Doctor Who: Heart of Steel

Prologue

The City of Magura had once stood as testament to peace, freedom and co-operation between multiple species. The plans had been drawn up a thousand years ago after the human settlers arrived and became one with the community. Earth had always been a prime target for hostile invaders and, after one attack too many, several space ships set off in hope of a brighter future.

All seven Hybrid Spaceships had been designed with the possibility that it would take several lifetimes before finding a new place for its passengers to call home in mind and had been built accordingly. Treeborgs had been implemented to maintain a breathable atmosphere within the ships and iFarms had also been built for food and water.

The Hybrid Spaceships arrived at Avalon three hundred years after their launch. Tensions had been high when they arrived but the human settlers showed them footage of several attempted invasions followed by a message of peace. Avalon itself was very similar to Earth, only instead of humans being the ones who had evolved, it had been the animals instead.

Anthropomorphic animals inhabited Avalon and had created their own method of powering machines called "Psyche", which worked as a form of kinetic energy. It was good for the environment, meaning there was no pollution to speak of and the Hybrid Ship's iFarms were then adapted to be compatible with Psyche, making farming far easier than it had been before.

Magura was built and Avalon was at peace but no matter how wonderful it is, peace never lasts.

The City of Magura of {|7_9} was very different to the one that had originally been built and not for the better. Greed had tainted the planet and the politicians that had once sworn to protect their city had turned cruel.

It had been fifty years since the Psyche energy plants had been built to power the centre of the city the surrounding areas, more commonly referred to as the Slums, with hardly any power or resource. The Centre spared enough to keep the poor citizens alive, but only because they wouldn't be able to take taxes off them if they were dead.

In the dead centre of the city was the tallest building of them all, known as "The Network Building". The richest person on Avalon owned the Network Building and she was also the owner of the Power Plants. By that logic she was also the owner of the Government, despite what they said. She made the decisions and if her orders weren't carried out then it was lights out for Magura.

Being at the centre of the city, The Network Building shined the brightest. There were no window or at least there didn't appear to be. Instead it was made completely out of steel and several powerful beams of light emitted from the Psyche-powered spotlights that ran up the building.

Despite what the building represented, Cooper had always enjoyed sitting on the roof of his house and looking at it every night. It was cold and hard, but in a strange way it was rather beautiful, as was the rest of the City Centre and it both calmed and angered him. It represented a better a life, an easier life and at the same time it represented greed and selfishness.

He hugged his legs to his chest in an attempt to keep warm and sighed. He heard the sound of moving brick and he turned his head to see his older sister, Joan, crawling uneasily across the rooftop like a spooked cat. She had never felt comfortable moving on the roof and it was amusing to see her attempt it.

'I hope you're not pining for the life of a politician,' she said sternly, sitting down.

'No,' he replied, turning his gaze back to the City Centre. 'I just like to come out here and think.'

'Yeah. Me too,' she hugged her legs to her chest too. 'I can't wait for us to put the plans into action.'

'Do you really think you can take out all the power plants?' Connor asked uncertainly.

Joan nodded, pushing her dark hair out of her face and behind her ears.

'What happens when you do?' he asked.

She shrugged. 'Once we manage to turn all the power off then they'll be more vulnerable. We can storm the city and take it back. Gadget thinks he's close to figuring out how to work the guns we scavenged,' she smiled. 'It won't be long now.'

Connor didn't reply and Joan rolled her eyes.

'You want to know what we're going to do with her don't you?' she asked and his silence told her all she needed to know. 'I can't believe you have a crush on the evil cow,' she shook her head in disbelief.

'She's pretty,' Connor replied in a measly voice.

'Trust a fifteen year old boy to develop a crush on Lady Satan,' Joan laughed and she ruffled his sandy blonde hair. 'You'll grow out of it.'

He slapped her hand away irritably. 'I don't have a crush on her!' he said.

Joan scoffed. 'Sure you don't. I've never seen you miss one of her public announcements.'

Connor scowled. 'Because it's a public announcement! I'm meant to watch them.'

'While drooling?' Joan asked, smirking and then she because serious. 'You don't want to be telling anyone you have a crush on her. You'll get yourself in trouble.'

'I won't,' he stated. 'Liking her is a good way of getting pelted with rocks in the street.'

Joan nodded. 'It is. But don't worry. One day we'll put her on trial and it'll be her being pelted with rocks. I can't wait. I know she's to blame for the disappearances,' she said angrily and Connor saw her hands curl up into fists.

Connor felt his stomach squirm uncomfortably and Joan then punched him on the arm.

'I'm going to bed. Later, Squirt!' and she carefully crawled along the roof and climbed down the ladder.

Connor sighed, looking at the Network Building sadly.

'You better be careful, Clara Oswald,' he muttered. 'Because the Resistance is coming for you and I hate to think what they're going to do when they catch you.'