Chapter 10

John stared as the cyberman advanced on his sister. Then, as he watched her fall in her faint, he felt something in his head click. He lunged forward, knocking Sarah out from under the descending arm. He landed at the robot's feet, reached his hand out, and grasped the screwdriver, silently giving thanks that Martha had dropped it. He rolled over to see the cyberman standing over him, its hand still coursing electricity. The hand descended for a second time, this time toward John. John lifted the screwdriver and pointed it at the hand. He pressed the button, and felt the screwdriver come to life. As it buzzed in his hand, the electricity around the hand suddenly vanished. The robot stumbled back, giving John time enough to pull Sarah up against the wall, no facing the cyberman again. Hoisting her up with one arm, he held the screwdriver up toward the robot, who was now advancing on them once again.

"Cyberman!" He yelled out. It stopped as if slightly confused. "Yeah, we know what you are. But we've got a job for you." He lifted Sarah with one hand, readying the sonic screwdriver with the other. "You take a message to the Master for us! Tell him to watch his back, 'cause he's got a problem." The robot started forward. "And if he cares to know, you tell him John Stone sends his regards!" John said as he pressed the button. The wall behind him slid open to reveal another room. He fell through with Sarah, twisted around on the floor, and pressed the button again. The door slid shut in the cyberman's oncoming face.

Sarah stirred and opened her eyes. She groaned and quickly shut them again. Her head felt like it was tearing itself in two. What had happened? Mentally, she reviewed the last day. The TARDIS...the screwdriver...THE ROBOT! She bolted upright with a start and opened her eyes just long enough to see her surroundings. She wished she hadn't, she decided. It wasn't worth the pain. Then a voice behind her spoke.

"It's all right Sarah. Lay back down and get your strength back."

She twisted around and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw John standing against the wall. She groaned and laid her head back down on the floor.

"What happened?" She asked. "My head feels like it's going to explode."

John chuckled. "You must've hit your head when we pushed you."

Sarah looked at him. "Why did you push me? And why do you keep saying we?"

John shook his head. "The second question we can't answer. It would take way to long and even I don't know completely why. But we can answer the first one."

He recounted what had happened after she had fainted. He talked so fast, Sarah found it hard to keep up, even after her head stopped spinning. "So we've been in here ever since. You were only out for about five minutes." He finished, after less than a minute.

"How did you know this room was here?" Sarah asked, holding a hand to her head.

"Memories. But we don't have time to go into all that. As soon as you feel well enough, we need to move."

Sarah nodded and held out her hand. John grasped it and pulled her up. A wave of dizziness swept over her again, nearly causing her to fall. She leaned against John until it passed.

"Okay. I'm ready."

"Good. Let's go." John pulled the screwdriver out of his pocket and flashed it at the wall again. It slid open to reveal the passage they had come through. The cyberman was nowhere to be seen.

"What good will it do us going back that way?" Sarah asked.

"We went the wrong way." John said in a cheery tone. Sarah gave him a look, but whether because he didn't see it or for some other reason, it went unacknowledged.

John led the way back down the corridor and past the TARDIS, which looked eerie and ghost-like in the dark corridor. Then they turned the corner and it was gone.

"So, one thing I don't get." Sarah said.

"Just one?" John chuckled.

"Well, okay. A lot more than one. But it's one that I actually want to ask about and that doesn't involve you. If the robot was on the Master's side, then why didn't they send something to come get us as soon as we left the room."

John shrugged. "Maybe they didn't have time." he said as they reached the end of the corridor. A door was at the end of this side.

"Five minutes should have been plenty of time."

"Not if the station is ten miles long." John said as he pushed open the door.

As she stepped through the door, Sarah's breath caught in her throat. The room they entered, if it could be called a mere room, extended for what seemed like a half mile in all directions. It was lit up by brilliant lights all over the ceiling. Tables and chairs dotted the room, some overturned. The carpet was red and gleamed in the light. But what really caught her eye were the walls. Or rather, the windows. The entire side of the room, all the way around, was pure glass. Through it, people could look right through into infinite space. She could see millions upon billions of stars everywhere she looked.

"Sarah," John said. "Welcome to Space-station Elizabeth."

"How do you know what it's called?" Sarah asked, breathless from the beauty.

John shook his head. "Again, no time."

Sarah sighed and a small smile lit her face. "Okay, but you have to promise me an explanation when we get home."

John hesitated, then nodded. "All right. But first we need to get to our work here. Come on."

'Why do I get the feeling that I won't keep that promise?' he thought as he led the way down the steps and began to make his way across the room.

As they walked farther along, Sarah began to notice something. Along walls, there were occasional burn marks. She couldn't figure out what they meant until she saw the body. Sarah screamed.

John whirled. "What?"

Sarah pointed a shaking finger toward the body. A man, lying face down. His back was charred from what Sarah now guessed was a laser. John's face softened. "Yes. I'm afraid we'll be seeing a few of those."

"Why?" Sarah managed to ask.

"What else? An attack. I'll explain it along with everything else. But we need to keep moving."

As they continued, Sarah noticed the bodies more and more. Women, even children were lying at infrequent intervals all over the room. Fighting the gorge that threatened to rise, she averted her gaze, and stumbled after John.

By walking at John's brisk pace, they arrived at the other end of the room in about 5 minutes. John halted and looked at each of the three doors at this section of the room in turn. After a moment, he started toward one to his left. But halfway there, he hesitated.

"Sarah, are you willing to be separated from us for the time being?"

"Why?" Sarah responded.

"Well, the way to the Doctor is through this left door. But Martha and the engines are through the center door."

Now it was Sarah's turn to hesitate. She didn't want to be separated from John, but Martha was probably in need of help. After a moment of thinking, she made up her mind.

"I'll go." She said. "What should I do?"

John grinned. "If you go through that door you'll come to a place where there are two doors after a while. The one on your left will lead you to a cell block. Martha will be in one of those cells. After you get her out, go back to the fork and go through the door on your right. That leads to the engine room." He handed her the screwdriver. "It's 4:33 right now. We want you to use this on the engine coolers and then the engines at exactly 5:03. Got it?"

Sarah nodded. "30 minutes to get Martha and then get to the engine room."

"Yes. And try not to be noticed. We're the ones who are supposed to do that."

"What?"

John shook his head. "Never mind. Just trust us. If you can be on time, I'll be able to tell you everything."

Sarah nodded. John began to move toward the door on the left. "John!" Sarah called after him. He turned. "Be careful." He smiled and nodded. Then he was gone.


Back on Earth, a mother prepared her family's supper. Sam, her son, called out her as he went out the back door. "I'll be back in time for supper, Mom! I'm gonna go play with Joseph!"

"Fine. Half an hour." She called as he left.

She smiled as she heard the door creak closed. He just wouldn't sit still. She listend to the creak of his shoes on the deck. She frowned when the stopped. She put the knife down on the table and turned to the door. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and she heard Sam scream. She raced to the back door and onto the porch, calling for him. As the door closed behind her, she stopped. Who was Sam? Why in the world was she calling for him on the back porch? She shivered. Something felt so wrong. But she couldn't place it. She shook her head and went back into the house.


"Idiot." John muttered to himself. "Why would you let her go alone?"

But it was necessary. That much he knew. He didn't know why, but he knew it was. He hoped that he would understand the storm and turmoil that was going on in his head soon. It was getting rather annoying, walking around and giving orders and not knowing why he did it.

He shook himself. Concentrate. He looked around. Everything had that odd sense of familiarity he had felt when he walked into the TARDIS. Eerie...and the instructions popping into his head weren't helping either.

The hallway he walked through seemed to be where the guest's rooms let out. Doors on his left and right receded down the hall. They were all numbered, with the numbers getting bigger as he went farther down. The wall was brown. So many doors...so much in his head...left, right, left, right, left, right...

He shook his head, violently. Was he going crazy? "No." Came the whisper. That annoying, confusing whisper. "Oh? And how would you know?" He thought. "Trust me" It said as it faded away. He groaned and hurried on. Hopefully Sarah was doing better. At least she wouldn't be talking to herself...


"Oh, come on, Sarah." She said to herself. "Let's get on with it."

She opened the door John had told her to go through. It led to a dimly lit corridor, with black walls. No doors let off on either side, and no windows let in a breathtaking view of space. It was silent. She shivered and hurried through.

After a minute's walk, the corridor brightened and widened. Suddenly there were counters and cupboards and ovens. Cooking utensils lay scattered all over the floor.

As she glanced around at the mess, she heard a noise. John's warning immediately came into her head. "Try not to be noticed." She looked around her for a place to hide, but the only spot she found was a small cupboard. She stuffed herself into it, and forced herself to remain quiet.

Soon, the source of the noise rolled into view. It had a rounded top, about chest high. It rolled on wheels, making a sound like a machine. The tubes coming out from its front swiveled as the top turned on its body. One gleaming tube was on the very top, like a single eye. 'John would know what this is.' Sarah thought, wishing he were there with her.

The thing rolled past and after a reasonable wait, Sarah crawled out of her cramped hiding place. After taking a moment to stretch her sore muscles, she continued on her walk. She came to the fork after a few minutes brisk walk. She slowly and silently opened the left door, peeking around the corner as she did. The hall was empty. Sarah glanced behind her at a clock on the wall. 4:39. 24 minutes left until she had to be in the engine room. Turning back around, she passed through the door.

The corridor instantly changed from the bright, white hall she had been in back to the dark, eerie passage she had started through. Every step she took echoed off the walls. Hesitating only a moment, she bent down and took off her shoes. The floor was cold. It wasn't the hardwood floor of the social room. This was stone. 'Why would they put stone on a space station?' She wondered.

She continued her walk, and after what seemed like an age, though she knew it was only about 7 minutes from the occasional clocks on the walls, she saw a light at the end of the corridor. She slowed and began to walk with more caution. Soon, she came to a corner. The light was shining from around the wall. As she peeked around, the light made her blink. As soon as her eyes adjusted, she drew in a silent breath. The hallway was lined with cells, all spaced over two floors. At least one hundred from what she could see. But the cells were all empty. But that wasn't what had startled her. Standing not ten feet in front of her was a green alien with its back turned toward her. It held a weapon in its hands. Tearing her eyes off of the alien, she searched each of the cells in turn for Martha. After a few desperate seconds of searching, she found her on the second floor. She was sitting with her knees drawn up against her chest, her eyes staring off into the distance. Sarah located a stairwell on the other end of the hall. After breathing a silent sigh of relief, she began to think of a plan.

As she started to dismiss ideas coming into her head, a sound came from the end of the corridor she had come from. Glancing back, her heart plummeted. The robot that had passed her in the kitchens had returned.