Mindwipe

Chapter 4

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It was a wet landing, yet it was a landing and for this alone Osgood was thankful. Somehow Missy had used her umbrella to slow their descent but if it hadn't been for this mud pool there would have still been some broken bones...

"When I get my hands on you Skip you are going to wish your mother had smothered you at birth!"

Come to think of it there still might be, either that or wringed necks and Osgood wasn't simply going to hang around and find out. Yet the idea of moving was far easier than the reality. The mud was thick and heavy and Osgood was struggling not to panic, thrashing about would only make things worse that much she knew but Osgood wasn't sure what was worse drowning quickly or slowly?

"And then I might find a way to resurrect you just so I can have the pleasure of killing you again!"

At least their mud bath of death was warm, compared to her previous death and near death experiences Osgood had to admit this was probably the most pleasant... That had to be the special mud at work, hadn't The Mistress mentioned it had stress relieving properties, it was almost as though all the cares and concerns were being slowly drained out of her and were it not for The Mistress's ranting Osgood could almost be tempted to lay back and relax, she certainly wasn't going to thrash about futilely like the timelady was.

"Another outfit ruined, do you have any idea how it takes to have one of these made? No of course you don't you just throw on whatever smells least offensive in the morning..."

It was just a shame she couldn't really see very much, the rocks down here seemed to give off an almost luminous glow, and the scientist in Osgood ached to see if it was a natural property or if there was some sort of organic growth like the luminous moss that grew on earth unfortunately Osgood's glasses had once again not survived her adventure. They were probably down here somewhere, at the bottom of a pool probably. It should bother her more as without her glasses Osgood had to squint to see anything and even then it had to be practically under her nose...perhaps she should have taken advantage of the Tardis's superior medbay when she had the chance after all the first thing Seb had insisted on was having his vision fixed?

Yet Osgood had resisted at the time, perhaps it was in an effort to distance herself from Seb's obvious vanity? The former A.I. had made such a fuss about being forced into a defective human form because of Osgood's squeamishness that The Mistress had caved into his pleading just to shut him up. Yet Osgood had resisted when she had been offered the same, her glasses were part of her, part of the old her just like her ink stained lab coat and preference for comfortable if "unflattering" clothing.

Honestly who would have thought a computer programme would have such an interest?

Yet it seemed when Missy had programmed Seb as well as filling him with essential skills such as how to process and organise she had clearly corrupted his code with all manner of rubbish. The A.I. equivalent of Joan Rivers with all the scathing critique to match, there was rarely a day that went past without him managing to find some new fault to insult. Between his little digs and Missy's threats it was a wonder Osgood had managed to last this long...

Only...Only...it was suddenly quiet...Osgood had gotten so good over the last few weeks of tuning out Missy's running diatribe of threats that it had taken her far too long to realise that they had stopped, that everything had stopped...and just like that the unnatural feeling of calmness and contentment evaporated.

"Missy?" Osgood called out, managing somehow to propel her body slightly through the gelatinous mixture to turn and squint and the timelady.

"Mistress?" Osgood tried again, her concern growing when the black blob that she associated with the timelady didn't so much as murmur or twitch.

Now she was really worried, The Mistress was one for games and tricks but never ones that would make her appear vulnerable. The memory of that moment on the Nethersphere when the timelady had tripped and then had stared out into the darkened city like she had seen a ghost was the only time Osgood could recall seeing that mask fall even a fraction. Having no other choice Osgood took a deep breath and did her best to push herself in Missy's direction, her fingers flailing slightly as they tried to push through the heavy mud that seemed to want to drag her down.

Somehow she managed the reach the timelady but as her fingers made contact with her Osgood almost pulled away in shock. Instead of the thick and seemingly harmless gelatinous gloop that seemed determined to coat every available inch of Osgood's own body Missy was almost set solid the mud encasing her like a shell... even running her hands up Osgood encountered the hardening crust over the curve of her face...over her mouth...even...

Out...Out they had to get out!

The directive seemed to come from her gut at the same time as it echoed in her head and Osgood searched around squinting in the dim light for anything for anywhere to escape to before her eyes alighted on the Mistresses umbrella half submerged in the mud. Flailing for the item Osgood managed to grasp the handle on the second attempt. Running her fingers along the slippery handle Osgood began to randomly press and twist the dials set into the handle. The Mistress had never let Osgood examine it before but Osgood could only hope the principles were similar to The Doctor's sonic screwdriver which UNIT urban legend suggested had some sort of psychic connection available.

Please we need to get out...out!

Doing her best to keep hold as the device hummed then sparked before shooting out a deadly jet of flame from the tip that scorched the mud and almost had her drop the deadly device out of shock. Of course The Mistress would have to build something lethal but right now it was Osgood's best option and with shaking hands she tried to keep hold of it and Missy. Yet as the device sparked and shot flames Osgood suddenly felt herself sinking...the mud was moving...it was retreating...and growing...

The tide of mud that was shifting back from the flames was building like a crest of a wave...no not a wave...It surged up in the middle like a molten pillar that seemed to shift and sway as if dancing away from the flames. It was almost mesmerising like a swaying cobra.

Finally able to put her feet down on something that felt like solid rock Osgood dragged Missy's deadweight along with her, feet weighed down and already tired tripped over the steep uneven surface and Osgood landed heavily on her knees dropping both Missy and the Umbrella which stopped shooting flames the moment it fell from her grasp, sliding back down the slope. The moment the flames were extinguished the pillar of mud surged towards them, Osgood scrambled to her feet hefting the now almost stone like Missy with all of her strength up the last few remaining feet, trying to keep ahead of the returning tide of mud and the central pillar that reached out ahead...reaching grasping...the rippling shape recognisable even to Osgood's terrible eyesight.

A hand...malformed and slipping as if melting and reforming...stunted and crude like a child's first attempt and modelling...each time changing...refining...this time fingers formed grasping and reaching for them and Osgood couldn't even find the breath to scream.

It was alive...whatever it was and it wanted them...or at least it wanted Missy.

Somehow finding the strength for one last push Osgood pushed them up and over the edge of the pool's crater, rolling with the statue like form of The Mistress she could hear the rush of the oncoming tide her hands instinctively coming up to cradle her head as she took a deep breath. However instead of the crushing weight of the mudslide there was a sudden roar and heat that caused her skin to prickle and the remnants of mud that still clung to her skin to sizzle and burn to ash.

After what seemed like forever being trapped under a blanket of bright flame the onslaught suddenly ceased and Osgood raised her gasping head, eyes blinking as black spots moved in front of her poor vision she was able to make out two figures before her vision began to swim in earnest. It suddenly felt as though she had run a marathon, her body had not a drop of energy left in it and with the heat and lack of oxygen as well Osgood could feel her mind shutting down despite her best efforts to stay awake.

Her last thought as the shadowy figures seemed to draw closer was that they had come to help, they had saved them, so surely that made them the good guys? Didn't it?

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