Chapter 2
Harry Potter looked over from the table where he was sitting as he heard the strangled noise of a time travel capsule, possibly a TARDIS materialising just beside the outside of the tavern where he was sitting.
It took almost a span for the capsule to even make an outline of an appearance and several more to fully materialise.
None of the patrons of the tavern took any notice of the strangled noise of materialisation. Which was not surprising given what was here. The moon he was seated on did not have a name, or it had more names than could be counted. It was known as the 'Time Junkyard', the moon orbited a planet where, from the readings when he'd landed here a Temporal Extinction Device had been detonated in the solar system. The moon was home to various species selling pieces of time travel equipment, pieces of TARDISes and other races' attempts at time travel. None of it was from any recent developments, but it seemed the moon had several people wanting the seller's merchandise.
The reason they'd come was, after visiting a few planets he had discovered that Marie had not been as unaffected as she'd first indicated from her travel to his universe, and the one thing she was missing within her dimensions was a tool kit. The standard part of most TARDISes to do basic maintenance was a toolkit, so they were here.
He had told her to go looking for what she needed, she would have a better idea of the parts and pieces than he would. She had seemed somewhat surprised or confused, he wasn't sure by him telling her to do so.
If he was honest with himself he was still a little unsure around her. But that was often the case, though it was usually the case that the Time Lord was the confident one rather than the TARDIS.
Though he did often get the sense that she was also the unsure one, even in the vortex there was something to her personality that he couldn't fathom.
None of what he was facing he'd been taught at the Academy, how to deal with these challenges. He doubted his instructors could ever have imagined him facing this sort of problem.
He had discovered something interesting, it wasn't just technology that was traded here, but texts, many of which had obviously come from TARDISes and other Gallifreyan time vessels.
They were in less demand and thus he'd needed less currency to purchase these texts.
He and Marie had stopped at an asteroid field to collect various rare minerals and metals to use as trade, though Marie did have within the alcoves of her control room several different currencies.
However most of the rest of her interior had been purged when she'd travelled to this universe.
Several of the texts were various Record of Rassilon, some fairly old. They were mostly the same text, but there were some interesting translation differences.
There was a box of books at his feet that he'd purchased from a trader, all supposedly dealt with the Time Lords, though the seller hadn't been more specific. A quick look though under the seller's gaze showed they were in a variety of languages almost none of them Gallifreyan.
Harry looked over at the TARDIS that had over the past few microspans materialised into the form of a red two level vehicle, kicking up the grey dust around its vicinity in the process. The front stated that it was the Number 22 Putney Common.
There appeared to be some commotion within the TARDIS, with movement within it translating to the outside world, he could even make out figures within the vessel. Which indicated it was a quite old vessel, given that he could see into its inner dimensions.
Then the doors to the TARDIS opened and a figure stormed out.
"Fine Iris, I'll leave you and your bus to it!" The figure who appeared to be a black and white avian-like figure shouted inside the vessel.
The individual who had a male tone looked around at the various tables which were mostly full of patrons and saw Harry watching and wandered over.
"Hey, how's it goin'?" He said in greeting. "Mind if I join ya?"
Harry smiled and nodded. "Of course, please." He said gesturing the spare seating around the table that he was seated at.
"What's good here, you seem to have made a start." He asked looking at the empty vessels that were on his table.
Harry had tried some of the foodstuffs and beverages including many so called 'ales' and 'beers' that were available here. They suggested alcohol presence, but a great quantity of alcohol was required to influence a Time Lord physiology. Though Time Lords could choose to allow the biological process to take place, to allow their bodies to become intoxicated, but in practice this required some effort.
"There's a selection here, their foodstuffs are also good." Harry said, though he couldn't really frame it against other foodstuffs, as he hadn't consumed foodstuffs from other locations on this moon.
"Probably have to order something for her" He jabbed a flipper back behind him. "She'll be angry for five minutes and then smell alcohol on the horizon and come out looking." He said looking over Harry's shoulder at the board that explained what was available.
"You're here for parts for your TARDIS?" Harry asked curiously.
The individual looked at him curiously. "Yeah, that's what Iris says, this is some kinda junkyard for them." He looked at Harry for a moment. "You a time traveller as well?"
Harry inclined his head. "It seems most people are, or traders in temporal technology."
"Frobisher by the way." He said offering him an appendage.
"Harry." He said taking it and shaking as was the custom in some situations. "So what do you think is edible?"
-/
Several further spans had elapsed since Frobisher and the person who was piloting the TARDIS had arrived and Harry was having an interesting time talking with Frobisher. It seemed Iris had picked him up while he was 'between jobs', and now wouldn't take him home.
"Not that I really care. Travelling around with her's interestin'." He turned as he no doubt heard the doors to their TARDIS open. It was an unmistakable noise, even if it was masked by the noise of the TARDIS's outer shell doors.
"She's sulking and gossiping, too many TARDISes around here. And I think the dimensional stabiliser's shorted out." She said and threw herself down into a chair to the side of Frobisher and Harry. "Looks like you've been making yourself busy, didn't you think of me?"
"I thought you'd eventually come out and face the world." Frobisher said.
"Who's your friend?" She asked looking to Harry.
"Harry, meet Iris Wildthyme." Frobisher said with a smile, He'd already told him something of Iris' personality.
Iris looked at him and to the pile of books that was beside him. "So what are you deary? Scrap dealer or companion?"
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Companion?"
"She means do you travel with someone like her?" Frobisher explained.
Harry nodded and then shook his head. He supposed that Marie was his companion. She had already said that she was his TARDIS and that they were bonded. TARDIS and Time Lord.
"Yes you do or yes you don't?" Iris asked him studying him curiously.
"I don't travel with someone like you." He paused. "My companion is searching for some supplies." As he was answering Iris had managed to hail someone in order to order, she paid with a credit chip he noticed.
"Supplies?" She asked as she lit a thin paper wrapped tube filled with what smelt like dried leaves.
Harry didn't see any reason to deceive the pair as they obviously travelled in a TARDIS. "The toolkit was lost so my companion has gone to look for parts and pieces to construct a new one. I or she could help with your TARDIS if you'd like?"
"You know about TARDISes?" Frobisher asked surprised.
Harry nodded. He'd not passed with the highest mark in practical temporal and TARDIS mechanics and engineering, but had an adequate mark.
Although his only knowledge of antique time vessels came from his study of Gallifreyan history and some related study on other ancient cultures' development of time travel and time travel-like development. Homeostatic time travel was of some interest to him, he'd briefly considered a practical study and might have got access to a TARDIS to do so.
"She won't let anyone I don't know mess about with her. Especially not at the moment, she's not going anywhere." She looked at him shrewdly.
It was at this point a service robot deposited the foodstuffs that Frobisher ordered, in part in anticipation of his companion's exiting of their TARDIS.
"Thought you'd appreciate a bite to eat Iris." Frobisher pushed a plate that held an ovoid of leavened bread containing a 'bacon analogue'. Harry hadn't tried it, but to his olfactory senses it smelled some what like the smoked hind quarters of a striped pig bear.
But first Iris took one of the vessels of ale and drank a hefty amount, she was almost Shobogan-like in her thirst for the liquid.
"Pissweak stuff." She commented, Harry nodded in agreement as Frobisher took a swig of his and coughed.
"You and Iris have the same taste in alcohol." He coughed wiping his mouth.
Then as Iris was finishing the bread product in a very short amount of time, something happened.
Harry looked up the same time as Iris did and they both looked at one another.
Harry felt it wash over his body, a large temporal explosion had just gone off and they'd felt the temporal ripples run through the tavern. Not enough to affect local space-time but enough for Time Lords to notice.
Then Marie walked over. He immediately knew she'd dematerialised and re-materialised close by.
"We should go Harry." She said in a short clipped tone which indicated to him something drastic had happened. She only took that tone when something that affected, from her past universe or otherwise.
"This is you friend then Harry, she's..." Iris stopped as Marie looked at her. "Interesting. How are you deary?" Iris' tone shifted.
"What happened Marie?" Harry asked calmly as he rose from the seating.
"I..." Marie started and trailed off, which made Harry worry. He hadn't quite come to understand everything of Marie, especially some of her remaining memories from her previous 'life'. But some were ingrained into the fabric of her being, he suspected they were what disturbed her sometimes.
Sometimes he awoke from sleeping with terrible memories of his own, psychic leakage from her telepathic circuits.
He locked those memories deep within his mind. One day he'd section off a part of Marie's databanks and remove the memories from his mind.
Then someone shot at them, though the temporal radiation that was around their location prevented most weapons from functioning.
"We need to leave, they are attempting to prevent all vessels from escaping." Marie said in the same tone, but this time it was edged with fear. Another thing Marie seemed to have...Harry wasn't sure, wasn't sure ascribing Time Lord biological emotions to a TARDIS was right.
"Here." He said handing her his books. A flash of light followed as they disappeared within her dimensions.
"What the fuck?" Frobisher said. Harry was relatively sure it was a sexual epithet.
"Can your TARDIS leave Iris?" Harry asked as someone else fired a weapon at them Harry watched in curiosity as the weapon inverted the local space-time and folded back on itself causing a localised time loop that then folded in on itself again with a muted noise.
Iris shook her head. "What's your lady friend done to piss off the locals? The bus won't want to leave now, she's too upset that people are shooting at her." She said in an accusatory tone at Marie.
"Marie, we'll take Iris' TARDIS with us." Harry said to her. Marie looked at Iris briefly, perhaps enough for her sensors to identify her and then walked over to Iris' bus.
"You're not going in my bus!" she said rushing over to where Marie had already boarded. The doors slammed in her face.
Then she stormed back to Harry.
"What's your little miss doing with my bus?" She said jabbing a finger at him.
Harry could see Marie sitting in the cabin of Iris' TARDIS a curiously look on her face.
Then he heard the subtle tones of Marie's engines and the bus disappeared.
"What the...?" Frobisher began as the bus faded away and Marie was left standing there.
"Now, I can take you away Iris, Frobisher and once we're clear in the vortex we'll leave you and your TARDIS." Harry said as he walked over to Marie, then a gravity grenade went off above their heads. Harry felt the sudden change in gravity push him into his shoes for a moment and then Marie looked up, engaging her force fields around them.
"Where's the bus Iris?" Frobisher asked.
"Fine." Iris said grumpily, seemingly accepting his offer of a lift.
Harry nodded. "Let's go Marie." Harry said as Marie opened her arms wide and she split down her middle showing the light between her dimensions. Harry didn't wait for Frobisher and Iris to walk in, he just went into Marie's control room and hoped they would follow.
"What the frak Iris? I thought your bus was weird but this chick she split in half!" Frobisher appeared to be having some difficulty accepting Marie's inner dimensions.
"This brings a new dimension deary to the idea of travelling companion. You didn't say she was your TARDIS." Iris said looking around. "And you've got the dear old bus here too." She beamed as she saw the bus was located off to one side. Marie had manipulated her dimensions to allow the bus within the control room.
"Marie what's happening?" Harry asked as he went over the console. Marie was still being somewhat non-communicative.
Then he heard it. Marie had fired her weapons.
"Marie!" Harry exclaimed as he took charge of the controls. "Dematerialising in 2, 1." Harry pulled the controls the the time rotor began to move and then a tone sounded. Looking at the holographic screens around the console he recognised what whoever near them had done; Transduction shielding preventing them from leaving.
"Marie!" Harry shouted again.
"What're you doing?" Iris was at the console looking around. "New model I see." She paused looking at one part of the console that he mostly had deactivated.
The readings were indicating the shielding would be at very high levels in a few microspans.
"Marie." Harry said in a neutral tone as he went to that panel and pushed a slider across; activating it. "Weapons active, prepare to engage."
"Weapons?!" Frobisher exclaimed.
"Best hold tight chuck, this chick isn't just a TARDIS." Iris muttered to her companion.
"I bet, she just split in half and we're standing inside her. Are all you lot this weird?" He asked looking around him.
"Marie, stand by to fire to disrupt transduction shielding."
"Ready." She said in the calm tone as though she was reading a signpost.
Harry prepped the dematerialisation, reconfiguring the coordinates for a particular slice of the vortex that wasn't covered as frequently by the shield cycles. "Fire." He said as he began the dematerialisation sequence.
"Firing." Marie said in a calm tone.
The control room was filled with the dematerialisation noise as they felt the impact of Marie's weapons around them and they slipped into the vortex.
"Are we safe?" Frobisher asked after a moment of silence as Harry and Iris read the data on the holographic screens around the base of the time rotor.
"Two TARDISes on intercept course." Iris said with a frown.
"Badly piloted." Harry mused, he'd seen simulations of how to fly TARDISes in formation, this wasn't any of those.
Then another tone went off and the scanner flashed into life. It showed 4 time torpedoes flying towards them.
Harry reached around the console and shoved a slider to full. "Deflectors at maximum." There was a shudder throughout the control room.
Then Harry noticed it on the scanner, another TARDIS re-mapping its inner dimensions out across several of the more obscure dimensions trying to outflank them.
"Marie." Harry paused, heavily as he knew that his next order would likely be certain death or exile to the vortex for the pilots of the TARDISes, but considering how badly and malfunctioning they were according to the sensors, perhaps they weren't Time Lords. "Prepare to fire on all targets."
"Harry?" Iris looked at him questioningly.
"Fire." Harry said as he took the controls of the console, as Marie fired and ripped the TARDISes pursuing them to shreds he manoeuvred her around and collected the databanks of the TARDISes.
He would analyse them later and deliver them back to Gallifrey, when he next returned there.
Then he set the controls for Marie to drift deeper into the vortex away from their entry point into from the Time Junkyard.
"Marie?" Harry said in a neutral tone.
In the scanner her figure appeared though she seemed trouble. "I...Harry." She started. Harry shook his head. "Focus on repairs." Harry said, he could sense whatever had happened was something rooted deep in Marie's memories or possibly even an instinctual response.
"Minor damage throughout my external shell and defensive systems." She reported before the image flickered away.
"What the hell was that all about?" Frobisher said after a moment of silence as Harry made his way back to the console and deactivated the panel that held the weapons.
Harry wasn't sure how to explain it to him so he just looked at Iris and hoped she'd understand.
"Just like the dear old bus has her funny turns I think this" She paused. "TARDIS has her quirks. It's funny in its own way Frobisher."
"The bus doesn't have secret weapons systems? We could have used those against the Daleks." He muttered. "I need a drink." He sighed.
Harry directed him to an alcove across from the console, which was now due to the presence of Iris's TARDIS on the other side of it. It contained a food facility and several food and drink stuffs. There were larger kitchens and other facilities deeper within Marie's dimensions but Harry did not think Frobisher wished to leave the vicinity of Iris's TARDIS.
"While Marie regenerates and repairs perhaps I could assist with any repairs your TARDIS might need?" Harry asked in a calm tone to Iris.
"You? You know something about my bus?" She seemed shocked. "I don't want any so and so poking around."
Harry smiled. "I did pass, although not with the highest mark in temporal engineering. I could just pass you tools and supplies." Harry nodded towards where Marie had obviously deposited the tools she'd acquired before everything started.
Iris beamed at him and took him arm in arm. "That's what I like to hear chuck, it's the subjects that we don't pass where we're best put to work."
-/
Harry knew how many spans had passed, but didn't wish to actively consider it. The front of Iris's TARDIS the 'cab' where she could sit and 'drive' and interact with the outershell of her TARDIS contained much of the console, but there were other pieces tucked under the footwell and under floor of the bus.
It was incredible, he couldn't fathom what type of TARDIS this was. It was older than any he'd seen in the archives.
"This is a wonderful TARDIS Iris." He said, finally able to externalise his thoughts. For the first couple hundred or so microspans he had been at work assisting Iris give her TARDIS a 'service'.
She had suggested that her TARDIS, her 'bus' didn't like her poking around some of the time, and often didn't like to sit still, or when it did it liked to muse to itself. Being here within his TARDIS, within Marie her bus was at peace. Though its telepathic circuits were engaged, but that was to be expected whenever two or more TARDISes came into close proximity there was often some form of communication.
Iris snorted. "I'll tell your brother you think that, nothing but bad words about my bus. But say something about that TARDIS of his and ooh, he gets his knickers in a twist."
Harry pulled himself up from the force field array which appeared to be held to the bus's shell by rope. He looked over to Iris. "You know my brother?"
Iris beamed. Of course. She said his name and then added. "But he gets around calling himself the Doctor now. Won't be heard called anything else."
Harry grinned. "He was always doing that Theta Sigma, that was his nickname." Harry paused and leaned against one of the trunks that Iris had pushed aside so they could gain access to the bus's various components. "Now he's the Doctor, all of the time?"
"And you Harry, feel like taking a nickname?" Iris asked.
Harry shook his head. "I think I'll always be Harry Potter, even if I have to regenerate." He knew of Time Lords who when they regenerated took on new names. Though he also knew of Time Lords who kept the same face, the same body when they regenerated. It had been something he'd been interested in, but he hoped wouldn't have to know of it very soon.
"Good. We've got to stick together. Us time travellers, adventurers with proper names. Not 'the Doctor' or..." She trailed off. "Others like that chappy with the penis substitute, the Doctor's brother."
"Koschei?" Harry asked her curiously.
Iris shook her head. "There I go, blabbing away, different time streams, you're too young." She pushed herself up. "Time for a drink for us, we've been working for hours. I'm going to make you a cocktail. Something better than that pig bear swill they were serving." She moved past him to a cupboard that contained several beverages.
-/-/-/-/-/-/ -/-/-/-/-/-/ -/-/-/-/-/-/ -/-/-/-/-/-/
Frobisher woke up and looked around himself. He was inside a TARDIS, he could tell by the background hum that was always present. Even in Iris's bus it was there, usually when he was in the shower.
He could hear music, one of Iris' god awful cassettes, well, he only said that to rile her, he didn't mind a lot of ancient Earth music.
Better than the music written just to score more mazumas in the charts.
Then as he looked in front of him and saw the bottles of really excellent alcohol, he realised, as reality swept back into view like a big wave along a beach.
The chick. The chick that was a TARDIS, that he was inside of, and how that bloke just seemed to think it was normal.
And Iris, her bus was in there too.
Frobisher was quite sure he hadn't been doing any hard drugs recently, and if he had he was swearing off them.
Or maybe he should get back on them, reality was getting too weird.
"Come on sleepy head, up ya get, Aunty Iris and her new friend have fixed the old bus up." It was Iris' voice but she was far too cheery.
Frobisher realised the music had cut off at some point.
"Oi, Frobisher, get up!" Someone slapped his flipper.
Then he turned and Iris was standing there looking much more chipper than she had in a while.
"Iris?"
"The bus is fixed, better than the last time the Doctor got his grubby hands on her innards." She said as she reached forward and sniffed his empty cup and whistled. "That you're conscious means you've learnt much under my instruction."
Frobisher pulled himself up. "How to drink while you're making a racket you mean?"
Iris sniffed at him but she was still in good cheer. "Cheeky. Come on."
As he got up and followed Iris around to the other side of the bus where Harry was standing by his console.
"So how are we getting out?" He asked. "You demateralising or something?"
"Look at you Frobisher, using all the terms." Iris said proudly.
"With a hangover." He muttered.
"I'm just using the architectural configuration which means you can drive out under your own power Iris." Harry said from the console where he was typing in commands at one of the panels.
"Nice work Harry." Iris slapped him on the back and then looked at him. "Now you take care of yourself and we'll meet up, have a drink and lunch."
Harry looked confused. "How will I know when?"
Iris beamed at him. "I'll leave you a message sweetie." She then kissed him on the cheek and went off towards her bus.
Frobisher offered him a flipper. Harry took it. "Nice meeting you mate. Weird." He shook his head and turned as Iris started her bus.
Operating the doors the architectural configuration reformatted the doorway opening allowing Iris to drive her bus out.
In a cloud of chronons and dust Iris' bus moved out of his control room and out into the vortex.
Then there was a beep from the communications and Harry pushed a button. In the scanner if showed Iris and Frobisher from the point of view of her scanner. "Thank you deary!" She waved and then the signal faded to static.
Harry smiled.
Now, though he had something else to do, but first sleep.
-/-/-/-/-/-/ -/-/-/-/-/-/ -/-/-/-/-/-/ -/-/-/-/-/-/
Harry leaned back into the chair. The room wasn't a zero room. He knew Marie had more than one within her dimensions, but he found zero rooms too relaxing. He needed to keep his telepathic abilities active during this process. Though he could do so in almost any situation given enough effort he also wanted to be as relaxed and not prone to any outbursts when he did what he was about to do.
The room was a small study, though its shelves like much of the main library were empty. Marie's entry into this universe or what happened in her universe meant much of her internal dimensions vented, aside from her control room he was relatively sure there weren't many things from her interior dimensions from her original universe left.
Harry closed his eyes and opened his senses to his TARDIS's, seeking out the telepathic circuits.
Again he could do this by standing at the console with his hands on her telepathic circuits, but he felt more comfortable doing this slouched in this chair. It was a very small amount of effort to not be at the console, though not much and on balance it was worth it to be here and seated.
Harry felt her telepathic connection waiting and braced himself as he was drawn into her memories and found himself standing on the moon where they had just left.
He looked around and saw Marie walking through.
He knew this was a constructed reality of a memory. Like being in the Matrix. Even Time Lords couldn't process all the senses that a TARDIS experienced. This was a filtered constructed reality that he could process the memory through. It displayed a small amount of what Marie actually experienced when she was there.
Harry watched as she purchased several items, much of the transactions were done through some non-verbal communication, subtle movements in body language or telepathic gestures that he could feel Marie blocking and reciprocating when the correct response was needed.
Then the experienced memory changed, he felt it, a change in the air temperature around him and then a rise in temperature.
It wasn't what he expected from a TARDIS's memory, this seemed to be a fear response.
The seller was it seemed just selling random TARDIS parts, some old type 30 dimensional stabilisers, a food machine, some other parts for accessing the real world interface on some slightly newer models of TARDIS.
-/
Then Harry saw it, sitting behind the seller's stall, he wasn't sure what it was, but the sight of it seemed to rebel against his perception. Not like a perception filter, it was like the antithesis of a perception filter, rather unlike a Time Lord's interface with the timelines, it was a rejection of that.
He came to realise quite quickly this, or at least some of these sensations were just a small facet of the reactions Marie would have had to it, to seeing it. Though at this point he couldn't identify what it was.
The trader it seemed noted that Marie had noticed it and then looked at her oddly, removing something from under the table.
He knew what they were, they were a bulky form of the restraint used on Marie; dwarf star alloy manacles. Then everything around him changed and he felt it. The instinctual reaction as Marie's weapon systems fired. Obliterating the trader and the everything near him; vaporised. Almost from what he had read of it, a demat-gun type of explosion, and then he felt the eyes of everyone on Marie.
-/
Harry opened his eyes and paused. Calming his thoughts as he settled his telepathic pathways down from the experience.
Then he walked to the control room where Marie and he could converse face to face as it were.
Elsewhere within her dimensions she couldn't, in some places she'd had to ring her cloisters to get his attention.
Walking into the control room he made his way to the 'kitchen' that was what Iris called it, making himself a mug of dried leaves in boiled water. This 'tea' was something he remembered his mother enjoying and his father also finding its flavour pleasing, wrapping his hands around the vessel and smelling the steam he was reminded when he was younger. On the shores of Lake Abydos, his brother jumping after the singing fish. He just liked to swim and let the singing fish sing to him as they swum away from his brother who was laughing throughout the experience.
Harry closed his eyes and took a sip enjoying the sharp tannins. It was a parting gift from Iris to thank him for his help, and a glorious one filled with memories and joy.
Then he brought himself back to the issues at hand at the moment.
Marie must have sensed this as she appeared in the scanner. It was how she and himself conversed when he needed to. After their first meeting when she presented herself as a holographic representation, she had not done so again, instead presenting an image in the scanner or as simply a voice in the control room.
"What was that object?" Harry asked setting the mug of tea on the side of the console so he could look at her, her representation in the scanner. "It was..." Harry shook his head trying to describe it. It had been a feeling of...he wasn't sure. The sensations and feelings of a TARDIS even filtered were very often at odds with most beings, even Time Lords.
"You reacted, it was almost instinctual." Harry continued as he shut his eyes and looked to Marie. His TARDIS. "What was it and what happened?" He asked, determined to ask concise questions. If this were any other TARDIS he would...he would be going through its diagnostics and its logs, the memories and sensor analysis. But a Time Lord's relationship with their TARDIS was unique. With himself and Marie even more so. Most Time Lords would speak with their TARDIS, verbally, mentally, physically in the ways they interacted with their craft and piloted. Few could converse with one another as he could with Marie.
Marie looked back at him, seemingly composing herself. "The device you witnessed is used by agents of the Enemy in the War." Marie said, revealing little information as she spoke. But it was how she said it, what Harry could read from her that caused him sudden worry and concern.
"This is from your timeline, your universe?" He asked of her. She nodded.
"I...am...My systems reacted instinctually." Marie said simply.
"To the possibility of restraint or the device?" Harry asked in a calm but serious tone. He knew Marie held within her psychological issues that had not been resolved. But he also would not avoid the issue if it was going to endanger him or her.
Marie's expression did not change but he felt her systems alter slightly in reaction to his question.
"The dwarf star alloy restraints would not have held me long. My systems are at practically full power now Harry."
Harry nodded taking on the information.
"Was the device from within your dimensions, prior to your transversing through the dimensions to this timeline and universe?" Harry asked.
Marie paused, seemingly thinking, but Harry suspected she knew the answer immediately as he had considered it. In actuality he was sure the moment the incident had occurred it would have been one of the many processes she would have run. The pause may have been for his benefit, an aid to interacting with Time Lords and other sentients who could not, would never in fact think at the speed or through the various dimensions and possibilities that a TARDIS could.
"Many of my systems' core memories were corrupted when I passed into this universe." She paused. "But that device was not storied within my dimensions."
Harry considered this for a moment. "Is this from someone travelling here?"
Marie inclined her head. "No Harry. I believe it was from experiments carried out on both sides. CVEs, black holes, worm holes, dimensional warping and other facilities were employed during the war. I believe it was a result of one of these experiments that the device passed through to our universe."
"I see." Harry thought on this. "There must be history of this having occurred in the past." He mused to himself, there would be texts that he could review. Things recorded, either on Gallifrey or elsewhere.
"It may not be the only thing that has come to this universe, there could be other things, from other universes." Marie added interrupting his thoughts.
"Could be." Harry repeated, it was an answer of a TARDIS the possibility that there might be more.
"Next time, if there is a next time, interrogate before you disintegrate the person." Harry ordered. "We still need places we can go, I think that moon is off limits for a while though."
"Yes Harry." Marie acknowledged.
-/
A/N:
Frobisher and Iris Wildthyme; two of my favourite characters of non-TV Doctor Who. Frobisher's a shape shifting detective who gets around looking like a penguin and Iris Wildthyme is transtemporal adventuress extraordinaire.
If last chapter was the movie length feature, this was the following episode. With a smaller budget, shot in a quarry and using standing sets. But with good CGI.