Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS
The Van Baleen Bros. Ship
Flying through space was a long, charcoal black ship. Inside a room, filled with scrap, junk and thin layers of dust was three dark-skinned men. Two of them were sleeping while one with eyes that glowed neon green was cleaning in silence. An alarm sounded, blaring one of the sleeping men up as he gets up to join the other. "Incoming salvage! Please validate!" The computer said.
One of them turns off the alarm with a groan. "Rusty garbage. It's not worth lacing up my boots."
"We're wasting our time, Bram. There's no salvage this far out." The other says with a synthetic voice.
"You're a lucky boy, Tricky. You're an android. You don't get…" Bram cuts off his condescending tone with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Tricky."
"It's alright." Tricky mumbled.
"If we just got better luck, we could get out of this mess, you know. Have a better ship and all. Even Gregor would agree." Bram said, pointing to said man who was waking up.
"Gregor won't turn back, not with half a cargo." Tricky raised his eyebrow.
"He's not captain. We're equal partners." Bram scoffed.
"Yeah right." Tricky mumbled before taking a drink to cool himself.
The TARDIS, at the same time
The TARDIS beeped in a sighing manner as the Doctor and Clara paced around the TARDIS, Clara now wearing a red fit and flare dress and a black collar with her hair pinned up in a small bun. "What do you mean you don't know what this stuff does? You flew the TARDIS, of course you would know." The Doctor said.
"Yes, by winging it with the help of the TARDIS." Clara groaned. "Helmic Regulator. What is a Helmic Regulator anyway?"
"Ugh, it's like…um-"
*Beeps* (It's the steering wheel)
"See? Even the TARDIS is a better teacher than you. Hell, she can pilot herself better than you can." Clara admonished teasingly.
"You take that back, Clara. My piloting skills are fantastic."
"Dear god, you're like a walking ego wrapped in an overgrown child."
"No, I am not!"
"Oh yes, you are!" Clara said.
*Beeps* (Thank you, Clara)
"Oi, that's not fair! Why are you both teaming up against me?"
"Because it's fun." Clara said slyly. The TARDIS around them let out a whirring noise like giggling.
"You know what? I'll prove that I'm a better teacher. I'll just put the TARDIS in basic mode and show you the main controls." The Doctor said as he moved to work.
*Beeps* (That's a horrible idea)
"No, it's not. It's a marvellous idea." The Doctor denied as he finished his work.
"Suit up, fellas. It's good salvage. I can almost smell it." Gregor said as he walked up to them.
"It's just trash." Bram said.
"No, look. There's something in the Magno field." Tricky said as the screen showed the TARDIS appearing.
"Screw it." Gregor said as he activated the Magno-Grab.
"Magno-Grab ready. Engaging." The computer said.
"Go ahead, Tricky. It's your turn." Gregor said. Tricky smiled before selecting a song off the computer.
I see the bad moon arising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lighnin'
I see bad times today
Gregor and Bram exchanged impressed looks.
"Good choice." Bram said, which Gregor nodded too.
"Now, come on. Let's suit up." Gregor said impatiently as the three hurriedly moved to their lockers to get into their brown leather jackets and equipment. Gregor pulled out a small, round charge before pressing the button, lighting the charge in red light. Outside, the front of the ship opened and sent a blue, hazy field towards the TARDIS
The Doctor moved to pull the materialisation lever yet found nothing happened. "Doctor?" Clara asked uncertainly. The same music from the ship began to float through the TARDIS.
Don't go around tonight
It's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise
"Okay, you were right, that was a stupid idea." He moved in agitation around the console.
"What's going on?"
"The electrical impulses are jammed; I can't get the shields back up. She's completely vulnerable." The Doctor placed both hands on a level as he struggled to lift it.
"External control, right?" Clara deducted.
"Basically, yes." The Doctor lifted the level, which did nothing until the TARDIS began to rock violently and cause sparks to fly out of the console as the room came apart in a mess. "It's a Magnetic Hubble field! We're flying right into it!"
"Please tell me there's a button you can press to fix this!" Clara yelled.
"Oh yes! A big, friendly button!" The Doctor yelled sarcastically.
"You're lying, right?!"
"Yes!"
"To stop me freaking out?!"
"Yes! Is it working?!"
"No!"
"Ah well, at least I tried!" Clara spotted a small, round charge lit red rolling towards her, so she bent down to pick it up with one hand while the other gripped onto the railing. As she held it, she felt a burning sensation in her hand causing her to scream in pain as she dropped it. The TARDIS rocked violently again, causing Clara to stumble and roll to the ground, banging her head on the railing and knocking her unconscious. "Clara!" The Doctor yelled before the same rocking caused him to lose his grip and tumble towards the doors. "Clara!" The railing he held onto creaked and groaned before it came loose, sending him tumbling through the door and onto a cold, hard ground before debris and junk came crashing down onto his head, sending him deep into a dark pit of sleep.
Gregor, Bram and Tricky watched through a thick window as the sparking and ruined TARDIS was brought in by large cranes as they let it go, sending it tumbling down onto the ground. "What is it? An escape pod?" Tricky asked.
Gregor shrugged. "Let's find out." They left to head into the room, missing the Doctor stumbling out as debris knocked him unconscious. As they walked into the room, they grabbed their allotted equipment and gear. "Crack it open." Gregor told Bram, who nodded as they proceeded to use their tools on the TARDIS doors, however nothing worked.
"Nothing's working." Bram told Gregor in confusion.
"Use a thermo-charge and blast it." Gregor told him as he chucked him a charge.
"No, wait!" They both turned their heads to look at Tricky as he moved towards the TARDIS. "Can't you feel it? It's like, it's alive and it's in pain."
"It's a robot, Tricky."
"No, Gregor, he's right. It's looks like there's a broken fuel line." Bram said, pointing to the smoke coming out of the ship as they backed off.
"Alright then, throw it back. No salvage today." Gregor said. "Open the bay doors, Bram."
"Wait." Tricky said as he motioned them over to a pile of debris. "I think that's one of the crew members. He must have fell out when we brought it in."
"Alright. You know the drill, boys. We did nothing. If anyone asks, the crew was already dead, and the ship was busted when we found it. Right?" Tricky and Bram nodded timidly.
"You do realize it's rude to whisper." The Doctor mumbled, making them turn around. "Hello. Can I have a hand?" They moved to push the debris off him. "Thank you." He said as he got up with a groan, popping his back as he did. "I'm the Doctor. And you are?"
"Gregor and Bram Van Baleen and this is Tricky. He's a lucky charm android." Gregor said with a pat on Tricky's back, who smiled softly. "What happened to your head?" Gregor pointed.
The Doctor looked confused as they gave him a mirror, which he help up to see two scars across his left cheek, stopping before they reached both his left ear and the corner of his mouth. "Right, I got debris on me head. That must have been a side effect."
"Yeah, we found you drifting. Your ship was busted pretty bad."
"What broke my ship was a Magno-Grab." He reprimanded. He pulled out of his pocket a small, red charge that Tricky looked at before checking his pockets with wide eyes. "Yeah, I found this baby in your pocket. This is outlawed in most galaxies as he can disable whole vessels, unless of course you have shield oscillators." The Doctor then placed his forehead in his palm. "Which I turned off to protect my injured ego. Blame Clara and the TARDIS for ganging up on me." The Doctor paused as his face fell. "Wait, where's Clara?" The three shrugged. "She's about yah-high." He placed his hand at his collarbone. "Rather feisty, quite gorgeous-" He cut himself off with a blush. "Forget that last bit." He then paled in realisation as he turned to look at the TARDIS. "She's still on board." He then started to the ship but was held back by Tricky.
"No, wait. Your ship is leaking fuel. If she's still in there, she's dead."
"She better not be." The Doctor said sternly as he moved to their lockers before grabbing a respirator. "Now, can I ask a favour, and have you fellas help me out?"
"What sort of fee are we talking?" Gregor asked.
"If you help me get her out, you get all of it. Think about it, this box can't hold two people and everything a ship needs to fly. The box is a disguise and it's bigger on the inside. Behind those doors is the salvage of a lifetime and I need your help."
The three exchanged timid looks before Gregor shrugged. "Bugger it. Get your respirators on."
"Is it really worth the risk? That ship is spewing poison." Bram protested.
"Which I can fix with your help." The Doctor rolled his eyes.
The three moved to grab the new gear before walking up to him as he pulled out a key to unlock the doors. "You're sure about this? The salvage of a lifetime?" Gregor asked.
"I feel rather confident that I can deliver on that." The Doctor said as he opened the door. "May I ask, if Tricky is an android, why does he need a respirator?"
"Flesh coating. He'd burn up just like us." Bram explained yet to the Doctor, it sounded like something that was rehearsed.
"No fear, no hate, no pain." Tricky said with a wink, which the Doctor raised an eyebrow at.
"Alright, in we go." The Doctor said as he pulled on the respirator and moved inside.
The three followed him in as they looked around in awe. "You were right. It's bigger on the inside." Gregor said.
"How big is this baby?" Bram asked.
"Picture the biggest spaceship then chuck that out because this ship is infinite." The Doctor said.
"Woah, awesome." Tricky said with a laugh.
"Rather well put." The Doctor said, raising his eyebrows with a grin. He then flicked a few switches that aired out the smoke. "It's safe to breathe now." He said as he pulled off his respirator with the others. "Now, the last time I remember, she was right there. Then she tumbled off down the corridor."
"It would take you hours to find her." Gregor said as they marvelled at the technology despite the mess.
"Days, plus this whole place is toxic. She'd be dead by the time I reach her, so here is the mission. We are going to find her in one hour."
"We?"
"Yes, we. You are my guys for this."
"That wasn't the deal." Gregor protested.
"It is now." The Doctor said coldly.
"What makes you think we'll help?" Bram asked.
The Doctor flicked a switch, which set off an alarm. The monitor showed a timer counting down from 60 minutes. "I just activated the TARDIS self-destruct system. We have one hour until this ship blows." Bram raced towards the doors which shut and locked on their own. "Don't try to leave and don't bother trying to steal my key, the TARDIS is in lockdown. I will open those doors when Clara is by my side, alive and safe."
"You crazy lunatic!" Bram yelled.
"My ship, my rules!"
"You'll kill us all and the girl." Gregor said.
"She'll be dead anyway if we don't do anything." Gregor and Tricky then raced towards the doors as they tried to break out, making the Doctor groan. "Alright, a little persuasion." He flicked a few switches to reduce the timer to 30 minutes. "How about half an hour?"
"We'll die even faster!" Bram protested.
"We all perform better under pressure. Would anybody like to go for 15 minutes?"
"Woah, wait, stop!" The three yelled in unison, making the Doctor grin coldly.
"Perhaps I should reiterate my earlier statement. 'Salvage of a lifetime'. I meant Clara Oswald."
Clara groaned as she shook the drowsiness from her head before pushing the debris off herself, so she could stand up, gasping in pain as she felt the stinging in her hand return tenfold while a bloody gash was burning in her forehead. She looked through the dark hallway, lit only by red lights and a small, burning fire. "Doctor?" She called out yet found no answer, making her proceed on by herself. She came to the door at one end, which was closed with a red flashing light above it. Okay, that means something bad. "Get out of here fast?" or "Whatever you do, don't open this door". Clara placed her uninjured hand to her chin in contemplation before placing her hand on the button to open the door, showing a storm of fire rushing towards her, making her shut the door again. "Bad decision." She grumbled as she smacked her forehead before gasping. Dammit, wrong hand. She then turned to walk back up the corridor and taking a left through an open doorway. One the wall was a black scorch mark, like someone had dragged fingers made of hot metal across the wall. She looked down to see a small hologram, pointing her down the corridor with the words 'The Library' on it. "Thank you dear." She said as she kissed the wall. What answered her was silence. "Old girl?" She asked, receiving a small, distant growl like a wolf, making her jerk her head as she proceeded cautiously down the direction of the arrow.
The Doctor led Tricky and Bram as they walked through a series of corridors, searching for Clara while Gregor trailed closely behind, holding out a small scanner. "Report. What's on board this thing?" Gregor asked the scanner.
"Dynamorphic generators. Conceptual geometer. Beam synthesiser. Orthogonal engine filters." A quieter version of the computer voice said from the scanner.
Gregor stared in contemplation before getting an idea, making him rush to catch up with the others. "Guys, I think we should split up. It's our best chance of finding the girl, you know it is."
The Doctor squinted his eyes before sighing. "Fine. Tricky, you with me." Tricky nodded as he moved off with the Doctor.
"Keep in radio contact, Tricky." Gregor said with a small salute.
"Yes boss." Tricky said with a smile.
"And don't touch anything, the TARDIS will get mad if you make a mess." The Doctor called out as he and Tricky disappeared.
"Get back to the console and strip it apart." Gregor told Bram, who nodded as they moved in separate directions. Bram re-entered back into the console room before taking out a few tools and proceeding to pry one of the console panels apart.
"I made up the name TARDIS from the initials. Time and Relative Dimension in Space."
"Dimensionally transcendental."
"That's trans-dimensional engineering. A key Time Lord discovery."
"A thing that looks like a police box, standing in a junkyard. It can move anywhere in time and space?"
These indistinct voices made Bram look up in confusion before he pulled a piece of the grating floor back to reveal a ladder. "Bram? Bram, can you hear me? Bram, the ship is alive. Get out of there and don't touch anything." The voice of Tricky came in through the radio yet Bram ignored it as he stared at the column of green light that was linked to the bottom of the console.
"You're just the sweetest thing ever." He marvelled before he started to descend the ladder.
"Bram, are you listening to me? You've got to get out of there." Bram placed his hand on a part of the ladder that was scorched through, burning his hand and making him hiss in pain as he lost his grip on the ladder, making him fall to the ground with a groan of pain. He struggled to get up as the pain in his hand burned with the spasm in his back from the fall. As he stood, trying to maintain balance, he turned to see a figure standing in a nearby doorway, covered in scorched rock and with lava for veins while its eyes glowed like red ambers. It stared at Bram, growling before it charged with a roar, knocking Bram to the ground before it placed its hands-on Bram, making him scream in pain as his head was burned alive.
Gregor was walking through a series of corridors as he held his scanner out in front of him, humming as it searched the nearby areas of the ship. As he passed by a door, the scanner beeped in an alert. "Everything." The scanner said.
"What? Report."
"Everything behind that door."
"Everything? What do you mean "Everything"?" Gregor asked incredulously.
"Sensor detects everything you could possibly want." Gregor thought for a moment before pressing his hand on the door button to open it, revealing a small room filled with wires and large, white bulbs with Gallifreyan markings, assembled like an overgrown, hanging tree. "Everything."
"I don't understand. Give me a price tag."
"Incalculable."
"What?"
"More valuable than the total sum of any currency. Living metal. Bespoke engineering. Whatever machine you require, this system will build it." Gregor smiled in appreciation as he put the scanner away, before holding up his cutting laser to detach one of the bulbs.
"Don't you dare do that!" The Doctor yelled as he ran in with Tricky. "If you take anything from this room, the TARDIS won't let you leave, do you hear me?!"
"What is this place?" Gregor asked.
"It doesn't matter what this place is, don't touch anything!" The Doctor roared.
"Gregor, please just listen to him. This ship, it's in pain. Let's just find the girl and get out of here." Tricky tried to reason.
Gregor snorted before he pulled a circuit out, causing a high-pitched tone to blare through the room, hurting Gregor's hearing yet leaving the Doctor and Tricky unharmed as the door suddenly disappeared. "What the hell? Where it's gone? Where's the door gone?!" Gregor asked in fear.
"Since you so obviously wanted to see the TARDIS get mad, now you're got the front seat." The Doctor mocked.
"Well, aren't you going to stop me?" Gregor mocked.
"Don't have too. I have a whole ship that you're in right now to do it for me." The Doctor said coldly. "It's her basic genetic material. She won't relinquish it."
"Tricky, torch the door." Gregor said, pulling out a thermo-charge.
"No. Just give her back the circuit, Gregor." Tricky pleaded.
Gregor scoffed before arming the charge, only to give a smug smirk as the door reappeared. "Look at that, Doctor. Your ship is too scared to fight me." Gregor mocked before he proceeded out of the room. Tricky looked at the Doctor apologetically before hurrying after him. The Doctor clenched his jaw as he tried to contain his boiling rage, running a hand on one of the circuits in apologetic pity to his ship. He then proceeded to follow the two, who found themselves walking in circles in a fork-pathed corridor. "It's just the same. What is going on here?!" Gregor asked in fear.
"She's spinning a maze around us. We'll never reach Clara in time now give it back!" The Doctor roared. Gregor shook his head as his fear towards the Doctor started to grow before he rushed down a different path. The Doctor rolled his eyes as he turned around to see Gregor walk towards him. "Don't you get it now?! There's no point in building walls, you'll just smash them down! Answer; Labyrinth! You can get out of this situation easily and unharmed. All you have to do is give it back!"
"Bram? Bram, can you hear me? Bram, the ship is alive. Get out of there and don't touch anything." Tricky heard nothing through the radio. "Bram, are you listening to me? You've got to get out of there." They then heard him stumble and fall in pain which after a moment of silence was heard by an animalistic roaring, followed by Bram's scream of pain and agony. "Bram? Bram?!" Tricky then turned to look at Gregor. "Gregor do something!"
"It's too late, he's gone. Let's just worry about the salvage." Gregor said, trying to hide the pain in his voice.
"Why do you care more about a circuit than you do about him?!" Tricky asked.
"Stop this now!" The Doctor roared, making them look down like guilty children. "Your concern for your brother is really touching, Gregor, yet Tricky seems more cut up about it than you are. Now stop bickering and listen! There was something with Bram that killed him, so something else is aboard this ship." The Doctor pulled out his sonic as he began a scan of the TARDIS.
"We've got to get out of here. Gregor give it back. Give it back now!" Tricky yelled.
"Alright, fine!" Gregor yelled as he took the circuit out of his bag and throwing it onto the ground, which didn't even dent it. "Why are you always on the side of the machines?!"
"I said stop this now!" The Doctor roared, repeating the same effect. "There are multiple life forms aboard this ship with us right now."
"Where are they?" Gregor asked in fear.
"You won't like the answer; About two steps away." This made them all pause as they turned around to look behind them, seeing now two figures like the one that killed Bram, only these two and only one limb each and were joined at the place where the other used to be.
"Run!" The Doctor ordered as they moved to rush from the room, however Gregor was backhanded by one of the creatures, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground at a different doorway.
"Gregor!" Tricky yelled.
"Tricky, Gregor, run now!" The Doctor yelled, which Gregor and Tricky complied to without hesitation then ran down the corridor while the Doctor looked at the two creatures with pity. "I'm sorry." He said sincerely before running to follow the two.
As Clara walked along a route of arrows, she found a door which when opened, made her raise her eyebrows at the site of the expansive library and- "Why does he have a swimming pool in the library?" She mumbled. She walked through the library, to raise her eyebrows as saw sitting alone on a stand, a book titled "The History of the Time War". In curiosity, she walked up to it and turned to the last page before reading a small section.
Stepping out of the TARDIS, the Doctor took one last look upon his home planet of Gallifrey, knowing this will be the last time he will see it whether he dies or not. Not the burnt orange sand nor the clear blue skies mixed with grey clouds and bathed in the red twin suns. In the far distance he saw the same barn he ran to in his childhood. This walk would be his penance, his atonement for the crime he would commit; burning all Gallifrey and his own people to save the universe. Picking up The Moment, he began the long trek towards the barn. "Time Lords of Gallifrey, Daleks of Skaro, I serve notice on you all. Too long I have stayed my hand, No More. Today, you leave me no choice. Today, this war will end. No More. No More."
Clara closed the book, sniffing as she held back the tears in her eyes. "You poor man." She mumbled in sadness. The door to the library clanged open, making Clara hold back a gasp in shock as she moved to a hiding place, wiping the tears from her eyes as she did. Another one of the creatures entered the library alone. This one had one of its hands on its face, rubbing it almost in sadness. Who are you? Clara watched in silence as the creature looked around before it moved silently out of the library. Clara then rushed out of another door, before following another trail of arrows that led her through another door into the console room. "Oh, thank you." She said gleefully before hurrying up to the console. "Thank you so much." She said, placing a kiss on the console, yet her face fell as she looked upon the door, which was instead of the wooden police box was just solid stone. "Oh, dear god. What's going on? Something's wrong with you, isn't there?" She asked the TARDIS which gave no answer. "Please, where are you, Doctor?" She mumbled. The console suddenly moved and jerked as pieces of debris and junk were flung from the console, making Clara jerk up in shock. Her breathing became full of fear as some of the switches were flicked before it stopped, leaving her in silence apart from her fearful panting. She then heard an animalistic growling as one of the creatures entered the console room. "I really should've closed the door." She reprimanded herself as it came near her yet stopped as Clara tried to steady herself. Clara looked at it with confusion despite her fear. "What are you?" She asked, receiving no answer. The creature then briefly looked around before giving a growl as it advanced on Clara, backing her to the door as it reached its lava covered hands out, making Clara scream in terror.
Gregor, Tricky and the Doctor ran into the console room, closing the door behind them as they stopped the pursuit of the creatures following them. "Back where we started?" Tricky asked.
"No, it's an echo room. The console room is the safest place on the ship, but this isn't the original. Look at the door." The Doctor said, pointing to the door which was replaced with a wall of stone. "This room is just a copy. The TARDIS can replicate this room any number of times, it's trying to protect us."
"Why would it protect me? I tried to steal from it." Gregor mumbled
The Doctor sighed. "You gave it back in the end; besides, the TARDIS would never condemn you to death and neither would I."
"Don't feel sorry for me, mate. It was my fault; I should've given it back earlier. We would've gotten to the girl much faster."
"No, it was my fault that Clara is in trouble. I'm the one to blame, not you, all because I can't control my goddam ego." He said in self anger, shoving some of the debris off the console yet him and Tricky paused as they just disappeared.
"Where did that go?" Tricky asked.
"There's more than one echo room. Wait, look!" He said, pointing to a small shadow that passed hesitantly over the railing. "The TARDIS has got Clara safe, that was her there. Thank you so much!" He said with a sigh of relief as he placed a kiss on the console.
"So, why can't we see her?" Gregor asked.
"Think of the echo rooms like a light switch. We're only together for brief instances. I just need something to identify her, so I can bring her to the right room."
Gregor thought for a moment. "Would this help?" He asked, pulling out his scanner.
"Oh yes, thank you!" The Doctor yelled before snatching it and pulling out his sonic.
"Wait, shhh!" Tricky said, making them quiet down. They could barely hear Clara's fearful panting filling the console room.
"That's her, that's definitely her." The Doctor said as he got to work with the scanner.
"Scanning for female Human." The scanner said.
Suddenly, the familiar growling noise filled the room.
"I really should've closed the door."
"She's by the front door!" Gregor pointed, finding the source of her voice as her terror filled screams echoed through the room and sending cold shivers down the Doctor's spine.
"That she is!" The Doctor yelled as they rushed to the door.
"Unidentified Human."
"It doesn't know Lancashire or sass, but that's her, that's Clara!" The Doctor switched a few settings before using the scanner as Clara began to fade into the room in a ghostlike haze. He then reached a hand, grabbing onto her arm and pulling her towards him as she focused into reality, throwing his arms around her shaking body. "It's alright, Clara! It's alright."
Clara wrenched herself from him, glaring, which made him gulp. "Clara, wait, I'm sorry!" The Doctor yelled fruitlessly as Clara punched his shoulder hard. "Oww!"
"You and your goddam ego got us into this mess!" Clara yelled as she smacked his face hard.
"Oww!"
"Why have you got zombie creatures in your ship?!"
"I said I'm sorry!" The Doctor pleaded.
Clara calmed down as some tears came into her eyes before she threw her arms around him. "Don't ever do that again, you hear me?"
"Yes boss." The Doctor mumbled.
Their presence started to calm each other down, before Clara noticed Gregor and Tricky standing there looking awkward. "Who are you?" She asked in confusion.
"I'm Gregor, this is Tricky." Gregor mumbled awkwardly. "Doctor wanted our help finding you."
Clara hugged him tighter. "You didn't have to worry about me."
"Rubbish. Of course, I worry about you. By the way, what happened to your head?" He asked, pointing to her gash.
"Banged my head. What happened to you?" She asked, pointing to his scars.
"Banged my head. Wait, did you just steal the words out of my mouth?"
"No." She giggled.
"Okay, you have Clara back, now can you please cancel the self-destruct?" Gregor asked.
Clara looked at the Doctor with accusing expression, yet it didn't reach her eyes. "Did you threaten them?"
"No, I lied. There is no self-destruct. I just wanted Clara back." The Doctor mumbled.
Gregor put his face in his hand, yet they looked at the console as an alarm set off.
"Okay, apparently there is something wrong." The Doctor said with furrowed eyebrows as he untangled himself from Clara and moving to the monitor. "Ah. The engine is damaged. Great."
"What's going to happen then?" Tricky asked.
"If we don't fix the engine, the TARDIS will blow up and yes, I'm not lying this time."
"Where is the engine at?" Gregor asked.
"The engine is at the centre of the TARDIS. Want to go on a little trip?" The Doctor asked.
"Well, we've got nothing to do and I don't want to be on my own again, so why not?" Clara said with a shrug.
"Yeah, me and Tricky could give a hand. It's the least we can do." Gregor mumbled apologetically.
"Would now be a good time to use that "Big Friendly Button"?" Clara said teasingly.
"Oi!"
"Sorry, what?" Tricky asked.
"Long story." Clara said.
"Are we going to witter on all day? Come on." The Doctor said impatiently.
"Rude." Clara admonished before she, Gregor and Tricky followed the Doctor.
The Doctor led the group through a series of dark hallways, lit by his scanning sonic. Rustling noise came past, making Clara shush them as they tried to listen. "Something is in here." Clara said.
"Of course, there is. Captain obvious." He mumbled under his breath.
"I'm right here." She warned.
"I didn't say nothing." He denied.
"What are those things? The creatures that are following us?" Gregor asked yet he got no answer.
"Doctor? What aren't you telling us?" Clara asked.
The Doctor looked at her in sadness as he placed a hand on her cheek. "There are some things you should never know."
They heard a growling noise behind them, making them look to see the back of one of the creatures.
"Okay, move and quietly." The Doctor said as they rushed away yet split up. Tricky and Gregor went down one hallway while the Doctor went down another with Clara before she lost track of him.
"Doctor?" She called timidly into the silence. "Doctor? Again." She mumbled, looking down to inspect her scar, the pain had faded from her hand to be replaced by what looked like a message but was hard to read. The pain in her forehead, while passing was still there, making her wince slightly.
"What do you mean you don't know what this stuff does? You flew the TARDIS, of course you would know."
"Yes, by winging it with the help of the TARDIS." Clara looked up to see past versions of her and the Doctor walking past, making her raise her eyebrows both in shock and confusion. She turned around to see herself staring at her.
"See? Even the TARDIS is a better teacher than you. Hell, she can pilot herself better than you can." Clara blinked at the past version of her disappeared to be replaced by another.
"Please tell me there's a button you can press to fix this!" Clara turned around to see the Doctor standing there, yet he had a look of rage on his face.
"She's spinning a maze around us. We'll never reach Clara in time now give it back!"
"Clara, wait!"
She turned to see the real Doctor standing there. "What's going on?"
"There's a rupture in time somewhere onboard this ship, a small tear in the fabric of reality. Past and future are leaking into the present."
"But, why were you angry? Who were you angry at?"
"I was angry with myself." He mumbled.
"It wasn't your fault, Doctor. No, stop." She cut him off. "It wasn't your fault, okay?"
The Doctor nodded weakly. "Okay. Now, come on. We've got to keep moving. Just ignore those, they are memories."
They turned around to see one of the creatures standing there, looking at them. "What about this?" Clara asked fearfully.
"I'd say…run." He said simply as he grabbed her hand to run through a series of corridors to lose it. "Hurry! She's right onto us!"
"She?"
"Clara, please don't ask me anymore." They hid around a corner in silence as the creature came down, trying to look for them.
"You take that back, Clara. My piloting skills are fantastic."
"Dear god, you're like a walking ego wrapped in an overgrown child." The creature looked to see the past versions of Clara and the Doctor walking past, deciding to chase after them instead.
"Well, thank goodness for that." The Doctor chuckled as Clara let out a slight laugh. They looked up as they heard a creaking and groaning noise above them.
"What's that noise?"
"We're right under the primary fuel cell."
"So?"
"So, the fuel's spilled out and the rods will be exposed. Means they'll cool-"
"And start to warp."
"Maybe even-"
"Don't say it."
"Maybe even-"
"Don't you dare say it."
"Maybe even break apart." They jumped back as a large, rod burst out of the roof into another wall, missing their heads by inches.
"Run?" She offered.
"Love that idea." He nodded before they rushed off down the corridor, gasping as more rods burst out, barely missing them. One rod burst out, missing both of their heads, making them wince before they heard Tricky scream in pain, making them rush to the source. They found Tricky impaled against the wall by a rod that was buried in his left arm, Gregor looking on in horror as he tried to pull the rod out.
"Just cut my arm off!" Tricky pleaded.
"No!" Gregor denied.
"It's the quickest way to release me, you know it is! I can get a replacement arm, just do it!"
"No, I can't!"
"Why not?!"
The Doctor looked on in bitter sadness. "Tell him, Gregor. Tell him the truth."
"What truth?!" Tricky asked.
The Doctor pulled out his sonic and performed a scan on Tricky. "The only thing that is android about you is the bionic eyes and the synthetic voice box. But the reality is, you are Human."
"What?" Tricky mumbled as his eyes widened.
"I'm sorry, mate. We just did it as a joke. A stupid joke." Gregor mumbled guiltily.
"Who am I?" Tricky asked.
"You're our brother, Tricky. You lost your memory, sight and voice in an accident. We made you think you were an android, because Dad wanted you to be captain."
"And you did this, so you could be captain?!" Tricky accused.
"Yes. But that was a mistake."
"Why would you insist on it being a mistake?"
"Because you would've made a better captain than us." Tricky's eyes softened at that. "I don't expect you to forgive us, Tricky, but at least know that we're sorry."
The Doctor looked between them with sadness, Clara placing her hand on his shoulder in comfort. "Cut the metal." He mumbled. Gregor complied without a word.
Gregor carried the wounded Tricky as they and Clara followed the Doctor until they arrived at a closed door with a window. Behind it was a brightly lit room with a dense orange glow. "Where are we?" Clara asked.
"Power source. Right, you lot wait here. I'll go inside, we can only survive for a few minutes in there."
"What happens if we stay too long?"
"Our skins would liquefy and burn." The Doctor said bluntly.
"I always feel so good after we've spoken." Clara said sarcastically.
"Yeah, so do I." The Doctor retorted.
"Watch it." Clara warned.
"Yes ma'am." He smirked.
"You're asking for a smack, aren't you?"
"Can you guys please keep the flirting down for a moment?" Gregor mumbled.
"We're not flirting!" They said in unison, which made them blush.
"Look, just keep this door shut." The Doctor said, which they nodded to, making him rush inside. The room was just a bridge over a dark chasm, wind rushing through the room as a bright star burned inside, boiling his skin and making him sweat profusely as he moved to the other door.
Gregor held up his scanner towards Clara, which made her raise an eyebrow. "Lancashire. Sass." The computer said.
"Sass?" She said incredulously.
"That's what the scanner said." Gregor mumbled.
Clara shrugged. They looked to see the Doctor open the door. "Woah, it is boiling in there!" He ranted. "Did I miss anything?"
"Apparently I'm sass." Clara said.
"Did you just figure that out?" He chuckled.
"Shut up!" She giggled.
"Now, come on, we can only last for a few minutes in there." He said hastily as they moved into the room.
"What is that?!" Clara shouted.
"The Eye of Harmony! An exploding star in the act of becoming a black hole! Time Lords rip the star from their orbits and suspend it in a permanent state of decay! Smart bunch they were! Horrendous dress sense, but smart!" He shouted as he wrenched the other door open, only to shut it again as the lava zombies growled on the other side. "Maybe not that way!"
Tricky and Gregor rushed to the other door, only to find more creatures banging on that door. "There's no way out, we're trapped!" Gregor yelled.
"You're going to tell me right now! If we are going to die here, tell me what they are!" Clara ordered.
The Doctor looked at her in guilt ridden sadness. "I can't."
"Tell me! What's the use of secrets now?!"
"It's not about secrets, Clara! If you knew the answer, you wouldn't…" He trailed off.
"Wouldn't what?!"
"Want to stay with me!" He finished, making her eyes widen.
Gregor held up his scanner to one of the creatures. "Sensor detects Human core element. Identified as: Lancashire. Sass."
"What?" Clara mumbled.
"I told you, Clara. Time is bleeding here, past and future. They're us, from being trapped in here. I didn't want to lose you again and now I have."
"What do you mean, lose me again?" Clara asked.
The Doctor placed rubbed his hand on his face to contain his guilt, turning around to look at anything but Clara yet he stopped. He noticed one of the zombies was mimicking his movements, which started to make his skin burn, until he stopped, making it return to normal. He looked up at Gregor and Tricky who were side by side, like the zombie pair earlier.
"Wait a moment! If we interrupt the timeline, this won't happen! Gregor, Tricky! Don't touch each other!"
They both moved away from the door, as one of the zombies broke the glass, reaching a hand down to open the door before moving through. Tricky grabbed one of their tools to smack it on the head, causing it to fall over the railing and down the chasm. They all moved to rush for the door, before stopping as the adjoined zombie pair emerged, trapping them again. Gregor then grabbed the tool from Tricky's hand before bashing the pair through the railing, before giving them a final push with a kick, which they took advantage off by grabbing onto his ankle and pulling him down, making him grasp a part of the railing. "Gregor!" Tricky yelled, rushing towards him.
"Don't worry about me, Tricky! Just go!"
"No, you're my brother!" Gregor looked at him with wide eyes as Tricky grabbed his hands. "No matter what you've done, I forgive you." They exchanged a small smile. "Now come on!"
"Wait, don't touch him!" The Doctor yelled but as they stood up, they screamed in pain as they're adjoining limbs melted into one another before smoke poured out of their eyes, as they're skin burned charcoal black with lava running through it. They then looked at Clara and the Doctor before growling and rushing towards them. "Run!" He yelled at him and Clara rushed through the door and locked it from the other side. They looked to the door at the end of the corridor before rushing towards it.
"What's through there?!" Clara yelled.
"The engine room! It's the heart of the TARDIS!" The Doctor said as he wrenched the door open, Clara running through first then the Doctor before he grabbed her hand to pull her back. They found themselves on a rocky cliffside overlooking a fog filled chasm.
"How are we outside?"
"We're not. We're still inside the TARDIS."
"There's no way across?"
"Afraid not."
"Time for a plan then?"
"What have I told you, Clara? I don't have a plan, I just improvise."
"Doctor, we need a plan, or we could die here." Clara protested.
"I don't have a plan, so you might as well tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"You're right Clara. If we're about to die what is the point of secrets? So just tell me who you are."
"You know who I am." Clara shook her head.
"No, I don't!" The Doctor yelled, silencing her. "I look at you every day and I still don't understand, why do I keep running into you?!"
"You invited me, remember?"
"Before that! I met you on my home planet when I stole this TARDIS, there was a girl there who understood me better than most people I've met in my life and she was you!"
"No, she wasn't."
"The Dalek Asylum during the Time War!" The Doctor ranted, ignoring her. "There was a girl in a shipwreck who died saving my life and she was you!"
"She can't be."
"Victorian London! I was sulking in the TARDIS on a cloud, there was a governess/barmaid who got me to stop sulking, save the planet yet she died saving my life and she was you!"
"Doctor, you're scaring me!"
"What are you?! A trick?! A trap?!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" She slipped, making the Doctor grab her arm and pull her into a hug as his eyes widened at his actions to her. He pulled back slightly, giving her a soft look.
"You really don't know, do you?"
"I think I'm more scared of you right now than anything else in the TARDIS." She admitted cautiously.
"Emma was right. You're just Clara. Ordinary, perfect, Clara." He hugged her in gratitude.
"I don't know what the hell this is about, but the hug is appreciated." She said in confusion.
The Doctor pulled back as his eyebrows furrowed. "Wait a moment, we're not going to die here."
"What do you mean?"
"This isn't real, Clara." He said, picking up a rock and chucking it down the chasm, yet it vanished before it touched the fog. "See that?"
"Yes. What does it mean?"
"It's a snarl. Think Clara, what does a wounded animal do?"
"It tries to scare everyone away." She said in realisation.
"That's right. We're close to the engine so the TARDIS is just trying to scare us off. Which means-"
"Don't say it."
"It means-"
"Don't you dare say it."
"We need to jump."
"I told you not to say it."
"Sorry, I wasn't listening." He teased.
"How can you be so sure?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Honestly, I'm not sure."
"Yeah, that's reassuring." She said sarcastically.
"Come on, Clara. I've piloted this ship for most of my life, so trust me this one time please." She now raised both eyebrows at him. "*Chuckles* Okay then, plus all the other times. You ready?"
"Not really, no."
"Neither am I." He laughed. "Fantastic!" They then ran to the edge, jumping off before landing suddenly in a white room. It looked like they were floating in space, with metallic debris hanging still in the air. "The engine, it's already exploded." He mumbled , despair coming into his voice. "It must have been the collision with the salvage ship."
"So, how are we not dead?"
"She wrapped her hands around the force. She froze it, but it's just delaying the inevitable. There's no way I can save her now." He blinked as tears started to prickle his eyes. "She's always been there for me and yet now when she needs help, I have no idea what to do." Clara walked up to him and immediately took his hand, rubbing her thumb on the back of his hand which began to calm him until he looked at her in confusion.
"What's that face for?" She asked.
He pulled her hand up in view to inspect the scar, before a grin came on to his face. Her hand bore a scarred message saying, "Big Friendly Button". "Wonderful." He said with a laugh, kissing both her hand and forehead.
"You have a plan now?" She asked with a smile.
"Oh yes." He pulled out his sonic and switched the settings. "The time rift is bleeding out the past and the future. All I just have to do is find the moment we crashed which would mean find the music." Flicking on the sonic, the song began to blare again.
Hope you got your things together
Hope you are quite prepared to die
Looks like we're in for nasty weather
One eye is taken for an eye
"You know, no matter what is happening, it's a great song." She said with a smile.
"Creedence Clearwater. I met the singer, John Fogerty. I was there at his wedding."
"Which one?"
"The one in 1965. We should go see them live sometime."
"That would be fun." She grinned.
"Alright, let's get out of here." He grabbed her hand again as they hurried away.
Inside the console room, they saw a crack in the wall, gleaming white light into the ruined room. "There's the time rift. Recent past and future, all colliding together at once." He pulled out the charge he took from Gregor.
"What are you going to do?"
"Hopefully, rewrite today. I've thrown this through the rift before, but now I must make sure I go through myself." He said as he wrote the words 'Big Friendly Button' into the charge.
"Will it hurt?"
"Tremendously." He said before turning to the crack.
"Wait!" Clara stopped him. "All those things you said. How we've met before and I've died-"
"Clara, if we get out of this, I promise you I'll tell you the truth, okay?"
"How do I know you're not lying?"
"I think you already know the answer to that."
"No, I don't." She shook her head.
"It's because I trust you, Clara." He said softly. "All you just need to do is hold onto these memories and you won't forget."
"Doctor, in the library, there was a book."
He looked down.
"Is that why you don't talk about yourself?"
"Yes."
"Why do I get the feeling you will tell me?"
"I told you, Clara. I trust you." He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Now, just hold on."
"Hold onto what?"
"I was talking to myself." He said amusingly, making them chuckle. He pulled away, moving closer to the crack and clicking his neck. "Let's do this!" He shoved himself through the rift, screaming in pain as he did.
"It's a Magnetic Hubble field! We're flying right into it!"
"Please tell me there's a button you can press to fix this!" Clara yelled.
"Oh yes! A big, friendly button!" The Doctor yelled sarcastically.
"You're lying, right?!"
"Yes!"
"To stop me freaking out?!"
"Yes! Is it working?!"
"No!"
"Ah well, at least I tried!"
The future Doctor screamed as he shoved his way through the crack, holding up the charge in his hand as the past Doctor and Clara looked at him in astonishment. "Doctor, I'm from your future! This will reset time; you have to press it!" He chucked it onto the floor which rolled towards Clara as the rift disintegrated him into atoms.
Clara bent down to pick the charge up with one hand while the other gripped onto the railing. As she held it, she felt a burning sensation in her hand causing her to scream in pain as she dropped it. "Clara!" The Doctor yelled as he rushed towards her, catching the charge as it fell and looking at the message before laughing. "Big Friendly Button! Fantastic!" He then pressed the button, blinding the room with white light.
"Suit up, fellas. It's good salvage. I can almost smell it." Gregor said as he walked up to them.
"It's just trash." Bram said.
"No, look. There's something in the Magno field." Tricky said as the screen showed the TARDIS appearing.
"Screw it." Gregor said as he moved to activate the Magno-Grab, but he stopped as the TARDIS vanished.
"Where did it go?" Tricky asked.
"No idea." Gregor said, shrugging.
"Hey Tricky, got treat yourself to some food. You deserve it." Bram said. Tricky smiled softly before moving off. Gregor sent Bram an approving nod which Bram returned.
The Doctor finished cleaning and fixing the console room as Clara entered, a daisy dress and carrying a towel which she was using to dry her hair. "You alright?" He asked.
"I feel really exhausted." She admitted.
"We've had two days crammed into one."
"It's not that." She denied.
He looked at her softly. "You remember then?"
"Yeah. By the way, thank you." She said, kissing the console.
*Beeps* (No problem)
"What?" He asked.
"She showed me the way back to the console room in the first place."
The Doctor smiled. "Well, thank you old girl." He then kissed the console. He then pulled the monitor over, which showed the pictures of Gallifreyan and Victorian Clara.
"Woah." She mumbled.
"Yeah. I don't have a picture of you in the asylum. By the time I found you, you were already turned into a Dalek."
"What's a Dalek?"
The Doctor looked down with a sigh, which Clara took as a notice to listen. "I'm a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Time Lords figured out a science to live long through regeneration. Basically, every time we would die, we heal except we would gain a new face and a new personality."
"How many faces are you on?"
The Doctor gulped, not ready to admit to his past face. "9, including this one. The last one was a bit of handsome bloke; you would've like him." He smiled.
"Shut up!" She blushed.
"But there was a war. The Time Lords were fighting a race called the Daleks. They're creatures built on nothing but rage and hate, whose only purpose is to eliminate anything that wasn't Dalek. I fought in the War myself, but it just kept going, no matter how hard we tried to stop it."
"What made you stop it?"
"It's not a matter of what, it's a matter of who." He said, pointing at her.
"Me?"
"In the asylum, I made you a promise to save your life, but you gave your life to save mine. I decided the War had gone on too long and it needed to stop. But…" He trailed off, tears starting to come into his eyes.
"Doctor, it wasn't your fault." She protested.
"How could it not be?! I had to burn everyone on my own planet to save the universe! Do you know how many children died on Gallifrey by my hand?! 2.47 billion! So many of them could've lived out brilliant lives but they're all dead because of me!"
Clara rushed to pull him into a hug as he tried to contain his sobbing. "What is the point in blaming yourself, Doctor? It's no good putting yourself to blame."
"Clara, I can only blame myself. There was no one else who did it but me."
"You can't blame anyone else, not even yourself. Doctor, it may have been by your hand, but it wasn't your fault." She said as she placed her hands on his face.
"How?"
"Because you keep going. You keep on moving and living. Just do one thing for them."
"What?"
"Don't hide it like a secret, Doctor. You'll always mourn them, but you don't honour their memory by acting like they didn't exist. You don't have to confess everything sin you've done, you just have to remember them, like family."
The Doctor gave her a soft smile before hugging her tightly. "Do you know that after the War, I sulked on a cloud?"
"Only you would do that." They chuckled lightly.
"But you were there, and you helped me. You brought me back from the dead."
Clara smiled. "I'm glad, but don't say that line, it's really cheesy."
"Sorry."
"Doctor, at the house, the TARDIS showed me a hologram. It was Susan. Who was she?"
"She was my granddaughter." He mumbled. "First person I ever travelled with. Brilliant yet she found enjoyment dressing like a pixie." Clara giggled at this.
"What happened to her?"
"She fell in love with a man called David. I decided it was time for her to live her own life, her own way."
"Was she happy?"
He smiled. "There were a few bumps later on, but yes, she was happy." He kissed her forehead again. "Thank you, Clara. I didn't expect you to react like this."
"What did you expect?"
"Does anger and disgust ring a bell?" They chuckled. "Now, I've got something for you."
"What?"
"It's about time you had one." He said, pulling out a TARDIS key.
"Thank you." She mumbled with a soft smile as she took the key.
"Now, tell me, do you feel safe travelling with me? Anything could happen wherever we go."
"That's what I'm counting on." She smirked.
"But first, you should get some rest. I got something to do."
Clara moved to leave the room. "Where are you going?"
"London. Got sort out some plastic."
"Some what?" She called confusingly.
"I'll explain later." He shrugged. She rolled her eyes before leaving, the Doctor looking on with a smirk before moving around the console to pilot it elsewhere.
AN: Thank you so much for reading and please leave a review if you wish. :)