Hello everyone, here is another chapter. I decided the episodes were a wee bit long, so I'm going to be deviding some of them into two parts.
Zuri spent the next few hours getting her arm properly tended, as the Doctor insisted. Using spacey medicine designed to not negatively interact with the artron energy within her. The Doctor refused to explain the majority of what it would change, telling her she would find out soon enough. He did tell her that her mind was about to open up. The connection with the TARDIS giving her telepathic and empathic abilities.
"So you'll be able to hear the thoughts of others for a small bit, before past me shows you how to put up barriers. And then you'll be able to communicate with me from a decent distance." He rambled.
"And how do I keep you from seeing your own future in my head? There's stuff in there you shouldn't see."
"It's not too difficult, you just need to set up a mind palace, sort your thoughts. Then anything you don't want seen you lock away. In a room, a safe, a hidden locker under the floorboards. Doesn't really matter just so long as you think of it as locked and hidden."
"Gotcha. Second question, do I have a room in the TARDIS? I need some food, a shower, and a nap."
"Yes. Three rights, a left and its the first door you come to. The second door is the kitchen."
"Okay, see you in a bit?"
"Yeah. If you end up popping off, the TARDIS will let me know."
"Alright."
Zuri wandered down the hall, following the directions the Doctor gave her. She found the kitchen and made herself some macaroni and cheese. Taking the bowl with her after a quick wash of the dishes, she made her way back to the first door, her bedroom.
Her bedroom was decent, big, with a full-sized bed covered in a grey blanket. The walls were a calm sea blue, and the carpet was a sandy colour. It reminded her of the ocean.
She flopped on the bed and ate her meal, setting the bowl on the table by the bed. It took a few minutes to drag herself back off the bed, but she desperately wanted a shower, so she did. Zuri found the door to the bathroom, and the water was already running. A bottle of her coconut shampoo set on the shelf. As the steamy water washed away the sweat and dirt from her adventures, she considered the concept of a mind palace. She knew it had to be a place she could easily recall and had to contain at least one if not more secret compartments. She settled on a small scale version to start with.
Her old bedroom. She placed her knowledge of the Doctors regenerations in a safe under the bed. Her knowledge of the future companions in the locked closet. Everything else relevant to future adventures was placed in a locked drawer in the desk.
Satisfied, she hopped out of the shower and turned to the closet. Deciding to sleep in clothes rather than pj's, lest she pop off in her sleep. She found a pair of plain black joggers, and a red tee-shirt with the Ironman symbol on it. Leaving a pair of red converse within arms reach, she finally drifted off to sleep.
When Zuri woke, she was surrounded by the warm, blue glow. Snatching her shoes, she barely had time to wonder which Doctor she'd end up with before the glow brightened and she was moved through time and space.
The glow finally dimmed to reveal the Ninth Doctor and Rose, gaping. "You just, you were..." The Doctor stuttered.
"You just disappeared in blue light! You were gone, and now you're back?"
"Uh yeah, so hi. I'm back. Apparently the artron energy is changing me, I came from an adventure with your tenth body. I'm gonna pop in and out like that a lot." Zuri rushed. "So, we need to keep scanning my artron levels, but otherwise we are clear for take-off sir."
She gave him a mock salute as he and Rose processed the information dump. "Uhh, to clarify, we did just defeat the Nestene Consciousness right?"
Rose nodded. "We were about to decide where to go and then you started glowing."
"Right then." The Doctor shook himself from his thoughts. "Rose Tyler, you tell me, where do you want to go? Backward or forwards in time. What's it going to be?"
"Forwards." She said firmly as Zuri gave her a thumbs up.
"How far?"
"Hundred years?"
The Doctor pulled a few switches and pressed a few buttons. The engine lurched as they flew through the time vortex. "There you go, step out those doors, it's the twenty-second century."
"You're kidding."
"That's a bit boring though, do you want to go further?"
"Fine by me, Zuri?"
"Let's do it."
The Doctor flipped a few more switches, setting them off again. "Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the New Roman Empire."
"You think you're so impressive." Rose teased.
"I am so impressive."
"You wish!"
"Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on." He revved up the engines one last time before gesturing to the doors.
"Where are we? What's out there?" Rose asked, but the Doctor only smiled.
They were in some kind of wooden room. The Doctor pulled out his sonic, opening the shutters of an enormous window. the three of them walked down some steps and found themselves looking down on planet earth.
"You lot." The Doctor began. "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 the time to imagine the impossible. Maybe you survive. This is the year five point five slash apple slash twenty-six. Five billion years in your future. This is the day... Hold on..." He looked at his watch. "This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."
A computer's voice echoed through the station. "Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation, and religion. Earth Death scheduled for fifteen thirty-nine., followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."
Rose, Zuri, and the Doctor walked down the corridor. Rose glanced around, before asking, "So when it says guests does it mean people?"
"Depends what you mean by people." The Doctor joked.
"I mean people. What do you mean?"
"Aliens." Zuri smirked. "Real, proper aliens, Rose."
"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?"
The Doctor sonicked a door before replying. " It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn."
"What for?" Rose queried.
"Fun." The Doctor commented as they entered an observation deck. "Mind you, when I said the great an good, what I meant was the rich."
"But, hold on, they did this on 'news-round extra'." Rose began. "The sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years."
"Millions. But the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there? Gravity Satellite, that's holding back the sun."
Zuri nodded. "You see, the continents normally would shift, but the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over."
"How long has it got?" Rose asked. "About half an hour and 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 earth?"
"He's not saving it. Time's up." Zuri sighed. "The planets empty, everyone left. They flew out among the stars." She turned back to the window as the Steward approached them.
"Who the hell are you? 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, you see there? It's fine see?" The Doctor flashed his psychic paper. "The Doctor and Zuri, plus one. I'm the Doctor, that's Zuri, and that's Rose Tyler. She's the plus one. That all right?"
"Well obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy."
The Doctor briefly explained the psychic paper to Rose. The Steward began announcing the other guests.
Zuri pulled Rose over to the side. "They're aliens, yeah. But they're just people. They have thoughts and feelings like you. Talk to one of them. Introduce yourself."
Rose nodded, and they rejoined the Doctor as he was greeting the first guests.
Three tree people had approached, and the leader held out a small tree cutting. "The gift of peace. I bring you a cutting from my grandfather."
"Thank you." The Doctor began, passing the cutting to Rose. "Yes, gifts... uh..."
Zuri rolled her eyes and coughed pointedly.
"Oh. Yes." He beamed. "I give you in return, air from my lungs." He blew gently on her face as she briefly closed her eyes.
"How... Intimate."
"There's more where that came from." He flirted.
Zuri reached over and slapped him. "Really? You've just met, give it a rest."
He merely turned her way and winked. "Plenty for you too."
She blushed and turned away without answering.
The Doctor should be flirting with Rose, but then he seemed to be flirting with everything. Could it be him testing out a new regeneration?
Then the Face of Boe arrived, and she could barely contain her squeal. She tapped the Doctor on his shoulder. "I'll be back." And didn't give him time to answer before she was gone.
As Zuri approached the Face of Boe's tank, the Steward announced,
"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and Gentlemen, 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 Seven."
A skin trampoline wearing lipstick was wheeled in, and Zuri had a laugh at Rose's shocked face when it spoke.
"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. Moisturize me, moisturize me." One of the two men accompanying her sprayed something from a canister on the skin. "Truly, I am the last human."
Zuri tuned Cassandra out as she continue to blather on, choosing instead to turn her focus back to the head floating in the jar beside her.
"Boe."
Sweetness. It's good to see you again.
"I suppose I should get used to the telepathy, only my second jump you know. So strictly speaking I haven't met you yet. But I'm looking forward to it."
As you should be. He hummed faintly as Tainted Love by Soft Cell began playing.
"Now I have to ask, why are you sponsoring the End of the World party?"
You told me to, Sweetness.
"I did? Oh, must have been future me. Planning things out in advance to ensure the survival of the timelines. Great, this means I should start a To-Do list. Item number one, tell Boe to host the end of the world on Platform One."
She turned as Rose rushed out of the gallery. "I'd better go after her, but I'd love to talk more with you later?"
Boe nodded, which is to say he leaned the whole of himself forwards briefly. Zuri turned back to the door and headed towards them. But was stopped by Jabe with her scanner slash camera thing. She snapped a photo and then thanked Zuri. Zuri briefly wondered what the scanner thought of her, before remembering Rose.
She walked in on the girl having a conversation with a member of staff.
"Erm, I dunno, a long way away... I 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."
The staff member looked worried before Zuri spoke up.
"He's fine, Rosey. Trust me, I wouldn't let you come otherwise. Anyways, let's not keep this lovely woman from her job, can't have Boe with no hot water, he can be a diva sometimes."
She faintly heard Boe's chuckle in her head and realized he heard her. Sorry, Jacky.
The staff member thanked Rose for permission to speak, saying most people weren't that considerate, before heading back to work.
Zuri watched her go, then turned to Rose. "Alright then, how you coping? I know it is a lot at once, but as you saw, they still have plumber's like her, and she was lovely."
Rose turned to look out the window. "It's just..." She paused briefly as the Doctor entered. "I mean it's great, 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."
Zuri snorted when the Doctor smiled.
"Good thing I didn't take you to the deep south."
Rose merely turned to the pair of them. "Where are you two from?"
The Doctor shrugged. "All over the place. Zuri's from a different universe, but it's not too different from here. As far as we can guess anyway."
Rose turned to Zuri as if to question, but instead commented, "They all speak English."
"No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the TARDIS. Telepathic field, gets inside your brain, translates." The Doctor missed Zuri slashing her hand across her throat.
"It's inside my brain?" Rose demanded.
"Well in a good way." He quickly tried to fix the situation, realizing Rose wasn't happy.
"Your machine gets inside my head. It gets inside, and it changes my mind, and you din't even ask?"
Zuri stepped in then. "Rose, he didn't think of that. The TARDIS has been translating for him for so long. He doesn't even remember sometimes that the universe doesn't speak his language. All it's doing is translating, nothing more. She's a lovely ship once she gets to know you, don't be angry. Doctor, will you upgrade Rose's phone? I think she could do with a phone call home tight about now."
And she left the observation room, giving the two of them time to bond.
Zuri trusted the Doctor already, she knew who he was, and who he would become. But Rose didn't have that background information to rely on, and Zuri knew it would take a few conversations to convince her he was totally trustworthy. And with the event to come today, she knew she couldn't interfere. The timeline of Rose and Nine required that today go as Zuri knew. Or else Rose might go home, and the universe would collapse. Rose had to be convinced it was safe, traveling with the Doctor.
Zuri was chatting some more with Boe when the platform shuddered.
The Moxx of Balhoon turned to them commenting, "This is the Bad Wolf scenario."
Zuri stiffened but kept her part of the conversation up until the Doctor and Rose appeared.
"That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that."
And as there was another small shudder, Zuri contemplated what to do about Jabe. The tree woman was destined to die, but could Zuri change it without changing the timeline?
Up next... The End of the World part 2