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]

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.

Sorry if he's already asked the last questions.

[not_the_question]

Join the disheartened club, Will. "I think that would be best. I'll keep learning to, but just arrived, I'm spending most of my time getting a handle on my surroundings."

It's not that he's accepted that he's stuck here. But, if the worst crisis is that they're stuck, that's really not so bad. And he's faced worse.

"But you. What have you been up to back home? What do you want to get back to?"

All those important sort of things.

[dictaphonic]

"Me?" Will blinks, seeming surprised by the Doctor's sudden shift in topic. "Oh, well, we just rescued Dr Klein from Russia. A-after facing the Daleks on Azimuth, I mean." He decides he should add that just in case Dr Klein requires rescuing from Russia more than once--unlikely, perhaps, but it's hard to know.

"So I'd like to get back to travelling with--you." The version that he was travelling with, anyway. Obviously he knows they're not the same, but he's not sure that linguistic differentiation is necessary in this context. "I'm certain there's a lot more for us to do, out in the universe!" And from his tone, getting back to that is something he's excited about. He only hopes it won't be too long before he's able to.

[not_the_question]

And this is the perfect opportunity for the Doctor to try to influence Will just a bit. Because it becomes so important to him later in life and he needs to know there's at least one person out there whose life he didn't mess up.

"When you get back to me. The me from your time. Do me a favour and keep living your life. Travel with me, if I give you the chance, but keep up your own life outside of the TARDIS too."

[dictaphonic]

Unfortunately for the Doctor, that request just confuses him. "Well, of course I plan to return to UNIT afterwards," he says. And he frowns, wondering if the Doctor is referring to something that he knows is coming for Will. Still, although he's tempted to fish for more information, he knows better than to do so. "But really, you know much better than I do that travelling in the TARDIS and living in one time and place are rather mutually exclusive," he adds instead.

[not_the_question]

"Not as much as you think. I mean, it can happen, if you're strong enough."

And when the Doctor is strong enough. Maybe it was a silly request to make.

"It's just nice to know there are people out there I can return to..."

Not that he ever does, but it's nice to think about them being out there.

[dictaphonic]

That doesn't clarify for him, and he just furrows his eyebrows. "Strong enough in what way?"

If anything, hearing that melancholy thought from the Doctor just makes it worse. Trying to sound reassuring, he says, "Well...of course. UNIT will always be there! And I'm certain I have a long career there ahead of me--as does Dr Klein." Unless the Doctor knows differently, but he's still managing to keep a lid on his curiosity at this point.

[not_the_question]

"Strong in every way. My current companion isn't on-board the TARDIS full-time. But it takes a certain amount of balance to make that work..."

Oh. OH! The Doctor just now realised.... "I sort of lose track of you. I don't know much about your future."

Sorry.

[dictaphonic]

"But how does that work?" he asks, still surprised. "You mean to say you regularly...what, pick him up and drop him off in him own time? But don't you get...well, rather busy on a regular basis?" Because the Doctor's life being what it is, it seems likely to Will that, if you left him, the Doctor would be busy for quite a long time before he ever made it back. "Then again, with time travel, I suppose even that wouldn't prevent you from showing up bang on time anyway. Still, 'balance' does sound like an operative word..."

He can't imagine it actually working. After all, as far as he knows from UNIT's files, the Doctor is almost always accompanied by a companion. If anything, he feels like that sort of arrangement would require the Doctor to rotate through a set of them. He wrinkles his nose a bit at the thought, not sure how he feels about it--and still none the wiser about why the Doctor would be bringing it up at all.

"You...what?" His expression is shocked at that unexpected comment about his future, though--and a little hurt. "Really?" he asks, dismayed. "I...see." He isn't sure what else to say to that.

[not_the_question]

"Her. But, yes, that's sort of how it works. As to arriving on time, well, you know the TARDIS, sometime I am and sometimes I'm a couple weeks late."

He sighs. "I mean 'you' in general. I don't keep tabs on any of you the way I probably should."

His excuse will be that it's a big universe and that's a lot to keep track of.

[dictaphonic]

Having seen Dr Klein herself accidentally bump the TARDIS off-course, he nods knowingly. At this point, he thinks he understands--but it's still not an option that he has any intention of pursuing. He doesn't think it would be appealing to Dr Klein, after all, and he also has a feeling it would be all too easy for the Doctor to drop him off at UNIT and leave him there for quite a long time. He'd rather not risk it. But after all the Doctor's prompting, he doesn't intend to say that, so he remains silent on the matter instead.

He relaxes a little, realising that the Doctor simply means he doesn't follow up with Will once he stops travelling with him. And so he makes the Doctor's excuse for him. "Oh. Well, in that case, I imagine it would be quite a lot of people if you tried... Still, it's...um. It's good to have you here." He smiles. This Doctor may be different, and it may be frustrating that they're without answers, but there's still something comforting about his presence, especially in a potential crisis like this.

[not_the_question]

His smile turns a bit sheepish. "Sorry. Probably not what you want to hear."

But it's the truth. And for however much the Doctor lies, he also tells the truth. Sometimes.

"Wish I could say it's good to be here."

But not even his ability to lie is good enough to fake that one. Because it would be best of none of them were here.