Storm: Time Jump

Forest of the Dead 2

"What's maximum erasure?" River demanded as they read the terminal screen, and the Doctor muttered: "In twenty minutes, this planet's going to crack like an egg."

Lux argued: "No. No, it's all right. The Doctor Moon will stop it. It's programmed to protect Cal."

As he said that, the terminal shut down, and the Doctor cried as he hit it: "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

The intercom called: "All library systems are permanently offline. Sorry for any inconvenience. Shortly-"

"We need to stop this. We've got to save Cal." Lux said frantically and the Doctor picked up on it.

"What is it? What is Cal?" He demanded and Lux swallowed before he finally admitted: "We need to get to the main computer. I'll show you."

"It's at the core of the planet." The Doctor pointed out and River replied airily: "Well, then. Let's go."

She pointed her sonic at the logo on the middle of the floor, causing it to slide open and reveal a pulsing light. River murmured: "Gravity platform."

The Doctor commented as he walked over: "I bet I like you."

"Oh, you don't. But Terry does." River smirked, and Teresa frowned but was even more surprised when the Doctor finally actually gave River a smile. And a genuine one at that.

"Oh, I bet she does." He commented before they all stepped onto the platform and it took them down towards the centre of the planet.

"Autodestruct in fifteen minutes." The computer told them as they arrived and they hurried towards the sparking red globe in the centre of the room they landed in.

"The data core." The Doctor murmured: "Over four thousand living minds trapped inside it."

River pointed out: "Yeah, well, they won't be living much longer. We're running out of time."

The Doctor ran off, heading down various passages as he tried to find a way to get to the core. He soon found what he was looking for and quickly began to type at the access terminal.

"Help me. Please, help me." A girl's voice whispered around them and Anita asked: "What's that?"

"Was that a child?" River demanded, looking horrified, and the Doctor muttered: "The computer's in sleep mode."

He began to type at the keyboard furiously. "I can't wake it up. I'm trying."

"Doctor, these readings." River murmured as she read the screen, and the Doctor murmured: "I know. You'd think it was... dreaming."

"It is dreaming," Lux explained, "of a normal life, and a lovely Dad, and of every book ever written."

"Computers don't dream." Anita protested, but Lux just silently pulled open a cabinet of breaker levers as the girl called again: "Help me. Please help me."

"No," Lux agreed with Anita, "but little girls do."

He pulled a breaker and a door opened behind them. Lux ran in ahead and they followed, Teresa slightly more reluctantly. They all stopped to stare as a node turned to face them and a little girl pleaded: "Please help me. Please help me."

"Oh, my God." River gasped, and Anita murmured: "It's the little girl. The girl we saw in the computer."

Lux explained quietly: "She's not in the computer. In a way, she is the computer. The main command node. This is Cal."

"Cal is a child?" The Doctor asked in horror. "A child hooked up to a mainframe? Why didn't you tell me this? I needed to know this!" He demanded and Lux shouted back: "Because she's family!"