Enter the Labrynth

Meme - Gakked from Snapesbabe; Excuse Me? I'm a What?!?

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 02:54:48 GMT

The Priss
Deliberate Brutal Love Dreamer (DBLDf)

Mature. Responsible. Aristocratic. Excuse me. The Priss.

Prisses are the smartest of all female types. You're highly perceptive, and confident in your judgements. You'd take brutal honesty over superficiality any time--your friends always know where they stand with you. You're completely unfake. Don't tell me that's not a word. You're also excellent at redirecting internal negative energy.

These facts indicate people are often intimidated by you. They also fall for you, hard. You have a distant, composed allure that many find irresistible. If only more of them lived up to your standards.

Your exact opposite:
The Playstation

Random Gentle Sex Master

You were probably the last among your friends to have sex. And the first to pretend that you're pregnant. LOL. Though you're inclined to use sex as weapon, at least it's not as one of mass destruction. You're choosier than most about your partners. A supportive relationship is what you're really after. Whether you know it or not, you need something steady & long-term. And soothing.

ALWAYS AVOID: The Playboy, The Loverboy

CONSIDER: The Manchild

Link: The 32-Type Dating Test by OkCupid - Free Online Dating.

Must Have Been A Great Party, I Don't Remember It! ;P

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:20:20 GMT

tweedy_girl's Halloween party:

aphrael_childe dressed as a llama.
ashtonian dressed as Millard Fillmore.
bentleywg dressed as Tiffani-Amber Thiessen.
bibliophile1887 dressed as the main character of "The Best Years of Our Lives".
britwatcher dressed as the King of Burkina Faso, and it suited them disturbingly well.
buffyangellvr23 dressed as a new superhero: Crimson Warrior.
c_ash_flow dressed as Gwen Stefani riding a cow.
catzen20 dressed as Nicole Kidman.
celebsleaze dressed as the Cardinal of Midinocit.
chanceofrainne dressed as a new member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Mighty Commander.
dara_starscream dressed as a rainbow fish.
dark_pheonix dressed as a origin.
galeana dressed as the Moral Power Ranger.
gilesgurl dressed as a Level 14 bard.
gylzgirl dressed as a rat.
ishtaritu dressed as a spoon.
kiwikat69 dressed as the Governor of Tennessee.
kurai_tsuki dressed as a neat vampire.
ladyforash dressed as a vampire.
ladyhanyu dressed as your grandmother.
meegat dressed as a character from Harry Potter and the Candle of the Ground.
mrsdrake dressed as Optimus Prime, though it looked more like a Open-source Synergies, Inc. employee.
phendog dressed as Mary-Kate Olsen with her very own conjoined Ashley, and it suited them all too well.
reveur_perdu dressed as Madonna's grandfather, though it looked more like the Cardinal of Osbusdale.
rocalisa dressed as a junior bastard operator from hell.
snapesbabe dressed as a disturbing self-made character called "Cheeseball Chickenbrain".
tibbigirl84 dressed as the love child of Robin Williams and Janet Reno.
vampyremoon dressed as Michael Jackson.

Throw your own party at the Hallomeme!
Created with phpNonsense

Friends Meme from ladyforash

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:22:18 GMT

Friendship as art...

My LiveJournal Friends

Try out this Meme

Brought to you by NardVille and BearPodcast.

I'd say it's suitable for framing, wouldn't you? :)

More Mememememememememes

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 01:24:55 GMT

The meme's from snapesbabe

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack,
I've been too long, I'm glad to be back"

Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos.
But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?

SB, I'm Keeping My Side Of The Bargain! ;)

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 22:45:32 GMT

The first five people to respond to this post will get some form of art, by me. It will be about or tailored to those five lucky "victims."
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations.

* I make no guarantees that you will agree with what I perceive as art and/or quality.
* What I create will be just for you.
* It'll be done before 7 days have passed. ("You have seven days...")
* You have no clue what it's gonna be. It may be fic. It may be poetry. I may draw or paint or chainmaille-weave something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
* I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you have to put this in your journal as well, if you expect me to do something for you!

*ETA: I don't have 5 participants yet; most of the comments are from the same person. There are at least 3 spots left, possibly 4 [haven't heard back from a commenter yet. :)]

"Paradigm Destiny" Part 5 of 6

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 04:45:00 GMT

"Paradigm Destiny"

Part 5 of 6

See Part 1 for Summary and Disclaimers.

Special thanks to yuxonomei for making the Six and Rose icon that helped inspire a turning point in this chapter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I'm gonna need to check the car's suspension when this bother's done, Mickey thought as Sandra's car carried them off road and over the uneven terrain. The Mini wasn't built for off road driving, which made manoeuvering a bit dicey. It wasn't the earlier Doctor's fault - he had to make do with what they had. Mickey just wished the newer model could take that into account.

"Ow!" The incumbent rubbed a spot on his head, which was becoming sore with repeated battering. "Mind the road, would you?"

"Perhaps you've failed to notice, but there isn't a road to mind!" The earlier Doctor groused, not taking his eyes off the lack of road for an instant. "Now, if you'll kindly stop you incessant blathering..."

"I wasn't blathering, I was..." Another sharp bump, and the pinstriped Doctor's head met the car's map light again. "Ow! I may be getting a concussion, thanks to you."

Unfortunately, that was the moment one of the car's wheels got wedged in a rut. The engine whinged, but the car remained stationary. With a groan of frustration, the blonde Doctor switched off the ignition. All was silence for a moment.

"Is everyone alright?" Mickey glanced around at the car's other occupants.

A chorus of confirmations was the reply. The Doctors looked at each other, then got out of the car and circled it, assessing any damage it may have sustained.

"How's it look?" Rose poked her head through the rear passenger window, craning to see where they'd gone.

"It's no good," Rose's Doctor sighed, turning to look back at her as he slipped his glasses off. "Can't shift this on our own." He returned his glasses to his pocket. "We'll have to walk the rest of the way."

Mickey and Rose got out of the car and joined the Doctors.

"Right, how far is it?" Rose looked the direction the car was facing.

"Oh, not far." The current Doctor gave her a cheeky grin. "Just a mile or so."

"A mile?" Rose winced at the thought.

"Good on ya for wearin' your trainers," Mickey teased.

"Young woman, I see no reason for your objections." The earlier of the Doctors spread his arms wide and took a deep breath, savoring the pastoral scents. "It's a glorious day, perfect weather for a pleasant stroll!"

"You what?" Rose frowned at him. But by then, both Doctors were yards ahead of her, their long legs easily covering the distance. Even Mickey found it easy going. Rose cursed under her breath and followed. She knew her feet were going to hate her tomorrow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Miss Novak tells me you were referred by your intern, Aaron Walker." Lucas Finch had led Sandra to a small interview room down the hall from the lounge. "A most intelligent young man, absolutely invaluable in our work."

"He's one of the best lab assistants I've ever had." Sandra was careful to keep quiet about the headache Aaron had suffered on the off chance that it might pique Finch's suspicion.

"Here we are." Mr. Finch held the door open for the woman, then waved toward on of the office chairs with a sinister politeness. "Do be seated, Dr. Solomon," he purred.

Sandra sat, watching Mr. Finch very carefully. The slighter of the Doctors had mentioned his previous dealings with this man in passing the night before. She had to admit Finch was quite convincing in his masquerade, apart from the amount of gel or whatever it was that slicked his hair so close to his head. Well, that and his peculiarly formal speech pattern and the odd angle he tipped his head. Seven out of ten - eight for effort.

Three small bowls sat on the table between Sandra and her odd host - one bowl held the hoop crisps Aaron was so fond of, the second was brimming over with tiny pretzel twists, and the third contained little orange cheese puffs.

"You're expanding your line of products, I see." Sandra raised her eyes from the bowls to Mr. Finch's face. Ten years working in Research & Development had given her some insight into the mindset connected with fleshing-out intellectual property. Her gamble paid off: although Finch wasn't as human as he appeared; the smugness on his face spoke volumes.

"I see no reason why healthy foods shouldn't also have appealing flavours." Mr. Finch steepled his fingers, one eyebrow arching as if of its own will. "Would you care to sample our wares, Dr. Solomon?"

Sandra looked at the contents of the bowls again - they did look good, but almost certainly contained Krilitane oil. She nearly turned Finch down, but thought again. Since her cover story said she was there to take part in the survey, wouldn't it look suspicious if she didn't try one of the Smart Snacks? Almost immediately, she reached for the pretzel twists. Mr. Finch smiled in a way that worried Sandra, but she tried not to show it.

"How do you make them so crisp yet so chewy?" Sandra watched his reaction. Fortunately, he was proud enough of his work that this could be taken for a genuine inquiry.

"That is a trade secret, Dr. Solomon." He opened a planner, which had been sitting on the table when they'd entered the room. "I've a few questions for you - simply a formality, you understand."

Sandra nodded. She tried to look as if she was listening carefully to him rather than observing him; years of office meetings and the like made her pretence easier to carry off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rose had decided that the hilly terrain in Duluth wasn't all that different than the North Wales campsite she had once stayed at and was soon better able to keep apace with the Doctors and Mickey. Still, probably best to pick up a new pair of trainers just the same as their leather was scuffed and their perfect whiteness was sullied by mud.

"How much further?" Rose craned her head to look between the Doctors' shoulders.

"Just here in the clearing." Her Doctor, the slighter of the two, looked back at Rose and grinned. "Exciting, isn't it?"

"Yeah, great." Rose mentally rolled her eyes Sometimes his celebration of the mundane got a little trying.

They had reached the wire fence at the back of the complex, but hung back a bit at the sight of a security camera on a metal pole roughly six feet tall. The more colourful Doctor's face brightened with sudden inspiration and removed a squat, round magnet from one of his coat pockets.

"I'll disable the camera," he hissed to his newest incarnation, "whilst you provide our entry route."

"Fantastic!" The slighter Doctor grinned and patted his earlier self on a patchwork sleeve. The blonde sprinted off to the camera pole, then slapped the magnet into place.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lita worked on her spread sheets, the security monitor's display flickering almost unnoticed to one side. At least it was unnoticed until one inset display changed to static. Lita's feminine intuition was immediately alerted. It's a mechanical fault, surely, she thought, although a gnawing suspicion to the contrary had her ringing up the grounds keeper.

"Greg, this is Lita," she murmured, casting an eye toward the monitor. "We've got an outage on Camera A, Section 12. " She paused, rolling her eyes impatiently at the grounds keeper's rather obvious question. "Yes, that's the back of the complex. Could you get that repaired as soon as possible?" What does he mean, why and is it really that important? "Because if you don't, Mr. Finch is liable to eat you for lunch." Lita was blissfully unaware of just how literal her threat might become. "Now would be preferable, thanks." She rung off, then glanced idly at another image on the monitor - Lucas and that woman who'd come in for the survey. Lita didn't like her on a primal, instinctive level - in much the same way cats don't like dogs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The last fence link was mended and the slighter Doctor nodded to the blonde and the humans in their company. As the other three started for the brick and concrete structure in front of them, the blonde hung back a moment before retrieving the magnet from the camera and hurrying after them. In his haste to jam it into his coat pocket, the magnet slipped through his fingers and fell to the ground. The blonde Doctor was about to rescue it, when a flash of movement sent him dashing back toward the building again. Almost as soon as he had reached the relative safety of the shadows, he saw a young man approach the camera and attach lead wires to it. The young man studied the read-out on a handheld meter and muttered to himself, then took what appeared to be a mobile phone from his belt holster; it proved to be a walkie-talkie.

"Lita, it's Greg," the young man announced. "The camera checks out." He winced as the woman on the other end of the line started dressing him down. "Yes, I know you sense there's a fault, Lita..." He was interrupted again. "I really don't think Mr. Finch would want to be bothered..." Clearly Greg didn't want anything to do with Finch; the very thought seemed to unnerve him. "Okay, let me check this camera over again and I'll..." Greg's boot bumped against an object laying on the ground. The blonde Doctor hoped desperately that Greg would pay the object no mind, but the young grounds keeper knelt and picked up what the Doctor had dropped. It was squat, black, and roughly 1 ½ inches in diameter. Greg put the object of the side of a metal pole, where it stuck even after he took his hand away. Greg smiled grimly. "Lita, you'd better alert security; I think we've got intruders." Greg took the magnet from the pole and stuffed it into his pocket and frowned as Lita nattered on. "Lita, I'm the grounds keeper, not security. It wouldn't hurt to." Greg rolled his eyes and interrupted the woman. "Alright, alright! I'm on it." Greg ended transmition and started off again, this time toward the fence. "Lita Novak, you've missed your calling. You should have been a professional Dominatrix!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The blonde Doctor cursed quietly to himself; his magnet was gone, carried off by the grounds keeper, and there was no way to retrieve it.

"Surely you've got another," the slighter one moaned.

"No, I haven't." The blonde sighed. "This coat has its limits, you know."

"One's good taste," the current Doctor shot back. His earlier self glared at him, but declined to comment.

"Although..." The blonde dipped his hand into his right coat pocket and handed a jar of clear liquid to Rose. "If you'd hold this, please? Thank you!" He then removed an ordinary hand mirror. "Yes, this should do nicely, I think." He glanced at his future self. "Well, go on - get to work on the ventilation grill." He flashed the mirror toward the surveillance camera.

"What's that s'posed to do?" Rose was confused but fascinated by this odd behavior.

"It's supposed to - and actually will - cause video feedback." He noticed she didn't get it and sighed in frustration. "Are you familiar with a rather well-known painting of a series of mirrors reflecting an image off into infinity?"

"Yeah, I've seen it." Rose stretched up onto her toes. "Why?"

"That's a rudimentary explanation for what I'm doing, confusing the sensors." The blonde Doctor continued moving the mirror fractions of an inch.

"My Doctor'd just zap it with his sonic screwdriver," Rose snorted.

"Zap? That's such a vulgar word." He shot Rose a glance. "It may have escaped your attention, Miss Tyler, but I'm not your Doctor."

Mickey grinned; gimmicky gadgets were all well and good, but he thought it showed real genius to take an ordinary object like a magnet or a hand mirror and use them to save the world.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eyes narrowed, Lita tried to return her attention to the spread sheet; however, the view of that particular interview room again caught her attention. There was something about that woman Lucas was interviewing that went beyond instinctive loathing, Lita decided. That woman was just a bit too attentive, a sure sign she had something to hide. They were sitting a bit too close for Lita's liking, and the look Lucas gave that woman was just a bit too intense; yet, Lita couldn't tear her eyes away. She owed it to Lucas to watch for his safety's sake.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sandra was painfully aware of the weight of Mr. Finch's stare, but refused to look away on general principle. For one thing, he would almost certainly see that as a sign of weakened resolve, and Sandra found the thought unacceptable. For another, she didn't trust him as far as she could comfortably throw a sixteen ton weight. Yet it's as if he's using mathematics as foreplay, she thought. You know what that means - yes, I know. I'm sick, I need help.

"What is the square root of 9871569?" Finch's eyes were still locked on hers, seemingly gauging even the slightest hesitation in response. Sandra's answer made the leap from her mind to her tongue with remarkable speed.

"3141.9053." Sandra noticed that the quicker she responded, the more smug Finch's expression became. By now, he looked so pleased it was nearly perverse. You dirty old Krilitane, Sandra thought with a grin. I wonder if your receptionist knows what a kinky beast you are? But I know better - you're only in this for the power.

"Excellent," Mr. Finch purred, making notes in his planner. "The final group will be meeting at five o'clock this evening, Dr. Solomon." He arched an eyebrow. "I insist you attend. Your input would be most welcome." He extended a hand to her.

"Okay, five p.m. it is." Sandra shook hands with Finch, noticing once again that his skin seemed to have a leathery quality to it, much like a bat's wing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The ventilation grill on the inside of the process chamber was lifted aside, and the incumbent Doctor clambered out followed almost immediately by Mickey. As they helped Rose down, the sickening crash of breaking glass sounded and the scent of t-butyl mercaptan assaulted their noses.

"Phew," Rose coughed, looking as though she was about to be ill. "What is that? It smells foul."

The earlier, more colourful Doctor leapt down from the ventilator and landed on his feet near the jar. He knelt and picked up a bit of broken glass, which he showed to Rose.

"It's the neutralizer," he muttered grimly. "We added t-butyl mercaptan to the mixture to make the effects even more unpleasant." The blonde glared at her. "Now it's gone, thanks to your clumsiness."

"Yeah, well you gave it to me to hold," Rose shot back.

"To hold, not to shatter." The blonde loomed over her.

"I won't have you take that tone with Rose!" The current Doctor tried his best to glare at his earlier self, but to Mickey it looked more like a case of curry revenge than anger.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A flash of movement caught Lita's eye on the processing chamber's security feed. So she was right - there were intruders.

"Gotcha," she smirked. A few moments later, security was phoning her to ask how to proceed. When Lucas was indisposed, she was the final authority; Lita decided she could become used to such power. "Yes?" She paused, listening. "Yes, Boucher, I noticed we've got intruders. Isn't it your job to keep them off the premises?" She rolled her eyes at the stream of excuses flowing over the phone line. "Just get to the processing chamber and apprehend them - it's three men and a woman." Her expression became a bit more severe. "I'll tell Mr. Finch. He's in conference at the moment and gave orders not to be disturbed." Lita's mouth curved with a devious grin as she ended the call. Security could be so tedious. Within a matter of moments, she rang up the conference room. No answer. She looked at the screen and saw Lucas and that woman had left the room.

Damn.

Wait; Lita could hear footsteps approaching, and one had Lucas Finch's distinctive rhythm. She used the glass of a picture frame in the lobby as a mirror to watch their approach.

"Thank you again for asking me here," the redhead smiled as she signed the daybook again and put the visitor's badge on the reception desk. "I've learned a lot."

I'll just bet you have, Lita thought. But to her credit, she smiled at the visitor - albeit tightly. "Thank you for accepting, Dr. Solomon. Drive safely."

Lucas was still in the lobby; it was unusual for him to see visitors off. Often he returned to the solitude of his office almost immediately.

"Remember, Dr. Solomon," he stressed, "Five o'clock sharp. The study group shan't wait for stragglers."

"Oh, trust me, Mr. Finch," the woman grinned. "You'll see me again. Bye."

Lita cleared her throat to get Lucas's attention. When she didn't receive a response, she cleared her throat again.

"Are you suffering from a throat ailment, Miss Novak?" Mr. Finch quirked an eyebrow as he moved to stand beside her at her desk.

"I think there's something you need to see," Lita murmured, gesturing toward the screen that showed the processing chamber. She noticed by his body language that he recognized at least one of them.

"Well, hello again, Doctor." Lucas Finch's eyes narrowed as he regarded the image of the young man in the pinstripe suit, his lips taking a cruel upward twist. "What an extraordinary case of serendipity."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Doctors." Mickey's voice cut through the decent, silencing both incarnations with its no-nonsense tone. "We've got worse to worry about than the neutralizer - look." Mickey pointed up toward a survelance camera. "We've been nicked."

Both Doctors instinctively reached into a coat pocket, but the slighter of the two had his sonic screwdriver out before the blonde had reached his mirror.

"What do you think you're doing?" The earlier Doctor stared at his future self in disbelief.

The tip of the screwdriver glowed blue and a high pitched warbling noise filled the air, leaving the camera with a broken lense and spitting sparks.

"Ha!" The slighter Doctor grinned manicly. "That's you sorted!"

"You idiot!" The blonde rounded on his other self, his normally sparkling blue eyes cold with rage. "Don't you realize what you've done? You've just forced Brother Lasser's hand! Worse, you've put Sandra's life in danger." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "No neutralizer, no sense... Oh, we are in very dire straights indeed."

"There must be another way to make the Krilitane oil useless," Rose pondered, hoping desperately to redeem herself. Then it hit her. "Hang on, if we could cool that lot down..."

"Yes." Both Doctors warmed to the notion. As the blonde hurried off to locate the vat's temperature control, the incumbent Doctor gave Rose a bear hug.

"Rose Tyler, you are fantastic!" He enthused.

"Could I tear you away, Doctor?" The blonde had managed to locate the electronic heat control and put it on the lowest possible setting. "If you must use that infernal device, make it for a good cause, such as this one!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sandra had put her jacket back on and was getting ready to leave the building when Lucas Finch's words caught her attention: He'd recognized the Doctor; this sent a tiny flutter of panic tickling down her spine, but she fought it off. She'd be no good to her friends if her cover was blown; so she walked calmly out of the building, putting on her helmet and gloves as she went. Once off the premises, she could call Rose's mobile and warn them they'd been spotted.

"Come on, Satchmo. We've got work to do", she whispered as she started her Truimph. It thrummed with life, and Sandra quickly excelerated to third, flying out of the car park. She could feel the gravel on the pavement yield to her bike's tyre treds and shoot out like a fountain in her wake.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lita saw the expression on Lucas' face change from amusement to cold rage in mere seconds, his eyes shifting from the surveillance monitor to the building's front door. They bored though the glass and steel.

"Why, that little quisling," he hissed, rounding the reception desk and moving toward the outside. He spared Lita a backward glance. "Miss Novak, you are in charge of apprehending the intruders. If I return to find they are not in your capable hands, I shall be most displeased." His step quickened as he crossed the lobby, his body language a study in anger and urgency.

"Yes, Mr. Finch." Lita reached for the phone, then looked up toward the door again, intending to say Lucas, be careful; but the words caught in her throat as she saw Lucas Finch's form blur and change into a human sized bat. A yelp of alarm passed Lita's lips. No, that can't be real, she thought. I'm seeing thing; it's the heat haze or ... or a lack of sleep. Lita scrambled for her latte and took a long, comforting sip. "It's not real," she gasped. "Not real." The memory of the bat child in her dream staring unblinkingly into her face made her shudder. "Snap out of it, Lita," she admonished herself. "Lucas is depending on you. This is no time for a nervous breakdown!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An alarm buzzer sounded; the Doctors, Mickey, and Rose looked at each other, then hurried off into a corridor leading to the main complex. The current Doctor motioned them into a storage cupboard and closed the door just as the security guards hurried past.

"Fiddling with the vat thermostat isn't going to put Brother Lasser off for long, you know." The current Doctor murmured, glancing at his more colourful self. "What we need is a more permanent solution."

"Somethin' to scuttle what he has of the equation, yeah?" There was a gleam in Mickey's eyes. "When we first met the Slitheen, you gave me a computer disk; you said it had a virus on it; said it'd wipe out all mention of you on the internet. What if we changed it about?"

"What, make it attack the file storing the Skasis Paradigm?" Rose looked from Mickey to the Doctors.

"So it's a matter of fighting Firewall with fire." The blonde beamed and gave Mickey a friendly pat on the back. "Well done, Mickey. How soon can you have your Trojan Horse ready?"

"I've been mucking about with it off and on since I got back from Cardiff," he shrugged. "I think it's ready now."

"Coast's clear." Rose had the door open a crack and had been watching the guards past. She carefully opened the door and was off again, followed by the Doctors and Mickey.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Satchmo turned back onto the main road, his engine singing like a horny angel as he carried Sandra further from the Enigma Market Research/Paradigm Foods campus. An inhuman shriek rose above the engine noise - it was high-pitched and jarring, the cry of a being using all his senses to hunt his prey. This was accompanied by the sound of giant, leathery wings beating the air. Sandra accelerated instinctively, lifting the front end. The resulting pressures on the steering mechanism almost pulled the handlebars from her grip, but she managed to stay upright and on the road.

Sandra noticed a flash of movement in Satchmo's rear-view mirror. When she could chance a second look a few moments later, the former dark blur had resolved itself as an anthropomorphised bat. Its wingspan was huge, ossibly eighteen feet wide, and it was gaining on her. That must be what a Krillitane looks like, she thought.

"Holy shit," she gasped, looking around for an alternative route; any narrow passage would do, she wasn't fussy. Then she noticed the trees off to her right. That'll do, Sandra decided, and pushed down on the right side of the handlebars. Satchmo was only too pleased to leave the asphalt behind and obediently darted off like a mad hare. Although the closeness and speed of the turn would theoretically catch the Krillitane's attention, it also made it necessarary for Sandra to get a knee down. She was used to using her knees to gauge her angle of lean, but this time it was without the benefit of her well loved and well scuffed knee sliders. If it hadn't been for the internal knee armour in her biking jeans, Sandra would have come out of the turn with severe abrasions on her right knee. As it was, the surface fabric of her jeans were torn. Damn. Still, given the choice between torn fabric and torn flesh, she'd sacrifice the fabric every time. The longer she could keep the creature away from the complex, the more time the Doctors, Mickey, and Rose would have to do what they needed to do.

The bike dodged and wove between the tree trunks, taking on the uneven terrain with relish. Sandra chanced another look in the rear view mirror and saw no trace of the Krillitane. On one level, she was relieved the danger seemed to be past; but on another, it worried her. What if the Krillitane had given up and returned to the complex? The sudden appearance of the creature in front of her was enough of a shock to put the bike out of her control.

To be continued...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Guess Which Doctor I Am?

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 00:05:05 GMT

Which Doctor (from Doctor Who) Are You?

You are the third Doctor! Well, you certainly know how to dress. Even people saving time and space have to look good, I suppose. You're not overly fond of the military. Strange how you ended up working for them. You can be a bit egotisitical, but this is tempered by your genuine dedication to putting right the wrongs caused by evil men and monsters and your sincere affection for those around you.
Take this quiz!

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"Paradigm Destiny" - Part 2

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 01:38:26 GMT

Sorry for the delay; here's part 2. :)

"Paradigm Destiny"

Part 2 of ?

See Part 1 for Summary and Disclaimers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The maze of corridors seemed to stretch on for an eternity and soon the only sound was the metronome click of Lucas Finch's hard soled shoes on the tiled floor. He preferred it there in the cool silence of the branch of the complex which housed the computer servers and the research laboratories. It was peaceful, secluded, and best of all no one would think twice about one little lab rat going missing, should he happen to feel peckish.

He placed the magnetic security pass attached to his company badge against the sensor pad by the double doors. There was a soft beep of recognition and the little light changed from red to green, followed by the quiet click of the door unlocking. Finch continued to his office; his expression was focused, cool, and intense.

Upon entering his office, he disposed of the toothpick and slipped into his high-backed leather chair in one easy motion. The folder Miss Novak had given him was now open in his hands. He scrutinised it closely

So much had been lost in the explosion at Deffry Vale Comprehensive - not the least of which were the lives of his people. Much of the equation had to be reconstructed from the data he had saved on a primitive Earth technology disc. He'd claimed it from the wreckage of the Headmaster's office once the Doctor and his entourage had gone on their way.

Lucas Finch spared a tight-lipped smile of satisfaction at the thought that the little tin dog hadn't been so lucky; but that was the price of a technological device becoming outmoded. Still, like any computer, the little shooty dog thing was merely following programming, and he felt sure the man who'd keyed in that order was the Doctor.

He returned his attention to the contents of the folder. Besides being so very devoted, Miss Novak was quite thorough; this was a trait he found useful and rewarded accordingly. He knew he would need to be especially generous now in light of the prime intellects she had served up to him. Minds like these would make completing the Skasis Paradigm far easier. Of course, the sooner that was done, the sooner his Krillitane brothers would live again. They would be gods.

Oh, yes, his revenge would be sweet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An empty bag of "Smart Snacks Hoop Crisps" sat on the table between the four.

"Where did you get this?" The Doctor used a clean straw to poke inside and swab out some of the residue.

"My intern brought it along the other day." Sandra paused to finish her Chai Crème. "It's not unusual, really. Aaron's like a lot of the students at the University of Duluth. They participate in consumer testing to help make ends meet. But this," she gestured toward the strange symbol on the bag. "I don't know, Doctor. It feels like a set up... like these people are being used. Mickey said you might be able to help. So, what do you think?"

"I'll do whatever I can," he assured. Even though the Doctor's attention was focused on the residue on the straw, he had been listening to Sandra. Uni students fit the pattern he'd seen the last time - receptive minds with a capacity and a will to learn. Certainly that would make matters easier for the Kritillanes? Or should that be the remaining Kritillane? He sniffed cautiously at the residue - he could smell the dried potatoes, salt, and a very distinctive oil. "This could be Krillitane oil, or something very similar" he murmured. "But I'd need a laboratory analysis to be certain."

"You're welcome to borrow my lab." Sandra noticed Rose look at the Doctor and mouth 'no' in response to this offer, but thankfully the Doctor didn't appear to notice.

"Seriously?" You'd do that for someone you hardly know?" The Doctor looked at the American, intrigued.

"I've got a gut level instinct that you're cool," Sandra shrugged, "and my gut's almost never wrong. Besides, you're a friend of Mickey's."

"Fantastic!" The Doctor beamed. "So what are we waiting for?"

"Mickey," Rose murmured, "as usual."

Sandra didn't think that was entirely fair. Caffeine is a diuretic, so naturally he'd need the loo at some point. She was also getting tired of the blonde's spoiled demeanor, but she wasn't ready to loose the famous Solomon sarcasm just yet. "Well, I'd better pay for those drinks. Be right back." Sandra got up from the booth and went to one of the cashiers' stations.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The juggernaut slowed and stopped outside a Cyber Café in downtown Duluth.

"Good luck finding your cat, Doctor." The driver shook hands with the oddly dressed man. "I wish I could help you more."

"Nonsense," the Doctor smiled. "You've saved my poor old feet a long and arduous journey for which I am truly grateful."

The Doctor opened the passenger door and started climbing down to the sidewalk. Sean followed, locking up as he went.

"Just a tip." Sean announced. "You might want to start at Cyber Café. They usually let you post just about anything as long as there's room in the window."

"Thank you, Sean."

As they entered the café, the Doctor nearly ran into a young mocha skinned man in a Kaiser Chiefs t-shirt.

"Terribly sorry," the Doctor smiled.

"My fault," the younger man murmured. "I wasn't lookin' where I was goin'." And he hurried off toward a booth where a blonde girl and a dark haired man in a brown pin-stripe suit waited.

The Doctor felt his hair stand on end when he looked at this dark haired man.

"Oh, dear. Is that what I'm to become?" He clicked his tongue sadly. "What a pity. Still, just for the sake of courtesy, I must catch up with myself later; if I don't he may well live to regret it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Took you long enough," Rose murmured.

"It wasn't my fault." Mickey sat heavily on the empty bench opposite the Doctor and Rose. "There was a queue!"

The Doctor glanced idly toward the casher stations and caught sight of a shock of curly blonde hair out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly, he found a discarded copy of "The National Inquirer" immensely interesting, using it to shield his face from this new arrival.

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Rose leaned closer to whisper this to him.

"I've crossed my own timeline," he hissed.

"What? Which one's you?" Mickey followed the Doctor's line of sight. "The Panto player or the lorry driver?"

"Bloke in the technicolour nightmare." The Doctor shuddered. "Comforting to know my looks have improved, yeah?"

Mickey was tempted to say, 'Well, at least he has a chin,' but settled on a sigh and a muttered "Whatever."

"Please." The other Doctor implored, charm glowing in the air like sunlight. "I promise not to obscure anything of importance, just please let me post this handbill. I simply don't know what I'd do if anything dreadful were to befall Copernicus."

"Sir," the cashier began, but the Doctor interrupted her.

"Just look at that handsome face... that noble brow. Cats were revered in ancient Egypt as deities, you know, and with chaps like him, is it a wonder?" He beamed fondly. "Copernicus, a Prince amongst felines!"

"All right, you can post your flyer, and you can leave a few more on the counter."

"My dear girl," the Doctor gave the casher a flash of a lovely grin. "I am eternally grateful for your generosity."

Sandra had finished paying for the drinks and biscotti at the second cashiers' station and picked up a flyer. "Aw, he's beautiful." Then she turned her attention to the curly haired man. "Where did you last see him?"

"Oh, I'd say roughly 25 miles Northeast." He was gratified to find so many cat fanciers in such close proximity. "We were in a wooded area by the lake. He would insist on a ramble; it's his nature."

"There are a couple of places near the lake he could have gone. One's a market research firm and the other is a pharmaceutical company. Tell you what," she put an encouraging hand on his arm. "Since I work at the pharmaceutical company, why don't you come back there with me and talk to the grounds-keeper." She led him back to the booth where Mickey and his friends waited.

"Most kind of you, Miss...?" The Doctor realized they hadn't been introduced.

"Doctor, actually. Dr. Sandra Solomon." Sandra grinned. "Just call me 'Sandra'."

"Fair enough. I'm the Doctor, by the way."

"Small world," she mused. "Is there a convention in town?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow." The Doctor's brow furrowed in confusion, then the light dawned in his eyes. "Ah, yes, of course." He indicated his future self. "I take it you were making reference to that chap who looks like a refugee from University Challenge, hmm?"

"Doctor, he's coming over here," Rose hissed.

"Oh, well that's just great." The Doctor muttered sourly from behind the tabloid as he watched his earlier self's approach. "We haven't enough trouble with the Krillitanes, so here - have a Temporal Paradox! Better than joy-buzzers!"

"For Pete's sake, put that tabloid down." Rose reached out and pulled the paper aside, putting it down on the table in front of the Doctor.

"They're going back with me, too," Sandra was explaining as she and they approached. "This is Mickey, Rose, and well, he's also called the Doctor." She could sense tension in her new friend's reaction to this information. "How do you know each other?"

"Know him?" The blonde man's regarded ached the young man in the brown pin-stripped suit. "Know him? KNOW him?" He snorted. "My dear, as much as it pains me to admit it, I am he. What's more, he's me; before you ask, no, a walrus was not involved in the proceedings."

"At least I don't resemble a test pattern," Rose's Doctor muttered.

"I believe in the New Orleans philosophy." the previous Doctor's hands gripped his quiltwork lapels as he continued. "Vis, wear bright colours and celebrate life, don't mourn death."

Sandra was ready to step between them just in case it came to blows.

"Right, that's enough. You can explain on the way," Mickey advised. "I don't like the way people are staring."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By the time the adrenal rush had worn off, Copernicus was approaching a gazebo by a patched foot-path. He caught the smell of a hamburger and chips on the air, which led him to a dustbin. He jumped to stand on the edge and poked his head in. To his disappointment, the bag was empty; but the half-melted remains of a parfait cup made a passable substitute.

He'd find his way back to his chauffeur and their strange blue box soon enough. For the moment, his body needed sleep. The fight or flight instinct could be very draining.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lita approached Mr. Finch's office carrying a tea tray and noticed the sign outside the double doors just in time.

"Courtesy First - Please Knock."

She rapped on the door with one knuckle, then leaned in.

"Mr. Finch? I've brought you some tea."

Inside the office, what appeared to be an oversized anthropomorphic bat hung from a high bar. Its features blurred and changed back into human form. Lucas Finch's eyes snapped open and he stared at the door on the far side of the room. He would have to leave his perch to receive Miss Novak, of course. It would be difficult to explain why he was hanging by his knees from a bar 275 centimeters above the floor and he did so want to avoid causes for the woman to doubt that he was anything but human. Doubt leads to questions, which in turn leads to questioning authority. No, Miss Novak was far too useful to him. Her loyalty had to be ensured.

Finch bent forward to grip the bar between his hands, maneuvered his body like a gymnast, and swung down to land on the floor. "Come in, Miss Novak." He watched the door open slowly as Lita Novak balanced the tray and gave him a distressing look. "Is there something wrong?"

"Well, you could hold the door," she admitted. "I've only got two hands, you know."

"Would possessing additional hands make matters easier?" He opened the door for her, frowning slightly in bemusement.

"It might, but where'd you put the arms?" She fought valiantly to keep from laughing. For all his intensity and drive, for all his inhumanity, Mr. Finch didn't seem to catch on to the fact that there are just some things that can't and shouldn't be changed. The world couldn't be re-designed just with one word, after all. "Clothing designers would have a heart attack - all those sleeves." She set the tray on his desk, and glanced toward his right hand. There was a plaster where the handkerchief had been. "How's the hand?"

"There's no need for any fuss," he murmured coolly. "It's perfectly alright."

"Stray cats are dangerous." Lita took a step closer, a protective glint in her eye. "Promise me you'll call the grounds-keeper next time."

"Miss Novak, if I'd waited for the grounds-keeper, the cat may well have escaped." He tipped his head curiously as he noticed her reaching for his hand, thinking, 'Do you actually expect me to give up my lunch just to satisfy your sensibilities?' He drew his hand away as her fingertips brushed it. "I promise to be more careful around feral cats, so that's an end to the matter."

"Is there a Mrs. Finch?" Lita couldn't believe she'd just asked that question out loud, although it had been at the back of her mind for months. Not that it would have mattered a jot; he was too tempting to give up so easily.

"No." This was the truth. Finch noticed fierce loyalty in Miss Novak's eyes; her devotion was absolute. He smiled, not caring that it might be misconstrued by her human mind as some sort of mating ritual. "Thank you for the tea, Miss Novak. Do carry on."

Lita smiled back at Mr. Finch and left the office.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The five had left the Cyber Café and were getting into Sandra's car. It wasn't the first time she had been glad she had a four-door rather than a two-door, and it wouldn't be the last. Once everyone was in and the doors were closed, she turned in her seat to look at her passengers. The curly-haired Doctor sat beside her, while Mickey, the dark-haired Doctor, and Rose sat in back.

"Okay, now explain how you two can be the same person." Sandra watched the two men glare at each other for a bit before folding her arms. "This car isn't moving an inch until you tell me."

"Sandra, I'm not from your world." The cat-fancier admitted. "My people have the ability to change their physical appearance when death's icy grip is closing around them." He glared at his future self. "Mind you, not every incarnation can be as ruggedly handsome as I."

"Hrmph." The current Doctor half laughed, half snorted in derision. "I should also point out that not every incarnation is a sanctimonious old poser like you, either!"

"Poser? POSER?" The earlier Doctor snorted. "Young man, I shouldn't speak so lightly of affectation if I were you. Rather like Mr. Pot having a word with Mr. Kettle about his hue, hmm?"

"Here, we'll have none of that!" Rose glared at the man in the front seat while Sandra listened with interest and Mickey just sat there grinning.

"Prove it." Sandra looked between the two Doctors. "You say you're the same person, but I don't see any evidence. Convince me."

The earlier Doctor patted down his pockets, muttering to himself. "Where the devil did I put that stethoscope? Ah!" He pulled an old-fashioned stethoscope out and popped the earpieces into Sandra's ears. Then he put the bell to the left side of his chest. "Normal healthy heartbeat, yes?" She nodded, and he moved the bell to the right side of his chest. "Normal healthy heartbeat, yes?"

"Two hearts?" Sandra's eyes were wide; not in fear. She'd always believed that there was life on other planets and that these beings weren't necessarily evil. She believed they were just people, but with different cultures. She heard the same heartbeat pattern when the bell was placed to the younger Doctor's chest... the man who was older than he looked. They were members of the same alien race, so she had no reason to doubt that they were the same person.

"Convinced?" The dark haired Doctor smiled charmingly.

Sandra nodded, believing but still getting used to the idea.

"Right, all finished, Doctors?" Mickey looked between Rose's Doctor and this earlier version. "Then maybe we can get going, yeah? Don't forget the Skasis Paradigm."

"Hang on." The blonde man turned to look Mickey in the eye. "Did you say the Skasis Paradigm?" He saw the young man nod. "But, that's the Holy Grail of mathematics; the very building blocks of creation!"

"The Krillitanes almost had it sussed out last time we saw them," Rose volunteered as her Doctor begged her with a glance not to continue.

"Krillitanes," earlier Doctor mused. "Humanoid? Long necks? A race that gives a whole new meaning to the term 'designer genes'?" He chuckled at his own joke, but then grew more serious. "Yes, I remember them. They're a nasty lot, ruthless and resourceful, paragons of amorality." He reached a hand toward his future self. "Please allow me to offer my assistance to your endeavours, Doctor."

The Doctor looked at his past self's hand. The blonde man raised a questioning eyebrow; after a few seconds, the Doctor gripped his predecessor's hand and grinned.

"About time," Sandra grinned as she started her car. "Next stop, Bertelson Pharmaceuticals."

Rose sat back watching the scenery. She reached over and touched the Doctor's hand; their fingers twined, warm and real. She'd seen him change once; so, who's to say how many times it had happened prior to that?

They continued along the winding road, past exposed sandstone cliffs on one side and the arguably the world’s largest body of fresh water on the other.

"Remember that time you were on the Edmund Fitzgerald?" The Doctor grinned, tapping his predecessor's shoulder and pointing toward the rolling waves of Lake Superior. "Poor Peri lost her sea legs and nearly went overboard."

"I can still hear her bleating how she'd never be warm again." He turned to look at his future self and smiled. "Still, once she was bundled in blankets and had a mug of hot sweet tea in her hands, she was right as rain soon enough. Who knew the Sea Devils had fresh water counterparts?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Copernicus woke up to the sound of shuffling steps along the walkway and looked up to see an old man in a caretaker's overall approaching. The old man smiled and offered his hand for the cat to sniff. Copernicus miaowed dubiously.

"Hello, there. It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt ya." A patch on the left-hand breast of the old man's overall gave his name as 'Walt'. "You don't want that old garbage. It'll give ya tape worms or somethin'." Walt stroked the cat's back slowly, then scratched him between the ears. He smiled as the cat started purring contentedly. "Why don't you come back to the boiler room with me? I've got some fried chicken for lunch. More than enough for two."

Copernicus head-butted his new friend's hand, miaowing his agreement. Soon after, he and the old man were making their way toward the octagonal brick building at the center of the complex.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lucas Finch was awoken again by the sound of the intercom buzzing. Dismounting from his perch, he pressed the talk button.

"Yes, Miss Novak?"

"Mr. Finch, there's a Mr. Frank Holden from the Minneapolis office of the Food and Drug Administration to see you." She paused. "Shall I show him in, sir?"

"Yes, thank you, Miss Novak. And Miss Novak?"

"Sir?"

"Would you also bring in refreshments? We must extend every courtesy to Mr. Holden, after all."

Once Miss Novak had supplied tea, coffee, and a variety of biscuits, she withdrew and left them to business.

Holden was a short, thin man in his late forties, although his scrawny bird neck and his bald head made him seem much older.

"Might I enquire to your reason for this visit to our establishment, Mr. Holden?" Finch regarded his visitor with cool curiosity, his fingers steepled below his chin.

"Mr. Finch, I won't beat around the bush; I demand in the name of the Food and Drug Administration that you stop production of Smart Drinks immediately." His beady little eyes glared accusingly at Finch. To Holden's annoyance, Finch merely smiled with his usual menacing charm, completely unruffled.

"I assure you, sir, Smart Drinks contain only the most natural herbs and fruit flavours." Finch leaned back in his leather chair. "Peach, Dragonfruit, Enchimacea, Ginseng, Ginkgo, and Guarama are all quite safe, I assure you."

"The fact remains blood samples taken from test subjects appear to contain an agent which acts like a new kind of hypnotic Barbiturate." Holden leaned forward. "There's no sign of the usual unhealthy side-effects; it simply leaves test subjects more susceptible to hypnotic suggestion." He paused to take a sip of his coffee. "Because of that, it can't be classified as a soft drink unless or until that side effect is removed. Of course," he murmured cunningly, "you could patent it as it stands for medical purposes only."

"That simply isn't acceptable, Mr. Holden." Finch glared back at his visitor. "I suggest you rethink your allegations and allow Paradigm Foods to move forward with its production of Smart Drinks as scheduled."

"Are you threatening me, Mr. Finch?" This amused Holden.

"Are you blackmailing me, Mr. Holden?" Finch countered, tipping his head to one side in a way that made Holden very nervous. He stood and leaned across the desk toward his visitor. "But don't let's quibble over such trivial matters." Finch's eyes glinted maliciously. "I'd like to have you for dinner."

And in that horrifying moment, Frank Holden realized he would be the main course.

To be continued...

New Video

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 10:40:13 GMT

This is an idea I've had for over a year, but couldn't follow through on due to lack of footage. Well, it's here now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qx1ro5h004

If you like Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, go check it out. :)

Poll Results & The Uptown Art Fair

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 03:20:02 GMT

Okay, the Tickeyboxes have it - "Paradigm Destiny" is staying on the community as well as on my LJ. Thanks to everyone who participated. :)

In other news, the Uptown Art Fair is this weekend. I love looking at the art, clothing, and jewelry for sale, even if some of the stuff I want is WAY out of my price-range. If I could win the lottery, though, there's this gorgeous painting featuring a fortune cookie that I pretty much fell in love with. But the price was $1,100! O_o

So basically, I just broused and tried some of the novelty foods. The deep-fried cheese curds weren't as good as they had been in past years (for those who don't know, deep-fried cheese curds resemble "bits" from a chip shop but are - when made correctly - crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside), so I won't be trying those again this year. My current favorite is the European styled Crepes, which are made fresh as you watch. I had one with strawberries and Nutella (that's a chocolate/hazelnut spread - a tastey and decadent alternative to peanutbutter!) on Friday night after work and would definitely have another! :) Mmmmmmmmm. CHOCOLATE! I also had a glass of red wine as well (Pinot Noir - a bit woody for my taste. :P) last night, so I was mildly loopy and forgot that I wanted to post about the Art Fair.

Before I went home today, I saw a little girl who was about 2 years old dancing - or actually bouncing, hehe - to the music at a local radio station's booth. I wish I would have had my digital camera with me - it would have made such an adorable video! :) I don't remember what the song was, but that doesn't matter.

Anyway, tomorrow's the last day of the Art Fair for this year and I'm hoping to be there as early as I can manage. There's lots of vender's booths I haven't gotten to yet, not to mention foods and drinks I haven't sampled. :) Maybe another of those wildberry Smoothies and a funky but affordabel piece of jewelry...

Maybe I'll try the chocolate truffle while I'm at it.

Poll #1

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:25:30 GMT

The time has finally come to try out this poll generating thingy.

I've started posting a fic called "Paradigm Destiny" on a yahoo group I belong to as well as to my own LJ and on an LJ community. Long story short, there are rumblings about that might or might not be related; but I'm inclined to not take chances, thus the poll.

View Poll: Destiny of "Paradigm Destiny"

Big Gakk Attack

Sun, 30 Jul 2006 21:14:34 GMT

I found this quiz in Rainne's LJ and took it just for fun. :) Here's the results -

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English

20% Yankee

5% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

"Paradigm Destiny" Part 1

Sat, 29 Jul 2006 03:01:34 GMT

Hi all -

Sorry for the delay. Here's part 1 of the Six and Ten fic featuring Mr. Finch. Many thanks to snapesbabe for her betaing services so far.

"Paradigm Destiny"

Author: tweedy_girl

Beta: snapesbabe

Pairing: None

Rating: R over all

Summary: A face from the Doctor's recent past returns to sort out unfinished business.

Spoilers: Second series of the new Doctor Who (all eps before "Rise of the Cybermen", with special focus on "School Reunion")

Disclaimers: The BBC owns "Doctor Who" and all established characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

Special thanks to meegat, goaliepam, and gilesgurl for their support and encouragement while I was writing this fic. Also thanks to snapesbabe and one particular LJ icon that helped inspire part of this story.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Part 1 of ?

Features Lyrics to:

"Your Mother Should Know" by John Lennon & Paul McCartney and the 2nd Yeoman's Solo from "Yeoman of the Guard" by Gilbert and Sullivan, Act 1 Scene 1.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A lone interviewer sat behind a one-way mirror and watched as a uni student twirled his pen with one hand. An attractive dark-haired receptionist entered the room with the uni student and placed a drink and a health-conscious snack on the table before him. She left again with silent efficiency. She then turned down a short corridor and entered the hidden viewing room where the interviewer waited.

The uni student tried to remain nonchalant when he picked up the glass drink bottle. After a few moments examination, he removed the cap and idly fingered the marble at the bottle's mouth before applying the cap's plastic plunger to it and pushing the marble down the bottleneck. He smiled smugly to himself, pleased that his status as an Anime Fan had led him to try Japanese Junkfood. The sealing principle for these "Smart Drinks" was similar to the Japanesse stuff. As for the "Smart Snacks", well, they were packaged in little foil bags like any other crisps. What made the "Smart Snacks" and "Smart Drinks" so special, so healthy? Did that really matter? After all, a uni student has to eat. Paid tests and market research were a good means to get money and still have time for studying for exams. Plus it was cleaner than selling fast food. So yes, going through this mysterious interview was worth it, even though it reminded him of the interrogation scene from "True Lies". "Excellent," a masculine voice hissed to his colleague. "This one shows promise." He flipped a switch on the control panel in front of him and leaned into the microphone.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Walker." The voice the uni student heard was electronically distorted, which unnerved him. "I see you've passed our first little test. Well done." The voice paused to allow Walker to relax a bit before continuing. "Do feel free to sample the Smart Drinks and Smart Snacks provided. You'll be asked a set of specially selected questions as we go." Another pause. "Shall we begin?"

Aaron Walker took a tentative sip of the beverage - the flavors of Peach and Dragon Fruit danced on his tastebuds. Then he tried a hoop shaped potato crisp.

"These are good," Aaron murmured with his mouth full. "Are you sure they're healthy?"

"Absolutely," the distorted voice assured, its owner allowing himself a tight yet self-satisfied smile. "They are specifically formulated to aid mental adjility and concentration." A pause while Walker finished the Smart Drink. "Are you ready for your first question, Mr. Walker?"

"Sure," Aaron shrugged. "Go for it."

"Please keep in mind, Mr. Walker, that the quicker you are, the more pleased I'll be; and the more pleased I am, the more generous your... compensation." The interviewer steepled his fingers below his chin, then fired off the first question: "Define the term 'Apogee'."

"In Astronomy, the point in the orbit of a heavenly body, especially of the moon or of a man-made satellite at which it is farthest from the Earth."

"In a magic square , complete this sequence: 10, 3, 8, 5, 7..."

"9, 6, 11, 4."

"What is the mean distance between Uranus and the Sun?"

"1,783,000,000 miles."

"Give the chemical structure of Benzensulphonyl Chloride."

"C₆H₅SO₂Cl."

"In Physical Chemistry, what is the definition of an electrolyte?"

"Any substance that dissociates into ions when dissolved in a suitable medium or melted and thus forms a conductor or electricity."

The interviewer looked at his colleague and nodded in satisfaction. The receptionist smiled at the interviewer, then rose and left the room.

"Thank you, Mr., Walker." The head interviewer smiled somewhat chillingly. "You've earned a bonus. If you're willing to continue assisting us, we could make it well worth your while. Also, if you wish to refer any friends, simply add their e-mail addresses to the blue card."

"Cool."

"Excellent. Just have a word with Miss Novak on your way out."

"Um... Can I...?" Aaron indicated what was left of the hoop shaped crisps.

"By all means, Mr. Walker." The interviewer's smile widened. "Feel free."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bright summer sunshine filtered through the leaves, dappling the landscape and flirting on the water lapping against the lake's shore.

This pristine panorama was suddenly disrupted by a grinding, mechanical noise. Startled birds took flight but not so far away that they couldn't observe the blue box materialising in their clearing.

Silence fell again, only broken by a squeak as one of the double doors began to open and a mass of blonde curls appeared, crowning an open face. His mode of dress was at once gentlemanly and bizarre; it certainly stood out in a crowd. How could it fail to? The coat on its own appeared to be comprised of fabric in every colour in the rainbow as well as enough patterns to make a designer's swatch book green with envy. Yet he had kind eyes, and he obviously was devoted to his feline friend - that badge on his lapel was a dead give-away. "Must get that hinge oiled, eh, Copernicus?"

The man was addressing a slender Jellico cat, who had wound his way outside. Copernicus sniffed about, then looked at his chauffeur and miaowed.

"All right, please yourself," he shrugged. "We could both do with a look about, and if I'm not very badly mistaken," he beamed, "there's a lake nearby." He sniffed the air. "Yes, Copernicus, my lad; you shall feast tonight!"

Copernicus ambled off, his friend disappearing back into the mysterious box they called home. This time when he emerged he carried a fishing pole, bucket, and tackle box. He made off for the lake, singing an old Earth song to himself.

"Let's all get up and dance to a song that was a hit before your Mother was born. Though she was born a long, long time ago, your Mother should know - your Mother should know..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Life doesn't stand still when you go on holiday, whether to Cornwall or Draconia. The Doctor had come to realize this, which is why Rose's mobile had 'enhancements' and Mickey now had internet access though the TARDIS. In fact, one particular e-mail made the hairs on the back of Mickey's neck stand on end.

Mickey hurried down the corridor with the print-out of the e-mail message in his hand, making a bee-line for the Doctor as soon as he got to the control room.

"Sandra sent me this," Mickey explained as he handed the paper to the Doctor. "Thought you'd want to see it.

Rose frowned.

"Who's 'Sandra'?"

The Doctor scanned the picture into the TARDIS console and enhanced it until a high maths character resembling a stylized "G" filled the display panel.

"The Skasis Paradigm.."

"Who's 'Sandra'?" Rose repeated, a bit louder this time.

"But I thought we stopped that lot. The wossname?"

"Krillitanes." The Doctor started setting the controls for the coordinates of the person who'd e-mailed Mickey. "America, 2007, mid-July. Fantastic! Perfect lemonade weather."

"Who the Hell is 'Sandra'?" Rose's eyes flashed in anger.

"She's a friend." Mickey's tone was defensive. "Just someone I met online."

"And when were you going to tell me about her?"

"Oh, so you can go swanning off with the Doctor, but I'm not allowed Internet mates?"

The Doctor had noticed Rose's increasingly possessive streak more since she'd met Sarah Jane it was causing more friction than he was comfortable with. The encounter with Madame Du Pompadour hadn't made it any easier. Perhaps Reinette's death was a mixed blessing, he thought sadly.

"Haven't had lemonade since..." the Doctor shrugged. "Dunno how long! Lovely fruit, lemons... possibly the most versitile fruit in the universe. Bananas run a close second, though."

"Doctor, you're missing the big picture; the Krillitanes are at it again," Mickey warned, "and by the look of this," he poked a short, chubby finger towards the image on the display screen, "they're picking up the equation where they left off, so time's wasting!"

"Hang on," Rose protested. "Didn't they all die in the explosion?"

"We don't know that for sure." Mickey looked toward the Doctor, willing him to focus. "They're more than they appear, sort of a hodge-podge, you said."

"Yep, a composite race." The Doctor's obsessive-compulsive train of thought was summarially derailed and his face became darkly serious. Reaching into the breast pocket of his blazer, he pulled out what Mickey called his 'National Health Specs'. "Mickey's right."

"Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head," quipped Mickey.

"It's possible one may have survived if the others were willing to sacrifice their life-force for him."

The Doctor had a pretty shrewd idea which one it was.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Life had improved markedly for Copernicus since meeting his curly-haired benefactor. A veteran of the Blitz, this cat's realm had once been a back alley near a small night club. The club owner left him alone as a general rule since mice were numerous. The only exception was an occasional saucer of milk left near the stage door for services rendered. Not as posh as his new life, and strangely more dangerous in spite of a frequent change of outer surroundings.

A chain link fence stood in the feline explorer's way; Copernicus considered his options and found a gap in the fence a short distance away. He was about to enter when he caught a whiff of pheromones on the wind.

Another cat - check that, definitely a Queen. She was feral and pregnant, but not far along.

Copernicus sniffed again to discover if there was an alpha male about; he hadn't had a decent shag in months, and he wasn't the sort who enjoyed being celibate. Suddenly he froze in his steps, his hackles rising. He arched his back and hissed at the building beyond the fence, then ran off through the woods.

The smell was that of a predator, something bigger than him with sharp, nasty teeth. The nearest spoken translation for what Copernicus smelled was the word "MINE".

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sandra leaned forward in her seat - the e-mail reply from Mickey was almost instantaneous.

Hold tight, we'll be there shortly - Mickey.

"That must have been one helluva system upgrade," she murmured to herself with a playful grin. "I'm getting server envy."

About half an hour later, the Cyber Café's door opened and three people entered: a young man in jeans and a t-shirt, a blonde girl in a mini-skirt, and a second man - the definition of Geek-Chic.

Sandra grinned as they approached, recognizing the mocha-skinned man almost immediately from pictures.

"Sandra?" He grinned in reply. "It's me, Mickey."

"Good to meet you at last. Welcome to America." She gave Mickey a hug. "When did you get your hair cut?"

Mickey blushed, unaccustomed to the attention.

"Just now, did that on me way here." His reply was soft and slightly embarrassed.

"It suits you." Sandra smiled encouragingly. She really liked Mickey; he was such a sweet kid, but his self-esteem was so... fragile. Maybe this traveling he was doing would help him overcome that problem.

Then she turned her attention to the others, offering her hand. "You must be Rose. Sandra Solomon." Her brow crinkled slightly as she looked at the Doctor. "So you're the Doctor? Funny, I thought you'd be older."

"Good genes." The Doctor raised his eyebrows and gave her a boyish grin. "I'm older than I look."

Seeing the disapproval on Rose's face, Sandra thought better of giving more than a grin in reply for now. She waved toward an empty booth in an unspoken invitation for the trio to join her.

"We'll get the drinks," Rose announced, steering the Doctor toward the barrista. "You two can save the table."

"That was rude," the Doctor intoned.

"Why didn't he tell me about her?"

"Did you ever ask?" The Doctor plunged his hands into his trouser pockets. "It's amazing how people will open up to you if only you take an interest in them." He approached the counter and smiled charmingly at the waitress. "Hello, we'll have one green tea crème, one mocha latte - full fat, one chai latte, and a lemonade." He grinned at Rose. "I love lemonade. It's so lemony." Then back to the waitress again. "Oh, and could you add in a few of those large biscotti? They look adorable."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"This the autumn of our life, this the evening of our day. Weary we of battle strife, weary we of mortal fray. But our year is not so spent, and our days are not so faded. But that we with one consent, were our loved land invaded, still would face a foreign foe, as in days of long ago." The man in the multi-coloured coat paused by the door of his blue box and listened for the soft padding of his companion's return, but his ears were met with only relative silence. Yes, there was the odd bird song, but the slinking of a lean cat in the undergrowth was notable by its absence. "Copernicus?" He frowned, the beginnings of concern entering his mind. "Where the devil...?" The mutter turned to a near panicked cry. "Copernicus!" His friend's dinner all but forgotten, the man hurried into the box. He was out again less than a minute later with a sheaf of papers under his arm and walking toward the main road with purposeful speed. He taped one of the flyers to a telegraph pole and moved on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Another batch of referrals had come in and Angelita Novak, the receptionist, was sorting them by profession in an Excel spread-sheet.

The Navvies were checked to determine if any uni students with a suitably sophisticated specialty were among them. If so, they made it through. If not, they were summarily dismissed. One job title amongst the "elite cut" caught Lita's attention: "Chemist, R&D". This one had to make it through. He'd be very pleased with such a "prime intellect" as he put it.

Making note of the e-mail address, she sent out an invitation and a quiz - mostly questions regarding schooling and degrees.

Lita caught movement with her peripheral vision and hazarded a quick glance up from her PC. He was taking his afternoon walk - sleek and dark, with slicked back hair and "power" suit. He had an arrogance about him that Lita found exciting.

Bill Gates? A weed.

Donald Trump? A wimp by comparison.

Lita was his receptionist/personal assistant, although she had designs on becoming much more. In the mean time, she could wait.

He strode toward her desk purposefully, eyes locked onto her with a dark, almost predatory determination. The smile he wore was cool and smug, with the merest touch of an evil chill. But Lita craved it, craved the ruthlessness and the will to succeed. A man with that kind of drive would make the perfect catch for an opportunist like her.

"I'm stepping out to lunch, Miss Novak," he purred. "Please have a list of the newest 'prime intellects' on my desk before my return."

"Yes, Mr. Finch."

Lucas Finch nodded in satisfaction and strode off casually and yet with purpose. Miss Novak's dubious devotion was intriguing to his alien mind - such Krillitane thoughts embodied in a frail Human body. Intriguing. Perhaps these Humans were worthy of absorption after all.

He stepped outside, blinking at the sunlight for a few moments before his eyes became accustomed to the brightness. His eyes had been more sensitive to light since the explosion at the school; but by will alone, he carried on. His will and the life-force his people had sacrificed to ensure he'd live on. Now the equation was all the more vital, for only as a god could he restore life to his brothers and exact vengeance on the Doctor.

The recovery had been painful, but not as slow as for a less evolved race. The burns had healed and the pain had faded, but he was still alone for now. But that would change.

Birds took flight, squirrels made for the relative safety of the trees, and rabbits scurried off at top speed when they caught a whiff of Lucas Finch. He was a predator, and they were prey - that was the bottom line.

Now, it wasn't clear why the stray cat hadn't run as well. Perhaps that had something to do with the remains of a fish sandwich she had found in the dustbin and had claimed as her lunch. The cat glanced at Finch, sparing him a curious miaow.

A deadly thing, curiosity.

"Hello, moggie." Lucas Finch's voice was soft yet menacing. "What a lean, strong moggie you are..." He smiled, showing his teeth; they seemed to morph from the squarish shape of human teeth to rows of points resembling razor-sharp daggers.

The cat shrieked and hissed in alarm, but soon went silent.

About half an hour later, Finch returned with a handkerchief wrapped around his right hand while his left hand was occupied with a toothpick. Lita frowned at the sight of it. A dark brown stain had soaked through the cloth.

"Are you hurt, Mr. Finch?"

"There was a feral cat on the premises," he explained truthfully. "I disposed of it." The toothpick flicked around his mouth with unerring precision.

"I could see to the scratch..."

"That won't be necessary." His eyes flashed cold, like artic ice. "And the report...?"

Lita handed him the folder she had just compiled.

"Good." Lucas Finch nodded. "Well done, Miss Novak. Carry on."

Lita watched Mr. Finch as he went on his way with the folder under one arm. He was continuing to pick his teeth.

Such an odd man. Sometimes he almost didn't seem human.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A juggernaut passed the telegraph pole bearing a flyer with the image of a slender black and white cat; beneath the image was an advertisement asking for leads on the whereabouts of "Copernicus". The driver slowed at the sight of a brightly dressed man at the side of the road flagging him down.

"Where's the costume party?" The driver grinned, but the joke was lost on the hitchhiker. After a few moments of silence, he tried again. "D'ya need a lift?"

"Yes, could you drop me at the nearest town? My cat's gone missing."

"Sure get in, Mister..."

"Doctor," he corrected as he got in. In a matter of moments, the juggernaut was on its way again.

To be continued...

Hail to the Meme [Thanks, Snapesbabe]

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 00:08:46 GMT

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 20% Conservative, 80% Liberal

Social Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Interesting results. :)

Too Much Time On Their Hands

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 03:16:40 GMT

Much thanks to gilesgurl for this one - it's a fake trailer for a highschool comedy that proves the difference a little editing can make. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1kqqMXWEFs

If the link doesn't work, feel free to copy and paste. :)