Chapter 4
SCENE #42 – INT – SEWERS, LONDON (2023) (ZONE #6) – DAY, MORNING
Out in the sewer tunnels with the Thirteenth, Fifth and Tenth Doctors, Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna…
NYSSA
We must be a fair distance away from that Cyber-conversion control area.
BILLY
Happy escape all around.
DONNA
And my shoes are still sopping wet walking in these sewers.
DOCTOR 13
(hushes) Quiet, everyone, quiet.
YAZ
What is it, Doctor? What’s wrong?
DOCTOR 10
Ssh! Listen, listen.
They keep quiet, as stomping footsteps echo nearby.
DAN
I thought we had dealt with the Cybermen. It can’t have been nine minutes already.
DOCTOR 5
These ones must have come from upstairs in Marble Arch. Remember, we dealt with Cybermen approaching us in Marble Arch as we came down into the sewers.
DOCTOR 13
Oh, you had Cybermen to deal with too? Sorry to hear that.
DOCTOR 5
We meant to put them out for six minutes. Clearly, the six minutes have passed.
NYSSA
So, what do we do now, Doctors?
BILLY
Yeah. They’ll be coming around the corner at any minute.
DOCTOR 10
(realises) Wait. There’s an alcove nearby. We can all get in there and hide.
DONNA
Will there be enough room for eight of us?
DOCTOR 10
We’ve got to take a chance, Donna. At least we’ve got to try.
DOCTOR 5
Come on, Nyssa; Billy. You go in first.
DOCTOR 13
Yaz; Dan, you go in next.
DOCTOR 10
And you, Donna. You go in after them.
DONNA
Why does it have to be me that ends up going last?
Nyssa and Billy get into the alcove, followed by Yaz, Dan and Donna.
DAN
(realises) Doctor, I see shadows in the corridor.
YAZ
(anxiously) Yeah. The Cybermen are about to turn the corner.
DOCTOR 13
Right then, Doctors. In the alcove we go.
The Thirteenth, Fifth and Tenth Doctors get into the alcove to join Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna.
SCENE #43 – INT – SEWERS, LONDON (2023) (ZONE #6) – DAY, MORNING
DOCTOR 13
Now listen, everyone. Whatever you do, keep quiet.
DONNA
But what happens if…
DOCTOR 10
(whispers; insistently) Quiet, Donna, keep quiet! We don’t want the Cybermen to hear us!
DOCTOR 5
(whispers) We’ll wait until they’ve passed us by before we can speak again.
The Doctors and their friends keep quiet. Eventually, the Cybermen march past their hiding place, stomping as they go. The Cybermen’s stomping lasts for about ten seconds. Eventually, the Cybermen’s stomping begins to die down.
BILLY
(whispers) Have they gone?
NYSSA
(hushes; whispers) Ssh! Quiet, Billy. We’re not out of the woods yet.
They keep quiet for a little while longer, as the Cybermen’s stomping continues to die down. Silence ensues among the three Doctors and their friends. Soon, the Cybermen’s stomping is barely audible.
YAZ
(gradually; whispers) I think it’s safe to say that they’ve gone.
DAN
(whispers) Let’s hope so.
DOCTOR 10
(muses) They must be on their way to the Cyber-conversion control place where you Doctor and you Nyssa and Billy were.
DONNA
Then they could come back this way. Try to hunt us down again.
DOCTOR 5
We’d better wait a few minutes more then to make sure they don’t.
DOCTOR 13
Agreed. We can’t afford to take chances. Especially concerning whoever’s playing this game we seem to be in.
YAZ
Are you clearer as to where and when we are, Doctor?
DOCTOR 13
Still working it out, Yaz. Don’t have anything conclusive yet. (Pause; happily) It’s good to see you again, Donna. It’s been a long time since I last saw you.
DONNA
Is this really your Doctor, Yaz; Dan? A blonde woman in a grey coat.
YAZ
Of course. That’s how we’ve always known her.
DOCTOR 13
We really need to talk about regeneration and renewal another time.
DAN
And this young couple are Nyssa and Billy.
NYSSA
(happily) Yes. Hello everyone.
BILLY
(cheerily) Yeah, hello. Nice to meet you all.
DONNA
(to Doctor 10) Doctor, you never told me you could change genders.
DOCTOR 10
Didn’t I? Well, I didn’t consider it important at the time. Besides, we’ve been too busy fighting Sontarans, a Vepsiform and the Vashta Nerada to talk about regeneration.
BILLY
(realises) Nyssa, we’ve met this Doctor before, haven’t we?
NYSSA
Yes we have, Billy. At the Grand Hotel in Swansea on Earth in the nineteen-thirties. We were holidaying at the time.
DOCTOR 10
(intrigued) Really? That’s something that hasn’t happened to me yet. (eagerly) Looking forward to seeing you, Nyssa and Billy, in Swansea in the nineteen-thirties when that happens. It still is good to see you two again though. Long time, no see.
NYSSA
Err… It’s nice to see you too, Doctor.
BILLY
Yeah. Likewise.
DOCTOR 5
I’m pleased to see you too, Nyssa and Billy. I’m glad you’re both alright after all the time I’ve been searching for you.
NYSSA
We knew we’d meet up again. Didn’t we, Billy?
BILLY
Oh yes. Didn’t doubt it. You’re our ticket to our honeymoon destination after all.
NYSSA
Billy, don’t tease him.
DOCTOR 5
Yes, sorry I wandered off like that. I should have waited for you two when we exited the TARDIS in Madame Tussauds.
BILLY
It’s alright, Doctor. Don’t fret about it. (teases) Just don’t let it happen again, okay?
NYSSA
(tells off) Billy!
DOCTOR 5
No, no, Billy’s right, Nyssa. Once we’re out of this situation, I’ll get you two to your honeymoon destination as soon as possible.
DONNA
Yeah, well, whilst you’re putting Billy in his place, Nyssa, I’ll keep reminding my Doctor not to go wandering off again like he did when we arrived in Central Park in New York.
DOCTOR 10
I thought you were right behind me, Donna.
DONNA
Yeah well, I wasn’t. You should have checked.
DOCTOR 5
There’s no need for us to bicker.
DOCTOR 13
Indeed not. We’re all back together. Happy as can be.
DOCTOR 10
No, no, Donna’s right. Sorry for abandoning you like that. I shouldn’t have wandered off. My curiosity got the better of me.
A moment of silence.
DONNA
(gradually) Alright, alright, apology accepted. (Pause) Mind you, you wouldn’t believe the crazy time I’ve had.
DOCTOR 10
(teases) Oh, I’d say it’s part of the daily routine for Donna Noble these days.
DONNA
Oy! You’re going to get a smack in the face if you don’t stop winding me up.
YAZ
So, these two really are you from the past then, Doctor. The fair-haired one and the spiky-haired one.
DOCTOR 13
Indeed they are, Yaz. These blokes used to be me.
DAN
They’re not anything like you, Doctor.
DOCTOR 13
Oh, but they are, Dan. They are in more ways than you think.
YAZ
Does it scare you to see your other selves? At the same time and in the same place?
DOCTOR 13
Not really, Yaz. After a while, you get used to these meetings with yourself. I should know. I’ve had plenty of experience over the centuries.
DOCTOR 5
So have we. Though in varying amounts of course.
DOCTOR 10
And we try not to make a habit of it.
NYSSA
But this is a very exceptional circumstance, isn’t it?
DOCTOR 5
Indeed it is, Nyssa. Who or what brought us here remains a mystery.
DOCTOR 13
I’m pretty sure it’s a ‘who’.
DOCTOR 10
It’s amazing how we keep meeting each other like this.
DOCTOR 5
Indeed it is. We really must stop meeting like this.
DOCTOR 10
(cheerily) Still a lot of fun though, right?
DOCTOR 5
Oh it is.
DOCTOR 13
Yeah. Definitely.
YAZ
(interjects) Meanwhile, back on track…
BILLY
Yeah, do you think we should go out now?
DAN
We haven’t heard any Cybermen coming back yet, have we?
DONNA
They must have gone in a different direction.
DOCTOR 10
Let me look out to see?
The Tenth Doctor looks out from his hiding place. Another moment of silence.
DOCTOR 10
Hmm? No sign of any Cybermen. But we have to be careful once we get out of this alcove.
DOCTOR 13
We’ll have to stay in the sewer tunnels for a bit.
DOCTOR 5
We must also tread carefully and not make too much noise.
DONNA
(groans) Aww, come on, Doctors. Can we just go back on top? I’m sick of trudging through these sewers, especially with these ruined shoes.
DOCTOR 10
We may have disabled and outwitted two lots of Cybermen, but there could be more waiting for us upstairs.
DAN
I don’t think I can take much more of this.
YAZ
Me neither. There’s got to be an end to this.
DOCTOR 13
(reassuringly) Don’t worry, Yaz; Dan. It won’t last like this forever. We’ll find a way out of this. Trust me. Trust all three of me.
Another moment of silence.
BILLY
Well, I’m okay to keep going if you think it’s best, Doctors.
NYSSA
So am I. If you say there’s a way out of this, we’ll hold you to your word.
DOCTOR 5
Thank you, Nyssa; Billy. Much appreciated.
DOCTOR 10
Donna?
DONNA
(sighs) Alright, Doctor. We’ll keep going in the sewers like you said.
DOCTOR 13
Yaz; Dan?
YAZ
(sighs) Yeah, alright, Doctor.
DAN
You’ll get no argument from me.
DOCTOR 5
Splendid. Well, let’s make our way out of this alcove, shall we?
DOCTOR 10
Carefully as you come out. And try not to slip.
DOCTOR 13
Hopefully we’ll be away before any Cybermen return.
With that, the Thirteenth, Fifth and Tenth Doctors make their way out of the alcove, with Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna joining them.
SCENE #44 – INT – SEWERS, LONDON (2023) (ZONE #6) – DAY, MORNING
A while later in the London sewers, the Thirteenth, Fifth and Tenth Doctors, Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna trudge on.
DONNA
So, just to fill in the time we have, what latest adventures in Space and Time have we had lately? Come on. I’d like to hear some gossip.
YAZ
Well, Dan and I, we met Sea Devils in China in the nineteenth century.
DAN
We met Madam Ching too. And I got to dress up as a pirate.
DONNA
(laughs) Wow! That must have been hilarious.
YAZ
(amused) It was. Believe me, it was.
DAN
Oy! It was your idea for me to dress up, Yaz. Besides, I make a good pirate, don’t I?
DONNA
I’m sure you do.
YAZ
What about you two, Nyssa and Billy? You’re married, aren’t you?
NYSSA
Yes. Just recently. We got married at the church in Billy’s home in nineteen sixty-five.
BILLY
Yeah. But it wasn’t easy getting to that point. We had to stop a Dalek Christmas invasion of Earth first.
DAN
Oh blow. That’s rough luck.
NYSSA
It’s alright, Dan. We got married in the end. I have my wedding ring to prove it.
BILLY
Yeah. And I have mine.
Nyssa and Billy show their wedding rings.
DONNA
Well, at least you two got lucky. You actually got married. Just my rotten luck, when my fiancé Lance turned out to be a bad sort. He almost got me sacrificed to a giant alien red spider.
NYSSA
I’m sorry. That’s a shame.
BILLY
Yeah, sorry to hear that, Donna.
DONNA
No worries. I’m glad I met the Doctor when I did. Travelling in the TARDIS has been fun.
YAZ
Yes, it is fun travelling in the TARDIS.
DAN
Aye, indeed it is. Dangerous too.
BILLY
I was going to say the same thing.
NYSSA
Me too. I suppose it’s a mix of the two: fun and danger. (Pause) What about you, Donna? What adventure have you had lately?
DONNA
Oh, me and the Doctor helped to save a girl called Tari on the planet Migra-Minor. She had trouble with some Parntroltans chasing her and a mad wizard called Wuzanda who wanted to use her, involving a crystal called Zorbius.
NYSSA
(astonished) Zorbius?
BILLY
You had an encounter with the Zorbius crystal?
DONNA
Yeah. It was touch and go, but it worked out alright in the end. I wonder what happened to Tari. Hope she’s okay.
YAZ
Lady Tari. That’s what happened to her.
DONNA
(amazed) Really?! She’s a lady now!
YAZ
Yes, she is. We met her at the Rotenhend Hotel recently in the thirty-eighth century. She’s with her husband Harry.
DAN
We, Yaz? I don’t remember being there.
YAZ
No, that was me, the Doctor, Graham and Ryan. You hadn’t joined us then.
DAN
Ah, I see. I get ya now.
YAZ
Lady Tari named one of her babies after you, Donna.
DONNA
(pleased) Did she? Aww, that’s sweet. I would like to see her again.
NYSSA
Yaz? This husband of Lady Tari’s.
BILLY
He wouldn’t happen to be Harry Rotenhend, would he?
YAZ
Yes. He is Harry Rotenhend now you mention it. Why do you ask?
NYSSA
Oh, it’s just that we met a Rotenhend hotel manager once and he was very rude to us.
BILLY
Yeah. I hope this Harry Rotenhend wasn’t rude to you, the Doctor and this Graham and Ryan.
YAZ
No, not at all. In fact, he was very nice.
NYSSA
(relieved) Well, that’s a relief.
A moment of silence, as they keep trudging on.
DONNA
(groans) Aww, this is getting ridiculous. How long do we have to go on in these sewers for, Doctors?
DOCTOR 10
Have patience, Donna. We’ll get out of here eventually.
DOCTOR 5
The tunnels do seem to go on and on, don’t they? Every time we tread and every time we turn the corner.
DOCTOR 13
Indeed. I wonder if we’re under the New York section by now instead of London.
BILLY
Maybe if we look along the sewer walls, we might find a door that could lead out to somewhere else.
NYSSA
Billy might have a point, Doctors. Perhaps there could be a door that will lead us out of this place that’s not a combined version of London and New York.
DOCTOR 5
Yes, it’s possible, Nyssa, but not likely. We must keep our options open on anything we see.
DOCTOR 10
Still, no harm in keeping a lookout.
DOCTOR 13
Indeed. (calls) Everyone, keep a lookout on the sides of these walls. There may be a way out for us.
Another moment of silence, as they keep trudging on.
YAZ
How can you Doctors be meeting each other like this? Both in the same place and at the same time?
DOCTOR 13
It’s pretty straightforward, Yaz, but we don’t have time to explain it in full detail. Basically, we’re relatively out of sync with each other.
DOCTOR 5
This would happen in an emergency of course. However, this appears to be a deliberate and elaborate set-up.
DOCTOR 10
The more we explore, the more we might be able to uncover more answers to questions than we might realise.
DOCTOR 13
And hopefully we’ll come across more of me along the way.
DOCTOR 5
Absolutely.
DOCTOR 10
Molto bene!
DAN
Please, please. One Doctor is enough.
YAZ
(realises; interrupts) Everyone, stop! Listen!
DOCTOR 13
What is it, Yaz? What’s the matter?
YAZ
Just listen! Do you hear that?
Everyone listens to the stomping footsteps approaching nearby.
DOCTOR 5
Cybermen! They’ve caught up with us.
NYSSA
Oh no.
DOCTOR 10
And I really thought we heard the last of those marching feet.
BILLY
There must be a way out of these sewers.
DONNA
Fine idea of yours to keep looking in these sewers, Doctors.
DOCTOR 10
We hoped we could find something whilst in these sewers, Donna.
DONNA
Like what?
DOCTOR 10
I dunno. Like Nyssa said, there could be a place outside that’s not a combined version of London and New York.
DOCTOR 5
If only we had more time to consider our options.
YAZ
Doctor, please tell us you can think of a way out for us. Please tell us you can.
DOCTOR 13
I’m sorry, Yaz. I’m afraid I can’t. This time we’re definitely trapped.
NYSSA
(realises) Wait, wait, everyone.
DAN
What is it, Nyssa? What have you seen?
NYSSA
Am I seeing things or is that an actual door on our left on this sewer wall?
Everyone looks to see what Nyssa has seen.
DOCTOR 10
(thrilled) Well spotted, Nyssa!
DOCTOR 5
Yes, good work. Your Traken eyesight came in handy today.
BILLY
Well done, Nyssa dear.
NYSSA
(pleased) Thank you, Billy; Doctors.
DONNA
Can we actually open the door though?
DAN
Yeah. It’s bound to be locked.
Yaz approaches the door. Once she’s at the door, she turns the handle and manages to swing it open.
YAZ
Wrong, Dan. Open sesame.
DOCTOR 13
(pleased) Good work, Yaz. Now we can get in.
NYSSA
This all seems too convenient.
BILLY
Yeah. Like someone wanted us to go through that door.
DOCTOR 5
You could have a point there, Nyssa; Billy.
DONNA
Well, I’m not backing out of this one. If it’s a way out, I’m all for it.
DOCTOR 10
Agreed. But let’s tread carefully, shall we?
YAZ
Do you think this is a wise thing to do, Doctor?
DOCTOR 13
Not really, Yaz. But our curiosity won’t be satisfied until we find out what exactly is going on in this spatial-temporal environment we’re in.
DOCTOR 5
And it’d be best to go through without those Cybermen catching us.
DOCTOR 10
And they’re definitely coming around the corner.
At that moment, the Cybermen’s stomping footsteps echo closer.
DAN
Well, let’s not keep your curiosity waiting then.
DOCTOR 10
Allons-sy!
DOCTOR 5
Go softly on!
NYSSA
Billy, shut the door behind you as we go.
BILLY
Right.
With that, the Thirteenth, Fifth and Tenth Doctors, Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna enter through the door in the wall. Once they’re in, Billy closes the door behind them, just in time before the Cybermen stomp around the corner.
SCENE #45 – INT – CORRIDOR – N/A
NYSSA
Is the door secure, Billy?
BILLY
Yes. Should be. Hopefully no Cybemen will get in.
The Thirteenth, Fifth and Tenth Doctors, Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna find themselves in a dimly-lit blue corridor. They check their surroundings to see where they are.
DONNA
At least it’s dry and we’re not trudging through sewers anymore. These shoes are still drenched though.
YAZ
It’s like we’re in an office building. The corridor walls are plainly decorated and the floors are carpeted in beige.
NYSSA
All for our convenience?
BILLY
Yeah. Too comfortable if you ask me.
DOCTOR 13
Our perceptions must be adjusting to satisfy our own anxieties. We must be currently existing outside Space and Time.
YAZ
How can you be sure of that, Doctor?
DOCTOR 13
Trust us, Yaz. We Doctors can sense these things acutely.
DOCTOR 5
Agreed. This place doesn’t feel like a spatial-temporal location at all.
DOCTOR 10
Therefore, if it doesn’t feel like a spatial-temporal location, we must be outside Space and Time altogether.
DAN
Unless of course this is fantasy land.
DOCTOR 10
It could be that, yeah. We could have ended up in the Land of Fiction when we fell through that maelstrom in Space and Time.
DOCTOR 5
It’s possible. It would discount any miniscope theories, wouldn’t it?
DOCTOR 13
I’m not convinced we are in the Land of Fiction or a miniscope. As Nyssa said, this seems too convenient for us.
DOCTOR 5
And as Billy said, it’s like we were expected to walk into this place.
DOCTOR 10
It would be better if we could see more clearly in this corridor. (Pause; realises) Hold on. I’ve got my pocket torch in one of my coat pockets.
DOCTOR 5
Likewise. I always keep a pocket torch with me.
DOCTOR 13
Same here. It’ll save us using our sonic screwdrivers in the dark.
The three Doctors take out their pocket torches and switch them on before they continue to explore the corridor.
DOCTOR 5
(pleased) Ah! A lot better, isn’t it?
DOCTOR 10
(thrilled) Absolutely! How long does this corridor go on for though? It must go on for miles.
DOCTOR 13
Let’s keep going. There may be a corner we’ll come across that will lead us to a new section that isn’t a corridor.
DOCTOR 10
(calls) Come on, everybody. Keep up. Don’t dawdle.
Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna keep up, as they follow the three Doctors down the corridor.
DONNA
(gradually) So, how is it that you three are the same person? I mean, you’re not exactly alike in terms of appearance and personality. You, the blonde guy, and you, the blonde girl, aren’t like my Doctor at all.
DOCTOR 13
True, Donna, true. But trust us…
DOCTORS 13+5+10
(in unison) …We are still the same person.
DOCTOR 10
It comes down to what regeneration dilemmas we’ve experienced.
DOCTOR 5
I’ve often said this, but this can be the trouble with regeneration. You never quite know what you’re going to get. I struggled to retain my memory after I regenerated. I ended up having a lot of rests in the TARDIS Zero Room as well as on a world that didn’t exist.
DOCTOR 10
I was in someone’s pyjamas on the planet Earth after I regenerated. I had to rest a lot before I ended up fighting a Sycorax warrior leader on a spaceship that hovered above London on Christmas Day. I fought him with a sword. I got my hand cut off that day before I grew a new one.
DONNA
Ugh! Disgusting!
DOCTOR 10
(reassuringly) No, it’s alright, Donna. The hand was brand-new when it grew. See?
Despite the Tenth Doctor showing his hand to reassure Donna, she still has the shudders.
DOCTOR 13
And I simply crashed to Earth after I regenerated before I helped out to save the world from a crazed Stenza warrior. I only had one opportunity to rest compared to these two before I got going again.
YAZ
I was there when it happened, Doctor.
DOCTOR 13
Yeah. You were, weren’t you, Yaz.
NYSSA
And I helped you out in your regeneration in the TARDIS and on Castrovalva, Doctor.
DOCTOR 5
Yes, you did, Nyssa. Very glad I was when you helped me out.
NYSSA
But as Yaz asked, how come you’re co-existing with each other at the same time? Why hasn’t the Blinovitch Limitation Effect come into effect yet?
DOCTOR 5
It’s likely you’d end up bumping into yourself when doing time travel, Nyssa. You and Billy should know that happened in our encounters with past and future Doctors during the Prime Factor business we had.
DOCTOR 10
Mind you, these are different circumstances. I don’t know why Mr. Blintovitch hasn’t kicked in yet. Saying that however, the effect doesn’t usually work in the same way for Time Lords compared to humans.
DOCTOR 13
As we’ve suggested, someone could be manipulating our existence with each other. We’ll have to explore more of this place to get more information. (muses) I hope our other selves are doing okay in this place.
DOCTOR 5
Indeed. Wherever and whenever they are.
DOCTOR 10
Couldn’t have put it better myself, Doctors.
The Doctors continue onwards with their friends Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna keeping up behind them.
DAN
(quietly) I’m never sure if they’re three people or the same person talking to each other.
YAZ
(quietly) I suppose we should be lucky they’re not identical copies of the same person.
NYSSA
(quietly) I’ve experienced the Doctor’s regeneration only once. Even now, I don’t entirely understand how the process works.
BILLY
(quietly) Is it me or do I get the feeling we’re being watched?
DONNA
(quietly) I know what you mean, darling. It’s unnerving when there’s no-one about.
SCENE #46 – INT – CENTRAL OPS ROOM, U.N.I.T. HQ – N/A
Meanwhile, in a control room, three people watch the Thirteenth, Fifth and Tenth Doctors and their friends on a monitor screen.
OSGOOD
(realises; thrilled) It’s them. Records confirm that it’s them.
BENTON
I didn’t doubt it. They found their way out of zone six after all.
MIKE
We’ll have to inform our commanding officer and his daughter about this development.
OSGOOD
I’ll get onto it. Let’s hope we’ll bring that group into central ops safely and in time.
BENTON
I’ll order a patrol to find and bring them in.
SCENE #47 – INT – CORRIDOR – N/A
A while later, the Thirteenth, Fifth and Tenth Doctors and their friends stop for a rest. Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna slump to the floor.
NYSSA
(relieved) Thank you, Doctors. Thank you for letting us rest. It’s much appreciated.
BILLY
I feel as though we’ve been walking for hours.
DONNA
We probably have. And my shoes are still soaked.
YAZ
Any sign of us getting closer to our destination?
DAN
If there is a destination to get to.
DOCTOR 5
No. No sign yet. It does seem to be an endless corridor, doesn’t it?
DOCTOR 10
Why does it have to be dimly-lit and blue? It seems maintenance workers don’t come here very often.
DOCTOR 13
Let’s sit down and collate our thoughts. We might be able to figure a way out of this labyrinth we’re in if we put our minds to it.
DOCTOR 5
Good idea. Let’s sit down here, shall we?
DOCTOR 10
Yes, well, no harm in trying. We’ll be up-to-date on where we are with everything.
The three Doctors sit down with their friends, as they soon close their eyes and start to link minds with each other.
DOCTOR 13
(focuses) Contact.
DOCTOR 10
(focuses) Contact.
DOCTOR 5
(focuses) Contact.
Information buzzes between the three Doctors, as they collate their information with each other. After a while, the three Doctors come out of their telepathic conference.
YAZ
(eagerly) Well, Doctors? Anything useful?
DOCTOR 5
Not really.
DOCTOR 10
Na, not even a sausage.
DOCTOR 13
Which is very frustrating.
DAN
So, no idea of how we can get out of this labyrinth.
DOCTOR 13
Not yet. Unless one of you has a pickaxe we can use to break down the walls.
DONNA
My pockets aren’t that big enough to carry a pickaxe.
YAZ
So, we’re stumped.
DOCTOR 5
For now, yes. I’m sure something will crop up though.
DOCTOR 10
Yes. If we keep our wits about us, I’m sure we’ll be okay.
A moment of silence.
BILLY
(gradually; sighs) I’m hungry.
DAN
Me too.
NYSSA
I can’t deny being famished myself.
DONNA
I can’t remember the last time I ate something.
YAZ
I don’t suppose there’s a banquet on hand, Doctors?
DOCTOR 10
Well, it just so happens that I acquired cartons of fruit juice and some snack bars in my bigger-on-the-inside coat pockets.
The Tenth Doctor rummages through his coat pockets before he takes out a bundle of fruit juice cartons and snacks bars for everyone to have. Everyone else is surprised by this, including the Thirteenth and Fifth Doctors.
DOCTOR 10
Here we are. A selection of orange, blackcurrant and apple juices as well as a selection of chocolate and multi-grain bars. Take your pick.
DOCTOR 5
Where did you get those?
DOCTOR 10
I collected them from a Central Park food stall before I went searching for Donna.
DONNA
(astonished) You stole them?
DOCTOR 10
Oy! There was no-one to pay. And I was in a hurry.
NYSSA
(intrigued) I’m surprised. Is this how your future ends up, Doctor? By becoming a thief.
DOCTOR 5
I’m sure my future self is justified in stealing…
DOCTOR 10
(interrupts) Excuse me! Stealing?
DOCTOR 5
(corrects himself) …Collecting these items. Besides, you all said you were hungry.
DOCTOR 10
Exactly! So, do you want these or not?
Another moment of silence.
DONNA
(encouragingly) Come on then. Let’s not waste time. We might as well have them.
At that, Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna make their selection of drink cartons and snack bars each.
DAN
Let’s hope these chocolate bars are delicious.
Very soon, Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna are munching away at their snack bars and drinking from their fruit juice cartons. Sounds of approval echo as they eat and drink.
NYSSA
Hmm. This blackcurrant juice I’m having seems to be fine.
BILLY
Yeah. And this chocolate bar I’m having tastes nice. (Pause) I feel as though we’re on a picnic having these snack bars and drink cartons.
NYSSA
Indeed. If only the environment was pleasanter and less compact.
YAZ
I’m surprised we haven’t come across anyone else on our journey in this corridor.
DAN
I half-expected someone or something to come out. Announce their presence or something like that.
At that moment, a squad of soldiers enter, surrounding the three Doctors and their friends.
MAGAMBO
(barks) Don’t fire! Whatever you do, don’t fire! They are to be unharmed, remember? Unharmed!
YAZ
You were saying, Dan?
DAN
I didn’t expect anyone to come out at that moment, did I?
DONNA
(realises) These people. They seem to be U.N.I.T. soldiers.
DOCTOR 10
Yes, I recognise the insignia on their uniforms to confirm it.
At that moment, the soldiers’ captain steps forward to address the Doctors.
MAGAMBO
Hello, Doctors. Captain Erisa Magambo, at your service. If you and your friends would accompany us.
DOCTOR 13
(realises) I’m sorry, have we met before, Captain?
DOCTOR 5
You’re U.N.I.T., aren’t you? What’s U.N.I.T. doing here?
MAGAMBO
Please, sirs; madam. If you and your friends would accompany us now, the Brigadier and his daughter will explain everything.
DOCTOR 5
(astonished) The Brigadier?
DOCTOR 10
(astonished) The Brigadier is here?!
DOCTOR 13
(astonished) And his daughter?!
NYSSA
(quietly; to Billy) Well, at least we’ll be getting out of this corridor, Billy.
BILLY
(quietly; to Nyssa) Yeah. But we haven’t finished our fruit juices and snack bars yet.
SCENE #48 – INT – HALLWAY, U.N.I.T. HQ – N/A
A little while later, the Thirteenth, Fifth and Tenth Doctors and their friends are brought in by Captain Magambo and her soldiers into a hallway. There’s hustle and bustle going on with the soldiers running to and fro.
MAGAMBO
If you wouldn’t mind waiting here please. I’ll fetch the Brigadier and Miss Stewart.
With that, Magambo heads off. Her soldiers are left to look after the Doctors and their friends.
DAN
(gradually) At least they’ve allowed us to finish off our snack bars and drinks enroute.
DONNA
I would have preferred not to eat and drink whilst walking at the same time.
YAZ
How come U.N.I.T. is here?
DOCTOR 13
Maybe this is a U.N.I.T. from the future. Or the past. I’m not sure how this place connects to the combined London and New York zone we were in.
NYSSA
What did the military captain – Magambo, was it? – mean when she said the Brigadier and his daughter would explain everything?
BILLY
Yeah. I mean, who is the Brigadier? And who’s his daughter? Do we know them?
DOCTOR 5
I’m sure we’ll meet the Brigadier and his daughter very soon.
DOCTOR 10
(realises; cheerfully) And what good timing! Our hosts are here!
At that moment, Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and his daughter Kate Stewart are escorted by Captain Magambo into the hallway to meet the Doctors and their friends.
KATE
Well done, Magambo. You found them in good time.
BRIGADIER
Yes, good show, Magambo.
MAGAMBO
It was a pleasure and an honour, sir; ma’am.
Magambo salutes them.
BRIGADIER
(cheerfully) Doctor…Doctors. How nice to see you again.
DOCTOR 10
(thrilled) Brigadier! Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart!
DOCTOR 13
(pleased) And Kate! Kate Stewart, you’re here as well.
KATE
It’s good to see you too, Doctors.
DOCTOR 5
And it’s good to see you.
KATE
We’ve been tracking your movements for some time. It’s lucky you and your friends escaped the London and New York zone – zone six of the interdimensional network – when you did.
DOCTOR 13
I’m sorry, zone six?
DOCTOR 10
Interdimensional network?
BRIGADIER
Now that you’re here, we can get some real action done. All we’ve done so far is set up our temporary U.N.I.T. base of operations in this…whatever dimension we’re in.
DOCTOR 13
Yes, we were meaning to ask about that.
DOCTOR 5
Sorry, Brigadier. You seem to recognise who we all are.
BRIGADIER
Of course. My daughter has given me the load-down on all the various incarnations of the Doctor that U.N.I.T. has met over the years from her time period. You three are unmistakably the Doctor.
KATE
And we know who your companions are. Miss Khan, Mr. Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. Walker, and last and not least Miss Noble.
DONNA
Yeah, we were wondering when you would get to us.
BILLY
You know me and Nyssa? Even though we’ve not met you or U.N.I.T. before.
NYSSA
We did encounter U.N.I.T. at your school, Billy, remember? When we were in the twenty-first century in Cardiff on Earth.
BILLY
(realises) Oh yes, so we did. Sorry, I forgot that.
YAZ
(interjects) Wait a minute. Kate, did your father say you’d given him the load-down from your time period?
KATE
That’s correct. It was a challenge to compile the information at this temporary U.N.I.T. HQ from what we could collect from the Black Archive, but my father was able to grasp the circumstances of our situation as well as who we would be likely to meet outside Space and Time.
DAN
But does that mean…the two of you are from different time zones?
BRIGADIER
Of course. I’m from the nineteen-nineties, my daughter is from the twenty twenties.
DOCTOR 10
But that’s impossible. The two of you shouldn’t meet like this.
BRIGADIER
Academic I’m afraid, Doctor. Here I am meeting my daughter Kate. Quite uncanny, isn’t it?
DOCTOR 5
Kate, the temporal displacement of you and your father meeting like this is impossible. Your father should be older than you. (to Brigadier) No offence, Brigadier.
BRIGADIER
None taken.
KATE
It’s not an ideal situation, but it’s one we’ve learnt to cope with in a short space of time. As well as for many U.N.I.T. personnel at this temporary base of operations.
DOCTOR 10
What exactly is going on here? How come we – that is, me and my other selves – and our friends were in a combined version of London and New York outside of Space and Time?
DOCTOR 13
And how come you happen to have advanced technology like this at your disposal? I assume it’s temporal mechanical engineering you’re utilising.
DOCTOR 5
In which case, if it is, we won’t be very happy.
KATE
All these questions will be answered in due course, Doctors.
BRIGADIER
In the meantime, if you would all accompany us, we’ll escort you to the central hub of U.N.I.T. operations.
The Brigadier and Kate lead the way. The Thirteenth, Fifth and Tenth Doctors, Yaz, Dan, Nyssa, Billy and Donna follow them, with Magambo joining them, as they make for the central hub of U.N.I.T. operations.
© Tim Bradley, 2023
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