Winstead Doctor/ Gainsborough Doctor

The Doctor waited for the bus, watching the greenish-sky of Mercury swirl around her. She had been waiting for the bus to arrive for an hour now, which was annoying for her. She had never been a patient woman, even when young, and the importance of this mission made her even tetchier. The diplomats of the Avvian system would like nothing more than to ignore her very existence, and she wouldn’t put it past them to “forget” to meet her. She would normally run into her space-ship and make a quick jump to the Avvian headquarters, except that time-traveling ships weren’t allowed in the area.

It wouldn’t have stopped her predecessor. But her predecessor was dead, so what did she know?

Finally, the bus came in. The electric light shone into her eyes, making her have to close it, annoyed. The door opened, and she quietly walked up the stairs, her magician’s outfit fitting snugly around her body. It felt like a costume, and she began to wish she had taken more time to choose how to dress for this adventure. Her companion wriggled inside her pocket, peeking his furry head out.

“Is it time?” asked Miaki.

“Yes. Please be quiet for now,” said the Doctor.

The bus was emptier than the Doctor expected. The lights were dimmed down low in the bus, creating a radiant red glow throughout the place. There was a Judoon reading “Pride and Prejudice” in the front, and a few Foamasi gabbling between themselves. She felt out of place here, too human-looking. She could feel Miaki shifting in her pocket, looking around.

“I think they’re in the back,” Miaki said mentally to her. “Rather rude of them, to not meet us.”

He was right. The Avvian diplomat, Heripo, sat comfortably in the back. He was smoking on a pipe, that reminded her of the “e-cigs” of the 21st century. (She tried not to think of it as her century. Her predecessor had told her that a Doctor couldn’t be tied down to one place and time). It was clear that this diplomat was used to a life of leisure. She waved at him, and he frowned.

“Who the heck are you?” asked the diplomat.

“I’m the Doctor,” she said. It felt weird on her tongue.

His eyes bugged out. Her mind could sense shock in his mind. It was probably due to having a different form than he was expecting.

“Are you? You seem different from your picture,” said the diplomat. His green webby fingers rubbed at the frills on the front of his face. His eyes had no eyelids, and so gazed at her with a constant, uneasy glare that took her off guard. Her predecessor had warned her that aliens could look extremely different from human beings, but interacting in real life with an alien was a rush. (Miaki didn’t count.)

“I can change bodies, if I get too hurt. Like a snake,” replied the Doctor smoothly. She wondered whether she should sit or stand, and decided standing might be better. Leaning against the chair, she met his gaze. “Now, if you’re done talking about my appearance, let’s get to work.”

“Of course,” said the diplomat. He snapped his fingers, and the bus began to move. She fell to the floor, losing whatever dignity she had before. She quickly picked herself up. The Diplomat hadn’t even offerred to assist her once.

“The Venusian ambassador continues to ask for concessions from us. We obviously don’t want any more conflict with the Venus empire, not after our last wars, but we’re also not pansies. We are not going to al grtha thuysa ourselves for the benefit of an empire who has taken our resources before,” said Heripo.

Out the side of her eyes, she noticed that the ship was flying far into space. She became uniquely aware of just how far she was getting from the TARDIS. It was very risky, going off somewhere unknown without a safety net. She had the faint memories of her predecessors to guide her, but that didn’t seem like enough.

“Something wrong?” asked Heripo.

“No. Simply considering that not a century ago, the Venusians were just a backwater society on a random planet, and you were the incoming invaders,” said the Doctor.

“Are you saying that the Venusians deserve to take us over?” he asked testily.

“No. I’m simply stating that perhaps the Venusians have a long memory. As do I, in fact. If you want me to help you, I need assurances you won’t use my help to try to restore your imperialistic strategies,” said the Doctor. She felt awkward here, trying to talk off the top of her head. But it didn’t seem to show, thank god.

Heripo’s mouth made a low growling noise, and for one irrational second, she thought he was going to eat her. But then he smiled, and said “Of course we will respect Venus’s boundaries. We’ll talk  more, when we arrive at our destination.”

The Doctor nodded, and sat down in a chair. The bus moved along, and she closed her eyes, ignoring the psychic impressions from everyone else.



A meteor, made of blue metal, blasted through the sky above. Streaks of lights cut through the shadow of the night time sky, nearly blinding Cadence when she tried to peek through the window. It landed with a loud thud, and the ground rumbled, spitting dirt onto her house from the impact. Cadence placed the beer bottle that she had been drinking alone, and quickly ran outside. The air had become warmer from the impact, so that she was sweating as she approached the weird blue box in field outside.

Someone pushed a door on the box open, and stumbled slowly out the box. Cadence didn’t recognize the person, who had soot covering the face like paint. As Cadence drew closer, she could tell it was probably a woman, who had long brown hair, and what looked like the burned tatters of a suit.

“Hello? Are you hurt?” asked Cadence. She wasn’t sure what this was. An irrational part of her thought she was dealing with aliens, but then sense took over. Maybe this was some sort of cargo that had dropped from an airplane? Cadence didn’t see any airplanes flying around, though. And what sort of cargo contained a woman?

“Must...get Illika. Must save,” said the woman, to herself apparently. She noticed Cadence, and gave a weak smile. “Hello. I’m the Doctor. Had a bit of a crash.”

Casually, the Doctor turned around, and walked to the blue box. Opening the door, she suddenly cursed out loud.

“What’s wrong?” asked Cadence.

“It’s already starting to lose power. I was too late,” said the Doctor. She turned around, and nearly crashed into Cadence. “I’m sorry...you’ll have to do.”

“Do what?” asked Cadence. The woman was already sleeping though.

And then it was quiet. As if it hadn’t happenned. As if a giant blue box hadn’t just wrecked its way into the sky. Cadence slung her arm over the Doctor’s shoulder, and dragged her into the house. She placed the Doctor on the floor, putting away the wine she had been drinking. She watched the Doctor for a moment, trying to figure out whether to call 911 or just wait and see.

A grating sound from outside broke her thought process, and she rushed outside again. A light was emanating from the box, shining onto her skin. Tingles crept up her spine, as she slowly opened the blue door, despite herself. The light turned on and off, showing an interior that was far too large for the box. Her hand reached inside…

And felt an electric sting that made her yelp. An image of a strange planet, with a reddish sky, flashed before her eyes. It felt familiar, somehow. She quickly slammed the door shut, and ran back inside. The Doctor was inside, staring at her.

“What is that box?” asked Cadence, feeling guilty somehow.

“It’s my home,” said the Doctor. In her hand was the picture of the ex-husband and son.

“That’s a personal item,” added Cadence.

“So is my TARDIS,” said the Doctor. It took a moment for Cadence to realize she was talking about the blue box. “Is this your family?”

“Was,” said Cadence.

“I’m sorry,” said the Doctor.

“No, they’re still alive. Just...not with me anymore,” added Cadence.

The Doctor looked extremely confused. She scratched her hair, as if trying to understand a riddle. Then, “Oh. Divorce!”

Cadence decided to change the subject. “Are you, like, military?”

“On the bad days I am,” said the Doctor. She tried to push herself off the chair, but was too tired to. Cadence moved to help her, but the Doctor waved her off. “Cadence. I need you to answer a question.”

“You heard me say my name?” asked Cadence.

“I’m not deaf in my old age,” said the Doctor. She sighed deeply, adding “So old...”

The woman didn't even look thirty, yet she was honestly concerned about her age. Cadence was starting to feel self-conscious, so she noted “You still look really young.”

The Doctor gave an honest smile at that. “Thank you. I needed that.”

Then she coughed up yellow dust. The particles glowed as they dispersed into the air.

“Regeneration energy. I need to choose a successor,” said the Doctor. Adjusting herself on the seat, she added “I don’t have time to dawdle. Answer my question: are you a good person?”

“Um, what?” asked Cadence.

“It’s...oh, how do I explain this? Right now, I can’t do something that needs to be done. There’s a girl that needs saving, but I’m too weak to do it. I need someone to take my job. And you’re the only person around for miles. I checked on my scanner,” said the Doctor.

“Scanner?”

“I can’t answer that right now. I need to know, are you a good person?”

“I-I-what’s the job?”

“Saving a girl’s life.”

“A girl’s in danger?” asked Cadence.

“Yes. She’s been kidnapped, and I need to rescue her. But I was hit with radiation on the way out, and now I’m so tired. Too tired. I can sense my cells decaying. The TARDIS is losing energy because it’s pumping my flesh with regenerative energy. It knows what needs to happen next.”

“What needs to happen next?” asked Cadence, despite herself. “If someone’s in danger, we should get the police.”

“Police won’t help. They’re too wrapped up in the kidnapping. Plus, it’s hard to call them from a planet away,” said the Doctor quietly. She stared at Cadence, and added “But thank you for caring. That’ll serve you well.”

“Well with wha--”

The Doctor’s eyes closed. Her breathing stopped.

And then light began to pour from her body, shining so bright that it hurt Cadence’s eyes. What happenned next was hard for Cadence to remember exactly. Her recollection was slippery afterward, like trying to remember what she did as a young toddler. Brief images of confusion were there, and somewhere along the line, Cadence remembered stumbling into the TARDIS, and closing the door. The ship began to hum, as if it had been waiting for Cadence. In retrospect, it had been.


The Doctor woke up from her nap with a jolt. The spaceship had finally arrived at the Eldritch Town. Buggies made of gold drove along the countryside, honking at the occasional passenger. Clockwork people wearing green dresses journeyed through the streets, talking amoungst themselves. It reminded the Doctor of the Tim Burton films she used to watch with her son…

No. That’s the past now. Best forget.

Ignoring the twinge of a memory, she walked out from the ship, ignoring the looks from the others. She was the rare flesh-and-blood tourist to this area. The memories of her past incarnation filtered through her mind, reminding her of the path she needed to take. If she wanted to catch Illika, she would have to be quick.

But first, she needed to deal with the diplomat. His beady eyes were starting him up and down suspiciously. The Doctor smiled at him, trying to hide the nervousness in her gut. Calmly, she asked him “Where is the meeting place?”

“Not far. The Avvians are already here. We’d best be going, or they’ll have our heads,” said the Diplomat. Again, an uneasy smile crossed his mouth.

Something was wrong. It wasn’t just her intuition telling her this—she could sense anger radiating from his mind, like needles over her skin. Adjusting her black jacket, she tried to extend her senses into his mind. Fleeting images came to her mind, but nothing concrete. (She could also sense Miaki in her pocket. She could have awakened him, but chose not to.) Deciding to worry about it later, she followed his way through the town.

The Town was filled with Machine people. The Doctor could see some of them working with each other in shops, selling wares like oil or tune-ups. Others were just loitering around town, their bodies clanking loudly on the sandy surface, leaving footprints like sharp ridges. Each gave off a psychic sense that felt different from the organic life-forms, but was distinctly alive.

“This place is considered a neutral zone for the war parties. The Clockworks do not favor one side over the other, and have agreed to let us figure things out. I appreciate their help, don’t you?”

“Of course,” said the Doctor. “It’s awfully nice of them.”

“Indeed. Makes me almost forget how weird they look,” sai the Diplomat. His lips curled in disgust.

The Doctor nearly agreed with him, but she got the feeling she shouldn’t.

“So, what happened to your predecessor?” asked the Diplomat.

The Doctor wondered how much he knew. He, after all, was the last person her predecessor had been investigating before getting shot by a sneak attack from a phaser. It had been only luck that allowed that woman to get to the TARDIS, and pilot a course to the only worthy replacement, Cadence.

Was she already thinking of her former life in 3rd person?

“She got ill. Needed a replacement, so I’m here,” said the Doctor brusquely.

“Ah, what a pity. I had really liked her, from what I had heard.”

The Doctor doubted that, but didn’t reply.

They walked in silence, until they turned a corner. A large building, with tons of noise emanating from it, loomed before them. Swiping a keycard, the door opened to even more noise. The Doctor’s ears almost hurt from the sounds of hundreds of keyboards being typed on. This had to be some form of bureaucratic room. The Diplomat seemed to be ignoring the noise, and they swiftly came through the doors to the elevator. He pressed a few buttons, and then the Doctor found herself in a completely different room.

The Diplomat was nowhere to be seen.

Dammit.

The Doctor surveyed the room. It was a simple place. A woolen carpet covered the room, with a fire held in glass lighting  the area. Her eyes noted that the place looked surprisingly like 2010-era rooms, which surprised her, because this was far too long into the future for that. Touching the fabric, she could tell it was authentic fabric from Earth.

Terrans were rare in the Clockwork Town. Why would someone have Earth fashion?

“Miaki,” she whispered to the bat in her pocket. He pushed out his furry head, and made a horrified noise.
“Where are we?” he asked. “And why didn’t you wake me earlier?”

“Let’s focus on the now,” said the Doctor.

Miaki said something under his breath, and flew out of her pocket. He sniffed around the area, and flew over to the chair. “I hear something outside the door. Breathing.”

“We’re being watched?” asked the Doctor.

And then a man walked in. Or, at least the Doctor assumed that it was a man. His skin was greenish, like a native Venusian, but his body proportions was closer to a humanoid form. He had a bald head, and wore what looked like a red silk dress of some sort. He bowed to the Doctor.

“Hello. I am Amma, the representative of Venusian politics. Are you comfortable?”

“Why was I brought here?” asked the Doctor.

“A new member of the delegation requires to be checked. We can’t have just anyone coming in to these talks,” said Amma. His face suddenly soured, as he noticed Miaki crawling on the floor. “Or just any animal.”
Miaki hissed at that statement.

“Just anyone? I’m the Doctor. I’m the main mediator for this meeting. I’m already cleared!” she said.

“You’re different from what we were expecting. We had to be sure,” he said, smiling. “Come on, the deal’s already underway.”

The Doctor entered a room filled with various people arguing. It reminded her of a debate team, with people screaming at each other or pointing fingers. On one side were the Venusians. Each one of them had five arms and five legs, and twelve-eye stalks. Their green skin was leathery, and reminded the Doctor of a lizard she had seen in the zoo once. Their clothing was adorned with a feathery design, and each one of them spoke with a calm, measured appearance.

The Avvians, on the other hand, were a motley crue. The Avvians were a collection of diferent races, composed of not only of whatever race Heripo was from, but Terran descendants, Judoons, and even a few reformed Cyber-citizens. They considered their heterogeneity a strength, and were willing to defend their home. Their chosen representative seemed to be Heripo, who only had given the Doctor a moment’s glance before continuing his tirade.

All around the table, Clockwork servants were standing by.

“For the last time, what do you expect us to do? Simply let your tropps rush into and take us over,” said Heripo.

“It is not a takeover. We...simply require a piece of assurance that we will not lose everything in this new age of freedom for your planet,” said a Venusian. Based on the ornetation on the headdress, she guessed that this was the leader. He pushed a hand in Heripo’s direction, and added “It would be with mimium fuss.”

Amma repeated what the Venusian said. It took a moment for her to realize he was translating for the Venusians.

“Look behind Heripo” Miaki whispered into her mind.  The Doctor didn’t even know where Miaki was physically. She strained her eyes past Heripo’s body, and saw a man wearing a crown who she didn’t recognize seeing before, but felt familiar. Her predecessor had met this man briefly.

But it was the girl by the man’s side that interested the Doctor. It was Illithica, the child the Doctor had arrived to rescue. The girl had dark skin, not like African skin, but pitch-black coal. Her eyes looked blank, almost in a daze. The Doctor wondered how long Illithica had been away from home. Would it be a good idea to just run over there and take Illithica right now?

She noticed Heripo looking at her.

“Is something amiss,” asked Heripo. “You seem preoccupied, Doctor.”

The Doctor didn’t know how to respond, having been caught off-guard. She laughed uneasily, and said “Sorry, a lot on my mind.”

“I’m sorry that this meeting between our civilizations is so boring to you,” said Heripo.
Annoyed by his tone, the Doctor shot back “It isn’t boring, just a bit banal. This isn’t even the first time I’ve negotiated a meeting between your civilzations. And let me tell you, your descendants weren’t as rude.”

(She didn’t actually know if that was true or not.)

“Descendants?” asked a Venusian on the side. He focused his eyes onto the Doctor, and asked her directly, “You’ve seen our descendants?”

“I’ve seen lots of things,” said the Doctor. She stretched now, feeling more comfortable. “But I’m not here to talk about myself. I mean, I like to talk about myself, but we wouldn’t want to be here all day. No, you and the Avvians want to be done by lunch-time, so let’s go over this quickly. So, Venusians, what do you want?”

“Well,” said Amma, “I suppose we simply want assurances that we won’t starve to death from losing our resources. The Venusians have enjoyed the use of our planets, and although it makes sense that Avvians want--”

“Enjoyed? You stole them from us! Why, you--”

“Let him finish talking, Heripo,” said the Doctor. The diplomat shut up, but was clearly still seething.

Miaki had just flown into the room. She could sense his flying above, overlooking the location, out of sight. Something was distressing him, but she couldn’t spare a glance up.

“As we were saying, the Venusians simply want to make sure that our people continue to be comfortable,” said Amma.

“Your comfort level was built on the back of resources that you didn’t earn. You took it from others,” said the Doctor. “Not to point fingers, but you are going to have to expect to become a little less comfortable in the years to come.”

Amma snapped back “We are not the Daleks, Doctor. We are not some invading race that destroys. My Venusian grandmother had to fight to get where she started, from a low member of society, to a servant in the high court of Venusian society. I dislike your implication that we are some haughty uncaring privileged race.”

“I’m not here to imply anything. I respect Venusian society--”

“Yet you do not show it.”

“Silence,” said a Venusian behind Amma. His voice was strong, and familiar somehow. Far within the Doctor’s memories, she could sense him, having met him before. She...He had been with Polly that day, and had talked with the Venusian about a deal with the Avvian. Except that…

“Doctor, we will leave the Avvian system, but we still desire some resources, at least for now. Perhaps trade can be established?” he said hopefully.