Post by Fitz Kreiner on Jul 16, 2008 9:56:45 GMT
“Just how many other Doctors or any other of you Time Lord chaps should I expect to be crashing about my headquarters?” The Brigadier asked putting his now empty coffee mug down and looking at Tom.
The young Time Lord had rolled the sleeves of his shirt up and was pottering about the Doctors lab, attaching the device the Doctor had swiftly constructed to the astral map that now stood in the centre of the lab, a black cable snaked from underneath it and disappeared into the blue Police Box, stood proudly in the corner of the room.
“Erm, just the four Doctors, the Monk and me.” Tom said as he dipped his finger in the sugar bowl. Sucking the sugar grains off the tip of his finger, he picked up the bowl and carefully poured the sugar into a small tube on the top of the Doctors device.
“Incidentally,” He said suddenly, looking up at Steven. “Keep schtum about my being a Time Lord to the Doctor. He mustn’t know until he gets to be my Doctor.”
“I’ve got to say, I don’t think I’d be able to tell him everything even if I wanted to!” Steven said, reaching over Benton’s shoulder to put his coffee mug back on the table before turning and disappearing back inside the TARDIS.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to have left the Doctor alone with that other chap, sir?” Benton asked.
“Oh, I’m sure that he’ll be fine. I’ve got men covering all the exits and the Doctor has his sonic whatsit. I’m sure he’s fine.” The Brigadier replied, getting to his feet.
“His sonic screwdriver isn’t a weapon.” Tom said without looking up. He was stood on tip toes looking into the top of the astral map, his arms had completely vanished into its internal workings. “But if the Monk had meant to kill us, he would have done long ago.”
“Indeed, Mr. Rowan.” The Brigadier said, walking over to Tom and looking over his shoulder at what he was doing inside the astral map. “Good grief, however do you make sense of it all?” He asked stepping back.
“To be honest,” Tom said, before looking round and leaning close to the Brigadier conspiratorially, “I haven’t a clue. I’m just going with what seems best.”
Tapping his swagger stick against his leg, the Brigadier moved to the centre of the lab and started pacing up and down.
“He’ll be in touch if he needs us.” Tom said without looking up.
“What’s that?” The Brigadier asked, mid step looking across at Tom.
Tom straightened up and pulled his arms out of the astral map. Wiping them on a cloth he tapped the side of his head with his right hand and smiled. “We’re Time Lords. He can just send a mental S.O.S.”
“What about the others?” Benton asked, collecting the mugs together onto the tray. “I mean, you had another one on the screen in there.” He said.
“That’s what Steven’s doing.” Tom replied. “Checking the scanner ranges to see if we can get anyone. Whilst the Doctor has taken it on himself to lock himself away with the Monk, or the Priest as he seems to be now, we’ve got to do the best we can.”
“Yes, well.” The Brigadier started before failing to follow through with anything of use. He walked over to where Tom was working as the young Time Lord flicked a switch on the side of the astral map, crying out in triumph as it was illuminated by a deep blue light. “What is that thing?”
“It’s a matter transmission homing beam.” Tom said, standing back and folding his arms, cocking his head to one side to admire his handy work. “Or something like that, I hope.” He added.
“You don’t know what it does?”
“Well, technically, it was the Doctors plan. I just worked on it a little.” Tom said, shifting slightly uncomfortably.
“Still no luck.” Steven said exiting the TARDIS and coming over to where Tom and the Brigadier were stood. “What have you done to that?”
“I’m not too sure.” Tom admitted. “Just worked a little on from what the Doctor started.” Tom stood back and thoughtfully stroked his beard before turning and looking to the door. “Something’s up.” He said.
The Brigadier looked from the door to Tom. He was just about to open his mouth to say something when the lab door burst open and the Doctor rushed in, his coat flapping behind him. Not stopping to look if anyone was in the way, the Doctor knocked Benton from his feet, sending the tray he was carrying clattering to the floor, its contents scattering in a cacophony of sound. Ignoring his friends in the lab, the Doctor rushed straight into the TARDIS and disappeared.
Shocked and confused, Steven turned to look at the Brigadier and Tom, who merely shrugged.
“Well, he was certainly in a hurry.” Benton said, picking himself up and collecting the scattered mugs.
“What do you think that was all about?” Steven asked.
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Tom replied making for the TARDIS.
Inside, the Doctor was furiously rushing about the console, throwing switches and violently twisting dials. “No, no, no, no!” He cried, stepping back and kicking the console in anger and wincing as he put his foot back on the floor.
“I’m guessing that didn’t help.” Tom said from the door.
“The Monk got away.” The Doctor said grumpily collapsing in an ornate chair, resting his elbows on his knees and plonking his chin in his hands.
“You can’t track him?” Tom asked.
“Yes Tom, that’s why I’m sat here, doing nothing.” The Doctor said an angry sarcasm prevalent in his voice.
“Well, what the hell happened?” Tom asked walking to the console and looked at some of the instruments the Doctor had worked at.
“The Monk had a transmat beam fixed onto him. I don’t know where it took him because he’s masked it. Quite expertly.” The Doctor said getting to his feet and joining Tom at the console.
“This Monk fellow?” The Brigadier asked from just inside the TARDIS. “Was he the one who-?”
“Yep, the guy in your office.” The Doctor said. “Although, if we can get in touch with me again, we might be able to track him from the vortex.” The Doctor said, sudden realisation dawning on him. Jumping to his feet, he dashed to the communication panel of the console.
“But Doctor,” Steven started, dashing to the console and making a point of putting his face in the Doctors line of sight. “I’ve been looking through the scanner channels and couldn’t find you.”
“Ah.” The Doctor straightened up and looked at Steven, grinning. “There is a difference, this is my TARDIS and, well, I’m rather brilliant!” Turning, the Doctor went to reassume his work at the console before stopping and turning his head back to Steven. “Not that you’re not brilliant, ‘cause you are, otherwise I wouldn’t travel with you. Now, if I’m very clever, and I am very clever, I can trace the transmission from my other TARDIS beck through the time curve and with an exitronic pulse of artron energy...”
Trailing off, the Doctor reached across the console for a switch, realising he couldn’t reach looked over his shoulder to Tom.
“Tom, that switch there, activate and oscillate the gravitron pulses ten degrees.” He shouted, watching as Tom dashed to the console. “Did you finish off what I was doing to the astral map?” He asked as he watched Tom, who nodded in confirmation. “Brilliant, quite brilliant.” He grinned.
“Well, thanks. I just went on what I thought you would do.” He replied as he concentrated on what the Doctor had told him to do.
“I miss that.”
Tom looked up, puzzled at the expression and sadness that seemed to have clouded the Doctors face. A sadness seemed to have filled his eyes.
“Doctor?” Tom asked looking into the Doctors eyes. The Time Lord seemed to have closed his mind off. “Whenever I leave/left you, I’m sure there were good reasons for it and I treasured the time we spent together.”
The Doctor looked up. “Yes.” He said quietly before becoming animated again. “Yes. Quite. Now if we’re all as brilliant as I think we are, we can get this working.” He grinned looking from Tom to Steven.
Harry and Jess had retreated to the far wall of the console room as the Doctors work had caused him to descend into total silence. All attempts to talk to him had been greeted by a wall of silence. Now the pair of them stood in an uncomfortable silence watching the Time Lord as he worked, both wanting to break the silence but neither having the nerve.
“OK. Nearly done now, get ready Harry.” The Doctors voice caused both Harry and Jess to start.
“What?” Harry asked, totally bemused.
“Like I told you, when we land.” The Doctor replied.
“You’ve not said a word in like, hours.” Jess shrugged not actually sure about how much time had passed.
“Really?” The Doctor asked, looking up rather bemused. “I could have sworn- Oh, never mind; I’ve been working on a very difficult manoeuvre which should land us one step ahead of our meddling monk friend.” The Doctor grinned. “When I give the word, I want you to slap these on the next person you see who isn’t Jess or myself.” The Doctor rummaged into his pocket and withdrew a pair of old handcuffs and threw them to Harry, who promptly caught them, a confused look on his face.
“I say, Doctor, what are you playing at?” He asked.
Smiling and winking at Harry, the Doctor threw the materialisation switch on the console and the sound of the TARDIS engines roared into life and a figure began to materialise in the console room.
The young Time Lord had rolled the sleeves of his shirt up and was pottering about the Doctors lab, attaching the device the Doctor had swiftly constructed to the astral map that now stood in the centre of the lab, a black cable snaked from underneath it and disappeared into the blue Police Box, stood proudly in the corner of the room.
“Erm, just the four Doctors, the Monk and me.” Tom said as he dipped his finger in the sugar bowl. Sucking the sugar grains off the tip of his finger, he picked up the bowl and carefully poured the sugar into a small tube on the top of the Doctors device.
“Incidentally,” He said suddenly, looking up at Steven. “Keep schtum about my being a Time Lord to the Doctor. He mustn’t know until he gets to be my Doctor.”
“I’ve got to say, I don’t think I’d be able to tell him everything even if I wanted to!” Steven said, reaching over Benton’s shoulder to put his coffee mug back on the table before turning and disappearing back inside the TARDIS.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to have left the Doctor alone with that other chap, sir?” Benton asked.
“Oh, I’m sure that he’ll be fine. I’ve got men covering all the exits and the Doctor has his sonic whatsit. I’m sure he’s fine.” The Brigadier replied, getting to his feet.
“His sonic screwdriver isn’t a weapon.” Tom said without looking up. He was stood on tip toes looking into the top of the astral map, his arms had completely vanished into its internal workings. “But if the Monk had meant to kill us, he would have done long ago.”
“Indeed, Mr. Rowan.” The Brigadier said, walking over to Tom and looking over his shoulder at what he was doing inside the astral map. “Good grief, however do you make sense of it all?” He asked stepping back.
“To be honest,” Tom said, before looking round and leaning close to the Brigadier conspiratorially, “I haven’t a clue. I’m just going with what seems best.”
Tapping his swagger stick against his leg, the Brigadier moved to the centre of the lab and started pacing up and down.
“He’ll be in touch if he needs us.” Tom said without looking up.
“What’s that?” The Brigadier asked, mid step looking across at Tom.
Tom straightened up and pulled his arms out of the astral map. Wiping them on a cloth he tapped the side of his head with his right hand and smiled. “We’re Time Lords. He can just send a mental S.O.S.”
“What about the others?” Benton asked, collecting the mugs together onto the tray. “I mean, you had another one on the screen in there.” He said.
“That’s what Steven’s doing.” Tom replied. “Checking the scanner ranges to see if we can get anyone. Whilst the Doctor has taken it on himself to lock himself away with the Monk, or the Priest as he seems to be now, we’ve got to do the best we can.”
“Yes, well.” The Brigadier started before failing to follow through with anything of use. He walked over to where Tom was working as the young Time Lord flicked a switch on the side of the astral map, crying out in triumph as it was illuminated by a deep blue light. “What is that thing?”
“It’s a matter transmission homing beam.” Tom said, standing back and folding his arms, cocking his head to one side to admire his handy work. “Or something like that, I hope.” He added.
“You don’t know what it does?”
“Well, technically, it was the Doctors plan. I just worked on it a little.” Tom said, shifting slightly uncomfortably.
“Still no luck.” Steven said exiting the TARDIS and coming over to where Tom and the Brigadier were stood. “What have you done to that?”
“I’m not too sure.” Tom admitted. “Just worked a little on from what the Doctor started.” Tom stood back and thoughtfully stroked his beard before turning and looking to the door. “Something’s up.” He said.
The Brigadier looked from the door to Tom. He was just about to open his mouth to say something when the lab door burst open and the Doctor rushed in, his coat flapping behind him. Not stopping to look if anyone was in the way, the Doctor knocked Benton from his feet, sending the tray he was carrying clattering to the floor, its contents scattering in a cacophony of sound. Ignoring his friends in the lab, the Doctor rushed straight into the TARDIS and disappeared.
Shocked and confused, Steven turned to look at the Brigadier and Tom, who merely shrugged.
“Well, he was certainly in a hurry.” Benton said, picking himself up and collecting the scattered mugs.
“What do you think that was all about?” Steven asked.
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Tom replied making for the TARDIS.
Inside, the Doctor was furiously rushing about the console, throwing switches and violently twisting dials. “No, no, no, no!” He cried, stepping back and kicking the console in anger and wincing as he put his foot back on the floor.
“I’m guessing that didn’t help.” Tom said from the door.
“The Monk got away.” The Doctor said grumpily collapsing in an ornate chair, resting his elbows on his knees and plonking his chin in his hands.
“You can’t track him?” Tom asked.
“Yes Tom, that’s why I’m sat here, doing nothing.” The Doctor said an angry sarcasm prevalent in his voice.
“Well, what the hell happened?” Tom asked walking to the console and looked at some of the instruments the Doctor had worked at.
“The Monk had a transmat beam fixed onto him. I don’t know where it took him because he’s masked it. Quite expertly.” The Doctor said getting to his feet and joining Tom at the console.
“This Monk fellow?” The Brigadier asked from just inside the TARDIS. “Was he the one who-?”
“Yep, the guy in your office.” The Doctor said. “Although, if we can get in touch with me again, we might be able to track him from the vortex.” The Doctor said, sudden realisation dawning on him. Jumping to his feet, he dashed to the communication panel of the console.
“But Doctor,” Steven started, dashing to the console and making a point of putting his face in the Doctors line of sight. “I’ve been looking through the scanner channels and couldn’t find you.”
“Ah.” The Doctor straightened up and looked at Steven, grinning. “There is a difference, this is my TARDIS and, well, I’m rather brilliant!” Turning, the Doctor went to reassume his work at the console before stopping and turning his head back to Steven. “Not that you’re not brilliant, ‘cause you are, otherwise I wouldn’t travel with you. Now, if I’m very clever, and I am very clever, I can trace the transmission from my other TARDIS beck through the time curve and with an exitronic pulse of artron energy...”
Trailing off, the Doctor reached across the console for a switch, realising he couldn’t reach looked over his shoulder to Tom.
“Tom, that switch there, activate and oscillate the gravitron pulses ten degrees.” He shouted, watching as Tom dashed to the console. “Did you finish off what I was doing to the astral map?” He asked as he watched Tom, who nodded in confirmation. “Brilliant, quite brilliant.” He grinned.
“Well, thanks. I just went on what I thought you would do.” He replied as he concentrated on what the Doctor had told him to do.
“I miss that.”
Tom looked up, puzzled at the expression and sadness that seemed to have clouded the Doctors face. A sadness seemed to have filled his eyes.
“Doctor?” Tom asked looking into the Doctors eyes. The Time Lord seemed to have closed his mind off. “Whenever I leave/left you, I’m sure there were good reasons for it and I treasured the time we spent together.”
The Doctor looked up. “Yes.” He said quietly before becoming animated again. “Yes. Quite. Now if we’re all as brilliant as I think we are, we can get this working.” He grinned looking from Tom to Steven.
*
Harry and Jess had retreated to the far wall of the console room as the Doctors work had caused him to descend into total silence. All attempts to talk to him had been greeted by a wall of silence. Now the pair of them stood in an uncomfortable silence watching the Time Lord as he worked, both wanting to break the silence but neither having the nerve.
“OK. Nearly done now, get ready Harry.” The Doctors voice caused both Harry and Jess to start.
“What?” Harry asked, totally bemused.
“Like I told you, when we land.” The Doctor replied.
“You’ve not said a word in like, hours.” Jess shrugged not actually sure about how much time had passed.
“Really?” The Doctor asked, looking up rather bemused. “I could have sworn- Oh, never mind; I’ve been working on a very difficult manoeuvre which should land us one step ahead of our meddling monk friend.” The Doctor grinned. “When I give the word, I want you to slap these on the next person you see who isn’t Jess or myself.” The Doctor rummaged into his pocket and withdrew a pair of old handcuffs and threw them to Harry, who promptly caught them, a confused look on his face.
“I say, Doctor, what are you playing at?” He asked.
Smiling and winking at Harry, the Doctor threw the materialisation switch on the console and the sound of the TARDIS engines roared into life and a figure began to materialise in the console room.
