Interlude Special - Time Lords Don't Sleep
Co-Written with TimothyC
Dreams are odd little things. Even Time Lords have them. They're part and parcel of sentient beings sleeping - or not sleeping, as the Dreamers of Kla'ti'mari'tima show, very special people, those Dreamers - and usually involve some mix of memory and subconscious impulses and conscious thoughts.
It wasn't often I found myself in a dinky little office like this, though. I saw a gentleman scratching a pencil across some paper, looking like he was standing in for Sigmund Freud.
He glanced up over the top of his glasses at me, and simply said "Just a moment, I need to get this finished directly," before going back to write a last few lines. "Sorry about that. Paperwork must be filed you know. So, Junior, how are you doing?"
I raised my eyebrows. "Rather interesting question to ask. So many answers that would fit too. Questions as well."
He leaned back, stretching his arms above his head as he rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, you've just fixed yet another problem relating to a Crack. That [i]has[/i] to take something out of you. I'd imagine that's why you're sleeping. but nice evasion Junior."
"Well, I can't go and just say things up front. That would defy the mystique." I looked around the room some more. In addition to books, there were a large number of trinkets scattered about on mounts. A bi-lobed white gun. A collection of rings in various colors, a large bracelet with a shimmering swirling multi-colored crystal. "Well, a rather interesting dream we have here."
"Yeah, dream, let's go with that." He shrugged his shoulders slightly as a smirk passed over his face momentarily. "I'd think that your mystique might be less effective on someone already in your own head. Don't you agree?"
"Perhaps, but it's always best to stay in practice, yes?"
"Not a bad point. Now, let us get down to business. The Cracks. So many, spreading so far. Any clue as to what might happen if they keep spreading?"
I crossed my arms. I didn't particularly feel like following this conversation. Especially given what the Daleks had said before I sent them back to their home cosmos. "Well, you're in my head. You tell me."
"Junior, being in your head doesn't mean I know everything in there. That said, yes, I am talking about the big stuff. [i]Universes freezing, creations burning[/i], all that jazz. There are those that are ... concerned if this happens. There are those that are concerned by [i]who[/i] is causing the cracks in the first place."
"I'd think so. Especially the people living there." I paced around the room for a moment. "The Daleks think it's me."
Amusement leaked into his voice "Well no shit Sherlock – of course they do. How many" His thought was punctuated by a long pause as he carefully chose his next word "players, Yes. How Many players in This Great Game" his hand made an odd circular gesticulation emphasizing his words "can force open the skins of the universes. Especially when they pass through one and find [i]you[/i] there."
I regarded him skeptically. "You think the Daleks believe it's me because I was already on the other side of the Crack?"
"Dalek Science is advanced, but limited. So is their experience in dealing with concerns or worse from outside of their home multiverse. So..." He gestured again. "...what do you think the consequences could be? For the Cracks?"
"Lots of possibilities. The worse would be the complete collapse of the trans-dimensional barrier, of all space-time. Dimensional breaches could still become bad even if that doesn't happen."
He glanced down at some of the papers on the desk as he moved his hands to stack them, before returning to stare at me. "Just a hint, the entire barrier won't fall. Daleks really got that wrong, although I suppose that is mostly their lack of imagination talking. If they can't do it, they think that no one can. There are enough forces out there to keep some of the universes intact. The Presence, Petey and the Gavs, The Children of Dune, the Grandchildren of the Lens. Maybe one of the Caves - [i]maybe[/i]. Lots of Children on that list proportionally."
"Your point is?"
"The point is, why are the Cracks spreading? That's your first clue Junior. And 'Junior', that's your second clue. Yes, to a different mystery, but an important one none the less."
I considered him for a moment. Oi, why did my dream voice have to be this cryptic? Okay, yes, a bit hypocritical of me, but that's how I was feeling about it.
After a long uncomfortable silence, he continued. "Ok, you got me. You know the Cracks are obviously spreading. You know how to close them, but closing them only works if you know where they are. Maybe instead of looking for them, you should look to see where they are coming from?"
"I'm quite aware of that," I answered irritably. "But all of my efforts to scan them has failed so far. The only thing I know for sure is that they link to the cosmos of Gallifrey."
"Now who would want to do that?"
A knock came from the door behind me. "Just a moment," my host called out, looking like he was peering past me. His eyes returned to me. "Now, you wake up Junior." As he stood up the room began to fade. I heard the door behind me start to open.
But I woke up before I could see who was there.
I woke up in my hammock on the TARDIS and blinked at the ceiling. The dream remained quite fresh in my mind. It represented all of my unanswered questions. Questions I knew I needed to answer if I were to get to the bottom of this.
Questions I would, indeed, eventually answer, and they would be quite terrifying in what they held.
Into the office came a tall, professionally dressed woman. Long brown hair framed her bespectacled face, a face that bore the marks of far too much worry.
"Do you think he's going to make it?"
"He was picked for a reason. That reason is still there."
"You didn't answer my question."
"No, I didn't." After a long sigh, the host in the office continued, "It was a close run thing there for a bit, but I think, yeah, he's going to make it."
(Note: TimothyC wrote the last bit entirely and the dialogue and mannerisms for the figure in the dream.)