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Prologue
The Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe were pulled onto Gallifrey by the Time Lords. The Doctor was quickly separated from his friends and taken into a dark room. He stood alone, on trail by his very own people.
‘You have heard the charges against you: that you have repeatedly broken our most important law of non-interference in the affairs of other planets. What have you to say? Do you admit these actions?’ the Time Lord in charge said loudly.
‘I not only admit them, I am proud of them!’ The Doctor shouted back. He was angry with his people and their idle observation while letting horrible atrocities happened all over the universe; terrible things that they could put an end to. ‘While you have been content merely to observe the evil in the galaxy, I have been fighting against it!’
‘It is not we who are on trial here, Doctor,’ one of the council said. ‘It is you.’
‘No, no. Of course, you’re above criticism, aren’t you?’ The Doctor said sarcastically. It fell on deaf ears.
‘Do you admit that these actions were justified?’ the head Time Lord asked.
‘Yes, of course I do!’ The Doctor replied. ‘Give me a thought channel and I’ll show you some of the evils I’ve been fighting against!’
He pointed to the large screen behind him for emphasis. Reluctantly, the council nodded and the screen jumped to life.
A Quark appeared on screen. ‘The Quarks, deadly robot servants to the cruel Dominators. They tried to enslave a peace-loving race,’ he explained. The screen changed to reveal the Yeti on top of the Himalayas. ‘Then there were the Yeti, more robot killers, instruments of an alien intelligence trying to take over the planet Earth!’
‘All this is entirely irrelevant,’ a council member said, sounding rather bored.
‘You asked me to justify my actions, I am doing so,’ The Doctor said, frustrated. Time Lords were not the best listeners. ‘Let me show you the Ice Warriors, cruel Martian invaders. They tried to conquer the Earth too. So did the Cybermen, half creature, half machine.’ The screen kept switching to show whom The Doctor was talking about.
‘But worst of all were the Daleks, a pitiless race of conquerors exterminating all who come up against them. All these evils I have fought, while you have done nothing but observe,’ The Doctor said getting frantic. ‘True, I am guilty of interference, just as you are guilty of failing to use your great power to help those in need.’
‘Is that all you have to say?’ the head Time Lord asked.
‘Well? Isn’t it enough?’
‘Your defense has been heard and will be carefully considered, but you have raised difficult issues. We require time to think about them. You will be recalled when we have made our decision,’ The Council said and The Doctor was ushered out unceremonially.
The Doctor sat in his cell, bored, and waiting for one of the guards to finally let him out.
Instead, they brought Zoe and Jamie into the room.
‘Jamie! Zoe!’ The Doctor exclaimed, getting up and going to the force field keeping him in.
‘Doctor!’ Zoe shouted, rushing forward. She was stopped by the force field she wasn’t aware was there.
‘I’ve brought your friends to say good bye,’ the guard explained.
‘Oh, switch this thing off!’ Jamie said annoyed.
‘We can’t say good bye through a force field,’ Zoe argued.
‘Very well. I shall leave you alone, for a little while,’ the guard said.
‘Oh thank you,’ The Doctor said sincerely.
The force field was shut off and the Time Lord left the room.
‘Jamie! Zoe!’ The Doctor exclaimed properly, throwing his arms out and grabbing both their hands.
‘Doctor!’
‘What are they going to do to you?’ Jamie asked as a way of greeting, ever the concerned gentlemen.
‘Oh nothing much,’ The Doctor said, trying to keep on a cheerful grin. ‘I expect they’ll make me listen to a long boring speech about being a good boy. They like making speeches.’
‘Well I think it’s time you left them again,’ Zoe said.
‘Well that’s easier said than done,’ The Doctor explained.
‘Oh come on, we’ve been in tighter situations than this,’ Jamie said confidently.
‘Well you don’t know the Time Lords, Jamie,’ The Doctor pointed out. ‘I do.’
‘Oh, you’re not just going to give up, are you, Doctor?’ Zoe asked.
‘Of course he’s not!’ Jamie exclaimed. ‘Are you, Doctor, eh?’
‘Well,’ The Doctor contemplated. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this, but Jamie and Zoe had confidence he would, so he would try. For them. ‘Oh, all right, but we may find it a bit difficult getting out of here.’
‘Hey,’ Jamie said, noticing their way wasn’t blocked to the hall. ‘They’ve forgotten to switch that thing back on again.’
‘Forgotten?’ The Doctor asked in disbelief.
‘Well, that’s all we need isn’t it?’ Zoe said happily. ‘Now we can get away.’
‘Yes, yes of course,’ The Doctor said, still not believing their luck.
‘Come on,’ Jamie said and lead the way out.
They made their way to where all the TARDISes were.
‘There is no escape Doctor,’ a Time Lord shouted. The three of them turned around. The entire council was watching them.
Jamie tried to rush away, but was stopped by a force field.
‘It is time to say goodbye to your friends,’ one of the council members said.
‘There must be something we can do,’ Zoe said desperately.
‘No Zoe, not this time,’ The Doctor said, resigned. He turned to Jamie. ‘Well, good bye Jamie.’
‘But Doctor, surely we could-’
‘Good bye Jamie,’ The Doctor insisted. He put his arms out awkwardly, trying for a hug, but decided half-way through to grab Jamie’s hand for a shake.
Jamie grabbed on with both hands. ‘I won’t forget you, you know,’ he said.
‘I won’t forget you,’ The Doctor said. It was the most sincerely thing he had ever said. How could he forget Jamie? His longest friend through all his adventures. ‘Don’t go blundering into too much trouble, will you,’ he said, trying to keep the mood light.
‘Oh, you’re a fine one to talk,’ Jamie replied, smiling.
The Doctor turned to Zoe. ‘Good bye Zoe.’
‘Good bye, Doctor. Will we ever meet again?’ she asked, grabbing The Doctor’s hands.
‘Again? Now Zoe, you and I know that time is relative, isn’t it?’ The Doctor replied.
She smiled at him before she and Jamie were ushered away to the SIDRAT to take them home.
‘They’ll forget me, won’t they?’ The Doctor asked a councilman.
‘Not entirely,’ he answered. ‘They will be returned to a time just before they went away with you. They will remember their first adventure with you, but nothing more. But come along. Your fate has been decided.’
The Doctor was lead back into the trial room to watch as Zoe and Jamie are returned to their lives.
‘They will continue their lives as if nothing had happened,’ the head Time Lord explained.
‘Yes, very efficient,’ The Doctor said, not very impressed. ‘Now then, what about me?’ He rubbed his hands together eagerly.
‘We have accepted your plea that there is evil in the universe that must be fought, and that you still have a part to play in that battle,’ the council explained.
‘What? You mean you’re going to let me go free?’ The Doctor asked in disbelief.
‘Not entirely,’ the head Time Lord said. The Doctor’s face dropped. Of course there was a catch. ‘We have noted your particular interest in the planet Earth. The frequency of your visits must have given you special knowledge of that world and its problems.’
‘Yes, I suppose that’s true,’ The Doctor agreed, unsure of where this line of thought was going. ‘Earth seems more vulnerable than others, yes.’
‘For that reason, you will be sent back to that planet,’ the council explained.
‘Oh good,’ The Doctor said. That didn’t sound so bad. A little holiday on planet Earth would be just what he needed.
‘In exile.’
‘In exile?’
‘You will be sent to Earth in the twentieth century, for as long as we deem proper, and for that period the secret of the TARDIS will be taken away from you,’ the council explained.
The Doctor was outraged. ‘But you … you can’t condemn me to exile on one primitive planet in one century in time!’ he shouted. ‘Besides, I’m known on Earth. It might be very awkward for me,’ he tried, hoping to convince them it was a very bad idea.
‘Your appearance has changed before, it will change again,’ the council explained rather matter-of-factly. ‘This is part of the sentence.’
‘You can’t just change what I look like without consulting me!’ The Doctor shouted, more outraged at this than the exile.
‘You will have an opportunity to choose your appearance,’ the council said as if that justified it.
‘Oh well, that’s not so bad,’ The Doctor said, again the sarcasm was lost on them. ‘But I warn you, I’m very particular.’
‘Here is your first choice,’ the head Time Lord said, not paying any mind to what The Doctor had said.
An old man with a big bushy beard appeared on the screen. ‘Oh, he’s too old!’ The Doctor complained. Another face appeared. ‘Well he’s too fat, isn’t he? No! He’s too thin!’ The Doctor complained as various faces appeared on the screen. ‘That one’s too young! Oh now, that won’t do at all! It’s ridiculous!’
‘You’re wasting time, Doctor,’ the council said. At least they caught that part.
‘It’s not my fault, is it?’ The Doctor exclaimed. ‘Is this the best you can do? I’ve never seen such an incredible bunch!’
‘Since you refuse to take the decision, the decision will be taken for you,’ the head Time Lord said, sounding rather annoyed.
‘No, no, no! I never said that,’ The Doctor argued. ‘But I maintain I have the right to decide what I look like! It could be very important on Earth. People on Earth attach a very great deal of importance to appearance.’
‘Very well, we will give you 24 hours to choose your face,’ the council said.
The Doctor was lead out of the room and back to his TARDIS. ‘It is dormant, Doctor, don’t even try to escape.’
‘Very well,’ The Doctor said. At least they had the courtesy to not look him up in a cell again.
The Doctor opened the door and went into the control room.
As the door closed, The Doctor noticed a Time Lady fiddling with the controls. ‘Don’t touch those. They’re very delicate,’ he rushed forward and pushed her hands away. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘My name is Coordinator Sentris,’ she said, stepping away from the controls.
‘I am The Doctor, nice to meet you,’ he replied.
‘I am head of the Celestial Intervention Agency,’ she told him.
‘I’ve never heard of you,’ The Doctor said as he started putting the controls back into their previous positions.
‘I don’t imagine you would have. We are a covert organization, separate from the Gallifreyan High Council,’ she explained.
‘Excellent,’ The Doctor said. ‘What do you want with my TARDIS? It isn’t going anywhere.’
‘It isn’t your TARDIS I am interested in, Doctor. It’s you,’ she said.
‘Me? What do you want with me?’ The Doctor asked.
‘We have been tracking your movements for some time now and feel you would be a beneficial asset to our organization.’
That got his attention. The Doctor stopped putting the controls back in order and turned to her. ‘What … what, exactly does your organization do?’
‘Our motto is “the story changes, the ending stays the same.” We intervene to ensure the continuity of history stays constant,’ she said. ‘You have been, unknowingly, doing the same thing for years now.’
‘And the Time Lords, I assume they leave you alone?’ The Doctor asked.
‘We are separate to ensure plausible deniability, but yes, they allow us to carry out our missions,’ Sentris said. ‘We have postponed your exile in order for you to work with us.’
‘You want me,’ The Doctor said, pointing to himself, ‘to come work for you?’ He pointed to her.
‘Temporarily, before your exile,’ she said.
‘And what if I refuse?’ The Doctor asked.
‘You’re exiled to Earth, your face changes, you no longer retain any working knowledge of the TARDIS,’ she explained.
‘That’s going to happen anyway.’
‘But is does not have to happen yet,’ she replied. ‘Say yes Doctor, and you’ll be given almost complete autonomy.’
‘But, don’t you see I can’t. The Council has control over my TARDIS,’ The Doctor said.
‘No, we have control. I have programmed it back to you and have added a link between your console and our headquarters so that we can contact you with your missions,’ she explained.
‘You knew I was going to say yes?’ The Doctor asked.
‘We had hoped,’ she explained.
‘Oh, very well,’ The Doctor said.
Sentris walked around the controls to the door leading further into the TARDIS. ‘There is one more thing, Doctor,’ she said.
‘Hm?’ The Doctor said, looking up at her. ‘Well, what is it?’
The door opened and Jamie walked out. ‘Doctor!’ he exclaimed.
‘Jamie! What on Earth are you doing here?’ The Doctor asked, coming up to him and shaking his hand.
‘Well, on our way back to our own Time Zones, this Time Lady here appeared and requested I go with her,’ Jamie answered, pointing to Sentris.
‘I saw you go back home, on the screen!’ The Doctor protested.
‘A façade, Doctor. To keep up appearances to the High Council,’ the Time Lady explained.
The Doctor nodded. ‘And Zoe? Where’s Zoe?’ he asked concerned.
Jamie looked down. ‘Well, Doctor, they said they could only bring one of us,’ he started to explain.
‘One? Why?’ The Doctor shouted at Sentris.
‘This isn’t a holiday, Doctor,’ she said. ‘This is business. We gave you a companion to ease the adjustment, nothing more.’
‘Well, Zoe said that I should come,’ Jamie said. ‘Because we’ve been together for so long.’
‘That was very nice of her,’ The Doctor said.
‘Maybe we could go visit her sometime?’ Jamie asked.
‘You won’t have time,’ Sentris said coldly. ‘I will leave you now, but your orders will come along shortly.’
She left the TARDIS.
‘Time Agents are we now?’ Jamie asked.
‘It seems so Jamie. It seems so,’ The Doctor replied.