ten_fwd | I stole a Time Lord and I ran away (Ten Forward

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I stole a Time Lord and I ran away (Ten Forward - OTA)

Jack had finally convinced the Doctor that they needed as much rest as she did. So they had left her alone in the room she was supposed to be sleeping in. The Doctor had given her the ring of his first wife. For a man who has tried to forget so much of Gallifrey, he really was a sentimental idiot. It was a black ring with silver Gallifreyan script written on it. The ring held a special power, he had said. It was something to keep her safe. But she had not been able to remove it. That was all right, she supposed. She trusted him, so if this was for her good, she would wear it. It was slightly too big to wear on her right ring finger, so she wore it on the middle finger of that hand instead.

She had accomplished so much - over a thousand years of running the calculations - and she was once again in flesh form. This time she was much more stable than she had been when the House had forced her into Idris' body. And she intended to remain this way as long as possible. It was with that thought she fell asleep.

She wakes with a gasp. When she looks around, she realises she is no longer in the bedroom Jack had provided for her. In fact, she can tell this place was in motion. It only takes her one look out the window to realise... she has no idea where she is. That is terrifying for her. She is used to being able to control the whole of Time and Space. And she can't tell much of anything. It's almost like this isn't her universe, but how is that even possible? Maybe this is just a nightmare. Jack and the Doctor had both mentioned they were fairly common. All she needs to do is wake herself up. She closes her eyes and then opens them again. "It is not working!"

Her voice has a melodic quality to it. Almost as if she were singing, if she were speaking another language. Now, she was starting to panic properly. She cries out, "Doctor? Jack?"

She looks around again. The place where she is looks like a place for socialising, only there are very few people around. She closes her eyes again, trying to calm herself. She can tell it is the period for a majority of humans to be sleeping. Well that explains the lack of others. She needed to find the Doctor and Jack. If she was here, perhaps they were as well. If she could not understand, perhaps it was something specific to flesh that they could explain to her.

To anyone who is around she will ask: "Excuse me, have you seen the Doctor or Jack?"

[ooc: I'm happy to backtag to this until I can post to the sickbay entry. I have something entirely different planned for that.]

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Cridhe takes the offered seat. Now. She had been the creator of hard-light projections. If she were in her Boxy-encasing, she would know exactly what was before her, but her fleshy eyes, well looks could be deceiving. She used to wonder how the flesh-creatures could be fooled by something so simple. She's in for a shock.

She looks around the room as he mentions officers on the ship. "He would be very unique."

She doesn't know how safe this place is, so she doesn't know how much she can say to anyone about the Doctor. "He travels in a Blue Box. He goes around saving the universe, but claims to not be a hero."

She's trying to see if she sees any flicker of recognition in the man's face. Because, while that would probably single her Pilot out, it's not giving away any information that isn't readily available.

He imagined that, if he were to suddenly become flesh and blood, he would be in for a similar shock. He's grateful that Q gave him the ability to move throughout the ship without having to give up those abilities that made him who he is.

"Ah. In that case, I've met a couple of him. One very skinny, with gym shoes and wild brown hair. Another, older, greying hair and an intense demeanor. I know that Blue Box as well, probably better than the Doctor." He looks at her curiously. "How do you happen to know the Doctor? Do you consider him to be a hero? More importantly, would you like me to get you something to drink?"

"I believe water would be acceptable for this body."

She grins at the mention of her Doctor Who Regrets. And it grows when her current Doctor is mentioned. "Yes, that is him! Both of him!"

She raises her eyebrow at the mention of the Blue Box. And her hesitation about revealing herself falls away. "You think you know me better than my Pilot knows me?"

Is such a thing really possible? And how? How could this person know her better than her Pilot?

Ah huh. All right, that was an interesting answer. "Water it is, then. I'll be right back." He walked over to the replicator and got the requested drink, bringing it back to the table and setting it down in front of her before taking a seat himself.

"It sounds strange when you say it like that. 'Both of them'. As if any of this is normal, I suppose." He offered her a smile, with a bit of a shrug. Emotions in this form were so easy to express, most of the time he didn't realize he even was.

"I'm sorry?" He wasn't following her train of thought. And then it struck him how he had worded that. "Oh, no. I was saying that I know that Blue Box better than I know the Doctor. But I'm not sure how well I know either of them." He frowned then, staring at her and leaning closer. "Your Pilot?"

Kitt might notice a few things now. Like she picks up the tumbler with two hands and only takes very small and overly careful sips. When she sets it down, she leans over the table a bit, to ensure she doesn't tip the glass.

"Thank you."

"The Doctor is a Time Lord. It is entirely normal that he would go through regeneration to prevent his permanent death. It is only slightly unusual that there would be more than one incarnation present at a time."

Though, he had a history of doing that as well. It was most distracting. And in this place, most concerning. Since they were brought here.

"Oh, I have already met you, then. Good. That should move introductions along fairly quickly. If you know that much, then certainly you know that the Doctor is my Pilot."

And she thinks everything she says makes sense to the... well not human, but she cannot register what he is. This is when she misses being connected to all of the equipment, normally she would just run a scan and know immediately.

He's noticing quite a bit, all of it telling, though he's not sure yet what language it's speaking. She's more than a little unusual, and while he's trying not to be obvious, he knows that he's staring.

"Of course. I've come to accept this about him. The one I spoke to most recently also seemed to think it was strange, and inherently dangerous. Perhaps in other circumstances it would be, but Q, for all his machinations, hasn't allowed anything to permanently harm any of those he's brought here." Or maybe he didn't understand the situation as thoroughly as she and the Doctor did.

"Have you? I don't remember seeing you before..." His frown was so deep it could have split his face open. "Wait a moment. You're not saying... are you saying? It almost sounds as though you're saying you're the TARDIS, but that can't be right. Can it?"

No. Nothing is making sense to him. Not yet. Especially when his own scanners seem to be so unreliable.

She nods when he mentions the dangers. She's not entirely bothered by the staring. She's rather used to it now. She quietly considers his points. before she replies.

"Whenever multiple universes are drawn together, it causes the stability of them to be lessened. Because this is the universe we have been pulled into, it is the most susceptible to such instability. The Doctor and I have a gift that allow us to sense such things. Though, my own abilities seem dampened here."

Whether that's an effect of the place or the ring she wears, she is unsure. She smiles at his last questions. And then she realises why he looks so odd to her.

"That is an interesting level of doubt, coming from a hologram. Though, in your case, 'hard-light projection,' would be more accurate, no?"

After all, he had been able to carry that glass to the table.

"The Doctor would not reveal information about me to just anyone. Yet, I doubt he would offer such information so willingly to a hologram. Which raises the question of who you are..."

She knows her Pilot better than anyone. She only revealed as much as she had because the projection had mentioned meeting the Doctor and seemed to have the knowledge that would result from such a meeting. But that doesn't mean she'll freely explain her own presence.

He nods in return, actually able to follow along with her explanation. She's much better at it than the Doctor, it seems. "From what I understand about this Q, such things are of little consequence to him. If he is doing this for his own amusement, he's not likely to allow the problem of instability to affect his enjoyment." He would have some kind of repair in place, Kitt was sure. "Q will have nullified the abilities of anyone he feels might be too... powerful." Potential threats needed to be eliminated.

His eyes narrowed at her then, studying her anew. "How do you know I'm a hologram? A 'hard-light projection', as you put it?" No one should be able to determine that just from looking at him. Perhaps if they touched him, or spent more time with him, but not after only a few minutes like this.

"The Doctor didn't reveal the information to me. If you really are the TARDIS, then you did. We have spent many a night together on this ship, you and I." In for a penny, he supposed, as he stuck out his hand. "You know me as Kitt. Do you have a name, or are you just 'The TARDIS'?"

She smiles at his questioning how she knows. "Simple. I cannot read your timelines. If you were in anyway physically here, I could see them."

Well, in her home universe that's how it would work. She doesn't yet know if that's how it will work here, but she only has this much to go on right now.

She offers her gloved hand. "My Pilot and I decided that my colloquial name would be Cridhe. So, you can communicate with me in my box form. What is your normal form?"

Since it's obviously not a hologram.

Kitt stares at her, a slow smile forming on his face. How very interesting. He sort of likes the idea of being unreadable.

He took her hand, shaking it warmly. "Cridhe is a lovely name. May I ask why you chose it?" Another smile, this one wry and slightly teasing. "You know me as the black car that sits nearby you in one of the cargo bays. Once in a while I stretch my wheels, but not very often. It's nice to be able to talk to you face to face, as it were."

"It is the only appropriate name. The Doctor has over five billion languages and I have over ten. Out of all of those, this was the one word that we could agree on. Scottish Gaelic and has the following English translations: heart, courage, epicentre, core, focus, nucleus, sweetheart."

She shakes her head at knowing him. "I know of no sentient car that I have ever met. As to my Boxy selves, I cannot go near them. Encountering myself would be... bad."

"I don't have that particular language in my databanks. Not much use for it in my line of work, I'm afraid. But it's a beautiful name, and a lovely choice."

He smiles in understanding, as the name fits her.

"Really? None at all? In all of your travels?" He straightens a bit, squaring his shoulders, pleased to know he's unique. "I can imagine it would be. And it would be a strange sensation, besides. It seems a bit of a shame, even so."

She offers a small smile. "I am glad being unique is a comfort to you."

It seems to bother herself and her Pilot that they are the Last of their Kinds. But his last statement confuses her. "Why would it be a shame? Would it be better to cause this universe to implode?"

Because, well that's the alternative. Two TARDISes occupying the same space at the same time causes a Time Ram. Typically, that is the result of such a thing.

"Is there a reason it shouldn't be?" Kitt looks puzzled by her comment, not understanding her concern.

Perhaps it would be different if he had been part of a fleet of AIs, a community, coming to the realization that she and the Doctor had. But it had only ever been him, and twice, KARR. KARR hadn't been family, or even friendly. He had been a dangerous rogue, needing to be eliminated. No, Kitt was content with his status.

"No, not that. But it is a shame that you can't see your other form, touch it and become a part of it in a new way. A new way to understand yourself, as it were."

Time Rams don't concern him. Her well-being? That's a different matter altogether.

She shrugs looking slightly sheepish. "Well, in the case of myself and my Pilot we're very unique. So unique we're the last. It is not easy to be the Last."

She shrugs a bit. "It is better than the alternative. I know how I am limited when I am in my other form. This form, it is the exciting form. And there's a lot I can learn now."

"Oh. I suppose it isn't." What could be said to that? How would he feel if he were in her shoes?

He does shake his head, slightly amazed. A being as old and traveled as she was, excited to be in the form of an organic humanoid? Talking of how much there was to learn even still?

"Is there still consciousness in your boxy form? Will I still be able to speak with you while I'm recharging my power packs?"

"If you can speak to me in my current boxy form, there is no reason why that should change. Much like the different Doctors, I am here from different time zones. My boxy form is here from an earlier time zone than my fleshy form is all."

It's simple for her to understand. She forgets that it might be more difficult for others to understand.

"Will you remember me? Our talks? And. Wait a moment." What had she just said? "An earlier time? Are you... the Doctor, he was looking for you!" Right? They'd never completely established which Doctor belonged to her, had they?

Cridhe's expression changes to one of hesitant joy. "He was?"

Oh, if the Doctor from her time was here, everything would be quite all right.

"Can you describe him?"

Because that would be the quickest way to assess the situation.

"He was," Kitt confirms. "If it's the one I'm thinking of. Tall, older, intense. Sort of looks like a scarecrow." He's hoping, for her sake, it's the right one. "He likes to talk in riddles, I think."

Oh that description makes her nearly fall over in laughter! "A scarecrow?"

She won't tell, she promises. "Then I take it you mean the one who dresses like a magician and has a 'furious face' with a mighty set of eyebrows?"

Because she must make sure. In general 'scarecrow' could describe several of him, depending on which attributes you assign them.

Well. Sort of?

"He's... It's... Eyes. He has those eyes. The sort that makes it feel as though he's looking through you, rather than at you." He snaps his fingers and points at her, enthusiastically. "Yes! That's him! That's exactly him!" He runs his fingers along his browline, hovering just above his forehead. "With the eyebrows! And the fury!"

Three isn't there, or Kitt might have been hard-pressed to find a way of differentiating the two of them. But for Twelve, 'scarecrow' will do.

She grins again. "Well, that would be the right version of him. Did he happen to mention what his last adventure was? He may be from a different Time Zone from me."

After all, the live of a Time Traveller was a curiosity.

"Now that you mention it, he didn't. He was much more concerned for you. I didn't think to ask him, either. Perhaps I should have..."

How surprising that it hadn't occurred to him!

"More concerned for me?"

She sounds slightly surprised. She frowns.

"Is... something wrong with me? I mean, the other mes?"

Yay XD

I meant to get back to this sooner...

No worries at all! XD

:)

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