Part Of My World

The Next Doctor, Part 2

Jackson sat on a crate. Rosita sat at his side, assuring and stable as any companion could be. Derek and Terrance sat in front of them, watching like excited kids at a pantomime.

"The story begins with the Cybermen." The Doctor began the story.

"A long time away, and not so far from this very spot, the Cybermen were fought, and they were beaten." I said.

The most epic battle of roasts. Dalek vs Cybermen. Having no concept of elegance, only being better at dying, the best. Also universes collapsing and my past self appearing. I fell into the Void for a few seconds- not fun. Don't do it.

"Dragged back into a space without time, a time without space. The void, meant to be locked inside forever."

"But a greater battle rose up." The Doctor added. His companions came together for this battle. Planets being stolen from their proper time, their proper space, and the things we did along the way to fix it. "So great that everything inside the Void perished."

"The locks around the void faded. The Cybermen were dropped out- not exactly where they left. Or, not when exactly they left."

"They found you." The Doctor nodded to Jackson Lake.

"I fought them, I know that. But what happened?" Jackson asked. As far as he was aware, the Doctor and I hadn't explained jack shit. We weren't explaining Jack's shit. We were explaining Jack's son.

Cue drum beat. But like the funny drum beat, not the crazy Time Lord drum beat.

"Another man came to London, almost alongside the Cybermen. Jackson Lake." I explained. "A mathematician, a teacher, perhaps coming to London town for work or for vacation. He had so much luggage, and money saved up."

"He found the Cybermen." The Doctor explained. "And just like you- exactly like you- he took hold of an infostamp."

Jackson frowned. The boys turned, watching his expression most of all. "But he's dead. Jackson Lake is dead. The Cybermen murdered him."

"You never found his body. Most people would assume a conversion, but the Cybermen don't have the power for that. They've left other bodies." I pointed out. "And you have so much luggage. You don't know what's inside. You don't want to know what's inside."

"I told you the answer was in the fob watch. Can I see?" The Doctor held out his hand.

Jackson became unnerved, and unsettled. He pulled out the fobwatch. The Doctor flipped it around, showing off the engraving.

"J L. The watch is Jackson Lake's." The Doctor revealed.

"Jackson Lake is you, sir?" Rosita dropped her jaw, staring at the man that saved her life.

Terrance bumped Derek by the arm. He nodded excitedly up at Jackson Lake. Our brother wasn't watching the mathematician. Derek instead watched me.

"But I'm the Doctor." Jackson argued. "Terra, tell him. I'm the Doctor."

"Jackson Lake picked up an infostamp." The info stamp in question was initially found by the Doctor. Thing was, he's terrible at not-being-pick pocketed. "A very special infostamp about a very- I'm gonna say special- man."

The infostamp lit up. Images flashed on the wall. His first self, winding up the clock as it reached the man beside me.

"The Cybermen's database. Stolen from the Daleks inside the Void, I'd say, but it's everything you could want to know about the Doctor." The Doctor reasoned.

"It includes a few mentions of his companions." I said. An image appeared of Nine alongside Terra Two.

Then myself, beside the Tenth Doctor. I let the image linger.