Time Heist

(Open POV)

Clara's flat…

The Tardis is parked in the living room for a change. The Doctor is in the tiny kitchen watching Clara's washing spinning in the machine whilst she checks her makeup in the dressing table mirror. Jared is playing on his Nintendo Switch and the Doctor is going round and round with the garments.

"The Satanic Nebula." The Doctor said, looking at the little goldfish in the bowl on the counter. "Or the lagoon of lost stars. Or we could go to Brighton. I've got a whole day worked out."

"Sorry, but as you can see, I've got plans." Clara said, while she is in an open-necked white blouse with a thin black tie knotted halfway down her chest, black trousers with stilletto heels and is putting on a black jacket.

"Another date with Danny?" Jared asked, looking up from his Nintendo Switch at Clara.

"Yeah." Clara said, as Jared looked back down at his Nintendo Switch.

"Have you?" The Doctor asked.

"Look at me."

"Yeah, okay."

"No, no, no. No. Look at me."

"Yep, looking."

"Seriously?" Jared asked, his Nintendo Switch in his hands. "Clara looks good for her date, and that's the response you give her."

"Clara, why is your face all coloured in?" The Doctor asked, looking at Clara.

Classroom - memory…

"7:15. Meeting me. You are. Date. Second one." Danny said, happily.

"Got the words out. Not in the right order, but, hey. Maths teacher." Clara said, smiling.

A young boy enters just as Clara and Danny are leaning in for a kiss.

"Out." Clara and Danny said, at the same time.

Clara's flat…

"Clara, are you taller?" The Doctor asked.

"She's wearing heels, Doctor Disco." Jared said, his Nintendo Switch in his hands.

"What, Clara, do you have to reach a high shelf?"

"Right, got to go. Going to be late." Clara said, happily.

"For a shelf?"

"Bye."

A proper, old-fashioned telephone rings. It is the emergency one in the Tardis.

"There you go, you've got another playmate." Clara said, smirking.

"Hardly anyone in the universe has that number." The Doctor said, sadly.

"Well, I've got it."

"Yes, from some woman in a shop. We still don't know who that was."

"Is that her now?"

"There are very few people that it could be."

"One of them could be me." Jared said, as the Doctor goes to answer the phone. "Don't answer the phone, Spaceman."

"Why not?"

"Haven't you watched horror movies? Something will happen if you answer the phone like that. Or did you not learn from the gas mask zombies?"

"What?"

"A thing." Clara said, frowning.

"Huh. It's just a phone, Clara, Jared. Nothing happens when you answer the phone." The Doctor said, picking up the receiver.

Room…

And the next thing is instead of the telephone, the Doctor is holding a large worm with a tiny pair of horns by its jaws up against his face. He screams and throws it onto the round table. Clara and Jared also scream and the two throw away some worms.

"Doctor? Jared?" Clara asked.

"Don't touch it, my Impossible Girl. They're memory worms." Jared said, rubbing his forehead.

"Where are we? How did we get here?" Clara asked.

A man with computer chips attached to the shaven right side of his head speaks. He is sitting to the left of Clara and the right of Jared with his hand on a worm.

"Who are you? Sorry, what's going on? I don't understand." Psi said, sadly.

On Psi's left is a dark-skinned woman. Her cheeks briefly bulge in imitation of the worm's horns.

"Argh! What is that thing?" Saibra asked.

"It's a memory worm." Jared said, still rubbing his forehead.

"What happened to your face?" Clara asked, looking at Saibra.

"Memory worms delete your memories. The Doctor and I used them in Victorian London long ago." Jared said, rubbing his forehead.

"Did you see her face?"

"How did I get here?" Saibra asked.

"The same way we all did, but we've all forgotten." The Doctor said, as there is a metal case in the middle of the table.

"And who are you?" Saibra asked.

The answers are broadcast through a speaker.

"I am the Doctor, a Time Lord from Gallifrey. I have agreed to this memory wipe of my own free will." The Doctor said, over the speakers.

"I am Clara Oswald, human. I have agreed to this memory wipe of my own free will. Do I really have to touch that worm thing?" Clara asked, over the speakers.

"Yes, you do. And change your shoes. You're next, Jared."

"I am Jared Shay, human. I have agreed to this memory wipe of my own free will. PSi, your turn." Jared said, over the speakers.

"I am Psi- augmented human. I have agreed to this memory wipe of my own free will." Psi said, over the speakers.

Psi takes a chip from his head and looks at it. It is marked Memory Compromised.

"I am Saibra, mutant human. I have agreed to this memory wipe of my own free will." Saibra said, over the speakers.

The case unlocks and opens with a golden light. It has two screens so that everyone can watch. An electronically manipulated voice speaks while a golden K in a circle is displayed, then a shadow in a hooded top, presumably the speaker. The voice has a slightly American style accent.

"This is a recorded message. I am the Architect. Your last memory is of receiving a contact from an unknown agency. Me. Everything since has been erased from your minds. Now, pay close attention to this briefing." The architect said, over the speakers.

The image now zooms into a huge building alone on a planet. It looks like an advertisement for the subject described.

"This is the Bank of Karabraxos, the most secure bank in the galaxy. A fortress for the super-rich. If you can afford your own star system, this is where you keep it. No one sets foot on the planet without protocols. All movement is monitored, all air consumption regulated. DNA is authenticated at every stage. Intruders will be incinerated." The architect said, over the speakers.

A woman breathes into a tube, but it stays red. Nozzles come out of the walls and burn her and her companion alive. Next shot is of an oriental couple placing a painting into a drawer.

"Each vault, buried deep in the earth, is accessed by a drop-slot at the planet's surface. It's atomically sealed, an unbreakable lock. The atoms have all been scrambled. Your presence on this planet is unauthorised. A team will have been despatched to terminate you." The architect said, over the speakers.

Someone hammers on the door and speaks through the grill.

"This is bank security. Open up." A guard said, nearby.

"Your survival depends on following my instructions." The architect said, over the speakers.

"Open up and you shall be humanely disposed of."

"There's another exit." Saibra said.

"All the information you need is in this case." The architect said, over the speakers.

Psi takes a chip from his head and plugs it into the case.

"Whatcha doing?" Jared asked, looking at Psi.

"Downloading." Psi said.

"Ah. Augmented. Nice." The Doctor said, smirking.

"The Bank of Karabraxos is impregnable." The architect said, over the speakers.

The Doctor takes a mobile phone sized item from the case.

"Please stand away from the door. We do not wish to hurt you before incineration." The guard said, over the speakers.

"The Bank of Karabraxos has never been breached. You will rob the Bank of Karabraxos." The architect said, over the speakers.

Glass shatters.

Office…

A woman in a very tight suit sits at a white table in a small white room and answers her intercom-on-a-stick.

"Report." Delphox said.

"Sorry, hello? Who is this?" A guard asked, over the speakers.

"This is Ms Delphox, Head of Bank Security. I sent you to investigate an off-world intruder."

"Did you? I was wondering what we're doing here."

Room…

"We found these amazing worms." The guard said, holding a memory worm.

Teller's room…

Ms Delphox leaves her desk and goes to the door. She breathes into a tube and it turns green, then opens the door to speak to guards in full armour standing by a misted up glass cage in the room next door.

"Unwelcome guests. We're going to need the Teller." Delphox said, tapping on the glass. "Are you hungry, boy?"

Delphox blows the thing inside a kiss.

(Jared's POV)

Corridor…

The five of us are running, the Doctor is trailing behind and getting out of breath.

"Okay, okay, okay. Stop, stop, stop. Far enough. Augmented human. Computer augmented, yes? Mainframe in your head?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm a gamer. Sorry, who put you in charge?" Psi asked.

"He's always in charge." I said, rubbing my forehead with my fingers. "Psi, you're lying. There's a prison code on your neck. Which means you're a criminal. What exactly?"

"I'm a hacker slash bank robber."

"Good. This is a good day to be a bank robber. Mutant human. What kind of mutant?" The Doctor asked.

"Like he says, why are you in charge now?" Saibra asked.

"It's my special power. What's yours?"

Saibra sighs and took my hand. For a few moments there are two of me, then Saibra lets go and changes back to her original self.

"I touch living cells, I can replicate the owner." Saibra said.

"Your face, when we first saw you…" Clara said, her eyes widening.

"I touched the worm."

"You can replicate their clothes too?"

"I wear a hologram shell."

The Doctor holds out the object he took from the case, "Human cells. DNA from a customer, maybe? A disguise to get us in?"

"We're actually going to do it? Rob the bank?" Clara asked.

"Don't think we have a choice. My Impossible Girl. We've already agreed to it." I said, sadly.

Saibra touches the object.

Outside the Bank…

A grey-haired man in a suit is walking with the Doctor, Clara, Psi, and I. Saibra disguised herself as Mister Porrima.

"How long can you maintain the image for?" The Doctor asked.

"For as long as I like." Porrima said, smirking.

Banking hall…

We entered the banking hall and Saibra/Porrima led the way through the massive open space.

"Okay. I have two questions. Where's the TARDIS? If we had it, it would make robbing a bank easy." I said, squeezing Clara's hand. "So why aren't we using it?"

"I don't know." The Doctor said, frowning.

An alarm sounds and security grills block all the exits.

The Bank computer has a friendly, slightly cheerful male voice, "Banking floor locking down."

"They know we're here." Porrima said.

"Banking floor locking down." The computer said.

Ms Delphox enters with two suited heavies and goes to a male customer. Then something with two-toed feet enters, wearing an orange prisoner jump-suit and its arms in a straight jacket. This being has its eyes on the end of flexible stalks. The Teller walks slowly with its armoured escort behind, holding onto the ends of its chains.

"What is that?" Porrima asked.

"I don't know. Hate not knowing." The Doctor said.

"Honestly. Same." I said, letting out a sigh.

"Excuse me, sir. I regret to say that your guilt has been detected." Delphox said.

"What? That, that's totally ridiculous." The customer said.

"Is it, sir? Well then, we will certainly double-check. The Teller will now scan your thoughts for any criminal intent. Good luck, sir." Delphox said, moving away.

The customer puts down his briefcase.

"Interesting." The Doctor said, in awe.

"What is?" Psi asked.

"The latest thing in sniffer dogs. Telepathic. It hunts guilt." The Doctor said.

A high pitched sound makes the unfortunate customer hold his head in pain.

"What about our guilt?" Clara asked.

"Currently being drowned out." The Doctor said.

"What's he doing?"

"If he has a plan, he's trying not to think of it."

"Clara, have you ever tried not thinking about something?" I asked, looking over at Clara.

"No." Clara said, sadly.

"You might have to do it."

The creature roars.

"Ah, criminal intent detected. How naughty. What was your plan? Counterfeit currency in your briefcase, perhaps?" Delphox asked.

"No, not at all. For God's sake." The customer said.

"It doesn't really matter, we'll establish the details later. The Teller is never wrong when it comes to guilt. Your account will now be deleted, and obviously your mind. Suppertime." Delphox said.

The armoured guards hold on to the creature's chains as it steps closer to the customer. It puts its eye stalks together and a pulsating ray is aimed at the customer's head. He clutches his head and Psi feels something, too.

"It's wiping his mind. Turning his brain into soup." The Doctor said.

"Your next of kin will be informed, and incarcerated, as further inducement to honest financial transactions." Delphox said.

The customer screams.

"We've got to help him." Clara said, frowning.

"It's too late, Clara. He's already gone. Once he thought of it, it's over." I said, letting out a sigh.

"He's in agony, look at him."

"Those aren't tears, Clara. That's soup." The Doctor said.

The creature separates its eye stalks. The man stops screaming and a suited heavy catches him. The front of his brain pan is caved in.

"Account closed. Take him away. He's ready for his close-up." Delphox said, using a microphone to broadcast. "Apologies for the disturbance. Everyone have a lovely day."

Deposit booth…

The five of us enter a small room with red walls broken up by faux marble columns. There is a computer interface on the wall opposite the ornate metal doors.

"Deposit booth locking. Please exhale. Your valuables will be transported up from the vault." The computer said.

Mister Porrima breaths into the tube. It turns green and Saibra changes back to herself. A case arrives.

"If he can break in here and plant this thing, then why does he need our help?" Psi asked.

"Depends what the thing is." The Doctor said, opening the case. "Okay, well, I'm no expert, but fuses, timer. I'm going to stick my neck out and say bomb." He looked over at Psi. "Bank schematic. Now."

Psi goes to one of the marble columns and plugs in. A screen appears.

(Open POV)

Office…

Ms Delphox is reading the guard's report, "So, the man we captured on the banking floor wasn't the target."

"Five visitors just entered a safety-deposit box." The guard said.

"The greatest bank in the galaxy. Our reputation must remain secure. The Director will blame us. We'll be fired. Fired with pain." Delphox said.

(Jared's POV)

Deposit booth…

Psi has got the schematics on view.

"The floor below is all service corridors, the veins and arteries of the bank." The Doctor said.

Psi disconnects himself.

The Doctor does a brief tap dance in the middle of the floor, "He wants us to blow through the floor."

"Doctor, you idiot! We'll die if we make an explosion!" I said, angrily.

"Well, not necessarily. There must be a plan." The Doctor said, looking over at me.

"What if the plan is, we're blowing up the floor for someone else? What if we're not supposed to make it out alive?" Clara asked.

"Oh, don't be so pessimistic. It'll affect team morale." The Doctor said, annoyed.

"What, and getting us blown up won't?" Saibra asked.

"Well, only very, very briefly."

"Er, no. No way. You can do you what you like. I'm going to take my chances out there." Psi said.

"Psi." Clara said, frowning.

"No, no, no. This guy, one of your mates, is a lunatic."

"What do you want, Psi, more than anything else? Whatever it is, it's in this bank. You agreed to rob the most impregnable bank in history. You must have had a very good reason. We all must have. Picture the thing you want most in the universe, and decide how badly you want it. Well?" The Doctor asked.

"Still don't understand why you're in charge." Psi said.

"It's the eyebrows that puts the Doctor in charge." I said, as the Doctor primed the device from the case.

The Doctor puts it in the middle of the floor and it starts to build up power. We all grab a piece of wall and waits. The power peaks, there's a brief flash, then the sound of distand machinery. We turn around and look down a hole in the floor.

The Doctor picks up the bomb, "Nice. Dimensional shift bomb. Sends the particles to a different plane. Come on then, Team Not Dead."

Outside the Deposit booth…

"Open up." A guard said.

We are underneath the booth. The Doctor returns the floor particles to this plane just before the guards stride in and look around, baffled.

Basement…

"Well, so, what are we supposed to do now? What's the plan?" Saibra asked.

"I don't know. The Architect set all this up. It should make sense. My personal plan is that a thing will probably happen quite soon." The Doctor said.

"Ah, so that's it. That's your plan?"

"Yep."

"A thing will happen?"

"A thing. Probably."

"Hey, Psi." Clara said, spotting another case. "Doctor. Jared."

"There you go. Thing time." The Doctor said, smirking.

"So, how did he get the cases here?" I asked, grabbing the strap of my sling bag.

"By breaking into the bank in advance of breaking into the bank."

"Well, how did he do that? And if he can do that, why does he need us?" Clara asked.

"Not our problem."

"Well, what is our prob-prob-prob-prob-pr?" Psi asked, sounding like a stuck CD.

"Are you okay?" I asked, walking over to Psi.

"Drive glitch. It's fine."

"Guilt is our problem. Guilt, in this bank, is fatal. The Teller can hear it. Ever since that first case was opened, we've been targets. The more we know about why we're here, the louder our guilt screams. That's why we wiped our memories. For our own safety. Now, once I open this, I can't close it again." The Doctor said.

"Would it be safer if only one of us learned it?" Psi asked.

"I'm waiting for you to volunteer."

"Er, why me?"

"Because you didn't need that memory worm, did you? You're half-computer. You can perform a manual delete. You can clear your thoughts."

"Okay." Psi said, carefully opening the case. "I don't know what it is. You may as well have a look. Well, what are they?"

"Don't know." I said, looking down at seven short tubes with metal ends, and pins that can be pulled out on top. "Don't recognize them."

"Not a clue." The Doctor said, sadly.

"Hmm, interesting." Saibra said, looking between the Doctor and I.

"What's up?" I asked, squeezing the strap of my sling bag.

"They're lying."

"Er, why would they be lyi-lyi-lyi-lying? Ugh. Sorry. Stress. Drains the batteries." Psi said, annoyed.

"Interface with this." The Doctor said, walking to a wall console.

"Do we have time for this?" Saibra asked.

"Well, why not? There's no immediate threat."

"You had to say it." I said, as an alarm sounded.

"Warning. Intruders detected." The computer said.

"I should stop saying things like that." The Doctor said, letting out a sigh.

"Intruders detected."

"Clara, Jared, you stay with Psi. Saibra, let's go and investigate."

"Intru…"

Psi jacks himself in to recharge, and blows dirt from a set of contacts on one of his removable chips, "Oh. Storm dust."

"Psi, you can delete your memories. Like manually." I said, my hand still clutching the strap of my sling bag.

"Yeah, it's not as fun as it sounds." Psi said, looking between Clara and I.

"I've got a few I wish I could lose." Clara said, frowning.

"Same. I wouldn't mind forgetting so it wouldn't hurt." I said, sadly.

"And I lost a few I wish I hadn't. No, I was, I was interrogated in prison. And I guess I panicked. I didn't want to be a risk to the people close to me, so…" Psi said.

"So you deleted your friends."

"My friends, anyone who ever helped me, my family."

"Your family?" Clara asked.

"Of course my family." Psi said, annoyed.

"How could you do that?"

"Well, I don't know." Psi said, letting out a sigh. "I suppose I must have loved them."

Corridor…

The Doctor kicks out a grill underneath a sign that says No Entry Under Any Circumstances, then helps Saibra out, "Aren't you going to ask me?"

"Why did you lie? Those hardware things, you know what they are." Saibra said.

"Exit strategy of sorts. How did you know Jared and I were lying?" The Doctor asked.

"I've had a lot of faces, I find them easy to read."

"Quite a gift."

"Gift?"

"It got us in here."

"Mutant gene. No one can touch me. If they do, I transform. Touch me, Doctor, and you'll be looking at yourself. I am alone." Saibra said, looking at the Doctor.

"Why?" The Doctor asked.

"Could you trust someone who looked back at you out of your own eyes?"

They hear a moan, and follow the sound to a row of cells.

"What was that?" I asked, and Psi, Clara, and I run and catch them up.

"Oh, my God. Why is he even still alive?" Clara asked, while we're looking at the customer with the caved in skull, being held up by chains manacled around his wrists.

The customer is not the only occupied cell.

"Don't know. Someone is watching us." I said, looking at a red light blinking nearby.

"Doctor. However this goes, whatever happens, don't let me end up like that." Psi said.

An alarm sounds.

"Intruders on the service level. Intruders on the service level." The computer said.

We run to another No Entry etc grill and the Doctor sonicks it.

"Now this says place to hide." The Doctor said.

Teller's room…

"Where are we?" Saibra asked.

The Doctor peers at the Teller in its humid glass case, and it reacts, "Nobody move. Nobody say a word. It's cocooned. Forced hibernation. Its power is probably dormant."

There are running boots and voices outside. The Teller moves.

"Clara. It's locked on to you. It may still be asleep. Don't wake it." The Doctor said, looking at Clara.

"Okay. How do I not do that?" Clara asked.

"Keep your mind blank. Block everything. Once it locks onto your thoughts, it won't let go."

The Teller growls gently. Clara closes her eyes.

"It's waking up. Keep blocking your thoughts, Clara. Don't think." The Doctor said.

"You got this, Clara." I said, while the creature roars.

"This way." Psi said.

Saibra sees legs running past another grill as the four of us return to the one we came through. Somehow she gets trapped, but I can't see how unless the creature somehow mentally grabbed her.

"Oh." Saibra said, frowning.

"Saibra!" Psi said, worried.

"She's still in there. How do we get her out?" Clara asked.

"It's scanning her brain." The Doctor said.

"Then what?" Psi asked.

"Soup."

"Then help her." Clara said, looking at Saibra.

"It's too late." I said, as Saibra is in pain. "I'm sorry, Saibra."

"What should I do? How can I get away?" Saibra asked.

"It's rooting through your brain. It's tasting all the secrets stashed inside. Any moment now, it will finish its sweep and start feasting on what's left." The Doctor said.

"And then I become one of those things we saw sitting in a cage?"

"Yes."

"Can you not get me out?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know how, once it's locked onto your thoughts."

"Exit strategy. That means what I think it means, right?"

The Doctor holds out one of the tubes to Saibra through the grill, "Atomic shredder."

"Painless?" Saibra asked.

"And instant." The Doctor said, frowning.

"When you meet the Architect, promise me something. Kill him."

"I hate him, but I can't make that promise."

"A good man. I left it late to meet one of those." Saibra said, using the shredder, and vanishes in bright blue light.

The Teller roars in frustration.

Outside the vault…

We exit through another grill. A big round vault door is at the end of this corridor.

"Right, vault. That's clear. What's not clear is what we do now." The Doctor said.

"Hey. Doctor. Are you okay?" I asked, squeezing the strap of my sling bag.

"No, I'm an amnesiac robbing a bank. Why would I be okay?"

"Because Saibra…" Clara said, grabbing my hand.

"What? Saibra is dead, we are alive. Prioritise if you want to stay that way." The Doctor said, looking between Clara and I.

"Oh, is that why you call yourself the Doctor? The professional detachment." Psi said, annoyed.

"Listen. When we're done here, by all means, you go and find yourself a shoulder to cry on. You'll probably need that. Till then, what you need is me." The Doctor said, walking away towards the vault.

"Underneath it all, he isn't really like that." Clara said, squeezing my hand.

"He really isn't. He's like a tsundere. Cold and rude on the outside. But he's sweet, kind, and caring on the inside." I said, happily.

"It's very obvious that the two of you have been with him for a while." Psi said, looking between Clara and I.

"Why?" Clara asked.

"Because you both are really good at the excuses."

The Doctor finds a case in a computer access alcove by the vault door, "Another gift from the Architect. Shall we unwrap it?"

(Open POV)

Teller's room…

The escape route has been found.

"The unbreakable bank. We must locate them. And Director Karabraxos must not know. When people get fired here, it's messy. Release the Teller into the tunnels." Delphox said.

(Jared's POV)

Outside the vault…

Psi jacks himself into the small device in the case and downloads its contents. It hurts. He then goes into the computer access alcove while Clara and I look at a printed card that was also in the case. TECH 251 ORG 339 PV.

"Right, the system looks like it's time-delayed. There are twenty four lock codes I need to break." Psi said.

"Shit." I said, hearing growling nearby.

"Doctor? It's coming. We're trapped." Clara said, sadly.

"Psi, how long?" The Doctor asked.

"As long as it takes." Psi said.

"It's locked on to one of our thought trails. We have to split up, minimise the brain signals."

"What happened to your professional detachment, Doctor?" Psi asked, while he held out his hand, and the Doctor gives him one of the shredders.

"No, no." Clara said, frowning.

"Don't do that." I said, squeezing Clara's hand.

"In case it finds me. It's my choice." Psi said, looking between Clara and I.

"Jared's right. You don't use that, okay? Promise me and Jared." Clara said.

"Time to run." Psi said, sitting down to work.

Corridor…

"Separate." The Doctor said.

Clara, the Doctor, and I go opposite ways through the maze of identical corridors, with me following the Time Lord.

"Right." I said, and the Teller moves slowly. "I don't like this one bit."

Outside the vault…

"Vault locks opening. Vault locks opening. 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17…" The computer said.

As the computer counts down, the red lights around the outside of the circular door turn green. Psi unplugs himself and runs.

Corridor…

Clara tries to hide as the Teller stomps nearer.

"Keep your mind clear, Jared. Keep your mind blank." The Doctor said, in my head.

Clara can hear the Teller's heavy breathing nearby, so she tries to make a break for it. But as Clara runs past the creature, it grabs her with its mind.

"Argh." Clara said, clutching her head.

"Shit." I said, as the Doctor and I heard Clara cry.

"Clara!" The Doctor said, worried.

Psi jacks into a wall, "Come on! Come and find me!"

Psi is uploading or downloading images of criminals from history from the Bank's database, including a Sensorite, Rocket Raccoon, Androvax, Groot, the Gunslinger, Nebula, Captain John Hart, Peter Quill, Skaldak the Time Warrior, a Slitheen, Gamora, a Weevil and the Trickster. The Teller releases Clara.

"Every thief and villain in one big cocktail. I am so guilty! Every famous burglar in history is hiding in this bank right now in one body. Come and feast! Clara? Jared? For what it's worth, and it might not be worth much, when your whole life flashes in front of you, you see people you love and people missing you. Well, I see no one." Psi said, standing in front of the Teller and pulls the ring from the top of the shredder with his teeth, like a grenade.

The Teller aims its beam at Psi, and he jabs himself with the shredder, then screams as he disappears. The Teller roars, and Clara runs.

Outside the vault…

"Three, two, one. Failed." The computer said.

Clara, the Doctor, and I run back to see one red light left.

"Vault unlocking failed." The computer said.

Clara tugs on the bars on the front of the door.

"It's not opening. Psi. He died for nothing." Clara said, sadly.

The Doctor goes to the computer alcove and uses his screwdriver.

"Multiple locks. Last one still in place." The Doctor said, opening up a nearby panel. "Atomic seal. Unbreakable, even for me. The Architect would know that. He wouldn't bring us all this way for nothing."

"He still got two people killed, Doctor Disco." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Exactly. There must be some logic."

"Some logic?" Clara asked.

"Come on, Architect. What else have you got?" The Doctor asked.

Thunder outside.

(Open POV)

Office…

"Report, please. What was the disturbance?" Delphox asked.

Banking hall…

"Solar storm. Getting worse. Interfering with our systems." The guard said.

This planet is so close to its sun that there is no time delay between the flare leaving the star and hitting the atmosphere.

(Jared's POV)

Outside the vault…

"A storm. The storm's tripping the system. That's what he's got, a storm." The Doctor said.

"How would he know when a storm would hit?" Clara asked.

"Of course. Stupid, stupid Doctor. Of course, of course." The Doctor said, laughing a lot.

"Of course, what?"

"Whoever planned all this, they're in the future. This isn't just a bank heist, it's a time travel heist. We've been sent back in time to the exact moment of the storm, to be in exactly the right place when it hits, because that's the only time the bank is vulnerable."

"Vault unlocked." The computer said.

"Yes." I said, when the big door swings open.

"The bank is now open." The Doctor said.

"Vault unlocked." The vault said.

"Come along, my Impossible Girl and Spaceman." I said, dragging Clara away.

Vault…

We step inside the golden vault lined with safety deposit boxes.

"It explains why we're not here in the Tardis." The Doctor said, sadly.

"Sorry, what?" Clara asked.

"The solar disruption would have made navigation impossible. The one time the bank is vulnerable is the one time we can't just land."

"Doctor? The code. The code that was in the last case. Look. Tech." Clara said, happily.

"Technology. 251. Find it." The Doctor said.

We hunt amongst the myriad of racks.

I found the right section, "There it is! Tech!"

We don't need a key to open the box. The Doctor opens the small case inside. It looks like a fat hypodermic syringe.

"It's a neophyte circuit." The Doctor said, while the syringe lights up blue. "I've only ever seen one once before. It can reboot any system, replace any lost data."

"Psi. That's what he came for, his reward." Clara said.

"So what did Saibra come for?" The Doctor asked.

ORG 339 contains a bottle.

"Gene suppressant." The Doctor said.

"She wanted to be normal." Clara said, her eyes widening.

"Being normal is a good thing if you can't take it anymore." I said, smiling.

"Everyone has a weakness. So the big question is this. What did we come for?" The Doctor asked.

"PV." Clara said.

"Private vault. Karabraxos's own fortune?" The Doctor asked, walking around the rack of boxes and straight into the Teller.

Office…

Two armoured guards stand behind the Doctor, Clara, and I. One has kept his helmet on. The Teller is also there.

"Intruders are most welcome. They remind us that the bank is impregnable. It's good for morale to have a few of you scattered about the place, preferably on view." Delphox said, and CCTV images of the brain-dead in the cells are on a section of the wall. "Are you ready for your close-up? If you're thinking of ways to escape, the Teller will know before you've even made a move. You'll never be bothered by all that thinking again."

"Useful species." The Doctor said.

"Last of its kind, and we've signed an exclusive deal."

"Must be noisy inside its head. Painful to listen to so much chatter, so many secrets. Must drive it wild. How can you force it to obey?"

"Oh, everything has a price tag, I think you'll find." Delphox said, while the storm rages overhead. "The storm's getting worse. The customers are leaving. Director Karabraxos will be concerned. Our jobs will be on the line."

"You're scared. Like, really scared." I said, looking at Delphox.

"Oh, I'm terrified. I have the disadvantage of knowing Karabraxos personally."

"Why would you stay if you don't like your boss?"

"My face fits. Now if you'll excuse me, I must take the Teller to its hibernation. You two, dispose of our guests." Delphox said, leaving with the Teller, and the door closes behind them.

The guards push Clara, the Doctor, and I up against the wall.

"Don't do this. I'm having a very bad day, and I do not want to be pushed around." The Doctor said, annoyed.

"You're wrong." The bearded guard said.

"Wrong?"

"It's not that bad a day. And you're being very slow."

"Why are you undoing my handcuffs?" The Doctor asked, while the bearded guard transforms into Saibra. "Saibra?"

The guard with the helmet on speaks.

"It looked like death." Psi said, taking off the helmet. "It was actually a teleporter."

Clara hugs Psi, "Oh, my God."

"Good, eh? You think we're dead, so the Teller thinks we're dead, and we play the creature at his own mind games." Psi said, happily.

"That's smart!" I said, excitedly. "Really smart."

"No, no. Wait, wait, wait, wait. What? Sorry, sorry, what? You, you, you're, you're alive?" The Doctor asked, looking between Psi and Saibra.

"Yeah, we're alive. Look at us. We're all alive." Saibra said, smiling.

"No, no, no, no. Not dead. Alive."

"There's an escape ship in orbit. Takes you right there. Oh, and there's this big blue box. Jared, some of your friends were in the big blue box. They said they were CPUs from the planet Celestia. Is that yours?" Psi asked.

"Yeah. That big blue box is the Doctor's." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag. "Of course. Neptune, Nepgear, Vert, Noire, Uni, Blanc, Rom, and Ram are there. I wanted to keep them all safe. I bet Neptune is eating pudding right now."

"Maybe." Clara said, walking over to me. "They're probably in the theater room or the game room."

"Well, this is good, I suppose. You'll be able to resume the mission. Gene suppressant. Antidote for your condition." The Doctor said.

Saibra takes the bottle from the Doctor.

"Memory giver. All your yesterdays." The Doctor said, while Psi takes the syringe. "There you go. Job done, paid in full. Clever old Architect."

"Very clever." Saibra said, smirking.

"I still hate him."

"Me too."

"Same here." I said, letting out a sigh.

"How were you paid?" Psi asked.

"I don't know. There's something in the private vault." The Doctor said.

Basement…

"What's that?" I asked, squeezing the strap of my sling bag.

"Supply line. It's the only oxygen down to the private vault. There's another one for water, for basic life support." Psi said.

"What, for a private vault?" Clara asked.

"Someone likes to hang out with their wealth." The Doctor said.

Private vault…

We look around the vault whilst listening to the Overture To The Abduction From The Seraglio by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, K384. Lots of small statuary around the place including a Buddha, Tutankamun's golden coffin. We enter through a grill, of course.

"Director Karabraxos? Excuse us, but we've come to rob you. So if you want to put your hands above your head, or…" The Doctor said.

The richly embroidered high backed chair spins round to reveal a woman identical to Ms Delphox with her hands up. The music ends.

"Or? You didn't bring any weapons. That's a bit of an oversight. Security, Karabraxos here." Karabraxos said.

"You're Karabraxos?" The Doctor asked.

"One moment."

"Director Karabraxos, is there a problem?" Delphox asked, on the monitor.

"Intruders in the private vault. Send me the Teller. I want to find out how they got in, and then I want to wipe their memories." Karabraxos said.

"Oh. She's a clone." I said, sadly.

"It's the only way to control my own security. I have a clone in every facility. Get on it right away."

"Yes, of course." Delphox said, on the monitor.

"And then hand in your credentials. You're fired, with immediate effect." Karabraxos said, looking at the monitor.

"But please, I've been in your service…"

"Ever since the last one let me down and I was forced to kill it. I can't quite believe that you're putting me through this again." Karabraxos said, and the transmission ends. "My clone. And yet she doesn't even protest. Pale imitation, really. Ha! I should sue."

"You're killing her? You just said…" Clara said, at a loss for words.

"Fired? I put all of the used clones into the incinerator. Can't have to many of moi scattered around."

"Sorry, you don't get on with your own clone?" Psi asked.

"She hates her own clones. She burns her own clones. Frankly, you're a career break for the right therapist. Shut up. Everybody, just, just shut up." The Doctor said.

"And what is this display now, as amusing as you are?" Karabraxos asked.

"Shut up. Just shut up, shut up, shut up, shutetty up up up." The Doctor said, running up to Saibra. "What, what did you say? What did you say? What did you say about your own eyes? De-shut up. Say it again."

"How can you trust someone if they look back at you out of your own eyes?" Saibra asked.

"I know one thing about the Architect. What is it that I know about the Architect? I know one thing. Something that I've known from the very start."

"What?" Clara asked.

"What's up?" I asked, clutching the strap of my sling bag.

"I hate him. He's overbearing, he's manipulative, he likes to think that he's very clever. I hate him! Clara, Jared, don't you see?" The Doctor asked, striking a handy gong. "I hate the Architect."

"What in the name of sanity is going on in this room now?" Karabraxos asked.

"We're getting sanity judgment from the self-burner. Do you mind if I borrow a little bit of paper?"

"And what are you doing now?"

"I'm giving you my telephone number." The Doctor said, picking up a piece of paper.

"Why?" Karabraxos asked.

The Doctor folds the paper over and writes on the outside, too, "Well, I thought you might like to call me someday."

It says, I Am A Time Traveller.

"Sorry, I thought we were getting along famously. Am I, like, misreading the signals or something?" The Doctor asked, as the solar storm rattles the building. "Oh, that was a big one, wasn't it? I think that your bank is about to close for good, Karabraxos. If I was you, I'd get going. Don't mind us, we'll just stay here and burn."

The alarm sounds as the solar flare sweeps across the planet and the Bank. The customers panic. Karabraxos is packing a bag containing a Fabergé egg.

"Hard to know what to take. The greatest treasures of the universe in just one suitcase." The Doctor said.

The building shakes again.

"Doctor, what's the plan? Is there a plan?" Clara asked.

"We can use the shredders and get us back to the ship." Saibra said.

"They're not shredders, they're teleports, and that's not the most interesting thing about them."

"What is the most interesting thing about those teleports?" I asked, looking at the Doctor.

"There were seven of them. Hey. Give me a call, call me some time." The Doctor said, looking at Karabraxos.

"Doors opening." The computer said.

"You'll be dead." Karabraxos said, sadly.

"Yeah, you'll be old. We'll get on famously. You'll be old and full of regret for the things that you can't change." The Doctor said.

Karabraxos gets into her personal lift.

"Doors closing." The computer said.

The Doctor makes a phone me gesture.

"Doctor, what the hell is going on?" Psi asked.

"Are you remembering?" Clara asked, looking at the Doctor.

"No, not a thing. But I'm understanding." The Doctor said, happily.

"What? What is it? What are you understanding?"

"I'm not sure yet. I need my memory back. And I think there's only one way to do that."

"Which would be?"

"Soup."

"Soup?"

"The Doctor wants to use the Teller to remember." I said, and I hear a ding noise and the elevator doors opened.

The Teller entered.

"Hello, big man. Peckish?" The Doctor asked.

The Teller grabs the Doctor's mind with its own.

"Doctor!" Clara said, worried.

The pain drives the Doctor to his knees.

"No, no. Let it take me. Let it read me. It's the only way." The Doctor said, sadly.

"It will kill you." Clara said, frowning.

"What have I told you about pessimism? That's it, that's it. There are so many memories in here. Feast on them. Tuck in. Big scarf, bow tie, bit embarrassing. What do you think of the new look? I was hoping for minimalism, but I think I came up with magician. In the last few days, there's been a block. Can you see the block? Tell me why I'm here. Show me why I'm here. Show me!" The Doctor yelled.

Clara's flat…

"It's just a phone, Clara, Jared. Nothing happens when you answer the phone." The Doctor said, the TARDIS phone in his hand.

Bedroom / Clara's flat…

An old woman lying in a bed is on the other end of the line, hooked up to various monitoring devices.

"Doctor?" Karabraxos asked.

"Hello?" The Doctor asked.

"You gave me this number. My name is Madame Karabraxos. I was once the wealthiest person in the Universe. I need your assistance. I'm dying, with many, many regrets. But one, perhaps, you may be able to help me with."

Clara's flat…

The Doctor replaces the receiver, "It's a little detour. It's a, it's a job, I've got to do it for someone. Come on."

Tardis…

"We need to rob a bank." The Doctor said.

"What?" Clara asked.

"Clara, Jared, I need worms." The Doctor said.

"Oh yeah. This is Time Heist." I said, and the Doctor set the time rotor going. "I know this adventure well."

The Doctor scrolls through various faces, including Psi, Saibra, and Mister Porrima, with whom he shakes hands then transfers the skin cells to the device in the first case.

"The Bank of Karabraxos has never been breached." The Doctor said.

Saibra and Psi delete their memories, then Clara and I stroke the worms.

"Architect." The Doctor said, working to disguise his voice.

"Architect." The TARDIS audio said.

"Architect."

"Architect."

"Architect."

"Architect."

"Architect."

Then the Doctor places the cases where they will be found later / earlier in the adventure.

"You will rob the Bank of Karabraxos." The Doctor said, revealing himself to be the shadow in the hooded top.

Private vault…

The Teller releases the Doctor.

"Did you see why we came? Why we're here? We had to delete our own memories, otherwise you'd have known, and then she'd have known, because you were mentally linked. But she's gone now. They've all gone. They have no power over you now. You can do exactly what you want to do now. Exactly what you've always wanted to do." The Doctor said.

A small lock turns on the wall.

"It knows the combination." Psi said.

"Yeah. It does. It was linked to Karabraxos." I said, happily.

"What exactly are we doing here? That thing killed people." Clara said, looking between the Doctor and I.

"Of course you'd do that. To protect everything and everyone you loved." I said, smiling.

The safe door swings open to reveal a second creature in a straight jacket. It wails.

"There she is. Not the last of its species. The last two." The Doctor said, while Psi and I worked to unchain her.

"It's okay. There's no need to worry. Everything's a-okay. The big scary lady is gone now!" I said, excitedly.

"Exit strategy. We've got seven shredders." Saibra said.

"Exactly. This wasn't a bank heist. It never was. It was rescue mission for a whole species. Flesh and blood, the last currency." The Doctor said, while the lights flicker. "Time to go home. What do you think of that, big man?"

A big roar.

Planet surface…

"So much mental traffic in the universe. Solitude is the only peace." The Doctor said.

Freed of their clothing and restraints, the two telepathic beings walk off together.

Tardis…

In flight, eating take-out with chopsticks. The CPUs from Celestia (Neptune, Nepgear, Vert, Noire, Uni, Blanc, Rom, and Ram) are eating the takeout with us too.

"Gioffre Borgia, mucho scary hombre, says to me, what do you think of our Leaning Tower of Pisa? I say…" The Doctor said, leaning sideways. "…it looks okay to me."

Laughter. Later, I'm saying goodbye to the goddesses from Celestia.

"I'm sorry about not bringing you girls on this adventure." I said, looking at the main characters from Neptunia.

"It's a-okay!" Neptune said, giving me a thumbs up.

"When will you come and see us?" Nepgear asked.

"I don't know." I said, pressing buttons on the TARDIS console and the wheezing noise stopped. "You're back at Gamindustri. Same time you all left."

"Thank you." Noire smiling.

Neptune, Nepgear, Vert, Noire, Uni, Blanc, Rom, and Ram exited the TARDIS console room.

Later, we're saying goodbye to Psi.

"If you ever need help with another bank heist…" Psi said, while the Doctor shakes his hand.

Clara hugs Psi, "Yeah, it's not really the Doctor's area."

"See ya, Psi." I said, walking up to Psi to hug him from behind. "Call me."

"I will." Psi said, looking at me.

The Doctor makes the Phone Me sign. Psi leaves.

Later, Saibra hugs the Doctor.

"See? I don't have your face now." Saibra said, happily.

"Yeah. I kind of miss that." The Doctor said, sadly.

"Oh, shut up." Saibra said, leaving the Tardis.

The Doctor rubs his arm where Saibra had squeezed him. And finally, the Doctor has brought Clara and I back home.

"7:12, local time, as promised. Go and enjoy yourselves. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." The Doctor said, looking between Clara and I.

"It's a date. You know, I've just realised. I'm going out for another meal now." Clara said, frowning.

"Don't worry. Calories consumed on the Tardis have no lasting effect."

"What? Are you kidding?!"

"Of course I'm kidding. It's a time machine, not a miracle worker. Bye, bye." The Doctor said, scoffing.

"See you. Don't rob any banks." Clara said, grabbing my hand.

"Don't rob any banks what?"

"Without me and Jared."

"Course not, boss."

"Seriously. Don't. Not unless it involves the Beat-Alls." I said, leaving the TARDIS with Clara. "Or it's a Powerpuff Bluff."

"Robbing a bank. Robbing a whole bank. Beat that for a date." The Doctor said, smirking.