Running Across Timelines

by alpha087

The Oncoming Storm. The Last Sentry of Gallifrey. The Doctor and the Emissary were best friends throughout their childhood, right up until they graduated. After the War, the Emissary ends up on Earth in London the year the Slitheen attack. Faced with her former friend for the first time in years, the Emissary sets out to do what she does best: try to keep the timelines intact

6. The Long Game

The Doctor exited the TARDIS, Rose and the Emissary just behind him. He checked his watch before turning to Rose.

"So, it's two hundred thousand," he told her, "and it's a spaceship."

"Station," the Emissary corrected.

He nodded at her. "Space station, and er, go and try that gate over there." He pointed to the left gate. "Off you go."

"Two hundred thousand?" Rose asked, looking at the Emissary to be sure.

"Two hundred thousand," she agreed.

"Right." She turned and opened the TARDIS doors. Looking inside, she called, "Adam? Out you come."

The Emissary shared an amused look with the Doctor when Adam's jaw hit the floor. Rose chuckled and patted his back.

"Don't worry," she reassured him, "you'll get used to it."

After a moment, he collected himself. "Where are we?"

Rose winked at the Time Lords. "Good question. Let's see." She bounced a bit and hummed thoughtfully. "So, er, judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year two hundred thousand. If you listen…"

She tilted her head as if listening and Adam copied. "Yeah."

"Engines," she told him. The Emissary turned away, snickering. "We're on some sort of space station. Yeah, definitely a space station. It's a bit warm in here. They could turn the heating down. Tell you what - let's try that gate. Come on!"

She grabbed his arm and led him through the gate the Doctor had pointed out, the two Time Lords right behind her. The group stopped in front of a large viewing window. Rose gestured with a grand flourish.

"Here we go! And this is…" she trailed off, then stepped back. "I'll let the Doctor describe it."

"The Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire," he said. "And there it is, planet Earth at it's height."

The Emissary took over. "Covered with mega-cities, five moons, population ninety six billion," she said, mostly to Rose. "The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle."

All three turned when there was a solid thud. Adam had fainted.

The Doctor gave Rose an exasperated look. "He's your boyfriend."

Rose snorted. "Not anymore."

~~~

"Come on, Adam," the Doctor said as they walked. "Open your mind. You're going to like this. Fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent. Culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners —" He cut off as a man shoved by him.

"Out of the way!"

The group looked around as they stepped into a square and were immediately surrounded by people in a hurry. As they moved out of the way, the Emissary caught the chef saying, "Kronkburger with cheese, kronkburger with pajatos."

Judging by the look Rose was giving the Doctor, she heard it, too. "Fine cuisine?" she asked.

The Doctor looked confused. "My watch must be wrong," he said, looking at it. He turned to the Emissary.

She shook her head. "No, you were right. It's weird."

Rose snorted. "That's what comes of showing off," she teased. "Your history's not as good as you thought it was."

"My history's perfect," the Doctor insisted.

"Well, obviously not."

Adam looked around him. "They're all human," he said, sounding surprised. "What about the millions of planets, the millions of species? Where are they?"

The Time Lords looked around to see he was right. "Good question," the Doctor answered. He exchanged looks with the Emissary. "Actually, that is a good question. Adam," he patted Adam's shoulder, "me old mate, you must be starving."

Adam shook his head. "No, I'm just a bit time sick."

"No, you just need a bit of grub," the Doctor insisted. He called to the chef, "Oi, mate - how much is a kronkburger?"

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now join the queue."

"Money." The Doctor scanned the square. "We need money. Let's use a cashpoint." He walked over to an atm and pointed his Sonic at it. A few seconds later, a plastic card slid out. He handed to Adam. "There you go, pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets."

"How does it work?"

"Go and find out," the Doctor said, shrugging. "Stop nagging me. The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers. Or is that just me?"

"That's just you," teased the Emissary, patting his shoulder. She turned to Adam. "His point is, you're never going to learn if you don't go and do it."

"Off you go, then," the Doctor shooed the humans off. "Your first date."

"You're going to get a smack, you are," Rose warned, grinning. Something was different between the aliens, she could tell. She didn't know what it was, but the Emissary seemed more relaxed around the Doctor. She walked off with Adam, turning back once to see the Time Lords approaching two women.

~~~

The Doctor and Emissary walked up to two smartly dressed women.

"Er, this is going to sound daft," the Doctor began, "but can you tell me where I am?"

The women gave him incredulous stares. The dark-skinned women spoke first. "Floor One Three Nine. Could they write it any bigger?" She gestured to the very large sign above the elevator.

The Emissary snickered. The Doctor just gave her a look before turning back to the woman. "Floor one three nine of what?"

"Must've been a hell of a party."

The lighter skinned woman took pity on him. "You're on Satellite Five."

"What's Satellite Five?"

"Come on," the first woman scoffed. "How could you get on board without knowing where you are?"

The Emissary cut in, voice teasing, "He's bone dead stupid."

The second woman gasped and looked almost excited. "Hold on, wait a minute. Are you a test? Some sort of management test kind of thing?"

The Doctor and Emissary exchanged looks, then shrugged. "You've got us. Well done. You're too clever for us." The Doctor held up his psychic paper. "Me and her, Management. That's us."

The second woman turned to the first. "We were warned about this in basic training. All workers have to be versed in company promotion."

The first straightened importantly. "Right, fire away, ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor five hundred I'll do anything."

"Why?" asked the Emissary. "What happens on Floor 500?"

The first woman looked at her like she was stupid. "The walls are made of gold. And you should know, Miss Management. So, this is what we do." She led the Time Lords into a large room and walked over to a monitor on the wall. "Latest news, sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day. Space lane seventy seven closed by sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Boe has just announced he's pregnant."

"I get it," the Doctor said. "You broadcast the news."

She shook her head. "We are the news. We're the journalists. We write it, package it and sell it. Six hundred channels, all coming out of Satellite Five, broadcasting everywhere. Nothing happens in the whole human empire without it going though us."

The Time Lords gave each other a look and left the room.

~~~

"All staff are reminded that the canteen area now operates a self cleaning table system. Thank you!"

Rose walked over to where she'd left Adam. "Try this," she said, handing him a cup. "It's called Zaphic. It's nice, it's like a, er, Slush Puppy."

"What flavour?" he asked.

She took a drink and tilted her head thoughtfully. "Sort of… beef?"

Adam dropped his head to the table. "Oh, my God. It's like everything's gone, home, family, everything."

Rose considered him for a moment, then decided to take pity on him. She pulled out her phone and slid it across the table. "This helps. The Doctor gave it a bit of a top-up. Who's back home, your mum and dad?"

"Yeah."

She smiled encouragingly. "Phone them up."

Adam sat up straight and stared at her. "But that's one hundred and ninety eight thousand years ago."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Honestly, try it. Go on."

"Is there a code for planet Earth?"

"Just dial."

He did. "It's er. Hi. It's me," he said once the answering machine beeped. "I've sort of gone travelling. I met these people and we've gone travelling together. But, er, I'm fine, and I'll call you later. Love you. Bye." He hung up and stared at the phone in wonder. "That is so —" An alarm cut him off. Around them, the square began to get busy as people cleared up and started to leave.

The Doctor's voice rang out from across the square. "Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!"

Rose got up immediately and went over, completely missing Adam pocketing her phone.

~~~

Seven people sat at an octagonal desk, surrounding a central chair. The dark-skinned woman walked up to the chair. "Now, everybody behave," she announced. "We have a management inspection. How do you want it, by the book?"

The Doctor nodded. "Right from scratch, thanks."

She nodded. "Okay. So, ladies, gentlemen, multi-sex, undecided or robot,- my name is Cathica Santini Khadeni." She looked over to the group on the stairs. "That's Cathica with a C, in case you want to write to Floor five hundred praising me, and please do. Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy."

The second woman spoke up, "Actually, it's the law."

Cathica rolled her eyes. "Yes, thank you, Suki. Okay, keep it calm. Don't show off for the guests. Here we go." She leaned back in the chair. "And engage safety."

All seven people held their hands over a palm print on the table in front of them. As the Emissary leaned forward, lights flickered around the room. Cathica snapped her fingers and Rose audibly gasped as a door opened in her forehead.

"And three, two, and spike," Cathica commanded and a beam of light began to stream into her head.

"Compressed information," the Doctor said quietly to Adam and Rose. "Streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer."

"If it all goes through her, she must be a genius," Rose said.

"She doesn't remember any of it," the Emissary replied. "It's too much data, her head would explode. Her brain is just the processor, she'll forget as soon as that closes."

Rose hummed thoughtfully, then asked, "So, what about all these people round the edge?"

"They've all got tiny little chips in their head," the Doctor answered, "connecting them to her and they transmit six hundred channels. Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place." He grinned. "Now that's what I call power."

Rose looked over at Adam. "You all right?" she asked. He looked pale.

"I can see her brain," he said, almost at a whisper.

Rose put a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to get out?"

He shook his head. "No. No, this technology, it's amazing."

"This technology's wrong," the Emissary corrected.

Rose looked at the Time Lords, beginning to grin despite herself. "Trouble?"

The Doctor met her grin with one of his own. "Oh, yeah."

Suddenly, Suki pulled her hands away from her console. The light beam stopped.

Cathica sat up. "Come off it, Suki," she complained. "I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?"

Suki was staring at her hands, equally confused. "Sorry. It must've been a glitch."

"Oh."

The wall lit up behind Suki. "Promotion."

They all turned to look at it. The Emissary raised one eyebrow as Cathica began to bounce excitedly. "Come on. This is it. Come on. Oh God, make it me. Come on, say my name, say my name, say my name."

"Promotion for Suki Macrae Cantrell." Cathica's face dropped as Suki gasped delightedly. "Please proceed to Floor five hundred."

The Emissary leaned over to the Doctor, whispering, "Did you notice this happened right after her glitch?" The Doctor met her eyes and nodded, something like impression in his eyes.

"I don't believe it," Suki whispered, shocked. "Floor five hundred." She grinned widely as Cathica began to glare at her.

"How the hell did you manage that? I'm above you."

Suki shrugged. "I don't know. I just applied on the off chance and they've said yes."

Cathica rolled her eyes. "That's so not fair. I've been applying to Floor five hundred for three years."

Rose turned away from the women and followed the Time Lords as they left the room. "Ok, what's floor 500?" she asked.

The Emissary looked back at Cathica and Suki and shrugged. "Apparently, the walls are made of gold."

~~~

The TARDIS group stood awkwardly a few feet away as Suki said her goodbyes.

"Cathica, I'm going to miss you," Suki said, giving the woman a hug. She turned and approached the group. "Floor five hundred, thank you."

"We didn't do anything," the Doctor denied.

Suki shrugged. "Well, you're my lucky charm."

He considered that for a moment, then shrugged as well. "All right. I'll hug anyone."

Rose glanced at Adam as he started to walk off. She followed, seeing his face was a bit pale. "Come on," she grinned, nudging his shoulder, "it's not that bad."

He gave her a condescending look. "What, with the head thing?"

Rose blinked a bit at that. "Yeah, well, she's closed it now!"

Adam shook his head. "Yeah, but. It's everything. It freaks me out. And I just need to…" he trailed off a bit. "If I could just cool down. Sort of acclimatise."

"How do you mean?" Rose asked warily.

"Maybe I could just go and sit on the observation deck," he said. "Would that be all right? Soak it in, you know. Pretend I'm a citizen of the year two hundred thousand."

Rose nodded slowly. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, no, you stick with the Doctor." Rose frowned at him, not liking how he left the Emissary out. She looked behind her, noticing the Time Lady frowning in their direction. "You'd rather be with him. It's going to take a better man than me to get between you two." Rose blinked, unsure how he came to the conclusion that there was something between her and the Doctor. "Anyway, I'll be on the deck."

Rose considered him for a moment. She didn't think either Time Lord would approve of Adam having a key, and truthfully, something about the idea gave her a weird feeling. "Off you go, then," she said finally. "Take a breather. I did that too on my first trip." She suddenly remembered he still had her phone. "If it gets too weird, you can always call home. It helps."

Adam scoffed. "Yeah, like that's not weird by itself." He took off.

Rose didn't wait to watch Adam go. She turned and went back to the Time Lords, putting him out of her mind. The Emissary looked concerned as she walked up.

"Everything alright?" the Time Lady asked.

Rose shrugged. "He's just a bit overwhelmed, I think."

An announcement cut the Emissary's reply off. "All staff are reminded that the sixteen forty break session has been shortened by ten minutes. Thank you."

Suki looked up and gasped. "Oh, my God, I've got to go. I can't keep them waiting. I'm sorry." She hurried into the lift and waved back at Cathica. "Say goodbye to Steve for me. Bye!"

The lift left and Cathica snorted to herself. "Good riddance."

"What do you mean, good riddance?" the Emissary asked her. "She's only going upstairs."

"You're talking like you'll never see her again," the Doctor agreed.

"We won't," Cathica said flatly. "Once you go to Floor five hundred you never come back." The trio followed Cathica back through the cafeteria to the broadcasting room.

"Have you ever been up there?" the Doctor asked her as they sat down at the consoles.

Cathica shook her head. "I can't. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion." Her voice took on a bitter tone. "No one gets to five hundred except for the chosen few." She shook her head again when the Doctor made to speak. "Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance. Can't you give it a rest?"

The Emissary leaned forward in her chair. "But you've never been to another floor?" she asked. "Not even one floor down?"

"I went to floor sixteen when I first arrived," Cathica said. "That's medical. That's when I got my head done, and then I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all." She gave them all a look, then said flatly, "You're not management, are you."

"At last," the Doctor said, hopping down from the broadcast chair. "She's clever."

Cathica made a face at him. "Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything."

"Don't you even ask?"

"Well, why would I?"

"You're a journalist," he deadpanned. "Why's all the crew human?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"There's no aliens on board," the Emissary cut in. "Why?"

Cathica shrugged. "I don't know. No real reason. They're not banned or anything."

"Then where are they?" the Doctor pressed.

"I suppose immigration's tightened up," Cathica mused. "It's had to, what with all the threats."

Rassilon, it was like pulling teeth. The Emissary shook her head. "What threats?"

"I don't know, all of them," Cathica said defensively. "Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away. Oh, and the government on Chavic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see. Just lots of little reasons, that's all."

The Doctor nodded. "Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice."

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it.," Cathica dismissed. "We see everything."

"We can see better," the Emissary snapped. "Your society is wrong, down to the technology."

"It's cutting edge," Cathica insisted, glaring at the Emissary.

"It's backwards." The Doctor frowned, gesturing at her forehead. "There's a great big door in your head. You should've chucked this out years ago."

Rose spoke up from where she'd been watching them go back and forth. "So, what do you think's going on?"

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude," the Doctor told her, standing up. "It's the way people think. The great and bountiful Human Empire's stunted. Something's holding it back."

Cathica sneered, "And how would you know?"

"Trust me," he said, "humanity's been set back about ninety years. When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

Cathica's eyes were wide as she answered, "Ninety one years ago."

~~~

A few minutes later saw the group standing outside the elevator. The Doctor was crouched, trying to sonic the electrical panel open, while the Emissary leaned against the wall behind him with Rose.

Cathica was looking around nervously. "We are so going to get in trouble," she hissed. "You're not allowed to touch the mainframe. You're going to get told off."

The Doctor didn't stop, just saying over his shoulder, "Rose, tell her to button it."

"You can't just vandalise the place," Cathica continued. "Someone's going to notice-mmph!"

The Doctor looked back to see the Emissary's hand over Cathica's mouth. "Will you shut it?" she said, irritation bleeding through her voice. Rose had a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh as Cathica nodded frantically. "Thank you."

The Doctor worked at the wires for a bit, completely in his element. Rose was watching intently, the Emissary right behind her, keeping an eye on Cathica.

After a few moments, Cathica shook her head, raising her hands and backing up a bit. "This is nothing to do with me," she said. "I'm going back to work."

The Doctor didn't spare her glance. "Go on, then. See you!"

She walked off a few feet, then spun around and came stomping back. "I can't just leave you, can I!"

Rose rolled her eyes, turning away from the Doctor. "If you want to be useful," she said, "get them to turn the heating down. It's boiling. What's wrong with this place? Can't they do something about it?"

"I don't know." Cathica shrugged. "We keep asking. Something to do with the turbine."

"Something to do with the turbine," the Doctor mocked, smiling to himself when the Emissary snorted a laugh.

Cathica looked at her, offended. "Well, I don't know!" she defended.

"Exactly," the Doctor said. "I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Rose." He pointed at the blonde. "Look at Rose. Rose is asking the right kind of question."

Rose flipped her hair, grinning widely. "Oh, thank you."

"Why is it so hot?"

"One minute you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!" Cathica threw up her hands.

"Well, never underestimate plumbing," the Doctor quipped. "Plumbing's very important." He reached into the mass of wiring and pulled out a screen. "Here we go. Satellite Five, pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout." He pointed at the schematics.

"This is ridiculous," Cathica groaned. "You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange and you're looking at pipes?"

"Because there's something wrong," the Emissary said to her. "Can't you see it?"

Cathica sighed, stepping closer and taking a look. "I suppose."

Rose looked between her and the Time Lords. "Why," she asked, "what is it?"

"The ventilation system," Cathica pointed out. "Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out channelling massive amounts of heat down."

The Doctor nodded. "All the way from the top."

Rose's face brightened with realization. "Floor five hundred."

"Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat," the Emissary agreed.

Rose grinned. "Well, I don't know about you," she joked, "but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?"

Cathica looked at her incredulously. "You can't," she said slowly. "You need a key."

"Keys are just codes," the Doctor brushed off. He held his sonic to the screen. "And I've got the codes right here." The screen flashed numbers at him. "Here we go. Override two one five point nine."

"How come it's given you the code?"

"Someone up there likes us," he answered. The lift dinged open and he grabbed the Emissary's hand, pulling her inside.

Rose turned to Cathica. "Come on. Come with us." She held out a hand.

"No way," Cathica said, shaking her head. She backed away from Rose. The blonde just shrugged and got into the lift.

"Bye!" the Doctor said cheerily.

"Well, don't mention my name," Cathica said. She pointed at him. "When you get in trouble, just don't involve me." She turned on her heel and left.

"That's her gone," the Doctor said as he closed the lift doors. "Adam's given up. Looks like it's just us." He grinned at the two women.

Rose grinned back. "Yeah."

The Emissary smiled. "Yeah."

"Good."

"Yep."

~~~

The lift opened onto a dark floor, the walls lined with ice. The Emissary blew out a visible breath and tugged her jacket tighter around her.

"The walls are not made of gold," the Doctor said unnecessarily. He looked back at Rose. "You should go back downstairs."

"Tough," she snorted, walking past him. He shrugged and kept moving.

The trio stopped short when they reached a computer room. The room was frozen over like the rest of the floor, and the people were similarly frosted over. Rose stepped closer to the Time Lords. A white haired man, presumably the editor, turned and smiled at them.

"I started without you," he said, chuckling a bit. "This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you three, you don't exist. Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"

Rose looked away and gasped, running over to one of the frosted people. "Suki," she said, touching the woman's shoulder. "Suki! Hello? Can you hear me? Suki?" When she got no response, she glared up at the man. "What have you done to her?"

"I think she's dead," the Doctor told her gently."

"She's working," Rose refuted, shaking her head.

"They all have chips in their heads," the Emissary explained, "and the chips keep going even after they die."

"Oh!" the Editor gasped. "You're full of information. But it's only fair we get some information back, because apparently, you're no one." He laughed. "It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter, because we're off," the Doctor told him. "Nice to meet you. Come on."

He gestured for Rose to follow. As she stood, Suki grabbed her wrist. When the Emissary and Doctor turned to go help her, more frosted dead people grabbed them. The Editor just watched, pleasant smile firmly in place. "Tell me who you are."

"Since that information's keeping us alive," the Doctor snarked, "I'm hardly going to say, am I."

The Editor nodded. "Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?" The Editor looked around as if checking to make sure no one was listening, then leaned in. "It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live." A growl filled the air at that, and the Editor nodded, as if listening. "Yeah. Yeah, sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client."

He pointed at the ceiling, looking up with a smirk. All three time travelers followed his gaze. Directly above them was a lump with teeth. The Emissary and Doctor exchanged glances, both of them lost as to what it was.

Rose eyed it nervously. "Wha- what is that?"

"Are you saying that thing is running Satellite Five?" the Emissary asked.

"That thing, as you put it, is in charge of the human race," the Editor helpfully informed her. "For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by it's broadcast news, edited by my superior, your master, and humanity's guiding light, the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe." He grinned at them. "I call him Max."

The Emissary let her hands light up blue with Artron energy. It didn't seem to have much of an effect on the zombies holding her besides thawing their hands a bit. She jerked in their hold anyway, trying to get free.

Predictably, it didn't work.

The zombies dragged the Time Lords and Rose over to a tall stand, decked out with wires and thick metal manacles.

The Editor waited until they were cuffed to continue. "Create a climate of fear and it's easy to keep the borders closed," he said. "It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilise an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote."

Rose glared. "So all the people on Earth are like, slaves."

"Well, now, there's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

The Doctor didn't even hesitate. "Yes."

"Oh." The Editor sounded disappointed. "I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? Yes?"

"Yes," the Doctor said tersely.

"You're no fun."

"Let me out of these manacles," the Doctor invited sarcastically. "You'll find out how much fun I am."

The Editor chuckled and locked eyes with the Emissary. "Oh, he's tough, isn't he," he singsonged. "But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit." He spread his hands and looked between the three.

"You can't hide something on this scale," Rose said. "Somebody must have noticed."

"From time to time, someone, yes," the Editor allowed, "but the computer chip system allows me to see inside their brains. I can see the smallest doubt and crush it. Then they just carry on, living the life, strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're so individual, when of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing." As the Editor droned on, the Doctor noticed Cathica in the reflection of a monitor.

"What about you?" Rose asked when he paused. She'd also noticed Cathica and figured this was something she needed to hear. "You're not a Jagrabelly."

"Jagrafess," the Emissary corrected.

"Jagrafess," Rose corrected. "You're not a Jagrafess. You're human."

The Editor scowled. "Yeah, well, simply being human doesn't pay very well."

"But you couldn't have done this all on your own," Rose pointed out.

"No," the Editor agreed. "I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to install himself."

"Not any wonder," said the Emissary, "what with his size. What's his life span?"

"Three thousand years."

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat," the Doctor said. "That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, it stays alive."

The Emissary shook her head in disgust. "Satellite Five is one great big life support system."

"But that's why you're so dangerous," the Editor told them. "Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown. Who are you?"

He snapped his fingers and energy crackled along the wire. The Doctor and Emissary jerked, Rose gasping next to them, as the energy shocked them.

"Leave her alone," the Doctor growled, jerking towards the Editor. "I'm the Doctor, that's the Emissary, and she's Rose Tyler. We're nothing, we're just wandering."

"Tell me who you are!" the Editor yelled, his voice almost whiny.

"I just said!"

"Yes, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly.." he cut off suddenly. Above them, the Jagrafess growled. The Editor grinned and held his hands out towards the Doctor and Emissary. "Time Lord."

The Doctor met the Emissary's eyes, just as confused as she was. "What?"

"Oh ho, yes. The last of the Time Lords in their travelling machine. Oh, with his little human girl from long ago." He reached out to brush a hand against Rose's cheek. She leaned away.

The Emissary leaned toward the man, attempting to get his attention off of Rose. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Time travel," the Editor said flatly.

"Someone's been telling you lies," the Doctor denied.

"Young master Adam Mitchell?" He walked away from them, snapping his fingers. A holographic screen popped up, and Rose gasped as she looked at it.

"Oh, my God. His head!" On screen, Adam sat in a broadcast chair, a light beam streaming into the door on his forehead. He was screaming.

"What the hell's he done?" the Doctor asked angrily. "What the hell's he gone and done?"

"He got a chip," the Emissary answered, somewhat unnecessarily. "They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything."

"And through him, I know everything about you," the Editor told them. "Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your T A R D I S. Tardis."

"Well, you'll never get your hands on it," the Doctor nearly snarled. "I'll die first."

"Die all you like," the Editor told him flippantly. "I don't need you. I've got the key." He stepped forward and lifted the chain Rose was wearing. The TARDIS key glinted on the end. Rose yelped as he yanked, breaking the chain.

The Doctor gave her an exasperated look. "You and your boyfriends!"

"Today, we are the headlines," the Editor said proudly. "We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing."

The Emissary caught sight of Cathica, still standing in the back listening. She swallowed and spoke. "And no one's going to stop you," she said, looking straight at Cathica. "Because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions."

The Doctor caught on to her plan and continued, "Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold." The Jagrafess snarled its agreement.

Cathica turned and left.

~~~

Cathica entered another empty, frozen broadcast room. She approached the chair, shoving the frozen dead body off of it and climbing on.

Taking a deep breath, she clicked her fingers to open her door. "Disengage safety."

~~~

Alarms began to blare and the Jagrafess began to growl. The Editor went over to the zombies.

"What's happening?"

~~~

Cathica spoke quickly. "Maximum access. Override Floor one three nine."

She paused briefly, took another deep breath, then called, "And, spike!"

A light beam shot down to her.

~~~

The Editor turned away from the monitors. "Someone's disengaged the safety," he said, looking at the holoscreen. He called up the camera feed, looking confused. "Who's that?"

Rose grinned. "That's Cathica!"

"And she's thinking", the Doctor agreed. "She's using what she knows."

The Editor scowled and went back over to Suki. "Terminate her access."

"Everything I told her about Satellite Five." The Doctor was grinning. "The pipes, the filters, she's reversing it. Look at that." Around them, icicles began to drip. He looked at the Emissary. "It's getting hot."

The Editor wasn't paying attention. "I said, terminate," he ordered Suki. "Burn out her mind."

~~~

Cathica pointed one finger at the light beam. "Oh no, you don't," she said through gritted teeth. "You should have promoted me years back."

~~~

All around the broadcast room, consoles began to explode and the zombies collapsed. The Editor jerked back, shielding his eyes. He didn't see Rose's manacles suddenly release. She stumbled a bit, then began to search the Doctor's pocket for the sonic.

The Doctor looked around them. "She's venting the heat up here. The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano." He laughed as the Jagrafess began to screech.

The Editor was cringing, trying to sit the zombies back up and force them to work. When the Jagrafess started screeching, he stopped, looking up at the lump with hands splayed. "Yes, I'm trying, sir," he said, "but I don't know how she did it. It's impossible. A member of staff with an idea." He shoved Suki out of her seat and took it.

Rose found the sonic and looked up at the Doctor. "What do I do?"

"Flip the switch!" She did. The sonic buzzed and she pressed it first against the Doctor's, then the Emissary's, cuffs. The Doctor looked up at the Editor as he was released. "Oi, mate, want to bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body, massive bang. See you in the headlines!" He took off, the Emissary and Rose right behind him. They ran for Cathica's room, dodging ice chunks as they went. As they entered, an explosion sounded behind them.

~~~

Back on Floor 139, the group sat not too far from the TARDIS, watching people clean up after the chaos.

"We're just going to go," the Doctor was telling Cathica. "I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage."

"You'll have to stay and explain it," Cathica tried to tell him. "No one's going to believe me."

"Oh, they should start believing a lot now," the Emissary told her. "The human race should accelerate. Everything back to normal."

Cathica looked to where Adam waited by the TARDIS. "What about your friend?"

The Doctor's face was dark as he stood to walk over there. "He's not my friend."

Rose reached out her hands. "Now, don't.." The Doctor stormed past her.

The Emissary cringed. Turning to Cathica, she smiled awkwardly. "We should go make sure he doesn't throw him out midflight. Good luck." She turned and grabbed Rose's hand, pulling her to join the Doctor.

"I'm all right now," Adam was saying. "Much better." He looked between the trio and the doors. "Haven't got the key. Look, it's. It all worked out for the best, didn't it?" The Doctor said nothing, grabbing him by the back of the neck and unlocking the doors. Adam pointed at him and tried to shift the blame. "You know, it's not actually my fault, because you were in charge." The Doctor gave him a Look and shoved him inside.

Rose and the Emissary exchanged a worried look and followed. As soon as they stepped inside, the doors shut and the TARDIS took off.

~~~

The Doctor shoved Adam out of the TARDIS and into his living room.

"It's my house," Adam said, shocked. "I'm home! Oh, my God, I'm home! Blimey." He chuckled, turning to the trio. "I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock."

"He would never," the Emissary defended, leaning against the TARDIS. Adam looked about to thank her when she smirked at him. "TARDISes don't have airlocks." Adam scowled at her.

The Doctor just stared at him. "Is there something else you want to tell me?"

Adam hesitated. "No. What do you mean?"

The Doctor walked over to a phone, picking up the answering machine. "The archive of Satellite Five." He glared at Adam. "One second of that message could've changed the world." He pressed the sonic to the machine. It exploded and the Doctor dropped it, brushing his hands off. "That's it, then. See you."

He pushed past Adam and went to enter the TARDIS. Adam turned to face him. "How do you mean, see you?"

"As in goodbye," the Doctor said flatly.

"But what about me?" Adam asked. "You can't just go. I've got my head. I've got a chip type two. My head opens."

"What, like this?" The Doctor snapped his fingers and Adam's head opened.

Adam snapped his fingers to close it. "Don't."

"Don't do what?" the Emissary asked innocently, snapping her fingers.

Adam glared, snapping it closed. "Stop it!"

Rose took pity on him. "All right now, Doctor, Emissary, that's enough. Stop it."

Adam sighed, and smiled at her. "Thank you."

Smirking, Rose raised one hand and snapped. Adam scowled at her, closing it. "Oi!"

"Sorry," she giggled. "I couldn't resist."

The Doctor just looked at him. "The whole of history could have changed because of you."

"I just wanted to help," Adam said.

"You were helping yourself."

"And I'm sorry," Adam whined. "I've said I'm sorry, and I am, I really am, but you can't just leave me like this."

"Yes, we can," the Emissary told him, eyes narrow. "You did it to yourself. And if you show that head to anyone, they'll dissect you like that." She snapped her fingers. "Sorry," she said, not sounding very sorry.

Adam snapped it closed as the Doctor continued, speaking quickly. "You'll have to live a very quiet life. Keep out of trouble. Be average, unseen. Good luck." He opened the door of the TARDIS and started to go in.

"But I want to come with you," Adam protested. The Doctor paused and looked back at him.

"I only take the best," he said flatly. "I've got Rose." Rose grinned at that and the Doctor disappeared inside.

"Rose, Rose," Adam said, but cut off as the front door opened. "Oh, my God."

"Who's that?" a woman's voice rang out. "Geoff, is that you?"

"It's me, mum," Adam called back, a note of panic entering his voice. "Don't come in. Wait there a minute."

"Oh, my Lord," the woman gasped. "You never told me you were coming home!" As she prattled on, Rose met the Emissary's eyes, both women nearly laughing at the panic on Adam's face.

"Rose, take me with you," Adam pleaded quietly, stepping closer to her. He stopped when the Emissary's hand pushed against his chest, keeping him from coming closer. Rose just turned and went inside.

The Emissary paused before she stepped inside. She didn't have to see the future to know how the next few moments were likely to play out. She turned back to Adam. "Whatever happens to you," she told him, "just remember that you chose to get the chip, and actions have consequences." She stepped inside and shut the door.

As the TARDIS took off, she heard Adam's mother scream.