Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it.
Chapter 8: The Lazarus Experiment
Martha and the Rose were at the console, with Rose handling them. "Perfect landing, which isn't easy in such a tight spot. Pretty good considering I failed the driving test." Rose said.
Martha retorted, "You should be used to tight spots by now. We're home?"
"Yep." Martha rushed towards the doors. "No place like it."
Martha asked, "So, give me two minutes and I'll pack a bag, yeah?"
Rose replied, "Right. You know, you've only been gone about 12 hours. I double checked. No time at all, really." She began looking about at her photos.
Martha asked in amazement, "But all the stuff we've done: Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?"
Rose replied, "Yep, all in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was... Books, CDs," She picked up underwear drying on a rack and smirked, "Laundry." Martha blushed and snatched the lingerie from her fingertips. Rose said, "So, go on pack a bag."
Martha asked, "Really? You want me along?"
Rose smiled and said, "Yeah. C'mon, pack your bag, we've got places we gotta be."
Martha's phone rang and the answering machine picked up. The answering machine clicked on, "Hi! I'm out! Leave a message!" The machine beeped before the message.
Francine's voice was heard, "Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?"
Martha said to Rose, "It's Mum. It'll wait."
Francine huffed, "All right then, pretend that you're out if you like." Rose and Martha giggled. "I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested."
Martha picked up the remote control and turned on the TV. An elderly man informed a journalist, "The details are top secret..."
Martha mumbled, "How could Tish end up on the news?"
Tish was standing behind him. "Tonight, I will demonstrate a device..."
Francine's voice continued, "She's got a new job. PR for some research lab."
The man said, "...with the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human."
Martha switched off the TV and said, "Sorry. You were saying I should...?"
Rose snapped out of her daze and said, "Yeah, yeah, you should." Martha went off to pack a bag. "Did he just say he was going to change what it means to be human?" Rose muttered, then looked up and called, "Martha, may want to put the packing off for a minute."
Rose and Martha walked down the street. Rose fussed with the straps of her dress and muttered, "Oh, fancy dress. Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens."
Martha said, "It's not the outfit, that's just you. Anyway, I think it suits you. In a female James Bond kind of way."
Rose asked disbelievingly, "Female James Bond? Really?" Martha chuckled as they approached a building.
Tish joined Martha and Rose, smiling, "Hello."
Martha grinned, "Tish." They hugged.
Tish said, "You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"
Martha nodded and said, "Very."
Tish continued, "And two nights out in a row for you, that's dangerously close to a social life."
Martha joked, "If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns."
Tish said, "You might, actually. Keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum, she's coming too, even dragging Leo along with her."
Martha asked, "Leo in black tie? That I must see." Tish glanced at Rose. Martha caught the sign and said, "This is, uh, Rose. Rose Tyler."
Rose shook Tish's hand and smiled, "Hello."
Tish asked Martha, "Is she with you?"
Martha replied, "Yeah."
Tish said, "But she's not on the list. How did she get in?"
Martha paused and replied, "She's my plus one."
Rose put in, "So, this Lazarus bloke, he's your boss?"
Tish replied, "Professor Lazarus, yes. I'm part of his executive staff."
Martha said, "She's in the PR department."
Tish said proudly, "I'm head of the PR department, actually."
Martha said, "You're joking."
Tish replied, "I put this whole thing together."
Rose asked, "So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight? That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator."
Tish whispered to Martha, "She's a science geek. I should've known. Gotta get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later." Tish left to mingle.
Rose asked, "Science geek? What does that mean?"
Martha replied, "That you're obsessively enthusiastic about it."
Rose mumbled, "She should've seen the Doctor."
Francine entered and called, "Martha."
Martha turned and looked at her mother as if she hadn't seen her in years and said, "Mum!" She gave her mother a big hug."
Francine asked, "Oh. All right, what's the occasion?"
Martha asked, "What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you, that's all."
Francine said dryly, "You saw me last night."
Martha faltered, "I know. I just... miss you. You're looking good, Leo."
Leo said, "Yeah. If anyone asks me to fetch 'em a drink, I'll swing for him."
Francine noticed Rose standing a bit behind Martha and said, "You disappeared last night."
Martha replied, "I... just went home."
Francine asked, "Alright. And who's this?"
Martha said, "This is a friend of mine, Rose Tyler. We've been doing some work together."
Rose shook Leo's hand and Francine's hand and said, "Lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones." Then Rose turned to Martha and asked, "Have you told her yet?"
Francine asked, "Told me what?"
Rose winced and replied, "Oh, you know, that we're going travelling together."
Martha glared daggers at Rose as Francine asked, "Travelling? Where, exactly?"
Rose replied, "Oh... you know... here and there."
Their conversation was cut short, as they heard a tapping on glass. Lazarus announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I'm going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you'll awake to a world which will be changed forever." He entered a cabinet.
Two female technicians started the machinery from a bank of instruments behind the cabinet. There was a high-pitched whir and a bright blue light as four pillars began to spin individually creating an energy field. They began to rotate around the cabinet, going faster and faster. A warning klaxon went off.
Rose said, "Something's wrong. It's overloading."
The technicians tried to stop it, but some of the panels exploded, sending off sparks. Rose leapt over a desk and aimed her sonic screwdriver at the controls. An old lady ordered, "Somebody stop her! Get her away from those controls!"
Rose said, "If this thing goes off, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?" She pulled one of the main wires that connected to the cabinet and it slowly stopped spinning. Martha ran to the door and Rose ran to join her. "Get it open!" Rose said.
They opened the door and watched as, through the smoke, Lazarus emerged looking 40 years younger. Photographers snapped away as Martha and Rose looked on amazed. Lazarus touched his face, realizing it worked. He stepped completely out and stood before his machine and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am 76 years old and I am reborn!" He held his arms up in triumph as everyone clapped.
The old lady said, "He did it. He actually did it." People were taking the opportunity to have their photograph taken with Lazarus.
Martha watched as Rose studied the machine. Martha said, "It can't be the same guy. It's impossible. It must be a trick."
Rose said, "Oh, it's not a trick. I wish it were."
Martha asked, "What just happened, then?"
Rose said, "He just changed what it means to be human."
Rose and Martha walked up behind Lazarus and Lady Thaw, the old lady from before. Rose, seeing that Lazarus was ravenous, said, "Energy deficit. Always happens with this kind of process."
Lazarus said, "You speak as if you see this every day, Ms...?"
Rose replied, "Rose Tyler. And, well, no, not every day, but I have some experience in this kind of transformation."
Lazarus said, "That's not possible."
Rose rambled off, "Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. That's... that's brilliant."
Lazarus said, "You understand the theory, then."
Rose replied, "Enough to know that you couldn't have allowed for all the variables."
Lazarus said, "No experiment is entirely without risk."
Rose said, "That thing nearly exploded. You may as well have stepped into a blender."
Lady Thaw put in, "You're not qualified to comment."
Rose said, "If I hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded."
Lazarus said, "Then I thank you, Rose, my dear. But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."
Martha said, "You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests."
Lazarus laughed, "Look at me! You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."
Lady Thaw said, "This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially."
Martha asked, "Commercially?! You are joking. That'll cause chaos."
Lazarus corrected, "Not chaos. Change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."
Rose said, "This isn't about improving. It's about you and your customers living a little longer."
Lazarus said, "Not a little longer, Rose. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely."
Lady Thaw said, "Richard, we have things to discuss. Upstairs." She walked away and Lazarus moved to follow her.
"Goodbye, Rose." He said, "In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were." He reached out and one after another took their hands, kissing the back of them before leaving.
Rose said, "Well, he's not out of his depth at all. No idea of the damage he might have done."
Martha asked, "So what do we do now?"
Rose replied with a smirk, "Now... well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own experiments."
Martha looked at their hands and said, "Lucky we've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?"
Rose beamed, "Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star." They headed off.
Martha and Rose were in a lab looking at the results of the DNA test on a computer screen. Rose mumbled, "Oh, Rassilon."
Martha asked, "What?"
Rose replied, looking up, "Lazarus's DNA."
Martha said, "I can't see anything different."
Rose said, "Look at it!" The image on the screen flickered.
Martha asked, "Oh, my God! Did that just change? But it can't have!"
Rose said, "But it did."
Martha argued, "It's impossible."
Rose said, "And that's two impossible things we've seen tonight. I hate it when that happens. Always means something bad."
Martha said, "That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns."
Rose rattled off, "Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands. Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate."
Martha said, "But they're still mutating now."
Rose replied, "'Cause he missed something. Something in his DNA's been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something that's trying to change him."
Martha asked, "Change him into what?"
Rose shrugged, "Dunno but I think we need to find out."
Martha said, "That woman said they were going upstairs."
Rose grinned, "Let's go!" They left the lab.
Rose and Martha stepped out of the lift and into Lazarus's office. Rose turned on the lights as Martha said, "This is his office, all right."
Rose asked, "So, where is he?"
Martha said, "Dunno. Let's try back at the reception." Sticking out from behind the desk, Martha spotted a pair of skeletal bones, wearing high heels. They rushed over to see the desiccated remains of Lady Thaw. Martha asked, "Is that Lady Thaw?"
Rose said, "Used to be. Now s'just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out. Like squeezing the juice out of an orange."
Martha said, "Lazarus."
Rose replied, "Could be."
Martha said, "So he's changed already."
Rose replied, "Not necessarily. You saw the DNA. It was shifting. The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough."
Martha asked in horror, "So he might do this again?"
Rose nodded grimly. They dashed back to the lifts.
Martha and Rose arrived back at the reception. Martha said, "I can't see him."
Rose said, "He can't be far. Keep looking." She walked on.
Leo strolled up to Martha and asked, "Hey, you all right, Martha? I think Mum wants to talk to you."
Martha asked, "Have you see Lazarus anywhere?"
Leo replied, "Yeah. He was getting' cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."
Rose joined them moments before Francine. Martha asked, "With Tish?!"
Francine said, "Ah, Ms Tyler."
Rose asked, "Where did they go?"
Leo replied, "Upstairs I think, why?"
Francine tried to get Rose's attention, "Rose..." Rose rushed past, spilling Francine's drink. Francine called, "I'm speaking to you!"
Martha followed Rose, stopping a moment to talk to her mother, "Not now, Mum!"
Rose and Martha arrived back at Lazarus's office. Martha asked, "Where are they?"
Rose took out the sonic screwdriver and said, "Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up." She held her sonic screwdriver out at arm's length and slowly turned in a circle. Its beeping increased. Rose said, "Got him."
Martha asked, "Where?" Rose ended up pointing the sonic screwdriver at the ceiling. Martha said, "But this is the top floor!" Roe gave her a look. "The roof!" They ran for the stairs.
Up on the roof, Tish stood beside Lazarus as they looked out over London. Tish remarked, "That clock tower's beautiful all lit up like that."
Lazarus said, "It's Southwark Cathedral. One of the oldest churches in London. Been around longer than I have."
Tish teased, "Well, you're looking pretty good for your age."
"Thank you."
Tish asked, "Can I?" She reached a hand out tentatively.
Lazarus smiled, "Of course."
Tish ran the back of her hand along Lazarus's cheek and he turned into the caress. Tish whispered, "Still can't take it in."
Lazarus agreed, "I'm still adjusting myself. I've been working toward it for too many years, it's hard to believe the moment's finally arrived."
Tish asked, "And is it like you expected?"
Lazarus replied, "I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect. There's always something to surprise you. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act...'
Rose's voice came from behind as she completed the quote, "'Falls the shadow'."
Lazarus turned to see Rose and Martha and commented, "So the mysterious Rose Tyler knows her Eliot. I'm impressed."
Tish asked, "Martha, what are you doing here?"
Martha ordered, "Tish, get away from him."
Tish said, "What? Don't tell me what to do."
Rose stated, "I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all."
Lazarus said, "You're right, Rose. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more would I get done in two or three or four?"
Rose said, "Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that matters; it's the person."
Lazarus said, "But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be."
Rose argued, "Or what a curse. Look at what you've done to yourself."
Lazarus asked, "Who are you to judge me?"
Martha called, "Over here, Tish."
Tish walked over to Martha and said, "You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault."
Behind Tish, Lazarus was having another attack. Martha said, "Tish, he's a monster!"
Tish argued, "I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones."
At the sound of growling, Tish slowly turned her head and saw a monster looking a cross between and human skeleton and a scorpion. It reared up. Rose shouted, "Run!" Rose, Martha and Tish raced inside and Rose sealed the lock with her sonic screwdriver.
Martha pressed the call button for the lift and asked Tish, "Are you okay?"
Tish said in horror, "I was gonna snog him."
Lazarus banged on the door, alerting the buildings automatic security. Sirens began to go off and a computerised warning came over the PA, "Security breach. Security breach. Security beach."
Martha asked, "What's happening?"
Tish replied, "Uh, an intrusion. It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts. Seals the exits."
Rose said, "He must be breaking through that door. The stairs, come on!" As they ran down the stairs, they heard the door crash open.
Martha shouted, "He's inside!"
Rose said, "Haven't got much time!"
Martha, Rose and Tish returned to the reception. Rose asked, "Tish! Is there another way out of here?"
Tish replied, "There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now."
Rose tossed the sonic screwdriver to Martha and said, "Martha, setting 54. Hurry."
Martha rushed off followed by Tish. Rose jumped on the platform in front of Lazarus's machine and announced, "Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"
A woman scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous. The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."
Glass shattered and Lazarus appeared on the landing above before leaping down to the reception floor. Martha and Tish rushed to open the door as everyone ran for the exits. Leo shouted, "Mum, get back!" He was hit by a table the monster sent flying.
Francine screamed, "Leo!"
Martha got the door open and called, "Over here! This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!"
Lazarus closed in on the woman who wouldn't believe Rose and she just stood there. Rose yelled at him, "No! Get away from her!" The woman screamed and Rose heard the sound of her being sucked dry before her shell fell to the floor. Francine was with Leo who slowly came to as Lazarus approached. Rose shouted, "Lazarus! Leave them alone!"
Martha went to help Leo. Francine called tearfully, "Martha."
Martha told Leo, "C'mon, stay with me." She took Francine and Leo to safety.
Rose asked, "What's the point if you can't control it? The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool, a vain old man who thought he could defy Nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!" Rose ran away from the reception hall and up through the hallways, Lazarus following.
Rose ran into a dark service hall filled with all sorts of pipes. She darted through quietly. Lazarus hissed, "It's no good, Rose. You can't stop me."
Rose asked, "Yeah? Is that the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong with your device?"
Lazarus said, "The arrogance is yours. You can't stand in the way of progress."
Rose asked, "You call feeding on innocent people progress? You're delusional!"
Lazarus replied, "It is a necessary sacrifice."
Rose said, "That's not your decision to make."
The power suddenly came on as the lights returned in the service hall and Rose was no longer hidden as she once was. Lazarus called, "Peek-a-boo."
Rose looked up to see Lazarus on the ceiling and said, "Oh, hello." She ran from the room.
Rose entered a lab. She fiddled with the battery of a light fixture, leaving wires exposed. She then turned on all the gas jets. She ducked down when she heard Lazarus, who asked, "More hide-and-seek, Rose? How disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?"
Rose asked, "Have you looked in the mirror lately?" She stood up, "Why would I wanna face that, huh?" Rose ran from the room, slicking a switch as she left, causing the room to explode behind her. Martha heard the crash and changed direction, running into Rose as she reached a corner. Rose asked, "What are you doing here?"
Martha said, "I'm returning this." She held out the sonic screwdriver, "I thought you might need it."
Rose took it and asked, "How did you...?"
Martha replied, "I heard the explosion. Guessed it was you."
Rose answered, "I think I just blasted Lazarus."
Martha asked, "Did you kill him?" Lazarus came crashing down the hall.
Rose turned back to Martha, "Maybe more sort of annoyed him, I'd say."
Rose and Martha were back in the reception room. Martha asked, "What now? We've just gone 'round in a circle!"
Lazarus burst in and Rose headed for the device and said, "We can't lead him outside. C'mon, get in." They both hid in the device where they were pressed together like sardines.
Martha asked, "Are we hiding?"
Rose replied, "No, he knows we're here. But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us."
Martha said, "But we're trapped!"
Rose mumbled, "Yeah, that's a slight problem."
Martha asked, "You mean you don't have a plan?"
Rose said, "Yes, the plan was to get inside here!"
Martha asked, "Then what?"
Rose replied, "Well... then I'd come up with another plan."
Martha said, "In your own time, then."
In the tight quarters, Rose had a hard time reaching into her pocket. Martha cried out, "Hey!"
Rose muttered, "Sorry, sorry, sorry." She pulled out the sonic screwdriver. "Here we are."
Martha asked, "What're you gonna do with that?"
Rose grinned, "Improvise." She slid down slowly to the floor and popped open a panel.
Martha said, "I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?"
Rose replied, "No, don't think so, for once it's human in origin." She used the sonic screwdriver on the wires attached to the panel.
Martha asked, "Human? How can it be human?"
Rose replied, "Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant."
Martha said, "So it's a throwback."
Rose said, "Some option that evolution rejected for you humans millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake." Rose continued to work on the wires.
Martha said, "It's like Pandora's box."
Rose replied, "Exactly. Nice shoes, by the way."
A blue light filled the capsule. Martha asked in fear, "Rose, what's happening?"
Rose said, "Sounds like he's switched the machine on."
Martha asked, "That's not good, is it?"
Rose replied, "I was hoping it was gonna take him a little bit longer to work that out."
The machine began to spin. Martha said, "I don't want to hurry you, but..."
Rose said, "I know, I know. Nearly done."
Martha asked, "What're you doin'?"
Rose replied, "Trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."
Martha asked, "Will that kill him?"
Rose said, "When he transforms, he's three times his size, cellular triplication, so he's spreading himself thin."
Martha cried out, "We're gonna end up like him!"
Rose mumbled, "Just one more!" Rose pulled a wire and the energy field changed, moving out from the capsule, knocking Lazarus away. Rose opened the door and stepped out, Martha right behind her.
Martha said in relief, "I thought we were gonna go through the blender then."
Rose said, "Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must be a bit out of practice."
Lazarus was lying in human form, naked, on the floor. Martha said, "Oh God. He seems so... human again. It's kind of pitiful."
Rose replied, "Eliot saw that, too. 'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.'"
Medical services came to take the body, carrying it out on a gurney in a bag. Martha and Rose watched from the steps. The first to see them was Tish, who said, "She's here. Oh, she's all right." Tish hugged Martha.
Rose smiled, "Mrs Jones, we still haven't finished our chat."
Francine tried to slap her on the face but Rose caught her hand before she could, eyes glowing. Francine pulled it out of Rose's grip and said, "Stay away from my daughter!"
Martha asked, "Mum, what are you doing?"
Francine told her, "She is dangerous! I've been told things."
Martha asked, "What are you talking about?"
Francine took Martha by the shoulders and said, "Look around you! Nothing but death and destruction!"
Martha said, "This isn't her fault. She saved us, all of us!"
Leo said, "It was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place. I'd say technically, it's her fault." Tish elbowed Leo in the side.
There was a crash and Rose looked at Martha before running off. Martha went to follow but Francine held her back and said, "Leave her."
Martha shook her head and ran after Rose. Tish called, "Martha?"
Francine said, "Not you, too?"
Tish said, "Sorry." She joined up with Rose and Martha as they ran down the street where they saw the ambulance, the doors open and the medics merely husks.
Rose said, "Lazarus, back from the dead. Should've known, really." She took out the sonic screwdriver and searched for Lazarus like she did earlier.
Martha asked, "Where's he gone?"
Rose replied, "That way. The church."
Tish said, "Cathedral. It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me."
Inside the cathedral, they proceeded up the nave, Rose in front with the sonic screwdriver held out in front of her. Martha asked, "Do you think he's in here?"
Rose asked, "Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" They moved forward through the empty cathedral to the open space behind the altar and underneath the bell tower.
Lazarus sat there gasping, a red blanket from the ambulance wrapped about him. "I came here before." He said, "A lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat there, just a child... the sound of planes and bombs outside."
Rose whispered, "The Blitz."
Lazarus said, "You've read about it."
Rose replied, "I was there. Hung from a barrage balloon a Union Jack across my chest."
Lazarus scoffed, "You're too young."
Rose retorted, "So are you."
Lazarus laughed but it soon turned to gasps of pain as he fought the mutation. Lazarus said, "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again." Rose walked around Lazarus slowly, looking up at the bell tower. Martha watched, knowing she was planning something. Lazarus continued, "So defenceless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."
Rose said, "That's what you were trying to do today."
Lazarus corrected, "That's what I did today."
Rose asked, "What about the other people who died?"
Lazarus replied, "They were nothing. I changed the course of history."
Rose said, "Any of them might have done, too. You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."
Lazarus said, "No, Rose. Avoiding death. That's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fibre of being. I'm doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more... successful." Lazarus groaned in pain as his body tried to change.
Rose said, "Look at yourself! You're mutating! You've no control over it! You call that a success?"
Lazarus said, "I call it progress. I'm more now that I was. More than just an ordinary human."
Rose said, "There's no such thing as an ordinary human."
Martha whispered, "He's gonna change again at any minute."
Rose whispered back, "I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work."
Martha whispered, "Up there?" Rose nodded.
Lazarus said, "You're so sentimental, Rose. Maybe you are older than you look."
Rose said, "I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you. Tired of watching everything turn to dust." She squatted beside Lazarus. "If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you end up alone."
Lazarus replied, "That's a price worth paying."
Rose asked, "Is it?"
Lazarus felt the change again and he said, "I will feed soon."
Rose retorted, "And I'm not gonna let that happen."
Lazarus said, "You've not been able to stop me so far."
Martha came up behind Lazarus and said, "Leave her, Lazarus! She's old and bitter. Thought you had a taste for fresher meat."
Rose whispered, "Martha, no."
Lazarus snarled and chased after Martha. Tish ran with her. Martha asked, "What are you doing?"
Tish replied, "Keeping you out of trouble!"
Martha called, "Rose! The tower!" Martha and Tish ran up the narrow spiral staircase that lead to the upper level. Lazarus followed and began screaming.
Tish asked, "Did you hear that?"
Martha said, "He's changed again. We've got to lead him up."
Down below, Rose looked for them. "Where are they? Martha?!"
Martha peered out of one of the archways in the upper level and shouted, "Rose!"
Rose said, "Take him to the top, the very top of the bell tower, d'you hear me?!"
Martha leant out from a stone passageway and shouted, "Up to the top!"
Tish whispered, "Martha..."
Lazarus was making his way along the passage. Martha shouted to Rose, "Then what?"
Tish said, "Martha, come on!" The two sisters ran.
Rose ran to the large pipe organ and sat on the bench. She then pulled out the sonic screwdriver and grinned, "Hypersonic sound waves. Brilliant." She jammed the screwdriver into a slot in the organ and began to pull out all the stops.
Martha and Tish arrived at the top of the bell tower, which was a circular walkway with wooden rails. Tish cried out, "There's nowhere to go! We're trapped!"
Martha said, "This is where she said to bring him."
Tish said, "All right, so we're not trapped. We're bait."
Martha argued, "She knows what she's doing. We have to trust her."
Lazarus hissed, "Ladies." He entered, blocking the only doorway.
Martha said, "Stay behind me. If he takes me, make a run for it. Head down the stairs, you should have enough time."
Tish said, "But..."
Martha ordered, "Just do it, Tish!"
Lazarus attacked, swinging down his tail.
Down at the organ Rose heard the commotion and looked up. One of the girls screamed. Rose muttered, "I hope its good acoustic in here."
As Lazarus continued his attack, Rose began playing the organ. Lazarus knocked away part of the wall. Martha was hit by his tail and fell over, clinging to the edge. Tish shouted, "Martha!" Lazarus leapt across to stand over Martha. Tish said, "Hold on! Get away from her!"
Rose played more frantically but it wasn't having the desired effect. She pulled out the sonic screwdriver and reset the volume of the organ. Rose said, "We need to turn this up to 11." She resumed playing.
Up in the bell tower, Tish held her head in agony as the sound waved from the organ resonate in the tight space. Lazarus began to writhe. Martha tried to hold on. Lazarus toppled over the edge and fell to the floor below. Rose stopped and looked down. Lazarus returned to human form. As Martha was about to fall, Tish grabbed her arm and said, "I've got you. Hold on."
Rose called, "Martha?!"
Tish pulled Martha back onto the walkway and they both sobbed in relief. Martha called, "I'm okay! We're both okay!" She said to Tish, "Thanks."
Tish said, "It's your Rose you should be thanking."
Martha smiled and said, "Told you she'd think of something."
Tish laughed shakily, "She cut it a bit fine there, didn't she?"
Martha replied, "She always does. It's more fun that way."
Tish asked, "Who is she?"
Martha replied, "She's... she's Rose Tyler."
Rose knelt by Lazarus's body. As she closed Lazarus's eyes, the body became old again. She then ran to the stairs where she hugged Martha. Martha said, "I didn't know you could play?"
Rose laughed, "Well, if you hang around Beethoven, you're bound to pick somethin' up."
Martha and Rose were standing in front of the TARDIS in Martha's flat. Rose said, "Alright, you ready?"
Martha hefted her bag and said, "Yep. Thank you so much for letting me come."
Rose grinned, "Well, you were never really just a passenger, were you?" They entered the TARDIS and it dematerialized.
