The ground rushes underfoot at an alarming speed, but it still doesn't seem fast enough. I want to help somehow, help us both survive; but instead I find myself useless, trusting Gazron to get us through this. I don't know how long we have until they arrive – hours, minutes, seconds. Not long enough.

The fields are the same fields I've walked every day of my life, and I'm still finding it hard to accept that anything's changed. How can the cyberman be coming already? We were meant to have years. We were meant to have a lifetime. I look at the landscape flashing by. Somehow it seems so much more precious now it's the last time I may see it. Last night I dreamt of escaping this world and touching the stars; tomorrow morning I'll be happy if I'm alive.

My heart is in my mouth as the horse's feet rush across the grass. Each second it falters could mean the end of our lives. We're a couple of minutes' ride away from the main cabin, where all the defences are centred, at most now. I search the fields ahead in desperation, eyes watering in the wind, there's a little shimmer right in front of us, a slight distortion I barely notice-

And a cybermen steps out from empty air.

The horse stumbles in shock, scrambling to find its footing- It falls and I hit the ground-

The breath is knocked out of me- I gasp for air- struggle to my feet-

I see the cyberman- its empty eyes impassive-

It raises its arm-

Something collides with my side and I go flying behind the horse, landing hard. The pain takes over for a second as blackness crawls at the edge of my vision. I force a quivering breath and look up. The animal's pitiful whinnies are faltering as its head lolls to the floor. Fire fills my vision as Gazron shoots - the cyberman reels backwards, spluttering as its arm drops to its side, and stumbles to the ground. I glance down at the carcass just below my eyeline, and quickly jerk my eyes back up as vomit rises in my throat. Did Gazron need to get it killed? Did she really?

She grabs my arm and I turn sharply to her. She's calm, collected, more than I could ever be. She's overcome her panic, pushed it back until it rages only in her eyes. "We need to go," she says, her tone clipped and commanding. She's still holding her gun, the gun Nardole insisted we always carry in a rucksack around with us. I'd always thought that was a stupid rule; but stupid or not, it just saved our lives.

Gazron takes my hand and we run, a quiet resentment simmering in my mind. She doesn't need to be looking after me, I can look after myself. So why am I helpless, paralyzed, why am I standing by as she saves me time and time again? Her hand holds tightly for mine as my gratitude wars with my pride, and I attempt to keep up with her. I can see the main cabin now, looking strangely vulnerable now. There's meant to be defences, defences nothing get through, nobody – Of course. They're waiting for us.

Suddenly I feel a sudden heat rush past me, millimetres from my skin. I risk a glance over my shoulder, knowing what I'll see but looking anyway. Another cyberman. An advance guard? Who knows. Come on, Nardole. Just a few more seconds.

The distance between us and relative safety seems to stretch. If Nardole looks out of the window now, his finger on the switch, what will he see? The two girls running for their lives that he could save? Or the cyberman, marching relentlessly on their heels, that he should be protecting everyone else from?

I push myself forward, feet scrambling for grip as I run faster than I have ever run before. The cyberman is right behind us, about to fire again, I know it, but there's no time to look back- 20 metres to go- 15-

I feel a scorching sensation running along my back, and turn to see a sheet of fire leaping up where we were a mere second ago. The cyberman, it's momentum too much to resist, comes crashing through the flames, a terrible blackness crawling up its armour, claiming it. It crashes to the floor, whatever life it had bleeding out. I feel safer now the defences are up, now we have more time, and crouch cautiously over it. I stare into its eyes. Surely there must be something alive left in it? A shot fires from behind me and hits it in the chest, and it convulses one last time. Dead. Again, I stood by, indecisive, curious, as somebody else did what was necessary. I sigh and shake the thought from my head. Now is not the time for bitterness and self-loathing.

We enter the cabin, the door clanging shut behind us. Hazran comes flying towards us, enveloping us in a hug. She's relieved we're back. She's also fuming. "How dare you, how DARE you just go missing?! You could have been killed, you could have been shut out, did you even think-" Gaz pushes her aside and Hazran watches her go into the kitchen in disbelief. She turns back to me, her mouth opening again for another round of scolding. I'm too tired for this. "I'm sorry," I say vacantly as I follow Gazron, "I'm sorry."

Inside the kitchen, there is quiet at last.

Nardole is looking intently at the laptop, Gazron by his side. Voice lowered, she is arguing with him, to no avail judging by the look on her face. "It's not possible," Nardole says wearily.

"It must be. We could at least try."
"The cybermen would have years and years to stop us before we arrived at the top floor. It would be suicide."

"There must be a different way, something you haven't thought of- "
"Gazron. Do you not think I've been trying to find a way for us to get off this damn ship since the day I arrived?! There is NO WAY TO GET TO THE TARDIS."

Gazron slumps into one of the chairs, and sighs. "I'll think of something," she says defiantly, her voice a little strained. "You do that," Nardole says as he gets back to working the defences, and seems to notice me for the first time. "Alit, can you get Hazran in here." I do so and she goes up to Nardole, while eyeing Gaz and I reproachfully.

He turns to her. "We're using the plan we discussed." She nods, her eyes slightly glistening, lips pressed together into a thin line.

"Hazran, you know I have to stay here, we discussed this."

"I know. I understand." Her tone is emotionless, words carefully picked to convey an air of indifference. But her gaze betrays her.

Nardole moves closer to her, speaking with a gentleness I rarely see in him. "I'll try to come and join you on floor 500. I promise I will." Their eyes both wander to Hazran's ever-so-slightly protruding belly. "But if I don't- "

Gazron motions to me, and we slip out of the door. And few minutes later, Hazran emerges, taking charge, refusing to look back at the kitchen. "Down to the lifts," she calls, and everyone follows her. They climb into the lifts, and I hang back a little. I squeeze into one of the almost full ones, and motion for Gazron to join me.

She shakes her head, just a little. "I am not spending the rest of my life on a farm."

Dread washes over me as I realise what she means. "No- you can't- Gazron-" It doesn't feel real. The last few people are piling into the lifts now. I know we don't have much time.

"Don't worry. I know what to do. I'll see you again. I promise." The same empty vow Nardole gave to Hazran. I try to leave the lift, but she pushes me back. "Alit, please don't. I need you with them.

"You don't. You're lying."
"Well, maybe I am. But if this goes wrong, I don't want you in danger."

"I'm not just leaving you!"

"If I survive, if my plan works, I'll come and find you. I swear."

"And if it doesn't?"

She just looks at me. A look that breaks my heart. Everyone's in the lift now, everyone but Gazron. They're controlled from upstairs, from Nardole's laptop. There's no time to get him to stop now, not without other people risking being left behind. My mind races to decide. I just stand there, paralyzed. Come on, Alit. I don't want to die. I don't want Gazron to die. But being with her, is that going to help? I always seem to end up hindering her.

If I go up there now, she could be dead in the blink of an eye. And if that happened, what would I do? Could I live up there? She's my best friend. But something else, something more…

There's a beeping sound, a last warning- There are murmurs of alarm behind me as people realise Gazron isn't getting in-

She suddenly looks so fragile, standing there alone. I've always seen her as someone permanent, robust, somebody who would survive anything. But given what she's up against, that confidence is suddenly washed away. Everything is clicking into place, becoming clear, too late. I have one choice. Die with her. Or live without her. My mind is numb, this can't be happening! The beeping is more insistent now-

It's the last moment we will ever have. Her last chance. And she says it, throat constricted, eyes brimming with panic. The sentence that decides the rest of my life.

"I love you."

I step through the lift's closing doors, and press my lips to hers.