Doctor Who Doom Scrolling

Chapter One: Lost Media

Charlie sat with her eyes fixed on the jittering image projected from her CRT TV, proudly stacked on a pile of rarely touched networking textbooks and often touch retro media devices. Cables twirled and jutted out at odd angles, encasing the haphazard pillar in almost vine like appendages. The 'Shrine' as she often joked wasn't hers, it belonged to her partner Alex who was enthusiastically jumping up and down with another Betamax firmly grasped in both of her hands. Charlie loved to see Alex excited but she was watching history! Albeit on a grainy subpar TV.

The launch was happening right now, her passion was space and this was the day she had been counting down for the last 4 years since she saw the publicity announcement. 'Britain's Voyager' was the tagline and it was an apt one.

The UK Space Agency had been working on a probe behind closed doors that was to be launched out of our solar system, holding information about the UK and its history for potential future civilizations to uncover... Charlie didn't think there was much about the UK to be proud of but she couldn't contain her excitement that something she wrote moments away from reaching further than she ever would! One day, somewhere out there, alien hands may read her poem. She had written it for Alex, comparing her to the celestial bodies and the gravitational pull of a blackhole. It was corny and a little cringe but Alex had sent it off secretly to be nominated for the 'Cultural Heart of Britain' competition the UKSA had ran last year. Not only had Charlie's poem won a spot on the craft but it had been shown on multiple news broadcasts about the event.

As the countdown began a tear and a smile crossed Charlies face. Alex sat down on the floor beside her girlfriend, putting down the Betamax tape on the floor and gave a mighty side hug. Charlie ripped her eyes away from the screen for a second to smile back at her partner, momentarily glancing at the discarded Betamax. Its label didn't have words crossed out like any of the other hundreds of tapes Alex had bought and digitised, but rather circles within circles, some scribbled over and some not. She looked back at the screen making a mental note to ask about the tape later.

The pair were counting down together now, 7.... 6.... 5.... 4.... The rockets boosters spurted and one of the 3 failed completely soon followed by the others. All that was left was the occasional spark of fuel dripping from the enormous propulsors. The news presenter covering the event held his hand to his ear as information was being relayed to him. He regained his posture and simply stated "Ladies and Gentlemen, it appears the launch has experienced some technical difficulties. The UKSA are will release a statement this afternoon regarding the condition and potential relaunch of the Excursion Probe"

Charlie sat in silence. Deflated and devastated. But it could have been worse. How many times had something gone wrong with rocket launches after they had left the ground? At the very worst she would have to wait a few more months before they attempted a second launch. At least that's what Alex had said to reassure her. It had worked but only because Alex had an undying sense of optimism and it was beginning to rub off on her. Well, it was either that or a very passionate kiss that took her mind off negative thoughts!

No sooner had the kiss ended before Alex was back to her usual hyper self, blabbing about the tape that sat on the floor mingled within scart leads and HDMI adapters leading to her beat up and sticker covered laptop.

"Have you seen this thing, Charlie! Look at the circles, what are the circles? I can't wait to find out!" she beamed.

"Yeah, I was going to ask about them, do you really have no idea what they are?" came her reply, not at all surprised she hadn't managed to get a word in edgeways about the circles before Alex had brought them up.

"Nope! Not a thing, the only thing the listing said was that it was found in an abandoned TV broadcasting station by some Urbexers near London and that the station had been closed since 1953..." she paused and gave her Girlfriend an expectant look, urging her to put two and two together.

"So, its....old then?"

"Old? Its more than old! Betamax wasn't introduced to the market until 1975 and it certainly wasn't in development all the way back in 1953. I mean even if it was, which it wasn't, what would a recordable, market ready Betamax be doing in London when it was developed it Japan!"

Charlie loved to hear Alex infodump about her tapes, she had heard it all a million times and never retained any of it but that didn't stop her from enjoying every second of Alex enjoying her hobby.

"That's impossible Alex, how do you know some Urban Explores didn't plant that tape in that broadcasting station the week before it went live on the listing? Or heck maybe its all just made up and there was no recording station!"

"No idea!" the same beaming voice as always replied "But if it is true this could be BIG Charlie, I'm talking Lost Media Hall of Fame big!"

Charlie giggled and shuck her head. "you idiot there isn't such a thing"

"Well not now but maybe there will be after this! Imagine the Alex McKinnon Lost Media Hall of Fame" she gave a snort filled laugh, amusing herself far too much.

Charlie sighed and took the tape from Alexs hands, insuring it into the player "We better get on with it then, can't keep the soon to be world famous Alex McKinnon waiting for her holy grain any longer can we"

Alex, still trying to suppress her laughing pulled out the correct remote from a pile of 4 stuffed between the settee cushions of her student flat and with the push of a button the screen flickered from new broadcast to black grain. In the top left of the display was a further 3 circles within circles for a split second before the screen flashed a dull black and blue and a woman appeared dead centre.

"Hello boys and girls, I am the Wire and I cannot feed"

Alex and Charlie both stared at each other, Charlie with a face filled with confusion, Alex with a huge gaping smile plastered onto her face.

"I need to be freed; I need to feed; I am oh so hungry"

And with that the screen went black, the tape stopped rolling and with a click the tape was automatically reminded.

"That was amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

"It just seemed plain creepy to me..."

"That's the point Charlie don't you see it! The circle symbols, the story on the listing... this has got to be an ARG! I bet there is already a community online looking for this tape, there is probably a bunch of them dotted about on sites like eBay waiting to be bought and digitised and...and..."

"Woah slow down Alex, take a breath!"

"I've got to get this digitised and uploaded somewhere right now. I can think of at least 4 forms on one site alone that would love this!

"Alright but once this is uploaded, I'm putting the new broadcast back on misses. Ill get the laptop ready to record, just tell me when to start"

"Okay. Go."