The next thing John sensed was something kicking him in his left shin.
"John…John!"
"I..w..what?" As he opened his eyes that it was Sherlock's foot which caused the pain.
"Wake up, John!"
"I am! What the-" Just then he properly observed his surroundings and had to find that he and his friend were sitting shoulder to shoulder at the wall. Their hands were tightly bound to one of the thick pipes running along the wall. Definitely too strong for them to rip out. Then he noticed that odd device of the Doctor's lying merely a few feet away on the ground.
Sherlock, who'd noticed his gaze, asked: " Can you reach it?"
Although John almost dislocated his leg, he managed to touch the screwdriver with the tip of his shoe, and rolled it over towards them and the wall. Under groaning and grunting Sherlock was able to stretch his fingers far enough that he could grab the screwdriver, and after a moment of fumbling,
a buzzing resonated and John noticed that he could move his limbs again. Having cast off the poignant wire, he helped Sherlock.
"Right, just what do we do now?" he asked apprehensively. "I mean, somehow we gotta free the Doctor and Rose, haven't we?"
Sherlock lifted the sonic screwdriver. "Isn't it obvious?" John raised his eyebrows which educed a sigh from Sherlock.
"Well, since I've got the superior mind I'm going to distract those….creatures while you try and find the others."
"And how are you gonna do that?"
"Give me a moment." Sherlock, who had started pacing, stopped and closed his eyes while his fingertips rested at his temples. John devoutly hoped these 'Zygons' wouldn't come back too soon.
"Got it!" Sherlock exclaimed only a few seconds later.
"Good, so?" He shot a worried glance over to the doors when a thought preyed on his mind. Very quickly he whispered, "Sherlock, what if there are cameras around?"
"Oh, I don't think so, John. They'd be here by now - and anyway this is the only choice we have got. So, the Doctor found out that they are few in number which means we can take advantage of that."
"Hm? Oh, you mean…"
"When I distract some of the creatures and above all the one who appears to be the leader, you can sneak out and find the room where the Doctor and his friend are being kept. You're the brave one." The corner of Sherlock's mouth twitched.
"Ok, but how exactly will your distraction work?"
In response to that the detective pointed over to the big screen.
"Let's just hope then they are still alive…" John squared his shoulders and reached into the pocket on the inside of his jacket. "Damn! They've taken my gun!" Subsequently Sherlock passed John a small stick. The sonic screwdriver.
"And this will be of use -how?" John had not a clue how it worked. But having something to hold was better by any means than having to start this mission with nothing but his clothes.
"To liberate the prisoners obviously. Now go! We've wasted enough time."
At the door John turned around to his friend one last time. "Will you be all right?"
"I am-I will be fine, John, go!"
As John pressed the small grey button next to the double doors they smoothly slid open. He took a deep breath and then, with a careful glance into both directions, he hurried down the corridor on his right, clutching the screwdriver with his left.
As soon as the doors were closed again Sherlock's gaze drooped. He was inwardly so worried about John but they had to finish this. Also, John knows how to handle dangerous situations- he'd proved that often enough. Now it was his turn to try and ensure his friends safety as good as possible.
Sherlock drew himself up to his full height. "Zygons!" he bellowed with his deep voice, rotating around his own axis…
The corridor was narrow and bald and, to his delight, Zygon-free. Now and then rooms diverted- well, at least he assumed so since some of them didn't have doors which would've separated them from the corridor but simply several feet wide gaps, yet sometimes there were doors. Metal, dull panels which could probably be opened by the touch of buttons like those in the great room he'd just left. But the glimpses he could catch of them as he hurried as mutely as possible along told him that they were much smaller.
He reached the end of the incredibly long seeming hallway and found himself faced with yet another decision: Left or right?
He leaned onto the wall next to him and exhaled slowly. There was no point in running through corridor for corridor- he had to think. Rose and the Doctor could be God knows where! He had nothing to go on. Hopelessly he glanced down the sonic screwdriver in his sweaty hands- if he didn't do something very, very quickly it'd mean the end of them. He was likely too late already. Strictly speaking they could have been brought into one of these chambers with doors he'd seen on his way…he hesitated. The expression 'chamber' rang a bell- what did the Zygon say? 'Bring them to chamber 21'
In his misery he startled and frantically looked around for the next door or passageway. He was so thick! Why hadn't he remembered that earlier?
There was a doorless room to his left and so John searched the wall around the passage- even the walls inside the chamber, which was surprisingly empty apart from a small console covered with buttons.
Nothing. No sign, no scratched number anywhere on the bleak, cold walls.
Suddenly, just as he wanted to step outside again, he heard hissed, muffled voices quickly getting closer. John did the only thing possible.
The Zygons marched down the corridor he had just meant to reenter and John pressed himself against the nearest wall, praying they would not come into this chamber. It didn't sound like a big group, though, maybe 5 or 6. The steps faded away and he briefly closed his eyes in relief. Anyway, he couldn't remain here.
Having decided to carry on his hopeless search for chamber 21 he put a foot into the corridor only to pull it back as quick as a lightning when two laggards came round the corner. He had not heard them coming at all.
The pair of them stopped right in front of John's room- he nearly cursed loudly but could just restrain himself
They exchanged a few words and although John didn't know let alone speak their language he seemed to understand at least the essential bits. One Zygon, the slighter taller one, was of the opinion that someone should stay in the control room but the second one, who was in an almost amusing way swinging his hands through the air whilst talking (well, John would've found it amusing if the situation hadn't been that serious), thought it was totally unnecessary for all prisoners were taken care of. "And besides," he added," both of us are needed in 21- won't take long."(At least that was John's perception about what was said)
So did that mean they were still alive?
Apparently the Zygons had agreed on going to the Doctor and Rose's execution chamber. John thought very quickly. One opportunity was to follow them to complete what he set out for. Then again the risk of being caught was too grave and how should he help them to escape when the Zygons already were present? Or he could try and find this control room the creatures had mentioned. He once more recalled the Doctor's talk regarding some higher force. Back then he'd thought that guy was completely bananas but after all that's happened…
He came to a decision within a second. Carefully he protruded his head, saw the Zygons were already a good way down the corridor and then rushed around a corner. There, too, were no signs that could lead him into the right direction. The only thing that made sense was following the hallway and hoping he'd find it soon. So he carried on, always fearing he'd come across more of the aliens.
To surprise and joy it did not take very long till the doorless corridor bent and John suddenly found himself in front of another huge metal door without a handle or a lock or anything the like. Since he wasn't keen on wasting time with searching for a button or opening mechanism he tried the sonic screwdriver – and it worked! The door slid aside and John - shivering because an icy cold draught confronted him - entered.
The door shut behind him and he looked around. He beheld a large squared room like the one with the screen and along the walls he saw consoles, about waist-high, grey and a little sordid, yet with clean and triangular buttons (in different colours) and screens. The latter were dark and obviously turned off. But John could see little red and white lights blinking between the buttons.
But what actually attracted John's attention, though, was situated right in the centre: a great, big – well, tank, John would describe it. It reached from the ground to the ceiling and was filled with black smoke. And John saw something black but solid moving inside the tank, hidden by the smoke – perhaps limbs of a body. Then, out of a sudden, two dark green dots flashed, which were most likely a pair of eyes. John swallowed. There was a creature inside the tank and it was very much alive – or was the smoke part of the creature?
All out of a sudden an odd feeling overcame him. What was he doing here? Why should he try and release the prisoners? Wasn't it all fine the way it was?
He shuddered – his thoughts cleared again. An image of the Doctor mentioning this higher force controlling the Zygons flared in front of his inner eye again. Perhaps that was it. At any rate it couldn't be anything good. John exhaled slowly, trying to keep calm and a small cloud of his breath formed in a freezing air. Carefully, and always having an eye on the creature, he surrounded the big tank and had a closer look at the desks and their buttons. As John examined the bottom of the tank he discovered a circular opening like the end of a quite thick hose-like pipe leapt into his eye. The pipe led into the floor. Maybe it was connected to one of those consoles underground? One of the buttons? Although he had no idea really how the Doctor's sonic device worked, it had helped him before, so who knows…perhaps this time he was lucky, too… He pressed the button on this screwdriver and pointed it at the tank. Was it a different sound from the one he'd heard before? He oriented it away towards the wall. Indeed, the buzzing was a tad lower with the first time. He pointed it back and managed to find the direction the pipe led – and that was – like he'd anticipated – one specific console just opposite the container. After experimenting a bit he found two big buttons that educed from the screwdriver the exact same sound as the tank. 'That must mean… '
John's heart did quite a few more beats in one second than averagely and the thuds seemed to echo inside the room while his thoughts kept continuously wandering off to his race against time. He wondered if there was any chance, whatsoever, a chance in a million, that pressing these buttons could do good. He obviously didn't want to destroy anything if it wasn't necessary or make things even worse. Maybe it would have no effect at all, maybe something else had to be switched on first… And which one should he press? He had to do something.
The door slid open, John spun around, he had heard nothing. A Zygon stood on the threshold, clutching his fists and froze at John's sight. And the man knew that the reason why the Zygon wasn't attacking him, yet, was his mere surprise.
Then it jumped forward, it flew at him and John had no way of defending himself and thus he closed his eyes, slamming with the palm of his hand on the left button. The Zygon emitted an excruciating, hoarse scream. John opened one eye to see in horror just in time how it collapsed with hands pressed to its forehead. The next thing he saw out of the corner of his eye was a swift movement. The smoke that filled the tank had started to stir. John could see those black limbs once more. There was nothing to be heard, but in the back of his mind he perceived a faint echo of an elongated cry. 'The creature must be in total agony`, he thought, appalled, just as there was some kind of mute explosion inside the tank and the thing – whatever it was – vanished including the smoke which slowly vaporized, leaving no traces. John stood rooted to the spot and stared at the now empty container.
'What have I done?' he thought, terrified.
Suddenly the Zygon behind the screen gritted his teeth and it seemed he was having difficulties to breath normally. Then he collapsed in a heap. Sherlock himself had frozen, rooted to the spot, puzzled. What on earth had that supposed to mean? Was it of John's making?
After about a minute he could make his feet move again.
Reluctantly he peered down the corridor outside. Nothing. Absolute silence. Just when he had started down to his right, John and Rose, led by the Doctor, ran around the nearby corner, nearly bumping into him. "Doctor?" he asked incredulously, squinting.
"Yeah, it's me, but hurry now! Follow me!" The four of them hurried back into the great chamber with the screen – still no Zygon inside – and gathered in a corner.
"John, what did you – ", the detective began.
"Later", the Doctor snapped through clenched teeth. He was already 'sonicking' a small metal plate in his left hand that must belong to the small silvery box attached to the wall. The Doctor stretched the hand out:" Put your hand on mine, now!" he demanded and it sounded hasty and rushed like he was running out of time.
"But", John inquired, "what about Mrs. Hudson and the other prisoners?"
"I'll deal with them in a moment, come on!" They did as they were told – even Sherlock. The Doctor put his other hand on the smooth surface of the box- the mechanical device-
Cool, fresh and a bit salty air tickled in their noses and the breeze ruffled through their hair. Blinking they stood on the beach were they have first met a few hours ago. But now it was covered in the orange light of a sunrise. Rose looked around and furrowed her brows: There were only three people on the beach – the Doctor had vanished - and so had the TARDIS.
"Great", John remarked, "now he is off and left us without another word."
"Use your mind, John", Sherlock admonished him, "he said, he would free the prisoners and occupy himself with the 'Zygons'"- he still had obvious problems accepting the supernatural- " later; I'm certain he meant now. As long as they are still unconscious."
"That's true. He'd never leave me here, anyway." Rose waved her hand towards a bench. "Shall we wait over there?"
"So, John", she asked and smiled at him when they had sat down. "As I understand it, it was mainly your doing that got us out."
Sherlock looked as if he wanted to protest but she went on:" What did you do and- how did you find us?" John inflated his cheeks, then exhaled slowly.
"You know, I can't really tell, but – Oh god, I first need to start breathing again. These past few hours were…" He raised his gaze up to the brightening sky and shook his head "…bit of a shock really."
"Sure."
Not long and the now so familiar sound to Rose resounded as the big blue box materialized on the beach again. She jumped up immediately, delighted and – quite frankly – also kinda relieved. As she ran down the beach (Sherlock and John followed slower) the brown coat of the Doctor appeared in the TARDIS doors and he walked grinning from ear to ear towards his companion. They fell into a long hug.
As Sherlock cleared his throat, they broke apart. "So everything's fine?" he asked, "everyone's saved?"
"Safe and sound. Everyone where they should be."
"But they won't remember all this, will they?"
"Well, no, everyone who was up there on the ship for too long got affected by the thing that had the Zygons under control and it made them forget everything. It's like these past days or weeks never happened"
John remembered the odd feeling that had creeped up on him when he'd entered the room with the creature.
"Does that mean, the Zygons, too, lost their memory?"
The Doctor sucked in his breath. "Erm, no, you see, it obviously works differently on human' and Zygons brains." He chuckled. "When I was up there the Zygons began to come round again, but they were so confused and woozy they hardly noticed me at all. So I set their coordinates for the other side of the galaxy and off they were before they could get any idea of what was happening." He beamed at John. "So what exactly did you do before you found us?"
John sighed resigned. "All right, then" And so he told his three partners about the creature he'd found and how he'd pressed the button and how it simply vanished. "But really, Doctor, what was it?"
"I dunno", the Doctor said slowly, "sometimes there are things you never know – and I hate it."
"But they might come back", Rose objected, "or, well, is it likely there's more than the one of these-", she gestured wildly, trying to find the right word,"- things in the tank?"
"Yeah, but it's highly unlikely they'll cause any more trouble here on earth – and if they do – hang on.
He rummaged around in his coat pockets briefly and then produced a small scrap of paper and a pen. "That's my number. I hope I will hear your call 'cause, as you might have noticed, I'm always on the run."
He winked and handed the piece of paper with the scribbled number over to Sherlock. He put it without further notice into one of his coat pockets.
"Thank you", John said to the Doctor and Rose, "it seems this time even my friend would not have been able to solve this one."
Rose and the Doctor shook his outstretched hand consecutively. "Oh, no worries!" the Doctor exclaimed happily.
Sherlock squinted his eyes, yet he held his tongue since there was no point in denying the –unfortunately- inevitable truth. "So", he said, instead, "it's goodbye then, I take it."
"Don't you want to come with us – have breakfast?",John asked.
"Oh, we're fine", Rose said kindly, having noticed Sherlock's raised brows and not so pleased facial expression.
"Yeah, we'll be off any moment", the Doctor added. "It's fine, we'll probably visit the planet ofSunnemon eating corn-ciese- toast with these lovely yellow fruits on the rocks beneath the purple sky. You know", he turned to Rose, " at sunrise you can see both suns and both moons at the same time but of course in complete different cardinal directions." She smiled at the mere thought of it.
So they waved goodbye and John and Sherlock were already halfway off the beach when the Doctor called them back.
"Oi, you lot!" They turned around. "Just do one thing, don't tell your Mrs. Hudson anything about the events of last night."
"We certainly won't", Sherlock responded.
Rose chuckled and smiled.
"What?"
She looked at him. "Been ages since the last time."
"Since what?"
"Since you talked like her."
The Doctor's eyes were suddenly filled with that longing and sadness when he remembers all that he's lost. It hadn't been him precisely, obviously, who'd erased Donna's memory and left her- but he knew nevertheless. Either because of his connection to the 'other Doctor' or the bond that linked him with her. He'd felt it - the same pain and grief his other self was suffering, and the same feeling of despair and shock Donna had overcome when she forgot him. He knew about her rueful fate.
His face had darkened, like a shadow the memory had fallen over his features.
Rose stared at him. She hadn't thought. "God, I'm so sorry, I-"
"It's ok." Whilst he turned around to unlock the TARDIS door, he raised his hand for a faltering salute and then, after Rose, stepped inside his time machine.
Sherlock started walking towards the street to call a cab but John remained on the beach and watched the TARDIS take off with its wheezing sound until the gulls' cries, the rushing of the sea and the distant noise of early-morning traffic dominated again.