"His face," Polly said, looking at the newly regenerated Doctor, "His hair, look at it."

"He's breathing," Ben said. "And the TARDIS seems to be normal. Do you happen to know what happened?" he asked, turning to look at Eva.

"I… I do," she replied. "The Doctor, he… there's a thing he can do when he's about to die…"

"Well, what are we going to do?" Polly asked. "We can't just leave the Doctor there."

"What, him?" Ben asked, marking at the man on the floor. "The Doctor?"

"It's him," Eva verified. "Same man, different face."

Same software, different case.

"That's who came through the doors," Polly said, understanding. "There was no one else outside. Ben, do you remember what he said in the tracking room? Something about, 'This old body of mine is wearing a bit thin'."

"So he gets himself a new one?" Ben questioned.

"Well…" Eva said, looking at the Doctor again. "Yes."

"Oh, do me a favour."

"Then whatever happened, happened in here," Polly retorted.

"But it's impossible," Ben protested.

"Not so long ago, you'd have said that about time travel and aliens, as well," Eva muttered, taking a deep breath as the Doctor moaned, opening his eyes.

He struggled to sit up, placing his hands on his ears as if to protect them from a horrid sound the other three couldn't hear.

"Stop!" he called out. "Stop! Concentrate on one thing! One thing!"

Eva took a step back marking Ben and Polly to do the same as the Doctor took his hands off his face, sighing in relief.

"It's over," he muttered, chuckling to himself. "It's over."

He stood up and moved to the console, flying the TARDIS away before starting to struggle with the now-too-big coat on his shoulders. Finally, he managed to get it off and it fell to the floor, a ring falling from his hand, too, as though following it.

"Doctor?" Ben asked cautiously, but the Time Lord paid him no attention.

Instead, he raised his hand to his face, getting acquainted with his new features as Polly moved to pick up the ring. The Doctor started walking through the Console Room, nearly tripping a few times before getting the hang of walking with his new legs.

"The muscles are still a bit tight," he muttered to himself.

"What are we going to do?" Ben asked.

"It is the Doctor," Polly replied. "I know it is… I think."

"It's him," Eva said. "I know it without a doubt."

"It's not only his face that's changed," Ben said. "He doesn't even act like him." He glanced at the Doctor, who was going through the contents of a storage chest that came supposedly out of nowhere before sighing. "Come on, it's time we sorted this out. Now look here!"

"Hold that," was all the Doctor said in reply, handing Ben a mirror and looking into it. "Tilt it."

The Doctor looked into the mirror for a few moments before, seemingly satisfied, he turned his attention back to the chest.

"Have you done with this?" Ben asked, annoyed.

"Put it down," the Doctor replied dismissively. "Put it down."

"Now what's the game?" Ben asked, before all three of them jumped back when the Doctor pulled out a dagger.

"Ah!" he called out happily. "The Crusades, from Saladin. The Doctor was a great collector, wasn't he?"

"But you're the Doctor," Polly said in confusion.

"Oh, I don't look like him," the Doctor replied.

"Like that's ever stopped you before," Eva muttered, making the Doctor fully acknowledge them for the first time.

"You!" he called out. "I told you to go away, haven't I? Well, what are you waiting for? Pop off! It's not like you're much use when you're here anyway."

Eva jumped back in fear, and Ben was quick to place himself between her and the Doctor.

"Who are we?" he asked, hopeful that if the Doctor recognized Eva he might recognize them, as well.

"Don't you know?" the Doctor retorted, turning back to the chest.

He pulled out several more items before finding one that triggered his memory, and seemed to have done enough with it afterwards. Turning to look at his hands, he hummed in appreciation.

"Very good," he commented. "Nails need growing."

"Now look," Ben said, taking the Doctor's ring from Polly, "The Doctor always wore this. So if you're him, it should fit now, shouldn't it?"

"Not necessarily," Eva said. "He's a different man now. Hands too small."

"And you should be off already," the Doctor said, turning to Ben. "I'd like to see a butterfly fit into a chrysalis case after its spread its wings."

"Then you did change!" Polly exclaimed.

"Life depends on change and renewal," the Doctor replied.

"Oh, so that's it," Ben said in understanding. "You've been renewed, have you?"

"I've been renewed, have I?" the Doctor repeated. "That's it. I've been renewed. It's part of the TARDIS," he suddenly said. "Without it, I couldn't survive. Come here. Come here," he repeated, looking straight at Polly who neared him cautiously. "The Doctor kept a diary, didn't he?"

"Yes," Polly replied, confused.

"I thought so," the Doctor muttered. "I wonder where… I wonder where…"

The Doctor turned back to his chest, going back to ignoring his companions who turned to look at each other.

"He's a very different Doctor, Ben," Polly muttered.

"No, he's not," Eva said. "He's the same Doctor, he's just different now."

"Yeah, maybe," Ben sighed. "Just where do we stand, though?"

Behind them, the Doctor had found a recorder and started playing it, making Eva sigh and Polly to step closer to him.

"Doctor?" she asked. "Doctor, what's going to happen to us?"

"I think…" the Doctor muttered. "I think we must have landed for some time. I think it's time we went for a stroll."

He grabbed his coat and the diary he apparently found, and headed out the door much to the protests of his companions.

"But you don't know where we've landed!" Polly said.

"No, you haven't checked the oxygen or the temperature or anything!" Ben exclaimed.

"Oxygen density 172, radiation nil, temperature 86," the Doctor replayed. "Strong suggestion of mercury deposits. Satisfied, Ben? Now, are you two coming or are you not?"

"He does know us," Polly said, sighing in relief. "He said 'Ben'. Didn't you hear him?"

"Yeah, I heard," Ben muttered. "But he might just have been copying you though, mightn't he?"

"Well…" Polly started with a frown before turning to Eva. "Well, are you coming?"

"He… I don't think he wants me there," Eva replied. "He said 'you two', and I think he just wants me gone."

"Stop this nonsense," Ben huffed. "The Doctor always wants you there, Eva, whether he's willing to admit it or not."

Eva hesitated for a moment. She knew that Ben was wrong about this – he hadn't seen how the Doctor reacted to seeing her just before his regeneration – but also got the distinct feeling that neither of the two would allow for her to remain alone. With a heavy sigh, she stepped out of the TARDIS, taking in the view of the place they arrived in.

It seemed like a swamp of some sort, and Eva fought to urge to cover her nose against the smell. There were pools of unknown substance scattered around the area and even without her foreknowledge Eva could have easily figured out that breathing the gasses that sprouted out of it was a bad idea.

"Doctor," Ben called out. "Where are you?"

The Doctor didn't reply and Eva took a cautious step forward, nearly tripping over one of the stones on the ground.

"Careful," Ben said as he reached out, grabbing her arm and helping her stay up.

"I'll do my best," Eva muttered, swallowing hard. The gasses that came out of the ground had already started making her dazed.

"Phwoar," Ben muttered as he walked by her side, "Ain't it hot."

"Do you think the air's like this everywhere?" Polly asked.

"Just around here," Eva replied.

"Don't want too many lungfuls of it, I know that," Ben commented. "Here, when I was a kid, we used to live opposite a brewery. You could take a walk and get tipsy all in one go."

"It's beautiful," Polly breathed out, kneeling to get a closer look at one of the pools.

"No, don't touch it, Polly!"

"I wasn't going to," Polly muttered, a bit put out.

"No, it's quicksilver," Ben quickly explained. "It gets through the pores. Where is the Doctor, or whatever he is, got to?" he asked, turning away to look for the Doctor only for a vapour to hit both Eva and Polly right in the face, making the two of them cough.

Eva's sight immediately blurred, and she heard Ben calling out for the Doctor as the world slowly turned black around her. Her last thought before unconsciousness took over was hoping that no matter how much the Doctor hated her, he would still save her.

EMH

Waking up after inhaling a great amount of toxic gas wasn't a pleasant experience, to say the least. Still, Eva thought it could have been worse. At least there wasn't the usual pain in her chest and stiffness in her muscles that indicated she was resurrected.

She certainly didn't want to explain that to a Doctor that hated her.

Because, despite what Ben might say, the looks the Doctor sent her way as they sat in the room the natives of… wherever they were left them made sure she knew without a doubt that the Doctor hated her.

They sat there for a while in silence before the Doctor pulled out his recorder and started playing, and even though it only seemed to make her headache worse, Eva didn't say anything. It was probably best at the moment to make sure the Doctor's attention wasn't on her, for as long as she could maintain it.

"So the murdered man was the real Examiner?" Ben questioned for the sixth time. The Doctor nodded but said nothing, still playing on his recorder. "Well, did you see who did it?"

There was a screech that made Eva's head pound and she quickly covered her ears.

"Apparently not," she muttered, making the Doctor send an angry glare her way.

Honestly, what could she have possibly done?

"The Doctor got this button though," Polly commented, marking at the 'Examiner' pin the Doctor put on his shirt.

"I think it's pretty dull around here," Ben sighed. "I don't know why we don't just go back to the TARDIS."

"Well, for one, someone's been murdered," Eva said. "Can't let his murderer stay free, can we?"

She wasn't sure what the meaning of the look the Doctor sent her way was, but somehow she got the feeling he was angry at her for wanting to put a murderer behind bars.

"Doctor, are you going to let them think you're the real Examiner?" Polly asked, and Eva silently thanked her for turning the Doctor's attention to her as he let out two short notes in response. "Won't that be dangerous?"

The Doctor responded with two notes again, and that seemed to be what broke Ben's patience.

"Look, why don't you stop blowing that thing and talk to us properly?" he called out angrily.

"Ben!" Polly called out.

"Now don't you start," he warned. "It's bad enough with him."

"Well, he hasn't done anything," Polly replied.

"Look at Eva's face and say that again," Ben retorted. "He hasn't done anything but be mad at her, and that's just the trouble." He snatched the recorder away from the Doctor's hands, before turning his attention back to Polly. "He knows what happened back at the TARDIS, yet will he tell us? Will he come out and say? Will he admit to being the Doctor?" he questioned.

"Ben," Eva said, reaching out a hand towards the man. "I know it's confusing, but things will be clearer soon. I promise."

Ben looked at her for a few moments before sighing, just as a knock was heard on the door.

"Come in!" he called out, and four people walked through the door – two guards, a large, bearded man and another that Eva thought she might have caught a glimpse off when she came in and out of her fume-induced haze.

"I am Hensell, the Governor," the bearded man introduced himself. "I trust you're all feeling much better?"

"I've felt worse, Governor," Ben replied, sending a small smile towards the man.

"If Earth had seen fit to warn us you were coming, we might possibly have been able to guide you down to the landing area," Hensell told them.

"If Earth didn't warn you we were coming, Governor, they must have had a very good reason," the Doctor commented dryly. "I wonder what it was?"

"Now look here," the Governor said, sounding offended, "I run this Colony. I'm entitled to know why you have come to Vulcan. What is your brief?"

"I am the Examiner," the Doctor stated.

"Why are you here?"

"To examine," the Doctor replied as if it were the most obvious thing. "And I intend to start my examination at once." With that, he moved forwards and started looking over the other man.

"Someone's leaked reports about these Rebel groups," Hensell muttered angrily. "That's it, isn't it?"

"Your turn now, Governor," was all the Doctor said, turning his attention back to him.

"There is Lesterson's capsule," the other man started, only for Hensell to cut him off immediately.

"Internal affairs are my business, Bragen," he snapped. "Please don't interfere."

"Please go on," the Doctor said, not aiming his words on either of them in particular.

"The capsule," Hensell said, sounding annoyed that he had to reveal it. "It was found in a mercury swamp. It must have been here for centuries."

"Interesting," the Doctor muttered. "Continue."

"For centuries before the Earth colony arrived," Hensell went on. "I felt it might be dangerous. It might contain bacteria."

"Didn't you think of –" Eva started, only for the Doctor to cut her off.

"Nobody's asked for your opinion, have we?" he asked angrily.

"Doctor!" Ben and Polly protested.

"I shall examine the capsule later," the Doctor told Hensell, ignoring his companions. "You may leave us."

"I shall look forward to your report," Hensell said through gritted teeth. "Bragen, see that the Examiner and his party get some proper clothes, will you?"

As the four natives left the room, the Doctor turned to the other Time Travellers, examining their clothes before frowning slightly.

"We are wearing proper clothes," he said, glancing at Eva again. "Well, at least most of us are."

And before Eva had a chance to retort, he pulled out his recorder and started playing again.

"Oh, how did he get that thing back again?" Ben asked in despair, before sighing. "That was a bit of a cheek, wasn't it," he mused, "Seeing if the Governor was the guy you got the button off?"

"Doctor?" Polly asked. "When he was talking to you, you were staring at the other man."

"Yes, very rude of me, wasn't it?" the Doctor asked. "Terrible manners."

"Nothing new, then?" Eva asked, forcing a sweet smile on her lips when he turned to her in annoyance.

"To tell you the truth," the Doctor said, venom dripping out of his voice as he glared at Eva. "I was studying his reaction, seeing if he agreed with the story."

"Did he?" Ben asked.

The Doctor gave a non-committed hum in response before saying, "Must have a look at that capsule."

"Now, you want to watch you don't take this Examiner stuff a bit too far," Ben warned.

"Our answers must come from that mercury swamp," the Doctor muttered to himself, ignoring the other man's words.

"Cause at least one bloke ain't going to be fooled," Ben tried again.

"When Bragen found us, he definitely said space capsule…"

"Look, Grumpy," Eva snapped, making the Doctor turn to her with both eyebrows raised, "You can be rude all you want, but at least listen to Ben, cause he knows what he's talking about here! You're not going to fool the guy the killed the real Examiner!"

Eva wasn't sure what the Doctor was more annoyed at – the fact that she interrupted his train of thought, or that he knew she was right.

EMH

Later that evening, the Doctor took Ben and Polly to see the space capsule Hensell and Bragen spoke of. Eva joined, too, though not before a short argument had sprouted between Ben and the Time Lord.

As soon as they walked into the room, the Doctor started looking around, searching through Lesterson's belongings before picking up a piece of metal and frowning at it.

"Where did you get this?" he asked the scientist.

"It dropped from the capsule," Lesterson replied.

"Dropped?" the Doctor questioned.

"Yes," Lesterson said, "When it was being hauled into the laboratory. But, you can see, this metal could revolutionise space travel. That's why I'm insisting that we open it. Well, who knows what other marvels there may be inside?"

"But Lesterson," Hensell said, confused, "I didn't think you could open it."

"Well, I have a theory," Lesterson said, marking at different parts of the capsule. "I'm convinced that the opening mechanism on the other side is either here, or here."

Slowly, the Doctor pulled a piece of metal from his coat, putting it by the other's side and finding them identical.

"Extermination," he muttered worriedly, glancing towards Eva.

"Now, my theory is that I can insert a laser ray in this ridge here," Lesterson went on, unaware of the Doctor's actions. "The ray spreads, fuses the opening device and gets us in."

"Examiner, I shall have to make it your responsibility," Hensell ordered.

"A laser," the Doctor repeated. "Why not? It shouldn't be too difficult."

Lesterson nodded, taking the laser and using it to fire at the first of the spots he marked. When nothing happened, he swallowed nervously.

"Well…" he muttered. "We'll try the other side."

Eva didn't think there was a single person in the room who wasn't surprised when the laser managed to open the door on the second attempt. The Doctor and Lesterson exchanged a glance before walking inside the capsule, the rest of them following shortly behind.

"Hmm," Lesterson muttered, looking around. "It's a bit disappointing."

"Not really," the Doctor replied. "This is just an entry bay, isn't it?"

"Yes," Lesterson said quickly. "I suppose so."

"Well, this doesn't get us very far, does it?" Hensell questioned.

"Getting into the rest of the capsule will take time, Governor," Lesterson told him.

"Well, can't you use that torch thing again?" Ben asked. "That must be an opening door."

"I should have to measure it up and find out where the lock mechanism is," Lesterson replied.

"I think we'll leave if for tonight," the Doctor commented.

"Leave it for tonight?" Hensell repeated in disbelief. "But what did we come here for?"

"That is my decision, Governor," the Doctor said sharply.

"But good heavens above, man –"

"A hundred years you say this has been buried?" the Doctor cut Hensell off, turning to look at Lesterson.

"Oh, at least," the scientist replied. "Now, there must be something in the inner compartment. We shall be able to find out where it came from originally."

"It didn't come from this planet Vulcan?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, no, no, no," Lesterson said quickly. "The metal is quite alien."

"Alien, yes," the Doctor repeated thoughtfully. "Very alien. Goodnight."

And with those words he had left the Laboratory, Ben and Polly following close behind while the Vulcan crew remained in the lab to speak some more before departing, as well.

None of them noticed that Eva remained inside the Capsule, the shadows around her concealing her from the rest of them.

EMH

Falling asleep hadn't been a part of Eva's plans but, then again, she really should have expected it. After all, she rarely stopped other than when she passed out from exhaustion, too scared of the nightmares sleep would bring with it.

Nightmares of the Year, nightmares of her time fighting in the American Revolution, nightmares of her other travels with the Doctor and of the Master.

She was woken up by the Capsule opening once more, her eyes darting open to find the Doctor staring at her, Ben and Polly lingering not far behind.

"And here I thought I was finally rid of you," he said. "Were you here since the afternoon?"

"Since we walked in earlier," Eva replied. "Sorry for giving you false hope."

"You should be," the Doctor replied. "Why can't you just go away?"

"And miss all the fun?" Eva asked with a tired smile.

"Fun?!"

"You know, it's a bit annoying that you can barely remember who you are, yet you remember that you hate me," she said as she stood up, sending Ben and Polly a small smile. "Either way, we have more important matters to deal with," she added when he opened his mouth to reply, marking towards the interior of the Capsule. "After you."

The Doctor hesitated for a moment before inserting a piece of metal into a narrow opening in the wall, making an inner door slide open. The four of them moved forwards, and the Doctor glanced at Eva before turning to his companions.

"Polly, Ben," he started, and Eva fought an eye-roll as he, once again, purposely ignored her, "come in and meet the Daleks."

"What?" Ben asked, confused.

"The Daleks," Eva repeated as they walked in, looking at the two creatures in front of them. "Nasty creatures."

From the way the Doctor wasn't surprised by Eva knowing what Daleks were, she suspected that she had met them with his previous regeneration – possibly even during the first time he encountered them. As it was, for her it was the first time seeing the Daleks in person.

'Nasty creatures' didn't even begin to describe them. On screen, they looked odd and occasionally funny, but seeing them in the – metaphorical – flesh and knowing everything they were capable of = everything they did and will do – sent chills down her spine.

They were more than a glorified salt shaker, she knew that for certain. She dreaded the moment she'll see everything they were capable of in real life.

One of the Daleks' arms moved, making Polly jump in surprise. She looked between the Daleks and the Doctor for a few moments before speaking.

"You could have opened this before," she whispered.

"These two pieces of metal are identical," the Doctor whispered back. "The Doctor got one of them from the Daleks himself."

"Why do you keep saying the Doctor if you mean you?" Ben whispered angrily.

"Why are we whispering?" Eva cut in. "If they can hear us, then they'll hear us. If they can't, then they won't."

"I knew I should find them here," the Doctor went on, ignoring Eva completely. "I knew it."

"Ah, they look harmless," Ben said, looking at the Daleks. "Not very lively."

"What do you think?" Polly huffed. "Two hundred years in a swamp and you wouldn't look very lively either. Nothing could live through that, could it?"

"Live?" Ben asked, confused.

"Yes," Eva replied. "The Daleks are alive. Present tense," she added, looking right at the Doctor who frowned in response. "And… there's something else you should know."

"What is it?" the Doctor asked. "What haven't you told me?"

"Doctor, look," Polly breathed out, pointing at odd-looking marks she had found on the floor.

"There used to be three," Eva said slowly. "Three Daleks."

"But then…" the Doctor muttered. "What's happened to the other one?"

"Doctor!" Ben called out, marking at a mutant creature that escaped into the shadows.

"A light," the Doctor quickly ordered. "A torch, outside."

"Did you see it?" Ben asked.

"Quickly, Ben, quickly!"

"What was it?" Polly asked as Ben ran out to the laboratory and back into the Capsule, handing the Doctor a lamp. "Can you answer me?"

"It was a sort of disembodied hand," Ben said quickly. "A sort of claw. It was horrible."

"No," the Doctor muttered as he examined the area where Ben saw the creature. "No, there's nothing."

"You were right," Ben muttered, looking at the marks. "There were three Daleks."

"Don't you know what it was?" Polly asked the Doctor. "If there were three, who moved it?" she tried when he said nothing.

"Don't ask me," Ben shrugged. "Lesterson?"

"But he hadn't opened the capsule!"

"No, he said he hadn't opened it," Ben corrected. "Let's get our facts straight."

"Ah ha!" the Doctor smiled at his companion as they walked out of the Capsule. "Excellent! Good thinking, good thinking."

"Well, does that mean you think he's been inside?" Ben asked.

"Perhaps he's been experimenting on the Daleks?" the Doctor asked, looking at Eva for an answer.

"You know I can't tell you," she replied.

"No," the Doctor said. "I know you say you can't tell me."

"But… but they're things," Polly cut in. "I… I mean they're dead. They must be!"

"This light is dead," the Doctor said. "Now watch."

As he lit it, understanding started to sink into Ben.

"Do you mean these things just need power?" he asked.

"Now, Lesterson's a fanatic," the Doctor said, ignoring the question. "The Governor's jealous of his own position. What does that suggest to you? Don't know," he answered himself. "Haven't thought about it. But all is not well with this colony. Add to that one Dalek."

"Oh, blimey," Ben sighed, "you don't half make mountains, don't you? One Dalek?"

"To wipe this entire colony, one is enough," Eva said grimly, avoiding the Doctor's eyes on her.