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[The Doctor is sitting primly at a work table in his super-white cabin, his hands folded in front of him and attempting to look as serious as possible.]

O'Brien is correct about what he said concerning "fear". It's a source of power. Though, where I'm from it can be used for so much more than psychological manipulation. Enough people made to feel fear can create a psychic field. They can power an entity that thrives off terror. They can create "gods" and give them form. With fear, we can construct our own demise, and place a weapon in someone else's hands..

[He points down at the desk surface, but he's meaning to indicate the Barge. As he leans forward, a mongoose's head sticks out of his sweater-vest. It hasn't left him alone in days and might possibly take up permenant residence in his pocket.]

Whatever is happening here is a quite deliberate attempt to give strength to something else. And there is the chance that t͝h́҉͞e̸̶̕ À̡͢d̛mir͝͞al͞ ́i͘̕s̵̕͡ ̢̢͢nǫ́͢ ̢̢͝l̢͜o̵ǹ͘͜gę͜r͟͠ ͏̭̣͉̞͕̝̼̭̞̭̠͍̟͔̜͇͚̜͘a͘̕҉̥̤͕̪͙̭̠͙̠̱̝̤͚̟̝͟c̴͕̮̝̱͈̘̮̣̺̀͜͜͠ć̷̼̝͚̲̱͝é̜̟̜̻͡͞ͅs҉͏̶̛͉̮̼̖̱̻̬̱͖̀s̴̨͈͙͓̳̭̤̪̞͉̘̜͚̞͇̦̲̀í̶̭͓͓̬̟̺͔̹̀̀͟b̛͚̩͕̩͔̹̖͘l̴̵̟͕̰̠̪͚̲̟͍̗͜é̴̵͜͏̠̭̹͇ ̴̛̭̙̫̫̺̀͢t̷҉҉̙̠̗̹̠̮̣̯̟̻̳̖̼̱͓o̢͖̞̪͕̯̖̲̘͇̞̲̫̮͖̙͙͟͝͡ ̀͜͟͝҉̯̥͓͕̞̳͉͖̻̠͕ͅͅų͏̭͚͓̝̮̺̪͙͓͙̜́́ͅs̶̫͚̬̗̦̙̞̯̰͇̯͉̲̘̳̬͍̘ [As Arkady said. Not that it isn't lost in a hail of static.]

...Though if my doorknob burns me again I'll be inclined to be more irritated [A slight sneer] than frightened. [And the transmission ends with a white-clad shadow darting out from behind him, near the wall. It's so pale it nearly blends in. The mongoose leans and stretches as though it's trying to watch it wherever it went.]

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Yes, very sensible analysis. [He says with darting eyes and general twitchiness. Clearly, he is not following the advice of "don't succumb to fear" very well.]

If it helps, even seeing what I've seen, it's quite difficult not to. [He shifts to pet under the Mongoose's chin, which makes it nibble at his finger before retreating to a squirmy mass in his vest.]

Is your hand all right?

[He rubs his temples.] And this may very well be the case. What would you suggest we do?

[Pause.] And what did you say about the Admiral?

My hand is fine.

I would suggest you focus on faith. Everyone has faith in something or someone. Not to do something, necessarily. But rather, just to be what they are. What it is.

Faith has as much power as fear.

But what do we do if they attack after all? If you're wrong than simply sitting around might prove fatal.

Since when does not being afraid mean you can't defend yourself?

I have to fond out what they are first, right? And the more we do find out and the more happens, the more people seem to be afraid.

If that were the case, Rassilon, the robots would be terrified of acquiring the exact same knowledge.

One just has to keep focus. Sometimes it's all you can do.

Perhaps.

I just hope the humans don't lose control.

Hm. I was scared, until someone mentioned in passing that could give it... whatever this is... more power, in a way.

...I'm only kind of worried this isn't the Admiral testing us.

Someone has the right idea.

There are times it does feel like it. I was here for the black-out... a period of time in which we lost everything that we weren't wearing. Trapped in the dark and the increasingly cold ship for a week.

Fear took hold, and one inmate promised to dispense food in secret, without withholding it- He was cooking people.

Test or no test, we can't let fear get the better of us and rationality flitter off to the wind.

And, that blackout? Did you ever find out if it was the Admiral or not?

No. We just know something went terribly wrong in the engine room when they were attempting to fix it- my younger self might be able to relate more concerning that, and the Admiral seemed as though the entire thing were an irritating interruption in his schedule.

[DO NOT LIKE OH GOD. But Tim is very, very calmly looking at him.]

Something's behind you. Is anyone else in the room?

No... [He turns. And sees nothing. And there's nothing back there.

The mongoose makes a noise at the camera.]

[Mongoose, you saw it too, right buddy? Brofist.] Something moved. Maybe you should get out of there.

Doctor. [She knows these things are about, but with greater frequency, which concerns her. These things only escalate after all.] Perhaps you should stay somewhere else this evening.

[He drums his fingers on the table. He doesn't want to raise fear, if Tim is right, and agree. But at the same time.]

I shouldn't open the TARDIS doors if there is something in here. I suppose you're right.

If something scares me, I'm going to be scared. It's not as though I can help it.

You can cope with the reaction though. People learn to be less afraid of things that frighten them all the time. It doesn't require supernatural ability to accomplish.

They're quick, and beyond our understanding, but they've not actively harmed anyone.

I'm not even sure that it's fear, anyway.

I mean, I can't say a lot of what I've experienced has been really frightening, but when weird stuff keeps happening, it does sort of increase the tension. Part of that might be fear, but I think part of it is just waiting for whatever the hell else is going to happen.

Tension is quite an issue, isn't it. Even as old as I am I still get woefully impatient when I realize [such a roll on that "R"] that something should be coming but isn't here yet.

I suppose that's "anticipation", just not in a favourable light.

Negative anticipation, or something. Yeah. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Is "dread" the same as "fear", I wonder?

"Dread" is simply very specific cynicism. Not quite fear, I suppose, but the conclusion that something bad inevitably will occur.

Do you think it could be used in the same way as fear?

[It's not her newfound and not always perfectly implemented resolution to be calmer that's keeping Vasilia so muted today. Just simple human emotion: simply quieter emotion than she's usually prone to.]

And yet I am still afraid, Doctor Smith.

[Her voice is very slightly pleading.]

[He can detect that pleading tone.] You pride yourself on being a roboticist, don't you?

Tell me more about your current theoretical project. Trust me, I do have a point.

Which one? My pattern testing or my game system? The game system is hardly a project, it's -- a habit. The iterated unbalanced Prisoner's Dilemma. A holdover from the old barge, something my other self wanted to see. To see what approach, cynical or naive or forgiving, would best benefit an inmate in the system.

[Her brows furrow. No idea what he's driving at. That's frustrating! Why are you frustrating, doctor?]

[Because he is.] It sounds fascinating. Tell me more about it. How could it be applied to redemption in this environment.

[He'll get there, he promises.]

I-- don't believe it can be. It's only a mathematical model. There are too many external variables. The system isn't genuinely representative. The naive interpretation is that the consistent top performance of the 'forgiving tit-for-tat' model suggests an approach to life based on pragmatism with elements of compassion is the most optimal. But it's such a simple system and life is anything but. The sheer amount of randomnity-- I haven't tried to approximate it. I suppose that I could-? I-- hmm, but--

[Then an awkward trail off. She does math-babble a bit when nervous. And she was almost doing so well at keeping her composure.]

How do you believe that negative input fits into the model. The unfortunate incidents that you overcome? They're quite radical, aren't they? Varying wildly as either someone is left clinging to hope, or suddenly standing up against the odds and persevering.

[Come on Vas, you can do it.] Spacers aren't used to such wildly fluctuating environments, are they? What would they put in a robot to help them adapt?

[All of the rotary "R"s are happening.]

There would be interactions-- as the negative 'environment' variables coincided with instances of 'forgiveness' in the case of the automated players. A negative environmental variable-- flood, if you like-- would do the greatest damage to players that could only be pragmatic, as it would send them into spirals of negative feedback. Those with a higher rate of 'forgiveness' -- higher 'optimism'-- would prevail--

Something similar might apply to a robot, of course, though the ascenion laws change that equation as well. Robots cannot-- fear. Not for their own sake, at any rate. But -- they do manifest something that could imprecisely be called 'anxiety' which would be countered by systemic 'optimism'...

[Talking through every step. It's a long and laborious process.]

What about realism or cynicism redirected from emotional response to preparation to meet challenges?

I would like to see your current models, unless you still wish to polish them a bit.

Retaining balance. Using the shift of potential to drive better performance. Yes-- yes.

I think I see.

[Took her long enough. She looks troubled, still, but at least she's thinking.]

I'd like you to look at my random negative environmental stimuli and my rogue elements-- Sociopath and Philanthropist players introduced at non-linear intervals.

Perhaps I could meet you in the lab?

[Perhaps she wants company and would never admit it.]

Yes, I can meet you in the lab. Frances is right, it's always better to face challenges in good company.

[The mongoose is coming too, though.]

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