Hello readers! Sorry for the wait. I've been very busy with finals coming up. My Chemistry professor dumped a while bunch of work on the class, so I've been struggling to get all that work plus the work for my other classes done on time. I don't know how much writing I will be able to do during the next couple of weeks. I haven't started the next chapter yet, so I don't know when I will be able to get it up, but I will do my best to post it as soon as possible. I don't know how much writing I will be able to do during the summer either as I will be every busy moving to go to university Do not fear, however, I will not abandon this story, I just won't be steady with posting chapters. Anyway, I'm sure you guys are eager to read the chapter so I will stop babbling now.
As you know, I own nothing but my oc.
The TARDIS landed and the Doctor, Rose, and I stepped. Rose readjusted her backpack, which was filled clothes that needed washing. The Doctor had told her the TARDIS had a laundry room she could use, but Rose insisted on going home. The Doctor grabbed my hand and interlaced our fingers, absentmindedly rubbing my newly added wedding band. We had been bonded now for only a couple of weeks and it still felt like a dream. I smiled fondly as I thought back to our wedding day.
Flashback
The Doctor turned around as Rose, Jackie, and Sarah Jane entered the chapel. They moved aside to reveal me in a beautiful, white wedding dress. My hair was pulled up into a braided bun and I had just enough makeup on to bring out my eyes. The Doctor grinned, his eyes brimming with tears. I grinned back, my own bright turquoise eyes watering.
"You look beautiful," the Doctor told me softly as I walked over to him.
"You don't look too bad yourself," I replied, smiling flirtatiously.
"If you are ready, we may begin," the pastor of the church said.
"Right, allonsy!" The Doctor said. The pastor gave him a strange look and I shook my head in amusement. Rose and Jackie stood behind me and Sarah Jane stood behind the Doctor as the pastor conducted the marriage ceremony. I couldn't stop smiling throughout the whole thing. My hearts pounded with joy and anticipation as the Doctor and I said our vows and exchanged rings. "I now pronounce you husband and wife," the pastor said. "You may kiss the bride." The Doctor reached up and placed a hand on the back of my neck, pulling me in and capturing my lips. I responded by wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer to deepen the kiss. We pulled back and grinned at each other, laughing softly in pure joy as Rose, Jackie, and Sarah Jane clapped happily off to the side. It had finally happened. We were finally married!
End flashback
The Doctor squeezed my hand, bringing me back to reality. I glanced at him to see he was grinning, knowing exactly what I had been thinking about. Now that we were bonded, there was nothing either of us could hide from the other, not that we could hide anything before. We knew each other too well for that. I grinned back and stood on my tip toes to kiss him.
"Come on, you two love birds," Rose said, smiling fondly at us. "We don't want to keep my mum waiting."
"You didn't exactly tell her we were coming though," I pointed out.
"Oh, just shift," Rose retorted. I smiled and the Doctor chuckled as we followed Rose up to her flat. "Mum, it's us! We're ba-ack!" She called as we walked in.
"Oh, I don't know why you bother with that phone! You never use it!" Jackie lightly scolded Rose as she came around the corner, both exasperated and pleased.
Rose grinned at her mother. "Shut up, come here!" Rose threw her arms around Jackie.
"Oh, I love you!" Jackie said happily.
"I love you!" Rose replied. She let go of her mother and moved on down the hall.
"Hello, Wonder sweetheart!" Jackie greeted me, opening her arms.
"Hello, Jackie," I greeted back, embracing the woman. She, along with Sarah Jane and Rose, had helped me pick out my wedding dress. It had been a rather interesting day in the TARDIS wardrobe.
Flashback
"What about this one?" Jackie asked, holding up another dress.
I shook my head, wrinkling my nose a bit at the poofy dress. "I don't want to look like a Disney princess."
"What's wrong with looking like a princess?"
I sighed. "I just want something simple, Jackie. Besides, I think I would have a lot of trouble walking in that. I would probably face plant half way down the isle."
"What about this?" Rose asked, holding up another dress.
I shook my head again. "Too low cut."
Jackie threw up her hands in exasperation. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. We've been through just about every dress in this place."
Just then, Sarah Jane walked out from one of the rows of clothes with another dress draped over her arm. "How about this one?" She asked, holding it up for me to see. I cocked my head slightly, considering it.
"Might as well try it, sweetheart," Jackie sighed. I nodded and took the dress from Sarah Jane and went to go try it on. When I stepped out, all three women gasped. "It's perfect," Jackie said.
I walked over to inspect myself in the mirror. The dress was simple. It was sleeveless with a halter strap and sweetheart neckline. It hugged my waist, showing off the contours of my body. The skirt portion draped loosely around my legs, allowing for easy movement.
"You look beautiful," Sarah Jane told me with a smile.
"I think that's the one," Rose added.
"I think you're right," I agreed.
End flashback
Jackie released me and grabbed the Doctor who was trying to squeeze past us. "Oh no you don't. Come here!" She gave him a solid kiss on the lips before pulling him in for a bone crushing hug. "Oh, you lovely big fella! Oh, you're all mine!"
"Just... just... just put me down!" The Doctor protested weakly. I covered my mouth, trying to keep from laughing.
"Yes, you are!" Jackie said happily, ignoring the Doctor. She kissed him again and walked off. The Doctor grimaced and wiped his mouth, looking like a young boy with an over-affectionate mother. He sent me a glare as I continued to try and suppress my laughter with difficulty.
"Oh, come here," I told him through my giggling. I grabbed his face and tugged him down for a quick kiss. "There you go." I patted his chest and walked off after Jackie.
"I've got loads of washing for ya!" Rose said, taking off her backpack and dumping into her mother's arms. "And, I got you this!" She showed Jackie a small ornate bottle she had picked up at a market on an asteroid we visited. "It's from the market on this asteroid bazaar. It's made of um...what's it called?" She asked the Doctor and I.
"Bezoolium," the Doctor answered, flipping through some magazines on a nearby table.
Rose nodded. "Bezoolium. When it gets cold, yeah, it means it's gonna rain, when it's hot, it's gonna be sunny! You can use it to tell the weather!"
"I've got a surprise for you and all," Jackie told Rose.
"Oh, I get her bezoolum, she doesn't even say thanks," Rose muttered. I rolled my eyes and shook my head in amusement, flipping through the same book that the Doctor had read when we first came here.
"Hmm, you were right," I told the Doctor. "It was a sad ending." He simply smirked at me.
"Guess who's coming to visit?" Jackie asked Rose excitedly. "You're just in time, he'll be here at ten past! Who do you think it is?"
Rose shrugged. "I don't know."
"Oh go on, guess!"
Rose shook her head. "No, I hate guessing. Just tell me."
Jackie grinned. "It's your grandad. Grandad Prentice. He's on his way. Any minute! Right, cup of tea!"
Rose stared after her mother as she disappeared into the kitchen. "She's gone mad," she said.
"Tell me something new," the Doctor replied, coming up next to Rose.
I smacked his arm lightly. "Be nice."
"Grandad Prentice, that's her dad," Rose explained. "But he died like, ten years ago. She's lost it. Mum?" Rose went after Jackie, the Doctor and I sharing a confused look before following. "What you just said about grandad..."
"Any second now," Jackie said cheerfully.
"But... he passed away. His heart gave out. Do you remember that?" Rose asked gently.
"Course I do!" Jackie replied, slightly offended.
Rose blinked. "...Then how can he come back?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Jackie checked her watch. "Ten past. Here he comes." Suddenly, a ghost like figure stepped out of nowhere into the middle of the kitchen. "Here we are, then!" Rose, the Doctor, and I stared wide eyed at the figure. It was humanoid in shape, but possessed no other features. It was merely a shadow. "Dad... say hello to Rose. Ain't she grown?" Without saying a word, the Doctor dashed out of the flat, the rest of us following close behind.
"They're everywhere!" The Doctor exclaimed in confusion as we ran out onto the street. He was right. Everywhere we looked there were featureless ghosts, each one as undistinguishable from the next. That wasn't the only odd thing, however. People were going about their normal business, completely unfazed by the ghosts.
Rose turned around the face the Doctor and I. "Wonder, look out!" She cried, eyes widening. I spun around just in time to have a ghost walk straight through me. I gasped in surprise, stiffening as the ghost passed. It didn't hurt, but it felt like I had just stepped into a freezer. I shivered as the ghost walked off, not seeming to have noticed it had walked through someone.
The Doctor quickly grabbed my arms, looking at me with concern. "Are you okay? You hurt?" He asked.
I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine. But I didn't really want to find out what it felt like to the characters of Harry Potter when a ghost walked through them." He smiled softly and kissed my forehead.
"They haven't got long," Jackie said. "Midday shift only lasts a couple of minutes. They're about to fade."
The Doctor turned to her. "What do you mean, shift? Since when did ghosts have shifts? Since when did shifts have ghosts? What's going on?" He asked in rapid succession.
"Oh, he's not happy when I know more than him, is he?" Jackie noticed with a smirk.
"But everyone is so calm. Why is no one freaking out?" I asked.
Jackie shrugged. "Why should we?" She checked her watch. "Here we go. Twelve minutes past." All the ghosts disappeared. The Doctor and I glanced around, utterly bemused. Something was very wrong and we aimed to find out what.
We returned to the flat and turned on the tv. The Doctor sat himself on the floor in front of the tv and I sat on the chair behind him. Jackie sat on the couch while Rose perched herself on the arm. The Doctor flipped to a program called "Ghostwatch".
"On today's Ghostwatch, claims that some of the ghosts are starting to talk, and there seems to be a regular formation gathering around Westminster Bridge," the commentator announced. Footage of ghosts milling around on Westminster Bridge played. "It's almost like a military display..."
"What on earth is going on?" The Doctor wondered, his brows furrowed. He changed the channel to what appeared at first to be a weather report, but instead of weather symbols, there were pictures of ghosts.
"And tonight we're expecting very strong ghosts. From London, through the North and up into Scotland," the weatherman reported. We went through channel after channel, each one had something to do with the ghosts.
"It's all over the world." After changing the channel a couple more times, the Doctor switched the tv off and rubbed his eyes.
"When did it start?" I asked Jackie.
"Well first of all, Peggy heard this noise in the cellar, so she goes down-" Jackie started.
"I meant worldwide," I quickly corrected before she could start rambling. She could be as bad as the Doctor when it came to talking.
Jackie blinked and Rose smirked. "Oh! That was about two months ago. Just happened. Woke up one morning, and there they all were, ghosts, everywhere. We all ran round screaming and that, whole planet was panicking... no sign of you, thank you very much... then it sort of sank in. Took us time to realize that... we're lucky."
"What makes you think it's grandad?" Rose asked her mother.
Jackie shrugged. "Just feels like him. There's that smell, those old cigarettes. Can't you smell it?"
"I wish I could, mum, but I can't," Rose said gently.
"You've got to make an effort. You've got to want it, sweetheart," Jackie encouraged.
"The more you want it, the stronger it gets?" The Doctor guessed.
Jackie nodded. "Sort of, yeah."
"Like a psychic link. Course you want your old dad to be alive, but you're wishing him into existence. The ghosts are using that to pull themselves in," the Doctor mused.
"You're spoiling it," Jackie said, glaring at him.
"I'm sorry, Jackie, but there's no smell, there's no cigarettes. Just a memory," the Doctor replied gently.
"But if they're not ghosts, what are they, then?" Rose asked.
"Yeah, but they're human!" Jackie said, jumping at the chance to prove the Doctor wrong. "You can see them, they look human!"
"She's got a point. I mean, they're all sort of blurred, but they're definitely people," Rose added.
"Time Lords look human," I pointed out. "Well, technically humans look Time Lord, but that's beside the point. We've seen a lot of humanoid aliens in our travels, Rose."
"Besides, they're pressing themselves into the surface of the world," the Doctor added thoughtfully. "But a footprint doesn't look like a boot." He got to his feet and strode towards the door. "I need to analyze one of those ghosts, see if I can find where it's coming from."
A bit later, the Doctor and I were back in the TARDIS. He was under the grilling looking for something to scan the ghosts with while I leaned against the console as it was too cramped down with the Doctor. Rose came in holding a newspaper. "According to the paper, they've elected a ghost as MP for Leeds." Rose peered down at the Doctor. "Now don't tell me you're gonna sit back and do nothing."
Suddenly, the Doctor popped up with a Ghostbusters type pack on his back. "Who're you gonna call?" He sang, bobbing his head.
"Ghostbusters!" Rose and I answered, grinning.
"I ain't afraid of no ghosts." The Doctor darted out of the TARDIS. Rose and I following, giggling.
I helped the Doctor place some cones in a triangle shape. "When's the next shift?" the Doctor asked Jackie.
"Quarter to," Jackie answered after checking her watch. "But don't go causing trouble. What's that lot do?" She eyed the cones suspiciously.
"Triangulates their point of origin," he explained.
"I don't suppose it's the Gelth?" Rose asked thoughtfully.
I shook my head. "The Gelth were just coming through one rift. These 'ghosts' are appearing over the entire planet."
"Like tracing paper," the Doctor added.
"You're always doing this. Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real?" Jackie asked angrily, but the Doctor ignored her. "Just think of it, though... all the people we've lost, our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?"
The Doctor looked up from his work. "I think it's horrific." Jackie stared at him in shock.
I gave Jackie a sympathetic look. "I know it's hard to loose a loved one, but we need to learn to move on."
"Rose, give us a hand," the Doctor called. He started unwinding a cable, leading it through into the TARDIS, Rose and I following. He plugged the cable into the console. I glanced at the door as Jackie came in. "As soon as it becomes activated, if that line goes into the red, press that button there. If it doesn't stop...Setting 15B, hold it against the port, eight seconds and stop." The Doctor explained rapidly, brandishing his sonic screwdriver under Rose's nose, causing her to go cross-eyed.
Rose nodded in understanding. "15B, eight seconds."
"If it goes into the blue, activate the deep scan on the left," I told her.
"Hang on a minute, I know..." Rose leaned over the console and pointed to a button. "It's that one."
"Mm, close," the Doctor said.
Rose pointed to another one. "That one?"
"Now you've just killed us," I told her with a chuckle.
Rose giggled. "Eh... that one."
The Doctor grinned. "Yeah! Now, what've we got? Two minutes to go?" He glanced over at Jackie as she checked her watch. The Doctor and I walked out of the TARDIS. The Doctor pressed his Ghostbuster device to each of the cones we had set up.
"Is the line holding?" I shouted at Rose, who was back in the TARDIS.
"Yeah," she shouted back.
"Here we go!" The Doctor shouted as he finished with the cones.
"The scanner's working, it says 'delta one six'," Rose replied.
"Come on you beauty!" The Doctor said excitedly, practically buzzing with anticipation. I giggled at his enthusiasm. I returned my attention to the triangle of cones as a ghost materialized in the middle. Tendrils of blue electricity shot from each of the cones and connected to the next and created a cage around the ghost. The Doctor pulled out a pair of 3D glasses and watched the ghost. He adjusted a setting on his equipment, which caused the ghosts to shudder and groan. "Don't like that much, do you?" He laughed. "Who are you? Where are you coming from? Whoa!" He jerked back as the ghost took a swipe at him. "That's more like it! Not so friendly now, are you?" A moment later, the ghost disappeared. I helped the Doctor gather up the equipment. We darted into the TARDIS and set the equipment down. The Doctor tossed his coat over the railing. "I said so! Those ghosts have been forced into existence for one specific point! And I can track down the source. Allons-y!" He pulled a lever and the TARDIS shudder, causing him and Rose to fall back into the chair and me to topple to the ground.
"Ow," I muttered, rubbing my sore bottom.
"Oops, sorry," the Doctor apologized, coming over and helping me up. He began running around the console, pressing random buttons and he rambled. "I like that. 'Allons-y'. I should say 'allons-y' more often. 'Allons-y'. Watch out, Rose Tyler! Allons-y!" I rolled my eyes, an amused smile tugging at my lips. My smile fell slightly when I noticed a certain blonde sitting on the gantries.
'Oh, boy,' I thought, shifting my gaze back to the still rambling Doctor.
"And then, it would be really brilliant if I met someone called Allonzo. Because then I could say, 'allons-y, Allonzo!' Every time! You're both staring at me," the Doctor finished, finally noticing that Rose and I were looking at him.
"My mum's still on board," Rose whispered.
"If we end up on Mars, I'm gonna kill you," Jackie snapped from her perch on the gantries.
"I'll let you," I told her, glancing at the horrified Doctor and sharing a smirk with Rose.
The TARDIS landed in what appeared to be a storage area. We watched from the monitor as soldier burst into the room, got into position, guns trained on the TARDIS. "So much for the element of surprise," I muttered.
The Doctor sighed. "Oh, well. Still! Cuts to the chase. Stay in here, look after Jackie." He strode towards the doors.
"I'm not letting you go out there by yourself," I told him as Rose and I trailed after him.
"I'm not looking after my mum!" Rose added.
"Well, you brought her!" The Doctor retorted.
"I was kidnapped!" Jackie snapped.
Rose pushed her way to block the Doctor path to the doors. "Doctor, they've got guns."
"And I haven't. Which makes me the better person, don't you think?" He replied, moving Rose out of the way.
I crossed my arms and moved in front of him. "Having the moral high-ground isn't going to do you a whole lot of good when you're dead," I pointed out, staring up at him sternly.
He sighed, placing a hand on my cheek. "Wonder, please just stay here, where I know you're safe."
My gaze softened a bit. "Fine," I agreed reluctantly. "But if at any moment I feel you're about to get yourself in trouble, I will come get you." He nodded and stepped out of the door. I cracked the door open just enough to see what was going on. The Doctor had his hands raised defensively.
A woman in a business suit hurried into the room and grinned when she saw the Doctor. "Oh...! Oh, how marvelous," she said excitedly, clapping. "Oh, very good. Superb. Happy day!" All the soldier followed her lead.
"Um. Thanks," the Doctor said, tentatively lowering his hands. "Nice to meet you. I'm... the Doctor."
"Oh, I should say! Hurray!" The woman said, beginning another round of clapping.
"You... you've heard of me, then?" The Doctor asked, a bit surprised.
"Well of course we have," the woman replied enthusiastically. "And I have to say, if it wasn't for you, none of us would be here. The Doctor and the TARDIS!" She began clapping once again. The Doctor grinned as he started to enjoy the attention. I rolled my eyes. As if the Doctor's ego wasn't big enough.
The Doctor held up his hand for silence. "And... and... and you are?"
"Oh, plenty of time for that," the woman dismissed, causing me to narrow my eyes. "But according to the records, you're not one for traveling alone. The Doctor, his Wonder, and their companion. That's a pattern isn't it, right?" The Doctor and I stared at her. How did she know that? "There's no point hiding anything. Not from us." She smiled sinisterly. "So where are they?" The Doctor stood there frozen.
I decided there was no point in hiding anymore, so I opened the TARDIS door and stepped out, making sure Rose and Jackie remained hidden. "You know, you really shouldn't applaud him. His head is big enough as it is. But the question is, how did you know about us?"
'What are you doing?' The Doctor asked me through our link.
'There was no point in me hiding,' I replied. 'She knew about me, question is how? All traces of us should have been wiped with the virus you gave Mickey.'
"Ah! You must be Wonder," the woman said, smiling. "But where is your companion?"
"...Yes! Sorry. Good point. She's just a bit shy, that's all," the Doctor replied, jumping slightly. He opened the TARDIS door a bit more and reached in. "But here she is: Rose Tyler." Only it wasn't Rose he had pulled out. It was Jackie. He looked her up and down. "Hmm. She's not the best I've ever had. Bit too blonde. Not too steady on her pins. A lot of that." He mimed chatting causing Jackie to glare at him and the woman to laugh. "And just last week, she stared into the heart of the Time Vortex and aged fifty-seven years. But she'll do."
"I'm 40!" Jackie snapped indignantly.
The Doctor shrugged. "Deluded. Bless. I'll have to trade her in. Do you need anyone? She's very good at tea. Well, I say very good, I mean not bad. Well. I say not bad... anyway! Lead on. But not too fast. Her ankle's going."
"I'll show you where my ankle's going," Jackie hissed to the Doctor as the woman lead the way out of the storage area. I smirked a bit despite the situation.
"It was only a matter of time until you found us. And at last you've made it. I'd like to welcome you, Doctor and Wonder," the woman said, opening a door to reveal a huge factory full of alien artifacts and scientists working on them. "Welcome... to Torchwood."
"That's a Jathar Sunglider," the Doctor said, staring at a giant spaceship about us.
"Came down to Earth off the Shetland Islands ten years ago," the woman replied.
"Did it crash?" I asked, though I a nasty feeling that wasn't the answer.
"No, we shot it down," the woman said, confirming my suspicion. "It violated our airspace. Then we stripped it bare. Would've destroyed the Sycorax on Christmas Day, but someone called us off."
I glared at her. I knew the name had sounded familiar. "Well, you have me to thank for that," I told her.
"Oh, so that was you," the woman said, turning to me. "Well, I suppose that makes sense. You are known for you're compassion and mercy, though I don't know why you bothered with the Sycorax. Now if you'd like to come with me." I clenched my hands into fists as she walked off. The Doctor placed a hand on my shoulder.
'Calm down. We'll get to the bottom of this,' he assured me. I took a deep breath and nodded.
"The Torchwood Institute has a motto: 'if it's alien, it's ours'," the woman continued as we followed her. "Anything that comes from the sky, we strip it down, and we use it. For the good of the British Empire."
"For the good of the what?" Jackie asked.
"The British Empire," the woman replied simply.
"There isn't a British Empire."
The woman smirked. "Not yet. Ah, excuse me..." She took a weapon from a nearby soldier. "Now, if you wouldn't mind... do you recognize this, Doctor, Wonder?"
"That's a particle gun," the Doctor answered.
The woman grinned proudly "Good, isn't it?" She jerked the gun away from Jackie as she reached out to touch it. "Took us eight years to get it to work."
"It's the twenty-first century," I pointed out. "You can't have particle guns."
She shrugged, handing the gun back to the soldier. "We must defend our border against the alien. Thank you... Sebastian, isn't it?"
The soldier nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."
"Thank you, Sebastian," the woman smiled, turing back to the Doctor, Jackie, and I. "I think it's very important to know everyone by name. Torchwood is a very modern organization. People skills. That's what it's all about these days. I'm a people person."
"Have you got anyone called Allonzo?" The Doctor asked curiously. I groaned mentally.
"No, I don't think so. Is that important?" The woman asked.
"I suppose not. What was your name?" The Doctor asked, walking off to examine other artifacts.
"Yvonne. Yvonne Hartman," she replied.
I walked over to a box and peered in. 'Doctor, check these out,' I called mentally, pulling out two larger artifacts. He came over to examine them.
"Ah yes. Now, we're rather fond of these," Yvonne said, coming over. "The Magnaclamp. Found in a spaceship buried at the base of Mount Snowdon. Attach this to an object and it cancels the mass. I could use it to lift two tonnes of weight with a single hand. That's an imperial ton, by the way. Torchwood refuses to go metric."
"I could do with that to carry the shopping," Jackie commented.
"All these devices are for Torchwood's benefit. Not the general public's," Yvonne patronized.
"So, what about these ghosts?" The Doctor asked.
"As yes, the ghosts. They're er... what you might call a side effect."
I raised an eyebrow. "Of what?"
"All in good time, Wonder. There is an itinerary, trust me," Yvonne said. A truck drove by with the TARDIS perched on the back.
"Oi! Where're you taking that?" Jackie asked.
"If it's alien, it's ours," Yvonne replied simply.
"You'll never get inside it," the Doctor told her.
Yvonne chuckled. "Hm! Et cetera." As she walked away, the Doctor and I watched the TARDIS. The door cracked open and we could just barely see Rose peeking through the crack. The Doctor gave her a small encouraging nod before we followed Yvonne.
"All those times I've been on Earth, I've never heard of you," he commented to Yvonne.
"But of course not," Yvonne scoffed. "You're the enemy. You're actually named in the Torchwood Foundation Charter of 1879 as an enemy of the Crown."
"Wasn't that the manor in Scotland in 1879?" I asked.
Yvonne's nodded. "That's right. Where you encountered Queen Victoria and the werewolf."
"I think they make half of it up," Jackie pipped up.
"Her Majesty created the Torchwood Institute with the express intention of keeping Britain great. And fighting the alien horde," Yvonne explained.
"But if I'm the enemy, does that mean that I'm a prisoner?" The Doctor asked curiously.
"Oh yes. You and Wonder both. The Queen may not have mentioned Wonder, but she's an alien like you so I believe that includes her," Yvonne replied. We stopped outside a large black door. "But we'll make you perfectly comfortable. And there is so much you can teach us. Starting with this." She pressed her ID card to the digital lock and opened the door. We walked in and saw a huge, black sphere floating at one end of the room. My jaw dropped at the sight of it. "Now, what do you make of that?"
A scientist walked over to us. "You must be the Doctor and Wonder. Rajesh Singh. It's an honor, sir, ma'am." He held out his hand, but the Doctor and I ignored it, too preoccupied with the sphere.
"What is that thing?" Jackie asked.
Yvonne shrugged. "We got no idea."
"But what's wrong with it?"
"What makes you think there's something wrong with it?" Rajesh asked.
"I dunno... just feels weird," Jackie replied, eyeing the sphere.
'That's not what I think it is, is it?' I asked the Doctor.
'Looks like it,' he replied, darting forward and up a set of steps leading to the sphere.
"Well, the sphere has that effect on everyone," Yvonne said. "Makes you wanna run and hide. Like it's forbidden."
"We tried analyzing it using every device imaginable," Rajesh added. I joined the Doctor as he slipped on his 3D glasses and inspected the sphere. "But, according to our instruments, the sphere doesn't exist. It weighs nothing. It doesn't age. No heat. No radiation. And, has no atomic mass."
"But I can see it!" Jackie insisted.
Rajesh smiled. "Fascinating, isn't it? It upsets people because it gives off... nothing. It is... absent."
"Well, Doctor?" Yvonne asked.
"This is a Void Ship," he answered.
"And what is that?"
"Well, it's impossible for starters," the Doctor said, folding his glasses. "I always thought it was just a theory, but... it's a vessel designed to exist outside time and space. Traveling through the Void." He sat down on the bottom step and I stood behind him, placing my hands comfortingly on his shoulders.
"And what's 'the Void'?" Rajesh asked.
"The space between dimensions," I supplied, allowing the Doctor a bit of time to think. "There's all sorts of realities around us, different dimensions, billions of parallel universes all stacked up against each other. I should know, I lived in one for a while as a human." Yvonne raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "Anyway, the Void is the space in-between. Containing absolutely nothing. That's how it got its name. It's void of anything and everything. Nothing, not even time. Our people called it the Void, the Eternals call it the Howling. But some people call it Hell."
"But someone built the sphere. What for? Why go there?"
I shrugged. "To explore. To escape. You could sit inside that thing and eternity would pass you by. The Big Bang... end of the universe, start of the next, wouldn't even touch the sides. You'd exist outside the whole of creation."
"You see, we were right. There is something inside it," Yvonne said, smiling smugly.
The Doctor looked up and locked eyes with her. "Oh yes," he replied sinisterly. Yvonne blinked, a bit taken aback by his tone.
"So how do we get in there," Rajesh asked.
The Doctor shot to his feet. "We don't! We send that thing back into Hell. How did it get here in the first place?"
"Well, that's how it all started. The sphere came through into this world, and the ghosts followed in its wake," Yvonne explained.
"Show me," the Doctor demanded. He strode off, turning left once outside the door.
"No, Doctor," Yvonne called. He walked back the other way and I sighed. Yvonne led us to a long, white room. "The sphere came through here. A hole in the world," she explained. The Doctor ran his hand over the bare white wall at the end of the room. "Not active at the moment. But when we fire particle engines at that exact spot, the breech opens up."
"How did you even find it?" I asked curiously.
"Well, we were getting warning signs for years. A radar black-spot. So we built this place. Torchwood Tower. The breech was six hundred foot above sea level. It was on the only way to reach it."
The Doctor slipped his 3D glasses on again. "You built a skyscraper just to reach a spatial disturbance? How much money have you got?"
"Enough," Yvonne replied simply. She walked off while the Doctor continued to stare at the wall.
'They've just been opening a hole in the fabric of reality, without even thinking of the consequences. Typical humans,' I grumbled mentally. 'Why can't they ever leave things alone.'
'There too curious for their own good,' the Doctor replied. He strode over to where Yvonne and Jackie stood. "So, you find the breech, probe it, the sphere comes through. Six hundred feet above London, bam. It leaves a hole in the fabric of reality. And that hole, you think, 'oh, shall we leave it alone? Shall we back off? Shall we play it safe?' Nah, you think 'let's make it bigger!'"
"It's a massive source of energy," Yvonne retorted. "If we can harness that power, we need never depend on the Middle East again. Britain will become truly independent. Look, you can see for yourself. Next Ghost Shift's in two minutes."
"Cancel it."
"I don't think so," Yvonne replied flatly.
"I'm warning you, cancel it," the Doctor demanded angrily.
"Oh, exactly as the legends would have it. The Doctor, lording it over us. Assuming alien authority over the rights of Man," Yvonne mocked.
"How about a demonstration then," I said. I reached into the Doctor's jacket for his sonic screwdriver and moved to the other side of the glass window of Yvonne's office. "Sphere comes through." I pointed the sonic at the glass and activated it. The glass splintered and the cracks extended outward as I spoke. "But when it made the hole, it cracked the world around it. The entire surface of this dimension, splintered. And that's how the ghosts get through. That's how they get everywhere. They're bleeding through the fault lines. Walking from their world, across the Void, and into yours. With the Human Race hoping and wishing and helping them along! But too many ghosts, and..." I lightly touched the glass and the entire window shattered.
"Well, in that case we'll have to be more careful," Yvonne decided, turning to the staff. "Positions! Ghost Shift in one minute." I growled in frustration. Why do people never listen?
"Ms Hartman, I am asking you, please, don't do it," the Doctor pleaded.
"We have done this a thousand times."
"Then stop at a thousand!" The Doctor replied furiously.
"We are in control of the ghosts," Yvonne insisted. "The levers can open the breech, but equally they can close it." She and the Doctor stared at each other.
'I think it's time for another strategy,' I told the Doctor.
'I think you're right,' he replied. "Okay." He walked over to Yvonne's office and grabbed a chair.
Yvonne blinked in surprise. "Sorry?!"
"Never mind! As you were."
"What, is that it?"
"No! Fair enough. Said my bit," the Doctor said, settling down in his chair and pulling me into his lap. "Don't mind us. Any chance of a cup of tea?"
"I'll take coffee if you have any," I added. "I take lots of creamer though."
"Ghost Shift in twenty seconds," a dark skinned woman announced.
"Mm! Can't wait to see it!" The Doctor said, putting on a fake smile.
Yvonne narrowed her eyes at him. "You can't stop us, Doctor."
"No, absolutely not!" The Doctor turned to Jackie. "Pull up a chair, Rose! Come and watch the fireworks."
"Ghost Shift in ten seconds. Nine... eight..." Yvonne fidgeted uneasily, staring at the Doctor and I. We raised our eyebrows at her, daring her to go through with the ghost shift. "Seven... six... five... four... three... two..."
"Stop the shift. I said stop," Yvonne decided.
I smiled at her. "Thank you." While I hadn't gotten any visions that would indicate that anyone was going to be in danger if they started the ghost shift, that didn't mean anything. Just because something dangerous was going to happen, that didn't guarantee I would get a vision.
Yvonne sighed. "I suppose it makes sense to get as much intelligence as possible. But the program will recommence, as soon as you've explained everything."
"We're glad to be of help," the Doctor replied.
"And someone clear up this glass," Yvonne ordered. "They did warn me, Doctor. They said you like to make a mess. I guess they should have warned me about Wonder too." She disappeared into her office. After another glance at the wall, the Doctor and I followed Yvonne. The Doctor made himself comfortable in a chair, propping his feet up on Yvonne's desk. Normally, I would have gotten after him for that, but I didn't like Yvonne so I let it pass. I stood behind him, leaning my arms in the back of his chair. "So these ghosts, whatever they are, did they build the sphere?" Yvonne asked, her gaze lingering on the Doctor's feet crossed on her desk. She wisely decided not to say anything.
"Must have. Aimed it at this dimension like a canon ball," the Doctor mused. I, however, wasn't so sure. I didn't like whatever these ghosts things were, but something told me that they weren't the ones to build that sphere. Unfortunately, it was the only logical explanation right now, so I chose to keep quiet.
"Yvonne? I think you should see this," Rajesh said through the webcam on Yvonne's laptop. "We've got a visitor. We don't know who she is, but funnily enough, she arrived at the same time as the Doctor and Wonder." My hearts sunk. They had found Rose.
Yvonne turned her laptop around. Rose was sitting next to Rajesh. "She one of yours?"
"Never seen her before in my life," the Doctor replied, shaking his head.
"Good! Then we can have her shot," Yvonne decided.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on her," I growled, straightening up and glaring daggers at Yvonne. She turned to me and raised her eyebrows as if daring me to do something. The Doctor reached over his shoulder and placed his hand over mine.
'Calm down. I won't let anything happen to Rose,' he assured me.
'You just claimed we didn't know her,' I retorted.
'I did that in the hopes they wouldn't think we were trying to infiltrate Torchwood.'
'Well that worked well, didn't it?' I snapped sarcastically.
'I'll take care of it,' he assured me. I sighed mentally and released the tight grip I had on his shoulders. "Well, it was worth a try," he said, taking his feet off the desk and sitting up. "That's... that's Rose Tyler."
"Sorry. Hello!" Rose said, waving.
"You all right, Rose?" I asked as the Doctor waved back.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured me.
"Well, if that's Rose Tyler, who's she?" Yvonne asked, looking at Jackie.
"I'm her mother," Jackie replied.
Yvonne raised her eyebrows. "Oh, you travel with her mother?"
"He kidnapped me," Jackie snapped.
"He didn't kidnap you, Jackie. He was just too excited to find where the ghosts were coming from to notice you were still on board," I told her with a sigh.
"Please, when Torchwood comes to write my complete history, don't tell people I travelled through time and space with her mother," the Doctor pleaded with Yvonne.
"Charming," Jackie grumbled, causing me to smirk slightly.
"I've got a reputation to uphold!" The Doctor added.
"You poor baby," I chuckled, causing the Doctor to pout at me. We all snapped our heads around at the sound of engines starting. I scanned the room and noticed with horror that the levers controlling the ghost shift were turning on.
"Excuse me? Everyone? I thought I said stop the ghost shift," Yvonne snapped. All the staff ignored her. "Who started the program? But... I ordered you to stop! Who's doing that?!" She demanded gesturing to the moving levers. "Step away from the monitors, everyone." No one listened as they continued staring at their screens and typing. Yvonne began to panic. "Gareth, Addy, stop what you're doing, right now! Matt. Step away from your desk. That's an order! Stop the levers!" Two scientist rushed over and attempted to push the levers back down. "Stop the levers!"
The Doctor rushed over to a dark skinned woman who was staring straight at her screen, unblinking. "What's she doing?"
"Addy? Step away from the desk," Yvonne ordered, coming over. I came over and clicked my fingers in front of Addy's face, but she didn't respond. "Listen to me. Step away from the desk."
"She can't hear you," the Doctor said, looking at the screen. "They're overriding the system." We all stared anxiously at the blank wall. "We're going into Ghost Shift." The light from the wall continued to get brighter.
"Doctor," I said, pointing to Addy's familiar ear-piece.
"It's the ear-piece controlling them," he realized. "I've seen this before." He pulled his sonic screwdriver out and backed up. "Sorry. I'm so sorry," he apologized softly before activating it. Addy screamed in pain along with her colleges and slumped over her desk, dead.
"What happened? What did you just do?" Yvonne demanded.
"They're dead."
"You killed them," Jackie said in horror.
"They were dead before we got here," I said sadly. How could they be here?
"But you killed them!" Jackie insisted.
"Jackie, I haven't got time for this," the Doctor snapped angrily.
"What're those ear-pieces?" Yvonne asked.
"Don't."
"But they're standard comms. Devices, how does it control them?"
The Doctor went over to another computer. "Trust me, leave them alone."
"But what are they?" Yvonne asked, reaching for Addy's ear-piece. I grabbed her wrist before she could touch it.
"He said don't touch them," I told her firmly. I released her wrist. "Those ear-pieces connect directly to their brains. That's how it controls them."
"That's disgusting," Yvonne said, wrinkling her nose.
"What about the Ghost Shift?" The Doctor asked, still typing away.
"Ninety percent there," Yvonne replied. "It's still running. Can't you stop it?"
The Doctor shook his head. "They're still controlling it. They've hi-jacked the system."
"Who's they?"
"It would most likely be a remote transmitter," I mused. "You should be able to trace it with the sonic."
"Of course!" The Doctor exclaimed. He pulled out the sonic again and held it in his palm. He took off, apparently receiving a signal. "Jackie, stay here!" He shouted as he ran, Yvonne and I hot on his heels.
"You two, you come with us," Yvonne ordered two soldiers as we passed.
The soldiers nodded and fell into step with us. "Yes, ma'am."
Finally, we reached a curtained area. "What's down here?" The Doctor asked.
"I don't... I dunno, I think it's building work. It's just renovations," Yvonne answered.
"You should go back," the Doctor said, walking forward cautiously.
"Think again."
The Doctor turned to me, but I cut him off before he could say anything. "If you think I'm going to go back without you, you've got another thing coming," I snapped. He looked like he wanted to argue, but wisely chose not to say anything. Yvonne and I followed the Doctor as he pushed aside the curtains. The sonic beeped and he glanced down at it.
"What is it? What's down here?" Yvonne asked anxiously.
"Ear-pieces, ear-pods, this world is colliding with another," the Doctor muttered, his brow furrowed. "And I think I know which one."
'But how is that possible?' I asked the Doctor. 'We sealed the door to that universe.'
'I don't know,' he replied. Just then, a shadow appeared behind the curtains. My hearts stopped. I would recognize that shadow anywhere.
"What are they?" Yvonne whispered.
"They came through advance guard," the Doctor said as the shadow stepped through the curtain.
"Cybermen," I finished. The two soldiers open fired at the Cybermen, with no effect. The Doctor, Yvonne, and I attempted to escape, but found with horror that we were surrounded.
"Halt," one of the Cybermen ordered, marching up to us. "You have been identified as the enemies known as the Doctor and Wonder. You will come with us." The Doctor, Yvonne, and I followed the Cybermen back to the rift chamber, our hand behind our heads defensively.
"Get away from the machines, do what they say, don't fight them!" The Doctor ordered the scientist in the rift chamber. One of the scientists didn't move fast enough and was shot.
"What are they?" Jackie asked, absolutely terrified.
"We are the Cybermen. The Ghost Shift will be increased to one hundred percent," one Cyberman declared. He clamped a fist to his chest and the levers controlling the ghost shift started to rise.
"Online," a computer announced. The light signaling to opening of the rift got brighter.
"Here come the ghosts," the Doctor said. I squinted, trying my best to see through the blinding light. The ghosts appeared, but this time, they sounded like marching Cybermen.
"These Zybermen, what've they got to do with the ghosts?" Jackie asked.
"They are the Cyberman, Jackie," I told her. "Remember what the Doctor said? A footprint doesn't look like a boot."
"Achieving full transfer," the Cyberman announced. The ghosts continued to march from the light, becoming more and more distinguishable as Cybermen.
"Millions of them. Right across the world," the Doctor said. We could see there were hundreds of Cybermen standing in the light, ready for war.
"They're invading the whole planet," Yvonne realized in horror.
The Doctor shook his head. "It's not an invasion, it's too late for that. It's a victory." We turned around at a beeping sound. Yvonne's laptop was flashing "sphere activated" over and over. The Doctor and I stared at it, brows furrowed in concentration. Why would the arrival of the Cybermen cause the sphere to activate? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. The Doctor turned to a nearby Cyberman. "What I don't understand is Cybermen don't have the technology to build the Void Ship, that's way beyond you. How did you create that sphere?"
"The sphere is not ours," the Cyberman responded.
The Doctor blinked in shock. "...What?"
"The sphere broke down the barriers between worlds. We only followed. Its origin is unknown."
"Then what's inside it?" I asked.
"Rose is down there," Jackie said fearfully.
I turned to her. "Rose will be alright. She's tough," I assured Jackie, hoping I was right. If the sphere wasn't the Cybermen's, I could only imagine what horrors lay inside it.
What did you guys think? Please review and let me know. I could use all the motivation you guys can give. By the way I just updated chapters 9 and 10. Till next time!
