AN/ Back again with another update. Was away for a few days busy other things and didn't have my computer to type this up. I am amazed that people are liking my story, it can actually be really hard to write for certain fandom's as there is so many wonderful and varied stories out there. I know this might not be for everyone's tastes but its been something I've always wanted to write. So for those of you who are sticking with my story thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy it.
If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask me and I'll do my best to answer them, depending upon if they are spoilers or not :)
Without further adieu here is the next chapter
RR
jd009
Chapter 4: The Next Doctor- The Cybermen Rise!
We sprinted as fast as we could away from both the Cybermen and that crazy poshtak. We finally stopped in a deserted street around a mile from where we had been. All of us, including the Doctor were breathing heavily leaning over to catch our breath. I was surprised, but no less pleased to see that Jackson Lake had chosen to withhold his grief in light of the greater threat to this city from the Cybermen. It spoke of the strength he had within him and cemented what the Doctor had deduced for himself, that Jackson was a brilliant and brave man, who had lost so much.
"Nice to see you again, Jackson." I said my genuine pleasure showing when I beamed at him. Jackson smiled back at me in return. "Rosita, for what you did back there, thank you. She had no right to speak to you that way and she is deluded if she thinks that any self-respecting woman would lower herself to those standards to achieve liberation." I continued. Rosita nodded in return.
"It was my pleasure, Riana. I couldn't just let her get away with such slander in front of someone who has both been respectful and courteous towards me, despite my gender, station and colouring" She acknowledged.
"That stronghold down by the river. I need to find a way in." The Doctor said abruptly changing the subject. Everyone's attention suddenly focused back on the matter at hand.
"I'm ahead of you! My wife and I were moving to London so I could take up a post at the university. And while my memory is still not intact, this was in the luggage. The deeds - 15 Latimer Street. And if I discovered the Cybermen there, in the cellar, then..." He said excitedly holding the documents out for each of us to see.
"That might be our way in." I said, happy that finally something was going right for us, amongst this nightmare.
"Brilliant!" The Doctor crowed in triumphant.
"But there's still more. I remember the cellar...and my wife. But I swear there was something else in that room. If we can find that, perhaps that's the key to defeating these invaders. So...onwards!" he shouted as he took off again down the street.
"Grandfather damn all, what is with all this running?" I said in irritation as we once again began to sprint towards our destination. I wondered if this was a common occurrence with the Doctor and any of his adventures?
"Maybe you should go back..." The Doctor hesitantly suggested of Rosita. I felt like slapping him, honestly! The woman had saved his behind twice now in one day and he couldn't cut her the least bit of slack in regards to tagging along. She certainly knew more about what she was doing than I did, and I was a woman too.
"Don't even try!" she angrily exclaimed as she took off following Jackson. The Doctor shrugged in surrender. "I'll take that as a no then."
I was once again torn out of my body, to find myself gazing into a dark building. I sighed in annoyance. This time I knew what was happening as the Doctor had explained it to me. The locket was showing me what the Cybermen were doing at this exact moment.
"Excellent. And as for you, Mr Cole, Mr Scoones, Mr Fetch and Mr Milligan, your work is done." The unexpected voice of the villainess Mercy Hartigan caught my attention, when she pulled a lever and all four men were electrocuted to death. I could only stare in horror at the scene, as I hopelessly screamed for it to stop.
I don't think any of them could hear me as no one responded to my screams of distress and anger. As the four men fell to the floor dead, Miss Hartigan turned to walk through a door into a cavernous room. I followed closely behind, once I tried to touch one of the dead men, only to find my hand passing right through him.
Inside was only worse, on all levels, dirty, half starved children slaved away under the dim light of the many furnaces. I gasped in sorrow. I didn't like to see any of them suffering. None of them should be condemned to this sort of miserable life- but there was nothing I could do to help them. Except try and pay attention to what was being shown and hopefully help the Doctor and Jackson in some way.
" Children! Pay attention! Now let the new Industrial Revolution begin. I want to see you work!" She shouted down to them below, the echo of her steel voice carrying. The children continued to carry, shovel coal and manually turn gears while Cybermen watched.
"Energy levels 60% and rising." One of the cybermen supplied.
A Cyberman with a black part to his metal face and what looked like part of his brain showing replied. "Soon the CyberKing will awake." Hartigan watched on gleefully before putting her arm through one of the Cybermen's, like a gentleman would do.
"Then show me." She said.
I glared at her as she started to walk away from where I was standing. "I will you bitch. You won't get away with what you're doing. I'll stop you." I promised and meant it with every breath in my body.
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I was forcefully yanked back into my body as I half stumbled a step before regaining my footing. The Doctor had slowed down when he noticed my miss fall. He dropped back to match my slowed pace.
"Are you ok Riana?" he asked. I was breathing heavily, but nodded tight lipped on the vision, having remembered what the Doctor had told me before.
"It was a vision, wasn't it?" he tried again. I nodded finally. He smiled sympathetically at me, patting my arm slightly before picking up his speed again. I sighed, understanding that this was probably going to be a regular occurrence from now on.
It wasn't much further that we reached an abandoned house. Well abandoned in the sense that there were no lights on inside to indicate life from within the large house. Jackson entered the side of the house going around until a set of trap doors that opened outwards from the outside of the house were visible. It was slanted slightly and a set of dark stairs descended below out of sight.
Jackson brough forth a candle stick for light, so we could see as we went down. Perhaps I should have been scared at this point, going uncertainly forward to potentially my death with people I had known for little over 24 hrs. Part of me was, part of me was telling myself to run away, as afar and as fast as possible. But another part, a much larger part reminded myself that I had made a promise those children and to Miss Hartigan and to all those who had died needlessly, to put a stop to it. That's what I would do and the Doctor was my best bet for succeeding.
It didn't matter if I would ever get home, at that moment all that I cared about was the fact that if I died, at least it would be trying to prevent this from ever occurring next to people I considered honourable. A worthy death, a death worth remembering. Not just fading from sight and mind, fading away as though no one ever knew you existed…
I shook my head I couldn't get distracted, it was vital I paid attention.
We entered the cellar to see a Cyberman standing guard over something. The Cyberman had barely raised its arm to shout 'delete', before Jackson had raised one of the infostamps to kill it. I applauded his initiative.
"Must've been guarding this. A Dimension Vault! Stolen from the Daleks again, that's how the Cybermen travelled through time. Jackson, is this the thing you couldn't remember?" The Doctor asked urgently.
"I don't think so. I'm... I just can't see. It's like it's hidden." Jackson said as he again tried to remember, what else had been taken from him. The Doctor had knelt down to examine the obviously future looking device. I could make no sense of it. It looked like no piece of technology I had ever seen. Usually the only pieces of truly futuristic technology I touched were trinkets and pieces of jewellery.
"Yeah, not enough power. Come on! Avanti!" He shouted as he took off down a narrow, low ceilinged tunnel, that probably lead to the sewers. I cringed, great, I was going to be even more filthy and this was one of my best work dresses. My mother was going to kill me.
We proceeded with some caution down the narrow winding tunnels, trying to keep a look out for any sign of the Cybermen. I couldn't hear anything and my ears were quite sensitive. Rosita was up ahead of me holding her skirts up as she ran along.
"What do the Cybermen want?" Rosita asked the Doctor. I too was curious, although I had a fair guess, something along the lines of world domination.
"They want us. That's what Cybermen are - human beings with their brains put into metal shells. They want every living thing to be like them." The Doctor said with some disgust. I shuddered at the thought of having my brain ripped from my skull to be placed in a metal shell for all eternity with no emotions. It was not an appealing thought.
"That's truly horrible. What manner of creature created such a monster?" I questioned. The Doctor looked over his shoulder at me as he answered my question.
"Who do you think? You were there, sorry will be there. Humans from the future who wanted immortality, but could only achieve a taste of it, and only a half-life at best. Their creations became so powerful they rebelled and started to turn others and so forth. Many died to stop it." He said sadly. I looked on shocked. Humans had done this?
"What about Time Lords and Zell. Do they convert them as well?" I asked hesitantly. The Doctor shook his head thankfully.
"No, we're safe enough, the worst they'll do is kill you painfully." His statement didn't exactly bring me comfort.
Rosita looked between the two of us thoughtfully.
"You said before that you were this Doctor, yeah? You're some sort of Time Lord? What is that exactly and what is a Zell?" she asked. I stopped. I hadn't even thought about the fact that both the Doctor and I were aliens on this world. I suppose he could blend in well enough, but my blue hair was a dead giveaway that I didn't belong.
"A Time Lord is a race of beings from a far-off planet, much like this one. I am one of those, Rosita. My people developed the ability to not only travel through space, but also time. A Zell, is another race of people from the stars as well, although from a far different place then my people. Also from a much different time. They have unusual abilities that some would call magic, such as the ability to move objects with their mind. Riana is one of them." He replied. Rosita and Jackson looked on in awe between the two of us.
"So the blue hair and the lights around objects, that makes you not human?" she asked cautiously. I snorted. But laughed slightly at her nervousness.
"Yes Rosita, my people are born with blue hair in all varying shades. They also have pointed ears." I said as I pushed my hair behind one of my ears, displaying the obvious difference. Jackson gasped but laughed in delight.
"You're like a faery, from one of Shakespeare's plays." He said. I wondered who this Shakespeare was and whether it was a good thing to be compared to this fay-ree?
"Yes, yes. Now let's focus." The Doctor reminded us sternly.
"Oh, that is magnificent." Miss Hartigan said as she walked across a narrow bridge. At the end a throne flanked by two Cybermen was visible.
"That is royalty, indeed. And that's quite a throne. Oh, you will look resplendent." She said admiringly towards the Cyberman with black upon his face.
"The chair you designate as "throne" is not intended for me. My function is to serve the CyberKing, not to become the CyberKing." The Cyberman responded emotionlessly.
"Then who sits there?" She asked confused. The Cyberman turned to face her.
"No! Now, just...I think if you remember correctly, you said I was to be heralded." She said starting to panic. The Cyberman turned to her and said. "All hail the CyberKing."
"All hail the CyberKing." The rest of the Cybermen echoed her.
"But you promised I would never be converted!" She yelled angrily.
"That was designated a "lie"." The Cyberman responded. Miss HARTIGAN was pulled forward and strapped to the chair. The rest of the Cybermen walked back across the bridge to take up their positions.
"You can't do this to me!" She yelled frantically trying to escape.
"Incorrect. It is done." The black-faced Cyberman replied with no sympathy to the desperate women's plight.
"But I would have served you anyway!" She yelled.
"Your mind is riven with anger and abuse and revenge. These have no place in a Cybermind. Activate!" He stated as a helmet-like device lowered from above the chair."Emotions have tormented you all of your life. Now you will be set free. This is your liberation." He continued.
"For the love of God! Have you no pity?" She said in one last despairing attempt to reason with the Cyberman. As though finally realising the extent of her failure.
"Correct." He supplied. Just as the device clampsed onto Miss Hartingan's head and electricity charged through her. She gasped when it is was done.
"A CyberKing is born." The Cyberman proclaimed to the rest of the Cybermen. "All hail the CyberKing." They cried out. When Miss Hartigan opened her eyes, they were completely black.
I gasped once again as I was forcefully pulled back into my body from the intense all senses consuming vision. If what I had seen was true that meant that the poor deluded woman was now converted into one of those metal machines. She was the CyberKing. It was even worse than I imagined.
The Doctor, Jackson and Rosita had come across a grate in the drain pipe, through which a massive workforce could be seen. The exact same one as before from my earlier vision. I could see too many children amongst the smoke and dimness. They were filthy and being worked tirelessly under the watchful eye of the Cybermen. I wanted to telekinetically crush all those horrible machines heads, to free them.
"Upon my soul." Jackson shocked, exclaimed in horror, narrating the feelings of everyone else around him.
"What is it?" Rosita breathed. I followed with my eyes to where she was looking at the massive contraption before us.
"It's an engine. They're generating electricity." The Doctor replied. "
But what for?" I asked the Doctor. He could only look at me blankly with no immediate answer.
"We can set them free!" Jackson said getting ready to charge forward. The Doctor caught him and shook his head. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no…" He said a startled terror in his eyes visible. He suddenly got up and ran back the way we had just come.
"Doctor" I started "It's Miss Hartigan, the Cybermen have done something to her, turned her into one of them. They've started calling her the CYberKing" I said as we ran. The Doctor looked even more determined from before.
"Don't tell me anymore, Riana. But thank you. This mean that its ten times worse than before." He said pessimistically. He had run up towards a panel that was measuring the power readouts from the machine.
"Power at 90%! But if we stop the engine, the power dies down, the Cybermen will come running. Ooh. Hold on. Power fluctuation. That's not meant to happen." The Doctor stated confusion in his voice.
"We could put up a barrier around the exists of the room and get everyone out before reinforcement arrive. I could probably hold them off for a good 5 minutes or so." I said putting my idea out there. The Doctor looked surprised at the option and kissed my head gratefully.
"A brave idea, but Riana you don't know how many exists there are, or how many Cybermen there will be. If they used too many weapons at once it wouldn't work. There had to be another way." He said determinedly as he continued to watch the readings.
"It's going wrong?" Jackson asked.
"No, it's weird. The software's rewriting itself." The Doctor clarified.
"It's changing." I said in surprise.
"What the hell's happening? It's out of control!" The Doctor shouted as he jumped out of the way of an electrical surge.
"It's accelerating. 96%, 97..." Jackson said in a rush.
"When it reaches 100, what about the children?" Rosita asked concern leaking into her voice.
"They get rid of them, they're meant to be disposable and I'm not about to let that happen." I said determinedly as I ran off. I heard the Doctor calling my name behind, for me to stop. I ignored him in favour of trying to free the children. I was done paying to the whims of a mad woman. She was going to Vespin for this and I was going to enjoy every minute of it.
An alarm was sounding in the distance as the Cybermen began to shout 'delete'. The children cried out in terror but I was there and I wasn't letting anymore innocents die this day. I rushed forward and crushed the nearest Cyberman's head under a telekinetic field. I did it to several more before the Doctor, Jackson and Rosita showed up.
Jackson and Rosita both used an infostamp each to blow up a Cyberman's head. I laughed in glee at the things I was feeling at that moment. This was how all battles should go, with the heroes winning.
"Right. Now! All of you, out! D'you hear me? That's an order! Every single one of you, run!" The Doctor shouted as all the children started to tear for the exits. I helped usher them out as fast I could, praying to Grandfather that no more Cybermen were coming at that moment and they would all be able to safely get out.
"All of you, come on! As fast as you can, come on!" Jackson called also helping to usher the dirty children out of the sewers. The Doctor encouraged them to run faster by shouting that there would be hot food at the end if they sprinted.
"Rosita, get them out of the sluice gate! And once you're out, keep running! Far as you can! Come on, come on, come on." He called out to the children, whom only the last ones were just clearing the room. Rosita nodded at us once before continuing to usher the children out. I almost went to help her, but the Doctor caught my hand before I could.
"Not you, Riana, I need you with me. C'mon" He said as he continued to try and get children out. I stood frozen in shock and confusion at his statement. He sent Rosita to safety but wanted me to remain with him in the face of danger? I couldn't simply figure this man out, who exactly was he? Not to mention the secrets he knew about me… He couldn't be could he? No! I wasn't going to think about that now, I had to remain on task and not let Jackson and the Doctor down.
The Doctor insisted the last of the remaining children out. "Go! Quick, quick. It's some sort of starter motor, but starting what?" He said as he again checked the power metre. Jackson was staring at some boys that were running down from the higher reaches. He has stood frozen as a startled realisation occurred to him.
He looked up, and I followed his line of sight to see, on the very top level is a little boy frozen with fear.
"That's my son... My son. Doctor, my son!" He yelled. I gasped in horror as I watched the small boy still standing there. What must he be feeling at that moment. I looked around searching for a way up but I don't think any of us could get to him in time.
"What?!" The Doctor questioned in horror as he came to stand beside Jackson and me.
"They took my son. No wonder my mind escaped! Those damned Cybermen, they took my child. But he's alive, Doctor! Frederic!" Jackson called with all his might, to capture the terrified child's attention.
The Doctor also called out to Frederic as well. "Come on!" I joined in shouting encouragements to get the boy to move.
"Doctor it's not working." I stated.
"No, he's too scared. Stay there! Don't move! I'm coming." Jackson said as he headed for the stairs. But a large explosion occurs and fire blocks the route to the stairs. I gasped. What could I do, what could I do… I repeated over and over to myself. Pushing my brain to find a way to save the child and give some hope back to this torn apart and devastated family. It was the least Jackson deserved for all he done for this city.
My brain was sluggish though and I could almost hear an echo of Hartigan's voice shouting 'The CyberKing rising!'. I shook it off though as a large tremor occurred beneath out feet. Knocking Jackson and the Doctor off their feet. I managed to remain mostly upright still focused on the terrified child above me.
"I can't get up there. Fred!" Jackson called to Frederic. The boy could only stare at his father in terror.
"They've finished with the motor. It's going to blow up" The Doctor shouted frustration in his voice.
"What are we going to do, Doctor?! What are we going to do?!" Jackson screamed in panic at the thought of losing his only remaining family left. Suddenly it wasn't Frederic standing there, but another terrified child, another little girl, crying for her father. Begging him to save her from the horrors of the world. All alone and by herself…
"Papa!" The child cried. The ground was cracking around her and she was going to fall to her death. The planet they were visiting was an isolated one, with a barely sophisticated people on it. Prone to much volcanic activity.
"Papa! Please save me!" the child cried again. A man stood on the other side, his face was obscured by some sort of invisible force. Not allowing you to glimpse him completely. His desperate pleas for the child to remain still and to reassure her she would be alright could be heard. The child only cried harder. A large crack with bubbling magma opened not a metre from her.
The man screamed in terror, before he threw himself over the gap and hung on only by his fingertips. He heaved himself up over the ridge cradling the small terrified child in his arms.
"Papa, papa." The child sobbed. He soothingly held her as she cried into his warm body. He coughed as the noxious gases began to enter their lungs. He picked her up trying to protect her as much as he could.
He looked around frantically for an escape, his movement causing the child to jerk awake. She began to cry again before the man placed his hands on her forehead and a drowsiness over took her. The bliss of darkness welcoming as the familiar wheezing noise started as the ash and smoke cleared and fresh air was breathed.
"Oh, my Riana, my Keldosa, why?" The soft voice whispered as he laid the small child to rest.
The painful memory abruptly cut off as I was left standing in the position I had been in before, with the still terrified boy looking down and the Doctor trying to think of a way to save him. I was shocked, I had forgotten about that, that terrified child had been me!
I wouldn't let this child be separated from his father, even if it killed me. I promised that I would help this man all I could. I ran forward even as the Doctor and Jackson realised what I was doing. Fire burned around me, sparks catching my already stained and torn dress. I raised my hands and created the biggest telekinetic field I could around the terrified boy.
"Riana, what are you doing? You can't hold him like that." The Doctor said frantically shouted, but I ignored him. I had always been the best at this out of all the children in my neighbourhood.
It seemed to be working, as the terrified boy was slowly lifting into the air above the platform. Crying out in fear as he did so. I slowly, my arms straining with effort began to bring him towards me. It was slow going as I constantly had to measure how strong the field was so he didn't become crushed or fall through it. Eventually I managed to lower him enough that when I cut off the field he fell safely into his father's waiting arms. I was shaking and covered in sweat after that effort. The whole place was coming down around us.
The Doctor grabbed both of us and pulled us out of the crashing building. We emerged from the smoke and fire relatively unscathed. Even small Frederic was only shaken, not seriously hurt, thanks to the telekinetic barrier I put around him, to protect him from the flames.
We collapsed against the cold snow, gasping in clean air and thanking the stars we were still alive. The Doctor was smiling the biggest grin I had ever seen him wear. He was laughing at the sight of father and son embracing in a tearful reunion on Christmas Day. I laughed along with them.
"Merry Christmas!" The Doctor said. I also wished them both the same, even if I didn't exactly know the significance of the pagan festival.
The Doctor suddenly came towards me and pulled me to my feet as dirty and sweaty as I was and hugged me tightly. I was shocked to feel a wetness on my forehead. Was he crying?
When I looked it was difficult to make out in the darkness. I slowly returned the firmness of the hug. It had been too long since someone had hugged me properly and right in that moment I needed it and didn't care if it looked like something else.
"That was a brilliant thing you did back there. You know that, right?" he said softly. I nodded into his chest. He drew back to look into my eyes. His deep brown meeting my light blue. He pressed a kiss to my forehead again.
"But I would expect nothing less from my magnificent Riana, who always manages to save the day. Just when I'm about to give up hope." He said with a smile.
"I did it because I promised myself I would never watch another child suffer if I could do something to prevent it. NO child should ever have to live like that and no father should be without his child, just as no child should be without her father." I whispered a piercing misery filling my heart as the old wound reopened. The Doctor only held me tighter.
"Shh, its ok. That's over Riana, it's not you. Fredric and Jackson have one another, they're gonna be ok." He said softly. Something suspicious in me suspected he knew the truth about what had happened with my father. Why it was such a terrible subject for me to discuss. For now, I would leave it be not willing to risk opening more old wounds, that should long be buried.
We eventually collected ourselves and started to make our way back towards the cellar and towards the house we had left. Jackson carrying his son and the Doctor holding my hand, in what I was thinking was a form of reassurance to my presence. We dodged the burning debris field around us. As we walked I couldn't help but notice my dress was truly a lost cause now. Even I didn't think I would be repairing it any time soon.
As we finally reached the cellar in 15 Latimer Street, the Doctor told Jackson and I to head for the surface while he grabbed a sceptre like object off the floor. I could hear the shaking from the tunnel we had just existed as the flames of the explosion almost reached us.
"Come on, Doctor! Hurry up!" Jackson shouted. The Doctor managed to get out just in time.
We all glanced up when a loud voice boomed out of the night. A very familiar voice of the Cyber controlled Miss Hartigan now calling herself the CyberKing.
"Behold! I am risen! Witness me, mankind, as CyberKing of all." She said.
The four of us finally reached the river where a monstrous, steam punk Cyberman stood towering over all of London.
"For the love of Grandfather and all the Light in the ENTIRE Seven Worlds, will this night not ever end? Or does that poshtak tek tek, plan on ever using her brains that she claims are so superior to everyone, to actually think about the consequences of building such a stupid device. All I want it to have a shower and go to bed." I complained. I think the Doctor agreed with me as his hand tightened slightly, but he made no comment towards my statement.
"It's a CyberKing." The Doctor finally explained.
"And a CyberKing is what?" Jackson asked clearly turned around by this new set of events.
"It's a ship! Dreadnought class! Front line of an invasion. And inside the chest, a Cyberfactory, ready to convert millions!" The Doctor said angrily. I huffed in irritation getting ready to implement whatever the Doctor's new crazy plan would entail.
Hartigan's irritating voice could still be heard as the whole monster began to walk through he city. The faint cries of the people reached my ears. "And I will walk! I will stride across this tiny little world!" she exclaimed.
We began to run again.
The Doctor finally slowed as he glanced at the CyberKing again, a steel sort of determination in his eyes.
"Take him south, go to the parkland." The Doctor said turning to Jackson, who held his son like a life line.
"But where are you going?!" Jackson asked us. I replied before the Doctor could already instinctively knowing the answer.
"We're gonna stop that thing, anyway we can." I said. The Doctor looked sternly at me at my words.
"I should be with you!" Jackson said determination evident in his voice. I shook my head softly coming forward to place my hand upon his shoulder.
"Jackson, you've got your son. You've got a reason to live." I stated in as calm a voice as possible. "I promised that I would do everything in my power to see you suffering no more. Well you have a second chance. Be brave. Be brilliant, don't lose sight of that, you're a good man. One of the best I've ever known an I know you will not let him down and do what you must for him." I said. Jackson looked surprised at my long statement but didn't argue. Instead turning towards and asking.
"And you haven't?" He asked of us both. The Doctor only looked forlornly as me and seemed to come to a decision on a matter. Jackson read the bland expression and my own startled one at the Doctor's countenance, before simply stating "God save you Doctor, Riana." He turned around and left with his son, heading south, to safety.
As I was about to turn and follow the Doctor he stopped me.
"Riana, I can't tell you how sorry I am about all of this. I didn't mean for your first trip to be so dangerous and nearly have us die so many times. But I must ask you this one time to listen to me when I say stay here. I mean it. I wished to show you so many things, but I guess they'll have to wait. But Riana you have all those times ahead of you and you get to live them all. If you come with me, you might die and then time will change. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen! I've lost too much already. Sacrificed to much just for a chance…." He trailed off in sadness as he leaned towards me. My heart was pounding in my chest at his words.
He didn't want me to help him? I thought he said I was brilliant and always saved the day. There were still so many questions I had. Who was he to me? What exactly had happened in the past to make him this way. What were the Time Lords and how did we end up in this situation in the first place? Could I ever go home? I wouldn't let him just leave me like this. I refused!
"Doctor…" I started to say but he cut me off again. His fingers coming to cup my jaw in a firm grip. I felt the blood warming my cheeks in a blush at his intimate position.
"Please Riana, just this once. Do as you're told. I'm sorry for this, but…if I never again get the chance then this might be my last opportunity." He said as he finally lowered his mouth to mine. His lips were firm and insistent in their mission to conquer my mouth. I had never been kissed quite like this.
He drove me wild with his soft sweet mouth which devoured my own. He coaxed my lips to part so he could slip his silken tongue inside. I gasped as this invasion and could only surrender to his burning fierce passion as he fought to dominate me with his mouth.
I could hardly think straight as feelings of arousal flared low in my belly and my stomach quivered at his touch. Even though his fingers only tangled themselves in my snarled cerulean locks. My heart was pounding and my head was hurting from trying to tell myself to stop enjoying this complete stranger's kiss, which meant nothing.
I broke away from him suddenly, shoving him hard so he almost tripped over backwards. I was suddenly angry. How dare he! I wasn't some damsel in distress that was incapable of doing anything and he wasn't just going to leave me behind.
"What was that?!" I cried in confusion. The Doctor looked slightly guilty as his actions.
"You know what, I don't want to know. But if you think for one moment, that after all we've seen and done tonight I'm just going to let you run off into the night and leave me alone in a time and place I don't know anything about, you've got another thing coming Time Boy. I am not going to stand by while all these people get killed and you might as well. Whatever rubbish about all those times to come, they don't matter because they haven't happened for me yet. We here, right now, right here and we're all that matters at this moment to stop that psychotic bitch from destroying this world and all the wonderful people on it. So I'm telling you to get your dwinni arse up and help me save this planet!" I ordered him. He only blink in shock before nodding to show he understood.
"Ahem, how about we just forget that kiss, Ok. Honestly it was just a friendly gesture…" HE tried. I snorted in obvious disbelief.
"Not on your life chulki." I said as his mouth fell open in shock. "I am never letting you forget the fact, you randomly kiss strange girls you have never met before, in life threatening situations." The Doctor flushed as we began to run again. He took the lead as he obviously had a plan.
We entered the same stables that we had left from earlier. It was empty this time and the Doctor immediately set to work on tearing apart one of Jackson's suitcases.
"What are you looking for?" I asked as I watched on.
"All the infostamps I can find. Here, you might need these." He said as he tossed me a belt of them. I put it over my head one side resting on my left shoulder, the other hung on my right hip. The Doctor had done the same, when a man's scared question alerted us to another presence in the room.
"What the hell is that thing, sir?" Jed from before asked. I remembered my anger at this man and resolved to deal with him later. But the Doctor had other ideas, eyes alight with a plan.
"Oh, good man. Jed, wasn't it? Jed, I need your help!" The Doctor said. Poor Jed's eyes widened in terror at the prospect.
"I'm not going out there!" He yelled. The Doctor sensing he needed more persuasion offered to give him a five pound note. I could see the wavering of Jed's decision.
"Um... All right. What d'you want me to do?" he finally relented. I snorted, I at least knew not to trust this man if there was no currency involved now, he was a coward through and through.
"The TARDIS is gonna fly!" The Doctor yelled back happily as he took off out into the courtyard of the stables.
"What? That's your crazy plan, fly into the mouth of the monster with infostamps and hope to overload the CyberKing's head?" I said in bewilderment. I was not exactly ok with this, surely the Doctor had a better plan.
"Mostly, got a problem with that?" He asked as he set about throwing the sceptre, and infostamps into the basket of the balloon. I shook my head.
"You are more than tookihal, you are kanwaii!" I said with finality. "But I suppose I can't talk you out of this, this time, can I?" The Doctor only grinned madly.
"We have to give them a chance, Riana. It's what we do. One chance and if they don't take it, we stop them." With that he helped me into the basket.
"You're flamin' bonkers, sir, ma'am!" Jed shouted from the ground.
"It's been said before! Now gimme. Not enough power, come on! Jed! Let her loose!" He said from where he was busy prepping the balloon for flight.
"Ever flown one of these before?" Jed asked. I shook my head. We both looked at the Doctor. "Nope! Never!" he replied.
"Can I have my money now?" Jed asked, whining slightly.
"Can you only really think about money at a time like this, you big lout? There are people's lives at stake, so quit your whinging." I said as I helped the Doctor pull the roped into the basket of the TARDIS.
"Oh, get on with it!" The Doctor snapped, fed up with man's snivelling nature.
Jed untied the last rope as I looked up to see that we had started to float up into the air. The giant CyberKing not far in front of us.
"God's luck to you, sir, ma'am!" Jed cried out as he laughed in some incredulity at the what we were attempting. The Doctor nodded towards the young man as we continued to ascend.
"Riana, the sandbags, get rid of them." The Doctor ordered as he himself started to chuck them over the side. I complied and found we rose faster. The Doctor looked around to judge the direction we were heading. I started to pray we would get this right.
An alarm started to go off and Miss Hartigan's voice could be heard telling the monstrous metal machine to turn around and face us. The Doctor checked the sceptre device again but muttered to himself in irritation that the device wasn't fully charged yet. I readied my infostamps as did the Doctor in preparation to face the wicked woman.
"Excellent. The Doctor and his little blue haired minx! Yet another man come to assert himself against me in the night." She said. I growled at the stupidity of this woman.
"Who are you calling a minx, you cyber hag. And I'm not his little anything, or does everything about you revolve around telling men that they are inferior? So much for women's liberation, you're no better than them." I shouted in reply angrily.
"Miss Hartigan, we're offering you a choice." The Doctor said talking over my angry rant, to distract the enraged woman. "You might have the most remarkable mind this world has ever seen. Strong enough to control the Cybermen themselves!" he said with no amount of awe in his voice. While I disagreed with offering this horrible woman a choice, I couldn't deny that controlling something with no emotions, took a fair amount of will power to accomplish.
"I don't need you to sanction me." She stated.
"No, but such a mind deserves to live!" The Doctor pleaded with her. Trying to get her to see reason and appeal to her vanity. "The Cybermen came to this world using a Dimension Vault. I can use that device to find you a home. With no people to convert. But a new world where you can live out your mechanical life in peace." He continued.
"She isn't going to agree, she's too far gone Doctor. Killed too many, done too many horrible things to be able to redeem herself." I said. The Doctor looked at me disapprovingly of my opinion.
"Be that as it may, she must make that choice. As you well know Riana, no one is ever too far gone to ever redeem themselves completely in favour of a new path." He said with a touch of anger in his tone. I flinched. I knew what the Doctor was referring to and it hurt that he would use that against me at this time. But he was right, no one was ever too far gone not to be given a second chance to make amends for their sins.
"I have the world below, and it is abundant with so many minds, ready to become extensions of me. Why would I leave this place?" She said as though such a thought was beneath her very being.
"Because if you don't, we'll have to stop you. Check your facts, we're the Doctor and Riana and we've done it before" The Doctor exclaimed.
"What do you make of me, sir? An idiot?" The amused woman said.
"Yes, and so much more the fool for rejecting this one chance Miss Hartigan!" I said loudly as I aimed the infostamps at her.
"The question is, what do you make of us?" The Doctor said as he too raised his infostamps in her direction.
"Destroy them!" she ordered. The Doctor sighed in defeat as he pressed the button and a beam of light shot out from the end of it. I also did the same and another beam of light hit Miss Hartigan in the centre of her new headdress.
"You make us into this." The Doctor said with no remorse in his voice.
"Then I have made the both of you failures. Your weapons are useless." She declared sitting still upon her throne unharmed. I looked on in surprise, wasn't she supposed to be defeated. But the Doctor didn't look like we had failed.
"I wasn't trying to kill you. All I did was break the Cyber-connection, leaving your mind open. Open, I think, for the first time in far too many years, so you can see. Just look at yourself. Look at what you've done." He said. I looked on in slight horror as the now normal Miss Hartigan began to scream in terror as the Cybermen began to turn on her.
"I'm sorry Miss Hartigan, but you brought this on yourself." I said softly.
"Look at what you've become." The Doctor finished. The balloon rocked slightly as the power that Miss Hartigan had been channelling backlashed and began to destroy the Cybermen. The CyberKing started to collapse upon itself as the screams of the people below us reached my ears.
"Doctor!" I shouted in alarm. I created a field around the CyberKIng as best I could to stop it immediately killing everyone. I wouldn't be able to hold it long. Just long enough to give people a chance to flee from under its wake. I could feel the strain and the Doctor looked on in surprise.
A sudden beeping from the sceptre alerted the Doctor and he cried out in relief.
"Oh. Now you're ready!" He said in annoyance as he pointed the dimension vault like a gun and aimed the energy waves at the colossus. The CyberKing began to disappear just as the Doctor shouted for me to release the field. I did so and finally after everything that had happened this day, London was saved.
I collapsed against the bottom of the basket in relief and in exhaustion. I hadn't slept in hours and I felt like I had been put through a shredder. I laughed softly at the fact I was still alive and at the impossibility of the events. This Doctor was sure mad, but amazingly impossible all the same. He leaned against the edge of the balloon looking out into the early morning light. I could smell the smoke from the houses and feel the cold wind from the snow.
"We did it Doctor, against every odd, we saved London, and Jackson, Rosita and his son can live in peace now." I said happily. The Doctor turned to me with a slight smile on his face. He knelt down beside me and took one of his hand in mine, placing a chaste kiss on it again.
"What would I do without you, my Riana?" He said softly. I blushed under his intense gaze before looking away.
"Oh, I'm sure you would still have figured out a way to save them all." I brushed off his praise. He laughed.
"Always the modest one you are. But give yourself the credit this time, we both saved London and this is only your first time meeting me. I wanted to thank you, for trusting me when you hardly know me. I know it can't have been easy, especially with my…actions" He said as he himself looked away embarrassedly.
"Doctor, I think I'm starting to understand that some things are best left unknown until the time is right for them to be revealed. Don't you agree?" I said as I went to stand up. I wanted to make light of the serious matter that had been shown today between the Doctor and I. Whatever sort of relationship we might have one day, on this day I think I could safely say it was the start of an interesting friendship.
"Friends?" I said offering my hand out for him to accept. The Doctor looked between my hand and my face in some thought before he firmly gripped my hand pulling himself up. He shook.
"I think I can live with that." He replied. We both grinned madly at each other before starting to laugh.
"So, a balloon over primitive London on another planet. I certainly think this qualifies as an awesome first trip. Melu!" I said excitedly. The Doctor gazed off thoughtfully again as was suddenly distracted by the thunderous applause wafting from below. I gasped as I realised it was the cities inhabitants that were clapping for us and what we had done. While I might still wish to go home and be amongst people I did know, there was something truly brilliant about being acknowledged for your efforts.
The faint voice of Jackson could be heard amongst the applause. "Bravo, bravo sir, ma'am!" The Doctor waved down and I joined him in Jackson's praise. I stood up suddenly as an idea came to me, I grasped the clapper of the bell and rung it loudly. The Doctor laughed at my action.
He leaned back on the edge of the basket in no apparent need to rush down from our position floating amongst the night.
"Where to next Doctor?" I asked.
"For once, I think I am going to just enjoy not having to rush to anything. It isn't often that I get that chance." He replied. I joined him looking out over the activity below.
"I think I can live with that." I said as we continued to drift aimlessly.
Eventually the Doctor brought us down on the outskirts of London city. The Gas in the balloon was allowed to escape as we made our way back to original market place where our adventure had begun. The Doctor was content to walk hand in hand in relative silence as we watched people begin to re-emerge and right the toppled over stalls and destroyed debris littering the snow-covered ground.
The faint chatter of people's conversations reached our ears. Before we eventually ran into Jackson again. He hugged both the Doctor and I exuberantly and praised us for all the days to come for destroying the dreaded machine. I laughed with him and affectionately kissed his cheek in thanks. I reminded him that he was also responsible for saving London and to take could care of Frederic, from now on. He promised he would.
"The city will recover, as London always does. Though the events of today will be history, spoken of for centuries to come!" He said proudly. The Doctor looked off awkwardly.
"Yeah. Funny that." He said. I raised an eyebrow at him in question, but he chose to ignore it.
"And a new history begins for me. I find myself a widower, but with my son and with a good friend." Jackson continued. We both turned to look at Rosita holding Frederic standing beside Jed.
"Now, take care of that one. She's marvellous." The Doctor stated amusedly. I only laughed I agreement.
"Only if you agree to be as considerate to this stunning young woman beside you Doctor who can apparently keep you on your toes well enough." Jackson half-jokingly replied. The Doctor looked slightly remiss on something before he squeezed my hand affectionately.
"Always do. Although it's more like her to take care of me and keep me on my toes." He said.
"Gee thanks." I muttered. Both men laughed.
"Frederic will need a nursemaid and I can think of none better. But you're welcome to join us. We thought we might all dine together, at the Traveller's Halt, a Christmas feast, in celebration, and in memory of those we have lost. You won't stay?" Jackson asked as the Doctor looked away. I for one wanted a hot meal and a bath.
"I would love to Jackson." I said elbowing the Doctor in the side to get him to agree with me.
"Like I said, you know me. Always things to do." The Doctor replied evasively. I was confused, why would the Doctor be trying to avoid spending more time with these amazing people? We had by this point approached the alley where the Doctor had first parked the TARDIS. I was openly staring in both awe and fear at the familiar blue box. I had only seen but a few days ago, in actuality, but felt like a lifetime ago. How could this be the same box? I hadn't been paying enough attention in the beginning to realise the ship when we had first arrived. Too much in shock to utilise my observational skills.
"No, I don't think anyone does. Oh! And this is it! Oh, if I might, Doctor? One last adventure?" Jackson said in wonder at the sight.
"Oh, be my guest." The Doctor said unlocking the door. I was too stunned to coherently make a sentence, probably looking like a moron gaping like a swanali space fish. For when the door opened the sheer size of the ship was revealed to me. This man just kept becoming more impossible and more impossible.
"Oh... Oh, my word. Oh. Oh, goodness me. But this is... But this is nonsense!" He exclaimed in wonder. I joined him in looking around the familiar console room.
"It's bigger on the inside!" I said sheer amazement. "I never noticed before." I breathed. The Doctor looked amused at both our reactions. At Jackson's description, he looked slightly hurt at the lack of descriptive wonder.
"Well, that's one word for it. Yeah. Although I suppose you didn't have much chance before Riana to look at the old girl." He questioned. I spun around to stare at him in question. How had I seen this box before? If it belonged to the Doctor did that mean I had met him before now?
"How? I saw this box not but three days ago. But I couldn't have, I only just met you?" I asked of him. He sighed but said nothing.
"Complete and utter, wonderful nonsense! How very, very silly! Oh, no. I can't bear it! Oh, it's causing my head to ache. No, no, no, no, no, no, no..." The overwhelmed Jackson said as he clutched his head and ran out. The Doctor followed him. I slowly walked towards the door a well.
Jackson leaned against the wall as he gazed between the two of us. "Oh! Oh, gracious. That's quite enough." The Doctor closed the door behind us. "I take it this is goodbye." Jackson asked.
"Onwards and upwards. "He replied sadly.
"People to see, places to be." I added.
"Tell me one thing, both of you. All those facts and figures I saw of The Doctor's life, you were never alone. All those bright and shining companions! But not any more? What happened? What about the woman I saw in my vision?" Jackson queried. I had no answer to give. I also wondered about other companions as well? What did that make me then?
"Not anymore. Just Riana and I as it has been for a long time now. Than only me again when she leaves. As for the woman, forget about her. She's long gone and I don't think will ever be returning." He said. I looked between them.
"I'm sort of new at this Jackson. Like you are. We don't always travel together in the right order, or so the Doctor tells me. But such is the life of a time traveller, right Doctor?" I asked, he nodded.
"Might I ask, why not?" Jackson pushed.
"They leave. Because they should, or they find someone else, or they have to. And some of them… Some of them forget me. I suppose, in the end…they break my hearts." He said with such pain in his voice that I felt like crying. How could one man carry such pain every day for as long as he lived?
"Not everyone will leave you." I said softly as I held his hand to try and help soothe the ache. His eyes were so intense that it was difficult to gaze upon them without being overwhelmed. He appeared so young, yet his eyes were so old. He raised the back of my hand to kiss it in thanks.
"Not even you Riana know all of what the future holds. Don't make promises you can't keep." He reminded me gently.
"That offer of Christmas dinner, it's no longer a request, it's a demand." Jackson exclaimed.
"In memory of those we've lost. Oh, go on then!" The Doctor said resignedly. I laughed in joy at this happy ending, to the tragic day.
"Not just in loss, but in those we have gained this day as well." I reminded the both of them.
"Too right Miss Tahlay, and I would be honoured if you would join us as well. I know Rosita would be particularly happy with your presence. Something about the common sense of a woman." He said winking.
"I think that is a great idea. However, I might have to remind you all the trouble started with the lack of common sense from one woman in the first place. So I think we're even on that front." I said happily, as I linked my arms through the Doctor as we turned to follow Jackson back the way we came from.
"Just this once. You've actually gone and changed my mind. Not many people can do that! Jackson, if anyone had to be The Doctor, I'm glad it was you." The Doctor said.
"The feast awaits. Come with me! Walk this way." He said as he lead us on.
"Merry Christmas to you, Jackson." The Doctor called.
"Merry Christmas, indeed, Doctor, Miss Tahlay!" He cheerfully replied.
"Merry Christmas to all." I declared, much to the amusement of both men. "Hopefully every Christmas is not this this eventful." The Doctor only groaned in dismay.
"I wish you hadn't just said that Riana, you might come to regret it." He said. I only shrugged as we continued to walk into the darkness. If there was one thing I knew, it was that nothing was ever going to be the same again.
Next Chapter: The Beast Below- Hello, Bowtie man.
Akheet Word List
Vespin – The equivalent of Hell.
Chulki – Sexy/foxy/lover of romantic attention*
Dwinni – skinny, short or child like
Melu- An expression largely used to describe the feeling of delight one gets when encountering something unexpectant or astonishing.
Tookihal- Strange or crazy to the extreme. Beyond what is considered normal.
Kanwaii-Insanely mad.
Poshtak- Akheet term for high and might or themselves.
*The name is often used in an affectionate way, to describe someone who is a bit of a flirt. Which is what Riana calls the Doctor after he kisses her.