Explain

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 9854

"I have a deal for you all that will solve a few problems," Agent 4 sighs. "See, none of you....NONE....belongs here....."

The dragon and humans look like they are going to protest when they suddenly pause and actually....... sense the alieness around them. Fred especially feels something amiss. Whether it be generated by this "Agent" fellow remains to be seen, but Fred has a horrid feeling that it's not the Agent, it's not this room, it's him! Something tells him that he doesn't belong here! The others also get this feeling....as if the very realm wishes them gone!

"All of you were bounced to this universe by mistake.....but lucky you!" Agent 4 contineus, "I get to make an offer here that you might like."

Minestus, sensing what is coming (for he's heard....vague legends of what this "offer" is), speaks.

"I don't work alone," the dragon mage says softly, "I work in concert with my Dragon Circle or not at all!"

Agent 4 blinks, a little taken aback by the quiet "demand" hidden in that statement, then Fred and Astra suddenly feel like running for the hills when eleven other dragons suddenly pop into existence within the room!

Then, before anything can be said or done, images form in all their minds:

"Okay let's cut to the chase," the Agent sighs as he taps a copy of War of the Worlds that the now deceased and cremated Master left on his Control unit. "We're here because we need your help. It was a race to see whether the Maser or you'd make it in here first to get this offer, but....I'm glad it's you."

"Oh....like the gies we'd put on the Master to make him dance to OUR tune wouldn't work?" Rule 1 says. "Oh, he'd scream and moan about it....but then again....nobody asked him to be an evil, deluded despot with delusions of godhood."

The Doctor just waits for the offer, dreading what is to come (but hating the idea of out and out refusing....because it's hazardous to one's health with beings this powerful).

"We want you to go out and contact these Time Lords named Romana....not directly but by way of a rather young and.....scantily clad woman called Leela," Rule 1 says.

"Wh-h-hat are you doing?" the red haired Betty whispers, at a loss.

"Romana is to be the Doctor's stand in for the galactic crusader/wanderer," Agent 1 says. "The Leelas will cause the Romanas to get the bug that the Doctor has, and stop watching the galaxy go by but actually play a part in it. When she goes out to see you, instead of letting her get into your TARDIS....give her this."

The Agent give the Doctor what looks like two small model of his old TARDIS. "She'll find that herself within a full size version of that," the Rule put in. "It will work as a real one because it' a real TARDIS.....just shrunk down for ease of transport. She'll be supplied with a packet of information telling about the hot spots in their universe....and some of the dangers she might face if she's not careful."

"Oh, but by all means tell your peers about what you've learned....but frame it in a way that doesn't make you look insane," Rule 1 suggests. "Play your cards right...and they'll not give you your name back or whatever they did to prevent you from revealing your true name......they'll give you back those regenerations that you lost rights to by breaking customs."

The Doctor looks.....stunned.

"Now, the next part we need you to do kind of revolves around our situation," the Agent sighs. "I'm not asking you to pull the plug on Logopolis.....though it's extended the life of your and your brothers universes beyond it's scheduled life....."

The Doctor turns and looks at the Betties.

"I see now what you were talking about when we first picked up your sister," the Doctor sighs.

"If you enter in a signal you'll find that it will generate a signal that will pretty much null and void the need for those radio telescopes use. It will just....stabilize the universe into a somewhat static state....neither decaying nor growing.....kind of what is being done now. However, it will speed up repairs on the Dark Tower.....yes.....the one told of in the Dark Tower trilogy by Stephen King."

"Stacy can tell you about it," Rule 1 says before the Doctor can ask. "She's read the series."

Stacy looks positively sick.

"And when you do that......you'll be kind of....drafted into what is called the Eternal Champion brigade."

"Like that chap called Elric?" the Doctor says slowly....not quiet liking that.

"Only way we can allow you to use this TARDIS to get back to Betty 2's Earth to save it," Rule 1 says sadly. "You just won't believe the strings we had to pull to allow that! Eh, I wish that it would be easier, but.....it's this way or nothing. And it's YOU or nothing."

"Oh, at least you'll be able to go back home every once in a while....even visit the homes of the other Doctors that you'll be meeting next." Agent 1 says in a consolatory voice. "There is a TARDIS in this TARDIS's kitchen....and watershed. They came in trying to figure out just why the stars shifted and all in the skies of their Earths....but they'll tell you when they get here."

"Now," Rule 1 says.

"Do you accept and save your friend's Earth?" asks Agent 1.

"Or do you explain to your brothers why you let your Betties down?" Rule 1 asks softly.

The Doctor says.....

The Doctor says: "Well, you know that I don't really have a choice." But before he can say any more, redhaired Betty butts in. "Look," she says to the Doctor, "I'd really like to know what is going on here. Maybe you understood all that, but is there any chance of anyone giving an explanation at a level that I can understand?"

Rule 1 smiles. "I think we owe you - and your companions - that much," he says, "so let's try to dot some 'i's and cross some 't's, shall we. First, then, you need to understand that my colleague and I are part of what you might call the celestial bureaucracy. To keep this universe - and indeed all the other universes - running smoothly it is necessary that what you might call the four primal forces of Good and Evil, Order and Chaos should be kept in some sort of balance within it. The Rules, of which I am one, have the task of ensuring that sufficient Order is maintained; the Agents, to which my friend there belongs, do the same for Chaos; the Angels look after Good; and the Demons oversee Evil. You might think that the Rules and the Agents would be at each others' throats, but in fact we recognise that the others have their necessary place in the Grand Design, and we actually get along pretty well. All of us - Rules, Agents, Angels and Demons - work for an all- powerful god or gods. I have to be rather coy about that, and can't say any more, as we wish members of all religions to be able to believe that their faith is the true one.

"I said 'all the other universes' earlier. From your brief time on Terra Prime you will already be familiar with the concept of people who are analogs of other people, and who come from worlds that are closer or more distant analogs of this Terra. The same concept applies to the universe as a whole. This universe has many analogs, some very similar to this one and some that would seem very strange to you, where the very laws of physics are radically different. In many of the analog universes there are analogs of your own Earth, and on many of those analog Earths will be found analogs of you.

"Now, as a result of meddling by the version of the Master to whom this TARDIS belonged, and who is now dead, three things happened. First, two versions of Earth were dragged out of their original universes and finished up in this one, rather than merely having an explosion that would put an end to human life as those universes' Masters intended. I'm afraid there's nothing to be done to undo that, but rest assured that their inhabitants are unharmed. More seriously - from our viewpoint - the stability of the two universes that those Earths came from has been upset, and needs to be restored. That is where we hope that the Doctor comes in, and I'll return to that shortly.

"The third thing that happened is that those instances of the Doctors' TARDISs that had been on - or at least in the vicinity of - those two Earths finished up here, that is within the interior of this TARDIS. One is in the kitchen and one in the bathroom, to be precise. They've been prevented from rematerialising, however, until we've finished this discussion, as there's going to be a lot of confusion for a while when their occupants appear: two more Doctors, two more Masters, ditto for each version of Betty, and ditto for Stacy. Only one Melissa, though, as the other had a rather strange experience that led to her arriving here first in the form of an elf. The people from those TARDISs, and the TARDISs themselves, are going to be stuck in this universe now, I'm afraid.

"Now I'll go back to the point about the disrupted stability of the two universes those two Earths were snatched from. As far as we are concerned, that is the significant issue. We want those universes' stability restored, but we can't do it ourselves, even though it would be a simple thing for us to do. The reason why is basically political. We would be seen in certain quarters as exceeding our authority. However, it is accepted that we may ask a third party to be our champion, to use an old term, and do the job for us. The Doctor - this Doctor - is the one we'd like to do it. He will need to be given the power to move between universes to do the job. One good thing about that is that he will thus be enabled to save the version of Earth that Betty 2 comes from - which is still in its original universe and is where you were last. The downside is that once our champion he has to always be our champion, at our call for any task that we might need him to do. But for the rest of the time, he will be able to go on much as before, only in multiple universes instead of just one. Which is why he will need a helper, for whom we suggest Romana, to look after his 'home' universe. Oh, and as our champion he will live effectively for ever...

" Any questions?"

"Yes, actually I do have two," Inquirer, the female AI/golem puts in (drawing a few glances of surprise from several of the people). "You said something that I don't quiet understand. Something that involves a lack of....well...knowledge that several fans of Dr. Who would perhaps have! What did you mean when you, Agent 1, said: 'If you enter in a signal you'll find that it will generate a signal that will pretty much null and void the need for those radio telescopes use. It will just....stabilize the universe into a somewhat static state....neither decaying nor growing.....kind of what is being done now.'

"Now, one question I think that either you or the Doctor will be able to explain to this poor AI girl is.....just how can you stabilize one universe with a radio telescope that is in this universe? The Earths that those telescopes are on are now in the Terra Prime universe. So how can the Doctor using those telescopes do anything to stabilize their "old" universes now they are no longer within them?"

"It has to do with something similar to a theory proposed by an old chap I knew by the name of J.S. Bell....." the Doctor begins to explain. "He...."

"Hey! I know this theory!" Stacy interrupts, excited. "I saw it explained in a cartoon called Dilbert! See, Bell broke a molecule and was able to change the spin of one electron. The funny thing was that the spin of the other electrons, as it said in the cartoon, will immediately change, also. That happens wherever they are!"

"Okay, that's the basis of most civilian telecommunication back Home," Inquirer nods, looking enlightened. "Broke the back of many fiber optic companies, I remember reading in my history books."

Stacy looks at Inquirer funny. "Well, the punch-line of the joke was that Dilbert would have gotten a horse head in his bed for it by the fiber optic company....seems there was an actual bit of reality for that,perhap." Stacy says in a subdued voice. "Creepy."

"Uh, we also have a similar theory in magic with psionic residue from murder weapons," Malachi Dronocis (presently in human form) put in, fascinated by this.

The Doctor, who had been looking annoyed at being interrupted, blinks and suddenly turns to the Regent. A question on his face.

"We gave you a basic crash course Dr. Who," the dragoness says softly, "A full series of lessons would have taken too long....even in cyber-space using a similar method that gave Inquirer her original spell knowledge and ability (re: 3145). While the modified version we used isn't as....harmful as what she unleashed upon the evil ghostly Dr. Vincent......it still hurts VERY much....and does cause some....problems. With my and my Consorts connection to Ethiopia, we recovered quickly enough. But we only did as much as we did for the sake of Trilling. We love teaching others eager to learn the Arte....but we'd do it the old fashion way."

"I see," the Doctor nods, amazed at how well his teachers had hidden their pain. He could tell well enough that the Regent and Consort were telling the truth in this manner, and....was impressed enough to quiet in ire at not getting a "full course." "So, at what level am I at....as far as magery goes?"

"You and Inquirer are equals at approximately what a mage would know at fifteen years of practicing the Arte," Sigin Dronocis says. "All in all, not bad for a sliver of the time spent on it all, I say."

The Doctor turns back to the others.

"Basically, the VLA telescopes on the Earths in Terra Prime will be able to rectify the damage the Master....the one that came with me....due to a similar property that is slowly fading even as we speak....but we have time yet...especially with this TARDIS," he says. "But I haven't the foggiest just when he had the time to do it...considering all he went through."

"He ran into a problem with the initial, small scale experiments he ran on his TARDIS," Rule 1 put in helpfully. "Due to the property of the space-time ripple that nearly destroyed him, he, in a panic, used a theorem proposed by a Logopolian scientist, Tularian clan, not well regarded by many of his peers (re: 8570, 8525, and 8488). The heat shimmer that hit her tore her out of her universe, and it damaged her Matrix.... needing the alterations that Agent 4 did to save her by transforming her into an elf (what she wanted anyway) and it also.....well there are no words even in YOUR language - Doctor - for what exactly happened. The parallel Earths that were ripped from their universe followed her to Agent 4's place along with her. Eventually, the Agent (and many more who found similar problems..... let me tell you!) sent those worlds who followed the elfin Melissa to Terra Prime. The other Agents sent their Earths to parallel universes similar to Terra Prime."

The Doctor blinks, and just decides that he's going to have a headache..... later.

Several of the others, like Betty, look like they already have one.

"So that's what happened to me," the elfin Melissa smiled. "And all this and I'm an elf forever more?" "Yes," both Rule and Agent smile back. Sometimes small things like this were rewarding in their own small way.

"I....have one question," the Doctor suddenly asks, blinking. "Actually, I have several that just occurred to me. Pardon."

"Go ahead, shoot," the Agent smiled.

"You said that I'd....be effectively living forever," the Time Lord begins. "What about my Regenerations? What happens when I get to my last? My seventh.....er....eighth one if I remember what the Empress Diane Walker correctly."

"Ah, that," Rule 1 says, "you won't have any more Regenerations to speak of....from now on. You will be as you are, growing no older and recovering from all injuries....eventually. Reforming even upon after disintegration. Problem?" The Doctor looks....nonplused for a moment....and worried. He looks like he'd protest, then remembers that....horrid costume he saw himself wear in one of the books that Walker had shown him concerning his "future" selves. One looked like he'd been walking by a paint factory as it exploded! And some of the things he'd....read on how his other incarnations acted! Made him almost want to spend some "quality time" (as some of the Americans called it) with his second incarnation . . . so bad are some of what he read were (and he could not stand his second incarnation!!)

If this book was any indicator of watch could be....hmmmm. Maybe this not Regenerating business wouldn't be so bad?

"That's....not so bad," he finally comes to say.

Several of the Dr. Who's fans are looking at each other, and then sigh. As fun as some of his future selves were, there were some good things about this arrangement.

"His seventh incarnation didn't trust anyone's judgment but his own, anyway," the redheaded Betty muttered, remembering. "That could get annoying in real life."

"What of.....the fact that the Matrixes of all....." a voice calls out from around the side of the control column of this TARDIS, it was Solomon the Apprentice Mage. He paused to suppress a LARGE yawn.

"I talked with several of my Teacher's affiliate mages," the demifox goes on (still tired from his efforts of Matrix examining, re: 8400). "They were telling me about how......"

"I think I can answer that one," the Rule says as the demifox yawns again. Without even a gesture the Rule gives something to Solomon. A wave of energy courses through the demifox and the apprentice finds himself in his intermediate form, panting happily as if he'd enjoyed a long....restful sleep. "That should help with one problem. As for the question about Matrixes of the Doctor and his companions being different...."

Several heads turn at that.

"The sad fact of the matter is that NONE of you have a universe in common," the Rule sighs. "The Author Scott Chen made life....interesting in the Chinese sense of the word when he tried to have his revenge on the Betties. All of the Betties by the way, for the same goes for those who came along with them."

I never dreamed I'd be facing something like this when I got up that morning to help Stacy! Betty 2 sighs to herself. And if I understand it, Stacy was some type of tool in that bastard Scott's.....that one bastard version of him......that he wiped her memories and set her down in a subway car as a means to get to me and my sister. Huh, sister I'm calling Betty 1 now. At least I'm not at her throat as I would be if the Other outcome had happened when a "doppleganger" meets.

Oh boy, Betty 1 thinks to herself. This has "headache" written all over it. So, the Doctor isn't from my universe. Maybe there might not even be a real Doctor from my universe. Pity. Sad pity, but then again I have this one from another universe....so that's fine. Oh! That means that the.....

"Yes, that means the Earths that all the Masters here on Terra Prime (living and departed) had targeted the wrong Earth," the Rule nods. "The angered clients of the various clients would be....a bit ticked at their partner the Master. And since some of those clients were Cybermen for one Master and Daleks for the other, the Author Scott would have just loved to pull them into the same universe....both looking for the Master....and that was all part of an elaborate....complex revenge plot. Glad I and Agent 1 stripped him of his power and put him back, naked and dazed, in Room 1 back at Addventure! Whatta jerk!"

"At least James and Scott on the Voyagers are better than that," Solomon said, referring to the analogs of Scott who'd eventually returned from death to become crewmembers on the Voyagers (and GOOD ones at that).

"The second question involves the Dark Tower," Inquirer asks, looking at Stacy. "What does it play in all this? That's a King series of stories I've yet to read."

"The Dark Tower, as I understand it from what I've read of the series by King," Stacy began in a soft voice, "serves as a huge control complex that prevents the uncontrolled overlapping of different universes."

You know, I think I'm going to have to read this some day. the Betties think to themselves, idly. It sounds very much like something I'd enjoy, and I do rather like King's writing.

"There are several facts here." Stacy continues, still looking ill. "One is the fact that some worlds are suffering under a biological weapon that got released by (you guessed it), Randal Flag. You may have heard of this germ warfare weapon, Captain Trips? It's a super flu that had been created in the book by King called The Stand."

"Ah, yes," the Doctor says, a little worried now (as well as the others),"that I've read."

"As did we," the Betties and Inquirer say together, ill at ease at where this is going.

"Now, to risk repeating myself," Stacy says. "The Dark Tower, as I understand it from what I've read of the series by King, serves as a huge control complex that prevents the uncontrolled overlapping of different universes. Now, due to the machinations of a demon by the name of Randall Flag, the functions of the Dark Tower (which looks like an impossibly tall version of the Leaning Tower of Piza, from what I read) have begun to malfunction. This is leading to tears in reality, "thinies", that allow uncontrolled crossings between universes. It's not a good thing, a thiny. See, it's not recommended to dwell a long time near a thiny....for the noise they give off (something akin to a damned soul or some such).....is bad for mental health. Also, if one gets to NEAR a thiny one runs the risk of staying IN a thiny. Basically, it acts like a siren song and whammies you into willingly walking into it and staying. Bad news. If one moves quickly enough through it, one can live. However, if one just STANDS in it, as I read it, it has the ability of absorbing you utterly (as in CONSUMING you)."

People are looking at the Rule and Agent, aghast.

"The number of Thinies had been growing at a frightening rate throughout various parts of the multiverse, causing the problems she mentioned before." Rule 1 sighs. "They also cause OTHER problems as well. In one of the books of the Dark Tower series, King had the heroes pass through a thiny into the world of "The Stand." Ah, but what of it?

"While a human may have difficulty passing safely through a thiny, the same is NOT true for a brainless germ!" the Agent sighs. "In other words, that disease is spreading to other Earths in other universes....and other worlds entirely. Another effect that I am to reveal is that if a TARDIS passes too close to one, a time/space throwoff is produced and thrown into various alternate universes. In this case, in a universe that follows the Dr. Who series to a "t", the fourth Doctor got duplicated several times. His twins lands on Leela's world - the one of this and the other Doctors in this TARDIS, and set up the situation that will eventually lead to Leela. But by the nature of the duplication these twins soon dissolve into nothing, preventing that duplicate from rectifying the problem he caused. Rules and Agents.....we aren't too thrilled with Thinies, and want the Dark Tower repaired ASAP to prevent more disasters caused by them."

  1. "The good news....

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6/1/2000 9:14:51 PM

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