|
Post by timegirl on Apr 3, 2021 14:04:32 GMT
13, Drax, and K9 all met inside Clara’s brain.
“ Hello you two, long time no see. Let’s get a shift on.” 13 said motioning forward into Clara’s brain.
“But-“ Drax replied.
“ Yes, Master” said K9
Just then both Clara and John winced in pain.
“John, your hair it’s starting to turn grey again!” Clara said in shock.
|
|
|
Post by fitzoliverj on Apr 3, 2021 14:25:37 GMT
"Hold on a mo," Drax protested. "There's fings you need to know. Come ter fink of it, there's fings *I* need to know. What was all that semaphore malarkey about?"
"I was trying to get across to you what's been happening in here," the Doctor replied testily.
"But I *know* what's going on in 'ere," protested Drax. "It's my boss what's done all the doings, innit? But it's what you don't know that counts. All about that Muldwych of yours doing his old mind-surfing bit, and travelling across the universe where's he shouldn't, and ending up in the Toymaker's realm, and coming back infected with the Swarm, and that."
The Doctor was about to reply, when she spotted a couple of shadows in the corridor ahead, and quickly shoved Drax and K9 into an alcove. Two Joys passed her, each saying "Hallo, Joy" as they passed.
"Hallo, hallo!" the Doctor replied brightly, then grabbed Drax and dragged him out once more when the coast was clear. "We don't have time for explanations. We need to get in and get out before Clara's unhealthy self-destruction complex gets hold of us as well as her. We're going down to the libido-"
"Ooh-er", Drax interrupted.
"Shut up. Down to the libido to help all those Disgusts put an end to this weird obssession she has over my previous incarnation."
"I'm not sure her alternatives are much cop," replied Drax, who'd been shown dossiers on Danny Pink, Ashildr, and that teacher that looked like 11, when he'd been hired by the Toymaker to cover teh technical end of his schemes. "Listen, are you sure you've got your memories back? Leafgirl's love-life doesn't strike me as top priority."
"I remembered everything about everything as soon as I left my.. his.. the Doctor's brain," thirteen replied. "And I know what the priorities are, and I know what a human mind is like, and I know that around this next corner-"
She broke off. "That's not what I was expecting."
The corridor went off into the distance, and set into the walls on either side were a series of clocks. The Doctor and Drax soon had their hands held firmly to their ears, as each and every one had begun to strike thirteen....
|
|
|
Post by timegirl on Apr 4, 2021 12:33:13 GMT
K9 had been doing some calculations and it seemed like his master’s next blond striped incarnation was on the wrong track. It wouldn’t do any good helping the disgusts because it wasn’t just lust between Clara and John, er-the Doctor. Yes there was a bit of lust, but there was something much deeper than that as well.
Meanwhile John was slowly changing back into the Doctor and was trying to fight it with all he could.
|
|
|
Post by fitzoliverj on Apr 4, 2021 16:50:56 GMT
The Doctor - the real Doctor, the twelfth Doctor - was standing in a limitless white void, the same white void he'd been in since all this business had begun. He'd come to few conclusions about it, save that it was boring and that he shouldn't stare at his hands in future in case it led to more trouble.
He couldn't even tell *what* kind of limitless white void it was. It wasn't the TARDIS's emergency interior (no column), and it wasn't the interior of his own mind (which tended to be landscaped). It wasn't even the infinite nothing of the entire universe having accidentally been destroyed.
It was just... tedious. And empty.
Except, no. Now there was a figure in the distance. The Doctor began to run towards it.
As he approached the figure, he realised it was himself - no, it was... well, if he'd ever been physically young in this body, he'd have said it was a younger version of himself. And as he approached, he gradually gained the newcomer's memories, as the newcomer gained his, and by the time they were standing face to face he knew that this was John Smith.
"Hallo, interloper," said the Doctor.
"Hallo, Doctor," said John Smith. "I'm going to kill you."
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Of course you are. Look, it's not going to work. Killing me won't give you Clara... my fate is tied up with the entire universe, destroy me and all creation will cease to exist."
"I don't care," replied Smith, raising a gun. "So long as Clara and I can be together."
"I like Clara as much as the next man," said the Doctor, not particularly accurately, "but why throw away the universe on her?"
"I love her," replied Smith simply.
"Don't be adolescent," the Doctor snapped, "as far as your memories are concerned, you only met her yesterday. Anyway, even if by some miracle you manage to preserve a few feet of universe for the two of you, it's not going to be the two of you forever, it's just going to be her. And she won't have a nice memory of you to entertain her, either."
"What?" asked Smith, confused and angry.
"You're not the only parasite in my brain," the Doctor replied. "The Swarm's in there too, eating its way through my - your - our - cerebellum. You're going to be dead within days, a side-effect of somebody else's hatred of me. So put away your silly gun."
The Doctor turned his head to the sky, and turned around on the spot. He cried aloud "and put away your silly void as well, while you're at it!"
When he returned to face Smith, he found Smith had gone, but at least now the Doctor knew where he was. He raised his hands.
"Okay, then," he told the two White Robots, "take me to your Master."
|
|
|
Post by timegirl on Apr 5, 2021 3:28:36 GMT
With the Doctor gone off the white robots, John reclaimed the body he and 12 shared, back in the bedroom with Clara. He knew that he only had only a limited amount of time and he knew he to make it count. “It’s okay now Clara. I’m back to normal.”John said to a bewildered Clara. “John?” Clara replied tentatively not sure whether to relieved, confused, or terrified. Then suddenly the room shifted and John sang this to Clara: youtu.be/bkJPlQMmuAo
|
|
|
Post by fitzoliverj on Apr 5, 2021 16:35:09 GMT
Most of the Doctors had been restored to normal - those that hadn't had been sent down to the lymph nodes to prepare a defence against the Swarm - and were setting up large TV screens to keep an eye on everything that was going on (except for the Cavalier, who had been confined to his bed with suspected concussion). On screen showed the interior of John's house, and another what was unfolding in Clara's brain.
"We must take action!" demanded one Doctor, who sported long hair beneath a panama hat. "Wipe out the infection, without mercy, like this!" A third screen presented an image of the Master, carefully and methodically introducing myxamatosis to a pleasant garden planet.
"Isn't that rather evil?" one of the others asked.
"This isn't a question of good and evil," the first Doctor replied, "it's a question of need, and the ends justify any means!"
"'Course," interjected the ninth Doctor, "last time you said that somebody broke your neck, right?"
"Yeah," called out another Doctor, who looked like Sir Francis Walsingham. "And then someone shot me."
"And then someone shot me," said another Doctor.
"And then someone shot *me*," said another Doctor.
"Okay," replied the long-haired Doctor, "so it didn't work out that time, but-"
"It seems to me," the first Doctor announced, "that the problem we face is that if we do not wipe out the Swarm, Number Twelve will die, and his absence will destroy the universe. But if we *do* destroy the virus, then we lose the only thing keeping the false 'John Smith' persona in check."
Concurring, the sixth Doctor observed, "there are clearly two contrary aims at work. On the one hand, this romantic desire to place John Smith and Clara together, and in opposition the natural restoration of the status quo."
"But... but.." the second Doctor expostulated, "we can't possibly allow matters to draw to a conclusion, with Twelve in the Land of Fiction. He'd be turned into a fictional character!"
"I don't see what's wrong with letting John Smith win," said the Fugitive Doctor, prompting groans from the others. "What? We can just hide out in his psyche till something comes along."
"That's your solution to everything," the fourth Doctor complained. "We're not having any more Scottish Doctors giving up the universe and getting jobs in teaching instead."
The seventh Doctor shuffled his feet, and the tenth Doctor wondered why people had started looking at him.
"What we need," the fourth Doctor continued, "is another option. We need some third influence to come in, that can direct us away from these two futile alternatives we've got at the moment. Some new possibility, or random element, that neither the Swarm nor the Toymaker can predict, and which won't lead us to either a doomed literary or doomed romantic end."
The Doctors waited.
|
|
|
Post by grinch on Apr 5, 2021 16:52:59 GMT
A voice interrupted their ruminations.
“Mind if I interrupt?”
The Doctor(s) collectively turned to see none other than Hecuba standing there.
“Hecuba.” groaned the Second Doctor. Blowing him a kiss, she turned to address the Doctors.
“Hello Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor...” she said greeting each of them in turn.
“What do you want?” interrupted the Third Doctor.
“Would you believe I’m here to help?” she replied.
The Doctors all chuckled at this.
“And tell me why madam, why on Earth would you want to lend your assistance in resolving this particular dilemma?” inquired the First Doctor.
“Because, as much as I am enjoying this, even I can admit the Toymaker has gone far. He’s become too entangled in his own game and can’t get out. And he’ll drag the Swarm, your various incarnations and the rest of the universe down with him if we don’t stop him. Picture this, a never ending game with the entirety of existence as participants.”
There was a pause.
“And as much as it pains me to say this. He is family. And families stick together. No matter what.
She looked at the Doctors.
“A sentiment I’m sure you of all people would understand.”
The Doctors said nothing. She was right. And having The Queen of Time on side could be the sort of wild card which would tip the game in their balance.
“So, do we have an agreement?”
She held out her hand. The Doctors looked at it then at each other before the Second Doctor (patting down his hair) marched forwards and took her by the hand.
She grinned.
“The Queen of Time and her Time Lords working together.”
She giggled.
“How novel.”
|
|
|
Post by timegirl on Apr 6, 2021 12:32:44 GMT
The Doctors all waited while Hecuba was in deep thought .
“So, we are waiting.” said Sixie.
Hecuba turned.
“ I have come to the conclusion, that we need your man and John Smith to merge with each other” the Hecuba explained.
“What?!” the Doctors said collectively in shock.
“Well. it seems to me that John isn’t exactly a parasite. John is a normally hidden part of your man, the young human man he would like to be for Clara.” the Hecuba continued.
“Does that mean our man has feelings for-“ the Fugitive Doctor began.
“Yes, although he would never admit it.” Hecuba explained.
“ But John wants kill our man?” Thirteen said.
Hecuba paused, ”Once they merge we need to get Clara to say that she likes your man as he is and the John Smith persona should go back to being dormant.”[
|
|
|
Post by fitzoliverj on Apr 6, 2021 18:08:41 GMT
"Yeah, could work," mused the ninth Doctor.
"A sensible compromise," the second-and-a-half Doctor, who knew about them, agreed.
"The mechanism for achieving the merger remains to be decided upon," K9 (whom the thirteenth Doctor was holding up to the camera) noted.
The other Doctors turned from the tv screen to the fourth Doctor.
"I don't know why you're all looking at me," he grinned. "But I should say our friend the Swarm can help us out here. He's currently posing as a gestalt of all of us together, so if we all leave..."
"Oh, now that's clever, that's clever," the tenth Doctor commented. "If we all leave, he'll have to grab hold of John Smith else he'll have no personality at all. And then when we all come back, John Smith and the Doctors are all mashed together."
"That's all very well," replied the sixth Doctor, "but where are we all going to go *to*?"
"I fancy somewhere sunny," the seventh Doctor quipped.
"In that case," the sixth Doctor replied, "how about I take you to B-"
"You know, it occurs to me that there's a fairly obvious destination close at hand," the fifth Doctor mused, interrupting.
The Doctors all turned back to the television screen that was displaying the interior of Clara's head.
Drax, standing behind the thirteenth Doctor and K9, screwdriver in hand, engaged in fixing the broken clocks, suddenly had a very horrible premonition....
|
|
|
Post by timegirl on Apr 7, 2021 12:27:41 GMT
John Smith had just finished singing his third Bowie cover to an appreciative but confused Clara. Clara still seemed to think John was just some guy she met for curry last night rather than a rogue aspect of her Doctor. Even so she was head over heels for him.
She still felt a bit off and so she continued to sit on John’s bed.
“Feeling any better?” John said sitting next to Clara.
They leaned into each other when suddenly......
|
|
|
Post by fitzoliverj on Apr 7, 2021 17:12:53 GMT
It was later - much, much later, and the new and improved twelfth Doctor was sitting on a rocky outcrop in Medieveal England, drinking mead with his new best friend Bors, telling a story that Bors was struggling to understand. He'd kind of got his head around the Doctor's creepy idea that in everybody's head were lots of little men that decided what you were thinking. "So.." Bors said cautiously. "The man in Clara's head - Drax - he fixed her memories? And then, all your little men - did what? What phrase did you use?" "In, out, and shake it all about," the Doctor replied. "Although really, it was the other way round. All my little Doctors went out, *then* in, and that shook my mind all about. All the different aspects of my mind merged into one, putting a stop to my split personality problem and giving me the benefit of all the youthful and romantic appeal of the John Smith character." "So," Bors asked, confused, "you got younger?" "Absolutely," the Doctor confided. "Young as anything. Electric guitar, tight blue jeans, new Harley Davidson, devil-may-care, break-the-rules attitude. Now, does that sound like an 'old fogey' to you?" "Clara must have been pleased," Bors continued dubiously. "Best of both worlds?" "You'd think so," the Doctor replied disappointedly. "But she just muttered something about Jeremy Clarkson and started sulking. Mind you," he realised, "she's not seen my cool tank yet. Anyway, we went back to the TARDIS and off to adventures new." "But.." There was one point that Bors had managed to grasp. "I thought that if your story ended with you still in storybook-land, you... died? Or became part of the storybook?" "That's the clever bit", exulted the Doctor. "The really clever bit. That only happens if you end the story. And though Clara and I left in the TARDIS, and Drax and K9 left in theirs, and the Queen of Time left however-it-is-she-goes-anywhere, that didn't end the story." "No?" "No, definitely not finished," the Doctor replied. "Just paused." "Paused?" "Officially," the Doctor said, "it's just on 'temporary hiatus'. I'm sure things will pick up again in eighteen months, or seven years, or seven billion years, and until then the Toymaker can just wait. She can't leave, you see, because with nobody else there, that *would* end the story. Very clever, I thought." "I'm sure," said Bors, who wasn't. "But enough of that," the Doctor said, getting up, "do you like music, Bors?" This was a question Bors thought he knew the answer to, but he wasn't sure if the Doctor's idea of music was the same as his. "Time for the classic old pairing of Stratocaster and Challenger Tank," the Doctor announced. "That is," he corrected, "if my fingers are in a strumming mood."
|
|
|
Post by timegirl on Apr 8, 2021 3:57:43 GMT
Clara wanted her old Doctor back. She was glad that the brain merger between her Doctor and the John Smith persona had saved him. But now the Doctor was different. Sure now the Doctor had all of Jon Smith’s youth; dark hair, smooth skin, toned body, and he did have a lovely singing voice. But he also was annoying. The Doctor’s idea of youth seemed to be that of a middle aged man going through a midlife crisis. She was starting to think she only fell for John Smith in the first place because of the aspects that reminded her of the Doctor. Clara sighed, she even missed her Doctor’s grey hair.
|
|
|
Post by fitzoliverj on Apr 8, 2021 17:02:24 GMT
Clara's concerns would have only been heightened, had she been aware that she was the central topic of a sinister conversation, taking place many years and light-years away.
"Oooh, I could cheerfully strangle that young hussy," declared Iris Wildthyme, as she clutched her cup of tea. "Taking my lovely Doctor and... *changing* him. He changes enough as it is, without her stickin' her oar in."
"May I remind you," said River Song rather more calmly, as she elegantly took a slice of cake, "that if he's anybody's 'lovely Doctor', he's mine. But in essentials, I am inclined to agree. Clara Oswald is a bad influence upon him."
The Doctor's TARDIS sat behind them and neither move nor made a sound, but both ladies instinctively understood that Idris shared their position.
"Well, are we just going to mope," asked Missy, "or are we going to act. Look, I vote to act." She raised her hand. "And I've got two more votes here," she continued, indicating two skeletons - which she insisted were respectively an ancient Gallifreyan pioneer and an elderly Aztec who, apparently, also both had a stake in the matter - whose left arms had also been placed in an upright position. "That's three votes. You're not all going to be tiresome and all vote together against me, are you? I do so hate it when people vote and then there's no overall majority."
Missy reached into her handbag and produced her TCE. "I'd hate to ruin our tea-party by... reducing the electorate to a more manageable number. You can always reach a decision with five."
She glared at the other members of their little club. "Can I count on you all to give us a firm decision, even with six votes?"
|
|
|
Post by timegirl on Apr 9, 2021 12:54:41 GMT
The Doctor smiled, he had not felt this good in ages. The brain merger had been just the trick! He was currently relaxing in the console room playing his guitar in undies. Clara tapped him on the shoulder. “ Doctor, there is something l need to talk to you about.”Clara said a look of concern on her face.
|
|
|
Post by fitzoliverj on Apr 10, 2021 8:50:53 GMT
A movement in a corner of the console room caught Clara's eye, and she turned and was rather shocked to see a Sontaran behind a drum kit.
"You need not fear," Strax assured her, "I am not here to destroy you; superior Sontaran intelligence has identified that a cabal of boys has this well in hand. No, the Doctor summoned me here for a session of the consumption of the Earth food known as 'jam'."
"Strax," sighed the Doctor wearily, "when I said 'jam session', I meant - hang on, what 'cabal of boys'?"
"Someone's trying to kill me?" Clara asked, rather worried. Then she quipped, "not those lads from class 7b, is it?"
"I am not privy to the full report," Strax conceded, "but my informants assure me that these boys - no, wait, hang on.. thoraxes.. thoraxes.. yes, these females, as it would be, have cultivated a jealousy towards your companion and have determined to destroy her."
"7a, then?"
"Clara, be quiet. If somebody's about to kill you," the Doctor said irritably, "I don't want your last words to be some foolish joke. Now, Strax, tell me everything you know, and more, in the utmost detail."
"And then we shall consume the jam?"
"Yes, fine, whatever. Get on with it."
|
|
|
Post by timegirl on Apr 10, 2021 13:16:00 GMT
“They want to come after Clara, because I changed!” The Doctor suddenly felt very guilty, he couldn’t believe what Strax was telling him. The new him was supposed to be a good thing not cause Clara misery.
Clara was in shock! She had issues with her Doctor’s new makeover too she didn’t see why she was to blame.
Meanwhile things in the Doctor’s mind we’re in complete chaos!
|
|
|
Post by fitzoliverj on Apr 11, 2021 8:30:58 GMT
His eleventh persona was all fired-up to investigate the sinister threat against Clara. The others were a bit more blasé.
"Somebody killed one of my companions," the sixth Doctor reminisced. "Never looked back. Now there's about eighteen of her."
"That's not going to happen again!" protested the eleventh Doctor. "And will you lot shut up?!"
The band (second Doctor on recorder, fourth Doctor on piccolo, sixth-and-a-half Doctor on vocals, seventh Doctor on spoons) broke off their rendition of "Red, Red Wine" and looked aggrieved.
"Right," said the eleventh Doctor firmly, "now at least Our Man'll be able to find himself able to think." He strode over to the brain console and tapped in a few instructions. Instantly, in the real world, the twelfth Doctor stood up straight, announced "I'm going to find out what's going on!" and strode out of the TARDIS.
Clara groaned, and began to gather up his clothes.
|
|
|
Post by timegirl on Apr 11, 2021 12:40:13 GMT
Clara chased after 12 who was still just wearing just his question mark underpants.
“Doctor, you forgot your clothes!” Clara called out after him.
“There’s no time for me to get dressed, Clara! We need to find out what my little fan club is planning.” 12 said, a determined look on his dark brows. Although he didn’t say it he felt incredibly guilty that his makeover had put Clara in so much danger.
Just then 12 and Clara were cornered.....
|
|
|
Post by fitzoliverj on Apr 11, 2021 17:25:36 GMT
... by each other.
"Clara," asked the Doctor slowly, as he stood just outside the TARDIS's doors, "what are you doing outside the TARDIS?"
"I'm not," replied Clara, who wasn't, "I'm just inside the TARDIS." She stood a few paces inside the console room, with the Doctor having just entered by the doors. The Doctor looked over her shoulder, and didn't see any outside. Strax gave him a little wave.
The Doctor pushed past Clara and strode up to the console. "There's no outside. The way out of the TARDIS just leads straight back in again. What are you up to?" he shouted, addressing the console and hitting it. Then he spotted the ship's chronometer. "It's just not just the spatial dimensions, but time, too. Yesterday was late, and now I'm not sure if now is now or tomorrow come early."
But this was precisely Idris's part of The Plan. Missy's role was to travel round time and space, recruiting more of the Doctor's ex-lovers (or alleged ex-lovers), utilising a list given to her by River Song who had extracted it from her diary with the specific intention of putting Missy out of the way. She knew that the ex-wife of rock star Johnny Chess had denied the tabloid rumour that she'd given birth to the baby of a space alien. She knew that the Doctor had rejected Bernice Summerfield, and that Bernice wasn't interested in the current model, and that she would probably vomit on Missy's shoes before she could explain her position anyway. River had deliberately chosen various people who were either fixated on earlier incarnations or no longer interested at all, and she'd made sure that genuinely dangerous individuals, like Ruath (who was a vampire) and her own mother (the most likely candidate to want to scratch Clara's eyes out, although not in regard to the current Doctor) were not targets.
Her own, and Iris's, parts to play were quite different.
|
|
|
Post by timegirl on Apr 12, 2021 13:28:15 GMT
Clara began to think, the only way they were going to stop the Doctor’s fan club would be if he changed back to how he was before. But the Doctor would be so disappointed if he had to give up his new youth she thought. And then there was the fact that the Doctor and John Smith would be separated from each which could cause all kinds of trouble... Maybe her and the Doctor could just reason with them?
Clara did miss her grumpy old Doctor though.
Twelve was looking in the TARDIS’s console mirror and thinking. He liked being the new him, but it was causing Clara so much misery at the moment. Maybe he just needed to prove to both his fan club and Clara that although he looked a little different he was still the same person inside.
Just then....
|
|