Post by Oldmankrondas on Oct 24, 2010 15:22:34 GMT
Anna and the Doctor stepped out as the Cybermen released themselves from their bonds, stirring to life in the cold, clammy stone room. 'Listen to me very carefully...' the Doctor whispered. '...you need to get out of here, if there are Cybermen in 1829 then the whole of human history is at stake. Cybermen are ruthless, they're also scavengers, desperate to bolster their numbers with assimilated lifeforms.'
The four Cybermen were on their feet now, inspecting their surroundings.
'But that's not important, you need to get out of here, the Cybermen will be operating from somewhere, I need to find out where that is. Hopefully I can convince them to take me there, I need you to find out if more people like John have gone missing, if anything strange is happening around Edinburgh, it's all connected.'
Anna nodded. 'Understood.' she replied, instantly snapped back to her UNIT training 'Are you going to be okay?'
The Doctor smiled at her, in the poor light she was sure it was a nervous smile. 'The Cybermen and I go way back, got a lot of catching up to do!' They were turning to face them both now, scanning them. 'Run!' the Doctor hissed, Anna followed his instructions.
'You are the Doctor.' the Cybermen stated in unison.
The Doctor raised his hands in surrender, staring back at the four blank, smooth steel faces. 'Guilty. And I surrender. Honestly, countless battles, eight regenerations, think it's time we call it quits.'
'Databanks indicate the Doctor is capable of great deception. If he truly surrenders, he will be eliminated.'
The Doctor lowered his hands, no longer surrendering. 'Not fans of deception? Okay, tell me your plan!' Several disruptor blasts struck the archway in front of him, the Doctor turned on his heel and ran, the Cybermen marching after him.
Martin Doyle was horrified, he didn't know quite what he expected after reading Joseph's original letter, he certainly did not expect this. 'I am sorry Joseph, I admit I was fascinated by your letter, but upon seeing this unfortunate wretch I must concede this is an affront to God and you must stop it immediately.'
'God Martin? The same God that has struck me down with this illness? Forgive me for wanting to undo his work, it is my hope to use this procedure to prolong my own life.' Fairfax responded, limping over to Doyle's seat. 'And I was of the hope that you my, old friend, would assist me.'
Doyle shook his head and turned to leave, making his way up the stairs. 'This is not prolonging life Joseph, you're using cadavers as puppets, it is...perverse.'
'Oh my dear friend, I did so hope it would not come to this.' Fairfax called after him.
Before Doyle could reach the doors, they swung open to reveal two metal giants looming down on him from the top of the stairs. They made their way down the stairs towards him, Doyle turned on his heel and hurried back down to the lectern only to come face to face once more with Fairfax's bell jar cadaver.
'Joseph! Call off your unspeakable creations!' The cadaver gripped Doyle by the arms and forced him down on to his knees, facing the metal giants.
'I need your assistance old friend, either willingly or unwillingly. I did so hope you would go for the less painful option.' Joseph Fairfax began coughing violently again as his friend was brought face to face with his new benefactors.
'Burying bodies late at night Constable? Without a proper ceremony? It's a disgrace! I dare say it's the work of those who cannot afford a proper funeral.' scoffed the Vicar as he handed Constable Norrie a cup of tea.
'That may be so Father, but I wonder if you will allow me to keep watch over the Kirkyard tonight? Try and catch them in the act?'
'Activity on church ground at such a late hour is highly irregular Constable. However, I cannot allow these ungodly antics to continue. We will provide you with tea and some food of course for your trouble.'
Norrie took a sip of his tea, it was bitter and not at all to his taste. 'Oh, really Vicar, no need to go to such trouble.'
The Doctor ducked into an opening, hoping the Cybermen would decide it was not yet the time to reveal themselves to the larger population of the Vaults. Glancing around he could see he had stumbled into someone's living quarters, made clear by the six children looking up at him wide eyed. 'Oh! Hello! I'm the Doctor...'
'Doctor? We don't get much doctors doon here, apart fae Fairfax.' rasped the voice of an old woman in dirty rags that had seen better days. 'You here to look at the wean?' She asked, pointing to a sickly looking child in the corner.
The Doctor glanced at the child then back at the woman, he nodded then crouched down, asking the child to open their mouth and stick out their tongue, before flashing a maglite into his eyes. 'How long has he been sick?'
'He's been dizzy and throwing up for a few days now.'
The Doctor nodded. 'Keep him away from the whiskey.' he replied simply, getting back to his feet and patting himself down.
'Eh? I dinnae gie my wean whiskey, what kind of mother dae ye think I am?'
'I'm sure you didn't, but the amount of illicit alcohol and unsavoury characters down here mean it's quite easy for the youngster to get his hands on it.' the Doctor sighed and looked up to the ceiling, horrified that people were forced to live like this, and more horrified that he was unable to do anything about it. This was history, and, unfortunately the Doctor had to make sure it stayed on course, something which involved stopping the Cybermen. He turned to the children, waved a goodbye and was about to leave before he turned back round to the woman. 'People are going missing from here aren't they?'
'Aye. What of it? Some of them take Doctor Fairfax up on his offer of work at Surgeons Square and never come back, others just vanish.'
'Doctor Fairfax, what sort of work does he offer?'
'He needs able bodied men to assist him with moving equipment for his experiments. What's this sudden fascination with the man anyway?'
The Doctor stepped forward, frowning. 'What sort of experiments?'
'I don't know do I? But he has a lot of heavy equipment that needs moved. It's like I told that girl...'
'Heavy equipment? Able bodied....wait a minute what girl?'
Fairfax sat in his living room, by the fireplace, a whiskey in his hand. He hadn't wished Martin to come to any harm, but his old friend had left him no choice. The Cybermen had promised to cure his illness if he assisted them in his experiments and what with the allegations about Knox and Burke and Hare he could not afford to allow Martin to report him. He sighed and downed his whiskey, he would ask the Cybermen to just let his friend die, he didn't want him condemned to be the walking dead like so many of the men from the Vaults. As he rose gingerly to his feet, there was a knock at his front door. Fairfax staggered to the window to see a youngish blonde woman in some very strange looking clothing looking around the Square.
'Fairfax.' the Cyberleader had entered the room. 'Allow the female entry, our unit in the Vaults believe her to be associated with the Doctor. She will be very valuable to us.'
The four Cybermen were on their feet now, inspecting their surroundings.
'But that's not important, you need to get out of here, the Cybermen will be operating from somewhere, I need to find out where that is. Hopefully I can convince them to take me there, I need you to find out if more people like John have gone missing, if anything strange is happening around Edinburgh, it's all connected.'
Anna nodded. 'Understood.' she replied, instantly snapped back to her UNIT training 'Are you going to be okay?'
The Doctor smiled at her, in the poor light she was sure it was a nervous smile. 'The Cybermen and I go way back, got a lot of catching up to do!' They were turning to face them both now, scanning them. 'Run!' the Doctor hissed, Anna followed his instructions.
'You are the Doctor.' the Cybermen stated in unison.
The Doctor raised his hands in surrender, staring back at the four blank, smooth steel faces. 'Guilty. And I surrender. Honestly, countless battles, eight regenerations, think it's time we call it quits.'
'Databanks indicate the Doctor is capable of great deception. If he truly surrenders, he will be eliminated.'
The Doctor lowered his hands, no longer surrendering. 'Not fans of deception? Okay, tell me your plan!' Several disruptor blasts struck the archway in front of him, the Doctor turned on his heel and ran, the Cybermen marching after him.
*
Martin Doyle was horrified, he didn't know quite what he expected after reading Joseph's original letter, he certainly did not expect this. 'I am sorry Joseph, I admit I was fascinated by your letter, but upon seeing this unfortunate wretch I must concede this is an affront to God and you must stop it immediately.'
'God Martin? The same God that has struck me down with this illness? Forgive me for wanting to undo his work, it is my hope to use this procedure to prolong my own life.' Fairfax responded, limping over to Doyle's seat. 'And I was of the hope that you my, old friend, would assist me.'
Doyle shook his head and turned to leave, making his way up the stairs. 'This is not prolonging life Joseph, you're using cadavers as puppets, it is...perverse.'
'Oh my dear friend, I did so hope it would not come to this.' Fairfax called after him.
Before Doyle could reach the doors, they swung open to reveal two metal giants looming down on him from the top of the stairs. They made their way down the stairs towards him, Doyle turned on his heel and hurried back down to the lectern only to come face to face once more with Fairfax's bell jar cadaver.
'Joseph! Call off your unspeakable creations!' The cadaver gripped Doyle by the arms and forced him down on to his knees, facing the metal giants.
'I need your assistance old friend, either willingly or unwillingly. I did so hope you would go for the less painful option.' Joseph Fairfax began coughing violently again as his friend was brought face to face with his new benefactors.
*
'Burying bodies late at night Constable? Without a proper ceremony? It's a disgrace! I dare say it's the work of those who cannot afford a proper funeral.' scoffed the Vicar as he handed Constable Norrie a cup of tea.
'That may be so Father, but I wonder if you will allow me to keep watch over the Kirkyard tonight? Try and catch them in the act?'
'Activity on church ground at such a late hour is highly irregular Constable. However, I cannot allow these ungodly antics to continue. We will provide you with tea and some food of course for your trouble.'
Norrie took a sip of his tea, it was bitter and not at all to his taste. 'Oh, really Vicar, no need to go to such trouble.'
*
The Doctor ducked into an opening, hoping the Cybermen would decide it was not yet the time to reveal themselves to the larger population of the Vaults. Glancing around he could see he had stumbled into someone's living quarters, made clear by the six children looking up at him wide eyed. 'Oh! Hello! I'm the Doctor...'
'Doctor? We don't get much doctors doon here, apart fae Fairfax.' rasped the voice of an old woman in dirty rags that had seen better days. 'You here to look at the wean?' She asked, pointing to a sickly looking child in the corner.
The Doctor glanced at the child then back at the woman, he nodded then crouched down, asking the child to open their mouth and stick out their tongue, before flashing a maglite into his eyes. 'How long has he been sick?'
'He's been dizzy and throwing up for a few days now.'
The Doctor nodded. 'Keep him away from the whiskey.' he replied simply, getting back to his feet and patting himself down.
'Eh? I dinnae gie my wean whiskey, what kind of mother dae ye think I am?'
'I'm sure you didn't, but the amount of illicit alcohol and unsavoury characters down here mean it's quite easy for the youngster to get his hands on it.' the Doctor sighed and looked up to the ceiling, horrified that people were forced to live like this, and more horrified that he was unable to do anything about it. This was history, and, unfortunately the Doctor had to make sure it stayed on course, something which involved stopping the Cybermen. He turned to the children, waved a goodbye and was about to leave before he turned back round to the woman. 'People are going missing from here aren't they?'
'Aye. What of it? Some of them take Doctor Fairfax up on his offer of work at Surgeons Square and never come back, others just vanish.'
'Doctor Fairfax, what sort of work does he offer?'
'He needs able bodied men to assist him with moving equipment for his experiments. What's this sudden fascination with the man anyway?'
The Doctor stepped forward, frowning. 'What sort of experiments?'
'I don't know do I? But he has a lot of heavy equipment that needs moved. It's like I told that girl...'
'Heavy equipment? Able bodied....wait a minute what girl?'
*
Fairfax sat in his living room, by the fireplace, a whiskey in his hand. He hadn't wished Martin to come to any harm, but his old friend had left him no choice. The Cybermen had promised to cure his illness if he assisted them in his experiments and what with the allegations about Knox and Burke and Hare he could not afford to allow Martin to report him. He sighed and downed his whiskey, he would ask the Cybermen to just let his friend die, he didn't want him condemned to be the walking dead like so many of the men from the Vaults. As he rose gingerly to his feet, there was a knock at his front door. Fairfax staggered to the window to see a youngish blonde woman in some very strange looking clothing looking around the Square.
'Fairfax.' the Cyberleader had entered the room. 'Allow the female entry, our unit in the Vaults believe her to be associated with the Doctor. She will be very valuable to us.'
