Prologue
"Doctor, I'm not sure if you're alive or if this is even still a working number. Please come. We need your help. Please hear this message and come."
The video was choppy and the audio feed full of static, but the Doctor had no problem identifying his video caller as Kate Stewart, even though her appearance had changed drastically since the last time he'd seen her.
She was thin to the point of emaciation. There were several sores on her face. Her eyebrows were gone. One earlobe was noticeably gone. She'd shaved her hair, or perhaps it had fallen out. And yet, those deep brown eyes were as intelligent and fathomless as ever.
"Kate! What's happened?" The Doctor consulted his instruments and was relieved when he confirmed the TARDIS had already locked onto her location and time zone.
But Kate apparently couldn't hear his reply.
"Doctor, this is Kate Stewart of UNIT. Something terrible has happened." She smiled ironically and then coughed deeply.
"Well lots of terrible things have happened, but I think someone's been messing about with time." Kate turned to listen to someone standing behind her, nodded and then returned to the video call.
"Doctor, I'm not sure if you're alive or if this is even still a working number. Please come. We need your help. Please hear this message, and come."
The video fritzed out again and then returned.
"Doctor, this is Kate Stewart of UNIT. Something terrible has happened."
So it was a looping video. The Doctor listened all the way through two more times.