The Time Machination (comic story)
Promotional summary
London, 1889 and a time-stranded Doctor needs the help of an old friend to fix the Tardis... but is beset by pursuers sent by Queen Victoria herself! How is this connected to a previous tale of the Sixth Doctor -- and a Fourth Doctor adventure that hasn't happened yet? And what will happen if the Doctor is captured by the Torchwood Institute? A special standalone tale!
Plot
In 1889 Jonathon Smith, a physicist, is being led by his friend, H.G. Wells, through the misty streets of London. They are going to see the Doctor, a man he met in Scotland a few years ago. He has now turned up again needing help and Wells thought as a scientist, Smith would be able to assist, however he seems amazed by what he sees as steps into a dark building.
The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us. His grey eyes shone and twinkled, and his usually pale face was flushed and animated...
Inside, the Doctor is using one of the TARDIS console panels outside the TARDIS, connected by a wires and tubing. He moves and greets Wells and Smith, to whom he explains his problem. He needs to refuel his ship but cannot get to Cardiff to refuel. He could try and gather enough rift energy to jump start the TARDIS to reach Cardiff, the only problem is that the "Institute" is after him.
Elsewhere an older man and a younger woman are looking at some advanced handheld equipment. Having measured Chronal signatures from Krakatoa and Perivale they believe have found the Doctor, however, there is only an arrival and not a departure signature, meaning he is trapped.
Back in the darkened building, The Doctor decides to make a "petrol can" to store the rift power, however he needs to get some equipment. Looking at the Doctor's equipment he picks up a calibrator, but the Doctor tells him not to as it is drenched in Chronal energy and it will alert the institute to them. As the Doctor goes to change into something more fitting, Smith slips the calibrator into his pocket.
Later the Doctor is walking down the street, dressed in his Sherlock Holmes coat and hat, with Smith and Wells. As they turn a corner they spy the two members of the institute hunting the Doctor. As the Doctor and Wells turn back, Smith rolls the calibrator towards the institute. The woman detects the signature and they give chase. Smith catches up with Wells and the Doctor crying that the Torchwood institute is after them. As they attempt to escape over a wall, the man from the institute uses some form of tazer on Wells. Smith convinces the Doctor to keep running, whilst the institute take Wells back to the West India Docks.
Inside a darkened building, Wells is tied to chair and interrogated about the Doctor who explains he met the Doctor in Scotland and was taken to the planet Karfel. The man and the woman explain that the Doctor is a danger to the Empire and the Torchwood Institute is charged with stopping this alien, but they have been unable to find him. Wells explains that that is probably because the Doctor can change his appearance. Whilst the older man panics about this Wells offers to deliver the Doctor to them.
Back in the TARDIS, Smith and the Doctor have been putting the ship back together when Wells returns. Suggesting he might have been followed Wells and Smith go to check the perimeter. Wells then tells Smith he will alert the institute and hands him the Doctor's sonic screwdriver to keep him here. After Wells leaves Smith points the Screwdriver at the Doctor, saying he will be a hero of the Empire and the Doctor will be dissected.
Outside Wells leads Torchwood institute to the TARDIS as they surround it. Inside the Doctor tells Smith, he knows he isn't who he claims to be. Having known who Torchwood was he suspects Smith musts be a time traveller, probably from the 51st Century, attempting to stop the death of Magnus Greel. Smith confirms he is right, having used notes from the secret diary of H.G. Wells on the imprisonment and death of the Doctor to stop him. After that he intends to cure Magnus Greel and bring him back to the future. However, the Doctor reveals that he wrote the notes in order that Smith would find them. Smith attempts to use the Sonic Screwdriver but that, like the notes, is also a facsimile. Smith claims the Doctor is still trapped but the Doctor proves him wrong the dematerialising the TARDIS without Smith.
Wells identifies Smith as the Doctor and Torchwood tazers him. As Smith is drenched in Chronal and Zygma radiation they believe he is the time traveller and store him in the vaults in the West India Docks. Wells is congratulated by the man from Torchwood and then leaves the institute down a back alley.
'Will he ever return? It may be swept back into the past, and fell among the blood drinking, hairy savage of the age of unpolished stone...'
Wells turns to see The Doctor reciting his future writing. He asks the Doctor to explain what happened. The Doctor says that Greel came back through time, who the Doctor stopped. One of Greel's followers was attempting to stop the Doctor doing this, so the Doctor had to stop him, which he did by planting Well's notes creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Confused by this, Wells asks what will happen to Smith and the Doctor says that he will be kept imprisoned until after Greel has been stopped. Eventually, a man named Harkness will discover he is a fake and Smith will probably be returned to the 51st Century to stand trial for War Crimes. The Doctor then leaves, promising to return after Wells is famous.
'But that phantasm vanished as I rubbed my eyes. The Time machine had gone. Save for a subsiding stir of dust...' Wells says to himself.
At that moment, Wells again hears the TARDIS but this time by the Dock. The TARDIS appears and out of it steps Leela and the Fourth Doctor. Leela says she feels ridiculous in her period clothes and hat but the Doctor tells her the skins will frighten the horses. Wells watches them from around the corner, amazed at another Doctor. The Doctor tells Leela he is trying to teach her how her ancestors enjoyed themselves and decides to take her to the theatre to see Li H'Sen Chang.
Wells decides he will write, as the Doctor was always telling him to, in his honour and it will be called "The Time Machine"!
Characters
One of the Torchwood agents resembles Alice Guppy, however it is likely it isn't her as the story is set in 1889 and she joined Torchwood 9 years later.
References
- The story ends with the first moments of DW: The Talons of Weng-Chiang and the arrival of the Fourth Doctor and Leela. The Doctor makes mention of wanting to see Little Titch.
- The Doctor makes a veiled reference to Jack Harkness, although at this point in time, Jack had not yet joined Torchwood.
- The Torchwood agents refer to the Doctor's visits to Krakatoa and Perivale, the latter being a reference to DW: Ghost Light.
- The Doctor refers to Professor Chronotis.
- H. G. Wells appeared in DW: Timelash.
Planets
to be added
Notes
- Announced by IDW Publishing at the New York Comic Con in February 2009, The Time Machination is set in Victorian London and reportedly features the first Doctor Who comic book reference to the Torchwood Institute. That fact Queen Victoria is involved would make this a followup to the televised story DW: Tooth and Claw.
- The Doctor is travelling alone so the story presumably takes place post-DW: Journey's End and IDW: The Forgotten.
- Reprinted in the graphic novel Through Time and Space.
Continuity
- The story is a semi-sequel to both DW: Timelash (and arguably Tooth and Claw) and (due to time travel) both a sequel and prequel to The Talons of Weng-Chiang. A reprise of a scene from the last-named appears from the point of view of H. G. Wells.
External Links
to be added
