The corridor was stark and dull. Gray concrete walls and a gray concrete ceiling stood above a concrete and metal floor. Numbers were painted on the wall next each dark gray steel door. Most doors had a small, rectangular wire mesh window inset into it. Some were solid. Pipes of numerous sizes ran along the walls. A klaxon wailed while a red light flashed high from the ceiling, in unison with another red light on the wall. A team was returning from an off-world mission. Enlisted men and officers of the U. S. Air Force strolled this corridor, oblivious to the screaming alarm, engaged in their routines. Some were going somewhere important. Others were going to a lunch break. Still others were ending a long duty shift, hoping to get some well-earned sleep so they could be fresh for their return to duty in the hours of the night.
This was Stargate Command, a secret base deep withing the mountain of Crystal Creek, somewhere in Colorado. From this facility, unbeknownst to the entire human race, an intrepid group of explorers risk life and limb on distant planets with technology the human race knew nothing of. It sounded glamorous, though if the team of SG1 were asked, they would say that that was only the half of it. There was always more to it than the advertising let on when it came to the military. Then again, these soldiers knew what they were risking when they signed up, even if they didn't know what they might be facing. Of course, that was life in general. One can never know what the future may bring...except perhaps, one man.
The MALP storage bay was never manned during the day. All the MALPs that were to be used for missions were prepared in the morning and made ready to go through the Stargate. If somebody had been stationed here, the base may have become aware of a strange sound in the corner. It sounded as if time itself were screaming in protest at the act of defying it. The sound was soon accompanied by a flash of light, and another, and another, as though another alarm had been sounded. Then where there was nothing, the most peculiar thing appeared. It was a box, a little blue box, with the words "POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX" glowing at the top. Instructions for use were posted on one door with a St. John's Ambulance seal posted on the other.
The alarm should have gone off again, this time signaling intruders, but it did not. It was the curious nature of the TARDIS that it was very good at being unnoticed, though not unseen. The door opened and a tall man stepped out. He had thick hair, very well styled with sideburns. He was wearing a brown coat and underneath, just visible was a blue suit jacket with matching slacks. Around his neck was a brown silk tie. His shoes were they only unusual part of his appearance. He wore red and white sneakers. Though his TARDIS may have gone unnoticed, he did not and when he stepped out, the security guard viewing the storage bay through a closed circuit monitor realized that something peculiar had happened. Just as the man's companion stepped out, a beautiful blonde girl wearing blue jeans and blue blazer, a voice blasted through the base.
"Intruders on the base! MALP storage four."
The man raised his hands immediately, in anticipation of the gun toting that would soon be there, and seconds later, they were. The man pulled the TARDIS doors securely shut and looked at the numerous barrels staring at him. The young girl next to him put her hands up together, strangely unafraid, and a bit inquisitive in her manner.
"So where are we, then, Doctor?" she asked.
As Sam Carter strode through the door, a gun ready, the Doctor said, "Oh, I think we'll find out soon enough."
Colonel Samantha Carter took in the strange of the blue phone box and then looked at the two passengers. "How the hell did you get in here?"
The Doctor said, "Would you like the long version or the short version? You actually look like you could handle the long version. You strike me as the scientific type."
"Who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor."
"I'm Rose Tyler."
"And who are you, sir?" Sam asked a bit more firmly.
"Just the Doctor."
"Fine, 'Just the Doctor'," said Sam, slightly annoyed. "How did you get this deep into a top secret facility undetected? The short version now, the long one later."
"Would you believe we appeared out of thin air?"
"Try again, smart guy."
The Doctor smiled, "May I please put my hands down? I'm getting a cramp in my right shoulder. I promise I am completely unarmed." He put his hands down before waiting for permission and when nothing happened, he went on. "My ship travels by phasing in-between the space-time vortex and literally separating itself from the essence of existence and then reasserting its existence in a new temporal location."
Sam's eyebrows raised. "So you appeared out of thin air."
"You understood it the first time! That's impressive."
"After traveling through space and time."
Teal'c arrived, staff weapon in hand. The Doctor spotted him immediately. His expression was one of delight.
"You're a Jaffa!" The Doctor grinned toothily. "From the symbol on your forehead, I am guessing...first prime," he tapped his forehead, "of Apophis!"
"Who's Apophis?" asked Rose.
"Oh, he's a Go'auld. Nasty buggers. They're little snakes that burrow into a person's skull and take control of your body. I think he's dead."
"Indeed he is," said Teal'c, thoroughly confused.
Sam chanced a glance at the blue box again and then back to the patiently waiting Doctor. "Teal'c, do you think General Landry might want to meet this guy?"
"Indeed I do." Teal'c ordered the Doctor and Rose searched and restrained.
Walking down the corridor to the elevator, Sam couldn't help but observe the strange character. He observed the simplest details of Stargate Command with childlike delight. Rose Tyler was as normal as her name. She was a complete contrast to the mysterious Doctor. She would look around to observe her surroundings and would occasionally smile and even giggle when the Doctor became particularly expressive.
Teal'c, Sam and two guards escorted the Doctor and Rose on the lift, Rose said, "Doctor, what is this place?"
"You know," he said, "I wasn't entirely sure, but I think I may know, now. We're in a completely underground structure if those pipes and conduits are any indication. Obviously we're on an American military base; I'm guessing Air Force by the looks of the uniforms. The presence of a Jaffa almost certainly means there's a Stargate around here somewhere. So my first guess is, Stargate Command in Creek Mountain, Colorado or as conspiracy theorists lovingly call it, Area 52."
The elevator opened and the party stepped out. As they moved through more corridors, Rose asked, "And what's a Stargate?"
"An obsolete and unreliable transportation device that creates a wormhole, connecting one planet to another via two separate gates. The U. S. government began using it in secret in the late nineties and got into a heap of trouble. So much trouble, in fact, the Asgard decided to give humanity spaceships. Though if you ask Thor, he'll tell you he did it because he was impressed with a Colonel Jack O'Niell with two 'ls'."
This was too much for Sam who rounded on the Doctor and said, "I designed the first ship personally. Thor didn't give us anything. He helped. That's all."
"Right, I knew you were the scientific type. So, you designed a warp transmutation system that by rights humanity wouldn't have developed for another five-hundred years without Thor's help...with Thor's help? Did I catch all that?"
Sam was fuming. She burned to ask the Doctor how he knew all of this. She turned around and the party resumed walking. Obsolete and unreliable, indeed!
"Guess I better shut it, then," said Rose.
"It's not your fault Ms. Tyler," said Sam, a bit loudly. She shouted, "It's the motor-mouth you got yourself hooked up with."
Rose was laughing as they rounded the corner into a small room with four chairs and one metal table.. Sam forcibly sat the Doctor into one of the chairs. She then politely offered another chair to Rose, who was allowed to seat herself. Sam also removed Rose's restraints.
"We didn't find any weapons on you. I don't think you're going to do anything." She turned to the Doctor. "A few of the items in your pocket defied identification. What's this?" She held up a very small red box, three inches in length, with a ring out the end.
The Doctor nodded. "That's a reality filter. It lets you see things that are invisible."
Sam looked through the end of the ring. "Seems harmless enough. This?" She held up a metal ball with two pointed ends.
"That's a trinket. It's made from Bazoolium. It turns cold when it's about to rain and hot when the sun is going to shine."
Sam weighed it in her hand for a second and upon deciding that it wasn't going to do anything, set it back on the table. "Can you explain this device to me?" She held up a long metallic cylinder.
"That is a sonic screwdriver."
"A what?" Sam looked skeptical.
Rose said, "He uses it to open locks, repair machines...all kinds of stuff. It's his favorite gadget. He goes everywhere with it."
"How does it work?"
The Doctor said, "Sonic vibrations are used to loosen and tighten fixtures, cables, can disrupt or amplify electrical fields, that sort of thing."
"Is it dangerous?"
"If it were dangerous, I wouldn't carry it."
Sam turned the device over in her hands several times. "Cool. I'd like to see it work sometime."
The Doctor could now see the contents of his pockets laid out in front of him. He was reminded of a similar scenario long ago deep beneath the surface of the planet Skaro. There in front of him was a yo-yo, a pair of anaglyphic 3-D glasses, assorted pens, a fob watch, an ID wallet with the psychic paper inside, and a package of jelly babies as well as numerous miscellaneous items and paraphernalia.
"So," said the Doctor, "when do we meet General Landry?"
"First, you have be processed."
"I take that to mean I'm under arrest."
Sam said, "Do you really have to ask that?"
"So, I guess this the interrogation room where I'm supposed to spill my guts."
"This is actually an interrogation room, but that's not why we're here now. A clerk is going to ask you for the basic information: name, birth date, that sort of thing. You'll have to give clearance for a medical screening."
"I absolutely refuse."
"Sorry, you have to."
"I have a right not to. I don't even have to be a citizen."
"Okay, that means you will be in this room for a very long time. You are right. We cannot force you, but you have just come into a top secret facility without authorization under suspicious circumstances. We have every reason to check every possibility, including the possibility of contagion and we have every right to make it a requirement. Now, so far you've played nice. If you keep playing nice, maybe we can have a happy ending to this unfortunate episode in our lives."
The Doctor raised his eyebrows and said, "What if I tell you I have a secret I'd rather nobody know about?"
"Anything we learn here would be in the strictest confidence."
"What if I say I don't trust you to keep that promise? It's a big secret and I know how you people are. You tend to think things belong to you when they really don't."
Sam gave the Doctor a hard look. "I don't know what I can do about that. I do know that we keep some very unusual secrets here. You clearly know those secrets. I will tell you this. If you refuse to submit to a medical exam, you will be kept here until the Department of Defense decides what to do with you. I don't recommend that. We are not bad people. If this is all a mistake, we will understand."
The Doctor leaned back. "I suppose I have no choice."
Rose said, "Doctor, we could just leave. We both know they couldn't stop you from walking out that door if you really wanted to."
"Yes, Rose, but I'm playing nice, remember? Besides, there is always a solution to every dilemma. I would much rather not have any medical records exist at all, but since I can't have that, it'll be easy enough to figure out how to keep them secret."
Doctor Lam had never seen anything quite like this. The mysterious Doctor and Rose Tyler had been in the med-lab ten hours ago, and she still know how she would word her report. Rose Tyler was normal enough except for evidence of heightened activity in her hippocampus and cerebral cortex as well as an unusual white cell and t-cell blood count. Of all of the alien species she had encountered though, the Doctor was truly unique.
She looked at the clock on the far wall and realized she needed to have her report ready in seven hours. She took another look at the Doctor's encephalographic readings and that amazing EKG. She looked at the X-rays once more. She had to have a report ready, and if she wanted any sleep at all, she had to be finished very soon. She decided that she would simply tell them what she found, and leave her explanations for the briefing.
The next morning, while the Doctor and Rose waited in the holding cells, Doctor Lam stood face to face with General Landry, General O'Neill and SG1, Colonel Cameron Mitchell, Doctor Daniel Jackson, Vala Mal Doran, and of course, Teal'c and Sam Carter. The Doctor's x-ray's held the place of honor on the viewing window.
"I have seen a lot of aliens, and a lot of strange anatomy, but nothing quite like him," said Doctor Lam. "It's not the organ positions that really get me. It's the overall function that is absolutely astonishing. I don't know the half of what I'm looking at, and the half of what I do know would change the way we look at biology forever."
Doctor Lam moved to the viewing window. "Let's start with the obvious." She pointed at the x-ray. "Isotope injection with x-ray reveals a binary vascular system. Other than that, all of the normal organs you would expect except three I can't account for and one I think I've figured out. This organ generates a very unusual radiation. If the Doctor is injured, nothing happens, but I took a tissue sample and guess what happened. The radiation in the Doctor didn't do anything, but the cellular structure in the tissue sample began to change radically. I suspect that this mechanism only kicks in when the Doctor is fatally injured."
Sam said, "No wonder he was so reluctant to let us have a look at him."
General Landry said, "Tell us more about this radiation, Doctor Lam."
Lam turned to her father and said, "I believe that when the Doctor is dying, his body spontaneously regenerates. All blood and tissue samples are useless to identify anything about him except the nature of this regeneration. Every sample I took changed before I could finish testing. Changed. It became different blood. It became different flesh. Even the DNA changed."
"So if he changed, he would look different than he does now," said Daniel.
"He would have a completely new physical appearance. This function, I believe can only be used when death is near. The body won't regenerate unless it's in crisis."
Daniel had a peculiar expression on his face. "I think I've heard of someone like that."
General O'Neill glanced at Daniel and then back at Landry. "What if this guy is a threat? Can we take him down?"
"No. For all intents and purposes, he's immortal. There is one thing that won't change. There is a part of the brain that seems to be completely unaffected by this radiation, so he would retain his memory."
Teal'c said, "His behavior yesterday was completely benign. That, at least, bodes well for us."
Sam said, "What about Rose Tyler?"
Lam said, "Completely human, nineteen-years-old. She seems to have developed some telepathic potential. She probably isn't even aware of it. Her immune system is supercharged. Strange thing I found on her: her fingerprints and DNA match a fourteen-year-old girl in London, also named Rose Tyler." Lam looked at Sam. "Didn't you say in your report that you suspected time travel?"
"I did. Looks like you've found evidence for it."
Daniel said, "I'm going to see what I can dig up, but I'm pretty sure that he's mentioned at least half-a-dozen times in various myths and legends."
O'Neill said, "Go ahead and check, but I want to listen in on this guy a bit.
The Doctor and Rose were back in some kind of waiting room after a night, each in a tiny cell with an uncomfortable bed and no change of clothes. There was a television in one corner and there rows of chairs that reminded Rose of a doctor's office. A green decked guard had brought them both a tray with tea and two cups as well as a plate of assorted donuts. Rose used two creamers for her tea in absence of milk and commented on how biscuits--or rather cookies, since they were in America—would have been better with the tea.
The doctor looked around the room. The room had been designed to be cozy and inviting but the Doctor hadn't failed to notice that in addition to the plastic plants and purple cushioned chairs, there were numerous cameras and listening devices all over the room. The Doctor sat patiently, wondering if the technicians on this base hadn't yet destroyed his sonic screwdriver in an attempt to understand it.
"Doctor," said Rose, "why are we here anyway?"
"Well, the truth is, I'm not entirely sure."
"Where are we?"
"I told you yesterday."
"I mean, how did these people start traveling to other worlds? How come the rest of the world hasn't figured it out? I mean, you said they have spaceships! You also said this is 2003 and they'd been doing this since the early 90s. You'd think people would at least have found out by 2007."
"Well, it's kind of a long story, but I'll try it. In 1928, an archeologist found a device in the Egyptian desert called a Stargate. The device kept changing hands over the years but wound up in America in the 60s. Nobody could really figure out how to use it until 1994 when an archeologist named Daniel Jackson successfully deciphered the symbols on the gate. Very shortly after, they encountered the Goa'uld. Nasty creatures. They're parasites that take human hosts and basically control them. Well, everyone knows how secretive the U. S. is, and after this too close encounter of the unwelcome kind, the program was temporarily shut down until the government decided whether to ignore the apparent threat or face it.
"Ultimately, typical human greed won out and they decided to reopen the program with a plan to gain weapon technology to fight the nasty aliens. It was really just a ploy to not have to develop and discover technology on their own, but they had a legitimate reason. The Goa'uld knew about Earth again and the American military basically elected itself the defender of the world. A bit arrogant if you ask me.
"So, the people of Earth traveled the stars and met other races, such as the creators of the Stargate, the Alterans. There was another arrogant race. Everything they created was dedicated to mass destruction and they were idiotic enough to call themselves peaceful. Their allies, the Asgard, weren't much better. They posed as gods to the human race, Thor, Freyr, Odin and others and at the very least, the Goa'uld took their example posing as gods of various pantheons. One good thing to be said about the Alterans and the Asgard was they were concerned with the defense of life.
"The Asgard have been helping the members of this base defend Earth, but they've also put it on Earth to defend the rest of the galaxy with very little real help. Like that Colonel said yesterday, the Asgard have given the human race information they needed to advance well ahead of its time, but it's all just hints and clues so that the human race can earn the technology. Now I agree with that, but if you're going to be put in a position to defend the galaxy from a deadly alien menace, you might want a little more than hints. Ultimately, all of this advancement hasn't helped the human tactical position in the slightest. You're still using the same weapons now that you were when this base first encountered Ra.
"Honestly, I think the Nox had the right idea. They stopped using the gate and told the Asgard and Alterans what to do with themselves." He smiled, "And the Alterans actually did it. They actually ascended to another plain of existence, leaving behind their physical forms. They say that Alterans are the ancestors of the humans but don't believe it. You're no more Alteran than I am human." The Doctor picked up another doughnut and said, "Have you had one of these Boston Creme's? They are really good!"
In the security room, both generals were listening with Sam Carter, Cameron Mitchell and Vala, to the Doctor's conversation with Rose.
"Doesn't very nice things to say about our allies, does he?" said Mitchell.
O'Neill said, "He likes the doughnuts. I'll have to go back to Krispy Kreme's and tell them they get the interstellar seal of approval."
"Well, if you think about it, he's right," said Vala. "The Asgard have put the whole fate of the galaxy on Earth's shoulders, the Ancients basically cut and ran and told the whole universe that they were too good to clean up the mess they made, and the Nox have turned hermit. Typical behavior of the superior race, that! The adults make the mess and leave the children to clean it up."
The conversation on the monitor resumed with Rose saying, "So if you didn't mean to bring us here, do you think the TARDIS malfunctioned then?"
"I think the TARDIS brought us here for a reason. There is something that she thinks I need to do here. What it is, I don't know. We'll probably find out soon enough, though."
"Doctor, after all I've learned, I can't help but wonder...is the TARDIS alive?"
The Doctor turned to Rose and said, "I think you know the answer to that."
"I guess what I mean is, what is the TARDIS? You say they aren't built, they're grown."
The Doctor looked directly into one of the cameras and said, "Rose, that discussion should wait until we don't have an audience. All it will be is a discussion of a technology they can't understand and will be racking their brains to figure out." The Doctor, continuing to look at the camera as he grinned broadly and said, "Not even the Asgard could come close to the TARDIS' technology." He turned back to Rose. "Not that humans are unintelligent, mind you. I think your kind are all absolutely brilliant. I love humans. It's just that the basics of this science are so far ahead of their most advanced science, they would end up doing a lot damage trying to figure it out."
"Later then?"
"Later."
The Doctor stood and began to pace. The watchers in the security room looked from one to another. Vala was about to say something when the Doctor spoke again.
"We're done talking. You can come do your interrogation now. Do me a favor. Bring my ID wallet with you. I haven't checked my messages in awhile. I don't suppose you'd bring my sonic screwdriver, too? Probably not, but you can't blame me for trying."
O'Neill said, "Thoughts, anyone?"
Sam said, "This guy, knows an awful lot about us, he's not hiding it, and I just have this feeling that he isn't a threat to us."
"Explain that feeling," said Landry.
Sam's eyebrows knitted together in consternation. She seemed uneasy as she said, "When I look at him, I feel like I'm safer than I have ever been in my life. At the same time, I can't help but feel that I am looking at the most dangerous man I've ever met. I feel like he would never hurt us, and God help the person who would."
Vala said, "Okay, guys, don't be angry with me. I know, I should have told you sooner, but I didn't know for sure. This is my first time seeing the guy."
Landry said, "Spit it out."
"I know this guy. I have met this guy before. At least I think I have."
"You know this man?"
"It's the strangest thing. We only ever spoke to each other once. I still had the Goa'uld inside of me. Qetesh had acquired information on some alien race that nobody had ever heard of. She, I mean, I...well, when I was a Goa'uld, tried to go looking for them. They were called Sontarans. The plan was to try and get them to back Qetesh in an attempt to get the respect of the other system lords. In return, Qetesh would help the Sontarans destroy their enemies. Nobody ever knew what happened, but my Jaffa were gone and so were the Sontarans and the Doctor was standing right in front of me and told me that the Sontarans were even more evil than Goa'uld and if I ever tried to contact them again, he would make sure I regretted it. He looked like that." She gestured to the monitor. "What I personally remember as Vala was Qetesh was fully armed and had a personal field and the Doctor had no weapons of any kind and Qetesh was too terrified of him to defend herself. She was petrified."
Sam cringed. "Rose did say the Doctor could walk out whenever he wanted and we couldn't do a thing about it."
Landry smiled and said, "Well, I guess we've put it off long enough. Time to face the Goa'uld's worse nightmare."