The Fires of Pompeii
The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, pushing aside a rough curtain with a broad smile on his face. Donna stepped out behind him, followed by the Professor, who was none too pleased with how he'd rushed out just then without letting her check that it was safe first.
"Ancient Rome!" he cheered, stepping out onto a busy street with market stalls, "Well, not to them, obviously. For all intents and purposes right now...this is brand new Rome."
"Oh my God!" Donna gasped, looking around in wonder, "It's...it's so Roman. This is fantastic!" she hugged him, "I'm here...in Rome. Donna Noble in Rome," she sighed, walking down the street along with the Doctor and Professor, "This is just weird. I mean, everyone here is dead."
"Well, don't go telling them that."
She turned to him but spotted something behind him, "Hold on a minute. That sign over there is in English. Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?"
"TARDIS translation circuits," the Professor responded, "Makes everything English."
"Everything?"
"Speech as well," the Doctor nodded, "You're talking Latin right now."
"Seriously?"
"Mmm."
"I just said 'seriously' in Latin."
"Oh yeah."
She laughed, "What if I said something in actual Latin? Like 'veni, vidi, vici?' My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said 'veni, vidi, vici' to that lot, what would it sound like?"
"Welsh," the Professor replied.
"Really?" the Doctor looked at her.
"I'm gonna try it," Donna smiled and walked over to a vendor.
"Hello, sweetheart," the man grinned, "What can I get for you, my love?"
"Veni, vidi, vici."
"Huh? Sorry? Me no speak Celtic. No can do, missy."
"Yeah," she walked back over to the Doctor, "What does he mean 'Celtic?'"
"Welsh," he nodded, "You sound Welsh," he looked at the Professor, "You were right. Welsh. That's something."
They turned and kept walking down the street when Donna asked, "Won't our clothes look a bit odd?"
"Nah. Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho...but bigger."
"You've been here before then?"
"Hm, ages ago. Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me."
"Liar," the Professor remarked.
He sighed, "Well, a little bit, but we hadn't gotten the chance to look around properly. Coliseum...Pantheon...Circus Maximus...you'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything?" he stopped and looked around, "Professor?"
She closed her eyes a moment, focusing on where they were. She hadn't had time to look up the layout of the area as the Doctor had just run to the doors as soon as they'd landed.
"I'm not an expert, but there are seven hills of Rome, aren't there?" Donna asked, "How come they only got one?"
The Professor's eyes snapped open to see the mountain in the distance when the ground shook.
"Here we go again," a vendor called as they all started trying to save their stalls.
"Wait a minute!" Donna gasped, "One mountain...with smoke...which makes this..."
"Pompeii," the Professor stated.
"We're in Pompeii..." the Doctor breathed, "And it's Volcano Day!"
They turned and ran back through the streets towards where they'd stationed the TARDIS, only to find it gone, "You're kidding," Donna gaped, "Don't tell me the TARDIS is gone."
"Okay."
"Where is it then?"
"You told me not to tell you."
"Don't get clever in Latin."
He looked around before spotting the vendor from before and ran over, "Um...excuse me! Excuse me! There was a box…big, blue box. Big, blue, wooden box...just over there. Where's it gone?"
"Sold it, didn't I?" the vendor grinned smugly.
"It wasn't yours to sell," the Professor's eyes narrowed at him.
"It was on my patch, wasn't it? I got 15 sesterces for it. Lovely jubbly."
Her jaw tensed before she deftly reached out, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled him closer, fisting the cloth, holding him tight, "Who did you sell it to?"
He swallowed hard, "Old Caecilius. Foss Street. Big villa. Can't miss it."
She nodded, shoving him away, and turned to leave as the Doctor and Donna watched her go, stunned, "Thanks," he told the vendor, before wondering, "What did he buy a big, blue wooden box for?"
"Doctor!" she shouted.
He winced and ran off after her, Donna following.
~8~
The Doctor ran through the streets, back to Donna, the Professor with him, "Ha!" he called to her, "We've got it! Foss Street, this way!"
"No, I've found this big sort of amphitheater, I think..." Donna shook her head, "We can start there. We can get everyone together. Then maybe they've got a great, big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?"
"What do you want a bell for?"
"To warn everyone! To start the evacuation! What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?"
"It's 79 AD, 23rd of August," the Professor replied, both her and the Doctor now very serious, "Vesuvius erupts tomorrow."
"Plenty of time," Donna smiled, "We can get everyone out easy."
"No, we aren't."
The Doctor nodded, grabbing Donna's hand and pulling her back towards Foss Street.
"But that's what you do," Donna pulled her hand away, "At least YOU do it. You're the Doctor. You save people."
"Not this time," the Professor countered, "Pompeii is a fixed point in history."
The Doctor swallowed hard and had to agree, "What happens, happens. There is no stopping it."
"Says who?" Donna demanded.
"Says us."
"What, and you're in charge?"
"TARDIS, Time Lords...yeah."
"Donna, human...no! I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself."
"You stand in the marketplace and announce the end of the world, they'll just think you're a mad old soothsayer. Now, come on. TARDIS, we are getting out of here."
He turned and ran off with the Professor, "Well, I just might have something to say about that, spaceman!"
"Oh, I bet you will!" he agreed but Donna followed anyway.
~8~
The Doctor ran into the villa of Caecilius just as it started to tremble, saving a bust from falling to the ground before one of the residents could get to it.
"Whoa!" he rightened it, slapping its cheeks, "There you go."
"Thank you, kind sir," the man who had run to the door said, "I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor."
"Oh, that's us," the Doctor shook his hand, "We're visitors. Hello."
"Who are you?" he glanced at the trio.
"Quintilia," the Professor responded quickly.
"And I am...Spartacus," the Doctor grinned.
"And so am I," Donna added.
"Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus?" he looked between them.
"Oh no, we're not married," the Doctor shook his head.
"Not together," Donna agreed.
"Oh, then brother and sister?" he nodded, "Yes, of course. You look very much alike."
"Really?" the Doctor and Donna looked at each other.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade…"
"And that trade would be?" the Doctor asked.
"Marble. Lucius Caecilius. Mining, polishing, and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man."
"That's good. That's good, 'cos I'm the marble inspector," he held up the psychic paper.
"By the gods of commerce, an inspection," an older woman behind Caecilius gasped, taking wine from a young man sitting before her and pouring it into the pool behind them, "I'm sorry, sir. I do apologize for my son."
"Oi!" her son glared.
"This is my good wife, Metella," Caecilius introduced, "I…I must confess, we're not prepared for a…"
"Nothing to worry about," the Doctor waved him off, "I…I'm sure you've got nothing to hide. Although, frankly, that..." he nodded at the TARDIS, sitting off to the side of the room, "Object...rather looks like wood to me."
"I told you to get rid of it!" Metella hissed as the trio walked over to it.
"I only bought it today," Caecilius defended.
"Ah, well," the Doctor nodded, "Caveat emptor."
"Oh, you're Celtic. They're lovely."
"I'm sure it's fine but I might have to take it off your hands for a proper inspection."
"Although, while we're here, wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?" Donna looked at him.
"I don't know what you mean, Spartacus."
"Oh, this lovely family, mother and father and son...don't you think they should get out of town?"
"Why should we do that?" Caecilius frowned.
"Well, the volcano for starters…"
"What?"
"Volcano."
"What-ano?"
"That great big volcano right on your doorstep…."
"Oh, Spartacus, for shame," the Doctor cut in, "We haven't even greeted the household gods yet," he pulled her away, towards a small frieze in the back of the room, the Professor following, "They don't know what it is. Vesuvius is just a mountain to them. The top hasn't blown off yet," he sprinkled the relief with water.
"79 AD, not even the Romans have a word for volcano," the Professor added, not bothering to sprinkle the relief.
"Not until tomorrow," the Doctor muttered.
"Oh great," Donna commented sarcastically, "They can learn a new word...when they die."
"Donna, stop it."
"Listen, I don't know what sort of kids you've been flyin' around with in outer space, but you're not telling me to shut up. That boy..." she pointed at Lucius's son, "How old is he, sixteen? And tomorrow he burns to death."
"And that's our fault?"
"Right now, yes!"
"We do not have time for this," the Professor grabbed Donna's arm, "We need to go."
She turned and hauled her off when a servant entered the room, "Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the city government."
An older man strode in, a cloak draped over his right arm, the Professor's eyes narrowed in on its immobility as she slowed.
"Lucius, my pleasure as always," Caecilius greeted.
"Quintus, stand up," Metella nudged her son to get him to stand.
"A rare and great honor, sir, for you to come to my house," he held out a hand but Lucius ignored it.
"The birds are flying north...and the wind is in the west," Lucius replied.
"Right. Absolutely. That's good, is it?"
"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow."
"There now, Metella, have you ever heard such wisdom?
"Never," Metella breathed, "It's an honor."
"Pardon me, sir, I have guests," Caecilius gestured to the three of them, making them stop completely, "This is Quintilia, Spartacus, and, uh, Spartacus."
"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind," Lucius sighed.
"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark," the Professor replied sharply.
"Ah! What is the dark other than an omen of the sun?"
"It is true that every sun must set..."
"Ha!"
"...and yet the son of the father must also rise."
The Doctor smirked, watching her hold her own against the man. At least her brilliance could shine through in this regeneration, however militaristic it seemed to be based.
"Damn," Lucius glared, "Very clever. Evidently a woman of learning."
"Oh yes," the Doctor beamed at her proudly, "But don't mind her. Don't want to disturb the status quo now do we?"
"They're Celtic," Caecilius whispered.
"We'll be off in a minute," he grabbed Donna's hand this time and tugged her towards the TARDIS.
"I'm not going," she insisted quietly.
"It's ready, sir," Caecilius turned to Lucius.
"You've got to," the Doctor hissed at Donna.
"Well I'm not," she replied.
"The moment of revelation," Caecilius unveiled a small, square piece of marble, "And here it is..." the Doctor and Professor glanced back at it, the Doctor's eyes widening while the Professor's narrowed more at the sight of the familiar etchings on it, "Exactly as you specified. It pleases you, sir?"
"As the rain pleases the soil," Lucius grinned.
The Doctor walked back over, "Oh now that's...different. Who designed that then?"
"My lord Lucius was very specific," Caecilius replied.
"Where'd you get the pattern?"
"On the rain and mist and wind," Lucius answered.
"Well that looks like a circuit," Donna remarked.
"Made of stone," the Doctor agreed.
"Do you mean you just dreamt that up?"
"That is my job...as City Augur," Lucius nodded.
"What's that then, like the mayor?"
"Oh, ah, you must excuse my friend. She's from...Barcelona…" the Doctor pulled Donna aside, while the Professor's gaze remained fixed on Lucius, "This is an age of superstition...of official superstition. The augur is paid by the city to tell the future. 'The wind will blow from the west.' That's the equivalent of the 10:00 news."
"They're laughing at us," a weak voice called. They looked over to see a pale girl with dark hair looking at them, swaying on her feet, "Those three, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us."
"No, no. I meant no offence."
"I'm sorry," Metella walked over to the girl, "My daughter's been consuming the vapors."
"By the gods, Mother!" Quintus gasped, "What have you been doing to her?"
"Not now, Quintus," Caecilius glared at his son.
"But she's sick. Just look at her."
"I gather I have a rival in this household," Lucius eyed the girl, "Another with the gift."
Metella smiled proudly, "Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood. They say she has remarkable visions."
"The prophecies of women are limited and dull. Only the men folk have the capacity for true perception."
"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate," Donna glared at him.
The ground shook.
"The mountain god marks your words," Lucius returned her glare, "I'd be careful if I were you."
"Consuming the vapors, you say?" the Doctor looked at the girl.
"They give me strength," she nodded.
"It doesn't look like it to me."
"Is that your opinion...as a doctor?"
"I beg your pardon?" he asked as the Professor stiffened.
"Doctor. That's your name. As hers is Professor."
"How did you know that?"
"And you," she glanced at Donna, "You call yourself noble."
"Now then Evelina, don't be rude," Metella said quietly.
"No, no, no," the Doctor shook his head, "Let her talk."
"You all come from so far away," Evelina continued.
"A female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries," Lucius remarked.
"Oh, not this time, Lucius," the Doctor shook his head, "I reckon you've been out-soothsaid."
"Is that so...child of Gallifrey?"
"What?"
"Strangest of images," he glanced at him and the Professor, "Your home is lost in fire, is it not?"
"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna asked.
"And you, daughter of...London."
"How does he know that?"
"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth."
"Impossible," the Professor eyed them.
"Doctor, Professor, she is returning."
"Who is?" the Doctor frowned, "Who's she?"
"And you, daughter of London...you have something on your back."
"What's that mean?" Donna gasped.
"Even the word 'Doctor' and 'Professor' are false," Evelina added, "Your real names are hidden. They burn in the stars of the cascade of Medusa herself. You are a lord and lady. A lord...and lady…of time..." and with that, Evelina fainted.
"Evelina!" Metella cried, rushing to her daughter's side with the Doctor.
~8~
Evelina was lying, unconscious, on her bed while her mother sat beside her, caring for her, as Donna and the Professor stood nearby.
"She didn't mean to be rude," Metella told them, "She's ever such a good girl. But when the gods speak through her..." she sighed, unwrapping a cloth from her daughter's arm.
"What's wrong with her arm?" Donna frowned, seeing a grayish patch on the girl's skin.
"An irritation of the skin. She never complains, bless her. We bathe it in olive oil every night."
"What is it?"
"Evelina said you'd come from far away. Please, have you ever seen anything like it?"
Donna ran her finger along Evelina's arm, the Professor doing the same, scanning it.
"It's stone," Donna gasped.
"Not just any stone," the Professor replied before turning and walking out of the room. If this was what she thought it was…they would be in trouble, she had to see the Doctor first, get a sample of the dust he'd found in the hypocaust he'd gone to examine to confirm.
She found him and Quintus about to sneak out of the house, "Doctor," she called.
He turned around, "Ah, Professor," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial of the dust, "What do you make of this?"
He sprinkled some into the palm of her hand and she rubbed it between her fingers, "Pyrovile," she replied.
He nodded, "Listen, stay here with Donna and the family, keep an eye out on them and…"
"I'm going with you."
"Prof…"
"Dealing with Pyroviles you will need all the backup you can get," she explained matter-of-factly, not about to leave his side when facing such an enemy, "And Lucius Petrus Dextrus is hiding something."
He eyed her a moment, seeing her determination, before nodding and they headed out behind Quintus, lit torch in hand, as he led them through the streets of Pompeii. They had walked only a short distance before stopping outside one window, "Don't tell my dad," the boy pleaded.
"Only if you don't tell ours," the Doctor looked around for a way in when the Professor simply leapt onto a barrel, shoved the window open, and jumped inside.
The Doctor had to let out a whistle at her moves before following, it seemed her grace followed her even into this body.
He squinted at the dark room, the only light coming from the hypocaust, "Pass me that torch," he called out to Quintus. He took the torch, looking around.
"Perimeter secured at the moment," the Professor responded, seeing him trying to check that no one was around. it was why she had gone in first, she could better assess the surroundings, make sure there was no danger before he entered. He nodded and moved to look behind a curtain for something, handing the torch back to Quintus as soon as the boy had hopped in. He pulled down the curtain to reveal more circuits sitting there.
"The liar," Quintus hissed, "He told my father it was the only one."
"Well..." the Doctor slipped on his specs, "Plenty of marble merchants in this town. Tell them all the same thing, get all the components from different places so no one can see what you're building."
"Which is what?"
"The future…" a voice said from behind them. They spun around to see Lucius standing there, "We are building the future as dictated by the gods."
~8~
The Doctor stood by the Professor, both working on setting the circuits up in the right order, trying to find out what the parts were for, "Put this one...there…" the Doctor muttered, "This one...there. Uh...I'll keep that one upside down. What have you got?" he stepped back.
"Enlighten me," Lucius replied.
"What? The soothsayer doesn't know?"
"The seed may float on the breeze in any direction."
"Yeah, I knew you were gonna say that."
"It's an energy converter," the Professor replied.
"An energy converter of what?" Lucius eyed her.
"Don't know," the Doctor grinned, "Isn't that brilliant? I love not knowing, keeps me on my toes," he moved to stand beside Lucius as the Professor examined the circuits closely, "It must be awful, being a prophet. Waking up every morning, 'Is it raining? Yes, it is. I said so.' Takes all the fun out of life. But who designed this, Lucius? Hmm? Who gave you these instructions?"
"I think you've babbled long enough."
"Lucius, really, tell me honestly. We're on your side. We can help."
"You insult the gods! There can be only one sentence. At arms!" Lucius's guards entered and the Doctor backed away, pulling off his glasses, his hand grabbing the Professor's arm to keep her from pulling her gun as she turned around.
"Oh, morituri te salutant."
"Celtic prayers won't help you now."
"But it was them, sir," Quintus pleaded, "They made me do it. Sir Dextrus, please don't…"
"Come on now, Quintus..."
"Dignity in death," the Professor cut in, "I respect your victory, Lucius," she stepped forward, out of the Doctor's hold, and held out a hand to Lucius, "Would you shake the hand of those you conquered?" Lucius stared at it. Suddenly she lunged forward and grabbed his right arm, pulling it off entirely, revealing it to be stone.
"But he's..." Quintus breathed.
"Show me," the Doctor turned to Lucius, just a bit startled that he hadn't noticed that.
Lucius threw back his cloak, exposing his stump of a stone arm, "The work of the gods."
"He's stone!" Quintus gaped.
"'Armless enough, though," the Doctor laughed. The Professor half threw the arm back to Lucius to distract him and they ran, "Quintus!" Quintus threw the torch at one of the guards and clambered out the window, past the Professor who crouched on the side of it, her blaster aimed back, covering the Doctor as he flashed the sonic at the circuits, knocking them over, "Out! Out! Out! Hurry!" they jumped into the street and ran down it, "Run!" they ran as fast as they could, down various streets, till they slowed, stopping, not hearing guards after them. The Doctor looked back, "No sign of 'em. Nice little bit of Allons-y. I think we're alright."
"But his arm, Doctor…" Quintus shook his head, "Is that what's happening to Evelina?"
Suddenly there was a loud booming noise, echoing down the road.
"What's that?" the Doctor looked up.
"The mountain?" Quintus suggested.
"No," the Professor shook her head, "It's closer…" the thudding continued, getting louder, "They're footsteps."
"It can't be…"
"Footsteps underground!" the Doctor nodded.
"What is it? What is it?"
"Run," the Professor stated and they ran, various vents blowing their tops along the way.
~8~
"Caecilius!" the Doctor shouted as they ran into the villa, "All of you, get out!"
"Doctor, what is it?" Donna ran into the room.
"I think we're being followed," the grille over the hypocaust blew into the air, "Just get out!"
He tried to herd everyone out the door as the ground beneath the hypocaust started to crack and a growling sounded. Everyone froze as a creature made of stone and magma forced its way through the floor.
"The gods are with us," Evelina gasped.
"Water!" the Professor turned to them, "We need water!"
"Quintus!" the Doctor spun as well, "All of you, get water! Donna!"
Donna, Quintus, the Professor, and a few servants ran around the room, looking for things to scoop the water up with.
"Blessed are we to see the gods," one of the servants gaped, approaching the creature which simply breathed fire onto him, burning him to ash.
"Talk to me!" the Doctor shouted, walking forward with his hands up, "That's all I want! Talk to me. Don't hurt these people. Talk to me. I'm the Doctor."
The creature prepared to breathe fire on him when Quintus and the Professor ran forward and threw an urn and vase full of water onto the creature. It screamed, freezing up, before falling to the ground, crumbling to pieces.
"What was it?" Caecilius gasped.
"Carapace of stone..." the Professor replied, "Held together by internal magma."
"Not too difficult to stop," the Doctor nodded.
"That was merely a foot soldier," the Professor reminded him.
"You bring bad luck into this house," Metella glared at them.
The Professor rounded on her, eyes narrowed, "Your son was brilliant. You should thank him."
Metella looked a bit shocked at the woman's words but ran to her son's side and hugged him tightly.
"Still...guess there are aliens at work in Pompeii and it's a good thing we stayed," the Doctor remarked, looking at the Professor, that was the first time she took an interest in someone else, enough to speak up for them, which reminded him...
"Donna!" he looked around, only to see her missing, "Donna? Donna?"
~8~
"…have eyes in the back of your head by the time I finish with you!" the Doctor and Professor heard Donna shout as they reached the Temple of the Sibyl, "Let me...go!"
"This prattling will cease...forever!" one of the priestesses of the Sibylline lifted a dagger above her head, about to strike, when a hand caught her wrist.
"Oh, that'll be the day," the Doctor remarked, watching as the Professor shoved the woman back, making her stumble.
The priestess looked between the woman, who was now blasting the ropes that held Donna with a strange device that shot light out of it, and the man, just grinning at them, "No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sibyl."
"Oh, that's alright, just us girls," he walked down the steps towards them, "Do you know, the Professor and I, we met the Sibyl once. Hell of a woman. Blimey, she could dance a tarantella. Truth be told, I think she had a bit of a thing for me. I said it wouldn't work, I mean, give up the Professor? She said, 'I know.' Well, she would," he stopped by the altar as Donna pushed herself up, rubbing her wrists, "You alright there?"
"Oh, never better," she replied sarcastically.
"I like the toga," he eyed her change of clothing, amused.
"Thank you. And the ropes?" she held up the frayed remains.
"Eh, not so much."
The priestess looked on, shocked, as the woman jumped off the altar, freed of her restraints, "What magic is this?" she eyed the Professor's blaster as she put it back in its holster.
"Let me tell you about the Sibyl..." the Doctor turned to her, leaning back against the altar, the Professor beside him, watching the priestesses, "The founder of this religion. She would be ashamed of you. All her wisdom and insight turned sour. Is that how you spread the word, eh? On the blade of a knife?"
"Yes...a knife that now welcomes you!" the priestess raised her knife moving to strike when the Professor shoved past the Doctor and grabbed the woman's left arm with her left hand, pushing it to the side as she moved to jab her arm with her right hand.
The priestess screamed and gripped her now broken arm, dropping the knife as she staggered back.
The Doctor's eyes widened at the violent move from the Professor when the other priestesses moved to attack them as well when...
"Show me this man and woman," a raspy voice called from behind them, stopping the priestesses who quickly moved to kneel on the ground. The trio looked back at a sheer curtain, behind which a figure was seated.
"High Priestess, the strangers would defy us!" the priestess half moaned, gritting her teeth as she cradled her arm.
"Let me see. These two are different. They carry starlight in their wake."
"Ah, very perceptive," the Doctor replied, shaking himself out of his shock, now was not the time. The three of them walked towards the curtain, "Where do these words of wisdom come from?"
"The gods whisper to me."
"Oh, they've done far more than that. Ah, might we beg audience, look upon the High Priestess?"
The curtains parted and Donna gasped, "Oh my God! What's happened to you?"
The High Priestess sat on a bed, her body nearly entirely stone, "The heavens have blessed me."
"If we might…" the Doctor motioned like he wanted to step closer. She raised her arm and he and the Professor stepped closer, touching it.
'Pyrovile as well,' the Professor confirmed.
"Does it hurt?" the Doctor looked up at the High Priestess.
"It is necessary," she replied.
"Who told you that?"
"The voices."
"Is that what's happening to Evelina?" Donna looked around, "Is this what's gonna happen to all of you?"
The priestess swallowed hard and stepped closer to Donna, her eyes on the Professor though as the woman had turned to watch her, cautious. She held up her right arm, her unbroken arm, to reveal it was turning to stone, "The blessings are manifold."
"They're stone…" Donna breathed, touching the woman's arm.
"Exactly," the Doctor stood up and they walked back to Donna, the priestess stepping quickly back, away from the Professor, "The people of Pompeii are turning to stone before the volcano erupts. But why?"
"This word..." the High Priestess remarked, "This image in your mind, this 'volcano,' what is that?"
"More to the point, why don't you know about it? Who are you?"
"High Priestess of the Sibylline."
"No, no, no, no. I'm talking to the creature inside you. The thing that's seeding itself into a human body, in the dust in the lungs...taking over the flesh and turning it into...what?"
"Your knowledge is impossible."
"Oh, but you can read my mind. You know it's not. I demand you tell me who you are!"
"We...are...awakening!" her voice began to echo with another's.
"The voice of the gods!" the priestess gasped.
"Words of wisdom, words of power," the sisters started to chant, "Words of wisdom, words of power."
"Name yourself," the Professor stepped up, wanting confirmation to her scanning, "Planet of origin, galactic coordinates, species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation."
"We...are...rising!" the High Priestess rasped.
"Tell us your name!" the Doctor demanded.
"Pyrovile!"
"Pyrovile," the sisters changed, "Pyrovile."
"What's a Pyrovile?" Donna frowned.
"Well, that's a Pyrovile..." the Doctor nodded at the High Priestess, "Growing inside her. She's at the halfway stage."
"Well, and that turns into?"
"The creature from the villa was an adult Pyrovile," the Professor replied.
"And the breath of a Pyrovile will incinerate you, Doctor and Professor!" the High Priestess roared.
"I warn you...I'm armed," the Doctor stepped forward, pulling out a water pistol as the Professor grabbed her blaster, training it on the sisters should they attack from behind, "Donna, get that grille open."
"What are..." Donna began.
"Just..." he jerked his head towards the hypocaust and she ran over to it, the Professor backing up to stand between her and the sisters, giving her cover as well as keeping an eye on the Doctor, "What are the Pyrovile doing here?"
"We fell from the heavens," the High Priestess replied, "We fell so far and so fast we were rendered into dust."
"Right…"
"Creatures of stone shatter on impact," the Professor called.
"When was that, seventeen years ago?"
"We have slept beneath for thousands of years," the High Priestess told them.
"Okay, so seventeen years ago woke you up and now you're using human bodies to reconstitute yourself, but why the psychic powers?"
"We opened their minds and found such gifts."
"Forcing yourself inside a human brain and using the latent psychic talent to bond," the Professor remarked, "Does not give you the ability to see the future, see though time. That is far beyond psychic."
The Doctor nodded, "Where does the gift of prophecy come from?"
"I got it!" Donna called.
"Now get down!" he ordered, moving back towards her and the Professor.
"What, down there?"
"Yes, down there!" he called to her before focusing on the High Priestess, "Why can't this lot predict the volcano? Why is it being hidden?"
"Sisters, I see into his mind!" the wounded priestess called, "The weapon is harmless."
"Yeah, but it's got a sting!" he squirted the High Priestess with the water, making her moan in pain, "Get down there!"
Donna jumped through the opening, followed by the Doctor, who had been half shoved down there when he tried to get the Professor to go before him, and finally the Professor herself, landing nimbly in a crouch and standing quickly.
"You fought her off with a water pistol!" Donna pushed herself up, "I bloody love you."
"This way," the Doctor got up as well, heading off.
"Where are we going now?"
"Into the volcano."
"No way."
"Yes way," he twirled the pistol, "Appian way," he led them through the tunnels, towards the heart of Vesuvius, the Professor with her blaster out and ready as was the Doctor's water pistol.
"But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it alright?" Donna asked them, "For you to stop it?"
"Still a part of history," the Professor replied.
"Well, I'm history too. You saved me in 2008. You saved us all. Why is that different?"
"Some things are fixed, some things are in flux. Pompeii is fixed."
"How do you know which is which?"
"Because that is how we see the Universe," the Professor stopped and turned to her, "That is how we are taught to see it. What is, what was, what could be, what must not."
"That's the burden of the Time Lords, Donna," the Doctor nodded sadly, "We're the only ones left."
"How many people died?" Donna called as they turned to walk on.
"Stop it!"
"How many people died?" she demanded and they stopped.
"Twenty thousand," the Professor replied.
"Is that what you can see, Professor? All twenty thousand?"
"Yes."
"And you think that's alright, do you?"
There was a screech, cutting off the Professor's reply.
"They know we're here!" the Doctor looked back, "Come on!" they ran down the tunnels, barely avoiding pockets of flame, till they reached a large cavern with Pyroviles walking around, "It's the heart of Vesuvius. We're right inside the mountain."
"There's tons of 'em," Donna breathed.
"What's that thing?" he pulled out a small collapsible telescope, looking through it at a small door across the way.
"Well, you'd better hurry up and think of something. Rocky IV's on its way."
"That's how they arrived..." the Doctor muttered, spotting the interior of a ship, he handed the scope to the Professor, "Or what's left of it. Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene bank?"
"Escape pod," the Professor replied, collapsing the telescope and handing it back.
"But why do they need a volcano?" Donna wondered, "Maybe...it erupts and they launch themselves back in space or something."
"No, it's worse that that," the Doctor shook his head.
"How can it be worse?" Donna asked as a Pyrovile roared, "It's getting closer."
"Heathens!" someone shouted. They looked up to see Lucius standing higher up in the cavern, "Defilers! They would desecrate your temple, my lord gods!"
"Come on!" the Doctor shouted and they ran across the cavern.
"We can't go in!" Donna called.
"We can't go back!" he countered.
"Crush them!" Lucius ordered, "Burn them!" they stopped as a Pyrovile rose in front of them. The Doctor pulled out his water pistol and fired, making the creature shy away before they ran on, "There is nowhere to run, Doctor...Professor…and daughter of London!"
The Doctor stopped in front of the pod and turned to Lucius, "Now then, Lucius. My lord Pyrovillian...don't get yourselves in a lava," he looked at Donna and the Professor, "In a lava...no?"
"No," Donna shook her head as the Professor just looked on expressionless.
"No," he agreed, "But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods before we perish...once this new race of creatures is complete...then what?"
"My masters will follow the example of Rome itself, an almighty empire," Lucius replied, "Bestriding the whole of civilization."
"But if you've crashed...and you've got all this technology, why don't you just go home?" Donna asked.
"The heaven of Pyrovillia is gone."
"What do you mean 'gone?'" the Doctor frowned, "Where's it gone?"
"It was taken. Pyrovillia is lost. But there is heat enough in this world for our new species to rise."
"Yeah, I should warn you, it's 70 percent water out there."
"Water can boil and everything will burn, Doctor!"
"Then the whole planet is at stake," he sighed, putting away the water pistol, "Thank you, that's all we needed to know. Donna!"
He pushed her into the pod, he and the Professor following after as he soniced the door shut.
"Could we be any more trapped?" Donna remarked as the door behind her grew hotter, "Little bit hot…"
"The energy converted takes the lava and uses the power to create a fusion matrix which welds Pyrovile to human," the Professor explained, examining the equipment in the pod.
"Now it's complete, they can convert millions," the Doctor realized.
"Well, can you change it...with these controls?" Donna asked.
"'Course we can, but don't you see?" he looked at her, "That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano. There is no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyroviles are stealing all its power. They're gonna use it to take over the world."
"But you can change it back."
"Well, we can avert the system, so the volcano will blow them up, yes, but...that's the choice, Donna. It's Pompeii or the world."
"Oh my God…"
"If Pompeii is destroyed, then it's not just history, it's us. We make it happen."
"But the Pyrovile are made of rock. Maybe they can't be blown up."
"Vesuvius explodes with the force of 24 nuclear bombs," the Professor replied as she got to work on the equipment with the Doctor, "Nothing can survive it."
"Certainly not us," the Doctor added.
"Never mind us," Donna remarked.
The Professor was silent, the pod would keep them safe, she knew, they would survive.
The Doctor took a step back and looked at the lever, "Push this lever and it's all over. Twenty thousand people."
He stood there, unwilling to be responsible for so many deaths, for so much destruction.
"Twenty thousand or a few billion, it makes no difference," the Professor stepped up, "It is a fixed point."
She pulled the lever.
And the mountain exploded.
They were thrown about instantaneously, crashing into the sides of the pod as the heat blazed around them.
And suddenly...it stopped with an almighty jolt, the door behind them opening to reveal daylight.
They stepped out and looked back to see the volcano had erupted and took off for the city.
~8~
Ash fell everywhere like a dark snow as they reached the streets, the light fading to darkness as the smoke blocked the sun. They ran through the market place, trying to make their way back to the TARDIS amidst the chaos of the people panicking, unknowing of what was going on.
"Don't!" Donna shouted to whoever would listen, "Don't go to the beach! Don't go to the beach, go to the hills! Listen to me! Don't go to the beach, it's not safe! Listen to me..." she turned to see a little boy, crying, and ran over to him, "Come here."
A woman ran past, snatching him away, "Give him to me!"
Donna stood there in shock, in tears, devastated, till the Doctor grabbed her hand, "Come on."
They ran back the rest of the way, dashing into Caecilius's villa to see the family huddled together by the back wall.
"Gods save us, Doctor!" Caecilius called.
The Doctor stared at them a moment before the Professor grabbed his arm and pulled him to the TARDIS.
"You can't!" Donna shouted, running after them, "Professor! Doctor, you can't!" she ran into the TARDIS, seeing them already at the console, preparing to disappear, "You can't just leave them!"
"Don't you think we've done enough?" the Doctor snapped, "History's back in place and everyone dies."
"You've got to go back! Doctor, I am telling you, Professor…take this thing back!"
The Doctor released the brake and the TARDIS disappeared.
"It's not fair," she wept.
"No, it's not," he agreed.
"But your own planet…it burned."
The Professor closed her eyes a moment before opening them and focusing on the controls.
"That's just it," the Doctor nearly snapped, "Don't you see, Donna? Can't you understand? If we could go back and save them then we would, but we can't. We can never go back! I can't! I just...can't!" he sighed, "We can't."
"Just someone," Donna begged, "Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone."
The Doctor looked at her a moment before turning to the Professor. She closed her eyes again, thinking hard, going over all she'd learned as an Academic about this point in time, "There are writings and ledger books of one Caecilius of Rome, successful in trade with the Egyptians."
The Doctor nodded and flipped a switch, that was all he needed. The TARDIS reappeared back in Caecilius's villa. He ran to the door and held out his hand, "Come with us."
Caecilius reached out and grasped it…
~8~
The Doctor, Professor, Donna, and Caecilius with his family stood, watching from the hills above Pompeii as it was slowly covered in ash, smoke, and fire. The family and Donna watched with tears in their eyes while the Doctor looked on sadly, the Professor merely 'at ease,' watching, expressionless.
"It is never forgotten, Caecilius," the Doctor offered that small comfort, "Oh time will pass, men will move on, and stories will fade, but one day...Pompeii will be found again...in thousands of years...and everyone will remember you."
"What about you, Evelina?" Donna asked, "Can you see anything?"
She shook her head, "The visions have gone."
"The explosion was so powerful, it cracked open a rift in time," the Professor explained, "Which gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative."
The Doctor nodded, "But not anymore. You're free."
"But tell me..." Metella looked over at him and the Professor, "Who are you, Doctor, Professor...with your words...and your temple containing such size within?"
"Oh, we were never here. Don't tell anyone."
"The great go Vulcan must be enraged," Caecilius remarked, "It's so volcanic. It's like some sort of...volcano…" his voice broke, "All those people..."
The Professor turned and walked back into the TARDIS, leaving the Doctor and Donna to cast one more look at the family before following.
"Thank you," Donna said quietly as they took off once more.
"Yeah," the Doctor paused, glancing at the Professor, who was focused on piloting, before turning back to Donna, "You were right. Sometimes we need someone. Welcome aboard."
"Yeah."
They smiled.
~8~
The Doctor stood, watching the Professor as she worked on the console, bringing up readings on Pompeii and Caecilius and his family. It was just the two of them as Donna had gone to bed after an emotional day.
He eyed her, knowing instinctively that something was wrong but not wanting to say anything. He wanted to be angry with her, wanted to yell at her for how she had broken someone's arm without a second thought, for how easily she had pulled the lever, but...this version of her was far more closed off. If he raised his voice, she would pull away from him entirely, if he said anything of his suspicions she would close herself off all the more and no matter what he thought or felt, he would not let that happen. He had to wait till she was ready to talk.
"I don't want to be like this," she admitted after a few more minutes of his silent observation, knowing he was concerned for her and choosing, with much deliberation, to…share. It was hard to express herself in words now, she knew it, she remembered how she had been before. And that was the problem wasn't it?
She knew that it hurt the Doctor terribly when she pulled away from him, when she avoided his touch, and she loathed herself for doing that to him. But it was a natural reaction now. For an entire year, the only touch she'd received had been from the Master or his guards beating her. It seemed, now, she associated touch with that pain. As soon as anyone touched her she would tense in wait for it, even with the Doctor, though her body seemed to recognize his presence and relax even slightly when he touched her.
She knew it hurt him for her to be closed off, both in their mental connection as well as emotionally. But she just couldn't seem to open up without enormous effort. Her last body had been so scared all the time, had depended on the Doctor for strength and protection. There had been so many times he could have gotten hurt, times he had gotten hurt, because she had been too scared to do anything. But not this body. This one was strong, strong enough to protect him, strong enough to break someone's arm to keep him safe. And she would, she would do anything to protect him, whether from physically being harmed or emotionally, do things so he wouldn't have to, terrible things, like burning Pompeii to the ground. And it was even worse because this body...
"Like what?" he asked, halting her thoughts as he walked over to her, leaning against the console beside the monitor as she kept her gaze firmly fixed on the information.
"I don't want to be able to stand there and watch an entire civilization burn and not feel anything. I don't want to be the cause of it and not feel any sort of guilt about it."
It was even worse because this body didn't feel guilty at all.
In her mind, it was a fixed point. It had to happen, it always happened and it always would happen. It did not matter how it happened so long as it did. Twenty thousand innocent people had just died, burned to death, because of her and all she thought as she watched it happening was that time had been restored. Donna's words, hearing of how her home had burned like Pompeii, it had reminded her of how she had been during the war and one thing had carried over from her last life was that she did NOT want to be that person again, but there she was...on that path once more...
He nodded, "We carry things over from our last lives to this one," he remarked softly, recalling what he'd told her last time, "But there's nothing so bad we can't overcome it with time. And you know I'll help you," he frowned, seeing the barest hint of a flicker of something in her eyes, "You do know I'll help…don't you?"
She tensed a moment and he waited for her to put words to her feelings, "I'm…I fear…" her jaw tensed, it was even harder to admit that particular emotion than any other, "You'll leave…again," she took a breath, best say it all now that she'd begun, "Because of how I am now."
He shook his head, "Kata...Kata look at me," she didn't move. He reached out gently and turned her cheek to make her face him, "I will never ever leave you again Kata," his eyes held such promise that she didn't doubt him, "No matter what. No matter what you do or what you become, I will never leave you. I made that mistake once already, never agian," and with that, he pulled her into a tight hug, "Not ever."
She stiffened for a moment but accepted the hug, relaxing to what seemed to be her usual tense stance.
She didn't hug back…but she hadn't avoided it or pushed him away either.
It was a start.
A/N: Makes you wonder doesn't it, if she was willing to pull that lever to preserve a fixed point...what will happen on Mars? Hmmm...
And...wow...I swear you guys are reading my mind about things to possibly come! I've gotten really great questions and comments from all of you that have really inspired me. I've been agonizing over trying to work out how to add Keta scenes without straying too OOC for the new Professor, and you guys have seriously inspired quite a few scenes to come :) The next chapter will see a bit of Donna breaking through to the Professor as well as a hint of her musical talents returning...
BTW, HOLY COW! 28 reviews for the first two chapters alone! I nearly died. You've officially BEATEN my record for the first and second chapters of both Recuperation and Reunion...COMBINED! Not to mention nearly reached half of all the reviews of the 11 chapter Reunion! You guys ROCK! I actually did Adam's little happy dance (The Almost People) when I saw that, you made me THAT happy! Honestly, I've got 4 finals in the next three days and I don't think this grin I have is going to disappear even with them looming! Seriously, words CANNOT express what I'm feeling...so I'm going to have to go with virtual fezzes for all of you! OMG! ^-^
As for a few questions you guys had, I'm going to try and answer some of them as best I can without giving away too much...
One reviewer asked about the Doctor/River bowtie/rope wedding tradition and why the Professor and Doctor didn't do something similar. I completely forgot about that! So awesome point! For this story, I'm going to make that tradition one that is done for the Unions, more like a handfasting ceremony (since the Unions are like weddings, that would be like exchanging the rings). It is slightly symbolic but not at all as deep as a Bonding.
Another commented on why others can't see the Professor's blaster. She's put a perception filter on it (Love those!) so no one can really 'see' it till it's basically being held between their eyes lol.
And one more reviewer wondered what will come with the meta-crisis Doctor...not going to say too much on that, but there is a pretty big twist in that chapter. I'll give a hint to that at the end of the Stolen Earth chapter though :)
One final reviewer wondered about Rose's return...I'll be saying quite a bit more about that come Turn Left.
And just a note from a review at the end of Recuperation which asked what regeneration the Professor is on, this is her 10th. Lol, 10&10 together :)