Jo Grant, Sergeant John Benton, and the Gallifreyan Time Lord known as the Doctor all heard a strange noise, a sound far too familiar to the Doctor. It was a sound that the Doctor missed dearly since his exile to Earth by his people. It was the sound of a TARDIS materialisation. The Doctor was sure that he heard that all too familiar sound, even asking both Benton and Jo if they touched anything, and yet the time rotor did not even move.
Then a familiar object appeared. It was a small stripped recorder that the Doctor used to play in his previous incarnation. However, he was unsure if the recorder actually belonged to him, and so he asked both Benton and Jo if it belonged to him. Both of them said no, and immediately afterward, a hand appeared and grabbed the recorder.
From the hand, a small man with a mop of black hair appeared. The man appeared to be middle-aged and he wore trousers with a battered old frock coat over a shabby white shirt. Suddenly, two people younger than him appeared to both his left and right. To his left, was a young woman who was no taller than the short man, and to his right, was a young man who was taller than both the older man and the young lady. The young man appeared to be a Scotsman. He was brawny and strong-featured. He wore a kilt and a yellow jumper, and he had a hairstyle similar to the short man.
"I was wondering where that had got too," the short man remarked as he blew a few notes into the recorder.
"Hey Doctor," asked the young lady, "the TARDIS seems to be a little different."
"Indeed it has Zoe," the short man replied.
"It dinna appear tae change verra much if ye asked me," the Scotsman remarked.
"You're right Jamie," the short man agreed, even though with a tone of disappointment. "I still don't like it!"
The short man went to the TARDIS console and viewed the exterior environment through the scanner. To his shock, he found a rather strange creature destroying the laboratory that UNIT gave to the Doctor when his exile began for the first time. Sergeant Benton was in awe at the sight of the strange trio, while Jo was left confused.
"Doctor, Jamie, Zoe," Benton cried, "Where did you spring from?"
"Doctor it canna be," cried Jamie.
"Oh it is Jamie," replied the short man in excitement, "it's Corporal Benton!"
"Actually I'm a sergeant now," said Benton.
"How do you do my dear fellow," asked the short man.
"It's nice to see you!"
"We haven't seen you since that awful business with the Cybermen," said Zoe.
"It happened all those years ago."
"How long ago was it for ye," asked Jamie.
"Who are they and how did they get in here," demanded Jo in frustration.
"Well Jo," the Doctor responded, "it's difficult to explain."
"Are they your people?"
"No, they are us, and the little dwarf is me to be precise."
The short man, who was apparently the Doctor, took offense to be called a dwarf and looked indignantly toward the Doctor.
"Oh no, no, no, no," cried the short Doctor, "I'm sorry, my dear, I hate to be contrary but I can see he's a little bit confused, poor old chap, and I do feel you should have the correct explanation." The short Doctor looked toward the Doctor. "You don't mind, do you."
The Doctor was not very fond of his previous incarnation, and so he did mind of course. Although he said 'yes', the short Doctor ignored him completely and he turned his attention to Jo.
"You see, Jo," the short Doctor continued, "I may call you Jo, mayn't I? You see, he is one of me."
"Oh, I see," said Jo "You're both Time Lords!"
"Nae," Jamie interrupted, "they are both the Doctor. The Doctor has the power to change his face, like selkies!"
"It sounds impossible but nothing is impossible with the Doctor," Zoe remarked.
"Ms. Grant," called Benton, "when the Brig and I first met the Doctor, he looked like him." He pointed in the direction of the short Doctor.
"Enough of this," cried the Doctor in frustration, "what the devil are the three of you doing here? You've got no right!"
"Perhaps," said the short Doctor.
"What? About the First Law of Time?"
"Perhaps I could explain?"
"Perhaps you could."
"Well," continued the short Doctor, "our fellow Time Lords out there are just as much under siege as we are."
"What," the Doctor cried.
"An' they wasna able to send anyone to help you," interrupted Jamie once more,"so they chose to send us!"
"And think of it," Zoe continued, "your intellect combined with our Doctor's intellect pretty doubles your effectiveness."
"I say halved," the Doctor retorted.
Outside the TARDIS, Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and several men under his command are fighting off strange creatures in a futile attempt to defend UNIT's British Headquarters. The creatures were covered in a rock-like coating and were able to resist the onslaught of bullets flying into their direction. The two Doctors watched from the TARDIS scanner, full of emotions such as awe and horror. The short Doctor was personally amazed at the spectacle, praising Lethbridge-Stewart for his determination, while Jamie praised him for his bravery.
"Can't we do something to help them," asked Zoe.
"They'll be all right as long as they keep out of its way," the Doctor replied. He turned to his smaller counterpart and said, "Right, now you can see our problem, can't you."
"Yes, most unpleasant," said the short Doctor, "they are very worried you know."
"Yes, and so am I. I think perhaps I ought to put you in the picture."
The two Doctors stood side-by-side to each other and closed their eyes. Both of them said the word 'contact' and remained still for a few moments. This is what the Doctor would later call, a 'strange trick', which would allow Time Lords to establish a telepathic link with each other. Once they had finished, everyone else was left puzzled by the spectacle, except for Jamie who was used to seeing the impossible and the strange.
"I see," the short Doctor spoke, "so it's after you, or should I say us?"
"That's right," the Doctor responded, "and as they can't help us, we'll just have to help ourselves."
The short Doctor, in an attempt to focus, grabbed his recorder and began to hum Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. As he began to play, the Doctor grew infuriated over his previous incarnation's desire to fiddle with an object that he considers to be vexatious. He yelled at his shorter incarnation, who asked if the two would not get along over the recorder.
"I would appreciate it if you would not play with that," barked the Doctor.
"My recorder helps me think," retorted the shorter Doctor.
As the two Doctors clashed, the only thing that Jamie could do was rolling his eyes.
The Time Lords of Gallifrey were unable to assist the Doctor, for they are facing are strong yet strange force attacking them. The President of the Time Lord council and two of his subordinates decided to see the progress that the Doctor and his past incarnation were making, but they were disappointed to only see the two arguing.
"Well, we'll soon settle that," said the President, "show me the earliest Doctor."
"Him too, sir," one of the subordinates asked stunned, "but surely..."
"Show him!"
On the screen, three figures are touring a garden. A tall handsome young man wearing a striped shirt was observing the scenery, while a teenage girl with a mousy face and pigtails was playing with a young rabbit. The girl wore a turtleneck and leggings. Behind the two of them, an old man was busy studying a flower he found. The old man had shoulder length, greyish-white hair that grew around the back of his head, and piercing blue eyes that rested under expressive eyebrows.
The young man is named Steven Taylor, and the young girl was named Vicki Pallister. Their elderly companion was the earliest incarnation of the Doctor. Without their knowledge or permission, the trio was caught within a trance and disappeared from the peaceful holiday for which they were spending. The President of the Council was aware that he was placing his political future on a bet that may or may not work.
"He'll keep them in order," the President stated.
Back in the TARDIS at UNIT Headquarters, the two Doctors continued to agree and bicker with each, in spite of the intervention of Jamie, Zoe, Benton, and Jo. Outside, the Brigadier and his remaining troops were forced to retreat, while Captain Mike Yates has been called from Geneva to return to Britain as soon as humanly possible. The squabble between the two Doctors finally came to an end when a familiar sound was heard once more. The sound of a TARDIS materialising.
At the other side of the console, the entire group watched stunned as three figures appeared out of oblivion. An old man stood firm with his cane, with a young man and teenage girl at his side. It was Steven, Vicki, and the old Doctor. The old Doctor gripped his collar and starred at the group, particularly his two succeeding incarnations.
"I've flown in many ships and spacecraft," said Steven, "and yet it is physically being transported through time and space that makes me feel ill."
"You tell me," spoke Vicki, "I wish we used the TARDIS-our TARDIS."
"Hopefully my dears, this nonsense will be over soon," said the old Doctor as he put both of his hands on both of his young companions to console them. He looked toward his two future incarnations, whom both starred in excitement and admiration at their original face. The old Doctor was not impressed. "Look, my child," he continued, "those are my successors, a dandy and a clown!"
The Doctor and the short Doctor's smiles turned immediately into frowns, feeling insulted over what their original incarnation felt of them. Vicki covered her mouth as she chuckled over the old Doctor, her Doctor, practically insulting himself. Steven took a look around the new TARDIS console room, as well as the others within it. Jo, Benton, Jamie, and Zoe was amused to see with their eyes, the original face of the Doctor. Jamie remembered that Ben and Polly told him about the old Doctor, and he wasn't quite as what he imagined. He pictured a more older-looking man with a long beard. That is what many elderly men would have looked back in the Scotland of his time.
"Let me ask you, young gentlemen," the old Doctor continued, "Have you done anything?"
"Well, we've, er, assessed the situation," stammered the short Doctor.
"Just as I thought," said the old Doctor, "Nothing."
"Well it's not easy, you know," the Doctor retorted in defence of the short Doctor.
"It's not as if we know what that stuff is," continued the short Doctor.
"You'd probably have better luck if you didn't argue like a bunch of toddlers over a stupid flute," Vicki remarked out loud.
"The Doctor loves his wee recorder," said Jamie.
"My dear fellows let's not get distracted," cried the old Doctor, "anyhow, I'll tell you rapscallions what you'll want to know, what you're facing outside is a time bridge!"
"I see," said the Doctor.
"Now, what's a bridge for, eh," the old Doctor queried.
"Crossing," asked Zoe.
"Right," said the old Doctor, "so stop dilly-dallying and cross it!"
"And please get along," begged Steven.
Just then, the old Doctor and his two young friends, Steven and Vicki, disappeared out of sight and seemingly back to whence they came. Most of the occupants of the TARDIS were left mystified by seeing the first face of the Doctor, with the exception of Jo who was left confused over the concept of regeneration. Meanwhile, the Doctor and the short Doctor decided to play heads or tails, to see who will be the one who crosses the time bridge
ns 15.158.61.51da2
