and all at once I owned the Earth and sky

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

[Martha Jones appears on the Plane, wary of the invisible flooring but obviously in love with the scenery]

Okay… At least the ground is solid. Probably. Still a bit freaky, though maybe it isn't--is that a beach?

[with one last look at the ground, Martha makes her way to the beach. She seems happier on somewhat-more solid ground]

Much better. [Martha turns her head up to the sky] God, look at all the stars… [of course, the entire thing is just weird as far as physics are concerned. All the galaxies and nebulae are too near to each other and should probably be warping one another at these distances, but it all looks too perfect] Maybe it's a planetarium of some sort, 'cause it can't be an observatory…

[Martha could sit here and wait for someone to find her, or…]

Probably should stay where I am and wait. It would be very reckless and irresponsible to wander off, wouldn’t it? [a bit of a grin crosses her face] So I think I’ll go… this way.

[And Martha heads off in the direction of the Colosseum]

Comments

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor is still getting used to being on the Plane as himself again at the moment and thus he's just wandering. He happens to notice Martha, however, and she seems different.]

Martha?

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

Martha?

[suspicious Doctor is rather suspicious]

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[hey, it's Martha! she's the best variety of doctor he knows of, so he'll just stroll beside her]

Don't forget possibly dangerous. It could very likely be possibly dangerous as well.

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

[Martha spins and sees him, breaking into a grin]

Doctor! But I thought you'd tricked yourself into being human right now so you could check out Species 9 and Species 27! Are you done with that? Can we go now? Where are we, anyway, and how'd we get here?

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

[for time-warp purposes, Kisha!Ten has explained the multiple Tennants to Martha by now]

Doctor? You're one of the other ones, then, yeah?

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

[she smiles at him]

Well that's not so bad. It's when things are definitely dangerous that you have to start worrying.

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

Or running. Worry later, run first. That's usually a good rule, I think.

[smiles, bouncing a little, then stops]

So, I'm guessing you're a new Martha, then. Different Martha at least, something along those lines. I'm assuming anyway, from the general confusion and 'what is this' reaction a moment ago, and all that.

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor is somewhat surprised by all this.]

I was doing what? - Oh! Yes, but... [And it dawns on him.] Ah. Oh, I thought as much. Just a hunch. Right! Well, best to get this part out of the way. Martha, this place is called the Astral Plane. Consider it a nexus point of universes and timelines, because that's what it is. From the look of things, I'm from your future. Possibly. Blimey, we really need to make those pamphlets for arrivals.

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

[Martha's smile fades and she nods]

Yeah. I'm another Martha. Another, different Martha.

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[stops smiling, rubbing the back of his neck for a moment, before smiling at her again]

Well, that's not so bad, another Martha. When I came here there was another me, and well, this face here, it seems the universe is quite fond of it. Another and different isn't so terrible, I don't think.

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

You're... from my future. But you mentioned universes and timelines - if you're from my future, is that because of the TARDIS or is it this place? I mean, are we meeting out of order in the same timeline, like, you know, a sort of Time Traveller's Wife sort of thing, predestination paradoxes and all, or is this more of a lives meeting at the wrong times without that meetings having happened in each person's earlier times, mucking up the whole time-space continuum?

[Martha takes a step back]

We're not going to destroy any part of the universe by talking, are we?

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

Even if I'm not from the same universe as you?

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

Well, I might not be from the same universe as you either. I'm hoping you're not going to hold that against me.

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

What? No, no, nothing like that. It's- [Pause, word phrasing is needed.] I don't know how this place works yet, exactly. But it isn't the TARDIS. It's something called the Machine. Somehow it doesn't interrupt the web of time.

[Tilts his head.] Now, there is an important reason I mentioned other universes along with timelines.

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

No, of course not. But it's different, isn't it? You had experiences with her and I haven't had them with you. I'm missing something and you have something more.

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

Tell me more about it?

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but if we're different universes the same could be said for you. You might have done things with your Doctor that I'll never know about or experience. I might be missing something that you have, so it's all a bit up in the air.

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

Well, best way to put it is like...alternate universes in fiction. You're bound to have run into those. There's always parallel versions of people and missing things and changed events. If this place can bring anyone from any universe, it follows that it can bring multiple versions, right?

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

Okay, okay, so we don't know. Could be anything, got you. Doesn't make it any less awkward.

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

Does that mean the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics is right?

[a pause]

We had to take a few physics courses and I got a bit distracted.

[butterfly is so very relevant to their discussion]

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

Right then, there's no need to be like that about it, I was just trying to make you feel better about the awkwardness of the situation.

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

I know, sorry. Can we start again?

[she smiles]

It's good to see you, no matter what parallel universe you may or may not be from.

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, too. It's a bit overwhelming without the thought of other you's.

[looks down and then back up and grins]

Right. Fresh start, that sounds nice. It's good to meet you too, regardless of universe or any of that.

[taughtmedicine.livejournal.com]

Seems we just keep meeting again and again.

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

Do we? Well, lucky us, then.

So does that mean you've met other me's all ready?