for magicalskeptic: A trip to the ocean

[rude_not_ginger]

"You wanted an ocean, have I got an ocean for you."

The Doctor darted around the console and scooped his jacket up from where it hung on one of the TARDIS pillars. He absolutely loved this bit. The first trip to an alien world with someone who didn't even believe in other worlds until now. Very little was more exciting.

"Now! We've got breathable atmosphere, low radiation, and a beautiful summer day. The waters of the Greeio Malgoon are purple in the summer, which is when they're the warmest and the safest. I'd have taken you to them in the winter when they're blue, but the water's acid content gets a bit high and ends up spewing out strange creatures with eyes that shoot lasers. Green lasers, they disintegrate you without much warning. Very technicolor world, the Greeo Malgoon."

He shrugged. "Still! In the summer, peak of tourist season, it's the most brilliant place for a visit."

Comments

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but I'm not expecting it to be particularly pleasant," he says, looking up. He flexes his arm, and then considers the possibility of climbing with only one arm. He can do it, he thinks. He's done far more with far worse injuries.

"I'll go first," he says. "If it'll hold me, Morgana, it's bound to hold you."

And with that, he drops the launcher and grips onto the rope with his good arm and feet and begins to awkwardly climb up.

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

Morgana waits and watches the Doctor as he climbs. Since he can't see her, the facade drops, and she's concerned. She's also quite impressed he's managing to climb at all, although, to be honest, despite his claimed aversion to weapons (she's seen him use a sword so she feels it's a bit hypocritical) she knows he's not weak. Not that she plans on telling him.

She also has no intention of starting her own climb until he has a firm grip on the floor of the shed.

"It may be holding you adequately, but I would not wish to test the both of us," she shouts up, her voice echoing in the cave. While he's climbing, she takes a moment or two to wring a little more water out of her dress. What she does not need making such a climb is all the extra weight of a drenched dress.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"I appreciate that," he says with a few deep breaths. His shoulder burns, and when he tries to pull himself up with it, he ends up losing a little height and gaining a few rather unpleasant rope burns on his palms. Still, he carries on, eventually reaching the top of the floor.

He grips the side and pulls himself up.

"Right," he calls down. "Looks like it's firmly planted in..."

He looks. It's landed squarely in the middle of the machine, seriously damaging the off-switch, but completely failing to turn off the program. The program which is now blinking "WINTER CYCLE".

"Morgana, you need to get up here quickly," he calls.

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

Morgana's staring at the water, which is losing some of it's earlier vibrancy and something the Doctor said at the beginning of this journey registers.

Grabbing the rope -- She climbs, but it's awkward and slow due to all the extra weight of the dress.

She looks down, not because she is afraid of heights, but the water has gone from calm to churning. "Doctor, what is happening?!" She shouts up, and continues to climb, almost three quarters of the way up.

There's a noise -- not quite the sound of a might-be-a-screwdriver but something almost electric. She can't look, and stays focused on the top, when there's another noise and there's a burning pain at her ankle.

Now she does look, there's a scorch mark on her dress, and knows there'll be a slight burn on her ankle.

The rope goes taut, and she sees a creature, something inhuman, in all sense of the word, starting to climb after her.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The Doctor sees it, too. He scurries along the side of the ledge towards the machine.

"I think the machine is working on its last ditch efforts," he says, pulling out his sonic and waving it over the controls. "I might be able to disconnect the laser function from the androids, but I won't be able to hold them all---"

There's a bang at the front door. And another bang at the back. They don't sound like anything remotely friendly.

He hops to the ledge and offers his noninjured arm for Morgana.

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

"So this is real?" It's a superfluous question, as Morgana's been trying to convince herself it is not, without success. Despite the added weight, the soaked dress prevented her skirt from being set aflame, which, Morgana thinks, means things could be worse.

Near the top, she hears the banging on the walls of the shed. Things are definitely worse.

The creature is a faster climber than Morgana so she has to suck up her pride and reach for the Doctor's hand.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The Doctor grips her hand and pulls, simultaneously pushing on the sonic's trigger and setting the rope ablaze just as he pulls her away.

He takes a breath as he catches onto her.

And sucks up his pride.

"Remember when I said we wouldn't need the sword? I think I might've been wrong."

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

There's a splash as whatever it is hits the water.

Now up on the floor, her legs slightly dangling off the edge, Morgana leans into the Doctor in what is almost a hug, but not quite. "Are you admitting I was right?" She says it awfully close to his ear, as her chin is on his uninjured shoulder. Just as the Doctor had difficulty saying he was relieved she was uninjured after the fall, Morgana's having equal difficulty saying thank you.

There's another bang on the wall, and Morgana pulls herself both away from the Doctor, and away from the hole in the floor.

"Can we not shut the machine off before whatever that is comes in here?"

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

He looks back to the machine. "Default button was damaged by the hook, but I should be able to reroute the dynomasic systems, put up a power phase to knock the whole thing out of whack. Should buy us a bit of time while I work out unwriting the coding."

He slips on his glasses like he's putting on armor.

"I'll need you to keep us alive until then," he says. He wishes he wasn't putting this on her. He wishes he could do it by himself and she could stay somewhere safe. But that's not how it works in his life.

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

Morgana has no idea what the Doctor just said, but there isn't the time for and explanation of the scientific principle, and one of his useful metaphors, so Morgana asks something far more relevant.

"How long do you think you will need?" She's untying her makeshift belt, and takes the sword in one of her hands.

The banging is even louder, and the metal door is clearly being bent inwards.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Minutes," he says, rubbing his jaw. And, under his breath, he adds: "Maybe quite a few minutes."

He gets to work on the laser removal first. Because if those things are about to attack Morgana, he's not about to let her die in one shot. Easy enough to do. He hops down and begins rerouting power, not unlike rerouting a water system. Simple but tedious.

One thing at a time, Doctor. One thing at a time.

He snaps two cables in place. "They shouldn't be able to fry you, now, Morgana! Just hold them off!"

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

Morgana does not have the time to pay attention to what the Doctor is doing, as the door, now so bent inwards there is an ever-widening gap that one of the creatures now has his arm through.

And it's about five seconds before that arm is on the floor, as she slices it off at the elbow. What falls on the floor is a mixture of both electrics, and fluid, and what looks like skin and blood.

There isn't the time to focus that, but it will bother her later.

Right now, she kicks the errant appendage down the hole in the floor, and hears it drop into the sea, to give her a little bit of space. What she needs to do is quick, and she'll only have one chance.

Stepping on the other side of the door -- if the creature has excellent, and quick aim, she'll be dead, but if this works, it should hold off others. The thrust is neither large, nor over-dramatic, but it is well aimed, right through its chest, and there's a spark or two, and it's clear it is no longer alive -- functioning -- Morgana is uncertain of the correct terminology.

It slumps in front of the door -- making another obstacle for the next one that tries to enter.

Except there's banging on the back of the building, and a dent in the wall.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The Doctor gets to work on the machine. He can reroute the system, he can undo it, but the mechanisms are so old, the wiring so corroded, that he isn't sure he can reroute the system. The button might never have worked.

He looks back and sees Morgana fighting. She's buying him time, but they'll overwhelm her if he doesn't hurry.

Concentrate, Doctor.

He pulls out another bunch of wires and starts over.

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

This would be much easier if they were out in the open, but, the floorspace is limited due to the massive hole in it, and there's only so much Morgana can do through the crack in the door.

The only advantage, is that there are not too many, as of yet. From what she is hearing, there are two outside the door -- and one -- perhaps two at the back. Whatever the program is doing, it hasn't had enough to time to go into full effect, yet.

The corpse of the one creature is pulled away by something outside, when the door finally springs open. She ducks when something is fired, and takes a swing - this one aimed firmly for its chest.

The problem is, there are two creatures.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The Doctor tears out the button and reaches his hands into the sizzling wires. It burns, but he gets a hold of the group he needs. Just a few more minutes, a few more minutes.

He glances over his head and sees the second creature coming for Morgana. He looks at the button and grins.

"Well, Babe Ruth, 'bout time I made you proud," he says. He holds the button like a baseball, and throws it, knocking the creature firmly in the head. It topples and collapses into the pit.

"Home run!" he calls, grinning.

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

Morgana had been about to decapitate the creature when it stumbles and falls into the pit. She looks down and sees it flail for a moment and then sink.

She says nothing until after the requisite splash is finished echoing. "I could have managed that on my own," Oddly, she's almost smiling, and then adds, "You have your duty, and I have mine."

There are footsteps from the other side of the shed. Whatever mixture of technology and biology these creatures are, one of them has figured out that three of them have met an unfortunate demise.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Don't doubt it one moment, Lady Fair!" the Doctor replies with a wide grin. He gives her a salute, and heads back to the wires. It's overly complicated, he thinks. Not just his relationship with Morgana, which he refuses to think about right now, but the wiring system. It should be simpler. Maybe the machine has grown more wires to try to prevent this from happening.

"Just another two minutes!" he calls over to Morgana. "That's all I need!"

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

"I can give you two minutes." At the moment, Morgana is not thinking about anything than the best way to cut the creature off at the pass.

Thus far, she's been on the defensive, and that would work, if there wasn't a chance the creatures could adapt. One of the most important skills, she's learned, is the ability to surprise one's opponent.

So, while the Doctor's focus is back to the machine, Morgana takes a quick look, steps over the corpse of one creature, and slides the through the slender entrance to the door.

All the Doctor might hear is the sound of a sword piercing the skin and mechanics of a creature, as Morgana's managed to take out another one.

He also might hear the sound of a body hitting the wall of the shed. (What he might not see: this time, it is Morgana, as another creature has managed to get in a lucky blow.)

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

Nasty slam. Morgana is tougher than the Doctor expected.

The wires come together, but he realizes there are two wires that are too far apart to connect.

"I can't do it!" he calls. "I need a long strip of metal to bind these two wires!"

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

There is another slam against the shed, and Morgana lets herself be boneless, sliding down to the ground, for one sole purpose.

Bracing herself against the wall for leverage, she swings the sword with as much might as she can muster, literally taking out the creature at the knees.

Then she hears the Doctor call. She puts her hand to the back of her head, she's bleeding, but although the wound is not severe, head wounds have a nasty habit of bleeding profusely, but she's figuring the Doctor won't see it. Sliding back in through the crack in the door, Morgana has an idea.

Taking a second to put the corpse of the first creature closer to the door, creating more of a barrier, Morgana then crouches down in front of the Doctor, holding out the sword. It is covered with the mixture of synthetic and organic fluid the creatures bleed.

"Would this do?"

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

He turns and ignores the gore completely, focused on the metal.

"Perfect," he says, snatching it from her. He takes it swiftly, and pushes it into the mass of wires, touching the one from the top to the one on the bottom.

There's a fizzle and a crackle, and suddenly all of the screens go dead. The fresh arrival creatures slump forward, puppets with their strings cut.

The Doctor freezes for a moment, waiting for something to go wrong. Nothing does.

He turns to her and beams.

"Oh, you were brilliant!" he says, and he reaches over to hug her.

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

Morgana is silent as she waits for something, anything to explode, or attack, or something equally as deadly.

She only speaks when she's sure the current crisis has passed. "We did need the sword, after all, Doctor." It is supposed to be teasing, but Morgana's tone does not quite get past the seriousness of it all.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, this time without abandon, she's relieved neither of them have been killed, and hugs him, tightly. "Next time, you do not get to judge my decision to carry such things."

This time, she is teasing.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

He doesn't reply, he just hugs her tightly back. And grins.

After all, she's just said there will be a next time.

After a moment, he finally backs up and gives her another grin.

"Shall we inform the tourists that they can return?"

[magicalskeptic.livejournal.com]

When he pulls away, she is relieved he makes no mention of the wound. The mood is too buoyant and she would rather not be fussed over, and all she wants to do is grin in response.

"What about all the regular inhabitants? Should they not be told their home is safe again." Morgana is hoping they cannot all be dead.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"The galactic police'll do that," the Doctor says. He winces as he gets to his feet, and offers her a hand.

"When we get back to the TARDIS, I'll send them a message that we've cleaned this place up. Considering they've been looking for me for a while, they won't waste their time coming here, and then the locals can get back to enjoying their city, and the people who love it can come back."

He nods to the computer. "And we'll keep the recording here. Then they can see what happened. Make sure it never happens again."