Trickery and subterfuge [for songofsong]

[bowtimeandspace]

The Glass Domes of Seitrata Medori. He'd been wanting to go for ages and for one reason or another he'd never quite got around to it. But now! Now he was going, and his excitement was palpable. There was nobody there to share it with though, which really would never do, but that was easily fixed, a short stop off at Stormcage to pick up the Mrs.

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[songofsong]

When the screen flickered to life long enough, River's face was unmistakable. Unmistakably her, unmistakably hurt. The way her head was held suggested great effort, a grim expression of determination on her face, anything to hide the evidence in her eyes, even if it was so clear upon her damaged features.

Something was happening off screen, because River was shaking her head to some unseen participant.

The screen went on and off once again, but returned with sound. There was the telling echo of her laboured breathing, the crackle of a microphone held roughly.

"Do it," came a voice. It was blunt, effective. His words were simple and his instruction finalising.

[bowtimeandspace]

The Doctor struggled to believe what he was seeing. He frowned as he looked at the image, as if trying to question his own eyes and what they saw. But no, it was real, there was nothing that told him it could be anything but.

His fingertips reached out and he touched the scanner, desperately twisting a knob when the image started to flicker once again.

"River..." he said quietly, worried.

[songofsong]

"No," came River's response, her tone as firm as she could make it and even then her facade was crumbling. She knew what saying 'no' meant, but she was never going to submit to anyone quite so easily.

Whatever that was, happened in quick succession, she cried out and convulsed and crashed against whatever was holding her in place. The camera pulled back sharply, enough to show the sinister contraption that was locking her in her place. It still wasn't clear what had hurt her, but she was hanging limply in her binds, the shining coils of which wrapped around her arms and legs so tightly, with no visible means of unfastening.

She didn't move, but she could be heard gasping and whimpering as she fought to recover.

[bowtimeandspace]

The Doctor watched helplessly as he saw the woman he loved thrown around in pain. His hand gripped tightly around the edge of the console, his knuckles whitening as he held fast.

Reaching for the radio handset he lifted it to his lips, his mouth straight and his hearts racing with an anger he had to temper.

"Don't you lay one more finger on her. Okay. You've got my attention," he said, dangerous in just how even his voice was. Almost calm, but anything but if you simply pricked the surface.

"What do you want?"