"I don't get it. We are all children, so what are you doing here?" Erfin asked - she, Jenny and Lionel were watching the entrances for no one to come in or to notice them. "You're the only adult here".
"I guess it's about my age", Jenny replied, turning back to check the progress. Skasis had figured out that the container holding the Doctor was connected to the rest, so they had to be careful if they wanted to deactivate it without influencing other, and it required simultaneous work, so now the rest of the kids were grouped around the control block, attaching and removing wires and schemes in sequence.
"And how old are you?"
"Three".
"Three what?"
"Three years. I was born an adult. Artificially, with progenation machine. It's growing a full organism out of a single cell".
Erfin wrinkled her nose.
"Yuck".
"So it's logical", Jenny continued, paying no attention to Erfin's reaction. "Basically - in numeral terms - I'm nothing but a child. Guess they take only such terms to attention".
"Got it. Just like the silly superstition that gingerheads don't have souls... sorry River", Lionel caught up. "Mummy complained about it plenty of times".
Five, tugging on the collar of his jumper, walked over to them, hesitating before carrying the news out.
"We've found out what this is", he started. It was his usual manner to be shy around those who towered over him, so Jenny crouched to be on his level. "It's like a chameleon arch, but faulty".
"Chameleon arch? What is it?" Erfin asked.
"It's a device which Timelords use to change their biology", Five explained. "Very very rarely, and it's supposed to be truly painful".
"For what?" Lionel interfered.
"Be sensible, little brother. To hide!" Erfin appeared to be more quick-witted. "What do those Timelords look like? I didn't see any mutations in either of you... except for him". She pointed at Skasis, who was sitting on top of the control block, attempting to tear one more metal panel off it (the previous ones had been removed by Kaster).
"That's just it. Their differences from humans cannot be seen with bare eyes", Five explained. "And changing from one being to another has its side-effects. Losing memory, for instance. But that's not the main trick. Turning back is possible with the help of a certain item - usually it's a fob watch. When the changeling - it's just a word - opens it, he or she transforms back into its original self, which is kept there. This string", he waved back and pointed at his own stomach, meaning the umbilical cord, "slowly gets all of alien out of our Doctor. But here it's in biological sense, so if the process is finished, hardly anything will be left of him".
"So what prevents you from reversing the polarity of the neutron flow?" Judging by her bamboozled expression that followed, Erfin didn't understand what she said before it sounded.
"Wish it all was so easy, Erfin!" This was Alice - red-faced, hands moist with sweat, she finished fiddling with wires and walked up to them. "Alien habits showing themselves, eh? But never ever say it in front of your Mummy... You see, the process is going simultaneously in all of these tanks", she gestured at them. "And if we reverse the polarity in just one of them, there's a high chance of chain reaction. Do you imagine what can take place if all those beings get out? They will make mincemeat out of us".
"Danger!"
Lionel, who was watching the doors all this time, was the only one who didn't lose his sense of hearing in talks. Rhodie and Jamie just put the unattached metal panels on their places (without any support) when the doors opened, and a team of scientists entered, leading straightly to the row where they were (each Impossibler - temporal or usual, no matter - took place next to the separate container, so only Kaster stayed next to the Doctor's). But again the people in white coats didn't see them, or rather didn't notice - Skasis's perception filters worked on, though the hearts of the kids, especially those of Rhodie and River, were hammering like church bells. And for a brief moment one of the scientists - the young one with short blond hair, who was walking behind, taking notes - gazed directly at Kaster, and his eyelid flickered.
"Bet he saw us". Hamish ran a hand through his hair. "Bet he knows we're here".
"Bet he knows, L'il Ham", Trouty teased. "Then why didn't he tell the rest about us? They were talking about us. They're searching for us!"
The kids glanced at each other - almost all of them hadn't heard the talks of the scientists because heartbeat in their ears had blocked everything from the outer world. However, now it didn't block the sound of hurried steps, though everybody present was standing still.