"No…As I said the Earth moves but the TARDIS doesn't, we need to be careful when on Earth that we don't stray far from the TARDIS, but I can't see the TARIDS letting her pilot go so you should keep in mental contact with her while we are on Earth and for any reason we are told to return we do as she says, don't forget she can also see time and ALL of its permutations, at the end of the day she is a little of TIME itself."
"Okay, we'll do that then, you say the Earth moves, do you know how, I know you say we can't find it but how was it done?" Spoke the Master with conviction, he wouldn't let Harry out of his sight from now on until he could see all the timelines again not just two which both were worrying.
"That I don't know either…..The power to move a planet where a TARDIS can't find it? Whatever does that is big, powerful and technologically advanced. More advanced that those Pyrovilla and they had a connection to seers. It would be interesting to see just how far their sight goes and if they could give us answers but knowing what they are and are doing we couldn't believe them fully no matter what. And we can't cross back through our timeline to find out we will be remembered by so many and if one of us just gave the thought that we will at last take care of this, then they could cause a massive paradox by trying to kill one of us, to stop it. We will just have to wait to see if they make sense, however they did give us a clue, however they did give us a clue, the thing on donna back which shook her up the fact that SHE was returning "
"Then why did you say to save those people not her she had been vocal enough while there to try and save them."
"Because she didn't have to, just a reminder of our conversation made you realise, You. Are. The. Doctor. And you save people. You saved that family, one of the only few to survive Pompeii, do you know Quintus goes on to become a doctor they give thanks every day to the doctor and his blue box for saving them from death, it's not me they remember it's not dad it's you that they remember. Not even Donna although all of us are on the alter plaque they light incense and say prayers to."
"Thank-you Null after a day like today I need to know that. I did do some good in the end, it might not be a lot but for a Fixed Point we saved people that shouldn't have been."
"It's okay, it's the truth you saved a family today, yet I destroyed a civilisation, you saw me do it you saw I didn't hesitate after you told me how to do it I just pushed the leaver. As I tried to tell you before we got blown out of the top of the mounting, father gave me that responsibility and what did Agatha say to Donna "Death comes as the end... and justice is served'?" Asked Harry.
"Your questions to her before had more meaning than we realised at the time, didn't it?"
"Yes, it is basically what HE had tried to tell me in the inbetween when he taught me death can be just but also a mercy to some, he hopes that I offer that to the multiverse both justice and mercy, even though I am his son I live in life and true life doesn't have justice or mercy only what we make of it. Destroying those parasites today saved mankind it outweighed the billions of humans who have been born at that time and for those in the future to be born it was both justice and mercy I did it quickly and I did it as painlessly as I could, that eruption will have killed them all in seconds, it did they barely felt anything before they passed on and if we return to the present we will find the earth as we expect it would and should be. No matter what happened today it had to happen there was no getting around that as you said it was a Fixed Point but as I pointed out to you Theta it doesn't mean you had to cause that volcano because you are no longer alone you have people to help you now carry that burden you've felt was yours to carry for too long. I'm actually surprised I didn't appear in the middle of the Time War. If I had it wouldn't have been you to do it I would have used my own powers to bring an end to the war, I wouldn't have allowed TIME to feel all that pain, father wouldn't have allowed it if SHE hadn't said anything I think, I have a gut feeling that I didn't get involved in the war because it was not mine to stop it was yours Doctor, in a sense you could say the day you demanded to be made into a warrior, you entered your own prophecy TIME sees all and SHE decided you would do HER bidding in this universe. After reading the war and seeing it and knowing what the Timelords as well as the daleks had unleased would have seen them all destroyed for good, I would have wiped them all out, well probably after borrowing a TARDIS. If I destroyed Gallifrey and its surrounding solar systems to stop the war I would have wanted away from there, you actually gave them a more peaceful solution to what I would have done." Harry spoke the last quietly admitting he would have just wiped them out after seeing what they were doing.
"Perhaps that's why you didn't, don't forget before we met you, you still couldn't see time, that would make them class you as an abomination to timelords, and if you had appeared as you stated you would have destroyed both sides the Timelords would never allow that especially form someone who wasn't truly one of them. They would have all attacked you as a threat to them all." Spoke the Master after some thought.
"Father and Time wouldn't have allowed that, or maybe that is why I didn't come in the middle of the Time War. It could also have been that father didn't want one of my first acts after finding a Timelord was to destroy them all. Perhaps he didn't want that pressure on my shoulders at that age, yet he put today on me twenty thousand plus all of the Piroville I killed."
"But you didn't kill off whole specie's you only killed those that you had to, in order to turn it into a Fixed Point. That mountain had to erupt. You know the importance of Fixed Points, that had to happen, even if you weren't with me, I would have set it off. So would your dad."
"I know, I'm just worried about the timing of it and the timelines I'm seeing."
"Then perhaps we need to leave the earth for a bit, travel to different planets and different times just not near the earth for a bit, it will give you time to come to terms with what you did today as well as the powers you hold and how you decide you use them if you feel the need to." Spoke the Master
Their first stop after the discussion turned out to be the planet Shan Shen - alive with colour and people, decorated with banners and choked by stalls.
"Ooh, you are gonna love this... one two three!" spoke the Doctor while handling all of them a drink including Harry. The Doctor snorted, Donna laughed and the master chuckled Harry just pulled a face.
"It's lovely!" commented Donna, they then moved on to the rest of the market Donna walked off in an opposite direction from the other three.
A fortune-teller found her offering to read her future however Donna was having none of it, she was happy with her present she didn't need to know the future
"You got red hair. The reading's free for red hair." Announced the fortune teller
"Alright then!" She laughed and Donna followed her into the little shop they were stood outside
"Oh, you fascinating... ah, no, but you good... I can see... a man. The most remarkable man. How did you meet him?"
"You're supposed to tell me." Was Donna sassy comeback
"I see the future. Tell me the past... when did your lives cross?"
"It's sort of complicated. I ended up in a spaceship on my wedding day. Long story."
"But what led you to that meeting?"
"All sorts of things. But my job, I suppose... it was on Earth, this planet called Earth, miles away... but I had this job, as a temp - I was a secretary at a place called HC Clements...Sorry.
"It's the incense. Just... breathe deep. This job of yours - what choices led you there?"
"There was a choice... six months before... because the Agency offered me this contract with HC Clements..." Suddenly Donna was in a flash back Donna and her mother are getting into their car.
"But there was this other job. My mum knew this man... "
"jival, he's called. Jival Chowdry. He runs that little photocopy business and he needs a secretary." She was again in a flash back her mum talking to her and her arguing she had a good job as a temp
"Your life could have gone one way or the other. What made you decide?" Demanded the fortune teller
"I just did... "
But when was the moment? When did you choose...?" Asked again the fortune teller wathching her bug makes its way towards Donna back
Donna was taken to another flashback: a van drives past car of the Nobles, standing at the junction. Donnas mother was talking again.
"It won't take long, just turn right! We'll pop in and see Mr Chowdry, so Suzette can introduce you. "
"I'm going left, if you don't like it, get out and walk.
"If you turn right, you'll have a career, not just filling in!"
They continued on the same vain but in the end she turned left and the flashback ended
"You turned left. But what if you turned right, what then..."
"Let go of my hands" Demanded Donna really scared.
"What if it changes, what if you go right, what if you could still go right... "
"What's that? ...what's on my back? What is it, what... what's on my back?"
"Make the choice again, Donna Noble, and change your mind... turn right."
"I'm turning..."
"Turn right... turn right. Turn right!" she spoke causing Donna to go into another flashback again.
"Well let me tell you, sweetheart - city executives don't need temps, except for practice"
"Yeah. Suppose you're right." Donna agreed and turned right and it changed everything in front of her. She was in a pub. Christmas decoration everywhere, people dressed up, drinking, happy, singing. Donna moved through the rabble towards a table carrying drinks. Her friend abolished her for buying the drinks only for them all to find out she had gained a promotion, that turned to disaster quickly when they all were dragged outside to see a massive star floating through the air, the other locals put it down to Christmas celebrations and wastes of money but not Donna she headed for where it was going, she ended up at the Tames. A person covered over was carried into an ambulance. Donna watched as the arm of the body flops down, dropping the sonic screwdriver.
A distant figure was running towards her. With blond hair in a blue leather jacket
"What happened, what did they find? I'm sorry, did they find someone?" Demanded the woman
"I don't know. A bloke called the Doctor... or something."
"Well, where is he?"
"They took him away. He's dead." The woman's face looked utter shocked at that, and she turned away.
"I'm sorry - did you know him? I mean... they didn't say his name. Could be any doctor." After that it turned into a discussion as to what were people looking at on her back first one of her friends then this woman, she never got an answer and when she turned around from trying to see her own back the woman had disappeared after making a cryptic comment.
Donna only lasted a few more months in her job before she lost it according to her boss who she was really annoyed at, there wasn't enough money to pay her any longer, as she was packing up her stuff the rest of the staff were looking out of the window or listening to the events on the television, with the headline 'Royal Hope Hospital vanishes in upward rain mystery'. After about ten minutes of her packing and going through what all the different staff had done There was a loud bang and the room shaked once again.
"Don't tell me, the hospital's back. Well isn't that wizard!" Spoke Donna as she kicked the cabinet shut as she left. Back at home her mother went through the things she had brought home including the raffle ticket.
"Yeah, well they can keep the raffle. I won't take a penny off that man."
"Honestly to you two, there's aliens on the news, they took that hospital all the way to the moon, and you're banging on about raffle tickets!" Spoke up Wilfred in utter disbelief.
After an argument about that Donna offered fish and chips out of her last paycheck, her mother had taken the new well but had also said she had given up on her, it was her who wanted Donna to get the job.
"Blimey! Are you all right? What was that, fireworks or...?" asked Donna looking at the figure emerging from the side street
"I don't know, I was just… walking along, that's weird."
"You're the one. Christmas Eve, I met you in town."
"Donna? Isn't it?"
"What was your name?" Donna asked but the woman changed the subject
"How're you doing? You're looking good. How's things, what have you been up to?"
"You're doing it again."
"What?"
"Looking behind me. People keep on doing that. Looking at my back."
"What sort of people?"
"People in the street. Strangers. I just catch them sometimes, staring at me. Like they're looking at something. And then I get home, and I look, and there's nothing there. See? Look, now I'm doing it!" Spoke Donna even as she tried looking at her own back
"What are you doing for Christmas?"
"What am I what?
"Next Christmas, any plans?
"I don't know, that's ages away. Nothing much I suppose. Why?"
"Just … I think you should get out. You and your family. Don't stay in London, just... leave the city. Nice hotel, Christmas break? you, you got that raffle ticket. First prize – luxury weekend break. Use it, Donna Noble." Spoke the woman, Donna tried to get a name out of her and felt she needed to be left alone but it did take root in the back of her mind.
The Nobles parked in the driveway of the country mansion hotel where Donna won a holiday, Slade's 'Merry Christmas Everybody' could be heard playing on the radio. A Footman appeared once the car pulled up on the driveway. The next morning, they were all awake, Donna in the bathroom brushing her hair, her mother lying in the bed and her dad on the sofa. When they head a knock at the door Wilfred ended up opening it for their breakfast to be wheeled in and the serving woman to turn on the TV showing a live view of a replica titanic falling out of the sky over London, Donna was dragged back into the bedroom only for the maid to freak out at her back as they were watching the television, Donna at first thought it was a hoax until they looked out of the window. Gathered with the rest of the staff on the drive they watched the mushroom cloud rise up over London, Wilfred remarked how lucky they were he was meant to be selling papers in London last night and if not for the raffle they would have all been there, everyone they knew all their neighbours dead.
"I'm not moving to Leeds!" Were Donnas first words out of her mouth, Donna, her mother and Wilfred were in a small, crowded office talking to a housing officer.
"I'm afraid it's Leeds - or you can wait in the hostel for another three months." Spoke the officer with conviction.
"What about Glasgow? I heard there was jobs going in Glasgow."
"You can't pick and choose! We've the whole of Southern England flooded with radiation. Seven million people in need of relocation, and now France has closed its borders. So, it's Leeds - or nothing. Next!"
She stamped LEEDS on their papers. The Nobles and a bunch of other refugees were driven to Leeds in an army bus. The refugees waited for instructions on a street. They were eventually given a house only to find out that the house was full and that they got a camp bed and the kitchen to sleep in, everyone had to share a room other than the bathroom which they all shared. Donna tried to remain optimistic along with her grandfather but her mother had given up all hope, they thought America would help them until every major city in America had people loosing fat for it to turn into little fat ball people then for massive spaceships to collect all the Adipose children. That put Americas out for helping them. Then The ATMOS devices fired, one solder got worked up when he was questioned about it, seeing the animal on Donna's back and demanding she turn around which she eventually did only to see a bright flash of light off to her right, while her grandfather was laying into the solder, she wandered off around the corner to see what it was. They sat on a bench on the street.
"It's the ATMOS devices. We're lucky it's not so bad here, Britain hasn't got that much petrol. But all over Europe, China, South Africa... they're getting choked by gas." The woman explained while looking up at the sky.
"Can anyone stop it?"
"Yeah, they're trying right now, this little band of fighters, on board the Sontaran ship. Any second now... "Just as she said it, the sky set aflame, then it went dark again.
"And that was...?" Asked a shocked Donna
"That was the Torchwood team. Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, they gave their lives. And Captain Jack Harkness has transported to the Sontaran home world. There's no-one left."
"You're always wearing the same clothes. Why won't you tell me your name?"
"None of this was meant to happen. There was a man, a man with a wonderful family that loved him deeply this wonderful man, and he stopped it. The Titanic, the Adipose, the ATMOS, between them they stopped them all from happening.
"That... Doctor?"
"You knew him. Him and his family"
"Did I? When?" Asked Donna with a confused look on her face.
"I think you dream about him, sometimes. It's a man in a suit. Tall, thin man, great hair. Some really great hair"
"Who are you?
"I was like you. I used to be you. You've travelled with him, Donna. You've travelled with the Doctor in a different world and you travelled with his family his other half and their son, I only travelled with him though I didn't meet the others….."
"I never met him, and he's dead. What about his family?
"He died underneath the Thames on Christmas Eve, but you were meant to be there. He needed someone to stop him, and that was you. You made him leave. You saved his life."
For a moment Donna seemed to remember – flashing back to that moment, the Doctor standing in the middle of the destruction, watching the Racnoss drowning.
"Doctor! You can stop now!" The flashback ended, Donna stood up, angry and scared.
"Stop it. I don't know what you're talking about, leave me alone!"
"Something's coming, Donna. Something worse. Trust me. We need the Doctor and his family more than ever. I've - I've been pulled across from a different universe, because every single universe is in danger. It's coming, Donna. It's coming from across the stars and nothing can stop it."
"Well, what do you keep telling ME for? What am I supposed to do? I'm nothing special. I mean, I'm... I'm not, I'm nothing special, I'm a temp. I'm not even that, I'm nothing!"
"Donna Noble, you're the most important woman in the whole of creation."
"Oh, don't. Just... don't. I'm tired. I'm so... tired." Begged Donna
"I need you to come with me."
"Yeah. Well. Blonde hair might work on the men, but you ain't shifting me, lady."
"I know you'll come with me. Only when you want to"
"You'll have a long wait, then."
"Not really, just three weeks. Tell me, does your grandfather still own that telescope?"
"He never let's go of it."
"Three weeks' time. But you've got to be certain. Cos, when you come with me, Donna... sorry... so sorry, but... you're gonna die." And she fades away in front of Donna's eyes
When one of the foreign families was made to move out to go to a camp Donna didn't understand but you could see in the older gentleman and his wife along with Wilfred did, concentration camps is what they called them. Donna tried running after the truck when it finally clicked that there was more going on, no one would tell her what was happening, and her mother had become unresponsive weeks ago. Wilfred and Donna were sitting outside at night, by his precious telescope.
"You know, we'd get a bit of cash if we sold this thing." Spoke Wilfred with a bit of sadness in his voice.
"Don't you dare! I always imagined, your old age... I'd have put a bit of money by. Make you comfy. Never did. I'm just useless…..You're supposed to say 'no, you're not'."
"Ah, it must be the alignment." Spoke Wilfred not listening to Donna.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, I don't know - I mean, it can't be the lens. I was looking at Orion, the constellation of Orion. You take a look. And tell me, what can you see?"
"Where?"
"Well, up there in the sky!" spoke Wilfred making Donna look into the telescope, then back to the sky.
"Well, I can't see anything, it's just... black."
"Well, I mean it's working! The telescope is working."
"Well...Maybe it's clouds."
"There is no clouds! It was there. An entire constellation. Look... look there... They're going out. Oh, my God! Donna! The stars are going out." Spoke Wilfred in horror but Donna didn't seem surprised. She just turned around to see Rose waiting for her.
"I'm ready." She said, Donna and the woman were driven then escorted into a huge warehouse type building. There was a circle of mirrors in the middle, and in the background there was the TARDIS, a bunch of wires connecting it to the mirrors and a large computer. A UNIT officer saluted Rose
" Captain magambo Ma'am."
"I've told you, don't salute." She went to check the computer.
"Well, if you're not going to tell us your name..." Spoke the officer
"What, you don't know either?" Demanded Donna
"Crossed too many different realities. Trust me, the wrong word in the wrong place can change an entire causal nexus."
"She talks like that. A lot. And you must be Miss Noble." Spoke the officer to Donna who introduced herself with her first name.
"Thank you for this." Spoke the captain genuinely
"I don't even know what I'm doing."
"Is it awake?" asked the woman to the officer
"Seems to be quiet today. Ticking over. Like it's waiting." Answered the officer. The woman invited Donna to look into what Donna called a police box only to be shocked senseless.
"Time And Relative Dimension In Space. This room used to shine with light. I think it's dying….Still trying to help."
"And...And it belonged to the Doctor?"
"He was a Time Lord. Last of his kind he thought while I was with him, it was only after, he found out…"
"But if he was so special, what was he doing with me?"
"He thought you were brilliant. They all did"
"Don't be stupid." Spoke Donna with scorn
"But you are! It just took the Doctor to show you that, simply by being with him. He did the same to me. To everyone he touches. But you got even further you met his true family I only ever met him it was the best years of my life"
Eventually they got around the creature on her back and if she wanted to see it, she eventually agreed, scared at first, she refused to look but when she did she panicked like never before spinning around trying to get a better look. Eventually they got her calmed down.
"What is it?"
"We don't know."
"Oh. Thanks."
"It feeds off time. By - by changing time, by making someone's life take a different turn, like, meetings never made... children never born... a life never loved. But with you, it's..."
"But I never did anything important."
"Yeah, you did. One day, that thing made you turn right instead of left."
"When was that?"
"Oh, you wouldn't remember. It was the most ordinary day in the world, but by turning right, you never met the Doctor and the whole world just changed around you."
"Can you get rid of-of it?"
"No, I can't even touch it. It seems to be in a state of flux. None of can touch it that thing is drawing time out of you."
"You liar! You told me I was special! But it's not me! It's this thing, I'm just a host!"
"No, there's more than that. The readings are strange it's... it's like reality's just bending round you."
"Because of this thing!"
"No, no! We're getting separate readings from you. And they've always been there, since the day you were born. I thought it was just the Doctor and his family we needed, but it's all of you. The Doctor, the Master, The Son and Donna Noble. Together all of you. To stop the stars from going out."
"Why? What can I do?!...Turn it off. Please." It was done then she continued
"It's... it's still there, though. What can I do... to get rid of it?"
"You're gonna travel in time."
Donna ended up wearing a strange coat full of wires. She was still listening to the woman.
