A/N: Two updates today! Reason being cos there won't be one tomorrow. Also I'm linking all the new chapters here to my tumblr so they're both on the same posting pace! Finishing up this episode! Only 3 more chapters!
Rose and Riley were running down Area 17, having cleared the other doors with no delay. Rose's arms were sore from carrying the clamp and sweat was dripping down her forehead. The corridors seemed to be getting hotter as they went in the direction of the auxiliary engines.
"Doctor," Rose called. "We're through to Area 17."
"Keep going!" the Doctor's voice said. "You've got to get to Area 1 and reboot those engines."
"Heat shields failing," the computer told them. "At twenty percent."
"Come on!" Riley hit the portable computer. "Everything on this is so cheap!"
Rose went over to stand beside him. A loud bang sounded behind them in Area 18. Rose whipped her head around to peer through the steam.
"Whose there?" Riley called out. There was no answer. Riley slowly moved toward the door and soon a figure appeared through the smoke. It was a man, tall and thin, wearing a large helmet with a Polaroid filter over his face.
"Is that Korwin?" Rose whispered.
"No, wait a minute," Riley said squinting through the steam. The figure stepped through the door slowly and faced them.
"Oh, Ashton," Riley sighed. "What are you doing?"
"Burn-with-me," Ashton's voice sounded distorted.
"Well if you wanna help—"
"Burn-with-me," Ashton repeated. "BURN-WITH-ME."
Ashton raised a glove hand to his helmet, preparing to lift the visor.
"Move!" Rose yelled realizing what had happened to Ashton. Looking around quickly, she pressed a button on a wall opening a side door.
"Come on!" She and Riley ran into the room, desperate to get away from the infected man. Rose went over to the other keypad in the room and closed the door. Riley sighed in relief thinking the danger was over.
Footsteps thudded in the hall and soon Ashton's shielded face appeared in the door window. Raising a fist, he began banging on the door. Riley started pressing buttons on the keypad and an escape pod opened beside them. The two clambered in and Riley slammed the door, both of them wanting to get the most distance as possible from Ashton. Rose saw Ashton's head turn, and a glass wall slid across the entrance to the escape pod.
"What is happening on this ship?" Riley said.
"Never mind that," Rose's breath quickened. "Where are we?"
"Airlock sealed," the computer voice said. "Jettison escape pod."
"That doesn't mean us?" Rose looked at Riley who had begun plugging in override controls on the pods keyboard.
"Doctor!" she screamed pounding on the glass. Riley moved over a bit to allow Rose to use the intercom.
"Doctor!" she called through. "We're stuck in an escape pod off the Area 17 airlock! One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've got to help us!"
Rose backed away, breathing heavily and stared out the escape pod door.
"Tell me you can stop it," she said to the man beside her. Riley said nothing but entered in the codes faster.
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"Why is this happening?" McDonnell said after hearing Rose and Riley's distress call.
"Stay here!" the Doctor shouted. "I mean it this time! Jump start those engines!"
The Doctor jumped over the door portal for Area 30 and ran down the corridors at top speed. Scannell watched him race to his friend's aid as McDonnell looked around the room.
"It's picking us off," McDonnell whispered as her gaze fell upon the charred shape of Erina against the wall. "One by one."
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"Jettison held," the computer stated and Riley sighed in relief. The escape pod stopped shaking and he rested his head against his arm.
"Thank you," he sighed. Rose eyes widened as she saw Ashton type more sequences into the keyboard outside.
"Jettison reactivated," the computer said. Rose let out a scream and looked desperately at Riley. Her heart was pounding in her chest.
"Come on," Riley muttered. Both he and Ashton were engaged in a battle of the keyboards. Farther down the corridors, the Doctor was running as fast as he could to reach Rose. His only thought was ensuring her safety.
"Tsilpinski sequence," Riley said to himself. "This'll get him."
"Jettison held. Escape pod stabilized."
Riley regained his breath and turned to Rose with a smile. Rose grinned back and patted him on the shoulder.
"You're pretty good," she said. Riley gave a nod and let out a relieved sigh as Rose leaned back and rested her head against the pod's wall. She watched as Riley began typing in more codes to ensure the pod held. From across the room, Ashton was furiously trying to break through the sequence.
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The Doctor tore down the halls, desperate to reach Rose and Riley. Sparks and steam flew up around him as the ship hurtled closer to the sun.
"That's enough!" the Doctor yelled, jumping through the wall of steam blocking the entrance to Area 17. He stood there catching he breath as the used-to-be Ashton slowly turned his covered head to him.
"What do you want?" the Doctor growled. "Why this ship? Tell me!"
With a roar, Ashton smashed his fist into the keyboard. Sparks flew from the computer and a light flickered on the screen.
"Jettison activated," the computer's voice blared through the escape pod. Riley stopped punching in codes at stared in disbelief.
"He's crushed the circuit," he mumbled. "I cannot stop it. I can't stop it!"
Rose turned and looked out window and saw Ashton turn away from the door's porthole.
"Come on," the Doctor said back in Area 17. "Let's see you."
Ashton walked up and stood face to face with the Doctor. The Time Lord stared at the visor of the helmet, trying to figure out what had happened to this man and Korwin.
"I want to know what you really are," the Doctor murmured narrowing his eyes. Ashton lifted his hand up to the Polaroid filter. Just before he raised visor, Ashton doubled over in pain with an agonizing scream. It was if the thing inside him had left momentarily. The Doctor stared at him intently as he coughed and shook. And then it was all over. Standing erect, Ashton shouldered past the Doctor and down the corridor into the belly of the ship.
"Airlock sealed," the computer called out. The Doctor watched Ashton go then jumped over to the intercom.
"McDonnell!" he said into the speaker. "Ashton's heading in your direction. He's been infected just like Korwin."
"Korwin's dead, Doctor," Scannell's voice came through.
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Rose banged on the glass of the escape pod. Riley was trying frantically to stop the computer, putting in every cheat code he knew into the keypad.
"Everything's locked!" Rose looked over to him fearfully.
"Airlock decompression completed," the computer beeped out. "Jettisoning pod."
The Doctor raised his head from the intercom. Eyes widening, he ran over and looked out the door's porthole. Rose's face lit up when she saw him come into view and she began tapping on the glass.
"Doctor!" she called out breathlessly. The Doctor pressed his hands against the door and looked to her painfully.
"I'll save you!" he shouted, feeling his hearts thud in his chest. Rose's smile slowly faded from her facade and her hands shook against the glass.
"Rose," Riley murmured behind her. "It's too late."
"Doctor!" Rose called out desperately as the pod shook. The Doctor's face was mixed with determination and fear. Rose saw him mouth something to her over and over, like a promise.
"I'll save you!" the Doctor's voice strained as Rose shook her head from across the room. Pain welled up inside his chest as the escape pod slowly ejected from the ship's side.
"I can't hear you!" Rose cried. The Doctor mouthed the words to her once more pressing a hand against the glass. Rose felt tears welling up in her eyes and her hands slid down from the window. She didn't take her eyes off the Doctor as he continued to say his silent promise. The pod floated off in space, slowly descending toward the raging sun.
"I'm sorry," Rose whispered as a tear snaked down her cheek.
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"Impact in seventeen o' five," the computer relayed above him. The Doctor felt his hearts give way as Rose disappeared from his sight into the glare of the sun. Blood pounding in his ears, he slammed his fist against door with a broken scream. Furiously, he ran over to the intercom.
"Scannell!" he shouted into it. "I need a spacesuit in Area 17! Now!"
"What for?" Scannell called out.
"Just get down here!" the Doctor bellowed into the intercom. Turning away, he gazed out the window once more to the small shape of the escape pod flying further away from the ship, and sending Rose further away from him.
"Hold on, Rose," he whispered. "I'll save you."