Breaking the news.....

Inquirer holds up a small disk the size of a quarter and a video player for the minute package. Both Betty and Ragan's eyes light up at the thought of seeing it.....

They then cough in embarasment at getting sidetracked.

"There were a few seens from Shada that got reused in The Five Doctors," Ragan finally says when the others look like they were getting ansy for an answer. "See, several of us come from parallel universes."

"What?" the Fourth Doctor laughs, drawing an amused look from Romana, only to be stopped by a small sad shake of Dr. Who's head.

"You did get sucked into that other universe where Project Vulcan destroyed that fascist version of England.....that entire world, correct?" Dr. Who says softly.

The Fourth Doctor looks worried and shakes his head, remembering.

"Well, while we Time Lords try just to stay in our own quarters.....our own universe and all, that doesn't mean that crossing of realities doesn't happen," Dr. Who finishes. "I actually met some of my parallel versions.....my analogs. In fact, perhaps we'd better just check something out here."

Inquirer, Elrondir, and B'ellana pull out tricorders and wave them at the bemused Romana and the Fourth Doctor....and then at Dr. Who and the surrounding room.

I was going to check their Matrix..... Doctor Who says mentally, But I think that you three have a better idea by using science instead of magic.....since the young looking woman looks rather unnerved right at the moment. Needn't spring too much on them.....too soon.

That's the idea, Inquirer sends back, with a mental chuckle, I'm surprised that our surprise guest hasn't offered you a jelly baby. Must have left it in his other coat.....

"Those sound almost like those tricorder from that one American show," Romana muses uneasily, a little unnerved by the turn of events, "What was it called.....Star Trick?"

"Star Trek," Betty, the Fourth Doctor, and B'ellana correct the young woman.

"And they are tricorders," Elrondir says, "And they tell us your quantum signature is different from that of this world and 'our' Doctor. Goes without saying, since he's sort of stuck now as he is......like all of us are."

"I'll....explain later," Doctor Who begins to say, then sighs.

"No...." the Time Lord sighs. "You both deserve to know. The short of it is that I and you are from parallel universes....as are my companions here. In the universes that the red headed woman-Ragan-and the brown haired woman-Betty-are from......our lives have been mirrored in a science fiction drama called 'Doctor Who.'"

The Fourth Doctor's eyes bug out at that, and Romana looks a bit off as well.

"I know I'm being remiss for not introducing the others properly at this time, but...." the Time Lord finally says, gesturing at Inquirer, "But the lady was in the middle of an explanation......which I hope will explain why she stole that book from that one rather young man and threw that other fellow into the drink!"

"Yes, I'm rather curious myself," the Fourth Doctor manages, curious at to what he'd seen from his viewpoint down in the river.

"This is what I was after," Inquirer says, drawing forth the special book, "It's from Galifrey. The man I threw was after it and......a renegade Time Lord called Salayvin....."

Inquirer looks sadly over at Betty and Ragan, who look sadly back. They all know the truth about the Professor, the Doctors' friend. The Doctors and Romana try not to fidget, waiting for these unusual people to continue. The Doctors and Romana are listening carefully, with great creditability garnered by the book they all know.....and fear.

"If the story follows reality....which I hope it doesn't but......" Inquirer pauses and sighs, "The Professors who sent a message out for both their respective Doctors....or whatever exactly happened here..... is in reality Salayvin who escaped from the prison known as Shada. He was trying to get the book away and back to Galifrey so it would be safe and secure. He wanted it away so another man, Skagra. the one I threw in the river, wouldn't be able to take it and use to track him down in a crazy scheme to unit all of life in some type of hive mind....with him in control."

The Doctors and Romana look sandbagged. B'ellana quietly hands them cups of tea that she'd had a recently installed replicator (shades Star Trek: The Next Generation).

1. "When that young man and Skagra stopped in surprise on the bridge due to this TARDIS landing on it," the AI finishes, "Skagra was right next to this book...and might have seen it......"

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