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Chapter Seven

The Clock Has Stopped:

At Thirteen Bannerman Road, a detail of twelve UNIT soldiers are present. The office in charge, a Lieutenant Crain, is coordinating with police on securing the home, keeping onlookers away. The entire neighborhood is present, standing behind police tape. Flashes of light are seen going off, along with cellphones having video cameras on it. Everyone present at the seen, was curious. Some of the neighbors didn't really care for all the commotion, most of the neighbors wanted to know if Sarah and the children were all right. One of the neighbors a Mr. Reynolds asked the lieutenant, "Sir. Can you tell us if Miss Smith is all right and her children and Clyde Langer and Rani Chandra?"

The UNIT officer looked at the neighbor and said, "Sir, I have no information on the status of the patients, I can enquire later. Right now sir, we need to secure this area, so our people can find out what happened here." The lieutenant turned and walked away with a police officer at his side.

Mr. Reynolds could see the lieutenant pointing towards the house and then pointing to his left and right, giving out orders. Then a soldier approached his officer, carrying a phone. The soldier gave the phone to his officer and the lieutenant answered. He was listening first then he said into the phone, "Right. Yes sir, were doing that now sir." The officer folded the phone, giving it back to the soldier.

Calling his men into formation, a team of twelve assembled in front of the officer, forming two ranks. The officer looking at his men announced loudly, "The Doctor is arriving in his usual way! We are to secure this area, so he and his team can investigate! No matter what happens, we are to give the Doctor and his team, whatever assistance they need! Is that understood?" With the order given by the lieutenant his men yelled loudly at the same time, "Yes sir!"

From outside Sarah's home, in the attic windows, a white and bluish bright pulsating light, along with a loud grinding noise is heard. The lieutenant yelled, "He's here!" The lieutenant then turned around and singled out one individual in the ranks, giving out an order. "Corporal! You and the men will continue assisting the police in securing this area! Sergeant come with me!"

The grinding noise came to a full stop. The light show the Tardis gave off, came to an end. Rushing into the house and up the stairs were a lieutenant and a sergeant. The two had reached the attic, where the Doctor had just opened the door. The UNIT officer seeing the Doctor saluted and said, "Sir! The area is being secured! We await further instructions!" The Doctor looking at the officer said, "Thank you lieutenant and please don't salute me." The lieutenant replied, "Yes sir."

The Doctor still looking at the officer asked, "Lieutenant, I need two men, including the sergeant here; we need to move some furniture to make room for the patients." The officer turned facing his sergeant and turned to the Doctor and said almost saluting again, "Right away sir." The lieutenant did a right face and said to his NCO, "Sergeant, assist the Doctor by whatever means necessary, I will send another man up here at once."

The sergeant saluted his commanding officer and then looked at the Doctor. The lieutenant turned and proceeded down the stairs, exiting the residence. The Doctor smiling at the NCO said, "Right follow me sergeant, we need to make room for four beds."

The sergeant followed the Doctor into the attic office, he could see into the Tardis. Inside the Tardis two men were approaching the exit, it was Mr. Wilds and Mr. Chandra. Both of them now stood in front of the Doctor and the sergeant. Mr. Wilds said to the Doctor, "I think Chandra and I can move the sofa together." At the same moment Haresh was looking around, he was in Sarah's house, not the hospital. Moving instantly in an object bigger on the inside then it is on the outside was a bit of a shock.

Mr. Wilds seeing the look on his neighbor face, began to smile. He then turned his head and continued to look at the Doctor and the sergeant. The Doctor asked, "Mr. Wilds you seem to be taking this very well, how come?" With a smile on his face still and looking at Haresh's reaction, Mr. Wilds said, "At my age Doctor, I have seen it all. Nothing surprises me anymore." The Doctor started to smile at his comment. Mr. Wilds slapped Haresh on the back and said, "Come on Chandra snap out of it, we need your help." With the slap on the back bringing him out of a stupor, he turned to his neighbor, "Yes of course, I'm just amazed at all this, simply amazed."

Mr. Wilds seeing his neighbor out of shock said, "Chandra can you go back in and get your daughter and have her direct us. We'll put the sofa in Sarah's bedroom, the tables and desk in the kid's room. I sure we can put the smaller objects on their beds, so they won't break. Haresh looking around the room said, "Sure I'll go get her." Mr. Wilds now looking at the Doctor again said, "Were going to need to take the door off its hinges, so the sofa can fit."

The Doctor turned facing the door. He said, "I'm on it Mr. Wilds." The Doctor walked up to the door and pulled out his sonic screwdriver and it made a buzzing noise. As the Doctor worked each hinge, the pin moved upwards and fell to the Floor. The sergeant seeing the tool in amazement said, "Pass them to me Doctor, I'll put them in her desk draw so there not lost." Once the pins were out of the door jamb, out came Rani along with her father from the Tardis.

Rani said to everyone in the room, "I have to check something everyone, please hold on a second." The room was silent as they all watched her approach the brick casing. Rani yelled, "Mr. Smith we need you!"

There was no movement from his casing. Rani yelled again, "Mr. Smith we need you!" With no movement, she turned and asked the Doctor. "I hope he is all right in there?" The Doctor looking at the brick casing said, "Will find out later Rani. Right now we have to get this room cleared."

As the Doctor continued working on the door hinges, Mr. Wilds and Haresh went over to the sofa and proceeded to pick it up. Breathing hard and struggling to hold his end up, Mr. Wilds said, "I can't believe how heavy the back-end of this is." Haresh was having a hard time as well. Both were balancing the sofa, so it wouldn't flip on them. As they were heading towards the door to go down to the second floor, Rani was behind, guiding them, while the Doctor and the sergeant were removing the bedroom door next.

Rani said to her father and Mr. Wilds, "Be careful, that sofa is very old." Rani watched as her father and Mr. Wilds made it through the door. Rani still guiding them yelled, "Watch the walls! Watch your fingers!" Mr. Wilds looked at his neighbor and Haresh breathing heavily said to him, "What can I say, she is just like her mother. Sometimes, it scares me."

Mr. Wilds looking at him, started to laugh. The Doctor poked his head out of Sarah's bedroom and said, "Oh good your here, you're going to have to stand it up on its side and-" Before the Doctor could finish his sentence, Haresh and Mr. Wilds who were struggling, yelled at the same time, "We Know!" The Doctor sarcastically said, "Well good! Let me get out of your way then." As the two neighbors set the sofa down on the hallway floor vertically, the sergeant stepped out of the bedroom and a private coming up the stairs offered their help.

Together, the two UNIT soldiers placed the sofa into the bedroom. Rani was guiding them from inside, still giving orders. "Be careful! Don't scratch the door jamb! Watch the Dresser!" Outside Haresh was rolling his eyes upwards. The Doctor was smiling at him. Mr. Wilds laughing softly, slaps his neighbor on the shoulders and said, "When that girl becomes a journalist in the future, she will be tough as nails. You got nothing to worry about Chandra."

Haresh looking at the Doctor and his neighbor said, "It's not her I'm worried about. It's her future husband? When my daughter gets married in the future, I will pity the man, I really will."

Both the Doctor and Mr. Wilds begin laughing, within moments out came the two soldiers along with Rani. The Doctor seeing them first said, "Right, will get the small furniture and put it in the kid's room, then place the smaller items and lamps on the beds." Before everyone headed back upstairs, the private said, "Doctor, A small robot dog is on its way here. He was with the boy when UNIT found him."

The Doctor and Rani both yelled, "K-9!" The private looking at the Doctor and then the girl said, "Yes, that's what it called itself. It was most insistent sir." The Doctor smiling at the good news yelled, "Fantastic! With his scanners we can get to the bottom of this! When will he be here?" The private looked at his watch and said, "In about thirty-minute's sir."

Rani was smiling, her father could see how happy she was and went to her side. He gave her a hug and said, "Looks like things are going to get better when this K-9 gets here." Rani looked up at her father and said, "I hope so dad, Mr. Smith won't come out of his casing. I hope he is ok and not damaged from the shock wave." As the Doctor listened he interrupted, "Don't worry Rani, if he's damaged, I can fix him. A Xylok is a pretty tough species."

Mr. Chandra became confused for a second and said, "Species?" Then he said, "Xylok?" Rani looked at her father with a smile and said, "Don't worry about it dad. Will cover Mr. Smith later. Just understand for now that he's broken and can't help us." Haresh looking at his daughter, still with concern said, "Ok sweetheart, whatever you say." The Doctor seeing everyone was comfortable with their situation, turns to the soldier and asked, "Right, what's your name private?"

The private came to attention and said, "Private Robert Finch, Sir." The Doctor looking at the private at attention said, "Right! Private Robert Finch, tell the lieutenant I want K-9 here as fast as possible, no excuses understand!" The private about to salute the Doctor could see his sergeant shaking his head left and right and the salute never came. Then the private said, "Yes sir, at once."

The private left the hallway proceeding down the stairs, exiting the house. The Doctor said to everyone in the hallway, "Right, let's get everything else out of there and bring in the patients." Within minutes the room was clear and everyone who was in the Tardis was pushing a bed out.

Mrs. Langer was just short of breath, all this was overwhelming. Clyde was laughing at his mother's reaction. The Doctor not laughing, sees a newspaper and rolls it up and walks over to Clyde. Before Clyde could jump out-of-the-way, the Doctor hits him over the head with it. Clyde yelled, "Ouch! Doctor why did you hit me?" The Doctor starts to yell at him, "Why, I'll tell you why! Because your mother has been through enough today young man; including worrying about your health! Now I think you should show her more respect and not mock her confusion, because she traveled in the Tardis for the first time, understand! Now go and apologies to her, now!"

Mrs. Langer looked at the Doctor with a smiled. She was starting to like him, especially the way he just handled her son." Clyde rubbing his head, gave the Doctor an angry look. Turning around he walks over to his mother and apologies. Rani was smiling at what the Doctor had just done. Haresh and Mr. Wilds almost broke out into laughter. Martha and the sergeant had to leave the room for a second, holding their breaths.

Rani watched as the Doctor put the newspaper into the inside pocket of his jacket, she turned and walked up the fire-place again and said, "Mr. Smith we need you."

There was still no response. Rani turned and faced the Doctor and said, "Whatever happened here, must have really affected him Doctor." The Doctor said, "Like I said Rani, once everyone is awake, I'll get Mr. Smith up and running again." The Doctor turned from her and faced Sarah in her bed, he just stood there watching her.

Rani came up beside him and said, "Doctor, I shouldn't be the one to tell you this, but she loves you. I can see it in her eyes when she tells me stories of your adventures together. She loves you with all her heart. If anything happened to you Doctor, I don't know what she would do?" The Doctor still looking at Sarah doesn't answer her, he just continues to look at Sarah. A moment later he turns and looks at Rani. Before he could say anything to her he sees Martha entering the room again.

Martha approaches the Doctor and said, "K-9 is here Doctor, there bringing him up now." The kids were smiling at the good news, so was the Doctor. A couple of seconds later a mechanical dog enters the room and approaches the Doctor.

The Doctor seeing an old friend yelled, "K-9!" The little mechanical dog said, "Master." The parents were impressed to see a talking robotic dog. Mr. Wilds laughingly said, "My god, it looks like a kid's toy." The Doctor didn't react. Normally he would defend K-9, except there was no time; analysis is needed to save four lives. The Doctor looking at his most loyal of all companions asked, "K-9 I need you to scan the patients? I need you to find out what's wrong with them, can you do that for me old friend?" The little mechanical dog responded, "Affirmative Master, initiating full scan."

Everyone in the attic office was watching the little mechanical dog and waiting for a response. Martha questions the Time Lord, "Doctor, will his scans work? That glow was blocking every attempt to analyze my patients, now it's inside them?" The Doctor showing some concern in his eyes said, "He should Martha, the technology inside K-9 is thousands of years ahead of yours. I also added some additional features of my own, a sort of upgrade." After five minutes had elapsed K-9 states, "Master, RAD-51 Gene in Mistress Sarah suspended, children's stasis unknown."

The Doctor yelled, "What?" The Doctor was completely stunned at K-9s discovery. At the same time, Clyde looking confused as well asked, "What's a RAD-51 Gene Doctor?" Martha starts to whisper into Clyde's ear, "It's a Gene that acts like a zipper key Clyde, connecting molecules together, than separating them to make a new DNA strand." She continues whispering further to Clyde, about the division of DNA and chromosome's and cells. She was very soft in her voice. Martha wanted K-9 to continue its report without interruption.

The mechanical dog stated again, "RAD-51 Gene arrested Master. RAD-51 Gene is unable to unlock DNA strand to begin a new strand, foreign object blocking direction of RAD-51 Gene's path. Objects material is unknown. Objects energy signature, similar to perception field generator. The designee continues on to the sub-atomic level, not stopping at the molecular or atomic level. Object is equal in size and mass to RAD-51 Gene. Object duplicated in every strand of DNA in Mistress Sarah, including dead tissue and hair. Object numbers in the billions and is self-replicating. Object is contributing cause of the Mistress Sarah's paralyses, it is not the source."

The Doctor yelled, "What! K-9 that makes no sense. If this is the only foreign object in Sarah's body, then it has to be the source!" The Doctor, puzzled over K-9's first analysis, told him to continue his report. K-9 stated, "Negative, it is not the source of paralyses, source unknown." The Doctor looked at K-9 and said, "K9 that has to be the source of our problem, there is nothing else."

The little metal dog answered, "Negative, a temporal anomaly exists around each strand of DNA in Mistress Sarah and the children and the young lady." Confused and speechless for just a moment, the Doctor asked K-9 another question, "Find out what type of temporal anomaly K-9. Please re-scan Sarah, Luke, Sky and my daughter Jenny." "Affirmative", said the little metal dog. K-9's dog shaped head begins to move up and down slowly. His radar dishes shaped ears move left to right, scanning Sarah first, K-9 continues his scans on Luke, Sky and finally Jenny.

A minute later K-9 makes his report, "Master, temporal anomaly is a normal functioning characteristic in Mistress Sarah and her children. Also, same temporal anomaly is normal functioning part of Mistress Jenny and you, Master. It cannot be removed at any cost, if they are to live."

The Doctor yelled again making everyone jump in the room, "Normal! This is not normal for any Human, by any means, K-9!" After yelling at K-9, the little metal dog stated what was obvious, "Master. Mistress Jenny is not human. She is the same as you." After a few minutes, which felt like a lifetime for everyone in the room, the Doctor again gives K-9 an order, "K-9, I want you to re-scan this entire area for all forms of temporal anomalies. Then I want you to repeat your scan again, on all four patients. I want you to compile a list and extrapolate you findings! I want you to continue your comparisons based on age, gender, race, and species. You will begin by scanning Martha first, using her DNA as a human baseline. You will then use my DNA for a second comparison as well."

The Doctors voice becoming very stern as he directs his last commands to K-9, "You will include these comparisons, in all states of matter. You will start with Sarah's first day aboard the Tardis and include all temporal intrusions based on her activates her on Earth. There must be a reason for all this K-9." K-9 only stated one word, after the Doctor finished. That word was, "Affirmative."

The Doctor turned to everyone in the room. He took a deep breath and said, "I am so tired of my friends being hurt!" "Affirmative", said K-9. Then the mechanical begins to correlate all the data given to him by the Doctor. His processors begin to make noises. Each person in the attic office who knows and loves Sarah, Luke, Sky and Jenny, wait for K-9's answer. All were praying for this nightmare to end. Twenty-minutes had passed, K-9 had stopped analyzing.

The little mechanical dog had reached a conclusion. Turning away from his mistress, K-9 approaches the Doctor. "Master, there is no beginning, temporal anomaly shows they have always existed." The Doctor's eyes widen. He looked as thou he was searching for the right words to use. A moment later, Martha asked, "What does that mean Doctor?" Befuddled, the Doctor places his right hand on his face, as he pulled down on his cheeks, not answering her.

The Doctor asked, "K-9, What do you mean there is no beginning?" K-9 repeats his statement, "There is no beginning." The Doctor begins to kneel in front of K-9. He said, "That's impossible old friend, all life has a beginning, a middle and an end. That's how life works, even for a Time Lord."

The little mechanical dog repeats his statement to the Doctor, "There is no beginning, master. The anomaly blocking Rad-51 gene is transindential in designee. Showing no beginning. Size, inside object unknown. Simple binary codes existing inside object." The Doctor surprised at K-9's information yelled, "That's, that's incredible K-9, now were getting some were!" K-9 continued, "The exact amount of numerical code inside the anomaly, is equal to the amount of atoms in the human body and replicating. The code is modulating, unable to cypher, unable to tamper."

After K-9 said tamper, the Doctor became very concern. He said very fast like a stutter, "Nnnn no, no, no, no, no. No K-9, don't tamper with the object. We don't know what it will do to Sarah." K-9 replied, "Affirmative." The Doctor puts on his glasses, kneeling down in front of the mechanical dog again. He asked, "K-9 are you in proper working order, I made your computing skills more powerful than a Daleck? What you just stated is impossible to manufacture in this era?"

K-9 stated, "Master, all systems are in working order. All scanners, analytic devices, including the ones you installed recently, as an up-grade, are functioning with in specified parameters, set by you, after I blew up the high school."

Clyde begins to laugh, Martha and Rani were smiling. The Doctor still kneeling, turns his head towards all three, with his eyes directly on Clyde. The Doctor pulled off his glasses and stood up. He starts to walk over to Clyde, looking down at him like a father about to scold his child. The Doctor now looked at all three standing together, he turned his head again towards Clyde and yelled, "Is there something here you find amusing Clyde? Because, right now, there is nothing here I find, that is funny!"

Clyde composed his face into a serious look. His grin, ancient history. Rani and Martha both hid their smiles. Clyde looking up at the Time Lord said, "I'm sorry Doctor, I didn't mean to laugh like that. It's just when K-9 said he blew up the high school. I thought it was kind of funny, you know, a kid's dream come true." The Doctor begins to shake his head up and down and said, "Yesssss, I see." Turning around he starts to head back towards K-9 smiling, remembering his own childhood.

Martha and Rani could see the smile on the Doctors face. At that moment, they both stuck together like sister, holding back, letting Clyde know he's been told. The Doctor was in front of K-9 again, he put his glasses in his pocket and asked, "K-9?" Before the Doctor could finish his question, the little mechanical dog interrupts. Then K-9 stated a new discovery, "Master, temporal anomaly is identical to natural anomalies in the heart or the Tardis. Also temporal anomaly around genetic material is identical to you Master and to young Master Luke and Mistress Ski, Mistress Jenny and Master Wildcard.