Chapter 23:
The Plan is Given the Go-Ahead
Foaly prided himself on, among other things, his mathematic ability. So when artemis detailed his plan for destroying the Gates of Elysiu, he quickly realized a flaw; Artemis said the fifteen people were required to work the Gate, but he, Holly, No.1 and the Doctors made only fourteen. However; when he chose to divulge this numerical innaccuracy;
"Oh. I just assumed that you knew you'd be joining us" was the explanation given, retorted by a string of Centaur curse words not publishable in a family text.
"Dear lord, Foaly" Artemis huffed. "Surely you had no intention of staying out of this? Your mind is the only one here who has an advanced grasp on magic's scientific components equal to that of No.1; we need you-"
Foaly waggled his finger. "Don't you dare try to butter me up, Mud Whelper. There is no fu-"
Holly put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Foaly, please. If Artemis says we need you, we definately need you." She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Be flattered; you know how he hates asking for help."
Foaly was at a loss. The reason he loved his job in the LEP (other that a fat paystub and freedom to do whatever he wanted with his over-inflated budget) was that he never had to do anything that might physically hurt him. Pain was something he made a life's promise to avoid, and being linked to a giant hell-gate was bound to leave a few mental bruise, if not physical ones. Risk your tail connecting to the Gate, or let the Earth be eaten?
Foaly whinnied, and threw his arms in the air. "Fine. But I want a carton of apples when we get back."
Artemis crossed his fingers over his heart. "Stand over here, please." He motioned to in front of the Gate.
The eleven Doctors were standing in a circle, backs straight and heads held high, no more than a few inches apart. Foaly trotted over, as did Holly and Artemis, the three friends filling out the circle. No.1 stood in the center, his attention focused on the Gates.
Doctor 11 took the time to explain the plan in detail. "The Eternals utilized energy to operate every facet of their civilization; medicine, agriculture, warfare, etc. Therefore, if we use your magic to interface with the Gates-"
No.1 nodded, not saying anything, understanding fully what he needed to do. He sat on the floor, and bowed his head. Ancient chants slipped from his lips, blue sparks crackling at the tips of his horns. Soon, his eyes were glowing a bright neon blue, and his sitting form raised from the floor, never breaking the meditation pose.
"Oh my giddy aunt" whispered Doctor 2. "Absolutely extraordinary."
Artemis looked over his shoulder to the entrance. Butler, Juliet, Trouble, Luskar, and Mulch (held there by Butler's imposing figure) were all guarding the door, guns ready. No Dalek would be getting through there without a fight. Butler looked over his shoulder to catch the gaze of his employer.
The two old friends communicated much in that brief gaze; things even this author doesn't even know. But the message was clear' "Don't you go dying on me".
CRAAAAAK! Blue energy everywhere! Just as Artemis least expected it, the magic leapt from No.1's horns and ran through him like a current. It passed through him to Holly, to Foaly, to the succession of Doctors. The room spun, the lights seemed to flicker, and all any in the circle could see was white...
A giant white space is where the circle stood, completely detached from the physical world at the moment.
Doctor 9 seemed a little dissapointed. "This is it?"
No.1 shook his glowing head. "That was the connection part. The actual interface should be coming-"
WHAM!
"-now."
Memories rushed into the heads of the fifteen participants, mizing and churning, overlapping with each other to create a tapestry; a story so grand it could never possibly be reproduced.
Holly marveled at all the images filling her gaze. Spaceships and monsters, so many men and women...she was amazed that the Doctor could keep track of his history.
No.1 surveyed his friends awed expressions, and cut the visual feast out with a swift (and surprisingly loud) CRACK of his stumpy little neck. "Ready?"
Doctor 2 rubbed his eyes. "Give me a minute, wouldn't you?"
"Magnificent" breathed Doctor 7, "absolutely magnificent."
Doctor 11 turned his gaze to Artemis and the fairies. "It's fascinating, finally finding people who can relate to the pace of my life."
Artemis chuckled, thinking how he would have made the same remark. He looked at his demon friend. "Mr. Warlock, I believe we're ready to begin."
No.1 nodded his head, and resumed his pose. "Mr. Warlock" he thought to himself, "I actually quite like that. Maybe that's what I'll get the freshmen at the college to call me."
"I think that's a splendid idea."
Evidently, No.1 had forgotten that everyone in the group could now hear each other's thoughts.
His green scales turning a light shade of red, No.1 began to chant again. In the empty white behind the group, a shape began to emerge; a giant thing wisping into existence. The great Gates...now was the time to work
...
"Well. That doesn't look terrifying" Mulch remarked.
The group was now a pulsating circle of blue, energy running from one body to the other, hands outstretched and lightning passing from fingertip to fingertip. The heads of the participants were thrown back, eyes glowing a brilliant shade of white.
"If it unnerves you, then don't look" Luskar growled, Neutrino resting on his shoulder. "Focus on the door that the trash bin things will most likely try to go through."
Butler too found himself gawking like Mulch. It once again amazed him how very little this situation seemed to faze him. It appeared to him that he had developed an immunity to being shocked these last few years; it took nothing less than a giant fish in the sky to knock up his heartbeat.
But of course, being a Butler, he cursed himself for getting completative. Now was not the time to relfect on life. "Best have someone look behind us" he said to Luskar. "All we know, this place could have mouse holes everywhere for those things to pop up."
"Then just shoot them when they do, Dom" Juliet said. She cocked Holly's Neutrino. "Just like Whack-a-Mole."
Trouble stared at her. "No, not just like 'Whack-a-Mole', whatever the hell that is. These things decimated an entire LEP battalion in one motion; just shooting at them won't do anything."
"Yeah, kid" Mulch said, imitating Trouble. "Just shooting won't do anything." He turned to glare at Trouble. "Then why are we standing around like we're trying to shoot them?"
Trouble glared back at the dwarf. "We are a distraction here to buy them time. If we have to go down to do that, then I'm fine with it."
Mulch simply shrugged and mumbled, evidently not caring about what was said. He swore to himself he would move straight back to Miami when this was done, if he didn't die; not even one Christmas card to these lunatics and their end-times shenanigans.
The stoic group of five stood at the ready, weapons up and eyes focused. ON their lives, nothing would harm the circle until the job-
BANG!