Charley yawned and stretched as she stepped into the console area. She had been for a change of clothes and a shower after her latest misadventure with the Doctor on 21st Century Earth.
"Where would you like to go next?" the Doctor asked, looking up at his young companion. "Somewhere away from demons and power mad would be governors, eh?"
"Quite," Charley replied. "Can't we, for once, land somewhere peaceful?"
"Peaceful?" the Doctor mused as the TARDIS hauled itself through the vortex. Suddenly he grinned at his young companion. "Yes, I'm sure peaceful can be arranged."
Charley considered for a moment. "I do hope you have the same idea of peaceful that I do. No Cybermen, no evil dictators, no alien uncreators. Just peace and quiet and lots of it."
The Doctor continued to grin, reminding Charley of a Cheshire cat, and a particularly smug one at that. "I know the perfect place."
Now she grinned too. His enthusiasm could be very infectious sometimes. "Right. While you're piloting the TARDIS, or whatever it is you do, I'll get myself some lunch. Want anything?"
The Doctor was about to reply when the TARDIS lurched under them. Charley was thrown across the room, thankfully landing in the Doctor's favourite armchair.
Turning, she was able to see that the Doctor was still upright, hanging onto the console. "What's happening?" she called, just as the chair tipped backwards, landing her unceremoniously on the floor.
"The TARDIS is being drawn off course," the Doctor called back. "I'm trying to break free!"
Suddenly, everything calmed down. The familiar noise of dematerialisation began.
"Did it work?" Charley asked. "Did you get us free?"
The Doctor shook his head. "No. We just arrived at wherever we were being dragged to."
"Can't we just take off again?"
Again the shake of the head. "The controls are locked. We're not going anywhere."
"So what do you suggest?" Charley asked.
The Doctor smiled slightly, pulling the lever that operated the doors. "I suggest we look around. Come on."
As they stepped from the TARDIS, they saw they were not alone.
"Oh dear," said the Doctor.
***
"What's happening?" called Izzy from her position, hanging onto one of the metal girders that seemed to support the TARDIS roof.
"We're being dragged off course," replied the Time Lord, grimly hanging onto the console.
"Can you break us free?" asked Kroton, their other companion. He was a Cyberman, but one with a difference. Kroton had somehow rediscovered his soul.
"I'm trying," the Doctor called back.
Suddenly all was calm. The familiar sound of materialisation filled the room.
"Did you get us free?" asked Izzy, uncurling herself from the girder.
"No," the Doctor admitted. "We've landed wherever we were supposed to land." He grinned suddenly. "Shall we explore?"
As they stepped out of the TARDIS, they discovered they were not the first to arrive.
"Oh dear," said the Doctor.
***
"You know what?" Anji said to Fitz. "One of these days it would be nice to land somewhere that isn't about to either explode, be invaded by marauding aliens or sink under the waves." She sighed. "Can't we go somewhere fun?"
"I heard that!" the Doctor said from his position by the console.
Anji blushed slightly as the Doctor turned his pale, sad eyes on her. But he was smiling, not frowning.
"Of course we can go somewhere fun," he said, his smile widening. "And I know just the place."
"Really?" Anji replied, folding her arms across her chest. "No clockwork dinosaurs, no living gods, no wasps?"
"Of course not!" the Doctor said, looking hurt. "I would never deliberately land us in danger!"
"Since when?" Fitz muttered, then hoped the Doctor hadn't heard him.
But the Doctor was busy setting the co-ordinates on the six-sided console at the centre of the chamber. He turned to his companions, beaming.
"We're on our way!" he announced. Then he turned his gaze on Fitz. "And for your information, young man, I don't land the TARDIS in dangerous situations deliberately." He frowned. "She seems to do that all by herself."
Suddenly the floor under them lurched. Anji was thrown across the console room, landing in a wicker chair beside the library alcove.
Fitz wasn't so lucky. He slid sideways across the floor, banging his knee on the wall leading off to the kitchen.
The Doctor, however, had managed to remain upright, clinging to the console with one hand while he manipulated controls with the other.
"What's happening, Doctor?" Anji asked from her position. She was hanging onto the chair as if it were a lifebelt on an ocean.
"We're being drawn off course," the Time Lord replied, his hair flying around his shoulders.
"I assume you're trying to stop it," Fitz said from his position, gripping the wall.
"No, I'm trying to knit a pair of socks. Of course I'm trying to stop it Fitz!"
Fitz frowned. "Sorry I spoke," he muttered. Anji smirked, despite their situation.
Then, as suddenly as it began, everything calmed down. The Doctor let go of the console, frowning.
"Are we free?" Anji inquired, asking the question Fitz didn't dare to.
"In a way. We've landed somewhere, presumably the place we were being dragged to."
"So now what?" Fitz asked, massaging his bruised knee.
The Doctor grinned suddenly. "We explore. Come along." He operated the door control and the three of them stepped outside.
They were in a cavern with a low roof. And they were not the only occupants.
Standing across the cavern were two other Police Boxes. And outside each was an identical Doctor, with companions.
"Oh dear!" each Doctor said together.
"Well, this is totally unexpected," said the Doctor with Charley.
"Hmmm. Very strange indeed," said the Doctor with Izzy and Kroton.
"I wasn't expecting this at all," said the Doctor with Anji and Fitz.
The three identical Doctors stepped into the centre of the cavern, shaking each other's hands vigorously.
"It's so nice to meet me."
"How are you old chap?"
"Would you care for a cup of Assam?"
While the three of them chatted like old friends, Charley looked across at the other bemused companions, who she hadn't really given any attention to before now.
She immediately spotted something she didn't like. She ran across the cavern to the girl standing to her left, pulling her away from her TARDIS.
"There was a Cyberman right behind you," she hissed, dragging the girl by the arm.
The girl blinked at her. "What, Kroton? He's harmless. Aren't you Kroton?"
"If you say so, Izzy," the Cyberman said. Despite the metallic voice, Charley could detect feeling in the voice, emotion. It wasn't something she had heard in the voices of the Cybermen she had met before.
"Well, I'll take your word for it. I'm Charley by the way." She held out her hand to the girl.
"Izzy," the girl replied. "And the Cyberman is Kroton, as you already know."
"I think we should introduce ourselves to the others," Charley said.
Anji and Fitz had drifted over when they saw them talking. Charley turned her dazzling grin on them.
"Hello, I'm Charley, this is Izzy and Kroton. He's harmless, apparently."
Kroton nodded to the new arrivals. "Just call me harmless," he said, looking at Charley. She could have sworn he was glaring.
"Anji," said the dark girl, offering her hand.
"And I'm Fitz," said her slightly scruffy male companion, thrusting his hand forward. His eyes had lit up the moment he saw Charley.
"Well, now we're all introduced, what about them?" Charley asked her new friends.
"They seem to be getting along okay," Fitz commented.
Izzy looked at the three Doctors. Now she could see they were not exactly identical. Anji and Fitz's Doctor had a long black frock coat, while hers and the other one both wore bottle green. And the other one, Charley's, had a different patterned waistcoat to the other two.
The Doctors picked that moment to look over their shoulders at their companions. They all grinned at exactly the same moment.
Izzy's Doctor stepped away from the other two. "We think we've worked out a plan of action."
"We've talked together and come to a conclusion," said Anji's Doctor.
"At first we thought we were from different parts of the same timeline, but we aren't," Charley's Doctor continued. "We are from separate dimensions."
"We have lived very separate lives," Izzy's Doctor told them. "All branching from a night in San Francisco."
Anji and Fitz's Doctor took up the story, pacing the cavern. "As my companions know, I've had problems with my memory recently. And I don't want my fellow Doctors enlightening me, I would prefer to recover those memories in my own time. But I've lived a long time since San Francisco, so I would call myself the Oldest Doctor."
Now Charley's version took centre stage. "I had just left San Francisco when I met Charley. We've not been travelling long together, so that makes me the Younger Doctor."
Izzy and Kroton's Doctor was up next. "I've been travelling for some time since San Francisco. Izzy and I have had quite a few adventures in that time, so I suppose that makes me the Middle Doctor."
The companions digested this information. It was Fitz who spoke first.
"That's all very well, but what does it mean to us? Why are we here?"
"Yes, good question," Charley commented. "Why are the three of you here, together?"
The three Doctors looked blank. Then they looked at each other. Finally they looked back at their companions.
"We don't know," they said together.
***
It didn't take long to decide on a course of action though. The Doctors came to the conclusion that they should each take one of the three visible exits from the cavern, to see where they led.
"Why not just get back into our respective TARDIS' and leave?" Kroton asked reasonably.
"Because the TARDIS' are stuck here," his Doctor explained. "We have to find what is keeping us here and disable it."
"Right," said Charley, marching up to her Doctor. "Which way are we going?"
"Ah. We're not going anywhere," he told her. He glanced around, taking in all the companions. "We'd like you all to stay here while we try and find the source of the problem."
There was general grumbling from around the group. Anji voiced it for everybody.
"We don't want to be stuck here while you're having all the fun. All three of you." There was a chorus of agreement from the companions.
A glance passed between the Doctors. It was almost like a silent communication.
The three of them shook their heads in unison. "Sorry," said Charley's Doctor. "It's just too dangerous."
"We agree," the other two added quickly, to reinforce the point.
The Doctors walked over to the three arches in the cavern wall. At the threshold, each turned back, looking at his companions. "We won't be long," they said as one, before disappearing from view.
***
The Older Doctor, who had arrived with Fitz and Anji, had taken the left-hand tunnel. The walls gave off a faint glow. He ran his fingers along them.
"Phosphorescence," he murmured. Then realising he was on his own, he ventured further into the passageway.
After he had been walking for about ten minutes, he noticed something else. Again he paused, dropping on one knee on the rock floor.
"This passage slopes downwards," he stated to himself. He got back to his feet again. "You really must stop talking to yourself Doctor," he continued. "They say it's the first sign of madness."
As he started off again, he considered his statement. "Or is the first sign of madness answering yourself?"
He rounded a corner and was confronted by a woman with a gun.
She seemed familiar from somewhere, but his shattered memory would supply no other information than the vague recognition. She had short dark hair, a heart shaped face and was wearing an ornate robe with a high collar.
"It's time you paid for what you did, Doctor," she said, aiming the gun at his head.
***
In the central passage, the Middle Doctor, who had left Izzy and Kroton back in the cavern behind him, had also noticed the phosphorus glow and the downward slant. Rounding a corner, he too was confronted with an image from his past.
It was a powerfully built man with an oriental look and a ponytail. He was wielding a Samurai sword.
"Katsura Sato," the Doctor said, bowing slightly. "It is an honour to meet you again."
"The honour will be mine, Doctor, when I part your head from its shoulders." So saying, Sato charged, sword a blur of motion.
***
The Younger Doctor had taken the right hand entrance. As he walked he thought of Charley, how she would have found this passageway boring. He found it fascinating, with its luminous walls and downward curving floor.
Around a corner he discovered something he had met all too recently.
"Why, Uncreator Prime, whatever are you doing here?"
The fearsome looking Triskele growled deep in its throat. "I am here to finish the job I started when we first met. I am going to kill you."
With that, it charged, talons outstretched.
***
"Well, I'm not going to just stand around here all day, waiting for them to come back from some fantastic adventure," Charley stated. "Who wants to follow them?"
Anji immediately stepped forward, slightly ahead of Izzy. Fitz and Kroton looked at each other, before they too indicated their willingness to go along.
"Women!" muttered Fitz to the Cyberman out of the corner of his mouth.
The five abandoned companions made their way over to the passages. As Charley approached the entrance to the right hand tunnel, a metal grill dropped from the ceiling, cutting off the passage from the cavern.
As they watched, the other two passages also got sealed off in the same way.
Charley frowned at her four new friends. "Looks like the Doctors are on their own after all."
***
In the three separate passages, the Older, Middle and Younger Doctors all closed their eyes against their charging opponents. Each muttered a brief word. "Contact."
Their three minds linked together, analysing their various problems. The three-way conference provided them with a workable hypothesis for a possible solution.
The Older Doctor opened his eyes. The woman with the gun was still there, her finger tightening on the trigger mechanism.
"I deny the reality of this image," the Doctor said, focusing his not inconsiderable will on the statement.
Slowly, the woman dissolved, along with her gun. The Doctor smiled.
"That's much better," he grinned, continuing on his way.
***
As the Samurai blade whistled through the air towards his neck, the Middle Doctor's eyes flew open. "I deny the reality of this image," he said.
Katsura Sato began to disappear. Before he vanished completely, he spoke once more.
"We will have a reckoning, Doctor," he said. Then he vanished.
The Doctor rubbed his neck. "That was a close call," he mused, continuing on his way.
***
The Younger Doctor, his eyes still closed, dodged aside, the Uncreator Prime missing him by inches. His eyes flew open.
"I deny the reality of this image," he said, watching as his adversary disappeared.
"That went well, I thought," the Doctor commented to himself, dusting his hands together and continuing on his way.
***
In a large cavern, deeper into the asteroid where the Doctors had landed, two shadowy figures watched the progress of the three Doctors on a series of screens imbedded in the rock wall.
"This version of the Doctor is certainly resourceful," commented one of them.
The other, more a presence than a physical manifestation agreed. "He always was. And it seems he will continue to be in the future."
The first figure smiled, as if at some humorous anecdote. Then he returned his attention to the screens.
"What of their companions?" he asked his fellow conspirator.
"They are best kept away for now," came the reply. "When the Doctor, all three of them, has been dealt with, you may have them for sport."
"You are indeed a generous benefactor."
"And an impatient one. The Doctors are getting nearer. It is time to prepare for their arrival."
"All taken care of," the first figure assured his master. "This is one trap that not even three Doctors can escape from!"
***
The Older Doctor emerged from his passageway into a large cavern. This too was lit by a phosphorous glow, like the tunnel, though the ceiling of the cavern was lost in shadows.
"This is quite impressive," said a familiar voice to his right. The Middle Doctor had stepped out from a similar tunnel entrance and was admiring the view.
"Indeed it is," said the same voice from further over. The Younger Doctor had joined them from his passage.
The Older Doctor frowned. "That was all a little contrived," he commented. "Why not just have one large passage we could have all walked down?"
"Because that wouldn't have been nearly as much fun," said a completely different voice from behind them.
The three Doctors spun on their respective heels and regarded their new adversary. Two of them recognised him instantly.
"The Valeyard!" exclaimed the Middle and Younger Doctors together.
"So it is," added the Older Doctor, a little lamely, as he too recognised his possible future self.
The Valeyard smiled widely. He was dressed, as always, in the robes of a Gallifreyan prosecutor.
"It's interesting to see my past, even if it is three different versions," he stated.
"Why have you brought us here?" asked the Younger Doctor.
Again that annoying smile. "Why? I would have thought that was obvious. I intend to destroy you, Doctor. Three times over!"
***
"This is so frustrating!" Charley declared, thumping the wall beside one of the closed off tunnel mouths. She tried not to show how painful it was.
"Well, at least we're safe," Fitz supplied.
"Yes, but what's happening to the Doctor?" Izzy wanted to know. "Doctors," she amended quickly.
Kroton shrugged, a strange looking gesture for a Cyberman to perform. "I suppose we shall find out soon enough."
"But will we?" Anji inquired. "Anything could happen to them and we would be none the wiser." She looked around her new circle of friends. "Can any of you pilot your TARDIS'?"
She watched as they all shook their heads. This was getting very frustrating.
Suddenly Charley heard something. Within seconds, everybody had caught the faint noise.
"It can't be, can it?" Izzy said.
"Why not?" asked Fitz. "There are three others here already."
The five of them watched as a fourth TARDIS materialised beside the three already parked in the cavern.
***
The three Doctors clustered around the Valeyard. The Middle Doctor spoke for them all.
"As you know, we abhor violence. However, it can sometimes be the only way. And I notice you seem to be alone. So, it's three against one."
The Valeyard smiled. "You also forget how well I know you, Doctor. You would never use an unfair advantage against an unarmed opponent."
"If you're unarmed, how do you expect to destroy us?" asked the Older Doctor.
"With this." The Valeyard reached behind himself and activated a display screen. On it was a view of a planet, turning slowly in space.
"You're going to destroy us, with an image of a planet?" the Younger Doctor scoffed.
"Mock me not, Doctors. This is the planet Peladon, a world you have visited more than once. You have formed an affection for it's primitive, superstitious people. Now watch."
The image zeroed in, showing a number of small objects orbiting Peladon. Closer, and they were revealed to be artificial satellites.
"Those satellites are mine to command," the Valeyard announced grandly. "One word from me and they will bombard the surface with deadly radiation. Only you can stop them."
"How?" asked the Older Doctor, curious despite himself.
The Valeyard pressed a switch under the screen with a flourish. A shimmering void appeared in the centre of the cavern.
"An artificial singularity. Its wavelength is keyed to my own bio-print. Your bio-print, Doctors. It needs two of you to step into the singularity to destroy the satellites in orbit around Peladon."
"Two of us?" the Middle Doctor repeated. "Why two?"
"Why not?" the Valeyard replied. "Whoever steps into the singularity will be destroyed utterly. But they will sacrifice themselves to save the billions of innocents on Peladon. Quite a dilemma."
"And the remaining version of me?" the Younger Doctor inquired.
"Ah, that's the clever part. You shall give your remaining regenerations over to me. Whichever one of you remains, that is."
The Older Doctor frowned. "Ingenious and devious. But how do we know that you're telling the truth about our sacrifice destroying the satellites?"
"And why should whichever one of us remains give up their remaining regenerations?" the Middle Doctor added.
The Valeyard smiled again. "You have no guarantee that I am telling the truth about the destruction of the satellites. You'll have to trust me. As for the regenerations, well, wouldn't you do anything to save your companions?"
The three Doctors paused, thinking of the friends they had left behind in the main cavern.
After a moment, the Younger Doctor spoke. "You seem to hold all the cards."
"Despite the fact you're dealing from a stacked deck," commented the Middle Doctor.
It was the Older Doctor that spoke for them all though. "You know we can't refuse. You have us backed into a corner. We'll do as you say."
The Valeyard grinned. "You are making a noble sacrifice, Doctors. All of you." He threw his head back and laughed maniacally.
***
Charley and the others watched nervously as the fourth TARDIS materialised completely. They all knew that just because it looked like a Police Box, the occupant could be anyone. Literally.
The door creaked open and a familiar figure poked its chestnut haired head out.
"Doctor!" the companions chorused.
The Doctor stepped from the TARDIS, brushing down his green velvet frock coat. He looked at the five eager faces before him.
"Do I know you people?" he asked.
***
The three Doctors were talking quietly together. The Valeyard was growing impatient.
"Come along, Doctors. How difficult can it be to choose?"
The Doctors glared at their adversary.
The Middle Doctor spoke for them all. "Two of us are about to sacrifice our lives to a singularity, while the other will be stripped of the power of regeneration. It's not like picking lottery numbers!"
"Well, maybe you need an incentive," the Valeyard suggested. He turned to the screen. "Activate countdown!" he commanded.
"Countdown activated," replied an artificial voice.
The Older Doctor frowned. "What countdown?"
The Valeyard regarded them coolly. "The satellites are now on a ten minute countdown to automatic activation. That's how long you have to decide. Ten minutes."
"That's blackmail!" declared the Younger Doctor.
The Valeyard held up his hands. "Not at all. You have agreed to my demands. This is merely an incentive to quicker action."
Glaring at him, the Doctors returned to their whispered conference.
***
The companions of the other three Doctors had given the latest arrival an update on the situation. Now he was making sure he understood everything.
"There are three other versions of me here, all looking exactly like I do?" he inquired.
"That's right," Charley replied.
"And they're not just from different points in the timestream, they are alternatives?"
"So they said," Fitz shrugged. "Something about their lives diverging after the San Francisco regeneration."
The latest Doctor frowned at this news. "I've come directly from that regeneration," he told them. "I've not even had time to pick up a travelling companion yet." Briefly he thought of Grace and smiled slightly at the memory.
"So what next?" asked Izzy.
Now the Doctor became the blur of motion they had all come to expect. He crossed the cavern in three quick strides, standing before a sealed tunnel. The iron barrier rose before him.
"Looks like I'm invited to the party as well," he said. "Wish me luck." He disappeared into the tunnel and the barrier slammed back into place.
Charley placed her hands on her hips and glared at the barrier that had slid firmly into place after the Doctor.
"Well, that's just typical," she declared.
"So where does that leave us?" Anji asked.
"Back at square one," Kroton told them.
***
The newly arrived Doctor walked quickly down the tunnel, taking in the glowing walls and downward curving floor. As he turned a corner, he found himself faced with a figure from his recent past.
"Ah, Doctor. How nice to see you again."
The Doctor frowned. "I thought you had been swallowed by the Eye of Harmony in my TARDIS?"
"That's as may be," the Master drawled. "But I'm here now. And I'm here for you." He launched himself at the Doctor.
The Doctor, knowing that other selves were close by, closed his eyes and whispered the word "Contact."
***
The other three Doctors, fed up of the Valeyard interrupting their whispered conference, had closed their eyes and initiated mental conference instead. Suddenly, they were joined by a fourth mind.
The mind was friendly, another one of them. They advised him of how to continue and what the situation was. He acknowledged and said he would join them soon.
The conference ended. As the Doctors opened their eyes, they found the Valeyard staring at them, consulting an antique pocket watch.
"Four minutes, Doctors. I hope you've come to a decision."
The Doctors just smiled at him.
***
In the tunnel, the Doctor opened his eyes. He met the crazed gaze of the charging Master.
"I deny the reality of this image," the Doctor said. The Master vanished like smoke.
The Doctor grinned. "I love it when a plan comes together," he decided, whistling as he went on his way.
***
The Older and Middle Doctors stood before the singularity. The Younger Doctor stood to one side.
The Valeyard stood between the Doctors and the singularity. "Isn't it magnificent?" he breathed, turning to his captive audience.
"Fantastic," muttered the Older Doctor.
"Wonderful," declared the Middle Doctor.
Once more, the Valeyard consulted his pocket watch. "One minute. Goodbye, Doctors. It was nice knowing you!"
"Is this a private party, or is anyone invited?"
The new voice came from behind the Older and Middle Doctors. They stepped aside to reveal the newcomer.
It was another eighth Doctor, hands grasping his green velvet lapels.
"Oh," the Valeyard said, surprised. "Well, this is a surprise. It seems my insurance policy worked."
"Insurance policy?" echoed the three Doctors.
The Valeyard shrugged. "I couldn't guarantee that all three of you would arrive. So I invited an extra."
"So I'm an extra now," the newcomer exclaimed. "That's hardly flattering."
The Valeyard scowled. "Twenty seconds, Doctors. Time to go, if you want to stop those satellites."
The Older and Middle Doctors didn't move. The new arrival, however, took a step forward.
"Then lets do it," he said, lunging at the Valeyard.
Caught off guard, the Valeyard was sent sprawling backwards. The newest Doctor landed on top of him. They scrambled to their feet, struggling at the edge of the singularity.
"NO!" the Valeyard screamed as he overbalanced. He and the Doctor tumbled into the maw of the singularity, still fighting. They vanished instantly.
The Younger Doctor rushed to the monitor screen. As the others joined him, they saw that the satellites above Peladon were exploding, one by one.
"Must be quite a fireworks display," the Middle Doctor commented.
"Indeed," the Older Doctor said with a grin.
"I think we should be getting back to the others," the Younger Doctor said. The others agreed and they set off down the centre tunnel.
***
Fitz was confused. "So why did the satellites explode, as there was only one of you in the singularity?"
"But there wasn't just the one," replied the Middle Doctor. "The Valeyard is a part of me, the distillation of my dark side. His brain pattern and mine are the same. So two of us did plunge into the singularity."
Doctors and companions were pairing up again, heading for their respective TARDIS'.
"What about his TARDIS?" asked Charley, indicating the fourth Police Box.
The eight of them bowed their heads for a moment of silent reflection. Then Charley's Doctor answered the question.
"When the TARDIS realises he isn't coming back, it will automatically set course for home," he told her, opening the door of their craft for her.
The Doctor with Anji and Fitz paused on the threshold of his TARDIS, as if about to ask a question himself. Fitz accidentally bumped into him, forcing him to step inside.
"I won't be sorry to leave this place," Izzy commented as she stepped into their TARDIS.
"Nor will any of us," said her Doctor.
Moments later, three TARDIS' left the asteroid, going their separate ways into the vortex.
Epilogue
In the Valeyard's control cavern, all was quiet. Until a rushing, roaring noise heralded a brief flicker from where the singularity had been.
Now there was a figure slumped on the floor of the cavern. It was hunched over, all that was visible was an arched back, clad in green velvet.
Then the figure got unsteadily to its feet. It turned.
While it was dressed in the Doctor's clothes, the green frock coat, the patterned waistcoat and grey flannel trousers, the face did not belong to the Doctor. At least, not the Doctor that had entered the singularity.
Seeming to sense the difference, he put his hand up to his face, feeling the contours. Finding it different, he let out a small groan.
"I was only just getting used to that face," he murmured.
He looked down at his clothing. The grey trousers was covered in dust and rips, the waistcoat looked like it had been scorched in a fire and the frock coat had been torn in many places.
"Looks like I need a change of clothes as well," he said, starting to walk across the cavern towards an exit tunnel.
As he walked he fingered the green velvet of his sleeve. "I think I need a new tailor as well," he decided.
Reaching the tunnel, he headed back towards the TARDIS.
***
After he had left, the cavern was witness to another manifestation. But this one was more malignant.
The Black Guardian, Bringer of Chaos and Destruction, stood in the centre of the rock chamber. He glared at the passageway the velvet-clad figure had recently disappeared down.
"You may leave now, Doctor, but be assured, I will be watching you. Waiting for you to make a mistake. And next time, I will choose a more reliable ally."
And then he vanished in a puff of smoke.
***
The TARDIS was a welcome sight at the end of the passageway. Opening the door, the Doctor let himself in.
It was a shame the new body had lasted such a short time, even less than his sixth one had. But given the lifestyle he led, it was hardly surprising. In fact, it was more of a surprise it hadn't happened before.
He went over to the table beside his armchair. There was his copy of The Time Machine (still halfway through), the plate of biscuits and the glass of lemonade he had poured himself when the tea had gone cold. He raised the glass to the ceiling.
