Is There a Doctor in the Holodeck?

Posted on 23 Sep 2017 @ 3:36am by Commander Jayla Kij & Lieutenant JG Jace Crystan

2,074 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: The Finnean Crisis
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: MD 6, evening

As luck would have it, holodeck 1 was open and nobody had reserved it until the morning. Delightedly, Jayla programmed in a random place, random villain, and random Doctor. It was much more interesting that way. "All right, all set," she said. "Let's go!"

Jace smiled as the doors to the holodeck parted and they were thrust into some fictional universe. He was totally unprepared for what came next, but that was the fun of it. He literally was voyaging into the unknown.

"Oooo! I love New Eden!" Jayla breathed, taking in the beautiful scenery. "Granted, something always goes wrong with it in these stories, but gosh if it's not beautiful to begin with."

Jayla was right, of course. The scenery was breath taking. But he couldn't help but notice something she said. "What do you mean go wrong?"

"Oh, it seems like there's always someone or something trying to take over in these holonovels," she answered as they approached a waterfall. "Last time I was here, it was cybermen. I hate the cybermen. They're so tedious."

Cybermen? There seemed to be scientific aspect to this holonovel. That was sure to be a plus. "I'll have to take your word for it." He looked around, trying to spot something that might give them a clue as to what they should be doing. He didn't really notice anything out of the ordinary.

Nor did Jayla. It was peaceful, just like New Eden was meant to be. Of course, this was Doctor Who. She couldn't enjoy it too much. It would all fall apart sooner or later.

As they approached the waterfall, a man in a poorly fitted suit popped out from behind it and grinned at them. "Well, hallo!" he said cheerfully. "Nice day for a swim, isn't it?"

"In those clothes?" replied Jayla, looking him up and down.

"Well!" he said. "I didn't say I was swimming, did I?"

The man seemed very pleasant, if at all inquisitive about everything. He seemed very interested in Jace and Jayla. "He must mean us," he said to Jayla.

"I don't think we're exactly dressed for swimming either," she replied. "Of course, where I'm from, we swim in the nude, so... I guess I have got my suit, haven't I?"

"That's the spirit!" said the man cheerfully. "By the way, have either of you seen a blue box around here? Says police on it, light on top?"

What a weird question... Jace thought as he responded. "Can't say that I have. But I suppose I'll look for one." He turned to Jayla. "Something important?"

She nodded to Jace and then turned back to the doctor. "You mean the one that's bigger on the inside?" she asked cheekily.

The Doctor blinked and immediately pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "Trill!" he said, examining the readings. "Host and symbiont. Well! But, do I know you?"

"Not yet," replied Jayla with a giggle. She had previously played this program with later incarnations of The Doctor, but none of the earlier ones.

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed The Doctor. "Trill aren't time travelers. Oh! But, I am! Clever girl! I'll meet you later for the first time! That'll be interesting, won't it? Anyway! Must be off! Gotta find my box."

"We'll help!" offered Jayla, grabbing Jace's wrist and following The Doctor.

Jace felt the force of Jayla's grab literally pull him towards the man as the man began to quickly walk away. As he moved, the man displayed spurts of amazing dexterity and energy, bouncing about as if a puppy in a new environment for the very first time. Something like Jace, except Jace wasn't nearly as energetic. And then there was that device that the man used to....scan, he was assuming.... Jayla to determine she was Trill. Jace's head was swimming with new information and ideas.

"Better hurry up!" the Doctor called over his shoulder. "I don't want anyone finding it. Or... anythink."

"Is there something likely to take it over?" Jayla called back to him.

"There's always something trying to get it," answered The Doctor. "Daleks, Zygons, Slitheen. There's always someone. Even other Time Lords try to get it from time to time. Bit stupid, really, as they can make their own. Or steal their own, like I did." He stopped and looked into the meadow they'd come to. "Ah! There it is!" he said, pointing towards the horizon.

Sure enough, just barely in sight, was a blue box that may have been just big enough to fit all three of them inside- but nothing else. "Better start walking," said Jayla. "What's it doing way over there?"

"No idea," answered the Doctor. "I landed, got out, and she took off! Can you believe it! Usually only does that if there's a threat. I didn't detect a threat, but, oh, well. She's got a mind of her own, you know?"

This guy was way too excited about whatever he was talking about, but at least it was entertaining. He followed the two in the direction of this box thing. Jace wondered what it was for, but he'd obviously find out soon enough. Jayla seemed to already be enjoying herself too. He looked at the man and asked, "What was that thing you used to scan Jayla?" He leaned his head over indicating towards his friend.

"This thing?" asked the doctur, producing the sonic again. "Sonic screwdriver. It can do anything. Except wood. Never got the hang of wood. So! I know she's Jayla. Who're you, then?"

"I'm Jace," he started. "And you, sir?" he asked curiously.

"Nice to meet you, Jace, I'm the Doctor," replied the Doctor.

"And you, Doctor who?" he asked slowly, inquiring as to the man's last name.

"Nothing, it's just the Doctor," The Doctor said.

Jace was a little confused, but it seemed par for the course. Who just goes by a title, but then he considered that Starfleet officers are sometimes just referred to by their rank, so he just went with it. They got closer to the box.

"It's quiet," commented Jayla. "New Eden isn't usually this quiet, is it?"

"Hm, no," mused the Doctor. "It's usually pretty bustley, isn't it?" And without warning, he sprinted the last ten feet to the blue box and threw the door open, running into it.

Jayla ran after him. "Come on, Jace!" she called over her shoulder. "This is the best part!"

Jace saw Jayla run after the Doctor into the blue box. He didn't hear a thud as he expected. There was no way he was running in after them. That box was tiny. He took a deep breath and stepped into the door, which shut behind him. He took one look around and stopped dead. There was a huge room on the inside of the box!!

He heard a ringing bell sound.

"Ah-ha!" exclaimed the doctor, turning a screen towards them. "That explains it. They're all in the valley. Must be an event or something. See? These straglers are headed there. Want to check it out?"

"It could be dangerous," answered Jayla, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"I love danger!" answered the Doctor, throwing a lever which triggered a sort of grinding, scraping sound.

"Me, too!" agreed Jayla.

"Answer that, will you?" he asked, nodding to the phone which had been ringing since they'd entered.

Thankfully, Jayla had been in the TARDIS in the future, so she knew what to do. She picked up the receiver and said, "hello, this is the TARDIS, Jayla speaking." She grinned at Jace's expression, but then frowned at the phone. "It's just buzzing," she told the Doctor.

"Buzzing? Must be a bad connection."

"Sounds like bees," she replied, offering the phone to Jace. "What do you think?" she asked as the scraping noise stopped and a dull gong-like sound reverberated through the room.

Jace was overloaded. The room was literally bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. "Its.....bigger." All of the sudden a phone was shoved in his face. Perhaps it wasn't really a shove, but everything was amplified at this point. He took the phone and put it up to his ear, hearing the buzzing sound. "That's got to be a lot of bees. It's loud!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," she said, and replaced the phone in its cradle. "Maybe a beekeeper accidentally contacted us. Oh, well, let's-" but she stopped as the phone rang again.

This time, the Doctor picked it up himself. "Bees again," he said, just as puzzled as the Trill and human. "But, there's something else...."

Jayla went to listen as well. "It sounds like... breathing," she said. "The bee keeper?" she guessed.

"Could be," admitted the doctor.

"Maybe his bees have revolted and he's in trouble!" suggested Jayla excitedly.

"Possibly," mused the Doctor, replacing the phone in its cradle once more. "Or it could be something more sinister."

"It's usually something more sinister with you," Jayla replied with a smirk.

"Oi! Is she always this cheeky?" the Doctor asked Jace.

Jace shrugged. "Keeps me on my toes," he said, smirking. "What do we do, Doctor?" he asked, still a little uncomfortable about calling the man just Doctor. It ate at him a little bit.

"We go see what's out there," replied the Doctor with a cheeky grin.

Jayla returned the grin and raced to the door. Before either man could make a move, she had flung open the door...

...and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Um," she said. "Guys? Come take a look at this."

Jace and the Doctor looked at each other and walked over to the door, the Doctor having quite a bit more pep in his step. He stopped dead in his tracks when he went out the door though, and Jace followed outside and looked around. He was totally stunned! The group was inside a large enclosure that was dimly lit and had a damp feel. The air was heavy and slightly difficult to breathe through. As his eyes adjusted, Jace looked around to get his bearings. The walls were slimy and oddly shaped. There were what appeared to be platforms at all sorts of heights and degrees. The TARDIS itself, along with the group, were on a platform as well. Jace looked over the edge to see the bottom, which was a at least twenty meters down. As he looked around and started to piece his surroundings together, he made a startling realization.

They were in a bee hive!

"Wot?!" exclaimed the Doctor.

"My sentiments exactly," said Jayla and she slammed the door closed. "What the devil is that?"

The Doctor was already at the center console, running scans. "It's like some kind of hive or something," he said, punching buttons and throwing levers madly. "Like a hive of people! Yes, yes, see this? This! They're all working single-mindedly towards a common goal. Like Cybermen!"

"Cybermen?" asked Jayla, alarmed. "You don't think it's them, do you?"

"No, no," answered the Dcotor. "No. Definitely not. There aren't any cybernetic parts. They're all organic."

Jace noticed the alarm in Jayla's voice when she mentioned the Cybermen, but he figured he'd ask about it later. The two were starting to get heated and the feeling inside the TARDIS was tensing up. That didn't appear to affect the Doctor, though, as the man whizzed around his controls doing.... whatever.

Jace thought about the situation. Almost reminded him of the Borg when it came to the hive-mind. "Are they being controlled somehow?" he asked.

"Undoubtedly," answered the Doctor. "The question is how. Tell me, Jayla, did they look dangerous?"

Jayla thought about it. "Not particularly," she said. 'Just sort of... zombified."

"That's what I thought, too," he replied. "Come on! Fact finding!" And with that, he crossed to the door, threw it open, and ran outside.

Jace just watched him race out the door. "And there he goes again!" he exclaimed, starting to get the jive going. He ran over to the door, effectively throwing caution to the wind. It was time to go for it. "Head first, then!" he announced as he raced out after the Doctor.

With a laugh somewhere between nervousness and exhilaration, Jayla followed the two men. She had no idea what they were going to find, but she hoped it was exciting.

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