Disclaimer: I do not own ANYTHING of Lie to Me or Doctor Who. Sadly…
Author's note: Rewritten June 21, 2010.
William Cooper. Who was this William Cooper? thought Dr. Cal Lightman. He was a strange man. Someone that was different than the whole human race. He didn't displace any signs of lying or telling the truth, or any other emotion for that matter. He was a monotone, gray, emotionless person. Or that was how he showed himself to the world. What was really going on inside of him was something that Lightman was trying to figure out.
Apparently he had been a witness to a murder of a young girl. The police had found him standing there motionless, staring at the body. Some thought that he was actually the murderer, but there was no proof. No DNA evidence, no fingerprints, no anything. And on top of that, Cooper would keep on giving them different accounts of what happened. Each story was a misshapen model of the truth, but not the full truth. Since this was such a perplexing case, of course Dr. Lightman and the others in his company were hired to find out the truth. So far they haven't been able to do that, but Lightman knew that he would be able to break this William Cooper; he just had to pull the right strings.
Right now he was heading towards his office. He needed to think, to clear his head while the others analyzed Cooper's audio recordings for any sign of emotion. But when he opened the door he found a man sitting in his chair, feet propped up on his desk, with his eyes closed and humming some unknown tune that he was clearly enjoying. He was wearing a brown pinstriped suit, a pair of worn cream converse and a floppy tan trench coat, with spiky/messy brown hair lying on top of his head.
"Who are you? And how did you get in my office?" questioned Lightman, coming up to the man.
At the sound of Lightman's voice the man opened his eyes. Taking his feet off the desk, he began to speak. "I let myself in."
He then continued to stroll over to Lightman, a quirky smile on his face. The man spoke with an English accent, for a moment Lightman wondered if this was someone he once knew, but before he could pounder on the thought any longer, the man spoke again.
"I'm John Smith, by the way. And you must be Dr. Cal Lightman I presume," said the man, holding out his hand for Lightman to shake.
But Lightman wasn't that convinced. This man was lying. John Smith wasn't his name at all. He could see that plainly on his face. Sure this bloke was a good liar, Lightman would give him that, but he still couldn't hide all of the signs of a clear lie.
"Now you and I both know that that is not your real name. So why don't you just give me your true name and we can get on to why you're here in the first place," replied Lightman, not taking the man's hand.
"Oh, you are good. Fine, I'm the Doctor," answered the man, retracting his hand.
"Come on. That's not your real name," said Lightman based more on common sense than what he could see on the guy's face.
"True, but it's what everyone calls me."
Now that, Lightman could tell, was the truth. But what kind of person would go around calling himself the "Doctor"? Curiosity for this strange man blossomed in his mind. He had to find out more.
"Okay, 'Doctor.' What are you doing here?" questioned Lightman.
"What? I can't pop in here to see the 'Human Lie-Detector'?" responded the Doctor.
"'Human Lie-Detector'? That's a new one. But you're dodging my question. Why are you here?"
"Well, people are not technically calling you the 'Human Lie-detector'. Not yet anyways. Give it a few years," replied the Doctor, turning away to look around the room with his hands in his pockets. "Interesting office you got here. I like the faces. Nice touch."
He was avoiding the question, deliberately looking away and keeping his hands hidden. There was something that this man didn't want to tell him. And Lightman was going to find out what, he just had to play along.
"How do you know that?"
"I've been there. You sir are one of the most well known scientist of the 21st century. Or will be in the future."
Okay that was weird, thought Lightman. From what he could see of the man's face and his body language, he was telling the truth, or thought he was. Now this man was either completely crazy or had really been to the future. And there was only one option that was even remotely possible.
"Okay, you're completely bonkers," commented Lightman.
"Yah, well I get that a lot. That's part of being me. Anyway…" said the man, turning back to Lightman. "You're having trouble with your new case, am I right?"
Lightman was shocked. But being a master with emotions was able to conceal his surprise. He had to play it cool. Play along, and then maybe he'd get some answers to satisfy his growing curiosity.
"I can't disclose that. It's-" but the man cut in.
"Yah, I know, I know. But I'm right. That man sitting in that interview room, William Cooper I think he's calling himself, is giving you trouble, isn't he? Everything he says is not reading as any emotion, lie or truth. Even when he says that he's visited the moon of Carentan. Which comes to think of it, he probably has…"
Lightman's surprise grew. How this man could possibly know about his case was a mystery to him. He even knew that Cooper said that he had been to the moon of Carentan. It was just impossible that this man knew all this. Just impossible.
"You can't know this. No one knows the details of my case expect the ones involved. And last time I checked, you are not," voiced Lightman.
"I have my sources," replied the Doctor.
"And who might they be?" quizzed Lightman.
"Spoilers…"
The man was grinning again. It was a cross between a smile of happiness and a smile of contempt. That of course puzzled Lightman even more. The guy was unconsciously acting like he was better than Lightman, though he clearly admired him and was pleased to meet him. Who exactly was this strange man that had dubbed himself the "Doctor" and knew so much about his case and supposedly the future?
"Who are you?" asked Lightman, finding himself speaking aloud his thoughts.
"I already told you. I'm the Doctor. But that doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that you have someone I need to talk to. Someone that's not supposed to be here," answered the Doctor.
Lightman seemed to come back to his senses as the smile on the man's face faded away and the look of seriousness replaced it. Lightman knew that he needed to keep playing along. There was obviously still something this "Doctor" was not telling him.
"Well, why don't you just walk right in there? You seemed to have no problem doing that to my office."
"Come on. I'm not that rude. Plus, why would I give up a chance of meeting the famous Dr. Lightman?" said the Doctor.
The man looked tired and eager to move things along. But what he last said sounded lighthearted and bright. There was something going on inside this man that was very different than what he tried to show.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lightman saw that he had just spent a good chunk of time talking and trying to get information from a possibly mentally unstable man. Correction, a possibly dangerous mentally unstable man. Not that that mattered with Lightman. If he found someone interesting that spiked his curiosity, he would spend as much time as he could trying to figure that person out. And as much as Lightman wanted to keep talking to this man, Cooper had managed to capture even more of his curiosity and he was eager to get back to focusing his full attention on him.
"Okay, that's it. Out. Before I call the police," ordered Lightman, slightly hating himself for sending away such a curious person with so much to hide. But he really wanted to get back to Cooper and he couldn't do that with this "Doctor" inside his office, distracting him.
He expected the man to argue, but he didn't. In fact he even put his hands up in mock defeat.
"Fine, I'll just be on my way then," and with that the "Doctor" started to walk out the door.
But he was lying, Lightman could see it on his face.
"Oi! Stop!" he called out, but it was too late. The Doctor was already sprinting down the hallway, towards the interview rooms.
Lightman went after him. The man was now showing the guards (they were there to make sure that Cooper didn't get away) some sort of ID in a brown leather wallet, for they then let him in to the interview room upon the sight of it. Lightman knew he should stop this "Doctor" but for some reason he didn't want to. There was something that was telling him to wait and watch, to see what the Doctor would do. He wanted to see if Cooper would get any reaction out of this man. There was also part of him that wanted to watch the Doctor as well. So he ran to the control room where Eil Loker and Dr. Gillian Foster were just noticing the presence of the man in the interview room with Cooper.
"Who is that man?" asked Eil Loker as Lightman walked in.
"Can you turn on the audio for the interview room?" said Lightman, ignoring Loker's question.
"Sure," responded Loker as he pressed a button. "But who is he?"
"Sshh. Listen," replied Lightman.
The Doctor was walking towards the man, a sort of casual air about him.
"'ello. I'm the Doctor," said the man, sitting down in the chair opposite of Cooper.
"Hello," replied Cooper in the same monotone, emotionless voice he had been using ever since he arrived there.
"So, William Cooper-I think that's what you're going by-Tell me. What did you think about the moon of Carentan?" asked the Doctor.
"Cal, who is-" but Lightman cut Gillian Foster off.
"Sshh…"
Lightman was staring intently at the screen and through the window into the interview room. He was searching for signs, however small, that would give him information about this mysterious Doctor and Cooper. But Cooper was motionless, staring blankly at the Doctor, while the Doctor waited patiently for his answer. He waited for a few more seconds before speaking again.
"It's nice isn't it? Pink sky, I think. Water that glitters like gold, under two suns. Blue plants that grow by night. Beautiful," the Doctor momentarily staring off in the distance, obviously lost in pleasant memory. But then he snapped back into the present, and looked back a Cooper. "I liked it. What about you?"
"He's not lying," commented Foster, amazed.
Lightman nodded.
"It was nice," responded Cooper.
"You're a traveler, aren't you? Been a lot of places haven't you?" questioned the Doctor, casually.
"Yes."
"But you don't just travel, do you?" asked the Doctor, voice and face suddenly more serious.
That question was answered by silence from Cooper. There was some quick flash of emotion on his face, but it went by too fast for even Lightman to see. But still that was something, the most emotion they've gotten out of Cooper since he came there.
"You plant seeds. You're a Seeder," continued the Doctor.
Again silence. And again a brief flash of emotion.
"I know what you're doing. When faced with a threat, it's in your genetic code to become nonresponsive and emotionless. That's why so many of your species are Seeders. Perfect when you're on a different planet and in a difficult situation."
More silence.
"Did you know that Seeders are not supposed to seed on this class of planet? It's against intergalactic law. But you know that, don't you?"
Lightman again saw some sort of emotion flash on Cooper's face, but this time it was longer. He could almost tell what it was. In the corner of his eye he could see Loker looking completely perplexed and Foster gazing intently at the screen, obviously trying to figure out what was going on.
"Yes," quietly said Cooper.
There as just a tiniest hint of emotion in his voice. What this Doctor was saying was clearly having an impact of Cooper, thought Lightman.
"Then you know that you should not be here. And that you need to leave. Now. Otherwise, I'll have to make you leave. And trust me, you don't want me against you," spoke the Doctor in return.
Again, there was more silence from Cooper.
"You want proof? Fine, remember those stories they used to tell you when you were young, those stories about a doctor, a doctor so powerful that he could destroy planets but also save worlds? Well let me tell you something. I'm that doctor. I'm the Doctor. So I suggest that if you don't want to me as your enemy. Then you should get off this planet immediately. If not, I'll see to it personally that you get kicked off," threatened the Doctor.
He looked and sounded serious. It was a clear threat, and Cooper responded accordingly.
"Cooper's fearful. That's the first real emotion we got out of him. Who is this 'Doctor'?" said Foster.
"To tell you the truth, I don't really know. But look-" responded Lightman, pointing to the Doctor. "This Doctor is serious. And he's been telling the truth the whole time."
"Or he thinks he's telling the truth," chimed in Loker.
"True, he could be some mad-hatter," commented Foster.
"I don't know…" said Lightman.
"How could you not be sure this guy is crazy? He's talking about 'intergalactic law' and 'Seeders'. Sounds more like Science Fiction then the truth," replied Loker.
"Then why would Cooper be fearful?" retorted Lightman.
"Maybe he's-" but Loker was cut off by Foster.
"Be quite. Cooper's speaking."
"Okay. I'll leave," stated Cooper.
"And never come back. This goes for your friends too. I don't want to see anymore Seeders on Earth. Not now, not ever. Understood?" stated the Doctor, voice and body still strong and threatening.
Cooper nodded, the fear still on his face. How was the Doctor expecting Cooper to leave, with all the guards block his way? thought Lightman. But that question was soon answered for suddenly there was a blinding light coming from the interview room and a loud buzzing sound from the speakers. Lightman, Foster, and Loker all turned away, hands covering their ears and eyes shut. A few seconds pasted, and then the light and the buzzing stopped as suddenly as it came.
"What in the hell was that?" exclaimed Loker, opening his eyes and taking his hands off his ears.
"I don't know. But look! Cooper is gone," stated Foster doing the same and pointing to the interview room.
Lightman looked over there, taking his hands off his ears. She was right. Cooper was indeed gone. But the Doctor wasn't. He had to intercept him. He had to find out what had exactly happened, and who the Doctor really was. His curiosity about this man was peaking, and he was not letting this man out of his sight if he had any say about it.
Lightman sprinted out of the room and towards the interview room. But before he got there the Doctor was out and running towards the front door. Lightman followed, his footsteps echoing on the tiled floor of his building, and then outside where he followed the man to an alleyway right next to his building. The Doctor was headed towards a Blue Box with 'Police Box' written on the top. He opened the door and was about to walk into it, when he turned back at Lightman, smiled and winked. Then he disappeared into the Blue Box.
Before Lightman could go up and try to open the box, a mysterious noise started to emit from it as it started to flicker out of existence. The sound ricocheted through the alleyway, bouncing off the brick walls and into Lightman's ears. And then it stopped, and the box and the Doctor were gone. Lightman was speechless. What had just happened?
"Cal? Where is he?" asked Foster coming up behind him.
"Gone," simply stated Lightman, still shocked and baffled.
"Where?"
It seemed to take Lightman a few seconds to come back to reality and when he did, he looked at Foster and said, "I don't' know. For all I know, he could be on his way to the moon of Carentan, by now."