Chapter Eight: Things Fall Apart
Icarus: The Machine
Ace watched the stun grenade arch through the air and land at her feet with a clang.
"Oh," she said. "shit!" Then it exploded and her world went dark. Mr. Hayes turned the corner and stood above her prone body. He touched his earpiece and made his report.
"Sir, we've got her."
"Excellent," came Sefton's voice. "Take her to the machine. I'll be there shortly to plug her in. I now have everything I need."
Ace woke slowly. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she found that she was strapped in, held firmly to the massive cylinder that formed the focus point of the machine. This was where biological and mechanical met and were fused together. She could feel something on top of her head like a skullcap, reaching its fingers into her brain.
"Awake, I see," Sefton was smirking at her. "You gave me a scare, running away like that, but it's all for the best. Now you get to be the star of the show. Don't forget to take a bow."
"No show," Ace said through gritted teeth.
"No? But Ms. Ace the box is open now. It's already been installed." Ace put her best poker face on, but it was no use. "And don't hold out any hope that the Doctor's plan will work. I've discovered his sabotage. I fixed the box. Your death will aide no plan but mine. You will soon see all the possible futures arrayed before. I'm sure it will be a most enlightening sight. Then of course, your brain will collapses and you'll die, but we all must pay a price. Buddha starved himself to the brink of death before he gained enlightenment. You're just that much more dedicated. Goodbye Ms. Ace. I'll be watching from just up there." He pointed to a turret just above them, that housed the control room. "Have fun," he said, and then he was gone. Ace struggled uselessly, but she was held tight. Finally she stopped, and stood there alone, save for the mechanical whirring of the Machine.
The force field snapped off. The Doctor strolled into the cell and tipped his hat at the three prisoners.
"Hello lady and gents, I've come to save the day." The Doctor grinned. They fell to the floor as the claps released them unceremoniously. "Now captain we haven't got a lot of time. You need to find Kaylee and River and get them back to Serenity."
"Kaylee and River are here," Zoe asked.
"Yes, yes don't interrupt. You take their shuttle, and I'll follow with Ace in the other. If we do this quick enough then…" The Doctor paused. "Why are you all staring at me?" Mal and Zoe both turned to look at Jayne, as if to say "you tell him"
Jayne sighed. "Look," he said. " I didn't mean to screw up nothing, but I might a…"
"Yes?"
"It were accidental mind, but…"
"I don't have time for this," the Doctor's eyes were smoldering. Jayne gulped. The Doctor looked alien again, and there was a dangerous light in his eyes. "I told Sefton you wanted him to have that gorram box!"
There was a long pause and Mal could see the ramifications run through the Doctor's mind. Finally the Doctor spoke. "Well that changes things slightly." He looked right at Mal. "You still have to get everyone out of here. I'll just have to do things the old fashioned way." The Doctor turned and was out the door almost before Mal could respond.
"What's the 'old fashioned way?" Mall wanted to know.
The Doctor didn't pause. "Making it up as I go along," he answered.
Icarus Control Room
Sefton was watching the monitor. Data flowed across it almost too fast for the eyes to see. They were almost ready now. So many years waiting and preparing for this moment. Over half a lifetime spent in pursuit of this one dream: to tame the future and make it safe, make it knowable. He would be known as Sefton, Conqueror of Time. Around him the technicians scrambled about imputing settings, checking readouts. They had done it a thousand times before. This time would be different. This time it would work.
"Preliminary checks are complete," Mr. Hayes reported. "All systems are ready."
"Then prime the Machine, Mr. Hayes. Let us not wait any longer then is necessary." There was the sound of someone cleared their throat, but Sefton didn't hear it. Slowly the technicians stopped working and turned to stare at the door. Still Sefton's eyes remained glued to the screen. Mathematical formulas swum through his head. The calculations were correct. Everything was going according to plan, so had everyone stopped? He looked up at last. There leaning in the doorway was a little man in a funny hat.
"Hello," the little man tipped his hat. "I'm the Doctor, and you must be Sefton," The Doctor paused. "Well," he said at length. "isn't this nice."
Icarus: The Machine
Mal found River starring at the Machine. She looked so small compared to it.
"River," he said. "we have to get out of here now. The others are already on the shuttle."
"Hush," she said putting a finger to her lip. "this is interesting."
"Interesting? Yes it's very gorram interesting. We're also going to be interestingly dead if we don't…" He trailed off. River was pointing towards the cylinder in the distance, and Mal could just make out a woman strapped in, plugged into the Machine. No prizes for guessing who that was. Mal closed his eyes and swore.
Icarus Control Room
"Everyone out," Sefton ordered.
"Sir?"
"You heard me Mr. Hayes. I want to be alone with my enemy." Mr. Hayes saluted and left followed by the technicians, but not before they had started the priming sequence. When the door had slid shut behind the last of them, Sefton turned and smiled at the Doctor. "And now we are alone."
"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "We are. Perhaps not the wisest move on your part."
"You think so?" Sefton lifted his coat up to show the gun strapped to his hip. I think I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."
"I hear you're also capable of kidnapping and murder."
"You heard that, did you?"
"I like to keep my ears to the ground," the Doctor replied.
"Don't worry," Sefton said laughing. "your friend is not dead…not quite yet. She will have the honor of being the biological unit on the first successful run of my machine. Her name will live forever in the history books."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." The Doctor lunged for the control panel, but Sefton was too quick.
"But you don't," Sefton said, smiling over the barrel of his gun. "not anymore." He gestured with his gun and the Doctor complied stepping away from the controls reluctantly. He was by the window now, and glancing out he caught sight of Ace down below. An involuntary gasp escaped the Doctor's lips.
"I see you found your friend," Sefton said. "It's better this way. You get a front row seat to our moment of glory, hers and mine."
"If you really thought that, you'd be strapped in there yourself."
"Sacrifice myself to my own machine? A noble gesture certainly, but a stupid one. They can't pay me, if I'm dead."
"No, but it would improve the conversation."
"If I was dead, you mean? Oh how witty." A beeping sound interrupted him. "Ah, the sequence is complete. The Machine is primed and ready. All that is required is the push of a button. It is appropriate that you be here for this moment. After all, you've been ahead of me every step of the way: pulled all the right strings made me think I'd beaten you, then it all would have exploded in my face, and you never would have come here at all. Brilliant Doctor, but that's the trouble with complicated plans, they always fall apart at the last minute." Sefton smiled a real, genuine smile and pressed the button. The Machine roared into life, and all of time poured through Ace's brain.