Hearing me say that, the guy across from me thought for a moment, then looked up at me. "I think you'd be better off cooperating with me. At the very least, working with me would be far more worthwhile and much safer for you."
I smiled.
He said, "Others may come looking to cooperate with you too, but the terms they offer probably won't be very good. Think it over carefully. I'll give you some time, but don't take too long. You should know I don't have that much patience, and they won't give me much time either!"
"Who are they?"
"The other Doctors. You've probably met them before, but they like playing mind games, so even if they want to cooperate with you, they'll put on an act. And there are also the other us. Yes, exactly what you're thinking—other versions of you from parallel space-times. They may not be as friendly toward you as I am."
"Why do you have to cooperate with me?"
He hesitated for a moment. "I can't tell you that."
I sneered. "Even if you don't tell me, I know. There's something behind me that you fear."
"All right, you're right. Of course, the terrifying existence behind you is only a secondary reason for choosing to work with you. What we really hope is to make use of that miraculous power you possess. But don't think your power is invincible. We simply don't want to make meaningless sacrifices. I'll give you two days. I'm sure you have a way to keep track of time. Just two days. If you can't give me a satisfactory answer after that, I'll destroy you."
With that, he turned and started to leave without looking back.
I said, "Aren't you afraid I'll cooperate with someone else during these two