|
|
Post by Gabriel Stark on Nov 20, 2012 15:34:15 GMT -5
Gabriel stood before the gates that broke up the great stone wall before him. His head was still spinning from what was happening. One moment he was in a fight with a Weevil and the next he found himself waking up on grass still damp with morning dew. The sky about him was a beautiful shade of light blue filled with big white fluffy clouds. The crispness and freshness of the air was nothing he had smelled before. No hint of car exhaust, no factory smells… just clean fresh air with hints of various things nature brought like flowers, the animals….
He wasn’t sure where he was or what happened but all this was new. Gabriel remember reading a few books that talked about a Medieval point in Earth’s history… the buildings before him mostly that huge impressive castle that was protect by a mountain range about three hundred yards on either side reminded him of what he read. He could hear voices coming from beyond the walls.
However, he was unsure if he should go in or not… the last thing he needed was more trouble. The weevil had torn open his left arm rather well, the bleeding had stopped but the torn sleeve he wrapped around the wound was soaked in blood. It would be at least a day or two before he was fully healed from the slash. At least the throbbing sharp pain was fading. His eyes glanced around wondering where he could snag some clothes that would allow him to blend in better.
Observe those around him before making any scenes so he had a better idea on what was happening and maybe find out how he ended up here. Where was Jack when he needed him or better yet Aly? It was 23rd century where he had come from but this land he found himself couldn’t be more than 12th century… The only good thing he could think of was that the center would never find him here, that he was finally safe even though he was alone again.
Gabriel pushed his thoughts back and went back to focusing on where he could get some clothes. After all the black and green military style pants, the black compression long sleeve shirt, the military jacket couldn’t be passed off as anything found in this period of time. Maybe he if dirty up his boots enough; they could pass as being from this time. First thing was first, find an empty hom…. Gabriel corrected himself in mid thought, cottage after all that seemed a better name for the buildings he say past the gates.
|
|
|
|
Post by tenthdoctor on Nov 26, 2012 18:47:29 GMT -5
The Cloister Bell had stopped ringing a few moments ago, and the Tenth Doctor almost wished that he could hear it again, even though it was an alarm. He stood alone in the dark console room, the TARDIS sapped of energy as it had passed into a parallel universe, similar to Pete’s World, but this time it was different, as some sort of purple cloud had apparently been responsible for carrying him here.
He didn’t know what it was, as he had never seen such a thing before, but he suspected that it was purposeful in its actions in some sense, as someone or something might have been controlling it. It was certainly powerful, whatever it was, as hardly anything could move the TARDIS into another universe without being at the controls.
He might spend a moment or two searching for some part of the TARDIS that still had some power left over from the home universe, as there had been a little bit left when he entered Pete’s Universe, but for now, he was more curious about what might be outside the TARDIS doors. He had the feeling that, whatever it was, could prove intriguing, and might help him understand what that purple cloud was.
He walked across the console room and slowly opened the TARDIS door, testing the atmosphere so to speak, but it was an Earth-like environment, as far as he was aware of, with grass and trees much like a temperate forest. He checked to make sure that he had his psychic paper, TARDIS key and sonic screwdriver in his pockets, as well as a bunch of other trinkets and such, and then exited the TARDIS, closing the door behind him.
He hoped that the TARDIS would be safe here while he went exploring, undisturbed and, hopefully again, recharging its energy without him having to give away years of his life to it, so that he could take off and leave this universe behind him when he had to. But, for now, to solve the mystery of the purple fog, he walked out of the grove of trees, and onto a road as he glimpsed, in the distance, the heights of a glorious castle, not quite like French, British, German or any other European castles, but an amalgamation of their varying styles, in a pristine, complex construction that seemed too surreal to be believed, if ordinary, human methods of castle construction were used. Perhaps they were not human.
The castle was between two mountain ranges, on top of a hillside overlooking the valley, with a city clustered around the foot of the hillside and stretching across the valley. The city appeared to be from a pre-industrial society, constructed mostly of wood, thatch, slate and stone, and was not quite as marvelous as the castle, but it had plenty of charm. The Doctor decided that his best bet, at this point, was to head in that direction, in the hope that whatever had brought him here might reside in the castle, or in the city itself.
He was about a dozen miles away from the castle, but the entrance to the city was close, and so he set off in that direction, following a line of carts, carriages, riders and walkers all headed into the city at the start of a new day. The inhabitants of this world, from what he observed, were human for the most part, although he did see some alien characters. Most of them were dressed up in garb that would not have been foreign to the 10-17th centuries on Earth, approximately the Medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment eras just before the big Industrial Revolution.
As the Doctor entered the city, however, he spotted one person who seemed to stand out, a young man dressed in army fatigues of a 20th to 21st century style with 23rd century materials? Now that was intriguing—and was this fellow armed? He should be cautious here.
The Doctor headed over in his direction, hands in his pockets. “Hello,” He managed to say, smiling. “Are you lost? I’m lost too. My name’s the Doctor, by the way,” He said, holding out his hand. “Let’s be lost together.” He added. “Two are better than one, wouldn’t you say?”
|
|
|
|
Post by Gabriel Stark on Nov 27, 2012 23:20:11 GMT -5
This was all confusing… It was like had gone back in time in his sleep. He held up his left arm, pulling back the sleeve of his jacket before flipping over the top on the leather strap on his wrist. It was his trust wrist strap! ’Maybe the Vortex manipulator reacted with something in the middle of night…then again I don’t remember falling asleep.’ Gabriel thought to himself as he pressed a few buttons, glancing through the read outs on the screen. Everything showed that he was truly in the 12th century…that he had traveled but yet there was nothing showing on his wrist strap showing that he had indeed traveled. It was a huge puzzle to him.
After a deep sigh, he closed the wrist strap and headed into the city, hoping to find something to wear to make himself blend in better. The market place was abuzz with life… Vendors trying to sell their products, the hammering from the blacksmith… The smells of some street foods being cooked, it was all too much for him to really take in. It just felt a little too much like his home world but without the fear, the urge to run…just uneasiness.
If Jack were here, they both be off to a better start or at least he thought so. Jack would have a better idea of what to do…Gabriel only had been on Earth for about year before all this happened. He had just started to get the basics of 23rd earth life down. And now here he was back in time before all the fancy computers and things that made life easier…
Just as he was about to head back out to the outer limits, he heard someone speaking out to him. Half expecting a guard to be there, ready to chop of his head…he turned slowly to look at a man in a suit before. Okay, so he wasn’t the only one out of place here. In some strange way that was a bit more comforting. ”Why hello there… and yes I am lost.” He had the same way of using a greeting as a flirt at the same time. Something he had picked up from spending too much time with Jack. ”I’m Gabriel and alright. At least being lost together, we should not get anymore lost. Isn’t there a saying that goes two heads are better than one?” He shrugged his shoulders, not really sure then again he had way of messing up those earth sayings.
|
|
|
|
Post by tenthdoctor on Nov 29, 2012 2:00:56 GMT -5
The young man--a soldier, the Doctor assumed, although he wouldn’t hold that against him if the young man remained peaceful--was starting to turn away, probably thinking about leaving the city behind him, when he froze at the Doctor’s words. The young man most likely was afraid, he had probably never experienced anything like this before, even while on duty, and he must have just been snatched up by whatever brought him here, (The purple cloud, the Doctor was willing to bet,) if his army fatigues was any indication of what he had been doing just before he arrived here.
He still had to get used to this place, although the Doctor hoped that both of them wouldn’t be stuck here for that long. Maybe the young man didn’t even believe that any of this was real yet. The Doctor himself was having a hard time believing that any of this was real yet, though he knew that it was, the TARDIS was proof of that much at least. Hopefully, together, both of them would be able to solve the mystery of what was going on here. He missed Donna, Rose, and all of his old friends at this point, but maybe he might be able to make some new friends here.
The young man glanced around, and seemed to visibly relax at the sight of the Doctor, obviously assuming that he was in the same boat as he was. Well, not quite, if the Doctor could get the TARDIS to work again, but the Doctor still wanted to investigate this world a bit more before he made an attempt to leave it, probably with this fellow accompanying him back home or wherever he belonged. The young fellow probably didn’t want to stay here, and he might not fit in at all, drawing too much attention to himself and his incongruous ways, dressed in clothes unsuited to this time. Even in a parallel universe, the Doctor did not want any interference to occur with set, standard timelines.
”Why, hello there, and yes, I am lost.” The young man said, sounding aroused by the Doctor’s greeting with a raised eyebrow, similar to a certain former Time Agent.
The Doctor blinked and managed to say, “Well, I thought as much, but I had to be certain,” He scratched the back of his head. Yep, the young man probably wouldn’t fit in here, if it was anything like Medieval Europe. Though human behavior and sexuality came in all forms and varieties, remaining almost the same throughout the centuries, at certain points in time, and in certain cultures, some sexual behaviors could not be displayed as blatantly as at other times and in other cultures, especially when the authority figures tended to strictly punish any visible signs of ‘deviance’ from social mores. Though it might be different here, in a parallel universe that might have a different set of laws and standards to Medieval Europe, the Doctor did not want the young man to face any punishment for what was natural and true about him.
“I’m Gabriel and alright.” The young man, Gabriel, said. “At least being lost together, we should not get any more lost. Isn’t there a saying that goes two heads are better than one?” He shrugged his shoulders.
“Yes, that’s quite correct, Gabriel, two heads are better than one, and I happen to believe that. Of course, I believe that tying your shoelaces in the morning is optional, so don't believe everything I have to say,” The Doctor said, putting his hand back into his pocket and then noticed—“Is that a Vortex Manipulator on your wrist?” He asked, pointing at the device. “Where did you get that? It’s not even available until the 41st century, and you look like you’re from the 23rd. Did you just find it somewhere?” He asked.
“Is that how you got here? Mind you, I’ve known of at least one or two of these devices that have malfunctioned very badly, but never badly enough to send a person into another universe, if you are from my home universe.” The Doctor said. "Do you happen to know if you are from this universe or from another universe?" He asked.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gabriel Stark on Nov 29, 2012 20:21:11 GMT -5
Gabriel wasn’t a solider, only created to be one. The clothing he wore was what he had been wearing when he was taken…or whatever happened, happened. He had been out training slash working out. Normally he was the suit kind of guy minus the tie though. When it came to turning away from the city, he was hoping to find some house on the outskirts that was empty so he could find something that would allow him to blend in better. Falling back on the skills that had been pounded into since he had been woken.
Being afraid wasn’t something he could afford right now, he need to figure out what was going on and how he could get back…He needed Jack more than he was going to admit. Part of him was wondering if something had been slipped to him, if he had been knocked out and was in some kind of coma but for now he was going to go along with all of this. Maybe this was his life for now… the wrist strap wasn’t working, he tried a couple of times to get out of his but nothing happened.
But now he wasn’t alone, there was someone else with him, the Doctor as the other male called himself. The man didn’t look much older than he did and having someone else here that looked like he came from the same century as him was a bit relaxing. It wasn’t some guard coming to take his head off, just another bloke stuck in the same boat as him. All he wanted was to get back to his time, to Jack. He had been doing important work and someone had to protect Earth… someone had to keep the city safe that he had grown attached to. But someone needed to keep Jack in check…
The Doctor spoke again and Gabriel just gave a nod of his head, watching the other man for a moment…the Doctor seemed to be lost in his thoughts. There wasn’t much Gabriel knew about this period or the middle ages just bit he read in books and the net. It was just really strange being here; it didn’t feel right to him. But something in him wanted to get a suit of armor and have a sword fight with a knight. However there was still the thoughts that he was going to get his head taken off or be burned at the stake… Medieval torture of sorts if he were to get caught by a guard or someone in the village…
”Might be a bit hard to walk if your shoelaces were not tied…” He said, trying to be smart at the Doctors words. ”Or you could have a pair that have those stretchy cords…or Velcro so need to tie of them.” He glanced down at his wrist, eyeing the vortex manipulator; sometimes he forgot it was there because he wore it all the time. It had been a gift from Jack after their first month of traveling together. It was just like the Captains and he had been shown how to use. He took a deep breath, really already missing his leader. ”It was a gift from someone. We kind of both rescued each other at the same time.” He explained, not wanting to go into too much detail.
Gabriel had trouble trusting people and letting them get close to him. ”Been to the 41st century, it was rather interesting and fun….” It was one of the centuries he had traveled with Jack to right before they choice to start Torchwood back up. He couldn’t help but to chuckle at the Doctor’s remark of them malfunctioning badly. ”Not sure if we are from the same universe but I don’t think this has sent me here…If it did I should be able to get back home but thing just stopped working… I’ve tried to travel out of here but nothing is happening. Well one-way of finding out if we are from the same universe. Does Torchwood mean anything to you?”
|
|
|
|
Post by tenthdoctor on Nov 30, 2012 1:29:30 GMT -5
“Might be a bit hard to walk if your shoelaces were not tied…” The young man, Gabriel, remarked.
“Well, you know, when you’re on the run, and you’ve got no time to stop, bend down, and tie your shoelaces, or else they’re going to try and capture you and beat you to death,” The Doctor remarked, pointing down at his own shoes, “Sometimes you’ve got to learn to go with the flow, keep your balance, and skip a few steps ahead so as not to step on your shoelaces and go flying, falling flat on your face.” The Doctor gestured, before putting his hands in his pockets. “Do-si-do, and all of that nonsense. Eventually you learn how to deal with it, when it’s happened to you once or twice.” He said, swaying a little bit on his feet, not really thinking of anything specific, though he wondered if there was anything to be done here.
Usually, by now, something would turn up—people would be crying out in the distance, or monsters would be running loose, and he would have to launch himself in the fray, so to speak, to deal with it. He wondered if this would be one of those rare occasions when he landed in an actual peaceful place, although the purple cloud was still worth investigating.
“Or you could have a pair that have those stretchy cords…or Velcro so need to tie of them.” Gabriel said.
“True, but I think I need something a little bit more…stringy than Velcro or even the stretchy cords to deal with.” The Doctor said. “It might be an old-fashioned sensibility of mine, to keep wearing shoelace trainers, but it’s also nice sometimes to pass the time by tying up shoelaces into weird little knots, so that they don’t get in the way when I’m running around. I like to keep myself busy sometimes.”
He added, “Plus, shoelaces have actually gotten me out of a jam several times in the past, when I needed a piece of string to tie something up, pick at something, or else zipline down to the ground, but I didn’t have a piece of string handy with me at the time. Usually I do have a piece of string with me, in my pockets, but shoelaces are a worthy substitute whenever I can’t find my string. You can do so much more with shoelaces than you can do with Velcro, and that’s a fact.” The Doctor confirmed.
Gabriel glanced down at the vortex manipulator, and inhaled deeply before he said, “It was a gift from someone. We kind of both rescued each other at the same time.”
“It’s good to have someone, somewhere, somewhen,” The Doctor remarked to himself, before he cleared his throat. “Well, I hope that you get to see him or her again, and that you can thank them for such a gift, for what they have done for you, and for what they have yet to do, because there is always something.” The Doctor said, realizing that he was about to enter a sensitive area, and he didn’t want to intrude, nor did he want Gabriel to intrude in his.
“Been to the 41st century, it was rather interesting and fun…” Gabriel remarked, and then chuckled. ”Not sure if we are from the same universe, but I don’t think this has sent me here. If it did, I should be able to get back home, but the thing just stopped working. I’ve tried to travel out of here but nothing is happening. Well one-way of finding out if we are from the same universe. Does Torchwood mean anything to you?”
“Torchwood?” The Doctor gasped, staring at Gabriel. “I’ve been--are you a friend of Captain Jack Harkness, as he calls himself? That’s not his real name, you know, although I’ve never been able to find out his real one. Does he still work at Torchwood, in the 23rd century? He’s immortal, you know. I don’t know how long he stays there at Torchwood, but 200 or 300 years is quite awhile, even for him in his state. I met his team at the start of the 21st century, or at least the remnant of it—Ianto Jones and Gwen Cooper. Gwen Cooper happened to be related to the woman who first created the Rift in Cardiff, back in 1869.” The Doctor said, still marveling over this turn of events. “It’s amazing, you even remind me of him!”
“That vortex manipulator, it belonged to Jack, right? That thing was one of the ones I was telling you about, it malfunctioned pretty badly, when Jack was trying to get back to the 21st century, or something like that. He got trapped in the 1800s instead, and then he had to wait awhile …to see me again.” The Doctor remarked, musing over it.
He had mistreated Jack pretty badly then, abandoning him on the Bad Wolf Station, just when he was about to regenerate, and he couldn’t deal with a solid fact in the universe like the immortal Jack just then. He tried to go back and find Jack soon afterwards, to apologize and offer up some form of an explanation, when he was alone, without Rose accompanying him, because she would have berated him for abandoning Jack in the first place, and then she would have to face the truth that she had caused it as the Bad Wolf, which the Doctor did not want her to feel guilty about, when it was almost a natural reaction.
But he couldn’t find Jack, he was already gone, and the Doctor abandoned the search, though he did not look very far, or for very long, for Jack. Jack would be fine on his own, he was immortal, after all, and the Doctor had enough to deal with in his new regeneration, getting used to his new body. Jack’s condition might have disturbed him even more. He couldn’t even help solve Jack’s problem, after all, if it was a problem for Jack.
That was only something Bad Wolf could do, and the Doctor did not want to bring back Bad Wolf again, when it would only force another regeneration upon him, or destroy Rose. Plus, he had Rose with him, she was enough for him, and he did not really want to share her with a man like Jack. Perhaps he was being too greedy and selfish then, but he was very young in his current incarnation, and prone to mistakes of that nature.
“He must really like you, to give you something so personal.” The Doctor added, in case Gabriel thought otherwise. “I don’t think it works right now because we are in another universe. My TARDIS and your vortex manipulator, they are from the same universe, and they operate best there. Remove them to another universe, which contains another form of matter or energy to our own, and then they fail, shut down completely, even worse than they normally do."
"Don't worry about us doing that, by the way. Our bodies are better able to gradually adapt to a new kind of universe, especially when we stay here for awhile. I think it’s something in the air, the air and how we brethe it in and out. The air stays the same between universes, for the most part, and when we inhale it here we get a dose of another universe, and start to adapt to it, otherwise we would fail or fall apart.” The Doctor remarked.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gabriel Stark on Dec 1, 2012 11:04:01 GMT -5
When the doctor spoke about being on the run, not being able to tie shoelaces then getting capture and beat to death, Gabriel’s face paled a little and he grew a bit distant. Those words bringing back the memories of the day he escaped from the Centre… It had been a cold winter’s day back on Authieria… Winters there got well below freeze during the night when he managed to escape. Back then he had no shoes and just hospital scrubs. Luckily he managed to run into Jack and help the Captain out of a rather large bar fight that got out of hand. Sure he was in bad shape by then a couple areas of his body frost bitten but with his ability to heal and regenerate any part of him that was too badly damage over short people of time, he turned out to be okay.
Slowly he came back to the present to hear the doctor say that you learn how to deal with it. There was a slight nod of his head. ”Understandable.” His eyes glanced down at the Doctor’s feet for a moment then off to the distant, still not use to how truly quiet it was compared to London. As the doctor spoke about needing shoelaces and passing the time by tying them in different knots, he smirked a little. Someone else who knew how to be prepared for worse case situations…”That is one thing I like about my boots… tons of lace to work with. Used bootlace once for fishing line. But zip lining would be a blast to do with laces, however I am sure at the moment you did it, it could have been too much fun. Its good to know how to use something like laces in a spot like that. That an always carry a good knife with you. Never know when you’ll need one.”
He wasn’t a violent man, he tried hard to the solider that he was created to be. It took him a long time to get uses to having to carry a gun and even though he had one, he barely used it. Right now the only weapon he had on him was two knives, one in the inside of his boot and another at his waist. ”It is because sometimes you can’t go at things alone and you might need someone to lean against.” He really hoped he would get to see Jack again. He remembered the shape Jack was in when they first ran into each other. He was still grieving over the lost of someone even though he was trying to be strong. He heard the stories about aliens who came to earth and wanted to children to the stories about Miracle day and everything in between. It’s those reasons why he talked Jack into going back to Earth and getting Torchwood going again.
”Thank you Doctor. I hope you have someone. I thanked him lots of times for what he did for me and told him how much it meant to me.” He smiled a little thinking back to a few of those times. Then came the subject of Torchwood, which had become his cause…his reason for existing. If anything he had to get back to Earth to help Jack… He didn’t think Jack could handle losing another team member that easily, not one that he had become so close to. His smile grew as the Doctor mentioned Jack’s name. He listened to the Doctor explain about Jack and ask all the questions that he had before he spoke.
”Yes, Captain Jack Harkness saved me from the Centre just as I saved him from having himself killed on that planet. Kind of figured it was not his real name, it’s hard to get him open up about anything. Torchwood was destroyed… but Gwen and him got together one last time along with some people for something he called Miracle day…not to sure about the details about it.” He shrugged his shoulders, wondering how much the Doctor knew about Torchwood and Jack’s former team. How much burden and grief it caused Jack to loose them. ”I talked Jack into starting Torchwood again… Not 23rd though, still 21st century. These are just the clothes I had with me when we went to Earth’s 21st. I wear them for working out… He explained figuring out that is where the Doctor got the 23rd century.
Gabriel was still having a bit of trouble believing that Jack was that old but then again when you couldn’t die or age it was easy to see and understand that age number. ”Ianto is gone… From what I’ve been able to understand it drove Jack away from Earth for a long time. He’s still not full recovered from that. As for Gwen, she is off with her own family now. That is amazing about her, guess she was made to work in that line of work.” There were not any records relating to the old Torchwood that he could find no matter how hard he looked, it was like Jack made them vanish but he only knew what Jack had told him so far.
When the Doctor spoke about how he reminded him of Jack, he grinned. There was a reason for that; apart of the DNA used to create him came from Jack not even Jack new that. ”Its one just like his…I am not sure where he got it from but he taught me the ropes of using it. I’m pretty sure you would have to kill Jack to get him to part with his vortex manipulator for good. He knew how bad they could malfunction both him and Jack had been stuck in the 23rd century of Earth for almost five months. It was a rather interesting time to say the least.
All the talk about Jack was making him miss the Captain and really wishing he was here with them or that none of this was happening. Gabriel really hadn’t been on his own like this in a long while. His right hand man was always with him. ”I hope he does and that I don’t let him down. He swallowed hard, listening to the Doctor explain why his wrist strap was not working and something called the TARDIS wasn’t working either. He wondered what a TARDIS was and what it did.
Gabriel gave a nod of his head, glade his body wouldn’t be shutting down any time soon and how they would adapt to life here. He just hoped they could figure out a way to get back to their universe soon. He didn’t bother asking about the TARDIS because he figured if he stuck around with the Doctor then soon enough he would find out what it was. ”I think first thing is first… We need to blend in so we can learn more about this place.”
|
|
|
|
Post by tenthdoctor on Dec 12, 2012 20:14:35 GMT -5
Gabriel paled as the Doctor spoke about running away to escape death, and the Doctor wondered what sort of harrowing escapes Gabe might have suffered through in the past, to survive as a soldier. Gabriel seemed like a nice, reasonable young man, unlike some of the soldiers that he had met in the past who had tried to imprison him. In fact, Gabe reminded him a little bit of Ross Jenkins, a UNIT soldier who had died while facing the Sontarans in battle. That comparison might have stung him a little bit, the thought of another life that he could not save, but at least it encouraged him to hope that Gabe might be someone he could rely upon, if it came right down to it, and he would try his best to help protect Gabe in return.
”Understandable.” Gabriel said with a slight nod of his head, his eyes glancing down at the Doctor’s feet for a moment before he turned to look out into the distance. This was an alien world to him, literally, and Gabe probably still had to get used to it.
“Of course it is.” The Doctor remarked. “I always try to be a little bit understandable, relatable, what have you, makes for a better time for all, unless people refuse to listen.”
Gabriel smirked a little. ”That is one thing I like about my boots… tons of lace to work with. Used bootlace once for fishing line. But zip lining would be a blast to do with laces, however I am sure at the moment you did it, it could have been too much fun. Its good to know how to use something like laces in a spot like that. That and always carry a good knife with you. Never know when you’ll need one.”
“Yep, nice boots you’ve got there.” The Doctor remarked, looking down. “Quite sturdy as well, I bet you can climb mountains wearing those things. You don’t get any blisters or bunions with those things, do you? I hate blisters and bunions, I’ve gotten a couple of those before. Fishing line, that’s a good one, never thought much about fishing with shoelaces before. The only problem is how soggy they would get. I bet you can’t tie them back up together again, or even lace up your shoes, until they’ve dried off.”
The Doctor laughed, slightly amused. “Actually, I was sort of having a blast when I was trying to escape on that shoelace zip-line, especially since I was by myself. I get so used to escaping all of the time that half of the time I am hardly ever scared. Maybe a teensy-weensy bit scared, but mostly I am just trying to make a clean get-away, concentrating on all possible avenues and means of escape. You leave fear behind you after awhile, when it comes to yourself. But when it comes to other people whom you care deeply about…then you are slightly more concerned about their welfare during this escape or that escape. Could turn out to be a nightmare in that regard.” He remarked.
“Personally, I carry a sonic screwdriver, not a knife. I hate guns and knives and swords, weapons of most any kind, especially when they are used in warfare.” He was slightly vehement in this regard. “I try to escape and end conflict as peacefully as I possibly can. Occasionally, I am forced to use force, but I try to be as reasonable as I can be. I give them a way out beforehand. And before you ask, a sonic screwdriver can be very useful in a tight spot. I hardly ever go anywhere without it.” The Doctor said, holding up his sonic screwdriver briefly before putting it back into his pocket.
Right now the only weapon he had on him was two knives, one in the inside of his boot and another at his waist. ”It is because sometimes you can’t go at things alone and you might need someone to lean against.”
“I believe that, I certainly do. A hand to hold, as they might say.” The Doctor said, his voice a little rough as he glanced down at the ground. The thought of Rose flashed through his mind, briefly.
Thank you Doctor. I hope you have someone. I thanked him lots of times for what he did for me and told him how much it meant to me.” He smiled a little thinking back to a few of those times.
“Not at the moment I do.” The Doctor remarked. “I happen to be alone at the moment. I tend to leave people behind whenever something goes wrong, and everything is bound to go wrong at some point. I try to prevent it from happening, I do, but sometimes, I can’t help it. It just happens, like it was meant to. I can’t help it.” He said. “I’m glad that you did thank him, though.” He remarked. “Everyone deserves to hear that, at least once in their lives.”
”Yes, Captain Jack Harkness saved me from the Centre just as I saved him from having himself killed on that planet. Kind of figured it was not his real name, it’s hard to get him open up about anything. Torchwood was destroyed… but Gwen and him got together one last time along with some people for something he called Miracle day…not to sure about the details about it.” Gabriel told the Doctor, and then shrugged.
“The Centre? Never heard of it.” The Doctor remarked. “Remind me to look it up.” He said to himself, considering this. “Good for you and Jack. Jack has always been a bit of a mystery, even to himself. The Time Agency erased a few years of his life from his memory, which is why he quit the Time Agency, and he has no clue what he did then. No clue whatsoever.” The Doctor had a few ideas—mainly, the possibility that the Time Agency might have played a key role in the Time War, and that Jack could have been on the front line there, but he had not investigated that possibility yet, especially since that would require entering the time-sealed Time War. He did not want to risk that, especially since that could break the time seal forever.
“Miracle Day? Right…” The Doctor said, reflecting briefly on that troubled time in Earth’s history. Nobody died, for days, weeks, months until it was all over. It was a nightmare that was best for even him to avoid. Jack must have had his hands full, dealing with that mess.
”I talked Jack into starting Torchwood again… Not 23rd though, still 21st century. These are just the clothes I had with me when we went to Earth’s 21st. I wear them for working out… He explained.
“Oh, okay, right, got you there.” The Doctor said, a little embarrassed about his mistake. That explained the discrepancy between the material and the style. He should have realized the possibility of time travel in the mix. He was slipping a bit, wasn’t he, when it came to deduction?
”Ianto is gone… From what I’ve been able to understand it drove Jack away from Earth for a long time. He’s still not fully recovered from that. As for Gwen, she is off with her own family now. That is amazing about her, guess she was made to work in that line of work.”
“I suppose so.” The Doctor remarked about Gwen, not too keen to say anything else as he reflected on Gabe’s report. Poor Jack. He was also unable to prevent everyone from leaving him eventually—the curse of immortality. One day, Jack would be just a great big head, the Face of Boe, floating in a tank full of water, dreaming and singing as he slept, waiting for the Lonely God to return. He was always waiting, wasn’t he?
”Its one just like his,” Gabriel said about his Vortex Manipulator, although there was a slightly different tone to his voice to match his smirk, that made the Doctor think he was talking about something else. “I am not sure where he got it from but he taught me the ropes of using it. I’m pretty sure you would have to kill Jack to get him to part with his vortex manipulator for good.
“Yep, good luck with that.” The Doctor smirked, shaking his head. “I’ve tried to tell him that it’s no good, that the vortex manipulator causes more trouble than it’s worth. But then again, it has helped me out once or twice…” The Doctor remarked, thinking back to how they got away from the end of the universe when the Master had stolen the TARDIS.
”I hope he does and that I don’t let him down. Gabe swallowed hard. ”I think first thing is first… We need to blend in so we can learn more about this place.”
“True, I think that’s a good idea,” The Doctor remarked, glancing around. “But I think that we might be out of luck there. Without resorting to thievery, which I do disdain, except when absolutely necessary, we might not be able to obtain the money that we need to survive here for very long, if we want to blend in here. And I do think that we need some money here."
"Bartering might be acceptable in some instances, but bartering is not really going to work for us here with very little for us to trade, and most of what we do have with us is far too valuable, and too anachronistic, for us to trade. No, we need money, fast, and for that, we need—” The Doctor paused here to shudder—“Jobs to earn that money. I hate jobs. It requires too much work and responsibility—” The Doctor paused as he spotted something in the distance. “Or a joust, a joust might do just fine.” He remarked.
He pointed towards, and headed towards, a poster that had been hung up not too long ago, and he ripped the piece of paper down, and brought it back to Gabriel. “Here we go, a tournament is being held today!” The Doctor remarked. “With jousting, sword-fighting, a melee, archery, even ax and knife throwing!” He said. “ You can throw a knife pretty well, right, Gabriel? And me, I’ve been known to sword-fight with this good hand.” He held up his fighting hand, the one that he had gotten on Christmas Day after his last regeneration. “So long as it’s not to the death, or with bloodshed, I can stomach sword-fighting if it’s for a good cause.”
The Doctor frowned as he read the poster closely. “The only problem is the requirement for a noble sponsor--but of course!” He cried, holding out his psychic paper to Gabriel. “I am a knight! I was knighted by Queen Victoria, not that long ago, for helping her out with a little wolf problem. I am Sir Doctor of TARDIS, not to mention a Time Lord as well. I could pass myself off as being noble. What do you say, Gabriel? Want to be a knight?” He asked the young man with a grin.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gabriel Stark on Dec 14, 2012 11:27:21 GMT -5
They might have created him to be a solider, used him without his knowledge to aid in the harm of others but first hand with him knowing full well what was going on, he never harmed anyone. He escaped the center wanting nothing to do with them once he found out what he was and what they were using for him. Even though he was apart of Torchwood now, he always went out of his way to find a peaceful solution to things. Now that he was away from the Centre, all he wanted to do was making up for those wrongs that were done because of him.
As they talked and listened to each other, he wondered if it was always easy for the Doctor to make people understand where he was coming from. But he knew how people could be… Humans did have a rather stubborn streak in them and tended to only want to see things there way…well humans were not the only ones who could be like that. ”People and other beings sometimes have that part about them that makes them unwilling to listen. But as long as you try then that is what matters.”
His eyes glanced down at the tan boots before looking back up and smiled a bit. It was one thing about his freedom that he liked; he could wear what he wanted and even shoes for that matter. At first they had been strange to wear but he found them rather comfortable after a while. ”For the price they cost, they ought to be. They have a trainer sole so they are lightweight and flexible. Something called Gore-tex so they are waterproof but breathable. Just down right comfortable…no blisters or bunions at all…those tend to be annoying and painful.” Gabriel had been joking around when he complained about the price, he didn’t mind paying what he did for them and they were going on three years but still held up good.
Gabriel could remember the time he had to use his laces for fishing; he and Jack had been stuck on some planet that he could not think of the name at the moment. Of course that been something in the atmosphere that had been interfering with the Wrist Strap... In order to get something to eat, Gabriel fell back on the survival training and used what he had on him to get them some dinner. ”It can be used for traps to catch small game if you are stuck and have no other means of getting dinner. Yeah… only down side to fishing with them. Nothing worse than wet shoes.”
He listened to the Doctor talk about how he was having fun trying to escape on the shoelace zip-line. Wondering if the other man always had adventures like that. Always on the run from something or someone… he knew how it felt to be on the run, trying to escape from someone. He hated that being hunted feeling, never knowing if you were safe or not. ”Sounds like you life one exciting life, Doctor. As for fear, it something that you got to make work for you, not against you.” That was something Jack had told him after they had spent their first day together. And Jack had seen how scared he was of the Centre finding him…taking him back. Even though he never showed it that was still a fear he carried.
”Sonic Screwdriver… that is a first never really had anything sonic before or know much about it.” He watched the Doctor talk for a moment, gaining all kinds of respect for the other man before him. Truly liking the way the Doctor went about things as peacefully as he could and always trying to give them away out. That was the way he felt about things. Gabriel did everything in his powers to be not what he was created but be who he was. ”I’ll take your word on it being useful. Bet its good at putting up selves too.” He grinned a little as he looked at the Sonic Screwdriver for a moment before it was placed back into the Doctor’s pocket. He couldn’t help with the joke at the end; it was too good not to pass up even though he wasn’t sure how the Doctor would react to it.
”Well Doctor at this moment, you kind of do have someone. You have me. Here where are in who knows where…both people out of our time looking for way to get back. If something goes wrongs, we can count on each other to get out of whatever spot it is together.” Before Jack taught him that it was okay to trust someone and that not everyone was out to hurt him, he was alone. Never knew how to count on anyone but himself to get himself out places. It took him over a year just to find out how to escape from the Centre without them finding out.
”It’s a good thing you have not heard about it. It’s a horrible place… They create life just so they could send it into battle so they don’t have to lose anymore of their kind. I was the first to be created by them… I was suppose to be their pride and joy… Beyond smart, ability to heal fast, longer life and so on. Basically a hard to kill solider who could think on his feet better than they could in the heat of the battle…” He trailed off with a sigh…deep down he hated what he was, what he was suppose to be. Often times he wondered if they found away to remove the humanity from their clones after he escaped. ”It’s a place you don’t want to look into and planet that is dead from years of war.”
Gabriel finally looked back up at the Doctor after he had a moment to gather himself back up. Listening to something he never knew about Jack before. ”I’m sorry to hear that about him. No one should have to loose something like that. Hopefully one day he could find out what they took from him.” He knew Jack was kind of private and it was hard to get things out of him but Gabriel always thought he was that guard because he had been hurt so many times but letting someone get too close and then losing them.
As he explained why he was dress the way he was and what happened with Torchwood, he listened to the Doctor respond wondering how much the other man knew about everything that happened on Earth, what happened with Jack and Torchwood. Wondering what exactly the Doctor did and how often he visited Earth. Jack had never told him about anyone called the Doctor and there were no more files left on Torchwood from days before him. ”Well Jack is stubborn after all. It might be easier to get a Donkey to do something… that’s right isn’t it? A donkey is that stubborn animal from Earth?” Sometimes Gabriel had trouble keeping earth sayings straight. The manipulator had helped him out of a few jams that he and Jack got themselves into. And even though he had one himself, he hardly ever used after all, his place was with Torchwood now and not on the run.
As the Doctor explained how they couldn’t resort to blending in without stealing, he gave a nod of his head. The result of stealing never crossed his mind…all that did was he needed to blend in before something happened that he couldn’t really get out of. Gabriel continued to listen as the Doctor talked about bartering and then jobs…both were good ideas but both had downsides to them. It wasn’t like they really had the skills for any of the jobs that might be found around here. Then the last idea that came along caused him to raise his eyebrows. Jousting…
”One problem there Doctor… I never rode a horse before. “ He explained as he followed the Doctor over to the poster but ended up being meant half way. Truth be told, horses scared the living daylights out of him. He glanced over the Doctor’s shoulder to read the piece of paper. Then he pointed at the sword-fighting part. ”I could easily win that one along with the knife throwing and archery too.” He wasn’t too sure about the sword fighting even though he said he could win it, it had been a long time since he last picked up a sword. He looked over at the Doctor for a moment. ”When the Centre created me… they used alien dna. I have advanced sense… If I focus on one sense let’s say, sight. I have the ability to see farther away than what is normal. It’s really hard to explain but its something that might help us win some money.” There were draw backs to using his abilities… like the fact he could overload one sense and end up curled up into a ball of pain… not to mention the serve headaches but that was something he left out even when he told Jack about his abilities.
As the Doctor explained that he found sword fight for a good cause, Gabriel smiled a bit. ”I think getting us money so we can avoid trouble in this land is a good cause but I think we are out of luck without that noble….” His words were cut off as the Doctor held out a piece of paper saying that he was a Knight. He wondered how the Doctor managed to pull something like that off and who Queen Victoria was but he went along with him and his smile grew when the Doctor asked if he wanted to be a knight. ”Well Sir Doctor of TARDIS… It sounds like fun and something that can’t be passed over. Let’s go for it.”
|
|
