AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey this chapter was originally twelve separate chapters, but since that took up a lot of senseless room and time, and didn't add anything to the story, I decided to just condense them all into one.
However, feel free to skip this chapter, and move on to the next one. You'll find all the information you need to know there, anyway. This was mainly just for formalities.
We now return to your regularly scheduled fanfic.
A television screen flashes to life, revealing the face of a fancy-schmancy, new-age, neon-colored Dalek. Along with the Dalek, is an Ood.
"Welcome, viewers," says the Ood. "To the first reaping of the very first annual Doctor Games." The Ood was chosen as announcer for the games, because the Daleks thought it would lull the home viewers into a false sense of security. Devious Daleks.
The Dalek cries out, "A warning to all: Do not defy or resist. All those resisting will be exterminated!" With that, it exits the screen, leaving the Ood on screen.
"Let the reaping begin," it says, out. It directs itself to a computer board, where a list of names is displayed. A name is chosen at random, and the Ood announces the name of the first tribute, "Tom Milligan."
He worked in pediatrics in the old days, and, in truth, doesn't really know how to handle things. He steps forward, to be taken up by the transmat beam, to be teleported to who-knows-where. Tom is scared, but stands tall, ready to at least try to win this thing.
The Ood chooses another name at random, and announces, "Tom Milligan's training partner will be… Sally Sparrow."
Sally looks up from where she sits, her eyes wide in shock and fear. She kisses her husband, Larry, goodbye, and is instantly taken by the transmat. She finds herself in a metal room, outfitted with metal benches and a metal table. In the corner, a metal refrigerator sits by a metal sink. She decides that this must be the holding room for her.
At one of the metal chairs, sits Tom Milligan, who is her partner for training. The Daleks decided to split their tributes into twelve groups, to make reaping more efficient. These small groups were to be known as "districts." And district one has just been chosen.
The television screen sputters to life, and the Dalek is back on screen, the computer behind him displaying a whole new group of names. This is the district two list. Across the universe, watchers hold their breath, wondering who will have the misfortune of being reaped.
The computer selects a name at random, and the Dalek reads allowed, "The next tribute is… Doctor Nine."
He says nothing as he rises from the sofa from which he sits. He feared this happening, but did not protest as the transmat beam picked him up, and sat him down in the District Two holding cell.
After the audience members in their homes settled down from the shock of having the Doctor himself being reaped, the Dalek's voice rang out again, the female tribute's name coming through the television screen.
"Martha Jones."
Martha cries out in terror. She looks to Mickey, who tells her to be strong, but the end of his final goodbye is cut off from Martha, as she is taken by the transmat and into the metal room, which is empty, except for a strange man she's never seen before.
"Who are you!" she asks, on edge from the recent shock.
"I'm the Doctor. Not the one you know, but the one before him. I've been pulled out of my original timeline in order to partake in the games."
Pretending to understand, Martha pulls herself up and sits on the metal chair. The room has no doors or windows, so Martha decides to accept her fate, and prepare for the games to come.
The Ood is back on camera, and says, "The reaping is off to an excellent start, wouldn't you say?"
Viewers at home scoff in disgust. Of course it's not excellent! But they cannot protest, or they face death by extermination.
The Ood gets right to the point, announcing for District Three, "Our male tribute will be… Wilfred Mott."
Sighs of sadness and cries of the unfairness of it all can be heard across galaxies, as the brave soldier stands to face his sentence. He looks to his family, to his daughter who cries her eyes out, to his granddaughter, who's mind had been stabilized in order to accept the Doctor Games, to his grandson-in-law, his arm comfortingly around Donna. He waves tearfully to them, and then is gone.
The Ood continues swiftly, "And followed by… Lucy Saxon."
Lucy was not in much shock, her mind dull as she heard her name called. She didn't even process what was happening until she arrived in the metal room with Wilf. By the time she realized what her being reaped meant, she had already decided to accept it.
And so, as Lucy finds herself in a terrifying, confusing, complicated situation, and Wilf struggles to remain strong for this young lady he's never met, so concluded District Three reaping.
After the emotional events of the first three Reapings, nobody wants to take any more of it.
The Ood, however, reads of a name, nonetheless. "District Four tribute… Jeff. The good-looking one. With the laptop."
Jeff is in shock. He's never really done much with the Doctor or aliens, except for the one time when the Doctor used his laptop in order to save the world and defeat Prisoner Zero. Nonetheless, Jeff, who's last name shall remain undisclosed, said goodbye to his Gran, just in time to be zapped out by the transmat.
The Ood continues, and, when he reads the next name, three versions of the Doctor, one in a metal room with Martha, two sitting safe in front of their televisions, cry out in horror. "The next tribute is… Rose Tyler."
Rose's hand flies to her mouth to stifle a sob. Once controlled, she gives a tearful and heartfelt goodbye to Jackie, Pete, and John Smith, the duplicate of the tenth Doctor, in case the reader has been living under a rock for the last few seasons, and needs to be reminded of past events.
Once inside the metal room, Rose quickly introduces herself to Jeff (and doesn't question his lack of a last name.)
"And so," says the Ood, as he flashes onto the television screen for the fifth time, "We enter our District Five Reaping."
In the little metal cells, Tom, Sally, Nine, Martha, Wilf, Lucy, Jeff, and Rose, all listen intently, wondering and fearing who will join them in the terrible games.
"The next tribute is… Captain Jack Harkness."
Jack stands from where he sat in the Torchwood hub, because, no matter what has happened in Torchwood's history, the author of this story really doesn't know where else to put him. He says goodbye to his friends, not bothering with tears, because he knows he can't die. However, he suspects that the Daleks will have found a way to fix that for the Games. He is transmatted into the metal room designated for District Five.
The Ood selects another random name from the computer screen, and said, "The next tribute to join him will be… A woman called 'Sexy.'"
Somewhere in the universe, the Eleventh Doctor gives his TARDIS's human incarnation a loving farewell. Sexy nods bravely to him, telling him goodbye, and that he will always be her thief. She is transported into the same room, and the Captain quickly introduces himself.
"Captain Jack Harkness," he says with a congenial grin, despite the dire atmosphere.
"Hello," she says, slightly awestruck by this dashing man, "I'm… Sexy."
With a smile, he replied, "Yes, you are."
Viewers at home allow themselves a brief moment to laugh, before remembering that, more likely than not, these two amusing specimens will be dead very soon.
It is time for the next Reaping, and members of the Sixth District are nervous and scared. The Ood's voice calms them a little, but not enough to make anybody feel safe.
"Our male tribute for District Six in these First Annual Doctor Games shall be… The Tenth Doctor."
He looks down at his feet for a moment, certain not to show fear for his worst enemy. He brings his gaze back up, and greets the transmat beam. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, and, when he opens them, he finds himself alone in a strange room made of cold, hard, metal. He takes a seat, and fiddles with his sonic screwdriver, contemplating ways to use it as a defensive device. He is not looking forward to murdering more innocent people. He hopes he doesn't have to.
The Ood returns to the computer, and fiddles with its controls, to receive another random name. However, the computer seems to be stuck, and, after a few tantalizing minutes of seeing the Ood banging the computer, trying to prompt it into giving him a name, he finally succeeds.
Having gotten the computer to work, he says, "The District Six female tribute will be Amy Pond."
In a cottage in Leadworth, Rory and Amy are found in a passionate embrace, neither one of them wanting to let go. After she realizes she must leave, or risk extermination, she turns away, not wanting to look at her husband, afraid to start crying. The transmat beam takes her to the metal room, where she sees a skinny man in a blue suit.
"Hi there," she says, numbly.
"Hi," says the Doctor, as he helps Amy off of the ground and into a chair. "I'm the Doctor. This is my tenth face, so I suppose I'll just be called 'Ten' during this thing."
"I'm Amy," she says.
Amy and Ten quickly become acquainted, and instantly begin to draw up strategies. How, they wonder, can they manage to survive as long as possible, without becoming monsters, no better than Daleks?
On screen, the Ood appears for the next reaping, for District Seven.
Getting down to business, and, hoping the computer will not give out again, the Ood quickly retrieves a name. "Leo Jones." He calls out.
Leo looks up quickly. He had never been too bright, but he was strong. His first thought was that, at the very least, he could protect his sister, Martha, for as long as possible. He hands his child to the woman he loves, kisses her goodbye, and winces, not in pain, but in anticipation, as the transmat teleports him to the holding room of metal.
The Ood, having gotten the next name, announces, "The next tribute, representing the Seventh District, will be Lady Christina de Souza."
After having a television installed in her flying bus, Christina is ready for this. She lands her hovering home, and steps outside, looking up into the air. She remembers the first and only time she'd ever met the Doctor in the bus. She doubts she'd ever see the bus again. But she'll see the man again, very soon, when they'll be trying to kill each other. She spreads her hands out, and welcomes the transmat.
Thus concludes the seventh Reaping.
Televisions across the universe stare out with blank screens. Or, in some cases, screens filled with static. On the other end of the cameras, Daleks are having some technical difficulties. All around the broadcast rooms in Satellite Five, Daleks and enslaved Ood run about, trying to get their cameras and transmitters back online.
In the chaos, the Announcer Ood decided to go ahead and draw two names, to announce whenever they get back on the air.
At long last, televisions come to life, and the Ood stands, ready and awaiting, to give the news. "The two District Eight tributes will be… The Master, and River Song."
In some celestial holding pen at the very edges of the universe, the Master looks up, at hearing his name. "Ah," he says to himself, "A chance to get my revenge…" He goes with the transmat gratefully.
River Song, also in a holding pen, Stormcage, looks about her. She has often broken out of her jail cell, but usually it is because she wants to, not because she is being forced to escape. River doesn't bother packing, and simply waits for the transmat to deliver her.
The Master and River arrive in the room at the same time, both equally confused. When they both recover, they instantly butt heads. There is no way these two masterminds can coexist. And yet, they must find a way, at least until the start of the Games.
Across the universe, those who have never met the Doctor, or heard of his deeds, sigh in relief, noticing the pattern that, although everyone in the universe is elligable for Reaping, only those in direct contact with the Doctor, at one point or another, are in real danger.
The Ood solidifies this suspicion among viewers, when he announces that, "District Nine male tribute is Rory Williams."
He stands up in front of the television, and shouts, to no one in particular, or, perhaps, to everyone in the universe, "My wife is in there! I'm going to make sure she survives, Daleks, you hear? You can't take her from me, you –" His final words are lost in the transmat beam.
The Ood continues, "And the female tribute is Reinette Poisson."
The entire country of France gasps as their historical figure is ripped from time and space and plopped into a hard metal room.
In shock, Rory assists the fallen lady, and says, "Oh! Madame de Pompadour! I'm so, terribly sorry. I'm –"
She cuts him off, getting to her feet on her own. "Hush, monsieur. I am fine. I know of what is to come, but if I can see my beloved Doctor again, then this all might be worth it."
And so, as the Reaping draws closer to its close, many lives have been saved by not being drawn, and many more lives will soon be at risk.
Televesion sets sputter into life all over the universe, as the Ood returns for another reaping.
Clicking the computer screen for a random name, the Ood gets his information, and announces to the universe, "District Ten male tribute will be Pete Tyler."
As, in Holding Room Four, Rose cries out "Dad!" and, at their home, Jackie cries out, "No! Not another!" Pete Tyler is taken from his home, and placed in a cold metal room. He is eager to play, not to win, but to defend his daughter.
The Ood receives another name, and said, "Followed by Chantho."
Chantho, confused and scared, is taken from her laboratory at the end of the universe, and transmatted into Holding Room Ten. She lies on the ground for a moment or two, stunned.
Pete rushes over, and picks her up off the ground, muttering to himself, "Of course. My only help is an insect." He is usually not angry and cross, but, when aggravated, scared, or stressed, the worst Pete Tyler is shown. This was the worst.
After more complaining and cursing to himself, Pete regained his composure, and said, "I'm sorry. Bad day, you'll understand." She nodded. "Well then, I'm Pete."
"Chan, it is nice to meet you. I am Chantho, tho." Pete rolled his eyes.
The Reapings are almost done, but, even at this stage, nobody can rest yet.
The TV's come to life, and show the Ood, getting the name for the next unlucky soul to compete in the Doctor Games.
"The Eleventh Doctor."
The Doctor lets out his held breath. He knew this was coming. The Daleks probably rigged the Reaping for the most recent version of himself to come and compete. He doesn't know what he was going to do, but he knows he'll have to do something.. He straightens his bowtie, and prepares to be transported.
The computer screen flashes again, and gives the Ood another name to read aloud, "Harriet Jones."
Harriet stands up, trying to act brave, when, really, she is scared. Scared to die. Scared to kill. Scared that her mother will be left all on her own. Nonetheless, she is strong when she is transported into the metal holding cell.
"Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister," she says to Eleven.
"Yes," he replies, "I know who you are."