I entered into The Doctor's innocuous blue box, the object he referred to as his TARDIS. As I stepped through the twin doors, hinged inwards, the impossibility of the craft revealed itself. I found myself in a circular, cavernous room, massively beyond the boundary of the wooden box outside. The walls were part machine, part organic, with enormous coral like pillars arranged equidistantly around the central feature of the chamber. At the centre stood a large glass column, glossy gently with a pulsating turquoise light. At the base of this column stood a bank of controls and assorted switches, buttons and devices. The floor was a tangle of cables and wiring, contained beneath the metal mesh upon which I stood. There was a rhythmic hum eminating from the console, part soft chime, part heartbeat. The craft was a marvellous fusion of life and cybernetics, with a hint of steampunk, like something out of Jules Verne or H. G. Wells. To one side, there stood a perfectly normal earth hatstand. I think that was the most disconcerting image.
"It's internal dimensions are in excess of it's exterior bounds! Is this some kind of dimensional engineering? Is that how you travel in time, engineering wormholes to ferry you about?" I babbled, struck by countless science fiction and scientific questions. I told you I was a nerd.
"The TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space", the Doctor clarified. "Dimensionally Transcendental. One of the most advanced creations in the universe. This kind of thing was child's play to my people. You know, most people just say it's bigger on the inside. I like that part." The Doctor flashed me a brief glare of disappointment, before curling his mouth upwards into his characteristic grin.
"Why, is it the job of your companions to ask you obvious questions so you can show off?"
"Well, if you put it like that, it doesn't sound great. I prefer to think of it as a mutual learning opportunity." replied the Doctor, adopting a amusing, grandiose tone.
"Honestly through, when you're as old as I am, things don't surprise you anymore. When I look at the universe, everything I observe feels old, because it seen so many variations and permutations. At my age, a star is just a ball of gas. But, with a companion, I can view the wonders of the universe through fresh eyes! When awesome wonder is reflected in your face, I can feel it too."
"You don't seem that old."
"Oh, looks can be deceiving. Suppose you could say I've had a few face-lifts in my time. I've over 900."
"What's your secret? Flax seeds? Gluten free?"
"Simple Time Lord biology. We're built to last."
the Doctor delivered that line with his usual peppy intonation, but he turned his gaze away from me as he finished. I caught only a brief glimpse of his eyes, and again I saw an old, lonely, tortured man staring back at me. This was a man running from his demons.
"Anyway, enough nattering like church hens! We're on a mission!" The Doctor announced, suddenly leaping to his feet, all traces of concern wiped from his mind.
"What's a church hen?"
"No idea. I'd like to telepathically connect to you. I need to find out if someone's been scrambling your memories. We need to find out who or how you got a hefty dose of Artron energy."
"Will it hurt?"
"No, completely painless. Physically at least. Emotionally, it might drag up a few repressed memories or bad thoughts."
"Nothing new there then." I joked.
The Doctor placed his hands on my temples, and started into my eyes. "Now, if there's any memories you want to hide from me, just imagine a door and lock it. Oh, you've had some cowboys in here!"
It was a curious sensation, having somebody else in my mind. It wasn't like hearing a voice in my head, it felt more like a headache. I could feel a throwing presence in my skull, but I couldn't interact with it. The connection must have been two-way though, because I could pick up flashes of something I had not experienced. I felt shame and guilt, loss and heartbreak. I saw a blond woman trapped behind an infinite wall, I saw an older, red haired woman who screaming in agony before fading away. I saw an orange planet, surrounded by death, I saw a red button, and I saw nothing, a void.
If the Doctor had noticed that I'd seen into his mind, he didn't show it.
"Right, well, good place to start. 8 years old, there's a partial memory of lights in the sky, and it feels sort of staticy. Strong chance of manipulation. I also got a flash of bearded man in an ostentatious hat. If I had to guess, it was one of the Shadow Sails gang."
"And who, pray tell, are they?"
"Intergalactic pirates. Real nasty people, who also dabble as mercenaries and guns for hire. Some of the more colourful parts of the galaxy swap stories of them kidnapping children of less developed planets for slave labour."
"Charming individuals then. And you think they abducted me?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe it was just a passive scan, maybe they're not involved. Either way, it's the best lead we have, and they could do with being taken down a few pegs."
"In which case, plot a course, Sulu."
"Oy! If I'm anyone, I'm Captain Kirk!"
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