Star stood in front of the mirror in the wardrobe of the TARDIS, wearing the same clothes from before she regenerated. She had fallen asleep in them but the clothes just didn't fit right anymore. "What do you think Auntie?" She asked, not sure about what to wear.
The TARDIS hummed, not really helping.
Sighing, Star wandered around the first floor, looking at all the different racks. One rack caught her attention, though she tried her best to ignore it. Why? Because it was a rack of onesies.
Star rolled her eyes and skipped over, pulling a Tigger onesie off of the rack. It actually had a tail! Star giggled.
~8~
Rose's jaw dropped when she looked up as Star walked into the console room. The Protector sniggered while Adam just stared.
Star was wearing a onesie. And not just any onesie, but a footie Tigger onesie. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a messy topknot on her head.
She waved at them as she skipped down the steps, then twirled at the bottom, a tail bouncing out behind her. "What do you think?" She beamed.
"Beautiful Lissi," the Protector grinned. "Amazing."
"Liar," Star snorted and skipped over to the door, dragging Rose out with her, the Protector following them after instructing Adam to wait while they made sure it was safe.
In actuality, Rose had decided she wanted to mess with Adam and impress him with her knowledge of space.
"So, it's 200 000, it's a spaceship..." the Protector began, looking round.
"Space station," Star corrected.
"-space station," the Protector amended without missing a beat. "And uh... go and try that gate over there. Off you go!"
She leant against the TARDIS, waiting with her arms folded.
"200 000?" Rose checked.
"200 000," Star nodded.
"'Kay." The Protector grinned and raised her eyebrows. Rose giggled as she opened the TARDIS door and called inside. "Adam? Out you come."
Adam stepped out with his mouth hanging open. "Oh my God," he breathed, awestruck.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Rose patted his shoulder. Bouncing, Star moved round, inspecting the space station.
"Where are we?" Adam asked hoarsely after a moment.
"Good question," Rose said complimented knowledgeably, Star sniggering as quietly as she could. "Let's see. So, um... judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year 200 000." Star covered her mouth to muffle her giggles as Adam nodded and mumbled, still boggling. "If you listen... engines." The Protector watched her, smiling, while Star's face began to turn red due to holding back her laughter and holding her breath. "We're on some sort of space station. Yeah. Definitely a space station. It's a bit warm in here, they could turn the heating down..." Rose trailed off before shaking her head. "Tell you what, let's try that gate. Come on!"
Rose opened the gate, and the Protector, Star and Adam followed her into the room beyond. Star gasped, bounding over to a railing, leaning over it.
They were in an observation deck overlooking the Earth. "Here we go!" Rose continued. "And this is..." She paused as she looked down upon the Earth. Adam had to hold on to the railings for support as he made his way to her side. "...I'll let Tori describe it," she finished awestruck.
The Protector shook her head and gestured to Star who bit her lip. She shook her head. 'You describe Mummy,' she said quietly, then turned back to look at the Earth.
The Protector eyed her worried for a moment, before she shook herself. This was just part of Star's new personality. Where her old self had been confident and loved explaining and describing things, this Star was more shy and didn't do it as much. Come to think if it, she didn't talk as much either. She still spoke to people, but not as often. Maybe she just needed to get used to the change and would come out of her shell later.
"The fourth great and bountiful human empire," the Protector announced, breaking herself out of her thoughts. "And there it is. Planet Earth at it's height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons - population 96 billion. The hub of a galactic domain, stretching across a million planets, a million species - with mankind right in the middle."
None of them noticed Star mouthing along.
Adam fainted with a girlish sigh. Neither the Protector or Rose bothered to even turn around. Star glanced back then shrugged.
"You wanted him to come," the Protector reminded her.
"Not anymore," she said airily.
~8~
Star walked along the corridor, her hand linked with Rose's, her tail bouncing. "Come on, Adam. Open your mind," the Protector slung her arms around Adam and Rose's shoulders.
"Just not too much," Star said vacantly. "Or you may not be able to close it again."
All three looked at her confused, but when she noticed their stares she frowned. "What?" She mumbled. "Why are you looking at me?"
"What did you mean not to open his mind too much?" Rose asked.
"I...didn't say anything," Star whispered, before pulling her Tigger hood up over her hair.
"Right," the Protector said after a moment. She shook her head and looked back to Adam. "You're gonna like this fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent - culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners..."
"Out of the way!" A man rudely pushed past them.
The place suddenly sprung into life around them. Food stools were set up all around and people bustled past the quartet to queue up. There was much chatter and a lot of noise.
"One at a time..." The stall keepers took orders, and the place became rather busy. The Protector looked bemused. "Oi! You, mate! Stop pushing. Get back. I SAID, back."
Rose examined the fast food behind the cases and turned to the Protector. "Fine cuisine?" She asked cheekily.
"My watch must be wrong." She checked it. "No, it's fine... weird."
"That's what comes of showing off," Rose reprimanded. "Your history's not as good as you thought it was."
"My history's perfect," the Protector stuck her nose in the air haughtily.
"Well, obviously not..."
"They're all human," Adam muttered. "What about the millions of planets? The millions of species? Where are they?"
"Good question." The Protector paused. "Actually, that IS a good question," she realised slightly surprised. She jovially put an arm around Adam's shoulders as Star rolled her eyes. "Adam, me' old mate, you must be starving."
"No, I'm just a bit time sick."
"Nah, you just need a bit of grub." She turned to one chef. "Oi, mate, how much is a cronk burger?"
"Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now, join the queue."
"Money," the Protector grinned. "We need money." She grabbed Star's hand and they went over to a cash point, sonic screwdriver ready. "Have to use a cash point."
Rose and Adam followed them as the Protector held her sonic screwdriver to the cash point and what must have been some futuristic version of a credit card fell out. It looked like a metal strip. The Protector handed it to Adam. "There you go - pocket money," she grinned. "Don't spend it all on sweets."
She walked away, swinging her and Star's joined hands. "How does it work?" Adam called, examining it bemusedly.
"Go and find out!" The Protector waved him off. "Stop nagging me! The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers." She paused as Rose laughed. Adam just stared at her, brow furrowed. "...or is that just me?"
"Just you Mummy," Star piped up.
"Stop asking questions, go on, do it!" She shooed him away. Adam turned and walked into the crowd. Rose made to follow him. "Off you go then Rosie-Posie!"
"You're going to get a smack, you are."
The Protector grinned. When Rose was gone, her grin faded into a more thoughtful look and she looked round, stopping two women named Suki and Cathica who were walking past chatting.
"Erm... this is gonna sound daft, but can you tell me where I am?" She asked.
Cathica and Suki looked oddly at her then Cathica did a double take when she saw Star, smiling shyly up at them in a Tigger onesie. Yes, Tigger and Winnie the Pooh still existed after hundreds of years.
"Floor 139..." Cathica finally answered, indicating a large sign on the wall. "Could they write it any bigger?"
"Yes," Star nodded.
"Rhetorical question Lissi," the Protector ruffled her hair.
"I know," she smiled, stuffing her hands in her pockets.
"Floor 139 of what?" The Protector asked after a moment.
"Must've been a hell of a party," Cathica raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, you're on Satellite Five," Suki answered helpfully.
"What's Satellite Five?" Asked Star.
"Come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are?"
"Look at me, I'm stupid," the Protector said pleasantly.
"Hang on, wait a minute, are you a test? Some sort of management test kind of thing?"
"You've got me. Well done. You're too clever for me." She showed them psychic paper. "Also, it's bring your kids to work day."
Star waved with a grin.
"We were warned about this in basic training. All workers have to be versed in company promotion."
"Right," Cathica said. "Fire away, ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor 500 I'll do anything."
"Why, what happens on Floor 500?"
"The walls are made of gold," Cathica spoke as if she were stating the obvious. "And you should know... Mrs. Management. So... this is what we do." She walked away and lead them to the screens. Suki smiled at them nervously. "Latest news... sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day... spacelane 37 closed by sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf-," Star looked up at her sharply, "-channel, the Face of Boe has just announced he's pregnant."
Bad Wolf. It was those words again, everywhere they went, but what did they mean? Bad Wolf.
"I get it," the Protector nodded. "You broadcast the news."
"We ARE the news," Cathica corrected. Suki smiled at the Protector again. She smiled back. "We're the journalists. We write it, package it and sell it. 600 channels all coming out of Satellite Five, broadcasting everywhere. Nothing happens in the whole human empire without it going though us."
~8~
"All staff are reminded that the canteen area now has self cleaning tables. Thank you!"
Adam was sitting at a crowded table. Rose stood next to him, offering him a paper cup. "Try this. It's called "zaffic", it's nice. It's like a, um, slush puppy."
"What flavour?" He asked curiously.
"Um..." Rose tried it, making a face "Sort of, beef?" She guessed.
"Oh, my God..." Rose laughed as Adam shook his head. "It's like everything's gone. Home, family, everything."
Rose looked at him concernedly. She took her phone out of her pocket. "This helps... Tori gave it a bit of a top-up. Who's back home, your mum and dad?"
"Yeah."
She offered him the phone. "Phone 'em up."
"But that's one hundred and ninety-eight thousand years ago," Adam protested.
"Honestly, try it. Go on!"
Adam took the phone. "Is there a code for planet Earth?"
"Just dial!"
Adam did so. "It's on!"
"Please leave a message. Thanks, bye!" The tone sounded.
"Hi. It's... it's me. I've sort of gone... travelling. I met these people... and we've gone travelling together. But, um... I'm fine... and I'll call you later. Love you. Bye." Adam hung up, gleeful. "That is just..."
An alarm sounded. Everyone started to abandon the the canteen area, but Rose and Adam didn't. The Protector and Star were revealed through the crowd a short distance away.
"Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!"
Rose, beaming, immediately got up and held her hand out. "Phone?"
Adam handed it to her and she walked over to join then. Adam followed her, looking conflicted. Then, seeming to reach a decision, he reched out and slid Rose's phone from her back pocket, sliding it into his own.
~8~
The six of them were now joined by several others in a room, where their work took place. There was a chair in the middle of a raised octagonal platform in the middle of the room, around which the staff were sitting cross legged. In front of them were pads on which to place their hands. The Protector, Star, Rose and Adam stood leaning against some railings at the side of the room. Cathica was in the middle of the octagonal platform. She addressed the room.
"Now. Everybody behave. We have a management inspection. How do you want it? By the book?"
"Oh, right from scratch, thanks."
Cathica turned away. The Protector and Rose smirked at each other. "Ok, so, ladies, gentlemen, multisex, undecided or robot, my name is Cathica Santini Kadainy. That's Cathica with a "C", in case you want to write to Floor 500 praising me, and please... do..." The Protector grinned, giving a non-committal jerk of her head. "Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and be non-biased. That's company policy." She turned to smile at the Protector, who nodded.
"Actually... it's the law," Suki corrected with a smile.
"Yes, thank you, Suki," Cathica said irritated. "Okay, keep it calm... don't show off for the guests... here we go." Star scoffed at the irony as Cathica lay down in the chair. "And... engage safety..."
The staff held their hands out over their hand pads. Each of the eight walls lit up as they did so. The Protector, Star, Rose and Adam looked around. Cathica clicked her fingers, and a door in her forehead opened, revealing her brain. The Protector looked mildly disgusted, Rose alarmed, and Adam leant forward slightly trying to get a better look. The staff placed their hands down on the pads and closed their eyes.
"And 3... 2... and spike." From the contraption over the chair, a blue light spiked down into her brain, flowing into her.
"Compressed information, streaming into her," the Protector explained. "Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer."
Star stiffened up suddenly, her eyes focused on Suki.
"If it all goes through her, she must be a genius," Rose noted.
"Nah. She wouldn't remember any. There's too much, her head would blow up." The Protector began to walk around the room, circling the octagonal platform. Rose followed. "The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets."
Star tilted her head, staring at Suki, searching her.
"So, what about all these people round the edge?"
"They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her..." Rose knelt down next to one of them for a closer look. "...and they transmit 600 channels. Every single fact in the empire beams out of this place." She completed her circuit around the room and leant against the railing again, next to Adam. "Now, that's what I call power."
"You alright?" Rose asked Adam.
"I can see her brain."
Star walked towards Suki, her eyes narrowed. "Eva," she muttered.
"Do you want to get out?"
"No... no. This is technology, it's... it's amazing."
"This technology's wrong." Rose and Adam looked at him.
"Trouble?"
"Oh yeah." She smiled at her. Rose smiled in a satisfied sort of way. "Star? You alright?"
Star had her hand resting on Suki's cheek, her eyes closed. "No," she whispered. "Eva...no!" She brought her other hand up to rest on Suki's other cheek.
There was a slight shuddering sound, and Suki twitched. Star narrowed her eyes, searching Suki's face. 'Suki... Eva? Eva, can you hear me?'
'Who is that?! Who is that?!' Suki's voice rang out in her head, scared yet forceful.
'My name is Staretalicia, call me Star. You have a job, I know, but I've seen what's going to happen. Eva, you're going to get a promotion, but when you do you can't go up.'
'Star-'
'Eva I mean it! I know what I'm talking about and trust me, you can't go up. If you do you're going to die, even with that gun. Which in all honesty, I'd rather you got rid of. But you can do that later. Eva do not go up, stay with me.'
Suki gasped and lifted her hands off the pad as though she had just received an electric shock. Her eyes connected with Star's. The other members of staff were forced to lift their own hands too, and the lights in the walls turned off. The compressed information stopped streaming into Cathica and the door in her head closed. Suki rubbed her hands, breathing heavily as Star sat back slightly.
"Come off it, Suki," Cathica snapped annoyed. "I wasn't even halfway, what was that for?"
"Sorry, must've been a glitch..." Suki muttered. Cathica stood up. "Star..."
'Trust me,' the girl's voice rang in her head. Suki hesitated then nodded.
A loudspeaker sounded over the room and a projection sprung to life on the wall. "Promotion."
Cathica looked like she was praying just a little too hard. "This is it. Come on. God, make it me. Come on, say my name." The Protector, Rose and Adam looked at her with mild concern while Star sighed. Cathica was pleading, her eyes screwed shut. "Say my name, say my name..." she opened her eyes.
"Promotion for... Suki Macrae Cantrell." The words flashed on the projection. Suki's mouth dropped open. Cathica looked gutted. "Please proceed to Floor 500."
'I told you,' Star raised her eyebrows at Suki.
Suki stood up and stared at the projection as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "I don't believe it... Floor 500..." Suki murmured awestruck.
Star narrowed her eyes at her. 'Eva...'
'I won't go Star.'
"How the hell did you manage that?" Cathica demanded. "I'm above you!"
"I don't know, I just applied on the off-chance... and they've said yes!"
"That's so not fair, I've been applying to Floor 500 for three years!"
"What's Floor 500?" Rose asked the Protector.
"The walls are made of gold," she replied tightly.
~8~
Star held her finger up to her lips and pulled Eva along the corridor. "In there?" Eva asked sceptically, looking at the TARDIS.
"Yeah," Star nodded. "You'll be safe in there."
Eva paused, hugged Star quickly and then let the little girl unlock the TARDIS. "Thank you," she said after a moment and slid inside. Star quickly followed, closing the door.
"Just need to get changed, it's so hot out there."
She ran off down a corridor, leaving Eva standing in the console room, her mouth hanging open as she gazed round.
Star returned a few minutes later, wearing a thin yellow tank top and black denim shorts. "Stay in here Eva, please."
Eva nodded mutely and Star went out, locking the door behind her.
~8~
"Where have you been?" The Protector asked when Star returned, taking in her change of clothes.
The blonde smiled at her. "I was helping out a friend."
"Where's Suki?" She questioned further.
Star simply smiled cryptically. "Like I said, I was helping out a friend."
~8~
Rose walked over to Adam who was sitting a short distance away. "Come on, it's not that bad..."
"What, with the... the head thing?"
"Yeah, well she's closed it now!" Rose retorted.
"Yeah but... it's everything. It freaks me out. And I just need to... if I could just..." he struggled to find the words "...cool down. Sort of, acclimatize."
"How d'you mean?" Rose asked.
"Maybe... I could just go and sit on the observation deck? Would that be all right?" Rose nodded. "Soak it in, you know, pretend I'm a citizen of the year 200 000."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, no, you stick with the Protector and Star." Rose nodded again. "You'd rather be with them." There was another awkward pause, because it was true. "It's gonna take a better person than me to get between you three. Anyway, I'll be on the deck."
He got to his feet and walked away, leaving Rose standing alone.
"So," Star grabbed her hand. "Interesting information learnt," she folded her arms, leaning onto her left leg. "When you go up to Floor 500, you never come back."
The Protector looked at Cathica startled. "Is that true?!"
"Yes," she said slowly. "Is it important?"
The Protector looked at the closed lift doors, brow furrowed.
~8~
The Protector, Star and Rose followed Cathica through the canteen area. "Have you ever been up there?"
"No. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to 500 except for the chosen few."
Cathica entered the spike room followed by the Protector, Star and Rose. "Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance, can't you give it a rest?"
"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" The Protector settled herself comfortably in the chair on the platform. Rose leant on the back of it while Star sat on the Protector's lap.
"I went to floor 16 when I first arrived, that's medical, that's when I got my head done, and then I, I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all." Cathica eyed them. "You're not management, are you?"
"At last! She's clever!"
"Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me," Cathica said after a moment. "I don't know anything."
"Don't you even ask?" Star questioned curiously.
"Well, why would I?" She actually looked confused.
"You're a journalist! Why's all the crew human?"
"What's that got to do with anything?" Cathica blinked at the change in subject.
"There's no aliens on board," Star remembered. "Why?"
"I don't know - no real reason, they're not banned or anything."
The Protector looked around the room theatrically. "Then where are they?"
"I suppose immigration's tightened up," she answered, stumped by the questioning. "It's had to, what, with all the threats."
"What threats?" The Protector queried.
"I don't know..." She trailed off, lost. "All of them. Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away..." Rose, Star and the Protector watched her intently. "Oh, and the government on Traffic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see... just... lots of little reasons, that's all."
"Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice," the Protector exhaled, in an annoyed way.
"Protector, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything."
"My daughter and I can see better. This society's the wrong shape. Even the technology."
"It's cutting edge!" Cathica defended.
"It's backward!" The Protector rebuffed. "There's a great big door in your head! You should've chucked this out years ago."
"So, what do you think is going on?" Rise finally spoke up.
"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and bountiful human empire's stunted. Something's holding it back."
"And how would you know?" Cathica scoffed.
"Trust me. Humanity's been set back about 90 years, when did Satellite Five start broadcasting?" The Protector gave her a fixed stare.
"91 years ago..." The Protector nodded. Cathica looked away thoughtfully.
~8~
Star rolled her eyes as Cathica said once more, "We're so gonna get in trouble."
The Protector was scanning the side of a door with her sonic screwdriver, Rose standing behind her. Cathica went over to her. "You're not allowed to touch the mainframe, you're gonna get told off," she continued.
"Rose, tell her to button it," the Protector said, tired of her now.
"You can't just vandalise the place, someone's gonna notice!" Cathica whispered urgently.
"Oh button it," Rose and Star snapped, Cathica adopting an affronted expression.
The Protector grinned at them and wrenched the door open.
"Oh!" Star gasped, a beam lighting up her face as she took in the mainframe. She rubbed her hands together gleefully and dug in. The Protector watched her with a fond smile.
"This is nothing to do with me, I'm going back to work." Cathica began to walk away.
"Go on then! See ya!"
Cathica stopped. "I can't just leave you, can I!"
"If you wanna be useful, get 'em to turn the heating down," Rose said. "It's boiling."
"I agree!" Star's muffled voice came from inside the control pannel. The Protector smiled. Star looked just like her father doing that. He always was building things and messing with devices.
"What's wrong with this place, can't they do something about it?" Rose continued.
"I don't know, we keep asking, something to do with the turbine."
""Something to do with the turbine"." The Protector mocked.
"Well, I don't know!"
"Exactly! I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Rose, look at Rose." Rose turned round, smiling. "Rose is asking the right kind of questions."
"Oh, thank you."
"Why is it so hot?"
"One minutes you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!"
"Well, never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing's very important," Star called, then squealed. "Oh that's interesting!" She squeaked as a few sparks hit her face.
"You alright?" The Protector checked.
"Perfectly Mummy," Star's voice was even more muffled. "Oh wow!" Cathica looked away, exasperated. "Oh, by the way..." a screen changed, showing the layout of Satellite Five. "Just hacked into the mainframe for you, take a look at it, I'm gonna keep investigating this."
The Protector turned the screen to Cathica. "Here we go, Satellite Five. Pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout." She moved to stand behind her so she could see. Cathica examined the screen.
"This is ridiculous. You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange... and you're looking at pipes?" She turned to her, bemused.
"But there's something wrong," the Protector pointed out.
Cathica turned back to the screen. "I suppose..."
"Why, what is it?" Rose asked.
"The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out... channelling massive amounts of heat DOWN." She looked upwards.
"All the way from the top," the Protector added.
"Floor 500," Rose realised.
"Something up there is generating tonnes and tonnes of heat."
"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?"
"You can't, you need a key."
"Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here." The Protector gestured to the screen and tapped a few keys. "Here we go, override 215.9."
"How come it's giving you the code?"
The Protector looked up at a security camera. "Someone up there likes me." She turned to where only her daughter's legs from the knees down could be seen. "Come on Lissi girl. Time to go."
"Aw man," Star could be heard complaining. The Protector laughed and pulled her out gently, chuckling at the marks on Star's face and hands, but mostly the adorable pout she wore.
The lift doors opened on Floor 139, and Rose and the Protector stepped into it, Star skipping in after them. Cathica stopped outside. "Come on, come with us!" Rose offered.
"No way!"
The Protector waved. "Bye!"
"Well, don't mention my name," Cathica warned. "When you get in trouble, just don't involve me!" She stalked off.
"That's her gone," the Protector commented. "Adam's given up. Looks like it's just us."
"Yeah." Rose agreed.
"Good."
"Yep."
They grined at each other. The Protector slotted a card into the controls, and grabbed Star's hand, who linked her other hand with Rose's hand as the doors closed.
~8~
The doors open and the trio stepped out, Star immediately shivering at the cold. The Protector shrugged off her jacket, giving it to her daughter, her gratefully pulled it on.
"The walls are not made of gold," the Protector muttered, looking round. "You should go back downstairs."
"Tough." Rose strode onto Floor 500. The Protector watched her a moment, then followed. Star stayed round the corner, watching them.
~8~
The Protector and Rose found themselves in the Editor's room, where he was watching the screens. "I started without you. This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you two and that girl of yours... you don't exist!" The Protector and Rose looked right back at him. He laughed. "Not a trace! No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"
"What's happened to them?" Rose looked at the working zombie Drones, moving forwards to crouch beside one.
"They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going. Like puppets," she spat.
"Ohhh! You're full of information! But it's only fair we get information back, because apparently, you're no-one." He laughed again. The Protector nodded. "It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter, 'cause we're off. Nice to meet you. Come on." Two of the Drones restrained her. Rose tried to get up, but the corpse grabbed her arm.
"Tell me who you are!" The Editor demanded persistently.
"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly gonna say, am I?"
"Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise."
"And who's that?" The Protector arched her eyebrows.
"It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live." A creature roared from abive them, the tone angry. "Yeah, sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client." He snapped his fingers and pointed upwards at the creature in the ceiling. It was a huge, slobbering lump of an alien with a mouth full of sharp, snapping teeth.
"What is that?" Rose asked nervously.
"You mean, that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?" The Protector sounded mildly affronted.
"That "thing", as you put it, is in charge of the human race." The Protector looked at him in alarm. "For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news. Edited by my superior, your master, and humanities guiding light, the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe." The Jagrafess roared. "I call him Max."
The Protector smiled sarcastically and nodded, while round the corner Star had to cover her mouth to stop her snort of disbelief.
The Protector and Rose had both been restrained with manacles. "If we create a climate of fear... then it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy... invent an enemy... change a vote..."
"So, all the people on Earth are like, slaves," Rose glared.
"Well, now. There's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"
"Yes," the Protector deadpanned.
"Oh. I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? Yes?"
"Yes," she repeated.
The Editor laughed. "You're no fun."
"Let me out of these manacles, you'll find out how much fun I am," she snarled.
"Oh, she's tough, isn't she. But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit."
"You can't hide something on this scale," Rose scoffed. "Somebody must've noticed."
"From time to time, someone, yes," the Editor conceeded. "But the computer system allows me to see inside their brain... I can see the smallest doubt, and crush it." He grinned. "And then they just carry on, living their life. Strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're so individual." The Protector spotted Cathica out of the corner of her eye, Star next to her. "When of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."
"What about you? You're not a Jagra... uh... a..." Rose stumbled iver the pronunciation.
"Jagrafess," the Protector supplied.
"Jagrafess," Rose finished her thoughts. "You're not a Jagrafess. You're human."
"Yeah, well simply being human doesn't pay very well."
"But you couldn't have done this all on your own."
"No! I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to um... install himself."
"No wonder, a creature that size." Star and Cathica, still hiding, spotted the Jagrafess on the ceiling. "What's his life span?"
"Three thousand years."
"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs - Jagrafess stays cool, stays alive. Satellite Five's one great big life support system."
"But THAT'S why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown." He gave a small laugh, then clicked his fingers. The manacles sent an electric shock through the Protector and Rose. The Protector slammed the barriers down on the bond between her and Star. "Who are you?"
The Protector grimaced in pain and indicated Rose. "Leave her alone. I'm the Protector, she's Rose Tyler, we're nothing, we're just wandering."
"Tell me who you are!"
"I just said!"
"Yeah, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly..." He stopped. The Protector looed at The Editor questioningly. He smiled. "Time Lady."
"What?"
"Oh, yes! The last of the Time Lords with her daughter in their travelling machine. Oh, with their little human girl from long ago..." He touched Rose's face gently, and she jerked her head away roughly.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Time travel."
"Someone's been telling you lies," the Protector snapped.
"Young master Adam Mitchell?" The Editor snapped his fingers, and a projection of Adam, writhing with pain and shouting, the compressed information still flowing into him, appeared in the air.
"Oh, my God, his head!" Rose shouted.
"What the hell's he done? What the hell's he gone and done?" The Protector shouted as Star gasped in horror. "They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything!"
"And through him, I know everything about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Protector. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your T-A-R-D-I-S. TARDIS."
"You'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first."
"Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key."
The Editor stepped forwards and pulled forcefully on the key that was hanging around Rose's neck, breaking the chain. She yelled out in pain.
"Today, we are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing."
"And no-one's gonna stop you. Because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold." She was indirectly addressing this to Cathica, who was still listening, revelation showing on her face. She seemed to reach some sort of decision and pulled Star away.
~8~
Star and Cathica entered the broadcasting room on Floor 500. Cathica tossed the rotten corpse off the chair, and sat down in the vacated seat herself. "Disengage safety." The walls around her lit up.
~8~
An alarm went off. "What's happening?"
~8~
"Maximum access. Override Floor 139. And... spike!" The information flowed into her.
~8~
"Someone's disengaged the safety." The Editor clicked his fingers - the projection showed Cathica, the compressed information flowing into her brain. "Who's that?!"
"It's Cathica!"
"And she's thinking. She's using what she knows!" The Protector cheered.
"Terminate her access," the Editor ordered.
"Everything I told her about Satellite Five, the pipes, the filters, she's reversing it! Look at that..." The icicles were beginning to melt. "It's getting hot."
"I said, terminate!" He frantically placed his own hands over the corpse's. "Burn her mind."
~8~
"Oh, no you don't. You should've promoted me YEARS back."
"Yes they should have!" Star beamed.
~8~
All the screens suddenly exploded with sparks, and the Drones fell lifeless to the floor. Satellite Five shuddered, and alarms went off. Rose's manacles came undone.
The Editor tried to get the corpses to sit upright again.
"She's venting the heat up here. The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano." The Jagrafess was roaring violently. The Protector laughe.
"Yes! Uh... I'm trying, sir but, I don't know how she did it, it's impossible. A member of staff with an idea..."
The Jagrafess roared angrily. The Editor pushed a body aside, and tried to operate the computer himself. Star raced in, throwing the Protector's sonic screwdriver over to Rose, while the Jagrafess roared and snapped at them menacingly. The small blonde snatched the TARDIS key from the floor where it had been dropped.
"What do I do?" The older blonde panicked.
"Flick the switch!"
Rose did so, and the sonic screwdriver buzzed. A small explosion went off nearby, causing Rose to jump.
She used the sonic screwdriver to free the Protector. "Oi, mate, wanna bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body. Massive bang!" She freed herself just as lumps of flesh started falling off the Jagrafess. "See you in the headlines!" She ran for it, dragging Star and Rose along.
~8~
The Protector, Star and Rose ran across Floor 500 hand in hand, avoiding the huge lumps of snow falling from the ceiling.
~8~
The trio entered - the information was still streaming into Cathica. The Protector clicked her fingers and the door in Cathica's head closed. She looks up at the Protector, who smiled down at her.
~8~
Everyone was recovering from the commotion. The Protector and Cathica were sitting at a table in the canteen area, Rose leaning on the bar behind them whith Star sitting on it.
"We're just gonna go. I hate tidying up." Star shuddered, thinking of when her mother made her tidy her bedroom - horrible. "Too many questions. You'll manage."
"You'll have to stay and explain it. No-one's gonna believe me."
"Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now," the Protector waved her off. "The Human Race should accelerate. All back to normal."
"What about your friend?" Cathica eyed Adam, who was loitering by the TARDIS.
"He's not my friend." There was something menacing in the way she stood up and marched in Adam's direction.
Rose and Star followed, neither of them bothering to defend or help him. Star, because she knew it was useless and because Rose had gotten hurt. Rose, because Star could have been killed.
The Protector advanced on Adam. "I'm all right now. Much better. Well, it's... I know..." he laughed nervously. "It all worked out for the best, didn't it?" He laughed again. The Protector grabbed Adam, and unlocked the door of the TARDIS. "You know, it's not actually my fault, because you were in charge."
The Protector shoved Adam inside, ignoring him completely.
Star sighed in relief when she saw Eva sitting on the jumpseat. The Protector turned to her with an eyebrow raised.
"She was gonna die!" Star defended. "I don't know how but I saw it coming, I could see it happening. By the way her name is Eva not Suki." She hugged Eva tightly. "Thank you for listening to me Eva," she whispered. "Cathica's outside, go find her."
"Um..." Eva nodded and all but ran out.
"You and I will be having words later Staretalicia," the Protector pursed her lips.
Star winced.
~8~
The Protector steered Adam out of the TARDIS which had materialised in his living room. Rose and Star followed them out, shutting the doors behind them. "It's my house! I'm home! Oh, my God, I'm home!" The Protector glared at him. "Blimey. I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock."
"Of course we weren't," Star rolled her eyes. Adam began to smile, thinking the girl may not be as angry. "The TARDIS doesn't have an airlock."
His face fell.
"Is there something else you want to tell me?" The Protector asked tightly.
"No. Um... what do you mean?"
She walked over the the telephone and picked it up. "The archive of Satellite Five. One second of that message could've changed the world."
Adam looked rather caught out. The Protector put down the phone, and took out her sonic screwdriver. Adam looked as though he wanted to stop her, but couldn't think of anything to say, and merely pointed at her wordlessly while she blew up the telephone.
"Phone. Now," Star demanded.
Adam slapped Rose's phone into her palm while grumbling.
"You STOLE my phone?!" She exclaimed as Star gave it to her.
"That's it, then. See ya." The Protector walked back to the TARDIS doors.
"How do you mean, "see ya"?"
"As in "goodbye"," she said sarcastically.
"But... what about me? You can't just go, I've got my head, I've got a chip type two, my head opens."
"What, like this?" She clicked her fingers, opening Adam's head.
"Don't." He clicked his fingers and it closed.
"Don't do what?" Star mock-pouted and clicked her own fingers.
"Stop it!" Adam closed it again.
"All right now, Tori, Ali, that's enough," Rose cut in. "Stop it."
They backed down, pouting like a pair of children. Well, Tori was. Star just looked put-out.
"Thank you." Rose clicked her fingers. "Oi!"
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," she sniggered.
Adam closed it again.
"The whole of history could've changed because of you," the Protector said seriously.
"I just wanted to help."
"You were helping yourself."
"And, I'm sorry. I've said I'm sorry, and I am, I really am, but you can't just leave me like this."
"Yes I can. 'Cos if you show your head to anyone, they'll dissect you in seconds. You'll have to live a very quiet life. Keep out of trouble. Be average. Unseen. Good luck." She opened the TARDIS door.
"But I wanna come with you!"
"I only take the best. I've got Lissi and Rose."
Adam's mum opened the front door, carrying bags of shopping. Adam heard her. "Oh my God."
"Who's that? Jeff? Is that you?"
"It's me, mum, don't come in, wait there a minute."
A look of surprised delight spreaded across Adam's mum's face. "Oh, my Lord! You never told me you were coming home!" Rose watched Adam's embarrassed face, teasingly, her tongue between her teeth. "Hold on, I'll just take my coat off. You should've told me you were coming home. I would've got your favourite tea in."
"Rose... take me with you," Adam begged. Rose, however, stared at Adam like she'd never seen him before, and boarded the TARDIS without a backward glance. The engines started up.
"Hey, I'll tell... what's that noise? Have you left the back door open? Blimey, there's a draft." She flung the door open just as the TARDIS disappeared. "What a surprise. Ah, let me look at you. Ah, six months." Adam nodded wordlessly. "It's like I saw you yesterday. Isn't it funny? The time goes by like "that"."
She clicked her fingers. Her jaw dropped.
A.N: So we see some of the new Star here, portrayed by the lovely Elle Fanning. Quite shy and quiet at first, but she quickly comes into her character, which mostly happens when she isn't around Adam. We see her telepathy is no just longer between her and her mother, but she can communicate with others as well. She loves fixing things as we see and is pretty impulsive.
Keep reviewing!
That's all folks!