The Doctor pulled me away from Victoria and Jaimie so that I didn't get the answers I wanted, but something was happening to me…and I wanted to know what.
"What about the ionizer", the Doctor asked Clent after having letting go of my arm, "Um, Miss Garrett", Clent said pointing to the female scientist.
"Ionizing is a method of intensifying the sun's heat onto the Earth, but to particular areas", Miss Garrett explained, "Yeah, it's like a magnifying glass", the Doctor stated.
"You mean you can melt glaciers change the weather", Victoria asked, "In certain areas and very carefully", I told her and she nodded.
"Um, when certain difficulties are overcome", Clent said. "Precise control is not easy", Miss Garret told us, so basically if they're not careful they could roast us all, I thought grimly.
"We can't afford to make mistakes. Ionization can produce temperatures intense enough to melt rock", Clent told us all.
"Yeah, but such a procedure can have high risk of failure or worse can harm those in the line of fire", I told them, "Yes, but we're taking every precaution", Miss Garrett told me.
"Only by maintaining a perfect balance can we prevent wide spread flooding or fires", Miss Garret added.
"Can't computers solve the problem of control", the Doctor asked, "Of course they can", Miss Garrett and then paused as she put number into the computer that sat in the middle of the room.
"Well", the Doctor asked waiting for her to answer, "When the input is complete they will give us a solution", she told him.
"So your waiting-", "Oh I see and how long will that be", the Doctor asked cutting me off and I sighed, "Soon, Doctor, soon", she told him.
The they sowed the Doctor the ice glaciers taking over the continents on screen, everywhere there was ice…this really was like a second ice age. Then Clent offered a temporary job to the Doctor to help them with the ice and hesitantly accepted humbly. Miss Garrett was to help him with the computers and she set up one for the Doctor to work on.
"Every decision is checked, to eliminate the risk of failure. Because, of course, all decisions and all actions, must conform to the common good", Miss Garrett told the Doctor as he and I gave her a concerned look.
Later a couple of men came into the room with rolling table holding a long and large pack of ice, I looked at them and it questioningly.
"Is this…your full co-operation, Arden? How do you expect to carry this out…good heavens", Clent said as soon as he saw what the men had brought in. The ice itself looked like it had a large man within it.
"Yes. I thought you'd be impressed Clent. Right chaps, let's have him over here", Arden said, pushing the table to the far wall.
Everyone quickly went over to examine the large block of ice, "What is it", Victoria asked, "I saw what looked to be a man inside", I told her as the Doctor and Jaimie came over to examine it as well.
"It looks like a Viking warrior, look at the helmet", Clent commented standing next to the Doctor.
"Frozen for centuries in the ice, perfectly preserved. Hm..that's odd though", Doctor said, examining it even closer.
"What? Who are you", the man, who brought the large pack of ice in, asked, "He's an addition to our staff-", "What's wrong Doctor", I asked cutting Clent off.
"Well the helmet…that's what is wrong. When the man was frozen to death…only cavemen existed", the Doctor explained, "Well that's…weird", I commented, "Very", the Doctor agreed.
"Well, I say it's an undiscovered civilization. Think of the implications", Arden told Clent, the head scientist, proudly.
I sighed at the man, "Well, whatever the implications, it must still take second place to our ionizer project. We have our daily planning conference in three minutes fifteen seconds exactly", Clent told Arden, before walking away.
"Come along Arden! Play with your toy after the meeting", Clent told him, then Arden followed him out of the room.
"What's supposed to happen, Doctor", Jaimie asked. "You see this fellow Arden has set the electricity so that the ice melt very slowly, allowing resistance", the Doctor explained to him.
"It's working quite quickly", Victoria commented, "What if it turns out to be something we thought it wasn't", I asked, "Then we'll have a big problem", the Doctor told me and then narrowed his eyes at the frozen man.
"I think there is some impurities in the ice", the Doctor told us as the ice was melting very quickly; then he noticed something and went closer examining the frozen man.
"I say…look at that", he commented, "What is it" I asked, "An electric connection… I'm sure of it", the Doctor told us.
"It can't be", Victoria said quietly, "Now you wait here, and…don't touch anything", the Doctor said as he pulled the three of back away from the frozen man.
"Acacia, come with me", the Doctor said as he grabbed my hand and we left the room, "Wait…what", I said as I was dragged away. We ran back into the laboratory to interrupt the scientists in the middle of their meeting to tell them that the frozen man they had brought in was actually a giant robot.
Of course, they didn't believe the Doctor at first, even I could hardly believe it myself…a giant robot? That is until we all heard a scream come from the other room; the scientists, Doctor, and I ran back to the medical center to find that the ice had completely melted and the frozen man was gone taking Victoria with it.
Jaimie was knocked out on the floor, when we quickly went up to him and asked what had happened he told us he could hardly remember. All he remembers was being knocked out after having tried to protect Victoria.
We searched the entire building and the village outside and there were no signs of Victoria and the robot After having spent hours outside until regrouping back inside the laboratory, since it was freezing outside so we could get warmed up.
Suddenly the big monitor turned on with Victoria's face on it…she was crying, after much tears and comfort from the Doctor we were all glad she was okay. She explained to us that she went with the ice warriors willingly, but then tried to run away until they captured her again.
"Where do the ice warriors come from", the Doctor asked, "Er…they come from…Mars", she told him.
"That's not important. Have you seen a propulsion unit of the spacecraft girl", Clent asked, "She's probably under a lot of stress, it doesn't help to shout at her", I said angrily.
"What? Like you haven't before", he glared at me as I glared back.
"Oh, propulsion unit", Victoria asked, "The engines", Clent explained, "Oh yes. They're preparing them now", Victoria told him.
"What kind are they? It's vitally important", he told her, "Oh, I…. I Have no idea", she exclaimed.
"Well, reactor turbine? Ion jet? Anti-gravity? Think girl, think", Clent yelled, "Stop it! You're making her feel stupid", I told the head scientist glaring, then my brows knitted together in confusion…how could I possibly know that?
Just as I thought that, Clent asked me the very same thing in anger as Victoria was silent, "Can you describe them to us, Victoria dear", the doctor asked calmly and I sighed turning towards the screen.
"Yes...I think so", she told the Doctor as her voice shook. "Well, hurry girl", Clent shouted, "Stop yelling at her", I growled, "Look, it isn't easy…I need time to think…" Victoria said as the screen faded away.
"Victoria? Victoria, what's happened? Are you alright? Answer me", the Doctor asked worried.
"Victoria", I called as I fiddled with my hands; I felt fear, but…it wasn't my own. What's happening to me I thought as I felt my head grow a little heavier and I was developing a slight headache.
Then the screen appeared again and we saw Victoria's face and sighed in relief, "I'm alright…it's the glacier, it's moving all the time", she told us.
"You're not hurt", the Doctor asked and she shook her head, then I sighed in relief.
"Okay, good", I commented smiling a bit, "The engines, tell us about the engines", Clent yelled desperately, "Maybe she could remember if you stopped yelling", I told him angrily.
We turned our attention to the screen as Victoria shook her head and cried trying to remember, the she looked up and quaked in fear, "There's someone coming", she told us frightened, "Can you see the base from there", the Doctor asked quickly.
She looked away and then back at us shaking her head yes as she said, "Yes, yes I can", "Do you think you can get back to it", the Doctor asked her as I looked at my hands and noticed they were shaking, then I clenched them into fists to make them stop as I lowered them to my sides.
"I can give it a try", she told him, "We'll get I contact with you as soon as we can, good luck", the Doctor told her and then the screen faded again. After that I became incredibly dizzy and the Doctor was quick to grab me before I fell to the floor, then he gently placed me down on a chair. The head scientist asked the Doctor what was going on with me, but the Doctor told him he couldn't say…but it was getting stronger as he pulled the napkin from my pocket.
"You think I wouldn't notice", he asked me as he showed me the napkin, "I hoped you wouldn't…I didn't want to worry anyone", I told him sleepily, then he sighed and stood.
"So...is this an automatic chemical dispenser", the Doctor asked Clent walking away and towards a machine. "Yes", Miss Garrett told him, "How does it work", the Doctor asked her.
"Well, you choose a category of the article that you want by…er…indicating it on one of this chops here", the head scientist explained to him, walking up to the machinery.
I watched the machine spin curiously, "Jolly good and…now you dial the precise chemical formula that you want there", Clent told him pointing towards a couple of knobs.
"May I? There's a couple of things I need desperately", the Doctor asked him, "What is that", the other man asked, "A couple of bottles of water", the Doctor told him and doing as they instructed, taking the bottles of water out before walking up to me and handing me one.
"Thank you", I said before peeling of the plastic lid, "Cheers", the Doctor said as we drank our water.
"Ah, that's better…now then, let's see…Jaimie has vanished, Victoria's on her way back to the base, and Acacia is getting sick. Neither of them can help us with our main problem. An exact description of the spacecraft's propulsion unit", the Doctor told us, before going back to the dispenser machine and pulling something out of it.
"That will", Miss Garrett questioned pointing at the bottle the Doctor now held in his hand, "I will", the Doctor corrected, "With the help of ammonium sulphide", the head scientist asked amused.
"We know these creatures come from mars, don't we? What do we know about the planet's atmospheric conditions", the Doctor asked walking over to my chair.
"There's no oxygen, just mostly nitrogen", I said confused, "Then they're not going to enjoy this little concoction much, are they", he told us.
"What? You mean you plan to use it as a kind of toxic gas", Clent asked him. "Well, if I'm going to an alien spaceship it may come in handy", the Doctor told him.
"Doctor", I said trying to stand, before he sat me back down, "Now don't be ridiculous. We've lost Arden already", the head scientist told the Doctor, "Arden fell into a trap. I know what to expect", the Doctor told the man.
"I refuse to allow you to go", Clent told him, "Splendid! You go instead then", the Doctor said annoyed, holding out the bottle towards the man.
"No one can be spared! Least of all Leader Clent", Miss Garrett told him, "I can be spared. I've done all I can here. The ionizer will work without me", the Doctor told them, "I'll start getting ready then", Miss Garrett said going back to work on the computers.
"But if anything goes wrong with the countdown…I think the one to be spared is the sickly girl! She has done nothing to aid us thus far- ", "No", the Doctor yelled, which caught us all off guard.
"She needs care and you'll manage without me", the Doctor said calmly, "No", the head scientist said firmly.
"It's as simple as this: someone has to get to the spacecraft, find out what sort of propulsion unit it has, and bring the information back to you or we can't use the ionizer! Now who better then me", the Doctor told him.
"I've come to regard you as Penley's replacement, and…alright, alright! But, it's strictly under protest", Clent told him, "Thank you", the Doctor said.
"I'll send over the information on this little communicator, so you'll be able to hear everything I or they say…if it come to that", then he started putting on his coat.
"You mean you're going to allow them to take you prisoner", Miss Garrett asked and the Doctor gave her a look, "But they're armed, you need other means to protect yourself", Clent added.
To which the Doctor said, "I don't need weapons, I have this", the Doctor said showing the bottle he held in his hand.
"No…I'm not allowing you to go in alone", I said trying to stand, before the Doctor sat me back down again.
"You need to rest and I'm not you go while you're sick, I'll check up on you when I get back", the Doctor told me before patting my shoulder, then he left.
Miss Garrett then escorted me to the medical center, then laid me down on one of the beds to get some sleep. After she left, I thought about the possibilities of what might have been happening to me…could I be having some after effects of time travel? It's not like I've been traveling by normal means, like by a Tardis…my head was getting heavier…nose bleeds…
Now was not the time to worry about myself, I must help the others…I snuck out of the medical center and made it towards the door of the computer room and eavesdrop. Over a radio, I heard that the Doctor was in danger and the ice warriors were more ruthless then we thought, the had two hostages now! Victoria and the Doctor! Now the ice warriors wanted the scientist's main computer and they were afraid that the ionizer was some sort of large weapon.
I heard Miss Garrett say they were slowly losing power, but she couldn't or wouldn't dare increase, "Summary of orders to all world Ionizer stations: The new equation originated from Brittonicus Base will be adapted to conditions prevailing in each sector. All bases will prepare full ionizer attack on concentrated action. Zero hour in six hours. Report readiness in one hour", I heard the computer say.
"We can't do it", I heard Clent say, "But if we don't the whole plan must fail", said Miss Garrett, "But if we act and there's an explosion…apart from destroying the base, the contamination could easily- ", "We must state our problem to World Control, now!"
"No, we wait! We'll give our computer all the information we have", "It isn't enough!" "Maybe…maybe", "I know what the computer will say", "No, no, no, no, let the computer speak for itself!", "There's only one answer it can give!"
There was no time to lose I had to go, so I left and walked outside in the heaps amount of snow. I followed the footsteps that lead out of the dome and into a cave that was full of ice, it was so cold that I was shivering. I mustn't lose track of my destination, I thought as I ventured further into the cave until I stopped at an unusual wall which was not made of ice but instead made of metal.
"Who are you", I heard a whisper like voice say next to me, looking towards my right I saw a screen with the same helmet I had saw the man who was frozen in the ice before.
My eyes widened in realization before I said, "My name is Acacia Wood, I'm here to see my friend about something urgent." The ice warrior seemed skeptical before I heard the Doctor shout, "Acacia! What are you doing here?!"
"You're alright", I said relieved, "Well, of course I'm alright…why are you here", the Doctor asked me, "I'm here about something urgent, about Clent, Miss Garret, and their computer", I said hinting.
"Oh? You have to let her in", the Doctor told the ice warrior as it still seemed skeptical, "You heard her, she said it's urgent", the Doctor told it, before the ice warrior decided to let me in.
The metal door went up and I quickly went inside before it had it shut behind me, "Doctor", I said before he had his arms up waiting for a hug. I just stood there awkwardly, before he coughed nervously, lowering his arms to his side.
"What is it", he asked me and I walked up to him, explaining the situation back at the base.
"Seems like emotions are running high and to destroy this place…they'll be killing themselves as well as us", the Doctor told me.
"This cannot happen", the ice warrior said next to us, before leading us into another room, "The engine room. Close the engine room", the ice warrior ordered, before the door behind us closed and locked, "Well", the ice warrior asked the Doctor.
"Hm? It's an ion reactor, isn't it? Hmm, it could be dangerous, but not necessarily explode", the Doctor told the ice warrior.
"True, but your friends do not know that", the ice warrior told the Doctor, holding up his communicator, "Now, why don't you let us help you", the Doctor asked.
"We can get what we want without your help", the ice warrior told him, "They think we are a threat."
"Not all of them", told the ice warrior, "Yes! And what else do you need apart from escaping from the ice", the Doctor asked the giant ice warrior.
The ice warrior turned towards us, "We have had enough of your questions", it told us annoyed, "Now you will give me answers", then it took a menacingly step toward us, the Doctor and I took a step back.
"Well, I've told you all about what I can about the ionizer", the Doctor told the ice warrior, "That is only a toy, the base-what is its power source and tell me what is this girl", it asked us.
I was baffled, "How were you able to find our spaceship", the ice warrior asked me, "I…I just followed the very large footsteps", I answered nervously.
"There are no footsteps. Whatever was there, would have been covered hours ago", it told me and my eyes widened.
"But that's what I saw", I told the giant ice warrior.
"Why do you want to know what the power source of the base is", the Doctor asked, trying to distract the ice warrior, "Answer", it ordered.
"Oh, that what you need" the Doctor exclaimed, having figured it out. Then another ice warrior demanded that I answer the first one's question as it held Victoria hostage.
"Fuel! Fuel! You need fuel for the reactor! And suppose we don't tell you", the Doctor told them.
"The girl dies, now", the ice warrior said menacingly and I glowered at it as I was frightened for Victoria, "You can't do that", I growled.
"Can't I", the Ice warrior, who held Victoria, said cruelly.
"Doctor! Acacia! Don't tell them anything", Victoria cried, she was trying to act brave, my fists clenched together. They were going to kill her if we didn't do something.