XXIX
The Cold Star
As soon as Will and April step into the darkness, all sounds from inside of the Tardis is replaced by the sound of a machine being switched on. April can only guess that Will has taken her somewhere away from the Tardis, but for the first few seconds of standing in the darkness, it is not clear as to where.
But then the lights flicker on and the sight of the walls around them makes April speechless.
April glances down her feet. They are no longer standing on the metallic flooring of the Tardis, but on a white flooring covered in black specks. There is an iron gate directly in front of Will and April and the semi-circular wall runs behind them. There are two fluorescent blue light tubes that run along the walls.
The room shudders ever so slightly before the elevator April has stepped into time and time before in the parallel world, starts to ascend. The lift creaks as they move upwards, almost as if it has been a long while since it was last in use, but this only reminds April of that time when she returned to the UNIT base after having two months away from them.
April suddenly feels nervous at the prospect of seeing the UNIT base again, and for a split moment, she is not sure if she wants to see it. But how can they be here?
"We're back in my world," Will says softly as if reading her mind. "We shouldn't have passed through the parallel doorway, but I thought it was best to get you as far away from the Island as possible."
So it is true. April and Will have left the Island. It would explain why her headache that has been irritating her since the moment they reached the island, has now completely vanished. But also the prospect of having left everyone else back on the Island does nothing to calm April's mind.
Then April clamps her mouth shut, afraid that she has started to talk aloud to herself, for it seems that Will knows everything that is on her mind.
"Don't worry about the others, you still have forty-eight hours before the Day of Destruction."
However April knows that she has caused so much damage because of Jason's death. And like Martha said, she is a monster. The look on Martha's face is clear in April's mind.
It has got to the stage now where April feels like she cannot cry any more. It is as if her body can no longer produce tears. Instead she stands there by Will's side, her jaw set tight and her scowl harsher than ever. Yet there is a vacant look in her eyes, almost as if she isn't really there.
But on the inside, April feels numb. She cannot comprehend any emotions.
The lift eventually stops and April can see the familiar blue lights of the UNIT base shining through the iron gates. Then without saying anything, Will pulls open the iron gates one at a time, revealing the empty base before them.
Coming back to the base which has been a home to Will for half his life, now haunts him. Life here was never the same again after April left his world. He split apart from his group and he did many things out for anger for which he strongly regrets. But perhaps he is the selfish, arrogant man April first saw him as. However right now, all he wants is to be there for April. Maybe she can feel at ease here again?
For a long while, April remains standing in the lift as she looks at the empty base. Everything seems just as it did before. There are still rows upon rows of desks that were once overcrowded with the many soldiers of UNIT. Only this time their desks are completely empty; stripped away from their computers or personal possessions that were once there before.
At the far end of the base is a long desk running along the wall. Then hanging on the wall is a blank holographic screen. Then above the screen is a large replica of the UNIT logo carved into the wall's surface.
April takes her first step forward and slowly walks through the base, Will just behind her shoulder. The silence in the base does not haunt April as much as it did the last time she walked through the empty base over two years ago.
The only thing that haunts her is the reminder that the UNIT soldiers who are on the Island are the only remaining soldiers of this company. Everyone else was killed in battle, both in the war in London and the one in Antarctica. Now because of April, they have lost another soldier. She can't bear the thought of anyone else losing their life because of her and this stupid prophecy the Cytracik has given her and her brother.
April stops walking when they reach the desk at the end of the base by the wall. Left on top of the desk are files and sheets of scrap paper, planning UNIT attacks in the Battle of the Cytracik. It is then, however, April is aware of how cold it is in the base. Not the bitterly cold air she feels in her nightmare, nor is it the cold weather they had from Antarctica. But this cold air feels as if it looms overhead like a dark shadow, destroying everything in its wake.
"There's something I should show you." Will says, noticing the way April folds her arms across her chest. Goosebumps appear on her pale, bloody arms, but it is about time April sees what has been happening to his world since she left.
Will directs her to the fire door to her right and pushes it open. They are met with the brightness of a distant sun and heavy wind. But Will steps out onto the balcony before he starts to climb the iron ladder at the side of the brick wall. April follows Will up the ladder and he helps her to clamber onto the flat roof of the UNIT base, overlooking the parallel city of London.
April saw this view many times before while she was in the parallel world. But this time, everything seems so different. It seems as if the city of London itself has died.
The streets below are as quiet and as empty of people and cars as they were when she was last here. But it is almost as if there is no one else here but them. She can see the river Thames a little off in the distance, and to her left, she can still see a large empty space which was once Piccadilly Circus before the Dalek King dropped a bomb on them, killing many Cybermen and most of its own army too.
The sky is of a deep pink colour as the sun slowly starts to set. And despite that there is a protective spell around the UNIT base to make it invisible to the rest of London, the wind is still bitterly cold.
When April is aware that Will is not standing by her side, looking out at the view of London, she finds him standing in the centre of the rooftop, looking up at the sky. April follows his eyeline and then finds what it is he is looking at.
Directly above them in the sky, as small as the sun looks, is a large ball of ice twinkling before them.
April stares up at this ice ball in the sky, not having the faintest clue as to why it is there in the first place, or what it is.
"It's a cold star," Will says darkly when April stands next to him. "It came here the day after you left and for a while no one knew what it was. One day everything was fine but then the next this appeared and started freezing over our planet," Will pauses for a long moment. "The cold star was put there because of the Battle of the Cytracik," Will cannot help but smirk. "No surprises there," he then mutters. "But intelligence went out across the universe about our friendship to you and the Doctor. Then within twenty-four hours, the whole universe was aware of everything we have been through. Then because we are an ally to you and the Doctor, we are therefore a threat, because we'll have the same views as him..." Will pauses for a long moment. "My father did everything he can to try and find out about the cold star. Especially with the army right on our backsides again. But then we discovered that..." Will hesitates. "In that cold star is the Island."
April continues to stare up at the cold star with more of an understanding. So this Island created by the Cytracik, revolves around a cold star, just like their world revolves around their star.
"This appeared shortly after the whole universe heard about us and started to make plans about coming to the Island," Will continues. "Jack Gruntler told us that no matter where you are in the universe, you will always be able to see this cold star, until the Battle of the Cytracik ends. I guess Rodger Barratt really wanted to make a show." Will frowns as he continues to look up at the distant cold star. Even now he finds it hard to believe that the Island is up there too.
"There is a parallel doorway between here and there," Will shrugs. "Probably disguised as stars or something."
"Yeah, I know. I can see it." April says in a low tone. She can very faintly see a group of constellations circling the cold star, indicating where the parallel doorway is.
Will turns to look at April, and continues to look at her till she turns to look at him.
For a long while, Will and April stand there in the centre of the rooftop looking at each other. However, it is as if April is looking everywhere but his eyes, almost as if she is purposely ignoring his gaze. But she studies his face, the creases in his skin and the odd mole here and there. She then studies his blond hair which used to be short and perfectly trimmed. Now it is long, curly and falls into his eyes.
April slowly reaches up and touches his hair that falls over his forehead, brushing it back. "Your hair has changed." April says flatly, as if she has just noticed this, and gently ruffles his hair with the tips of her fingers.
"Yours hasn't." Will replies, trying to keep his voice light. He smiles faintly.
"It's longer." April continues to examine his hair, almost as if she did not hear him speak a word.
Hearing the pain in April's voice, Will forces himself to smile broadly, but of course, April does not return his smile. For a brief moment, Will wonders if April will ever smile again; her face is hard and somewhat unwelcoming.
April then eventually catches Will's eye, and when she does, she stops ruffling his hair and draws her hand away. She then breathes out heavily as she looks away.
"It's going to take some getting used to." April says dully.
"April, please," Will says as he grabs onto her hand, a little firmer than he expected. "Please don't shut me out."
"You were keen on shutting me out when you first got here." April sneers as she tries to pull away from Will. Because she and Jason had their second chance to change events on the Island, she is not sure if he knows about the make up talk when she ended up explaining what she tried to do in Manchester. But this thought April can't keep to herself. "Have we had this conversation yet?" She snaps.
"We have," Will says, his voice full of hurt. "We had the same conversation, just during different situations. But that is not the point, April. I know you are struggling to deal with this. But we all are. We've all lost an incredible man. But you just came out saying that his death is your fault and you never explained," Will sighs heavily. "I know what Monroe is like. And whether or not Jason's death is your fault, Monroe would have killed him anyway. He wouldn't have the guts to kill you himself, so he tries to destroy you mentally. And April you're letting him," Will then holds April's face in both his hands. "Please don't let what Monroe has done get to you. Because every day I tell myself that Private Jefferson was killed under my watch."
"But Alic..."
"Is alive, April," Will says. "Yes we don't think he is ever going to be able to walk again, but he is alive. And despite what the Doctor says to you, you and Jason both saved Joshua's life."
"But I failed Jason. The look on his face when he died..."
Will is silent for a while as his hands drop down April's neck and rests on her shoulders. "You'll fail Jason if you carry on this way," Will says after a while as he looks down at their feet. "Jason will not have wanted you to let this destroy you as much as you are letting it," Will then looks up at April. "What was one of the last things you remember telling him?"
April's jaw becomes hard before she speaks. "I told him that I'm going to kill Rodger Barratt."
For a long while, Will looks lost for words. He does not know whether or not he agrees with her wish, but even Jack told him that he shouldn't stop April in doing what she wants to do. Even if it is the wrong thing. But how can her wanting to kill Rodger Barratt be the wrong thing when this whole battle is down to him and his army of shape shifters?
"You don't want me to be a murderer, do you?" April says dully.
Will looks up at her. "That'll make two of us."
Will and April's attention is suddenly drawn away from each other as there is a loud bang, like a cannon, coming from the distance. April and Will look over to the city of London in the direction where the cannon was sounded.
"That's the army," Will says reassuringly. "Once a month they do a march around the whole city, you know, just in case they stumble along anything strange."
April pulls away from Will and walks over to the edge of the roof, stopping just in front of the low wall that runs alongside the perimeter of the roof. She can hear somewhere in the distance the sound of heavy marching feet. At first April is certain it is Cybermen marching, but she then notices a squad from the army marching through the streets just below them.
Will moves away from April and then returns a few seconds later, holding onto a very large, thick, brown quilt.
"Where did you get that from?" April asks suspiciously.
"A few years ago, us lot from the Myriad Circle used the old ventilation shoot that is no longer in use. We mainly stored food and cigarettes, but we also stored this quilt when we wanted to stay the night up here when things were getting crazy," Will laughs. "Often we'd sit under the blanket and smoke weed or something."
April looks from Will to the blanket then back to Will. Then she allows him to take her hand and direct her to sit down. Will sits with his back up against the low wall at the edge of the roof and he throws the blanket over them both as April snuggles into his chest, sharing his warmth. Will wraps his arms around April and holds her tightly until she stops shivering.
"How can I forget you, April?" Will whispers. "How can I forget your love?"