The Long Game

Alyssa had landed for the first time since she had come back to this universe not directly in an episode of Doctor Who. She landed in Torchwood 3 and spent some time with Jack and his team. Who taught her a bunch of things before she jumped off again. They taught her a little bit of self-defense and how to shoot a gun. And some electronic basics from Toshiko. After some weeks she did jump off again. Alyssa had jumped to what seemed to be a space station. She spent hours just walking around trying to figure out where she was, finally she had reached what seemed to be a break room or just the main room of a floor. The first thing she noticed was three people. One she knew quite well, the Ninth Doctor. She practically ran over to where he was,

"Ah there you are, I've been looking for you for hours!" Alyssa said,

"We literally just arrived." The Doctor said, examining where they were. Alyssa pouted

"So you don't know where we are?" Alyssa said, The Doctor looked back at her

"You're the psychic where are we?" The Doctor said, Alyssa made an 'I don't know' gestured

"Okay better question, When are we?" She asked,

The Doctor smiled and said, "Somewhere during the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire." There conversation was interrupted by someone pushing past them and the floor was soon filled with people all in line to get some food. The doctor was baffled by everything that was going on because he had just phased the human race only to see that he was wrong about them, in this Space station

"Fine cuisine?" Rose asked also confused

My watch must be wrong." The Doctro said, he looked down at his watch once again only to realize that he was right "No, it's fine. It's weird."

"Doctor dear did you try showing off?" Alyssa said, "you almost always get proven wrong when you do that." The Doctor glared at her but a man who was with them that was silent the whole time finally spoke for the first time

"They're all human. What about the millions of planets, the millions of species? Where are they?" The man asked.,

"Good question, hey Doc you up for investigating?" Alyssa said as looked around

"Don't call me Doc." The Doctor said before turning to the man and said: "Adam, me old mate, you must be starving."

"No, I'm just a bit time sick." the man now known to be Adam said,

"No, you just need a bit of grub." the Doctor said before going over to one of the stalls and said "Oi, mate - how much is a kronkburger?"

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now join the queue." The Chef said,

"Money. We need money. Let's use a cashpoint." The Doctor said, before walking away and to a cash point. He brought out his Sonic Screwdriver and soniced the cash point and a plastic card came out. The doctor then handed to Adam and said "There you go, pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets.""Unless you like sweets then go ahead and spend it all on sweets," Alyssa said, joining the Doctor to go investigate the spaceship.

"How does it work?" Adam asked, The Doctor turned back a bit annoyed with Adam

"Go and find out. Stop nagging me. The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guidebook, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers. Or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go and do it." The Doctor said, Adam then left but Rose stayed behind for a second "Off you go, then. Your first date."

"Like you can talk!" Rose said talking about him and Alyssa. The Doctor didn't say yes to what she said or no. Just grabbed Alyssa's hand and pulled her with him.

The two walked over to two girls who were talking to each other on there way somewhere. One was of African descendent and the other was a white woman with light brown hair "this is going to sound daft, but can you tell me where I am?" The Doctor said as soon as they got to the two girls

"Floor One Three Nine. Could they write it any bigger?" The African women said gesturing behind her. Where the floor number was printed quite hugely.

"Floor one three nine of what?" The Doctor asked,

"Must've been a hell of a party.""Oh Sweetie you have no idea," Alyssa said, the two ignored her

"You're on Satellite Five." the brown-haired girl said,

"What's Satellite Five?" the Doctor asked,

"Better question, what does satellite Five do?" Alyssa said,

"Come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are or what we do?

"Look at us. We're stupid."

"Hold on, wait a minute. Are you a test? Some sort of management test kind of thing?" The brown-haired women said, the Doctor sighed and began to take out his psychic paper,

"You've got us Well done. You're too clever for us." He said, holding up the Psychic Paper "she helps me out." mentioning Alyssa

"We were warned about this in basic training. All workers have to be versed in company promotion." The brown-haired women said, and the African women who had forgotten about that small detail

"Right, fire away, ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor five hundred I'll do anything." she said,

"Why, what happens on Floor five hundred?" The Doctor asked,

"walls are made of gold. A fool's gold" Alyssa whispered, finally remembering what episode she was in.

"The walls are made of gold. And you should know, Mister Management. So, this is what we do." the African women said before walking over to some TV's that each had their own stories. "Latest news, sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day. Space lane seventy-seven closed by sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Bo has just announced he's pregnant." the last one made Alyssa burst out laughing and the three others looked at her like she was crazy. Soon she stopped laughing

"I'm sorry, I know the Face of Boe, we're really close and now I'm wondering how he got in that situation. Because if I remember right, he's a guy." She said, The others looked at the TV screen

"I get it. You broadcast the news." The Doctor said,

"We are the news. We're the journalists. We write it, package it and sell it. Six hundred channels. Nothing happens in the whole human empire without it going through us." A bell rung and everyone who was bustling around the place got up and left the floor, the Doctor turned around and saw Rose and Adam who were sitting down eating some food.

"Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!" The Doctor yelled, The two joined them and they soon went off to where the two women worked.

The room they worked was a bright white with a chair in the middle with some kind of machinery above it. Seven people were sitting including the brown-haired women on the floor in front of what looked like hand scanners. The four stood by a railing as the eight people got ready to start, what they call, broadcasting the news

"Now, everybody behave. We have a management inspection. How do you want it, by the book?" the African women said, looking at the Doctor and Alyssa.

"Right from scratch, thanks." The Doctor said and the women looked back at the others

"Okay. So, ladies, gentlemen, multi-sex, undecided or robot,- my name is Cathica Santini Khadeni. That's Cathica with a C, in case you want to write to Floor five hundred praising me, and please do. Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy." She said,

"Actually, it's the law." the brown-haired women said, and Cathica then said almost like she was mad at her

"Yes, thank you, Suki. Okay, keep it calm. Don't show off for the guests. Here we go." Cathica then sat down in the chair and said "And engage safety" the group that was sitting on the floor all put their hands over the hand scanners, lights turned on around the room. Cathica clicked her fingers opening a door on her forehead and the others put their hands on the scanners. Cathica then said "And three, two, and spike." a beam of light then came out of the machinery and went into Cathica's head.

"Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer." The Doctor said, stunned at what was happening

"If it all goes through her, she must be a genius," Rose said,

"Nah, she wouldn't remember any of it. There's too much. Her head'd blow up. The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets." The Doctor said walking out from behind the bar and forward to get a better look at it.

"So, what about all these people around the edge?" Rose said gesturing to the seven on the floor. "They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit six hundred channels. Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place. Now that's what I call power." the Doctor said reaching the bar again and leaning against it.

"Yet the technology is wrong, Doc. Isn't it?" Alyssa said, and the Doctor nodded up at her

"Trouble?" Rose asked,

"There's always trouble with him Rose, I'm surprised you still have to question it," Alyssa said, suddenly Suki tore her hands off the scanner and the stream of information going into Cathica's head shut off and she sat up

"Come off it, Suki. I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?" Cathica said,

"Sorry. It must've been a glitch." Suki said, and Cathica got off the chair

"Promotion." A computer voice said, A blue screen lit up with the same word that was just said

"come on. This is it. Come on. Oh God, make it me. Come on, say my name, say my name, say my name." Cathica said putting her hands together begging for it to be her but it wasn't

"Promotion for Suki Macrae Cantrell. Please proceed to Floor five hundred." The computer said

"I don't believe it." Suki said standing up with disbelief and continued "Floor five hundred."

"How the hell did you manage that? I'm above you." Cathica said, obviously mad about Suki getting the promotion

"I don't know. I just applied on the off chance and they've said yes." Suki said, still in disbelief.

"That's so not fair. I've been applying to Floor five hundred for three years." Cathica said, crossing her arms.

"What's Floor five hundred?" Rose asked the Doctor

"The walls are made of gold." Alyssa answered,

Later on, Suki was ready to go up to floor Five Hundred and the group was giving her a farewell. "Cathica, I'm going to miss you," Suki said and turned to Alyssa and the Doctor and continued "Floor five hundred, thank you."

"We didn't do anything." The Doctor said,

"Well, you're my lucky charms."

"All right. I'll hug anyone." The Doctor said, when they pulled away, Suki turned and hugged Alyssa. She pulled back and picked up her bag

"Oh, my God, I've got to go. I can't keep them waiting." Suki said and then raced over to the lift and continued "I'm sorry. Say goodbye to Steve for me. Bye!" The lift door closed and Suki disappeared up to floor five hundred

"Good riddance." Cathica said,

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs." The Doctor said,

"We won't. Once you go to Floor five hundred you never come back." Cathica said, and the Doctor looked at the lift in concern as the numbers of the floors went up until it finally hit 500. The group then turned around and walked back to the cafeteria

"Have you ever been up there?"The Doctor asked,

"If she had been she wouldn't be here, Doc because if she had gone up she wouldn't have come back down." Alyssa said, and Cathica nodded

"I can't. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to five hundred except for the chosen few." Cathica said,

Adam had left to back to the Tardis and the Others followed Cathica back to where she worked and Cathica said "Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance. Can't you give it a rest?" as she walked around a with a clipboard.

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" The Doctor said and sat down in the chair " I went to floor sixteen when I first arrived. That's medical. That's when I got my head done, and then I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all. You're not management, are you?"

"At last. She's clever."

"Doctor don't be rude," Alyssa said and Cathica who was now worried that they would include her in whatever she thought they were planning

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything." Cathica said, Alyssa sighed and walked over

"Didn't you ever find something was strange here? Like there was something that your employers never told you? Have you ever asked about certain things?" Alyssa asked, Cathica shook her head,

"why would I?" She said

"I really don't believe that you have never found anything strange. Have you ever wondered why there are no aliens on board?" Alyssa said,

"What's that got to do with anything?" Cathica asked,

"The smallest thing can have the biggest impact. A mask, a plastic arm, a watch, and in this case maybe it's that there are no aliens on board. Why?" Alyssa said, recalling how almost everything from her past adventures mostly relied on small objects.

"I don't know. No real reason. They're not banned or anything." Cathica said finally realizing that it was true that it was weird.

"Then where are they?" The doctor asked,

"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what with all the threats."

"threats?" Alyssa said,

"I don't know all of them. Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away. Oh, and the government on Chavic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see. Just lots of little reasons, that's all."

"Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice." The doctor said,

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything."

"Nobody can see everything. People can't see the smallest secrets if someone has it locked up tight. Me and doctor can see better

"This society's the wrong shape, even the technology." The doctor added,

"It's cutting-edge," Cathica said

"It's backwards. There's a great big door in your head. You should've chucked this out years ago."

"So, what do you think's going on?" Rose asked

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and Bountiful Human Empire's stunted. Something's holding it back." The Doctor said,

"And how would you know?" Cathica said

"Trust me, humanity's been set back about ninety years. When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?" The Doctor said,

"Close to ninety years ago, I bet." Alyssa said and Cathica nodded

"Ninety-one years ago." Cathica said,

The group headed back out to the Cafeteria where the Doctor worked on a door. Cathica who watching for anyone coming said "We are so going to get in trouble." and she walked back over and said to the three. " You're not allowed to touch the mainframe. You're going to get told off."

"Rose, tell her to button it." The Doctor said,

"You can't just vandalize the place. Someone's going to notice!" Cathica said, trying to get them to stop. Alyssa then looked up at her

"Button it Cathica." She said, The door opened and Alyssa and The Doctor set off to get some answers

"This is nothing to do with me. I'm going back to work." Cathica said about to leave

"Go on, then. See you!" The Doctor said, but that made Cathica turn back,

"I can't just leave you can I!" She said,

"Cathica you can either help us or leave. Which will it be?" Alyssa said looking back at her

"If you want to be useful, get them to turn the heating down. It's boiling. What's wrong with this place? Can't they do something about it?" Rose said,

"I don't know. We keep asking. Something to do with the turbine."

"That is one of the most basic responses for anything, something to do with the turbine," Alyssa said as she continued to help the Doctor by pulling out the wires the Doctor told her to.

"Well, I don't know!" Cathica yelled, Alyssa rolled her eyes and The Doctor turned around

"Exactly. I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Rose. Look at Rose. Rose is asking the right kind of question." The Doctor said,

"Oh, thank you," Rose said, accepting the praise

"Why is it so hot?" The Doctor yelled and returned to work

"One minute you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!"

"Smallest things Cathica, smallest things," Alyssa said, smiling as the Doctor ripped out a chunk of wires. Soon they managed to get a map of the satellite on the screen,

"Here we go. Satellite Five, pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout." he said pulling Alyssa away from the closet and allowing Cathica to look at the screen. She examined it

"This is ridiculous. You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange and you're looking at pipes?" Cathica said,

"But there's something wrong." The Doctor said

"I suppose."

"Why, what is it?" Rose said,

"The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out channeling massive amounts of heat down."

"Like I said Cathica, the smallest thing could have a great impact. That heat is coming from the very top, Floor Five Hundred. Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?" Rose said

"You can't. You need a key." Cathica said and the Doctor reached forward

"Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here. Here we go. Override two one five point nine." The Doctor said, and typed something into it and soon the code appeared on the screen Cathica then said, "How come it's given you the code?"

"Someone up there likes us," Alyssa said looking up at the camera.

The group then went to the lift and the three went inside but Cathica stayed out staring at them.

"Come on. Come with us." Rose said, but Cathica just shook her head

"No way." Cathica said, the Doctor waved bye at her and Cathica said "Well, don't mention my name. When you get in trouble, just don't involve me." She then left and the Doctor looked at the two

"That's her gone. Adam's given up. Looks like it's just us three." The Doctor said, Alyssa smiled and nodded and Rose nodded as well and they started their way up to floor five hundred. When they got there the lift doors opened to reveal that the walls were not made of gold. But covered with ice. "The walls are not made of gold. You two should go back downstairs." Alyssa smirked at him and went forward.

"Tough." Rose said, following Alyssa, they walked around for a while before they reached a room where a bunch of people was sitting and only one was standing who was staring at them almost like he was expecting them,

"I started without you. This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you three, you don't exist. Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?" The person siad, The group said nothing but Rose ran forward and shook her

"Suki. Suki! Hello? Can you hear me? Suki? What have you done to her?" she said looking back at the editor.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. But she's dead Rose." Alyssa said, glaring at the man.

"She's working," Rose said in utter confusion as she looked at the screens.

"They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going, like puppets." The Doctor said,

"Oh! You're full of information. But it's only fair we get some information back because apparently, you're no one. It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?" the man said,

"It doesn't matter, because we're off. Nice to meet you. Come on." The Doctor said, turning around to leave but Zombies grabbed him and Alyssa. Suki grabbed Rose's arm. The people who had a hold of Alyssa and the Doctor forced them to turn around

"Tell me who you are." The man said,

"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly going to say, am I."

"Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?"

"It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live." There was some growling and the person acted like he could understand it and continued "Yeah. Yeah, sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client." he clicked his fingers and pointed upwards. Where a giant blob with very sharp teeth hung.

"It looks like a big angry pimple. Do you think we would be threatened by that?" Alyssa said, and the man walked forward and slapped her. She laughed and didn't care that she had just been slapped, but the Doctor however did and struggled harder against the people holding him the man sighed

"That thing is in charge of the human race. For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news, edited by my superior, your master, and humanity's guiding light, the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe. I call him Max." the man said, the three were then put in manacles and the man continued "Create a climate of fear and it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote."

"So all the people on Earth are like, slaves," Rose said,

"Well, now, there's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

"Yes." The Doctor and Alyssa said together

"Oh. I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? Yes?"

"Yes." The two said again, The man laughed and said: "You're no fun."

"Let me out of these manacles. You'll find out how much fun I am." The Doctor said,

"That goes for me too." Alyssa added, she had managed to hide the gun she had before they came up here.

"Oh, They're tough, aren't they But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit." the man said,

"You can't hide something on this scale. Somebody must have noticed." Rose asked,

"Great question," Alyssa said

"From time to time, someone, yes, but the computer chip system allows me to see inside their brains. I can see the smallest doubt and crush it. Then they just carry on, living the life, strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're so individual when of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing." The Doctor looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Cathica, and lightly bumped Alyssa who did the same thing.

"What about you? You're not a Jagrabelly." Rose said

"Jagrafess," Alyssa said correcting her

"Jagrafess. You're not a Jagrafess. You're human." Rose said,

"Yeah, well, simply being human doesn't pay very well." The man said.

"But you couldn't have done this all on your own," Rose said,

"No. I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to install himself." The man said and the three looked up trying to get Cathica to look up and see it as well

"No wonder, a creature that size. What's his life span?" The Doctor said,

"Three thousand years."

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, it stays alive. Satellite Five is one great big life support system."

"But that's why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown. Who are you?" The man said, and snapped fingers, shocking the three through the manacles, the three shook in pain and the man snapped his fingers again making the shocks stop

"Leave them alone. I'm the Doctor, she's Rose Tyler and She's Alyssa. We're nothing, we're just wandering." The Doctor said,

"Tell me who you are!" the man said not believing what the Doctor said,

"I just said!" The Doctor shouted,

"Yes, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly" The man was interrupted by the Jagrafress growling and the man said "Time Lord."

"What?" The Doctor said, in shock, the man walked over to them and said "Oh, yes. The last of the Time Lords in his travelling machine. Oh, with his little human girl from long ago" He said stroking Rose's face. He then turned to Alyssa and snapped his fingers again but it was only Alyssa who was shocked this time.

"But you, your still an anomaly tell me who you are." Alyssa shook her head gritting her teeth in pain refusing to say anything. The man snapped his fingers again and the shocks became more frequent and stronger

"Stop it, Stop it now." The Doctor said, but the man just waited for Alyssa to respond but she didn't the man sighed and snapped his fingers again, making the shocks stop and Alyssa slumped forward a bit unconscious.

"No matter, Time travel." The man said turning back to the Doctor who was now staring at Alyssa in concern. Before his eyes snapped back to the man

"Someone's been telling you lies." The Doctor said,

"Young master Adam Mitchell?" The man snapped again and a live feed started playing of Adam who was screaming, as a stream of energy flew into his head

"Oh, my God. His head!" Rose said

"What the hell's he done? What the hell's he gone and done? They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything." The Doctor said,

"And through him, I know everything about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in you S. Tardis."

"Well, you'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first."

"Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key." The man said as a Tardis key rises from Adam's pocket.

"You and your boyfriends!" The Doctor yelled, at Rose,

"Today, we are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing." the man said,

"And no one's going to stop you because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughterhouse if they're told it's made of gold." The Doctor said and watched as Cathica rushed off. Soon a beeping noise sounded and the man went to see what was going on

"Someone's disengaged the safety. Who's that?" The man said before he snapped his fingers again and the live feed turned to Cathica who was in a chair with energy streaming into her head

"It's Cathica." Rose said

"And she's thinking. She's using what she knows." the Doctor said, "Everything I told her about Satellite Five. The pipes, the filters, she's reversing it. Look at that." The two looked over and saw that icicles were starting to melt "It's getting hot." Soon everything started sparking and the satellite started shaking. Rose suddenly got her manacles off and went to the Doctor's side and started looking for the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. "She's venting the heat up here. The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano." The Jagrafress snarled

"Yes, I'm trying, sir, but I don't know how she did it. It's impossible. A member of staff with an idea." The man said, Rose finally got the Doctor's screwdriver

"What do I do?" "Flick the switch!" She said, Rose did that and freed the Doctor snatched it and undo Alyssa's manacles and caught her as she slumped forward, he took her up into his arms

"Oi, mate, want to bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body, massive bang. See you in the headlines!" The Doctor said, and rushed out of the room and to where Cathica was and told Rose to click her fingers which she did and the door closed and the Doctor said, "bulge up." Cathica seeing the unconscious Alyssa in the Doctor's arm did what he asked and the Doctor put her on the chair and scanned her with his screwdriver.

"Is she going to be okay?" Rose yelled, The Doctor took the screwdriver away and smiled softly as he read the results

"She'll be just fine. Enough shocks to knock her unconscious but not enough to damage her physically. Gotta thank that Time Lord biology." when he said that, they heard a groan from her as she opened her eyes and looked around

"Did we win?" She muttered

"Yeah, we won." The Doctor said laughing, stroking her hair a bit.

Hours later the team was back in the Tardis. The Doctor and Rose dropped Adam off at home, because of what he did, but Alyssa stayed in the Tardis sitting in the Pilot Seat when the Doctor came up beside her and said: "are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said smiling up at the Doctor, but it fell when the Doctor just had his arms crossed, "Why didn't you just tell him who you were?"

"I have foreknowledge, if he had that from me, he would be unstoppable.""No, he wouldn't, you only have foreknowledge on my life, not the human race. Next time someone asks you who you are, you tell them." Alyssa sighed but nodded and clutched her head and said "Sorry big ears, I've got to go." and disappeared once again.