Another chapter, woohoo! Pretty much sticks to the episode... well, you'll see.
"So it's bigger on the inside," Buffy said.
The Doctor looked at her disapprovingly. "Buffy, you've been here how long, and you still question the little things?"
"Not so little is the point," Buffy shot back. "And you've got two hearts."
"Yes, thank you." He was at the controls when Donna spoke.
"Could I have a go?"
"Pardon?" the Doctor asked. Then realisation dawned on him. "No, no… just no."
"Oh, go on, Doctor," Buffy encouraged. Both women stared him down.
His head went from side to side as he relented. "Oh… all right."
He started showing Donna how to work the controls and went over basics to get her started. Then he stood back and hovered behind her nervously.
"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Donna said happily.
"No, neither can I." The Doctor still sounded nervous as he watched her. "Oh, careful!"
He pushed past her to whack the panel with the mallet and fiddle with another lever. Surprisingly he stepped aside again for Donna to handle it.
"Left hand down!" he shouted. "Left hand down!"
Buffy held on as the Tardis lurched.
"Getting a bit too close to the eighties," the Doctor said.
"What am I gonna to do?" Donna demanded sarcastically. "Put a dent in 'em?"
"Well, someone did," the Doctor said.
Then there was the distinct, yet foreign to the Tardis, sound of a ringing phone.
"Is that a phone?" Buffy asked as the Doctor moved from his spot behind Donna to the source of the ringing.
"You've got a mobile?" Donna asked with shock. "Since when?"
"It's not mine," the Doctor said gravely. He answered the phone and sat down slowly. "Hello?"
"Doctor, it's Martha," the voice on the phone said. "And I'm bringing you back to Earth!"
HXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXH
The Doctor left the Tardis first. Donna hung back and waited for the right time to step out. Buffy was sitting on the chair by the console. Donna had briefly explained what she knew about Martha from the Doctor while the man himself took over the controls. So Buffy knew that they were about to meet a woman who had not only travelled with the Doctor, but who had also had a bit of a crush on him. She could see why someone might fall for the strange yet wonderful alien, but he was too tweedy for Buffy's tastes.
"Are you coming, Buffy?" Donna asked.
"Sure." They stepped out of the Tardis and saw the two talking about her family.
"Right," Martha said. "Should have known. Didn't take you long to replace me then. And with two."
The Doctor rolled his head. "Now, don't start fighting. Martha, Donna and Buffy. Donna and Buffy, Martha. Please don't fight, can't bear fighting."
"You wish," Donna said with a bit of pure Donna Noble sass.
"I never would have guessed," Buffy said to him with a pointed look while Donna shook Martha's hand. He looked even more uncomfortable and on guard. Buffy let Donna have a moment with Martha since really Donna knew more about the former time traveller than the slayer did.
"He talks about you all the time," Donna was saying.
"I dread to think," Martha said.
"No, no, no. No. He says nice things. Good things. Nice things. Really... good things."
"Oh my god, he's told you everything." Martha raised a hand and looked a bit embarrassed.
"Didn't take long to get over it though. Who's the lucky man?"
The Doctor turned from wary to confused. "What man? Lucky what?"
"She's engaged, you prawn," Donna said, probably delighted in taking another opportunity to be smarter than the alien genius.
Buffy grinned and pointed to Martha's left hand, now out and clearly showing the ring. Sometimes a good teasing was perfect for taking him down a few pegs into reality as they knew it.
"Really, who to?" the Doctor sounded a bit stunned… perhaps a bit jealous.
"Tom. That Tom Milligan. He's in pediatrics. Working out in Africa right now, and yes, I know. I've got a doctor who disappears off to distant places. Tell me about it."
"Is he skinny?" Donna asked.
Buffy watched the Doctor preen a bit and just waited for Donna to knock him down again. The way Donna could do that was one of the most entertaining things in the Tardis.
"No," Martha said. "He's sort of… strong."
Donna gestured to the Doctor, who was back to looking on guard, but more for himself than an approaching catfight. "He is too skinny for words! You give him a hug, you get a papercut!"
There it was. All the women had a laugh while the Doctor rolled his eyes.
"Oh, I'd rather you were fighting," he said.
"Speaking of which…" Martha's tone turned serious. She held up her walkie-talkie and answered the voice coming through. "This is Dr. Jones. Operation Blue Sky is go, go, go. I repeat, this is a go!"
They all left the alley and watched as trucks and soldiers ran through towards a large factory building. Noticing the military uniforms, Buffy immediately was on edge. The last thing she wanted was to come face to face with another Initiative, but it looked like last was now coming first.
"What are you searching for?" the Doctor demanded while Martha took a breath from giving orders over the walkie-talkie.
"Illegal aliens," Martha answered curtly.
The noise of soldiers and amplified orders filled the area. Martha went running to continue her duties leaving Donna asking the Doctor, "Is that what you did to her? Turned her into a soldier?"
The Doctor looked uneasy. Then Donna noticed that Buffy was standing stiffly.
"Are you all right?" she asked kindly. The Doctor turned from looking at the operations.
"Buffy?" he asked.
"Yeah," Buffy said giving her head a bit of a shake. "I don't trust government operations like this. I've seen what they can do."
Buffy left so much unsaid in that statement, but the Doctor looked like he understood. He said, "Just stay close. We'll be fine."
Martha returned. The Doctor looked at her again, this time noticing the UNIT card. "And you're qualified now? You're a proper doctor."
She inclined her head slightly. "UNIT rushed it through given my experience in the field. Here we go. We're establishing a field base on site. They're dying to meet you."
"Wish I could say the same," the Doctor muttered. Buffy gave a small sound of agreement. The Doctor took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze before they entered the bus that was serving as the UNIT field base. Once inside they approached a man that from his stance and manner Buffy could tell was the ranking officer of the operation.
"Operation Blue Sky complete, sir," Martha said. "Thanks for letting me take the lead. And, this is the Doctor. Doctor, Colonel Mace."
The colonel saluted. "Sir!"
"Oh, don't salute," the Doctor grumbled.
"Well, it's an honour, sir," continued the colonel, only slightly ruffled. "I've read all the files on you and, technically speaking, you're still on staff. You never resigned."
"You worked for them?" Buffy asked, but filled with enough attitude to show her disapproval and distrust.
"Yeah," the Doctor dragged out trying to reassure her. "Long time ago. Back in the 70s. Or was it the 80s? But it was all a bit more homespun back then."
"Times have changed, sir," Colonel Mace replied.
"Yeah, that's enough of the 'sir'," the Doctor said.
"Come on now Doctor," Martha said sounding UNIT's defence. "You've seen it. You've been on board the Valiant. We've got massive funding from the United Nations. All in the name of home world security."
"A modern UNIT for a modern world," Mace said proudly.
"That goes around pointing guns at factory workers?" Buffy said angrily. "They have rights."
"It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there. Donna, by the way. Donna Noble, since you didn't ask. I'll have a salute."
"Ma'am," Colonel Mace saluted.
"Thank you," Donna said.
The colonel looked to Buffy to give her name.
"Buffy, and I don't need a salute."
"Buffy Summers?" he asked, and then saluted anyways. Before she could recover from shock that he knew her name, the Doctor butted in.
"Tell me. What's going on in that factory?"
Buffy listened as they went through all the details. Normally she had difficulty following these sorts of conversations. Over the years she had adapted her own filter to everything Giles said in Scooby meetings. But now she actually felt as if she could easily follow along. But just don't ask her to fix it; that took the Doctor's style of genius. Technology in the cars was suspicious and it was most likely some sort of alien behind it all, that was as far as Buffy went to knowing what was going on.
"Ionising nano membrane carbon dioxide converter - which means that ATMOS works. Filters the CO2 at a molecular level," the Doctor explained as he looked at the odd little device.
Yup, suspicious alien technology, that was all Buffy needed to understand.
"We know all that, but what of its origin?" Colonel Mace asked. "Is it alien?"
One track mind, Buffy thought. But then she remembered that was just how these military types were. Even Riley was very narrow-minded… or as she called it when they were dating, intensely focused.
"No," the Doctor answered. "Decades ahead of its time. Look, d'you mind, could you stand back a bit?"
The colonel looked taken aback as he stepped away. "Sorry, have I done something wrong?"
"You're carrying a gun," the Doctor shot back with a hint of anger. "I don't like people with guns hanging around me, all right?"
"If you insist," Mace said with an offended tone. He turned and left the room.
Buffy followed and left the Doctor and Martha to talk in private. She wanted to know how a colonel in UNIT knew her name.
"Colonel," she called. He stopped and turned to face her. "You knew who I was. Do you have the records from the Initiative? Is that how…"
"No," he interrupted. "No, I don't think I've heard of any Initiative. I know your name because you have been a member of UNIT for the past three years. I've viewed some of your operations out of San Diego and was very impressed."
"Huh?" Buffy stared blankly at him.
The colonel seemed to take a moment to think. "Perhaps you have not yet joined UNIT, ma'am. You are travelling with the Doctor."
Finally it clicked into place. "In the future I go three years before now and join UNIT." She started laughing hysterically. As he tried not to stare rudely at her, Buffy gained control over herself and stopped laughing. "Xander would just love this," she muttered.
"Pardon?" Colonel Mace asked.
"Nothing."
Before they could say anything else they heard Donna's voice. "Oi, you lot!" They re-entered the room through the plastic. "All your storm troopers and your sonics... You're rubbish! Should've come with me."
The Doctor looked at her expectantly. "Why, where have you been?"
"Personnel. That's where the weird stuff's happening - in the paperwork. Cos I spent years working as a temp, I can find my way round an office blindfold, and the first thing I noticed is an empty file."
"Why, what's inside it? Or what's not inside it?"
"Sick days. There aren't any. Hundreds of people working here and no one's sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip, nothing. Not ever! They don't get ill."
"That can't be right," Mace said with disbelief.
Buffy rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Typical."
Colonel Mace looked at her, but Donna continued. "You've been checking out the building—should've been checking out the workforce."
Martha smiled. "I can see why he likes you."
Donna beamed. "Mm-hmm."
"You are good."
"Super temp!"
"Doctor Jones," Mace ordered. "Set up a medical post, start examining the workers. I'll get them sent through." He left the room once more.
"Come on, Donna," Martha said. "Give me a hand."
They left the other way, and Buffy followed the Doctor as he went to catch up with Colonel Mace.
"So this, this ATMOS thing. Where did it come from?" the Doctor asked.
"Luke Rattigan himself."
"And 'himself' would be?"
Mace stopped at a computer and pulled up the file on Rattigan. "Child genius. Invented the Fountain 6 search engine when he was 12 years old. Millionaire overnight. Now runs the Rattigan Academy. A private school, educating students, handpicked from all over the world."
"A hothouse for geniuses, wouldn't mind going there." Both Buffy and Mace looked at him for an explanation. "I get lonely."
Buffy rolled her eyes and walked with them as they argued about who was going to the academy to ask Rattigan some questions about ATMOS.
"You are not coming with me! I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him."
"It's ten miles outside London. How are you going to get there?"
"Well, then get me a jeep!"
"According to the records you travel by TARDIS."
"Yes, but if there is a danger of hostile aliens I think it's best to keep a super-duper time machine away from the front lines."
"I see. So you do have weapons, but choose to keep them hidden. Jenkins!"
A UNIT soldier came forward. "Sir!"
"You will accompany the Doctor and take orders from him."
"Yeah," the Doctor dragged out. "I don't do orders."
Colonel Mace ignored the comment. "Any sign of trouble, get Jenkins to declare a Code Red. And good luck, sir." He gave a salute.
"I said no salutes. Buffy, stay here and make sure he doesn't point that gun at anything he shouldn't."
"Now you're giving orders," the colonel grumbled as he motioned Buffy to follow him.
As she left she could just hear the Doctor say, "Oh, you're getting a bit cheeky, you are."
HXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXH
Buffy followed Mace as he oversaw parts of the operation and took an evaluation of everything. He certainly wasn't giving off the evil vibes that Buffy picked up all too late from certain soldiers in the Initiative, but that still didn't mean she trusted these people. The colonel seemed to pick up on her tense, battle-ready stance as she walked with him.
"Might I ask why you don't trust me, Miss Summers?" he asked stiffly.
"Number one, it's just Buffy. B, I don't like secret government military types from past experience."
"The Initiative that you mentioned? What did they do that set your mind so firmly against us?"
"Well, it could have been the horrible experiments, or it might have been that after working with them for just a short while they tried to kill me, or maybe it was the one big, practically impossible to kill experiment that decided to kill everyone else in town."
"Noted. Most of our experiments are strictly technologically based."
"And it's the most that's the problem, Colonel."
They stopped and he looked her over, sizing up the strength that was visible now that she was in Slayer-mode.
"We don't experiment with aliens. We either negotiate relations with them, or if they are a hostile threat…"
"Chop them up and use them for parts?" Buffy said with sarcastic cheeriness.
"We eliminate the threat by any means possible."
"So you don't know enough about this 'UNIT' thing to tell me if they are doing experiments or not?"
"No, ma'am. But I can tell you with complete honesty that any aliens captured should be treated the same as any human prisoner of war according to UNIT protocol."
"What a comfort," Buffy said with no real feeling.
"If I may speak bluntly, Buffy…"
"Shoot… but not literally, that's what I'm here to stop."
"I've seen your record. I looked at it when I discovered I had given my recommendation to give a UNIT commission to someone I'd never even heard of before."
"Me?"
"Yes. I think I give you my recommendation now, and you take it back three years from now. Ma'am, reading your file I was most impressed. You are a true hero for planet Earth. And that's why I won't lie to you now." He looked past Buffy and saw Martha. "Excuse me. Doctor Jones! Found anything yet?"
"No, sir. Nothing to report," came Martha's voice.
He turned back to Buffy. "Perhaps if you come back to the HQ you can see for yourself how UNIT operates itself. Maybe you'll see we aren't like what you've dealt with before."
But as they headed out towards the field base chaos began. Smoke and fumes were coming from all the cars and choking the air. They ran outside to see for themselves how extensive the effect was, but they couldn't see through all the smoke. Instead they just began coughing and choking too.
"Turn them off! Turn them off! Turn off the engines!" Colonel Mace ordered.
"It's all of them, sir. Every single car on the planet!"
Duh duh duhnnnnn! More things need a duh-duh-duhn track. Or maybe I've just been watching too much Dark Shadows. Please review!