Riley roughly landed on the ground, letting out a soft groan and clutching her head. The jump definitely wasn't as bad as last time but it still hurt all the same, knocking the wind out of her and making her head pound. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the bright sunlight and peered around before letting out a large gasp.
In front of her, looking like something from a fairy tale, was a city. Huge, towering skyscrapers shot up from the sky, some buildings reaching far up past the clouds. A line of flying cars lead in and out of the city, speeding past at a steady pace. The city stood on the banks of a lake, Riley gazing at the marvel on the other side. It was unlike anything she's seen, definitely not on Earth unless this was tremendously far in the future.
Peering down she saw grass, real life grass, and lightly ran her hands through it, the feeling exactly like she remembered. It even smelled the same, though had a slightly sweet aroma to it. Something so common as grass juxtaposed against a futuristic city. Simply short of amazing.
She looked around, putting her hair in a ponytail as the winds battled against the coastline, and tried to find a big blue box. But, there was nothing, the hill she was on was empty, everyone else probably in the city instead. Riley wondered where she could find the Doctor, having no idea how to get to the city let alone navigate it so she opted for an alternative instead.
Plopping down on the grass, Riley laid out, relaxing as she studied the city across the lake. Enough of her trying to find the Doctor, about time the tables were turned.
She stayed like that for a good amount of time, stunned that it was truly there. Not in a picture or even a video but literally in front of her, able to be touched. She could see why the Doctor did this, traveling around in time and space. Sights like these were truly spectacular.
Then, a whirring noise shot through the field, clearly sounding despite the cars flying overhead and wind picking up. Riley's eyes grew wide when there, only a few yards in front of her, the TARDIS materialized, seeming appearing from literally thin air. So that's what happened when it moved.
The sounded ended with a thud before a squeaking door could be heard, the Doctor stepping out. "It's the year five billion and twenty three," he explained, his voice sounding different than the previous one she saw. "We're in the galaxy M87, and this? This . . . is New Earth." Riley immediately shot up, walking around the side of the TARDIS and watching the pair look on. She instantly recognized the 2nd Doctor she saw, along with Rose's blonde hair.
"That's just. That's just," she could hear Rose stammering, laughing as she stared out to the city in complete disbelief.
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never," the girl laughed. "Different ground beneath my feet," she started jumping up and down, as if testing the ground, "different sky. What's that smell?"
The Doctor bent down, plucking a blade of grass and taking a smell. "Apple grass," he explained. Riley rolled her eyes, of course a future city would genetically engineer an apple smell into its grass.
"It's beautiful," Rose sighed, looking out into the city before grasping the Doctor's arm. "Oh, I love this. Can I just say, travelling with you, I love it."
"It is spectacular!" Riley exclaimed, causing the two to turn around.
Rose immediately ran up to her, embracing the girl in a hug and surprising Riley. "Riley! I thought you had left!"
"And where would I be going?" she laughed, returning the hug. She hadn't known Rose for long but definitely enjoyed her spunk and quick thinking while in 10 Downing. "Doctor," she smiled at the man, who only gave a small wave in return. She couldn't read his face, a cross between happy to see her and nervousness.
Rose broke the hug, looking her over. "Hang on, how long has this been for you?"
"10 Downing was only a week ago for me," Riley explained as she watched Rose's eyes grow wide. "I take it, it's been longer for you?"
"Just a bit, yeah," Rose gave a nervous laugh, running a hand through her hair. She glanced between Riley, the Doctor, and New Earth, embracing the whole experience. "This is all just amazing. New planet, time travel, people jumping between timelines," she nudged Riley's side.
"Well we don't just have to view it from a distance, come on!" the Doctor smiled, grabbing both Riley and Rose's hands and pulling them down the hill.
They found another spot on the hill, the Doctor laying out his long coat as the three relaxed and looked at the city. This time, the Doctor explained everything, Riley hanging on every word as he pointed out the main government buildings and sports arenas. How the area was protected from flooding and the laws of driving a flying machine. Riley couldn't believe she was here, on an actual planet.
"You called this New Earth," Riley stated after a break in the conversation. "What do you mean 'new'?"
"Right, so, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted," he explained, causing Riley to give out a laugh.
"Five billion, cannot believe we're this far forward."
"That was our first date," Rose smiled at the Doctor.
He returned the smile, thinking back on the events. "We had chips."
"Pretty impressive place for a date," Riley said, smiling at the two. "Can't say any of my boyfriends lived up to that."
"Don't worry, Riley," Rose teased. "I'm sure you'll meet a man who will take you somewhere equally impressive."
"Ha, that will be the day," she shrugged off, peering at the city yet again. "So Old Earth gets swallowed by the sun but I take it the humans don't die off?"
"Exactly, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but then find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in."
"What's the city called?" Rose asked.
"New New York."
"Ah!" Riley laughed, rolling her eyes. "You're joking. Develop a whole new planet modeled off of the Earth and they just slap a 'new' onto it?"
"It really is, that's the city of New New York." The Doctor thought for moment. "Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York." He smiled at the girls, both of whom were looking on in amazement and shock. "What?"
"You're so different," Rose said quietly, looking the man over who was and wasn't her Doctor at the same time.
"They're all different," Riley nodded towards him. "Different personalities, different faces but . . ." She trailed off, still finding a common core between them all. So different yet similar at the same time.
"New New Doctor," he grinned at them, peering out onto the city.
"Can we go visit New New York?" Rose asked, standing up off the apple grass. "A place so good they named it twice?"
"15 times really," Riley nudged her, looking out on the city. "They did a good job recreating it, the Upper Bay and Hudson look big enough," she pointed out to the body of water, just now realizing exactly what she was looking at, or at least what they engineered it to look like. "Did they bring over the Statue of Liberty? I don't see it anywhere."
"You've been to New York? The original one I mean," Rose asked as the Doctor and Riley stood up. The Doctor grabbed his coat, picking it up and brushing it off.
Riley paused for a moment. "I must have, cannot remember when or why," she said disheartenedly, the feeling becoming all too familiar. The Doctor looked at her curiously but kept his mouth shut.
"Alright, so what should we see first?" she asked the girl, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Out of all the places in New York, what new and updated version would be exciting to see?"
"Actually," the Doctor spoke up, putting his coat back on. "I thought we might go there first." He pointed to a large building on the same side of the river, isolated from any other skyscrapers or buildings. Multiple cars were flying in and out of the area, the building itself looking very elegant with curved architecture and a thin green quarter moon symbol on the side.
"Why? What is it?"
"Some sort of hospital," he explained, pointing to the side of the building. "Green moon on the side. That's the universal symbol for hospitals. I got this," he pulled out a thin wallet, opening a flap to reveal a blank white piece of paper. "A message on the psychic paper."
"What message-" Riley stopped herself, her eyes growing wide as she saw words start to form on the page, as if an invisible hand was writing them down. On it read 'Ward 26. Please Come.' "Psychic paper?"
"It's psychic," he explained, handing her the thin wallet.
Riley couldn't help but roll her eyes. "And did you know water is wet?" she sarcastically asked. "How can a paper be psychic?"
"It's truly psychic, exactly what it sounds like," he laughed, brushing off her remark. "Usually, when shown to a person it prints whatever the user wants or expects to see. Credentials, identification, messages. But this, well, someone with a very impressive psychic ability placed this message. I would like to see who they are."
"Very impressive," Riley laughed, handing the wallet back.
"And I thought we were just sight-seeing," Rose teased, linking arms with the Doctor and Riley. "Come on, then. Let's go and buy some grapes."
"Oooh, I haven't had grapes in ages!"
They all walked to the large hospital, the coastline giving a nice breeze during their stroll. The Doctor and Rose reminisced about their first 'date' of when the sun expanded. Apparently it was a whole event, aliens from all across the galaxy coming to watch the great Earth be destroyed by the sun. Then there was the crazy trampoline not-quite-human lady who tried to kill them all for monetary gain. What is up with aliens and schemes to get rich through death?
"Hopefully this little detour will be quick," the Doctor muttered, placing his hands in his pockets as they entered the front entrance. "Then we can go inside the city, see the exciting stuff."
"Thought you were interested in seeing who left you the message?"
"Na, it's not that it's . . .just hospitals in general. Not a fan of hospitals."
"Your name is the Doctor," Riley laughed, poking him in the arm.
Rose agreed, looking at the Time Lord curiously. "That's a bit rich coming from you."
He merely shrugged. "I can't help it, I don't like hospitals. They give me the creeps."
They all entered the front doors, stopping to look around the immaculate clean and light lobby. It all looked extremely posh and new, not a single piece of old technology, furniture, or even nasty old carpet. The Doctor lead them through, seemingly knowing where to go and Riley couldn't help but notice these nuns dressed completely in white. Otherwise, everyone else looked human, completely ordinary humans. She couldn't remember being in a hospital before but seeing so many nuns walk around seemed . . . odd. Were all the hospitals run by religious organizations in the future?
"Very smart," Rose quietly commented as the decor. "Not exactly the NHS."
"No shop." The Doctor, on the other hand, seemed to be looking for something else entirely. "I like the little shop."
"I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything," she wondered, looking around.
"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war," the Doctor explained.
"Superbugs then?" Riley raised an eyebrow, slightly disappointed that disease and illness still existed. Still, it made sense that they would stick around. "As we evolved, so did they?"
"Exactly, the bacteria and viruses constantly fight off any vaccine or medicine, constantly evolving to stay alive. It's an endless cycle."
"But are we safe?" Riley asked, suddenly very mindful of not touching everything and not taking deep breathes. "I doubt my vaccines are all up to date."
"Nothing major to worry about," the Doctor brushed off. "The TARDIS would have given you any vaccine you needed. Just don't go around kissing aliens," he patted her on the shoulder but Riley still wasn't 100% convinced. How can a machine give vaccines? Did it pump something in the air system?
"They're cats," Rose whispered, pointing to one of the nuns who just walked by.
Riley looked around, seeing another nun with her face uncovered. Lo and behold they were truly cats, well, humanoid cats complete with fur and whiskers but walking upright just like a human. She couldn't help but feel shocked as well, definitely not expecting that under the wimple. Since when were cats religious?
"Now, don't stare," the Doctor whispered back, giving a mocking scold. "Think what you look to them. All pink and yellow." he then became distracted again, ignoring the shocked look on Rose's face. "That's where I'd put the shop, right there," he pointed before walking away.
Riley patted Rose on the shoulder. "Better looking than the Slitheen, wouldn't you say?" she laughed before rushing off towards the Doctor.
"Ward 26, thanks," he said as he walked through a set of doors. Riley hesitantly followed, wondering why the lift, or what she assumed was a lift, was so odd looking. Futuristic she guessed. She turned, hearing the doors close behind them and saw Rose rushing towards them.
"Hold on! Hold on!" she yelled but right as she made it to the entrance, the doors slammed shut.
"Too late, we're going up!" he yelled down below. Riley watched the screen on the side, seeing their lift slowly rise.
"Alright, there's another lift!" Rose yelled back but the sound was getting muffled as the lift moved.
"Ward 26!" the Doctor yelled instructions down. "And watch out for the disinfectant."
"Watch out for what?"
"What do you mean by disinfectant?" Riley worriedly asked the Doctor.
"The what?"
"The disinfectant! Completely harmless!" he added on, seeing Riley's concerned state.
"The what?"
"The dis - oh, you'll find out," the Doctor gave up, rolling his eyes a bit.
Riley lightly whacked the Doctor's shoulder. "What's being disinfected?"
"We are," he answered as if it was clearly obvious. "All of these new viruses, visitors from other planets, or other times," he added with a wink. "They need to protect the patients."
"Commence stage one disinfection," a speaker calmly said over the PA system.
"What exactly does that-" but Riley was abruptly cut off, jumping as a stream of water fell from the ceiling. She couldn't help but give a little yelp, not expecting that to happen, and was soaked in a matter of seconds.
"Doctor!" she yelled, seeing the man run his hands through his hair as if he was taking a shower. The water was a bit cold but Riley couldn't remember the last time she took a proper shower, even though she still had her clothes on. She looked over at the Time Lord, seeing him completely drenched and enjoying the water and couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculously he looked, knowing she looked the same.
After a few minutes, the water stopped, draining down a grate in the floor, though droplets of water still hung onto their clothes and hair. A puff of white power shot out from the walls and ceiling, causing Riley to jump yet again and wonder what was just sprayed on her. Then, fans all around the lift turned on, blowing air to dry them off. Riley couldn't help but continuously laugh along with the Doctor, moving around to become completely dry.
"That's one way to take a shower," she commented as they stepped off the lift.
"Definitely in my top five ways to get clean," he said, leading her down the corridor. "We should visit the Crystalmere Clouds sometime, fantastic spa!"
One of the cat-nuns came along to escort them through the ward. Similar to the lobby the place looked sharp and clean with multiple windows giving the place a nice and comfortable feeling.
"Nice place," the Doctor commented as they entered the ward. There were about six patients in the room, each separated by long white tarps extended from the floor to ceiling. "No shop, downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one. Just a shop, so people can shop."
"You like to shop?" Riley asked the Doctor, not seeing him as the shopping type.
"Not necessarily, just something nice to have."
"The hospital is a place of healing," the nurse explained. Riley was half surprised that she could understand the cat, though she guessed most people in New New York would speak English.
"A shop does some people the world of good. Not me. Other people."
"Ignore him," Riley lightly patted him on the shoulder. "Sorry, first time in New New York. So the hospital is staffed by nuns?" Riley left off the cat part, thinking that might offend her.
She nodded. "The Sisters of Plentitude take a lifelong vow to help and to mend."
They passed by a rather large man who let out a groan. What surprised Riley was how he looked, a very blue-grey tint to his skin and wearing an elaborate robe, something very unusual to be wearing in a hospital. He looked to be in very bad shape, pain and sweat on his face.
"Excuse me!" Riley jumped before a very business-like woman stormed up, peering down at Riley in anger. "Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York."
"Duke?"
"That's Petrifold Regression, right?" the Doctor curiously asked but Riley doubted he needed confirmation, a worrying look on his face.
"I'm dying, sir," the Duke answered with a groan and sigh. "A lifetime of charity and abstinence, and it ends like this." Riley cringed, seeing the man in pain. She had to agree with him, that definitely did not look like a good way to die.
"Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance," the woman quickly added, glaring at the Doctor and Riley.
"Frau Clovis!" the Duke groaned, reaching out for the lady who instantly came to his side and tightly held his hand.
"Sister Jatt, a little privacy, please," the woman, Frau Clovis, requested. The Doctor and Riley immediately obliged, walking away with Sister Jatt.
Jatt the Cat Riley thought in her head, chuckling a little.
"He'll be up and about in no time," the nun confidently said, causing Riley to come back to reality and raise an eyebrow in disbelief.
The Doctor agreed with her. "I doubt it. Petrifold Regression? He's turning to stone. There won't be a cure for oh, a thousand years? He might be up and about, but only as a statue."
Riley lightly whacked him. "The man is dying," she whispered, glancing back for a moment.
"Have faith in the Sisterhood," Sister Jatt smiled at the pair, completely confident in their ability. "But is there no one here you recognise? It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient."
The Doctor looked around for a bit, Riley not even bothering since she couldn't remember anyone anyway and noticed him stop searching. "No, I think I found him." He was looked at the far end of the hall at an alien unlike any Riley has seen. It was a giant face, literally a giant face with its eyes closed as if it was sleeping, in an extremely large half-glass container filled with some sort of fluid.
They slowly walked over to him, Sister Jatt handing them off to another nurse. "Novice Hame, if I can leave this gentleman in your care?"
"Oh, I think my friend got lost. Rose Tyler," The Doctor told Jatt before she left. "Could you ask at reception?"
"She's human, blond, and wearing a purple top, shouldn't be hard to miss," Riley added as the nurse nodded and walked away.
The Doctor and Riley peered down at the alien, silent and barely moving.
"I'm afraid the Face of Boe is asleep," Novice Hame quietly said. She was another cat nurse but looked far younger and kinder. "That's all he tends to do these days. Are you a friend or . . ."
"We met just the once on Platform One," the Doctor explained. Riley recognized the name from the end of the Earth story Rose and the Doctor told on the way over.
"I'm meeting him for the first time," Riley explained, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the whole situation. Meeting a man, well alien, who you've never met before in the hospital wasn't exactly pleasant. "Is he sick?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Hame said quietly, looking at the pair in pity. "I thought you knew. The Face of Boe is dying."
Riley sadly glanced down. It didn't look like it but, since he was in the same ward as the man with Petrifold Regression, it seemed logical.
"Of what?" the Doctor whispered.
"Old age. One thing we can't cure," she sadly said. "He's thousands of years old. Some people say millions, although that's impossible."
"Oh, I don't know. I like impossible," the Doctor gave a small smile, one which Riley gave in return. Even know she's only known him for a week, he was practically the definition of impossible. A creature being millions of years old didn't seem entirely unimaginable.
He slowly crouched down to be at eye level with the Face of Boe, gesturing Riley to join him. Timidly, Riley came down, peering at the alien through the glass. He looked peaceful sleeping and she could definitely believe the claims about his age. Dark, deep wrinkles were marked throughout his face, even along the forehead, chin, and cheeks. She wondered what kind of species he was and how he could just be a giant head.
"I'm here," the Doctor whispered, placing a hand on the glass. "I look a bit different, but it's me. It's the Doctor, and I've brought along Riley."
The Face of Boe gave a small sigh but otherwise remained silent, still sound asleep.
xXx
They stayed for a good amount of time, waiting for the Face of Boe to wake up and find out why he summoned the Doctor. Hame stayed by his side the whole time, watching the bag of fluids and keeping an eye on him. Riley sat on the floor, her back lightly pressed against the side of the container housing the alien. She found the bubbles and other instruments maintaining his body comforting, a low constant flow similar to rain, as she stared out of the windows. A fantastic view of New New York was in the distance, the streams of cars coming to and through and the clouds gently rolling by. If she wasn't in a hospital, she would find the whole place relaxing.
"Here," the Doctor smiled down, handing her a glass of water, or at least she assumed it was water, before handing one to Hame.
"That's very kind. There's no need," Hame lightly said, taking the water from him.
"You're the one working," he shrugged, walking over to the window and looking out.
"There's not much to do," she admitted, "just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company."
Riley smiled up at the nurse. "I bet you're doing a load of good. Just having someone with you can make a world of difference."
"Thank you, you're both very kind. But with him sleeping so much, I wonder how much I can really help . . . I can hear him singing, sometimes, in my mind. Such ancient songs."
"In your mind?"
"He communicates telepathically," Hame explained, causing the girl to raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"That explains the whole psychic paper, then," Riley pointed to the Doctor's pocket, which he lightly patted.
"Have there been any other visitors?" he asked the nurse.
"The rest of Boe-kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left," Hame explained. Riley felt instantly worse for the alien, not being able to imagine being the last of your species. No one to grow old with, remember the past, or even truly share the same culture. That would be heartbreaking.
"Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him," Hame said excitedly, particularly liking this part next. "One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret, that he will speak those words only to one like himself."
"What does that mean?"
Hame laughed. "It's just a story."
"Tell us the rest." Riley was hanging on every word, fascinated by this particular tidbit about the alien.
"It's said he'll talk to a wanderer. To the man without a home. The lonely God."
Riley glanced up to the Doctor, slightly shocked at this revelation. That sounded oddly like him, traversing the universe, literally wandering into trouble. She slowly stood up, looking at him curiously. "Doctor," she said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He was also in a daze, though seemed to come out of it at her touch, looking around for a moment before clearing his throat. "Right, where is Rose?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject. He wandered off, leaving Riley along with the nurse and alien.
"Is he alright?" Hame asked with concern, worried that she said the wrong thing.
Riley brushed him off. "Just fine, worried about our friend is all," she smiled at the cat lady. "Have to say, I don't think he expected to find him here."
"First time visiting the hospital?"
Riley paused for a moment, glancing out of the window before nodding her head. "It is for me, first time in New New York." She didn't let on that it was the first time on this planet, or any planet other than Earth for that matter.
"Oh you'll love it," Hame smiled, also glancing out the window. "The Empire Colony Building, Times Circle, so many places to visit!"
Riley bit her lip, wondering how Times Square became Times Circle but pushed that question aside. Knowing that a Times Square even existed would be a hard thing to explain. "Have you been working here long?"
"Fairly short, at least compared to the others," she admitted slightly abashedly. "Looking after the Face of Boe was my first real assignment."
"And is this the only hospital in New New York?" Riley asked, immensely curious about the entire city.
"Yes and with a tremendous success rate," Hame added, though she didn't look exactly proud of the fact. "We cure nearly everything that enters these doors."
Riley was about to ask how exactly they could cure everything when a booming laugh echoed throughout the ward. Riley glanced over, finding the sound coming from the Duke of Manhattan, an absolute 180 from his previous state.
The Doctor walked over from the telephones, also curious and motioned for Riley to join him.
"Excuse me Novice Hame," Riley smiled at the girl before heading over to the Duke.
"It's that couple again!" he pointed at the pair as they came into view. "My good luck charms!"
They both awkwardly smiled at the display, Riley surprised to see him so . . . not blue and grey and all stone-like.
"Come in! Don't be shy!" the Duke announced, once again laughing.
The tightly wound woman spoke up. "Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract."
Riley brushed her off, not knowing how a friendship could even be worked into a legal contract.
"Winch me up. Up!" he laughed as a mechanism raised him from the bed. He showed off his skin. "Look at me. No sign of infection."
"Champagne, sir, ma'am?" Riley was shocked that a butler was standing there, carrying a tray of champagne glasses. In either case, giving a small shrug, Riley took one and raised a toast to the man before started drinking. The Doctor merely waved the butler off.
"Um, you had Petrifold Regression, right?" he asked, not quite grasping the situation or how it was even possible.
"'Had' being the operative word," he chuckled. "Past tense! Completely cured."
"That fast? How is that possible?" Riley asked, glancing up at the Doctor who merely shrugged, not having an answer. The man was literally on his deathbed only a few minutes ago and now he was up and drinking champagne as if the whole thing never happened.
"Primitive species would accuse us of magic." Riley couldn't help but jump as the voice behind them, not noticing another cat-nurse approaching them. "It's merely the tender application of science," she calmly explained to Riley and the Doctor.
"How on Earth did you cure him?" the Doctor asked in disbelief.
"How on New Earth, you might say."
Riley gave a small laugh, nudging the Doctor but he did not find the pun as amusing as her.
"What's in that solution?" he said, continuing his interrogation of the nurse.
"A simple remedy."
This answer, however, sounded a bit too odd to Riley. "If it's so simple, why even have a hospital? Wouldn't you sell it to the public, make it widely available?"
"And what exactly is in this 'simple remedy'?" the Doctor asked.
"I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality," the nurse answered, though she didn't seem that sorry at all. "I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp."
"I'm the Doctor and this is Riley," the Doctor answered. Riley held out her hand for Casp to shake but the nurse merely looked at it, completely ignoring the gesture.
"I think you'll find that we are the doctors here."
"Matron Casp, you're needed in intensive care." Another cat-nurse, Jatt from earlier, interrupted the trio, ushering Casp away.
"If you would excuse me."
The Doctor and Riley raised eyebrows at each other, finding that whole interaction quite odd. For something that could quickly cure a hideous disease, why wouldn't they want the world to know? Everything signaled that they were hiding something.
"You said there won't be a cure for a thousand years," Riley whispered to the Doctor. They were slowly walking around the ward, seeing patient after patient become miraculously healed, despite having a wide variety of diseases. "Could it be a time traveler? Snuck into the future, grabbed the medicine, and came back?"
"No," the Doctor shook his head, concentrating on the patient's. "Too many paradoxes would be created, it wouldn't be possible. Plus there are fail-safes out there, people and organizations who work to prevent that type of thing from happening."
"So they must have created the cure, here?"
"Seems like the logical explanation but . . . it's impossible," he breathed. "A cell washing cascade!" he exclaimed, making Riley jump. "They found a cure for Marconi's Disease, not just a cure but one that speeds the process. Years of treatments and bed rest to a matter of days! All of this is just so advanced!"
But Riley was half paying attention, slowing to barely a walk and she looked around. Everyone was talking or resting, the sounds of a regular hospital ward, but Riley heard humming, the sound piercing over everything else. She searched, trying to find the source but no one looked to be humming or even singing. Where was it coming from?
They had come back to the Face of Boe, the Doctor scanning the bags of solutions with his sonic screwdriver while peering at the readings. He hardly noticed Riley's perplexed and slightly frightened look.
Then Riley remembered, the Face of Boe could communicate telepathically. She crouched in front of the tank, seeing that he was still asleep but the hummed melody grew louder. The song seemed oddly familiar to Riley, though she couldn't quite pin down where or when she had heard it. But it made her sad, feeling a longing of some sort.
He must be dreaming, Riley thought, watching the Doctor fiddle with the solutions before bouncing to the next patient. She was about to get up to follow when she heard a response.
Merely resting, Riley. After you've been alive for as long as I have, you learn to enjoy the moments of peace.
Riley frantically looked around the room, trying to see if anyone else had heard that. She had heard another voice in her mind, a totally new voice that was absolutely not her own.
You're not going crazy, Sunshine. This is the Face of Boe. Riley could hear him chuckle in her mind.
So, the whole telepathic thing, this is how it works? She felt weird speaking to another voice inside her head, very unnatural.
The very same. He gave a little sigh, his voice full of dismay. You look so young.
I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not Riley thought, making the Face of Boe chuckle again.
But the same all the less. Riley, how early is this for you? Do you know why you're jumping around the Doctor's timeline?
Riley paused, looking at the Face of Boe with curiosity and a bit of shock, wondering how he could know about her jumping, let alone that she's with the Doctor. How do you know about that?
But he ignored the question. You'll know in time, don't worry. Though in the meantime, there is something very important you have to do. Riley focused her attention at the Face of Boe, slightly shocked that he would be telling her anything remotely related to her past. She guessed he wasn't one to beat around the bush. Despite what the Doctor says or what he warns against, you must fix yourself into events.
Fix myself into events? What exactly does that mean?
Take actions, save lives, do things that would otherwise not happen if you were not present. Weave yourself into small, pocket paradoxes.
Riley couldn't help but laugh at this, the whole important message sounded a bit ridiculous. Paradoxes? Don't those have a end-of-the-universe consequence?
Not always. Riley could sense him give a little shrug despite not moving in the tank. Take this one for instance. I give you this warning, then you will tell my future self to tell your past self the information. Paradox formed and ended, no end-of-the-universe.
Riley paused, questionably peering at the alien. Exactly who is this person? Have we met before, in my past? You know I've lost my memory, right?
Yes, Sunshine, your memory loss and events surrounding it are well-known by me. We have met in my past, many many years ago but you have yet to truly meet me in your future.
Truly meet me? What does that mean?
There isn't enough time, you need to go to the Doctor and find what the Sisters of Plentitude are up to.
Riley looked over, finding that Rose finally made it to Ward 26, about time. She also looked . . . different. Her shirt had turned more revealing, displaying some cleavage, her hair less conservative, and her overall walk just seemed, not Rose-like. The Doctor was showing her around, most likely catching her up on their findings, before they walked away from the Ward and down another hallway.
"Damn," Riley muttered, seeing her rides walk away. She pointed to the Face of Boe. We're not done yet. Once . . . whatever this is is all over, we're going to have a nice long chat.
He chuckled. I'll be waiting right here, Sunshine.
Riley hurried to where the Doctor and Rose had disappeared, definitely not wanting to get lost in the hospital. She also wanted to see what was up with Rose and ask where her jacket had gone.
Turning a corner, she found the Doctor standing in the middle of a corridor, seemingly staring at Rose's retreating figure. Rose, on the other hand, continued forward, not even waiting for the Doctor to follow.
"Yep, still got it," the Doctor muttered, running a hand through his hair.
"Still got what?" Riley asked, walking up to the Doctor's side.
She had never seen a person blush so much in response, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "I, well - Rose just, she-" He cleared his throat, maintaining his composure. "Don't go wandering off again," he told her before following Rose.
"You were the one who wandered off," Riley rolled her eyes before following the duo. They stopped in front of a screen in the wall, looking over the information flashing on the screen. "What are we looking for?"
Rose gave a little jump, not noticing the girl come along as well. "Oh, it's you," she muttered.
"Yeah, did you expect Ben Casey?" Riley raised her eyebrow at the remark, wondering why Rose would have that type of reaction.
"Something unusual but nothing looks odd from the schematics. Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. No sign of a shop. They should have a shop.," the Doctor answered for her, still peering at the screen and still hung up on the fact that they don't have a shop.
"Maybe that's what's curing everyone, because they don't have a shop?" Riley joked. She swore she saw a small grin on the Doctor's face but Rose was stoic as ever.
"No, it's missing something else," Rose said, stepping forward and looking more closely at the screen. Riley was a bit surprised, noticing Rose's voice had changed all of sudden. "When I was downstairs, those nurse-cat-nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?"
"You're right. Well done."
"Why would they hide a whole department?"
"And not just any department," Riley spoke up. "It's not exactly an odd thing to have in a hospital. And if the people in Ward 26 are not in intensive care, what is? What diseases would be included?"
"Intensive care has got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame," she all but commanded the Doctor, who looked a bit shocked.
"What if the sub-frame's locked?"
"Try the installation protocol," Rose responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Dang, guess you really pick up things when you travel with the Doctor," Riley muttered.
"Yeah, of course. Sorry, hold on," the Doctor said slightly sarcastically as he began to search with this sonic screwdriver.
In a matter of seconds, a great piece of machinery sounded and an entire portion of the wall slid down. The trio backed up, Riley shocked to see a hidden passage inside a hospital, and watched the wall slide into the ground, giving a resounding thud. Behind a wall was a wide passage, though notably different than the pristine wall and corridors of the main hospital. Instead, they seemed to have stumbled into the inner belly of the hospital, complete with wires, grease, and dust.
Riley looked over to Rose, seeing a very determined look on her face and finding the Doctor giving a glance at the girl, his expression a bit worrisome. Then, Rose confidently strode forward, not even giving a second glance behind her back. Sharing a glance with the Doctor, they followed.
"Intensive Care," the Doctor announced. "Certainly looks intensive."
"Though not exactly sanitary," Riley commented, running a finger along the wall a leaving a very noticeable streak.
They walked through the corridor, finding it empty out into a massive room with metal staircases and walkways filled with wires and tubes running all across the wall. It looked like a maintenance area of some kind but, rather than having generators and other equipment, it was rather empty. Instead, all along the walls were rows and rows of acid-green ovals, at least thousands of them. Definitely not something you would find in a hospital, or at least to Riley's knowledge.
The Doctor lead them through the area, turning down another hallway with the same set of green oval wall decorations. He stopped at one and opened it with his sonic screwdriver.
Riley assumed something had to be inside the pod-like things but definitely didn't expect this. Inside was a very small room, barely big enough to fit a chair, and it was filled with wires with glowing green splatters on the wall. What was shocking though was the fact people were inside, humans who were sitting upright and conscience but otherwise barely moving. They wore simply green and dirty medical garments but were completely covered in red and pussing boils all across his skin. He looked sick, much sicker than those in Ward 26.
"That's disgusting. What's wrong with him?" Rose asked with disgust.
But the Doctor ignored her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he said mournfully before closing the door, the man inside barely registering he was being looked at.
The Doctor then continued to the next pod, opening the door to reveal the same conditions but a young woman inside, her skin also covered with sickness.
"What disease is that?" Rose asked.
"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything," the Doctor said, his voice very harsh and trying to keep his emotions in check.
"But what about us?" Rose spoke up, making the Doctor and Riley share a glance. "Are we safe?"
"The air's sterile, just don't touch them," the Doctor practically spat out before closing the door. He promptly walked down the corridor, emptying out into the grand room with thousands of green pods.
Riley paled, realizing that there were humans inside each and every one of those green things, with horrible diseases and infections, just sitting there.
"How many patients are there?" Rose asked.
The Doctor scoffed. "They're not patients."
"If they're sick but not patients, why are they here?" Riley worriedly asked. She looked below, finding countless number of additional levels below where they stood. "Isn't this suppose to be intensive care? Why keep them in the cells?"
"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. . .Lab rats," he spat out, clearly disgusted with what was happening here. Riley didn't blame him. "No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm."
"So all of the patients, Macaroni's Disease, Pallidome Pana-whatnot, Petrified Regression . . . they were all cured so quickly because . . . of this?" Riley asked in shock as they followed the Doctor down yet another corridor, seeing even more green pods.
"But why don't these people just die?" Rose spoke up, pushing Riley aside to walk next to the Doctor. He glanced back at Riley who merely shrugged.
"These are plague carriers, the last to go," he hissed.
"It's for the greater cause." They all turned their heads, seeing Novice Hame make her way timidly down the corridor. For someone who was walking by people in pain, she looked entirely too calm.
"Novice Hame, When you took your vows, did you agree to this?" he accused her. He was turning into practically a different man to Riley, no more the calm man under pressure, or even the silly 3rd Doctor she came across. No, this demeanor was completely different, one that was slightly frightening Riley.
"The Sisterhood has sworn to help," she calmly answered but Riley could see her become wary of the man.
"What, by killing?" he yelled.
"But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."
"They're living humans!" Riley interjected, pointing to the pods. "You've given them a horrible, painful life locked away in a bloody cells."
"What's the turnover, hmm?" he asked her, slowly walking towards the nun with his voice raising with every step. "Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many?!"
But Hame still couldn't see where the pair were coming from, answering as if the reasoning had been extremely simple and justified. "Mankind needed us. They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh."
"These people are alive," he hissed, pointing to a cell.
"But think of those humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us."
"How do you think all of those happy humans will react to this?" Riley asked the cat-nun who was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. "How many know they are alive because of the death of hundreds?"
"And if those humans live because of this, then life is worthless," the Doctor spat out through his teeth.
Novice Hame looked at the Doctor with disbelief, almost glaring at the man. "But who are you to decide that?"
"I'm the Doctor," he replied in anger, taking yet another step towards the cat. "And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."
The Doctor and Hame had a little staredown, neither one backing off for a moment, when Rose stepped up.
"Just to confirm. None of the humans in the city actually know about this?" she asked fairly calmly.
Riley turned to the girl, a look of disbelief on her face. "Rose-" she whispered out but was cut off.
"No, we thought it best not-" Hame answered though was a bit confused by the change in questions.
"Hold on," the Doctor cut her off, anger still pouring out though he was truly trying to keep a level head. "I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Rose?"
"I-I don't know what you mean," Hame said, looking between the Doctor and Riley.
"And I'm being very, very calm," the Doctor said quietly though his voice sounded even more dangerous. "You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed."
"We haven't done anything," Hame insisted very strongly.
"I'm perfectly fine," Rose interjected, giving a little laugh.
"No, you're not," Riley placed a hand on Rose's shoulder who looked at it with slight disgust. "The different voice, not seeing the horror of what is happening. This isn't the Rose I met at 10 Downing Street."
Rose scoffed, brushing Riley's hand off of her shoulder before spinning the Doctor around to face her. "Alright clever clogs. Smarty-pants," she pulled his tie out of his suit and brought him closer. "Ladykiller."
"Rose?" Riley asked, looking worriedly at her friend. "What are you-"
But she was cut off, Rose placing a finger on her lips. Riley looked down, confused by the gesture. "From now on, if you have something to say . . . don't," Rose hissed out, causing Riley to stand there stunned.
Okay, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 meant something was definitely wrong with Rose, it was a full blown 11.
"What's happened to you?" the Doctor calmly asked, slightly worried.
"I knew something was going on in this hospital but I needed this body and your mind to find it out," she explained.
"Who are you?"
Rose pulled the Doctor even more forward and placed her lips close to his ear. "The last human," she breathed out in a very over-the-top dramatic fashion.
"Cassandra?"
Wait, Cassandra . . . Riley had heard that name before. "The trampoline lady?"
"Wake up and smell the perfume," Rose, or Cassandra, spat out, taking out a little liquid vial and squirting the Doctor's face.
He promptly passed out, falling to the floor in a heap. Slightly panicked, Riley rushed over, looking him over and checking his pulse. It was still there but now the Doctor was out and it looked like there were two enemies in this hospital.
"What did you do to him?" Riley hissed up at the girl who merely smirked down.
"I don't understand," Hame said, looking at the group in confusion. "I'll have to fetch Matron."
"You do that because I want to see her," Cassandra said. "Now run along. Sound the alarm!" As Novice Hame ran back down the corridor, Cassandra pulled one of the massive cables along the wall, prompting an alarm to start blaring through the entire building.
Riley stood up, placing herself in front of the Doctor's unconscious body. "Whatever you've done to the Doctor and Rose, reverse it now," Riley commanded but only received a smirk from Cassandra.
"Oh Riley," she played with the vial, flaunting that she could put Riley to sleep in a manner of seconds. Or maybe worse, who knows what was in that thing. "And give up in the middle of my plan that is going so well? I don't think so."
"There is something bigger going on here. We need to save these people, we-"
"Did you know I can access Rose's surface memory?" Cassandra changed the subject. "Remember what she did in, oh, the past 4 hours though. Now, there's nothing too substantial in her mind. Except one thing." She glanced down at Riley's wrist, the one with the vortex manipulator.
Riley had just jumped back with Rose and the Doctor a few hours ago, so, anything Rose thought about the girl must have resurfaced, including the unusual vortex manipulator. Protectively, Riley covered her wrist, slightly backing away from the woman. "I'm not going to just hand it over to you if that's what you want," Riley scoffed.
Cassandra only rolled her eyes, waving her off. "Who said anything about you giving me the vortex manipulator?" she sneered at Riley, coming a bit closer. "It would be much easier to pluck one from your cold. Dead. Hands."
Riley couldn't help but freeze, trying to look around for any sort of weapon. Right now it was Riley against Cassandra's perfume thingy, not that great of odds. She could run for it but that would mean leaving the Doctor, which was definitely out of the question.
"I could sell it for a whopping price on the market, or perhaps I'll travel the stars, see what parties I can crash," Cassandra explained, looking hungrily down at the vortex manipulator. She chuckled, a very unusual and nasty smile graced Rose's face. "But, I think I have an even better plan. Why take the vortex manipulator when I can take the body alongside it? Being a time agent is not a bad disguise."
"Cassandra, whatever you're about to do, it's not going to work, I'm not a-"
But Riley trailed off, seeing Rose-Cassandra blow light red smoke out of her mouth. The smoke, without any hesitation, headed straight to Riley who didn't even have time to react. It went directly in her head then Riley felt her whole mind collapsing, being pushed to the very corners of her brain. She tried to scream or thrash or do anything but she was stuck, literally paralyzed inside her own body.
She felt herself step around a bit, stumbling for a second before giving a little shake and brushing off her sleeves. "Here we go, much better," she heard herself say but it was definitely not her voice.
The whole experience was tremendously odd, viewing the world from the same eyes but not having any control over her body or voice. Riley thrashed about, screaming and yelling at Cassandra to get out but was only ignored, or maybe she couldn't hear her.
"Riley?" Rose asked, clutching her head and peering at Riley with great confusion. "Where is Cassandra? The Doctor, is he-" She then truly looked at Riley, the realization growing on her face.
"It's been fun Rose, it truly has," Cassandra sneered, peering down at her shirt. She pulled the undershirt down a bit so more of her cleavage showed. "But when a new model shows up for the taking, well, who can resist?"
"Get out of her," Rose shouted but was only met with Cassandra lightly shaking her head.
"Tisk tisk, after all we've been through together?" She then pulled out the vial, holding it towards Rose's face. "Nighty night," she cooed before spraying Rose, causing the girl to tumble to the floor. "Alright Riley, time for the next phase."
A/N: Hope you enjoyed my new new new new new new new new new chapter! This is one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes and had a blast writing it.
Hope you folks enjoyed and if you like what you're seeing or want anything to be different, feel free to write a review!
Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter!
ollie - Hmmmm very good guesses! Really want to let you know but that will be giving a bit too much away :p If you have any other ideas send them my way!
bored411 - yeah! me too lol I don't have to be quite as careful as what she does and doesn't know. No angry Doctor this time! Riley will have it pretty easy for the next few chapters, besides the whole being taken over by Cassandra thing ;)
djmegamouth - Mmmm well you still might not be too off . . . definitely timey-wimey stuff will happen with Jack (because lets face it - it's Jack we're talking about)
Until next time folks!