DOCTOR WHO AND THE THREE DOCTORS Read online

  The Doctor, Jo and Sergeant Benton gazed gloomily at the TARDIS's scanner screen. It showed the inside of the laboratory, now almost completely bare, the glowing, crackling mass of the jelly thrashing to and fro, unable to complete its mission and engulf the TARDIS itself. From time to time it extruded a tentacle and touched it, drawing back with an angry crackle as it was repelled by the protective force-field. Suddenly the TARDIS vibrated, almost as if it had landed. The Doctor looked suspiciously at his two companions. 'What was that? Nobody touched anything, did they?'

  Jo and Benton shook their heads in denial. A round wooden object rolled across the floor and stopped by the Doctor's foot. He picked it up, frowning. 'Some kind of flute! Is it yours, Jo?'

  Jo shook her head. The Doctor examined the little instrument curiously.

  'The funny thing is, it seems strangely familiar. A flute...' The Doctor rubbed his chin, trying to recapture a fugitive trace of memory.

  A hand sneaked under his arm and neatly plucked the flute from his fingers. 'Properly speaking,' said a rather huffy voice, 'the instrument is known as a recorder!'

  They all whirled round. Standing just behind them was a middle-sized, middle-aged man in a shabby old frock coat and rather baggy check trousers. His untidy black hair hung in a fringe over his forehead, and his dark brown eyes were at once humorous and sad. Jo Grant took to him instantly, and instinctively smiled at him. The stranger smiled back, and gave a little trill on the recorder. He frowned, tried again, and looked accusingly at the Doctor. 'You haven't been trying to play it, have you?' The Doctor seemed too astonished to reply. The stranger looked round the TARDIS, and spotted the picture on the scanner screen. He rushed up to it with child-like curiosity. 'Oh dear, oh dear, we are in trouble, aren't we? Just as well I turned up!'

  Suddenly he noticed Benton who was looking at him open-mouthed. To Jo's astonishment, Benton said, 'Hullo, Doctor! Where did you spring from?'

  The newcomer rushed up to Benton and shook him warmly by the hand. 'Corporal Benton, isn't it? Haven't seen you since that nasty business with the Cybermen. How's the dear old Brigadier?'

  Benton tapped his sleeve. 'Actually, it's Sergeant Benton now, Doc. And the Brig's fine.'

  'My dear fellow, congratulations.' The strange little man shook Benton's hand again.

  Jo sidled up to the Doctor. 'Who is he? Is he one of Them?' Jo gazed upwards, with the gesture she instinctively used whenever she referred to the Time Lords.

  The Doctor sighed. 'Not exactly, Jo. He's not so much one of Them as one of me!'

  The stranger came across to Jo, putting a friendly arm across her shoulders. 'Oh no, no, no, it isn't that at all. I hate to seem contrary, but I do feel you should have the correct explanation.' He pointed to the tall elegant figure of the Doctor who was glaring down at him in mounting outrage. 'The fact of the matter is,' said the newcomer confidingly, 'he is one of me.'

  In a state of total confusion, Jo looked from one to the other of them. 'You mean you're both Time Lords?'

  The little man patted her on the back. 'Not just both Time Lords, you see. Both the same Time Lord!' He beamed at her triumphantly, as if this made everything clear.

  Lifting the stranger's arm from her shoulders, the Doctor drew Jo to his side. 'Please, you're only confusing my assistant. The fact of the matter is, Jo, he is me, and I am him!' Jo buried her head in her hands.

  Benton said suddenly, 'Maybe I can help, miss. You see, when I first met the Doctor here...' Benton pointed to the tall white-haired man at Jo's side, 'he looked like him!' He nodded towards the stranger.

  Jo struggled to understand. She looked at the little man. 'You mean you're the Doctor as he used to be—before he changed? Then in that case how did you get here—and now?'

  'That's what I'd like to know,' said the Doctor indignantly. 'You've absolutely no right to pop up like this. What about the First Time Law?'

  'Oh bother the First Time Law,' said the little man. (In order to avoid confusion, Jo decided to think of him as Doctor Two.) 'Don't you realise this is an emergency? Our fellow Time Lords are under siege, and they've sent me to help you. Your effectiveness is now doubled.'

  The Doctor snorted. 'Doubled? Halved, more like it, with you to look of ter!'

  Doctor Two said, 'Now don't be ungracious, old chap. I think the first thing to do is for me to put you in the picture.'

  The Doctor opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, Doctor Two reached out and put a hand to his temple with a curiously formal gesture. It was obviously familiar to the Doctor, for he grunted a rather surly, 'Oh all right,' and put his hand to the newcomer's temple in the same way.

  'Contact!' said Doctor Two firmly, and the two Time Lords became instantly motionless.

  Jo and Benton looked on in astonishment. The two very different figures were standing absolutely still, but you could almost feel the power of the mental energy flowing between them. Suddenly Jo realised what was going on. 'Look,' she whispered to Benton, 'they're having some kind of telepathic conference.'

  And that, indeed, was exactly what was happening. In the newcomer's mind was flooding everything that had happened since the arrival of the cosmic-ray research balloon at the bird sanctuary; the vanishing of Hollis, and of Tyler; the sudden attack of the jelly and the creatures it had formed. In return, the Doctor received a full history of the sudden appearance of the black hole in space and of the way it was gradually draining the cosmic energy of the Time Lords, and threatening to disintegrate the fabric of the entire Universe. In a matter of seconds the process was complete and the two Doctors stepped apart, their faces equally grave.

  The first, Jo's Doctor, gazed thoughtfully at the scanner screen where the scene in the lab was unchanged. The second Doctor began to tootle on his flute. Jo found the sound rather soothing, but it was soon apparent that the Doctor didn't share her view.

  He turned angrily to his other self and snapped, 'Must you?'

  Doctor Two looked hurt. 'It helps me to think!'

  'Well it stops me from thinking at all!'

  'Are we going to take this attitude to my music the whole time?'

  'Quite frankly, yes we are. In a serious situation like this, I've no time to listen to paratiddles on your piccolo!'

  In a matter of minutes the two Doctors were arguing furiously. The air of the TARDIS rang with cries of 'Philistine!' and 'Cacophony!' 'Balderdash!' and 'Tripe!'

  Jo glanced up at Benton doubtfully. It didn't look as if this strange collaboration was going to work at all.

  The same thought was occurring to the Junior Time Lord, who was watching the scene on his monitor. He looked up, as the imposing figure of the President came up to him.

  'We've achieved the transference you asked for, my lord President, but I'm afraid it isn't working out too well.'

  'And why not?'

  The young Time Lord pointed to the gesticulating figures on the screen. 'All they do is quarrel, sir.'

  The President thought for a moment. Then he smiled. 'I suppose it's natural enough. Two opposing parts of the same personality. They're too much alike to agree. They need someone to keep them in order. Show me the Doctor's first incarnation.'

  The Junior Time Lord swallowed hard. 'Him too, sir? But in view of the attitude of the Chancellor—'

  'We've already shattered the First Time Law, my boy. A third Doctor won't make matters very much worse.'

  The Time Lord obeyed, making new adjustments to his controls. The scene in the TARDIS faded, and slowly a face appeared on the screen in its place, a lined, white-haired old man with a face full of dignity, power, and a touch of cranky bad temper.

  The President smiled. 'Excellent. He'll keep them in order.'

  The Junior Time Lord began to check the readings on his console. 'I don't think I can achieve a full physical manifestation for you, my lord. The energy levels are getting too low now.'

  'That isn't needed, my boy. All we need is a presence, something to remind those impetuous
youngsters down there of their duty. Do the best you can...'

  Obediently, the Junior Time Lord bent over his controls.

  In the TARDIS, the two Doctors were distracted from their argument when they noticed that the screen of the TARDIS had suddenly gone blank. The new Doctor rushed to the controls, and tried to get the picture back, but with no success. He peered up accusingly at his other self.

  'You've been fiddling with it, haven't you?'

  'It was perfectly all right until you touched it,' said the Doctor rather unfairly. He bustled the newcomer away from the console. 'Now if you'd only leave things to me...'

  The second Doctor ducked indignantly round him in an attempt to get at the controls. 'Leave things to you? A fine pickle we'd all be in!'

  In the heat of their dispute they both ignored the scanner screen. Jo was the first to see a new picture forming, the face of a rather cross-looking white-haired old man. Faintly she said, 'Doctors, look, both of you!'

  Both Doctors turned towards the screen. At the sight of the face they seemed literally dumbstruck, as if someone had turned off their voices. The fierce old man on the screen surveyed them for a moment. It was obvious that somehow he could see them—and he wasn't very impressed. 'So you're what I have become, are you? A dandy and a clown!'

  The two Doctors stood before the screen like guilty schoolboys sent to the headmaster, not daring to reply. The old man sniffed disdainfully. 'Well,' he said sharply, 'what have you done to deal with the problem? Anything? Anything at all?'

  It was Doctor Two who plucked up courage to reply. 'We've er, assessed the situation,' he said, a little lamely.

  The old man on the screen sniffed again. 'As I thought—nothing. Other than squabble like a couple of spoiled brats, that is.'

  The Doctor joined in. 'Well it isn't all that easy, you know.'

  The old man cut across him. 'As I said. Nothing.'

  'So far we don't even know what that stuff is,' pleaded Doctor Two.

  'Don't you? Then I'll tell you. It's a bridge. And what's a bridge for, eh?'

  Rather to her own surprise Jo suddenly piped up 'Crossing?'

  The old man gave a shrill cackle. 'Gel's got more sense than the two of you put together ! Exactly, crossing ! So stop dilly-dallying, you two. One of you must stay to keep an eye on the situation here, and the other must cross it.' With that his image faded from the screen. Immediately both Doctors started to fiddle with the scanner control, but succeeded only in getting in each other's way.

  'There, you've lost him,' said the Doctor accusingly.

  'I lost him?' said Doctor Two indignantly. 'If you would only leave the working of the TARDIS to someone who understands it...'

  All at once the two Doctors were squabbling again. There came a sudden parade-ground roar from Sergeant Benton. 'Oy, you two ! Pack that up!'

  Amazed, both Doctors fell silent. Taking advantage of the lull, Jo asked, 'Who was that?' She nodded towards the screen, now once more showing the blob of jelly waiting in the laboratory outside.

  Both Doctors answered her at once. 'Us!'

  'Well,' said Jo sternly, 'I think you ought to listen to what he said, and stop being childish.

  For a moment both Doctors glared at her. Then the mouth of the newer, smaller one twitched into a reluctant grin. He looked up at his other self. 'She's quite right, you know.'

  The taller Doctor cleared his throat. 'Harrumph ! Well, I hope that nothing I said about your music gave offence. Rather a catchy little tune, actually.'

  'My dear fellow, think nothing of it. My fault entirely.'

  Their mutual apologies completed, the two Doctors beamed affectionately at each other. Their faces be-came serious again as they looked at the scanner screen. Doctor Two fished in the pocket of his battered old coat and produced a large silver coin. 'Will you call?'

  He spun the coin high in the air.

  'Heads !' said the Doctor.

  Doctor Two caught the coin on the back of one hand, slapping the palm of the other down on top of it. He lifted his hand and looked at the coin. 'Bad luck, old chap,' he said hastily, and the coin disappeared into his pocket before the Doctor could look at it.

  The Doctor threw him a suspicious look. 'Right ! If you'll be ready to disconnect the force-field?'

  Jo and Sergeant Benton had been standing ignored in the background.

  'Hey, just a minute,' protested Benton. 'What are you two up to?'

  The Doctors continued to ignore him. Doctor Two went to the controls and switched off the force-field. He touched another control, and the TARDIS door swung open. Calmly the Doctor stepped out into the laboratory. Doctor Two touched the control to close the door.

  With a shock of horror Jo suddenly realised what 'crossing the bridge' meant.

  The Doctor was going to deliver himself up to the jelly and see where it took him. Before anyone could stop her, she leaped through the already-closing TARDIS door and tried to pull the Doctor back.

  The Tardis door swung to behind her.

  The Doctor called, 'Jo, get back inside!' But the door was already closed. Jo ran to the Doctor's arms for shelter as, crackling greedily, the huge, shimmering mound of jelly rolled towards them.

  On the TARDIS screen, Benton and the second Doctor watched helplessly. The mound of jelly rolled over Jo and the Doctor. As it touched them there came a brilliant, soundless flash and Jo and the Doctor vanished.

  4

  Beyond the Unknown

  Sergeant Benton made an instinctive move to dash out of the TARDIS. But the new Doctor, or as far as Benton was concerned, the old Doctor, Jo's Doctor Two, laid a restraining hand on his arm.

  'Steady on, Sergeant, they're out of our reach now. He knew what he was doing—at least, I hope he did.'

  'Will they be all right, Doctor?'

  The little man reached up and patted Benton reassuringly on the shoulder. 'As far as I can tell, that stuff out there has gone to a great deal of trouble to get me—or rather, him—, and I doubt if whoever or whatever sent it simply wanted us dead. No, they've both been transported somewhere.'

  'I saw that—the question is, where?'

  Doctor Two shrugged. 'Where indeed?' Suddenly he darted over to the scanner and peered at it. 'Do you know, I think our blobby friend out there has just gone off the boil.'

  Benton looked over his shoulder. The blob of jelly, now shrunken and still, lay quietly in one corner of the laboratory, showing no sign of its former ferocity. 'Right, let's get some explosives and blow it to smithereens,' said Benton eagerly.

  'I think we can be a bit more subtle than that, Sergeant. We must study it. It may still have a great deal to tell us.' He opened the door of the TARDIS, and they both came slowly out into the laboratory. Cautiously they approached the jelly-blob. It stirred and crackled, but only very faintly.

  The door opened and the Brigadier, revolver in hand, peered cautiously round it. At the sight of two figures bending over to look at the blob he snapped, 'For Heaven's sake be careful of that stuff.'

  At the sound of his voice, Sergeant Benton straightened up and turned round. So did the second Doctor.

  When he saw him the Brigadier opened his mouth like a stranded fish, spluttering to get the words out. 'Oh no!' he gasped finally.

  Doctor Two beamed at him. 'Oh yes, Brigadier. How are you, my dear fellow?'

  'Pretty well, thanks,' said the Brigadier, returning the handshake automatically. Then realising that he was greeting a man who too all intents and purposes no longer existed, he spluttered, 'What the blazes is going on here?'

  'It's him, sir,' explained Benton rather obviously. 'The one we met first of all.'

  'I can see that. Why has he changed back again?'

  'He hasn't, sir, not exactly. This one just sort of popped up. There are two of them now! There was even a third—but he was only on the scanner screen.'

  'Heaven preserve us!' said the Brigadier faintly. He looked for a stool to sit on, but by now they had all disappeared. He l
eaned against the wall and spoke in a voice of unnatural calm, 'Sergeant Benton! Will you please tell me exactly what's been going on?'

  Benton did his best. When he'd stumbled to the end of his long, complicated and confused story, the second Doctor said cheerfully:

  'There you are, Brigadier. All perfectly simple really.'

  'I'm sorry,' said the Brigadier crisply, 'but I don't believe a word of it. It's perfectly obvious what's happened. You've been fiddling with that infernal machine of yours. Somehow or other you've changed your appearance back, and shot poor Miss Grant off heaven knows where.'

  Doctor Two sighed. 'Believe what you like, Brigadier, as long as it makes you happy.'

  The Brigadier straightened up. Now he'd found an explanation that satisfied him, he was his old self again. 'I want two things from you, Doctor. An effective way of controlling that jelly stuff, and the return of Miss Grant safe and sound.'

  Doctor Two sighed. 'I'll do my best for you. But I can't promise anything. Wherever they are, Miss Grant and my other self, we can't contact them. That's the trouble with anti-matter. You can see the effect, but never the cause.' He gave his sudden beaming smile. 'Like a punch on the nose from the invisible man!'

  The Brigadier waved his revolver at the blob, which still lay inertly in its corner. 'Then what is this stuff?'

  'That's anti-matter. The invisible man!'

  The Brigadier felt his head begin to spin. 'But I thought matter and anti-matter couldn't meet—not without a colossal explosion.'

  'That's right. I'm afraid it means that whoever created this stuff, and sent it here, is a good deal cleverer than we are.'

  'Is there anything you can do, Doctor?'

  'I can study it. Try to learn some of its secrets. But first I must make sure it stays harmless.'

  'And how do you propose to do that?'

  Doctor Two rubbed his hands. 'I shall confuse it,' he announced happily. 'Feed it useless and conflicting information.'