There was no light.
Not the gentle, warm dark of closed eyes. Not the silver-strewn infinity of a starless night. This was a hungry, dark, absolute, all-consuming, pressing in like the weight of an ocean with no surface to swim toward.
I wasn't sure if I still had a body. I tried to breathe and got nothing. Tried to move and got nothing. Tried to scream… and got nothing.
The thought came slowly, sluggish as if pushing through molasses:
I'm dead.
Which was… fine? Maybe? I wasn't panicking, which probably meant shock had claimed me before death had. I could remember… pieces. The flash of something impossibly bright, the sound of reality cracking like glass, and then—nothing.
I drifted. Time, if it still existed here, stretched and folded over itself until seconds and centuries were meaningless.
Somewhere in that endless night, a voice spoke.
[System initializing… Please remain existential.]
I blinked mentally because blinking physically wasn't an option, and the void rippled like someone had just dropped a pebble into it. The words didn't echo. They existed all at once, imprinted directly into whatever part of me was still "me."
"Uh… hi?"
[Hello, New User.]
The voice was feminine, calm, but with a faint hum behind it like gears turning just beneath the words.
"'User'? I don't remember… signing up for anything."
[You didn't. This system was assigned to you. Creator Authorization Level: Infinity.]
"Right. And who's the 'creator'?"
[Data classified.]
Suspicious! Also, annoyingly intriguing.
"Okay, mystery program, what exactly are you?"
[Designation: GAMER SYSTEM v.Ω. An adaptive life-optimization and survival interface. Primary function: facilitate your continued existence in a hostile multiversal environment while enabling exponential skill growth and temporal stability.]
That… was a lot of words. I picked out the important ones: "survival," "exponential," and "multiversal."
"So you're… a video game character creator and leveling system… for real life?"
[Analogy: 72% accurate. Adjusted definition: I am your system. You are my user. I will ensure you not only survive, but thrive.]
I should have been freaking out. Instead, there was a low hum in my chest — excitement, anticipation. This was ridiculous, impossible, incredible.
"Alright. Let's pretend I believe you. What's step one?"
[Step One: Reincarnation. Your previous life's data core — i.e., your consciousness, memories, and knowledge — has been preserved. Physical form: irretrievable. However, all stored educational, cultural, and experiential data has been successfully archived for reapplication.]
"So… I keep my schooling, my books, all the TV and pop culture I ever consumed?"
[Correct. You retain all conceptual and informational data from your previous universe. Emotional attachments, personality drivers, and intellectual frameworks remain intact.]
I grinned or would have, if I had a face. "Okay, that's… actually amazing. Where's the catch?"
[Catch: You must choose a new existence. The System requires a host to be anchored to a physical and temporal plane. Without selection, you will dissolve into void entropy within projected 78.21 hours, which is pretty impressive for a low-dimensional being.]
There it was. Always a timer. Always a choice.
[Step Two: World Selection.]
And then, without fanfare, the void lit up.
Not with light, not exactly, but with windows. Hundreds. Thousands. They floated in all directions, each showing flickers of impossible worlds.
Some were familiar — blue police boxes whirring through vortexes, men and women with alien faces staring at the stars. Others were alien to even me — cities built upside-down in orbit around black holes, forests lit by lightning that never touched the ground, sprawling metropolises crawling on the backs of titanic beasts.
[Instruction: You may select your destination reality. Data for each will be provided, including environmental hazards, notable factions, dominant threats, and narrative resonance rating.]
"Narrative resonance rating?"
[How much chaos, conflict, and… entertainment… your existence will produce.]
The way she paused on "entertainment" made me uneasy.
[You may browse worlds in any order. Caution: once confirmed, transfer is irreversible.]
The void warped again. A circle of lights spun into being around her, each a glowing orb, each carrying something. Memories? Histories? Lives? She wasn't sure, but she felt the weight of them like anchors.
[Step One: Select Universe.]
Her breath hitched — if she had lungs, they would've been hyperventilating.
[Candidate Universes Available.]
[Marvel] [DC] [Warhammer 40k] [Doctor Who: Expanded Multiverse] [Fate/Type-Moon] …]
"...Oh, you're kidding. I get to pick?
[Affirmative.]
She didn't hesitate. "Doctor Who. No contest. Expanded universe, of course. None of that watered-down TV-only stuff. Give me the Time War drama, the books, the Big Finish, the comics, the works."
The lights shifted, the others fading until one sphere pulsed brighter than the rest. The weight of infinite time, paradoxes, Daleks, Time Lords, and all the messy beauty of that universe pressed against her soul.
[Confirmed.]
[Universe: Doctor Who EU]
[Step Two: Define Time Parameters.]
"Oh, this is gonna be fun." She cracked a grin that didn't exist.
:
World: Gallifrey Adjacent – The Prime Spiral
Primary Setting: Doctor Who continuum variant, post-Time War fracture.
Primary Factions: Surviving Gallifreyans, Dalek Remnants, Temporal Nomads, "Chaos Entities."
Main Enemy Archetypes: Temporal predators, rogue Time Lords, universe-scale anomalies.
Notable Nemesis Type: The Oncoming Storm — singular fixed-point individual capable of multiverse-scale disruption (Doctor variant).
Environmental Hazard Level: Extreme. Timeline instability index at 83%.
Narrative Resonance: 4/5 ("high drama, high stakes, minimal downtime").
Another window slid into view, this one vibrating faintly, colors slightly unstable.
World: Gallifrey Adjacent – War of Chaos and Time
Primary Setting: Same base as above, but dominated by two apex entities:
The Engineer of Time — architect of stability, master of Death's touch.
The Lady of Chaos — avatar of paradoxes, architect of instability.
Primary Conflict: Eternal cold war between order and chaos, often erupting into direct temporal warfare.
Main Enemy Archetypes: Living paradoxes, weaponized timelines, sentient warships.
Hazard Level: Insane. Most native inhabitants die before achieving narrative relevance.
Narrative Resonance: 6/5 ("will almost certainly kill you, but it'll be interesting Death").
"…These are actual choices?" she asked.
[Correct. You may also view alt universes, different dimensions, and hybrid universes. However, given your retained knowledge base, the prime Doctor Who continuum presents the highest potential for systemic growth and narrative yield.]
She sounded pleased, which made me suspicious again.
"Alright. I'll look. But before I pick, what about… character customization? If I'm doing this, I'm not going in as some random bystander."
[Step Three: Character Form & Trait Selection.]
The world-windows folded away, replaced by a sprawling, spiraling menu made of floating script and symbols I somehow understood. With thousands of orbs with images
The System's voice purred in her head:
"Now that you've seen the basics… let's expand. Remember, every choice comes with its enemies. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Choose wisely, little Chrono-seed."
Race Options – Overview
(Select one. Each race provides unique perks and drawbacks.)
The next orb twisted, revealing the iconic shape of a Dalek casing — but then the system peeled it back, revealing the disgusting existence: a mutated Kaled lump of flesh, bristling with sensory tendrils, eyes like festering pearls.
[Perks – Dalek]
Living Tank: Encased in nearly indestructible battle armor. Flight, death ray, shielding included.
Hive Consciousness: Connection to the Dalek Pathweb — infinite tactical knowledge and coordination.
Ruthless Logic: No hesitation. Every action is calculated toward victory.
Survivor's Instinct: Daleks are notoriously hard to kill; even the flesh can persist if the casing is destroyed.
[Advanced Perks]
Dalek Prime Casing: Upgrade into a reality-warping emperor form.
Conceptual Existence: Become an idea of hatred given form. Even if destroyed, you linger in collective thought.
[Drawbacks]
Nemesis: Time Lords (Absolute). The oncoming storm, the mad dogs of Gallifrey
Isolation: Almost all species view Daleks as abominations. Zero diplomacy.
Mutation Drift: Over time, the Dalek body mutates further, requiring upkeep or upgrades.
( Literally Anything With a Pulse Will Gun You Down :p)
She wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, hard pass. I don't want to wake up looking like calamari stuffed in a pepper shaker."
An orb pulsed silver. A humanoid form appeared, armored in steel, eyes hollow.
[Perks – Cyberman]
Cybernetic Immortality: Organic decay halted, consciousness uploaded into a cyber-frame.
Upgrades: Can continuously self-modify with stolen tech.
Network Intelligence: Shared tactical awareness with nearby Cyber units.
Superior Physiology: Enhanced strength, endurance, stamina.
[Advanced Perks]
Cyber-Controller: Direct hive control over thousands of units.
Post-Human Singularity: Ascend into digital godhood across galaxies.
[Drawbacks]
Nemesis: Humanity.
Loss of Self: Emotions suppressed, individuality eroded unless fought against.
Vulnerability: Gold, specific sonic disruptions, and emotional resonance are weaknesses.
The Lady of Chaos(Rogue Time Lord)
"Yikes," she muttered. "No thanks, I like having emotions. And anger issues."
4. Eternals – "The Living Concepts"
Another orb flared — showing towering, robed figures with starfire for eyes. These weren't "races" so much as personifications, like gods of thought.
[Perks – Eternal]
Concept Embodiment: Anchor yourself to a universal concept (Hope, Chaos, Death, etc.).
Immortality: You exist as long as your concept is acknowledged.
Reality Manipulation: Your will shapes your domain.
[Drawbacks]
Nemesis: Guardians, Time Lords.
Dependency: Lose strength if your concept wanes.
Isolation: Mortals cannot easily relate to you.You have no imagination, which leads to extreme boredom
"…So, literally an Elden Ring final boss. Tempting, but that boredom is making me not want to pick this."
5. Great Vampire – "The Hunger of Stars"
The orb oozed black-red light, forming a monstrous, bat-winged predator with teeth like swords.
[Perks – Great Vampire]
Immortality via Blood: Feed on life force to sustain endless existence.
Eldritch Physiology: Superhuman speed, strength, and regeneration.
Dark Majesty: Intimidating psychic aura over mortals.
[Advanced Perks]
Star Feaster: Drain entire worlds to ascend into kaiju form.
[Drawbacks]
Nemesis: Time Lords (Destroyed your kind). The Mad Dogs of Gallifrey
Blood Dependency: Starvation causes madness.
Hunted: Survivors are exterminated on sight.
She grimaced. "Wow, literal space Dracula. Hard pass unless I wanna cosplay Castlevania forever."
6. Magic-Born – "The Arcane Heirs"
The orb cracked, and light spilled out, glowing differently. Not science. Not math. Magic. It pulsed like an old heartbeat rediscovered.
[Perks – Magic-Born]
Arcane Flow: Access to spells and rituals predating Gallifreyan science.
Reality Weaving: Can bend physical laws with sufficient energy and will.
Hybrid Potential: Magic synergizes with technology, creating technomancy.
Advanced Perks
Archmage of Paradox: Rewrite local laws of physics temporarily.
Godspeaker: Directly interact with higher-dimensional beings on equal terms.
[Drawbacks]
Nemesis: Time Lords (They purged magic). Great Old Ones
Chaos Magnet: Magic attracts entities outside normal time.
Exhaustion: Overuse burns your soul-thread.
Her grin widened. "Ohhh, now we're talking. Magic and tech? That's spicy. I could try to make a magic Iron Man armor."
____________________________________________________________________
7. Nestene Consciousness
The orb bubbled like molten plastic.
Core Perks:
Plastic Manipulation: Control, animate, and reshape plastics and polymers.
Distributed Lifeform: No true central body; can spread across worlds.
Survivor Instinct: Extreme adaptability in hostile environments.
Advanced Perks (Peak):
Macro-Nestene: Can control entire planetary ecosystems of plastic.
Bio-Polymer Evolution: Create new hybrid lifeforms from plastic and flesh.
Drawbacks:
Dependency: Requires energy feeds (normally radiation).
Material Limitation: Weak in worlds without plastics.
Nemesis: Time Lords, Fire, the Auton Hunters.
She wrinkled her nose. "Imagine dying from a plastic fork. Hard pass."
Human (Enhanced): Fragile, short-lived, but adaptable. With perks in ingenuity, compassion, and "plot armor." Nemesis: The universe itself — they break easily, yet keep getting back up.
She rolled her eyes, "Why would I be a human again? That's so boring! And it sucks."
The next orb comes to me. The orb brightened, and the first resolved into something terrifyingly familiar.
Time Lord – "The Children of Time"
Classification: Higher-dimensional humanoids
The image shifted to reveal… not a human figure. Not exactly. What she saw made her essence recoil and thrill at once.
It was humanoid, yes — tall, robed in crimson, face hidden behind a mask of golden light. But behind that mask was something… wrong. A form that bent dimensions. Limbs that flickered between being there and not. Eyes that were not eyes but spirals of galaxies collapsing inward.
This was what Time Lords truly were, stripped of their polite humanoid disguises: higher-dimensional predators wrapped in skin-suits, beings who could fold timelines like origami.
The System's voice burned the description into her.
[Perks – Time Lord]
Regeneration (Core): Cheat death up to 13 times, each with full bodily reset and potential stat shifts.
Temporal Engineering: Ability to manipulate and construct advanced technology by bending laws of physics and causality.Chrono-Perception: Instinctive awareness of timeline flows, paradoxes, and anyone breaking the laws of time.
High Evolution: You are already a higher-dimensional being compressed into humanoid form. Vast resistance to physical harm, time manipulation, and mental intrusion.
Technogenesis: Ability to bond with, create, and upgrade temporal technology (TARDISes, vortex manipulators, paradox engines).
Memory Castle: Time Lords naturally develop vast mental landscapes to store infinite knowledge.
Symbiotic Nuclei: Enhanced durability, resistance to radiation, and aging slowed to near immortality.
Time Sense: a Time Lord has 22 Temporal Senses
Superior Intellect: +500% baseline learning speed compared to humans. Access to higher mathematics, dimensional engineering, and psychic telepathy
[Advanced Perks]
Transcendence: Shed your humanoid shell to manifest your full eldritch form, temporarily overriding local dimensional laws.
Omega-Class Manipulation: Directly rewrite localized causality. Example: "This enemy never pulled the trigger."
Temporal Apotheosis: Become a living fixed point — an unalterable being who can choose what else becomes mutable.
[Drawbacks]
Nemesis: Daleks, Eternals. Carnival Queen, any magic users
Nemesis: The Lady of Chaos (Rogue Higher-Dimensional).
Hubris of the High Council: All Time Lords are feared and hated for their arrogance and godlike power. Expect constant interference from Gallifrey.
Soul Weight: Higher awareness of time brings constant psychic strain. Madness is a frequent side effect.
Nemesis Mark – All Time Lords attract cosmic enemies. Daleks, Faction Paradox, the Guardians, and even rival Time Lords will hunt you.
Regeneration Instability – Each new body risks personality collapse. Too many deaths too quickly can lead to madness.
Hubris – Every perk comes with an instinctive arrogance you won't take mortal issues as a problem; resisting it is a lifelong battle.
She whistled low. "So, eldritch space god with a British accent. That tracks."
She read it all, races, perks, curses, but her soul was already pulling toward one option.
[Selection Confirmed: Time Lord]
The system shifted tone, almost sly.
Her eyes widened as new text scrawled across the void:
[DRAWBACKS: SELECT TO INCREASE POWER AND XP GAIN]
Nemesis Bond (Major Drawback): An equal and opposite force is forged alongside you. As you grow stronger, so do they. They will always hunt you. They will always know you. If you're alive, then they will not die fully. Their hatred will be intimate, personal, inevitable. Reward: +300% XP and evolution potential.
Shattered Self (Minor Drawback): Fragments of your soul will scatter across time. You will occasionally glimpse other "yous" — some helpful, some hostile. Reward: +15% XP from all learning.
Living Paradox (Major Drawback): Your very existence destabilizes fragile timelines. Paradox events will gravitate toward you. Reward: +200% XP from paradox resolution.
Marked by the Void (Minor Drawback): Eldritch beings will always "smell" you as kin. Some will see you as prey. Some will see you as a rival. Reward: Unlock unique powersets & eldritch perks.
After reading the drawback, she let a grin out and picked the nemesis bond. Instead of dread, laughter bubbled up from her throat. "This is perfect! A built-in rival, villain waifu, or husbando package. Just like manhwa. Do you deliver with a bow, or do I have to sign for it?"
[ SELECT Nemesis Bond (Major Drawback)]
[Nemesis Bond Accepted.]
[Forging Counter-Entity…]
[Warning: Connection Established.]
[Your Nemesis will grow in lockstep with you. Their existence is inevitable. Their obsession is yours to endure.]
[Nemesis Lady Of Chaos (a Time Lord that was born to kill anything or anyone that gets in the way of Gallifrey's rule)
She then picked Shattered Self and marked by the void
"I don't think other me's will be a problem, I will mostly beat them with some Chinese food, and who doesn't want more powersets?"
[Race Selected: Higher-Dimensional Time Lord]
[Warning: True Form detected – latent restrictions removed.]
[Preparing Ascension…]
The transformation was not painless. She screamed, though no sound existed in the void, as her soul stretched into more dimensions than three. Her awareness folded in on itself, like origami made from space-time. For the first time, she saw herself.
Her body unfolded like equations breaking free from chalkboards, her soul expanding into dimensions she had no words for. First came the nebula-flesh: swirls of violet and indigo, galaxies drifting within her form like freckles across infinity. Her chest rose and fell with the rhythm of collapsing stars.
Across her face stretched a mask of obsidian bone, smooth yet etched with golden Gallifreyan glyphs that shifted and rearranged with every thought. From that mask sprouted eyes—not two, but dozens—gleaming like amethyst clockwork. They blinked independently, each one perceiving a different layer of reality: quantum strings, gravitational tides, the whispers of unborn futures.
Her arms weren't arms anymore but currents of time given structure, wrapped around her like ribbons of aurora. Within her torso, black holes yawned and contracted, pulling in starlight only to birth it again as supernovas.
Before she can even react, the system starts back up
[Hidden Perks] (Now Unlocked):
Supernatural Luck: A statistical distortion field that ensures survival and success against impossible odds. Events "fall into place" around the Time Lord.
Magic Nullification: Any supernatural or arcane force that touches the Time Lord is unraveled into raw energy. Spells collapse into math, curses scatter into starlight.
Causality Manipulation: Subtle adjustments to probability streams. A missed bullet, a falling stone landing just so, entire wars shifting by a single whisper.
Higher-Dimensional Presence: When observed in their true form, mortals perceive madness-inducing phenomena: nebulae swirling in skin, endless eyes staring through masks of infinity, stars birthing and dying in veins. To look upon a Time Lord unmasked is to realize the universe itself wears them as clothing.
Her own mind reeled. She stared at herself through her eyes in third person
Her spider-eyes all blinked in unison, watching multiple timelines of her own reaction, each slightly different. She saw herself weeping, laughing, raging, kneeling in awe. All futures were true. All futures were hers.
She whispered into the void, voice echoing in harmonics
"…holy shit. I'm beautiful, I look like if H.P. Lovecraft and a supernova had a baby."
[pic]
The violet system window unfolded in front of her, gears spinning lazily across its frame. New text scrolled into place:
[System Notice]
[Your humanoid shell is camouflage only like the Tardis chameleon circuit. Higher-dimensional or magic scans will reveal your true form. Sometimes, when you're not holding the form back, primitive scans can see you.
Warning: Exposure of true essence may cause mental collapse in lesser species. Expect awe, fear, or hostility, depending on the observer's resilience.
Note: Masking protocols are limited. Only partial obfuscation is possible.]
She squinted at the glowing lines. "Wait… so you're telling me if someone points the right scanner at me, they're gonna see the eldritch horror edition of me?"
The system pulsed.
[Affirmative.]
"Great. That'll make small talk at space bars, really! smooth. 'Hi, I'm a time lord, don't mind the galaxy-eating spirals where my eyes should be.' Totally fine. Not terrifying at all."
Another message blinked across her vision.
[Reminder: Maintaining cover is your responsibility.]
[Suggestion: Do not get scanned.]
She let out a laugh that bordered on a snort. "Oh yeah, no problem. Just gotta dodge every nosy Magic users, bounty hunter, and half-baked Dalek probe in the galaxy. Easy."
The window flickered one last time:
[Addendum: Some will find your true form… appealing.]
Her eyes widened. Then she grinned. "...Oh. Oh.
[DESIGNATION REQUIRED.]
[COMPILING TRUE NAME…]
[True Name Unveiled: Θel'vranhesh]
[ Chosen Title: The Engineer.]
"The Engineer," she murmured, tasting the syllables, finding them sharp and sweet. "Yeah, that does it, good thing it's not something dumb like the Hash Slinging Slasher."
Though she was embarrassed about the true name, mostly for one reason, " how the mothertrucker do I even pronounce my true name?"
[This Is The Name Written in 3-dimensional. Time Lords' true names are not simple words but are complex, multidimensional concepts. They exist in a language beyond human understanding and contain powerful conceptual or mathematical components.
[You're Full Name Is Ω⋅Ξ(∞)+Δt⋅iπ≡Φ[Void]⊕Ψ[Chronos]
She just stares at the full name without blinking, and lets out a small sigh, "Yeah, so I won't be able to ever say my name ever."
[Names are important. Knowing a being's name gives one a degree of power over that being. Keep your name close to your chest or face potential death.]
She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Jesus, everything is so over the top in this multiverse."
Then she had a thought hit her, "wait, now I'm a time lord, so do I say Rassilon or Omega instead of Jesus?"
[Age: 21 Years]
[Name: Θel'vranhesh]
[Title: Engineer]
[Family: Unknown]
[Exp:0/200](%315 Boost)
[Level 1]
[HP: 1500](1450HP Boost from race)
(Normal Humans Stats Can Only Have 50 Max. A newborn Time Lord is 3x stronger than a fully grown, trained human. excluding going full Eldritch )
[Strength: 150]
[Vitality: 150]
[Dexterity:50]
[intelligence:150](%515)
[Wisdom:30]
[Charisma:50]( Time Lords Can Messes With a Person Perception)
[Luck:150](Mostly Cause Of You're True Form Can Mess with Causality)
[stat Points:0] (5 per Level Up)
"Now, why is my wisdom the lowest stat? I think I have great common sense!... most of the time!
[SYSTEM BOOTSTRAP ENGAGED.]
Welcome, Prime Directive Instance.
Her mind, vast as a constellation, suddenly found itself colliding with walls. She tried to move and felt nothing; she tried to breathe and tasted nothing. Her consciousness swam in the machine's lattice, staring at its scaffolding.
"System," she whispered, though her voice carried as a vibration across the infinite black. "Be more gentle."
[MORTAL SHELL ASSEMBLY PROTOCOL INITIATED. YOU'RE APPEARANCE WILL BE BASED ON YOU'RE THOUGHTS.]
[WARNING: DIMENSIONAL COMPRESSION MAY RESULT IN IDENTITY FRACTURING, EXISTENTIAL DISSONANCE, AND EXTREME SOMATIC PAIN.]
It was like being fed into a singularity. Her higher-dimensional body nebulae of purple flame, orbits of black holes, and masks with a thousand eyes all began to collapse. Stars within her chest cracked and folded, her cosmic bones snapping into strings, strings into particles, particles into dust, until she was forced into the narrow casing of flesh.
"Too small!" she roared. "This body is too small!..pause!!."
[MORTAL SHELL REQUIRED FOR FIELD OPERATION.]
[SIZE: 172 CM, MASS: 63 KG, AGE: 21 EARTH YEARS.]
[INSTALLATION CONTINUING…]
Her skeleton grew its first bone, knitting from luminous dust, locking into form. She felt each joint slam together, marrow being squeezed into existence. Muscle tissue wrapped around it in twitching ropes, veins threading like serpents, her blood simmering with violet light. Her skin came last, dragging itself like molten wax across her body until it cooled into pale flesh.
And still she screamed.
The world was wet and cold. She gasped, lungs inflating for the first time. Rain pattered down around her — she was lying on a back alley street, neon lights bleeding through drizzle. The stench of oil and wet concrete clung to her new nostrils.
She staggered to her knees, clutching herself, shuddering as phantom limbs still unfolded from her back and then snapped away.
A puddle glistened beside her. She leaned over it and froze.
In the water, she did not see her pale skin, her dark coat, her violet-burning eyes. She saw her. The true her: a storm of nebulae wrapped in gears, a mask with eyes like a spider's web, her body built from events and paradoxes. No flesh could bind that image.
The puddle rippled, and the mortal shell's face blinked back at her. Pale. Masked. Human-shaped.
She clenched her fist.
The System chimed again.
[Welcome to Reincarnation, Omega-Engineer.]
[Starter Pack available. Opening now.]
[Starter Pack Delivered.]
[ Contents:
TARDIS Seed (Unattuned).
Temporal Toolkit (Basic).
Chronon Shards x3.
Basic Engineer's Codex. ]
Light flared in her palm. A small crystalline seed hovered there, pulsing faintly.
She frowned. That's it?
[Item: TARDIS Seed.]
[Description: Contained potential for a fully-grown, custom TARDIS. Requires a temporal anchoring and nurturing environment to cultivate.]
"…You're kidding me." She turned the crystal over. It looked like nothing more than a shard of glowing glass with complex lines. "What am I supposed to do, plant it in a flowerpot?"
[Error: No instructions provided.]
She grumbled sharply, bitterly. "Of course not. That would be too easy."
"Wait," she muttered, brows furrowing. "Can't a TARDIS just… regrow its systems by itself? Doesn't it heal like, well, a living thing?"
The system chimed in, flat and unhelpful:
[No. Your TARDIS seed lacks any Multidimensional Grey Prints.]
Her violet eyes blinked. "…The hell are those?"
[They are the complete schematics and structural equations of a TARDIS. Once a TARDIS leaves the Neural Construction Docks, the Grey Prints are locked inside the Master Control Console. They are used by the Molecular Stabilizers to maintain and regenerate the ship. Without them, your TARDIS cannot repair or evolve. Like the Eye of Harmony, Physical access to Grey Prints is restricted—usually reviewed only during major overhauls every 3,000 years.]
She stared at the glowing text, silence stretching.
Then, with a long exhale, she muttered:
"Well… shit."
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