{"Never had to do a forced one before."}
100 years later than The Long Game, Theta and I awake in a small room that's spinning. "What is it? What's happening?" Theta falls out of a small spinning cupboard with me behind, although I managed to stay up right. "Oh, my God! I don't believe it! Why'd they put you in there? They never said you were coming." A blonde girl gasped in shock, what was happening? Where were we? I can't remember. "What happened? I was." Theta paused staring at me, "Careful now. Oh! Oh, mind yourself! Oh, that's the transmat. It scrambles your head. I was sick for days. All right? So, what's your names then, sweetheart's?"
Theta is very unsteady, "The Doctor, I think. This is Kate. I was, er. I don't know, what happened? How-" The blonde interrupted him, "You got chosen." She smiled brightly, "Chosen for what?" I asked with a frown as I looked around the house. "You're a housemate. You're in the house. Isn't that brilliant?!" Over by a pink screen with a stylised eye on it, a young man in a t-shirt is not amused. "That's not fair. We've got eviction in five minutes! I've been here for all nine weeks, I've followed the rules, I haven't had a single warning, and then he comes swanning in."
The dark-skinned young lady in the pink shirt joins in. "If they keep changing the rules, I'm going to protest, I am. You watch me, I'm going to paint the walls."
"Would the Doctor and Kate please come to the Diary Room?" Theta goes through a door with the stylised eye on it and sits in a comfy chair before placing me in his lap. "You are live on channel forty four thousand. Please do not swear." Theta's jaw drop in irritation and shock as I glared at the screen.
"You have got to be kidding."
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"I'm gonna spend the night with my mom before we go." Both Theta and I nodded at her as she smiled brightly. But as she left to her room, she turned to us "Kate? Can I talk to you?" I nodded with a confused look and followed after her. Standing against the wall I watched as she packed an over night bag and dirty laundry for her mom. "I asked when you first came on board if you and The Doctor were dating? You said no" I nodded at her as she turned with a frown. "Did you lie to me? Because if you did, that's low. I'm here now and I know he has feelings for me." I scoffed as she crossed her arms and glared at me. "The Doctor and I are bestfriends, both the same race, both living the same length. Even if we were dating, what makes you think that you would come first? You are human, you don't know anything about him except for this regenerations personality. So don't stand their and tell me that you would win Rose Tyler because you wouldn't even begin to compare against me."
With that I walked out with her glare on my back, finally she showed her true colors and everything was back to normal.
———————
Theta is checking his surroundings with the sonic screwdriver, while I watched. "I can't open it." He frowned causing the blonde to nod, "It's got a deadlock seal, ever since Big Brother five hundred and four when they all walked out. You must remember that." She frowned at us. "What about this?"
An alcove with a picture in it. "Oh, that's exoglass. You'd need a nuclear bomb to get through." I laughed at her statement as Theta smirked, "Don't tempt me."
"I know you're not supposed to talk about the outside world, but you must've been watching. Do people like me? Lynda. Lynda with a Y, not Linda with an I. She got forcibly evicted because she damaged the camera. Am I popular?" We both frowned at the girl, why did this place seem so familiar to me. Like a left over heat from a fire, "I don't remember." Theta frowned. "Oh, but does that mean I'm nothing? Some people get this far just because they're insignificant. Doesn't anybody notice me?"
"No, you're, you're nice. You're sweet. Everybody thinks you're sweet." I rolled my eyes as she blushed, "Oh, is that right? Is that what I am? Oh, no one's ever told me that before. Am I sweet? Really?" She shied away causing me to scoff, "Yeah. Dead sweet." I spoke sarcastically but she didn't seem realize it. "Thank you." Theta snorted slightly, "It's a wall. Isn't there supposed to be a garden out there or something?"
"Don't be daft. No one's got a garden anymore. Who's got a garden? Don't tell me you've got a garden." She shook her head with a frown. "No, I've just got the Tardis. I remember." I frowned at him, I couldn't remember yet. "That's the amnesia! So what happened? Where did they get you?"
"We'd just left Raxacoriofallapatorius. Then we went to Kyoto. That's right, Japan in 1336, and we only just escaped. We were together, we were laughing, and then there was this light. This white light coming through the walls, and then. And then we woke up here." My eyes widened as I remembered as he explained. "Yeah, that's the transmat beam. That's how they pick the housemates." Lynda smiled, "Oh, Lynda with a Y. Sweet little Lynda. It's worse than that. I'm not just a passing traveller. No stupid little transmat gets inside my ship. That beam was fifteen million times more powerful, which means this isn't just a game. There's something else going on."
Theta speaks into one of the Eyes on the walls, which are cameras of course. "Well, here's the latest update from the Big Brother house. I'm getting out. I'm going to find my friends, and then I'm going to find you." I bit my lip at him, no matter the situation he always knows how to be hot as hell.
"Doctor, they said all the housemates must gather on the sofa. You've got to." Lynda walked over with a small smile, "I'm busy getting out, thanks." Theta spoke sarcastically. "But if you don't obey, then all the housemates get punished." I smirks towards her, "Well, maybe We'll be voted out, then." I raised an eyebrow as a man stood up from the couch. "How stupid are you? You've only just joined, you're not eligible." He frowned at us causing me to scoff. "Don't try anything clever or we all get it in the neck." Lynda nodded.
"Big Brother House this is, Davina Droid. Crosbie, Lynda and Strood, you have all been nominated for eviction. And the eighth person to be evicted from the Big Brother House is (too long pause) Crosbie!" The Doctor leans back on the sofa, bored as I sat on the arm. "I'm sorry! Oh, I'm sorry! Sorry!" Lynda cried, while the man whimpered as well. "Oh, it should've been me. Oh, that's not fair, Crosbie love."
"Crosbie, you have ten seconds to make your farewells, and then we're going to get you."
"I won't forget you."
"I'm sorry I stole your soap." Crosbie whimpered into Lynda as the hugged. "I don't mind, honestly." Lynda laughed. "Thanks for the food. You're a smashing cook. Bless you." They all hugged, "Crosbie, please leave the Big Brother House." A door to a short white corridor opens, with another door at the far end. "Bye, then. Bye, Lynda." Lynda waved at her, "Bye."Crosbie and Lynda make an arch, and Crosbie walks through. "I don't believe it. Crosbie."
"It's only a game show. She'll make a fortune on the outside. Sell her story, release a record, fitness video, all of that. she'll be laughing." I stated with a frown causing them to look at me with a weird look. "What do you mean, on the outside?" The man took a deep breath, "Here we go." Lynda and Strood run back to the sofa to watch Crosbie on the screen. "What are they waiting for? Why don't they just let her go?" Theta grew irritated as Lynda snapped at him with a frown, "Stop it, it's not funny."
"Eviction in five, four, three, two, one."
A beam comes down from the ceiling and hits Crosbie. After a few moments, she vanishes in a puff of smoke. "What was that?" Theta sat up in shock as I stood up, "Disintegrator beam." The man started with a wince. "She's been evicted. From life." Lynda cried as the man grabbed her.
—————
I sat on the edge of the TARDIS watching as the galaxy shinned brighter than ever, this would be the last time I would see it in this body. "Your hiding something from me." I jumped at his voice, my head turning to him with a small smile. "Nah, I've just been planning. I'm not hiding anything." I told him with a smile as he sat down behind me. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he placed his chin on my shoulder. "So what's your plan then?" He asked kissing my head, "My plan is I'm going to survive and become Queen. But it won't be in this body, I'll have to time it just right to take my throne. If your okay with it?" Theta was quite for a few minutes before he tightened his grip on me.
"As long as you promise that you'll be with me until the end, I trust you. I love you and I trust you."
"Thank you, my love. I love you too. And don't worry I'll still be around, can't have you causing trouble without me."
Only ten more hours to go.
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"Are you insane? You just step right into the disintegrator? Is it that important, getting your face on the telly? Is it worth dying for?" Theta shouted in anger at the last two remaining idiots. "You're talking like we've got a choice!" Lynda yelled back with tears, "But I thought you had to apply." I frowned at them causing the man to scoff, "Don't be so stupid. That's how they played it centuries back." Lynda continued for him, "You get chosen whether you like it or not. Everyone on Earth is a potential contestant. The transmat beam picks you out at random. And it's non stop. There are sixty Big Brother houses running all at once." I cocked my head to the side. "How many? Sixty?" I asked, "They've had to cut back. It's not what it was."
"It's a charnel house! What about the winners? What do they get?"
"They get to live."
"Is that it?"
"Well, isn't that enough?" Lynda asked, "Rose is out there. She got caught in the transmat. She's a contestant. Time I got out. That other contestant, er, Linda with an I. She was forcibly evicted for what?" I asked in a hurry. "Damage to property." Lynda explained, "What, like this?" The Doctor sonic screwdrivers a camera into oblivion, while I grabbed the lap and through it at another camera.
———————
I frowned and moved around the room, I know it's here somewhere. I need to find it quickly, shifting through the shelves I let out a laugh as I found the short rang teleport I had stored here a long time ago.
This would do just nicely.
Eight hours left.
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"The Doctor, Kate, you've broken the House Rules. Big Brother has no choice but to evict you. You have ten seconds to make your farewells, and then we're going to get you!" The house announced causing me and Theta to laugh and smile, "That's more like it. Come on, then. Open up!" Lynda grabbed my hand as she looked at me with wide eyes "You're mad! It's like you want to die." She spoke and honestly some part of her statement wasn't wrong at all.
"I reckon he's a plant. He was only brought in to stir things up."
"The Doctor, Kate please leave the Big Brother house."
Theta runs into the white corridor with me behind him, his hand in mine to make sure I'm right behind. "Come on then, disintegrate me! Come on, what're you waiting for? Disintegrate us. What are you waiting for?" I asked the camera taunting it.
"Eviction in five, four, three, two, one."
The machine shuts down, "Ah, ha! I knew it! You see, someone brought us into this game. If they'd wanted us dead, they could've transmatted us into a volcano. They want us alive.
Maybe security isn't as tight this end. Are you following this? I'm getting out!"
Theta opens the white door as Lynda opens the other door behind us. "Come with us." I told her with a gentle smile, "We're not allowed!" The man shouted back, "Stay in there, you've got a fifty fifty chance of disintegration. Stay with me, I promise I'll get you out alive. Come on!" I couldn't help but feel that he wouldn't be able to keep his promise. She wasn't going to survive but she was definitely going to live her finale moments very well. They wouldn't ever allow her to live and from what I've seen Theta doesn't have much longer either. "No, I can't. I can't." Lynda shook her head, scared. "Lynda, you're sweet. From what I've seen of your world, do you think anyone votes for sweet?" Theta holds out his hand, Lynda takes it and we run out into a hallway.
"Hold on. I've been here before. This is Satellite Five. No guards. That makes a change. You'd think a big business like Satellite Five would be armed to the teeth." Theta opens another door and we go through. "No one's called it Satellite Five in ages. It's the Game Station now. Hasn't been Satellite Five in about a hundred years." I scoffed, I knew this place seemed familiar. "A hundred years exactly. It's the year two zero zero one zero zero. I was here before, Floor one three nine. The Satellite was broadcasting news channels back then. Had a bit of trouble upstairs. Nothing too serious. Easy. Gave them a hand, home in time for tea." I laughed out with Theta who smiled at me.
"A hundred years ago? What, you were here a hundred years ago?" She asked shocked as she stared at us with a skeptical look. "Yep!" Theta smiled brightly, "You're looking good on it." She flirted causing me to bite back a snarky comment.
"I moisturise. Funny sorts of readings. All kinds of energy. The place is humming. It's weird. This goes way beyond normal transmissions. What would they need all that power for?" Theta asked looking around. "I don't know. I think we're the first ever contestants to get outside." She explained, "We had two friends travelling with us. They must've got caught in the same transmat. Where would they be?" I asked as I turned in a circle, looking around. "I don't know. They could've been allocated anywhere. There's a hundred different games."
"Like what?" Theta asked with a frown. "Well, there's ten floors of Big Brother. There's a different House behind each of those doors. And then beyond that, there's all sorts of shows. It's non stop. There's Call My Bluff, with real guns. Countdown, where you've got thirty seconds to stop the bomb going off. Ground Force, which is a nasty one. You get turned into compost. Er, Wipeout, speaks for itself. Oh, and Stars In Their Eyes. Literally, stars in their eyes. If you don't sing, you get blinded." She explained causing us both to scoff, "And you watch this stuff?"
"Everyone does. How come you don't?"
"Never paid for my licence."
"Oh, my God! You get executed for that."
"Let them try." I spoke and crossed my arms. "You keep saying things that don't make sense. Who are you though, Doctor, really? Kate?" She turned to us. "It doesn't matter." I told her with a frown causing he to scoff at me.
"Well, it does to me. I've just put my life in your hands." She insisted, "I'm just a traveller, wandering past. Believe it or not, all I'm after is a quiet life." I stared at him as he watched me with a loving look in his eyes, I knew she caught it but she ignored it. "So, if we get out of here, what're you going to do? Just wander off again?" Lynda asked us with a cock of her head. "Fast as we can." I nodded at him to agree, "So, I could come with you?"
"Maybe you could." Theta shrugged and looked towards me. "I wouldn't get in the way." I could tell that she wanted more from Theta so I spoke up with a smile. "I wouldn't mind if you did. Not a bad idea, Lynda with a Y. But first of all, we've got to concentrate on the getting out. And to do that, you've got to know your enemy. Who's controlling it? Who's in charge of the satellite now?" I asked as she walked over to the wall. "Hold on." Lynda spots a light breaker and turns it on. A sign lights up - Bad Wolf Corporation. "Your lords and masters."
We were being watched I could feel it. I didn't know where Jack at the moment but I knew he would be here soon. Rose on the other hand, I gripped my necklace that held the short range teleport and sighed.
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A spark shot out at me as I pulled back, "Hey! Easy now girl. I know you don't want me to save her but I have to do this. You know this, you've seen it." She hummed in disagreement before allowing me to readjust the teleport. Wiring it up from one big to two little ones I would have to make sure to get this on Rose before we get taken because it would be my last chance.
Six
——————
Jack is taking apart the Defabricator. "Compatible systems. Just align the wave signature. Attaboy! Got myself a gun. Well, ladies, the pleasure was all mine. Which is the only thing that matters in the end." Jack runs out and calls the lift. He checks his wrist computer. "Four hearts, that's them. Which floor?" He gets into the lift.
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"Blimey! I've never seen it for real before. Not from orbit. Planet Earth." Lynda smiled in awe as we stepped up onto the observation level, "What's happened to it?" Theta asked with a frown as we stared at the planet below. It was all sorts of wrong, "Well, it's always been like that Ever since I was born. See that there? That's the Great Atlantic Smog Storm. It's been going twenty years. We get newsflashes telling us when it's safe to breath outside." She explained looking back at us. "So the population just sits there? Half the world's too fat, and half the world's too thin, and you lot just watch telly?" I asked with a frown.
"Ten thousand channels, all beaming down from here." She laughed out and turned to us, "The Human Race. Brainless sheep being fed on a diet of. Mind you, have they still got that programme where three people have to live with a bear?" Theta asked causing me to chuckle under my breath "Oh, Bear With Me. I love that one!" Lynda agreed causing me to roll my eyes. "And me. The celebrity edition where the bear got in the bath." Theta laughed, I definitely wasn't following along with this conversation anymore.
"Got in the bath!" Lynda shouted with a laugh, "But it's all gone wrong. I mean, history's gone wrong again. This should be the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. I don't understand. Last time I was here I put it right." I spoke with a frown as Theta nodded. "No, but that's when it first went wrong. A hundred years ago, like you said. All the news channels, they just shut down overnight."
"But that was us. We did that."
"There was nothing left in their place. No information. The whole planet just froze. The government, the economy, they collapsed. That was the start of it. One hundred years of hell."
"Oh, my. We made this world."
———————
"Hey, handsome, Beautiful. Good to see you? Any sign of Rose?"
"Can't you track her down?"
"She must still be inside the games. All the rooms are shielded." I spoke as I moved closer to Theta, "If I can just get inside this computer. She's got to be here somewhere." Theta is working on the console Adam used a century before. "Well, you'd better hurry up. These games don't have a happy ending."
"Do you think I don't know that?" Jack hands over his wrist computer. "There you go, patch that in. It's programmed to find her." Jakc smiled super proud of himself. "Thanks." Theta nodded at him "Hey, there." Jack moved towards Lynda, "Hello." Lynda smirked at him as Jack himself to checked her out. "Captain Jack Harkness." I rolled my eyes at him.
"Lynda Moss." She introduced herself. "Nice to meet you, Lynda Moss." Jack flirted, "Do you mind flirting outside?" I asked sarcastically with a laugh. "I was just saying hello!" Jack defended himself causing Theta to roll his eyes and scoff. "For you, that's flirting." I laughed at Jack who stuck his tongue out at me.
"I'm not complaining." Lynda pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and battered her eyes. "Muchas gracias." Jack smirked at her all flirty like, "It's not compatible. This stupid system doesn't make sense." Theta gives the computer to Lynda and kicks the console. Jack takes off the front plate. "This place should be a basic broadcaster, but the systems are twice as complicated. It's more than just television. This station's transmitting something else."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. This whole Bad Wolf thing's tied up with me. Someone's manipulated my entire life. It's some sort of trap and Rose is stuck inside it. Found her. Floor four oh seven." Theta turned to Lynda who's eyes widened. "Oh, my God, she's with the Anne Droid. You've got to get her out of there." Lynda shouted as she ran towards the lift with us right behind her.
"Come on, come on! Game Room Six, which one is it??" Theta asked we moved along the rooms, "Over here!" Lynda pointed to a game room that said Weakest Link up top.
"Stand back, let me blast it open." Jack tried to push Theta back but it didn't work as I pulled him away. "You can't. it's made of Hydra combination." The Doctor is working on the lock to the studio. "Come on, come on, come on."
——————
"This game is illegal. I'm telling you to stop!" We heard Rose shout as we made it to the game floor. "Rose! Stop this game!" Theta shouted as we ran in the room
"Rose, you leave this life with nothing." The Anne Droid spoke "Stop this game!" Jack shouted, "I order you to stop this game!" Theta shouted as he moved forward. "You are the weakest link." The Droid spoke as I clicked the button on the teleport.
"Look out for the Anne Droid, it's armed!" Rose shouted as she appeared in Kate's spot while Kate appeared in hers. Anne Droid shoots Kate as she stands facing him with a smile. He starts forwards, "Nora! No!"
——————
I was in my first regeneration, sitting against the wall crying outside the room where they were deciding my fate. I didn't want to become a ruler, I wanted freedom, I wanted to travel with my bestfriend! I jumped as a hand was placed on my shoulder, my eyes moving up as I made eye contact with him. He gave me a small reassuring smile and sat down next to me, "I heard you were chosen. They said that you can see things now and you have powers." I scoffed at him.
"Is that all I'm good for now?" I asked staring at him with hurt as he stared back before he threw his head back and laughed. "Of course not! Your my bestfriend wether your weird or not." Suddenly the door opened and the council stepped, "It's the Bad Wolf! I tell you!" One of the members shouted as the doors closed and four stood in front of us. He helped me up and stood next to me as the leaders stared us down, "You have been chosen. You will come with us." And with that they started pulling me away. Away from my bestfriend and my life as I knew it.
———————-
She gave him a smile, "Never had to do forced one before." And just like that a bright light and there is just a pile of dust left on the floor. "What the hell did you do to her?" Everything else happens in the background as the Doctor kneels over Kate's remains, she didn't even have time to regenerate. Even if she was in the middle of it, tears grew in his eyes and his fists clenched.
He couldn't feel her anymore.
She was gone...
And he shouted out in anger causing Jack and Rose to jump and as he flipped out being dragged away, shouting in anger and turning red screaming. She finally realized, that Kate wasn't just his friend she was something way more and it almost relieved her that Kate was dead because now once they get out of here; she could comfort him.
She would be the one to step in to heal him since Kate was no longer here.
———————
There is a familiar rhythmic hum going on when I get up, I could feel them and when I looked up chills went down my spin as I made eye contact with it.
"You're dead. I ordered you die!" It's voice echoed through the ship causing me flinch at the deep sound of it. The reminder of that day still clearly lingering within my mind. How the long has it been for me when it only still feels like yesterday I was there.
———————
Clouds of smoke surrounded our world. I had been placed at the center fold, I was to be teleported away so I could survive but it was intercepted by the world killers.
His voice was dark and evil as he sent one of his to come kill me. Just before it could, I had been teleported and it had followed me. It was going to kill me because I was nothing and it was a killer.
———————
"She's out there somewhere."
"Doctor. Coordinates five point six point one"
"Don't, the solar flare's gone. They'll hear you." Theta shouted in panic "Point four three four. No, my masters, no! I defy you! Stigma seven seven-" The Controller disappears in a puff of smoke and a scream, "They took her."
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"Oh, my masters, you can kill me, for I have brought your destruction." So she gets Exterminated with a big smile on her face causing me to look away with a frown.
I wasn't going to let them destroy me like her, I wasn't going to go down without a fight. Especially with Theta counting on me to be alive, because I know that if I died again then he would lose everything about himself.
He wouldn't be him anymore.
—————
A large flying saucer appears on a holo-viewscreen. Then we zoom out to reveal a lot, lot more of them.
—————
"Alert. Alert. We are detected. It is the Doctor. He has located us. Open communications channel. The female will stand. Stand!" I scoffed and stood up, my dark hair moving in front of my face causing me to blow it out.
A holo-viewscreen pops into view with Floor 500 on it. "I will talk to the Doctor." The Dalek demanded, "Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" I could practically here him waving without seeming him. "The Dalek stratagem nears completion. The fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene." The Dalek spoke as I listened to Theta scoff. "Oh, really? Why's that, then?" He asked and I was pulled into the screen.
His eyes turning darker than they already were as Jack and Rose looked confused. "We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated."
"No." Everyone looks at the Doctor, "Explain yourself."
"I said no." Theta shrugged with a smirk. "What is the meaning of this negative?" The Dalek asked him, "It means no." Theta spoke with a dark look, "But she will be destroyed." I couldn't help but chuckle at them, they really shouldn't threaten me with him around. "No! Because this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to rescue her.
I'm going to save Kate from the middle of the Dalek fleet. And then I'm going to save the Earth, and then, just to finish off, I'm going to wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky!" He was pissed, more pissed than I had ever seen him before. I knew I should have told him what I had seen but I also knew that he would have stopped me.
"But you have no weapons, no defences, no plan." The Dalek boasted "Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death. Kate?" Rose and Jack gapped at me in shock, not understanding that it was me. "Yes, D?" I asked, still getting used to my new body as I squirmed away from the Daleks. "I'm coming to get you. I promise, I won't loose you again." Transmission ends, courtesy of the sonic screwdriver.
"The Doctor is initiating hostile action."
"The stratagem must advance. Begin the invasion of Earth!"
"The Doctor will be exterminated!"
"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"
And now it was time for my plan to begin, I was finally going to become Queen. While I didn't want to, it was my duty; to my people and to Theta. It always has been.
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