Chapter 4

Rextar Seven, somewhen in time

Sam opened his eyes, sure that what he seemed to recall must have been the product of a strange dream. Nothing in his experience would account for the bizarre situation of his most recent memory. His stomach took a turn though as he confirmed the grass was still purple and the man with him was still the dark, tall, lithe man who he'd last seen before losing consciousness. "You're the Doctor, right?" he said with a bit of hesitation.

"Karda mamis'it kardatare maha ma vashirez lu!" the Doctor exclaimed. "You're worse than Adam! 21st century Earth's greatest mind and you pass out on your first trip to another world?" He frowned slightly. "On the other hand, he passed out on his first trip into his own planet's future so maybe you aren't quite as bad as him. Then again, he didn't suddenly have a case of amnesia. You're probably still having memory problems thanks to the unstable time matrix surrounding your project." He finally stopped ranting and looked at the rather confused man sympathetically. "Are you all right?" he questioned, concern tinting his voice.

"Yeah. I think so." He paused, realizing what the other man had said. "You took the first man out of the Garden of Eden? Oh, come on. You can't expect me to beleive that!"

"'First man out of the Gar...'" the alien started to repeat before groaning slightly at the obvious miscommunication. "Adam Mitchell, not the Biblical Adam! Blimey! For being a genius, you seem to jump to enormous conclusions based on little facts."

"Well, how am I to know what the hell you're talking about?" He looked around again at the strangely colored landscape, at least to him. In addition to the grass and sky, there were brightly colored flowers everywhere planted around bright orange trees. "After all, you've just brought me to a place that closely resembles Lennon's lyrics."

The Doctor grimaced slightly. "Yeah, I'm afraid that was a bit my fault," he explained, offering his hand to help Sam to his feet. "Met the boys in London one day and we got on famously. So, I took them to tea and… well, I'm afraid John thought that he'd been having a negative reaction to lysergic acid diethylamide. Or was it written about Julian's classmate? I never could tell the difference. Mind you, it does make for some very nice song writing."

Taking the hand offered to him, he got up. "Yeah, it was a rather cool piece and not only for the vivid imagery. The key structure and meters change rhythmically alternating between 3/4 and 4/4 time," he said matter of fact. Looking around again, a half grin graced his face. "However, seeing that he was being literal when he wrote the lyrics is a shock."

"Right," the Doctor drawled. "Tea!" he exclaimed after a moment. "We're a few blocks from the shop, not far. Lovely little place. Just don't make bad puns concerning the waitresses' uniforms. I think they've heard the phrase 'Off with his head' one too many times." Taking point, he led Sam into the streets of the alien township, giving nods to the various life forms they passed. Turning back towards Sam, he paused a moment. "Don't stare. Think about how we look to them, all brown, pink, and yellow and wearing very odd clothing."

Sam took a deep breath. "I was trying not to. I wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. It's just... well... if this is real and not some in between leap hallucination, I want to attempt to remember what I'm seeing because this is actual proof we're not alone in the universe. That's pretty deep."

"Oh, humans have had proof for centuries. You just ignore it," the Doctor informed him. "Ah! Here we are!" Guiding Sam into the teashop, he selected a table and plopped down, waiting for service.

Sam looked at the small but cozy shop built into a rather organic shape. Keeping with the rest of the bright pallet, he noticed the bright pink walls and green chairs. The tables themselves seemed almost like flat-topped mushrooms. The atmosphere was something that could - and probably did - come straight out of a Lewis Carroll novel. "You say they have good tea? I guess it won't be like what we drink on Earth."

"Nonsense. This place has the best orange spice tea in the universe."

"They have orange spice tea?"

"Orange spice is quite a favorite, in fact, especially with Earth visitors."

"I wouldn't imagine there'd be that many humans coming here. How far are we from Earth?"

"Only 400,000 light years. Not very far if you have a decent timeship," the Doctor replied. He pointed to a human couple passing their table. "See? Told you. This place is very popular with humans. All that 'Alice in Wonderland' feel to it."

"400,000 light years?" Sam's eyes took a faraway look as if considering the concept. "...and a decent timeship?" He finally looked at the man that he realized was a time traveler like him, his eyes searching for clues in his face. "So how far in the future are you from?"

The Doctor winced slightly at the question. "Well, that's really a matter of perspective, isn't it? I mean, how does one planet measure time compared to another?"

"On a purely cultural standpoint, I understand. Even on Earth, different cultures deal with time in different ways. Still, atoms decay at a constant rate and there are stellar 'clocks' that are not subjective to concepts of time but rather independently mark time. I know your technology isn't even close to what we imagine is possible, so..." he trailed off hoping to get some handle on this new reality.

The Doctor smiled slightly at Sam's response. Brilliant stupid humans, he'd called them. And here was the most brilliant of them all. Before he could formulate an answer, a human-sized playing card appeared to his left.

"Ah! Brilliant! Orange spice for my friend here. And I'll have Tangelonian applegrass. Thanks much." He returned his attention to his companion. "As for your assessment..." He tilted his head from side to side. "I would definitely say that I am far more advanced."

Sam looked at the waitstaff. "Rabbits, rocking horses, cards, giants... this place is a mix mash of Earth literature references. Lennon, Carroll, Swift..."

"Well, they all really liked excellent tea," the Doctor commented with a slight grin. Seeing Sam's confusion, he clarified, "Lennon, Carroll, Swift... I brought them each here at one time or another. Brought Verne here too."

Sam blinked for a few moments. "Wow. Puts a lot of things in a new light."

"But that isn't to say that they didn't create a lot of their works from their own imagination. They all had marvelous imaginations," the Doctor added.

Sam decided to address the statement the Doctor made about advancement. "So, a thousand years? A million?" He looked down for a moment. "I've got to admit, I've questioned whether humans would survive that long. The idea that we can travel through the stars like driving across town or move through time so easily..." He looked up again, his eyes shining with excitement. "...is rather exhilarating."

Again, the Doctor winced slightly. "Nnnnn... you can't. Well, not as easily as I do anyway. One day... eventually... you'll be able to manipulate the time vortex but space travel still takes a bit of time. In this era we're in now, it takes a good three months to get to here from Earth."

Sam's eyes flew wide. "Three months to travel 400,000 light years?" He swallowed and grew quiet. He remembered how seeing the cultures of the ancient past, the Egyptian's especially, had fueled his imagination of time travel. Looking back at the things they had done with primitive technology had astounded him. He considered how this man with technology so far advanced would see his world. "People from my time must seem like barbarians to you."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Why would you think that?"

Sam shrugged. "The differences in technologies. The rather parochial view we have of our universe. Our ignorance of so many things that you must take as common knowledge." He once again gave the small, somewhat goofy half grin. "I'm not saying we're not smart in our own ways. We just don't have the perspective you do."

"Well, you're still children in the universe," the Doctor admitted. "But I can't think of another species as brilliant as you lot. I mean, look at you! In four thousand years, you've made more progress than any other civilization in the galaxy! You're indomitable!"

Sam considered what the Doctor was saying. "Well, if you count from when written history began, I guess we can claim credit for at least six thousand years and the prehistoric period had some pretty interesting stories to tell as well." He then realized the way the Doctor had said his words and smiled. "You sound like you don't count yourself with us. Has the human species diverged that much?"

"Not really. Not physically, anyway. Well, there is that short time you actually develop into digital lifeforms but you eventually return to the basic human form. You pretty much look the same, have the same organs - even the ones you don't really need."

"Digital..." He didn't want to go there, the concept itself a little difficult to grasp. He shook his head to get the idea out, before allowing the space between his eyes to scrunch. "You, not we?"

The Doctor leaned back in his chair as the tea was brought to the table along with biscuits and sandwiches. "It's the correct pronoun."

Sam licked his lips quickly. "So you're saying you're not human? You're not from Earth?"

"I'm not from Earth," the Doctor confirmed. He picked up his tea and took a drink. "Oh, beautiful! Absolutely perfect!" he exclaimed, snatching a sandwich and popping it in his mouth.

This changed things significantly. No longer would the man called the Doctor need to be from the future. He could be from anytime, anyplace. With this ship of his, he could go where and when he wanted. Sam wondered if the reason he had leaped into Rose Tyler was related to that. People like this man could overrun the Earth. He nervously swallowed. "Are your people planning to take over Earth?"

The Doctor's expression of joy dropped at his words, a hidden pain flitting through his eyes. "No. I can honestly say that was never even a possibility."

At the sudden change in countenance, Sam's gut knew somehow that the man was telling the truth and his heart responded. He reached to cover the Doctor's hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring you pain."

For a moment, the Doctor didn't say anything, just looking at Sam's hand before deciding that this whole conversation was getting too close to becoming a session with a psychiatrist, something he'd never endured and never would. He looked up at Sam with a slight frown, hiding away his emotions. "Do you always touch strange men's hands?"

Sam looked down at his hand and where it was. His face slightly reddened. He'd consciously meant to touch the man's shoulder, but here he'd made a more intimate movement. "Um... when I displace the leapee, sometimes bits of their personality remain. I'm pretty sure this is a result your friend's feelings."

The Doctor didn't reply, just looking at Sam with mixed feelings. What did he mean, exactly, that parts of Rose's personality remained? Yes, the touch was far too similar to Rose's and that, perhaps, was what bothered him the most. His best friend was somewhere somewhen and this scientist had taken her place. He'd taken Sam to Rextar Seven as a pleasant way for him to interrogate him. But even after all this time of quietly getting information from him, the question of Rose's safety still hadn't been answered. After all, he couldn't trust a direct answer if he just asked it. A good liar could fool even a Time Lord. No, he wanted to get a sense of this man in front of him... and he wasn't getting much other than he was very smart and very... well... human. It seemed that there would be only one thing to satisfy the Doctor's concerns and that would be the direct approach, Time Lord style.

"Is she safe?" the Doctor asked, looking into Sam's eyes. He didn't want to invade Dr. Beckett's privacy but he needed to know the truth behind the words.

Sam nodded solemnly. "Yes. When we developed the project, I knew I'd be displacing people so that I could observe time as it happened. We wanted to have the least amount of impact on our leapees as possible. They are kept safe, have access to an excellent physician and other medical personnel, and are taken care of until I leap out and they leap back in." He looked distressed. "That was the plan. I was just to observe and then go home. That didn't work and something, we're not sure what, but Al and I like to called it God, Fate, Time, or Whatever, took over my experiment and now I don't just observe. I fix things that went wrong in the original history." He paused and went on. "But our leapees are still taken care of. Of that I give my word."

The Doctor turned his head away, immediately feeling almost dirty for even the surface scan he had made of Sam's thoughts. He rubbed his forehead and then his mouth and chin before swallowing. "I believe you. I saw..." His voice dropped off guiltily. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

Sam looked at him confused. "Nothing to be sorry for, I don't think."

"Yes... there is," the alien sighed, looking into Sam's eyes. "I've done something... extremely unscrupulous." Still seeing and understanding the confusion on Sam's face, he clarified, "I made an unauthorized surface scan of your thoughts. I needed to be sure."

Sam considered the Doctor's words. "You read minds, huh. That's novel. At least to me." He pursed his lips in thought and then quietly half stated, half questioned, "This friend means a great deal to you, huh?"

"Of course, she does. Don't your friends mean a great deal to you?"

"Yeah. That's my point. I imagine if I were in your shoes under similar circumstances and had the ability to do that, I might do the same."

"Even if it's against all your principles?" the Doctor questioned slightly. "I don't make a habit of invading another's privacy by reading their minds."

Sam took a sip of the tea and looked away for a moment before looking back. A vision of Maggie, her hair laid back on the pillow invaded his mind, quickly replaced by the last vision he had of her dying. "I've gone against my principles on occasion when I thought I had no other choice although I don't make a habit of it either."

The Doctor exhaled slightly, remembering the horrible Time War and his own actions that brought the end of it. "Yes. I think that everyone does, at some time or another."

A quiet had descended over the table.

The Doctor sipped at his tea for a moment before taking a breath. "So... having your personal thoughts being picked up by an alien doesn't bother you."

The space between Sam's eyes creased again. "I'm not sure that's it exactly. I mean, yeah, it's strange but then again, since leaping I've experienced some very strange things. I guess I just figure your reason is acceptable."

"Hmm..." the Doctor started, a considering look on his face. "You're probably one of the most open-minded people I have ever met. There are others, though, Rose included."

Sam shrugged. "Well, you have to be open to new ideas for breakthrough changes."

The Doctor slightly smiled at his words. "Quite right! Can't change the world with a closed mind, can you? And you are so changing your world! Your work will lay down foundations for centuries to come."

Sam smiled ruefully. "And since GFTW took over, it's really changed things."

"GFTW? What's that?" the Doctor questioned with a slight frown. His eyes brightened slightly as he quickly figured out what it meant. "Right. God, Fate, Time, Whatever." He wrinkled his nose a bit. "Only thing I believe in is time. But then again, time is my business."

"Your business? How?"

"I'm a Time Lord."

"What's a Time Lord?"

"I am." The tone indicated that the answer should have been obvious.

"Yeah, but what does that mean?" He wondered if this Doctor was anything like the bartender he'd met on that strange birthday.

The Doctor's face became very somber. It was plainly obvious that what he was about to say was a great responsibility, one that he took very seriously. "I watch over time and space. I protect it and insure justice is secure throughout the universe."

Sam swallowed. "Your people were the ones to... um... grab me... weren't you?"

The Doctor blinked, clearly confused by the question. "I'm sorry? What do you mean 'grab?'"

"Well, like I said, my experiment was only to observe but something grabbed me and has been leaping me ever since. That which we refer to as GFTW. That wouldn't be your people, would it?"

The Doctor let out a loud belt of a laugh, nearly doubling over in his chair. "You think that... my people...?" Another laugh escaped his lips. "Impossible! The Time Lords never interfered in the affairs of other races, only watched. So... no. They never caused your traveling in time to go... um... what did you call it? Oh yeah, ca-ca."

Sam was stunned at the Doctor's sudden change. Frowning he responded. "You think this is funny? It's not."

The Time Lord looked chastised. "No. You're right. It isn't." He couldn't prevent the grin he'd had from returning. "Well, maybe a little, especially if you knew the Time Lords." At his own words, his face became somber, almost haunted, but Sam didn't seem to notice.

"Well, it's not that strange of an idea. I met one... man... who obviously knew more about things like this than I ever will... who told me it's me leaping me. That doesn't make sense though. I don't even know where I'm going or whom I'll be displacing. How could I be doing it? Besides, once we discover what went wrong the first time through, I change that and then I leap again. I really have no control over this."

"Well... there must be a way to stop it," the Doctor supposed. "I'm sure we can figure it out."

Sam looked hopeful. "You think that's possible?"

"Everything is possible," the Doctor told him bluntly. "Well, almost everything. There are always some things that you cannot change, even if you want to."

"Yeah, I've learned that too." The words were said with great sadness.

The Time Lord regarded the human with sympathy. From the way Sam had spoken, it was obvious that he'd encountered his own temporal challenges, challenges that tested the soul. It was something he well understood. He took a deep breath and then finished his tea. "Well, now... shall we go?" Standing, he started digging through his pockets in search of money to pay for the respite, pulling out various items as he did so, including a yo-yo and a musical recorder.

"Um, yeah. Sure." Sam watched the strange collection of items come out of the man's pockets. He didn't say anything but his countenance showed he found it interesting.

After pulling out at least twice the amount of things his pockets could carry by all normal rights, the Doctor sighed with frustration. "I can't seem to find that credit bar anywhere," he murmured before digging into yet another pocket, this time on the inside of his coat. "Ah-ha! There it is!" He stared at the mess of things on the table and, handing the credit bar to Sam, before putting the items back into his pockets. "Really should clean out my suit someday. For some reason, I tend to just throw things I find in there." Once all were properly put away, he retrieved the credit bar. "Ready?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he told him, "Come on, then," and started for the door, swiping his credit bar over a black plate glass scanner before leaving the shop.

Sam followed along, thinking this had to be the strangest cup of tea he'd ever shared with anyone.

Translation: Karda mamis'it kardatare maha ma vashirez lu! - I swear on my beloved mother's heart!