"You'll need to install the time rotor," Idris said as the Doctor worked on the make-shift TARDIS.
Rose watched, worrying over Idris. She knew the body the TARDIS Matrix had been crammed into was giving out, burning up as had once almost happened to her long ago in the future.
"How is this going to make it through the rift?" The Doctor demanded. "How?" He flung a tool in exasperation. Rose caught his eye. She could feel the fear he was trying to hide. He was worried about Amy and Rory, but he was also afraid of losing his oldest companion, the TARDIS Matrix. She gave him her best you got this smile. He half heartedly returned it then went back to work. "We're almost done," he continued. "Thrust diffuser?" He glanced at Rose. She handed it to him then watched him install it. "Er...retroscope." She looked around, not sure what a retrosope was. "Blue thingy." He pointed out a blue piece of salvage. She picked it up and handed it to him.
"Do you ever wonder why I chose you all those years ago?" Idris asked as she examined a metal coat hanger.
"I chose you," the Doctor replied without looking up. "You were unlocked."
"Of course I was." She turned around, catching Rose's gaze. "I wanted to see the universe." Rose grinned. "So I stole a Time Lord and ran away and he was the only one mad enough."
"He is pretty mad," Rose agreed.
"That's why he needs so much taking care of."
They both laughed.
"Right," the Doctor loudly interupted. "Look at that."
Rose looked over his make-shift TARDIS, which was completely open on one side.
"It's..." She trailed off not sure where to begin.
"Perfect," he finished.
"That's it?" Idris asked, voicing Rose's thoughts.
"What could possibly go wrong?" he replied.
A piece fell off the console. Rose raised an eyebrow.
"That's fine," the Doctor replied reattaching it. "That always happens. No, hang on." He ran over to a pile of junk and picked up two red rope barriers with hooks on the ends. "Wait." He ran back and attached them to the open part of the make-shift TARDIS. It was a bit better, but she still wasn't convinced that a good jolt wouldn't send them careening into space.
They loaded inside, well as inside as they could be with a completely open side.
"Right," the Doctor said, glancing at Rose as he reached for a lever.
"Ready," she replied, grabbing onto the console, just in case.
"Okay. Follow that TARDIS!" He yelled as he flipped the lever. Rose braced herself, but nothing happened. "Oh, no. Come on!" He flipped the lever back and forth, but to no avail. "There's rift energy everywhere!"
"Doctor," Rose said, trying to stop the full blown Time Lord tantrum that was about to happen.
He stared at her for a moment. Opened his mouth, seemed to think better about what he was going to say then closed his mouth and turned back to the console.
"Okay," he said, pushing buttons. "Diverting all power to thrust. Let's be having you."
Rose braced herself. He flipped the lever.
BANG!
Sparks shot from the console. Rose jumped back, hitting the wall behind her.
"No, no, no!" The Doctor yelled.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"It can't hold the charge!" He yelled in frustration, kicking the side of the console. "It can't even start. There's no power." He threw his hands up in anger. "I've got nothing."
"Oh, my beautiful idiot," Idris said, stepping closer to the console. "You've got what you've always had."
"Ya? And what's that?" He grumbled.
"You've got us," Idris replied, reaching out and taking Rose's hand and before she could wonder what the heck was going on Idris kissed the tip of Rose's index finger and pressed it against the glass protecting the time rotor. Golden energy transferred from her finger into the time rotor.
"How are you doing that?" the Doctor asked.
"I don't know," Rose replied with a half shrug.
Her finger began to tingle and she would've instinctively pulled it back if Idris wasn't holding it in place. She could feel the energy transfer. It didn't hurt, but it felt strange. Like warm breath on cold glass.
The time rotor began to move. Idris released her allowing Rose to drop her hand and a moment later they dematerialized.
"We've locked onto them," Idris shouted over the noise of the make-shift TARDIS.
The Doctor grabbed the moniter.
"They'll have to lower the shields when we're close enough to phase inside," he said and then glanced at Idris. "Can you get a message to Amy? The telepathic circuits are online."
"Which one's Amy?" Idris asked.
"The pretty one," Rose supplied.
Idris swung the moniter around and then grabbed the circuits. A moment later Rose watched Rory's confused face appear on the screen.
"Hello, Pretty," Idris greeted.
Rose snorted a laugh.
"What the hell is that?" Rory asked.
"Don't worry," the Doctor said, stepping around the console. "Telepathic messaging." He caught sight of Rory's face. "No," he glanced at Idris, "that's Rory."
"Bunch over," Rose said, shoving him away so Idris could talk.
"You have to go to the old control room," she instructed. "I'm putting the route in your head. When you get there use the purple slider on the nearest panel to lower the shields."
The Doctor stepped in front of Idris and squinted at Rory.
"The pretty one?" the Doctor asked as if he just wasn't buying it.
"Ya, pretty," Rose said, shoving him away again.
"You'll have about twelve seconds before the room goes into phase with the invading Matrix," Idris continued. "I'll send you the key when you get there. Good luck."
The moniter went dark.
"How's he going to be able to take down the shields anyway? House is in the control room," the Doctor said.
"I directed him to one of the old control rooms," Idris replied.
"There aren't any old control rooms. They were all deleted or remodeled."
"I archived them for neatness. I've got about thirty now."
"Thirty control rooms," Rose said in admiration.
Idris smiled.
"But I've only changed the desktop, what, a dozen times?" the Doctor argued.
"So far, yes," Idris agreed.
"You can't atchive something that hasn't happened yet."
"You can't," Idris said, glancing at Rose with a smile she returned.