Chapter CXXIII
Donna
The Doctor hadn't told them where they were heading. Or when. She was still trying to get used to the terminology. She looked around as they left the TARDIS. It was like stepping onto a movie set.
"Ancient Rome," the Doctor explained. "Well, not for them, obviously. To all intents and purposes, right now, this is brand new Rome"
The street was filled with people dressed in tunics, traders were selling their goods, it was warm and sunny.
"Oh, my God. it's, it's so Roman. This is fantastic," she said. Suddenly she couldn't help herself and hugged first the Doctor and then Mira. It was just overwhelming. "I'm here, in Rome. Donna Noble in Rome. This is just weird. I mean, everyone here's dead."
"They are and yet they're not," Mira said. "Time's funny."
"You're not talking about Schroedinger's cat now," the Doctor said. "Because that got nothing to do with it."
"No," Mira replied. "It's just... I never understood why so many humans have such an egocentric view of what's the future and the past. Saying that everything in the future from their point of reference is unwritten yet. But for them," she nodded at the people around them, "their future is our past, so for us they're all dead, and yet..."
She didn't quite listen to Mira's ramblings. And the Doctor talking about some guy and his cat. There was so much to take in for her as they were walking through the busy streets. Then something caught her eyes.
"Hold on a minute. That sign over there's in English," she said and pointed at it. It clearly said two amphorae for the price of one. "Are you having me on?" she turned to the Doctor. "Are we in Epcot?"
"No, no, no, no," he replied. "That's the TARDIS translation circuits. Just makes it look like English. Speech as well. You're talking Latin right now."
"Seriously?" she asked, having no idea what those translation circuits were supposed to be.
"Mmm," he nodded.
"I just said seriously in Latin!" she beamed at him.
"Oh, yeah."
Then a thought struck her. "What if I said something in actual Latin, like veni, vidi, vici? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said veni, vidi, vici to that lot, what would it sound like?"
"I'm not sure," the Doctor replied. "You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?"
"I'm going to try it," she said and went over to a man selling fruit.
"Afternoon, sweetheart. What can I get you, my love?" he asked.
Suddenly her courage almost left her. But now she had to go through with it. "Er, veni, vidi, vici."
"Huh? Sorry?" the man looked at her as if she had spoken Chinese. "Me no speak Celtic. No can do, missy."
"Yeah," she said and walked away, the Doctor and Mira following her. "How's he mean, Celtic?"
"Welsh," the Doctor replied. "You sound Welsh. There we are. Learnt something."
"Remind me of that should we ever end up in Germany," Mira said.
"What, are you German?" She asked Mira. "I thought you're from another universe. You don't sound German."
"Well, we have... had a Germany there as well," Mira replied. "Actually, I'm half US American. My father's from there."
"Really?" she said, but her attention was caught again by her surroundings. "Don't our clothes look a bit odd?"
"Nah. Ancient Rome, anything goes," the Doctor replied. "It's like Soho, but bigger."
Shame, she thought. She would have liked to wear one of those tunics. Then her eyes fell on Mira who was wearing a black t-shirt and black trousers. At least her hairstyle fitted in, she thought.
"You've been here before then?" she asked.
"Mmm. Ages ago," he replied. "Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit. But I haven't got the chance to look around properly. Coliseum, Pantheon, Circus Maximus. You'd expect them to be looming by now," he said and looked around, slightly confused now. "Where is everything? Try this way."
"Doctor," Mira suddenly said. She hadn't raised her voice, but something about her tone had made Donna stop dead in her track and turn around to her together with the Doctor.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I don't know," Mira replied, staring into space. "For a moment I thought there was something."
"Something what?" the Doctor asked.
"Like there's a telepath or something like that around? But maybe I'm wrong."
"A telepath?" she asked. "Like someone reading our mind?"
"Maybe," Mira replied and shook her head. "But it probably was nothing."
"And how would you know?" she asked.
"I just do Donna, I'll explain later. Back in the TARDIS."
"Wait! Can you read my mind?" She looked at Mira out of narrow eyes. That would be really awkward.
"No Donna, I can't. Really."
"Anyway," the Doctor said before she had time to think about this topic any further. "Let me know if you notice something like that again. Telepaths amongst humans are rare but not unheard off. Latimer, remember?"
Mira just nodded. Well that had quickly turned weird, she thought. But she was determined not to let it spoil their trip to ancient Rome. They walked the street for a little longer until they came out into a piazza. She turned around and could see a mountain in the distance behind the buildings. A mountain. As in: One single mountain.
"Not an expert, but there's seven hills of Rome, aren't there?" she asked the Doctor who was standing next to her. Mira was on her other side. "How come they've only got one?"
Just as she had finished, the ground shook. Pottery on the market stands was falling to the ground and shattering, despite the people doing their best to prevent it. One man said, ""Here we go again," as if it wasn't happening for the first time.
"Wait a minute," she said as realisation hit her. Now there was smoke over the top of the mountain. "One mountain, with smoke. Which makes this-"
"Pompeii," the Doctor said. She could hear how shocked he was. "We're in Pompeii. And it's volcano day."
Mira
Suddenly the Doctor started sprinting back the way they had come. She could do nothing but follow him, alongside Donna. As they had reached the alcove the TARDIS had materialised in, he pulled the curtain aside. But the time ship was gone.
"Great," she said.
"You're kidding," Donna said. "You're not telling me the TARDIS has gone."
"Okay," he replied.
"Where is it then?" Donna asked.
"You told me not to tell you," the Doctor asked, turning around to Donna, confusion on his face.
That could get funny, she thought. The Doctor having a habit of taking everything literally and Donna talking like this.
"Oi. Don't get clever in Latin!" Donna yelled.
"Hold on," he told them and ran over to the fruit seller. "Excuse me. Excuse me. There was a box. Big blue box. Big blue wooden box, just over there. Where's it gone?"
"Sold it, didn't I?" the seller replied with a smug expression on his face, utterly pleased with himself.
"You did what!?" she asked.
"But it wasn't yours to sell," the Doctor fell in.
"It was on my patch, weren't it? I got fifteen sesterces for it. Lovely jubbly."
"Who'd you sell it to?" the Doctor asked.
"Old Caecilius. Look, if you want to argue, why don't you take it out with him? He's on Foss Street. Big villa. Can't miss it."
"Thanks," the Doctor said and was about to sprint off, but then turned around again. "What'd he buy a big blue wooden box for?"
But the seller just shrugged. He was about to run off, but she took him by the arm. "Do you even know where that Foss Street is?" she asked.
Of course he didn't, so they decided to split up. He would go one way, and Donna and herself would search the other side of town.
...
It didn't take long for them to bump into him again – quite literally. They hadn't gotten too far, but they had found some other landmarks.
"Ha. I've got it. Foss Street's this way," he said and wanted to drag them with him. But Donna had other plans.
"No," Donna said. "Well, we found this big sort of amphitheatre thing. We can start there. We can gather everyone together. Maybe they've got a great big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?"
"What do you want a bell for?" he asked.
"To warn everyone?" she replied. Donna had told her about her plans, and even though she was sceptical of such a major change of history, she had agreed with her. They should at least try.
"Start the evacuation," Donna added. "What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?"
"It's 79AD, twenty third of August, which makes volcano day tomorrow," the Doctor replied.
"Plenty of time," Donna said. "We could get everyone out easy."
"Yeah, except we're not going to," the Doctor said and wanted to run off again, but Donna held him back.
"But that's what you do. You're the Doctor. You save people!" Donna said.
"Yes, why not?" she asked.
"Not this time. Pompeii is a fixed point in history," he replied. "What happens, happens. There is no stopping it."
"Says who?"
"Says me. Mira, explain it to her. You explained it to Rose already, remember? Back in the sixties? Moon landing? Plant?"
Of course she remembered. She just didn't think her explanation had been very accurate. Well, seemed it had been accurate enough. But Pompeii was a fixed point? Dammit. She did indeed have a weird feeling about it.
"What, and you're in charge?" Donna challenged him.
"TARDIS, Time Lord, yeah."
"Donna," she tried to interrupt them but to no avail.
"Donna, human, no. I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself. What does fixed point even mean?"
"Donna, listen-" she tried it again.
"You stand in the market place announcing the end of the world, they'll just think you're a mad old soothsayer," now it was the Doctor interrupting her. "Now, come on. TARDIS. We are getting out of here.
"Well, I might just have something to say about that, Spaceman!" Donna yelled after him as he turned around and walked away.
"Oh, I bet you will," he yelled back.
"Donna," she finally got a word in. "For once, let's not split up again." She dragged Donna with her.
"But we can't let them all die!"
"Donna, it's... complicated. He's probably right. Some things can't be changed."
"But why? You're as mad as him! Let go of me!"
She finally let go of Donna's hand, and, to her surprise, Donna was still following as she tried to keep up with the Doctor.
"It's about energy," she tried to explain. "Imagine time as energy. It's stored in events, sort of. At least that's how I explained it back then and seems it's not entirely wrong. Maybe a bit simplified. Well, quite simplified, but-"
"Mira!"
She sighed. "If he says it's fixed then there's no way to change it. It would have catastrophic consequences. Much more catastrophic than the eruption of that volcano. If it is at all possible. Some things are meant to be, no matter what." Thankfully they had reached the villa by now, sparing her more explanations.
The Doctor
Just as they arrived the earth shook again. It was high time for them to leave. He managed to catch a marble bust before it fell to the floor. "Whoa! There you go!"
"Thank you, kind sir," a man said. That must be Caecilius. "I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor."
"But that's me, I'm a visitor. Hello," he said and took Caecilius' hand, shaking it enthusiastically. Then he walked further into the house, looking for the TARDIS. It was a nice, big, very Roman looking villa. Columns throughout the huge room, a pond in the middle, plants... But where was the TARDIS?
"Who are you?"
He was about to introduce himself, but suddenly felt the urge to come up with a more appropriate name for this time. "I am Spartacus," he finally said.
"And so am I," Donna said.
"Mister and Mrs Spartacus," Caecilius said with a smile.
"Oh no, no, no," he hurried to say. "We're not, we're not married."
"We're not together," Donna added.
"Oh, then brother and sister? Yes, of course. You look very much alike."
"Really?" he and Donna said as one, looking at each other.
"And who are you?" Caecilius addressed Mira.
"I'm Mira."
"Oh, what a wonderful name," he replied with a wide smile. "But I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade."
"And that trade would be?" he asked.
"Marble. Lopus Caecilius. Mining, polishing and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man."
"That's good. That's good, because I'm the marble inspector," he replied, flashing his psychic paper to Caecilius, and walked straight past him.
"By the gods of commerce, an inspection. I'm sorry, sir," the woman, probably Caecilius' wife, said. "I do apologise for my son." She took a goblet from him, pouring it away, not without him protesting.
"And this is my good wife, Metella," Caecilius introduced her. "And my son Quintus. I must confess, we're not prepared "Nothing to worry about," the Doctor hurried to say. "I'm... I'm sure you've nothing to hide." And then, finally, he saw her. "Although, frankly, that object looks rather like wood to me." He walked over to the TARDIS, Mira and Donna following him.
"I told you to get rid of it," Metella whispered to Caecilius.
"I only bought it today," he whispered back.
"Ah, well. Caveat emptor," he said.
"Oh, you're Celtic. There's lovely," Caecilius smiled at him.
"I'm sure it's fine, but I might have to take it off your hands for a proper inspection," he looked at Caecilius. Then his eyes fell on Mira. She seemed to be a bit absent. Oh, he knew that look on her face. Were there actually telepaths around? Whatever, they didn't have time to investigate. Not this time.
"Although while we're here, wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?" Donna pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Don't know what you mean, Spartacus," he replied, a warning tone in his voice.
"Oh, this lovely family. Mother and father and son," Donna said, gesturing at them. "Don't you think they should get out of town?"
"Why should we do that?" Caecilius asked, visibly confused.
"Well, the volcano, for starters," Donna told them.
"Donna...," Mira whispered, trying to stop her.
But it wasn't really necessary. They had no idea what a volcano was. Donna repeated the word but Caecilius just looked at her blankly.
"Oh, Spartacus, for shame," he decided to put an end to this, taking Donna by the shoulders, leading her past Caecilius and his wife. "We haven't even greeted the household gods yet." Then, as they were standing in front of the little altar, he explained quietly. "They don't know what it is." He dipped his fingers into a goblet and sprinkled water on the wall relief depicting the gods. "Vesuvius is just a mountain to them. The top hasn't blown off yet. The Romans haven't even got a word for volcano. Not until tomorrow."
"Oh, great, they can learn a new word as they die," Donna replied.
"Donna, stop it!" he replied. Why couldn't they listen to him, just once? He immediately knew from the expression forming on Donna's face that she wouldn't stop here.
"Listen, I don't know what sort of kids you've been flying round with in outer space, but you're not telling me to shut up," she said. "That boy, how old is he, sixteen? And tomorrow he burns to death. Mira, say something! You can't agree with him, do you?"
"Well, I don't agree with the whole situation," Mira replied. "But I'm afraid he's right. I tried to explain it to you earlier already, and-"
"So you don't want to do anything either? They're going to burn to death tomorrow! Is that how you'd want to die?"
"No," Mira said quietly, looking down.
"And that's our fault?" he asked, raising his brows at her.
"Right now, yes," Donna said and crossed her arms.
Before they could continue with this pointless discussion, a slave announced the visitor Caecilius had been waiting for. "Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the City Government."
The all turned around as a grim looking, middle aged man entered. A cloak was covering the right half of his body. Something about the way he moved seemed weird, as if his right half was stiff, at least partially.
"Lucius. My pleasure, as always," Caecilius greeted him, holding out his hand, but Lucius made no effort to take it. "A rare and great honour, sir, for you to come to my house."
"The birds are flying north, and the wind is in the west," Lucius said, rather out of context. But then again, he was the Augur. He probably wasn't expected to make sense.
"Quite," Caecilius replied. "Absolutely. That's good, is it?" He obviously wasn't sure what to make of it either.
"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow," Lucius continued.
"There now, Metella. Have you ever heard such wisdom?" Caecilius said to his wife, who agreed. "Pardon me, sir. I have guests. This is Spartacus and, er, Spartacus. And Mira."
"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind," Lucius now addressed his little group.
"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark," he replied.
"Ah. But what is the dark, other than an omen of the sun?" Lucius said.
"I concede that every sun must set."
"Ha!"
"And yet the son of the father must also rise," he continued, gesturing at Quintus, his eyes falling on Mira who was staring at Lucius as if wanting to hypnotise him. He just hoped Lucius wouldn't notice it.
"Damn. Very clever, sir," Lucius replied. "Evidently, a man of learning."
"Oh, yes. But don't mind me. Don't want to disturb the status quo."
"He's Celtic," Caecilius whispered to Lucius.
It had been nice meeting Lucius, but he was about to grow tired of the conversation and now it was definitely time to leave. "We'll be off in a minute," he replied.
"I'm not going," Donna obviously wasn't agreeing with that.
"You've got to," he told her, taking her by the shoulders again and leading her towards the TARDIS.
"The moment of revelation. And here it is," he heard Caecilius behind his back. He didn't give too much about whatever they were doing, but as he was leading Donna to the TARDIS, he turned his head, just to get a peak at it. And he was glad he did. "Oh, now that's different. Who designed that, then?"
"My Lord Lucius was very specific," Lucius replied.
"That's a marble circuit," Mira whispered. "But what do they want with it? Marble's an insulator. It's no use with electricity. If they had electricity."
"No," he said to her and then, to Lucius, "Where'd you get the pattern?"
"On the rain and mist and wind."
"Do you mean you just dreamt that thing up?" Donna asked.
"That is my job, as City Augur," Lucius replied.
"What's that, then, like the mayor?" Donna asked.
"Oh, ha. You must excuse my friend, she's from Barcelona," he said and turned to Donna, "No, but this is an age of superstition. Of official superstition. The Augur is paid by the city to tell the future. The wind will blow from the west? That's the equivalent of ten o'clock news." He had turned his head into the direction Mira was looking, but there was only a doorway. And then, seconds later, a pale, young woman entered the room through that door. Everyone turned their heads to her.
"They're laughing at us. Those two, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us," the woman said.
"No, no, I'm not. I meant no offence," he hurried to say. Those two though? It was true, Mira had been rather quiet, but- Which of them did she mean with two?
"I'm sorry," Metella said to him and walked over to the woman. "My daughter's been consuming the vapours."
"Oh for gods, Mother. What have you been doing to her?" Quintus asked.
"Not now, Quintus," his father replied.
"Yeah, but she's sick. Just look at her."
"I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift," Lucius said.
"Oh, Evelina's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood," Metella explained proudly. "They say she has remarkable visions."
"The prophecies of women are limited and dull," Lucius replied. "Only the menfolk have the capacity for true perception."
"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate!" Donna said, and suddenly the ground started to tremble again. Not as bad as before though.
"The Mountain God marks your words. I'd be careful, if I were you," Lucius warned her.
"Consuming the vapours, you say?" he addressed Evelina now. Were they on some sort of psychedelic drug?
"They give me strength," she said,
He looked her up and down. She was pale and swaying as if having difficulties to stand. "It doesn't look like it to me."
"Is that your opinion as a doctor?"
Mira
"I beg your pardon?" the Doctor asked, rather perplexed.
For her things were quiet clear – she had found the telepath. Though something was weird about this Evelina. She had known human telepaths before, and despite everyone being slightly different as individuals, they had all felt similar to her. But with Evelina it was different. It wasn't hard for her to get into Evelina's head. But there was nothing of interest going on. Evelina was consuming 'the vapour', but didn't know anything about it. She assumed that something in this vapour was the cause for Evelina's abilities. The only thing she could see in in her mind was the thoughts she got from Donna and the Doctor. Unfortunately it wasn't possible for her to block someone else's telepathy and use it at the same time. It was either or. She could only block her own thoughts. But surely the Doctor wouldn't mind that for the sake of gathering some intelligence, would he?
"Doctor. That's your name," Evelina said.
"How did you know that?" he asked, still quite perplexed.
Telepathy, she mouthed to him, though he probably didn't notice it as he was focused on Evelina.
"And you," Evelina addressed Donna now. "You call yourself Noble."
"Now then, Evelina. Don't be rude," Her mother tried to stop her.
"No, no, no, no. Let her talk," the Doctor said.
"You both come from so far away," she said, obviously meaning Donna and the Doctor. She could see in Evelina's mind that she couldn't read her own thoughts as she was blocking her out. "And you," now addressing Mira, "You aren't even here. You're dead. An illusion!"
"I think I've never been called an illusion before," she replied. Not being able to read her mind must make her seem dead to Evelina. "But-"
"The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries," Lucius came to their defence now. Or rather, to his own defence and of his reputation as the official soothsayer.
"Oh, not this time, Lucius," the Doctor replied. "No, I reckon you've been out-soothsayed."
This was the moment she realised that Lucius was a telepath as well. In the same strange way as Evelina.
"Is that so, man from Gallifrey?" he addressed the Doctor, obviously taking it as a challenge.
"What?"
Lucius' thoughts were slightly more interesting than Evelina's. He knew things – without really knowing them. Without understanding them. That circuit for example. But what, or who, was behind all this?
"The strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?" Lucius continued.
"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna asked.
"And you, daughter of London."
"How does he know that?"
"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth," Lucius said.
"Doctor, she is returning," Lucius said.
"Who is? Who's she?" the Doctor asked.
That wasn't just telepathy. Or was he just making things up? Lucius believed what he was saying, but that didn't have to mean anything.
"And you, daughter of London. There is something on your back!"
"What's that mean?" Donna asked, trying to wipe over her back with her hand.
"Even the word Doctor is false," Evelina said, moving towards them. "Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars, in the Cascade of Medusa herself. You are a Lord, sir. A Lord of Time." Then she fainted.
NicoleR85, djmegamouth, denise3, OneWhoReadsToMuch, guest: Thanks for leaving a review :)
Izzy: My original plan was to go at least to the 12th Doctor, but I'm currently not sure about that. I have plans to at least start with 11 though. And yes, I might have to split the story after 10, I thought about it recently myself.
LittleAngel2292: Thanks for reading and all the reviews so far :-)
