IX
The Doctor and Jack found themselves outside the TARDIS.
"Is that it?" Jack asked. "Can't we do something?"
"What do you suggest?" the Doctor asked, already opening the TARDIS door. "They are a powerful business, with more power and technology then we could possibly get."
He looked around at the wrecked planet.
"We'll come back someday," he said. "I'll fix it. But not now, we've got other stuff to do."
He went inside and Jack followed him.
--
Eilidh woke up, to find herself n the chair in the console room. Her head hurt, and she seemed to have a few more memories than last time she looked.
Then they sorted themselves out, and she gasped in amazement. That was… was…
"Oh, your awake," the Doctor said. He was flicking switches idly, and looked rather sad.
"What happened?" she asked. "Jack?"
"Er, you passed out," Jacks' voice answered. "Must've been the stress, coupled with the mental confusion."
Jack walked across, and leant against the console.
"But… the last thing I remember was…"
Jack leaned forward, and looked right at her.
"Whatever it was, we weren't ourselves, ok?" he said.
Eilidh stared at him for a long time. She was sure she remembered something – but he was right, they hadn't been themselves. She got up and headed for her room, stopping only to look at him again. Although…
She gave up and walked out.
"That was one weird adventure," Jack said. "Really."
"Yeah, it was," the Doctor agreed. "And seeing all this trouble Quintrix has caused I think it's best to back off… play it safe. I think we should wait, and let trouble find us!"
"This wasn't Quintrix, Doctor." Jack reminded him, gently. "We should still..."
"No, Jack," the Doctor said firmly. "This may not have directly been Quintrix, but we were on the look out. As I say, let Quintrix find us. We've seen what can happen if we go on the offensive. Let's go defensive."
"Doctor," Jack ventured, worried by his sudden shange of heart (or hearts), "what happened to you in that prison?"
"A lot of things," the Doctor replied. "A hell of a lot of things. Things I don't want to go into."
"You should," Jack said. "I mean, it can't be good, bottling it all up like that…"
"Jack," the Doctor said, aiming a finger at him, "just. Drop. It."
Jack nodded, and walked away. He turned on the threshold of leaving.
"I'm always here for you Doctor," he said. Then he walked out.
The Doctor looked over his shoulder, at Jack. Maybe it was best that he didn't tell his friends what dark thoughts lurked in his head.
Somewhere in there, the other lives stood firm as a barrier to a dark thought – a dark creature. The Doctor's own possible future. The Valeyard. He screamed from behind the barrier, how one day he'd be free, and that he would destroy this universe.
"You will become me eventually Doctor!" he screamed in the mindscape. "I am your future! The road to hell is paved with good intentions…!"
The Doctor closed his mind to the screaming of the Valeyard within. He'd conquered those demons long ago. He was the Doctor. He was a good guy. Nothing would ever change that…
--