Chapter 2

The Doctor and Ace were walking down the corridor on their way to the Control Room.

"I can't accept that Nita might be lying…"

"She believes what she says. And there is no trace of Doctor Erwin."

"Nita, I didn't conjure up one of my best friends from a test tube."

"If the TARDIS' records have been tampered with, then other records could have been changed as well."

"And with everybody coming and going yesterday, maybe Nita just doesn't remember, or…"

"Or?"

"It might be a good idea run a diagnostic on her."

"To make sure she hasn't been tampered with?"

"What do you think?"

"It's worth a try."

They reached the Control Room.

"I'll check the replicator activity logs – eighteen hours is a long time to go without food. Or without someone seeing him."

She left.

Nita was waiting in Sickbay when the Doctor arrived.

"Nita, this examination should only take a few minutes."

"But I feel fine."

"Sit down, over here…"

"Doctor, it won't do any good to check my eyesight. I didn't see your friend."

The Doctor indicated the examination table. "I'll be a little more comprehensive than that, Nita."

The Doctor checked Nita thoroughly. He found no physiological abnormalities.

"Doctor, would you please come with me to the Control Room? Ace and I have been investigating some there you'd better see. It might be connected to Doctor Erwin's disappearance."

"Lead on."

The Doctor and Nita entered the Control Room.

"So, you've made some progress?"

"Well, no one's seen him. The replicator in his quarters hasn't been used."

"Check shield and hull integrity for any sign of intruders…"

"Yes Doctor… but I have been closely monitoring onboard sensors… there has been no indication…"

"Then give me a Level One diagnostic of all onboard sensors, and run a manual sweep for any anomalous airborne or electromagnetic readings. I want some answers."

Nita went over to Ace at the computer. The Doctor followed and stood behind them.

"I've been experimenting with time field equations… Trying to find a way to improve engine efficiency."

The Doctor nodded. "I've read your reports."

"We did a test run while we were at the starbase." Ace indicated the terminal where CAD diagrams could be seen. "Here's what the computer recorded."

It was a very distinctive, twisting shape… unique.

"This is the static time field we created insided the time drive. The experiment was designed to see if we could keep a bubble like this intact."

"As you'll see in a moment, we couldn't."

On the screen the bubble expanded, then contracted again in the blink of an eye.

"There was a momentary flash of light. It was all over the spectrum."

"I remember that," said the Doctor. "Are you suggesting this bubble could have made Doctor Erwin disappear?"

"If he were caught in it… yes Doctor, it would seem to us like he'd disappeared."

"Where would he go?"

Ace sighed. "Who knows… he could even end up outside our space-time continuum…"

"Was Doctor Erwin in the Control Room during your experiment?"

"No, Professor."

"And this bubble never expanded beyond the Control Room?"

"No, Doctor."

"Then how could it have trapped Doctor Erwin?"

Nita shook her head. "It doesn't make sense."

"And I doubt time bubbles could alter computer records, or erase memories. Keep at it, Nita, Ace. It's the only working theory we have for now."

They acknowledged him. He paused.

"Nita, please set coordinates to return to Starbase One-Three-Three immediately."

"Yes, Doctor."

The Doctor entered his study. Suddenly he stopped dead, his eyes trying to focus on something he saw before him. Something was forming in the air: a swirling vortex of colour and sound, spiralling larger, the sound a roar of white noise, growing in intensity.

As the vortex grew, its wind began to buffet him. He found himself being drawn by its force. He braced himself against the wall. But the pull grew stronger and stronger. Before he knew it he was caught up in a whirling, blinding maelstrom. He grabbed on to something as he found himself being inexorably pulled into the vortex…

There was a blinding flash of light. The vortex was gone in a wink. He fell to the floor, and lay there, trying to catch his breath.