Read Between The Lines

Chapter One: Awakening

Emily sat and waited impatiently at the front counter as lightning and rain ruled the world outside of the public library. Her brown eyes gazed across the soaking wet forms of the miserable few who found themselves caught in the storms grasp. It was a nice place, it gave Emily hope that the younger generation would be educated. If the younger generation ever came in besides to use the free computers from time to time. Emily sighed, turning around slightly to look up at the clock overhead, 5:26....four and a half more hours to go. Great she thought to herself. Working part time at the library, Emily also went to college, studying to become a surgeon, a dream she saw slowly fading away just like the time slowly ticking away on the clock behind her.

Suddenly the doors flung open, Emily's attention immediately grabbed as a pin stripped suited man entered the library, his brown eyes scrutinizing his surroundings. Turning to Emily, The Doctor arched his eyebrow and approached the front desk, "Where are your science fiction novels?" he asked, "Third row..all the way down" Emily replied. Watching the man walk back to the columns of book shelves Emily quickly noticed his lack of moister on his clothes. Nobody would drive in this...especially not with the lightning. Anyone who lives in Cardiff knows that. Emily squinted her eyes, her red lips folding back into her mouth as she gently bit them.

The Doctor glanced back to the front counter, catching sight of Emily just before walking out of view before stopping in the middle of the aisle. The hairs on the back of his hands stood up, a rush of cold air roared down his back, he could feel it, something was wrong. A series of voices echoed through his conscious, all crying out, asking for help but hearing no reply. The Doctor closed his eyes and placed his hand gently against his forehead, concentrating deeply. "What's wrong? Headache?" A voice asked from behind him, "Sir?". The Doctor opened his eyes, finding the front desk girl hovering in front of him, her big green eyes awaiting an answer. "Yeah! Sorry..i sort of get them during storms. Well...sometimes..well...hardly ever..well...just now. Anyways, best get back to..desk duty. I'll be on my wa-".

The Doctor was cut off from a sudden shake that nearly knocked him into the bookshelf to his right. Emily quickly took hold of a nearby shelf to stabilize herself in the brief seconds of turmoil. "What was that?" Emily asked, brushing her brown hair from her face, "The beginning..." The Doctor replied.

Chapter 2: Parted Veil

The Doctor rushed down the aisles lined with book shelves as far as the eye could see; Emily trying gather herself from the recent tremble and to chase after The Doctor. The people in the lobby of the library spoke among-st themselves, each taking a glance at the ragging weather outside with great concern shimmering in their eyes. The wind hurled and rain pummeled the side of the building with furious intensity, "Its a atmospheric disruption" The Doctor said aloud as Emily finally caught up with him, "What?" Emily replied breathlessly, "The weather outside you were going to ask about. Somethings causing storms like this all around England...something originating from this location. But i can't seem to find it....".

The Doctor scrutinized the surrounding books and the bookshelves that held them, his eyes dancing across them one by one, then shelf by shelf as his patience began to dwindle. "What's new?" He suddenly asked, spinning around to face Emily, "What's the newest thing in here. I mean item wise...anything?". Emily paused, rubbing the back of her head as she thought, "Umm...we got new pens with the libraries name on them? New mother board for the computers? Oh! There was this weird book we got, had to put it in a case cause from guy touched it and had to go to the hospital last week..strangest thing i've ever seen". The Doctor's eyes grew wide, "Where's the book now?" he asked, "In the middle of aisle nine why?" Emily quickly replied before rolling her eyes as The Doctor bolted off to the item in question, "So much running" she groaned.

The sonic screwdriver whisked over the display case, opening it with ease and granting The Doctor access to the book. Inches from touching the book, The Doctor's hand was stopped immediately by a persisted Emily as the caught back up with the Time Lord. The Doctor looked back at her, "The last person who touched it with their bare hands died.." Emily hissed, "Good thing i'm not just a person isn't it" The Doctor retorted. Turning back, The Doctor cautiously placed his hands on the book and picked it up, immediately he felt a tingling sensation move up from his fingers to his mind. "Physic lock.." The Doctor mumbled, "What?" Emily leaned in, "The book..the reason i couldn't feel it. It's locked..like a door of the mind...locked from outsiders but when it's touched it releases it opens the door. No wonder the person died...a human mind couldn't take it.".

Closing the door of the case, The Doctor opened the book to the front page and began to flip through until stopping upon a page, "Here we go" he mumbled. The page depicted a graph, a picture of circles linked together by lines and small dots, "This is an old scripture. Very old...and i've only see it once..in one place", "Where?" Emily asked as The Doctor began to press on the circles. The book began to light up, growing brighter with each press until it became too bright to look at directly until suddenly the surrounding bookshelves began to fade. Like static from a television, the bookshelves fazed out and were replaced by the never ending openness of space. Emily jumped back a foot, taken back by the sight in front of her, "Where....where the hell are we?!" she exclaimed, "Some place you shouldn't be" a voice called back from behind them.

The Doctor and Emily spun around, the book falling to the metal floor of the ships bridge, "Doctor? Fancy seeing you again..especially now" the man continued, stepping out from the midst of controls and panels, "It can't be...." The Doctor hissed.

Chapter 3: Patience

The wrinkles under the mans eyes hung, showing remnants of unrelenting age and the passing of his days. The cold white eyes passing over the forms of The Doctor and Emily as they scrutinized him with great care before spoke, "But you know that it can" he finally replied, "Look into that all forgiving heart of yours Doctor. You visit the Shadow Proclamation enough to have gotten a hint, hmm? Or did you just turn a blind eye like the rest?!". The Doctor lowered his head, Emily's eyes trailing over to him, "Doctor what does he mean?" she asked, "He's what they called a Nights Watchman...a different form of enforcement for the Shadow Proclamation when they first started." The Doctor replied.

Lifting up his head, The Doctor returned the gaze of the man with a cold glare of his own, "You fought in the war against the Autons for the sake of justice. You were all killed", "No...a few survived and make home on this base" the man replied, pacing around the control room, his hands folded behind his back. The Doctor and Emily's eyes followed the man as he paced, carefully watching his every move, "I only see you here where are the others" The Doctor hissed, "Dead. Their wounds from battle got them in the end...or they spiraled into madness and i had to end their pain". The Doctors eyebrows narrowed and his teeth grind against each other, "You killed your own men...the people you fought with! And now you're trying to what? Destroy Earth for their honor?! What you're doing is causing a ripple in the magnetic stabilization of Earth..the pols will collapse and the Earth will burn from the suns rays!".

"This world is not mine Doctor. Nor is it yours. This planet will come part of the proclamation again..as part of the link. My mission is still at hand..and nobody will stop me Doctor..not even you" The man spat, walking over to the center control console and pressing down a red button. The station lit up with life, sirens roaring as it began to shake, "What have you done?!" The Doctor exclaimed, "It begins" the man uttered a reply, a wicked smile shinning from ear to ear, "The ones below will die..cleansing the planet so the true initiative can begin. Conversion will start and the true leaders of this universe will take over". "And who's that?!" The Doctor asked, grabbing onto a nearby console to sustain his balance along with Emily who watched in awe behind him. Suddenly the sound of footsteps echoed through the room, growing closer and closer until finally the door to the bridge hissed open and out stepped one of The Doctors greatest enemies. A Cyberman. "Conversion at 42%, increase output. The Earth will be ours, the Earth will be the new Cyber planet".