Doctor Who: The Nightmare JunctionPrologue
The Fourth Doctor adjusted the controls of the TARDIS with a flourish, his long scarf dangling perilously close to the console switches. Sarah Jane Smith watched with mild amusement while Harry Sullivan held onto a railing, still not entirely used to the TARDIS's erratic movements.
"There we are!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Safe and sound, despite Sutekh's best efforts."
"Are you certain he's gone for good, Doctor?" Sarah Jane asked, still shaken from their encounter with the last of the Osirians.
"Trapped in a time corridor for thousands of years," the Doctor confirmed. "By the time he reaches the end, he'll have aged to dust. Sutekh is no more."
Harry looked relieved. "Well, that's that then. I must say, I never expected to visit Mars and battle an ancient Egyptian god when I joined UNIT."
"The universe is full of surprises, Harry," the Doctor replied with a mischievous grin. "Speaking of which, I think we deserve a rest after that ordeal. How about the Eye of Orion? A most tranquil place in the universe."
As the Doctor set the coordinates, the TARDIS console room suddenly trembled violently, throwing him across the control panel.
"Doctor, what's happening?" Sarah Jane called out, clinging desperately to the hat stand.
"Some sort of temporal disturbance," the Doctor replied, his eyes wide with concern. "We're being pulled off course... and we're not alone."
The Third Doctor was adjusting controls on his own TARDIS console while Jo Grant watched anxiously. They had just narrowly escaped Devil's End after their confrontation with Azal, the last of the Dæmons.
"I still can't believe it, Doctor," Jo said. "The Master actually thought he could control a being as powerful as Azal."
"The Master's ambition is matched only by his arrogance," the Doctor replied. "Though I must admit, your willingness to sacrifice yourself was quite remarkable, Jo. It was your selflessness that confused Azal's logical mind enough to destroy him."
Jo smiled modestly. "I just did what anyone would have done."
"I rather think not," the Doctor said warmly. "Now, I've promised the Brigadier we'd return promptly to UNIT headquarters to file our report, though I can't imagine why he's in such a rush."
As he set the coordinates, the TARDIS suddenly lurched sideways, sending both of them sprawling.
"Doctor!" Jo exclaimed. "What's happening?"
"I don't understand it," he said, frowning at the controls. "The coordinates are changing by themselves."
"Is it the Time Lords again?" Jo asked.
"No," the Doctor replied grimly. "Something else. Something I don't recognize."
The Seventh Doctor and Ace made their way back to the TARDIS, leaving behind the Victorian mansion of Gabriel Chase and the strange entity known as Light.
"I still don't understand why you brought me there, Professor," Ace said, her voice tinged with lingering anger. "That was the haunted house from my childhood. You knew it would upset me."
"Sometimes we need to face our fears, Ace," the Doctor replied gently. "Light had been dormant for centuries, cataloguing Earth's life forms. If we hadn't confronted him, he would have destroyed everything that evolved beyond his understanding."
"Yeah, well," Ace muttered, "next time just tell me what we're walking into, alright?"
The Doctor nodded, his eyes apologetic beneath the brim of his hat. "Fair enough. Now, I believe I promised you a trip to the Singing Caves of Metebelis Beta. The crystalline formations there create the most remarkable melodies when the solar winds pass through them."
As he began setting the coordinates, the TARDIS console erupted in sparks, throwing them both backwards.
"Professor!" Ace shouted. "What's going on?"
"We're being diverted," he replied, rolling his r's slightly. "Someone is interfering with the TARDIS's temporal navigation systems."
"Who would have that kind of power?"
Before the Doctor could answer, the console room began to fade around them, and unconsciousness claimed them both.
Part 1: The Three Doctors
The Fourth Doctor awoke with a start, finding himself in a familiar setting—the control room of his TARDIS. Sarah Jane and Harry were stirring nearby.
"Well, that was unpleasant," the Doctor remarked, adjusting his extraordinarily long scarf. "Is everyone alright?"
"I think so," Sarah Jane replied, rubbing her head. "What happened?"
Before the Doctor could respond, a figure materialized near the console—a diminutive man with a bow tie and tweed jacket.
"Hello, hello!" the figure announced cheerfully. "Having a little nap, were we? How delightfully lazy."
The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "And who might you be?"
"Oh, come now. Don't tell me you've forgotten already," the man replied with a malicious smile. "I'm the Dreamlord. Your old friend."
"I don't believe we've met," the Doctor said carefully.
"Oh, but we have. Perhaps not yet in your timeline, but we're very well acquainted. I know you better than anyone, Doctor. All your darkest thoughts, your doubts, your fears..." The Dreamlord circled the console, his eyes never leaving the Doctor. "I'm the parts of you that you keep hidden, even from yourself."
"That's preposterous," Harry interjected.
"Is it, Harry Sullivan? Naval surgeon, bumbling companion, always feeling a little out of your depth?" The Dreamlord's eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. "The Doctor knows all about feeling out of place, don't you, Doctor?"
"Enough riddles," the Doctor demanded. "What do you want?"
"Want? I want to play a game!" The Dreamlord clapped his hands together. "I've created two realities for you. One is real, the other is fake. In both, there's a mortal danger. Figure out which is which before it's too late, or die trying."
"And why would we play your game?" Sarah Jane asked defiantly.
"Because you're already playing it," the Dreamlord replied with a sinister smile. "Sweet dreams!"
With that, he vanished. Almost immediately, the TARDIS console room began to fade around them.
"Doctor!" Sarah Jane called out in alarm.
"Don't panic," the Doctor instructed, though he looked concerned. "Whatever happens next, remember—one reality is false!"
The Third Doctor woke up to find himself in the laboratory at UNIT HQ. Jo Grant was shaking his shoulder.
"Doctor, wake up! The Brigadier's been looking everywhere for you."
The Doctor sat up, disoriented. "Jo? What happened to the TARDIS?"
"The TARDIS?" Jo looked confused. "You've been working on an experiment all night. Don't you remember? The Master has been spotted near Devil's End again. The Brigadier thinks he's trying to revive the powers of Azal somehow."
The Doctor frowned. They had dealt with Azal, the last of the Dæmons, months ago. Something wasn't right.
Before the Doctor could respond, a small man in tweed appeared, sitting casually on his laboratory bench.
"Having trouble with your memory, Doctor? That's the trouble with getting old, isn't it? The mind starts to go."
"Who are you?" the Doctor demanded, getting to his feet.
"I'm the Dreamlord, and you're in quite a predicament. Right now, you exist in two realities—this one, and another where you're unconscious in your TARDIS. One is real, one is a dream. Your task is to figure out which is which."
"And if I refuse to play along?"
"Then you'll die," the Dreamlord said simply. "In the real world, that is. There's a threat in both realities, something deadly approaching. Choose incorrectly, and, well..." He made a slicing motion across his throat.
"Doctor, what's he talking about?" Jo asked, her eyes wide with concern.
The Dreamlord smiled. "Oh, he hasn't told you? About all the dangers he's exposed you to? All the times he's nearly gotten you killed?"
"Don't listen to him, Jo," the Doctor warned.
"Better hurry, Doctor," the Dreamlord taunted. "Time's ticking away in both worlds."
With a mocking bow, he vanished.
The laboratory door burst open, and the Brigadier strode in. "Doctor, thank goodness you're here. The Master has been sighted near the church at Devil's End. Our reports suggest he's somehow managed to partially restore Azal's power."
The Doctor exchanged a worried glance with Jo. "That should be impossible..."
The Seventh Doctor found himself in a familiar Victorian mansion—Gabriel Chase in Perivale, 1883. Ace was standing beside him, looking around with visible discomfort.
"Gabriel Chase," she whispered. "But we just left here, Professor."
"Indeed," the Doctor replied, tapping his umbrella thoughtfully against the floor. "Curious that we should return so soon."
"I don't like this place," Ace said firmly. "It gives me the creeps."
"And with good reason," the Doctor agreed. "But something's different. Notice anything unusual?"
Before Ace could respond, the Dreamlord appeared, lounging against a bannister.
"Welcome back to the haunted house," he said with a smirk. "The place of Ace's nightmares. How fitting that we should return here."
"Who's this guy?" Ace demanded.
"The Dreamlord," the Doctor replied grimly. "A manifestation of... well, that remains to be seen."
"Always so cryptic," the Dreamlord sneered. "Never giving a straight answer. No wonder your companions end up in such terrible situations."
"What have you done?" the Doctor demanded.
"Created a puzzle for you to solve. Two realities—one on the TARDIS where you and Ace are in mortal danger, and this one, where you've returned to Gabriel Chase but might be facing an even greater threat than Light. One is real, one is a dream. Choose wisely, Doctor."
"And how do we know which is which?" Ace asked.
"That's the fun part," the Dreamlord replied with a cruel smile. "You don't. Not until it's too late."
With that, he vanished.
"I don't understand, Professor," Ace said. "We defeated Light. We watched him disperse himself."
"Yet something still dwells in this house," the Doctor murmured. "Something familiar, yet different."
A strange rustling sound came from the upper floors of the mansion. The Doctor and Ace exchanged worried glances.
"Whatever it is," the Doctor said quietly, "it's aware of our presence."
Part 2: Reality Shifts
The Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Harry found themselves standing on a desolate, rocky planet. A massive, crystalline pyramid loomed before them.
"Sutekh's tomb on Mars," the Doctor breathed. "This is impossible."
"Doctor," Sarah Jane said hesitantly, "we defeated Sutekh, didn't we? Trapped him in a time corridor that would destroy him."
"Yes," the Doctor confirmed, looking troubled. "Which makes our present location somewhat problematic."
"Or perhaps," Harry suggested, "we're experiencing some sort of time anomaly?"
"Always so logical, Harry Sullivan," came the Dreamlord's voice as he appeared beside them, now dressed in elaborate Egyptian-inspired regalia. "But sometimes logic fails, doesn't it, Doctor?"
"What's the point of this?" the Doctor demanded. "Why bring us to Mars?"
"Who said this is Mars?" the Dreamlord replied cryptically. "Perhaps this is a memory. Or perhaps it's happening right now, and your defeat of Sutekh was the dream."
An ominous rumbling came from within the pyramid, and the entrance began to open.
"I suggest you run," the Dreamlord said with a malevolent smile. "The Last of the Osirians doesn't take kindly to trespassers."
As the Doctor and his companions retreated behind a rocky outcropping, a mummified figure emerged from the pyramid, its eyes glowing with an eerie green light.
"Sutekh," the Doctor whispered. "But how?"
The reality around them flickered briefly, revealing the TARDIS console room. The Doctor noticed that the TARDIS appeared to be powered down, with emergency lighting casting an eerie red glow. The temperature seemed unusually cold, with their breath visible in the air.
"Doctor!" Sarah Jane gasped as the Martian landscape reasserted itself. "Something's wrong with the TARDIS—it's freezing!"
"Yes," the Doctor agreed grimly. "The TARDIS seems to be powering down. If that's the real reality, we're in serious trouble. Without power, life support will eventually fail."
"So which is real, Doctor?" Harry asked, ducking as a blast of energy from Sutekh struck the rocks above them. "Mars with Sutekh, or a failing TARDIS?"
"That's what we need to determine," the Doctor replied. "And quickly."
In the UNIT laboratory, the Third Doctor was examining reports of renewed paranormal activity in Devil's End with growing concern.
"According to these readings," he told Jo, "there's some form of energy building near the church. But it's not consistent with a Dæmon's power signature."
"Then what is it?" Jo asked.
"I'm not entirely sure," the Doctor admitted. "But I intend to find out."
As they prepared to leave for Devil's End, the reality around them flickered, revealing the TARDIS console room for a moment. The Doctor noticed the emergency lighting and the freezing temperature, with frost beginning to form on the console.
"That's odd," he murmured as the laboratory reasserted itself.
"Doctor?" Jo looked concerned. "You went away for a moment there."
"Just thinking," the Doctor replied. "Jo, I believe I know what's happening. We're experiencing two realities—one here at UNIT, and one in my TARDIS. And if what I glimpsed is correct, the TARDIS is losing power rapidly. Without heat or oxygen, we'll freeze or suffocate."
"But which is real?" Jo asked, her eyes wide with concern.
"That's what we need to determine," the Doctor said grimly. "And quickly."
The Dreamlord appeared, now dressed as a vicar. "Oh dear, Doctor. Time is running out in both realities. The Master is preparing his ritual in Devil's End, and your TARDIS is getting colder by the minute. Tick tock!"
In Gabriel Chase, the Seventh Doctor and Ace were cautiously exploring the upper floors, following the strange rustling sounds.
"It's coming from the attic," Ace whispered.
"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "Where Light's spacecraft was hidden."
They climbed the stairs to the attic, finding it transformed into an alien laboratory just as it had been during their previous visit. But instead of Light's spacecraft, they found something else entirely.
"That's a Dalek time capsule," the Doctor said, his voice tight with concern.
"But there weren't any Daleks here last time," Ace protested.
"No," the Doctor agreed. "Another inconsistency."
The capsule began to open, and a familiar metallic voice rang out: "EXTERMINATE!"
The Doctor pulled Ace behind a large piece of furniture as a Dalek emerged from the capsule, its eyestalk swivelling as it searched for them.
"This doesn't make sense," Ace whispered. "What would a Dalek be doing here?"
Before the Doctor could respond, the reality wavered, and they briefly saw the TARDIS console room. It was dimly lit with emergency lighting, and freezing cold—frost covered the walls and console, and their unconscious bodies were beginning to be covered with a thin layer of ice.
"Professor!" Ace gasped when Gabriel Chase reappeared around them. "I saw something in the TARDIS—it's freezing in there!"
"Yes," the Doctor confirmed grimly. "The TARDIS appears to be losing power. Without heat or life support, our bodies will freeze to death."
"So which is real?" Ace asked. "This place with the Daleks, or the freezing TARDIS?"
"That," the Doctor replied, "is the question we must answer. And soon."
Part 3: The True Threat
In the Martian pyramid scenario, the Fourth Doctor was analyzing their situation while dodging Sutekh's energy blasts.
"This scenario is a composite of our experiences," he explained to Sarah Jane and Harry. "Sutekh, the pyramid, Mars—all drawn from our memories. But there are inconsistencies. The real Sutekh was far more powerful, and he couldn't leave the pyramid without assistance."
"So this is the dream?" Sarah Jane asked.
"I'm beginning to think so," the Doctor confirmed. "But that means the freezing TARDIS is real, which presents its own set of problems."
The Dreamlord appeared beside them, slow-clapping. "Well done, Doctor. Getting warmer—or should I say colder? Yes, your precious ship is freezing. The temperature is dropping one degree every minute. I'd say you have about 30 minutes before you freeze to death."
"Why are you doing this?" Sarah Jane demanded.
"Ask the Doctor," the Dreamlord replied, his eyes fixed on the Time Lord. "This is all his doing, after all."
"What does he mean, Doctor?" Harry asked.
Before the Doctor could answer, another reality shift occurred. They saw the TARDIS more clearly now, the frost thickening on every surface. The Doctor noticed something else—the time rotor was dim, barely functioning.
"The TARDIS's power is being drained," the Doctor muttered when Mars reappeared around them. "But by what? And why?"
"Perhaps you're asking the wrong questions," the Dreamlord suggested. "Instead of what or why, maybe you should be asking who."
In Devil's End, the Third Doctor and Jo had arrived at the village to find it strangely deserted.
"This is wrong," Jo noted. "Even when Azal was here, the village wasn't completely abandoned."
"Because this isn't real," the Doctor agreed. "It's a construct, drawn from our memories but imperfectly rendered."
The Dreamlord appeared, leaning against the church gate. "Getting cold, Doctor," he taunted. "Both figuratively and literally. Your TARDIS is now at minus five degrees Celsius. Hypothermia will set in soon."
"This is your doing," the Doctor accused.
"Is it?" the Dreamlord replied with raised eyebrows. "Or is it yours? I'm only a reflection, after all."
"A reflection of what?" Jo asked.
"The Doctor's darker nature," the Dreamlord explained with relish. "His doubts, his fears, his self-loathing. All the parts of himself he tries to hide away."
"That's enough," the Doctor said sharply.
"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" the Dreamlord smirked. "But not as much as freezing to death will."
Another reality shift occurred, longer this time. The Doctor saw the TARDIS clearly, the frost now thick on every surface. He noticed his other incarnations—the Fourth and Seventh—also unconscious nearby.
"Three of me," he murmured when Devil's End reappeared. "But how?"
"That's for you to figure out," the Dreamlord said. "Better hurry, though. Time is running out."
In Gabriel Chase, the Seventh Doctor was leading Ace through the mansion, deliberately avoiding the Dalek that was searching for them.
"Something isn't right about that Dalek," the Doctor observed. "It's moving erratically, almost as if it's not fully in control of itself."
"Like it's part of a dream?" Ace suggested.
"Precisely," the Doctor agreed. "I believe this reality is the false one. Which means—"
"The freezing TARDIS is real," Ace finished grimly. "Great."
The Dreamlord appeared, perched on a Victorian settee. "Getting there, Doctor. Yes, your precious ship is freezing over quite nicely. Such a shame."
"What's causing it?" the Doctor demanded.
"Oh, I think you know," the Dreamlord replied. "Deep down. It's you, Doctor. It's always been you."
Another reality shift revealed the TARDIS again. This time, the Doctor noticed something he hadn't before—his other incarnations, the Third and Fourth, lying unconscious nearby.
"Three of us," he whispered when Gabriel Chase returned. "Three incarnations, trapped together. But how?"
"Three times the Doctor, three times the fun," the Dreamlord said with a cruel smile. "Three times the guilt, the regret, the self-hatred. It's quite the feast."
"Feast?" The Doctor's eyes widened with sudden understanding. "Of course! You're feeding on us!"
Part 4: Awakening
All three incarnations of the Doctor realized the truth simultaneously across their separate dream scenarios.
The Fourth Doctor turned to Sarah Jane and Harry. "The Dreamlord isn't just tormenting us—he's feeding on our negative emotions. Every doubt, every fear, every moment of self-recrimination powers him."
"But if he's feeding on your emotions," Sarah Jane reasoned, "then he's not actually real, is he?"
"Oh, he's real enough," the Doctor replied. "But he's a parasite, not an independent entity. And parasites can be starved."
In Devil's End, the Third Doctor explained the same concept to Jo.
"The Dreamlord exists because I'm giving him the emotional energy he needs. If I can cut off that supply..."
"You can defeat him," Jo finished. "But how?"
"By refusing to play his game," the Doctor replied. "By accepting my flaws and doubts without being consumed by them."
In Gabriel Chase, the Seventh Doctor was revealing the same plan to Ace.
"The Dreamlord feeds on negative self-perception. He wants me to wallow in guilt and self-doubt. But if I acknowledge those feelings without being controlled by them..."
"You take away his power," Ace said. "Like facing your fears."
"Something you know quite a bit about," the Doctor said with a smile.
In all three dream scenarios, the Dreamlord appeared simultaneously, his form slightly less substantial than before.
"Figured it out, have you?" he sneered. "It won't help. You can't just turn off who you are, Doctor."
"No," the Fourth Doctor agreed. "But I can accept it without letting it control me."
"I have regrets," the Third Doctor acknowledged. "Mistakes I've made, people I've failed. But those don't define who I am."
"I contain multitudes," the Seventh Doctor added. "Light and dark, kindness and calculation. And I accept all of those aspects of myself."
The Dreamlord's form wavered. "Pretty words," he spat. "But your TARDIS is still freezing. Your companions will die along with you."
"Not if we wake up," the Fourth Doctor countered. "And now that we know this is a dream, we can."
"It's not that easy," the Dreamlord insisted.
"Actually," the Seventh Doctor said with a slight smile, "it is."
Each Doctor closed their eyes, focusing intensely. Their companions watched as they seemed to enter a meditative state.
"What are they doing?" Harry asked.
"Breaking the Dreamlord's hold," the Dreamlord himself explained, his voice becoming distorted. "By accepting the parts of themselves that I represent without being controlled by them, they're severing my connection."
The dream worlds began to shake and dissolve around them.
"This isn't over, Doctor," the Dreamlord warned, his form becoming increasingly transparent. "I'll always be with you, waiting in the shadows of your mind."
"Perhaps," the Fourth Doctor acknowledged. "But today, those shadows don't win."
"Until next time, then," the Dreamlord said with a mocking bow as he faded away. "Sweet dreams, Doctor. I'll be waiting."
With a final surge of mental energy, the three Doctors broke free from the dream state entirely.
The Seventh Doctor's TARDIS console room materialized around all three Doctors and their companions as they gasped awake simultaneously. The temperature was rapidly returning to normal as the frost began to melt.
"Well, that was bracing," the Fourth Doctor remarked, adjusting his scarf as he sat up.
"Quite," agreed the Third Doctor, helping Jo to her feet.
"Is everyone alright?" the Seventh Doctor asked, checking on Ace who was shivering slightly.
"Just a bit cold, Professor," she assured him. "But what happened? Why are there three of you?"
"And why were we all unconscious?" Sarah Jane added.
The Seventh Doctor moved to the console, examining the readings. "The temporal coordinates have been scrambled. All three of our TARDISes were pulled to the same point in the time vortex and merged temporarily."
"But what caused it?" Harry asked. "And what was that Dreamlord fellow?"
The Fourth Doctor was examining the time rotor, where small golden particles were swirling. "Ah! Now this explains it. Psychic pollen from the Candle Meadows of Karass don Slava."
"Psychic pollen?" Jo repeated.
"A rare substance that feeds on negative emotions and can create shared psychic environments," the Third Doctor explained. "A few specks must have gotten into the time rotor, where they were warmed up and activated."
"The pollen created the Dreamlord from our own negative self-perception," the Seventh Doctor added. "And it was powerful enough to affect all three of us across our timeline, pulling us together into a shared dream state."
"But the freezing TARDIS—was that real?" Ace asked.
"Very real," the Fourth Doctor confirmed. "The pollen was draining power from the TARDIS to maintain the dream state. Without power, the temperature controls failed."
"So we could have actually frozen to death?" Sarah Jane asked.
"If we hadn't broken free when we did, yes," the Third Doctor replied solemnly.
The Seventh Doctor carefully extracted the golden particles from the time rotor using a small containment device. "There. That should prevent any further incidents."
"What will you do with it?" Ace asked.
"Take it back to Karass don Slava," he replied. "Where it belongs. The Candle Meadows are quite beautiful when they're in bloom—though it's best to admire them from a safe distance."
"Well, I for one have had quite enough of dream worlds for a while," Harry remarked.
"Agreed," Jo said fervently. "Though it was fascinating meeting you all."
"And you," Sarah Jane replied with a warm smile. "It's interesting to see who the Doctor travels with... before and after me."
"The Doctor always chooses well," Ace said, glancing at the three Time Lords with affection.
"Now then," the Third Doctor said briskly, "we should probably return to our proper timelines before we cause any more temporal anomalies."
"Indeed," the Fourth Doctor agreed. "Though I must say, it's been enlightening meeting my past and future selves, even under these circumstances."
"Time has a way of bringing us together when we need it most," the Seventh Doctor said enigmatically.
As the TARDIS systems began to separate the temporal anomaly, the companions said their goodbyes.
"Take care of him," Jo told Sarah Jane. "He needs someone, even if he doesn't always admit it."
"I will," Sarah Jane promised, before turning to Ace. "And you do the same."
"Count on it," Ace replied with a grin.
The TARDIS console room filled with light as the timelines began to separate.
"Until we meet again," the Fourth Doctor called to his other selves.
"Let's hope under better circumstances next time," the Third Doctor replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Time will tell," the Seventh Doctor said with a knowing smile. "It always does."
The light grew blinding, and when it faded, each Doctor and their companions found themselves back in their own TARDIS, with the memory of their shared adventure—and a new understanding of the darkness and light that existed within them all.
Epilogue
The Fourth Doctor stood at the TARDIS console, setting new coordinates.
"Where are we off to now, Doctor?" Sarah Jane asked.
"The Eye of Orion," the Doctor replied with a smile. "After that encounter with the Dreamlord, I think we could all use a bit of tranquillity, don't you?"
"Sounds wonderful," Sarah Jane agreed. "Though I can't help wondering if we'll see the Dreamlord again someday."
"Perhaps," the Doctor admitted. "He is a part of me, after all. But thanks to this experience, I understand him better now." He grinned suddenly, his whole face lighting up. "But that's a worry for another day! For now—the Eye of Orion awaits!"
As the TARDIS dematerialized, heading toward new adventures, none of them noticed the briefest flicker of the Dreamlord's reflection in the time rotor glass—there and gone in an instant, a silent promise to return when least expected.
For now, though, the adventure continued, as it always would for the Doctor and his companions, across the vast expanse of time and space.
THE END