The TARDIS lands the Fifth Doctor, Peri and Erimem in the middle of the Axis. If diverging timelines are like the spokes of a wheel, the Doctor explains, then the Axis is where they converge and are kept from spilling over into the "real" timeline. And since the Time Lords tend to be responsible for 99% of diverging timelines, they're not extremely welcome in the Axis. The Doctor commands Peri and Erimem to stay inside while he investigates.
The Axis has been overtaken by a Monster Clown who calls himself "The Jester". Its Overseer has been murdered, and giant beasts from mythology all over time and space have been set loose in its Circus of Fear. Peri (of course) sneaks out for a look and rescues a guy from a divergent timeline who fell through a time portal and is rather confused about the whole thing. Erimem is saddled with the Jester pretending to be the Doctor, quickly figures out what's happening, and is smart enough to contact the real Doctor and start sorting things out. In the end, it turns out that the Time Lords had already been to the Axis to investigate, and one of them was murdered by the Jester (and had his memories stolen in the process). The Jester plans to steal the Doctor's TARDIS and open up other timelines to each other, but the Doctor stops him, with the help of a Heroic Sacrifice by their new friend.
Written by Simon Furman, better known for The Transformers (Marvel). This was his only contribution to performed Doctor Who, as he mainly wrote for Doctor Who Magazine.
Tropes:
- Alien Geometries:The Doctor: "Everything seems to be upside down... Including us."
- Apocalypse How: The timelines the Axis consists out of fall apart at the seams.
- Batman Gambit: The Overseer's Distress Call / Almost Dead Guy situation was planned by the Jester so that the Doctor would come so he could take the TARDIS.
- Bluff the Impostor: Erimem asks the Doctor to bring her back to Chicago. The Doctor having been replaced by the Jester, he doesn't blink and is unaware that this is not where she's from. He does, unfortunately, immediately realise from her reaction that she's just bluffed him.
- Call-Back: Erimem is reading the copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland from the TARDIS library, which earlier played a major role in "Zagreus".
- Chaos Architecture: When Peri and Erimem open the door after the Doctor has left the TARDIS has moved without moving.
- Continuity Nod: The Jester rattles off some previous companions;
- Convection, Schmonvection: The most dangerous things about the "Magma fields" is the fact there's dragons in it.
- Description Porn: The last Time Lord the Jester met gets described in oozing pus, and being covered in roaches.
- Distressed Dude: Five (as usual). He actually passes out from pain halfway through the story.
- Heroic Sacrifice:
- Tog does it by pulling a Leeroy Jenkins. He lives, and then does a Taking You with Me by jumping into the Magma fields.
- The Doctor describes how Time Lords do this willingly if it means serving the greater good, preserving Time, trying to take her with him.
- Load-Bearing Boss: The Overseer keeps the Axis together.
- Morphic Resonance: Like the Discworld gods, the Jester can't change what his eyes look like.
- No Hugging, No Kissing: The Doctor feels very uncomfortable when Erimem glomps him.
- Our Dragons Are Different: They're called Firebreed, and from the description sound like they adhere to classic western mythological dragons, spitting fire and all.
- Precision F-Strike: The 5th Doctor, after he finds out that the Jester is responsible for the torture and death of the Overseer."Damn you."
- Shapeshifter Showoff Session: Late in the story, Erimem belatedly realizes that the Doctor is actually Jarra To in disguise, prompting Jarra to turn back and rant at length about how the Time Lords imprisoned her in an infinite loop to stop her from damaging any more timelines - transforming into various figures from across the Axis as she explains how futile her life became. Not long afterwards, Jarra grows so frustrated with Erimem's Silent Treatment that she resorts to repeatedly shapeshifting into Erimem just so she can hold both sides of her expository villain monologue until the real Erimem screams at Jarra to shut up.
- Shapeshifting Sound: Jarra To (AKA the Jester) is capable of shapeshifting into almost anyone or anything, but is always distinguished by the distinctive metallic rippling noise that can be heard whenever she transforms.
- Shout-Out:The Jester: "We're off to see the w..." *thunderclap*
- Something Only They Would Say
- Quoting Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
- The Doctor does this later by telling Erimem how they met.
- Taunting the Transformed: During the intro, the Overseer of the Axis has been stripped of his eternal youth and powers as a result of the Jester's coup, leaving him as a helpless old man. When the Jester catches up with him, he's very clearly amused by the ex-immortal's plight, treating him with mocking faux-concern as he abandons him to slowly die in his throne room.The Jester: Back in your chair, old man, you need to take it easy. Kick back, relax. I'll see no-one disturbs you... FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! [Evil Laugh]
- Translator Microbes: Oddly averted, in that Erimem is trying to learn how to read English and not succeeding very well. Since the TARDIS does translate her spoken English for her perfectly, and since written language is usually no problem for the TARDIS (even if it sometimes takes a while to kick in), this seems a very odd case of Depending on the Writer.
- Tuneless Song of Madness: The Jester can be heard singing "We're Off To See The Wizard" and "Doctor Foster."
