XXIII
Trying to save a life

The Island
Heat Miles Base
2 Days earlier

"Got a plan?" Jason asks brightly, despite his sharp intakes of breath.

"No." April says quietly as she stares at the robotic aliens that are still enclosing in on them. When there is a short distance between them, two silver needles that blaze with a bright blue electrical charge, spurts out from the alien's silver tentacles. April and Jason press closer together, somewhat hoping that the closer they stand against each other, the further away they will be from being eviscerated into smithereens.

"You will only feel a small tingling sensation before nothing. You have the right to remain where you are." The aliens chanted as they get ever closer.

"Got a plan now?" Jason asks in a panic as the electrical charges from the robots are now dangerously close to them.

April glances over the black domes that make up the head of the aliens, and notices a human shaped shadow move across the wall.

"You got anything that might capture the enemy?" April asks through the side of her mouth.

"It's two against a hundred, April." Jason warns in a stern voice so unlike his usual voice.

"Something is better than none."

Jason sighs moodily and pulls out a round silver disc from his belt and places it in April's open palm. Feeling the heavy weight and the rigid edges to the disc, April immediately recognises this piece of equipment. It is another of Declan Hollerford's inventions.

April eagerly cranes her neck over the domes of the robots and watches the shadow. However, to her luck, one of the Heat Miles workers, wearing a long white lab coat and clutching a blue clipboard in one hand and a pistol in the other, comes marching right up towards them.

Without further ado, April throws the silver disc to the worker. As the disc soars through the air, two long metallic wires spurt out from the rigid edges and spins in circles like a windmill. Within seconds, the flying disc has immediately grabbed the attention of the robotic aliens, who are within millimetres from April and Jason. Their electrical charges suddenly disappear and their black domes turn backwards, so that their red eyes are no longer blinking at them.

Then no more than a couple of seconds later, the disc reaches the Heat Miles worker and the two wires wrap around him, securing his legs and arms tightly together. As this happens, the man immediately drops his gun and clipboard and stands still, almost as if he has been frozen to the spot.

The robots soon start to advance on the Heat Miles worker. "You have the right to remain where you are as we eviscerate you."

For a split moment, April stares in horror as the robots block the view of the Heat Miles worker who has now fallen to the floor like a wooden plank. However the man screams through gritted teeth as the silver disc has disabled him from being able to move a muscle.

"April, let's go." Jason glows as he tugs at her shoulder. For a second April does not respond, but suddenly Jason slaps her on the side of her neck, bringing her attention back to him.

Not saying a word, April follows Jason, trying to concentrate on the back of his scruffy black hair, rather than the screams as the robots eviscerate this man.

Jason stops at the side of the large furnace in the centre of the room and grabs hold of a rusty, metallic door handle in the ground. And with an almighty tug, Jason grits his teeth and manages to pull open the trap door with difficulty. April can see the sweat pouring down the side of his face and the way his elbows shake vigorously as he holds open the trap door.

"April get in!" Jason shouts over the screams.

April suddenly runs forward and sits on the edge of the trap door. Down below her is complete darkness. But the sound of Jason's groans pushes April forward into the darkness.

And soon enough, April finds herself falling lower and lower into the ground. Just above her, she is aware of the sound of Jason falling and the trap door slamming shut. But with her arms waving vigorously at her sides, the force of the passing air pushing against her face, April continues to fall further down this tunnel which seems to never end.

There must be a bottom to this trap at some point. However a drop this deep won't necessarily mean that either of them will be alive by the time they hit the bottom. Immediately April starts to panic because the mission isn't done and there is still so much she and Jason have to do.

Suddenly, as April closes her eyes, she finds that the speed of her fall starts to slow down. She slows down so much it feels as if a parachute has somehow spurted from her back. Then moments later, April lands uncomfortably and yet softly on the stone ground at the bottom of the dark trap. Jason lands on his left shoulder uncomfortably.

April rolls onto her back and looks up at the mass of darkness around her. There is no sign of the trap door way above them. Soon enough, panic suddenly overcomes April again when she hears Jason groan to her right.

"Jay, your shoulder!" April cries as she rushes over to him, losing her balance as she does so.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. It's fine." Jason insists as April helps him stand up. "I just didn't think that the drop will be that deep. You're supposed to prepare yourself for landing safely with these gravity defying pads."

April raises her hand to her neck where Jason slapped it moments before they dropped down the trap door. On her neck is what feels like a paper sticker that's slowly peeling away from her sweaty skin. She suddenly remembers that time back in the parallel world when she was alone with Aaron at the top of Canary Wharf. There was a spaceship hurtling their way and Aaron slapped one of these pads onto her neck before hauling them both out of the window.

Jason rubs at his injured shoulder, wincing in pain as he looks ahead into the darkness around them. There is no telling which way is which.

"We need to head back to the festival." April says with a shaky breath as she fumbles in her pocket for the sonic screwdriver.

Jason looks down at his wristwatch with narrows eyes. It is getting on for midday. "I guess we have some time to kill before Rodger Barratt's party. What do you have in mind?"

A chill runs down April's spine at the thought of what must be happening how. She didn't take the time of when they arrived on the Island. Is her past self here yet? Has she stumbled across Amelia Lustworve yet? Or is she already exploring the festival? The thought of her past self already being at the festival makes April eager to move on as quickly as possible. And suddenly the image of the drunk man being shot in the festival fills April's mind. Maybe they have a chance to perhaps save his life and stop him from causing havoc.

However different scenarios run through April's mind. The man drew attention to himself just before herself and Max could get caught by the shape shifters while they were trying to leave. April rubs her eyes, aware of her head throbbing.

She then pulls out the Doctor's sonic screwdriver and plays with the buttons on it's side. "We'd better make a move then." She says deeply.

"April," Jason warns, sensing April body language: he knows when she is trying to think of a plan. "Remember we mustn't be seen."

April does not reply as the light at the end of the sonic screwdriver suddenly becomes as bright as a torch, bouncing brilliant blue light off the stone walls around them. They are met with three different pathways leading in different directions. April looks down the pathway straight ahead of them.

"The festival is this way." She mutters and starts walking on. Jason watches after her before following, his hand held tightly over his belt, preparing himself for any possible ambushes.

April holds the sonic screwdriver in her left hand and holds her right hand over the top. She looks down at the blue light, reading the directions it gives her to reach the festival by the woods. Jason walks on silently behind her but trips over a loose stone here and there.

After around twenty minutes of silent walking through the underground tunnel, they see a bright light further on ahead. And then eventually they can hear voices.

Instantly, both April and Jason stop walking abruptly, and April dims the light on the sonic screwdriver. They crane their necks to hear the voices. There seems to be a good few voices which is followed by overly cheerful laughter. Eventually they can just about make out the music playing, and they both realise that the voices are coming from the festival above them, rather than in front.

April walks on steadily, getting closer and closer towards the light in front of them.

Eventually they find themselves standing under a drain. Right above them is the metal drain itself which April can touch if she stands on the tips of her toes. The grey, cloudy sky looms above them.

Holding the sonic screwdriver above her head, she flashes it at the drain cover. The metal bars creak and then eventually snap in half, leaving space for both April and Jason to climb up.

Without uttering a word, Jason helps April up first, avoiding using his bad shoulder. As he lifts her, April peers over the edge, sinking her fingers into the muddy grass. To their luck, they are inside the festival and completely concealed by the stalls. April then pulls herself out of the drain before helping Jason out.

For a long moment, they both just sit there in the muddy grass, taking in the damp breezy air and the light around them. Being stuck in both the furnace and the tunnel almost felt like they were never going to make it out. But the grass underneath them is damp, almost as if it has been raining the whole time they were in the Heat Miles base.

"You okay?" Jason checks in, but April replies with a nod. They are exceedingly close to the woods. The fence surrounding the whole festival sits directly in front of April and trees to the woods are just on the other side of the fence.

"What happened here that made you want to come here?" Jason asks as he scrambles onto his feet, rubbing at the grass stains on his battle UNIT uniform.

"There's an innocent man here that was shot under my watch." April replies in a surprisingly strong voice.

"And you want to go and save him." Jason finishes in a somewhat mocking voice.

April stares at Jason dangerously.

Jason looks down at her, his eyes full of sympathy. "Buttercup, there is only so much you can do. Don't penalise yourself for it. Maybe he was supposed to die."

Usually being called Buttercup by Jason soothes April, but right now it does not. April stands up. "I tried saving him once and failed. I've been given this second chance so what's the harm in at least me giving it another go? Besides you've already said that we've got time to kill. I might as well."

Jason sighs heavily and stares at April for a while. "The problem is that you've just stated the obvious, April. You were there at the scene. Your past self is roaming this festival right now," Jason tries to suppress a smirk at April's sulking face. "The last thing the Doctor told me as I volunteered to go back in time with you is that we mustn't be seen. And I can't stress that enough, April. If past you is standing there, trying to save this man's life, think about how strange it would be for you now to jump out and save the day. The Doctor gets away with it in his travels because he never travels back in time to the same place more than once," Jason shushes April when she opens her mouth in protest. "I'm being serious, April. We can cause serious trouble if there are two April Hollerford's in the same place. This Island will take it as a threat. The future is in enough danger as it already is. And hopefully the fact that you changed the distress signals to the Black Lighthouse will mean that the universe will turn up without the Island seeing and causing a havoc. But you can't go showing yourself."

"Alright, I get it," April sighs. "But we can at least try and stop the scene from happening."

Jason nods his head. "Okay," he says. "How did it happen?"

"Max and I were trying to sneak out when we heard the drunk man shouting. He said something along the lines of the Day of Destruction being some sort of cock-and-ball game."

"Well let's just take it carefully to the scene."

April twiddles the sonic screwdriver nervously around her hands before walking on. Jason follows, keeping an eye out on the people around him, making sure that they are not being watched. April takes a detour around the festival, weaving in and out from behind every stall. Peering through the gaps between each stall, she makes sure that there is no one around before moving on.

Jason constantly keeps an eyes on their backsides, in case someone follows them, but he has confidence in April knowing where to go. As they walk through the festival undisturbed, Jason finds his combat boots slowly sinking low in the mud and he occasionally slips. He quickly regains his composure and looks behind him as if nothing happened at all. However April makes no sign to show that she is aware of Jason slipping and sliding in the muddy grass.

Suddenly, April stops very abruptly at the side of one of the stalls, and Jason stands close, just behind her shoulder.

"There he is!" April whispers, as she peers over the side of the stall.

The man stands there looking rather ashen as he stares down at his tatty grey trainers. There does not seem to be any alcohol in sight. April's scowl deepens as she vividly remembers the man being drunk when he started yelling expletives and shouting words against the Day of Destruction. She is sure that this is roughly round about the same time herself and Max are supposed to trying to leave the festival.

April takes in a breath and opens her mouth to speak, wanting to mention something about her confusion as to being certain that this man was drunk when she saw him, but she is immediately silenced by the appearance of one of the ten volunteers.

A tall and broadly built black man with a shaved head walks up to the man. Orion places one hand firmly on the man's shoulder and they, crouch low, their heads close as they speak together in low voices. April tries to listen to as much as she can but their voices are so low, it is hard to distinguish any words at all.

But from the look of their body language, it is almost as if Orion is explaining something to the man, who seems to be nodding in agreement. The man is clearly sober.

When they finish speaking, both Orion and the man stand up straight. They look at each other in silence for a long moment before Orion holds out a big, sturdy hand. The man takes Orion's hand in his and they shake firmly.

April and Jason can only make out Orion's lasts words.

"We owe you everything for this." Orion says deeply before releasing his grip on the man's hand and leaving him. Orion looks around, as if making sure that there is no one else around them, before he skirts smoothly away from the scene. The man is left there, staring pensively back down at his tatty trainers.

"What the fuck was that all about?" Jason mutters as he looks over April's head, observing the scene in front of them.

"I have a bad feeling that..."

However, April is cut off immediately as the man starts running away. He turns their back on them and runs over to the other side of the stalls in front of them. And then all of a sudden, the man starts yelling.

April's heart drops right down to the bottom of her stomach like a heavy stone and an overwhelming sensation to be sick overcomes her. It takes all her might to not start retching as she clenches her fists. She didn't even have the chance to try and stop this from happening. Now she is going to have to relive the whole scene once more.

Without a second thought, April makes a run to follow the man, but Jason holds her by the elbow and yanks her back behind the stall.

"April, no!" Jason snaps in the angry voice so unlike him. "There's nothing we can do now!"

"I can't let them kill him again!" April shouts wildly to the point that Jason has no choice but to cover her mouth with his hand to silence her. There April glares at him as angry tears roll down her face, splattering onto his hand.

"I'm sorry, April, but we can't!"

There is a moment of silence between the two and Jason slowly lowers his hand from April's mouth once she calms down.

The festival seems eerily quiet as everyone's attention has turned to the man who is pretending to be drunk. Did Orion order him to do this? Is this all part of the revolution?

"Come on, let's see how it unfolds." Jason whispers before stepping to the side of April and out in the open.

For a moment, April wonders whether or not she really wants to witness the scene again. Can she bear to see the man sacrificing himself just to say a few bad words about the Day of Destruction in public once more? But when she hears herself screaming in the distance, April feels more curious than anything. With a heavy sigh, April hastily wipes away her tears before she turns and follows Jason. They pass the area in which Orion was talking to the man moments before, and hide behind the next set of stalls.

However just as April hides behind Jason, she sees the security guard punch her past self in the face.

"Fuck!" April hisses as she feels the searing pain on her cheek as her past self falls down to the muddy ground.

"Holy shit, April!" Jason mutters just when the security guard points his gun down at April on the ground, who's cheek is bleeding. "What did you get yourself into?"

April stands by Jason's side, rubbing at her sore cheek as she watches the scene unfold itself. Max is looking hesitant as he slowly approaches the scene, but Joseph Hollerford runs directly in the way of the guard shooting April. His words are slightly blown away in the wind.

"He really loves you. Your grandfather." Jason says quietly as Joseph tries to defend April.

April somehow finds herself smirking when she sees her past self looking rather annoyed. "Well yes and he also called me Rodger Barratt's princess."

Then Jason and April are silent as the watch the way Joseph turns to April, but Max pulls her away, looking warily at the security guards. April then closes her eyes just seconds before the bullet blows through the man's head and he stops shaking on the ground.

The security guard then shouts his last words. April and Jason catches every chilling word

"As you should all know by now," he shouts. "There's a security of this Island that depends on complete and total timeless energy. Any protestors, any investigators or rebellions will be made example of!"