The Other Tyler - rewrite

Conspiracies

Mei stood a few steps from the Doctor, arms crossed as she eyed her sister and Adam who seemed incredibly freaked out by Cathica's little brain door. There was something about him she REALLY didn't like, but no matter what, she couldn't seem to work out what it was.

An elbow nudged her side, and she gave the Doctor her full attention. He smiled reassuringly, knowing where her thoughts were and looked back to a very ecstatic Suki and an extremely jealous Cathica as they said their goodbyes.

"Cathica, I'm going to miss you," the chipper girl said, hugging the other woman who forced a smile on her face. Suki then turned to the Doctor, "Floor five hundred, thank you."

"I didn't do anything," he just shrugged.

"Well, you're my lucky charm."

The Doctor hesitated with a contemplating look on his face, his blue eyes darting to Mei's face before opening his arms to the woman, "All right. I'll hug anyone."

Mei just grinned, of course he would. Suki jumped back however as the tannoy reminded everyone that the break had been shortened.

"Oh, my God, I've got to go. I can't keep them waiting. I'm sorry. Say goodbye to Steve for me. Bye!" she rushed into the lift, waving as the doors closed on her.

Mei lifted her hand to wave, Rose doing the same as she came to her sister's side. The brunette glanced around but couldn't see Adam anywhere. She would have asked, but a huff from Cathica made her look to the grumpy woman.

"Good riddance," she muttered.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs," The Doctor reminded her, eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't think much of Cathica's attitude either.

She simply gave the Doctor a look that suggested he was stupid, "We won't. Once you go to Floor five hundred you never come back."

The two Tylers and the Doctor shared a suspicious look at her words, and followed after Cathica as she headed back to her work room.

"So you said the walls were made of gold," Mei commented, pulling Cathica's attention back to them, "Does that mean you've been up there?"

"I can't," Cathica shook her head, "You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to five hundred except for the chosen few."

"Bitter much?" Rose muttered, and Mei grinned at her, agreeing.

Having heard, the woman shot the two sisters a glare and then turned on the Doctor, "Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance. Can't you give it a rest?"

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" he asked, confused as he took a seat in the broadcast chair.

Mei smacked his feet, and he shifted them over slightly, so she could sit down as well. Rose just leaned against the back of the chair, watching the two of them with a soft smile. As far as she could tell, Mei hadn't even realised she was moving her thumbs in soothing circles on the Doctor's legs. And the Doctor didn't seem to notice as his own fingers trailed across the brunette's back to play with the ends of her curls.

Also having noticed, Cathica eyed them curiously as she explained, "I went to floor sixteen when I first arrived. That's medical. That's when I got my head done, and then I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all. You're not management, are you?"

"Ding! Ding! Ding!" Mei cheered with fake enthusiasm.

Giggling, Rose joined in, "We have a winner!"

The Doctor grinned at them, the woman was not amused however.

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything."

"Yeah," Mei perked up again, "You don't seem the type to ask questions. After all, you're a journalist, you think you can see the world differently, better even. Typical really, no wonder a lot of people don't trust the news."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Cathica huffed, scowling down at the brunette.

In response, Mei stood, crossing her arms over her chest and fixed the woman with an intense glare. The Doctor relaxed a little in his seat, crossing his own arms as he watched with interest.

"It means you're an idiot Cathica with a C," she mocked, "Look around you, you broadcast all news, all over the universe, but not one itsy bitsy alien on board. Nope, you're all humans. How is it a human station could know the exact news of each and every planet, system, species? Where do you get your information from? Who informs you of the goings on? Who does all the research to check what you're broadcasting, is in fact the truth?"

The Doctor gave Mei an impressed look, happy to let her make the points he had intended to make. Rose just beamed at her sister, enjoying the way Cathica wilted under her.

"But you don't think there's anything wrong with that do you?" Mei continued, circling the room with her hands now behind her back, "Oh you'll pass it off as something simple like threats, tightened immigration, and price inflammation, much like they did in the old days. You know subtle words that completely brainwash people if they're heard enough times. You think you see so well, but you missed it. All you clever little journalists in your fancy little rooms with big doors in your brains, and you missed the one thing that's truly important."

"I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything," Cathica shot back.

The sisters didn't even glance at each other as they jerked their thumbs in the Doctor's direction and chimed, "He sees better."

The Doctor beamed, glad his companions were so confident in him and turned to Cathica. "This society's the wrong shape, even the technology."

"It's cutting edge," the woman retorted.

"It's backwards," he shot right back, "Like Mei said, there's a great big door in your head. You should've chucked this out years ago."

"So what's going on?" Rose asked. "Obviously, the technology is wrong, you said that before. So what is it that's missing?"

Narrowing his eyes, the Doctor thought for a moment, "It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and bountiful Human Empire's stunted. Something's holding it back."

Before Cathica could open her mouth, Mei interrupted, "How held back are we talking?"

"Ninety years," the Doctor replied, then turned to Cathica, "When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

The woman's face paled rapidly, "Ninety one years ago."

Smirking, Rose and Mei gave each other a fist bump.

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