Unto the Universe

Chapter Forty-Three: Vampires of Venice: Back to School

By Lumendea

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

….

Rose observed the small palace, trying to analyze its likely layout with her eyes. She knew a bit about Renaissance architecture by virtue of her fascination with the art of the period. The building was built of solid stone and the heavy metal fencing around it created a clear boundary between those inside and those outside. The Doctor had slipped inside not long ago and the guards had turned Guido away sternly. Thankfully, he still hadn't been arrested, but Rose was beginning to worry about what would happen when they finally lost patience.

"Relax, Rosie," Jack whispered. "He only just went inside. He'll probably be in there for a bit."

"We should have agreed on how long to give him before launching a rescue," Rose said.

She and Jack were standing across the canal by the bridge that led to the gates. Both of them were trying not to stare and instead appear as if they were only talking and looking around in curiosity. The day was growing late and Rose eyed the sky, unsure of how soon the sun would set. The problem with Italy was that to her English bred sense of weather, it was difficult to be sure what season it was. To the locals, winter might be cold, but to her it would feel like spring.

"He'll be fine," Jack insisted. He turned to smile and bow at a woman dressed in finery as she walked past them. "Milady."

The woman smiled at Jack, her cheeks flushing, and she giggled. The older gentleman with her hurried her away, glaring back at Jack. He just chuckled to himself and turned back to Rose, who shook her head fondly at him.

"It's very quiet," Rose mumbled. "I hope Guido is alright."

"He seemed to be," Jack said. "The guards didn't hurt him. You know the plan, he's waiting for the Doctor. Best limit the number of people who see us together right now.'

"I really don't like the look of this place," Rose murmured. "And that man who was with them earlier? The way he loomed over Guido." She shivered. "Even if he isn't an alien, that's a man who likes to inflict hurt."

"I'm not disagreeing with you." Jack was tapping his fingers on the banister, visibly much more relaxed than Rose, but she could see the way his eyes were scanning the canal and the street. Jack was braced for a fight. "I never had an assignment in this period. Well, not that I'm aware of."

"The Doctor has brought me a few times. I love it. There's a blend of old and new ideas right now. Flanders is lovely. Women have it much better there." Rose shook her head. "There's always something that reminds me that while the past is great to visit, you wouldn't want to live there."

"True," Jack laughed. "Even your time inspires that in me. At least it's nice enough to be pleasant."

"I'd hate to take you camping if my home time is only passable."

"Oh I don't mind roughing it." Jack winked at her, and Rose shook her head fondly.

"My dear brother," Rose teased. "You are a disgrace to the family name."

"And you, my beloved sister, are a spoilsport."

Movement across the canal drew Rose's attention. She immediately turned serious and peered into the shadows surrounding the house as the sun vanished under the horizon. It was the same man they'd seen earlier with the women. He was too far away from Rose to see his face clearly, but she was certain that she caught a smirk on his face as he walked past a light. Pulling a cloth from his coat, he wiped at his mouth as the guards opened the gate.

"Wonder why he's out so late," Rose said.

"No reason he can't have an active nightlife. I doubt he's allowed to have any fun with the women in his mother's school."

"That's fair, I suppose," Rose murmured.

"Rose!" came the Doctor's voice to her right. She turned and searched the shadows.

The Doctor was peeking out from around a corner. Rose relaxed and started to smile. Jack caught her gently before she rushed over and offered her his arm. Remembering where they were, Rose took his offered arm with a smile and they casually walked over to join the Doctor. The Time Lord slipped back into an alley, leaving Rose and Jack to follow. He appeared unhurt and his eyes were bright with a mixture of excitement, curiosity, and worry. Guido was pacing beside him and only stopped with Rose and Jack came to a halt.

"Any luck?" Jack asked.

"More than I expected," the Doctor replied. He took Rose's hand tightly in his and nodded to Guido. "I ran into some of the women, who I assume were students. They aren't in good shape, but they were all pale, so none of them were Isabella."

"What has you worried?" Rose asked.

"They were vampires," the Doctor replied bluntly. "No reflection in the mirror, all talking together, very pale and creepy skin, and fangs."

"Vampires!" Guido gasped and crossed himself.

"Vampires," Jack repeated more doubtfully.

"We'll deal with them," the Doctor promised. "But we need somewhere to talk that isn't an alley on their doorstep."

"Of course," Guido said. He was shaking. "My home isn't far. Hurry, this way."

He gestured for them to follow and hurried down the Venice street. Night had fallen over the city and the lit lamps cast a warm glow over the city, but left many long shadows where anything could be hiding. Including vampires. The word rattled in Rose's brain as she tried to separate her notions of vampires from myth from the much more likely situation that they were dealing with aliens.

Some of her alternate memories pushed their way forward. At least one world, one version of Earth, had fallen under the power of beings very much like vampires. That Rose had been born a couple of generations after the takeover. It wasn't the nicest world, but honestly… it wasn't the worst. There had been a hierarchy, but the system had seen humans operate much more as blood donors with safe amounts taken in a cycle. Humans had homes, families, and jobs.

In truth, the vampires had done a lot to get rid of disease in that world and the population was much healthier than Rose's own home planet. By that Rose's time, it had been common knowledge that the Vampire Lords were actually aliens. The downside of the world was that humans always ranked below the Vampires and unlike the old myths, a person couldn't just be turned into a vampire easily. Her counterpart was part a movement to improve representation of humans at the governmental levels and had spent more than a few nights in prison for her efforts. But those aliens were still normal matter and thus had reflections. Was this some sort of strange alternate mutation and somehow evaded the very fundamental physics of light?

"Rose?" the Doctor asked. "You alright?"

"Yes." Rose shook her head. "Just remembering something."

"Here we are," Guido whispered.

He gestured them towards a multi-story home built alongside the canal. Using a metal key, he unlocked the front door and ushered everyone inside. Rose took the place in quickly. Guido's home was of decent size, even by the standards of Rose's time and built of stone. The furniture inside was well made and hinted that the man enjoyed at least a lower middle-class position. Rose tried to remember a bit more about how things worked in the Renaissance and thought that skilled tradespeople usually enjoyed respect if not great wealth.

They immediately went to business with Guido producing a vellum map of the city that he rolled out onto his table. Jack glanced at it before studying a mass of barrels in the corner. The Doctor immediately leaned against the table to study the map with Guido.

"As you saw, there's no clear way in. The House of Calvierri is like a fortress," Guido explained. "But there's a tunnel underneath it, with a ladder and shaft that leads up into the house. I tried to get in once myself, but I hit a trapdoor."

"Do you know the layout of the house?" Rose asked. "Where the guards are and the women?"

"No," Guido replied. He gestured to his map. "There are no records I could access of the interior of the house and none of the women have left."

"How does this place have a good reputation," Rose muttered. "If no one has ever left to talk about it."

"Bribes probably and an air of mystery. Make some very exclusive and people will want it," Jack replied. "Is this gunpowder?" He pointed at the barrels as he eyed Guido.

"I work at the Arsenale. We build the warships for the navy. I planned to blast through the trapdoor."

"No," the Doctor said firmly. "I don't mind the occasional explosion, but we don't know the layout. When I went in, I found several of the women in the cellar. A blast in the tunnel could very well cave in the very room Isabella is in."

Guido looked horrified at the very thought and Rose was relieved that he no longer seemed to consider his original plan a good one. She could already see the most obvious plan and was very grateful that she was Jack had kept some distance from the Doctor's breaking and entering encounter.

"Do you know who that man escorting the women was?" Rose asked. "I didn't like the look of him."

"He is Signora Calvierri's son," Guido said seriously. "Francesco." He shook his head. "There are… mixed reports of him. Nothing that has caused a scandal, but a few women he's been seen with have gone missing. The Signora has done a great deal to put an end to such rumors."

Rose frowned, remembering the way the man slunk back to the school and a horrible feeling settled in her gut. But it was too late to worry about that. If he'd acted like the vampire that they seemed to be then she and the others would need to focus on keeping there from being more victims.

"Well, I think there is an obvious solution. I go into the school, find Isabella and get what information I can before getting at least the two of us out."

"We don't have to take that risk," the Doctor protested. "You can cut through the trapdoor easily."

"Yes, but we know nothing of the interior layout," Rose countered. "I'm not sure just… barging in is the best option. If they realize what is happening then they could try to use Isabella as a hostage. Guido has been the person actively trying to get his daughter back. If someone suddenly attacked, he'd be my first suspect and thus his daughter my first target."

She gave Guido an apologetic look when his horror filled his features. Rose hated to point that out, but it gave the Doctor pause. Moving over to him, Rose put her hand over his and rubbed her thumb against his cooler skin.

"I can go in," Rose repeated. "Try to find Isabella and see what is going on. I'm about the same age as the other girls and with the right credentials they'd probably take me. You know that I'm far from helpless, Doctor."

"She's right," Jack added. "Rose is our best chance at finding Isabella and finding out what is happening inside the school. I can take her posing as her brother."

"Why you? I should go with her," the Doctor protested.

"Rose and I can manage to act like siblings, Doctor. No way you come off as anything but her husband and raise all sorts of questions as to why you're enrolling your wife in a school away from you."

"Are you not married?" Guido asked with clear confusion. "I thought you were married."

Jack grinned, and the Doctor's cheeks reddened the tiniest bit. The Doctor focused his attention on Rose rather than answering the question.

"Rose, are you sure you're okay with this?"

"I suggested it," Rose pointed out. "It makes the most sense. And I have my sword for protection if things go wrong."

"We should probably get you a perception filter for that," the Doctor said thoughtfully. "Just in case they have rules against outside jewelry."

"Good idea." Rose nodded her approval. "You, Jack and Guido can be in position to enter through the trapdoor. That way, we can keep control of our exit."

She could see the conflict on the Doctor's face and did her best not to take it personally. He'd been inside and was clearly worried about the state he'd found the young women in. If Rose had seen something like what he described, she'd have a hard time sending him or Jack into a place that did that to people.

"Alright," the Doctor sighed. "Alright. We haven't got long to work if we're going to try and get you into the school today. First, we need to go to the TARDIS to put a perception filter on your bracelet. At least it's close to the school." He turned to Guido. "You go to the bridge on the far side of the school and wait for me there. Get a boat ready. Jack and Rose will worry about getting her inside.

Rose and Jack nodded their agreement. Guido still seemed startled and shocked by the sudden help that had appeared, but eagerly voiced his agreement. He looked at Rose's bracelet in obvious confusion, but based on his silence decided not to ask. Rose thought that was wise and wondered if they'd be able to get through this without the poor man seeing far too many alien things.

She walked with Jack back to the TARDIS, taking a different route from the Doctor and Guido to avoid being seen together. Night had fallen on the city and Rose was worried that it was far too late for them to manage their task. But even after a quick stop at the TARDIS where the Doctor sprayed some chemical mixture on Rose's bracelet and used sticky tape to put a tiny device on the side of it, she and Jack were allowed through the Calvierri gates. Her bracelet felt a bit odd around her wrist in way Rose didn't fully understand. The Doctor had warned her to be carefully summoning the sword as it would break the device holding the perception filter in place.

The steward, a weasily little man, dressed in neat black clothing showed them into the main hall. Calvierri sat in what Rose could only see as a throne on a small dais in the center of the room, surrounded by a draped backdrop. It wasn't the most elegant room in Venice, but it was decorated with two frescos on the sides, had a vaulted roof and large arched windows lined the wall behind the Signora.

"Thank you for seeing us at this late hour," Jack said with a bow. Rose curtsied.

"I understand from my steward that you wish to enroll your sister in my school."

"Signora, they have references from His Majesty the King of Sweden," the steward said. He stepped forward and handed Jack's psychic paper to Calvierri. "I thought you would want to see them immediately."

"A Viscount has expressed interest in marrying my sister," Jack said smoothly. "She's had a good education in the arts and music, but I want to be sure she is prepared for the role of a Viscountess. Word of your school is… most impressive."

"Your references are most impressive as well," Calvierri replied sweetly as she studied the psychic paper in her hand. "The King of Sweden." She handed the billfold back to her steward, who dutifully returned it to Jack.

"Our family has had business dealings with the Swedish royal family," Jack explained. "My sister lived in the court for a short time." He looked at Rose fondly. "But I feared she was at a disadvantage and arranged to bring her with me to Italy. Our father is dead so making arrangements for her fell to me. So please, Signora Calvierri, I hope you will look on our request kindly."

There was a greedy glint in her eyes. Jack smiled charmingly at her and Rose held back the urge to gag. Calvierri's son didn't look too happy either. Calvierri's smile turned coyer as she looked at Jack for another long moment before she looked back to Rose.

"Tell me, girl," the woman said as she leaned forward in her great chair. "Would you consider yourself intelligent?"

"Only if it pleases the Signora," Rose answered carefully.

Calvierri laughed, the bright sound echoing in the room. She clapped her hands and looked over at her son. Rose didn't like the way he leered at her and judging from the way Jack tensed, he didn't either, but they both kept their silence.

"A clever tongue," Calvierri said. "I like you, yes, I think you'll do very well with us."

Rose kept her eyes lowered and curtsied. Some instinct was telling her to be careful. She couldn't be sure if it was something primal in herself, news of what the Doctor had seen or maybe even some insight as a Guardian, but this woman and her man next to her worried Rose. In the corner of her eye, she saw Jack bow and he smoothly thanked Calvierri. When the woman announced that Rose would stay and begin her education at once, Jack nodded his agreement and turned to Rose.

"Make me proud," Jack said loudly for all to hear. Leaning closer, he kissed Rose's cheek. "And be careful."

"I will," Rose replied. She forced a smile for Jack. "Please inform the family that our enterprise has been successful."

Jack nodded once again before turning Calvierri and bowing. The steward directed him to the door out. They were in a very big hurry for him to be gone. If Rose hadn't already been certain that there was something foul afoot, that would been enough to put her on edge. Rose caught Jack's eyes one more time before he turned away to make his exit. She allowed herself to show a flicker of nervousness before calming her features and taking a deep breath. Calvierri's son had slinked closer to her and was smiling smugly. Rose told herself to stay calm and focus on the plan. If all went well, she'd be here only a couple of hours and get out with Isabella.