Chapter One

Chemistry. That's what the lesson was today. Thermochemistry, to be exact. Energy and heat and work and all that. Temperature changes.

But who could think of all of that when it felt like the world was ending?

Nuclear weapons. Hatred. War. Taunts and anger and pain. That's all they played on the news these days. Bill couldn't remember a time when the news wasn't all bad.

She found the old wooden door that usually brought so much excitement. Today she hardly smiled.

It was a sucky feeling, really. She wanted to want to learn. She wanted to be so ready for a chemistry lesson; an open textbook and an open mind. Questioning everything.

But all she could question was why leaders couldn't just do their job and bring their people together. Why did there have to be so much division all the time?

"Bill?"

She suddenly realized she was standing in front of the Doctor's desk, staring into thin air. She took her seat, letting the chair slide noisily across the floor, and dropped her bag beside her.

"Sorry," she murmured.

The Doctor nodded and dropped his gaze to his textbook. His fingers drummed a repeating beat on the wood as Bill took out her supplies.

"How was your day?" He asked, his fingers still tapping on the desk.

Bill shrugged, forcing her lips into a tiny smile. "Alright, I guess."

She took a deep breath. The Doctor watched her for a second, and then straightened his back and read over a few notes.

"Thermochemistry today. Good subject. A bit of maths, if that's your thing." He looked back up at her. She was fiddling with her pencil, eyes a bit blank as they stared at the desk. "Bill?"

Her head shot up. "Yeah? Sorry. Can't seem to focus today," she said, adjusting herself in her seat.

The Doctor folded his hands together. "What are you thinking about?"

Bill bit her lip, pausing for a moment. "Doctor," she said. "Are we-humans, I mean. Are we going to make it? I mean, with everything in the news. It just feels like the world's falling apart."

The Doctor let a sad smile flicker across his face. "If it's any consolation, I've met people who lived centuries before you who said the same thing. Most notably, World War Two."

Bill's eyes widened slightly. "Is that what we're heading for, though? World war?"

The Doctor cocked his head to the side, grimacing. "Honestly, I don't know. Time is completely in flux right now. Every decision can change the whole way things will pan out."

Bill sank back into her chair, thinking over his response with a frown. The Doctor set a hand heavily on the desk and glanced toward the TARDIS.

"I'll tell you what. A friend of mine wants me to pay him a visit. It's not too far, just a galaxy or two. You can come with me," he said, his smile turning sad again. "Get away for a little while."

Bill quirked her eyebrow. "You really enjoy making Nardole cross, don't you?"

"It's practically my hobby. You wanna come?"

Bill smirked. "As if I'd say no."

They both arrived at the TARDIS doors at the same time. As the Doctor rushed in, Bill put a hand on the wooden frame. "Hey, Doctor," she said, entering the ship. "What's the planet called?"

The Doctor took hold of a red lever. "New New Earth." He pulled down the lever, forcing Bill to grab onto the railing to keep from toppling over. "You can see how humanity turns out."

Bill smiled, letting her chest fill with hope. "So we do make it! Hold on-New New Earth? What happened to the first one?"

The Doctor waved wildly with one hand as his other typed frantically into the Console. "Oh, humans are everywhere out there; building colonies, putting up shops."

"I like shops."

A twinkle shone in the Doctor's eye. "Me too."