From: pih@doc.ic.ac.uk (Paul Ian Harman)
Newsgroups: alt.drwho.creative,alt.ql.creative
Subject: Doctor, Samuel Beckett (Part Five)
Date: 11 Jan 1995 13:45:12 -0000
Organization: Dept. of Computing, Imperial College, University of London, UK.
Message-ID: <3f0nd8$oh8@oak64.doc.ic.ac.uk>


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			     Doctor, Samuel Beckett
			     ----------------------
				       or

				 A Leap in Time
				 --------------

				 by Paul Harman
				 ==============

		Part Five
		~~~~~~~~~

	The figure stared at his dials, and was confused. He had been following
his adversary for so long, biding his time, knowing that he only had the
energy for one last attack. And yet, before his eyes, the adversary had
disappeared, as if he had been taken out of time altogether.
	"That can mean only one thing..." he said to himself. He began to
make plans.


	"Doctor...?" Tina asked, holding a wet flannel to the Doctor's
forehead. "Are you okay?"
	"I... I'm fine, thank you. Just a little shaken." The Doctor stood,
and shook his head as if to clear it. "You must excuse my behaviour, it may
become a little... erratic from now on. Please don't trouble yourselves,
there isn't anything you can do for me. Now, I need some time on my own in
order to recouperate." Turning away, the Doctor muttered to himself "I wish
I had the TARDIS here, I need the zero room..."
	"Gooshie!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Show me the holographic projection
room control program!"
	"I better check up on Sam..." Al said.


	Sam had entered the TARDIS some time ago, and was getting a little
fed up. The Doctor had told him (through Al) to remain inside this strange
craft, and yet he was keeping Chancellor Flavia waiting by doing so. She
sounded quite important... perhaps he had better see what she wanted. Sam
opened the doors of the TARDIS and walked out. He found Al waiting for him.
	"Al... what's going on?"
	"The Doctor is suffering from some sort of illness, something to do
with being in the wrong body. Things aren't going well back there."
	"Things aren't too good here either, Al! What am I supposed to be
doing?"
	"I'm not sure. Ziggy just can't figure it out. I guess you'll just have
to muddle through until..." Al's image crackled once more, and flickered
on and off.
	"Until _what_, Al?"
	The image remained silent, then vanished.


	"...and so this subroutine controls the size of the projection."
Gooshie said. The Doctor and Gooshie were wading through the Imaging Chamber
source code to attempt to change the view that Sam could see at the other
end. The Doctor desperately needed the TARDIS to return, so that he could
recouperate inside the Zero room.
	"I don't understand any of this" Al said. "Why do you keep on changing
personality? My third... fourth, no seventh wife was like that..."
	"I have no wish to know about your personal life, young man." the
Doctor said. "Time Lords have the ability to regenerate, in other words to be
reborn, twelve times. Rather like the mythical cat which has nine lives.
Memories are preserved throughout the changes. Regenerations are not always
successful, for example the Time Lord that is regenerating must be in a
complete body and not scattered in pieces. I fear the worst: that since I
am not in my own body, and as my mind is growing weaker in this Human body,
I will not be able to regenerate again. Certainly, the longer I stay in Doctor
Beckett's body the less likely I will be able to regenerate ever again. The
next regeneration, if it occurs at all, is likely to be weak and partially
unstable. And if we do not swap back at all, I will most likely die here and
Doctor Beckett, if his mind can handle being in a Time Lord's body, will die
also upon my next Regeneration."


	Chancellor Flavia's working quarters in the Capitol on Gallifrey were,
perhaps, more luxurious than functional, but then Time Lords were always
strong on ceremony and less so on actually getting things done. They preferred
others to do their dirty work for them, such as when they requested the Doctor
to destroy the Daleks for them. The Doctor was a special case.
	The luxury was not lost upon Sam, it is possible for a member of one
culture to appreciate the luxuries of another, though not necessarily to
enjoy them. Sam entered the room, accompanied by the Castellan.
	"Leave us, Castellan." Chancellor Flavia said. The Castellan gave her
a dirty look, but obeyed her wishes. Unseen to both Sam and the Chancellor, a
new pillar appeared in the corner of the room.
	"Do not stand on ceremony, Doctor. You are, after all, the President
Elect and it should be you giving me permission to sit."
	"But the Castellan said that I wasn't President..."
	"A mere formality, Doctor. And pay no attention to the Castellan,
he is merely jealous. He is still wary of you since the assasination of the
President by the Master. Indeed, he has spoken to Cardinal Borusa and intends
to have your invokation of presidency revoked. Nonetheless, the honour lies
with you unless you intend to decline the opportunity."
	"...And I am here now to inform you of my decision."
	"Yes, Doctor. So, how is it to be?"
	"Oh, boy!" said Sam.


	"Hmmm..." thought the figure, looking though his view-screen. "That is
not the Doctor I know. He is not sure of himself. And why is he dressed so
differently? A new regeneration, perhaps? Can I exploit this change of
personality to my advantage?"
	The figure flicked a few switches in front of him, and the pillar
vanished from Chancellor Flavia's office.
	"Perhaps now is the time to rid myself of that meddling Doctor!"
	
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-- 
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Paul `Ozymandias' Harman : pih@doc.ic.ac.uk -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
+-+-+-+-+-+ The amazing changing quote currently stands as follows: +-+-+-+-+-+
 "No answer to a straight question - typical politician."
	- Tom Baker, The Deadly Assasin