Hey guys so here you go! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. I just wanted to say a quick thank you to you all for reading my store and adding it to your favorites. It makes my heart happy to know people like it. :)


Harper's POV

"Open fire!" Mr. Jefferson yelled. The guard and Mr. Jefferson quickly shot down the Ood making it safe for the moment.

"We're stabilizing, we've got orbit," Zack said.

I was about to follow Rose over to the comm. but stop and asked, "We lost orbit? When?"

"Doctor? Doctor, can you hear me? Doctor, Ida, are you there?" Rose yelled into the comm. but we heard nothing but static.

We all turned quickly when the door started to open, but then Danny walked in hold up his hands in defense, "It's me! But they're coming. It's the Ood. They've gone mad."

"How many of them?" Mr. Jefferson asked.

"All of them, all 50."

"Oh, well that's just great!" I said sarcastically.

"Danny, out of the way. Out the way!" Mr. Jefferson pushed Danny out of in front of the door.

"But they're armed. It's the interface device. I don't know how, but they're using it as a weapon," Danny said.

"Wait, that weird ball thing, they talk out of?" I asked him.

"Yes."

Mr. Jefferson ignored him and opened the door, but once the door was open one of the Ood used the interface device to shock the guard killing her.

They shut the door quickly and sealed it.

"Jefferson," Zack called over the PA. "What's happening there?"

"I've got very little ammunition, sir. How about you?"

"All I've got is a bolt-gun with uh, all of one bolt." Zack sounded annoyed, "I could take out a grand total of one Ood. Fat lot of good that is."

"Given the emergency, I recommend strategy nine," Mr. Jefferson said.

"Strategy nine agreed. Right, we need to get everyone together. Rose, Harper, what about Ida and the Doctor? Any word?"

'Doctor, you guys ok? Doctor?' I tried to find the Doctor but something was blocking it.

Rose sounded almost like she was about to cry, "I can't get a reply. Just nothing. I keep trying, but it's…"

"No, sorry," the Doctor cut her off. "I'm fine. Still here!"

"You could have said, you stupid…" What every Rose was about to say was drowned out by loud feed back.

"Whoa, careful! Anyway, it's both of us, me and Ida. Hello!" I gave a sigh of relief knowing he was okay, but why could I not connect with him? "But the seal opened up. It's gone. All we've got left is this chasm."

"How deep is it?" Zack asked.

"Can't tell. Looks like it goes down forever."

"The Pit is open. That's what the voice said," Rose whispered.

"But there's nothing. I mean there's nothing coming out?" Zack asked.

"No, no, no. No sign of the Beast."

"It said Satan," Rose said.

"Come on, Rose. Keep it together," the Doctor said.

"Is there no such thing? Doctor? Doctor, tell me there's no such thing."

I stayed quiet thinking about all of this; just trying to remember what I have forgotten.

"Ida, I recommend that you withdraw immediately," Zack commended.

"But we've come all this way," she argued.

"Okay, that was an order. Withdraw! When that thing opened, the whole planet shifted. One more inch and we fall into the black hole, so this thing stops right now!"

"But it's not much better up there with the Ood."

"I'm initiating strategy nine. So I need the two of you back up top immediately. No… Ida? Ida?"

Ida must have shut the communications down because all we heard back was static. But it wasn't long till the Doctor said, "Harper, Rose, were coming back."

I was so relived to hear that and Rose said, "Best news I've heard all day." She turned to look at me but Mr. Jefferson got both of our attention by raising his gun to point it at Toby. "What are you doing?"

"He's infected. He brought that thing on board," Mr. Jefferson said. "You saw it."

"Are you gonna start shooting your own people now?" I asked.

"Is that what you're gonna do? Is it?" Rose asked him.

"If necessary."

"Well, then you'll have to shoot me, if necessary." She said as she stepped in between Toby and Mr. Jefferson. "So what's it gonna be? Look at his face. Whatever it was, it's gone. It passed into the Ood. You saw it happen. He's clean."

I have had a bad feeling about Toby since we first got here, and now… well it was even more so. I don't think Rose is right on this one.

"Any sign of trouble, I shoot him."

Rose went over to Toby while I help Danny and Mr. Jefferson get set up to bring the capsule back up.

"Okay, we're in. Bring us up," Ida said.

"Ascension in 3, 2, 1."


The Doctor's POV

When Mr. Jefferson said 1, all the lights went out and Ida and I heard someone say, "This is the darkness. This is my domain." We watched a video of the Ood come up on the screen. "You little things that live in the light. Clinging to you feeble suns which die in the end…"

"That's not the Ood, something is talking through them," Zack said.

"Only the darkness remains," the Ood contuined.

"This is Captain Zachary Cross Flane of Sanctuary Base 6, representing the Torchwood Archive. You will identify yourself."

"You know my name."

"What do you want?" Zack asked.

"You will die here, all of you. This planet is your grave."

"It's him. It's him. It's him," I could faintly heard Toby mumble.

"If you are the Beast," I started talking trying to find out more about this 'Beast'. "Then answer me this. Which one, hmm? 'Cause the universe has been busy since you've been gone. There's more religions than there are planets in the sky. The Arkiphets, Quoldonity, Christianity, Pash Pash, Neo-Judaism, San Claur, the Church of the Tin Vagabond. Which devil are you?"

"All of them."

"What, then you're the truth behind the myth?"

"This one knows me as I know him. The killer of his own kind."

That one hurt more than I cared to admit.

"How did you end up on this rock?" Harper asked. 'Harper you guys okay up there?' I asked trying to connect but something was blocking me from finding her.

"The Disciples of the Light rose up against me and chained me in the Pit for all eternity."

"When was this?" She asked, and I had to say she was doing a good job and find out the facts.

"Before time."

"What does that mean?" I asked, very confused.

"Before time."

"What did 'before time' mean?"

"Before time and light and space and matter. Before the cataclysm. Before this universe was created."

"That's impossible," Harper and I said at the same time, and then I said, "no life could have existed back then."

"Is that your religion?"

"It's a belief."

"You know nothing. All of you, so small. The captain so scared of command. The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife. The scientist still running from daddy. The little boy who lied, the virgin, the odd girl so out of place, who will be burnt by the light within, and the lost girl. So far away from home. The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon."

My mind immediately went to Harper and Rose, what did the Beast mean? I was worried about them.

Rose then asked, "Doctor, what does that mean?"

"Rose, don't listen."

"What does it mean?" She asked again.

"You will die and I will live." The image on the screen changed to one of a beast that roared loudly.

"What was that?" Danny asked.

"I had that thing inside my head?" Toby asked.

"Doctor, what did it mean?" Rose asked.

"What do we do?" Danny asked frantically.

Mr. Jefferson calmly said, "Captain, what's the situation with strategy nine?"

Toby was still talking and I only catch bits of what he was saying, "… the black hole, everything's true!"

"We've lost pictures," Zack said.

Rose asked, "How did it know…"

"Did anyone get an analysis?" Ida said.

"Jefferson," Zack called.

"Stop," I tried, "everyone, just stop!"

"What do we do?"

"Report…"

"SHUT IT!" Harper yelled at the top of her lungs over everyone. I could only guess it was giving her a headache from everyone talking at once. She was not one for loud and noise situations.

I quickly started talking before she had to say anything. "If you want voices in the dark, then listen to mine. That thing is playing on very basic fears. Darkness, childhood, nightmares, all that stuff."

"But that's how the Devil works," Danny said.

"Or a good psychologist," I countered.

"How did it know about my father?" Ida asked.

"Okay, but what makes his version of the truth any better than mine, hmm? 'Cause I'll tell you what I can see. Humans. Brilliant humans. Humans who travel all the way across space. Fly in a tiny little rocket right into the orbit of a black hole, just for the sake of discovery. That's amazing! Do you hear me? Amazing. All of you. The captain, his officer, his elder, his juniors, his friends. All with one advantage the Beast is alone, we are not. If we can use that to fight against him…"

I never got to finish my speech because right then the cable snapped.

"The cable's snapped!" Ida said.

I pushed her out of the capsule saying "Get out!"

We quickly got away from the capsule, and then the cable came crashing down. Once the dust and rock settled I got up and looked at the capsule, which was complete destroyed.

"How much air have we got?" I asked Ida.

"Sixty minutes." Ida relooked at her wrist saying, "fifty-five."

My only thought at that moment was hoping Harper would be okay.


Harper's POV

Mr. Jefferson and I run to the tunnel opening as Rose yelled into the comms. "Doctor, we lost the cable. Doctor, are you all right? Doctor?"

"Comms. are down," Zack said.

"Doctor, can you hear me?" Rose tired again.

"I've still got life-signs, but we've lost the capsule."

"Say something! Are you there?" Rose kept trying.

"There's no way out, they're stuck down there," Zack informed us.

I fell to my knees and cried silently. First the TARDIS and now the Doctor, I was losing all my family.


"But we've got to bring them back," Rose challenged.

"They're ten miles down. We haven't got another ten miles of cable," Mr. Jefferson said.

"Well, that wasn't very smart now was it?" I asked a little bit angry at this whole situation.

Mr. Jefferson just gave me a look but before he could say anything a loud thud came from the door, "Captain, situation report?"

"It's the Ood. They're cutting through the door bolts. They're breaking in."

"Yes, same on door 25," Jefferson said.

"How long is it gonna take?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's only a basic frame. Should take 10 minutes." We heard another bolt being cut, "eight" Jefferson corrected.

"I've got a security frame, might last a bit longer but that doesn't help you," Zack said.

"Lovely, what else could go right today?" I asked sarcastically.

"Right," Rose started, "so we need to stop them or get out or both."

Another thud sounded.

"I'll take both, yeah? But how?" Danny asked.

"You heard the Doctor. Why do you think that thing cut him off?"

"'Cause he was making sense," I answered Rose.

"Yes! Thank you! He was telling you to think your way out of this. Come on!" The Ood got another bolt cut. "For starters, we need some lights, Zack, there's got to be some sort of power somewhere."

The thud of the bolt echoed in my head.

"There's nothing I can do. Some Captain! Stuck in here, pressing buttons."

How many more bolts were left?

"That's it!" I said, "That's what the Doctor meant. Press the right buttons."

"They've gutted the generators," there went another thud. "But the rocket's got an independent supply. If I could revote that… Mr. Jefferson, open the bypass conduits. Override the safety."

"Opening bypass conduits, sir."

"Channelling rocket feed. In 3, 2, 1. Power."

"YES!" I cheered and Rose started clapping, "there we go!"

"Let there be light," Mr. Jefferson said.

"What about that strategy nine thing?" Rose asked.

"Not enough power, needs 100%," Jefferson informed.

"So, we need a way out," I said. "Zack, Mr. Jefferson you start working on that."

"Toby, what about you?" Rose asked.

"I'm not a soldier. I can't do anything."

"No, you're the archaeologist." I giggled lightly remembering something the Doctor said about archaeologist, but got a look from Rose, that said to be quiet.

"Sorry," I said turning away but still listening.

"What do you know about the Pit?" She asked.

"Nothing, we can't even translate the language."

"Right," Rose said giving up on him.

"Hold on. Maybe…"

"What is it?" She asked.

"Since that thing was inside my head, it's like the letters make more sense."

"Well, get to work. Anything you can translate, just, anything. As for you Danny boy, you're in charge of the Ood." Rose said as she walked over to him. "Any way of stopping them?"

"Well, I don't know."

"Then find out. The sooner we get control of the base, the sooner we can get the Doctor out. Now get going shift."


The Doctor's POV

"We've got all this cable," Ida started, "we might as well use it. The drum is disconnected. We could adapt it. Feed it through."

"And then what?" I asked. I was still trying to connect with Harper, getting more worried the longer I couldn't.

"Abseil into the Pit."

"Abseil, right."

"We're running out of air with no way back." Ida said. "It's the only thing we can do. Even if it's the last thing we ever achieve."

"I'll get back. Harper is up there."

"And Rose," Ida said with a raise eyebrow.

"Yes, yes, of course and Rose."

She looked amused for a second but did not comment on it. "Well, maybe the key to that is finding out what's in the Pit."

"Well, it's half of a good plan," I said.

"What's the other half?"

"I go down, not you." Harper is going to kill me.


Harper's POV

I was so going to kill the Doctor. I don't know why but I had a feeling he was doing something that would get himself into more trouble.

"Open Junctions five, six, seven," Mr. Jefferson said as we heard another thud. "Reroute filters 16 to 24. Go."

"There's all sorts of viruses that could stop the Ood." Danny said. I came up beside him and Rose stood on the other side. "Trouble is, we haven't got them on board."

"Well, that's handy," Rose said sarcastically. "Listing things we haven't got."

"We don't have a swimming pool either," I added.

"Or a Tesco's," Rose agreed.

Danny ignored us and kept on typing. "Oh my, it says yes! I can do it. Hypothetically, if you flip the monitor, broadcast a flare, it can disrupt the telepathy. Brainstorm!"

"What happens to the Ood?" Rose asked.

"It'll tank them, spark-out!"

I felt sad for the Ood. I didn't want to see them hurt.

"There we are, then. Do it!" Rose said happly.

"I know, but… I'd have to transmit from the central monitor. We need to go to Ood Habitation."

We heard another thud.

"Oh course we do, well then we'll do just that." I said walking over to Mr Jefferson. "Mr. Jefferson sir, anyway out?"

"Just about. There's a network of maintenance tunnels running underneath the base. We should be able to gain access from here."

"Ventilation shafts?" Rose asked.

"I appreciate the reference, but there's no ventilation. No air, in fact, at all. They were designed for machines, not life forms."

"Perfect! Don't happen to have enough of those space suits, do you?" I asked.

Another thud sounded.

"No," Zack called over the PA. "But I can manipulate the oxygen field from here, create discrete pockets of atmosphere. If I control it manually, I can follow you through the network."

"Right. So we go down and you make the air follow us by hand?" Rose said.

"You wanted me pressing buttons," Zack said.

I laughed as Rose said, "Yep we asked for it. Okay, we need to get to Ood habitation. Work out a route."

I just hope we get out of here and soon; I want to be with my Doctor again.


The Doctor's POV

"That should hold it. How's it going?" Ida asked me.

I had on a harness that was connected to the cable from the capsule and slowly making my way back to the Pit opening.

"Fine. Should work. Doesn't feel like such a good idea now." I started thinking about what Harper would have to say about this but when I got to the opening I knew I would go down. "Hmm, there it is again. That itch. Go down, go down, go down, go down!"

"The urge to jump," Ida said. "Do you know where it comes from, that sensation? Genetic heritage. Ever since we were primates in the trees. It's our body's way of testing us, calculating whether or not we can reach the next branch."

"No, that's not it. That's too kind. It's not the urge to jump. It's deeper than that. It's the urge to fall," and with that I pushed off the side of the Pit falling backwards.

"Doctor!" Ida yelled stopping the cable and myself from going any farther. "You okay?"

"Not bad, thanks. The wall of the Pit seems to be the same as the cavern, just not much of it. There's a crust about 20 feet down and then… nothing just the Pit. Okay, then, lower me down."

"Well, here we go then."


Harper's POV

"Danny!" Rose yelled. We were about to go into the maintenance tunnels but Danny was still working on the computer.

"Hold on, just conforming."

"Danny, we've got to go now," Jefferson said. The Ood cut through another bolt. "Come on."

"There! Put that in the monitor and it's a bad time to be an Ood." Danny said running over to us.

"We're coming back. We've coming back to this room and we're getting the Doctor out," Rose said.

"Danny, you go first," Mr. Jefferson started giving orders. "Then Miss Tyler, then Miss Harper, then Toby. I'll go last in defensive position. Now come on, quick as you can!"

Once I got into the tunnels, I was hit but a horrid smell.

"It stinks," Rose said to which I agreed with her. "You all right?" She asked Danny.

"Yeah, laughing, which way do we go?" Danny asked Zack.

"Just go straight ahead. Keep going till I say so."

As we were crawling through the tunnel Rose said, "not your best angle, Danny."

"Oi, stop it."

"Well, mine's pretty good," Toby commented from behind me.

"Hey, stop it!" I said trying to turn and hit him. "Of all the days to wear a skirt."

"You wear skirts most of the time," Rose said.

"True, but still!"

"Straight on till you find junction 7.1. Keep breathing. I'm feeding you air. I've got you."

"We're at 7.1, sir," Danny said.

"Okay, I've got you. I'm just aerating the next section."

"Getting kind of cramped, sir. Can't you hurry up?" Danny complained.

"I'm working on half power here."

I had to agree with Danny; it was getting hard to breath, but complaining was doing him no good.

"Stop complaining," Mr. Jefferson said.

"Mr. Jefferson said stop complaining," Rose told Danny.

"I heard."

"He heard," she said back to Mr. Jefferson. I was finding this whole situation rather humorous.

"The air's getting a bit thin," Toby started complaining.

"He's complaining now," Rose told Mr. Jefferson.

"I heard."

I started laugh and everyone turned to look at me. "What's so funny?" Toby asked.

"I have no idea. This situation is just funny to me; it's either laugh or cry. So I choose to laugh."

"Danny, is that you?" Rose asked all of the sudden.

"I'm not exactly happy."

"I'm just moving the air. I've got to oxygenate the next section. Now, keep calm or it's gonna feel worse."

We heard rattling from somewhere in the tunnel. Mr. Jefferson turned to point his gun the way we had come from.

"What was that?" Danny asked. He was getting on my nerves a bit.

"Mr. Jefferson, what was that?" Rose asked.

"What was that noise?" Toby said.

"Captain, what was that?" Mr. Jefferson asked Zack.

"The junction in Habitation 5 has been opened. It must be the Ood. They're in the tunnels."

"Oh that's just great!" I said.

"Open the gate!" Danny said.

"He needs to get the air in!" I said trying to keep everyone calm.

"Just open it, sir!" Danny said.

"Where are they? Are they close?" Rose asked.

"I can't tell. I can't see them. The computer doesn't register Ood as proper life forms."

"Who thought that was a good idea?" I asked the same time Rose asked, "Whose idea was that?"

"Open the gate!" Danny screamed and then Zack opened the gate.

"Danny, turn left, immediate left!"

"The Ood sir, can't you trap them? Cut off the air?" Mr. Jefferson asked.

"Not without cutting off yours. Danny, turn right, go right. Go faster. They're gonna catch up."

"I'll maintain defensive position." Mr. Jefferson said as he stop and turn the other direction.

"NO!" I yelled and Rose said, "you can't stop!"

"Miss Tyler, Miss Harper, that's my job. You've got your task, now see to it."

"You heard what he said, now shift!" Toby said pushing Rose and I forward.

"8.2, open 8.2! Zack, open 8.2!" Danny yelled.

"I've got to aerate it."

"Open it now!"

"I'm trying!"

Danny started to bang on the gate so I reached over Rose and slapped Danny, "calm down now! Freaking out is not helping anything!"

"Zack, get it open!" Toby said and I gave him a look that said 'really you're gonna start now?'

"Jefferson, I've got to open 8.2 by closing 8.1. You've got to get past the junction, now move! That's an order, now move! I'm gonna lose oxygen, Jefferson. I can't stop the automatics!"

Finally the gate started to open. "That's it, come on, come on!"

"Danny, turn left and head for 9.2. That's the last one. Jefferson, you've got to move faster! John! Move! Move!"

I turned around and saw Mr. Jefferson was almost there, "Mr. Jefferson, come on. Just a bit farther!"

"Keep going!" Toby said pushing me forward. I really wanted to punch him for pushing me again.

"I regret to inform you, sir, I was a bit slow. Not so fast these days," we heard Jefferson say.

"I can't open 8.1, John. Not without losing air for the others."

"And quite right, too, sir. I think I bought them a little time."

Rose, Danny, Toby, and I all remained quiet listening to them. But I was crying a little at it.

"There's nothing I can do, John. I'm sorry."

"You've done enough, sir. Made a very good Captain under the circumstances. Might I ask if you can't add oxygen to this section, can you speed up the process of its removal?"

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"Well, if I might choose the manner of my departure, sir, lack of air seems more natural than, well… let's say, death by Ood. I'd appreciate it, sir."

"Godspeed, Mr. Jefferson."

"Thank you, sir."

We all remained quiet for a second then Zack said, "Report Officer John Maynard Jefferson, PKD… deceased, with honours, 43K 2.1."

"Zack, we're at the final junction, 9.2," Danny said quietly. "And, uh, if my respects could be on record, he saved our lives."

"Noted, opening 9.2"

Just as 9.2 was opening we saw Ood on the other side. "Lower 9.2!" Rose yelled, "Zack, lower it!"

"Back, back, back!" Danny said as we tried to get away.

"We can't go back. Look, 8.2's sealed off. We're stuck!" Toby said.

"Come on! Up!" Rose said as she took off the grate above her. Danny and I quickly followed her, but Toby was taking his time. "Come on. Toby, come on! Toby, get out of there!"

"Help me. Help me!" He yelled.

I still didn't trust Toby; he was up to something.

More Ood start for us; "It's this way!" Danny said and off we went.

"Hurry up!" Zack said.

We finally made it to Ood habitation and Rose said, "get it in!"

"Danny, get it done," Toby said.

I was still sad that they were so willing to kill these poor creatures just to save themselves.

"Transmit!" Rose said.

"I'm trying, I'm trying. I'm getting it in…"

"Stop them!" Toby said.

"Danny, get that thing transmitting." The Ood that were in the room with us were getting dangerously close. I stepped in front of Rose trying to keep her safe.

The Ood suddenly grabbed there heads and fell to the ground, "you did it," Rose said. "We did it!"

"Yes! Oh, yes!" They cheer hugging each other. I just watched from over to the side.

"Zack, we did it. The Ood are down! Now we've got to get the Doctor," Rose said.

"I'm on my way."

I wasn't sure what it was, but we were missing something. Something big.


The Doctor's POV

As I abseil into the Pit I explained the history of the 'Beast' to Ida.

"You get representations of the horned beast right across the universe, in the myths and legends of a million worlds. Earth, Draconia, Vel Consadine. Daemos, the Kaled god of War. It's the same image over and over again. Maybe that idea came from somewhere, bleeding through. A thought at the back of every sentient mind."

"Emanating from here?" Ida asked.

"Could be."

"But if this is the original, does that make it real? Does that make it the actual Devil, though?"

"Well, if that's what you want to believe. Maybe that's what the Devil is in the end, an idea."

I stopped going down and Ida said, "That's it. That's all we've got. You getting any sort of read out?"

"Nothing." I looked around but there was nothing to see. "Could be miles to go yet. Or" I stopped for a second, "it could be 30 feet. There's no way of telling. I could survive 30 feet."

"Oh no you don't. I'm pulling you back up." Ida said started to bring me back up, but I stopped it before I got any farther. "What are you doing?"

"You bring me back, we're just gonna sit there and run out of air. I've got to go down."

"But you can't. Doctor, you can't."

"Call it an act of faith," I said unhooking one of the clamps.

"I don't want to die on my own."

"I know." I thought back to Harper and how she will be alone as I unhooked another clamp.


Harper's POV

We ran back to the room where the drill shaft was and Rose went straight to the comms.

"Doctor, are you there? Doctor, Ida, can you hear me?"

"The comms are still down. I can patch them through the central desk and boost the signal. Just give me a minute," Zack said coming over to us.

'Doctor, please, please be okay!'


The Doctor's POV

As I unhooked one clamp I asked, "I didn't ask. Have you got any sort of faith?"

"Not really. I was brought up Neo-Classic Congregational. Because of my mum, she was… my old mum. But, no, I never believed."

"Neo-Classics. Have they got a devil?"

"No, not as such. Just, um… the things that men do."

"Same thing in the end."

"What about you?"

"I believe… I believe I haven't seen everything, I don't know. It's funny, isn't it? The things you make up, the rules. If that thing had said it came from beyond the universe, I'd believe it, but before the universe? Impossible. Doesn't fit my rule. Still that's why I keep traveling. To be proved wrong. Thank you, Ida."

"Don't go!" She said suddenly.

"If they get back in touch… if you talk to Harper, just tell her… tell her…oh, she knows." This is not the way to tell Harper that I love her; no it has to be from me.


Harper's POV

"Doctor, are you there? Doctor, Ida, can you hear me? Are you there, Doctor?" Rose called.

"He's gone," we heard Ida say quietly. My heart stopped for a second when I heard that.

"What do you mean, he's gone?"

"He fell… into the Pit. And I don't know how deep it is, miles and miles, and miles."

"He didn't fell on accident, did he?" I asked where Ida could hear me.

"I couldn't stop him," she said. "He said your name, Harper." At this I broke. I fell to my knees as tears flowed freely.

Zack gently took the comm. out of Rose's hand saying, "I'm sorry. Ida? There's no way of reaching you. No cable, no backup. You're ten miles down. We can't get there."

"You should see this place, Zack. It's beautiful. I wanted to discover things, and here I am."

"We've got to abandon the base. I'm declaring this mission unsafe. All we can do is make sure no one ever comes here again."

"But we'll never find out what it was," Ida argued.

"Well, maybe that's best."

"Yeah."

"Officer Scott…"

"It's all right. Just go, good luck," Ida said.

"And you. Danny, Toby, close down the feed-links. Get the retrotopes online. Then get to the rocket and strap yourselves in. We've leaving."

"I'm not going," Rose said.

"Rose, there's space for you and Harper."

"No, I'm gonna wait for the Doctor, just like he'd wait for me."

I slow stood up; Rose and I may not get along all the time, but she is all I have left. "And I'm not leaving without Rose. We stick together no matter what."

She grabbed my hand in thanks as Zack said, "I'm sorry, but he's dead."

"No he's not. Trust me I'd know," I said. I just had to believe that.

Rose agreed with me saying, "You don't know him. 'Cause he's not. I'm telling you, he's not. And even if he was, how could we leave him all on his own, all the way down there? No, I'm… we're gonna stay."

"Then I apologise for this. Danny, Toby, make them secure."

Danny grabbed Rose's arms while Toby grabbed mine. We were both struggling to get free. "No! No! No! Stop, no! Let me go! Get off me! I'm not leaving! No!" Rose kept yelling while I stayed quiet.

Zack used some kind of medicine that knocked Rose out. "I have lost too many people. I am not leaving you two behind."

"What did you do?" I yelled.

"Nothing harmful, but you said you would stay with Rose, now that she is going with us you will too. Let's get her on board." Zack picked Rose up in a fireman's lift while Toby kept a tight hold of my arm.

As we walked through the hallways we had to step around the Ood that were on the ground. "Did that one just move?" Toby asked suddenly.

We watched as the Ood slowly started to move, "It's the telepathic field. It's reasserting itself," Danny said.

"Move it," Zack said. "Get to the rocket! Move!"


The Doctor's POV

When I woke up I was laying facedown on the ground. My helm was broken and for a second I freaked out thinking I would have no air to breathe, but somehow there was air down here.

"I'm breathing." I pulled off my broken helm. "Air cushion to support the fall. You can breathe down here, Ida. Can you hear me, Ida?"


Harper's POV

I sat in the set next to Zack on the rocket, while Rose, Toby, and Danny sat behind us. I had my arms crossed in anger.

"Dislocating B clamp, C clamp. Raising Blu-Nitro to maximum. Toby, how's the Negapact feed-line."

"Clear, ready to go, sir. Get us out of here!"

"Yippee," I said sarcastically. "I'm so glad I get to travel with you up standing citizens."

"Are you going to be this way the entire ride home?" Zack asked.

"Yep, get used to it!"

"Captain, I think we're gonna have another problem passenger," Danny said.

"Keep an eye on her."

"Rosie, you okay?" I asked turned to look at her as much as I could.

"It's all, right, Rose. We're safe," Danny said.

"I'm not going anywhere!" She kept trying to get herself unbuckled. "Get me out of this thing. Get me out!"

"And lift out!" Zack yelled, and I felt the tears start to come down. I was leaving behind my Doctor.


The Doctor's POV

I heard a noise from far above me and stood up, "the rocket."

I knew Rose and Harper were on the rocket and I thought back to the last time I saw Harper. I didn't even hug her goodbye, and now… now she is gone.


Harper's POV

Rose suddenly grabbed the bolt gun in front of her "take me back to the planet. Take me back!"

"Or what?" Zack asked not turning around to look at her.

"Or I'll shoot."

"Rose" I said in shock.

Zack turned to look at her, "Would you, though? Would you really? Is that what your Doctor would want?"

"Rose give me the gun," I said softly, and after a moment of hesitation she handed it to me.

"I'm sorry, but it's too late anyway. Take a look outside. We can't turn back. This is what the Doctor would have wanted. Isn't that right?" Zack said.


The Doctor's POV

"History of some big battle," I said as I looked at the cave painting down here. "Man against Beast. I don't know if you're getting this, Ida. Hope so. Anyway, they defeated the Beast and imprisoned it."

I turned around seeing two vases on top of small pillars. "And maybe that's the key. Or the gate or the bars."

When I touch the first one both started to glow. I walking in between them and saw what could only be describe as… "the Beast."


Harper's POV

Toby started to laugh lightly making us very confused.

"What's the joke?" Danny asked.

"Just… we make it. We escaped. We actually did it."

"Not all of us," Rose said.

"We're not out of it yet. We're still the first people in history to fly away from a black hole," Zack informed. "Toby, read me the stats."

"Gravity funnel holding, sir. Oh, it's holding."

Something was wrong with him, I just didn't know what.


The Doctor's POV

"I accept that you exist," I told the Beast who was gigantic and chained up. "I don't have to accept what you are. But your physical existence, I give you that. I don't understand I was expected down here. I was given a safe landing and air. You need me for something. What for?"

The Beast just kept growling and not saying anything. "Have I got to… I don't know, beg an audience or… is there a ritual? Some sort of incantation or summons or spell? All these things I don't believe in, are they real? Speak to me! Tell me!" I yelled.

The Beast never said a word, just growled.

"You won't talk or… you can't talk. Hold on, hold on. Wait a minute. Just let me… oh! No, Yes! No. Think it through. You spoke before, I heard your voice. An intelligent voice. No, more than that. Brilliant! But looking at you now, all I can see… is beast. The animal, just the body. You're just the body, the physical form. What's happened to your mind, hmm? Where's it gone? Where's that intelligence?" That's when it hit me, "Oh, no."


Harper's POV

"Stats at 53. Funnel stable at 66.5. Hull pressure constant. Smooth as we can, sir. All the way back home. Coordinates set for planet Earth," Toby said.

'Come on Harper, work it out. What is so bad about Toby? Think, think… oh no!'


The Doctor's POV

"You were imprisoned a long time ago. Before the universe, after, sideways, in between, it doesn't matter. The prison is perfect. It's absolute. It's eternal, oh, yes! Open the prison, the gravity field collapses. This planet falls into the black hole. You escape, you die. Brilliant! But that's just the body. The body is trapped, that's all. The Devil is an idea. In all those civilizations, just an idea. But an idea is hard to kill. An idea can escape. The mind, the mind of the great Beast, the mind can escape."

"Oh, but that's it! You didn't give me air, your jailers did! They set this up all those years ago. They need me alive. Because if you're escaping, then I've got to stop you!" I picked up a larger rock to smash the vases.

'If I destroy your prison, your body is destroyed, your mind with it." But I stopped dropping the rock.

"But then you're clever enough to use this whole system against me. If I destroy this planet, I destroy the gravity field. The rocket. The rocket loses protection, falls into the black hole. I have to sacrifice Harper."


Harper's POV

"It doesn't make sense. We escaped, but there's a thousand ways it could have killed us," Rose said. "It could have ripped out the air or, I don't know, burnt us or anything. But it let us go. Why? Unless it wanted us to escape."

"Hey, Rose, do us a favor. Shut up," Toby said.

"Hey, be nice!" I yelled back at him.

He ignored me and looked back to the screen, "almost there. We're beyond the reach of the black hole in 40, 39…"


The Doctor's POV

"So that's the trap or the test or the final judgment, I don't know. But if I kill you, I kill her. Except that implies in this big, grand scheme of gods and devils, that she is just a victim. But I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demigods and would-be gods, and out of all that, out of that whole pantheon, if I believe in one thing, just one thing, I believe in her."

I reached down grabbing the rock again smashing the first vase.


Harper's POV

The rocket started to shake violently.

"What happened? What was that?" Danny yelled.

"What's he doing?" Toby asked confusing me on who he was talking about.

"We've lost the funnel! Gravity collapse."

"What does that mean?" Rose yelled.

"We can't escape," Zack answered.

"We're headed for the black hole," I said.


The Doctor's POV

I smashed the other vase and yelled to the beast, "This is your freedom, free to die! You're going into that black hole and I'm riding with you!"


Harper's POV

"It's the planet. The planet's moving," Rose said. "It's falling."

"I'm the rage and the bile and the ferocity!" I turned and saw that Toby once again had the strange letters on his face and his eyes were red.

"It's Toby!" Rose yelled.

"I am the prince and the fool and the agony!"

"I knew it!" I yelled holding onto the gun tighter.

"I'm the sin and the fear and the darkness."

"It's him!" Danny said.

"Stay where you are," Zack said. "The ship's not stable."

When fire came out of Toby's mouth Zack yelled, "What is he? What is he?"

"I shall never die! The thought of me is forever. I'm the bleeding hearts of men, in their vanity and obsession and lust! Nothing shall ever destroy me. Nothing."

While Toby/the beast was talking I looked at Rose and motioned for his seat belt. Thankfully she knew what I meant.

"Then try this on for size," I said as I shot out the glass from the front of the rocket. Alarms started to go off and Rose quickly unbuckled his seat belt. Toby was pulled from the rocket and Zack immediately fix the glass. "Emergency shield!"

"We've still lost the gravity funnel. We can't escape the black hole," Zack said.

"But we stopped him," Rose said. "That's what the Doctor would have done."

I reached behind me and grabbed her hand giving it a squeeze.

"Some victory," Zack said. "We're going in."

"The planet's lost orbit. It' falling. The planet's gone, I'm sorry," Danny said to us.

"Accelerate. I did my best," Zack said.

"And you did fantastic with everything that happen," I told him. He gave me a small smile and said, "But hey, the first human beings to fall inside a black hole. How about that? History."

The shaking suddenly stopped, "What happened?" Rose asked.

I could feel us being turned around, "We're turning?"

"We're turning around," Zack agreed but was just as confused as me. "We're turning away."

"Sorry about the hijack, Captain," I heard the Doctor say over an intercom. I wanted to cry I was so happy to hear him. "This is the good ship TARDIS. Now first things first, have you got Harper and Rose on board?"

"I'm here!" Rose yelled. "We're here! Oh, my! Where are you?"

"I'm just towing you home. Gravity shmavity. My people practically invented black holes. Well, in fact they did. Couple of minutes, we'll be nice and safe. Oh, and Captain can we do a swap?"

'Shamvity?' I asked in my head hoping I would be able to connect with him again.

'Fun word don't you think?'

I laughed as the Doctor said, "Say, if you give me Harper and Rose, I'll give you Ida Scott. How about that?"

"She's alive!" Zack cried.

"Yes!" Danny cheered from the back.

"Bit of oxygen starvation, but she should be all right. I mean not that fair of a trade, two for one."

"You can have them back!" Zack said.

"Oi!" I cried hitting Zack on the shoulder.

"I couldn't save the Ood. I only had time for one trip. They went down with the planet."

'I'm sorry, Harper. I couldn't save them.'

'I know. Maybe one day we can help them somehow.'

"Entering clear space. End of the line. Mission closed," the Doctor said once we were far enough away from the black hole.


Rose and I entered the TARDIS and ran up to the Doctor hugging him in turn.

'I was so worried I would never see you again.'

'Oh, now don't worried about that, you can't keep a good man down,' the Doctor thought back confidently.

'I was talking to the TARIDS,' I almost started to laugh at the Doctor face and could hear the TARDIS laughing inside my head.

The Doctor, pouting, went to the console and spoke to Zack.

"Zack, we'll be off now. Have a good trip home, and the next time you get curious about something… oh, what's the point? You'll just go blundering in. The human race!"

"But, Doctor," Ida said, "what did you find down there? That creature, what was it?"

"I don't know. Never did decipher that writing. But that's good. The day I know everything, I might as well stop."

'Stop everything, call the press, alert the media the Doctor just said he doesn't know everything!'

'I think I liked it better when I couldn't hear your thoughts.'

'I'm just making up for missed time, and you know you love it! What was blocking us from hearing each other?'

'I don't know, maybe something to do with the Pit and the prison's design.'

"What do you think it was, really?" Rose asked, unaware of our conversation.

"I think we beat it. That's good enough for me."

"It said I was going to die in battle."

"Then it lied," the Doctor said firmly. "Right! Onwards, upwards. Ida, see you again, maybe."

"I hope so."

"And thanks, boys!" Rose said.

"Bye!" I called.

"Hang on though, Doctor," Ida said stopping us. "You never really said. You three, who are you?"

"Oh, the stuff of legend," was all he said and off we went.


So there you have it! The Doctor and Harper really need to stop dancing around their feeling, right? Thanks again for read. Please leave a review, I love hearing from you guys. Until next time my fellow Whovians, have a fantastic week!