The Doctor noticed the girl twitch on the table and he moved closer.
"Hey, can you hear me?" He asked gently and the girl opened her eyes and looked around questioningly. "You're on my ship…you've had a pretty bad jolt to your system."
*Is the TARDIS sentient?* The girl inquired and The Doctor blinked in confusion.
"Okay I heard words, but you didn't move your lips." The Doctor then frowned suspiciously. "How do you know the name of my ship?"
*She told me it was named by your granddaughter.*
"Okay. Could you move your lips while you speak? It's getting a bit creepy."
*Why should I? They serve no purpose for speech.*
"Yeah I get that…but most creatures have vocal cords and their mouths move to make their words."
*That sounds exhausting…why do they not just talk like me?*
"There are no other creatures that have evolved to your level of Telepathy. Not even Time Lords have achieved the level you are at."
*Time Lord?* The girl asked tilting her head in confusion.
"Yeah this no lip moving while talking is going to take some getting used to." The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck.
(She mentioned something about a gauntlet.)
The TARDIS stated simply and the girl looked around the medbay and smiled slightly.
*I thought you were real…wasn't a Dark Cycle vision!*
"Hang on you can hear the TARDIS?"
*Yes can't you?*
"Well yes I can but I'm…oh never mind. What was this about a gauntlet?"
*The other test subjects and I were often made to run the Gauntlet. It was our training to stay in "prime condition". We were the only ones to survive this long.*
"I wish I could see what you were talking about…" The Doctor muttered more to himself and the girl leaned forward and lightly touched his cheek. "OI! What do you think you're…? Sweet Rassilon…"
The Doctor's eyes widened in horror. The girl also had the ability to show others what she had seen. Kind of like a feedback loop.
He saw six children of varying ages stretching and doing exercises. He turned around realizing he was seeing this as Subject 246. He saw Zuni standing nearby with some kind of time measuring device.
-Okay you seven get to your starting points.- Zuni ordered the children. -And…begin-
The Doctor felt himself running through something like a Labyrinth but it was constantly moving and shifting. He saw child a get tossed off of the beam above him and heard the body hit the ground with a groan.
*Looks like another extended stay in stasis for 78* The Doctor heard words that 246 spoke in a teasing fashion.
+oh shut up, you're about to slip anyway…+ 78 Groaned again and saw 246 slip on the same beam.
The Doctor felt himself do a cartwheel over the slippery spot and kept running through the Labyrinth. He kicked off of the wall barely missing getting hit by the sharp spikes that came racing down the hallway.
He could sense the end of Labyrinth was up ahead but he looked back and realized that 246 had seen a little girl who couldn't have been more than 11 years of age trip. The little girl was about to be mauled by a pair of sharp rotating blades and he ran back to the girl and grabbed her arm and forced her to stand.
*Come on 32 we have to move!*
_Why did you come back for me 246? Master Zuni will punish us both!_
*Like either of us care what that imbecile will do.*
The Doctor ran through the end gate while still gripping 32's arm. Zuni looked at the children in front of him and he sighed in disappointment.
-I can't even begin to tell you, how disappointed I am with all of you! 78, you can't even start without being tossed from the bucking beam! 203 manages to run right into a wall knocking himself out! 32 is one of the weakest subjects I've ever seen! And the biggest disappointment today goes to 246! When you have the lead, do NOT go back for injured others! That is NOT what we are trying to make here!- Zuni took a deep breath and calmed himself. -While you four are NOT my ideal choices you ARE the only ones to make it through alive. Subject 57 was taken out by turning left instead of right she was vaporized by the Swartz Blaster. Subject 100 lost their grip on the Swing Shot and was dismembered in the Buzz Mill. Subject 22 got lost in the Toxic Fog Entrapment and the imbecile couldn't find his way out again!-
The Doctor looked around at the three other children that remained and felt Subject 32 holding onto his arm in fear.
_I told you, we'd all be in trouble._
-For being a group of winning failures punishment is 10 years in the stasis chairs!-
The Doctor felt the fear go through his body and the hand on his arm tightened.
_10?! How will we be able to handle 10?!_
*It's okay 32 we all have each other to keep us occupied. We will be fine.*
+I'd rather not have you lot in my head for 10 years. Last time in the chairs pretty much did me in.+ 78 Grumbled while limping past the two of them.
(Yes those were a tough 8 years last time.) 203 admitted while holding his head.
_Or the 9 years before that one…_ 32 whispered and The Doctor lightly ruffled the little girls hair and they were taken to stasis.
The Doctor jolted away from the girl on the table and he just stared at her in horror. He had some tears still on his face and he wiped them away. Then he hugged the girl.
"I am sorry. I am so sorry…" The Doctor mentioned quietly. "But on a plus side, that is one FANTASTIC ability!"
The girl blinked up at him confusedly and they both heard the TARDIS sigh.
(If I had either, I am sure I would smacking my face with an open palm.)
"Right…that was a bit rude." The Doctor cleared his voice. "So what to call you! I'm not going to run around the cosmos shouting 246 anytime I need you."
(We found her on Alegerium…) The TARDIS stated simply.
"And I am not going to run around yelling that either! Wait how about just AL?" The Doctor asked with a kind of manic grin.
*It rings better than 246. So I am to called AL?*