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Post by The First Doctor on Jan 16, 2011 22:54:41 GMT -5
The Doctor made a few adjustments to dials and switches as the time rotor wheezed and ground to a halt. He moved clockwise to the next station, perched his spectacles on the beak of his nose, and peered at the instruments.
"Yes, yes, just a minute," he said, waiving his hand vaguely behind him. "Allow me to..."
His voice trailed off, and he straightened. "Oh, dear me. I've become a foolish old man, talking to nobody."
Dodo. Steven. Poor dear Katarina and Sara. Ian and - what had his name been? Oh, yes, Chesterfield. Even his own granddaughter.
All gone. All of them. The TARDIS was empty.
He leaned heavily on the console for a moment, then clenched his fist and straightened his back. "I'll have none of this. I chose this life."
Peering at the controls again, his eyes flicked from gauge to readout to screen. "Minimal radiation, breathable atmosphere, gravity 0.9983 that of Gallifrey..." He flipped a switch, and stared at the image in the monitor. Vast skyscrapers of glass and steel stood all around.
"Earth," he said with satisfaction. "The late 20th century, if I'm not mistaken."
The doors of the TARDIS hummed open with a quick twist of the wrist and, whistling a jaunty tune, the Doctor stepped out.
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Post by The Tenth Doctor on Jan 16, 2011 23:36:58 GMT -5
(okay, until I get a response from you about meeting the Tenth Doctor, I'll just use Tyler here)
Tyler sat on a park bench, trying to get his mind around the subject matter that he was responsible for knowing for the afternoon's class. However, his mind kept wandering -- the sky was so blue that day. It made him wonder about the stars and planets that he was supposed to be studying. Would it ever be possible to see them one day?
Tyler didn't know. It probably wouldn't happen in his life time. Space travel was science fiction, yet something inside of him yearned to be traveling. Still, he had an exam that afternoon, and he wanted to do well. Opening his textbook, he began to read, pushing all his other thoughts to the back of his mind.
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Post by The First Doctor on Jan 17, 2011 12:07:35 GMT -5
The Doctor sniffed the air, and grimaced. Without a doubt, an industrialized era in human history. What other time would reek so strongly of burnt hydrocarbons?
He locked the TARDIS door, pocketed the key, and adjusted his cloak. She had obviously landed him in a park. Now the only questions to answer were which park, and where, and when? With that information, it should be simplicity itself to realign the navigational controls. Where to begin? Where...? Ah, yes. The young man on the bench, just over there...
He strolled across the lawn, and tapped Tyler on the shoulder. "Pardon me, young man. Would you happen to have the time?"
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Post by The Tenth Doctor on Jan 17, 2011 17:27:33 GMT -5
Tyler glanced up from the book he was reading at the intrusion of a voice. "Yeah...sure....hang on...the time....um....well..."
Tyler frowned. He'd done it again -- forgotten his wrist watch. Slightly embarrassed, he fished in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Opening it up, he replied, "It's 10:00 AM, sir."
He looked the man over. He was an older man, but Tyler had a hard time telling ages. However, he looked like an intelligent person, someone with whom Tyler might enjoy having a conversation with.
He smiled up at the Doctor. "So...are you planning on going somewhere specific?"
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Post by The First Doctor on Jan 17, 2011 22:43:08 GMT -5
"Ten AM," the Doctor echoed, glancing at the sky. That certainly seemed to match up with the altitude of the sun, assuming he was on Earth.
Tyler's question broke into his thoughts. "Hm? Eh? What's that, my boy? Somewhere specific?" He chuckled. "I hardly think so. I find life much more interesting if you allow it to make your plans for you. But I'm afraid that I must impose on your generosity a moment further - what is the date?"
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Post by The Tenth Doctor on Jan 19, 2011 11:59:13 GMT -5
Tyler glanced back at the Doctor, assessing him mentally. The man he was talking to WAS elderly. Perhaps he was retired and had just lost track of the days, or maybe he was suffering from some form of dementia? Maybe he was just on vacation. But then again, he didn't always know what date it was, and neither did other people. He caught himself having to look at the calandar often.
Although Tyler had been studying in New York City, he hadn't picked up the fact that people spoke in different accents, depending on where they were from. He just didn't notice accents. This could have been attributed to the fact that he was in New York City. There were people there from all over the world. Tyler was unaware that his accent was similar to the man he was talking to now.
Tyler looked back over at the elderly man. "Well, it's April 4th, sir," Tyler said in response. The only reason he happened to know the date was because of his exam.
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Post by The First Doctor on Jan 19, 2011 22:58:49 GMT -5
The Doctor huffed. Were these primitives always so thick? "Precision is a trait to be admired, young man, a lofty goal to aspire to. Lack of precision denotes sloppy thinking. Therefore, in the interests of precision and clear thought, I must insist on the full date."
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Post by The Tenth Doctor on Jan 20, 2011 14:07:34 GMT -5
Tyler frowned at this elderly man. Was he a professor at his university? This man reminded him of several of his professors who insisted upon having all of his papers formatted in a specific way, right down to the number of spaces in between the separate parts of his paper. These professors usually wanted a title page with the same kind of detail.
Sighing, he assumed that this professor was trying to test him in some way. "Well then....it is Monday April 4, 1994." Tyler had to fight the urge to offer a rude response to the man.
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Post by The First Doctor on Jan 20, 2011 19:40:34 GMT -5
"April 4th, 1994..." the Doctor mused aloud. "Well then, buck up lad! You are less than three weeks from an announcement that will forever change your civilizations view of its place in the universe. But I digress. I wonder if you would-"
His words were cut short by a scream from the edge of the park. His eyes darted in the direction, and he strode off. After a few steps, he stopped and turned to glare at Tyler. "Well, lad? Aren't you coming? Would you sit unmoved, while one of your fellows stands in need of assistance?"
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Post by The Tenth Doctor on Jan 21, 2011 12:20:53 GMT -5
Tyler stared at this elderly man. If one thing was certain -- this man was strange, or perhaps eccentric would have been a better word choice. He spoke as though he knew what would happen in the future.
Tyler was even more surprised when someone had screamed, the man had glared at him, and then asked him how he could be unmoved when "one of his fellows stood in need of assistance.
Sighing unhappily, his studying would have to wait. He slammed his book shut and then stuffed it into his bookbag. After zipping it closed, he got up and started to follow this man.
"All right...I'm coming, but the best help we might provide would be to get help.....depending on what it is. It could be nothing..."
Of course they would need to find out what the screaming came from -- the cause of it. In New York City, screams were heard every day. It could just be someone surprised, it could be people just fooling around, it could be that someone was in trouble -- perhaps even a murder.
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Post by The First Doctor on Jan 21, 2011 22:04:50 GMT -5
The Doctor took off at a brisk pace across the lawn of the park, in the direction of the tree line. Another scream sounded, barely distinguishable as the word "Help".
Ahead, a running figure - female, it appeared - broke from the tree line. She stumbled and fell, then scrambled along on hands and knees for a few paces before regaining her feet. "Help! Oh God HELP ME!" she screamed.
Behind her, a floating orb the size of a man's head darted from the trees in pursuit.
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Post by The Tenth Doctor on Jan 23, 2011 16:58:20 GMT -5
Tyler had expected to see a bad character attacking an innocent victim. He was completely taken aback by what was displayed before his eyes. A woman, frantic, was being followed by a floating orb. What was that thing? And what was going on.
Tyler had followed after the elderly man, not exactly sure what he should do. Did some kid have a remote control to that floating orb? Was a child trying to harass people? That had to be the explanation for it.
Glancing at the elderly man, Tyler spoke to the Doctor. "There must be a kid around here with the controls. Can't be too far...do you want me to find the kid?"
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Post by The First Doctor on Jan 23, 2011 21:12:38 GMT -5
Clear thinking, that, , was the Doctor's considered opinion of Tyler's words. "Yes, an ideal plan!"
The woman, closer now, was obviously injured. Blood flowed from numerous lacerations on her limbs and back, and a number of burns were visible. She collapsed again, less than ten yards distant, sobbing incoherently.
"I shall distract the orb. Do see if you can the operator. I shall want to have a serious talk with him."
Without waiting for an answer, the Doctor strode forward. "I say! You, there," he pointed at the orb with his cane. "How dare you, sir!"
A strange high-pitched tittering emanated from the orb. "He he! He, he he he heee! This will be fun!"
Blades sprouted from the circumference of the orb, and it darted towards the Doctor.
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Post by The Tenth Doctor on Jan 24, 2011 9:13:56 GMT -5
Hearing the go ahead from the elderly man, Tyler rushed off to try to find the perpetrator. However, he saw no such child or person with the controls. Perhaps they were hiding somewhere. Tyler began looking for possible hiding spots.
He chanced a glance back at the elderly man and the ball. Frowning, he noticed that it had sprouted blades and was going after the elderly man. Frowning even greater, he now was not just looking for a remote control operator, but also a police or security person. Whomever was controlling this orb needed to be found quickly. If not, people might end up getting hurt.
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Post by The First Doctor on Jan 24, 2011 11:31:10 GMT -5
Surprisingly agile for a man of his apparent age, the Doctor hurled himself aside. The orb blurred past like a flying sawblade. He rolled to his knees, just in time to lunge aside again as the orb shot towards him, giggling.
It's, he thought indignantly, it's playing with me! It's too fast to miss me, otherwise.
"Wheee!!!!" the orb howled, as it looped back again. "You're a lot more fun than she was!" It charged again, blades screaming.
There were no obvious signs of an operator. Certainly no gleefully-cackling maniacs with remote controls were to be seen. There was a glint of metal from within the treeline, however.
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