A node turned to face them. "Please help me. Please help me." it said. "It's the little girl. The girl we saw in the computer." Anita said. So far, the Vashta Nerada hadn't gotten her. She still had two shadows, though. "She's not in the computer. In a way, she is the computer. The main command node. This is CAL." Mr. Lux said. "CAL is a child? A child hooked up to a mainframe? Why didn't you tell me this? I needed to know this!" the Doctor said angrily. "Because she's family!" Mr. Lux shouted. "CAL. Charlotte Abigail Lux. My grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying, so he built her a library and put her living mind inside, with a moon to watch over her, and all of human history to pass the time. Any era to live in, any book to read. She loved books more than anything, and he gave her them all. He asked only that she be left in peace. A secret, not a freak show." he said, practically on the verge of tears. "So you weren't protecting a patent, you were protecting her." the Master said quietly. "This is only half a life, of course. But it's forever." Mr. Lux said. "And then the shadows came. Now I understand! The Vashta Nerada live in forests, hatch in wood. This is their forest. That's how they got in!" the Doctor realized. "The shadows. I have to. I have to save. Have to save." CAL said. "And she saved them, I see. She saved everyone in the library. Folded them into her dreams and kept them safe." Mr. Lux sighed. "Then why didn't she tell us?" Anita asked. "Because she's forgotten. She's got over four thousand living minds chatting away inside her head. It must be like being, well, me." the Doctor said. "So what do we do?" Mr. Lux asked. "Autodestruct in ten minutes." the computer said.
One on one? (Closed!)
Nico was filled with panic and fear. His heart was rushing quickly, his eyes shut as his mind tries to calm down. Will…
"Ah, I'm afraid you'll have to save the carnivores without me." the Rani said, grabbing the Doctor and holding a gun up at his neck. "TARDIS key, now." she said. "You know I'd shoot him, Koschei Oakdown. Now give me the key, and I'll let him go." she said, glaring at the Master. He hesitated, then spoke. "Fine. Kill him, it would be a mercy to me." he said, poker-faced.
Nico starts when Rani holds a gun to his neck. "What are you doing?!" He cries. "I thought you were on our side!" He gets into defensive stance. What was going on? He looks at the Doctor, concern in his eyes. He was scared. He had seen to many people he cared about at sword point, gun point, in front of a monsters mouth, killed by a monster, etc. He didn't need to see another death.
"I'm done running reconnaissance missions for Gallifrey. I'm not going to be part of Rassilon's game any longer. Key, now." she growled. "Your dear little Doctor won't regenerate, you know. This gun is specifically designed to deliver a killing blow to Time Lords. Think I'm bluffing? Try me." the Rani smirked. "I was never on your side, carnivore." she glared at Nico. The Doctor's eyes were stricken with terror, he knew the Rani never lied or bluffed. "No, wait! Ushas, I'll give you the key. Let him go." the Master said, realizing that he couldn't talk his way out of this. "Aw, so cute. Look at the pair of you, undying devotion. Looks like you've domesticated your android, Doctor. You'll be wearing matching scarves soon." the Rani gave a mirthless laugh. "Key first, your boyfriend second." she said. The Master regretfully handed her the key, and she released the Doctor, who upon release collapsed in a fit of coughing. "I'll have to blow the lifts to stop you following me, of course. No hard feelings." she said, running out of the room. "Autodestruct in five minutes." the computer announced.
Nico watches the interaction. Rage filled him, but his face was calm. As she ran he bolts after her, his rage fueling him. She could run, but he wasn't going to give up chase. He had to beat her. He had to get to Will.
The Rani reached the gravity platform, going up. Nico had lost her. The sound of an explosion came minutes later, she had indeed not broken her promise, the lift was gone.
Nico falls to his knees, his hands tangling into his hair. He sobs softly, banging the ground with his fist. He lets out a broken sob. How…. how could he get to Will? How could he save the other. He falls into a broken heap, not caring if the shadows took him. He welcomed the pain and the darkness.
"Mr. Di Angelo, come back now. We need to stop this place from detonating!" the Master called Nico back.
Nico gives a soft sob, not caring. He had lost Will… the only person he truly loved.
"Mr. Di Angelo, we can still save your fiancee, so, as the phrase goes, suck it up. We've got work to do." the Master said.
Nico looks up, Fiancee… We're barely 16… He clears his throat awkwardly at that comment. But he slowly stands and returns.
"My dear Doctor, allow me. I'll be able to do it much more efficiently, given your current state." the Master said, finishing rewiring the computer system. "We beam all the people out of the data core. The computer will reset and stop the countdown. Difficult. Charlotte doesn't have enough memory space left to make the transfer. I'll hook myself up to the computer. She can borrow my memory space." the Doctor said, shaking a little. "No! It'll kill you stone dead." the Master scolded. "Yeah, it's easy to criticise." the Doctor remarked. "My dear Doctor, it will burn out both your hearts and don't think you'll regenerate." the Master said angrily. "I'll try my hardest not to die. I haven't broken my promise, we're still going to find Bognor Regis." the Doctor replied. "I'm right, this works. Shut up. Now listen. You, Nico, and Luxy boy, back up to the main library, here's a map to the separate lifts. Other side, though, so even if the Rani hasn't taken off, which she presumably hasn't as the Master is still active, you won't get to the TARDIS without being consumed by one of the swarms or simply getting there in time. Prime any data cells you can find for maximum download, and before you say anything else, Master, can I just mention in passing as you're here, shut up." the Doctor said. "I hate you." the Master grinned sadly. "I know." the Doctor grinned in return. "Mr. Lux, Mr. Di Angelo, with me. Anita, if he dies, I'll kill him!" the Master warned, leading Mr. Lux and Nico out. "What about the Vashta Nerada?" Anita asked, after the group had left. "These are their forests. I'm going to seal Charlotte inside her little world, take everybody else away from here with the teleports. The shadows can swarm to their hearts' content." the Doctor explained. "So you think they're just going to let us go?" Anita asked. "Best offer they're going to get." the Doctor said simply. "You're going to make 'em an offer?" Anita asked. "They'd better take it, because right now, I'm finding it very hard to make any kind of offer at all. You know what? I really liked Anita. She was brave, even when she was crying. And she never gave in. And you ate her." he cleared her visor to reveal a skull. "But I'm going to let that pass, just as long as you let them pass." the Doctor said. "How long have you known?" the suit that was formerly Anita asked. "I counted the shadows. You only have one now. She's nearly gone. Be kind." the Doctor said. "These are our forests. We are not kind." the suit said. "I'm giving you back your forests, but you are giving me them. You are letting them go." the Doctor ordered. "These are our forests. They are our meat." the suit said. Shadows stretched out from Vashta Nerada Anita towards the Doctor. "Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I liked. That is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor, and you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up." the Doctor said, not moving. There is a pause, then the shadows withdrew. "You have one day." the suit said. The spacesuit collapsed. "She's been dead a while now. I told you to go!" the Doctor said as the Master appeared. "Mr. Di Angelo and Mr. Lux can manage without me. I'm not letting you kill yourself, I can do this for you. Forgive me for this." the Master said. He punched the Doctor, knocking him out. A little later, the Master was twisting some wires together, focusing. The Doctor was handcuffed to a pole in the room. "Autodestruct in two minutes." the computer announced.
Nico hesitates and his heart ripping in two as he watches the others. But without hesitation he follows the others, knowing that it would be okay.
(Oh my god… That's a lot)
"Master, no, you don't know what that will do to you!" the Doctor said, attempting to reach for his sonic. "I ran the calculations. I am an android, after all. I have a higher chance of continuing existence than you. Now shut up, Theta Sigma." the Master said. "Don't use our Academy names, just… don't. Tell me, what are your chances of survival?!" the Doctor asked. "Less than two percent. It's better than a flat out zero percent chance, however. Ha, Ushas was right. You did, as she do delicately phrased it, domesticate me. I used to burn and enslave galaxies as if it were a hobby, now I'm making you tea and saving your life. But I don't think this is goodbye, my dear. Just… farewell for a little while." the Master said. "Autodestruct in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1," the computer said. The Master was plugged into the computer, and suddenly everything went blank, just a bright light. The Doctor freed himself, but the Master had at least been turned off and needed rebooting. It was probably worse. Everyone had been returned to the library, and they were whistling and cheering at their freedom from the virtual world. Alison and Will ran up to Nico. "Where's the Doctor?" Alison asked.
(Also, this was supposed to post last night, but a freak storm disabled the juices of life (internet and/or Wi-Fi) but I did manage to save it, so yeah. Late post, sorry, but who cares? Let's RP!)
Nio broke down. "They're this way." He whispers, beckoning to them. He starts down to where the Doctor and the Master were.
Alison followed, finding the Doctor a complete mess and the Master unmoving, with his arm plugged into a computer. "Doctor, what happened here?" she asked. The Doctor didn't respond, he simply ignored Alison, Will, and Nico.
Nico's breathing was shaky and uncontrollable. He had seen so many people, he made a mental note. He shuts his eyes, messing with his sleeve, looking down at the names tattooed on his arm. The demigods he had failed to save were tattooed there. He had so many names, some lead to his back.
"I'll be able to repair him. I just… I think I have the right to a little nervous breakdown after all this, dammit!" the Doctor shouted, something Alison didn't expect, making her jump. "Doctor, let's get back to the TARDIS." Alison said quietly. "We can't. It's gone." the Doctor replied. "Gone? What d'you mean gone?" Alison asked nervously. "Just gone." the Doctor replied sullenly.
Nico hung his head, "Rani took it." He says sourly. He shakes his head, his fists clenching. "I couldn't catch her." He whispers. Will takes his hand gently.
"What… Doctor, what are we going to do now?" Alison asked. "51st century. I have friends in this era… well, I say friends." he said.
Will looks at them, "What are we going to do." His eyes narrow.
"I don't know, alright?! You see, this is the exact thing I can't keep doing! I trust people, I get betrayed, and every time this happens, one or more of my friends gets caught up in it all and they die, or worse." the Doctor said. "I'll figure it out. So stop asking me questions. Please." he said, anguished.
Will nods slowly and walks towards the doctor. He sits beside the other, not saying anything.
The Doctor sat there in silence for a few minutes. "Well then, I suppose we'd better get out of here. I know just where to go, we can use the teleports. They should be working again." the Doctor said finally, standing up. "Might need a little help moving him, though." he nodded towards the Master. "Well, you seem chipper." Alison grinned. "Well, you need to move on eventually." the Doctor said, smirking slightly.
Will and Nico share a look. "We'll carry him." Nico says softly.
"Ah, that would help. We'll use one of the teleports to get to the Time Agency, they owe me a few favors." the Doctor said. "And how did you come by these favors, might I ask?" Alison said. "Well, mainly by doing their jobs for them." the Doctor said. A few minutes later they had teleported to a large marble building on a planet that had an inexplicably green tinted sky.
(Hello?)
Will and Nico gently lift Master and they share a look and watch the Doctor.
"Ah, I suppose we could just leave my dear android somewhere…. in general." the Doctor said casually. "Anyways, I'm going to head inside. If you want to come along, then don't dawdle."