Post by Oldmankrondas on Oct 28, 2010 11:03:54 GMT
The Doctor hurried past the High School Yards and up the steep slope that led him to Surgeons Square. He had to find Anna before she visited Fairfax. As he reached the top of the slope, he caught something in the corner of his eye, a shadow slouching towards him, increasing in speed as he began looking at the houses that lined the square. He moved towards one of the few houses that still had lamplight in the window, just as another figure began slouching towards him. Soon enough he was surrounded by cloaked figures, arms outstretched.
The Doctor reached out to grab at the cloak, removing it to reveal a decaying human face inside a bell jar.
'And you thought I was responsible my dear?' Fairfax asked, feigning hurt feelings that did not fool Anna.
Anna looked around the living room, humble enough, roaring fire, drinks cabinet. Her experiences with the Doctor had taught her that the fireplace would probably turn around to reveal a laboratory of some kind. 'It's just a little strange...wouldn't you agree?'
'Oh I am sure it must seem that way to some Miss....'
'...Talbot, and it does. What sort of experiements were these men assisting you with?' Anna asked trying to keep as much distance between her and the old professor as possible.
'I am not a well man my dear, I am...weak. The men I hired were simply there to move my rather heavy equipment. Not that it should be any interest to you.'
Anna was about ready to hit the man, not that she was in the habit of hitting the frail but everything about him led her to believe he was very much at the heart of the disappearances. 'Well that's where you're wrong Professor Fairfax, you see I've been sent up from London to oversee your experiments.'
Fairfax let out a wheezy chuckle. 'You? And where are your credentials? Why don't we dispense with the act Miss Talbot?' He turned to open the living room door, and one of the Cybermen entered, only this one was slightly different to the ones in the Vaults. It had the same metal helmet had a black face panel and black handles on the side. 'My associates would very much like to speak to you.'
The Doctor recoiled in horror from the face before him, staggering backwards into another cloaked figure. They had closed in on him now, and seemed to be holding him on the spot, perhaps awaiting further instructions.
Seeing an opening between two of the cloaked cadavers he shoulder tackled his way through the opening, they may have been augmented by Cyber technology, however they were still essentially flesh and bone. Once out of the circle, the Doctor's eyes darted around the square for clues as to where Fairfax's house could be, aware the cadavers were a couple of steps behind him he ran for the first sign of lamplight he could make out. He rapped on the door, glancing back to see the figures had gone back into the darkness. Why would the Cybermen call them off? It seemed they still weren't completely ready to initiate their plans and reveal themselves to the city, something that was very much in the Doctor's favour. The door swung open, and a very tired looking man in a robe answered it, peering into the Doctor's eyes. 'If you're looking for Dr. Knox he's not here sir.'
The Doctor arched an eyebrow, the infamous anatomist confirming to him that he was very much in the right area of town. He smiled at the butler and shook his head. 'I wasn't looking for Dr. Knox actually, I'm trying to find Professor Fairfax?'
'Ah yes, the gentleman that moved in across the way?' he pointed a bony figure towards another source of flickering lamplight in which the Doctor could make out the figures of the cloaked cadavers. Forming a wall around the front of the house, guarding against unwanted visitors.
The Doctor sighed, thanked the butler and turned to leave. 'Maybe I'll try again in the morning.'
Anna felt violently sick, a feeling she had only ever felt from primitive transmat travel on a couple of planets her and the Doctor had visited. The change from 19th century décor to cold steel signalled to her that she must have been transported to the Cybermens ship. She was alone from what she could tell, and got to her feet slowly, still feeling unwell. The small room she had been placed in had a porthole on one wall, she looked out of it and saw Edinburgh, not the sprawl she had seen from the Camera Obscura on a school trip many years ago but it was definitely Edinburgh below them. It was as if they were directly on top of the city. 'Well Doctor, I've found the Cybership...'
The Doctor knocked on the door of the local police station, but noone answered him. He peered inside to see only darkness, perhaps the Constable had gone home for the night. 'You'll be looking for Constable Norrie?' a Scottish voice slurred from behind him.
The Doctor turned to see a ruddy faced older man with a greying red beard and a bonnet that had seen better days. 'Yes I am, where could I find him?'
'He'll be up at the Kirkyard.' the man replied, pointing up Candlemaker Row. 'Waiting for the Bodysnatchers....'
The Doctor arched an eyebrow. 'Bodysnatchers?'
'Oh aye, well...I say Bodysnatchers, but when I saw them last night they were putting something intae the graves.'
'Into the graves?' the Doctor slapped a hand on his forehead. 'Of course!' He turned on his heel and darted up Candlemaker Row towards the Kirkyard.
Constable Norrie had sat down on the front step of the Kirk, it didn't seem as if the bodysnatchers would show their faces tonight. As he got comfortable, he felt his eyes get heavy. Perhaps he'd over indulged on the contents of his flask, as he began to drop off, a silver hand punched its way through the earth nearby him, then another silver hand punched its way through the earth covering another grave, then another, and another.
The Doctor reached out to grab at the cloak, removing it to reveal a decaying human face inside a bell jar.
*
'And you thought I was responsible my dear?' Fairfax asked, feigning hurt feelings that did not fool Anna.
Anna looked around the living room, humble enough, roaring fire, drinks cabinet. Her experiences with the Doctor had taught her that the fireplace would probably turn around to reveal a laboratory of some kind. 'It's just a little strange...wouldn't you agree?'
'Oh I am sure it must seem that way to some Miss....'
'...Talbot, and it does. What sort of experiements were these men assisting you with?' Anna asked trying to keep as much distance between her and the old professor as possible.
'I am not a well man my dear, I am...weak. The men I hired were simply there to move my rather heavy equipment. Not that it should be any interest to you.'
Anna was about ready to hit the man, not that she was in the habit of hitting the frail but everything about him led her to believe he was very much at the heart of the disappearances. 'Well that's where you're wrong Professor Fairfax, you see I've been sent up from London to oversee your experiments.'
Fairfax let out a wheezy chuckle. 'You? And where are your credentials? Why don't we dispense with the act Miss Talbot?' He turned to open the living room door, and one of the Cybermen entered, only this one was slightly different to the ones in the Vaults. It had the same metal helmet had a black face panel and black handles on the side. 'My associates would very much like to speak to you.'
*
The Doctor recoiled in horror from the face before him, staggering backwards into another cloaked figure. They had closed in on him now, and seemed to be holding him on the spot, perhaps awaiting further instructions.
Seeing an opening between two of the cloaked cadavers he shoulder tackled his way through the opening, they may have been augmented by Cyber technology, however they were still essentially flesh and bone. Once out of the circle, the Doctor's eyes darted around the square for clues as to where Fairfax's house could be, aware the cadavers were a couple of steps behind him he ran for the first sign of lamplight he could make out. He rapped on the door, glancing back to see the figures had gone back into the darkness. Why would the Cybermen call them off? It seemed they still weren't completely ready to initiate their plans and reveal themselves to the city, something that was very much in the Doctor's favour. The door swung open, and a very tired looking man in a robe answered it, peering into the Doctor's eyes. 'If you're looking for Dr. Knox he's not here sir.'
The Doctor arched an eyebrow, the infamous anatomist confirming to him that he was very much in the right area of town. He smiled at the butler and shook his head. 'I wasn't looking for Dr. Knox actually, I'm trying to find Professor Fairfax?'
'Ah yes, the gentleman that moved in across the way?' he pointed a bony figure towards another source of flickering lamplight in which the Doctor could make out the figures of the cloaked cadavers. Forming a wall around the front of the house, guarding against unwanted visitors.
The Doctor sighed, thanked the butler and turned to leave. 'Maybe I'll try again in the morning.'
*
Anna felt violently sick, a feeling she had only ever felt from primitive transmat travel on a couple of planets her and the Doctor had visited. The change from 19th century décor to cold steel signalled to her that she must have been transported to the Cybermens ship. She was alone from what she could tell, and got to her feet slowly, still feeling unwell. The small room she had been placed in had a porthole on one wall, she looked out of it and saw Edinburgh, not the sprawl she had seen from the Camera Obscura on a school trip many years ago but it was definitely Edinburgh below them. It was as if they were directly on top of the city. 'Well Doctor, I've found the Cybership...'
*
The Doctor knocked on the door of the local police station, but noone answered him. He peered inside to see only darkness, perhaps the Constable had gone home for the night. 'You'll be looking for Constable Norrie?' a Scottish voice slurred from behind him.
The Doctor turned to see a ruddy faced older man with a greying red beard and a bonnet that had seen better days. 'Yes I am, where could I find him?'
'He'll be up at the Kirkyard.' the man replied, pointing up Candlemaker Row. 'Waiting for the Bodysnatchers....'
The Doctor arched an eyebrow. 'Bodysnatchers?'
'Oh aye, well...I say Bodysnatchers, but when I saw them last night they were putting something intae the graves.'
'Into the graves?' the Doctor slapped a hand on his forehead. 'Of course!' He turned on his heel and darted up Candlemaker Row towards the Kirkyard.
*
Constable Norrie had sat down on the front step of the Kirk, it didn't seem as if the bodysnatchers would show their faces tonight. As he got comfortable, he felt his eyes get heavy. Perhaps he'd over indulged on the contents of his flask, as he began to drop off, a silver hand punched its way through the earth nearby him, then another silver hand punched its way through the earth covering another grave, then another, and another.
