~revised~

Chapter XXVI

Doctor

They were walking down the road that surrounded the Launch Complex 39A. The road formed an eight-sided polygon with the Launch Pad with the rocket on it in its centre. The Launch Pad was over a raised concrete structure that was bisected by the flame trench. For launch it would be flooded with water to suppress the sound. The Doctor couldn't see anyone near the rocket, not even guards. Maybe they were somewhere inside the buildings under the Launch Pad. Most likely they had fled the mosquitoes. Besides, there wasn't much left to do right now. So why would anyone be near the rocket? The preparations were finished for now, and they had all hands full to do at the Control Center. Fuelling wouldn't be until tomorrow evening or night.

Thankfully, the Mobile Service Structure, a hug metal structure providing access for maintenance and last preparations, was still hugging the rocket adverse to the Launch Tower. The Mobile Service Structure would be removed tomorrow, leaving only the Launch Tower. If they were able to find the explosives and the seeds, otherwise they would have to tell them to abort the launch. Well, finding the explosives would be enough, but the seeds would make things much easier.

"Doesn't look like it's fuelled yet," Mira said as they paused and looked over to the launch areal.

"No, they do that tomorrow evening or at night."

"Would have been a bit cold otherwise. I don't want to poke around in condensed air."

"I don't think anyone's here, do you?"

"Hm... Hard to say. Do they have cameras?"

"Maybe."

"Well... Worst thing to happen is that they'll delay the start if they catch us. Something we ourselves have to make sure of anyway if we don't find the explosives. So, I might say we just walk over and start searching."

"Well," he said and scratched his head. "And I might say you're right. Come on!"

Not ten minutes later they had reached the Launch Pad undiscovered. As soon as they had climbed the few stairs to the platform, Mira almost instantly vanished beneath it. Or, more precise, vanished in the space between the rocket and the launch pad, where the huge nozzles of the engines of the first stage stuck through.

"Holy shit, look at that!"

"Don't fall down!" His hearts skipped a beat when he saw where exactly she was crawling around. There was a cut-out in the Launch Pad for the nozzles so the flames could escape later. It went steep down for a few feed to the floor of the flame trench. All in all it was high enough for humans to shatter their bones.

"Nah, I'm not going to fall. But you have to look at this. It's beautiful! Really, come!"

He finally gave in and followed her. Yeah, she was right, it was beautiful. Huge, basic rocket engines directly from stone age from his point of view. But at the same time the essence of space travel. How it had started everywhere, not just on Earth. Raw and at the same time the height of rocket engineering at this time.

"It's a shame," she said suddenly.

"What?"

"Well, how long will it burn? Two minutes? Then off it goes. I don't think they're re-usable, are they?"

"No. It'll burn for around one-hundred and sixty-five seconds. That's it."

"Cool," she said approvingly. "How much kerosene did you say? Something around six-hundred and fifty tones? Going through five engines in not only three minutes." She swung herself a bit further under the rocket, holding on to the fairings.

"Careful!" She had been a bit too jaunty in his eyes and he could almost see her fall – so at the next moment he was at her side and holding her around the waist, guiding her away from the hole in the launch pad.

"Hey!" She turned around as he let go of her. "You really think I'm going to fall?"

"Well, we don't have to put it to the test, do we?"

She shook her head and turned to the engines once more. "What's the thrust? Five or six mega-Newtons, each, I might say..."

"Six point seven-seven," he replied. "Let's not forget why we're here, hm?"

"Yeah. I really like to see them firing in two days and lift this whole thing into space. And without an explosion, if possible."

"Not such an unusual sight for you, is it? Although, your two point five kilometre ships don't land, do they? And by land, I mean properly, as in able to lift off again. Who uses the metric system anyway?"

"We do, mostly. And yes, they can land properly. And lift off again."

"Really?"

"Really. There's a huge space port in Terrania. Nothing special to see them landing there. With impulse engines. Basically a rocket engine. But with hyper-structural force-fields instead of thrust chambers and a particle stream as fast as the speed of light. You should really see – and most of all – hear that. It's like a mountain lifting off."

"Your lot really uses these engines for lift off?" To him it sounded like they were burning down their whole space port every time.

She looked at him, one brow raised, the corners of her mouth twitching. "Of course not. They normally lift off with anti-gravity engines until a certain altitude is reached. Seeing a ship like that starting with impulse drives is impressive, but also a bit... devastating to the surroundings. And, I might say, a space ship as big as a mountain lifting off in complete silence with its anti-gravity engines is even more impressive than that. Well, almost complete silence. The noise of the air gets quite loud." She sighed deeply. "I think even you might be slightly impressed by that," she added sadly, gave the rocket nozzles one last look and then pointed to the Mobile Service Structure. "I guess it's best we go up the left thing. Better access to the rocket."

"Yeah," he said. "But I don't think we should use the lift. There are a lot of stairs, so if you want...," pointed at the floor. "But please, stay away from the nozzles. It really goes far down."

"What?" She looked at him puzzled. "Oh. No, I'm not waiting here, if that's what you mean. A few stairs won't stop me." She tilted her head back, looking up the rocket. "Say, with this scanning device thing, could you scan the rocket? Maybe there's some alien technology in the explosives or... some alien proteins in the seeds? Alien DNA?"


Mira

Mira watched as he was scanning the rocket, trying to recall the little she had seen in the plant's mind. "I'm afraid we have to search the whole bloody rocket," she finally said, absent mindedly scratching the mosquito bites on her arm. "I don't think it would make sense to bring the seeds higher than the stratosphere. At most. They're supposed to come down again somehow, without playing meteorite. I might be wrong, but I guess it's as far as the rocket gets with the first stage? So we can't even rule out the first stage."

"Yeah, stratosphere at most. It'll reach an altitude of around forty-two miles with the first stage," he said. "Actually a bit higher than the stratosphere goes."

"Dammit."

"But I think I've found the seeds," he said and pointed upward.

She tilted her head again, following his finger, which was pointing straight up, with her eyes. "Seriously?"

He nodded.

"All the way up there? All the way?"

"Yupp. Right under the launch escape system. That's the little peak at the top..."

"I know. Great."

They started to climb up the stairs. As they had reached the first platform, which was attached to the Mobile Service Structure and ran around the rocket between the first and second stage, she gave the rocket a closer look. The hull was painted black and white and was riffled between the two stages. The charges for the separation of the stages were already attached. There must also be small rockets somewhere to pull the expended stage away from the vehicle. She turned around to follow the Doctor further up the structure as it suddenly hit her like a flash of lightning.

"Shit." She climbed down the narrow stairs again and walked back onto the platform.

"What's it with all the swearing?" the Doctor asked accusingly, as he turned around and got at her side.

"We're looking for explosives."

"Yeah?"

"I think we've just found them," she said, knocking at the hull next to one of the charges.

"What? Where?" He looked back and forth between her and the rocket, obviously not yet drawing the connection between these charges and what they were looking for.

She returned his look slightly stunned, before tapping directly on the charge.

"What? What do you mean? Oh..." He looked quite startled as it finally dawned on him.

"Yes. Why bother and put additional charges somewhere if you already have these?"

"Well..."

They were essential for the stage separation, so they couldn't remove them. No charges, no stage separation.

"They're not strong enough to blow up the rocket, but if they're set off with the first stage still at full thrust, the rocket will just break apart, igniting the rest of the fuel," she explained. "And I guess they're not the only ones, are they?"

"No, there're more," he said quietly. "Charges that actually are meant for blowing up the rocket in flight in case it veers off course, directly over the fuel tanks."

"Remote controlled?"

"Sure. Would be pointless otherwise."

"I'll make salad out of that pant," she whispered under her breath.

"What?" he said so genuinely shocked that she had to smile.

"Just kidding," she said, one brow raised. "Besides, I doubt it's very tasty, too old and chewy. It's dying."

"Well, doesn't give it the right to blow up the rocket and kill three people."

"Or to spread its offshoot over the planet. Mankind enslaved by psychic plants? No thanks."

"Enslaved? Did it say that?"

"No. But it's certainly able to do so. And I don't know what your experiences are, but most species I've met so far do what they do just because they can. And yes, that includes humanity."

"Well, let's get the seeds and then have a talk with it again."


Doctor

Little time later they reached the top of the structure. The command module, and basically everything from the third stage upwards was completely enveloped by an almost building-like structure with multiple floors, making the launch escape system easily accessible. Otherwise they would have to climb on the bridge that led to the entrance of the command module. In over three-hundred and sixty feet height.

It didn't take long to find the melon-sized capsule with the seeds in it. He wondered how no one had seen it so far, but on the other hand, the plant had had time enough to influence the people here. He had just removed it as he heard steps. Someone was coming. For a moment he and Mira locked their gazes. She had obviously also heard it. The steps were coming from downstairs. Well, seemed as their way back was cut off. Mira turned her head and he followed her eyes. They were a little above the bridge that was leading to the Launch Tower. There was no time to get inside, but it would be easy to climb over it's top to the Launch Tower. Hopefully no one was coming up the launch tower.

"I don't think we're discovered," Mira whispered. "Whoever is coming is not suspicious."

"Good. Let's get over the bridge."

"Oh hell..."

"You're not afraid of heights?" he asked, almost on the bridge.

"No. But I don't particularly like it."

Despite that, she followed him instantly. The bridge was rather wide, and even on its top was a small rail on both sides. But, he had to admit, it was really high. He peered down, but no one was in sight. They reached the other side and he helped Mira down to the floor. Their was also a lift, but it would be less noticeable to use the steep stairs that were connecting the separate floors.

"I don't think that someone is here," he said after listening for a moment in silence. Mira nodded and they began the long climb downwards. The stairs were almost ladders, and it was quite hard getting down whilst holding the capsule. Once on the ground level, he looked around. There was a car that hadn't been here before. Most likely belonging to the guy on the Service Structure. He looked up, but couldn't see him.

"We can either wait, or take our chances and run," Mira said. "If he has something to do up there, he most likely won't pay attention to what's happening down here."

He considered her suggestion for a moment. They didn't have time to wait, they had to get back to the plant. It was still a whole day till the launch, but the last preparations had to start in less than twelve hours.

"Well...," he began, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Can't you see it in the timelines somehow if we'll make it?"

He looked at her in surprise, but then did as she had asked. "No. Actually... It's all in flux now," he said after a moment.

"Well, then..."

"We run!" he said after he had taken a last look up the Service Structure. If they stayed behind the Launch Tower it would be hard to spot them. Was a bit of a detour, but the road around the actual launch area was laying in darkness.

He took her by the hand, hurried down the stairs leading from the launch pad to the ground and sprinted over to the road.

There he stopped and looked back at the launch pad, there was no sign that they were discovered.

Not much later they had safely gotten back to the car and reached the Control Center. He didn't bother to look upstairs for Rose, for she couldn't get near the plant anyway. As he ran around the last corner, the capsule hidden underneath his cloak and Mira right behind him, he almost collided with a group of men, awaiting him with guns and crowbars in their hands. They were five, standing in front of the door, staring at him out of lifeless eyes, clearly under the influence of the plant. He stopped abruptly as they raised their weapons, Mira bumping against his back.

"Ey guys! Um... No need for hostility, hm?" he said, smiling sheepishly at them, knowing exactly that they couldn't understand him. And the plant surely didn't care. "Well, before you do something stupid," he began, trying to shove Mira protectively behind his back again, in vain. She didn't move an inch, despite the effort he put in it, "I have something you might be interested in."

"Maybe I can break its influence," Mira whispered in his ear.

"Oh, wait a moment," he replied and pulled out the capsule. Almost instantly the men approached, reaching out to grab it, but he hold it high above his head. "Uh, not so fast." The men hesitated. "It's over, you know that, don't you? You're dying. And I'm the only one who might be able to help you now. Kill me and you and your children won't make it. How much time do you have left? Days? A week? Not enough to try it again. All the things you've done required time. It was a good plan, I have to admit. Really. Well, by saying good, I mean not elegant or overly clever, but well, it was good. Considering you're a plant. Using the explosives on the rocket, influencing all these people. And now you've lost."

"Are you that sure?" one of the men said monotonously, his eyes still staring into space.

"Yeah, actually I am." He felt Mira tugging at his sleeve. "What?"

Before she could answer, the man who had just spoken opened the door. Then he saw her. Rose. She was shackled with ropes, and roots and branches were winding around her, particularly around her neck.

"What have you done? Well, that was a mistake. A big mistake!" he yelled at the plant as he rushed into the room, shoving the men out of the way. They didn't hold him back, and he just slammed the door shut with them on the outside, locking it with his Sonic, after making sure that Mira had followed him inside.

"I'm sorry," Rose said with a thin voice.

He hurried over to her. She seemed to be unharmed and not under the influence of the plant right now. "I'll get you out, I promise," he said to her. He pulled at a branch that was winding around her waist, but it didn't move at all. In contrary, it seemed to meet his attempt with resistance, pulling in the opposite direction.

"Ow!" he whined and spun around as he suddenly felt a harsh pull at his hair. He caught Mira's wrist before she could pull at his hair again and stared into her black eyes. Great. But at least now he could talk with this overgrown vegetable. "Don't do that!" he said, now dangerously quiet. Not that he was afraid that she would seriously harm him, but he on the other hand didn't want to injure Mira's body. She – or rather, the plant – was still trying to wind her wrist out of his grip.

"Give that to me!" she demanded, reaching with her free hand for the capsule, but he lifted it out of her reach. Now she launched herself at him, so he had to roughly push her away, still holding her arm. "Stop it! Don't hurt her. You already have Rose, trust me, that's enough trouble for you!"

Suddenly, her eyes lost focus for a moment, her body stiffened and she gave up her resistance. "She doesn't agree with attacking you," she said eventually, looking back at him. "She threw me out once, so I think it's best to obey. For now."

"Good." He cautiously let go of her wrist, still holding out his arm to keep her at distance. "So, can we talk now?"

"There's nothing to talk! You'll put that back. Now!" she spat at him.

"You don't get it, do you? It's over. I won't put it back. You tell me who's supposed to send the signal to blow up the rocket."

"No! Put it back or not, it'll blow up anyway!"

"And kill three innocent people?"

"Who cares? They whole planet is crawling with them. Three more or less won't make any difference."

"Won't make any difference? For someone so attached to its children," he shook the capsule, making her wince, "you have very little regard for others. Maybe you should look in her mind for something called empathy and compassion!"

"What do you care? They're not your people either. Their species will survive. Three more or less don't matter."

"That's not what it's about! For someone that old you're really narrow minded."

"So what's it about then? The whole planet is full of them. I just want to survive. Three of them is a little price for that. Besides, do you have any idea what damage they've done to the plants here just to build this place?"

He looked at her in surprise. The plant had a point here. Yet still, two wrongs didn't make one right.

"Humans are like that," he said. "They're not always thinking as much as they should. Yes, they damage their environment either without thinking or because they don't care, or some even deliberately. But they will pay for it and learn, they've got the capacity for that. They can be as good as they can be bad. As compassionate as cruel. I believe in them. Besides, that doesn't give you the right to act in the same way. They're young. As a species and as individuals. But no matter what they've done, that's nothing against the damage you will do to their ecosystem. Have you ever thought about that? There's nothing like you on this planet. What do you think will happen, hm?"

"I know that this world is not ideal," she admitted, her gaze lowered to the ground. "But I have no choice. I can't go anywhere else now."

"How did you end up here in the first place anyway?"

"My ship crashed here. It was a little pod with a few seeds in it. My ancestors lived on a world with space travel and in a rather supportive relationship with the natives. They helped us to get to other worlds. That's our way. Living in symbiosis with other species." She looked sadly at the capsule out of dark eyes. Her whole posture looked defeated now. It really was old, he suddenly realised. Old, tired and now facing the fact that it might have lost.

"As I said before, I can help you, I promise," he said softly.

"Why should I trust you?" she answered, a hint of the former aggression back in her voice.

Good question. He could have told her to look into Mira's mind to find an answer to this question, but that could very well backfire. Did she trust him enough? He doubted that. She had told him a few things, yes, but somehow he believed that it would take much more for her to really, fully trust in him. Or anyone else for that matter.

"I have a space ship. You know who I am, don't you? I'm a Timelord. I can find a planet that's ideal for you. I even have a garden on my ship. One of your offshoot could grow there if you want. It's a huge garden. Besides, it's your only chance. I wont let you kill these people, nor let your children grow here."

"What's about the one who calls herself Rose?" It was playing its last trump now.

"Harm her – or Mira – and you won't grow here or anywhere else ever again, I promise you."

She remained silent for a moment and he watched her carefully. She still made no attempt to attack him again. So much for Mira not being aware of what the plant did with her body. Whilst she was considering his offer, a dead leaf fell down from the ceiling and landed right on her head. She took it, looked at it and as she turned her gaze to him again he could see the grief in her eyes. Reluctantly, she walked over to him, lifted her arm and paused as if waiting for his approval. He nodded and she softly stroke over the capsule he was still holding. Then it suddenly hit him. It didn't matter that much to the plant if it was dying now, as long as its seeds would grow somewhere. But without that, it would be dead forever. As much as it changed with every generation, there was something that remained. Genetically past on. Its very essence. He and this plant were a bit similar in that way. Of course there were others like this plant, its siblings, so to speak, but all the experiences it had made here would be lost forever.

"Take them," she finally whispered. "Don't let me die forever. I'll show her everything you need to know about an adequate planet. Or grow one of my children in your ship. I've never done that before." She looked up to him, before lifting her hand and gently ruffled his hair. "And grow yourself some decent leaves," she smiled softly.

"Just one more thing...," he said, trying to ignore how she – it – was ruffling his hair. "The explosives."

"I influenced one of the workers here to trigger the explosion of the charges for the emergency self destruct at the appropriate height. As soon as I'm dead he'll be free. And there is no need for me to live any longer."

"Who is it?"

"He calls himself Jefferson. So, remember your promise, Timelord."

"I will," he replied sincerely.

She looked at him and he could see how her eyes turned back to normal. He caught her with is free arm as she stumbled against him. Almost immediately there went a rustling through the plant. The branches around the power lines, as well as the roots and everything that was surrounding Rose, retreated to the main body. The leaves turned brown, dried and finally fell down. He was surprised about the rapid death of the plant, even though it had just told him that there was nothing more to do for it. He hurried over to Rose and freed her from the ropes with his sonic.

"You alright?" he asked and eyed her intently. She seemed to be unharmed.

"Yeah, think so. It didn't harm me."

He pulled her into a tight hug, still holding the capsule. He didn't trust the peace yet.

"Mira, what's with the plant?"

"It's dead now. It was rather exhausted, besides, it had fulfilled its duty. You will take it to another world, won't you?" Mira answered quietly.

"Yeah, surely. I promised it."

"What?" Rose asked bewildered. "Why?"

"Why not? Besides, as said, I promised it."

"It wanted to blow up the rocket. It influenced all these people, and now your helping it?" she looked at him out of wide eyes. She obviously wasn't understanding it.

"Yeah. It was desperate. It wanted to save its offshoot. Its children. And this wasn't the right world for it, and in the end, it realised it," he tried to explain.

"Well, seems you and the plant have one thing in common, Rose," Mira said quietly. "Lacking in understanding for the other side. But, Doctor, we should really chose carefully where we're going to grow it next."

"Lacking in understanding? So it's okay what that piece of weed did? I just didn't understand its intentions? I was sitting here the whole night!" Rose yelled at her.

"Rose, I didn't say that. I just said that it was only a huge misunderstanding," Mira answered.

"Oi! No fighting!" he interrupted them.

"But you won't grow it in the TARDIS?" Rose asked.

"Why not?" he watched her. It couldn't influence him, it hat no reason to do so with Rose, and even if it suddenly forgot everything they had agreed on, he could simply replant it. Besides, the garden really was huge, containing a lot of plants from all over the universe. It should like it there.

"Great. First a horse, now a plant."

"You won't even notice that it's there."

"Yeah whatever. It's your TARDIS." She yawned and he realised how tired she must be.

"Okay, I guess we find a place for you to sleep and tell them that the energy problems are fixed for good. And that they might have a little weed-problem in their cellar. Its dead now, they can't harm it anymore."

"Yeah, it doesn't even look alien," Mira said sadly and looked over to the dead plant.

"Well then, we have to launch a rocket in little more than twenty-four hours!" he exclaimed, rushed to the door, opened it with his Sonic and hurried back through the corridors to the lift, Mira and Rose close behind him.


Lucifae, Bored411, Wicken25, 10th squad 3rd seat, Lady Shagging Godiva: Thanks for your reviews :-)