"It's like a big blue box. It's my ship, its stuck out there. Could you bring it in?"
The head soldier gave the Doctor a plastic looking green tag, "We are driving out for our last water collection, I'll see what we can do. We'll let you know."
The Doctor nodded, "Thank you."
A young boy came up with a clipboard and asked the man we'd run to the silos with about who he was looking for.
We followed after the two, walking through cramped corridors lined on either side with people huddled together with their few possessions.
"It's like a refugee camp." Martha peered at the people, her eyes filled with sympathy.
I looked at the people we passed, "In a way they are."
The Doctor turned and looked back at Martha, "You humans survive, for the most part staying the same, alive with the hope for a better future. End of the universe and here you are. Indomitable, that's the word. Indomitable!"
The man we'd been following found his mother, and I looked at the young child we'd been following. He watched the reunited family with such a look of yearning.
"You are quite amazing, do you know that?"
The golden haired boy looked up at me with wide blue eyes.
I smiled at him, "What do you think Utopia would be like?"
"My mum used to say, the skies would be filled with diamonds."
I resisted the urge to pat him on the head, he seemed to be rather independent. I wouldn't wish him to feel as if I thought him inferior. So I merely smiled, nodding.
I'd see behind Utopia's door in my mind. As I looked around the countless people I wondered if there was another option for them.
When I had a chance I would need to have a Starling dream. Starling dreams were what I called the times I entered my Mind Palace and had a telepathic conversation with the alien race that gave this second chance.
Yells of surprise came from the side of the corridor where the Doctor, Martha and Jack discovered the rocket waking me from my daze.
An excited older man with grey hair, a poet's shirt and printed waistcoat bounded over to the Doctor and Jack.
"The Doctor?" He looked from Jack to the Doctor.
The Doctor raised his hand, "I'm the Doctor."
The old man grabbed the Doctor's hand and then sped off down the corridor. "Good, good, good, good!"
Martha, Jack and I followed after quickly so as not to be left behind.
We came into a lived-in workspace where the Doctor was being shown every piece of equipment.
A smiling teal alien with mandibles welcomed us, "Chan, welcome, tho."
I bowed my head in return for her welcome.
When the older man came to the end of the machinery he looked over to the Doctor with eager eyes, "Any ideas, Doctor?"
"I'm not from these parts. I've never seen a system like this. Sorry."
The Doctor looked bewildered at the bits of machinery surrounding him.
"I'm sure you'll figure something out, Doctor."
The Doctor turned and smiled at me.
The jolly scientist looked at me with a gobsmacked expression.
He stumbled back, mouth open and eyes wide.
I walked over to him, "Are you alright?"
"Yes." He cleared his throat and he almost sounded hoarse from emotion, "You look so much like my mother, you could be her clone."
"No clones of me are going around that I'm aware of."
"Marian Rose…" Jack called from behind his eyebrow raised.
The scientist looked at me in wonder, "Marian Rose?" He glanced at me then the Doctor, "Might I ask what species you are?"
"Time Lord. Heard of them? Legend or anything?"
The professor glanced over at me before he answered the Doctor, "My mother would tell me of adventurers who travelled through time saving civilizations. Were they your people?"
The Doctor frowned, "Some. There's none but me left now."
"Chan, it is said that I am the last of my species, too, tho." The lady that welcomed us stepped forward.
"My assistant and good friend, Chantho. A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge here."
"What about the beastie boys outside?" Jack asked.
"We call them Futurekind. There's a myth that they are what we become if we don't reach Utopia."
"Utopia?" The Doctor and Martha asked at the same time.
The scientist directed us to his computers, showing us the signal that came from the edges of the universe.
As the Doctor looked at the signal's information, the professor closed his eyes looking in pain. A familiar wince on his features I'd seen on occasion on Mrs Lovett's after a long day.
The Doctor continued talking with Jack and Martha about the signal but I cautiously approached the professor.
"Sir, what was your name?" I reached out and patted his hand.
His eyes opened unfocused before he looked down at my hand on his, his gaze drifting to mine. "You calmed it, just like she used to."
"Your mother?"
"She found me abandoned and naked upon the stormy coast of the Silver Devastation. She raised me up as her own, always calming the pounding of the drums."
The Doctor looked over, "Alright there professor?"
The professor moved away from me, continuing to look over the machines.
"Yes, yes, must get back to work."
"Only the rocket's not going to fly, is it? The footprint mechanism thing isn't working." The Doctor looked through the wall of glass circuit boards over at the professor.
"We'll find a way."
The Doctor's brow furrowed.
"You haven't told them yet."
The professor leaned back against the ledge of his machinery, "It's better for them to live on in hope."
"Right you are! Professor…?"
"Yana."
The Doctor grinned, mentioning the option of reversing the boost for the rocket before sonicing on the switches for the panels.
The room came to life with lights and sounds as the systems booted up.
"Chan, its working, tho."
We all became busy, directed by the Doctor and Professor Yana what to press.
Martha and Chantho were about to leave with some circuits for the launch room when I called out to her.
"Martha, if you pass by one of the guards tell them they should double check everyone's teeth. If they don't have time, have them double check the security of the power circuit rooms."
Martha nodded, before following Chantho, arms full.
I glanced over at where Jack was handling the dangerous wiring, being the most durable of us to do so.
I looked back at the Doctor who was looking at the professor in wonder.
"Professor Yana, you are a genius. Using every piece of tech, resource at hand to create this."
"Says the man that made it work."
I came up beside the professor and following his direction put certain plugs into certain boards.
"The Doctor doesn't give out compliments easily. If he thinks you are brilliant you are."
Professor Yana looked down at his work, shaking his head.
"My title is just an affectation. There haven't been universities for over a thousand years. My mother was determined that I get the best she could offer me, she stocked up on ancient science manuals and had us move from one refugee ship to another, so I could learn from as many as I could."
The Doctor continued his work glancing through the see-through boards to the professor. "If you had been born in another century you would have been revered, throughout the galaxies. Still after everything you've decided to stay behind."
"And Chantho she won't leave my side even though I've told her time and again…" He drifted off, "Utopia is not for me."
Over the sound speaker came the voice of the lead soldier, "Professor, tell the Doctor we found his blue box. Thank him for the warning. We caught an infiltrator and have dispatched them."
The Doctor looked at me.
"I do what I can."
Both men gazed at me with different curious gazes, one knowing and the other almost suspicious.
While the Doctor went off to get the TARDIS situated in the room and Martha and Chantho giggled off to the side, I stayed by Professor Yana's side. I hoped my presence might help his headache.
Sexy arrived and I stepped into it as the rest continued their intense jobs focusing on keeping the rocket's chambers safe while the radiation was released.
Sexy greeted me as soon as I was in her main room.
Her song lingering at the edges of my mind, hints of melancholy and the slightest bit of anger at her tinges.
'I need you. Don't leave me sister.'
I walked up and stroked the console hoping to soothe her.
Her song rose in my mind even more distressed, her loneliness causing my cheeks to get moist from my tears.
It took me a couple of minutes more before I could come out and join the rest.
When I came out I found the room mostly deserted except for Chantho and Martha checking a couple of things in the corner.
The Professor was staring at his watch, the sound of me returning caused him to look up.
His eyes widened, no doubt from my still red eyes from crying.
He pulled a long chain from underneath his shirt and I gasped at its familiarity. I had seen Mrs Lovett wear the same silver diamond shaped locket many times. She would whisper how it was her star locket.
I walked toward Professor Yana carefully.
He looked up, "The tall one called you, Marion, while the other called you Rose."
"I give Marion to strangers."
A strange look passed his features as one hand caressed his watch, his eyes narrowing. "It's as if you are treating me like…" he whispered the last words in an undertone, "a fae."
I tilted my head, "You never know."
He winced and his hand shot out to grab my own.
The pain faded from his features, but I could hear the dramatic song vibrating in my mind from the watch. The drums slamming their beat against the side of my skull, I couldn't imagine having that non-stop all day every day of my life like he had.
I looked down at the pocket watch, "You'll be opening that soon I suspect. Let's make a deal."
"A deal?" His fingers ran over the Gallifreyan symbols on the watch, and the symphony was accompanied with a chorus of voices. I could hear the different versions of his past self repeating phrases over and over again threatening to drive him mad.
"Let the rocket leave, don't hurt those people. I'll leave with you willingly as long as you don't kill humankind or the Doctor and his companions."
"Who am I, for you to ask such a thing?"
Quiet steps approached.
"Rose, is that?" Martha stared at the golden pocket watch.
The song was thunderous, golden light lit up his and my features. I breathed in the golden light that reminded me of a mixture of Sexy and the other TARDIS, dark chocolate and honey, amber and charcoal.
Martha pulled on my arm, "Rose we need to tell the Doctor."
"I can't."
Martha wouldn't let go, dragging me away.
I looked back to find Professor Yana fascinated with the golden light streaming from the pocket watch.
I'll be back.
Martha dragged me down the hall to where the Doctor was finishing up the prep for the rocket to take off.
"Ready to launch," came over the sound speaker.
"Doctor!" Martha ran up to him.
He continued looking at the dials and plugging in a couple last items.
"Doctor, its the professor. He has this watch. Fob watch. It's the same as yours. Same writing on it, same everything."
The Doctor shook his head, "Impossible."
"Rose, tell him."
An alarm went off signalling that the rocket was about to launch.
"10, 9, 8…" The sound speaker continued the countdown.
"It's true. He was opening it as we left. I could feel the Time energy coming from it. It's song was so loud." I took a breath, I looked down the hall. "The sounds of drums."'
"...5, 4, 3…"
The Doctor looked down the hallway eyes wide, "The sound of drums."
"Why do I have a bad feeling?" Jack questioned.
"Liftoff."
Martha looked at the Doctor, "Remember what the Face of Boe said, his last dying words. You are not alone."
The Doctor shook his head before heading towards the receiver, "Lieutenant, have you done it? Did you get velocity? Have you done it?"
"Affirmative, right on target." Could just barely be heard over the sound of the static.
I couldn't wait any longer. I ran back towards the lab.
The Doctor, Jack and Martha running after me.
I hadn't made it back yet when I heard my sister whisper in my mind,
'It was me all along that left you.'
I shouted back at the Doctor, "The TARDIS!"
The Doctor sprinted around the corner, a few steps ahead of me.
I turned the corner.
The Doctor's eyes were wide in horror. "The Master."
Martha gasped when she saw Chantho on the ground with a laser gun just out of her fingertips.
The TARDIS was gone along with the Master.