I am so so so sorry. I have not got to post a new chapter in forever! Life has been crazy busy lately and I had a bit of writers block on this chapter. I life how it end and I've got big plans for the next two chapters. So anyways, enjoy!
The Doctor's POV
"Cardiff!" I said as I landed the TARDIS.
"Cardiff?" Martha asked, wondering why we had come here.
"Ah, but the thing about Cardiff, it's built on a rift in time and space. Just like California on the San Andreas Fault, but the rift bleeds energy. Every now and then I need to open up the engines, soak up the energy and use it as fuel."
"So it's a pit stop?" Martha said.
"Exactly! Should only take 20 seconds. The rift's been active," I said.
"Wait a minute. They had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple of years ago. Was that you?"
"Bit of trouble with the Slitheen," I answered Martha. "A long time ago. Lifetimes. I was a different man back then."
'Aww, that was when you had big ears and wore leather,' Harper thought. She was still getting dressed but apparently listening in.
'Oi, I did not have that big of ears!'
'Sure you didn't.'
I didn't reply to her instead said, "Finito. All powered up." I looked at the monitor and saw Jack Harkness running towards the TARDIS, but quickly pulled the level to send us away. Then the TARDIS went crazy. Sparks were going off and both Martha and I fell down.
"What's that?" Martha asked as I quickly got to work controlling the TARDIS.
"DOCTOR!" I heard Harper yell for our room. She was mad I could tell but I didn't have time to worry about that. I had to figure out where we were going.
"We're accelerating into the future," I told Martha. "The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion. 50 trillion? What? The year 100 trillion? That's impossible."
"Why? What happens then?" Martha asked.
"We're going to the end of the universe."
"Well… we've landed," I said.
"So what's out there?"
"I don't know."
"Say that again, that's rare," Martha said with a laugh.
"Not even the Time Lords came this far. We should leave. We should go. We should really, really… go." I looked over at Martha and then smiled running to the door.
She followed right behind me as we went out. We looked around but then Martha gasped, "Oh my!" She got down by Jack, who was lying unconscious on the ground, "can't get a pulse. Hold on, you've got that medical kit thing."
As she ran back inside I said, "Hello again. Oh, I'm sorry."
"Here we go, get out of the way," Martha said pushing me lightly. "It's a bit odd, though, not very 100 trillion. That coat's more like World War II."
"I think he came with us," I said.
"How do you mean? From Earth?"
"Must've been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS. All the way through the vortex." I scoffed then said, "Well, that's very him."
"What, do you know him?"
"Friend of mine and Harper's. Used to travel with us. Back in the old days."
"But he's… I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat. There's nothing. He's dead." Right when she said that Jack took a deep breath grabbing onto her arms causing her to scream. "Oh, so much for me. It's all right, just breathe deep, I've got you."
He looked up at her, "Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?"
"Martha Jones."
"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones."
"Oh, don't start," I said.
"I was only saying hello."
"I don't mind." Why does he have that same effect on all of my companions?
He stood up and then looked at me, "Doctor."
"Captain."
"Good to see you."
"And you. Same as ever, although, have you had work done?"
"You can talk," he said.
I was confused for a second and then remembered, "Oh, yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?"
"The police box kind of gives it away. I've been following you for a long time. You abandoned me," he said and I knew he was not happy with me.
"Did I? Busy life, moving on," was all I said.
"You know it's bloody hard to get dressed with you driving like that," Harper said coming out of the TARDIS. She looked over to Jack before turning back to me, "Hi, Jack. But really, you need to be more careful… JACK!" She spun around quickly and the laughed.
"How you doing, petal? I love the hair." He opened his arms for a hug and she immediately jumped into his arms.
"Holy TARDIS of Gallifrey! Jack, it's so good to see you again!"
"Okay that's enough. Jack put her down." I said and when he did I pulled her back over to me. Jack gave me a knowing look but thankfully didn't say anything.
"Just got to ask. The Battle of Canary Wharf," Jack said. "I saw the list of the dead. It said Rose Tyler."
"Oh, no, sorry. She's alive."
He looked so happy and laughed, "You're kidding!"
"Parallel world, safe and sound. And Mickey and her mother."
"Oh, yes!" He cheered before giving me a hug.
I heard Martha mumble, "Good old Rose," and looked over at her seeing Harper put a comforting hand on her shoulder. I really needed to ask what that was about.
Harper's POV
"So there I was, stranded in the year 200,100, ankle deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me, but I had this." Jack held up his hand showing Martha the vortex manipulator. "I used to be a Time Agent. It's called a vortex manipulator. He's not the only one who can time travel."
"Oh, excuse me, that is not time travel," the Doctor said, sounded put out. "It's like, I've got a sports car, and you've got a space hopper."
I laughed and Martha said, "Oh, boys and their toys!"
"All right, so I bounced. I thought, '21st century, the best place to find the Doctor.' Except I got it a little wrong, arrived in 1869, this thing burnt out, so it was useless."
"Told you," I shook my head at the Doctor. Why was he being so competitive?
"I had to live through entire 20th century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me."
"Me too, funny how I didn't complain this much. And I thought it was the woman who did all the nagging," I said.
"Well, it is Jack," the Doctor said causing me to laugh.
"But that makes you more than a 100 years old," Martha said ignoring the Doctor and I.
"And looking good, don't you think? So, I went to the time rift, based myself there, 'cause I knew you'd come back to refuel, until finally, I get a signal on this," Jack said pointing to his backpack, "detecting you and here we are."
"But the thing is, how come you left him behind, Doctor?" Martha asked.
"I was busy."
"Is that what happens, though, seriously? Do you just get bored of us one day and disappear?"
"Not if you're blonde," Jack said.
"Oh, she was blonde! What a surprise," Martha said. I felt bad for her. I keep telling her she is just as important as Rose was but she doesn't listen to me.
"You two, we're at the end of the universe, right?" The Doctor said as he stopped walking and turned to them. "Right at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy… blogging! Come on."
I was about to say something when the Doctor grabbed my hand pulling me away.
We walked over to an open pit of some kind. Down below were tunnels and archways and roads.
"Is that a city?" Martha asked.
"City," I said.
"Or a hive," the Doctor said
"Or a nest."
"Or a conglomeration," he added. "Like it was grown. But look, there, that's like pathways or roads. There must've been some sort of life. Long ago."
"What killed it?" Martha asked.
"Time, just time. Everything's drying now. All the great civilizations have gone. This isn't just night. All the stars have burnt up and faded away, into nothing."
"They must have an atmospheric shell," Jack said. "We should be frozen to death."
"Well, Martha and I, maybe. Harper… no. Not so sure about you, Jack," the Doctor said.
Martha then asked, "But what about the people? Does no one survive?"
"We have to hope life will find a way," I said.
"Well, he's not doing too bad," Jack, said pointing over to a man running. He was being chased by a group of people, all whom were yelling.
"Is it me or does that look like a hunt? Come on!"
We all started to run towards the man at full speed when Jack said, "Oh, I've missed this!"
"Funny, I could do without this bit," I said. Martha and I were behind the Doctor and Jack, how did they run so fast?
"I've got you. I've got you…" Jack said as he pulled the man behind him and the Doctor.
"We've got to run. They're coming," he said.
Jack raised his gun, pointing it at the people and the Doctor said, "Jack, don't you dare!" So instead he pointed it up shooting, succeeding in stopping the people. They looked human but not human.
"What are they?" Martha asked.
"There's more of them. We've got to keep going."
"I've got a ship nearby. It's safe," the Doctor told the man. "It's not far. It's over there…" but when we turned to look, more of the people were there heading towards us. "Or maybe not."
"We're close to the Silo. If we get to the Silo, then we're safe," he said.
"Silo?" The Doctor asked us.
"Silo," I said.
"Silo," Jack agreed and then Martha finished up saying, "Silo for me."
We took off running, following the man. Soon we came upon a military looking base with huge gates.
"It's the futurekind," the man yelled to the guards. "They're coming! Open the gate!"
"Show me your teeth," one of the guards yelled when we got to the gate. "Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth."
The people, or futurekind as the man had called them, were closing in fast.
"Show him your teeth," the man told us. So we all did just that.
"Human, let them in. Let them in," the guard yelled and the gate opened just enough to let us through. "Close. Close!"
The guard then shot at the futurekind, stopping them in their pursuit.
"Humans," one of the futurekind hissed. "Humani. Make feast."
"Go back to where you came from," the guard said with his gun still pointed at them. "I said go back! Back!"
"Oh, don't tell him to put his gun down," Jack said sarcastically.
"He's not my responsibility."
"And I am? That makes a change."
"Boys, stop," I said getting tired of their bickering.
"Kind want you. Kind hungry." The futurekind said before grunting and leaving.
"Thanks for that," the Doctor said to the guard.
"Right, let's get you inside," he said as we followed him.
"My name is Padra Fet Shafe Cane," the man whom we came here with said. "Tell me, just tell me. Can you take me to Utopia?"
"Oh, yes, sir. Yes, I can."
'Utopia?' I asked looking at the Doctor. He just shrugged his shoulders and took my hand as we followed Padra and the guard.
The Doctor's POV
"It's like a box, a big blue box," I said to the lieutenant in charge. "I'm sorry, but I really need it back. It's stuck out there."
"I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the Silo," Padra Fet Shafe Cane said cutting me off. "Did they get here? My mother is Kistane Shafe Cane. My brother's name is Beltone."
"Computers are down, but you can check the paperwork. Creet," the lieutenant called and a small boy no more than 7 or 8 came over to us. "Passenger needs help."
"Right, what do you need?" Creet asked.
"A blue box, you said?" The lieutenant asked me looking confused.
"Big, tall, wooden, says 'police'," Harper told him.
"We're driving out for the last water collection. I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you," I said as we followed Creet and Padra.
"Come on," Creet said.
"Sorry, but how old are you?" Martha asked.
"Old enough to work. This way." He led us into a corridor. There were groups of people everywhere. "Kistane Shafe Cane. Kistane and Beltone Shafe Cane. I'm looking for a Kistane and Beltone Shafe Cane."
"The Shafe Canes, anyone?" Padra called out.
"Anyone? Kistane and Beltone Shafe Cane. Anyone know the Shafe Cane family?" Creet asked. "Anyone called Shafe Cane?"
"It's like a refugee camp," Martha said.
"It's stinking," Jack added loudly but quickly turned to the people next to him and said, "Sorry, no offence, not you."
"Don't you see, though? The ripe old smell of humans," I said smiling.
"I do not smell like this," Harper mumbled beside me.
"You survived! Oh, you might've spent a million years evolving into clouds of gas and another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental human."
"Kistane Shafe Cane."
"End of the universe and here you are. Indomitable, that's the word! Indomitable! Ha!"
"Is there a Kistane Shafe Cane?"
"That's me," I woman said standing up.
"Mother!"
"Padra!" Padra ran over to his family and I heard Harper give a soft 'aww' while Martha said, "It's not all bad news."
We started to work on getting a door open when I heard, "Captain Jack Harkness, and who are you?" I looked over and saw Jack talking to someone off to the side.
"Stop it. Give us a hand with this," I told him. "It's half-deadlocked. See if you can overwrite the code. Let's find out where we are." But when the door opened, I went straight in without look and almost fall down the silo. Inside the silo was a rocket and at the bottom was the engines, which is not where I wanted to be.
"I've got you," Jack said as him pulled me back to safety.
"Thanks."
"How did you cope without me?" Jack asked and Harper said with a laugh, "By counting on me, but I am getting tired of it, so I'm glad you here."
"Now that is what I call a rocket," Martha said looking in the silo.
"They're not refugees," I said and Harper finished for me, "they're passengers."
"He said they were going to Utopia," Martha said.
"The perfect place. 100 trillion years and it's the same old dream. Do you recognize those engines?"
"Nope, whatever it is, it's not rocket science," Jack said. "But it's hot, though."
"Boiling," I said. Jack shut the door and then Harper asked, "But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?"
Before we could say anything else an old man ran up to us. He looked between Jack and myself before turning to Jack and asking, "The Doctor?"
"That's me," I said.
"Good!" He grabbed my hand pulling me the way he had come. "Good! Good! Good, good, good. Good!"
"It's good, apparently," I said causing Harper to laugh as they followed along.
Harper's POV
The older man, who told us he was a professor, pulled the Doctor all the way to what looked like an engineering room of some kind. I didn't like being here, I knew what was going to happen and it gave me a bad feeling. "Chan, welcome, tho," an odd looking alien said to the Doctor. She had a beetle like face and was blue, but she looked friendly.
"This is the gravitissimal accelerator. It's past its best, but it works," the older man said.
"Chan, welcome, tho," the beetle like alien said to us.
"And over here is the footprint impeller system," the professor showed the Doctor who was trying to take everything in. "Now, do you know anything about end-time gravity mechanics?"
"Hello, I'm Harper," I said to the alien. "Who are you?"
"Chan, Chantho, tho," she said.
"But we can't get it to harmonies," I heard the professor say.
"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack said sticking out his hand.
"Stop it," the Doctor said barely looking over at him.
"Can't I say hello to anyone?"
"Chan, I do not protest, tho," Chantho gigged.
"Maybe later, blue," Jack said before putting down his backpack. "So what have we got here?"
"And all this feeds into the rocket?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes, except without a stable footprint, we'll never achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonies the five impact patterns and unify them, well, we might yet make it. What do you think, Doctor? Any ideas?"
"Well, basically…" the Doctor looked around. "Sort of… not a clue."
"Nothing?" The professor asked disappointed.
"I'm not from round these parts. I've never seen a system like it. Sorry."
"No, no, I'm sorry. It's my fault," the professor said. I was over by Martha and she was looking in Jack backpack; I was trying not to laugh about what she would find. "There's been so little help…"
"Oh my…" Martha said loudly making the others look our way. "You've got a hand. A hand in a jar. A hand, in a jar, in your bag." She had taken the jar out of Jack backpack and I let out the laugh I was holding in, knowing whose hand it was. Everyone came over to us to look at the hand.
"T-that's my hand," the Doctor stuttered out.
"I said I had a Doctor detector."
"Chan, is this a tradition amongst your people, tho?"
I shook my head no as Martha said, "Not on my street! What do you mean, that's your hand? You've got both your hands, I can see them."
"Long story. I lost my hand, Christmas day in a swordfight."
"What, and you grew another hand?" Martha asked loudly.
"Um, yeah, yeah I did, yeah. Hello," he gave a wave.
"Might I ask what species are you?" The professor asked the Doctor.
"Time Lord, last of. Heard of them?" When the professor shook his head no I started laughing. "Legend or anything? Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling." The Doctor got me to stop laughing by elbowing me in the side.
"Chan, it is said that I am the last of my species too, tho."
"Sorry, what was your name?" The Doctor asked.
"My assistant and good friend, Chantho," the professor said. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge."
"The city outside that was yours?" I asked.
"Chan, the conglomeration died, tho."
"Conglomeration! That's what I said!" The Doctor said.
I elbowed him this time and Jack said, "You're supposed to say sorry."
"Oh, yes. Sorry."
"Chan, most grateful, tho."
"You grew another hand?" Martha said still not wrapping her head around the idea.
"Martha, it's fine. Really. Trust me when I say it's a perfect real, working hand. It's really him," I said and looked at the Doctor blushing lightly at what I was thinking.
I smirked and chuckled lightly as I heard, 'stop it! You're as bad as Jack.'
'You weren't saying that last night.' His blush got darker as Martha said, "all this time and you're still full of surprises."
"Chan, you are most unusual, tho."
"Well…" the Doctor said as we laughed.
"So what about those things outside, the beastie boys? What are they?" Jack asked.
"We call them the futurekind, which is a myth in itself, but it's feared they are what we will become. Unless we reach Utopia," the professor explained.
"And Utopia is…" the Doctor asked.
"Every human knows of Utopia. Where have you been?"
"Bit of a hermit." I almost laughed at the Doctor's answer.
"A hermit with friends?" The professor asked.
"Hermits united. We meet up every 10 years, swap stories about caves. It's good fun… for a hermit."
"So, Utopia," I said fearing the Doctor would keep on about hermits.
"The call came from across the stars, over and over again. 'Come to Utopia.' Originating from that point."
"Where is that?" The Doctor asked as we looked at the navigation system.
"Oh, it's far beyond the condensate wilderness. Out towards the wild lands and the dark matter reefs. Calling us in, the last of the humans scattered across the night."
"What do you think is out there?" I asked.
"We can't know, a colony, a city, some sort of haven. The science foundation created the Utopia project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind, to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now, perhaps they found it. Perhaps not, but it's worth a look, don't you think?"
"Oh, yes," the Doctor said. "And the signal keeps modulating so it's not on automatic. That's a good sign, someone's out there. And that's a navigation matrix, isn't it?" As the Doctor was talking I saw the professor sort of space out. I knew something was wrong with him. "So you can fly without the stars to guide you, professor? Professor? Professor? Professor!"
The Doctor finally got his attention, but I was still worried. "I… um, right, that's enough talk. There's work to do. Now if you could leave. Thank you."
"Are you all right?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes, I'm fine, and busy."
"Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it?" I asked and the Doctor added, "This footprint mechanism thing, its not working."
"We'll find a way!" The professor said.
"You're stuck on this planet, and you haven't told them, have you? That lot out there, they still think they're gonna fly," the Doctor said.
"Well, it's better to let them live in hope."
"Quite right, too. And I must say, professor… what was it?"
"Yana," he asked the Doctor.
"Professor Yana, this new science is well beyond me. But all the same, a boost reversal circuit in any time frame must be a circuit, which reverses the boost. So I wonder what would happen if I did…" he got out the sonic and started to fiddle with something, "this!"
Alarms started to go off and lights came on. Both professor Yana and Chantho looked around excitedly. "Chan, it's working, tho!"
"But how did you do that?" Professor Yana asked.
"Oh, we've been chatting away. I forgot to tell you, I'm brilliant."
The Doctor's POV
We were all working fast to get the system up and running. Martha and Chantho had gone to get more circuit boards, Jack and Harper were laughing while they worked on some controls, and the Professor and I were working on the neutralino map.
I held up the piece I was working with and smelt it, "is that…"
"Gluten extract," the Professor confirmed what I was thinking. "It binds the neutralino map together."
"But that's food. You've built this system out of food and string and staples! Professor Yana, you're a genius."
"Say the man who made it work," Yana replied back.
"Oh, it's easy coming in at the end. But you're stellar. This is magnificent, and I don't often say that 'cause… well, 'cause of me."
"Well, even my title is an affectation. There hasn't been such a thing as a university for over 1,000 years. I've spent my life going from one refugee ship to another," Professor Yana said.
"If you'd been born in a different time, you'd be revered. I mean it, throughout the galaxies," I told him.
"Oh, those damn galaxies, they had to go and collapse," the Professor chuckled. "Some admiration would have been nice, yes, just a little, just once."
"Well, you've got it now. But that footprint engine thing… you can't activate it from on-board. It's got to be done from here." The Professor looked up at me. "You're staying behind."
"With Chantho," he said. "She won't leave without me. Simply refuses."
'Stockholm syndrome much?' I heard Harper mumble in her mind.
'What? Why do you say that?' But before I could see what she was thinking she blocked me out. I could feel she was worried, but I didn't know about what. I pushed it to the side for a minute and said, "You'd give your life so they could fly."
"Oh, I think I'm a little too old for Utopia. Time I had some sleep."
"Professor," Lieutenant Atillo called. "Tell the Doctor we've found his blue box."
"Ah!" I said, already thinking of a plan.
"Doctor?" Jack called pointing to a computer screen.
The Professor went over to him and Harper to see the TARDIS on the screen. "Professor, it's a wild stab in the dark, but I might just have found you a way out."
"Extra power," I said running out of the TARDIS with a cable.
"Little bit of a cheat, isn't it?" Harper asked laughing lightly.
I laughed and asked, "Who's counting? Jack, Harper, you two are in charge of the retro feeds."
"Oh, am I glad to see that thing," Martha said coming back into the room followed by Chantho.
"Chan, Professor, are you all right, tho?" Chantho asked the Professor who was sitting down looking tired.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. Just get on with it."
"Connect those circuits into the spar, same as the last lot. But quicker," Jack said.
"Yes, sir," Martha said as she and Chantho went to do just that.
"Hey, Martha, let me help you out with that," Harper said following them, but I watch as she skirted around the Professor almost like she was scared of him. What was up with her?
"You don't have to keep working," I gently told the Professor. "We can handle it."
"It's just a headache, just noise inside my head, Doctor. Constant noise inside my head."
"What sort of noise?"
"The sound of drums," Yana said. "More and more, as though it's getting closer."
"When did it start?"
"I've had it all my life, every waking hour. Still, no rest for the wicked."
Harper's POV
"So how long have you been with the Professor?" Martha asked Chantho.
"Chan, 17 years, tho."
"Blimey, long time," she said.
"Chan, I adore him, tho."
"Oh, right. And he…" I said waiting for her to answer.
"Chan, I don't think he even notices, tho."
"Tell me about it," Martha mumbled.
"Chan, but I am happy to serve, tho."
"Do you mind if I ask? Do you have to start every sentence with 'Chan'?"
"Martha don't be rude," I said and then thought about it. "But I'm curious also, do you?"
"Chan, yes, tho."
"And end every sentence with…" Martha said.
"Chan, tho, tho."
"What would happen if you didn't?" I asked.
"Chan, that would be rude, tho."
"What, like swearing?" Martha asked.
"Chan, indeed, tho."
"Go on, just once," I said.
"Chan, I can't, tho."
"Do it for us!" Martha pleaded.
"No," Chantho said before giggling.
Martha started to laugh also and I gasped in fake horror saying, "scandalous!"
"Professor, are you getting me?" Lieutenant Atillo called.
"I'm here!" Professor Yana called back. "We're ready. Now all you need to do is connect the couplings, then we can launch. Save us, this equipment!" The Professor said and I looked over to see the computer was down again. "Needs rebooting all the time."
"Anything I can do?" Martha asked going up to him. "I've finished that lot."
"Yes, if you could. Just press the reboot key every time the picture goes." The Professor got up and let Martha sit down in his spot.
"Certainly, sir. Just don't ask me to do shorthand."
"Are you still there?" We heard the Lieutenant once more.
"Present and correct. Send your man inside. We'll keep the levels down from here," Professor Yana said.
After a few minutes we heard, "He's inside."
Professor Yana walked over to Jack and said, "Captain, keep the dials below the red."
"Where is that room?" the Doctor and I asked as we watched the screen.
"It's underneath the rocket. Fix the couplings and the footprint can work. But the entire chamber is flooded with Stet radiation."
"Stet? Never heard of it," the Doctor said.
"You wouldn't want to, but it's safe enough if we can hold the radiation back from here." Right after the first coupling was fixed alarms started to go off. "It's rising. O.2, keep it level."
"Yes, sir," Jack replied.
Everything started to go haywire after a few minutes. The lights went off and more alarms started to sound.
"We're losing power, tho," Chantho said.
"Radiation's rising," the Doctor yelled.
"We've lost control!" Jack yelled back as we were working to fix the problem.
"The chamber's going to flood," the Professor said.
"Jack, override the vents!" the Doctor told him.
"We can jump-start the override," Jack said grabbing to cables.
"Don't, it's gonna flare!" But the Doctor was to late as Jack connected the two ends shocking him with a deadly shock.
Jack screamed and then fell to the ground. I quickly made my way to him as Martha ran over saying, "I've got him."
"Chan, don't touch the cables, tho," Chantho said moving them away.
"I'm so sorry," Professor Yana said.
"The chamber's flooded with radiation, yes?" The Doctor asked as we watch Martha give Jack CPR.
"Without the couplings the engines will never start. It was all for nothing," the Professor said.
"Oh, I don't know," the Doctor walked over to Martha and pulled her away, "Martha, leave him."
"You've got to let me try," she tried to fight him but the Doctor held on tight.
"Come on, come on; just listen to me. Now leave him alone." Once Martha was calm the Doctor turned to the Professor. "Strikes me, Professor, you've got a room which no man can enter without dying. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Well…" Jack took a deep breath, coming back to life. "I think I've got just the man."
"Was someone kissing me?" Jack asked looking at me.
I laughed and said, "don't look at me. I like you Jack, but not that much."
Third Person POV
The Doctor and Jack ran to the control room, while Harper and Martha stayed with Chantho and the Professor.
"Lieutenant, get on-board the rocket," the Doctor told him. "I promise you're going to fly."
"The chamber's flooded," the Lieutenant argued.
"Trust me, we found a way of tripping the system. Run!" The Doctor said then turned back to Jack only to find him taking off his jacket and shirt. "What are you taking your clothes off for?"
"I'm going in."
"Well… by the looks of it, I'd say that stet radiation doesn't affect clothing, only flesh."
"Well," Jack said putting back on his suspenders over his under shirt, "I look good, though." Jack stopped at the door and turn to ask, "How long have you known?"
"Ever since I ran away from you. Good luck."
"We lost picture when that thing flared up," Martha said still trying to get the computer to work.
"Doctor, are you there?" Harper called, hoping that he would hear.
"Receiving, yeah." Harper gave an audible sigh of relief on hearing the Doctor's voice. "He's inside."
"And still alive?" Martha asked in shock.
"Oh, yes," both the Doctor and Harper said at the same time.
"But he should evaporate," the Professor said. "What sort of a man is he?" He asked Martha.
"I've only just met him. The Doctor and Harper sort of travel through time and space and pick people up. I make us sound like stray dogs. Maybe we are."
"Aww, but we love our stray dogs," Harper said to Martha pinching her cheek and laughed.
Martha laughed before saying, "Don't ask me to explain it." Then she pointed behind her, "That's a TARDIS, that box thing. The sports car of time travel, he says."
Martha and Chantho missed the look of concern Harper was giving the Professor as he looked at the TARDIS.
"When did you realize?" The Doctor asked Jack, as he worked on fixing the couplings.
"Earth, 1892. Got in a fight on Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart, and then I woke up. Thought it was kind of strange. But then it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, WWI, WWII, poison, starvation, a stray javelin."
"Ohh," the Doctor said, making a face.
"In the end, I got the message. I'm the man who can never die. And all that time you knew."
"That's why I left you behind. It's not easy, even just looking at you, Jack, 'cause you're wrong."
"Thanks!" Jack said sarcastically back.
"You are, I can't help it, I'm a Time Lord, it's instinct. It's in my guts. You're a fixed point in time and space. You're a fact. That's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you, tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you."
"So what you're saying is you're um…" he fixed one of the coupling, "prejudiced?"
"I never thought of it like that," the Doctor said with a smirk.
"Shame on you."
"Yeah."
"Last thing I remember, back when I was mortal, I was facing three Daleks, death by extermination. Then I came back to life, what happened?"
"Rose," was all the Doctor said.
"I thought you'd sent her and Harper back home."
"They came back. Rose opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the Time Vortex itself. Well, except the little that Harper absorbed."
"What does that mean exactly?" Jack asked. Harper, who was listening to the conversion along with the others, went over to Martha and put an arm around her. She knew Martha never liked it when the Doctor brought up Rose.
"No one's ever meant to have that power. If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god, a vengeful god. But she was human. Everything she did was so human. She brought you back to life. But she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life."
"Do you think she could change me back?" Jack asked.
"I took the power out of her. She's gone, Jack. She's not just living on a parallel world; she's trapped there. The walls have closed."
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah," the Doctor said looking up and away from Jack.
"What about Harper, you said she absorbed some of the vortex," Jack questioned.
"She does still have the vortex in her, but I don't know what it would do if she tried to use it like that. From what little she has used it, I fear it would be fatal."
"So, she's like me. I mean she can't die, right?"
"Yeah, she's like you." They were quite for a second before the Doctor asked. "Do you want to die?"
"This one's a little stuck," Jack said ignoring the question as he worked on the coupling.
"Jack?"
"I thought I did. I don't know, but this lot, you see them out here surviving and that's fantastic." They both smiled at Jacks use of the word fantastic. Jack got another coupling fixed and moved on.
"You might be out there somewhere."
"I could go meet myself."
"Well, it's the only man you're ever gonna be happy with."
"This new regeneration, it's kinda cheeky," Jack said bring forth another laugh from the Doctor.
Harper was watching the Professor a little worried as Martha said, "I never understand half the things he's saying. What's wrong?" She asked coming up to the Professor, whom was crying.
"Chan, professor, what is it, tho?"
"Time travel, they say there was time travel back in the old days. I never believed, but what would I know? Stupid old man, never could keep time. Always late, always lost. Even this thing never worked," the Professor said pulling out an old fob watch. "Time and time and time again, always running out on me."
Martha and Harper moved forward, "Can I have a look at that?" Martha asked.
"It's only a old relic, like me."
"Where did you get it?" Harper asked.
"Hmm? I was found with it."
"What do you mean?" Martha asked.
"An orphan in the storm. I was a naked child found on the coast of the silver devastation. Abandoned, with only this."
"Have you ever opened it?" Martha asked.
"Why would I? It's broken."
"How do you know it's broken if you've never opened it?" Martha asked and Harper said, "Martha," in a warning tone.
"It's stuck, it's old, it's not meant to be. I don't know."
Martha reached out and flipped the watch the other way showing the Gallifreyan on the other side. They both went wide-eyed and took a step back.
"Does it matter?" The Professor asked.
"No, it's nothing." Harper said trying to recover from the events that she knew would end badly.
"It's…" Martha started trying to think, "listen everything's fine up here. I'm gonna see if the Doctor needs me."
Martha turned to Harper to see if she was coming, but Harper just mouthed 'Go', wanting to stay here and try to stop the up coming events.
"Yes," Jack cheered as he got the last coupling fixed.
"Now, get out of there, come on!" The Doctor yelled taking off running with Jack following closely behind. "Lieutenant, everyone on board?"
"Ready and waiting," Lieutenant Atillo said.
"Stand by. Two minutes to ignition."
"Ready to launch," the lieutenant said.
The Doctor and Jack got to work on getting the rocket set for launch. Martha came into the room and the Doctor, upon seeing her, said, "ah, nearly there. The footprint, it's a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive, gonna take the both of us to keep it stable."
"Doctor, it's the professor," Martha started. "He's got this watch, he's got a fob watch. It's the same as yours, same writing on it, same everything."
"Don't be ridiculous," the Doctor said dismissing her.
"Harper asked him, he said he's had it his whole life."
"So he's got the same watch," Jack said not getting the importance behind the watch.
"Yeah, but it's not a watch. It's this chameleon thing."
"No, no, no, it's this thing… this device, it rewrites biology. Changes a Time Lord in to a human," the Doctor explained.
"And it's the same watch!" Martha said.
"It can't be."
"That means he could be a Time Lord," Jack said. "You might not be the last one!"
"Jack, keep it level!" The Doctor yelled over the alarms.
"But that's brilliant, isn't it?" Martha yelled back.
"Yes, it is. Of course it is. Depends which one. Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they died, the Time Lords, all of them, they died."
"Not if he was human," Jack said.
"What did he say, Martha? What did he say?" The Doctor demanded.
"He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it. Like that perception filter thing."
"What about now?" The Doctor asked, "Can he see it now?"
Harper stayed in front of Chantho as they watched the Professor. He kept fiddling with the fob watch. Then he got up and walked to the Doctor's hand looking down on it.
"Chan, Yana, won't you please take some rest, tho?"
"If he escaped the Time War, then it's a perfect place to hide. The end of the universe," Jack said.
"Think what the Face of Boe said, his dying words. He said…" But before Martha could finish the Doctor turned the two keys activating the rocket.
Chantho looked excited as the rocket launch but Harper was looking worriedly at the Professor. He held up the watch and Harper saw what he was about to do she tried to jump forward yelling, "Stop!"
But she was too late; Professor Yana opened the watch and released the Time Lord within.
"Chan, Professor Yana, tho?" Harper stopped Chantho from going any farther towards the professor.
"Lieutenant, have you done it? Did you get velocity?" The Doctor called. "Have you done it? Lieutenant, have you done it?"
"Affirmative, we'll see you in Utopia."
"Good luck," the Doctor replied before taking off running back to Harper and the Professor.
Harper and Chantho watch as the Professor walk confidently to the controls, and locked the doors. "Chan, but you're locked them in, tho."
The door slammed shut right when the Doctor got to it, "Door open," he yelled, trying to use the sonic screwdriver on the door. "Door open!"
"Not to worry my dears. As one door closes, another must open," the Professor said flipping another switch.
"Chan, you must stop, tho. Chan, but you've lowered the defenses. The futurekind will get in, tho."
"What?!" Harper screeched now even more worried than before.
"Chan, Professor, I'm so sorry, but I must stop you. You are destroying all our work, tho." Harper looked over at Chantho, saddened by what she saw. Chantho was holding a gun and had it pointed at the Professor.
"Oh, now I can say I was provoked." He held up one of the sparking cables.
The Doctor, Jack, and Martha finally were able to open the door but soon ran into the futerkind. They quickly ran the other way.
"Did you never think, all those years standing beside me, to ask about the watch? Never? Did you never once think, not ever, that you could set me free?"
Harper quickly got in front of Chantho as they backed away from the Professor. "Chan, I'm sorry, tho. Chan, I'm so sorry."
"Now lets all just calm down and think for a second," Harper tried but the Professor grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the way causing her to fall hard.
"And you, with your 'chan' and 'tho', driving me insane."
"Chan, Professor, please."
"That is not my name," He yelled. "The Professor was an invention. So perfect a disguise that I forgot who I am."
"Chan, then who are you, tho?"
"I am the Master."
Harper screamed, "No!" as the Master used the cable on Chantho. She was die and now Harper was alone with the Master.
"This way!" Jack yelled to the others as they ran to the TARDIS and away from the futurekind.
Harper didn't wait for the Master to turn to her, as she ran into the TARDIS to try and get to the Doctor.
"Professor!" The Doctor yelled beating on the door. "Professor, let me in! Let me in! Jack, get the door open, now! Professor, Professor, where are you? Chantho, Harper, are you there? Please, I need to explain. Whatever you do, don't open that watch."
"Hurry," Martha screamed seeing the futurekind getting closer.
"Open the door. Open the door, please. I am begging you, Professor. Please listen to me. Just open the door, please."
Harper stopped what she was doing when she hear the gun go off. Chantho had shot the Master.
Jack shot the lock on the door and the Doctor ran in only to stop and look at the Master. The Master when into the TARDIS before the Doctor could stop him.
"And locked," he said locking the Doctor out.
The Doctor tried his key and then the sonic but nether could get him in. The Master had locked him completely out.
"Let me in," the Doctor called. "Let me in!"
"She's dead," Martha said leaning over Chantho.
"I broke the lock," Jack said trying to hold the door closed. "Give me a hand."
"I'm begging you, everything's changed," the Doctor said. "It's only the two of us. We're the only ones left. Just let me in!"
"Killed by an insect, a girl!" the Master mumbled. Harper was hiding off to the side, hoping she could get to the Doctor before the Master could stop her. "How inappropriate, but still, if the Doctor can be young and strong, then so can I. The Master, reborn."
Harper turned away as the Master Regenerated.
"Doctor, you'd better think of something," Jack called. He and Martha were having a hard time hold the door closed to the futurekind.
The Master jumped up laughing and ran around the console. He hit a button before talking to the Doctor, "now then, Doctor. Oh, new voice. Hello. Hello. Hello. Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me. I don't think!"
"Hold on, I know that voice," Martha said.
"I'm asking you, really properly, just stop, just think," the Doctor pleaded with him.
"Use my name."
"Master, I'm sorry."
"Tough!" The Master yelled back.
"I can't hold them much longer, Doctor," Jack yelled.
While the Master's back was turned Harper made a break for the door. She just got to it when the Master grabbed her from behind. "Oh, no you don't."
"Doctor!" She screamed.
"Harper!" The Doctor ran to the door, trying in vein to get to her. "No, let her go!"
"No, Doctor! Help! Let me go, let me go," Harper tried to get away from the Master but he held on tightly before throwing her away from the door. She came down hard once more but this time hitting her head, knocking her out cold.
The Master started up the TARDIS to get away from the Doctor when the Doctor held up the sonic. Spark flew out of the console and the Master tried to correct what the Doctor had done, "no, you don't. End of the Universe, have fun. Bye-bye."
Martha cried, "Doctor, stop him!" And the Doctor watch as the two things in this Universe he loved the most, Harper and the TARDIS, vanished.
So what did you think? With the Master and Harper in the same room there could be a lot of attitude tossed around. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading it. Please leave a review, I love hearing from you guys! Until next time my dear fellow Whovians, and remember to be fantastic!