Doctor Who: The Eight Doctors

by Terrance Dicks

  'So what did you do?' asked the Sixth

  Doctor.

  'I resigned the Presidency and offered myself for re-election.' Flavia smiled wryly. To be honest with you I saw it as a formality, a way to regularise my position. I hoped - I expected - to serve Gallifrey as its President for many more years.'

  'Why shouldn't you?' asked the Doctor. 'If the High Council and the people were happy with your term in office.'

  'Be that as it may, Doctor, I was defeated. Defeated and deposed. Niroc, a complete nonentity, was elected by an overwhelming majority.'

  'How could that happen?' asked the Doctor.

  'I can tell you how,' roared the Sixth Doctor. 'Fraud, chicanery, jerrymandering and jiggery-pokery.

  Typically unscrupulous Time Lord tactics. Isn't that so, Lady Flavia?'

  'There were those who thought so - myself among them to be honest. But nothing could be proved.'

  'So what happened next?' asked the Doctor.

  Flavia shrugged. 'Niroc became

  President and packed the High Council with his supporters. As an ex-President I retain my place by right, but I am completely isolated.'

  The Doctor brooded for a moment, then asked, 'Lady Flavia, before the rumours began, did anything in particular happen?'

  Flavia frowned. 'I'm not sure what you mean, Doctor.'

  'Was there any particular problem, any crisis in Presidential or High Council affairs that concerned you?'

  Flavia frowned, thinking back. "There was one...'

  'Well?'

  'It concerns a matter of State security, something about which the utmost secrecy must be maintained at all times. I'm not sure it is proper for me to tell even you.'

  'Good grief!' exploded the Sixth Doctor. 'If you're not prepared to trust us...'

  'Lady Flavia, we can't help you, or ourselves, unless you trust us completely,' said the Doctor gently.

  Flavia considered, and then made up her mind. 'Very well. There were rumours - nothing more than rumours

  -that the secrets of the Matrix were no longer safe. That high-grade technological information was being stolen.'

  'Who brought you these rumours - the Agency?'

  Flavia shook her head. 'It was the Capitol Guard - they have a small Intelligence Division of their own. I checked with the Agency and they poured scorn on the whole idea. The security of the Matrix, they assured me, was under their charge and it was impregnable as always.'

  'Did you learn anything further?'

  "The Capitol Guard told me that one of their agents, operating off-planet, attempted to send back a message. Transmission was broken and only one word got through -"Ravolox".'

  The two Doctors exchanged glances.

  'And after that?' asked the Doctor.

  'After that I was deposed and had no access to information of any kind.

  Niroc closed down the Capitol Guard Intelligence division. He set up a Secret Security Committee, from which I was excluded.'

  The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. 'Something for the inquiry to look in to!'

  'What inquiry?' asked Flavia.

  'We haven't set it up yet,' said the Sixth Doctor. 'Lady Flavia, has Niroc got all the High Council in his pocket?'

  'Nearly all. There are about a dozen Independents - just for the look of things - Time Lords considered too old, too weak or too stupid to pose any real threat.'

  'Five, plus you, is all we need!' said the Doctor.

  'Need? What for?'

  'To set up a Committee of Inquiry.'

  The Sixth Doctor helped the astonished Flavia to her feet.

  'Be kind enough to come over to this terminal, Lady Flavia, and tell us exactly who these Independents are...'

  ***

  Sitting with their feet up on the desk, the Doctors beamed at each other.

  With Flavia's help they had reviewed the background of the few remaining Independents on the High Council and selected the best of an undistinguished lot. All necessary arrangements had been made and the Committee of Inquiry was due to begin sitting very shortly. Flavia had gone off to talk to the chosen group, and to rally them for the task ahead.

  Since then the Doctors had polished off several plates of assorted Gallifreyan delicacies.They were both holding silver goblets filled with Rassilon's Red, Gallifrey's finest vintage.

  'I think things are going rather well,' said the Sixth Doctor. 'We make quite a good team.'

  'You certainly picked up all your cues very skillfully in the President's office,'

  said the Doctor. "Threatening to reclaim the Presidency was a masterstroke.'

  'Oh, I'm not nearly as stupid as I look,' said the Sixth Doctor cheerfully. 'We can't all be willowy and sensitive, you know.' His expression became suddenly serious. 'There's one thing worrying me.'

  'Only one?'

  'You said in the TARDIS that as far as the people in the court were concerned, the trial was still going on.'

  'That's right.'

  'Well - am I there?'

  'Oh yes.'

  'How can I be there and here as well?'

  'You split off from that self when I

  took you out of the Valeyard's false

  time line.'

  'Well, which is me?'

  'Both. I'm you as well, remember.'

  'That's easier to take somehow. At

  least you don't look like me. What's going to happen - to my two selves, I mean?'

  'If I can get the two of you back together in the right time and place, your two selves will merge.'

  'And if you can't?'

  'Who knows? Maybe one of you will disappear. Maybe both will. Or maybe you'll have to get used to life as a twin!'

  'Thanks very much! That makes me feel a lot better!'

  'Don't mention it,' said the Doctor blandly.

  Reluctantly the Sixth Doctor grinned.

  He reached for the wine flask and poured more wine for them both.

  'Ah, well! Here's to all three of us!'

  Despite their differences, a liking was gradually growing up between them.

  The Sixth Doctor was coming to realise that this over-elegant, too-thin young man was much tougher than he looked, while the Doctor now recognised that there was more to his earlier self than the overbearing exterior suggested.

  At that point, Plinoc, the Presidential aide whose office they'd taken over, appeared in the doorway and bowed stiffly.

  'The Committee of Inquiry is assembled and ready to begin.'

  The Doctors stood up, drained their wine in a silent toast and followed him from the office.

  The Doctor looked around cautiously as they followed Plinoc along endless marble corridors lined with statues of

  Time Lord dignitaries. He slowed his pace, letting the aide go ahead.

  'They're cutting it rather fine,' he said quietly.

  The Sixth Doctor looked puzzled.

  'Cutting what rather fine?'

  'The assassination attempt.'

  'What!'

  'You don't imagine they actually intend to let us hold this inquiry do you?'

  'Niroc wouldn't have the guts to try anything like that.'

  'Niroc's backers would,' said the Doctor grimly.

  'What backers?'

  'How do you think such a little runt got to be President? Niroc's a front.

  Come to that, most of the Inner Council are fronts. Look at those people we reviewed for the Committee of Inquiry. Did you ever see such an undistinguished lot?'

  'They weren't very impressive,'

  agreed the Sixth Doctor. 'Even for politicians...'

  Plinoc noticed that his charges were falling behind, so he stopped and waited for them to catch up.

  'Nice to be back in the Capitol,' said the Doctor blandly.

  'Too stuffy for me,' said the Sixth Doctor. 'I always feel as if I'm about to belch or knock over a priceless work of art - oops!' He brushed against a bust of President Borusa, steadying the pedestal before it toppled. 'Mind you, we had so
me fun with the Outsiders, didn't we, when we were young.

  I'd like to attend a Shobogan feast again one day.'

  The Doctor shook his head. 'All right for you, young fellow. I'm getting too old for that kind of thing. These days I'd probably start to weaken after the fifth flagon of Best Old Shobogan.'

  'Talking of Shobogans,' said the Sixth Doctor. He pointed along the corridor to where a small group of large, shaggy, skin-clad men were being marched towards them at blaster-point by a couple of Capitol Guards.

  The Doctor tapped the aide's shoulder. 'What's all that about?'

  'Shobogan rebels,' said Plinoc, twisting his lip in disgust. 'Filthy brutes.

  There was a big round-up recently.'

  The Doctor frowned. 'Rebels? I don't remember Shobogans doing anything much more politically conscious than getting drunk and shooting out street lamps.'

  'Things are worse now,' said Plinoc.

  'Much worse. We've had to put quite a lot of them in prison, right here in the Capitol.'

  'Locking up a Shobogan is the worst thing you can do,' said the Doctor indignantly.

  'Shobogans are harmless enough,' agreed the Sixth Doctor. 'You just have to know how to handle them. Get drunk a few times, have a few fights.

  You'll soon have them eating out of your hand.'

  'Or biting it off!' said the Doctor.

  Plinoc shuddered delicately. 'One can scarcely envisage mixing with such creatures socially.'

  'You want to get out of the Capitol a bit more, Plinoc,' said the Sixth Doctor.

  'Attend a few Shobogan feasts. I tell you, they're pussycats when you get to know them.'

  As if to belie his words, there was a sudden explosion of activity ahead and the advancing group dissolved into a whirling tangle of Shobogans and Capitol guards.

  The Doctor watched the struggle for a few minutes land then looked round for Plinoc, the aide. He had mysteriously vanished.

  'Ought we to help?'

  The Sixth Doctor grinned. 'Help whom? I'm with the Shobogans.'An idea struck him. 'We could each take one side. I'll play for the Shobogans, you play for the Guards. That'd be fair!'

  'Look, they're trying to take the Guards' blasters.'

  "Then let 'em!'

  They were standing beside a rather fine statue of Rassilon. Suddenly its head exploded, showering them with dust and marble fragments.

  Shoving the headless remains of the statue out into the corridor, the Doctor ducked back into the statue's empty alcove, pulling his other self with him.

  'You might want to rethink that attitude.'

  'Why should I?'

  A blaster bolt seared the wall above them.

  'They've got the Guards' blasters now,' said the Doctor.

  'So?'

  'So they're shooting at us!'

  The Sixth Doctor glared indignantly down the corridor. By now the disarmed guards were disappearing into the distance. The freed Shobogans were using their blasters to shoot not at the fleeing guards but at the two Doctors.

  The Sixth Doctor refused to believe the evidence of his eyes.

  'The Shobogans would never shoot at me. We're friends.'

  He stepped out of the alcove waving his arms. 'Stop that shooting at once.

  It's the Doctor!'

  A bolt of blaster-fire scorched the tangle of his curly hair.

  'Get down!'yelled the Doctor.

  The Sixth Doctor did no such thing. With a roar of rage, he hurtled down the corridor, blaster-fire crackling all around him. By some miracle, he reached the little group of Shobogans unscathed, crashing into them like a ball hitting skittles in a bowling alley.

  The Sixth Doctor and most of the Shobogans went down in a struggling heap.

  The Doctor took advantage of the cease fire caused by the Sixth Doctor's impact and sprinted down the corridor to join in the fray.

  The biggest of the Shobogans, a massive red-bearded man who seemed to be their leader, was still on his feet. Blaster in hand, he was staring down at the tangle of wildly-struggling bodies at his feet and yelling orders, obviously trying to get a clear shot at the Sixth Doctor.

  The Doctor reached out a long arm and grabbed the big Shobogan at the junction of neck and shoulder, strong fingers digging deep into the heavy muscles. The brawny arm went limp, and the Doctor grabbed the blaster and stuck it into the Shobogan's ear.

  'You, what's your name?'

  'Kagar,' growled the giant.

  'Are you the leader?'

  'I suppose so.'

  'Tell them to stop fighting. Tell them to get up!'

  Kagar bellowed orders in a thick, guttural voice and the pile of bodies disentangled itself, revealing the Sixth Doctor, looking considerably the worse for wear, at the bottom. He seemed to be quite unhurt however, and scrambled quickly to his feet, snatching the second stolen blaster from the Shobogan who held it.

  He made an attempt to straighten his clothing with his free hand, tugging at his cravat, which had ended up under his ear.

  'That was an incredibly rash thing to do,' snapped the Doctor.

  'Charging a bunch of Shobogans?

  Nothing to it!'

  'They had blasters at the time,

  remember!'

  'Yes, but everyone knows Shobogans can't shoot straight. Running straight at them when they're firing at you is much the safest thing to do.'

  Tossing the second blaster to the Doctor, he grabbed the big Shobogan leader by the front of his greasy fur jerkin and started shaking him violently to and fro.

  'How dare you shoot at me? What do you think you were doing? Didn't you hear me say I was the Doctor?

  Haven't I always been a good friend to your people?'

  'He can't very well answer till you stop shaking him,' pointed out the Doctor acidly.

  Reluctantly, the Sixth Doctor released the Shobogan leader, who stood there gasping.

  'You are the Doctor?'

  'Yes I am! And as a matter of fact, so is he!'

  'Our people still speak of you,' said Kagar. 'If we'd known it was you, we'd never have agreed to kill you.'

  'Who asked you to kill us?' snapped the Doctor.

  Kagar shrugged. 'Some Time Lord.'

  'What did he look like?'

  'White face, white robe. All look alike.'

  'When did this happen? Where? '

  'Just now, in prison. He said guards would bring us along here. When we see you, we jump the guards. They just pretend to fight, let us take their blasters, run away. Then we shoot you and escape to the Outlands.

  They'd got us locked up for being rebels. Your deaths in exchange for our freedom. Seemed like a good deal!' He shrugged. 'So that's what happened

  - well, nearly!'

  The Doctor looked at his other self.

  'You've got to admit it's neat. We're given every cooperation, the Inquiry is about to start, and then some

  Shobogan prisoners just happen to escape, steal their guards' blasters and somehow we get shot in the confusion. Nobody's fault, just one of life's little tragedies.'

  'It's got Agency written all over it,' said the Sixth Doctor.

  The Doctor indicated the bemused Shobogans. 'What do we do with this lot?'

  The Sixth Doctor jabbed Kagar in the chest. 'You! dear off!'

  'We go?'

  'Just as quick as you can. Don't try to get out of the Capitol, they'll be checking the gates. And keep well clear of the Capitol Guards.'

  The Shobogan leader grunted. 'Sure. Not going back to prison.'

  'What were you doing in prison anyway?'

  'I told you - they call us rebels. This Council make too many new laws. Too much interference. The Shobogans are a free people.'

  'If the guards find you now, they won't just lock you up, they'll kill you,'

  warned the Doctor. 'You know too much.'

  The Shobogan leader said, 'We'll hide out in Low Town. Our thanks, Doctor. If you ever feel like a drink of Old Shobogan, they serve a good flagon at the Golden
Grockle.'

  He enfolded the Sixth Doctor in a bear-like embrace, giving him a whiskery kiss on both cheeks, before advancing on the Doctor, who stepped back hurriedly.