Prisms of No Color, Ch 2 by rose_of_pollux [Doctor Who, unison]
Title: Prisms of No Color, Chapter 2: The Unsuspecting City
Author: Crystal Rose of Pollux (rose_of_pollux)
Theme: 19; unison
Fandom: Doctor Who
Warnings: PG13
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, and the story is.
Summary/Comments: Elsewhere on Neo Serenity, a familiar figure watches and waits. Meanwhile, the Doctor attempts to get a closer look at the situation at hand.
Notes: Spoilers for "The Enemy of the World" from here on out.
Cross-posted to fanfiction.net, tumblr, and whofic.com
The city of Neo Serenity was a bustling metropolis, though the recent drought, which had been ongoing for nearly three months into the rainy season, had already begun to take its toll. The greenhouses were struggling to grow produce, leading to a food shortage. Severe rationing restrictions-for both the existing food and water supplies-had been imposed by their new leader.
The leader had shown up a couple months before the drought had started-the odd formation in the sky had opened up over the crystals on the mountain, and this man had fallen from it. A group of hikers had found him and had brought him back to the city, where it had turned out that he was from another time and place.
But, more than that, when the drought started and concern began to grow over how the people were to survive, it was this man who found the solution-he commissioned the construction of a machine that could, in theory, manipulate the weather. The machine had been built at the base of the crystals on the mountain. It was at this point, when the preliminary tests succeeded in creating small rain showers, that the people wasted no time in having him lead them.
And now, three months into the drought, Ramon Salamander was the most powerful man in Neo Serenity.
Despite being the most powerful man on a planet once again, Salamander was irked. He had wielded far more power on Earth… until that strange man in that equally strange box had arrived-the man who shared the same face as him. The Doctor, he was called. Salamander had cursed that man a thousand times over; because of him, he had lost everything and had been sent into the Time Vortex. Salamander had no idea how long he had been trapped in that void; the only thing he knew was that he was now free, and in charge once again of a populace who blindly followed whatever he said.
He was maintaining his hold on Neo Serenity carefully-allowing tiny amounts of rain to fall when people pleaded and screamed for relief from the drought. He knew the machine had the full capability to ease the drought altogether, but he had quickly discovered that having the populace at his mercy was far more appealing. And there was also the fact that he was reluctant to go anywhere near the opening of the Vortex-for fear that he would be pulled back inside the void. As a result, the machine only drew small amounts of water from the atmosphere, while displacing the rest into the open Vortex.
Salamander glanced out of the window of his office. The crystals and the opening above them were visible. It was his hope that the displacement of the water would render the Vortex incapable of ever absorbing him back again. If there was some way to ensure that, then he could, possibly, make expansions to the weather machine and increase its capabilities to further show off to the populace of Neo Serenity and ensure that his power would not fade.
The intercom on his desk buzzed.
“Excuse me, Mr. Salamander?” his secretary’s voice asked. “There’s someone here to see you-”
“If it is regarding food and water rations, tell them that I intend to address the situation in a televised press conference later this evening,” Salamander responded. One thing that hadn’t changed in the 23rd century was the impact of the media; once again, he had learned to use it to his advantage.
“No, Mr. Salamander,” the secretary said. “It’s a hiker who just returned from the mountains; he says he saw something incredibly strange, and he says he simply must talk to you about it.”
Salamander’s thoughts turned immediately towards the Vortex. Had it somehow changed? Was it a sign that it would be coming after him? Regardless of what it was, he knew he had to know.
“Very well; show him in.”
The hiker was still in his gear, a frantic look on his face.
“Mr. Salamander!” he exclaimed. “You’ll never believe what I saw up in the mountains! Never in a million years-”
“Calm down, Friend,” Salamander said, pouring a small amount of bottled water into a glass.
Wordlessly, he offered the water to the hiker, who glanced at it for a moment before drinking it down as though it was an elixir. Extra water, however much it was, was always appreciated.
“Tell me what it was that seems to have distressed you,” Salamander said.
The hiker finished his drink and caught his breath.
“I was up near the crystals when the lightning started, just as it has been doing-lightning, but no rain.”
“Yes, I have been aware of this situation for a long time and have been taking steps to manage it.”
“And we appreciate that, Mr. Salamander,” the hiker said. “But there’s something strange going on. I had turned around to go back once the lightning started, and that’s when it appeared, out of nowhere! A large, blue box!”
Salamander’s shoulders went rigid.
“What!?” he asked, as he turned to face the hiker.
The hiker nodded, pulling out a digital camera.
“I took a picture of it and ran,” he said, handing the camera over.
Salamander took one look at the image of the blue police box and swore, quietly.
“Is everything going to be alright, Mr. Salamander?” the hiker asked.
“I don’t know,” Salamander replied. “All I can tell you is that you were wise to leave when you did; this box is highly dangerous. I will certainly take whatever measures I have to in order to eliminate this threat.” He handed the rest of the water bottle to the hiker after returning the camera. “Take this; you have earned it.”
“Thank you, Sir!” the hiker said, eagerly accepting the bottle.
Without a backwards glance, the man left the office, and Salamander immediately paged his secretary over the intercom.
“Yes, Mr. Salamander?”
“Get a message to the head of the militia immediately,” he said. “Tell him to take a squad of men to the mountains; they will find a large, blue box, and a man who looks uncannily like me. I want this impostor-and anyone with him-brought to me immediately. Tell them to use force if they have to.”
“At once, Mr. Salamander.”
“And see to it that my name is not mentioned until they are brought before me!” he ordered.
“As you wish, Mr. Salamander.”
Satisfied, Salamander turned his attention back to the window, glaring at the mountains, as though he could give the Doctor the evil eye from where he was standing. Of course, the Doctor would have to show up so soon after Salamander had established his position as a leader!
But things would be different this time, Salamander vowed. He had the element of surprise this time; one chance was all that he needed.
The Doctor would pay dearly for what he had done.
**************************************
The Doctor, in the meantime, was nearing the base of the crystals with the intent of getting a better look at their current situation. He could only hope that the situation was reversible; the thought of being stranded in any particular time or place was simply too unpleasant to dwell on.
A bolt of lightning illuminated the sky above him, and he cast a nervous glance at Jamie and Zoe, who were following behind him.
“I do wish that the both of you had taken my advice and stayed behind in the TARDIS!” he chided.
“Well, I want to know more about how these crystals are affecting the Vortex,” Zoe said. “It isn’t just us, right? If the Time Vortex is too badly damaged, it would have an effect on everything, everywhere. Wouldn’t it?”
The Doctor gave a nod.
“I… I’m afraid so, Zoe. The effects could be far-reaching and catastrophic indeed. But it’s still my concern, not yours; and it certainly isn’t safe for the two of you to be out here in the middle of a lightning storm!”
“I’m sure it cannae be safe for ye to be oot here, either,” Jamie pointed out. “Ye have just as much talent as we have for getting into trouble-if not more! The last time we ran into a beastie-”
“Yes, yes; you’ve made your point, Jamie. Carry on-but do be careful, and keep as low to the ground as you can!”
The two obeyed, and the Doctor had to admit that this, at least, was preferable to the two of them wandering off to places unknown, as what usually tended to happen.
As the Doctor made his way closer to the base of the crystals, he noticed the hydroelectric building (currently closed, as the canals were dry), and then noticed the machine constructed not too far from it.
“Hello, what’s this?” he murmured, as he neared it. “Temperature readings, humidity readings, barometric pressure readings…”
“It must be some sort of weather recording system,” Zoe said
“Why are there settings to adjust the humidity and all the other readings?” the Doctor. “You know, I don’t think this is merely for recording the weather; I do believe that this was constructed to control the weather!”
“Aye, ye mean to stop the drought?” Jamie asked. “If so, it’s nae working verra well, is it?”
“Obviously not. But, on the other hand…” The Doctor looked up at the crystals, and at the absorbed Vortex energy within them. “I wonder whether this is somehow intentionally done.”
“Why would anyone want to use a weather machine on the Vortex?” Zoe asked. “What would the hope to gain by damaging it? You just said a moment ago that the effects would be far-reaching; it’s highly likely that they would be suffering greatly from those affects if they were going to reach across all of time and space.”
“I know that, and you two know that. But it’s highly likely that the ones behind this contraption don’t. Nor do they realize the consequences of what they have already done.”
“But it is reversible?” Zoe asked, not keen on being stranded here, either.
“We can only hope so…” the Doctor said. “The way I see it, we have a chance as long as the amount of time energy displaced is below what can be considered a critical point. If this critical point is reached-if too much energy is displaced…”
“…The Vortex will become completely unstable…” Zoe said.
“…Leading to a devastating chain reaction across space and time as it collapsed in upon itself,” the Doctor finished, fear evident in his eyes. “A reverse Big Bang!”
Jamie just shook his head as the Doctor and Zoe conversed. The concepts were sailing over his head, and the Doctor clearly had too much on his mind to be bothered with giving him a lesson now. One thing was for certain; very bad things would happen if they didn’t fix it-things that the Doctor seemed to be afraid of. And Jamie knew from experience that if the Doctor was afraid, then he and Zoe had better be, too.
The Scot was about to ask how he could aid in reversing this impending cataclysm when the sound of machinery distracted him. He glanced down the slope of the mountain to see about a dozen men speeding up the mountainside on sleek hovercrafts.
“Doctor!” he called. “Doctor, there’s a-”
Jamie was cut off with a yelp as the man in the lead fired a laser gun, aiming at the ground just beneath the Scot’s feet.
“Run!” the Doctor ordered, seizing Jamie and Zoe by their arms.
Laser fire erupted all around them, either at their feet or over their heads as voices ordered them to halt.
“Can we tell them we mean no harm!?” Jamie yelped.
“There is a time to reason and a time to retreat!” the Doctor exclaimed, as he guided them around the large crystals in the hope of dodging their pursuers.
Some of the hovercrafts proceeded past them, continuing in a straight line, but a few of them had spotted the trio’s diversion and were still in pursuit. Beams from powerful searchlights fell upon the trio. The Doctor, his Gallifreyan sense of vision more enhanced than that of his human companions, had been the most affected by the blinding light. He let go of his companions’ arms as he stumbled on the rocky ground and fell, knowing that his role had just switched to that of the decoy.
“Doctor!” Jamie and Zoe exclaimed.
“Keep going!” he ordered. “Don’t worry about me-go!”
Even as he spoke, he was being roughly hauled to his feet by his captors. His vision still only beginning to clear, he had no way of knowing as to the state of his companions.
But then he heard Zoe cry out in alarm, followed by Jamie’s angry yell of “Creag an tuire!”
As the Doctor’s eyes adjusted at last, he saw the Scot attacking the man who had grabbed Zoe by the arm. His plan, careless as it was, worked; the man released Zoe and then turned his attention to Jamie as a second assailant crept up behind him.
There was no time for the Doctor or Zoe to call out a warning; the second man seized Jamie by the arm and judo-flipped him backwards. The Scot’s yell of anger turned into a cry of pain as he collided with one of the crystals; for an instant, the crystal glowed brightly as Jamie made contact with it, and then the Scot’s body took on the same, unearthly glow for that same instant-just before he fell to the ground, unconscious.
Author: Crystal Rose of Pollux (rose_of_pollux)
Theme: 19; unison
Fandom: Doctor Who
Warnings: PG13
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, and the story is.
Summary/Comments: Elsewhere on Neo Serenity, a familiar figure watches and waits. Meanwhile, the Doctor attempts to get a closer look at the situation at hand.
Notes: Spoilers for "The Enemy of the World" from here on out.
Cross-posted to fanfiction.net, tumblr, and whofic.com
The city of Neo Serenity was a bustling metropolis, though the recent drought, which had been ongoing for nearly three months into the rainy season, had already begun to take its toll. The greenhouses were struggling to grow produce, leading to a food shortage. Severe rationing restrictions-for both the existing food and water supplies-had been imposed by their new leader.
The leader had shown up a couple months before the drought had started-the odd formation in the sky had opened up over the crystals on the mountain, and this man had fallen from it. A group of hikers had found him and had brought him back to the city, where it had turned out that he was from another time and place.
But, more than that, when the drought started and concern began to grow over how the people were to survive, it was this man who found the solution-he commissioned the construction of a machine that could, in theory, manipulate the weather. The machine had been built at the base of the crystals on the mountain. It was at this point, when the preliminary tests succeeded in creating small rain showers, that the people wasted no time in having him lead them.
And now, three months into the drought, Ramon Salamander was the most powerful man in Neo Serenity.
Despite being the most powerful man on a planet once again, Salamander was irked. He had wielded far more power on Earth… until that strange man in that equally strange box had arrived-the man who shared the same face as him. The Doctor, he was called. Salamander had cursed that man a thousand times over; because of him, he had lost everything and had been sent into the Time Vortex. Salamander had no idea how long he had been trapped in that void; the only thing he knew was that he was now free, and in charge once again of a populace who blindly followed whatever he said.
He was maintaining his hold on Neo Serenity carefully-allowing tiny amounts of rain to fall when people pleaded and screamed for relief from the drought. He knew the machine had the full capability to ease the drought altogether, but he had quickly discovered that having the populace at his mercy was far more appealing. And there was also the fact that he was reluctant to go anywhere near the opening of the Vortex-for fear that he would be pulled back inside the void. As a result, the machine only drew small amounts of water from the atmosphere, while displacing the rest into the open Vortex.
Salamander glanced out of the window of his office. The crystals and the opening above them were visible. It was his hope that the displacement of the water would render the Vortex incapable of ever absorbing him back again. If there was some way to ensure that, then he could, possibly, make expansions to the weather machine and increase its capabilities to further show off to the populace of Neo Serenity and ensure that his power would not fade.
The intercom on his desk buzzed.
“Excuse me, Mr. Salamander?” his secretary’s voice asked. “There’s someone here to see you-”
“If it is regarding food and water rations, tell them that I intend to address the situation in a televised press conference later this evening,” Salamander responded. One thing that hadn’t changed in the 23rd century was the impact of the media; once again, he had learned to use it to his advantage.
“No, Mr. Salamander,” the secretary said. “It’s a hiker who just returned from the mountains; he says he saw something incredibly strange, and he says he simply must talk to you about it.”
Salamander’s thoughts turned immediately towards the Vortex. Had it somehow changed? Was it a sign that it would be coming after him? Regardless of what it was, he knew he had to know.
“Very well; show him in.”
The hiker was still in his gear, a frantic look on his face.
“Mr. Salamander!” he exclaimed. “You’ll never believe what I saw up in the mountains! Never in a million years-”
“Calm down, Friend,” Salamander said, pouring a small amount of bottled water into a glass.
Wordlessly, he offered the water to the hiker, who glanced at it for a moment before drinking it down as though it was an elixir. Extra water, however much it was, was always appreciated.
“Tell me what it was that seems to have distressed you,” Salamander said.
The hiker finished his drink and caught his breath.
“I was up near the crystals when the lightning started, just as it has been doing-lightning, but no rain.”
“Yes, I have been aware of this situation for a long time and have been taking steps to manage it.”
“And we appreciate that, Mr. Salamander,” the hiker said. “But there’s something strange going on. I had turned around to go back once the lightning started, and that’s when it appeared, out of nowhere! A large, blue box!”
Salamander’s shoulders went rigid.
“What!?” he asked, as he turned to face the hiker.
The hiker nodded, pulling out a digital camera.
“I took a picture of it and ran,” he said, handing the camera over.
Salamander took one look at the image of the blue police box and swore, quietly.
“Is everything going to be alright, Mr. Salamander?” the hiker asked.
“I don’t know,” Salamander replied. “All I can tell you is that you were wise to leave when you did; this box is highly dangerous. I will certainly take whatever measures I have to in order to eliminate this threat.” He handed the rest of the water bottle to the hiker after returning the camera. “Take this; you have earned it.”
“Thank you, Sir!” the hiker said, eagerly accepting the bottle.
Without a backwards glance, the man left the office, and Salamander immediately paged his secretary over the intercom.
“Yes, Mr. Salamander?”
“Get a message to the head of the militia immediately,” he said. “Tell him to take a squad of men to the mountains; they will find a large, blue box, and a man who looks uncannily like me. I want this impostor-and anyone with him-brought to me immediately. Tell them to use force if they have to.”
“At once, Mr. Salamander.”
“And see to it that my name is not mentioned until they are brought before me!” he ordered.
“As you wish, Mr. Salamander.”
Satisfied, Salamander turned his attention back to the window, glaring at the mountains, as though he could give the Doctor the evil eye from where he was standing. Of course, the Doctor would have to show up so soon after Salamander had established his position as a leader!
But things would be different this time, Salamander vowed. He had the element of surprise this time; one chance was all that he needed.
The Doctor would pay dearly for what he had done.
**************************************
The Doctor, in the meantime, was nearing the base of the crystals with the intent of getting a better look at their current situation. He could only hope that the situation was reversible; the thought of being stranded in any particular time or place was simply too unpleasant to dwell on.
A bolt of lightning illuminated the sky above him, and he cast a nervous glance at Jamie and Zoe, who were following behind him.
“I do wish that the both of you had taken my advice and stayed behind in the TARDIS!” he chided.
“Well, I want to know more about how these crystals are affecting the Vortex,” Zoe said. “It isn’t just us, right? If the Time Vortex is too badly damaged, it would have an effect on everything, everywhere. Wouldn’t it?”
The Doctor gave a nod.
“I… I’m afraid so, Zoe. The effects could be far-reaching and catastrophic indeed. But it’s still my concern, not yours; and it certainly isn’t safe for the two of you to be out here in the middle of a lightning storm!”
“I’m sure it cannae be safe for ye to be oot here, either,” Jamie pointed out. “Ye have just as much talent as we have for getting into trouble-if not more! The last time we ran into a beastie-”
“Yes, yes; you’ve made your point, Jamie. Carry on-but do be careful, and keep as low to the ground as you can!”
The two obeyed, and the Doctor had to admit that this, at least, was preferable to the two of them wandering off to places unknown, as what usually tended to happen.
As the Doctor made his way closer to the base of the crystals, he noticed the hydroelectric building (currently closed, as the canals were dry), and then noticed the machine constructed not too far from it.
“Hello, what’s this?” he murmured, as he neared it. “Temperature readings, humidity readings, barometric pressure readings…”
“It must be some sort of weather recording system,” Zoe said
“Why are there settings to adjust the humidity and all the other readings?” the Doctor. “You know, I don’t think this is merely for recording the weather; I do believe that this was constructed to control the weather!”
“Aye, ye mean to stop the drought?” Jamie asked. “If so, it’s nae working verra well, is it?”
“Obviously not. But, on the other hand…” The Doctor looked up at the crystals, and at the absorbed Vortex energy within them. “I wonder whether this is somehow intentionally done.”
“Why would anyone want to use a weather machine on the Vortex?” Zoe asked. “What would the hope to gain by damaging it? You just said a moment ago that the effects would be far-reaching; it’s highly likely that they would be suffering greatly from those affects if they were going to reach across all of time and space.”
“I know that, and you two know that. But it’s highly likely that the ones behind this contraption don’t. Nor do they realize the consequences of what they have already done.”
“But it is reversible?” Zoe asked, not keen on being stranded here, either.
“We can only hope so…” the Doctor said. “The way I see it, we have a chance as long as the amount of time energy displaced is below what can be considered a critical point. If this critical point is reached-if too much energy is displaced…”
“…The Vortex will become completely unstable…” Zoe said.
“…Leading to a devastating chain reaction across space and time as it collapsed in upon itself,” the Doctor finished, fear evident in his eyes. “A reverse Big Bang!”
Jamie just shook his head as the Doctor and Zoe conversed. The concepts were sailing over his head, and the Doctor clearly had too much on his mind to be bothered with giving him a lesson now. One thing was for certain; very bad things would happen if they didn’t fix it-things that the Doctor seemed to be afraid of. And Jamie knew from experience that if the Doctor was afraid, then he and Zoe had better be, too.
The Scot was about to ask how he could aid in reversing this impending cataclysm when the sound of machinery distracted him. He glanced down the slope of the mountain to see about a dozen men speeding up the mountainside on sleek hovercrafts.
“Doctor!” he called. “Doctor, there’s a-”
Jamie was cut off with a yelp as the man in the lead fired a laser gun, aiming at the ground just beneath the Scot’s feet.
“Run!” the Doctor ordered, seizing Jamie and Zoe by their arms.
Laser fire erupted all around them, either at their feet or over their heads as voices ordered them to halt.
“Can we tell them we mean no harm!?” Jamie yelped.
“There is a time to reason and a time to retreat!” the Doctor exclaimed, as he guided them around the large crystals in the hope of dodging their pursuers.
Some of the hovercrafts proceeded past them, continuing in a straight line, but a few of them had spotted the trio’s diversion and were still in pursuit. Beams from powerful searchlights fell upon the trio. The Doctor, his Gallifreyan sense of vision more enhanced than that of his human companions, had been the most affected by the blinding light. He let go of his companions’ arms as he stumbled on the rocky ground and fell, knowing that his role had just switched to that of the decoy.
“Doctor!” Jamie and Zoe exclaimed.
“Keep going!” he ordered. “Don’t worry about me-go!”
Even as he spoke, he was being roughly hauled to his feet by his captors. His vision still only beginning to clear, he had no way of knowing as to the state of his companions.
But then he heard Zoe cry out in alarm, followed by Jamie’s angry yell of “Creag an tuire!”
As the Doctor’s eyes adjusted at last, he saw the Scot attacking the man who had grabbed Zoe by the arm. His plan, careless as it was, worked; the man released Zoe and then turned his attention to Jamie as a second assailant crept up behind him.
There was no time for the Doctor or Zoe to call out a warning; the second man seized Jamie by the arm and judo-flipped him backwards. The Scot’s yell of anger turned into a cry of pain as he collided with one of the crystals; for an instant, the crystal glowed brightly as Jamie made contact with it, and then the Scot’s body took on the same, unearthly glow for that same instant-just before he fell to the ground, unconscious.