TIME FOR TECH SUPPORT
I don't know how it started...I really really don't.
One day i was just sitting at my computer desk at home chatting in a IRC room and listening to my favorite streaming radio station when an instant message popped up on my system from no one that I knew. "Time is running out..." was all it said.
The user name was hidden from me, how i didn't know. The way i had my Messenger set up was that no one not on my friend's list could message me..."That's impossible." I said out loud. I closed out of the messenger program and restarted it. Nothing new showed up in my friends list other than the normal so I brushed the incident off as a fluke.
The topic had drifted to science fiction stuff that everyone liked to read or watch. My favorite series were about this guy who traveled through time and space to save the world...I also had a favorite series in regards to a space station located in neutral territory in space. Be that as it may I voiced those exact words to the chat. The next thing I know I was getting a PM in the chat from someone named Jsmith10. "You're into a lot of science fiction series aren't you?"
I replied, "Yes I am. I also like Japanese animation series and fantasy books, why do you ask?"
"I need your help..." was the only reply I got, followed by "Time is running out..."
I was floored...That was the same message i got in messenger previously...
"Excuse Me? I don't even know you...and you're starting to scare me a little bit, I just received that same message about a half hour ago through a Messenger account that shouldn't have been able to do that."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, that was me. There's something going on and I need your help. I've tried to talk to others but no one gives me a chance to finish. Can you come meet me?"
I admit I was floored; this guy was so straight forward in his questioning. I don't even think how he thought I could help him. I was just going to say that when I heard something fall against my door to my condo in the hallway. I looked out the peephole and saw no one, but that could mean he wasn't standing up anymore from the sounds of that thudding sound.
I opened the door slightly and I saw him sitting with his back against it. The guy was hurt..."Who are you? I need to call you an ambulance."
"No, I'll be fine...Are you Kim?" was his only question.
"Yes...why do you ask?" I said cautiously.
"I'm the Doctor, and I need your help. Can you get me inside?"
I helped him inside carefully. He wasn't hurt, however he WAS quite exhausted. I pointed to the couch, where he gratefully sat. "Why do you need my help?"
"I need to stop something from happening. But it's spreading through the internet too fast for my TARDIS's system to keep up with it. It's a computer system that will bring down every form of communication and monitoring that the Earth has. Torchwood is doing what they can, but they can't do it all." He paused before continuing, "When I tried to get to the UNIT branch based here in the US, something interfered with the TARDIS controls. I ended up in a Dumpster holding area in this condo. I tried reaching out to a couple people to ask for help but they wouldn't listen."
"I'm not tech savvy Doctor, so I don't see how I'd be able to help you." I told him with a shake of my head. "My tech savvy extends to my hand held video game system and chatting online using my computer. I can't program anything. My computer is also from 2004 so i don't see how it'd be fast enough to help you."
He was already busy looking at my CPU tower..."My computer. You're going to do something to my computer."
"Don't be too upset, this won't take very long. I need to reconfigure it so I can use the wireless router here to link to my TARDIS. It won't harm your computer in any way..." he stated just as my CPU tower sizzled, popped and smoked. "OK...so maybe i was mistaken...But this will work because I'm Brilliant."
"You're a loon..." I muttered under my breath. However, he ignored me and moments later my computer was working again but with quite different specifications.
"The link's established. Let's see if I can narrow down the origin of this computer virus." he started typing using my keyboard to input the additional information he seemed to know from memory. I watched him in amazement when the computer monitor showed a skull face...
"You sure you know what you're doing Doctor? A skull on my computer monitor doesn't exactly fill me with hope here."
"Wellllllllllllllll...I'm mostly sure...But it will work. I promise. Just a little more tweaking of the system." He said running his sonic screwdriver over my CPU which responded accordingly.
"You will cease these efforts." A voice said that sounded more robotic than anything else. the funny thing was it was coming from my speakers on my computer.
"You will leave the Earth Alone...It isn't yours to destroy." the Doctor said in response as if the voice could hear him. Which it turned out a moment later the voice replied.
"Final preparations are already in place. In five minutes all of the Earth's communications will fail and then we will move in and enslave the human race. You can't Stop the B'SoD Empire from accomplishing its goals." The voice finished cutting off communication with a maniacal laugh.
"we'll see about that...I believe it's time for Tech Support to step in." He keyed in something else and a pair of split screens appeared on my monitor with the remaining area being taken up by what the Doctor was working on. Jack, are you guys and UNIT ready?"
The man named Jack responded "Yes Doctor, but where are you calling from, that isn't the TARDIS?"
"I had to go elsewhere to do this. I'm actually in someone's Condo at this point using their computer...Say hi to Kim everyone. Kim that's Captain Jack Harkness and Martha Jones, she's based with UNIT for the moment on a special project."
"Hi, by the way is he always like this? He totally cannibalized my computer without asking for my permission."
"You get used to it." Jack said from his end. "so what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a Warehouse Admin, and i also research customer issues and complete reports for clients. Nothing spectacular. Most of my stuff involves entering data."
"Yet you helped the Doctor, and took the risk. Not many people would do that." Jack said with a smile.
"He did kind of say he'd gone through other people first before settling on me...so I wasn't exactly high on the list."
"DOCTOR, you didn't. How'd you contact the others? It can't have been face to face." Martha said in dismay as she coordinated her efforts with Jack and the Doctor from the US UNIT headquarters.
"He hacked my Messenger client and then chatted me up in the IRC chatroom." I told them.
There was an awkward pause from both Jack and Martha. "Welllllllll, what did you expect me to do? We had very limited options. I'm ready here. You two transmit the signal at the same time as I do. we'll force the B'SoD Empire to go elsewhere."
"You do realize that you're going to blow up her system don't you?" Jack said.
"Oh he knows, he's already made it crack, sizzle and smoke." I told them both. "He still claims he's 'brilliant' though."
"Transmit the signal NOW." the transmitted signal went forth from three different locations and according to what I was seeing on the screen it had hit the BSoD flagship.
Jack was the first to report in. "It worked, the flagship is experiencing 'technical difficulties' we've bought enough time to implement the Firewall until we get them moving elsewhere."
"Great I'll get back to the TARDIS and meet you in Torchwood. We'll finish the rest of it shortly." the Doctor said to Jack who signed off. "Martha, i need you to ensure all the Firewalls are in place until we get rid of the BSoD ships."
"Understood Doctor. I will call you with how long those Firewalls will be effective once UNIT verifies all are in place." Martha said before signing off.
"That's it then? What about my computer, which is now completely Fragged?" I asked glaring at the Doctor. "How exactly am I going to Explain that to TECH SUPPORT? That's definitely not under warranty."
"I'll replace it, just not right now." He said gathering his coat up from where he'd tossed it and putting it on in a hurry.
"Which means I'll not get a new one. Lovely. I'll be going to the library for the next couple years then to use their computers." I said in frustration.
"You could always come with me if you're so concerned I won't return with the new system." He said looking at me with such seriousness. "All that stuff you read about and watch, it's all true...every word. You're just not supposed to officially know about it down here."
"It is?" I was interested, oh yes I was.
"It is, come with me." he said again, holding out his hand.
"I think ... Tech support can wait a while. Just make sure you bring me back at the same point in time you take me from. I have a job and bills need to be paid." I took his hand.
"I'm the Doctor...I can do anything." And we ran out to his TARDIS after I grabbed my purse, phone, tablet (which I put into my purse along with its charger), and my two sets of keys for my condo and my car. It was a brave new world but being prepared is always good.
"Let's go..."
That's how it began I guess. His smile's what did it for me. I couldn't resist it. My purse had everything in it i needed, but it was time for a change.
I wonder what will be next? I bet it will be Spectacular...
