An Afternoon's Thought

There was music, and words, and conviction, and talking.  The morning moved on slow and fast all at once, the way it usually does on a Sunday, and we come home and eat a late lunch; tuna is delicious, although many people disagree.  I played a game for a while, and I remember thinking earlier today and wondering why killing isn't considered a bad thing in video games.  Maybe because we're killing villains, and they're not real people anyway, plus you get points for taking them out?  But does that affect how we see death in the real world?

The sky was a plain greyish-white earlier, but now the sheet-cloud has drifted off and the sky is blue, except for the horizon, which is a grapefruit-orange.  The moon is already in the sky, and it looks pretty close to being completely round, like one of those tortilla chips (not the triangular kind, because a triangular moon would be ridiculous).  Except there's no dip.  Bummer.  But they say the moon is made of cheese, which means it would be best eaten between giant crackers or in a massive ham-and-cheese sandwich (except it would be more like a ham-and-moon sandwich, I guess).

All of the trees are draped around like brown skeletons, save for those few that still hold on to a handful of dried-up leaves, and the evergreens, which, as usual, are green and needle-y.  The neighbor's pulling out of the driveway in his dark gray Pontiac, and now I remember my ruminations on how strange our world would seem to someone from, say, the Middle Ages, or even the 1700s.  It's all racing metal carriages and giant metal and concrete trees with lights on top, and strange solid-rock roads and flimsy houses that can somehow be as warm as the equator inside even in the middle of winter.  And we have pieces of glass that have endless streams of letters and pictures and moving pictures.  It would all seem like magic to the people of the past.

I have a little red streak on my hand that won't go away.  Rug-burn?  Scrape?  No idea.  Oh, unless it was from when I rammed my hand into the air-brake on the door when I was carrying in that Rubbermaid.  That was a pretty painful experience.  And isn't it funny, that yard-sign on the front lawn, and all these papers on the office desk, all proving that my dad owns a business?  It's strange to think about, because he never owned a business when I was younger, and at my age I actually realize what owning a business means and what a big thing that is.  Although, when I'm my dad's age, it might not seem so strange.  But personally, I'd rather write or sing and play music or make music on a computer, even, and I know my dad would rather be back in Peru.  The future is exciting and bizarre and scary and unnerving and confusing and looking awesome all at once.

I wonder what's in store...

Write The Sky

Some of you may have noticed my unusual blog name.  Some of you may have also thought, "What the heck does 'To Write The Sky' even mean?"  Queue this blog post.

Now, I might just be talking to myself.  Or maybe coming up with an excuse to write something.  (Meanwhile, the next chapter of "The Resonance Debacle" is nagging at me, but I keep putting it off...)  In any case, yesterday I saw what was possibly the most gorgeous sunset I have ever seen in my life.  The urge grows strong.

-----------------

   We're driving down a long country road, at the soaring speed of 60 MPH (or thereabouts).  These country roads are hard to stay on, at least when you're the one driving.  Luckily, I'm not, but I have done it several times, gripping the steering wheel, trying hard to stay on a road that is not nearly wide enough for such high speeds.  It got easier with practice.
   Me and my mother are having a conversation about a variety of things, with her driving the car and me glancing out the window, taking in eyefuls of the tree-lined countryside.  This whole area is an endless collection of rolling hills topped with brown, already-harvested fields, and masses of trees fill the spaces in between.  The leaves are changing color, and the trees are a beautiful blend of green and every single shade of yellow imaginable -- when the sun shines through the leaves, even the bright, fluorescent hues are revealed.  In the sky hangs a dirty-grey iceberg, hazy, pieces of the ethereal ice drifting away from the large mass in the center.
   As I look out across an opening through the distant collection of trees, I see a bright light burning straight through the sky, casting long shadows all across the hills.  The road takes a long curve left, then right again, and we travel a bridge over the highway rushing past below.  Further down the road, and the short stretch of concrete gives way to dirt and gravel.
   A vast gathering of fields lies to our right, completely tree-less except for a small line at the far end; the trees are no more than an inch tall, yet they stretch out, in imitation of the African Savannah's leafy residents.  I look further up once again...and my breath is gone.  The space where the sun was has been replaced by a patch of gorgeous pink.  Clouds of every variety drift in the sky above, some dark, some still lit by those few rays of the sun that are reaching across the very edge of the earth.  My heart sings, and I wish aloud that I were an artist with a panoramic canvas, so that I might capture this scene in all its glory, and somehow do it justice.
   Welcome, Autumn.  Your cold winds may not be pleasant, but I am absolutely in love with your colors this year.  Please, stay as long as you like.  Winter can wait for now.

So how do you write the sky, you ask?  It is the art of taking these beautiful pictures, and somehow stuffing the picture inside of a mass of words, to let the imagination do the work of the eyes, bring the scene to life in the way no other medium can.  Words are more than a sequence of symbols designed to communicate facts.  They are the paint with which the writer creates an image, and the empty page is the canvas.  There are no limits, and you need do no more than find just the right hue.  Is it a jump, a leap, a bound, a dive, or a hop?  Do the birds simply fly, or do they soar, glide, or even flit (if we are talking about sparrows or finches)?

A word for every shade imaginable, a "color" to capture any picture in the mind.

This is how you write the sky.

The Resonance Debacle - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 is (finally) ready!  As always, comments are much appreciated.

3

      The sun had set over Los Alamos.  Barney Calhoun walked slowly through the scant, dry grass, the sound of his own footsteps accompanied only by the chirping of an occasional cricket.  He stopped, and looked around to make sure no one was following him.  When he was certain he was alone, he continued, making his way among the canyons.  A gentle wind began to blow, amplified by the steep walls of the cliffs.  Suddenly, he stopped; there were voices up ahead.  As he got closer, he could hear them more clearly, and realized that they didn’t have the usual gruff or cocky tones of HECU forces, and he sighed in relief.  Probably just some more scientists, he thought.  All the same, it was best to be sure.  He drew his gun, making his way to the corner of one of the cliffs.  He could hear the voices coming clearly right around the bend.

   “So, the computer said whatever pulled the TARDIS through came from…here?” asked one, a man with an English accent.

   “Well, not here exactly, but close by,” replied another man, also with an English accent.  His voice was slightly younger, though, more energetic.  “Probably somewhere underground, though.  Twenty-first century Earth, not easy to come by a device of any kind that can tear through the walls of a universe, and very unlikely that it’ll fit inside your pocket.  If it were above ground, we would have already seen it by now.”

   The voice of a young Scottish woman joined in.  “Alright, so, where is it then?”

   “No idea.  But, judging from the tang of residual radiation in the air…”  There was a short pause.  “I’d say that way.”

   Barney decided he might as well stop hiding.  He hardly understood a thing the trio was saying, but he guessed it had something to do with the accident at Black Mesa.  If they were scientists, he had to get them back to the camp, keep them from wandering off and getting caught or killed by HECU forces.  If they weren’t scientists…well, he would figure it out.  Bracing himself, he stepped carefully around the corner and raised his gun.  “Show me your hands, nice and easy.”

   The three quickly put their hands up.  He was slightly surprised to see that they weren’t wearing science team uniforms or HECU gear, just civilian clothes.  “Don’t shoot!” said the second man, who was wearing a rough-looking coat and a red bow tie.

   Barney lowered his gun slightly.  “Mind tellin’ me who you are?”

   “I’m the Doctor, and these are my friends,” replied the man.

   “Doctor?  Are you one of the scientists?”

   “Uhh, what scientists?”

   “Do you work at Black Mesa?”

   “Black Mesa…no, no, we’re just passing through.”

   “Sounds like you’re lookin’ for something,” Barney said, raising his eyebrow.

   The man looked to his companions, and then asked, “This, eh…Black Mesa, what is it?”

   “It’s a research center just a couple miles away.  You’ve never heard of it?”

   “No.  Like I said, just passing through.  Do you mind putting that gun down?  I’d appreciate it.”

   Barney sighed, then nodded.  He lowered his gun and strapped it to his belt.  “Sorry about that.  HECU forces are out looking for everyone involved in the project, with kill-on-sight orders.  Had to make sure I could trust you.”

   “Oh, that’s alright, then,” the man said with a relieved smile, extending his hand.  “Nice to meet you, mister…?”

   “Barney.  Barney Calhoun.”  He shook the man’s hand, smiling in return.  “And your name is?”

   “The Doctor.  Didn’t I tell you already?”

   “Doctor…who?” Barney said in confusion.

   “Oh, just the Doctor,” said the man dismissively.

   “Just the Doctor…”  Barney still had no idea what the man meant, but he shrugged.  “Well, uh, nice to meet ya, Doc.”

   Rory and Amy introduced themselves, and Barney began to feel more at ease.  “So, if you’re not with the science team, and you’re not with HECU, then who are you?”

   The Doctor opened his mouth to say something, and then stopped.  He opened his mouth again, but still said nothing.  He scratched his chin thoughtfully.  Rory interjected, “We’re from…England.”

   None of this makes any sense, thought Barney.  “How’d you end up out here in the middle of nowhere, then?”

   “Long story,” said the Doctor.  “But, we need to get into Black Mesa.  Can you take us there?”

   “Woah, woah, Doc.”  Barney waved his hands.  “I dunno if you heard, but there was a major disaster.  HECU forces have sealed off the entrances.  Nobody can get in or out.  Besides, why would you wanna go back in there, anyway?  Most of the testing areas collapsed after the accident.  We lost about a third of the facility’s staff.”

   “Hmm…and what exactly happened?  What caused the accident?”

   “Some sort of test involving experimental portal technology, I think.  They’ve been going nuts at Black Mesa ever since the Navy set a military contract on the table for whoever could come up with the stuff first.  Competition’s pretty fierce.  They were so determined to beat Aperture Science that—“

   “Wait, wait, did you say Aperture Science?” the Doctor interrupted.

   “Yeah.”  Barney wondered why the name caught his attention.  “They’ve been rivals of Black Mesa’s for a long time.  If only they hadn’t been in such a damn hurry, none of this would have happened.”  He sighed heavily.

   “But some of the science team survived, right?” asked the Doctor.  “Can you take us to them?”

   Barney shrugged.  “Sure, I guess.  We’ll have to watch out for HECU patrols, though.  If they think you were involved in the accident, they’ll try to kill you, no questions asked.”

   The Doctor groaned in frustration.  “Guns!  What is it with humans and guns?  See something you don’t like?  Shoot it, that’ll solve everything…”  He began to walk off in no direction in particular.

   Confused, Barney led the way.  ‘Humans’?  Nothing this Doctor said made any sense.

   “Uh…Doctor?” called Amy as she started to follow Barney.  “This way!”

   “I knew that!”  The Doctor turned around and followed them, looking as casual as he could.  Amy shook her head and chuckled.

   They followed Barney for a good while, making their way through the bluffs as quietly as they could.  A couple of times they had to stop as a HECU patrol went by.  The soldiers didn’t seem particularly concerned; they were joking and laughing, putting little effort into keeping a close watch on their surroundings.  Apparently, the scientists were easy prey.

   “Doctor,” Amy whispered to the Doctor, as Barney walked a short distance ahead to scout out an exposed area.  “We’ll be able to find the TARDIS again, right?”

   “Of course, of course,” he said.  “Besides, I have this.”  He flashed his homing beacon with a grin, like a boy showing off a Christmas present.  “I ought to carry it with me more often.”

   “All clear!” came Barney’s hushed call from up ahead.  They hurried along to catch up.  Rory walked beside him, and they chatted casually, laughing quietly now and then.

   After walking for several more minutes, the Doctor whispered to her, “Amy, do you remember that man we saw in Aperture Science?”

   “Wha…oh, yeah, what about him?” she asked nonchalantly, uncomfortable with the choice of subject.

   He looked at her seriously.  “What happened?  I felt…something.  It was some sort of time disturbance.  I got the impression he was doing something to you.  I managed to stop him, but it’s been bothering me.  I haven’t seen anyone with the technology or capability to manipulate time that way in a long time.  It’s all wrong.  I don’t think he’s human.”

   She was confused.  “What is he, then?”

   “I’m not sure.  But we need to be very careful.”

   Rory stepped back to join them.  “How are things back here?”

   The Doctor looked at Amy.  “We’re fine,” he said.

   “Good, good,” Rory replied, nodding.  “I think we’re almost there, wherever ‘there’ is.”

   “I’m takin’ you to the forward camp,” Barney said.  “We set up a safe zone inside a cave, to hide the survivors from the facility in.  It’s outside HECU’s search area, so as long as we keep quiet, we should be fine.”

   Rounding the side of a cliff, they came across an opening nestled beneath a large rock face.  “This way,” said Barney.  He slipped a flashlight from his belt and turned it on, lighting their way through the dark, expansive cave.  A fair distance in, they began to hear subdued voices.  They stepped through into another chamber, lit by a few small lanterns.  A sizeable assembly of scientists and security guards stood clustered into small groups, talking.  Tables and makeshift tables had been set up around the cave.  Over in one corner, a dozen or so people were lying on blankets and long tables, probably the seriously wounded.  A couple of them had had blankets pulled over them; it seemed not everyone had managed to stay alive.

   Barney headed straight for the “infirmary”, pulling aside one of the scientists, a woman who was keeping an eye on a dark-skinned man in a lab coat who lay on one of the tables.  “How is he, doc?”

   “Not good,” she replied.  “I’m afraid he may have been too severely wounded.  There’s not much I can do for him.  If we could get a medical team in here…”

   “Can’t do that, doc.  We can’t risk being discovered by HECU.  It’s dangerous enough as it is, wandering around lookin’ for survivors.  If they catch and interrogate one of us – or worse, follow us back here – we’re all in serious trouble.”  He gestured toward his guests.  “Oh, I almost forgot.  Doctor Mossman, I found these three out in the middle of the canyons.  They said something about needing to get back into Black Mesa.  Figured you or Doctor Kleiner might wanna have a talk with ‘em.”

   The woman looked at them, slightly surprised.  “Oh, hello!  I must say, we weren’t expecting visitors.  I’m Judith Mossman.”  She nodded politely.

   The Doctor smiled and nodded in return, and Rory and Amy did the same.  “Nice to meet you, Judith.  I’m the Doctor, and these are my partners, Amy and Rory.”

   Mossman seemed even more surprised when she heard the Doctor’s accent.  “Well…I, ah…”  She laughed nervously.  “I must admit I have so many questions; how…how did you find us?  What are you doing out here, in the middle of the desert?”

   “Oh, you know, bit of a crash-landing,” said the Doctor.  “Ended up in a horrendously-white testing facility, spent about fifteen hours doing test after test after test…”  He waved his hand theatrically and shook his head.  “It was unbelievably dull.”

   “Dull?” Amy protested.  “We were almost killed!  Twice!”

   “Anyway,” the Doctor continued, “we traced a large spatial disturbance to this area, and…here we are.”

   “I can see that,” Doctor Mossman said.  “So, why exactly do you need to get into Black Mesa?”

   Rory and Barney started up a conversation of their own, and Amy sat on an empty table nearby, half-listening to the Doctor and Judith.

   The Doctor pulled up a nearby chair and sat down.  “Tell me, Judith, what exactly happened?  What’s this accident I keep hearing so much about?  What are you all hiding down there that’s capable of ripping holes between universes?  Or, if you like, here’s the big question: why am I here?”

   She looked utterly lost, and she stuttered a bit as she tried to catch up.  “Well, um…as for what happened; back at Black Mesa, we…we were testing a sample of materials from, ah…another planet, which we obtained by using an experimental teleport.  We built a device that was capable of analyzing the samples by agitating them and analyzing the displacement fields created by the process.  But…something went wrong.”  She looked solemn.  “A few safety measures were skipped in the interest of saving time; however, the sample was more unstable than we had anticipated.  There was a build-up of energy, and…I still don’t know what happened.  It’s as if the energy was channeled in a single direction, which isn’t supposed to be possible; the displacement fields are far too unstable.  But, the agitation process, if it’s done at high enough levels, can be enough to tear a rift between universes.  The event is what we would expect from a resonance cascade scenario, but somehow the energy was focused.”

   “Which, according to you, isn’t possible,” the Doctor followed.

   “Yes.  Anyway…the residual energy from the burst overloaded the device.  There was an explosion, and it was destroyed.  The integrity of the whole level’s structure was compromised, and there were collapses throughout the facility.  Our man in the chamber, Doctor Freeman…”  She sighed sadly.  “He was killed in the explosion.  The remains of his HEV suit were found in the chamber, but no one had enough time to do a thorough examination.  We lost a lot of our people down there.  Most of the survivors barely made it out in time as it was.  The whole facility has collapsed.  Even if it weren’t flooded with radiation, there’s no way you could make it back inside.”

   The Doctor hummed, his eyes darting back and forth as he thought.  “Is there any other way to seal the rift?” he asked.

   “We don’t have the equipment,” Doctor Mossman replied.  “We’ve considered the possibility, but our level of technology just hasn’t developed that far yet.  The anti-mass spectrometer was designed to analyze materials, nothing more.”

   “Humans!” he said in frustration, standing up, pacing.  “You can never leave well enough alone, can you?  This is Torchwood Tower all over again.”  He sat down, thinking again.  “What, exactly, was the nature of the explosion?  Can you tell me?”

   “Well…”  Doctor Mossman began rattling off all kinds of complicated scientific terms that Amy couldn’t understand.  She lost track of the conversation, staring at one of the cave walls.  She felt a strange sensation, and her heart caught in her throat as she suddenly recognized it.  Oh, no…  She could no longer move her body, and it felt as though time had frozen.  The conversation between Mossman and the Doctor was no longer audible.  In fact, there was no sound at all, not even the sound of her breathing.  Amy was terrified, and although her heart was pounding, nothing was moving, nothing was happening.  Absolutely nothing.  Even her own breathing had stopped.

   Her eyes locked on the cave wall, she realized that a dark shape was emerging from the reddish stone.  It formed into a silhouette, walking forward.  As it came into view, her fear peaked.  It’s him, she thought.  The outline became clearer and shifted into a tall, thin man in a dark blue suit, carrying a small briefcase.  He smirked, and the expression sent chills through her.  In her ears (or was it her mind?) she heard his voice: unsteady, thin, yet cold and menacing.

   “Hello, my dear.”

   She found that she could speak, although her mouth was still frozen.  “Who are you?”

   The man chuckled.  ”Who I am is beside the point.  I am far, far more interested in who you are.”  He leaned forward.  She realized they were no longer in the cave.  Or, perhaps they were.  But what she saw now, behind the man, and even through him, was a large, orange-lit chamber.  In the center was a large, spinning machine, a yellowish beam of lightning shooting from the top of it to the bottom.  It was making a loud, raspy sound, almost like the breathing of a mechanical beast.  “You’re not…from around here.  That much is certain.  That…man you travel with…who is he?”

   As if on their own, the words came.  “He’s called the Doctor.”

   The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then he smiled, and turned, waving a hand at the expansive chamber.  “Behold…the instrument of victory.  It is a primitive device…but it served my…purposes.  And then, you come along, as if by chance.  A perfect opportunity.  Your…Doctor…his machine would be…very useful to me.  I don’t suppose I could convince him to, ehm…hand me the keys.”  He chuckled.  His gaze returned to her, and he stared coldly at her.  Amy felt as though his eyes were piercing straight into her mind.  “This is what I want you to do, my dear.  Distract him, when the time is right.  I will take care of the rest.  And, if you resist…”  Amy gasped, suddenly feeling as though her very consciousness was being strangled.  After a moment or two, she was released.  The man looked at her meaningfully.  “Do we…have an agreement?”

   She nodded, feeling as though she had no real choice.  “Good.  Then, I will…leave you to it.”  He laughed, and she felt like she was falling.

   With a start, she realized she was properly inside her own body again, and she breathed a sigh of relief.  The Doctor was beside her in an instant.  “Amy…Amy, look at me.”  He lifted her chin, and looked into her eyes.  “What happened?”

   Amy opened her mouth to say something, when suddenly the sound of gunshots came from the cave entrance.  One of the scientists cried out in pain, and there was a commotion as everyone tried to retreat.  At the mouth of the cave, Amy saw a handful of men in military uniforms pointing guns.

   Beside them, Barney ducked down behind an overturned table.  “Damn,” he said, “HECU found us.”

The Resonance Debacle - Chapter 2

As promised, chapter 2 of The Resonance Debacle is complete.  Again, please share your thoughts!  If you liked it, let me know.  If there's any areas that could be improved, same thing.

Also, please share the story with others if you enjoyed it!

2

   As the trio walked down the hallway, Amy’s mind raced.  She wondered whether the Doctor had any sort of plan at all, and where the TARDIS was, and what the testing course that apparently awaited them would involve.  She wasn’t at all comforted by the announcer’s mention of “methods of death”.  She looked back, hoping that some way of escape had appeared out of thin air, but all she saw was the hallway, with a blue-rimmed portal at the end flanked by the same metal bars, and beyond, the room.  She squared her shoulders, figuring the only way out was through the door in front of them.

   The door was large and round, and on it was a simple picture of a two-dimensional figure in a running pose.  As they stepped in front of it, the center rotated, and the door parted in the middle, revealing a set of metal stairs leading down into a large, circular room.  Following the Doctor and Rory down the stairway, she saw a small cylindrical elevator descend down what seemed to be a massive tube that went through the center of the room.  The walls of the chamber seemed to be giant screens, which were currently displaying an ominous blue that seemed to be some sort of error message.  However, before she could read it, her attention was drawn back to the elevator.

   The Doctor looked the small cylinder up and down.  “I don’t think more than one of us will fit in this thing at a time.”  He looked up.  Above the elevator, held in place by the tube, were two more, exactly the same.  “But I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”  He grinned at them, stepping inside.  “See you at the next stop.”

   The elevator re-sealed and went shooting down the tube, and the next elevator lowered into place.  Rory turned to Amy, taking her hands and squeezing them comfortingly.  “Everything will be fine.  I promise.”  He entered the elevator, which also went off down the tube, and the final elevator opened.  Amy had a vision in her mind of the elevator plunging down the shaft, carrying her to her death.  She gulped, and decided there was nowhere else to go.  She stepped nervously into the small chamber, which closed behind her and began to move down the tube.  She ventured one final look at the screen, and stifled a gasp as she spotted the words “neurotoxin delivery system”.  It’s probably nothing, she thought to herself, desperately hoping she was right.

   “Come on!”  The Doctor’s voice came from somewhere up ahead.  Amy was breathing heavily, running as fast as she could to make it through the doorway before the timer reset.  The ominous click-click, click-click, click-click was the only thing she could think about as she sprinted for the door.  Diving through the emancipation grill stretched across the entrance, she landed safely mere moments before an abrupt buzz came from a nearby speaker, and the door sealed shut behind her.  She lay on the ground, eyes closed, panting as she fought to regain her breath.  She had delayed too long, and hadn’t realized that the end of the test involved navigating a gauntlet of sleek black hallways within a limited time frame.  Black surfaces were incapable of holding a portal, and so the three of them had had to run the hallway instead of simply using portals reach the end instantly.  She opened her eyes at last, and sat up.  Rory helped her to her feet, and she nodded to assure them she was alright.

   The elevator system had dropped them into the first in a series of test chambers, which operated primarily on the concept of portals.  The first had been simple, incorporating both small buttons that could be pressed, and a large floor-mounted button that had to be held down by a weighted cube.  After that, they found a chamber containing three portal guns, as well as a set of strange leg-wear, which apparently absorbed the shock of long falls, and allowed them to fall great distances without hurting themselves, so long as they managed to land on their feet.

   After that, the tests quickly became more elaborate, with multiple elements being incorporated in a single chamber.  The computer voice had also returned, providing basic instruction on occasion, as well as dropping a few vaguely sinister remarks.  Included in the tests were various new elements as well, including whizzing balls of energy that, according to the voice, would vaporize anyone unlucky enough to touch them.  Neither she nor even the Doctor had tried putting that fact to the test.  The balls of energy were, however, a power source for receptacles mounted in various places, and often had to be redirected to complete the tests.

   In addition, small white gun turrets with adorable voices and killer instinct guarded various areas of the chambers, and had to be knocked over over or navigated around, without catching their attention and being riddled with bullets.  So far, they had been lucky enough to stay alive.  Amy wondered how long they could manage it.

   “Are you two okay?” asked the Doctor, looking them both over carefully.

   “I’m fine,” Amy said, and Rory nodded in agreement.

   “I have an idea, but I’d like to wait just a bit longer, find out what I can from the computer.”

   “You’ve already tried talking to it, and look at what good it did us.”

   “Yes, but I still need more information.”  He turned around, scratching his head in frustration.  He looked at them once more.  “Please, just a little longer.  I promise this will be over soon.”

   Rory shrugged.  “If you say so.”

   Smiling, the Doctor stepped toward another door which lead down into yet another elevator chamber.  “Onwards, then!”

   “Onwards,” Amy repeated, more to herself than to either of the others.  She didn’t know how much more she could take.

   The three of them loaded into elevators and descended into the next chamber.  As they entered the room, the voice of the computer spoke.  “You have been doing very well.  Beyond this point lies the final test.  When you are finished, you will drop your portal devices into a receptacle, and proceed into the lobby.  An associate will be dispatched to discuss the results of your test with you, as well as to provide any required nourishment, and arrange any necessary sessions with our legally-certified therapists.  Your testing is appreciated.  Good luck.”  The door opened, revealing their final test.

   “Ooo…kay…” Rory said as they stepped through.  “Maybe it’s just me, but this doesn’t look like a test chamber.  It looks more like...”  He turned.  “Well…a glass box?”

   “Yes.  So it would seem.”  The Doctor stepped inside, looking around.  Apart from the floor, it was indeed a glass box.  In one corner was an oddly oval-shaped toilet.  Apart from that, it was empty.  “Well, nothing for it, I suppose.”  He gestured for his companions to join him.

   As soon as they had all entered, a final piece of glass slid over the entrance, enclosing them completely.  The box jerked abruptly, then began to move.  Beyond the box was nothing but a simple track, walls, and a ceiling close above them.  The track and the hallway it was in stopped a short distance ahead.  Slowly, steadily, they slid down the track, and finally halted as they reached the end of the track.  The ceiling above them drew back, and they began to rise, finding themselves in a small alcove, with a massive chamber beyond it.

   But what was most impressive was what lay in the middle of the room.  Hanging from somewhere high above was…well, Amy wasn’t sure what it was.  It was all wires and plates, a mass of machine parts dangling from a ceiling that was so high it couldn’t be seen from where they were.  A stairway spiraled partway up the object, ending in a short catwalk.

   Slowly, the collection of electronic pieces began to rotate, and they saw that at the end of the large thing was what looked like a sort of robotic head, with a single malicious yellow eye glowing in the center.  The edges of their box unfolded to the ground, and they all stepped out as quickly as they could.  Amy and Rory looked up at the gigantic robot, while the Doctor walked forward into the middle of the chamber.

   “Hello,” he said with a smile.   “I’m the Doctor, and these are my friends.  But you already know that, don't you?”  He began to walk around the robot, and its gaze followed.  “And if I’m not mistaken, you have something that belongs to me.”  He stepped closer, looking nearly straight up into the large eye.  “Where is it?” he shouted.  “Where’s my TARDIS?”

   He was angry; that much was obvious.  Amy only saw him this angry when one of his friends had been hurt.  Then again, the TARDIS is as much the Doctor's friend as we are. She found herself wishing for the scratchy thrumming sound of that blue phone box materializing around them, come to carry them back home, but it was off locked up somewhere, and they might never see it again.

   After a long moment, the machine stirred, and Amy was surprised to hear the female voice from the test chambers emerging from a speaker nearby.  “You are not from around here, are you?” she said slowly, her voice slightly more dynamic, less robotic than it had sounded before.

   “No,” the Doctor admitted, “we’re not.  We landed here by mistake.  Well, actually, it was more of a crash-landing, technically.  But I have a question for you.  You seem to be well-informed, so do you have any idea what’s going on around here?”

   She stared blankly.  “Big spatial disturbance and you haven’t noticed?" the Doctor said, waving his arms in frustration.  "What good are you?”  He paused.  “Look,” he began again, “a hole’s been ripped in space-time, and I need to know as much as I can, so that I can fix it.  So, what can you tell me?”

   There was a long pause.  Finally, the machine spoke.  “My outside sources indicate the focal point is in the vicinity of New Mexico.”

   “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?  But there’s still something we need to work out.”  He pointed an accusing finger at the robot.  “You stole my TARDIS, and I want it back.”  He lifted his arms and smiled.  “Everybody wins.  What do you say?”

   The robot almost looked thoughtful for a moment, but suddenly tubes extended from the edges of the room, and greenish gas began to spill out.  “According to my observations, human fatality via neurotoxin is 100% probable.  I don’t need you anymore.  Therefore, goodbye.”

   A noxious smell reached Amy’s nose, and she coughed.  A sharp, stabbing pain shot through her head, and she cried out.  Faintly, she heard Rory groaning in pain beside her.

   “Alright, stop!” cried the Doctor.  “I’ll tell you what.  You let my friends live, and I’ll surrender.  Fair enough?”  There was a long silence, and Amy clutched her head, curling into a ball on the floor.  The pain was unbearable, and the gas was choking her.

   “I have enough humans at my disposal.  You are unnecessary.”

   “Am I?  Scan me!  I’m not human.  And if you kill me, you’ll...”  The Doctor let out a loud, hacking cough.  “…you’ll never get the chance to study me.  Please…let my friends go.  I’ll do whatever you want.  Whatever you want.  Please.”

   The hiss of neurotoxin continued.  This is the end, Amy thought.  I’m gonna die in this horrible place, not even in my own proper universe.  Suddenly, she felt her ears pop, and realized the toxic gas was being sucked out of the room.  She gasped, desperate for air.  She felt Rory’s arms wrap tightly around her, and the two of them laughed in relief.

   The Doctor nodded.  “Thank you,” he said softly, his hand sliding into his pocket.  “You’re…very kind.”  A large claw came sweeping down from the ceiling, clamping around his waist, and lifting him up off the ground.  He found himself far above the floor, staring straight into the computer’s sinister eye.

   “You will be studied,” she said without preamble.

   “I figured that,” he replied.  He lifted a finger.  “But, you know, there is one last thing.  Before, you know, I’m dissected, and studied, and all that unpleasantness.”

   Silence.

   “Oh, didn’t you know?”  The Doctor withdrew a small device from his pocket.  “I usually forget to bring this along, but it’s a good thing I had it with me this time.  And do you know why?”

   More silence.

   The Doctor sighed in dramatic frustration.  “Come on, think, you stupid machine.  It’s what you were built for, isn’t it?  This…this is a homing beacon.”

   “A homing beacon..." said the computer, apparently not following.

   “Yes.  A homing beacon for..."  He pressed a button on the small device.  "...my ride.”  He grinned, and there was a familiar groaning sound.  Amy and Rory laughed joyfully as the TARDIS phased into existence beside them, and then they stopped as they realized that the Doctor was still being held by the claw.

   Waving a finger at the robot, the Doctor continued.  “Now, I bet you’re wondering what’s next, aren’t you?  Trapped in your claws, no way to get to my ship even if it’s right down there.”  He chuckled softly to himself, and withdrew a second, very familiar object from his coat pocket.  “But if there’s one thing you’ll learn about me, it’s that I’m very, very resourceful.”  Sonic screwdriver in hand, the Doctor pointed the device at the claw around his waist.  Sparks leapt from it and it dropped him to the floor.  He was spared a painful landing by the long-fall devices still attached to his legs.  He stumbled to the TARDIS, waved at the robot, and opened the door and stepped inside, Amy and Rory close behind.

   The damaged claw dropped from the ceiling, landing on the machine's massive body with a dull thud.  Ignoring the damage, she watched, with only mild interest, as the TARDIS disappeared.  She considered it a good riddance.  But she knew that with technology of that kind, there was only one possible explanation for what was going on.  She was still connected to quite a few systems in the outside world, and she had detected a breach in normal space in New Mexico.  But not just anywhere in New Mexico; in Black Mesa, a particular facility that belonged to none other than Aperture Science's biggest rivals.  Whatever was going on over there, she knew it was likely not going well, and that strange man and his friends must be involved somehow.  But she didn’t care.  She had testing to do.  Internally, she began to peruse the list of test subjects in the relaxation center…

Chapter 3 will be written soon.  Thanks for reading!  Again, comments/compliments/etc. below!

The Resonance Debacle - Chapter 1

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to the debut of To Write The Sky, my brand-new blog.  I've been more and more seriously considering writing (although this obsession may disappear, who knows), and so I decided I ought to make a blog to contain my works so that I could easily share them with the internet world.

So without further delay, enjoy chapter 1 of The Resonance Debacle, a crossover fanfiction including the Doctor Who and Portal/Half-Life universes.  Please feel free to leave a comment below to let me know your thoughts; further improvements in my style I could make; inconsistencies, confusions, or other errors that need correcting; or comments of approval. ^_^  Everything is useful.

(Disclaimer: The Doctor Who, Portal, and Half-Life universes belong to their respective creators.  This is fan fiction only.  The characters present in this story are taken from the above, and are not my own.)

1

Amy opened her eyes, blinking back the haze that hung at the corner of her vision.  She sat up as best she could, and looked around.  It was dark.  A sudden spark lit up the emptiness for a split-second, revealing the TARDIS console.  Then she remembered where she was.

   “Doctor?” she called out, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.  She was sure this had happened before a few times.  Nothing to be worried about.  The Doctor had likely just hit the wrong button and crash-landed them somewhere by accident.  But he always got them on the right track again.

   “I’m over here, Amy,” she heard him answer from the other side of the console.

   “What happened, Doctor?” came Rory’s voice from the direction of the door.  Amy glanced suddenly in his direction, trying to see him, making sure he was alright.

   “I’m, uh…”  The Doctor stood up, flipping a switch that brought a dim lighting to the room.  “I’m not sure.  I think...”  He began fiddling with various controls, then looked at an overhead screen.  “Oh, no…that’s not good.  That’s not good at all.  Amy, Rory, get over here.”

   Amy stumbled to her feet, leaning heavily against the railing as she got her legs back under her.  Rory came up the stairs, walking around the console to where the Doctor was standing.  Amy joined them.  “What’s wrong?”

   The Doctor looked at them both carefully, wearing the expression he usually had when they were in a very bad situation.  “Listen to me carefully.  We’ve, eh…well, we’ve sort of fallen through the universe.”

   Amy looked confused.  “What, like that bubble universe with all the wrecked TARDISes?”

   “No.  We’re, um…we’re in an alternate universe.  And that’s not supposed to happen.”  Sighing heavily, the Doctor began to work the controls again, occasionally checking the screens.   “There was a big, well, I don’t know what it was.  Sort of an explosion, if you like, an explosion that somehow opened a crack between universes, and the TARDIS fell through it.  I can repair her, and we’ll be able to fly right back through, but that leaves the breach wide open.  We have to seal it.”

   “And…how would we do that, exactly?” asked Rory, looking as lost as Amy felt.

   “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.  At the moment, though, I need to find out where we are.  Which…”  He flipped a switch, and the TARDIS hummed loudly.  “…I just did.  Oh,” he said, pointing at some words on a nearby screen, “fancy that.  We’re on Earth.  Twenty-first century.”

   “We could go meet ourselves,” suggested Rory.

   “You could.  Except, according to the sensors, there’s a major deviation from our universe’s timeline that starts…right about now.”  The Doctor looked at them both, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.  “Now, also according to the sensors, there’s nothing dangerous in the immediate area.”  His voice dropped to a hushed murmur.  “But, I have a very, very bad feeling about this place.  Be careful.  Please.”  He patted his companions’ shoulders and smiled reassuringly, walking past them toward the TARDIS’s exit.  Grabbing the door handle, he said, “Mr. and Mrs. Pond, welcome to…”

   “…Earth…” he finished quietly as they stepped through the door, and found themselves in a sterile, white room.  “Hmm.”

   Rory tapped him on the shoulder.  “Uh, Doctor?  This looks like…”

   “Yes, Apalapucia, I know, but it can’t be.  The TARDIS says we’re on Earth.  Who knows, maybe in this universe Apalapucia is Earth and vice versa, but I doubt it.  But wherever we are, it’s…white.  Very white, obviously.  And…no doors.  Blimey.”  He scratched his head.

   Suddenly, a robotic female voice rang through the room.  “Hello, and welcome to the Aperture Science Computer-Aided Enrichment Center.  Your arrival is unexpected.  Please state your identity.”

   Amy spoke up.  “Um, I’m Amy, this is Rory, and that’s the Doctor,” she said, as steadily as she could, trying to tell herself that the Doctor’s concerns were unfounded, but not quite succeeding.

   “You will be taken to the welcome center for orientation,” said the voice.  The floor under them shook, and Amy felt as though they were moving forward.  At least, she thought it was forward.

   “I have a question,” said the Doctor.  “Who are you?”

   Without hesitation, the voice said, “My identity is of no consequence.”  The room they were in shook again as something collided against the “front” of the room.  The front wall opened, revealing another white room.  Apparently, the walls were made of panels.  “Please do not attempt to leave the welcome center.  Welcome again to Aperture Science.  We hope your stay is a pleasant one.”  There was an electronic chirp, and the voice went silent.

   Amy moved forward uncertainly, looking around the newly-arrived room.  There was a row of plastic chairs against one wall, and a large window in the other, from which a bright light was shining.  In every other aspect, the room was as featureless as the first.  As the Doctor and Rory followed her into the room, the wall began to close behind them.

   “No, no, no!” cried the Doctor, rushing to the opening, but he was cut off as the wall sealed shut.  Frantically, he tried to use his sonic screwdriver on the wall, but nothing happened.  There was a loud buzzing sound from the other side of the wall, and the voice spoke again.  “Unknown vehicle identified.  All unidentified technologies will be removed for study.  We apologize for any inconvenience.”

   There was a metallic rumbling noise from the other side of the wall, likely the TARDIS being carried off.  The Doctor stood against the wall, his head down.  Amy glanced once more around the room, looking for anything helpful.  She noticed that on the wall opposite the chairs was a screen, that showed a looping animation of a company logo, advertising “Aperture Laboratories”.  Seeing nothing immediately useful, Amy sat down in one of the chairs, and started to think, though she realized the Doctor would probably figure out a solution long before she ever would.  Rory sat down beside her, and the time passed.

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   The Doctor was pacing the room slowly, screwdriver in hand, and arms behind his back, clearly deep in thought.  Rory sat twiddling his thumbs, eyeing the screen suspiciously.  Amy was staring blankly at the wall, thinking hard but coming up empty.

   Rory blew out a breath loudly.  “Maybe they’re…filing our paperwork?”

   “For two and a half hours?” Amy said in exasperation.

   The Doctor smirked, but said nothing.  Suddenly, he stopped, and looked in the direction of the window.  “What’s that?”

   “What’s what?” asked Amy, looking toward the window, wondering what had caught the Doctor’s interest.

   He said nothing, simply staring through the glass.  Amy squinted through the bright light, but saw nothing except a computer on a desk, with an empty office chair beside it.  Although…  She squinted, and she thought she could make out the silhouette of a tall man, except he almost didn’t seem real, as if…

   From behind them, Amy heard Rory ask, “Um…what…are you two looking at?”

   “Hello?” the Doctor whispered.  The silhouette suddenly became clear, and Amy saw it was indeed a man, wearing a dark blue suit and tie, and carrying a briefcase.  His hair was thinning, and gray around the edges.  He smirked, his long, thin lips curling into an almost mocking expression, and he adjusted his tie.  He and the Doctor stared at one another for a long moment, and then the man’s gaze shifted.  A chill ran down Amy’s spine as the man locked eyes with her, and he smiled coldly.  Amy felt her breath leave her, and she found herself desperately wishing she could look away, yet unable to, as though she had lost the ability to control her own body.

   The Doctor turned to look at her, and the man’s expression changed to one of mild annoyance.  Regaining control of herself, Amy turned away, clutching her head in her hands.

   “Amy, are you alright?” asked the Doctor.

   “You might want to take a look at this, Doctor,” Rory said, and Amy and the Doctor turned.  Amy glanced toward the window again, but the man had disappeared.  She frowned and shook her head, turning her attention back to Rory, who was pointing toward the screen.  Amy realized that it had changed, and was now playing a video.

   “Welcome, test subjects, to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center,” a voice was saying.  “You have opted to or have been chosen to take the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device testing course.”  The screen showed a sleek, rounded white device, with a set of claws on one end.  “The Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device is a small, short-ranged, and highly experimental device that is used to create two linked portals, through which objects can travel.”  The voice went on to detail the technical specifications of the device, which the Doctor listened to intently, while Amy and Rory sat once more.

   “What were you looking at?” asked Rory quietly.

   Amy shook her head in confusion, still wondering the same thing.  “I dunno, it was…weird.  I thought I saw…”  Suddenly, the Doctor broke from his deep concentration, and turned to them.

   “I’ve figured out what this place is.”

   “Apart from claustrophobic and really creepy?” Rory said sarcastically.

   Ignoring the comment, the Doctor went on.  “This is a testing facility for that…portal device.”  He gestured to the spinning animation on the screen.  “If we play along, they might let us go, and we can find out what’s going on.”

   “Play along.  Right.  Simple.”  Rory stood dramatically, shrugging.  “So, what now?”

   “I think we’re about to find out,” said Amy, nodding toward the screen.

   The video had once again changed to show an animated diagram of a two-dimensional man standing in a chamber, and the voice was narrating, the man’s robotic, cheery voice seeming completely in contrast to what he was saying.  “…should you have a fear of heights, possible drowning, or various other methods of death.  However, using the portal device, you will be able to navigate these seemingly-impossible obstacles with relative ease.  We recommend that you take the time to carefully examine each course before proceeding, as a miscalculation may result in your untimely demise.  We thank you for your willingness to test for the sake of humanity.  Apply all caution, and best of luck to you.”

   A set of metal bars emerged from an empty space in the wall, and they began to glow with a soft orange light.  Between them, the wall seemed to bend and curve, and suddenly it vanished, leaving an oval-shaped hole rimmed by an orange border.

   The Doctor walked forward, looking carefully at the sudden hole in the wall.  Through it, a short hallway could be seen, with a round door at the end.  “Well…that’s interesting.”  He turned to his companions.  “Play along, eh?”

   Rory nodded.  “Play along.”

   “Play along,” Amy agreed.

   “Right,” said the Doctor, turning to face the portal, “here goes.”  Looking back at them one last time, he smiled.  “Geronimo,” he said, and stepped through.

Please don't be afraid to share this with others if you enjoyed it!  Constructive criticism is useful as well.  Thanks for reading!  (Chapter 2 to be posted ASAP.)