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fandomweekly2025-08-08 07:19 pm
badly_knitted) wrote in fandomweekly2025-08-08 07:19 pm
Entry tags:
[#270] In Two Minds (Doctor Who)
Theme Prompt: #270 – Pride
Title: In Two Minds
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 1000
Summary: The Doctor thinks he’s always right, but when there are two of them, each with their own ideas on the right course of action, it can lead to arguments.
“Do you even know what you’re doing?”
“Of course I know what I’m doing!” the Eleventh Doctor insisted. “What are you worried about? It’s me. I always know, and I’m always right!”
“Except when you’re wrong,” his Eighth incarnation helpfully pointed out.
That was the problem when you happened to run into another version of yourself. The arguments could run on interminably, with neither of him coming out on top. Not that he always disagreed with himself, but disagreeing with other people was preferable to being literally in two minds.
“Yes, well, how often does that happen?”
“Too often. We’re not perfect, we’re not all-knowing, we’re not infallible, we just like to pretend we are. It impresses our companions.” Eight leaned casually against the wall.
“What would you know? You don’t even HAVE a companion right now!”
“Neither do you. You lost yours! At least mine is only visiting her family for a bit.” Eight frowned. “I vaguely remember having a family.”
Eleven bent over, squinting at something. “Yes, and at the first opportunity we left most of them behind back on Gallifrey, more interested in being somewhere, or somewhen, else.”
“We took our granddaughter with us!”
“Because she was the adventurous sort, like us. Not content with staying put. She wanted to see what was out here as much as we did.”
“Mm. I miss Susan. Maybe that’s why we prefer having female companions. We got used to having an enquiring young mind to educate.”
“I thought it was because they were less likely to get into trouble, and more easily impressed.” Eleven continued poking around inside the door control panel he’d opened.
“Well, that too, although it does depend on the individual.” Pushing away from the wall, Eight leaned over his future self’s shoulder. “Look, I don’t think what you’re trying to do is the best idea.”
“What would you know? You’re past me. If you were a future version, then maybe, just maybe, you’d be worth listening to, but you’re not. I’ve been around longer, I know more, I’ve had more experience with these types of situations, and in this instance, I am most definitely right.”
“Suit yourself. If you need me, I’ll be over there, behind those rocks. Just in case I’m right and everything blows up, which it might well do.”
That made the Doctor’s Eleventh incarnation turn around. “Have you no faith in yourself?”
“Of course I do. I just don’t have faith in future me. Mostly because what you’re trying to do is ill-considered, poorly planned, and probably impossible anyway, the way you’re going about it.”
“Ha! You only said it’s PROBABLY impossible! You’re not sure!”
“Neither are you!”
“Of course I am. Mostly.”
“Hah! Doubts are creeping in, I knew it! You’re not as sure as you’re pretending to be!”
“I would be, if you’d just shut up for a minute.” Eleven turned back to his scrutiny of the exposed wiring. “There are a lot of wires in here, and you’re distracting me! Anyway, I thought you were going to hide behind those rocks.”
“I am, I will, we’re just not in any serious danger quite yet. I estimate approximately four minutes before you try to cross connect those circuits, shorting out not only the door controls, but every system connected to the power core itself, and starting a chain reaction that will cause the entire complex to implode. Considering you’re only trying to get inside this outpost so you can shut down the automated defences and rescue your own companion from the main complex, that doesn’t sound like it would be a good idea.”
“Shut up! Cross connecting these circuits won’t blow anything up, they…” The Eleventh Doctor paused, frowning at the circuits in question. “Ah.”
“Now you’re getting it. You remember the old human saying, ‘Pride goes before a fall’? Never cross connect red and blue circuits in Hath technology. I thought that was common knowledge.”
“It is. You made me forget what I was doing with all your jabbering. Now I’ve isolated the wrong circuits! It was supposed to be red and yellow!”
“Blue and yellow,” the Doctor’s Eighth self corrected him.
“That’s what I meant! Are you trying to confuse me?”
“You seem to be doing fine at that all by yourself.” Eight sounded amused.
“Shut up! If you can’t be helpful, you could at least be quiet so that I can concentrate!”
“I thought I WAS being helpful.”
“You’re not, you’re being annoying.”
“I stopped you from blowing the place up, didn’t I? You ought to be thanking me for that.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
“You don’t have to go to all that trouble anyway,” the Eighth Doctor said. “All you need to do is disconnect this relay just here, and…” He reached past, aimed his sonic screwdriver at the relay in question, and severed the connection. The door opened. “See? Problem solved.”
“But… But…” Eleven floundered, staring at the open door.
“You were trying to be too clever. Sometimes, the basic approach is best. Now, why don’t you run along and rescue your companion while I deal with the automated defences?”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Of course! It’s me, and I’m you. We’re brilliant, aren’t we? What could possibly go wrong?” The past Doctor stepped through the open door and all the alarms started going off.
Eleven smirked. “Well, that for a start.”
“I thought you’d already disabled the alarms!”
“I might have if you hadn’t been talking in my ear the whole time. Good luck!” The Eleventh Doctor dashed away, leaving the Eighth Doctor fumbling to disconnect the alarms. One little mistake! At least he was never in danger of blowing up the entire complex.
Ah well, sometimes a bit of humility was good for the soul. Besides, it shouldn’t take long to fix this and then he’d deal with the defence systems. Good thing he’d happened by, really. His future self was a disaster looking for a place to happen.
The End
“Of course I know what I’m doing!” the Eleventh Doctor insisted. “What are you worried about? It’s me. I always know, and I’m always right!”
“Except when you’re wrong,” his Eighth incarnation helpfully pointed out.
That was the problem when you happened to run into another version of yourself. The arguments could run on interminably, with neither of him coming out on top. Not that he always disagreed with himself, but disagreeing with other people was preferable to being literally in two minds.
“Yes, well, how often does that happen?”
“Too often. We’re not perfect, we’re not all-knowing, we’re not infallible, we just like to pretend we are. It impresses our companions.” Eight leaned casually against the wall.
“What would you know? You don’t even HAVE a companion right now!”
“Neither do you. You lost yours! At least mine is only visiting her family for a bit.” Eight frowned. “I vaguely remember having a family.”
Eleven bent over, squinting at something. “Yes, and at the first opportunity we left most of them behind back on Gallifrey, more interested in being somewhere, or somewhen, else.”
“We took our granddaughter with us!”
“Because she was the adventurous sort, like us. Not content with staying put. She wanted to see what was out here as much as we did.”
“Mm. I miss Susan. Maybe that’s why we prefer having female companions. We got used to having an enquiring young mind to educate.”
“I thought it was because they were less likely to get into trouble, and more easily impressed.” Eleven continued poking around inside the door control panel he’d opened.
“Well, that too, although it does depend on the individual.” Pushing away from the wall, Eight leaned over his future self’s shoulder. “Look, I don’t think what you’re trying to do is the best idea.”
“What would you know? You’re past me. If you were a future version, then maybe, just maybe, you’d be worth listening to, but you’re not. I’ve been around longer, I know more, I’ve had more experience with these types of situations, and in this instance, I am most definitely right.”
“Suit yourself. If you need me, I’ll be over there, behind those rocks. Just in case I’m right and everything blows up, which it might well do.”
That made the Doctor’s Eleventh incarnation turn around. “Have you no faith in yourself?”
“Of course I do. I just don’t have faith in future me. Mostly because what you’re trying to do is ill-considered, poorly planned, and probably impossible anyway, the way you’re going about it.”
“Ha! You only said it’s PROBABLY impossible! You’re not sure!”
“Neither are you!”
“Of course I am. Mostly.”
“Hah! Doubts are creeping in, I knew it! You’re not as sure as you’re pretending to be!”
“I would be, if you’d just shut up for a minute.” Eleven turned back to his scrutiny of the exposed wiring. “There are a lot of wires in here, and you’re distracting me! Anyway, I thought you were going to hide behind those rocks.”
“I am, I will, we’re just not in any serious danger quite yet. I estimate approximately four minutes before you try to cross connect those circuits, shorting out not only the door controls, but every system connected to the power core itself, and starting a chain reaction that will cause the entire complex to implode. Considering you’re only trying to get inside this outpost so you can shut down the automated defences and rescue your own companion from the main complex, that doesn’t sound like it would be a good idea.”
“Shut up! Cross connecting these circuits won’t blow anything up, they…” The Eleventh Doctor paused, frowning at the circuits in question. “Ah.”
“Now you’re getting it. You remember the old human saying, ‘Pride goes before a fall’? Never cross connect red and blue circuits in Hath technology. I thought that was common knowledge.”
“It is. You made me forget what I was doing with all your jabbering. Now I’ve isolated the wrong circuits! It was supposed to be red and yellow!”
“Blue and yellow,” the Doctor’s Eighth self corrected him.
“That’s what I meant! Are you trying to confuse me?”
“You seem to be doing fine at that all by yourself.” Eight sounded amused.
“Shut up! If you can’t be helpful, you could at least be quiet so that I can concentrate!”
“I thought I WAS being helpful.”
“You’re not, you’re being annoying.”
“I stopped you from blowing the place up, didn’t I? You ought to be thanking me for that.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
“You don’t have to go to all that trouble anyway,” the Eighth Doctor said. “All you need to do is disconnect this relay just here, and…” He reached past, aimed his sonic screwdriver at the relay in question, and severed the connection. The door opened. “See? Problem solved.”
“But… But…” Eleven floundered, staring at the open door.
“You were trying to be too clever. Sometimes, the basic approach is best. Now, why don’t you run along and rescue your companion while I deal with the automated defences?”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Of course! It’s me, and I’m you. We’re brilliant, aren’t we? What could possibly go wrong?” The past Doctor stepped through the open door and all the alarms started going off.
Eleven smirked. “Well, that for a start.”
“I thought you’d already disabled the alarms!”
“I might have if you hadn’t been talking in my ear the whole time. Good luck!” The Eleventh Doctor dashed away, leaving the Eighth Doctor fumbling to disconnect the alarms. One little mistake! At least he was never in danger of blowing up the entire complex.
Ah well, sometimes a bit of humility was good for the soul. Besides, it shouldn’t take long to fix this and then he’d deal with the defence systems. Good thing he’d happened by, really. His future self was a disaster looking for a place to happen.
The End
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