Chapter Twenty-Four
The end credits of the movie they'd been watching rolled, and Jake switched off the telly in the small ready room they had claimed as theirs. Watching a movie together had become a weekly ritual for Rose, Mickey, and Jake since Torchwood had started looking for a way to the Doctor.
"Man, I wish we could go to the pub for an evening. I could go up the wall sometimes, being barracked in Torchwood Tower," Mickey said, reaching for the bottle of beer on the table. "I get that we can't afford the general public finding out about the stars going out, but this is getting ridiculous."
Jake nodded. "I know what you mean. And I even get out sometimes."
Rose took a sip of wine. "And I'm allowed to go out only because otherwise the rags would start digging around. I've never liked going to all those charity events as it was, but now I'm nothing more than an empty-headed clothes rack who is supposed to distract people from the impending destruction of the universe."
"But you and Mickey get to make all these jumps to the other universe. I'm more like an errand boy running around in the landscape, trying to persuade hobby astronomers to keep the information about the phenomenon to themselves."
"After that universe with the dinosaurs, I'd switch positions with you immediately, but they need someone who can identify the right universe really fast. At least that's what Pete said when he sold the assignment to us."
"Unfortunately he was wrong," Rose said. "You'd think we'd end up in universes that are mostly like our original one or this one, but that's not the case. Apparently their position in the multiverse doesn't have anything to do with the time the universes separated. Come to think of it, we should have realised this ages ago. This universe diverged from our original one in 1879, or maybe even earlier. Since then there have been numerous pivotal points in our history that would have caused the creation of a new universe, and yet we ended up here when the TARDIS crashed."
"But you're still the ones who happen to hit the right universe most of the time," Jake said.
Mickey shrugged. "Maybe that's just because we are more or less certain whether we are in the right universe or not while the others are just making an educated guess. And Rose is much better at it than I am."
Rose refilled her glass, with water this time. "I guess it helps that we are originally from the universe we are trying to get to," she said.
"And the connection you share with the TARDIS," Jake added, looking at her.
"And that. But we're still nowhere near getting to the Doctor. There've been a couple of times when I was almost certain that I had finally found him, but before I could get near him he was gone again." She sighed. "At least we're beyond that 'calling the Doctor' phase. I always felt like a blind and deaf person shouting in the dark, hoping someone would hear. I don't think it worked. I mean, what are the odds of reaching a monitor in the vicinity of the Doctor and him looking at it during the few seconds we could establish a connection?"
"But your ideas about the void helped a lot," Mickey said. "I'd never have thought you'd find out that much when I helped you with the plans of the dimension jumpers."
"Most of the time I was just guessing," Rose gave back evasively. After the Bad Wolf Event she had told Jake and Mickey about her connection with the TARDIS, but had kept the bond and the dreams to herself. Since the dreams had stopped before all of this had started, what would have been the point anyway? As it was, there was no chance to discuss with the Doctor any of the theories both she and the Torchwood scientists had developed.
It had taken them almost three months to get their dimension-crossing device to function properly, and they still didn't know why it suddenly worked. One day they hadn't gotten any reading at all and had already been sure that they had to go back to the drawing board, but the next day the little monitor had suddenly lit up.
Rose theorised that what was affecting this universe was also affecting the others and the void, that it would eventually destroy the fabric of reality. But until then the same phenomenon that was threatening them was their only chance to reach the one person that might be able to help.
She yawned and got up. "I'm heading to bed, and you should do the same, Mick. We're jumping first thing in the morning, and we really should catch some sleep. "
Mickey gave her a mock salute. "Yes, Ma'am."
Rose, already at the door, laughed, albeit a bit forced, then left the room. Outside, her shoulders slumped briefly. It was getting harder and harder to maintain a positive attitude. It was true, she needed sleep, but her exhaustion ran deeper than that. The whole situation was getting to her. Torchwood Tower, the place that had protected them against the Nameless and had almost felt like home back then, had begun to feel like a prison only weeks after the dimension-crossing project had started, and the short times during which she was allowed to leave headquarters brought only a little reprieve. She almost felt like Cinderella: eventually her carriage would turn into a pumpkin and she would switch the gowns Pete's PR assistant had selected for Torchwood gear and blue leather jacket again.
And then there were the jumps. In the beginning there had been eight teams, each consisting of two persons. Every team had had at least one member that had been to their original universe before, during the battle of Canary Wharf. But soon they had faced the first losses, due to both hostile environment and faulty equipment. Despite their best efforts, their scientists simply couldn't guarantee where they would land. Mickey had only barely survived when he had landed in a universe where Earth was dominated by lizard-like creatures, which he referred to as dinosaurs, while his partner had been killed. Rose's partner had requested a transfer after they had been stranded on an alien planet for three days, until they had been able to repair their return button. Landing on another planet should have been impossible, according to the scientists, yet it had happened. Rose could have bet that her connection with the TARDIS was responsible for that. And even though she seemed to hit the right universe rather constantly, there had been no sign of the Doctor so far.
Tomorrow would be the first time she'd jump with Mickey, since both of them currently didn't have partners.
But until then, she needed to sleep. And maybe she would dream. The thought was unexpected, but even though she was almost certain it wouldn't happen she couldn't stop herself from hoping.
~o~o~o~
The Doctor was typing furiously on the keyboard when his companions finally returned to the TARDIS. He had decided against telling Donna and Jack what had happened on the bus tour. From what he could tell at the moment, the incident itself didn't have anything to do with whatever was going on here. Slowly but steadily the entire situation was getting to him. He was seeing images of Rose everywhere, including the monitor on the bus, and he didn't know what was happening – just that it was not good. With every passing minute he was more and more convinced that it had something to do with the lost planets. He had entered the data into the TARDIS computer, but it didn't add up. Part of the puzzle was still missing.
"That massage was wonderful," Donna commented upon entering. "I haven't been this relaxed in years."
"The masseur wasn't bad either," Jack added, grinning. "Just imagine what else he could do with four hands."
"Mind out of the gutter, cowboy!" Donna gave back, laughing.
"Who said my mind was in the gutter? Could have been yours! And don't tell me you didn't eye his bum." He winked at Donna.
"Because your mind is almost never anywhere else, Jack," the Doctor interrupted their banter, shooting him a glare. "We don't have time for this."
"Time machine, remember?" Jack sing-songed. "What could be that important that we can't even-"
Apparently Donna was more perceptive. "What's wrong, Doctor?" she asked, interrupting Jack.
"I don't know," he said in a thinly veiled attempt to discourage her from asking more questions he didn't particularly want to answer.
He should have known his brisk behaviour wouldn't stop Jack from whatever he thought he needed to say.
"Right. And because you don't know you decide to lash out at us just because we were having fun. You were the one who decided to use the randomizer, and it was your ship that brought us here. So excuse us if we decided to enjoy our time here," Jack said, slowly getting angry.
The Doctor took a deep breath, desperately trying to stop himself from lashing out again and failing. "Jack..." he began, unable to keep a threatening undertone out of his voice, which put the former time agent on alert immediately.
Once again Donna tried to defuse the situation. "What happened?" she rephrased her earlier question, before Jack could do more than open his mouth.
"Nothing."
"Doesn't look like nothing to me," she said, calmly. "Doctor, we can help only if you tell us what's going on."
He stared at his hands for a long moment, but without actually seeing anything, then relented. "I have no idea what's going on, but it has something to do with all those planets."
"What planets?" Donna asked, confused.
"All those lost planets, remember? First the Adipose breeding planet, then the bees disappearing. It has been following us around, but we kept missing it, and even when you mentioned that the Sontarans might have lost their planet as well, I didn't realise that something was going on until someone told me about the Lost Moon of Poosh. Four planets can't be a coincidence. But something still doesn't add up, and I don't know what it is."
He decided against mentioning that he was seeing Rose. Even if he was almost certain that his companions already thought he was insane, he didn't need to fortify them in their belief.
"And what do we do now?"
"We're gonna visit London," he declared.
"Why?" Donna asked. "Why Earth?"
"Because whenever something nefarious is going on in the universe it for some reason affects Earth, one way or the other."
"But why London? I don't mind seeing Granddad again, but lately we've been to Cardiff if we were on Earth."
"Because I lost Rose there," he said, his voice almost too low to be heard. Even though it was not completely unlikely that he had finally gone 'round the bend, he refused to believe that the images of Rose were nothing but a figment of his imagination. And if they weren't, if she was really coming back, then he figured she would return to where all of this had begun. And even though he tried to tell himself that he was just fooling himself, he couldn't completely ignore the tiny spark of hope that had ignited in his hearts.
~o~o~o~
The technician once more verified the readings on his monitor. "Are you ready?"
"Equipment fully functional, ready to go," Rose confirmed, after having checked her weapon one last time.
Mickey nodded. "Same here."
"Starting the countdown. Three... Two... One... Go!"
The technician pressed a button, and the control room around them vanished, only to be replaced by a sparsely populated street on a sunny morning.
For a moment, Rose just stood there, trying to get over the dizziness that came with every jump, then she looked around, taking in the small houses lining the street.
"What do you think, Mick? Right universe?"
"Looks like it. But that's what I thought before the dinosaurs appeared."
"I'd say some reconnaissance is in order, then." She looked up and down the street, then pointed in the direction where she could see the tower of a church. "That way?"
"Fine with me," Mickey gave back.
They had made less than ten steps down the street when suddenly a tremor started below their feet and grew stronger by the second.
"Earthquake?" Mickey asked, trying to keep his footing.
"No, look! That's no ordinary earthquake!" Rose pointed at the sky that had gone dark all of a sudden. For a seemingly endless moment that couldn't have lasted for more than a few seconds, nothing else happened. Then one by one several planets appeared above their heads.
Two seconds later the screaming started.
~o~o~o~
The Doctor flipped the last lever and the TARDIS left the time vortex.
Jack opened the door, but instead of leaving the ship he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Jack? Something wrong?"
"Doctor, are you sure you had the right coordinates? Because this certainly isn't London."
It took him four long steps, then he was standing next to Jack. Where there should have been a crowded street or maybe a small alley, depending on the mood his time ship was in, there were only rocks and dust, floating in space.
Too late. Not good enough. The litany that had been his constant companion during those last battles of the Time War reverberated in his mind once more. But not this time, he decided, balling his fists. He would find whoever was responsible for this, and then it would stop.
"Damn! And my team is out there on their own," Jack said, coming to the same conclusion upon seeing his reaction. "What now?"
"What's wrong?" Donna asked.
"The Earth is gone," Jack gave back, saving the Doctor the answer.
"What do you mean, gone...?" Donna stared outside, then looked at them in shock. "Does that mean it was..." She gulped and continued, "Does that mean it was destroyed?"
The Doctor shook his head. "There's not enough debris for that."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. It's just... gone."
"But if Earth is gone... They've lost the sun... And what about my Mum? And Granddad? Are they dead?"
He didn't answer.
"Doctor? Are they dead? Are they dead?!"
The urgency in her voice spurred him into action. He raced back to the console to check the monitors but came up with nothing.
He looked at Donna. "I've never seen anything like this before. It should be impossible. You can move a planet, but normally that would leave traces. But here... Just nothing."
"So, what now?" Jack repeated his earlier question.
He quickly came to a conclusion. And even though he didn't like it, he knew they had no choice.
"We need the Shadow Proclamation."
~o~o~o~
"So, what do we know?" Owen Harper asked. "Tosh?"
The Torchwood scientist looked up from her workstation. "Earth has changed its astronomical position. I don't know how that's even possible. But whoever did this, they've created an artificial atmospheric shell around the planet, designed to keep the air and the heat in. And apparently it also includes the geostationary satellites."
"Well, at least they want us alive," Ianto Jones threw in. "That's a plus."
"There's more data coming in from the military," Tosh said. "I'm adding it to what we know. Give me a minute." She typed furiously on her keyboard, and the data on the screen began to change quickly.
"That can't be true," Ianto said, when suddenly a 3D representation of Earth appeared on the monitor. "There are... twenty-six planets around us."
"Which means it's not just us," Gwen concluded. "Wait, what's that?" She pointed at a red spot on the screen that had just started to flash.
"Looks like an artificial structure," Owen said. "Some sort of space station, maybe."
"Let me integrate the data streams from the UNIT satellites," Tosh said, her hands flying over the keyboard, and the picture changed again.
"There is movement," Ianto realised. "Can you enhance that sector, Tosh?"
"Sure."
"Let me see." Owen looked at the monitor. "About two hundred objects, heading towards Earth. Anything from UNIT, Tosh?"
"They've called a Code Red. Apart from that, they know as much as we do."
"Three thousand miles and closing," Gwen said.
"Something from the British government?"
"The PM has activated the emergency protocol. People are asked to seek shelter and stay inside. The armed forces are in battle positions. But..."
Owen nodded. "They won't stand a chance," he finished her sentence. "Gwen?"
"Fifteen-hundred miles and accelerating. They're almost here. Whoever they are."
"Wait, there's something on the B band," Tosh said.
"Put it on the speakers," Owen ordered, and a distorted mechanical voice filled the room.
"Exterminate!"
~o~o~o~
"What's the Shadow Proclamation when it's at home?" Donna asked Jack, desperately holding on to the console, while the Doctor tried to pilot a violently shaking TARDIS to their destination.
"They're like an outer space police force, and they have issued rules for contact with other species."
"So basically Interpol with a bit of UN thrown in."
"Yeah." Jack sounded a lot less enthusiastic than she had become used to.
"What's wrong, Jack?"
"They might have a warrant for me," he said eventually. "I was a con man before I met the Doctor."
"No, they don't," the Doctor threw in. "I made a few, well, corrections to their database, just before we went to Japan." He pressed another button, and the shaking grew worse, if possible.
"You made...? But why?" Jack was astonished.
"Didn't want to have a couple of Judoon hot on my heels all the time," the Doctor gave back lightly, but from his expression Donna could tell that wasn't the real reason.
She gripped the console harder and decided to change the topic. "But why is the TARDIS shaking like that? I mean, normally only his landings are that bad."
"Because we're flying through real space at the moment."
"Jack's right," the Doctor said, flipping a lever, and their flight path finally stabilised. "The shaking was a shock wave hitting us. Which means Earth is not the only planet that's been relocated."
"But why can't it have been the shock wave from Earth?" Donna asked.
"Because we were in the time vortex when Earth was moved." The Doctor flipped another lever and the rotor stopped.
"Let's go." He opened the TARDIS doors, only to be greeted by two guards that looked a lot like rhinoceroses standing upright.
"The aliens are Judoon," Jack told Donna. "They are mercenaries, and the Shadow Proclamation is known to employ them as police force. Even though they are not stupid, you can't argue with them when they're on a mission. It's a waste of breath."
One of the Judoon said something Donna couldn't understand.
"Why isn't the TARDIS translating?" Donna asked, when the Doctor answered in completely unintelligible syllables.
Jack shrugged. "No idea."
Eventually the discussion between the Doctor and the Judoon ended, and the guards lowered their guns.
~o~o~o~
So the Shadow Architect thought he was just a myth, which was just as well. During the Time War he had asked the Shadow Proclamation for help against the Daleks, and even though they had acknowledged that the Daleks had to be defeated for the sake of the universe they hadn't understood that the Time War was more than just an event in linear time. So they had tried to seize his TARDIS and force him to join their forces. Suffice to say they hadn't exactly parted on the best terms. Luckily the end of the Time War had erased both the information about Time Lords and his visit from the collective knowledge of the Shadow Proclamation, or else he would have found himself in a holding cell faster than he could say Raxacoricofallapatorius.
"Yes, well, as soon as you're done with your lesson on myths, maybe we could get back to the point. We've got a missing planet. Maybe even more."
"Then, you're not as wise as the stories would say. The picture is far bigger than you imagine. The whole universe is in outrage, Doctor - twenty-four worlds have been taken from the sky."
"And he's telling me I keep missing the big picture," Donna said to no one in particular.
"Twenty-four?" the Doctor asked, taken by surprise. "Which ones?"
The Shadow Architect pressed a few buttons on a computer. "Look for yourself."
"Calufrax Major, Jahoo, Woman Wept-," the Doctor cited the names on the screen, his face showing a faraway look for a moment. "Woman Wept," he repeated softly, then continued, "Clom, Sol Three – wonder who reported that before we did –, Sontar – you were right about that one, Donna –, Shallacatop... It doesn't make sense."
"All different sizes, level one to level five planets, some even unpopulated, and no connection," the Shadow Architect said.
"Maybe if we put it into 3D..." The Doctor typed a few commands, and a hologram filled the room. "Still doesn't make sense."
"What about the Adipose breeding planet?" Donna asked.
"Who is the female?" the Shadow Architect asked, arching her eyebrows in contempt.
"Donna Nobel. A Human Being who wants her planet back."
"And every bit as important as everyone else on this space station," the Doctor declared. "And she's right. What about Adipose Three? It's not on the list."
"Adipose Three is a cold case. It vanished almost a decade ago. It can't possibly be related to this," the Shadow Architect said condescendingly.
For a moment silence filled the room.
Until now Jack had kept a surprisingly low profile despite knowing the warrants on his head didn't exist anymore. But now he straightened and said, "Doc, I've just remembered. When I was in Pompeii, ages ago, I heard someone say that Pyrovillia was lost."
"That's it!" The Doctor exclaimed. "The planets are not just taken out of space, they're also taken out of time! So, if we add Adipose Three... and Pyrovillia... And of course the Lost Moon of Poosh..."
"Don't tell me, another cold case," Donna said to the Judoon next to her who had just made an unintelligible noise.
A few commands later three more planets appeared in the hologram. For a couple of seconds nothing happened, then suddenly the planets changed their positions.
"What did you do?" the Shadow Architect asked reproachfully.
"Nothing. The planets rearranged themselves." He paused, taking in the hologram. "Twenty-seven planets in perfect balance, fitting together like the pieces of an engine. But what for?"
"Who could design such a thing?"
"No idea. Even if..."
"If what, Doctor?"
"Someone tried to move a planet before, but... Nah, impossible." He hoped.
~o~o~o~
A flying saucer appeared in the sky, firing missiles at a target beyond Rose's line of view, and she and Mickey ducked instinctively.
"Is that..." Mickey said, his voice trailing off.
Rose nodded. "Daleks." She tried to keep her voice from wavering, but failed. Ever since the bunker in Utah, Daleks filled her with dread, and that certainly hadn't been improved by the events on the Gamestation and the battle of Canary Wharf.
She took a deep breath, trying to get her fear under control. "And I guess it also answers the question whether we are in the right universe or not. I just didn't think we'd end up in a war zone. Do you want to go back and try again, Mick?"
"I guess if there are Daleks, the Doctor can't be far away. This might be our best shot at finding him." He looked at Rose. "I'm game if you are."
"Okay, then let's take cover and find out what exactly is going on here. Over there looks good to me." She pointed at a garden shed with two dustbins next to it. "It should be basically invisible from above, thanks to the huge trees in the garden."
The two of them dashed over the street and tried the door of the shed. The small hut was unlocked, and they slipped inside, closing the door behind them.
Mickey opened his backpack, pulling out a small computer. "Maybe I can hack into the military radio traffic and their data transmissions. What year do you think it is?"
"I dunno. 2008 or 2009 maybe. Why?"
"Because if we're lucky, the Torchwood here is using the same protocols we did back then. If I can remember the correct one..." He typed a few commands. "This might take a while."
"Maybe I can narrow it down." Rose slipped out of the shed again and opened one of the dustbins. She rummaged until she had found what she was looking for, then returned inside. "According to the newspaper I found, it's June 2009. Does that help?"
"Yeah. Give me a minute." He made a few adjustments to the code, then pressed a button. "We're in. Let's see. This universe's Torchwood should have access to the military reports." He clicked on an icon, and a new window opened on the small monitor.
Rose needed a few seconds to make sense of the numerous reports on the screen. "Air forces in Europe and North America are under massive attack, retreating in North Africa. Daleks have landed in Japan," she summarised the information.
"Look, Harriet Jones is still the PM, but they seem to have lost contact to her," Mickey said, pointing at a news alert that had just popped up on the screen.
"Anything from this universe's Torchwood?"
He switched to another window. "There's just the Cardiff branch, and they're, like, four people, a pteranodon, and a computer."
"A pteranodon?" she asked, astonished, then shook her head. "Never mind. Any sign of the Doctor?"
Mickey shook his head. "Nothing. Too bad your superphone has been destroyed. You could just have called him."
"Yeah. But if it hadn't deflected the blow during that last attack in the sewers, I'd probably be dead."
For a few moments Mickey was silent. "And your connection with the TARDIS? Can't you use that?"
Rose sighed. "I've tried, Mick. Whenever I thought I was in the right universe I've tried to contact the TARDIS. But apparently I'm not telepathic enough to establish a connection myself." Of course she had tried to contact the Doctor as well, but that hadn't worked either, so telling Mickey about it was moot anyway.
"And what do we do now?"
"I'd say, let's take another hour to collect more information, then organise some transport and get to the nearest military base. Maybe we can do something to help."