moragmacpherson (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
moragmacpherson) wrote2009-01-23 11:14 am
moragmacpherson) wrote2009-01-23 11:14 am
Fic: Hellmouth High Schools Don't Have Reunions (13/20)
Title: Hellmouth High Schools Don't Have Reunions (13/20)
Author: MoragMacPherson
Rating: PG to PG-13
Timeline: School Reunion for DW. Between Homecoming and Band Candy for BtVS
Disclaimer: If it's a character or a place, I don't own it.
Archive: Here, TtH, Teaspoon, the pit, I think. If you'd like it, let me know.
Author's Note: Response to challenge 3108 by Winterd at Twisting the Hellmouth. Un-beta'd. Oooh, and it also got recced on Calufrax, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Summary: What if "School Reunion" took place at Sunnydale High?
I Never Knew It Could Be So Strange
Oz peered into the classroom. “Free this period.” He sniffed. “No one hiding in here. We’re good.”
Rose wrinkled her nose. “That’s weird.”
“No it’s not.” Willow brushed some imaginary lint off of Oz’s shoulders. “It’s useful and endearing.”
Rose sighed. “No, not like that. I mean - look at you. A witch and a werewolf. And just last week, the Doctor and me, we-“ she broke off, putting her hand in front of her lips to push the words back inside.
Willow started booting up one of the computers. “'You and the Doctor' what?”
Oz looked Rose over. “You killed a werewolf, right?”
“Um, yes.” Rose winced. “Sorry.”
Oz shrugged. “It was kill or be killed, probably, right?” Rose nodded. “It happens.” Oz pulled up a chair and looked over Willow’s shoulder.
Rose stood behind them. “But, how can you, how do you just accept things like that?”
Willow began investigating the new system. “Oh, live on a Hellmouth a few years, you get used to things. You see friends get killed, you learn that werewolves aren’t evil and are actually really good kissers, you find out that vampires with souls can be your friend, and then you find out they can lose their souls and they put all of your tropical fish on a string in an envelope on your bed for you to find.” Oz placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Basically, the lines of good and evil move around a lot in our lives. You killed one werewolf because you had to, that’s okay.”
“Just don’t make a habit of it,” added Oz. “Willow, check out the network server.”
“Yeah, that’s new.” Willow clicked and got a password prompt.
“Wossat?” Rose leaned in.
“Well, it’s a network server, apparently connected to every computer in the school. It must be new. Miss Calendar really wanted to install one, but Snyder never gave her the money.” Willow opened another program.
“And who are those people?”
“Snyder is the principal of the school, who’s strangely MIA this week.” Willow bit her lip as she concentrated.
Oz stood and looked around the room for a server cabinet. “Miss Calendar was our old computer teacher. She, uh, was killed last year.”
“Is this the bad stuff last spring you people keep not telling me about?” Rose took Oz’s seat.
“Uh, yeah.” Willow persisted in not explaining it. “Oz, how long do you think brute-forcing a 37 digit alphanumeric will take a 200 megahertz Pentium?”
Oz leaned his head against a closet door. “Oh, I’m not sure. Three weeks, or maybe years? How much memory do we have?”
Willow pushed back from the desk. “Doesn’t matter. We’re going to have to figure out a different way.”
Rose dangled the sonic screwdriver in front of her. “Here we go.”
Willow examined the device. “What’s that?”
“Sonic screwdriver.” Rose enunciated the name clearly, unconsciously imitating the old Doctor.
“And that can solve a thirty seven-digit alphanumeric password by what, cleaning the computer’s teeth?” Willow frowned.
Rose adjusted the settings. “Don’t know ‘bout teeth, but it’s very good at opening things.” She applied the screwdriver to the computer, and within a few seconds, the server files were open.
Willow’s jaw hung ajar. “That’s not just sonic. How does it work?”
“No idea. It’s sonic. That’s what he tells me, that’s what I know.”
Oz held out his hand and Rose handed it to him. He pressed a few buttons, then pointed it at the cabinet he’d been banging his head against earlier. The doors popped open, and the server racks were revealed. “I want one,” he announced.
Rose held her hand out and he surrendered it. “You’ll have to take that up with the Doctor. He’s a little attached to it. I was stunned he gave it up to me.” Her cheeks reddened. “The sonic-screwdriver that is.”
Willow gave her a sly smile. “Sure it is. So do you know what this stuff is?” The screen flooded with green symbols.
Rose shook her head. “Nothing. It means nothing to me.”
Oz peered at the screen. “I’ve seen some of these symbols. Remember when we researched Acathla?”
“Ooh, you’re right.” Willow pointed. “That one’s definitely in a couple of the old demon books.”
“Can you read them?” Rose gave the seat back to Oz.
“No.” Oz slowly pointed out an icon on the toolbar, and Willow gasped. “Oh no.”
“What, what’s wrong?”
“This program’s running on the entire server.” Willow clicked open a new window and read. “On over six hundred computers. That’s more than half the school. When did we get over six hundred computers?” Oz shook his head, not knowing. “And does this mean what I think it means?”
Oz read the command lines. “They’ve locked down the school.”
Rose’s eyes widened. “We’re trapped?” The pair nodded. Just then Buffy and the Doctor arrived in the lab.
Buffy looked at their stunned faces. “What? What’s going on?”
Rose reacted first, indicating his jaw. “Doctor, you’ve got a bruise.”
“Oh, yeah.” He, shrugged and tilted his head from side to side. “Minor disagreement. We’re past that now.” Buffy’s eye roll belied this statement. “Anything else?”
“The Krillitanes have locked us all in and jacked most of the students into this.” Willow pushed back from the desk, inviting the Doctor to examine the screen. “Any idea?”
The Doctor pulled out his glasses. “Oh my. Oh dear.”
Buffy leaned in to peer at the screen. “What?”
The Time Lord didn't notice her comment, muttering under his breath. The only words the rest of them could discern was, “They wouldn’t.”
“Apparently they would,” countered Oz. The Doctor looked up at him, drawn out of his hyper-concentration.
Rose took his arm. “What is it, Doctor?”
“It’s the Skasis paradigm. They’re using this place to crack the Skasis paradigm.”
“The Skasis-what?” Buffy turned her head upside down at the screen, but it still didn’t make any more sense to her.
“It’s the God-maker, and not just little witch-gods, but the big omnipotent kind.” The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. “The Skasis paradigm is the theory of everything, and not just that, the theory of sub-atomic manipulation. Figure out that equation, and the rules of the universe are yours to bend at will. Time and space and matter, yours to control.”
Willow nodded. “And the Krillitanes are using the students as a kind of independent floating point?”
“Yes, exactly. The oil greases the neurons, works as a conducting agent, accelerates your thinking, makes you lot cleverer.” The Doctor stood up straight.
Rose folded her arms. “But why use them? Why not go to some school with the hyper-smart?” She held up a hand. “No offense.”
The three students smiled. “None taken.”
The Doctor took off his spectacles, a look of horror dawning upon his face. “It’s not just your brains. It’s your imaginations. Endless creativity.”
Buffy smirked. “Well, it takes a lot to keep on denying the supernatural.”
But the Doctor was looking into space. “They’re using your very souls to pull this off.”
On the word “soul” Buffy’s face hardened. “Well then, we can’t have that.”
“But we’re only borrowing them.” The group spun around to see Brother Lassa leaning against the door jamb wearing an expression of triumph on Giles’ face. He folded his hands in front of him, and addressed the group, but especially the Doctor. “Let the lesson begin.”
Next
Author: MoragMacPherson
Rating: PG to PG-13
Timeline: School Reunion for DW. Between Homecoming and Band Candy for BtVS
Disclaimer: If it's a character or a place, I don't own it.
Archive: Here, TtH, Teaspoon, the pit, I think. If you'd like it, let me know.
Author's Note: Response to challenge 3108 by Winterd at Twisting the Hellmouth. Un-beta'd. Oooh, and it also got recced on Calufrax, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Summary: What if "School Reunion" took place at Sunnydale High?
I Never Knew It Could Be So Strange
Oz peered into the classroom. “Free this period.” He sniffed. “No one hiding in here. We’re good.”
Rose wrinkled her nose. “That’s weird.”
“No it’s not.” Willow brushed some imaginary lint off of Oz’s shoulders. “It’s useful and endearing.”
Rose sighed. “No, not like that. I mean - look at you. A witch and a werewolf. And just last week, the Doctor and me, we-“ she broke off, putting her hand in front of her lips to push the words back inside.
Willow started booting up one of the computers. “'You and the Doctor' what?”
Oz looked Rose over. “You killed a werewolf, right?”
“Um, yes.” Rose winced. “Sorry.”
Oz shrugged. “It was kill or be killed, probably, right?” Rose nodded. “It happens.” Oz pulled up a chair and looked over Willow’s shoulder.
Rose stood behind them. “But, how can you, how do you just accept things like that?”
Willow began investigating the new system. “Oh, live on a Hellmouth a few years, you get used to things. You see friends get killed, you learn that werewolves aren’t evil and are actually really good kissers, you find out that vampires with souls can be your friend, and then you find out they can lose their souls and they put all of your tropical fish on a string in an envelope on your bed for you to find.” Oz placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Basically, the lines of good and evil move around a lot in our lives. You killed one werewolf because you had to, that’s okay.”
“Just don’t make a habit of it,” added Oz. “Willow, check out the network server.”
“Yeah, that’s new.” Willow clicked and got a password prompt.
“Wossat?” Rose leaned in.
“Well, it’s a network server, apparently connected to every computer in the school. It must be new. Miss Calendar really wanted to install one, but Snyder never gave her the money.” Willow opened another program.
“And who are those people?”
“Snyder is the principal of the school, who’s strangely MIA this week.” Willow bit her lip as she concentrated.
Oz stood and looked around the room for a server cabinet. “Miss Calendar was our old computer teacher. She, uh, was killed last year.”
“Is this the bad stuff last spring you people keep not telling me about?” Rose took Oz’s seat.
“Uh, yeah.” Willow persisted in not explaining it. “Oz, how long do you think brute-forcing a 37 digit alphanumeric will take a 200 megahertz Pentium?”
Oz leaned his head against a closet door. “Oh, I’m not sure. Three weeks, or maybe years? How much memory do we have?”
Willow pushed back from the desk. “Doesn’t matter. We’re going to have to figure out a different way.”
Rose dangled the sonic screwdriver in front of her. “Here we go.”
Willow examined the device. “What’s that?”
“Sonic screwdriver.” Rose enunciated the name clearly, unconsciously imitating the old Doctor.
“And that can solve a thirty seven-digit alphanumeric password by what, cleaning the computer’s teeth?” Willow frowned.
Rose adjusted the settings. “Don’t know ‘bout teeth, but it’s very good at opening things.” She applied the screwdriver to the computer, and within a few seconds, the server files were open.
Willow’s jaw hung ajar. “That’s not just sonic. How does it work?”
“No idea. It’s sonic. That’s what he tells me, that’s what I know.”
Oz held out his hand and Rose handed it to him. He pressed a few buttons, then pointed it at the cabinet he’d been banging his head against earlier. The doors popped open, and the server racks were revealed. “I want one,” he announced.
Rose held her hand out and he surrendered it. “You’ll have to take that up with the Doctor. He’s a little attached to it. I was stunned he gave it up to me.” Her cheeks reddened. “The sonic-screwdriver that is.”
Willow gave her a sly smile. “Sure it is. So do you know what this stuff is?” The screen flooded with green symbols.
Rose shook her head. “Nothing. It means nothing to me.”
Oz peered at the screen. “I’ve seen some of these symbols. Remember when we researched Acathla?”
“Ooh, you’re right.” Willow pointed. “That one’s definitely in a couple of the old demon books.”
“Can you read them?” Rose gave the seat back to Oz.
“No.” Oz slowly pointed out an icon on the toolbar, and Willow gasped. “Oh no.”
“What, what’s wrong?”
“This program’s running on the entire server.” Willow clicked open a new window and read. “On over six hundred computers. That’s more than half the school. When did we get over six hundred computers?” Oz shook his head, not knowing. “And does this mean what I think it means?”
Oz read the command lines. “They’ve locked down the school.”
Rose’s eyes widened. “We’re trapped?” The pair nodded. Just then Buffy and the Doctor arrived in the lab.
Buffy looked at their stunned faces. “What? What’s going on?”
Rose reacted first, indicating his jaw. “Doctor, you’ve got a bruise.”
“Oh, yeah.” He, shrugged and tilted his head from side to side. “Minor disagreement. We’re past that now.” Buffy’s eye roll belied this statement. “Anything else?”
“The Krillitanes have locked us all in and jacked most of the students into this.” Willow pushed back from the desk, inviting the Doctor to examine the screen. “Any idea?”
The Doctor pulled out his glasses. “Oh my. Oh dear.”
Buffy leaned in to peer at the screen. “What?”
The Time Lord didn't notice her comment, muttering under his breath. The only words the rest of them could discern was, “They wouldn’t.”
“Apparently they would,” countered Oz. The Doctor looked up at him, drawn out of his hyper-concentration.
Rose took his arm. “What is it, Doctor?”
“It’s the Skasis paradigm. They’re using this place to crack the Skasis paradigm.”
“The Skasis-what?” Buffy turned her head upside down at the screen, but it still didn’t make any more sense to her.
“It’s the God-maker, and not just little witch-gods, but the big omnipotent kind.” The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. “The Skasis paradigm is the theory of everything, and not just that, the theory of sub-atomic manipulation. Figure out that equation, and the rules of the universe are yours to bend at will. Time and space and matter, yours to control.”
Willow nodded. “And the Krillitanes are using the students as a kind of independent floating point?”
“Yes, exactly. The oil greases the neurons, works as a conducting agent, accelerates your thinking, makes you lot cleverer.” The Doctor stood up straight.
Rose folded her arms. “But why use them? Why not go to some school with the hyper-smart?” She held up a hand. “No offense.”
The three students smiled. “None taken.”
The Doctor took off his spectacles, a look of horror dawning upon his face. “It’s not just your brains. It’s your imaginations. Endless creativity.”
Buffy smirked. “Well, it takes a lot to keep on denying the supernatural.”
But the Doctor was looking into space. “They’re using your very souls to pull this off.”
On the word “soul” Buffy’s face hardened. “Well then, we can’t have that.”
“But we’re only borrowing them.” The group spun around to see Brother Lassa leaning against the door jamb wearing an expression of triumph on Giles’ face. He folded his hands in front of him, and addressed the group, but especially the Doctor. “Let the lesson begin.”
Next