Chapter 48: The Lords and Masters

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Jack stared at the pile of dust that had once been Danni, mouth open in surprise and horror before turning on the Floor Manager and other contestant.

"What the hell did you do to her?" He screamed as he ran over, pointing the large gun in his hands at them. That poor girl had just been trying to save their friend and they killed her. The two people held their hands up in fright as he advanced on them, "Back off!" He commanded furiously. She had barely known him for more than a few weeks, but Danni had acted like she had known him for ages. They flirted harmlessly, each knowing neither of them had any actual romantic feelings for each other but still enjoying the banter. While the Doctor and Rose had been slightly wary of him in their first couple of travels, which he understood perfectly and was still trying to make up for even now, she had just told him to buck up and took his hand when Rose took the Doctor's. It had made him feel like someone actually cared about him, he wasn't used to it but he loved it and now she was gone.

The Doctor crouched down by the pile of dust that was once Danni, running it through his fingers thoughtfully. Of course he was sad that the girl had been killed, he wasn't heartless anymore but he had bigger things to worry about at that moment. Why was this 'Bad Wolf' putting humans into gameshows just to kill them? What was the point? Surely there had to be something more to it.

"Why did she do that?" Rose whimpered. He stood up and pulled her into a hug as she started crying, only to be tore away from from her as two security guards pulled them apart.

"Hey, wait a minute..." The Doctor protested as Rose tried to struggle free, the two security guards tying their hands behind their backs. They did the same to Lynda who was also in floods of tears, overwhelmed at what was happening and she wished she had just stayed when she was.

"Don't you touch them! Leave them alone!" Jack snapped as he was advanced upon by two more guards.

"Jack, put down the gun." The Doctor ordered him, realising resisting would just make things worse, "Now." He barked when Jack didn't comply. Jack shot him an incredulous look but reluctantly did as he was told.

"You killed her! Your stupid freaking game show killed her." Jack shouted at the Floor Manager as his hands were tied behind his back as well. He looked at his two friends then down at the pile, his eyes filling with tears.

"Sir, I'm arresting you under Private Legislation Sixteen of the Game Station Syndicate..."

~0~0~0~

Jack didn't put up any resistance when they had searched him roughly, chucking him through a metal wire gate with Lynda and Rose. He had just been glad they had been slightly more gentle with the two women. Rose was still crying, while Lynda was in shock. He pulled Rose into a hug while the Doctor was slammed against the gate as a guard searched him.

"She knew she was going to die, didn't she?" Rose whispered. Jack didn't reply, just squeezed her tighter before letting her go and giving her a sad smile. He was almost certain she had known what she was running into, and there was no way she would have let Rose suffer the same fate.

"Can you tell us the purpose of this device, sir?" The security guard asked, brandishing the sonic screwdriver he had just pulled out of the Doctor's pocket.

"It's my remote control." The Doctor replied with a happy grin. The security guard didn't looked amused and he pocketed the device before shoving the Doctor through to the rest of the prisoners, "And I would like it back." The Doctor added as they were marched away. He shot Jack a smirk who had turned to look back at him in disbelief at his happy demeanour. While Jack had been moping, the Doctor had been thinking and connecting stuff in his mind. He now had a plan.

~0~0~0~

"Can you tell us how you got on board?" The security guard asked them again as the four were sat on a prison cell bench together. Jack didn't even look up at him while the Doctor just shrugged, not saying a word. The security guard hovered over the Doctor menacingly, sensing that he was the leader of the little group given the fact the American man had listened to him before.

"Just leave him alone-" Rose started but the security guard grabbed her by the chin, silencing her.

"I'm asking him." He told her firmly, motioning with his head to the Doctor. Jack moved to stand up, fuming but the Doctor held a hand against his chest, forcing him back down into the chair. The smile on his face had dropped into an angry glower but he still didn't reply, "Sir? Can you tell us who you are?"

~0~0~0~

"You will be taken from this place to the Lunar Penal Colony, there to be held without trial, you may not appeal against this sentence." The security guard explained to them after they had been taken for mug shots. Lynda shifted uncomfortably in her seat but Jack, Rose and the Doctor didn't react. When Rose had noticed that the Doctor was willingly going along with everything being done to them, she realised that there must have been a plan. Jack had been much calmer after being brought back into the cell, even flirting shamelessly with his guard, it had just confirmed her suspicions that there was more to what was happening than she had initially thought, and if the Doctor wasn't worried then neither was she, "Is that understood?" There was no response again and the guard turned with a sigh to open the gate.

"Let's do it." The Doctor said to Jack suddenly and the two men were on their feet, Jack knocking out the guard with a punch, sending him into the wall, the Doctor swiftly bending down and retrieving his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. The two women, realising they were escaping, jumped up and followed them as Jack used the gate to knock out another guard. They headed towards a line of weapons and Jack smiled grimly as they each picked one up. Danni would have pointed out how convenient the guns were, and he would be inclined to agree even though he was glad they were there.

"Hi, I'm Rose by the way." Rose said to the other woman, who smiled weakly back.

"Lynda." She told her quietly. Rose grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it, causing Lynda to blink in surprise. That had been what Danni had done to her when they had first met, just not on the run like Rose had.

"Nice to meet you Lynda." Rose told her happily as alarm starting blaring above them.

~0~0~0~

The door from the lift to Floor 500 opened and the Doctor strode out into the room, holding a large gun while Jack followed with two smaller ones. The room looked almost identical to when he and Rose had stepped into it last time, except much less cold. The reminder of Rose made his features harden in anger; if it hadn't been for Danni pushing her out of the way Rose would be dead, and it was all these people's fault.

"Okay! Move away from the desk! Nobody try anything clever. Everybody clear!" Jack commanded, "Stand to the sides. And stay there." The staff rushed to the side, huddled together as the Doctor walked up to a woman wired into the computer who was muttering numbers under her breath. He narrowed his eyes at her obsessive mumblings, the action reminding him of Danni back in World War II.

"Who's in charge of this place?" He asked her firmly, the gun hanging at his side as a threat but not pointing it at the woman.

"... 18... 19... 20..." The woman continued, her eyes forward as if she couldn't even see him.

"This Satellite's more than a Game Station. Someone is using it to hide themselves, who is it?"

"Who killed Danni?" Rose asked, frowning at the Doctor's behaviour. He was curious, urgent even in getting the information but he didn't seem to even care about the fact Danni had died to save her, "You must know who's behind all this."

"All staff are reminded that solar flares occur in delta point one."

"She can't reply." One of the male members of staff stated, causing the pair to turn and approach the members of staff. They all flinched, worried about the gun he held in his hand regardless of the fact he wasn't pointing it at anyone.

"Don't shoot!" Rose rolled her eyes at his exclamation. When had that ever worked? Yes, just tell someone not to shoot and they won't out of the kindness of their hearts.

"Oh, don't be so thick. Like I was ever gonna shoot." The Doctor told him, chucking the gun at the man who caught it gingerly before turning to Jack, "Captain, we've got more guards on the way up. Secure the exits."

"Yes, sir!" Jack cried happily, heading towards one of the set of doors into the room. If anyone tried to come in, he would stop them and he would enjoy every minute of it.

"What do you mean she can't reply?" Rose asked the man, "She can talk, she just told us about solar flares." The man looked between the gun then down at the gun in his hands.

"But... I've got your gun." He stuttered out, bewildered.

"Okay, so shoot me." The Doctor told him, "Why can't she answer?"

"She's, um..." He trailed off, unable to take his attention of the huge gun he found himself still holding, "Can I put this down?"

"If you want, just hurry up." The Doctor replied, obviously becoming annoyed at his rambling.

"Thanks." He put the gun down on the nearest desk, "Sorry. Um... the Controller is linked to the transmissions. The entire output goes through her brain - you're not a member of staff so she doesn't recognize your existence."

"What's her name?" The Doctor asked, looking up at the woman.

"I don't know. She was installed when she was five years old. That's the only life she's ever known."

"And no one stopped it?" Rose exclaimed, horrified, "They let a little girl be taken from her family and wired into a computer so you could watch sick game shows?" The Doctor nodded.

"Nice question." He complimented and Rose smiled happily, a faint pink tinge on her cheeks.

"Thanks."

"Why did no one stop it?" The Doctor asked the group, "I bet I can guess, she's not the first is she? Probably an orphan, so no one would kick up a fuss." The staff members looked between each other, looking guilty but no one speaking up, "Another fine example of the human race."

"Door's sealed." Jack called over, "We should be safe for about ten minutes."

"Keep an eye on 'em." The Doctor shouted back over, not taking his eyes off the woman.

"But that stuff you were saying about something going on with the Game Station - I think you're right." The man continued, "Unauthorized transmats... it's been going on for years."

"Show me." The Doctor commanded as Jack's manipulator buzzed, indicating the end of the scan it was running through. He looked down at the screen then at the door behind him with a touch pad.

"You're not allowed in there! Archive Six is out of bounds!" One of the female controllers shouted as he held his hand up to the pad. He held his two guns in the air, waving them pointedly.

"Do I look like an out-of-bounds sort of guy?" He placed his hand on the pad and the door opened. He stepped inside to find a small white room with the TARDIS sat neatly in the middle. He grinned and rushed over, opening the door and running to the console. There was a flurry of data running down on the monitor, too fast for him to read but was obviously there for his attention.

"Woah, woah, woah. Calm down." He told the machine, "What are you trying to show me?" The mass of data slowed down, showing a mixture of letters and numbers. He read through them slowly, not understanding what they were, "Hold on... are they co-ordinates?" He mused out loud. He typed one of the lines into the console and a map appeared on screen of the space outside, Earth to one side and the Game Station on the other. A red dot flashed just off to the middle of the screen. He frowned, there was nothing there. He typed some more things on the keyboard and the screen began flashing with thousands upon thousands of red dots, all filling the space around the Earth and the satellite.

"Okay, so they are co-ordinates. But what for?" He brought up the list again, scrolling down quickly for anything out of the ordinary when a set of numbers caught his eye. He continued down, each increasing in increments of one. He checked his manipulator; they were all dates, and not from very far into the past either. But why dates? Unless... He grinned then cheered.

"Oh, you clever thing!" He praised the box, which hummed appreciatively. Danni had told him that the TARDIS was sentient, and that she liked to be praised. He turned and ran back out into the satellite, grinning from ear to ear.

"Found the TARDIS!" He cried.

"We're not leaving now, are we?" Rose replied, alarmed as she turned to the Doctor. He hadn't taken his gaze off the poor woman hard-wired into the computer system after she had managed to break free of the programming. The Doctor had tried to get information out of her, becoming increasing agitated when she didn't give him a straight answer.

"No. But the TARDIS worked it out." Jack answered as he ran over to the control desk, pulling the male controller out of his seat and pushing him out of the way, "You'll wanna watch this." The Doctor turned to face him, intrigued. Jack smiled and pointed just to the front of the desk.

"Lynda, could you stand over there for me please?" He asked nicely. Lynda looked hesitant, pulling on the edges of her sleeves anxiously.

"I- I just wanna go home." She replied, feeling really out of her depth. Why did she follow the Doctor, she should have just stayed put.

"It'll only take a second." Jack told her, his smile becoming tense, "Could you stand in that spot, quick as you can?" She nodded slowly and moved over to the empty area of floor he had pointed to, "Everybody watching? Okay... three, two, one-" He pressed a button on the desk and Lynda was shot in the head by a disintergrator beam from the ceiling. She disappeared with a gasp, leaving only a cloud of smoke behind her.

"But you killed her!" The Doctor exclaimed, shocked.

"Oh, d'you think?" Jack smirked, pressing the button again. Lynda reappeared next to Rose, obviously disorientated as she held her head.

"... What the hell was that?" She exclaimed. The Doctor couldn't answer so he turned to Jack.

"It's a transmat beam. Not a disintegrator - a secondary transmat system." He explained happily, walking over to the pair.

"What does that mean?" Rose asked him, the hopeful glint in his eye causing her to straighten where she stood.

"It means people don't get killed in the games! They get transported across space!" Rose's mouth fell open in shock.

"Oh my god, Danni is still alive?" She asked and he nodded.

"Danni's still alive!" They both laughed in relief, chucking their arms around each other and jumped up and down on the spot.

"The question is," The Doctor started slowly, pulling their attention away from each other and to him, "If she's out there, where is she?" He dashed over to one console, typing on it for a moment before dashing over to the other.

"Doctor!" The woman cried, her voice thick with pain as she fought her programming, "Co-ordinates five point six point one-" She forced out. The Doctor typed them in frantically.

"Don't! The solar flare's gone, they'll hear you!" He told her as she yelled in pain.

"Point four three four- no my masters, no! I defy you! Stigma seven seven-" She screamed then disappeared in a billow of smoke. Her wires fell to the sides, causing a loud clang as they hit the sides of the metal frame she had been in since she was five.

"They took her." Rose breathed and the Doctor pulled her in for a hug, Jack taking over as he comforted his friend.

~0~0~0~

Danni jumped as there was a flash of light and a pale woman appeared on the floor next to her. She had been moved around the ship a few times now, having seen people appear through glass walls, being killed instantly by the Dalek's who were waiting. She scrambled off the floor and over to the poor woman, helping her stand before another person was killed. There were holes running up and down her sides and her eyes were almost completely white from blindness. Dalek's rolled up, guns at the ready as she pushed off whoever was helping her and stared forward, proud.

"Oh, my masters, you can kill me. For I have brought your destruction." Danni grabbed her, throwing her to the ground, both narrowly missing the rays.

"Oh no you don't!" Danni barked at them, moving in front of her protectively.

"You will stand aside." One Dalek commanded.

"Oh will I?" She scoffed, "You won't hurt her, you understand?"

"You will stand aside or you will be exterminated!" She laughed angrily.

"Before you do that, let me just make a suggestion. That man out there," She pointed to the wall, "is called the Doctor. He's over 900 years old and the last Time Lord of Gallifrey. And me? My name's Danielle Fielding. I'm from another universe and I'm just your bog standard human. Why don't you look us up, and then see if you want to exterminate me?" The Dalek's were silent as they searched their data banks, then their guns lowered and she smiled triumphantly, "That's what I thought. You leave her alone."

"We will address the satellite." The same Dalek told her, "You will speak to the Doctor." She shrugged.

"We'll see." She turned to the girl, smiling kindly as she knelt down by her, "Hello, I'm Danni. You're the Controller from the Game Station, aren't you?" The woman nodded fearfully, pulling herself away from the ginger girl, "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. My friend's the Doctor, I think you've met him haven't you?" She nodded, relaxing at the mention of the Doctor.

"He will stop my masters." She replied shakily.

"Yes he will." Danni confirmed, "Do you have a name?"

"I did, once." The girl admitted, "But I can't remember what it was." Danni placed a hand on her arm, the girl flinching but not pulling away.

"Well, we'll worry about that later. For now, I'm going to look after you, I promise." The girl smiled shakily, her naivety working to Danni's advantage as she began to trust the girl straight away.

"Alert! Alert! We are detected!" One Dalek proclaimed, pulling them out of their moment. Danni scooted over and pulled the Controller against her side protectively.

"It is the Doctor! He has located us!" Another one replied and Danni grinned.

"See? We're going to be fine." She whispered to the girl.

"Open communications channel!" The first Dalek commanded.

"The females will stand. Stand!" Danni rolled her eyes and helped the Controller of the floor.

"Okay, okay..." She murmured as she did. The Dalek looked upwards and she followed its gaze as an image appeared in mid-air just like it had done in the Vault. The Doctor, Rose, Jack, Lynda and two people she didn't know stared back at them.

"I will talk to the Doctor." The Dalek demanded.

"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" The Doctor waved at the screen mockingly, his grin fading rapidly at the sight of the Dalek.

"The Dalek Stratagem nears completion. The Fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene."

"Oh, really? Why's that then?" He asked, folding his arms as he readied for the answer.

"We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated." Danni waved at the screen with her free hand.

"Look who I found!" She exclaimed.

"Silence!" Another Dalek screamed and she rolled her eyes. The Doctor stared at them, eyes calculating.

"No." He finally stated. Danni grinned widely as the rest of the people on the turned their heads to stare at him, confused. Even the Dalek next to her seemed stunned by his answer.

"Explain yourself." The Dalek demanded.

"I said 'no'." He repeated.

"What is the meaning of this negative?"

"It means 'no'."

"But she will be destroyed." The Doctor stood up, his chair falling back at the force.

"No!" He cried passionately, "'Cos this is what I'm gonna do - I'm gonna rescue her. I'm gonna save Danielle Fielding from the middle of the Dalek Fleet, and then I'm gonna save the Earth, and then just to finish off, I'm gonna wipe every last STINKING Dalek outta the sky!" His voice rose until he was shouting at the Daleks.

"But you have no weapons! No defences! No plan!" The Dalek protested. The Doctor grinned back at it.

"Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death? Danni?" She stepped forward, keeping one hand on the girl's arm at all times so she knew she hadn't disappeared.

"Yes, Doctor?" She called up.

"I'm coming to get you." She nodded as he held up his screwdriver to the screen, cutting the line and the image disappearing with a click.

"The Doctor is initiating hostile action!" The Dalek screamed, turning to its fellow machines.

"The Stratagem must advance. Begin the invasion of Earth!" Danni laughed happily as they turned away from the pair.

"The Doctor will be exterminated!"

"Exterminate!" The three cried, the shout echoed around them as the entire ship began chanting 'exterminate'. The Controller shook in her arms and she shushed her gently, reassuring her despite the rise of her own heartbeat at the sight. Thousands of Dalek's all heading for the earth. And towards the Doctor.