Dr Who: Time Passes
"It's time."
Ace threw the object she had been examining back onto the pile of collected junk that littered the floor of the storage cupboard, it bounced off what looked like a metallic spider and fell out of sight, making a light tinkling sound as it rolled. Straightening herself up she turned to face the Doctor who was leaning in the doorway. He wore his hat sloping forward so that it obscured the top half of his face as he glanced around the room.
"Time for what?" She asked. The Doctor looked up and her eyes met his. There was a darkness about them that she had rarely seen before. From his expression it was clear that something was preying on his mind. For a brief moment she considered asking him about it, but staring into his eyes she knew no answer would be forth coming.
"A journey." He stated simply. His voice betrayed none of the emotion found on his face. She had only seen him like this a few times before and it creeped her out. The Doctor was prone to sudden mood swings, one moment he could be almost comedic before turning sombre the next. It was as though he lived life at extremes, without the time for all the in between stuff. Most of the time she found his attitude refreshing, but not now. Without another word he disappeared, she followed him out into the console room.
In the centre the time-rotor was steadily rising and falling, which meant they were still in flight. The Doctor had crossed over and was standing by the console, manipulating a number of switches with expertise. Ace stood quietly in the corner, understanding that he did not want to be disturbed but growing increasingly uneasy about things. At times like these the only thing she could do was stand back and wait, no matter how frustrating it was.
After a few minutes of silence the time-rotor slowed and stopped. The Doctor moved to the other side of the console, apparently making sure they were where they were supposed to be.
"Professor?" Ace was finding it had to endure the anxiety. To her annoyance he simply held out a finger indicating that she should be silent. He checked a few more dials and read-outs before speaking.
"We've arrived." Simply that. No word of explanation or anything! Ace found her anxiety rapidly being replaced by irritation. She didn't like it when people kept things from her, especially the few people she respected. However she knew that if the Doctor was keeping something from her it was with good reason. Without warning he opened the exterior doors and strolled past her, never saying a word. Not wanting to be left behind she went out after him.
The TARDIS had landed in what seemed like a dense forest. The trees however were much taller than the ones she was used to on Earth and the leaves had an orange tint to them. Through the small gaps in the outstretched branches above her she could make out a golden sky, apparently clear of any clouds. The occasionally shaft of light penetrated the covering foliage so she assumed that the sun was up somewhere, though she couldn't see it. Rapidly fading into the shadows, the Doctor was walking about ten metres ahead of her and increasing the distance. Trying to avoid the spindly roots that covered the forest floor she ran after him, even when she had got level with him she still had to jog in order to keep up.
"Professor!" Her voice seemed unnaturally loud in the silence of the forest but he paid no heed to it. He seemed to know where he was going so she tried to keep up with him and let him get on with it. The Doctor would never lead her knowingly into danger without warning her. She just wished that she knew where they were going and why. Eventually the trees began to clear and the roots were replaced by a thick grass. The surrounding landscape was gradually revealed to them, a wall of sheer mountains painted various shades of black with the occasional patch of green-orange bushes scattered around the base. Eventually the grass gave way to the rockier ground as they approached the base of one of these mountains. A biting wind also rising, wiping dust from the rocks and battering it against the two travellers. The Doctor didn't even seem to notice, he just continued striding along not paying any attention to the landscape. By now Ace was struggling to keep up with him, her feet slipping on the unstable stones underfoot. She called out to him a few times but he didn't hear her, or didn't appear to.
Finally they reached a small pathway lined by walls of rock, where they were protected from the wind which howled around the edges like a wild animal. Ace managed to almost catch up with the Doctor and keep in step a few metres behind him. The pathway led them to a small clearing, surrounded by sheer cliffs that loomed overhead menacingly. The Doctor slowed to a halt, looking around. His face held a look of recognition, the place was familiar to him. With a small smile, not humorous just content, he sat himself down on one of the small boulders and leaned forward on the handle of his umbrella.
"Professor?" Ace stood at the entrance to the clearing and stared at him. He looked up at her as though realising for the first time that she'd followed him.
"Yes Ace?" His manner had changed now that they'd reached the clearing. He seemed more relaxed, in a way almost fatalistic, as though he knew what was going to happen and was simply waiting. There was no energy in him, just a quiet acceptance that puzzled her.
"What are we doing here?" She asked, trying to keep her temper. The Doctor definitely ranked as one of her all-time favourite people, but he often infuriated her by keeping her in the dark.
"Waiting." Was all he replied. As though that were answer enough. She found herself counting down from ten in her head before asking the next question.
"For what?" The question hung in the air while the Doctor seemed to consider it. After a long pause he turned his attention to the cliffs hanging above them, squinting as though he was trying to make something out.
"You'll see."
---
Time passes slowly while you're waiting, especially when you don't know what it is you're waiting for. For Ace it seemed to take an eternity. They sat in the clearing for what felt like hours, the Doctor not saying a word and eventually neither did she. He just sat there, head rested on the umbrella, occasionally glancing skyward as if to check. Ace followed his gaze but could see nothing but rock. She became aware of the sound of running water nearby, what might've been a mountain stream. It was only audible when the wind dropped but was definitely there. The rocks high above them were covered in a brown moss which Ace assumed meant there was moisture, but she couldn't be sure. Overhead the sun was turning a deep orange colour and the shadows lengthening. The path they had come down was now cloaked in darkness. With the only visible entrance to the clearing nothing more than a black void Ace felt slightly claustrophobic, trapped in a hole with no escape. The wind whistling through the rocky peaks only made it that little bit more eerie. Eventually the silence got to her, she couldn't take it any longer.
"Doctor!" Again the loudness of her voice startled her, echoing slightly as well. The Doctor had spent the entire time waiting in what seemed to be a meditative state, not shifting a muscle. At the sound of Ace's voice he looked up at her, his expression conveying a slight annoyance.
"What is it?" He asked.
"What are we doing here!" She replied, fighting to keep the frustration from her voice even though she felt ready to explode with inaction.
"Waiting." The Doctor explained cryptically.
"For what?"
The Doctor's gaze shifted, focusing on something behind her.
"Him."
Ace turned to follow the Doctor's gaze. A short distance away was a withered old man hobbling towards them, aided by a large cane almost the same height he was, though that wasn't much. He walked bent over, draped in a large cowl that obscured his features from view, aside from his neat white beard. The path he was travelling along blended in so perfectly with the rock that Ace had previously failed to notice it, despite staring in that direction quite intently a while ago. His movements were graceful and fluid, but as he drew closer she could make out the skin of his hands which revealed the toll of the ages. There was something about him, an indescribable aura that made Ace sense that she was in the presence of no ordinary person. Glancing at the Doctor she found that even he seemed slightly in awe of the old man. They waited in silence for the short time it took him to reach them. He stopped at the edge of the clearing and looked up, in the rising moonlight the face confirmed Ace's feelings. Even in the pale light his eyes seemed to burn. She felt herself involuntary back away towards the Doctor, if he noticed though he didn't say anything. He started forward to greet the strange old man.
"Greetings Rashna." His voice was respectful, yet there was also a warmth to it.
"I wondered if you would make it." The man's voice was nothing more than a whisper, yet could be heard with crystal clarity.
"So much time in the universe, so little for us. But I wouldn't have missed it, not something as important as this." Replied the Doctor. From the tone of their voices it was clear that they knew each other well, they spoke like old friends meeting after a long absence. Formality mixed with a lightness of many shared conversations. The old man, Rashna the Doctor had called him, smiled and turned his attention to Ace.
"Your companion?" He asked.
"The latest. One of many." Explained the Doctor. Ace found herself somewhat put out that he hadn't bothered to introduce her by name. With the Doctor and Rashna apparently on friendly terms she felt some of her earlier anxiety fading.
"The name's Ace." She said. Her voice sounding a little uneasier than she would've liked. Rashna regarded her for a moment, his expression giving nothing away. Then, apparently satisfied, he turned back the way he'd come and started walking. For a moment Ace wondered if that was it, all over, but the Doctor placed his hand on her arm and indicated that they should follow.
The path led them further up the mountain to the entrance to a tunnel. They followed the man deep into the mountain before reaching a large cave, with other tunnels branching off in all directions. The cave was definitely the man's home, lit by a series of round glowing gems scattered around the walls. The décor was simple, a rug lay in the middle of the cave on which was placed a round empty table. At various points around the edges of the room were large cases which Ace presumed held the man's possessions. From one of the tunnels came the thick smell of something cooking, Ace found her mouth watering at he aroma.
"Nice place you have here." Muttered Ace under her breath. Somehow both the Doctor and Rashna seemed to hear her.
"Do not be put off by the planet's foreboding nature. Everything has its own unique beauty if you take the time to look." He explained. "This place has been my home for several centuries and though my initial reaction was similar to yours I have grown to love it."
"You're a Timelord?"
"That's right. I knew your friend when he was still young, still naïve. He was one of the only ones who could understand what drove me to leave our home. To journey to worlds like this, exploring the universe."
"The others still don't approve." Said the Doctor. "Of either of us."
"They have grown too short-sighted." He turned to Ace. "We have the gift of being able to travel through time and space, to explore infinity. But all they do is sit around and watch things unfold from the safety of Gallifrey. They have grown afraid."
"So that's why you left?" She asked.
"Partly. The wonders of the universe had been introduced to me and I wished to see all I could." He turned away and walked over to one of the walls. "Were you waiting long?" He inquired, divesting himself of his cane and cloak which he placed on a piece of rock that jutted out from the wall.
"I'll say." Muttered Ace, the Doctor glared at her.
"A while." He explained dismissively. Under the cloak the old man was revealed to be wearing a simple smock, held together round his waist by a brown string.
"Clothes are of no real importance to me." He explained. "Just as long as they keep me warm." Ace was taken aback, he hadn't been looking at her so he couldn't have noticed her staring at his clothes.
"How did he..." She started to ask the Doctor, but he motioned for her to be quiet and stepped forward.
"I was afraid that we were too late. I wasn't sure if you'd be here still." The Doctor's voice contained a hint of sadness. The old man shook his head and turned to face them.
"It is not my time yet, almost, but not quite yet." He crossed over to the table and sat himself, cross-legged, on the floor. Ace expected to here the sound of bones cracking as he did it, but he managed it quite easily. "After so long I feel that Time owes me. Now I wish to hear what you have done. Where you have been since your last visit."
The Doctor told him. Told him of the worlds he's visited, the people he'd met. He told him of the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Sontarans and of a hundred other evils. He told him of the sunrises, the flowers, the crystal fields, all the details of the worlds and more. They talked for hours without stopping. Ace sat herself down, leaning against the wall for support and waited. After a while, despite how uncomfortable she was, she found herself drifting into sleep.
When she awoke the Doctor's tale was coming to an end. She recognised some of the places he described, and the people they'd met. With an effort she dragged herself out of the last vestiges of sleep and focused on the conversation. The Doctor had finished describing his journeys now and there was a small smile on the face of the old man.
"My faith in you has been rewarded. I have looked in on you from time to time, and I feared that you would be tempted to return to our home. That you would lose all that you had gained. It is only when you begin to understand the universe that you can you can begin to understand yourself."
"You opened my mind to the wonders of the universe, to all the things that our people have abandoned. You were a good teacher."
"I taught you nothing." The old man snorted. "Except how to learn."
"And to teach."
The old man glanced over at Ace and she felt her earlier uneasiness return briefly. There was something about his eyes that made her feel naked, vulnerable. She didn't know what it was, just that she didn't like it. After a few moments he turned his attention back to the Doctor. When he spoke there was a new weariness to his voice.
"I do not have much time left. Now that I have learnt of your progress I will be able to sleep peacefully. As long as you continue there is hope for our people. One day they will see how stagnant they have become."
"They've never been very fond of change."
"It is inevitable. Time passes, all must change." Replied the old man confidently. With a slight effort he rose to his feet. "It is time for you to leave. I do not have much longer."
Silently the Doctor stood. He looked at Ace, who also rose and followed him out into the tunnel.
"That's it?" She asked.
"I've done what I came to do." The Doctor replied. "I promised that I'd visit him before the end and I have. Now it's time to leave." They reached the end of the tunnel and emerged into the night air. Over the distant mountains the first rays of sunlight were beginning to appear. The Doctor set off down the path while Ace followed, struggling to keep up without slipping on the loose stones. They reached the small clearing, giving Ace the chance to catch up with the Doctor.
"Is he going to be all right? He didn't look too good?" She asked. The Doctor stopped and glanced back up towards the entrance of the tunnel.
"He's dying. Not much longer now."
"I'm sorry." It seemed the right thing to say. The Doctor smiled at her softly.
"Don't be. He's accepted it, time passes." He turned towards the entrance of the clearing and started walking again. "All must change."