Chapter Six

It only took them a few minutes to relate their side of the story to the first Doctor, since nothing much had happened since he and Romana arrived in the Death Zone; and the Doctor, the original one, began relating what happened to him when he arrived. The two Doctors also began sharing several theories and ideas between each other, however they did this through telepathy rather than speech because it was quite a lot to get down. Romana joined in of course being a Time Lady and the fourth Doctor was sure he could sense Susan sneaking a peak in as well.

Ah Susan, you never did like being kept out of things did you? The Doctor thought briefly, a thought that was probably transmitted to Susan, because she immediately hung up on the telepathic telephone; or it could've been his earlier self trying to telepathically scold Susan about keeping out of private conversations.

While this went on, the scarf wearing Doctor did register that Turlough and Tegan had returned to the console room with a medical kit and were tending to Susan's hurt ankle. But he filed this information away, it wasn't relevant to their current discussion.

"You're talking nonsense, my boy." The old Doctor said out loud breaking the telepathic conference at once. "The Time Lords don't take such a forward approach in things of this nature, they are to protect and serve the universe of space and time. Why would they want to wish harm upon me?"

"Have you met me?" The Doctor said with a toothy grin, but the first Doctor did not seem to think this humours remark funny.

"… and why would they want five of us? Here, together in the Death Zone at the same time? Despite all the laws it contradicts!" The first Doctor was almost on the verge of shouting.

"Doctor!" Romana said catching the attention of both of them; who both went 'hmm?' at the same time turning to her. "Doctor" she said again looking at the older looking model to show she was referring to the first. "We were brought here by the time scoop." The old Doctor simply muttered an agreement but didn't look like he took the idea with much credit. "Well, the only person who could have access to such technology would be a Time Lord."

"Exactly!" the Doctor 'the scarf wearing Doctor' said in triumph, "and the Master is a Time Lord, and he isn't exactly the sort to enjoy peace and harmony."

"Who is this Master you keep referring to?" The elderly Doctor said getting quite annoyed with his older self. The Master was an old school friend of the Doctors, one who would eventually like himself become a renegade from his own people. But whereas the Doctor wanted to travel and see the universe, the Master wanted to conquer it. The Doctor could never understand that obsession of his. But he didn't really want to relate this information to an earlier version of himself, who has yet to meet what that old friend of his would become; because if this information wasn't wiped from the old Doctors memories at the end of all this it might have implications to the strands the Web of Time had relating to his own personal history. Plus, his own timeline was too much of a tangled mess already. Thankfully Romana came to the rescue with a more concise explanation.

"Another renegade Time Lord, like yourself." Romana stated. "Only one who revels in chaos and destruction."

"Very well put, Romana." the Doctor grinned again, he was obviously starting to rub off on Romana. She had come a long way from the bossy Time Lady who'd never taken her nose out of the books on Gallifrey. Since travelling with him she'd experienced the universe rather then watch it, and he felt; and he was sure Romana felt the same way. That she was much better off than if she had remained on Gallifrey, or was returned immediately after that business with the Key to Time.

Turning back to his 'younger' self he added. "Anyway, it'd have to be a Time Lord to transport something through the transduction barrier around Gallifrey to dump us here."

"You suggest, perhaps, a member of the high council?" The elderly Doctor asked, adding a hint of scepticism to his voice. The Doctor couldn't believe he used to be so stubborn. When he was 'him' he remembered he was on the run from the Time Lords, and by his reckoning; this old man had been taken out of time when he was travelling with Dodo Chaplet and Steven Taylor. So he must realise the Time Lords were still after him, in his own time stream if not in this one.

"Exactly!" He replied anyway, deciding to ignore his own scepticism. "The Time Lord High Council is in possession of artefacts dating back to the days or Rassilon and before. So only a member of the high council can know where the time scoop is and still retain the knowledge of how to work it." But the old Doctor still looked like he wasn't going to have any of it.

"How long do you two plan to squabble?" Said Tegans voice, who cut across their conversation. "We don't know where the Doctor, 'my Doctor' is. He could be in great danger while you two argue like this."

"He is a capable young man." The first Doctor said waving the question away. "He can look after himself I'm sure."

"Oh, I doubt he's in any danger anyway." The fourth Doctor said not taking his eyes off the first Doctor, but waved his hand in Tegans general direction as if it was stray thought that he didn't want to interfere with his own current thoughts. "If he took that transmat from the Master then wherever he ends up he's bound to be safe. The Master would have the transmat point to come out at a place of safety."

"Can you be sure?" Tegan was almost at the point of shouting at them now. He'd really have to have a talk with his new self about taking on companions who shouted this much. It really clogged up the synapses having all this stray noise.

"Yes!" The two Doctors snapped at her. "You forget who the Doctor used to be." The fourth Doctor said.

"I'm sure that makes her feel so much better." Romana added drily. The two Doctors looked at each other as they telepathically considered and then reconsidered what they were going to do.

"Well, I suppose there is one thing we can do." The scarf wearing Doctor said suddenly.

"Oh, what might that be my boy?" the first Doctor said.

"I follow 'my' original plan." He emphasised the word 'my' since he is referring to his future self, oh Time Lords never did invent a good terminology when it came to time travel.

"You're going to the Dark Tower?" Romana asked.

"Yes" the fourth Doctor said gleefully with a toothy grin.

"But there could be great danger!" the first Doctor said.

"Yes!" The fourth Doctor said again letting his voice raise another octave.

"But that's where whoever sent us wants us to go!" Romana said.

"Yes!" the fourth Doctor said again in the same tone of voice as the last one. "And what better way to solve this, than going up to the front door and knocking?"

He turned to immediately act on his plan and went up to the console and stood at the controls. They had been recently changed and rearranged, and now he didn't know where anything was at all. But he could quickly work it out, it all seemed to be in a logical pattern, one panel for flight coordinates, another for the state of the TARDIS shield system; one for picking up transmissions, but he didn't need that right now. When he thought he had the controls worked out he moved his hands to set the coordinates for the Dark Tower. But... the coordinates were already set for the Dark Tower, this didn't make much sense, why didn't his other self simply take the TARDIS in the first place?

"We can't take off." Tegan said, and it was as if a stone had dropped in his stomach.

"Indeed." the first Doctor said looking unnecessarily smug. "The Ship is stuck here because of the force field from the tower. If you had paid more attention to me in the telepathic conference you would've known that." But the fourth Doctor refused to accept defeat.

"Oh well, I fancied a long walk, anyway." He said as he moved to open the doors, but then found even the red door opening lever wasn't there anymore.

"I still say we should stay here and wait for the others." The elderly Doctor said exasperatedly as the fourth Doctor tried to locate the door opening mechanism.

"Our other two selves will probably be at the tower by now. I don't want to miss the reunion." He looked down at the controls again. Tegan suddenly stepped forward and pulled on a red panel which came out away from the console on a long telescopic strand of metal. The exact panel he was going to choose before she flipped it for him. He told himself.

He only muttered a slight inaudible 'thank you' to the Australian as he turned to leave.

"Romana" he called for his assistant.

"Yes, Doctor" she approached the door.

"Stay here and make sure the old fellow doesn't regenerate too early." He said.

"Now look here my…" but the first Doctor couldn't complain fast enough as the curly haired, long scarf wearing Doctor disappeared through the double doors outside the TARDIS.


The Doctor closed the exterior police box doors of the time machine and began strolling down the hill towards the tower. He had no idea how that old fool survived to such a ripe old age when he kept arguing with people who had more experience with this time and space adventuring then he did.

After a few steps away from the TARDIS he heard the sound of the TARDIS door opening again and the sound of footsteps running up to join him. He stopped but didn't turn to look at her. He could tell who it was instantly from the little traits such as the shoes she was wearing and the length of her stride. It was Tegan.

"What are you doing here?" he asked flatly as if he was in a mood.

"You can't go there on your own!" she said.

"It's going to be dangerous." The Doctor said in a low tone.

"Has it been anything but dangerous since I first stepped into the TARDIS?" she asked, the Doctor shrugged. How did she expect him to know? He hasn't met her properly yet.

"I'll have to take your word for it." He turned to face her and gave her a toothy grin. If he was going to travel with and trust her in the future then was there any reason she wouldn't be capable of looking after herself?

"Come along then." He said as he turned and he began walking towards the Dark Tower, the tassels of his long multicoloured scarf trailing the ground.


To Be Continued…


Authors notes: None to add.