Chapter 1
The Fourth Doctor
The empty white room was filled with a harsh groaning noise, a wind whipping up from nowhere as the very fabric of time and space was momentarily ripped apart. The man in the chair watched on helplessly, and in amazement, as a large shape began to fade in to site before his eyes.
"Entlassen Sie mich! Das ist eine Aufforderung!" The prisoner barked in his native tongue, pulling desperately with his hand, restrained behind his back where they were attached to the strange chair he was sitting on by some kind of shackles. The chair appeared to have been one solid piece, a solid structure rather than a seat with separate legs.
The wheezing noise faded away and the prisoner stared open mouthed In front of him stood a large blue box, which from outside appearances had seen better days. One of the doors slowly creaked open as a tall figure pushed his way out of the box. He was dressed like a madman, with knee high boots, a brown coat and a scarf that was at least four times the length it needed to be. The bizarre figure stepped out and looked around the room briefly, double taking as he saw the prisoner sat in the centre of the room.
He gave a large toothy grin and reached in to his coat pockets.
"Was hat das zu bedeuten?" The Austrian shouted. "Kennen Sie mich doch nicht?"
The man smiled gently, holding out a small, yet larger than his pocket, paper bag.
"Mòchten Sie ein Gelee Säugling?"
The man stared back blankly at the Doctor.
"I said," he repeated. "Would you like a jelly baby?" He was met again by a piercing, angry stare. "Oh!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Of course!" He looked top the mans hands, firmly secured behind his back, and carefully pulled a sweet from the bag. He leant forward, and gently popped it in to the prisoner's mouth, noting his rather large moustache.
The Doctor quickly jumped back as the man spat his gift on to the floor.
"Now, there was no need for that, was there?" He looked at the remains of the jelly baby on the floor. "Mind you, I don't really like the green ones either."
"Your first attempt failed, so now you try to poison me!" The man roared at the Doctor.
"Now," the Doctor said quietly, stepping back to the TARDIS. "I know you're a bit rude, but why would I want to poison you?." He pushed the police box door open. "Romana, come out here! Someone has a bit of a rude guest!"
Allowing the door to swing closed, the Doctor paced around the chair slowly, taking note of the small shackles around the strangers wrists. Each one was white and looked almost metallic. Holding the two wrists together was a central piece, a plan white sphere, which the Doctor was sure he had seen somewhere before.
"You will pay for this!" The man shouted again. "First you try to assassinate me cowardly with bombs, now you kidnap me and attempt to take my life with poison! Perhaps the reputation of the Black Hand is not as well deserved as I thought."
"The Black Hand?" Romana questioned, stepping out of the TARDIS. She looked to the Doctor, who all of a sudden had become very concerned.
"The Black Hand you say?" He questioned, leaning over the man's shoulder form his position behind the chair. "That is concerning." He stroked his chin before running a hand through his mad curly hair. "And what year is it you think it is? What date!"
"You are really the best the Hand has to offer!" The prisoner mocked, the TARDIS translation circuits still leaving a hint of his harsh Austrian accent.
"Humour me." The Doctor looked to Romana, and could tell from the look on her face she had not figured it out just yet.
"It is June 27. 1914."
"I thought so." The Doctor grimaced, and walked over the Romana. She was wearing her pink coat and scarf, a facsimile of the Doctor's own outfit. "Romana." he forced a smile, and gestured to the restrained man. "Meet the Archduke of Austria-Este, and heir-presumptive to the Austro Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand."
"Stop your plotting, cowards!" Ferdinand shouted at the TARDIS, his voice echoing around the otherwise empty white room.
"Don't you know your history young lady?" The Doctor half-scolded, his hands on the TARDIS console.
"My twentieth century Earth is a little bit sketchy." Romana replied, sheepishly.
"Mine can't afford to be." The Doctor said to himself, before tapping a few buttons and gesturing to the TARDIS monitor.
On the screen flashed brutal images of war, young men's final moments as they died in the heat of battle. Explosions, gun fire and screaming.
The Time Lord saw the distressed look on his companions face and stopped the images.
"It's terrible." Romana said quietly.
"Yes." The Doctor replied thoughtfully. "And it is the death of that man out there which causes all of it."
"Then why is he here?"
"Some ones attempt to stop the war." He bit his lip.
"So by being locked up here, he can't be killed and none of that ever happens?" Romana said, cheering up slightly. "That's wonderful, none of those people have to die!"
"You know that isn't how it works Romana." The Doctor said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "There is so much that comes from the Great War," he pulled a displeased face, "hate that name, whoever thought of calling a war 'great'? Anyway, so much in human history happens because of that war. If we allow it to never happen, everything changes."
"But if it doesn't happen, no one dies! Surely that's good?"
"You really think that if we leave him here, mankind won't find another reason to go to war!" The Doctor's voice had raised in to a shout. "Have you learnt nothing from travelling with me? Humans are great for all sorts of things, unfortunately, meaningless violence is one of them!" He angrily pulled his Sonic Screwdriver from his pocket and stormed back outside of the TARDIS.
Romana followed, watching her friend stride towards the Archduke purposefully.
"Tell me, assassin," his voice was softer than before, "what have you done to my family?"
"Your family?" The Doctor asked. "Nothing. As you seem to forget, I have already told you, it was not me who brought you here, so why would I touch them, eh?"
"Lies!" Ferdinand screamed. "I do not care what else you lie about, but I must know, my family. Are they dead?"
The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks, looking at the moustached face of the Archduke. His eyes bore straight at the Doctor.
"No." He responded. "Your wife and sons are still alive."
"Thank goodness." His voice was different now, his relief overcoming his anger and fear.
The Doctor turned away, and stood close to Romana.
"How can I do it?" He half whispered. "If I release him, he, and his wife, only have another day to live. Millions of people will die. I subject mankind to four years of hell. There is no upside."
"And if you don't?"
"I change the history of the whole of mankind. The war reached everywhere Romana. Sixty sovereign states were involved, four empires fell." He looked his companion in the eye, looking for a sign of what to do. "Who knows what might happen if those empires continued even a year longer? And then there's all the other developments. What if mankind weren't forced to advance their airplanes for example?" He paused thoughtfully. "They'd have to walk everywhere."
"Then you have to do it." Romana said kindly, brushing a strand of blonde hair from her face. "You know you do."
"Bit extreme just to avoid some walking though, don't you think?" He smiled sadly, before squeezing her hand tightly. "Thank you."
"Remember Doctor." she whispered. "You didn't cause the war."
"No, but I'm ensuring it happens. That's as good as."
"You don't really believe that."
The Doctor said nothing.
The Time Lord walked back over the where Ferdinand was sat, and knelt down, their heads were at the same level.
"Archduke, I am going to let you go." He sighed. "Is there anything I can do for you first?"
"I would accept nothing from you." The Austrian snarled. "Black Hands scum!"
"Now, now." The Doctor half smiled. "Let's not leave it on a sour note, shall we?" He reached in to his pocket, revealing another jelly baby.
"Red this time." He showed Ferdinand, before popping it in his mouth. He watched as the man chewed before swallowing the sweet.
"See," The Time Lord grinned. "Not that bad, are they? Not sour at all."
He walked back around to behind the chair, taking a closer look at the restraints holding Ferdinand in place. Romana quickly joined him at his side.
"Temporal restraints." She gasped. "Keeping him in this time and place."
"Indeed." The Doctor nodded. "All they need is a quick burst from the Sonic." He paused. "And he goes back to where he came from."
"And all of human history goes on as it should." Romana assured him. He nodded in response, smiling sadly back at her.
"Archduke!" He said loudly.
"I thought you were letting me go!" Amateurs!"
"I am. But first, a bit of advice."
"I don't take advice from villainous scum such as yourself."
"Humour me." The Doctor said sternly. "Again." He paused, not looking the Archduke in the eye.
"You must live everyday as if it is your last. Capture every opportunity. Make the most of every moment."
The Archduke merely shrugged and turned his head away from the Doctor.
"Cliché, I know." The Time Lord carried on. "But works for me." He leant in towards Ferdinand.
"Don't worry about your sons. They will be fine."
The Doctor held the Sonic Screwdriver to the restraints and closed his eyes, before pressing the button. With a short screech the tool activated and the restraints popped open. Instantaneously the Archduke vanished from before their eyes, leaving the metal device to fall harmlessly to the ground.
"Back to his rightful time." The Doctor said solemnly. "Now Romana, back to the TARDIS. I will follow you shortly."
"Why Doctor, what are you-"
"Romana." The Doctor shouted, his tone suddenly very harsh. "TARDIS. Now."
The young Time Lady quickly obeyed, but not before giving him a hurt look.
"Now!" The Doctor shouted. "Show yourself! I know it was you behind this!" Silence.
"Architect!" The cry echoed throughout the room, shaking the doors of the TARDIS. All of a sudden he felt a presence around him, and a shape form from a cloud of golden particles.
He looked much older than the first time the Doctor had seen him, this time with long grey hair and wearing a frock coat. If the Doctor had not been so angry, he would have commented on how familiar he seemed.
"Doctor?" The Architect asked. "How do you know of me?"
"I'm sure you will find out one day." The Doctor snarled. "But right now, I want to know exactly what it is you are up to."
"I am saving the human race."
"Saving them from what!" The shouted at the still form standing opposite him. "Themselves?"
"Exactly. Without the chance to start a war millions may have lived. Millions that you have now condemned."
"That's what this is about? Saving mankind?" He lowered his voice. "Makes sense really, bringing Jailt forward with the drugs. Saving them before they needed saving."
"I do not know what you speak of." The Architect responded. "But I know you agree with me that mankind are a wonderful race, yet so flawed. By removing the initial cause, so many could have been saved."
"It doesn't work like that!" The Doctor shouted again, feeling a slight pain in his throat. "You can't change things like that. It just makes people like me have to make choices that no one should ever have to make."
"You made one before. You were un-willing to wipe out the entire Dalek race."
""How do you-" The Doctor stopped himself. "That was different."
"Yes." The Architect continued. "Humans have so much that the Daleks never will. Kindness, compassion, empathy. Yet you doom millions of them and allow the creation of the most ruthless race the Universe will ever know."
"I did what I had to do." The Doctor replied, quieter now, subdued. "That's all I ever do."
"Sometimes that is not enough, Doctor." The Architect replied. His tone was soft, not angry or accusing.
"You have your way, this time. But I will try again to save mankind." There was a sense of determination in the voice that the Doctor recognised. "I will succeed."
"Oh, I know you will. Or at least you think you will." He paused. "I was young once too, you know."
"Indeed." The Architect replied. "Farewell for now Doctor." Once again the Doctor observed as golden energy seeped from the body and the form faded away.
The Doctor sighed as he turned away from the empty room and towards the TARDIS.
"Must remember to apologise to Romana." He said to himself, pushing the door open.
As he stepped inside, he felt an odd sensation around him, and a hushed voice.
The Architect too, felt something strange as he drifted away. It was as if part of his soul had broken free, driven back to its rightful home. It was a new sensation, particularly odd for a being who was used to permanent apathy. He felt a sense of contempt float from him, a weight from his shoulders. He paused, taken aback. He had no idea where tat metaphor had come from. Technically, he didn't even have shoulders.
His original rebirth had introduced him to many feelings he wasn't used to, but this one was new. It was as if everything he had known about who he had been was wrong, it was being overwritten with new thoughts, new feelings.
This, he thought, must be how the Doctor felt.
"Ten lives left."