CH. 4: That Light

I grappled behind at the encased chart with frantic fingers and yo-yoed it in front of me by its strap. He wasn't bluffing; through a circular crack round the lid, a feverish yellow light was escaping.

Without taking my eyes off it, I eased the strap up and off my shoulder. "Should I open it?"

"I'm not sure...," he said, brow furrowed. "Could be dangerous...or oodles of fun." He slipped his metal flashlight out of his inner jacket pocket and buzzed it about the seeping glow. "...I can't get a reading. Whatever it is, it's powerful enough to disrupt the sonic screwdriver's theta wavelengths. So what are you, Sam? Optimist or pessimist?"

"Er-sorry?"

"Is your tube filled with rainbows, jammy dodgers, and kittens or a malevolent alien weapon keen on incinerating us both?" I blinked in reply and gave him a long, hard look. He smiled thinly and raised his eyebrows. "Hm...?"

"I say let's open it and find out."

"Oooh. I like you. As you wish, madam." His hand poised ready at the tube's plug-lid, ready to dislodge it with a pop. "Okay. On the count of three. One...two...three!" Off popped the lid and-nothing. "Well, that's odd..." he muttered, adjusting the tube to peer into the now-dark void my starchart nestled in. "I thought for sure that-" A sudden beam of raw radiance erupted from the encased chart and blasted in his face.

I let out a high yelp and jumped, clutching the shining tube with a vise-like grip. The timelord, for his part, reeled back only slightly and for a brief instant. Feet steady again on the TARDIS's metal floor, he confronted the great radiance emanating from the tube face-on and without so much as a blink, his face awash in gold splendor. "Hey, you alright?" He didn't reply, but continued to gaze fixedly into the light.

In attempt to revive him, I shifted the shining light aside, but like a moth to a flame, he fast followed it. Up, down, right, left-whatever which way I maneuvered the chart, he chased in earnest. Before I could get any more brilliant ideas, he wordlessly snatched it from me, plopped himself on the ground, and resumed staring transfixed and unblinking into the light source gleaming out from my art-carrying case.

It was all a bit unnerving, I'll tell you.

Picking the plug off the floor, I sauntered over to where he sat and crouched beside him. He seemed...peaceful, staring into that yellow radiance. A content smile softened his countenance, his eyes bright and open and innocent like a child's. It almost made me wish I was in his place. Huh. Why wasn't I affected by the light? For the first time, I truly looked into the glow...

It was so...beautiful. A warm, fuzzy feeling came over me. My troubles, my worries, my stresses-all melted into nothing like butter on toast. My mind began to wander. What was I doing again...? Something...medical. Yes, definitely medical. Ah, maybe not...? A Doctor. My speech therapist would be excited...No stutter! Can't wait to tell him...David too...

David. That one name struck a chord in me. David. Kind-hearted, friendly David. Was he still alive? He might still be alive! The man in front of me might know!

With effort, I broke my gaze away from the light. Taking care not to look into it again, I aimed to close it off with the plug I held by way of feel.

Just as I almost had it shut tight, the timelord's hand buffeted mine away and then pinned it firmly to the floor. His eyes-vacant of the intelligence I had seen in them before-met mine, and then turned from me, resuming the vigil of the abnormal illumination. I tried to break free, but to no avail; he was stronger than he appeared. My patience was wearing.

"We-ugh! Gotta-ugh! Help-ugh!" Each new venture of escape was met by him pressing my hand harder and harder into the metal floor. It was really starting to hurt, and in retaliation I struck him solidly on the back. "Get it together!" I snapped. This only got my other hand pinned solidly under his rear. From then on I tried other tactics.

"Hey there. Hey. You." I nudged his shoulder with my forehead. "Hey. I know that light is tempting, but you have to get let it go. People's lives are at stake. Hey. Mr. 'Time and Relative Dimensions in Space'," I mimicked. "Come on, we have to leave. Um. ...what did you say your name was again...? Uh, let's go, um, 'The Doctor'!" I flushed at the dorkiness of his title.

To my great surprise, I felt a stir at this, and looked up to see him shaking his head and tearing his stare away from the light. He rubbed at his eyes, freeing my stiff hands. Soon a plugged tube rolled safely elsewhere across the floor. "You okay?" I queried.

"Just Doctor," he replied, still rubbing his eyes.

"What?"

"It's just Doctor. Not 'The Doctor'." He made sarcastic little quotation marks in the air.

"Oh." Duh.

Shaking his head in pity, he said, "Honestly. How can you recall 'Time and Relative Dimensions in Space' on a whim and not remember my name?" He seemed truly aghast. "It was better than 'Doctor Who', mind. Wait. No. Actually, I like that. A lot." He smiled to himself.

"So, Doctor," I placed careful emphasis on the name. "Why is my chart shining? And why were you staring into it so long? It didn't take long for me to break free. At least, I don't think..."

"Excellent questions. To the first question: haven't a clue. But that light," he pointed to the tube lying across the floor we crouched on, "that radiance more like, is a weapon, as I earlier predicted. Used by advanced civilizations in times of war. Effective, to an extent-excellent at distracting otherwise good soldiers until they were massacred by the thousands. The more experience they had, the longer they were trapped under the radiance's spell."

"You were trapped longer because you have more experience?"

"In a way, yes. But no. Other factors should be considered." He waved his hands around like an orchestra conductor. "Like shock, or memories boiling up and rousing you from your stupor. Weapons like this try to consider these other factors, however. Makes you love the radiance. You don't want to fight it, especially when it rekindles long-lost memories..." his voice and hand gesticulations faded.

"What kind of memories...?" I said, voice soft.

He started. "Nothing! Nothing. I'll tell you what we need to worry about-David! Your David! David and the others melting like candle wax. We need to hurry-too much time wasted already. The first round of transformations may not yet be completed." The Doctor made for the door.

"Wait! What about the chart?"

"No, leave it. It's not dependable enough to be useful. Look-the light's gone." I glanced over at the tube resting on the floor; no shine spilled from the lid's crack. The Doctor exited the TARDIS, and I sprinted after. "Say," he said, still walking. "You ever think about how weird your job is?"

Like the story so far? Please review! :)