Songs of Travellers in the Night
Chapter 1

Michael pulled his shirt down before stretching his collar, he really must hate his dress uniform. Jeff had to agree. 'You know I've worked here for two years and I've seen some freaky things, here and out there Jeff'. But nothing, I say NOTHING will make me believe that this guy just appeared in a blue box.'

Jeffery Sinclair fought down a grin. 'I trust Ivanova, if she says that's what happened. That is what happened. How's the non-human population taking it?' The Commander looked around at the army of alien diplomats, religious leaders and fanatics that had gathered.

'That's the odd thing.' his security chief answered. 'Half of them are lining the walls from here to the Zocalo while the rest are down in grey sector, trying to pull the rest of the station over their heads. What do the ambassadors say?'

Jeff smiled and rolled his eyes; 'The only ones who aren't here are G'kar and Kosh. When I told the Narn he was the one ambassador who said the most; "The Oncoming Storm is here? Now? May the elders protect us all!" Then he fled. While Kosh just tilted his head and thanked me.'

Delenn stood next to them, dressed in a dark grey cloak that almost completely covered her. 'It is not surprising Commander. The visitor is a man of great acts. His presence is a sign of disaster, a coming chaos. Where he goes death is never far behind.' the enigmatic Minbari said.

'We sure we want him on board Jeff?' Michael touched his PPG.

'Ambassador. Is he a threat to this station?' He was on edge, first G'Kar panicking and now Delenn's warning. From the various other ambassador's reactions letting this man on board could be a tremendous mistake.

'Commander I have read much about your culture and those of your world that preceded it. You have put great emphasis on the story of Pandora's box... is it?'

'At the time it was a jar but yes. Out of the horror and bloodshed comes hope.'

'Yes Commander. Your people have many stories, parables and ideas you cloud in the veil of fiction. For the Doctor; Pandora's... jar is most appropriate.'

The Drazi Ambassador flicked his hands nervously. 'The Doctor has visited our world for many lives. He does not bring the disasters but the solution.'

All the other alien representatives mumbled in agreement.

'Well then, here he comes' Michael nodded and the non-humans parted like the red sea. A tallish man with chaotic hair with a wide grin and wider eyes stepped into the doorway and beamed out a smile.

'Oh. Hello. I take it I was recognised.' The man was astoundingly human looking. He wore a long, light brown, coat over a pinstripe suit and a pair of dirty white pumps on his feet.

Delenn walked forward. Humble wasn't a word the Commander had associated with the Female Minbari. Heck with any Minbari no matter who but her least of all. 'Traveller between worlds. Old amongst oldest. I greet you.' She bowed, forefingers and thumbs in a triangle in front of her.

'Delenn, of Mir. I thank you for your greeting.' he echoed the bow and smiled again before speaking in perfect Minbari.

Delenn rocked back on her heels. 'I know of your rank, and that you represent your entire government here.' He spoke in the language of her home.

'We have never met before. Will we meet again?'

'Oh yes, twice. But I won't spoil the surprise... It is 2258 isn't it?'

'The legends are true, you are a time traveller.' She gasped, before becoming embarrassed. Not since her apprenticeship to Dukat, before she had been accepted to the Grey Council, had she felt like this. Like a simple child before a great cast master.

He rubbed the back of his neck. 'Time travel is to me like hyperspace is to your people. Noting special, but quite interesting. Err I don't think there's anyway I can get out of this without a big show, is there?' he asked earnestly.

To say she was taken back would not be an untruth. The last report of his appearance had him standing before an army of soul hunters. One man against hundreds. He stood there, immobile to the elements. The Soul Hunters could not pass him, could not stop him, could not kill him. The Doctor just stood there, a shore against the tide. Between Hunter and hunted.

This man was nothing like the legend. He was charming, a bit uncomfortable and he appeared almost insane. 'I don't think so.' she admitted to him.

'Should have found somewhere else to have lunch then huh.' he grinned and she found herself laughing. Behind her the Commander took a deep breath while Mr Garibaldi gasped. She realised along with the tension she had lost the self image she maintained for the younger races.

Shying away from that idea she introduced the Commander. 'Doctor; may I present the Commander of Babylon Five:- Commander Sinclair' She changed language, now speaking in English. 'Commander this is the Time Lord known as the Doctor.'

The Commander offered his hand and the Time Lord took it in both his, shaking it vigourously. 'Commander Jeffery David Sinclair, ohh its an honour to meet you. You're brilliant, you really are. Of all the modern legends you are the bee's knees, the wasps ankles.' He winked at Delenn, instantly she realised he knew the secret.

'Thank you... Doctor. You know me?'

'Of you, for thousands of years after your death your still considered the greatest. Ohh there are other's but they looked up to you and I could count them on one hand.' He turned to the shorter, dark skinned, female that had almost blended into the background. 'Commander, this is my friend Martha Jones. You see Martha, as well as having a great selection of places to eat good old B5 is the home of the modern legends. They called it the start of the third age. It's the melting pot of the Galaxy's destiny for the next million years. Ohh the stories told about this place and the people here. Hey look that's Mr Garibaldi. Not to be confused by that guy in the shortest book in the Universe; "Italian war heroes".'

'Doesn't he look a bit like Bruce Willis?' his companion asked

The Doctor looked between Mr Garibaldi and Miss Jones; 'You're right, they do look similar.'

'Look I know this fly's in the face of every first contact procedure but how do you know us so well?' The chief of security asked.

Delenn was shocked; 'He is a Time Lord.' She exclaimed. 'Surely you know of them?'

'Nope sorry.' The human admitted.

'It's okay,' waved off the Doctor. 'I don't actually like being recognised. This is just a trip down to the shops for me.'

'I should think a con-artist would dislike being recognised.' Mollari stepped up. The Centauri ambassador hadn't even changed from his usual dark purple jacket. He hadn't even put down his ever present drinks glass. 'I'm surprised at you Delenn, fawning over this human and his accomplice.' he gestured to the woman.

'Londo Mollari I know you as well. Future Emperor of the Republic.' His charm and uncomfortable stance changed into something hard.

Mollari was taken aback 'How do you... A lie, trying to flatter me.'

'No Londo.' the Doctor spoke again, whatever doubts the Centauri had raised were banished when Delenn turned back. The Time Lords face was carved from stone, his voice the crack of a PPG. His eyes burned with the fire of twin blue suns. 'I see you. All that you are and all that you will be. You too have seen your fate, it cannot be changed.' In a blink he was another person, full of compassion and remorse. 'I'm sorry, for you and your people. I'm so sorry.'

Londo's drink slipped from his hand to shatter on the deck. The more religious ambassadors cowered from the Time Lord and a single tear fell down the brash Centauri's face. Delenn knew that he would never tell anyone of what he saw in that moment, no one would ask. As a shiver ran up her spine she knew another thing. She would, one day, know exactly what the Doctor had seen and be powerless to prevent it.

Jeff ignored the look his friend, Michael, gave him. 'If I may ask, what just happened?' He might not be in control of the situation but he would be damned if he was going to spend the rest of the encounter fumbling around in the dark.

'The prophecy of a Time Lord Commander.' Delenn answered. 'They travel through space and time. Time Lords see all from their hidden homeworld and when they chose to share that knowledge the lesser races must listen .'

The Doctor waved her warning off. 'It doesn't matter. Just think of my people as older. If I'm honest our people are older than the Vorlons but me and Martha are just here for lunch. Passing through as it were.'

'And we both know how that usually goes.' She spoke up with sarcasm also in a perfect English accent.

Jeff looked to her and then back to this "Time Lord". First diplomatic relations weren't supposed to go like this. Grabbing the preverbal bull by the horns he suggested that even though this might just be a trip down to the shops it still might be better if the Doctor and his companion came to med-lab with him and Garibaldi.

Delenn looked at him as if he had just insulted her whole species. 'Commander; you can not be serious. The Doctor transcends those rules, perhaps more so than the Vorlons.'

'It's alright.' the Doctor grinned. 'If I remember correctly the only way to get out of that one is when you get an official request from my government. Isn't it?'

How did he know their legal system. 'That's true.' Michael said.

'Then here's the official request.' The alien pulled out a carved disk and held it like a badge office. 'As Lord-President of Gallifray. Holder of the seal of Rassalon. Guardian of the secrets of time. Champion of the universe and holder of the Keys to the Cruciform.' All around the Commander and the Chief of Security the alien diplomats began bowing. 'I hereby agree to your medical scans as proof of my identity but no more. No records will be kept of your scans.' He pocketed the disk and looked around. 'You can all get up now. See Martha, this is why I don't like being recognised.'

Martha was actually looking forward to this. She was in the lift with the Doctor and the two officials they had been introduced to. 'So how big is this place?'

'About five miles,' Garibaldi answered. 'We generate our gravity through rotation.'

'Don't you have, you know, artificial gravity?' she asked.

'I suppose you do?'

'No . Where I'm from we haven't' even been to the moon for forty years.'

She heard the Doctor chuckle lightly and the Commander asked 'Where are you from?'

'Earth; London; 2007.' she answered. The other three looked at the Doctor so quickly they could have gotten whiplash from it.

He just smiled back his biggest, most insane looking, grin for a whole second before the doors opened.

Just down the corridor and to the right was the "Med-lab" She would have called it a hospital, or at least an A&E ward. While the Doctor smiled serenely, looking for all the world like he belonged in a padded room, she tried to recognise some of the equipment. Not for the first time since travelling with the Doctor she wished she had really watched Star Trek. All she really understood was the beds.

The good looking Dr Franklin turned to them. 'So "Doctor", Miss Jones. Who's first?' For the first time Martha realised just how she sounded when she didn't take his name seriously. She was about to say something when Martha caught the Doctors almost invisible shake of his head.

'I'll go first.' He hopped up, took off his coat and sat on the bed.

'Okay if you can take off your jacket and tie I'll run a quick scan.' Dr Franklin reached out for a light box with a gun handle.

'So what's your first name, if you don't mind me asking.' She asked him.

'Stephen.' The Time Lord answered absently pulling his tie off. 'What?'

Stephen shook his head, pressed a few buttons on the box and pointed it at the Doctor's feet. A sort of X-ray scan popped up on a monitor screen next to them. 'Nothing out of the ordinary there. Muscle tissue, bone structure all normal for a bipedal race.' he moved the sensor to the Doctors chest. 'What the hell? Two hearts?' There was a little too graphic picture of the Doctor's two hearts beating, one after another. 'Definitely not human.'

'I'm a Time Lord. I've also got a second spleen, four kidneys and two livers.' He happily announced. 'Could keep a family of Pak'ma'ra fed for a month. So we done?'

'Er yes. I'm convinced your not human.' Stephen put down the scanner. 'Would you mind if I ask, you really... travel in time?' He looked surprisingly like a eager child.

As the Doctor beamed out the sort of smile that could put a power station out of business Martha saw the other two men share a sigh.

End Chapter 1