Fall Of Aquariosis

by Bowtiesarecool16

18 year old Ivy Heiridge's life is changed forever when she stumbles on the 11th Doctor. They proceed to go on an adventure (that might just save the world) that Ivy could never have dreamed of––especially when it puts her in danger of her life.

Fall of Aquariosis

Chapter 1

"Ivy! Breakfast!" Mum's voice drifts from downstairs. "Coming!" I call back, taping the last cardboard box closed. I stand up, surveying my room. It's empty except for my bed, empty dresser and desk, and stacks of more boxes.

I still can't believe we're moving.

I thump downstairs into the kitchen, sitting at the table. "Done packing?" Mum asks, taking the teakettle off the stove. I pour myself some cereal. "Almost."

Mum sits down next to me and pushes something towards me across the table. A brochure on New York. "I thought you might want to learn some more about where we're moving," she says, watching me. I grunt neutrally.

Alexa meets me outside North Pine, our secondary school. She sighs as she sees me. "What?" I say, linking arms with her. "Nothing," she says, I just still can't believe your moving."

Neither can I.

The day drags on. By my last class, Maths, I'm about to fall asleep.

Finally, the last bell rings and I say goodbye to my friends and hop on the coach for home. And more packing. Oh, the joy.

I really don't want to move. I love London, more than anything. My mum's job has us up and moving again. It's the same thing that got us up and moving from Ireland, way back six years in seventh grade, and Paris, five years before that. And every time, I just get more attached to the place we're leaving.

My mobile buzzes in my pocket, pulling me from my daydream. Mum. I read the text:

Please buy some more tea, love mum.

I smile. Of course. She's practically been living on tea the last few days, just to get everything packed and ready. She says she doesn't have time for sleep. I'm surprised she hasn't fallen asleep while driving or something.

I'm pretty sure there's a grocery near the next stop, so I get off—it's at an unfamiliar part of the city, but I'm not worried. It's cold and drizzly out—typical winter weather in London. I pull my hat down farther over my ears, and catch sight of the grocery through an alley. I debate cutting through it or going around. Who knows what lurks in the shadows. Whatever. I decide to go through it.

I stride fealessly through the dark. However, in the middle, I hear something. Footsteps? Oh my gosh, I'm going to get kidnapped. Why didn't I take mum's advice about never going into dark alleys?!

I search frantically for anywhere to escape—and my eyes land on...a police call box. Before I can even pause to ponder why there's a police call box in an empty foreboding alley, I run to it, pull open the door, squeeze myself in, and slam the door behind me.

I turn around and shriek.

I'm not in a police box.

I'm in a room—a huge room, with so many gadgets and buttons and computers and...and...stuff that I pinch myself to make sure I'm not sleeping. Maybe I fell asleep I Maths and this is some elaborate dream?

A head pokes out from around what appears be a control board of some kind.

"Who're you?" We both say at the same time. The man in suspenders and a bowtie blinks at me. "Well you are in my police box, you first," he says.

"Ivy Heiridge," I say slightly breathless. "You?"

"The Doctor."

I stare at him. "Doctor who?" I ask.

"Unimportant," he says shortly.

"Why are you in here alone?" I ask. I have so many questions that it seems like a good place to begin.

"I don't have any friends," he says.

"You don't?"

"I used to," he corrects himself.

"And what happened to them?"

"They died."

"I see." I stare at my hands.

"No you don't." He says, looking away.

"My dad died." I look up at him.

"I see," he says.

I poke my head out of the door and look at the police box from the outside. Then I look at it on the inside. "Your box," I begin slowly. "It's bigger on the inside–that what you were going to say, right?" He says, looking amused. "Well I was going to say that it's very strange to have a police box in a dark alley, but sure," I say with a grin.

"And why are you in dark alley, Ivy Heiridge?"

I blink. "I was taking a shortcut–"

"You blinked," the Doctor says, staring at me.

"So?" I say, shrugging.

"Don't. Blink." He replies. Unblinkingly, of course.

"Why?" I ask, utterly confused.

"No reason." He pointed to the door. "Why did you come in here?" He asks.

"I-I was scared. Someone was following me, I think," I say uncertainly.

"While you were in a dark alley–"

"I was taking a shortcut!" I protest indignantly.

"So you're here because needed somewhere to hide, but more importantly why are you still here?" The Doctor says, studying me.

"Because...I don't know! I just–"

He takes a step closer. "You're not afraid?" He says.

"Of what?"

"Of, I don't know, me being a murderer or something–you're not afraid, because if you were, you wouldn't be here–and that's why I like you, Ivy Heiridge. You're fearless." He turns around and straightens his bow tie. "So, where do you want to go?" He asks.

"What?" I say, perplexed.

"Oh yes," he says, smacking himself in the head, "I forgot to introduce you. This," he says, gesturing around him, "is the TARDIS. Time And Relative Location In Space. It can travel anywhere in space and time–forward, backward, sideward, probably, and diagonally–even though I've never tried it."

I stare around. "Are you serious?" I ask, staring at him.

He smiles. "Absolutely serious."

"I don't want to move," I inform him. I doubt he has any idea what I'm even talking about, but I just needed to say it to somebody. I'm tired of trying to be happy about moving.

He cocks his head slightly. His quirky brown hair falls into his eyes. "I know," he says. "So what are you waiting for?"

Chapter 2

"So what's your favorite year, Ivy–don't press that button, by the way, I forgot what it does." The doctor says, pulling a lever and flipping a number of switches. I lift my hand from the triangular purple button and pause to think. "1922, I think," I say, studying another button.

"Planet?" He asks absentmindedly, hitting a few keys on some sort of control panel.

"Um, earth," I say.

"Not Mars? Or 'dwarf planet pluto'? The Abian colonies are particularly friendly this time of year–much smaller chance of getting zapped than any other season," he says, turning a knob on the control panel thing.

"No, I don't think I'm ready for that. Maybe next time," I say with a grin. I know there will be a next time. Heck, I could spend forever with this mad man and his box.

"Ah, 1922," he says, studying a screen. "Very interesting choice."

"Why do you say that?" I ask curiously trying to look at the screen. "No reason, he says, turning it away, "just be ready for an adventure, Miss Ivy Heiridge."

"Wha–" I start, but then topple sideways as the magical box begins to shake violently. "Oh, I forgot to tell you," the Doctor says, "ride's a bit bumpy."

"I can see that," I say, clutching to a chair for dear life. With one final shake–that causes the chair to fall on me–the TARDIS stops abruptly. I scoot out from under the chair and stand up, dazed. I wander to the door and pause, hand hovering over the doorknob. Am I really in 1922? How do I know? How do I know this isn't a weird dream? Oh, whatever, I think to myself. I'm in a bigger-on-the-inside police box. I open the door.

The first thing I see is buildings. Tall buildings, reaching into the sky, giving off a timeless feeling. In the distance, I can see a woman with short hair sitting at the wheel of a car–an old car. Really old. I turn around, open mouthed, to stare at the Doctor, who's leaning against the doorway with a smile.

"We're in 1922, aren't we?" I ask him breathlessly.

"Yep," he says, jumping up and walking into the street. "New York, 1922. I picked New York since its the place you're supposedly moving, thought you might want to get some background history–"

"Doctor," I interrupted.

"–Not only that, but it also has something very interesting going on that–"

"Doctor!" I say louder.

"–What? Why so you keep saying that, I'm trying to be very smart here–"

"Doctor, horse!" I say abruptly, pointing behind him.

"–What?!" He says, turning around just as the horse carriage and him nearly collide. He jumps neatly out of the way. "Honestly, Ivy, you should have warned me," he says with a sigh, straightening his bow tie which had gone askew. He turned to the driver. "Honestly, who still uses horses in 1922? For heaven's sake, get a car, mad man." He says, frowning slightly.

The man blinks at him. "Carriage rides," he says, looking slightly abashed, "it's a free country."

"Sure it is," the Doctor says absentmindedly, grabbing my hand and tugging me away. "Come along, Ivy, we've got things to do."

"What things?" I ask, fast walking to catch up with him.

"These things!" He says, pointing in front of us at a huge stone building.

"The Metropolitan Museum of Art?" I ask, reading the sign in confusement.

"Yes yes yes. Things that are brilliantly important and thing-ish. And here's the place where those things are happening!" He strolls up the steps, gesturing to the museum.

"Just one problem, Doctor–" I say, climbing the stairs so I'm standing beside him. "There's an admittance fee, and I haven't got any pocket money."

He flaps his hand as if it's unimportant. "Not to worry," he says, jumping down the stairs and walking to the side of the building "that's what windows are for."

"Windows?" I say, hurrying to catch up, "that's breaking and entering!"

"No it's not," he says, fiddling with a window hidden behind some shrubs, "it's opening and entering. Totally legal, last time I checked, and if its not, who cares? Art should be free to enjoy. Don't you think so, Arnold?" He says. To a squirrel.

"You're talking to a squirrel," I say, staring at him. "Yes, I am and I'm having a very intelligent conversation with him, one that you are interrupting," he says to me.

"You're friends with a squirrel," I say, on the verge of falling down and laughing. He really is a mad man.

"And you're friends with humans–I'm the weird one in this situation?" He says, opening the window. "After you."

"I'm breaking into a museum in New York in 1922 with a crazy man who's friends with squirrels," I mutter to myself as I climb through, "I'm not weird at all."

"So why are we at this museum? What are we doing here?" I ask as I follow the Doctor down a corridor.

"Here," he says, passing me a strange pair of triangular glasses with orange lenses.

"What are they?" I ask studying them.

"Vortex glasses," he says, putting on a pair as well. They make his eyes look enormous. "They protect you from...lets just say, getting transformed. Oh, and it shows you what's living."

I put mine on. "Whoa," I breathe. The world behind the glasses is still crystal clear–not orange like I expected.

"Living things glow orange," the Doctor says.

I look down at my hand, which is bright orange, and then turn to him. Orange is practically radiating off of him. "So why do we need these?" I ask, looking around the room. "I mean, isn't obvious what's alive and what's not?"

"Oh Ivy, you are so naive," he says, examining a wall.

"Me?" I ask in amusement.

"Yes, you. Honestly, humans' brains are just so...unadvanced."

"Humans' brains are the most advanced in the animal kingdom!" I protest.

"Oh please," he says, whipping around to face me. "My brain is this big," he says, making a large circle around him with his arms.

"That's bigger than your head," I point out.

"So? Head size is a limitation?" He goes over to a door at the end of the corridor and opens it. "After you, Miss Heiridge."

I walk into a gallery full of paintings. "No way," I say under my breath. I turn around to face the Doctor. "The paintings are–"

"–Orange," he finishes.

"But–that's not–"

"–possible?" The Doctor says with a grin. "Oh Ivy. Anything is possible." He grabs me by the arm. "Now, look over here," he says, leading me to the far wall.

"It's an empty picture frame and canvas," I say in confusement.

"Well it is now. But soon it won't be." He says. He points to a woman staring at an empty frame a little farther off. "Watch her," he whispers. I do. The woman's orange glow is fading away, lifting off her and going into the painting–which is no longer an empty frame at all. I stare open mouthed at the painting, then back at the lady. "The orange glow...it's gone..." I whisper.

"What you just witnessed," the Doctor says, "is a transformation. That woman," he points to her, "is no longer alive. She is a shell–just an empty body that can be controlled."

"A zombie," I say, watching her with wide eyes.

"More or less. Now look at the title of this exhibit–" he points to a banner on the wall.

"New World," I read, "undiscovered paintings unveiled to the public for the first time."

"But," he says with a smile, "these paintings aren't from here."

"Not from where?" I ask in complete confusement.

He grins. "Just like the sign says. Not from this world."

Chapter 3

"What do you mean, not from this world?" I ask, watching as he pulls some sort of tool out of his pocket–a screwdriver, maybe?

He points the screwdriver thing at a glowing painting, panning it over the picture. "I mean," he says, looking at the screwdriver as if reading it, "they're not human. Alien paintings that turn people into zombies–ooh, I love it. This is like Christmas."

"Aliens?" I ask.

"Yes. Aliens that want dominance–over earth." He whips around, beginning to pace. "Aliens that send alien, life sucking transporters to earth, disguised as recently discovered paintings."

"But how did they get the people to even put the exhibit up?" I ask, studying the paintings.

"Well, I suppose they planted a 'painting' in one of the staff's houses–then when they saw it, they were transformed and the aliens were able to control him and force him to 'discover' the paintings and do an exhibit on it." He walks in a circle around the woman who is now staring blankly at the wall. "The people's souls are transported into the blank canvases, making them 'full,' and leaving a lifeless slave behind to do their bidding. And their bidding? Taking over the world, apparantly," he says, looking at his screwdriver. "They can build an army of people–people that look exactly the same as they always have been, although a little more robotic–to destroy life on this planet from the inside."

"How do they get people to come here? And, well, stare at the paintings?" I ask, watching the motionless lady.

"Well, 'undiscovered paintings' usually catches people's attention, it's probably advertised everywhere, and there's probably something that draws the people to them–they're put into a trance, probably, so their soul can be extracted easily."

I shudder. This whole thing is pretty bonkers. "But we're okay?"

"Yes, these glasses protect us from, lets say, being 'drawn in,'" he says, still pacing. He stops and claps his hands together. "Right! So we know there are aliens that are trying to take over the world by destroying it from the inside, by using the people as their slaves and their soldiers to fight against us, but that's unimportant."

"Unimportant?" I say, staring at him as if he's crazy.

"Unimportant compared to the fact that we have to figure out how to stop the aliens or they're going to take over the world. So how are we going to do it? How are we going to stop these aliens–what's their weakness..." He peers closely at the lady, nose to nose with her. "So who's behind this whole operation?" He mutters, watching her. She doesn't respond.

The Doctor turns to face me. "Well I didn't expect an answer straight away, of course, although it would've been nice." He pauses, straightens his bow tie, stands there, deep in thought.

"Doctor," I say watching the lady. She's begun to move slightly.

"Shhh, Ivy, I'm trying to come up with a plan to save the world."

"Doctor!" I say with more urgency, trying to get his attention. The lady is now moving, slowly, with slightly jerking movements.

"Why do you keep saying 'Doctor' like that? So urgently; 'Doctor, Doctor!'? It's rather irritating."

"The lady–zombie–thing–it's alive!"

"Of course she isn't, silly, I told you her soul was–oh," he says, turning around in time to see the lady advancing toward us, "that kind of alive. I knew they were going to eventually activate, but I didn't really think it would be right now."

"What do we do? What's your plan?" I ask, staring at the lady as she comes closer.

"Oh, it's very simple," he says, "run!"

We make a break for it, running through a door on the other side of the gallery. We slam the door and turn around. I'm pretty sure we both gasp at the same time. The next room of the exhibit is filled with at least ten of the zombie-like people. Their heads turn in sync towards us with almost robotic movement.

"Ivy," the Doctor says calmly, "don't let them touch you. And keep your glasses on–no matter how tempted you are to take them off, leave them on."

"Okay," I whisper, staring ahead. "Any other instructions?"

"Trust me."

"Why?" I ask, looking at him.

He grins. "Because I'm the Doctor." And with that, he grabs my hand, and we weave through the thong of robotic-zombies to the next room. Door slammed firmly behind us, we stand there breathless in the luckily empty room. "Are they gone?" I ask, panting.

"I think th–" the Doctor pauses as the sound of the creatures banging on the door reaches us. "No," he says, "they're still here. Ivy, barricade the door."

"With what?" I say desperately, looking around.

"Bench!" He says pointing to a wooden bench against the far wall. He leans against the door, trying to keep the robot-zombies out.

"Right! Bench!" I push the bench as hard as I can, dragging it against the closed door.

"Good," the Doctor says, looking around. "We should go to the next room though, to be safe."

He pokes his head around the door to the next room. "All clear," he whispers. Once we're in the next room, and all the exits have been barricaded, we sit down against the wall. "Why are they chasing us?" I ask the Doctor as we sit there in silence listening to the creatures banging in the doors.

"Well, to transform us, obviously," the Doctor says, looking around the room.

"But can't the paintings only do that?" I muse, looking at the blank canvases on the walls. "Well, yes, but there would have to be a way for the robot-zombies to get us to actually look at them–something that would put us in a trance and get us to look at the paintings, maybe it's contagious by touching them or being bitten–"

"Bitten?" I say sharply, "they're vampires now, too?"

"Maybe by being bitten," the Doctor says, still thinking, "who knows..."

"Doctor?" I say.

"Mmm?" He says, not paying attention.

I point to the door, which is starting to open slightly. "Incoming."

He looks up and groans. "Come on, seriously? Again? I'm trying to have a good think here!" He jumps up, grabs two blank canvases from the wall, and tosses one to me. "Right Ivy, when they come in, just imagine you're swatting flies."

"They aren't dangerous?" I ask, looking at the canvas in my hand.

"Not with your glasses on," he calls, as the banging on the door gets louder. "Ready, Ivy?" He shouts.

"Ready."

Chapter 4

The door bursts open, and one of the creatures–a woman–comes in, walking straight toward us. "When I count to three, hit it as hard as you can," the Doctor calls. "One, two, three!"

I whack the creature as hard as I can, and with our combined blows, she topples to the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling.

I drop my canvas. "Oh my God," I say in disbelief, "I killed her. I'm a murderer!"

"No Ivy, you didn't kill her. She's not dead, just unconscious. Even if you had killed her, she wouldn't be dead."

"What?" I ask in total confusement. "How can she be dead but not...dead?"

"Well she isn't dead, but if we had killed her, we would've only killed her body, not her soul–which is resting–" he pointed to the frames on the wall "–in a painting."

"So you mean she'll wake up," I say, watching the lady warily.

"Yes, which is why we're going to tie her up." He walks over to an empty frame, which is surrounded with those velvety rope things. Pulling the ropes off the poles, he tosses a few at me. "We'll tie her to the door handles. But first, put these on." He tosses me a pair of thick purple rubber gloves.

"What do these do?" I ask, pulling them on.

"Protects you from unknown substances, so you won't actually touch her," the Doctor says, snapping on a pair of his own. "Now help me tie her up."

We drag her to the door, binding her with the ropes and tying them to the door handles. "Good," the Doctor says, whipping out his screwdriver thing.

"What is that?" I ask, pointing to it.

"This?" He tosses it up in the air and catches it. "Sonic Screwdriver. Opens locks, operates computers, takes scans...your all around cool tool." He waves it in front of the lady and looks at it, reading something. He frowns.

"Can I touch her?" I ask curiously, "she's unconscious, right?"

"Yes, but be careful," the Doctor says, busy with his screwdriver.

I reach over cautiously and touch her face with one finger. It's cold and glassy, not at all like human skin. Her mouth is open slightly, and I try to close it, but it's stuck. She really is like a robot. "Doctor," I say, looking away from the woman. Which is a big mistake.

Because suddenly, while I'm looking away, the lady wakes up and bites me–hard–on the wrist.

I scream out in shock and pain. "Ivy!" The Doctor says, looking up. "She bit me!" I cry, as the pain becomes worse. I look over at the lady, who is once again lifeless.

The Doctor picks me up and carries me to the opposite door, leaning me against the wall. He pushes back the shirtsleeve of my left arm to reveal a perfect circle of completely round, pinhead sized holes. I stare at my arm through my vortex glasses. The spot where I was bitten is becoming pale–and spreading slightly.

"Doctor," I breathe, "what's going to happen to me?"

"Oh Ivy," he says, looking down at me.

"I want to know." I struggle to sit up.

He looks at me. His eyes look–wet? I reach up and touch a tear that's near his nose. "You're crying," I whisper.

"No, I'm not." He blinks and looks away.

"Is it because I'm going to die?" I ask quietly, "because if it is, you have no excuse to be crying."

He looks at me. "What?" He asks.

"Because I'm not going to die." I pull myself up, and stand. The world tilts a little. "Come on, Doctor. I can still stand–I'm still alive. No need to plan my funeral." I smile, and he does too. He stands up.

"Now what do we do?" I ask him, leaning on the wall for support.

He goes over to the door we came in from and starts to pull away the bench from it. "We go back to the TARDIS. You need medicine, we need to get a few things, plus I want to analyze the information I found. Maybe the computers can help us figure out what the robotic zombie vampires are." He pulls open the door and looks through. "It's empty," he confirms. He holds the door open. "After you."

We run through the deserted exhibit to the way we came in–although I wouldn't call it running, seeing that I greatly slow us down.

We each the window without conflict, and the Doctor holds it open for me. I climb carefully through and he follows, closing it behind us.

I collapse as we reach the TARDIS. "Ivy–" the Doctor says. "I'm fine," I reply through gritted teeth. I sit down on a chair as he rummages through a cabinet. He walks over to me, holding something. "Hold out your arm," he says. I do, and he clamps some sort of collar over the bite, then presses a button on it. A blue light blinks, and the pain lessens. I sigh in relief. With most of the pain gone, I can finally think straight. "What did you do?" I ask him, looking at the collar as he gets back to his rummaging. "Nano Collar. Stops the poison from circulating through your body as quickly, takes some if the pain away, and gives you strength. Wonderful invention, they are. Here." He tosses me a tiny metal object that looks like a sphere cut in half, with a large blue screen. "What is it?" I ask, turning it over in my hands. On the back is a large suction cup and a few buttons.

"SonicLock," he says, dumping more on the center control panels. He stands up and presses a few buttons on a keyboard. "Locks any door, so only we can get through." He presses his hand on a screen, and a purple light flashes. He gestures to me. I come over and he takes my hand, pressing it on the screen as well. "Now we're activated," he says as the blue screens on the SonicLocks all flash.

The Doctor pulls his Sonic Screwdriver out of his pocket and pushes one end into some sort of socket. He presses a few buttons, and the image of the lady appears on a giant screen. His fingers fly over a keyboard, entering who knows what. A code appears on the screen. "Ah, yes. Yes yes yes." He presses a large button, and the screen flashes, now showing a picture of what seems to be a small, blue planet with vertical rings encircling it. Type in a strange language appeared under the picture. "Ah," the Doctor says again.

"What is it?" I ask, peering over his shoulder. "Aquariosis 7072. Where the 'paintings' came from. Gallaxy Z193.2. The Aquarions–that's the name of the native species–definitely aren't from around here. No, they're from a small, but very powerful planet, completely covered in water–well their version of water, which is actually poisonous to living things other than natives to the planet–a brilliant defense. Now, the Aquarions can't actually leave their planet; without the water they'd die. But they are very technologically advanced–advanced enough to devise a plan of sending parasites–the 'paintings'– here to transform the people into aliens to take over their own planet for the Aquarions. And why do they want to take earth over?" The Doctor says, pausing to take a breath.

"Because we have something they want?" I suggest, watching the screen.

"Well yes, that and the fact that the Aquarions just like dominance–they've already taken over at least sixteen other planets, using the inhabitants as slaves–but yes, there is something they want here. That." He points to another screen, which has a picture of the layers of the earth on it. "They want the inner core of the earth?" I ask in wonder.

"The inner core," the Doctor says, typing something into the computer, "is rich in nickel, iron, and gold–pretty boring if you ask me–but also something you humans don't know of–osmium." He presses a key and a picture of the Periodic Table appears, zooming in on the seventy sixth square.

"That's not right," I say, looking at the table on the screen.

"What?" He asks, looking up.

"The Periodic Table only has 118 elements...not 7,631," I say, studying it.

"Oh Ivy," he says in amusement, "there are thousands of elements–just undiscovered by humans so far." He turns back to the computer. "Anyway, the Aquarions want the osmium because its their main food source. Their supply on their home planet is almost gone, and they've scoured their galaxy for more–unsuccessfully. So, they come here, using people to take over because they cannot come. Dominance and relief from starvation–a perfect package tied with the bow of having slaves to do whatever they wish."

He turns around and claps his hands. "Now, the question is, how to stop them. How to stop the, uh, the–"

"Evil robotic zombie vampires?" I provide helpfully.

"No, too long, they need a better name than that. The...the...the shells. Yes, that's it, because they're the 'shells' of what they used to be."

"Shells?" I say, "that's pathetic."

"Oh, shut up, it's better than your idea." He tosses a small object at me. I study it. "What is it?" I ask.

"Bomb," he says nonchalantly, busy with his software.

"Bomb?!" I cry, starting at it in horror.

"Oh not that kind of bomb, silly. Completely safe–for now anyway."

"I don't like holding this," I say, staring at it with wide eyes. I place it gingerly next to the SonicLocks. "So what do you mean, not the usual kind of bomb?"

"Well, inside are thousands of tiny bombs–small as dust particles–that can be sprayed into the air, and can land on a specified object. These, particularly, are programmed to land on the Shells–" I rolled my eyes at the name "–and will go off only when they are outside this protective container and when they are activated."

"Interesting," I say, "so what's your plan?"

"Well, we use the sonic locks to lock the entrances, then we use them to trap all the Shells in one room, spray the bombs over them, teleport them to their home planet, and activate the bombs. Ka-boom!" He says, miming an explosion.

"So we just blow them up?"

"The whole planet."

"But how can the little amount of bombs blow up the whole place?"

"Well, it's actually a lot of bombs, because there are so many Shells, and all the little bombs kind of–how can I say it–merge."

"So we kill all of them?" I ask, not really liking the idea.

"Are you really feeling sympathetic?" He asks, looking slightly disgusted, "remember, these are the same aliens that have millions of slaves, and are going to imprison this planet and kill everyone on it–including you."

I sigh, relenting. "Okay, I'm convinced. But how do we teleport them? And how do we get the bodies of the people being used to come back after they're on Aquariosis?"

"Why this, of course!" He tosses me a bottle of something.

"It's not another bomb, is it?" I ask, eying it suspiciously.

"Very funny. Read the label."

"Liquid Teleportation," I read.

"Yes, indeed. Works just like the bombs, except they're, well, not bombs." He gestures to the can. "We spray the Liquid Teleportation with the bombs, then teleport them to their planet, detach the bombs from the Shells so they're on Aquariosis, and teleport the Shells back here. Then ka-boom! We blow up Aqauriosis, and the Shells automatically transform, back into their human forms–whether they're injured or not." The Doctor says, looking very pleased with himself.

"So you can just–detach the bombs? Just like that?" I ask curiously.

"Oh yes, it's very simple, really." He reaches into a cupboard and pulls out two backpacks, tossing one at me. "We put our supplies in the backpacks, and then head out. Easy-peasy."

I shove some of the sonic locks and the Liquid Teleportation into my pack, then reach for the bomb container.

"I think I'll take that," the Doctor says, holding it out of my reach.

"What you don't trust me with a bomb?" I ask with a grin.

"Well–I–anyway. We've got to get moving, that Nano Collar isn't going to protect you forever," he says, avoiding the question complety. We stand up. I pull on my backpack, and he tucks his under his arm. He reaches for the door, then pauses.

"Ivy," he says seriously, "the effects of the Nano Collar could wear off at any time–we might not even realize it. So if you feel strange, or dazed, or anything, you have to tell me." He looks at me sternly.

I nod. "I promise."

Chapter 5

"Now remember," the Doctor says to me as we run through the deserted corridors, "they will stop at nothing to try and transform you, so if we have to attack, don't go easy on them. They'll return to their original form unhurt when we destroy Aquariosis."

I nod as we turn a corner to a large room filled with swords, clubs, shields, and other weapons in glass cases and suits of armor.

"Ooooh, the armor gallery," the Doctor says, "we can definitely stock up our artillery here." He goes over to one of the cases and waves his screwdriver over the lock. There's a clicking sound, and he slides it open.

"Doctor!" I protest, "that's–"

"–Opening and entering, Miss Ivy Heiridge." He pulls out an ancient looking rifle and studies it.

I roll my eyes, smiling nontheless, and grab a heavy wooden club out of the case. I swing it like a cricket bat.

"Whoa, careful with that thing. You're not a Neanderthal," the Doctor says, watching me cautiously.

I grin and poke him with it. "Don't trust me with a club either, do you?"

"I'm choosing not to answer that," he says. He pauses. "Do you hear that?" He asks, listening to something.

"Hear what?"

"Shhhh." He tilts his head slightly in the direction of the door. "Listen."

In the distance, I can hear the soft shuffle of many pairs of feet. I open my mouth to say something, but the Doctor puts a finger to his lips. "They're coming," he says, picking up the rifle and flipping it over so the butt is in the air. "Be ready."

I nod. We stand there, waiting, for what seems like an eternity, and then the door bursts open. The Shells flood in. Ten? Twenty? I can't be sure. All I know is that it seems like an army, and there are only two soldiers on our side.

The first Shell, a well-dressed man staring blankly at the wall, approaches me. I lift up the club, swing with all my might, and hit him as hard as I can. It's enough to bring him down. That was easy, I think to myself. But it gets harder. The Shells are coming faster, and it reminds me of some kind of video game. 'Attack of the Shells.' I grin to myself as I hit another one over the head.

Back to back, we take down the army. "Having fun?" The Doctor calls over all the commotion.

"Time of my life," I shout back, grinning. The last Shell, a vicious looking woman, stumbles forward, and I give her a sound whack on the head. She crumples to the ground, and I turn to face the Doctor. Without warning, he leans over and hugs me.

"Doctor," I say awkwardly, "why are you hugging me?"

"I like hugging people after near death experiences," he says, still hugging me.

"Right, right," I say, as if I totally knew that. I start to hug him back, when a sharp pain engulfs me, the worst pain in my arm. I wince, and suddenly, feel totally limp. My knees buckle from under me, and the next thing I know I'm on the floor, surrounded by the fallen alien soldiers, laying on the ground like knocked over paper dolls. I risk a glance at my arm. Only my fingers remain orange.

"Doctor..." I say weakly, "what's happening?"

He fiddles with the Nano Collar. The blue light on it flashes. "Interesting...they really are very technologically advanced," he mutters to himself.

"What?"

"They're trying to transport you...back to Aquariosis. They're intercepted the nano waves."

I stare at him blankly. I'm glad he understands. That's way too complicated for my mind. And I'm so tired...maybe I can just take a little nap...

"Ivy!"

My eyes snap open. "Wha...?" I stare at him, and for some reason, my vision seems to be blurry. I wipe at my eyes and blink–it's the same. I look at my bitten arm, and nearly have a heart attack. My body is almost transparent, and just the tips of my fingers are glowing orange. "Doctor!" I cry in alarm. "What's happening?! Why–"

"They're transporting you. I can't stop it..." He fiddles with the Nano Collar. "You're going there no matter what we do. And I can't come with you. They've blocked me. It's probably because I tried to kill their king once."

I stare at him. "But–"

"Don't worry, I'll come and get you in the TARDIS, I promise."

Tears gather in my eyes. "I'm going alone? But I can't—I-I need you!"

He grabs my hand—what's left to grab, anyway. I've almost disappeared, and my vision is so clouded, I can only make out the Doctor, kneeling beside me. "Don't worry. I promise it'll be okay. You just need to trust me. You know why you should?"

I take a shaky breath and manage a smile. "Because you're the Doctor," I whisper.

He smiles."Exactly." All I can see is a bright light and his fuzzy outline.

He's the last thing I see.

Chapter 6

Silence. It's the first thing I'm aware of when I wake up. I open my eyes. I'm in a white room with perfectly square walls–a cube, lying on a white cot. I try to get up–but I'm stuck. My wrists, ankles, and neck are cuffed to the bed. I struggle with my restraints, panicking. Where am I? Where's the Doctor? He said he'd come get me! He said he'd rescue me!

But...what if...

No, Ivy. He didn't forget about you, I try to tell myself. But the tiny voice in the back of my head doesn't agree. I lay there, utterly helpless, like a trapped animal. Suddenly, the white walls begin moving––folding upward, like a garage door, revealing glass walls underneath. Great, now I really feel like a caged animal. Then I see what's surrounding me.

Aquarions. They must be. Blobby, purple jellyfish-like things, with multiple eyes and hundreds of tentacles. That's not all though. Each Aquarion––there must be hundred or more––is in an aquarium, filled with a blue liquid, on wheels. They're in a huge white room, surrounding my cage. Just the sight of it all is all I need to immediately go bonkers.

Then the voice. "Ivy Heiridge."

It's deep and scratchy, as if it has a cold, and sounds as if its coming from all around me. My eyes scan every surface of the room, looking for where it's coming from. I notice the speakers on the ceiling and let out a sigh of relief. But that relief doesn't last long. "How do you know my name?" I ask, now panicking more.

"You are the companion of the Doctor."

"Who wants to know?" I demand, looking out at the Aquarions, trying to pinpoint the voice.

"We know who you are, human. We know what you are doing. And we know you are not going to finish your task."

"That's what you think," I retort, trying to remain calm and unafraid. Yeah, right.

"Do you know why you are here, human?"

"Because you want to stop me, obviously." I struggle with the restraints on my wrists.

"No." The voice responds slowly.

"Then why?"

The voice laughs. It's a disgusting sound, loud and low and metallic, all at the same time. I shiver. "No, human," the voice responds, "we don't care about you. We care about the Doctor. Your doctor. You're nothing more than the bait for our plan. See, we plan too. We are more intelligent than you putrid little humans. We discover, we plan, we conquer. It's how we live. And it's how you die. We want the Doctor. And we know that he'll come running for you, to save you, like he has tried to do for the countless others, so many times. So many times, we've tried to catch him, but each time he slips away. And each time, we get angrier. We plan more. And now, our plan will work."

"But why? Why do you want the Doctor?" I ask, hoping to stall them. Come on, Doctor.

"Idiotic girl. We want him for all the things he's done to hurt us, to try and destroy us. He tried to free our slaves. He tried to kill our leader, bless the Powerful. And now, he tries to destroy all of us at once. But how? We don't know. So you, little girl, will tell us, until he comes to 'rescue' you.

I swallow. "What happens when he comes?"

"We kill you. But not yet. He has not yet arrived. He is taking so very long, I am getting impatient. So why not just get rid of you now?"

I stare up at the ceiling. Okay, now I'm panicking. And that's putting it lightly.

The ceiling of the cube splits in two, and an arm begins to descend. It's holding a round, blue object–some sort of container. "It is now, human, that we will complete our mission, and end yours," the voice continues as the arm gets closer, "this contains one drop of the liquid we thrive in, enough to kill you in a second. We will kill you. We will kill the Doctor. We will put an end to his missions to destroy us. We will destroy him, bit by bit. And we'll start with you."

"Why me?"

"You stupid child. Can't you see. He cares about you. He cared about all the stupid little humans he's lost to us. And each time he loses one, he gets weaker. And when you are destroyed, he will no longer care what happens. He will be too lost to care, to fight us. He will be too weak. And that's when we kill him."

I grit my teeth, glaring at the ceiling. I've never loathed anything more in my life. "You think? Just wait. The Doctor will come, he'll get me out, and we'll destroy all of you."

"I don't think so," the voice says. The robotic arm gets closer and closer, inches from my face.

I lose my confidence completely. "Doctor!" I cry out, "Doctor!"

The voice laughs again. "He cannot hear you. Goodbye, Ivy Heiridge. I don't think you'll be seeing the Doctor again."

"Are you sure about that?"

The robotic arm stops. I turn my head as far as I can. Its him. He's here, my Doctor. He didn't forget about me.

The Doctor leans against the doorway to the giant room where the Aquarions are. He sizes them up. For the first time, he looks angry. He starts walking, still talking. "And are you sure you're going to kill me? Pause and think, think of all the times I've managed to slip away before you get a grip on me. Think of all the times you've planned to destroy me. And think about now. Think about how I'm still here. Think about how you haven't killed her. Think about how you haven't killed me."

He pauses to stand in front of an Aquarion, one larger than the rest, who is glaring up at the Doctor. The Powerful. King. Whatever it's called, it sure isn't looking powerful or king like next to the Doctor, who's staring it down. "You haven't killed us yet," he hisses to the Aquarion, "Why is that? Because you're afraid. The Aquarions, the ruler of this galaxy, afraid. Of me. And you know what? I like it. Because it makes it easier to do this."

There's a loud bang and the Aquarion falls backwards. All the others rush to its aid. The Doctor shoves a small, red object into his jacket pocket and rushes towards me. He waves his Sonic Screwdriver at the glass walls, and one of them glides open.

"Doctor," I say. I can't help but smile. Yes, I nearly died, and yes, it's still possible I might, but still. He's here. He came.

He reaches me in seconds, waving his screwdriver over the cot I'm trapped on. With a clicking noice, the cuffs holding me down snap open and I jump up. He grabs my hand and pulls me to the TARDIS—which I just noticed is parked in the corner of the larger room waiting for us. We almost make it.

Almost.

"So you think you are clever?" The voice stops us inches from our escape. "Think you're just going to run away again, Doctor?" You think we are the scared ones? Why don't you ever face us? Like you said, you slip away before we can become...properly introduced. We rule this galaxy, timelord. And now we rule your little friend."

Suddenly, I can't feel anything. The whole works is foggy, and my brain feels pleasantly empty. I'm not afraid of anything. I'm not in pain from my arm. I glance over at the Aquarions. Why was I so afraid, so angry? They just want to help me...

"Ivy, no!"

I turn, confused, and stare at the Doctor. Then I notice—I'm only a few inches away from an Aquarion's tank, hand ready to plunge itself into the blue liquid. How on earth did I get here? What am I doing? Why—

I see the Doctor, pulling me by the arm, to the TARDIS, but I don't feel his hand on my wrist. He drags me into his box, slams the door shut, and starts frantically pressing buttons on some computer. I stand in the middle of the room, staring around blankly. Tired...so tired...sleep...

The world tilts. I rub at my eyes, but my vision keeps getting foggier and foggier...

Then total darkness.

"Ivy! Ivy! Wake up!" My eyelids flutter open. I'm on the floor of the TARDIS, and the Doctor is kneeling beside me. "Doctor..." I say, but it comes out as a whisper. I try to move, but can't. I'm so tired, and I feel so weak and powerless...

"Ivy." He looks at me, tears in his eyes. He's crying again.

I manage a small smile. "You stupid boy," I breathe, eyes half open.

"Why am I stupid? Tell me Ivy, tell me. Just keep talking."

I glance at my wounded arm, and I know. Only a tiny spot, the size of a pinhead, is glowing orange on my pinky. There's no escaping this, and I'm shocked to find I'm not afraid. "Doctor...it's time. To say goodbye." I feel a tear roll down my cheek.

"No, Ivy. Come on Heiridge, just stay with me, please."

"I wish I could...I wish I could travel with you...I wish things weren't like this...but they are...and I want the chance to say goodbye..." My words are slurred, and are getting softer and softer. "And I want the chance to say...I...love...you..." The last three words are inaudible. I look at my pinky. I can't see the orange dot any longer; it's minuscule. My eyes begin to close.

"Ivy, no. No. Stay awake, please, don't leave me. I need you. Just don't...don't leave..."

The Doctor reaches over and takes my vortex glasses off, putting them on the floor brside me. We're both crying now. Crying, and waiting for the end. The Doctor leans over and kisses me softly on the lips. And then...

"Ivy," the Doctor says urgently, staring at me with wide eyes. "Ivy, look at your hand."

With all the strength I have, I force my eyes open as much as I can and look. "What the...?!" My hand is glowing, not orange, but bright yellow; the color swirling around my fingers and spreading up my arm. "What's happening?!" I ask, panicking.

The Doctor jumps to his feet, taking a step back. "But...but it's impossible...that can't..."

"What? What's going on?!" I snap, watching the rays of light encircle my other hand. It climbs up my arm, reaching the light from my other arm. I steifgle, and sit up. The light merges, and suddenly, I can't feel anything. I'm blinded by the bright yellow light as it engulfs me, like a fire, but painless. The Doctor ducks under the control station, watching me.

And then suddenly, I'm lying on the ground, eyes closed. I open my eyes, and sit up. "What happened?" I ask groggily. I look at my hands. "I'm...I'm orange again!" I say, open-mouthed. I push back the collar on my arm—the bite is gone. I'm okay. I'm alive!

"Doctor, what happened?" I demand.

He states at me with something close to awe. "I don't...I can't...Ivy...you regenerated."

I raise my eyebrows. "I don't feel any different—well I feel better, of course, but—"

"Ivy!" The Doctor shouts excitedly, grabbing me by the shoulders. "Do you know what this means?!"

"That I'm...alive?" I say in confusement.

The Doctor smacks himself in the head. "Well yes, duh, you're alive, but that's not important—yes it is—but–but..." He looks at me. "Ivy...you're a timelord."

Chapter 7

"I'm a what?" I ask, puzzled, "what's a—"

I'm interrupted by a loud, banging sound on the door. "What was that?"

The Doctor groans. "I put a safety shield around the TARDIS—and they've already broken it." He rummages in his backpack and pulls out the can of liquid bombs.

"What are you doing?" I ask, watching him fiddle with it.

"There's no point of trying to continue the plan—they already know some of it. But that doesn't mean we're giving up." He reaches for the door of the TARDIS, then pauses. "Ivy, I'm going to go out and release the bombs. Blowing up Aquariosis will destroy the Shells and fake 'paintings.' Then I'll jump back in before the bombs go off, and we'll get out of here. Don't follow me. I don't want you to get hurt again."

I nod slowly.

He smiles. "I'll see you in a moment." He pulls open the door, slips through, and closes it behind him.

I stand there waiting. A minute goes by. Then another. After three minutes, I've had enough. Shouldn't he have come back already? I go to the door, open it slowly, and peek out. Then I gasp.

The Doctor is cornered by a crowd of Aquarions. "Doctor!" I call out on instinct. I clap my hand over my mouth.

"Ivy! I told you to stay inside!"

I roll my eyes. "Really? You seem as if you could use a little help."

"Me? Help? Of course not." He dodges around an Aquarion. "Alright, fine, help me if you must."

"What do I do?" I call to him.

"Get the bomb! Press the button on the top of the container, then throw it as hard as you can."

I spy the can a few feet away, grab it, and push the green triangular button on the top. I stretch my arm back, and throw it as hard as I can. It lands about twenty feet away. There's a dinging noise, and a screen lights up on it. The seconds begin to flash down from twenty.

"Doctor!" I yell, "run!"

He jumps over Aquarions, dashing towards me. About two feet from the TARDIS, he's trapped by an Aquarion.

"Grab my hand!" I shout, stretching my arm out towards him. He grips my fingers, and I pull with all my might. Come on, come on...it's a tug-of-war between the aliens and me. And as the seconds count down to zero, only one thought runs through my mind: who will win?

I give a final tug, throwing all my weight down, and the Doctor comes sprawling towards me. I pull him through the door, slam it shut, and lean against it to keep the jellyfish-like aliens from bursting through.

The Doctor starts pressing buttons so fast his fingers are a blur.

"Anytime now, Doctor!" I call as the Aquarions pound on the door. I'm counting down in my head—six...five...four...

He pulls a lever on the control board. The TARDIS begins to shake. Three...two...

I feel us lift off, and the banging stops on the other side of the door. One...

There's a boom that shakes the TARDIS and sends me flopping towards the ground. Then suddenly...silence.

"Ivy!" The Doctor cries, running to me, "we did it!" I run into his arms, and before I know it, he kisses me again.

It's so different and so much better than any other boy's kiss—the best in the whole world, I know it. I kiss him back, knowing how right this is—no, not right—perfect.

We break apart, and I rest my head on his shoulder. For some reason, we're both crying again. We stand like that, in a close embrace, for a long time.

Then I pull away. I walk to the door of the TARDIS and open it. The view is breathtaking. Space stretches on, endlessly, for billions and trillions of miles. The inky sky is dotted with little stars, and in the distance, fading away, I can see Aquariosis, silently burning, the glow as bright as the sun. I sit down on the floor in the doorway, my legs dangling over the edge into endless space. The Doctor walks over and sits down beside me.

"Doctor," I say, "I've been wondering."

"What about?"

"What's happening on Earth? My mum has probably sent out a search party looking for you by now."

He smiles. "Don't worry. Your mum hasn't—she doesn't know. The world keeps on spinning—and when you get back, she'll remember she has a daughter. Everyone's just forgotten about you, temporarily."

I shove his shoulder. "Wonderful," I tease, "my own mum's forgotten about me." Then I get serious. "Doctor?"

"Mmmm?"

"Before you arrived—that voice, one of the Aquarions, I think—it was talking to me."

"Yeah?"

"It said...it said that there had been more humans before me—that they had kidnapped...and killed. Your friends...the ones you'd told me about who died..." He looked at his hands, "...Were they killed by the Aquarions?" I'm almost afraid to hear the answer.

He shakes his head, running his hand through his hair. "No. One day, I'll tell you how they died."

I nod.

He stands up. "So where to next, Miss Ivy Heiridge? Ready to explore out of your solar system?"

He grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. I stare out at the sky. Aquariosis just a glowing dot in the distance. Then I look at the Doctor. I remember what the voice said—my Doctor.

My Doctor.

I grin. "Ready as I'll ever be."