Chapter 14- The Creature

How long has he been here?

He can't remember. It can't have been more than a few hours, but it feels like years. Distantly he notes that his hands are itchy and uncomfortable, someone must have applied a dermal regenerator to them. The dull ache in his wrist suggests a recent breakage, but that has also been dealt with. His body has been repaired. As for his soul… he doubts he will ever feel truly whole again.

He longs to be far away from here. He wants to run, but he can't. The TARDIS is still planetside, while he and the other passengers were brought here to the space station for emergency care. The resort managers have told him they will be bringing his ship up to the station as soon as possible, but for now he has nowhere to go. To top it off, they have left him in a disused lounge room on the station, with a viewing window facing the deadly planet itself. It looks like an airport waiting room. He hates airports.

Maybe, he thinks, this is Hell.

An indefinite amount of time later, an aide comes bringing some unexpected news.

"Dr. Smith, your daughter is here to see you."

It's her. He knew it would be her. The Anomaly. She turns to the window first, as if she can't bear to meet his gaze. Her face is grave as it studies the planet below. When she finally looks at him, that expression changes to one of infinite sadness. He can see Time spinning in her eyes now. Why hadn't he noticed it before?

Before she can say anything, he has one question. "Daughter?"

She turns away again, refusing to meet his eye as she says, "Well, they wouldn't let me disturb you unless I was next of kin. Psychic paper, easy." Her hand strays to play with her ponytail and he knows there is something she's not telling him, but he'll let it pass. There are more important things at stake now.

"You knew," He states. Not a question.

"Yes. I knew." The girl is calm, almost apathetic in manner, and it's making him furious.

"Then you knew how much she meant to me," he bursts out. "The difference she made in the universe… she didn't deserve to die, not in the Void, not on Midnight… she wasn't involved in this! She didn't deserve this death!"

The girl remains unruffled, despite his outburst. Only her eyes betray the pain she is feeling.

"She was always going to die. I'm sorry, Doctor, but she was wrong. The universe was trying to compensate for the alternate timeline… the timeline you created, willingly or not."

"But you knew. You could have warned me. You could have saved her!"

An edge of pain finally creeps into the girl's voice. "I tried! You don't know how many times I tried. With Dr. Lazarus, the Torajjian Sun… I tried to alter the timeline, but all it meant was that I delayed her death a little bit more. I couldn't continue doing that. This was the last chance!"

"Last chance for what?"

"To convince you! Only you can reset the timeline, Doctor, and you've got to. There's something coming, I don't know what, but a little ways into the future and all timelines stop. Blackout. And as things stand we don't have a chance of stopping it!"

"And how exactly would things stand better if Rose was lost at Canary Wharf?" he rages.

"Donna Noble." Startled, he realizes he recognizes the name. That day in the cemetery, the Anomaly was mourning her friend's death. He realizes she is still speaking. "You would have met her, again and again, and somehow her presence allows everything to fall into place. I don't know how, or why, but I know it's true. And in this reality, she's dead."

Forgetting that this girl also has a reason to grieve, he responds with equal coldness. "Humans die every day. Timelines change all the time when events are in flux, and sometimes people die that didn't before. Other times those who died, live. Doesn't mean it's wrong, it's just the way things are."

"Except for Rose, is that what you're saying?" accuses the Anomaly. "She's the only human that can't die… and as long as you have her, the universe can go to hell? I'm sorry, it doesn't work like that!"

"No, obviously it doesn't. Because in case you hadn't noticed, she is dead."

"But would you rather it did work that way?" she asks darkly. "Because if you do, I'm done with you. It ends here."

The finality of her tone shocks him in silence. Would he destroy the universe, if it meant having Rose back with him, alive? Is that the sort of man he is now? For a split second, remembering the despair and anguish of her death and experiencing it anew, he thinks there can only be one answer. Yes. For her, I would do it.

But before he can decide on that, an old memory surfaces. Another chance, to make things right again… I could save everyone… I could stop the War…

No. The universe has to move forward. Pain, and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship, everything has its time, and everything ends.

Sarah Jane's words had stopped him then. But were they enough to stop him now?

Not quite. Yet still time rushes backwards, years back to his Ninth self. He hadn't known Rose very well at the time, but even then she was beginning to mean the world to him. She had asked him why he was hesitating. He had told her, I could save the world, but lose you.

Her answer had been short and to the point. Do it.

She wouldn't have wanted this. No matter how precious she was to him, he couldn't let the universe die so that she could live.

"No," he admits, sighing heavily. "No."

He can see the relief in the Anomaly's face as she nods approvingly. "Good." She turns abruptly and begins walking towards the door, calling over her shoulder, "Come with me."

He doesn't want to. Despite the fact that what she's said has made sense, he still feels resentful towards her for what has happened. Part of him would like nothing more than to lie down for a week and grieve for Rose, and yet he doesn't want to stay still. It's all happening far too fast, and nothing seems to make sense anymore. And yet…

What the Anomaly has offered him is distraction. A mission, a purpose beyond his current circumstances. At the very least, she may have some answers. And she wants him to save the world. Because this is who he is, what he does, with or without her. And it's what she would have wanted.

Grudgingly he calls out, "Where are we going?"

"To my ship," she answers with a small grin.

He frowns and glances back at the waiting area. "But what about the TARDIS?"

"You won't need her where you're going."

The Anomaly's ship is small but comfy. It probably wouldn't accommodate more than three or four people, but as she appears to be alone that probably isn't a problem. The interior is done up in warm colors like dark gold and burgundy, and gives the appearance of being lavish, but capable. He has no idea what the outside looks like, since they had entered from the airlock where the ship was docked with the station. However, he can tell that the Anomaly is an excellent pilot as she maneuvers smoothly out of the space port and off into the dark.

When they have reached a cruising speed, the girl flips on the autopilot and swivels her seat to face him. "Right. Let's begin."

"First things first," he says, holding up a hand. He feels the need to regain some amount of control over the situation. "If we're going to be working together, isn't there something else I could call you besides 'Anomaly'? It sounds so… vague."

"What, and 'Doctor' isn't?" she challenges with a smile. "Actually, Anomaly is part of my name, but not the whole thing. Technically, my full name is 'Generated Anomaly,' but most people just call me Jenny. I couldn't tell you before, but… doesn't matter now."

"Jenny," he repeats, wondering what sort of parent names their child Generated Anomaly. It's not exactly a Gallifreyan name, not that it matters anymore. Still… "Lovely name."

She blushes slightly. "Thanks. But we have more important things to discuss."

"Right," he agrees, breathing out heavily. "We have to put things back the way they were." He understands what that means, and he hates the implications, but Jenny is right. This timeline ended only in destruction, and he had already lost the only thing that would have kept him on it. Even… he forces himself past the thought… even if it meant she had to die in the Void, if it meant the universe would be saved, then he had to do it. Rose had already proved she was willing to die for what she believed in. Hopefully, wherever she was, she would understand what he was about to do.

"So," he forces himself to go on, "How did things change in the first place? I used the TARDIS to go back on my own timeline, then wiped my memory?"

But Jenny shakes her head. "No. The TARDIS wasn't involved. As far as I have discovered, it was this… creature, that has the power to fold timelines back on themselves. It's like a parasite, that lets it's host remake a choice from their past. It was one of many controlled by the Trickster."

She says the name like it is significant, but it's unfamiliar to him. "The Trickster?"

"A being you encountered in the original timeline," she explains. "From what I can tell, you thwarted his plans with the help of Martha Jones. This was probably his attempt at retaliation- changing your timeline so that you never met him, and never defeated him." She smiles thinly. "I don't think he realized the resulting timeline would lead to total destruction, including his own."

He frowns. "Wait- who's Martha Jones?"

"A brilliant and fantastic woman," Jenny responds immediately. "Also a doctor. I believe you met her in this timeline as well, but with Rose there it never crossed your mind to invite her to travel with you." She shakes her head sadly. "Listen, though, it would take too long for me to explain everything you don't remember. I think it's best if I just show you."

"Show me what?"

"The creature that's responsible for this mess."

She pulls out a device and fiddles with it. "Astrid, could you adjust the lighting to Califrauxian-beta wavelength, mark 7?"

Hold on, is there someone else on board? "And… who is Astrid, again?" He asks, thoroughly confused.

Jenny shifts her eyes guiltily to the console. "She's… oh, never mind. This is gonna take more time off our schedule, but I know she's been dying to say hi. All right, come on out."

A young woman wearing an indigo jumpsuit shimmers into existence in the cabin. Her honey-colored hair falls to her shoulders in waves, and the look she gives him is one of recognition. Perfect, someone else who knows him who he hasn't met. "Sorry, Jen, I know you wanted this to go quickly, but I'll only be a minute. It's been ages since I've seen him, and we don't know how things will turn out after this is all over."

"Do I know you?" he asks her, with the sinking feeling that he probably does but doesn't remember.

She turns her gaze on him fondly. "Not in this lifetime, but yes, we knew each other."

"I hope you'll forgive me for not recognizing you… that seems to be happening to me an awful lot these days. Anyway, it's nice to meet you. Again." He stands up and extends a hand to her.

She shakes her head slightly. "Sorry, Doctor. This is just an image. No touch."

"Astrid's a hologram," Jenny explains. "Her consciousness is bonded to the ship, and to me, conveniently. Usually I'm the only one who can see her, but of course we're making an exception for you."

He takes a closer look at the young woman. She appears vibrant and alive, but reaching out with his other senses tells him she is nothing more than an amalgamation of electrical and psychic signals. And yet… this is no artificial intelligence. There is a mind there, real consciousness, although it is not located in the image in front of him but within the ship itself. The ship is alive, he realizes, partially organic like the TARDIS, and Astrid has become it's soul. With that realization comes another, darker epiphany. She cannot always have been like this. Once upon a time, this woman was a living, breathing person.

Opening his eyes, he gazes steadily at the image once more. "I'm sorry," he tells her, though what he is apologizing for, he cannot say.

"Don't be," she says, smiling softly. "If things didn't happen the way they did, I might never have traveled as long and as far as I have. I might never have met Jen. You may not believe me, Doctor, but… I'm content."

He frowns, still not satisfied. "If I may, how did this happen?"

Impatiently, Jenny brushes that aside. "Its kind of a long story, which we really don't have time for now. Astrid, can you please get the lights?"

The hologram gives her a wry salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Jenny rolls her eyes and turns to the Doctor. "Right, the wavelength will make it easier to see the creature, but you'll still need to break the psychic barrier it's used to keep you from sensing it. That's why I'm here. Just… relax." She takes his hands in hers and closes her eyes. He wonders if he should do the same but realizes that would make it for difficult to for him to see… whatever it is she wants him to see. When they are settled, Jenny calls out, "Hit it!"

The lights in the room flash and brighten in intensity. Suddenly everything seems sharper, more defined, like he can see it with intense clarity. At the same time, he can feel another mind within his, unlocking doors he hadn't realized were there, showing him a different perspective. The feeling he has had of something being behind him is strengthened, until curiosity forces him to turn round. Finally, he confirms that there is a reason people have been staring behind him lately. His fifth self had tried to warn him, but he hadn't listened.

There is something on his back.

He can see the creature now. Visible, it looks like an enormous beetle, ugly and horrifying by human standards. But that's not what troubles him. Because he can see now, see the strands of the timeline that had evaded him before. He can see the tapestry of time, intricately woven, and he can see where the creature intersects it. A snarl of space-time, warped and twisted and knotted beyond recognition, the threads weakening and fraying until eventually there is nothing left of them. Utter destruction.

He turns away and closes his mind, unable to bear the emptiness. After a time, he realizes that the lights have dimmed, and Jenny's hand is on his shoulder. "Doctor?"

"I didn't know," he whispers, shaking his head. "I didn't know that, to keep her with me… I wanted her safe. I wanted her to live. I thought preserving the changed timeline might be worth it, if it saved her life…"

Jenny grips him tighter and looks uncomfortable. "Doctor, there is something you should know. I tried to tell you earlier, but you didn't let me explain."

He turns to face her, wondering what else she could possibly have to reveal to him. "What?"

"In the original timeline, Rose Tyler is not dead."