Doctor Who: Test Runner

I was suddenly in a white room, breathing heavily with wide eyes that were darting around the blank room I found myself in. I sighed and collapsed onto the floor though keeping a hand on my spear, my mind racing with the event I had just gone through and I started processing things quickly.

For some reason the teleportation was easier than the first time when I was getting transported to Fera and I didn't really feel any sort of huge disorientation, though my surroundings suddenly being different was still disorientating. Maybe it was because of the added weight of my backpack and being on a hill the first time around was the main source of my disorientation. Also unlike the first time around, there was a little bit of consistency from before the teleportation. The system had remained constant in my vision giving me notifications that were telling me what was happening.

Off world quest has been granted.

User has been transported to Quest Selection and Preparation Room.

Suitable in-universe quest has been selected.

The system wrote out, showing me what was happening. I got transported to a room to get and prepare for my first in-universe quest. I sat up and read the new notification that appeared on the screen carefully, my head and eyes feeling a bit odd from the sight of the shadowless and equally lit white room that I was inside.

Name: Killiad Jones

Race: White Human

Sex: Male

Age: 30

Selected in-universe Quest:

Survive against the Nestene Consciousnesses soldiers.

Location: Earth, London, England

Description: Following your knowledge of events inside the universe, this is the first event or episode in your memory and so you will follow the events that you are aware of to give you a slight edge with your foreknowledge, in this case into the situation of the first episode of series one. The Nestene Consciousness is attempting to invade the Earth to make what amounts to a breeding ground for itself. But to begin this invasion it needs to produce soldiers to take over the Earth. The Nestene Consciousness has taken control over an abandoned building to produce more powerful soldiers for its invasion force, and you will be sent there for three days.

Primary Goal: Survive for 72 hours inside the factory.

Requirements: Stay within the building for 72 hours without dying.

Rewards: Your continued survival, resources collected in-universe.

Penalties: You automatically fail the quest, permanent death.

Optional Goal 1: Destroy all the new soldiers before your time limit has passed.

Requirements: Kill, destroy or otherwise disable all Nestene Consciousness soldiers that have been produced by the production line and are within the building before 72 hours have passed.

Rewards: ???

Penalties: N/A

Optional Goal 2: Stop the production of Nestene Consciousness soldiers.

Requirements: Disable, destroy or otherwise render the production line unable to produce Nestene Consciousness soldiers.

Rewards: ???

Penalties: N/A

Ok, that was a lot to take in. The in-universe quests were formatted quite a bit differently from my normal quests. Instead of a quest and a single line with instructions on how to complete the quest, there is now a main goal and two optional goals. But that is not the reason I was thinking hard on how this would work. I was concentrating on the details and name of the quest.

It talked about how in-universe quests would work, and it basically says that it will be following the events that happen in the show. How that would all work out in the future was a bit worrying, with the amount of episodes of the Doctor being in completely hostile situations for a long time being a lot. I mean… the two deities in charge of the quest system wouldn't send me somewhere I couldn't survive in, right?

But for right now, I am on the first episode of series one. I had never seen the older stuff and the details said that the quests will be following what I have seen, so that's probably why I am not starting at the very first episode or comic or book or whatever of Doctor Who that ever existed. And I was sure that detail would stop me from dying in some stupid way, judging by the amount of mystery that the show was basically about. I am getting off track.

So, the first episode of series one… Was it called Rose? Whatever. Basically an invasion of a sapient/sentient molten plastic slime thing that can mentally control plastic via some kind of signal. It used mannequins as its main attackers in the episode. But the description says that it took over a building that they turned into a factory for soldiers. That does not add up at all. The mannequins were not made by the Nestene Consciousness, just kind of controlled. Though the gun thing didn't quite add up I suppose. I was never a huge fan, just a casual enjoyer. Maybe this is how Canon goes. Plus there is the possibility that the show wasn't entirely accurate.

But all in all, I am most likely fighting a small army of mannequin soldiers over the course of three days, who are trying to make more of themselves, while I cannot leave the building. I am obviously going to try to achieve the optional goals as well, despite not knowing the rewards, because I don't really want to just hide for three days. I just made a spear and even if it's terrible and literally from the stone age, I am going to use it.

Then just as I had finished thinking of my new quest and was about to say something along the lines of being ready, I got a ping and a new notification screen showed up and writing started being typed out.

I had to change the survival quest parameters just to keep you alive, you know. Three times you almost died in your first week from doing stupid things. THREE. You're lucky I saved you at the last second. -Nemunue

Ok, that's new. “Hey! It is not my fault that I was attacked by monsters!” I responded automatically, protesting against her words. “And what do you mean three, anyway? I was only attacked twice, the giant rabbit monster and that damn Unicorn!” I said, her words catching up to me and making me confused.

Ignore her, we are glad that you survived on that world with as little information as you did. You have received your first in-universe quest now? -Monque

“Yes, I have. Survive for three days against those plastic soldiers inside an abandoned building.” I responded to my other patron, focusing briefly on the quest screen before turning back to the deities messages.

You understand what to do then? -Monque

“I believe so.” I responded, though pausing as I decided to ask a question. “Are the events inside the universe different at all from the shows I watched while I was back on my Earth?” I curiously asked the screen and the two deities that were using it.

You will have to find out. Consider it a challenge. -Nemunue

I sighed as I read that but begrudgingly nodded. I suppose this means I will have to be careful about relying on what I remember from the episodes I have a quest in.

Are you ready to start your first true quest? -Monque

I nodded at his question, standing heavily and holding my spear at my side while planting it firmly against the white ground.

Then good luck. -Monque

Have fun! -Nemunue

Seriously Nemunue? He's not going to-

Then the world around me shifted as the system screen disappeared in the blink of an eye and suddenly I was somewhere else.

The shift in my surroundings caused by the teleportation was again quite disorientating but it did help that I was expecting it. The little shock or whiplash my brain gave me whenever that happened made it quite hard to think for about two seconds while it tried to process things. Maybe I should close my eyes next time and see if it helps with the disorientation, lessen the differences my mind goes through or something. I would probably get used to it over time, but I do not like how teleportation makes my brain feel…

When I had recovered to scan my surroundings, holding my spear at the ready as I did. My surroundings were lit from dull late evening daylight through a set of broken windows along the walls, but I could see enough of my surroundings to relax a bit and rest my spear at my side.

There were large wooden work tables and large stools scattered all over the place alongside huge chunks and various boards of wood, most of them having cracks or cuts and there was some of what looked like wood working tools scattered around the place there was a section along the wall where the tools looked like they should go as well, but there was only a hammer put in its proper place.

There were also a few stations along the back of the wall where there looked to be scattered welding or metal working gear alongside some lockers and a few closets but I wasn't sure as it was a good distance away. This room was pretty big, with the ceiling making the room seem very spacious, making this building at least two floors as I could also see a large metal platform with stairs leading up to it with a door high up on the wall the platform was positioned on.

It looked like I was in some kind of shop. There was also a wall that seemed to separate the room to create some kind of storage space with a whiteboard and a desk near the end of that wall and when I looked at those sections of the room I corrected myself. “I am in a school. A wood working room in a school.” I quietly said to myself as I looked around. “Good spot for resources…” I continued and I started walking around to take a close look at everything, moving between large sections of wood boards that looked like they were thrown about just to create a mess years ago and never touched again. The dust alone would have told me this place was abandoned even if I didn't know that already from the quest description.

I went by and looked the whole room over as quietly as I could, knowing that there could be living mannequins just outside the door and I was pretty sure that they could hear. Somehow.

Ten minutes later I had a good idea of what was all in the room. There was a mildly rusty set of hand tools that I had managed to collect together, a hell of a lot of wood scattered around the place though most wasn't in the best condition, a couple of power tools, a welding station and finally some sheet metal. The power tools and welding station would be useless as there was no power in the building, but everything else could be useful if I have something to do with them.

While wood and hand tools weren't the most useful in my situation it would be more than useful back on Fera. But by the end of my time exploring the room, I had realized something that made me curse. I didn't have any way to actually carry any of the stuff in the room. My backpack was back at my camp in Fera.

I wasn't quite sure how the reward that says I get resources collected in-universe for the main quest would work, but I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to make a pile of things I wanted to keep and it would appear in my inventory if I get the reward. It probably just applies to resources on my person or something similar.

That also meant that I had no food either. The water situation was… somewhat fine, as there was a rusty and decrepit sink in the corner of the room that gave mostly clear water. However, as there was no other source or supply of water I would have to risk it. Food on the other hand was something I would most likely have to go without for the next three days. I would survive that long no problem, but it would be annoying. Assuming I don't get something from the water that is.

Back to the resources problem however, there was a fix to my problem. I could make a bag out of something. Maybe I could even store it in my inventory while it had things inside? It made sense I guess. But the problem with that solution is I have no material I could make a bag out of in the room, meaning I would have to search for resources outside the wood working room. Plus I don't know if there is anything that could work to make a bag to begin with, even if I search the entire school. Sometimes there is a fashion class or similar that could have fabric and stuff for a bag, but who knows.

However, searching for resources in general is a good thing if I can make my way around the building undetected and probably worth the risk. I just need a good plan in place. In fact I need a general plan for taking on the soldiers that were being made in the building as well.

I needed to do all that planning later though as it was getting late, I was feeling tired from the day's work and my adrenaline spike from the unicorn influencing my mind and trying to eat me was catching up to me. I needed to sleep, and honestly wooden tables aren't the worst place I have ever slept…

It was later the next day that I was ready to enact the first step of my plan. Scouting and scavenging. Technically the only step in my plan so far, but I would figure the rest of it out later as I need information before I can plan anything beyond ‘kill them all’ or similar things. So I was ready to start looking around the building, though slowly and carefully to avoid any attention. I would be operating under the assumption that there could be a mannequin around every corner and behind every door, making sure to keep my spear at the ready at all times.

I had made my way up to the platform thing that led up to the door to the second floor, at least that's what I was assuming it to be, and I was standing ready with my spear positioned in front of me. I turned the handle quickly and peered through the crack in the door with my spear pointing into the crack as well. Beyond the door there was a dimly lit hallway, with the only sources of light being open or broken doors along the hallway. The hallway was empty though, so I opened the door farther to get a good look.

The hallway was mostly empty, with only the occasional garbage on the floor and the dust. To the right of the door I was in, the hallway seemed to come to a dead end though there were doors along the entire way, and another hallway that led somewhere else. To my left however, it was basically the same except I could see a set of doors leading to a stairwell and another hallway leading off the hall I was in.

I walked out into the hallway slowly, keeping an eye and ear on everything around me. It was deathly quiet and I saw nothing out of the ordinary decrepit abandoned school hallway look. But as I walked to my right to take a look around in that direction first, now beside a stairwell that was built beside the point where the hallway connected with the other hallway, I started hearing faint noises coming from farther down the hallway. It sounded like it was coming from beyond a broken down door about half way down the hallway, or around there anyway.

It sounded like dull but heavy thuds, like something heavy and large hitting the ground every few seconds. It was probably nothing good, but it would also probably have something to do with the production line that was mentioned in the quest description. Maybe that's where the machinery was? I started walking down the hallway towards the broken down door where the sounds were coming from, watching my footing to keep my noise down and watching my surroundings to avoid something sneaking up on or seeing me.

I got to the door without any problems whatsoever, and I could hear that the sounds were definitely coming from beyond the door that I was now beside. The broken down door was sitting by the doorframe, completely unattached, and I could read a brass looking tag on the door that read “Automotive” something or other. I peered through the large hole left by the destroyed door, taking a good look while still being covered by the doorframe.

My eyes dilated at the bright sunlight that filled the room that I was looking in on, then they widened after I realized what I was looking at. Directly beyond the door was one of those platform things that had stairs down to the floor, like in the wood working room, and I got a good look at the room beyond that despite the railings slightly blocking my view.

There was a smaller moving truck inside the room, with the back being open and some boxes of something inside. Though they wouldn't be there for much longer as mannequins were tossing the boxes out of the truck and across the room, making the thumping I heard. I couldn't see where exactly they were throwing it because it was below the platform, but I could barely hear them being picked up and moved again. This was probably resources coming in to fuel the production line.

I backed out of the doorway carefully and I started walking around again to see if there was anything else I could hear. I wanted to know what happened after the boxes of something were taken away, but I couldn't hear anything else other than the truck being unloaded while I walked away.

So I began exploring the hallways once more, making a mental map of the second floor. I started walking down the second hallway opposite to the wall with the loading bay door soon, then I paused. I could faintly hear a buzzing whir sound out to my right, sounding like machines. Or a production line. I identified where it was coming from immediately, another door to the right of the hallway just a little farther down and out of the way of the main hallway.

I walked to it and I stood in front of the closed door for a second, pausing to listen for a second. It was definitely coming from somewhere behind the door, this door probably leads down into the first floor like the loading bay door did.

I opened it slowly and cautiously, the slight squeak of the door making me wince. It wasn't loud enough to attract any attention from anywhere beyond a few feet from the door so I took my chances and opened it more before looking through the crack.

‘Definitely the production line…’ I thought to myself as I looked down at the mess of machinery and conveyor belts humming away, with dirty plastic mannequins working around it. I didn't get to see anything more than that however, because as I looked I saw one of the mannequins move its head. Pointing directly to the door I was behind. My breath caught in my throat and I froze instantly, trying to be as still as possible. I don't think it saw me… After a moment that felt like an hour, it turned away and continued to work.

I backed off quickly from the door and began to quickly back peddle away from the door, though I was as quiet as possible. I don't think it saw me, but these things were a form of hivemind if my memory serves me right. If it saw something, then it would have sent guards up to check out the area, not run at me or something just as dramatic. And honestly I did not want to try my luck.

I started to jog my way quickly down the hallway with my spear still firmly in front of me and then turned right when the hallway ended and then to the end of that hallway until I hit a dead end. Opening the closest door I scanned the room with a once over to make sure there wasn't a mannequin waiting for me and then walked inside, shutting it as quietly as possible behind me. I sighed in relief as it shut before I turned around to take a good look at the room I was inside.

There were tables and shelving all over the place and brightly colored but dirty walls and floor, but what caught my attention was the brightly colored fabrics that were all over the room. “Wow.” I commented, thinking about how much luck I had just to randomly find this room as I looked around.

Then I saw something move beneath the rubble in the room, causing me to freeze and hold my spear at the ready, pointing it at the source of the movement. Then I saw a hand shoot out from under the pile of fabrics and random trash. A dirty white plastic hand. Then another shot up. Then another pair from under the mess. Then two mannequins sat up and began to stand.

But there was no way in hell I was just going to stand by and watch as they got up and ready to kill me. I moved swiftly across the room, closing the distance between the two of them and me and swinging my spear to knock them back to the ground. Then I started clumsily stabbing at one of the living plastic monsters, piercing through the chest and head of it. Then something weird happened. I heard a crack on my final thrust into the mannequin's face, and it suddenly went still.

I couldn't ponder on what just happened though, as the other mannequin had gotten itself into an upright position with its hand raised above its head beside me. I threw myself out of the strike range as it swung down, the plastic seeming to blur from the speed of its strike as it missed. Then I hurriedly got to my feet once again and thrust my spear into the mannequin's head. I heard a similar crack to what I heard coming from the first dummy and it went limp, carrying my spear down with it.

I looked between the mannequins in confusion. Something inside their heads broke, making them stop moving. That was odd, as I didnt think that had ever happened. I thought I would have had to tear it into bits before I managed to kill it…

Then I heard thumping coming closer to the room I was hiding inside. I looked up, panicking and looking for somewhere to hide as the sounds approached. There! A closet! I ran into it, shutting the doors as I threw myself inside not a second too late as I could hear the noises stop outside the room I was in. Then there was a loud crash and sound of splintering wood, probably the door being broken down by whatever was outside. Then I heard the thumping coming inside and I held my breath.

Then nothing. I couldn't hear anything happening. It must have stopped.

I spent a full minute sitting in that cramped closet and trying to control my rapid breathing from the short fight before I could hear anything else. Then I could hear heavy footsteps retreating down the hallway. I didn't move though. Only idiots went out the second they thought that something had gone away. I stayed in that closet for half an hour.