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The Doctor-clone looked back at the mouth of the tunnel from which they had emerged. ‘What was that?’ ‘Gunfire.’ ‘Yes, obviously. I did realise that.’ His words were laced with bitterness. ‘The gunfire came from that way;’ he pointed back the way they had come, ‘so I suggest we go this way.’ He turned and looked out at the big cavern they had entered. There were many tunnel entrances spread around the cavern, while down below lay an underground river. The Doctor-clone noticed something floating by the bank. Some sort of small boat. He headed off. The Figure followed him. ‘Shouldn’t we find out what is happening? Is that not your usual way?’ ‘No, that was the Doctor’s way. I am not him, remember?’ The Figure sighed and shook his head. ‘You are not taking this well.’ ‘And just how should I take it? With grace?’ The clone looked back at the Figure, fury in his eyes. ‘I am a fake! A copy. Not a Time Lord, just a piece of genetic engineering. Why should I care about the affairs of this planet?’ ‘Because it is Voga.’ The fury subsided, replaced by curiosity. The Doctor-clone stopped, and rested his hands on the rock face to steady himself. ‘The planet of gold.’ ‘Yes, and an alliance between the Federation and Voga could be essential when the Cybermen return. And they will.’ The clone narrowed his eyes. ’You can see the future?’ ‘Possible futures. This is still a new universe, even to me. Nothing is certain.’ The Doctor-clone was about to respond but a wave of dizziness overcame him. He staggered backwards and would have fallen to the river below had it not been for the Figure’s quick reactions. The Figure lowered the clone to a sitting position. ’What is happening to my body? It should be fine by now. Do you know that I can’t even regenerate?’ ‘I do. It is my fault.’ The Doctor-clone could not hide his surprise. ‘How?’ The Figure sat down next to the clone and started to explain. He explained about what had happened on Ossobos almost two years previously. How the TARDIS had sacrificed its internal dimensions in a Reality Ram to save half of Ossobos from being destroyed by the Construct’s Reality Bomb. How, even at that moment of extreme crisis the TARDIS knew that it could not leave the Doctor alone in this new universe. ‘The Doctor was unstable back then, his unexpected regeneration at the hands of the Master had shook him up more than even he realised. I knew, but then I have always known the Doctor better than he knew himself. I could not leave him alone, so I did not.’ It was a simple matter for the TARDIS to transfer its essence into the Doctor’s mind, since Time Lord’s use barely fifty percent of their brains. ’I could have stayed in the Doctor’s mind indefinitely, but that was not my goal. I was biding my time, gathering my energies together again. My intention was to find a way to restore myself totally, once I was strong enough, but that plan changed. A time came when I needed to communicate directly to the Doctor. That was when he visited the Qux space station.’ The clone tried to remember that, but he could not. ‘Nothing. No memories in there.’ ‘Your DNA is falling apart. It is reaching an advanced stage. First the Time Lord genetic make-up is effected, then the memory. Soon your body will begin to fall apart.’ ‘What? I really am dying then.’ ‘Yes. We must get you to the heart of Voga. To the Temple of the Gods.’ ‘You said the Time Lords are the Vogan’s Gods.’ ‘That is right. There is something on Voga, in the Temple of the Gods, which I believe can help both you and me. It is why I brought you here.’ The Doctor-clone thought back to the crash. ‘You caused “Earth’s Pride” to crash on this rock?’ ‘Yes, and you will soon see why.’ The Figure stood up and reached out a hand. The clone got to his feet, quite aware that even though the Figure was touching him he could feel nothing. The clone just hoped it was due to the Figure being a psychic body and not due to the clone’s own failing body. With these doubts firmly in place the two of them resumed their descent to the river below.
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