Post by Oldmankrondas on Oct 19, 2010 20:00:27 GMT
Joseph Fairfax staggered to his bed, holding the handkerchief to his mouth, trying to suppress the sound of his persistent coughing. When it finally stopped, he removed it and glanced down at the specks of blood. He was sure he didn't have much longer, a few weeks at most. He had to carry out the experiment tonight, let Martin see it so that he could continue it after he passed away, so he could bring him back to life in order to finish the good work.
They had assured him everything would be ready this evening, in the meantime however he had to conserve his strength. A little nap, perhaps, until dinner was ready.
Anna could feel their eyes on her, the pickpockets could tell she was not from the slums like them and that she probably had plenty of things they could steal. She was also accutely aware of the fact that if they were to steal any of the items in her pockets they could quite easily change the course of history. They were finally out of full view as Mrs Campbell indicated that this was the spot from where her husband ventured out. Looking around the place, Anna was convinced one of the other slum dwellers had bumped him off either for whatever money or property he had around his person rather than the Doctor's belief something other-worldly was lurking under the streets of Edinburgh.
'What direction did your husband go from here Mrs Campbell?' the Doctor asked, flashing the maglite down the narrow, low ceilinged corridors ahead.
'Straight on, I think he was heading for the old storage areas.' she sobbed. 'Please find out what happened to him Doctor.'
The Doctor smiled reassuringly and placed a hand on the womans shoulder. 'You have my word. Come on Anna, let's rustle us up a silver beastie.'
Martin Doyle was led into the lecture theatre, in the centre of which was a body, covered by white sheets, but undeniably a body. He made his way down the oak steps to take a seat in the front row. Looking around, it seemed that tonight's lecture was purely for his benefit.
The doors he had been led through suddenly slammed shut, and soon enough Joseph was making his way toward the corpse across the floor. He looked up to Martin and gave him a frail smile. 'My dear friend, before I begin this evening, I must confess to a few things. I would have informed you of them much sooner, but felt they were not suitable conversation for the dinner table.' He began coughing and produced a handkerchief to conver his mouth until the worst of it had passed. 'You see, I am dying. My health has been failing for some time now, and I fear I will soon pass.'
'Joseph, I am so sorry I...'
Fairfax put a hand up to silence his friend. 'I do not need sympathy Martin, but I do need your assistance.' He placed a hand inside his coat and produced a silver box, he turned it round so that Doyle could see that it had a black dial in the centre of it.
'I also neglected to tell you over dinner that I have been gifted some rather incredible instruments by some other worldly benefactors. This box, for example, sends a signal to our friend under the sheet here...' with that, Fairfax turned the dial and the body began to twitch before sitting bolt upright. The sheet falling away to reveal a pale, decomposing human face inside a belljar like helmet, copper piping attached to each side of the head. Doyle gagged as the corpse lurched to it's feet, revealing more pipes attached to its arms and legs.
'Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie...' the Doctor whispered as he flashed the maglite at the floor. '...O, what a panic's in thy breastie!'
Something glimmered in the light of the torch, Anna saw it too, was it a tail? It looked metal but she couldn't quite make it out.
The Doctor slipped a hand into his inside pocket and produced his sonic screwdriver aiming it squarely at the metal tail. 'Thou need na start awa sae hasty...' the sonic emitted a whirring noise which made the tail move from side to side before coming to a halt.
Replacing the sonic screwdriver back in his pocket, he stepped forward and pulled back the tartan rug the creature had been hiding under. Crouching down to take a better look, he soon puffed out his cheeks then ran a hand through his hair. 'Well Mrs Campbell's husband is almost certainly not dead...'
'That's good right?'
The Doctor turned and shook his head. 'He's very much worse than dead Anna.' He held up what Anna could only describe as a metal caterpillar. 'This' he began. '...is a Cybermat. And if this is loose in Edinburgh in 1829 then we, and the whole of Earth history is in a considerable amount of danger.'
As the Doctor placed the Cybermat back on the ground, Anna could hear movement behind her, the Doctor had clearly heard it too as he was now shining his maglite at the four parcels at the back of the room which were now moving, silver gloved hands tearing through the cloth.
'And those are?'
'Cybermen.'
They had assured him everything would be ready this evening, in the meantime however he had to conserve his strength. A little nap, perhaps, until dinner was ready.
*
Anna could feel their eyes on her, the pickpockets could tell she was not from the slums like them and that she probably had plenty of things they could steal. She was also accutely aware of the fact that if they were to steal any of the items in her pockets they could quite easily change the course of history. They were finally out of full view as Mrs Campbell indicated that this was the spot from where her husband ventured out. Looking around the place, Anna was convinced one of the other slum dwellers had bumped him off either for whatever money or property he had around his person rather than the Doctor's belief something other-worldly was lurking under the streets of Edinburgh.
'What direction did your husband go from here Mrs Campbell?' the Doctor asked, flashing the maglite down the narrow, low ceilinged corridors ahead.
'Straight on, I think he was heading for the old storage areas.' she sobbed. 'Please find out what happened to him Doctor.'
The Doctor smiled reassuringly and placed a hand on the womans shoulder. 'You have my word. Come on Anna, let's rustle us up a silver beastie.'
*
Martin Doyle was led into the lecture theatre, in the centre of which was a body, covered by white sheets, but undeniably a body. He made his way down the oak steps to take a seat in the front row. Looking around, it seemed that tonight's lecture was purely for his benefit.
The doors he had been led through suddenly slammed shut, and soon enough Joseph was making his way toward the corpse across the floor. He looked up to Martin and gave him a frail smile. 'My dear friend, before I begin this evening, I must confess to a few things. I would have informed you of them much sooner, but felt they were not suitable conversation for the dinner table.' He began coughing and produced a handkerchief to conver his mouth until the worst of it had passed. 'You see, I am dying. My health has been failing for some time now, and I fear I will soon pass.'
'Joseph, I am so sorry I...'
Fairfax put a hand up to silence his friend. 'I do not need sympathy Martin, but I do need your assistance.' He placed a hand inside his coat and produced a silver box, he turned it round so that Doyle could see that it had a black dial in the centre of it.
'I also neglected to tell you over dinner that I have been gifted some rather incredible instruments by some other worldly benefactors. This box, for example, sends a signal to our friend under the sheet here...' with that, Fairfax turned the dial and the body began to twitch before sitting bolt upright. The sheet falling away to reveal a pale, decomposing human face inside a belljar like helmet, copper piping attached to each side of the head. Doyle gagged as the corpse lurched to it's feet, revealing more pipes attached to its arms and legs.
*
'Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie...' the Doctor whispered as he flashed the maglite at the floor. '...O, what a panic's in thy breastie!'
Something glimmered in the light of the torch, Anna saw it too, was it a tail? It looked metal but she couldn't quite make it out.
The Doctor slipped a hand into his inside pocket and produced his sonic screwdriver aiming it squarely at the metal tail. 'Thou need na start awa sae hasty...' the sonic emitted a whirring noise which made the tail move from side to side before coming to a halt.
Replacing the sonic screwdriver back in his pocket, he stepped forward and pulled back the tartan rug the creature had been hiding under. Crouching down to take a better look, he soon puffed out his cheeks then ran a hand through his hair. 'Well Mrs Campbell's husband is almost certainly not dead...'
'That's good right?'
The Doctor turned and shook his head. 'He's very much worse than dead Anna.' He held up what Anna could only describe as a metal caterpillar. 'This' he began. '...is a Cybermat. And if this is loose in Edinburgh in 1829 then we, and the whole of Earth history is in a considerable amount of danger.'
As the Doctor placed the Cybermat back on the ground, Anna could hear movement behind her, the Doctor had clearly heard it too as he was now shining his maglite at the four parcels at the back of the room which were now moving, silver gloved hands tearing through the cloth.
'And those are?'
'Cybermen.'
