A/N: I do not own anything relating to Doctor Who. I only own the ideas of my OC. Thank you for the follows and favorites. It's what keeps me writing. I also love getting reviews. They help me know what you like and what I should change. I'm a bit tired while uploading this so I'm sorry for any mistakes I make. I hope you enjoy. Just a bit of explanation: The reason I have the M rating is because there may be a gradual increase in swearing on Nix's part and eventually there may be 'adult situations', but that will be a bit in the future.
Previously: "Your mood swings are worse than mine." I grumbled, wishing that her good mood had stayed. The station shook violently for a minute. "Was that supposed to happen?" I questioned nervously.
"No. It wasn't." His frown deepened. He got up and moved to the door. I put the cutting of Jabe's grandfather into my bag before Rose and I quickly followed. We made our way back to the observation gallery. "That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What do you think, Jabe? Listened to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?" He asked as we walked over to Jabe.
"It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me." She shrugged and shook her head.
"Where's the engine room?" The Doctor asked.
"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you, your wife, and your blonde friend." She offered.
"I'm not his wife." I said quickly, confused as to why she would think so. She turned to Rose.
"Neither are my wife." The Doctor explained.
"Partners?" She continued.
"No." I shook my head.
"Concubines?"
"Nope."
"Prostitutes?" Rose and I were both getting offended by her line of unnecessary questioning.
"Whatever we are, it must be invisible. Do you mind? Tell you what, you guys go and do whatever. I'm going to catch up with family. Quick word with Michael Jackson." Rose snapped.
"Rose." I went to follow her.
"No. Go, keep him out of trouble. He seems to listen to you pretty well." She joked. I sighed and stayed with the Doctor and Jabe.
"Don't start a fight." The Doctor called after Rose. She continued walking. "Shall we?" He offered his arms to Jabe and I.
"I want you two home by midnight." Rose teased. I rolled my eyes at her.
"Earth Death in fifteen minutes. Earth Death in fifteen minutes." The computer announced. The countdown was sounding more and more like a countdown to danger. It made me uneasy. We walked down a couple hallways and made it to the maintenance duct. We could only walk down the duct in single file. The Doctor led while I took up the rear.
"Who's in charge of Platform One? Is there a Captain or what?" He asked Jabe.
"There's just the Steward and the staff. All the rest is controlled by the metal mind." She explained.
"You mean the computer?" I asked. She turned and nodded at me.
"But who controls that?" The Doctor asked.
"The Corporation. They move Platform One from one artistic even to another." She added.
"But there's no one from the Corporation on board?" He questioned.
"They're not needed. This facility is purely automatic. It's the height of the Alpha class. Nothing can go wrong." Jabe seemed so sure of herself.
"So, it's unsinkable?" I questioned, the knot in my throat growing. Jabe turned to face me.
"If you like. The nautical metaphor is appropriate." She agreed.
"That's the worst thing to ever call something. Ever." I complained.
"You're telling me. I was on board another ship once. They said that was unsinkable. I ended up clinging to an iceberg. It wasn't half cold. So, what you're saying is, if we get in trouble there's no one to help us out?" His voice began to show his worry. If he was nervous, I was beginning to become on edge.
"I'm afraid not." Jabe offered.
"Fantastic." The Doctor frowned.
"I don't understand. In what way is that fantastic?" Jabe was confused.
"He was attempting to be sarcastic." I tried to explain without coming off as rude. She nodded though she didn't seem to quite understand.
"So tell me, Jabe, what's a tree like you doing in a place like this?" He asked as we continued down the duct.
"Respect for the Earth." She explained, though I saw her look away slightly.
"Oh, come on. Everyone on this platform's worth zillions." The Doctor tried.
"Well, perhaps it's a case of having to be seen at the right occasions." She said a little dejectedly.
"In case your share prices drop? I know you lot. You've got massive forests everywhere, roots everywhere, and there's always money in land." He continued.
"Slightly rude." I commented in passing. He sighed slightly and I couldn't help but smirk.
"All the same, we respect the Earth as family. So many species evolved from that planet. Mankind is only one. I'm another. My ancestors were transplanted from the planet down below, and I'm a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest." She explained with a small smile.
"I absolutely love the tropical rainforest. I always wanted to visit." I muttered to myself. Jabe smiled at me warmly.
"Excuse me." The Doctor said as he scanned a door before a keypad. It flashed a message Access denied.
"And what about your ancestry, Doctor? Perhaps you could tell a story or two. Perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there's nothing else left. I scanned you earlier. The metal machine had trouble identifying your species. It refused to admit your existence. And even when it named you, I wouldn't believe it. But it was right. I know where you're from. Forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable that you even exist. I just wanted to say how sorry I am." Jabe said sadly. It thoroughly confused me. She put her hand on his arm. He put his hand over hers. I backed off and gave them a moment. This was obviously hard for him and I wasn't sure that he wanted me to know what was going on. There was a strong urge to let him know I was there for support, but I didn't know how so I faced away. I turned back to them when I heard the door open. We walked inside a large engine room. There was a catwalk from one side to another with three large fans crossing it.
"That's an inconvenient placement of a walk way." I muttered.
"Is it me, or is it a bit nippy?" The Doctor asked, ignoring my comment. "That's a great bit of air conditioning. Sort of nice and old fashioned. Bet they call it retro." He turned and scanned a panel on the wall before pulling off its cover. A metallic spider climbed out and scurried up the wall.
"What the hell is that?" I yelped, backing away from it. I was terrified of spiders. There was no real reason that I could think of. I don't remember any bad experiences with them, but every time I saw a spider, I reacted badly. At least this time I hadn't screamed in fear.
"Is that part of the retro?" Jabe questioned.
"I don't think so. Hold on." The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the thing. It wasn't doing much so a tendril came from Jabe's arm as she lassoed it. She brought it back and held it out to the Doctor. "Hey, nice liana" He beamed.
"Thank you. We're not supposed to show them in public." She replied shyly.
"Don't worry. We won't tell anyone." I smiled at her. She returned the smile.
"Now then, who's been bringing their pets on board?" The Doctor thought out loud.
"What does it do?" Jabe and I both asked.
"Sabotage." He replied simply.
"Earth Death in ten minutes." The loudspeaker announced.
"And the temperature's about to rocket."
"Why is there always a countdown? Seriously." I growled.
"Come on." He called and we hurried back through the maintenance duct. Jabe stayed close by me.
"You say that you are not his wife, but you compliment him quite well. You reprimand him, explain his actions, and even seem to finish his thoughts." She commented as we ran.
"I simply seem to relate to him. He is alone. I was alone before I met Rose, the blond girl that is with us. Her mum raised me like her own for years." I explained sadly, hoping that the Doctor was too distracted to hear me. It embarrassed me admitting that I felt alone. Jabe seemed to understand and simply nodded. We rounded a corner and ended up outside the Steward's office. Smoke was flowing out from behind the door, and there seemed to be a blinding light filling the room. Several of the small assistants had gathered around the door. The Doctor ran up to them.
"Hold on Get back." He started messing with the small panel next to the door.
"Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising." The computer announced.
"Is the Steward in there?!" Jabe was frightened.
"You can smell him." I felt my stomach tighten. "Hold on, there's another sun filter programmed to descend." He explained.
"Rose!" I cried out, taking off down the corridor. I wasn't sure why I thought Rose was in danger, but it just seemed likely. The Doctor followed me and we made our way back to the gallery room we had been in before.
"Sun filter descending." The computer announced.
"Anyone in there?" The Doctor asked.
"Let me out!" Rose cried out. My worst fear was realized at the sound of her voice.
"Oh, well, it would be you." He grumbled and started messing with the door.
"Rude! Rose! Don't worry!" I yelled to her after snapping at the Doctor.
"Open the door!" She yelled.
"Just hold on!" I called back. Once again I reminded myself that I was the big sister. I was supposed to keep her safe. My mind reeled. ~I should have stayed with her. I shouldn't have let her be on her own. She wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't left her alone. She wouldn't be in there if I hadn't gone with the Doctor and told him how to get her to come with.~
"Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising." The computer brought me back from my spiraling thoughts. Then it changed. "Sun filter descending."
"Just what we need." The Doctor muttered as he continued to mess with the panel.
"Stop mucking about!" Rose cried.
"He's not!" I called back.
"It's fighting back. The lock's melted." He yelled. The computer kept switching between rising and descending. "The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there!" He called
"Where am I going to go, Ipswich?" She snapped.
"Earth Death in five minutes." The computer announced.
"Damned computer." I muttered. "Rose, get as low as you can, stay behind cover of some kind. We're going to fix this!" I yelled before the Doctor and I ran back to the Observation gallery and found Jabe.
"The metal machine confirms. The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of Platform One.
"How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall." Lady Cassandra asked, before calling out for her carers to moisturize her. I glared at her. There was something wrong with her attitude.
"Summon the Steward." The Moxx of Balhoon demanded.
"I'm afraid the Steward is dead." Jabe replied sadly.
"Who killed him?" The Moxx asked.
"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe. He invited us. Talk to the Face. Talk to the Face." Lady Cassandra cried out.
"Easy way of finding out. Someone brought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to master." The Doctor said as he took the spider from Jabe and set it on the ground. I ran to Cassandra, scanned her, before running to the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.
"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. J'accuse!" Lady Cassandra yelled. Her constant vocalization was putting me even more on edge.
"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it," The Doctor walked over to the robed beings. The leader reached out and tried to hit him. He simply pulled off its arm just as he had with the mannequin when we first met. "A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are, an idea." He messed with a wire and the robed beings collapsed instantly. "Remote controlled Droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo. Go home." He nudged the spider with his foot and it returned to Lady Cassandra. She looked livid, if a flap of skin with eyes and a mouth could look livid.
"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed. At arms!" She called out and the two men with her lifted their spray nozzles toward us. Something in me finally snapped. It was almost as if any emotions other than anger had been shut off.
"What are you going to do, moisturize us to death?" I narrowed my eyes at her. Her eyes widened a little bit before she smiled.
"Feisty. But they have acid. You're too late anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just a pretty face." She taunted.
"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid's that?" The Doctor asked from beside me.
"I had hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous." She gloated.
"Five billion years and it still comes down to money." He spat. It seemed to annoy him just as much if not more than me.
"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human, Doctor. Me. Not that freaky little kid of yours and not this dark little thing by your side." I started making my way toward her but the Doctor grabbed my arm to stop me. I refused to look at him.
"Arrest her, the infidel!" The Moxx cried out.
"Oh, shut it pixie. I've still got my final option." She leered.
"Earth Death in three minutes." The computer announced.
"And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn." She laughed darkly.
"Then you'll burn with us." Jabe added.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders, activate." She giggled as the sound of explosions echoed around the Platform. "Force field's gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me."
"Safety systems failing." The computer announced.
"Bye, bye, darlings. Bye, bye, my darlings." She smirked as she and her two attendants disappeared, teleporting off presumably to somewhere safe.
"Heat levels rising." The computer added.
"Reset the computer." The Moxx yelled.
"Only the Steward would know how." Jabe explained sadly.
"No. We can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch. Jabe, Phoenix, come on. You lot, just chill." The Doctor spoke quickly. We ran back through the maintenance duct and into the engine room as the computer kept announcing the increasing and then critical heat levels. We looked around the room. "Oh. And guess where the switch is." I looked where the Doctor was looking. It was all the way across the catwalk, past the spinning fan blades. He turned and pulled a lever which slowed the fans a little, but as soon as he let go of it they returned to their normal speed. I crouched down and observed the distance between the catwalk and the blades. There was a surprising amount of space. Enough for me to fit under. I got back up as Jabe pulled the lever down and held it.
"You can't. The heat's going to vent through this place." The Doctor warned her.
"I know." She replied simply.
"Jabe, you're made of wood." I tried.
"Then stop wasting time, Time Lord, Phoenix" She tried. I quickly took off my bag and grabbed a water bottle out of it before tossing the bag to the floor. I turned to the Doctor, my mind made up.
"Keep her hydrated." I said sternly. His eyes grew wide.
"Don't you dare." He cried. I ignored him and ran at the blade, sliding underneath it. "Phoenix!" He yelled, trying to follow.
"Stay with her and keep her safe you idiot! I can do this." I snapped before repeating the process of running and sliding under the next blade. Their grip was loosening from the heat. The blades spun faster.
"Why are you doing this?" He demanded.
"Because people will die. We all will. If I can't do this, you're the back up plan." I yelled back.
"You remind me of someone I used to know." He said sadly.
"Were you afraid of her wrath?" I asked as I took off my shoes and socks, knowing I needed more traction. I tried to ignore the computerized countdown that was being broadcast, counting down the seconds.
"At times, yes." He admitted.
"Good. You should be terrified of mine. Now keep Jabe safe!" I yelled as I took another running start and dove under the last blade. I quickly got up and ran to the switch and quickly threw it.
"One. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair." The computer announced. I let out a breath I had been holding in. I looked over to Jabe and the Doctor. He was dumping the last of the water over her.
"Are you two alright?" I asked, nervous. The blades started slowing down, allowing me to start walking back.
"Yeah. We're alright." He replied after talking to Jabe for a moment. His voice echoed frustration. I grabbed my shoes as I continued back to them. I looked them over to make sure that they truly were alright before sitting down to put my shoes back on. I could feel them looking at me.
"Glare all you want. It worked. That's all that matters." I finished putting my shoes on and stood up.
"Why would you risk your life?" He demanded, there was more than just anger in his voice but I couldn't place it.
"Doctor, everyone on this platform was in danger. If I had stayed with Jabe, I would have been too preoccupied with watching you to help her. I don't really have something to go back to. Don't say Rose and Jackie. They survived without me before, they could do it again. I don't even know who I really am. I can't remember anything of my parents but it must have been bad for me to run away and block out any memory of them. I am dispensable, you are not." I said firmly, picking up my bag. "Now, let's go find Rose and deal with the bitch Cassandra." I said, walking back toward the observation gallery. The Doctor and Jabe followed me without saying anything. Jabe stopped me before we entered the gallery. The Doctor continued on.
"He was truly upset." She told me gently, not critically like I had expected.
"I know." The guilt suddenly hit me. "I'll apologize to him later once we have both calmed down." I added.
"He told me it was his fault you were there, that you wouldn't be putting yourself in danger because of him. He wasn't as angry as you think. He felt more guilt and worry than anything." She added. I didn't know what to say. She pulled out her device and took a picture of me before walking into the observation gallery. I followed and walked over to Rose who engulfed me in a hug.
"Are you alright?" I looked her over, checking for any injury.
"Fine. Warm, but fine." We walked over to the Doctor. "You alright?" She asked him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby." He smashed open the ostrich egg. There was a small device hidden within it. "Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed." He messed with the device.
"Oh, you should have seen their little alien faces." Cassandra laughed before beaming back onto the platform. When she realized where she was, she stopped laughing. "Oh."
"The last human." The Doctor snapped at her.
"So, you passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join, er, the Human Club." She tried, hoping her lie would work.
"People have died, Cassandra." The Doctor said darkly.
"You murdered them." I growled at her, my emotions had seemingly turned off again.
"It depends on your definition of people, and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile and cry and flutter-" She started.
"And creak?" The Doctor asked.
"And what?" She asked nervously.
"Creak. You're creaking." I elaborated.
"What? Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturise me, moisturise me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" She cried.
"You raised the temperature." The Doctor explained.
"Have pity! Moisturise me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I'm sorry. I'll do anything." She begged.
"Help her." Rose asked the Doctor.
"No, don't." I countered. Keeping my eyes on Cassandra.
"Why not?" Rose demanded, sounding appalled by my decision.
"She almost killed us all. She did kill a few. All of this destruction in hopes of money." I sneered.
"Everything has its time and everything dies." The Doctor tried to soften Rose's anger.
"I'm too young!" Cassandra cried before she dried out completely and exploded. Bits of skin went everywhere. I sighed, realizing how strange I had acted. I didn't want to face Rose or the Doctor so I walked over to Jabe and her two associates.
"Jabe?" I asked gently.
"Yes Phoenix?" She gave me a comforting look.
"You took a picture of me before coming in here. Were you trying to look me up on your device like you had with the Doctor?" I asked quietly, almost afraid of her response.
"Yes. You said you did not know who you really were, so I was hoping to help." She explained.
"Did you find anything?" My throat went dry as I asked this.
"I'm sorry, but no. The metal machine stopped working as soon as I tried to analyze you. The heat must have damaged it." She explained with a sad look upon her face. Part of me relaxed.
"That's alright. Thank you for trying." I smiled.
"You're welcome. Thank you for keeping me safe." She countered.
"That was the Doctor. But I can tell him you thank him."
"It was you who told him what to do. So, thank you Phoenix. Be safe in your travels." She put a hand on my shoulder.
"You too." I put my hand on her opposite shoulder. She smiled and let go before walking away. I turned around and found Rose and the Doctor standing at the large window.
"Shuttles four and six departing. This unit now closing down for maintenance." The computer announced as I walked over to the duo.
"The end of the Earth. It's gone. We were too busy saving ourselves. No one saw it go. All those years, all that history, and no one was even looking. It's just-" Rose started, she couldn't complete her thought.
"Sad." I added.
"Come with me." The Doctor offered his hands to me and Rose. We took them and walked to where the Tardis was. We went inside. I sat on the ground and waited for the Doctor to fly us to wherever our next destination was. I looked in my bag and noticed that the cutting of Jabe's grandfather was in there somehow safe, albeit a little dehydrated. When the shaking stopped, I stood up. The Doctor led us outside. We were back in Cardiff in our normal time. People continued on with their lives around us.
"You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky. My planet's gone. It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust, before its time." He explained sadly.
"What happened?" I asked as gently as I could.
"There was a war, and we lost." My heart broke for him.
"A war with who? What about your people?" Rose questioned.
"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left traveling on my own 'cos there's no one else." I frowned in sadness.
"There's me." Rose offered.
"And me." I added.
"You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" He asked us, sounding worried. I shook my head no.
"I don't know. I want. . . Oh, can you smell chips?" Rose asked with a smile, sniffing the air.
"Yeah." He agreed.
"I want chips." She beamed.
"Me too." He smiled. They turned to me.
"Nah. I'm good. You two go. I just want to sit and people watch for a bit." I offered with a soft smile.
"Are you sure?" The Doctor asked.
"Yeah. Oh and is there somewhere I could plant the cutting of Jabe's grandfather? Does the Tardis have a garden or something?" I questioned, hoping my tone came off as happy rather than the distracted that I felt.
"Yeah. If you go in and ask, she'll show you the way." He explained. I smiled.
"Right then, before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay." Rose joked, thankfully not really noticing my distance.
"No money." He laughed.
"What sort of date are you? Go on then, chips are on me." I offered some money to Rose.
"You sure you don't want to come?" She asked.
"Yeah. I'm good. Go have fun." I urged.
"Want me to bring you back anything?" She offered.
"I'm fine. Thanks." I smiled.
"Okay. We've only got five billion years till the shops close." She joked and they started walking away. The Doctor glanced back at me once. I smiled and waved them on. Once they were out of sight, I quickly walked into the Tardis.