The Ice Warriors and Mrs. Pond: Part 1
Jun. 19th, 2012 10:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dragonofmemoryThe Ice Warriors and Mrs. Pond
By: Memory Dragon
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, nor do I make any claim to.
Characters: Amy Pond, Third Doctor, Brigadier, Sergeant Benton, Ice Warriors.
Warnings: Amy's wrath at being captured yet again. Nothing else too major this time though, unless you count awkward cliffhangers.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Amy is so through being captured. It's the Doctor's turn this time, and the Brigadier is going to have to keep up if he's going to help her clear their names!
Notes: And here we are, the third part of Amy-verse. It took me so frickin' long to write, and it's finally over. Well, not quite. It's pretty long, so I've decided to post it in chapters. Sadly, it wasn't written as a chapter fic. It just got a heck of a lot longer than it was supposed to be. Basically, forgive the awkward cliffhangers, because they weren't actually meant to be cliffhangers. Trust me, you got off easy. These would be so much worse if I intended them that way, cause I enjoy writing them. XD
There will be four chapters in all, and I should update once a week. Provided I remember, which I don't always. However, I'm sure Cy will help me remember this time. XD
Thanks: Many thanks to
narwhale_callin for betaing and putting up with my whining over how long it took to write. <3
For the other fics in Amy-verse, click the Amy-verse tag.
~
Amy lay with her back on the floor, her feet up in the air as she stared at the bright red platform boots. Resisting the urge to glare at the door, she clicked her heels together over her head three times. "There's no place like home," she said sarcastically, not too put out when it didn't work.
She had learned that yelling did her no good, though Amy still occasionally threw an insult toward the locked door. She was really getting tired of being locked up. In fact, she had signed herself up for those escapology classes that the Doctor kept going on about her predecessor benefiting from. Fat lot of good they did her against a numeric keypad though. If only her ruby platform boots would do the trick, but sadly, she wasn't in Oz anymore. Just some building that was over run with Yeti and bloody numeric keypads.
It wouldn't be so bad if she was only captured every once in a while, but lately it was every single alien attack. Was it the red hair? Was it really the red hair? She'd show them what being ginger meant if they didn't let her out soon!
The window on the door slid down and Amy immediately looked up. "Are you alright in there, Miss?" Sergeant Benton asked as she scrambled to her feet, thoughts of Toto set aside.
"It's about time!" Amy said, going up to the door. She was almost ready to kiss him through the small window. "Do you know how boring it is in here? Where have you and the Doctor been?"
"Blowing things up, Miss," Benton said with a boyish grin that all guys got when explosives were involved. It was oddly endearing, and Amy ignored the pang as she thought of how frightened Rory had been when Mels got her hands on some fireworks for Bonfire Night. For all his fussing and fretting, Amy had known to wait for the small smile on his face when the fireworks went off without a hitch. Thankfully, Benton interrupted her thoughts before she could get emotional. "And we'd best be out of here before the Doctor sets the last one," he said, drawing back from the door.
After a gun shot, the door creaked open on its own. This is why she wanted the Brigadier to let her have a gun of her own. Not that it wouldn't have been taken away from her when she was captured, but it was the principle of the thing. The Doctor would throw a fit if he'd known that she was being trained in gun safety and how to shoot, much less the fact that she was now licensed to carry arms, but he never had to find that out, right? But the Brigadier wouldn't let her, despite all his insistence that she learn to defend herself if she was going to be the Doctor's assistant. Fat lot of good it did when she kept getting captured despite the training!
Benton, being the gentleman he was, held the door for her. "There you are, Miss. They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"I'm fine," she said, grinning impishly. Her good humor had returned once she was no longer a prisoner. "But next time you leave me out on all the fun, there will be hell to pay. How come I'm always the one who gets kidnapped?"
"We'd best be on our way," Benton said, ignoring her complaints except for a commiserating pat on her head. She scowled at him, but took his offered hand as they ran through the corridors. There was the occasional shake as another explosion went off, but the Sergeant helped her stay on her feet.
Finally, they ran out into the sunny summer day that Amy had seen from the barred windows. The Doctor waved them over from a distance, and they made their way over to him as quickly as they could.
"You're the last ones out," the Doctor said as Amy leaned over to catch her breath. Her side was aching, but she straightened up as she saw the Doctor reaching for a small silver box.
Oh, no, he wasn't. "Doctor, don't you-" she shouted.
He pressed the button and both Benton and Amy ducked to the ground as an explosion assaulted their eardrums. The heat rushed over them. "That was not a safe distance away!" Amy yelled as soon as the ringing in her ears faded and her equilibrium returned.
"No harm done," the Doctor said with a grin. "It was safe enough, I assure you."
Amy was just about ready to smack him when Benton intervened. "Do you think the Great Intelligence was destroyed this time, Doctor?"
"I sincerely hope so, Sergeant," the Doctor said, turning smartly and walking to where Bessie was parked on the side of the road.
She turned back to face the slowly dying heat, shading her face from the slight burn. "Do you think we should put out the fire?"
"UNIT will see to that," Benton said, his good mood fading when he realized that meant he would likely be overseeing that effort. "The Brigadier isn't going to like this..."
Looking up at the smoldering building that had once been a government-funded laboratory for computer sciences, Amy winced. No, the Brigadier would most likely not be pleased they had just reduced it to rubble, Great Intelligence and Yeti-infesting problems or not. Before Amy could articulate a reply to that though, the Doctor testily asked whether or not she was coming. "Good luck with that," she told Benton, not envying him for having to handle the Brigadier's temper.
Climbing into Bessie, the Doctor smiled at her in a smug way that reminded her so much of her Doctor. He didn't even acknowledge the trouble he had caused, and she was beginning to wonder if he would have destroyed the building even if it hadn't been the only way. But while her Doctor frantically pushed forward to forget the bad memories, this one was simply rebellious. In many ways, this Doctor reminded her of a teenager sometimes, which gave her an unnerving feeling given how much older he looked compared to her Doctor.
"Why don't we go for a drive?" the Doctor asked, patting Bessie fondly as if he hadn't just blown up an important building.
And you know what? He had the right idea. Amy wasn't relishing the return to UNIT and the lecture she'd have to sit in on. Avoidance sounded great. "Works for me!"
The drive back was cheerful enough that they stopped for ice cream. Upon driving up to UNIT HQ, however, a dark cloud of doom settled over them, killing their chatter. The Doctor was in trouble, which meant Amy would have to put up with the fall out, and neither of them wanted to really go in.
There was still one more option left to them in hopes of avoiding the Brigadier's wrath - the TARDIS. If they could take off before the Brigadier realized they were back, then they could reappear sometime later after his temper had cooled. Preferably in the middle of something that he needed the Doctor for, so that they could put the whole thing behind them. By unspoken consent, they both slipped through security and made for the Doctor's lab.
They nearly succeeded. The Brigadier walked into the TARDIS just as Amy reached the door control.
"Doctor," the Brigadier said as he stormed in. "That laboratory-"
"Ah, Brigadier. Just the man I was looking for," the Doctor said, motioning for Amy to shut the door. She did so, glancing curiously at the two of them as she tried to figure out the Doctor's game. She knew for a fact the Brigadier had been the lastperson the Doctor wanted to see.
The Doctor was playing with the controls for the coordinates in ways that baffled both Amy and the Brigadier. Neither were impressed, though. Amy had seen the Doctor do it too many times and the Brigadier knew the Time Lord was just showing off. He didn't allow the Doctor to distract him in his tirade either. "I don't know what you're playing at, Doctor, but that was an expensive laboratory you just destroyed."
"And if I hadn't, the Yeti would have overrun London in a matter of hours," the Doctor said as reasonably as she had ever heard him speak, moving around the console. Oh, he was up to something, definitely.
Amy watched him carefully, his hands moving towards the controls that set the TARDIS in flight. "Doctor, you're not going to-"
He was. She felt the shift as the time rotor moved gracefully up and down. Amy felt the thrill run through her body that she always felt when they were off somewhere new. Then she remembered the Brigadier was still here and still very angry. This wasn't going to end well.
"What is this infernal machine of yours doing now?" the Brigadier asked, finally distracted as he walked forward. He glanced critically over the lively console.
"Could you press the flashing button, Brigadier? Yes, that one. Just keep holding it down," the Doctor said as he moved to the other side of the console, muttering to himself.
Amy flicked a few random switches when the Doctor wasn't looking, unable to keep her own hands off the sleek design. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the Brigadier standing at the console, holding down the button with a growing frown. "Doctor-" he started.
"Explain it to him, will you, Amy?" the Doctor asked, staring intently at the readout.
"Me?" Amy asked, hardly believing her ears. He was trying to look busy so she had to explain things. "Oh, no. You got in trouble, you explain it. I'm not having any part of this."
The Doctor looked up to glare at her, but she wasn't playing that game, no sir. He was going to have to face the Brigadier himself.
Speaking of the Brigadier, he had had enough. "Would someone care to explain what the devil is going on here?" he said, his voice rising.
The time rotor stopped moving, and Amy made a point of looking at the scanners as she prodded the Doctor into answering. "Well, go out and look for yourself," he said defensively, opening the doors.
The Brigadier raised an eyebrow, which Amy mimicked when he wasn't looking her way. Sadly, her eyebrow wasn't nearly as effective since the Doctor barely glanced her way. One day, she would figure out how to use the Brigadier's super power to her advantage.
For now though, the Doctor ignored her and walked the Brigadier to the door. "My dear fellow, it's quite simple really," he said. "The TARDIS is a machine that travels through time and space. It was only doing what it was designed to."
The Brigadier's angry reply was muffled as they stepped outside. Amy looked at her watch, counting the seconds before they came back inside. With those two, it would probably take a good minute of arguing before they realized the weather.
"-have to be so cold outside," the Brigadier said as he burst back in at a minute and three seconds. Amy mourned not having Benton or Yates around, because she would have won the bet for how long they stayed outside.
"Just because it's summer in the time we left doesn't mean - Ah, Amy. Would you get the winter attire out of the wardrobe?"
"I was just about to do so when I saw the temperature on the scanner," she said extra sweetly.
Frowning at her innocent smile, the Doctor glanced down at the scanners sheepishly. "Yes, well, if you would, please."
She listened as the argument between the Doctor and the Brigadier became heated again, their raised voices following her down the corridor. She turned to the right and walked a few seconds before she remembered the wardrobe was on the left in this TARDIS. She pulled out the Doctor's opera cloak and a coat for the Brigadier, before looking around for clothes for herself. Amy changed out of her bell-bottoms and peasant blouse for something more modern. She kept the boots, because she loved those even if they didn't magically take her home, but she found a red mahogany sweater with folds of fabric by the neck and a pair of sleek trousers. A scarf and a super cute dark grey coat finished off the look, and she made sure to pick up enough gloves for everyone.
The Doctor and the Brigadier were still in the midst of their argument. She stood outside the door for a moment, listening to the Brigadier demand to be taken home. Home. Nothing made her feel quite like the outsider she was than hearing that. She didn't miss Leadworth - that wasn't home to her. Home was where her friends and family were. She wanted her Doctor - her best friend - and the man she married. Hell, even seeing Mels would be nice, after all this time. She was sick of being in the past and missing everyone who wasn't even born yet. There was a huge difference between visiting and being stuck here.
It took her a few moments to realize the room had gone quiet. Her eyes flew open to see what had happened, only to find that the Doctor and the Brigadier were staring at the doorway. At her.
Amy quickly wiped the moisture out of her eyes. "Are you alright, Mrs. Pond?" the Brigadier asked as she passed him the coat and gloves, his voice kind and just a little uncomfortable.
"I'm okay," she said, meeting his gaze head on.
The Brigadier looked over to the Doctor, and she had the distinct impression they were talking about her, despite the fact not a word was spoken. After she handed the Doctor his cloak, Amy put her hands on her hips. "I'm still here, ya know," she said sharply.
The Doctor coughed and looked away, while the Brigadier sighed. Then, as if they hadn't just been excluding her from the conversation, non-verbal though it was, the Brigadier asked the Doctor, "Just what planet have we landed on, Doctor?"
"I'm not sure," the Doctor said thoughtfully as he looked at the TARDIS' data banks. Then, with a small glare to answer the Brigadier's eyebrow, "Well, I don't know everything, after all. It's very far from Earth, I can tell that much."
They weren't going to tell her. And, hold on, weren't they supposed to be arguing? For once, Amy just let it drop. She didn't want to know their reasons, not when she suspected they had to do with her, and she certainly didn't want their pity. As long as she stopped thinking about her home and how much she missed it, she didn't care at the moment.
Pulling on her gloves, she made sure the coat she wore was securely wrapped around her as she walked out of the TARDIS. Considering that neither the Doctor nor the Brigadier had mentioned any natives when they had come in earlier, Amy was quite surprised to find a group of armed... What were they, lizards? Not like the Silurians, but definitely lizard-like. Their armor was weird-looking, almost like it was part of them. She couldn't tell where the helmet stopped and their heads began. Their eyes weren't visible at all, merely two flat panels which were so dark that Amy didn't know how they could see out of them. The rest of their body was covered in some sort of green bubble armor that was like nothing she had ever seen. Even their hands weren't real; they looked like some sort of robot hand out of The Jetsons.
It was when she was contemplating their hands that she realized they were all pointing dangerous-looking objects at her. Oh, no. Not this time. She was not getting captured again. "Doctor!" she called out as she turned to run back into the TARDIS. She ran straight into him as he was coming out.
"Good heavens, Amy, what... Ah, hello there," he said to the lizardy-armor people. "I'm terribly sorry. We didn't mean to intrude if this is private property. We'll just be on our way and not trouble you further."
"You are the one known as the Doctor?" one of the creatures asked, hissing the words out longer than required, especially the 'S's. She could hear it breathing in a stalker-ish way. She pushed away thoughts of what Rory would think of them, probably making some sort of Star Wars joke.
The Brigadier stepped out from behind them, his hand going to his gun. The Doctor caught his eye and shook his head, almost imperceptibly. "I am the Doctor," he said, bowing politely to the creatures. "I assume you've heard of me."
There was a sibilant whisper through the group of lizards that sounded more like a snake hissing than talking to Amy. Then the weapons were lowered and she relaxed, though the Brigadier still looked tense. "I apologisse if any offensse wass taken," the one who had spoken before said. "We have been told to look for the blue box, honorable one."
Honorable one? Amy put her hands on her hips and looked at the Doctor expectantly, attempting to use her eyebrows like the Brigadier to ask about this 'blue box' nonsense. But the Doctor just carried on with the air of assurance she associated with him not having the faintest idea of what was going on. "It's quite all right, old chap. It's good to see a well trained security force, isn't it, Brigadier?"
The Brigadier wasn't fooled any more than Amy was, but other than raising an eyebrow, he went along with it. It didn't help that the Doctor actually nodded to whatever silent question the Brigadier had asked. That wasn't fair. "Indeed, Doctor," the Brigadier said. "But I don't suppose you'd mind telling us what exactly is going on?"
"The legendss are true then," the leader said, almost reverently. "The Doctor would return for the unveiling of the relic, with a warrior and a fiery female to honor the ancient wayss."
"A fiery what?" Amy asked. If this was some reference to her hair, she was not amused. And if this was going to continue, she had no problem with putting the Doctor on the spot. "Doctor, are you going to explain what's going on?"
The Doctor looked honestly baffled, rubbing his cheek absently. "Quite. Why don't we... ah..."
"If you will come thiss way, honorable one, we will ssee that you and your companionss are comfortable until the ceremony," the head lizard said, gesturing for them to follow. The Doctor walked forward confidently, leaving Amy and the Brigadier no choice but to follow. The armor-lizards still had some very fancy-looking weapons after all, and Amy didn't want to antagonize them if they were friendly. She'd been captured enough recently, thanks.
They were led through the snow silently, the only sound being the crunching beneath their feet. It was a beautiful planet, Amy thought. There were trees of a kind she had never seen before with big, blue leaves and silver bark that nearly took her breath away. Against the crisp snow, there were white flowers with red centers that dotted the landscape like little drops of blood. Amy almost forgot she was cold, looking out at the flowers and the beauty of the planet.
It wasn't long before Amy saw buildings made of marble on either side of them, with a sinuous architecture of the like Amy had never seen before. They must have landed the TARDIS on the outside of the city, but there was no one other than the soldiers about. No, not a city. An outpost or something? The guards greeted the head soldier with respect from inside a glass enclosure, so at least things were looking up as far as getting captured went.
Finally, they were ushered into a building with heating, though it was still chillier than Amy liked room temperature to be. Too cold to take off her jacket, anyway. It was a shock after the emptiness of the world outside to find so many of the lizard aliens inside, and there was a sudden stuffiness that Amy didn't think came from simply having too many people in one place. She stayed close to the Doctor, but even then she was nearly pushed aside twice by big armored aliens on their way to a (thankfully empty) meeting room. They were asked to wait there for someone who sounded important.
Amy had only been paying half-attention. The moment the door was closed and they were alone, she pounced. "What's all this about, a relic? And why is everyone crowded inside? How did they know who we are, anyway?"
"Those are very good questions, Amy," the Doctor said, passing his fingers over his chin absently. "I wish I knew the answers."
"You don't know?" Amy asked, starting to feel the pit of dread in her stomach growing.
"Well, I think the reason everyone is inside is because the atmosphere isn't quite right for them outside. Don't worry, it's not harmful to humans in here, just a little stuffy. But as for this relic business, I'm afraid not." At least the Doctor had the decency to look sheepish at her glare.
The Brigadier wasn't too pleased at the revelation either. "And why don't you know, Doctor?" he asked, his eyes darting around the room as he considered the defensibility of their surroundings. Guiltily, Amy did the same as she remembered the training she'd gone through. She was supposed to be proving to the Brigadier that she could handle 'trotting after the Doctor into Heaven knows what mess,' after all.
"My dear Brigadier, I'm a time traveler," the Doctor said as Amy took in the room. She tuned out the conversation since she was familiar enough with River to know the hazards of meeting someone out of order. She sat down in one of the very comfy benches. At least, she assumed it was a bench. It had a cushion and no back, but there were no tables in the room either. So either it was a cushy table and everyone sat on the floor, or a bench, and Amy decided she'd much rather sit on a table than sit on the floor next to a bench.
There were five other 'benches' that formed a vague circle, but that was the only furniture in the room. There were a few of those delicate white flowers painted along the wall though. The contrasting red and white of the petals was stunningly beautiful. Looking around the room more, Amy was surprised to find that the simplistic pattern was more than a little breath-taking. Not at all what she expected on a military base.
"Just what are these creatures, Doctor?" the Brigadier asked, apparently resigned to the side effects of time travel enough to branch out on his questions. Amy returned her attention to the conversation, wiggling in her seat to get comfortable.
"They're called Ice Warriors, Brigadier," the Doctor explained, walking over to the wall to study the detailing on the flowers. "They're a warrior race. Or were, at certain points in their history. They became a much more peaceful lot after joining the Federation. They're originally from Mars, you know."
"I thought there wasn't any life on Mars?" Amy asked. Even after traveling with the Doctor, there were a few things that were too far-fetched for her to believe right off the bat. "I mean, they've sent up the Mars Rover and didn't find any traces of-" Oops. She glanced over at the Brigadier, who was regarding her with raised eyebrows. She should really remember she's still in the past. "I probably shouldn't have mentioned that."
"No, you shouldn't've," the Doctor said with mild reproof, but he seemed more amused than anything. "And you should keep in mind the Brookings Report. You humans are fond of keeping secrets." The latter was aimed at the Brigadier, but Amy couldn't tell if he was teasing or not. She'd never heard of this 'Brookings Report,' but she could guess that it was meant to keep aliens secret. "The Ice Warriors hid their civilization well before they left Mars because it had become uninhabitable. They took most of their technology with them, leaving behind a desolate planet."
"So there really are Martians?" she asked. Unlike bow ties, that was legitimately cool.
"Yes," the Doctor said, taking one of the benches across from her. "They're a very honorable race, when they're not foolishly trying to take over the Earth."
That got the Brigadier's attention. "They wouldn't happen to be interested in such occupations now, Doctor?" he asked, thankfully still not thinking in terms of past and present.
"I highly doubt it, Brigadier," the Doctor replied. "Earth is much too far from here, after all. I'd estimate we were several star systems removed from Earth's solar system. No, their conquering days are long behind them, if the last time I met them is anything to go by. I was highly suspicious of them myself at first, but one of them saved my life and helped me save Peladon."
The Brigadier didn't look entirely convinced, but at least he wasn't reaching for his gun anymore. Amy was about to ask about their armors being a part of them when the door opened with a beautiful chime. She and the Doctor stood, and she found her question was semi-answered. A new Ice Warrior walked in, wearing a much different armor. He was smaller and sleeker, compared to the other warriors they had seen, and his chest-plate was decorated around the edges with a minimalist flower design. So they must be able to get out of the armor! Either that, or there were two different kinds of Ice Warriors? No, those kinds of thoughts would just make her head spin, so she was going to assume they could take it off. Any attempt to see what they look like without the armor would cause an appropriate amount of mischief, but given that they weren't in trouble for once, Amy should probably behave herself.
Did spiffier armor come with higher rank? Again, her question was answered as the Ice Warrior spoke, his voice surprisingly clear of the breathy quality the other Ice Warriors had. Maybe that was because of the bulkier armors. "I am Commander Nyrytzl. I am in charge of running this base and protecting the relic. You do us great honor by returning for the unveiling."
"It is my privilege to return," the Doctor said, returning the small bow Nyrytzl gave him. "As you know, I'm the Doctor. These are my companions, Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart and Mrs. Amy Pond."
The Brigadier bowed as well when he caught the Doctor's eye and Amy followed suit, trying not to think about how the Doctor was introducing her. She'd never quite corrected anyone that she was really Mrs. Williams. It was a much more boring last name after all, but mostly, she didn't feel like Mrs. Williams. Mrs. Williams would have Rory with her, not be waiting for him and the Doctor to show up for five months. She forced herself to focus on the cultural differences, what with all the bowing and talk of 'honor.' Did they have Asian aliens? Because that was what they sounded like. She'd have to remember to ask the Doctor later.
"Ah, the warrior and the fiery woman. It is indeed how the legends describe," Nyrytzl said, sounding pleased.
The Brigadier cleared his throat, regarding Nyrytzl cautiously. "I'd appreciate being informed of what this 'unveiling' business is about."
The Ice Warrior looked towards the Doctor expectantly, who scratched the back of his neck nervously. "We were in a bit of a hurry from our last destination. I'm afraid I didn't have much time to explain what happened during my last visit to my companions."
Amy rolled her eyes at the obvious lie, but Nyrytzl bought it. How the Doctor got away with this so often, she didn't know. Just once she'd like to see someone catch him in a lie, so long as her neck wasn't on the line as well.
"Then please allow me to explain," Nyrytzl said. After a nod from the Doctor, he continued. The Doctor was so cheating... "Five hundred years ago, the honorable Doctor and his companion visited this place when it was under attack by a Sontaran fleet. He helped us defeat the invaders with glory, and then gifted us with a relic from our days on the red planet."
That sounded remarkably Doctor-ish. In fact, Amy wasn't surprised in the slightest by any of this information. It was obviously the quick version, but she could fill in the missing details and chases with enough clarity that she had to wonder when she got so used to this life. Though, if the Doctor's other companion didn't get captured and thrown in a cell as frequently as she was, Amy was going to have to have a chat with him.
"But the relic was old and broken, only to be used in a time of need," Nyrytzl continued. "He told us to lock it away in this holy place and keep it well guarded, and in five hundred years, he would return and the relic would be renewed."
"How terribly convenient," the Brigadier said as he glanced the Doctor's way.
"Er, yes. That's about how I remember it to have happened," the Doctor replied. Amy settled him with A Look, which wasn't as amazing as the Brigadier's eyebrows, but it still managed to make the Doctor look sheepish. She completely missed the soft chime of the door opening due to her small victory.
"So the relic is expected to be rejuvenated?" the Brigadier asked skeptically. Amy didn't blame him. While she didn't disbelieve it, that was only because she had seen the singing vases of New Greece and had just been convinced of Martians. Really weird lizard-y armored Martians that were okay in her books so long as they didn't put her in a cell.
"That is the story," a new voice said. Amy looked over at the newcomer in surprise; when had he gotten here? He was armored like Nyrytzl, but his chest-plate was stylized differently in a way that she could have sworn made him more sinister. Maybe it was the thorns on the many petaled flowers. He moved slowly into the room, with a kind of grace that Amy associated with one of the UNIT weapon instructors. The Brigadier was tense, his eyes following the newcomer's every move. "Are these the aliens that penetrated the Chameleon Field that protects the base?"
"This is the honorable Doctor and his companions," Nyrytzl said coldly. Was it just Amy, or did the temperature drop from cold to freezing between the two aliens? She tugged her coat more tightly around her. Political infighting. Wonderful. That usually always lead to prison cells at some point, but it was the Doctor's turn to be captured this time.
"And you believe these creatures?" the second Ice Warrior hissed. "They could be using the legend to steal the relic in our time of need. Perhaps they are working for the Sontarans in a second attempt to claim this planet?"
"This is bad, isn't it?" Amy whispered to the Doctor, who nodded. She was surprised to find the Brigadier slowly putting himself in front of both her and the Doctor, though he didn't draw his gun just yet.
Nyrytzl stood as well, his voice angry. "Sub-Commander Ixkyr, do you question your commanding officer?"
"I question the appearance of aliens a day before the unveiling of the precious relic," the second warrior, Ixkyr, said. "I do not trust aliens to not take advantage of the legends and steal the relic away."
"It certainly is a valid concern," the Doctor said thoughtfully. "Though it puts us at a disadvantage. Is there anything we could do to prove ourselves to you?"
"The lock on the relic can only be opened by Commander Nyrytzl and the biodata of our honorable ally," Ixkyr said with a mocking bow to the Doctor.
"That isn't necessary, Sub-Commander. Opening the lock before tomorrow is heresy and no one else could have found the base with the Chameleon shield in place! And you insult the honor of our guests to-"
"Look, it's no big deal, right?" Amy asked. She let out a breath as the two Ice Warriors turned to look at her, the fight diffusing. "Can the lock confirm that he's the Doctor without opening the door? Then we've got proof that we aren't Sontaran spies and everyone is happy."
There was a tense moment - it really was the hair, wasn't it? She was going to get thrown in a cell because she was a red-head, and she was going to make sure they had to blow up the base if that was the case to get her revenge - and the Doctor and Brigadier traded glances. But Nyrytzl sighed and nodded. "Very well, if Sub-Commander Ixkyr insists. I am sorry for his insolence, Honorable One."
The Brigadier gave her a small pat on the shoulder as she sank onto the bench. The Doctor waved off the apology, offering his hand to Amy as he motioned toward the door. "As Amy said, it's no problem at all. If you'll lead us to this lock of yours?"
The door chimed again as they walked through it, the soft bells reminding Amy of the time she tied green bells in her shoe laces at Christmas. She had two versions of this memory, one with just her aunt in their empty house yelling at her, the other with her father laughing at her as she danced around the tree in the living room. She'd made Rory and Mels wear them too, so they could be a matching set, and then she and Mels took theirs off to sneak up behind Rory and scare him. Except, right, she needed to be focused. Rory wasn't here, and hadn't been for the past five months.
She walked next to the Doctor as Nyrytzl lead the way, keeping her voice low so the Ice Warriors couldn't hear her. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked. "What if it was a different version of you that helped the Ice Warriors out?"
"My biodata would be the same," he assured her. "Besides, I'm sure my future self would take that into account, Amy."
Amy didn't say that at least one of the Doctor's regenerations was the type to forget details like that, if her Doctor's small explosions while he worked on the TARDIS as he forgot to connect certain wires were anything to go by. Instead, she dropped back to the Brigadier, who was at least more reasonable. "So, what's the plan?" she asked.
"The plan, Mrs. Pond?"
"Yeah, The Plan. For when the Doctor's bluff fails and everything blows up in our faces," she explained.
The Brigadier raised a very put-upon eyebrow. He had obviously been considering the same thing. His words weren't very reassuring either. "This is a highly defended military outpost, Mrs. Pond. Let us hope it doesn't come to that."
A warning glance from the Doctor stilled any further questions she had. With a sigh, Amy focused on the beautiful artwork that covered the walls of all the hallways. Not flowers this time, but landscapes that changed with every corridor. How did these aliens hold a paintbrush anyway, with those robot hands?
Pondering the problem of paintbrushes, Amy lost track of how many twisting hallways they went down. Though there were no stairs, the floor was sloped downward and Amy got the sense of being underground. She hated that feeling. Nothing good happened to her when she was underground.
They must be getting near the heart of the complex, or at least getting somewhere. Amy's feet were starting to hurt with all of this walking, and she was going to be bruised all over tomorrow from accidentally bumping into aliens in hard suits of armor. Were the hallways always this crowded? How many of these reptiles were on this secret base anyway?
"You seem to have a lot of soldiers on this base, Commander," the Brigadier said, echoing Amy's thoughts. "Is the relic that important?"
"It is important because we have so many people," Nyrytzl explained. "This world has grown overcrowded, and there are no worlds suitable for colonization within range. At least, none that are uninhabited."
"And to comply with Federation laws, you can't conquer anyone," the Doctor finished. He was rubbing at the back of his neck again as he thought, and Amy wondered if she should tell him about that little tick of his. But if she did, he'd get self-conscious and try to stop, and it was kind of adorable in its own way. Now though, there was a peculiar expression on his face as he went on. "You should have the technology to change a world's atmosphere though. I've seen your race use it before. Surely you could find an uninhabited world and make it to your liking? Even on this world, you can't stay outside without protection."
"I'm afraid we have lost that technology, Honorable One. The relic you gave us should help in that regard," Nyrytzl said as he bowed his head in what Amy assumed was shame. It would be so much easier to read these aliens' expressions if they didn't have those bloody helmets on. He entered some sort of pass code into a door and they walked through the surprisingly empty corridor. After how crowded the rest of the base had been, this was a relief. The corridors looked much older here, and if she thought the Ice Warrior's artwork on the walls had been breathtaking before, this was enough to stun her completely. Even the Brigadier and the Doctor looked around in awe.
"So the relic is one of those planet transforming things?" Amy asked, feeling like it was right out of a sci-fi movie. Then again, that pretty much summed up her life, and she reached out to touch one of the delicate paintings of the blue trees on the wall.
"That is what it is said to be," Ixkyr said, watching them warily. "So you see then why it is of greatest importance and security."
"Yes, quite," the Brigadier said. "But I don't see what-"
"The relic!" Nyrytzl shouted as he ran ahead. Amy dragged her attention from the walls and traded a worried glance with the Doctor before looking to see what had caught the Commander's attention.
Dismay filled her when she saw the torn-out panel and the broken door. With a long-suffering sigh, Amy raised her hands in surrender as Ixkyr immediately leveled his gun at them. She hoped the cells would be warmer than the hallways.
"The strangers have broken in and stolen the relic!" Ixkyr said predictably.
~TBC~
Mem: So there you have it, Awkward Cliffhanger #1. Hope you've enjoyed it so far!
Quote of the chapter: (For Benton and the Doctor's love of explode-y things)
"No boom today, boom tomorrow. There is always a boom tomorrow. What? Look, somebody's got to have some damn perspective around here. Boom. Sooner or later, BOOM!"
--Susan Ivanova, Babylon 5
By: Memory Dragon
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, nor do I make any claim to.
Characters: Amy Pond, Third Doctor, Brigadier, Sergeant Benton, Ice Warriors.
Warnings: Amy's wrath at being captured yet again. Nothing else too major this time though, unless you count awkward cliffhangers.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Amy is so through being captured. It's the Doctor's turn this time, and the Brigadier is going to have to keep up if he's going to help her clear their names!
Notes: And here we are, the third part of Amy-verse. It took me so frickin' long to write, and it's finally over. Well, not quite. It's pretty long, so I've decided to post it in chapters. Sadly, it wasn't written as a chapter fic. It just got a heck of a lot longer than it was supposed to be. Basically, forgive the awkward cliffhangers, because they weren't actually meant to be cliffhangers. Trust me, you got off easy. These would be so much worse if I intended them that way, cause I enjoy writing them. XD
There will be four chapters in all, and I should update once a week. Provided I remember, which I don't always. However, I'm sure Cy will help me remember this time. XD
Thanks: Many thanks to
narwhale_callin for betaing and putting up with my whining over how long it took to write. <3 For the other fics in Amy-verse, click the Amy-verse tag.
~
Amy lay with her back on the floor, her feet up in the air as she stared at the bright red platform boots. Resisting the urge to glare at the door, she clicked her heels together over her head three times. "There's no place like home," she said sarcastically, not too put out when it didn't work.
She had learned that yelling did her no good, though Amy still occasionally threw an insult toward the locked door. She was really getting tired of being locked up. In fact, she had signed herself up for those escapology classes that the Doctor kept going on about her predecessor benefiting from. Fat lot of good they did her against a numeric keypad though. If only her ruby platform boots would do the trick, but sadly, she wasn't in Oz anymore. Just some building that was over run with Yeti and bloody numeric keypads.
It wouldn't be so bad if she was only captured every once in a while, but lately it was every single alien attack. Was it the red hair? Was it really the red hair? She'd show them what being ginger meant if they didn't let her out soon!
The window on the door slid down and Amy immediately looked up. "Are you alright in there, Miss?" Sergeant Benton asked as she scrambled to her feet, thoughts of Toto set aside.
"It's about time!" Amy said, going up to the door. She was almost ready to kiss him through the small window. "Do you know how boring it is in here? Where have you and the Doctor been?"
"Blowing things up, Miss," Benton said with a boyish grin that all guys got when explosives were involved. It was oddly endearing, and Amy ignored the pang as she thought of how frightened Rory had been when Mels got her hands on some fireworks for Bonfire Night. For all his fussing and fretting, Amy had known to wait for the small smile on his face when the fireworks went off without a hitch. Thankfully, Benton interrupted her thoughts before she could get emotional. "And we'd best be out of here before the Doctor sets the last one," he said, drawing back from the door.
After a gun shot, the door creaked open on its own. This is why she wanted the Brigadier to let her have a gun of her own. Not that it wouldn't have been taken away from her when she was captured, but it was the principle of the thing. The Doctor would throw a fit if he'd known that she was being trained in gun safety and how to shoot, much less the fact that she was now licensed to carry arms, but he never had to find that out, right? But the Brigadier wouldn't let her, despite all his insistence that she learn to defend herself if she was going to be the Doctor's assistant. Fat lot of good it did when she kept getting captured despite the training!
Benton, being the gentleman he was, held the door for her. "There you are, Miss. They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"I'm fine," she said, grinning impishly. Her good humor had returned once she was no longer a prisoner. "But next time you leave me out on all the fun, there will be hell to pay. How come I'm always the one who gets kidnapped?"
"We'd best be on our way," Benton said, ignoring her complaints except for a commiserating pat on her head. She scowled at him, but took his offered hand as they ran through the corridors. There was the occasional shake as another explosion went off, but the Sergeant helped her stay on her feet.
Finally, they ran out into the sunny summer day that Amy had seen from the barred windows. The Doctor waved them over from a distance, and they made their way over to him as quickly as they could.
"You're the last ones out," the Doctor said as Amy leaned over to catch her breath. Her side was aching, but she straightened up as she saw the Doctor reaching for a small silver box.
Oh, no, he wasn't. "Doctor, don't you-" she shouted.
He pressed the button and both Benton and Amy ducked to the ground as an explosion assaulted their eardrums. The heat rushed over them. "That was not a safe distance away!" Amy yelled as soon as the ringing in her ears faded and her equilibrium returned.
"No harm done," the Doctor said with a grin. "It was safe enough, I assure you."
Amy was just about ready to smack him when Benton intervened. "Do you think the Great Intelligence was destroyed this time, Doctor?"
"I sincerely hope so, Sergeant," the Doctor said, turning smartly and walking to where Bessie was parked on the side of the road.
She turned back to face the slowly dying heat, shading her face from the slight burn. "Do you think we should put out the fire?"
"UNIT will see to that," Benton said, his good mood fading when he realized that meant he would likely be overseeing that effort. "The Brigadier isn't going to like this..."
Looking up at the smoldering building that had once been a government-funded laboratory for computer sciences, Amy winced. No, the Brigadier would most likely not be pleased they had just reduced it to rubble, Great Intelligence and Yeti-infesting problems or not. Before Amy could articulate a reply to that though, the Doctor testily asked whether or not she was coming. "Good luck with that," she told Benton, not envying him for having to handle the Brigadier's temper.
Climbing into Bessie, the Doctor smiled at her in a smug way that reminded her so much of her Doctor. He didn't even acknowledge the trouble he had caused, and she was beginning to wonder if he would have destroyed the building even if it hadn't been the only way. But while her Doctor frantically pushed forward to forget the bad memories, this one was simply rebellious. In many ways, this Doctor reminded her of a teenager sometimes, which gave her an unnerving feeling given how much older he looked compared to her Doctor.
"Why don't we go for a drive?" the Doctor asked, patting Bessie fondly as if he hadn't just blown up an important building.
And you know what? He had the right idea. Amy wasn't relishing the return to UNIT and the lecture she'd have to sit in on. Avoidance sounded great. "Works for me!"
The drive back was cheerful enough that they stopped for ice cream. Upon driving up to UNIT HQ, however, a dark cloud of doom settled over them, killing their chatter. The Doctor was in trouble, which meant Amy would have to put up with the fall out, and neither of them wanted to really go in.
There was still one more option left to them in hopes of avoiding the Brigadier's wrath - the TARDIS. If they could take off before the Brigadier realized they were back, then they could reappear sometime later after his temper had cooled. Preferably in the middle of something that he needed the Doctor for, so that they could put the whole thing behind them. By unspoken consent, they both slipped through security and made for the Doctor's lab.
They nearly succeeded. The Brigadier walked into the TARDIS just as Amy reached the door control.
"Doctor," the Brigadier said as he stormed in. "That laboratory-"
"Ah, Brigadier. Just the man I was looking for," the Doctor said, motioning for Amy to shut the door. She did so, glancing curiously at the two of them as she tried to figure out the Doctor's game. She knew for a fact the Brigadier had been the lastperson the Doctor wanted to see.
The Doctor was playing with the controls for the coordinates in ways that baffled both Amy and the Brigadier. Neither were impressed, though. Amy had seen the Doctor do it too many times and the Brigadier knew the Time Lord was just showing off. He didn't allow the Doctor to distract him in his tirade either. "I don't know what you're playing at, Doctor, but that was an expensive laboratory you just destroyed."
"And if I hadn't, the Yeti would have overrun London in a matter of hours," the Doctor said as reasonably as she had ever heard him speak, moving around the console. Oh, he was up to something, definitely.
Amy watched him carefully, his hands moving towards the controls that set the TARDIS in flight. "Doctor, you're not going to-"
He was. She felt the shift as the time rotor moved gracefully up and down. Amy felt the thrill run through her body that she always felt when they were off somewhere new. Then she remembered the Brigadier was still here and still very angry. This wasn't going to end well.
"What is this infernal machine of yours doing now?" the Brigadier asked, finally distracted as he walked forward. He glanced critically over the lively console.
"Could you press the flashing button, Brigadier? Yes, that one. Just keep holding it down," the Doctor said as he moved to the other side of the console, muttering to himself.
Amy flicked a few random switches when the Doctor wasn't looking, unable to keep her own hands off the sleek design. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the Brigadier standing at the console, holding down the button with a growing frown. "Doctor-" he started.
"Explain it to him, will you, Amy?" the Doctor asked, staring intently at the readout.
"Me?" Amy asked, hardly believing her ears. He was trying to look busy so she had to explain things. "Oh, no. You got in trouble, you explain it. I'm not having any part of this."
The Doctor looked up to glare at her, but she wasn't playing that game, no sir. He was going to have to face the Brigadier himself.
Speaking of the Brigadier, he had had enough. "Would someone care to explain what the devil is going on here?" he said, his voice rising.
The time rotor stopped moving, and Amy made a point of looking at the scanners as she prodded the Doctor into answering. "Well, go out and look for yourself," he said defensively, opening the doors.
The Brigadier raised an eyebrow, which Amy mimicked when he wasn't looking her way. Sadly, her eyebrow wasn't nearly as effective since the Doctor barely glanced her way. One day, she would figure out how to use the Brigadier's super power to her advantage.
For now though, the Doctor ignored her and walked the Brigadier to the door. "My dear fellow, it's quite simple really," he said. "The TARDIS is a machine that travels through time and space. It was only doing what it was designed to."
The Brigadier's angry reply was muffled as they stepped outside. Amy looked at her watch, counting the seconds before they came back inside. With those two, it would probably take a good minute of arguing before they realized the weather.
"-have to be so cold outside," the Brigadier said as he burst back in at a minute and three seconds. Amy mourned not having Benton or Yates around, because she would have won the bet for how long they stayed outside.
"Just because it's summer in the time we left doesn't mean - Ah, Amy. Would you get the winter attire out of the wardrobe?"
"I was just about to do so when I saw the temperature on the scanner," she said extra sweetly.
Frowning at her innocent smile, the Doctor glanced down at the scanners sheepishly. "Yes, well, if you would, please."
She listened as the argument between the Doctor and the Brigadier became heated again, their raised voices following her down the corridor. She turned to the right and walked a few seconds before she remembered the wardrobe was on the left in this TARDIS. She pulled out the Doctor's opera cloak and a coat for the Brigadier, before looking around for clothes for herself. Amy changed out of her bell-bottoms and peasant blouse for something more modern. She kept the boots, because she loved those even if they didn't magically take her home, but she found a red mahogany sweater with folds of fabric by the neck and a pair of sleek trousers. A scarf and a super cute dark grey coat finished off the look, and she made sure to pick up enough gloves for everyone.
The Doctor and the Brigadier were still in the midst of their argument. She stood outside the door for a moment, listening to the Brigadier demand to be taken home. Home. Nothing made her feel quite like the outsider she was than hearing that. She didn't miss Leadworth - that wasn't home to her. Home was where her friends and family were. She wanted her Doctor - her best friend - and the man she married. Hell, even seeing Mels would be nice, after all this time. She was sick of being in the past and missing everyone who wasn't even born yet. There was a huge difference between visiting and being stuck here.
It took her a few moments to realize the room had gone quiet. Her eyes flew open to see what had happened, only to find that the Doctor and the Brigadier were staring at the doorway. At her.
Amy quickly wiped the moisture out of her eyes. "Are you alright, Mrs. Pond?" the Brigadier asked as she passed him the coat and gloves, his voice kind and just a little uncomfortable.
"I'm okay," she said, meeting his gaze head on.
The Brigadier looked over to the Doctor, and she had the distinct impression they were talking about her, despite the fact not a word was spoken. After she handed the Doctor his cloak, Amy put her hands on her hips. "I'm still here, ya know," she said sharply.
The Doctor coughed and looked away, while the Brigadier sighed. Then, as if they hadn't just been excluding her from the conversation, non-verbal though it was, the Brigadier asked the Doctor, "Just what planet have we landed on, Doctor?"
"I'm not sure," the Doctor said thoughtfully as he looked at the TARDIS' data banks. Then, with a small glare to answer the Brigadier's eyebrow, "Well, I don't know everything, after all. It's very far from Earth, I can tell that much."
They weren't going to tell her. And, hold on, weren't they supposed to be arguing? For once, Amy just let it drop. She didn't want to know their reasons, not when she suspected they had to do with her, and she certainly didn't want their pity. As long as she stopped thinking about her home and how much she missed it, she didn't care at the moment.
Pulling on her gloves, she made sure the coat she wore was securely wrapped around her as she walked out of the TARDIS. Considering that neither the Doctor nor the Brigadier had mentioned any natives when they had come in earlier, Amy was quite surprised to find a group of armed... What were they, lizards? Not like the Silurians, but definitely lizard-like. Their armor was weird-looking, almost like it was part of them. She couldn't tell where the helmet stopped and their heads began. Their eyes weren't visible at all, merely two flat panels which were so dark that Amy didn't know how they could see out of them. The rest of their body was covered in some sort of green bubble armor that was like nothing she had ever seen. Even their hands weren't real; they looked like some sort of robot hand out of The Jetsons.
It was when she was contemplating their hands that she realized they were all pointing dangerous-looking objects at her. Oh, no. Not this time. She was not getting captured again. "Doctor!" she called out as she turned to run back into the TARDIS. She ran straight into him as he was coming out.
"Good heavens, Amy, what... Ah, hello there," he said to the lizardy-armor people. "I'm terribly sorry. We didn't mean to intrude if this is private property. We'll just be on our way and not trouble you further."
"You are the one known as the Doctor?" one of the creatures asked, hissing the words out longer than required, especially the 'S's. She could hear it breathing in a stalker-ish way. She pushed away thoughts of what Rory would think of them, probably making some sort of Star Wars joke.
The Brigadier stepped out from behind them, his hand going to his gun. The Doctor caught his eye and shook his head, almost imperceptibly. "I am the Doctor," he said, bowing politely to the creatures. "I assume you've heard of me."
There was a sibilant whisper through the group of lizards that sounded more like a snake hissing than talking to Amy. Then the weapons were lowered and she relaxed, though the Brigadier still looked tense. "I apologisse if any offensse wass taken," the one who had spoken before said. "We have been told to look for the blue box, honorable one."
Honorable one? Amy put her hands on her hips and looked at the Doctor expectantly, attempting to use her eyebrows like the Brigadier to ask about this 'blue box' nonsense. But the Doctor just carried on with the air of assurance she associated with him not having the faintest idea of what was going on. "It's quite all right, old chap. It's good to see a well trained security force, isn't it, Brigadier?"
The Brigadier wasn't fooled any more than Amy was, but other than raising an eyebrow, he went along with it. It didn't help that the Doctor actually nodded to whatever silent question the Brigadier had asked. That wasn't fair. "Indeed, Doctor," the Brigadier said. "But I don't suppose you'd mind telling us what exactly is going on?"
"The legendss are true then," the leader said, almost reverently. "The Doctor would return for the unveiling of the relic, with a warrior and a fiery female to honor the ancient wayss."
"A fiery what?" Amy asked. If this was some reference to her hair, she was not amused. And if this was going to continue, she had no problem with putting the Doctor on the spot. "Doctor, are you going to explain what's going on?"
The Doctor looked honestly baffled, rubbing his cheek absently. "Quite. Why don't we... ah..."
"If you will come thiss way, honorable one, we will ssee that you and your companionss are comfortable until the ceremony," the head lizard said, gesturing for them to follow. The Doctor walked forward confidently, leaving Amy and the Brigadier no choice but to follow. The armor-lizards still had some very fancy-looking weapons after all, and Amy didn't want to antagonize them if they were friendly. She'd been captured enough recently, thanks.
They were led through the snow silently, the only sound being the crunching beneath their feet. It was a beautiful planet, Amy thought. There were trees of a kind she had never seen before with big, blue leaves and silver bark that nearly took her breath away. Against the crisp snow, there were white flowers with red centers that dotted the landscape like little drops of blood. Amy almost forgot she was cold, looking out at the flowers and the beauty of the planet.
It wasn't long before Amy saw buildings made of marble on either side of them, with a sinuous architecture of the like Amy had never seen before. They must have landed the TARDIS on the outside of the city, but there was no one other than the soldiers about. No, not a city. An outpost or something? The guards greeted the head soldier with respect from inside a glass enclosure, so at least things were looking up as far as getting captured went.
Finally, they were ushered into a building with heating, though it was still chillier than Amy liked room temperature to be. Too cold to take off her jacket, anyway. It was a shock after the emptiness of the world outside to find so many of the lizard aliens inside, and there was a sudden stuffiness that Amy didn't think came from simply having too many people in one place. She stayed close to the Doctor, but even then she was nearly pushed aside twice by big armored aliens on their way to a (thankfully empty) meeting room. They were asked to wait there for someone who sounded important.
Amy had only been paying half-attention. The moment the door was closed and they were alone, she pounced. "What's all this about, a relic? And why is everyone crowded inside? How did they know who we are, anyway?"
"Those are very good questions, Amy," the Doctor said, passing his fingers over his chin absently. "I wish I knew the answers."
"You don't know?" Amy asked, starting to feel the pit of dread in her stomach growing.
"Well, I think the reason everyone is inside is because the atmosphere isn't quite right for them outside. Don't worry, it's not harmful to humans in here, just a little stuffy. But as for this relic business, I'm afraid not." At least the Doctor had the decency to look sheepish at her glare.
The Brigadier wasn't too pleased at the revelation either. "And why don't you know, Doctor?" he asked, his eyes darting around the room as he considered the defensibility of their surroundings. Guiltily, Amy did the same as she remembered the training she'd gone through. She was supposed to be proving to the Brigadier that she could handle 'trotting after the Doctor into Heaven knows what mess,' after all.
"My dear Brigadier, I'm a time traveler," the Doctor said as Amy took in the room. She tuned out the conversation since she was familiar enough with River to know the hazards of meeting someone out of order. She sat down in one of the very comfy benches. At least, she assumed it was a bench. It had a cushion and no back, but there were no tables in the room either. So either it was a cushy table and everyone sat on the floor, or a bench, and Amy decided she'd much rather sit on a table than sit on the floor next to a bench.
There were five other 'benches' that formed a vague circle, but that was the only furniture in the room. There were a few of those delicate white flowers painted along the wall though. The contrasting red and white of the petals was stunningly beautiful. Looking around the room more, Amy was surprised to find that the simplistic pattern was more than a little breath-taking. Not at all what she expected on a military base.
"Just what are these creatures, Doctor?" the Brigadier asked, apparently resigned to the side effects of time travel enough to branch out on his questions. Amy returned her attention to the conversation, wiggling in her seat to get comfortable.
"They're called Ice Warriors, Brigadier," the Doctor explained, walking over to the wall to study the detailing on the flowers. "They're a warrior race. Or were, at certain points in their history. They became a much more peaceful lot after joining the Federation. They're originally from Mars, you know."
"I thought there wasn't any life on Mars?" Amy asked. Even after traveling with the Doctor, there were a few things that were too far-fetched for her to believe right off the bat. "I mean, they've sent up the Mars Rover and didn't find any traces of-" Oops. She glanced over at the Brigadier, who was regarding her with raised eyebrows. She should really remember she's still in the past. "I probably shouldn't have mentioned that."
"No, you shouldn't've," the Doctor said with mild reproof, but he seemed more amused than anything. "And you should keep in mind the Brookings Report. You humans are fond of keeping secrets." The latter was aimed at the Brigadier, but Amy couldn't tell if he was teasing or not. She'd never heard of this 'Brookings Report,' but she could guess that it was meant to keep aliens secret. "The Ice Warriors hid their civilization well before they left Mars because it had become uninhabitable. They took most of their technology with them, leaving behind a desolate planet."
"So there really are Martians?" she asked. Unlike bow ties, that was legitimately cool.
"Yes," the Doctor said, taking one of the benches across from her. "They're a very honorable race, when they're not foolishly trying to take over the Earth."
That got the Brigadier's attention. "They wouldn't happen to be interested in such occupations now, Doctor?" he asked, thankfully still not thinking in terms of past and present.
"I highly doubt it, Brigadier," the Doctor replied. "Earth is much too far from here, after all. I'd estimate we were several star systems removed from Earth's solar system. No, their conquering days are long behind them, if the last time I met them is anything to go by. I was highly suspicious of them myself at first, but one of them saved my life and helped me save Peladon."
The Brigadier didn't look entirely convinced, but at least he wasn't reaching for his gun anymore. Amy was about to ask about their armors being a part of them when the door opened with a beautiful chime. She and the Doctor stood, and she found her question was semi-answered. A new Ice Warrior walked in, wearing a much different armor. He was smaller and sleeker, compared to the other warriors they had seen, and his chest-plate was decorated around the edges with a minimalist flower design. So they must be able to get out of the armor! Either that, or there were two different kinds of Ice Warriors? No, those kinds of thoughts would just make her head spin, so she was going to assume they could take it off. Any attempt to see what they look like without the armor would cause an appropriate amount of mischief, but given that they weren't in trouble for once, Amy should probably behave herself.
Did spiffier armor come with higher rank? Again, her question was answered as the Ice Warrior spoke, his voice surprisingly clear of the breathy quality the other Ice Warriors had. Maybe that was because of the bulkier armors. "I am Commander Nyrytzl. I am in charge of running this base and protecting the relic. You do us great honor by returning for the unveiling."
"It is my privilege to return," the Doctor said, returning the small bow Nyrytzl gave him. "As you know, I'm the Doctor. These are my companions, Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart and Mrs. Amy Pond."
The Brigadier bowed as well when he caught the Doctor's eye and Amy followed suit, trying not to think about how the Doctor was introducing her. She'd never quite corrected anyone that she was really Mrs. Williams. It was a much more boring last name after all, but mostly, she didn't feel like Mrs. Williams. Mrs. Williams would have Rory with her, not be waiting for him and the Doctor to show up for five months. She forced herself to focus on the cultural differences, what with all the bowing and talk of 'honor.' Did they have Asian aliens? Because that was what they sounded like. She'd have to remember to ask the Doctor later.
"Ah, the warrior and the fiery woman. It is indeed how the legends describe," Nyrytzl said, sounding pleased.
The Brigadier cleared his throat, regarding Nyrytzl cautiously. "I'd appreciate being informed of what this 'unveiling' business is about."
The Ice Warrior looked towards the Doctor expectantly, who scratched the back of his neck nervously. "We were in a bit of a hurry from our last destination. I'm afraid I didn't have much time to explain what happened during my last visit to my companions."
Amy rolled her eyes at the obvious lie, but Nyrytzl bought it. How the Doctor got away with this so often, she didn't know. Just once she'd like to see someone catch him in a lie, so long as her neck wasn't on the line as well.
"Then please allow me to explain," Nyrytzl said. After a nod from the Doctor, he continued. The Doctor was so cheating... "Five hundred years ago, the honorable Doctor and his companion visited this place when it was under attack by a Sontaran fleet. He helped us defeat the invaders with glory, and then gifted us with a relic from our days on the red planet."
That sounded remarkably Doctor-ish. In fact, Amy wasn't surprised in the slightest by any of this information. It was obviously the quick version, but she could fill in the missing details and chases with enough clarity that she had to wonder when she got so used to this life. Though, if the Doctor's other companion didn't get captured and thrown in a cell as frequently as she was, Amy was going to have to have a chat with him.
"But the relic was old and broken, only to be used in a time of need," Nyrytzl continued. "He told us to lock it away in this holy place and keep it well guarded, and in five hundred years, he would return and the relic would be renewed."
"How terribly convenient," the Brigadier said as he glanced the Doctor's way.
"Er, yes. That's about how I remember it to have happened," the Doctor replied. Amy settled him with A Look, which wasn't as amazing as the Brigadier's eyebrows, but it still managed to make the Doctor look sheepish. She completely missed the soft chime of the door opening due to her small victory.
"So the relic is expected to be rejuvenated?" the Brigadier asked skeptically. Amy didn't blame him. While she didn't disbelieve it, that was only because she had seen the singing vases of New Greece and had just been convinced of Martians. Really weird lizard-y armored Martians that were okay in her books so long as they didn't put her in a cell.
"That is the story," a new voice said. Amy looked over at the newcomer in surprise; when had he gotten here? He was armored like Nyrytzl, but his chest-plate was stylized differently in a way that she could have sworn made him more sinister. Maybe it was the thorns on the many petaled flowers. He moved slowly into the room, with a kind of grace that Amy associated with one of the UNIT weapon instructors. The Brigadier was tense, his eyes following the newcomer's every move. "Are these the aliens that penetrated the Chameleon Field that protects the base?"
"This is the honorable Doctor and his companions," Nyrytzl said coldly. Was it just Amy, or did the temperature drop from cold to freezing between the two aliens? She tugged her coat more tightly around her. Political infighting. Wonderful. That usually always lead to prison cells at some point, but it was the Doctor's turn to be captured this time.
"And you believe these creatures?" the second Ice Warrior hissed. "They could be using the legend to steal the relic in our time of need. Perhaps they are working for the Sontarans in a second attempt to claim this planet?"
"This is bad, isn't it?" Amy whispered to the Doctor, who nodded. She was surprised to find the Brigadier slowly putting himself in front of both her and the Doctor, though he didn't draw his gun just yet.
Nyrytzl stood as well, his voice angry. "Sub-Commander Ixkyr, do you question your commanding officer?"
"I question the appearance of aliens a day before the unveiling of the precious relic," the second warrior, Ixkyr, said. "I do not trust aliens to not take advantage of the legends and steal the relic away."
"It certainly is a valid concern," the Doctor said thoughtfully. "Though it puts us at a disadvantage. Is there anything we could do to prove ourselves to you?"
"The lock on the relic can only be opened by Commander Nyrytzl and the biodata of our honorable ally," Ixkyr said with a mocking bow to the Doctor.
"That isn't necessary, Sub-Commander. Opening the lock before tomorrow is heresy and no one else could have found the base with the Chameleon shield in place! And you insult the honor of our guests to-"
"Look, it's no big deal, right?" Amy asked. She let out a breath as the two Ice Warriors turned to look at her, the fight diffusing. "Can the lock confirm that he's the Doctor without opening the door? Then we've got proof that we aren't Sontaran spies and everyone is happy."
There was a tense moment - it really was the hair, wasn't it? She was going to get thrown in a cell because she was a red-head, and she was going to make sure they had to blow up the base if that was the case to get her revenge - and the Doctor and Brigadier traded glances. But Nyrytzl sighed and nodded. "Very well, if Sub-Commander Ixkyr insists. I am sorry for his insolence, Honorable One."
The Brigadier gave her a small pat on the shoulder as she sank onto the bench. The Doctor waved off the apology, offering his hand to Amy as he motioned toward the door. "As Amy said, it's no problem at all. If you'll lead us to this lock of yours?"
The door chimed again as they walked through it, the soft bells reminding Amy of the time she tied green bells in her shoe laces at Christmas. She had two versions of this memory, one with just her aunt in their empty house yelling at her, the other with her father laughing at her as she danced around the tree in the living room. She'd made Rory and Mels wear them too, so they could be a matching set, and then she and Mels took theirs off to sneak up behind Rory and scare him. Except, right, she needed to be focused. Rory wasn't here, and hadn't been for the past five months.
She walked next to the Doctor as Nyrytzl lead the way, keeping her voice low so the Ice Warriors couldn't hear her. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked. "What if it was a different version of you that helped the Ice Warriors out?"
"My biodata would be the same," he assured her. "Besides, I'm sure my future self would take that into account, Amy."
Amy didn't say that at least one of the Doctor's regenerations was the type to forget details like that, if her Doctor's small explosions while he worked on the TARDIS as he forgot to connect certain wires were anything to go by. Instead, she dropped back to the Brigadier, who was at least more reasonable. "So, what's the plan?" she asked.
"The plan, Mrs. Pond?"
"Yeah, The Plan. For when the Doctor's bluff fails and everything blows up in our faces," she explained.
The Brigadier raised a very put-upon eyebrow. He had obviously been considering the same thing. His words weren't very reassuring either. "This is a highly defended military outpost, Mrs. Pond. Let us hope it doesn't come to that."
A warning glance from the Doctor stilled any further questions she had. With a sigh, Amy focused on the beautiful artwork that covered the walls of all the hallways. Not flowers this time, but landscapes that changed with every corridor. How did these aliens hold a paintbrush anyway, with those robot hands?
Pondering the problem of paintbrushes, Amy lost track of how many twisting hallways they went down. Though there were no stairs, the floor was sloped downward and Amy got the sense of being underground. She hated that feeling. Nothing good happened to her when she was underground.
They must be getting near the heart of the complex, or at least getting somewhere. Amy's feet were starting to hurt with all of this walking, and she was going to be bruised all over tomorrow from accidentally bumping into aliens in hard suits of armor. Were the hallways always this crowded? How many of these reptiles were on this secret base anyway?
"You seem to have a lot of soldiers on this base, Commander," the Brigadier said, echoing Amy's thoughts. "Is the relic that important?"
"It is important because we have so many people," Nyrytzl explained. "This world has grown overcrowded, and there are no worlds suitable for colonization within range. At least, none that are uninhabited."
"And to comply with Federation laws, you can't conquer anyone," the Doctor finished. He was rubbing at the back of his neck again as he thought, and Amy wondered if she should tell him about that little tick of his. But if she did, he'd get self-conscious and try to stop, and it was kind of adorable in its own way. Now though, there was a peculiar expression on his face as he went on. "You should have the technology to change a world's atmosphere though. I've seen your race use it before. Surely you could find an uninhabited world and make it to your liking? Even on this world, you can't stay outside without protection."
"I'm afraid we have lost that technology, Honorable One. The relic you gave us should help in that regard," Nyrytzl said as he bowed his head in what Amy assumed was shame. It would be so much easier to read these aliens' expressions if they didn't have those bloody helmets on. He entered some sort of pass code into a door and they walked through the surprisingly empty corridor. After how crowded the rest of the base had been, this was a relief. The corridors looked much older here, and if she thought the Ice Warrior's artwork on the walls had been breathtaking before, this was enough to stun her completely. Even the Brigadier and the Doctor looked around in awe.
"So the relic is one of those planet transforming things?" Amy asked, feeling like it was right out of a sci-fi movie. Then again, that pretty much summed up her life, and she reached out to touch one of the delicate paintings of the blue trees on the wall.
"That is what it is said to be," Ixkyr said, watching them warily. "So you see then why it is of greatest importance and security."
"Yes, quite," the Brigadier said. "But I don't see what-"
"The relic!" Nyrytzl shouted as he ran ahead. Amy dragged her attention from the walls and traded a worried glance with the Doctor before looking to see what had caught the Commander's attention.
Dismay filled her when she saw the torn-out panel and the broken door. With a long-suffering sigh, Amy raised her hands in surrender as Ixkyr immediately leveled his gun at them. She hoped the cells would be warmer than the hallways.
"The strangers have broken in and stolen the relic!" Ixkyr said predictably.
~TBC~
Mem: So there you have it, Awkward Cliffhanger #1. Hope you've enjoyed it so far!
Quote of the chapter: (For Benton and the Doctor's love of explode-y things)
"No boom today, boom tomorrow. There is always a boom tomorrow. What? Look, somebody's got to have some damn perspective around here. Boom. Sooner or later, BOOM!"
--Susan Ivanova, Babylon 5
