Chapter 3

Thinking about the first moments that followed her awakening in the field, a lot had happened since then.

From the place where the doctor's traces had disappeared to the set of elevators was a short walk, she was returning to the point where ahe had awakened a few minutes before walking as fast as she could

She knew that the faster she could find the other the better. As much as the Doctor thought that getting to the Tardis was impossible, whatever Bill had done would have results and results mean the Doctor in his Tardis doing impossible things to arrange improbable situations.

She called the elevator using her sonic umbrella and waited. That certainly was not a very effective means of carrying her only device. Maybe it was time to choose a new designer, something more practical.

The elevator opened its doors to floor 502 without much delay. There everything seemed perfectly normal, like a totally parallel world or an alternate reality. There was no smoke, no bodies and no sign of destruction. There was only green grass, flowering trees, several of them loaded with fruits and plantations as far as her eyes could reach.

Nardole was there also, in the company of one of the children. It was clear to her that they were expecting someone, who was not her, definitely.

"What are you doing here Missy?" He looked beyond surprised rather annoyed by her presence. It was hard to be a persona non grata sometimes.

"Looking for you, perhaps?" Missy lifted her arms and made her hands visible. "I came in peace."

"I thought you had left with your younger self."

"He was too boring. I finished him, by the way." She shrugged. "The Doctor is not here yet?"

"No. Have you seen him?"

"Nop. But I saw some tracks that indicates Bill had saved him."

"Thank God." The cyborg sighed visibly relieved. "So now what?"

"Now we wait. He'll be back, I'm sure he will."

"Are you staying?"

"Of course I am! Take me to the house, I need to change out of this clothes, they are filthy!"

"What happened to you?" Nardole seemed to finally have looked at her, really looked at her since she arrieved.

"I think I've got boosted by his artron energy, so it healed me and got me a bit younger, but wasn't enough for a full regeneration."

"Hmm…"

"Odd, right?"

"Yeah!"

Mutual agreement on the strangeness of the situation created a link between two of the most diverse creatures in the universe, a Time Lady and a cyborg.

The hours turned into days, days into weeks, and soon two months had passed since they had settled down on that new floor.

Some people had managed to save themselves, but they were few, and their knowledge was limited to food cultivation. There were also the children, who, besides food, needed study, care and recreational activities.

While the Monadanians tried to organize themselves Missy and Nardole spent that period making plans. They could try to contact the Tardis. If the Doctor were there he would certainly answer them and they would have only to await his arrival, but the question of time was primordial.

There the time did not run so slowly as it did at the bottom of the ship, but still it was slow. If the Doctor took 10 hours to return, they would be trapped there for about five years, a prospect that not only did not encourage either of them but also made Missy distressed.

Getting trapped in her safe, comfortable and in peace with books to read, her piano and constant visits from the Doctor was one thing. Standing there playing babysitter for mondanians with a bald cyborg as company was completely different.

There was the possibility of an alternate plan, building a ship, getting everyone out, but it would not be fast either. In addition exploratory trips to other floors would be required to obtain parts and this could be dangerous.

After long hours of discussion, or rather, after Missy decided they were going to build a spacecraft and that's was it, the work began.

Within two weeks the project had already taken shape. Nardole soldered some pieces of hardware at the bottom of a shed, and Missy took care of the construction of the engine, something much more delicate and difficult. Sometimes the others would come and help them and the children would stretch out from outside to watch them with curiosity.

"There's something wrong..." Missy complained dropping her newly remodeled sonic screwdriver into a simple model, similar to the Doctor's. No parts could be wasted since the project had been started, not even with her equipment.

"What is it?"

"A 'tudum' sound. Something isn't working as it should."

Nardole was intrigued. He stopped what he was doing and approached her. The two leaned toward the engine and concentrated to try to identify the problem.

"I don't hear it."

"Pay atention, Egghead." Missy rolled her eyes and pointed the engine with her index finger.

Again the two fell silent and concentrated.

"Nop, nothing." Nardole watched her closely. They had been working hard over the last few days for long hours, and Missy had little time to rest. "Are you ok?"

"I'm not hearing things or getting nuts again, if that's what you are thinking."

"Maybe you should stop for today and rest."

"Pff!" With a dismissive sound Missy finished the conversation and returned to concentrate on her work.

The sound continued despite her attempts at repairs. Feeling frustrated, she put the screwdriver on the counter and rested her elbows on it, resting her head on her hands. She needed to think, the answer was there, somewhere in her head.

While trying to identify which type of problem could cause that kind of sound was that she realized that the sound did not come from the engine, that why Nardole did not hear. Her hands suddenly turned cold and she swallowed hard at her realization.

"I'm pregnant."