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He was all alone again.
It’s been two days for the doctor since Martha left him. The TARDIS was empty again, nothing but the whining and groaning of the engine. For some reason, he can feel how slow time was. He feels funny. Saddened by the unexpected departure of his dearest friend like he was not the reason for it. It’s for the best, he knew that. He destroyed Martha’s life. The TARDIS tried to distract him by, as usual, taking him to random places instead of his actual destination.
This time, the location of his landing was not done by the doctor nor the TARDIS. It was a random magnetic force that was strong enough to pull him out of his route, travelling to another dimension. The turbulence and landing was rough. It was chaotic, everything was shaking from the inside out. The doctor felt that something was wrong—really wrong. This is wrong. But he felt helpless. As the TARDIS landed, the screen was still showing nothing, like the TARDIS was also struggling to read where it landed which was an awesome feat to whoever pulled them over. The doctor still tried to make something out of it. One thing’s for sure is that he was out of his natural timeline, dimension even. The atmosphere felt weird even inside. He slowly approached the door before taking his coat and ran out into the unknown.
***
“Who in god’s name are you?” A tall man dressed in black and cyan asked, pointing a large and sharp staff at him. The doctor was also baffled at the appearance of the man.
—
Ford was doing calculations as usual in the little pocket universe he and his muse shared. He rarely experiences the sense of loneliness. If he does, he buries such emotion down with distraction such as travelling another dimension to spread chaos on. Everything has not felt the same ever since Bill went away, left him. He feels disgusted on how much he missed the triangular companion. He was a God for his sake, destroyed countless planets and went on several galaxies. He has the capacity to move on, rebuild a new empire, and manipulate another brilliant mind, but he can’t. Pathetic, he thinks of himself.
As he got an unknown reading on his glasses and projector, he immediately guarded himself. It was an object—a flying object—of sorts ripping through this pocket universe. It’s impossible, he thought. No one can enter without his permission or through one of the doors he created specifically for his muse. It intrigued him. A blue police box suddenly materialized in front of him. He tried to identify the object with his glasses but there was nothing. He got even more fascinated. Everything he had programmed in his inventions were universal. Every knowledge compacted into such devices, like his glasses. But he can’t even get a reading on some wooden police box. He knocked once before immediately going to a stance as a slender man in a blue suit and brown tweed coat appeared.
—
“Halo, I’m the doctor.” He extended his hand for a shake with his usual jolly greeting, which Ford didn’t like the slightest.
“Sorry, wrong question, what are you and your odd wooden police box? Are you human?”
“Uh no! Time Lord. Do they exist in this dimension, yay or nay?”
“Do you think this is a joke??”
“Okay, no then.”
The doctor retracted his hand back before sauntering over to the big projector with Ford’s data displayed, which he quickly blocked and pointed the staff to his chest this time.
“I will disintegrate you if you don’t identify yourself now!” Ford shouted. He doesn’t like not being taken seriously, unless it’s Bill.
“Blimey, what are you, some variant of the Daleks?” He sniffled before raising his hands slowly, showing his innocence.
“Judging by your lack of information on what I am in your screen and glasses—”
“How did you—”
“You can’t get a reading on me as I can’t get a reading on you or this dimension of yours, interesting, right? I love not knowing things, it feels like Christmas.”
So a madman from another dimension landed in his area. He has competition then. Seeming like the man called the doctor was telling the truth, he slowly lowered his staff and dusted his cape. The doctor understood that to push and intrude even more. He flicked his sonic out and tried to get some reading or information from the projector. It showed that he was in a pocket universe—jumping between a 2D dimension called “Dimension EU-/ and Dimension /,64 mostly.
“Oh…that’s nice you have a companion too, a yellow triangular guy. Not seeing them anywhere though.”
“He’s…gone.” Ford replied, flat yet with dejection.
“I see…I’m sorry.”
“Probably for the best.”
He flipped his cape before joining the doctor in front of his projector and decided to gather any kind of data that may help to send this slender man away. The doctor was obviously not new to the loss of a companion.
“Did he just leave?
“Without a proper goodbye.” Ford did not know why he was even answering this man he just met minutes ago. He could be an enemy in a foreign skin or some sort of actual police. But he didn’t look like one, far from it actually.
“And now you’re alone.”
“Perhaps. Let’s just focus on returning you to your dimension.”
“Right!” The doctor just nodded before running towards the TARDIS before Ford called him.
“Wait! You said you are some kind of lord? You looked at my data, it's only fair for you to return the favor.”
“Right, of course!” Slowly, the doctor walked back to him, shoving his hands down his pockets with a knowing smile. Is it a dumb idea? Yes. But he loves to show off, especially with someone on his level.
“Follow me then.”
“To your puny police box?”
“Oh just do it.” The doctor signaled him to follow inside the TARDIS. Ford evidently already made up several plans for an immediate escape as he approached. Well, it wasn’t that hard since everything is just wood. But the object did materialize in front of him so he was fascinated a little.
As he entered inside, it was like nothing he’s ever since before. He has seen masterpieces in different languages, destruction, death, love, creation, life, science, but never this. How can a small wooden box hold such a space? This is his dream, that’s for sure. He touched railings gently before walking towards the control room. No words were being uttered from him yet, which was frustrating the doctor a little. Usually, whenever someone comes on board, they say “it’s bigger on the inside” and he smiles like an idiot. With this gray haired man, he wasn’t saying anything—not even a single expression. Just observing and analyzing.
“This is a…time travelling machine?” Ford finally spoke as he turned to the doctor, who was grinning after holding his breath.
Blimey, he’s smart
“It’s called the TARDIS, Time and Relatively Dimension in Space. It can travel through time and space, but not dimensions, no!” The doctor excitedly exclaimed as he showed Ford the weird readings, same reading that’s almost blank.
“In my logic, it’ll rip through the fabric of reality between our worlds. In pocket universes in another dimension? I dunno…haven’t done it till now. Brilliant, right?”
His gums showed how excited he was to share the piece of information. He already got the impression that the tall man wasn’t an ordinary man, no, he was intelligent as well, and possibly dangerous. Judging by his reaction, he immediately understood the doctor. But the question still lingers in his mind, who really is this Doctor?
“Who are you?”
The doctor faced the old man, taking a deep breath before telling his true identity. This is his favorite part, telling the oldest tale.
“I’m the Doctor from the planet Gallifrey burned and buried in the Medusa Cascade. I’m a time lord, the last of its kind. My people were killed in the Great Time War.”
For once in his life, Ford was flabbergasted. He knows, even without his visor, that the madman was being sincere. His life was as mad as his, even his mind. So for once, considering the risks, he decided to lower his guard down and decided to tell the truth as well.
“My name’s Stanford Pines, The Megalomaniac Lord they call me, who has travelled across dimensions to gain knowledge. Alone, just like you.”
The two geniuses stood face to face. There was a certain tension between the two–not really sexual tension. But rather, a mix of intimidation and understanding. An odd mixture.
“Maybe!” The doctor returned to being jumpy, sauntering around the TARDIS as he tried to see the information he got from Ford’s visor in secret.
“But you killed, massacred.”
“And so did you. I recognized blood on your hands as I recognized mine.” Ford followed the doctor, his cape flowing elegantly.
“Yeah. Maybe, but it was not a choice, it was a calculated sacrifice.”
“I know you’ve somehow hacked through my visor, stealing information without my consent and as I did so let’s come clean.”
“I know, sonic versus your…magical staff,” He waved his hand around like he was offended. “my mighty ol’ sonic screwdriver still got it.”
He flipped his sonic and shoved it down his pocket. He’s definitely showing off now.
“Now we got that out of the way, time to put our timeline back into place!”
The two worked like they already knew what they were gonna do. The doctor turned the TARDIS on and Ford prepared his projector to be connected to his time machine. While they worked, they chatted even more. It became like a reunion of two long time best friends—like they did not just talk about them being murderers.
***
“Now if you give the TARDIS a little bit of boost, we can probably get out of here.” He exclaimed, clicking every button and lever that helps accelerate the TARDIS even more.
“Oh yes!” With one last hit of the engine with his hammer, the TARDIS started humming and groaning again. The doctor ran out and gave Ford a thumbs up, which he just shook his head in response.
“Finally got her working again, time to leave.” He closed the door and leaned against it, giving Ford a knowing look.
“Time for you to go, Doctor. You do not belong here.”
“No…no I don’t. But you know what I’ve seen, the wonders, the chaos, the madness, and beauty of everything, of humanity.”
“Is this an invitation? Like one of your companions?” Ford asked, surprised and contemplating.
No.
“No. I’m asking you to stay away.” The doctor slowly approached the man. He was not afraid despite what he had seen with Ford’s past. It was as bad as his, well, almost.
“As I leave this pocket universe, the walls between our dimensions will close. You will probably forget about this, like it was just a dream, but you have no place in our dimension.”
Oh, that definitely hit a nerve. Ford got even more offended but he kept his cool, oddly enough. He saw what kind of person the doctor was even with just a look. The man might be smiling with his sonic screwdriver but his existence baffles even the greatest mind like him. He was a madman just like him.
“Fate made us meet for a reason, Doctor. Still unsure of the whys but…” Ford also took a step forward. The doctor was looking up at him, a bit degrading in his book.
“I know one thing, you and I are alike, more than you realize. You have lost people as I did. We’ve caused atrocities with varying rationales. Perhaps destiny wanted you to see a reflection of you, just this once.”
“Probably…I hope you saw your reflection as well.”
The doctor bid goodbye with a salute and so did Ford. He rarely salutes but the Doctor deserves it, he thought. He ran inside of the TARDIS and set it back to the time vortex, ready to go to the unknown. Seems like what the doctor said was true, Ford started to slowly forget about the details of the interaction. He actually felt something. Educated? Interested perhaps? Knowing there were other dimensions that he does not have access to challenged his intelligence even more. He was ready for the enigma.
Meanwhile, the doctor continued to travel as usual. Letting his TARDIS take the lead to whatever signal they hatch onto that’s not breaking the walls of reality. But he was trying to cling onto the unexpected meeting between the other Lord. Until, a titanic ship hit his TARDIS.
“Whot?”