New Earth Part 2

The Doctor and Rose continued down huge flights of stairs, leading them to a cavernous room, each wall containing rows and rows and luminous green doors, railings to stop people from falling into the pitch black pit. Walking up to one of the doors, the Doctor Soniced the door open, a green gas oozing out. A man sat in a chair, covered in boils and surrounded by the gas, was looking at his intruders.

"That's disgusting," Rose muttered, sounding as if she was about to gag.

The Doctor nodded, but not in agreement with Rose's comment, to his own conclusion. I'm going to have a little word with those cats… he thought as he kept his anger down.

"I'm so sorry," the Doctor said quietly to the man, slowly closing the door and locking it. He walked to the next door, doing the same, only this time it was a woman. "What disease is that?" Rose asked in a disgusted tone.

"All of them," the Doctor replied gravely. "Every single disease in the Galaxy, they've been infected with them."

"What about us?" Rose asked, panicking. "Aren't we safe?"

"The air's sterile, just don't touch them," the Doctor said, closing the door. He looked back to the rest of the room, taking in how many green doors there were, his hatred for hospitals rising every second. "How many patients are there?" Rose asked.

"They're not patients," the Doctor spat.

"But they're sick," Rose protested.

"They were born sick," the Doctor, the anger showing in his voice. "They were meant to be sick, their entire existence is to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have a cure for everything, they've got the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm."

"But why don't they just die?"

"Plague carriers," The Doctor replied. "They last to go."

"It's for a greater cause," defended a small voice. They looked towards the end of the railing to see one of the Nurses walking toward them.

"Novice Hame," the Doctor hissed. "When you took your vows, did you agree to this?"

"The Sisterhood has sword to help," Hame replied gently.

"What, by killing?" the Doctor exclaimed.

"But they're not real people," Hame protested. "They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."

"What's the turnover?" the Doctor asked. "A thousand a day? Thousand the next? How many thousands? How many years? How many?!" he shouted.

"Man kind needed us," Hame explained. "They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try, we tried everything. We tried using clone-meat, and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow. So the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. And that's all they are. Flesh."

The Doctor shook his head violently. "These people are alive."

"But think of those humans out there," Hame replied, pointing to the sky. "Healthy and happy people, because of us."

"If they live because of this, then life is worthless," the Doctor spat.

"But who are you to decide that?"

"I'm the Doctor," he replied, walking closer. "And if you don't like it, you want to take it to a higher authority, there isn't one. It stops with me," Hame for a moment looked terrified as the Doctor towered over her.

"Just to confirm," Rose started, smirking slightly. "None of the humans in the city actually know about this?"

"Hold on," The Doctor butted in. "I can understand the bodies, and I can understand your vows. But one thing I can't understand is what have you done Rose?"

"I don't know what you mean," Hame replied.

"I am being very, very calm," the Doctor said darkly. "You wonna beware of that, very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being very, very calm is because the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed," the Doctor ended, steam practically running off him.

"I'm perfectly fine," Rose assured in vain.

The Doctor shook his head. "These people are dying, and Rose would care."

Rose gave a sigh of disappointment. "Oh, alright, clever clogs," The Doctor turned around to face her, hoping to intimidate her, only to have her pull his tie out of his suit flirtatiously. "Smarty pants…" she added huskily, a playful smile spread on her face. "Lady Killer."
"What's happened to you?" the Doctor replied as she pushed his tie up higher.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out," she explained, still playing with his tie.

"Who are you?" the Doctor demanded.

Rose's smile broadened. She pulled his tie so he leaned down slightly, herself going on tiptoes so she could whisper in his ear, "The last human."

Wait… The Doctor thought. No! No, no, no, no, no, no…

"Cassandra?" the Doctor asked, backing away as if he'd been burnt. Cassandra from Platform One?

His thoughts instantly went to when she'd kissed him, making him feel sick at the memory. "Oh, wake up and smell the perfume," Cassandra hissed, taking a tube of perfume from between her… exposed area, and squirting some in his face, the Doctor becoming unconscious immediately.


The Doctor woke up in a green room, instantly knowing where he was. Cassandra… he thought.

"Let me out!" he called. A few moments later, Cassandra came into view. "Aren't you lucky there was a spare?" she sung. "Standing room only."

"You've stolen Rose's body!" he yelled at her.

She huffed at his as if to say 'Thank you, Captain obvious'. "Over all the years, I have thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor," Cassandra claimed, pressing Rose's hands up against the glass. "And now, that's exactly what I've got; one thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top up every ten minutes, so you've got-" she checked her watch. "Three minutes. Enjoy."

"Just let Rose go, Cassandra," the Doctor begged.

"I will!" she promised. "As soon as I find someone younger and… less common, then I'll junk her with the waste. Now hushaby! It's show time," she began moving away, but was stopped when two Nurses walked towards her. "Anything we can do to help?"

Cassandra smiled. "Straight to the point, Whiskers. I want money."

Why does it always come down to money with her? The Doctor wondered.

"The Sisterhood is a charity, we don't give money. We only accept."

"The humans across the waters pay you a fortune," Cassandra laughed. "And that's exactly what I need. A one off payment, that's all I want. And in return, I will tell no one in the city anything of your institutional murder. Is that a deal?"

One of the Nurses smiled. "I'm afraid not."

"I'd really advise you to think about this," Cassandra warned.

"There's no need. I have to decline."

"I'll tell them," Cassandra warned. "And you've no way of stopping me. You're not exactly nuns with guns, you're not even armed."

"Oh, God…" Eliza muttered. "Is this trampoline ever going to grow any brain cells?"

"Where are you?" The Doctor asked.

"Sitting next to the Face of Boe," Eliza replied. "How about you?"

"Eliza, you do realise this isn't the ideal time for casual conversation?"

Through his mind conversation, he was drawn away by the sound of hissing and Cassandra shouting, "Chip, plan B!"

The Doctor watched as the door in front of him opened, the green gas pouring out onto he stumbled onto his feet. He looked around to see all of the other green doors in the room, all of which the sick were being held, were also stepping out of their prisons. "What have you done?" he bellowed at Cassandra.

"I gave the system a shot of Adrenalin, just to wake 'em up!" Cassandra replied, standing next to a pale man with tattoos on his face. "See ya!" she ran around the corner, leaving the Doctor to choose between her and the Nurses. Taking steps towards Cassandra, he called to the Nurses, "Don't touch them!" he ran after the other two, stopping to watch as the hundreds of thousands of sick were escaping from their pods.

"Oh, my God…" Cassandra said sickingly. The Doctor shot her a look, which she replied, "It wasn't me!"

"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra!" the Doctor yelled. He watched as the sick slopped down the stairs, slowly surrounding them. "We've got to go down."

"But there are thousands of them!" Cassandra protested.

"RUN!" The Doctor bellowed.

"Wow, I heard that one from all the way up here," Eliza commented. "I think the building shook a little bit. I reckon this version of you needs anger management."

Ignoring her, he continued to order Cassandra and Chip down the stairs as the sick followed them. They made their way towards the basement, coming to a lift which Cassandra desperately tried to open. "This building is under quarantine!" the Doctor claimed. "It's not gonna move!"

Recognising her surroundings, Cassandra ran passed a few of the sick, the Doctor following her and just skimming their hands, leaving Chip on the other side of the zombies. The Doctor turned back to get him, Cassandra grabbing his arm. "Leave him, he's only a clone thing- he's only got a half life! C'mon!" she went ahead, the Doctor apologising to him as Chip called 'Mistress!' reminding him very much of Wolf.

The two of them ran into a room, Cassandra going to open a door as the Doctor closed the one they'd just passed. Seeing the sick on the other side, Cassandra slammed the door shut. "We're trapped!" She panicked. "What're we going to do?"

"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body," the Doctor told her. "You're compressing Rose to death!"

"But I've got nowhere to go," Cassandra protested. "My original skin's dead!"

"Not my problem," the Doctor snapped. "You can float like Atoms in the air. Now get out," he rose his Sonic in front of her threateningly. "Give her back to me."

Cassandra looked him up and down, smirking. "You asked for it," she said playfully. She took a deep breath in, exhaling quickly as a long strand of pink came out and threw itself into the Doctors mouth.

It was all a bit fuzzy after that, only able to remember the first parts due to Eliza's help, most memories of which he'd rather not have remembered. The Doctor, or Cassandra even, felt... taller. She liked it.

"Oh, blimey, my head..." Rose breathed as she looked around, the Doctor looking at the ground. "Where'd she go?" she looked at his face, his happy expression telling her all she needed to know. "Oh... this is very... different," Cassandra said, looking down at her new body. "Goodness me, I'm a man! Yum! So many parts... and hardly used," she continued, walking around. Sharply, she began wiggling around quickly, adding, "Two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"

"Get out of him," Rose demanded, Cassandra ignoring her.

"Oh, God, he's slim," she muttered, cruising a hand down the Doctor torso. Looking back up at Rose, she smiled devilishly. "And a little bit foxy," she added, wiggling her eyebrows at Rose. "You thought so, too." Rose looking down and blushed slightly at the comment, Cassandra taking this opportunity. She began giggling then walked slowly to Rose. "I've been inside your head, you've been looking... you like it," she teased.

Before the conversation could continue, the doors burst open, many of the sick pouring out of the hallway. "What would he do?" Cassandra exclaimed in panic, hitting Rose's arm frantically. Looking around quickly, Rose noticed a ladder, behind them, which was going up. "Ladder," the muttered walking towards it.

Cassandra grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling Rose behind her. "Out of the way, Blondie!" Rushing up the ladder, not giving a second thought about where Rose was, Cassandra whimpered for a moment. "This is all your fault, you know!" she accused.

"Get out of the Doctor's body," Rose demanded, ignoring her accusation. "He could think of something."

"Yap, yap, yap..." Cassandra teased as she continued to climb. "God, it's tedious inside your head, hormone city."

"Cassandra, we're going to die-" Rose started, but was cut short by one of the Nurses grabbing her ankle. "Get off of me!"

"All our good work," the Nurse hissed. "All that healing, the good name of the Sisterhood! You have destroyed everything!"

"Go and play with a ball of string," Cassandra said dismissively.

"Everywhere-disease! This is the Human World- sickness!" the Nurse replied. She wailed in pain suddenly, a few boils appearing on her face. Letting go of the ladder, it was revealed she'd been touched by the diseased, who were following them up the ladder.

"Move!" Rose bellowed at Cassandra as the Nurse hit the bottom of the ladder. Whimpering again, Cassandra hastily made her way up the ladder, Rose following her quickly behind. They reached the top of the ladder, a closed door as their only escape. "Now what do we do?" Cassandra asked as she looked down at the blonde below her.

"Use the Sonic Screwdriver," Rose told her as she looked down to watch the sick slowly chase them up the ladder. Cassandra stuck her hand in the Doctor's pocket, bringing out the device. "You mean this thing?"

"Yes, I mean 'that thing'!" Rose yelled.

"Well, I don't know how," Cassandra spat. "That girls locked away all his thoughts!"

"Then get back into me! The Doctor can open it!" Rose sighed in frustration as the sick got closer. "Do it!"

Shaking her head slowly, Cassandra muttered, "Hold on tight." Cassandra leaped back into Rose, the pink aura covering half Rose's face before it disappeared. "Oh... chavtastic again... open it!"

"Not 'till you get out of her," the Doctor spat darkly, pointing the Sonic threateningly at her.

"We need the Doctor!" Cassandra protested.
"I order you to leave her!" he bellowed in reply. Sighing, Cassandra slipped back into the Doctor, undoing the switch. "No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout!" Cassandra said to anyone who'd listen.

"Cassandra, get out of him!" Rose ordered.

"But I cant go back into you," she whined. "He simply refuses, he's so rude."

"I don't care," Rose barked. "Just do something!"

Looking down at the sick who were now just a few more steps within reach, Cassandra looked like she was about to go sick. Swallowing down a lump in her throat, she muttered, "Oh, I am so gonna regret this..." Flying out of the Doctor, Cassandra slipped into the first sick person she could see. "Oh, sweet Lord... I look disgusting!"

The Doctor, happy, Sonciced the doors open, leaning back out to help Rose in. "Nice to have you back!" Rose smiled as she went through the door, put fell to the ground as Cassandra quickly jumped back into her.

"That is your last warning, Cassandra!" the Doctor bellowed once the door was secure.

Cassandra shook her head slowly, replying quietly, "Inside her head… so alone… they keep reaching out just to hold us… all their lives, and they've never been touched…" the Doctor had hoped that this might have made Cassandra see through to him, to give him back Rose. He held out his hand to help her up. The banging on the door had gotten them moving again, the Doctor opened a door, finding that they'd returned to the Ward 26, Eliza sitting with her back up against the glass of the Face of Boe.

As she saw them, she got up, the Doctor and Cassandra going to greet her, being stopped by the woman who was with the Duke of Manhattan. She ran to them, a chair in both arms, as if she were about to run them through… with the chair. Sighing, Eliza grabbed the chair away from her and settled it down near a bed. "They wouldn't look so awake if they'd have been touched, Flau," she huffed at the woman.

The Doctor nodded Eliza in appreciation. "So what's going on up here?" the Doctor asked.

"There's nothing from the other Wards," Eliza replied as Flau walked towards the Duke. "Everyone thinks were the last ones alive. She," Eliza pointed to Flau. "Has been trying to send the city a message, trying to get back up, break the quarantine," she pulled out of her pocket a white communications device. "Took a little… violence, but she quickly shut up."

"You…" Cassandra pointed. "You, you're the one who was in her head!" she tapped Rose's forehead, continuing to point at Eliza.

"Oh, look, it's Queen Latifah." Eliza said in mock happiness. "How've you been, Cassie?"

"You were in Rose's head?" the Doctor butted in.

"To stop her from compressing Rose's mind completely," Eliza explained.

Nodding, noting to ask questions later, he pointed at the three women in from of him; Eliza, Cassandra and Novice Hame. "You three, with me," he looked around the room, calling to the rest, "Get me every solution to every single disease, move it!" Grabbing everything he needed as everyone else got what he ordered, he asked, "What are you doing here, Eliza? First place and time we go to, and you're here. I don't think that's just coincidence."

"Actually, you're wrong," Eliza replied, dumping some of the solutions on the bed. "I came to see the Face of Boe." Having a strong feeling she was lying, he grabbed a rope, tying it around him. Grabbing some of the solutions, he attached them to the rope. Once he was satisfied, he opened the lift. "They aren't working!" Cassandra reminded him.

"Not moving, different thing," he replied. Grabbing what looked like a zip wire handle, he jumped through the lift doors, taking hold of the wire and placing the handle onto the cable that would usually hold the lift, which was at the bottom of the building. He looked back to see Cassandra looking at him with wide eyes. "C'mon!" he encouraged.

She gave a small laugh. "Not in a million years."

"I need another pair of hands," the Doctor protested. "Since you're so desperate to stay alive, why don't you live a little?"

"Grab hold of him before I push you," Eliza threatened. Cassandra looked back as her, almost daring her. Eliza took two steps foreword, Cassandra jumping before she could even touch her. "You're completely mad!" she yelled at the Doctor, then added seductively, "I can see why she likes you." Sonicing the handle, he yelled, "Going down!" The handle loosened its grip of the cable, speeding down all the way to the non working lift. Getting off him back, Cassandra straightened her shirt. "Well, that's one way to lose weight."

Ignoring her, he barked, "When I say so, take hold of that lever," he pointed. "I'm cooking up a cocktail," he grabbed one of the solutions, ripping it open and squeezing it into a large bowl, half of it already full from disinfectant. "That lever is gonna resist, but keep it in position," he ordered once all the solutions was emptied into the bowl. He opened the hatch that led into the lift, letting his legs drop. "Hold onto it with everything you've got."

"But what about you?" Cassandra asked.

"I've got an appointment," the Doctor claimed. "The Doctor is in!" he dropped into the lift, the doors of which were wide open, dozens of the sick were pacing around in the room. Banging on the walls to get attention, he called, "C'mon, I'm in here!" The sick turned their gaze to him, immediately walking towards him as fast as they could. "Come and get me, c'mon!"

"Commencing stage one- disinfection," the lift said. The liquid from the bowl on the top of the lift began emptying out through the shower. The first few infected that came into the lift had gotten soaked, looking down at their hands as the boils slowly, but surely began disappearing. Following the Doctors instruction to pass the pollution around, the infected in the lift began walking back to the people in the hall, touching their hands, the solution doing the rest.

Once the lift had emptied, the Doctor helped Cassandra down off the top of the lift. "What did they pass on?" she asked. "Did you kill them?"

"No," the Doctor replied happily. "That's your way of doing things," he walked out of the lift to properly see his work take action. "I'm the Doctor, and I cured them." Smiling, one of the young girls who had been infected walked up to the Doctor, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Yeah, there we go, sweetheart." After she'd let him go, he walked around the now un-infected. "It's a new sub-species, Cassandra. A brand new form of life! New Humans! You can't deny them, Cassandra, because you helped create them," he told her. Looking to her, he was surprised to see her smiling softly.

An hour later, help from the city had reached them. Police were taking the infected away from the hospital as the Doctor and Cassandra walked back into Ward 26. As they entered, they watched as some of the policemen were taking the Nurses away, one of them being Novice Hame.

"Hey, Gramps," Eliza called from the other end of the room. "Come here."

Looking to where the voice had come from, he looked across to see Eliza sitting with the now awake Face of Boe. He was smiling softly to her, her gliding a hand across the glass as the Doctor approached.

"You were supposed to be dying," the Doctor greeted.

"There are more better things to do today," the Face of Boe replied. "Dying can wait."

"Oh, I hate Telepathy," Cassandra complained. "Just what I need, a head full of big face."

Watching as Eliza paled slightly, she met the Doctors eyes, sinking slightly into her coat. Not seeming that all impressed, he told her he'd deal with her later.

"I grow tired of the Universe, Doctor," the Face of Boe continued. "But you have taught me to look at it anew."

"There are legends, you know," the Doctor started, joining Eliza on the floor, remembering his conversation with Novice Hame. "People say that you're millions of years old."

"That would be impossible," the Face of Boe replied, laughing quietly.

"Wouldn't it just?" the Doctor agreed. "I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me."

The Face of Boe nodded. "A great secret."

"So the legend says."

"It can wait." He replied.

Clearly disappointed, the Doctor complained, "Does it have to?"

"We shall meet again, Doctor, Riva, for the third and last time, and the truth shall be told." the Face of Boe said in finality. "Until that day," he began to glow a rich blue, fading away until he had transported from the hospital.

"That is enigmatic," the Doctor said, fairly impressed. "That is text book enigmatic…" Remembering that he and Eliza weren't alone, he sighed. "And now for you," he turned to Cassandra.

"But everything's happy now," Cassandra protested. "Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?"

"You've lived long enough," the Doctor replied sternly. "Leave that body, and end it, Cassandra."

Her eyes filling with tears, she raised a hand to her mouth. "I don't want to die… Help me!"

"I can't." The Doctor said.

Cassandra looked at Eliza for help. "Don't even think about," Eliza spat. "I've got so many secrets running around in my head, your mind would explode."

A few moments later, Chip came flying into the room. "Mistress!" he called excitedly.

The Doctor looked back at Eliza. "See?"

Eliza shrugged. "Wolf was a dog. This guy's part human, there's difference. Once he grows a fluffy tail and start talking to me through Telepathy, then I'll say there's a similarity."

"I kept myself safe, for you, Mistress," Chip greeted happily.

Cassandra looked at Chip intently, muttering, "A body… and not just that, a willing volunteer," she smiled at him.

"Don't you dare!" the Doctor exclaimed. "He's got a life of his own."

"I worship the Mistress!" Chip defended. "I welcome her."

At the statement, Cassandra left Rose's body, falling into Chip's, who stumbled back.

At the sudden movement, Rose fell foreword with a gasp, the Doctor lunging foreword and caught her in his arms before she hit the ground. "You alright?"

"Yeah…" she mumbled. After gathering her bearings, she found herself staring right at the Doctor. "Hello!" she greeted.

"Oh, sweet lord," Cassandra sung. "I'm a walking doodle," she held up Chip's arms, showing the tattoos.

"You can't stay in there, Cassandra," the Doctor reasoned. "I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done."

"Well, that would be rather dramatic," Cassandra mused. "Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my finest hat," she laughed. "But I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip, he's only a half life. He's been through so much… His heart is racing so… it's failing… I don't think he's going to last-" Chip's legs gave way, sending the body to the floor. Before Cassandra could kiss the concrete, the Doctor and Rose caught her, gently setting her to the floor.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm fine," Cassandra insisted calmly. "But… I'm dying… but that's fine." she added in an accepting tone.

"I can take you to the city," the Doctor repeated. "Eliza can help you until we get there."

"No, you won', and no, she can't." Cassandra replied. "For one, everything's new on this planet; there's no place for Chip and me anymore."

"And like she said, Chip's a half life," Eliza started. "It wouldn't help if he had three minds in his head."

Cassandra nodded. "You're right, Doctor. It's time to die, and that's good."

Sighing, the Doctor helped Cassandra up, him and Rose steadying her as she walked.

The Doctor walked Cassandra to the TARDIS, noticing the white room flash a TARDIS blue as they walked. Turning, he saw that Eliza was nowhere to be found. Grunting, he continued helping Cassandra into the TARDIS, making sure that the next time he saw Eliza, he was going to get some answers out of her.