Chapter Six
-The UNIX Home Base-
Chelsea returned some time later holding two plates of food in her hands, and the smell of freshly cooked meat entered Andrew's nostrils.
Damn, he was hungry. He hadn't realized just how much until now.
She pursed her lips upon seeing him struggle to lift up his cup.
"I didn't realize how pitifully weak you actually are right now," She sniffed, Andrew groaning in response.
"I'm still recovering from the Doctor's psychotic break, you know. He almost killed me! Cutting into my... stomach like that." He wrapped his arms around himself, expelling a shuddery breath. Chelsea looked down at him, concern furrowing her brow.
"I know how it must be. I was also in shock when my Doctor first tried to kill me. It was after I tried hurting one of his allys in an attempt to escape. You know what he did?"
Her voice was deadly silent, and Andrew let out a soft, "What?"
She glared at the wall. "He tied me up to an examination table and said that I was too "dangerous" to be allowed to live. He said he needed to examine my brain for chances of "artron overdose." I knew it was bullshit he was spewing, he just wanted to kill me. And then, he pulled some stunt saying that anesthesia would disrupt his results, and so I had to be fully awake while he cut into my brain..."
Andrew almost choked on the meat he was shovelling into his mouth, and he swallowed hard. "...So, what are we going to do now? I mean, you've collected me, that's great and all, but..." He trailed off.
Chelsea cracked a smile. "What are we going to do, huh? I tell you what we're going to do. First, we're going to get you set up inside your own room here at the UNIX headquarters. And then, you will get your task."
Huh. A task. What fun. "When will I be able to go to my room, then? I'm tired of waiting around in this hospital bed."
She smiled even bigger this time, and indicated for him to follow her. Andrew, curious, slipped out of bed. He was surprised he was able to do it so easily, when before he was in pain when he woke up.
Chelsea's heels clacked on the tiled floors as they crossed the building to get to his room, and she winked at him when she fished out a key from her bag.
"This will be your new home, Andrew Evans. Or, at least until we find a way to get back to our own universes."
He managed to let out a small smile as he glanced around the room. It was actually quite cozy, unlike how he pictured the room to be in his mind. A small fireplace sat at one end of the room, and his bed was wooden with a red quilt thrown over it.
"It's actually quite nice, thank you!" He grinned at Chelsea, who gave him a nod of her head.
"Despite what you may think, we are still civilized people. Just because we are... refugees from other universes doesn't mean we can't live in comfort." She hestitated at the word "refugees", but he understood her discomfort. They were victims of chance. Of fate's cruel hand. The Old Man... he did this. He did this to all of them, he realized. Dragged them out of their own homes to just be pawns in an orchestration, to be his loyal servants. And then the Doctor... what was going on? Why would he be so insane in these universes? Perhaps the Old Man was affecting things?
He heard laughter down the hall, and he buried those thoughts at the back of his mind. They were safe. He was safe. From the Doctor. From the Old Man. From everything.
"So then, what's my task?" Andrew rubbed his hands together.
Chelsea sighed, shoving her hands in her pockets. "This is the part you're not going to like. You see, for us to function as a headquarters, we have to travel to these other universes in order to see which people can be saved. We also have to see if there are any openings into our original universes. Basically, your first task will be observation. Going into another universe to observe how the Doctor treats another... unfortunate soul."
Andrew shivered at the last part, and he nodded slightly. Managing a weak smile, he asked; "When do I begin?"
She smirked back at him. "Oh, you're not doing your first all alone, you depressing guy. You're going to observe with me."
-The UNIX Home Base: Universal Room-
"This is our universal room, Andrew Evans." Chelsea announced smugly as she threw open the doors to the large chamber, Andrew ogling at the immense size of it. It was amazing. As far as the eye could see, in every direction, there were gateways to other universes. He could see space itself rippling around each different hole, and he swallowed hard. If the Doctor found this place... he shuddered to think.
Chelsea ran over to a man near the back wall and squealed, hugging the man. Andrew felt the brief clench of his heart, but it passed as quickly as it came.
"Andrew, this is Enoch Tybridge, he is our main universal engineer!" She thumped him on the chest, cackling when he doubled over in pain.
"It's... nice to meet you." He managed to sputter out as he grasped Andrew's hand, kneeling over on the ground.
"I didn't stab you, Enoch." She rolled her eyes at the melodramatic display, turning around at the monitor next to the hole.
She peered at the small keyboard in distaste, before spinning on her heel to face Enoch with a scowl on her face. "I thought I told you to fix this damned gateway?"
Enoch seemed to shrink back in fear. "Well... I was going to do that today?"
"I told you to do it two months ago."
This caught Andrew's attention. He snapped his head around, staring into Chelsea's eyes. "How long have you guys been stuck here?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Five years. Why?"
Five years. Five years they had been stuck in another universe. Andrew felt fear grip him. Were they all going to be stuck there until they died? And what about the obviously noticeable children running around? Were they going to die in this very same facility as well?
Chelsea sighed, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Andrew, please relax. We're going to get through this. Anyways, with you here now... we can do anything."
She grasped his hand and fixed a metal bracelet on it. Andrew felt his head spinning.
"What... what is this?"
Chelsea glanced at him. "This is just incase we get seperated. With it on, you can still get transported back to these headquarters. Think of it like Rose Tyler's dimensional cannon, basically."
Oh, of course.
...
"Let's go into this universe." Chelsea tugged him infront of the dimensional portal, and Andrew gulped. She smiled at him, before stepping through the hole. Hesitating for only a second, Andrew followed suit.
-Doctor Universe #78863: London-
They stood in a grassy field, under an endless gray sky. It seemed to stretch on forever, covering all of the land.
A cold breeze blew through Andrew, and he shivered, pulling his sweater tighter around him.
"Let go of me!" A young teenage girl wailed nearby, tugging at an alternate Doctor's hands. His face was locked in a stern glare, his eyes stone cold as he stared down at the young girl.
"Ah, young Amelia Derhurst." Chelsea whispered to him, her tone somber.
Andrew glanced back at her, curious. "What happened to her, in the end?"
Chelsea stared up at him, frowning. "Disemboweled in the depths of his TARDIS."
Andrew gulped, slowly turning his gaze back to the scene unfolding infront of them.
"You know I can't do that, Amelia. You're my responsibility, and I can't let you go."
Andrew could see Amelia's hopes destroyed from even this distance, and he swallowed again.
"But why? Why do you need me so much? What could I possibly do?"
The alternate Doctor grinned savagely, and he rocked back on his heels. "Oh, Amelia. Sweet, naive Amelia. You could destroy everything. And you know what I do to those who destroy things, Amelia?"
Amelia shook her head, and the alternate Doctor leaned in. "I punish them."
Andrew felt like marching over to the alternate Doctor and punching his head in, but Chelsea kept a firm grip on his arm.
"We can't interfere. Andrew, you know when I was talking about doomed timelines? This one is doomed. To end in tragedy and bloodshed."
Andrew shook his head. "But it doesn't have to! We could save her!"
Chelsea pursed her lips. "Actually, I'm afraid we can't. We've already saved one version of her."
Andrew felt like he was slapped in the face. "What do you mean? So, you just save one version of each person and just leave their other versions in the dirt? To die?"
Chelsea glared at him. "To rescue more than one version of them would be to cause a major paradox. You should know this."
Andrew crossed his arms. "Well, I'm afraid I don't."
...
"You monster! You horrible, monster! I trusted you! And you... you... killed him! You killed my boyfriend!" Amelia screamed nearby, and Andrew felt his heart fill with pain. She was suffering. Could Chelsea not see that?
The alternate Doctor glared at her. "Stop this insolent squabbling at once, Amelia. I gave him one chance, and he blew it. I'm not one for second chances."
Andrew clenched his fists, and Chelsea placed a hand on his shoulder. "Andrew, if it's any comfort... she does stab the Doctor multiple times later in her timeline."
Andrew turned to her with a small smile. "Well, at least she fights back against him, right?"
Chelsea managed a weak grin, before gesturing back over at the fight. "But, the thing is Andrew... she was going through heartbreak. She just lost everybody she ever loved, and then the Doctor latched onto her, saying she could never leave. Her boyfriend died a horrible death, Andrew. He was dissected by the Doctor himself, and had his organs hung up above him. Pretty gruesome way to die, isn't it?"
Andrew swallowed. "Why does the Doctor use such... primitive ways of surgery?"
Chelsea looked at him, grim. "Never say that. You don't want to know what happens to the people who get psychic surgery in other timelines. Imagine perpetually burning and freezing at the same time. Mix that with the blunt feel of a knife slamming against your heart, and you've got psychic surgery."
Andrew stared at her. "How did the Doctor get so, terribly messed up? From the Old Man?"
Chelsea lowered her gaze. "That's another thing we're trying to find out from these observations. Trying to deduce how everything goes wrong in every timeline. We've already decided that in your timeline, everything went wrong the moment you stepped into the TARDIS' medbay and lashed out at him."
Andrew shuddered at the memory, remembering the Doctor's threats whispered in his ear, and he subconsciously wrapped his arms even tighter around himself.
...
"I hate you. You mean nothing to me, Doctor..." Amelia's voice drifted down from the centre of the field.
Chelsea's face broke out in a wicked grin, and she raised her hands. "Ohh, here it comes!"
The anguished scream came from the Doctor as he was stabbed in the chest by Amelia, and Andrew almost felt like jumping in glee. Chelsea, however raised her finger to her lips, and gestured for him to be quiet.
"Oh, Amelia. You really shouldn't have done that. You see, I don't like it when people defy me. Guess what, Amelia?"
"What?" Amelia spat at him.
The Doctor glared with all the might of the Oncoming Storm. "It's time for some 'surgery'".
Andrew watched, horrified, as Amelia was knocked unconscious and dragged away by her hair back to what he assumed was this Doctor's TARDIS.
Chelsea tugged on his arm, and Andrew glanced at her. "We should go. This was only a first time observation for you. Next time, we're going to observe something even bigger. A far, greater threat, Andrew."
Andrew felt cold seep through him as he saw the Old Man stand at the other end of the field, gazing at the insane Doctor dragging Amelia away. His lips were fixed in a sinister grin, his white hairs no longer glowing like they did before.
"What is this threat?" He whispered.
She looked pale. "Oh, you'll find out soon."
-The UNIX Home Base: Kitchen-
Only twenty minutes later, they stood in the kitchen. Sipping coffee and tea, seated at the long counter. It reminded of him of the military, Andrew thought distastefully as he gazed around the gray room.
"Don't look so ungrateful, Andrew. This is the best we have. I'm sorry if we don't have the high class kitchens like you expected, but we have bigger things to worry about." Chelsea spat as she angrily stirred around her tea.
Andrew looked up, surprised. "What's wrong?"
Chelsea slammed her hands down onto the counter, rattling their mugs. "What's wrong? What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. What's wrong is that as we do more and more observations, the more aware the Doctor's are becoming! Every second we spend in this place raises our chances of getting infiltrated by a Doctor! We are literally one observation away from total hell."
Andrew covered his mouth. "I didn't realize it was that bad."
Chelsea muttered under her breath, "Well, you shoulda' realized sooner. We've got big problems, kid. Not only are the Doctor's becoming aware, but they are starting to remember things from other universes. Don't ask me how that works, I don't know. But if they all remember everything that happened... this tower of cards will collapse. And guess what the aftermath of that will be?"
"What?"
"Death. The end of the universe as we know it. The end of time itself. The end of everything that ever was. That is our problem. Not to mention, these-" Chelsea slammed a package of envelopes down onto the counter.
Andrew's curiosity piqued. "What are those?"
Chelsea pursed her lips. "Envelops from the Old Man. Threats. Death threats, Andrew. But not ordinary ones, oh no. They're cryptic ones. That bastard just had to be so goddamned 'fancy' in his way of delivering letters, didn't he?"
Andrew slid an envelope out, peering at it cautiously as he unfolded the letter inside.
My most insolent children,
of despair and wrath.
Come to me gently,
and I shall reward you with showers of red.
Rejoice!
For I have unlocked the ultimate secret of reality,
the one thing capable of toppling even the Doctor.
I will rise as a new God,
and all shall obey me in my position.
While you are all quivering in your pitiful bodies,
I shall rise from the Darkness and bring with me death.
I am the monster the lurks at the back of your mind,
the original sin that created this pathetic time.
I am the void eater,
the creature of madness.
Like a serpent of nightfall,
I shall slither into your spirits,
casting away the light from within.
The Oncoming Storm shall fester in his guilt,
shall scream in the sight of the blood on his hands.
He shall go mad with power,
shall commit horrific acts of such moral evil.
And I shall be the ruler of all creation.
Sleep well tonight,
for tomorrow shall not rise again.
You have my word.
Andrew dropped the letter down onto the counter, face pale. It was poetic and yet threatening at the same time.
Chelsea nodded at him, sensing his discomfort. "Yeah. If this were just fiction I'd say he did he a pretty good job. But knowing this is actually true and happening... it scares me, Andrew. That isn't usually something I admit, but this time..."
Andrew placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him in surprise. "It's going to be okay. We just have to fight back! We can change our fates! Change destiny! We will kill the Old Man! Even if we die in the process..."
Chelsea shook her head. "No. It won't come to that. It can't come to that. Andrew, I have so much to live for. I want to fall in love. I want to be loved. I want to be famous, maybe. Get a successful career. If we keep trying, then maybe, just maybe, we will make it back."
Andrew smiled at her. "I'm glad you're such the optimist."
She didn't smile back. "I have to be one if nobody else will."
Fate shall be held in their very hands.
A/N: Hello again! I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter. Also, thank you to Junebug for your constructive criticism. I totally agreed with you on the whole thing. And also, thank you to every other reviewer for commenting on my story. I like feedback.
Anywho, I had a stroke of inspiration with that little Old Man poem thingy. I've been writing a few poems lately (free-verse, so no rhyming), and I decided that the style would go great with the Old Man's voice. Philosophical with undertones of darkness. Perfect.
Tell me what you thought of this chapter in the reviews section!
Have a wonderful morning/evening/night, or whatever time it is where you live. Bye! ~soultrain21