2| Mirror mirror by Becky Miller
DOCTOR WHO - MIRROR, MIRROR
written by Becky Miller
Doctor Who is owned by the BBC. This document is made for entertainment purposes only. No infringement intended.
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Becky Miller 2005.
DOCTOR WHO - MIRROR, MIRROR
Bienvennue!
In Dreams
The Image
Through the looking glass
The other side
The girl in the purple dress
One
Bienvennue?!
"Let Mickey see first.", the Doctor said to Rose who was going to the TARDIS doors when the engines had barely stopped.
"Oh, alright. Mickey, to you the honour.", Rose said and stepped back to let Mickey pass. Mickey wasn't very happy about it, so he carefully approached the doors.
"Are you sure it is safe?", Mickey asked.
"Of course. I know exactly where we are. Now, to you the challenge to guess where we have landed. Go on.", the Doctor said joyously.
Mickey carefully opened the TARDIS door and stepped outside followed by Rose. He looked around in awe. They were in a large circular room with panoramic windows overlooking a vast park. From the view from the windows they could tell they were high up in some building. Mickey stood astounded at the window, gazing into the distance.
"And? Did you figure it out yet?!", the Doctor called out to him from within the police box. Before he went out of the TARDIS, he went over to see Lynne. She was still asleep, resting from the healing.
"Mickey, where do you think we are?", the Doctor asked him as he joined to enjoy the view.
"I don't know. It looks like a giant fun fare. I hope we are still on Earth.", he said.
"Of course we are on Earth. The year: 1958. The introduction of the Boeing 707 aircraft and one of the prettiest cars ever made, the Citroen DS.", the Doctor said wile heading for a door opposite to the panoramic window. He used his sonic screwdriver on the lock and the door slid open, revealing a large elevator.
"That puts us in Europe then.", Rose said as they entered the elevator. Mickey was somewhat hesitant. He was concerned to leave Lynne behind alone, but as the Doctor had pointed out before, the TARDIS would protect her.
"That's right.", the Doctor said. The elevator soured down and soon they were on ground level. They exited the elevator and walked out of the building across the square that lay in front of it. At some distance the Doctor suddenly stopped and swivelled round to face the building. Rose and Mickey also turned to look upon the building they had just came from. Rose smiled at the sight, but Mickey's mouth fell open of amazement.
"The Atomium.", he gasped.
"The very one. Designed by the engineer Andr? Waterkeyn for the International Exhibition of Brussels. The Atomium is a structure that is half way between sculpture and architecture. It symbolises an iron crystal molecule by the scale of its atoms, magnified 165 billion times.", the Doctor told them.
"You see, Mickey. Exactly how it was drawn on the psychic paper.", Rose said.
"The Brussels World's Fair, more commonly called Expo 58, was certainly one of the most representative international events of the fifties. It symbolised a democratic desire for peace between nations, faith in technical progress and optimism about the future of a modern world that promised to enhance people's lives.", the Doctor explained while walking across the square into a large street.
"Look at the people. They are so?fifty-ish.", Rose said
"And the busses. Wicked!", Mickey commented.
"Won't we stand out, dressed like this?", Rose asked.
"No. This fair shows their view of the future, so we will blend in perfectly. After all, you two are real examples of the modern human.", the Doctor said reassuringly as he took the down the promenade.
On either side of the street stood marvellously futuristically designed buildings and the street was buzzing with people, like on any odd fairground. The streets seemed to stretch out endlessly in every direction, lined with most unusual structures, forming a forest of buildings.
The grounds on which the Expo 58 was built covered the area of an average seized village. It had a small train running through it, cable cars, busses and there were motorbikes with a coach on the front which seated two people, just to get all the visitors around the complex.
Tall oddly shaped signposts showed the location of every building, or pavilion. There were buildings which promoted all sorts of economic sectors, like agriculture and transportation, and there were pavilions representing almost every country of the world.
In Dreams
"Doctor? Doctor.", Rose repeated, trying to attract his attention but he seemed deeply buried in thoughts.
"What are all those buildings for?", Rose asked him.
"Oh. There are many buildings that represent a country in the world, like that one over there. It is the Netherlands pavilion. But there are also buildings with themes such as consumption for example, like those. The one with C?te d'Or on it, shows how chocolate is made. We could go in one if you would like.", the Doctor explained.
"Okay. I could do with some chocolate.", Rose said.
They crossed the road and entered the building. There was a flight of stairs, which led to a guided tour that showed the process of manufacturing chocolate. Further back in the hall there was a lounge area where one could enjoy samples of chocolate in the company of a drink.
It was made to look very futuristic with lots of glass and metal. The table tops, for example, were mirror glass plates with the C?te d'Or elephant etched in the center.
The threesome sat down at a table in the lounge and Rose and the Doctor tucked in the pile of chocolate samples. Dark chocolate, white and with nuts. The Doctor couldn't decide which one he liked best. Rose already knew dark chocolate was her favourite. Mickey didn't eat any, he hadn't said much all morning either.
"Come on, Mickey. Eat something.", the Doctor said.
"Yes. You never know how edible your next meal will be. Besides, it will make you feel better.", Rose added.
"No, thanks. I feel like going back now.", Mickey said.
"Did you know, there is a building somewhat further down the road that is made entirely out of wood?", the Doctor continued his chat with Rose.
"No, I didn't. Wow, I never imagined wood would be strong enough for that. Only wood, nothing else?", Rose replied and took another chunk of dark chocolate.
"If used correctly, wood can take higher forces than concrete. Concrete and stone can only withstand compressive forces, while wood can also take tensile forces because of the fibers it contains.", the Doctor explained. He reached across the table to get another piece of chocolate from the pile when he suddenly started and pulled back his arm. With his eyes opened wide and his brows frowned low, he gazed into the mirroring table surface. He thought he had seen his reflection move different from him. At that moment he could have sworn it, but now he wasn't sure.
"Maybe it was a trick of the light.", he thought. Though, he remembered having seen strange reflections in the corner of his eye before.
It had begun when he saw the reflection of a little girl instead of Lynne's reflection when they were locked behind a large glass wall in the basement of the Torchwood building in Cardiff by Jeremy Patchwork. But now it seemed to be only his own reflection playing tricks on him.
The Doctor turned his attention back to the conversation which had made an unpleasant turn. Mickey had been working up a rage and his anger was coming out now.
"?Lynne? Have you just forgotten her? It is not r
"You are suddenly very interested in her. What is the matter?", Rose said.
"Somebody has to care. You two obviously don't! She sacrificed a lot to heal you, Doctor, and this is what she gets as gratitude. Mister Know-it-all goes out to the largest fairground in the world and leaves her behind, alone. Well, I do care for her. I am going back", Mickey said angrily and walked away.
Rose looked at the Doctor with a questioning face, as if she were to ask whether what Mickey said was true. Were they really behaving as bad as Mickey pictured them to be?
The Doctor didn't really react. He just stood up from the table and put on his coat.
"Come on. He won't get far without a key.", he said and grabbed another piece of chocolate as they left.
*
Once back at the Atomium, Mickey found himself in front of a closed door. Frustrated he banged the door with his fist. He turned around and leaned against the door, but as he did so he started. There was a woman standing behind him, who he now faced.
"Can I help you? You are not allowed to enter here, as you can see. What are you looking for?", the lady asked kindly. The door was marked 'No entry!'.
"Uhm, I am?nothing really.", Mickey stuttered.
"Are you alright? You look lost.", the lady asked persistently.
"Yes, it's just, that I have lost the people I was traveling with. I was looking for them.", Mickey told her, trying to explain his actions.
"Well, you won't find them in there. What did they look like? I will help you find them.", the lady offered.
"Oh, no. You don't have to, really." Mickey said, because he only wanted to get back to the TARDIS.
"Oh, it is no trouble, honestly. It is my job, you know.", the lady told him and escorted him away from the door.
The Expo 58 employed many women, who would assist any visitors to the park, a bit like a stewardess. They were even dressed like stewardesses, black pumps, dark blue skirt, tailored jacket and a little hat with matching purse and gloves.
*
"Where is he gone to?", Rose asked. The Doctor just shrugged as he carefully felt the door.
"It is locked.", he said.
"Then he must still be here somewhere.", Rose said and looked around the lobby.
"Maybe.", the Doctor said and sighed as he also skimmed the people in the lobby looking for Mickey. Rose looked at the Doctor. He was behaving strangely. It was as if he was tired, absent minded, preoccupied. It worried her.
"Oh, alright. I will go looking for him here. You go on to the TARDIS. See if he is there.", she proposed. The Doctor agreed and unlocked the door with his sonic screwdriver once he made sure no one was looking.
He took the service elevator up to the sphere in which the police box was parked. He looked around to see if Mickey was anywhere near, but he saw no one. The Doctor used his key to enter the TARDIS and there also he looked for Mickey. He called out for him a few times, but when he got no reply, he stopped.
The Doctor went over to check on Lynne. He felt her pulse. She was still unconscious, or just sleeping. The Doctor still felt guilty, that he was the cause all this had happened to her. He hoped she would wake up soon and be alright, but to be honest, he had no idea if that were so.
Slowly he walked over to sit in the chairs near the console. Sitting there, he leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment.
Instead of the usual feeling of soaring endlessly through space, everything was calm and still. Normally he would picture planets, moons and nebulae rushing by, but this moment there was nothing. A disturbing empty darkness.
The faint laughter of a little girl could be heard in the distance. He tried to look for her but all remained dark. Then the hollow sound of little footsteps passed him by, over and over, closer each time. Still the girl wouldn't reveal herself.
"Doctor. Doctor?", he heard muffled voices say. It was not that of the little girl but he couldn't make out who's voice it was. It ebbed away into a continuous incomprehensible whisper. Then the laughter and the quick footsteps of the little girl approached him again. Just as he could almost see the little girl face appear in front of him, he awoke with a start.
*
It didn't take Rose long to find Mickey. She found him talking to a lady in the lobby of the Atomium. Actually, the lady was chatting rather a lot to him and it was clear that Mickey wasn't very happy having to listen to the woman's monologue.
Mickey was relieved Rose had found him when she did and immediately took the opportunity to be rescued from this unpleasant situation.
"Ha! That is one of my friends, over there. Rose, this is Claudia. Claudia, meet Rose Tyler. I am sorry, but we really have to be off now. Nice chatting with you. Bye Claudia.", Mickey said in order to leave as quickly as possible.
"Wow.", Rose said when they walked through the lobby, back towards the door leading to the service elevator, "You really wanted to get rid of her!"
Yes. It is not that she isn't a nice woman or anythin'. She has been very kind and she really wanted to help, but she was a bit overexcited and all.", Mickey said.
"So you were looking for an escape.", Rose jested.
"Yeah. She caught me at the door and I made an excuse I was looking for my friends. She works here and she wanted to help me find you. Luckily you found me first.", Mickey said as Rose stopped only a few feet away from the door.
"Mickey, it is locked.", Rose said with sudden realization.
"Yes. Say, how can you tell that from this distance?", Mickey wondered and they approached the door.
"How will we get to the TARDIS? I don't have a sonic screwdriver or somethin', to magically unlock it. The Doctor has it but he has gone ahead and-", Rose explained, but as she did Mickey opened the door without any difficulty. Apparently it was not locked anymore.
"Don't you just love the man? He left it unlocked for us.", Rose said happily as they quickly passed through the door and into the elevator.
"Yeah. Fantastic?", Mickey said jealously.
They quickly found their way to the TARDIS and this time Rose did have a key to open the door. The Doctor had given her a spare key of the TARDIS door at the beginning of their journey together.
"Doctor. Doctor?", Rose said as she entered the TARDIS first, followed by Mickey. She didn't see him at first but as they moved around the console they saw him slumped back in the chair. He was sitting up straight, motionless and his eyes were closed.
"What is he doing?", Rose whispered concerned.
"It looks like he is sleeping, to me.", Mickey replied.
"Do you think?", Rose whispered. "I thought he didn't need any sleep.", she thought to herself.
"A man has got to sleep sometime. Especially if he is as energetic as the Doctor always is!", Mickey commented jestingly.
"Maybe, but still-", Rose said, but at that moment the Doctor awoke with a start. It scared Rose, because she hadn't anticipated him to move so suddenly.
"Well, good morning to you.", Rose said cynically.
"Rose, Mickey. It's you.", the Doctor said somewhat disoriented.
"I was, the last time I looked in the mirror.", Mickey commented.
"Doctor? Are you alright?", Rose asked concerned.
"No. Yes, I am fine. I am glad you two are back.", he said, but Rose didn't believe him. She looked at him gravely, as the Doctor went about the console room doing some TARDIS-tinkering, just to occupy himself.
"You have been acting strangely lately?", Rose said to him carefully.
"It's what he always does.", Mickey commented and left the console room.
"You seem to stare at things for no apparent reason and drift off in deep thoughts all of a sudden. You also look tired. There is something going on with you, Doctor. I am sure of it and I want to know what it is.", Rose continued.
"I have been seeing shimmers, reflections moving. At first I told myself they were tricks of the light, but they became too clear to deny anymore. And you are right, I am tired. Every time I close my eyes for a bit, I keep seeing these mental images? a hallucination, mirage, vision, illusion, phantasm.", the Doctor explained and he struggled to find the right word.
"Dream?", Rose suggested.
"I don't dream. Well, okay. A dream, but it feels so real and I seem to keep missing the end.", the Doctor said.
"Do you think it means something?", Rose asked him.
"You mean like a prophecy or apparition? I don't know. If it is, the message eludes me.", the Doctor said thoughtful.
"Well, you must be having this dream for a reason.", Rose said decisively, "What was it you saw?"
"Nothing much. There was the laughter of a little girl and quick footsteps approaching. I couldn't see who she was, though I tried.", the Doctor told Rose, "All I could see was darkness and emptiness."