Right guys, I'm finished my exams now so the next few episodes should be coming up steadily :) of course there will be problems when I've done them but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

'born-to-be-lost': Thank you :) That's a good guess and one that no one's made yet. I can tell you that it isn't a time lord but the time lord link IS important :)

'1945': Pip is fine. He left in my companion story 'Word have meaning, names have power', and got his very own chapter in that. At the moment he's on holiday in New Zealand with another monkey and a new friend. Don't worry though, He'll be back!

'Sonotalady': um… we say, 'have a nice weekend' but that's about it really. And from you last review I think you're going to be in for a surprise after 'Let's Kill Hitler'. I have something AMAZING planned :D

'Sashaxh': There'll be no 'OC becomes a time lord' here I'm afraid. I've seen it done too badly too often. However I wouldn't worry about Nemo leaving Jack she's still connected to the TARDIS and no one know how long that could keep her alive.

'Rachy Babes': I hope this is soon enough :) I've got plenty of time to work on it. I'm a bit screwed for later though because we have that massive gap between 'a good man goes to war' and 'let's kill Hitler' which I somehow have to fill. I may just have to do some extra TORCHWOOD stuff from before Children of earth and stuff. Oh well. Let's see what happens. And don't worry about your exams, they'll be over soon :)

I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming
Monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops, as they're falling, tell a story

In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me

Imaginary - Evanescence

She opened her mouth in shock and looked suddenly to the right as she heard the Doctor yell out. 'Nemo! Winter! Where are you?' Stuffing the material into her jacket pocket, she raced down the steps and off in the direction the yell had come from. Winter found the Doctor standing with one of the women from earlier. The taller one who seemed to have been in charge. He rolled his eyes at her and ushered her forwards. 'This is Miranda Cleaves, she's the forman here.'

'Oh, hello.' Winter nodded to the woman and looked back over her shoulder at the area she'd been standing in before. He hand slipped into her pocket and she fingered the fabric.

'Find anything exciting?' the Doctor interrupted her day dream. She shrugged and turned to look at him, surprised when she saw a hint of worry in his eyes rather than excitement.

'No but the view's nice' he smiled and began to steer both women back towards the main working area of the buildings.

'How long were we unconscious?' He asked as they walked.

'You were unconscious?' once again the Doctor gave Winter a worried look.

'Not long, Cleaves replied, ignoring Winter's comment, 'A minute? Two minutes?'

'I'd hazard we've been out a bit longer.' He frowned.

'How long?' woman asked.

'An hour.' Winter laughed.

'I think I would have noticed an hour passing.' He nodded.

'Yes I would have thought so too. But apparently not.' Her eyes widened, 'I've seen whole worlds turn inside out in an hour, a lot can go wrong in an hour.' He walked off and both women were left trailing behind him. Cleaves was giving Winter an odd look so she hurried forwards into the first room they had entered when they got here, the one with the metal gratings with humans attached. However the jolt must have damaged the systems because the men and women were all stepping out from their casings and rubbing at sore limbs. Rory had his arms wrapped around the other woman who was shaking uncontrollably. Amy was seeing to the two men but her eyes kept flickering towards her husband. Winter winced at the thought of weddings and marriage, she fingered the ring around her finger and bit her lip. How had she lost an hour without even noticing, it must have had something to do with the hooded figure but why would he speed up time rather than slow it down.

She ignored the question for now and concentrated on the topic of discussion at hand. The 'Gangers' everyone was referring to what were they? She tried to ask but the Doctor walked straight past her. With a growl of frustration she caught up to him and prodded his side.

'AAH OW!' he yelped. She frowned at him and repeated her question. 'Oh of course, well what do you expect if you go walkabouts when it's all getting started.' He noted her glare and considered his answer, 'They're living matter in human form, able to be controlled by living beings for use in dangerous territory.'

'And in English.' He rolled his eyes and replied.

'They're white goop in the shape of humans who control them like a mental video game…only not like that at all.'

'So they're just goop.' He shook his head.

'The flesh, that's the goop, it's able to be moulded into a perfect replica of a person. Not just the physical but it take on the mental characteristics of them too. Add in the bolt of electricity from the solar storm and…' he put on a high American accent; "I'm a real boy!" he glanced down at the blank look on her face and groaned. 'Remind me not to use popular cultural references to you.' She smiled a little and he put an arm around her in a brief hug before darting into the wide hall that appeared to be being used as a recreational hall. Rubbish littered the table, a deck of cards had been transformed into a pyramid and equipment had been chucked hither and thither around the room. The men and women in the jumpsuits uttered words of disbelief as they gazed around the room. 'It would seem the storm has animated your gangers.' The Doctor told them as he sat down at the head of the table. Winter stood at his side, one hand on her sword the other tucked a strand of hair under the brim of Jack's cap.

'They've ransacked everything.' Cleaves muttered.

'Not ransacked.' The Doctor disagreed. 'Searched.'

'Through our stuff.' She retorted.

'Their stuff.' he contested.

'Searching for what?' the older of the three men asked.

'Confirmation, they need to know their memories are real.'

'Oh so they've got flaming memories now.' The younger, dark haired boy complained.

'They feel compelled to connect to their lives.' The Doctor explained.

'Their stolen lives!' Cleaves reminded him.

'No bequeathed, you gave them this. You poured in your personalities, emotions, traits, memories, secrets, everything. You gave them your lives, human lives are amazing. Are you surprised they walked off with them?'

'I'll say it again, Isle of Sheppey.' The young man put in, 'Ganger got and electric shock, toddled off and killed his operator right there in his harness. I've seen the photos, this blokes ear was all like…' The older man broke into the story before it got too disgusting.

'Even if this has actually happened, they can't remain stable without us plumbed into them. Can they boss.' Cleaves looked worried and Winter rolled her eyes, why were humans always messing around with technology without thinking of the consequences. She'd seen it time and time again with TORCHWOOD. They got a hold of alien tech and automatically decided they could use it for the greater good and almost every time it had ended in disaster. A disaster she had had to help clean up.

'I guess we'll find out.' The young girl suddenly had a turn and rushed out of the room. Rory followed her and Amy chewed on her lip as she watched them disappear through the doorway. Winter headed over to her side and nudged her gently. Amy smiled but jumped a foot in the air when the youngest of the men sneezed loudly. Winter smirked and Amy prodded her playfully as the dark hair young man explained the tower of cards.

'That's me, got to have a hobby. So…My ganger did that all on its own.'

'Who taught you to do this?' The Doctor asked quietly.

'My granddad.'

'Well your ganger's granddad taught him to do it too. You both have the same childhood memories, just as clear, just as real.' The young man's face contorted and he crushed the card structure.

'no.' the Doctor ignored him and continued to lecture them all.

'Scared, disorientated, struggling to come to terms with and entire life in their heads.' Winter crouched down next to the Doctor and looked up at him.

'Fear makes people defensive. If they're so unsure of themselves they're going to be dangerous. How do we convince them we're not here to…'she trailed off. He nodded.

'Decommission them. Yes, well,' he stood up and strolled over to the side of the room that had been turned into a mini kitchen. 'We do what we do best.' She frowned and sat up on the sideboard.

'What's that?' he looked up at her and smiled.

'We talk to them.' He opened the fridge and placed a pot of noodles in the microwave on a plate. The older man at the table turned to his friends in jumpsuits.

'We need to protect ourselves.' The Doctor sighed and set the timer.

'You know. I don't know anyone's names apart from Cleaves.' Winter murmured to the Doctor.

'Do you need to?' She shrugged.

'I like to know a person's name before I slap them over the head for being a moron.' He chuckled and glanced backwards.

'The woman who left is Jenifer, The card stacker is Buzzer, Jimmy is the one you're considering slapping and the young lad is Dicken.' She nodded, committing the names to memory.

'Don't tell me you can eat at a time like this Doctor.' Cleaves chastised as she approached the pair in the kitchen. You told me that we were out cold for a few minutes Cleaves, when in fact it was an hour.'

'Sorry, I just assumed…'

'No it's not your fault, like I said they're disorientated. Amy when you got to the alcoves, who was in the harness.'

'Um, Jimmy and Dicken were helping Buzzer out. She was standing on her own when we got there.'

'right,' the Doctor continued softly and he pulled the plate out of the microwave with a tea towel. He spun around and handed the plate to Cleaves who sighed and took it in her bare hands. Winter's eyes widened and the Doctor studied her for a moment before quietly stating. 'It's hot.' Cleaves gasped and dropped the plate but it was too late, they knew, she was a ganger. 'Transmatter's still a little rubbery, nerve endings not quite fused properly.'

'What are you talking about?' Cleaves complained as Winter hopped down from the sideboard.

'It's ok.' The Doctor soothed as he edged closer to her.

'Why didn't I feel that?' Cleaves asked.

'You will, you'll stabilise.'

'No. stop it, you're playing stupid games, STOP IT!' Winter jumped back at the woman's scream but the Doctor edged closer to talk to her. She turned her back on him.

'You don't have to hide. Please, trust me. I'm the Doctor.' She span around and Winter took several steps backwards. Her face now appeared to be coated in white latex. It was rubbery and flattened and…frightening. The Doctor stepped back and held an arm out in front of Winter. Buzzer was being restrained by Jimmy as he struggled to run at the ganger, a knife clutched in his hand. 'That's it good you remember, this is early flesh, the early stages of the technology, so much to learn.' Winte r held back, she didn't trust the flesh as much as the Doctor did but if he was happy to be reaching out to touch it then she would let him. Her hand rested carefully on her sword so that she could defend him if she had to but she knew she had to wait and see. However nothing happened. The ganger raced past them all and left the room and the Doctor watched her go sadly. Of course only then did anyone remember that Rory was gone.

Review? :D