It's A Doomsday Situation ...
bonsoir! Finally, Doomsday. At long last, I hear some of you say. :)
it's a long chapter and I've tried to keep it as compact as possible. Which didn't really work.
Any sections that have been missed out is because they are exactly as they are in the episode/not relevent
to my AU story. Jackie and Pete are not in this deliberately- I didn't forget them, or anything. Warning; some cursing invloved.
"Daleks!"
The four aliens stopped in their path, stalks moving from one human face to another for the source of the voice. Which turned out to be the female.
"You're called Daleks. How can that be? A human that knows your name. And the Time War," Rose said, shrugging off the white lab coat. "If you wanna know how I know this, then keep me and my friends alive, that's all I ask."
"Yeah, Daleks, Time War," Mickey added, pointing his gun at the four Daleks.
"Yeah, me too," Rajesh said.
One of the Daleks - who was clearly the leader - swivelled around, facing Rose. "You will be necessary," it said, and swivelled back around to another Dalek. "What is the status of the Genesis Ark?" it asked.
"Status - hibernation," it replied.
"I thought you killed all the Daleks when you opened the TARDIS," Mickey whispered to Rose.
"I did, but never mind that - what in the name of God is a Genesis Ark?"
"Why you lookin' at me, I have no idea."
"There is only one person who'd know and he's ... well, God knows, really," Rose said, sighing.
"Fat lot of help you two are," Mickey joked, nudging Rose.
"Oi, I stopped them from killing us straight away, did I?" Rose retorted.
"Yeah, you did."
"But I do get the feeling that even if I hadn't said that, they wouldn't have killed us anyway. They need us for something, and that something has got to do with that Gensis Ark," Rose deduced, reminding herself of that time back in Dame Kelly Holmes Close. So long ago, now. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, and sighed.
The Cybermen were definitely taking over the world. Undoubtably.
The Doctor didn't fancy being a Cyberman. It didn't look as though it was the comfiest metal suit in the universe. Even the metal skin - he wouldn't want that. He still hadn't been ginger yet.
"You will talk to your central world authority and order surrender," a Cyberman said to Yvonne, who for her credit, answered back without a hint of fear.
"Do some research, you hunk of metal, we don't have a central world authority."
"You have now. I will speak on all global wavelengths," the Cyberman said, before turning to a camera. "This message is for human kind ..."
The Doctor tuned him out, putting on his 3D specs. As some would call them. But in reality, they allowed him to see the background radiation that came with coming through the void. He whipped them off quickly, though, at the sight of what was happening in London below. Yvonne turned as well, gasping. The whole of London seemed ablaze - people were bombing, shooting, physically resisiting the Cybermen authority. The Cyberman joined them.
"I ordered surrender."
"They're not taking instructions," the Doctor said incredulusly, before he started to get angry. "Don't you understand? You're in their streets, in their homes. You've got their children! Of course they're gonna fight. And on that fighting note, I'm going to see Rose, and no Torchwood nor Cyberman can stop me," the Doctor finished off dramatically, and would have been an astounded victory if he hadn't suddenly been surrounded by Cybermen, and escape routes or plans of action foiled. He sighed in defeat. "Worth a try, though," he added sheepishly, not trying anything brash - these monsters would delete him without a second thought and he didn't fancy leaving Rose to become a Cyberman. Jackie might just kill him for that.
Back in the Sphere Chamber, things weren't faring any bettter.
"Which of you is the least important?" the head Dalek asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose said.
"Which of you is least important?" the Dalek repeated his question.
"Nah, you see, we don't work like that," Rose said angrily. "None of us."
"Designate the least important!" the Dalek demanded.
"This is my responsiblity," Rajesh said suddenly. He'd been so quiet Rose had forgotten he was there.
"No, don't!" she said, trying to hold him back. Rajesh ignored her and stood before the Dalek.
"I represente the Torchwood Institute ... leave those two alone. You deal with me and me only."
"You will kneel," Dalek Sec said, as two other Daleks glided forward. One stayed to attend to the Gensis Ark.
"What for?" Rajesh asked.
"Kneel! The Daleks need information about current Earth history."
"Well, I can tell you anything but nothing that will comprimise Home Land security," Rajesh rambled, before being cut off by Dalek Sec.
"Speech is not necessary," he screeched. Rajesh looked confused and fearful. "We will extract brainwaves."
"You don't need ... I'll tell you anything you need ... no, no!" Rajesh screamed his final word as the Dalek plungers crushed his skull. Rose dug her head into Mickey's shoulder to aviod looking, feeling terribly sick for the second time that day. At least this time she had a feeling she wasn't going to be sick.
Eventually the Daleks let Rajesh's corpse fall to the ground. Mickey drew it away and tucked it in a corner out of respect for the dead man.
"His mind spoke of a second species invading Earth under the supersition of ghosts."
"Yeah, well, you didn't need to kill him to find that out!" Rose said angrily, pointing at the place where Rajesh had landed.
"Neither did we need him alive. You have knowledge of the Time War. You will be kept alive," Dalek Sec turned to Dalek Thay. "Dalek Thay - investigate outside."
"I obey," Dalek Thay said, gliding away.
"Scans detect unknown technology active within Sphere Chamber," a Cybermen suddenly said, and the Doctor's hearts skipped a beat. Rose?
"Cybermen shall investigate," another said, and talked to two others. "Units 1066 and 1066 will investigate."
"We obey." They chorused, and walked away briskly.
It was a few minutes before the Cybermen reported back. "Open visual link," the one standing beside the Doctor said. The area of the corridor beside the Sphere Chamber appeared on the screen of Yvonne's laptop, and they all gathered around to watch. A Dalek glided into view, and the Doctor drew in a sharp breath that caught Yvonne's attention. Rose had said earlier 'it couldn't be worse than Daleks' and it was - Daleks were there. This made him worry more for Rose.
"Identify yourselves," Dalek Thay said, plunger on Cybermen.
"You will identify first," one of the Cybermen answered back.
"Daleks do not take orders!"
"You have identified as Daleks," the Cyberman said.
"Outline resembles the inferior species known as Cybermen."
The Doctor had had enough of this and from his suit jacket pocket withdrew the mobile phone Rose had persuaded him to buy. She had asked him to buy it incase of emergancy. Which turned out to be right now. He dialled Rose's number frantically, getting a few wrong in his hurry, and mashed the phone against his ear, willing for her to pick up. Finally she answered. The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief even though she didn't speak. He heard the remain Daleks talking through the phone.
"We must protect the Genesis Ark."
"The Genesis Ark?" the Doctor muttered to himself, slipping on his 3D specs and staring at the laptop once more. He did not hear the rest of the conversation until one sentence stood out.
"You propose an alliance?" Dalek Thay said, and the Doctor drew once again a worried breath.
"This is correct."
"Request denied."
"Hostile elements will be deleted," the Cybermen choursed. "Open visual link." It turned around. "Daleks be warned: You have declared war upon the Cybermen."
"This is not war, this is pest control."
"We have five million Cybermen, how many are you?"
"Four."
"You would would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks!?"
"We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek. You are only superior in only one respect."
"What is that?"
"You are better at dying." In retort, the Cybermen aimed their lasers at the Daleks; but the Dalek's laser brought both of them down in three seconds flat.
"Quarentine the Sphere Chamber. Start emergancy upgrade. Begin with these personnel," the lead Cyberman said, pushing Yvonne in front of him. He went to grab the Doctor to but he was held back. "This ones increased aldreneline suggests he has vital Dalek information."
Yvonne got lead away kicking and screaming, yelling something about doing her duty. It would be the last time she would ever be human, but if he was being frank, the Doctor had bigger fish to fry than Yvonne Hartman; Rose was quarentined in a chamber with four Daleks. Not exactly the type of doomsday situation the Doctor was happy with - not that he was really happy with any doomsday situation, but Rose and Daleks in the same room was his worst nightmare.
"Raise communications barrier!" Dalek Jast said, before stopping. "Wait! Rewind image by nine rells."
The Doctor's image, pacing on the screen, came into view. Rose couldn't help the smile that came over her face. They hadn't killed him, he was still alive!
The Daleks zoomed in on him. "This male registers as enemy," Dalek Jast said.
Dalek Sec whirled around to face Rose. "The female's heartbeat has increased."
"Tell me about it," Mickey said, as Rose flushed and gently elbowed him.
"You will idenitify the male."
"All right then ... if you really wanna know?" Rose challenged. "He's the Doctor."
Rose smirked broadly as the Daleks drew back sharply. Even Mickey seemed impressed, and looked at Rose with a small amount of awe.
"Five million Cybermen? Easy. One Doctor? Now you're scared," she continued, the smirk never leaving her face.
Dalek Thay rolled forwards. "Cyber threat irrevelent," he squealed. "Concentrate on the Genesis Ark." The four Daleks once again left Rose and Mickey to tend to the Genesis Ark.
"Why are we being kept alive?" Mickey asked Rose quietly, so the Daleks could not hear.
"They might need me," Rose said, just as quietly.
"What? What is it? Why would they need you?"
Rose's only answer was to stare at the four Daleks fearfully. She wished the Doctor would get here soon - because it wasn't only herself she had to care for now.
The Doctor sat on a windowsill in silence, looking at the war-torn, tattered city that was once London. It would get back on it's feet again, if it survived. And the Dcotor would do anything in his power to do so. Jackie was still out there - and had phoned his phone eight times. He couldn't answer, that would have put her in danger; and even though the Doctor could kill Jackie Tyler sometimes, but she was still Rose's mother, and she had taken the alienation of her daughter remarkable well. Sometimes he could even imagine getting alone with her, as he did last time he was at the Tyler's. Jackie was slowly but surely warming to him, and he be damned if he was letting Jackie Tyler die on him. He once again pulled out his phone - again thanking Rose mentally for making him buy it - and dialled Jackie's number. It rang thirteen times before Jackie picked up, whispering into the phone.
"Doctor! Oh, my God, the ghosts aren't ghosts they're metal men - "
"Jackie! Jackie!" the Doctor said quietly, relief evident in his voice, into the phone to try and distract Jackie. "I know, they're Cybermen."
"Those things you met in the other world?" Jackie asked, remembering a distraught Rose telling her about Mickey going somewhere else to help fight these Cybermen things.
"Yeah."
"How's Rose? Is she safe? Can I speak to 'er?"
"She's fine. She's perfectly safe. You can't speak to her, I'm sorry. But she's safe as long as she with me," the Doctor said, only telling small white lies. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. I'm under the bed - the Zybermen things took Betty and Mike next door. They searched my house but they don't think anyone's in. So I'm sorta hidin' until you sort this out. You are gonna sort this out, aren't cha, Doctor?" Jackie demanded, but the fear of being caught by the Cybermen was clear in her voice.
"I will sort this out, Jackie. I give you my word," he said, turely sorry for what Jackie was going through. "I'm going to have to go, Jackie - "
"Don't go! Please! The Zybermen things will get me!"
"If I don't go, I'll never sort it out!" the Doctor said. "Right, stay where you are unless completely necessary. Please, Jackie, don't go outside, don't even move around the flat unless you absolutely have to. Don't go on the phone unless it's to me or Rose. Phone if anything happens. I'll sort all this mess out. I'll tell Rose you're all right."
"Thanks, Doctor. I don't think there is any more around 'ere, but I'll stay 'ere. Give my love to Rose. See ya soon." Jackie's voice was shaky.
"Bye, Jackie." the Doctor snapped his phone shut, holding it under his chin for a moment before glancing outside at London. The fact that Jackie was still alive gave him a little more incentative to fix this whole mess. He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't hear a Cyberman approach him, a considerable feat considering the weight of one.
"You are proof," it said, looking down at the Doctor.
"Of what?" the Doctor wasn't in the mood to talk. He wanted to find Rose.
"That emotions destroy you."
"Yeah, I am, I guess," the Doctor said, snorting lightly. "Mind you, I do like hope. Hope's a good emotion. And here it comes!" He finished his sentence as five figures appeared out of thin air, armed with guns; they immediately shot all the Cybermen in the room. The Doctor ducked and hid under Yvonne's desk as the Cyberman who was standing beside him got blashed into a million pieces.
One of the figures turned to the Doctor, who had straightened up. "Doctor - good to see you again." The Doctor looked on puzzled before the figure took off his helmet, and the Doctor gasped.
"Jake?" he said incredulusly. Jake was meant to be stuck on a parallel world, with Mickey and alternate Pete. And the Cybermen.
"The Cybermen crossed from our world into yours, and so can we," Jake said proudly, as the Doctor looked on, looking more concerned than pleased at Jake's arrival. The Doctor slipped on his 3D specs to assess the group. Jake looked to his team. "Defend this room. Chrissie, monitor communications. Kill one Cyberman and they just download into another. Move!" The group scattered obediantly.
The Doctor whipped off his glasses, staring at Jake. "You can't just - just - just hop from one world to another! You just can't!"
"We just did. With these." Jake held up circular, yellow buttons. "We have our own version of Torchwood. Wanna come see?"
"NO!" the Doctor said, and Jake took a step back. "Okay then," he said, putting the yellow button back into his jacket.
Around the same time, Mickey was showing Rose his yellow button.
"I could transport out of here, but it only carries one, and I'm not leaving you," he explained, as Rose turned the button over in her hands.
"You'd follow me anywhere, wouldn't you? What did I do to you all those years ago?"
"Guess I'm just stupid," Mickey shrugged.
"You're the bravest man I've ever met," Rose said, taking his hands in her own and squeezing them. They felt unfamiliar in her hands, hands used to the Doctor's touch now.
"What about the Doctor? He may be an alien but as far as I can tell he's still a man."
"Oh, all right - bravest human I've ever met," Rose amended. They smiled at each other before turning around to look at the Daleks, hard at work on the Genesis Ark.
"I can't think what the Daleks would need with me," Mickey said. "I'm nothin' to them."
"You could be ... whatever's inside that Ark is waking up. I've seen this happen before." Rose shivered. "First time I saw a Dalek, it was broken, dying. I touched it and ithat touch brought it back to life."
"Huh?" Mickey grunted, confused.
"When you travel in time in the TARDIS, you soak up all this ... background radiation. It's harmless, it's just sort of there. But during the Time War, the Daleks evolved so they could use this background radiation as a power supply."
"I love it when you talk technical," Mickey said, gazing at her.
"Shut up," Rose said sharply. "If the Daleks have got something in that Ark that needs waking up ... "
"They need you," Mickey finished.
"Either of us. You've travelled in time too."
"Why would they build something they can't open themselves?" Mickey asked. Dalek Sec suddenly span around, interjecting.
"The technology was stolen. The Ark is not of Dalek design."
After a few moments shock, Rose was the first to speak. "Who built it then?"
"The Time Lords. This is all that remains of their home world."
"What's in it?"
"The future."
Mickey and Rose looked at each other, then at the Daleks; they were spinning around the Genesis Ark. Both of their faces had fearful apprehention splashed across it. If this was Time Lord technology then this was much, much worse than they had thought.
"Now then Jakey-boy, if I can open up the bonding chamber on this thing, it could work on polycarbide." Jake nodded, but the expression on his face clearly stated that he didn't understand a word the Doctor was saying. He handed the gun over to the Doctor without a word.
"What's polycarbide?" Jake asked.
"The skin of a Dalek," the Doctor answered, smiling. He dropped the gun on the desk. "But there is something I have to do first ... " he trailed off, looking around the office for something. "Ah-ha!" he said finally, grabbing a piece of paper and sellotaped three pencils together, before sellotaping the sheet of A4 to the pencils. "I'm going to look for some Cybermen. Stay here and keep your head down. Allons-y!" the Doctor ran off, leaving a confused Jake staring at the spot where he'd been.
The Doctor found the two Cybermen around two minutes later, down four flights of stairs and around a corner. He hid behind the corner and stuck out the sheet off A4, waving it comically like a flag. "Sorry!" he said. The Cybermen noticed, and spun around the face them.
"No white flag. I could only find a sheet of A4. Same difference." he said, bouncing up and down on his heels.
The Cybermen held their fists before him, ready to shoot. "Do you surrender?" one of them said, not moving.
"I surrender, unto you," the Doctor said, walking to his was nose-to-nose with the Cyberman, "a very good idea." the Doctor beamed.
The Daleks were still spinning around the Genesis Ark ten minutes later. Mickey's arms were frankly getting sore, pointing this gun at them.
"Final stage of awakening," Dalek Caan said, making the two humans jump.
Dalek Sec turned to Rose. "Your handprint will open the Ark."
Rise crossed her arms over her chest. "Well tough, 'cos I'm not doing it."
Dalek Sec pointing the laser at Mickey. "Do it, or the male will die."
Rose immediately stepped forward to the Ark, no hesistation in her step. Even though she didn't love Mickey the way she had done, or maybe even in the way he loved her, she still couldn't bear to see him dead. Mickey tried to hold her back, but she pushed his arm away. "I can't let them."
"Rose, don't."
"Place your hand upon the casket," Dalek Sec repeated.
"All right!" Rose said violently. "You're going to kill us anyway, so what the hell?" Rose smiled slightly, before turning back to Dalek Sec and facing towards him. "But if you ... um ... escaped the Time War ... don't you wanna know what happened?"
"Place your hand - "
"What happened to the Emperor?" Rose said, cutting over the top of Dalek Sec.
"The Emperor survived?" Dalek Sec asked.
"'Til he met me ... 'cos if these are gonna be my last words, then you're gonna listen," she said, pointing at Dalek Sec's eyepiece. "I met the Emperor. And I took the Time Vortex and poured it into his head and turned him into dust. Did you get that? The God of all Daleks, and I destroyed him!" she gloated, smiling broadly at Dalek Sec.
"You will be exterminated!" Dalek Sec said furiously, pointing his laser at Rose, ready to fire.
"Oh now, hold on, wait a minute!" a new voice chimed, and all heads looked to the doorway, where the Doctor was standing, 3D specs on.
"Alert, alert - you are the Doctor," Dalek Sec said, abandoning Rose and turning towards the Doctor.
Rose beamed brightly as the Doctor strolled into the room, as if they weren't surrounded by four deadly Daleks. The Doctor beamed back.
"Sensors report he is unarmed," Dalek Thay said.
"That's me - always."
"Then you are powerless."
"Not me. Never!" the Doctor said, walking up to Rose. He gave her a hug, which she returned, before giving her a kiss. Mickey looked shocked for all of five miliseconds before jealously took over as the dominant emotion. He didn't act on it; now was not the time. Hopefully the Doctor would help them all out of this mess and Mickey could punch him then.
"How are you?" the Doctor asked after they pulled away.
"Ah, you know, same old," Rose replied, keeping an arm secured around his waist, as if to make sure he wasn't going anywhere.
"And Mickey-McMickey! Nice to see you," the Doctor said cheerily, as if he hadn't snogged Mickey's ex-girlfriend in front of him.
Mickey buried down the jealously to smile. "You too, boss," he said as they smashed fists like old friends.
"Social interaction will cease!" Dalek Sec said.
"Ohh, you spoilsport," the Doctor teased, but kept an arm around Rose's shoulder.
"How did you survive the Time War?"
"By fighting," the Doctor said, his face instantly turning solemn. Rose leaned into him, giving support. He looked down at her gratefully, but never said a word. "On the front line. I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Someday I might even come to terms with that. But you lot - ran away!"
"We had to survive." Dalek Sec answered the unasked question.
"Why? What makes you so special?"
"Doctor, they've got names," Rose said in a low voice, looking up at the Doctor. He caught her gaze. "Daleks don't have names, do they?"
"I am Dalek Thay."
"Dalek Sec."
"Dalek Jast."
"Dalek Caan."
"So that's it!" the Doctor said, seemingly delighted. "Finally ... the Cult of Skaro. I thought you were just a legend."
"Who are they?" Rose asked.
"A secret order. Cult-like, very select. Hence the name. They are - or were - above and beyond the Emperor himself. Their job was to imagine, to think as the enemy thinks. They even dared to have names, something the Daleks had never done." His expression turned from delight at finding the Cult to disgust. "All to find new ways of killing."
"But that thing, that Ark, they said it was yours. Time Lords'. What is it? What does it do?" Mickey asked impatiently.
"I don't know. Never seen it before."
"But it's ... Time Lord," Rose said in fustration, relflecting Mickey's view.
"Both sides had secrets," the Doctor said, looking down at Rose, before looking at the Daleks. "What is it? What have you done?" he asked them, his tone harsh and rough compared to the way he'd softly spoken to Rose.
"Time Lord science will restore Dalek supremacy."
"What's that supposed to mean? What sort of Time Lord science?"
"They said one touch from a time traveller would wake it up," Rose said softly.
"Technology using the only thing Daleks can't do. Touch. Trapped inside your casing, never touching, never feeling. From birth to death, locked inside a cold metal cage," the Doctor said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Completely alone. And that explains your voice. No wonder you scream." The Doctor knew he was taunting the Daleks.
"The Doctor will open the Ark!" Dalek Sec said, gliding towards him.
He threw back his head and laughed loudly, causing Rose to jerk slightly away, the shout being right in her ear. "The Doctor will not!" he said once he recovered, giving Rose a subtle squeeze in apology that Mickey didn't miss.
"You have no way of resisting," Dalek Sec said.
"Well ... you've got me there," the Doctor said, scratching behind his ear. "Although ... they is always this." he pulled out the sonic screwdriver from his inside pocket.
"A sonic probe?" Dalek Sec said, almost jeering.
"That's sonic screwdriver, actually," Rose butted in with a smile. The Doctor looked down at her affectionately.
"It is harmless," Dalek Sec annouced.
"Oh yes, it is harmless, that's why I like it," the Doctor said, spinning the sonic around in his fingers. "Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I'll tell you something - it is good, very good, at opening doors." With that statement said he activated the sonic screwdriver, and the doors immediately imploded inwards, and Jake and his team, with Cybermen, bounded in with guns. The Doctor, Rose and Mickey had thrown themselves on the floor to aviod the blast.
"Delete! Delete! Delete!" the Cybermen said as they fired lasers.
"Get yourself out of here!" the Doctor yelled at Mickey. "Keep your head down!" the Doctor threw himself over Rose to protect her from the lasers from Cybermen and Daleks alike, both shooting to kill.
"Fire power insufficant!" Dalek Sec said.
Mickey picked up a gun and started firing. The Doctor had got himself and Rose out the door and into the corridor.
"Mickey, come on!" Rose urged. Jake grabbed Mickey and headed for the door, but Mickey stumbled; Rose gasped as the Daleks' weaponry adapted and was starting to kill again. Mickey used the Genesis Ark to help himself up, leaving a handprint mark.
"Genesis Ark primed and mobile!" Dalek Sec said, as steam poured out the egdes of the Ark.
Mickey ran for the door as Jake and the Doctor pulled him through, the door closing seconds later, trapping the Cybermen and Daleks inside. Mickey winced in pain as he looked at his hand.
"I'm sorry I touched it, I just fell, I didn't mean it!"
"Mickey, you did us a favour," the Doctor said, still running with Rose hand clasped tightly in his. "If you hadn't done that they would have opened it by force, and that would mean blowing up the sun. So thanks! Now, run!" The team ran down a corridor until they got to a warehouse.
"I need something from in here. Now, everyone away, go and hide on the staircase."
"I'll stay and cover your back," Rose offered, and the Doctor nodded. Everyone else went upstairs.
"Right, on three," the Doctor said, and they counted down silently together. After they got to three, the Doctor threw himself threw the door, as Rose poked her head around. Daleks and Cybermen were battling it out, still.
The Doctor, keeping his head down, ran to the other side of the room and got to magnaclamps. He used them on the way back to deflect the Dalek's and Cyberman's rays from himself. Rose breathed a sigh on relief as he appeared safe, before tripping over a dead Cyberman. "Shit," she swore under her breath. "Come on, please!" He jumped up two seconds, wobbly grin on his face, and raced to the door.
"Here," he said, setting down the magnaclamps and resting his hands on his knees. "I've got to go back in. There were only three Cybermen left. They'll all be down now. I need to see what the Daleks are doing." He slipped the 3D specs on a peeped around the door, keeping inconspicuous. Rose slid her head under his, so they looked like floating heads.
"The Cybermen have been defeated," Dalek Sec annouced. "Override roof mechanism." The roof slide open, a quiet alarm buzzing.
"El-ev-ate."
"What are they doing? Why do they need to go outside?" Rose asked, alarmed.
"Time Lord science, they said, didn't they?" the Doctor asked, as Rose looked up at him and nodded. "What Time Lord science?" he took his 3D specs off. "What is it?"
Dalek Sec and the Ark elevated through the ceiling and out of view. The Doctor and Rose withdrew their heads, identical baffled expressions on their faces. They ran back and reached the rest of the group.
"Right! Top floor! Come on!" he said, bounding towards the stairs.
"I ain't doing forty-five floors. That'll kill me!" Mickey said, crossing his arms.
"We could always use the lift ... " Jake suggested, as the lift pinged.
All of them smiled at Jake and piled into the lift, to meet their fate at the top of Torchwood Tower.
The Doctor was first out the lift, and dumped the two magnaclamps on Yvonne's desk as he raced to the window. Everyone else wasn't far behind.
Dalek Sec and the Genesis Ark were level with the group. The Ark span around, as Dalek after Dalek shot out of it.
The Doctor had a horrifed expression on his face, and his voice matched. "Time Lord science ... it's bigger on the inside."
"Did the Time Lords put them in there? What for?" Mickey asked, so close to the window his breath steamed it up slightly.
"It's a prison ship," the Doctor answered. Without even asking, just by his voice, Rose could tell this wasn't good news. She slid her hand into his as a source of comfort, and she felt his squeeze on it slightly.
"How many Daleks?" she asked the inevitable.
The Doctor drew a deep breath before answering. "Millions."
"So, a little bit more than four, then?" Mickey joked, but a harsh glare from Rose shut him up fast.
"Yeah, a little more than four. But, I think, well, I have a vague idea ... more a sketchy plan, if I'm honest ... of how to stop them," the Doctor said, a small smile on his face. He wasn't entirely sure if this was going to work, and it was terribly far-fetched, but as of right now, it was they only plan they had.
"What do we need to do?" Rose asked, enthusastic.
"Right. First things first - I'm disappointed in you lot. None of you have asked one simple question, 'what's with the glasses?'" he said, pointing to the 3D specs he was still wearing.
"Doctor, what is with the glasses?" Rose said, slightly concerned. "As far I as can tell none of us are in 3D ... "
"I can see!" he exclaimed, running up to Rose and handing her the glasses. She slipped them on, oohing and aahing about what she saw.
"Can you see that?" the Doctor asked, coming in front of Rose's vision and waving a hand. "It's Void Stuff!"
"That a technical term, 'Void Stuff?'" Rose teased.
The Doctor stuck out his tongue. "Yes, Miss Tyler. Very technical indeed."
"It is like ... background radiation?" Rose asked, clicking her fingers.
"Yeah, more or less," the Doctor said, seemingly impressed by Rose's quick grasping of radiation. "Everyone who's been through the Void has it. The Cybermen, the Daleks - "
"And us," Rose finished. The Doctor nodded.
"So we just open the Void, and everything covered with Void Stuff its attracted to it. Like paper and glue. Via the Void. I like that, Via the Void! And so they'll be exposed to the Void, and the Void's energy likes Void Stuff - "
"Pulling them all in!" Rose said, clapping her hands excitedly.
"Pulling them all in!" the Doctor repeated, doing his little 'celebrate - i've got a cunning plan' dance than always got a giggle from Rose.
"What about us?" Mickey said, and Rose and the Doctor jumped - they'd forgotten he and Jake were there. "Me and Jake 'ave got Void Stuff too. We'll get pulled in beside the Daleks and Cybermen."
"No, you won't. Because I'm only opening it on this side. You bounce back to your world with your buttons and you'll be safe there. Maybe even take Rose with you," the Doctor said.
Rose laughed. "Yeah, I ain't leaving you. Imagine what Mum would say?" she said, feiging worriedness terribly.
"Good point," the Doctor said, nodding. "So Jake and Mickey go back to their world. And we open the Void on this side. There shouldn't be any trouble at your end."
"But the thing is, Doctor," Mickey said, "the whole reason I volunteered for this expedition was so that I could get back. I hated that world - no offence, Jake - and I wanted to come back."
"You want to stay on this world?" the Doctor said. "I can only open the Void once. Once I open it, the breech has to be closed again. Forever." Mickey nodded slowly, as Rose gasped. Jake didn't look surprised - evidently this was something Mickey had mentioned before.
"Yeah, I really do," Mickey said. He looked immesely happy at the thought. "That other world was great, but it didn't really feel like home to me."
The Doctor nodded, doing some fast thinking. "I've only got two magnaclamps. One for me, one for Rose. I need her here to help me open the Void. You'll have to stay in the TARDIS, in the Zero Room. Once your in the TARDIS, she'll direct you too it. Safest place in the universe, nothing can get in. If you even come out that room, there's a chance you'll be sucked in. Got that?" the Doctor rambled off instructions at one hundred miles an hour. It was a wonder Rose knew what he was saying half the time.
It took Mickey a few moments to process the instructions. He nodded firmly, his decision made. Mickey strode up to Jake and smiled. "See you later, mate," he said roughly, giving Jake a one-armed manly hug.
Jake returned it. "You too, mate. I know how much ya wanna stay, so I'm going to let you go." Jake let go and picked up his gun, smiled, and pressed his yellow button and went back home.
"Right, to the TARDIS. See you guys soon," Mickey said, and bounded off to the TARDIS.
The Doctor turned to Rose. "Just me and you, then!" he said, and rushed over to a computer, indicating Rose was to go to the one next to it. "Switch all those settings to 6.5."
Rose did as she was told, although she was slower than the Doctor. By the time she was finished, he was securing the magnaclamps to the wall.
"Right, then. Let's open that Void then!" Rose said, as they rushed to pull the levers.
"Ghost shift online," the mechanical voice said, as the Doctor and Rose ran and grabbed onto their magnaclamps. The window shattered as Daleks and Cybermen came flying in, the Void Stuff on them attracted to the Void.
"And in they go!" the Doctor yelled over the wind, as Rose grinned back at him. "Whoo hoo!" He ducked to avoid a Dalek as it zoomed over his head.
"Via the Void!" Rose shouted, but her attention was turned as a mechanical voice boomed out.
"Ghost shift offline."
"Shit," Rose said, trying to strain her arm to reach the lever. If the ghost shift went offline now, half the Daleks and Cybermen would still be trapped on this Earth.
"Rose! Leave it!" the Doctor said, as Rose reached further and further. Her grip on the magnaclamp shifted, and the Doctor open his mouth to scream.
Rose let go of the magnaclamp but somehow managed to grab onto the lever instead, trying in vain to push in into position again. She was struggling against wind and the Doctor knew she was fighting a loosing battle.
"Rose! Hold on!" the Doctor yelled in horror, as Rose's grip once again loosened on the lever. Her hands were so sweaty, but she had to hold on ... just a few more moments ... but it was no use.
She took a deep breath, and her hands slipped off, the leather handle of the lever disappearing as she flew towards to Void. She could hear the Doctor screaming her name and just screaming in general, and she looked to him, her hands outstretched ...
The Doctor looked at Rose in horror as she fell, her hands stretched towards him. She was falling to her death and the Doctor had never felt more helpless, the only thought in his head was that he never told her he loved her ... he found that he couldn't look as Rose got closer to the Void.
This was it, this was the end. The end of everything. The end of Rose.
Thunk.
The wind died down, as the Doctor felt his feet find the floor; apparently the breech had been closed. The Doctor couldn't open his eyes to a world without his Rose. With his Rose trapped in the Void, in hell, the place in between, purgitory -
Was that someone groaning?
The Doctor opened his eyes out of shock, and nearly fainted at what he saw; Rose in a heap on the floor. She'd obviously just missed the breech. He whooped with glee as he ran to her, dropping to his knees beside her.
"Rose?" he asked tentively, still not sure if he was dreaming or if this was reality. If this was dreaming, he'd quite happily dream forever.
"Ughhh," Rose groaned, not opening her eyes. "My side and head hurts like hell. I think I hit the wall," she breathed, barely conscious.
"Don't speak, you're going to make it worse," the Doctor finally managed to say, stroking her hair. He was glad she had her eyes closed, for joyous tears were streaming down his face. "I'm gonna check you out at the TARDIS, okay?" he said, and Rose nodded weakly, her head lolling to the side; she'd slipped over the egde into unconsciousness.
He picked Rose up easily, her nimble frame light in his arms. He carried her to the TARDIS, the doors opening for him right away. He thanked her silently.
"Keep Mickey in the Zero Room until I say so," he said, taking Rose straight to the TARDIS Infrimary for a scan. The TARDIS put it right next to the Console Room, obviously sensing Rose's urgent need for medical attention.
The Doctor didn't thank the TARDIS this time; no doubt she could sense his gratitude. He set Rose down gently, and ran various scanners over her. Slight concussion, bruised ribs, tissue a little bruised around and stomach, baby was fine -
Baby?!
The Doctor scanned Rose once, twice, three times, but each time the result came back the same; Rose was definitely, one hundred percent, without a doubt, undeniably pregnant.
Ahh.
Breathing heavily, the Doctor was once again glad that Rose was unconscious for this little scene. Did she know she was pregnant? Was she planning to tell him at all?
Right, he could do this. This wasn't going to be so hard. He and Rose would do it together; the old team, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake. Better with Two. Yeah, they would tackle every hurdle together, and Jackie would be happy to be a grandmother.
Jackie. The first hurdle he and Rose would have to jump. Metaphorically of course, Rose wasn't exactly going to be doing any jumping from now on.
Even though he and Jackie had seemed to be coming to some sort of truce last time he and Rose had visited her, he wasn't sure that Jackie would be jumping for joy at the thought an alien had impregnanted her barely-twenty-one year old daughter. She would kill him! No, she'd torture him first. Make him eat five bowls of her homemade soup. Make him sit through an Eastenders omnibus. Dye his hair pink and red stripes. Castrate him with a pair of eyebrow tweezers.
At the thought of the torture Jackie could inflict on him, the Doctor did faint this time, hitting his head off the side of Rose's bed as he went down.