Sparrow Saga: Book 1 - Time Lady Sparrow

Chapter 8: Breaking the Circuit

The TARDIS hummed softly as it arrived on Satellite 5, its time rotor stilling as the familiar thud echoed through the console room. Mickey stood by the door, arms crossed, his mind already racing ahead to what was about to unfold. They had been through a few more journeys since the Dalek incident, and while the Doctor and he had grown closer, he was still carefully playing his cards, giving the Doctor just enough clues to keep him intrigued, but never enough to reveal the full truth.

Adam was the problem now—a new player in their little group who had arrived with too much ambition and not enough foresight. Rose, as usual, was far too eager to impress him, and Mickey could already see the cracks forming. This was the episode he needed to set things right.

The door to the TARDIS swung open, and they stepped out into the cold, clinical atmosphere of Satellite 5. Mickey couldn't help but glance over at Rose, who immediately tried to make a show of being confident and knowledgeable in front of Adam, even though it was clear she had no real idea of what was going on. Adam, on the other hand, seemed fascinated by everything, his gaze darting around the space like a kid in a candy store.

"Where are all the aliens?" Adam asked, squinting as he tried to make sense of the mostly human population around them.

"Good question," the Doctor responded absentmindedly, his eyes already scanning the room, analyzing.

Mickey, however, was barely listening. His focus was on the upcoming events and how to tweak them without attracting too much attention. He'd already prevented Cathica's friend from going up to floor 500 earlier by slipping in a quick word about the dangers of that floor—subtle enough to keep the Doctor from noticing but effective in ensuring she stayed alive. That was one life saved already, one less casualty of the system.

"Right," the Doctor said, snapping out of his own thoughts. "How about we get something to eat? I'll handle it."

With a flick of his sonic screwdriver, the Doctor pulled some credits from the satellite system and handed them to Rose and Adam. "You two, go on. Mickey, you stay with me."

Mickey shot the Doctor a knowing look and nodded, resisting the urge to smirk. He was playing this carefully, making sure he stayed within the Doctor's good graces, but it was becoming harder not to show his true intelligence. Rose and Adam left, heading off to the food area, and Mickey and the Doctor walked toward Cathica and her group.

As they approached, Cathica barely looked up from her station. "You again? What now?" she asked, irritation clear in her voice.

The Doctor, ever the diplomat, started his questions, but Mickey was already noticing the strange rhythm of the place. Everything was too automated, too controlled. The satellite wasn't just a news station—it was a surveillance system, a prison disguised as a paradise.

When they reached the demonstration of the cerebral implants—how information was transmitted straight into the human brain—Mickey couldn't stay quiet any longer.

"This isn't fascinating," Mickey interrupted, just as the Doctor was about to explain the technology to Rose and Adam, who had rejoined them. "It's dangerous. It's a system designed to keep people in line, not enlighten them."

The Doctor shot him a curious look, clearly impressed by the insight. "Exactly," the Doctor agreed, nodding. "Something's not right here."

Adam, who had been wide-eyed at the idea of downloading information directly into his brain, didn't seem to care about the moral implications. Mickey could see the ambition in his eyes—he was already plotting how to exploit this technology.

Mickey's jaw tightened. He's going to try it. I know he is.

As they moved on, Mickey kept a close watch on Adam, knowing full well what was coming next. Adam would try to install a level-one chip and use Rose's TARDIS key to gain access to future knowledge. He had to stop that. They reached a moment where Rose was about to hand over the key, oblivious to Adam's true intentions.