Chapter Seven ~ London Seized (Part 2)
'Please, please stop crying.' Jack whispered in a sing-song voice, rocking two-year-old Michael in his arms cradle-style. 'You're okay. You're safe. There's no need to cry, so please stop crying.'
'Shh!' Martha hissed, standing nearby.
She moved closer to the small portable television she had propped up on a metal drum, straining to hear what was being reported. They were hiding out inside a run-down warehouse, which was several block away from what used to be the tall office building where the Doctor had been abducted from by the invaders.
'London has fallen.' AMNN news reporter Trinity Wells said in a gave voice. 'Any attempts to provide assistance have been met with disastrous results, since the strange force field appeared around England early this morning. It was likely caused by the enormous unidentified craft still hovering over the city of London. Is unknown in origin, and the British Government are unable to release a statement as to where it came from or why it's here. All we can do now is wait. To the people of London, if you're still out there, know that the rest of the world is with you in spirit. We advise you to stay strong-'
'There's not need to cry. Go to sleep. You're okay. Close your eyes.' Jack finished with relief when the sleepy child boy went restfully limp in his arms.
'What sort of lullaby is that, anyway?' Martha asked, switching off the television to reduce noise. She approached Jack, looking sadly at the blond boy and wished they had more news on the Doctor or a plan for what to do next.
'I tried all the songs I know, but he didn't like them and just cried more.' Jack shrugged. 'Anything?'
'No.' Martha frowned. 'There's some sort of force field around England. London is at the middle of it all. It's been over twelve hours since we've seen the Doctor, and the ship is quiet.'
'The streets aren't.' Jack sighed, listening to marched footsteps outside the warehouse. 'Those stalk-eyed things are everywhere.'
It had been a long night.
Jack and Martha were essentially on the run, hiding from the aliens who were beamed down from the ship shortly after the Doctor was taken aboard. The situation was tense enough without trying to keep Michael quiet to prevent being discovered where they hid in any empty building they could find. Martha and Michael had slept a little during the night, but Jack remained endlessly alert and on guard. He'd tried to come up with a plan, and in failing that he went over any piece of information he could find. Jack knew the only hope they had was to find the real crystal and pray it would be enough for the invaders.
The aliens, wearing black armour, patrolled the streets everywhere they went. The single stalk on their heads, with a red eyeball at the end, was evidentially not very good in the dark. Night had been easier, but now the sun was high in the sky and no one wanted to leave the safety of the warehouse.
Hearing a repetitive beeping, Jack reached into his pocket for the device he'd tried to use to locate any energy signals that could lead them to the crystal.
'Got it.' Jack breathed with relief. He narrowed his eyes at the screen while holding a sleeping toddler in his arms, shifting the weight when necessary. 'That's it. Has to be.'
'Where?' Martha leaned closer to get a better view.
'The other side of London.' Jack stated with dread.
'We can't take Michael.' Martha voiced what they'd both been thinking for the last few hours. 'He could get hurt, or worse.'
'He could give us away; slow us down.' Jack added, earning himself a glare from Martha.
They didn't like the truth that the little boy the Doctor had wholeheartedly entrusted to them was a source of inconvenience in the middle of an alien invasion, but he was. They needed stealth, and would possibly have to fight their way to the crystal – it simply wasn't the place for child to be.
'The Tardis is the other way.' Martha theorised their options. 'Does the Doctor know anyone around here? Did he say anything about Michael if this sort of thing happened? He never told me what to do.'
'Yes, actually!' Jack said, then winced at his own volume and checked the toddler was still asleep. 'There is someone, not far from here. I haven't met them in person, but they know me. The Doctor trusts them. But...' He glanced anxiously towards the streets behind a paint-peeling wall. The sound of alien boots crunching against the gravel ground were louder than before.
Their safety wasn't going to last much longer.
'Here.' Jack handed Martha his rectangular energy -tracking device. 'The Doctor told me to make sure Michael is safe, so I'm going to do exactly that. I have to. You don't have time to wait for me – every second we spend standing around puts the world in more danger, and probably the Doctor as well.'
Neither wanted to consider that something had already happened to the Doctor, but it made their motivation to keep Michael safe even more important.
Martha felt her knees were going to collapse under her when she realised what was going to happen. Jack had been full of information and courage – her only ally and asset against the invasion and in locating the crystal. Now it all rested on her. Jack explained he was going to drop Michael off then meet her there, but Martha knew it was still a considerable amount of time she'd be on her own. She had no weapons, and very limited alien or fighting knowledge, though one glance at the sleeping boy in Jack's arms helped Martha bite back her fear.
She nodded, yet didn't dare speak in case her words came out shaky.
'You're the Doctor's companion.' Jack reminded her, gathering his bag from next to the television to drape over his back. 'That means you're brave, you're smart, and you've got what it takes the save worlds.'
'I'll do my best.' Martha said warily.
She was determined, and would indeed do everything she could, but in all her time with the Doctor - so far her assistance had been limited. More times than not she'd felt like a nanny rather than an assistant. There wasn't time to worry about that now. She had a job to do; lives depended on her – not just the Doctor and Michael, but an entire planet. It was the most daunting thing she'd ever experienced. It was also empowering because she was able to do something. Martha sympathised with the people cowering in their homes, unable to even grasp the truth of what was going on let alone have the opportunity to do something about it. Martha did, and it was the most important thing – not her fear, or doubts, but the acceptance of her duty as a companion to the Doctor.
'Good luck.' Jack nodded, preparing to leave.
'You too.' Martha added, realising a long breath.
She watched him leave through a small side door near a stack of metal drums, before turning to head in the opposite direction. Slipping out a back door, cringing when the metal creaked from lack of use, Martha looked around anxiously for the aliens tramping through every street in London. Hearing footsteps closeby, she gasped and ducked around a corner. Pressing her back to the rusted wall, frozen in fear of being discovered, Martha tried to keep her breathing even.
The noise faded, and she exhaled with gratitude.
Carefully, checking the area was clear, she hurried across the space between the warehouse and a nearby building. Looking at the map radar displayed on the device Jack had given her, Martha suddenly realised how hard it was going to be to travel to the other side of London without being caught or having access to public transport – which had all come to a halt once the force field appeared.
'Pull it together, Martha.' She whispered to herself. 'They're all counting on you. You can do this. You have to do this. Okay.' Martha swallowed, and dashed into an alley.
She was worried about the Doctor, up there in the spaceship, and hoped Jack would be able to get Michael to safety. Clutching to the device that would lead her to the crystal, Martha forced herself to focus. She couldn't think about her friends right now. She couldn't even think about her own family, who she had no idea where they were or if they were safe. She had an entire planet to think about – her own people who needed her to be brave right now even when they couldn't. Martha had a job to do. She'd wanted to be a Doctor to help people, to heal them through painful times, and now she had the chance to do so much more.
Aliens or not, Martha wasn't going to let anything stop her from trying to save every person she could.
/\/\
High above in the morning sky over London was the spaceship, where the leader of the alien invaders remained staring through his window as though he hadn't moved all night. His fleshy hands were tucked behind his back, and he remained quiet.
There wasn't silence in the room, though, as the tenth Doctor muttered to himself as he tried to figure out where the power source of the ship had originated. The Tardis hadn't been able to land at the time Martha's mother had made the important phone call, which by his calculations was meant to occur by sundown later that afternoon. Ten believed he had until then to come up with a plan. Being held in the tight grip of an alien on either side of him was cramping his ability to do something clever on short notice.
'I miss my chair.' Ten frowned, looking to his right at the alien standing there.
They all looked the same, apart from the leader, with their black armour and eye stalks. The skin of their hands was a purple-grey colour and bumpy, which was how the entire leader looked apart from black armour-like shirt and pants he wore. The Doctor didn't recognise their race, and felt he should have. There was something very familiar about them, making him wonder if this particular group were wrong. They just didn't fit somehow, even if it was the least of his worries at the moment.
'Why are you doing this?' Ten tiredly attempted conversation with the mostly-silent leader. He too seemed familiar, though not just by species. The posture, the hands behind his back while he stared out of the office-like room, and even the occasional grunt seemed very familiar to the Doctor. Recently familiar, but he couldn't quite pinpoint when or where.
'They. They have stolen from us.' The leader growled. 'We. We have no mercy.'
'You came all this way to get back the Alakadivian crystal.' Ten continued, still baffled by the technical aspects of how things were supposed to fit together. 'You must have been tracking it, which in itself is impressive. It takes a tremendous power source to track something as ancient as that. Even the Tardis has trouble with it. So why don't you just locate it?'
'You. You do not need answers.' The leader stated, back still turned. 'You. You cannot stop it.'
'Eh, probably not.' Ten shrugged carelessly. 'But you've taken me hostage and done nothing. I've just been sitting here. Well, standing – since they took my chair away.' He narrowed his eyes at the alien on his right again, blaming it for taking his chair when he'd tried to get a closer look at a control panel.
The leader didn't answer.
The alien observed the city below, and the view wasn't as beautiful as it normally was. There was rubble instead of former buildings, and black puffs of smoke replacing cars in would-be busy streets. People had gone into hiding within their homes, if they had been so fortunate. The aliens patrolled every road and path, carrying threatening guns to shoot down anyone who dared to move. They allowed the people to huddle in their homes, but not everyone. The leader's reflection on the glass showed a slight smile, or what could be perceived as such, when an occasional flash of shooting was seen; a demonstration of yet another human life unnecessarily taken.
'What do you need me for?' Ten angrily tried not to notice the flashes of fading life.
He only hoped none of them were his friends. Though any life lost down there he felt was on his hands for not acting sooner or finding some way to save them.
'Unless...' He smirked slightly, fixing his brown eyes on the leader's form again. 'You're worried I can stop it. You don't want me down there because you'd rather keep an eye on me. You're worried I'll help them.'
'No.' The leader denied, his stalk eye twisted so the red eyeball could stare at the Doctor. 'No. You cannot stop it.'
Ten was frustrated.
He liked puzzles and intrigue, often chasing after them to fulfil his curiosity, but he hated not knowing something very important. He didn't have a plan because he didn't know what he was dealing with. He was missing crucial information, and after twelve hours of trying to get it he was running out of ideas to make someone talk. He didn't know why the Tardis couldn't land, though the cause was yet to happen, and the Doctor had no clue why the aliens couldn't just track their crystal and leave.
Slumping against the thick wall behind him, he glared at the alien on either side of him who prevented him from pacing or wandering off. Ten looked at the grey ceiling, then wandered his gaze around at nearby controls and large observation windows. They didn't reveal anything new. People were dying, the whole planet was at risk, and there the Doctor stood unable to help them.
He was powerless to do anything useful at all, and it had to change.
Ten had found enough reasons to keep glaring and observing the two aliens holding him firm to his designated spot, without them suspecting he was actually checking for weak points. Their eye stalks no longer turned to look at him when he did it, giving the Doctor more leeway to stare. The leader often looked at him through the window's reflection, but had done so less and less the more the Doctor complained. He hadn't struggled much, though the grip on his arms were very strong. The armour covering their entire bodies left everything to imagination, but the Doctor suspected their eye stalk (which was oddly left so vulnerable) was their only way of seeing. Or at least it was the most reliable way for them to see, and that was good news.
He still didn't have a plan, but sometimes life was more effective that way.
'Well, if you're not going to tell me I suppose I'll have to find out on my own.' Ten sighed dramatically.
He abruptly jerked both his arms together in front of him. The startled aliens lost their grip, and scrambled to grab him again. Ten was faster - pulling a small capsule from one of his pockets. He pulled the string, much like a grenade, and tossed it into the middle of the room. A hazy fog filled the air, giving him the cover he needed to dart from the room. Once outside, Ten was pleased of himself for his escape.
Looking up as red lights flashed and an alarm rang through the huge ship, he ducked for cover and did what he did best – the Doctor ran.
/\/\
Jack felt exposed, standing on a doorstep out in the open. He held Michael close, while the boy whined and squirmed. The surrounding area was clear for now, but it made Jack feel nervous not secure.
There were less aliens at this part of London and he wasn't entirely sure why.
Knocking on the door, it was soon opened by an almost-familiar woman. He exhaled with relief, and immediately noticed her apparent lack of surprise.
'Sarah Jane Smith?' Jack asked.
'Yes.' She nodded, her attention dropping to the two-year-old boy wriggling in his protective hold. 'Is that him - is that Michael?'
'How do you know about him?' Jack questioned suspiciously.
'She said you'd come.' Sarah Jane said, looking around nervously. 'Come inside. You don't want them catching you out there.'
He followed her into the house, and didn't waste time taking in its appearance He'd wanted to meet her in person, though never had the chance, even when they'd worked together often via his job at Torchwood. He knew Sarah Jane was a previous companion of the Doctor, and was once told if anything should happen then she was the one to trust with Michael.
'Who? Martha?' Jack frowned. 'How?'
'I don't know that name.' Sarah Jane said. 'It could be her name. She never said who she was, just that she knew the Doctor.'
'What did she look like?' Jack didn't want to hand Michael over until he was sure it was the right thing to do, and that the Doctor would approve. 'When did you meet her?'
'Three weeks ago.' Sarah Jane readily replied. 'She just showed up at my door, much like you just did. She told me something was going to happen today. I got my family out; sent them on a holiday and insisted I needed to stay for work. I stayed because the Doctor would need me to look after his son.'
'Three weeks ago?' Jack's wariness increased. The completely alien crystal hadn't even been found three weeks ago. If someone had known it was going to happen, and knew the Doctor, wouldn't she have contacted him if she could?
Wouldn't she have at least tried to warn people?
'Hello.' Sarah Jane offered a friendly smile to Michael, who turned around in Jack's arms to look at her curiously.
'Hi.' Michael replied, then shyly hid his face against Jack's shirt.
'Did she tell you anything else?' Jack wanted to know, remembering Martha had mentioned seeing a woman on Planet Galyen. She'd told him so briefly just the other day; it seemed like nothing, until now. 'Was she human? Brunette?'
'No.' Sarah Jane shook her head. 'Well, human, probably. She had light hair, all sort of everywhere – curly. I never knew her name. She just told me the date this was all going to happen, and that I was the only person who could look after Michael until the Doctor returned. Where is he? Is he alright?'
'I don't know.' Jack said honestly. 'He's up there – in the spaceship.'
'Oh.' Sarah Jane wasn't sure if that was good or bad, though she had confidence in the Doctor. 'Well, anyway, I know you have to find something. The woman convinced me I could keep Michael safe. You have somewhere else to be right now - I wish I could be out there too, helping, but keeping this little one safe...' She offered Michael another smile.
'She didn't happen to tell you something we could use, did she?' Jack asked hopefully, yet doubtfully, as he handed Michael over to her.
'Uncle Jack!' The boy whined, and reached for him. The boy squirmed in Sarah Jane's hold, but didn't fight to escape. He watched her talk to Jack, and decided to stay where he was.
'If she knew this was going to happen, she must know how to stop it.' Jack continued. 'I need to find a crystal – that's what they want. It's the only way to stop the attacks.'
'I'm sorry.' Sarah Jane said sadly. 'I wish I could help, but she insisted. She came, told me something I can't ever repeat, and left. When I asked for more information, she just one word: "Spoilers"; that's it. I promised I would keep the boy safe, and I swear I will.'
'There goes my wishful thinking.' Jack muttered. 'And I really do have to go. Just keep him safe, okay?' He brushed some spiky blond hair from Michael's forehead, not wanting to part from Rose and the Doctor's little boy in fear of leaving him vulnerable.
'I will guard him with my life.' Sarah Jane promised. 'Now, go. Go save the world with the Doctor. Don't worry about Michael; K9 and I will keep him from harm.'
'Okay.' Jack exhaled, hoping he was making the right choice. With nothing left to say, and losing time he needed to spend elsewhere, he gave her a charming smile then dashed out the front door.
When the door closed, Sarah Jane looked down at the boy in her arms who who hesitantly stared up at her.
Trying not to worry, she headed down to the basement and secured them in the room. It was stocked with the supplies to look after a two-year-old. Sarah Jane hoped the world wasn't going to completely fall apart around them while they hid away in safety. Sometimes knowledge was a burden, as Sarah Jane held the boy close and knew worse events were yet to come. Normally she wouldn't stand for it, but her time with the Doctor taught her enough about meddling before due time. The mysterious woman had persuaded her, telling Sarah Jane of things only the Doctor could know. She was very convincing.
Sarah Jane only hoped the Doctor had a plan, and would soon return for his son.
Martha climbed higher on the ladder, and caught her breath when she reached the rooftop. The building wasn't notably high, but still enough for her to overlook the nearby streets.
There wasn't a second to waste; She couldn't even take the time to appreciate the view of clouds coloured by the sunset.
Standing, now confident the aliens never looked upwards - unless something big and fast-moving caught their attention, Martha gripped the large beam-gun she'd taken from one of the aliens earlier. She raised the surprisingly lighter-than-it-looked weapon and steadied it in the direction of the window of a taller, adjacent apartment building. Martha knew it was empty, having just come from there minutes earlier. Anticipating, she looked down at her right towards a theatre, where she saw Jack carefully opening a side door. Seeing his wave, Martha inhaled a breath and held it. Martha aimed the gun at the apartment window, and checked the sun's position. The golden beam of light crept over the buildings and glowed against the window. She'd placed a large mirror behind the window, as planned.
It was a risk she was prepared to take.
Firing the gun, Martha ducked to hide herself from view. Her aim was spot-on; she listened to the shattering of the window glass and the mirror. The reflective, light-infused distraction worked perfectly, though she had no time to celebrate her genius. Climbing back down the ladder, she ran through alleyways and ducked for cover when needed, to avoid being spotted by the aliens. They were disorientated and confused, but still armed.
She hurried into the theatre where Jack was waiting, and the pair approached the stage.
Martha got out the device Jack had given her earlier, and hit the side of it with her hand, still frustrated it had died earlier before she'd been able to find the crystal on her own. The crystal presumably knew it was being detected, as Jack was sure a targeted energy disturbance was the only thing that could have short-circuited the device. It took hours to get it working again and resume the seat for the crystal.
They'd finally found it.
The pair approached the stage where the crystal rested on the polished wood of the raised platform.
Hearing footsteps outside, they quickened their pace and Martha grabbed the alien object. She winced when the cold stone-like surface stung her hands for a second, but refused to drop it. She held the hope of the entire world in her hands - there was no way Martha was going to let it go.
The doors of the theatre burst open, and about a dozen aliens marched in with guns raised from every direction. Jack and Martha froze, eyes darting around for an escape.
Martha frowned suspiciously at how the aliens stomped and gestured, but none of them spoke. Jack was busy trying to make his vortex manipulator work. The crystal felt heavier, and sunlight leaked through the windows or cracks to shine across all surfaces and everyone in the room. Martha tried to ignore it, as the red audience chairs were the only barrier they had between the armed aliens.
'Martha?' Jack noticed her straining.
'It's getting really hot.' Martha gasped.
A golden sunbeam fell over the crystal, and a loud explosion burst through theatre. Dust swept everywhere like a hurricane, mixing with pieces of debris from the wooden stage. When it cleared, the aliens looked around but Jack and Martha were gone. One alien held a circular device and pressed a button, looking at the diagrams and DNA patterns displayed there. The alien showed the others, making hand gestures, and they all moved out of the theatre in army formation.
Martha yelped at the pain in her hands and finally released the crystal. It landed into the awaiting, thickly gloved hands of the Doctor. She blinked in recognition of his grinning face, while Jack in disbelief laughed beside her.
'Hello!' Ten smiled broadly at them both. 'Brilliant work finding the crystal. Unfortunately, it's probably going to get us killed now we have it. Good thing I've got a plan.'
'You've got a plan?' Jack raised an eyebrow.
'How did we get here?' Martha added, looking around the corridor of the ship.
'Standard teleport.' Ten shrugged at her, averting his eyes away from Jack's.
'What's the plan?' Martha fought the urge to hug him in relief. Instead, she rubbed her aching palms and waited to know their next course of action.
'Oh, you know...' Ten said, scanning the crystal with his sonic screwdriver. 'A thing will happen. A really good thing. Well, hopefully. Don't worry, I've got full control of the thing. Well, mostly. Well...Not really. Then I'll do something clever.'
'That's your plan?' Martha stared, feeling anxious all over again. 'Doctor, people are dying down there!'
'I know.' Ten said seriously.
'What do you need us to do?' Jack wanted to know.
'I need you to...' Ten looked at them, and his expression alarmingly darkened. 'I need you to tell me where my son is. Why is Michael not with you?'
'He's safe.' Jack promised. 'He's with Sarah Jane. She was forewarned about it. Long story, but he's safe. What do you want us to do?'
Ten didn't even have time to open his mouth; the sound of heavy footsteps spreading down the halls was their cue to not stick around if they wanted to avoid capture.
'Run!' Ten urged his companions around a corner, clutching to the crystal with his gloved hands.
The group ran through a corridor, in the direction of a large door - Ten kept waving his sonic screwdriver at in attempt to open it before they reached it. The metal barrier slid open. Martha yelped, prompting the group to panic-stop at the edge of where there really shouldn't be an absence of floor. Jack, standing in the middle, kept his distance by leaning back. Martha to his right and Ten to his left, both clutched to the door-frame to avoid falling into the hole.
'Uh...' Ten looked around, certain there was supposed to be another corridor there instead of a big space of nothingness.
Well, not entirely nothingness, he noticed.
'What's up there?' Jack looked far upwards.
There was no ceiling either, just a never-ending metal tube the width of a stadium. There were a lot of railings along the walls, and the occasional puff of steam was released from tiny slots.
'Nevermind that.' Ten gulped, following Martha's downward stare. 'That shouldn't be there.'
'What, the big gaping hole?' Martha rolled her eyes. 'Yeah, no kidding.'
'No, that really shouldn't be there.' Ten frowned, while Jack reminded them they were still being chased by armed stalk-eyed aliens.
'What's down there?' Martha wasn't sure she really wanted to know.
'Uh, stuff.' Ten placed the crystal on the group behind them and removed the gloves to free full use of his hands. He partially hung out of the doorway, with Jack grabbing the back of his coat just in case. Ten did another scan with his sonic, and mumbled something under his breath. He squinted at the space above and below, scratching his head briefly.
'Doctor, are you lost?' Jack asked cheekily.
'I never get lost.' Ten huffed, leaning back to the safety of the door-frame.
'Then where do we go?' Martha hissed.
'That's...Uh.' Ten glanced around wildly and made elaborate gestures with his hands. 'We're going that way.' He said, indicating to everywhere.
'Doctor!' Martha turned around when the footsteps increased in volume.
'We need to go down.' Ten exhaled.
'Into the hole?' Jack stared downwards at the darkness.
'It'll be fine.' Ten said with a lack confidence. 'But we can't take the crystal. Down there we'd be too close to the teleport power generators. If the crystal gets anywhere near them this entire ship, and potentially the whole planet, would explode.'
'So why do we need it at all?' Martha wanted to know. 'They'll find it and have it back, right? They'll get what they want!'
'Yeah.' Ten shook his head, wincing. 'They'll still think we stole it. Having it won't do any good unless we return it to the Replication Chamber – that way. Ish.' He pointed beyond Martha's shoulder, down the dimly-lit corridor.
'Then why didn't we do that in the first place?' Jack grumbled. 'Why come this way?'
'We wouldn't have made it in time. Not with them chasing me – they're rather upset with me for some reason.' Ten said quickly, bracing himself to jump.
The aliens will reach them soon and there was no more time to waste talking.
'How far down is it?' Martha worried.
'Not far.' Ten shrugged. 'The feeding bay is directly below – soft landing.'
Martha and Jack exchanged a glance, not keen to know what could be so soft about a feeding area. There was only enough time to find out the less-preferable way.
'Now!' Ten said, jumping down into the blackened tunnel.
Jack caught sight of Martha running around him, halting his intention of joining the Doctor. She snatched up the crystal and caught his gaze. Jack understood.
'Martha-'
'I know.' She nodded fiercely. 'But there's a whole planet of people down there. Our people. After everything we went through to get this damn thing, I can't just leave it behind. They're after him, not us.'
'I'm pretty sure they don't really care who they catch.' Jack said.
'Just go. Tell the Doctor I didn't have time to jump and I'm hiding, or something – he can't get distracted with worrying about me. Make him run the other way. I can do this.'
Hearing the commotion around the corner, Jack and Martha were out of time.
He gave her one last glance, and threw himself into the hole. Martha clutched the crystal with her bare hands, and ran where Doctor had indicated would lead to the Replication Chamber. She had to return the crystal there – it was the best hope the Earth had. Martha wasn't going to let more people die if there was even a chance she could help them. She was terrified, having seen what the hostile aliens were capable of, yet she kept running. Martha ran with every ounce of energy she had, trying to shut out the sting of her palms and noise of her footsteps against the metal floor panels.
She was the Doctor's companion, just as Jack reminded her – it came with certain responsibilities. Martha knew, if there was ever a time to uphold them, it was now; when the Earth needed her most.
/\/\
'This was a terrible plan.' Jack grumbled, raising his hands as the armoured aliens aimed large guns at him.
The Doctor was around the corner pulling at wires under a small back-up console - the zapping sounds Jack barely heard were not promising. It hadn't been long since they'd been separated from Martha, and their situation hadn't improved.
'You. You surrender?' The alien leader walked towards them, as intimidating as ever.
'Yeah, yeah.' Jack rolled his eyes. 'I, I surrender.' He mocked.
There were four armed aliens, crowded in the space of the bend where Jack gave the impression of being cornered. It wasn't entirely pretentious; he was allowing for the Doctor to remain out of range, hopefully long enough to do something more productive than running around in circles.
The fifth alien was slightly taller and much more humanoid than the rest. The unarmed leader also appeared to have no use for heavy-looking armour. He should look more vulnerable than the others, but didn't. When he stepped forward, Jack cringed at the red vein-like marks all over the fleshy body. He had two small spider-like eyes on its face, and a triangular stump Jack assumed was meant to resemble a nose. It was hard to tell. The mouth was very human-like, though the leader seemed to struggle to use it. Something didn't seem right about its appearance, much like the absence of ears. The only feature that was profoundly alien was the singular stalk protruding from the top of the head, which bent to hover above the forehead.
The red eye at the end of the stalk blinked at Jack, making him shudder at the sight.
'Don't shoot me.' Jack said.
Ten withheld a snort a snort of amusement with how bored Jack sounded. It was refreshing to have a companion he didn't have to stress about all the time. Unlike Martha, who Ten did not believe was simply hidden from sight somewhere far above.
They were always brave, and always smart – Martha was no exception.
Ten kept quiet, not wanting to be discovered while he was still trying to figure out the outdated alien computer system, in hope of checking for a map around the ship. He was unprepared to admit he wasn't completely aware of where the main power room was located. For a ship as large as the one they were in, Ten knew there had to be some sort of incredible power source running it, and he still wasn't sure of all the details involving the situation. How they had the crystal at all was quite alarming. He had to know – not just for his own insatiable curiosity, but for the sake of the planet below - lives were still being wasted. If he could just power down the ship, Ten was confident the weapons wouldn't function very effectively, since they relied on a sub-wave energy boost from the ship's primary control core.
'We. We will shoot you.' The leader stared at Jack with his stalked-eye. 'Do. Do you want to die?'
'What kind of idiot with guns aimed at him says he wants to die?' Jack rolled his eyes, sarcasm evident in his tone. 'The answer is "no, I do not" - in case you weren't sure.'
'You. You are of this planet.' The leader said, though Ten could detect more question than certainty in the voice. 'You. You will give information in exchange for life.'
'Not a chance.' Jack said, puffing his chest out in determination. 'You may as well kill me because I'm not saying one word that helps you.'
'You. You are mistaken.' The leader's lips twisted into what could only be described as an unsettling attempt to smile.
Ten caught a glimpse of it on a reflective surface, and halted his actions. He didn't think he could get much of a view of the alien leader without his armour, but now seeing it clearly changed things. He hadn't known what they were or where they were from – and now he did. The Doctor discarded the bundle of wires in his hand; he won't be needing a map anymore.
'We. We did not mean your life.' The leader continued, grin widening. 'You. You will give information in exchange for life.'
'He means theirs.' Ten said gravely, stepping around the corner with his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. 'He's clever, for a mis-constructed blueprint. He knows humans have a self-sacrificing nature when it comes to the ones they care about. The weight of an entire planet in the hands of one, however...Well, that's more than the average human can bear.'
'Ah.' Jack frowned at the truth. 'Wait, he's a what?'
'A blueprint gone wrong.' Ten said. He raised his voice to extend the conversation, and looked at the leader with a glint of pride. 'Isn't that right, old stalky?'
'That. That is not my name!' The leader growled.
'And what is your name?' Ten wondered, confidence swelling, as he watched the group carefully. 'Or, rather, who was the first human to touch the crystal at the construction site?'
'Am I meant to understand now, or do you need to babble a bit more first?' Jack wondered in undertone.
'Uh, just a bit more.' Ten said, shifting his feet impatiently.
'You. You do not need answers.'
'You're right about that. Well, mostly.' Ten shrugged. 'I have the answers. See, an Alakadivian crystal, as powerful and ancient as it is, is also unique. It's beautiful - oh, it's so brilliantly unique!'
'Yeah, still not getting it.' Jack muttered.
'These are Arkdorvotts, Jack.' Ten said.
'What?' Jack stared at the aliens, stunned. 'No way! They look and talk all...'
'Human. Yeah.' Ten nodded. 'Now, I don't know much about Arkdorvotts, but I do know this: at the beginning of their creation, oh a few hundred billion years ago, they managed to get their hands - metaphorically speaking - on a power source so strong it could infinitely power their breeding ship. It's the biggest ship your lot have, where you use a base DNA to recreate an entire species, but still based on the original genetic blueprint. That's what this place is, isn't it? The breeding ship.'
'Arkadorvotts don't have a long lifespan!' Jack caught on. 'Wow, you really let yourselves go.' He smirked, looking over the alien appearances again.
The leader growled, but was uncertain how to proceed or simply hesitant to act now they knew so much.
'I doubt that was intentional. Arkadorvotts hate being inferior – they think humanoids are inferior, with only two arms and legs. So, when their crystal fell into the hands of the humans it was probably their worse nightmare come true. The only thing truly left of their species is an eye stalk.' Ten acknowledged. 'No wonder they were so fast to punish the people of Earth and accuse them stealing. The invasion – all the unnecessary bloodshed. They believe humans to be greedy, self-centered bigots.'
'Some of them are.' Jack admitted.
'Yeah.' Ten said significantly. 'Some are. Not many, but they're there. So, I ask you again, stalky - what is your name? Whose base DNA did you replicate from and pass on the defective blueprint? You're the only one who can speak, so you must be the first hatched.'
'Why.' The leader snarled, prompting the other four to step closer with their guns raised threateningly. 'Why should we reveal that knowledge?'
'Because in about three minutes and forty seconds you're going to die.' Ten said sternly, pausing as the aliens looked at each other uncertainly. 'In three minutes and thirty-five seconds, your blueprint will be corrected. You see, the Alakadivian crystal is so powerful it had many purposes, such as enable a ship to travel through gaps in time – if it can't find one, it can create one. The Time Lords would have prevented it.'
'So they came here from the future?' Jack guessed. 'Or the past?'
'Eh, sort of of. Past and future; it's all wibley-wobbly.' Ten shrugged dismissively, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. 'But a gap in time like that can and will cause all sorts of issues.'
The leader kept his red stalk-eye trained on the Doctor. Jack wondered why the aliens just stood there while the Doctor revealed their information, but didn't question it.
'Your organic-tech sub-wave simply couldn't handle the conversion across time, not when the crystal had fallen from the ship. Not sure how - probably something timey-wimey.'
'How. How do you know this?' The leader took a hasty a step back.
'I am very clever!' Ten exclaimed. 'And I haven't even gotten to the best part yet. Two minutes.'
'What will happen in two minutes?' Jack wanted to know.
'A thing.' Ten winked at him, then continued with his distraction with the smugness of having figured out the mystery. 'The Alakadivian crystal has probably been in your history for – well, a few hundred billion years. In all that time, I'm sure a few details got lost in history. They always do. For instance, did you know that the Alakadivan crystal translates to "life bringer"? It's not just a power source or whatever else you use it for, but the core cell of your existence. It created you! It's your test tube, so to speak.'
'Yes.' The leader grumbled. 'Yes, it aided our creation. Our species were dying after the Great War of Time killed millions. We are the last. We fled.'
'You fell.' Ten said, averting his eyes at the mention of the Time War. 'You fell through time, through space, and eventually ended up here.'
'So how did they end up looking like stalk-eye sponges?' Jack wondered. 'No offence.' He added in an offhand manner, watching the guns.
'The crystal.' Ten answered. 'It was touched by a human. It's a replicating cell; it takes on the DNA of the species it touches. It fell to Earth, but it's spent millions of years replicating the same species only to suddenly have a human added into the genetic cocktail. Fifty-five seconds. Who touched it? Who was the first human to make contact with the crystal and rewrite the blueprint, which I presume was corrupted during your slip through the time gap? There's a reason the crystal is meant to remain in the Replication Chamber – and why I couldn't risk touching it with my bare hands. Time Lord DNA – best not to pass that on. Well, apart from in the form of a little boy.'
'It.' The leader's stalk eye widened. 'It was Mortimer Clark.'
'An arrogant, greedy businessman.' Ten sighed. 'Luck of the draw, I suppose.'
'Wait.' Jack frowned, turning to the Doctor. 'Martha-'
The lights in the corridor shut off and a strange humming was heard, spreading along the available space and rest of the ship. Back-up lights cast a dim blue glow over the corridor, illuminating it enough to see.
'Martha touched the crystal.' Ten finished, checking his watch. 'And returned it to the Replication Chamber where it belongs.'
'What!' The leader roared, panicking when a thin cloud of purple gas flowed from the ceiling vents. 'What have you done?'
'Me? Nothing much.' Ten said seriously. 'But never underestimate the determination of one human who cares more about her planet than herself. Mortimer was corrupted stock – doesn't even compare to Martha Jones. She's smart, brave, and good. The perfect blueprint.'
'What's happening to them?' Jack eyed the gas warily, as the aliens began to dissolve into the gas as if absorbed by it.
'The crystal is correcting its mistake – removing bad stock and replacing it.' Ten watched the aliens, not moving. 'It will power the ship home, back through the gap, which will then close. The crystal will recreate an entirely new species from the blueprint of Martha Jones.'
'Wow.' Jack raised his eyebrows, impressed. He was trying to picture a whole planet of Marthas, though he was sure it didn't quite work that way.
'Don't.' Ten warned with exasperation, halting Jack from making a cheeky remark on the subject.
'You're no fun.' Jack pouted, turning to follow the Doctor out of the corridor.
They headed to the Replication Chamber to find Martha, the human who had just saved two species.
The darkness of night had fallen, but the sky remained lit from the lights of the spaceship still in place over London. Martha stood outside her mother's house, looking up and feeling glad the ship was about to leave. She crossed her arms over her chest in dread of the days to come. Despite the remaining mess from damaged buildings, Martha knew things were going to be as okay as they could be.
'There it goes.' Jack said, joining her side.
The pair titled their heads back to watch the force field of energy crumble away like paper burnt by flames. The Doctor was still up in the ship, fixing things in the main control room he'd finally located. He'd teleported them down, and Martha had gone straight to her family. They'd survived, but her mother had witnessed most of their neighbours and friends being killed right in front of her that night.
She was still inside crying.
Martha thought about how so many people were dead and distraught after what happened, yet by sunrise the memories of the ship and events would have mostly faded. It's what the Doctor had said, when he examined the crystal from a safe distance shortly before teleporting them back to Earth. Something about the crystal correcting all its mistakes within range, and how the complexity of mingled past and future involved from the ship's arrival meant the aliens were more than just removed from current existence to start over.
It hadn't made sense to Martha until she returned to Earth.
People shot down by the aliens begun waking up with minor injuries, whereas anyone killed by heart attacks or during building collapses ended up directly impacted by the crystal's attempt to correct: most were reversed back to infancy. It left behind quite a situation for people to make sense of once the memories faded, but she would never forget one single detail of what happened. No one who had seen so much, yet had no injuries, would forget.
People like her family; her mother.
The roar of engines jerked Martha from her thoughts. The ship glowed a burning red, then shot away from the planet to halt just in view among the stars. A split of bright white appeared in the sky itself – the ship vanished inside it, and the gap closed.
'Well,' Jack exhaled a heavy breath. 'That's that.'
'Where's the Doctor?' Martha looked around the street, almost expecting to see him standing there with a grin on his face and sonic screwdriver in hand.
'You know where.' Jack smiled.
'Right.' Martha nodded. 'Michael. Of course.'
'You okay?' He checked, turning to look at her.
'Yeah.' She frowned, glancing back at her mother's house. 'I am. What happens now?'
'Now, life continues.' Jack shrugged. 'That's what the Doctor said.'
'And life in the Tardis?' Martha met his gaze. 'What about that?'
Jack shared a knowing smile with her, and reached to give her a hug. When they parted, Martha handed him her phone number, and waved goodbye. Jack had people to check on, but she knew he'd be back on the Tardis soon enough.
'Good luck, Martha Jones.' Jack said, walking away.
'You too, Captain Jack Harkness.' Martha returned, watching him slip into the shadows of the street.
She stood there for a while, just staring at the night sky lit with stars. She knew it was time to move on, and returned to the house. Martha stayed with her family in attempt to comfort and reassure them.
Her mother wandered to the window and, after a while, Martha joined her. She sighed, seeing the Tardis across the road with the Doctor leaning against it. Little Michael was in his arms, waving a toy around his father's ear to make it fly. Ten watched her, offering a smile, which Martha and her mother returned. He slipped back inside the Tardis, and Martha gathered her courage.
'You didn't tell me he had a child.' Her mother spoke softly, before Martha could move away from the window.
'Yeah, must've slipped my mind.' Martha replied, ducking her head. 'He's two-years-old, as of yesterday. Adorable as anything – smart too.'
'And what are you to the Doctor and his child?' Her mother turned to face her, looking worried and stern, yet not unkind. 'If you keep going, what will you become?'
'I don't know.' She admitted.
Martha focused on the Tardis again and knew what her mother was trying to say. The man alone made things complicated, but adding a small child into the mix meant she had to tread carefully. It only solidified her decision, and Martha knew what was coming.
That was okay, though – life went on.
Martha stepped outside into the cool night air. She took her time crossing the road, and stepped inside the Tardis.
The Doctor peered around the console at her, from where he sat on the seat with his son, and jumped to his feet.
'Right then, off we go!' He declared, moving around quickly to fiddle with the controls. Michael gave a cheer from the seat, but kept playing with his toy.
Martha moved closer, though remained separate, as sadness filled her. She couldn't help the slight smile when watching enthuse and babble - listing places they could see and go. Martha waited in pensive silence. He trailed off, and looked sullen.
Her mind was made up, and the Doctor knew it.
'Okay.' He said quietly, one hand on the console, when he saw her teary eyes.
'I just can't.' Martha said.
'Yeah.' He swallowed, his face and tone breaking her heart.
Martha explained, how she'd spent years training to be a doctor and now had people to look after. Her family, and neighbours, had seen slaughter and destruction – some had forgotten, but not everyone. Not the people most important to her.
'I can't leave them.' She hoped he would understand.
'Of course not.' Ten agreed, though looked away for a moment. When he straightened, a smile spread over his face, encouraging one from her as well. 'Thank you.'
She inhaled a breath as he approached her, wrapping his arms around her in a warm hug. Martha clung to him, willing herself to stay strong, and only released the breath she'd been holding when he stepped back.
'Me!' Michael waved his arms, toy forgotten. 'Me! Me!'
'Of course.' Ten said, moving to lift his son up.
He returned to Martha and helped the boy launch himself into her arms without knocking her over in the process. They'd never said the word, but somehow Michael knew they were saying goodbye.
The little boy embraced her in a way he never had before.
'Martha Jones.' The Doctor spoke, while Martha cuddled Michael close. 'You saved the world, and a whole other species who could have been completely wiped out.'
'Yes, I did.' Martha said proudly, putting Michael down when he squirmed for freedom.
The toddler ran back to the Doctor, and grabbed his striped leg to hide partially behind it.
'I spent a lot of time with you thinking I was second best, or just his nanny, but you know what? I am good.' She poked the Doctor, raising her chin higher with confidence. 'You going to be alright?'
'Always, yeah.' Ten nodded, looking down at Michael. The boy grinned back up at him.
'Right then.' Martha swallowed. 'Bye.' She quickly leaned forward and kissed his cheek, then turned to make a dash for the exit.
The Doctor and Michael watched her leave, the blue doors shutting behind her. Michael waved sadly, while Ten remained firm. He just stared at the doors, not sure how he felt about the whole thing.
He never liked goodbyes.
'Bye bye, Marta.' Michael whispered.
Turning back to the console, Ten traced a hand over the surface and wondered what to do next.
When the door opened again, he turned quickly, but Martha was already talking about a friend she had. Someone named Vicky, who had completely adored someone who hadn't looked at her twice. Ten listened, questioned if it was going somewhere, but knew what she was telling him before she'd even finished. He crossed his arms and listened, unwilling to speak.
'So this is me, getting out.' Martha said. 'And it's more than just that.' She looked at Michael, who merely watched them from behind the safety of his father's leg.
Ten nodded, and lowered his gaze. He understood, more than he wanted to.
Martha tossed him her phone, stating if it rung than he better come running. It wasn't the last time he'd see her, and that cheered him up a little - even as she once again turned around and left.
Normally, the loneliness and tension would bother quite considerably, but this time it couldn't. Not when he felt a tug at the hem of his pants, and looked down to see his son smiling up at him with love and happiness.
'Wooph Wooph.' Michael open and closed his hands, trying to mimic the Tardis.
'Yeah.' Ten laughed, scooping the two-year-old into his arms. 'Let's get back out there, eh? What do you say Michael – all of time and space?'
'Yeah!' Michael cheered. 'Daddy, we go wooph wooph now!'
'Alright, just us.' Ten glanced around the room, which would never be truly empty – not since Bad Wolf Bay. 'That's okay; that's good. Just us for a while now, Michael! So what's it gonna be? Time or space?'
'Noses.' Michael poked his own nose, then the Doctor's.
'Space it is.' Ten adjusted some controls, and flipped switches. 'There's this great big planet with a purple ocean – absolutely lovely. It's about time you learned to swim, don't you think?'
'Okay.' Michael smiled.
'That's my boy.' Ten ruffled his son's blond head. 'And you know what? They also have some of the best ice cream in the whole universe. The perfect late Birthday after swimming snack, eh?'
'Ice cem! Ice cem!' Michael babbled enthusiastically. 'Wooph wooph!'
'Planet Klipquee coming right up!' Ten grinned widely. 'Michael, would you like to do the honours?' He gestured to the lever.
'Yeah! Yeah!' Michael squirmed with excitement, previously never being allowed to touch the console controls at all. He grabbed the lever with both hands, while Ten kept a firm hold on him so the boy could completely lean over without toppling from his grip.
'Nice and slow.' Ten instructed.
Michael whined when the lever didn't budge. Ten gave the Tardis a disapproving look, then helped his son with the lever - they lowered it together. The Tardis gave a jerk and the sound of the dematerialisation was heard, which Michael tried to copy until they'd landed.
'A brilliant new planet right outside those doors.' Ten smiled at the boy in his arms, who wriggled with an inability to contain his excitement. 'What do we say now, Michael?'
'Alossy!' Michael yelled.
'Uh, well, close enough.' Ten laughed. 'Allons-y!'
The father and son duo stepped outside the Tardis and admired the seaside view of Planet Klipquee. The skies were blue, the ocean purple, and the air smelled almost minty. It was a fresh start to another adventure, while leaving behind the ones they'd shared with Martha. Those times would not be forgotten, not by the Doctor at least, yet another change meant once again live went on.
Jack would come and go, as he'd said after asking the Doctor about the situation of not being able to die thanks to Bad Wolf, and mentioning the Face of Boe. For now, and perhaps forever, it was just the Tenth Doctor and his son Michael Tyler travelling together in the Tardis. Ten didn't know how long it could be before another companion joined them, and he wasn't sure how long that companion would then stay, but as they overlooked the oceans of Klipquee, he found it hard to worry about that.
He had his son; the little boy of Rose Tyler - and Michael was all he believed he'd ever need.
'I like it, Daddy.' Michael said, staring at the stunning scenery stretched far into the horizon – a whole world displayed out in front of them.
Giving Michael a cuddle, Ten kept his matching brown eyes on the view, and smiled. Yeah, he quite liked it too.
Author's Notes: Please take a moment to review and share your thoughts. I would very much appreciate it. We have concluded Martha's era now, and will be moving on to Donna's soon. Don't forget to check out the website for this story, where you'll find chapter banners and more, as well as the video for this story - links to both will be in my profile. Update schedule as resumed as normal, so expect the next chapter within a week or less. Thank you very much for reading!