Hello dear readers. So sorry it has taken me so long to post a new chapter. I had major writers block with the chapter. I could not decide how I wanted it to play out, but I really like how I got it now and I hope you do to. So please enjoy!
"Here we go again. We've got out work cut out for us." I heard as I was waking up. My head was hurting and everything looked blurry.
"I don't know- he's sort of handsome. That's a good lantern jaw. And she's got good curves and a tan."
I was finally able to see clearly and heard a robot with purple hair say, "Lantern jaws are so last year and she is a little too curvy."
'Did the robot just call me fat!?' I was laying on a rather hard table with Jack on one next to me. "Sorry… nice to meet you ladies, but where exactly are we?"
"We're giving you two a brand-new image." The purple robot said.
'Oh, no! I just had to be put in THIS game with Jack, didn't I?'
"Oh, hold on, we were with the Doctor…" I started to say but Jack interrupted me, "Why is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"Jack…"
"It's all very twentieth century, where did you get that denim?" A robot with blue hair asked.
"Little place in Cardiff… it was called 'The Top Shop'."
"Oh, design classic," Blue said.
"But we're gonna have to find you some new colors. Maybe get rid of that 'Oklahoma Farm Boy' and 'School Girl' thing you've got going on…"
Both Jack and I looked down at what we were wearing. "Oi! What is wrong with my skirt?" 'These two really know how to make you feel bad about yourself.'
"Just stand still and let the Defabricator work its magic."
"What's a Defabricator?" Jack asked as the robots pushed a button.
The next thing I know, Jack and I were standing there with no clothes on. "Okay… Defabricator. Does exactly what it says on the tin. Am I naked in front of millions of viewers?" Jack asked.
I made a choking noise and tried to cover up as much as possible.
"Absolutely!" The robots said.
Jack just smirked and said, "Ladies… your viewing figures just went up."
Jack and I were now both in black leather pants, he had on a white shirt and I had on a white long shelved shirt. I was watching Jack he was obviously enjoying this as he looked in the mirror. If I were not so freaked out it would have be really funny.
"It's the buccaneer look. Little dash of pirate and just a tweak of President Schwarzenegger," Purple said.
"Nah, not sure about the vest. What about a little bit of color to lift it?" Jack asked.
"Absolutely NOT. Never wear black with color." The Blue robot said, "It makes the color look cheap and the black look boring. Now, let's talk jackets."
"I kinda like the first one…"
"No, that's a bit too much Hell's Angel." It was very hard not to laugh at how everything Jack suggested was a no. "I think I like the shorter one. Look, waist length, nice and slimming, shows off the bum."
Blue patted Jack on the bum and then handed me a short leather jacket as well.
"Works for me," Jack said liking the look.
"Once we've got an outfit, we can look at the face. Ever thought about cosmetic surgery?" Purple asked
"Nope, never! Not to big on messing up me face." I said not liking the robot's train of thought.
"Well, I've considered it, yeah. A little lift around the eyes… tighten up the jaw line. What do you think?" Jack asked looking at me.
Before I could say anything Purple said, "Oh, let's have a BIT more ambition, let's do something…. Cutting edge."
I was shaken by her words knowing they were not good.
Jack and I were now in tennis outfits and once again Jack was in front of the mirror, but this time he was acting as if he was playing tennis.
"No. I'm just no getting this. Its just too safe – too decent," Jack said.
"And you'd never keep it clean," I said making Jack smile over to me nodding his head.
"Stage two ready and waiting," Purple said.
"Bring it on, girls," Jack said and we were naked once again.
"And now it's time for the face-off."
"What does that mean? Do I get to compete with Harper? Because I don't know how comfortable I am with fighter a girl."
Since I was behind Jack, he did not see my look of Annoyance. 'Just because I am a girl does not mean I can't fight.'
"No, like I said face-off," Purple said and Blue added, "I think you'd look good with a dog's head and she would look good with a horse's head."
"Or maybe no head at all. That would be so outrageous."
"An we could stitch your legs to the middle of your chest."
"Nothing is too extreme. It's to die for."
Jack was being very calm about this but I was trying not to freak out. "Now, hold on, ladies. I don't want to have to shoot either one of you."
"But you're unarmed, you're naked."
Jack pulled out a laser from somewhere and pointed it at the robots.
"But…. That's a compact laser deluxe."
"Where were you hiding that?"
"You really don't wanna know," Jack said and I was a little grossed out at the thought of where it could have been.
"Give me that accessory," Purple said but Jack just shot her in the head before shooting Blue in the head also.
"See, now that was just a waste," Jack said about to turn around to me.
"NO! Don't turn around we are both still naked and I think I've seen enough of you today."
"Come on Harper…" He started, still turning around.
"Jack I swear if you turn around I will shoot you with that gun."
"Okay fine, I will just go over here and put some clothes on."
"Thank you."
Once Jack finally went to his clothes I went to find my own outfit. I found a cute black and white plaid dress and just to spite the robots I put on red converse and red and black bracelets. 'You so can wear color with black.'
I walked over to where Jack was working on the Defabricator.
"Compatible systems… just align the wave signature… Thattaboy! Got myself a gun," Jack said. "Well, ladies, the pleasure was all mine."
"Which is the only thing that matters in the end." I said smiling at him.
"Yep, come on Harper. Lets go find the Doctor and Rose."
We ran out of the room and Jack started playing with his Vortex Manipulator, "Two hearts."
"That's the Doctor," I said getting a little anxious to see him.
"Which floor?" Once he got the answer we got into the elevator and up we went.
Jack and I walked into an observation room and saw the Doctor working on a computer and a blond haired girl.
"Hey, handsome! Good to see ya!" Jack said, as I quickly went over to the Doctor.
"You okay?" He asked me.
"Fine, you?" He nodded his head and gave me a quick hug before going back to work.
"Any sign of Rose?" Jack asked.
"Can't you track her down?" The Doctor asked.
"She must still be inside the games. All the rooms are shielded."
"If I can just get inside this computer," I could tell the Doctor was getting anger by the way he was pulling at the wires. "She's got to be here somewhere."
"Well, you'd better hurry up. These games don't have a happy ending." For Jack to be so smart, he could be so dumb. That was not the thing to say to the Doctor at this moment.
"You think I don't know that?" He shot back at Jack.
"There you go." The Doctor quickly took Jack Vortex Manipulator. "Patch that in. It's programmed to find her."
"Thanks."
"Hello," I said to the blond, but Jack took over after that.
"Hey there," he said shaking hands with her.
"Hi"
"Captain Jack Harkness."
"Lynda Moss."
"Nice to meet you, Lynda Moss."
"Do you mind flirting outside?" The Doctor said.
"I was just saying hello."
"For you that's flirting," I said.
"I'm not complaining," Lynda said.
"Muchas gracias," Jack said kissing her hand.
"Jack, move." I pushed Jack out of the way.
"Harper" I said shaking hands with Lynda.
"Oh, so your Harper," Lynda said.
"What?" I asked but before she could say anything the Doctor started talking.
"It's not compatible! This stupid system doesn't make sense." He tossed me Jack VM and pulled the front of the computer off. "This place should be a basic broadcaster. But the systems are twice as complicated. It's more that just television. This station's transmitting something else."
"Like what?" Jack asked as he and the Doctor were working on the computer.
"I don't know. This whole 'Bad Wolf' thing is tied up with me. Someone's manipulating my entire life. It's some kind of trap and Rose is stuck inside."
We were all look at the VM when the Doctor finally said, "Found her! Floor 407."
"Oh no, she's with the Anne-Droid! You've got to get her out of there," Lynda said suddenly.
We were in the elevator and the Doctor and I were watching the numbers go up. The Doctor just kept saying, "Come on, Come on."
We finally made it to floor 407 and we all ran out of the elevator. "Game Room six, which one is it?" The Doctor yelled.
Lynda ran one way saying, "over here."
The Doctor Immediately started to work on getting the door open. I was standing next to him, bouncing on the balls of my feet. 'Come on Doctor, we need to save Rose!'
"Stand back. Let me blast it," Jack said holding his gun at the ready.
"You can't. It's made of Hydra Combination."
Once the Doctor finally got the door open he ran in yelling, "Stop this game. I order you to stop this game."
Rose looked over to us and started to run, yelling, "Look out for the Anne-Droid, it's armed."
She was so close I almost made it to her, but we were to late. The Anne-Droid shot Rose and there was nothing left but a pile of ash. Both the Doctor and I fell to our knees in shock.
I really didn't hear anything else after that. I looked over to the Doctor and saw a guard handcuffing him, but one look at his face and I just could not help but start to cry for Rose.
We were taken to a jail cell of some kind. Jack, Lynda, and I were already in the cell when the Doctor was push up against the door. The guard searched his pockets pulling out the sonic screwdriver, "Can you tell us the purpose of this device, sir?"
When the Doctor said nothing he was told to sit on the bench with us in the cell, then the guard came in and asked the Doctor, "Can you tell us how you got on board?"
"Just leave him alone…" Lynda said. The guard was about to grab her chin to stop her from talking when I quickly put my arm out to stop him.
"Don't." I said, just tired of the guard's attitude. The guard did not like that I stood up to him so he slapped me before turning to the Doctor and trying again. "Sir? Can you tell us who you are?"
Everything was on autopilot after that, and soon we were back in the cell listening to the guard say, "You will be taken from this place to the Lunar Penal Colony, there to be held without trial, you may not appeal against this sentence. Is that understood?"
Since none of us said anything he turned to leave. But just as the guard opened the cell door the Doctor turned to Jack and said, "let's do it."
Jack and the Doctor quickly took care of the guards, knocking them out, and we grabbed the guns running to the elevator.
We all waited at the ready for the elevator to get to floor 500. The numbers seemed to tick by very slowly.
"Okay! Move away from the desk. Nobody try anything clever. Everybody clears. Stand to the sides and stay there," Jack said as we walked into the control room.
Lynda and I were hanging back just a little to stay out of the boys' way.
"Who's in charge of this place?" The Doctor asked as he pointed his gun at the controller who was hooked up to tons of cables and wires. "This satellite's more than a game station. Who killed Rose Tyler?"
"All staff are reminded that solar flares-" the controller just keep talking although the Doctor was not listening.
"I want answers," he yelled.
One of the male programmers spoke up at this point, "She can't reply." The Doctor turned and pointed his gun at the man quickly put up his hands saying, "don't shoot."
"Oh, don't be so thick." The Doctor tossed his gun into the male programmers arms, "like I was ever gonna shoot. Captain, we've got more guards on the way up. Secure the exits."
"Yes, sir!" Jack left to go do just that.
"You – what were you saying?" The Doctor turned but to the man.
Bless his heart he looked so scared right now.
"But… I've got your gun?"
"Okay, so shoot me. What can't she answer?" He said in one breath.
"She's um… can I put this down?"
"If you want, just hurry up," the Doctor was getting very impatient with him.
"Thanks. Sorry. Um… the controller is linked to the transmissions. The entire output goes through her brain – you're not a member of staff so she doesn't recognize your existence."
"What's her name?" I asked looking up at her.
"I don't know. She was installed when she was five years old. That's the only life she's ever known."
"Oh, the poor dear." I said putting my hand over my month in horror. 'How could someone do something like that to a little girl?'
"Door's sealed. We should be safe for about ten minutes." Jack said from across the room.
"Keep an eye on 'em."
"But that stuff you were saying about something going on with the game station. I think you're right. I kept a log. Unauthorized transmits, encrypted signals, it's been going on for years."
"Show me," the Doctor said.
While the programmer was talking I walked over to Jack and saw he looking at the Vortex Manipulator and then at a door. We both headed for it.
Right when he tried to open the door one of the female programmers said, "You're not allowed in there. Archive six is out of bounds."
"Does he look like an out-of-bounds sort of guy?" I asked as Jack held up the gun he had.
When we got into the room the TARDIS was right in the middle. Jack and I immediately ran up to it and Jack unlocked the door. I looked around the console room making sure she was alright, 'you alright Sexy?'
'Just fine my little human, just glad you are home.'
I smile at the TARDIS as I walked up to where Jack was. He had a surprised look on his face so I asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing! Actually everything is perfect!" He said as he picked me up and spun me around in a circle, and both of us started laughing.
"We found the TARDIS." Jack said as we re-enter the room.
"We're not leaving now." The Doctor said not even looking over to us.
"No, but the TARDIS worked it out." Jack said and pulled one of the workers out of his chair, "you'll wanna watch this. Lynda, could you stand over there for me please?"
"I – I just wanna go home."
"It'll only take a second. Could you stand in that spot, quick as you can?"
"It's ok, go." I said to Lynda trying to make the girl feel a little bit better.
When she got in place Jack said, "Everybody watching? Okay… three, two, one…"
When Jack said one a beam shot out and hit Lynda.
The Doctor looked shocked at Jack, "but you killed her!"
"Oh, d'you think!" Jack said before pushing another button and Lynda appeared right by the Doctor's side.
"What the hell was that?" Lynda asked.
"It's a transmat beam. Not a disintegrator. A secondary transmat system." I said getting excited about this find.
"People don't get killed in the games! They get transported across space. Doctor, Rose is still alive." When Jack said this both him and the Doctor cheered and hugged.
The control room was a flurry of activity as we all tried to find Rose.
"She's out there somewhere," the Doctor said as he went to another computer.
"Doctor, co-ordinates five point six point one…" the controller said to talk. I was worried about her. There was no more solar flare to hide her from her masters. 'No please stop talking.'
"Don't the solar flare's gone, they'll hear you." The Doctor said trying to get her to stop.
"Point four three four… no my masters, no! I defy you stigma seven…" She screamed as she was taken from the room.
I quickly turn my face toward the Doctor's shoulder no wanting to see wear she had been and tried to not cry. All the Doctor could say was, "they took her."
After the controller was taken a feeling came over the room. It was very much a somber feeling. I just could not stop think about that poor girl, living her whole life connected to a machine only to be taken in such a brutal way.
"Look, use that. It might contain the final numbers." One of the programmers said as he gave something to Jack. "I kept a log of all the unscheduled transmissions."
"Nice… thanks… Captain Jack Harkness, by the way." I knew that look on his face, and it was never good.
"I'm Davitch Pavale."
"Nice to meet you, Davitch Pavale."
"There's a time and a place." The Doctor said getting annoyed at Jack.
"And this is neither." I whispered to the Doctor so only he would hear. He gave a small smile before one of the other programmers asked, "Are you saying this entire set-up's been a disguise all along?"
"Going way back. Installing the Jagrafess a hundred years ago. Someone's been playing a long game. Controlling the Human Race from behind the scenes for generations," the Doctor answered.
"Click on this," Jack held something to the Doctor and then a picture came up of a solar system. "The transmat delivers to that point. Right on the edge of the solar system."
"There's nothing there," someone said.
"It looks like nothing. 'Cause that's what this satellite does. Underneath the transmission, there's another signal…."
"Doing what?" Davitch asked.
"Hiding whatever's out there. Hiding it from sonar, radar, scanner. There's something sitting right on top of planet Earth, but it's completely invisible." The Doctor quickly started working on the computer, "if I cancel the signal…"
Hundreds of ships become visible to us. I let out a little gasp and grabbed the Doctor's hand.
"That's impossible. I know those ships… they were destroyed," Jack said looking to the Doctor.
"Obviously, they survived." The Doctor grabbed my hand a little tighter as if he was worried I would soon be taken way like Rose was.
"Who did? Who are they?" Lynda asked.
"Two hundred ships. More than two thousand on board each one. That's just about half a million of them."
"Half a million what?" Davitch asked.
"Daleks," the Doctor and I said at the same time.
All of a sudden the picture changed to one of the Daleks and Rose. I could tell the Doctor was getting angry by the second as he let go of my hand and crossed his arms.
"I will talk to the Doctor," One of the Daleks said.
"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" He said with fake cheeriness and a small wave.
"The Dalek Stratagem nears completion. The fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene."
"Oh, really? Why's that then?"
"We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated."
"No," the Doctor said very calmly as everyone but me turned to look at him.
"Explain yourself."
"I said 'no'."
"What is the meaning of this negative?"
"It means 'no'."
"No! 'Cos this is what I'm gonna do… I'm gonna rescue her. I'm gonna save Rose Tyler from the middle of the Dalek Fleet, and then I'm gonna save the Earth, and then just to finish off, I'm gonna wipe every last STINKING Dalek outta the sky."
'And there we have the On Coming Storm.' He was a little scary to me so I would hate to be on the receiving end of that.
"But you have no weapons! No defenses! No plan!"
"Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death? Rose?"
"Yes, Doctor?"
"I'm coming to get you." With that he stopped the connection with the Daleks. 'And so it begins,' I thought sadly, knowing how this story ends.
Well what do you think? I just want to say thank you so much for reading my story and for all the reviews. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time… allons-y.
