Martha straightened and looked around the chamber. It was at least twice the size of the Doctor's control room in the TARDIS, and its walls and high, arched ceiling gleamed a dark mahogany. The central console looked like it had been constructed by an overly enthusiastic cabinet maker, all intricate wooden inlays and brass knobs.
The only object that looked vaguely familiar, Martha decided, was the time rotor, which glowed a rich amber as it throbbed quietly. Its presence reassured her as the woman who called herself Fred eyed them both. "Well, what am I going to do with you two?" she asked "As if things weren't difficult enough, already."
"Maybe you could decide that later," Martha suggested, not taking her eyes off Leela as she helped Jack to his feet. "After we dematerialise, that is – this thing does dematerialise, doesn't it?"
"It's been known," Fred said dryly, her hands a blur on the console. "But my calculations show that there has already been a substantial diversion from the optimum timeline. The lock is straining at the seams as it is, one more time differentiation could exasperate the problem even further."
"The problem?" Jack prompted, as he dusted himself off.
"You're wearing a vortex manipulator," Fred said briskly. "So I presume you have a basic understanding of quantum mechanics?"
Jack eyed her cautiously. "Yeah…?"
"And you've just succeeded in releasing us from a time lock, from which I extrapolate that you have a basic understanding of what a time lock actually is."
"It means that you were not only locked in time, but out of time too," Martha offered.
Fred paused and looked up from the console, her eyes catching Martha. "And you also know the Doctor, which means you probably know why we were locked in time."
"To stop the Time War," Martha said softly.
"And it worked, didn't it," Fred asked softly. "The universe is still here, so it worked…" Martha watched as Leela silently put a comforting hand on Fred's arm. For a moment, they leaned into each other, as if in some silent communication, and then the woman who called herself Fred straightened once more, a look of determination on her face. "We need to move fast," she said. "The larger a time lock is, the harder it is to keep intact. We need to be inserted back into our proper place in the timeline and locked in again – and I'm going to need your help to do that."
"Wait a minute, let me get this straight, you've just been freed from the Time War – and you want to go back?"
"There's no other way," Fred said grimly. "The history of the Daleks and Gallifrey is too intertwined to extricate, the time lock is dependent on us both being trapped in it. As it is, we may have a larger problem on our hands. If I'm here, the chances are it's the result of a rather large Dalek breach – and I'm not talking about the handful of Daleks outside."
"Davros," Martha said.
Fred groaned. "But of course it is him, irritating little man."
"Irritating dead little man," Jack said.
Fred gave him a sharp look. "Did you trap his corpse in a time lock?" she asked.
"We didn't really have time," Martha said. "We had a little problem with the Dalek mother ship – it was busy exploding around us."
"Damn," Fred muttered. "Too much to ask for, I suppose."
"But if he is dead, surely there is no problem?" Leela asked.
"Yes, that was what I said the first time I thought he died," Fred muttered. "Trust me, he's still out there, worst luck." She tapped her fingers on the console, a frown of concentration on her face. "What to do, what to do… Oh dear, nothing for it, I suppose – hold on!" The ship groaned, and the ship reeled slightly, as a familiar, rhythmic thrum filled the air.
Martha grinned, despite herself. "So it is a TARDIS," she said.
"You were in doubt?" Fred asked as she ran around the console, and pulled a lever. Her movements were more reserved than the Doctor's, but Martha could see the same restless energy in them.
"The Daleks outside called this a Time Station," Jack said suddenly.
"Ah," she said, a smile lurking on her lips for a moment. "Just another name for a really big TARDIS, I'm afraid."
"That's it, huh?" Jack drawled.
"Scout's honour," she said.
"You never were a scout," he said. "And where did you pick up that phrase from?"
"Where do you think?" she asked absently, as she studied the controls in front of her. "My, my, you have been busy recently, haven't you? Gravitational fluctuations, temporal uncertainties in the planet's core – and what's this, your magnetic north is slightly out of sync? I'd get that fixed, if I were you. What have you been doing, taking the planet for a whirl around the Galaxy?"
"No, just the Medusa Cascade," Martha said.
Fred blinked. "Really? How strange… something to do with the sealed rift there, I presume," she asked.
Martha looked at her warily. "We're not exactly sure," she said, examining her face intently. "But I'm sure you're leaving something out."
"Yes, I am," Fred said quietly. "But it has nothing to do with our present predicament, so let's leave it, eh? We need to solve the problem at hand, which means we need to find the remains of Davros."
"I hate to break it to you but that might be a bit difficult," Jack said. "Last time we saw Davros, he was under a pile of rubble, and the ship he was in subsequently got blown to smithereens."
"I see," Fred said. "Ah well, sooner started, sooner finished...where can I drop you off?"
Martha caught Jack's eye. "Actually, I think it's best if we went with you," she said eventually.
"See, I told you they would be trouble," Leela said flatly. "They do not even say what they truly mean."
"Hello – pot, kettle?" Jack said.
"He has a point, Leela," Fred said.
"But Romana—"
"Romana?" Jack leaped on the name. "Why the pseudonym?"
Her eyes narrowed. "And your birth name is Jack?" she countered.
"Okay, guys, this conversation is swiftly getting off track," Martha cut in. "We have bigger problems to deal with. If Fred – Romana – is right and the time lock is in danger of breaching, the Daleks could reappear at any moment with another reality bomb. I don't know about you two, but I'm sick and tired of watching the stars go out."
"She speaks the truth," Leela said softly.
Romana sighed and leaned on the console. "You do understand that this may be a one way trip?" she asked. "You may end up dead or, worse, trapped in the Time Lock with us."
Martha looked at her. "Is it really that bad?" she asked softly.
"I'm a Time Lord," she said simply. "For us, time is alive. We sense it around us and feel its flow; to have its current staunched and cut off is…is…it is difficult." She paused. "Although Leela says it wasn't as hard for her."
Leela nodded. "But I am Sevateem, a human, it's not our way to sense such things," she said.
"We're getting off topic again," Romana said, her voice brisk once more. "We need to find Davros, and quickly, before the weakness in the Time Lock becomes irreparable – oh, and one more thing."
"Yeah?" Martha asked
"I'd like to keep what we've just discussed between us," Romana said, frowning at her. "I don't want the Doctor getting any strange ideas."
"He has nothing but strange ideas," Leela muttered
"Stranger, then," Romana allowed. "So, where did this mother ship explode?"
Martha and Jack looked at each other. "The Medusa Cascade," they said in unison.
"A second out of time," Jack added, a moment later. "I'm not exactly sure what that means, but the Doctor thought it was important."
Romana nodded. "I have a suspicion, but we'll see when we get there," she fiddled with the console. "Hold on, this may get a little bumpy. The fabric of reality is a bit frayed in that area of space." The TARDIS shuddered and its time rotor moved. For a moment, Romana stared at it, as if mesmerised. "I never thought I'd do this again," she said.
The TARDIS sighed around them, and Martha shook her head in bemusement as she gingerly put her hand on the wall. "It feels different, it really feels different," she said quietly. "It's a TARDIS but…" she couldn't find the exact words for it.
"The Doctor's vessel is a Type 40," Romana said quietly. "She old, verging on ancient; most of her class were retired centuries before the Time War. That sort of age gives a ship personality, at least what we understand as personality. They're all sentient, of course, but they just don't think same way most humanoid species do… too linear."
"Most humanoid species, but not all," Jack said.
Romana smiled wryly. "There's always an exception that proves the rule, I would have thought your travels with the Doctor would have taught you that….and we're here."
"We are?" Martha asked, startled. "Wow, I didn't feel that at all."
"I suppose you could say this vessel has better suspension than you're used to," Romana said, as a slot on the console opened. A 3D holographic image appeared above their heads, showing the Medusa Cascade.
"It's beautiful," Martha breathed.
"Quite a lightshow," Jack agreed. "But I don't see any wreckage.
Romana frowned at the interstellar map "Hmm, hold on a moment." She pulled a lever, and the time motor moved a few inches. The hologram shifted, and Martha's eyes widened as the hologram suddenly became cluttered with wrecked and holed Dalek spacecraft.
"It seemed the Doctor was a tad annoyed," Romana said, under her breath, as she checked a screen on the console. "DNA traces consistent with Dalek mutation technology and…wait…he's not here."
"What do you mean he's not here?" Jack asked flatly. "He's got to be here. Nothing could have survived that, nothing."
"Davros is from Skaro, his DNA strands are still recognisably Kaled in origin," Romana said. "There's none here, not even a dead skin cell. Even if he had been totally disintegrated, I should be able to pick up some trace of his existence – wait!" She frowned worriedly at the screen. "Judoon? What were the Judoon doing here?"
"Oh no, that doesn't sound good," Martha said.
"Jackboot policing at its best," Jack drawled. "That's all we need, the Shadow Proclamation. Do you know the amount of paperwork we'll have to fill out to even get an appointment?"
"The Shadow Proclamation?" Romana echoed. "The Judoon now work for the Shadow Proclamation? How strange."
"Not really," Martha muttered. "According to the Doctor, they were in a real tizzy about the Daleks. They actually wanted the Doctor to lead them into battle."
Romana winced. "I can imagine how well that went down."
"Like a ton of square concrete things," Martha said, with a small smile.
Romana drummed her fingers on the console, her mind obviously elsewhere. "My databanks are obviously out of date," she said suddenly, as she looked up at the map. "A bit of discreet revision is necessary, I think." A holographic keyboard appeared in front of her.
"What does that mean?" Martha asked, as Romana traced her fingers over the indecipherable glyphs, her fingers moving nimbly.
"I think that's Time Lord speak for hacking," Jack said, amused.
"Would you rather handle the paperwork," Romana countered.
Leela shuddered. "Please, no more bureaucracy. I've had my fill of it in this lifetime."
"I know how you feel," Martha muttered. Jack opened his mouth and Martha quirked an eyebrow at him. He shut it again.
"I've got something," Romana said. "A Judoon fleet came through here a few hours ago, and then headed straight for the Pancake Galaxy."
Martha's mouth twitched. "The Pancake Galaxy?"
Romana frowned at her, puzzled. "Isn't that what I just said?"
Yeah, but…seriously? The Pancake Galaxy? I mean who would name a galaxy after something you put lemon and sugar on?"
"Uh, that would have been us," Jack said, raising a hand.
"I always assumed the dish was named after the galaxy," Romana muttered, as she fiddled with the console's controls. Suddenly, her head sprung up. "Wait, does that mean the Milky Way was named after the chocolate bar?"
Leela perked up. "Chocolate?"
Jack started to laugh. "Oh yeah," he said, "Just like old times."
"Let's hope not," Martha said. "I'd like to get through this trip without seeing the world end again."
"No promises," Romana said quietly, as she adjusted the hologram above them. "See their trajectory? Luckily they don't have temporal engines, or this chase could have been really difficult."
"I don't understand," Martha said.
"Martha, may I introduce you to Sontaran space," Jack said grimly.
"And wherever the Judoon are going, it's smack dab in the middle of it," Romana added.
Leela crossed her arms. "That is not good. There may be a battle ahead."
"With the Sontarans there's always a battle ahead," Martha said snorted. "But what the hell are the Judoon doing there?"
"Returning to base, apparently," Romana said, flipping a switch. The hologram zoomed in on the Pancake Galaxy, and then a solar system. A red, pulsating dot revolved around its sun. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the SPRAD satellite – which stands for Shadow Proclamation Research And Development, apparently. Now, don't we all feel well informed?"
"Personally, I think I'm beginning to feel a little bit sick," Martha muttered. "Why Sontaran Space?"
"To make it difficult for the casual observer to visit, I've no doubt," Romana said grimly. "Never a good sign."
"The Sontarans are signatories to the Proclamation, like most space faring species," Jack explained. "Except the Sontarans can be a bit more creative when it comes to bending the rules."
"And I'm guessing the Shadow Proclamation might look the other way in exchange for a spot to set up a discreet lab station," Romana said. "I have a very bad feeling about this. We need to hurry." Once again, her hands moved across the console, and the time rotor began to slowly move.
Leela strode towards a door "We may need more weapons," she said, over her shoulder.
Romana sighed, but didn't contradict her. "Could you bring me my red coat while you're at it?" she called after her.
"Do you think there's going to be trouble," Martha asked quietly.
"I hope not," she murmured. "But the Shadow Proclamation is acting strangely. They might be a bit hidebound and stiff in their ways, but they've never shown signs of corruption before. What can be causing it, I wonder…." She stopped and shook her head. "It's none of my business, of course. My mission is to retrieve Davros's remains and reinstate the time lock."
Jack raised his eyebrows at Martha, who shrugged in response. Who knew what really went on in the mind of the Time Lord. She'd only met two in her life, and one of them had been a psychotic monster.
Leela reappeared, with an extra knife and a blow pipe in her belt, and a red coat draped over one arm. Romana took it from her.
"You'd better let me do the talking," she said, as she shrugged it on. "Who knows, maybe we can get Davros's remains without any trouble, once we explain ourselves."
Leela snorted. "You do not believe that," she said.
"No, but I can hope," Romana said with a weary smile. She pulled a lever and a panel slid back, revealing a dull metal door.
Martha felt a hand drop on her shoulder, and looked up to see Jack's concerned face. "You okay with this?" he asked.
"Hey, this is not my first trip in a Time and Space machine, you know," Martha joked. "I know what I'm getting myself into."
The door slid open and Romana stepped out, Leela a half step behind her.
"After you," Jack said, with a smirk.
Martha rolled her eyes and grinned, as she strode through the door - and ran straight into Leela's back. She staggered to a halt, her eyes taking in Leela's raised hands, and then Romana's. "Bugger," she said, slowly raising her hands as she noticed the troupe of Judoon pointing their weapons at them.
"Marthas, wha—" Jack stopped mid stride. "Uh, hi guys. Nice day for it, isn't it?"
"You have gained unauthorised entry to a secure facility; identify yourself!" the lead Judoon boomed.
"I don't talk to lackeys," Romana said sharply. "Take me to someone in charge!"
"I do not obey commands from an intruder. You will identify yourself." the leader repeated.
"I've already said all I'm going to say," Romana pronounced and Martha winced - and she thought the Doctor's people skills were bad.
"I'm Jack Harkness" Jack said, with a wide smile. "Torchwood, Earth."
"You are lying," the Judoon said. "Earth is a class 5 planet. It does not have interstellar travel."
"Well, you'd better just lock us up, then," Romana said brightly. "Lead the way!"