Chapter Nine: The Center Cannot Hold

Icarus: The Machine

Power surged through the machine. So much power, there aren't even words for that much power. The most elemental of nature's forces was being dragged and ripped and twisted. Seconds and hours, years and eons folded in on themselves and compacted into nerve impulses till at last they were digitized and made safe and readable, such a beautiful symphony, an achievement to rival that of the Temporal Powers.

Ace's head jerked back a sudden painful motion. A scream fought its way up from her soul but got caught in the current and failed to emerge from her lips. Such pain, no one had ever known such fiery pain shooting forth from the brain until all nerves screamed their chemical screams. Even this pain does not compare to the sight of a hundred billion futures all flashing by. Empires rise, empires fall, mountains crumble into molehills, suns die, worlds burn to ash and new planets rise. Oh the pain, the pain to know how small we are…and so Ace went mad and her body jerked about wracked in silent agony.

Then the vision is gone. Futures disappear into darkness. Is this the end, some far off apocalypse, or more something more personal? Is this her end: that gentle goodnight and a farewell to pain? No! Do not go gently, not…not…but wait…Firm hands, warm touch, laid gently to cold metal floor. Not the end, then. No, not the end.

Ace groaned. "Oh my head she mumbled. Mal cradled her. She was in shock. He'd seen that before during the war. The reasons were different, but shock was shock. In wartime he would have slapped her until she snapped out of it, but that probably wasn't the best solution now. Still, guards would be here soon.

"River we have to get out of here now," he said, but River wasn't listening. She was climbing into the space Ace had just vacated. "River, what that hell do you think doing?"

River stared at him for a second. "I'll be alright," she said. "Time is a River." Then she smiled and jammed the headpiece on, and she became the Machine and it became her.

Power surged through the machine. So much power, there aren't even words for that much power. Time flowed through her mind, that great howling abyss. She stared into the abyss and did not go mad. She was protected from that fate. She was already insane. Besides, she knew what she needed to do. She closed her eyes and rode the 4 dimensional currents visible now in her minds eye. Patterns easy to see with your eyes closed. Seconds and hours, years and eons folded in on themselves and compacted into nerve impulses till at last they were digitized. It wasn't a door, so she opened it and followed them. She was the Machine. The Machine was her.

Her brain hurt, ached in a deep unearthly way, but she ignored it. Pain is transitory; she was not just a pawn, a cog in the wheel. No, she was the Machine. She was in the computer core. She could turn off life support and they would all die, but the machine would still exist. The box called to her, so she came. Bright golden light filled her. It took away the pain. This was the center. Fish swam about her, as the box whispered it's alien secrets to her, and she understood them. She knew what she had to do. River pinched herself, metaphorically speaking, and with a shudder and a groan the Machine stopped. For a moment all was still, then deep within the machine the box began to glow, and the whole planet began to fold in on itself.

Icarus Control Room

Everything had been going so well. The computer was recording data on the next billion years. It would have to be organized and refined to allow one to see a specific event, but there was plenty of time for that later. Sefton just wanted to enjoy his triumph. There hand been long and hard labor in the years before, and he had no doubt there would be similar years ahead, but this was his glorious moment. Until it all went black and the Machine, his beautiful machine halted. Then he felt a tug, a wind trying to pull him down. He looked around it seemed to pulling at everything. He turned wide-eyed to the Doctor.

"What have you done," he roared.

The Doctor shrugged modestly. "It pays to have a physicas Plan B."

"You planned this," Sefton asked in disbelief.

"Perhaps, but even if I didn't, I'll never tell you."

"So smug and self-satisfied, Doctor," Sefton spat.

"I try."

Sefton snarled. He aimed and fired twice. The force of the bullets sent the Doctor flying backwards, shattering the glass. He fell from the control tower and landed with a sickening thud on the metal grid.

Mal turned. " Ta ma duh!" he said. River lay limp in his arms. There was no way he could carry all three of them, and the tugging was getting stronger. It was getting harder to move. Some unseen force was trying to pull him and everything around him into the bowls of the world, into the box waiting several miles below. "Ta ma duh," he said again.

Ace blinked slowly. Her head was buzzing and her eyes were blurry, but she thought she saw a familiar figure sprawled a few feet away. "Professor…?" She called, but the words barely made it past her lips, a mere whisper. Summoning her strength she crawled over to him. It was the Professor, and he was bleeding. Dear god, he was bleeding. Was he dead? Had he died and left her all alone? "Doctor," she pleaded using his name for once. "Doctor?" His eyes fluttered open. She could see the pain in them; it was mirrored in her own.

"Ace," he said. "we have to go now!"

Sefton's Ship

Hayes was already there powering up the ship. Sefton stormed in sealing the ship behind him. Only room enough for the two of them.

"Report," Sefton ordered, as he strapped himself in.

"Scans indicate that the whole planet is imploding in on itself."

"Wuh de ma," Sefton breathed.

"Any idea what caused it, sir?"

"The Doctor," Sefton answered. "The gorram Doctor!"

Icarus

Mal ran. The shuttle was in sight. He hoped Zoe and the others had left. He glanced down at River, still limp in his arms. She was heavier then she looked, or maybe it was the force he was fighting with every step he took. He heard a roar and looked up. Sefton's ship flew overhead. Mal could see it struggling fighting to break free. It vanished up into the sky and escaped into the black. So Sefton had escaped. Mal didn't really care. Right now all that mattered was if they escaped. He turned and saw them. The Doctor and Ace were limping towards him, leaning heavily on each other. It was incredible. He hadn't thought either of them would be able to even crawl. The Shuttle door opened. He put River down gently and began to prepare for take off. No wonder the Doctor hadn't wanted to be anywhere near here. The best-laid plans…Ace and the Doctor practically threw themselves into the shuttle. The hatch swung closed behind them, but still the pull did not dissipate. The force had been getting stronger. Mal could see entire chunks of earth being uprooted. It was going to be a fight…

The shuttle rattled dangerously. The engines sputtered. They were almost free, but the planet was reaching out its fingers, clutching at the tiny ship. Mal urged the shuttle on. Just a little further. It lurched violently forward, and they were free. The engines shuttered one more time and died. It had taken all their power to escape Icarus's death throes. Mal turned around. He let out a breath, and hoped Serenity found them before whatever strength had kept the Doctor and Ace going, died out. River lay motionless. It was hard to tell if she was breathing or not. Behind her the Doctor and Ace sat, slumped together unconscious. Ace had her head on his shoulder, and the Doctor had rested his head atop hers. Mal really hoped Serenity hurried up.

The shuttle drifted aimlessly. Behind it the last of Icarus folded in and compacted in on itself in a swirling maelstrom of rocks and matter. At last Icarus imploded and all that remained was a small metal box, with no visible opening, floating in the black.