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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!
More, more, more!!! I'm loving it! :D
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