DOCTOR WHO: The Crucible of Time. (Chapter 1)
The Doctor opened the TARDIS' door and a blast of cold air bit deeply into his face. He breathed heavily but the air was bitterly cold. He felt weak and could feel his legs were about to collapse. A sudden glow came, once again from his hands.
''No!'' He protested, ''I don't want to...not again.
The Doctor fell and thrust his hands into the snow that lay on the ground. Then some where in the near distance he heard a voice: ''who are you?'' came the voice.
The doctor stood up and moved away from the TARDIS and into the open. ''I'm The Doctor.'' He replied, struggling to see to whom the other voice belonged.
''No, no.'' said the voice, ''You may be a doctor. ''
''Who are you?'' The Doctor said, pain now in his voice.
''I'm The Doctor..humm, the original, you might say.''
The Doctor stared in disbelief as the voice and the now approaching form became all to familiar...it was himself! Albeit in his first form, before old age had caused his first regeneration when he had faced the Cybermen for the first time on earth in the year 1986. The all too recent encounter whirled in his head...what had happened to Bill and Missy?And with the image of his younger self (who looked older than his present self) in the snow, just as when he first faced the Cybermen at the south pole, coupled with his weakened state made him forget his situation:
''The cybermen have a bomb!'' he cried to the first Doctor.
''Yes,'' said the old man,'' but Nothing to worry about, young man. The Cybermen have been defeated; their planet destroyed...Are you o.k? You look...''
The old man put his hand to his own head,'' I must get to the TARDIS...and you should get inside,'' the old man said in a harsh tone, ''you'll catch your death out here!''
The [12th] Doctor frowned but composed himself. He remembered all to well this day...the day of his first regeneration. He didn't want to hold himself up...or interact with himself so as to cause some breaking of the 1st law of time. Fortunately the old Doctor (that is the younger self) had not seen the TARDIS and was already heading towards his own. But something Had happened!He thought of the former times...former re-generations...he was The Doctor...this is what must happen! He heard footsteps and voices and crouched down behind a snow drift...It was Ben and Polly!They didn't see him.
''Hey!'' He heard Ben say. ''The Doctor is well ahead of us! Come on Polly, let's run...we can get warm that way too.''
Then Polly replied, ''I'm terribly worried about him;He didn't look at all well!''
He heard Ben reply inaudibly...then the two were gone! Tears welled up in the Doctor's eyes. ''I have to go.'' He said to himself.
He opened the TARDIS door and felt the warm air. He took a step or two, hovered for a moment and then tumbled forward and passed out for half a minute. He felt weak...drained. Sweating,he clambered up to the console and began hitting levers. Then a curious thing happened...he saw his reflection in a mirror on the console...''I remember!'' he said, ''I remember the first time I regenerated; I headed for the TARDIS...I knew I'd seen this face before...that frown...''
He'd thought it was Pompeii but it was a memory of meeting his future self!
He felt his hearts racing and it was too much to stand. He sank to the floor,looked solemnly at his hands...they began to glow again,he grimaced in pain then it happened! He was regenerating! The glow filled the room. He cried out. The glow slowly subsided. And that was it! Dizzy and confused the Doctor tried to stand. He groaned;despite a renewed feeling of well being he still felt weak and dazed... ''where am I?...Who am I?''
His mind cleared a little, ''concentrate...one thing at a time... I'M THE DOCTOR... I'm safe... Ace, give me a hand would you? No... a little confused...feels different...Nyssa! I may need the zero room...come on my child!''
The Doctor dragged a sweaty hand over his face and stood up tall...things seemed clear now...beautifully clear. He went to the mirror and looked in:
''Well!'', he said with surprise, ''younger...and handsome. La..la ...laaa! resonant voice.'' Then feeling his stomach, he groaned, '' Oh! Need food!''
He went to one corner where there was a machine for producing food and drink.
''What's on the menu? kippers and jam...no...fish fingers and custard...how revolting! Wait, Kippers and custard and feta cheese with jam and chocolate! Earl Grey tea.''
Before long he was guzzling it all down as if he hadn't eaten in a week. Despite the porcine way he crammed it all in he finished by dabbing his mouth delicately with a towel. He looked about as if afraid of being watched, and then dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a bag. Putting his hand in he removed one jelly-baby and eat it in the most cultivated manner.
He stood and seeing the mess his clothes were in made his way to the changing room. He took off the old clothes and looked for replacements.
He choose dark green plaid trousers and doc martin boots. His shirt, white with wing collar, striped tie and large sapphire cuff-links. Then, over that,a bright blue velvet waist coat and a long jacket of burgundy with black collar and cuffs. He tried on a homburg, a tam O'shanter and a deer stalker, but liked none. And with a nod of satisfaction he re-entered the console room and looked at the console...
''Hmmm'',he said,''now that's very strange!
