Intro-ish Post (With Options)

[not_the_question]

This Doctor had been getting settled in on board the Enterprise - well as much as he can. He still baulks at the jabs he had to be given, but since they didn't contain anything that was harmful to him, he allowed for them.

Now, he has an agenda. He knows the TARDIS is somewhere on board and now that he has a map and listings, he's going to go there to find it.


The Doctor is making his way down to the cargo hold, but going about it the long way around. May as well investigate the ship on his way. If he can get to the TARDIS, he won't be staying long anyway, so he might as well explore something new as he goes along.

It's all terribly human. Basic, really. And they think it's the best thing. About the only thing he's really interested in is this Q character. He doesn't mind humans most of the time. He just doesn't like being 'stuck' with them. And there's so much humanity here - with nothing to escape it.

B: TARDIS Cargo hold Plot: Open To All
After his adventure with Trever and his cat, the Doctor finally arrives at the cargo hold that is marked as containing the TARDIS. He sonics his way in (whether or not that was necessary) and looks around. Some of the items look familiar and others seem alien - even to him - which is saying something. It isn't long before he sees the TARDIS, standing there in all her glory. He confidently strides towards her. When he gets there, he gives a loving stroke to her. "Hello, Old Girl. Now, let's see about getting out of here."


The Doctor needed to vent his anger and frustration at not being able to get back to his own universe. So he made his way to the training room. He had told Clara he had cheated against Robin Hood with his archery skills. But that doesn't mean he's positively rubbish at it. He just wasn't sure of his aim at a ship with rotating bits. If he were to be perfectly honest, which he rarely is, he just needs a bit of practice. He was disappointed that he couldn't get into the Armoury, so he would have to make-do with one of the holodecks. Pity. It's never quite as good as the real thing. Now, if only someone else with archery skills were around. Nothing like a little bit of friendly competition when it comes to brushing up on skills.



{{OOC: I'm happy to backtag however long people are interested in playing with these plots.}}

Comments

[dictaphonic]

"Well, no. But I suppose even if you did remember, you wouldn't be able to tell me, so your answer could have remained the same either way. Theoretically. But I'll take your word for it!" He frowns at the talk of paradoxes, though. That isn't what he was expecting to hear either. Still, he can't help his curiosity. "What time was that?"

But when the Doctor stumbles, catching Will completely by surprise, he takes a few quick steps forward before the Doctor supports himself against the TARDIS. Seeing that, instead of grabbing his friend, he wavers just behind him, uncertain whether to reach out or not. This moment somehow feels too personal to interrupt, though even a young man never short of things to say couldn't have articulated why. "Doctor..." His voice is quieter now, as though it, too, might be intruding. "Are you all right?"

My review of some BFAs this weekend reminds me how symbiotic Doctor and TARDIS are XD

[not_the_question]

The Doctor takes a moment to collect himself. It takes rather more time than he wants to admit. Even this minor separation from the TARDIS is going to be nearly as hard on him as it is for her. Finally he shakes his head.

"Fine. The rush of memories was... unexpected. The last time it was a paradox this strong was because the TARDIS was holding it in place."

He raises a hand to ward of questions. "It's not something I want to recount in her presence, though. Ask me again some other time."

True. And you're tempting me to ask which ones!

[dictaphonic]

Will has already opened his mouth to ask one such question, but he snaps it shut at the Doctor's quick warning. "Oh. All right." An awkward silence passes in which he considers and rejects a number of things that he might say, glancing nervously at the TARDIS while he thinks. He finally settles on: "What now, then?"

8th Doctor with Lucie Miller XD (Just reviewing a few so 12 can meet Lucie again)

[not_the_question]

The Doctor seems to have recovered. He slides his hands into his pockets.

"I have no idea. I can fight monsters. But this?" He makes a grand show of gesturing to everything around them. "I don't even know what 'this' is."

And his hands slide back into his pockets.

"But I'm not doing her any good in my current condition, so I'll return when I'm more adjusted to this place."

Too bad that a part of him knows what he needs more than anything else is the TARDIS. Maybe he can sneak down here and take naps near her. He wonders if that would be enough.

[dictaphonic]

The Doctor's admission that he doesn't know what to do next stirs up unexpected fear in Will. His Doctor, the one he knew first, never would have said anything like that. Even if it were true at some point, Will's certain he never would have admitted it even then. And so he just watches the Doctor for a moment, expression stricken. He has no idea what to say to that.

But after the Doctor breaks the silence, he eventually manages: "All right." But he doesn't move. Subconsciously, he's still waiting to follow the Doctor's lead.

[not_the_question]

Something in Will's tone makes the Doctor catch himself. "Oh. Right. New body; new rules. Sometimes, even I get in over my head."

He only admits it when there really isn't anything else that can be done. The Dalek, the Forest, the TARDIS... He can fight many things, but nature and physics? There's nothing he can do to fight that.

He takes one long look at the TARDISes and then starts to make his way out. He gives a gesture of his head, a silent invitation that Will can follow if he wants.

[dictaphonic]

"Oh. Y-yes, of course." Will can't help that he still looks a bit disturbed at the prospect of the Doctor not knowing what to do. But even so, he nods, trying to accept that explanation. After all, he's read enough to know objectively that the Doctor can be very different depending on incarnation. It's just not anything that he's personally experienced before now, so it's a bit of a shock.

But even though this Doctor is a bit different, that doesn't stop Will from quickly following when he starts to walk away. "So...where are you going now?" he asks, unable to let the silence continue.

[not_the_question]

"I don't know. I'm feeling a bit trapped. The Enterprise isn't as big as the TARDIS. And I really hate being stuck anywhere."

He isn't walking too fast, though. It should be easy for Will to keep pace with him. For as trapped as he's feeling, its good to have the young former companion around.

"Any suggestions?"

He has a lot of pent-up anxiety over the TARDIS. And a lot of anger and frustration at the two of them being not only trapped, but effectively separated from each other.

[dictaphonic]

"Yes..." He's not surprised to hear that, at least. But what is unexpected is for the Doctor to ask him for suggestions. He blinks, looking at him like he expects the Doctor to detract the statement. "Um." He uses the filler to buy time to think, seeing the Doctor's expectant expression. "W-well, I suppose I could show you my notes on this time period and society? Gathering information is always a good place to start. In my experience, that is."

[not_the_question]

Well, the Doctor is a little off-balance. And slightly desperate. It's not like he'd ask for help from his other selves - or total strangers. But when Will offers his suggestion, a small smile breaks out.

"I'm used to just knowing things. Or at the very least, having the TARDIS to look things up. So, it's as good a place to start as any, Will Arrowsmith. That lounge place - Ten Forward? I think that might serve our purpose."

[dictaphonic]

"Yes, that's a perfect place to talk," Will agrees, growing more animated (and less nervous) with his excitement over the Doctor's positive reaction to his suggestion. "Oh, and there are PADDs here with database access as well! I'm sure we can get you one of those, too."

Perhaps unfortunately for Twelve, Will continues to ramble with such ideas as they head to Ten Forward. But on the bright side, at least he Doctor is liable to know everything that Will does in no time.

[not_the_question]

He pulls a face at the mention of the PADDs. "I'd rather have the TARDIS."

Excuse him, he's in a mood now. And also, the Doctor doesn't have to talk... he can process things mentally - skip ahead to his bits. He does something he doesn't do often - in any of his bodies. He goes over to the replicator and orders a Scotch. Because, well he's Scottish.

"About the only thing these replicators can do well."

He finds a corner.

"How long have you been here?"

[dictaphonic]

He makes a face, unhappy to have elicited the Doctor's displeasure. "Yes. I, um, wasn't disagreeing. Just, that is something we have access to here."

For his part, Will orders a lemonade and follows the Doctor to his table. And at that question, he screws up his face thoughtfully. "I would say about two months. Though I have to admit, their calendar system is a bit confusing. I believe it varies based on understandable factors, such as location in the galaxy or current velocity, but the results end up a bit baffling. Even worse than the Romans' system, I would venture to say."

[not_the_question]

"It's difficult when you're used to better."

Because does anything really compare to TARDIS travel? The Doctor would say no. But he does chuckle at the mention of 'more confusing than Roman systems'.

"Now you understand why I sometimes end up a few days or few years off. Time travel's not as easy as people think."

And now he's going to take a sip that's closer to a gulp, because he needs to deaden the little tingle of TARDIS he can feel. Because he can't help her right now.

[dictaphonic]

"I'm sure..." He doesn't like the Doctor's bad mood, but he's feeling at a loss for how to improve it, so for the moment he just glumly agrees.

"Or quite a few miles," he chips in without thinking, remembering their rescue of Dr Klein from Russia. But after that, the silence briefly stretches between them while he sips his lemonade. Will has never liked silence, though, so he soon fills it. "Um. So, since I've been here for two months, what else do you want to know about this ship? And this time period and society, for that matter. I've been using the PADD's databank to learn as much as I can!"

[not_the_question]

He chuckles at the mention of a few miles. "Or hundreds."

He is comfortable with silence. Since Clara was never a 'full-time traveller', he's learned to deal with it. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a sliver case. He pops it open and presents it to Will. "Would you like a Jelly Baby?"

He takes one for himself - it gives him time to think. "Did they have a lot of information about this Q and how he fits into the universe? Anything about his species?"

[dictaphonic]

Will watches to see what the case contains, and he blinks at the jelly babies, surprised. "Oh... Don't mind if I do." He takes one, popping it into his mouth.

As he chews, he shakes his head. "If anydem, dey make 'is species soun like--" He swallows. "--like the Struwwelpeter. Beings of unimaginable powers and unfathomable motives. But I do know they're from the Q Continuum, which seems to be some other plane of existence. Though, I have to admit, I've never even met our supposed captor, so their database is really all I have to go by."

[not_the_question]

"'The Q Continuum'... Well, you know more than me. Tell me everything you've discovered."

Because at first brush, they seem a little too close to 'Time Lord' for the Doctor's taste.

[dictaphonic]

He makes a face. "That's about it, really. They're theoretically immortal, and those unimaginable powers include matter transportation and transformation, not to mention time travel. Unfortunately, the database didn't give any details about what form their time travel capabilities take, however."

Taking another sip of lemonade, he searches his memory for any more information he's seen about the Q but comes up blank. "I'm afraid that's all I've read, though." He frowns. "Sorry."

[not_the_question]

The Doctor downs the rest of his drink in one go. Liquid courage. Not entirely unheard of over the years, but certainly is unusual.

"Proposition One: They are this universe's version of the Time Lords."

He leans forward because he wants to get a very good look at Will's reaction to his saying that.

"Proposition Two: 'Q' is this universe's version of the Valeyard. Did I ever tell you about him?"

[dictaphonic]

It's certainly unusual from Will's perspective--but then again, so is everything else about this Doctor.

At the proposition about Time Lords, he tilts his head thoughtfully. He's not surprised--he can see the similarities himself. But he'd been thinking of the Q as like the Struwwelpeter rather than the Time Lords. Still, he's aware that the Doctor knows the Time Lords far better than he does, so he assumes there must be a reason for that exact comparison. "Don't they exist on the same plane of existence in our universe?" he asks. "But I do see what you mean."

The second proposition causes him to shake his head, though. "No, I'm not familiar with a Time Lord by that name. Has UNIT had any dealings with him?"

[not_the_question]

Liquid courage that went straight to his head. His movements are just a hint clumsy and his speech just the tiniest bit slurred. Only someone who had seen him thirty minutes earlier would probably notice.

"In a mmanner of speaking you have. He's me! Well, not this me, obviously. A future incarnation. He comes between my twelfth and final regener... Well, I suppose that makes him next. Blimey the time goes quickly."

He thinks about Will's point about comparing the Continuum to the Time Lords.

"Time Lord's do exist on the same plane, of course they do in our universe. But back in the day, I'd pop all over the place - even to E-Space. These days, I more or less stick to our plane. Though, that doesn't stop creatures like the Boneless from trying to infiltrate it. And this is a different universe. Who's to say what their rules are. It's a bit like having a new body, coming to a new universe: you don't know what the rules are."

Oops...tenses...

[dictaphonic]

"He--really?" Will asks, frowning. "Do you mean to say...what, that there's a version of you who picks up a large number of companions from multiple universes?" he asks. That's what the comparison with Q implies for Will, at least.

"Well, yes..." he agrees, not sure he entirely sees the Doctor's point. "But that's what makes the parallel less likely, isn't it?"

Pesky things.

[not_the_question]

"That isn't quite what I meant. I only meant that it's possible he something comparable to Time Lords."

He considers Will's questions. "Given the number of times I've changed things recently... I'm not sure any rules apply anymore."

Because he doesn't know where Gallifrey is. It's just as likely it ended up in this universe as anywhere. That's not really a comforting thought.

[dictaphonic]

"Oh." Will isn't sure what to make of that, so he just sips his lemonade for a moment. He's still trying to get used to being around a Doctor with different rules, after all--and he can't imagine that even this Doctor is serious about playing by no rules at all.

So he decides to change the subject. After that pause, he says, "Well, um. Then I'll keep trying to gather information on Q. If we learn more, maybe we can find something we can use." He tries to sound optimistic. But he has to admit, he's used to the Doctor having an idea to solve everything. And the fact that this one's arrival hasn't meant that--that any of the Doctors who are here haven't been able to--is growing increasingly disheartening to him.