(SUBJECT: is man in late thirties. He has been kept in secure unit for three years. Prior to this, he was reported missing by his family for a year.)

SUBJECT: Why are you here to see me? More questions?

DOCTOR: A few more. For the record.

SUBJECT: I’m through explaining. You’ve heard it before.

DOCTOR: I haven’t. This is the first time we’ve spoken.

SUBJECT: Don’t give me that. You’ve sat in that little room behind the mirror.

DOCTOR: But this is still the first time we’ve spoken. So. Tell me where you were in 1992.

SUBJECT: (Laughs) You wouldn’t believe it.

DOCTOR: Why shouldn’t I? Are you lying?

SUBJECT: I’m not lying. I’m not lying. I don’t even care if you believe me or not.

DOCTOR: Tell me again. Where were you?

SUBJECT: I was on another world.

DOCTOR: Not on Earth?

SUBJECT: Yeah, it was Earth, just not our one. Listen.. I’m not lying.

DOCTOR: How did you know it wasn’t this Earth? What was different?

SUBJECT: It was sort of the same. It was the same year, and the same countries and stuff. But there was a war going on. A pretty bad one.

DOCTOR: Tell me about it. Who was fighting?

SUBJECT: Everyone. Back in ’89, so I was told, there was this invasion.

DOCTOR: Who invaded? The Soviets?

SUBJECT: (Silence)

DOCTOR: What’s the matter? Why don’t you answer?

SUBJECT: I’m sick of telling you this. I’ve told this story a hundred times before.

DOCTOR: Actually, this is the twenty fifth time.

SUBJECT: I’m not saying anything more. I’m leaving this place.

DOCTOR: That’s not going to happen. You aren’t well enough yet.

SUBJECT: What about my family? Do they even know I’m here?

DOCTOR: Your family are fine. They don’t worry about you anymore.

SUBJECT: What?

DOCTOR: It’s not important. Tell me about the invasion.

SUBJECT: They were aliens, okay? Bugs from space. They came, they saw, and they almost conquered. If it wasn’t for the Americans and Chinese sending that shuttle up, we’d all be bug-food.

DOCTOR: But there was no invasion, was there? There’s no war going on.

SUBJECT: Not here. We were lucky.

DOCTOR: I don’t understand.

SUBJECT: Neither do I.

DOCTOR: Do you consider yourself to belong here or there?

SUBJECT: What?

DOCTOR: Where do you belong? Here, or the other Earth?

SUBJECT: They didn’t lock me up back there. I’ll take them over you bastards.

DOCTOR: What did you do over there?

SUBJECT: I looked myself up. I had been... I was killed during the initial stages of the war. My wife was dead, and my kids were missing. I met up with some soldiers who had left their unit, and I joined up with them to fight the bugs.

DOCTOR: Have you had any military training?

SUBJECT: No. I was a computer programmer.

DOCTOR: It seems unlikely that a programmer would end up fighting as a soldier.

SUBJECT: It happened, whether you think it likely or not.

DOCTOR: You have been unable to provide us with any proof as regards your story.

SUBJECT: I don’t need to. You know I’m telling the truth.

DOCTOR: (Silence)

SUBJECT: That surprised you, didn’t it? You weren’t expecting it.

DOCTOR: Explain.

SUBJECT: Well, when I was over there, I met others from here. Some of them had been jumping back and forth for years. Nearsiders, they called themselves. I guess I’m one as well.

DOCTOR: Where did you here that term? Here?

SUBJECT: (Laughs) You are so predictable. I heard it before, during the war with the bugs. They warned me about coming back. They said that the government would try and catch me. You’ve done it before, and you’ll do it again.

DOCTOR: What do you intend to do about it? You’re locked in a secure facility, your family thinks you’re dead, and you are totally alone.

SUBJECT: You’re pretty smug, aren’t you? You shouldn’t be. Oh no.

DOCTOR: I’m not the one tied to a chair.

SUBJECT: There’s more than one other Earth out there. I’ve been to a few, you know.

DOCTOR: You didn’t tell us that before.

SUBJECT: I know. There was a reason. You might have heard of a world called Earth Thirteen. It’s pretty interesting for several reasons.

DOCTOR: We... I haven’t heard of it.

SUBJECT: It’s a well kept secret amongst the Nearsiders. It lets me know a few things. I spent a month there.

DOCTOR: So what?

SUBJECT: Don’t be so cocky. You don’t know what I know. I made a few arrangements before I came back, in anticipation of my current status.

DOCTOR: What do you mean? Are you saying you knew you’d be here?

SUBJECT: (Leans forward) Your name is Susan Hayward. You’re married with two children, Martha and Carl. She goes to Kindergarten on the USAF base. Here, on the base, I should add. Carl is in a private school just outside Washington. Your husband, Alan, is driving home from a conference with General Wilson, who runs this project. He will shortly drive through a red light, and end up being killed in a collision with a school bus. It’s empty, thankfully.

DOCTOR: Oh my god. Security ! Get security in here !

SUBJECT: In three months time, you will miscarry your child.

DOCTOR: How did you know? No one knows ! Not even Alan !

SUBJECT: (Silence).

DOCTOR: You’re a monster.

SUBJECT: No, I’m not. I’ve warned you. There’s still time to save them both.

DOCTOR: If he dies... I’ll kill you.

SUBJECT: No, you won’t. I’ll be gone in a couple of hours, so forget about it. Go and save your husband, you stupid bitch. He’s got about five minutes to live.

(End of excerpt)