The Doctor clapped his hands eagerly when he got his answer.
"How far forwards?"
"One hundred years." Rose answered and they traveled through time and stopped.
"There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the twenty second century." The Doctor motioned to the door and Rose blinked.
"You're kidding." Rose stated simply and saw the disappointed look on AL.
"That's a bit boring, though. Even AL isn't impressed. Do you want to go further?" The Doctor grinned and AL perked up. "See AL likes that idea."
"Fine by me." Rose shrugged grinning at the antics of the two aliens.
"Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire." The Doctor flipped some switches and stopped again and saw AL pout. "Aw come on kid, you don't like that one either?" He pouted back at her.
"You think you're so impressive." Rose teased The Doctor who smirked at her.
"I am so impressive." The Doctor puffed out his chest slightly.
*Not really…* AL shrugged teasingly making Rose snicker.
"Yeah, you wish." Rose shot at him with a grin.
"Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!" The Doctor pulled some switches and they landed one last time.
"Where are we? What's out there?" Rose asked curiously.
Rose left the TARDIS and went down a flight of steps and saw out a window that they were in orbit around the Earth. AL started to follow with her hair-filter and goggles when The Doctor stopped her.
"We're so far into the future that you don't need to worry about looking like you do. AND you can talk normally." The Doctor informed and AL beamed happily.
*I can?!*
"Yeah, it's just during visits to the past and anywhere on Earth that isn't the future that we need to worry about you causing a stir."
The Doctor and AL came to rest beside Rose who was looking at the Earth.
"You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year five point five slash apple slash twenty six. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day…Hold on. This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."
AL and Rose watched as The Sun turned red and AL gasped at the beauty.
*It's beautiful…but also dangerous.* AL looked worriedly back at her older friend.
"Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine." A computer came over the airwaves and informed guests and crew. "Followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."
"So, when it says guests, does that mean people?" Rose asked curiously and AL shrugged.
*Probably not 'your' version.*
"Yeah it depends what you mean by people." The Doctor nodded in agreement and they walked down a corridor.
"I mean people. What do you mean?" Rose mentioned and AL gave her laugh sound. "You need to stop being that adorable." Rose warned AL with a grin.
"She laughed because the guests are probably aliens." The Doctor tried to hide his knowing grin from the two girls.
"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?" Rose asked curiously and AL looked over at The Doctor also kind of curious.
"It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn." The Doctor admitted and AL gave him a disgusted look and he shrugged. He grabbed his sonic screwdriver and used it on a panel.
"What would they do that for?" Rose asked confusedly.
"Fun." The Doctor stated simply.
*Seems that no matter the time period: Creatures will always be obsessed with the Macabre.* AL whispered sadly and The Doctor clapped her shoulder and nodded.
The three time travelers kept walking through the corridors and stopped every now and again so The Doctor could open another door with the screwdriver.
"Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich." The Doctor explained further and AL frowned not liking the future even more.
"They did this once on Newsround Extra. The sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years." Rose mentioned curiously.
*He did say we were really far forwards…* AL mentioned and Rose looked at her.
"Still not used to the hearing words and not seeing you move your lips." Rose admitted and The Doctor let out a sharp bark of laughter.
"You and me, both…" The Doctor sighed and continued explaining. "Planet is now the property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun." The Doctor pointed out.
"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things." Rose peered at the planet.
"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over." The Doctor informed them both.
"How long's it got?" Rose asked still looking outside.
"About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted." The Doctor stated and AL shot him a dark expression. "Still rude…" He nodded to himself and AL smacked him in the head.
"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?" Rose asked hopefully and AL gave her a sad look.
"I'm not saving it. Time's up." The Doctor rocked slightly on his heels.
"But what about the people?" Rose asked getting freaked out.
"It's empty. They're all gone. No one left." The Doctor offered and Rose frowned.
"Just me, then." Rose looked back outside sadly.
A blue creature approached them quickly and stopped at them.
"Who the hell are you?" He asked tersely and The Doctor gave him an exasperated look.
"Oh, that's nice, thanks." The Doctor snapped back at him.
"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now." The creature appeared like he was the steward.
"That's me. I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation. Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor plus two extras. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler and AL. They are my extra guests. Is that all right?" The Doctor presented his psychic paper and showed it to the steward who nodded in agreement.
"Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy." The steward walked over to a podium to introduce the three of them.
"The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time." The Doctor admitted.
*But you end up losing it at some point. If I remember correctly, there was a future version of you that had lost it.*
"Shut it kid or you're going to experience the sun expanding 'without' the shields…" The Doctor warned her with a smirk and AL stuck her tongue out at him.
"He's blue." Rose finally found her voice after meeting the Steward and AL looked at her perplexed.
"Yeah." The Doctor nodded and Rose swallowed.
"Okay." Rose mentioned quietly.
*You didn't react like that with the Nestene, and that was a huge glob of ew.* AL teased Rose who chuckled slightly and shoved her good naturedly. They both heard The Doctor snort in laughter and try to hide it behind a cough.
"We have in attendance The Doctor, Rose Tyler and AL. Thank you. All staff to their positions." The steward finally introduced them to the spacecraft. "Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along. And now, might I introduce the next honored guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa."
Three creatures came that looked like walking trees and AL perked up.
*Look! Ents!* AL pointed eagerly and The Doctor put a hand to his chin. He hid his face as he stage whispered to Rose.
"I probably shouldn't have let her read The Lord of Rings huh…?" He asked and Rose let out a loud blast of laughter.
"There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon." The steward kept introducing the guests. This one was sitting on a floating travel pod and was also blue. "And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme." The steward introduced a group of black robed individuals and AL quirked her head slightly. "The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you." More weird creatures came in and AL was grinning like a kid in a candy store.
"Careful kid, you're drooling." The Doctor teased her.
*I want to meet the tree people. I also want to meet the Moxx, and the Hops!* AL was so excited. *I want to learn everything I CAN from everybody!* AL was almost vibrating with eagerness. Rose smiled over at her and seemed to catch onto her enthusiasm.
"Cal Spark Plug. Mister and Mrs Pakoo. The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light." The steward kept speaking while the tree people approached the trio.
"The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather." Jabe mentioned politely and handed The Doctor a twig in a pot.
"Thank you. Yes, gifts. Er, I give you in return air from my lungs." The Doctor breathed on her and AL's eyes widened and she slapped her face in irritation.
"How intimate." Jabe admitted shyly and smiled at AL who had shown how displeased she was with her older friend.
"There's more where that came from." The Doctor grinned and AL threw her hands up in exasperation making Rose giggle in response.
"I bet there is." Jabe nodded towards him and walked away. The Doctor turned around and glared at AL and Rose who were almost in hysterics at what just happened.
"From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe." The steward introduced another creature and AL's eyes lit up at seeing the large glass case containing a giant humanoid head with straggly hair and squinting eyes.
*I want to meet him also!* AL twittered happily.
"The Moxx of Balhoon." The Doctor greeted the blue creature and AL snapped around to look.
"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva." The Moxx spit hits Rose in the face. AL's face showed confusion AL spit on him. "Ah you know the proper traditional greeting of my people young one!" Moxx nodded to AL gratefully.
"Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I bring you air from my lungs." The Doctor greeted the robed figures who handed him a metal ball.
"A gift of peace in all good faith."
"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen." The steward announced the last creature and AL's eyes went wide and she slammed her hands against her mouth in an attempt to silence what was the loudest sound she had ever made.
Rose bit her lip trying not to laugh, because AL just made the mother of all laugh sounds and even The Doctor was turning a little red in the face trying to hold back his laughter. Cassandra looked a stretched out cheese pizza only flatter. AL made the sound again, twice more and Rose looked down at the ground hiding her reddening cheeks at holding back her laughter.
AL tried she really tried, but it was too damn hard. She gave one last LOUD sound and everybody looked over at her confusedly. AL noticed The Face of Boe giving her a sideways glance but she saw the fond smile on his face.