Cambridge Previsited (short story)

 was a Brief Encounter short story published in the Doctor Who Yearbook 1993.

Publisher's Summary
The first Doctor visits an old friend - who he hasn't met before! A new story by Doctor Who Magazine prize-winning writer Karen Dunn. Illustration by Paul Vyse.

Plot
Professor Chronotis is briskly walking through the campus of the University of Cambridge, reflecting on his choice to live on Earth for the last few centuries. He crosses a courtyard and enters the University's library. As he strolls through the library, he uses his mental powers to help students working on their assignments to correct their errors.

He is then approached by an elderly man in check trowsers and a black cape, who he instantly senses as another Time Lord. In fact, Chronotis is sure he has met this Time Lord before. The man scolds Chronotis for being late. Chronotis tells the man, who he now realizes is the Doctor, that the note he received telling him to "Meet me in the library fifteen minutes ago." didn't give him much time to get ready. The Doctor criticizes the professor, telling him that he should have used his TARDIS to get there early. After an awkward few seconds, the Doctor shakes Chronotis' hand, saying "Professor Chronotis, I presume?". Suddenly Chronotis panics, realizing that this is an earlier version of the Doctor than the one he met four years ago. This meeting could cause irreparable rifts in the Time Lines!

Chronotis takes the easy way out and says, "Have we met?". To his relief, the Doctor responds that he only knows of Chronotis from stories told on Gallifrey. The two begin having a pleasant conversation, which is brought to a swift end when Chronotis accidentally asks how "that young journalist" was doing. He blames the mistake on his old age and quickly changes the topic by asking if the Doctor has read Treasure Island. It is at this point that the Doctor decides that Chronotis is obviously going senile.

to be added

Characters

 * First Doctor
 * Chronotis

Continuity

 * The Doctor has already read The Time Machine. He would later read it again in his seventh and eighth incarnations (TV: Doctor Who). He would also later meet its author, H.G. Wells, during his second, (AUDIO: The Piltdown Men) sixth (TV: Timelash) and tenth incarnations (COMIC: The Time Machination), inspiring him to write the novel.
 * Approximately four years before meeting the First Doctor, Chronotis met the Fourth Doctor while he was travelling with a young journalist. According to HOMEVID: Shada this was in 1955.
 * Time Lords can recognise each other regardless of incarnation. (TV: The War Games, The Five Doctors, Utopia, The Sound of Drums)
 * The Doctor mentions that he settled on Earth "in a few years time". (TV: An Unearthly Child et al)