Doctor Who: The Time Destroyer
By Paul D'Arcy
Based on the Original Role Playing Game Developed By Ryan Blake
Episode 6
The fifth Doctor stared at his latest incarnation in utter shock.
'But surely he knows that he could destroy the galaxy!'
The twelfth Doctor stared off into space, rubbing his hands absent-mindedly.
'Oh, he knows, alright. But it doesn't matter to him. He wants it to happen. Otherwise, there'd be no point in it. But why bring all of me together like this? Why pull us from our own time streams?'
There was a mangled gurgle from the floor.
'He…He wants to…destroy all our time streams so that he can claim all our regenerations, somehow.'
The second Doctor was on his hands and knees, trying not to be violently ill. He'd drunk a massive amount of alcohol earlier to slow the effects of the Valeyard's invasive mind touch, something painful beyond words.
'But how? How does he intend to take our regenerations?' The fifth Doctor lowered himself onto one knee, grabbed his former self by the shoulders and shook him roughly. It wasn't a good idea. The second Doctor bent down and threw up onto the gantry. The liquid poured through the spaces between the criss-crossing of wrought-iron. It disappeared into the vortex.
'Ugh! It's…It's grown bigger' he said through choking breath.
The other Doctors looked down, then around themselves. The vortex had increased in size and ferocity. The swirling maelstrom was buffeting the latticework of the docking bay construct.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the complex, creating a thunderous clanging sound. The Doctors fell to the gantry as the entire structure shuddered under its impact.
'My God! We can't take much more of this!' The fifth Doctor shouted.
'Why are you shouting? You always shout!' the twelfth Doctor glanced curiously at him, straightened his bow tie with one hand. 'Come on. We can't stay here!'
He led the way down the nearby steps and through to the hexagonal bays.
'What about our other selves?' asked the fifth Doctor, 'We've got to free them, somehow.'
'We can't do much for them if the universe is destroyed!' he countered. 'Come on!'
They ran for the hanger bays.
The Valeyard wiped the blood from his face. That damned cricket ball of the Doctor's had broken his nose. But it didn't matter. Neither did his escape. In fact, it had all been planned out, right to the very last detail. Despite his pain, he smiled coolly. His eyes were like two burning stars as he stood at the console controlling the Nullitrion torpedo.
He flicked at a couple of switches, activating the scanner screen. It showed the docking bay gantry, high above the planet, and the swirling vortex beyond. He felt a thrill of cold pleasure as he pressed the 'fire' button.
The torpedo burst from its housing above the three Doctor's heads.
'Torpedo active. Detonation in seven minutes, mark.'
A computer voice echoed from a speaker mounted on the docking bay wall.
'My God! We've got to do something!' the fifth Doctor shouted over the din.
They raced for the bays, the second Doctor struggled to keep up with his future, younger selves. By the time he'd joined them in the hexagonal bay area, he'd gone green again. He bent over once more.
'There's no way I'm letting you in my Tardis, if you're going to keep doing a Linda Blair impression!' the Twelfth Doctor shouted irritated.
His former self waved a hand at him, the meaning was clear.
'It's…It's alright. Get going. I'll find a way to free the others. Go!'
With that, the pair of Doctors dived into one of the Tardises.
The third Doctor examined his latest scan on the screen. There was a strange reading coming from one of the Tardises. A curious frown crossed the Doctor's face as he tuned in on the reading.
'Ah. There we go,' he murmured.
Everything on that particular Tardis was in good working order. Well, for the Tardis, anyway. Except that the quantum phase inhibitor was set incorrectly. It was supposed to be used to adjust the local field molecules of the ship to whichever time it appeared in. The flow of neutrons was carefully measured in the inhibitor, and released so that the passage from one time to another was seemingly smooth.
But this re-set version would release far too many neutrons throughout the passage of time. And if those neutrons were to come into contact with another substance, Nullitrion for example, it would create a massive explosion in space time that would literally tear the universe apart.
But why should the inhibitor be so far out of adjustment, like that? It was so delicate an instrument, too. He'd never have let something like that malfunction. Of course, his regenerated self might not even know about it. Still…
'Torpedo active. Detonation in seven minutes, mark.'
The computerised voice came over the communications circuit.
'Torpedo? Location and Target?'
The third Doctor felt a small knot in his stomach get bigger as the wall scanner changed to show the vortex outside, and a small object hurtling towards it.
'Nullitrion Torpedo on course for the centre of the anomaly Time to detonation: six minutes, forty seconds.' The computer answered.
'Nullitrion? Great balls of fire!'
A Nullitrion torpedo fired into the temporal vortex would probably just destroy Gallifrey, but if that Tardis entered the vortex and started to move through the fourth dimension, with its overloaded quantum inhibitor releasing too many neutrons, it could ignite a wave of destruction throughout time itself.
With horror, he realised that the Tardis would destroy everything, everywhere, and the Doctor would be responsible.
This had been the Valeyard's plan all along.
He dashed for the door, hoping to reach the other Tardis in time.
'Oh, you've redecorated, haven't you?' The fifth Doctor took in the surroundings of the twelfth Doctor's Tardis in an instant. 'I don't like-!'
'Please, spare me, alright? I've got enough on my plate to deal with. Now, how do you stop a Nullitrion device exploding inside a temporal vortex?'
'Haven't the faintest idea, I'm afraid.' The twelfth Doctor looked at his former self.
'Good, me neither. But it's a sure thing we're not going to stop it sitting here.'
His hands flowed across the console, finally slapping at a lever.
Geronimo!' he shouted.
The Tardis started moving.
'Was that really necessary?' his former self asked quietly.
As the third Doctor stepped outside his Tardis, he was greeted by the sight of his former self, throwing up all over the floor.
'Having fun, are we?'
Oh, great. All I need is you, right now!' his former self looked up at him. He looked an awful shade of green.
'Yes, well what are you doing down there?'
'What does it look like, you oaf!'
'Yes, well. Steady on,'
The Doctor reached down and gripped his former self by the coat and pulled him up.
'I managed to free a couple of us. They've gone in there,' he gestured to the Tardis opposite, 'to stop the torpedo from destroying the vortex.'
Just then, the Tardis started to dematerialise.
'Oh, great!' he replied. He let go of his previous self, who collapsed again, and made for his own ship.
The Valeyard, flanked by the four Daleks under his control, appeared in the transmat booth at the other end of the complex. He immediately broke into a run, racing to the foot of the stairs that would take him to the top of the gantry.
His rightful position, he mused.
From there, he would absorb the full force of the quantum-modified particles from the exploding vortex, which would give him life, and the other Doctors, an agonising death.
It was the right thing to do, after all.
They deserved this fate, every single one of them.
He raced up the steps, taking them two at a time, as he hurried to the construct's single turret, Then, standing by the torpedo housing, he raised his arms, and waited for the enormous power of Creation to consume his every atom.
'Can we lock it in a tractor beam?' the Fifth Doctor asked.
'No chance. The vortex is putting out so much energy that it's scrambling the circuits.'
'That leaves us with only one option, then.'
'Yep,' the twelfth Doctor nodded. 'Envelope the torpedo in quantum molecules so the tractor lock works.'
'And then take it out of time-synch,' his former self finished the sentence for him. 'If we release the quantum inhibitor, it'll work, but it means a rough ride for us.'
'Sounds like a plan.'
Both Doctors set to work as the Tardis closed the distance to the torpedo, the whole ship shook more and more violently as they entered the vortex. They both had to hold onto the console as the Tardis wrenched about madly.
'I didn't say it was a good plan!' the twelfth Doctor shot back.
The third Doctor's hands were flying across the console as his Tardis sped after the other one. He activated the communications circuits.
'Doctor! Doctor! Can you read me?'
There was silence for a moment.
'Doctor, slow down, or else you'll destroy us all!'
'Can this wait? We're a little busy right now. I've no time for house calls!'
The third Doctor ignored the irritated voice of his future self.
'Doctor, the Valeyard has reversed the polarity of your quantum inhibitor. Releasing the neutrons now will cause a cascade effect that will destroy everything throughout time!'
Both Doctors glanced at each other and then rechecked the console. The other Doctor was right.
'Got it. I'm going to have to power down. Can you deal with that torpedo?
'Can you get rid of it?' shouted the fifth Doctor.
'I'm on it. Stand by.' The Doctor's voice came over the comm speaker as the fifth Doctor ran around the console to join his future self by the scanner screen. The torpedo was a steadily fading dot while the Doctor's Tardis chased after it.
The third Doctor manipulated the console with consummate skill. It was difficult because the guidance computer on the torpedo was small and none too intricate. still at least it didn't have any security codes to overcome. That was something.
'Doctor, what are you doing?' his other selves were still transmitting over the speaker.
'I'm taking control of the torpedo's guidance computer.'
'What for? Are you planning on steering it into the sun?'
'No? I'm going to give it a new target.'
The third Doctor's voice came over the speaker, and both men looked at each other.
'What target?' asked the fifth Doctor.
'You'll see. Now shut up and let me concentrate.'
He crossed his eyebrows in an irritated frown.
The twelfth Doctor moved closer to the voice pickup.
'You're too hard on yourself, you know that?' he smiled.
The third Doctor's lip curled slightly as he transmitted the new target coordinates to the torpedo. Once received, it swerved in a graceful arc and settled onto a new course. Back the way it came.
'So? Where have you set the coordinates?' the young voice asked.
'Where do you think? The hanger bay! I just hope the scarecrow escapes.'
Come on! Come on, thought the Valeyard.
He wouldn't be denied his rightful vengeance. Not now.
He glanced over at the countdown clock. Fifteen seconds left. He started to laugh. A deliriously high cackle that floated through the air.
At last, his time had come.
The two incarnations of the Doctor watched as the torpedo turned onto its new course.
'What about the Tardises that are moored there?'
'Ooh! Yes, we'd best take care of them. God forbid, I should destroy my own ship. I'd never forgive myself!'
'I wouldn't.' the fifth Doctor replied. Together, they busied themselves at the console.
The Valeyard glanced at the countdown clock. The torpedo should've exploded by now, and the Doctor should have destroyed the vortex. But nothing was happening. Concern was etched across his face. Then, he saw something coming out of the vortex.
The third Doctor watched the torpedo fly towards the Valeyard's complex. Its computer brain had locked on to it, now. It was definitely going to strike.
'Hang on!'
The Valeyard squinted into the distance and recognised the torpedo bearing down on him, and two Tardises behind it. There was a loud wheezing noise from below. He recognised the sound of the Doctor's vessels as they all dematerialised in unison.
The fifth and Eleventh Doctor's heard their previous self's warning over the comm channel and grabbed onto the nearby railings.
The torpedo was heading straight for the Valeyard's position.
'Damn you, Doctor!' he spat.
The torpedo sailed straight and true, and exploded on impact with the antigrav generators. The Nullitrion ignited and the whole construct started to catch fire. It spread across the hexagonal complex, completely destroying the massive thrusters that held it in orbit above the planet. In seconds, the docking bay had disappeared in a massive ball of flame. Without the thruster power to keep it in place, the debris fell into the planet's atmosphere.
The Tardis bucked wildly. Everything shuddered. There was a metallic wrenching sound from somewhere within the ship as the third Doctor held on for dear life. The lights cut out, as did the viewscreen. Then, slowly, the shockwaves subsided.
The lights came back on again and the screen reactivated. The Doctor squinted at the sight of the Valeyard's complex as it brightened to an incredible sun for a few seconds. Then, the screen slowly faded to black, as the complex fell into Gallifrey's atmosphere.
'I'm getting a reading of decreasing energy from the vortex,' called out the fifth Doctor over the comm speaker.
'Well, that's fine. But what about our Tardises?' he asked.
Slowly, a Tardis dematerialised on the screen. Then another, and another, until nine more Tardises hung in the blackness of space.
'Gotta love Slave circuitry!' he heard the twelfth Doctor shout joyously
'Slave circuitry?'
'Yeah! Y'know! Rig all the Tardises to act as one…' he replied.
'Then send them a set of coordinates to relocate to…' continued the Fifth Doctor.
'And Bob's your uncle, or aunt, or whatever!' finished the twelfth Doctor.
It didn't matter. The Valeyard was finished.
It was finally over.
'How do you feel?' asked the third Doctor, sometime later.
His previous self was squatting by his Tardis in Rassilon's Tomb with his head in his hands.
'I have the most horrific headache in the universe, thank you very much.'
'I SAID, HOW DO YOU FEEL?' the third Doctor bellowed at him. The second Doctor waved him away and entered his Tardis.
Feeling happier than he had in a long time, the third Doctor turned to see his other selves in the room. They were talking animatedly at each other, some laughing, some arguing, but at least he knew that he was going to be alright.
Thankfully, they all were.
He walked over to join them. Their voices filled his ears all at once.
'We'd best be off!' scowled the grumpy first Doctor. 'Otherwise there'll be hell to pay when the Time Lords arrive!'
'Yeah, I wonder what happened to them?' spoke one of his other selves, the one sporting a blue suit, thick glasses and trainers.
'With the vortex slowly receding, it's returning Gallifrey to a point before all this occurred.' The gruff voice came from another Doctor. This one wore a white linen suit with a brolly in his hand. Its handle looked like a red question mark. 'It'll be like none of this happened for them.'
'Thank Merciful heaven for that!' replied the one with the long scarf. He smiled widely.
'Can't have all those Time Lords out of circulation now, can we?'
'Oh, well, time to say goodbye, then.'
This one, the one with the bow tie, kept waving his hands around very animatedly. 'Thanks for all your help with everything!'
They all shook hands. Some of them returned to their respective Tardises.
In seconds, most of them had left, leaving the grumpy one, the one with the bow tie and himself in Rassilon's tomb.
'Well, gentlemen, I sincerely hope we never have to come back here, again.' He gestured around them.
'Second the motion' replied the young man.
'So, which one are you, my boy?' asked the first Doctor sternly.
'I'm the twelfth version,' he answered, straightening his bow tie.
'Still don't like the dress sense,' remarked the third Doctor, smiling at them both.
Ignoring him, the first Doctor looked at the younger man with disdain.
'So, you're the latest model?'
'Actually, that would be me.'
The thick Scottish accent came from a slightly sinister man standing off to one side. The other Doctors turned to see him. He was smartly dressed, wearing a blue three-quarter length jacket, buttoned at the chest. His white shirt was, likewise buttoned, but with no tie.
'Now that's more like it. Nice suit, sir!' smiled the third Doctor again.
'Well, time for the off. Take care, gentlemen,' the twelfth Doctor beamed warmly at them all and disappeared inside his own time machine.
Seconds later, the Tardis disappeared with an asthmatic wheeze that definitely sounded abnormal.
'Tsk,' growled the third Doctor, 'He still hasn't fixed that damned inhibitor.'
'Kids today!' The first Doctor grumbled.
'Typical Englishman!' the thirteenth Doctor shook his head, and then stared at his previous selves.
'You killed him,' he said simply.
'The Valeyard?' replied the third Doctor. 'You could look at it that way. We all have a dark side to our personalities. People throughout history have lived their entire lives with the darker aspects of their psyche buried deep within them.'
'While others have led their lives by adapting them to their own twisted ends.' The first Doctor said.
The third Doctor nodded.
In my…that is to say…our case, The Valeyard had somehow become a megalomaniacal entity. One, I think, the universe can do without.'
'But still, you killed him.'
'I merely used my intelligence to beat him. Put him back in his proper place.' He tapped the side of his head. 'Up here, where he belongs. That isn't to say that I'm going to go off half-cocked, you know, on some wild killing spree.'
'But it's a part of you. Of me!'
'Yes. It's within all of us to either keep those dark aspects in check, or let them run rampant. At least, we have the choice,' he pointed between all three of them.
'So, which will you choose, young man?' the first Doctor asked, frowning. 'That's the question.'
The thirteenth Doctor stared curiously at them both.
'I suppose…only time will answer.'
'As it should,' the first Doctor nodded, smiling gently.
'Well, I've got places to go.' The thirteenth Doctor announced.
'Good luck, my boy.'
He shook the hands of his previous selves and returned to his Tardis. Moments later, he took off.
The First Doctor leaned on his cane with both hands and mumbled something.
'What was that last?' asked the third Doctor.
'Hmm? I'm so sorry, I was just wondering if Susan would've been proud of the man I became. '
The third Doctor smiled slightly, and gently rubbed a hand behind one ear.
'Oh, well. Why don't you ask her?'
The first Doctor smiled at him.
He turned towards his own Tardis.
'Do you know, I think I will.'
He unlocked the door and stepped inside. The wheezing noise rang out once more, and the first Doctor's Tardis disappeared, leaving the third Doctor alone. He fished out his key to unlock the door to his own vessel. As he did so, a thought struck him. He glanced about the room again.
'If we all turned up here, I wonder what happened to the little fellow with the beard.'
Questions. There were always questions.
Such is the nature of the Universe, he thought to himself.
Shrugging his shoulders, he entered his own, big blue box. The wheezing sound happened again, and the Doctor's Tardis was gone.