Chapter 26.
(Harry POV)
We were in the Tardis.
"Just one trip," Dad said. "That's what I said. One trip in the Tardis and then home,"
"Dad," I said.
"Although I suppose we could stretch the definition, One trip into the past, One trip into the future. How do you fancy that?" Dad said,
"Hell yes," I said.
"You're get no complaints from me," Martha said.
"How about a different planet," Dad said.
"Can we go to yours?" Martha said.
"Aah, There's plenty of other places," Dad said.
"Come on, I mean, Planet of the Time Lords that's gotta be worth a look, What's it like?" Martha said.
"Well, It's beautiful, yeah," Dad said.
"is it like, You know, Outer space cities, All spires and stuff?" Martha said.
"Suppose it is," Dad said.
"Great big temples and cathedrals?" Martha said.
"Yeah," Dad said.
"With lots of planets in the sky?" Martha said.
"The sky's a burnt orange, With the citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, Shining under the twin suns, Beyond that, the mountains go on for ever, slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow," Dad said.
"Then let's go see it," I said.
"Naah, where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home, Instead, This is much better! The year 5 billion and 53," Dad said.
"No, Not New Earth," I said.
"Yes," Dad said. "50,000 light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York,"
"He means it the 15th New York," I said.
"So it's," Dad said.
"No, Not that again," I said.
As we went out and it was Raining.
"Oh that's nice," Martha said. Zipping up her jacket.
"Bit of rain never hurt anyone, Let's get undercover," Dad said.
As we started moving.
"It's look a bit of old Earth to me, On a Wednesday afternoon," Martha said.
"Hold on, Let's have a look," Dad said as we got to a monitor. "That's more like it,"
"That's the view we had the last time," I said.
"This must be the lower levels, Down at the base of the tower, some sort of undercity," Dad said.
"You've brought me to the slums," Martha said.
"More interesting It's all cocktails and glitter up there, This is the really city," Dad said.
"You'd enjoy anything," Martha said.
"That's him," I said.
"Ah, the rain's stopping better and better," Dad said.
"When you say last time," Martha said.
"That was all 3 of us," I said.
"You'll taking me to the same planets that you took her?" Martha said.
"What's wrong with that, Plus last time, It was mad," I said.
"Ever heard of rebound," Martha said.
"Oh you should've said, How long have you been there, Happy you want, Happy, happy," He said.
"Customers, customers, we've got customers," Another one said.
"We're in business, Mother open up the mellow," Another one said.
"No thanks," Dad said.
"Are they selling drugs," Martha said.
"More like moods, if you ask me," I said.
"Same thing isn't it," Martha said.
"Bit true," I said.
Then someone come over and got something, Since her mother and father went to the motorway.
"Sorry, but , hold on a minute, what happened to your parents," Dad said.
"They drove off," She said.
"Yeah, but they might drive back," Dad said.
"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end, I've lost them," She said.
"But they can't have gone far, you could find them," Dad said.
Then she put it on and then forgot the whole thing.
Then walked off.
"The hell," I said.
"So that's the human race 5 billion years in the future," Martha said. "off their heads on chemicals,"
Then Martha got grabbed.
"Martha, Let her the hell go, Now," I said pulling up mine, As the girl was armed.
"I'm really sorry, we just need 3, That's all," He said.
"I'm warning you," Dad said.
"Let her go," I said.
"Whatever you want, I can help, both of us can help you, but first you've got to let her go," Dad said.
Then they closed the door and it won't move.
"Damn it," I said.
Then Dad soniced it and we went after her.
Then We ran down the route and they took off.
"Martha," I said.
"Let's get back there and find out what the heel is going on," Dad said.
"Let's go then," I said as we got back there and Dad banged the door.
"Thought you'd come back, Do you want some happy, Happy," She said.
"Who were those people? Where did they take her," I said.
"They've taken her to the Motorway," He said.
"Looked like carjackers," She said.
"I'd give up now, Darlings, You won't see her again," She said.
"Used to be thriving, this place but they all go to the motorway in the end," He said.
"He kept on saying 3 we need 3, What did he mean, three," Dad said.
"It's a car sharing policy, to save fuel, you get special access if you're carrying 3 adults," She said.
"How do we get there," I said.
"Down the alley, deep going to the end, you can't miss it," She said. "Tell you what, buy some happy, happy, then you'll be smiling,"
"Word of advice, All of you cash up, Close down and pack your bags," I said.
"Why's that then?" She said.
"Because as soon as we've found her alive and well, Which we will, Then I'll be back, And this street is closing. Tonight," I said.
Then We took off heading that way and we found a way onto it but it was gassed like hell and Dad and I start coughing, Then Someone open a door.
"Get in you 2 idiots now," He said.
Then Dad and I got in and he closed it as the woman passed up the gas mask with oxygen as I got enough and was breathing good again I passed it Dad.
"Did you ever see the like," He said. "He's just standing there breathing it in, There's this story says back in the old days on Junction 47, This woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid 20 minutes, By the time they found her, her head had swollen to 50 feet,"
"oh you're making it up," She said.
"Imagine picking that nose," He said.
"God, that's disgusting," I said.
"Did you never pick your nose?" He said.
"Bran we're moving," She said.
"Right I'm on it," Bran said. "20 yards, we're having a good day, and who are you too? Very well dressed for hitchhikers,"
"Thanks, Sorry, I'm the Doctor, and That's Harry," Dad said.
"Medical man," Bran said. "My names Thomas Kincaid Brannigan, And this is the bane of my life, the Lovely Valerie,"
"Nice to meet you," Valerie said.
"And that's the rest of the Family, Behind you," Bran said.
"Ah, that's nice," Dad said as it was baby kittens.
"Hello there," I said gently picking one up. "How old are they,"
"Just 2 months," Valerie said.
"Poor souls, they've never known the ground beneath their paws," Bran said.
"What?" I said.
"Children of the motorway," Bran said.
"What, they were born in here?" Dad said.
"We couldn't stop," Valerie said. "We heard there were jobs out in the laundries, on Fire Island, thought we'd take a chance,"
"You've been driving for 2 months?" I said.
"Do I look like a teenager, We've been driving for 12 years now," Bran said.
"I'm sorry," Dad said.
"Yeah, started out as newlyweds, Feel like yesterday," Bran said.
"Feels like 12 years to me," Valerie said.
"Ah, Sweetheart, but you still love me," Bran said.
"But 12 years, How far did you come? Where did you start?" I said Gently putting the kitten back into the basket.
"Battery Park, 5 miles back," Bran said.
"You've travelled 5 miles in 12 years," I said.
"I think he's a bit slow," Bran said.
"Where are you from?" Valerie said.
"Never mind, We've got to get out," Dad said.
"My Girlfriends in one of these cars, She was taken hostage," I said.
"We should get back to the Tardis," Dad said. As he opened it.
"You're too late for that, We've passed the layby," Bran said.
Then Dad closed it.
"When is the next lay by," I said.
"ooh, 6 months," Bran said.
Then Dad tried to get something.
"I need to talk to the Police," Dad said.
"Thank you for your call, you have been placed on hold," It said.
"You're the police," Dad said and it said the same thing.
"Is there anyone else? We once met the Duke of Manhattan, Is there any way to contact him," I said.
"Oh, Lordly," Bran said.
"I have to find her," I said.
"You can't make outside calls, the motorways completely enclosed," Valerie said.
"What about the other cars?" Dad said.
"We have contact with some," Bran said. "They must be on your friends list, now let's see, who's nearby, Ah, the Cassini Sisters. Be still our hearts, my handsome girls, It Brannigan here,"
"Get off the line, Brannigan you're a pest and a menace," She said.
"Come on, now, sisters, is that any way to talk to an old friend?" Bran said.
"You know full well we're not sisters, we're married," She said.
"Ooh, stop that modern talk, I'm an old fashioned cat," Bran said.
"Bloody hell," I said.
"Now, I've got a hitchhikers here called the Doctor and Harry," Bran said.
"We're looking for someone called Martha Jones, She's been carjacked," I said. "She's inside one of these vehicles, but I don't know which one,"
"Wait a minute," She said. "Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"
"Where were we?" I said.
"Pharmacytown," Bran said.
"Pharmacytown, about 20 minutes ago," I said.
"Let's have a look," She said.
"Just my luck, To marry a car spotters," She said.
"In the last half hour, 53 new cars joined from the Pharmacytown junction," She said.
"Anything more specific?" I said.
"All in good time," She said. "Was she carjacked by 2 people?"
"Yes, She was," I said.
"There we are, Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane, That means they had 3 on board," She said.
"What was the car?" I said.
"Car number is 465 Diamond 6," She said.
"There's we go, So how we find them?" I said.
"Ah, now there, I'm afraid, I can't help," She said.
"Can we call them? We've got their number," Dad said.
"Not if they're designed fast lane, it's a different class," Bran said.
"You could try the Police," She said.
"Which have done nothing but put us on hold," I said.
"You'll have to keep trying, There's no one else," She said.
"Thank you," I said.
XXX
"Take us down to the fast lane," Dad said.
"Not in a million years," Bran said.
"You've got 4 passengers," I said.
"I'm still not going," Bran said.
"She's alone and she's lost She doesn't even belong on this planet and it's our fault, I'm asking you Brannigan take us down," I said.
"That's no and that's final, Son," Valerie said.
"One thing, Never call me son, Ever," I said.
"I'm not risking my children down there," Valerie said.
"Why not, What happens down there?" I said.
"We're not discussing it, The conversion is closed," Valerie said.
"Not While I'm here, Now Tell me," I said.
"No," Valerie said.
"So we keep on driving?" I said.
"Yes, we do," Bran said.
"For how long?" I said.
"Till the journeys end," Bran said.
"Mrs Cassini, This is Harry, Tell me how long have you been on the motorway?" I said.
"Oh, we were amongst the first, It's been 23 years now," She said.
"Okay then answer this, In all the time here have you ever seen a police car," I said.
"I'm not sure," She said.
"Look at your notes," I said. "Any police?"
"Not as such," she said.
"What about an ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official, Ever?" I said.
"I can't keep a not of everything," She said.
"What if there's no one out there?" I said.
"Stop it, The Cassinis were doing you a favour," Bran said.
"Someone has to ask, Cos you might not talk about it, But it's there in your eyes," I said. "What if the Traffic jam never stops?"
"There's a whole city above us, The mighty city state of New New York, They wouldn't just leave us," Bran said.
"In that case, Where are they?" I said.
"What if there's no help coming? Not ever," Dad said. "What id there's nothing, Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round, Never stopping for ever?"
"Shut up, Just shut up," Valerie said.
"No, Cos you know it true, Or else this place out be open, Not this many cars on a motorway," I said.
"You think you know us so well, you 2, We're not abandoned," Bran said.
"Please, That can be automated for all we know," I said. "If you aren't taken us down there, We'll make our own way," Then Went and opened the hatch on the bottom.
"What do you think your doing?" Bran said.
"Finding our own way, Always do," I said.
"Here we go," Dad said. "Look after this, I love that coat, Janis Joplin gave me that coat,"
"But you can't jump," Valerie said.
"Yes well, Valerie my girl down there, and I'm not leaving her," I said.
"This Martha, She must mean an awful lot to you," Bran said.
"I was too busy showing off, and Lied to her," Dad said.
"But of us did on that one," I said. "Let's go,"
Then We went down through the cars till the last one and Dad jumped in then I did.
"Scuse me, is that legal," He said.
"Sorry, Motorway foot patrol," Dad said.
"Whatever, Have got you got any water," I said.
"Certainly, Never let it be said I've lost my manners," He said.
"Is this last layer," I said as he passed us it.
"We're right at the bottom, Nothing below us but the Fast lane," He said.
"Can we drive down," I said.
"No, It's an automated system the wheel would lock," He said.
"Damn it," I said opening the bottom.
"You can't jump it's a thousand feet down," He said.
"No, We just want to look, What's that noise?" Dad said.
"What is down there?" I said.
"What are those lights," Dad said. "I just need to see, Hold on, There must be some sort of ventilation, If I could transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, Get a bit of a breeze,"
XXX
"There we go," Dad said.
"What are those shapes?" he said.
"They're alive," Dad said.
"What are they Dad," I said.
"Macra," Dad said.
"What are the Macra. Martha's down there," I said.
"The Macra used to be the scourge of this Galaxy, Gas, they fed off gas, The filthier the better, They built an empire with human slaves, mining gas for food," Dad said.
"They don't exactly look like empire builders to me," He said.
"What happened to them?" I said.
"That was billions of years ago, they must've devolved down the years and now they're just beasts, But they're still hungry," Dad said.
"And Martha is down there with them," I said.
Then the Hatch opens again and someone jumps in.
"Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness Sake, He said.
"I've inverted a sport," Dad said.
"Doctor, Harry, You're hard men to find," She said.
"No guns, I'm not having guns," He said.
"I only brought this in case of pirates," She said. "Doctor, Harry, you've got to come with me,"
"Do we know you," I said.
"You both haven't aged at all, Time has been less kind to me," She said.
"Novice Hame," Dad said. "Wow, Get off, Last time we met, You were breeding Humans for experimentation,"
"I've sought forgiveness Doctor, For so many years under his guidance," Hame said. "And if you both come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself,"
"We're not going anywhere, You've got Macra living under this city," I said. "And My friend's stuck down there,"
"You've got to come with me," Hame said.
"No, We've got enough passengers," I said.
"Sorry, But the situation is even worse than you can imagine," Hame said. Grabbing us. "Transporting,"
Then We got taken somewhere else.
"Oh, Rough Teleport," Dad said.
"But you can go straight back out and teleport people out starting with Martha," I said.
"I only had the power for one trip," Hame said.
"Then Go get some more," I said.
"Where are we?" Dad said.
"High above in the overcity," Hame said.
"Good, cos you can tell the Senate of New New York, I'd like a word, They've got millions of people trapped on the motorway," Dad said.
"But you're inside the Senate right now," Hame said.
Then the lights came on. "May the Goddess Santori Bless them," Hame said As I saw them all dead.
"The Hell happened?" I said.
"How long has it been like this," Dad said.
"24 Years," Dad said.
"All of them, Everyone What happened?" I said.
"A new chemical, a new mood, they called it Bliss, Everyone tried it, They couldn't stop, A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne, Everything perished even the virus in the end, It killed the world in 7 minutes flat, There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the Undercity, Those people on the Motorway aren't lost, Doctor, They were saved," Hame said.
"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic?" Dad said.
"There's not enough power to get them out, We did all we could to stop the system from choking," Hame said.
"Who's we? How did you survive?" I said.
"He protected me, and he has waited for both of you these long years," Hame said.
"Doctor, Harry!" We both went over and found the Face of Boe.
"The Face of Boe," Dad said.
"I knew you'd come," Boe said.
"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse, as penance for my sins," Hame said.
"Old friend, what happened to you?" Dad said.
"Failing," Boe said.
"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke, But with no one to maintain it, The City's power died, the Undercity would have fallen into the sea," Hame said.
"So he saved them," I said.
"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe, He's giving his life force just to keep things running," Hame said.
"But there are planets out there, you could've called for help," Dad said.
"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe, The Automatic quarantine lasts for 100 years," Hame said.
"So the 2 of you stayed here, On your own for all these years," Dad said.
"We had no choice," Hame said.
"Yes, You did," I said.
"Save them, Doctor, Save them," Boe said.
Then Dad went and got to work.
Then I saw it.
"Dad, There, Car 465 Diamond 6, it still registers," I said. "There's Martha,"
"I knew she was good," Dad said. "Hame hold that in place, Take the residual energy, invert it feed it through the Electricity beds,"
"There isn't enough power," Hame said.
"You've got power, You've got me," Dad said. "I'm brilliant with computers, Just you watch, Hame every switched on that bank up to maximum, Harry over here," Dad said.
"We can't power the city," I said.
"No But the city just needs people," Dad said.
"So what are you going to do?" Hame said.
"This," Dad said but it didn't work.
"Doctor," Boe said.
"Yeah hold on," Dad said.
"I give you my last," Boe said.
"Hame watch him," I said.
"Don't you go dying on m, you big old face, You've got to see this, The Open road," Dad said.
Then it started opening.
"Here," I said.
"Sorry, no Sally Calypso, She was just a hologram, My name's the Doctor, And this is an Order, Everyone drive up Right now, I've opened the roof of the motorway come on, Throttle those engines. Drive up, all of you, The Whole undercity, Drive up, Drive up, Drive up, We've got to clear that fast lane Drive up and get out the way," Dad said.
"Oi, Car 465 Diamond, 6, Martha Drive up," I said. "You've got access above, Now go," passed it back then saw it raising.
"Harry, you look better than the last time I saw you," Boe said. "All of those years ago, but he wouldn't say anything else,"
"Doctor," Hame said as the glass started to crack.
Then it broke.
"Doctor, Harry," Martha said.
"Martha," I said going round seeing her and hugged her tight.
"Round here," Dad said.
"Doctor, What happened?" Martha said. "What's that?"
"The Face of Boe," I said.
"It's all right," Dad said.
Then we went over.
"He's the one that saved you, not me," Dad said.
"My lord gave his life to save the city," Hame said. "And he's dying,"
"No, don't say that, Not old Boe," Dad said. "Plenty of life left,"
"It's good to breath the air once more," Boe said.
"Who is he?" Martha said.
"No idea," I said.
"Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for Billions of years, Isn't that right," Dad said.
"And you're not about to give up now," I said.
"Everything has its time, You both know that old Friends, Better than most," Boe said.
"The Legend says more," Hame said.
"Don't there's no need for that," Dad said.
"It says the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveller," Hame said.
"Yeah, but not yet, Who needs secrets, eh?" Dad said.
"I have seen so much, Perhaps too much, I am the last of my kind, as you 2 are the last of yours," Boe said.
"That's why we have to survive, Both of us," I said.
"Don't go," Dad said.
"I must, But know this Time Lord, You are not Alone, And She will return," Boe said.
"Who," I said.
"You're find out," Boe said. Before he was gone.
What did he mean.
As I got up. As Martha came over next to me.
"You okay?" Martha said.
"Am now," I said.
"Let's go," Dad said. Walking away.
"Why?" Martha said.
"He hates goodbyes, and something tell me always will, Come on," I said.
As we got back to where we got here.
"All closed down," Dad said.
"Happy," Martha said.
"Happy, Happy," Dad said.
"Really Dad," I said.
"New New York can start again," Dad said. "And they've got Novice Hame,"
"Great what a City needs a Cat in charge," I said.
"Come on Time we were off," Dad said.
"But what did he Mean, the Face of Boe," Martha said. "You are not alone,"
"I don't know," Dad said.
"You've got me," Martha said.
"Martha, I doubt that's what he meant," I said. "Guess time will tell,"
"Then What?" Martha said.
"Doesn't Matter, Back to the Tardis off we go," Dad said. "All right, you staying,"
"Till you talk to me properly yes," Martha said. "He said the last of your kind what does that mean?"
"It really doesn't matter," Dad said.
"You don't talk, you never say, why not?" Martha said.
"It's the city," I said.
"They're singing," Martha said.
"I lied to you, cos I liked it, I could pretend, Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, Underneath a Burnt orange sky," Dad said. "I'm not just a Time Lord, I'm the last of the Time lords, The Face of Boe was wrong there's no one else,"
"What happened?" Martha said.
"A War," I said.
"Not just any war. A Time War, The Last Great Time War," Dad said.
"They fought a race called the Daleks," I said.
"For the sale of all creation, and they lost, We lost, Everyone lost, They're all gone now, My Family, My Friends, even that sky," Dad said.
"You couldn't stop him could you," Martha said.
"Would you, if you knew that too," I said.
"Oh, you should've seen it that old planet, The Seconds Sun would rise in the south and the Mountain would shine, The Leaves on the Trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning It looked like a forest fire, When the Autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song," Dad said.
Eventually we were back in the Tardis and we headed on.
That's all for this chapter.
More to follow.
Stay tuned and Safe.
Love Y'all
PEACE!