None of the kids would confess that he or she was scared. Yes, their hearts shrunk when a scientist or an elephant-like guard walked past them (now the boxes were hanging on their necks, fixed on laces), but his or her look pierced them through, as if they weren't there. Besides, not many of the gang trusted steel skies and everything kept under them.
Right now they were searching for the shortest way to the Doctor, and their main compass was the signal caught by Five's sonic screwdriver. Kaster would've been happy to go on being the main mischief maker, but all that "mountain climbing" and "bucket pulling" made him exhausted once more. And the tracks of quickening his heart remained, so now Jenny was carrying his sleeping form on her back. It was not a peaceful sleep - it was the reluctant kind of it. Luckily enough, Trouty was alert.
"It's like a cheesy horror movie", Lionel whispered when they entered a corridor, the walls of which consisted of blocks filled with unknown liquid, in which various organs were kept.
"It's odd", Five pointed out. "I don't think it's all fine now, even if we find the Doctor, JJ and Paul".
"What makes you think so?" Jamie asked.
"The signal". Five tapped on his sonic to specify which one. "Its source is not moving. It doesn't get farther or closer by itself".
"Valid point", Rhodie nodded. "Bet the Doctor would've turned it all upside down..."
"...if he was safe and sound", Jenny finished.
Having decided not to talk about it before seeing the actual settings of things, the gang resumed its way. Finally they reached a door huger than any of those they had already walked past, which led into a hall full of artificial light. It was very similar to sunlight, but still there was something wrong about it - that kind of wrong which never lets you go while you're there. The kids didn't realize how spacious this place was at first, because it was divided into sections by huge glass containers with liquid, this time horizontal and holding solid organisms instead of their parts. Attempting not to look at them (Erfin expressed the mood of all group about it without any words, having turned green), the intruders followed the sonic's signal again, which was getting more and more tense.
"Holy Fahrenheit", Rhodie only managed to say when the sight of their "destination point" opened to them. Most of the present had seen the Doctor in different situations, but this was a completely new sight. The Doctor was floating inside one of those containers, as if he was a grown-up version of a human (okay, Timelord) embryo, but not curled up - on the contrary, his limbs were relaxed, eyes closed, and there was even a hint of smile on his face. But this was not the most striking thing - the main was the umbilical cord. Yes, it was there, starting at the required place and ending at the inside of the control block attached to the container.
"Just like a birthing ball", River suddenly said, hardly blinking.
"What?" Kaster appeared to be awake, though still tired - he shivered upon this sight.
"Birthing ball", River repeated. "Daddy used it with me and Jamie. I saw it and I remember, though I was three then... Daddy told me that we both couldn't develop finely because Mummy's organism rejected Gallifreyan genes, so... well... he had to put me, and then Jamie into birthing balls not to lose us".
"That's something new, but what does it have to do with... Trouty? What are you doing?" Alice's attention switched to Trouty, who was listening to the electric hum of control block.
"Don't you hear that?" Trouty's expression was that of genuine wonder. "Am I the only one who... Yeah, just like at good old times".
"What's he on about?" Lionel asked.
"Sometimes Trouty becomes like a walking antenna - he's able to catch info from the air, rudely saying", Five explained. "Guess it worked here. What's there?"
"Voices", Trouty replied. "One day, I shall come back... They must be fought... Gosh, so many of them".
"Are you sure this is our Doctor?" Hamish asked. "It could be a clone. Like in Avatar movie. And how's he breathing there anyway?"
"And how do babies breathe before being born?" Kaster snapped. "Through that navel string, there's no other way".
"Let me check". River stepped forward and pressed her hand to the container. "Maybe he'll hear me".
"What's she doing?" Erfin made a grimace, as if expecting to see something disgusting.
"I'll try to put a telepathical link through. It worked with my dad before, so..." River closed her eyes.
"Don't tell me she read my mind".
"Trust me, Erfin, my sis is not able to do it. It is to be directed", Jamie explained, but this did not make Erfin satisfied.
Doctor, it's River. Can you hear me?
River?.. Your voice is so young. No. River Song has a mature voice.
I'm not River Song, I'm River Storm.
River Storm?
Rose Tyler, Adam Storm, River Storm. What was the name of the Pompeii man whose family you saved?
Emmm... Caecilius. That was it.
River exhaled and massaged her temples - her brain was boiling.
"It's him", she said. "I asked him a thing that only he knew... Who's River Song?"
"Tell ya later", Skasis interfered. "Now we gotta get him out of here".
"If you made those perception filters out of garbage you found in your pockets, that should be no trouble for you, Skasis Main", Kaster stated.
"It could be... if it wasn't about noise. We should be very very quiet", Skasis sighed. "It's a weak point".
"Anyway, we should try". Rhodie hit her palm with her fist. "Instructions, Skasis".
A/N: The "birthing ball" wasn't my idea - it was borrowed from ninewood fics (as well as telepathy). So, what would you say now?