"What is it, Yellow-Eyes, anything interesting?"
"I am not sure, Ace. I cannot seem to figure out why the Devidians, if those figures were in fact they, have to wear suits like that in order to move around."
"It might have something to do with the triolic radiation they give off..." Ace snapped her fingers. "Hey, I've got it! The radiation that pervades this place affects your circuitry, right?"
"To an extent, yes; but I do not see what you are driving at."
Ace smiled again at her brainstorm. "Maybe they've got some machinery in there," she pointed at the imposing structure in front of them, "and it can't be disturbed by radiation, so they have to wear the suits. And rather than take them off when they go outside, they just keep them on all the time."
Data thought about this for a moment. "Why would the Devidians need to protect circuitry from their radiation? I would think they would use materials that would not be affected by the radiation."
Ace thought about it, and then responded, "What if it's out of their hands, Data?"
"You mean that there may be a third party involved?"
"Yeah... you did say that you didn't think that the Devidians could have gotten this phased cloak thing they used on their base without help. Maybe that 'help' helped them to capture us."
"That is definitely a possibility, Ace. Perhaps we had better investigate further."
Harriman's voice echoed behind them. "Why would we do that? If this mysterious third party is helping the Devidians, I don't think they'll be so happy to help us."
"That is true, Captain Harriman. However, it is a possibility that this third party is being held against their will, in order to assist the Devidians in their plans. If that is in fact the case, they may be able to help us, and right now, we need all the help we can get, do you not agree?"
Harriman obviously didn't. "I suggest we vote on it. We're a team now, for better or worse, and I think we should start acting like it."
Spock nodded. "I agree, Captain Harriman. Let's solve this democratically. Who thinks we should go inside to investigate the existence of a third party in this plan, a party that might not be willing or able to help us return to our own times?"
Data and Ace promptly raised their hands, and the human replied, "Any chance to get out of here is one we have to take, regardless of the risks to ourselves."
Spock nodded. "Now, does anyone have an alternative plan?"
Harriman spoke quickly. "We could capture one of the Devidians, force them to get us home. We were taken by only one, remember; one may be all we need."
"And what if the Devidian we capture refuses to help us? What then? Are we going to kill this being in our frustration to return home?"
Harriman colored. "They did this to us, Data! I don't know about whether androids can feel revenge, but I want them to know that we mean business!"
"So you advocate the capture and possible execution of a sentient being in order to, as you put it, 'show them we mean business'?"
Harriman thought for a moment, then tersely nodded his head. "They have kidnapped three members of Starfleet from their respective time-periods, as well as two civilians, and have held them against their will for two days. We don't know what their plans are; for all we know, they could be hunting us right now, for sport!"
Data was unperturbed by the captain's argument. "Your reasoning is flawed by emotion and is without merit. My experiences with the Devidians have shown that they are not at heart a ruthless and dangerous race, just pushed to that point by their need to survive. If you take one of them, the others will respond most harshly. And that could very well get us killed."
"Flawed by emotion? Without merit? Why you logic-bound bucket of bolts-" Harriman, in his frustration, lunged toward Data. In a flash, Ace was there, and put the captain into a arm-twisting defensive hold.
"Stop it!! This is getting us nowhere!" She pushed Harriman away from her, and he pitched backward into the ground. He pulled himself back up and glowered at her, while Kahless spoke.
"I believe Captain Harriman's plan to be a worthy one. Klingons always capture thier enemies to learn useful information. While I think that the murder of an intelligent being is dishonorable, I also think that we are in a state of conflict with these Devidians. They have been ruthless to us, taking us from our homes; we should answer in kind." Kahless tapped his batleth against the ground for emphasis.
Harriman nodded. "Exactly; their kidnapping us counts as an act of war, according to the Federation Peace Accords, or have you forgotten?" He smirked at Data.
"I still do not believe that they are entirely at fault. They may have been pushed to this by a third party..."
"I don't believe it! You're supposed to be a Starfleet officer, and you insist and defending these kidnappers, who, by your own admission, have murdered to survive!"
Data replied softly, "That is exactly why I am a Starfleet officer; I believe in peace and diplomacy as the basic tenets of advanced society. If you have forgotten that, then this experience has changed you far more than you care to admit."
Spock nodded at this. "I agree with Commander Data; we should, in good conscience, ascertain all the information we can on the motivation of the Devidians to commit their acts. I also agree that stealth, not ruthlessness and cruelty, are the primary weapons we shall use."
Harriman colored again, and stood, gesturing furiously. "I can't understand why you can't do to them what they've done to us! Your plan's never going to work anyway; you don't know your way around that base, and you'll more than likely be captured..."
As if to underline his point, a beam of energy blew out a portion of rock right next to him. He ducked and turned to see several Devidians moving toward them. In response, the group backed away, seeking cover. They found it a few meters away, a natural hollow with a large piece of rock at their backs and a ring of large rocks around them. As they moved into the hollow, energy crackling around them, Ace managed to finish Harriman's statement.
"... or we could just stand there like idiots and get ourselves shot before we even get to the base."
Harriman, for his part, said nothing, as he ducked, narrowly missing getting hit by another beam of energy. Ace fired a shot at the enemy group, missing wide. She looked at her blaster and groaned.
"What?" Data was beside her in an instant. "Are you hurt, Ace?"
"No, it's not that... I've only got half-power in the blaster. Another half-dozen shots, ten at the most, and we're through. Unarmed and helpless." Ace looked at the android. "Could you give the blaster another jolt from your circuitry?"
"I am afraid not, Ace. There is a 90.1 percent chance that the blaster would explode from reintroduction of foreign energy compounds."
"One shot deal, huh?" Data nodded. "In more ways than one.", she finished, and ducked again. She could feel the frustration welling up inside her, and then, she screamed.
"Professor, where the hell are you, already?!?!"
Suddenly, a soft noise could be heard. To Ace, it sounded suspiciously like groaning and wheezing...
The Doctor busied himself with pushing buttons and flipping switches on the
console. Finally, after several moments of silence, Lyta spoke.
"What do we do now?"
"I'm recalling the records of the Enterprise-D's encounter with the Devidians from the computer. Don't worry, Jean-Luc", he grinned boyishly, "Will won't even know I've done it."
He tapped commands into the keyboard, as Picard spoke. "Why don't you just ask Commander Riker to transfer the information you need to the TARDIS computer?"
"Because, Jean-Luc, the TARDIS is so unique, the Enterprise computer couldn't possibly correlate enough with it to transfer data. The TARDIS, on the other hand, can communicate effectively with practically any computer in time or space. One of the few good things about Gallifreyan technology, I might add..." After several minutes of typing and looking at the scanner screen, he stepped back. "There's the information I was looking for."
"What's that, Doctor?"
"The exact alpha-wave energy patterns for the portal that operated here. My guess is that this area was the original home base for the Devidians. Once it was destroyed by the Enterprise-D, the Devidians were forced to move."
Picard picked up the thread. "To a new base, somewhere in space and time."
"Or even outside of space-time. The energy patterns we found here earlier are indicators of some kind of mass flight, at any rate. If I'm right, the TARDIS can use her own energy stores to create and amplify these same patterns and open the portal."
The Doctor moved over to the far side of the console. "Now, everyone, listen up; I can't do this, not by myself. I'm going to need help."
"We're with you, Doctor. Anything we can do, we'll do it." Kirk spoke.
"I know, Jim, but it's really nothing you can do. What I meant was that I'm going to have to get help within myself. I don't have the knowledge to complete the calculations that are needed for the TARDIS to project and sustain the energy in the right pattern to open the portal. Another incarnation did, though; my third self. I'm going to have to bring his personality to the surface."
"We don't have time for this, Doctor!" Lyta yelled.
"Lyta, I know time is of the essence. But this is really the only way. And it really is a very touchy operation; I can't afford to let a novice do it."
"How are you going to do this... transfer, Doctor?"
"I am going to connect with the TARDIS through the telepathic circuits, here." He motioned to his right, where a pair of glass ovals were inset into the console. "The earlier incarnations are kept in separate sections of my subconscious; the TARDIS will enter my mind, unlock the section that my third incarnation resides in, and bring him forward."
"What I need you to do, is to listen carefully to anything he says, and do anything he asks. I'll still be there, but in the background; I can't do much more than that. When the operation is completed, he'll return to his section, and I'll return." He saw Melissa's look of unease. "Be nice to him, girl; he'll be a little addled by the transfer, and may confuse you with those he knows from his time as the Doctor of record. Remember, I'm still here," he tapped his temple, "just not available. All right, everyone?"
The group, even Lyta, nodded. "Good. Now, then..." The Doctor spread his hands over the telepathic circuits. "Here goes everything!"
The Doctor closed his eyes, and his face immediately spasmed. Melissa, thinking the worst, moved toward him, but Picard held her arm. "He knows what he's doing, Melissa... I hope."
A few more seconds passed, and the spasms stopped. The Doctor opened his eyes, and everyone could see that he had changed, not so much physically, but mentally. He looked like he had more knowledge, more certainty than he had before. The Doctor smiled, and pinched his thin nose and smoothed back his brown hair.
"Well, well... You've certainly done better for yourself, old chap." The Doctor muttered to himself, then pulled up the sleeves of his Edwardian jacket. As he did so, he looked at his clothes and smiled. "Especially your taste in clothing has improved. Never did like that boorish jumper; all those question marks were really ridiculous."
He looked at the console, as if he could map out every circuit and switch. "Now, then, what is it again that I have to do... Oh, yes. Not that hard to do, mind; but I will need an extra pair of hands. Jo? Jo, come here, girl!"
Melissa coughed. "It's Melissa, sir."
The Doctor looked at Melissa with an unfocused gaze, as if he really wasn't seeing her at all, and then smiled. "Oh, yes, of course. How doddering of me. Come over here, girl." Melissa walked over to the console. The Doctor waved a hand over one of the surfaces, and Melissa took her place.
"What do you want me to do, Doctor?"
"Hit these buttons, here." He pointed to two flashing green buttons on the console. "See, the TARDIS is helping you out. First the one on your left, then the one on your right. Then, flip this switch." He pointed to a switch silhouetted in bright red.
"Now?"
"No, when I tell you, and exactly when I tell you." The Doctor moved over to an adjacent console and began to flip switches and press buttons. In response, the Time Rotor began to move up and down. A pulsing sound could be heard.]
"We're dematerializing!" Lyta spoke.
"No, Liz, we're not.... The Time Rotor is focusing the energy outward from the Eye of Harmony into the forcefield that's part of the HADS system encasing the exterior shell of the TARDIS." Lyta began to protest the form of address, but Picard sharply nodded in a 'not now' gesture.
"HADS?"
"Hostile Action Defense System... a prerequisite for all TARDISes... keeps them from being blown apart by all kinds of nasty weapons."
"And that will do the job?" Kirk questioned.
"Oh, no, Brigadier, I mean, Captain Kirk." The Doctor caught himself and smiled. "The forcefield is what has to be attuned to the proper frequency pattern to open the portal. Much like your own warpfields attune to different frequencies to move in space at fantastic speeds, I would imagine." The Doctor continued to work away, and suddenly, he shouted out to Melissa, "Now, Jo!"
Melissa frantically pushed the marked buttons, and flipped the switch indicated by the Doctor. Suddenly, the TARDIS bucked, and everyone, except the Doctor, was thrown to the floor. As they helped each other up, a dull tolling sound could be heard.
"What's that?", Picard questioned, covering his ears.
"The Cloister Bell... It only sounds in grave emergencies, I'm afraid." The Doctor shouted.
"Like what?"
"Oh, massive destruction, total annihilation, that sort of thing."
"Oh. I see." Picard fell silent, as the Doctor worked frantically at the console.
"We seem to be caught in a space-time refraction, caused by the collision of the forcefield and the portal! It appears that the patterns were not exactly in synch!"
"Oh, isn't that-" Picard heard Lyta say, then he heard nothing more from her. In fact, he heard nothing more from anyone. Time had apparently come to a standstill in the TARDIS.
Picard found that while he couldn't move his legs, arms, or head, he could
still glance around. He glanced to his left, where Kirk was supposed to be...
...and looked straight into the face of his worst nightmare. His own face, grotesquely distorted by nanotechnology into that of a Borg, looked back at him. The laser light above his eye shined right into Picard's face, and he was momentarily blinded. Words came to him, the dull monotone of Locutus, the buzz of the collective omnipresent in the background.
"I am Locutus, of Borg. Resistance is futile. We will add your technological and cultural distinctiveness to your own. From this day forth, you will serve us."
Picard tried to turn away, but couldn't; in his horror, his mind screamed.
Kirk tried to move, but found that he couldn't, except to glance around. He glanced to his right, where Picard was supposed to be...
...and looked in on his worst nightmare. He saw his body trapped underneath a mottled mess of metal and chain, his legs crushed, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He realized that this was it, he was looking at his death. And it looked like he was alone, just as he had foretold, all those years ago in front of a campfire at Yosemite. But then, he heard a voice, slightly accented, call to him.
"Captain Kirk! Jim!"
A face swam into view, that of Jean-Luc Picard. Kirk was surprised; why was he here? Wasn't he in the future?
"Hang on, Captain. You're going to be all right..."
Kirk knew that wasn't the case, but he saw himself press on, gathering enough breath to speak, a hoarse croak.
"Did we do it? Did we make a difference?"
Picard smiled wanly, trying to remain upbeat despite the horror he was witness to.
"Oh, yes. We made a difference. Thank you."
Kirk gathered more breath into his tortured body, and managed to speak one more time.
"Least I could do for the captain of the Enterprise. It was... fun."
As James Tiberius Kirk saw the life slowly go out of his body, his mind screamed.
Melissa found that she couldn't move, but that she could at least glance around. The first thing she could think of was to look to her left, to make sure the Doctor was all right...
...and looked in on her worst nightmare. She saw herself working in the cantina in Los Angeles, waiting for Carlos to come home, waiting for him to hold her in his strong arms and tell her that it was done, the ties had been broken, the Jackal was dead.
Suddenly, she heard a squeal of tires, a scream, and a series of gunshots, which for all the world sounded like the pop of champagne corks.
She paled; looking back, she recalled that she didn't ask anyone what had happened. She had just known, as surely as anything, that her beloved had been shot. She ran out of the cantina, and down the street, to where a small crowd had gathered on the sidewalk. She pushed herself through the group, to see her worst fear come to terrifying life. The strong arms and body lying on the ground, riddled with holes and covered with blood.
She knelt down beside him and cradled his head in her arms. She looked around in shock at the mute faces, and looked back down at Carlos's face, pale and white, striking against his jet-black hair.
"Someone help us!!", she screamed.
Suddenly, there was a sound like a crack of thunder, and time snapped back into motion.
Picard found himself screaming, and stopped, as did Kirk and Melissa, still standing at the console. Lyta muttered, "comforting...", finishing her previous sentence, then was silent. The Doctor was unmoving, as if rooted to the console. Melissa touched the Time Lord's shoulder lightly, and he started abruptly.
"What?!? Oh, yes. Thank you, Melissa." She was relieved to see that he seemed to be back to himself, that the prescence of the third Doctor had vanished.
"Are you all right, Doctor?"
"Yes, I'm fine. You?"
Melissa shivered, remembering. "Not really, but I'll manage."
They looked over to where Kirk had managed to bring Lyta out of her comatose state and move her over to the couch. "Is everyone else all right?" the Doctor called.
Heads nodded assent, and then Kirk spoke. "What happened?"
"As I was saying before, Jim, the patterns were slightly off; when the portal and the TARDIS-generated forcefield collided, it caused a space-time refraction. The TARDIS got caught in it, sort of like a fly in amber. I must say, what a disconcerting experience..." The Doctor trailed off.
"Is the TARDIS all right?" Melissa asked.
The Doctor punched a few buttons on the computer keyboard and smiled as information came to light on the scanner screen. "Oh, yes; she's quite a resilient ship. Now, why don't we find out exactly where we are?"
He tapped some more commands, and more information came up on the screen, followed by a picture. The screen showed a strange orange color pervading the entire space around them.
Melissa looked at the screen and pursed her lips. "Doctor... that doesn't look like the pictures you've shown me of the Time Vortex."
The Doctor looked at the screen, and frowned. "You're right, Melissa. I wonder..." He continued to tap some more commands into the keyboard, and then a slip of paper came out. The Doctor took it and studied it intently.
"Just as I thought... the environmental conditions outside the TARDIS aren't consistent with what I know about the composition of the Time Vortex. I think we're outside of Time itself."
"Outside of Time? But I thought the Time Vortex was outside of Time."
"It's outside of time, little 't'. The passage of seconds and such. But not outside of Time, big 'T'."
"There's a difference?"
"Oh, of course. In its simplest terms, Time with a capital T is a extradimensional being of extraordinary power which controls the forces of what you humans know as time with a small t."
"And you're called Time's Champion because you defend the principles of this nebulous "Time" being?" Lyta was incredulous. "You've got to be kidding."
"Absolutely not. In fact, most of the nebulous concepts humanity has struggled with throughout its existence have equally nebulous beings controlling them. Death, Life, Time, Fate... They're all real; we usually just notice their effects. But Time Lords, owing to the antiquity of their civilization, have a unique perspective, because they've actually seen them."
"Okay, this is really getting beyond me. Can we just skip the Gallifreyan philosophy lesson and cut to the chase, Doctor?"
"All right, look at it this way; we're now outside the sphere of influence of Time. Outside of both time and Time, you might say." The Doctor smiled, as he looked at the screen. Something in the corner caught his eye. "'lo... What's this?" He punched some more commands into the keyboard, and the corner was highlighted by the TARDIS, brought to the middle of the screen, and magnified. Right there, for all to see, was a piece of rock.
"A planetoid?" He looked again at the readout the TARDIS gave him. "With an atmosphere, no less? Outside of Time, that should be impossible." He stood there for a moment, thinking, then he snapped his fingers. "I know what it is!"
"Just great, Doctor. Mind filling us in?" Lyta said mockingly.
"Young lady, and I remind you that compared to me you are young, you are starting to get on my nerves. The threat to jettison you has not abated; kindly hold your tongue." The Doctor growled. "It's Vanishing Point."
"Vanishing Point?"
"In Ancient Gallifreyan text, there's a myth that a piece of the Universe split away from Time's influence eons ago. No one knows why or how; it just slipped through the cracks, I suppose. The texts gave the place a name, Vanishing Point, the Lost World Outside of Time."
"Long name for such a small piece of rock, Doctor." Melissa smiled. "You mean it's been sitting here for untold millenia, just doing nothing? You said there was an atmosphere; could there have been an ancient civilization living there, like Atlantis?"
"Unlike Atlantis, there's been no evidence that Vanishing Point ever existed... until now." He studied the picture closely. "You know what I think?"
"I couldn't suppose you're going to tell us?" Lyta muttered, obviously exasperated. If the Doctor heard her, he didn't respond.
"I think our friends are there." He pointed to the screen. "In fact, I think that there was, and is, an ancient civilization, a time-sensitive people, on Vanishing Point."
Melissa saw where the Doctor was going, and completed his thought. "The Devidians."
"Exactly. This must be their home. where they really operate from. The caverns were just waystations after all." The Doctor moved over to the console, and began to push buttons and flip switches. "Prepare yourselves; we're going in!"
Cris Lawrence, alias Doc8 on Dalnet, is a 20-year-old sophomore Political Science student at Miami University of Ohio. In addition to this story, he is currently working on two other Eighth Doctor stories: "Picture of Guilt", featuring the first adventure of Melissa Chambers and the Doctor; and "The Play's the Thing", which, with some revision, will hopefully become his first published New Adventure sometime in 1998. Cris is also a fan of the DC Comics character The Flash, and you can see the culmination of his obsession on his Scarlet Speedster Web Page