Post by Oldmankrondas on Nov 11, 2010 16:25:00 GMT
'Joseph and I studied together in London, he came up here to work with the Royal College of Surgeons. He was obsessed with improving life expectancy, losing as he did both his wife and son so many years ago....'
Doyle was now sat upright, recounting his story for Anna who was sat opposite. 'He contacted me saying he had made some breakthrough and that I was to visit Edinburgh immediately.'
Doyle was shaking his head, and placing a hand to the Cyber eye piece now grafted to his face. 'But his breakthrough....my lord, the man has become bitter and twisted and black inside.'
'What was it?' Anna asked, leaning forward.
'A grotesque creature my dear, the decaying flesh of a man brought to life by machinery. Most distressing to witness, I hope your female eyes never come across such a thing...'
Anna thought of all the creatures she had come across in her time with the Doctor and couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed with the fragile frame of Doyle and his old world view of the fairer sex. 'And that was when the Cybermen got you?'
Doyle nodded, looking up at Anna, his face solemn. 'How did you come to be here?'
'I travelled to Edinburgh with my friend the Doctor, we had a run in with the Cybermen in the Vaults. I met a woman down there who said men from the Vaults were going to work for your friend.' She sighed, still annoyed with herself for going to Fairfax all guns blazing. 'He didn't take too kindly to my accusations.'
'And what of your friend the Doctor?' The tone in Doyle's voice had changed slightly. 'Where is he now?'
Anna arched an eyebrow. 'Last time I saw him he was still in the Vaults, but....' Suddenly Anna wasn't sure about Doyle's change in tone.
Doyle cocked his head sideways, it was if they were no longer in conversation. 'But?'
'...he could be anywhere by now.'
The Doctor and Constable Norrie were still pinned down behind the wall as the Cybermen stalked the Kirkyard. 'So your plan is to march up to the Castle gates? They'll throw you in the dungeon! That's if they don't shoot you first.'
'Who says the Scots are negative?' the Doctor replied. 'I wouldn't worry about that Constable, I can be very persuasive. We just need to get out of here first.'
'We can't go through the gates, they'll shoot us on sight.'
'Which is why we're not going through the gates.' the Doctor replied, pointing to the high wall next to them. 'It can't be higher than a couple of feet, what's on the other side?'
'Probably Candlemaker Row...'
'Perfect.' The Doctor took a deep breath. 'On three....' and with that, both men launched themselves to their feet, darting past blaster fire from the alerted Cybermen and hoisting themselves on to the top of the wall. More blaster shots rang out in the Kirkyard as both men toppled over the wall to the other side.
The Doctor and Constable Norrie crashed to the cobbles of Candlemaker Row, their fall cushioned by a pile of rags left on the pavement. 'Not quite the exit I had in mind.' the Doctor gasped, rolling on to his front.
The Constable got to his knees, a hand on his lower back. 'Think I've broken something...'
The Doctor was on his feet now, stretching and dusting down his suit and overcoat. 'You'll be fine, now I'll understand if you want to get yourself home.'
Norrie shook his head, rising gingerly to his feet. 'No Doctor, as a Constable I've to protect the folk of this city, from criminals or monsters....I'm coming with you.'
The Doctor patted him on the shoulder, causing the Constable to flinch. 'Good man!' he beamed, setting off up Candlemaker Row towards the Castle.
The CyberLeader watched the footage from the Kirkyard unit. 'The image matches that from the Vaults. It is the Doctor, he must be stopped before the final stages are initiated.'
It turned to the monitor relaying the images from Doyle's eyepiece. 'The girl will tell us everything the Doctor knows, and where we will find him.'
Major Robert McCallum enjoyed his nightly patrol of the Castle Esplanade, with his rank he could easily allow one of his soldiers to do the patrol themselves but he enjoyed the cool night air of Edinburgh. It helped him think, and with the King staying at Holyrood Palace, he had lots to think about. Everything he had heard suggested the King was in a state of physical and mental decline, few could think of a reason why he had decided to make the gruelling journey to Edinburgh.
McCallum was roused from these thoughts, by two men approaching the Castle, arms raised in surrender. Thinking it a little suspicious, he raised his rifle. The taller man, dressed in a long brown coat and tweed suit was saying something but was still too far away. Eventually they were standing at the top of Mile, waiting to be allowed access to the Esplanade. 'Hello....er....I'm the Doctor and this is Constable Norrie. We think the Castle is about to be attacked.'
'You better come in then....' McCallum said, lowering his rifle and raising his left hand.
The man calling himself the Doctor smiled widely and began walking forward, just as McCallum's men swarmed the Esplanade, rifles pointing at him and his friend. 'I am Major Robert McCallum, what business do you have here at Edinburgh Castle?'
Doyle was now sat upright, recounting his story for Anna who was sat opposite. 'He contacted me saying he had made some breakthrough and that I was to visit Edinburgh immediately.'
Doyle was shaking his head, and placing a hand to the Cyber eye piece now grafted to his face. 'But his breakthrough....my lord, the man has become bitter and twisted and black inside.'
'What was it?' Anna asked, leaning forward.
'A grotesque creature my dear, the decaying flesh of a man brought to life by machinery. Most distressing to witness, I hope your female eyes never come across such a thing...'
Anna thought of all the creatures she had come across in her time with the Doctor and couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed with the fragile frame of Doyle and his old world view of the fairer sex. 'And that was when the Cybermen got you?'
Doyle nodded, looking up at Anna, his face solemn. 'How did you come to be here?'
'I travelled to Edinburgh with my friend the Doctor, we had a run in with the Cybermen in the Vaults. I met a woman down there who said men from the Vaults were going to work for your friend.' She sighed, still annoyed with herself for going to Fairfax all guns blazing. 'He didn't take too kindly to my accusations.'
'And what of your friend the Doctor?' The tone in Doyle's voice had changed slightly. 'Where is he now?'
Anna arched an eyebrow. 'Last time I saw him he was still in the Vaults, but....' Suddenly Anna wasn't sure about Doyle's change in tone.
Doyle cocked his head sideways, it was if they were no longer in conversation. 'But?'
'...he could be anywhere by now.'
*
The Doctor and Constable Norrie were still pinned down behind the wall as the Cybermen stalked the Kirkyard. 'So your plan is to march up to the Castle gates? They'll throw you in the dungeon! That's if they don't shoot you first.'
'Who says the Scots are negative?' the Doctor replied. 'I wouldn't worry about that Constable, I can be very persuasive. We just need to get out of here first.'
'We can't go through the gates, they'll shoot us on sight.'
'Which is why we're not going through the gates.' the Doctor replied, pointing to the high wall next to them. 'It can't be higher than a couple of feet, what's on the other side?'
'Probably Candlemaker Row...'
'Perfect.' The Doctor took a deep breath. 'On three....' and with that, both men launched themselves to their feet, darting past blaster fire from the alerted Cybermen and hoisting themselves on to the top of the wall. More blaster shots rang out in the Kirkyard as both men toppled over the wall to the other side.
*
The Doctor and Constable Norrie crashed to the cobbles of Candlemaker Row, their fall cushioned by a pile of rags left on the pavement. 'Not quite the exit I had in mind.' the Doctor gasped, rolling on to his front.
The Constable got to his knees, a hand on his lower back. 'Think I've broken something...'
The Doctor was on his feet now, stretching and dusting down his suit and overcoat. 'You'll be fine, now I'll understand if you want to get yourself home.'
Norrie shook his head, rising gingerly to his feet. 'No Doctor, as a Constable I've to protect the folk of this city, from criminals or monsters....I'm coming with you.'
The Doctor patted him on the shoulder, causing the Constable to flinch. 'Good man!' he beamed, setting off up Candlemaker Row towards the Castle.
*
The CyberLeader watched the footage from the Kirkyard unit. 'The image matches that from the Vaults. It is the Doctor, he must be stopped before the final stages are initiated.'
It turned to the monitor relaying the images from Doyle's eyepiece. 'The girl will tell us everything the Doctor knows, and where we will find him.'
*
Major Robert McCallum enjoyed his nightly patrol of the Castle Esplanade, with his rank he could easily allow one of his soldiers to do the patrol themselves but he enjoyed the cool night air of Edinburgh. It helped him think, and with the King staying at Holyrood Palace, he had lots to think about. Everything he had heard suggested the King was in a state of physical and mental decline, few could think of a reason why he had decided to make the gruelling journey to Edinburgh.
McCallum was roused from these thoughts, by two men approaching the Castle, arms raised in surrender. Thinking it a little suspicious, he raised his rifle. The taller man, dressed in a long brown coat and tweed suit was saying something but was still too far away. Eventually they were standing at the top of Mile, waiting to be allowed access to the Esplanade. 'Hello....er....I'm the Doctor and this is Constable Norrie. We think the Castle is about to be attacked.'
'You better come in then....' McCallum said, lowering his rifle and raising his left hand.
The man calling himself the Doctor smiled widely and began walking forward, just as McCallum's men swarmed the Esplanade, rifles pointing at him and his friend. 'I am Major Robert McCallum, what business do you have here at Edinburgh Castle?'
