Hello! It’s Saturday here at I’m So Glad My Suffering Amuses You and this means that I am
either
a) engaged in various domestic activities involving
housework, yard work and other such dull things or
b) engaged in various distracting activities NOT
involving housework, yard work and other such dull things.
You know, like this blog.
So “B” it is!
Dave-El
here and today we have another Doctor
Who Saturday post…and on Saturday
at that. A lot of times these blog posts are done on the fly as it were but the
as I get deeper into this current project, the more I realize I need a bit more
advance planning. So if I’m going to post a Doctor Who thing on Saturday,
I need to start writing at least on Friday.
The current project is a work of fiction, a script for something I call The Nemesis Who Stole Time and it is a multi-Doctor adventure.
Here is Part One.
Here is Part Two.
I noted last time a few “behind the scenes”
tidbits so before we get on with part 3, allow me to share a few things:
1) I know how this story ends. What I’ve not worked out in detail is how we get there. This is a writing exercise in which what you’re seeing…well, it is not a first draft, per se. I edit and reconfigure stuff but still, what I’m posting is the story in a form that I would describe as raw. The idea behind this exercise is to force myself to take this idea I’ve had kicking around in my head for a while now and put the damn thing in writing. I’ll worry about a script polish later. (Assuming I have not declared this a complete waste of time when I'm done.)
2) It is not a multi-Doctor story where the Doctor interacts with himself. Yet. Yes, so far, we’ve seen this mysterious “reverse regeneration” where the 10th Doctor got to return to the spotlight and we’ll see some of that in part 3 with the 9th Doctor. However, for those who love to see the Doctor interact with himself….and not get along with himself, that IS coming.
3) You may think “Each installment ends with the Doctor regenerating backward to his previous incarnation”. Well, that is the pattern…so far. I want to make this interesting to myself and have the same plot beat occur at the end of the every installment would get a bit dull. This pattern will be shaken up as we move forward.
4) This is not intended as any kind of comment on the actual plans for Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary special. I trust Steven Moffat and I’m looking forward to the special this fall. (Even though my mind is bent into a pretzel over this John Hurt Is (and Is Not) The Doctor thing.) This is just a writing exercise to play around with some of the toys of Doctor Who’s 50 year history. I’m just having some fun here. (I will say though, I understand Steven’s misgivings about this sort of thing. All the moving parts of The Nemesis Who Stole Time are not easy to juggle.)
And just one more reminder:
This takes place before The Name of the Doctor.
OK, enough of that for now. More background info in our next installment. Let’s get on with the story after this bit of legal business...
And this recap....
Previously in The Nemesis Who Stole
Time:
A red laser blast cuts
through the air and slams the 11th Doctor right in the chest.
The 11th Doctor
looks down at his hand and it starts to glow. He looks at his other hand and it
too is glowing.
11th Doctor:
Clara, I believe in you, I-
Then his whole body bursts
into light.
The regeneration glow is
gone and there stands…the 10th Doctor
Clara: Doctor, what’s
happened to the TARDIS?
10th Doctor:
It’s…changed back? But how? That doesn’t…
10th Doctor: Someone has
changed time and it’s cost the lives of two people I held very dear
Mickey Smith (angry):
You’ve got some nerve coming back here. After what you did to Rose.
10th Doctor withdraws his
sonic screw driver and exposes a Slitheen
Martha: Not sure why it was
so important to break cover…for this…
Martha pulls out a piece of
broken crystal.
The White Guardian: The
Key to Time, Doctor. Once more it is needed.
Clara: This…is going to
save the universe?
White Guardian: Doctor,
I’m sure you have heard of…The Great Negation.
11th Doctor: It’s a
story.
White Guardian: It is a
story that, as we speak, is being…told.
The 10th Doctor
is shot by a Slitheen
The 10th Doctor
begins regenerating.
Clara (pulling at Martha):
Martha! We need to get back!
Martha: But the Doctor…
The 9th Doctor raises his
head and proclaims: I KILLED ROSE TYLER!
The Nemesis Who Stole Time
Part 3
Scene: In space. A planet.
The White Guardian (VO): The planet of the
Zocci.
The scene shifts to the surface: The inhabitants
of this world, small with bright red skin and spikes, go about their lives. The
scene appears to be a kind of market center as the Zocci buy, sell, trade and
barter. Then, 1 by 1, they look up with expressions of confusion, then horror.
Shadows fall.
The White Guardian (VO): The people there going about their lives with no inkling that the end is coming. There is no warning. Just the darkening of the sky and the shadow that falls over all.
Scene back to the planet view as the world is eclipsed by shadow and then the surrounding stars are black out as well.
The White Guardian (VO): The home world of the
Zocci, the first planet to fall. Then the first of the stars. And so the Great
Negation begins.
Suddenly there is a flare of white as the scene
shifts to the limbo realm of the White Guardian. The Guardian is manipulating
an image with her hands of the scene we just witnessed. Standing with her is
Clara Oswald.
The White Guardian: And it may not end until all
of creation is consumed.
Clara: So what do we do?
The White Guardian: We take a desperate chance,
Clara. Doctor?
The 11th Doctor walks into view.
11th Doctor: The good news is we have
a plan.
Clara: I assume that is followed by “but there’s
bad news”?
Doctor shifts to the 10th (voice
going squeaky): Bad news? Noo! It’s all good news! OK, mostly good…you know
what, no it’s mostly bad news.
Clara: But we have a plan.
Doctor shifts to the 9th: Which I
don’t like. I have to trust in something I don’t believe in.
White Guardian: It’s our only chance, Doctor.
9th Doctor: And that’s the other
thing: this chance is worse than slim.
Suddenly changes back to 11:
11th Doctor: On the whole, I
say this chance of this working is…well, let’s say we’re talking about serious
negative numbers.
Again, Clara is looking at this constant
shifting of the Doctor’s appearance with confusion. Again, the White Guardian
gestures towards Clara to keep her silence.
Clara: So…so what do we do…Doctor? Nothing?
10th Doctor (bouncing a cube in his
hand): Nah, we’re going with the impossible plan I don’t like.
White Guardian: Good luck, Doctor!
9th Doctor (walking towards the
TARDIS): Guardian, I don’t think there’s enough luck in all of time and
space to do what we need to do. Come along, Rose.
9th Doctor stops.
Clara: Er. Doctor?
10th Doctor stands there a moment. Then
he whispers: Rose.
Clara: Doctor, it’s me, Cla-
11th Doctor: Clara! Right. Sorry.
Clara. Let’s go.
And the blinding white realm of the White
Guardian fades to fog: dark, grey, gloomy fog.
Along the docks of Calisto B, a figure wrapped in
shadows and a cloak moves furtively through the fog. Then another similarly
obscured person approaches.
Man’s voice: Should’ve known I’d find you here
too.
Woman’s voice: Of course! Where else would I be,
sweetie?
Woman’s throws back the hood of her cloak. It’s
River Song.
Man’s voice: Where ever there’s trouble, there’s
River Song.
Man pulls back the hood of his cloak. It’s Jack
Harkness.
River (smiling): Oh, like the great Jack
Harkness doesn’t have the same reputation.
Jack(smiling): Who, me? A reputation for
trouble? I’m a lover, not a fighter.
River (purring): Ooh, I bet you are.
Jack (smirking): I bet you like to find out.
River: I bet you-
Third cloaked figure suddenly appears, female
voice: Oh, for crying out loud, you two. Not now!
The hood is pulled back. It’s Martha Jones.
Martha: The Doctor needs our help.
River (serious): Most assuredly. The Doctor
called for help…
Jack: And here we are!
Martha: Well, did you find….?
Jack: Yep, I did! (holds out a piece of broken
crystal)
River: Same here. (does the same)
Martha: Ditto. OK, back to the TARDIS!
As the three walk away into the fog.
Jack: So I hear you’re quite the screamer.
River: Wouldn’t you like to know?
Martha: River! Aren't you married?
River: Am I? Spoilers, sweetie. Spoilers.
Scene switch to the TARDIS interior. The 9th
Doctor is sitting on one of the seats near the console; he’s rubbing his
temples as his expression reveals tension and worry. Clara Oswald is sitting
near him.
9th Doctor: This is not right, Clara.
Once again, a key moment in my time has been….I don’t know…
Clara: Changed or altered?
9th Doctor: More like…stolen? The
moment….
Flashback: the 9th Doctor confronting
the Daleks.
9th Doctor (VO): I was alone facing
an army of the Daleks. The fate of all humanity rested in the balance.
Suddenly, my TARDIS appears and…and…
Back to the present:
9th Doctor to Clara: It was Rose
Tyler. Oh, Rose
Flashback: various scenes of Rose Tyler with the 9th Doctor
9th Doctor (VO): A simple shop girl
from London. Yet so much, much more. She joined me in my travels at
a time…at a time….
Back to the present:
9th Doctor (head in his hands): Oh,
Clara. I had lost so much. So much. Rose saved me.
Flashback: Rose glowing with energy as she steps
from the TARDIS.
9th Doctor (VO): Rose was always
saving me. She absorbed the energies of the Time Vortex. With a wave of her
hand,, she defeated the Daleks. But the power…the power was going to destroy
her unless I….
Back to the present:
9th Doctor: Clara, I think I know…..the
moment, the moment I had to save Rose, to take the power out of her, to save
her life….
Flashback: Rose Tyler flares brightly and
vanishes.
9th Doctor (VO): that moment was
stolen.
Back to the present:
9th Doctor stands up with a renewed
determination.
9th Doctor: Key moments in time, Clara, are being stolen. Sacrifices I made have been taken and people are paying the price. And the paradoxes being created....there's no telling what the damage is to time itself.
Clara: But who’s doing this, Doctor? And why?
9th Doctor: I don’t know.
Clara: But it has something to do with the Great
Negation, right? What the White Guardian warned us about.
9th Doctor (looking serious): Clara, we have no evidence to support that theory. (then smiles) But yeah, it’s linked, it’s gotta be. And you know why?
Clara: Because you….
9th Doctor and Clara: Don’t believe
in coincidence!
At that moment, Jack, River and Martha enter the
TARDIS.
9th Doctor: Oh look. It’s Huey, Dewey
& Louie.
Jack: Hey, Doc, you may have grown back
the old face but you’re still got some of that cheeky going on.
River (smiling sly): I like this look! Those
ears give a girl something to hold on to! Grrrr!
9th Doctor: Down, River! Martha?
Martha: We found 3 more fragments of the Key to
Time.
9th Doctor: Good! Did you three have
a trouble?
River: Just a couple of guards. I charmed my way
past them.
Jack: Same here.
Martha (looking at her futuristic gun, looking
glum): I just shot mine.
The Doctor looks at Martha disapprovingly.
Martha: Hey, just stunned them, OK? What, I
should seduce the bad guys like these two?
River: You should try it some time.
Jack: I could give you pointers.
9th Doctor: Jack!
Jack: Why do you always have a problem with me
being friendly?
River: I don’t have a problem with it.
9th Doctor: River!
Clara: Hello! Can we have the fragments now?
The Doctor and Clara gather the fragments from
Martha, River and Jack. The Doctor places the fragments with the other
others in a cube shaped container imbedded in the TARDIS console. The
fragments glow weakly.
Martha: So what happens now?
9th Doctor: The plan is that as the
fragments are gathered, they begin to re-assert their power. Plugged in the
TARDIS console, the coordinates immediately adapt to bring us to the
nearest location of the next piece.
River: Doctor, that cube..
9th Doctor: Is a "hypercube”,
yes. Or an adaption of one.
Jack: A hypercube?
Clara: A Time Lord device. Designed to contain a
record of a Time Lord’s thoughts and seek out other Time Lords for help.
The Doctor looks at Clara.
9th Doctor: I was going to say that.
Clara: Excuse me for paying attention.
River: So you’ve adapted it to contain and focus
the essence of the broken piece of the Key to Time to seek out other pieces.
The Doctor looks a bit put out. He was going to say
that too.
9th Doctor: Well. Yes. Fine.
Jack: Lucky break to find 3 of them on one
planet.
Clara: We’ll need every lucky break we can get.
9th Doctor: You can say that again.
Clara: We’ll need every lucky break we can get.
The Doctor looks at her disapprovingly while
Clara has an embarrassed smile.
Clara: Uh, sorry?
Martha: Doctor, the TARDIS…
The TARDIS time rotor begins to move.
River: Looks like the TARDIS has found another
match.
9th Doctor: Fantastic!
Martha nods to Clara and the two go to a corner
of the TARDIS console room.
Clara: Yeah?
Martha: Just wanted to see if you’re OK?
Clara: Oh?
Martha: Before I began the whole “Alien Hunter”
stuff with my husband, I was a doctor.
Clara: The Doctor and the Doctor, huh?
Martha: Sort of. So what’s your deal? What
brought Clara Oswald aboard the TARDIS?
Clara: You know, that’s a good question. He just
plopped out of the sky and into my life. Next thing I know, I’m a..
Martha: A junior astronaut on the Time Lord
express?
Clara: Yeah!
Martha: You and me both, girl.
Clara: So, Doctor Martha, what’s your take on
him?
Martha: The Doctor? I have no idea. I can only
imagine he must be going…
Clara: Through hell?
Martha: Yeah. Through hell.
The time rotor stops.
9th Doctor: Well, we have
arrived.
Jack: Arrived where?
9th Doctor: Why, wherever we’re going
to. C’mon.
Clara: Doctor, perhaps you should…let us go out
there?
9th Doctor: What? And stay here?
Again?
Martha: Doctor, the last regeneration event was
triggered by a scratch on your arm.
9th Doctor: That’s assuming that is
what it is.
Clara: But it isn’t, is it?
River: Regeneration doesn’t work backward.
9th Doctor: Exactly. Something’s
stealing moments of time which caused me to regenerate. I’m not going to get to
the bottom of that while I’m huddled up in here.
The Doctor strides purposefully towards the
doors and opens them.
Martha (grasping Clara’ arm): Wait! Clara! What
the Doctor said, about stealing time…
Clara: What?
Martha (running towards the doors): Doctor!
River (from outside the TARDIS): Oh no, Doc---
Through the open doors of the TARDIS, we see
from the outside a flare of blinding golden light.
Jack, Martha and Clara push outside the
TARDIS doors to stand behind a horrified River Song.
Martha: No, not them!
Jack: It’s happened again!
Clara: He’s changed but what are all those….
We’re seeing the Doctor from behind, details of
his form are out of focus as regeneration energy falls away from his body.
Martha (fear in her voice): Angels!
Surrounding the Doctor are Weeping Angels.
River: Weeping Angels!
The Doctor turns around to face his companions. The regeneration glow has faded and we see that his clothes and appearance have changed again.
The 8th Doctor: Yes, I know.
-----to be continued-----
Next time:
In part 4 of The Nemesis Who Stole Time
- The Wrath of the Weeping Angels
- The Great Negation Strikes Again
- Oh, and while we're in the neighborhood...The Time War
In part 4 of The Nemesis Who Stole Time 
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