Ch 4: The Earth-Two Paradox
Hi kiddies, Doctor here. The Paradox listed above is completely made up, but so that we understand each other, here's the skinny; the events of Earth One and Two are, for all intents and purposes, the same. However, the people are not. Sure, same names and faces but they aren't the one's who made history. Earth One, Hitler is responsible for WWII, but on Earth Two it was man named Michael Shklovski. Shklovski wanted a superior race of Gingers so he tried to kill off everyone else, no discrimination of race or religion. On Earth Two, Hitler was simply a German born but French raised telegraphist. The paradox is knowing the double's there, but not knowing where they are or what they're doing.
The Doctor typed away as he tried to make the uplink between the TARDIS computer and UNIT computer systems stable.
"Your computer has a most peculiar dialect." The Doctor said as he scanned the main computer housing with the sonics.
"Isn't that some line from an old sci-fi movie?" Kate asked as she came to check on the Doctor.
"Oh, you have Star Wars here too?" The Doctor asked as he looked up at Kate, "And also Star Wars is a space-opera, not sci-fi."
"How long is this project going to take?" Kate asked as she crossed her arms.
"Why, trying to kick me out?" The Doctor asked as he went back to scanning the computer.
"Actually, yes." Kate said, "We have lives of our own to get back to. We've all already come to terms with our Doctor's death, we don't need you back here taking his place or trying to bring him back to a world that doesn't need him anymore! Now do us all a favor: get back in your TARDIS and go home!"
The Doctor looked up from the computer and scanned Kate.
"Kate Lethbridge-Stewart," the Doctor started as he stood up and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Whatever game you're playing, I will win. I know who you are, I know what you are and I know that your templaiate is downstairs. So unless you want UNIT to turn into a war zone and bring the planet with it, I suggest you let me revive this man to reunite him with his wife. If this is not simple enough for you, I suggest you run very fast because the universe becomes extremely small when I am cross with you."
The Doctor leaned back and looked in Kate's eyes. She stared daggers at him, then turned and began to walk out of the hanger.
"Three of you, stay with the Doctor and Miss Tyler." Kate said, "The rest of you, come with me."
"What was that about?" Rose asked.
"A bit of disagreement on who's in charge." The Doctor said calmly as he went back to stabilizing the uplink.
"So what are you doing now?" Rose asked.
"I am trying to upload a data spike," the Doctor started, "Containing all of your Doctor's information and memories that I will receive through the TARDIS telepathic circuit. I will not activate the spike until his coffin is inside the TARDIS so I can personally give him his first and only regenerative cycle. He'll still be the same man you knew, but with a second chance"
"Thank you." Rose said softly as she hugged the Doctor from behind.
"My pleasure." The Doctor said as he patted her hand, "I know what it's like to lose someone you love."
The Doctor went back to typing, and after a few seconds the computer chimed its success.
"Success." The computer said, "TARDIS/UNIT uplink complete."
"Yes." The Doctor said as he stepped over the cords that ran between Kate's computer and the TARDIS console, "Now this is the easy part. Everybody here grab a shovel and a pickaxe. We're going to be having a lesson in Coffin Exhumation 101."
An hour later, the Doctor climbed his way out of the now two feet deep and seven foot wide hole in the middle of Kate's spacious office. The Doctor buzzed the intercom asking for waters and lunch for the digging team.
In minutes, there was a knock on the door. The Doctor opened the door and almost flew away from the doorway.
" 'Ere we are," the woman said, "Five lunches courtesy of today's special in the mess hall and two waters for each person."
"You, you look just like…" The Doctor started but couldn't finish his thought.
"Who is it Doctor?" Rose asked, now concerned about the Doctor's sudden reaction.
"Is everything alright, sir?" The woman asked as the Doctor got uncomfortably close in her face.
"Clara Oswald?" The Doctor asked.
"No, Clara Pinkman." Clara said as she swept back her ginger bangs, "I'm just gonna leave these trays here. I'll charge it to your tab."
The Doctor stared after her as she walked away.
"So she married the PE Soldier in this world?" The Doctor asked, mostly to himself, "She has know idea who the Doctor is and that's what happens. Very interesting."
"Doctor, can I have my lunch?" One of the soldiers asked.
"Hmm, oh yes, of course." The Doctor replied, remembering the cart of food and wheeling it into the office.
As the group ate, the Doctor stared out the window that took up the entire wall to the left of Kate's desk.
"Quite amazing when you think about it." The Doctor said through his sandwich, "Of all the people on Earth Two, I meet you and Clara in one day."
"She didn't know who you were." Rose said.
"True." The Doctor said as he set his sandwich down, "But I always wonder what people's lives would be like if I had never met them, never introduced them to what's out there, never left them without a proper goodbye."
"Doctor," Rose started as she took his hands, "You can always focus on the what-ifs, but it's much better to focus on what happened. It's what makes all of us who we are, even you."
"And now I remember why I picked you." The Doctor said with a smile and some tears in his eyes.
Rose hugged the Doctor, then picked up her shovel and axe and went back to work. The Doctor took a swig of water, shed his jacket and followed Rose's lead.
As the group kept working, now to four feet deep, there was a knock on the door. The Doctor crawled out, opened the door and was met by the Osgoods.
"Excuse me," Scarfed-Osgood asked, "Could you tell us where Kate Lethbridge is?"
"We have some very pertinent information for her about the Cyberman presence." Sweater-Osgood said.
"That's a bit odd," the Doctor said, "Because Miss Lethbridge-Stewart claims she's never met either of you."
The Osgoods turned to each other, then back to the Doctor. Then they started to morph, skin changing color, suction cups along each limb. Suddenly, two Zygons stood in front of the Doctor. Then they stepped towards each other and they morphed again, one large head with two different colored eyes, four arms, two very muscular legs. Finally, one very large Zygon monster leaned in front of the office doorway.
"Oh I hate Zygons." The Doctor said before throwing his shovel at the monster and grabbing his coat, "EVERYONE IN THE TARDIS!"
The Doctor, Rose and two of the soldiers ran into the TARDIS but the last one was grabbed by the multi-Zygon. The Doctor had barely closed the door when there was a terrified shriek then it was silenced followed by a rather loud and revolting crunch.
"I really hate this idea." The Doctor said.
"What idea?" Rose asked.
"What kind of sidearms do you soldiers have?" The Doctor asked.
The soldiers brandished two standard issue MX-79s, military grade sonic blasters.
"Those are very impressive," the Doctor said, "Earth One doesn't even have them on the black market until 3045. I'll distract, you stun pulse that thing."
"What about me?" Rose asked.
"You wanna help distract?" The Doctor asked as he got ready to open the door.
"Absolutely." Rose smiled.
"You two will know the signal when I give it." The Doctor said as he and Rose stepped out the door.
"Hey, you, soldier muncher." Rose yelled as she and the Doctor stepped to the opposite side of the large office.
"C'mon Zy-goods," the Doctor said as they reached the opposite wall and got the monster's attention, "Last of my species, must be more delicious. You probably want to eat me right, NOW!"
The two soldiers moved away from the TARDIS and in front of the window. The Zygon monster lunged for the soldiers who immediately dropped on to their backs and aimed the blasters at the beast's stomach. The soldiers fired simultaneously sending a stun blast of sonic energy into the moster's body. The monster's eyes glazed over but the body didn't stop moving. It crashed through the window before going head first through a cement fence and banging into the back wall of a dumpster.
"Well, I think we need to get a little faster with our work." The Doctor said before shedding the coat again and hefting his shovel.
"Shouldn't we get help?" One of the soldiers asked as the Doctor jumped down in the hole.
"Help? Help?!" The Doctor asked, "Are you kiddin' me? You just saw what the Osgoods were. Most likely a good portion of UNIT are Zygons, we have to assume that we're the only ones who are still human or at least not Zygons. Right now, we just have to keep working."
"But what if-?" Rose started before the Doctor climbed out of the hole and got in her face.
"Every second we spend without your Doctor alive and well," the Doctor started, "Is another second that the Zygons use to advance through UNIT taking away the world you know keeping me here longer until the real problem is solved. Who do you really want beside you solving this, me or him?"
"Him." Rose said softly.
"Then help me disturb his final rest." The Doctor said as he dropped into the hole again and started digging.
The others jumped in and helped. In seconds, the Doctor was hitting against something metal.
"Let's clear the dirt around it, and get the pulley ready like I showed you." The Doctor said.
One soldier got out of the hole and got the pulley system looped through the railing inside the TARDIS then attached to the poles on the coffin. Together all five of them pulled the coffin vertically through the hole then angled it into the TARDIS.
"Alright, it's in." The Doctor panted as he wiped his brow leaving a dirt streak across his forehead, "Talk about deadweight."
The others looked at him like he just killed a puppy.
"Still too soon?" The Doctor asked.
"Alright, you two go out and keep watch." Rose said as she practically shoved the soldiers outside the TARDIS and shut the door.
"I know you want this right now," the Doctor said as he started preparing the data spike, "But this may take some time."
"Just do whatever it takes." Rose said.
END CHAPTER FOUR