As the TARDIS materialized, the grating sound it made when it moved filling their ears, Martha and Jay curiously watched the Doctor move about the console, chattering about why they were fueling up in Cardiff before taking off. "Cardiff! The thing about Cardiff is that it's built on a rift in time and space - just like California and the San Andreas Fault. The rift practically bleeds energy and every now and then I need to open up the TARDIS's engines, soak up the energy, and use it as fuel."

"So...a pit stop before we go to the waterfall ride you were talking about," Martha said.

"A pit stop," the Doctor confirmed, leaning back against the console.

Martha suddenly furrowed her brow. "Wait a minute, they had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple years ago...was that you?"

"Bit of trouble with the Slitheen." The Doctor's eyes twinkled with mischief as he winked. "Long time ago. Lifetimes even. I was a different man back then." Sadness flickered across his face, but neither Jay nor Martha commented on it as he tilted his head, listening to a beep. "Finito!" he cried, turning to face the console again. "All powered up."

"That was fast," Jay mused, gripping the railing she was leaning on. She knew what was about to happen and grinned, excited to move on from thinking about her family. She took a deep breath and let it out. The Doctor spun around to look at the screen, ensuring that everything was set up. Martha was rubbing at an eye, so she didn't notice, but Jay certainly did when she saw a moment of fleeting panic race across the Doctor's face. He snapped into action, sending the TARDIS spinning into the time vortex. Before Jay could ask, however, the TARDIS jerked violently, sparks flying from the console. They all screamed and yelped as they hit the grated floor.

Martha grabbed the console, hoisting herself up. The Doctor did the same as Jay crawled over on her hands and knees, gasping for air. "What's that?" Martha cried.

The Doctor clung to the console, staring in horror at the screen. "We're accelerating into the future," he shouted over the commotion the TARDIS was making, sirens filling the air as it jerked this way and that. He reached over to help Jay up to her feet, and she joined he and Martha in clinging to the console. "The year one billion...five billion...five trillion. What?!" he cried suddenly. "The year one-hundred trillion? That's impossible!"

"Why?" Jay gasped, sputtering. "What happens in that year?"

The Doctor met her gaze, his own panicked. "We're going to the end of the universe."

He'd barely finished speaking when the TARDIS slammed sharply downwards, sending all of them sprawling again. Jay lay there, head spinning as the Doctor shot at his feet again. Martha lay there, too, both of them trying to catch their breath. "Well," the Doctor said. "We've landed."

"What's out there?" Martha asked, finally getting to her feet. Jay followed suit, brushing herself off and rubbing her chest nervously. When the Doctor said that he wasn't sure, it only made Jay more nervous. She didn't like when the Doctor didn't know; that was never, ever a good thing.

"Not even the Time Lords came this far," the Doctor murmured, taking a few steps towards the TARDIS doors after peeking at the screen that would show him what was outside. "We should leave...we should go. We should really, really…" He trailed off as Jay suddenly took off for the doors, ignoring everything he was saying. "Jay!"

She ignored him and threw open the doors, peeking around at a bleak landscape full of dust and half-dead plantlife. There were rough hills all around them, and it was night, the sky black yet empty of stars above their heads. A gasp suddenly left her, however, when she saw a shape crumbled on the ground near the TARDIS. "Oh, my God!" she shrieked, dropping beside the man she'd found. "Martha!"

Martha darted for the doors, the Doctor a step behind her, a grimace on his face. Martha took one look at what Jay had found and threw herself to her knees beside the man who was unconscious - no, Martha realized, checking for a pulse. Dead. The Doctor stayed out of the way, looking warily at the man, as if...Jay narrowed her eyes. Did he know him? She could hear a beautiful song echoing from him, much like that of the TARDIS.

"It's a bit odd, though," Martha suddenly said. She was leaning over him, performing CPR. "Not very one-hundred trillion. That coat's more like World War II."

"I think he came with us," the Doctor said calmly. "Must've been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex. That's very him, I suppose."

"You know him," Jay said, confirming what she'd thought.

"Yeah," the Doctor muttered. He eyed the dead man with wariness, and Jay studied the Time Lord's expression as he let out a gust of air. "Friend of mine. Used to travel with me back in the old days." There was that sadness again, as if he missed the time he spoke of.

Martha looked even more miserable at realizing who was dead before her. "I'm sorry, Doctor, there's no heartbeat." She sat back. "I tried. There's nothing, he's-" She'd not finished her sentence before the man suddenly gasped, gulping down air as his hand latched onto Martha. Martha screamed, ripping away and nearly slamming into the Doctor's legs

Jay chuckled, leaning over the man with a kind expression. Somehow, people coming back from the dead around the Doctor wasn't surprising. It helped that the Doctor hadn't seemed the least bit worried about any of it. "It's alright, sir," she said kindly, patting his shoulder. "Just breathe deep, we've got you now." He was somewhat attractive, she noted distantly, with black hair, a strong jawline, and blue eyes that shimmered with a variety of thoughts and emotions.

He stared up at her in surprise, studying her face. "Captain Jack Harkness," he said, startling her. American. "And who are you?"

"Jayden O'Connors, but call me Jay," Jay answered, beaming at him.

"Nice to meet you, Jay O'Connors," he replied, a hint of a flirty smile appearing on his face.

The Doctor immediately scowled, looking annoyed. "Oh, don't start," he spat, glaring at Jack. Martha, shaking stepped forward to help Jack to his feet as he replied to the Doctor's rudeness.

"I was just saying hello," he snapped, shooting Jay another bright smile that he then turned on Martha. "And who are you?"

"Martha Jones," Martha said, flushing slightly. "And don't worry, Doctor, we don't mind."

Once on his feet, Jack brushed himself off and then turned to face the Doctor. They stared at one another with cold expressions. "Doctor," Jack said icily. "Good to see you."

"And you, Jack," the Doctor said, clearly not meaning what he'd said. "Same as ever...although...have you had work done?"

"You can talk!" Jack barked, bristling.

"The Doctor touched his jaw in thought, nodding to himself. "Oh, yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?" He was eyeing Jack as if there was something wrong with him.

"The police box kinda gives it away." Jack's words were biting - sarcastic. "I've been following you for a long time. You abandoned me." The Doctor shrugged him off, earning a worried look from Jay. Did he normally abandon friends in such a way? That they were forced to chase him to the end of the universe for him to look their way? "I have to ask," he said suddenly, losing the bitterness. His expression was sincere now. Jack looked worried. "The Battle of Canary Wharf...I saw the list of the dead." The Doctor tensed. "It said Rose Tyler."

"Oh, no!" the Doctor cried, even as Martha frowned, not pleased with where the conversation was going. "Sorry! She's alive!" A grin suddenly decorated the Doctor's face, although it seemed somewhat forced. "Parallel world, safe and sound. And Mickey - and her mother!"

"You're kidding?!" Jack breathed, grinning. He gave a laugh as he hugged the Doctor tightly.

Understanding filled Jay as she backed away to stand near Martha. So Jack was from the time in the Doctor's life in which he'd had Rose with him. She could understand they're happiness at what the Doctor was saying. Yet, Martha looked upset by the mention of Rose, something that admittedly bothered Jay. Martha had always hated any mention of the girl who'd been there before them. Jay couldn't understand why. Of course the Doctor had traveled with someone else; he was ancient, always moving. Why would they be the firsts? And Rose, clearly, had been someone special to the Doctor. He'd loved her, even. He'd never outright said anything close, but it was evident in the way he spoke of her. You didn't forget about someone you lost by force - not like Martha wanted.

After the Doctor had locked the TARDIS doors, they set off with no destination in mind, intent on figuring out where they were. Jack launched into the story of how he'd been abandoned, shooting glares at the Doctor as he told it. Jay walked beside her fellow American, Martha trailing along a little behind with the Doctor leading the way.

"So there I was," Jack said, "stranded in two-hundred-one-hundred, ankle-deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me. But I had this." He winked playfully at Jay, tapping a watch-like device on his wrist. Jay cocked his head, questioning him what it was. "I used to be a Time Agent. It's called a vortex manipulator." He sent the Doctor a quick glare. "He's not the only one who can time travel."

The Doctor glared right back at him. "That is not time travel. It's like I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper."

Jay glanced back at Martha, and both women laughed. Martha teased, "Boys and their toys."

"Alright, so I bounced," Jack said, continuing his story. "I thought: 'Twenty-first century, best place to find the Doctor.' Except that I got it a little wrong. I arrived in eighteen-sixty-nine and this thing burnt out, so it was useless after that." The Doctor threw a smug look at him, clearly pleased that it had messed up. "I had to live through the entire twentieth century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me."

Jay tripped, staring at Jack in shock. "That makes you over one-hundred years old, Jack."

"And looking good, doncha think?" he said in response, winking at her. "So I went to the time rift, based myself there 'cause I knew you'd come back to refuel, until finally I get a signal on this detector I had that you were there and here we are."

"How come you left him behind, Doctor?" Martha asked suddenly, hurrying to walk beside Jay. The Doctor didn't answer outside of a curt "I was busy," which turned out to be a bad answer for Martha. "Is that what happens, though? Seriously? Do you just get bored with us one day and disappear?"

"Not if you're blonde," Jack said with a shrug.

In a loud sarcastic tone of voice, Martha threw her arms up and said, "Oh, she was blonde? What a surprise!"

"Hey," Jay protested, glaring at Martha. "I'm blonde, thank you very much!"

"You three!" the Doctor suddenly burst out, annoyed. "We're at the end of the universe, alright? We're at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy...blogging! Come on." He stormed forward, ignoring Jay's sputtering, Martha's annoyance, and Jack's smug grinning at the fact that he'd been bothered by their conversation. The Doctor stopped at the edge of a canyon, frowning down at what had once been a city but was now a series of ruins. When Martha asked if it was just that, he said slowly, "A city, hive, or even a nest. Maybe a conglomeration. Looks like it was grown. But look there." He waved at a certain area, which was criss-crossed with paths. "Pathways, roads. There must have been some sort of life. Long ago."

"What happened?" Martha asked softly, staring down at the ruins.

"Time," the Doctor answered quietly, his dark eyes studying the ruins. "Just...time. Everything's dying now. All of the great civilizations have gone. This just isn't night." he added, gesturing to the starless sky above them. "All the stars have burned up and faded away into nothing."

Jay felt a flicker of sadness race through her as she looked over the ruins of what had once been a city, listening to Jack muse, "It must have an atmospheric shell. We should have frozen to death by now."

"Well, the three of us, maybe," the Doctor hummed, rocking back onto his heels. "Not so sure about you, Jack." Jay looked at him suspiciously, confused by what he meant. But he had turned his attention onto Martha, paying attention to what she was asking.

Zoning out, Jay merely looked over the city until she took notice of something. She squinted, and then grabbed Jack's arm, lightly pulling and pointing to a pathway that crossed through the center of the city. "Jack," she said, "is that...is that a person? Running?" She watched more intently as others emerged, chasing after them. Her voice lifted to a shout. "Doctor, they're hunting someone!"

The Doctor grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for?" he cried and then took off at a run, following the ridgeway towards a slope that led down into the canyon. The others followed him, all running as fast as they could to keep up. Jay found herself breathless, pain zipping through her shoulders as they hit a roadway and took off down a street. Jack laughed, saying something that Jay didn't catch, but she had the feeling that it wasn't something that she'd agree with.

They met the running man halfway down the road they'd found, and he slammed into Jack, who took a hold of his shoulders. "I've got you," Jack gasped.

The man took him by the arms, shaking him with panic. "We've gotta run! They're coming! They're coming!"

Jack took on a fierce look at the sight of several people running towards them, their faces anything but pleasant. Jack pushed the man towards the Doctor and then pulled out a gun, immediately earning a disapproving look from the Doctor. Jay silently admitted that it made him more attractive as he fired it off into the air. The people froze. "What the hell are they?" Martha breathed, dark eyes wide as she stared at their strange appearances.

"There's more of them," the nervous man replied. "We've got to keep going."

"We can go to the TARDIS," Jay suggested, looking at him with a warm, reassuring smile. "It's safe, and isn't too far from here, just...oh." She'd looked over her shoulder and found a group of the same people behind them, trapping them and effectively separating them from the TARDIS. "Oh."

The Doctor looked grim, but payed attention as the man said hastily, "We're close to the silo! If we get to the silo, then we're safe." The four time-travellers looked among one another and then nodded. "This way, follow me!" He took off and they all did with him, running. Jay felt as if she could feel them breathing down the back of her neck as they ran for a gated area that began to appear before them.

"It's the Futurekind!" the man screamed as they ran. "Open the gate!" They all slammed into the chainlink blocking them from entering. There were guards on the other side who jumped in surprise.

"Show me your teeth!" the guard nearest barked, moving forward. He repeated this several times until the man they'd found told them to show their teeth to the guards. All five of those fleeing the Futurekind grinned, showing off their teeth. "Human!" the guard declared, moving quickly. "Let 'em in! Quick!" They ducked through the gates as the guard stepped forward to fire his gun at the feet of the Futurekind, stepping back only when the gates were ready to close. Jay turned to watch as one of the Futurekind in particular stepped forward, licking his lips.

"Humans," he purred, voice hoarse and cracked, sending chills down her spine. "Make feast."

"Go back to where you came from! I said go back!" He aimed his gun.

Jack scowled. "Oh, don't tell him to put down his gun," he snapped at the Doctor, heaving for breath.

"He's not my responsibility!"

"And I am? What a change!"

Ignoring their arguing, Jay snapped, rubbing the tops of her arms, "Really? Can't you argue later?" She gasped for breath until she caught her breath. Finally, she told the guard, "Thank you for letting us in. We appreciate it."

The man who'd been running originally nodded his agreement as he said shakily, "My name is Padrafet Shafekane. Please tell me, can you take me to Utopia?" His tired dark eyes shone with hope and the guard chuckled softly, smiling at him.

"Oh, yes, sir," he told Padrafet. "Yes we can. This way, please."

Jay took a deep breath, forcing her attention on where they were headed instead of the pain in her arms and took the lead. Jack hurried after her with Martha, the Doctor at the back with another guard. They were lead into a mountain, a tunnel that had been carved through it. The silo, they were told it was called. They were greeted in the entrance by a few other people. The Doctor approached one of them, asking about his TARDIS as Jay and Martha hung back with Jack. Padrafet went to another person, pleading, "I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the silo. Did they get here? My mother is Kistane Shafekane and my brother is Beltone."

The man that Padrafet had approached, having introduced himself as Atillo, shook his head. "I haven't heard of anyone. The computers are down, but you can check the paperwork. Creet!" he suddenly called, and a boy of about ten years old with dusty blonde hair and sparkling eyes peeked around a corner. "Passenger needs help."

Creet emerged from around the corner, smiling at Padrafet. "What d'you need?" he asked, offering his clipboard.

Having dealt with Padrafet, Atillo turned to the Doctor, waving him over. The Doctor hurried over, the man he'd been speaking to looking relieved to be rid of the Time Lord. "What are you looking for?" Atillo asked patiently.

"A box," the Doctor said and Martha and Jay exchanged exasperated looks. As if that would be a useful description. "It's a big blue box. I really need it back and it's stuck out there. Big, tall, wooden. Says 'police.'"

Atillo searched his gaze for a few moments and then said, "We're driving out for a last water collection. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," the Doctor said. He smiled faintly at his friends as he rejoined them, Padrafet, and Creet, the last of two waiting on the rest of them. Once they were all gathered together, Creet waved for them to follow him, leading them down a hall.

"Sorry, but how old are you?" Martha asked as they paced down the hallway.

"Old enough to work," Creet said seriously, ducking into a corridor lined with people, all of which were huddled together in various groups. He began calling out the names of Padrafet's family and the further in they went, the more worried Padrafet began to look.

"This is amazing," Jay said in awe. "It's...it's like Hooverville, remember, Martha? Full of the people who couldn't make it anywhere else, and...they're all survivors." She wrinkled her nose. "It smells a little off, but…"

The Doctor beamed at her, pleased with what Jay had said. "Humans. They're all brilliant little humans, surviving at the edge of time. Much better than a million years evolving into clouds of gas and then another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental humans." He shot Martha a sparkling smile, looking excited. "End of the universe, and here you all are! Indomitable. Ha!"

"Is there a Kistane Shafekane?" Creet called, ignoring the cheerful Doctor.

"That's me," a woman suddenly called, standing. She looked exhausted. She strode over, limping a little, and then stared at the man beside them. "Pad...Padrafet? Oh, my-" She lunged for him with a sob, and he embraced her with a relieved grin. Another man hurried forward to join the hug - Beltone, Jay was thinking.

"It's not all bad news," Martha said quietly and Jay nodded, too distracted by the fact that the Doctor was suddenly sonicking a closed door. Martha followed her gaze and frowned, asking, "Doctor, what on earth are you-"

She'd not finished her sentence when the door suddenly slid open and the Doctor, leaning on it, nearly toppled forward into open air. Jay lurched forward with a cry, but Jack beat her to it, grabbing the back of his jacket. "Gotcha!" Jack gasped.

The Doctor, startled, let him pull him back. "Thanks," he said roughly.

"How did you cope without me?" Jack teased and then looked over when Martha said with a grin, peeking through the doors, "That's what I call a rocket."

"They're not refugees, are they? They're passengers, heading for a place called Utopia," Jay breathed, smiling a little as she inspected the rocket from what she could see. It wasn't too impressive. It wasn't sleek and fancy, or simple and old like the rockets from Martha's time. No, this one was a complex tangle of metal radiating heat that drew sweat to their brows. She smiled at the impressive feat. "This is amazing," she breathed.

The Doctor shot her an approving grin and then pushed his hands into his pockets. "The perfect place. One-hundred trillion years. It's still the same old dream. Do either of you recognize those engines?" the Doctor asked, looking to Jack and Jay.

Jay simply shook her head, and Jack said, looking curious as to why Jay would have any idea about rocket engines, "Nope. Whatever it is, it's not rocket science, but it's definitely hot."

"Boiling," the Doctor agreed. They all stepped back and Jack slid the door shut, leaning back against it in thought. "But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?" the Doctor wondered aloud. "Where is it?"

"Doctor," Martha said suddenly, gesturing to someone who was running as fast as they could. An older man was approaching, face alight with excitement. He nearly slammed into the Doctor, who grunted when the man grabbed his shoulder in a white-knuckled grip.

"The doctor?" the man gasped, staring harshly at him. "Are you the doctor that arrived with the newcomers?"

"Yes. Well," he said, pausing, "I'm the Doctor, but not of medicine. Well, in some places. Medicine." He grimaced and then blinked when the unnamed man began to drag him away by the arm, repeating the word "good" under his breath. Not willing to lose track of their pilot, the others followed - something the Doctor was grateful for, looking over his shoulder to ensure that they were.

The man led them through a variety of corridors. They followed, Jack keeping Martha and Jay in front of him to ensure that if need be, he could pull his gun on whoever tried anything. He didn't trust anyone here. He'd learned the hard way not to trust people unless they'd proved who they truly were in dire situations. Excluding the three he was with, however. The Doctor didn't take bad people around with him.

They entered an area where an alien woman was waiting and Jay studied her with curiosity. Martha blinked, startled by the sight of her after so many human-looking people within the silo. "Chan, welcome, tho," the alien woman chirped excitedly, smiling at them all.

The man bypassed her entirely, dragging the Doctor away as he said, "This is the gravitissial accelerator...and over here is the footprint impeller system, if you know anything about endtime gravity-"

His voice faded off as he and the Doctor left Martha, Jay, and Jack to speak to the alien woman. Martha offered her a hesitant smile. "Hello," she greeted. "Who are you?"

"Chan, Chantho, tho," the woman replied with a warm smile.

"I'm Jay," Jay immediately replied, offering a hand to shake. "And these are Martha and-"

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack nearly purred, smiling broadly at the suddenly amused looking Chantho. She didn't look the least bit interested, but that didn't mean Jack couldn't try.

"Stop it," the Doctor snapped, suddenly appearing with the man that had dragged him off. The man looked happy, delighted that they were there. Jay eyed him, curious as to whether or not he had some kind of radar telling him what was going on.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?" Jack muttered irritably.

Chantho chuckled. "Chan, I do not protest, tho," she told the Doctor, her eyes twinkling with mirth. She suddenly turned to pay attention entirely to the man with the Doctor, alert and waiting.

Rather than following Jack and Martha, who suddenly wandered a short distance away, Jay approached the Doctor, who beamed at her, pausing mid-sentence. "Jay, this is Professor Yana." He waved to his friend, smiling at Yana. "Professor Yana, this is Jay O'Connors, a friend of mine. Over there is Martha Jones and Jack Harkness."

Overhearing, Jack called, "Captain Jack Harkness!"

Jay giggled and them smiled warmly in greeting at the professor. "A pleasure to meet you."

Yana beamed at her in response and then turned back to the Doctor. "Without the stable footprint, we'll never achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonize the five impact patterns and unify them...well, we might yet make it. What do you think? Any ideas?"

"Um...basically...not a clue," the Doctor admitted, running a hand through his mess of brown hair. He glanced at Jay to see if she could think of anything in what little she'd heard, but she shook her head, too, rubbing her shoulder awkwardly. Yana looked so disappointed that the Doctor told him gently, "We're not from around these parts. None of us. We've never seen a system like it. Sorry."

Dejected, Yana sighed, "No, no, I'm sorry. It's my fault...it's just, there's been so little help." He fidgeted unhappily with his hands, looking around as if guilty, and the Doctor was opening his mouth to reassure him that they would try and help when a cry of "Oh, my God!" from Martha had his head snapping around. He and Jay took off at a brisk walk, Yana trailing behind. They found her at a table with wide eyes, staring at a container full of bubbling liquid that contained-

"You've got a hand," Martha told Jack faintly. "A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in...in your bag."

"What the hell are you doing with a hand in your bag?" Jay demanded, staring at the limp piece of flesh.

The Doctor suddenly gasped, looking shocked. "That's my hand!"

Jack smirked, looking proud of himself even as he looked at the two women with them in amusement. "I said I had a Doctor detector, didn't I? What better way to find him then his own hand?"

"Chan," Chantho suddenly said, peering curiously in the container, "is this a tradition amongst your people, tho?" She looked interested in what possible culture could demand such a tradition.

"Not on my street, and certainly not on hers," Martha said, jerking her chin at Jay, who was looking very interested in how the Doctor could have lost a hand but still had one attached to his arm. Martha turned to look at the Time Lord, her brow furrowed. "What d'you mean that's your hand? You've got them both, I can see them!"

"Long story," the Doctor said dismissively, waving her off. "I lost my hand Christmas Day in a swordfight with the leader of the Sycorax."

"And...and you just...happened to grow a new hand?" Jay asked, raising a brow.

"Um...yeah," the Doctor confirmed. "Yeah, I did. Yeah." He lifted a hand, smirking at them both and wiggling his fingers in a little gesture that sent shivers down Martha's spine. "Hello."

Looking surprised, as if realizing that the Doctor was nowhere near as human as the others, Yana questioned curiously, "Might I ask what species you are, Doctor?"

"Time Lord." His voice was a mixture of pride and sorrow. "Last of them. Heard of them? Legend or anything?" Yana and Chantho both shook their heads and he looked somewhat disappointed. "Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling."

Yana looked proud as he introduced her properly. "My assistant and good friend, Chantho. A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge here."

Chantho smiled at him with sympathy, her eyes full of sorrow. "Chan, it is said that I am the last of my species, too, tho." She looked off to the side, as if remembering what it had been like when there were more of her kind around. "Chan, the conglomeration died, tho."

"Conglomeration! That's what I said!" the Doctor cheered, proud that he'd been correct. A sharp look from his companions and Jack, however had him sobering, clearing his throat. "Sorry."

Chantho didn't look bothered at all, even slightly amused. "Chan, most grateful, tho."

"So...you grew another hand?" Martha said, focusing their attention back to the matter of the hand. She looked a little ill. Jay chuckled, patting her shoulder.

The Doctor smirked, wiggling his fingers again at them. "Hello again. It's fine. Look, really, it's me." He held out his hand and wiggled his fingers a third time. When Martha had reluctantly grabbed them, he shook her hand gently. Martha nervously laughed, and the Doctor clucked his tongue, winked, and then turned his face towards Jack when the captain spoke.

"So what about those things outside?" Yana and Chantho looked confused, so Jack clarified, "The Beastie Boys. The ones that chased us. What are they?"

"We call them Futurekind," Yana explained, sighing softly. "They are a myth in itself. It's feared that they are what we will become unless we reach Utopia." When they stared blankly at him, confused, he waved them over. He led them to a computer and pulled up a navigational chart that held a red dot, which blinked calmly on the screen. Gesturing to it, he explained, "The call came from across the stars over and over again. 'Come to Utopia.' It originated from that point." The Doctor questioned where the point was, and Yana continued. "Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness. Out towards the wildlands and the dark matter reefs. Calling us in. The last of the humans, scattered across the night."

"What do you think's out there?" Jay asked, cocking her head. Perhaps it was a call from a civilization now gone. It was the end of the universe, after all.

"I don't know," Yana said, determined. "A colony, a city...some sort of haven? The Science Foundations created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind, to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now, perhaps they found it. Perhaps not. But it's worth a look, don't you think?"
Jay nodded slowly as she studied Yana, a furrow suddenly appearing in her brow. Out of seemingly nowhere, there was a series of thudding sounds that had appeared in the air. She didn't think anyone else had heard them, for no one else looked around for them. Yana, however, suddenly looked unhappy, zoning out as the Doctor spoke.

"Oh, yes," he said, smiling. "And the signal keeps modulating, so it's not automatic, which is a good sign. Someone's out there."

Ba-ba-ba-bump.

"And that's...ooh, that's a navigation matrix, isn't it?" the Doctor continued even as the sounds, which were suspiciously like drums, grew louder in her head.

Ba-ba-ba-bump.

"So you can fly without stars to guide you."

Ba-ba-ba-bump.

"Professor?" the Doctor suddenly said, snapping Yana out of his thoughts. Jay blinked when the sound vanished, eyeing Yana warily with her jaw working furiously. "Professor, are you alright?"

Pushing away from the screen, suddenly agitated, Yana huffed, "Enough talk, there's work to do. If you could leave, thank you." He shot to his feet and stalked off, leaving even Chantho stunned. The Doctor repeated his question and Yana shouted, "I'm fine! And busy!"

Calmly, not rising to the same level of agitation, the Doctor said, "Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it? This footprint mechanism thing isn't working." Yana paused, and he pushed onwards. "You're stuck on this planet and you haven't told them, have you? That lot out there, they still think they're going to fly."

"It's better to let them live in hope," Yana retorted, his voice hoarse with grief.

"Quite, right, too," the Doctor said, shrugging off his coat. He tossed it to Jack, who took it in silence. "And I must say, Professor Yana, this new science is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost. So I wonder…" He started for the mentioned circuit, sonic screwdriver in hand. With a careful hand, he picked up the circuit and held it thoughtfully in his hands before smirking and switching it on. It came to life and Chantho looked incredibly impressed, her eyes lighting up as she clapped her hands together in delight. Martha chuckled alongside Jack, and Jay just smiled to herself, shaking her head. The Doctor shot her a cheeky grin. "Oh, we've been chatting away, Professor Yana. I forgot to tell you. I'm brilliant."


Atillo's voice rang out throughout the silo as the group worked furiously to get the rocket working. "All passengers prepare for immediate boarding. I repeat, all passengers prepare for immediate boarding. Destination: Utopia. All troops fall back to the silo. I repeat, all troops fall back to the silo."

Rather than joining Martha and Chantho, as she'd thought she'd be doing, or even helping Jack monitor the entrance of people into the spaceship, the Doctor dragged her over to join he and Yana. Jay warned him that though she knew a little bit about rockets thanks to her father's work, she wasn't anywhere near an expert. He responded that even a little bit of knowledge might be useful.

Jay looked curiously over a large, clear circuit board in the center of the lab they'd been working in, just as the Doctor and Yana were. The Doctor suddenly picked up a chord, curious. "Is...is this…?"

Yana looked proud. "Yes, gluten extract. Binds the neutralino map together."
Jay didn't understand a single thing about what that meant, but the Doctor looked incredibly impressed. "But that's food," he said. "You've built this system out of food and string and staples. Professor Yana, you're a genius." Yana waved him off, telling him that he was the one who made it work, but the Doctor shook his head. "It's easy coming in at the end, but you're stellar. This is magnificent."

"Take the compliment," Jay told Yana, smiling teasingly at the Doctor as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "He doesn't say that often about other people."

Yana looked flattered, even as he said, "Even my title is an affectation. There hasn't been such a thing as a university for over a thousand years. I've spent my life going from one refugee ship to another."

"If you'd been born in a different time, you'd be revered," the Doctor informed Yana, looking at different pieces of the circuit board. "I mean it," he added when Yana chuckled, as if amused by the idea. "Throughout the galaxies."

"More than my father," Jay agreed.

"Oh, those damned galaxies," Yana chuckled again. "They had to go and collapse. Some admiration would have been nice. Just a little. Just once."

"You've certainly got our admiration now." The Doctor put his hands on his hips and looked to the pair with him. "That footprint engine thing. You can't activate it from onboard. It's gotta be from here. You're staying behind, aren't you?"

"With Chantho," the grimacing professor admitted. "She won't leave without me...simply refuses."

Jay's lips quirked. Chantho liked the professor, who just wouldn't look at that option. But there was sadness in her expression as she said gently, "You want to give up your life so that the others can go to Utopia."

"I'm too old for Utopia. It's time I had some sleep," Yana answered calmly, looking gently at her before looking up when Atillo's voice rang out above their heads.

"Professor, tell the Doctor we've found his blue box."

The Doctor cheered and then went to join Jack at the monitor that he was watching, Jay only a step behind. The Doctor looked beyond excited at the sight of his ship. "Hey, Professor Yana, we may have just found you a way out!" he told the professor before striding out of the room, fully intending to bring it to the lab. Yana peered over Jay and Jack's shoulders, studying the blue box.

Ba-ba-ba-bump.

Jay turned to look at Yana again, suspicion rising in her as the sound filled her head, over and over again. No one else seemed to notice that he was hearing such things; not even Yana seemed to notice, too invested in something else running through his mind.

"Jack," Jay began, intending to tell him, but they were distracted when the Doctor returned, dragging a long thick wire with him. He flashed them all a grin. "Extra power," he told them, heading straight for an outlet. He shoved it in. "Little bit of a cheat, but who's counting? Jack, you're in charge of the retro-feeds. Jay, you stay with him and make sure he doesn't do anything."

"Hey," Jack protested and Jay rolled her eyes, winking playfully at Jack. She wouldn't do anything of the sort, but she'd most certainly help him. Martha chose that moment to reappear and when she declared her relief at seeing the TARDIS, Jay grinned at her. Martha used to rather dislike the TARDIS, but it was looking as if she liked it decently now.

Chantho ditched Martha to ensure that Yana was okay. "Chan, professor, are you alright, tho?" she asked, touching his arm gently.

Jay spared another look at him, narrowing her eyes as he reassured her that he was fine. Bu-bu-bu-bump went the sound that she was confident was being made in his head. He was anything but.

"Connect those circuits into the spar," Jack suddenly ordered Martha. "Same as that last lot, but quicker."

"Yes, sir," Martha said sarcastically, and went to work.

Jay went to join her, but stopped when the Doctor said, "You don't have to keep working, Professor Yana, we can handle it."

"It's just a headache. Just...just noise inside my head, Doctor, constant noise inside my head." She went to join them again, her eyes narrowed as she listened and the Doctor questioned what type of noise. "It's the sound of drums. More and more, as though it's getting closer. I've had it all my life, every waking hour. But I suppose...no rest for the wicked." He smiled faintly and then hoisted himself to his feet, prepared to get back to work. Jay narrowed her eyes, never taking them off of Yana for an instant. Deciding to forgo helping Jack in favor of keeping an eye on him, she simply leaned against a wall, watching.

They worked for a short while until Atillo's voice suddenly filled the air, coming from the screen that they'd been using for communications. "Professor, are you getting me?"

Yana flew back to the monitor and Jack moved aside so he could speak into it. "I'm here! We're ready. All you need to do is connect the couplings, then we can-" The connection vanished, as did Atillo's face, and Yana cursed. "God sakes! This equipment needs rebooting all the time!"

Martha, joining Jay and Yana, swiped her hands on her jeans. "Anything I can do over here, Professor? I've finished that lot. Chantho' still working on her part."

"Yes, if you could, just press the reboot key every time the picture goes out," Yana informed her, moving aside to give Martha his seat. "Thank you." Atillo's face reappeared as he asked if they were still present. "Ah, present and correct. Send your man inside. We'll keep the levels down from here."

"He's inside and good luck to him," Atillo reported.

"Captain," Yana called to the Doctor firmly, "keep the levels below the red."

"Where is that room?" the Doctor questioned curiously.

"Underneath the rocket. Fix the couplings and the footprint can work." Yana spoke quickly and cheerfully. "But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation - wouldn't want to hear of it, Doctor, but it's safe enough. We can hold the radiation back from here." They watched on Atillo's screen intently. Jay leaned over Martha's shoulder with the Doctor, her face serious. "It's rising… zero-point-two," Yana murmured. "Keep it level!"

"Yes, sir!" Jack called.

"Chan, we're losing power, tho!" Chantho suddenly cried and the Doctor stared in horror as the radiation began to rise.

"We've lost control," Jack breathed. "That chamber's going to flood!" Without waiting he turned and ran for live wires that hadn't been connected for a reason, and Jay lurched after him with a gasp, knowing what would happen. "We can jump start the override," Jack declared.

"Jack, don't," Jay gasped, but Jack determinedly held the cords together, crying out when the electricity jolted through him. Jay jerked back in terror, not wanting to be anywhere near the currents that were likely flooding her new friend's body. But she didn't go far, waiting until she was sure the electricity wasn't running through him or the surrounding area to drop beside him. "I've got him," she announced.

"Chan, don't touch the cables, tho," Chantho warned before turning back to what they were doing, her eyes swimming with misery. Martha dropped beside him, listening for his heart and grimacing when she couldn't find it.

"Martha," Jay said, her head spinning. She could hear the bu-bu-bu-bump of Yana's mind, the song escaping Jack, and the increasing volume of the TARDIS's own song. She felt ready to pass out with the sound of all of it. There was too much noise. Her heart was pounding, limbs tingling painfully-

Somewhere, she could hear the Doctor murmuring about something regarding radiation, along with Yana crying out that everything was all for nothing. "Doctor," she breathed, vision tunnelling. The beats in Yana's head suddenly became overpowering for a moment. Bu-bu-bu-bump, bu-bu-bu-bump, bu-bu-bu-bump, bu-bu-bu-bump, bu-bu-bu-bump- They were drowned out by the song of the TARDIS a second later and Jay snapped back to sanity when it everything suddenly quieted, still there, but not nearly as bad.

"It strikes me, Professor," the Doctor said suddenly, studying Jack's body, "that you've got a room a man can't enter without dying. Is that correct?" Yana nodded. "Well…" He grinned, for the first time, at Jack. "I've got just the man."

The song from Jack stopped entirely as he snapped upright, gasping for breath.

"Thank God," Martha gasped at the sight of Jack coming to life. Jay probably should have been surprised, but she found that it wasn't quite as alarming as the first time it had happened, although it was still, admittedly impressive. Chantho and Yana both gawked at Jack.

Jack merely blinked once. "Was someone kissing me?"


In a matter of minutes, the Doctor and Jack were off to deal with the stet radiation while Martha and Jay were told to stay back with Yana and Chantho. Jay had protested, but a look had her mumbling that she'd stay where she was. They had work to do and now was not the time to become needy, she supposed.

Rubbing her temples to fight back a headache, Jay found she was annoyed with the constant sound escaping Yana and the TARDIS's song, which seemed to be abnormally loud - Jay rarely found that it was this loud, as it was often more of a soft sound in the back of her mind, calming but not bothersome or distracting. Peering over Martha's shoulder, she asked, "Anything?"

"We lost picture when that thing flared up." Martha tapped a key. "Doctor, are you there?"

"Receiving, yeah. Jack's inside."

Martha was just as confused as Yana, who said with a puzzled expression, "But he should evaporate...what sort of man is he?"

"We've only just met him," Martha admitted, glancing at Yana. Jay frowned a little. Not a lie, but it didn't mean Jack wasn't turning out to be fun to have around. "The Doctor sort of travels through time and space, picking people up as we go - oh, God, I made us sound like stray dogs," she added to Jay. She paused. "Maybe we are though?"

"Maybe," Jay said, distracted by the fact that the thudding was beginning to become louder in Yana's head again.

"He travels in time?" Yana murmured, cocking his head a little.

"Don't ask me to explain it," Martha said, not at all bothered that she was the one doing all of the explaining. "That's a TARDIS. Sports car of time travel, he claims it is, but I think there are better ones and he just doesn't want to admit it.

"TARDIS," whispered a voice in the air, eager and excited. "TARDIS, TARDIS, TARDIS…"

"When did you first realize?" the Doctor's voice suddenly asked, and Jay latched onto it, ignoring any further attempts of conversation between Martha and Yana, determined to latch onto whatever the Doctor was speaking with Jack about. Jack was in the room, working, and didn't hesitate to answer.

"Earth, eighteen-ninety-two. Got in a fight in Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart and I woke up. I thought it was kind of strange. Then...well, it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World Wars, poison, strangulation, a stray javelin…." Jay winced at all of the methods of death Jack gave. He stated them methodically, not at all concerned about what he was discussing. "In the end, I got the message: I'm the man who can never die. And you knew, all that time."

"That's why I left you behind," the Doctor said quietly. "It's not easy even just looking at you, Jack, 'cause you're wrong." Jay stiffened. Was that what he'd do to her then? She knew Jovita had mentioned that she'd helped him save another planet, when he wore a different face - whatever that had meant - but was he going to someday leave her like he'd left Jack because of the poison in her veins? "You are, I can't help it. I'm a Time Lord. It's instinct. You're a fixed point in time and space, a fact, that's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you and tried to shake you off. She flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you, Jack."

Jay's jaw worked furiously as Jack replied, "So what you're saying is that you're, uh," he paused as he did something that Jay and the others couldn't see, "prejudiced."

"I never thought of it like that," the Doctor mused.

"Last thing I remember back when I was mortal...I was facing three Daleks, death by extermination. And then I came back to life. What happened?"

A single word - a name - reassured Jay that maybe, just maybe, she was wrong. That the Doctor wouldn't leave her as he'd left Jack. "Rose." So she'd been strange, too. Something had happened. Jack accused him of lying, thinking that she'd been sent home. And the Doctor clarified. "She came back. She opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the time vortex. No one's ever meant to have that power. If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god, a vengeful god. But...she was human. Everything she did was so human. She brought you back to life, but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose - the final act of the Time War was life."

"Time War," a voice in Yana's head whispered and Jay's head snapped around. She stared at the old professor, suddenly terrified of him. Something was wrong, so incredibly wrong, with Yana, and she didn't even know where to begin. She touched Martha's arm, but faltered at the look on her friend's face. Martha looked beyond miserable, having listened to the Doctor talk in such an affectionate voice about Rose Tyler. Jay felt a stab of sympathy. She knew Martha was in love with the crazy time traveller. But Jay could have told her the second he spoke of Rose for the first time in Jay's presence that there was no way in hell he was ready to move on now, if ever.

"Do you think she could change me back?" Jack suddenly asked.

"I took the power out of her. She's gone, Jack." Just that simple phrase, uttered with so much pain, confirmed what Jay had been thinking. "She's not just living on a parallel world. She's trapped there. The walls have closed."

"I went back to her estate, in the nineties," Jack suddenly informed him. "Watched her growing up, but I never said hello. Timelines." Eager to get away from the subject of Rose, the Doctor questioned if Jack wanted to die, which Jay grimaced at. Not a pleasant subject at all. "I thought I did. But this lot….you see them out here, surviving, and that's fantastic."

The Doctor chuckled at his wording. "You may be out there somewhere."

""I could go meet myself."

"Well, I mean, that's the only person you're ever going to be happy with, so…"

Jay giggled and winced at the stab in her arms, rubbing them. She glanced at Martha when Martha grumbled, "I never understand half the things he says." Jay blinked; the Doctor and Jack's conversation hadn't been that hard to follow, had it? Martha spun around and then paused. "Professor, what's wrong?"

Chantho was immediately worried, locking onto the old professor with worried eyes. "Chan," she fretted, "Professor, what is it, tho?"

"Time travel," Yana said bitterly. "They say there was time travel back in the old days and I never believed it. But what would I know? I'm just a stupid old man." He shook his head. "Never could keep time...always late, always lost." Bu-bu-bu-bump, went the beat in his head. "Even this thing never worked. He removed a watch from his waistcoat pocket and Jay and Martha recognized what it was on sight. It certainly helped that it began to whisper aloud to Jay, cruel, hateful things about Time Lords that made her flinch away from it. "Time and time and time again," he sighed. "Always running out on me."

"Can I have a look at that?" Martha breathed, not tearing her eyes from the watch.

"Oh, it's only an old relic," Yana chuckled, shaking his head. "Like me." Martha asked where he'd gotten it. "I was found with it, an orphan in the storm. I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned with only this: a broken pocket watch."

"Have you opened it?" Jay asked quietly. Something about Yana screamed dangerous, though she couldn't specify what made her feel like this. Even if he was a Time Lord, like the Doctor...the Doctor didn't give her this kind of feeling. Something was wrong, so wrong, with this man. Yana shook his head, confused. "How do you...how could you know it's broken if you never opened it?" The Face of Boh's words echoed in her ears.

But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone.

"Does it matter?" Yana demanded.

"Not particularly," Jay lied, grabbing Martha's hand and rising to her feet. "Excuse us, Professor, Martha and I are going to see if the Doctor needs help, since everything's fine up here and all." Martha opened her mouth to protest, but Jay tightened her grip until her nails pierced Martha's hand and it bled. Without waiting for a response, Jay tore off with Martha dragged behind her, walking at a brisk pace. Cruel, hateful words followed her for some time, as did the bu-bu-bu-bump and the song of the TARDIS, sending her head spinning once more.

She stumbled once, but Martha caught her with a frown. "Jay?"

"I'm fine," Jay retorted and pushed on.


"Yes!" Jack cheered, grinning as he finished, proud of himself.

"Now get out of there!" the Doctor demanded, somewhat relieved that Jack was all right, although he wasn't going to say so out loud. The Doctor turned to a panel, speaking into it as Jack emerged, brushing himself off. "Lieutenant, is everyone on board?"

"Ready and waiting," Atillo reported.

"Stand by! Two minutes to ignition," the Doctor informed him with a grin. He turned back to a screen that held a variety of information about what was going on. It looked similar to what he'd been looking at in Yana's lab. As Atillo began counting down to signal the launch, Jack leaned over his shoulder to peer at them, frowning. He looked up, however, as did the Doctor briefly, when Jay and Martha darted in. "Nearly there," the Doctor informed them, cheerfully. "The footprint is a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive. It's going to take Jack and I to keep it stable."

"Doctor!" Jay gasped, doubling over. Pain was racing through her, but she was confident she'd not have anything particularly bad for the time being. "Doctor, the professor-"

Martha, wheezing for air as well, cut in. "It's the professor," she informed him breathlessly. "He's...he's got this watch. Same as yours, same writing on it. Gallifreyan, or whatever. Same...everything."

The Doctor faltered in what he was doing. "Don't be ridiculous," he said sharply, not enjoying the fact that they'd mess around with something so important.

"I asked him. He said he's had it all his life," Martha insisted, her eyes wide. "It's the chameleon thing, Doctor, please, believe us."

Jack looked puzzled about how a watch would be so important, and asked the Doctor why they were all so worried about a watch. Flustered, the Doctor fussed with the screen, his jaw working furiously. "This watch...it's a device that rewrites biology, changes a Time Lord into a human. And it can't be," he told the two women. An alarm went off and he hurried to try and fix it. "Jack, keep it level!" he snapped.

As Jack did, he said quite bluntly, "That means he could be a Time Lord, Doctor. You might not be the last one. That's good, right?"

"Yes!" the Doctor exploded, furious. "Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they died. The Time Lords all died. All of them! Dead!" He glared over his shoulder with such a nasty look that Martha fell quiet. Jay, however, took over, her gaze even as it held his.

"There's a perception filter, but I heard it. I heard the watch, and the sound he hears in his head, Doctor. The Face of Boh told you that you weren't alone and I believe Yana is a Time Lord. That watch...the things it whispered. It scares me. He scares me. I truly think he's a Time Lord, but I'm worried about who he is inside," she said fiercely, speaking quickly.

The Doctor launched the rocket, saying nothing. The silo trembled around them as the rocket took off for the skies. Quietly, the Doctor spoke into the intercom. "Lieutenant, have you achieved velocity?" His mind was racing. Excitement and concern about what Jay had said filled him as he nearly snarled, "Have you done it?!"

"Affirmative," Atillo replied excitedly. "We'll see you in Utopia."

"Good luck," the Doctor told him. And then he was striding out of the control room at such a brisk pace that even Jack had to jog to keep up. "I'll speak with the professor," he told them all, his hearts pounding in his chest. He didn't know if he wanted it to be true with what Jay had said. But he did. By the stars he traveled to, he wanted it to be true. The possibility that he'd not killed them all…

They hit the main door in time to hear it lock. All four stopped in surprise to stare at the door. "Doctor?" Martha asked as he tested it. A frown appeared on his face. He tried again and then retrieved his sonic screwdriver while Jack tapped away at the keypad that should have opened it.

"Get it open," the Doctor said, voice rising. "Get it open!"

Between the pair of them, they were able to get the door open. The Doctor threw it open and they took off at a run, but stumbled to a halt when they found themselves faced with grinning Futurekind, their sharpened teeth glinting in the dim light of the silo. "Run!" the Doctor ordered and they spun around, racing back the way they'd come. They meandered the twisting paths and Jack recognized where they were after a few, ordering them to follow him. They nearly slammed into the door that led to the lab.

Jay was shuddering, rubbing her chest violently. The attack was coming; she could feel it. Not now, but if she didn't calm down soon-

"Professor!" the Doctor bellowed, pounding on the window of the door while simultaneously peering through it. Jack worked furiously to get them into the lab. "Professor, let me in!" He whirled on Jack desperately. "Professor, are you there! I need to explain! Whatever you do, don't open that watch! Jack, get the door open!"

"I'm trying," Jack barked, frustrated.

Jay pressed her back against the wall as she realized she could hear the footsteps of Futurekind coming for them. Martha caught sight when they rounded the corner and grabbed Jack's arm. "They're coming!"

"Watch out," Jack warned suddenly, ripping out the gun he carried. He slammed the butt of it into the keypad and the door finally unlocked. The Doctor rushed inside. Jay ducked in after him and Martha raced over to Chantho's side when she saw the alien woman on the ground. Jack remained behind to ensure that the door was locked again.

The Doctor found Yana standing before the open doors of the TARDIS, staring into it with a delighted look, but Yana spun around when he heard them enter. Yana grinned, stepping back inside and closing the TARDIS doors. The TARDIS's song grew loud in Jay's ears and she winced as he locked the doors. The ship disapproved of the professor's actions.

The Doctor swore, trying the key in the door. The TARDIS didn't open her doors and the Doctor reached for his sonic screwdriver, desperately trying to get in. "Let me in!" he shouted, slamming a fist on the doors when it didn't work.

"Martha?" Jay breathed when her friend groaned, standing.

"She's dead," Martha said, looking miserably at Chantho.

"I've broken the lock!" Jack gasped from the door, back shoved against it. "Give me a hand. They're trying to get in." Jay and Martha hurried over, pressing their backs to the door. Something hit the other side violently.

"I'm begging you! Everything's changed!" the Doctor cried, voice raised in panic and desperation. He had to get through to the Time Lord inside the TARDIS. "It's only the two of us, we're the only ones left! Just let me in!" His head cranked back when he heard a scream and horror filled him when he saw light radiating through the small window panes on the TARDIS. He distantly heard Jack demanding that the Doctor help them, especially as there was another shove at the door, which wasn't fully closing.

A voice filled the air, echoing out from the TARDIS. "Doctor - ooh, new voice. Hello, hello, hello!" There was a laugh. "Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans so you can work out a way to stop me? I don't think so!"

Martha froze, her head snapping up. "I know that voice," she gasped, earning shocked looks from Jack and Jay.

"I'm asking you really properly," the Doctor pleaded, his hearts sinking in his chest like stones. He knew. Instinctively, he knew who was in his TARDIS, and it killed him to think of the title the Time Lord went by. "Just stop. Just think."

"Use my name."

"Master," the Doctor groaned, sorrowful. "I'm sorry." His fingers tightened around his sonic screwdriver, determination running through him as he lifted it.

"Tough!" the Master cried within the TARDIS, laughing. The Doctor pressed his finger over the button and the sonic screwdriver buzzed to life. There was a brief moment in which nothing happened and then the Master shouted, "Oh, no you don't! End of the universe, Doctor. Have fun...bye, bye!"

The door jolted again, but they could all only watch as the TARDIS vanished before their very eyes, the familiar grating sound - and the song in Jay's ears - disappearing along with it.


Jack, the Master, and a whole bunch of problems. I had a ton of fun writing this chapter. ;)

Thanks to reviewers (bored411, Catlorde, and PrincessMagic!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I appreciate you all!