Remnant Who
By ReaderWarrior
I do not own Doctor Who or RWBY.
The Long Game (A)
Beta'd by: -
As always, please comment! It honestly makes my day to read your thoughts and opinions.
Tell your friends!
Honorary (dead) companions:
Clive, Raffalo, Moxx, Jabe, Sneed, Gwyneth, Ganesh, De Maggio
'Bigger on the inside!'s:
2 (Rose, Jackie)
Fantastics:
7
Harriet Jones' greetings:
6
Exterminates!:
8
After their trip to Disneyland, team RWBY (and Qrow) took some time to relax and decompress. Showers were taken and some naps were enjoyed. Yang and Blake (though more so the blonde) rearmed themselves with their weapons and told the Librarian that they were never going to leave them behind again. He resisted at first, commenting that they were too obvious and dangerous to have out on every world. But he then offered to… tweak them.
The Librarian and Ruby lead the group to one of the rooms in the T.A.R.D.I.S. An armory of sorts where, he claimed, he could upgrade their gear.
"Nothing ridiculous," he said. "Just something to make them more compact."
For instance, Crescent Rose would be able to now fold into a sash that Ruby could put around her back instead of a bulky box on her belt. Weiss' Mertenaister would be able to shrink into the pommel but would still stay on her belt. Ember Cilicia would just lose its width, looking more like a bracelet than a brace. And Blake's gun/katana, Gambol Shroud, would fold around its sheath to fit on her back like Ruby's scythe.
Qrow didn't want anyone messing with his Harbinger and kept it the way it was.
After that, Ruby, her friends, and her uncle, all returned to Theatre-7. They all grabbed assorted snacks, foods, and drinks from the concessions - though Qrow strangely only grabbed a half-dozen bottles of assorted alcohol. Much lesser than his first time here.
The Librarian remained in the console room for a bit, pushing the T.A.R.D.I.S back between the multiverse veil. He then made some comments to ELI, who continued to pester him with questions about his plans and well-being. Ignoring the more specific questions, he continued to respond with 'I'm fine's and 'It's all good's.
"It feels like it's been months since we last watched an episode," Ruby squealed as she returned to her seat.
Weiss nodded in agreement. "Strange how residing in a time machine makes it so…"
"Forgettable," Blake answered. "Like time is running past. Or like it is barely moving."
"Yeah, but you're not caring about the fact we are in a time machine. I still can't believe it! It's like we're living in some kind of story." Yang sat down as well, fiddling with her bracelets.
Qrow shuddered. "What kind of delusional author would write about this? A bunch of huntsmen and huntresses watching a, pretty good, TV show? Sounds boring."
"If it sells, it sells," the Librarian smiled as he appeared from the slip-slope platform. He grabbed a few snacks of his own before joining the rest of the party. The remote, which was left on his seat when they left, had magically appeared in Ruby's hands. "But it's nice to hear you like Doctor Who now."
"I never said I hated it," the man grumbled back.
Ruby spun the remote in her palm and eagerly pressed the 'on' button. "So what's this episode called?"
"The Long Game," ELI answered, her voice echoing through the fairly empty screen room. "Series one, episode seven."
Blake raised an eyebrow. "Series one? How long does this go on?"
"Long enough," came their guide's cheeky reply.
Fidgeting in her seat, Weiss gave a loud sigh. "Can we start?"
"Awww… Excited, Ice Queen?" Yang asked. She nudged her friend in the side, earning her a playful slap in the arm.
"Shut it, you."
The Librarian laughed. "Qrow, care to lead us?"
Grumbling, he raised a drink with one hand and gave a slight smile. "Hobey-ho."
"HOBEY-HO!" everyone repeated as the screen flickered to life.
The T.A.R.D.I.S began to materialize into a room that was both familiar and alien. Television screens that decorticated the walls were surrounded by red pads. Strange statues and chairs were scattered about and metal sheets covered the floors.
"Solar flare activity has increased across space lanes five-five-six and all commercial flights are advised to avoid…" A news report from one of the screens became inaudible as the familiar sound of the T.A.R.D.I.S grew louder and louder until silencing with a dull 'thud'.
Ruby couldn't help but giggle and shake in her seat.
The Doctor and Rose exit quickly and shut the door behind them. "So," he explains in a whisper, "it's two-hundred-thousand, it's a spaceship- no, wait a minute, space station. And, er, go try that gate over there." He points across the room at a fence-like partition.
"What's he doing?" Weiss asked.
Yang laughed to herself. "He's telling her how to impress that Adam-guy from the last episode."
The Schnee-heiress wrinkled her nose. "Really?"
"Yup. I'll bet you five-hundred lien on it."
"Off you go." The Doctor moves to the side, allowing Rose to grab one of the T.A.R.D.I.S door handles.
"Two-hundred-thousand?"
He nods. "Two-hundred-thousand."
"Two-hundred-thousand what?" Qrow asked.
The Librarian shrugged. "Probably the year. But it could be depth. But I doubt mankind had something this advance in twenty-twelve."
"Right." Rose opens the door, letting the other companion to exit the blue box. "Adam? Out you come."
The man does so. He steps out rather quickly, only to freeze in the doorway and drop his jaw to the floor. "Oh, my God."
"Don't worry," she smiles and helps him into the chamber. "You'll get used to it."
"Where are we?" Adam spins around. Strange, alien furniture and decorations filled the room. The numbers '139' were carved into the wall behind them, each digit taller than the T.A.R.D.I.S.
Rose takes a deep breath. "Good question. Let's see. So, um…" She 'studies the room for a moment before looking back at Adam. "Judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year two-hundred-thousand."
Both the Librarian and Yang give a loud 'HA'. "Pay up!"
Weiss fished out a clean five-hundred lien card. "Here," she grumbled as she tossed it to the blonde.
"Thank you very much."
Adam whispers, "uh-huh. Yeah."
"And if you listen…" Rose adds, pausing to allow for suspense. "Engines."
The Doctor smiles at Rose behind her back. But his eyes kept glancing at Adam - glaring at him, every few seconds.
Blake did her best not to blush. "He's jealous," she realized with a cackle.
"We're on some sort of space station," Rose continues. "Yeah, definitely a space station.
Ruby gulped. "I don't think I like space stations all that much. Something always seems to go wrong."
"You have literally only seen one," Yang laughed. And that one is way, way, way into the future."
"Still… The Doctor ended up here for a reason."
"Yeah. To be Cupid!"
Glancing down, Rose grimaces and adds, "it's a bit warm on here, they could turn the heating down." She looks around, nodding to the door the Doctor pointed at before. "Tell you what, let's try that gate. Come on."
Adam doesn't even acknowledge her as she walks past him. He remains frozen in shock as he studies the room. It's only when the Doctor nudges him forward does his feet finally move.
Opening the gate didn't take much effort. Rose, leading the way, easily moves the partition to the side and leads everyone up a small flight of stairs. Besides one attraction, the room is empty.
Since this was his first time seeing it, Qrow let out a slight gasp. "Holy shit."
"Here we go," Rose smiles as she walks up to said attraction. A large window, similar in a way that also seems foreign, displays the curvature of Earth from space. Clouds covered most of the planet with large metallic mountains and pathways jutting up from the surface. Above the planet was the wide expanse of space. Stars and long-of galaxies were sprinkled across the void, shining in colorful hues of yellow, purple, and blue.
"Does that look familiar to anyone else?" Blake asked.
Weiss nodded. As did Ruby and Yang. "Yeah."
"Do you think it's a coincidence?"
"Is anything ever just a coincidence with the Doctor?" Yang snorted.
Blake sighed. "Touché."
With a wave of her hand, Rose gave a wide gesture to the Earth from their view. "And this… I'll let the Doctor describe it."
He moved to the front. "The Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. And there it is, planet Earth, at its height. Covered with megacities, five moons, population ninety-six billion, the hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle."
Adam promptly fainted and fell to the ground.
"He's your boyfriend," the Doctor comments, not even looking away from the view.
Neither does Rose. "Not anymore."
Every member of team RWBY (plus Qrow and the Librarian) laughed at the collapse of the Doctor's newest companion and Rose's uncaring attitude towards it.
"It's his first time in space!" Ruby giggled. "Cut him some slack."
"Please. Rose didn't react that way," Weiss added (with her own chortle).
Blake's laughter brought her lips to a large smirk. "To be fair, she chose where- and when -to go and got eased into it."
"Rose watched the Earth explode and saw a bunch of aliens die before even that. This Adam guy is a pushover," Yang laughed.
However, Qrow, while laughing, didn't make fun of the man. "I just can't get over that one day you can be fighting an evil robot salt-shaker one day and then end up in the far-off future seeing your planet now a universal trading center."
"Welcome to Doctor Who," the Librarian smiled.
After he regained consciousness and got help from the Doctor, Adam was led away from the observation deck and into another room. This one had steam leaking from vents high in the walls and large boxes covered with rust and stickers.
"Come on, Adam, open your mind," the Doctor chides. "You're going to like this fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent. Culture! Art! Politics! This era has got fine food, good manners-"
"Out of the way!" cries a large man on a bicycle as he pushed past the trio. More people began to flood the room as the boxes unfolded, revealing vending stations. The once-quiet room began to fill with calls, yells, and screams as customers order food and went about their day.
Weiss raised a concerned eyebrow. "This is meant to be the peak of humanity?"
"Well, it actually seems more like peak New York," the Librarian chuckled to no one. "But yeah. This doesn't seem like the utopia the Doctor described."
"Perhaps they are early?" she asked.
"Maybe."
Vendors continued to yell at their customers from every direction.
"Thank you very much indeed."
"Somebody there?"
"That's great. What do you want, love?"
"All right, keep moving."
"I'll be with you lot in a minute."
"Here you are. One at a time."
"What now, what was it? Kronkburger with cheese, kronkburger with pajatos. Do you want a drink?"
"Oi, you, mate. Stop pushing. Get back. I said, back."
A line of drool ran down Yang's cheek. "That sounds good."
"You literally have a burger on your plate right now," Qrow frowned.
"But is it a kronkburger?"
Rose, after being pushed to the side by some of the crowd, leans down and studied the food behind the display of one of the vendor stalls. "Fin cuisine?" she smirks, glancing back towards the Doctor.
He frowns and checks his wrist. "My watch must be wrong."
"Cause that never happens," Blake added with a roll of her eyes.
But as the Doctor checks his wristwatch, he finds the time and date correct. "No," he mumbles, "it's fine. That's weird."
"That's what comes with showing off," Rose comments as she makes her way back to him and Adam. "Your history's not as good as you thought it was."
"My history is perfect."
"Well, obviously not."
Ruby frowned. "Wait, so are they in the right time or not?"
"Maybe his watch syncs up with the time zone they land in?" Blake offered. "Or maybe set it to connect with the T.A.R.D.I.S?"
"Then which is wrong? Either they are in the wrong time or…" Ruby gave a comical gasp. "The Doctor is wrong!"
"Dun dun duuuuun," ELI whispered from above.
As the Doctor and Rose began to argue, Adam started to wander a bit. He studies each new arrival and frowns as he catches glimpses of their faces. "They're all human," he realizes. "What about the millions of planets, the millions of species? Where are they?"
Good question," the Doctor mumbles after a quick glance around. "Actually, that is a good question. Adam, me old mate, you must be starving." Now smiling, he began to usher the human through the crowd and toward one of the vendors.
"No, I'm just a bit timesick," came Adam's response.
"Why didn't we get timesick?" Weiss asked.
The Librarian shrugged. "Means you have a stronger stomach. Also, your aura probably protected you during transit. The more pressing concern would have been if your molecules would act violently with the matter of a different universe. But that rarely happens, and only without the correct technology."
"What would have happened if we did?"
Again, he shrugged. "Violent seizures leading to cellular necrosis. And possibly dimensional displacement across the entire universe."
"Oh… That would have been good to know beforehand!"
The Doctor pats Adam on the shoulder. "No, you just need a bit of grub. Oi, mate!" he yells, calling out to one of the vendors. "How much is a kronkburger?"
The vendor (and chef), an older man with a large mustache, smiles, and answers, "two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now join the queue!" The man snaps at them, pointing at the line leading up to his stand.
The Doctor, realizing they don't have any two-hundred-thousand credits walks past the vendor. "Money," he realizes. "We need money. Let's use a cashpoint."
"Cashpoint?" Qrow asked.
"Probably someplace where you can withdraw cash," Blake offered. "Like an automated teller machine."
The huntsman grumbled. "Kids these days are too smart."
As the Doctor marches toward a small kiosk, he reaches into his jacket and pulls out his sonic screwdriver.
Ruby squeals excitedly.
The kiosk pops up a large blue screen as the Doctor approaches. He cleverly waves his sonic across the screen, causing it to glitch and beep. After a quick moment, it glows brightly. 'Processing' turns to 'Issuing credits' and the machine drops a small plastic cylinder through a chute. The Doctor quickly grabs it and tosses it to Adam.
"There you go," he smiles. "Pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets." The Doctor then turns around and starts walking away from his companions.
"He's leaving Rose behind? Again?" Yang growled at the screen.
"Well, as long she doesn't go anywhere dangerous, she should be good," Ruby offered. "But it does seem kinda stupid. Especially after how important she was last time. She could help him."
"Or, at least, keep him out of trouble," Yang frowned. "Just because he's got to find out what's going on doesn't mean she won't end up in danger."
Adam looks down at the cylinder and tosses it back and forth between each hand. "How does it work?"
Sighing, the Doctor turns around and waves his hands at the room and its occupants. "Go and find out, stop nagging me! The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guidebook, you gotta throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers." He frowns and cocks his head to the side. "Or is that just me?"
"What's Paris?" Ruby asked.
"The City of Love," the Librarian explained. "The capital of France and home of some of the most romantic destinations in the world. One world even had their superhero team based there. Miraculous or something."
"Sounds nice!"
The Librarian's eyes twinkle. "Yeah. It's great. Especially if you go with the right person."
Laughing slightly, Rose watches as the Doctor shakes his head and turns back to Adam, adding, "stop asking questions, go and do it! Off you go, then. First date."
Practically leaping from where he stood, Adam began to rush off and use his new allowance. Rose, on the other hand, gives the Doctor a friendly glare and points at him.
"You're going to get a smack, you are," she scolds before chasing after her date.
The Doctor smiles as they run off. As soon as they are out of sight, however, his grin fades.
"Why isn't he fighting for Rose?" Blake frowned. "Doesn't he care for her?"
"Sometimes you have to let your crush date someone else if it makes them happy," Yang whispered.
Noticing two women, one with dark skin and braids while the other has rust-colored hair and a pale face but both wearing well-dressed suits, the Doctor steps next to them and grabs one's shoulder.
"Um, this is going to sound daft, but can you tell me where I am?"
The woman with braids raised an eyebrow and pointed up at the large engraving in the wall above them. "Floor one-three-nine. Could they write it any bigger?"
"Floor one-three-nine of what?" he frowns.
The two women share a glance and sigh. "Must have been a hell of a party," the same woman comments.
"You're on Satellite Five," the other answers.
"So it's not the same place as 'The End of the World'," Weiss sighs. "That's good, then."
Ruby pouted slightly. "I thought they came back to check it out before the Earth blew up."
"Wait, hold up. What happened?" Qrow asked. He never got an answer.
Not an ounce of recognition flashes in the Doctor's eyes. "What's Satellite Five?"
The woman with dreadlocks frowns and stares at the time traveler. "Come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are?"
"Look at me, I'm stupid," he responds, giving a slight smile and opening his jacket.
Qrow chuckled. "If he's stupid, I'm brain dead."
"Hold on," the redhead whispers. "Wait a minute. Are you a test? Some sort of management test kind of thing?"
The Doctor gives a big smile and a (fake) defeated sigh. "You've got me. Well done. You're too clever for me." He pulls out his psychic paper and holds it up to both women before pocketing it for next time.
"We were warned about this on basic training," the redhead remembers, casting glances at her partner. "All workers have to be versed in company promotion."
Weiss gave a groan. "I hated spot tests. Father would have our guests question the staff in front of us to make sure they knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing."
"This is to see how well your workers are doing," the Librarian nodded. "Jacques was doing it to remind his workers of their place. He's a controlling douchebag."
Blake nodded in agreement and - while she didn't show it - Weiss did agree slightly.
"Right," dreadlocks nods. "Fire away, ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor five-hundred I'll do anything."
"Why, what happens on Floor five-hundred?"
She casts a glance around them, as if checking to see if she was being punked. "The walls are made of gold. And you should know, Mr. Management." Dreadlocks points past the Doctor and walks over to a wall with screens embedded inside. The redhead smiles at him before leading him over to the screen.
"Something about that girl… just rubs me the wrong way," Blake frowned.
"Why's that?" Yang asked.
"I don't know… but they remind me of something…"
"So, this is what we do," dreadlocks narrates, as she paces between the different broadcasts. "Latest news: Sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two-hundred 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 Bo has just announced he's pregnant."
Ruby's eyes widened. "The Face of Bo! Wasn't he in the future? Does that mean he is super young right now?"
"Forget the Face," Weiss scolded. "They said Bad Wolf again. This cannot be a coincidence."
"That's what… three, four times now?" Blake asked.
"Yeah," Yang nodded, "but is it something the Doctor is supposed to stop or save?"
"I get it," the Doctor realizes. "You broadcast the news."
"We are the news," she corrects. "We're the journalists. We write it, package it, and sell it. Six-hundred channels-
"-all coming out of Satellite Five, broadcasting everywhere."
In a place that can only be described as cold, a man with white hair and a goatee watches the Doctor's interaction with the two women on a small screen attached to a desk. Frost was spread across the monitor and could be seen covering every inch of the room, from the walls to the ceiling.
"Something… is wrong," the man mutters. His breath forms puffs of steam with every syllable. "Something fictional."
He steps closer to the screen, wrapping his arms around the owner of the station, who was also covered in ice and frost. This man wasn't moving and was barely even breathing.
"Oh, Gods," Blake gasped. Is he still alive?"
"Those people," the speaker points, tapping on the screen. "Security check."
"Nothing happens in the whole human empire without it going through us," dreadlocks adds, nodding to the wall of screens.
"Go deep," he adds, leaning against the icicle of a man.
"I think that's a 'yes,' Blake," her blonde teammate answered.
"And it looks like this guy is going to find out that the Doctor or Rose aren't from around here," Ruby added with a gulp. "What does he wasn't with them?"
Blake frowned. "And Adam too."
Surrounded by dozens of other humans, Rose and Adam sit down and enjoy a quick meal. Fish and chips, kronkburgers, and drinks were happily enjoyed all around on multiple tables surrounding the stalls.
"All staff," a femme voice announces over the loudspeakers, "are reminded that the canteen area now operates a self-cleaning table system. Thank you!"
Rose shakes her drink and holds it out to her date. "Try this. It's called Zaffic. It's nice, like, um, a Slush Puppy."
"What the heck is a slush puppy?" Yang asked.
The Librarian raised his hands. "It's not a real puppy. Like how a hot dog isn't made from dogs. A Slush Puppy is like a slushie. Ice and flavoring. Like an Icee."
"… what's icy?"
"What flavor? Adam frowns.
Bringing the straw back to her lips, Rose takes another slurp before shaking her head. "It's sort of… beef?"
"Oh, my God."
The majority of team RWBY scrunched their noses and let out a loud 'ew!" Qrow, on the other hand, thought it sounded good enough to try.
That earned another 'ew!"
Glancing around, Adam let out a loud sigh and shook his head. "It's like everything's gone," he whispers. "Home, family… Everything."
Rose reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone. "This helps. The Doctor gave it a bit of a top-up. Who's back home, your mum and dad?"
"Yeah."
"Phone them up," she smiles, holding out her phone.
Adam doesn't believe her and shakes his head. "But that's one-hundred and ninety-eight-thousand years ago."
Ruby giggled. "He did some jiggery-pokery on it with his sonic screwdriver."
"That still doesn't explain how it calls a different time period," Weiss frowned.
"Best guess?" the Librarian offered. "He patched the phone into the T.A.R.D.I.S, making it act as the satellite, er, CCTV tower. Then, based upon how long they've been gone, as well as when they were last there, it calculates the 'when' by using Rose's main timeline as level ground."
"So if they're gone three days after they left, but are now in the past, it'll call three days after they left?"
The Librarian nodded and ruffled Ruby's hair. "Exactly."
Weiss, however, was less convinced. "Then how does it work for Adam? He's from the future. Won't that mean he's calling his family from 2005, not 2012 or whenever he's from?"
"Eh. Perhaps it's tied into who's using the phone. It's impossible to tell."
Rose smiles at him and pushes the device into his hands. "Honestly, try it. Go on."
Taking it, Adam stares at the screen for a moment. "Is there a code for planet Earth?" he asks.
"Just dial!"
He does, quickly inserting a phone number and pressing the dial icon. Each push causes the phone to beep until the entire code was inputted. Then, hesitantly, he lifts the cell to his ear.
Back on Earth, hundreds and thousands of years in the past, a simple house with a 'For Sale' emits a loud ringing. With no one apparently home, with the exception of a barking dog, the call goes to voicemail.
"I'm sorry we're not in. Please leave a message. Thanks, bye."
Blake frowned. "That's kind of sad. When Rose called, her mom picked up. But when he did, nobody answered."
"Just means his parents are busier," Weiss offered. "But this means he gets to at least leave them a message. Rose just hung up on her mom then disappeared for a year."
"Hopefully he's smart enough to not make that mistake."
Adam's eyes widen at the sound of his mother's voice. "It's her," he gasps. Then, after clearing his throat, he leaves his message. "Hi. It… It's me. I've sort of gone traveling. I met these people and we're traveling together."
Unbeknownst to him, their dog, upon hearing his voice from the machine, ran through the doggy door and jumped up against the table holding up the landline. It whined slightly but wagged its tail eagerly before sitting down in front of the phone.
"Awwww!" Ruby, Weiss, and Yang squealed.
Blake, on the other hand, hissed and almost jumped out of their seat.
"But, um, I'm fine," he whispers. "And I'll call you later. Love you. Bye." Adam ends the call and giggles, pointing at the phone as he offers it back to rose. However, before he could comment (or before Rose could take back her cell), an alarm sounds and everyone around them quickly jumps to their feet. Tables of food and drinks are quickly tossed away and the cooks slam down their stalls and lock them.
"Oi!" the Doctor yells, pointing at them from across the room. As the occupants clear out, Rose and Adam spot him easily as he points to the two women behind him. "Mutt and Jeff! Over here!"
"And who are Mutt and Jeff?" Weiss asked.
"I think," their guide answers, "they are the first comic-strip characters. Like Abbott and Castello."
"And what does that have to do with them?"
ELI answers this time. "Mutt and Jeff can also refer to a short and tall person who are paired as companions."
Rose doesn't waste a second of thought and leaps up to her feet. Leaving Adam behind, she rushes over to him and his two newest associates. Adam rises slowly. He looks down at the phone in his hand and smirks for a moment. Then, after checking behind him, he pockets it.
"I don't like that look in his eyes," Qrow frowned.
"But what's he going to do with it?" Ruby asked. "All he can do is call his parents and family. How's that bad?"
The huntsman shrugged. "No idea, kiddo. Just saying I don't trust Adam."
Back in the unknown room full of ice, the man from earlier is now accompanied by two more frozen people. The first was a bald man and the other was a woman with icicles and snowflakes in her hair.
"Security check cleared," an automated voice crackles.
"No," the man hisses. He leans down at a monitor, watching the exact moment when Rose ran up to the Doctor. "Something's wrong. I can taste it. A tiny little shift in the information. Someone down there shouldn't be here." He leans down to the two frozen stiffs and adds: "Double check. Triple check."
He watches as the woman with dreads points somewhere and leads the Doctor and his companions away. "Follow them."
Weiss shivered. "He reminds me of my brother. But more energetic."
"Whatever he plans on doing with the Doctor, he's gonna regret it," Yang added, her smile widening into something sadistic.
The Doctor, Rose, and Adam are led by the two women into a completely different room. Gone were the rust-covered walls, now replaced by pure white sheets. This area was smaller. In the center was a chair with wires outstretched, connecting to an octagonal desk with screens at each side. On the roof was a strange dome-like machine with tubes disappearing into the ceiling. Each desk-side had a person, a mixture of men and women of different skin tones and body shapes, facing the chair.
"Now, everyone behave," dreadlocks orders, standing with the travelers on a ledge a few feet above the ground. "We have a management inspection." She turns to the Doctor. "How do you want it? By the book?"
He nods. "Right from scratch, thanks."
"Smart," Blake nodded. "This way they'll treat him like he doesn't know anything, instead of showing off how they are doing."
"And how would you know that, Blake?" Qrow asked with neither grin nor frown.
"… um, no reason. I read it in a book?"
He glared back at the girl. "Hmmm."
The woman turns back to her company and claps her hands. "Okay. So, ladies, gentlemen, multi-sex, undecided or robot, my name is Cathica Santini Khadeni." She turns back to the Doctor with a wink. "That's Cathica with a C, in case you want to write to Floor five-hundred, praising me, and please do."
Still silent, the Doctor gives a smile and a nod before Cathica turns back to the group in front of her.
Ruby leaned over and whispered into her sister's ear. "She reminds me of Weiss whenever Professor Port wants something done."
Unable to hold back a snort of laughter, Yang did her best to cover it with a cough. "Yeah. I once saw her offer to sharpen all his pencils before class."
"I know you're not talking about me," Weiss growled.
Both sisters yelped. "She can read our minds!"
"I can hear you!"
"Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy."
"Actually, um, it's the law," her friend from before adds.
Cathica glares at her friend. "Yes, thank you, Suki. Don't show off for the guests." She then steps over one of the desks of the hexagon and gets into the center chair. "Here we go," she whispers as she leans back. "Engage safety."
The machine began to hum as one by one the members of the octagon held their hands above a palm-indented pad in front of them. The group closes their eyes and the sound of electricity fills the air. With loud bursts, lights began to fill the room, activating on each panel.
Cathica raises her left hand and snaps her fingers. And, to the surprise of the trio, a small patch of skin and skull in her forehead folds away, revealing the pink mass of her brain.
"I think I'm going to hurl."
"Oh, my Gods."
"Disgusting!"
"Pass me a bucket."
"Huh. That's cool."
Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang all turn to glare at Qrow, who had a strange sense of wonder on his face.
"What?" he asked. "Yeah, it's freaky, but that's kind of cool."
"It is NOT!"
The members of the octagon place their hands in the indentations. As their skin touches it, an audible 'hiss' is heard, like a piston fitting into place.
"And three…" Cathica continues. "Two… Spike!"
Suddenly, a curved beam of light begins to pour out from the ceiling, or, more exactly, the strange bulb on it, flows down into Cathica's brain. The light twitched slightly, as of flowing like a river.
"That's… that's much worse," Weiss gagged.
Yang passed her a bucket. Then proceeded to hand one to her teammates.
"What's it doing?" the heiress asked after taking a moment to compose herself.
The Doctor's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Compressed information streaming into her," he explained as Rose and Adam continued to watch in sick fascination. "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!"
The Librarian whistled. "They're streaming information into the most advanced CPU available. Qrow's right, that is fascinating!"
"It's disgusting!" Yang groaned. "I could see her brain!"
"They made it so information could be downloaded directly into it. There's no implant or need for wires. It's all through data waves."
"Her. Brain!"
Leaning to her guide, Rose whispers, "if it all goes through her, she must be a genius."
"Nah, she wouldn't remember any of it," the Doctor explains after shaking his head. "There's too much. Her head would blow up. The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets." He started to circle the room, looking at the transfer of information from every angle.
Rose follows him. She points to the other occupants of the room. "What about all these people round the edge?"
"They've all got tiny little chips in their head connecting them to her, and they transmit six-hundred channels. Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place. Now, that's what I call power." As the Doctor finishes his encirclement, Rose leans down and waves her hand in front of one of the people. Adam, who hadn't moved from where he stood, strokes his chin.
"Okay," Weiss frowned. "Ignoring the method of transfer, it is an interesting accomplishment."
Ruby, begrudgingly, nodded. "It would be cool though if you could access that information. Like if I downloaded every kind of combat and could use it."
"That… is actually an intriguing concept as well."
"Analysis confirmed," the computer chirped. "Security breach."
Now there were rows and rows of frozen workers visible. Each one was sitting at a computer terminal, their hands up on the indentation pads. Large clumps of wires were wrapped around monitors and the ice was still ever-present with frost covering every inch.
"I knew it," the man smiles, leaning down to look into the monitor. "Which one? It's someone inside that room. Which one?"
The camera begins to spin, pointing at each member of the room slowly - one by one. "Isolating breach."
"Come on, show me. Who is it?"
"What's going to happen when he finds out the Doctor isn't supposed to be there?" Blake gulped.
"Hopefully just kick them out," Qrow offered. "Or kindly ask what they are doing there."
Ruby snorted. "Yeah, like that'll happen."
Noticing how quiet Adam was, Rose walks over to him and asks, "you all right?"
"I can see her brain," he responds.
"Do you want to get out?"
"No," Adam quickly responds, turning to look at the blonde since entering. "But this technology, it's… it's amazing." He leans forward, pushing against the railing.
"This technology's wrong." The Doctor glances around the room, focusing on Cathica and her download.
Rose and Adam look up at the Time Lord. "Trouble?" she asks.
He smiles back at her. "Oh, yeah."
"Because it wouldn't be traveling with the Doctor if there wasn't," Weiss added with a roll of her eyes. "I swear, I think he's deliberately taking them places."
"He isn't, usually," the Librarian explained, "but the T.A.R.D.I.S may be."
"Then why does it do that?"
He smiled at her. "Because it - she, whatever - knows the Doctor can help."
Suddenly, Suki flinches as her hands are electrified with a loud 'zap'.
"That's it!" snaps the man watching them, his fingers pointing at the screen showing Suki's surprise. "Ho, ho, ho, yes! She's the liar. Intercept and scan." He smiles broadly. "Gotcha."
Ruby frowned and shook her head. "Wait. I thought he was looking for the Doctor."
"No," Weiss realized, "he never said that. He was just looking for someone who 'didn't belong'."
"But what's wrong with Suki? She seems nice enough…"
"Looks can be deceiving."
The entire room began to shut down. The panel lights turned off, the operator's hands were let go, and the stream of energy disappeared in a flash. Cathica's forehead whirls as her brain is once again hidden behind her skin. She blinks and shakes her head as if waking from a dream and looks around with a frown.
"Come off it, Suki, I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?" As Cathica gets up from her chair, Suki rubs at her hands, gasping slightly.
"Sorry," she whispers. "It must've been a glitch."
"Her information's been tampered with," the watcher realizes. He leans closer to one of the monitors and taps on the screen. "There's a second biography hidden underneath."
A loud snarl echoes throughout the room.
"What is that?!" Yang yelped. To her side, Blake clutched her ears through her bow. "It's got to be some kind of monster!"
"Definitely not from earth, that's for sure," the Librarian nodded.
"So… alien?"
He nodded again.
Yang groaned. "Why is it always aliens?"
Small icicles fall to the ground and the watcher quickly leaps up, spins around, and looks towards the ceiling. Whatever is speaking to him, continues to do so for a few moments.
"Yes, sir.," he nods. "Absolutely, sir. Her data was encrypted so there's no way we could have found her sooner."
It growls.
The man looks down, clasping his hands together nervously. "Yes, sorry, I… Yeah, sorry, sir." He pauses as his 'boss' hisses once. "Absolutely."
He rushes over to the monitors and pushes against one of the icicle workers. "Get her up here. Now!"
"'Up here'?" Ruby frowned. "Wait, is this Floor five-hundred?"
"Seems to be. But I doubt this is the paradise they've been expecting," Qrow growled.
"This place is weird. Who is this guy? What's that thing he's serving? And why is the technology wrong?"
The Librarian smiled. "Watch and find out."
Back in the octagonal room, a loud, yet calm, ding echoes throughout the chamber. "Promotion," a voice whispers as one of the wall's sides turns blue. It flickers like a screen before displaying the words 'promotion'.
"Come on," Cathica whispers, rubbing her hands together. "This is it, come on! Oh, my God, make it me! Come on, say my name, say my name, say my name!"
Weiss rolled her eyes. "She's really not going to be happy to see that her friend got the 'promotion'."
"Just goes to show how someone can be blinded by the offer of a reward," Yang smirked, elbowing the heiress.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
The screen flickered again before declaring: "Promotion for… Suki Macrae Cantrell. Please proceed to Floor five-hundred."
Cathica, who had closed her eyes in prayer, opened them and glared at Suki, whose mouth was also wide with surprise.
"I don't believe it," she gasps. "Floor five-hundred!"
"How the hell did you manage that? I'm above you!"
"Because she's not supposed to be there and this is a trap!" Blake yelled. "She's working here to get to Floor five-hundred and probably just saved your life."
Ruby turned to her teammate. "Aren't they all trying to get there?"
"Yes, but there was something in her eyes. She knows more than she's letting on. I think she's a spy." And I should know.
Suki stumbles up to the screen. I don't know. I just applied on the off chance. And they've said 'yes'!"
"That's so not fair," Cathica scoffs. "I've been applying to Floor five-hundred for three years."
Confused, and not having been explained about it before, Rose turns to the Doctor and asks, "what's Floor five-hundred?
"The walls are made of gold," he repeats, glancing at the women.
"More like icicles," Yang shivered.
Qrow leaned over to his niece. "Kind of reminds me of the Schnee mansion," he chuckled.
Eyebrow raised, Yang gave him a side-glance. "When were you in Atlas?"
"…" He pointed to the screen. "Oh, look! A goodbye conversation as a distraction!"
"Cathica, I'm going to miss you," Suki smiles, giving her a hug. They had returned back to the main area of Floor one-three-nine. She turns to the Doctor and offers him a hug as well. "Floor five-hundred, thank you."
"But I didn't do anything."
She smiles. "You're my lucky charm!"
The Doctor chuckles. "All right. I'll hug anyone." He wraps her arms around Sufi for a quick moment, earning a chuckle from her. Rose, while the Doctor is distracted, runs over to Adam who is hiding behind one of the stalls.
"Come on," she smiles. "It's not that bad."
"What, with the… the head thing?"
Ruby clutched her stomach. "Don't remind me."
Rose nods. "Yeah, well, she's closed it now."
He shivers. "Yeah, but…It's everything. It freaks me out. And I just need to… If I could just…" Adam sighs and points at the room around the. "I need to cool down, sort of acclimatize."
"How do you mean?"
"Maybe I could just go and sit on the observation deck," he offers. "Would that be all right? Soak it in, you know. Pretend I'm a citizen of the year two-hundred-thousand."
Blake glared at the boy. "I don't trust him either."
"Me neither," Weiss nodded. "He reminds me of the less-than-ethical people my father used to work with."
"Used to?" the Librarian mumbled.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Rose asks.
Adam shakes his head frantically. "No, no, you stick with the Doctor. You'd rather be with him."
"And don't you forget it!" Yang snapped.
"It's going to take a better man than me to get between you two," he sighs. "Anyway… I'll be on the deck."
Rose nods and reaches into her pocket. "Here you go. Take the Tardis key. You know, just in case it gets a bit too much."
"Don't give it to him!" Ruby yelled at the screen. "He can't be trusted!"
"Just because he's being creepy doesn't mean he's a bad guy," Qrow frowned. "Maybe he's just getting over being in the future."
"I just know!"
Without even a second after having it held out, Adam takes the small key. "Yeah," he smirks, "like it's not weird in there." He and Rose then part ways, the blonde staring behind as Adam, with a large smile on his face, tosses the key up and down into his hand.
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Weiss sighed. "But I think Ruby's right."
Yang gasped comically. "No! You? Le gasp!"
The heiress rolled her eyes. "And this is why I don't ever compliment you people."
"Because you don't do it often enough!"
"All staff are reminded that the sixteen forty break session has been shortened by ten minutes. Thank you."
As the announcement finishes, Suki frantically grabs her bag and bolts for the elevator lift doors. "Oh, my God, I've got to go. I can't keep them waiting. I'm sorry. Say goodbye to Steve for me. Bye!"
The Doctor and Rose smile and wave at the girl as the doors close. Cathica, however, was less happy.
"Good riddance," she grumbles.
Blake frowned at the woman. "Just because she got the promotion, doesn't mean you should treat her like that."
"Yeah," Qrow nodded. "Not like it's an actual promotion anyways. Whoever that white-haired goatee man is, he just wants to know why Suki is lying about her past."
Lips forming into a frown, the Doctor turns back to the dreadlocked girl. "You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs."
"We won't," Cathica explains. "Once you go to Floor five-hundred you never come back."
This makes the Doctor's frown deepen. He looks back at the lift and watches as the numbers fly upwards. As he did, Cathica started to walk away but was quickly chased down by the Doctor (and Rose).
"Have you ever been up there?"
Not even bothering to stop, Cathica answers, saying: "Can't. You need a key for the lift and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to five-hundred except for the chosen few."
"So are all the promotions just that creepy guy grabbing people that are lying?" Weiss asked.
"I think so," Ruby frowned. "That would explain why no one ever comes back. But what happens to them after they arrive?"
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious? They become the ice people!"
Suki, one of the 'chosen few' paces back and forth in the lift. Through a small window, she could watch the floors streak by like light. Quicker and quicker until she reached around Floor four-hundred. There, it began to slow. Then, at the number '500', it stops completely
The doors open again. To her surprise, Suki is greeted not with golden decorations, but by a frozen landscape. An inch of snow was covering the ground and flakes of it seemed to be falling from the ceiling.
Suki grabs her bag and slowly enters the room, shivering slightly as she does. The lift's doors close behind her, causing the redhead to jump slightly. She runs over to them and tries to pry the doors open, but has little success. After giving up, Suki runs back to her bag and pulls out a large electric torch. She flicks it on and notices a set of footprints leading from the lift gate towards a side room.
Yang shivered. "It's like the meat locker back at Beacon."
"… when we're you in the freezer?" Blake frowned, turning to the blonde.
"Got dared to spend an hour in it." And I practice there when I'm upset. Would rather punch a slab of meat in silence than a punching bag with other people.
Following the tracks, Suki slowly enters the next room and pushes through a veil of shredded, plastic curtains. But every time she did, there seemed to be a dozen more. Slowly, but surely, she made her way deeper into the room until finally, she reached something not made of plastic.
A chair. Which, when spun around, dropped the remains of a mummified corpse with its forehead partially opened.
Suki (and team RWBY) all let out a loud shriek.
"That's it!" Qrow growled. "This place is evil. She should just pack her bags and leave while she still can."
"Um, her bags are packed and she can't leave," Ruby explained, though did clutch her stomach uneasily.
"Dang it."
Panicking, Suki spins around aimlessly, noticing more and more skeletons around the room. It was only then that she noticed this room was exactly like the one she had just come from; hexagonal with each skeleton around a desk and a chair in the center. The ones on the floor still had their hands embedded into the indentations.
Suki quickly leaves the room. Snow crunches under each step. She stops to catch her breath and breaths heavily. But a bright light suddenly shines into her eyes. An entryway around the corner opened.
"Don't go there! It's a trap!" Yang yelled.
Drawn by the light, Suki stepped towards the doorway.
"Damn!"
Inside is the familiar room with the watcher. He smiles and waves at her as she enters and notices the rows of frozen people practically glued to their monitors.
"Who are you?" she asks as she slips her torch into her purse and steps forward.
"I am the Editor," the man explains.
Weiss gave an exasperated sigh. "The Doctor, the Librarian, and now the Editor? Are there any more titles we should be aware of?"
"Says the Schnee heiress," the Librarian smirks. "Inside the T.A.R.D.I.S."
"But I have a name that goes with it," she grumbled. "Unlike these people."
"Oh, they - we - have names. But names aren't everything."
"What's happening?" Suki asks, her voice quivering. "There are bodies out there. What's going on?"
The Editor shakes his head. "While we're asking questions, would you please confirm your name?" He snaps his fingers and a hologram of Suki appears between them."
"My name is Suki Macrae Cantrell," the holographic recording states. "I was born one-nine-nine' eight-nine (199'89) in the Independent Republic of Morocco."
"Liar!" the editor yells.
The recording doesn't stop. "Hobbies include reading and archeology. I'm not an expert or anything, I just like digging."
"Liar!"
Ruby gulped. "If he knows this already, why is he plying the recording for her?"
"To see how she responds," Blake answered. "She's made herself the perfect candidate and now it's just about seeing why."
"I want to work for Satellite Five because my sister can't afford university, and the pay scheme is really good."
Once more, the Editor gives a cry of 'Liar!' before snapping his fingers and causing the projection to disappear. "Let's look at the facts, shall we?"
Snap.
A new hologram appears, but drastically different. Suki now wears a uniform of military camouflage and brandishes a large gun. The hologram shows her lifting the weapon and yelling orders, firing in a war zone.
Qrow whistled. "Now that's my kind of girl."
Yang elbowed him. "Uncle Qrow, your kind of girl is whoever you can get."
"Hidden behind a genetic graft, but that's still you," the Editor comments. As he does, Suki's entire posture changes from a scared girl to a hardened soldier. Her back straightens and her eyes become somehow sharper. "Eva Saint Julienne, last surviving member of the Freedom Fifteen. Hmm, self-declared anarchist. Is that right?"
Suddenly, Suki's hand lifts from her purse and pulls out an alien pistol. She points it directly at the Editor. "Who controls Satellite Five?" she growls.
He slowly raises his hands before dropping them in a fit of giggles. "There's the truth!"
"He seems awfully uncaring for someone being threatened," Blake frowned.
"I think he's crazy," Weiss nodded. "And don't forget about whatever that thing that was snarling before."
"He's not unhinged… more like he knows something she doesn't. Like he's positive this is going to work in his favor."
"The Freedom Foundation has been monitoring Satellite Five's transmissions. We have absolute proof that the facts are being manipulated. You are lying to the people."
"Oooh," he chuckles. "I love it. Say it again."
Suki, or Eva, doesn't step down. "This whole system is corrupt. Who do you represent?"
"I'm merely a humble slave," he bows.
Yang wrinkled her nose. "A humble 'slave'? Not even a servant? What the hell is going on here?"
"I answer to the Editor in Chief."
Suki steps forward. "Who is he? Where is he?"
"He's overseeing everything. Literally everything. If you don't mind, I'm going to have to refer this upwards."
The Editor snaps his fingers again, though just to point towards the ceiling. As he does, a familiar growl echoes throughout the room and Suki points her gun toward the source.
"What is that?" she gasps.
"Your boss," the Editor preaches, his arms spread wide. "This has always been your boss, since the day you were born."
Whatever this boss, the Editor in Chief is, it swoops down towards them. Firing, Suki does her best to keep it back but her blasts have little effect. As her pistol clicks with lack of ammo, the soldier screams.
Then everything goes black.
Ruby gulped. "What is that?"
"A monster," Yang growled. "One that the Doctor will have to stop."
"Hopefully before it, they, find out about them," Weiss added. "If they summon him, and he hasn't figured this out, it won't be easy."
Blake gave a small smirk, though her eyes betrayed her confidence. "Nothings ever easy for him. But he always makes it through."
"Yeah, I'm sure he can handle it," Qrow nodded. "But I feel bad for that poor girl."
The Librarian frowned. "I don't think she's dead yet. Let's keep watching."
Back on the Observation Deck, Adam jumps off the scaffolding staircase and walks up to the glass wall. After glancing at the Earth below, he notices a large metal box near the side of the room. While it was similar to the dispensary the Doctor accessed earlier, this one didn't have an ejection slot; just the green hand-print indentation console.
Adam slowly walks over to it and places his hand on it. To his surprise, the monitor activates.
"Give me access," he orders. The monitor beeps and its screen began to shuffle data from all across its servers.
"Ah. He's that kind of time traveler," the Librarian glared.
"What kind?" Yang asked.
"A thief. He's using information from future events to better himself. Like taking a sports almanac to win bets on sporting events in the past. Or having a battery in a world with medieval-level technology."
Yang frowned and gripped her armrests. "What a jerk!"
Adam's eyes go wide. "Give me-"
His hand flies backward with a loud 'zap'. Adam looks down at his palm, flexing his fingers. "I can learn anything," he realizes, checking behind him before placing his palm back on the console.
"Let's try, uh, computers. From the twenty-first century to the present date. Give me the history of the microprocessor."
Data began to flow down the screen. It began to point out key events and specific designs all in alien language.
"Oh, my God."
Weiss mimicked Yang's grip and let out a hiss. "He's doing what van Statten did! Stealing alien technology for his own personal gain!"
"No wonder he was working for him," Qrow agreed. "Little twerp probably got one whiff of time travel and instantly thought it could make him rich."
Just like my father would, Weiss realized. Just like I would have before I joined team RWBY.
Cathica led the Doctor and Rose back into the newsroom. "Look," she groans, "they only give us twenty-minutes maintenance. Can't you give it a rest?" She typed into a large pad and inspected the different consoles.
"But you've never been to another floor?" he asked, jumping into the center broadcasting seat. "Not even one floor down?"
"I went to Floor sixteen when I first arrived. That's medical. That's when I got my head done, and then I… I came straight here." Cathica sighed and pressed on her pad. "Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all."
She froze and studied the two strange people. "You're not management, are you?"
The Doctor smiles. "At last! She's clever."
"I'm surprised it took her this long," Blake said. "The kinds of questions he was asking were to dumb for someone doing an inspection."
"Maybe they like to be thorough?" Yang offered. This earned her a hard glare from her teammate.
"Really?"
Taking a breath, Cathica goes back to work. "Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything."
"Don't you even ask?"
"Well, why would I?"
"You're a journalist," the Doctor smiles. He waves his hands to the general direction of the space station. "Why's all the crew human?"
Cathica frowns. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"There's no aliens on board. Why?"
"I don't know," she shrugs. "No real reason. They're not banned or anything."
"That doesn't mean they aren't accepted," the Librarian whispered.
The Doctor glances around. "Then where are they?"
"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what with all the threats."
"What threats?" Rose asks, opening her mouth for the first time this meeting.
She frowns. "I don't know. All of them, the usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled, so that kept the visitors away. Oh, and the government on Chavic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see?
"Just lots of little reasons, that's all," she finishes, returning back to her survey of the room.
"Sounds kind of suspicious," Ruby frowned.
Qrow nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Especially if that's all information they are sending out. Sounds more like propaganda or fake news to me, spun in a way to make everything seem one way."
"The different lies make up one big lie." Ruby clapped her hands. "Like a story filled with stories."
The Doctor's eyes remain fixed on where she stood. "Adding up to one great big fact. And you didn't even notice."
"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it," Cathica exclaims. "We see everything.
"I can see better. This society's the wrong shape, even the technology."
"It's cutting edge!"
"It's backwards," he counters. "There's a great big door in your head! You should've chucked this out years ago."
Yang's stomach hitched. "They shouldn't have created it at all. Freaky brain-door thing."
"But it is pretty smart," the Librarian shrugged. "Though I do wonder how the information is translated from laser to neuron."
"It's pretty disgusting!" the blonde snapped.
Rose turns to her guide. "So, what do you think's going on?"
"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and bountiful Human Empire is stunted. Something's holding it back."
Frozen for a moment, Cathica regains her cool and snaps back, asking, "and how would you know?"
"Trust me," the Doctor answers. "Humanity's been set back about ninety years. When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"
"…" Cathica glances back and forth between the two travelers. "Ninety-one years ago."
"That's definitely not a coincidence," Weiss frowned.
Blake nodded in agreement. "One year after its initial broadcast and everything stops? Yeah. This news company is keeping it stagnant."
"The question is why."
Using Rose's phone, Adam once again calls his family and, like before, reaches the voicemail.
"Mum," Adam whispers, "Dad, keep this message, okay? Whatever you do, don't erase it."
Back at his parent's house, the dog jumps back up at the sound of one of its owner's voices.
"Save it. You got that?"
Ruby let out a small snarl. "I can't believe it! He's given the opportunity of a lifetime and decides to do this?!"
"This is why time travel shouldn't be for everyone," the Librarian sighed. "The weak-willed are always going to ruin it for everyone else."
Blake frowned. But isn't that what you offered me? That I could use the T.A.R.D.I.S to go back and help my people?
Adam swaps the hand holding the phone and presses his right palm into the console. It beeps and the blue light of the screen shines across his face.
"The microprocessor became redundant in the year two-thousand nineteen," he reads. "Replaced by a system called SMT. That's Single Molecule Transcription."
The screen goes white and replaces the data displayed with the words 'Floor 16'.
Panicking, Adam almost drops the phone. "No, no, no, no, no! What are you doing? Come back! Come…" He kicks the box. "Why are you doing that? What's Floor sixteen? What's down there?"
"Isn't that the medical area Cathica was talking about?" Yang frowned.
Weiss nodded. "I wish it was the security department, however. He deserves to be locked up."
"Yeah!" Ruby cheered, agreeing with her partner.
"Wait," Blake realized as her eyes went wide. "Do you think he's gonna…"
"I don't think even he is that stupid." Qrow took a sip of his drink.
In a new room, and under the numbers '16', the lift doors open as Adam steps out. He looks around, noting the men and women in suits sitting behind desks with lamps shining on their faces. Unlike the other floors, the walls here were sanded to give the impression of cleanliness.
Adam slowly makes his way over to an unused desk and grabs the attention of its attendant. "Sorry, um… Floor sixteen, that's, um… What do you cover?
"Medical non-emergency," the woman, a nurse, answers.
Qrow smirked. "So is there a medical emergency?"
"Yup," the Librarian answered. "Right through the nearest airlock."
The huntsman spits out his drink. "You better be joking."
"I honestly have no idea," he laughs. "But I have seen a world where a crime, any crime, is punishable by Floating."
"Right, yeah, wrong floor," he explains with half-truths. "I'm having technical difficulties. My screen keeps freezing, blocking me out."
The nurse glares at him. "No, that's medical. There must be something wrong with your chip."
Feigning ignorance, Adam claps his hands and leans back. "Yes. Yeah, of course, yeah!" He sighs. "I haven't got one."
"No wonder you can't get a screen to work," she says after a not-so-hidden eye roll. "What are you, a… Student?"
"Yes," he lies, setting down at the desk. "Yeah, I'm um, I'm on a research project… from the University of Mars."
"There is no way whatever college he went to is still around," Weiss cried, exasperated.
"Actually," ELI answers, "Mars is the planet closest to Earth in its system. Adam was being sarcastic most likely. And unknowingly rude to all Martians everywhen."
The nurse rolls her eyes again, this time clearly visible. "The Martian boondocks. Typical."
"Yep!" Adam chuckles.
"Well," she explains, "you still need chipping."
Adam gulps. "So, does that mean like… Brain surgery?"
The nurse frowned and leaned forward. "That's an old-fashioned phrase. But it's the same thing, yes.
"Oh. Okay, never mind." He leans back as if he is about to leave. However, he quickly turns back to the nurse and asks, "but if I get a chip, that means I could use any computer.
"Absolutely." She glances down at his clothes. "You'll have to pay for it. They've stopped subsidizing."
"Ha!" Ruby laughed. "No money, no brain surgery!"
"Oh! Right. Sorry. Wasting your time. Thanks." This time, Adam does get up and starts to make his way back to the elevator. But he quickly stopped as he reaches into his pocket and runs back to the nurse. "Hold on. Can I use this?"
Adam pulls out the credit stick that the Doctor gave him earlier.
The red-cloaked girl visibly deflated. "I forgot about that…"
Noticing the 'card', the nurse's entire demeanor shifts from cold and uncaring to warm and kind. She smiles up at him.
"That'll do nicely."
"I can't believe that this little creep ended up traveling with the Doctor and Rose," Qrow sighed. "Aren't they a better judge of character?"
"Well," Blake defended, "they did just meet him. And they owed him."
"I hope that whatever the Editor in Chief is eats him," Yang growled, crossing her arms.
Ruby shook her head. "I hope the Doctor stops both of them. Then leaves him here in the future."
"That's a little cruel," the Librarian chuckled. "But a fitting punishment."
Weis nodded in agreement. "I still wonder why they 'froze' the Earthian Empire. What do they have to gain?"
"Control. Complete and utter control on how they think and what they use." The Librarian sighed and rubbed his nose. "I knew an evil tyrant who did some5ing similar for a thousand years. He kept technological advancements from being achieved and made himself the sole owner of the most powerful element on the planet. Practically a god."
"What happened to him?" Ruby asked.
The Librarian smiled. "A small crew of people worked together to take down a common enemy. Let's hope the Doctor can inspire the same act."
Huge, huge thanks to my first-ever supporter!
Helpful supporter - Dalek2150
Aaaand back to formula.
I think I finally figured out how to write these chapters. I spend one day writing out 5 minutes and finish an entire half-episode in a week. Also, writing-wise, I tried making the Doctor Who episode in the present tense while the watchers exist in past. I hope this will help differentiate between the two.
This chapter feels weird to me. I honestly haven't written one of these since 2021 and this episode specifically is meant to tease both the finale of the season as well as reference The End of the World. Granted, it probably was a budgeting thing, but I think it works with the story really well too.
The next chapter will (hopefully) come out in a week or two. After that, I'm going to focus on My Mistborn Academia to have it done by its 2-year birthday. Then I'll work super hard to write out the two chapters of Father's Day for this Fic's birthday.
Please, feel free to follow and comment on predictions, thoughts, etc. I am always looking for new ways to improve my craft. Tell your friends!
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readerwarrior