Chapter 17: The way home
Pov: Grace
I was rudely woken up when the room started to shake, so that the elegant wardrobe on the other side of the small room quickly fell over. The screams and shouts from outside could not be ignored either. Fear rose in me, so I quickly got out of bed and went to the door to discover the reason, but neither did it open nor could I convey what was happening from the shouts. How much I wanted to look out the window at that moment, but all I could do was stare at the bare, white wall. The ignorance triggered panic. I punched and kicked at the door, but nothing happend. How could such a normal looking door be so massive? I kicked the door again. Still nothing. Another tremor was heard, this time less powerful, but it can still feel just as dangerous. Gathering my anger, desperation, and panic, I kicked the door, once again, as hard as I could. My sight was black for a few seconds. Did I make it? Was I free? As my vision cleared, certainty came: The Door was open. Destroyed, on the other side of the wall
Pov: Doctor (Our Universe)
An earthquake shook the Planet.
"This universe is beginning to tear apart!"
I called. I wouldn't say I'm used to such situations, but it was almost like deja vu.
"Is there a ship around here somewhere? We have to get out of here as soon as we find my companions."
River looked at me for a moment
"The ships are at the gates. We only have a few minutes to make it out of here!"
Turned on the Master
"Okay, you go ahead and prepare for departure. I'll get Amy and Rory out of here."
I wanted to start running, but was quickly brought back by the Master
"There won't be enough time! Both universes are dangerously falling apart right now! I know your companions are important to you, but if you don't return to your Universe soon enough, others have to die for it!"
He was right. Of course, that would be pure egoism to save my companions now and let a thousand planets die for it. But I couldn't leave them either. Then both of them were in this disgusting and horrible place just because of me. It would have been my fault if they died here. I resolutely tore myself free from his grip.
"Get to the ship! Come on, I'll make it in time!"
And with that, I ran straight down the corridor. I would find them! I knew that!
Pov: Grace
This corridor can be indefinitely. Each Door was like the other. Wooden, old, they stood not far apart. How many rooms did this fortress have? I didn't know exactly, but I didn't care either, after all I had to find the Doctor. He would know what to do. He always knew, but a small voice told me that is wrong to go any further. Was it my conscience? My common sense that I lost years ago? Oh, I didn't know! I kept walking, I ran fast, until I got to the big Door that I already knew. It was the door to the golden throne room. I could softly hear voices that sounded suspiciously familiar. I expect the Doctor was among that babble of voices. My Doctor I gingerly grabbed the handle and pushed it down, opening the Door. The voices got louder when I could finally see through the small gap into the hall. There were the Doctor's companions from the other universe with their Master. But there was no sign of the Doctor. The others also seemed to have noticed that I was there and turned in my direction.
"Grace!"
Amy exclaimed shocked. Did she miss me? I nodded, looking around the room, just to confirm my suspicion.
"My Doctor isn't here, am I right?"
I asked sadly and went further into the hall.
Amy just shook her head, she came towards me with quick steps and hugged me tightly.
"Why are you looking for him? He locked us all here. He's a monster."
Her husband, Rory, also had these concerns in his eyes. He also quickly joined Amy and me. Just not the Master. He seemed confused by the scene.
"I don't want to destroy this moment."
he said sarcastically
"But if you haven't noticed, the planet, if not the universe, is collapsing. And well, if you don't move...Die here. Alone."
With the words he walked past us, straight ahead
the Door. But at the same moment the Door jumped open again and the doctor from the other universe stumbled into the room. For a brief moment we didn't move at all and silence fell.
"Doctor?"
Amy suddenly asked confused.
"No time to talk. Get out of here. Ship. Now!"
gasped the doctor
"Doctor, is there a way to save this universe?"
Quickly interrogate Amy before the Doctor could pushed us all out.
"Yes, there is indeed a way, but for that we need an Enormous energy source.
However, if we fail, three scenarios could occur."
"And?"
"First: We trigger an intersimensional big bang. Second: We destroy the space-time continuum. Third: Everything ends in nothing."
We all look at each other for a moment.
"And now in English again."
Now Rory intervened
"We need a lot of energy to save ourselves, this and our universe. If not, it will trigger a catastrophe!"
From that point it was quiet again in the group "What could have such an energy? There will definitely not be a nuclear power plant available to us."
mumbled Amy. But before any of us wanted to give up, the Master broke the silence
"What about Grace?"
The shocked looks annoyed him
"Think! Only here there is a Grace. In the other universe There is none."
He wasn't entirely wrong. However, the Doctor seemed to understand exactly what the Master meant by that.
"Oh no! Definitely not a human!"
"Doctor, you're an idiot if you think that one life of this thing is worth the preservation of two universes. Have you completely lost your mind?!"
"No, I didn't! I'm amazed that you talk about life when it's not just about your own. Sometimes I wonder if you haven't lost your mind yourself."
"My life is at stake too, Doctor! And we both know how important it is to prevent the destruction of both universes! You are no better!
How many of your companions have died, disappeared and gone because of your hubris? You are in no way inferior to me, we are both completely crazy on this part!"
Exhausted, both stood opposite each other, like two animals that were about to attack each other and all because of me. But I had never considered that Grace would not exist in another universe. I still wondered how this could be possible.
"Doctor?"
Now Amy hooked in uncertainly
"What is he talking about?"
"Amy, that doesn't matter now. We'll talk about it later!"
This made Amy skeptical. The Doctor was trying to hide something
"Later? Why don't you explain it to her now before you distract her from the topic over and over and over again?"
Said the master and sneered
"If there is no other Grace in your universe, why is there no Amy in ours?"
I asked now to break this tension.
"Because I lied to her back then."
It came from across the room. It was the Doctor. my Doctor
"I'm tired of listening to all this stuff and I've got it all under control!"
he exclaimed annoyed.
"And you."
His serious gaze turned to me
"Stay here. I should have the rest of you killed right now!"
He came towards us with dangerous steps.
"And besides, I wonder how you got out of the cell, Doctor!"
The Doctor just looked at him seriously.
"I had help from, let's say, a very good friend."
He said before the ground started to shake again beneath us
"I don't want to die here! Kill yourselves another time, but I want to get out of here right now, before this thing crushes me!"
Now the Master, who looked annoyed and bored around, intervened. My Doctor rolled his eyes.
"He's right!"
He grabs my arm roughly and looks deep into my eyes. I didn't know whether to be scared or happy about it. But one thing I knew for sure: Every moment of it was unique.
"You come with me. I must preserve my kingdom."
His eyes became particularly annoyed when he looked up from me again
"I'll give the rest of you 5 minutes to get out of here!"
I looked at him in horror.
"Doctor, we can't leave Grace behind with him!"
said Amy shocked
"4 minutes! I advise you to leave!"
hiss my Doctor, which was no other choice for the other Doctor.
"Come on! We only have a few seconds to get out of here."
"But Doctor!"
But then the Door slammed behind them, leaving only my Doctor and Me in the room. To be honest, I was a little afraid of that what might happen now. The Doctor's eyes were unreadable, but I knew one thing for sure: he wasn't happy. This silence grew more and more oppressive, as if guilt weighed on me
"Doctor, I..."
I started uncertainly, but he stopped me
"Pretty ridiculous if you're scared of me right now."
The Doctor spoke in a calm, almost deadly tone.
"...You suspect to be more scared when you know who you really are or what exactly you are. But you are still alive." How could he speak in riddles at the end of the World? Suddenly there were cracks in the Room. It was clear that the moment would come when the place began to tear apart. He went to a Door that didn't look as glamorous as the one the other Doctor and his companions had disappeared through. I briefly thought about ripping open the Door and finally disappearing into their universe with the others, but something told me to go further and maybe save billions of lives, no matter how great the attempt might be.