Meetings
As Jack watched this earlier Doctor he was able to see noted differences, noticeably he seemed tired.
"So what's happening Doc'?" Jack asked as he took up the rear.
"Well, for the first century of my life I kept hearing rumours that the Time Lords would eventually be at war with an unknown enemy, after a long time travelling in the shadow of that conflict I collapsed the Timeline by destroying Gallifrey." The Doctor swallowed before continuing. "I was able to rebuild the civilisation using the Matrix, I spent one thousand years on the planet, served on the High Council for a long time. Then I left, I met Samson and Gemma and travelled around for a bit before answering a Time Lord distress beacon, then I travelled with Mary Shelly for a while before returning home."
"Home?" Sarah asked looking at him with a little surprise.
"Yeah Gallifrey," as the Doctor crossed the room his eyes became dark and guarded, scorch marks where all the way along the walls.
As they walked further he found a metal framework surrounding a massive brass sphere expanded further than could be seen.
"It can't be…" the Doctor breathed, looking at the sphere in horror.
"What is it?" the Doctor wasn't sure which one of them asked.
"It's a blackstar," like that explained everything the Doctor ran to the console and entered his High Council code.
"Doctor is it a weapon?" Jack asked, the console was in Gallifreyan and thus gibberish to him.
"Yes, it's an immensely powerful weapon, and it's target is…" the Doctor pulled on the half-moon glasses that his fifth self-wore. "…is Skaro in prehistory."
The Doctor stopped and smiled.
"Well, that's me done with, come on I'll take you home," the Doctor was already leaving to the others confusion.
"Why?" it was Sarah this time.
"You were there on Skaro when I made the worst mistake in my life, surely it's obvious." The Doctor said not looking back.
"What does he mean?" Martha asked, this time the Doctor did stop before spinning to face the others, the glasses still perched on his nose.
"Back when I travelled with Sarah I was sent on a mission by a Time Lord, who I believe may be councillor Valyes. My mission was to avert the creation of the Daleks, but at the key moment I hesitated, I questioned whether I had the right to destroy them."
"You did the right thing," Sarah added, but her voice seemed devoid of conviction.
"No I didn't, I was a young naive fool." The Doctor seemed just as bitter and annoyed as his future selves would be. "Did I have the right… yada…yada… yada. Well here's the truth did I have the right? Yes I did, I had the right! I've seen all the people the Daleks have killed, I had the right to destroy them!"
Just at that moment a golden portal begun to open and out came the tenth Doctor, snapping shut after him the Doctor looked down to meet the eyes of his younger self.
"So you're my replacement," the eight Doctor said as he pulled his future self up to his feet.
"Well, yep," the tenth Doctor looked around seeing Jack, Sarah, Martha and then Mickey. "But… Mickey… Doctor What?"
"Do you always do that?" his past self asked.
"What?"
"Doctor?"
"WHAT!?"