TM Topic 180 - What would you do differently? Why?
"Imagine the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Each spoke is a damaged or truncated reality, a sort of dead end in Time. They're formed by changes in established history, some big, some relatively small, which cause the flow of subsequent events to spiral out of control. Often catastrophically." - The Axis of Insanity
He is tempted, sometimes, until he remembers that, by saving one brilliant child, one selfless arbiter, one stubborn woman, he could condemn billions.
When they lost Erimem, he told himself he travelled back to the Axis only to confer with the new Overseer - not to taste chaos and know again why he shouldn't, can't, won't.
There is a path when he arrives, of logic and direction that exists nowhere else. As he walks he looks at what is not meant to be seen, tucks away ancient mistakes in his mind so that they will not be repeated.
The trail ends at her throne, and she looks at him with so much knowledge, so much sadness, that he, for the first time in ages, feels young.
His hands are clasped tightly behind him; he stood with a posture both dignified and respectful.
"I...wanted to see how you were getting on."
Laughter, delicate and resonant. She looks so very fragile, as she always will, but already there is steel shining dully in her eyes, weathered and stalwart. He never met them for very long.
"I should be cross with you, Doctor, such an infamous meddler." Of course he does then, with protests in his gaze that die on his lips when she raises a hand. Dainty, he notes absently; you would need a keen eye to see the calluses there, to know she dips her fingers into entropy and squeezes the resistance from it.
"You were the one who arranged for me to take this throne. The one who was willing to give his life for Time."
"Any Time Lord - "
"Would sacrifices his life for the sanctity of the Timelines, knows that he is expendable - is that not what you told Jarra To?" A curt nod; he knows what the next words will be.
"And yet you're here because she is not."
"She was my friend." His companion, his student, his comrade, his responsibility, and she knows all of this.
"As were they all." Her voice is softer and she stands, crossing over to him. Ancient sympathy, and it's almost like looking into a mirror.
"You hold the burden of so many regrets." She reaches out, and touches a hand to his temple, the other reaching; he gives her his hand.
"Tell me. Tell me what you could have done."
He stares for a moment, and then he tells her, as his hearts shudder and his eyes burn and realities unfold from their fingertips.
I would have fixed the temporal grace circuits long ago, before their lack enabled the console to be damaged, just long enough to render us helpless.
"Now I'll never know if I was right." He started when he heard that familiar sound rending the stale air, jumping from the seat with wide eyes and white knuckles.
The Doctor, expression full of anxious relief, rushed from the doors and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the TARDIS.
When the doors close behind them the Doctor smiles. It only widens at the boy's confusion.
"I am so very proud of you." He learns that the crash was meant to be and it didn't matter that he failed, only that he tried. That he was willing to give his life.
He will, one day, after he has left, and grown, and he will be remembered by thousands.
I would have brought him home when he asked.
Eventually, as they wandered through E-Space, they found the world the Alzarians had colonised. They were welcomed by the residents, and in due time their societies merged.
Adric was offered schooling and employment, and his peers crowded around him to learn of his travels in another universe. Keara, a grown woman now, greeted him with an embrace.
He hugged Nyssa and Tegan in turn, blushing and awkward, and hesitated before holding his hand out to the Doctor.
He knew that Adric would have a long, joyful, prosperous life, and so he could smile as he shook his hand.
He turned, and waved, and walked into the future.
The Doctor stared at his palm, and the gold star glinted up at him, a token of gratitude and appreciation he would keep with him always.
I would have run the proper tests after it infected her mind.
She was resistant at first but he was just as stubborn and it touched her, though she would never say so until they met again.
"I…well, I could be dying right now, couldn't I? So thank you. Thank you for that, and for…" A pause, and he remembered how difficult it was, to keep it from spreading, from recurring, and how joyful they were to realise that finally she was safe. That he could, in the end, protect her from something at least.
"I don't regret leaving, Doctor, but I don't regret coming along, either."
I would have gone back, as I wanted to, as I feared to, before it was too late.
She was surprised to see him arrive; it had been years for her and they showed more in her eyes than anything. He stumbled through an explanation and she smiled that soft, understanding smile and hugged him.
"I've missed you."
"And I you." He smiled but it was weak; she moved so wearily, spoke so faintly, and he insisted that he look her over. He only convinced her to take the briefest leave of absence with several days and Tegan's help, such was her devotion.
It was not a natural affliction, and they all three fought for her, and they won. She left them again, but not before he kissed her cheek and told her the truth.
I would have stepped in front of the spear.
They ran, as fast as they could with the ache of exhaustion in their limbs and failure in their hearts, and he clasped both of their hands and urged them on.
The TARDIS just came into view when he heard it;
He was almost too late, but he managed to push her aside, and it pierced one of his hearts.
Choking, gasping, he told them they needed to keep going, to leave him - but Erimem took one side and Peri the other, and they dragged him back home.
They knelt over him as he died, clutching his hands and begging to know how to save him; he told them there wasn't one, and a new life was christened with their tears.
He stumbled back at her, staring with wide eyes; she squeezed his hand, kissed his cheek, and turned away, and he made his way back to the TARDIS, weeping for the first and last Time, in a place that was nowhere.
Somewhere, in universes he couldn't touch, they would live on, and it had to be enough.
He is tempted, sometimes, until he remembers that, by saving one brilliant child, one selfless arbiter, one stubborn woman, he could condemn billions.
When they lost Erimem, he told himself he travelled back to the Axis only to confer with the new Overseer - not to taste chaos and know again why he shouldn't, can't, won't.
There is a path when he arrives, of logic and direction that exists nowhere else. As he walks he looks at what is not meant to be seen, tucks away ancient mistakes in his mind so that they will not be repeated.
The trail ends at her throne, and she looks at him with so much knowledge, so much sadness, that he, for the first time in ages, feels young.
His hands are clasped tightly behind him; he stood with a posture both dignified and respectful.
"I...wanted to see how you were getting on."
Laughter, delicate and resonant. She looks so very fragile, as she always will, but already there is steel shining dully in her eyes, weathered and stalwart. He never met them for very long.
"I should be cross with you, Doctor, such an infamous meddler." Of course he does then, with protests in his gaze that die on his lips when she raises a hand. Dainty, he notes absently; you would need a keen eye to see the calluses there, to know she dips her fingers into entropy and squeezes the resistance from it.
"You were the one who arranged for me to take this throne. The one who was willing to give his life for Time."
"Any Time Lord - "
"Would sacrifices his life for the sanctity of the Timelines, knows that he is expendable - is that not what you told Jarra To?" A curt nod; he knows what the next words will be.
"And yet you're here because she is not."
"She was my friend." His companion, his student, his comrade, his responsibility, and she knows all of this.
"As were they all." Her voice is softer and she stands, crossing over to him. Ancient sympathy, and it's almost like looking into a mirror.
"You hold the burden of so many regrets." She reaches out, and touches a hand to his temple, the other reaching; he gives her his hand.
"Tell me. Tell me what you could have done."
He stares for a moment, and then he tells her, as his hearts shudder and his eyes burn and realities unfold from their fingertips.
I would have fixed the temporal grace circuits long ago, before their lack enabled the console to be damaged, just long enough to render us helpless.
"Now I'll never know if I was right." He started when he heard that familiar sound rending the stale air, jumping from the seat with wide eyes and white knuckles.
The Doctor, expression full of anxious relief, rushed from the doors and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the TARDIS.
When the doors close behind them the Doctor smiles. It only widens at the boy's confusion.
"I am so very proud of you." He learns that the crash was meant to be and it didn't matter that he failed, only that he tried. That he was willing to give his life.
He will, one day, after he has left, and grown, and he will be remembered by thousands.
I would have brought him home when he asked.
Eventually, as they wandered through E-Space, they found the world the Alzarians had colonised. They were welcomed by the residents, and in due time their societies merged.
Adric was offered schooling and employment, and his peers crowded around him to learn of his travels in another universe. Keara, a grown woman now, greeted him with an embrace.
He hugged Nyssa and Tegan in turn, blushing and awkward, and hesitated before holding his hand out to the Doctor.
He knew that Adric would have a long, joyful, prosperous life, and so he could smile as he shook his hand.
He turned, and waved, and walked into the future.
The Doctor stared at his palm, and the gold star glinted up at him, a token of gratitude and appreciation he would keep with him always.
I would have run the proper tests after it infected her mind.
She was resistant at first but he was just as stubborn and it touched her, though she would never say so until they met again.
"I…well, I could be dying right now, couldn't I? So thank you. Thank you for that, and for…" A pause, and he remembered how difficult it was, to keep it from spreading, from recurring, and how joyful they were to realise that finally she was safe. That he could, in the end, protect her from something at least.
"I don't regret leaving, Doctor, but I don't regret coming along, either."
I would have gone back, as I wanted to, as I feared to, before it was too late.
She was surprised to see him arrive; it had been years for her and they showed more in her eyes than anything. He stumbled through an explanation and she smiled that soft, understanding smile and hugged him.
"I've missed you."
"And I you." He smiled but it was weak; she moved so wearily, spoke so faintly, and he insisted that he look her over. He only convinced her to take the briefest leave of absence with several days and Tegan's help, such was her devotion.
It was not a natural affliction, and they all three fought for her, and they won. She left them again, but not before he kissed her cheek and told her the truth.
I would have stepped in front of the spear.
They ran, as fast as they could with the ache of exhaustion in their limbs and failure in their hearts, and he clasped both of their hands and urged them on.
The TARDIS just came into view when he heard it;
He was almost too late, but he managed to push her aside, and it pierced one of his hearts.
Choking, gasping, he told them they needed to keep going, to leave him - but Erimem took one side and Peri the other, and they dragged him back home.
They knelt over him as he died, clutching his hands and begging to know how to save him; he told them there wasn't one, and a new life was christened with their tears.
He stumbled back at her, staring with wide eyes; she squeezed his hand, kissed his cheek, and turned away, and he made his way back to the TARDIS, weeping for the first and last Time, in a place that was nowhere.
Somewhere, in universes he couldn't touch, they would live on, and it had to be enough.