บท 549: Conversation With The Doctor
"You know me?" asked the 11th Doctor.
"At this point, is there anyone who doesn't really know you?" asked Edward.
"Am I this renowned? I did not know this," he replied while fixing his bow tie with a slightly smug look on his face.
"Pay attention; we are in the enemy's territory," said the woman. " I told you this might be a trap, but you didn't listen."
"If we didn't come, how would we know whether it was a trap or someone needing help."
"He has a point," interjected Edward.
"You're the one who lured us here and captured us. Your opinion is not valid."
"You must be the legendary Clara Oswald."
"You know me? And what do you mean by legendary."
"You are more famous or important than you realize," said Edward as he approached them. The Doctor stood before Clara, but Edward did not care as he examined him like a rare specimen.
"What an interesting species."
"Are you one of those madmen who collects rare species?" asked the Doctor, and Edward paused:
"Technically, I am, but that's why I'm here."
"Then, why are you here?"
"You will know in a second," replied Edward, who handed him an object. "Now, please put your finger in here. I need a sample of your blood."
The Doctor looked at him without moving.
"Look, although you are captured, there are no restraints or use of armed forces. Since we can have a civilized conversation, why not do it?"
After a brief hesitation, the doctor put his finger in the device and felt a prick in his finger. Edward smiled as he looked at the data on the screen before him:
"What an interesting species. Time Energy is intrinsically linked to your very DNA, to your very soul."
"Now, can you tell me why you lure me here?"
Edward did not immediately answer but walked to the TARDIS. A device began to scan the blue box, and he looked at it with fascination.
"Are you here for my Tardis?"
"Yes and no," finally replied Edward. "To be precise, my main objective is Clara–the Impossible Girl."
"Me? Why do you need me? I'm just an ordinary person, just ordinary Clara."
"Oh, you are far from ordinary," replied Edward. "Sometimes later in your journey, Events will unfold where Time Winds will scatter you into millions echoes or splinters across the Doctor's timeline."
"Scattered? Does that mean I'm dead?"
"So, that's it." muttered the Doctor. "That's why I keep meeting different versions of her at different periods of time." He remembered Clara Oswin Oswald, the barmaid and governess he met in 19th century London.
He was saddened by her death but soon found another Clara in the 21st Century. However, she had no memories of the past and seemed to be a completely different person. Now, he finally understood why.
"So, why do you need Clara's help?"
"To find Gallifrey."
"Impossible. Gallifrey was destroyed, I made sure of that." He did not hide the pain in his voice, so Clara held him.
"Since I know about your future, do you think I will speak without reason?"
"So, you're saying…?"
"You change the past. All twelve of your regenerations worked together to exile Gallifrey into a pocket dimension that is frozen in time. It was apparently the best way to end the Time War and prevent its effect on the world."
The Doctor looked at him before laughing in madness: "2.47 billion of them–I did not kill them."
"Are you alright?" asked Clara, but the doctor did not stop his maniacal laughter until a few minutes later. Finally, he rearranged his suit and bow tie.
"Thank you for telling me."
"It's fine, you would have found out eventually."
"Yes, but who knows when? Who knows how long I would have had to carry this burden."
"True," nodded Edward.
"So, why do you need to find Gallifrey?"
"For their Time Technology," he admitted frankly while observing the Tardis.
"That's a dangerous thing to want."
Edward did not look at him while answering, "My family, friends, and trillions of people are counting on to get that technology, and I will do everything possible to succeed."
The Doctor's two heart skipped a beat. He noticed that person's conviction as it was similar to his back then when he decided to end the Time War by all means necessary. He also knew such a conviction was indeed a terrifying thing.
"Are you a Mage?" suddenly asked the Doctor, and Edward's body visibly paused, "I knew I wouldn't be able to hide it from you, but I did not expect you to figure it out so soon."
"Mage? Are you talking about magic?" asked Clara.
"Yes."
"So, magic is real?"
"It used to be," replied the Doctor.
"What does that mean?"
"Magic was initially a strong force in the universe in ancient times. However, the Time Lord rose to shape the universe, replacing its principles to that of science to underpin reality."
"You guys can do that?"
"Yes," nodded the Doctor. "Are you and your people survivors of ancient magical civilization?"
"You don't need to know about my background," replied Edward. "All I ask for is that you cooperate and don't get in my way. Once I'm done, I'll leave, and we'll never see each other again."
"Fine, I won't pry any further, but I still have some concerns. What's going to happen to Clara?"
"She'll be fine; she's only acting as a medium or conduit to lead me to my destination. Once her role is done, there won't be any issue."
"I will take your word for it," commented the Doctor. "What about Gallifrey? What's going to happen to it?"
"I only need their database. Once I'm done, you can decide whether to leave them in the same state or allow them to return to the universe."
The Doctor did know how to respond to these words. He knew the corruptions of the Time Lords as a result of their absolute power. It might not be the best idea for such a civilization to return to the universe.
"Okay, so what should we do?"
"We start with the Tardis, and here's your thing back." Edward handed him back the Sonic Screwdriver–an act that surprised him. After a moment, he entered the Tardis, and Edward followed.
He knew he was taking a significant risk by entering the Tardis as he knew some of the scary things the Doctor had in there. However, he considered the latter's peace-loving nature before taking such calculated risks. Of course, he also had preventive measures–after all, they were still in Netheril, his home ground.
'Morgana, how is it?'
'I've installed a spying software in the screwdriver.'
'Will he find it?'
"Yes, but the crux of the issue is how long before he does. According to my calculations, it should take some time, but I don't know if it's enough before our plan succeeds.'
Edward secretly nodded. He knew the importance of the thing to the doctor, so he had to monitor it at all times. Of course, he also understood that his unparalleled intelligence was the latter's greatest reliance.
'That's fine,' he nodded.
'It's a shame we could not directly go to the pocket dimension where Gallifrey is,' complained Morgana. The rule of this universe restricted them too much. Hence, their technology was no longer the best and outshined everybody. As such, they cannot be direct and forceful in many things and must plan carefully.
'Why are you complaining? Didn't we already expect this?'
บท 550: Time Vortex
"So, what is the plan?" asked the Doctor after entering the Tardis. Now that he was in his home court, he felt more relieved.
"First, you have to show us how you travel through time. Our technology cannot adapt to this place, and we cannot use forceful means."
"Alright, anywhere specific?"
"Ancient Greece," said Edward casually. The Doctor immediately began to press buttons and move things around. However, the Tardis immediately began to shake uncontrollably.
"What's going on?" asked the Doctor as he locked a screen before him. "Are we dragging your city?"
"Yes, it's my ship, so it must tag along."
The doctor was speechless before continuing with his work. He pressed more buttons to input to the Tardis their newly added weight. Soon, the group found themselves in a tunnel, and Edward's eyes lit up. A screen materialized before him as data collected from Netheril was sent directly.
"Is this the Time Vortex? How fascinating," said Edward, immediately engrossed in the data. "A dimensional plane where time and space met, intersecting at an angle determined by non-euclidean geometry.
"Its essence should be an infinite amount of time energy. The dimension exists 'outside' of time, hence not bound by its rules and restrictions."
Edward seemed not to pay attention to his surroundings.
"No, it's not just time and space. Light, darkness, matter, and energy constantly change, bind, and divide. This place is like a corridor that runs through all of creation. If you find the right pathway, you can traverse anywhere and any time in the universe."
Edward was genuinely intrigued by this Time Vortex and its intricacies. In his homeworld, time is more like a river that requires subtle manipulation to go upward or downward against powerful currents.
However, in this world, time is like a web full of pathways that are hard to navigate. Additionally, time and space are two interconnected concepts in this world, but they are more divided in the Harry Potter World.
The Time Vortex reminded Edward of the Warp from Warhammer 40k. However, unlike the Warp, which is a dimension made of psychic power, the Time Vortex is made of Time Energy.
'With this method, it should not be a problem to pass the Time Game,' Morgana suddenly said in his mind.
'Maybe.' She was correct since this was a new, innovative method of using Time. However, he did know whether some science and technology civilizations did not invent a method that was very similar. Plus, Edward wanted to survive and deal a blow to his opponent.
Edward heard a cough and saw the doctor and Clara looking at him oddly.
"Sorry about that."
'I understand since there are a few things more interesting than unraveling the truth of the universe. But don't forget our objective."
He wanted to finish this chapter of his life and move on and no longer be influenced by the events of the Time War.
"Give me a few days before we can proceed with the plan," said Edward. "Is there a room I can stay in?"
"Yes.' The doctor led him to a room in the Tardis before returning to the deck.
"Is this person trustworthy?" asked Clara.
"To an extent. So far, he has not shown us any great malice."
By the looks of things, this person seemed to be a scientist at heart but was forced into a terrible situation due to the actions of the Time Lords in ancient times.
"That's true. But I have a feeling he's very dangerous."
"Of course, he's dangerous. Do you think I'm not dangerous?" calmly retorted the doctor as he placed his sonic screwdriver in a holder in the main room. After running a diagnostic, he frowned before rerunning it.
Inside Edward's room:
'Do you think he's believing the persona I built?'
"There should be no problem since there is some truth to the lie,' replied Morgana.
'Anyway, we only need to continue until we get what we want.' He never planned to conflict with the Doctor, which would delay his voyage and complicate things.
The next day, Edward walked to the control room.
"This is the schematic for our plan," said Edward as he showed the doctor a holographic screen with moving parts. The doctor took a look for a few minutes before finally feeling relieved. The device did what Edward said–used Clara as a medium to access his timeline and found Gallifrey.
"There is room for improvement," suggested the Doctor.
"Please," indicated Edward. Then, he watched how the last Time Lord drastically improved in his device. He took this opportunity to learn and improve the Empire's science and technology.
"Great work," praised Edward.
"Oh, this? This is nothing," replied the doctor coyly.
"You can print the device yourself," said Edward. Before we start, we have to take precautionary measures."
"For what? There is no problem with the device."
"In my experience, things like this often go awry. So, we must take preventive measures."
"Like what?"
"You should be fine," added Edward. "But Ms Oswald is human and prone to accidents. Firstly, we must find a way to protect her mind or psyche. She will have access to countless versions of herself scattered across time. If something goes wrong, her mind might be broken, turning her into a schizophrenic patient."
"That's true, but the chances of that happening are very low."
"Do you want to take the risk?"
"Yes, don't take the risk," added Clara.
"I can link her mind to the Tardis' core; it should protect her from any complications."
"Good. Do you have nanobots?"
"Do you want to protect her body from injuries in case of an emergency?"
"That's correct."
"I don't have it on board now, but I can manufacture some," replied the doctor.
"How long will it take?"
"Biotechnology is not my strongest suit, so it should take some time."
"If you trust me, you can use mine," uttered Edward as a syringe appeared in his hand and handed it to the Doctor. The latter used his sonic screwdriver to scan this thing.
"What potent nanites."
"Is that a good thing?"
"With it, you will be almost immortal."
"This is my gift to repay you for all the trouble," added Edward. However, he soon saw the hesitation on her face.
"Don't refuse. In the future, if you meet someone you like and something happens to him, you only need to give him a blood injection, and everything will be fine."
"Wait, what does that mean?"
"You don't have to worry about it. Anyway, the future is always changing–especially with my presence. So, things might not proceed as I saw them."
Clara thanked Edward after staring at him for a few seconds. She then gazed at the doctor, awaiting his decision.
"Clara, immortality is not a simple thing. Living for a long time can be a curse."
"With this, can I travel with you for a long time?"
"Yes, but…"
"That's more than enough for me," smiled Clara. "Plus, can't I just remove them if I want to?"
"Alright."
The doctor no longer hesitated and injected her with the nanites. Afterward, he began building the device for their plan; he could not wait to see Gallifrey after so long.
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