Chapter 21

The women listened intently as Clara moved on with her story even though she felt like they only understood half of it. She couldn't really blame them. If someone had come to her and told her about aliens and spaceships and time travel a few years ago, Clara would have called them crazy. But as it was, she knew that all of it was very, very real and somehow, she needed to make these women understand and convince them to give up their home and everything they had known and worked for for something new and foreign. Right from the beginning, Clara had known that it wouldn't be easy, but the marvel she saw reflected into the colonists' eyes seemed like a good start. At least they weren't calling her crazy or locking her up in a cell.

"I know it's difficult for you to understand, but I'm telling you that you would have a much better life where they're taking you. The Q'Uartar are very advanced and they will share their knowledge with you. Knowledge of medicine and travel and farming, anything you can think of. Instead of trying to survive on this barren patch of land, you could have a fresh start on a whole new planet," Clara told him and exhaled sharply once she was finished. She had said everything she had wanted to say, but the silence she was met with told her that they hadn't understood at all, that they were still taking everything in.

Finally, after an eternity had passed, Clara heard a small, reluctant voice coming from the back of the room as one of the women stood up. "Are you saying that there are things living elsewhere besides the earth? And that we should go with them?"

The incredulousness was audible in her voice and Clara was running out of ideas how else she could make them understand that their best option was going with the Q'Uartar. At last, she inhaled deeply and braced herself for a long, long monologue.

"I'm not from here," she admitted eventually, "and I'm not from England either. Well, I am, but it's not like you think. The Doctor is a time travelling alien from the planet Gallifrey and together, we travelled from London in 2015 to this place in his spaceship. In my time, this continent we're on in called America and people from all over the world have come to settle here eventually. My history knowledge is a bit spotty, but I know one thing: This colony right here, Roanoke, it's not successful."

Finally, Clara seemed to reach them. The women still sat there in silence, eyes wide and listening to her intently, taking in every word while she told them the story she had only recently heard from the Doctor, while she told them of the draughts and the storms and how, eventually, they would find this colony abandoned. Then, she once more told them of the Q'Uartar, of their kindness and their advanced technologies, of how the best way for them all to survive was to pack the essentials and go with them to colonise not a new continent but a whole new planet."

When she had finished, Clara rose to her feet, smiling kindly at the women. "You know what," she concluded, "I think you should see it for yourself. What do you say?"

Reluctantly, the women exchanged hesitant glances among each other and Clara was already afraid that telling the whole story would still not be enough to convince them when at last, a woman at the back stood up. She was young and even shorter than Clara was and when she spoke, her voice was quiet as if she herself couldn't believe what she was saying. "I'd like to see it," she said. "I want to see the spaceship."

The other women turned their heads towards the speaker and a soft murmur broke out among them until another rose to her feet.

"I'd like to see it, too," she said.

"And me," a third one confirmed.

Slowly but surely, everyone stood up, agreeing, wanting to come along and at least see the Q'Uartar for themselves before making up their mind, but Clara found herself smiling, her hopes finally rekindled. She wasn't sure how Geoffrey was doing in convincing the men, but the first step was made. Everything was going to be alright.

"Show us the aliens," an elderly woman demanded. Her voice sounded harsh, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips and her eyes glistened with childlike curiosity as if she couldn't believe she had gone a lifetime without knowing about aliens and spaceships and now couldn't wait to finally see it for herself.

Clara opened her mouth, ready to tell them to come along and lead the way when the door of the house burst open. Everyone's head shot around as the men barged in and at the sight of pistols, Clara took a step back, unsure of what was happening.

"What's going on?" Clara demanded to know and scanned the group of men for a familiar face, hoping to spot Geoffrey, but she never did. Instead, it was Governor Johnson who stepped forward, parting the crowd to make way for himself and his heavy steps. The look he wore on his face didn't bode well for her.

"Seize her!" the governor proclaimed instantly and even if he hadn't raised his hand and pointed straight at her, Clara knew from the second they had walked in that he meant her.

Looking around, she saw no chance for escape, she saw no one with the capacity to help her, so when two men stepped up and grabbed hold of her arms, Clara didn't resist. It was pointless. Only the Doctor would be able to help her now and he was still with the Q'Uartar, helping to fix their ship before the departure.

"May I ask what I'm supposed to have done?" Clara asked, hoping that the defiance showed in her voice. She didn't really need to ask, but she did it anyway, just to confirm her hunch.

"You were caught conspiring with our enemies to abduct and exploit our people and for that, you and your companion will be punished. Where is he?"

Clara inhaled deeply and willed herself to stay calm even in the presence of their weapons. "He's fixing the spaceship," she replied. The Governor flinched at the mention of the alien ship, but said nothing. "And the Q'Uartar are not your enemies. They want to help you start a new life."

Finally, as Clara let her gaze wander through the crowd, she spotted Geoffrey. He avoided her gaze at first, but when their eyes finally locked, Clara stared at him, her eyebrows knitted angrily. He should have been helping her, not get her arrested. Yet Geoffrey merely shrugged and offered her an apologetic glance. He would never speak up.

"I just want my son back," he said simply. "I'm going to do what needs to be done."

Clara felt a surge of anger and for a moment, she wanted to yell at him and tell Geoffrey that cooperating with the Q'Uartar was the best option he had, but she never got the chance when her captors pushed her forward.

"Let's see if they will release our people when we threaten to kill one of their own," Governor John said proudly and Clara realised with dismay that they meant her.