Hey y'all sorry it took so long but I've FINALLY got a chapter done, and it's the longest one I've done yet! I'll try to update more often, but no promises since I'm busy with school. SO, I'll write for as long as I can until my Writer's block comes back. Enjoy this chapter! Catch you later.
CHAPTER 4
Connor Mason stood by Jiya as she typed at her computer, still running scans for the Mothership even though they both knew that it wasn't gonna show up anywhere. Suddenly, a strong wind whipped through the lab, stirring papers from under paperweights. Mason looked up. The time machine usually gave off wind displacement when it landed, but it usually wasn't this bad, and it usually didn't take this long, come to think of it. Then, he heard this odd wheezing-groaning noise and right before his eyes a tall blue police box materialized, and as soon as it solidified, the Lifeboat appeared with a flash. The room was completely silent.
That is, until the door to the police box creaked open and Rufus stepped out, a bit uncertainly. "What is-" started Mason, but Rufus interrupted. "I'll explain. While we were at the coordinates this 'Doctor' guy showed up and I think he can help us find Flynn." Rufus deliberately left out the fact that the Doctor's TARDIS was an (obviously) more powerful time machine. He trusted Mason, but he wasn't sure if he wanted Rittenhouse to know about the TARDIS by extension. "So where is the Doctor, then?" asked Mason, looking towards the Police Box, and as if he was cued, the old Doctor stepped out of the time machine, closely followed by Wyatt and Lucy. "Hello," said the Doctor, "You're Connor Mason, I presume?" "Yes, that's me," responded Mason, shaking the Doctors hand, "I'm just curious: why were you all inside the Police Box?" Rufus looked uncertain and opened his mouth to speak, but he was quickly saved by the Doctor's quick thinking. "Oh, that's just my tool shed, Mason. Can't help you without the stuff in there." "But how did you get it here? And drive the Lifeboat without a pilot?" "I don't have to tell you anything," said the Doctor solemnly.
"Anyway," said Rufus after an awkward silence, "He thinks he has a way to pinpoint Flynn's location." "Really?" said Jiya, who was listening in, "Come over to the computers, then, I'd like to see." As the Doctor followed Jiya over, Rufus muttered something about 'maybe I should help' and went over to the Doctor as well. "Please, don't be mad," said Lucy, "We're just trying to help." "Oh really?" said Mason, obviously angry, "You're saying I shouldn't be upset that you brought a random stranger here not only using a time machine, for God's sake but also from a different time period!" "Well in Lucy's defense, he does know about time travel," said Wyatt, "Not to mention he was investigating Flynn's disappearance as well." "And he's from the FBI" added Lucy. Mason sighed. "Fine. I trust your judgment. But if he steps one toe out of line..." Wyatt nodded. "Okay, we get it." he and Lucy walked towards where the others were working, and they managed to catch what the Doctor was saying just then.
"So, Miss..." "Jiya" "Jiya, it looks like your calculations are correct. This 'Mothership' has indeed left the Earth." The Doctor looked at everyone seriously. "And, from what I found, your fugitive had, well, outside assistance." "From who?" asked Rufus. "Well, it's gotta be extraterrestrial," responded the Doctor, "You can't get to space that easily yet." "So you're saying another alien is involved in this?" asked Lucy, thinking that the prospect of another alien is a little too much. "Sounds like it," said Wyatt. "Wait, you said 'another', what does that mean?" "Uh, nothing, absolutely nothing!" Rufus said, unconvincingly. "As I was saying," said the Doctor, "I believe I can use the TA-Tool Shed to track whatever or Whoever's helping Flynn, and then go deal with it myself." "Look, Doctor," Wyatt said, "Even if you could find Flynn with your Shed, you couldn't take him down alone." "Doubt it," muttered the Doctor, but Wyatt was unfazed. "We're coming with you, Doc, whether you like it or not." The Doctor looked at the trio for a solid minute before sighing and muttering a frustrated "Fine, but don't blame me if you get yourselves killed." Lucy smiled, but she thought that despite the Doctor's grumpy attitude (and appearance) he was secretly glad that they were helping.
"Okay, so what's the first step?" asked Lucy. "Jiya," said the Doctor, "Can you print schematics for the Mothership? Wyatt, Lucy, inside the Shed. Rufus, stay out here with me and Jiya." "And I don't get a say in this?" asked Mason, a little peeved. "You," the Doctor smiled, "Get to be president of the 'I'm-not-involved-in-this-decision' club, okay?" he turned back to Jiya, motioned for Rufus to come closer and talked to them in hushed tones, and Mason watched as Jiya and Rufus listened and nodded to whatever he was saying. "Okay," Jiya finally said, "I'll do it." Rufus nodded in agreement to whatever had boon devised. "Sounds good," the engineer said nervously. "Do what?" asked Mason, even more, frustrated than before, but the Doctor ignored him and patted the engineer on the back. "Thanks a lot," he said, genuinely, before brushing past Mason and walking towards his police box. Mason had a funny feeling about that Shed, and he was gonna find out what was inside.
Meanwhile, inside the TARDIS, the Doctor was telling Lucy and Wyatt about his plan so far. "Okay, so I've figured out how to get into space to go after the Mothership without upgrading the Lifeboat or letting dear old Mason know about the TARDIS, because, from what I've gathered, these 'Rittenhouse' people that Mason works for are no good." "Okay, you're right, and you've got us," said Wyatt impatiently, "How are you going to do all that?" The Doctor grinned. "First, we're going to take off with the Lifeboat and tell Mason that were going to tow the TARDIS behind it, when in reality it will be the other way around, with you three riding along in the Lifeboat, and me piloting the TARDIS. Once we've taken off, Jiya is going to fake a malfunction while we make a little side trip to see some trusted friends in the past. Those friends are going to take care of the Lifeboat while we all pile in the TARDIS and go to where the Mothership is from there." Lucy nodded. "Okay, sounds good." "What about after we get there?" asked Wyatt, reasonably, "How will we deal with Flynn and Whoever's helping him?" The Doctor looked serious, but his eyes betrayed a certain giddiness like he was used to this question. "Well, I haven't thought up until then, but I'm rather good about coming up with reasonably good plans on the spot." "Uhh huh," said Wyatt, unconvinced.
"Well, we'd better go out and see if Rufus and Jiya are ready to leave," said Lucy, walking towards the door. "Yeah, I'll go with Lucy." "I'll be right out." the Doctor watched as Wyatt and Lucy walked out and the TARDIS doors slammed shut behind them. He sighed and swung one of the TARDIS monitors towards where he was standing. "Okay, Old Girl," he addressed the TARDIS, "Let's see what you can find on Rittenhouse."
A few minutes later, the Doctor emerged, nearly running into Mason on his way out of the TARDIS. "What are you doing?" asked the Doctor. "Nothing," responded Mason, unconvincingly. "I just wanted to tell you that Rufus and Jiya have made the proper adjustments to the all should be ready to depart." The Doctor looked at Mason suspiciously. "Okay. I'll help them ready the tether. As I mentioned before, I can't go without my shed." "Mhm." "I'm sorry, do you need something?" the Doctor noticed Mason had not moved and was looking at his TARDIS strangely. "No, not at all," said Mason, coldly, before walking off. The Doctor walked to the Lifeboat entrance, where Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus were about to enter.
"Are you ready to do this, Rufus?" "Yeah, as ready as I will be. Good luck, Doc." Lucy and Wyatt also wished the Doctor luck and followed Rufus into the TARDIS. A few seconds later, both machines vanished with a blast of air, and Mason made his way almost casually to Jiya's computer, where she typed furiously, tracking the Lifeboat. Suddenly, black and white static frizzed out across the computer monitors and Jiya began looking distressed and confused. "What is it? What's going on?" asked Mason, trying to follow Jiya's work in trying to recover the lost images. "I-I don't know," she said, still typing, "It looks like the system crashed! I dunno if I'll be able to find either time machine if I can't fix this-" "Then fix it!" Mason stormed off, as he usually does when things go 'pear-shaped' as he called it, and Jiya allowed a tiny smile to break through. Her little trick had been successful.