[021]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver has not been having a happy time of it on the Plane recently. first he got pulled to it only to be trapped in the dark, then the blood was utterly traumatising, and then he witnessed others with god powers--not to mention that awful hologram showing everyone about his empathy. the hologram in particular was troubling because he's afraid to face some of his friends after it]

[so instead, he's in the theatre, trying to distract himself from everything that's been happening while simultaneously avoiding people. unfortunately, he hasn't managed to find many films on the TARDIS. he has a feeling the Doctor has most of them stored in a room he hasn't found the way to. so he's watching Star Wars: Episode I, but anyone can see from his expression that it's not what he wants to be watching. in fact, he wants to be watching Episode IV. and though he doesn't know it yet, Oliver has just become a god. so suddenly, the film cuts out, and Star Wars: Episode IV cues up on the screen instead]

[Oliver jumps] What? How...? [he frowns at the familiar scrolling words, his shock quickly shifting into dread. he knows the sorts of things he's seen other people doing lately, but he's the only one here] No. I... [he shakes his head] I can't.

[and then a hat appears--one that might be familiar to some, as it used to be worn by the Doctor. it is upside-down in the seat beside him, and brimming with popcorn, just like a certain time with Gravkrom-Vey that the Doctor might remember]

[Oliver stares at the hat in absolute horror. he stands, backing away from it a little] No. Nonono! I can't! Not me!

Comments

[oliverplus]

[is taken aback by that. he's quiet for a moment, looking at Asch wide-eyed] Asch...what's happened?

No, wait! What is it?

[the theatre seats by Asch slide to block his exit. oops]

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

[Fine, so Oliver doesn't want him to leave. He still doesn't turn around.]

Are you done?

[Throwing a fit, he means.]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver is staring in shock at the seats] Sorry! Sorry. I didn't mean... [he shakes his head, and the seats move back where they belong]

[Oliver takes a deep breath and asks, as calmly as he can manage] What did you mean?

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

[He's pointedly avoiding Oliver's eyes, looking off to the side instead while crossing his arms.

Also he's ignoring that question about what happened to him.]

Before everything broke down and this started happening, Meredith was messing with some kind of interface.

Can you get into it?

[oliverplus]

Interface? [frowns, thinking about that. Asch has a point] Maybe?

What would we do once we got to it?

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

What if the only thing separating us from them was knowledge of how to work the Astral Plane?

We'll see if we can get in first. I don't want to break it.

[oliverplus]

All right. [uncertainly] Maybe if I want to...

[and just like that, the screens appear. Oliver's eyes go wide] It worked!

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

[Holy balls, it worked. Asch steps forward to try and read them too. Among the worlds shown is his own, and it catches his eye for a moment.]

This must be what they use to monitor our lives.

See anything that looks like controls? [He's ready to start pushing buttons himself, but he's not sure he can.]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver's eyes widen as they survey the screens] But how can it see our worlds!? That... [points at one screen in particular] That's the TARDIS! It's inside the TARDIS!

Uh... [starts poking at buttons himself] Hey, here's something... [watches as a readout starts to load for "percentage integrated"]

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised.

[His eyes narrow at the readout.]

It's calculating something.

[oliverplus]

[it only takes another moment before the screen display changes to: Subject: Oliver Day. Percentage integrated: 74%]

[Oliver gapes at the screen] Wh-what?

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

Percentage integrated? With what?

[He studies the monitor in an attempt to decipher what he can about Oliver's situation. He's not a complete retard with technology, but there's not much he can do about... /this/. Whatever this is.

He reaches toward the holograms, trying to touch the readout himself and possibly bring up more specific information.

He knows their time is running out.]

What the hell is this!?

[Apparently button-mashing gets results. A readout begins to print for Asch himself.

Subject: Luke fon Fabre, alias "Asch"
Percentage integrated: 15%
Favorite stuffed animal: Bear |

Yep.]

[oliverplus]

[good thing Oliver is so busy panicking over his number that he isn't going to ask Asch about his name--at the moment. instead, he focuses in on that 15% compared to his 74% and feels his stomach drop]

The...the Plane? The Machine? I don't know... [he leans forward, trying to see if he can get any more information, but it's at that point that a different message appears on all the screens:

UNAUTHORIZED USER DETECTED
LOCKDOWN MODE ENTERED]

What!? No! [but none of the controls are responding now, no matter how much Oliver whacks them]

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

[His eyes widen as everything goes to hell and locks them out. Frantic button-pushing does nothing to alleviate the situation. Tch.]

Damn it!

[Clearly someone like Asch hitting them will make them work. Except not. He lets out his breath in a soft hiss.]

We were so close.

[oliverplus]

[Oliver continues trying to punch keys as well. he lets out a cry of frustration--at which point the screens disappear completely]

Nooo!

[he throws his hands up in the air, too angry to know what to say for the moment]

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

[Asch looks pensive as he stares into the space where the screens were.]

We probably won't get another chance like that again.

[He pauses.]

... Not bad for someone who was cursing himself just a minute ago.

[oliverplus]

'Course we won't! This place wouldn't let that happen. [yells at the sky] It doesn't let us do anything except what it wants!!

[but he's brought up short by that. he turns to Asch, surprised] It was your idea.

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

I'll just have to find another way. [He doesn't sound defeated so much as... determined. He's closer than ever to solving the mystery of the Plane. Closer than ever to fixing the situation at home. It's a precarious position that he's in, but it's key.

He notices Oliver looking at him and almost meets his eyes, then remembers and avoids his gaze. He's used to it, anyway.]

I wasn't sure if you could do it.

[... Don't question an Asch compliment. They are few and far between.]

[oliverplus]

Like what?

[he notices Asch avoiding his gaze, though he hopes it's not for the reason he's thinking. he's a little defensive when he responds] I couldn't not try!

At least now we know the Plane is watching our homes, too. [not that he can think of anything good about that discovery]

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

I don't know yet, obviously. [Prickly prickly. He scoffs at Oliver's defensive remark too.] It wouldn't have surprised me. You have other things to worry about. [He adjusts his gloves and continues.] The monitors make sense. If they didn't watch our worlds, they wouldn't know how we lived outside of the experiment. It's just another form of control.

... How much power do those bastards have?

[oliverplus]

[frowns, wondering what Asch is getting at] I still want to work out what's going on with this place!

Yeah, but... [struggles for a way to explain] They were seeing in the TARDIS. That's the Doctor's ship! It...well, it shouldn't be possible. I mean, really, it shouldn't! But obviously it is...

[frowns worriedly, thinking much the same thing]

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

[He shrugs off Oliver's frown.]

Why not? [This is the first he's heard of such a thing, even though Oliver seemed to imply it with his freakout on the screens.] What's so special about the ship?

[Asch really needs to stop getting such lovely ideas.]

[oliverplus]

It's... [but Oliver falters. how do you explain a TARDIS?] Have you got spaceships on your world?

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

[Asch gives him a very odd look.]

No.

[And he forgets for a moment that he's supposed to ignore Oliver's eyes, and so-- if he's paying attention-- there's a mixture of curiosity and trepidation in one.]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver feels those emotions, and it's more of a relief than anything. at least Asch isn't feeling disbelief--or outright fear]

Uh...okay. [unfortunately, that answer just made this harder] So, basically, it's a ship that can go anywhere in all of space and time. Like, literally, anywhere. And it's bigger on the inside than the outside. So...yeah, she's really special.