ðə nˈɑːvəl sədʒˈɛsts ðˌɐɾɪt ɪz bɪkˈʌz ðə dˈɑːktɚɹ ɪz ɐfɹˈeɪd ðæt hiː mˈeɪ nˌɑːt lˈaɪk ðə pˈɜːsən hiː tˈɜːnz ˈaʊt tə bˈiː, ɔːlðˈoʊ ðə lˈeɪɾɚ bˈʊk ðə ɡˈælɪfɹi kɹˈɑːnɪkəlz stˈeɪts ðæt ðɪs ɪz ʌntɹˈuː, ænd ðə dˈɑːktɚɹ ɪmplˈæntᵻd ɐn ɪmpˈɛɹətˌɪv ɪnsˈaɪd hɪmsˈɛlf nˌɑːt tə ɹᵻstˈoːɹ hɪz mˈɛmɚɹiz fɔːɹ ˈʌðɚ ɹˈiːzənz.
The novel suggests that it is because the Doctor is afraid that he may not like the person he turns out to be, although the later book The Gallifrey Chronicles states that this is untrue, and the Doctor implanted an imperative inside himself not to restore his memories for other reasons.