'Do you recall the last time you saw your friend?'
'Of course, how could I forget?' As I answered the question the unintended lie became apparent. 'Unless his departure is unstable within the time stream.' As that thought clicked into place a myriad others threatened to follow behind and overwhelm my sanity. Thousands of voices fighting within my mind to make themselves heard.
'Slowly you come to understand. Soon you will be able to recognise memories that have not been touched. But for just now you will have to trust me when I tell you that you last saw him walking towards the back of the cave. Now it is your turn.'
The back of the cave, a little less intimidating than before, still seemed to be clinging to the darkness. It was drawing me in so I followed the old man’s suggestion. Old man? When he had first entered the cave the voice had sounded merely ageless, now I was convinced the voice was ancient and male. Which memory could I trust? Which should I trust?
I supposed I would have to trust this old man, this ageless presence, that these choices would become evident over time. Who knows, perhaps when next we met Time would have decided that we were mentor and pupil.
Just as I thought the darkness would swallow me up whole a small light flickered in the corner of my eye. As I turned to face it I thought I saw a gentleman slightly taller than myself dressed in a velvet coat. It was hard to be sure as he seemed just out of focus. Smirking, he winked at me and vanished just as suddenly as he had appeared.
'Ahem.' I whirled round at the unexpected sound to see a small man in a red waistcoat raising his hat to me. Before I could ask what was going on he collapsed to the ground, struck down by unseen projectiles.
'Well at least he got a slightly more dignified exit than I did.' Exclaimed a booming voice. Searching for the source I found my eyes drawn to a brightly dressed man with a head of blonde curls sprawled on the floor. Overcome by dizziness I held my head in my hands and willed my old eyes to focus. I was almost there when I heard the man on the floor speak again.
'I don’t know what he’s complaining about, poisoning isn’t much fun either.' Only it wasn’t the man on the floor. Well not the same man at any rate. This one had calmer hair and clothes and he was sitting up. Then before either of us could speak again his eyes dulled, his hair fell away and the flesh on his face melted to reveal a visage devoid of any real features.
'A bit vague isn’t he?' asked a voice behind me as I felt a firm hand on my shoulder. 'Not to mention a little melodramatic. Bit of an over reaction for a short fall don’t you think?' Turning round I found myself face to face with a mass of brown hair and large teeth wrapped in an overlong scarf. 'It’s not as if he found himself stuck in the vortex dying of radiation poisoning now is it?' This last question seemed to be aimed at me yet the answer came from the back of the cave.
'I should think not!' exclaimed a gentleman emerging from the darkness, carrying himself as if he belonged to the noblest of classes and wearing clothes from a culture I could not immediately place, but obviously reflected his perceived place in society. 'Although there is time enough yet for that.'
'Run!' cried a voice from no-where as I was whirled round to look into a face not unlike my own, only much younger. 'Run now! And never look back! You have no idea what they’ll do to you if they catch you! Go! GO!' cried the strange little man as he pushed me out of the darkness and back into the lit area of the cave.
'All of time and space to explore and defend and you wait here on this dwindling mudball? What would she say, sir? Just what would she say?'
'Who were those men?' I demanded of the cave as I followed the strangers advice and ran from the darkness 'What did I just see?'
'You will discover that in time, that glimpse will suffice for now. It is now time for you to go back to your life momentarily and await the call.'
'But what of my failed heart? My healers tell me that it is trans-regenerational and will follow me all of my lives. How am I to fight for what you would have me defend with such an impediment?' I held his breath. So much rested on this answer.
'Time shall heal all wounds. Not straight away perhaps and the tendency of either of them to fail shall never leave you entirely. But you will be strong enough to do the work that needs done. Of that I am certain.'
'Can I take nothing of my old life with me? Am I to abandon my life entirely?'
'Something of your old life will travel with you, although from which life is uncertain. And you must know that it cannot travel with you forever.'
'And what of my name? Have my family forgotten it already?' Bitterness had given way to melancholy, yet the question needed asked.
'Not entirely. Not yet. But it has started to fade from their minds. As you will in time.'
'Then who am I to be?' I know who I am. For the first time in centuries.
'You will be who you need to be. You will acquire names on your travels, but the name you will be known as you must choose for yourself. Have you such a name?'
'Yes. If I am to care for the universe and bring healing to wounds caused then I must have a name that reflects my role in the cosmic scheme, hmm?'
'Indeed. And what is that name to be?'
A calm came over me. Finally I felt I was beginning to understand my place in the grand scheme of things. As for my old name? My old name served only to chain me to the past, to keep me planet and time bound while my destiny played out, with or without me. The mistakes of the past were forever tied to my old name, it was time to let it go and embrace the future for the first time in centuries. I would set it aside to be replaced by the title of the role which Time had chosen for me and I had finally accepted.
'I shall be the Doctor.'
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