Resolving some issues....and redux.....

Blake's 7 stared to the other side of the room at.....an equally staring Blake's 7?

Leela

"Oh good," I mutter in exasperation as I look back and forth between the two Avons, "Now we have two arrogant asses in the room! What is going on here?"

"I believe that I can answer that," a man says from my side.

I jump, not having detected him approaching. Odd, that. That and disturbing.

When I turn and see the blue, glittering gem in the forehead, it explains it all. This is one of Inquirer's kind. Very formidable folk, these Golems!

I find out later that this "Alex" has a devotion to the darker fictions. Went even so far as to name himself after one fictional character (the main character) from a story called "The Clockwork Oragne". Even had his body created to look just like the actor who played Alex in the movie adaptation of that story (whatever a movie is).

"Basically, what happened is this," Alex explained, speaking rapidly, "After taking care of the business with the spiders in his universe with 'his' Betty, a non-Champion Companion, they'd come back to Terra Prime to recuporate from the ordeal. That is, Dr. What accidently set his TARDIS to Terra Prime instead of his Earth after being nearly fried by all that blue radiation.....after he put a null psionic crystal into that matrix. That, by the way, permanently robbed the spiders of all of their psionic powers...making them ever so willing to see reason with their former human slaves and all that. Well, frazzled and nearly unconscious, he stumbled out with Betty supporting him. Then, out of the blue a vision of someone trying to kill the Lord President back in his universe. He was in no shape to go, but he went anyway. I insisted on coming along. We landed and he faints dead away while explaining to this one lady named Romana what's going on. After Security is informed and the Doctor is looked after, Dr. What's Betty sees that Romana wanted to do more. Suggested that she should. They somehow find the Master's TARDIS. They gain entry and Betty suggested something mischievous that struck Romana's funny bone. Meanwhile, I am off and out to stop the assassin. I got into the place where the President was having business (sorry lot of guards in there). Found one Blake talking with one Master and....basically did to them what B'Elanna did to another one. I stunned them....except I....er....used heavy stun. Somehow, though, the Master was able to dodge (moves fast for a walking corpse) and made his way...with me in chase, back to his TARDIS. Only, once he got in and dashed to where his Control Console was....it wasn't there."

While gone, Betty and Romana had, with help from one Time Lady Rodan, to disconnect the Control Column and hide it. Still staring stupidly in shock, he'd gotten stunned in the back by an angry Alex.

"The Doctor had recovered enough by this time to smooth out any wrinkles with Blake and those of his gang....especially after the Mind Probe application to the Master proved them free of any association of guilt with the evil Time Lord's plans."

What happened next was remarkably similar to what had happened with the story with my group. This other Romana, after getting slighted, had secretly reinstalled that Control Column and taken off for a life which appealed to her.....something like what the Doctor enjoyed. The other Betty was able to give a small warning about Avon having gone through a lot before meeting (and then shooting) Blake. Blake and Avon apparently made good. Things like that.

"Only thing was that 'my' Blake and gang found out about 'my' Arlen earlier than with your's," Alex sighed, "Had a hell of a time keeping them from lynching him, until Betty suggested that soon we'd let Servalan have her after all this was over."

The smile that Alex gives at that thought chills my blood. This Golem is.....not as personable or...as nice as Inquirer. Still one of the "good guys" as I heard Betty call it, but definitely cut out of similar cloth as that other one named Walker (I amazed her with what I told her about what we'd done).

How much more she'd be amazed if I'd told her about this business with Champions from ten years hence. However, I'd made a promise not to tell and I have honor (unlike that...slug Avon).

I don't like Avon at all....

"The TARDIS got back to this universe....but way off course," Alex finished up, sighing. "We landed instead on the Admiral's ship....and had a fun time explaining why we were there and who we were before the ship's security forces calmed down! Delayed things a bit, so that's why we arrived late. But here we are, and now we're going to work out the same deal that the other Blake's 7 were able to work out. Got it?"

Sorting it all out takes a bit, but finally I manage it.

"Strangely enough, I do." I say after a moment, a bit perplexed, "The Doctor told me about parellel worlds and analogs. From what I can gather.....the universe you were in is a universe which....er....he was able to return to while the one that the Doctor....uh....my Doctor was in is basically a Dr. What universe where he could not return. That lead to such similar people and situations?"

"Yep," Alex nods, "Now if you excuse me, I've got to aid this new negotiation here. If Avon, mine or the other one, opens his mouth at the wrong time....I'm gonna close it.....HARD!"

"Good," I begin to say, only to sigh.

"Careful," I find myself saying, "Don't quiet follow all this business, but if you upset Blake, either one, then what will happen?"

"But of course," Alex nods, still smiling,

I don't know what to make of that, but he leaves before more can be said.

I find out later that despite my worries, nothing amiss happens.

This is good.

Walking about, I hear something about someone woman named Janeway who'd met a bald version of herself and how, due to the lack of magic in that particular Star Trek universe, the instant love or hate reaction between dopplegangers didn't occur....until it was much too late for Janeway to know about the other's evil nature. It seemed that magic was some kind of quickening agent in cases like that. Whatever.

Considering what I've heard of this woman from Betty and Ragan, I can't say I really care to know any more about her. I don't bother to stop and learn more about this situation.

So I "drift".

Drifting over to that one group around another Doctor (Dr. Which), I hear about a set of Masters who'd somehow managed to escape from Terra Prime despite the rather heavy magic on them (re: 8662). Seems that they'd gotten Time Scooped by their respective Gallifrey's, you see, and somehow got caught up in what amounted to a race between "their" Doctors in what was a quest for immortality (the Doctor's trying to stop the Master before he got to Rassilon...kind of what happened in something called "The Five Doctors").

?

Well, the Master succeeded and.....lost at the same time.

"Didn't get sealed in stone....like that show," Betty 1 said, shivering, "Instead, got made a Champion....with ultra-heavy geises inflicted by some rather annoyed Rule and Agents. Plastic grin and plastic personality, now....."

"Could see the guy inside crying to be released," Betty 2 shivered, "But unable to be killed. The Rules got forced to take them, but they won't let such a monster run amok between Quests, I saw."

.....

I don't want to know.....

Anyway, I come back to "my" Doctor and see that the Emperor and Empress of this Elven Nation are wanting him to teach a few courses of science. With the upcoming large classes that will come from a "Night of Joining" (?), the Doctor would be a wonderful teacher to young elfin minds! The Doctor was tempting on begging off, but.....rather liked the idea of teaching. Wouldn't be for too long. Dr. Which and Dr. What would share the load as well and work in shifts (picking up where the other left off). Should be....fun.

"Glad to hear that!" Ke'lan sighs, happy.

I then see Betty and Ragan over in a corner looking "shell shocked". I rush over to them to ask what is the matter.

"Inquirer and the Doctor are Engaged," Ragan says softly, blinking.

I wait a bit, then asks: "Engaged in what?"

Betty and Ragan laugh a little bit, and then explained about what that meant. First in their world's terms...and then in what it meant in Gallifreyian terms. That was the last way this engagement was rolling out, I am told. Inquirer had insisted, so both the Golem and the Time Lord can get to REALLY know each other really well over the next decade. If they found themselves incompatible, they'd be able to call it off before making a mistake in marrying each other. That and Inquirer had been studying several Gallifreyian customs and found this one....rather nice. It was a gesture of affection to the Doctor, really, from what I understand.

"I see," I say finally, nodding.

Then I ask them about something they'd let slip about my TV counterpart marrying some Gallifreyian Security man....and laugh long and hard at that thought when they abashedly tell me after a bit. I'd met that man during that business saving the Time Lord President....and found him utterly.....unappealing. Can't see myself with a man so utterly useless....

They and I somewhat recover after a moment, then ask what I'd been talking about with the others.

"Well, what do you know about psionic spiders?" I ask.

Something about this business had been talked about in passing by them, but I wanted them to explain....in detail, what this was all about!

Betty and Ragan blink.....

<rh>

Much later....

The Doctor

I groan and finally get up from the floor of the Zero Room.

Using similar methods as my brother, I and the others had fixed the problem of those psionic spiders....

Happy to say that it worked....and we did a quicker job of it than he did. Small thing, really, but it brings a small point of pride to my heart. Kind of a friendly thing, really. Having these Companions is a wonderful thing....

"Gads, that business in the caverns was horrible," I mutter as Inquirer helps me up.

"It wasn't....easy watching you....go down like that," she says softly, leaning close, "Even if it wasn't permanent."

Without me being a Champion, I'd be on my fourth Regeneration right now....

She hugs me softly, and I and she share the moment. Savoring each other.....

We break the embrace after a moment, and get back to the others.

"I guess we now are going to help....my sister?" Leela asks, still finding the idea of meeting "herself" like this....strange.

"To Dr. Which's Leela we go," I nod, setting the course.

And after all of this, I still have to severe relations with "my" Unit (as well as the two others). There was those special telegraph to give to the Brigs (mine and the others) to contact me if needed. Betty tells me about some possible trouble with robots before that happens.

1. "We've got much to do," the Doctor says, smiling, "Shan't be dull."

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