Challenge #00979-B248: One Crowded Hour in a BBC Studio

In a tardis with a doctor while a time stream shatters

(Prompt from Triddin.)

"Just a few... crucial repairs," the Doctor emerged from under the ancient console and stared. Peter broke character. "Andy... You're in the next scene."

But it wasn't Andy Linden who spoke. It was William Hartnell. "What the devil is this person doing on the set? He looks like he fell into a donations basket instead of getting dressed. Verity! What's happening?"

A much, much younger Tom Baker strode into the room. "I dunno, maybe he's trying to identify with the young people. Oh hello. You're hardly young..."

"Rude," said Peter. He stood, looking for any help from the crew... but there were hundreds of crew. Overlapping.

And so were all the Doctors. William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann... Even David and Matt were here... and behind the cameras.

"I don't know about you," said Patrick, "But I think we're in a lot of trouble." He reached for the console...

"Don't touch that!"

What? thought Peter. But the command reached some part of his muscle memory and he snatched Patrick's hand away.

They dressed like they were from the Seventies. And they looked almost exactly like a very much younger Joanna Lumley and David McCallum.

But David was in America...

Something odd about them, too. Like they'd just stepped out of the uncanny valley.

"And who are you jokers?" Peter demanded. "Sapphire and Steel?"

They turned to face each other. "Fiction and fact," said 'Steel' as if the people overflowing each other in this room didn't matter.

"Intersecting in a perfect confluence of old and new. No wonder there's a warp." 'Sapphire' reached for the console. "Thousands... all over the world... believing in this."

"Hey, careful with that," said one of the blurring crew. "That's the original."

"Of course it is," said 'Steel'. "The perfect focus."

"This is ridiculous," mumbled Peter, he walked away from the console. The wall was solid enough. Even though all the other Doctor's weren't always so. "It's like I'm trapped in a bad fanfic..."

The world... hiccoughed. And he was back where he began. He knew better than to question anything. Best to get on with the show.

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