Chapter Four:
The main chamber, hosting the large experiment, sat at the far back of the base, behind a set of large doors that The Doctor suspected were deadlocked; sealed and bolted. Lewis made his way to a touch screen keypad into which he punched a long stream of code. So far The Doctor had remembered three codes entered by different people across the base; he could use the sonic screwdriver to open most of them but it was good to know all the data about the base he stood in.
The doors hissed and multiple locks undid themselves and then large metal blocks rolled to the side. The Doctor looked through to see multiple screens, control panels and computer hard drives but what took his eye was a big floating white mass that moved and rippled like water, at the far back wall which was surrounded by scanners and force field generators.
"Now what's that?" The Doctor asked with a grin as he entered. The two walked inside and The Doctor slapped his hand on Lewis' shoulder.
"Experiment Alpha," Lewis replied as he sealed the doors behind them. The Doctor walked towards the white mass with a puzzled expression.
"So what's experiment Alpha?" The Doctor asked looking at the inbuilt screen in one of the scanners which sat on a tripod.
"We don't know," Lewis sighed as he watched the genius Time Lord move around to the next scanner; checking it's readings while still looking at the white mass which sat vertically in the air, moving about, it was one millimetre thick and looked like someone had taken the surface of a small pond and placed it in mid-air. "What can you tell us?"
"Well nothing," The Doctor replied, turning from the scanners and towards a computer bank. He slumped onto a chair with wheels on the bottom and looked at the six computer screens. "Your results show that this thing is emanating high energy readings but nothing else; no mass, no radiation and no temperature. Actually wait, I'm lying, I can tell you that it's a source of sustainable energy but you already knew that."
"Well we know that."
"So what else do you know?" The Doctor tapped away on the keyboard. "I want facts, history; when did you find out about this portal and why did U.N.I.T commission a whole base to be built around it and then send a team to monitor it?"
Lewis stared at the white portal; it intrigued and perplexed him and yet he could feel the fear and anger seeping from it in a strange way. "U.N.I.T sent out a satellite on a mission into deep space; a reconnaissance probe. It picked up a source of energy which spiked and fried it; the satellite crashed here. They then sent a team to look at the crash site and found the 'experiment'. When they realised that the 'portal' had no readings except large energy spikes; a base was built up around it. I was later approached by U.N.I.T to lead the next research team to live on the Base and watch over the portal and try and come up with some way to use it for the benefit of mankind. Now we're here and I have nothing so far."
"Well it's certainly a tale isn't it," The Doctor finished reading the data and spun around on the chair to face the Leader of the U.N.I.T officers. "So when did finding an energy source become so high up on humanities priorities. You've been running out for years, always changing resources but now the sun's going out isn't it? You need a new power source besides solar energy and crystalline fuels and this is your best hope."
"It is true what they say about you Doctor," Lewis smirked. "You are very perceptive."
"It's a gift and a curse," the Time Lord replied. "But the big problem is that I notice and remember everything which means that my brain is always full; like an old attic that has never been cleaned. Something I've remembered just now is that I have seen something like this before and I tell you now it's not going to be good."
The T.A.R.D.I.S tumbled towards and towards the white mass ahead. "No, no, no, no!" The Doctor cried out loudly, swiping his hat off the floor and slamming a plethora of levers; in an attempt to stabilise the ship. "Come on old girl, we can't get pulled in! You'll be pulled apart!"
The ship's stabilisers were burning out, the whole ship was under stress and there was nothing he could do but that didn't mean he'd stop trying. After all he was The Doctor, the great trier, the ultimate optimist (well sometimes) and the Saviour of the Universe.
The Doctor found the emergency dematerialisation switch and tried to activate it. The T.A.R.D.I.S tried to exit into the time vortex but the portal was holding onto them and refusing to let go.
"So this is how it ends," The Doctor sighed, taking off his hat and stepping back. "No way out and no hope. Well I was glad it was with you old girl, me and you, we started this together so it's only fitting to end it the same.
The ship hit the white mass and photon particles bombarded the hull of the vessel and the surrounding force field began to crumble.
"This equipment, it can distort the thing right?" The Doctor barked, marching to the force field generators around the mass.
"The portal? Yes, of course," Lewis replied.
The Doctor lowered the force fields around the white mass until it was non-existent. Sprinting, he turned and ran back to the control panels and began to reset the scanners and field generators to a completely different function.
"What are you doing?" Lewis barked. "You're disrupting the experiment!"
"Yes but for a good reason!" The Doctor retorted, setting the equipment to particle relocation devices.
"I could have you court martialled for this Doctor!"
"Oh bite me Earth boy!" The Doctor barked; he was getting tired of the scientist who was more of a hindrance than a help. He activated the particle relocating devices so that they began to shift all of the photon particles out of the white blob and into the main battery of the base as that seemed like the best place to send it.
Lewis rushed over and grabbed The Doctor by the shoulder as he typed rapidly into the computer with an air of desperation. He spun the Time Lord around and moved in to swing a punch but then stopped. He couldn't move. "What's happening?"
The Doctor held up a small hand held, touch screen, computer. A small chip on Lewis' shoulder flashed with a red L.E.D light. "I put it on your shoulder when you entered." The Time Lord's eyes darted to the computer screens as he typed while pressing the controls on the hand held device. "It took a minute for the chip to work but now I have full blue prints on your suits, I know exactly how they work and I have a virus imbedded in the computer system. I can now control your every movement. You use magnetism as a form of anti-gravity, pulling on the planet's core to stabilise yourself; while I use it to immobilise you completely. Should have let me get on with what I was doing."
The Doctor put the device in his pocket and solely focused on the screen. "Urgh! I need more power!" He jumped back and stroked his bullet grey beard, a habit he picked up in this regeneration, trying to think. "Wait a second. That whole thing is a source of power!" He began to type as he thought allowed. "If I siphon off the power from the portal then I could push that into the particle relocation devices. Fight the portal using the portal!" He grinned as he finished off the coding and set the notion into motion.
Instantly the portal exploded outwards, as if someone splashed against a puddle, and a small object appeared. The Doctor ran backwards to watch as the small object grew in size until a blue box hurtled outwards.
The T.A.R.D.I.S spun from the white mass and hit the wall with a loud thud before it spun off that and crashed into the far computer bank. The computer system stole the ship's momentum and it stopped to a halt. The ship made its usual landing noise of a 'thunk' before the doors burst open, smoke poured out and a man emerged.
The man in the trilby coughed and spluttered, retching on the floor. The ship's doors slammed shut behind him. Slowly the man in the trench coat looked upwards and saw The Doctor, dressed in his blue tuxedo with a big grin on his face.
"Who in the name of Rassilon are you?" the trilby wearing man enquired; rising to his feet from the ground still slightly wheezy.
"I'm The Doctor."
"But that's not," the man in the trilby began before stopping himself. "What is so important this time that I have to meet another me?"
"I just saved your life; I think a thank you is in order."
"You're me, it doesn't count."
"No you're me."
"No you are me!"
"Not true actually as I'm older than you."
"You're wearing a blue tuxedo I don't think you have any right to talk!"
"Says the man in the trench coat and trilby, are you going for a Detective look this time?"
"Excuse me," Lewis interjected.
"Sh!" The Doctor in blue interrupted. "The grownups are talking."
"Well I wouldn't say grownups," The Trilby Doctor replied.
"Well you wouldn't Mr Cynical," The Tuxedo Doctor replied.
"I'm not cynical!"
"Uh, yeah you are, I've been you! No one understands you better than I do!"
"That's not strictly true-"
"Yes it is!" The Tuxedo Doctor interrupted. A warning from the computer station went off. "Excuse me for a second." He ran to the computer and realised that the portal was bleeding out; photon energy was bombarding the base's power supply and turning it into a bomb. "Oh this is not good." He turned to The Doctor in the Trilby. "Would you be so kind as to stop brooding and turn on all the force field generators over there please?"
The Trilby Doctor didn't like the Time Lord telling him what to do but he guessed there was a reason. He made his way to the multiple force field generators and began to activate them while The Tuxedo Doctor began to set all the devices back to their normal uses. "This would be quicker with a sonic, you got one?"
"Ah yes, you broke yours didn't you," The Tuxedo Doctor replied reaching into his jacket pocket and producing a slim metallic tube with a red circular nib. "Went back to the classic," he remarked as he spun and tossed the device to the Trilby donning Doc.
The Trilby Doctor caught the sonic probe and aimed it at generator. It instantly leapt into life and he moved around to the others and within seconds; the force field was up and running at full capacity. The Tuxedo Doctor finished off the coding and returned everything to normal.
"Well done," The Trilby Doctor replied, admiring the sonic screwdriver in his hand.
"Likewise," The Bearded Doctor replied. "Next problem is this portal. Are there anymore and why do they exist?"
"What does he know?" The Trilby Doctor asked with a half-sneer.
"Oh nothing," The Tuxedo Doctor said to him. "He's useless really."
"So should we go searching for these portals?"
"Oh definitely."
"Well I'll have to leave the old girl here for the moment," The Trilby Doctor sighed, looking at his dusty blue box. "Her shields are at maximum so I have no problem with leaving her here to heal. So where's your ride."
"Oh about ten miles away."
"That's perfect," The Trilby Doctor sighed.
"My sentiments exactly."
The Trilby Doctor held out the sonic device, "Well you'll be wanting this then."
"Keep the screwdriver I have loads left in my T.A.R.D.I.S…which is in the mountains…ten miles away; I've already said that."
"Looks like you could use a lift," The Trench Coat Doctor replied.
"Yes I could but your T.A.R.D.I.S is in need of a rest; as you already said."
The Hatted Doctor pocketed the sonic probe and smirked. "Well the base has a bunch of unneeded power and I believe they have some sort of hovercrafts here."
"Ah yes," The Tuxedo Doctor smirked. "And I already know the codes so no need to bother him."
"You will not steal my hovercrafts Doctor!" Lewis barked, still unable to move. The two Doctors made their way to the doors. "Doctor! Doctor!" The Tuxedo Doctor opened the doors with the code.
"I think we will," The Trilby Doctor smirked; leaning his hat over his eyes.
The Two Doctors turned and exited the experiment room. "Doctor!" Lewis called out. He heard the chip beep as the doors began to seal. The Doctor had unlocked the suit and he could move again but by the time he tried to stop him; they would be gone. He sighed and punched the wall instead; the armour taking most of the blow.