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ten_fwd_meme2015-11-18 12:30 am
ten_fwd_mods) wrote in ten_fwd_meme2015-11-18 12:30 am
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TEST DRIVE #16 - Turbolifts and Ten Forward
Option 001. Trapped in a Turbolift: This space travel thing is new to you, and you're starting to think the ship is purposely out to get you. A turbolift is just a grandiose name for an elevator, which should be the safest way to travel after all! But someone out there is out to get you, you're sure of it. Because the next thing you know, the lights flicker and the lift grinds to a stop. You're trapped, with whomever was unlucky enough to be in the lift with you.
It could be hours before you're rescued. These turbolifts span the entire massive ship, and don't just travel straight up and down. No, they can travel horizontally, vertically, sometimes even diagonally. You could be stuck between any deck now. There is a small access panel on one of the smooth walls, but how good are you with getting these things to work? Let's not forget that sudden stop tossed everyone around a little, and people could be hurt. Time to put your emergency thinking cap on, and make friends with the people beside you fast. You could be the only way back to freedom.
Conversely, you could slide that pack of cards out of your pocket and start a rousing game of gin rummy. Really it's up to you.
Option 002. Ten Forward: You have no idea what just happened. One minute you were home, minding your own business, and now you're on a spaceship in the middle of a crowded room! It looks like a bar. There are people eating and drinking, some in uniform, others not. Some are clearly aliens, and some of the food is looking rather strange too.
You've managed to land in Ten Forward. A long bar with barstools and a bartender span one side of the room, with a bank of strange computers on that same wall. It looks like people are ordering food and drinks from them. Tables are sprinkled throughout, and the far wall is nothing but floor to ceiling windows with a view out to space. It looks like a nice lounge, low conversation making the room hum.
Better ask some questions and find out where you are, or just tap the closest person on the shoulder and try to make friends. The bar is open.
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"I'm here in my Eight body. All curly hair, young, and Edwardian. In my Tenth body, sandshoes and hair. And Eleventh."
He looks up and gives her a small, cheeky grin. "Your boyfriend."
He ducks his head. Maybe that wasn't a good joke right now. But, he really couldn't help it.
"That's the problem with the TARDIS. She's the same. Exactly, precisely the same. She really shouldn't be here more than once. So whatever power this Q has - it's enormous to be able to hold her here three times without ripping reality apart."
He shakes his head. "Time Ram. That's how I was able to move Gallifrey into another dimension. That whole thing could have gone horribly wrong - I could have caused the universe to cease existing."
But it didn't. He got it right that one time.
"As to Cridhe. That's the name she gives herself here. Fairly apt, really. Apparently, she's from my future too. The TARDIS as a flesh form. It happened to her once before. She said she used that knowledge to do it this time...."
He shakes his head. "Actually, she's the one who should explain it, I'm not sure I understand entirely."
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This was a lot though. As he explained who was here she seemed to smile more, and yes, she might have smiled MORE to hear that his previous face was here too. She loved the Doctor dearly. She had learned that it was still him, no matter what body he was in and that was all that mattered, but her first Doctor was the one before this one. She didn't get to travel with him as long, and honestly, she wasn't sure she could handle THIS one being replaced, because she adored HIM too much. But... it would be good to see him aga--"He's not my boyfriend." She said firmly, shooting him a look.
She had to take another sip of wine after that. Damn him. She wanted to make some clever comment about him and his other hims, but instead she took a sip and ignored it.
"So, knowing how to be flesh before allowed her to take form here?" She tilted her head, watching him talk about his ship in flesh form. His oldest and closest friend, or so she figured. "Cridhe? Is that Gaelic?"
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He repeats that conversation from so long ago, so easily. He giggles. Yes, giggles when she took her sip, because every now and then, it was fun to rile her up. Because he needs this. This whole thing is a balm on his frayed nerves.
The Doctor shook his head. "No, she arrived here in her flesh form. She had been flesh already in my future. But, the experience with House showed her that it was possible. Took her nearly a thousand years, but she got there eventually."
His features melt into a bit of surprise. Because how did she know that? "Scottish Gaelic. Like I said. Apt."
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No. She wouldn't think of Danny anymore. Not yet. He gets his five minutes a day and she gets the hell on with it. The point being, however, was that this was her best friend sitting across from her, one of her only friends she keeps close to. You can't blame her for loving him in any form. Maybe this was her 'extra'. Her 'Last Christmas' as Danny had put it.
Had the Doctor not giggled just then she might have lost her smile, but it stayed in place and it was easy to tease back. "Four of you, though. How is a tiny ship like this handling all that ego?"
"I see. So, does that mean I finally get to meet her? I mean, talk to her, in a form that can talk back to me. Or are you going to forbid me from talking to your girlfriend?" She said with a small smile.
A smile that fell a bit as he looked surprised that she thought it was Gaelic. "Hey, I know a thing or two." She... would now, NOT admit, that she wasn't sure what it MEANT. Or she might have had a slight thought on it, but wasn't positive.
Also, of course it was SCOTTISH Gaelic. Of course it is.
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Yup, that literal edge comes back. But at least he sounds like he's joking? Or at least happy about it?
He raises an eyebrow at her question. "The Enterprise isn't like the TARDIS. I'm sure you'll run into each other eventually."
He's just not sure he wants to be there when that happens. Because... those two ego game-players? Not. Good. Especially given the TARDIS' jealous streak. Notice that he doesn't protest when Clara calls her his girlfriend? Yeah. He pretty much knows it. She had given him a pretty firm lecture on what it meant that she was his 'Friend Ship'.
Except. That's the pun of her name. And he can tell that Clara doesn't get it.
"You do not understand..."
He says that in one of his funny voices when he thinks she has all the information to figure out what she's just said, even if she doesn't. But he takes pity on her.
"Cridhe is Scottish Gaelic for heart,courage, epicenter, core, nucleus... and... sweetheart. Apparently, in my future, she and I settle on that name together."
So basically, yes. She's his girlfriend. Has been since he left Gallifrey and if Trenzalore is anything to go by, it will be that way to their deaths. Still that's okay. Since everyone is always leaving him, it's good to know he has her.
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Amy though. If any thing she would call Amy more of his previous face's girlfriend, from what she had heard and see of her. She doesn't say this though. Just lets him prattle on about TARDIS, or, apparently Cridhe. As for his not protecting her calling the TARDIS his girlfriend, Clara really isn't surprised. The way he and that ship get along was enough for Clara to believe it could be a thing. And Trenzalore did prove that he wouldn't be alone, in the end. She'd be larger then ever, but still there with him.
Death. It was a topic that kept coming to her mind. She suppose those things tend to happen when you...
--Ah, she hated that tone. It made her sigh, sipping her wine and giving him a look that said 'yes, please' educate me'. Though really, she was glad he took pitty on her, because it meant she didn't have to ask. When he explained though, she didn't look at all surprised. Instead there was something warm in her smile and in her eyes as she watched him.
"I like it." She said at last, leaning on the table and looking across to him. "Every word mentioned seemed to fit her well. Maybe I can figure out why she doesn't like me so much." She said with a bit of a lop sided grin. Clara felt that she and TARDIS had started to get along much better. Or, at least she had hoped they were.
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He says that with all the airs and graces of someone who doesn't actually have to worry about such things.
"She's a jealous sort, that's all."
Well, no. That wasn't all. All of Clara's echoes, Clara being able to step into his timestream and be joined with him in a way the TARDIS never could - even if his timestream went straight through her heart. Jealous. That's her. But Clara was more than just a time anomaly, she was splintered. Hell, it confused him and his understanding of time was simple compared to the TARDIS.
He finally takes another sip. This one was just a sip. And he got so distracted in his musings that he forgot that he hadn't said any of that out loud.
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"You do realize the Jealous Sort tend to be the kind to not like the new girl who shows up. I believe it was you who apparently keeps pointing out that the other you was my boyfriend." She said with a bit of a lopsided grin.
"Please. Do say that in front of her. I'd love to see what happens then." So long as it didn't resort to hair pulling. She hated when things felt to hair pulling.
But, she did let the smile soften, watching him still. The Jealous sort, huh? She was feeling... a bit jealous over the blue box right now, actually. Not in a girlfriend kind of way though. Just... this was-- IS her best friend. Her attempt at being clever ruined all that. Clara knew that she couldn't travel with him forever. At least not as this Clara. But... still. The fresh wound of loss still hurt, even though she was sitting here in front of him staring at his big dumb precious face.
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He shrugs. "Given how easy that last regeneration went, I'd say she's forgiven me."
He sees... some emotion or another cross her features. And he frowns. "What's wrong? What did I do this time?"
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But he frowned at her own emotions crossing her face. She always wore her heart on her sleeve, didn't she? She was trying to smooth that out though, so she gave him a faint smile and shook her head. "It's nothing. I like how you assume you did something though. Good call." She said, and smiled a bit more, leaning on the table and watching him and that frown. "I just thought I had lost you, is all, so seeing you is rather nice. No future information though, so that's as much as I can say. Just... let me be glad to have found you again." And please don't let me be lost to you again.
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Because talking about his regeneration is easier than looking at that expression on her face.
"Not so different from that Christmas, then..."
And he offers a small echoing smile in return. But, he doesn't quite believe her that it's 'just anything' because people don't look like that for 'just'. Still, he knows she can't tell him. He told her she couldn't. The question and doubt eat away at him. But he will not ask her. He'll be strong enough for that.
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Honestly, talking about anything else would help.
Except she doesn't like to talk about THAT Christmas. Or Christmas in general, because THAT Christmas was her LAST Christmas. Still, she was going to brush this off, for now at least. Be brave. Hold a brave heart.
She clapped her hands in front of her, just over the table and pointed at him. Focus, focus. "Let's focus for a moment though." She gave him a pointed look. "Why are you still here. You have four TARDIS here. There are four of you. Why? Are you all here for a reason and just don't want to leave until it's done, or are you unable to leave? You said you know why I am here more than I do, so... get to explaining."
Yes, good. A much better topic.
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He takes another - bit more than a - sip from his tumbler. Because this isn't going to be pretty.
"We're all locked out of the TARDIS. Key inserts, key turns, doors won't open. Snapping seems silly to even try. Seems to be all controlled by Q."
He sighs.
"I've told you as much about Q as anyone seems to know. But... I know Q's type. No one is harmed. He has some control to keep Reality from imploding - the TARDIS is proof of that. So, either we're all being brought here to have our lives saved for some reason. Or it's because, he's looking for entertainment."
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"So, this Q. A real god like power. It can't be that he's trying to save us, if he's brought three before you. Three before you means they're all... well, saved. And if he's brought me from your future, and I know you were safe than it must be fore entertainment reasons and not anything heroic like saving us." Then again, she might be the exception to that.
"So, entertainment, which means we're safe, but relatively trapped. Yeah?"
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He tilts his head and considers her for a moment. Something about Clara is reminding him of when he had discovered Reinette here. But he can't place his finger on it. And with Reinette, he knew she had died. Clara, he simply didn't want to know, so he ignored his instincts to give the command he was desperate to say.
"So, going with the entertainment theory. What kind? Is he just bored? Is it some kind of test? If a test, is it a test for those brought here, the crew of this ship to deal with us, or some other reason?"
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"Not bored." She said, considering. "Why be bored when you have all that power? And with all that power, if it were simply boredom, why keep the people safe? Bored and Infinite Power generally leans towards being mean. I'm thinking... test. Yes. Maybe for both of us. Us being... us, that got brought here and then the crew. What other reasons? If he wanted us to fix something of importance, he'd tell us, or do it himself. This is a test." She said, finger pointing up as if that was her best guess.
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"Is that what you'd like to believe?"
Hauntingly familiar to how he said that after the Orient Express blew up.
"Clara, I would think you know the universe is a rather nasty place. And people are not always good or kind. One of the reasons why I keep travelling is to get away from the boredom."
Mostly, because when he gets bored, everything catches up to him. All the pain and sorrow. Oh, he travels for all the altruistic reasons too, but most people don't think about the power of boredom or what it can do to an individual. He doesn't want her to discount the possibility that people are 'mean'.
"But for now, let's say it is a test. We're stuck on this ship. More or less. The Ship does need to dock sometimes for fuel and supplies."
No different than the TARDIS. "But mostly, we're stuck. It's a place that is pure fiction in our universe. But, there was always the possibility that it would be real somewhere. And we can't even explore it properly. If it's a test, why brink four of me? One of me would be more than enough..."
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"It might be. What I want to believe." She agreed with a nod and a frown. "Nasty place or not, let's just... go with the test theory for now." She said as she tried to brush this off for now. She's not completely discounting the possibility that this Q is doing it just TO be mean, but if that were the case, why keep the people 'safe-ish' here on a fictional but not fictional ship?
"One of you is enough for anyone. But if it's a test, why does it matter how many of you there are? Maybe it's to test other people. Maybe we're pawns. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with you for a moment. You're just another pawn in a larger game. Game, though, that goes back to entertainment, doesn't it?"
She puffed up her cheeks a moment, blowing air out to the side as she considered. "With out more information, we're really just guessing."
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"I've been guessing since I arrived roughly three months ago. That's really too long to sit by and question."
And he's no closer to finding a solution.
"I have an idea to test the theory... but the cost would be too great if I'm wrong, so I haven't done anything with it yet."
He can hold himself back, sometimes. But he shrugs not knowing what the right answer is.
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She leaned heavier on both arms though, staring at him like she was trying to figure him out. "If it's too great a cost, I'm not sure I want to see you try it, but I am pretty curious to what it is you're thinking of."
She's always curious of what he's thinking of though.
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He says it simply. Plainly. Like saying, 'That sky is purple.'
"'Make noise' - isn't that what everyone accuses me of? But more importantly, if this is a test, then we are the most important things in creation to Q. So, what happens if we try to take ourselves out of the picture? And if it's boredom, well, blowing things up is far from boring, right?"
It's spoken softly because it is one option among several dozen that he's considered. It's just the most dramatic. Because, this is Clara and he can afford a bit of drama with her.
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No, instead she tilted her head, eyes watching him as he said it all. Blow up the ship. Make noise. It was what the Doctor did. How he got attention. He got loud. In truth, she could see why he would think that though. He made good points. "If we're important enough at all to bring here, blowing something up should result in the Q rebuilding it and putting it back in place. Then again it might just let us blow ourselves up and let that be that. X amount of lives lost and he just goes and finds more. I can see where that test might come at a great cost."
"Or... we can try blowing up something smaller. A section and not the whole damn ship. Less cost but still test worthy." Note that she said 'we'. He wasn't doing anything stupid without her. She was a goner anyhow, so she might as well help, right? Though this is all theory anyhow, and she doubted he was going to do something like... explode a TARDIS in order to take out a ship just to see if it reset or not.
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"But will that be enough to get a god-like's attention? Something small?"
He's tapping his hand on the table top. Not trying to be annoying. But it is purposeful. As if he's typing on one of the keyboards of the console. He's plotting, working out calculations.
"We would probably only get one-shot at it."
'We' - echoing her use of the word.
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She was calm and relaxed, as best she could be at least, rolling her wine glass between her fingers to keep herself occupied as he thought. She recognizes the tapping as thinking. Working things out.
"Perhaps not. If it's too small and inconsequential, and we lived through it, I can see the Captain of the ship trying to put us in the brig. Which Captain is it, anyhow?" She suddenly asked, realizing she wasn't sure. Seriously, she should have watched more Star Trek on TV. She waved it off with a shake of her head though, frowning. "I would want more proof though. Before we tried to take out an entire ship. How many people are on board?"
She was glad to see he wasn't fighting the 'we' part of this.
And making up numbers as I go along...
Though the brig would be less than ideal.
"Approximately 350. With 100 of that being crew. If I had access to the TARDIS, it wouldn't be an issue. Project a hologram of the Enterprise exploding. but the ship safe inside the TARDIS."
He sighs and sips down the rest of his drink.
"But nothing can ever be easy."
Seems reasonable!
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