Quantum Connections

Beast Below II

I was leaning on the chair that Bow-tie and Amy- I still haven't come up with her nickname yet -had sat on. 

"One little girl crying. So?" Amy must've had a nice life. Never needing to cry silently in order to keep the monsters from finding her.

"Crying silently. I mean, children cry because they want attention, because they're hurt or afraid. But when they cry silently, it's because they just can't stop. Any parent knows that." Bow-tie had experience in that field, I remember from my earlier dreams. A man of many faces, in more ways than one.

"Are you a parent?" Poor Doctor, he had lost everything. How Amy didn't see the pain in his eyes when she asked the question, I will never know.

The Doctor had chosen to ignore her question, "Hundreds of parents walking past who spot her and not one of them's asking her what's wrong, which means they already know, and it's something they don't talk about. Secrets. They're not helping her, so it's something they're afraid of. Shadows, whatever they're afraid of, it's nowhere to be seen, which means it's everywhere. Police state." 

So that's what he meant by police state. As the girl stood to leave I heard gears clicking, I looked around to see what made the noise but only saw a cheap machine. Must've been a game.

"Where'd she go?" Amy could be very oblivious at times, like earlier and now. 

Bow-tie pulled out a wallet, "Deck two oh seven. Apple Sesame block, dwelling 54A. You're looking for Mandy Tanner. Oh, er, this fell out of her pocket when I accidentally bumped into her. Took me four goes. Ask her about those things. The smiling fellows in the booths." So that's what he was doing when I first lost sight of him.

When he mentioned the booths I looked around, "They're everywhere." I made sure to whisper under my breath, don't know why, but I did. 

 "But they're just things."  Amy pointed out.

 "They're clean. Everything else here is all battered and filthy. Look at this place. But no one's laid a finger on those booths. Not a footprint within two feet of them. Look. Ask Mandy, why are people scared of the things in the booths?" The Doctor was quite ominous as he stood up. I was already walking towards where Mandy went as Amy and the Doctor continued to talk for a minute.   

Soon Amy was right behind me and Mandy was right in front of us, "You're following me. Saw you watching me at the marketplace." She didn't act scared. That was a big improvement from the last time I saw her, she didn't even have a single tear left in her eyes.

"You dropped this." Amy handed Mandy back the wallet.

"Yeah, when your friend kept bumping into me." She was very disgruntled by the interactions with Bow-tie. As she walked, and we followed, we ended up at a Magpie Electricals, it was a striped workman's hut with yellow flashing lights and a keep out sign. 

"What's that all about?" Mandy looked surprised that I was talking. Maybe it was the accent. This was a British and Ireland ship after all. 

"There's a hole. We have to go back." Mandy seemed scared again. Poor child, living in a world of hush-hush. 

"A what? A hole?" Yes Amy, we have established this.

"Are you stupid? There's a hole in the road. We can't go that way. There's a travel pipe down by the airlocks, if you've got stamps." Amy pushed through the lights irrupting Mandy, "What are you doing?"  

"Oh, don't mind her, she's a bit of a nut cracker." I whispered to Mandy, I wanted the kid to smile a little and that is what I managed to do.

"Never could resist a keep out sign. What's through there? What's so scary about a hole? Something under the road?" I nudged Mandy's shoulder, almost as if to say, 'see, I told you.' This caused the girl to giggle.

After a couple seconds Amy began to fiddle with the lock. Her and Mandy continued the conversation and I watched Mandy who kept looking to the Booths. I saw its head turn around and gasped, it looked beyond mad. 

"Nothing. It's just, I'm getting married. Funny how things slip your mind." Amy mentioned casually. Seeing as how I wasn't completely tuned out this caught my attention. 

"Married?" Mandy and I said in sync. Mandy looked grossed out by the idea of marriage. I however, was disgusted by the fact that Amy had forgotten. What the heck type of a bride does that?

"Yeah, shut up, married. Really, actually married. Almost definitely." Amy's voice faded, was she not in a happy relationship. Well, if she wasn't why didn't she just call of the wedding?

"When?" Mandy was a  curious bugger.

Amy sighed, "It's funny actually, a long time ago tomorrow morning." Is the reason she didn't cancel because of the fact that she was just getting cold feet? "I wonder what I did." That threw a wrench in my theory. With that there was a click of the lock, "Hey, hey! Results."

I looked over at the Booths and saw that it had the fury of a thousand stars on it's face. Mandy panicked and soon some robed dudes made their way towards us. Amy was suddenly scooted out of the tent and the robed dues knock us out with gas.

***

I woke up feeling a little ill. I looked around and saw a Booth and an old computer system in front of me. It had three buttons, forget and record and protest.

As if sensing I was awake the computer started it's presentation, "Welcome to voting cubicle three thirty B. Please leave this installation as you would wish to find it. The United Kingdom recognizes the right to know of all its citizens. A presentation concerning the history of Starship UK will begin shortly. Your identity is being verified on our electoral roll. Name, Iris Jean Grey. Age, 1305." The computer was fascinating, it was older and horrible yet amazing. 

"You are here because you want to know the truth about this starship, and I am talking to you because you're entitled to know. When this presentation has finished, you will have a choice. You may either protest. or forget. If you choose to protest, understand this. If just one percent of the population of this ship do likewise, the program will be discontinued with consequences for you all. If you choose to accept the situation, and we hope that you will, then press the Forget button. All the information I'm about to give you will be erased from your memory. You will continue to enjoy the safety and amenities of Starship UK, unburdened by the knowledge of what has been done to save you. Here then, is the truth about Starship UK, and the price that has been paid for the safety of the British people. May God have mercy on our souls."

After the voice finished I watched the video and was mortified, how on this Earth could someone do that? This animal had every right to live in peace just as we do. Out of anger I struck the Protest button. I didn't regret it. Not even as the Booth's face turned to absolute rage, not even as the floor opened up and swallowed me whole.

***

Hope you enjoyed, please tell me what you think.

I DON'T OWN DOCTOR WHO JUST IRIS AND HER STORYLINE