Voyagers! ~ Doctor Who Crossover
Silence of the Worlds
"Jeffrey, why are we still hanging around London 1889? Nellie made it safely to her boat, Doyle already started his next Sherlock story, heh, he was so busy writing he didn't even say goodbye…is something wrong? We got the green light. Let's go."
The Voyagers casually walked the streets after leaving 221B Baker Street and Jeffrey Jones led the way. Phineas Bogg didn't like that his partner was so quiet. Earlier he'd brimmed with excitement meeting his literary hero. Taking on the supportive "Watson" role, Jeffrey helped solve the case and clear Nellie's accusations that Bogg was Jack the Ripper. It was a case of mistaken identity, and Nellie Bly got perilously close to the truth about Voyagers when she connected that Drake and Bogg had similar "pocket watches" and she saw her attacker disappear.
"Are you mad because I didn't grab Drake in time? He must've worked out. He put up a heckuva fight." Phineas was still sore all over after everything that happened this night.
Jeffrey seemed to ignore him, intent on moving forward to a particular area, his face was a bundle of confusion and nerves. Phineas sighed and let it go. He wasn't a stranger to the kid's mood swings. It was called, "becoming a teenager."
The fog thickened and the wind picked up, blowing debris and papers. Jeffrey kicked some around. He knew they needed to leave the scene the moment the omni gave that reassuring "Ding!" But he felt like he had to stay - or they'd miss out on something big. He'd felt it when he met up with Bogg after the fight. Every hair on the back of his neck stood on end and it had nothing to do with Drake.
"Sorry, Bogg. I'm ok, I just felt weird back in the alley, like we were being watched or something."
Phineas gazed around, nothing looked out of the ordinary to him. "It was a tense night. I got into a bar-room brawl after following Nellie, then I was arrested and I had to bust out of the prison carriage and run as fast as i could. I couldn't see with all this fog blowing around. I followed Nellie's screams. Then I could've sworn I heard this voice in my head…"
Jeffrey swung around. "A voice? What voice? Who's voice?"
Phineas laughed it off. "I don't know! It was a man…sorta vague and distant…British? "Make your move!" He said. And then somehow I knew to jump Drake at that exact spot. I almost passed it by." Phineas shivered. They both didn't have coats as usual. But this time it wasn't the weather. "I don't blame ya for being creeped out."
Jeffrey found himself stopping at the mouth of the alley where the action took place. All he saw now were the shadows of the surrounding buildings and more dense fog…but the direction it swirled caught his eye, as did a loose piece of newspaper. He walked deeper inside.
"Jeff, why are ya going back there? Maybe we should find an inn. I'm beat. I don't think I slept in two days."
"I Dunno why, I just wanna check. Is that okay?"
Phineas didn't want to baby him. "Fine, but hurry up, I think…ahhh!"
Phineas grabbed the omni off his belt when it buzzed and shocked his thigh. The metal warmed and it tingled in his hand when he unclipped it. He flipped the lid and the red and green lights flashed. The globe in the center spun fast. It was enough to cause vertigo and Phineas stumbled back dizzy.
"Bogg, are you okay? What's wrong with it? Is it stuck in automatic mode again?"
Phineas shook it out and the buzzing stopped. "I'm fine, and I think so. The globe blacked out. She's really due for servicing."
"It's been two years since Edison took it apart, so yeah. That's crazy. The last time the globe blacked out we were sent to Voyager Headquarters for your trial. How come we're not moving?"
"Beats me. If they do grab us, it's probably to interrogate us on why we let Drake get away."
Jeffrey folded his arms defiant. "It'd be nice if we had reinforcements. They make us chase around an evil dude with an old model omni and limited time range. He has the 3-16-50 and open-time calibration. If they called us back to VHQ, why can't they recall him too?"
"Remember, Drake was a lawyer for the Voyager council. He got perks. But I found out from Susan that Drake had his omni retrofitted without the Council's knowledge. I think he manipulated the tracking functions. He's way smarter than we give him credit for. And I know he doesn't work alone."
"Yeah, well, our omni's been doing strange stuff lately. Just before we came to this time zone we got blasted back to 1450 BC and had to hide because we saw our past selves putting Baby Moses in the Nile. That was insane!"
Phineas shrugged, wide-eyed. "That never happened before. I think something went wrong in the time vortex…it felt like we were…pushed out of the way, and then the omni did this full blown reset. But it was pretty cool seeing ourselves on our very first voyage. Now do you believe me?"
"About what?"
"That you were kinda obnoxious."
Jeffrey rolled his eyes. "Whaddya expect? I was eleven, and you knocked me out a window…ehh, you know the rest, right?"
Bogg chuckled and swiped his curls. "How can I forget? That was quite a speech. Still think I deserve to lose my lousy job?"
"No way! I love this job. I don't wanna do anything else."
"That's the Voyager spirit!" Phineas hit the omni in his palm a few times and fiddled with the controls again.
Jeffrey's attention returned to the fog, it parted around a certain area, then swarmed together again. He finally saw it from the corner of his eye…the newspaper, flapping in the wind but floating on thin air and stuck on something. His blood chilled.
"Bogg…It's definitely weird here, let's go. Now."
Phineas yawned loudly. His omni vibrated and sent a charge through his fingers. He nearly dropped it and paced with his head down. "Bat's breath! This omni will be the death of me. Now the red light won't quit. It's louder than ever. I can't change the settings, I don't think we're going any…"
CLUNK!
Phineas saw every star in the universe as his forehead head made hard contact with something invisible, but solid as metal. The alley spun around him and he collapsed like a ton of bricks. He heard Jeffrey yell just before he passed out.
Jeffrey slid in a puddle alongside him and gripped his shoulders. "Bogg! Wake up! Bogg!"
The hairs on his neck rose again and he saw a pale green light intensify as an invisible door opened. Suddenly, what was once empty space dissolved into a blue Police Box. Jeffrey panicked, but tried not to show it. A tall and friendly looking young man with a bow tie and suspenders came out holding up an unusual tool with a glowing green tip.
"Hello! Does anyone here need a Doctor?"
~Oo~
Jeffrey was aware he may have been in shock. He'd wanted to scream earlier but no sound came out. There was nothing truly frightening here. A part of him wanted to laugh and explore, because the interior of the Police box purely was amazing. However, he refused to budge away from the door and kept one foot out on the cobblestone. The man and his short, pretty assistant had already dragged Phineas inside their ship before he even realized it.
Clara rested Phineas' head on a pillow and put a special Gallifreyan icepack on his forehead – guaranteed to prevent bruising and bump formation if applied within five minutes of impact.
"Doctor, he must've really clonked himself a good one, he doesn't even react to the cold. Are you sure he'll be okay?"
The Doctor sighed and aimed his sonic screwdriver at Phineas' face to appease her. He even turned up the volume. "There. I scanned him again for internal injuries. He's nearing exhaustion, but perfectly fine. The epitome of good health, you can thank all that time energy radiating about him. And some hearty Norse genes! Decent enough diet, clean living…But really, nobody ever gets sick on my Tardis. Aww, look at that angelic face. I think he's actually enjoying his nap."
Clara had to admit the pirate was beautiful in his sleep as well. She knew when the Doctor was jealous. As soon as the Doctor turned his back she smoothed down Phineas' hair. "Sorry about this." She whispered. "But once you get to know the Doctor I think you and your boy will handle it all just fine."
The Doctor stood behind his console with a frozen smile, waiting for Jeffrey to say something, anything, about what he witnessed. He was met with silence and more doe-eyed staring.
"Well, I've been alive over 900 years, what's a few more minutes waiting for you to speak?" The Doctor asked.
"Why…why…how…how come it's so small outside?" Jeffrey finally sputtered.
The Doctor glanced at Clara. "He's got a mind like yours."
"I did think that the first time, yeah." She recalled.
Jeffrey's shock wore off and his cynical New York temper emerged. "Is this a spaceship? Are you gonna take us to your leader? What planet are you from? What do ya want with us? Are you from Voyager Headquarters? Who are you? What are you?"
The Doctor looked taken aback. "First of all, I don't have a leader. I'm all on my own."
Clara cleared her throat and the Doctor smiled. "Oh yes, and I travel with my companion, the impossible Clara Oswald." His grin widened. "Ahh…did you just say Voyager Headquarters? There's a name I haven't heard in centuries! It was my first real commission on Gallifrey to create… Hold on. Shut up…What am I?"
The Doctor folded his arms insulted and came closer. Jeffrey wedged his other foot back into the Tardis and stood his ground. The Doctor bent to eye level and they had a stare down.
Clara giggled when the Doctor's eye eventually twitched. "The boy wins!"
"Bollocks!" The Doctor stormed away.
Jeffrey finally let out air. The Doctor's breath smelled like fish and some kind of sweet cream and it made him want to gag. He glanced at the console and saw a big bowl.
"Fishsticks and custard? Gross." Jeffrey muttered. "That's as bad as pineapple on hot dogs."
The Doctor sneered. "You don't know what you're missing…but I agree about the pineapple." He popped a Jelly Baby candy in his mouth and tossed one to Jeffrey. He twirled his sonic screwdriver absentminded. "I'm a Time Lord! Haven't you ever heard of one? Of course not, no one has…"
Jeffrey wanted to laugh. This conversation was very familiar. He let the Doctor continue and cautiously ate the candy to show a little respect. It was delicious.
"…because…because…never mind. I'm a madman with a box. Is that better?"
Jeffrey found his courage and he slammed the doors shut behind him. He wasn't going anywhere without Bogg. The Doctor took a few steps back.
"Oh. Should've seen that coming."
"You don't have to tell me you're a nut in a box. But you still didn't answer my question. Who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor."
"Doctor who?"
The Doctor snickered. He loved when people asked that. "Just the Doctor."
"Don't you have a real name?"
"Once upon a time I did. Just call me Doctor. Is that too difficult for you, Jeffrey Jones, former A+ 7th grade student at P.S. 182 in 1982 Manhattan, New York City, United States, Planet Earth?" He huffed.
"Jeesh, lighten up. Okay, Doctor." He approached Phineas and gave Clara a dirty look. She put up her hands and backed away. "Sorry, just trying to help him. He'll be fine."
Jeffrey's temper eased with her. She looked caring and kind. "S'okay, thanks…Clara."
Clara smiled gently and then nudged the Doctor to speak in private. But he was pacing and ranting to himself…far more than usual. The lights in the Tardis flickered and the colors swirled.
The Doctor didn't know why he and Jeffrey were getting off on the wrong foot. He remembered being rather sensitive to children in years past. Now they seemed to crawl more and more under his skin. He was afraid of what his next regeneration would be like. Somehow he pictured stern, grey eyebrows and he shuddered.
"Please don't let me be old." He whispered to the Tardis. "Or Scottish."
The Doctor's mind suddenly teetered on edge, and the Tardis responded in kind, making all sorts of noises. She wasn't happy with all the Temporal energy crammed in one space. Her space.
The Doctor's expression darkened and he darted to a set of stairs and shouted to air. "Oh you…you… you big ball of timey wimey marshmallow fluff, Doctor Ten! You ruined it for the rest of us with your so, so, so human ways."
He gazed at the top of the stairs and blinked fast. "Wait. Sorry…What?"
Clara stood back nervous and pointed. "Doctor, what's happening?"
Jeffrey rushed beside her. "Clara, where did he come from?"
"Oh no…no! Doctor, why is the Tardis doing this? What's wrong with you?"
An echo of Doctor Ten stood at the head of the stairs smiling down on them. A perfect image, with his handsomely styled reddish-brown hair, huge, sensitive dark eyes, and slim fitted brown and blue pinstriped suit. He didn't move or speak.
The Doctor was lost in his own thoughts and ignored Clara and Jeffrey. A dialogue played in his head, but any bystanders could only hear his excitable responses.
"What? You didn't want to go? You're a fan favorite? Well that's too bad! I'm here now, I've been here for a very long time, and you had your fun. You had…you had Rose Tyler!"
The Doctor's eyes moistened at the thought of her and suddenly the blonde shop girl appeared next to Doctor Ten, gazing up at him with adoring puppy eyes and a saucy full mouthed smile. The Doctor laughed, almost in tears. "There you go, Rose Tyler, with that cheeky tongue you always stuck out between your teeth. He loved that, didn't he?"
Clara felt her heart drop slightly. No companion had ever come close to winning the Doctor's two hearts like Rose. There were still nights the Doctor saw her in his dreams, because Clara heard him call her name in those rare times he fell asleep.
The Doctor shook his yearning thoughts away and his expression angered. "Doctor Ten…you had Mickey and Jackie…errr, never mind her. Beautiful, loyal Martha Jones, Oh, she loved you so!"
Jeffrey perked up at hearing his surname. Martha Jones, a gorgeous young black woman, appeared at Doctor Ten's left, staring at him with heartbreak and a forced bright smile.
"Oh, but what was she to you, Doctor? The rebound! After you dumped poor Rose in another dimension!"
The Doctor ran in circles trying shake off his emotions and come to his senses. But in every corner of the Tardis another image of Doctor Ten emerged to mock him and force him to remember.
"Who else in your Rogue's gallery, aye, Doctor? Dashing Captain Jack…you knew he was immortal, but you still let him die for you over and over and over again, while you aged like E.T because of that rotten Master! And you sniveled and cried over The Master as if he deserved our tears! And what kind of blasted regeneration was that? Everyone in the world calling out for the Doctor like you're some god? And then you fly out like Peter Pan? Oh no, no, no, no that's not how I work!"
The Doctor fell to his knees pained when an attractive but goofy red-headed woman came into view. "And Donna Noble!"
The Tardis lights flashed them into dense darkness and pure white light and created more echoes of the Doctor's past companions. Jeffrey and Clara shielded their eyes.
"I'll never forgive you for what you did to poor Donna! A lovable flake of a woman who saved worlds! The Ood sing her praises! Yet she'll never remember that, will she?… Aughh!"
The Doctor's face contorted and he tugged at his hair. Clara didn't know whether to run to him or stay put. Jeffrey gripped her arm to keep her still. He had a feeling this was not usual behavior for the Doctor and he didn't want her to get hurt. Phineas tossed and turned himself awake. He was groggy, and every muscle ached. All he could do was stare at the crazy scene in front of him.
The Doctor ran circles around the Tardis. "Shut up! Shut up! Shuttity shut up! Stop lingering in my head!" He balled his hands and gave his forehead a few hard taps. "I know we're the same man!…I know they're all part of my legacy…yes, yes…But…but…You're not better than me!"
The Doctor stood up tall with vehemence in his eyes. "I had the Ponds! Amy and Rory Williams! The epic love of a lifetime right here in MY version of the Tardis! I know River Song far better than you, I know her secrets! I survived the Pandorica! I have allies all over the galaxy, but who did you have? A huge weathered face in a jar and a cat nun nurse! Arhhhh!"
Jeffrey was glad the giant face didn't show up. But a cat nun sounded cool. Apparently, this spaceship only picked up the images of people who'd been aboard.
"They're memories." Jeffrey said quietly. "I think I get it now. These are moments from the Doctor's past projecting inside this vessel. Like an omni memory recorder."
"Oooh, you're a clever boy." Clara smiled wearily. "Yes, that's exactly what she's doing. Though I don't know what an omni memory recorder is."
Clara hated to see her Doctor like this. She stared dumbfounded at the people cropping up around the Tardis. But since she regained some memories of getting lost in the heart of the Tardis she had an idea of what was happening now.
"They can't hear or see us, Jeffrey. We don't need to fear them."
"But who are they?"
"The Tardis is creating echos of all his friends, the people he traveled with. The ones that got away, the ones he lost. She's projecting, as you said, projecting his feelings too."
"He's really ragging on Doctor Ten. Who's that in the corner? With the leather Jacket. I think the Doctor's avoiding him."
Clara stared at the sullen, ruggedly handsome man with big ears and bright blue eyes. "A painful reminder of his past. His ninth regeneration. A Doctor born out of a devastating Time war."
Clara squeezed Jeffrey's hand. Her demeanor soothed his nerves and she felt she had to say something.
"Jeffrey, trust the Doctor. I do, with my life. Something weird happened since the Tardis discovered you two in the alley. She almost broke down. We know you're time travelers called Voyagers, but when he gets right in the head again he'll explain. Try to keep up with him. He's normally quirky and loveable."
Jeffrey gulped, and nodded. He wondered after all was said and done if he'd ever be right in the head again.
Bogg stumbled toward them. "Jeff, where are we? What's going on? Who are all these people? I got a bad headache right now."
"Bogg! You're up! We're…we're…safe. I think!"
The Doctor continued to rant and rave at his past regenerations like a family reunion gone wild, rehashing old adventures with companions Clara had no idea of. The golden time energy floated over them and the Tardis replayed conversations from every Doctor and his companions. Their commanding voices, laughter, and excited shouts ping-ponged off the walls. Phineas and Jeffrey listened with awe and confusion.
"Bogg, look at the screen!"
On the Tardis monitors scenes from the Doctor's past played out in fast cuts of frightening and murderous creatures and robots. Galaxies whirled by. Jeffrey couldn't help himself. "There's the old face in the jar with the cat nun! Awesome!"
The voices throughout time and space continued.
"Stop the Daleks! They want to exterminate humanity!"
"The Cybermen were once human!"
"Don't blink, not even for a second…Blink and you're dead."
"I can take you anywhere in the galaxy…"
"Would you like a Jelly Baby?"
"I'm the raggedy Doctor!"
"It says, "Hello, Sweetie!"
"We can save Gallifrey!"
"That's Brilliant!…Fantastic!…Geronimo!"
"Gallifrey. Falls. No More."
"Jeffrey, this can't all be real." Phineas tried to reassure his partner, but he couldn't convince himself of anything since waking up in this nightmare ship. Phineas was tempted to drag Jeffrey to the door, but then saw Clara staring teary-eyed at her beloved Doctor and unable to help him. He crept closer to her and held out his hand.
"Come on, leave with us. He might try and kill you! He's snapped."
"No. It's the effects of the Tardis. I can't just leave him alone."
"What's a Tardis?"
"What we're standing in!"
The mainframe sparked. The discordant gasping of the brakes started and the Tardis shook to its foundations. She was attempting to engage on auto-pilot, but couldn't get off the ground. The floor beneath them rumbled.
"Doctor! Please stop it!" Clara begged. She rushed around the console in a repeat performance from when they landed. Phineas grabbed a lever near her.
"What can I do?"
"Nothing. I don't know how to fly or control her well enough yet."
A screen blew and the force sent Clara reeling. Phineas caught her before she slammed on the metal floor.
"Hey, are you hurt?"
"No. I'm okay. Thank you!"
Clara raced to the Doctor. She couldn't stay idle anymore. "Doctor, shut up! Snap out of it! I think the Tardis might explode!"
She embraced him in a tight back hug and he thrashed for a moment, then realized it was Clara. He turned fast and held her face. His eyes pained.
"Clara, Please don't stop! Keep talking!"
She put her small hands over his and spoke calmly."Doctor, they're not real. They're just memories. The Tardis is leaking memories, remember? You told me that's what happened when she got damaged in the alternate history."
Sweat poured down his face. "Yes. Yes! That's all it is. And the fissure! There's a small crack in time out there. History is seeping out, blending like a gigantic stew pot, creating wibbly wobbly…never mind! The Tardis has picked up on it and she won't let it go."
The Doctor circled around the Voyagers and waggled his hands lost in theories. He tried to keep his mind focused on the present. "But that's why history goes wrong for you two! That's why the light is red and Nellie Bly is hanging out with Doyle and trying to find Jack the Ripper instead of traveling the world. And why Doyle stopped writing Sherlock. These cracks pop up everywhere creating billions of parallel universes and…and…it's your job to mend them for this universe!"
Phineas gripped Jeffrey and they held tight to the rails. "He's right. I remember learning that in Voyager School. It's part of basic training. Cracks in the universe. And…and…if we don't fix them then…silence will fall!" Bogg quoted his favorite Professor Garth.
The Doctor stared pitably at Phineas. "They taught you that…but you have no idea what it means, do you?"
Phineas looked down glum. Suddenly feeling more than insignificant. He met his gaze after a moment. "No, and it didn't matter to me, all I had to do was just time travel and help people as much as I could. That's all Jeffrey and I do."
The glare in the Doctor's eyes filled with pride. That was all he ever wanted for the Voyagers. He was about to respond but the Tardis screeched and metal groaned. The voices of the past melded together. He crouched down and gripped his ears.
"Stop it! No more of this!"
Clara got on her knees. "Doctor, The Tardis is playing with your mind and you have to fight it, not fight with yourself. Because that's all you're really doing. They are YOU. YOU are THEM."
Phineas peeled himself off the railing. He ran back to the sizzling console and found a particular handle. "Jeff, look! A clutch!" He yanked it down hard and the brake noise shut off.
The Doctor immediately came to his senses. The Tardis stopped rocking and the echoes and voices disappeared. He snapped his fingers and the doors opened.
"I think I did it! It's fixed!" Phineas laughed. He took Jeffrey's arm and they hurried for the door and tumbled outside, landing in a small pile of hay. They jumped up and attempted to run off.
The Doctor staggered to the entrance. "Wait! Jeffrey Jones, Phineas Bogg, stay outside for a little bit, but don't leave. Please. I promise, no harm will come to either of you."
The weakened Doctor leaned against the doorframe. He closed his eyes, feeling as if he ripped through all eleven of his regenerations in one go. Phineas attempted to help but the Doctor waved him away.
"No. Stay back. I'm okay. I just need a few…moments…" He opened his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm actually one of the good guys. Can you trust me?"
Phineas had wanted to attack the man while trapped inside, but now he bristled and kept still. Somehow, he did trust him.
"That remains to be seen." He said cooly.
The Doctor forced a haggard smile. "You'll see, Voyager Phineas Bogg. Soon you'll understand everything."
"I'll certainly try." Phineas gently touched his own forehead, he felt a sting, but was surprised to find no lump. "That's weird. I must've took a big knockout, and you and…"
Clara poked her head out and smiled sweetly at Phineas. He grinned back. She was a real cutie. "Hello. You helped me out in there. What's your name?"
The Doctor saw the flash of sparkling attraction in the Voyager's stunning blue eyes and groaned. It was like dealing with Captain Jack all over again.
Clara twiddled her fingers embarrassed. "Hello! I'm Clara Oswald. I travel with the Doctor. You'll thank me later for that icepack. It would've left a ghastly bruise. Thanks again for the save before." She glanced up angry at her friend. "Doctor…get in here. NOW!"
"Woooahhh!" She yanked on his suspenders and the Doctor fell backwards. The doors slammed shut.
Phineas and Jeffrey looked at each other in utter surprise, but they didn't move a muscle. Jeffrey felt sorry for the Doctor. He looked just about Phineas' age, twenty seven, but it dawned on him that he said he was over nine hundred years old. Less than thirty minutes passed since they were inside the Tardis and it was all too complicated for him. He pulled Bogg's sleeve.
"Bogg, now's our chance. Maybe we should go and forget this ever happened. We don't need him."
Phineas stared determined at the Police Box. He crossed his arms. "No. He'd find us again now that he knows we exist. And the omni stopped working. Just like his box grounded him. He's the type to do his thing and run away, but right now he can't and it's driving him crazy. We're connected. And I want to know why. We'll stick this out together."
Phineas faced his partner. "He might be some sort of amazing space Doctor, but remember who we are."
Jeffrey nodded, his resolve strengthened now that he had Phineas with him. "Voyagers."
"And Voyagers never run from a fight."
"Nope. Quarter to no man. We can do anything, be anything…"
Phineas patted Jeffrey's back. "There's that. And what's the most important thing?"
Jeffrey remembered his first successful voyage with Phineas after they helped the Wright Brothers invent the airplane. He punched his palm, inspired.
"We gotta think of all the interesting people in front of us, who really need our help. It's our responsibility." Jeffrey quoted Phineas.
"That's right…Phineas circled the Tardis, he knocked on it a few times and scratched his head.
"We have to be responsible. Even if it means tagging along with a madman and his blue box…that's bigger on the inside."
TBC