21 Dec 2014

The Lives of the Doctor (Part 3 - Darkpaths)

“Explain it to me, please,” said Millie.

Caroline cleared her throat. “This is the best version I can work out. The beginners guide, I guess. Some time in the future, a woman called Jayne discovered an abandoned TARDIS. She took it to her scientist friends, who took it for a spin and crashed in the past in my home town, Thornsby. There was an accident and some of them were trapped inside the TARDIS, whilst Jayne and her team were stuck outside the TARDIS, exposed to the time energy from under the console thing. Over the centuries the inside of the TARDIS altered and changed until it became an unrecognisable dimension. The people inside were twisted into freaky ghost things that every now and then broke into our world. The scientists - who had now become known as the Ancestors - fought against the ghosty things. Eventually the Doctor, me and Danny turned up -”

Danny gave a wave.

“- and the Doctor was able to collapse the dimensions until they were no more. The Ancestors tried to live a normal life in Thornsby, hiding their powers.”

“Okay,” said Alice. “But how does the Nest thing come into it?”

“Well,” said Aleena, “if what the Master said is true, then it’s possible that the dimensions of the TARDIS weren’t destroyed at all, that they simply re-expanded back out, like cling film does when you scrunch it up. The dimensions continued to exist outside our own.”

“But this Nest place has always been in Gallifrey’s myths and legends,” said Danny.

“You can’t keep thinking of it in normal terms,” said Aleena. “The dimensions expanded backwards and forwards throughout time, like a pancake mix spreading across a frying pan.”

“I could do with some pancakes now,” said Millie.

“The dimensions remodelled themselves again. TARDISes are psychic, remember? A world was built up and created and the Swytch must be evolved versions of the Apparites. They’ve multiplied and throughout time must have broken through to Gallifrey to harvest the regeneration energy, which they need to survive.”

“Then who is Helenia?” said Maxus.

“I don’t care,” said Ivy. “All I know is that I want the Master dead.”




The Doctor opened his eyes. It was cold and it was damp. It was also very dark and as he sat up he had to squint to see anything.

“Everybody in one piece?” came the Masters voice.

“Yes,” replied Alice.

“Doctor?”

“I’m fine,” said the Doctor, getting to his feet and swaying slightly. “I’m just fine.”

They heard a voice up ahead. “Welcome. Welcome,” said the woman. “It’s about time you two turned up. Oh,” said the old woman, Helenia, “you three.”

“Believe me,” said Alice, “I didn’t volunteer for this ride.”

The Master drew his gun again and aimed it at Helenia. “Hello at last.”

“What are you doing?”

“Taking control, woman,” smiled the Master.

“I don’t understand.”

“He conned us all,” said the Doctor, deadpan. “We all saw it coming.”

“Oh, you misjudge me, Doctor,” said the Master. “I was telling the truth when I said I wanted to help you. I do want to help you.”

“By killing my friends?”

“By doing what I said I would do. Freeing your regeneration energy. I want you and I to stand face to face again like the strong Time Lords we once were.”

“Hmmm,” said the Doctor, arching his eyebrows.

The Master turned back to Helenia. “Take me to the Source.”

“I beg your pardon?” said Helenia.

“The Source. The Heart of the Nest.” The Master waved his gun. “What would have been the Heart of the TARDIS.”

“I’d do what he says if I were you, Miss Helenia,” said the Doctor. “He’s already killed one of my friends.”




She sat at the end of the long, oak table, the suns streaming in through the tall, stained glass window. It cast a colourful pattern across her face. She remained still and silent, a tear threatening to form in the corner of her eye, but never quite making it out of the duct and down her face.

She finally breathed in and closed her eyes. She had no way out of this. Not after what he had told her. What the Master had told her.

Now she was faced with an impossible choice. If she helped the ones she had locked in the dungeon below the castle, she’d maybe save her husband and son, but if she did that, then…she couldn’t even think about it.

So she just sat there and waited. Waited for some help from somewhere.




The cul-de-sac was very familiar. The Doctor hadn’t been here before exactly, but he had seen it in his visions. It felt strange that he was now standing in the middle of the road looking at each of the houses.

“This is just one small part of the Nest. Our little town,” smiled Helenia. “But it’s the most important part.”

“Because this is where the Source is located,” said the Master, nodding.

“It’s also, my dear chap, a place which we guard.”

The Master, the Doctor and Alice span around and came face to face with a tall man in a green, velvet jacket and white, bouffant hair. He had a long, pointed nose and smiled back at them.

“You,” said the Doctor.

“I trust you’re my future,” said the man.

“Is he-?” started Alice.

“He most certainly is the Doctor,” said the Master, admiration in his voice at his old adversary. “Well, the energy of his third incarnation at least.”

“Careful,” hissed the Doctor.

“Oh, don’t worry, old boy. I’m quite aware of what I am. Just like the rest of us.”

“The rest of you?”

The Third Doctor nodded towards the other houses. One by one more people began to emerge. The one in the leather jacket, the one with the scarf, the very first, the grumpy Scottish one…they were all there.

Millie watched on aghast as dozens of versions of the Doctor emerged from different houses. She lost count of how many there were. Certainly more than twenty.

“All that’s missing is number eight. I believe he made it out of the Nest and back to the real world.”

“And soon expired,” said the Master.

“This is unbelievable,” said the Doctor.

“And worrying for a certain bloke stood next to you,” said the Northern sounding one, nodding towards the Master.

“And why would I be worried?” smirked the Master.

“Oh come on,” said the Twelfth, “what did you expect when you got here? You brought one Doctor in and got a whole army of us.”

The Doctor smiled.

“But you’re not real. You’re just energy.”

“Energy that can recharge the real Doctor faster than you could get to the Source,” said the one with the scarf.

“Oh, he’s worried now, fellas,” said the one in tweed.

“You fools,” laughed the Master. “I brought him here so he could help himself.”

“It’s true, actually,” said the Doctor.

“Then let’s get to it, my boy,” said his first incarnation.

“If I let you lot dissolve into your energy forms, who is going to protect the Source from the Swytch.”

Helenia shook her head. “The Swytch are a minor problem now. They live on the outskirts of the town. They rarely come in. They daren’t go up against the Doctors.”

Before they could say anything else, the Master had grabbed Alice and was racing towards the white-brick house that belonged to Helenia.

“Stop him then!” said the Sixth Doctor.

“Wait!” came a voice from across the road.

The Doctor turned to see someone he thought was long gone. Someone he never thought he’d ever see again. Reikon emerged from one of the houses, pushing a wheelchair containing his nephew, Caleb.

“I don’t believe it,” said the Doctor, lost for words.

“You can’t go after him,” said Reikon. He looked at the Doctor.

And then with a big laugh the two men embraced in a warm hug.

“It’s good to see you again,” said Reikon.

“You too, brother,” smiled the Doctor. “It’s been too long.”

“Hello uncle,” said Caleb glumly. “I hope you’ve been enjoying your travels.”

The Doctor crouched down until he was face to face with his scarred nephew. He frowned and looked at him sadly. “I would have taken you, Caleb,” said the Doctor. “I would have.”

Caleb smiled. His face hurt and he stopped.

“I need to stop the Master,” said the Doctor, suddenly coming to his senses.

“You can’t. You’re too weak,” said Reikon. “You’ll never be able to stop him.”

Reikon was right. The Doctor had been taken his pills nearly every hour now and he had even discarded his walking stick, but he knew that if he came face to face with the Master, he’d never best him.

“That’s why you have to let us help,” said the Doctor wearing the cricket jumper.

“You’re like a re-chargeable battery,” said the Doctor who he had been previously, his white suit gleaming in the afternoon sun. “You just need to be brought to life again. We can do it.”

“I don’t know,” said the Doctor.

A scream came from the vicinity of the house.

“We don’t have time to have doubts,” said Helenia. “You need to do what is right. You need to let them help you.”




Inside the house Alice had been tied to a post near the front door. She was trying to struggle out of the bonds, but the Master had tied the rope too tight.

The Master, meanwhile, was in the kitchen and underneath one of the cupboards. He smiled as he saw what he wanted. Inside the cupboard was darkness. It looked bigger on the inside than out and the Master reached in. Deep inside the cupboard was a glass column containing blue, glowing crystals.

“What the hell are you even hoping to get out of this?” said Alice, still struggling but to no avail.

“Freedom,” smiled the Master. “Freedom to get back to what I used to be.”

“Good Beatles song,” smiled Alice.

The Master narrowed his eyes as he placed his hands on the glass column. “This is the source. It’s the one thing that keeps the Nest here. Without it the dimensions would collapse just like they did when this place used to be in its former incarnation.”

“How’s it going to help you?” said Alice, feeling one of her hands slip out from the ropes.

“It’ll help because if I break it, I will take the power of this place. It will regenerate my body.”

“A big risk though,” said Alice. “It might kill you.”

“I’m dying anyway,” said the Master.

Alice had a thought. “Why don’t you find some of your past regeneration energy and recharge yourself?”

“Because this actual body is failing. The Doctor just needs a boost. And this body is not my original body.”

Alice nodded and then slipped out her other hand. She was free. “So what happens when you…erm…absorb the power?”

“I regenerate. This place becomes a part of me for now and for ever.”

“Fair enough,” said Alice. She was about to turn and run, but the Master had already extracted the glass cylinder and was staring at it longingly. She wasn’t sure what the Doctor was up to, but she knew that someone had to stop him right now.




The Doctor stood in the centre of the cul-de-sac, his face sad. In front of him were the two dozen or so versions of himself. They had all taken a hold of each others hands and looked on at the Doctor with pride in their eyes.

His first incarnation spoke up. “Do you know, my boy, I’m really rather proud of you.”

“What do you mean?” said the Doctor.

“Proud that you came all the way into this world to save Reikon and Caleb. You should be commended.”

“Thank you,” said the Doctor.

There was another scream from the house and the smashing of glass. The Doctor turned around as blue light emanated through the windows.

“No,” said Helenia, “he’s done it. He’s found the Source. It’s already too late.”

The sky turned dark and thunder clouds began to roll in. The whole town fell under a dark, blue light and it began to rain.

“What’s happening?” said Caleb.

“This place,” said Helenia, “is collapsing.”

“It’s collapsed before,” said the Doctor. “It’ll survive.”

“Not if the Master’s consumed the power. It will simply regenerate him and he’ll go on regenerating forever. He’ll become indestructible.”

“Doctor, you have to do this now!” said Reikon with a yell.

The Doctor turned to face his past incarnations. They had already started to glow. Golden flickers glittered throughout their bodies as they began to break down into their regenerative parts. Soon their faces were nothing but glowing golden light.

Helenia, Reikon and Caleb had to shield their eyes.

By now the collection of Doctor’s were now just brightly glowing people. Their arms began to interlink and they began to merge together.

“Go on,” said Helenia, nodding to the Doctor.

The Doctor straightened his tie, readjusted his smiley face badge, threw his walking stick to the ground and confidently marched towards the huge cloud of energy.




Alice had tried. She really had tried, but she had failed. She had launched herself at the Master, but he had thrown her back against the kitchen wall, knocking over a fruit bowl as she fell. He had then thrown the glass cylinder to the floor and allowed the blue light to consume him. Now he stood before her, arms outstretched, his head and hands hidden by blue flames.

His face could just be seen through the fire as he walked towards Alice.

“Stay away!” said Alice. She could feel the heat from the flames.

“STOP!” came a voice.

The Master froze and turned. Alice looked to where the voice had come from.

Standing there was the Doctor, his hands glowing ever so slightly golden. He was the same Doctor, but this time he looked fitter and healthier. He looked alive!

“You’re too late Doctor,” growled the Master. “This place is mine.”

They could hear the sound of small running footsteps from somewhere in the distance.

“I can’t allow you to continue.”

“You have no choice. The Nest will collapse, the power will stay within me. The Swytch will be my army to command.”

The doors burst open and hundreds of the black imp-like creatures poured in to sit around the Master like a pack of loyal, pet dogs.

“You have to stop. Please,” said the Doctor, a little softer.

“It’s too late now,” smiled the Master through the flames. “I have limitless regeneration energy.” He stepped a little closer to the Doctor. “But rest assured you will see me again. When you least expect it.” He clicked his fingers and in a flash of blue he and the Swytch were gone.

The house began to shake.

Helenia and Reikon burst into the front room. Helenia was shaking.

“What happened?” said Reikon.

“He’s gone. He consumed the Source and took the Swytch. I didn’t even see him finish regenerating.”

“We need to get out of this place,” said Alice.

“I can’t leave here,” said Helenia. “It’s my fault the Master took the Source.”

The Doctor took her by her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “But this place will collapse. You’ll die along with the rest of the echoes.”

“They’re already dead,” said Helenia. “I’m sorry, Doctor.”

He frowned. “I don’t even know who you are.”

She smiled and touched his face. “Just another lost soul. You may remember I used to have red hair.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened. “Jayne? Jayne Robson?”

“The very same, albeit a little older. After the dimension collapsed the first time I thought I had died, but I hadn’t. I woke up in darkness, just energy floating in nothingness. It took me a long time to gain my form. I was able to change things. I was finally able to allow myself to grow old. This place grew around me and it became my world. I had to stay and help. I changed my name to Helenia to try and fit in with the other Time Lords that came here. I didn‘t want them to think I was any different.”

The Doctor kissed the top of her head. “Thank you.”

She sighed and sat on the sofa. “This place will always exist throughout time. Always there in nursery rhymes and stories in one way or the other. But today is where it’s final end is.”

“Helenia…Jayne!”

“You have to go now. Get Alice, Caleb and Reikon out of here. The void is still open back in the caves.”

“There should be another way,” said the Doctor as Alice began to guide him towards the door.

“But there isn’t,” said Helenia. “Now get out!”

The Doctor, Reikon and Alice ran out of the house and into the cul-de-sac where Caleb was waiting in his wheelchair.

“What’s going on?” he said, really wanting to get up and run with them,

“No time to explain. We need to go now!”

They made their way through the town as lightning struck down, destroying houses and buildings. The remaining Time Lord echoes were now just pockets of regeneration energy, writhing around on the floor.

The Doctor spotted the door set into a large wall, opened it and they all piled inside, the Doctor pushing Caleb in his chair.

There was a gentle incline into the cave and Caleb’s wheelchair moved along mostly fine.

Finally they reached a ledge with nothing but darkness below.

“What now?” said Alice.

The Doctor looked back. The cave started to shake and collapse in on itself. “We have no choice.”

With one heave the Doctor pushed Caleb’s chair over the edge, kept a hold of it and followed him down, grabbing Alice and Reikon as he fell.

The four of them screamed.




So we were safe. Once again, and for me, the last time. We had all awoken in the courtyard with barely a scratch on us. The Doctor shut down the machine and then used his screwdriver to ignite the crystals, blowing it up.

We found Celestia crying in the hall. The Doctor had taken the dungeon keys from her and then him and I had gone to rescue our friends.





Reikon stood before Celestia. The both of them speechless. It had been so long for them. Celestia didn’t know how to react. She wanted to run and hug her husband and son, but she also felt such utter grief at what had happened to Caleb. And she felt frightened by what the Master had said to her before he left.

“I’m sorry I never listened to either of you,” said Caleb, tears in his eyes.

And then they embraced. Reikon kissed her passionately and then she knelt down to hug her son.

“We’ll get you help, Caleb, now that you’re back. We’ll get you help.”




Ivy




The Doctor hadn’t hung around for long. He had made me say my goodbyes and had taken me into the TARDIS along with Mark’s body. Somehow I knew this was the last time I was going to see him. He dropped me off in Central City and kissed me on the cheek. I asked him why he hadn’t regenerated yet and he told me he was just waiting to say goodbye to us all. That he was holding it back.

It’s funny. When I first met the Doctor, someone I cared about died. And then this final time meeting the Doctor, someone I cared about died.

I watched as he stepped back into the TARDIS. He told me to “Be happy”, and threw me his yellow smiley badge.

And then he closed the doors and the TARDIS disappeared for the last time.





Aleena




I felt sad when I returned to Xanji-For. Not sad because the Doctor was going, but sad because I knew that I’d probably never see him again. When I was in the Lighthouse I’d watched him for so long going about his adventures and having fun, and I had tried to help him when he was dying.

Now there was no need to help him anymore. He had made it. My mission was complete.

He picked a Conjti flower from my garden and handed it to me. I took it with a smile and he tapped me on the nose.

“Keep on watching the skies,” was the last thing he said before he stepped into the TARDIS and disappeared out of my life forever.





Millie




I’ve gotta admit I felt a bit short-changed. When the Master had picked me up I thought I was going to be travelling with the Doctor, you know, after he regenerated. Obviously not. I said goodbye to my great-great-great whatever she is and he just whisked me into the box and took me back to the warehouse in Thornsby.

So, here I am. Another 8 years of this Dalek occupation awaits me. But I am glad it all worked out for the Doctor in the end. I just would have liked to have been there for him. I wanted to travel the universe. I wanted to change my life.





Caroline




So here we are again. I’ve said goodbye to him three times now. Three! But something tells me that this is going to be the last time. After I’d said goodbye to Millie (that’s still too strange to even think about), he escorted myself and Danny into the TARDIS and took us back to Thornsby. Amazingly we didn’t have a detour and landed only a few hours after we’d left.

He told me what Jayne had done and how she had become Helenia. “Something to tell the others,” he smiled.

I told him to be careful. He had changed my entire life around. I watched him again as he backed up into that daft blue box and it disappeared from my garden for the last time.





Danny




You can’t ever have said that life wasn’t complicated after leaving the Doctor, but it was a darn sight more exciting and interesting. A few years ago I was in a well-paid job, but living a very boring, magnolia-coloured life. Each day just like the one before it.

But then I met the Doctor and reunited with Caroline and…well, things are better now. I’m a father figure for little William, I have a great bunch of new, interesting friends, and maybe, just maybe, there might be a future for Caroline and myself. It certainly feels that way when she takes my hand as the Doctor disappears from our life for the last time.

Silently to myself I say thank you.





Alice and Maxus were the last people the Doctor returned home. By now he was struggling to hold back to effects of the regeneration energy, but he quite clearly wanted to wait until he was on his own. To Alice this was almost like he was saying goodbye to this life before starting afresh in the next.

The TARDIS landed next to Alice’s cottage and he walked out with her and Maxus.

“Are you sure you want this, Maxus?” said the Doctor.

He nodded, a sad smile on his face. “I know Alice isn’t Tylaya, but I think we can do some good for each other. We can help each other.”

“It’s very brave of both of you.”

“Thank you for everything, Doc,” said Maxus, shaking his hand and then stepping back to allow Alice to come forward.

Alice looked up at the Doctor. She was shaking, her eyes filled with tears. “I…”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, Miss Stokes,” said the Doctor.

She nodded. “Me too.” She cleared her throat and looked away from him. “What now?”

“Now? I go back to Mount Cassius and make sure Reikon and the others are okay, and then…well, off we go again. At last.”

“You must be so happy.”

He exhaled deeply. “I’m scared actually.”

“Scared?”

“I thought I was going to die. I had it all straight in my head. It never crossed my mind that I could be saved. And now, here I am. I’m just…scared.”

“Let it happen,” said Alice. She touched him on his chest. “You know in your hearts that there are better days ahead for you.”

He nodded. “So, the school will be after a new caretaker.” He looked at Maxus. “Job lined up already.”

She smiled. “We need a school first.”

They both laughed.

“Time to go,” said the Doctor quietly.

And as he turned to go, Alice felt herself ready to burst into tears. She watched as he closed the police box doors. She waited until the box had faded from view and then turned and flung herself at Maxus, burying her head on his chest.




Reikon and Celestia stood facing the Doctor in the old hall, Caleb sat in his wheelchair. A device had been attached to his face and it looked as though it was slowly healing.

“He’ll always have scars,” said Reikon, noticing the Doctor watching the device do it’s work, “but at least we can try and make him feel better.”

“My own fault,” said Caleb. “My own stupid, stupid fault.”

“Listen,” said Reikon, a concerned look playing on his face, “Celestia told us about what happened to Gallifrey after we disappeared. The Time War and the things that came after it.” He shook his head. “How did you ever make it through?”

“I haven’t finished making it through yet,” smiled the Doctor.

“But you have to go back. She told me about Jacarthia.”

The Doctor shook his head. “The last time I was on Gallifrey, it was…difficult. Jacarthia is something I don’t ever want to think about.”

“Of course,” said Reikon. “I’m sorry.”

He broke into a smile. “Come here you old rogue.”

The two brothers embraced warmly.

The Doctor turned to Caleb. “And who knows, when you’re feeling better I may take you for a spin in the TARDIS.”

Caleb smiled. “Cheers, Unc.”

“Right,” said the Doctor clapping his hands together, “that’s it for me. I need to get out of here.”

Reikon nodded. “Will you be okay?”

“Ah, it’s regeneration,” said the Doctor with a dismissive hand. “I’ve done it loads of times before.”

“Still,” continued Reikon, “please be careful. You never know what you might end up with.”

The Doctor nodded. “Goodbye to you all.”

The Doctor turned and left the hallway. He didn’t want to look back. He knew he didn’t really mean what he said to Caleb. He knew he had to make a clean break. He had to start anew. To start afresh. He straightened his tie one more time and put the key in the lock of the TARDIS.

And then he heard footsteps. It was Celestia.

“I thought we’d said goodbye,” said the Doctor. He hadn’t forgotten that she had locked his friends up.

“I just needed to apologise to you,” she said, “but I had my reasons.”

“Tell me the reasons.”

“The Master is still out there somewhere. If I tell you what he told me…”

“Whisper it to me. I promise I will help you.”

She looked back towards the hall and then back at the Doctor.

And then she leaned in and whispered something in his ear…




The Doctor stood in the TARDIS console room, trying to forget about what Celestia had told him for the time being. He had to focus on the task in hand. He took one more look around the console room. There had been fun times and sad times here, but he would never take any of them back. Never.

He made a mental note that the TARDIS needed a little bit of decorating and then set the ship in motion.

He looked at his hands. They were glowing orange now. He wondered where the Master was. His TARDIS had disappeared from the castle, but that was a battle for another time.

“Well,” he said as he gazed down at his ever-brightening hands, “goodnight everyone.”

And then his face exploded in glowing, golden light. He threw his arms out at either side. This was a feeling he never thought he’d feel again.

He could feel every cell in his body shifting and changing. He could feel his limbs altering every-so-slightly and he could feel his face stretching and changing, the bones beneath the skin cracking and twisting into a new structure.

Then, with a final burst of energy, he completed the change.

He fell to the ground, steadying himself and then slowly lifted his head.

He caught his new reflection in a glass panel on the top of the console. He was younger this time and with a full head of hair. His eyes were bright blue, alert and eager and he had a small amount of facial hair. He smiled and his reflection smiled back at him.

“Good morning,” he said to himself.




He had come to the end of the dark path and the resurrection had begun.




INTRODUCING JAMES McAVOY AS THE DOCTOR



THE END


Darkpaths has come to an end, but a new story will begin in 2015 with James McAvoy as the Doctor. Standby for more info over the coming weeks and months.

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