In-Joke: The line about when one travels around a lot, it's almost inevitable that they run into their past is paraphrasing a line from Doctor Who "The Two Doctors. The cone shifting to a black trapezoid is an homage to the original "The Five Doctors" serial first transmitted in 1983, wherein the Timescoop effect was, originally, a flat black trapezoid effect. It was made into the translucent cone for the special edition, referred by Terrence Dicks as Casper the Friendly Ghost in the white sheet. Luke's promise he made to AL to visit her as a spirit when he died. He did. :)
Chapter Nineteen: Resolutions and Farewells
It didn't take them very long to reverse the process on the Warlords and return their complete powers. The second priority was figuring out how to use the Timescoop, plus make sure the Warlords could never use it again.
The two Doctors and Data handled that while Luke, Lisa and Erik dismantled the Kryptonite weapons. Adam and Clark locked the Warlords up in the cells. Afterward, Lisa and Erik took a walk through the ship, making sure everyone was distributed inside the cells and nothing else was around that could cause problems.
As they walked down the still-dark corridors, as they couldn't restore the lights or Clark would lose his powers under their influence, Erik was casting side-long glances at her.
"What's the matter?" she asked as she peeked inside a room. Seeing it was empty, she moved on.
"All of those men…"
"What about them…oh." Their link was as strong as ever, so she knew what he was thinking. "Erik, to me, they've all been dead for a while. When you travel around as much as I do, it's almost inevitable that you'll run into someone from your past at some point."
"Do you love them?"
"Yes." The answer came without hesitation, as it always would. "Just as I love you. The only difference, Erik, is that the Doctors, Luke, Clark and Adam are all from my past. You are in my present. I'm going to have to say goodbye to them when all this is finished. But you are going home with me. Understand?"
He was silent for a moment, then said, "Yes."
She hugged him, gave him a kiss, and they continued on their way. They ended up in the armory, and noticed the bombs sitting in the corner.
"I think history is gonna repeat itself," Lisa muttered and sent a message to the Doctors. Clark and Data came over to carry the heavy bombs to the extraction room, affixing one to the machine itself.
"This will make sure they can't use that thing again," said Lisa. "We should put one on the Timescoop, too."
"After we use it to send us home," said Doctor Five.
"Give it here," said Doctor Eight, "I'll set the timer."
Lisa handed it over and noticed Adam looking sick to his stomach, sitting on a chair with his arms tightly wrapped around himself. She went to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…just…"
"You're not comfortable with what we had to do to the Warlords, even after what they did to us."
Adam nodded.
She put her arms around him and stroked his hair. "I know. But I can't let them try again. We were brought together this time around. Next time, we may not be so lucky."
"I know," he replied. "It doesn't make me feel any better, though."
"I know."
After rigging the extractor with the explosive, they returned to the room with the Timescoop.
"We have good news and bad news," said Doctor Five.
"What's the good news?" asked Lisa.
"We can use the Timescoop to get home."
"And the bad?" asked Clark.
"The Warlords' tampering with the machinery caused malfunctions in the circuitry," said Data.
"It's going to erase our memories the minute it drops us off," said Doctor Eight.
"So we'll have no memories of this whole ordeal?" asked Lisa. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, we won't remember having our powers taken away. On the other, I won't remember seeing all of you again." She sighed. "But, I guess we have no choice."
None of the guys could find fault with that, so they rigged the Timescoop with a bomb to explode within the hour, then activated the machine to send them home. Adam was first, since the violence was causing him great discomfort.
He and Lisa embraced tightly and shared one last kiss. "Good luck, Adam," she said. "Safe trip."
"You, too," he replied, also bidding farewell to the rest of the guys.
The translucent conical shape settled down on him, shifting in mid-flight to a black trapezoid briefly before changing back. That must be an effect of the malfunction.
Clark was next. He and Lisa embraced and kissed, as well. "Be safe," said Lisa, for lack of anything better.
"And you."
He waved and stepped into the cone and it whisked him away.
Next was Luke. Lisa's hug and kiss to him lingered a little longer than with the other two. "I've never forgotten you," she whispered in his ear. "I never will."
"I'll keep my promise," he said, gently caressing her cheek.
She smiled. "I know you will."
They shared a look, a smile, and the Timescoop lifted him away.
The Doctors told Data that he could go next. The android and Lisa bade their farewells their own way – "Nice seeing you again, Data…it's been a long time…" said Lisa – and the Timescoop took him away.
"Go on," the Fifth Doctor said to the Eighth. "You can go next."
They glared at each other, but there wasn't time to argue. He hugged and kissed Lisa goodbye and was swept up by the Timescoop.
"Go on, Lisa," said the remaining Doctor. "You and Erik will be next. Then I'll go."
"But…" she started to protest.
Go, Lisa, he said, speaking telepathically, just as he used to do so long ago. He hugged and kissed her. Goodbye, Lisa.
She sniffed. Goodbye, Doctor…
Holding Erik's hand, they shut their eyes and let the Timescoop envelop them.
End chapter nineteen.