The Winter of Discontent

The Winter of Discontent is the first full story in the Divergence chronology, following on from the prologue. Written by series creator Brogan Young, it was published in two parts, from 23rd - 30th August 2015. It marks the first full adventure featuring the Second Doctor, and the first appearance of Emily.

Part One
Theta Sigma regenerates. In a new body, he finds himself on Earth, with his TARDIS in the shape of a police box.

Emily Whitaker makes her way to work at the Albion Hospital. She encounters a strange man, who repeats an eight-digit number and tells her to remember it.

Noble Commander Crydax and his officers discuss their invasion of Earth. One of the Kyrens claims to have detected Timelord life on the planet, but the Kyren Fleet General dismisses the idea. Crydax orders the Ground Captain to capture the Timelord. Crydax is informed that the Fragmenter is ready for use.

Verity Roberts informs Emily that their first patient of the night has arrived - a man found beside a police box. Checking on the patient, Emily recognises an alien heartbeat.

Theta Sigma awakens in the hospital, and steals some pyjamas from the next-door patient.

In her hidden sanctuary, Emily allows her true form to show. She is called over the hospital tannoy, and disguises herself as human again.

Constable Harry MacReid and his friend Will Doyle are on guard, in case of alien invasion; Doyle is apathetic, but MacReid reminds him that it could be the real thing one day. Doyle scoffs, until Sergeant Braxton arrives to tell them that aliens are marching on the Albion Hospital.

Theta Sigma sits in bed, reading a letter stolen from the next-door patient. Emily asks him for his name, and he selects Doctor John Smith, as was in the letter. Emily comments on the coincidence, that they have two Doctor John Smiths.

The Kyren invasion force attacks the MAID soldiers. Sergeant Braxton is among those killed, before MacReid leads the retreat, heading for the hospital.

Part Two
Emily and Verity comment on the gunfire. Theta Sigma joins them. MacReid enters the room, alarming the ward with talks of alien invasion. The Kyren force obtains permission to use the Fragmenter, as Theta explains their backstory to those in the ward. MacReid asks how he knows so much about aliens, and he reveals that he is one himself. Emily presses him for his real name, and he settles on the Doctor. John Smith and several patients leave the ward, bound for the fire escape. Kyrens enter the ward, surrounding and capturing the Doctor.

One of the Kyrens reveals that there's another alien in the room - Emily. She and the Doctor are taken, along with MacReid. The rest of the humans in the ward, Verity included, are killed by the Kyren weaponry.

The captives are rescued by Doyle, who is able to neutralise the Kyrens for just long enough. The Doctor insists they head to Totter's Lane, where his TARDIS is. Doyle leaves, but Emily and MacReid enter the TARDIS with the Doctor. Emily reveals her true form to MacReid.

The Doctor pilots the TARDIS to the middle of the Kyren spacecraft. He bluffs his way out of Crydax's death sentence, warning him of what might happen should he regenerate. The Doctor asks Crydax to explain his invasion, and Crydax reveals that the Great Ice Shard is gone. He intends to make Earth the first colony in a new Kyren empire.

The Doctor makes his way to a control panel, but he requires an eight-digit number to activate it. Emily recalls the number given to her by the strange man, and the Doctor activates the Fragmenter. The Kyren force is entirely wiped out.

The Doctor offers Emily and MacReid a chance to travel with him. MacReid turns it down, to continue helping out with MAID, but Emily accepts - given some time to help fix things first. She attends Verity's funeral, and is offered a job by MacReid. When the Doctor returns, however, she rushes to join him. They depart, ready for more adventures.