Cold Blood Part 2

Once everyone is released, Eldane gets the video back up.

"Rory! Hello!" the Doctor calls when the screen comes up.

"Where's Amy?"

"She's fine, look, here she is."

"Oh, thank God."

"Just keeping you on your toes!" Amy comments offhandedly.

"No time to chat. Listen, you need to get down here. Go to the drill storeroom. There's a large patch of earth in the middle of the floor. The Silurians are going to send up transport discs to bring you back down using geothermal energy and gravity-bubble technology. It's how they travel and, frankly, it's pretty cool. Bring Alaya. We hand her over we can land this after all. All going to work promise. Got to dash! Hurry up!

DWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor has Nasreen and Amy sit down at the table with Eldane. I stand back next to Mo.

"I'd say you've got a fair bit to talk about."

"How so?" Eldane wonders.

"You both want the planet. You both have a genuine claim to it."

"Are you authorized to negotiate on behalf of humanity?" Eldane questions him.

"Me? No! But they are!" he motions to Amy and Nasreen.

"What?!" Nasreen questions in shock.

"No, we're not!" Amy argues.

"Course you are! Amy Pond and Nasreen Chaudhry, speaking for the planet! Humanity couldn't have better ambassadors. Come on, who has more fun than us?" Amy stands up and walks over to him.

"Is this what happens, in the future, the planet gets shared? Is that what we need to do?"

"What are you talking about?" Nasreen questions as she steps over to them.

"Oh, Nasreen, sorry, probably worth mentioning at this stage, Amy and Jaz and I travel in time, a bit."

"Anything else?" she asks as she crosses her arms.

"There are fixed points through time, where things must always stay the way they are. This is not one of them." The Doctor starts rambling again. "This is an opportunity, a temporal tipping point. Whatever happens today will change future events, create its own timeline, its own reality. The future pivots around you. Here. Now. So do good. For humanity, and for Earth."

"Right. No pressure there, then," Amy states sarcastically.

"We can't share the planet. Nobody on the surface is going to go for this idea. It is just too big a leap!"

"Come on. Be extraordinary."

"Oh…you…" Nasreen relents as she and Amy sit back down.

"Ok." The Doctor bangs his hand on the table like a gavel. "Bringing things to order-the first meeting of representatives of the human race and Homo reptilia is now in session. Ha! Never said that before, that's fab! Carry on! Now, Jaz, let's take Mo and get his son." He walks over to us. As we are leaving, he keeps talking. "Oh, you know, humans and their predecessor, shooting the breeze. Never thought I'd see it."

DWDWDWDWDWDW

Malohkeh leads us to several pods.

"Elliot, there you are." The Doctor looks in one of the pods.

"If you've harmed him in any way," Mo threatens Malohkeh.

"Of course not! I only store the young."

"But why?" the Doctor questions.

"I took samples of the young, slowed their lifecycles to a millionth of their normal rate, so I could study how they grew, what they needed, how they lived on the surface."

"You've been down here, working by yourself, all alone?"

"My family, through the millennia…For the last 300 years, just me." He turns to look at Mo. "I never meant to harm your child."

"Malohkeh, I rather love you." They do a little handshake. Malohkeh checks the screen and then opens the door.

"It's safe. We can wake him. Come."

"Elliot?" Elliot slowly focuses on his surroundings. "Ell, it's Dad."

"What…? Dad." He hugs him.

"You're safe now." They pull apart.

"But where are we?"

"Well, I've got to be honest with you, son. We're in the center of the Earth…and there are lizard men."

"Hi," Malohkeh says as he waves.

"Wow." I take a step toward him.

"Elliot, I'm sorry. I took my eye off you."

"It's ok," he says stepping forward and giving me a hug. "I forgive you." He pulls back and I smile at him.

"You go on, Doctor. I'll catch up." We take one last look at Malohkeh and head back to Amy and Nasreen.

DWDWDWDWDWDW

"Ok, now I'm starting to see it." We hear Nasreen comment as we enter the room.

"Oh, yeah," Amy says triumphantly. The Doctor applauds and they turn to look at us.

"Not bad for a first session. More similarities than differences," the Doctor mentions. The sound of arriving transports has us turning around.

"The transport has returned. Your friends are here," Eldane informs us.

DWDWDWDWDWDW

We all wait anxiously for the others to show.

"Here they are," the Doctor waves as Rory and Ambrose round the corner.

"Mum!" Elliot runs to her.

"Rory!" Amy calls out as Tony rounds the corner carrying something.

"Something's wrong…" I say standing up next to the Doctor.

"Doctor, what's he carrying?" Amy questions. Tony carries what looks like a body in to the room.

"No. Don't do this. Tell me you didn't do this." The Doctor kneels down and uncovers Alaya's face and then covers her back up. "What did you do?" he questions Tony.

"It was me. I did it," Nasreen confesses. Elliot takes a step away from her.

"Mum?"

"I just wanted you back." Elliot steps away from his mother and over to his father. Everyone stares at Ambrose. The Doctor turns to Eldane.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. You have to believe me, they're better than this."

"This is our planet!" Ambrose yells angrily.

"We had a chance here," the Doctor states angrily toward her.

"Leave us alone." The Doctor walks over to her.

"In future, when you talk about this, you tell people there was a chance but you were so much less than the best of humanity." As the Doctor finishes, we are quickly surrounded by several soldiers.

"My sister," Restac demands as she walks in. She sees the body lying on the floor. Upon seeing her sister, Restac lets out a wail of grief. She turns to the Doctor. "And you want us to trust these apes, Doctor?" Standing up she quickly grabs hold of my arm.

"Ow!" I cry out as her fingers dig in to my arm.

"Hey, let go of her!" Amy demands as Nasreen holds her back.

"She killed my sister," she spits out pointing at Ambrose. "Now, I kill hers." She point at Amy.

"One woman. She was scared for her family. She's not typical," the Doctor tries reasoning.

"I think she is."

"One person let us down. But there's a whole race of dazzling, peaceful human beings up there. You were building something here. Come on, an alliance could work. Just let her go."

"It's too late for that, Doctor," Ambrose states.

"Why?"

"Our drill is set to start burrowing again in…" Ambrose takes out a stop watch and look at it. "15 minutes."

"What?" Nasreen questions looking over at Tony.

"What choice did I have? They had Elliot."

"Don't do this, don't call their bluff," the Doctor demands. Restac's hold on my arm tightens.

"Let us go back. And you promise to never come to the surface ever again. We'll walk away, leave you alone." There is a long pause where Restac considers everything.

"Execute her," she calls out as she shoves me aside.

"No!" the Doctor calls out pushing Ambrose out of the way. Amy pulls me from the ground and shoves me toward the door. "Everybody, back to the lab! Run!" the Doctor calls.

"Execute all the apes!" Restac calls as we all duck and run.

"This is a deadly weapon-stay back." We run through the tunnels with the soldiers close on our heels. "Take everyone to the lab. I'll cover you."

"Go! Go!" Rory cries as he pushes us forward.

DWDWDWDWDWDW

"Elliot, you and your dad keep your eyes on that screen. Let me know if we get company." He tosses the stop watch over to Amy. "Amy, keep reminding me how much time I haven't got." She catches it.

"Ok, uh, twelve and a half minutes till drill impact." I stand next to Amy and Rory looking at the stop watch.

"Tony Mack, sweaty forehead, dilated pupils, what're you hiding?" Tony pulls his shirt back.

"Tony! What happened?!" Nasreen questions.

"Alaya's sting. She said there's no cure. I'm dying, aren't I?"

"You're not dying, you're mutating."

"How can I stop it?"

"Decontamination program! Might work-don't know. Eldane, can you run the program on Tony?"

"Doctor, shedload of those creatures coming our way!" Mo calls out. He turns to look at us. "We're surrounded in here!"

"So, question is, how do we stop the drill, given that we can't get there in time? Plus also, how do we get out, given that we're surrounded? Nasreen how do you feel about an energy pulse, channeled up through the tunnels to the base of the drill?"

"To blow up my life's work?" she questions.

"Yes. Sorry. No nice way of putting that."

"Right, well, you're going to have to do it before the drill hits the city, in…" she pauses as she waits for Amy to tell us how much time.

"11 minutes, 40 seconds…"

"Yes! Squeaky bum time!" the Doctor exclaims.

"Yes, but the explosion is going to cave in all the surrounding tunnels, so we have to be out and on the surface by then," Nasreen informs us.

"But we can't get past Restac's troops," Rory mentions.

"I can help with that…" Eldane says as he joins the conversation. "Toxic Fumigation-an emergency failsafe meant to protect my species from infection. A warning signal to occupy cryo-chambers. After that, citywide fumigation, by toxic gas. Then the city shuts down."

"You could end up killing your own people," I remind him.

"Only those foolish enough to follow Restac."

"Eldane, are you sure about this?" the Doctor questions.

"My priority is my race's survival. The Earth isn't ready for us to return yet."

"No."

"Ten minutes, Doctor."

"But maybe it should be. So here's a deal. Everybody listening. Eldane, you activate shutdown…I'll amend the system, set your alarm for 1,000 years' time." He turns to address Ambrose and her family. "1,000 years, to sort the planet out. To be ready. Pass it on. As legend, or prophecy, or religion, but somehow, make it known. This planet is to be shared."

"Yeah. I get you," Elliot states confidently.

"Nine minutes, seven seconds."

"Yes, fluid controls, my favorite! Energy pulse timed, primed and set. Before we go, energy barricade, need to cancel it out-quickly." The Doctor does his thing at the controls.

"Fumigation pre-launching," Eldane informs.

"There's not much time for us to get from here to the surface, Doctor!" Rory comments.

"Ah-ha, super-squeaky bum time! Get ready to run for your lives. Now…"

"But the decontamination program on your friend hasn't started yet," Eldane interrupts.

"Well, go. All of you! Go," Tony demands.

"No, we're not leaving you here!" Ambrose cries out.

"Granddad!" Elliot runs and hugs him.

"Eight minutes, ten seconds."

"Now, you look after your mum. You mustn't blame her. She only did what she thought was right."

"I'm not going to see you again, am I?"

"I'll be here. Always. I love you, boy. You be sure he gets home safe!"

"This is my fault," Ambrose admits sadly.

"No, I can't go back up there. I'd be a freak show. The technology down here's my only hope."

"I love you, Dad." Eldane starts the program.

"Toxic fumigation initiated. Return to cryo-chambers."

"They're going! We're clear!" I state as I watch the screen.

"Ok. Everyone follow Nasreen and Jaz. Look for a blue box. Get ready to run."

"I'm sorry. I thought for a moment, our race, and the humans…" Eldane does not finish.

"Yeah. Me too," the Doctor admits.

"Doctor! We've got less than six minutes."

"Go! Go! I'm right behind you!" He demands and we take off running. We make it a short way before Amy pauses and looks back.

"Oh, for goodness sake," she mutters before heading back.

"Amy!" I call after her. "Argh!" I groan before running after her.

"Doctor!" Amy admonishes as we reenter the lab.

"Thank you, Doctor." Nasreen gives the Doctor a hug.

"The pleasure was all mine." She waves at me and Amy. The Doctor takes us by the hand.

"Come and look for us." We turn back and smile at her.

"Immediate evacuation." We meet up with Rory.

"The other way, idiot!" Amy calls as he runs past us.

"Toxic fumigation is about to commence."

"Come on!" Mo calls as they stop to wait for us. We finally reach the TARDIS.

"No questions, just get in! And yes, I know it's big! Ambrose, sickbay up the stairs, left, then left again…get yourself fixed up. Come on! Five minutes and counting…" We all pause as a light catches our eyes. It's a crack in the wall. "Not here. Not now. It's getting wider."

"The crack on my bedroom wall," Amy states.

"And the Byzantium. All through the universe-rips in the continuum. Some sort of space-time cataclysm." The Doctor crouches next to the crack.

"An explosion, maybe?" I wonder out loud.

"Big enough to put cracks in the universe. But what?"

"Four minutes fifty…We have to go!"

"The Angels laughed when I didn't know. Prisoner Zero knew. Everybody knows, except me!"

"Doctor, just leave it," I plead.

"But where there's an explosion, there's shrapnel." He pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket.

"Doctor, you can't put your hand in there!" Rory warns.

"Why not?" Ignoring Rory's warning he puts his arm in the crack. "Ah! I've got something!"

"What is it?" Amy asks fearfully. He pulls his arm out.

"I don't know." Restac stumbles in to the room.

"Doctor!" Rory calls out.

" She was there, when the gas started. She must've been poisoned," Amy guesses.

"You!" she says breathlessly.

"Ok, get in the TARDIS, all of you."

"You did this," she raises her gun. Instead of pointing at the Doctor, it is aimed at me.

"Jaz!" Rory shoves me out of the way as Restac shoots. He screams in pain and falls to the ground.

"Rory!" Amy cries rushing over to him.

"Rory, can you hear me?" The Doctor uses the sonic and calms him.

"I don't understand," he mutters.

"Shh-shh. Don't talk. Doctor, is he ok? We have to get him onto the TARDIS!"

"We were on the hill. I can't die here."

"Don't say that."

"You're so beautiful…" he cringes in pain before whispering, "I'm sorry." He stills.

"Doctor, help him."

"Amy, Jaz, move away from the light. If it touches you, you'll be wiped from history." Reluctantly I stand up and walk away. "Amy, move away now."

"No! I am not leaving him! We have to help him!" She is hysterical and not thinking clearly. The Doctor kneels back next to her.

"The light's already around him, we can't help him." He puts his hands on her shoulders and tries to pull her up. She fights him off.

"I am not leaving him!"

"We have to."

"No." The Doctor continues to try and pull her away.

"Sorry! Jaz a little help please." I step forward and put my hands on her arm.

"Get off me." She tries to shove me away but between the Doctor and I we finally pull her to the TARDIS.

"No!" We shove her inside. The Doctor sonics the door locked. "No, no! No! Let me out, please let me out. I need to get to Rory." I stand in between her and the door as she bangs on my chest. She turns to look at the screen. "That light-if his body is absorbed I'll forget him. He'll never have existed." She turns to look at the Doctor. "You can't let that happen." He flips the switch. "What are you doing? Doctor! No! No! No! Doctor, we can't just leave him there." I watch helplessly as Amy breaks down.

"Keep him in your mind. Don't forget him. If you forget him, you'll lose him forever."

"No wait. On the Byzantium, I still remembered the Clerics because I am a time traveler, now you said."

"They weren't part of your world. This is different…this is your own history changing."

"Don't tell me it's going to be ok. You have to make it ok."

"It's going to be hard, but you can do it, Amy." He takes her to the chair and sits her down. "Tell me about Rory. Fantastic Rory, funny Rory, gorgeous Rory. Amy, listen to me. Do exactly as I say. Amy, please. Keep concentrating. You can do this."

"I can't."

"You can. You can do it. I can't help you unless you do. Come on. We can still save his memory. Come on, Amy. Please…Come on, Amy, come on. Amy, please. Don't let anything distract you. Remember Rory. Keep remembering, Rory is only alive in your memory. You must keep hold of him. Don't let anything distract you. Rory still lives in your mind." The TARDIS slams to the ground and we all tumble to the floor. Laying the floor in front of me is the box holding Amy's engagement ring.

"What were you saying?" Amy questions as if the last five minutes never happened. I pick up the box and put it in my pocket as we stand up.

"I have seen some things today, but this is beyond mad," Mo states as he and his family enter the room.

"Doctor! Five seconds till it all goes up!" We all run for the door and watch as the drill explodes in the distance.

DWDWDWDWDWDW

"You're very quiet," Amy mentions as she and the Doctor approach me outside the TARDIS. She is distracted by something in the distance.

"Oh, hey, look Jaz! There we are again!" she waves wildly as she shouts. "Hello, me!" She pauses and stares sadly.

"Are you ok?" I question.

"I thought I saw someone else there for a second." The moment is gone and she turns to the Doctor. "I need a holiday. Didn't we talk about Rio?"

"You go in." The Doctor takes out his sonic. "Just fix this lock, keeps jamming."

"You boys and your locksmithery." Amy enters but the Doctor holds me back.

"Jaz, wait a minute. Do you remember what happened?" he asks. A tear involuntarily rolls down my cheek.

"Why?" I questions as I wipe it away. "My history changed too."

"You are an anomaly I'm still trying to figure out," he says tapping me on the nose.

"That's not an answer," I answer sarcastically. "Oh," I interject as I remember the box in my pocket, "if Rory never existed, then why is the engagement ring he bought for Amy still here." I pull out the box and show it to him.

"I don't know that either," he says taking it from and placing it in his jacket.

"So, what now? I just pretend like nothing happened. Pretend like someone I care about didn't just die." A few more tears fall and the Doctor wipes them away.

"KBO, Jaz," he states with a small smile. I smile sadly in return. He reaches in to his other jacket pocket pulls out the thing he took from the crack.

"What is that?"

"The shrapnel I took from the crack," he says as he unwraps it. He holds up to the TARDIS. It matches the sign on the front door.

"That's a piece of the TARDIS. Does that mean the TARDIS blows up at some point in time?" In reply the Doctor stares at me in shock.