p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"strongspan style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Long Game/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"THE THREE COMPANIONS STEPPED out of the Tardis and found themselves in a gold and silver room. The Doctor quietly informed the two women about where they landed, "So, it's two hundred thousand, and it's a spaceship." He stopped for a second and cocked his head like a dog distinguishing a far-off sound. "No, wait a minute, space station, and er," he looked around the room and pointed to a gate off to their right. "Go and try that gate over there." He turned back to the girls and pushed Rose toward the gate with an "Off you go."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Before Rose could get far, she turned back and clarified, "200,000?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""200,000," he confirmed with a smile stretching across his face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla laughed and nudged the Doctor with a shoulder and teased, "You think you are so good…" She turned to him with a wide smile, "I bet you get this one a bit wrong." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I will not. Timelord me. I have highly evolved senses that deal with time. You would think that after all this time, you would have a little bit more faith in my time keeping skills." Remember to ask about those extra time senses. Could prove interesting. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Doctor… Do I need to list all the times you got the time wrong," Lyla asked with a smile. "1869 instead of 1864… 1 year instead of 12 hours… that time on Planet Klon IV, you were a whole decade early." Rose gave up on trying to hold in her laughter while Lyla gave the Doctor his due. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""That was the Tardis-," the Doctor started but was interrupted by his brown-haired companion that was currently giving him grief. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Which is piloted by you. Don't blame the Tardis for your poor driving skills," she reminded him with a raised eyebrow and a teasing smile. "All I am saying is that I think you get this one a bit wrong is all. Maybe not the time but maybe the culture or even place," Lyla blinked innocently up at him. Is it considered cheating that I already know… Most definitely… Do I care? Hell no. All is fair in love and war… and when one is trying to bring a certain alien down a peg. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""You have to admit you get the time wrong quite often," Rose told him, laughter still clouding her voice. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""The Tardis takes us where we need to go, not where we want to go all the time," he huffed and crossed his arms in defense./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla grabbed one of his arms that was across his chest and tugged until he relented. She grabbed his hand with a gentle squeeze and softened her teasing smile to a fond one, "I will give you that, but you have to give a little that your driving could use some work." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose, finally seeing an end to the teasing, turned toward the door to fetch their new guest. "Adam? Out you come." Adam stepped out of the Tardis slowly and cautiously. Rose chuckled at the boy's gobsmacked expression as he took in their surroundings. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Oh, my God," he breathed and asked, "Where are we?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"This being Rose's show answered, while Lyla and the Doctor watched the two other humans, "Good question. Let's see. So, um…, judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year 200,000." Adam made noises of agreement as she went on, "And if you listen…" she paused to be dramatic and to give him some time to do as she asked before Rose continued, "Engines. We're on some sort of space station." Always wanting to impress the pretty boys. Can't wait to see her with Jack. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor looked on with the barest hint of pride and a smile at his yellow and pink human. He looked down at his brown-haired companion to see that Lyla was already looking back at him with a soft smile and happy eyes. She turned so that their still clasped hands were behind her back, in a mockery of a hug, and leaned her chin on his shoulder. Her eyes lit up with laughter and delight when she whispered, "Bet you 5 quid that he faints." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He glanced up at the other two humans then back down, "Deal. I think he may surprise you." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"She smiled widely, "I highly doubt it. He doesn't have the gumption." Spineless Twerp more like. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The two turned back to Adam and Rose who were now making their way to the gate that the Doctor had pointed out earlier to the girls. They all climbed the stars and into the room with a big bay window showcasing the future Earth. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Here we go! And this is…" Rose paused in her explanation and handed the reins over to the Doctor to finish. "I'll let the Doctor describe it." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""The Fourth great and bountiful Human Empire. And there it is, planet Earth at its height. Covered with megacities, 5 moons, population 96 billion. The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle," the Doctor informed the humans. The three travelers heard the thud of Adam hitting the ground behind them. The Doctor looked over at Lyla and shook his head with a snort. He turned back to the window and with a nudge to Rose told her, "He's your boyfriend."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Not anymore," she said, never taking her eyes off of the Earth before them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in; background: white;" align="center"oOoOo/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The three seasoned time travelers looked upon the earth and with a sigh Lyla turned to Rose, "Best get him up." She nodded her head towards Adam and smiled, "Things to see and people to do and all that fun stuff. Knowing this one…" she nudged the Doctor with her elbow, "I bet there is trouble here somewhere." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""You better not jinx us Lyla," Rose warned as she bent down to wake Adam. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Like you aren't looking forward to the trouble that we might find. You are the world's biggest adrenaline junkie," Lyla teased with a grin. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""If I am… It came from you," Rose sassed back as Adam finally came around. Girl, I only knew you for 9 months. The adrenaline junkie was already within you. Don't blame me for that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Once Adam was standing again and shyly apologizing for fainting the Doctor patted him on the back, "Come on, Adam. Open your mind." He looped an arm round his back and steered him toward the exit door. The girls followed close behind, listening closely to the Doctor's words. "You're going to like this. Fantastic period of history. The human race is at its most intelligent: Culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food-" the Doctor was suddenly interrupted by all the closed shops opening their service windows and workers quickly filling the hall with a mass scramble, "and good manners."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The four travelers were startled as the mass of bodies that seemed to just appear. They were all shouting and jostling each other. Rose and Lyla found themselves in line and were pushed forward by customers around them. They stepped off to the side and were looking at the food offered at the food truck that was doing the loudest advertisements for their kronkburgers and pajatos. I guess fries are timeless. Rose looked around and then back to the Doctor with a skeptical look, "Fine cuisine."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""My watch must be wrong," the Doctor checked his watch and then looked around again, "No, it's fine. It's weird."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""So much for all those time-senses huh," Lyla mocked with a huge smile. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He pointed at her and cautioned, his mouth curving upwards, "Don't start with me Lyla."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"She held up her hands in a sign of peace and teased, "I told you; you would get this one a bit wrong."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""How would you know that? You did jinx us," he accused the beginning of a pout forming on his face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""You can't be right all the time and I just assumed that with a new guest you would get it wrong. The universe always works against us," Lyla laughed at the Doctor's pouting face and walked over to him. Wrapping an arm around his back and resting her chin on his chest to look up into his eyes, she continued in a soft teasing voice, "It's not the end of the world to be wrong. You can show us just how impressive you are later. Maybe with all those different and better Timelord senses you were boasting about earlier."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor swallowed thickly, his eyes flashing to her mouth and back up to her eyes when he replied, "But my history is perfect. I shouldn't be wrong." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The two were interrupted by Adam when he questioned in a curious voice, "They're all human. What about the millions of planets, the millions of species? Where are they?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla, not having released the Doctor, raised an eyebrow, and grinned, "Not just a stupid ape, that one."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Good question," the Timelord answered and stepped away from Lyla to just grab her hand and tug her to their friends. "Actually, that is a good question." He grabbed Adam around the shoulders as he asked, "Adam, me old mate, you must be starving." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""No, I'm just a bit timesick," Adam replied with a nervous shrug./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor insisted, "No, you just need a bit of grub." He turned to one of the food vendors and yelled, "Oi, mate - how much is a kronkburger?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now join the queue," the Chef answered with a patronizing smile. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor nodded and turned away addressing the others, "Money. We need money." He took off walking and pulled out his sonic screwdriver before looking around for his target, "Let's use a cashpoint." He walked up to the cashpoint and did some fancy trick with the sonic for the machine to spit out a plastic card, which he handed off to Adam with a smile, "There you go, pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He turned away from Rose and Adam but was still tugging Lyla with him when Adam asked, "How does it work," as he examined the thin plastic card. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor turned around and huffed, "Go and find out. Stop nagging me. The thing is, Adam, time traveling is like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guidebook; you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers." Lyla and Rose started laughing at him as he continued in what seemed to be one breath, "Or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go and do it." Adam turned away and wandered to some of the vendors. The Doctor, now addressing Rose, teased, "Off you go, then. Your first date."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"She raised an eyebrow, "You're going to get a smack, you are."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor's grin just widened as they watched Rose follow Adam. Lyla squeezed his hand to grab his attention and laughed, "Kissing strangers now?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He shook their hands, his smile softening to a gentle thing, "Hush you. Troubles a foot."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Ok so what are we going to do about it," Lyla asked as she watched him look around at the conjugating workers. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""We are going to ask people," he whispered as he made his way to two women who were talking amongst themselves. "Um, this is going to sound daft, but can you tell me where I am?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The two workers turned to the strangers, one being surprised and the other irritated, rolled her eyes and answered, "Floor 139," her hand waved to the mentioned sign up on the wall. "Could they write it any bigger?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Floor 139 of what?" The Doctor asked, wanting clarification. Observation skills who?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Must've been a hell of a party," the irritated one told him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla laughed, "Oh it was. Hell of a ragger."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""You're on Satellite 5," the surprised one told the two-time travelers. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""What's Satellite 5?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are?" the irritated one questioned them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Look at me. I'm stupid," he told the two workers, Lyla giggled quietly into her hand and tried to cover it with a cough./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The two women before them looked at them curiously before the helpful one finally guessed, "Hold on, wait a minute. Are you a test? Some sort of management test kind of thing?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor nodded and reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the psychic paper, "You've got me. Well done." He flipped the psychic paper around to show them that they were management, "You're too clever for me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla finally interrupted, "Wait. Sorry this one doesn't know his manners." She gestured to the man standing next to her and held out her hand to shake. "They call me Lyla, and this here is the Doctor." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The helpful one slowly reached out and shook Lyla's hand, "Suki."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Cathica," the irritated one said as she copied Suki's movements. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"After the introductions, Suki turned and muttered to Cathica, "We were warned about this in basic training. All workers have to be versed in company promotion."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica straightened and gave the Doctor her full attention, "Right, fire away, ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor 500, I'll do anything."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" "Why, what happens on Floor 500?" he asked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" Cathica pulled a false wide smile on her face and shifted her eyes around, not fully looking at the two proclaimed management, as she answered, "The walls are made of gold. And you should know, Mister Management." She walked away from the three, "So, this is what we do." Suki, a more authentic smile splitting her face, gestured to the Doctor and Lyla to follow Cathica to a bank of monitors. "Latest news, sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. 200 dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day. Space lane seventy-seven closed by sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Boe has just announced he's pregnant." With each news headline that she announced, she pointed to the correct monitor displaying the right information. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""The Face of Boe is pregnant?" Lyla asked rhetorically and then turned to the Doctor, "We should send him a baby gift."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor replied absentmindedly as he looked over all the monitors and their news headlines and announcements, "Maybe. When we get home. He likes you better than me anyway." Wow, absentmindedly domestic. I like that. The Doctor looked at Cathica, "I get it. You broadcast the news."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica clarified, "We are the news. We're the journalists. We write it, package it, and sell it." She stepped away from the bank of monitors and approached Lyla and the Doctor, "600 channels all coming out of Satellite 5, broadcasting everywhere." She spread her arms wide to encompass everything and with a snide smile she finished speaking, "Nothing happens in the whole human empire without it going through us." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla felt shivers go up her spine as she thought, taking the 'Big Brother is watching you' thing a little too far. Never thought this adventure would be this creepy. She said quietly to herself as she leaned a touch closer to the Doctor, "Big Brother is watching." The Timelord cut his eyes to her then forward again as he squeezed her hand, a frown blooming on his face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"They stood staring at the news channels when the lunch bell went off. The Doctor turned to their other two companions and yelled across the canteen, "Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla turned and with a smile to Cathica and Suki, explained, "We're in the middle of training two new employees." She was joined by Rose and could hear the Doctor explaining to her what was going on. "We are going to have to check your procedures during the info dumps. We'll just follow you to your setup." Yay, Brain door here we come./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Adam finally joined the group and after a round of introductions the group made off to a newsroom. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in; background: white;" align="center"oOoOo/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The interlopers followed Cathica and Suki into their newsroom, where they found six additional people already sitting on cushions in front of inlaid hand shaped scanners. Suki, the nicer of the two journalists, turned to the quartet, "You can stand behind the railings here while we do the reporting." She made her way to the last spot open on the floor./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica stood beyond what looked like a crude dentist chair under a large bright light. "Now, everybody behave," She warned the other journalists. She turned and gave a large fake smile to the visitors in the room, "We have a management inspection." She asked the Doctor, who was hanging over the railing and studying the technology around the circular white room, "How do you want it, by the book?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Right from scratch, thanks," he replied with a nod towards Cathica./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica continued on with the presentation of their duties, "Okay. So, ladies, gentlemen, multi-sex, undecided or robot, - my name is Cathica Santini Khadeni. That's Cathica with a C, in case you want to write to Floor 500 praising me, and please do," the last addressed to the visitors. "Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy," Cathica finished with a smile towards the quartet. Yeah… that's never been true. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The smile on Cathica's face quickly turned into a frown when Suki corrected, "Actually, it's the law." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Yes, thank you, Suki," she replied tensely. Cathica took a deep breath and climbed onto the chair that was in the middle of the gathered journalists. "Okay, keep it calm. Don't show off for the guests. Here we go." Once settled, she commanded, "And engage safety." The seven journalists' hands all rose to hover over the hand readers in front of each of their stations. The lights embedded within the walls of the room all turned on with a loud hum and the faintest of a click. Cathica snapped her fingers and a circular part of her forehead opened up to reveal her brain nestled inside. The circle of journalists all placed their hands on the palm readers in cascading order as Cathica began her count down, "And three, two, and spike." On her last word, a bolt of light streamed from the overhanging light and into her brain. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The human visitors looked on in mild disgust while the Doctor stepped back and placed his hands into his leather jacket while he explained what they were all seeing, "Compressed information, streaming into her. 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." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Adam stared fascinated at the unfolding events. Lyla was standing next to the Doctor and had her head tilted as she watched the data stream. That's fucking gross. I don't think that I want to see someone's gray matter ever again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose tried to work her way through what she was seeing and commented lightly, "If it all goes through her, she must be a genius."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Nah, she wouldn't remember any of it." The Doctor walked away from the others and started milling around the working journalists. Taking in every angle of the procedure, he talked as he walked, "There's too much. Her head would blow up. The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose followed the Doctor's footsteps and got close to a couple of the sitting journalists as Lyla leaned forward against the railing next to Adam and watched her two moving companions. The ring of journalists all appeared to have closed their eyes and had their heads lowered like they were in deep concentration. Rose squatted down between two of the journalists and gestured to the ring of people as she asked, "So, what about all these people round the edge?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor, now walking behind Suki, explained, "They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit 600 channels." He made his way back to the railing and leaned back on it and next to Lyla. He watched the Data stream into Cathica's brain as he finished, "Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place. Now that's what I call power." Of fucking course, the reason is always power. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla leaned her chin on his shoulder as she hummed in agreement and commented off handedly to him, "Always comes down to control doesn't it. Control and Power." She raised her voice slightly so the other companions could hear her next statement. "You control the News… You control the world."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose stood and walked back to Adam to check in on their newest companion, "You alright?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"His body turned slightly toward her, and he whispered while never taking his eyes off of Cathica, "I can see her brain." No shit Sherlock./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose looked at him worriedly, "Do you want to get out?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""No," Adam quickly objected. "No, this technology, it's amazing," he said in wonder./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla piped up from her leaning position on the Doctor's back, "But it's wrong, right." She nudged the Doctor in the side and continued, "You said this was the Fourth great and bountiful Human Empire. Great technology, politics, culture, and manners." She huffed and shook her head, "I can see her frontal lobe… that is not great in any sense of the word." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor nodded and looked at the data producer that was still streaming information into Cathica, "This technology's wrong."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose, with a growing grin and raised eyebrow, looked over and asked the Timelord, "Trouble?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor replied with an answering grin, "Oh, yeah."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla smiled at her two companions and watched Suki with a fading smile and a growing frown as she saw Suki flinch, her closed eyes scrunched up and she had almost lifted her hands from the palm scanners. Lyla whispered just loud enough for only the Timelord to hear her, "Something is wrong." She nudged him with wandering fingers on his side to direct his attention to what was about to happen. Right, start pushing him in the right direction. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Just then, Suki jerked her hands away with a pained gasp causing the ring of workers to jerk away as well. The data stream stopped connecting with Cathica's brain and the door to her forehead closed. The lights ringing the room all went out as Cathica sat up and complained, "Come off it, Suki. I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Sorry. It must've been a glitch," Suki explained as she cradled her stinging hands. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica climbed down from her chair and was making her way to the Doctor when the overhead intercom pierced through the room, "Promotion." The wall across from the visitors became a large monitor and displayed what was said. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica rubbed her hands together and pleaded quietly, "Come on. This is it. Come on. Oh God, make it me. Come on, say my name, say my name, say my name." The time travelers all watched with a mixture of concern and confusion. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The screen and overhead intercom interrupted the room again, "Promotion for Suki Macrae Cantrell. Please proceed to Floor 500." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The occupants all looked at Suki who was staring up at the screen with a gobsmacked expression. She stood and walked toward the screen in a daze as she commented, "I don't believe it. Floor 500."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla nudged the Doctor again and whispered softly almost directly into his ear, "Bit odd. She just screwed up the processing of the news and she is the one to get promoted." Tiny push here. She hummed and watched as Cathica and Suki went back and forth with each other. Even quieter and moving closer to his ear she breathed, "Smells a bit fishy Timelord." He turned his head toward Lyla with a concerned frown. Gentle, Gentle. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose, who was listening to the two journalists, asked the Doctor for some clarification, "What's floor 500?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He addressed her while keeping eye contact with Lyla, his concern never leaving his face, "The walls are made of gold." Lyla tilted her head and raised an eyebrow as she stared back. Nudge here./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"After a couple seconds of staring, Lyla backed away with raised hands and commented lightly, "Just hinky is all I'm saying. Take it for what it is." She gave a harmless shrug, "My Bull Shit Meter is just going off the charts is all." And the final tap. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Timelord looked her over and nodded lightly, "It is strange, but I doubt it is dangerous."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Are you willing to risk it?" Lyla continued to back away slowly with her hands still raised, "Could be made of gold or could be made of bull shit." She finally stopped backing away and leaned next to the exit door as she finished addressing the other time travelers softly, "My money is on bull shit. If it saves someone's life to ruin their day by denying their promotion… Well, better disappointed than dead. It's how our adventures go, isn't it?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"All around the time travelers, the journalists were congratulating Suki and heading towards the exit for their end of shift./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in; background: white;" align="center"oOoOo/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla and company were back in the mess hall casually listening to Suki say her farewells to her friends and colleagues. The Doctor had his arm wrapped around Lyla's shoulders as he observed Cathica and Suki's goodbye while Rose leaned against his other side and joined in on the people watching. Adam was stationed farther back behind the trio, he still had a pasty complexion and his eyes were fluttering as he took in the bustling mess hall around him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla raised her head slightly to whisper in the Doctor's ear, "Well, are we gonna do anything?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He hummed thoughtfully, fully invested in the conversation in front of him. The only indication that Lyla received back was a slight tightening of his arm around her shoulder. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""If you don't, I will," she warned him. She pulled away to look at his face with a raised eyebrow. C'mon take the bait. I need you to be the bad guy here. I have already pushed hard enough without any real proof. C'mon, C'mon, C'mon. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He looked over into Lyla's eyes with a frown and raised his eyebrow. She mimicked his look, after a couple of seconds she sighed and casually escaped from under his shoulder to walk closer to the group of Satellite 5 workers. Fine, I'll do it myself. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"As they approached, Suki turned to the group and said, "Floor 500, thank you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor raised his hands and replied, "I didn't do anything." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Well, you're my lucky charm."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor shrugged and with a smile said, "All right. I'll hug anyone." Suki laughed as the Timelord wrapped his arms around the human. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla looked over at Rose with a raised eyebrow and a roll of her eyes, she mouthed, 'He'll hug anyone.' With a shake of her head, she asked the newly promoted worker with a small smile on her face, "Is it my turn yet?" Suki laughed again and pulled Lyla into her arms. Now or never. Hope this works. Lyla whispered in her ear, making sure that their hair covered any and all conversations from being seen, "Don't react." Suki froze and tried to pull away, but Lyla held fast and continued, "Heed my warning, Eva. What awaits you is certain death when you get to your goal." Lyla tightened her arms around the now frozen women, "Please listen Eva. If you want to survive, then you need to hide when you get there or don't go at all. Don't fight it. You can't. Please Suki." Please listen. Don't die. Don't Die. Don't die. Lyla pleaded in her mind as she finally pulled away with a large smile adorning her face and stared Suki in the eyes, "Congrats Suki." With a parting squeeze she turned back to the group. Well, let's hope she listens. That's all I can do for now without too much fuss and chaos. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Suki, shaken by what she was just told, never lost her composure. She is good. She quickly scooped up her bag and with a grin that was just slightly forced said to the group, "Oh, my God, I've got to go. I can't keep them waiting. I'm sorry." She rushed into the elevator lift and with her final parting words to Cathica, "Say goodbye to Steve for me. Bye!" The doors closed on her smiling face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Good riddance," Cathica muttered under her breath as she turned away from the elevator. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs," the Timelord questioned with a head nod to the elevator. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"With a shake of her head, Cathica explained cynically, "We won't. Once you go to Floor 500 you never come back." She turned to walk back into the cleared mess hall. Jesus, how many red flags do there have to be for these people to get a clue. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The trio turned to follow the journalist back while the Doctor asked, "Have you ever been up there?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I can't. 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 answered over her shoulder as they passed the food vendors. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla looked around and finally noticed that Adam was not with the group and turned to Rose with a cheeky smile, "Where's your boy toy?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose nudged her in the side and with a large grin said, "Off getting used to the culture. Don't worry he has the Tardis key if he gets uncomfortable."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla froze mid-step for half a second before her body kicked back into action. Oh shit. It happened that early. Fuck. Lyla kept pace with the group and tuned out the questions and the rambling around her. FuckFUCKfuck… OK. Well, I can't do anything about it now. Lyla side-eyed Rose, my god, she is so bloody trusting. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in; background: white;" align="center"oOoOo/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The group found themselves back in the broadcast room. Lyla was leaning against the back of the central broadcast chair where the Doctor was sitting. Rose and Cathica were off to the side and Cathica was complaining after all of the Doctors insistent questions, "Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance. Can't you give it a rest?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" He questioned her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I went to floor 16 when I first arrived. That's medical. That's when I got my head done, and then I came straight here. Satellite 5, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all," she explained. Cathica looked at each of us with now suspicious eyes and crossed arms, "You're not management, are you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor looked up at Lyla and then over at Rose before replying to Cathica with raised eyebrows, "At last. She's clever."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica paused for half a breath before she replied with a shake of her head and getting on with her equipment check, "Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""You're a journalist aren't you." Lyla commented casually but her eyes were sharp as she studied other women. "You don't stick your nose in anything and everything?" She asked with a raised eyebrow as she pushed off the chair and started weaving her way toward Cathica. "You don't go out and find the stories, whether they be bad or dangerous," Lyla started to circle the wanna-be journalist and scoffed at her. "You just sit here and beam out all the prepackaged news without doing any of the hard and dirty work called investigation." Cathica, now looking nervous, followed the curly-haired human with her eyes. Lyla stopped in front of Cathica and pierced her with her eyes, "Good heavens. You are an awful journalist." She paused and studied her more, making a show of looking the other human up and down, "That or just ignorant." With those parting words, Lyla walked over to Rose, who raised an eyebrow at her friend, and nudged her side as she leaned against the railing behind her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose leaned over and whispered, "Harsh much. I don't think she deserved that." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Just trying to kick her 'pride in her work' personality into overdrive. We may need a true journalist for this one," the Texan whispered back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Why's all the crew human," asked the Doctor to the shocked speechless Journalist. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica pulled herself together to look over at the Timelord, "What's that got to do with anything?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He raised an eyebrow, "There's no aliens on board. Why?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I don't know. No real reason. They're not banned or anything."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He insisted, "Then where are they?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what with all the threats."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""What threats?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Confused and now slightly showing her nerves, Cathica tried to answer, "I don't know all of them. Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away. Oh, and the government on Chavic 5's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see. Just lots of little reasons, that's all," She finished and tried to get back to work. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice," he stated calmly without looking at the journalist but meeting Lyla's eyes across the room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica tried to reason and be practical with the Timelord, "Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite 5 would have seen it. We see everything."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla now spoke up quietly, still meeting the Doctor's eyes, "Sure about that."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Timelord nodded his head slightly, like he was agreeing with something to himself, "I can see better. This society's the wrong shape, even the technology."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica refuted, "It's cutting edge."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""There is a door in your head. I can see your brain. That's not cutting edge, that's wrong," Lyla, finally dragging her eyes from the Doctor's lounging frame, told her calmly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Timelord hummed and nodded as he said, "It's backwards. You should've chucked this out years ago."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose finally spoke up and asked the much-needed question, "So, what do you think's going on?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor answered her, "It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude." He gestured around himself, "It's the way people think. The great and bountiful Human Empire is stunted." He caught his two companions eyes as he said, "Something's holding it back."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""And how would you know?" She questioned him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor looked over at Cathica and raised his eyebrows, "Trust me, humanity's been set back about ninety years. When did Satellite 5 start broadcasting?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"She paused and flicked her eyes away from the three time-travelers and replied quietly with just a hint of trepidation, "Ninety-one years ago."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla, no longer able to hold it in, laughed loudly. Everyone turned to stare with varying emotions of confusion, offended, and fond. Having finally got her amusement under control, caught the Timelords eye and repeated what she had said when they first landed, "1869 instead of 1864… 1 year instead of 12 hours and that time on Planet Klon IV, you were a whole decade early." She walked over and patted his shoulder, "I told you would get this one a bit wrong. You can't be right all the time."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He rolled his eyes, grabbed her hand, and moved to stand to make his way out of the broadcast room. The other occupants followed behind. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in; background: white;" align="center"oOoOo/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; background: white; text-align: left;" align="center"span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"The group found themselves gathered around a section of wall that held a bank of computers that were used for maintenance and monitoring. Cathica whispered with a bit of steel in her voice, "You're not allowed to touch the mainframe. You're going to get told off."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor, waving his sonic over the door for the mainframe wires and monitors, said offhandedly, "Rose, tell her to button it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica finally snapped out, "You can't just vandalize the place. Someone's going to notice!" She watched as the Timelord pulled and soniced wires together and apart. After a couple of minutes of pacing and wringing her hands, she finally stopped and faced the trio, "This is nothing to do with me. I'm going back to work." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"A wire sparked and the Doctor just grinned as he continued to mess around in the electronic wires, the sonic humming as he worked. He answered Cathica absentmindedly, "Go on, then. See you!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"She paused and turned away before spinning back with a huff, "I can't just leave you, can I!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose interjected, "If you want to be useful, get them to turn the heating down. It's boiling. What's wrong with this place? Can't they do something about it?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Oh, I don't know. I'm pretty comfortable," Lyla said playfully from her casual resting position against the wall. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Some of us aren't from the South. We're from England… where there are real winters," Rose sassed back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Excuse you. Out of the two of us, I'm better adapted for all climates because of where I grew up. You can always put more clothes on to get warmer. You can't take off enough clothes to get cooler." Lyla smiled a full smile at her friend and winked, "You only have so many before it's considered indecent." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica huffed impatiently and ignored the other girls completely, "We keep asking. Something to do with the turbine."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Something to do with the turbine," The Timelord mocked her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica threw her hands up, "Well, I don't know!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor stopped and turned to look at the journalist, "Exactly. I give up on you, Cathica." He gestured down at his blonde-haired companion with a nod and smile, "Now, Rose. Look at Rose. Rose is asking the right kind of question./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Oh, thank you," Rose replied politely. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Why is it so hot?" He asked with a bit of a bite to his tone. He went back to his wires and monitor. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Now confused and fed up Cathica exclaimed, "One minute you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Well, never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing's very important," he advised. He looked over at Lyla with a raised eyebrow, "You could help." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Only so many hands in one tiny area. Plus, I don't know what I'm looking at. I'll just keep watch and be a deterrent to any nosy bodies," she smiled back at him. I mean seriously who does he think I am? Playing around in 200K technology… Pshh. No Thanks. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor messed around in the wires some more before pulling out a maintenance monitor and fiddling with the sonic and controls. He turned the monitor for the rest of his companions to see what he was searching for, "Here we go. Satellite 5, pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout." he stepped away and behind Lyla, where she walked up to see the monitor too. She unconsciously reached for his hand as Cathica stepped forward. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica took the monitor and said, "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?" I mean she's not wrong. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""But there's something wrong," the Doctor told her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica turned back to the monitor and studied it for a couple of seconds, "I suppose."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Why, what is it?" Rose asked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla reached over Cathica's shoulder and pointed at the map of the Satellite, "They are pumping everything down. And seeing as it's so hot, I imagine that it is the heat."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica nodded, "You're right. The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out channeling massive amounts of heat down."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""All the way from the top," The Doctor said from behind the women. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Floor 500," Rose added. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor released Lyla's hand as he stepped forward to gesture toward the monitor, "Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs." Rose said with the beginnings of a massive smile on her face. "Fancy a trip?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla shrugged and nudged Rose with a matching smile, "I suppose."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica interrupted, "But you can't. You need a key."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here." He fiddled with the keyboard and said codes before stepping back again next to his curly-haired companion, "Here we go. Override 215.9." They all looked as the code finished producing all the numbers and shone brightly back at them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Shocked, Cathica said, "How come it's given you the code?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor looked around and muttered, "Someone up there likes me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Probably not the best thing to happen," Lyla muttered quietly to him, knowing that the editor was very hyper focused on them at the moment. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in; background: white;" align="center"oOoOo/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The group made their way to the lifts that just an hour ago took Suki up to her promotion. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The trio piled into the elevator and turned to face the Journalist. Rose tried to entice Cathica to come along on the investigation, "Come on. Come with us."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"She held her hands up and took a step back, "No way."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor raised a hand and waved, "Bye then."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Well, don't mention my name. When you get in trouble, just don't involve me." Cathica turned and left the trio on the elevator. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He looked at his two companions with a smile, "That's her gone. Adam's given up. Looks like it's us."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"As the lift doors shut, Lyla grabbed the Doctor's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said under her breath. The only sign she got that he heard her was a tightening on her hand and a slight tug to pull her closer. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The trio rose up through the floors. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in; background: white;" align="center"oOoOo/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The lift doors opened with a blast of cold air. What greeted the trio was a winter wasteland of ice and metal. Everything shone blue from the emergency lights reflecting off the metal and ice. The humans instantly pulled their clothes closer to their bodies as they fought off the shivers. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Timelord looked around with a closed off look and said almost to himself, "The walls are not made of gold." Then over his shoulder he addressed his companions, "You should go back downstairs."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Tough," was Rose's instant reply, followed quickly by Lyla's own words of, "Not a chance in hell Sweetheart."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The trio walked around looking into some of the rooms to just find skeletons of passed occupants and ice everywhere. They followed a hallway that led to the command center of all of Satellite 5. Humans were working at a bank of computers and the Editor was standing behind watching the overhead monitors. Lyla quickly scanned the humans and noticed that Suki was not one of the dead workers. She gave a huge sigh of relief and stuck close to the Doctors side, trying her damndest not to look up. So far so good! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I started without you." the Editor greeted them. "This is fascinating," he chuckled as he finally looked towards the trio and back toward the bank of monitors, "Satellite 5 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." He faced them again and giggled, "Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Oh my god." Rose exclaimed as she looked at the working humans. "What's wrong with them?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla bent down and checked one of the workers that was close to her and felt his neck, "They're dead." She quickly stood and stepped further away from the frozen humans. Don't think about it, don't even think about you just touching a long dead body. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""But they're working," Rose said, confused. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going, like puppets," explained the Doctor. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Editor made a noise of shocked happiness that sounded patronizing to Lyla's ears, "You're full of information. But it's only fair we get some information back, because apparently, you're no one. It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""It doesn't matter, because we're off," the Doctor tried to extract his companions and himself from the situation. "Nice to meet you. Come on."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Several things happened at once. One of the workers that Rose was looking at grabbed her arm as she tried to stand. The Doctor turned and was stopped by two workers from leaving. They pinned his arms and turned to face the Editor again. Another worker grabbed Lyla from behind, arm wrapped around her chest and a hand collaring her throat. Lyla hissed at the contact of frozen skin to her warm sensitive throat but ultimately froze in place. Why is it always the throat? The Doctor's eyes flicked to both his companions but stayed just a touch too long on Lyla and her predicament. The Editor noticed the tightening of the Timelord's face and the fierceness that now was slowly overtaking his features. Just stay silent and let it play out. Hopefully I didn't change much with saving Suki. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Editor hissed, "Tell me who you are." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Since that information is keeping us alive, I'm hardly going to say, am I," the Timelord quipped back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise," the Editor gloated. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""And who's that?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""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," the Editor was interrupted by a deep rumbling growl. Lyla's head jerked up and stared in fixated horror. That is fucking gross. "Yeah. Yeah, sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client." With a snap of his fingers, he pointed upward and both the Doctor's and Rose's head snapped up in that direction and starred in both disgust and horror. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Hanging from the ceiling was a slimy fleshy mass of gross. The being had attached itself to the ceiling and dripped fluid down around them. A massive mouth that was filled with rows of sharp teeth bared down on them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose whispered in slight disgust and fear, "What is that?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Still looking at the monster hanging from the rafters above their heads, the Doctor said with disbelief coloring his voice, "You mean that thing's in charge of Satellite 5?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""That thing, as you put it, is in charge of the human race." That got the Doctor's attention back on the Editor. "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 humanity's guiding light, the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe." The Editor had gestured when he named the monster. "I call him Max." The editor smiled giddily at the three-time travelers. The Doctor nervously matched his smile and looked back up at the now named 'Max'. "We have a special welcoming gift for you lot." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The few of the frozen dead workers, don't think zombies… they're not that unhinged yet, stood up and surrounded the three travelers. The one that held Lyla moved back and jerked her arms up by her wrists to strap on the electric cuffs. Lyla hissed as she was moved and strapped in. She cut her eyes toward the Doctor and Rose and noticed that they were being similarly moved about and cuffed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Once the cuffs were on the three companions, the workers moved them to a standing metal frame mechanism that had wires pouring out of the top and base of the machine. As the frozen workers hooked up the wires to the cuffs, each wire hissed as it connected to each wrist. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The captives now immobile, the frozen dead workers went back to their monitors and continued working as if they didn't strap three people to an electric shock machine. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Editor paced behind the bank of computer monitors and looked over at his captives and commented conversationally, "Create a climate of fear and it's easy to keep the borders closed." He stopped and turned fully to the three prisoners with a smile he continued explaining, "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." Didn't Ten do this to Harriet in the Christmas special? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose spoke up, "So all the people on Earth are like, slaves." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The smile on the Editor grew big and answered Rose, his hands coming up to point at Rose as he talked, "Well, now, there's an interesting point." He walked closer to the three as he continued, "Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?" He stopped in front of the Doctor as he finished. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Yes," both the Doctor and Lyla answered him as one. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Oh. I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get?" He moved to stand in front of both the Doctor and Lyla and raised an eyebrow. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Yes," they replied. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Well, Well, Well… you two are cute," the Editor smirked at the Timelord and Lyla. "And no fun."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor raised his wrists causing the metal and wiring to clank against each other as he replied lightly with a mocking smile on his face, "Let me out of these manacles. You'll find out how much fun I am."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Editor chuckled as he nodded to Lyla, "Oh, he's tough, isn't he." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Oh Honey, all you have to do is get close enough and I'll make sure you sing soprano for the rest of your life," Lyla promised with a thick southern twang that hinted at the promised pain he would endure. Her voice got lower as she captured the Editor's eyes, "He's the nice one you know. I'll do it with a smile and laugh as I pat your check as you cry on this frozen floor. Then step over you like you were nothing but a piece of trash on the ground." So much for not getting involved too much. Well, go for broke, I guess. Maybe I can stall long enough where we don't get electrocuted. That would be nice. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I don't think you realize who has the power here little girl," He sneered, stepping around to face her directly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla gave the Editor a slow blink and smirked at him, "You're just a small fish hiding and feeding off the big fish. You don't even call the shots. You're just a small man doing what he is told." Lyla sighed and smiled wider, eyes never leaving him, "In the end you're just collateral damage." She tsked at him, "Tsk, tsk. Poor you." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"His face twisted into something ugly as he backed away and turned from the three prisoners. He took a couple of deep breaths to center himself. He laughed hollowly as he continued, pretending the last five minutes hadn't happened. "Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it," he spread his fingers apart as he finished, "Just a little bit." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose took a deep breath as she asked, trying to pull the focus from her other two companions, "You can't hide something on this scale. Somebody must have noticed." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Editor turned to her, "From time to time, someone, yes," he turned and paced away from the three prisoners and continued to talk, "But the computer chip system allows me to see inside their brains." As he walked away the Jagrafess dripped slime and saliva on the floor from above them. "I can see the smallest doubt and crush it," he turned back on the last couple of words and raised his hand clench into a fist, smiling bigger all the while. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla zoned out as she watched the door behind the Editor and hoped to see Cathica or even Suki to stick out their head from around the frame to show that they had been listening to the entire time. Please timeline, don't fuck up now. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The curly-haired Texan tuned back into the Editors speech seconds before her wish came true, "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." Lyla and the Doctor spotted Cathica in one of the mirrors as she rounded the corner of the main broadcast room. The Editor none the wiser, he continued on with his speech, "They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose, quick to jump into question and distract, asked, "What about you? You're not a uh- Jag-Jagra-Jagra…belly."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor corrected absentmindedly, "Jagrafess." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose corrected herself and pushed on, "Jagrafess. You're not a Jagrafess. You're human." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Yeah, well, simply being human doesn't pay very well," the Editor replied. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""But you couldn't have done this all on your own," Rose pushed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" The Editor laughed, "No. I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to um-," he looked up at the Monster on the ceiling and whispered to the three, "install himself." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""No wonder, a creature that size. What's his life span?" The Timelord questioned now on board with the distracting and information gathering to aid Cathica in her part of the plan. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""3,000 years," the Editor answered with a smile. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" "That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat," the Timelord commented lightly as he started to give all the pieces of the puzzle to Cathica. "That's why Satellite 5's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, it stays alive. Satellite 5 is one great big life support system."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Editor smiled and pointed at the Timelord, "But that's why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown." He walks closer to the three and stands in front of Rose this time around. His jovial attitude disappeared with his next round of questioning. Snapping his fingers, the cuffs came alive and sent pulses of electricity into the three individuals. He walked away from the three as they all made sounds of pain. His parting words were a question, "Who are you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The electricity flowed, what felt like minutes as the three twitched and groaned between their teeth. With just a few seconds, the Editor snapped his fingers again and the electricity surges stopped. The two human girls sagged against their restraints, only standing because of the cuffs and machine strapped to them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor panted out, "Leave them alone. I'm the Doctor, she's Rose Tyler, and she's Lyla Aylin. We're nothing, we're just wandering."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Tell me who you are!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I just said," the Doctor replied frustrated and stepping lightly into the desperate region. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Yes, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly-." Growls from the Jagrafess cut him off and the Editor gasped out one word and looked at the Doctor, "Timelord." Fucking ADAM. Can always count on greed to be the exact same no matter the timeline./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""What?" The Doctor replies in a state of shock. Rose looked toward the Doctor in concern, while Lyla sighed and sagged further against the cuffs. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Oh, yes," he exclaimed softly as more damning information spewed from his mouth, "The last of the Time Lords in his traveling machine." He reached out a stroked Rose's check, who flinched away, as he said, "Oh, with his little human girls from long ago-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""You don't know what you're talking about," the Doctor cut in sharply. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Editor smiled and said simply, "Time travel." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Someone's been telling you lies," the Doctor tried to recover the situation. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He cocked his head and asked with a raised eyebrow, "Young master Adam Mitchell?" The Editor snapped his fingers again and a screen lit up with the screams of Adam as he was laid out on one of the broadcast chairs with information beaming from the doorway in his head. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The three trapped companions looked on, one with shocked disgust and two with disappointment. Rose, unable to take her eyes away from the screaming boy, commented with disgust coloring her words, "Oh, my God. His head!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""What the hell's he done? What the hell's he gone and done?" The Timelord pulled his eyes away from the screaming boy and looked at both the girls in turn and explained what was happening, "They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""And through him, I know everything about you." That caught the Doctor's attention as his eyes snapped to the talking Editor, "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 your T- A- R- D- I- S. Tardis." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Well, you'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key." On the screen they could see the Tardis key being pulled from Adams pocket. And floating in front of the human boy's face as he looked on in shock and pain. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""You and your boyfriends!" The Doctor patronized Rose as they watched the key be pulled higher away from the struggling boy. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Today, we are the headlines. We can rewrite history." The Doctor looked away and just caught the sight of Cathica again in the mirror as she stood in the doorway out of sight from the Editor and his minions, watching and listening closely to the events happening. The Editor none the wiser continued on, "We could prevent mankind from ever developing."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""And no one's going to stop you because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions." The Doctor was now talking to Cathica and hoping she received all the puzzle pieces needed. "Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughterhouse if they're told it's made of gold." Come on Cathica be a fucking Journalist. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Jagrafess growled and made a fuss from above as Cathica ran off. Thank God. Alarms started beeping around the bank of monitors. The Editor rushed forward to check the issue, "Someone's disengaged the safety." He snapped his fingers again and pulled up video of Cathica sitting in one of the iced over broadcast chairs. Information beaming out of her head. On the other screen, Adam was disconnected with the information flow and the Tardis key fell to the floor. "Who's that?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""That's Cathica," Rose said, shocked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor smiled big as he looked on, "And she's thinking. She's using what she knows."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Editor commanded one of the frozen workers, "Terminate her access."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Everything I told her about Satellite 5. The pipes, the filters, she's reversing it." Water could be seen dripping all around them. They could hear water flowing down the walls as everything started to melt. "Look at that. It's getting hot."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Thank God," Lyla whispered as she watched Cathica fight back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The console exploded and all the workers dropped like lead weight. The explosions rocked the Station and alarms started blaring and screeching throughout. The short circuiting from the water and all the electrical lines caused Rose's cuffs to unlock, she was quick to free herself and assist the Doctor in retrieving his sonic screwdriver. Explosions kept happening around the room, monitors blowing up and sparks shooting across the room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"As Rose tried to free the Doctor, he was explaining, "She's venting the heat up here. The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano." He laughed as he watched the Jagrafess squirm on the ceiling. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""It's gonna blow," Lyla said conversationally as she waited for Rose. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Jagrafess was growling and screaming above them, the Editor stood back up and replied clearly nervous now, "Yes, I'm trying, sir, but I don't know how she did it. It's impossible. A member of staff with an idea." The Editor pushed one of the dead workers from their seats and tried to stop the catastrophe from happening. The Jagrafess became more violent as the heat steadily rose around them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Finally Rose found the sonic and quickly asked, scared and in a hurry as they all were, "What do I do?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Flick the switch!" The Timelord yelled at her. Steam exploded out of one of the grates around them as the sound of the sonic was drowned out as Rose tried to open the Doctors cuffs. When the cuffs finally clicked open, he was yanking the sonic from Rose and turned toward Lyla to pop her own cuffs open. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"As he was working on Lyla's cuffs, he shouted over the various explosions toward the Editor, "Oi, mate, want to bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body, massive bang. See you in the headlines!" Once they were all freed, The Doctor grabbed each girl's hand and booked it towards the door and out in the hallway. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"As they ran, they looked in each of the broadcast rooms looking for the Journalist that saved the day. Sheets of ice and metal were falling down around them as they searched./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Finally, they spotted her and as they stumbled into the room from the shaking of the Satellite, the Doctor walked up to Cathica and snapped his fingers. He smiled down at her as he helped her up from the broadcast chair. Rose rushed to help prop her up with a shoulder to lean on. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla stood in the doorway looking around and down the hall when she saw the faintest of movements from the shadows. Without thinking, she took off down the hallway and found Suki trying to stand-up against a wall. Lyla rushed to her side and helped her stand while she looked Suki over for injuries and shouted over her shoulder, "Doctor!" In a flash she saw the Doctor move into her field of vision and helped her prop Suki up. "Suki! I'm so happy to see you alive!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Suki smiled faintly, "Wouldn't be if it wasn't for you. Thanks for the warning."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor looked at Lyla with a raised eyebrow. She huffed, "I told you it smelled like bullshit and if you didn't do anything about it then I was." She rolled her eyes and looked away from him, "I gave you a warning. Not my fault you didn't believe me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose and Cathica stood in the doorway watching the three. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Cathica!" Suki muttered quietly in shock at seeing her coworker. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I see you're not dead." Cathica replied faintly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" The five just looked at everyone and laughed slightly before the Doctor finally spoke up, "Alright, let's get out of here and back to your own floor." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"oOoOo/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica, Suki, and the Doctor were all seated at a table while Lyla leaned over the Doctors back watching the two journalists across from them, Rose was behind her other two companions looking around for their lost fourth member. The Doctor spoke up as he reached a hand up and held on to Lyla's forearm, "We're just going to go. I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Cathica leaned forward as she replied, "You'll have to stay and explain it. No one's going to believe me." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now. The human race should accelerate. All back to normal," the Timelord tried to reassure the two Journalists. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Suki spoke up, "What about your friend?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Lyla patted his chest as he stiffened just a touch before replying, "He's not my friend." He stood and Lyla's arm fell away just to be caught in the Timelords hand midfall. He turned toward the Tardis where Adam stood looking at the other time travelers, an angry frown marring his face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Doctor started marching up to Adam as Rose tried to calm him down by muttering a quick warning, "Doctor, please-."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"As they reached Adam, he started babbling, "I'm all right now. Much better. And I've got the key. Look, it's. It all worked out for the best, didn't it?" The Doctor dropped Lyla's hand and snatched the key from Adam's hand and grabbed him by the back of the neck and held him in place as the Doctor unlocked the door. Adam kept spewing all types of trash as the Doctor opened the Tardis, "You know, it's not actually my fault, because you were in charge." I know he just didn't. The Doctor shoved Adam into the Tardis and was quickly followed by the two human girls. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"As they made their way to the console, Adam kept trying to talk his way out of the trouble he was in. Lyla finally having enough, cut her eyes toward the human boy, and snapped at him, "Boy, shut the fuck up. There are not words in this universe that could stop the next events from happening, So, save everyone's ears from your insistent whining and keep your mouth shut for a fucking minute." She flopped down in the captain's chair and sighed as she leaned her head back. Finally able to relax for half a minute as the Doctor flew around the console getting the Tardis up and moving. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Rose stood quietly against the railing next to Lyla as she stared daggers at Adam, who was quietly opening and closing his mouth looking for words to help his situation. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Tardis came to a stop and the Doctor walked back up to Adam and turned him around with a hand on his shoulder. He steered Adam out of the Tardis and into the living room of Adam's house. Lyla sighed and heaved herself up to follow the others out of the Tardis. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""It's my house. I'm home! Oh, my God, I'm home!" Adam laughed relieved. "Blimey. I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Is there something else you want to tell me?" The Doctor asked as he spun Adam around to face him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""No. What do you mean?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""There is no use in lying," Lyla muttered from where she stood in the doorway of the Tardis./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The Timelord turned toward the answering machine and picked up the whole device, "The archive of Satellite 5. One second of that message could've changed the world." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I think that was the point, Doctor," Lyla said. "Money, Power, Control. The trifecta. It's everybody's damn motive." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"The reply to that statement was the Doctor stepping back from the answering machine and pulling out his sonic screwdriver and flicking a couple of switches and pointing it at the defenseless answering machine and watching as it explodes in shower of sparks. The Doctor walked away from the now dead machine with a passing, "That's it, then. See you." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He made it all the way to Lyla at the Tardis door before Adam got his wits about himself and finally replied in disbelief, "How do you mean, see you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""As in goodbye."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""But what about me? You can't just go. I've got my head. I've got a type two chip. My head opens," Adam tried to reason. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""What, like this," the Doctor snapped his fingers and Adam's head opened up like a flower. Showing the world his frontal lobe. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Don't," Adam replied as he snapped his fingers and the door closed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I'd be careful Adam. This time period has all types of nasty infections and diseases, and you have a very convenient door right to your brain," Lyla commented off handedly as she sighed and turned to go back into the Tardis. Her last words being, "Suck to suck." She slowly walked back, passed the console, and entered the hallway to reach her bedroom. She needed a shower from all the sweating and freezing and sweating again. Then her bed to sleep off the fatigue in her muscles from being shocked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"As she entered the shower, she felt the Tardis enter the time vortex and she gave a small smile at another successful adventure./span/p