Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who
Dark Water – Part Two
Danny awoke with a start, and blinked bemusedly as he looked around the unfamiliar room. It was an office, complete with in-trays and a name plate which read 'Nether-Sphere After Death Department SEB'. 'After Death'? What did that mean? And what the hell was a 'Nether-Sphere'? On the wall opposite him was what presumably was the company logo; a large circle with a smaller one placed just to the bottom left.
The door opened, and a dark haired man in a grey suit asked, "Has anyone offered you a coffee?"
"Um…well, no" Danny admitted, bewildered. The man looked over his shoulder and called, "Could we have some coffee along here, please? The good kind. We've got a new one". Then the stranger (who must have been the SEB on the name plate) shut the door and walked over to the desk, sitting down opposite Danny. "Five minutes, tops" he said casually, "It's best to wait for the good coffee".
"Where am I?"
"Sometimes it's just the instant" Seb remarked, pulling a face. Danny asked again, "Where am I?"
"Well, big question. Try to take that one slowly. We have been trying to contact family members, but really there is so much admin"-
"I wasn't here" Danny protested, "I was…" He trailed off as he recalled talking with Clara, and stepping onto the road…the car speeding towards him… Seb grimaced awkwardly and slowly said, "Yeah. That last thing that happened to you, that really happened, I'm afraid" he revealed, and Danny stared at him in disbelief. "But that's life. Well, not life, I suppose, but…" Seb trailed off.
A moment later he explained, "There are some forms to fill in. Might help you relax; well, they won't, but we do need them filled in. Right, important thing, need to know. Are you being cremated? Sorry, it's a fairly urgent question".
"I don't know; I've never really thought of that".
"I'm going to put you down as a yes, that's pretty much the default these days" Seb explained, before adding, "If people only knew".
Danny's brow furrowed in consternation. "Only knew what?" he questioned, but Seb didn't reply. Instead he pushed his wheeled chair backwards to the wall and shouted through it. "We've got a burner in number twelve. Tell them to prep, please".
"Burner?"
Seb rolled back to his desk. "Yeah, it's fine, we'll come to that" he said dismissively.
"But I don't understand where I am" Danny protested. Seb looked towards a pair of curtains covering one wall, and Danny slowly rose from his chair. He pushed the curtains open and gasped, staring out of the porthole like window at buildings which seemed to be built around the inside of a sphere. Seb, who was also peering out at the sphere remarked, "Oh, look at that. You can see my house from here". He glanced at Danny's shocked expression and admitted, "Yeah, sorry, probably not helping".
"Seriously, where am I?"
"You sort of know, don't you? Most people kind of know, it's just hard to get traction on the concept".
"Tell me where I am!"
"Okay…You're dead, and this is what's next" Seb explained, gesturing to the strange 'city' outside. Danny's jaw dropped, and he shook his head slightly in denial. "I'm not dead" he insisted automatically, "How can I be dead?"
"Our sincere condolences".
"I'm standing right here!"
"Yes, you are" Seb agreed mildly, "Welcome to the Underworld; otherwise known as the Nether-Sphere, or the Promised Land. It's where you go when you die" he elucidated. Danny turned away from the window and began to breathe in shorter and shorter bursts. Seb watched the man before him start to hyperventilate with mild concern, and gingerly inquired, "Would you like to breathe into a bag?"
/
The TARDIS materialised with its usual wheeze, groan and thump. "Where are we?" Clara wondered, hoping she didn't sound as nervous as she felt. Of course she wanted to see Danny again, and apologise, and maybe even bring him back to life…but going to the underworld, if there really was such a thing, still sounded unnerving.
"No idea" the Corsair replied, "The navigation computer is disconnected, remember?"
"But this is where Danny is?"
"No, not exactly; wherever we are, there's a connection to him here" Flavia explained as she studied the readings. The Doctor added, "This is where it's most likely that your timeline will re-intersect with his. And that won't do".
Clara blinked, confused. "What won't do?"
"You won't" he explained bluntly, gesturing at her, "Look at you! We need sceptical, clever, critical – we don't need mopey. It put years on your face. It looks like you've been melted" the Doctor complained. Clara couldn't help but glare at him and his callousness. "Have you forgotten why we're here?" she demanded.
Before her husband could make another insensitive remark, Romana put her arm around Clara's shoulders and explained, "Of course he hasn't. He just means that you need to be strong; there are people who might take advantage of your desire to get Danny back, if you're not careful". When she put it like that, Clara could see how looking 'mopey' might hinder their efforts to save Danny. She took a deep breath and tried to smile. "Right, okay. Strong and sceptical, got it".
They emerged into a rather grand entrance lobby, with columns and steps leading up to an urn on a plinth. A flame flickered inside the urn, casting a little light into the otherwise dark and deserted room. The Doctor shone a small pocket torch at an obelisk with two golden interlocking circles, one large and one small, engraved on it. Underneath were the words, 'Rest in Peace. We Promise'.
In the galleries just above them, Clara and the Time Quintet could see rows upon rows of glass fronted compartments. Clara guessed, "Fish tanks?"
"Who'd put a fish tank in a mausoleum?" the Corsair pointed out, as they headed up the flight of steps to the gallery. Emily clutched her sonic tightly in one hand, and her mother's hand in the other. "This place is creepy" she complained. Romana rubbed her thumb on the back of Emily's hand and assured her, "Don't worry, darling. I'm right here".
They turned right and walked into the gallery, which was lined with tanks that reached from the floor to the ceiling. Inside each one was a skeleton, sitting poised on a stone chair. Flavia grimaced at the sight, and even the Corsair looked rather perturbed. "You're right, Emz. Definitely creepy" he agreed. Clara stared at the skeletons with a strange sort of morbid curiosity and said slowly, "Okay, I'm assuming they didn't actually drown in there".
"No. They were placed, after death. These are tombs" the Doctor explained, "Water tombs, some sort of fluid, anyway".
"With chairs?" Clara asked dubiously, and the Doctor nodded. "With chairs, yes" he confirmed, "Extra comfort for the deceased; it pays to die rich".
There were name-plates beneath each tank. Clara peered at one which read, 'Xylo Jones', and a horrible thought occurred to her. "Oh, God. Am I going to find Danny now? Is that why the Tardis brought us here? I don't want to see him like that" she pleaded, feeling sick at the notion. Romana sympathetically put her arm around Clara and agreed, "I doubt anyone would want to see that".
"Mm, and that's what's so strange about this place" the Doctor insisted, gesturing to the skeletons. "Tombs with windows. Who wants to watch their loved ones rot? Why would anyone go to so much trouble just to keep watch on the dead?" he wondered suspiciously. They moved on, trying to ignore the fact that they were walking past skeletons, and so they didn't notice one corpse turn its head to watch them go…
At the other end of the corridor stood a lectern; a small brown book, embossed with the mausoleums logo, lay on top of it. The Doctor opened it in the middle and found two blank pages; well, the left hand one was blank, but the right had a faint outline of a square on it. He traced the square with his fingers, and a 3D message cube rose out of the book. The Doctor nudged the hovering cube out into the middle of the corridor, and touched it lightly.
The cube transformed into the circular logo, this time with '3W' inside the larger circle. Classical music played softly as a voice read out the words that were also appearing within the circle, and scrolling down. "3W. Death is not an end. But we can we help with that. Ever since 3W encountered the truth about the death experience, 'we have been working hard to find a better life for the deceased. At 3W, afterlife means aftercare".
"Okay, bit strange" Clara commented uncertainly. She was actually talking about the holographic cube that emerged from a book, but the others weren't thinking along quite the same lines. "I'll say" the Corsair agreed, "What's the point of showing the words and speaking them out loud?"
"Well, for deaf or blind people, presumably" Clara suggested, and the Corsair shrugged as if to concede that yes, that might be the case. The Doctor looked through the hologram down the corridor and out of nowhere asked, "Is it difficult?"
"Is what difficult?" Clara inquired, giving him an odd look. Romana explained, "Reading the words back to front. You can come out, you know, we don't bite".
A woman dressed in peculiar Edwardian apparel walked through the hologram, which quickly dissolved, and invaded the Doctor's personal space. "Hello. I hope you're well. How may I assist you with your death?" she inquired calmly and politely. "Well, there is, err, no immediate hurry" the Doctor assured her, moving to Romana's side, "We're just, err, we're just…"
"Browsing" said Clara; it was the first thing that came into her head. Flavia nodded quickly in agreement. "Yes, that's it, we're…browsing".
"Please, take all the time you need. At 3W, you always have the rest of your life".
"Oh, good" the Doctor nodded, "That's good to know, isn't it dear?"
"Oh, yes, very good".
"What exactly is 3W?" asked the Doctor, and the strange woman who had greeted them (sort of) replied, "Apologies. Clearly you have not received the official 3W greetings package".
"Well, you know, it's just an unexpected"- he was cut off when the woman suddenly lunged at him, lips puckered. Alarmed, he jerked his head back and stiffened when she grabbed his arms; but thankfully, Romana very firmly pushed the woman away and stepped in between them. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "That's my husband you're trying to kiss".
Without even blinking, the woman replied in a monotone, "An intimacy setting was not specified. Would you like me to adjust my intimacy settings?"
"Yes, please" the Doctor said quickly, wiping his mouth even though he hadn't actually been kissed. Which was good, he didn't want to kiss anyone but Romana.
"Intimacy settings adjusted".
"Hey, hang on, I haven't had the official greetings package either" the Corsair explained jokingly. Flavia shushed him, and he rolled his eyes at her. She looked at the woman and inquired, "I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but what are you? Are you some kind of android?"
"I am Missy".
"Missy?" repeated Clara. Missy explained, "Mobile Intelligent Systems Interface. I am a multi-function, interactive welcome-droid - helping you to help me to help you".
"You're very realistic" the Corsair commented, eyeing Missy with suspicion. It wasn't completely impossible for someone to build such a life-like android, but the technology to do so shouldn't exist in this time frame.
"Your compliment has been registered. Thank you" Missy replied, giving him a short, stiff smile.
"Uh, you're welcome, but what I meant was"-
"I am fully programmed with social interaction norms appropriate to a range of visitors. I can also speak a multitude of languages. English, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Norwegian, Esperanto"-
"Okay, yes, we get the idea" the Doctor cut in impatiently, "We need to speak to whoever's in charge here" he told Missy, who simply answered, "I am in charge".
"Well, who's in charge of you?"
"I'm in charge of me".
"Well, who repairs you? Who, who maintains you?"
"I am programmed for self-repair. I am maintained by my heart". Missy seized the Doctor's hand and pressed his palm to her bosom; he quickly pulled it away again, looking disturbed. For a moment Missy seemed almost disappointed. "Is something the matter?"
"Who fixes your 'heart', then?" Romana inquired. She didn't trust this woman, android, whatever Missy was. It wasn't just because Missy had tried to kiss the Doctor out of nowhere, and put his hand on her breast; there was just something about her that unnerved Romana. Missy regarded her with a cool stare and replied rather pointedly, "My heart is maintained by the Doctor".
"Doctor…?"
"Doctor Chang!" Missy suddenly yelled down the corridor. She walked away, and moments later a male voice called, "Who's there?"
A young man with large square glasses emerged from around the corner; when he saw the newcomers, he gave them a nervous smile and said, "So, hey. Condolences".
"Condolences?" Clara repeated in confusion. Dr Chang explained, "It's a mausoleum. It's our hello. Is there a particular dead person you want to talk to?" he inquired. At first Clara was taken aback by the unexpected question, and she wasn't the only one.
Emily asked in confusion, "Do you mean like a séance?"
"Err, no…well, I suppose it is a little like that. So, is there someone you wish to contact?"
Clara nodded slowly and replied "…Yes. Yes, there is".
"This way, then" Dr Chang beckoned for them to follow him; the Doctor looked down at Clara and asked, "Are you okay?"
"…No".
In a surprisingly touching gesture, he reached over and took her hand. "Good. There would be something very wrong if you were" he pointed out as they made to follow Chang. The skulls in their water tombs shifted as one to watch the time travellers leave; Missy also watched them walk away, smirking to herself as she glanced up at a black globe with red circles dotting it, hovering and revolving in mid-air.
/
Seb showed Danny out onto a balcony; it was night time, judging by the coolness of the air and the dark sky. Danny could distantly hear what sounded like ambulance sirens. "Bit of fresh air, do you good" Seb remarked with a smile. Danny tugged his coat closer around him. "Why's it so cold here?" he asked. Once again, Seb dodged the question in favour of commenting, "And the Wi-Fi is better out here. Don't know why".
"Wi-Fi?"
"Yeah, still a bit spotty, but basically"-
"You have Wi-Fi here?"
The other man was tapping away on a tablet computer; Danny pointed at it and asked in bewilderment, "You, you have iPads in the afterlife?"
"iPads? We have Steve Jobs. Listen, another big question for you. Have you ever killed anybody?"
"This is surreal" Danny murmured, leaning on the balcony and looking out at the clusters of buildings. He couldn't wrap his head around the idea that he was in the afterlife. Seb seemed to realise this, and tried to explain. "Imagine embryos had telephones" he began. Danny sighed and insisted, "That's really not helping".
"Go with me. Go with me. Imagine babies in wombs could talk to other babies in other wombs. What would they say? What would they think life was like if they could talk among themselves?"
"I really have no idea".
"They'd think that life was nine months long. Then, boom, trap door opens, out you fall, gone for ever. Never hear from those guys again; nothing at the end of the cord".
"Okay..."
"This isn't really an afterlife. It's just more life than you were expecting" Seb explained helpfully…at least he seemed to think it was helpful. Danny looked down solemnly and demanded, "Why did you ask me if I'd killed anyone?"
"Before you were a teacher, you spent some time as a soldier".
"Yeah, so?"
"Any regrets? Bad memories?"
"Is that, is that any of your business?"
"Yes" Seb replied solemnly. Before Danny could tell him that no, it was nothing to do with him, he had a sudden flashback.
Gunfire, shouting, explosions – Danny and his fellow soldiers were battling a rival faction in a deserted village, firing on them. Distantly, another soldier cried, "Get to cover, now!"
Danny sucked in a shuddering breath, his hands clenching briefly on the edge of the balcony. "Sorry if I triggered something then" Seb apologised, "Memory flashes can be very impactful in the early stages".
"Why?"
"Why what?"
Danny removed a grenade from a pouch and tossed it into the ruins of a building. He was showered with debris, protected with nothing but the hulk of a burnt out vehicle.
"Why is it any of your business?"
"We've had a request to meet you" Seb explained, checking his iPad, "Any idea who that would be from?"
He pressed his back to the wall of one of the few buildings left standing, close to the door. Then he pushed the door open and opened fire, pouring bullets blindly into the room.
"It's been given a priority" Seb continued, oblivious to the self-loathing and guilt on Danny's face, "which usually means…"
"Means what?"
Danny stared, horrified, at the target his bullets had found. There had been someone hiding in the derelict building…but it hadn't been the enemy soldier he'd expected.
"Well, anyway, we've arranged a meet-up".
"When?"
"Come in" Seb called, and the sliding doors opened with a quiet whoosh. A young boy wearing an old football shirt peered nervously around the door at Danny, who found himself nearly on the verge of tears. "So, I guess you remember him, yeah?" asked Seb. Tears formed in the ex-soldier's eyes.
"Danny, repeat, is the building secure? Danny? Danny!"
/
Dr Chang showed Clara and the Time Quintet into a room that was half-office, half laboratory. Emily looked around in curiosity, and began scanning various items with her sonic to find out what they were. She actually recognised most of the technology, but she just really liked using her sonic. "Come in, come in. Going to need to take a reading off you" Dr Chang informed Clara.
"A reading?" she questioned, wondering what that might mean. "Won't hurt" he said with a reassuring smile, flicking a switch. Clara turned around. "What won't?"
"How does the body keep its integrity?" the Doctor demanded, walking up to another glass case with a skeleton sitting inside, "Why isn't it just a bunch of bones floating about?"
Unbeknownst to them, Missy was listening in on their conversation from her place in the gallery of skeletons. Dr Chang explained, "Each body is encased in a support exoskeleton".
"An invisible exoskeleton?" Clara asked wonderingly.
"It's only invisible in the water. There's a specially engineered refraction index in the fluid so we can see the tank resident unimpeded by the support mechanisms".
"So each skeleton is inside something?" the Doctor inquired. Missy chuckled softly; he could be so daft sometimes, that man, so…ridiculous, really. She placed her hand on the tank she stood beside, and a skeletal hand reached out to rest against the glass from the other side.
/
"Are you serious? X-ray water?" asked Clara; she knew she was supposed to be sceptical, but she couldn't help it – she was impressed. Dr Chang was as well apparently. "It's so cool. Look at this" he said, walking over to a cylindrical container full of liquid, "We call it dark water". He dipped his arm in, watch and all, but both the watch and his sleeve disappeared from view.
"Only organic matter can be seen through it" he explained, pulling his arm from the water and towelling it off. "I keep saying they should use this stuff in swimming pools" he remarked, and the Corsair grinned. "I like the way you think…you mean girls only swimming pools, right?"
"Why not?"
"Why not what?" the Doctor inquired. Romana smiled, amused by his obliviousness, and whispered something in his ear. "Oh…Can we…?"
"No".
Clara thought they were getting a bit off topic; she turned back to Dr Chang and asked him, "3W, what kind of name is that? What does it mean?"
"Well, you know, don't you? You're here on business or they wouldn't have let you in" Dr Chang reasoned as he finished drying his hands. The others stared at him, and he stared back. "…Sorry, should have checked. Who are you?"
"I thought that you would never ask. Sort out your security protocols, they're a disgrace" the Doctor admonished, pulling out the psychic paper and handing it to Dr Chang. The scientist stared at the blank paper with a bewildered frown. "Another government inspection, so soon?" he questioned, "…And why are there all these little 'x's?"
Embarrassed, the Doctor plucked the psychic paper out of Dr Chang's hand. "Well, can't a man decorate his official documents?" he asked defensively, before quickly changing the subject and demanding, "What does 3W stand for?"
"Well, the three words" Dr Chang replied, as if it were obvious. Of course it wasn't, at least not to Clara or the Time Lords.
"What three words?"
"Seriously, you don't know?"
"Well if we knew, then we wouldn't be asking, now would we?" Flavia pointed out.
"Yes, but…people who don't know, when they hear about this, they can freak out".
"We're not going to 'freak out'" the Doctor said dismissively; after everything they'd seen, they could handle finding out what a measly name meant.
Dr Chang tried to caution Clara, "If you've had a recent loss, this might be, this will be disturbing".
"She'll be fine" the Doctor said confidently. Without looking away from Dr Chang, Clara warned him, "Speak for me again, I'll detach something from you. I'll be fine".
Dr Chang hesitated for a moment, and then walked over to his desk. "You know how people are scared of dying?" he asked, "Like, everybody".
"Of course; it's the most fundamental fear in the universe" the Doctor reasoned, as Dr Chang activated the see through computer on his desk. "They'd be a lot more scared if they knew what it was really like" he revealed.
