//------------------------------//
// Part 8: A Moment with the Doctor 
// Story: Adventures in the TARDIS 
// by Scroll 
//------------------------------//

Being the more vigilant of the two, Stern Wing is naturally a light sleeper. As a result, she is more aware when there is a change in her environment. This isn't just a byproduct of being more in tune with her five senses either. She has a sharp instinct too.

When she cracks her eyes open to verify if that feeling of being watched is indeed true, she is greeted by the sight of the Doctor sitting nearby them and closer to the window. After her vision focuses more clearly, she notices him smiling upon them.

All of this stirs her more awake. Her movements, in turn, alerts and awakens Feather Wind. When he opens his eyes and his vision starts to focus, he gets the same feedback that Stern did a moment earlier.

“Aren't you two just so precious!” the Doctor squees as he beholds them affectionately. “I hope you two will forgive me for saying this, but am I crazy to imagine that when I asked you to take some time off to rest, I thought you'd do so in a place that is considerably more stable and dry than here?”

Since neither is fully awake yet, they do not answer the Doctor right away. 

The Doctor looks behind him out the window for two seconds. This window is blocked by nothing but iron bars to prevent anypony from falling out of it. In particular, he gazes at the dark storm beyond the window as he contemplates what he knows of these two so far. After that, he gives a knowing grin to Feather Wind as he asks the young blue stallion, "It was your idea to come here . . . wasn't it, Feather Wind?” The Doctor sounded so confident with that question that it almost sounded like a statement instead.

The only reply the Doctor receives from Feather Wind is a sheepish smile which is telling enough to an individual as cunning, knowledgeable, and observant as the Doctor.

The Doctor gives a confirming nod as he says, “Very well, then. I will remember this about you and be sure to take such things into account in the future.”

Finally awake enough to speak, Stern Wing asks the Doctor, “Did you get any useful feedback about the sick patients in the lower decks of the other rig?”

The Doctor nods again as his expression sinks from amusement to serious. He then says, "Indeed. I did. What I discovered basically amounts to something equivalent to the Common Cold. The disease is actually native to this world and its inhabitants, but it is something so common that the average native has a pretty good immune system against it by the time they reach adulthood." He gestures behind him out the window as he adds, "However, under the strain of present circumstances combined with diminishing food and medical supplies, what normally is a nuisance has escalated into a genuine threat. The symptoms have grown more severe and the condition is spreading." The Doctor settles his back against the oval curve of the window as he stands up straight and crosses his forelegs across his chest. He continues. "If this keeps up, we can expect their symptoms to escalate. Eventually we might even start having fatalities. Things have not gotten that bad yet but this is definitely not an ideal path they're on."

“Why would Doctor Waston say he hasn't isolated the virus yet if it turns out to be something so common?” Feather Wind checks.

“Because of the severity of the symptoms,” the Doctor answers. “In truth, the information I attained merely verified what Doctor Waston has suspected for a while. The fact that the medicine he had was so effective in treating the condition further verified his theories.”

"Okay, then let's talk about the medicine," Stern Wing proposes as she rises to a straighter sitting position which is an indication, to the Doctor, that she is quickly growing more alert and awake. This is most likely indicative of how serious she regards this situation. "What is the medicine exactly and can we synthesize a suitable replacement using the resources we have access to?"

"The medicine in question was a kind of coral reef crushed into a fine powder and mixed with the medicinal applications of a certain seaweed," the Doctor informs them. "Both of which are more common in other regions on this planet. At a place with a more warm and tropical climate, there is another community, much like this one, permanently parked over a region that is teaming with all kinds of aquatic life. The Alphalmians are more common in this region too, and they are the primary ones to harvest these substances and trade them with the ponies on the surface. In turn, the Alphalmians get a lot of various things in exchange. For example, one of them is here,” he says as he points down at the floor. “This community is known as Salvage and there is a reason for that. Not only is this the better place to gather new raw metal ores from some sea caves below, but this place is also parked over a drowned city of considerable magnitude and technological advancement. In fact, it is too advanced for the ponies in Salvage, or any other community, to fully utilize. They have forgotten how to use such things and, quite frankly, they just don't have access to the same power source that their ancestors did. However, what these ponies do have access to is the various materials salvaged from the drowned city. This they use to trade with the rest of the world.”

“A drowned city?” Feather Wind repeats questioningly then widens his eyes in startled realization. “Oh! I get it! Salvage is parked over what used to be one of the rare landmasses of this planet. It must have a higher topography compared to the rest of the world.”

The Doctor flicks a point at Feather Wind as he says, “Ding-ding-ding. We have a winner, ladies and gentlemen. You, Sir, get a gold star.” The Doctor crosses his foreleg back across his chest as he continues. “Besides the landmass, there were other resources their ancestors used to have in this region aside from the land itself. For example, it had far higher than an average volcanic activity which was useful. They utilized other power sources too as their civilization continued before it got lost. Now their descendants are basically picking off the corpse of the old civilization.”

“So Salvage gains food, medicine, and probably also lumber from another region that has a more tropical climate,” Stern Wing reviews. “In exchange, Salvage gives the ore that they excavated. Maybe they also refine the ore or even process it into some useful product.”

“Exactly,” the Doctor confirms to Stern Wing. “Salvage is known to the ponies of this age as the best miners, salvagers, and metallurgists. So, not only do they have the most access to the greatest supply of metal on this planet in the current age, they are the best at refining it too.” The Doctor gestures behind him at the storm then recrosses his forelegs. “However, because of the storm, it has ground their trade to a halt. Also, because this has gone on so long, it is choking the life out of this community in more than one way.”

“Fortunately for them, we came by and . . .” Stern Wing begins but trails off when she realizes something. She then widens her eyes and cries out, “Oh SHOOT!” She snaps her gaze at Feather Wind beside her as she complains, “We forgot to tell Derpy to get those food supplies ready!”

“Relax,” the Doctor bids as he gives them a brief calming gesture before recrossing his forelegs. “It's been taken care of. Fortunately for you two, Kleetus managed to find the TARDIS using the spell you created to guide him there,” he says with a nod of appreciation to Feather Wind for that. “Well done. Once he got there, he simply knocked on the door and eventually got Derpy's attention. Vision was also able to tell Derpy that this pony had no hostile intentions before Derpy even opened the TARDIS doors.”

Stern Wing expels a sigh of relief before saying, “Oh good. I'm glad it all worked out. And, ah . . . sorry we dropped the ball on this one. I guess we really were very tired.” Stern Wing tilts her head at the Doctor as she then asks, “What about you? Aren't you going to need some rest soon?”

“I have two hearts,” the Doctor reminds them. “As such, I have a more robust stamina. That includes needing virtually no rest at all.”

“Really?” Stern Wing asks as she looks taken aback.

“I can rest,” the Doctor goes on to say. “And I have done so in the past, especially if something else artificially induces it. Under natural conditions, however, I can go on for a very long time. In fact, it's been my observation that I can actually outlast the majority of other Time Lords back when they used to be a more common thing. I believe that is because I have an especially hardy constitution even by the standards of my race. The most likely cause of that is my vigorous adventuring lifestyle. I don't sit around for the majority of my lifespan like most of the others do. Instead, I'm always traveling to and fro. Encountering and beating many kinds of diseases and sampling all kinds of various foods. I work very hard through many trials and struggles so I really have earned my peak health condition.”

“Well that is good to know,” Stern Wing says with genuine interest. “That may come in hoofy plenty of times now and in the future.

“And, ah . . . speaking of now . . . what is the plan now, Doctor?”

The Doctor releases a slow breath as he looks over his shoulder out into the storm for about three seconds before looking back at his companions and saying, “I did say that the coral reefs and special seaweed that produces the cure they need are more common in other regions of this planet, but it is not entirely absent here. We need to cultivate some of that to produce the cure that these ponies need now.”

“There is a catch, isn't there?” Feather Wind figures. “If it was that easy, they would've done it by now.”

The Doctor nods as he commends to Feather Wind, "Very astute of you, Feather. I've come to expect that from you.” The Doctor sighs before he goes on to say, "Yes. There is a catch. First of all, there isn't as much of that stuff in this region. Secondly, simply getting to it is harder to access, but they can do it with the technology they currently have. If the Alphalmians were here then this could have gone easier. Thirdly, unlike the tropical region, the area that these ponies need to access to get to this stuff is guarded by a giant beast much akin to a shark which you two might have at least a passing familiarity with.”

“I have never seen one, but I read about them,” Feather Wind informs the Doctor. “They can be very dangerous.”

“Okay, well take that concept and imagine that it is the size of a whale,” the Doctor goes on to describe. “In addition, it has a really thick hide and it can generate an electric current around its body to shock its prey into easy submission. Toss in about twelve tentacles on it, six long ones on each side of it, then what you got there is a worthy contender for the title of an apex predator as well as a serious problem on our hands.”

“Yikes! That sounds scary,” Stern Wing agrees. “Is it intelligent? Can it be reasoned with?”

“The answer to your first question is yes, but barely. It does have intelligence but is not advanced enough to develop tools or a language. It is animal intelligence. As for your second question; can it be reasoned with?" He shrugs, "Well, that depends if you have something it might be interested in. Fortunately for these ponies, the creature, which the natives call a Tatavax, by the way, isn't generally interested in hunting these ponies down, especially when they dwell in their metal machines. The Tatavax has no interest in the taste of metal. Curiously it rarely hunts them even if they are swimming in the ocean unless the ponies venture close to the Tatavax's hunting ground. The Tatavax is a very territorial species. Not only does it vigilantly guard its territory to guard its food supply, but such a region is also where they lay their young and where they grow up in their early years. The Tatavax is just defending its nest, basically. If the ponies leave it alone, it leaves the ponies alone.

“Unfortunately, however, these ponies are driven into a corner now because of the persistence and sheer power of this storm. Without the ability to get more supplies from the other regions, this is now the closest, if not the safest, option to get more of that medicine.” The Doctor shrugs. “But we only need to cultivate enough to help these ponies with their current crisis. If we get a handle on that then it buys us important time.”

“Couldn't you just time travel to a time when those resources were, or will be, more plentiful?” Stern Wing suggests. “That might be easier than going through this giant shark-like creature.”

"That actually is an option," the Doctor agrees with an approving nod to Stern Wing. "One we might resort to eventually. For the moment I'm just seeing what we have access to right in front of us. If we can find a way to safely deal with the problem in this era then I favor that, but above all, I won't let these ponies die. Not if I can help it.”

“Do you think you can deal with the Tatavax?” Stern Wing checks.

“That's also a possibility," the Doctor informs. “And one I am currently leaning on because I think I have a non-violent solution for dealing with it.”

Stern Wing develops a dry look as she asks, “Does it have something to do with your sonic screwdriver? Same as usual?”

“Sound does pass through water very well,” Feather Wind realizes. “Perhaps you can tune that device to emit a frequency that either pacifies it, drives it off, puts it to sleep entirely, or at least stuns it long enough to cultivate the medicine.”

“My thoughts exactly,” the Doctor agrees with another approving nod to Feather Wind. “To do this, I'll need to find the right frequency to achieve one of those results. I, of course, would much prefer an option that harms the creature to the least degree. Of those, putting it to sleep is my favorite. 

“However, in addition to needing to find the right frequency, I'll also need to develop a method to amplify my sonic device.” The Doctor shakes his head. “By itself, my screwdriver is a very useful tool, but I'm afraid it isn't strong enough for this particular task. That creature is huge so I'm going to need an option with a little more oomph to it to expect favorable results in this case.

“But eh. Don't worry about it,” the Doctor assures as he gives off a dismissive wave. “A task like this is well within the capabilities of my ingenuity, and I appreciate the challenge involved.”

“Okay.” Feather Wind lifts a hoof to signal for attention. “Let's say you do manage to accomplish that and we get the supplies for the medicine these ponies need.” He shrugs. “What then? That doesn't solve the underlining problem here. We already know this storm is unnatural so we should expect it to continue if we do not solve the root cause.”

“Kleetus sounded convinced that the Alphalmians are the most likely cause of the storm," Stern Wing reminds. “He says this largely because they can do this with an artifact known as The Orb of Storms.” Stern Wing tilts her head a bit in the Doctor's direction as she says, “I am curious to hear your opinion on this, Doctor, primarily because you have access to more knowledge than we, and maybe even the natives, do.”

The Doctor looks down as he sighs before saying, “The Orb of Storms. Huh. I heard of that device before. It even went by that name before in the other dimension where ponies used to be humans. The name Alphalmians is also familiar to me. I'm curious to find out if they have the same form and abilities that they had in the other dimension, or if they changed too.” He looks back at them. “I'm not entirely sure my knowledge can be reliable in this case, but it's also too accurate to be dismissed.

“The thing is, according to what I remember about the Alphalmians before, they are an exceptionally peaceful aquatic race. They are not capable of an advanced form of linguistic communication insofar as sound is concerned, but they still are capable of producing sound. As a matter of fact, they can produce hauntingly beautiful music under the water. This is especially true if they do so in a choir or if they sing in an especially acoustic environment.” He nods at Feather Wind as he goes on to say, "We already established sound travels well underwater, and this is a highly intelligent species that figured that out a long time ago. While their mouths, throats, and tongues cannot produce many sounds that we can, they have a keen voice for pitch and they can produce sounds at a much higher and lower frequency than nearly any other species that I know of. They can also switch between the various frequencies very fast. Sometimes even my sonic screwdriver can't keep up with them, and they do this biologically! That is extremely impressive.

“But the sound isn't actually their primary method of communication, especially at shorter range. Instead of that, they are telepathic.” He nods to them again. “Empathic and telepathic. When it comes to communication, they are like Vision is on steroids. They can actually communicate vast stores of knowledge in an instant and directly give each other their memories using their telepathy. Can you imagine how much knowledge a race like that can hold when they can share it that easily? Even their young can quickly catch up to the knowledge of the adults using a method like that. In addition, they have even learned to store telepathic messages in crystals which they can later access. To them, that's their form of writing and reading.

“There are many reasons why they are so peaceful. To begin with, their empathy and telepathy make it so that they feel whatever harm they cause to others which naturally makes them disciplined. For the same reason, they also feel encouraged to spread peace and joy. They consider it one of their primary purposes in life. They love to serve and promote harmony to a far greater degree than I have ever encountered even during the most peaceful and joyous days in Equestria. Individuality isn't as keen in a society that can simply share all of their memories that easily.

“In addition to all of that, there is the symbiosis to consider with the ponies. Why would the Alphalmians attack the very race they are benefiting from? By harming the ponies, this race would only be harming themselves in more ways than one and this particular race is unusually wise and mature enough to fully understand the consequences of such an action." He shakes his head. "It just isn't in their nature to do something like this.”

“For every rule that exists, don't you always eventually encounter an exception?” Feather Wind checks with the Doctor.

The Doctor sighs and closes his eyes in an almost pained sort of way before nodding and admitting, “Yes, and that goes both ways.” He looks at his companions again. “Even among the vilest race I encounter, I eventually find a virtuous one. Likewise among the kindest and most loving of races, I eventually encounter a cruel taskmaster. I'm not saying that this is the case yet, but I at least acknowledge the possibility. 

“Yet, even from a logical standpoint, this situation doesn't make any sense.

“Consider Kleetus's argument. He thinks the Alphalmians are guilty simply because the Alphalmians have the means to accomplish this storm at all, but on the other hoof, according to my memories of them and quite likely the majority of the native ponies who encountered them, they discovered that the Alphalmians very likely wouldn't want to do this. So you have the means to do it on one hand but a lack of motivation on the other. That doesn't add up.” He shakes his head. “Something is not right here and I intend to find out what. To that end, I eventually plan to confront them to at least get their side of the story. If, in doing so, I discover that there is a problem that I can solve then I will proceed to do so.”

“But how will you contact the Alphalmians?” Stern Wing checks. “You said yourself that they aren't as common in this region. I don't know why, but that's what you said.”

The Doctor nods as he says, “True, but do you want to know what else I know?” Without waiting for an answer, he goes on to say, “I know that Doctor Waston said I helped one of his ancestors in the past, and I am a Time Lord. I don't want to sound cocky when I say this, but there is a tendency to leave an indelible mark upon history by the time I finish with an adventure.” He waves at his companions. “That is strong enough of a mark for the Alphalmians to have noticed, and once they notice something, they can pass on their history to a greater degree than most. Because of that, I don't think I have to approach them. I think they'll come to me instead. When they do, I think they'll be quite eager to explain their side of the story either to assure me that they are innocent of this crime or to explain why they had to do what they did. Either way, I intend to listen to them and do whatever I can to help.”

Stern Wing looks off to her side as she thought of a suggestion that might help with that aspect of his quest, but there is a reason she's also reluctant to offer this. Since the Doctor notices her expression, however, he prompts her, “What is it?”

“I, ah . . . I got one idea that might help with that aspect of your quest,” Stern says as she looks back at the Doctor. “But I'm not sure if it is a wise idea.”

“Spit it out anyway,” the Doctor encourages.

Stern Wing winces as she says, “Well, you said that this race is highly empathic and telepathic.”

“Yeah,” the Doctor confirms.

“I don't think either of those facts guarantees that they'll tell us the truth,” Stern Wing expresses. “If they are so good at reading others, that probably means it's hard for them to fib to each other. After all, they are all equally empathic. They'd probably sense if they were telling a lie to each other.” Stern Wing shakes her head. “Under normal circumstances, however, it may be easier for them to get away with fibbing to another non-empathic or telepathic race.”

“I see,” the Doctor says as he lowers his eyelids a bit. “So you were thinking that maybe I should invite Vision to join me when I see the Alphalmians in order to verify if they are telling the truth or not.”

“Maybe, but she's also a sickly and blind foal during an adventure where it is difficult for even the natives to stay healthy,” Stern Wing expresses with a wince. “I got to admit, I feel torn over this issue.” She shakes her head. “To say nothing about potential balance issues. She wouldn't be able to see any of the nets she could grab to help secure her or some other obstacle that could swing in her way. If we resort to this option then she'll need to be very carefully supervised. That's advisable for any foal in general but especially so for a foal this unusually vulnerable.” She half shrugs as she adds, “But can we afford to ignore this option either when so many other lives are also at stake?”

The Doctor grunts in frustration and turns about. He now faces the direction of the window leading out to the raging ocean storm beyond. He is quiet for quite a while before he turns his head enough to speak over his left shoulder at his companions. “It is pretty rare when I invite other children to join me in my adventures in the TARDIS, especially as a long-term thing. Now I am perfectly content to use that ship to deliver them out of danger and I have done that with Vision in this case. Had I not done that, she may remain a target of a creature we cannot kill yet or even slow down that much. Her mother requested for us, and you in particular Feather, to keep her safe. It was an option you didn't expect but nevertheless is a good one. I was more than happy to help you deliver her safely from harm.”

The Doctor turns to look back at them even further as he goes on to say, “But you have to be aware of something. My journey in the TARDIS has delivered me towards danger many times now and many forms of it too. By having her stay long-term, that risk gets multiplied as the journey continues. In this case, I didn't choose this time or planet, but even if I did, I can't control what we encounter within it. Even in the most peaceful and hospitable places, danger tends to have a way to find me and that puts anyone I travel with at risk as well. Add to that, Vision truly is the most vulnerable and fragile companion I have ever had."

Now the Doctor turns to face his companions fully as he goes on to say, “Inviting young children to the TARDIS may be very rare but it has happened before. There is one young lad in particular that stayed with me for quite some time. I tell you now that sometimes there are kids out there who are so incredibly talented, it fools us into thinking that they might be capable of keeping up with us full-grown adults. That is a fallacy, however, and I learned that the hard way.

“I'm telling you,” he shakes his head, “this kid was so bright, he could almost keep up with my intellect. In addition to that fact, he was brave, just, and had a strong moral compass. Whatever he did, I had confidence that he'd do it for the right reasons. He was a treasure to behold. It tantalized me to consider how much greater his potential would be as he grows up. If he's this talented as a mere child, then how much greater will he be when he fully matures? Sometimes I thought he had a chance to surpass even me, and in some ways . . . he did.”

The Doctor looks down for a moment as his face gets clouded with memories, some of which are clearly painful. He closes his eyes and winces in pain as he swallows hard. It takes him a while to compose himself. When he finally does, he opens his eyes and regards his companions again as he speaks.

“I have had many companions in the TARDIS before. Most of them were human and there is a reason for that. Humans have a . . . a kind of destiny about them which eventually grows into a legend. Spread out into the furthest corners of the universe, many other races have been deeply affected by them enough to at least have heard of them. I actually remember overhearing a conversation between two non-human individuals in a remote corner of the universe and a very distant time. One of them asked the other, 'Have you ever heard of the humans?' The other replied, 'Of course I have.' The first asked another question. 'Do you think they really exist?' The other replies, 'No, I don't, for no single race can possibly exist with a legacy that great. With all the trials they've endured, the history they affected, the sheer extremes of both bad and good actions, and a basically unstoppable glory . . . no. They can't be real. It sounds too fantastical to be true.'

“Inwardly I cracked up when I overheard that, but it also left me with an even deeper sense of purpose. I had traveled with them and encountered them often enough to confirm that most of those legends were true and then some. That is why I fought so hard to protect them. Perhaps what was even more important was to guide them, and for them to guide me.” He shakes his head. “I would not be the man I am today if it weren't for the lessons I gained through traveling with and observing humanity. By knowing that they would be the source of so many other cosmic legends and actions that ripple and spread to the farthest corners of the universe, I knew it was extremely important to guide them on a righteous path as best I could because, if I succeed with that monumental task, I could ultimately make the whole universe a better place too. What better way to do it than to influence the source that influenced so many others? There have even been some legends that say that they were the predecessors of the Time Lords as well, and if that is true then it means everything the Time Lords have ever done, for good and for ill, is simply another step in the unstoppable legacy that is humanity.”

He pauses again for another moment as he sighs, then goes on to say, "And as I said before, one of the companions I traveled with was a child. The fates of my former companions are many and varied. I have lived a very long time and lived very vigorously during that time. That is why they ended up in many various directions in the end, but occasionally . . . and despite my best efforts, I will add . . . they die.”

The Doctor closes his eyes again and squints in pain. This time he also cries a bit.

“That boy . . . was one of them,” he finally squeezes out. “It was a heroic sacrifice. He didn't just save the rest of my crew. It was far more than that, but I still remember how pain stabbed my hearts back then. That boy looked up to me and this is the fate I led him towards. Like any child would at least on an unconscious level, he did it to seek some approval from a parental figure. I helped to raise him. I tried to protect him . . . and I failed!”

The Doctor whimper for a moment. Seeing that, both Stern Wing and Feather Wind almost approach him to give him a comforting hug, but he lifts a hoof to halt them and then quickly tries to simmer down.

“I'll be fine,” the Doctor assures them. “I've carried this pain in my hearts for a long time now. I'll . . . endure . . . and I've almost finished with my point anyway.”

The Doctor takes another moment to compose himself before he continues.

“My point is there many reasons children are so rarely invited on my ship. Adults have more fully matured in many important ways. They matured physically and mentally so they can endure more punishment and solve more problems. They have matured emotionally so they can better endure greater mental stress. Above all, they are old enough to more fully realize the value of their choices. Unlike most children, adults tend to be more independent. They can accept the responsibility for their actions since they had more time to grow into it.

“But children, no matter how talented they appear to be, may indeed be ahead of their time in a vast variety of ways, but most likely not in every category that matters. They are still dependent. They are still looking up to adults for guidance and being cared for. They don't tend to have a good grasp on mortality yet so they can be more willing to charge straight into danger heedless of the risks. They are still being shaped during the most critical period of their lives when they are still trying to figure themselves out, the world around them, and their place in it.” He shakes his head. “And inviting them into the TARDIS greatly complicates that development because suddenly they have to contend with the challenges of many worlds and times when they were still struggling to find their balance with even one world. In a vast majority of cases, that is not a good baseline to start with. I'm not saying challenges should be entirely discouraged and there can be some value that this journey can offer them, but in the end . . . they are significantly more likely to be overwhelmed than an adult would, and trust me . . . you do not want to know the torment of seeing such incredible and largely untapped potential come to a sudden end. When that happened to me, it felt like an important part of the whole universe died with him on that tragic day. At least it was for a worthy cause but that can still feel so hollow next to the sheer magnitude of that kind of loss.”

After another moment of silence, this time feeling necessary in a respectful sort of way, Stern Wing eventually checks, “In that case, what are you going to do with her, Doctor? As you know, you can't return her to her native time and home without putting her back in severe danger, so what's the best alternative considering everything else you just told us?"

The Doctor casts a long sigh as he bonks his head several times on the rim of the oval window behind him. By now the splash of ocean mist drenching his body has long ago disguised the tears that yet linger on him as well.

“I don't know,” the Doctor eventually expresses with partial defeat. “I just don't know yet, but I can assure you of a few very important things . . . and that is I'm working on it and I shall not give up until I find a good solution for this precious little one.”