Untold Knowledge (Doctor Who x Genius Fem! Oc) [Book 1]

Chapter 22: The Age of Steel

After ditching their van, they continued their journey on foot while avoiding any and all dangers posing against them. It was in those moments when Jake decided to try his luck and attempt to make a move. "I'm no photographer, but I can definitely picture us together." he said to the unsuspecting Echo.

She instantly looked at him with a taken aback expression. Unbeknownst to them, a quickly angered Doctor was carefully listening in. "To bad I'm too grotesque for any kind of pictures." she replied with clear confusion, not quite understanding what agenda he truly had. For she hadn't been hit on in many, many years.

He received her answer and yet wasn't going to back down easily. "I'm glad you weren't hurt when you fell from Heaven, angel." he tried again with a cocky grin.

"Actually, now that you mention it, I did scrape my leg pretty bad while clawing my way out of Hell." She then rolled her eyes and walked slightly faster so she could walk beside her Doctor. He gave her an amused expression and held her hand.

Not long after the embarrassing interaction did they hear an unexpected activation sequence ring through the air; followed by every person in sight stopping then walking like zombies in the same direction. "What the hell? What's going on?" Rose asked in bewilderment.

"I knew I hated those earbuds for a reason." Echo grumbled with dissatisfaction. "Lumic's taken control. We're running out of time."

Rose walked closer to one of the hypnotized people in curiosity. "Well, can't we just, I don't know, take them off?" she asked as she went to grab them.

"Don't!" the Doctor warned, knowing exactly what would happen as a result. "It would cause a brainstorm." He then looked at all those passing them by. "Human race. For such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible. Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes I think you like it. Easy life." he rambled as he carefully looked around with the rest of them.

"Well, I mean, yeah. You give the human race the benefit of the doubt, they'll likely prove you wrong." Echo mumbled absentmindedly.

When they cautiously looked around the next corner they met, they saw a squad of Cybermen guarding the controlled humans. "Where are they all going?" Rose wondered aloud.

"Not sure. Lumic must have a base of operations." the Doctor replied as he, too, watched the victims walking.

Pete then jumped in, "Battersea. That's where he was building his prototypes."

With a nod of her head and calculative eyes, Echo asked the very next question she thought of. "Do you know what Lumic's reason is for starting all this?"

He nodded, "He's dying. This started out as a way of prolonging life; of keeping the brain alive at any cost." he explained, an inexplicably horrible feeling hitting him again. Jackie. Jackie wouldn't be Jackie. She'd be gone forever.

"The thing is, I've seen Cybermen before, haven't I? The head. Those handle shapes in Van Statten's museum." Rose recalled quietly, not sure if she wanted to actually experience the danger Cybermen posed.

Echo nodded, though not sure of what 'Van Statten's museum' was. "There are Cybermen in about sixteen dimensions with a noticeable amount of power. Yours included." she informed as she analyzed what she could.

"They start out on an ordinary world like this, then swarm across the galaxy." the Doctor added.

Pete glared at them with outrage. They had to be either crazy or having a laugh. Though it didn't matter which was true. Now wasn't the time to be anything but serious. "What the hell are you on about?" he demanded angrily.