"You know me?" the Eleventh Doctor asked.
"Now that things have happened, is there anyone who doesn't recognize you?" Ian asked.
"Am I so famous? I didn't know it," the doctor replied, adjusting his tie with a proud look on his face.
"Be vigilant; we are in enemy territory now," the woman said. "I told you this could be a trap, but you just didn't listen."
"If we don't come, how will we know if it's a trap or if someone really needs help?"
"He has a point," Ian interjected.
"You're the one who lured us here and captured us. Your opinion doesn't count."
"You must be the legendary Clara·Oswald."
"Do you know me? And what do you mean by 'legendary'?"
"You are more famous and important than you think," Ian said, walking towards them. The doctor stood in front of Clara, but Ian didn't care, observing him like a rare specimen.
"What an interesting species."
"Are you the kind of lunatic who likes to collect rare species?" the doctor asked, Ian stopped:
"Technically speaking, I am, but that's not what I'm here for."
"Then why are you here?"
"You'll find out soon," Ian replied, handing him a small object. "Now, please put your finger in it. I need a little blood sample from you."
The doctor stared at him without moving.
"Listen, although you were captured, I did not put shackles on you or use force. Since we can talk civilly, why not cooperate?"
After a brief hesitation, the doctor put his finger into the device and felt a tingling sensation. Ian looked at the data on the screen in front of him and smiled:
"What an interesting species. The energy of time is actually deeply bound to your DNA and even your soul."
"Now, can you tell me why you brought me here?"
Ian did not answer immediately, but walked towards TARDIS. A device began to scan the blue box, while Ian looked on with fascination.
"Are you here for my TARDIS?"
"Yes and no," Ian finally replied. "To be precise, my main target is Clara - the girl who cannot exist."
"Me? Why do you need me? I'm just an ordinary person, an ordinary Clara."
"Oh, you are not ordinary at all," Ian replied. "In your future journey, some events will occur, and the winds of time will tear you into millions of echoes or fragments, scattered throughout the Doctor's timeline."
"Torn apart? Does that mean I'm going to die?"
"I see," the doctor muttered to himself. "No wonder I always meet different versions of her at different points in time." He remembered the barmaid and tutor he met in the 19th century London - Clara·Oswin·Oswald.
He had mourned her death, but soon found another Clara in the 21st century. However, she had no memory of the past and looked like a completely different person. Now, he finally understands why.
"So, why do you need Clara's help?"
"To find Gallifrey."
"Impossible. Gallifrey has been destroyed. I have ensured this with my own hands." The doctor couldn't hide the pain in his voice. Clara saw this and held his hand tightly.
"Since I know your future, do you think I will make the right mistake?"
"You mean...?"
"You changed the past. All twelve of your reincarnations joined forces and banished Gallifrey into a pocket dimension of Time Stop. Apparently, that was the way to end Time War and prevent it from spreading to the entire universe."
The doctor looked at him and suddenly laughed wildly, "2.47 billion people - I didn't kill them."
"Are you okay?" Clara asked with concern, but the doctor laughed wildly for several minutes before stopping. Finally, he adjusted his suit and tie.
"Thank you for telling me this."
"It's okay, you will find out sooner or later."
"Having said that, who knows how long it will take? Who knows how long I will have to suffer with this guilt?"
"That's true," Ian nodded.
"Then, why are you looking for Gallifrey?"
"For their time technology," Ian answered frankly, his eyes still fixed on TARDIS.
"That's extremely dangerous stuff."
Ian didn't look at him and replied calmly, "My family, friends, and trillions of people are counting on me to get that technology, and I will do whatever it takes to succeed."
The doctor's heart beat violently. He noticed the desperate determination in this man, just like when he decided to end Time War by any means necessary. He knew very well that such determination was often accompanied by terrible consequences.
"Are you a mage?" the doctor suddenly asked, Ian's movements obviously paused, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you, but I didn't expect you to see it so quickly."
"Mage? Are you talking about magic?" Clara asked doubtfully.
"Yes."
"Is magic real?"
"It was," replied the Doctor.
"What do you mean?"
"In ancient times, magic was a powerful force in the universe. However, the rise of Time Lord reshaped the universe, replacing the laws of magic with scientific laws as the basis for constructing reality."
"You can actually do such a thing?"
"Yes," the doctor nodded. "Are you and your people survivors of the ancient magical civilization?"
"You don't need to know my background," Ian replied. "I just ask that you cooperate and stay out of my way. When I get what I want, I will leave and we will never meet again."
"Okay, I won't ask anymore, but I still have some concerns. What will happen to Clara?"
"She'll be fine; she's just acting as a medium or guide to get me to my destination. As long as her mission is accomplished, there won't be any problems."
"I believe you for the time being," the doctor commented. "What about Gallifrey? What will it face?"
"I just need their database. When I'm done, you can decide for yourself whether you want to keep them there or allow them to return to the universe."
The doctor was speechless for a moment and didn't know how to respond. He knew very well the corruption and depravity of Time Lord after taking absolute power. It may not be a wise move to allow such a civilization to return to the universe.
"Okay, so what do we do?"
"We started with TARDIS, and this is back to you." Ian returned Sonic Screwdriver to him - a move that surprised the doctor. After a moment, he walked into TARDIS, followed closely by Ian.
Ian knew that he was taking a huge risk by entering TARDIS, because he knew very well what terrible things the doctor hid inside.
However, after careful calculation and considering the latter's peace-loving nature, he believed that the risk was worth taking. Of course, he also had a backup plan - after all, they were still inside Netheril, which was his home court.
'Morgana, how is the situation?'
'I've put spyware into that screwdriver.'
'Will he find out?'
'Yes, but the key is how long it will take for him to find out. According to my calculations, this will take some time, but I don't know if this time is enough for us to complete the plan.'
Ian nodded secretly. He knew the importance of that thing to the doctor, so he had to monitor it at all times. Of course, he also understood that the other party's unparalleled wisdom was his greatest reliance.
'It's okay,' he nodded.
'It's a pity that we can't go directly to the pocket dimension where Gallifrey is,' Morgana complained. The laws of this universe place too many restrictions on them.
Therefore, their technology no longer has an overwhelming advantage and cannot crush everything. Because of this, they cannot take a simple and crude approach to many things and must proceed with caution.
'What are you complaining about? Isn't this what we expected?'