Chapter 24

The Doctor quickly staggered backwards away from Krazan's reach just as the rift closed, trapping the Dragon in his cell once again. He exhaled with relief. "Thanks," he told Sam genuinely. "Nearly became lunch there."

"Glad to be of assistance. I thought that this thing was supposed to have captured him," Sam commented, indicating the gramlars.

Looking around, the Gallifreyan sighed. "Yeah. Should have. It's on full power. Must be the wrong kind of energy or something." He walked over to one of the gramlars to examine it. "Maybe the problem is in the energy ratio..." he grumbled to himself, leaving Sam to his own devices.

Sam glanced over to his friend. Now that the Dragon was gone, Al seemed to have deflated somewhat. He was shaken with the loss of the adrenaline rush that had prompted the man to stand up to the large reptile. Sam smiled at him. "Thanks, Al. If the Dragon hadn't seen and heard you, I think I would have been the first course."

"Yeah, it's a good thing animals can see me," the Admiral agreed his voice still a bit shaky.

"Dragons are sentient creatures, not animals," the Doctor commented from the other side of the room, knowing that, once again, the best way to distract the holographic man was to get him riled.

"Then how do you propose he saw me?" Al answered back, moving closer to the Doctor, the consequences of his recent actions being pushed aside as he bantered back to the Gallifreyan.

Sam rolled his eye at Al's answer. And his friend called him 'easy' sometimes. All the Doctor had to do was bait him and Al was in the fray. His two companions were obviously going to be at this for a while. He moved over to use the chair against the wall until the two were through. He was just about to sit down when something caught his eye. Leaning against the perpendicular wall, slightly out of plain sight, was a mirror. Expecting to see Rose's reflection, he was stunned to see his own. He quietly moved closer to the looking glass. He reached up, touching his face to confirm that what he was seeing was real.

"There are any number of possibilities," the Doctor answered the hologram, not noticing Sam's actions. "Dragons are one of the higher species in the galaxy. It could be that alone allowed him to see you. It could be that his brainwaves are similar to either mine or Sam's, which I doubt given that we are all three different species, or..." He looked closer at the gramlar that had his attention. "...it could be this field is causing some sort of interference with a certain area of the brain, allowing him to see a different layer of reality itself."

"Well, Godzilla may be one of the higher species but that doesn't change the fact that he could have a basic animalistic brain." He turned to his friend. "Right, Sam?" Seeing Sam looking intently at something he couldn't see, he asked, "Sam? Are you okay?"

"When did these crow's feet get so deep?" Sam asked aloud but not necessarily to either of the other men in the room.

The concern tingeing Al's voice caught the Time Lord's attention, causing him to turn around and move towards the physicist. Hearing Sam's question, he looked into the mirror. "Oh," he murmured with realization.

Sam heard the Doctor and looked over to him. "I haven't seen my own face in... well... I'm pretty sure it's been years."

"Must be extremely frustrating for you, knowing that, in reality, you look different than what you see in the mirror. My problem is when I look in a mirror, I keep thinking about how I used to look and will never look again. Then again, not a bad thing. I rather like the way I look at the moment. Always do."

Al had followed the Doctor over and saw Sam's reflection staring back at him. "That's never happened before!"

"You're wrong, Al. There was one other time I remember," Sam corrected.

"When? I'm telling you, Sam. I would have remembered that."

"It was when I was with the Bartender at Al's Place. You remember that leap, right?"

"Yeah. I was really worried about you. You didn't exactly act like your normal self."

Sam gave a small, cynical laugh. "No. As I recall, that whole leap was off the charts. Sort of like this one. Well, not exactly like it but it was rather bizarre as well."

"So, you're telling me that you actually saw yourself in a mirror during that leap?"

"Yeah. I saw myself in the Bartender's mirror. But I figured that somehow it was a trick since not everything reflected the way it was supposed to."

"It's the field causing you to see yourself in the mirror, as I suspected," the Doctor informed the two humans. "Anyone in Sam's position would normally see the person whose aura they inhabited. But with this containment field interfering with the reception synapses of the brain, it obviously is allowing us to see what really is there. Likely why Krazan could see both you and Rose, Sam."

Sam turned back to the mirror. "It's ironic."

"Why do you say that?" the Doctor questioned softly.

"Well, meeting you has been quite strange and enlightening. Like I said before, in many ways it's been as bizarre as meeting the Bartender. To see my reflection after meeting both of you, it just seems rather ironic."

The Time Lord made a face which was a mix of interest and a frown. "Well... you should know that once I shut down the field, you won't be able to see yourself in the mirror," he said somberly. "I'm sorry, Sam. I can't leave it up for long either. The power consumption is far greater than I originally thought. And, as we just learned, the field isn't strong enough to capture and hold Krazan."

"Yeah," the time trapped physicist answered, looking once more at his face, wondering when he'd see it again. "It's for the best."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor repeated once more, placing a hand on Sam's shoulder before walking away. Taking out his sonic screwdriver one more time, he aimed it at a gramlar. A moment later, a high-pitched whistling sound filled the room and all four gramlars deactivated.

Sam saw his image suddenly change back to Rose Tyler. With a sigh of resignation he asked, "So, what's our next move?"

The Gallifreyan glanced around for a long moment. "There really is no other option. Plan Two," he answered.

"I guess we better check to see if the Vorpal sword's charged up."

"Yeah," the alien replied, his tone somber. "Let's collect the gramlars and get back to the TARDIS."

As the Doctor started to collect the equipment, Al raised the handlink. "Tell you what, Sam. I'm going to recenter at the TARDIS. I'll meet you two there in a minute." With that he punched in the code and disappeared.

Sam shook his head as his buddy of many years left quickly. Assuming that having just faced down the Dragon was still bothering him, he pointed out to the Time Lord, "You know, it's funny. Al's really one of the most courageous people I know but when things are hokey... well, Al doesn't handle it very well."

"Hokey?" the Doctor questioned. "Isn't that what children do to avoid going to school? Play hokey?"

Sam smiled. "No, that's hookie. I guess some did. I always liked school." He picked up the last of the equipment. "Okay, back to the TARDIS."

The two carried the equipment back to the time ship with the Doctor leading the way. The moment they entered, though, the Time Lord tossed the items that were in his hands to the side and went over to the Vorpal sword to check on its progress. "Nearly charged. That bit of jiggery-pokery worked better than I'd hoped. I was expecting at least another hour or so. At this rate, it should be ready in about fifteen minutes." Standing up, he took a breath. "I'd better get suited up." He blinked for a moment, looking around. "Where's Albert? He told you he'd meet you here. I heard him. Plus, he's irritating the old girl terribly so he must be here... somewhere."

As the Time Lord spoke, Al came through the wall of the Control Room. "Geez, Sam. This place is really amazing. I'm not even sure I recognize most of what I see but it's fascinating."

"Must you continue to do that?" the Doctor demanded in a growl.

"What?" Al asked innocently. "You two were taking so long. What did you want me to do, just stand here? What's the adventure in that?"

"You call irritating my incredibly advanced time ship an adventure?"

Al rolled his eyes. "Irritate a ship? That's rich. I'll have you know, I've flown spaceships before. Not like this of course but I'm not a novice either."

The Doctor put his hands on his hips, focusing on Al. "I'll have you know that the TARDIS is more than just some flimsy tin can shot into space before falling to the ground. She's a living being and she isn't fond of insubstantial men walking through her, quite literally, thinking that they can go anywhere they well please. How would you like it if someone kept walking through you without your permission?"

"They do, at least when I'm a hologram," Al started and then realized what the Doctor had said. "What do you mean... living?"

"Living: conjugation of the verb 'live'. Definition: to be alive. Alive: adjective. Definition: having life, not dead or inanimate. Life: noun. Definition: an organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction," the Time Lord translated, his tone strongly sarcastic. "Am I too unclear for you? I can give the definition in Italian if it helps."

Al narrowed his eyes. "English is quite enough, thank you. You're telling me that this ship is..." He looked at Sam. "He's pulling my leg, right?"

Sam shook his head. "Nope. She sort of talks to me. Well, not talk, more like telepathy."

"I'm sure when people walk through you, it is because they are unaware of your presence," the Doctor added. "Well, the TARDIS is fully aware of your presence. Your walking through her without regard is like... Sam walking through you over and over again, not caring that it bothers you."

"Well I didn't know it was living! I mean, who has a living ship? It's not like I was trying to... what did you call it... irritate her."

"Well, then... I believe you owe her an apology."

"Apology?"

"For walking through her walls and invading not only her privacy but also mine," the Doctor told him.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, Al. I know it might seem strange to you, but it would likely make the TARDIS happier." He paused. "You know... sort of like Ziggy."

Al rolled his eyes. "Why we have to start apologizing to computers and ships is beyond me, Sam. It's not like they're really sentient or anything. Even if they do have some personality."

Sam took a breath and let it out. "Al, you need to understand that, as wonderful as Ziggy is, she is still just a computer. The TARDIS is so much more than Ziggy... I can't even begin to explain. The TARDIS isn't just a ship with a personality or with a bit of biomatter in her mainframe. She's a living being. She's fully sentient."

Al watched as Sam made his explanation. He realized that, while he might not understand how such a thing could be possible, Sam wouldn't be so adamantly defending the concept if there wasn't some kind of truth to it. "Okay." He called out to the air around him. "I apologize, Ms. TARDIS. I wouldn't have walked through you if I'd known you were... um... sentient... like Sam said."

The Doctor listened for a moment and then grinned broadly. "Ms. TARDIS. Now you've got on her good side. She's going to be demanding I call her that for a while." Going through the inner doors, he noted that both Sam and Al were following him. He made his way back to the armory and started to dress in the one he'd taken from the museum.

"What do you suggest I put on to provide protection, Doctor?" Sam asked. Now that they knew they'd have to go to Plan B, he figured he'd be involved.

"Put on?" the Doctor questioned, focused on his own actions.

"You said that armour will provide protection from the Dragon for you. It would be a good idea if I got prepared as well. After all, you're likely to need some help."

It took a moment for the Gallifreyan to realize what Sam was saying. He shook his head. "You are not going out there against Krazan," he ordered emphatically. "You're staying here in the TARDIS. You'll be safe in here. If I'm not back in five hours, the TARDIS will take you to safety."

"No," Sam said without embellishment. "I can either go in there protected or not. I'd prefer some level of protection but I guess that's up to you."

"Sam? Maybe he has a point..." Al started.

"No. I'm going to help him. You saw what Krazan could do."

"Yeah... that's why he has a point."

Sam looked at Al with narrowed eyes.

"Sam... please. Listen to him," the Doctor entreated. "You could be killed out there."

"So could you," came the firm reply.

The Time Lord rolled his eyes. "Humans," he grumbled. He sighed with resignation. "If you insist on going out there with me, you're wearing that." He pointed to the armoire he had been so upset Sam had opened before.

"That's your armour," Sam argued. "The set you wore in the Time War. Are you sure you want me to wear it?"

"I don't really have a choice now, do I? I don't know what it is about you lot, but humans have a bad habit of not listening to reason. It's the armour of a general. It's made of better material and, therefore, will be far more protective than the one from the museum."

"Okay, so you're giving me the more protective armour. How is that reasonable?" Sam questioned. "You're the one that's going to wield the Vorpal sword, right? Get up close and personal with Krazan? Don't you think you should wear the best protection possible?"

"There are two very important reasons why you are wearing that armour. A: you leapt into my friend and I very much want her to live. Two: I have a better immune system and can withstand much more damage than a human." The Doctor reached over, touching the leaper's shoulder. "Please. Wear the one in the armoire. You'll be safer and I'll be able to focus on the job I have to do and not as much on the danger you've taken upon yourself."

Al put in, concern on his face. "Do it, kid." He didn't like that his best friend wanted to go up against a monster from another world but, if he was going to, he certainly wanted him to have the best protection available. If what the Doctor said was true about the quality of the materials, he had to give him credit for thinking of his friend's safety over his own.

"But..." Sam started again.

The Doctor looked into his eyes. "Don't argue with me on this, Samuel. Besides..." He tilted his head towards Al. "I really don't want to have to answer to him if something happens to you."

Although Sam didn't particularly like hearing his full name, he understood the Doctor using it. The way it was said wasn't unlike his father when he wanted his son to hear him. Sam flashed a half grin. "That would almost be worse than facing the Dragon." He took a breath and let it out. "Fine. I won't fight both of you." He opened the armoire and pulled out the armour. "Lighter than it looks."

The Doctor gave him a half-grin as he, with obviously trained skill, continued to put on his armour, making sure all was secure before helping Sam finish with his own. "It may seem light, but that metal is stronger than diamonds by a magnitude of one thousand."

Sam nodded, accepting that specification. He continued on with the planning. "We only have one Vorpal sword. Is there any other weapon we can use? I know you said that the Vorpal sword was the only thing that would kill a Dragon..." Sam saw the look on the Doctor's face and quickly added, "Only if that's necessary, of course." He then went back to his query, "...but what about something that's at least protective?"

The Time Lord frowned slightly at the question. "I'm not sure I have anything that would be defensive against a Dragon. I don't carry weapons on the TARDIS. At least, not unless it is absolutely necessary. If I still had Ace's bat, you might have been able to use that. I gave an electrical charge. Unfortunately, she broke it on a Dalek." Seeing the frown on Sam's face, he waved it off. "Long story." Almost immediately, his eyes widened. "Electricity! That's it!" He dashed from the room at an amazing speed, considering that he was in battle armour, before returning, less than a minute later, with a pole that was approximately five feet long. "There you go!"

Sam took the pro-offered item and felt the weight in his hands. "Looks sort of like a bo staff."

"It's a drevglotam staff," the Doctor protested. "It's primarily used as a hunting tool on Praxima Delta. The inhabitants use these to agitate drevglotams from the trees. Extremely durable like a bo staff but acts more like a cattleprod."

"Cattleprod?" Sam asked as he ran through several Bōjutsu movements.

"Cattleprod. An instrument that uses electricity to influence livestock into submission. Not my favorite thing in the world, mind you." The Doctor watched Sam's movements. "You know Bōjutsu."

"Yeah. I'm proficient in several martial arts." He stopped and turned the pole in his hand. "How do you electrify it?"

The Doctor pointed to an intricate design in the center of the pole. "There's a small latch here. Open the compartment, press and hold the button for ten seconds, and close. Make sure you keep the end with the double stripes away from you or you'll knock yourself unconscious."

Sam nodded slightly. "Okay. Gotcha."

Al had been watching the interaction. "You just be ready to use it on Godz..." He noticed the Doctor's frown, "...um...Krazan."

"I will." Sam looked at the Time Lord and noticed the zylon boots. "You don't happen to have an extra pair of those," he said nodding towards the boot on the Doctor's foot.

The Doctor thought for a moment. "Socks? No... boots!" He headed to the same foot locker he'd ransacked earlier that day. "What size are you?" He looked over at Sam's feet for a moment before digging once again into the locker. Coming up with a pair of boots, he sniffed them before tossing them to the physicist. "Those should fit you."

Sam took them and pulled them on. "They're a little loose, but they'll do."

"Loose?" the Gallifreyan seemed slightly depressed by the revelation. "I could have sworn I was good at estimating shoe sizes. Really need to get some lessons from Grace. Now there's a woman who can guess a shoe size!"

Not knowing who this Grace was and figuring that it didn't matter at the moment, Sam pointed out instead, "Well, I doubt if you have an unlimited supply of different sized zylon boots so as I say, these will be fine. The main question for now is are we ready?"

"As ready as one can be before taking on a Dragon, I suppose," the Doctor confirmed before leading the way back to the console room. Procuring the Vorpal sword, he removed the petal paste before sliding the sword into a scabbard he'd put around his waist. He then led Sam out of the TARDIS towards the inn.

Al called after them. "I'll be right with you." If they were going into battle, Al was too but first he needed to get something. He punched in the code that opened the door to his time. Walking out of the Imaging Chamber, he told the crew, "Be back in ten minutes."