Vortex Butterflies (comic story)

 was the fourth story of the third year of Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor comic story series, published in 2017.

Part 1
The day after the incident with the Red Jade General, the Tenth Doctor, Gabby Gonzalez, Cindy Wu, and Noobis are checking the ruins of the General's palace, to make sure he is truly destroyed and couldn't have escaped. Despite the fact that something is bothering the Doctor, there are no signs the General survived.

Cindy's clones, after being given names by the original Cindy, say farewell to Gabby, before departing. Gabby walks away from the group, crying, with Cindy following her. The Doctor is worried, but gets distracted by the TARDIS making strange noises.

Cindy tries to comfort Gabby by coming up with a name for the one clone she didn't name, but her calm demeanor upsets Gabby. Gabby can't get the image of a clone who died out of her head, because it could've been the original Cindy who died. Neither Gabby nor Cindy can regenerate like the Doctor can. To Gabby, every life is precious, including Cindy's clones.

The two hear the TARDIS making noise. Gabby can tell that the TARDIS is unhappy. The two head back to the TARDIS, where Noobis tells them that the Doctor has detected an anomaly that's affecting the TARDIS. Cindy takes a moment to look back outside and say goodbye to her clones, before stepping back in. The TARDIS dematerialises as the clones continue on their journey.

The Doctor reveals that the fortress was clear, but that the TARDIS has somehow gotten a case of the hiccups. The TARDIS gathers up energy for maintenance purposes, but right now, is absorbing some minor Vortex Oscillations. As far as the Doctor is concerned, it's nothing to worry about right now, but is something to keep an eye on.

Time passes, with the Doctor and his companions having adventures, including a visit to the planet Aramuko, where Noobis decides to stay for a while. Gabby is affected by that particular trip, because she's started having a strange, recurring dream.

Sometime after this, the Doctor lands the TARDIS in a house he owns at Willesden, in the year 2009. He's decided to leave Gabby and Cindy here to get some time to relax. Gabby isn't fooled. She knows something is wrong, especially since the TARDIS is still acting strange, and the Doctor is purposely leaving them behind so he can investigate. She's worried that the Doctor will end up needing them. The Doctor reassures her, asking her to trust him. He heads back into the TARDIS and departs.

He lands on a desolate planet and exits the TARDIS, calling out for whoever sent him a message to come here. Walking a short distance, he sees another version of his TARDIS and is greeted by the Twelfth Doctor. The Tenth Doctor knows his future self wouldn't have set up this meeting unless it was serious and knows it has to do with the strange anomalies. He realises the Twelfth Doctor is going to tell him that the anomalies are emanating from his own TARDIS. Since the Twelfth Doctor is here, the Tenth Doctor knows he'll find the solution. However, according to the Twelfth Doctor, he won't like that solution.

The Tenth Doctor points out that giving him a warning is pointless, as he won't remember this encounter, but the Twelfth Doctor reveals that there are enough reinforced temporal echoes around this event to help the Tenth Doctor retain certain helpful impressions.

Going over to a rock wall, the Twelfth Doctor draws Gallifreyan symbols on it with a piece of chalk. He talks to the Tenth Doctor about Rogue Vortex Artifacts and how dangerous they are. He also comments on Gabby and Cindy, Gabby in particular, causing the Tenth Doctor to realise something. Before the Tenth Doctor departs, the Twelfth Doctor gives him the piece of chalk, saying it might help him remember more of this encounter than he would've normally been able to.

Back on Earth, Gabby and Cindy look at the supplies the Doctor had left for them to use. Gabby is worried that a rift is forming between her and the Doctor, because she got too close to him, and thus he's pushing her away. Cindy tries to reassure Gabby, but Gabby ends the conversation, because she can sense someone is at the door. Cindy goes to investigate, but the power suddenly goes out. Going back to Gabby, Cindy is horrified to see that Gabby is surrounded by a strange aura and glowing butterflies.

Part 2
The Doctor lands the TARDIS on the Mechma Onzlo III Station, where he is greeted by Onzlo and Marteek, old friends of his. He's come here to get a device he can use to record temporal wakes and register any kind of vortex spill. Normally, the Doctor could build such a device himself, but he's in a hurry and it would be quicker for him to adapt an existing device. Checking his inventory, Onzlo finds a Xerobian Quantisized Radiant Core Monitor. However, it's currently stored on the other side of the station, so the Doctor joins the duo for drinks, while he waits for the monitor to be brought to him.

Back on Earth, Gabby is aware of a person outside and predicts what that person is going to do, before the aura and butterflies vanish. She tells Cindy to get down seconds before a sonic attack fills the room. A woman enters through the back door and apologises to the two. She had detected a localized time anomaly. She introduces herself as Sarah Jane Smith. The Doctor had asked her to look in on the duo. As Sarah helps Cindy to her feet, Gabby falls unconscious. Scanning her, Sarah determines that Gabby has a mild fever and is completely exhausted, but is going to be fine. The two let Gabby rest while they talk. Sarah reveals that she was a former companion of the Doctor, even showing some pictures she has. After ordering some food, she asks Cindy to tell her everything. Cindy breaks down over what happened to her and her clones.

Meanwhile, the Doctor is dreaming about his time at the Academy, being lectured by Borusa. He is awakened by Marteek, who has brought over the monitor. The Doctor then discovers that, in his sleep, he had used the piece of chalk to draw Gallifreyan symbols all over the TARDIS. He activates the monitor and gives it the name "Marcie". He tells Marcie to record the symbols on the TARDIS, and then to scan for any temporal phenomena beyond the TARDIS. Marcie doesn't find anything, bu there is interference being caused by some of the equipment on the station. The Doctor say goodbye to Marteek, before departing with Marcie in the TARDIS.

He moves the TARDIS to an empty region of space, so that Marcie can try the scan again. Marcie warns him that the scan will take time, but the Doctor tells it to take all the time it needs.

Back on Earth, Gabby awakens from a lucid dream to discover she has written some Gallifreyan symbols in her journal. Going downstairs, she is greeted by Cindy and Sarah. The moment Gabby touches Sarah's hand, she gets a vision of Sarah and the Fourth Doctor encountering Sutekh. Cindy decides to send a text to the Doctor. Sarah offers some breakfast to Gabby.

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor has determined that there are no emanations or any evidence of anomalies from the TARDIS at all. He asks Marcie if it has found anything yet. However, Marcie hasn't found anything. It asks the Doctor if the symbols, temporal equations, were of any use to him. Unfortunately, the equations are useless to the Doctor without the proper context.

Marcie then detects something. However, it is having trouble defining the data, let alone interpreting it. Adjusting the scan to eliminate all wake activity from the TARDIS, Marcie is unable to produce a visual image. Extrapolating the data, Marcie determines that it is detecting a song and that it is getting closer. Since Marcie can't produce an image, the Doctor heads over to the door to take a look. Looking outside, the Doctor is shocked to see a large Vortex creature, in the form of a butterfly.

Part 3
The Vortex Butterfly sends a tendril of energy at the TARDIS. It enters the control room, circles around the console, and then returns to the Butterfly. The Doctor orders Marcie to patch into the navigational systems, so they can follow the Butterfly.

Back on Earth, Sarah has finished all the scans she can on Gabby and finds nothing wrong with her. Sarah offers to show the two around London.

The TARDIS has arrived at one of the emptiest gulfs of space in the universe. However, there is a rogue star system in this sector of space, one that shouldn't be there at all. The Doctor scans the system, determining that the star is made of degenerate, exotic matter. However, a nearby planetoid, isn't experiencing any radiation it should be experiencing from the star. Marcie detects an artificial plasma umbrella around the planetoid, and that the it has habitable conditions. The Doctor decides to investigate, despite the TARDIS being hesitant to land on the planetoid.

Back on Earth, Cindy asks Gabby if she wants to explore London with her, but Gabby declines, as she's signed up for an art class. Cindy is disappointed, because she wants to spend some quality time with Gabby, without any of the usual stuff involved with travelling with the Doctor. Gabby tells Cindy that she can't give Cindy what she wants. Cindy points out the Gabby doesn't know what Cindy wants, as the two haven't really talked to each other since China. Gabby admits that she doesn't even know what she wants. Listening to Sarah made Gabby realise how incredible her life is. However, she knows that it might end one day. She needs some ordinary life experience for today, and drawing is how she does that. It calms her, reminds her of who she is. Gabby exits the house, leaving behind a saddened Cindy.

Back at the planetoid, the TARDIS has successfully landed on it. The Doctor tells Marcie to wait in the TARDIS and to not come out unless he calls for it. Stepping outside, the Doctor calls out a greeting, only for his sonic screwdriver to fly out of his hand. Understanding the Butterfly's desire for him to not use any devices, the Doctor tells it about why he came, about the problem affecting the TARDIS. He expresses his hope that the Butterfly can help him find a solution to the problem.

Back on Earth, weeks have passed. Cindy is enjoying her time in London, but she finds herself not only missing Noobis, but also missing Gabby, despite the fact the two live in the same house. Sarah offers Cindy a cup of tea, and the two talk. Cindy suggests that Sarah could become the leader of the Earth, but Sarah shoots that down. Being where she is, saving the planet, is where's she's needed. A person has to know where their talents lie, like Gabby. Sarah is amazed at Gabby's drawings.

Sarah notices that Gabby hasn't returned from class yet. Cindy laments that it's Gabby's way of coping with everything. Sarah looks at one of the pictures, containing an image of the Cindy clone that was killed by the Red Jade General. Cindy explains what happened to her and about how her death has shaken Gabby. Sarah theorises that maybe Cindy feels the way she does about Gabby, because Gabby helped her clones/ancestors. Cindy has always felt like she knew Gabby forever. She associates Gabby with protection, bravery, loyalty, and even love. Sarah suggests that maybe Cindy simply loves Gabby, because she's Gabby.

Cindy is amazed, wondering how Sarah is just able to know things. Sarah explains that it comes from experience. She tells Cindy that she once knew a lovely, brave, silly man. It took her years to realise how he felt about her, but by that time, it was too late. She advises Cindy to not make the same mistake she did.

Over at the art class, Gabby is singing as she draws. The song travels from Earth all the way to the planetoid where the Doctor is. He hears the song and looks up to see that the Vortex Butterfly has appeared. He greets the Butterfly, wondering just what it is. He knows it's a native to the Time Vortex, but one he has never seen before. He tells it that he finds it both beautiful and a little scary, like any force of nature. He then talks about the rogue system, noticing that it had been created by the Butterfly scavenging bits of other systems from all over the universe. But, such an action is insane, as it have taken a great deal of time to accomplish, almost more time than the universe has existed, so far. Of course, the Doctor knows that both he and the Butterfly know that it's a human way of perceiving time. This begs the question of how the Butterfly, a native to the Vortex, ended up with a human perception of time, and how did it get here. The Butterfly responds, tell the Doctor that he left it here.

The Doctor is surprised, as he's sure he's never met the Butterfly before, but it insists that he left it there. The Butterfly starts shooting energy bolts at the ground as it talks about the Doctor's existence. At that moment, Marcie appears in the doorway, intending to warn the Doctor about something, but the Butterfly kills Marcie, insisting that the Doctor not use any more gizmos. The use of the word "gizmos" makes the Doctor realise, in horror, that the Butterfly is Gabby.

Back on Earth, Gabby is singing and drawing, not noticing her fellow students are reacting in horror to something, until the time equations she's drawn on her picture rise off the paper and float upward. Looking up, Gabby sees that the Vortex Butterfly has appeared in the sky, and she can see images of people she knows, including the Doctor.

Part 4
to be added

Characters

 * Tenth Doctor
 * Gabby Gonzalez
 * Cindy Wu
 * Twelfth Doctor
 * Sarah Jane Smith
 * Young Time Lord
 * Boris
 * Marcie
 * Noobis
 * Siffhoni
 * Wu Diaspora
 * Grumpy
 * Dopey
 * Dipsey
 * Maggie
 * Hopey (2-B-01)
 * Cutie (17-B-21)
 * Boo-boo
 * Be-Bop
 * Lula
 * Lulu
 * Leia
 * Han
 * Chewie
 * Changpoo
 * Cheesy
 * Sexy
 * Snuggly
 * Snoopy
 * Sulu
 * Scotty
 * Uhura
 * Sweetie
 * Sweetums
 * Genghis
 * Funshine
 * Tenderheart
 * Dingbang
 * Yusheng
 * Chuckles
 * Gigi
 * Zha-Zha
 * Kermit
 * Gonzo
 * Fozzie
 * Shaggy
 * Daphne
 * Dee-Dee
 * Joey
 * Iggy
 * No-Name
 * Fake Cyberdudes
 * Onzlo
 * Marteek
 * Groske

Continuity

 * The opening of this story occurs directly after the end of COMIC: Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth.
 * While discussing dragons, Gabby recalls the one that allied with Sutekh. (COMIC: The Infinite Corridor, Old Girl)
 * Gabby mentions the previous time the Doctor took her to London. (COMIC: Revolving Doors)
 * The Twelfth Doctor references Rose Tyler and tells the Tenth Doctor he'll get over her. (TV: Doomsday, et al)
 * The fact the Tenth Doctor will forget meeting his future self is discussed. (TV: The Day of the Doctor, COMIC: Four Doctors)
 * The Twelfth Doctor again expresses a fondness for Gabby, saying he should've "kept her". (COMIC: Four Doctors)
 * The "Blinovitch Intervention" is mentioned in similar context to the Blinovitch Limitation Effect. (TV: Mawdryn Undead; COMIC: Four Doctors)
 * The Tenth Doctor assumes the Twelfth Doctor is his final incarnation as he will have no more regenerations; he believes himself to be the penultimate incarnation. (TV: The Time of the Doctor)
 * The Twelfth Doctor makes several references to characters' large eyes. (TV: Dark Water, et al)
 * The Twelfth Doctor restates how, when it comes to time travel, ripples can turn into waves. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks, The Girl Who Died)
 * When Gabby touches Sarah's hand, she senses that Sarah has also met Sutekh. (TV: Pyramids of Mars)
 * The TARDIS toolbox used by the Doctor is similar to the one used by the Seventh Doctor at the end of his life. It is silver instead of made of leather, and has some of the same tools strapped to the lid. (TV: Doctor Who)
 * Cindy says that the Doctor once told her and Gabby that he was worried he would fashion them into weapons, to which Sarah replies that "Davros really got to him". (TV: Journey's End)
 * Sarah says that the Doctor "walks in eternity". He previously said these words to her himself. (TV: Pyramids of Mars)
 * Learning that both Gabby and Cindy have encountered doppelgangers, Sarah recalls her android duplicate. (TV: The Android Invasion)
 * The Doctor is being spied on by a Groske (TV: Death of the Doctor) working for the Time Sentinels. (COMIC: Old Girl)