A/N: Well this is it. I have written the end arc story. But don't worry this chapter is not the end there is going to be one more but it'd be mostly in the Doctor Who universe. It takes place post the events of this chapter and I'm sure you'll love it. So without any further ado, you can immerse yourselves into the Destiny's Time Lord.


Disclaimer: The characters of Stargate belong to MGM. The universe of Doctor Who belongs to BBC.


'Not all Time Lords perished into the Time Wars. One escaped into another universe.'

The Destiny's Time Lord

Everett looked up and saw the growing red dot on Doctor Stealth's side. The man saved his life and now lay dying in his arm. Stealth smiled wide.

"It is not over, Everett," – He said with fading voice. "It is just the beginning."

Everett looked up. Rush, Chloe, Matt, Grier and TJ had just come in.

"Oh my god," – TJ said and rushed to him but he pushed her back.

"You can't do anything, TJ," – He said barely. "But it is not necessary either."

Suddenly his face and hands started to glow in an odd yellowish light.

"It has begun." – His voice became coarse and he stood up pushing himself away from Everett. "Prepare yourselves to be amazed."

The yellowish light suddenly flared up in intensity. The result was astonishing...


Chapter 6

The Amazing Guardian

Previously on the Destiny's Time Lord...

Destiny's crew wakes up after three years in the stasis pods. Everything seems ok until they find a deletion point and no explanation. Even Eli is acting out of character hiding something about the two weeks.

Destiny then jumps out of FTL and a stranger comes aboard but he bolts away before anyone could stop him. All attempts to find the stranger fail until he reappears in the disguise of Dr. Ian Stealth who briefly takes over the ship returning it to the previous galaxy.

Destiny drops out of FTL to receive a mysterious update. Dr. Rush tracks it and discovers Destiny's main frame has already deleted the information. But he also discovers the name of the transmission's source – the Guardian. The ship resumes course for the new destination input by Dr. Stealth, somewhere near planet Novas.

On one stop out of FTL, Colonel Young, Lieutenants Scott and Johansen, Chloe and Dr. Volker become stranded on a world after the Stargate is destroyed by an old foe – the drone ships. Destiny resumes course. Colonel Young, Lieutenants Scott and Johansen, Chloe and Dr. Volker find a strange alien technology, which in turns is very similar to the gates. They manage to catch up with Destiny.

Meanwhile, Dr. Stealth while still working on his secret project, receives a distress call. He takes a shuttle and goes to rescue the stranded ones. He arrives just in time but is stranded in turn.

Destiny resumes its course until it exits FTL and stops dead in front of a Lantean warship full of Ancients. Communication with the ship stays unanswered. The Ancients then subdue the crew of Destiny using a modified stun bomb. Only Dr. Rush escapes capture. Their analysis of the ship's status is not encouraging. The ship had been through a lot but they are determined to repair it.

Their commander, Veun, decides to use the humans as work force to gather materials in order to be able to repair the ship. Veun makes the offer to Colonel Young packed with legitimate threats. At first Young refuses but after a show of force, his people are sent to a rogue planet outside the galaxy to mine the necessary materials.

The very next day, Eli mysteriously disappears. The crew discovers he had jumped from a cliff but never recover the body. Many months later, having repaired sufficiently the ship, Commander Veun orders the humans back onboard.

Destiny resumes course until a new planet where to leave the humans is found. Veun plans to get rid of the humans and return Destiny to the Pegasus Galaxy and back to the past but an unknown program takes over and the ship jumps back to FTL.

Meanwhile while in transfer, the humans are rescued by Dr. Rush. They arm themselves and the battle for Destiny begins. Having learnt many secrets Dr. Rush's plan earns them victory even when the Lantean warship Venkrat reappears, it is unable to assist as the enigmatic Dr. Stealth had taken it over.

Dr. Stealth then boards Destiny and disappears inside the main cargo bay. He reappears later just in time to save Colonel's Young life. As he lay dying his body starts glowing in strange yellowish light and regenerates. The result stuns everyone. The enigmatic Dr. Stealth transforms into ELI.

And now on Destiny's Time Lord...


Three and a half years ago…

The crew of Destiny had been in stasis for the past twelve days and Eli was nowhere near solving the problem with the last of the stasis pods. He had gone through the manual several times now but the solution was still elusive.

This last day of effort Eli made a breakthrough but it was not a cheerful one. He had indeed told Colonel Young that he is smarter than Dr. Rush but being smart was not going to be helpful at all. The fault with the pod was indeed technical and he needed to repair it but he had no materials for that and dropping out of hyperspace was simply out of the question.

Eli put down the manual and sighed in frustration. He had hoped a little too overconfidently he would be able to solve it but it turned out he overestimated his chances. There was a way to fix the damn pod but he could nothing about it. He now had to lie down and kill himself so the others may have the chance to survive and wake up in three years. The resources stored for the two weeks period were coming to an end. He had one more day of life.

It was for the best that he used today as his last day and the next to die and stop the leak of resources allocated for his life support. It was the right thing to do. There was no other alternative otherwise his friends and colleagues will not make it and might wake up a few thousand years shy of the intended target time and that would be the end for them. With no contact with Earth, they will go bongo.

Eli strode round the ship and his favorite places all day. By end of the day he returned to the bridge and began putting down in place the last instructions into the main computer. He wanted to go to sleep and not wake up tomorrow. The last instructions were in place when he suddenly froze. He was seeing a display of Dr. Franklin before him. It must be the ship messing with him. Franklin pointed at an area in the ship.

Eli recognized it once. It was the chair room. The idea frankly had crossed through his mind but he was not ready for ascension or assimilation into the ship. Of course, that idea was not bad he could be with Gin again and perhaps see the others from time to time. But no, he had made his mind. He shook head at Franklin saying: 'No, I'll go my way'. The Franklin hologram melted away.

He exited and locked the bridge, and made his way back to his bunk. On the way, two things happened. Suddenly Destiny dropped out of hyperspace and the gate activated. Eli hurriedly made his way to the gate room. The door opened and Eli froze in his tracks. On it stood a man dressed in the fashion of the Ancients and in his arm he held a weapon that he promptly discharged into Eli.

Eli lost his footing almost immediately and his knees hit the ground. Eli looked down and saw a growing red dot on his chest where it said – you are here. Two more Ancients appeared and carried him in the gate room. Eli saw more Ancients but he also saw a strange rippling inside the event horizon of the gate's puddle. The place around the wound was becoming increasingly cold.

Well, he wanted to die before the deadline hits and now he got his wish though he would have certainly preferred his death was calmer and not so cold. But life isn't perfect then he heard them talking.

"Excellent! Now we fix this once and for all! Who's that?" The commander of the Ancients called Veun as Eli overheard asked.

"A human, we ran into him and shot him!" – The Ancient female replied. She was called Velista. She was standing above the bleeding to death Eli Wallace.

"Good, we began with one the rest awaits!"

"If only that were true!" – A voice interrupted.

Veun turned around and gaped in awe at a strangely dressed man. He wore a long black tuxedo with a white scarf, orange striped shirt with silver beads, black tie on orange balloons, white sneakers with orange ties, and a black bowler hat, again with orange stripes.

Even Eli looked and noticed the oddly dressed man but strangely enough recognized his face as he had seen him just twelve days ago when he put him in stasis. 'How was this possible', Eli asked himself. His vision was becoming blurrier by the minute but he forced himself to focus so he can hear the conversation.


The gate shut down and Destiny resumed its course into hyperspace. The Ancients led by Veun were still standing rooted at their places. The strange man before them was smiling big time though the moment the gate shut down the smile was replaced by cold fury. His eyes twinkled but he still did not attack. There was time for everything.

"Did you really think you'd go unpunished, Commander Veun?" Dr. Ian Stealth asked.

"I don't know who you are but you're only one." Veun replied with a smug smile.

"Or perhaps it only looks that way." Dr. Ian Stealth countered. His gaze narrowed. There were mere seconds away from combat. "You ran from the hundred years old war with the Wraith because you were afraid. And you travelled to the future so that you can return into the past as the glorious heroes and rule the rest of the Lanteans. But guess what," And it was here that Stealth smiled again but it was his devilish smile.

"What?"

"I am in your way. I have always been in your way and I always will be. I am the Lord Guardian of the planet Gallifrey, the home world of the Time Lords. Oh, yes, we were first, the first ones. We are the masters of Time, the protectors of the all creation through time and space. And your Odyssey ends here three and a half years into the past."

"I don't think so whoever you think you are. The Alterrans were first no one else."

"No, dear, the Time Lords were first. We know the universe like the back of our pockets. I have been to places you can hardly conceive of. I have been around for the past eight hundred years. Oh, yes, I'm eight hundred and twelve years old. And you don't stand a chance."

And Dr. Ian Stealth made his move. In his left hand appeared a small metallic device with an orange light atop that produced a rather annoying buzzing sound. The weapons of the Ancients left their hands with tiny sparks.

Stealth crossed the distance separating him and Veun rather quickly. Veun had little time to ponder his next move. He was defending himself against this odd creature that claimed to be eight hundred years old and if it were true then he was rather well preserved for his age not to mention extra healthy.

Of course Veun had these thoughts for a split second as the rest of the time he was fighting for his life. Stealth had no intention of letting them live. He would usually never kill anyone but they knew far too much and there was simply no other choice. The other Ancients came to help their leader but definitely underestimated the superb hand to hand warrior that the Guardian of Gallifrey was.

They were all soon lying on the ground unconscious. Stealth was utterly merciless. He disposed of Velista last. He had a sudden thought of what the Doctor might do and then a brilliant thought came to his mind. These Ancients were never going to be a problem again. There were many ways of disposing of an enemy and the Time Lords were the masters of them all.

His first job however was the dying Eli. He had already lost much blood and was slipping away though he was still awake.

"Oh, Eli, Eli," Stealth exhaled. "What mess we are in!"

"Des...iny...curse..." Eli tried to speak but coughed blood instead and his sentence was drowned in it.

"Oh, don't speak," Stealth warned and cleaned the blood. "You are not gone yet. Don't move! I'll be back in a jiff."

Stealth bolted down the corridor and straight to the stasis room. He found his pod empty and smiled victoriously. Now comes the complicated part. He headed straight for the cargo bay where he had left his most precious possession and ventured inside.

He sat on the command chair and the seven feet high grey crate came to life. It left the cargo bay only to reappear at the gate room encompassing the body of the bleeding out Eli. Stealth moved to Eli and put him on a bunk a floor beneath the command room.

"Don't worry Eli you will be fine." He said and smiled. His medical equipment managed to stabilize Eli's life. Now Stealth had to do something even more complicated. There was now only one way to save his life. Of course he was dead certain his people would most certainly object but that was not going to be an issue.

He returned to the command room and input the new coordinates. They led straight to a place that was time locked unless for particles that has already been there in the first place. The TARDIS left the gate room of Destiny and entered the time vortex.


The trip was rather bumpier than ever except for one time when he first did it so long ago when he first ran away from Gallifrey, almost at the end of the Time War (see the bonus chapter 7, the one to come). The TARDIS pushed through the dimensional barriers separating the universe of the Ancient ship Destiny and the one of the time lords emerging through the time schism, and it reappeared inside one of the lowest levels of the Glass Citadel of the Time Lords of Gallifrey.

Stealth took Eli with him and headed up. He reached the medical centre where a few healers were taking care of the wounded. They did not pay attention to him. Stealth had chosen the perfect time to appear. Hiding in plain sight was his speciality and that of the Master as he recalled. He now just had to avoid Rassilon and the Doctor for they would certainly recognize him.

He knew of course that he could not stay here for long. He had just a small window in which to perform a miracle. He got rid of the healers in rather unorthodox manner but he did not want them to start asking questions. They were bound to notice that Eli is a human.

Eli came around and opened his eyes. He closed them again for what he was seeing was beyond impossible. He opened them slowly again and blinked. He managed to stand up a bit in the bed. He looked around and saw other beds with other humans lying on them. But the view outside the glass windows was infinitely more interesting.

At the far end of the horizon the sun was setting down though it was more appropriate to say two suns but only was setting, for now. The sky was orange making a strange nuance to the mountains covered in glistening white. Beneath the glass windows, there was a forest of orange and almost golden colours, possibly trees or the leaves of the tress. It was difficult to say.

Soon enough, the second sun began setting down. Eli could hardly put into words what his eyes were seeing to describe such unearthly beauty. Golden light covered the glistening white snow of the mountains' tops and descended towards the forest and ground like a heavenly halo.

"Wow!" Eli exclaimed. He couldn't resist but say that. If this is what heaven was like then he was glad he was there. But again he might be dreaming too. He was inches away from death anyway. He might as well be already dead though strangely enough he still could feel and that sadly meant he was still alive and breathing. He examined further the feeling and discovered he might not be wrong of the previous statement either. He was not feeling alright at all. He was still dying but he was glad.

"Ah, the patient is awake. Good,"

Eli turned around and saw the approaching oddly dressed man he saw at the gate room where he had been bleeding out to death. He remembered his name now.

"Dr. Ian Stealth!"

"Oh, good, it's good to be remembered." Stealth smiled.

Eli opened but then closed his mouth. He was uncertain of what to say or how to say it. He noticed Stealth was carrying some ugly and rather crude looking device and wondered of its use.

"What is that?"

Stealth looked at the piece and smiled wide though not for long. "It is complicated."

"It always is. What is it?"

Stealth's smile was gone now completely and Eli wondered why though not for long either. A man appeared behind him in the door frame and Stealth reacted instinctively. He grabbed the nearest rather heavy oblong metallic object and threw it at the man behind. The latter really did not expect it and the metallic object hit him on the head and promptly fell unconscious to the ground.

"Wow, what the hell man?" Eli exclaimed shocked.

Stealth did not bother replying. He moved to the fallen man and put him somewhere he would not bother them again then he returned to Eli.

"Well, to be short, Eli, we are not supposed to be here."

"Why not?"

"It is a conversation for another time." Stealth replied. "Now," He placed the crude device on Eli's right side where his wound was still visible and pressed a button. Eli felt a hot burning sensation and lost immediately consciousness.

Satisfied Stealth grabbed Eli and carried him out of the medical ward. He moved to the Time Ward where the Time Lords as apprentices must stay for a time. There they are exposed to a raw time vortex. It is done so they can withstand it while travelling through it even if they use crude devices such as vortex manipulators.

Humans usually did not need such exposure as their travel into a TARDIS prepared them for it anyway. But for initiates as the Time Lords' younglings it is something of a requirement. It strengthened, bolstered their DNA and it was also that which gave them the cheating death ability, regeneration or at least part of it.

Stealth needed Eli to be there for his plan depended on Eli being able to regenerate at least twice: first into him and then back to his old self. And for this to work, Stealth had to perform some fancy miracles. He used the time lords' medical technology to alter Eli's DNA structure into the one of a time lord without killing him in the process.

The process in itself required at least four cycles, a time that Stealth did not have. He could not risk staying here for that long hence why Stealth had accelerated the process. It was risky, very risky. But Stealth was confident he would be successful. He had done this once before and had no problems and the subject was in a worse condition than Eli. Of course back then, it nearly cost the life of the person in question but now he had the experience and ironed some of the problems he had encountered back then.

Stealth completed the process in less than four hours. He examined Eli and smiled satisfied the deed was done. He had succeeded in transforming young Eli, a human into a time lord. Of course if his people knew about this and hell if even the humans knew about this they would be joining the Daleks and the other nightmares to conquer and destroy the Time Lords. It was also true that this change was temporary. It had to be so it can serve its purpose.

Now was coming the difficult part. Stealth had to manipulate Eli's DNA to change him into Ian and then back to his old Eli self. That part was by far more difficult but not impossible and so Stealth got to work.


Meanwhile, in the medical ward, the healers had awakened. They disposed of the restraints and the head healer summoned the guards. He explained at his best what has occurred and the guards promptly informed the high council.

Rassilon was pacing back and forth trying to solve this riddle. He had sensed something odd and rather familiar but could not put his finger on it.

"Find them and bring them here! Seal the city!"

"Yes, Milord President!"

The guards vacated the chambers of the high council. Rassilon started to wonder who would have the audacity for such disturbance and ironically three names came to mind: The Master, the Doctor and the Guardian. The Master had run away, the Guardian had died jumping on his volition inside the time schism so the only one left was the Doctor. 'Was there no getting rid of him?' Rassilon thought annoyed.

Ever since the Doctor had returned, Rassilon and the rest of the Time Lords were having a rough time. He had managed to antagonize further every single enemy that was coming their way. And Rassilon was getting tired of it. Perhaps the time had come for them to implement the final directive – the End of time.

The guards searched everywhere they could think of but there was no sign of the intruders or any intruders for that matter. And one point they ran into the Doctor who had just appeared inside the atrium. The head guard had received further orders from the Lord President to arrest the Doctor.

"Milord Doctor," The head guard called.

The Doctor stopped looking at him. "Yes,"

"By order of the Lord President, you are hereby under arrest."

"Oh, what have I done this time?" The Doctor wondered but shrugging he followed the guards who escorted him to the high council's chambers. Rassilon was ecstatic.

"Finally," He said. "Leave us!"

"What's the occasion this time?" The Doctor asked in a rather cold voice.

"You have outdone yourself this time, My Lord Doctor."

"Really?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow. Such praise from the Lord President these days was something of a rarity.

"Yes," Rassilon nodded with a smug victorious smile.

The Doctor found the president's behaviour rather odd. One doesn't get arrested for doing the right thing though with the Lord President that was never certain or evident.

"Oh!" The Doctor exclaimed trying to provoke the Lord President to be a bit more specific.

"Not only you defy the wishes of the high council with your swagger but this time you have gone overboard."

"I have?" The Doctor was definitely not following the Lord President's pattern of thought.

"You brought humans here."

"Ah," The Doctor exclaimed but then got thinking. Yes, he did but that was a long time ago. He wondered why Rassilon was bringing it up now.

"Yes and this time you won't get away with it. The head healer informed us of your latest exploit."

"What?" The Doctor exclaimed this time genuinely puzzled. What in the world had the head healer to do with that? He wasn't present when he brought Jane to Gallifrey. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't play the innocent Doctor! He saw you just a few hours ago."

The Doctor looked at Rassilon stunned. What the hell was he on? A few hours ago, he was in the middle of the Dalek fleet antagonizing the shit out of the Dalek Emperor alongside the Corsair.

"My Lord President have you been drinking again of the Potion labelled 'Delusions One Every Minute'?" The Doctor asked. The other council members smirked at this comment.

"It would seem you have." Rassilon replied.

"Um, a few hours ago, six to be precise, I was in the middle of the Dalek fleet with the Corsair! And she can vouch for that unless you're suggesting I have been in two places at once?"

Rassilon was taken aback. "What?" The Doctor however had already looked away and was marching to the doors. "Stop! Bring the Corsair!"

The Doctor stopped and leaned against the wall in amicable anticipation. The Corsair did not fail to appear a few minutes later. She was in her night gown and rather frustrated of this rude wakeup call.

"My Lord President, I was having such a lovely nap! Explain yourself of this rudeness!"

"Where were you six hours ago?" Rassilon ignored her condescending tone and got to the point at hand.

The Corsair looked at the Doctor who only shrugged and then answered rather caustically.

"I was teaching the Dalek Emperor the recipe for Marshmallows' pudding!"

"You...what?" Rassilon exclaimed blinking hard.

"Oh for the love of Gallifrey, do I need to spell it for you?" She exclaimed flaring up.

Rassilon did not enjoy the utterly disrespectful tone. She was taking it from the Doctor. He was certain of it. But she had confirmed being with the Doctor. So if it was not the Doctor the culprit then who the hell was it? "Alright, you two can go!"


The Doctor smiled at the Corsair and they both left the chambers of the high council.

"What's in his head?" She asked.

"I don't know." The Doctor shook head. "It seems someone had brought a human here."

"And he can't find them?" She flared up shaking vigorously her head. "And they wonder why we are losing the war!"

"I'll look into it!"

"Why?"

"It sounds interesting."

"You will never change." The Corsair smiled.

"Care to join me?" The Doctor looked at her naughtily.

"Why not? I'm already awake thanks to that moron!"

The two reached the medical ward and asked around. The head healer was happy to see both of them. He recounted the encounter. The Doctor frowned. He got into thinking. Why did Rassilon think he was behind it? He shared this thought with her.

"Perhaps he thought only you're capable of it!" The Corsair suggested.

"Hmm, I do not know!" The Doctor shook head. "But why me directly? I mean it is as though I'm part of some list of..." The Doctor stopped in mid sentence. "Oh!" He was indeed part of a list so to speak.

"Oh what?" She looked at him.

"Well," The Doctor prevaricated. "There was once upon a time such a list." And he smiled. They were quite the trio. "We were quite on top of every list."

The Corsair smiled as she remembered those times too. "The famous trio of troublemakers who can forget?"

"Yeah, but the question is why."

"Well if it is not you as it is rather obvious that leaves two other possibilities..."

"Well that's just it. It doesn't."

"Why not?"

"Well, I haven't seen the Master in a long time. He must be still frozen. And well, the Guardian is dead."

"He is?"

"Well, yeah, Rassilon said he drove his TARDIS straight into the time schism."

"WHAT?" She exclaimed shocked. "No one can survive that. It is suicide."

"I know but that also means I'm the only possibility left."

"But then again that's the thing we were together at the time!"

"I know and that's what's puzzling!"

"Not really, riddle solved."

"Yeah," The Doctor smirked. "Maybe, but maybe not, because he is still looking."

"Well then someone else did."

"But it beckons the question who and why?"

"True," She admitted. "Why bring a human into the ward and then take him away and not leaving Gallifrey yet?'

But neither the Doctor not the Corsair could solve this riddle as they knew not who did it. Of course then the one hit on the head woke up and described the assailant. The Doctor jumped off his seat at once and broke into a run. The Corsair had to keep up. She had not seen the Doctor this excited and disturbed at the same time since the time she ran into him some two hundred years ago while dealing with the Cybermen.

The Doctor reached his TARDIS and moved along the keyboard inputting information as fast as he could. The TARDIS scanner activated and began search the parameters at once but got confusing results.

"What?" He exclaimed as he studied the results. The Corsair entered the TARDIS and joined him at the console.

"What's that?"

"That's something confusing."

"I can see that but what is it supposed to be?"

"I'm scanning Gallifrey for the presence of the Guardian's TARDIS!"

"The Guardian?" She exclaimed perplexed. "But I thought you said he went for the time schism?"

"Well Rassilon seemed to think it but after that description it could only be him."

"Why?"

"He has always been belligerent and very quick on his feet. It can be only him but these readings make no sense at all. Have you seen anything like that?"

"No, never,"

It was indeed confusing as the readings indicated the presence of the TARDIS but it showed it mingled with negative artron and zero point energy that was making it impossible for his scans to determine its exact location.

"How does one achieve negative artron energy?" The Doctor said more to himself than the Corsair next to him.

"Well, it is impossible to have a negative artron energy signature."

"I know but here it is!"

The Corsair had to admit it was possible after all for they were both seeing it but how that remained a mystery.


At this time, in the time ward, Stealth had completed the difficult part of overriding the regeneration procedures and inputting his sequences. He had once more to subject Eli to the time vortex so the new changes can come into place.

He then noticed the increased activity of the citadel's guards and looked into it. "Curses!" He muttered under breath. The healers had awakened and now probably everyone was looking for either him or the Doctor. He checked just to be on the safe side and it turned out that the Doctor had been summoned to the council's chambers alongside the Corsair. Oh, she was bad news.

Of course this news was indeed bad in itself. It meant it won't be soon before the Doctor figures out he is around and would start searching for him. It was also soothing to know that the Doctor did not know his habits well. But he would most certainly look for his TARDIS signature and that bore to no good. Sadly he had to stay here and monitor the last part of the process otherwise something might go wrong and this would be the end of a very prominent time stream in the other universe that could cause seriously unfixable damage.

Stealth imagined this time he would leave a trail to be remembered even by Time Lords' standards or at least a curious enigma. This also meant that he had to call his TARDIS to him as going out with Eli would only complicate matters. The guards must have sealed the entire city and going down several levels with someone that looked like his twin brother was simply out of the question. Or he had to do something rather drastic to attract the attention away from him. Of course there was another curious possibility he could transform Eli into yet another time lord but for that he needed the exact DNA profile.

"How about that Rassilon," Stealth wondered. But no, not Rassilon otherwise everyone would know for certain someone was cheating big time, perhaps the Doctor and one of his previous reincarnations but no that won't work either. And then Stealth thought of another rather curious possibility – Dr. River Song. "Ha, now there's a buzz killer." But then again, the Doctor did not know her yet, which of course was simply perfect. Eli's DNA was closer to River's.

"Well then Eli, you will have a rare opportunity you will be a girl."

Stealth got to work. He happened to carry the knowledge necessary for that. The process was this time less risky and far more believable.


Eli woke up in the middle of it and wondered what the hell. Stealth noticed him.

"Ah, the patient is awake. Excellent!"

"Dr. Stealth, what is going on?"

"Well, to make the story short, you are about to change gender."

"WHAT?" Eli exclaimed stunned.

"And you are to do exactly as I tell you. Mind you it won't be easy but necessary. As I told you, we are not supposed to be here and it must stay this way more or less. I will tell you now, what you must do and you'll have to do it exactly as it is told. Do you understand?"

Eli blinked but nodded. He did most definitely not understand. "But what if something goes wrong? What if I refuse?"

"Then all of your friends on Destiny will most certainly die and it will be all on your shoulders. Everything depends on you so you'd better do it exactly as I say."

"Of course," Eli replied. He did not like the part involving a future guilt of that magnitude.

Stealth told him many strange things. Of course the strangest was to profess love to another man he had never met before (did I mention he was another man!). Eli thrust head but listened and repeated everything. He had to memorize a great deal of things that he found out quite easy to do even easier than before. Stealth promised to explain everything once they were out of here.

The part that he was about to change gender completely was probably the scariest. Of course any man would find this statement rather intriguing but still saying it aloud and actually experiencing it were two very different things. Stealth explained how the process will occur and though Eli understood it in principle the general picture was a bit fuzzy.

"Are you ready?" Stealth asked finally.

"I don't know!"

"Good answer," Stealth smiled then it faded and he added with a serious tone. "This will hurt!"

"What will?" Eli quickly asked but then he really did not need any answer. Stealth had taken some kind of pistol in hand. It produced an orange blast that hit him square in the chest and it hurt like hell. It hurt even more than before. But then somehow he knew exactly what to do and it was rather fascinating and illuminating. Eli focused his mind on it though to a degree it was more of a reflex than anything else.

He did not have to wait long for the result. His hands and other visible parts of his skin started to glow in a strange yellow orange light that seemed to have become tangible and swirly. He waved his hand and the strange light particles followed flawlessly with it. Stealth had stepped backwards giving him enough space.

Eli did not have to wonder much why. It was somehow self evident. He was on his feet and stretching his hands forward and to the sides, clenching his teeth because the agony of the pain had become more than intolerable. Actually, it felt like painful death much like he was feeling when he was bleeding out.

And then in one swift burst, the light intensified. Eli could feel his body change, alter its structure. His hair grew blonde and somewhat longer than before. His face stretched and the pain was agonizing. His legs and arms altered too. He was taller now but much more slender and his arms much softer. Then another thought climbed in and focused on a dress size though he wished for pants.

And then just all of a sudden the pain stopped though he could still feel the cooking inside him but on the outside he was done. He noticed Stealth smile big time and look for something that he soon presented it before Eli's eyes that widened in utter shock. Eli simply could not believe the reflection he was seeing in the mirror. Indeed hearing about one thing and actually experiencing it were indeed two very, very different things.

His hand involuntarily found itself inside his pants. It was the only to be a hundred percent certain. What it felt shocked him even more but what he was hoping to find wasn't there anymore. Stealth promptly took him by the hand and shoved him in front a bigger mirror and Eli totally gaped. He looked nothing like his old self. His thoughts were pretty much the same but the rest…OMG.

"Oh my God," He exclaimed aloud and discovered that even his voice has changed. It sounded more women like, mature woman, experienced one. "Oh, holy crap,"

"Well then now," Stealth said perfectly satisfied. "Remember Eli, you are now Dr. River Song."

"I shall certainly try." Eli replied. He bent his new body to try it out right. Of course another thought found itself into his mind and it was kissing the man before him. At first it disgusted him but then again the new form took its toll and uncontrollably he did it. It was an incredible bliss and sent shivers down his entire body then he pulled away. "I'm sorry!"

Stealth recovered from the sudden kissing attack and recomposed himself. "Eli, it has to be a bit more tantalizing than this."

"Um, what?" Eli exclaimed a bit confused.

"You can't simply jump people, you know?" Stealth raised an eyebrow but he was smiling. "Make yourself um…slightly a bit out of reach but not too much!"

"I think I understand." And he moved for a tiny kiss and then pulled away. "This alright?"

"That's definitely better." Stealth said. "Now, the gun!"

"Gun? What gun?"

"Well, let's just say Dr. Song is a bit triggering happy."

"But you said he doesn't know her yet?"

"Yes, I did but it is pointless not to mention insulting to be off character."

"Insulting to whom?"

"Dr. Song of course,"

"Right,"

Stealth found a gun with Alpha Meazon power cell and put in a belt around his waist. "Good, now we have little time to work on the manners."

"We do?"

"Oh, yes, follow my example,"

And Stealth taught him in no time at all how to become the notorious archeologist Dr. River Song. It was not that difficult really. Eli thought if he were himself he would find it difficult but as his new self it was pretty easy.

"Oh, crap, what about the cramps?" Eli had suddenly remembered what girls experience once every month.

"Eli, you won't be a girl for that long." Stealth reassured him.

"Oh, alright,"

"Showtime!"

"Um, how are you going to pass?"

"Don't worry, Eli. You are the diversion. Once you ditch the Doctor and the Corsair, you will head straight down four levels until you reach a small…why am I even bothering?" Stealth said and promptly touched Eli's temple. Transferring information the Time Lords' way was far more efficient than words. "You got it now?"

"Oh, wow, yes, I do!" Eli exclaimed of the sudden jolt of flowing new information.

"Good, Showtime!" Stealth said. "After you, Dr. Song!"


The Doctor and the Corsair were still in the Doctor's TARDIS contemplating onto the impossible data displayed before their eyes – negative artron energy signature. The Doctor had wondered whether to appraise the Time Lords' high council of this new discovery but somehow he got the feeling it was best not to. Who would believe him anyway?

A sudden beep of the TARDIS brought the two out of their thoughts. The Doctor frowned as his TARDIS was actually recognizing the signature of the life sign it was pointing to and he found this extremely odd. He pinpointed its location and sudden jolt hit him – the Time Ward. Of course, it was the perfect hiding place.

"Time to go!" The Doctor exclaimed and he bolted out of the TARDIS with the Corsair at his feet.

The two reached the Time Ward just in time as a blonde woman was leaving it. She stopped at the sight of the Doctor, rearranged her hair and openly walked towards him. She then grabbed him by the face with her hands and gave him a smack of the lips then she moved back.

The Doctor stood rooted on the spot. He has never met this woman before in his entire life and yet she just kissed him. The Corsair, well, she was a bit jealous at the moment as the woman before her was classes more beautiful and tantalizing than she was. The sheer audacity and utter superiority this woman was projecting was close to mesmerizing and extremely attracting.

The Doctor snapped out of his stupor. "Who are you?"

"Oh, sweetie," The woman before him said with a soft tantalizing voice. "Spoilers!"

The Doctor was definitely taken aback. It was the sort of words he would choose when describing a future event. The woman smiled and walked around him driving him crazy.

"You haven't changed much, Doctor!" She continued. "Though, I would have preferred you into something more…um…slender!"

The Doctor swallowed. She was sizing him with lascivious stare in the eyes, opening her mouth just a little bit but with the most tantalizing smile he had ever laid eyes on, and slightly biting her lips. She made a small purr that actually sounded like a roar.

She walked away and the Doctor imperceptibly followed her and he could not explain why. There was something irresistible in her pulling him after her. She continued walking until they reached one of the most beautiful views on a balcony overlooking the rest of the citadel beneath.


Behind them, Stealth popped his head to see if the way was clear and seeing the trio walk away he smiled. The poor Doctor was taken completely off guard. Eli was making his impersonation of Dr. Song perfectly. The Doctor was mesmerized and his senses were dulled now and so Stealth used the time to slip through.

"Oh it is beautiful as ever." Eli observed.

The Doctor still mesmerized only nodded but then remembered the reasons of his investigation.

"Where is the human?"

"Hugh?" Eli turned to face him with an expression of mild confusion.

"The human you brought here. Where is he?"

"Oh," Eli exclaimed. "He's perfectly fine and home by now." And smiled. "There is really no need to make such a fuss, Doctor."

"I doubt the healers would agree."

"Well, yeah, he did assault them." Eli thrust head. "Ts, ts, very sad indeed, but he's perfectly fine and home."

"Where is home exactly?" The Doctor asked. He was still suspicious. The description he had been given could only pertain to the Guardian. The likelihood of confusion was slim to nonexistent.

"Um, he's back to his home world, planet Novas."

"Novas?" The Doctor exclaimed perplexed. "Never heard of it! Where is it?"

"It is in the galaxy Tenera!"

"Strange, never heard of it either,"

"Well, you can't know everything." Eli reasoned and smiled again.

"Why wasn't Rassilon apprised of this?" The Doctor asked.

"Do you consult with him every time you do something?" Eli countered.

"Well, no," The Doctor admitted.

"There you go then."

The Doctor was at a loss here. Everything in the story fitted in perfectly but his overdeveloped senses weren't easy to fool. Still, he had truly no reason to doubt any of it. Coincidences existed from time to time though he did not really believe in them. But it was possible that the described man was indeed only a man and it was even possible he resembled the Guardian.

Curiously enough, the healers did not mention the gender of the human and for all he knew he could really be a man. Still, there was a tiny part of him that did not trust the explanation or the person before him. He did like a bad girl and the one before him was definitely one. But he came to think he knew all time lords but this one he did not and it was rather frustrating. Still he needed a proof the one before him was actually a time lord. His senses were telling him it was but reason demanded proof.

"What were you doing in the Time Ward?" The Corsair asked and the Doctor threw her a grateful look for this reminder.

"That's my business and not yours," Eli replied coldly while his hands found their way to the belt where his gun was. He had the sudden feeling he might have a use of it.

"Nostalgic perhaps," The Doctor said. "Of the good old days," He was actually aiming to bait her. But Eli chose not to reply and only smiled. The Doctor's suspicions were high up again.

"It is our business when intruders get in the way, our way." The Corsair said glaring at Eli.

"Really? Am I an intruder? Oh!" Eli remarked caustically and looked at the Corsair mockingly. "Stick to your own, Corsair, you might live longer." And with that Eli drew his gun and pointed it at the Corsair's face that stepped backwards instinctively.

"Ladies," The Doctor stepped in between them with stretched out hands. "The Corsair only meant that…"

"I am impersonating a Time Lord?" Eli interrupted the gun still pointed at her. "How dare you?"

"Well then prove it!" The Doctor said. "Let's go the Time Ward. It will prove it beyond the shadow of a doubt."

Eli eyed the Doctor for awhile. Stealth had said that he, she, he is a time lord now. He still of course had many questions regarding this race but they had to wait. Without lowering his gun he pointed in that direction. "Lead the way, sweetie!"

The Doctor sighed and turned around. The Corsair moved at the front. The three proceeded to the Time Ward. They were walking in front of Eli eyeing each other. But then Eli had slowed his pace and as they reached a vent he used it to jump in it silently. The Doctor and the Corsair continued until they reached the Time Ward.

"Here we are!" The Doctor said and turned around but the female Time Lord was nowhere in sight.

"Darn it!" The Corsair exclaimed. "I knew she was up to no good."

"Well, it is a bit too late for that." The Doctor observed. It was really not easy to fool him that completely. Of course this only meant she was not a time lord but then his senses had confirmed she was. It was an interesting puzzle. But then why would she scarper? Was she afraid of the test? No Time Lord ever is. Or she simply did what she pleased anyway. Yes, the latter seemed more plausible.


Eli reached the lowest levels using the map in his head that the Guardian had given him. He found easily the seven feet high grey crate and ventured inside. The last time he had been in here he did not remember much of it as he was bleeding out so he could not truly appreciate the magnitude.

"It's bigger on the inside!" He exclaimed.

Stealth appeared from the stairs on the right of his position smiling big time. "Yes." He confirmed simply. "I take it you managed to ditch them?"

"Yes," Eli replied as it was rather obvious since they haven't followed him in.

"How did it go? Any problems?"

"Well, it went well except the Doctor wanted to try me in the Time Ward with some test to prove I'm actually a Time Lord."

"Yes," Stealth smiled. "He has always been suspicious. Don't fret about it. He will get over the disappointment."

"And she was too." Eli added.

Stealth chuckled. "Yes, she's bad news too but loyal to the boot."

"Can we go now?"

"Not yet,"

"What are we waiting for?"

"The perfect window," Stealth replied. "They are still looking for us but soon that won't be an issue. I've sent a signal to the Daleks."

"Daleks? What the hell is that?"

"Oh, trust me you don't want to know. But it suffices to say they are the enemy of the Time Lords."

"Why would betray your own people?" Eli asked perplexed.

"Oh, I'm not. I'm just accelerating the events so in the chaos no one will bother us."

"I still don't understand why."

"It is very complicated but as far as my brothers and sisters Time Lords are concerned I'm dead and I would like to keep it that way."

"Oh," Eli was not sure he understood Stealth's reasons but he trusted him nevertheless. He did save his life. "And then we will be leaving for Destiny, right?"

"No," Stealth replied.

"Why?"

"I need something else."

"Which is what?"

"The Flesh!"

"The what?" Eli asked stunned. He clearly heard the Flesh though he had no clue what Stealth meant.

"You will see. It is quite uncanny." Stealth replied with a mysterious smile.

Eli shrugged. Much of this anyway was way too strange to him. He walked around this odd contraption that was bigger on the inside, much bigger. It had numerous rooms, a tennis court, a library full of old dusty books written in some many languages he could hardly count them and a swimming pool.

On the scientific side however, it was quite exciting. He wondered how these Time Lords have managed to shove in so many things in such confined space. He wondered whether it is an illusion the size of it on the outside but it wasn't. It made him think of the theory of dimensionality. It was one of the few reasonable things that could explain this anomaly.

Other than that the odd contraption apparently moved through time and space hence their presence on the planet of the Time Lords. Eli chuckled remembering Rush's regret that invaluable knowledge would be lost while they are in stasis. But now he was certain that they have missed nothing. He had the rare opportunity to learn of things he never thought he could learn.

His presence on the Time Lords' home world was a testament to that venue. They had already a very powerful race on Eden. They could move things through space as though they were not moving at all. And now he had an inclination how this might be as the Time Lords can exactly the same with the slight difference that they were humanoid. And a little piece of the puzzle of the universe revealed itself to him.

He was glad he decided to be the one staying behind. Of course he did not plan to be shot by people that according to Stealth were actually Lanteans, and then transported to another planet and transformed into a woman. It was indeed a very crazy notion. True he had nightmares just the day before all this wonderful madness occurred but he figured it would be the Lucians not the Ancients.

A woman – the word still resonated in his mind as it was the only thing that did not transform at least not completely. He was ironically having a lot of woman's thoughts that was kind of beneficial but at the same time odd. While his little performance in front of the Doctor and the Corsair, he actually enjoyed himself immensely. Even kissing the guy was not as disgusting as he thought it might be. Of course being straight presented a challenge at least in the beginning, but then his woman's side took over and it was bliss.

And now he was stuck in a woman's body though according to Stealth it wasn't someone else's body it was his and this was kind of difficult to sink in. Like any other man he had wondered what it is to be a woman and he had the real chance of finding out. Of course there were aspects he really did not want to explore though the very thought of them was quite arousing.

And now he and Stealth were about to embark to find something called Flesh. The oddities of this man had really no end. As he recalled from his time on Destiny, Stealth was a botanist and he could have never fathom he was actually an alien with militant tendencies and a bag full of oddities that could eclipse the sun, the moon and the whole damn universe.

"Oi, Eli," Stealth's voice reached him. "Time to go. It is getting hot here."

Eli frowned. Hot – what the hell was he on this time? He returned to the control room that he called the bridge and quickly understood what was going on. The screens were showing odd circular vessels converging on the planet.

"What the hell are those?" He asked.

"Those would be the Daleks." Stealth replied. "They are the most or well one of the most dangerous race in the whole of creation."

"They do not look it." Eli observed.

"Well, I suppose it is a good thing you have never met them otherwise it'd be running into the closet to hide."

"You're not running!"

"That's because I know what I'm dealing with and how to fight them and as much as I would like to stay kick their…well, I can't. We have to leave. Our window of opportunity is very small." Stealth said and started pulling levers and pressing buttons. The odd contraption shook and a vroom sound filled the room.

And every time, it shook Stealth looked extremely happy making Eli wondered why as the damn thing was worse than rocking upside down a bumpy road. 'Time Lords' Eli thought shrugging not for the last time. They were odd beings.


The Corsair, well she had left the Doctor as she did not intend to be here when everything goes to hell. She was brave but not that much besides her form now was quite fragile. She bid him goodbye and left.

The Doctor on the other hand ran to his TARDIS and fired the old girl up. There was still a chance he could do something to stop the Daleks. It was far from over. He directed himself to the Emperor's ship and hoped to attract its attention and wasn't very wrong.

The Daleks chased his TARDIS and he just hoped they were not going to catch up with him as they were the experts in fighting the TARDISes. Many Time Lords had perished in their ships while fighting the Daleks. Of course, the important thing now was that they were chasing him and that was keeping their main forces occupied.

The Doctor however had to decide how to defeat them as it was not as obvious. The Daleks were by far the most difficult to deal with other than the Weeping Angels. The Cybermen were difficult too but not that difficult. The same could be said about the Nightmare Child and the travesties…

His TARDIS shook violently. The Doctor cursed under breath. He had allowed himself being in his thoughts for too long as the Daleks were closer than he thought. He looked at his instruments and it appeared he was in the middle of their fleet. He enabled the travel through time and space as the TARDIS travelled that way not cleaving through space as opposed to normal space ships.

He landed near the Glass Tower and bolted up. He reached the council's chambers just in time to hear Rassilon's speech. At first he thought he was dreaming but it was far from it. The Lord President was outlining a new plan, a horrifying plan that made every fiber of the Doctor stand on edge. He burst in and interrupted Rassilon's speech.

"You can't be serious!" He said.

Rassilon turned to face him and the expression on his face is something the Doctor did not like at all. It was devious, no devilish, and demonic. There was savagery in it he had never seen before.

"It is time!" Rassilon said enunciating slowly but powerfully. "It is the Time Lords put an end to this senseless and pitiful concept called existence. It is time we transcend them all. It is time for the final edict – THE END OF TIME itself."

"You can't!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"We shall transcend time." Rassilon continued ignoring the Doctor's input. "And become beings of pure consciousness. We will exist outside of time for all eternity. No more wars, no more conflicts with inferior races, no more universes…"

"This is insane!"

"No, My Lord Doctor, it is glorious! The Time Lords will be the only ones to exist."

"You sound like the Daleks."

"The DALEKS? How dare you?" Rassilon fired up. "These infernal creatures cannot start to compare with the glory and the might of Billions of Years of Time Lord history, and the power of the Time Lords. We are the masters of Time, we are Time."

"Maybe so, but we are not gods."

"That's where you're wrong, My Lord Doctor, WE ARE GODS!" Rassilon said firmly and then turned to the Time Lords' assembly. And his speech was powerful and full of disdain of life and all of its travesties. And the assembly spoke as one but the Doctor did not stay to witness it.

There was one way and one only to stop this madness. He knew what he had to though his hearts were breaking. The only way to save all of creation was to destroy the Daleks and the Time Lords, and seal them into a time lock from which there was no escape. Seal the entire Time War once and for all.


Meanwhile, Dr. Ian Stealth and Eli had landed inside a very ugly looking factory. There were enormous barrels filled with some boiling liquid. Stealth approached one of them and dropped a piece of hair that Eli recognized as his.

"What are you doing? "He asked.

"Come and see." Stealth replied gesturing him to approach.

Eli did so and soon noticed the Flesh boiling even more. There were bubbles everywhere and suddenly a furrow opened and part of the liquid leaked to a small tub rough the size of a human form. The tub filled in with the pale liquid.

At first nothing seemed to happen but then the liquid started taking form. And in a minute it was done and Eli gaped for he was looking at himself, naked.

"Well then now," Stealth exclaimed satisfied.

"You cloned me?"

"What?" Stealth looked distractedly at him. "Oh, no,"

"Then what?"

"The Flesh is um…not a clone though it is rather similar. The Flesh are programmable cells that usually stay in the state you saw them in the big barrel until a new matrix is introduced. It gets all of yours memories and for all intense and purposes it is you, identical in almost every way but it is still artificially created much like a clone but different."

"What?" Eli had trouble following Stealth's pattern of thought. He barely understood what he was saying. "Clones are grown from cells too."

"True but they can't be programmed the Flesh can. The clone is going to take on everything you are but with the Flesh it can be altered. Besides, the Flesh in the beginning was used as disposable labor force."

"As what?"

"Well, you know they work and then it is disposed of. Let me show you."

Eli's fleshy self woke up and stood up. At first there was mighty confusion as the first time Stealth appeared Eli was bleeding to death and that was the last memory it had. Then it was the strangeness of this place that wasn't the Destiny.

"Where the hell am I?" Eli's fleshy self exclaimed and then started contorting.

"What's wrong with him?" Eli asked.

"Well, the Flesh needs some time to cool off so to speak." Stealth replied. He did not have the heart to tell Eli the damn thing was about to push a daisy here and there. It had not gone according to his projection hence he checked the current date and cursed under breath. He had come too early.

The Flesh Eli however turned rather violent and Stealth had no other choice. He raised his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at it. In a moment, the Flesh fell apart before the shocked and terrified Eli.

"What the…hell man? Stop doing that!"

"Well, it was faulty batch!" Stealth replied. "Come on. We are at the wrong place. It is too early in its development."


They returned to the TARDIS and jumped further into time. This time Stealth went out alone as he did not want to subject Eli to the Flesh's birth again. He had noticed it was traumatizing experience.

This time he found what he was looking for and created the new Eli and imbedded into him the notion that he was the one and only Eli. He also imbedded the thought that Stealth had ten days to save his life as something horrible is going to happen – he would die on some rogue world while working for someone.

Stealth implanted him with a few implants (that he manufactured while on the Destiny) designed to disintegrate his body on the eleventh day after he wakes out of the stasis. That way he would leave no trace of Eli as it happened before. He had also to implant the idea of him going to that cliff and jumping. Stealth had to be thorough. He could not miss anything that had happened and make sure it happens the way it did. The time line had to be maintained.

Having completed everything, he put Eli to sleep and dragged him to the TARDIS where the real Eli was. He of course reacted the way Stealth anticipated.

"You can't. This is monstrous!"

"The time line must be maintained. Your death Eli would alter the mission of your people in more ways that you can imagine. You are central to their survival and whatever it is to come hence you can't die now. And the only way to make sure that you don't is to slightly cheat death. Don't worry you are going to kick the bucket just not yet. You are essential to the mission of Destiny." Stealth implied. "And this," He gestured at the Fleshy Eli. "This is how it is going to be or do you prefer to let your people down?"

"That's not fair!" Eli exclaimed frustrated. "I can't do it on someone else's expense."

"Well, life is rarely fair, Eli." Stealth said patronizingly. "But you are looking at it in the wrong way. The Flesh Eli is not going to die in vain. His death will inspire your people to fight for what is right. Or do you think it is a better idea to let the Lantean take Destiny away from the mission, from its mission that countless generations have died to make it happen? It is your choice. The destiny of the Destiny is in your hands. You choose!"

Part of Eli did not want to let Stealth complete his plan. It stood against his principles but Stealth's reasoning was not without merit either. Who knew how many Ancients have died while building this wonder based solely on a supposition? True they had some proof but it could be seen as randomness nevertheless. They had devoted thousands of years of research and personal sacrifices to make it reality.

He doubted the Ancients anticipated the ship will last this long but still. Will all their efforts be in vain after all? Maybe there was no answer to the question and then maybe there was and they have all believed there is. So who was he to take this away? But the only thing Eli resented is the way Stealth had chosen to proceed. Despite what this Flesh was it was still a living breathing creature and he was sending knowingly to its death. He could not do that in good consciousness.

"Eli," Stealth interrupted his thoughts. "If it is any consolation, every one of us exists for a reason, some reason and most of our lives we wonder what it is. Sometimes, we get to know that reason and the rest we don't. But what is important is what we leave behind. I know the other Eli doesn't really have a choice for I'm giving it one. But then again most of our lives go that way anyway. But his death…"

"Is not going to be in vain," Eli completed that sentence. "I understand why you are doing it but a part of me can never agree it."

"It is a mature answer Eli. But…"

"But what?"

"One day, Eli, you will be in charge of the lives of many and you will understand the pain of command. You will understand that sometimes we are not happy with the decisions that we have to take, the life and death decisions. But in your case now, you have to consider this: a life of single being or the lives of everyone on that ship including yours and future deaths that the removal of Destiny will cause when the Lanteans take it back with them in time to rule over the rest of their race."

Eli sighed. It was neither fair nor easy of a choice. It was between one premeditated evil and another even worse one. It was life and death. But he had to ask himself is it worth. How would he know that this decision is the right one? How would he know that he won't be making things worse than they already are? The truth was he didn't. But he also could not fathom on what might happen. He could only focus on what is.

"Alright," He said.

"Well then let's go!" Stealth said relieved. He hoped this is how it happened before more or less. He still had something else to do. "Oh, there is one thing you have to do before the final encounter."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Well," Stealth said. "Come here." He knocked his forehead into Eli's.

"What the…" Eli was saying but then memories started flooding in. He saw it all as it had happened three years into the future. He could hardly believe it. "Oh MY GOD!" He exclaimed overwhelmed.

"Now what you have to do it is very simple." Stealth continued. "You have to appear through the gate…"

"And say all these things?" Eli interrupted. "But you did them?"

"No, that was actually you!"

"But how do you know?"

"I know because I wasn't there when it happened. I was in the hydroponic bay and you came and gave me the knowledge."

"Are you saying that everything we did, you did is because I told you how it went in the first place?" Eli exclaimed stunned.

"More or less!" Stealth smiled. "You look surprised Eli. Just because I'm a Time Lord doesn't mean that I know everything. Essentially, Eli, you are the Destiny's Time Lord not me."

"But…um…but…" Eli entered the stuttering phase. "Um, why didn't you tell me?"

"Spoilers," Stealth smiled. "Foreknowledge is a dangerous tool."

"But you knew?"

"Yes, but it had already happened and I was simply repeating most of it."

"So…oh…wow!"

"And now you have to do it again. When you are done telling me, you will go to the storage area two. There you will find two identical crates…"

"You mean this ship?"

"Yes, the one that was already there and the one that is about to be there, this one."

"How would I tell them apart?"

"Well, the first one would be dusty this one won't."

"And then?"

"Then you will be a hero one last time. Eli, in the future, Colonel Young is going to be shot in the chest and you will have to take the blast for him."

"But it will kill me? You said I was essential."

"And you are but now Eli you are a Time Lord and we don't die easily."

"You regenerate!"

"Exactly,"

"But I'm still Dr. Song!"

"Not for long. Soon you will be me! Once you enter the TARDIS…"

"The what?"

"Oh, Eli, pay attention. This is the TARDIS – Time And Relative Dimension In Space, my ship. Once you enter it you will activate a sequence I will show you and it will send you to me."

"Then?"

"Then we go and you become a hero and then you will be back to yourself, your old self."

"And then I guess it will be one hell of a debriefing."

"Ah, well, no," Stealth said. "You can't tell them what really happened."

"Why not?"

"Your race, Eli, sadly, isn't ready. Don't get me wrong, I like it a great deal hence saving your sorry asses from time to time but your people will misuse this knowledge."

"To go home!"

"Yes,"

"And the mission will go to hell."

"Yes," Stealth confirmed. "I'm sorry Eli."

"You know I have to give them something."

"Well, it will be choked off as another curious enigma. You can imply the end of the universe thing. It always works."

"Alright, I will do as you ask."


And so Dr. Ian Stealth had to shot him again to force the next regeneration. Eli took it well and soon in the TARDIS there were two Ian Stealths. Eli took on Stealth's clothes and essentially became him as his crew and the Flesh Eli saw him the first time he crossed the event horizon.

Stealth took him the non planet where using the fused technologies sent him to the Destiny and Eli did as he was asked. He had noticed his other self – the Flesh. He looked exactly like him in every aspect. He then bolted to the hydroponics where he found the Stealth before he met him for the first time and gave him the knowledge then he went straight into the storage area and found the TARDIS. Venturing in, he did as Stealth had told him to.

He appeared on this odd thing the non planet where Stealth waited for him.

"Good," Stealth said approvingly. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I think so!"

"Good, it is your time to shine."

"Stealth, will I see you again?"

"It is possible. Somewhere down the road, we might meet again."

"Because if you return to the ship it will be damn hard to explain it! They will all think it is me the whole time."

"Something like that, actually,"

"What to do you mean?"

"After you regenerate and they go to sleep, they are not going to remember anything of how you died on the rogue world. As far as they would be concerned, you never died. You saved Young's life. They will not remember Ian Stealth regenerating into Eli Wallace. Only you and I will know that. And the only true mystery will be me."

"Alright," Eli sighed defeated. It was probably for the best. "Just one more thing?"

"Yes?"

"How many times can a Time Lord regenerate?"

"Usually twelve times," Stealth said. "But you are not a Time Lord. I have altered you temporarily to survive this. Once you're back to yourself you will be human once again. I'm sorry Eli. But this was a temporal measure. The human body cannot sustain such stress for long. It can tolerate it three four times tops and within short periods of time. The best is when you're young but as older you get it becomes lethal."

"So I was Rush's age it wouldn't have worked."

"No, it would have worked but only once."

"Right,"

"Don't sell yourself short, Eli. Your race is amazing. You have much to see and much to explore and much to learn yet."

"And you?"

"Well, we, Time Lords are not so different. We also learn though we live considerably longer than most races. We travel through space and time. It is who we are. We are the Guardians of time. In the past before the Time War, we used to watch though never interfere unless someone plays unfair. We are I suppose the champions of justice and the keepers of time."

"So why did the Time War start?"

"That's a good question. I suppose some envied us. There are many empires out there that would kill for a single cell of a Time Lord, dead or alive. Our regeneration ability is invaluable commodity to all."

Eli sighed. It was an invaluable experience. His only regret to a point was that he couldn't share it with the rest for they would be amazed of the greatness of the human race and that of this impossible race the Time Lords. "Well it is time!"

Stealth smiled and before punching his TARDIS back onto the events there said. "The Destiny's Time Lord returns home!"


And don't forget to review. It only takes a couple of minutes. Thank you!

Lordheaven