Moment of truth, Rose thought as the lift doors slid open. The Doctor let go of her hand and walked ahead into the frozen room. Ice covered every inch, making the place look even more decrepit and abandoned than it already seemed. Rose shivered as her breath puffed in front of her.
"The walls are not made of gold." The Doctor said, redundantly. "You should go back downstairs."
Rose let out a laugh and took his hand again. "Tough."
Together, they made their way through the barren floor. They walked around aimlessly, at first. Then, they both looked at each other as they heard the faint sounds of a computer being run. Following the sound, the made it to the Editor's office.
"I started without you." Said the man in front of them. "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… You don't exist. There's not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss." He looked at them amazed, as if he was amused by all this. "How can you walk through the world and not leave a single foot print?"
"Oh, my god. Suki." Rose muttered to the Doctor. She felt terrible that she couldn't do anything.
"She's dead." He said, regretfully.
"But she's working." Rose pointed out.
"They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going. Like puppets." He ran his gaze over the line of workers.
"Ooh! You're full of information!" The Editor said happily, and the Doctor smirked without humor behind it. "But it's only fair we get information back, because apparently, you're no one. 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!" The Doctor said, but as he and Rose tried to turn, several of the Editor's puppets got up and held them back.
"Tell me who you are." The Editor insisted.
"Since that information is keeping us alive, I'm hardly gonna say, am I?"
"Well," the Editor said smugly, "perhaps my Editor-in-Chief can convince you otherwise."
"And who's that?"
"It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great ad Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, its actually not human at all. Its merely a place where humans happen to live…" suddenly, there was a growling above them as if talking to the Editor. "Yup, yup. Sorry! It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client." He snapped and pointed up. Rose and the Doctor's eyes trailed up and saw the giant creature looming over. Slime dripped down it as it snapped its razor sharp teeth.
"You mean that thing is in charge of Satellite Five?" The Doctor asked with a twinge of horror in his voice. Rose couldn't blame him, looking at the Jagrafess.
"That thing, as you put it, is in charge of the human race. For almost 100 years, makind has been shaped and guided. His knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news. Edited by my superior, your master, and humanity's guiding light, the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe. I call him Max." The Editor tittered as the Jagrafess roared. Then, he turned serious again. "Now, restrain them."
Rose knew the Editor wouldn't kill them outright, he was obsessed with knowing who they were, so they were safe there. Adam may not have been in her sight the whole time, but she knew he didn't have the TARDIS key or her mobile, so there was no reason to panic on that front either. So long as they kept level heads and Cathica got up to Floor 500 in good time, then all would be well.
Once the manacles were locked, the Editor started telling them his whole evil plan like a bad Bond villain. He went on about how by controlling the news, they could control the human race. One word in the right place sort of thing, honestly, Rose wasn't entirely paying attention. She'd heard it before and it wasn't all that interesting then, either.
"So, all the people on Earth are like slaves?" Rose asked.
"Well, now, there's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"
"Yes." Rose and the Doctor said simultaneously.
"Awe. I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? Yes?" he asked, disappointed.
"Yes." They said again in unison.
"You're no fun." The Editor pouted.
"Let me out of these manacles," the Doctor said darkly, "you'll find out how much fun I am."
"Oh, he's tough, isn't he?" He said to Rose, chuckling. "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 said. "Somebody must've noticed."
"From time to time, someone, yes," he admitted, "but the computer system allows me to see inside their brain. I can see the smallest doubt and crush it. And then they just carry on, living the life. Strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're so individual. When of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."
As he spoke, Rose caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up at the Doctor, who was looking around a corner at something she couldn't see. Cathica.
"Wot about you?" Rose asked. "You're not a Jagrafess. You're human."
"Yeah, well simply being human doesn't pay very well." the Editor responded.
"Of course, it's all about the money." She rolled her eyes. "But you couldn't have done this all on your own."
"No, I represent a consortium of banks." the Editor explained. "Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to, um, install himself."
"No wonder, a creature that size." the Doctor remarked, nodding up at it, showing it to Cathica. "What's his life span?"
"Three thousand years." The Editor said.
"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat." He said, mostly for Cathica's benefit. "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." The Editor snapped his finger and electricity pulsed through their bodies painfully. Rose let out a groan in pain when he snapped his fingers again. "Who are you?"
"Leave her alone! I'm the Doctor. She's Rose Tyler. We're nothing, we're just wandering."
"Tell me who you are!"
"I've just said!"
"Yeah, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly…" the Editor cut off, gasping excitedly. He grinned maliciously and gestured to the Doctor. "Time Lord."
"No." Rose whimpered under her breath.
"Wot?" The Doctor asked, taken aback.
"Oh yes! The last of the Time Lords and his traveling machine." The Editor said dramatically. "Oh, and his little human girl from long ago." He moved to stroke Rose's cheek, but she lunged at him. She knew she couldn't escape, but seeing the Editor jump back gave her a small satisfaction.
"Don't know what you're talkin' about."
"Time travel."
"Someone's been telling you lies." The Doctor tried to cover.
"Young master Adam Mitchell?" The Editor asked rhetorically, snapping his fingers. A projection appeared of Adam screaming, pulling the same stupid stunt he had last time.
"Oh, you idiot!" Rose cried, not sure if she meant Adam or herself. She thought, if she was careful, things would be different. She genuinely wanted to give him another go and show him the universe, but that boy was selfish. He was ignorant and self-centered and Rose was the fool who brought him along.
"Wot the hell's he done? Wot the hell's he gone and done?" The Doctor asked the air, horrified. "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, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in you T-A-R-D-I-S. TARDIS." The Editor gloated. The Jagrafess above them growled and spat as if in approval.
"Well, you'll never get your hand on it, I'll die first!" The Doctor spat.
"Well, die all you like, I don't need ya. I've got the key." The Editor strode over to Rose and slipped the key and chain out of her jeans pocket. He held it up in front of their faces, taunting them. "Today, we are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind form ever developing."
"And no one's gonna stop you." The Doctor looked pointedly at Cathica, trying to get his message across. "Because you bred a human race that doesn't 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."
"Don't you see, human kind is just so useless. No need to waste any time and effort trying to rule over them with violence when they so easily submit under manipulation."
"You underestimate us." Rose said. "You don't even realize the wonders humans can do. One person can change the course of all history."
The Editor started to roll his eyes, when suddenly the projection of Adam blinked out and alarms started going off all over. He rushed to the screens, confused. The Jagrafess was thrashing and howling as Cathica infiltrated the systems. The Editor snapped his fingers and a projection of Cathica appeared.
"Who's that?"
"It's Cathica." Rose cheered.
"And she's thinking. She's using what she knows." The Doctor said, proudly. "Everything I told her about Satellite Five, the pipes, the filters, she's reversing it. Look at that, it's getting' hot."
Rose looked around and saw all the ice melting fast. The Editor was yelling at Suki's body, trying to make his puppet obey, but suddenly, sparks flew and screens blinked out. All the workers dropped as if their strings had been cut. The whole station was shaking. Rose felt a shock of electricity before the manacles blinked out as she was able to rip free of them. The Doctor's cuffs, however, remained active.
Rose quickly reached in the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. She pressed the button down and hoped it was on the right setting. She held it up against the right cuff until she heard it click, then moved to the left.
"Yes! I'm trying, sir," the Editor started nervously in response to the Jagrafess, "but, I don't know how she did it, it's impossible. A member of staff with an idea!"
"Told ya." Rose taunted as the Doctor was freed.
"Oi, mate! You wanna bank on a certainty?" The Doctor asked as he ripped free of the manacles. "Massive heat in a massive body, massive bang!"
Rose quickly advanced on the Editor. "That does not belong to you." She growled, ripping the key out of his shaking hands. "See ya in the headlines!"
The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and lead her out of the office. Debris was falling everywhere as the whole place shook violently. They spotted the lights of an old news room set up and ran towards it, finding Cathica. The Doctor clicked his fingers and her forehead shut. Together, they swiftly made their way to the lifts and the Doctor soniced the controls to send them down quick as possible.
All was calm. Everyone on floor 139 that Rose saw seemed a bit battered, a bit shaken up, but glad to be alive. Rose knew exactly how they felt.
"We're just gonna go. I hate tidying up. Too many question." The Doctor said to Cathica. "You'll manage."
"You'll have to stay and explain it. No one's gonna believe me."
"Well, they might start believing a lotta things now. Human race should accelerate, all back to normal."
"What about your friend?" Cathica asked lowly. The Doctor's face darkened.
"He's not my friend." He replied coldly.
"I'm all right now." Adam said as they made their way towards the TARDIS, "Much better. And I found Rose's phone." He said, holding it up, laughing nervously. Rose stepped in front of the Doctor and snatched her phone from Adam's grasp.
"Ya knicked my phone? Seriously?"
"Well, it all worked out for the best, didn't it? You know, it's not actually my fault, because you were in charge." Adam tried as a last-ditch effort. Rose rolled her eyes. The Doctor grabbed him by the shoulder and steered him to the TARDIS, unlocking it with Rose's key before shoving him inside.
The Doctor stomped his way to the console and piloted the TARDIS without a word. Rose knocked past Adam to sit in the jump seat until the landed. Both of them were bristling with anger. Adam remained on the ramp, holding on to the railing as the TARDIS shook lightly. Only a few tense moments passed before the boom of the TARDIS landing was heard. Adam flinched as the Doctor clapped his hand onto his shoulder again, pushing him out of the TARDIS doors.
"It's my house." Adam finally was able to exhale, relief flooding through him. "I'm home. Oh, my god, I'm home!" he chuckled, but when he turned to look at the Doctor, all laughter left. "Blimey, I thought you were gonna chuck me out of an airlock."
"Is there somethin' else you wanna tell me?" The Doctor asked in an accusatory tone.
"No. Erm, what do you mean?" Adam tried.
"The archive of Satellite Five." The Doctor said, striding over to the landline and picking it up. "One second of that message could've changed the world." Adam shifted, guilty. Rose could clearly see that Adam only felt guilty because he got caught. The Doctor put the phone back down and took out his sonic screwdriver, pointing it at the phone. It crackled and popped into sparks. "That's it, then. See ya."
"How'd ya mean, see ya?"
"As in, goodbye."
"What about me? You can't just go. I've got my head. I've got a chip type two. My head opens!"
"Wot, like this?" The Doctor clicked his fingers and Adams door whirred open.
"Don't." Adam clicked his fingers to shut it.
"Don't do wot?" The Doctor asked in faux innocence, clicking his fingers again.
"Stop it!" Adam practically whined. Another click and he closed it again.
"Alright, Doctor. Tha's enough, stop it." Rose said.
"Thank you." Click. It opened again. "Oi!"
"Couldn't resist." Rose shrugged as he closed it. "You deserve it."
"The whole of history could've changed because of you." The Doctor said in a low, serious tone.
"I just wanted to help."
"No," Rose cut in. "don't you dare try to weasel your way outta this. You jus' wanted to help yourself."
"And I'm sorry. And I've said I'm sorry. And I am, I really am. But, you can't just leave me like this."
"Yes, I can. Cause if you show that head to anyone, they'll dissect you in seconds. You'll have to live a very quiet life. Keep outta trouble. Be average. Unseen. Good luck."
The TARDIS door creaked open as the Doctor moved to leave Adam in the dust.
"But I wanna come with you." He cried, stopping the Doctor in his tracks.
"I only take the best. I've got Rose."
The Doctor walked into the TARDIS, Rose right behind him.
"You and your boyfriends." He muttered.
"Oi!" Rose snapped at him, still furious at both Adam and herself, but mostly Adam. "Not my boyfriend. Never was, never could be, not in a million years." She huffed and plopped herself down on the jump seat.
The Doctor pulled the lever, sending them into the vortex. There was a tense moment between them, then Rose sighed.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
"But I am." She continued. "I just thought… I dunno, I wanted to be like you."
"Like me?" the Doctor asked incredulously.
"Yeah. It's stupid." The Doctor looked at her expectantly. "Look, I don't wanna stroke your ego any more than I already have." She said, getting up. "Imma head off to bed. Don't stay up too late."
She gave him a small wave and headed down the corridor and out of sight, leaving the Doctor to his thoughts.
