Return to Satellite Five--Part 1

Here's a remedy for writer's block: Write something else, completely unrelated. This is the Doctor Who fanfiction I wrote while suffering from writer's block. For lack of a better title, I'm calling it Return to Satellite Five.

The red flashing light had been blaring for several minutes - an S.O.S. We all stared at each other, unable to comprehend the scenario. Suddenly, the whole TARDIS groaned and jerked. The lights flickered off completely, however, the crimson siren continued to flash, illuminating our faces. The lights flickered back on, still wavering slightly. All but one area...a pool of darkness, radiating outward from the base of the console.
“Amy, Rory, get away from the console,” I ordered, motioning them back.
“Doctor, what’s that?” Amy asks warily, her eyes fixed on the shadow. It’s darker than the other shadows, seeming to swallow the glass Floor and the console. Without taking my eyes off it, I back up to the stairs, not answering her question. “Get by the door,”
Rory and Amy do as I say as I fumble in my coat for my sonic screwdriver. Pulling it out, I point it at the console. A few levers slide and click, and the lights return on as the darkness slowly vanishes. “So...that’s it.” Amy starts back towards the console.
“No, stay back.” I approach the console, touching it lightly. “What’d it do to you, old girl?” I murmur, and Amy rolls her eyes. “Doctor. What was that?”
I spin around to face her. “I don’t know. But never mind that, we’ve got big problems.”
“You mean bigger than a shadowy thing in the TARDIS?” Rory asks.
“Yes.” I reply shortly, pulling the scanner over. It’s surface is covered with multicolored swirls, flashing the word, ‘error’ over and over. I push it aside and circle to the navigation panel, where the atom accelerator is spinning wildly. Amy notices too, shooting me a look.
“Doctor, what’s going on?”
I lean against the rail, rocking back on it. “Basically we’re spinning through space with no way to control where we’re going.”
Amy pauses. “So basically we’re lost?”

“Yes. Basically.”

“Just making sure.” Amy crosses to the other side of the console as the TARDIS shudders to a halt. I stand up and jump down the stairs to the door.

“Wait--is it safe, Doctor?” Rory asks.

“Well, we have no way of knowing,” I reply.

“And we’re still going?”

“Of course,” Amy answers. Rory shrugs and follows us out the door.

We emerge into a grimy hall, countless doors stretching down it. I walk down the hall, eyes fixed on the numbers at the end. 216, above which is written 'Bad Wolf'.

"This is Satellite Five!" I exclaim.

"You've been here before?" Amy asks.

I nod. "Yeah, there were Daleks and I regenerated."

"So...not good, I'm guessing?"

"Not good at all," I reply. "But why would we come here?" I approach one of the doors. It's rusted shut, a thick layer of dust and grime on it's surface. I taste the dust, and Rory grimaces. "This has been here almost sixty years. It's been a long time since I was here."

"Oh. So what do we do?"

I turn from the door. "Go to Floor 500. From there we can do a scan and see if anyone's here."

The lift opens, squealing as the panels slide back. We step inside the small padded room and begin to ascend. A crackly voice speaks around us. "Welcome to the Gamestation. Sunspot activity is expected in half an hour."

We rise steadily for a few moments, then the lift shudders to a halt. The panel above the door says we're only at Floor 400. The panels slide open to reveal a hall almost identical to the one we left. "Is this Floor 500?" Rory asks.

"No, this is Floor 400." I reply. "Something stopped the lift."

"Is anyone there?" Rory calls. "We're friends."

"Friends?" a voice calls from the shadows in the end of the hall.

"I think it's just a kid," Amy whispers. I nod. "Do you need help?" she calls.

"Metal men came...they took me for—upgrading, they said."

"Cybermen," I murmur to Amy and Rory. "How did you escape?"

"I didn't." Metalicy footsteps echo in the hall, and a boy steps out of the shadows, his legs, arms, and part of his face encased in metal. "I ran before they could finish."

"Oh, good job!" I say, my mouth dry. I scan him with the sonic screwdriver, then check the readings. "The metal is merged with his skin."

Rory steps closer. "But you're still human. You have emotions."

"Can you take me home, please?" the boy pleads, a tear streaked with oil trickling down his cheek.

"Yes." Amy says, giving me a look. "We will get you home."

"But right now we need to deal with the Cybermen infestation." I say. "Where are they?"

"The top level,"

I snap my fingers. "Right, Floor 500."

As we start towards the lift, Amy turns to the partially converted child. "What's your name?"she asks.

"Reid," he replies.

We ascend without further interruption until we reach Floor 500. The doors begin to open, but Amy them again. "So what's the plan?" she asks.

"Um...Reid, go with Rory, scout around and gather any information you can."

"Okay," Reid says, taking Rory's hand.

"Um, why me?" Rory asks.

"Because you're Rory the Roman. Now go, and don't get upgraded."I answer.

"Amy, will you be okay?" Rory asks.

"I'll be fine. Go, stupid face." Amy and I stand back as the doors open, and we give Rory and Reid thumbs up as they go.

"What are we doing while they're there?"Amy asks, straightening.

"I've got some glitterguns in the TARDIS, we can get them." we begin to descend.

"And what exactly are glitter guns?"

"Guns that shoot gold dust. It disables Cybermen—suffocates them." I explain.

I look up as the lift stops. "Doctor, this isn’t where we left the TARDIS."

"I know, I know," The doors kaleidoscope open, and we step out.

"Is anyone here?" Amy calls.

"You will be taken for upgrading!" a grating, mechanical voice shouts. I spin around and try to open the door, but it's deadlocked. "Run!" I cry, grabbing Amy's hand. We run into one of the rooms, sonicing it behind us. "Will that stop them?" Amy asks breathlessly.

"No, but it'll buy us time," I run to the center of the room, where a long disabled Anne-droid is gathering dust, surrounded by it’s contestant’s stands. Flipping open a panel in the back, I sonic through the settings. Metal footsteps tell me the Cybermen are in just as I finish. Shutting the panel, I drag Amy to the ground, out of range.

"You are the weakest link—goodbye." a bolt of energy shoots out of the Anne-droid's mouth, disintegrating the three Cybermen. "Yes!" Amy shouts. We run out through a door in the back and, finding another lift, descend rapidly for Floor 126.

We jump out of the lift and into the TARDIS. "Call Rory, see what he's found," I instruct, running into the storage room in search of the glitterguns. Just as I find them under a pile of togas, Amy runs in. "He's about to get upgraded!"

I hand Amy the glitterguns and take the phone. "Rory? What've you found out?"

"Well, they say they're the last of the Cybermen that were in the void. Do you know what they mean by that?"

"Yes, I do. Anything else? Why they're here?" I reply impatiently.

"They came to upgrade humanity. And I'm about to be upgraded, did Amy tell you?"

"Yes, she did, and don't worry, we're coming. Is Reid with you?"

"Yes, they're going to complete his upgrade."

"All right, we're coming. Try to get to the lift."

"I can't; you have it."

"Oh, right. We're coming!" I toss the phone to Amy as I run through the control room. "We're going to get Rory,"