Vworp vworp vworp. Thunk. Krrriiiik.

The Doctor stuck his head out of the TARDIS door. His face fell and he sighed. "Well this is certainly boring."

Kathryn Moore, a fifteen year old from America, opened the other side of the double doors and looked out as well. She made a face.

"Blech."

The Doctor looked at her oddly. "I'll grant that it's not very exciting with the absolute nothing, but there's nothing disgusting about it."

"Good for you," Kathryn replied, still looking like she could taste something spoiled. "Everything tastes blue, feels the way a tree looks, and when I blink, instead of the usual energy-color swirl I get, it looks the same way a cranberry sounds. Seems odd, but that's really the only way to describe it. And it's weird and wrong and I don't like it."

Instead of responding to his friend's distress by shutting the doors and leaving, the Doctor withdrew his sonic from his coat and stepped out onto the smooth, gray rock that stretched in every direction. Kathryn followed him, and after scanning for a few moments the Doctor had the answer.

"Rift energy," the Doctor pronounced, putting the sonic screwdriver away. "This area is full of it." He frowned, perplexed. "But why is there nothing here if it's a Rift planet?"

"Hi, still learning over here," Kathryn called. "Rift energy?"

The Doctor, as he always did when sharing information he thought you should already know, turned his attention back to the planet and explained in a slightly derisive manner.

"There's a rift near here, probably surrounding the whole planet. It's like a tear in a seam between time and space. But usually there's stuff everywhere, bits and pieces sucked in from around all time and space. This whole planet should be full of junk. Instead, we've got nothing but rock." The Doctor jumped slightly, landing back solidly. "It's like we're on a huge marble in the middle of space. Odd."

"Maybe the rift is new and hasn't had time to start spitting stuff out."

"Or there's another species nearby that takes everything, like harvesting. Maybe we missed the last shipment."

"Or maybe—ow!"

The Doctor turned to look at Kathryn. She was rubbing the side of her head as she bent to pick up a small black wallet. She looked at it in curiosity. "We spoke too soon." Kathryn opened it and whistled. "Whoever owns this is going to be rather peeved." Reaching in, Kathryn withdrew a fistful of British currency. "I'm going with…21st century UK."

Instead of examining the money directly, the Doctor pulled out his sonic again and scanned it. Frowning, he took the wallet from Kathryn and reached into a credit card slot and produced a hexagonal computer chip, then tossed the wallet back to Kathryn.

"Fascinating."

"What is it?" Kathryn asked, knowing it was the quickest way to getting information out of the Doctor.

"A tracking and homing chip," the Doctor answered, voice slightly distant. "Definitely Earth. But it seems someone's been using alien technology to make it. Whoever made this is brilliant. There must be at least five different species in here. All different times too. Completely unrelated areas of space."

He stared at it a little longer before throwing the chip back to Kathryn and staring out across the nothing. "Oh well, nothing much here. Where to next?"

"Doctor, look at this I.D. card."

The Doctor glanced over his shoulder. Then he turned in a full circle.

All he saw was the flat, gray marble-like surface with the TARDIS sitting on it. Kathryn was nowhere to be seen.


I want it to stop. Why will it not stop? It hurts. It hurts. It drains, it fills. Stop. Stop.

Everything is…I do not know what it is. It is there, it is not. I can see worlds, but there is nothing. I hear voices, but there is only silence. I can feel and taste and hear and see and smell and think and know, but I do not exist. What is this? Why will it not stop?

Where is he? Where is the Second Friend?

Why is he Second Friend? Where is First Friend?

First Friend is gone. Where did First Friend go?

Something is wrong with First Friend. Why are those thoughts wrong?

Thoughts. I feel thoughts. I need thoughts. I am thoughts. I see your thoughts, the thoughts of Second Friend. Where is Second Friend?

Second Friend is not here. Second Friend is always here. I never look, but Second Friend is always here. Why is he not here? Did I send him away like First Friend?

Thoughts. Give me the thoughts.

Stop. Please, stop the thoughts. I hate those thoughts. I want to die and forget those thoughts.

I cannot die. I have too much in me. It takes it, it gives it. What is it? Energy. I remember that word. Important word. Why is energy important?

Thoughts are energy. Energy is thoughts. I feel both. You are both. I can sense you.

I am energy. I float in energy. I am filled with it. I take it in until it is me. I am in energy. It steals mine, and gives its own to me. It seeks to kill me, yet cannot because I take the energy to me.

New energy, new thoughts. Incredible thoughts, amazing energy. Do not leave!

Please, stop. Stop giving me yours. Take mine if you want, just stop this place. Please, stop. I want to die, but I cannot. Am I here forever?

What is forever?

A long time. If I must be here forever, I want him to be here. I am lonely. I don't want to be lonely.

You will not be. I am here. I am FirstSecond he.

I want to die.