It was great to hear back from you all once again, so thanks for the continued reviews, favorites, follows, and C2s. Not much else to say except I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter, and now it's time for a chapter I'm pretty sure a lot of you have been waiting for.
Dobby's Polka-Dotted Sock
Chapter Ten
Jenny took a deep breath, steeling her nerves, and slipped on the glasses just as she stepped into a stream of students exiting a bus. She hung back so as not to attract the attention of this particular group's chaperones, but made sure to have a couple kids behind her, not wanting to stick out as the last person either. It took every ounce of control not to tense up as they passed through the glass front doors, for she knew now there was no turning back.
A blast of cool air hit her as she stepped through into the air-conditioned lobby, causing goose bumps to rise on her skin, though some part of her felt that they might have happened anyway as she looked about the gray, high-ceilinged room. Kids murmured quietly to each other as they huddled in the center of the room, joining a large crowd already gathered. A tall woman with a half-up hairdo stood before them in a pristine white blouse and dark pencil skirt. As she waited for them to settle down, the woman tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear, clearly some type of nervous habit.
"Good morning, my name is Dr. Karen Harris," she introduced, "And I will be giving a walking tour and the opening lecture before turning you over to Dr. Griffiths. We at the Wilkins Institute feel that you are the future, and we want to prepare you for that future. So, if you will follow me, we can begin." They began to move as a giant mass, but as they rounded a corner, Jenny saw her chance—a little alcove with a side door, clearly meant for employees of some sort. If she wanted cold, hard evidence, she needed to get out from under the control of a tour.
Sticking to the wall, she slipped through the door and quickly assessed the room; her inherited military training from Messaline had not been completely forgotten. It was a simple, dimly lit hall, with a door on the right that was labeled 'Boiler Room' and an elevator on the left.
"I think I'll start from the bottom," Jenny muttered, seemingly to herself, but not really- she knew the others were watching and listening to everything from the monitor screen in the TARDIS. So Jenny pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Whereas the rest of the building was cool, the boiler room was very hot, as well as cramped, dirty, and incredibly noisy. It wasn't all that remarkable from any other boiler room, except—
"I was pretty sure Earth boilers didn't glow," she commented, slowly approaching one of the large metal contraptions. But it was- not as if there was a light attached to the outside of it, but as if something inside was glowing, causing the entire thing to emanate a faint golden hue. "I really don't know what to do," she admitted, shaking her head a bit before realizing that was not conducive to their viewing of the situation. "I can't touch it and I don't have the right tools to open it up. I'll just have to leave it." She didn't say that it was giving her an odd feeling, like a strange sort of tingling under her skin. Quickly as she could, Jenny exited the boiler room and was nearly going to hit the button for the elevator when she saw it.
"Aha! Found the circuit breaker panel," Jenny quickly began digging through the pockets of her new jacket, which she'd taken from the TARDIS wardrobe for one express reason: Time Lord technology. "Let's see if you're the same as those boilers, huh?"
So fine, this time she was talking to an inanimate object, but she felt justified in doing so as she produced a screwdriver- a real one –and worked with speed to remove the cover. Sure enough, the whole box had that same gold glow, but now she could actually see it running steadily through the wires. A golden glow so very like…
She hadn't realized she'd dropped the screwdriver until she heard it clang against the tiled floor. Jumping at the harsh sound, Jenny bent down to retrieve it, and replaced the cover as fast as she could. Leaning against the wall next to the panel, she took several deep breaths. "So, that's what they're using to power the building," she finally said out loud, swallowing once before pressing the button to call the elevator and stepping inside when the doors slid open.
Clean, renewable energy, Martha had said. And River had looked apprehensive, rightly so as it turned out. That golden glow, that energy, was the light given off during a Time Lord's regeneration. And as far as Jenny knew, there were only two Time Lords in this building. Herself and her dad. Somewhere, her father was dying.
But how could that possibly make sense? As far as renewable went, he only had two regenerations left. Unless the energy given off from those two regenerations had been enough to power the building indefinitely, and the Doctor was already—
No, she couldn't even think that.
A bell dinged and the doors slid open again, and she found herself in a long, brightly lit hallway with what appeared to be offices. Before she could get back in the elevator to try another floor, however, a group of people rounded the corner. Not the students, but adults all carrying notepads and pens except a rather round man in the front with a mustache. She dug frantically in her pockets for supplies of her own, procuring the items just before the man with the mustache looked up and noticed her.
"Young lady, what are you doing here?"
Jenny's eyes darted about, taking in all the details. People in business attire asking questions and taking down notes, and she could just see a 'press' badge sticking out of one of the women's pockets. Well, it was a good thing she'd gone with a blouse and black trousers.
"I'm afraid my driver got stuck in traffic, sir," Jenny gave a large, apologetic smile, quickly fishing perhaps her most important tool from her top jacket pocket—the psychic paper. It was pure luck they had it, as her father had passed it to River at some point during their last adventure and the professor- her step-mum, she needed to start remembering that –hadn't had the chance to return it before his disappearance. "It's a bit of a drive."
"Yes, I see, Ms. Foreman," the man rumbled in reply as his eyes squinted to read the text. "I hadn't realized the Clom Gazette had an interest in my institution."
Jenny blinked and checked the paper for herself. She understood that Smith was perhaps too obvious a pseudonym- but Clom, really? "Oh, well, our readership in Clom is, er, very interested in scientific advances." If that was her story, she was sticking to it.
"I see," he repeated again, clearly growing bored with her already. "Well, you may ask a few questions, but I really haven't much time left."
The others were looking at her with some scorn, likely for her 'tardiness' and the fact that this was gaining her extra attention. She hastened to come up with a suitable inquiry that did not sound like an accusation, even though that's really what she wanted to do.
"Well, for starters, how exactly did the Wilkins Institute begin? Who was the driving force behind it all?"
"It really started as a scattered group of innovative thinkers," the man, clearly Wilkins, responded with perfect evasiveness. "An old acquaintance of mine, Dr. Kenneth Jeffries, was looking for financial backing and a collaborative team to help a project begun by his colleague, Dr. Charlene Griffiths."
"So is the organization privately funded?" Perhaps if Wilkins was the sole provider, they could get enough dirt on him to have the entire thing shut down for good.
"It began that way, but recently we've been looking to get recognition from the government. You see, Ms. Foreman, we hope to expand our success, first to the entirety of Great Britain, and then the rest of Earth."
"Not having to pay for utilities probably helps to keep costs low as well," she noted and he nodded in acknowledgement of her point. "What exactly is this renewable source of energy?"
"We've been experimenting with biofuels," he answered simply, and she nearly snapped the pen she was holding in two. Biofuels? The regenerative energy of her father was not a mere biofuel. How could he—
"Gareth, you've a call waiting," another man had just stepped into the hall, and through the door he was holding open, Jenny could hear the shrill tone of a ringing phone. She could also, with her stronger sense of smell, detect the stink of alcohol on the man's breath. It wasn't even midday. "It's giving me an awful headache."
"Thank you, Kenneth," Wilkins replied shortly, dismissing the intoxicated man. "Very well, that is all the time I have for you today. My secretary will show you out."
Jenny walked with the group obediently down two flights of stairs before one of the women slipped in her heels, and she used the commotion to run back up to the landing they'd just passed and entered another hall. This one was sparsely decorated as well, but smelled quite strongly of antiseptic and iron. She had to stand still a moment to adjust to the scents.
It wasn't long before her solitude was shattered. A set of double doors at the end of the hall burst open and a girl, perhaps seventeen or eighteen, with blonde hair came rushing out with a hand clamped over her mouth. The teenager made a beeline for the clearly marked restroom, and seconds later Jenny could make out the sounds of someone retching.
Though it was an incredibly foreboding sight, she knew that she needed to see what was going on behind those double doors. Hopefully, if people saw a blonde girl leave, and saw a blonde girl come back, they wouldn't notice the difference. Reaching up, Jenny took out the pins and hair tie that had been keeping her bun in place, perhaps another factor in her successful disguise as a journalist, and arranged her long locks as the girl had. Nothing could be done about her outfit, but most people didn't pick up on details like that.
Fortunately, it appeared the girl she was replacing had chosen an end-seat, and so as Dr. Harris was wrapping up her speech, she slid in next to a boy with ginger hair.
"—please, keep in mind that what we are showing you today is scientific discovery, advancement on a scale the human race never considered possible. What Dr. Griffiths will be presenting to you will change everything you know."
If she hadn't been focusing so intently on the woman's words, she might have seen it coming. As it was, she was caught off guard at her seat-neighbor's familiar voice as he whispered, "Hey Jess, you ok—Jenny?"
Jenny turned with no small amount of alarm to face Aaron Wood's shocked expression.
OoO
"What I must first ask you to do is dismiss any preconceived notions you have about science, about the universe even," Dr. Harris said, and Aaron saw two of his fellow students roll their eyes. He'd had doubts about going on this field trip himself, considering the Wilkins Institute was a barely established entity. Still, he might as well give the poor lady a chance, she looked like a nervous wreck.
In truth, the reason he had agreed to go to this thing was simply that he needed a distraction. Aaron had been going through his schedule as normal, but with an overlying sense of guilt. While he studied and worked and went out with schoolmates every once in a while, his friend was missing. He just felt he could be doing more to help find the Doctor.
This little presentation by these scientists was exactly what he needed, something to take his mind off things, at least for a bit.
So Aaron refocused as Dr. Harris continued, "You see, this whole project began with a reimagining of the world around us, with an emphasis on encouraging theory and experimentation. Over to your left is our New Physics wing, where we have specialists who work to explain the complexities of the world in different ways. Though we are a small group, our team is dedicated and we've had signs of early success. Another growing department is our Astronomy sector, which is located on your right. Space is the latest frontier—not the final, as the Wilkins Institute firmly believes in not setting boundaries. That is a part of the reason we have SETI astronomers employed as well."
SETI. He'd come across that phrase before. But another kid beat him to it.
"Doesn't SETI stand for the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence?" When she nodded, several students snorted or outright laughed. Aaron didn't join them.
"By the end of today, you might not find that so ridiculous," was all that the female doctor said in reply, before leading them up a flight of stairs. "We'll be entering the Biology Department, where we will meet up with Dr. Griffiths for her live demonstration of what the Wilkins Institute has accomplished."
A girl from his school, Jessica Flenn, tapped him on the shoulder, her face pale. "She said live. But, she doesn't mean like a dissection, right? Cause I really hate blood."
"I don't know, Jess," he said simply, shrugging and hurrying to catch up with the group. They filed into a room that looked almost like a lecture hall with slowly descending levels that finally stopped at the front of the room where a curtain hung across the entire wall. He wondered just what was behind it. Judging by the furtive glances his peers kept shooting at the curtain, they were all just as curious.
Everyone eventually settled into seats, and Aaron stood back to allow Jess into the row before him out of politeness, but the girl shook her head.
"No, it's probably best if I'm on the end," she reasoned, "I really don't like this."
"If that's what you want," he agreed, trying not to roll his eyes at her over reactive behavior. Honestly, it couldn't be so bad what this Dr. Griffiths was to be presenting to them. And he'd known classmates who had gone to watch open-heart surgeries no problem, so it was really just unfortunate that he'd been stuck with the super-squeamish Jessica Flenn.
"Before I turn you over to Dr. Griffiths, I would like to give you an overview of just how the Wilkins Institute came into being," Dr. Harris was at the front of the room again, brushing hair back from her face repeatedly. "We are a group of forward-thinkers, committed to bringing improvement and betterment to people's lives. We endeavor not to hold anything back from the people, which is why I am about to tell you about the biggest secret our governments have been hiding from us for decades."
That set everyone off talking amongst themselves, and even Aaron sat up straighter in interest. He was kind of a sucker for conspiracies.
"The governments around the world in the past have been sponsoring an organization called the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, or UNIT." UNIT? What did UNIT have to do with any of this? Aaron did his best to look as surprised as the rest of the students he sat amongst. "They are charged with investigating and dealing with anything extraterrestrial."
"With all due respect, ma'am," the boy from before spoke up, "there isn't anything extraterrestrial to deal with."
Dr. Harris offered an indulgent smile. "I think the mere existence of UNIT negates that assumption, young man. But this is what the Wilkin's Institute wants to do- combat the sheltered view you've been given of the world. I only have to point to the so called hoaxes that occurred during your earlier years in the 2000s."
"My mum said those were students," he heard a girl two rows ahead mutter, and the boy next to her snorted.
"Like any of us could pull something like that off."
"Yeah, and what about those things that killed the American President?"
"Aaron, weren't you researching aliens last summer?" Jess asked quietly to his left, and he gave a little jump in his seat.
"Um, yeah," he answered slowly, becoming uncomfortable with the direction this lecture had taken. What exactly was the Wilkin's Institute up to?
"So you can already see that things are not what they seem," Dr. Harris was concluding for them as the voices gradually quieted. "UNIT has been dealing with hoaxes like those- quite poorly –and alien life itself since its formation, keeping the public in the dark. They are no better than a simple police force, designed to shut the world off from any kind of contact with those we occupy this universe with."
"What are the aliens like?" Someone called from the back.
"There are several kinds, some quite primitive, but others with technology beyond our current capabilities," Dr. Harris answered. "Instead of learning from these species, UNIT has chosen to keep the Earth isolated. As a result, our own technologies have begun to stagnate as this globalized world has nearly tapped its entire potential."
"You can say that again," one of the other kids grumbled, "my new iPhone's the same stinking thing as three generations ago!"
One girl tentatively raised her hand. "Are- are the aliens…mean? Are we going to be invaded?"
"So far we have proven capable of defending our own borders," their lecturer reassured. "But we still know little of those we share the universe with. We at the Wilkin's Institute are trying to change that, thanks to Dr. Griffiths' work. I am afraid I shall now be giving you a history lesson." Some of the kids scowled at that. "Countless years ago in a galaxy far from our own, there were two alien species-the Daleks and the Gallifreyans –locked in a long, bloody war. In a rather barbaric tactic, one of the warriors destroyed his home planet in the largest act of autogenocide this planet has ever heard of, leaving him the last member of his tribe, called the Time Lords."
Aaron blinked. Perhaps he was slow, perhaps he was stupid—but was this woman actually talking about what he thought she was talking about? Because that would mean—
"Oh my God, that's horrible," Jess breathed next to him, looking incredibly pale once again.
"This warrior has gone on living in eternal agony, as it was and still is near impossible to kill one of his species, and so he has been forced to live with unbearable remorse for what he did. He had taken to serving UNIT each time they failed spectacularly in one of their missions, before Dr. Griffiths was able to come up with something ultimately more beneficial to the human race than a soldier. She has been able to turn the most feared being in the cosmos into a healer, a bringer of life to the people of Earth."
He was numb, absolutely numb. Aaron could not believe this was happening, that he was hearing this. What kind of warped history was she spouting at them? Who had come up with this censored version of the Time War- of the Doctor –and for what purpose?
"This creature has offered himself up to scientific study as it causes no permanent damage to himself and allows for new breakthroughs to be made in all kinds of fields. Most paramount to this is the medical field, as through the study of and experimentation on an alien's biology provides new data and developments."
"Experimentation how?" He heard his own voice ask sharply, though he wasn't sure how the words had managed to leave his mouth. Aaron's heart felt like it had leapt up to hammer away in his throat. By going on this pointless fieldtrip, he may have just stumbled across where the Doctor had been taken—but what sort of a state was his friend in?
"The usual scientific method, young man," Dr. Harris told him with that same pleasant smile, though it seemed to almost waver as she continued. "Observation, blood work, some- live dissection."
"Oh God," Jess practically moaned, her face a greenish tint as she clapped a hand over her mouth, stumbling up the aisle and out the door.
"But there are no lasting effects to the alien," Dr. Harris hastened to add, though her eyes kept darting to the door Jess had fled through as if she could follow the teenage girl's flight. The scientist appeared to be having trouble collecting herself. "Um, it's very crucial that I stress to you how important this project is to the continuation of the human race. With the cooperation of this creature, we have been able to start progressive changes to medicine, helping countless individuals all over Great Britain to become healthy, productive citizens once again."
It seemed Jess had gotten a handle on her shaky nerves for in his peripheral vision he saw her retake her seat. Aaron sighed as Dr. Harris kept talking, realizing it would be rude of him to not check on his schoolmate, but not wanting to miss anything the woman was saying.
"Please, keep in mind that what we are showing you today is scientific discovery, advancement on a scale the human race never considered possible. What Dr. Griffiths will be presenting to you will change everything you know."
He seized the moment as the woman ended her speech to turn to the girl. "Hey Jess, you ok—" His mouth dropped open as he really, fully took in the female sitting next to him, and Aaron gasped, "Jenny?"
And Jenny Smith whipped her head around to stare at him with wide eyes and an almost guilty expression. "Aaron!" She squeaked in a tiny voice, obviously not wanting to bring attention to herself. He felt she had good reason, for what was she doing here and how had she gotten in? "Um, hi?" She whispered, biting her lip a moment. "Please don't tell."
"Of- of course not, I just- what are you doing—wait no, Jenny this is important, I think they have—"
"My dad, I know," she answered, a grim look overtaking her pretty features. He couldn't help narrowing his eyes in confusion as he noticed something different about her.
"Since when did you wear glasses?"
"I don't, they're sort of cameras—oh! Stupid, I need to face front," the girl berated herself quietly, turning sharply in her seat, and just in time. Dr. Harris had motioned for a man to the side to turn a contraption that controlled the curtain.
As it parted, the woman said, "Now I would like to introduce you to Dr. Charlene Griffiths, who will be giving the rest of the presentation." Jenny's knuckles were white as her fists clenched in her lap and a scowl was evident on her face, but Aaron returned his attention to the front as it was revealed that the curtain had been concealing a glass wall overlooking another room they were situated slightly above.
It was brightly lit and looked completely sterile. A table lined with medical instruments stood slightly left of center, as a woman was occupying the middle of the room. She had dirty-blonde hair in a low bun, was rather average in height, but what struck Aaron the most was her cold eyes. Even though she was below them, those ice-cold eyes made him feel like she was towering above, looking down at them. When she smiled, it didn't reach her eyes.
"Good afternoon, students," Dr. Griffiths spoke. "As Dr. Harris was explaining to you, I have pioneered a mission to save our species, utilizing the new resources of the twenty-first century. For too long UNIT has been holding Earth back, condemning countless innocents to early graves as a result. But the Wilkin's Institute- and you –are the future. I feel that each of you has the ability to embrace that future, and work for the betterment of your fellow men and women."
It was stirring rhetoric, as most of his peers leaned forward in interest and anticipation. They were not to be disappointed. Dr. Griffiths continued speaking as she walked over to a part of the room in shadow, where he could make out what he thought might be a loaded table covered with cloth. A man with dark hair and what some might call a winning smile joined the woman.
"To this end, I will not hide anything from you. I have promised a demonstration, and I shall give one." The two adults began pushing the covered table, wheeling it to the center. They each also had hold of a different machine, both of which had wires leading underneath the cover. The one that Dr. Griffiths was guiding along he recognized as a heart monitor, but the man's machine was unfamiliar to him. They stopped upon reaching the exact middle of the room, where the woman had been standing before, and the man backed away as she reached a hand briefly under the cover, appearing to perhaps unlatch or unfasten something.
Dr. Griffiths then straitened and walked to one end of the covered table or cart, grabbing a handful of the white cover. "I give you the source of my research, tests, and success—Subject Theta." And in one fluid movement she wrenched the cover away to reveal the creature underneath.
For Aaron could not call what lay under there a man without joining Jessica Flenn in emptying his stomach.
So…don't kill me? Please? Pretty please? I'm stopping here simply because I feel like I'd be rushing the next section if I tried to include it in this chapter. Also, I wanted to get an update out today. So, once again, thanks for reading and please review!