Did anyone want more?
30 Jan 2006 07:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
misaffectionNo? Tough.
The Kaleidescope Effect
Having calmed Rose down, the Doctor left her sleeping. Taking Jack's arm, he led the ex-Time Agent back into the control room. Activating another set of scans on the castle, the Doctor removed his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. He compaired the results, his expression growing more grim by the second.
“What did you mean by 'removed'?” Jack said.
“Exactly that,” the Doctor said.
“The crystal?”
“Definitely. Though how I'm not sure.”
“More to the point – why?”
“That's also a good question.” The Doctor paused, then looked up at Jack. He was frowning slightly, his expression almost sympathetic. “I have one for you.”
“Yeah? Shoot.”
“You said the Time Agents stole your memory. Do you remember where you where?”
“Yes of course. I was...” Jack stopped. His eyes went wide. “Here?” he finished.
The Doctor nodded slowly. “I expect so. You said you'd woken up with those years missing, but Rose was barely conscious and she's just lost a couple of days. It's highly possible the Time Agents found you comatose and didn't realise until you'd woken up what had happened.”
“So they didn't steal my memories themselves?”
“I didn't say that,” the Doctor pointed out. “I just put forward another possibility.”
“If they didn't take my memories – who did? And why?”
“I think we're ought to find out. From what I can determine the crystal hypnotises the person, then scans the memory for anything interesting.” The Doctor paced the control room, his hands flicking as he processed the thoughts in his head. “That memory is then removed. It must be being stored somewhere. Possibly in the crystal itself.”
“So we destroy it,” said Jack.
“No,” the Doctor said quietly. Jack didn't seem to hear him, he paced himself now, his anger barely contained.
“Blow it sky-high and then they can't steal memories.” He paused and looked at the Doctor in surprise. “What did you say?”
“I said no,” he replied. “I have a better idea.” Then he grimaced and waved a hand. “Well, an idea. If it works, it'll be better.”
Jack frowned. “What?”
“When I say 'anything interesting' I mean the kind of information that could even be useful in the right hands. I think someone's selling the information the crystal steals.”
“Selling it?”
The Doctor shrugged. “The ultimate in corporate spying maybe. Company secrets, improvements in technology, blackmail. The list is endless. Supply and demand.”
“Holy crap.”
“The thing is if these people have any sense, they'll keep copies of the memories. Why sell something once when you can sell it over and over?”
“You think they stole my memories and they still have them?”
“It's possible.”
Jack sat on the chair, thinking hard. After a moment, he looked up at the Doctor.
“You want to set a trap,” he surmised.
“Basically, yes,” the Doctor said with a brisk nod. “We could destroy the crystal, but then we'd never know who was doing this. Or if the memories could be saved. Or whether they'd just start again, somewhere else.”
Nodding, Jack sighed. “But to bait this trap, we need information. Interesting information. And we know anyone that goes in there gets their brain wiped.”
“Maybe. Or maybe not. What if the person in there isn't remembering their own memories? What if someone went in there and was unconcious and then given the memories of someone else?”
“Come again?” Jack asked confused.
“He means using the psychic link,” said Rose.
They both looked round, startled by her voice.
“Hey,” Jack said. “Shouldn't you be resting?”
“I rested,” Rose replied, her eyes on the Doctor. “That is what you meant, isn't it?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“I don't understand,” Jack admitted. “Use the link how?”
The Doctor leant against the central column. “The crystal reads your memories, but you only lose those it actually takes. Obviously it scans your mind for those that are interesting, that could be useful. But if the memories you were remembering aren't yours... Under the right circumstances, you wouldn't be remembering anything from your own past, it'd be from mine.”
“Right circumstances being?” asked Jack harshly.
“Heavy sedation.”
“What?” Jack exclaimed, scrambling off the chair. “No! Doctor, you can't ask her to do that. What if you're wrong? What if it reads her mind? She'll lose her past as I've lost mine. She could even die.”
“I know,” the Doctor said angrily. “Don't you think I'm aware of the risks? But I refuse to leave this thing operating and I'd also like to know who's been running it. You could have those two years back, Jack.”
“It's not worth Rose!”
“Jack,” she said softly. He went still and she went to him, placing a hand on his arm. “When we first met, you mentioned how you'd lost two years. That's one of the reason you came with us – to find how why. To get them back. Well here we are, we can do it.”
“But at a huge risk Rose.”
“It'll be okay, I'll be okay. Won't I, Doctor?” She turned to look at him.
He returned look steadily.
“I believe so, but there is a risk, I won't deny that. And if something goes wrong, I'll go in and pull her out.”
Rose nodded and looked back at Jack. “See? I'll be fine,” she assured him.
Still it was one thing saying it but another thing to sit in the TARDIS' medical bay and let the Doctor pump her with drugs. She watched him carefully measure her vital signs and fill a syringe with a pale yellow fluid. He came over to her and saw how pale she'd gone.
“Sure about this now?” he asked her gently.
Tearing her eyes from the needle, Rose looked at him and swallowed nervously. “You'll be right outside yeah?” she enquired, her voice barely audible.
The Doctor put the syringe on the bed and took her hands in his. He held them firmly, his thumbs stroking the backs of her hands. “All the time,” he assured her.
“Then I'm sure,” she said firmly.
“Jack's not happy,” the Doctor told her.
He dropped her left hand and picked up the syringe again. He turned over her right arm and placed the needle against a vein. Rose found an interesting spot on the ceiling to stare at. There was a brief sharp pain and then a cold creeping sensation as the drug travelled up her arm.
“I know. He'd rather do this himself, but he can't.”
“Rose, I'd rather do this but...”
“I know,” she said again. She slid off the bed and ignored how the room was beginning to appear hazy. The Doctor put out a hand to steady her. “Come on, let's get this over and done with.”
He led Rose back to the control room. Jack was sat on the chair, his expression bleak. When he saw them enter and how Rose was already showing effects of the drug he got off it, his face going dark.
“You're mad,” he said flatly. “Both of you. This scheme is crazy.”
“But we do crazy so well,” Rose said smiling. The lightheadedness she was currently experiencing was very similar to being drunk and made her giddy in much the same way.
Jack looked at her slightly unfocused gaze and glared at the Doctor. “I do not agree with this course of action, you know that,” he said roughly. “If she gets hurt...”
“She won't,” the Doctor insisted, his grasp of Rose's arm tightening somewhat.
“If she gets hurt,” Jack repeated slowly. “You'll have to get used to another new look.”
The Doctor blinked at the threat. “I'll bear that in mind,” he said.
Jack watched them head out side, then flung himself back into the chair.
The Doctor didn't check to see if Jack followed them; he knew he wouldn't. He knew Jack was furious with him – and Rose – for doing this but it was the only way. It wasn't a matter of Jack's memories – it was finding out who was doing this. Finding them and stopping them.
It was dark now. The thunder clouds had cleared and the stars shone brightly in the black expanse of the sky. It made the ruin look even more imposing. Or was that just that he knew what it truly was now? The Doctor wasn't sure.
As Rose entered the castle, he became even less sure. She glanced backwards, a quick look over her shoulder. The sunny smile she wore did nothing to hide the fear in her eyes. Yet she took a deep breath and went in. The Doctor smiled slightly, feeling an odd sense of pride at her bravery. No wonder his previous incarnation had cared for her.
In the dark hall, Rose found her steps getting slower. There was a cold ball of fear in her stomach, even with the drug in her system. She forced one foot in front of the other until she was in the main room. Her eyes went immediately to the crystal which began to glow as it detected her, throwing colours across the room. Rose stared at it, feeling increasingly drowsy. Half-entranced by the light she approached the crystal, sinking to sit on the floor in front of it. She rested her chin on her hands, her vision swam before going black, her body crumpling into unconsciousness to the floor.
Outside the Doctor felt an odd tug at the part of his mind that was linked to Rose. Knowing she'd succumbed to the drugs, he concentrated on the link, feeling it become stronger until he could sense Rose's mind almost as if it were superimposed onto his own.
Casting his mind back, he began to recall the Time War and project the memories into the blankness that was Rose. As he fed her images, he felt a brief rush of terror. He started too soon. He glanced at his watch. It wasn't going to work – she should be beyond being effected by the visions in her head. Time was against them. Still they didn't need long, just a little more...
The Doctor continued to pour the most important aspects of the Time War into Rose's head, hoping to get interest piqued, for the bait to be attractive enough. Then something jolted the psychic link. Light, golden and hazy. Words drifted through his head; “I create myself”.
“No,” the Doctor whispered, his eyes widening in shock. She couldn't recall the Time Vortex; it was too important to lose. He pushed himself off the wall, ignoring any possible danger to himself as he dashed inside.
He found Rose was in a heap near the crystal. The Doctor gave the device a filthy look, then swept the young woman into his arms, carrying her out the castle and away from the light. He crashed to his knees outside. Pushing the blonde hair off her face with a shaking hand, he called her name over and over.
“Rose.”
The Kaleidescope Effect
Having calmed Rose down, the Doctor left her sleeping. Taking Jack's arm, he led the ex-Time Agent back into the control room. Activating another set of scans on the castle, the Doctor removed his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. He compaired the results, his expression growing more grim by the second.
“What did you mean by 'removed'?” Jack said.
“Exactly that,” the Doctor said.
“The crystal?”
“Definitely. Though how I'm not sure.”
“More to the point – why?”
“That's also a good question.” The Doctor paused, then looked up at Jack. He was frowning slightly, his expression almost sympathetic. “I have one for you.”
“Yeah? Shoot.”
“You said the Time Agents stole your memory. Do you remember where you where?”
“Yes of course. I was...” Jack stopped. His eyes went wide. “Here?” he finished.
The Doctor nodded slowly. “I expect so. You said you'd woken up with those years missing, but Rose was barely conscious and she's just lost a couple of days. It's highly possible the Time Agents found you comatose and didn't realise until you'd woken up what had happened.”
“So they didn't steal my memories themselves?”
“I didn't say that,” the Doctor pointed out. “I just put forward another possibility.”
“If they didn't take my memories – who did? And why?”
“I think we're ought to find out. From what I can determine the crystal hypnotises the person, then scans the memory for anything interesting.” The Doctor paced the control room, his hands flicking as he processed the thoughts in his head. “That memory is then removed. It must be being stored somewhere. Possibly in the crystal itself.”
“So we destroy it,” said Jack.
“No,” the Doctor said quietly. Jack didn't seem to hear him, he paced himself now, his anger barely contained.
“Blow it sky-high and then they can't steal memories.” He paused and looked at the Doctor in surprise. “What did you say?”
“I said no,” he replied. “I have a better idea.” Then he grimaced and waved a hand. “Well, an idea. If it works, it'll be better.”
Jack frowned. “What?”
“When I say 'anything interesting' I mean the kind of information that could even be useful in the right hands. I think someone's selling the information the crystal steals.”
“Selling it?”
The Doctor shrugged. “The ultimate in corporate spying maybe. Company secrets, improvements in technology, blackmail. The list is endless. Supply and demand.”
“Holy crap.”
“The thing is if these people have any sense, they'll keep copies of the memories. Why sell something once when you can sell it over and over?”
“You think they stole my memories and they still have them?”
“It's possible.”
Jack sat on the chair, thinking hard. After a moment, he looked up at the Doctor.
“You want to set a trap,” he surmised.
“Basically, yes,” the Doctor said with a brisk nod. “We could destroy the crystal, but then we'd never know who was doing this. Or if the memories could be saved. Or whether they'd just start again, somewhere else.”
Nodding, Jack sighed. “But to bait this trap, we need information. Interesting information. And we know anyone that goes in there gets their brain wiped.”
“Maybe. Or maybe not. What if the person in there isn't remembering their own memories? What if someone went in there and was unconcious and then given the memories of someone else?”
“Come again?” Jack asked confused.
“He means using the psychic link,” said Rose.
They both looked round, startled by her voice.
“Hey,” Jack said. “Shouldn't you be resting?”
“I rested,” Rose replied, her eyes on the Doctor. “That is what you meant, isn't it?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“I don't understand,” Jack admitted. “Use the link how?”
The Doctor leant against the central column. “The crystal reads your memories, but you only lose those it actually takes. Obviously it scans your mind for those that are interesting, that could be useful. But if the memories you were remembering aren't yours... Under the right circumstances, you wouldn't be remembering anything from your own past, it'd be from mine.”
“Right circumstances being?” asked Jack harshly.
“Heavy sedation.”
“What?” Jack exclaimed, scrambling off the chair. “No! Doctor, you can't ask her to do that. What if you're wrong? What if it reads her mind? She'll lose her past as I've lost mine. She could even die.”
“I know,” the Doctor said angrily. “Don't you think I'm aware of the risks? But I refuse to leave this thing operating and I'd also like to know who's been running it. You could have those two years back, Jack.”
“It's not worth Rose!”
“Jack,” she said softly. He went still and she went to him, placing a hand on his arm. “When we first met, you mentioned how you'd lost two years. That's one of the reason you came with us – to find how why. To get them back. Well here we are, we can do it.”
“But at a huge risk Rose.”
“It'll be okay, I'll be okay. Won't I, Doctor?” She turned to look at him.
He returned look steadily.
“I believe so, but there is a risk, I won't deny that. And if something goes wrong, I'll go in and pull her out.”
Rose nodded and looked back at Jack. “See? I'll be fine,” she assured him.
Still it was one thing saying it but another thing to sit in the TARDIS' medical bay and let the Doctor pump her with drugs. She watched him carefully measure her vital signs and fill a syringe with a pale yellow fluid. He came over to her and saw how pale she'd gone.
“Sure about this now?” he asked her gently.
Tearing her eyes from the needle, Rose looked at him and swallowed nervously. “You'll be right outside yeah?” she enquired, her voice barely audible.
The Doctor put the syringe on the bed and took her hands in his. He held them firmly, his thumbs stroking the backs of her hands. “All the time,” he assured her.
“Then I'm sure,” she said firmly.
“Jack's not happy,” the Doctor told her.
He dropped her left hand and picked up the syringe again. He turned over her right arm and placed the needle against a vein. Rose found an interesting spot on the ceiling to stare at. There was a brief sharp pain and then a cold creeping sensation as the drug travelled up her arm.
“I know. He'd rather do this himself, but he can't.”
“Rose, I'd rather do this but...”
“I know,” she said again. She slid off the bed and ignored how the room was beginning to appear hazy. The Doctor put out a hand to steady her. “Come on, let's get this over and done with.”
He led Rose back to the control room. Jack was sat on the chair, his expression bleak. When he saw them enter and how Rose was already showing effects of the drug he got off it, his face going dark.
“You're mad,” he said flatly. “Both of you. This scheme is crazy.”
“But we do crazy so well,” Rose said smiling. The lightheadedness she was currently experiencing was very similar to being drunk and made her giddy in much the same way.
Jack looked at her slightly unfocused gaze and glared at the Doctor. “I do not agree with this course of action, you know that,” he said roughly. “If she gets hurt...”
“She won't,” the Doctor insisted, his grasp of Rose's arm tightening somewhat.
“If she gets hurt,” Jack repeated slowly. “You'll have to get used to another new look.”
The Doctor blinked at the threat. “I'll bear that in mind,” he said.
Jack watched them head out side, then flung himself back into the chair.
The Doctor didn't check to see if Jack followed them; he knew he wouldn't. He knew Jack was furious with him – and Rose – for doing this but it was the only way. It wasn't a matter of Jack's memories – it was finding out who was doing this. Finding them and stopping them.
It was dark now. The thunder clouds had cleared and the stars shone brightly in the black expanse of the sky. It made the ruin look even more imposing. Or was that just that he knew what it truly was now? The Doctor wasn't sure.
As Rose entered the castle, he became even less sure. She glanced backwards, a quick look over her shoulder. The sunny smile she wore did nothing to hide the fear in her eyes. Yet she took a deep breath and went in. The Doctor smiled slightly, feeling an odd sense of pride at her bravery. No wonder his previous incarnation had cared for her.
In the dark hall, Rose found her steps getting slower. There was a cold ball of fear in her stomach, even with the drug in her system. She forced one foot in front of the other until she was in the main room. Her eyes went immediately to the crystal which began to glow as it detected her, throwing colours across the room. Rose stared at it, feeling increasingly drowsy. Half-entranced by the light she approached the crystal, sinking to sit on the floor in front of it. She rested her chin on her hands, her vision swam before going black, her body crumpling into unconsciousness to the floor.
Outside the Doctor felt an odd tug at the part of his mind that was linked to Rose. Knowing she'd succumbed to the drugs, he concentrated on the link, feeling it become stronger until he could sense Rose's mind almost as if it were superimposed onto his own.
Casting his mind back, he began to recall the Time War and project the memories into the blankness that was Rose. As he fed her images, he felt a brief rush of terror. He started too soon. He glanced at his watch. It wasn't going to work – she should be beyond being effected by the visions in her head. Time was against them. Still they didn't need long, just a little more...
The Doctor continued to pour the most important aspects of the Time War into Rose's head, hoping to get interest piqued, for the bait to be attractive enough. Then something jolted the psychic link. Light, golden and hazy. Words drifted through his head; “I create myself”.
“No,” the Doctor whispered, his eyes widening in shock. She couldn't recall the Time Vortex; it was too important to lose. He pushed himself off the wall, ignoring any possible danger to himself as he dashed inside.
He found Rose was in a heap near the crystal. The Doctor gave the device a filthy look, then swept the young woman into his arms, carrying her out the castle and away from the light. He crashed to his knees outside. Pushing the blonde hair off her face with a shaking hand, he called her name over and over.
“Rose.”
