Mysterious Church, Mysterious town.
The TARDIS materializes into place; the wheezing sound comes to a halt. The Doctor and Donna step out of the TARDIS and glanced around the beautiful church-like area.
"So as you can now see Donna we are in-fact in the year one million. Great era, flying cities, new foods from distant galaxies, and of course great music. One of my favorite eras actually." The Doctor said, looking at his surroundings, it had a large glass pane that looked out at the rest of the floating city. Honestly if it weren't for the window he would have suggested they were in the wrong era. It didn't look like anything from this era at all. It was practically a church. There were rows and rows of benches, a statue of some manner, and a lot of windows.
"Yeah, but if we really are in the year one million, then why are we in a church?" Donna asks bewildered. It honestly did look like a church, one from her era too. Not that She actually ever went to church, her family wasn't big on Christianality, yes they celebrated holidays and such, but it was all for fun and games was it not?
"Not sure, but we are in the right era," The Doctor says looking at the murals.
"What makes you say that?" She asked, sometimes she didn't understand the whole timelord thing, smelling the air, yeah right. Sometimes she thought he was just making things up.
"Look out the window Donna," He said.
Donna walked over to the window where the Doctor was standing. She gasped at the sight. There were houses on little platforms that float high above the world below. There were fast flying cars that looked way beyond anything she had ever dreamed. There were shops and people, aliens even. She couldn't believe her eyes.
"That's…. earth?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"Yep! Earth, in the year one million. Beautiful eh?" He watched her as she gazed off at the sight before her. He always loved this part, the wonder, the new excitement, the look everyone gets when seeing something beautiful. But Donna's face was a bit different, no most would have teared up, but Donna had an astonished face, making the light from the window make her even more beautiful than ever.
"May I help you?" A Soft yet fearsome voice came from behind the two. A very tall woman approached them, all in white robes that slide across the ground ever so gracefully. Her long black hair flowing down her robes.
"Oh! Yes that would ever be so lovely, if you could, well because me and my friend here get terribly lost, tell us the town we are in?" The Doctor asked in a nice friendly tone, hoping to not be out of the ordinary.
"Of course sir. We are in Dexal, capital city of the world." She said gesturing to the window, now behind the two.
"Ah thank you, and also because we are still terribly lost, what building are we in, it doesn't seem right…" The Doctor again looked around the chapel; there were pillars on the end of every bench, and a large door way that opened to the world beyond.
"We are the church of destiny, the only sanctuary of our kind left in the Milky Way galaxy," She said and began to walk down the narrow path towards the door, and ushered them to follow. "The earth as we used to know is being rebuilt,"
"What do you mean rebuilt?" Donna cuts in.
"The world was destroyed back when the war began, that down below is what's left of earth," The lady points down to the black and darkened world below from the door way, the sight of it all, almost made her cry. "I used to live down there; now this church is all I have left."
"How long ago was the war?" The Doctor asked now very intrigued in what this mysterious woman had to say, it's not often that a war happens without his knowing, or without his presence.
"It has been 84 years since it has ended."
Donna makes a choking sound then said, "But you look like 20, how old are you?"
"Donna! It's not nice to ask people there age," The Doctor warned. Donna looked away in shame.
"It is fine sir, I am 145, and since you did not ask my name, it Pharren and I own this building." She says.
"So where are all the people?" The Doctor asked pulling out his glasses and sonic pointing it towards the destroyed place below.
"Not many come to my home, and it is why there are no other sanctuaries left." Pharren states.
The Doctor sighed shaking him sonic. "I can't get a good signal from this high up, can you go down?"
"No sir. The war left the world torn and shattered. Even stepping into the atmosphere would destroy anyone's lungs."
"Do you know anything else about this war?" He asked putting away his sonic.
"Even my knowledge is limited, we have books though. Come sir." She stepped past the two, and walked towards another room.
"Love a good book, come on." He grabbed Donna's hand and led her after the woman heading into the room.
Once they reached Pharren she was holding a capsule like object in her hand.
"The whole history is right here," She said handing the Doctor the capsule.
The Doctor took it and examined it. It was silver and had a pill type shape, except larger. He let go of Donna's hand and twisted the cap….
Memories and images filled his mind. There were men in all black with glowing red eyes. They flooded through the city, killing anyone in their path. The people of earth tried anything to stop them, but nothing prevailed. Finally humans decided to do what they did best. Kill. They built a barrior around the atmosphere and filled the earth with gas. They took the rich out, saving the wealthy and strong. Built colonies around the earth, and repopulated.
The Doctor clicked back to the real world, seeing the two of them staring at them.
"Are you alright?" Donna asked in a worried tone. She was staring up at him, bewildered.
"Yeah, I'm fine…" He said. He looked back down at her and gave her a half smile, to re-assure her. He turned back to Darren. "How did you escape?" He asked.
"The monsters only wished to have humans. When they attacked me, they let me go to my birth planet. Once the war was over, I returned back home." She told.
"You're a Spiralvoice. Why are you here?" He asked.
"Spiralvoice?" Donna asked, looking at the Doctor.
"It's the TARDIS translation. The original word is a lot more beautiful." He told. "Now, why a church, why here? You could have a church on your own planet, and what are the causes?"
"I do not like my home planet. Full of savages an-"
"Savages? Spiralvoice are one of the nicest aliens in the universe." He explained. "Why would you say that?"
Darren didn't say anything, just stared at the Doctor, but as if she was staring right through him.
"Why did something happen..?" The Doctor asked much more serious this time.
"The Spiralvoice are naïve and do not wish to change their ways. They may want peace, but only for the kind that believe." Pharren told, not looking anywhere other than her spot on the floor.
There was a long silence, while the Doctor looked from Donna and Pharren. "Hm," He said far too loudly, making Donna jump. "Thank you for all of this Pharren, me and Donna are going to look around town for a bit. Were tourists." The Doctor told her handing back the capsule and taking Donna's hand.
"Goodbye." Pharren said.
"First you said, 'Let's go do some futuristic shopping.' Then you said, 'Meatballs Donna! meatballs made from some space cow.' Now were in a bloody museum!" Donna told him sternly, using his silly hand gestures to mock him. She crossed her arms and turn away. "For once, just once I would like you to take me somewhere that isn't covered in dust."
"Donna stop it. We're learning." He said, placing his glasses on the bridge of his noes and examining a model of Valitien a town before the war. "We can have meatballs later,"
"You say that, but you know where gunna be defeating some alien sooner or later," Donna gave up with a sigh, and let her hands fall to her sides. "What are we looking for?" She asked.
"Someone who can tell us what really happened, instead of just memories." He thought for a moment, and then turned to her. "What are they called again? They work in museums, or art places…"
"A curator?" Donna asked.
"Yeah…. One of those guys." The Doctor continued his search, small models of places, people, old books, etc. But not a thing on the war itself. "You notice anything odd?"
"Not really, why?" Donna looked around, was there anything wrong?
"There's no one here. In the entire building, this place has an art gallery, meeting rooms and no one's here." He told her. "There's also nothing on the war. Everything here is old, from the time before, not a thing on the war itself. Why?" The Doctor pondered.
"Museums tend to focus on good times; you wouldn't really want to see the weapon that killed twenty-thousand people." Donna added. "I suppose there should be something here; it's a part of history."
"Exactly." The Doctor thought for a long moment. "Still want those meatballs?"
"Yeah, I'm starving. But I thought you were on a role?" She asked at the sudden subject change.
"Come on, let's get something to eat."
"Hello!" The chipper blonde waitress said to the two of them. "What can I get you today?"
Donna picked up her menu and began to read some of the complex recipes. She watched as the Doctor pulled the menu out of her hands, and placed on top of his. And handed it to the waitress.
"Two of your specials. Please." The Doctor said. The Blonde took the menus and left.
"Hey I was looking at that," Donna said a bit annoyed.
"We're not here to eat." The Doctor told her.
"You just said-"
"I know," The Doctor paused, watching as Donna raised her drink to her lips. "We're here to find out more about the war."
"In a restaurant?" Donna asked between sips.
"Who better to ask then the people themselves?" He said.
Sometime went on, with just the two of them, they received there meals, and Donna dug in immediately.
"How do you like it?" The Doctor asked, watching her bite into one of the meatballs.
Donna nodded her head in agreement, not removing herself from her food.
The blonde returned, giving them a big smile. "How is the food?"
"Great," The Doctor said quickly. The lady turned but the Doctor grabbed her attention; "Actually I was wondering,"
"Yes?"
"Down there," He said pointing to the floor. "Do you know what happened? With the war?"
"Hm? What war?" She asked her brow in a furrow.
"The one that happened on earth? 86 years ago?" He asked again.
"There wasn't a war on earth; there were never any wars on earth." The blonde told them.
"What happened then?" Donna this time asked, completely disregarding the food now.
"The earth became inhabitable, global warming, continental destruction. So we gassed the planet, and we rebuilt, in their honor." She explained. "We learn that in grade five, are you not from this planet?"
"No we're tourists, thank you though." The Doctor said.
"Enjoy the rest of your meals," She turned and left.
"Maybe there wasn't a war after all," Donna thought aloud.
"Or maybe the people learn the wrong thing."