"How in hell...?"
"I don't know, but this has to end now." The Doctor looked straight into Romana's eyes.
"Suddenly, your company is beginning to look very good."
"Charming."
"Blue eyes, that's new!" he called, beginning to shuffle forward again.
"Thank you?"
"So we have to wait for what, three hours?"
"According to the records they work in shifts, if I turn up and flash the Psychic Paper, which says, in not so many words I'm the Rani's new PA or something, they'll be tired, they'll do whatever they're bloody well told."
"We hope."
"It's pretty simple, but unfortunately, I'm assuming the scanner won't pick me up- this isn't my universe and...it's complicated, anyway- you on the other hand, stay the hell off the floor."
"What if it does pick you up?"
"Run like hell, we have back up."
"That's it?"
"Feel free to pitch ideas!"
-
The prison was situated on the very edge of the city, far underground. From the surface, there was a grand, slick tower, the location of the main government departments and the office of the Governor, who resided in a penthouse suite that had been specially added after the last election. The Ambassador lived in the centre of the city, in a similarly luxurious manner.
The Governor had won a landslide victory. She had appealed to the fears of the people, and had promised to clean up politics and be tough on crime.
The previous Governor, Yfor, was a famous reformer and had been the one who had restored the H4's place among thriving humanoid democracies.
There were rumours that the world's renaissance had been helped along by another reformer, from another world, who survived in legend. The new Governor had told the people the 'truth'; a new version of events that painted Yfor and his friend as power-hungry, murderous and profoundly biased against new forms of humans like themselves. She told a story of how his friend had blood on his hands, and how he had recruited followers on Earth, including powerful and influential figures- by misusing Time Travel and how he had ruined the lives of everyone he came into contact with. The destroyer of lives, and of worlds who, with some black humour, it was assumed, called himself the Doctor, the last of an indolent and arrogant Higher Species, known as Time Lords.
-
Aggie parked her TARDIS deep inside the prison, in an area she knew wouldn't be checked very often; all the focus was on the floor which contained Donna, Martha, Jack, and it was assumed, anyone associated with Doctor who was considered a threat.
The perception filter meant that, after a quick explanation, none of the prisoners made life difficult- they were all for the cause if it meant a chance at freedom, deserved or otherwise.
Aggie knew that the whole system had to be brought to its knees. Rose was the final defence, with some persuasion, she would stay behind and convince the prisoners, who were mostly there on trumped-up charges, of the plan and how everyone had to be on the right side for this to work, if anyone could convince them, it would be this one, Aggie reasoned. The next line of defence was the Doctor's clone who would keep watch and step in if the prisoners rebelled against Rose's speech in any way.
Aggie had wanted Isobel to stay behind but, like most of a Time Lord's companions, she wasn't having any of it. She was given a stun gun, and told stay along the corridor, up in the ventilation, like the Doctor and Romana.
"If they spot us, she can temporarily stun them. The low security cells aren't dead locked, I've unlocked them, but they're not aware, if it gets out of hand-" she handed a spare sonic to Rose "-lock it up again. When I reach them and they try to escape, the Master will deliberately lag behind, and will be handed a second Sonic by Mr Bow Tie, who is as we speak, waiting for right moment for access to the mainframe, and will open the deadlock so the above can happen. Once everyone is out, we will all be back here and in there. safe. Then we will organise a take over of the government building, using this prisoners- they're not thugs, these are political prisoners- should they comply- if not and- probably if so, as well- this will will include me and Jack and if this secure, the Doctor.
"Remember, they're currently tending towards supporting us, keep them positive and if it gets nasty- lock 'em up. But we need to keep it open- if any guards come down here, which is not often, get in there- they won't check in any detail. But of course, this all depends on one thing- that the governor is distracted. We have a secret weapon for that. You there, you up in the sysytem above the corridor, and you guard these two with your life."