2. Crystelle's Task.
"Obviously we must go back in time and see what we can do. But whatever else we do; the Master must never suspect that we have made any changes."
"What can we achieve?" Ommera asks.
"I really don't know. I'd like to save some people and I'd like to save the Library contents," the Doctor says. "Beyond that, I don't think we can do much.
"How can we save the library contents?" Crystelle asks.
"We'll need a massive memory chip!" the Doctor laughs. "But seriously, the information is all in data form. The hardest bit is being allowed to copy it. Knowing whether each item has copied or not, and if not, why not. Most of it is encrypted and copy protected."
"That's right up my street," Crystelle claims. "I studied decryption in my Maths degree."
"These are encrypted many times over," the Doctor says. "And encrypted by the best brains on Gallifrey. Just to have the encrypted files is enough. They can be restored and studied later in a rebuilt library; I hope."
"How much of it all is there?" Crystelle asks. "How large a memory chip are we talking? Planet size?" They all laugh.
"The Tardis can supply you with a set of suitable devices, I'm sure," the Doctor says. "We must only do small things that the Master doesn't detect, and only change small things, maybe some reference to crabs, or he will notice and revert the changes at the least. Just copying the entire library should be ok to do."
"I'd like to do that for you," Crystelle says.
"That would be really wonderful," the Doctor says. He smiles. Crystelle has a really good heart. "You will need to befriend the librarian. You'll be spending rather a lot of time in the library and she might report any suspicious activity, so it is not without risk."
The Doctor types in a date and some co-ordinates. The Tardis grinds, then shudders. The Doctor looks at the console monitor. "Oh dear, we're blocked from landing just then."
"We must go back further," Crystelle says. It may take time to befriend the librarian before I start to copy."
The Doctor types in another date. "You have four months." The Tardis grinds.
Crystelle steps out into a glorious day. Everyone is busy. She is in the library. She checks that she has the memory chips that the Tardis provided. She hopes that she will like the Gallifreyan librarian. She likes the robe that the Tardis supplied her with. It isn't pretentious. She closes the Tardis door and approaches the librarian.
What will the Doctor and Ommera do?
Ommera is alone with the Doctor. She knows that he has weighty things on his mind and that he will share his plan when he feels that it is safe to do so. She sees her job as being supportive to the Doctor. She regrets barging into his thought train earlier when she told him that he was really special. He hadn't reacted well to that. She will give him space.
Ommera walks slowly over to the Slint Park bench that is still in the Tardis after she enclosed the Tardis around the Doctor (in episode Lateness). As she sits, she watches the Doctor, then, feeling that he might prefer that she didn't watch him, she asks, "what can we do for the people?"
"I have a plan forming," the Doctor says carefully. "A million people in the Tardis!"
"We had five thousand Dalek warriors in the Tardis," Ommera says. She refers to the episode Daleks in the Tardis.
"Yes," the Doctor says. "Half a million people."
"It was a million a moment ago," Ommera says. "Why the downgrading?"
"If I save everyone, the Master will notice," the Doctor says. He is troubled at having to leave so many behind. "Is there a better way?"
"We have to do what we can, and do it well," Ommera says practically. "Where will they all fit?"
The Doctor goes to the Tardis console. "Tardis, can you make a few rooms to take half a million people, please"
Plans appear on the console monitor screen. The Doctor peruses them. "Too sophisticated. Too complex. Too uncomfortable..." With each review he swipes the picture to the right. "Ok. Perfect. Well, not actually, but it will do."
The Doctor walks across to sit by Ommera. "Our task is much simpler than Crystelle's task. We just have to pick up half a million people simultaneously from dozens of underground assembly points immediately before they collapse. Time machine."
"So, they would have died just after the roof collapse," Ommera says. "So, we're sort of disentombing or exhuming them just before they would have died?"
They sit for a moment contemplating. This has to be done! But how?
"That should be easy enough," Ommera says, surprising the Doctor. "You managed to put lots of planet moving equipment around my home planet, Slint, not too long ago?" She refers to the episode "Lateness" where the Doctor had moved her home planet at the instant when scarifiers started to opencast mine the whole planet away.
"Yes, but," the Doctor seems to have reservations about this. "We didn't have to persuade the planet moving equipment to work instantaneously."
"How do you mean?" Ommera can't see the problem.
"Here we have lots of people in each of the underground assembly points. Each person must want to go into the Tardis to escape. Even then, there may be a few left behind who may accidentally tell the Master what has happened."
"Oh." Ommera stops to think.
They sit on the park bench for a few minutes, deep in thought. Ommera thinks about episode Lateness.
"When you picked up all the planet moving kit from the warehouse, you placed a sticker on each item you were going to hire. Then, when the Tardis went, all the kit went with it."
The Doctor's face brightens a bit. Ommera can see that there are still further problems. "How would we get a sticker onto every person in the room? The rooms are very large. Each may hold tens of thousands of people. Football stadia full of people!"
They contemplate this for a while. Ommera suggests a cup of tea.
"Yes," the Doctor says.
They go through to the Tardis' kitchen.
"Couldn't you just ask the Tardis to take everyone in the room?" Ommera suggests. "Not just using stickers. Just take everyone?"
The Doctor's face brightens up completely. "The Tardis is clever. I'm sure she will do this task beautifully."
Are all of the problems solved? Can you think of any further problems?