Chapter 2 - End Of The World
Green light bathes the alien and his two new passengers as he watches them closely, excited to travel with someone again. He eyes the blonde first, seeing nothing but the usual happiness in his companions eyes, especially for their first trip before moving to Sage. He looks her over quickly, still in that tight black dress which leaves nothing to the imagination yet can't help but wonder about her. It's not every human who would except the idea of aliens so easily, even Rose had trouble at the start.
"Right then, Sage Evans, Rose Tyler, you tell me. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?" The Timelord wonders as he watches them while running around the central console of his ship.
"Forwards." The teenager asks, almost glued to the other womans side. Sage thought she was hanging onto some form of familiarity, as the two new passengers.
"How far?"
"One hundred years." Rose says as he presses random buttons and with a little added turbulence, the ship stops shaking, Sage pulling Rose's hands of her arm gently.
"There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the twenty second century." The alien says but Sage can only look disappointed at the fact. An extra 100 years is nothing to her anymore.
"You're kidding." Rose wonders, ready to walk out the door and see where they have landed while Sage has other ideas.
"The next century... Not exactly impressive now, Doctor. Why don't we go a bit further?" Sage adds, perfectly arched eyebrows raising in the aliens direction.
Enjoying the competition to impress the unimpressed girl, the Doctor flits around again, pressing buttons that Sage was sure he hadn't pressed before as the ship shook. "Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire." Oh not romans again... The woman thought as she held back a shudder. It wasn't her favourite time.
"Is that meant to impress me?" Sage goads as the Doctor pretends to look affronted.
"Well, I am impressive." He fires back, grinning to the slightly stoic girl.
"You wish." Rose fires back, not noticing the lingering glance on Sage from the alien man.
"Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!"
The Tardis flies through the time vortex, the girl and the doctor stumbling as Sage watches her prey with interest. Maybe it was a good thing I didn't kill him straight away...
"Where are we? What's out there?" Rose grins as she walks closer to the door. She pushes them open as Sage follows behind closely, peering out hesitantly at the unknown time and location and walks into a gallery as the blonde rushes to the shutter which begins to descend, revealing a view of the Earth in orbit.
Rose looks on in wonder, as Sage is lost for words. Never in her long life had she thought she would see this view anytime soon.
"You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year five point five slash apple slash twenty six. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day," The Doctor begins to monologue before looking down at a strange wristwatch, Sage noticing that it must be used for his time travelling. "Hold on."
The sun begins to flare and turns a deep red, Sage can only imagine what the heat would feel like as she plays with her ring on her index finger, twirling it around absently. "This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world." The Doctor grins as Rose carries on staring and his wording makes Sage scoff.
"How morbid..."
Sage listens into her surroundings, her heightened hearing picking up on sounds the other two wouldn't as she hears a strange whooshing sound, almost as if something was docking onto whatever satellite or space station they were currently on. She hears a mechanical voice announcing, "Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine." She goes to look further into the satellite as she turns away from the spectacular view of the green and blue planet, questions running through her head but also the exotic smells coming from down the hallway.
The Doctor eyes her movement before following, Rose being left behind as she notices them leave the room and shouts, "Wait for me."
Sage travels down a corridor, the Doctor following happily, allowing her to explore quietly, interested in the seemingly independent manner of the woman. he had invited to travel with him.
The computer speaks again over the speakers, "Followed by drinks in the Manchester suite."
"So, when it says guests, does that mean people?" Rose wonders from behind, trailing after the two.
"Depends what you mean by people." The Doctor throws out, causing Sage to slow down and come closer to the two behind as she takes an interest in the turn of conversation.
"I mean people. What do you mean?" The teenager wonders as Sage rolls her eyes, cutting the Doctor off.
"He means aliens." She remarks. "I have a question Doctor, do all aliens look humanoid or just your species? Is it a common blueprint for life?"
"I..." The Doctor starts, shocked at the questioning but happy that for once he might have a companion who asks interesting questions. "Not all aliens no. Although humanoid I guess isn't the correct term... it's very..." He trails off.
"Obsessive of me?" Sage adds on as he nods.
"That's one way of saying it. Yeah." He adds, "Humans aren't the be all and end all of the universe, you're all tiny in comparison with everything else."
"And what about you?" Sage smirks, "Are you as tiny as we are?"
"Well. I'm a Timelord." He grins, the two laughing.
"That's your species, I take it?" Sage adds, not missing the grief flashing through the mans blue eyes briefly.
"Yeah, it is." He waves off, not wanting to speak about Gallifrey too much and not wanting to explain his story to the two new companions.
"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?" Rose asks, changing the topic of conversation as Sage wonders what brought about the turn in mood.
"It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn." He says as he uses a device on the wall panel, the noise pricking at Sage's ears.
"What's that?" She asks as Rose question him what they were watching it for.
"This is a sonic screwdriver." He replies to the first question as she watches it carefully. "And to answer you Rose. For fun."
"When you say the great and good?" Sage questions. "Does that mean the rich?"
He grins at the thought and nods towards the girl.
The three make their way to an observation gallery, a few display cases on show as they have another view of Earth, Sage going to inspect the items showing.
"But, hold on. They did this once on Newsround Extra. The sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years." Rose questions as Sage scoffs.
"More like millions sweetheart." She remarks as the blonde tilts her head.
"Sage is right. It should take millions, but the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun." The two look down at the Earth, spotting the numerous satellites positioned around the globe.
"Why are the continents like that though? It looks like Earth in our time? Shouldn't they have shifted by now?" Sage wonders as she looks to the Doctor for an explanation.
"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over." He explained as they all watched this so called 'classic earth'.
"How long's it got?" Rose asks, watching the planet in shock.
"About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted."
"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?" Rose wonders as Sage looks at him with anticipation of his answer.
"I'm not saving it. Time's up."
"But what about the people?"
"It's empty. They're all gone. No one left."
"Just us, then." Rose smiles sadly towards Sage, who smiles back at her while inside she's busy getting used to the smell of the alien coming up behind them.
"Who the hell are you?" Sage spins round, coming face to face with a blue-skinned alien with golden slit eyes striding towards them. She breathes in his scent but unfortunately, it isn't as appealing as either of her companions.
"Oh, that's nice, thanks." The Doctor remarks.
"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now."
"That's me. I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation. Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor plus two. I'm the Doctor, this is Sage Evans and Rose Tyler. They're my plus two. Is that all right?" He shows what appears to be a blank piece of paper to the creature before putting it back into his leather jacket.
"Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy." He turns to a lecturn as the Doctor explains what happened. If it wasn't for the paper, Sage would have thought it to be compulsion.
"The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time."
"He's blue." Rose states as she watches him with wide eyes, making Sage roll her eyes. A blue alien wasn't the most shocking thing she had ever seen... She remembers the Cats movie when she was younger... Now that was weird...
"Yeah."
"Okay."
"We have in attendance the Doctor, Sage Evans and Rose Tyler. Thank you. All staff to their positions." Similar looking aliens enter the room, all going towards their stations as Sage gets a whift of the Doctors scent as he moves closer to her. "Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along. And now, might I introduce the next honoured guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa." Three creatures, one she assumes is female and escorted by two males, enter the room, with skin made from bark and a smell like oak trees in the rain coming to Sage. This is something she had no interest in biting.
"There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon." The Moxx of Balhoon was another blue creature, although les proportional and mainly head and body, sitting on some form of transport as it floats in on the device.
"And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme." A group of black-robed aliens walked in as Sage looked them over.
"The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you." Something that looked to Sage like humanoid reptilians clad in fur walk in as the steward carries on with the guest announcements. "Cal Spark Plug. Mister and Mrs Pakoo. The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light."
The trees from the forest of Cheem come closer to the Doctor and his companions either side of him, "The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather." She offers out a rooted twig in a small pot to the Timelord as he struggles for a gift.
"Thank you. Yes, gifts. Er, I give you in return air from my lungs." He breathes gently on Jabe, making Sage hold back a laugh as her shoulders shake.
"How intimate." She smiles seductively and Sage just looks shocked at the idea of a tree flirting with anyone.
"There's more where that came from."
"I bet there is." The Doctor relies as Sage meets Rose's eyes behind his back and two look at each other in confusion.
"From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe." A large glass case enters the room, just making it through the small doorway and inside is a giant humanoid head, with straggly hair and squinting eyes. Sage swears the head looks directly into her eyes as she feels a tendril of psychic power push against the barriers in her mind.
"The Moxx of Balhoon." The Doctor wonders as the small blue creature floats up to the trio.
"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily salivas." He spits in Rose's face, bringing Sage's attention back to the group as she looks wide eyed a the blonde girl and laughs while looking apologetically at her.
"Thank you very much." He says as he tries not to laugh in her face, the next guest coming to them. "Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I bring you air from my lungs." A metal hand comes out of the robe, holding out a silver ball to Sage, which she realises is hollow.
"A gift of peace in all good faith."
"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen." A face on a thin-piece of stretched skin in a rectangular frame is wheeled in by two men in nurse uniforms and the scent waving from her smells divine to Sage, but artificial, like a piece of chocolate cake. You shouldn't enjoy it but you do...
Whatever this so-called human had done to her, it made the artificial blood call to her and she knew that today, she'd find a way to feed off that blood.
"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturise me. Moisturise me." A voice Sage can only describe as demanding calls out to her assistants, spraying her with some moisture. "Truly, I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honour them and say goodbye. Oh, no tears, no tears. I'm sorry. But behold, I bring gifts. From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband? Oh, no. Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines. And here, another rarity." Rose walks round the back of Cassandra, marvelling at how thin this 'human' was as an old juke box is wheeled in. "According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!"
One of the blue attendants presses a button, and selects 45 as the sound of Tainted Love by Soft Cell rings out throughout the room. Sage just hears the face of boe singing the tune in her head, making her want to move closer to the large psychic head.
"Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in thirty minutes." The steward calls out as Rose, overwhelmed with it all, runs out of the room. The Doctor goes to follow her but is intercepted, as Sage follows her out silently.
In the corridor, Rose wanders off and is looking at the growing Sun through a window when a woman the same race as the steward comes round the corner wearing overalls and a baseball cap.
"Sorry. Am I allowed to be in here?" Rose wonders as she sees Sage come behind the woman and smiles gratefully at the other woman.
"You have to give us permission to talk." The blue woman admits as she shifts cautiously.
"Er, you have permission." Rose says as she's shocked while Sage scoffs.
"Really? That's ridiculous." The blue woman jumps as she hadn't noticed the other woman. "You're your own person. Speak if you like, fuck them."
"Thank you. And, no, you're not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere." She smiles to the two girls.
"Okay." Rose says as Sage looks interested in whatever the blue woman was doing as she unlocks a wall panel.
"What's your name?" Sage wonders.
"Raffalo."
"Raffalo?" Rose questions.
"Yes, miss. I won't be long, I've just got to carry out some maintenance. There's a tiny little glitch in the Face of Boe's suite. There must be something blocking the system. He's not getting any hot water."
"So, you're a plumber?" Rose questions as Raffalo nods. "They still have plumbers?"
"I hope so, else I'm out of a job." The plumber smiles as she carries on her work.
"Where are you from?" Sage wonders as the two girls question the strange life-form.
"Crespallion."
"That's a planet, is it?" Rose asks.
"No. Crespallion's part of the Jaggit Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Junction, Convex fifty six. And where are you from, miss? If you don't mind me asking." She explains but the words mean nothing to either girl.
"No, not at all. Er, I don't know. A long way away. We just sort of hitched a lift with this man. I didn't even think about it. I don't even know who he is. He's a complete stranger. Anyway, don't let me keep you. Good luck with it." Rose babbles on, as the stress and shock comes back to her.
"Thank you, miss. And er, thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate." She smiles to the two as Rose speaks, "Okay. See you later.", before running away, Sage following her closely but getting distracted by a metal scurrying in the vents. She turns back to Raffolo as she peers inside the wall panel.
"Now then. Control, I'm at junction nineteen and I think the problem's coming from in here. I'll go inside and have a look." Before she can crawl into the conduit, the metal scurrying is loud enough for the blue woman to hear and Sage peers around a corner aty the woman, refusing to get closer. "What's that? Is something in there?" A break happens as Sage hears her call out again. "Oh! Who are you, then? Hold on! If you're an upgrade I just need to register you, that's all. Oh, come back..." Crawling inside the conduit, she calls out to whatever she had seen as Sage watches curiously. "Ah, there you are. Now, I just need to register your ident. Oh, there's two of you. Got yourself a little mate. I think I'd better report this to Control. How many of you are there? What are you? Oh, no, no, no!" Raffolo is dragged along the conduit as Sage watches on as the smell of blood hits her nose. That's a shame. I liked her... she thinks before leaving to find Rose. It would do her no good to be killed before getting back home.
Making her way to the gallery they were in earlier, she finds Rose playing with the silver ball gifted to them as she sat depressed on the floor. "Earth Death in twenty five minutes." The computer says as Sage makes her way in.
"Oh, thanks." The blonde sarcastically says as she rolls her eyes.
"Hello. My name's Rose. That's a sort of plant. We might be related. I'm talking to a twig." She says as Sage points out.
"You know? Talking to inanimate objects some say is a sign of insanity..." She says, smirking to the girl. "Are you okay?" She asks, feigning interest.
"Yeah... I... It's just so..."
"Weird?" Sage adds as Rose grins.
"Yeah. Weird."
"Here." Sage points to her own neck. "You still have a little spit." Going red, Rose rushes out a thanks as she wipes the drool of her neck, annoyed at the gift they received.
The blonde teenager misses the ball hatching as it comes closer to her hand but Sage eyes it up carefully as it begins scanning Rose's hand but doing nothing to stop it just yet. This might get fun...
"Rose? Sage? Are you in there?" The Doctor calls out as he walks ast the room and catches them both sitting in fornt of the view. "Aye, aye. What do you think, then?"
"Great. Yeah, fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper. They're just so alien. The aliens are so alien. You look at 'em and they're alien." Rose mutters.
"Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South.' The Doctor laughs at a joke the two Earth girls wouldn't get.
"Where are you from?" Rose questions, wanting to know just who she'd agreed to travel with.
"All over the place." He responds slowly, careful not to give too much away right now.
"They all speak English." Rose points out as Sage watches the ball creature scurry away quickly, not noticed by either of the other.
"No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the Tardis. The telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates."
"It's inside my brain?" Rose shouts as Sage just appears more interested in the strange blue ship.
"Well, in a good way." The Doctor defends.
"Your machine gets inside my head. It gets inside and it changes my mind, and you didn't even ask?" Rose says angrily, the whole situation getting to her and wanting to be somewhere familiar inside of the 5 billion years in the future.
"I didn't think about it like that." The man admits as he watches her carefully.
"No, you were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South. Who are you, then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?"
"I'm just the Doctor."
"From what planet?" Rose demands as Sage quietly slips out, the Doctor noticing at the corner of his eye as she makes her way out of the heated room now.
She walks back to the large room as she makes her way to the head in the tank, coming into the room, she makes eye contact with the Face of Boe as it smirks and she goes head first to meet the strange creature.
Hello dracula... It drawls out in her mind as it laughs and Sage becomes tense at whatever this thing knows about her.
"You know what I am." She seethes out through gritted teeth, not liking whatever was happening.
Relax honey... I know you well. Although I believe this is our first meeting for you. The face sends to her mind, I've never seen you so young.
"Young? I'm 1,760 years old." She growls out, veins appearing under her face for a second as she gains back her control.
I know. But I was always the younger one out of the two of us. He laughs in her head as the face smirks.
"Wait..." She whispers out. "This is a time-travel thing, right? I haven't met you yet, but I will." She wonders, coming to sit in front of the tank.
We become besties. The head says as Sage breaks a smile at the comforting feeling coming from the creature.
"Do we now?" She asks. "And you're well aware of what I am." She questions hesitantly, knowing that usually people screamed when they found out.
Oh, I caught you out easily. Saw you compel Rose actually. He admits. Was quite impressed you'd managed to keep hidden for as long as you did.
"Right... and you? You're not exactly human... something's off about you."
Does it bother you?
"No." She admits, feeling accepted for once in her long life. "When do I meet you then? I assume it's with these two idiots?" She says, meaning the two companions she travels with.
The Face of Boe smirks again. I forgot how much you didn't like them in the beginning. Tried biting them yet?
"No..." She shakes her head. "Not yet. Although Cassandra... she smells like a sweet." The Face of Boe looks over to the last human as he sees his closest friend watch her hungrily, seeing the tank of blood pumping into her by her side. "How hard do you think it would be to get a taste?"
Oh, I wouldn't try that now. He admits. Plus, you get another chance. He trails off, making the girl tilt her head in confusion but knowing she won't get any real answers from him. The attendants will offer blood if you ask. I made sure of it.
"Really?"
I never know when you're going to pop up babe. Sage laughs as she watches the face closely, knowing that sometime in her future, she'd meet the creature before her and she would be lying if it didn't intrigue her immensely. Guessing he lived a long life, he laughed at her as he shook her head. We're more similar than you think... The two speak for a while longer then, mainly laughing at the other guests as Sage questions him on alien life before the space station shakes and the steward announces over the tannoy in a calm voice. "Honoured guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause slight turbulence, thanking you." He broadcasts as Sage looks on warily.
"Indubitably, this is the Bad Wolf scenario. I find the inherent laxity of the on-going multiverse." The Moxx of Balhoon drawls on as Sage sees the Doctor and Rose enter and makes her way to them.
"What was that Doctor?" She wonders as he looks at her, thankful she hadn't been running off like the other one.
"That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What do you think, Jabe? Listened to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?" He asks the female tree as she looks at him indignantly.
"It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me." She rolls her eyes as the Doctor becomes distracted again.
"Where's the engine room?" he asks aloud.
"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you and your wife." She says, having noticed him and Rose walk in together as Sage laughs at the pair loudly.
"She's not my wife." He admits, watching Sage from the corner of his eye, unknown by everyone but the Face of Boe who smirks at the young pair.
"Partner?" She adds.
"No."
"Concubine?" She wonders, looking at Rose unimpressed.
"Nope."
"Prostitute?" Jabe asked finally as Sage bent over at the sight, hearing both hers and the Face's laughter in her head as he shook carefully in his tank.
"Whatever I am, it must be invisible. Do you mind? Tell you what, you two go and pollinate. I'm going to catch up with family. Quick word with Michael Jackson." Rose says as she moves to speak to Cassandra and the Doctor warns her, "Don't start a fight." He offers Sage his arm before nodding to Jabe and grinning. "Come on, I'm all yours."
"And I want you home by midnight." They hear Rose call out as the Doctor drags Sage with them, following Jabe to her suite where the maintenance ducts are.
"Earth Death in fifteen minutes. Earth Death in fifteen minutes." The computer shouts from above as they hurry along.
"Who's in charge of Platform One? Is there a Captain or what?" The Doctor wonders as the three scurry along, Jabe in front with Sage bringing up the rear.
"There's just the Steward and the staff. All the rest is controlled by the metal mind." The female tree speaks as she shuffles along.
"You mean the computer? But who controls that?"
"The Corporation. They move Platform One from one artistic event to another." She admits.
"But there's no one from the Corporation on board." Sage points out as the Doctor turns to nod at her.
"They're not needed. This facility is purely automatic. It's the height of the Alpha class. Nothing can go wrong." Jabe explains.
"Unsinkable?" The Doctor wonders.
"If you like. The nautical metaphor is appropriate." Jabe mentions, not understanding the mans train of thought.
"You're telling me. I was on board another ship once. They said that was unsinkable. I ended up clinging to an iceberg. It wasn't half cold. So, what you're saying is, if we get in trouble there's no one to help us out?"
"You were on the Titanic?" Sage drawled, raising her eyebrows in disbelief as he happily nodded. She was glad she hadn't ended up going on the boat, recalling what she remembered when she was younger would happen to it.
"I'm afraid not." Jabe says.
"Fantastic."
"I don't understand. In what way is that fantastic?" Jabe questions in confusion as Sage rolls her eyes at the man in front.
"So tell me, Jabe, what's a tree like you doing in a place like this?"
"Respect for the Earth."
"Oh, come on. Everyone on this platform's worth zillions."
"Well, perhaps it's a case of having to be seen at the right occasions."
"In case your share prices drop? I know you lot. You've got massive forests everywhere, roots everywhere, and there's always money in land." He wonders, eyeing the tree up hesitantly.
"All the same, we respect the Earth as family. So many species evolved from that planet. Mankind is only one. I'm another. My ancestors were transplanted from the planet down below, and I'm a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest."
"Excuse me." The Doctor scans a panel marked Welcome to Platform One as Sage hears the metal creatures scurrying nearby, almost growling lowly but keeping herself settled. He played with the access panel as Jabe asked him a question.
"And what about your ancestry, Doctor? Perhaps you could tell a story or two. Perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there's nothing else left. I scanned you earlier. The metal machine had trouble identifying your species. It refused to admit your existence. And even when it named you, I wouldn't believe it. But it was right. I know where you're from. Forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable that you even exist. I just wanted to say how sorry I am." She admits lowly as she places a hand on his arm, and Sage watches him place his hand over hers as his eyes fill with a single tear but a sadness she had rarely seen in someone.
The door is opened then as the three climb out of the maintenance duct and enter an engine room running the whole depth of the platform and the three stand by a catwalk that runs through a large series of fans.
"Is it me, or is it a bit nippy?" Sage watches the giant fans carefully, ignoring the rising heat in the room. "Fair do's, though, that's a great bit of air conditioning. Sort of nice and old fashioned. Bet they call it retro." The Doctor adds as he scans a panel. "Gotcha." Pulling it off, the metal spider Sage had been hearing all day scuttles out and up the wall. "What the hell's that?"
"Is it part of the retro?" Jabe wonders, watching the strange metal creature carefully.
"I don't think so. Hold on." The Doctor aims his screwdriver at the spider, and Jabe lassoes it as Sage looks shocked but intrigued. "Hey, nice liana."
"Thank you. We're not supposed to show them in public." She admits shyly.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anybody. Now then, who's been bringing their pets on board?"
"What does it do?" Sage wonders as she comes up next to the doctor.
"Sabotage."
"Earth Death in ten minutes." The computer rings out.
"And the temperature's about to rocket. Come on."
"Earth Death in ten minutes."
Outside the Steward's office, smoke forces itself out of the room through small gaps in the door and begins to fill the corridor, the glare from the sun coming through the small glass window. The Doctor pushes the small assistants back as Sage and Jabe watch on. "Hold on. Get back." He says as he uses the sonic on another small panel.
"Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising."
"Is the Steward in there?!" Jabe worries, watching the Doctor desperately.
"You can smell him." The Doctor says as the familiar smell of burning flesh reaches Sage. "Hold on, there's another sun filter programmed to descend." He runs off without a word, the two following him shortly.
"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending."
Sage reaches the Doctor as he works on another door, hearing Rose screaming from the inside. "Let me out! Let me out!"
"Sun filter descending."
"Anyone in there?" He calls out, hearing Rose again.
"Let me out!" She screams.
He rolls his eyes, "Oh, well, it would be you."
"Open the door!"
"Hold on. Give us two ticks." The sun rays reach the top of the door, as the Doctor reverses the filter.
"Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising." It says as they breathe a sigh of relief but its short-lived. "Sun filter descending."
"Just what we need." He says exasperated. "The computer's getting clever."
"Stop mucking about!"
"I'm not mucking about. It's fighting back."
"Open the door!"
"I know!"
Sage hears Rose run away from the door to the steps in the room as the glare moves down the door. "The lock's melted!" She cries as the Doctor works on it, Sage meeting Jabes worried gaze.
"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising." Rose runs back to the door as the glare moves upwards but the locks melted.
"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there! Don't move!"
"Where are am I going to go, Ipswich?" Rose snarls scared of being trapped.
"Earth Death in five minutes."
They make their way back to the observation deck as the heat begins to rise. "The metal machine confirms. The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of Platform One." Jabe mentions.
"How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturise me, moisturise me." Cassandra utters as Sage narrows her gaze at the sweetly smelling piece of skin.
"Summon the Steward." The Moxx of Balhoon demands while Sage mentions to them.
"Yeah, can't. He's dead." She says coldly.
"Who killed him?" He demands, facing her sharply.
"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe. He invited us. Talk to the Face. Talk to the Face." Cassandra shouts as Sage watches her, smiling to herself. She knew who was at fault for this, but wanted to see how this would play out.
"Easy way of finding out. Someone bought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to master." The Doctor says as he places a spider down after Jabe scanned it and it scuttles off to Cassandra scanning her before moving to the black robed group.
"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. J'accuse!" The 'last human' accuses, causing the Doctor and Sage to roll their eyes.
"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it," The leader goes to strike the man, but he pulls the metal arm off before continuing. "A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are, an idea." Pulling one of the wires out of the dangling arm, they all collapse. "Remote controlled Droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo. Go home." Giving the spider a nudge with his foot, it returns to Cassandra as she pretends to look affronted.
"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed. At arms!" Her attendants raise their spray guns.
"What are you going to do, moisturise me?" The timelord snarks.
"With acid." She laughs as Sage is pushed behind the doctor by the alien, forcing herself not to snap. She was capable of looking after herself. "Oh, you're too late, anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just a pretty face."
"I wouldn't even call you that." Sage utters as the Doctor grins quickly at her and she feels the Face of Boe chuckle.
"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid's that?" The Doctor adds.
"I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous." She mentions and Sage has to admit, it was a good idea, even if not executed well. But, she thought to herself, I think the Doctor has a habit of being in the wrong place to ruin plans like this.
"Five billion years and it still comes down to money."
"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human, Doctor. Me. Not those freaky little girls of yours." She spits as the Moxx of Balhoon shouts, "Arrest her, the infidel."
"Oh, shut it, pixie. I've still got my final option."
"Earth Death in three minutes." The computer broadcasts as Cassandra carries on, "And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn."
"Then you'll burn with us." Jabe points out as Cassandra sends a fake smile her way.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders, activate." There's a series of explosions throughout the Platform. "Forcefields gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me."
"Safety systems failing."
"Bye, bye, darlings. Bye, bye, my darlings." Cassandra and her attendants beam out as the computer continues it's warnings, the fear in the room rising.
"Reset the computer." The Moxx orders as Jabe admits that only the steward knows how.
"No. We can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch. Sage, Jabe, come on. You lot, just chill." The Doctor utters before running out, grabbing his companions hand and they return to the engine room amid the rising heat.
"Heat levels critical." The computer rings out as Sage, Jabe and the Doctor make it back to the engine room. The fans spinning dangerously in between them and the switch they need. "Oh. And guess where the switch is." The Doctor scoffs.
"Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising." The Doctor pulls a breaker lever and the fans slow a little but it resets as soon as he lets go of it. Sage eyes the fans, knowing she could make it through them even at the faster speed but, not wanting to admit to what she is, she waits for the Doctor to work something out. The last thing she needs is an angry mob coming after her during all of this crap. "External temperature five thousand degrees."
Jabe then grabs the breaker and holds it down. "You can't. The heat's going to vent through this place." The Doctor argues as Sage comes up next to Jabe.
"I know."
"Jabe, you're made of wood." Sage mentions next to her, watching the heat get to her.
"Then stop wasting time, Time Lord." She shouts at the Timelord before he turns and makes his way past the fans. Sage, knowing Jabe couldn't hold on, tilts her chin to meet her cold eyes before speaking. "What are you..."
"Let me do it. You were hurt and couldn't continue." Sage compels as the two swap places, Sage holding down the lever as it burns her hands and she watches them heal over and over as she keeps burning. She growls as Jabe watches her curiously. She catches the trees eye, "Don't mention this to anyone."
"Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising." The Doctor makes his way past the first fan, looking back afterwards and seeing Sage on the floor as the smell of burning flesh reaches him and speeds up, wanting to get back to the girl quickly. "Heat levels critical. Heat levels critical." He hurries past the second fan and Sage hears his hearts beating as she focuses on holding down the lever. She was going to gorge herself on someone after this.
"He doesn't know, does he?" Jabe whispers, placing a hand on the girls shoulder.
Growling at her, Sage asks, "No."
"What are you?" She wonders as Sage's eyes flash red for a second.
"Nothing you need to worry yourself about." She grits out, making sure that she heals up but not too much as to make anyone aware of what she was.
Jabe begins to feel the heat, as Sage watches her carefully. Knowing she would have combusted by now, she watches the Timelord slip past the last fan as the computer counts down and as it counts to four, he dashes for the reset breaker, shouting, "Raise shields!" as the temperature begins to quickly drop and the fans slow down enough for the Doctor to easily walk back through as Sage lets go, making sure her healing pauses itself with a lot of strength and will power. Her blood drips from scarred hands and she growls at the pain. It wasn't the worst she's had but certainly wasn't pleasant either way.
"Thank you." Jabe whispers as the Doctor returns.
"Sage..." The Timelord whispers as he takes her hands. "Why..."
"She's wood, she would have caught fire from the heat." She explains offhandedly, pulling herself away. "I'll heal, it's just burns."
"Let me go over it on the TARDIS. I have something for it." She nods her head as he pulls her by the arm gently, making their way back to the observation gallery.
They walk back into the room, Sage cradling her hands to her as Rose comes in and fusses over them when she catches up and Sage struggles to contain herself. It takes a lot of control and strength to keep the healing at bay. Control she really needed to stop herself draining the timelord and human. She eyes the Moxx of Balhoon, who had been fried by the glare from the sun as the Doctor takes Jabe over to her escorts.
"Are you okay?" Rose whispers as Sage just nods.
"I'll heal, I'll stick a bandage over it in the TARDIS." She says before turning to the Doctor.
"Does it hurt?" Rose asks quietly.
"Like a bitch." Sage forces through.
"You know... I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby." The Doctor states angrily, smashing the supposed ostrich egg, it reveals a small device, "Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed."
He uses his sonic screwdriver and Cassandra is beamed back in, "Oh." She says as she smiles innocently.
"The last human." The Doctor announces as Sage looks at the blood tank hooked up to her greedily.
"So, you passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join, er, the Human Club." She explains, despeRation gripping her voice.
"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them." The Doctor says, and Sage struggles to find a reason to care about the deaths. God knows she had taken many in her life. That's how it worked. That was life for her.
"It depends on your definition of people, and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile and cry and flutter." Cassandra drawls out and sage thinks, she would have been fun to hang with in any other situation.
"And creak?" The Doctor admits, as Rose and Sage see the cracks start to spread on the so-called humans skin.
"And what?" She squeaks out as she becomes drier and drier.
"Creak. You're creaking."
"What? Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturise me, moisturise me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" She screams as Sage tilts her head in morbid fascination.
"You raised the temperature." The Doctor adds cold-heartedly, as Sage gets a glimpse of a man who may not be as innocent as she thought.
"Have pity! Moisturise me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I'm sorry. I'll do anything." Cassandra begs, as she becomes drier and drier, cracks spreading throughout like a broken vase.
"Help her." Rose begs, not used to death, especially not like this.
"Everything has its time and everything dies." He admitted, watching Cassandra with cold dark eyes.
"I'm too young!" She screams, Sage rolls her eyes before she explodes, and pieces of skin cover the rest of the guests. Her eyes darken a little at the now unused blood, but remembering what the Face of Boe told her, she'd have her chance to taste it another time. The rest of the guests leave soon after, leaving only the trio of travellers left on the observation deck, watching the asteroids that were once Earth float past the giant red Sun.
"The end of the Earth. It's gone. We were too busy saving ourselves. No one saw it go. All those years, all that history, and no one was even looking. It's just..." Rose says, unsettled by the sight.
"Come with me." The Doctor says, pulling Sage with him as the teenager follows sullenly.
He leads them into the TARDIS before flying them to a new destination and pulls them out again onto the busy streets of London, 2005. A baby cries somewhere nearby, Sage turning her head to the young mother struggling with the child as a man laughs on his phone as he walks past them. Rose and The Doctor stand in the middle of the bustling crowd of people, going about with their daily lives.
"Big Issue! Big Issue!" They hear a man shout.
"You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky. My planet's gone. It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust before its time." The Doctor admits to the two girls, Sage standing next to him as she sees the grief take over him.
"What happened?" She asks as he turns his dark blue gaze to meet her icy eyes.
"There was a war and we lost." He uttered, holding her gaze.
"A war with who? What about your people?" Rose wondered as Sage looked back to the girl.
"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own 'cos there's no one else." He mentions, looking down, unable to meet their gazes of pity.
"There's us." Rose says as she walks closer. Sage feels for the man... To lose your whole race and home.. It was something she couldn't relate to. Yet, she struggled to also allow the new information to make her not want to kill either of them. Sage Evans was well aware she was a selfish being.
"You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" The Doctor asks the two as Sage smirks to herself before turning to him and shaking her head.
"I'd like to stay." She admits, watching him as he turns to Rose and her eyes return to his jugular.
"I don't know. I want. Oh, can you smell chips?" Rose gets carried off by the smell, grease and fat coming from a shop down the road.
"Yeah. Yeah." The alien grins, laughing at the turn in conversation.
"I want chips." She says as she watches the other two playfully.
"Me too." The alien laughs.
"Sage?"
"I'm starving, so let's go." She admits, shaking her head at the young girl.
"Right then, before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay." Rose points to the Doctor as she grins cheekily, winking at the man as Sage stifles a laugh.
"No money." The Doctor admits, oblivious to the flirting by the younger girl.
"What sort of date are you?" She comes closer to him, smiling with a tongue in her teeth.
"I'll pay. Come on you two." Sage adds. "Let's go."
Rose turns towards the chip shop before the Doctor mentions something else. "I want to sort your hands out first." He turns to the girl and nods to the TARDIS. "We'll meet you there, only be five." Sage hands a twenty to the girl then.
"Get whatever you want." She says as the girl turns into the shop, allowing the Timelord to drag her in.
He pulls her through the Tardis, a hand firm on her upper bicep, until they reach an infirmary type place, the smell of medicine and sterile air unpleasant to the woman. "Let me have a look at your hands." He asks as she sits on a white pristine hospital bed and he stands in front, holding her hands out gently as she takes a harsh breath at the pain. "You'll be fine." he admits, turning to spray some stinging spray on her hands. "Give it a few days, this will heal the broken skin." He wraps the hands then, taking care to not hurt her further. Sage stays silent, letting him do it quickly before they leave and meet Rose at the shop. Letting her hands heal themselves now too, she finds herself hungry for more than chips.
Sitting down at a table in the shop, her and the Doctor order as she hands over the money and while waiting for her food, spots a young woman walking into the bathroom, and excuses herself. Following the woman in, she waits to ensure no-one else enters the dirty room and waiting for the woman to finish, she spots her coming out of the stall and waits for her to wash her hands before meeting her eyes in the mirror and smirking.
Without turning her head, her pupils dilate. "Don't scream. Don't fight back. Just freeze." Turning her head, her fangs drop down as veins spread underneath her eyes and she bites into the skin, the woman standing still due to the compulsion, not able to move a muscle. After taking enough mouthfuls, Sage pulls away, grinning as she bites into her own wrist and moves it to her mouth. "Drink."
As she finishes up, she cleans herself and her prey up before turning back to her frozen gaze. "You'll forget this happened. You didn't see me. Now leave."
The woman turns out as she shakes herself out of her daze, unaware of what just happened. Sage watches herself in the mirror, checking her now healed hands before grinning and turning back out, making her way to the chips that awaited her and her new prey.