AN: Alrighty! So we have some Doctor, Amy, and Rory in this chapter. I'm not sure I portrayed them very well and any feedback in that area would be oh so lovely. Also, this should be the last chapter of pure back-story for Alyce. The actual adventure starts here :) So please enjoy and review at the end! Thanks!
Revised: Please note that the "sparrow" has been changed to a "starling" and the reasons why will be revealed soon!
Chapter Two: The Starling in the Ring
Year: 6508 on the Starship Amaranda Maree in the Red Wing Belt of the Starcloud Galaxy
I traveled with Sir Weldon for four years before we ever found his friend. Weldon taught me much in those few years. He showed me how to utilize every aspect of my eye, how to control how much strength I put into my cybernetic features, and of fcourse, how to spot a traitor. After the first six months, I began to bond with my metal half and after a full year, I trusted it implicitly. We traveled through a few nearby galaxies and righted what I believed to be many wrongs. Never once was I allowed to return to my home planet though. However, my homeward trek was to begin before I even had begun to find a way to start it on my own. For on the day before my 20th birthday, Weldon found his long, lost friend. And that is were we are in my story, and there is much to tell, so tell I will...
"Alyce Esprit, child for the last time, I'll tell ye that doesn't go there!" Weldon yelled, "Ye put the red rebooting cord into the plug-in by the yellow trip wire's socket! Not the green auto-repair! That one goes on the other side by the other end of the red reboot wire! How many times to I have to show ye this? Are you even using that eye I gave ye?"
Alyce winced at the man's exasperated outburst, but it didn't stop her from being sassy, "At least I know how to use a self propelled glide-board. When's the last time you tried to do that? Hmm? It was like you were trying to get me to mess up my leg, old man! Is that it? You were so embarrassed that you had to sabotage me? What a joke!"
"Me? A joke? Did ye hit ye head too, lassie? I'll have you know –" but Weldon never did get to finish his retort as there was suddenly an odd sound filling the Amaranda Maree.
"For the love of stars, what is that?" Just as the words finished tumbling from Alyce's mouth she glanced up, "Let me rephrase, what is that?" In the middle of the bridge a large, dark blue box sat as though it had been there all along. Weldon had since quit paying attention to Alyce and was making his way over to the object. Alyce quickly fixed the tangled mess of wires and plugs on her right knee and followed after her mentor. When the door to the box popped open, she thought she would go into cardiac arrest. But her unique eye took over and scanned the box for her, bringing her as much information as possible. Numbers, codes, percentages all sped past in the reflection of her eye. At last the word TARDIS appeared for her. TARDIS? What in all the galaxies is a TARDIS? It looks like a big blue box..., her thoughts however were cut short by a man springing out of the box. In an instant, her cyborg half took over, in an effort of survival. Leaping forward to meet the man, she shoved him up against the side of the box. His feet hanging a clear foot off the ground. A woman and another man emerged.
"Doctor?" the woman called out, "Doctor, what's going on?"
Alyce looked to Weldon who raised his brow in an obvious manner that showed he was not at all impressed. Without so much as an apology, she released the man, who slid to his feet.
"Well, Weldon old friend, that's not how I expected to be greeted! I thought you called for me?" he looked expectantly at Sir Weldon.
"I called for ye four years ago!"
"Four years? No, I'm quite sure it was just a moment ago..." the man answered, straightening his bow tie.
"Like hell. I called for ye four years ago, and that's that!" Weldon's face was as red as his hair, "We've been workin' like dogs for four years just a waitin' for ye to show up! Kyboeria's ready! I'm ready! The Princess is ready! My cyborg is ready for star's sake! What kept ye so long?"
"Four years you say?" the man leaned in as though to tell a grave secret, and Weldon and Alyce moved their faces closer to hear, "...Terribly sorry! I'm here now though, and I'm the Doctor! So we'll fix this up, no problem!" Weldon's face grew tight with annoyance before relaxing with the realization that his friend had finally come to help.
"Right, uh well, we'll need to start with a plan. Ye can't just go off like a mad hatter like ye did last time." Weldon looked to Alyce for a moment before continuing, "This here is Alyce Esprit. She's a Kyboerian by birth. I saved her after a slight run in with some fire, but that's all past now! She's right as rain and ready to help ye in any way she can."
Alyce's face pinched with aggravation, It's not like I can't hear you, Weldon. I'm standing right next to you! And who is this loon? And what in all the stars is he wearing on his neck? The Doctor, as he called himself, reached forward and grabbed Alyce's metal hand.
"Lovely name, Alyce Esprit! Just like a fairy tale." He shook her hand quickly, "And I'm the Doctor. I'm here to help out old Weldon over there! He seems to have misplaced his Princess and her family!" Weldon gave the Doctor a dirty look, before turning back to the others who had exited the TARDIS as well. Alyce's eye scanned over both of them. Earth – Homo-sapien – Female. Earth – Homo-sapien – Male, flashed in her left eye. Earth? I've heard of Earth before. Mom used to tell me stories of knights that road on four legged animals and fought huge lizards called Dragons. I wonder if these two fight Dragons too? Alyce glanced at Weldon for reassurance. You never quite knew who to trust in the Red Wing Belt; too many bandits and rogue star-pilots to trust just anyone. The Doctor's gaze followed Alyce's between his companions and her mentor.
"Oh right, right! These are my friends, Amy Pond and Rory Williams! Amy, Rory, this is a good friend of mine, Sir Weldon. He needs our help to restore the Princess to the throne of Kyboeria or the entire Mysteria galaxy will collapse."
Amy's face screwed up with confusion, "Collapse? Why?"
It was Weldon who answered, "The Mysteria Galaxy must be ruled by one of true blood. Jaliena married into the royal line, so she's not of true blood...she's not of true anything. It's our duty, Alyce, as upholders of truth and justice, to remove her from the throne. Do ye understand me, child? This is what ye have been training for these past four years. The good Doctor here, is just...insurance that our plans will go accordingly."
"Right. Return to Kyboeria, gain entrance to a planet that has my face pasted on arrest and execute warrants, overthrow the demented and paranoid Queen Jaliena, and put the Princess – who I might add is missing at best and non-existent at worst – on the throne, all while somehow not being discovered or killed while doing it? Sounds like an adventure, Weldon. And adventures, as you know, are my forte." Alyce winked at the young man named Rory, who was staring at her cybernetic eye. He gulped and scooted closer to Amy. It was silent a moment before the Doctor suddenly clapped his hands and Alyce visibly jumped. His exuberance and unpredictability unsettled her. She was used to planned movements that were exacted before being put into action. In short she was a calculator and the 'good Doctor' seemed to be everything but.
"Right! Well, no time like the present – what do you say old chap? Ready to find your Princess and put her on a throne?" he grinned at Weldon, who in turn grasped his hand.
"Of course! I've been waiting four years for this! Alyce, child, are ye ready for the adventure of a life time?" Weldon looked to her. But before she could answer, the Doctor was clapping Weldon on the back and laughing.
"I'd hardly call it the adventure of a life time, friend! But indeed it will be exciting. Wouldn't you say, Amy? Rory?" Both of his companions cringed a little at this. It made Alyce wonder what he had drug them through to make them so wary of this new mission. After a few moments of silence, the Doctor busied himself with "preparations and planning" along side Weldon. Alyce felt no need to join in, as she could easily record the information with her eye, including any maps or written material they might have. To avoid the awkward feeling surrounding the Amaranda Maree, Amy and Rory retreated into the dark blue box, the TARDIS. Alyce still had trouble understanding the object. Why travel in that thing when they could have the Amaranda? Puzzled she walked past Weldon and the Doctor to investigate.
Opening the door of the TARDIS was like walking into a memory. The inside was much, much larger than the out. Her eye went on the fritz again, just as it always did in a new environment. It cataloged any and all available information, before looking for hacking points. Amy and Rory were up on a circular platform that ringed what her eye told her was the control panel. They both looked up at her when she approached.
"I don't mean to intrude..." Alyce started, but then changed her mind, "Well, actually I do. I was wondering why he bothers traveling in this?"
"He?" Amy's brow scrunched a moment, "Oh you mean the Doctor? This is his TARDIS–"
"I know." Alyce interrupted, looking around. She longed to explore every inch of the odd shaped ship, but she didn't know if she could trust these people...and she was sure Weldon wouldn't approve of her stooping around his friend's ship without permission.
"You know?" Amy repeated. Alyce tapped her electronic eye in response. "Well, the TARDIS isn't just a space ship. It can go anywhere you like, forwards, backwards, sideways – anywhere you want in time! The Doctor travels through time and fixes things."
"Fixes things? How so?" Alyce's mind whirled back to the stories Ratine used to tell her. It's not possible, her mind argued, He was just a story!
"Yeah, he fixes things...Like when something's wrong and it's going to end up destroying a planet, a moment in history, a galaxy...Like your galaxy. That's why he's here. The TARDIS brought us here from almost 4500 years ago." Suddenly her voice wavered, "Well I think 4500 years ago. The screen says that it's the year 6508 now...It was the year 2010 when Rory and I first left with the Doctor..."
"Actually, this is the year 6508 as it pertains to Kyboeria, Amy. The year on Earth would be roughly 3050 A.D." the Doctor had entered the TARDIS, along with Weldon, "The year marker of 6508 is indicating how long the planet Kyboeria has been in existence. It was created 6,508 years ago by the first King–"
"Juld the Imposing." Alyce interrupted, "Which would mean nothing in comparison to the years that Earth has been around. 6508 is simply a marker in time for Kyboeria." Weldon gave Alyce a disapproving look. Amy nodded dimly, unsure of what to make of the cyborg. She seemed standoffish and almost rude. Not yet had the cyborg said anything close to 'hello' and she had simply barged onto the TARDIS. In fact, Amy thought, she'd be lucky if the rude, metal woman hadn't over heard what she and Rory had been discussing – namely the cyborg herself.
"Right, Alyce Esprit, right you are!" he looked around the room a moment before continuing, "We'll need to make our way to Planet Kyboeria then. Weldon, you know what to do."
Outside of the TARDIS, Alyce stood behind Weldon to his right. He sat in his chair, all sorts of levers and gadgets surrounded him. He pushed a few buttons, flicked a switch, and turned two knobs before leaning back in a relaxed pose. Alyce's left hand gripped the back of the steel chair with inhuman strength, allowing her to keep her loose pose as the starship shot forward at top speed. It was clear to her that Weldon was more than eager to complete this mission. She'd never seen the gleam of determination in his eyes more clearly. This is his life's work, she mulled over the last four years of her life. Every mission he had sent her on, every training she had completely took them one step closer to this moment. The Doctor shifted in his seat to their right. I still don't believe that he's mother's Fixer...He couldn't possibly be that doctor! He's a child's fairy tale for star's sake! Alyce's eye though told otherwise, reading 'unknown' in her eye's reflective lens. How he could be an 'unknown' form of life was odd to Alyce. She supposed it could be due to Weldon either leaving out the information or, more likely, that Weldon didn't have the information in the first place. Only time would tell. For now, Alyce focused on the task at hand. Returning and gaining access to Kyboeria. Which meant, her family as well. Perhaps now, after four years of toiling in nearby galaxies, clusters and belts, Alyce could finally reunite with the brother she loved and the mother she had forgiven. She only hoped her mother had forgiven her in turn.
"Weldon, is there any chance that I might get to see them?" her voice was small and timid, compared to her usual authoritative tone. Her single grey, human eye looked out across the universe, fighting against tears. Her electronic eye however, remained on Weldon, scanning his features for the truth. In all honesty, Amy thought it was creepy. Chills ran down her spine at how the human half of the girl could be crying while the electronic half was calculating and cold. It made Alyce appear to have two persons living in the same entity. Rory vehemently agreed with this. He clutched Amy's hand a little tighter, when suddenly the eye settled on him. It's laser was a deep purple, and it never – never – blinked.
When the eye turned away, Rory felt his breath come back to him. "It's a little scary, don't you think? The way she just looks at you...Like she's tellin' you she's watchin' you." Amy rolled her eyes at him.
"It's not that scary, Rory. Besides, she kind of was watching you." Amy tried to keep her voice as low as possible. But it didn't seem to matter anyways, as Alyce was firmly focused on Weldon again.
"Well? Will I get to see Lyle and Ratine again, Weldon?"
He looked up at his young charge. Only 18 and already she had lost so much. A hand, a foot, an eye...even the skin on her back. Weldon didn't think he had the heart to tell her that Ratine had been killed – in Alyce's place to boot. He had received the message only a month after taking Alyce away from Kyboeria. Lyle had been forced into the Queen's service that same day. He had wanted to tell Alyce so many times during the last four years, but his mission was of a greater importance. He loved Alyce like a daughter, but he was on a quest to save hundreds of other people's daughters strewn across the galaxy Mysteria. If he didn't get the Princess on the throne soon, the whole of the galaxy would collapse. And all that he had done and fought for would be for naught. Alyce's father's death would have been in vain. Not even the Doctor could fix the galaxy if the Princess wasn't put on the throne as quickly as possible.
"We'll see if we can find them, Alyce, but no promises. And we won't be able to look for them until after the Princess is on her throne. Do ye understand, child?" He looked at Alyce pointedly.
"Alright, alright! But exactly how are we going to find our missing Princess?" her eyebrows rose and her demeanor became expectant.
"Do ye still have that tiny trinket ye stole eleven years ago, child?" Alyce had no idea what the trinket had to do with their plans, but she fished the chain it hung on out of her shirt. The ring that dangled from the platinum chain was exquisite. A small starling, its tail reached around until it tucked under the bird's beak, its wings out-stretched, and it seemed to fly in a circle that wrapped around a person's finger. But try as she might, Alyce could never get the ring to stay on her finger. It would fall off almost immediately in some strange way, as though the ring itself was rejecting her. Despite the ring being masterfully crafted, and its details the finest, there was an element lacking from its appearance.
"I do." she pulled it off the chain and held it out to him. Weldon took it and inspected it in the light, then tossed it to the Doctor.
"Do ye know what that is, Doctor?"
"Not at all, but I'm sure you'll tell me." he said cheerily.
"It's a lineage marker. Only a person of a specific lineage can wear it." Weldon explained.
"But it's just a ring – a pretty ring – but a ring none the less." Amy said, looking nonplussed.
"No, lassie! Not just a ring! Here, try puttin' it on." Weldon handed her the silvery starling. Amy accepted the ring and placed it on her finger and then stuck out her hand for everyone to inspect.
"See?" she said, just as the ring flung itself from her finger, "Wait! I was wearing that! What just happened?"
"The ring will not allow someone of a different blood line to wear it. It will find any way it can to remove itself from their finger. I had to make Alyce that chain so that she could keep it close. That ring will only rest of the hand of the Princess of Kyboeria. It is Jaliena's one fear in all the universe, that some young woman would wear that ring." Weldon's gaze settled on the ring, as the Doctor inspected it closer, scanning it with his screwdriver.
"It's called 'The Starling in the Ring.' And it has been passed down for thousands of years, starting with Juld the Imposing." Alyce stated, taking the ring back into her possession, "I stole it when I was 7 years old on a dare. I foolishly accepted that dare, and lost my left hand to the Kyboerian guards. I managed to hide it though, before I was captured."
The Doctor looked at the ring again, as it hung around Alyce's neck. There was a piece to the puzzle he was missing. What was it he couldn't figure out about this cyborg? She seemed to have attachment to things and she showed human emotion. In fact, her voice was even human. There was no computerized quality to her speech. He would discover the hidden facts at some point, but his main focus was on the goal at hand: saving a galaxy from being destroyed. His eyes met Alyce's – a mix of human and machine – before asking,
"The Starling in the Ring, you say?"
