| "No," Inquirer answers, looking puzzled. "Never heard of that one.
I just recognized that scene on the bridge from Shada. That's an
episode that Diane Walker gave me to give to you for both of us to watch.
See, it's the full version, she told me. Not the one from your branch of
reality, where some sort of work dispute scuttled the making of that show."
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 unite 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).
-
 "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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