"So you're Mr. Universe," said Clara.
A moment ago she'd entered the dark, sparsely furnished room, with its bare metal walls and a round, raised seating area built into the middle, in which sat… a mannequin.
Well, that's different, Clara thought.
With his back to her, Mr. Universe had been oblivious to Clara's presence, his head darting from side to side and up and down as he absorbed the content displayed on the myriad screens before him. Upon her speaking, Mr. Universe fairly flew out of his chair, turned, and stared wide-eyed at Clara. His mouth opened, but only strangled gurgling noises came out.
"Not a bit ostentatious that name, is it?" Clara continued.
"No," he said finally.
"No it isn't?" said Clara.
"No. No, you're not here," he said, clutching his hair. "You can't be here. No one comes here without my knowing."
"Oh, hello there," said the Doctor as he sauntered in. Clapping his hands together, he said, "You know, I've always wanted to meet someone called Mr. Universe, and here we are. What a splendid occasion."
"Isn't it?" agreed Clara.
"It is indeed," said the Doctor with a big smile.
Mr. Universe blinked, then sank back into his chair.
"Apparently we're not here," Clara told the Doctor.
The Doctor spun around on the spot, then patted his chest. "No, I think we're definitely here."
"I'm Clara by the way, and this is the Doctor."
Glancing at her and then the Doctor, Mr. Universe whispered, "I see everything. Everything. Every ship emits a signal and I detect every signal."
"Ah, yes, well you've never encountered a ship like mine," said the Doctor. "But never mind that. Listen to what I'm about to say very carefully. You're going to have some visitors before long, the crew of Serenity."
With a smile, Mr. Universe said, "Mal and company, they're coming here? I knew Zoe couldn't keep away from me. But Lenore will always be my true love."
And with that, Mr. Universe touched a button on a remote control and the mannequin waved.
Clara made a face and looked at the Doctor.
"Right, well, be that as it may," said the Doctor, "they're going to want to use your facilities to transmit something very important. Now, what would you say if I told you I could double the bandwidth of your transmitters, allowing you to transmit more information farther and faster than you can now."
Mr. Universe smiled. "Then I'd say you're kwong-juh duh. Nobody in the 'verse can match what I've got here. I hear everything, I go everywhere."
"Except us," said Clara. "You didn't hear us coming, did you?"
"No," agreed Mr. Universe. "No I didn't but still…"
The Doctor interrupted. "You're familiar with your computer's clock speed?"
"Of course," said Mr. Universe.
The Doctor withdrew his sonic and applied it in the direction of his console. "Right. Why don't you double check it, then?"
Raising an eyebrow, Mr. Universe turned to his displays and typed some commands. Then he pushed his chair back, turned, and gaped at the Doctor.
"Well?" said the Doctor.
"The clock speed. It's 50% higher than before. But that's impossible."
"Ah. Well, impossible is a strong word. Highly improbable. Much better. So, will you let me modify your transmitters? There's a great deal at stake and little time to spare."
Mr. Universe looked closely at the Doctor's face. "You want me to trust you. The problem is, I don't trust anyone. Everyone has secrets. Do you, Doctor?"
The Doctor's smile faded and he regarded Mr. Universe with a slight frown. "A great many secrets. I've lived a very long time, much longer than anyone of your species. Of course I have secrets.
"Anyone of your… species?" After a pause, Mr. Universe continued. "You're not trying to tell me that you're an…"
"Alien! Yes, yes I am. From the planet Gallifrey in another universe."
Mr. Universe raised an eyebrow.
"Two hearts," said the Doctor, pointing to his chest. Then he withdrew a stethoscope from his inside jacket pocket. "Listen for yourself."
After standing and taking the stethoscope, Mr. Universe first listened to his own heart. Satisfied, he then placed the chest piece on the Doctor's chest. After moving it left to right and back again, his eyes widened.
"Two hearts," he said. "You have two hearts."
The Doctor nodded, but said nothing.
"You must tell me," said Mr. Universe.
"Tell you what?" said the Doctor.
"Everything. About your ship, your planet, your people. Your universe."
The Doctor smiled. "I will. I promise. After we've completed the modifications to your transmitters."
Mr. Universe sat again. He looked like he was holding his breath and was about to burst. He turned his chair to and fro, looked at the Doctor again, then finally exhaled and let his head droop. "Okay," he said. "I'll let you upgrade my transmitters providing you keep your promise."
"Deal!" said the Doctor.
Picking up a data pad, Mr. Universe handed it to the Doctor along with the stethoscope. "This will point you to the transmitter equipment installations."
"Excellent," the Doctor said. "Clara, I'll need your help with this."
And with that, the Doctor and Clara left, leaving Mr. Universe to ponder the mysteries of his unexpected guests.
A moment later the comm panel lit up. With a smile, he looked to Lenore and said, "Must be Mal."
"I think," the Doctor told Clara as they headed to the nearest installation, "that once this is done we can return to our universe. With the truth about Miranda spread throughout the system, those who supported this terrible experiment will find themselves suddenly out of favour. Or worse."
"I suppose," said Clara. "But I'd like to see this through, nonetheless. If nothing else, I'd like to see the look on their faces."
"Fair enough," said the Doctor.
The upgrades took longer than Clara expected. The transmitting equipment was distributed throughout the extensive facility, and at each location tuning was required. Some time later, after the modifications were complete, the Doctor returned to the TARDIS while Clara went to inform Mr. Universe.
She stopped as soon as she entered the room. The equipment was all smashed up, and Mr. Universe lay slumped in his chair.
"Oh no," she said and darted forward to help.
Turning the chair, she saw that he was still breathing, but bleeding badly. While she was looking for something to stanch the wound, Mr. Universe opened his eyes a hair's breadth and said, "You're real."
"Yes, of course I'm real. Now just sit there and shut up, I'm going to help. You're going to be fine."
After coughing and wiping blood from his mouth, he whispered, "No I'm not. But listen. They've set a trap for Mal. Called in every Alliance ship in the vicinity. It's going to be a bloodbath. You have to help him."
"We will," Clara said, tears in her eyes. "I promise."
Nodding, Mr. Universe said, "First, I need to you help me. I have to leave a message for Mal, in case he survives. Help me get over to Lenore."
"I'm not sure it's a good idea to move you," Clara said.
"I'm done for anyway. At least let it mean something."
Clara considered this, then nodded and helped Mr. Universe to his feet and supported him as they shuffled the short distance to the mannequin.
"Thank you," said Mr. Universe. "Now go. Go help Mal."
Clara didn't know what to say except, "Good luck."
Mr. Universe nodded, and Clara turned and ran out of the room and down the corridor, towards the large supply room where the TARDIS had landed.
"Lenore," said Mr. Universe. "Initiate recording mode. Playback on motion detection. Confirm."
"Confirmed," said Lenore, unblinking.
"Begin recording. Mal. Guy killed me Mal. He killed me with a sword. How weird is that?"
"Doctor!" said Clara as she ran into the TARDIS, her face pale and her expression distraught.
The Doctor, who'd been working at the console, turned towards her. "What?" he said darkly. "What's happened?"
"They've been here. The Alliance. Mr. Universe is dead, or as good as."
The Doctor's face grew even darker. "Another death, and with all the untold number of dead we've already encountered. This has to stop."
"He said they've called in ships. They're lying in wait for Serenity."
Moving to his console display, the Doctor typed some commands and regarded the fleet of Alliance ships orbiting the planet.
"There," he said to Clara as he pointed to one of the ships. "That will be the command ship. And that's where we're going."
The Doctor gave the dematerialization lever a hard yank, and the TARDIS left Mr. Universe's installation.
"What's the plan then?" asked Clara.
"Same as usual," said the Doctor.
"Ah, right," said Clara. "Make it up as we go." Then she smiled and added, "Fair enough."
The time rotor stopped as the dematerialization sounds faded, and the Doctor looked at their surroundings on the screen. "All quiet," he said. "Let's go."
Exiting the TARDIS, the Doctor and Clara found themselves in small room whose walls were alight with instruments and displays.
"Excellent," said the Doctor. "This will be the hub of the ship's major systems. And this display here," he said as he walked a few steps, "should tell us where there weapon control systems are located."
He poked the blank display to awaken it then tapped at some symbols on the console below. A map appeared, a schematic for the ship, with two areas highlighted.
"Here we are," said the Doctor, pointing to a small square on the display. "And there's where we want to be. To the left, second right, and third door to the left."
Opening the door a crack, the Doctor looked and pronounced that the coast was clear.
Gliding down the hallway, they paused at the first junction to look around the corner. All quiet. However, as they proceeded towards the second junction, they heard footsteps approaching. Without hesitation they returned to the first junction, rounded the corner, and pressed themselves against the wall.
Two people, heavily armed and dressed in dark clothing with helmets and body armour, were discussing something rather passionately, waving their free hands about, and didn't notice the two intruders. When it was clear, the Doctor and Clara emerged and continued to the second junction. Peeking around the corner, the Doctor saw two guards, dressed similarly to the two that had just passed them, standing outside the third door to the left, their destination.
"Right. It's guarded," he told Clara as he withdrew the psychic paper. "We'll just have to tell them we aren't the intruders they're looking for."
Straightening his bow tie, the Doctor rounded the corner and strutted down the hall as if the ship was his personal property.
"This area is restricted," said one of the guards as they both raised their weapons.
"And this is my clearance," the Doctor said, holding the psychic paper for them to see.
The guard that had spoken nodded to the other and they stepped aside, allowing them entry.
Without a word, the Doctor opened the door and he and Clara entered. Much to their surprise, they found someone in there already, a man, and he was tapping at a control panel in front of him. He nodded his head at the results of his work, then, with a neutral expression, regarded the Doctor and Clara. He seemed no more interested in them than if they were shopping mall art mounted on the wall.
The man's age was hard to pin down, neither old nor young. But he was muscular, square-jawed, blue-eyed and, thought Clara, his face was far from unpleasant.
"Might I ask," began the Doctor.
But before he could finish, the man tapped his sleeve and he disappeared.
The Doctor's eyes widened, then he took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the area where the man had been. "Gotcha," he said.
"Where did he go?" said Clara.
"He was wearing a vortex manipulator. He's a time traveller. And I've locked onto his destination. But let's have a look at what he's been up to."
As the Doctor read the console displays, he shook his head. "He's disabled many of the fleet's weapons, and he's placed safeguards preventing anyone from undoing his sabotage. Most of the fleet's weapons will be useless in any firefight. And from what I've learned about Captain Reynolds, that will give him all the advantage he needs. In short, our time traveling friend has done our work for us."
"I wonder why?" said Clara. "Could he be from the resistance, in the future, come back to weaken the Alliance?"
"I'm not sure," said the Doctor. "Maybe. Or maybe it's something more sinister than that. But I think it would be be best to put the question to him."
"Welcome to Beaumonde" in large, blinking letters, was the first thing Clara saw as she exited the TARDIS. Beside her, the Doctor laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"This doesn't happen very often," said the Doctor. "We've actually arrived at an entry port."
Clara nodded. It was early evening, but in the bright lights of tall lamps scattered here and there, she saw that they were surrounded by ships of all sizes and shapes. Some had settled onto the ground while others were held aloft by docking clamps. There was a flurry of activity and noises as cargo was unloaded from some ships, loaded onto others, and in front of still others, there was some very serious haggling going on.
A man wearing a blue uniform and hat approached them.
"Right," said the man. "You've made an unscheduled landing. Having trouble with your… box?" he said as he finally looked up from his clipboard to the blue police box in front of him.
"Yes, that's right," said the Doctor. "Emergency landing. We need to get some replacement parts then we'll be on our way."
The man nodded and took a pen from this pocket. "Name of your… transportation?"
"Ah. That would be TARDIS. T-A-R-D-I-S. Best ship in the universe. Um, 'verse."
"And your name?" said the man without looking up from the clipboard as he filled in the form. Captain…?"
"Doctor, actually."
"Full name."
"Doctor John Smith," said the Doctor.
"Uh hum," acknowledged the man. He continued scribbling, then put away his pen and spoke a few words into a comm device on his shoulder. A dull metal clamping system descended, pressing a curved arm against each face of the TARDIS.
Tearing off the top page of the paperwork and handing it to the Doctor, the man said, "This is gate 14. Your vessel will be impounded here until payment is received. Since your arrival was unscheduled, payment will be twice the standard docking fee. Payment by credit transfer only. Do you have any questions?"
"None whatsoever," said the Doctor. "Thank you for your assistance."
The man nodded absently, then sauntered towards the next dock.
"Well," said Clara, "thank goodness we don't have to go through this every time we land."
"Indeed," said the Doctor. "Now then, we're a bit early, but it's a good idea to get the lay of the land before our friend shows up."
"Makes sense," said Clara. "Shall we look around for a bit?"
"Yes," said the Doctor. "Lets."
As they entered the exit corridor, an attendant asked for their paperwork. The woman looked at it up and down, hummed and hawed, gave Clara and the Doctor an unpleasant look, then finally stamped the paperwork and sent them on their way.
"So we're in the future now, yeah?" said Clara.
The Doctor nodded. "But just a matter of months." said the Doctor.
Clara considered this. "So, not enough time for them to have invented time travel."
"Anything's possible of course," said the Doctor, "but not really, no. I should think our friend comes from further in the future than this.
After clearing the narrow walkway from the port, Clara and the Doctor stopped to look about them.
"This is like something out of Blade Runner," said Clara.
The Doctor nodded. "Classic film. Man creates androids. Man is afraid of androids. Man kills androids. How sadly typical."
The streets ahead of them were crowded, packed with buildings large and small, with throngs of people coming and going. Some buildings were constructed in the style of Chinese pagodas, others were straightforward skyscrapers, and still others were a hybrid. Overhead power lines mixed with Chinese lanterns were strung over some of the streets. Signs were garish, brightly lit, and mostly in Mandarin.
"It smells, well, interesting," said Clara as she processed the odour of animals, fish, and unwashed bodies, all intermingled with the smells of spices that she couldn't place.
"Let's try this way," said the Doctor, and they moved slowly along one of the streets, shouldering their way through the crowd.
"Oh look," said Clara. "A book shop. I must check this out."
"Fine," said the Doctor, "I'll walk ahead. Don't get into trouble."
"You're a fine one to talk," said Clara with a wink, and she disappeared into the shop.
The Doctor hadn't gone a few steps, however, before trouble found him.
There was a moment of high-pitched feedback, then a voice on a PA system announced: "Would the doctor who arrived at gate 14 please return to security."
"What?" said the Doctor. "That shouldn't have happened."
The perception filter cast by the TARDIS should have prevented this. The workers at the docks should have forgotten that it was even there.
Should he tell Clara? The Doctor decided against it. He could likely go back, see what the issue was, and return before she noticed he was gone. He could ignore the call, but it wouldn't do to have security people searching for him. He wanted to get the lay of the land quietly.
With a frown on his face, the Doctor started to march back the way he'd come. And then he stopped.
This man. This was Captain Reynolds, brown coat and all. This he knew from his contact with River. And his companion was Zoe. But… there was something odd about him.
Jutting his face inches from the man's, he repeated, "It shouldn't have happened!"
"Right," said the man, backing up slightly. "It shouldn't have happened."
With a "humph", the Doctor continued on his way, then pulled out his sonic, turned, and scanned the man while his back was turned. Eyes widening with surprise, the Doctor saw that this man, whether Captain Reynolds or no, had recently travelled through time. How many time travellers was he dealing with? And what were they up to? Just as well that he'd placed a tracker on him while he was up close.
In the book shop, Clara was surprised at how many volumes were on display. She'd assumed that, in the future, books would be largely electronic. Not here.
The storefront was narrow, but the shop extended back a considerable distance. It was hard to tell just how far back because, well, the place was a mess. Bigger on the inside, Clara thought with a smile. Books were arranged haphazardly, without much in the way of any obvious attempts to organize them. And aside from those books that were shelved, piles of books had been set on the floor here and there, some nearly as tall as Clara herself. Her first impression was that she'd entered a labyrinth. A labyrinth of books. It was dark, musty-smelling, and it was perfect.
Picking up and opening a selection of the books, she saw that some were entirely in English, some in Mandarin, and some in a combination of both. Thanks to the TARDIS, she was able to read them all.
She hadn't made it very far when she started and said, "I don't believe it!" Then she clasped a hand to her mouth, not having intended to speak so loudly.
"Can't believe what?" asked a man who'd appeared beside her.
Clara turned. It was Mr. Brown Coat, or Captain Reynolds as the Doctor referred to him. Now what was he doing here? Coincidence? I think not.
"They have a copy of A Tale of Two Cities," said Clara. "After all this time, people are still reading Dickens."
The man's eyes widened. "Sweet!" he said, picking up the book and leafing through it.
"You know," he added with a wink, "I hear that people are still reading Richard Castle."
"Sorry," said Clara. "Who?"
The man coloured slightly. "Never mind," he said hefting the Dickens book. "This will be perfect."
"Perfect for what?" asked Clara.
The man swallowed, then stared over Clara's shoulder and said, "What's that?"
Clara turned but could see nothing but more books. "What's what?" she said. But as she turned back, she saw that the man was gone and the door to the shop was closing. Looking back at the shelf in front of her, she noted that the book was gone too.
"That cheeky rascal," said Clara. "He's just nicked that book."
Sometime later, Clara's mobile rang. Another patron standing a few feet to her right glared. With a shrug and a smile, Clara answered. "Hello. Doctor?" she whispered.
"Clara. I'm back in the TARDIS. Still in the book shop?"
"Yes. What are you doing back there?" said Clara.
"I'll tell you when you get back. No rush."
Clara was intrigued and left the shop. When she entered the docks, a group of workers whistled at her.
"Going to join your doctor friend? Have a bit of fun in the box?" said one, setting the group off to snickering.
"Come see us when you're done, will you?" said another. This was followed by loud guffaws.
Clara glared at them, raising an eyebrow, and continued on her way. Stepping into the TARDIS, she said, "So?"
The Doctor sighed. "Remind me never to land at an entry port. The perception filter doesn't seem as effective. At any rate, I was summoned back here, and it turns out the only reason was so the dock workers could make fun of my TARDIS. And us."
Patting the console, the Doctor said, "There there old girl. You're better than they could possibly know."
"Yes, I ran into some of them on the way here. They seem to be having fun contemplating what we're doing in here."
"Ah. I see," said the Doctor, colouring slightly. "Well, there's no accounting for some people. Now, on to more important matters. I encountered our friend, Captain Reynolds. At least, I think it was him."
"I saw him too," said Clara. "He came into the book shop while I was there. Nicked a book in the process."
"Did he now," said the Doctor. "The thing is, he's a time traveller as well."
"What?" said Clara. "Him too? How? And what could he be up to?"
"I've no idea," said the Doctor. "But I planted a tracker on him. It's only a few hours before our other time travelling friend appears, so I thought we could just keep an eye on Captain Reynolds until then."
With his eye on the view screen, the Doctor said, "He appears to be heading to the outskirts of the city. I can keep watch if you'd like to get some rest."
"Okay," said Clara. "I'll be in the library. I've a mind to pick up a copy of A Tale of Two Cities."
"Ah yes. Dickens. Splendid chap. Handy in a tight spot."
"You've met him," said Clara. "Charles Dickens. Of course you have."
After a time spent in the city's outskirts, Reynolds returned to the city and into the docks not far from the TARDIS. "Serenity must be parked here, of course," said the Doctor.
Hours passed. The next day arrived with Serenity still in the docks. "What are you up to?" said the Doctor.
Still more hours later, the Doctor saw that Reynolds was on the move again. Apparently on foot. And…
Clara had returned to the control room just an hour before. Turning to her, the Doctor grinned and said. "I think we can kill two birds with one stone. Captain Reynolds appears to be heading for precisely the time and place at which the saboteur will appear."
The Doctor pulled the dematerialization switch, and the TARDIS took its leave of Beaumonde's dockyard. Outside, the workers who had harassed the Doctor and Clara heard a strange sound then looked, slack-jawed, just in time to see the TARDIS disappear.
"He didn't even pay the fee," said one.
Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor darted around the console, turning dials and pressing buttons "Now, this will be tricky," he said. "I want to be a fly on the wall when they meet. That means putting the engines on silent and putting the outer shell on invisible. And that takes a lot of energy."
"The TARDIS can be invisible?" said Clara.
"I don't do it very often, but we're going to do it today."
And then, silently, the central column came to rest. Activating the view screen, the Doctor and Clara saw that they were inside a normal looking home. Seated on a sofa, looking towards the front door, sat their saboteur.
"This should be interesting," said the Doctor. "I only wish I had popcorn."
"This is a TARDIS," said Clara. "You can have popcorn any time you like."
The Doctor shook his head sadly. "The TARDIS doesn't do popcorn. Why do you think I visit Earth so frequently?"
Clara gave him a gentle elbow as they both watched the screen.
In a couple of minutes, Captain Reynolds came in, followed by… Captain Reynolds.
"There's two of them?" said Clara.
The Doctor scratched his head. "Apparently. I'll assume that the one with the coat is Reynolds. But who's his twin?"
With the flick of a switch, they were able to listen to the conversation.
"Captain Reynolds," said the saboteur. "Thank you for joining me. And I see you've brought your brother. Excellent."
"This may be difficult for the Alliance to understand," said Reynolds, "but most folk don't appreciate being played like puppets."
The man smiled. "I see you've inferred I'm with the Alliance. But there's something perhaps you don't know."
"Actually, I do," Reynolds interrupted. "You're an operative from the future, a few years shy of fifty."
The operative's face showed some surprise before his features resumed their expression of relaxed condescension.
Clara noticed the Doctor typing some commands into the console. He smiled and pointed at the screen. Now, the operative and Reynold's brother were surrounded by a faint halo of golden dust. Clara shot him a querying look, but he just put his lips to his fingers. With a sigh, she turned her attention back to the screen.
"I see," said the operative. "Then you've met me before, at some time in my future."
"And I'm hopin' this is the last time," said Reynolds. "Find someone else to do your dirty work next time."
"That, I'm afraid, I cannot promise. Both of your skillsets are quite unique, and very valuable, as I'm sure you were told on our first meeting. In my time, we face a great challenge, one so great that humanity cannot afford to be divided. To that end, we've seeded the timeline with promising clones, including you and your brother, to avoid certain events, and promote the likelihood of others."
"Just a minute," said Reynolds brother. "Mal told me that story when we first met. But since then I've found my biological father. I can't be Mal's clone."
The operative smiled. "And yet, you have identical DNA, do you not?"
Reynolds looked at his brother, who nodded. "Simon confirmed it."
"Interesting," said the operative.
"So how do Beckett and I get home?" the brother asked. "Click our heels three times and say, 'There's no place like home'?"
"I'm unfamiliar with that reference," the operative said, pressing his fingers against his sleeve, "but I believe that the end of many things is often found at the beginning."
The operative vanished.
"Qing wa kao de liu mang!" said Reynolds.
"Wait a minute," said the brother. "I think I know what he meant."
And with that, the two men left.
Turning to the Doctor, Clara said, "So Reynold's brother is a time traveller."
"It seems so," said the Doctor. "But not necessarily of his own volition. And now we have confirmation that the Alliance is meddling with the timeline. Reynolds and his brother are clones that they've placed in their respective time streams, but to what end? And what else have they been up to? We still need answers. Why don't we follow this operative and put the question to him, once and for all?"
Once again, the Doctor manipulated the console controls and the TARDIS entered the time vortex, on route to the operative's destination.
When the Doctor and Clara emerged from the TARDIS, they found themselves in a large office. One wall was made up entirely of a single window pane that looked out over the city below. There was little furniture, just a table, a couple of chairs, and a wall with large displays showing videos of people and places. Everything was white, the floor, ceiling, and walls. And standing a few feet away from them, with a look of mild curiosity on his face, was the operative.
"I've seen you before," he said. "Yes. You were on the flagship that was waiting for Captain Reynolds. Interesting."
"Just what do you think you're playing at?" the Doctor said, approaching the operative and standing very close to him. "Meddling with the timeline. Do you have any idea of the damage you could cause?"
The operative didn't answer immediately. His face gave away nothing as he processed what the Doctor said.
"You seem to know something of me," said the operative. "Tell me about yourselves."
"I'm the Doctor. This is Clara. I'm a Time Lord, a race that was ancient while yours was still swinging about in trees. We were summoned when we heard a psychic cry. A cry strong enough to cross universes. Do you know what it said?"
Another pause, then the operative said, "Was it by any chance, 'Miranda'?"
The Doctor backed up slightly, and the operative nodded. "Yes. The River Tam girl. This is unexpected, even for her."
The Doctor looked at him closely. "You were behind it weren't you? Miranda."
The operative backed up towards the desk. But before he could reach it, the Doctor said, "Don't bother calling for help. My TARDIS has surrounded Clara and me with force fields. You can't touch us."
Stepping forward again, the operative pressed one finger in the Doctor's direction, only to find it blocked before he could make contact.
"You might as well tell us," said the Doctor. "If you don't, we have other ways of finding out, and things will be even worse for you."
"I believe you," the operative said, finally. "Well this is interesting. Extremely so." Looking in turn at the Doctor, Clara, and then the TARDIS, he finally said, "Yes. I set Miranda into motion."
"I thought so," said the Doctor. "The governor believed that I was an operative of the Parliament, yet refused a direct order to cease the experiment. She said she answered to an even higher authority. 'For the sake of the Alliance and its future,' she said. It must have been you."
"We face significant challenges in this time," said the operative, walking to the window. As he gazed out over the city, he continued. "Challenges that require humanity to be united. Miranda was an attempt to achieve that, and the G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate showed great promise. The ultimate outcome was… unfortunate."
"Unfortunate?" said Clara. "Is that what you call it?" "Thirty million dead. Monsters who wage war on and cannibalize other human beings. And all of that is unfortunate?"
The operative turned to face Clara and shrugged slightly. "It's done. It cannot be undone."
The Doctor's face was darkening. "There are no alien monsters in this universe, no Daleks, no Cybermen, but there's no need for them. You and your allies are more than monster enough."
Stepping towards the operative again, the Doctor said, "What is this crisis that justifies all the deaths, the meddling with the timeline, all the risks you've taken, risks you can't possibly understand?"
The operative didn't budge and maintained his air of measured aloofness. "Earth-That-Was became uninhabitable. Ships were sent to colonize another system where our existence could continue."
"We know all this," said Clara.
"What you may not be aware of," the operative continued smoothly, "is that more than one system was colonized. So as not to lay all of humanity's eggs in one basket, so to speak. The other system has, unfortunately, collapsed. It wasn't sufficiently amenable to available terraforming technology. As a result, they wish to come and settle in this system. Naturally, we've refused."
"You've what?" said the Doctor.
"The Alliance has control of the core worlds and at best a tenuous hold on the outer rim. If these intruders were to upset the delicate balance that exists, chaos would ensue."
"I think what you mean," said Clara, "is that you'd have to share power with them. And that's not to your liking. Not one bit."
Again, the operative gave a slight shrug. "Label our motives how you please. The fact is that they constitute a grave threat, and the only way to meet that threat is with a unified system."
The Doctor was speechless for a moment. He blinked and then he said, "So. To summarize. Thirty million dead. Likely many more besides. An altered timeline and possible damage to the space-time continuum. And all this so that you can retain power?"
The operative's face remained impassive.
"Right. Well all of that is over. Time travel takes a tremendous amount of energy. So the first thing we're going to do is destroy your power generators. By the time you're able to bring them back online it will be too late."
The Doctor beckoned Clara and they entered the TARDIS.
"What do you mean, 'too late'?" the operative called after them. But by then the TARDIS was dematerializing and the operative was left alone.
As Serenity glided through the black on route to Persephone, Jayne was sorting crates in the cargo bay, getting their latest cargo ready for delivery. This job would pay plenty. Assumin' Badger kept to his word. Likely he wouldn't. At least, not without some persuadin'. Jayne smiled. Persuadin' folk was one of the things 'bout this job he liked best.
As he ran through the checklist on his clipboard, Jayne became aware of a sound, one he hadn't heard before. He looked about for its source, then saw, or thought he saw, a blue shape solidifying in the middle of the bay.
Jayne blinked. Then he blinked again. And then he called out, "Mal! Maalll! Git down here. We got company!" He dashed to the side of the bay and picked up his rifle. Jayne never went far without weapons, not even on board Serenity.
With his rifle pointed at the blue box, Jayne muttered, "What kind of gorram ruttin' trick is this?"
His arm trembled slightly and he cursed. He was almost never afraid, but truth be told, the hairs on the back of his neck were standin' up as sure as omelets is eggs. Then he nearly jumped when he felt a hand on his arm.
It was River.
"What you playin' at, girl? Want to get shot by mistake?"
With a gentle smile River said, "You don't need this. They're friends."
"My ass they're friends," said Jayne. "No one can do this, 'xcept maybe the Alliance. Nobody just appears out of thin air."
River stepped in front of Jayne and gently pushed the rifle downwards. "They're friends," she repeated.
By this time, the rest of the crew had joined them and were sharing anxious glances. Mal had practically flown down the ladder, his pistol drawn. Zoe likewise. They holstered their pistols, however, as River moved between them and the TARDIS doors.
"River!" said Simon as he lurched towards her. Zoe held him back. "What are you doing?"
"I know them," said River. "We've met before. The madman in a box."
"Well that's just great," said Jayne.
The Doctor and Clara emerged. "Ah. River!" said the Doctor with a big smile. "Good to see you again." Looking at the rest of the crew, he added, "Hello everyone. I'm the Doctor and this is Clara."
"Want to tell me what you're doin' on my boat, and how you got here?" said Mal.
"They come out of nowhere," said Jayne. "Right out of thin air. Saw it with my own eyes."
"This is my ship, the TARDIS," said the Doctor. "She can travel anywhere in time and space."
Looking at Mal, the Doctor nodded. "I know that you're familiar with time travel, Captain. Your brother recently traveled through time to join you."
"How do you know that?" asked Mal.
"We were there," said Clara. "We were on Lilac when the Reavers attacked. We were on Miranda. We tried to stop it, but couldn't. We met River after you viewed the message left by Chief Scientist Cumeau. We met Mr. Universe and upgraded his transmitters so you could better get your message out. We were there, though you couldn't see us, when you and your brother met the operative from the future."
"River?" said Mal, casting her a puzzled look.
She nodded. "They're telling the truth," said River.
"You're from the future yourselves, I reckon," said Mal, running his hand through his hair. "Would explain how it is you can travel in time. In… that"
The Doctor and Clara exchanged a glance. "No," said the Doctor. "No we're not. We're not even from this universe. We received a message." At this, the Doctor looked to River. "A message we couldn't ignore."
"A message," Simon repeated, also looking at River.
River nodded. "It was me. The moment we learned about the Reavers on Miranda. A message in a bottle, from deep inside myself. It washed up in their universe."
"This is a lot to take in," said the Doctor. "But now we have a message for you. A very important message."
"Go ahead. Speak your piece," said Mal.
"Right," said the Doctor. "First off, you don't have to worry about the future operative. You won't encounter him again. At least, not for another fifty years."
Mal stared at the Doctor, then a lopsided smile appeared on his face. Approaching the Doctor, he said, "Doctor, I do believe I want to shake your hand."
The Doctor and Mal shook hands vigorously. Then, as Mal backed away, the Doctor continued.
"This next bit is the big one. When humanity left Earth-That-Was, they came here, to this system. But there's more to the story than that."
"What do you mean?" asked Simon.
"What I mean is, another branch of humanity settled in a completely different system. In other words, you have cousins you didn't know about."
"That's not possible," said Zoe.
"I assure you it is," said the Doctor. "And I know this for a fact because we've met them."
"You've… met them?" said Mal.
"They've had to abandon their system. The terraforming didn't take. The worlds were too hostile. Fifty years in your future, they approached the Alliance to discuss merging their colonists with yours."
"Let me guess," said Zoe. "The Alliance refused."
"Correct!" said the Doctor. "This is why the future Alliance is so pointedly concerned about uniting your system, the better to fend them off. Clara and I paid a visit to representatives of the other system. We took the liberty of negotiating a deal with them."
"What kind of deal?" said Jayne.
"In fifty years, they'll come and settle on the outer rim planets in this system, bypassing the Alliance altogether," said the Doctor. "They'll bring with them technologies that are at least the equivalent of those available to the Alliance. They will enter into a peaceful partnership with existing colonies, and together you will change the balance of power. The Alliance will no longer be able to hold sway over you. You will be able to continue as you are, without interference. If you choose, and only if you choose, you can take advantage of the technologies the new colonists will offer. This in exchange for providing them with a new home. And, from what I've seen, there's plenty of room to go around."
This was met by stunned silence.
"Your job, Captain Reynolds," continued the Doctor with a smile, "is to give notice to the colonies and help them prepare. Do you think you can do that?"
Mal cast a glance at Zoe. Zoe nodded and said, "If what you say is true, how do we know they'll keep their word? That they're not just as bad as the Alliance."
"We spent some time with them," Clara said. "They were very transparent. They're nothing like the Alliance. And even if they were, they know the Doctor now, and know what he's capable of. And trust me, you don't want to make a Time Lord angry."
"A… Time Lord?" said Jayne. "Sounds like a pretty fancy name for a skinny-ass busybody what travels in a box wearin' a bow tie."
Clara chortled and the Doctor cast her a glance that reminded her of a hurt puppy dog. She smothered the rest of her laughter.
"Jayne…" Mal flashed Jayne a warning look. Jayne grimaced but said nothing further.
"Yes, well, the Time Lords are my people. They were my people. Long story," said the Doctor. "Still, if anything does go wrong River knows how to contact me. Isn't that right, River?"
River nodded. "We're part of each other now."
"And besides," said the Doctor, "I may just return in any case to check on things."
"I'm near speechless," said Mal.
"Thank goodness for small favours," said Inara.
Mal winked at her and turned back to the Doctor. "We'll tell people, and when the time comes, they'll be ready. You have my word."
"Excellent!" said the Doctor. "In that case, Clara Oswald, it's high time you and I headed home."
"Just one thing!" piped in Kaylee. "Just one thing before you go. Your ship. TARDIS? Can I have a gander at her engines?"
"Oh, now you've done it," said Clara. "If there's one thing the Doctor loves, it's to show off his TARDIS."
With a twinkle in his eye, the Doctor said, "you must be Kaylee. It would be my pleasure." He opened the doors and beckoned her in.
"You sure about this, Kaylee?" said Mal. Seems it'll be a might cramped in there."
"You'd be surprised," said Clara.
"Reckon I would at that," said Mal.
Just before the doors closed again, the rest of the crew heard Kaylee say, "Wuh duh ma huh tah duh fong kwong duh wai shung."
Clara smiled when she heard this, Holy mother of God and all her wacky nephews, and wondered if the Doctor had heard this one before.
"Fair's fair, Captain Reynolds," said Clara. "How about you show me around your ship."
Mal beamed. "Deal. Welcome to Serenity, best in the 'verse. Um, well, just for now, maybe second best. By the way, my friends call me Mal."
The crew of Serenity, having taken their leave of the Doctor and Clara, watched as the TARDIS dematerialized from the cargo bay.
Clearing his throat, Mal said, "Truly, this is a new beginning, one that nobody saw coming. Now it's on course, headed our way, and we need to get ready. We need to get everyone ready."
"Hate to break it to you, Mal," said Jayne, "but likely none of us'll be alive in fifty years. Well, 'xcept maybe River here. If there's some kind of new golden age comin', seems we'll never see it."
Mal and Zoe exchanged a glance, then he looked to Inara, whose large, liquid eyes spoke volumes.
"Perhaps," said Mal, holding Inara's gaze. "But the children out there and the children soon to come will see it, and that's good enough for me."
The End