Jack's world had started to fracture but it was just an illusion. Reality began to pour in as the house in front of him dissolved like icing left out in the rain.
His mind reeled as he tried to stay focused on the world he'd thought was real. But reality crashed in with the sounds of shouting and people running. He came to with a sharp intake of air and the startled gasp of the person sitting next to his bed.
"Oh thank god!" Gwen cried as Jack startled her with an intake of breath.
She looked down and looked into slightly unfocused blue eyes. The eyes blinked twice and became crystal clear. She jumped when Jack shot up and tried to get off the bed.
She pounced and put a hand on his chest. "No Jack, lie down."
But Jack pushed against her hand. "No, the Doctor."
Gwen gave him a sad smile. "It's too late, he's dead Jack."
Jack pushed against Gwen's hand and once again tried to get up. "No, he's not. The Darkness, it knows he's not dead. It's going to possess him again."
Gwen frowned and then it dawned on her what all the noise was outside. She looked at Jack and then got up. She was just moving to the door when it burst open and Suraal skidded to a halt.
Gwen could tell he was agitated and slightly panicked. His fur was ruffled and his eyes were mere slits.
Suraal barely noticed that Jack was awake. "We have to hurry, something impossible has happened."
Before he could reply Jack spoke.
"The Darkness, its back inside the Doctor, isn't it?"
Suraal said nothing, just nodded.
This time Jack got off the bed and Gwen didn't stop him. "Is he still here?"
Suraal finally spoke. "They think so, the base has been sealed. No-one is getting out."
Gwen and Jack looked at each other.
"If he doesn't want out, then he must be after..."Jack began.
"Martha!" they said together and together they sprinted out of the room leaving a startled Suraal trailing in their wake.
The Darkness watched the panic from his hiding place; how they scurried like fire crawlers whose nest had been disturbed. How he would squash them like ants when he found the one called Davros and gained himself an army of soldiers that would obey without question.
However, he had to escape from this place and that was going to be no easy task. What he needed was access to their trans-mat, crude as it was, it would get him aboard his own flagship.
Once onboard he would take the Time Lord's machine and then this universe would know real terror.
Jack was the first to burst into the room that Martha was in. He looked round fully expecting to see the Doctor with his hands round Martha's throat.
Instead he found her lying on her bed sobbing loudly. He was over in an instant and gathered her in his arms, holding her tightly as her body was wracked with sobs.
"It's my fault...my fault," she sobbed.
"Sssh, it's not your fault," he said quietly.
Martha pulled herself from his arms. "It is Jack...I couldn't stop him...he found out," she sobbed out.
"Found out what?" Gwen said who was now kneeling beside Jack.
"He knows about them...about him," Martha replied and started crying again.
"Who?" Jack said.
"Davros...the Medusa Cascade...how to get into the TARDIS. I couldn't...he was too strong!" she cried and dissolved into sobbing again.
Jack looked at Gwen.
"He wouldn't, would he?" Gwen paled as she saw the look on Jack's face.
Jack didn't reply but Gwen knew what he would say. She said nothing as he drew his handgun and silently left the room.
Jack stalked down the corridor, ignoring the soldiers that were scurrying around him. He knew exactly where the thing that had repossessed the Doctor was going. There was only one way out of this base and he knew where it would go.
The room that held the trans-mat was at the other end of the base. Jack growled at the soldiers who were getting in his way. The longer he was baulked, the more time was lost.
Eventually he found himself in the corridor that held the trans-mat room and he sprinted down it. He stopped short when he saw the bodies of the two soldiers who had been guarding it...he was too late.
His eyes narrowed when he heard noise coming from inside the room. Slowly, cautiously he entered the room.
The technician that manned the trans-mat was pinned against the wall by invisible hands.
Standing by the controls was the Darkness, who looked up when he heard the click of a safety being released.
The Darkness smiled when he saw Jack emerge from the shadows.
"Captain Harkness, it's not a pleasure to see you again. However, I don't have the time for chit-chat, things to do and all that."
Jack moved forward a few paces. "I can't let you go. I know what you're planning."
The Darkness let out a small laugh. "Really, and you intend to stop me by shooting me. I don't think you going to do that."
Jack moved a step closer; he was now at a distance where he couldn't miss. One shot in the middle of the forehead and it would be finished.
"Are you really going to shoot me between the eyes? Do you want to go down in eternity as the human who murdered the last of the Time Lords?"
Jack frowned then levelled his gun. "He's already dead."
The Darkness laughed again. "Is he, can you be sure? Go on, take your best shot."
All the time the Darkness had been taunting Jack, the technician had been pinned against the wall. His sudden dropping to the floor distracted Jack for a second but it was enough.
At a speed that only a Time Lord could manage, numbers were entered into a keyboard and the Darkness leapt onto the platform.
"Next time Harkness, if there is a next time, don't hesitate."
Jack felt the ground under his feet vibrate and then he was blinded by the flash of the trans-mat.
He blinked furiously to clear his sight and what greeted him was an empty platform. With a frustrated cry he dashed towards the panel. He smacked the panel in frustration and he was sure he could hear the taunting laugh of the Darkness echoing from the platform.
The TARDIS felt the presence of her Time Lord and her great heart quivered. She knew what he had become but she knew she could not disobey him.
The lighting inside her turned red and from within her capacious depths the sound of a bell tolling began.