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

Chapter 39: The Satan Pit

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
-- Dale Carnegie

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"I don't care in the slightest what we have to do. But we are not going to abandon them." Echo finalized with a challenging glint to her eyes.

Though, even though the choice was risky, Jefferson countered her decision. "They're ten miles down. We haven't got another ten miles of cable." Before the brunette could say any sort of comeback, there was periodic banging coming from the door. "Captain? Situation report."

Zach checked his door as well, the same banging sounding around the room. "It's the Ood. They're cutting through the door bolts. They're breaking in."

"Yeah, it's the same on door twenty-five." Jefferson replied, frustrated with being pinned down.

Echo groaned. "Fantastic. That door's only going to take eight to nine and a half minutes to break through." she said, then began trying to think of anyway to escape in one piece.

"I've got a security frame. It might last a bit longer, but that doesn't help you." Zach said, still having his bolt gun nearby.

Rose nodded, "Right. So we need to stop them, or get out, or both."

"I'll take both, yeah? But how?" Danny asked, his mind crippled from the pressure they were under.

"You heard the Doctor. Why do you think that thing cut him off? 'Cause he was making sense. We just have to think our way out of this." Rose said, making Echo stop and look at her with promise.

"Hey, Zach. Do we have any extra power anywhere? Perhaps to turn a few lights on?" Echo was thinking seventeen steps ahead, but each outcome she came to all required her maximum effort. Though, unlike in the past, she didn't particularly care how difficult any of it was or would be. She had a purpose that would not be denied.

The captain sighed with exasperation. "There's nothing I can do. Some captain, stuck in here, pressing buttons." he grumbled in premature defeat.

"Then press the right buttons." Rose encouraged, knowing their only chance at survival was to work together.

Trying to think quickly, Zach thought over all he could. "They've gutted the generators... But the rocket's got an independent supply. If I could reroute that... Mister Jefferson? Open the bypass conduits. Override the safety."

Without question, the sir in question did as he was told. He felt confident in his leader. "Opening bypass conduits, sir."

Zach then typed quickly into the system as a vague plan began to form. "Channeling rocket feed in three, two, one. Power."

On command, the base suddenly lit up as everything came back online. "There we go." Rose said with a smile, then turned to look at their Security Commander. "What about that strategy nine thing?"

He shook his head. "Not enough power. It needs a hundred percent."

Echo nodded, "Alrighty. Zach, Mister Jefferson, how about you guys work on a way out of here. Keep me in the loop, if you can." She then looked at the terrified man standing beside Rose. "Toby, I can help you work on translating what we can of the Beast's writing."

Rose then looked at Danny, "You're in charge of the Ood. Any way of stopping them?"

He was quickly to deny. "Well, I don't know."

Echo rolled her eyes, not in the mood to deal with anything but the best. "Then find out. If we can get control of the base, then we can get my Doctor out. Now, get to work." she ordered, refusing to back down.

Everyone immediately started on their appointed tasks in the tiny window of time they were allowed. "Open junctions five, six, seven. Reroute filters sixteen to twenty-four. Go." Jefferson said as he completed each step, needing Zach to be on the exact same page.

"There's all sorts of viruses that could stop the Ood. Trouble is, we haven't got any of them on board." Danny said as he quickly used the computer like device.

Rose shook her head. "Well, that's handy, listing all the things we haven't got. We haven't got a swimming pool, either. Or a Tesco's." she sarcastically said, wanting swift results.

Just then, the screen read 'affirmative'. "Oh, my God. It says yes. I can do it! Hypothetically, if you flip the monitor, broadcast a flare, it can disrupt the telepathy. Brainstorm!" he said with glee at their new found ability to fight back.

"What happens to the Ood?" the blonde inquired curiously.

"Well if they aren't effected by basic one hundred, then basic zero should frazzle them out long enough to give us a significant opening to get them back." Echo explained in understanding, grateful for the idea's potential.

"But we'll have to transmit from the central monitor. We need to go to Ood Habitation." Danny said, worried more so about their dreadfully near escape from certain death.

Rose nodded, also willing to try almost anything in order to succeed. "Then that's what we'll do. Mister Jefferson, sir. Have you found any ways out?"

"Just about." he answered as he double checked his work. "There's a network of maintenance tunnels running underneath the base. We should be able to gain access from here." he said as he showed them the schematics on his screen.

"Ventilation shafts." Rose mused with a small smile.

"Yeah, I appreciate the reference, but there's no ventilation. No air, in fact, at all. They were designed for machines, not life forms." he clarified.

Zach then spoke up as an idea came to mind. "But I can manipulate the oxygen field from here. Create discrete pockets of atmosphere. If I control it manually, I can follow you through the network." he elaborated as he readied the system.

With a nod, Echo felt somewhat satisfied with their plan. "All right. Work out a route, then we'll head over there once we have what we need."

Giving Danny only a minute and a half, everyone was able to remove a piece of the metal deck plating and allowing them access to their cramped path below the floor. The Ood were nearly through the door by the time Danny grabbed an orange computer chip from the machine. "Put that in the monitor and it's a bad day to be an Ood." he said before running to their sides.

"We're coming back. Have you got that? We're coming back to this room and we're getting the Doctor and Ida out of there." Rose advised, refusing to ever give up on her best friend and favorite Time Lord.

Jefferson nodded, "Okay. Danny, you go first. Then you, Miss Tyler and Echo. After will come Toby, then me. I'll take the defensive position. Now, come on, quick as you can." Without another moment's delay, they all hopped down into the confined, metal space. The race was on.