Chapter 7
"And here we are," the Doctor declared, landing the TARDIS on board the Wheel.
Double-checking the scans of the area, he frowned. They seemed to indicate the presence of a spacecraft in the vicinity of the station's exterior. Remembering what happened the last time with the abandoned rocket ship they'd landed upon and the Cybermen invasion, he hoped he wasn't getting a feeling of déjà vu.
He shifted his gaze to the view screens and squinted at the sight in front of him, just off to the east of the Wheel's hull. It appeared to be another space station, one that was very small in comparison. A quick scan of the craft didn't turn up any life signs on board, although there were some interesting signatures surrounding the ship and coalescing outside the Wheel.
He sighed, electing not to tell Jamie about it. Hopefully it didn't really mean anything. The reason they were here was to find Zoe and make sure she was okay. He wasn't about to let Jamie down.
"We're back on the Wheel, Doctor?"
"Yes. I brought us here a week after our initial visit. When the Time Lords wiped Zoe's memories, she was sent back to the time right after we'd been there."
Jamie stared at him, his brow furrowing in confusion. "How d'ye know?"
"After you both had been sent away, they showed me on one of their screens. They called up a video of Zoe back on the Wheel. Tanya was asking if she'd seen us off and she replied in the affirmative. It was as if she'd never gone back with us in the TARDIS."
Jamie nodded, appearing a bit sad. He gazed up at the Doctor again as if he had something else on his mind. "Did they show ye what happened tae me?"
The Time Lord heaved a sigh. "Yes. They showed you back on Culloden Moor, just as you'd appeared when Ben and Polly and I had first met you. A Redcoat shot at you and you took off after him..." He imitated Jamie's Gaelic battle cry, "Creag An Tuire!"
Jamie gave a hint of a chuckle before his eyes widened and he stared off into space.
"Jamie? What is it?"
It seemed to pass after a while and the young man lowered his gaze, shaking his head. "It's just … That's what happened before I was captured and thrown into prison. I charged after that Redcoat and was ambushed from behind." He looked back up at the Doctor, his eyes filled with gratitude. "I can't thank ye enough for saving me, Doctor. I don' know how long I would've lasted in that prison."
"You don't have to thank me, my boy," he softly, patting Jamie on the shoulder. The Doctor felt his hearts swell. At this moment, he was actually happy. After having lost a dear companion recently, he was able to save another from a cruel fate and give him a second chance, in a way.
His brain suddenly kicked into gear and he inwardly smacked himself upside the head. Now was not the time to get mushy. They had to get to work and do what they'd come here for.
"Come on," he said, opening the doors and gesturing to Jamie to follow him out of the TARDIS.
Stepping out into the colorless, clinical atmosphere of the Wheel, the Doctor sniffed. "Well. Place hasn't changed a bit." He then noticed Jamie's curious expression. "Not that it would only a week later, of course."
He carefully trod down one of the corridors, Jamie on his heels. They had to be careful. Most of the personnel with whom they'd interact would probably recognize Jamie, but he himself was a whole new ball of wax. He crafted a cover story as they walked in search of someone who could lead them to Zoe … perhaps that Doctor … what was her name? Ah, Gemma Corwyn. Or maybe even Tanya Lernov herself.
Hearing footsteps approach, the Doctor carefully peered around a corner and found a technician heading in their direction. He frowned, not recognizing this young man at all. He turned quickly to Jamie, nodding at him to head back in the direction they came from toward the TARDIS.
They'd begun walking back, but not before the young technician had spotted them, apparently. "What's this?" he demanded. "Who are you?" The Doctor felt himself cringing as he caught the man eyeing the TARDIS and then gazing at them suspiciously.
"Ah," he started. "Um..." Damn, of all the times to suddenly be unprepared... He caught Jamie gazing at him almost desperately and then pointing at his jacket. "Oh!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his card, holding it up for the man. "I am Doctor Disco. I'm here to see Gemma Corwyn. Is she available?"
The technician seemed bewildered for a moment and then nodded. "Wait here," he directed them before turning to leave.
"Thank you," the Doctor replied to the young man's already retreating form.
Replacing the card, he suddenly caught Jamie looking at him again, this time appearing almost disappointed.
"What?"
"I never got a chance tae ask earlier, but what's this 'Doctor Disco'? What happened tae 'John Smith'? I found that for ye!"
The Time Lord briefly raised his eyebrows, a bit surprised and then endeared by the fact that Jamie had regained that particular memory. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, well … I like to mix it up every now and then."
Jamie nodded but still seemed a bit hurt.
"Plus, if I used 'John Smith' and they remembered that alias from the previous time, our cover would be blown. They'd expect the Doctor, Mark Two and think I'm an imposter."
Finally appearing to understand, Jamie's hurt expression faded and he nodded again, his mouth lifting in a faint, lopsided smile. "That makes sense. Ye were always good with that sort of thing, Doctor."
A pair of footsteps echoed louder down the corridor and the Doctor spotted a familiar face alongside the technician they'd just met.
"This man requested to see you specifically, Dr. Corwyn."
The Doctor presented her with an awkward smile and noticed her eyes narrowed as she gazed at him. Her gaze then flitted over to Jamie, however, and some recognition seemed to dawn on her.
"You," she said, pointing to Jamie. "You're that young man. Er...? Jack? Or Jamison, or ..."
"Jamie," the young Scot corrected her with a shy smile.
"Yes! My apologies." She turned back to the Doctor, eyeing him suspiciously. "But who are you?"
"Ah, I'm Doctor Disco. I believe a John Smith was here aboard the Wheel with this young man recently. I'm an associate of his."
"Aye, they both attended the same … schooling," Jamie added awkwardly.
She still appeared confused but after a moment seemed to buy their story. "Yes, he helped us against the invasion of those metal robots – the Cybermen."
The Doctor nodded. "Yes, that's right."
"What brings you here, Doctor Disco? Surely we don't have to worry about these Cybermen any longer?"
Thinking on his feet once again, the Time Lord's gaze dropped to the floor. He couldn't simply tell them they needed to see Zoe to find out if she got her memories back. What would he tell them? He then remembered the anomalies he'd observed on the scans.
"Ah, no, but I did notice some interesting astronomical occurrences outside the Wheel. They may be associated with that small space station about fifteen degrees due east of your hull. I need to cross-check some data. May we see Miss Zoe Heriot by any chance?"
"Zoe?"
"Aye, y'know, the wee lass with the brown hair and the -"
"Yes, I know who you meant. Why do you need to see her? I'm sure our astronomer Tanya Lernov can give you what you ne-"
"I'm sorry, but we specifically need to see Miss Heriot."
Jamie nodded. "Y'see, she had some very useful information last time that was important in defeating the Cybermen. We really need tae see it and find out if there's anything else she can give us. Please." He gazed at her with pleading eyes.
Gemma stared at them for a moment, seeming a bit surprised at Jamie's insistence. Finally she nodded. "Alright, come this way."
"Thank ye," Jamie replied gratefully.
"Not bad, McCrimmon," the Doctor muttered as they followed Gemma at a distance.
"Eh, I learnt from the best," Jamie joked with a hint of affection in his voice.
Finally they stopped in an area the Doctor recognized to be Gemma's work space. He watched as she pressed the intercom switch.
"Zoe?"
The screen flickered to life, showing Zoe's face. The Doctor felt a twinge in his hearts and he quickly turned to Jamie. The young man's eyes widened briefly and it looked like there were some heavy emotions playing across his face.
"Yes, Doctor Corwyn?" Zoe chirped back.
"There are a couple of men here requesting to see you. Shall I send them down?"
On the screen, Zoe's eyes narrowed in apparent suspicion. "What do they want?"
"They said they need to cross-check some information you have there in the library." She briefly turned to the Doctor and Jamie. "One is called Doctor Disco and the other you may remember, Jamie McCrimmon, was here during the recent Cybermen invasion."
Zoe seemed bewildered for another moment before her face seemed to light up in recognition of Jamie's name. "Oh! Alright, then. Send them down."
"They're on their way. Thank you, Zoe." She pushed a button to turn off the intercom and then turned to the Doctor and Jamie, forcing a smile. "I reckon you remember where it is from the last time you were here," she said, addressing Jamie.
The piper nodded, giving her a little wave and smile as he started heading in the direction of the library and gestured to the Doctor to follow him.
The Doctor gazed at him curiously. "You do?" He knew Jamie's memories had been flooding in, but he wasn't sure he'd gotten all of them back. Then again, he did remember giving the Doctor his 'John Smith' alias on their last trip here...
"Aye. Why wouldn't I remember? Don't forget Doctor it was no' that long ago we were here … Not long ago tae me, anyway."
The Doctor conceded he had a point. "True."
"I wonder what Zoe will think when she sees ye."
"She won't know who I am – not in this form, anyway. She seemed to remember you, though."
Jamie sighed and a faraway look appeared in his eyes.
The Doctor regarded him fondly. "I can only imagine what was going through that head of yours when you first saw her on that intercom screen."
Jamie turned back to him. "Well I was happy tae see that she seems safe. Would be happier tae find out if she's got those seed things in her brain like I do and got back any of her memories."
"Well, we'll find out."
They finally stopped in front of the library and the Doctor gestured for Jamie to go in first.
Jamie nodded and, taking a deep breath, entered the room. His heart did a somersault when he found Zoe standing behind her usual desk. Seeing her on the intercom screen was one thing, but now seeing her right here in front of him, safe and apparently happy, was another. Still, he had to find out if she was going through the same thing he was memory-wise.
He approached the desk and noticed the Doctor had caught up, stopping alongside him.
"Z-Zoe?"
Zoe looked up from her work and stared at them. "Jamie?" she said quietly.
Jamie felt as if his heart would burst from joy as he felt his face crack open in the biggest smile he could manage and nodded. "Aye, it's me. I'm back. I've got tae talk to ye aboot -"
"But you were just here about a week ago to help us stop that Cybermen invasion," she interrupted. Her voice returned to that cold, clinical way of speaking. It was as if nothing had changed from that first time he'd met her. Jamie's heart started to ache, but he tried to be positive. Maybe she had remembered …
He watched her turn to the Doctor in curiosity.
"Who are you?"
The Doctor glanced around the area, probably to make sure no one else was there. "Zoe, I'm the Doctor."
"The Doctor," she repeated, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly she started to laugh. "Oh, really, you're having me on, aren't you."
"No, we're not! He's really him!" Jamie insisted, gesturing toward the Time Lord.
Zoe finally stopped laughing and cleared her throat, returning to her usual calm demeanor. "No, you can't be him. He was quite different from you in stature. He had dark hair and was at least ten years younger than you ..."
Jamie tried to bite back a snicker as he witnessed the Time Lord's indignant glare in reaction.
"He also had a very different way of speaking and, from what I can tell on first impressions, a different personality."
"Well, you remember him, don't you?" the Doctor asked, gesturing to Jamie.
She turned back to Jamie. "Yes, of course. I know you and this 'Doctor' were traveling companions." She regarded the Doctor once again. "But how do you fit into the picture? Are you an associate of his by any chance?"
Jamie began worrying his lip nervously as he watched the Doctor sigh in obvious frustration. The Time Lord took a few steps forward until he was standing up against Zoe's desk and there was less than a foot between them.
"I know you find this hard to believe, Zoe. I do not look or sound at all like the Doctor you met only a week ago. But that's the thing. To you, it was only a week ago. To me, it was years and years."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm me, but I'm a different version of me."
Jamie decided it was the perfect time to step in. "Aye, it's true. It's called regeneration. I was a bit confused when he found me in the prison at Culloden Moor, though somethin' aboot him felt familiar. Anyway he gets a new body and personality whenever he can't keep the old one ..."
Zoe looked confused, and, perhaps, a bit overwhelmed. "Wait, wait … Regeneration? So your body wears out and you morph into a completely different person?" She turned to Jamie. "And what's all this about Culloden? That's Scotland, your homeland, isn't it? How did he find you? And how has he changed when you haven't?"
The Doctor held up a hand. "I know it's a lot to take in. I'll tell you all about it if you'll let me." He moved even closer so he could look into her eyes. "First I have to know: Do you trust me?"
Jamie watched as Zoe blinked at first and then stared hard at the Doctor. Her mouth slowly dropped open, as if in realization. Could it be she actually recognized the Doctor, or, even better, remembered him?
"Doctor?" she whispered.
"Yes, it's me, Zoe. Is there someplace more private where we can talk?"
Zoe looked as if she was in a trance for a moment but then shook herself out of it. "Oh, yes. There is a lounge area just down the corridor. I'll check and see anyone is there."
Jamie smiled and nodded as she pushed a few buttons and looked at a screen.
"No, it's empty. Come on, I'll take you there."
"Thank you," Jamie said in unison with the Doctor as they moved to follow her. Jamie's eyes narrowed as he watched the Doctor take out that instrument that almost reminded him of his old sonic screwdriver and turn it on, aiming it at the area behind Zoe's desk.
"Doctor?" he asked quietly.
"It's nothing," the Doctor said, turning off the device and pocketing it. "I hope."
