Bad Wolf
Based on the episode of the same name by Russell T Davies
The Doctor and Maddie woke up and found themselves in small closet like room. They felt the room start to spin. "Doctor, What's going? What's happening?" The Doctor started pounding on the walls. He found a door and they fell out of the room and onto the the carpeted floor of a brightly decorated room.
Then a young woman ran over to them, "Oh my God! I don't BELIEVE it! Why'd they put you in there? They never said you were coming!"
The Doctor and Maddie tried to pull themselves up, "But what happened? We were…"
The woman helped The Doctor then Maddie to their feet, "Careful now…oh! " she said. The Doctor's legs gave way and he fell flat on his face again, "Oh! Mind yourself! Oh, that's the transmat. Scrambles your head - I was sick for days." Maddie bent over and put her hands on her knees. The Doctor tried to push himself up gain and the young woman helped him stand up, "You all right?" The Doctor grunted as he finally managed to stabilized himself, "So! What's your name then, sweetheart?" she asked Maddie.
"I'm Maddie… Maddie Rooney."
"Nice to meet you Maddie." the woman turned to The Doctor, "And you are?"
"The Doctor," he said, groggily, "The Doctor, I think. We were er... I don't know, what happened? How-" He looked at the woman for help.
"You both got chosen," said the woman as she nodded with a grin on her face.
"Chosen for what?" asked Maddie.
"You're a Housemate. You're in the house! Isn't that brilliant?!" the woman laughed and then.
Just then they heard a male voice call out, "That's not fair." They looked at saw a young man and a black woman sitting on a purple couch in front of a TV with the words 'BIG BROTHER' on the screen.
"No way…" said Maddie.
"We've got eviction in five minutes!" said the man, "I've been here for all nine weeks, I've followed the rules, I haven't had a single warning, and then they come swanning in." He said pointing at The Doctor and Maddie.
"If they keep changing the rules, I'm gonna protest, I am. You just watch me, I'm - I'm gonna paint the walls," said the black woman.
The Doctor and Maddie looked around the house completely confused. They saw several cameras turning slowly then they heard a male voice call out, "Doctor and Maddie please go to the Diary Room…" said a male voice.
The Doctor looked up at the ceiling trying to see where the voice was coming from. Maddie looked around and saw a door with a button next to it that had a green ring around it. "Come on…" she said.
She took his hand and took him to the door. She pressed the button and there was a buzz and a click. They walked down a short hallway to another room. She opened the door they found themselves in a blue room with a dark blue couch. They sat sown on the couch and they heard a female voice that to Maddie sounded like a robotic Juile Chen.
"You are live on Channel Forty-Four-thousand. Please do not swear…"
"You have GOT to be kidding me…" said Maddie.
Meanwhile, Liv was laying on the floor of a darken room, in a beam of light. She slowly regain consciousness, "What happened?" she asked.
Just then a man crouched down beside her, "It's all right... it's the transmat. Does your head in." Liv looked around at her surroundings then the man continued, "Get a bit of amnesia. What's your name?"
"Liv. But... where's The Doctor?"
"Just remember - do what the Android says. Don't provoke it. The Android's word is law."
"What do you mean, android? Like... a robot?" She looked around.
"Positions, everyone!" said a female voice, "Thank you!"
"Come on. Hurry up!" said the man as he helped Liv to her feet, "Steady, steady…"
She hung on to him for support and stared to get scared, "I was traveling. With The Doctor, my sister Maddie, and a man called Captain Jack...? The Doctor wouldn't just leave me…"
"That's enough chat!" said a woman with a clipboard, "Positions! Final call!" Liv looked and saw the woman standing next to an inactive robot, which was being attended to by technicians. The robot stood on a platform around six "Good luck!"
The man smiled and looked at Liv, "But I'm not supposed to be here." said Liv confused and very frightened.
"Well, it says Liv on the podium…" said the man. Liv looked and and her name lit up on one of the podiums. She stood there and stared at it, "Come on!" He ran off and stood behind his podium, it has the name Roderick on it.
Slowly and confused Liv took her place behind her podium. She looks around the technicians and woman were working on the android and realizes what's going on, "Wait a minute… It can't be…. This looks like the set for the-"
"Android activated!" said woman.
The android came to life and raised its face up, "Oh, my God. The Android. The Anne... Droid."
"Welcome, to 'The Weakest Link'!" said the Anne Droid, with the robotic sounding voice of Anne Robinson. The theme to "The Weakest Link" played.
Back at the Big Brother House, The Doctor tried to open the front door with his sonic screwdriver. He looked at the woman that The Doctor and Maddie met when they arrived, "I can't open it."
"It's got a deadlock seal. Ever since Big Brother Five Hundred and Four when they all walked out...?" she said. There was no answer from The Doctor or Maddie as they walked to the other side of the room looking for any possible exits. "You MUST remember that."
Maddie pointed at one of the mirrors, "What about this?"
"Oh, that's exoglass. You'd need a nuclear bomb to get through."
The Doctor scanned it with his sonic, "Don't tempt me. "
The woman leaned against the wall next to him. Then she lowered her voice. "I know you're not supposed to talk about the outside world, but you must've been watching. Do people like me? Lynda with a Y, not Linda with an I - she got forcibly evicted because she damaged the camera." The Doctor nodded, "Am I popular?"
"I don't remember." said The Doctor.
" Oh, but does that mean I'm nothing? Some people get this far just 'cos they're insignificant. Doesn't anybody notice me?"
He looked at Lynda then at Maddie. Then Maddie said to Lynda, "No... you're... you're nice. You're sweet. Everybody thinks you're sweet."
"Oh! Is that right? Is that what I am?" said Lynda sounding flattered, "Oh, no-one's ever told me that before. Am I sweet? Really?"
"Yeah. Dead sweet!" said The Doctor.
"Thank you!" Lynda smiled.
Maddie looked over at what should be a sliding glass door, but just saw black glass "Where's the backyard?"
The Doctor and Maddie walked over to it. Lynda followed and said, "Don't be silly. No-one's got a backyard anymore. Who's got a backyard?" she gasped, "Don't tell me YOU'VE got a backyard!"
The Doctor examining the wall of black glass, "No, I've just got the TARDIS…" The Doctor spun around, "I remember."
"Me too," said Maddie.
"That's the amnesia! So what happened? Where did they get you two?" asked Lynda.
"We'd just left Raxacoriofallapatorius," said The Doctor, "Then we went to Kyoto, that's right. Japan in 1336, and we only just escaped…"
"We were all together," Maddie, "we were laughing, and then... there was this light... ... this white light coming through the walls, and then... And then we woke up here."
"Yeah, that's the transmat beam," said Lynda, "That's how they pick the housemates."
"Oh, Lynda with a Y... sweet little Lynda…" said The Doctor, he walked a few paces into the room, "It's worse than that. I'm not just a passing traveller. No stupid little transmat gets inside my ship. That beam was fifteen million times more powerful, which means... this isn't just a game. There's something else going on." The Doctor walked toward a camera, "Well! Here's the latest update from the Big Brother house. Me and Maddie are getting out." He looked right into the mirror, "We're gonna find our friends. And then we're gonna find YOU." He pointed straight at the camera.
Back in The Weakest Link studio, the floor manager was counting down, "17... 16... 15... thank you people, transmitting in 12... 11... 10..."
Liv looked at Rodrick, "But I need to find the Doc-"
"Just- shut up and play the game!" said Rodrick.
"All right then. If I have to play… I'm going to play to win!" said Liv with a smile.
The floor manager continued her count, "3, and cue!"
"Let's play 'The Weakest Link'!" said the Anne Droid, "Start the clock." The Anne Droid turned to a middle aged man, "Agorax - the name of which basic food stuff is an anagram of the word 'beard'?"
"Bread," he answered
"Correct. Fitch - in the Pan Traffic Calendar, which month comes after Hoob?" asked the Anne Droid.
"Is it... Clavadoe?" she asked.
"No, Pandoff. Liv, in maths, what is 258 minus 158?"
"One hundred!"
"Correct. Rodrick -"
"Bank," he said.
"Which letter of the alphabet appears in the word 'dangle' but not in the word 'gland'?"
"E."
"Correct!" The Anne Droid turned to a woman, "Colleen - in social security, what D is the name of the payment given to Martian Drones?"
"Default."
"Correct." The Anne Droid turned to a young man, "Broff - the Great Cobalt Pyramid is built on the remains of which famous Old Earth Institute?"
"T- Touchdown."
"No - Torchwood."
Liv laughed but Broff looked worried about something.
"Agorax - in language, all five examples of which type of letter appear in the word 'facetious'?"
"Vowels."
"Correct. Fitch - in biology, which blood cells contain iron - red or white?"
"Um... White."
Liv giggled but Fitch looked just as worried as Broff.
"No, red," said the Anne Droide, "Rose - in the holovid series 'Jupiter Rising', the Grexnik is married to whom?"
"How should I know?" said Liv laughing at the absurdity of her situation.
"No, the correct answer is Lord Drayvole."
Meanwhile, in a control room, a female programmer that oversaw 'The Weakest Link' asked to one of her male co workers, "Why's she laughing?" as she watched Liv, "Oh, My God… I don't think she knows…"
"And I've got two housemates that appeared out of nowhere," he said, "I told you… It's like the game's running itself."
A short time later, in The Weakest Link Studio, the round had ended. The contestants each voted for the person they though should be eliminated from the game. Liv voted for Fitch and was holding a card with Fitch's name on it.
The Anne Droid looked at Liv, "So, Liv. What do you actually do?"
Liv smiled, "We right now I'm just traveling around, with my sister and our friends."
"Another way of saying 'unemployed'. "
"No." said Liv annoyed.
"Have you got a job?"
"Not right now… "
"Then you ARE unemployed! And yet, you've STILL got enough money to buy peroxide. Why Fitch?"
"Well… Uh... I think she got a few of the questions wrong." Liv looked over at Fitch and saw her staring at the ground with tears running down her cheeks, "... that's all. "
"Oh, you'd know all about that."
"Well yeah, but I can't vote for myself, so it had to be Fitch…"said Liv. Fitch stood at her podium sobbing silently. Liv was confused. She had seen the show a few times through reruns on GSN and on YouTube and no one had acted like her, "I'm sorry... that's the game. That's how it works... I had to vote for someone."
Fitch ignored Liv and looked at the Anne Droid. Fitch was terrified, "Let me try again, it was the lights and everything - I couldn't think."
"In fact, with three answers wrong, Broff was the weakest link in that round, but - it's votes that count," said The Anne Droid.
Fitch started begging, "I'm sorry. Oh, please... oh God, help me!" She looks around at her fellow contestants, pleading for help they can't give. Liv looked at her completely confused. Rodrick looked away. Broff sobbed silently into the board he was holding up.
Liv looked at the Anne Droid and it said, "Fitch - you are the weakest link. Goodbye!" The Anne Droid's mouth opened and a gun came out of it. Without a moments hesitation, it fired a thick and fast bolt of gold light at Fitch. The beam hit Fitch and she was gone. The gun retreated back into the Anne Droid's mouth.
"And we've gone to the adverts," said the floor manager as she walked out, "Back in three minutes…"
Liv was confused at what happened. She looked at Rodrick, "What happened?"
Rodrick was wiping his board clean, "She was the weakest link - she gets disintegrated." Liv just couldn't comprehend what Rodrick was saying, "Blasted into atoms. "
"But I voted for her. Oh, my God. This is sick," shouted Liv. The other contestants looked at her, "All of you…you all sick! I'm not playing this…"
"I'm not playing!" interrupted Broff, crying, "I... I can't do it." The Anne Droid turned toward him. Broff jumped off his podium and started to run away, "I'm not- please, somebody let me-"
"You are the weakest link," said the Anne Droid. She fired and Broff disappears in mid-run, "Goodbye."
As the gun moved back into her mouth. Liv stood there, mouth open, shocked and absolutely disgusted. Rodrick looked at her, "Don't try to escape. It's play... or die."
Back at the Big Brother house, Lynda and the other two housemates were sitting on the sofa in front of the TV, "Doctor, Madddie, " said Linda, "they said ALL the housemates must gather on the sofa. You've got to. "
"Busy getting out, thanks," said The Doctor. He and Maddie were standing at one of the doors while he tried to unlock it with his sonic.
"But if you don't obey, then ALL the housemates get punished."
The Doctor and Maddie then reluctantly walked over and sat on the sofa, "Well maybe we'll be voted out, then." said Maddie.
"How stupid are you?" said the man, "You've only just joined, you're not eligible."
"Don't try anything clever or we all get it in the neck," said Lynda.
Just then on the screen appeared a robot that look vagley like Juile Chen. "Hello, Houseguests," said Julie Chenbot.
"Hello, Juile," said the other houseguests.
"Crobsie, Lynda and Strood - you have all been nominated for eviction. The votes are in. When I reveal the vote. The evicted houseguest will have just a few moments to say goodbye, gather his or her belongings and walk out the front door." Lynda, Strood and Crosbie all grabbed each others hands, Crosbie hung onto the Doctor's, who rolled his eyes. "By a overwhelming majority… Crosbie… You are evicted from the Big Brother House…"
Crosbie, the other female houseguest, gasped and stood up. Strood, the male houseguest, and Lynda stand up, "I'm sorry!" said Lynda as she hugged her, "Oh, I'm sorry! Sorry!"
"Oh, it should've been me, that's not fair... oh, Crosbie love…" said Strood, as he put an arm around Crosbie.
The Doctor and Maddie stayed on the couch while Crosbie, Lynda and Strood walked to the front door. "I won't forget you." said Lynda.
"I'm sorry I stole your soap," said Crosbie
"Oh, I don't mind, honestly." Lynda and Crosbie hugged.
"Thanks for the food, you're a smashing cook," said Strood. He kissed Crosbie on the cheek and hugged her. The door slid open, revealing a small, narrow, gleaming white room. With a door on the other side.
"Crosbie, please exit the Big Brother House," said Julie Chenbot.
Crosbie stared into the room apprehensively. Then, she looked back at Lynda and Strood, "Bye, then... bye Lynda…"
"Bye…" said Lynda. Lynda and Strood then made an archway with their arms. Crosbie walked underneath. Maddie couldn't understand. Maddie was a fan of Big Brother… The whole Rooney family were fans of Big Brother. Lynda and Shrood looked so sad as they waved goodbye to Crosbie as the door slid closed.
"I don't believe it," said Lynda, "Poor Crosbie…"
"It's only a game show," said The Doctor, "she'll make a fortune on the outside! Sell her story, release a record, fitness video, all of that... she'll be laughing!"
"What d'you mean, 'on the outside'? " said Lynda as she stared at him.
Crosbie stands in the middle of the white room, trembling.
"Here we go... " said Strood. Lynda and Strood walked back over to the sofa and sat back down. The screen changed to show the room that Crosbie was in. She was just standing there.
"What's going on?" asked Maddie, "Why doesn't she walk out?"
"Stop it, it's not funny," said Lynda, tearfully.
"Eviction in... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!' said Juile Chenbot. Crosbie was hit with the same light that the Anne Droid used and Crosbie was disintegrated.
The Doctor and Maddie sat up, "What was that?" asked Maddie.
"Disintegrator beam," said Strood.
"She's been evicted," said Lydia, "From life."
The Doctor stood up and looked right at Lynda and Strood, who just sat on the sofa, "Are you INSANE? You just step right into the disintegrator? Is it that important, getting your face on the telly? Is it worth DYING for?"
Lynda stood up, "You're talking like we've got a choice!"
"Of course you have a choice," said Maddie, "Don't you have to apply?!"
"Don't be so stupid," said Strood, "That's how they played it centuries back."
"You get chosen whether you like it or not!" said Lynda, "Everyone on Earth is a potential contestant. The transmat beam picks you out at random. And it's non-stop. There are sixty Big Brother houses running all at once. "
"How many?" asked Maddie.
"SIXTY?" shouted The Doctor.
"They've had to cut back. It's not what it was," said Strood dejectedly.
"It's a CHARNEL house! What about the winners? What to they get?"
"They get to live," said Lynda.
"Is that it?!" asked Maddie.
"Well, isn't that enough?!"
Maddie looked at The Doctor, "Doctor, Liv and Jack must have be caught in the transmat as well…They are probably contestants too… We need to get out of here…"
"Agreed," said The Doctor, "Do you trust me, Maddie?"
"Of course," said Maddie.
The Doctor looked at Lynda, "That other contestant - Lynda with an I - she was forcibly evicted for what?"
"Damaged property…" said Lynda.
"What, like this?" The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver, put it in Maddie's right hand, guided Maddie's toward a camera in the corner of the room. Then The Doctor activated the sonic and the camera exploded.
Back in the Weakest Link Studio, another round was completed, "You are the weakest link. Goodbye!" said the Anne Droid, and with a blast of her gun, Colleen was gone.
"Going to the break! Two minutes on the clock," said the Floor Manager, "Just a reminder - we've got solar flare activity coming up in ten."
Liv looked at Rodrick who was wiping his board clean, "Colleen was smart! She banked all our money. Why did you vote for her?"
"'Cos I want to keep you in! You're stupid! You don't even know the Princess Vossaheen's surname. When it comes to the final, I want to be up against you. So that you get disintegrated, and I get a stack-load of credits. Courtesy of the Bad Wolf Corporation…"
"What's the Bad Wolf Corporation?"
Rodrick looked at her as if he couldn't believe she didn't know who Bad Wolf was, "They're in charge. They run the Game Station."
"Why are they called Bad Wolf? " asked Liv.
"I dunno, it's just a name. It's like an Old Earth... nursery rhyme sort of thing- what does it matter?"
"I keep hearing those words everywhere we go. Bad Wolf." said Liv. She thought about all the times she heard Bad Wolf. From Gweyneth in Mr. Sneed's kitchen, from Margaret in the Exhibition room of the Cardiff Town Hall, some kid spray painted it on the TARDIS the last time they were in Stevens Point, one of the news channels on Satellite 5 was the Bad Wolf channel, "Different times... different places like it's written all over the universe…"
"What're you going on about?"
"If the Bad Wolf is in charge of this game, then... maybe I'm not here by mistake. Someone's been planning this…"
Back at the Big Brother House, The Doctor, Maddie, Lynda, and Strood were sitting on the sofa and Julie Chenbot was on the screen, "Doctor and Maddie, you've broken the House Rules. Big Brother has no choice but to evict you both." The Doctor raised his hand in triumph, "You have a few moments to say goodbye, gather your belongings and walk out the front door."
The Doctor leaped up and ran to the door, "That's more like it! Come on then, open up!"
Maddie got up and followed The Doctor, "Are you sure about this?"
The Doctor nodded. Then, Lynda came up to them, "You're mad! It's like you WANT to die!"
"I reckon he's a plant!" said Strood, "He was only brought in to stir things up!"
The door slid open and Julie Chenbot said, "Doctor and Maddie… please leave the Big Brother house." The Doctor and Maddie went into the white room.
Strood went back to the sofa and leap over the back to watch the screen. But, Lynda stayed at the doorway and slide sideways with the door anxiously as it closed.
"Come on then, disintegrate us! Come on, what're you waiting for?" shouted The Doctor. "Disintegrate us!"
The Doctor folded his arms and looked up at the disintegrator, waiting, grinning. Maddie on the other hand was nervous. She trusted The Doctor knew what he was doing, but there was a small chance The Doctor was wrong and then they'd be killed.
"Eviction in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." counted Julie Chenbot. Maddie grabbed onto The Doctor's arm closed her eyes and held her breath.
But nothing happened Maddie opened her eyes "Haha!" said The Doctor, "I knew it! You see? Someone BROUGHT us into this game. If they'd wanted us dead, they could've transmatted us into a volcano. They want us alive…" The Doctor moved to door at the other side of the room, "Maybe the security isn't as tight this end." he looked up at the camera, "Are you following this? We're getting out!" The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the lock at the door swung open. Then, the door leading back into the House also opened. Lynda popped her head through. The Doctor and Maddie looked back at her.
"Come with us," said Maddie.
Lynda looked at Strood who was kneeling on the sofa, "We're not allowed!" said Strood.
"Stay in there - you've got a fifty-fifty chance of disintegration. Stay with me - I promise I'll get you out alive. Come on!" said The Doctor.
"No- I can't, I can't…" said Lynda nervously.
Maddie walked up to her, "Lynda, you're sweet. From what I've seen of your world, do you think anyone votes for sweet?"
Lynda thinks for a moment. Maddie held out her hand and then she grabbed it and The two of them and The Doctor ran out of the room. After going through the door, The Doctor and Maddie fond themselves in a very familiar place. Maddie looked up and saw a large 056 on the wall, "Doctor… Isn't this Satellite Five?
The Doctor looked around…" Yes… Yes it is…"The Doctor opens the door to the side room with his sonic screwdriver and they step inside. The Doctor scanned a control panel, "No guards."
"That a switch," said Maddie, "You'd think Satellite Five would be armed to the teeth."
They walk out of the room and The Doctor tested the walls with his sonic screwdriver., "No one's called it Satellite Five in ages," said Lynda, "It's the Game Station now. Hasn't been Satellite Five in about a hundred years."
The Doctor looked at his watch, "A hundred years exactly. It's the year two zero-zero/one zero-zero. I was here before. Floor 139. Satellite was broadcasting news channels back then... had a bit of trouble upstairs. Nothing too serious. Easy - gave 'em a hand - home in time for tea. "
Lynda smiled skeptically, "A hundred years ago?" The Doctor placed his hand on a touch-sensitive pad to open a door but it didn't open. What, you two were here a hundred years ago?" asked Lynda.
The Doctor scanned around the edges of the door with his sonic screwdriver, "Yep!"
"You're looking good on it…" said Lynda.
The Doctor turned to her, "We moisturize." He looks at the sonic screwdriver, "Funny sorts of readings. All kinds of energy... the place is humming. It's weird. This goes way beyond normal transmissions. What would they need all that power for?" The Doctor tried another door.
"I dunno," said Lynda, "I think we're the first ever contestants to get outside."
As The Doctor scanned the door, Maddie asked Lynda, "My sister and another friend of ours were traveling who were traveling with us. They must've got caught in the same transmat. Where would they be?"
"I dunno, said Lynda, "They could've been allocated anywhere. There's a hundred different games."
"Like what?"
"Well, there's ten floors of 'Big Brother'. There's a different House behind each of those doors. And then beyond that, there's all sorts of shows. It's non-stop. There's um... 'Call My Bluff'... with real guns... 'Countdown', where you've got thirty seconds to stop the bomb going off... 'Ground Force', which is a nasty one... you get turned into compost. Erm... 'Wipeout', speaks for itself... oh! And 'Stars In Their Eyes'. Literally, stars in their eyes. If you don't sing, you get blinded."
"And you watch this stuff?" asked The Doctor.
"Everyone does," Lynda shrugged, "How come you don't?"
"Never paid for my license."
"Oh, my God! You get executed for that! "
The Doctor held up his sonic screwdriver, "Let them try."
"You keep saying things that don't make sense. But who are you though, Doctor? Really?"
"Doesn't matter.," said The Doctor as he walked away to try the next door.
"Well, it does to me... I've just put my life in your hands."
The Doctor examined the lock, "I'm just a traveler, wandering past. Believe it or not, all I'm after is a quiet life."
"So... if we get out of here, what're you gonna do? Just... wander off again?"
"Fast as I can."
"So... I could come with ya?" Lynda smiled waiting for an answer. The Doctor looked away from the door, he looked at her and then at Maddie who nodded.
"Maybe you could."
"I wouldn't get in the way."
"I wouldn't mind if you did. Not a bad idea, Lynda with a Y," said The Doctor. Lynda smiled. Then The Doctor said, "But first of all, we've gotta concentrate on the getting out." The Doctor scanned the edges of the door, "And to do that, you've got to know your enemy - who's controlling it - who's in charge of the satellite now?"
"Hold on…" said Lynda. She ran to the other side of the room and pulled down a lever. A light turned on and lit up a sign on the wall that said, 'Bad Wolf Corporation.' "Your Lords and Masters."
The Doctor and Maddie looked up at the sign. "Doctor… Bad Wolf… Again… This can't be a coincidence… Can it?"
"I don't know…" said The Doctor.
The Doctor took Lynda and Maddie to an observation deck, "Blimey! I've never seen it for real before! Not... not from orbit. Planet Earth…" said Lynda.
They stood in front of a window and looked down at the Earth. All they could really see was smog. There were a few patches of light here and there, "What's happened to it?" asked Maddie.
"Well, it's always been like that. Ever since I was born. See that there?" said Lynda as she pointed, "That's the Great Atlantic Smog Storm. It's been going twenty years. We get newsflashes telling us when it's safe to breathe outside."
"So, the population just sits there? Half the world's too fat, half the world's too thin, and you just watch television?"
"Ten thousand channels, all beaming down from here."
"The Human Race," said The Doctor, "Brainless sheep. Being fed on a diet of... mind you, have they still got that program where three people have to live with a bear?"
"Oh, 'Bear With Me', I LOVE that one!" said Lynda.
"And me. The celebrity edition where the bear got in the-"
"Got in the bath!"
"Doctor!" said Maddie as she tried to get The Doctor's mind back on track.
"But it's all gone wrong," said The Doctor, as he got serious, "I mean, HISTORY'S gone wrong. Again. This should be the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire - I don't understand. Last time we were here, I put it right."
"No, but that's when it first went wrong," said Lynda, "A hundred years ago, like you said. All the news channels - they just shut down overnight."
"But that was me. I did that," said The Doctor.
"There was nothing left in their place. No information. The whole planet just froze. The government - the economy - they collapsed... that was the start of it. One hundred years of hell."
"Oh, my…" said The Doctor as he stared at the planet below, "I made this world. "
Back at The Weakest Link Studio, Agorax screamed as the disintegrator beam shot him. "That leaves Rose and Rodrick," said the Anne Droid when Agorax was gone, "You're going head-to-head... let's play 'The Weakest Link'. "
"Right, that's the end of tactical voting... " said Rodrick to Liv with out looking at her,
"you're on your own now."
Back at the observation deck, The Doctor and Maddie heard a familiar voice say, "Hey, handsome!"
They turned and saw Jack. Maddie smiled and went over to him and gave him a quick hug, "Thank god, you're OK! Where were you?"
"Some nice robots were giving me a makeover…"
"That doesn't sound so bad."
"Yeah… Well, after they gave me some new clothes they wanted to cut my head off…"
"Ahh…"
"Where's Liv?"
"We don't know…"
"Can't you track her down?" asked The Doctor.
"She must still be inside the games," said Jack, "All the rooms are shielded."
The Doctor walked up to a computer started to press some buttons, "If we can just get inside this computer... she's GOT to be here somewhere."
"Well, you'd better hurry up," said Jack, "These games don't have a happy ending."
"You think I don't know that?" snapped The Doctor.
Jack handed The Doctor his wrist device, "There you go." The Doctor took it, "Patch that in. It's programmed to find her."
"Thanks."
Jack looked at Lynda and shook her hand, "Hey there!"
"Hello!" said Lynda.
"Captain Jack Harkness."
"Lynda Moss."
"Nice to meet you, Lynda Moss!"
"D'you mind flirting outside?" asked The Doctor.
"I was just saying hello!" said Jack indignantly.
"For you, that is flirting," said Maddie with a smile.
"I'm not complaining," said Lynda to Jack.
Jack kissed her hand, "Which is a good idea."
Lynda laughed, "Oh!"
The computer beeped negatively, "It's not compatible," said The Doctor, "This stupid system doesn't make sense." He handed the wrist device to Maddie, then pulled the front of the computer off with Jack's help. He took the wrist device from Maddie. The Doctor worked on patching it into the computer, "This place should be a basic broadcaster. The systems are twice as complicated. It's more than just television... this station's transmitting something else."
"Like what?" asked Maddie.
"I don't know. This whole Bad Wolf thing's tied up with me. Someone's manipulating my entire life. It's some sort of trap and Liv is stuck inside it."
Back at The Weakest Link Studio, it was time for the final round. Liv and Rodrick would each be given 5 questions whoever got the most right one. It was Liv's turn Rodrick got his first question right. "Liv, in geography, the Grand Central Ravine is named after which Ancient Britain City?" asked The Anne Droid.
"Is it York?" asked Liv.
"No, the correct answer is Sheffield."
Back on the Observation Deck, the wrist device beeped, "Found her!" said The Doctor, "Floor 407!"
Lynda gasped, "Oh, my God! She's with the Anne Droid! You've gotta get her out of there!"
"What do you mean by Anne Droid?" asked Maddie.
"She's playing 'The Weakest Link'" said Lynda.
Back at the Weakest Link, "Rodrick, in literature, the author of 'Lucky' was Jackie who?" asked The Anne Droid.
"Stewart." Guessed Rodrick.
"No, the correct answer is Collins. Liv, the oldest inhabitant of the Isop Galaxy is the Face of what?"
"Boe!" shouted Liv, " The Face of Boe!"
There was a pause then the Anne Droid said, "That is the correct answer." The score was now 1 each, "Rodrick, in history, who was the President of the Red Velvets?"
"Hoshbin Frane." he said.
"That is the correct answer." Rodrick had the lead 2-1. The Anne Droide looked at Liv, "Liv, in food, the dish Gaffabeque originated on which planet?"
"Um... is it... Mars?" asked Liv, not having a clue
"Nope, the correct answer is Lucifer. " The Anne Droid looked at Rodrick, "Rodrick, which measurement of length is said to have been defined by the Emperor Jate as the distance from his nose to his fingertip?"
"Would that be a goffle?" he asked.
"No. The correct answer is a paab. Liv, in fashion, Stella Pok Baint is famous for what?"
"Shoes." guessed Liv.
"No. The correct answer is hats."
Outside the Studio, The Doctor, Maddie, Jack and Lynda finally made it to the floor and they were down the hall and they could hear The Anne Droid asking Rodrick his last question, "Rodrick, in physics, who discovered the Fifteen-Dash-Ten Barric Fields?"
"Game Room Six, which one is it?!" asked The Doctor.
"Over here!" said Lynda.
Inside the Studio, Rodrick answered, "San... Hazeldine."
"No... the correct answer is San Chen," said the Anne Droid.
Outside the Studio, The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver to unlock the door, "Stand back, let me blast it open." said Jack.
"Can't, it's made of Hydra Combination. " said The Doctor as he pressed his sonic screwdriver to the touch pad.
Inside the studio, the Anne Droid was asking Liv her last question, "Rose, in history, which Icelandic city hosted Murder Spree Twenty?"
Liv stared at the Anne Droid. She knew she had to get this questions right to force Sudden Death or else it would be sudden death for her. She took a deep breath, "Reykjavik...?"
"No, the correct answer is Pola Ventura," said Anne Droid.
Liv lowered head. A big smile spread across Rodrick's face, "Oh, my God! I've done it!" he said gloating, "You've lost!"
"But I'm not meant to be here," shouted Liv, "I need to find the Doctor, he's got to be here somewhere- he's always here! He wouldn't just leave me! "
The Anne Droid ignored her and looked at Rodrick, "Rodrick, you are the strongest link, you will be transported home with one thousand six hundred credits."
"Oh, thank you, thank you so much," said Rodrick.
Liv was sacred but she wasn't going to let the Anne Droid know that, "This game is illegal! I'm telling you to stop!"
Just then, Liv herd a commotion coming from far behind her. She turned and saw The Doctor, Liv, Jack and another woman run in. "Liv!" shouted Maddie.
"Liv, you leave this life with nothing-" said The Anne Droid
"Stop this game!" said Jack.
"I order you to stop this game!" said The Doctor.
"We're live on air!" said the floor manager.
The Doctor and Maddie started running toward Liv as fast as they could and Liv started to run toward them, "You are the weakest link." said The Anne Droid.
"Look out for the Anne Droid, it's armed!" said Liv as she ran.
Then the Anne Droid fired and hit Liv square in the back. And with a scream Liv was gone, just a few feet away from The Doctor and her sister. Jack
She's running... the Anne Droid turns her head and her jaw hinges down - the disintegrator beams shoots out, hitting Rose squarely in the back. And with a scream, Rose is gone, mere feet away from the Doctor.
Jack ran toward the set in a rage, "What the hell did you do to her?"
Maddie fell to her knees and stared to cry as she looked at the pile of dust that was her sister. She couldn't believe her sister was gone. She could hear Jack and the floor manager argue. She looked at The Doctor and she saw that he was on his knees next to her. He looked to be in shock. She wrapped her arms around him and started to cry into his shoulder. Just then a couple of security guards come up to The Doctor and Maddie and force them to their feet and tie their hands behind their backs.
The Doctor, Maddie, Jack and Lynda were taken to security on Floor 407 they were searched, interrogated, and had their mug shots taken. The four of them were sitting in a cell while a security guard explained what was going to happen to them. Maddie had stopped crying, she knew it wouldn't do any good right now to morn her lost twin. "You will be taken from this place to the Lunar Penal Colony, there to be held without trial, you may not appeal against this sentence." said the security guard. "Is that understood?"
None of the four of them answered. The security guard went to the door of the cell and opened it. The Doctor looked at Jack, "Let's do it." The four of them leapt to their feet. Jack punched and kicked his way out of the cell, throwing one guard aside. The Doctor threw another guard against the wall. They all grabbed a weapon and left, as the alarms started going off. They got into an elevator and The Doctor said, "Floor 500." as he released the safety on the large gun he was holding. Soon the doors opened. There were a few staff member milling about the floor.
There was a woman who was seemingly hanging from the ceiling with a bunch of wires hooked into her. She was very white, she was The Controller. The Doctor locked eyes on her and marched right toward her, "Okay!" said Jack, "Move away from the desk! Nobody try anything clever. Everybody clears!" The staff moved out of the way, "Stand to the sides. And stay there."
The Doctor pointed his gun at the Controller, "Who's in charge of this place?"
"... 18... 19... 20... " said the Controller.
"This Satellite's more than a Game Station."
"79..."
"Who killed Liv Rooney?
"All staff are reminded that solar flares-"
"I want an answer!"
"... in delta point one."
"She can't reply," said one of the male staff members. The Doctor quickly turned toward the staff making them all flinch, "Don't shoot! "
"Oh, don't be so thick. Like I was ever gonna shoot." said The Doctor as he tossed the gun to the male staff member, "Captain, we've got more guards on the way up. Secure the exits."
"Yes, sir!"
The Doctor looked at the male staff member, "You - what were you saying?"
"But... I've got your gun," said the male staff member.
"Okay, so shoot me. Why can't she answer? "
"She's, um… Can I put this down?"
"If you want, just hurry up," said The Doctor impatiently.
"Thanks," the male staff member, put the gun down, "Sorry. Um... the Controller is linked to the transmissions. The entire output goes through her brain - you're not a member of staff so she doesn't recognize your existence."
The Doctor and Maddie looked up at her, "What's her name?" asked Maddie.
"I don't know. She was installed when she was five years old. That's the only life she's ever known."
"Door's sealed," said Jack, "We should be safe for about ten minutes."
"Keep an eye on 'em," said The Doctor.
"But that stuff you were saying about something going on with the Game Station," said the male staff member, "I think you're right." Jack's wrist device bleeped. He read it and looked around. The male staff member continued, "Unauthorized transmats... it's been going on for years."
"Show me," said The Doctor.
Jack and Maddie went over to a door and one of the female staff said, "You're not allowed in there! Archive Six is out of bounds!"
"Do I look like an out-of-bounds sort of guy?" said Jack as he held up two guns. He placed his hands on a touch pad and the door opened. Inside was the TARIDS. Maddie and Jack walked up to the TARDIS and she unlocked the door and the two of them walked in.
The TARDIS was humming like normal as Jack and Maddie walked up to the console. Maddie stopped and saw one of Liv's jackets slung over the handrail. She stopped and picked it up. Just then, she heard Jack say, "What the hell...?"
Maddie walked over to the console, "What is it?"
Jack smiled as he looked at the screen, "Apparently the TARDIS has been monitoring every thing that's been going on…. That beam it's not a disintegrator.… It's a transmat… Liv's still alive! We've got to tell The Doctor…"
Jack and Maddie rushed out of the TARDIS, "We found the TARDIS!" said Maddie.
"We're not leaving now," said The Doctor.
"No. But the TARDIS worked it out." said Jack as he pushed the male staff member out of his chair, "You'll wanna watch this." The Doctor turned around to watch, "Lynda, could you stand over there for me please?" asked Jack.
"I- I just wanna go home," said Lynda.
"It'll only take a second. Could you stand in that spot, quick as you can?" Lynda did as she was asked and stood in an empty area of the floor, "Everybody watching? Okay... three, two, one-" Jack presses a button and a disintegrator beam shoot down from the ceiling and hit Lynda. She vanished in a puff of smoke.
"But you killed her!" said The Doctor.
Maddie smiled, "You think so? Jack?"
Jack smiled and pressed the button again and Lynda reappeared next to The Doctor, slightly dazed but completely unharmed, "... What the hell was that?" asked Lynda.
The Doctor looked at Jack and Maddie, "It's a transmat beam. Not a disintegrator - a secondary transmat system." said Jack as he and Maddie walked up to The Doctor. His eye lit up at what Jack was saying.
"People don't get killed in the games!" said Maddie, with a big smile, "They get transported across space! Doctor, Liv is still alive!"
The Doctor laughed in relief as the three of them joined in a group hug.
Meanwhile, on a spaceship far from Satellite Five, Liv was lying on the floor unconscious. After a few seconds, she begin to stir. She sat up and saw something coming toward her. She couldn't make it out exactly but it the shape was very familiar. "It can't be…" she said as she scrambled to her feet and stumbled backwards, "But you're dead... I saw you die!" she tried to edge away but was stopped by a plunger shooting out.
Back on Satellite Five, The Doctor was running from console to console as he tried to scan for Liv, "She's out there somewhere!"
"Doctor!" called out the Controller, in pain, "Co-ordinates five point six point one-"
The Doctor started to type them in frantically, "Don't! The solar flare's gone, they'll hear you!"
The Controller cried out in pain, "Point four three four- no my masters, no! I defy you! Stigma seven seven-" she screamed and then she was gone.
"They took her," said The Doctor.
Jack was sitting at one of the computer terminals with everyone else gathered around him, "Look, use that," said the male staff member, as he gave jack a disk, "It might contain the final numbers. I kept a log of all the unscheduled transmissions."
Jack looked up at him and took the disk, "Nice... Thanks…" he held out his hand and gave him the once over, "Captain Jack Harkness, by the way... "
The man shook Jack's hand "I'm Davitch Pavale."
"Nice to meet you, Davitch Pavale…" said Jack, flirtatiously
"Jack, there's a time and a place," said Maddie.
"Are you saying this entire set-up's been a disguise all along?" said the female staff member.
"Going way back," said The Doctor, "Installing the Jagrafess a hundred years ago. Someone's been playing a long game. Controlling the Human Race from behind the scenes for generations."
Jack handed a small device to The Doctor, "Click on this." The Doctor took it, pointed it upwards, and clicked. An image of an empty expanse of space materializes above their heads, "The transmat delivers to that point. Right on the edge of the solar system," said Jack.
"There's nothing there," said Maddie.
"It looks like nothing," said The Doctor, "'Cause that's what this satellite does. Underneath the transmission, there's another signal…"
"Doing what?" asked Davitch.
"Hiding whatever's out there. Hiding it from sonar, radar, scanner... There's something sitting right on top of Planet Earth... but it's completely invisible. If I cancel the signal... " The Doctor pressed a few buttons and right in front of them a spaceship appeared, it was revolving slowly and a bunch of smaller but identical ships were flying around it.
"That's impossible. I know those ships... they were destroyed," said Jack.
"Obviously, they survived," said The Doctor.
"Who did? Who are they?" asked Maddie.
"Two hundred ships. More than two thousand on board each one. That's just about half a million of them."
Maddie looked at The Doctor, he looked terrified, "Half a million what?" she asked.
"Daleks."
Back on the Spaceship, a Dalek entered the room that Liv was being held and a bunch of other Daleks were stationed, "Alert! Alert! We are detected!"
"It is the Doctor! He has located us!" said the first Dalek that Liv saw when she came to. Liv was huddled against the foot of the wall and stares at them all, "Open communications channel!"
The second Dalek turned to face Liv, "The female will stand. Stand!"
Liv stood up. Then, the Daleks looked up an image materialized in mid-air. The Doctor, Jack, Lynda, Maddie, Davitch and the female staff member were all staring back at Liv and the Daleks.
"I will talk to the Doctor," said the first Dalek.
"Oh, will you?" said The Doctor, with a fake smile, "That's nice. Hello!" he waved at them mockingly and his fake grin disappeared.
"The Dalek Stratagem nears completion. The Fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene."
"Oh, really? Why's that then?"
"We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated."
"No."
"Explain yourself."
"I said 'no'."
"What is the meaning of this negative?"
"It means 'no'."
"But she will be destroyed."
"No! 'Cos this is what I'm gonna do - I'm gonna rescue her. I'm gonna save Liv Rooney from the middle of the Dalek Fleet, and then I'm gonna save the Earth, and then just to finish off, I'm gonna wipe every last STINKING Dalek outta the sky!"
"But you have no weapons! No defenses! No plan!"
The Doctor grinned, "Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death? Liv?"
"Yes, Doctor?" said Liv, eagerly.
"I'm coming to get you," he clicked the device in his hand and the image disappeared.
"The Doctor is initiating hostile action!" said the first Dalek.
"The Stratagem must advance. Begin the invasion of Earth!" said the second Dalek.
The Daleks started to spin around wildly. Liv gasped but they didn't notice her and she carefully got out of their way.
"The Doctor will be exterminated!" said a third Dalek.
"Exterminate!" said the Daleks, as Liv looked around in terror.
To Be Continued…
A/N: I changed the Big Brother portion of the episode from the UK version to the US version for three reasons. One: I'm from the US. Two: I LOVE Big Brother! And Three: I love the idea of the host of Big Brother in the year 200,100 being Julie Chenbot!
