Journey Amongst the Stars

By Lumendea

Chapter Thirty-Two: Temple of Truth: Moving Parts

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

…

Rose cut through the dirt and vines carefully with her sword. She focused on any changes in the resistance of what she was slicing through. She could hear people moving behind her in the camp and the Doctor hovering close by. Every time the dirt shifted, more got thrown into the air and blew onto Rose's face.

"What is that sword?" Jack asked. "I mean, seriously, what is it?"

"It's a Star Knight blade," the Doctor answered.

"Star Knight," Jack repeated. "I think… I think I've heard of them, but I thought they were legends."

"Nope." The Doctor sounded proud, and Rose rolled her eyes. "Most of the swords are long gone though."

"I heard there was only one Star Knight."

"That would be Rose then," Jo said. "Have her tell you the story. It's a great one!"

Shaking her head, Rose pulled away a large chunk of earth from the stone and watched it crumble. The Doctor had insisted that the door was around here somewhere. Rose cut through another tangle of thick roots only to have her sword go far deeper than she was ready for. Stumbling forward, Rose found her sword buried to the hilt and knew at once that she'd found the entrance.

"Got something here," Rose said. She tugged on her sword, trying to release it without much luck. Chunks of root and soil fell as the blade kept cutting through them. Sighing, Rose released the hilt and waited as the sword turned into a blur of gold and reformed as a bracelet. "Let's try that again."

"See, that is strange to see," Jack said. "Is it nanobots?"

"Not sure," the Doctor answered. "The sword was made by the White Guardian, and Rose won't let me study it."

"No," Rose agreed. "I won't."

"It's not like I'd hurt it," the Doctor huffed. It was almost a whine.

"No," Rose answered.

"Thing is," the Doctor said. "There shouldn't be a pyramid here. This is Brazil."

"Exactly," Jo said. "The Mayan were far north of here in Central America. The Aztec were in Mexico, and the Incan were in Peru to the west. We're too far east."

"Thought you said pyramids' had been found in the jungle before?" Jack asked.

"Yes, but in Central American jungles," Jo explained. "That's why I wanted this checked out. The location is odd; it doesn't fit with any local tradition. The peoples of this area never constructed things like this. So, when it's revealed, the whole area is going to come under intense scrutiny."

"And we can't see the true shape," the Doctor added. "So, we can't narrow down which, if any, of the pyramid cultures might have built this."

"Exactly," Joe sighed. "I'm not an archeologist-"

"Trust me, that's good," the Doctor interjected.

"Don't start," Jo laughed.

Rose sliced again into the soil, and a huge mass of dirt and vegetation shifted. She jumped back just before the whole patch cam sliding off the pyramid like water off a duck. It tossed up dirt in a solid thump and whoosh, but it cleared fast. A space behind the soil had been revealed. With a few quick swishes of her sword, Rose turned the rough opening into a neater square doorway. She could just see the stone edge of the opening underneath the four-inch layer of soil.

It was very dark. Pitch blackness stretched out before them, and the heavy smell of stale air surrounded them. Rose lingered near the door, waiting for more fresh air to slip into the space while accepting that the Doctor wouldn't wait forever. A cheerful manic grin had appeared on his face. She didn't blame him for that. An interesting discovery with an old friend and no lives at stake.

"Jo, maybe you should stay-" the Doctor started to say.

"Nope," Jo said. She stepped close to Rose and put her arm through hers. "Rose has her superphone if we need to send out an alert." Jo nodded at the doorway. "I want to see this."

The Doctor's expression shifted. His eyes darkened, and his grin fell away as he tried to stare down Jo. Rose didn't know what he was trying to accomplish. It wouldn't work, and he really should know that by now.

"Fine," the Doctor grumbled. "But stay with Jack."

Jack gallantly extended a hand to Jo. She took it dramatically and shifted over beside him. The Doctor gave Jack a warning look, but the younger man only smiled.

"Got the phone Rose gave you?" the Doctor demanded.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, you have a phone too?" Jo nodded in approval. "That's good. Why did we do that, Doctor?"

"Because we were living in the 1970s… or was it the1980s?" The Doctor shook his head. "Anyway, with the TARDIS locked by the Time Lords, I couldn't get any."

"Wait, Time Lords?" Jack asked. "They're real?"

"They were." The Doctor's answer was short and clipped, the jovial mood fading a little. "But that's not what we should be talking about," the Doctor added with forced cheerfulness. "We've got a pyramid that no one has been inside for centuries." He grabbed Rose's left hand, and she gave it a soft, reassuring squeeze. "Shall we?"

"Lets," Rose agreed.

"One moment," Jo said. "We need torches." She gave the Doctor a firm look that clearly communicated 'Stay' and rushed off. Jack grinned but held in a laugh while the Doctor leaned closer to the interior wall to inspect the artwork in the low light. Jo was back a few moments later with an armful of large heavy-duty torches. She passed them around quickly.

"I've alerted the others that we're going in. We're lucky this pyramid has a low entrance. Not all of them do." Jo switched on her torch and shined it down the entry. It stretched out beyond the light. "Now, frequently pyramids in this part of the world were mostly exterior structures. Most do not have interior areas, so this is already different than most."

"Because someone stashed something inside," the Doctor said. He was eying the long corridor with open interest. "Right, stay together or at least in your pairs if anything happens."

The Doctor led the way with Rose beside him. The passage was just large enough for the pair of them side by side. They moved slowly, using their torches to light the walls. There were images of animals and people, but if there was a series of events to create a story, Rose couldn't see it. Jo and Jack were close behind them, and so far everything seemed very normal.

"Nothing on the ship in here so far," the Doctor said. There was a suspicious note to his voice.

"Scan for alien tech," Jack suggested. The Doctor gave him a withering look. "Or not."

"Where is your sense of adventure?" the Doctor asked.

"I thought you wanted me to learn caution," Jack answered. He pouted. "This is why you like Rose better than me, isn't it?"

"There are many reasons I like Rose better."

"Yeah," Jo muttered. "Like you're in love with her."

"I am not," the Doctor muttered. "Stop it, this isn't the time."

Rose didn't let the lie hurt her. She cast a look over her shoulder at the two troublemakers who were grinning with amusement and shook her head. At least Jack had the decency to look a touch embarrassed, but Jo just lifted an eyebrow at her. Then something moved overhead. Jo and Jack froze while Rose and the Doctor stopped a little further on. Everyone shined their lights around nervously.

"What the?" The Doctor spun around as the corridor shook. Over their heads, the ceiling began to lurch. "Run!"

It was too late. The Doctor and Rose rushed towards the entry as Jack and Jo turned themselves. Over the heads, something was shifting. Rose thought she heard gears turning and something sliding, but she couldn't see what when she lifted her torch. Suddenly, beneath her feet, something gave way. She and the Doctor fell. A started scream escaped Rose as she hit a sloping rock and was hurtled down into darkness.

….

The dust was thick in the air as Jack caught his breath. All of the moving had stopped, but Rose's shocked scream echoed in his head. It had faded out, and he had a bad feeling as he reached for his torch. He was sprawled on the ground and shined the light down the corridor. There was no sign of the Doctor or Rose, and the closely fitted stones gave him no hints as to where the passage that must have opened beneath them was.

Climbing to his feet, Jack was grateful for his experience as a Time Agent. He'd been trained against panicking. Taking another step forward, he tested his weight on the stones underneath him. Nothing seemed ready to give, but this place was closer to a funhouse than a pyramid as far as he was concerned.

A groan made him turn back to Jo, who was panting and seemed dazed. Jack coughed from the dirt in the air and dropped to his knees beside Jo. The old woman was panting and leaning heavily against the wall behind her. He stopped just shy of touching her and brought up his left hand and the vortex manipulator. Activating the medical scan, he brought it up and began to scan Jo quickly.

"No broken bones," he said in relief.

"No, no," Jo said. "I'm alright. Just not as young as I used to be." She began to laugh, the sound ringing down the corridor. Then she patted his arm. "Help me up."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not staying here alone while you try to fetch help from outside," Jo said. "Surely this isn't the worse you've seen with the Doctor."

"No, it isn't." Jack did as Jo said and slowly helped her to her feet. She was moving a bit gingerly but started stretching when she released his arm. "I doubt anything will top what was going on when I first met them."

"Don't say things like that." Jo smiled at him fondly in the low light. "Never jinx yourself, Jack. The universe can be very creative. Looking back… it amazes me how much trouble we found on Earth while I was with him."

"You didn't go off-planet?"

"We did a few times." Jo sighed and shook her head. "Honestly… I wasn't very good at that side of things. Got homesick for Earth very easily, I'm afraid. Still, I had some good times. Sarah Jane actually went to my favorite planet a few generations after I did and was able to let me know how things had turned out. That was a fun conversation."

"Sarah Jane?"

"I'm sure Rose will mention her at some point. There's a lot of us, scattered around the world." Jo glanced around them. "Well, which way do you think?"

"So, the Doctor travels with a lot of companions?" Jack asked.

Jo's smile fell a little, and she nodded. "Yes, he does. He doesn't like to be alone; he likes to see our wonder and joy at the things he sees. In return, we learn and grow." Jo's smile returned, but it was soft and a bit sad this time. "But things are a bit different now. Rose is different for him." Jo fixed her eyes on him with a very serious expression. "And don't think for one moment that he doesn't care. He does. If you're traveling with him, he cares about you."

"We didn't meet under the best circumstances. I did something stupid."

"He likes you," Jo assured him. "Trust me, he does. I'm telling you the absolute truth." Her eyes twinkled a little. "I suspect I'll be seeing more of you in the future."

"We have to get out of here first," Jack said. He aimed his torch down the corridor towards the entrance, but a stone wall was now firmly in place. "Serious," Jack grumbled. He gently leaned Jo against the wall and walked over. Leaning against it, he inspected the seams and sighed. "Not sure how, but this seems locked into place. Whatever trap we set off is meant to keep us in here."

"Not just keep us here," Jo said. "Rose and the Doctor are missing." She shook her head. "Hopefully the fall wasn't too far."

"I'm sure they're fine," Jack said reassuringly. He patted the new wall blocking their way and sighed. "Too bad he blew up the factory. My sonic gun would be real handy right now."

"What did the Doctor blow up?"

"A factory that made these special sonic guns," Jack said. "My battery is dead. I need a new one, but he's not inclined to take me there."

Jo laughed, not at all worried. "We'll be fine," she said. "You're new to this, but trust me. We'll get through it. Just keep your head."

Jack smiled and shook his head fondly before extending his arm to Jo. "Okay then, what does the voice of experience suggest?"

"Well, that sword of Rose's can probably get through it," Jo said. "I suggest that we find them." She nodded at the stone. "I don't think we'll be moving that."

"Okay, but if you get tired-"

"Honey, I hike at least five miles a day," Jo said. "I can handle this, but I promise to let you know if there's a problem." Jo dramatically drew an x over her heart. "Now, come on, let's go. This isn't bad enough for me to trigger an alert just yet."

"What will it take to get an alert?"

"Trust me; you'll know if something that bad happens."

….

Rose wasn't in pain exactly. There wasn't any sharp, throbbing pain and demanded attention and made her fearful of broken bones, but she was definitely suffering from bruises. Her chest ached from what had felt like rollercoaster pressures on it and then landing hard on a stone floor. Still, she started to move and make herself get up as the memory of what happened sank in.

"Rose?" The Doctor's voice calmed her, and a large warm hand on her shoulder reassured her that she wasn't alone. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," Rose answered honestly. "Give me a second."

She tried to look around, but the nearest torch was several feet away and pointed at a blank stone wall. The Doctor stood up, and she heard him moving cautiously across the room. The torch was grabbed, and the Doctor shinned it towards her. What appeared to be a solid stone floor was beneath them. It was perfectly smooth, and Rose ran her fingers over the surface curiously before slowly standing up. She wasn't sure, but she didn't think that a native population would have had the technology to achieve such a perfect finish.

The Doctor turned and extended his hand. Rose took it gratefully and leveraged herself to her feet. The air down here was stale, but so far, she was breathing okay. Looking around, she searched for any clues as to what had happened while still holding the Doctor's hand.

"Thoughts?" she asked.

"Try to find the way out."

"Any chance the sonic can help you with that?"

"Finding the way in is easy." The Doctor smiled reassuringly at her. "The way out is trickier. I was scanning for weakness in the outer shell which a door would create. Inside…" He shook his head. "Not going to work. We'll have to figure this out the old-fashioned way."

"Right then." Rose looked up at the ceiling. "I just hope that Jo and Jack are okay."

"He'll look after her," the Doctor said.

"Look at you, already confident in Jack." Rose hugged his arm. "That's nice to see."

The Doctor grumbled but didn't entirely lose his smile. Nodding down the corridor, he and Rose began to search the walls for any activation mechanism before moving into another dark passage.