Prologue

The Doctor and Rose struggled against the iron grip of the robots as they held their arms behind their backs. The black metal bodies blended in with the black room where they were standing side by side. In front of them stood a man dressed from head to toe in black. They had been visiting the planet Margenia when they had been snatched by the robots and brought before the man. So far the only thing the Doctor had learned about him was his name. The Cybermaster. He had never heard of the Cybermaster, but he was willing to be with a name like that, he didn't bring them to his lair for tea.

"So, at last I come face to face with the Doctor." The man said in a deep voice. "It is an honor to meet you."

He smiled at Rose.

"And this must be one of your companions. She's lovely." He said.

"Yeah. Anyway, what do you want with us?" the Doctor asked him.

"Ah, well, I suppose you've never heard of me." The Cybermaster said.

"You suppose right."

"Well, I specialize in virtual reality simulations." He said smiling proudly. "I have developed many programs over the years and I have gotten to the point where I can make a simulation so real that even a person's brain has trouble telling reality from fiction."

"Okay, so what's that got to do with us then?" the Doctor said. "I suppose you're gonna make us go through one of these simulations of yours."

"Very good, Doctor, that is my intention." He said. "You see, for years I have been developing a program that will trap people in my VR world and enslave them so I can use their bodies as a source of energy."

"Interesting, but I think the creators of the Matrix already beat you to that idea." The Doctor said.

The Cybermaster stared at him in confusion for a moment and then shrugged.

"Anyway, Doctor, whoever beat me to my idea surely didn't have the same genius as me."

"Oh, I don't know about that. Did you see the part where Neo bent over backwards while the bullets slowly went past him and then they did a 360 spin around his body? Brilliant. And the part where Trinity leapt into the air and stayed there before kicking the guy---"

"Whatever, Doctor, I'm not interested." The Cybermaster said dismissively. "The point is I have developed a new program and I'm eager for you and your assistant to test it out to see how effective it is."

He looked at the robots.

"Take them to the VR chamber."

The Doctor and Rose struggled as the robots carried them out of the room.

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The Doctor and Rose lay side by side restrained on long, cushioned tables. Behind them was a huge imposing machine with flashing lights and dials and buttons. The Cybermaster stood beside the Doctor and looked down at him.

"Now I'm aware of your fondness for planet Earth, so I have deliberately picked a program that is based on Earth shows, specifically cartoons and kid's shows. I'm curious to see how you and your companion handle being in the animated world. It should be very interesting. I have several different Earth cartoons that I've picked out. All you have to do is find a special door in each cartoon that will lead you from one scenario to the next. Eventually, when you get through all the cartoons, you will win and I'll let you go free."

"I thought you wanted to do this so you could enslave us and use our bodies for energy." The Doctor said.

"Well, I could do that, but I'm a sporting guy. I'll give you both a chance to fight for your freedom and see if you can get through the game with your minds intact. I want to see just how good you and your companion really are. If you can do that, I'll let you both go."

"How big of you." The Doctor replied.

"I don't believe you." Rose said. "I don't believe you'll set us free."

"I give you my word that if you win the game, I will let you go." The Cybermaster said.

"Hmmm, normally I would say you never kept your word before, why would you start now, except I have never met you before, so I'll reserve judgment on you." The Doctor replied. "In any case, we'll escape whether or not you're telling the truth because we are made of awesome and you're not."

"How amusing, Doctor." The Cybermaster replied. "But enough talk, time for you to match your wits against the VR world. Good luck."

He nodded to the robots and they slipped two bulky black VR helmets over the Doctor and Rose's heads and strapped them under their chins. When they were finished, the robots stepped back.

"You and your companion will both be able to see and interact with each other and you will have complete freedom of movement in the VR world. The only thing you won't be able to do is get out into the real world. You'll have to earn that privilege. Oh, and also your virtual bodies will change to reflect the show you are in. I thought that would be an amusing touch. So once again, good luck, Doctor. Don't lose your mind in there. I would hate for the greatest Time Lord in the universe to emerge from the simulation a drooling lunatic."

He walked over to the machine, pushed a few buttons and both the Doctor and Rose gasped as the virtual simulation started.