Cellular Division
A short story by Mark Simpson

Part of the Eighth Doctor Fiction collection
and first in the Division Series

Author's Note: Well, this is a bit different. Due to the continuity clash between

my Billy Doctor stories and the recent BBC novel, The Ancestor Cell, this SF is

a re-write of the final, climatic scenes of the novel, taking it in a new direction.

The Doctor stared into the face of this older, twisted version of himself. Grandfather Paradox, God of the Faction that bore his name. The Grandfather sneered at him.

"Kneel before me, Doctor. It really is your only chance, despite what that old fool said."

The Doctor was considering what the dust mote version of his third incarnation had said. Leave, beg or...

Or what? Grandfather Paradox had shut him up before he could tell his older self the one possible chance to change all this.

Change. Was that the key he was looking for? But change what? And how?

"There is a third option," he whispered.

"Nonsense! Worship me, Doctor. A bit narcissistic, I suppose. But, one day, you'll be standing where I am." He grinned suddenly. It wasn't a nice sight.

The Doctor clutched the console, feeling his head spin. If only he could see what he had been trying to tell himself.

Suddenly, the brass spike of a lever smashed it's way out of the bone console in front of him. He knew instantly it was a weapons system, like the one Compassion had used to destroy two War TARDIS' at the start of all this.

"You'll never do it, Doctor!" screamed Grandfather Paradox, grasping at the younger version of himself with the talons of his remaining hand.

"I wouldn't use it," the Doctor said desperately. "It's not my style."

"Then why struggle against us?"

"Because I'm not going to become you. I am The Doctor!" Then it hit him. The one possible solution to this whole mess. One last hope.

Avoiding the Grandfather's grasp, he dashed round the console. Quickly, he typed co-ordinates into the targeting system of the weapon. Earth, September 1752. Now, all he had to do was get past the Grandfather to fire the thing.

His future self glowered at him from the other side of the console. "Give in, Doctor. All I have to do is wait. You will come to me."

The Doctor shook his head, chestnut curls flying. "No. I'll fight you all the way. I will never be you!"

Snarling, the Grandfather hurled himself at the Doctor. They crashed to the bone floor of the Edifice, once the Doctor's old TARDIS, struggling for supremacy.

"You can't kill me," the Doctor said through gritted teeth. "You are me!"

"What's another paradox to me?" growled the Grandfather. "I can live through anything!"

The Doctor managed to bring his knee up and push the Grandfather off him. His adversary went sprawling across the tattered room.

The Doctor leaped to his feet, dashing to the console. He rechecked the co-ordinates and poised his hand over the lever.

Grandfather Paradox was on his feet and moving, but paused as he saw the Doctor's hand ready to slam the lever home.

"You can't do it," he said. "You're too weak. It would destroy all you've ever held dear. Gallifrey. Your friends. Yourself."

The Doctor shook his head. "I've found the other option. I know how to change all this." The Doctor smiled. "The Ultimate Paradox!"

"NO!" screamed Grandfather Paradox as the Doctor pushed the lever and the world changed.

***

Romana, Fitz and Combat Elite Mali had been up to their ankles in water and blood outside the council chamber when Compassion grabbed them.

Now the three of them stood in the console area, watching the wrap-around scanner. The Edifice was blurring at the edges, as if it was about to flicker out of reality all together.

"Can't we help him?" Fitz asked.

"It's out of our hands now," Romana intoned. She seemed a shadow of her former, arrogant self. "It's up to the Doctor now to save the day. Again."

"You might not be able to help him, but I can," Compassion said. The familiar sound of dematerialisation filled the console room.

***

"Nooooo!" screamed the Grandfather as everything started to shift and blur.

"It's over," the Doctor said. "Faction Paradox are finished. Your reign is over."

"What have you done?"

The Doctor smiled. "I found the other alternative. The Eleven Day Empire. Your shadow parliament. I've erased them from history. Faction Paradox have never existed. Will never exist. Gallifrey is safe. Battered, but safe. Reality will recover. Like I said, the Ultimate Paradox."

"I will make you suffer for this!"

"You will wink out of existence when the TARDIS breaks down. It's all over."

"You'll die too."

The Doctor smiled sadly. "A small price to pay to defeat you."

***

Compassion materialised in the console room of the Edifice, right behind the Doctor. She opened her doors and pulled him in.

"Doctor!" yelled the Grandfather as the Edifice folded in on itself until it vanished up it's own singularity.

***

"Doctor!" Fitz said, happy to see his friend. "What happened?"

"Well, it's more a case of what unhappened. The Faction are no more. They never existed."

"You erased them?" Romana said, aghast.

"It was that or destroy Gallifrey. Which would you rather I did?"

Romana scowled but said nothing. The Doctor smiled at her and set course for Gallifrey.

***

Gallifrey lay in ruins. But at least it was still there.

Romana and Mali looked about themselves as if they were about to be ambushed by the Faction.

"This will take a bit of clearing up," the Doctor said as he stood beside Fitz.

"But if the Faction never existed, how come we remember them?" asked Fitz.

"Because we were at the epicentre. The eye of the storm, if you like."

Behind them, Compassion coughed. The Doctor and Fitz turned round.

She smiled a rare smile at them. "Goodbye, Doctor. Fitz. I have Nivet, the technician, with me now. With the war avoided and the Faction erased, I'm going to be free. But I can't trust her." She glared at Romana.

"You can't leave us here!" Fitz protested, but the Doctor put a hand on his arm.

"Compassion must make her own way," the Doctor said. He smiled a sad smile. "Good luck."

"Thank you Doctor. For everything." With that, she dematerialised.

Romana looked round at the sound, shock evident on her face. The Doctor grinned at her.

"Could you call us a cab please?"

