THE CHILDREN THAT TIME FORGOT
By Monica Bovee and Will B. Swift
For continuity enthusiasts, this adventure takes place between the stories FATHER'S DAY and THE EMPTY CHILD. And between Track 9 and Track 10 of the JUDGMENT OF SUTEKH.
PART 1
9,259 Years Ago
The box she was kept in was dark.
The cold rain pelted the roof mercilessly. How long had she been here? A day... perhaps two? To her horror she realized she had lost track.
The sound of her caretaker's footsteps echoed inside her head. Was anyone really there? It was so hard to tell anymore. The long hours stretched on, punctuated only by the occasional cries of the other children. Even when the crying was silenced, she sometimes thought she still heard their voices. Quiet, yet screaming, almost muffled by the dark.
And the ghost of her caretaker was always with her, his presence pressing against her, threatening to smother her. His commands washed over the cries.
Ever the calm voice of authority.
Ever the voice of control.
How many had there been? How many lives had he siphoned away? All of them children like her. Some even older than she, and yet they knew so little; they'd seen so much less than she had, and they never lasted long.
Their screaming would end as they shriveled and withered, the last of what they were vanishing into the dark… forgotten.
But she was still here. She had to be; she was essential to her caretaker's plan. Without her help they would never have been lured into to this. They would never have been violated.
She knew the truth of that now.
When the end came and the task was finished, she wondered if she would die too.
To fade away.
Alone.
In the dark.
Forgotten.
The Present
The Torbon II space port glittered below a police box's open doors. Rose leaned forward, gazing at the small planetoid and gripping the doorframe giddily. It gave her a spectacular view of the port's somewhat less than spectacular surroundings. A small and somewhat dilapidated city politely encrusted the port's rear terminals where most of the arriving visitors would never see it.
"It's a dive."
Rose jumped slightly. The Doctor was standing over her shoulder, his leather jacket touching her lightly. She stood upright once more and wondered vaguely what would have happened had she fallen through the door. Would that barrier have kept her from spiraling off into space, or did it only keep the oxygen inside?
She looked back at the Doctor and smiled. Well, he would have caught her anyway, wouldn't he? "It's not that bad," she said slowly and hopefully.
He raised his brows.
"Yeah, all right maybe it is," she admitted. "But it's just for a quick bite to eat."
He strode to the console and checked the monitor screen pensively, tapping its side. "We do have food here you know," said the Doctor, though he was clearly more focused on the display. He seemed lost in thought.
"If you call that food," she stepped back into the control room. "I just..." She paused thinking it was odd that she needed an excuse. "I dunno, I guess I thought, you know, something new and different would be nice." She shrugged. "A taste of this little corner of the Universe." She smiled sweetly.
The Doctor glanced up at her and the tension in his face seemed to slide away, replaced with a broad grin. "Well, I can't argue with that." He started flipping switches on the TARDIS console. The doors closed behind her and the central column began its familiar compression and expansion. "Rose Tyler, if it's Torbon II you want, then it's Torbon II you get." He pointed at her. "Only stay out of trouble; no fights, and no frightening the natives."
"You're not coming?" Rose asked in surprise.
"I'll catch you up in a bit. The TARDIS has been acting a bit mopey lately." The concerned look returned to his face. "I think I'll stay with the old girl and look into it."
"All right." Rose turned to grab her denim coat from the hatstand next to the door. "Shall I bring you something back then?"
The TARDIS doors closed behind her. The central column began its familiar compression and expansion. "Oh just a couple of biccys and some milk, thanks."
"Biscuits and milk?" she asked as she wrapped her scarf around her neck.
"Yeah, that'll do for me thanks."
"Cow's milk?"
"The very same."
"Ah..." She thumbed in the general direction of the doors. "Slight problem, not exactly Earth down there, is it?"
He looked at her and flashed her a devious smile "I think you may be in for a surprise." The dimensional stabilizers began their almost musical grind. "All right, buckle up, you're off to taste the Universe."
"The time traveler has been located!"
The image of a blue box hovering over Torbon II was being projected onto the massive viewport of the ship's bridge. The hologram of the TARDIS was surrounded by several other displays of crime reports, suspect lists, and patrol routs, all strewn across the transparent portal taking up half of the wall space of circular room. Four bulky black consoles hung from the black ceiling. And each of these consoles was manned by a massive black-clad figure.
They were Judoon Officers. Large, top heavy rhinoceros-looking beings, each of who's horned face bore an inherent look of grim determination. Their putty colored skin was a mass of furrows and grooves that extended from their large brown eyes to their even larger frowning mouths. Their jet black uniforms were heavily padded with energy absorbing segments and an armored kilt hung to their knees.
Troop Commander CoRo of Over-Sector 3-4 spun around at the words of his lieutenant and glowered in disapproval at the sight before him. The ship appeared to be made of wood, though the commander knew full well it was not. The deceptively flimsy and flippant exterior was like a personal slap to his face. Personal, because this was not a paid case; this was family.
The image shifted and rippled slightly. "Optimize visual receptors." snapped the commander with a wave of his hand.
"They are at peak," his lieutenant responded gruffly.
CoRo's massive finger jabbed at the screen. "The ship is dematerializing!"
"The time traveler's destination is the space- port below" the Lieutenant reported.
"Clear us for planet-fall immediately."
"Yes sir." The lieutenant waved toward the pilot who adjusted the bulky controls.
"The transgressor will be apprehended," grumbled the Judoon Commander to whatever deities might be listening.
With a series of ionic pulses, the cylindrical Judoon ship turned in the silence of space and began its descent toward the distant planetoid.
Rose had discovered that the interior of the space port looked like something out of a Star Trek episode – and not one of the good ones. It was, as Doctor had said, a dive.
With a sigh, she glanced around at the various choices of eateries, she spotted a large red and blue neon sign flashing the words "The MAD COW Café" repeatedly at her. "Hello," she said quietly to herself. She touched her tongue to her upper lip and smiled. If anyplace is familiar with Earth food, this would be it, she thought.
Two patrons milled about in front of the counter, which sat directly below the glowing sign. Rose walked up and discovered that the menu was inscribed on the counter's surface in choppy script.
She began reading, pondering what a Purpled Brain Bliss could possibly be, when a cloven hoof suddenly clopped onto the countertop. Her eyes traveled up the hoof as it extended back into an arm covered in short white fur and ended on the other side of the counter firmly attached to the body of an impressively large cow.
"What'll it be, luv?" asked the cow with a voice that reminded Rose of the low hum of a cement vibrator.
"Oh, I... um," she hesitated and glanced up at the sign, then looked down again and found her gaze locked onto the large brown eyes of the unusual bovine. "I was just... so you must be the..." she found herself pointing timidly at the flashing neon sign. Rose glanced at her pointing finger and quickly tucked her hands up into her jacket sleeves as if she was getting them corralled. "Um, yes, right..." She started again. "So, the Mad Cow eh? Bet a name like that doesn't half keep the health inspectors guessing."
The large cow tipped her head to the left and flicked a velvety folded ear. The black spots on her sides shimmied as she stepped closer to the counter. "It's vegetarian, luv. So what'll it be?" Rose couldn't tell if the cow sounded insulted or amused with her attempt at humor.
Opting for the optimistic she said, "Well, I guess I'll have the Brain Bliss thingy and also..." she hesitated when she remembered the Doctors request. The cow's large glossy eyes stared at her steadily, awaiting the rest of her order. Rose looked down at her hidden hands and muttered with a half-smile. "Oh, he's so going to pay for this."
I had to milk a cow! A bloody talking cow! thought Rose as she made her way back toward the open court where the TARDIS was. She smiled, shaking her head, while she weaved through a crowd of people. "I'm going to get you for that one," she muttered.
The drone of the space port and its myriad occupants hummed in Rose's ears as she caught sight of the TARDIS's familiar police box exterior. Soon another noise began to punctuate the air. Steady and quiet at first, but unceasing and slowly growing in intensity. It didn't quite register with her brain at first, but just as she approached the TARDIS door and was reaching for the handle, she stopped. The pounding noise, now unmistakable, was approaching fast; it was the sound of marching feet.
Rose turned to see a double line of large, leather clad humanoids with massive helmets, coming up behind her. They were moving surprisingly fast considering their bulk, and heading straight in her direction. Several people let out surprised yelps as the Judoon parted the crowd, in a somewhat orderly fashion.
They advanced toward their goal.
With a sinking feeling Rose realized what that goal was. "Time to be going then." She spun around and grabbed hold of the door handle, only to hear the sound of weapons being drawn behind her. She froze in place.
"Are you the operator of this ship?" a voice boomed from behind her.
Slowly she turned around, raising her hands to the level of her head. The white bagged order was shaking in one trembling fist. Her eyes widened at the two dozen red ray guns all leveled in her direction.
"No," she said, finding her voice, "No, I'm not." She kept her tone steady and her breathing even.
The group's leader stepped forward and lowered his weapon. In one swift motion he removed his helmet revealing a wizened, gray, rhinoceros-like head. "Are you a Time Lord?" he demanded.
"No, no I'm just–"
"We are here for the time-traveler. Is there a Time Lord here?"
"No!" she said quickly, probably too quickly. Her focus on protecting the Doctor, Rose's voice had nearly been a panicked shout.
Taking a deep breath, she continued more calmly. "No, we just borrowed this..." she turned to look at the TARDIS, "ship. We're tourists, that's all, just visiting." She tried to think of a plausible story; something more believable than getting a quick bite to eat, when the TARDIS door opened and the Doctor stepped out.
He took one took one look at the troopers and then turned to look at Rose. "What did you do?"
She shook her head "This isn't me."
The troop commander now raised his weapon and leveled it in the Doctor's direction. "I am CoRo, Commander of Judoon forces in Oversector 3-4. You are under arrest in accordance with Galactic Law―"
"On what charges?" the Doctor interrupted "Whatever this is we can discuss it. There's no need for―"
CoRo shoved both the Doctor and Rose aside to acquire a clear line of fire on the TARDIS door. "You have been identified as Time Travel Capsule Type 4-0-1, Serial Number 74384338 and you will be tried by the Court of the Shadow Proclamation. Justice will be served."
CoRo waved his hand at his lieutenant and said, "Rights!"
The Doctor and Rose, now forgotten, stood open-mouthed as the commander's subordinate began to read the TARDIS its rights.
Rose started to move but the Doctor held her back. "No, Rose. These are the Judoon, best to let me handle it." The Doctor stepped forward. "Now, I think there must be some misunderstanding."
CoRo turned toward him, "There has been no error," he said, in a loud shouting voice which appeared to be the species' default form of communication.
"So you're really telling me that you're here to arrest this ship?" The Doctor furrowed his brow.
"That is correct." the Commander answered gruffly.
"And not me?"
"Your assessment is correct."
The Doctor's brows rose. "Well that's a change anyway."
Rose clutched the Doctor's arm reflexively and leaned in close. "This isn't... I mean, they're not..."
"They are," he responded, his voice as deep and settled as a stone.
Rose glanced at his face, which seemed tightly controlled. "But they can't. It's not even a person..."
The Doctor placed his hand on hers. "Don't worry. There's nothing they can do, not from here anyway. The TARDIS won't allow it."
"Are you the operator of this timeship?" CoRo continued.
Rose coughed as the Doctor opened his mouth to speak. She yanked him aside and whispered "Um, there's something you should know."
He muttered under his breath "Rose, little busy right now talking with the angry Rhinoceros―"
"You will answer any questions put to you in this investigation." The Judoon's voice rose to an outraged pitch. "Only the time-traveler has the right to remain silent."
The Doctor turned back to face him. "Yeah getting to that. Just conferring with my―legal advisor." He looked at her again.
"I, ah..." Rose whispered "I sort of told him you weren't a Time Lord..."
The Doctor's head snapped in her direction "Why would you do that?"
She cringed. "Well they looked like they meant business and it sounded like they were looking for a Time Lord, and well... you're the only Time Lord there is."
"Right, got that." the Doctor's face was all business. "Any other lies I should know about?"
Rose hesitated "I... told him that the TARDIS isn't yours... that we sort of borrowed it."
The Doctor's eyes closed and a tight smile crossed his face "So, no Time Lords here, and we've been joy riding in a timeship?"
Rose nodded. "Yeah, that's about it."
The Doctor turned face the Troop Commander once more. "I have been advised to cooperate fully with your investigation. In answer to your question, both myself and my companion are the indentured servants of this timeship." The Doctor closed the distance between himself and CoRo. "Now, you're going to answer my questions. What exactly has this vessel been accused of?"
The commander shifted uncomfortably and seemed to wince slightly before he answered. "This time-traveler is accused of being an accessory to the kidnapping of Oreno the Younger, daughter of Oreno the Elder, also known as Oreno the Dispassionate―"
"Hold up, Oreno the Dispassionate? She died centuries ago. You might as well accuse the TARDIS of the premature migration of the Flokban Trouguth or the assassination of JFK!" The Doctor frowned slightly, and the timbre of his voice returned to normal. "I've never even heard of Oreno the Younger."
The Judoon straightened his stance "This is no longer a cold case. We have recently uncovered new evidence that directly links this ship with the crime." His eyes narrowed. "Since you are the operator of the vessel, you will relinquish the key to open it." CoRo extended his open hand.
With perfectly drilled precision two Judoon swiveled to cover the Doctor.
"Ah... well... there we have a problem. You see this key"―he reached into his pocket and held the key out where all the Judoon could see it―"is part of the ship's defense mechanism, and the defense mechanism, in fact the whole ship, is really fond of me. So much so, that when I'm threatened…"
The TARDIS shuddered to life, causing CoRo to turn. With a desperate churning noise, the accused began to disappear before his incensed eyes. In fury, he spun to face the Doctor, only to see the interloper's waving form fade as the timeship rematerialized around the two humanoids.
"What did you do?" Rose squeaked with delight as the familiar interior of the TARDIS formed around them.
"Nothing." The Doctor made quickly for the console. "The TARDIS just made creative use of her hostile action systems. Like I said, she's rather smitten with me," he grinned.
"Smitten?" Rose's eyebrows raised as the Doctor busied himself with the navigation panel. A heavy fist began pounding on the outside of the TARDIS doors. She glanced in the direction of the sound. "Where we going? Anywhere but here, yeah?"
"Right in one go." He steadied his hand over the console. "And what little corner of the Universe would you like to taste next, Rose Tyler?"
Remembering her incident with the cow, she decided that paying him back couldn't wait. "Oh I dunno, maybe someplace we can get a milkshake... and you can order this time."
"Earth it is." He looked up from setting the coordinates and smiled as he flipped the dematerialization switch.
The TARDIS, instead of beginning its usual churning sound, coughed out a guttural wheeze that deteriorated into a metallic groan like that of a ship at sea. The Doctor tried again and this time was met with a reluctant hiss.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked. The Doctor's smile had completely slipped away. His fingers flew over the internal systems panel as he rechecked the monitor screen.
Finally he looked up. "Nothing. There's nothing wrong, she's just..." His voice trailed off in confusion. He looked down at the console once more and began resetting the coordinates "Come on old girl. Time to leave. I don't want to be here, and you certainly don't want to be here." And with a final flip of the switch... the Doctor was greeted with silence. He rested his hands on the console and his head dropped.
"What? What is it?" The Doctor said nothing. Rose rushed toward the console, looking at every button, switch, and light as if somewhere the solution would magically present itself. "Try again. Try anything! There has to be a way!"
The Doctor moved slowly to Rose's side and put a hand over hers. "There isn't any fault. She's just… given up." The disbelief in his voice filled the vast room.
"But it can't..." Rose started. Her eyes widened, she remembered the key. "It moved before―"
"She wanted to protect us Rose, but I can't make her protect herself."
The light in the control room flickered and dimmed as a heavy fist pounded on the TARDIS door. The Doctor and Rose looked at it reflexively.
Panic crept into Rose's voice."You can't let them have the TARDIS."
"Rose, there's nothing I can do."
"I don't understand any of this. How can they arrest a time machine? The TARDIS isn't a person..." she looked at the Doctor, a silent plea in her eyes. "is…she?"
"If you're asking me can she think, can she feel, and does she have enough free will to do this thing they're accusing her of..." he looked down and sighed. "Yes, yes she does."
"But you don't think the TARDIS―"
"No! I don't believe that." He pulled a lever on the console and turned toward the door "There's something else going on here. I don't know what, but I'm going to find out."
The double doors swung inward releasing a flood of Judoon into the TARDIS. Two of them grabbed the Doctor and Rose, while the lieutenant resumed reading the TARDIS its rights. As the lieutenant's voice droned on Rose studied the Doctor. His jaw was set in a hard line and she could see a storm brewing in his eyes.
Rose stood in the courtroom of the Shadow Proclamation and shivered with cold. Over the past two days, they'd been dragged from one official to another. Each one asked the same questions over and over, while the Judoon Commander CoRo documented every word they said. Rose let the Doctor take the lead in talking with the officers, only telling what she knew of the arrest, which in the end really was all she knew. It turned out being caught lying to a Judoon was a felony, so in the interest of keeping Rose out of prison, the Doctor maintained her story that he wasn't a Time Lord. The rest; the kidnapping of some Judoon child, the TARDIS somehow taking part in it, was as confusing as it was impossible to believe.
Rose thought back to when she'd first seen the High Court of the Shadow Proclamation from the Judoon ship. It had taken an eternity of intergalactic red tape, before they'd finally been brought there. The Shadow Proclamation itself was a cluster of asteroids held together by long bridges of stone and encrusted with nests of gleaming towers. On the center and largest of these asteroids stood the High Court, an imposing silvery structure that jutted upwards like an elongated tombstone. Its long sides and rounded top were lit by massive white pearls of light.
The Doctor was still with her of course, but distant somehow. In a way he looked even more lonely then she felt. He'd been this way ever since the TARDIS had been arrested. Despite attempts to reach him, he only spoke to answer the questions the Judoon officers put to them.
Rose clutched her arms in her hands as she tried to warm herself. It was good to finally see the TARDIS once more, but the cold air wafting up from below was chilling her to her core. Under other circumstances the interior of the court would have filled Rose with a sense of awe. If ever there was an organization that could judge Time Lords or their chariots, this was surely it. They stood on a white balcony that seemed to be suspended over... well nothing, so far as Rose could tell. The pit emitted neither light nor sound, only bone chilling cold. The incredible depth seemed like a greedy throat, sucking down all hope and warmth.
The TARDIS was in the center of the chamber, suspended over this... hole. It hung steadily but turned slowly like a spider hanging on a single silken thread. A gravity bubble, a Judoon officer had said. Although the TARDIS looked the same as it ever did, there seemed to be something sad about it. Rose had a strange urge to place a comforting hand on one of the police box's paneled walls.
The balcony, which wrapped around the hole the TARDIS was suspended over, was backed by a curved wall that defined the vast circular room. From there, the courtroom rose up into a vast cylindrical shape. The air within the structure seemed to carry a light silver mist that spiraled up from the hole, bringing more of the endless cold from below. Rose looked upward. Directly above them were several more ring shaped balconies, each of which had a larger diameter, so that the sides of the white room widened out the further upwards her gaze traveled. Around each of these four balconies a protective railing of glass framed by brushed aluminum guarded the edge. Rose watched as the level above them began to be filled by many strange beings. Some looked to be human, others considerably less so, but all of them dressed in deep gray robes. They filed into the balcony through a low arch and began fanning out in either direction of the overhead circle.
"This court presents," a low disembodied voice suddenly intoned, "those honorable few offering council and propugnation for the purpose of vindication."
To Rose's surprise, the Doctor finally spoke. "The defense team." Rose turned to look at him for a moment before returning her attention to the newcomers. The gray-robed figures finished circumscribing the level and took up seats for themselves behind the railing. Their eyes faced downward, staring impassively at the turning blue box below.
"This court presents," the voice continued after all the members of the defense had taken their seats, "those honorable few worthy of lawful pursuance against the defendant."
Rose looked to the Doctor for an explanation.
"The next level up..." He pointed. "The prosecution."
Rose stood on her tiptoes, not that it gained her much. Another ring shaped balcony rested above the defense level. This third floor also began to fill with people of various species, but these were dressed in clinical looking white robes that nearly matched the sterile white of the courtroom walls.
To Rose's surprise, seated among them, was the same Judoon Troop Commander who had arrested them two days before.
"Commander CoRo," The disembodied voice continued, as CoRo stood at attention. "As a descendant of Oreno the Dispassionate you have all the rights of lead prosecutor." The Commander nodded in acknowledgment and took his seat once more.
"Can he do that?" Rose asked the Doctor. "I mean, if he's a descendant?"
"As a descendant he has the Right of Vengeance"―The Doctor turned to look at her and she could tell he was trying to mask the growing concern in his eyes.―"and all Judoon Commanders are fully certified court officials. As long as he follows the other legal protocols... yes, yes he can."
"This court presents," the deep voice said in a concluding tone, "those honorable few selected and sworn by law to inquire the truths as they stand, and to give true answer."
Rose automatically raised her eyes to the fourth level. Above that there was only an immense expanse of stars, which was sealed off by the almost inevitable clear protective dome.
The right side of this final balcony was empty save for one recessed notch on the white wall. But to the left, half of the ring of floor space was taken up by an assortment of eleven large metal boxes that stood there silently and expectantly.
"The jury." The Doctor said before she could question it.
"Yeah, I gathered that, but they're all. . ."
"A jury of her peers."
"You're joking, right? Those are all other TARDISes, TARDISie, er…"―she shook her head― "but they don't look anything like our TARDIS."
"I've told you before, the police box exterior is just a disguise that the TARDIS became fond of. Most of them can look like anything they want. For example"―the Doctor pointed to a single dark haired woman in her thirties, sitting amongst the metal forms. Her clothing looked almost ancient Egyptian and her face looked almost smug.
"A TARDIS can look like a human?"
"With the right upgrades. There were lots of them during the War."
"But how can they be here? I thought the Time War―"
"Taken out of time" the Doctor said quickly.
"Can they do that?"
"Only temporarily and even that requires vast amounts of energy. Apparently the Shadow Proclamation views this as a very special case and each of these timeships agree." Rose could hear the worry in his voice rising again and decided to let the subject drop.
A deep reverberating chime rang through the chamber and a sound like the movement of sand over sand emanated from the highest level. Rose looked up as a sharp point of a white pathway began to flow outward from the empty notch on the fourth level. It extended towards the semi-circle of the jury seated on the far side, stopping only as it reached the center of the circular expanse. Then it began to shift upward, flowing like a waterfall in reverse. It sculpted itself into a semicircular lectern, the surface of which seemed to shift in small ripples like the air over a fire, until finally it solidified into a smooth and glossy shield of glass and metal.
Each level quieted, and became as still as the walls themselves, as a single humanoid dressed in a long white robe walked along the newly formed path. Rose could see immediately that the newcomer was female. Her long white hair and pale skin seemed to blend with the white of her robe. She looked surprisingly young to garner so much silenced awe and respect from the levels below―but as Rose watched her stride along the narrow walkway, she saw a sternness in the woman's features that contradicted her apparent youth.
When the woman reached the lectern, she assessed the jury quietly and then looked down to the levels below with burning red eyes.
"No formal announcement for her then?" Rose turned to find the Doctor staring with a look of surprise on his face.
"No need for one," he said slowly.
"Doctor, who is she?"
"She... is the One and Only High Court Judge of the Shadow Proclamation."
"I guess that rules out appealing to a higher court."
The Doctor nodded, his eyes assessing the woman's features. "She's trained from birth for the purpose of hearing only the most serious of cases. They only roll her out for special occasions."
"And that's what this is then?"
"So it would seem."
The white robed woman gazed at the each level one by one. Finally her crimson eyes rested on the TARDIS and the two small humanoids standing near it. She gave a slight nod of her head and immediately twenty-four Judoon officers entered the first level through an archway and marched to where the Doctor and Rose stood.
The woman began to speak, her somber voice echoing from every surface. "It is known that the crime we examine today was masterminded by a Time Lord once known as Marnal. But the Time Lords are now extinct and therefore beyond even our jurisdiction. However, recently discovered evidence has re-opened this case . This Type 40 timeship stands accused of being an accomplice to the kidnapping and chrono-mutilation of Oreno the Younger."
The High Court Judge paused briefly to let her words sink in, and then continued "According to the uncovered evidence, the Judoon child was destined to become Architect of the Shadow Proclamation. Furthermore, she would have organized the other Temporal Powers of the Spiral Politic to enforce sanctions on the Time Lords. This, it has been revealed, was the reason why the Time Lord Marnal amputated her future."
A rustle of whispering swept through the court room.
"Amputated her future?" Rose asked, "Is that a fancy way of saying killed? I thought she was just kidnapped?"
"It's worse than being killed." The Doctor's voice was low. "The child's ability to perceive reality and to be perceived by reality was reduced to such a point that all the things she would have done in her future would…"―he searched for a suitable metaphor― "break off like pieces of a melting iceberg."
"And that's worse than death?"
"Infinitely. When someone dies it makes an impact. It can inspire sorrow, horror, or at least bad newspaper headlines. But, what they did to Oreno the Younger meant that all of her actions were absorbed into the background noise of Time itself. She continued to exist, but literally nothing she ever did ever made any difference. If it hadn't been for this new evidence I doubt anyone would even recall that Oreno the Dispassionate had a child."
The Judge had continued her outline of the trial. "In this case the Type 40 will stand trial for the crime committed by both parties. It will answer for its participation in said kidnapping and mutilation, and, if found guilty and deemed appropriate, will receive the punishment of having its birth point aborted from the Web of Time."
The murmuring of the crowd suddenly folded into an ominous silence.
"What does she mean, Doctor?" Rose quickly grabbed the Doctor's arm. "They can't do that can they? If it's here now how can its… birth be aborted?"
"The same way they brought the jury here, only easier." The Doctor's voice practically growled. "The TARDIS is a four-dimensional entity. It wouldn't kill her, just break her link with real time, making her existence unbearable to her as well as the Cosmos."
Rose touched her tounge to her upper lip."This... Marnal, who is he?"
The Doctor raised a hand for silence as a figure on the second level stepped forward. Commander CoRo took a deep breath before he spoke. "Your honor, the prosecution requests a Writ of Search be applied to the accused for the purpose of finding supporting evidence."
"The evidence supported the issuing of the warrant. It also supports a Writ of Search. Your request is granted." The Judge now addressed the TARDIS directly. "The defendant will be subjected to a thorough search. If no significant biodata trace or other evidence from Oreno the Younger is found, then this case will be redirected to a subordinate court." The Judoon officer standing just to Rose's left gave a dissatisfied grunt. "Are we in agreement?"
"We are!" Rose jumped slightly as defense answered. The Doctor broke out into a wide grin as a new pathway began to form where the Judoon officers stood. The white path flowed to an area just below the TARDIS and formed a circular pad below it.
"Well that's that then." The Doctor put his arm out to the nearest officer as if to shake his hand. "Good luck. Enjoy your search boys, and do let us know how it turns out." The officer simply snorted and turned with the other Judoon to walk toward the TARDIS.
The TARDIS gradually ceased its slow turn and began to lower on to the pad.
It touched the platform with a light thump. The lead trooper shoved open the unlocked door. The Doctor and Rose watched in silence as two dozen Judoon entered the TARDIS.
"So they search the TARDIS for traces of this Judoon child―" Rose began.
"Which will take weeks–maybe months if they don't bring in a lot more rhino-power. Gives us plenty of time to see who's framed the old girl."
"And when they don't find any evidence..."
"We're home and dry. Oh, they may give the case over to a lesser court but with Oreno's reality quotient being so low there'll be nothing to hold us here long." He turned to face her, the relief evident in his features. "It'll be just a minor blip in the grand scheme of things, and then we're off. Fantastic!"
Rose smiled and, despite the serious setting, hugged the Doctor fiercely. The TARDIS would be returned to them and things could get back to normal... if you could call it that.
But before she could even release him the sound of marching feet filtered though the TARDIS. The Doctor and Rose watched as the doors swung open. They were greeted by the back the Lieutenant, his arms carrying something on a stretcher from the TARDIS sickbay. Another Judoon followed, holding the other end. The members of the court grumbled ominously as Rose and the Doctor gazed at the wizened body of a young Judoon that had been pulled from the TARDIS. The child's twisted mummified limbs jutted into the cold air, as if trying to ward off the police box.
For a moment the only noise was the creak of leather gloves as CoRo's four fingered hands tightened on the railing above them.
Finally the High Court Judge spoke. "I see that you have found somewhat more than just a trace of Oreno the younger."
"Indeed your honor," the Lieutenant responded. "However, that was not all we found." Two more Judoon exited the TARDIS. They also held a stretcher but this one carried the bodies of two more children, both in the same shriveled and decrepit state. One looked as if it were once human, while the other appeared to be an infant of some three armed species.
Rose shuddered and covered her mouth.
"We have recovered the remains of fifteen children of various sapient species!" A fifth officer exited the TARDIS with another contorted corpse carefully cradled in his arms.
It felt to Rose as if the air temperature had plunged even farther. The TARDIS continued to give birth to a gruesome procession of stillborn children, each brought into the world with respectful reverence by a Judoon. The Judoon marched along the walkway carrying the withered bodies. They proceeded though the archway, up the ramps, past the defense and prosecution, and into the upper gallery where the jury resided.
Rose looked at the Doctor. If anything, his eyes reflected an even greater horror then her own. For the first time in all their travels together, he appeared truly lost.