Entanglement, or the Ghost Field - Part Nine: Welcome to the Machine
Title: Welcome to the Machine, Part Nine of Entanglement
Author: dracox-serdriel
Acknowledgement: A special thanks to my awesome beta reader, rince1wind
Status: Completed as part of horrorbigbang 2013
Sam and Dean took up defensive positions as soon as the temperature dropped, but nothing happened. At some point, Molls grabbed a blanket and threw it over her and Castle. Gwen joined them. All three were either trying to sleep or nearly there.
"I thought you said a spirit can't cross a salt line," Molly said.
"Some spirits can find other ways in," Dean replied.
Jeet flipped through the notebooks Dean and Sam had, much to their displeasure.
"You said we needed to figure this out," she said. "So let me look through here while you point your guns."
Vincent paced the room, checking the salt lines and windows. Jeet noticed that he was very agitated, but then again, he had just seen his own suspended corpse. Maybe a little agitation was best. Before Jeet looked away, she saw something blur around him, like a hologram or a passing shadow.
Gwen jerked awake next to Molls. She got up from the sofa and leaned against one of the walls, as if stretching.
"Listen," Sam said to Molls. "Dean and I have beat worse odds, okay? So just because you saw something... That doesn't mean it's gonna happen."
The com went off. "It's Slade. I'm coming back down."
"Rodger," Dean replied.
Molly went to Vincent, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"It's going to be all right," she said. "I'm not going to lose you again."
She pulled him into a hug, but he said nothing. "What's wrong?"
He lowered his voice so the others wouldn't hear. "It's just... It seems impossible. All we've managed to do so far is get lost and manage not to die."
"Don't talk like that."
"It's this room," he continued. "We're all cramped in here like refugees, with nothing to do but stare at each other. They're all up in arms because the room is cold. I mean... who has hope in that kind of situation?"
"I do."
"You always do," he replied fondly.
He held her for a few moments, watching Castle and Molls sleep and Gwen lean moodily against the wall.
"Do you trust me?" Vincent asked.
"Always," she replied, nearly burying her face into his chest.
Sam was surprised by the dramatic change in Molly's behavior towards Vincent, and now he found himself becoming suspicious. Vincent caught Sam's worried glance at the pair of them, and he gave him a weak smile.
The lights flickered, and Sam and Dean moved in. "Everyone get near the sofa," Dean barked. "Go on, move!"
Wind picked up, a hailstorm force, and whined as it billowed against the building. The lights went out, leaving everyone scrambling for flashlights. Jeet managed to turn hers on first.
"Okay, roll call," Jeet said. "Jeet."
"Vincent."
"Molly."
"Molls."
"Castle."
"Sam."
"Dean."
Castle asked, "Gwen? Where is Gwen?"
"Shit," Dean said. "Okay, me and Jeet, we'll do a quick sweep. Everyone else, stay here."
It took far too long to adjust to the dim lighting; Dean found himself slipping and tripping. And soon all anyone could see was the light from Dean and Jeet's flashlights.
"Why hasn't the power come back on yet?" Jeet asked. "Usually it just flickers."
"Notice how cold this room is?" Dean asked. "Pissed-off spirits are either here or managed to become corporeal enough to damage the electrical system."
"I don't see her."
"Me neither."
They turned back to the center of the lobby, and the lights bumped back on.
"Small mercy," Jeet said as she turned off her flashlight.
"Vincent?" Molls asked.
"Molly?" Castle called.
Sam was already looking for them, but there wasn't a sign of either person.
"Okay, so let me get this straight," Dean said. "In the last, what, three seconds, we've lost Gwen, Vincent, and Molly?"
"Dean, check the other lines," Sam instructed. "There was a break to this door outside."
"And over here," Jeet said, fixing the line of salt on one of the windowsills.
"Gwen? Molly? Vincent?" Dean paged through the coms. "Can any of you answer me?"
Dean walked to the main door, but Sam stopped him.
"What?" Dean asked.
"What are you doing?" Sam asked.
"Chances are they didn't just wander off," Dean replied.
"Or maybe they did," Sam pointed out.
"Seriously, Sam?"
"Let's just page them again before we go chasing after them, all right?" Sam said. He used his com, "Gwen? If you can hear me, please just page us back. Molly? Vincent?"
Vincent and Molly did, in fact, leave the lobby of their own accord. Or, at least Molly did. They strolled, arm and arm, outside in the garden of strange plants and craggy trees.
Vince had waited for Molly for nearly two hundred years in this empty place. And when she arrived again, he was certain that he would be able to pull himself through to the other side to be with her.
But the past hour had proved that he was an intruder in the physical plane. Vincent was very much alive, and while Vince could repress Vincent's mind, he had to exert a massive amount of force, which changed the room's temperature, among other things. The more he tried to keep this body, the more angry he became and the less control he had.
"Vince, what are we doing out here?"
His eyes lit up when she used his name, his real name.
"Sorry. I just - we're alone, so I thought it would be okay to call you Vince again," Molly said.
"It's wonderful," Vince replied with Vincent's mouth.
"Then, can I ask you... How are you alive?"
"You know it's me Molly," Vince said, putting on Vincent's best smile. "I proved that to you."
"But we found your blood, and we saw - I thought you were dead," she replied. "And if you're not dead, then, did your copy die? What happened?"
"This place," he began. "It's too much. I don't even know where to begin."
"It just seems too good to be true," Molly admitted. "I know I shouldn't be happy that someone else is dead, but if it means you're alive, then, I don't care."
The wind picked up a bit, and Vince wrapped Vincent's arms around her to keep her from the cold.
Molly heard the sounds of a door opening and what could've been Dean and Sam talking. The wind made it difficult to be certain.
"You're right," Vince said with Vincent's sad little smile.
"Right about what?" she asked.
The clouds overhead looked ominous. Molly hadn't noticed them when they came out, otherwise she'd've stayed inside. Pinpricks of flashlight hit the trees opposite them. Perhaps the others had noticed the storm getting closer and were coming to warn them?
"Being too good to be true. But that doesn't mean we can't be together. I came back for you."
She looked up at him. "Came back? From where?"
"I took this body for you," he said.
Molly pulled away, but his grip on her was tight. "What does that mean?" she demanded.
"Don't worry," Vince said sincerely with Vincent's lips. "It's going to be okay."
The storm flared up, and wind and rain began in earnest.
"Vince? Vince - " Molly began.
Then she saw it. His body rippled with a shadow, and another form was superimposed on him. It lasted only for a moment, but it was enough for her to see the truth.
"You're dead?" Molly asked. "You... died, and, what, thought you could just possess this man and it would be okay?"
Dean, Sam, and Jeet rounded the corner with shotguns and iron chains. They pushed through the torrential weather and made a beeline straight for them.
"I wasn't thinking straight," Vince replied. "But I am now. Don't worry, Molly. I love you."
She turned away and wriggled out of Vince's grasp just as the downpour reached them.
"Vincent!" Dean yelled as Molly pulled away. "Leave her alone!"
Vincent turned back, his face disfigured by the scream that plastered Vince's face in the final moments of his life. He held up his hand and lightning struck, forcing the three of them to bank a hard left.
"How the hell is he doing this?" Sam asked. "He's just a ghost, he shouldn't have the power to command lightning!"
"I thought you said they could," Jeet replied, yelling to be heard over the wind. "That they could control physical elements."
"Wind, maybe rain if it's raining, but a huge storm like this?" Dean yelled back. "We've got to stop him."
"But Vincent... that's his body. We can't shoot him," Jeet protested.
"I can eject the ghost, but we have to get close enough," Sam replied. "We might have to shoot him."
"I'm not shooting him!" Jeet repeated.
Lightning stuck again.
"No time to argue," Dean said. "We have to get close."
Drenched, Molly stumbled to the closest door. Her legs felt weak, and her focus was going as she became dizzy. The earth behind her was soaked, but just in front of her, where she hadn't walked, it was completely dry. She tried to get inside, but she was suddenly so cold that it hurt to move. She collapsed with her back to the door.
Jeet and Dean went straight for Vince-Vincent, who had no problem maneuvering the wind against them. Dean fired at him, but missed completely.
Jeet elbowed him hard in the ribs. "I said no shooting!"
"Help!" Molly said weakly, fumbling for her com. "I'm at the side door, let me in... let me... in... side door..."
She mumbled this over and over again. It occurred to her that Vince, or Vincent, should be nearby, but she couldn't see him. There was just the door, the darkness, and the endless rain pouring over her. She shivered and curled up into a ball.
Sam managed to outflank Vincent the long way, finally wrapping an iron chain around his chest and pulling him to the ground. Vince screamed in pain, but there was nothing he could do. His spirit blasted out of Vincent's body, leaving Sam and Vincent on the ground, soaking wet and covered in mud.
"It's going to be okay," Molly whispered. "That's what he said." She uncurled, leaning her body back against the door so she could sit upright. The shivering wasn't that bad anymore, and it was only a matter of time before the rain passed. She just had to wait it out, and what better place than here?
The storm cleared suddenly.
Jeet and Dean helped Sam and Vincent up.
"You okay, man?" Sam asked Vincent.
He shook his head. "Where's Molly?"
Jeet had already gone after her with Dean on her heels. They found Molly by the door, just as Dean remembered seeing her: pale skin, red eyes. Jeet checked for vitals. There was nothing.
"She's dead."
"How?" Dean asked.
"I would guess hypothermia," Jeet replied. "Given the lack of injuries."
"Doesn't that take time?" Dean asked. "If we warm her up, is it possible - "
"No," Jeet replied. "Technically, yes, it could happen, but... she didn't just die a few seconds ago, Dean."
"How long?"
"Hard to tell with a death like hypothermia," she replied. "But if she had only been gone a few minutes, she'd... not look like this. This discoloration? The red eyes? That takes time."
Dean lifted Molly's body over his shoulder. "We can't leave her body. So we're going to warm her up. If she's dead, then, when she's dry, we'll burn her."
Jeet stared at Dean in a way he didn't quite understand.
"What?" Dean asked her.
"I know you want to try, but... she's gone," Jeet said. "Trust me." The look she gave him, it was pity.
Dean didn't respond; he just turned back to Sam and Vincent.
"Is she okay?" Vincent asked. "Please, tell me - "
"No," Dean cut him off. "We're going to get her dry and warm just to be sure, come on." He continued back to the lobby.
"Just to be sure of what?" Vincent asked.
"You're not dead," Sam said, "until you're warm and dead." He moved ahead to catch up with Dean.
"She's gone," Jeet said simply. "I'm sorry."
Vincent's gait was unsteady, so Jeet helped him. "None of this was your fault," she said.
"I tried - I tried to warn you, but..." he stopped.
Sam caught up to Dean, who was out of an earshot of Jeet and Vincent.
"Dude, what's going on?" Sam asked Dean.
"I saw this," Dean replied.
"What do you mean?"
"When we were going room to room, we saw Molly dead. We saw her body just like that, propped up against that door."
"You couldn't've known."
"That's not the damn point, Sammy," Dean snapped. "The point is, you said you saw Jeet dead, too. And then Vincent and Molls, both dead. Maybe people have seen you or me dead and didn't think to mention it."
"Dean, we can't freak out," Sam replied. "There's too much crazy in this place already."
"There was a ghost in the room with us, Sam," Dean spat. "That whole time Vincent was in there, he was possessed. And we didn't notice."
"He wasn't a typical spirit," Sam replied. "He had... specific motivation. He was trying to be human."
"We're losing people. Maybe we should forget the damn sunrise and just move the fuck out now."
"You mean now that four of us are soaking wet?" Sam asked. "Great plan."
"You got a better idea?"
Sam replied simply, "We regroup."
About twenty minutes previous... Gwen moved to join the others on the couch, but something stopped her. She could barely make out the shape, but she was quite certain it was a large dog. It wasn't too far off, limping and staggering.
She only meant to go into the hall to coax it into the lobby. But the dog had gone farther than that. But not too far, so she followed after it, as quickly as possible.
The dog looked back at her. Its eyes were unnaturally beautiful.
"I'm here to help," she whispered. "Come on, I'm not going to hurt you."
The dog turned and disappeared up the stairs. Gwen hadn't realized she'd gotten that far from the lobby.
Her com turned on with Dean's voice loud and clear. "Gwen? Molly? Vincent? Can any of you answer me?"
She ignored it and climbed the stairs. Right before she reached the top, Sam's voice came through. "Gwen? If you can hear me, please just page us back. Molly? Vincent?"
Gwen made a mental note to respond later, but she didn't want to lose this dog. Once she was on the landing, she spotted it again, heading right for Rose, who was knocking on a door with an odd drawing across it.
"Doctor?" Rose said loudly at the door. "Doctor? Can you hear me? Please, let me in!"
December kept trying to open the door to the command center, but the lockdown wasn't lifting.
"Need some help?" The Doctor asked.
"No, I'm okay, it's just this lockdown," she replied. "It shouldn't be this complicated. I'm guessing that there's a whole lot of weird out there. Am I right?"
"With a bit more weird on top," he replied.
An odd feeling passed over him, like he left a centrifuge on and hadn't checked the vials. "How long have I been here?"
"You mean, in the antechamber?" she asked. "Can't be entirely certain but at least an hour. Probably two."
"Two hours?" The Doctor repeated. "She's going to kill me for not checking in." He tried his com, "Rose?"
"You can't use that in here," December replied. "Not until I lift the lockdown."
"Which door did I come through?" he asked.
December pointed without looking; she was too engrossed in her work to turn away.
"Open it," he said.
"What for?"
"Rose," he replied. "She's on the other side."
December let out a half-laugh that caught The Doctor's attention. "What?" he asked.
"Well, even part Time Lords can't feel just anyone through a bilocal transport door."
"You mean this door - your ship isn't a room in the building?" he asked.
"Of course it is," December dismissed. "Well, sort of."
"What kind of technology - "
"Hold on, here we go," December said, flipping a switch.
The door opened.
"Doctor?" Rose said as she stepped inside. Her voice caught December's full attention at least.
"Sorry, small technical difficulty," he replied as he pulled her into a hug. "Uh, who're they?" he asked.
Rose turned as Gwen and the dog entered. "Oi, when did you get upstairs?"
"You didn't see us?" Gwen asked.
"Oh, that's my... Well, technically that was me," December replied. "Byproduct of my repurposed chameleon circuit. It can have these effects if you're in the liminal space between where the circuit conceals and where it conceals from."
"Chameleon circuit?" Rose repeated. "But isn't that - "
"Sorry, before we do all that," The Doctor said, his eyes never leaving the dog. "Which one are you?"
"I'm Gwen. I mean, the one that goes by Gwen."
"And why did you come upstairs? Were you checking on Rose?" The Doctor asked.
"No, I saw this dog, and he was hurt, so... I guess I sort of followed him," Gwen replied. "Stupid, I know, but..."
December had cottoned on and turned her attention. "I don't know about stupid," December said, "but I'm fairly certain that that isn't a dog. You mind coming over here with me, uh, Gwen was it?"
Gwen obliged.
Rose spoke, "What're you on about? Of course it's a dog."
The Doctor gently pulled Rose behind him. "Who are you?" he asked the dog.
The dog looked up at The Doctor with its beautiful blue eyes. Blue human eyes. First he sat back on his haunches, then he stood up, like a bear. And then, as a curtain falls, his shape shifted. He had ape-like features that merged cruelly with some other kind of quadruped mammal. His feet and legs were all wrong, and his elbows didn't seem right, but his face held traces of his humanity.
"Can you speak?" The Doctor asked.
"My name," he began sadly. "Was Remy Greenberg before I came here. Now? Now, I'm not sure."
As if the energy exerted from talking had drained him, he collapsed and his body shook violently.
"He's seizing," December said. "Quick, get him into the stasis chamber."
"What for?" Rose asked.
"We need to stabilize him," December replied. "No questions, just do it."
The Doctor and Gwen managed to get him on his side, but he was over two hundred pounds.
"If we don't get him into this chamber," December said as she managed to wrench open the door. "This seizure is going to do a lot of brain damage, assuming it doesn't kill him."
About ten minutes previously... Molls and Castle waited alone in the lobby.
"You think they'll come back?" Molls asked.
"I guess they will," Castle replied.
"You think, I mean, honestly think, Castle, that we're going to get out of here?" Molls asked.
"How long have we been here?" Castle asked.
Molls checked her watch. "Huh," she said. "We got to the Trine... about, when?"
"Dunno, just past three."
"My watch says three twenty-one in the afternoon," Molls said. "That's when we got here."
"Is it broken?"
Molls began to fiddle with her watch, but as soon as she released the gears, it reverted back to the same time. "What hell does that even mean?"
"Time doesn't exist here," someone said as he entered the lobby. "Not in the usual fashion."
"Who are you?" Castle asked.
"Oh, this is Sage," Slade replied. "Sage, this is - hold on, where is everybody?"
"I'm Castle. This is Molls."
"Hello, Castle, Molls," Sage said politely.
"So, who are you?" Molls asked.
Before he could answer, the outside door opened and Dean stepped in carrying a body over his shoulder. Sam waited outside, holding the door for Jeet and Vincent.
"What happened?" Molls asked, leaving the couch.
"We need to start a fire," Jeet replied. "And dry clothing would be nice."
"Molly?" Slade asked. "What - what happened?"
Dean ignored Slade's question. "We need dry clothes and a fire. Can anyone start one in this fireplace?"
"Is that a good idea?" Castle asked.
"The chimney is fully functional," Sage replied. "The flue is always open."
"Who the hell is this guy?" Dean asked as he laid Molly's body in front of the fireplace.
"I'm Sage," he replied. "I'm... I got put here."
"You were the one who made the wish," Sam observed.
Sage nodded.
"I found him upstairs," Slade replied.
"Hold up," Dean said. He fixed the salt line and then began passing out lengths of iron chain.
"What's this for?" Castle asked as she began working on the fire.
"Vincent was possessed," Sam replied. "For a while."
"Sorry," Vincent said.
"Not your fault," Dean said. "We should've been on it. This is pure iron. Spirits can't touch it. You put it around your neck, waist, anywhere. Just keep it on you."
"You know a lot about this place," Sage commented. "It took me years to understand how the ghosts worked."
Sam turned to Sage. "You need to tell us everything."
"About what?"
"About how you got here."
Sage sighed. "I was a scared kid. I wanted to get away, and I was told I could have my wish at a price."
"I need every detail," Sam said, grabbing a notebook and pen. "You understand? Everything you can remember."
"Don't mind us," Castle said. "Me making a fire next to a dead body. Jeet digging for clothing."
Sam realized he was shivering in his waterlogged clothing. "I need dry clothes."
Dean pulled out their main duffel. "I've got some towels, definitely a coat... maybe even underwear and socks."
Sam rolled his eyes. "You pack like Mom made you."
Jeet picked up on that. She had all but decided these men weren't FBI agents in any universe, but they seemed to have a strong connection. It seemed they were brothers.
Slade joined Sam and Sage. "I'll write while you dry," Slade said. "Go on, Sage, from the beginning."
The Doctor finally sealed the door of the stasis chamber. "Macro-to-micro-processing, lovely. Oh, and that's - is that a molecular - "
"Doctor!" Rose prompted.
"Sorry, how is he?" The Doctor asked, indicating Remy.
"Stable," December replied. "For now. Good news is that, once we're in the clear, I can stabilize him permanently.
Rose asked, "The bad news?"
"There's always something, isn't there?" December said.
"He'll never be human again," The Doctor said quietly as he considered the medical screen.
"Not technically," December agreed. "He'll be himself. You saw, he's clearly still a person. Sentient. With his memories."
"That's not the same thing as Remy being Remy again," Gwen objected.
December shrugged. "Oh, right. Sorry. Context. Well, he'll live. Possibly a long time. So there's that."
"Gwen, why did you come upstairs?" Rose asked. "You said you followed him."
"I did."
"Why?" The Doctor asked. "It's dangerous. You should've stayed where you - "
"I can't fight ghosts!" Gwen replied harshly. "I can't figure out why images appear and disappear and seem as real as people. Or how Vince died. Or any of it! But you know what I can do?" She paused and lowered her voice. "I can help a wounded animal. And as far as danger goes... it's everywhere. So why not?"
The Doctor made a facial expression that Rose had long ago decided roughly translated to "that's-a-fair-point."
"Can you tell what happened to him?" Rose asked December.
"Not to be insensitive," December began. "But we need to get into the command center of my ship. JD, if you wouldn't mind?"
"Not at all," The Doctor said. He stepped up to the stasis chamber and brought up the results. "Nasty. He was exposed to something over a long period of time. Something that was able to change his DNA. See there and there?"
Gwen and Rose squinted to see that The Doctor was pointing out areas highlighted in blue. Around the elbows, wrists, ankles, knees, and even on the spine.
"That's inflammation. An incredible autoimmune response," The Doctor continued. "When he was exposed, his DNA changed, and his body started to attack itself."
"So, what, a kind of arthritis?" Rose asked.
"It is definitely painful for him to walk and move around," The Doctor replied. "But at some point, the new DNA was accepted. Otherwise he'd be dead."
"Look at that," Rose said, pointing out areas marked in an odd color code system. "I don't know what the colors mean, but if I had to guess, I'd think he had lupus."
"Worse than lupus, he must've been in perpetual agony," The Doctor observed. "Not to mention the physical changes."
"How did he survive without help?" Gwen asked.
"He had help, if you can call it that. See there? Someone did surgery on him, added pins to the hip joints, like he broke his pelvis," The Doctor observed. "Someone kept him alive. Had to have done. Didn't do him any favors but kept him. Remy was someone's experiment."
"Or someone's entertainment," Rose added bitterly.
"Gotcha!" December exclaimed as she finally broke the lockdown. "You can use your coms now, and... " The door opened. "Welcome aboard!"
December nipped in with The Doctor following.
Rose paged the others. "Just checking in. JD and I are fine. We're working on a way out. Gwen is with us."
Rose turned to the newly opened door and her heart jumped at what she saw. Gwen seemed hesitant to follow. "It's okay," Rose said. "I've traveled in one of these before. A lot."
"Then what's that look on your face?" She meant the look of absolute shock on Rose's face.
"I never thought I'd see one again."
Gwen followed Rose tentatively. December and The Doctor were already at work. The ship was radically different from The Doctor's, but it had the same basic control configuration.
"This is a TARDIS," Rose said to Gwen.
"She's a beaut," The Doctor said to December. "Newer model than my old Sexy, but still one of the classics."
"That's why I picked her," December said. "Well, if you ask her, she picked me."
Gwen asked, "Is that a metaphor?"
"The TARDIS is living," Rose replied. "It's got mechanical bits and all that, but the core is a living entity."
"Yesterday, I'd've said you were all off your rockers," Gwen replied. "But this ship... it couldn't fit inside the school. I mean, the school is too small. And we'd've seen a ship."
"Bigger on the inside," The Doctor said happily. "Oh, she's fantastic."
"Okay, here we are," December said. "The ship's reports."
The Doctor joined her.
"Blimey," he said under his breath. "Your TARDIS made changes to the school building. Why?"
December shook her head. "Overlapping universes. She would've integrated herself into the physical element of the universe to maintain structural integrity."
"Stabilize her energy flow," The Doctor cottoned on. "Oh, that's clever. She gets her power from the universe, and it's gotta be the right one. She does that automatically?"
"Yes, she does," December replied with a smile. "She gets it from me. Well, some of it."
"Your ship can learn from you?" Gwen asked. "It's not just alive, it's conscious? Thinking?"
"Why wouldn't it do?" December asked.
"A horse is alive and can be ridden. Doesn't mean that it thinks," Gwen said.
"Why shouldn't a horse think?" The Doctor asked.
"It's not sentient."
Rose and The Doctor traded glances. "How do you know that?" The Doctor asked.
Rose asked, "Have you ever asked one?"
"You're both serious?" Gwen asked.
"They're adorable," December replied. "But we do need some focus. Because this... I don't know what this means."
"That's just the modifications your TARDIS was making to the school," The Doctor replied.
"She wrote, 'I needed to help them because they are stuck.' What does that mean?"
"Your TARDIS writes to you?" The Doctor asked.
"Never mind that! 'Stuck,'" Rose repeated.
"That's what they said. The ghosts. They said they got stuck here," Gwen added.
"She's been building for a long, long time," December said. "And that's not all."
"Is that what I think it is?" The Doctor asked, adjusting his glasses.
"Yep. Makes sense, overlapping universes and all. But it means we've been here for centuries."
"What?" Gwen asked.
"She's been building all that time," December continued.
"What do you mean, building?" Gwen asked. "What for?"
Molls managed to procure dry clothing for everyone, though no one seemed happy about donning someone else's underwear.
"They're clean and dry," Molls said. "At least be happy about that."
"Wearing a dead man's clothes," Dean said as he threw on Irwin's spare shirt and pants. "Awesome."
"Well, he doesn't need them," Sam added. He had to do with a too-short shirt from Vincent and overlarge pants that Molls found, at least until his suit dried.
Castle maintained the fire. Jeet kept checking on Molly till she was warm again, but she was gone. Jeet covered her with a medical sheet.
The rest of them kept gathered around the larger table, away from the bodies.
Meanwhile, Slade and Sage made a list of everything Sage could remember about his wish.
"I get it, fleeting phantoms, great," Sam said. "But did they give you a deadline? You know, 'until the moon bleeds' or something?"
Sage shook his head. "No. I don't know. You have to understand, I was seven or eight. The promise of getting away from my father... I wasn't about to ask any questions."
"Well, we got in," Sam said, "which means we did something that broke that magic somehow."
"Both of us?" Slade asked.
"What?" Dean asked.
Slade stumbled over his tongue, "I mean, you are from a different place. Right? So your universe or whatever and ours... they'd've both had to break in. Or is that not... what am I even saying?"
"No, you're right," Sam said. "Because the 'fleeting phantoms' were just normal people - "
"No, they'd disappear," Sage objected. "No one ever stayed more than a few hours."
"You could only see them then," Sam said. "And they could only see you then. Overlapping windows. That's what Dawn was talking about. She tried to find you again, but after that first time, all she ever saw were echoes. Brief images. But she was real. And so were you. You just didn't coincide."
"Nerd," Dean commented.
"I'm sorry, I can't remember anything like that, about an ending to the wish," Sage said.
"Okay, then," Sam started. "We know that the Dawn from your universe, Slade, she and the others came here first. Along with the others from our universe. So what did we do that was the same as them?"
Slade considered his words. "Apart from timing? Nothing."
"Well," Dean suggested, "they came here for a documentary, right? And you guys came here to find them."
"It's not like we're the first," Castle spoke up. "Plenty of stuff has been done on the Trine."
"Maybe it's you," Sam said to Sage. "She kept looking for you. Maybe her desire to find you was enough."
"This isn't an afterschool special," Dean replied.
The com paged. Rose spoke, "Just checking in. JD and I are fine. We're working on a way out. Gwen is with us."
"Rose found Gwen," Dean commented.
"Who's that?" Sage asked.
"Rose," Sam said through the com, "Be careful."
"Okay, so Dawn's connection to Sage," Dean repeated. "But the other Dawn - the one who called us - she didn't have any connection with him at all."
"Who is Dawn?" Sage asked.
"She met you went she was little," Molls replied. "Twenty years ago."
Sage laughed. "Sorry, but, 'twenty years' means nothing to me. I grew to adulthood and stopped. As far as I can tell, I've been here for centuries."
"Sounds more like a Trickster than a fairy," Dean said to Sam.
"A what?" Sage asked, jolting as if the word 'Trickster' or 'fairy' hurt him physically.
"Tricksters. Demigods that play pranks. But usually it's about just deserts," Sam said. "Locking a kid away for hundreds of years for fear of his father doesn't seem like a Trickster move."
"It's a dick move," Dean added.
"I second that," Castle said.
It wasn't until Sage exhaled mist that anyone noticed the change in temperature.
"Crap - " Sam said, getting to his feet.
But he was too late. Irwin's mobilized remains tumbled toward the fire and crashed, hard, into a stout coffee table. In one fluid movement, he ripped off one of the legs and shoved it in the fire till it burned.
Sam, Dean, and Jeet grabbed whatever they could. Sam had the shotgun, but Dean didn't want to waste rounds, so he grabbed a chain, as did Jeet. By the time they charged Irwin, though, he already had a burning table leg, which he thrust deep into the far wall of the lobby. Smoke billowed out.
Bang! Sam hit Irwin with salt, and the image of a young man with very blue eyes flickered as he turned to face his assailants. A force crashed into them - telekinesis - throwing Jeet into Dean and Sam into one of the chairs.
Bang! Bang! Sam landed two shots right to the chest, giving Jeet enough time to wrap the iron chain around his waist. Shrieking with pain, the ghost flew out of Irwin. The spirit hovered above them, a sheer green hue outlining his features.
"Remy?" Molls said. "Is that you?"
Remy's eyes didn't show anger, just a deep, defeated sadness. He disappeared.
"That doesn't make sense," Dean said. "Ghosts with that kind of mojo have to be pissed off."
"Bobby wasn't," Sam pointed out.
"Bobby wasn't possessing anyone," Dean replied.
"The wall is on fire!" Jeet shouted. "Come on, we need something to smother it."
Molls collected the wet clothing to cover the wall. Jeet joined her, and in a few minutes, the fire died out completely.
"It's weird, though," Molls said quietly. "I mean, he could've attacked us. Instead, he picks a stretch of wall no one is near and lights it on fire."
"That's what's weird here?" Sage asked.
"Not as weird as watching your own corpse prune," Vincent said, finally getting up. "Or being possessed by, well, yourself."
"Vince wasn't you," Molls replied soberly. "He's from a different place."
"You saw your own corpse?" Slade asked.
"Future time echo, we think," Dean hedged. "We don't know. I'll repeat that, just so we're completely clear: we don't know what those things were."
"My decapitated body was one of the sightings," Jeet chipped in bitterly. "Let's hope that's not the future."
"Forget that," Dean said. "I think it's pretty clear we can't wait till morning. We need to burn these bodies now."
"Then I guess we need to make a pyre," Jeet said.
Navigation
Entanglement, or the Ghost Field <<< Previous Part:
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Part Ten: Please Mister Gravedigger
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Welcome to the Machine (Pink Floyd)
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star,
He played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the machine.
Author: dracox-serdriel
Acknowledgement: A special thanks to my awesome beta reader, rince1wind
Status: Completed as part of horrorbigbang 2013
Sam and Dean took up defensive positions as soon as the temperature dropped, but nothing happened. At some point, Molls grabbed a blanket and threw it over her and Castle. Gwen joined them. All three were either trying to sleep or nearly there.
"I thought you said a spirit can't cross a salt line," Molly said.
"Some spirits can find other ways in," Dean replied.
Jeet flipped through the notebooks Dean and Sam had, much to their displeasure.
"You said we needed to figure this out," she said. "So let me look through here while you point your guns."
Vincent paced the room, checking the salt lines and windows. Jeet noticed that he was very agitated, but then again, he had just seen his own suspended corpse. Maybe a little agitation was best. Before Jeet looked away, she saw something blur around him, like a hologram or a passing shadow.
Gwen jerked awake next to Molls. She got up from the sofa and leaned against one of the walls, as if stretching.
"Listen," Sam said to Molls. "Dean and I have beat worse odds, okay? So just because you saw something... That doesn't mean it's gonna happen."
The com went off. "It's Slade. I'm coming back down."
"Rodger," Dean replied.
Molly went to Vincent, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"It's going to be all right," she said. "I'm not going to lose you again."
She pulled him into a hug, but he said nothing. "What's wrong?"
He lowered his voice so the others wouldn't hear. "It's just... It seems impossible. All we've managed to do so far is get lost and manage not to die."
"Don't talk like that."
"It's this room," he continued. "We're all cramped in here like refugees, with nothing to do but stare at each other. They're all up in arms because the room is cold. I mean... who has hope in that kind of situation?"
"I do."
"You always do," he replied fondly.
He held her for a few moments, watching Castle and Molls sleep and Gwen lean moodily against the wall.
"Do you trust me?" Vincent asked.
"Always," she replied, nearly burying her face into his chest.
Sam was surprised by the dramatic change in Molly's behavior towards Vincent, and now he found himself becoming suspicious. Vincent caught Sam's worried glance at the pair of them, and he gave him a weak smile.
The lights flickered, and Sam and Dean moved in. "Everyone get near the sofa," Dean barked. "Go on, move!"
Wind picked up, a hailstorm force, and whined as it billowed against the building. The lights went out, leaving everyone scrambling for flashlights. Jeet managed to turn hers on first.
"Okay, roll call," Jeet said. "Jeet."
"Vincent."
"Molly."
"Molls."
"Castle."
"Sam."
"Dean."
Castle asked, "Gwen? Where is Gwen?"
"Shit," Dean said. "Okay, me and Jeet, we'll do a quick sweep. Everyone else, stay here."
It took far too long to adjust to the dim lighting; Dean found himself slipping and tripping. And soon all anyone could see was the light from Dean and Jeet's flashlights.
"Why hasn't the power come back on yet?" Jeet asked. "Usually it just flickers."
"Notice how cold this room is?" Dean asked. "Pissed-off spirits are either here or managed to become corporeal enough to damage the electrical system."
"I don't see her."
"Me neither."
They turned back to the center of the lobby, and the lights bumped back on.
"Small mercy," Jeet said as she turned off her flashlight.
"Vincent?" Molls asked.
"Molly?" Castle called.
Sam was already looking for them, but there wasn't a sign of either person.
"Okay, so let me get this straight," Dean said. "In the last, what, three seconds, we've lost Gwen, Vincent, and Molly?"
"Dean, check the other lines," Sam instructed. "There was a break to this door outside."
"And over here," Jeet said, fixing the line of salt on one of the windowsills.
"Gwen? Molly? Vincent?" Dean paged through the coms. "Can any of you answer me?"
Dean walked to the main door, but Sam stopped him.
"What?" Dean asked.
"What are you doing?" Sam asked.
"Chances are they didn't just wander off," Dean replied.
"Or maybe they did," Sam pointed out.
"Seriously, Sam?"
"Let's just page them again before we go chasing after them, all right?" Sam said. He used his com, "Gwen? If you can hear me, please just page us back. Molly? Vincent?"
Vincent and Molly did, in fact, leave the lobby of their own accord. Or, at least Molly did. They strolled, arm and arm, outside in the garden of strange plants and craggy trees.
Vince had waited for Molly for nearly two hundred years in this empty place. And when she arrived again, he was certain that he would be able to pull himself through to the other side to be with her.
But the past hour had proved that he was an intruder in the physical plane. Vincent was very much alive, and while Vince could repress Vincent's mind, he had to exert a massive amount of force, which changed the room's temperature, among other things. The more he tried to keep this body, the more angry he became and the less control he had.
"Vince, what are we doing out here?"
His eyes lit up when she used his name, his real name.
"Sorry. I just - we're alone, so I thought it would be okay to call you Vince again," Molly said.
"It's wonderful," Vince replied with Vincent's mouth.
"Then, can I ask you... How are you alive?"
"You know it's me Molly," Vince said, putting on Vincent's best smile. "I proved that to you."
"But we found your blood, and we saw - I thought you were dead," she replied. "And if you're not dead, then, did your copy die? What happened?"
"This place," he began. "It's too much. I don't even know where to begin."
"It just seems too good to be true," Molly admitted. "I know I shouldn't be happy that someone else is dead, but if it means you're alive, then, I don't care."
The wind picked up a bit, and Vince wrapped Vincent's arms around her to keep her from the cold.
Molly heard the sounds of a door opening and what could've been Dean and Sam talking. The wind made it difficult to be certain.
"You're right," Vince said with Vincent's sad little smile.
"Right about what?" she asked.
The clouds overhead looked ominous. Molly hadn't noticed them when they came out, otherwise she'd've stayed inside. Pinpricks of flashlight hit the trees opposite them. Perhaps the others had noticed the storm getting closer and were coming to warn them?
"Being too good to be true. But that doesn't mean we can't be together. I came back for you."
She looked up at him. "Came back? From where?"
"I took this body for you," he said.
Molly pulled away, but his grip on her was tight. "What does that mean?" she demanded.
"Don't worry," Vince said sincerely with Vincent's lips. "It's going to be okay."
The storm flared up, and wind and rain began in earnest.
"Vince? Vince - " Molly began.
Then she saw it. His body rippled with a shadow, and another form was superimposed on him. It lasted only for a moment, but it was enough for her to see the truth.
"You're dead?" Molly asked. "You... died, and, what, thought you could just possess this man and it would be okay?"
Dean, Sam, and Jeet rounded the corner with shotguns and iron chains. They pushed through the torrential weather and made a beeline straight for them.
"I wasn't thinking straight," Vince replied. "But I am now. Don't worry, Molly. I love you."
She turned away and wriggled out of Vince's grasp just as the downpour reached them.
"Vincent!" Dean yelled as Molly pulled away. "Leave her alone!"
Vincent turned back, his face disfigured by the scream that plastered Vince's face in the final moments of his life. He held up his hand and lightning struck, forcing the three of them to bank a hard left.
"How the hell is he doing this?" Sam asked. "He's just a ghost, he shouldn't have the power to command lightning!"
"I thought you said they could," Jeet replied, yelling to be heard over the wind. "That they could control physical elements."
"Wind, maybe rain if it's raining, but a huge storm like this?" Dean yelled back. "We've got to stop him."
"But Vincent... that's his body. We can't shoot him," Jeet protested.
"I can eject the ghost, but we have to get close enough," Sam replied. "We might have to shoot him."
"I'm not shooting him!" Jeet repeated.
Lightning stuck again.
"No time to argue," Dean said. "We have to get close."
Drenched, Molly stumbled to the closest door. Her legs felt weak, and her focus was going as she became dizzy. The earth behind her was soaked, but just in front of her, where she hadn't walked, it was completely dry. She tried to get inside, but she was suddenly so cold that it hurt to move. She collapsed with her back to the door.
Jeet and Dean went straight for Vince-Vincent, who had no problem maneuvering the wind against them. Dean fired at him, but missed completely.
Jeet elbowed him hard in the ribs. "I said no shooting!"
"Help!" Molly said weakly, fumbling for her com. "I'm at the side door, let me in... let me... in... side door..."
She mumbled this over and over again. It occurred to her that Vince, or Vincent, should be nearby, but she couldn't see him. There was just the door, the darkness, and the endless rain pouring over her. She shivered and curled up into a ball.
Sam managed to outflank Vincent the long way, finally wrapping an iron chain around his chest and pulling him to the ground. Vince screamed in pain, but there was nothing he could do. His spirit blasted out of Vincent's body, leaving Sam and Vincent on the ground, soaking wet and covered in mud.
"It's going to be okay," Molly whispered. "That's what he said." She uncurled, leaning her body back against the door so she could sit upright. The shivering wasn't that bad anymore, and it was only a matter of time before the rain passed. She just had to wait it out, and what better place than here?
The storm cleared suddenly.
Jeet and Dean helped Sam and Vincent up.
"You okay, man?" Sam asked Vincent.
He shook his head. "Where's Molly?"
Jeet had already gone after her with Dean on her heels. They found Molly by the door, just as Dean remembered seeing her: pale skin, red eyes. Jeet checked for vitals. There was nothing.
"She's dead."
"How?" Dean asked.
"I would guess hypothermia," Jeet replied. "Given the lack of injuries."
"Doesn't that take time?" Dean asked. "If we warm her up, is it possible - "
"No," Jeet replied. "Technically, yes, it could happen, but... she didn't just die a few seconds ago, Dean."
"How long?"
"Hard to tell with a death like hypothermia," she replied. "But if she had only been gone a few minutes, she'd... not look like this. This discoloration? The red eyes? That takes time."
Dean lifted Molly's body over his shoulder. "We can't leave her body. So we're going to warm her up. If she's dead, then, when she's dry, we'll burn her."
Jeet stared at Dean in a way he didn't quite understand.
"What?" Dean asked her.
"I know you want to try, but... she's gone," Jeet said. "Trust me." The look she gave him, it was pity.
Dean didn't respond; he just turned back to Sam and Vincent.
"Is she okay?" Vincent asked. "Please, tell me - "
"No," Dean cut him off. "We're going to get her dry and warm just to be sure, come on." He continued back to the lobby.
"Just to be sure of what?" Vincent asked.
"You're not dead," Sam said, "until you're warm and dead." He moved ahead to catch up with Dean.
"She's gone," Jeet said simply. "I'm sorry."
Vincent's gait was unsteady, so Jeet helped him. "None of this was your fault," she said.
"I tried - I tried to warn you, but..." he stopped.
Sam caught up to Dean, who was out of an earshot of Jeet and Vincent.
"Dude, what's going on?" Sam asked Dean.
"I saw this," Dean replied.
"What do you mean?"
"When we were going room to room, we saw Molly dead. We saw her body just like that, propped up against that door."
"You couldn't've known."
"That's not the damn point, Sammy," Dean snapped. "The point is, you said you saw Jeet dead, too. And then Vincent and Molls, both dead. Maybe people have seen you or me dead and didn't think to mention it."
"Dean, we can't freak out," Sam replied. "There's too much crazy in this place already."
"There was a ghost in the room with us, Sam," Dean spat. "That whole time Vincent was in there, he was possessed. And we didn't notice."
"He wasn't a typical spirit," Sam replied. "He had... specific motivation. He was trying to be human."
"We're losing people. Maybe we should forget the damn sunrise and just move the fuck out now."
"You mean now that four of us are soaking wet?" Sam asked. "Great plan."
"You got a better idea?"
Sam replied simply, "We regroup."
About twenty minutes previous... Gwen moved to join the others on the couch, but something stopped her. She could barely make out the shape, but she was quite certain it was a large dog. It wasn't too far off, limping and staggering.
She only meant to go into the hall to coax it into the lobby. But the dog had gone farther than that. But not too far, so she followed after it, as quickly as possible.
The dog looked back at her. Its eyes were unnaturally beautiful.
"I'm here to help," she whispered. "Come on, I'm not going to hurt you."
The dog turned and disappeared up the stairs. Gwen hadn't realized she'd gotten that far from the lobby.
Her com turned on with Dean's voice loud and clear. "Gwen? Molly? Vincent? Can any of you answer me?"
She ignored it and climbed the stairs. Right before she reached the top, Sam's voice came through. "Gwen? If you can hear me, please just page us back. Molly? Vincent?"
Gwen made a mental note to respond later, but she didn't want to lose this dog. Once she was on the landing, she spotted it again, heading right for Rose, who was knocking on a door with an odd drawing across it.
"Doctor?" Rose said loudly at the door. "Doctor? Can you hear me? Please, let me in!"
December kept trying to open the door to the command center, but the lockdown wasn't lifting.
"Need some help?" The Doctor asked.
"No, I'm okay, it's just this lockdown," she replied. "It shouldn't be this complicated. I'm guessing that there's a whole lot of weird out there. Am I right?"
"With a bit more weird on top," he replied.
An odd feeling passed over him, like he left a centrifuge on and hadn't checked the vials. "How long have I been here?"
"You mean, in the antechamber?" she asked. "Can't be entirely certain but at least an hour. Probably two."
"Two hours?" The Doctor repeated. "She's going to kill me for not checking in." He tried his com, "Rose?"
"You can't use that in here," December replied. "Not until I lift the lockdown."
"Which door did I come through?" he asked.
December pointed without looking; she was too engrossed in her work to turn away.
"Open it," he said.
"What for?"
"Rose," he replied. "She's on the other side."
December let out a half-laugh that caught The Doctor's attention. "What?" he asked.
"Well, even part Time Lords can't feel just anyone through a bilocal transport door."
"You mean this door - your ship isn't a room in the building?" he asked.
"Of course it is," December dismissed. "Well, sort of."
"What kind of technology - "
"Hold on, here we go," December said, flipping a switch.
The door opened.
"Doctor?" Rose said as she stepped inside. Her voice caught December's full attention at least.
"Sorry, small technical difficulty," he replied as he pulled her into a hug. "Uh, who're they?" he asked.
Rose turned as Gwen and the dog entered. "Oi, when did you get upstairs?"
"You didn't see us?" Gwen asked.
"Oh, that's my... Well, technically that was me," December replied. "Byproduct of my repurposed chameleon circuit. It can have these effects if you're in the liminal space between where the circuit conceals and where it conceals from."
"Chameleon circuit?" Rose repeated. "But isn't that - "
"Sorry, before we do all that," The Doctor said, his eyes never leaving the dog. "Which one are you?"
"I'm Gwen. I mean, the one that goes by Gwen."
"And why did you come upstairs? Were you checking on Rose?" The Doctor asked.
"No, I saw this dog, and he was hurt, so... I guess I sort of followed him," Gwen replied. "Stupid, I know, but..."
December had cottoned on and turned her attention. "I don't know about stupid," December said, "but I'm fairly certain that that isn't a dog. You mind coming over here with me, uh, Gwen was it?"
Gwen obliged.
Rose spoke, "What're you on about? Of course it's a dog."
The Doctor gently pulled Rose behind him. "Who are you?" he asked the dog.
The dog looked up at The Doctor with its beautiful blue eyes. Blue human eyes. First he sat back on his haunches, then he stood up, like a bear. And then, as a curtain falls, his shape shifted. He had ape-like features that merged cruelly with some other kind of quadruped mammal. His feet and legs were all wrong, and his elbows didn't seem right, but his face held traces of his humanity.
"Can you speak?" The Doctor asked.
"My name," he began sadly. "Was Remy Greenberg before I came here. Now? Now, I'm not sure."
As if the energy exerted from talking had drained him, he collapsed and his body shook violently.
"He's seizing," December said. "Quick, get him into the stasis chamber."
"What for?" Rose asked.
"We need to stabilize him," December replied. "No questions, just do it."
The Doctor and Gwen managed to get him on his side, but he was over two hundred pounds.
"If we don't get him into this chamber," December said as she managed to wrench open the door. "This seizure is going to do a lot of brain damage, assuming it doesn't kill him."
About ten minutes previously... Molls and Castle waited alone in the lobby.
"You think they'll come back?" Molls asked.
"I guess they will," Castle replied.
"You think, I mean, honestly think, Castle, that we're going to get out of here?" Molls asked.
"How long have we been here?" Castle asked.
Molls checked her watch. "Huh," she said. "We got to the Trine... about, when?"
"Dunno, just past three."
"My watch says three twenty-one in the afternoon," Molls said. "That's when we got here."
"Is it broken?"
Molls began to fiddle with her watch, but as soon as she released the gears, it reverted back to the same time. "What hell does that even mean?"
"Time doesn't exist here," someone said as he entered the lobby. "Not in the usual fashion."
"Who are you?" Castle asked.
"Oh, this is Sage," Slade replied. "Sage, this is - hold on, where is everybody?"
"I'm Castle. This is Molls."
"Hello, Castle, Molls," Sage said politely.
"So, who are you?" Molls asked.
Before he could answer, the outside door opened and Dean stepped in carrying a body over his shoulder. Sam waited outside, holding the door for Jeet and Vincent.
"What happened?" Molls asked, leaving the couch.
"We need to start a fire," Jeet replied. "And dry clothing would be nice."
"Molly?" Slade asked. "What - what happened?"
Dean ignored Slade's question. "We need dry clothes and a fire. Can anyone start one in this fireplace?"
"Is that a good idea?" Castle asked.
"The chimney is fully functional," Sage replied. "The flue is always open."
"Who the hell is this guy?" Dean asked as he laid Molly's body in front of the fireplace.
"I'm Sage," he replied. "I'm... I got put here."
"You were the one who made the wish," Sam observed.
Sage nodded.
"I found him upstairs," Slade replied.
"Hold up," Dean said. He fixed the salt line and then began passing out lengths of iron chain.
"What's this for?" Castle asked as she began working on the fire.
"Vincent was possessed," Sam replied. "For a while."
"Sorry," Vincent said.
"Not your fault," Dean said. "We should've been on it. This is pure iron. Spirits can't touch it. You put it around your neck, waist, anywhere. Just keep it on you."
"You know a lot about this place," Sage commented. "It took me years to understand how the ghosts worked."
Sam turned to Sage. "You need to tell us everything."
"About what?"
"About how you got here."
Sage sighed. "I was a scared kid. I wanted to get away, and I was told I could have my wish at a price."
"I need every detail," Sam said, grabbing a notebook and pen. "You understand? Everything you can remember."
"Don't mind us," Castle said. "Me making a fire next to a dead body. Jeet digging for clothing."
Sam realized he was shivering in his waterlogged clothing. "I need dry clothes."
Dean pulled out their main duffel. "I've got some towels, definitely a coat... maybe even underwear and socks."
Sam rolled his eyes. "You pack like Mom made you."
Jeet picked up on that. She had all but decided these men weren't FBI agents in any universe, but they seemed to have a strong connection. It seemed they were brothers.
Slade joined Sam and Sage. "I'll write while you dry," Slade said. "Go on, Sage, from the beginning."
The Doctor finally sealed the door of the stasis chamber. "Macro-to-micro-processing, lovely. Oh, and that's - is that a molecular - "
"Doctor!" Rose prompted.
"Sorry, how is he?" The Doctor asked, indicating Remy.
"Stable," December replied. "For now. Good news is that, once we're in the clear, I can stabilize him permanently.
Rose asked, "The bad news?"
"There's always something, isn't there?" December said.
"He'll never be human again," The Doctor said quietly as he considered the medical screen.
"Not technically," December agreed. "He'll be himself. You saw, he's clearly still a person. Sentient. With his memories."
"That's not the same thing as Remy being Remy again," Gwen objected.
December shrugged. "Oh, right. Sorry. Context. Well, he'll live. Possibly a long time. So there's that."
"Gwen, why did you come upstairs?" Rose asked. "You said you followed him."
"I did."
"Why?" The Doctor asked. "It's dangerous. You should've stayed where you - "
"I can't fight ghosts!" Gwen replied harshly. "I can't figure out why images appear and disappear and seem as real as people. Or how Vince died. Or any of it! But you know what I can do?" She paused and lowered her voice. "I can help a wounded animal. And as far as danger goes... it's everywhere. So why not?"
The Doctor made a facial expression that Rose had long ago decided roughly translated to "that's-a-fair-point."
"Can you tell what happened to him?" Rose asked December.
"Not to be insensitive," December began. "But we need to get into the command center of my ship. JD, if you wouldn't mind?"
"Not at all," The Doctor said. He stepped up to the stasis chamber and brought up the results. "Nasty. He was exposed to something over a long period of time. Something that was able to change his DNA. See there and there?"
Gwen and Rose squinted to see that The Doctor was pointing out areas highlighted in blue. Around the elbows, wrists, ankles, knees, and even on the spine.
"That's inflammation. An incredible autoimmune response," The Doctor continued. "When he was exposed, his DNA changed, and his body started to attack itself."
"So, what, a kind of arthritis?" Rose asked.
"It is definitely painful for him to walk and move around," The Doctor replied. "But at some point, the new DNA was accepted. Otherwise he'd be dead."
"Look at that," Rose said, pointing out areas marked in an odd color code system. "I don't know what the colors mean, but if I had to guess, I'd think he had lupus."
"Worse than lupus, he must've been in perpetual agony," The Doctor observed. "Not to mention the physical changes."
"How did he survive without help?" Gwen asked.
"He had help, if you can call it that. See there? Someone did surgery on him, added pins to the hip joints, like he broke his pelvis," The Doctor observed. "Someone kept him alive. Had to have done. Didn't do him any favors but kept him. Remy was someone's experiment."
"Or someone's entertainment," Rose added bitterly.
"Gotcha!" December exclaimed as she finally broke the lockdown. "You can use your coms now, and... " The door opened. "Welcome aboard!"
December nipped in with The Doctor following.
Rose paged the others. "Just checking in. JD and I are fine. We're working on a way out. Gwen is with us."
Rose turned to the newly opened door and her heart jumped at what she saw. Gwen seemed hesitant to follow. "It's okay," Rose said. "I've traveled in one of these before. A lot."
"Then what's that look on your face?" She meant the look of absolute shock on Rose's face.
"I never thought I'd see one again."
Gwen followed Rose tentatively. December and The Doctor were already at work. The ship was radically different from The Doctor's, but it had the same basic control configuration.
"This is a TARDIS," Rose said to Gwen.
"She's a beaut," The Doctor said to December. "Newer model than my old Sexy, but still one of the classics."
"That's why I picked her," December said. "Well, if you ask her, she picked me."
Gwen asked, "Is that a metaphor?"
"The TARDIS is living," Rose replied. "It's got mechanical bits and all that, but the core is a living entity."
"Yesterday, I'd've said you were all off your rockers," Gwen replied. "But this ship... it couldn't fit inside the school. I mean, the school is too small. And we'd've seen a ship."
"Bigger on the inside," The Doctor said happily. "Oh, she's fantastic."
"Okay, here we are," December said. "The ship's reports."
The Doctor joined her.
"Blimey," he said under his breath. "Your TARDIS made changes to the school building. Why?"
December shook her head. "Overlapping universes. She would've integrated herself into the physical element of the universe to maintain structural integrity."
"Stabilize her energy flow," The Doctor cottoned on. "Oh, that's clever. She gets her power from the universe, and it's gotta be the right one. She does that automatically?"
"Yes, she does," December replied with a smile. "She gets it from me. Well, some of it."
"Your ship can learn from you?" Gwen asked. "It's not just alive, it's conscious? Thinking?"
"Why wouldn't it do?" December asked.
"A horse is alive and can be ridden. Doesn't mean that it thinks," Gwen said.
"Why shouldn't a horse think?" The Doctor asked.
"It's not sentient."
Rose and The Doctor traded glances. "How do you know that?" The Doctor asked.
Rose asked, "Have you ever asked one?"
"You're both serious?" Gwen asked.
"They're adorable," December replied. "But we do need some focus. Because this... I don't know what this means."
"That's just the modifications your TARDIS was making to the school," The Doctor replied.
"She wrote, 'I needed to help them because they are stuck.' What does that mean?"
"Your TARDIS writes to you?" The Doctor asked.
"Never mind that! 'Stuck,'" Rose repeated.
"That's what they said. The ghosts. They said they got stuck here," Gwen added.
"She's been building for a long, long time," December said. "And that's not all."
"Is that what I think it is?" The Doctor asked, adjusting his glasses.
"Yep. Makes sense, overlapping universes and all. But it means we've been here for centuries."
"What?" Gwen asked.
"She's been building all that time," December continued.
"What do you mean, building?" Gwen asked. "What for?"
Molls managed to procure dry clothing for everyone, though no one seemed happy about donning someone else's underwear.
"They're clean and dry," Molls said. "At least be happy about that."
"Wearing a dead man's clothes," Dean said as he threw on Irwin's spare shirt and pants. "Awesome."
"Well, he doesn't need them," Sam added. He had to do with a too-short shirt from Vincent and overlarge pants that Molls found, at least until his suit dried.
Castle maintained the fire. Jeet kept checking on Molly till she was warm again, but she was gone. Jeet covered her with a medical sheet.
The rest of them kept gathered around the larger table, away from the bodies.
Meanwhile, Slade and Sage made a list of everything Sage could remember about his wish.
"I get it, fleeting phantoms, great," Sam said. "But did they give you a deadline? You know, 'until the moon bleeds' or something?"
Sage shook his head. "No. I don't know. You have to understand, I was seven or eight. The promise of getting away from my father... I wasn't about to ask any questions."
"Well, we got in," Sam said, "which means we did something that broke that magic somehow."
"Both of us?" Slade asked.
"What?" Dean asked.
Slade stumbled over his tongue, "I mean, you are from a different place. Right? So your universe or whatever and ours... they'd've both had to break in. Or is that not... what am I even saying?"
"No, you're right," Sam said. "Because the 'fleeting phantoms' were just normal people - "
"No, they'd disappear," Sage objected. "No one ever stayed more than a few hours."
"You could only see them then," Sam said. "And they could only see you then. Overlapping windows. That's what Dawn was talking about. She tried to find you again, but after that first time, all she ever saw were echoes. Brief images. But she was real. And so were you. You just didn't coincide."
"Nerd," Dean commented.
"I'm sorry, I can't remember anything like that, about an ending to the wish," Sage said.
"Okay, then," Sam started. "We know that the Dawn from your universe, Slade, she and the others came here first. Along with the others from our universe. So what did we do that was the same as them?"
Slade considered his words. "Apart from timing? Nothing."
"Well," Dean suggested, "they came here for a documentary, right? And you guys came here to find them."
"It's not like we're the first," Castle spoke up. "Plenty of stuff has been done on the Trine."
"Maybe it's you," Sam said to Sage. "She kept looking for you. Maybe her desire to find you was enough."
"This isn't an afterschool special," Dean replied.
The com paged. Rose spoke, "Just checking in. JD and I are fine. We're working on a way out. Gwen is with us."
"Rose found Gwen," Dean commented.
"Who's that?" Sage asked.
"Rose," Sam said through the com, "Be careful."
"Okay, so Dawn's connection to Sage," Dean repeated. "But the other Dawn - the one who called us - she didn't have any connection with him at all."
"Who is Dawn?" Sage asked.
"She met you went she was little," Molls replied. "Twenty years ago."
Sage laughed. "Sorry, but, 'twenty years' means nothing to me. I grew to adulthood and stopped. As far as I can tell, I've been here for centuries."
"Sounds more like a Trickster than a fairy," Dean said to Sam.
"A what?" Sage asked, jolting as if the word 'Trickster' or 'fairy' hurt him physically.
"Tricksters. Demigods that play pranks. But usually it's about just deserts," Sam said. "Locking a kid away for hundreds of years for fear of his father doesn't seem like a Trickster move."
"It's a dick move," Dean added.
"I second that," Castle said.
It wasn't until Sage exhaled mist that anyone noticed the change in temperature.
"Crap - " Sam said, getting to his feet.
But he was too late. Irwin's mobilized remains tumbled toward the fire and crashed, hard, into a stout coffee table. In one fluid movement, he ripped off one of the legs and shoved it in the fire till it burned.
Sam, Dean, and Jeet grabbed whatever they could. Sam had the shotgun, but Dean didn't want to waste rounds, so he grabbed a chain, as did Jeet. By the time they charged Irwin, though, he already had a burning table leg, which he thrust deep into the far wall of the lobby. Smoke billowed out.
Bang! Sam hit Irwin with salt, and the image of a young man with very blue eyes flickered as he turned to face his assailants. A force crashed into them - telekinesis - throwing Jeet into Dean and Sam into one of the chairs.
Bang! Bang! Sam landed two shots right to the chest, giving Jeet enough time to wrap the iron chain around his waist. Shrieking with pain, the ghost flew out of Irwin. The spirit hovered above them, a sheer green hue outlining his features.
"Remy?" Molls said. "Is that you?"
Remy's eyes didn't show anger, just a deep, defeated sadness. He disappeared.
"That doesn't make sense," Dean said. "Ghosts with that kind of mojo have to be pissed off."
"Bobby wasn't," Sam pointed out.
"Bobby wasn't possessing anyone," Dean replied.
"The wall is on fire!" Jeet shouted. "Come on, we need something to smother it."
Molls collected the wet clothing to cover the wall. Jeet joined her, and in a few minutes, the fire died out completely.
"It's weird, though," Molls said quietly. "I mean, he could've attacked us. Instead, he picks a stretch of wall no one is near and lights it on fire."
"That's what's weird here?" Sage asked.
"Not as weird as watching your own corpse prune," Vincent said, finally getting up. "Or being possessed by, well, yourself."
"Vince wasn't you," Molls replied soberly. "He's from a different place."
"You saw your own corpse?" Slade asked.
"Future time echo, we think," Dean hedged. "We don't know. I'll repeat that, just so we're completely clear: we don't know what those things were."
"My decapitated body was one of the sightings," Jeet chipped in bitterly. "Let's hope that's not the future."
"Forget that," Dean said. "I think it's pretty clear we can't wait till morning. We need to burn these bodies now."
"Then I guess we need to make a pyre," Jeet said.
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Part Ten: Please Mister Gravedigger
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Welcome to the Machine (Pink Floyd)
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star,
He played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the machine.