Unto the Universe
Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Legend of the Sea Devils: Surfacing
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.
….
The Doctor tried not to focus on Yi Sao and Bao as they moved. His mind was humming, and the Doctor gave into the temptation to check the timelines. Nothing seemed to have changed. He was missing something, or something bad was waiting just around the corner. Rose stayed close to him, and he noticed her glancing worriedly at Bao. Either her Guardian senses were picking something up, or she'd caught onto his worry. Probably the second one. Rose was annoying and good at picking up on his moods.
But the Sea Devils were the top priority. They had to be. The thought of the Sea Devils altering ships so they could attack the surface was ridiculous and yet extremely dangerous. Humans had firearms and canons at this point, but depending on how far the Sea Devils had developed their mind control, then they might not be able to muster much of a defence. Not to mention the psychological blow to humanity of having ancient sea people suddenly appearing out of the oceans. As fond of the apes, as he was, this whole situation had bad written all over it.
"Do you have a plan, Doctor?" Yi Sao demanded. "We are outnumbered if the crew cannot be helped."
"They cannot be too far gone," Bao said firmly. "If we can free them, they can help."
"Why didn't they put you under?" Jack asked. "Did you fight it off?"
"A bit," Bao said. "But mostly as the commanding officer and most experienced one on the latest ship, I was more valuable for information. Whatever they are doing to control the humans seemed to interfere with memory and their ability to give rational answers."
"Likely suppressing aspects of the brain," the Doctor growled. "Slowing down the electrical impulses that control memory. That does explain why they've left you alone. You're more useful for the information in your head."
"I haven't told them anything regarding the navy and defences," Bao assured them.
The Doctor believed him. But the Sea Devils were unlikely to care too much about any tactical information that Bao had about the Chinese. No, they would have learned a lot from the weaponry and technology on the ships they'd already sunk. But cultural questions, information about land animals, and other small things that might not seem important to Bao or other humans would be critical to the Sea Devils. After all, when they'd gone to sleep, mammals had been small little things, and the dinosaurs hadn't evolved into birds yet. Not completely, at least; they'd had the feathers already. If they were keeping Bao alive and his mind sharp as a resource for that information, then it said a lot about the intelligence of the Sea Devil leadership.
"That's good, but they're long out of date with the surface world. They need more information than just military," the Doctor said. "We can't assume anything."
By some miracle, they made it up the stairs. There were very few guards, which didn't surprise the Doctor. They were at the bottom of the ocean. His only point of relief was knowing that they had a straight shot back to the TARDIS, and she was only three levels down. Still… he was aware of the pressure of the water. This could go very bad very quickly.
"Jack, be ready to use your vortex manipulator," the Doctor murmured.
"Right." Jack nodded firmly. "It won't be comfortable, but we can get five people out of here. Probably."
"What about the TARDIS?" Rose whispered.
"I can get to her," Jack pointed. He grimaced. "Might not be the prettiest thing ever…."
The Doctor hoped it wouldn't come to that. Jack struggling against the pressure at the bottom of the ocean to open the TARDIS would be possible but ugly. Rose made a small sound of worry, and the Doctor almost regretted bringing it up, but he was grateful for the way Jack slowed a touch to stay closer to Rose. She huffed in irritation but didn't argue.
Rose hated it but let her boys make their backup plan. As far as they went, it was a solid one, and she couldn't argue that the knowledge that they were surrounded by water was a touch distressing. Still, they couldn't focus on that now. Noise was echoing down the staircase, and Rose's ears popped as the pressure level-shifted.
The top of the stairs had no door or landing and instead led straight up onto the roof. It was a massive flat space that reminded Rose of how large the complex really was. And this was the true hub of activity. Rose ducked down so she could see over the top of the stairs but wasn't in full view, pulling the Doctor and Yi Sao down as well. Bao and Jack joined them less than a second later, and thankfully none of the Sea Devils seemed to have noticed them, giving Rose an opportunity to take a look around.
There were several ships floating above the roof, but Rose's focus went to the people. Humans were walking slowly in lines, carrying small bits of technology formed from metal, shells and coral under the watch of the Sea Devil guards. The Doctor glanced over the technology with a deepening frown. Rose watched him carefully before turning her attention back to the humans. They were still wearing their sea uniforms, and Rose noted with alarm that all appeared to be ethnic Chinese. There were no signs of survivors from any of the European ships.
But those she could see appeared in decent condition. They weren't wounded, but many were thinner than they should be, and all were walking slowly as if in a daze. Given what Bao had said early, Rose assumed that they were. Then Rose turned her attention further up to the ships that the humans were loading up.
The closest ship was a Chinese junk, very similar to Zheng Yi Sao's boat except that strange glowing panels were fixed along the sides. A sickly green glow surrounded the whole ship, shimmering off what looked like an air bubble. But there wasn't only one ship. Five in total, four similar in shape and form and the fifth a European-style vessel, were harboured around the top of the tower. Rose's ears popped, and she looked fearfully out into the ocean.
It was very wrong to see the ships just floating in their air bubbles. It was very wrong to see a hint of light shimmering above them on the surface. She couldn't estimate the distance and shivered. Primal human fear. They were in very deep water.
"Do you have a plan?" Jack asked. He pressed himself against the stair wall to stay out of the Sea Devil's sight. "We have about twenty humans to get out. And that's if there aren't any others locked up below."
"Do a scan, Jack," the Doctor ordered. "We need to confirm that we have everyone."
Jack blinked in surprise but smiled. It wasn't often that the Doctor made use of an old-fashioned scan, but Rose agreed that it was the smartest course of action. Bao and Yi Sao were clearly confused, and Bao looked at his wife, who merely shook her head. The pair of former pirates seemed to have wisely decided to follow the Doctor's lead. Rose was grateful for that.
They waited in silence. Rose strained her ears, trying to hear anything from the Sea Devils, but they were too far away, and the humans were completely silent. There was no muttering, no whispers, or grumbling.
"No," Jack said a moment later. "There are Silurian life signs below us, mostly concentrated at the bottom… Those life signs are very weak."
"That's likely where the sleeping pods are," the Doctor said. "They aren't all awake. This tower would have been constructed to protect those who are still asleep below ground." He frowned and peeked his head over to look around. "Hard to say what woke this lot. The oceans are still a bit cold for them." The Doctor paused and smiled. "Which also explains the technology they're using and the ships. They can't deal with this cold very well. The oceans they knew were much warmer."
Rose wondered how much warmer but didn't ask. It wasn't important right now. "Okay," she said instead. "So, is there a plan? We need to destroy these ships. At least most of them."
"That is my crew," Bao said. He pointed carefully at one of the Chinese junks. "That is my vessel. It's difficult to track time without the sun, but they only captured us a few days ago. I haven't seen any new prisoners since then."
"So, your ship is the least altered," the Doctor said. He nodded. "Alright, we need to free your crew and get that ship free."
"But how do we return it to the surface?" Yi Sao demanded. "Once it leaves that… bubble, the water will drag it down and kill everyone."
"Those panels on the side provide lift," the Doctor explained. "Some simple modifications, and the ship will be able to return to the surface."
Rose glanced at the Doctor. He surely had a plan to get rid of the panels as well. At least, she hoped so for the sake of history. Jack nodded his understanding of that part of the plan.
"And the Sea Devils?" Jack asked. "What do we do with them?"
"Given our location, they were likely woken too early by geothermic activity," the Doctor said. "We need to force them back into their pods and lower the temperature. That will keep them asleep for a few more centuries at the very least." The Doctor nodded back the way they had come. "I need to get to the environmental controls and start lowering the temperature. The Sea Devils are more susceptible to low temperatures than humans."
"But that won't stop them forever," Bao insisted. "They could return in only a few-"
"Those hibernation pods are not simple things," the Doctor said. "They can't just go to sleep and wake up in a year. It'll be at least centuries." The Doctor pressed another button. "I'm blocking off the warming system. That will freeze everything down here that they're using. The system won't wake them when it's too cold."
"And there will be time for us to escape?" Yi Sao demanded.
"Yes."
"What's first?" Jack asked.
"I go downstairs. We passed a control room. I start dropping the temperature." The Doctor pointed at one of the glowing devices at the centre of the roof. "You lot need to destroy that and get the humans onto Bao's ship."
"What then?" Rose pressed.
"Then you break the anchor." The Doctor was smiling, but it was an odd smile. Fragile and worried. He pointed to another device that was glowing and near the base of the ship. "That machine right there. Don't bother with the other ships. Focus on that one. The panels will lift the ship towards the surface."
"Are you sure?" Bao demanded. "This is all so…" He trailed off and shook his head, firm determination in his features. "I'll get my men on board."
"Good." The Doctor nodded to himself. "Downstairs two levels and third door. Jack, Rose, we'll need to move quickly once we get these people out of here. Give me a few minutes to start dropping the temperature. If you can hide in a room downstairs and wait, that would be best."
Rose and Jack nodded. The Doctor slipped back down the stairs. Bao hesitated when Rose and Jack started to follow, but he came with them after Yi Sao whispered something to him. With an uneasy feeling, Rose watched the Doctor head further down the stairs. At least he'd be closer to the TARDIS when everything started to happen.
….
The Doctor hurried to the control hub. His time senses screamed as the timeline danced close to a dangerous edge. Sometimes things changed, but this was too big of a change. Upon reaching the hub, he activated the computer and accessed the environmental controls. A wave of guilt crushed him. This would force the Sea Devils back to sleep for who knows how long. But they couldn't be awake in this era. Shaking his head, he began to turn down the temperatures. For good measure, he deactivated the automated building system that had woken before the Sea Devils and constructed this complex for them. Next time they woke up, they'd have to start over.
He ran the math in his head. That would work. They would manage, and by the time they woke up again, it would be after Rose's time. Hopefully, the humans would have things better sorted by then. He pressed the activation button. The Doctor watched the system warnings and swallowed as the temperature began to drop.
"This better work," he murmured. But even as he said it, his time senses sparked, and the Doctor knew that the other shoe was going to drop. As he withdrew his hand, the program reversed, and the heat kicked on. "There it is," the Doctor growled. Leaning forward, the Doctor rested his weight on the button. "Of course." Pulling the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor pointed it at the door, sealing the controls and locking it shut.
….
Noise from above them made all of them look towards the door of the room. Materials for the ships were stacked around them in different stages of assembly. There were ten workstations, but no Sea Devils had been in the room when they entered. Rose wasn't sure how many Sea Devils they were dealing with and held her breath as yelling reached her ears.
"Stay out of sight," Jack whispered. "Let's see if they head for the inside first. The fewer of them we have to fight, the better."
Yi Sao and Bao nodded their agreement. The former pirate queen had given her husband her sword and pulled a long-wicked dagger from somewhere. Shouting echoed down to them. Rose held her breath as a few Sea Devils rushed past the door, not even bothering to check the rooms around them. Biting her lower lip, Rose hoped that the Doctor was safe where he was. If she was the Sea Devils, the first place she'd look would be the environmental controls.
Then came a human scream, sharp and fearful. Yi Sao and Bao moved before Rose and Jack could say anything, tearing out of the room without so much as a word to each other. Running after them, Rose heard Jack grumbling something about pirates as they rushed for the stairs. On the roof, the ships were still moored, but the number of Sea Devils had dropped. A man was on the ground with a Sea Devil looming over them. Everything stopped when two of the guards noticed them. Jack groaned, but the alarm was sounded with a shout of intruders.
"Rose, think you can take down the control device?" Jack asked sweetly. "Bao and I need to get the prisoners on the ship."
"On it!"
The Sea Devils were in chaos. None of them moved to stop Rose, instead focusing on Yi Sao and Bao as the two attacked the one nearest to them. Holding back a grimace, Rose accepted that they could either babysit the former pirates or get the job done. She reached the device Jack had indicated. It was the largest of the strange machines on the roof, and Rose could feel it pushing against her telepathic shields.
Slamming her sword into the side of the device, Rose watched the device sputter as the green glow faded. There were no sparks of electricity, and Rose briefly lamented not having the chance to take a closer look at the Sea Devil technology. But the push on her shields faded quickly. There were shouts from the Sea Devils, but they had their hands full as the humans stumbled or stopped moving completely.
Bao tossed the sword to his wife and immediately gripped the shoulders of the nearest human. Rose heard him call the man's name as he shook him. Whatever haze they were under was slow to lift.
"Board the third moored ship!" Yi Sao snapped. Her voice rang through the air bubble. "Move!"
Something about her command, or maybe her voice was familiar to many of them, and their subconscious knew to obey it, reached the men. Several began to run towards the chosen ship and rushed up the plank leading onto it. Bao laughed and pushed a few of the men towards the ship. But the remaining Sea Devils who had stayed were swarming towards them.
Rose ran forward, intercepting the guards attempting to stop the human prisoners. Lunging forward, she used her sword to cut through one of the spears and kicked the Sea Devil back. This drew the attention of the others towards her, and Rose didn't waste the opportunity.
"You can stay here and fight us," Rose yelled. "Or you can get to the sleeping pods!"
The small crowd of Sea Devils stopped. Hesitation flickered over their faces, and a few glanced at each other. Several hissed at her, and two lunged forward, driving their spears towards Rose. She twisted back and slashed her sword forward, slicing through the first of the spears. Yi Sao yelled a battle cry and rushed in, slamming her sword down against the second spear.
"You better go with the human crew!" Rose shouted.
The humans were making their way up the boarding bridge. Most of them were over. A couple of the humans had recovered enough of their senses to help others who were still in a daze. Jack had rushed towards a small terminal near the base of the ship where a Sea Devil with a spear was attacking the prisoners. Using a gun he wasn't supposed to have, Jack shot the Sea Devil, knocking it to the ground and grabbed its spear. The Sea Devil climbed to its feet but ran for the stairs rather than keep fighting unarmed.
Two Sea Devils drew towards Rose but didn't immediately attack. Confusion was thick in the air. Everything was in chaos. Yi Sao and Bao were trying to board the ship only to have one of the guards whirl on them and activate its sidearm. A beam of energy shot at the pair, who barely dodged in time, but the shot hit the device holding the ship and its air bubble.
The ship heaved. Yi Sao and Bao shouted up the crew of humans, but it was too late. There were shouts from the Sea Devils, but the sight of the human vessel floating away seemed to have finally made up their minds. Several started to shake and shiver. Two threw down their spears and rushed for the staircase. Others followed them, and Rose released a soft sigh of relief. Rose and the others lingered for a moment longer to make sure that the ship kept rising even as the panels began to snap off. Then Jack grabbed Rose's hand, called to the former pirates, and they legged it back down the tower.
Rose wasn't the best at directions. She could feel the hum of the TARDIS in the distance and was prepared to drop her shields in order to find the Doctor, but Jack led her right to him. Or at least a sealed door. There were scrapes on gorges in the thick and solid coral structure.
"Looks like they tried to get in," Jack murmured. He banged on the door. "Doctor! It's Jack and Rose! Can you open the door? There's no sign of Sea Devils!"
"Do you think he can hear?" Bao asked. He was shivering. "I doubt we have much time to linger." Shaking his head, he took his wife's hand. "I trust there is a way out."
"They have a strange ship," Yi Sao answered. "It's…" she shook her head just before the door slid open. Or at least tried to. Thanks to the damage, it only opened a couple of feet off the floor.
"Crawling," Jack muttered. "Great."
But he dropped down and slid under the door with Rose right behind him. The Doctor was beside the control terminal with an odd expression on his face. It made Rose pause in front of the door as the worrying churning in her gut intensified.
"The prisoners escaped on one of the ships," Jack said in a rush. "But we need to go." Yi Sao and Bao was sliding in after them. "Doctor!"
"Glad that part worked out," the Doctor said. "The problem is that in order to make sure that the Sea Devils don't escape and that the tower comes down, we need to keep this program running," the Doctor said. He kept his weight on the button. "It's suppressing the automatic climate control and the shielding for the tower. And the destruction command doesn't have a timer. I tried to add one in, but…." He trailed off and shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, but aching guilt filled his features. "According to the scan, the Sea Devils have retreated to the lowest levels, but if we don't keep the temperature low and destroy the tower, they'll just come back. This room must be sealed to keep them from interfering, and that means that whoever stays won't be able to get out before things start to flood."
"But if someone stays-" Rose started to say.
"I could-" Jack began, terror on his features. Rose's eyes widened. He'd be stuck in a cycle of drowning and being crushed before she and Doctor could rescue him.
"You go," Bao said suddenly. "I'll stay. This is my job."
"What?" Yi Sao demanded. She whirled to her husband with wide eyes. "Don't be-"
"Yi Sao." Bao's voice was gentle, and he reached for his wife. "One of us must stay." He glanced their way. "And you need their help to get to the surface. This is my crew and my ship at stake. And I have a duty to fulfill."
"I'll stay with-"
"No." Bao shook his head. "The children. Please, do not leave them alone. We've fought too hard, worked too hard to give them the opportunity to live peaceful lives without the fear of starvation. They need their mother at the very least."
Rose expected more arguing, but the couple just stared at each other. Then, slowly, Yi Sao nodded, and relief filled Bao's features. Stepping forward, Yi Sao pressed her forehead against her husband's, and he touched her cheek. Rose turned her face away to give them a moment of privacy, but a moment was all they needed. Yi Sao stepped back from her husband and turned back to the door, dropping down to crawl out of the room.
Bao watched her go before joining the Doctor and demanding instructions. Rose looked at Jack, who seemed to be just as shocked as she was. The Doctor wasn't arguing with Bao. That stunned her, and Rose held back a shiver as the cold of the ocean crept further into the complex.
"Doctor," Rose called. He nodded to Bao and stepped away from the terminal. "Doctor, we can't-"
"He has to, Rose," the Doctor whispered as he joined her close to the door. "Bao dies this year at sea off the coast of Vietnam. That's history; it's her history." He exhaled. "I was assuming that he was already gone, but… it seems that this is how it always happened."
She didn't like it, but the words rang true. Rose felt that they were true, and it was an odd feeling that she didn't have time to explore. They were talking about someone drowning. Instead, she nodded in resignation and let the Doctor push her gently towards the door. Once everyone was out, the Doctor exhaled, knelt down and looked back at Bao through the opening.
"You need to push the blue button," he called over. "That will… seal the room."
There was no hesitation. Bao nodded and reached for the button. A clicking sound was the only warning before the heavy door slid back down, sealing the opening. Yi Sao swallowed and set her hand on the door for a moment, inhaling a shaky breath. Three Sea Devils came around a corner and snarled at them, but their focus was on the door.
"Come on," the Doctor said gently. "Time to go."
They ran. Rose glanced back at the Sea Devils, but they were trying to force their way into the terminal room. She swallowed, that sick feeling intensifying. The rush back to the TARDIS was a blur. There were still a few Sea Devils out, but they were panicking and running for the stairs themselves. Rose hoped that the pair trying to get into the terminal room had given up and were seeking out pods for themselves. She focused on the feel of the Doctor's hand against hers and the painful ache of the unfulfilled timeline. She wanted to ask if this was what a fixed point felt like, but Rose didn't dare. Not now.
Shaking threw them off their feet. The Doctor shouted something about seismic activity and the shields being off. He helped Rose up, and they ran for the TARDIS. It was getting colder with each moment. Thankfully, the Doctor knew where he was going, leading back to the room they'd arrived in just before part of the ceiling collapsed behind them. Jack darted ahead, pulled out his key and had the door unlocked before Rose and Yi Sao reached it.
As they piled into the TARDIS, the Doctor moved to the controls and barked orders at Rose and Jack to help him. Yi Sao lingered by the door, closing it tightly and pressing a hand against the wood. The TARDIS shuddered as they landed. Yi Sao didn't wait for the Doctor to speak before she was out the door. Rose started to walk after her before thinking twice. She looked back at the Doctor, who was staring at the scanner with a pained expression.
"Ship reached the surface," Jack said for Rose's benefit. "Panels gave out as planned."
"Good," Rose said. The sick feeling was fading. She didn't want to think too much about what that meant. "We don't need that technology suddenly being around."
"No," the Doctor said. He straightened and headed for Rose. Holding out his hand, he relaxed when Rose took it. "We don't. Come on, let's make sure we got Yi Sao back where she belongs."
They had landed in the middle of the deck this time. Yi Sao's crew were milling around nervously and eying the blue box with amazement and worry. Their captain was standing at the far side of the vessel and staring at the second boat, floating less than half a mile away. Her husband's ship was missing its captain. Murmurs amongst the crew could be heard, but if they'd been inclined to celebrate, the expression on Yi Sao's face must have warned them not to. She walked to the edge of her vessel and stared out at the other ship.
"It's done then?" Jack asked softly. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," the Doctor answered sadly. "Time is on the original course again." Straightening his shoulders, the Doctor walked over to join Yi Sao. "I wouldn't recommend telling the Emperor the truth," the Doctor said gently. Zheng Yi Sao gave the Doctor a withering look, a sarcastic snark filling her eyes, and the Doctor choked back a laugh. "Yeah, figures you already knew that."
"Indeed. I am aware of the limitations of the Imperial Court." The former pirate sighed. "Thank you," Yi Sao said. She straightened her back and studied the Doctor. "For helping me save those we could. I would not have been able to do so without your help."
Surprised flashed in the Doctor's eyes, and Rose smiled. They didn't always get thanked. Too often, people were horrified or grieving or lashing out at whoever was nearby. For a woman who had just lost her husband, to thank them was special.
"You're welcome," the Doctor said earnestly. "Provided it isn't piracy, I wish you the best in your future endeavours."
Yi Sao looked away from them and out at the sea. "No," she said. "Not piracy. The ocean isn't for me anymore. I won't stray far… but my time sailing is done."
"Good luck," Rose added. "And good health to you and your family." She didn't know how old the children were and pitied the woman, who now had to return and tell them that their father was gone. "They had a brave father." Rose's eyes teared up, the words conjuring memories of her own father, who had died to save the world.
"Yes," Yi Sao agreed. Her eyes were a bit damp. "They did, and they will know it." Then the captain straightened her back. "But there's work to do first. I must return my ship and crew to land before Bao's men can't wait any longer to report his death. It would not do to have the navy try to poke around."
"Are you sure they won't tell what really happened?" Rose asked with a hint of nervousness.
"Most of those men were once mine," Yi Sao replied. "If I tell them not to reveal the truth, they won't. Sailors know that sometimes the things you see while on the ocean are best left there."
Nodding, the Doctor stepped back from her. He gave a little wave to a nearby sailor who was staring at them in stunned shock. It almost made Rose laugh as Jack gently guided her back into the TARDIS. A few moments later, the Doctor was inside with them and closing the door once again.
"What will happen to her?" Jack asked, voicing Rose's next question.
"Moves the family not long from now and opens a gambling parlour. She lives out the rest of her life as a very rich woman until dying peacefully in her late sixties. Never remarried."
"They seemed to really love each other," Rose murmured.
"Yeah." The Doctor smiled. "History was never sure on that. Some think she manipulated him to keep control of her pirates. Doesn't seem so. She'll live out her life and take care of their children. With four of them, there are bound to be descendants of Zheng Yi Sao living in China. Maybe even sailing on its waves."
Rose felt herself smile. "I like that idea. Just, hopefully not as pirates."
"You're the one that flirted with her."
"Hey, I sort of flirted with a woman who used to be a pirate," Rose said. "I stress the used to be."
But the Doctor was grinning at her. The dark cloud from Bao's death wasn't gone, but there was sunlight on the horizon. Shifting closer to him, Rose smiled when the Doctor wrapped an arm around her and kissed the crown of her head. Silently, she wished Yi Sao a happy rest of her life before reaching out and pulling the lever to send the TARDIS back into the Time Vortex.