Doctor Who: BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures [057] - The Crooked World by Steve Lyons

Author:Steve Lyons
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780563538561
Publisher: BBC Books
Published: 2002-06-02T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

‘The quantum multiverse is full of conflicting forces, Anji. White holes, black holes, wormholes. Strong forces, weak forces, gravitic forces. Reality itself is pulled this way and that.’ The Doctor tried unsuccessfully to demonstrate the concept with his fingers. ‘In some places, in some entire universes, it’s stretched too thinly and the fabric becomes weak.’

Anji was beginning to wish she had never brought up the subject. But, while she and the Doctor were waiting for Angel, taking a stroll towards the outskirts of Zanytown, she had decided to have one more crack at unravelling the mystery of this world. ‘I’m sorry, but I refuse to believe that somewhere as… as silly as this place could have evolved naturally.’

‘You think it was created?’

‘I think there has to be somebody behind it, yes. Don’t you?’

‘I don’t know,’ said the Doctor, as if it had never occurred to him before. ‘Human beings have been asking the same question of your own world ever since they evolved the capacity to think. I don’t know the answer to that either.’

‘Oh, Doctor!’ groaned Anji. ‘I’m not on some great quest for God.’

‘No?’

‘I just want an explanation that makes sense. I mean, the fairy tale world I could understand. Well, just about.’ She frowned. ‘You don’t think this planet could be alive too, do you?’

‘I don’t think so,’ mused the Doctor, ‘although there are some similarities.’

‘You mean the way people’s thoughts mould their surroundings.’

‘Allowing them to create objects out of thin air, yes. Not to mention the fact that they can manipulate momentum, the weather, even gravity. Have you noticed that, by the way? Gravity on this world works by mutual consent. Until you realise and accept that you ought to be falling, you simply don’t fall.’

‘You’re getting off the point.’

‘Hmm. Of course, now that you come to mention it, it does seem quite a coincidence that we should find two such places in a relatively short span of time.’

‘Places where reality is… malleable. That’s what you’re saying, right?’

‘Allow me to demonstrate.’ The Doctor stopped suddenly, turned to Anji and spread his arms wide, beaming as if he were showing off a conjuring trick.

‘What?’ she said.

‘The shirt,’ he prompted.

‘Oh, that’s right – it was yellow, wasn’t it?’

‘But blue goes much better with this jacket, don’t you think?’

‘Not really. But at least I can look at you without shielding my eyes now.’

‘Hmm.’

‘And you changed it entirely by force of mind? Could I do that?’

‘Perhaps,’ said the Doctor, as they walked on, ‘with practice. We’re not attuned to this world as its natives are. Even changing the pigmentation of a small amount of its matter took a great deal of effort – and it was really only possible because I’ve been wearing it close to my chest, so to speak, for so long.’

‘OK,’ said Anji, ‘just one more question. ‘What does that mean?’ They had reached the jailhouse, and she stopped and pointed at the sign outside it. ‘“Animation Cells.” As in what they make cartoons with on

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