Chapter 2
The TARDIS was floating in space, no longer near a dust cloud. The Doctor continued to maintain that Nita was unconscious for only thirty seconds, despite Nita's evidence to the contrary.
The Doctor and Nita were in the library. On the table in front of them sat one of Nita's incubation bottles.
"I have a hypothesis. The twenty-second century Earth physicist Pell Underhill conjectured that a major disruption in time-continuity could be compensated for by trillions of counter reactions." The Doctor indicated the incubation chambers. "The effect could have allowed your mosses to arrive at the other side of the worm hole with the unanticipated growth."
"Underhill was talking about energy!"
"Nevertheless, it is possible that the phenomenon could occur in matter at much higher levels of organization. Given the proper conditions." He smiled. "Perhaps we've got a tempest in a test tube, after all."
"Doctor—"
The Doctor cut her off with a look. "I need to work on the sensor diagnostics." He turned and exited the room.
Nita didn't believe the Doctor's explanation for a second. She was honestly amazed that he even proposed it. She had never known the Doctor to lie, and yet… if they never went through a wormhole… then what happened to her during that missing day… she had no answers. Whatever it was… it seemed to be something the Doctor didn't want to tell her about… It could be that whatever caused this situation affected the Doctor as well. Or it could be that he was telling the truth… and this was just… another minor mystery. She could check the computer's chronometer… see if there was evidence of tampering… She decided to proceed. Meanwhile, she would maintain their present course. If there was something wrong with the Doctor, she didn't want him aware of her suspicions.
The Doctor was under the console, doing standard sensor diagnostics. Nita entered the Control Room, seemingly buoyant. "Doctor, how goes the battle?"
"The long-range, infra-red sensors suffered no apparent damage as a result of the wormhole. I am presently checking the neutrino and heavy particle detectors."
"Great. I'll help you, Doctor."
Just a little puzzled, the Doctor nodded, and handed a diagnostic instrument over to Nita.
Nita waited until the Doctor turned away from her. Then her smile immediately faded and was replaced by serious intent. She set down the diagnostic instrument. She turned her attention to the computer.
She looked up the materialization controls, entering a series of commands by hand. "Who was the last one to use the dematerialization circuits before we went through the wormhole?"
Soon the answer flashed up on the screen. "Nita."
Nita quietly left the Control Room and headed for Sickbay.
In Sickbay, Nita was holding a small instrument over her lower arm, while sitting on a diagnostic bed. As she continued to slowly move the device, she montiors the screen next to her. "Electrolyte concentration – twelve point five deviation from previous. Interesting…" She adjusted the device, and checked the cellular membrane. She was willing to bet the internal turgor pressure was off by almost the same amount. She again held the instrument over her arm. She watched the readout change slightly. "Eleven three deviation from the norm. That's what I wanted to see!" Nita went back to the Control Room.
Nita had returned to the Control Room, where the Doctor was still under the console. "Physiologically, each of us is on a daily cycle. Our cells have developed rhythms based on a twenty-four hour period."
"Our internal clocks."
"Exactly, and I can measure that effect at the molecular level. I took a trace from the last time I used the dematerialization circuits, and compared my cell function levels to what they are right now. If I was unconscious for only thirty seconds, those cycles would be nearly synchronous."
"And were they?"
"No. I was out for longer than thirty seconds, Doctor. A lot longer."
The Doctor reacted in shock. He shook his head and ducked back down under the console. "You're wrong, Nita."
Nita climbed down a ladder under the opposite side of the console. She examined the computer's chronometer. She discovered she was right. There was a security program to prevent tampering. But it looked now like was disabled, and a new program put in its place. Someone had reset the clock.
Nita was standing in front of the Doctor.
"A bit of a mystery, Nita."
"That's an understatement. Is it possible that something or someone affected you – without your knowledge?"
"I'm unable to answer that question, Nita."
Nita paused for a moment. "Doctor, would you consent to being examined by me?"
"As you wish, Nita."
"Please come with me to Sickbay."
The Doctor and Nita headed towards the door, and went up the corridor toward Sickbay.