Hello" - Speech
"Hello" - Gallifreyan
'Hello' - Mental Speech
The Doctor and the Teacher woke up, crammed together, in a small cupboard-like room, as it begins spinning and spinning. They both leapt to their feet, feeling around for an exit out of the room.
"What is it?" The Doctor asked as he felt about, "What's happening?"
Suddenly, a Door that the Teacher was leaning up against fell out, causing him to fall back onto the floor, the Doctor falling on top of him. "Up, Up, Doctor." The Teacher called to him, pushing him off, "I can't carry you like I did when you were younger." He said as he got up with a chuckle - before looking around to see others in the room, who rushed over to help them up.
"Oh, my God!" A young woman called out, as she ran to their side. "I don't believe it! Why'd they put you in there? They never said you were coming!"
The Teacher pulled himself up by the wall, while the Doctor looked around confused. "What happened? We were..."
"Careful now. Oh! Oh, mind yourself!" The young woman said as she helped to steady the Doctor - the Teacher gathering his balance up against the wall. "Oh, that's the transmat. It scrambles your head. I was sick for days. All right? So, what are your names then, sweethearts?"
"The Teacher." The Teacher answered, now much steadier, as he shook his joints to help untense.
"The Doctor, I think." The Doctor answered, as the Teacher came over and went about checking him over for any injuries. "We were, er. I don't know, what happened? How…" he trailed off, concerned, but unable to look around as the Teacher had his head held in his hands - checking for a concussion.
"You got chosen." The woman said to them, smiling - as if that would answer all their questions.
"Chosen for what?" The Teacher frowned, not turning away from the Doctor until he was sure he was alright.
"You're a housemate." She squealed. "You're in the house. Isn't that brilliant?!"
"That's not fair." They heard a young man say, "We've got eviction in five minutes! I've been here for all nine weeks, I've followed the rules, I haven't had a single warning, and then he comes swanning in."
The Teacher let go of the Doctor with a pat on the shoulder, confident that there were no injuries to him other than the dizziness from the transmat. Turning around he saw the young man that spoke, stood next to a young black woman.
"If they keep changing the rules, I'm going to protest, I am." The black woman spoke, "You watch me, I'm going to paint the walls."
The Doctor and the Teacher glanced around the room in confusion. The Teacher looked for an exit, until they were stopped by a voice filling the room.
"Would the Doctor and the Teacher please come to the Diary Room?" A robotic voice sounded out.
They looked to each other in confusion for a moment, before turning at a noise to see a door with the symbol of an eye on it open - waiting for the two of them to go on. Walking over to the room, they looked in to see a red chair in the middle of the room - which the Doctor sat while the Teacher just leaned up against the wall behind it.
"You are live on channel forty four thousand. Please do not swear." The same robotic voice sounded out.
The Teacher's eyebrows raised, while the Doctor just scoffed, "You have GOT to be kidding."
~O~
Some time after the two had left the diary room, they both began searching the room to find some kind of way out. The Teacher was scanning the screens with his sonic pen - trying to locate some sort of signal, while the Doctor was trying to open a door with his sonic screwdriver. "I can't open it..." He relayed in frustration to The Teacher and the woman who was helping him.
"I'm not picking up a single signal either." The Teacher sighed out, walking back to where the Doctor was standing.
"It's got a deadlock seal," The woman explained, "ever since Big Brother five hundred and four when they all walked out." Neither of the timelords answered, as they continued to look around the room for any alternative exits. "You must remember that."
"What about this?" The Doctor asked, gesturing to a mirror.
"Oh, that's exoglass." The woman replied, "You'd need a nuclear bomb to get through."
"Ooh, Don't tempt us…" The Teacher muttered as he scanned the edges of the mirror.
The woman leaned up against the wall next to them."I know you're not supposed to talk about the outside world, but you must've been watching. Do people like me? Lynda. Lynda with a Y, not Linda with an I. She got forcibly evicted because she damaged the camera." The Teacher filed that bit of information away. "Am I popular?"
"I don't remember." The Doctor stated, brining his own sonic up to continue scanning.
"Oh, but does that mean I'm nothing? Some people get this far just because they're insignificant. Doesn't anybody notice me?"
"No Lynda, everyone thinks you're nice." The Teacher said with a smile to her, "They think you're very sweet."
"Oh, is that right?" She breathed out, seemingly genuinely happy with what he'd said. "Is that what I am?" She smiled. "Oh, no one's ever told me that before. Am I sweet? Really?"
"Course you are." The Teacher said, placing a hand on her shoulder with a smile.
"Thank you!"
"It's a wall." The Doctor interrupted them, as he looked out a window to see it completely black. "Isn't there supposed to be a garden out there or something?"
"Don't be daft." She scoffed and laughed. "No one's got a garden anymore. Who's got a garden?" She said before gasping. "Don't tell me you've got a garden."
The Doctor continued to examine the wall, "No, we've just got the Tardis." He said, before his eyes widened. "I remember…"
"That's the amnesia! So what happened? Where did they get you?"
"We'd just left Raxacoriofallapatorius…" The Doctor started.
"Then we went to Kyoto." The Teacher cut in. "It's strange, I didn't get any amnesia - I remember us all laughing together in the Tardis, then there was this light, and then we woke up here." The Teacher finished with a small frown - looking to the Doctor, before smirking, 'Maybe it's just because of my amazing intellect and maturity.' He said mentally.
'Or your ego.' The Doctor commented, the Teacher shrugged - still smirking 'You had to get it from somewhere.'
"Yeah, that's the transmat beam." Lynda clarified for them. "That's how they pick the housemates."
"Oh, Lynda with a Y. Sweet little Lynda. It's worse than that. We're not just some passing travellers. No stupid little transmat gets inside our ship." The Doctor stated. "That beam was fifteen million times more powerful, which means this isn't just a game. There's something else going on."
"So then!" The Teacher started with a clap of his hands. "Here's the latest update from the Big Brother house, we're getting out of here, finding our friends." He turned to one of the cameras, staring it down, "Then, I'm gonna find you, and I swear - if one hair has been harmed on any of their heads, you won't want to know what I'll do..." He finished, turning away to continue looking for an exit.
~O~
Lynda and the other housemates sat on the couch - while the Doctor continued to sonic one of the doors. The Teacher was leaning against the back of the couch, writing in his notebook, currently planning a way out based on what Lynda told them earlier.
Not only was he planning a way out, he'd noticed that something was clearly wrong - the housemates seemed happy but there was unease within them - something in their eyes that told him something more sinister was happening here, he just couldn't work out what it was...
"Doctor, they said all the housemates must gather on the sofa." Lynda shouted to him. "The Teacher's following the rules, You've got to."
"I'm busy getting out, thanks." The Doctor replied, going back to sonicing the door.
"But if you don't obey, then all the housemates get punished." She tried again, still not convincing the Doctor to come over.
"Doctor." The Teacher said sternly in Gallifreyan, making the Doctor sigh as he grudgingly moved himself over to the couch.
"Well, maybe I'll be voted out, then." The Doctor mumbled as he sat down - The Teacher patting him on the shoulder as he did so.
"How stupid are you?" The male housemate scoffed at him, "You've only just joined, you're not eligible."
"Don't try anything clever or we all get it in the neck." Lynda added.
"Big Brother House this is, Davina Droid." The robotic voice from earlier called out, The Teacher noticed that the housemates seemed to tense up as they grabbed each other's hands. While it wouldn't be too unusual for a game show, this seemed much more than that. "Crosbie, Lynda and Strood, you have all been nominated for eviction. And the eighth person to be evicted from the Big Brother House is… Crosbie!"
Crosbie gasped as she stood up, the other two standing up with her, "I'm sorry!" Lynda said as she hugged her, "Oh, I'm sorry! Sorry!"
"Oh, it should've been me." The male housemate, Strood said, "Oh, that's not fair... Crosbie love…"
While they were hugging, The Doctor just leaned back on the sofa bored. The Teacher, however, was growing increasingly more concerned - this was definitely much more than just a regular eviction. Crosbie seemed genuinely afraid of what was about to happen, Lynda and Strood also seemed scared for her - there was certainly something sinister about it.
"Crosbie, you have ten seconds to make your farewells, and then we're going to get you." The robotic voice of the Davina Droid called out.
The housemates ran to the door, while the Doctor and the Teacher stayed where they were - the Teacher in observation, while the Doctor just rolled his eyes at them.
"I won't forget you." Lynda promised.
"I'm sorry I stole your soap." Crosbie confessed to Lynda.
"I don't mind, honestly." Lynda said as she hugged her.
"Thanks for the food. You're a smashing cook." Strood kissed her cheek. "Bless you."
"Crosbie, please leave the Big Brother House." The robotic voice called out, as a white door opened, leading to a small white corridor.
"Bye, then. Bye, Lynda." Crosbie said, as she stared into the room.
"Bye…" She breathed out, while her and Strood made an arch for Crosbie to walk through into the room. "I don't believe it… Poor Crosbie..."
"Something's not right here…" The Teacher murmured.
"It's only a game show." The Doctor scoffed. "She'll make a fortune on the outside. Sell her story, release a record, fitness video, all of that... she'll be laughing."
Lynda just looked at him confused, "What do you mean, on the outside?" She said with a shake of her head.
The TV came on, showing Crosbie stood in the middle of the white room - shaking in fear, "Here we go..." Strood said, as he and Lynda ran back to the couch.
"What are they waiting for?" The Doctor said, irritated, "Why don't they just let her go?"
"Doctor, something's wrong…" The Teacher said in Gallifreyan, causing the Doctor to look at him in confusion before looking back to the TV.
"Stop it, it's not funny." Lynda said warningly.
"Eviction in five... four... three... two... one…" The robotic voice called out once more, before a laser beam shot and hit Crosbie, turning her to ash.
Lynda and Strood sighed, the tension leaving them. The Teacher just closed his eyes in sadness, knowing he should have done more to figure out what was going on, and in worry for Rose and Jack - praying that they were fine, he didn't know if he could control himself if they or the Doctor got injured or… killed.
The Doctor immediately sat up straight "What was that?"
"Disintegrator beam." Strood answered him, while the Doctor just stared at him in confusion.
"She's been evicted." Lynda explained, "From life…"
~O~
The Teacher was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed - trying to think of some way to get them out of there. The Doctor however was pacing around the room in anger, "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?"
"You're talking like we've got a choice!" Lynda shouted as she stood up.
"But I thought you had to apply!" The Doctor said in confusion.
"Don't be so stupid." Strood scoffed, "That's how they played it centuries back."
"You get chosen whether you like it or not. Everyone on Earth is a potential contestant. The transmat beam picks you out at random. And it's non stop." Lynda explained. "There are sixty Big Brother houses running all at once."
"Sixty?" The Teacher asked, not even opening his eyes. His voice was calm but there was a clear venom to it.
"They've had to cut back." Strood said, "It's not what it was."
"It's a charnel house!" The Doctor shouted, "What about the winners? What do they get?"
"They get to live." Lynda said with a shrug.
"Is that it?"
"Well, isn't that enough?"
"Right." The Teacher said, opening his eyes and moving away from the wall. "I've had enough of this." He continued, his voice very serious. "People I care for are still out there, I've no idea at this point if they're even alive, and If they're not… then I'll burn this place to the ground." He threatened, before turning to face the Doctor. "I'm about to do something incredibly stupid, If it kills me then know that I love you and Im proud of you." He said, bringing his son in for a hug - before letting him go and turning to Lynda. "Linda with an I - she was evicted for what?"
"Damage to property…"
"Ah, like this then?" The Teacher said as he pulled out his sonic pen and pointed it at a camera - switching it on, causing the camera to be destroyed.
There was silence for a moment as the housemates and the Doctor were shocked by the Teacher's actions. The silence lasted until the robotic voice of the Davina Droid filled the room, "The Teacher, you've broken the House Rules. Big Brother has no choice but to evict you. You have ten seconds to make your farewells, and then we're going to get you!"
The Teacher ran over to the door, "Right then, open up!"
"You're mad!" Lynda shouted at him, "It's like you want to die."
"I reckon he's a plant. He was only brought in to stir things up." Strood added.
"What are you doing!" The Doctor shouted, having been stunned at what his Father was doing, practically walking to his death - it didn't even seem like regeneration would be possible.
"The Teacher, please leave the Big Brother house." The robotic voice called out, as the door opened - the Teacher ran into the white room and turned to face the Camera, knowing that the Doctor would be able to see him on the screen.
'Listen to me.' He started mentally, looking at the Camera as to look the Doctor in the eye, "I'll be fine, but in the very small chance I've just killed myself - find Rose and Jack, and get them out of here.'
'But-' The Doctor started, before being cut off.
'Promise me.' The Teacher said seriously in Gallifreyan.
'I promise…' he heard back, before he turned to face the white doors of the room.
"Eviction in five... four... three... two… one…" The voice counted down, but nothing happened - instead the machine just shut down.
The Teacher just smirked, "See, they need us alive!" He laughed, "If they wanted us dead, we'd have been transmatted into a volcano or into deep space - but no, they need us here for something." He turned to look at the Camera, "Now that I'm out, you better believe I'm coming for you."
The Teacher turned to face the door that opened into the house and soniced it open, allowing for the Doctor to run in - and immediately bring his Father into a hug.
"Never do that again." The Doctor said, releasing him quickly.
The Teacher just chuckled at him - "I knew I'd be fine, and even if I wasn't, the others would be left in safe hands." He said, placing a hand on the Doctor's shoulder, before turning the sonic the other door.
The Doctor turned back to the house, and called to Lynda, "Come with us."
"We're not allowed!" Strood hissed when Lynda turned back to look.
"Stay in there, you've got a fifty fifty chance of disintegration." The Doctor stated, "Stay with us, I promise we'll get you out alive. Come on!"
"No, I can't... I can't…"
The Teacher turned back, the doors now open, "Lynda, listen to me," He began, "You're sweet - but from what we've seen of this world, nobody votes for sweet." He finished as the Doctor held out his hand to Lynda, she hesitated for a moment, before grabbing hold and rushing out with them.
Looking around the much wider room they were standing in, both the Doctor and the Teacher noticed where they were, "Hold on. we've been here before." The Doctor stated, looking around, "This is Satellite Five. No guards. That makes a change. You'd think a big business like Satellite Five would be armed to the teeth."
Seeing no guards standing around the place, they ran over to one of the doors on the side - after seeing a large 56 on the wall - The Doctor soniced the door, opening it; allowing them to go through. "Tell, you what." The Teacher began as they walked, this does make a change - you'd think with how big Satellite five is, they'd have guards posted everywhere."
"No one's called it Satellite Five in ages." Lynda said to them as they carried on walking, passing through some more doors, "It's the Game Station now. Hasn't been Satellite Five in about a hundred years."
"I'd say a hundred years exactly." The Teacher said, allowing for his senses to kick in, "Its the year 200-100," he looked to the Doctor, "exactly 100 years after we were here last on floor 139."
The Doctor nodded, "The Satellite was broadcasting news channels back then. Had a bit of trouble upstairs." he explained for Lynda's sake, "Nothing too serious. Easy. Gave them a hand, home in time for tea."
"A hundred years ago?" Lynda smiled at them skeptically, as they were having trouble with a scanner in front of a door, "What, you were here a hundred years ago?"
"Yep!" The Doctor said as he used his sonic on the door.
"You're looking good on it…"
"I moisturise." The Doctor said, before looking down at his sonic"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?" He said as he and the Teacher moved to try another door.
"I don't know." Lynda said as she took everything in, looking around the room. "I think we're the first ever contestants to get outside."
"We have two friends travelling with us." The Teacher said, "They must've got caught in the same transmat… Is lucky we were put in the same place - you know how badly you cope without me there." The Teacher said, the Doctor rolled his eyes in response. "Any idea where they would be?" The Teacher asked as he turned to Lynda
"I don't know." Lynda shrugged, "They could've been allocated anywhere. There's a hundred different games."
"Like what?" The Doctor asked.
"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..uh, 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. Er... 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?" The Doctor frowned in disgust, an identical expression reflected on the Teacher's face.
"Everyone does. How come you don't?"
"Never paid for our license." The Teacher said with a shrug.
"Oh, my God!" Lynda gasped, "You get executed for that!"
The Teacher just focused on his sonic pen, "They can try." He said offhandedly, "It'll take them a while…"
"You keep saying things that don't make sense." Lynda said as she eyed the pair, "Who are you though, Doctor, Teacher, really?"
"It doesn't matter." The Doctor waved her off, as they moved to try another door.
"Well, it does to me. I've just put my life in your hands."
"We're just travellers, wandering past." The Doctor explained, "Believe it or not, all I'm after is a quiet life."
The Teacher scoffed, "Please, you could never sit still long enough for that." To which he received a glare in return from the Doctor, "That glare won't do anything, I survived your 'moody teenager' phase, it doesn't get worse than that." He finished with a smirk as the Doctor looked away in embarrassment.
"So, if we get out of here, what're you going to do?" Lynda asked, "Just... wander off again?"
"Fast as I can." The Doctor replied with a nod.
"So... I could come with you?" Lynda asked cautiously.
The Doctor and the Teacher shared a look, before they looked to Lynda, "Maybe you could." The Doctor said.
"I wouldn't get in the way."
"Oh, we wouldn't mind if you did," The Teacher said as he reached over to ruffle her hair - "Not a bad idea at all, Lynda with a Y." He finished with a smile.
"But first of all, we've got to concentrate on the getting out." The Doctor said, "And to do that, you've got to know your enemy. Who's controlling it?" He turned to Lynda, "Who's in charge of the satellite now?"
"Hold on." Lynda said as she ran to the other side of the room, she pulled down a lever, lighting up the wall along with 'Bad Wolf Corporation' written in big letters. "Your lords and masters."
The Doctor glanced at the letters in confusion, while the Teacher looked at them more in fear.
'Theta…' The Teacher began mentally, grabbing the Doctor's attention with the use of his name, 'This can't be a coincidence…'
The Doctor just shook his head in agreement, this was something far, far bigger.
~O~
The three of them walked out onto an observation deck, overlooking the Earth - now grey and decayed, seeming almost dead - only a few sparks of light shining through the smog that covered it.
"Blimey!" Lynda gasped, "I've never seen it for real before. Not from orbit... Planet Earth."
"What… What's happened?.." The Teacher breathed out, in shock at the sight of the planet.
"Well, it's always been like that Ever since I was born." Lynda explained. "See that there?" She said as she pointed to a particularly dark spot, "That's the Great Atlantic Smog Storm. It's been going twenty years. We get newsflashes telling us when it's safe to breath outside."
"So the population just sits there?" The Doctor said in disbelief. "Half the world's too fat, and half the world's too thin, and you lot just watch telly?"
"Ten thousand channels, all beaming down from here."
The Teacher pulled out his notebook, wanting to think of some way to fix what had happened… but nothing came to him. He merely just looked back up at the Earth, before writing the word 'Wrong', and put his notebook away.
"The Human Race." The Doctor said with venom, "Brainless sheep being fed on a diet of… Mind you, have they still got that programme where three people have to live with a bear?"
"Oh, Bear With Me. I love that one!"
"And me. The celebrity edition where the bear got in the…"
"Got in the bath!" They both laughed.
"This is wrong." The Teacher said, not having joined in with the other two laughing, "History's wrong again - This should be the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human empire," He said before turning to the Doctor, "We helped fix this last time, we put this right."
"No, but that's when it first went wrong." Lynda explained, "A hundred years ago, like you said. All the news channels, they just shut down overnight."
The Teacher just blinked, "That was us… we did that…"
"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."
"This is my fault…" The Teacher breathed, "I made this world."
"WE made this world." The Doctor corrected.
The Teacher just shook his head, "No, this is my responsibility to take." He turned to face the Doctor, "but… I am going to need your help to fix it."
The Doctor smiled slightly, before nodding in response.
~O~
The Doctor and the Teacher were working on the terminal in the observation room, trying to pin down Rose and Jack, when they heard a voice from behind them.
"Hey, handsome." They heard Jack say, before he was stopped as the Teacher ran over to him - checking him over for any injuries. "Good to see you?" He said as the Teacher patted him on the back, relieved at seeing he was okay. "Any sign of Rose?"
"Can't you track her down?" The Doctor asked, still working on the terminal.
"She must still be inside the games." Jack muttered, coming to look at where the Doctor and the Teacher had been working, "All the rooms are shielded."
"If I can just get inside this computer." The Doctor said, irritated at the terminal; "She's got to be here somewhere."
"Well, you'd better hurry up." Jack commented. "These games don't have a happy ending."
"Do you think I don't know that?" The Doctor snapped, calming down slightly as the Teacher placed a hand on his shoulder. Jack held up his hands in surrender, before handing over the device on his wrist.
"There you go, patch that in." He said as the Doctor grabbed it, "It's programmed to find her."
"Thanks." The Doctor muttered, while the Teacher moved to pull out his notebook, still racking his brain for some sort of plan.
"Hey, there." Jack said, turning to greet Lynda with a grin and an outstretched hand.
"Hello." Lynda beamed at him.
"Captain Jack Harkness." He introduced himself
"Lynda Moss."
"Nice to meet you, Lynda Moss."
"Do you mind flirting outside?" The Doctor commented, not even looking up.
"I was just saying hello!" Jack defended.
"To be fair Jack," The Teacher started, putting his notebook away - not having written anything, "for you, that IS flirting."
"I'm not complaining." Lynda said with a small smile at Jack.
"Muchas gracias." Jack said as he kissed her hand.
"It's not compatible." The Doctor shouted in irritation, "This stupid system doesn't make sense." He said as he passed the device Jack gave him to the Teacher, before pulling off the panel of the computer, allowing for the Teacher to try and wire the device in himself. "This place should be a basic broadcaster, but the systems are twice as complicated." The Doctor remarked as the Teacher worked, "It's more than just television. This station's transmitting something else."
"Like what?"
The Teacher sighed, "We don't know, This Bad Wolf thing is connected with us, it's like someone or something has been manipulating our entire timeline." He paused for a moment, "They've set a trap and Rose is caught in the middle of it."
The device beeped, the Doctor and the Teacher looked at it, "Found her." The Doctor commented, "Floor four oh seven."
Lynda gasped, "Oh, my God, she's with the Anne Droid. You've got to get her out of there!"
The four of them ran for the lift, pressing the button and waiting impatiently as the numbers climbed. "Come on, come on!" The Doctor said, fidgeting his hands as he waited - The Teacher was trying to keep himself calm, but the fear that something may happen to Rose was growing, she was clearly in a lot of danger - especially if Lynda's reaction was anything to go by.
The lift came to a stop, and the four of them ran out frantically, looking around to see doors lining the walls. "Game Room Six," The Teacher stated looking around, "which one is it?"
"Over here!" Lynda called as she ran to it, the rest of them following behind her.
They reached the door and the Doctor pulled out his sonic to start working on the Lock, "Stand back," Jack said, "let me blast it open."
"You can't." The Doctor said grimly, "it's made of Hydra combination." He continued to work on the lock, "Come on, come on, come on..." He said, before the door opened allowing for them to run through - now being able to better hear what was going on in the room.
"But I'm not meant to be here." They heard Rose call out, the Teacher's hearts broke at the fear in her voice. "I need to find the Doctor and the Teacher, they've got to be here somewhere they're always here! They wouldn't just leave me!"
"Rodrick, you are the strongest link, you will be transported home with one thousand six hundred credits." The Anne-droid stated.
"Oh, thank you, thank you so much." Roderick cheered.
"This game is illegal." Rose shouted, "I'm telling you to stop!"
"Rose!" The Doctor shouted as they ran towards her, "Stop this game!"
"Rose, you leave this life with nothing." The Anne-droid began.
"Stop this game!" Jack shouted.
"We order you to stop this game!" The Teacher shouted in anger as he also ran towards Rose.
"You are the weakest link." The Anne-droid continued.
"Look out for the Anne Droid, it's armed!" Rose yelled to them as she ran towards them. Just as she was mere feet away from the time lords, the Anne-Droid's mouth opened allowing for a laser to shoot out and hit Rose square in the back - disintegrating her and leaving only a pile of dust on the floor where she was.
"What the hell did you do to her?" Jack shouted in anger as he ran towards the set.
Everything seemed to slow down as the Doctor and the Teacher almost fell to the floor over the pile of dust. The Doctor reached forward, feeling the dust in sorrow, grieving over her.
The Teacher however was angry - very angry - he vowed that no harm would injure Rose when he decided to travel with them, now not only had she been harmed, but killed. He wouldn't let them get away with this, someone was going to pay for it, no matter what he would need to do.
"Back off!" Jack shouted at the people in the room, waving his gun to keep them back.
"I need security and I need it here right now!" A woman ordered, "It's this lot…"
"Don't you touch them!" Jack shouted as security edged towards the Doctor and the Teacher - who were still surrounding the pile. "Leave them alone!"
A hand was placed on the Doctor's, dragging him up - just as one was about to be placed on the Teacher's arm, he grabbed the guards arm and broke it, not wanting to be even close to anyone he saw as to blame for Rose's death.
The other guards heard the scream, and pointed their guns towards the Teacher - who simply stood there, looking oddly calm despite the situation. "If you want me to come with you, then I suggest that you don't touch me." The Teacher stated, "Otherwise, you'll be lucky to end up like this one." He said, using his foot to nudge the whimpering guard on the floor.
"Sir, I'm arresting you under Private Legislation Sixteen of the Game Station Syndicate." One of the guards said, as they kept their guns trained on him.
Jack and Lynda were stunned by the Teacher's actions, Jack especially. Up until this point, he had only seen the Teacher as caring - even earlier he rushed to make sure that Jack was uninjured, but now - seeing him consumed in anger enough to hurt someone to that extent was… frightening.
The Doctor frowned, he knew his father had this side to him, he and the rest of his children had never been on the receiving end of it, the Teacher would die before he ever hurt them - however he had seen it before, especially during the war. Despite this, he never liked seeing; it wasn't something you could get used to seeing, yet at the minute, he wasn't feeling much different himself.
~O~
The Doctor was thrown up against a metal gate,"Can you tell us the purpose of this device, sir?" One of the guards said as they held up his sonic screwdriver.
"Let him go." The Teacher said, calmly yet leaving no way for dispute. However, the guard ignored him, "I said, Let him go." The teacher repeated, as he placed a hand on the guards arm, applying pressure slowly.
The guard let go of the Doctor, and threw him down onto the bench where Jack and Lynda were sat, the Teacher remained standing; some guns constantly trained on him, but it allowed for him to keep some control, and allowed for him to prevent the guards from hurting the others too badly.
"Can you tell us how you got on board?" The guard asked.
"Just leave him alone…" Lynda began, before being silenced as the guard grabbed her cheeks to silence her.
"I'm asking him-"
The Teacher grabbed the arm of the guard, pulling him away from Lynda, "Keep your hands off them." He said threateningly - his anger growing.
"Maybe you should take a seat sir." The guard said through gritted teeth, as the Teacher moved to hold him by his shirt, causing the guards pointing guns at him to take aim.
"I have had a very long day." The Teacher started, "It's been very confusing and I have lost a very good friend." He continued, now shouting, as his hands tightened - causing the guard to whimper, "It would not be a very good idea to tell me what to do!"
A shot rang out.
The Teacher let go of the guard and took a step back, looking down to see a large red stain spreading throughout his green shirt. Breathing out, he collapsed to the floor - suddenly finding it much more difficult to breathe as he moved to sit himself up against the wall, understanding what was likely soon to follow.
While the Teacher moved himself he heard nothing of the commotion that had occurred following the shot, blood rushing through his system as his body prepared to regenerate. Lynda had screamed, Jack had cried out in horror - while the Doctor just started on in shock.
He knew, obviously, that his father had regenerated before; but it was never something that he himself had seen, it was always hidden from him - he'd regenerated himself, but seeing the man who was always there, always strong now struck down, it hurt. He'd already lost Rose, but this pushed everything over the edge.
Breaking out of his shock, he rushed over to his father - the guards too shocked to move, "Dad, dad…" He called out, bringing his father's head up to look at him, "No, please no…"
"As deaths go…" the Teacher breathed out, "I must admit it's not my best…" He finished, tring to laugh but broke off as he winced in pain.
The Doctor merely pulled his father in for a hug, tears streaming down his face, at this point he didn't care what he looked like; he was losing too much today. He knew that his father wasn't truly dying but he'd barely had any time to spend with this incarnation, and now it was coming to an end.
"Hey, hey…" the Teacher called out, "That's enough tears… I've got plenty of lives in me yet, I'll just be different." He said as he reached out to caress the side of the Doctor's face. "However," he began as he looked around, "I'm not doing it here, so you're gonna have to help me up... put me on the bench."
The Doctor did as his father said, helping him to stand and sitting him next to him on the bench, where Jack and Lynda were sat - still in shock over the events.
As he moved to lean his weight on Jack, the Teacher whispered a plan to him, relaying the same information to the Doctor so they would be able to do it together. He hoped that they would both stop worrying over him, not that it would make any difference, he could feel the regeneration energy starting to form - there was no stopping it now, the most he could do was delay it until he got somewhere better, ideally the Tardis.
As soon as the guards snapped out of shock themselves, they began to continue as they were, first unlocking the cell to move the prisoners out. "Let's do it." The Doctor nodded as he and Jack moved to knock the two guards out, reclaiming their sonics and Jack's Defabricators while Lynda grabbed the guard's weapons.
The Doctor walked back into the cell, to see the Teacher trying to pull himself up by the wall, he ran over and pulled his father's arm over his shoulder to help him walk. The Teacher just rolled his eyes, "Honestly… you're acting like I'm dying…" He said with a smirk, but rolled his eyes again when he met the Doctor's glare, "Come on… I'm allowed to have a little fun… I AM dying here…"
~O~
The four of them were packed into the lift, making their way to floor 500. While the Teacher was nearer the front of the lift, he stood by himself - using the wall to hold himself up so that he didn't fall. He could feel the reset set in earlier, so at least the wound was gone and no more blood was pouring out him - however he was weak, he could barely hold himself up and he didn't know how much longer he could hold off the change.
While he was thinking, the rest were eying him with worry - Lynda and Jack were surprised he was even able to keep upright.
The lift reached floor 500, the doors opening shortly after; allowing for Jack and the Doctor to rush in, while Lynda helped the Teacher move into the room. The Doctor and Jack aimed the guns they had brought with them, which the Teacher had made them promise not to actually use, at the people in the room.
"Okay, move away from the desk!" Jack shouted, "Nobody try anything clever. Everybody clear." He said as the staff scattered, allowing for the Doctor to rush up to a woman who was wired into the system. "Stand to the side and stay there.
"Who's in charge of this place?" He shouted up at the woman, pointing his gun at her.
Lynda helped the Teacher to a seat at one of the desks, making sure that he was alright before moving away, allowing for him to focus on repressing the building energy.
"Nineteen… eighteen…" the woman counted.
"This Satellite's more than a Game Station."
"Seventy nine... eighty..."
"Who killed Rose Tyler?" The Doctor shouted up at the woman, making the Teacher's eyes open as he too wanted to know.
"All staff are reminded that solar flares…"
"I want an answer!" The Doctor snapped.
"...occur in delta point one." The woman finished as if the Doctor hadn't spoken.
"She can't reply." A male staff member said, causing the Doctor to spin round - now pointing his gun at the staff, "Don't shoot!"
"Oh, don't be so thick." The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Like I was ever going to shoot." He tossed his gun over to the staff member and turned to face Jack, "Captain, we've got more guards on the way up. Secure the exits."
"Yes, sir." Jack replied, before following orders.
The Doctor eyed the Teacher and was about to go over to him, before he was stopped by a voice in his head. 'Theta, right now there is no point worrying about me.' He saw the Teacher wince, the stress of mentally communicating hurting him - 'Focus on what's happening here.'
The Doctor nodded, "You." He said as he turned back to the staff member, "What were you saying?"
"But… I've got your gun." The staff member began, confused.
"Okay, so shoot me." He said before wincing and looking over to the Teacher, poor choice of words... "Why can't she answer?"
"She's er... Can I put this down?"
"If you want. Just hurry up."
"Thanks." He said, before putting the weapon on the ground." Sorry. 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 recognise your existence."
"What's her name?" The Teacher asked quietly, drawing some attention to himself.
"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." Jack called out. "We should be safe for about ten minutes."
"Keep an eye on them." The Doctor said to him.
"But that stuff you were saying about something going on with the Game Station." The staff member started, "I think you're right. I've kept a log. Unauthorised transmats, encrypted signals, it's been going on for years."
"Show me."
"You're not allowed in there!" A female staff member shouted at Jack, seeing him trying to get access to a side room. "Archive Six is out of bounds."
"Do I look like an out of bounds sort of guy?" Jack said, as the doors opened, allowing for him to walk in.
"Solar flare activity in delta point zero fifteen." The pale woman announced.
"If you're not holding us hostage, then open the door and let us out." The female staff member stated, "The staff are terrified."
"Same staff who execute hundreds of innocent people everyday." The Teacher spat from where he was sitting, looking much more tired than he did earlier.
"That's not our fault." The woman defended, "We're just doing our jobs."
"And with that you just lost the right to even speak to us." He spat back at her.
"Now back off!" The Doctor shouted in anger, just as one of the screens went to static and the lights flickered.
"That's just the solar flares." The male staff member reassured them, "They interfere with the broadcast signal, so this place automatically powers down. Planet Earth gets a few repeats. It's all quite normal."
"Doctor… Teacher…" The Pale woman breathed.
"Whatever it is, you can wait." The Doctor replied.
"I think she wants you." Lynda said to him and the Teacher.
"Doctor? Teacher? Where's the Doctor and the Teacher?" The pale woman called out.
"We're here." The Doctor said, before looking to the Teacher to see him almost unconscious but listening - before looking away quickly, unable to see his father like that for long.
"Can't see. I'm blind. So blind. All my life, blind. All I can see is numbers, but I saw you…"
"What do you want?"
"Solar flares hiding me. They can't hear me. My masters, they always listen but they can't hear me now the sun, the sun is so bright."
"Who are your masters?" The Teacher asked, the pain getting worse.
"They wired my head. The name's forbidden. They control my thoughts. My masters... My masters, I had to be careful. They monitor transmissions but they don't watch the programmes. I could hide you inside the games. Knew that you would find me."
"Our friend died inside your games." The Doctor said softly
"Doesn't matter."
"Don't you dare say that!" The Teacher snapped, before wincing as his pain grew worse for moving.
"They've been hiding." The woman continued, "My masters hiding in the dark space, watching and shaping the Earth so, so, so many years. Always been there, guiding humanity, hundreds and hundred of years."
"Who are they?" The Doctor asked.
"They wait and plan and grow in numbers. They're strong now. So strong, my masters."
"Who are they?"
"But speak of you, my masters, they fear the Doctor and the Teacher."
"Tell me," The Doctor shouted as he took a step closer, "who are they?"
The power suddenly came back on, the woman gasped and began counting once more, "Twenty one, twenty two."
"When's the next solar flare?" The Doctor asked the staff.
"Two years time..." The male staff member replied to him.
"Fat lot of good that is." The Doctor spat.
At that point Jack ran back into the room, "Found the Tardis."
"We're not leaving now!" The Doctor said to him.
The Teacher however, was relieved. Now that the Tardis had been found he just had to get himself inside so that he could regenerate safely and comfortably. He'd been holding it off so long now that the pain was growing to an unbearable level - he wasn't sure how much longer he could last.
"No," Jack agreed, "but the Tardis worked it out." He said as he turned and pushed the male staff member out of his chair, "You'll want to watch this. Lynda, could you stand over there for me please?""
"I..I... just want to go home." Lynda stated.
"It'll only take a second. Could you stand in that spot, quick as you can." He said as Lynda walked over, "Everybody watching? Okay. three, two, one."
He pushed a button, causing a laser to shoot and hit Lynda, seemingly killing her as there was nothing left, "But you killed her!" The Doctor shouted, looking at Jack in horror.
"Oh, do you think?" Jack said as he pressed another button, causing another beam to fire - bringing Lynda back.
"What the hell was that?.." Lynda breathed out.
"It's a... transmat beam…" The Teacher breathed out, relieved that Rose could be safe. He turned to see Jack and the Doctor hugging, "Right…" He started, causing the two to look over to him, he focused on the Doctor - "I'm gonna need some help… getting to the Tardis… I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on…"
The Doctor nodded sadly at him, before going over to him and helping him up, bringing him into the Tardis.
Before the Doctor was able to say anything, the Teacher spoke once more, "Go." He started, "I'm not changing yet, you have bigger things to worry about right now." He finished, before looking to see the look of sorrow in his son's eyes, he brought his hand up to his cheek, "I'll be fine, I won't go until you're here." He reassured, relieved as he saw the Doctor look down and nod, before leaving the Tardis.
The Teacher took a moment to look around the Tardis once the Doctor had left, before bringing his hand up to see a golden glow form around it. Sighing, he dropped his hand back to his side, and pulled himself up to the console, leaning back on it.
"Here we go…" He started, speaking aloud to himself. "Once more unto the breach…"
The Teacher pulled himself up, repressing his pain as much as he could, determined to set a few things right with himself before he let himself change.
"Hold on just a moment longer…" He said, placing his hands on the console, allowing himself to see the glow return, brighter than before, "We need to have a chat before I let go of the wheel…"
The Teacher began to pace around the console, "Always stay strong… Always stay just… Always help the misguided, and to impart as much as you can…"
"No more mourning…" He said as he brought himself to the front of the console, facing the doors. "Archie… Master… the twins…" He sighed, the light around him becoming brighter as he spoke, "It's time to stop looking back, and time to start living for them…loving for them..." He said as she shrugged off his duster coat, allowing for it to fall to the floor.
The doors opened, Jack and the Doctor rushed in - stopping as they saw the Teacher stood there, his green shirt still covered in blood, a bright golden light flowing in and around him, the Doctor's eyes widened, realising this was it.
"Doctor…" The Teacher smiled seeing his son, "Thank you…" He breathed out, as he raised his arms, a bright golden light filling the room as his regeneration took control...
A.N -
Goodbye Idris Elba...
I don't think anyone expected it to happen now. I know it feels that we got such a short time with him, but that was always the plan - it was just when the regeneration would actually happen.
Other than the regeneration we also saw a much darker side to the Teacher, remember he did raise the Doctor, but he also raised the Master - he didn't get all his darkness from his madness... However, the Teacher is in no way evil, and would never harm someone he saw as innocent, he can merely be blinded by anger - especially when someone he considered family is injured or killed.
I am very excited to introduce you to the 9th Teacher in the next chapter, hopefully there won't be much of a wait, but Uni work is piling up slightly, so that will be my priority, but hopefully I'll find the time to write the chapter within the next few days to have it edited asap!
Thank you for reading, and please review if you would like! I would love to read what you have to say.