"You owe me big time," Minerva smirked at the Doctor as the two stared at the new Mr. & Mrs. Smith danced together on a dance floor, as their first husband and wife dance.
"Me? I don't recall betting," the Doctor mumbled to the side.
"I called it, I called it," she turned his head to look at her, "Now you gotta pay up."
"Minerva, you are lying and we know it."
"Doctor, your lies are becoming a sickness," Minerva wagged a finger at him as she stood up.
"You can call me whatever you like as long as you stay standing..." he breathed as his eyes trailed her up and down and down and up.
She blushed and reached down for his hands to pull him up, "C'mon, let's go congratulate my two best friends."
"And you're gonna stay standing?"
She chuckled, "Sure."
Martha Jones, now Smith, had Minerva as her maid of honor in a dark blue & silver, strapless dress. It was high-low with the ends curving in an upside down V. Her hair was left down in her curls with her usual silver necklace fastened around her neck.
"You mean it, right?" the Doctor continuously asked her as they headed for the married couple who had quit dancing.
"I don't lie, Martian," she put a hand on her chest.
"I'm holding you to that!"
"Hey, let's just go and make fun of Martha and Mickey now, yeah?" she smirked, "They owe us from our wedding, remember?"
"Oh yes!" the two interlocked hands and marched over to the Smith's.
"Oh Maaartha..." Minerva flashed a cheeky smile.
"Oh no," Mickey breathed, "She's got that look..."
"What look?" Minerva looked at him, playing innocent.
"That look," Martha pointed, "What are you two up to?"
"Us? Why nothing," the Doctor glanced at Minerva, "Are you up to anything, dear?"
"Nope, are you?"
"Not at all."
"Well actually, I do have one thing I'm up to," Minerva admitted in a nod, "See, I was thinking of when I'd be a godmother..." she looked at Martha, her small smirk already beginning, "...any ideas of when that'll happen, Martha?"
Martha blushed and looked to the side, "Go away, Minerva."
"And be sure to name her Elizabeth, okay?"
"Minerva!"
"Mickey? What do you think she'd be named?" Minerva looked at her other best friend who also had his gaze on the side, "Because I'm sure it'd be a girl too."
"Minerva, it's our wedding," Mickey reminded urgently.
"Always good to think about these things. Cos next thing we know we might have news of a little baby Smith in a couple of months."
Both best friends looked at the brunette with mock-glares, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Martha raised an eyebrow.
"Elizabeth Martha Smith," Minerva nodded with a big smile, "Oh yes, I love it. Thank you for having us," she went up and hugged each best friend of hers. Satisfied, Minerva walked away from the trio with a smirk.
The Doctor remained at his place with a dazed smile as he watched after his wife, "God I love that woman," he breathed.
Meanwhile, Martha and Mickey were shooting him glares, "Get out of here," they pushed him away.
The Doctor waved them off, not even realizing he'd been pushed as he followed in the direction Minerva had gone off to.
"You know, I remembered Minerva not making fun of people," Mickey told Martha with a huff.
"Yeah well that was pre-Minerva without the Doctor. You didn't see her during my time."
"We'll get 'em back, you'll see," he took Martha's hand, nodding with certainty.
"Yeah? And how?"
"One day, they'll pop out a little alien baby and we'll be there," Mickey declared, Martha laughing at the thought, "Oh yes, we'll be there. And we'll give them a hell of a tease."
"Mr. Smith I love how you think," Martha smirked.
"Mrs. Smith I love that you love how I think."
The two laughed and returned back to the dance-floor to have another dance, coming up with even more teasing for their best friend and husband.
~ 0 ~
"You were very teasing, you know?" the Doctor pinned Minerva against the console, his hands on her waist.
"They owed me big time," she reminded, her hands on his shoulders, acting as if she hadn't done anything wrong, "Were you disappointed?"
"Not one bit," he shook his head then started kissing her.
"Mm, you have some trailing hands there, dear husband," Minerva had pulled back to comment, her skin breaking into goosebumps as she felt his fingers' touch.
"And you have trailing lips," he countered.
"I thought we agreed we'd go somewhere after the wedding, somewhere to help me and my powers," she reminded, her breath hitching when his hands gripped her hips.
"And we will," he nodded, brushing his lips over hers, "But first I'd like for us to go somewhere in here..." he looked around the room.
"Where to?"
He smirked, "Oh, I think we know where," he declared before resuming their kissing, his hands entangling in her hair while hers moved around his neck.
~ 0 ~
"Oh you are definitely being good today, Martian," Minerva remarked as the two walked along, slowly, a red near-like desert.
"I thought after so much time of my little...nickname," he made a face, making her chuckle, "It would be fitting to show you the actual planet."
"Mars," Minerva breathed, "I can't believe this is actually real..."
"Plus, I figured perhaps meeting another water species could help you."
Minerva sighed, "I hope."
Minerva was still working hard to progress her Moontsay abilities but had only made slight progress...she could move water for about five minutes and no more. She was beginning to get frustrated because it had been long now since she regenerated and to come up with no progress was, well...worrisome. There was a possibility that she may have actually lost her powers for good but she decided not to think of that until there was truly nothing else she could do to induce them. She practiced with Zohar for long hours, even went with Donna to get some pointers as humans. The Doctor had suggested she'd try visiting other water species and recalled some of the warriors of Mars...before they went all war-like crazy where some could actually move about water and snow. Perhaps getting pointers from another species could benefit her as well.
The two wore orange spacesuits with proper helmets and everything, both walking together towards a small cliff. They stopped at a ledge and looked out, both smiling, "Ohh, beautiful," the Doctor remarked then glanced at Minerva, "Though not compared to you my dear."
She blushed and looked ahead, beaming at the base they were seeing. It had a large center dome with six corridors radiating out from it. There were five of them that connected to smaller domes and one with a rocket.
"Oh..." she suddenly stiffened as she felt something press on her back, "...Doctor," she gasped lightly.
"Rotate, slowly," a robotic voice ordered before the Martian could even look, "Hands up and turned around slowly to a see a robot holding a gun aimed.
"Yeah, not on my wife you don't," the Doctor snapped as he moved in front of Minerva.
~ 0 ~
The two aliens found themselves inside the base, a blonde woman holding a gun at them much like the little robot had done, "State your name, rank, and intention," she ordered.
The Doctor decided to answer first, seeing Minerva a bit nervous, "The Doctor. Doctor. Fun."
"You?" the woman cocked the gun at Minerva.
"Um...Minerva..." she struggled coming up with the second, "...princess? Oh, and fun."
A man opened the door to the main section and peered down, "What the hell!?" he rushed down the steps, "It's a man and a woman! A man and a woman on Mars," he stood beside the blonde holding the gun, "How?"
A German woman holding one of the pair's spacesuits came over, equally shocked, "They were wearing these things. I have never seen anything like them."
"What did Mission Control say?" the man asked the two women.
"They're out of range for ten hours with the solar flares," the German woman answered.
"If we could cut the chat, everyone," the blonde cut them off.
The Doctor, now in front of Minerva once again, "Actually, chat's second on my list, the first being gun, pointed at my head...and consequently my wife's head. I don't like them anywhere near her, nor me actually. You could hurt someone with that, just... put it down," he motioned with his hands.
"Oh, you'd like that," the blonde muttered.
"Can you find me someone who wouldn't?"
"Why should I trust either of you?"
"Because, and for the record," Minerva poked her head from behind the Doctor, "If we wanted to try anything we would've probably killed you all by now and you're cute little robot...which we haven't. Plus you're about 40 million miles away from home, so our word is all you've got."
The woman lowered the gun, "Keep Gadget covering them."
A young man stood next to the robot and nodded. He wore gloves which gave him control of the robot, Gadget, "Gadget-gadget!" the little robot said.
"Oh, right, so you control that thing?" the Doctor eyed the robot beside them, "Auto-glove response?"
"You got it," the man nodded and demonstrated, "To the right..."
Gadget moved to the right, "Gadget-gadget!"
"And to the left," the man said before the robot did the same.
"It's a bit flimsy," the Doctor remarked, earning a glare from the man.
"Don't be rude," Minerva elbowed him lightly, "Question," she raised a finger to the man, "Why does it keep repeating its name? That's a bit annoying."
"And I'm rude?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow at her.
"You've rubbed off on me," she rolled her eyes.
"Mm, that I have," he smirked and kissed her temple.
"Shush!" she batted him away, sporting a very red blush on her face.
~ 0 ~
A man, Ed, was busy trying to figure out just who exactly the pair were and their reason for being on the base, "They can't be a World State flight, we'd know about it. Therefore, they've got to be one of the independents, yeah? Was it the Branson inheritance lot? They've talked about a Mars shot for years."
"Right, yes, OK, you got us," the Doctor nodded, Minerva quickly doing the same, "So I'm the Doctor, this is my wife, Minerva, and you are?"
The blonde woman scoffed, "Oh, come on. We're the first off-world colonists in history. Everyone on Planet Earth knows who we are."
"Oh, wait!" Minerva exclaimed, "I remember that one," she pointed at the Doctor with an excited grin, "Oh I know! This is Bowie Base One!"
The blonde woman eyed her oddly as she nodded, "Yes..."
The Doctor, less than enthusiastic about the location, looked at the blonde, "Number one? Founded July 1st, 2058. Established Bowie Base One in the Gusev Crater...You've been here how long?"
"17 months."
"2059. It's 2059, right now. OHH! My head is so stupid, you're Captain Adelaide Brooke! And Ed! You're Deputy Edward Gold. Tarak Ital, MD. Nurse Yuri Kerenski. Senior Technician Steffi Ehrlich. Junior Technician Roman Groom. Geologist Mia Bennett," he paused at Mia, "You're only 27 years old."
"As I said, Doctor, everyone knows our names," Adelaide reminded.
"And they'll never forget them," Minerva softly said, a small smile on her face.
"What's the date, today? What is it? Tell me the exact date," the Doctor ordered.
"November 21st, 2059."
The Doctor swallowed, nearly all his breath sucked out, "Right. OK, fine."
"Is there something wrong?" Steffi questioned.
"What's so important about my age?" Mia stepped forwards.
"We need to go," Minerva looked up at the Doctor, the fear etched on her face already.
He nodded, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry with all of my hearts, but it's one of those very rare times when I've got no choice. It's been an honor," he shook hands with everyone there, "Seriously, a... very great honor to meet you all. The Martian pioneers. Oh, thank you. Ah!" he tapped Gadget.
"Gadget-gadget."
He saluted Adelaide, "Thank you," but he stopped, " There's the other two. Hold on... Margaret Cain and Andrew Stone."
Ed walked over to one of the computers and spoke, "Maggie... if you want to meet the only new humans being that you're gonna see in the next five years, better come take a look."
But instead a loud snarling came over the tannoy.
"What was that?" Mia frowned.
"Doctor, we should go," Minerva tugged on his sleeve, "I remember the lesson and I want to go," he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her head, also remembering that sad lesson.
"This is Central. Bio-dome report immediately," Ed spoke again into the tannoy.
Adelaide moved beside Ed at the monitor, "Show me the Bio-dome."
Ed did as told and brought up the security footage but only static appeared on the monitor, "Internal cameras are down."
"Show me the exterior," she ordered again and saw that the lights in the bio-dome had gone out, "I'm going over. You two," she pointed at the pair, "With me."
"We can't," Minerva tensed, "We really can't..."
"We're sorry, erm...we'd love to help but we we're leaving, right now," the Doctor agreed.
Adelaide raised an eyebrow then looked over to Steffi, "Take their spacesuits, lock it up. This started as soon as you two arrived, so you're not going anywhere, except with me."
Minerva frowned, not at all content she was being forced to stay in a place she didn't want to.
~ 0 ~
The Doctor, Minerva, Adelaide and Tarak walked along a dark corridor with only their torches and intermittent lights on the wall giving small light to guide the way.
"What's so important about Mia's age?" Adelaide looked at the Doctor with suspicion, "You said she's only 27, why does it matter, what did you mean?"
"Oh, I just... open my mouth and words come out," the Doctor offered a small smile, "They don't make much sense."
"You're telling me," Tarak mumbled.
"Thank you, doctor," the alien said, shooting a small glance.
"Any time, Doctor."
"Gadget-gadget!" went the small robot.
"I hate robots. Did I say?" the Doctor warily eyed the thing.
"Yeah, and he's not too fond of you," Roman's voice emerged from the robot, "What's wrong with robots?"
"It's not your fault or anything," Minerva cut in, giving a small scolding look at the Doctor, "He's not trying to be rude. He disagrees with the people that dress the robots up and give them silly voices. It's a bit demeaning, actually."
"Yeah. Friend of mine, she made her domestic robot look like a dog," Roman conceded on the fact.
"Ah, well, dogs, that's different," the Doctor shrugged.
"But I adapted Gadget out of the worker drones. Those things are huge! They built this place when the shell was lowered down from orbit. They've got a strength capacity of..."
"The channel is open for essential communications only," Adelaide reminded.
"Sorry. Love those drones."
"Wow, rude is a big thing here," Minerva quietly remarked.
"I've read all that stuff about you, Captain Adelaide," the Doctor said, "But one thing they never said, was it worth it? The mission?"
"We've got excellent results from the soil analysis," the woman declared.
"I know… But all of it. Cos they say you sacrificed everything, devoted your whole life to get here."
"Well when there's a spark of hope, no matter how risky it is, if there's something good waiting in the end...we're prone to do it," Minerva faintly smiling, "Some would even change their biological code...just some..." she took his hand and gripped it.
"Right...plus..." Adelaide eyed the two, misunderstanding the little implication, "It's been chaos back home. 40 long years, the climate, the ozone, the oil apocalypse. We almost reached extinction. And to fly above that, to stand on a world with no smoke, where the only straight line is the sunlight, yes. It's worth it."
"Ahh! That's the Adelaide Brooke I always wanted to meet," the Doctor exclaimed, "The woman with starlight in her soul. Love a woman like that," he looked at Minerva with a soft smile.
Adelaide stopped when she saw a body laying on the floor up ahead, "What on earth...?" quickly, the group rushed forwards and Adelaide gasped, "It's Maggie."
"Don't touch her!" the Doctor quickly ordered.
"I know the procedure," Tarak waved him off, "Maggie, can you hear me? It's Tarak. Maggie?" he rolled the woman over, "It's OK. She's still breathing. She's alive," the Doctor looked down towards the bio-dome with a bit of ware, "Yuri, I've got Margaret Cain, head trauma. I need a full medpack," Tarak spoke into his radio.
~ 0 ~
Ed and Yuri arrived with the medpack and backboard a couple minutes after being called for. The others awaited by Maggie who still remained unconscious.
"Don't touch her, use the gloves," the Doctor instructed as the two reached them.
"Do what he says. Get her to sickbay. Put her in isolation," Tarak added.
"We're going to the Bio-dome," Adelaide said then started giving her orders, "Tarak, with me, Yuri can take care of her. Ed, go back. Gadget, stand guard. Keep an eye on this area."
"Gadget-gadget!"
"Captain, you're gonna need me. Andy's the only other crew member out here, and if that wasn't an accident, then he's gone wild," Ed stepped forwards.
"You've deserted your post. Consider that an official warning," Adelaide countered coldly, "Now, get back to work. Doctor!" she headed off with the alien pair behind her.
~ 0 ~
Mia and Steffi analyzed the snarling they had heard earlier and gasped at the results the monitors gave them. Steffi used her radio to speak over to Adelaide, "Captain. That sound we heard from the Bio-dome, I've run it through diagnostics. According to the computer, it's...it's Andy. It registers as the voice-print of Andy Stone."
~ 0 ~
"Understood. Double-check, thanks," Adelaide nodded.
"Air pressure stabilized," Tarak said as the airlock door opened up.
The four cautiously stepped inside the dome, Adelaide just slightly in front, "Andrew? Andrew Stone? It's Captain Brooke. Andy, report. I need to see you. Where are you?"
Meanwhile, the Doctor checked one of the computers with his screwdriver and made the lights come back on, "There you go."
"What's that device?" Adelaide immediately looked over and eyed the small stick he held.
"Screwdriver."
"Are you the Doctor or the Janitor?"
Minerva snickered, "You know, I can see him being that other one. He's like maintenance man of the universe."
"Yeah well you can be the Princess," he flashed a cheeky smile, "Or the Queen."
"Mm, may be a formal title but I don't plan on using it," she waved him off as she looked around.
"Maybe some time later a mini-you may use it..."
She stiffened then blushed, "Oh stop that,"she looked at him with an embarrassed smile. Was he actually making those types of comments in front of other people!?
"You two, quit the talking, stay with me, don't step out of my sight," Adelaide had cut into their moment then looked at Tarak, "Tarak, go to External Door South, make sure it's intact."
"Yes, ma'am," Tarak nodded and headed off.
"Quite an achievement. First flower on Mars in 10,000 years," Minerva looked at the plants, "It's really pretty by the way. Oh! And you're growing veg!"
"It's that lot, they're already planning Christmas dinner," Adelaide gave a small smile, "Last year it was dehydrated protein, this year they want the real thing."
"Still, fair enough. Christmas," the Doctor moved closer to Minerva.
"If we must," Adelaide shrugged.
"Oh, you've even got birds!" Minerva gasped lightly as she heard the little critters chirping about, "This is just amazing!"
"It's part of the project, to keep the insect population down."
"Good sign," the Doctor said.
"In what way?"
"Well, they're still alive."
"Captain? Good news," Yuri's voice emerged from Adelaide's radio, "It's Maggie. She's awake, she's back with us. Hey. How are you, soldier? Just take it easy. Can you remember what happened?"
"I was just working. Then I woke... woke up here," the trio heard Maggie responding.
"What about Andy? We can't find him. Was he all right?" Adelaide questioned.
"I don't know, I just..."
"If you remember anything, let me know straightaway."
~ 0 ~
Only a couple of minutes had passed by while the trio continued looking for the missing when Adelaide's radio played another voice, that of Yuri with high concern, "This is sickbay, we have a situation. Maggie's condition has... I don't know…I don't know what it is. It's water, just... pouring out."
"Yuri, calm down," Adelaide instructed, though she herself was a bit nervous and perplexed, "Just tell me what's happened to her."
"The skin is... sort of broken around the mouth. And she's exuding water, like she's drowning."
"Tarak, this area's unsafe, we're going back. Tarak? Tarak!"
"Where'd he go?" Minerva looked around.
Quickly, they ran across the floor in search of the missing man...
At one point, Adelaide had stopped and left the pair to run a bit ahead. When they realized she was behind, they turned and rushed back to see what she was looking at. They saw Tarak on his knees in convulsions as Andy had his hand on the man's head, water pouring down it.
"Andy, just leave him alone," the Doctor began, stepping forwards.
Adelaide raised her gun, "Step away from him."
Minerva remained in place as the other two stepped forwards, listening to their voices overlap.
"I can help. I promise, I can help. Just leave that man alone," the Doctor insisted.
"I order you to stop!" went Adelaide.
"Andy, I'm asking you, please just take your hand away from him and listen to me."
"Stop, or I'll shoot!"
Suddenly, a small rush of water sprang from behind them, hitting Andy enough to make him stop whatever he had been doing to Tarak.
"Emotions are a big factor in this whole power thing," Minerva breathed as she looked at her palm that let that water out.
Tarak looked at the trio and made them gasp as they saw he was now the same in appearance as Andy, chapped/broken skin around the mouth with water pouring down.
"We've got to go," the Doctor whispered to Adelaide as they both backed up, he taking Minerva's hand then quickly breaking into a run. Tarak and Andy chased them into the doors where the Doctor shut them, "Set the seals at maximum!"
Andy raised his arm and shot water at the door, making the Doctor jump back, startled. Andy lowered his arm and moved closer, looking at the trio through the window of the door before pounding.
"Captain, we need you back here," Steffi's voice came from Adelaide's radio.
"Just tell me that Maggie is contained," Adelaide spoke back, "Can you confirm, Ed?"
"Confirmed. She's locked in."
"Keep surveillance till I get back. And close down all water supplies. All pipes and outlets, don't consume anything. Have you got that, everyone? That's an order. Don't drink the water. Don't even touch it. Not one drop."
"Can you talk?" the Doctor wondered as he looked at Andy through the window, "Human beings are 60% water, which makes them the perfect host."
"What for?"
"We don't know and frankly I'd rather not find out," Minerva shuddered a breath, "Humans are 60% water? Well I'm more than that, can you imagine what that thing would do to me?"
"It won't touch you," the Doctor turned to her immediately, his hands on either side of her face, "I swear. We're leaving, right now, we're leaving."
He was all for helping her progress with her education and powers but...not when there were spooky water creatures that could take over other bodies...nope.
Andy and Tarak slammed their hands on the door then opened their mouths to shoot water at the door's seals.
"This thing's airtight, yeah?" the Doctor looked at Adelaide.
"And therefore watertight."
"Mm, it depends on how clever that water is," Minerva swallowed, "Believe me."
The control panel started sparking and Adelaide gasped, "They're fusing the system."
"Abandon ship!"
~ 0 ~
Adelaide opened the door into the corridor and ran out with the pair behind her. Andy and Tarak chased them again with ease.
"Doctor, we haven't got the time!" Adelaide had looked back and saw the man stopping beside Gadget.
"They can run faster than us, we need a lift!" he used the screwdriver on the robot.
"Hey!" they heard Roman's cry from the robot, followed by the actual robot saying its name.
The Doctor messed with the wires of the robot until he finished, "Clever Girl, right here," he stood on the robot and promptly picked up his wife and set her in front of him, "Adelaide! Behind me!"
"That thing goes at two miles an hour!" the blonde shook her head.
"Not any more! Trust me."
Adelaide sighed and climbed behind the two.
"Gadget-gadget!" went the robot.
"Gadget-gadget!" the Doctor started up the robot and flames shot out from the exhaust, leaving a trail of flames behind as it went.
~ 0 ~
The Doctor had hopped off Gadget and moved to the door, Adelaide handling the control panel, "The Central Dome airlocks have got Hardinger seals. There's no way they can get in."
"Get inside!" the Doctor literally yanked Minerva inside the room.
"But Gadget!" she pointed back, "It's cute!"
"Come on, come on!" he called out to the robot as it made its way over.
"Gadget-gadget."
"I thought you hated robots!" Adelaide exclaimed.
"I do," he frowned, "But what my wife wants, she gets," he closed the door as soon as the robot had trundled inside.
"We're safe. It's hermetically sealed. They can't get in," Adelaide remarked when Tarak and Andy had come to the door.
"Water is patient, Adelaide," he looked at the woman, "Water just waits. It wears down the clifftops, the mountains, the whole of the world."
"Water always wins," Minerva remarked, looking at her palms.
"Come on!" he pulled her for the other door, Adelaide following.
Adelaide had her radio again and used it to contact the others, "Bio-dome Tunnel is out of bounds. Andy and Tarak are infected, repeat, infected. Make no contact. And if they make any move, tell me. I'm going to the Medical Dome."
The trio strode along the tunnel, "Blimey, it's a distance. You could do with bikes in this place," the Doctor said.
"Every pound in weight equals three tons of fuel," she informed passively.
"But very worth it, don't you think?" Minerva gestured to their current situation.
They entered the med-room where Ed watched Maggie, the woman contained in a small room with a window and door as barrier.
"Has that door got a Hardinger seal?" Adelaide asked.
"No, just basic," Ed replied.
"Then the moment she heads for the door, we evacuate. Got that?"
"Pulse is low. Electrical activity in the brain seems to be going haywire."
"Can she talk?"
"Don't know," Yuri spoke up, "She was before we noticed the change, but..."
Adelaide moved closer to the window, "Maggie? Can you hear me? Do you know who I am? Your commanding officer, Captain Adelaide Brooke. Can you tell me what happened?"
But Maggie turned head to the Doctor, the man uttering words that no one understood, "Hoorghwall in schtochman ahn warrellinsh och fortabellan iin hoorgwahn."
"What language is that?" Ed demanded.
"He's speaking Martian," Minerva replied, severely biting back the laughter she had sealed in her lips. This was not the place but then again she'd always made fun of him for this very reason...
"Don't be ridiculous," Adelaide shook her head.
"It's Ancient North...Martian," Minerva shuddered a breath as she tried keeping in her laughter.
"Someone's having a bit too much fun," the Doctor quietly murmured, ticking off his fingers.
"Let me have this," she rested a hand on his arm, "Please..."
"But it was like she recognized it," Ed looked back at Maggie, unaware of the little moment.
"And her eyes are different. They're clear, like she's closer to human," the Doctor pointed out.
"Not close enough for me..."
"Where do you get your water from?" the Doctor asked Adelaide.
"The ice field. That's why we chose the crater, we're on top of an underground glacier."
"Tons of water. Marvelous," Minerva breathed and looked at her palm.
"But every single drop is filtered. It's screened, it's safe," Yuri assured.
"Looks like it, yeah..."
Ed thought for a moment, "If something was frozen down there, a viral life form, held in the ice for all those years..."
Minerva looked at Maggie for a minute and walked towards the window, "Minerva," the Doctor tensed as he saw his wife nearing to the creature.
But Minerva stopped in front of the window, "Look at her mouth. All blackened, like there's some sort of fission. This thing, whatever it is, doesn't just hide in water, it creates water," she looked back at the Doctor, unperturbed of the creature, "Just like me."
The Doctor pulled her away from the window, "You don't convert ,you don't kill," he looked at the creature with a hard face, "Tell me what you want."
"She was looking at the screen, at Earth," Yuri spoke up, "She wanted Earth. A world full of water."
Ed pulled Adelaide to the side of the room and spoke quietly, "Captain, with me. I'm sorry, but it's an unknown infection and it's spreading. That demands Action Procedure One."
Adelaide gave a small nod, "You think I don't know that?"
"I think you need reminding."
"Yeah."
"Well, at least I'm good for something."
"Now and again."
"That's almost a compliment. Things must be serious."
"Sorry, sorry, but..." the Doctor stepped forwards, their quiet talk not so quiet in reality, "Action One, that means evacuation, yeah?"
"We're going home," Adelaide coir med then spoke into her radio, "This is Captain Brooke. I'm declaring Action One, repeat to all crew members, this is Action One, with immediate effect. Evacuate the base. Steffi, what's your estimate on shuttle viability?
"It's a nine-month flight, it'll take three hours to load what we need."
"You've got 20 minutes. And give me a report on Andy and Tarak."
"Still in the Bio-dome Tunnel. They're just standing there, like they're waiting.
"Keep an eye on them. And make that 20 minutes 15! Ed, line up the shuttle, go straight to ignition status."
"Doing it now," Ed nodded and left.
"But what about Maggie?" Yuri looked at the woman behind the window.
Adelaide was already packing from her part, "She stays behind. We've got no way to contain her on board. Close this place down. I want the power directed to the shuttle."
The Doctor watched everything happening with a sorrowful look, wishing there was just something he could do to help them. But the fact was nothing should be done because it was meant to happen, it needed to happen.
Minerva looked between the Doctor and the rest of the crew with resignation. The first and foremost thing she'd learned after regenerating, from the Doctor, was that fixed points always needed to happen...no matter what. Of course, she knew that for him, that wasn't a very easy thing to do. She knew his temptation and his need to save all those he could was far too big to control and sometimes he did have moments, like Pompeii, where he wished he could change it. As a human, she admitted, she would blatantly follow his instructions because he was the Time Lord, he was the one who knew anything and everything of the universe and its laws...but things changed now. She was the second-in-command, as she often joked, of the universe. Granted she wasn't very experienced seeing she'd only spent seventeen years out of her home planet, but she was learning and she was learning fast. She could remind the Doctor of what needed to be done and left alone. She could remind him that fixed points like this and its deaths were not his fault. She could be his rock this time, and she planned to be.
"Adelaide, there is a problem..." she began, but Adelaide was far too busy to pay attention.
"Yes, thank you, your spacesuits will be returned. And good luck to you."
Minerva looked at the Doctor and sighed, "Look, I'm part of water species too and I've been learning. Our element is clever, the creatures are clever. This thing, it didn't infect the birds or the insects in the Bio-dome, it chose the humans. You were chosen. And remember what we said: water can wait. Tarak changed straight away, but when Maggie was infected it stayed hidden inside her, no doubt, so it could infiltrate the Central Dome. Which means..."
Adelaide stopped her work and looked at the pair, "Any one of us could already be infected. We've all been drinking the same water."
"And if you take that back to Earth..." the Doctor spoke up, "One drop, just one drop…"
"But we're only presuming infection. If we can find out how this thing got through, when it got through..." Adelaide looked over to Yuri, "Yuri, continue with Action One. I'm going to inspect the ice-field," she headed for the door.
"Doctor we need to go," Minerva whispered to him, taking his hand, "I'm sorry, but we really have to."
"I know, I know...but..." he stared after the direction Adelaide had gone off to.
"We can't stay, remember?"
"...Adelaide!" he called and ran after her.
Minerva took a long breath then followed her husband out...hoping things wouldn't get too bad.
~ 0 ~
The trio were looking down into the open space where the glacier was.
"They tell legends of Mars, from long ago of a fine and noble race who built an empire out of snow. The Ice Warriors," the Doctor sighed.
"I haven't got time for stories," Adelaide waved him off.
"But maybe they found something down there," Minerva spoke, eyeing the woman sharply, "And they used heir might and their wisdom to freeze it."
Adelaide headed for the computer and called for them, "We need to find any sort of change in the water process. We've got to date the infection."
The man quietly walked to the computer and tried getting it to work while Adelaide worked on another monitor.
"Access denied," the computer the Doctor was at declared.
"You don't look like cowards," Adelaide remarked as she looked between the pair, "But all you've wanted to do is leave. And you, Doctor, you know so much about us."
"Your famous," Minerva supplied as she moved closer to the Doctor.
"But it's you know more..."
"I've been brushing up on my history," Minerva shrugged and looked at the Doctor, making sure he looked at her when she spoke again, "And I've learned that moments like these, a moment like this, are fixed. It's these tiny, precious moments that must always happen while everything else is in flux. Anything can happen, but these certain moments, they have to stand," she gave a half-smile then looked at Adelaide, "And this base, on Mars, with you, Adelaide Brooke, this is one vital moment. What happens here must always happen."
"Which is what?" Adelaide sighed, irritated with the puzzle talk the brunette seemed to love giving as much as her husband.
"Doctor?" Minerva looked back at him, "Wanna take it?"
"I don't know..."
"Yes you do."
He stopped with the computer and stood straight, facing Adelaide, "I think...I think something wonderful happens, something that started 50 years ago...isn't that right?"
Adelaide blinked, "I've never told anyone that."
"You told your daughter. And maybe, one day, she tells the story to her daughter of the day the Earth was stolen and moved across the universe. And you..."
Adelaide felt chills on her skin as she remembered the day, "I saw the Daleks. We looked up, the sky had changed. Everyone was running and screaming. And my father took hold of me..."
Adelaide, as a small child wearing pajamas, was brought into her home's attic by her father. The man put his hands on her shoulders as they knelt, "Stay here! Don't move. I've got to go out. I'm gonna find your mother, but I'm coming back, I promise you. I'm coming back," he kissed her on her forehead then quickly left.
"I never saw him again," Adelaide whispered, "Nor my mother. They were never found. But out on the streets, there was panic and burning. I went to the window. And there in the sky..." she recalled the Dalek hovering in front of her attic's window, "I saw it, Doctor. And it saw me. It stared at me. It looked right into me. And then...it simply went away. I knew, that night, I knew I would follow it."
"But not for revenge," Minerva faintly smiled.
"What would be the point of that?"
The Doctor smiled as well, "That's what makes you remarkable. And that's how you create history."
"What do you mean?"
"Imagine it, Adelaide. If you began a journey that takes the human race all the way out to the stars. It begins with you. And then your granddaughter, you inspire her so that in 30 years, Susie Fontana Brooke is the pilot of the first light-speed ship to Proxima Centauri. And then everywhere. With her children, and her children's children forging the way to the Dragon Star, the Celestial Belt of the Winter Queen, the Map of the Water Snake Wormholes. One day a Brooke will fall in love with a Tandonian prince, and that's the start of a whole new species."
Minerva nodded, "But everything starts with you, Adelaide. From 50 years ago, to right here, today. Imagine."
"Who are you? Why are you telling me this?" Adelaide demanded, "Why tell me all this?"
"We're trying to console you," Minerva sighed.
But the computer beside them beeped and showed Andy's record on the screen. Adelaide quickly looked it over, "Andy Stone. He logged on yesterday."
The screen started playing the video of Andy in the Bio-dome, "Maintenance log, 21.20, November 2059. Number three water filter's bust. And guess what? The spares they sent don't fit. What a surprise. Over and out."
Adelaide shut the video afterwards.
"A filter. One tiny little filter and then the flood," the Doctor said.
Adelaide smiled, "But that means the infection arrived today, and the water's only cycled out of the Bio-dome after a week. The rest of us can't be infected. We can leave!" she spoke into her radio, "Ed, we're clean! How are we doing?"
"Shuttle's active, stage one! I haven't got time to convey the protein packs. If you want food you're gonna have to carry it by hand. Start loading! Right now!"
With that, the trio ran back into the corridors, Adelaide even letting out a small chuckle, "You were right, Doctor."
"What about?" he glanced at her.
"Bikes!"
The two shared a laughed and continued on.
~ 0 ~
Adelaide handed back the Doctor's and Minerva's spacesuits while the rest of the crew in the back packed like crazy.
"Now get to your ship, Doctor," Adelaide said, "I'm saving my people, you save your wife and yourself. I know what this moment is. It's the moment we escape. Now get out."
But as Adelaide returned to aid her crew, the Doctor remained in place and watched everything happen, Minerva watching him in sadness.
"Come on!" Yuri exclaimed.
"How many do we need?" Steffi called from another part of the room.
"Roman, what about you?" Adelaide glanced at the young man.
"Protein-packs 30 to 36," he pushed the packs into the container.
"Steffi, ditch the central containers. We don't need them," Adelaide instructed.
"Units 41, 42 and 43."
"Unit 41 is here," Mia called.
"I'll swap them around," Roman said.
"Doctor, we need to go," Minerva whispered to him, tugging his hand but the man could not find it in him to leave.
"Roman try to condense the oxygen membranes, we can lose ten pounds," Adelaide gave another order, "Faster! Come on! Ed, how's the fuel jets?"
"Cooling down in about 30 seconds," Ed replied through the radio.
Adelaide stiffened at a faint nose from above, "What the hell's that noise? Mia, you lot, shut up..." everyone became quiet and listened to the beeping noise.
"It's the module sensors," Ed explained, "Exterior as well. The cameras are down, but there's pressure on top of the module. Two signals right above us."
"That means...they're on the roof?" Steffi looked up, followed by the rest of the crew.
"How did they get inside the Dome?" Roman frowned.
"They used the maintenance shafts," Ed said.
"The shaft's open, they haven't got spacesuits," Mia reached for Yuri's hand.
"They breathe water."
"But they'd freeze," Steffi breathed.
"They've got that internal fission."
"Are we safe? They can't get through, can they?" Mia looked at the others as the ceiling creaked, "Can they?"
Water started coming through the ceiling...
"This place is airtight!" Roman exclaimed.
"Can it get through? Ed? Can it get through?" Steffi cried in frustration.
"I don't know! Water itself isn't motile, but it has some resistance," Ed shook his head.
"Everyone, listen to me! That's ten feet of steel-combination up there," Adelaide pointed up, "We need all the protein-packs or we'll starve. Now keep working!" she half-shouted and everyone quickly got back to work, "Roman, watch the ceiling! Ed, get to the shuttle, fire it up."
"I can carry more than this lot, Captain," he gestured to the objects he held at the moment.
"That's an order!"
"Captain," Ed gave a smile and walked off.
"Doctor..." Minerva took his hand and rendered him to come with her, she herself unable to see the rest of the crew in their...final moments.
~ 0 ~
The Doctor and Minerva, now wearing their spacesuits again, entered the airlock room where the Doctor tried opening the door from the panel beside, only to have the computer utter, "Access denied."
Confused, he tried again.
"Access denied."
"Tell me what happens," Adelaide's voice emerged from the com..
"I don't know."
"Yes you do," she snapped, recalling Minerva's words, "Now tell me."
"You should be with the others," Minerva spoke softly.
"Tell me!" the woman ordered, "I could ramp up the pressure in that airlock and crush you two."
"Except you won't," the Doctor sighed, "You could have shot Andy Stone, but you didn't. I loved you for that. Imagine... Imagine you knew something. Imagine you found yourself somewhere, I don't know, Pompeii. Imagine you were in Pompeii."
"What the hell's that got to do with it?"
"And you tried to save them, but, in doing so, you make it happen. Anything I do just makes it happen."
"Not your fault," Minerva whispered to him, but he ignored her.
Of course it was his fault, no matter how bad she tried to sugar-coat it. It was true. It was always true. He made things happen, he made the bad things always happen...even when he was only trying to save them.
"I'm still here," Adelaide reminded upon the silence given.
"You're taking Action One. There are four more standard action procedures. And Action Five is...?"
"...detonation."
"The final option. The nuclear device at the heart of the Central Dome. Today, on the 21st November 2059, Captain Brooke activates that device, taking the base and all her crew members with her. No-one ever knows why. But you were saving Earth. That's what inspires your granddaughter. She takes your people out into the galaxy, because you die, on Mars. You die, today. She flies out there like she's trying to meet you."
"... I don't die," Adelaide softly said, "I will not."
"But it's your death that creates the future," Minerva bit her lip, her eyes already watering up.
"Help me. Why won't you help if you know all of this? Why can't you change it?"
"I can't," the Doctor swallowed, replaying those words in his mind over and over because he really...couldn't.
"Why can't you find a way? Tell me."
"Adelaide, I swear, I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't. Sometimes I can, sometimes I do. Most times, I can save someone. Or anyone. But not you. You wondered all your life why that Dalek spared you. I think it knew. Your death is fixed, in time, for ever. And that's right."
"You'll die here too," Adelaide declared, "You and your wife, you'll both die here."
"No," he said, not even perturbed by the small threat to his Clever Girl: it was an empty threat.
"What's gonna save you?"
"Captain Adelaide Brooke."
After a moment of silence, the pair heard a clicking sound in the room and the door begin to open, "Damn you," Adelaide muttered.
~ 0 ~
"Water! We've got water!" Roman shouted as the water streaked down the walls.
"Captain! Get back! Get back! Captain!" Mia called then yanked Roman back, "Don't touch it, Roman! Don't let it touch you!"
"Get back! We're abandoning this section," Adelaide ordered, "Get to the shuttle! Yuri, lead the way, Section B Corridor, now," Yuri opened up a door where the had stored nearly everything but saw water pouring through, 'Close it!" Adelaide gave the shout.
Yuri quickly closed the door and turned to the others, Steffi breathing in heavily, "Yuri, did that water touch you?"
"I'm safe."
"Did it touch you? Yuri, did that water touch you?"
"I'm clean, I'm dry," he promised.
Adelaide just looked around, recalling the Doctor's words...water could wait...
~ 0 ~
Outside, the Doctor and Minerva could listen to everything the crew was saying...only serving it harder for the Doctor to keep going.
~ 0 ~
"Everyone, Section B is out. Listen to me! Take every pack that you can. We'll go round. We'll make our way out through Section F," Adelaide pointed while the others gathered the rest of the packs.
"Transferring authorization, Section F. Mia you take the redline stock! And hurry up!" Steffi said, the others heading for the opposite door in the room. As she moved to step them, water rushed down from the ceiling, blocking her way off.
"Steffi go!" Yuri called.
"Steffi, get back!" Mia motioned.
"Get back!"
"Steffi, keep back!"
"Get back!"
"Steffi!"
"Just get back! Steffi!"
"Get back!"
"Just get back! Hurry!"
Steffi looked around in horror as the water poured down, barely listening to everyone's overlapping voices as she backed up to the enclosed communications center.
"Just shut the door! Close the door!" Roman called.
Steffi quickly closed the door of the small room.
"Steffi, we'll come get you, OK? We'll come get you! Steffi!" Adelaide assured as the woman looked around.
"Captain!"
"We'll open the access panel. We'll get you out through the back," Adelaide looked at the others, "Get her out! Move it!"
Steffi screamed as the water started coming down inside the room, 'Captain, it's inside!" she backed away from the door.
"Steffi!"
"Steffi, get back! Steffi!"
~ 0 ~
The Doctor & Minerva were several feet away from the base and looked back, hearing everything...
"We're coming! Steffi, hold on!" Adelaide was saying.
"The access panel's fused, Captain. We can't open it," Roman informed.
"We can't get through!" Yuri added.
"Don't! Don't, please!" Steffi pleaded.
"There's nothing we can do," Yuri sighed.
"I can't move!"
With everything they had inside, the alien pair started walking away.
~ 0 ~
Steffi was pressed against the wall and pushed a button on the monitor beside her that played a video of her daughters on the screen.
"Hallo, Mutti. Hallo, Mars!" one of the little girls turned to the other, "Sag hallo. Ich fragte warum nicht. Wir koennen doch mit dem Zug..."
Steffi turned to the monitor and sobbed, uncaring when the water splat on her back.
"Steffi, can you hear me?" Adelaide called, seeing the woman shaking as the transformation took in place.
"Oh my god..." Mia breathed.
With nothing else to do, Adelaide tore her gaze away from one more of her crew members, "Out! Get out!" she managed one last look at Steffi, the woman now transformed and trying to walk towards them through the door, "Ed, we're going round the long way, how are we doing?" she spoke into her radio as she rushed out.
"All systems online, 100%. Not a single delay! Don't you worry, Captain, we are gonna fly!"
"I need air in Section F right now."
"Locking chamber three. Locking chamber four," Yuri's voice emerged through the radio.
"Keep looking!" Adelaide ordered.
"Gate five is open! Gate six is open!" Roman added.
~ 0 ~
Roman looked around the room to make sure they had everything they needed, "Quickly, come on!" Yuri called.
"I've got 25 to 30 lockdown," Mia added.
Roman looked up at the ceiling just as a single drop of water fell...onto his cheek.
"Roman, come on, with me," he heard Adelaide call.
"You'd better go," he swallowed.
"Don't just stand there, move!"
"You'd really better go without me. I'm sorry, Captain. One drop," he turned to face the woman, showing her the single drop on his face. He immediately started shaking...
"Roman! Roman!" Mia cried.
Yuri took her by the waist and pulled her, "Leave him, come on."
"We can't just leave him!"
"Sorry. Come on."
"Let me go!"
"I can't let you go."
"Roman!" she sobbed as Yuri took her out of the room, Adelaide somberly following them.
~ 0 ~
Ed gasped as the doors of the shuttle opened with Maggie on the other side. She aimed her hand at the cockpit and shot through, Ed being too slow in closing the door, and splattered him with water. He groaned as he felt the change beginning.
~ 0 ~
"Captain. The shuttle is down," Adelaide heard through her radio.
She stopped, "What the hell do you mean?"
"Compromised. It was Maggie."
"Get out of there!"
~ 0 ~
"Too late. They want this ship to get to Earth. Got no choice," he started pressing a couple buttons around him, groaning, "Hated it, Adelaide. This bloody job. Ohhhh! You never gave me a chance," he reached out with his hand, "You never could forgive me," his eyes changed to that of the creature, "See you later," he pressed the self-destruct of the shuttle and exploded...
~ 0 ~
With the explosion rocking the base, the Doctor and Minerva were sent flying to the ground with a hard thud. They stood back up and looked back at the destruction behind them, no words capable of getting out from either mouth of theirs.
~ 0 ~
The remaining crew fell to the floor with their arms over their heads from the falling debris. As the air began escaping, they were pulled towards the hole.
"We're losing oxygen! The hull is broken!" Yuri cried.
~ 0 ~
The Doctor heard the last words before remembering some words...very important words...
"I'm not just a Time Lord, I'm the Last of the Time Lords. It'll never come back, not now. I've got a TARDIS. Same old life, last of the Time Lords. And they died, took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed, gone forever. 'The Time Lords kept their eye on everything. And it's gone now. But they died, the Time Lords! All of them, they died! I'm the last of the Time Lords."
With grim determination, he started heading back to the base.
"Wh-where are you going?" Minerva reached out for him, "What are you doing?"
"We can save them," he nodded, looking back at her.
Startled, and admittedly worried of the new look in his eyes, she let go, "No we can't. You told me, remember? You told me, you made me learn that. You can't...we can't..."
"New lesson," he swallowed hard, "I'm the last of the Time Lords, I'm the overseer..."
"Yes, and I'm a princess of a kingdom, so?" she shook her head.
"I've let so many people die because of rules...rules that I'm in control of now."
"Doctor, we can't..." she swallowed, "...I can't go back there, water..." she reminded.
"Go to the TARDIS and bring her to the base," he turned her for the direction of the blue box, "C'mon, dear. We can do this."
With that, he started making his way back to the base. Minerva trembled as she continued her pathway, seeing all the wrong ways this was heading for.
~ 0 ~
Yuri, Mia and Adelaide held onto anything possible that would keep them from being sucked out into the planet when the Doctor appeared, taking charge of the situation, "Mia, take this sealant, fix that rig!" he tossed a canister over to the woman, "Yuri, open emergency oxygen. Adelaide, don't just sit there!" he helped the woman up.
Mia sealed the whole while Yuri started the oxygen again.
"That's better! The Dome's still got integrity! It's 10 feet of steel-combination, made in Liverpool. Magnificent workmanship!"
"It can't be stopped. Don't die with us," Adelaide said, trying to shoo him off, "Go back to your wife!"
"No, because someone told me just recently, they said I was gonna die. They said, he will knock four times, and I know what that means. And it doesn't mean right here, right now! Cos I don't hear anyone knocking, do you?!" he opened his arms. Three loud bangs were heard on the door, curtsy of Andy, "Three knocks is all you're getting!" the Doctor electrified the door, making Andy scream and fall, "Water and electricity, bad mix. Now then, what else have we got?"
"But there's no way to fight them," Adelaide reminded.
"Heat! They use water, so we can use heat! Learned that from my wife," he pressed buttons on the computer then rushed across the room, "Works against the Ice Warriors, works against the Flood. We'll ramp up the environment controls and steam them!"
"But you said we die! For the future, for the human race," she looked after him in confusion.
"Yes, because there are laws. There are Laws of Time," he looked up, "Once upon a time there were people in charge of those laws, but they died. They all died. Do you know who that leaves? Me! It's taken me all these years to realize the Laws of Time are mine and they will obey me!"
The base shuddered again and sent the man to the floor, his helmet falling off as well.
"Environment controls are down! Sorry, Doctor, it looks like history's got other ideas," Adelaide informed.
But he stood up, unperturbed, "Not beaten yet! I'll go outside! Look at the heat regulator," he picked up his helmet and saw its crack on the visor, "No, not beaten, not beaten!" he threw the helmet to the floor, "You've got spacesuits, in the next section," he ran out the door but was stopped by the water and so returned, "We're not just fighting the Flood, we're fighting time itself and I'm gonna win!"
~ 0 ~
Maggie stood before the ice fields and raised her arms, roaring while the ice began cracking.
~ 0 ~
"Something's happening to the glacier," Yuri informed.
"Where is Minerva?" the Doctor looked around, the Clever Girl should've been here by now. It was taking her longer than he calculated and there wasn't time to waste!
Meanwhile, Adelaide was tapping on the keypad, the computer's voice making the Doctor's head snap to her, "Implementing Captain's protocol," the computer said.
"Adelaide, what are you doing?!" he ran towards her.
"Oh, my God. Action Five," Mia shuddered a breath.
"If I have to fight you as well, then I will!" the Doctor warned but it was too late. Adelaide pressed the 'enter' button before he got to her.
"Nuclear device now active and primed. Nuclear device now active and primed.
"Minerva!" the Doctor cried and looked around, his hearts beating faster and faster as the clever girl ceased to arrive.
The base shuddered and sent Adelaide to the floor. Yuri grabbed a fire extinguisher as small fires sprouted all around them.
"Nuclear device entering final process."
~ 0 ~
Minerva silently walked around the console, her face bearing that of anger and somber, "I'm really sorry old girl," she whispered as the box of wonders hummed to her, "I promise that it won't happen again," she looked up at the rotor with sadness, "But I can't let my husband die," she took a deep breath and gripped the lever, pulling it down.
~ 0 ~
Bowie Base one exploded into millions of pieces, leaving only a dent hole in what used to be the base.
~ 0 ~
The TARDIS materialized in a snowing, London street. The Doctor opened the doors up and walked out, followed by Adelaide, Mia and Yuri.
"Isn't anyone going to thank me?" the Doctor turned and faced them, a bright smile on his face. Gadget trundled out of the TARDIS only to make a few inches out on the street before shutting down, "He's lost his signal. Doesn't know where he is."
"That's my house," Adelaide pointed with blinking eyes.
"Don't you get it? This is the 21st November 2059. Same day on Earth," he looked up to the sky, "And it's snowing. I love snow."
"What is that thing? It's bigger... I mean, it's bigger on the inside!" Mia looked back at the TARDIS, Minerva silently and cautiously coming up to stand at the doorway, "Who the hell are you?" Mia quickly ran off in horror.
Yuri made to follow but hesitated and glanced at Adelaide, "Look after her," she instructed.
"Yes, ma'am," Yuri nodded and ran after Mia.
"You saved us," Adelaide walked towards the Doctor.
"Just think though. Your daughter, and your daughter's daughter, you can see them again. Family reunion!" the Doctor exclaimed, unperturbed by the woman's frustration.
"But I'm supposed to be dead!"
"Not anymore."
"But Susie, my granddaughter, the person she's supposed to become might never exist now!''
"Nah! Captain Adelaide can inspire her face-to-face. Different details, but the story's the same."
Adelaide blinked and looked back at Minerva, the brunette immediately looking away, "But you can't know that," Adelaide faced the Doctor, anger beginning to surge, "And if my family changes, the whole of history could change. The future of the human race. No-one should have that much power."
"Tough," the Doctor spat.
"You should have left us there."
"Adelaide, I've done this sort of thing before, in small ways, saved some little people. But never someone as important as you," he let out a small laughter, "Oh, I'm good!"
"Little people? What, like Mia and Yuri?" Adelaide raised an eyebrow, "Who decides they're so unimportant? You?"
"For a long time now, I thought I was just a survivor, but I'm not. I'm the winner. That's who I am. The Time Lord victorious."
"And there's no-one to stop you?" Adelaide stumbled back at such ferocity the man showed.
"I don't need to stopped," the Doctor shrugged.
"This is wrong, Doctor. I don't care who you are. The Time Lord Victorious is wrong," she pointed.
"That's for me to decide," he suddenly sported a small smile, contrasting deeply the darkness he had just seconds ago, "Now, you'd better get home. Oh, it's all locked up, you've been away. Still, that's easy," he used his screwdriver and unlocked her house's door, "All yours."
"Is there nothing you can't do?"
"Not anymore."
Adelaide pushed past him and walked towards her house. Without either he nor Minerva noticing, she reached for her gun and draws it before stepping inside. Before the Doctor reached the TARDIS, there was a gunshot. He spun back and looked at the door, instantly seeing the new changes in the course of history. In realization of what he had just caused, he looked back at Minerva who was now in tears.
"You were supposed to teach me," she stalked towards him, "This is...this is not what I wanted to learn. You...you are not the person I married, where is he? What have you done?"
The Doctor put a hand on his head, taking a long breath, "I...I don't...I'm sorry," he trembled in horror.
"A Time Lord Victorious is wrong," Minerva snapped, "Perhaps there is something I can teach you," she shut her eyes for a minute to calm down.
"M-Minerva..." she heard him say and opened her eyes to see him looking past her.
She followed his gaze to see Odd-Sigma standing on the road across them.
"I've gone too far," he whispered, falling to his knees, "Is this it? My death? Is it time?"
"Get up," Minerva ordered and helped him, "I won't have that. NO!" she shot a look at the Ood, seeing it vanish before her eyes, "I'd rather die myself first," she nearly made the promise.
"But it's-"
"NO," she cried, sniffling in anger and terror, "You...you don't get to die, do you hear me?" she trembled as he led them back into the TARDIS, "I am a princess and this is an order," she violently pointed at him.
"I hear you," he nodded, determinedly pressing a couple buttons on the console.
"Next stop everywhere," she hugged him tight and reached for the lever, dematerializing them out of the street.
Author's Note:
Woo! Technically 'thursday' but I don't consider it the next day until I go to sleep and wake up lmao. It's 1:30 a.m. soo...let's just call it wednesday? I got home from school and got straight to finishing my packing...and guys, it's been a good five hours and I'm still not finished :'( Gosh I hate packing so much!
So, Time Lord Victorious anyone? No thank you. I prefer good ole Martian!
For Reviews:
Yeah, I loved writing that part too. He was awfully scared and frankly funny xD. I didn't like the prophecy either like nO THANK YOU I DON'T WANT TO KNOW. It's been years and I'm still not over 10's death as you can tell. Yup, Clara's here from my pov and she's got some things to bring lol. Ooh, you caught the flower and door thing...well...you'll just have to continue reading future stories I'm afraid ;) Explanation will be given for that I promise!
Hooray! That chapter was funny and sweet to write! Yeah, I thought the title was funny but I figured there was no better one that one lmao. Yup, realization moment hit but you'll get one specific scene where it finally gets established for the world...and I love writing authoritative Minerva ^.^ Parsnip hip? What? xD
So...Friday...it all comes to an end...the Master returns? Time Lords returning? 10 regenerates? And...what's going on with Minerva? What? What? ...what? ;)