Rewind - A Doctor Who Story

by BrIdGeWoOd4Be

A brand-new story featuring The Doctor and Amy Pond.

'Rewind'

a Doctor Who story,

written and conceived by

Matt Straker

It's 2020, and the folks left at mission command Houston, Texas, are busy at work.

"Okay, space station Zeus, come in please, it's 2200 hours local time and time for today's gravity sync." The directive is uttered by one of two Americans sitting in mission control. An intelligent looking man, dressed plainly in a white, short sleeve shirt with black tie, tied loosely around his neck. He is contacting Zeus Alpha, the first manned defence station satellite that human kind have managed to put into orbit.

"Buzz are you there?" Three more enquiries follow, each one reveals a rising level of panic in the evening controller's voice.

"General Danell?" The direction of his effort to get attention, shifted to the other person in the room. The second figure, a smartly dressed woman in air force uniform, turns to face the agitated controller.

"We have a problem."

On board Zeus, we can see why there is no response. The unsuspecting crew, is scattered throughout the station, conducting general duties with ease due to the artificial gravity. The chef, cleaning down the galley, two engineers check the weapons array, several are in sleeping quarters, others in the mess. Sixteen crew members in all, including the Commander in the nerve centre. Monitoring power levels, communications, internal and external sensors. An alarm sounds from the internal sensor monitor.

"What the hell..?" Colonel Buzz is confused, he leans in closer and punches at buttons and touch screens to achieve greater detail about the apparent intrusion. He reads out loud to himself.

"Unidentified human aboard, arrived thirteen seconds ago... in the nerve centre?"

"Hello Colonel." Buzz turns to see an imposing figure standing behind him with a gun like weapon.

"Goodbye Colonel." The weapon is levelled at the Colonel and discharged before he can move. A green energy flash kills the Colonel instantly. The dark figure delivers orders into a radio headset.

"Infiltrate." The then turns off all the lights within the station, and also turns off the external proximity alarm. A ship speeds up along side the station, a tunnel extends from it and clamps onto the helpless Zeus Alpha. Inside , we see a door being cut as sparks fly from the metal hull. As the panel falls through, six armoured and armed mercenaries, breach the station. What unfolds next, is a military operation, executed with great precision.

Very quickly, using night vision, they navigate throughout the entirety of the darkened platform, they communicate in short directives, referring to each other by number, the lower the number indicating the higher rank. Using similar weapons loaded with similar green flashing bursts, they slaughter thirteen of the remaining crew. One of the mercenaries is about to kill the last two, stationed in the weapons array, he had already taken shots and missed.

"Number 1!" The shout at the soldier, was from the man who had killed the Colonel. He did not hesitate in killing number 1 as he turned to face him. The other mercenaries stared at him.

"Do not discharge weapons in this room.!" Unphased the remaining mercenaries converge on the last two crew members and kill them physically. The leader of these soldiers for hire, re-initiates all of the stations systems, using a hand held device he had taken from the nerve centre.

"Warriors!" Zeus is under my control!"

"Doctor I'm bored!" Amy was pacing aimlessly around the centre console of the TARDIS. The Dr was engrossed in studying. He had mounted at chest height, two Dalek bumps.

"It can't all be glamorous playing with the fabric of space time and running through imploding corridors Amy, I need to keep up to date with all my learning."

"Well at least let me help, give me a screwdriver and we'll get stuck in."

"No screwdriver, we've done this!"

"But I really want one!" It was a silly argument that they'd been having for a little while now. They were interrupted by an alarm. The Doctor looked intrigued, and pleased, as if he wanted a reason not to study.

"Doctor what's that?" The Doctor was looking at his instruments, and had already started landing the TARDIS.

"Doctor? Are we stopping?" He started with his explanation,

"It's an alarm, detects any anomalies outside the time vortex, and we are landing because of..." he paused for drama, "Tachyons!" A declaration from the Doctor.

"Tachyons?" A question from Amy. The Doctor hurried around the TARDIS as it shuddered to a halt with its familiar whirring thud. He sprung out of the doors, fidgeting with his screwdriver as he confirmed his explanation.

"The TARDIS has detected a random pocket of Tachyons" Amy had a nonchalant impatience,

"And they are?"

"To you they're theoretical, in fact for most of human history they're only theoretical. They're sub-atomic particles that move faster than light, and therefore are in a constant state of temporal shift. Normally they only live inside the time vortex."

"Live?" Amy was following the Doctor, as he seemingly erratically ran around the beach on which they had landed.

"Yes they are live, particle organisms, it's why they stay theoretical for so long..." the Doctor gets close to Amy as he pauses his search and softens his voice,"...they hide." He bounds off around the beach again, flashing his screwdriver, playing with rocks.

"The problem is, that makes them harder to find."

"You know if you gave me a screwdriver this would be quicker."

"It's too complicated for a human to use effectively." As he says this he stares quizzically at the humming tool in his hand, he turns it several times to understand it, before turning it back to how it was originally. He runs into the sea, to just above his waist.

"Ooh that's cold, lucky I'm not a human man."

"Didn't make a difference on that last planet." Amy smirked.

"They're out there...in there."

"So what now Ahab?" The Doctor has a wry smile,

"Grab a worm. We're going fishing!"

An amber light glowed on the wall. The low intensity light from the orb shape, signifies that the door below it is about to open. Sure enough, the curved, white painted metal door, rotates around to display one of the mercenaries. The mercenary marches down the corridor of Zeus. He is a soldier of what are known as the Zygnax. He had been in the on board lab in the lower deck. Now he was going to tell the man who funded this mission, the findings of the latest batch of tests.

"Lieutenant!" His attention grabbing statement came through an electronic voice modulator wired into his armour. It was one of a number of measures designed to prevent identification.

"Lieutenant Farious."

"I heard you, what I'm not hearing is the results." His voice was controlled but impatient, he stared at the Earth through a porthole, not even flinching to turn to the hired help.

"All the samples retrieved show 100% retro-evolution..."

"Excellent!" Farious had cut off the Zygnax before he completed his report.

"There is a problem though."

"Problem?" The Lieutenant's face momentarily expresses concern, then quickly becomes a smirk as the Zygnax tells Farious something he's been expecting.

"The power in your time piece is almost depleted, there is not enough energy for the plan to be fulfilled. In fact..."

"In fact," Farious jumped in, "There is barely enough, for a few, short, jumps." Farious outright smiles as he finishes his sentence dramatically, he affords himself a laugh, before raising his hand, using his time piece, and vanishing into time.

He reappears in a darkened room. It's a home, it's a family home, pictures, furnishing and decoration give that away. The window shows us a midnight sky, that looks a little alien, the movement of craft gives away that this is a future time period. With his bearings established, the Lieutenant begins to move through the house. His movements are stealthy, but deft, there's enough purpose and direction to his movements that it is clear he knows where he is going within this home. With nothing more than silence, he ascends the staircase. On the landing he turns and heads directly for a particular door. A cheerful wooden plaque on the outside indicates that the door is the entrance to 'Stacey's Room'.

The door handle clicks a little as Farious turns it, a small creak, not loud enough to alert anyone, whines out of the hinges. This imposing figure of malevolence, steps into Stacey's room, and towards her bed. Stood over it, his eyes glint with mal-intent.

"Hello child!" The young girl's eyes flicker open. Her scream is heard all through the house, from the vantage point of the landing, another of the doors opens, a tall man rushes through the darkness to the open doorway, a flash of light, bursts from in the room. Inside, all the tall man finds, is an empty bed.

Back in Houston, the atmosphere is frenzied. Clearly daytime now, and the once solitary room, with only computer glow for light, was alive with moment and panicked chatter. People are communicating hurriedly between each other, tempers are fraying and none of their questions are being answered. The main wall of monitors is dancing with information, graphs, numbers, simulations and data streams. Each person is best in their field, but none of them can give General Danell what she wants, her station back. She is shouting commands at every section, clearly operating at a high stress level, which was not about to decrease any...

"General Danell!"

"Mister President!" Danell's voice was pure shock and trepidation.

"Why have I been unable to contact the whole of Houston General?"

"Communication problem sir."

"Don't lie to me." Danell relented.

"The communication problem has been with Zeus sir."

"How bad is it?"

"We've been in radio darkness for over 37 hours now."

"Don't make me keep asking questions General, top to toe this thing for me." She took a deep breath,

"At 2200 hours local time Monday, Zeus Alpha failed to check in with us, no contact has been established since. We are still receiving all regular telemetry, they haven't cut the data link, though we have no control over anything up there."

"Why can't we hear our boys General?" Are they still up there?"

"Part of the data is bio signatures, there are life signs, but we think there's something wrong with the sensors, they aren't...well they aren't normal."

"What's our working theory?"

"Hostiles have control of Zeus Alpha."

"Good God!"

"Sir, data link indicates the weapon has been discharged."

"Small yield, minimum field of fire."

"Into space?"

"No at the Earth sir."

"Why has there been no reports of fallout?"

"It was aimed into the ocean off of the Eastern Seaboard somewhere, sir the weapon seems to have been altered somehow."

"Altered how?"

"We don't know sir, we should have a stealth shuttle manned with air force commandos and the original Zeus engineers ready to launch in 24 hours." The President paused, calculating,

"We need something quicker."

In the future home, there is a tangible air of mixed emotion, a cocktail of feelings waiting like a powder keg to go off. There was movement all around, uniformed bodies were conducting a mixture of investigative procedures. Some familiar to a 21st century eye, others a mystery in themselves. The tall man is seated on a sofa, his hands clasped around each other at his mouth. Concern is in his entire body, a red headed, voluptuous woman sat beside him and was leaning on him crying. An official looking man was looking down at them, speaking in a surprisingly sympathetic voice.

"Connor, Grace, you know we're doing all we can."

"Then why haven't you found her yet Bill?" Grace choked out her question between sobs.

"It's only been two days Grace. Everybody's on this but we have to be patient."

"I'm not on this Bill!" Connor was curt.

"You know the law, you took an oath."

"I am the best Quantum Keeper there has ever been and you know it."

"You're forbidden to interact with temporal events concerning you or your immediate family. You swore an oath when you had the implant, we all did." Bill paced to the door.

"I feel useless Bill."

"I know." Bill sighed, "I'm controlling this one tightly, and Josh is running it."

"Hey partner!" A short affable man walked past Bill on his way out.

"Hey."

"Hi Grace."

"Find my baby, Josh."

"You know I will." It was sincere and heartfelt,

"Now you know the best guy is on it." Connor appreciated that his partner was trying to alleviate some tension, he could only get away with it because he knew how dedicated he would be.

"I haven't taught you everything yet buddy."

"Well I can't imagine having to sit this one out, but you've got to. I want a partner to come back to." Connor stood, Grace got up next to him, still holding on. He looked Josh square in the eye.

"Then go find our daughter." They clasped hands in a brotherly but intense shake.

"I can't tell you too much, but I have got a lead to follow." He moved outside the room pausing at the door, you'll hear from me." He exited the room, Grace pushed her head into Connor's shoulder. He held her and she cried. He looked lost and helpless, as outside, a noise like a bang crossed with a whoosh, signalled that Josh was on the hunt.

"You promised me galaxies colliding, waterfalls of stars, beginning and end of time, a race that eats it's own face, a dog that whistles when it pees! Why are we going fishing? I hate fishing." Amy was pouting like a child told to eat her vegetables. The TARDIS landed with it's customary thud, and almost before it was settled, the Doctor was rushing around, he was looking into panels and vents and brackets, whatever passed for cupboards. He explained all in a way that was almost a ticking off for the sulking Amy.

"Never underestimate fishing Amy, one of the great equalisers, I have been fishing with Cromwell and Charles I, together, at the same time, they needed a bigger boat for the fish they caught, and you should have heard the shanties from them. They got in quite an argument about who got to keep the fish above the mantle." The Doctor considers for a moment, "Bit of a scuffle in fact." Almost under his breath. Amy relents somewhat as the Doctor pulses past her another time.

"Fine we'll fish. Shall I make some sandwiches?" He runs past again.

"Doctor, you're making me dizzy, what are you looking for?"

"Well like I was saying, fishing, great equaliser, rich, poor, black, white, blue with spots, you can't change it, nothing you can do but wait, and just hope, you've got the right bait." The Doctor stood victoriously as he lifted a small worm like gadget to mere inches in front of his eyes.

"Come along Pond..." The Doctor licked the worm, causing it to glow as it activated, signified also by humming. He ties it rapidly to a line on the end of a scientific looking pole.

"...let's catch a big fish!" With that, he turned and ran directly out of the TARDIS door at a near gallop. Amy stropped after him without even looking.

"Shall I get my wellies..." Her sarcasm trailed off as she stepped outside and actually took stock of her surroundings. Her jaw dropped as her feet hit the silty floor of the Atlantic Ocean. The Doctor played with a complicated light up reel as Amy, flabbergasted, walks around, looking up at the shafts of light, dancing through the rippling water above them.

"We're under the water!"

"Best place to find a fish I find!" The Doctor twinkled a smile at Amy.

"Not far off the coast really, seventy feet down, just edging on the epicentre of the Tachyon field. Life readings indicate activity in this area. I.e, fish!" The Doctor fired his glowing, humming, wriggling device, out of their bubble, into the cold water.

"So is this here naturally?"

"No the TARDIS scooped it up before we left the beach, now it's sustaining it." He was manoeuvring the rod, aiming it for a shadow in the distance. The shadow glinted in the distance.

"So what bait are you using then?"

"My own design."

"Design?"

"It's a sensor array, the whole thing, rod to worm." The Doctor looked around to Amy in a triumphant manner, her face conveyed that she wasn't as impressed as he thought she should be.

"Once ingested, the worm conducts a full internal bio scan, transmits it down the line, where it is collated and sorted by the rod."

"Why does the fish even want the worm in the first place?" Does it emit a frequency pulse like its mother's heartbeat? Does it vibrate the water particles to control the fish's body?" The Doctor peered at her like these were absurd ideas.

"No." He paused as he leaned in close to Amy's face, "It smells like food!" He pushes the rod into Amy's hand before rushing to the edge of the bubble, he strokes his hand across the wall of water in front of him, staring out at the shadow, contorting and flashing in the distance. It was definitely a large shoal.

"I told you, fishing, great equaliser, even I have to wait." He spun to face Amy, "But I tell you what," his voice adopted an heir of gravitas, "that is my lucky lure and it never fails." His words leave a pregnant pause hanging in the air, as they both, slowly turn to the shoal expectantly. Nothing happens. Nothing. But only for a heartbeat too long. Amy slumps back into her petulant child pose.

"This is gonna take hours..." The sentence barely escapes her lips before the rod is pulled violently from her hand. With lightning quick reactions, the Doctor catches it in one hand, though the strength of the pull moves his whole arm, head and shoulders, into the water, before he can take control. He pulls back into the bubble, spitting water and gulping air as he takes a proper grip, and runs into the TARDIS. He plants the rod into the console and clamps it there before flicking a button on the reel, which retracts the line. Amy is still outside, watching a distorted blob in the ocean where the line seemed to end, get closer and closer. And closer.

"Doctor, we're running out of ocean!" I need a net or something!" As it turned out, her fretting was unwarranted, as the fish, which was approximately three feet long, broke into the bubble, it continued floating! Amy trailed in awe, as the fish was towed into the TARDIS, and ended it's journey, floating above the console, perfectly peacefully, fins twitching occasionally as if it were still weightless in the ocean. The Doctor looked at Amy, there was the look of being impressed that he craved.

"Oh, and did I mention, that the worm perfectly simulates the fish's environment without harming it at all? There's not even a hook." He was smug, but only momentarily, as his mind jumped back to the job at hand. He played with dials and switches until he brought into focus, a holographic display of what the data was showing him.

"So did we find the tachy-things?"

"No they've gone, freed themselves from whatever had harnessed them in the first place. But their effect is evident."

"Harnessed? What to? What for?"

"They were bound, to two things, a high energy weapon discharge of some sort, and some sort of biological matter that I can't identify yet. But it's destroyed this fish." Amy strokes the shiny wet scales of the fish, it looks in perfect health."

"It looks fine though Doctor."

"But it's offspring won't be." He taps some controls which zooms in to the double helix of the fish's DNA.

"This helix is spinning the wrong way."

"I didn't know there was a right way?"

"Of course there's a right way, think of a clock, wind it up and watch it go, but if you wind it the wrong way, nothing happens, or if you were to run the whole thing in reverse, then the clock would run..."

"Backwards!"

"Backwards exactly. This fish, all the fish, all the life, touched by the Tachyon beam cocktail, all have their DNA running backwards. Which as you can see from Billy here..." She cut him off,

"Billy?" The Doctor looked sheepish.

"I named him." Amy made a move that was like rolling her eyes and giggling at the same time.

"Which as you can see from Billy here, has no apparent effect on those afflicted." His train of thought shifted. "That's what the biological matter is, a disease." He got back to the point.

"But the offspring of this fish will actually be, genetically speaking, closer to their ancestors than Billy."

"So evolution is running backwards? Doctor if it's a disease, can we be affected?" The Doctor's eyes widened with concern, he pulled out his screwdriver, running it over Billy, then intently comparing it to the holographic data.

"No." Amy let go of the breath she'd been holding.

"Not yet, there are markers, that this disease was programmed, developed so it could be manipulated and controlled. At the moment it can't jump species, but it could be reprogrammed."

"Then someone did this on purpose!" Amy seemed somewhat outraged.

"Yes but why? Who would want to devolve fish?" The Doctor began to play with more switches and dials. A repetitive noise started in the background.

"Doctor is that you?"

"What?"

"That noise?" He lifts his head to listen.

"No that's the alarm."

"What alarm?"

"The alarm that says that the ocean is about to collapse the bubble. And you left the door open."

"Oh my God! Really!?"

"No not really." She glared at him.

"It's the America phone." He picked up a receiver with one hand and threw it to the other before putting it to his ear and answering as well as declaring:

"Mister President!"

Connor stood in a room by himself. He is intently staring at different photos. Switching his gaze between two in particular. One on a wall, surrounded by diplomas accolades and commendations. It is of him and Josh, receiving medals. The other was a dog-eared thing, pulled from a battered wallet, both of which resided in his hands. He went back and forth between them. To him each represented a stark and life changing choice. His eyes came to rest, finally on the photo in his hand, a simple family portrait, him, his wife and his daughter. He returned it to his wallet and held it against his heart, there was never really any doubt what he was going to do. Resolutely he placed the wallet in his pocket. It was time to gear up. He unlocked a heavily protected cabinet. From it her removed nearly everything, guns, gadgets and more, are fluidly strapped onto his frame and clicked into place. He studied his reflection in the cold steel of the now closed cabinet. His intimidating form, now appeared almost scary. The whole time, his expression never changed, somehow simultaneously conveying determination and sadness. A jacket appears from nowhere, and covers all the instruments he has just added to his person. He is suddenly aware of another reflection in the cabinet.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"It's been 3 months Grace." Their interaction was calm but their voices tense with emotion.

"You can't get involved. I can't be without you too." Connor considered his answer.

"But if I were to do this, you won't be without her, because I will not stop until I find her."

"But they will take you and put you in the block."

"Only if they catch me." He turned to face her and put his hands reassuringly on her shoulders.

"So you run forever?"

"I'll never stop." She pulled herself into him by hugging around his waist.

"But I don't want to be without you."

"But you can."

They move into the hallway, Josh is waiting for them.

"You've got better at your stealth, good. But pointless, I knew you were coming."

"I know. Don't do it Connor."

"I've got no choice."

"You can trust me."

"You know I do. With my life. But my life isn't as important as Stacey's."

"You know I'll have to chase you."

"You do what you've got to." Josh sighed and looked defeated.

"You know I will, just like that time on Calypso." Connor squinted at his partner.

"I have a team ready to move in and stop you Connor." Each man shifted his weight in anticipation of what would happen next. It was decision time. Grace, who had been silently observing up until this point, broke the deadlock.

"Connor." Both men looked at her.

"Run." Connor's fist flew, so quick Josh missed the first hit. He reeled backwards and into the wall. He screamed into a concealed radio.

"Go! Go! Go!" Combat fatigue covered men burst into the house from all angles, through windows and doors, and straight toward Connor. The fight was just a blur. Connor's fighting was a mixture of martial art and brute force. He simply disabled them, none of them receiving serious injuries, they were his colleagues after all, friends most of them. They weren't even a challenge for him, a lot of them pulling their punches due to sympathy. But they were organised, , four closed in on him at once. No choice. His eyes flashed and suddenly he span round, hurling a massively enlarged arm around, knocking them all into the wall, landing on the floor incapacitated. He turned to Josh, who had not moved since the team attacked and simply nodded. He turned to Grace, as a time vortex appeared around him.

"You'll be together soon." With those parting words, he disappeared with the same whoosh / bang noise that Josh had before.

Houston, Texas, mission control. The noise has increased, as has the tension level, working with little information, and even less rest, was taking it's toll on the minds and bodies of all involved. It was only a few hours since the President's intrusion on their efforts, but they had all felt every minute slowly tick past. Both the personal monitors and the large main screen, were now partially given over to planning the emergency shuttle launch, displaying fuel statistics, schematics and crew biographies. General Danell was coordinating the staff, looking at a large paper file. She lost track of what she was saying or even thinking , as the papers blew all around the office. Even if she had continued what she was saying, nobody could have heard her over the familiar rise and fall of the TARDIS' landing pattern. Silence fell and all eyes were waiting on the door opening. It did.

"So what's happening and how much don't you know about it?" What an entrance, typical of the Doctor and his estimation of others abilities.

"Who are you? Security! Are you responsible for what's happening to Zeus?" Danell was understandably on alert with this stranger.

"Ah, Zeus, Alpha no doubt as it's 2020, starting to make sense now, you lost it didn't you. How did you manage that?" The Doctor had nonchalantly sat in one of the swivel chairs and was flitting between screens and keyboards, seemingly unaware of the air force security aiming automatic weapons at him. Amy also strolled through them as though they weren't there.

"So Zeus eh, big oppressive thing in the sky that shoots big bolts of lightning."

"He wasn't all that bad."

"You've met him? Thought he was a myth?"

"Myth is a true story passed on through time, he was actually from a caretaker race that looked after the Earth for a time..." The Doctor and Amy continued talking to each other, with no regard for the other inhabitants of the room. General Danell lost her temper.

"I demand to know who you are right now!" The Doctor broke from his chat with Amy,

"Do you want to tell them Mister President?" With a theatrical flurry, the Doctor tapped at a keyboard and brought the President's face to the main screen. Danell was startled,

"Mister President! You're back!"

"He never left, this comm. Channel has been open for hours running in the background, hope you didn't say anything untoward."

"General Danell this is the Doctor..."

"...and Amy!" She added indignantly.

"and he's... an expert in this field."

"I'm an expert in any field, I'm an expert in fields actually, Michael Eavis was just a farmer, until I met him."

"Doctor!" The President boomed over the room's speakers, "How do we get back control of Zeus?"

"Typical, going off half cocked. We can't get it back until we know what's happened." The Doctor was up now, picking up things and discarding them quickly, fishing through cables and terminals . Now, before we were interrupted, Pond and I were about to run a little investigation." Still holding on to cables, the Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver, in turn, at the TARDIS, the cables, then at the screen dominating the wall.

"Sorry Pres." Using the screwdriver as a wand, he shrunk the President and put him to a corner, replacing him with a representation of the Earth.

"Now, using the data we got from Billy, and connecting to your satellite network, I can track the Tachyon cocktail." He brought up the information and overlaid it around the globe. It made colourful viewing indeed.

"Okay, now we can see the Tachyon trail all around the Earth, this indicates time travel. Now we take away the TARDIS' various trails and any that aren't the specific signature we''re looking for..." Suddenly there was a significantly lower amount of activity.

"Now we can just see what we want and anything new."

"Why are there so many trails Doctor?"

"These date over many years, this has been planned for a long time. It looks a familiar signature..." the Doctor was pondering as Danell's head swam with .

"Zeus Alpha hasn't even been there that long."

"Not from our linear time perspective General." The President boomed.

"Exactly. Your space station for some is nothing more than a history project."

"Even so, why do they want the station?" Danell was struggling, Amy chimed in,

"To devolve fish!" The President's brow furrowed,

"To devolve fish?"

"Yeah still working on that if I'm honest..." The Doctor was cut off by Amy.

"There's a new signal Doctor, this one's different." Using his sonic screwdriver, he zoomed in to the brand new Tachyon surge.

"Different yes..." he smiled "...but this one's definitely familiar!"

A Zygnax flew across a vast warehouse, it was the comfortable part, between the hit he'd just received, and crashing to the floor. It hurt. But silently he stood, and rejoined the raging fight. He and the four remaining Zygnax, were locked in combat with a larger ape like creature. It stood almost like a man, and was clothed, but it's chest and upper limbs were enlarged and hair covered it's whole body. It was a strange mutation, but definitely a powerful beast. The Zygnax, rejoining the fray, leaped onto the beast's back. Wrapping arms around it's neck, it didn't slow the ape down. Instead punching another of the mercenaries in the chest with one hand before quickly kicking another. The Zygnax were using information and telemetry fed to them by their face masks goggles to aid their efforts, and coordinate their aim. One of them managed to shoot a metal tether, which successfully coiled itself around the beasts right arm. The beast roared. So loud that it masked the TARDIS' landing noise outside. So the fighters continued unaware. The Doctor and Amy weren't long out of the TARDIS before they heard the battle sounds inside, they immediately try and gain access to the warehouse. The first door they come to is blocked by old debris and refuse left outside. It's not good, they can hear the raging fight inside.

"Let's split up, if you find an entrance, come get me before you enter!" Before she has chance to argue, the Doctor has rushed to the left, leaving her to scavenge to the right.

The beast pulled the Zygnax from his back, and threw him, again, through the air. Then he pulled his right arm across him, launching the Zygnax holding the end of the tether, into two of his comrades. This left only one on his feet, but he had a clear shot, and with his tether, managed to bind the beasts hands together. His could be trouble for the beast, the Zygnax were all back on their feet and starting to circle Suddenly their vision was compromised, the Doctor had managed to get in through an unlocked door and was now intervening in the fight.

The reaction and the high pitched noise caused the beast to turn and face the Doctor, he was using his sonic screwdriver to scramble their visual frequencies. Amy stumbled through another door in time to see the Zygnax all teleport away, by pushing a plate on their right hand gloves, to an opposite plate on the left side of their chests.

The beast breathed deeply, staring at his saviours. Amy broke the silence as she moved to the Doctor's side.

"Doctor, did we just save a big violent monkey?" The beast, pounded toward the two of them. Amy looked concerned, the Doctor looked pleased.

"I am not a monkey!" The gravelly voice from the beast shocked Amy.

"No you're not. Hello Connor!" The Doctor's words stopped him in his tracks. A light shone in the beasts eyes, and then, something amazing happened. A transformation. The beast, became Connor, from the future (although he had acquired a scar on his right cheek), before their eyes.

"And how sir, do you know me?" The Doctor grinned.

"You let the Evuman go?!" Farious could barely contain his rage, back on board the space station, he was dressing down the beaten and bruised Zygnax. The highest ranking of them, stood reporting to the Lieutenant whilst the others stood behind in formation.

"Have you any idea the planning that has gone into this endeavour? Control of the Evuman is essential for it's completion." The electronic voice protested,

"You told us he would be alone."

"He wasn't?" Farious' voice betrayed slight concern.

"A man in a bow tie came in to assist him."

"A new trap is needed." Farious' expression changed.

"What are you number 2?"

"I am Zygnax." He stated it proudly.

"Zygnax is a construct, a name chosen by collective. What is your original species designation."

"Human." Farious turned away.

"Remove your head wear soldier." Reluctantly the human Zygnax did so. Turning away had masked Farious' movements. From inside his jacket, he withdrew an automated hypodermic. He turned to face the human.

"You're the reason we're here!" He snarled these words as he put number 2 into a headlock before plunging the needle into his neck. As he pulled away, he ripped off the Zygnax's right glove and chest plate.

"But you are necessary." The human convulsed and contorted in pain.

"You have a concentrated dose of the programmable disease we tested. But I needed the last part of the programme..." Number 2's body changed as he went through a rapid devolution process.

"I need the base code for human DNA for the final phase." Number 2 was now little more than a primordial soup puddle on the floor, covered by his uniform. The Lieutenant changed who he was addressing, turning to the final four of his mercenaries.

"Retrieve what we need from that," He indicated their former colleague as he put on the chest plate, "then prepare for a new mission."

Inside the TARDIS, Amy the Doctor and Connor moved around the console. Connor removed his ripped, stretched, and period inappropriate shirt and threw it down next to his guns and gadgets. Amy was impressed with his athletic physique.

"Well this is clearly a TARDIS, which makes at least one of you a Time-lord."

"That's me."

"Must be the only one then." As he said this he dropped his trousers behind the console, Amy's eyes widened.

"Why are you getting naked? What kind of TARDIS do you think this is!" Connor smiled.

"21st century prudism."

"He's just discarding the used clothes before he can re-image some new ones." Connor was confused and looked quizzically at the Doctor.

"Exactly." An entire set of new clothes, generated around him.

"You see Connor is an Evuman and a Quantum Keeper. An Evuman, is a future derivation of human, that actually has the ability to pick and choose it's appearance by combining and changing any DNA throughout human evolution."

"So that's why the violent monkey."

"I wasn't a monkey."

"And a Quantum Keeper is an elite corps of time travellers (almost respected by Time-lords), that actually have a sophisticated time machine grafted inside and outside of their body."

"Well I just had a pretty good view and there was nothing outside the body."

"One of it's abilities is to move out of phase for camouflage purposes."

"Another camouflage ability is how it re-images, it actually creates clothes for me to wear that suit any time period and environment I happen to be in." Now everyone was up to speed with him, Connor's confused expression returned, he moved around to the Doctor.

"Being as our records show that only one Time-lord survived the war, you must be the Doctor, which explains how you know my species and occupation, but how do you know my name?" They were eyeball to eyeball.

"Because we've met before." The Doctor moved around as he continued his explanation.

"Or rather I've met you before, you from your future, don't wanna say too much but it was pretty exciting."

"Do I find my daughter?" The Doctor stopped and looked at him gravely,

"You know I can't tell you that." There was a moments silence as the Evuman reluctantly accepted that was the way things had to be.

"So that's why you're here?" Amy was probing,

"My daughter was taken from me, I started my search over two years ago, it started on Calypso where my partner lead me, it was only so long before he had to chase me though."

"Why would your partner chase you?"

"Because Connor's on the run, he's forbidden to have affect on his own time-line just as much as I am."

" Now I'm the closest I've ever been."

"What do you mean?"

"I've finally tracked the man responsible to this time and place, but his exact location eludes me at the moment."

"Who is he?"

"Lieutenant Nathaniel Eric Farious, a man whose mind snapped after seeing too many things as a time agent." The Doctor's eyes lit up.

"Time agent!" The other two focused on his outburst.

"That's the other signature, the one left in the cocktail, time agent, of course it is."

"You tracking this guy too?"

"Yes, but I'm still not sure why." The Doctor looked increasingly irritated every time it was brought to his attention that he hadn't solved it yet.

"Well you better hope we can find those Zygnax again, they were going to lead me right to Farious!"

"You're welcome."

"Zygnax?" Amy pressed on.

"The mercenaries that attacked me."

"Warriors from all races that founded their own soldier of fortune outfit."

"So why are they called Zygnax?"

"They call themselves that because it has a Z an X and a Y and they think it sounds spacey and cool." That was enough about them for Amy, now she wanted to know more about the stripping stranger in the TARDIS.

"So what about your time machine then?" She got her answer from Connor and the Doctor in unison.

"It's a Temporal and Astro-navigating, Re-imaging Dermal Implant System." They looked at each other bemused, something clicked in Amy's head,

"Say that again."

" Temporal and Astro-navigating, Re-imaging Dermal Implant System." Again in unison, Amy nodded as she heard each word.

"Is Astro-navigating one word?"

"Yes." Connor.

"No." The Doctor.

"It's hyphenated." Connor again. Amy grinned widely.

"So it's a TARDIS." Connor grinned too, the Doctor looked indignant,

"No!" He proceeded to protest vehemently at the very idea the two could even be compared, he was cut off by Connor asking an important question, he was looking up.

"Um. What's with the fish?" The Doctor looked sheepish again, Amy answered for him,

"That's Billy."

"Sir the landing site is chosen, it doesn't appear as if a trap could be set here, but from our vantage point, we should be able to accommodate any number of associates with the target." Another Zygnax, his voice modulated in the same way as the previous commanders of this unit.

"Well done 3." Farious turned to face all of his depleted men.

"Prepare to engage the enemy." Without a further word or command, he pulled on the glove from number 2, and touched it to the plate now on his chest and disappeared, the others quickly followed suit.

"So how do you know it's this Farious guy?"

"It took me months to actually discover who was behind Stacey's disappearance. He's smart, covers his tracks, doubles back. A master of misdirection, but I got his sent and have been drawing closer all the time."

"How do you know him?" Amy was interested in Connor, the Doctor stayed in the edge of the conversation, typically not sure of dealing with human emotion and reaction.

"Because I taught him." Both Amy and the Doctor seemed baffled.

"When people are selected for service as a time agent, they are required to train at the academy. I did a series of lectures in the year he attended, hell in his first year on the job I even partnered him on a secondment to the Quantum Keepers."

"So he knows about your abilities and your equipment then?" More of an assumption than a question but the Doctor still had to ask.

"Yes, I taught detailed studies of all time travel capable species, including Time-lords" The Doctor was silent once more in heavy contemplation.

"So what does he want with your daughter?" Amy was back on point.

"I don't know, but if he has harmed her in anyway..." He was cut off by the 'alarm' from before, the Doctor picked up the phone.

"Mister President."

"Doctor we have an update from Zeus Alpha, the life readings, however strange they were, have all disappeared. Doctor the station is abandoned." The Doctor was about to reply, but before he was able, something disrupted all the instruments in the TARDIS. A high pitched frequency penetrated the air, it was a noise akin to tuning in a radio. Amy looked around nervously, the Doctor rushed around to try and settle the faithful old ship. Oddly Connor didn't look concerned. More intense, as if he were concentrating. He put a hand to his ear as if he was trying to block the sound out, whereas actually, he was trying to tune it in.

"It's been a long time since we spoke professor. I realise at this point it's futile to hide my identity, so I simply give you a warning. Stay away. You can have your daughter when I'm finished with her, but if you continue to follow me, there will be consequences." With that, the broadcast, and all the interference in the TARDIS ceased.

Amy and the Doctor discussed it rapidly in the background, what was it? Where had it gone? What had it done? Connor paid them no heed, instead he checked some instruments on his belt. He seemed pleased with the readout and turned to face them.

"It was Farious!" He declared excitedly.

"He was broadcasting directly to me, telling me to give up the chase, but I traced it's point of origin," he indicated the instrument he had just checked,

"He's made his mistake Doctor and I'm going to make him pay."

"Then let's go!" Amy was excited to help.

"No don't move, anyone!" The Doctor's voice was anxious, like he knew something they didn't. Connor looked away, and surreptitiously took something from his belt, as the Doctor was distracted by a perplexed Amy,

"Why not!?" Before the Doctor had a chance to defend his position, Connor cut in.

"I can't let this opportunity slip Doctor, and Amy I simply can't let you see what I might do to Farious." Connor threw the item from his belt, his movement so swift, that neither of the TARDIS' regular inhabitants had chance to react. Whatever it was, landed on the central column, that rose from the console to the ceiling and stuck fast. A small charge seemed to spread out of the object.

"I didn't know what you would do when faced with him Doctor, now I do, and I can't let you stop me, or follow me." The Doctor began to protest but was unable to, due to the spreading charge, it was affecting everything, all systems were shutting down, the TARDIS was falling into darkness. Connor had created a vortex behind him.

"I'm sorry." He disappeared into it with the whoosh / bang noise, echoing around the completely blackened, powerless TARDIS.

Connor appeared in an alleyway, behind Farious, the Lieutenant turned slowly around,

"I've been waiting for you Connor."

There is nothing to see. Without any light, the TARDIS seems to become a cold and scary environment. All there is, is the echoey sound of Amy and the Doctor, continuously feeling their way around. There was a bang.

"Ow!" A manly ow.

"Watch it Mister!"

"Sorry I tripped, I thought I'd grabbed my Dalek bumps." There's some more shuffling of feet and then a clatter.

"Ow!" A womanly ow.

"Amy! Amy!" the Doctor's voice was panicked and high pitched. "That's not a handrail!"

"Sorry. I tripped." The TARDIS falls silent.

"Amy."

"Yes."

"Are you going to let go." Now the silence that fell seemed somewhat awkward. After a moment the shuffling resumed, then some clunks, thuds and finally, light!

"There! Tertiary generator. Whatever that thing is, it knocked out the primary and the back up." The light was bare minimum, but enabled them to move around comfortably, the Doctor headed straight back to the console and promptly mounted it.

"Is the TARDIS okay?" Amy had genuine concern in her voice. The Doctor had his face pressed against the centre column, and his sonic screwdriver pointed at the little black gadget. He assessed it, then seemed quite pleased, even impressed.

"You are a little stroke of genius." He pulled it off the column, then jumped down next to Amy.

"It's an electrical sedative."

"Like a drug?"

"Yes exactly. A tranquilliser for living machines, quite brilliant!"

"So the TARDIS is okay then?"

"She's fine! We just have to wait for her to wake up." It was a momentary relief. But Amy soon had another concern.

"What do you think Connor meant when he said he didn't want me to see?" Amy had plopped onto the floor, legs dangling from the raised platform, the Doctor joined her.

"What would you do to the man who took your only child?" His voice was soft and she took a moment to think over his words.

"Why didn't you want to help him?"

"I was trying to." Amy shot him a puzzled look.

"You forget I know Connor, I've had several experiences with him, but right now he's got target blindness."

"That's where fighter pilots are so obsessed with what they're going after, they miss the other dangers around them, right?"

"Exactly, I tried to warn him, but he's so intent on finding Stacey, that he's missed the clues."

"Like what?"

"Like why, after this long, would Farious give his position away? Why are all the other trails with his signature older, and what has all of this got to do with Billy?" A look of shock realisation came over their faces.

"Billy!" They both shouted together before scrambling to the other side of the console. Amy fell to her knees next to the limply moving fish. She heard the Doctor's screwdriver, he'd attached it to the rod, Billy began to float back up.

"The screwdriver should sustain him until the TARDIS wakes up. They both let out a sigh of relief.

"Doctor, what do all those clues mean then?" He spoke gravely.

"It means it was never about his daughter. Farious wanted Connor himself!"

Connor was on the back foot, Farious was waiting for him? This was not good, something wasn't right.

"Take that look off your face Connor, it's embarrassing for you. Or did you forget you taught me so well?" Connor was aware of movement around him as Farious continued.

"All those lessons and wonderful stories about saving the human race from themselves. You taught me, technique, planning, the temporal code, paradox equations, history, myth and in between..." Enough was enough, the four remaining Zygnax were closing in, time to change! Connor's eyes flashed, but nothing happened.

"... and one of my favourite subjects," he pulled something from the rear of his belt, "bio-mechanics!" The Zygnax started circling around him almost nonchalantly.

"Do you like this device?" My own design, an inhibitor, means you can't go King Kong and toss me around like a rag doll." Connor breathed heavily through anger.

"There's another one in your daughter's cage." It was a remark that Farious knew would illicit a reaction. Connor lunged at him, but didn't get far, the Zygnax pounced on him. Connor fought well, but now it was just four soldiers versus one. They subdued him, as Farious laughed. He was close to achieving his ultimate goal.

"You're definitely sure they want Connor and not his daughter."

"Yes." Something clicked in his head. "Yes!" He became very animated, "In fact, it makes sense of one of the 2 things that Connor said to me the last time I saw him." He moved around again, Amy was still sat swinging her legs. "He said 'the answer is in me."

"In him? So maybe Farious wants his TARDIS." The Doctor spun on his heel to face Amy.

"It's not a TARDIS. But yes you are a genius Pond! He wants what's in him," the Doctor ran around the console once more, "With his chrono-skeleton. Farious would be able to achieve all kinds of things." The Doctor moved again and stopped.

"There's really nothing to do in here with the power off." His mind drifted.

"So what will happen to Connor without it?"

"That's just it. It can't be removed."

"Aaaaaaaaaaagh!"

"Well that's true then, can't be removed, that's a shame. Still, can't blame a guy for trying." The Lieutenant was nonchalant, almost gleeful at the torture of the Quantum Keeper.

"No matter, as much as I could do with a new method of travel (mine's only got one jump left in it), I have other options. More importantly, for the purpose of completing my objective, I don't actually need to remove you from it." He signalled the Zygnax.

"Remove the restraints and take him to the weapons array." The four Zygnax moved the weakened but defiant Evuman. It wasn't looking good.

"So are we going to go to Houston to track down where Connor went?"

"We don't need to. We know where he would have ended up."

"The space station."

"Exactly, all roads lead to there, and it has a giant laser where Farious can zap as many of Billy's buddies as he pleases."

"Why?"

"I can't see that yet, I'm missing something. It's so frustrating just sitting here..." The Doctor was unable to finish his rant, the TARDIS began to blink itself awake.

"About time!" Now the Doctor had something to play with. He ran around faster than he had done all day.

"Is she alright?"

"Alright! Alright!" His voice escalated,

"She's better than alright, it seems a good night's sleep has perked the ol' girl right up!" Everything was alive now, lights bright and the console moving clicking and buzzing like it's own organism.

"We are on our way!"

"How are we going to get past the Zygnax?" The Doctor turned to Amy,

"Now I have put some considerable thought into that." He focused on her eyes and held both her arms, he was being serious.

"Now ordinarily you know that I would do nothing to put you in any sort of danger and I certainly would not ask you to face a group of bloodthirsty armed mercenaries." Amy looked worried, but the Doctor had a twinkle in his eye.

"But we are dealing with a bunch of squaddies."

The Evuman was strapped into the array of the stations weapon, originally intended for planetary defence. The Zygnax were guarding whilst Farious manned the control console. He was explaining the weapon to Connor, reversing the lecturer / student dynamic. He was interrupted. Sirens and lights went off, a computerised voice alerted them to a breach.

"Your Earth allies have finally mounted a response. They want their station back." Farious surmised, but Connor knew better.

"Go!" The Zygnax left in quick succession, Farious turned back to Connor.

"Why are you smirking? The primitive apes aren't going to be able to help you." Connor laughed,

"Aren't you wondering why only the internal alarm sounded?" Connor laughed again. Farious looked concerned, and disappointed in himself for not noticing, he hadn't planned for this.

The Zygnax took up offensive positions around the blue box in the mess hall. This was not what they were expecting. The door creaked open, they cocked their weapons in preparation. A long, bare, female leg, stepped out slowly, followed by another. Amy left the TARDIS in a small pair of shorts. The Zygnax relaxed somewhat, this was definitely not what they were expecting.

"Oops, wrong turn, can any of you boys help me?" The Doctor was still inside, playing with instruments,

"That's it Pond, keep them occupied..." Amy was doing well, but the Zygnax were cautious, she was running out of material, where was the Doctor.

"Almost there, almost there, almost there... Got it!" He grabbed the sonic screwdriver from the console and rushed outside.

"Hello fellas, me again, sorry I'm late!" He confidently pointed the screwdriver between all the soldiers, they moved to defend themselves, then vanished.

"Pond, you were brilliant, so was I, 4 teleports on a hidden, rotating algarhythm modulation at once, that's a new record!" Amy rolled down the legs of her shorts.

"Don't ever make me do that again!"

"Come along Pond, big gun to go stop," They ran through through the corridors to find Connor.

"A Time-lord!" Farious spat the word, not believing it.

"Yes a Time-lord" Connor re-iterated.

"I prefer Doctor, little less formal."

"The Doctor. The last of the Time-lords Have to admit I thought you were a myth." Amy stepped in with an answer.

"Myth is just true story plus time."

"Well said Pond."

"Well if legend is to be believed, then I have no chance of being victorious, only problem there is I can't fail. There is no stopping this from happening Doctor, no stopping events unfolding exactly as I have planned them." He was smug, actually correctly so.

"Nothing can stop you devolving sea life?" The Doctor still couldn't get it.

"That mighty Time-lord brain still hasn't caught up has it? Still thinking small, unlike the mind of your companion."

"What about my brain?" Amy didn't like his tone.

"The human brain, and it's never ending lust for the unknown, and it's predilection for destruction" He was making the classic bad guy error, revealing his plan.

"You should sympathise with my ideal Doctor, you too Connor." He looked at his prisoner, strapped to a cannon, "Well maybe not right now. Humans are the bane of my existence. As time travellers, haven't we all seen the problems their sheer arrogance causes? Wars, famines, corruption, genocide and outright stupidity. My life was sorting out their mess, when it occurred to me."

"That you're bonkers?" Amy interjected.

"That it was within my means to clean up every mess before it happened."

"Devolve the human race." The Doctor now knew everything about the occurring events.

"Because this, now, is when it all happens. From this space station, all mankind does is go further out in to the inky black sky. Finding things, sharing things, copulating with things, which incidentally involves more sharing of things. But don't you see that's what being human is, the urge to reach out and touch the fire! The same urge that made you want to travel time in the first place. You can't reverse humans, they're my favourites. You know I'll stop you."

"I'm afraid you can't Doctor." Connor spoke up, "The firing sequence has already started, the energy build up is irreversible. The weapon has to discharge or the explosion will vaporise the upper atmosphere of the Earth."

"Still easy." The Doctor's eyes were locked on Farious. Farious picked up a weapon, and for a moment, levelled it at the Doctor, but only for a moment. He quickly turned and shot a green bolt into a nearby console.

"Okay, now it might be a bit tricky."

"What was that?"

"The targeting console, now your Doctor can't simply point the beam into an empty part of space." He turned to the Doctor. "I've locked the station into orbit too, so you can't point the whole thing another way." The options seemed all gone, this weapon was going to be fired,

"And now if you don't mind, I am going to retreat to safe distance, and watch."

"What makes you think I'll let you leave?"

"The same old impossible choice Doctor. Save or chase? You won't leave Connor." They all knew he was actually right.

"Nice to meet the man behind the myth. Goodbye." He disappeared into time.

"Doctor, follow him, find my daughter!"

"Believe me, you will live to chase him another day." The Doctor was already moving, to the console that controlled the energy flow.

"First we stop any more energy building up." He then ripped open another panel.

"Then we divert the energy all over the station." Lights got brighter, the whole station hummed and crackled with energy.

"Now we get you off of here." He pointed his screwdriver at Connor's shackles, nothing seemed to happen.

"Leave Doctor it's not working!"

"It's a combination of locks, have to pick each one individually."

"This would be faster if you gave me my own screwdriver."

"Really not the time for this argument again."

"I'm just saying!"

"Get to the TARDIS!"

"Who's?" She smirked, even with all the impending doom she loved to wind up the old man.

"Amy!"

"Fine."

"Run!" She did.

"Doctor follow her now, get out of here, see if you can do something to cure the planet afterwards."

"I'm not really that kind of Doctor." One of the shackles undid, but it was never going to be enough. The energy started to go through a relay, it was firing!

"Doctor run!" He did. But not far, the Doctor simply moved into the path of the beam, it shot through the Evuman's body and across the room. However before it hit the diffuser, which would spread and amplify the beam all over the Earth, the Doctor absorbed it. All of it. They both screamed in pain. At the same time, Amy ran a gauntlet of exploding lights and energy discharges to the TARDIS. The energy coursed through the whole station, it was in a bad way, so were the two occupants of the weapons room. The beam shut down and the Doctor collapsed. The fluctuating power, released Connor's shackles and he collapsed also. They were both in pain on the floor. The force was overwhelming for the Doctor's body, it was simply too much, he let out a breath, a yellow mist slipped from his mist. He knew what was about to happen, a regeneration. No! He didn't want to, he was still practically brand new! He couldn't fight it though. It had to happen and it was happening quickly, but Connor was too close, he'd be hurt! Possibly killed. The Doctor turned over on the floor, he reached a hand out, he had to push either himself or Connor away. It was too late, his body was consumed by a golden glow, it was happening now. Then something unusual happened. He was still touching Connor, the energy transferred. The glow covered both of them. Connor woke from his unconsciousness with another scream. Hat was happening now?

Amy reached the TARDIS and stumbled inside. Where were they? And what would she do if they didn't make it.

Both men looked at each other, this was a first. The Doctor hadn't changed, instead he had just healed, but miraculously, so had Connor. The regeneration energy had repaired both of them, now it was time to move, so that they both lived long enough to appreciate living longer. So they ran, the gauntlet was worse now, the entire station was warping and imploding on itself. Pockets of gravity at different densities, slowed their progress. They were however, determined men. Amy looked on the monitor, they were coming, she ran down the gantry and flung both doors open. They were close but they weren't going to make it. They all realised this. Connor's eyes flashed, transformation time, it happened almost instantly, his ape form burst through, he scooped the Doctor under one arm, and leapt! Amy dodged out of the way as they flew through the door, she slammed it as the Doctor hit drive. They de-materialise as Zeus Alpha, becomes nothing more than a silent explosion in the night sky, and an exciting end to a history project. They had all escaped.

"So how did you know that the beam wouldn't kill you?"

"Almost did, I just knew the disease part wouldn't, it was programmed for humans." The Doctor took the fishing rod out of the console and they all moved outside.

"Still Doctor I owe you one."

"Believe me, I will / have already, called in the debt." The Doctor, reeled Billy through the door and to the outside, they were back under the ocean.

"Doctor what about the fish that have already had their DNA diddled?" Amy wanted to know.

"They were a small test group, there will be some unusual variations in the future, but overall the percentage of life affected is negligible, nature will recover." Billy swam through the air and into the ocean once more. With a flick, the Doctor recoiled the worm and line.

"Bye Bill."

"Thought it was Billy."

"He prefers Bill."

"Now I thank you again, but I have to go, find a fresh trail, he can't run for now."

"Dankwot."

"That's not a word."

"No it's a planet, Doctor why are you telling me Dankwot."

"Did I say Dankwot? Must have been gibbering, sneezed or something, maybe I'm ill." He smiled knowingly.

"Thank you Doctor. Sincerely." He stepped back and opened the vortex. With the now almost familiar whoosh / bang, he was gone to find his daughter.

The Doctor moved towards the TARDIS door, Amy stopped him in his tracks.

"That was the second thing he told you wasn't it, the last time you saw him."

"So what happened to the rules? You couldn't tell him earlier."

"I changed my mind."

"Why?" The Doctor paused before he answered gravely,

"It was his dying wish." Solemnly the Doctor continues toward the TARDIS.

"Sometimes being a Time-lord isn't all it's cracked up to be..." His speech was interrupted by his own exclamation of pain. The yellow energy again, something was wrong though, it felt different.

"Doctor?"

"Stay back!" He moved around, fighting it, but couldn't. The energy engulfed his body. Amy was scared, what was happening. For the first time since the first time, the Doctor was scared, he didn't now what was happening. It was odd, he felt the change, and when it was over, he felt something familiar. It was as if he was putting on old comfy shoes. He ran his hands over his face, his body, what had happened? He ran past Amy, turning away from her gaze as he searched for something reflective.

He couldn't believe his eyes, or the ones staring back at him. He was his own previous incarnation, he was the tenth Doctor again!

End.