Ties Between Freedom and Love

✦06✦

Chapter Six
Sabotage

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Earth death in 5 minutes.
Earth death in 5 minutes.

"Emma!"

Emma turned around just as the Doctor and Jabe emerged. Jabe left to call attention to the rest of the room while the Doctor wasted no time in pulling Emma in for a hug, she was surprised but only a little and quickly hugged him back.

"Are you okay?" she asked pulling away from him.

"Yeah, you?" he asked making sure to keep her at arm's length.

"Fine," Emma nodded, "have you seen Rose?" she questioned.

"Yeah, she's fine," he reassured and quickly turned Emma in his arms to face Jabe as she started talking.

"The metal machine confirms - the spiders have infiltrated the whole of Platform One," Jabe announced as she glanced around the room at everyone.

"How is that possible?" Cassandra gasped, "Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me. Moisturize me," she demanded and her attendants quickly listened spraying her down.

"Summon the steward," Moxx of Balhoon demanded.

Jabe turned to him sympathetically, "I'm afraid the steward is dead," she said sadly and Emma's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Who killed him?" Moxx questioned and immediately Cassandra had an answer.

"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe. He invited us!" she accused, "talk to the Face! Talk to the Face!"

"He wouldn't do this!" Emma protested.

"What would you know?" Cassandra spat, "or are you saying it was you?"

"Easy way of finding out," the Doctor piped up and Emma turned to look at him, he was holding, what looked like a metal spider in his hand, "Someone brought their little pet onboard. Let's send him back to master." He set the spider down and Emma stepped out of the way as it started to sift through the crowd finally stopping in front of Cassandra before taking a second to look around and changing its mind. It rushed across the room and obediently stopped in front of the creepy Darth Vader group.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. J'accuse!" Cassandra exclaimed in a gasp.

"Creepy! But doubtful," Emma muttered and the Doctor shot her a smile before slowly walking his way over to them.

"That's all very well and kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it," he said as one of the Adherents raised his arm to attack, the Doctor quickly caught it with his hand, and with one swift tug he pulled its arm off. "A repeated meme is just an idea and that's all they are - an idea."

Emma looked from the Doctor to the clawed and wired arm in his hand. He yanked the wire from the arm and all three of the Adherents fell to the ground like dominos.

Now that, Emma was not expecting.

"Remote-controlled droids. Nice little cover for the real trouble-maker," the Doctor said and stepped up to the metal spider still standing in front of the now fallen Adherents, he gave it a slight nudge with his foot. "Go on, Jimbo. Go home." The spider hesitantly, but more than willingly walked back over to Cassandra.

"I bet you were the school swot, who never got kissed," Cassandra lowly retorted at the Doctor and Emma rolled her eyes at the weak comeback. "At arms!" Cassandra ordered and her attendants stepped in front of her defensively, their moisturizing guns at the ready.