon Spengler,” introduced Egon. “And this is Dr. Ray Stanz, Dr. Peter Venkman, and Mr. Winston Zeddemore.”

“Ah! A plethora of scientists! …But what does Mr. Zeddemore do?”

“I’m the mechanic for the Ghostbusters,” replied Winston.

“An engineer! The best friend of a scientist! Perfect!”

“I’m not exactly looking to be YOUR best friend!”

“Ah, you wound me, Mr. Zeddemore!” exaggerated Strev. “But you shall appreciate all that we’re doing here…in time!” He chuckled. “Just a little time travel humor.” The Doctor looked over the notes and recordings Strev made. She had to admit, they were detailed, despite using live, unwilling subjects. Egon and Ray looked over the notes and recordings as well, wincing all the while.

“So we know that temporal and spectral immunity,” remarked the Doctor, “can only be produced by an atypical spatio-temporal reaction?”

“Empirical evidence,” replied Strev, “indicates that the subject would need to be genetically programmed to be able to naturally produce that effect.”

“Double blind analysis?” asked Egon.

“Naturally,” confirmed Strev. “The results thus far are proving, however, that I don’t exactly know the correct reaction. My initial theory was disproven after a few experiments, so I ran the others to see if I can find a way to reproduce such an effect.”

“But the latest attempt resulted in immediate decomposition after the bombardment of temporal and spectral energy,” remarked the Doctor.

“Regrettably, yes,” sighed Strev. “Perhaps I need a way to introduce the energies at different times.”

“Judging by the way you’ve been using the spectral and temporal energies,” said Ray, “it looks like you’re trying for a balance between the two.”

“A balance? Therein lies the problem,” realized the Doctor. “Temporal energy is naturally imbalanced against spectral energy 52 to 1 against in order to make sure that things pass into the afterlife naturally.”

“So you’re saying that my experiments need to account for that?” asked Strev. He stroked his chin. “…It will require rewiring and recalibration, but it could be possible. I’ll just need help on flux comparative maintenance.”

“Yeah, sure, we can do that,” replied Peter.

“The DOCTOR can do that,” snapped Strev. “You lot calibrate the ectoplasmic relays!”

“…Well, you gotta admit, he knows our scientific strengths,” remarked Ray as everyone got to work.

In the holding cells, William’s mind raced. He couldn’t depend on the Doctor for a rescue attempt. He examined the cell walls for any sort of access point. A grate, a hidden switch, maybe even wiring so he could mess with it. …No dice, Sontaran cells were too well made against escape attempts. …He couldn’t believe he was gonna try this, but he had no choice. He collapsed and clutched his stomach. “ERGH! MY STOMACH!” he called. Janine rolled her eyes, but played along.

“Guard!” she called. “Help! My friend’s sick!” The guard pulled out his comms unit.

“Medical team to Cell Block A, Section 4, Cell 2,” he said. “Medical emergency-.”

“Never mind!” complained William as he dropped the act.

“Belay that. Just a pathetic escape attempt,” said the guard.

“So how often did that happen?” asked Janine as the guard hung up.

“Let’s just say the number of times a prisoner DIDN’T try what you two did is more easier to compre…” The guard stopped when he saw something. He pulled out his comms again. “Security Chief, come in,” he said.

“Trooper!” replied another voice. “Be advised! A Focused, Non-Terminal Repeating Phantasm has entered the battle sphere!”

“You mean the Class 5 Full Roaming Vapor?” asked the guard. “It’s right here, Sir. It’s looking at me.”

“Class 5…Slimer!” whispered Janine.

“So you can see how ugly it is, Trooper?” asked the Security Chief.

“He heard that, Sir,” replied the guard.

“Stand your ground, Trooper!” ordered the Security Chief. “It won’t hurt you!” William and Janine couldn’t see Slimer, but they could hear him shouting his usual noises as he flew towards the screaming guard. The guard fired, but Slimer went right through him, knocking him over and leaving slime all over him. Slimer doubled-back to the cell and saw Janine and William.

“Good work, Slimer!” said Janine. “Now see if you can open the door!” Slimer looked at the door lock and babbled in a panic. He pointed to his hand and the door lock.

“…Wait a minute,” guessed William, “it’s based on three fingered hands?” Slimer nodded. “Can’t you do like this?” He made a basic Sontaran shaped hand with his own fingers by keeping his pointer and middle finger together as well as his ring and pinky in their own group. Slimer blinked, then face-palmed because the idea was so obvious. He then shaped his hand like a Sontaran’s and put it to the door lock. The door opened! “Good job, Slimer!” praised William. “Now let’s get out of here before-!” The alarm then sounded.

“Prisoner escape!” warned the guard into his comms. “Prisoner-!” The guard had his back to the prisoners, so William could see the probic vent on the back of the guard’s neck. He saw a mallet and hit it onto the vent, knocking the Sontaran out. Unfortunately, Sontarans of the 51^st century are quicker to respond to prisoner escape attempts than those of the 20^th Century! Laser fire erupted from one end of the corridor.

“This way!” called William. He, Janine, and Slimer ran from the guards.

Tags doctor who, fan companion, fan doctor, ghostbusters