My mind went over those millions of possibilities, which this episode presented me, but bit by bit I had to rule most of them out. They all just seemed to be close... but not quite it. And well, I don't know. I just decided on this kind of approach.
The TARDIS was gone. His beautiful ship. Gone! He couldn't believe it. His only home. The only thing which was truly his - gone.
He watched through the window into thin air, rocky planet ahead, and couldn't stop his hearts from aching.
"She's gone," he whispered. "The TARDIS is..." He furrowed his brows, not believing what he was saying. "Gone."
She was gone the moment storage 5 to 8 collapsed. They heard about it. He heard about it, but didn't put the knots together. But she did. No. That wasn't right. She knew that it's gonna happen. From the moment she stepped into the base there was something wrong about her. She was restless, uneasy about something. But the Doctor, clever as usual, just dismissed it.
Always dismissing the main points.
And now, he was paying for it. He lost the TARDIS. The Doctor closed his eyes, taking his face in his both palms.
"We'll get her back. Yeh? We always do," she said in a faint voice.
"Stop it," the Doctor said in a low but quiet voice.
"W-what?" Rose asked, blinking.
"Just stop," the Doctor repeated in a stronger voice.
He needed time to think.
"Stop what?" Rose asked, confused.
Rose had been here before. And that was impossible. The planet was suspended in orbit emitting around the black hole. The chances of ever reaching this place, were near to none. And even if she somehow managed that... this was the only sanctuary base parked in Kroptor. If she had been here before, the crew would have known her.
But they didn't.
And that... only left to the last possible explanation - she had been her before with him.
The Doctor rubbed his face in his palms, letting them fall, moments later. He had his gaze sideways, when he slowly turned to face Rose.
He didn't even want to think of the implications this could cause. Foreknowledge was the most dangerous thing in the existence. He would know. It was his very nature - preserving time. Constantly being aware of various possibilities, but never knowing which would play out in the day.
Something really bad must have happened if he somehow indicated a time loop... It was him, right? Who else? There were no more Time Lords and the crew was fully human. Except for...
No... the Ood do not create time loops.
Sigh. But they lost the TARDIS. Rose knew that. She let that happen. Why? Without her, how are they ever going to get back?
"You knew that she was gonna fall," the Doctor said in a pained voice. It hurt being psychically separated from her. He could barely hear her anymore. Only a dim hum.
Rose shook her head slowly. He could see that he surprised her. Her gasp of air just confirmed that she didn't expect to be found out. Well, it was as long as she could hide it from him. It was time to get some answers... but more than that. Why could he not remember? Why would a Time Lord not remember and a human did?
It wasn't making any sense... and it didn't look like even with his Time Lord senses he was going to come anywhere near the right answer. That lead to only one thing...
"So why don't you start talking now?" the Doctor suggested in a tired voice. Rose... what's going on?
She stared at him with full eyes and he could see her debate with herself. She was keeping things from him. And rightfully so. If there were any other situation at hand... but now! Now he... needed some answers.
A time loop he could live with... but his not awareness of it? That was... that was not possible. At least not in a way for a human to be the only one aware.
"How are you doing this?" he asked her in a slightly fearful voice. He was not sure what to expect. Captain Jack found this very moment to be the one for his departure. Whatever they were going to say or do next - he would not take part in.
Considering he didn't really have any real proof to support either side. So he just sneaked away...
Rose's mouth twitched with opening and closing motion. She shook her head slightly. "Doing what?"
"This is a time loop," he stated firmly. He saw her gasp in surprise, but he continued without further dwelling on it. "And I'm not aware of it. I don't feel it. But you do. You... how can it be? You can't be aware of it! It's impossible!" He grimaced. "If a Time Lord is not, then surely humans alone can't do that- This is making no sense!" He cut his own sentence short, tugging on his hair, his eyes tightly shut as he paced about.
"You made it happen," Rose said in a soft voice.
The Doctor abruptly stopped in place. "What?" He sprung around, sheer shock on his face.
"You made yourself forget," she said in a faint voice, her mouth twitching in a tentative smile.
"But... But why would I do that?" he asked, looking in the distance. He narrowed his eyes in concentration.
"I don't understand..." He was shaking his head. "If I wanted another chance I had to know what was happening. What to do differently. Where to go." He was gesturing with his hands wildly. "What to say. Not just go and make myself forget everything." He grimaced at the thought. "This is a piece of-" he faltered, when it slowly downed on him. His eyes widened slightly, eyebrows rising, mouth parting. "Oh." He was running away. And that meant! That...
Dread suddenly filled him whole. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he turned around to face Rose with big eyes. "Tell me it's not," he whispered.
"Not what?" She looked confused.
"No," he whispered again, his forehead wrinkled. "No. Tell me it didn't. It couldn't. I..." He faltered, swallowing painfully. "I wouldn't let that..." He was looking painfully at her.
Rose observed him carefully, her previous fear nearly disappearing just to be replaced by a new sensation. The Doctor was clearly having some serious thought in his mind, which could not be good. But could she afford to deny it, when she had no cover up story? Could she really do that?
The Doctor was slowly edging towards her, his hand hovering half-way from reaching her. He opened his mouth, but no words came.
Rose watched him intensely, searching for his sudden silence in his eyes until she saw something in them.
She had seen fear in his eyes more than once, but only one time was it like that... And then she finally realised what was inside the Time Lord's head.
Her eyes widened. "No!" she exclaimed.
"I-" the Doctor began.
"No. Seriously. I did not die!" she said firmly, locking her gaze to his.
"You... didn't?" the Doctor asked in disbelief.
"No. I'm fine," she exhaled a soft chuckle from disbelief. "Really. I'm fine. I was fine." Well, except for her almost being swallowed by the black hole, but that... was not something the Doctor should know now.
He exhaled a chuckling breath. It felt like a heavy stone was lifted from his lungs, and he was able to start breathing again. With respiratory bypass or without.
"So you-" he began timidly.
"Alive. Yep." She popped the p.
"Good." He nodded. "That's good then," he said casually, beginning to relax in a smile.
"I guess it is." She bit her lower lip nervously, glancing at him.
"It is for me." He shook her with the seriousness and intensity in his voice. She could still see the remains of the bare fear and loss he was just experiencing. He could not let it go yet. His frantic eyes, travelling from her face one side to another, memorising every detail of her as if she would disappear any minute now.
So she did the only thing she could do to assure her presence. She took a step forward, closing their distance of a mere inches. The Doctor's questioning stare was quickly displaced by a moment of surprise, when he found himself in the arms of Rose Tyler. Her arms around his neck, her breath against his shoulder and sometimes giving chills when reaching his neck, gave him all the reassurance he so desperately needed.
His own both hands had found their way around her back, pulling her closer to him yet. They may have not won the war... They may never will. But for the moment, they had won the battle. She was here. With him. And with them together, he truly believed there were many impossible things they could do.
He held her tightly in his arms, when a sudden thought woke him up. The TARDIS. He broke their embrace, holding Rose at arms' length.
"Tardis," he whispered and the next moment he flew to the door.
"Open Door 17," the computer announced. He briskly pulled the metal doors and stepped inside, them closing shut after him.
"Close Door 17," the computer announced. Leaving Rose stand there alone.
She took a deep breath. "Alright then. Let's get to work," she whispered to oneself and went to follow after the Doctor's retreating back.
When Rose finally reached back to the control room, she found the Doctor on at Zach.
"The ground gave way. My TARDIS must've fallen down right into the heart of the planet. But you've got robot drills heading the same way." The Doctor was speaking with urgency.
"We can't divert the drilling," Zach just said simply, walking off. The Doctor stared at him for a moment, then followed him.
"But I NEED my ship. It's all I've got." His voice was wavering a little. "Literally the only thing." He tried to make them understand. He knew they wouldn't, but it was his home. His only home. He couldn't give it up. He needed her to survive. Their connection was already beginning to dim...
"Doctor, we've only got the resources to drill one central shaft down to the power source," Zach shot back, obviously irritated. "And that's it. No diversions, no distractions - NO EXCEPTIONS. Your machine is lost. All I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place, and that... is the end of it." Was his last words, before he left.
From the corner of his eyes, the Doctor could see Ida approaching, but he made little effort to recognise her.
"I'll uh - put you on the duty roster. We need someone in the laundry," she said, a bit awkwardly and then followed after Zach, out of the room.
"Open Door 1," the computer announced.
The Doctor and Rose locked their gaze with each other, reading theirs expressions.
He trapped her here. Again. Away from home, right under the black hole- Or not. Maybe she wasn't trapped after all. They had Jack. Which meant, that they had Vortex Manipulator, which may not be working now, caused by the black hole's electromagnetic fields, but once they leave here, back to some planet, Jack could get her back home.
That was good. He didn't have to feel guilty about separating her from home. She would get back.
In the end, he was the only one really stuck here.
"Close Door 1," the computer announced, when the last Ood exited the room, leaving the Doctor and Rose completely alone.
The Doctor turned his eyes away from her, resting on the console. He was trying to calm his breathing down, but his posture was stiff and he couldn't bother himself to say something. He tilted his head to look at the black mass, which started everything and possibly will end everything. Leaving him with nowhere to return to.
He was feeling so alone.
He could hear steps getting closer to him, the swift movement, but he said nothing. He just continued to stare at the destructible sight.
He jumped a bit, when he felt a soft hand caressing the outside of his palm, slowly unlocking his fingers from the fist-white grip on the console. He felt those same fingers brush against his own until they finally found their way around, wrapping them together in a comforting squeeze. The only thing that still truly fit.
"There's me," she said in that soft, tentative way she did such a long time ago to a broken man. The Doctor jerked his head to her, looking at her in almost a shock that she was offering to be his pillar.
He could only stare at her. Intense gaze burning her whole, but all he found was unimaginable support. And determination.
She squeezed their fingers, giving a small but certain smile. "She's not lost forever, Doctor. We're going to get her back."
His eyebrows knitted in confusion. "How?"
"The drilling."
"They refused to turn it, Rose. There's no way for it."
"It was not important," she began. The Doctor gave her a questioning look. "The side of the drilling." She had her eyes lowered downwards. "You just..." She shrugged slightly, biting her lower lip. "Went down." Her fingers sliding from his, to play with the fabric of her top.
His eyes narrowed. "I got back... right?" he asked quietly.
She looked at him. "Yeh, you did. With the TARDIS. You must have found her there. Or...something." She turned her gaze sideways, roaming around the room. "I don't really know." She shrugged, playing with a string of her hair. "I mean, I never went there, so I'm not really sure. And I can't really say anything more. Timelines and all. I don't know. I mean-" She shrugged nervously.
"Anyway!" the Doctor cut her, clearing his throat.
"That's just it. Yeh." Rose shrugged.
"Right." The Doctor nodded. There was some sort of pause in the room, until the Doctor broke it.
"Well, I guess if I made an effort to make myself forget, I should get as less future information as possible," he said casually. He then considered. "Blimey. A Time Lord deprived off foreknowledge. Now that's, that's what messed up looks like."
Rose chuckled softly. The Doctor joining her, his loving gaze fixed on her. They felt silent for a moment. "Thank you," he said in a low voice, truly meaning every possible gratitude in the world for this human woman.
"For what?" she asked, smiling.
"For everything... And... I'm sorry to put you through this." He gestured shyly. "Alone." His features grew grim. "Nobody should be in this alone," he said in a low, quiet voice.
"No. Don't worry about me," Rose said casually. "I'm tougher than I look." She smiled in reassurance to him. The next moment her stomach gurgled. She bit her lip, giving him a coy smile. The Doctor couldn't suppress his laughter.
"Come on. We gotta put something in your stomach, until it decides to join national chorus to get itself attention."
Int. Habitation Area Three
Once they were back at the Habitation area, they found Jack sitting by the ancient text in the canteen area, staring at it intensely. The Doctor came over to him, to join him.
"Worked it out?" Jack asked the Doctor in a half-whisper.
"Yeh," the Doctor breathed. "If one could call it working out." He trailed off, his head slightly turned, following Rose with his eyes for a moment and then back again on the writings.
"Danny, check the temperature of Ood Habitation. It seems to be rising," Zach's voice echoed in the room over the tannoy.
Rose scanned the room and made her way to the hatch, through which the food would be served. Scooti was already by the hatch with her tray.
"Help yourself," Scooti said, gesturing to the trays. "Just don't have the green. Or the blue." She laughed and walked away.
Rose let her eyes linger on the girl. She had to save her... even if she had no idea how yet... With a sigh, Rose picked up a tray and went over to the hatch. The Ood were serving. Still peaceful. Rose eyed them a bit suspiciously, preparing for their malfunction, if there would be any.
"Uh, bit of that, thanks," she said, pointing. She had her eyes fixed on the Ood, who spooned some sloppy blue gloop onto her tray.
"Would you like sauce with that?" it asked gently.
"I'll have a go, yeah," she said. The Ood shook some sauce onto the tray.
"I did that job once," Rose muttered, her gaze on the tray. "When I was a dinner lady..." She lifted her gaze to the blinking Ood. "I'm not saying you're a lady. Although, I dunno, you might be. You never answered to that." She crocked her head, considering. "Are you a lady?" Her eyes narrowing.
The Ood lit up its orb. "The Beast will rise for the final battle against the golden sun. Bad Wolf shall perish under the black sun," it said politely, turning off the orb.
Rose stared at him, her legs stuck to the ground. "... what?"
The Ood tapped his communication orb. "Apologies. I said, "I hope you enjoy your meal"."
Rose swallowed. "Yeh." With an unsteady feet, she picked up her tray and walked off to the table.
After everyone were done with their food, suddenly the lights started to flicker in the canteen area. Everyone turned around to see the source of that.
"Zach - have we got a problem?" Ida asked into her wrist communication device. Rose watched her with concern.
"No more than usual. Got the Scarlet System burning up, it might be worth a look," Zach replied through the device. Ida turned to look at the Doctor and Rose who sat opposite each other at one of the tables and Jack on the chair beside her.
"You might wanna see this. Moment in history," Ida said. The Doctor had an up for anything really kinda look.
Ida walked over to pull a lever which opened the overhead 'shutters', revealing the black hole overhead and flooding the room with soft red light.
"There," she said softly, pointing. "On the edge." They saw a stream of red light spiralling into the black hole.
"That red cloud..." Ida continued. Rose and the Doctor had similar pained frowns on their faces. "That used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Peluchi... a mighty civilisation spanning a billion years... disappearing. Forever. Their planets and suns consumed."
She gazed up at it, fascinated, as were the Doctor and Rose. The last of the Scarlet System disappearing into the black hole.
"Ladies and gentlemen... we have witnessed its passing," she ended and went to pull the lever to close the shutters again, but the Doctor stopped her.
"Er, no, could you leave it open?" he asked. Rose turned to look at him.
"Just for a bit," the Doctor continued. "I won't go mad, I promise," he said in a low voice.
"How would you know?" Ida asked sceptically. The Doctor only crocked a smile. Understanding his intentions or giving up on trying to make him change his mind, Ida left it at that, addressing Scooti.
"Scooti, check the lockdown."
Scooti only nodded and went to leave.
"Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me," Ida continued. Finally Jefferson and Ida exited, leaving the trio alone.
"Open Door 18," the computer announced.
"Is it true what they say?" Rose suddenly asked, casually. The Doctor turned to look at her.
"They said in films and things, that black holes are like gateways to another universe."
"Close Door 18," the computer announced.
"Not that one," the Doctor said in a low voice. "It just eats," he said, his gaze back on the mass.
"So there's no way... to travel to another universe through it," she said quietly. The Doctor cast her a side-way glance.
Rose nodded to herself. "Long way from home..." she breathed, watching the sight ahead.
"You phone isn't working?" Jack asked hopefully.
"No," Rose said, not leaving her eyes off the view. "No signal here. That's a first. Or second... Or third..." She trailed off. "Never mind." She was playing with her earring.
The Doctor glanced at her. "Anyway," Rose spoke up. "We've got to have some kind of plan, yeh?" She turned with her body to the table fully. "In case something..." She shrugged. "Whatever happens. Just to let us know what we gonna do, be or whatever."
"Well," the Doctor began. "If when I go down I don't bring the TARDIS back, then... we're kinda stuck," he breathed. "Well, I am," he added casually.
"You found a way to bring her back?" Jack asked.
"In a theoretical way, yes," the Doctor replied absentmindedly. Jack only glanced him over. "If I go down to the planet," the Doctor answered his unasked question.
Jack narrowed his eyes. "And they are going to let you?"
"I don't know." The Doctor shrugged. "They could. Or they could not. Ah, well, even if they don't, I just got to make them." He smiled at Rose, who gave a small smile to him herself.
"If it doesn't work..." Rose began softly, not making eye contact with the Doctor. A sign of pained worry flashed on the Doctor's features. "You could always come with us. Back on Earth," she said softly.
"And then what?" the Doctor asked, propped on his elbows on the table, looking at her expectedly.
"I don't know..." Rose diverted her gaze, her fist supporting her face on the table. "Visit mum... tell her we're alive..." She laughed nervously. "Then... " She shrugged. "I don't know, we could still travel." She turned to Jack, her hand down. "You've got a Vortex Manipulator, yeh? We could travel." She looked between him and the Time Lord.
"It's not comfortable with carrying three people," Jack said apologetically. "It would burn out..."
"There goes the plan," the Doctor breathed, eyeing Jack. "And well it's better that way. Wouldn't want to owe something to Captain," he said half-humorously.
"You owe me enough, Doc," Jack joked.
"Like what?" the Doctor asked incredulously.
"But I don't take payment back from my friends. It's free," Jack said firmly. The Doctor stared at him for a moment, then turned his face.
"You don't have to wait..." the Doctor began quietly. Rose eyes shot up to meet his face. "You know, after they're ready to give you a lift-"
"I'm not leaving you," Rose shot back, slightly angry.
"Rose..." the Doctor began faintly.
"I won't. We're in this together. And if we had no Vortex Manipulator we would be all in this. Stuck together."
"But we are not," the Doctor breathed, raising his eyebrows.
"Yeh. But I'm going to treat it as that." Rose nodded, pressing her lips together. "And that's final. So get it, alright? You're not getting rid of me."
The Doctor didn't say anything. "And if you're going to keep this up," Rose continued. "Then... then I'm going to drag you into a house with doors and carpets and... and mortgage!" she exclaimed, pointing towards him.
"What?" the Doctor exclaimed, horrified. "No. No. I would not step inside-" He shook his head, eyes wide.
"I will help her," Jack intervened. "To make sure... you get the mortgage."
"I am dying. That's it. I am dying, it is all over." The Doctor shook his head in defeat. Rose laughed, Jack joining her. When the laughter subsided, the Doctor and Rose had their eyes fixed on each other.
Jack glanced at them from behind and could sense some mood going on. He suddenly stood up. "Wonder if they got some snacks," he muttered casually, walking away from the table, Rose and the Doctor watching his retreating back as he went over to the counter.
"You know..." Rose began softly. "Whatever they send at us, whatever... our place might be. Be it stuck or not. I wouldn't change it to anyone else, to be stuck with." She caught the Doctor's gaze.
"Yeh?" the Doctor asked faintly.
"Yes," she replied sincerely. The Doctor smiled at her.
The moment was quickly broken by Rose's phone ringing. She warily took out the phone from her pocket. Jack came over to the table after hearing the sound.
"Want to answer?" she asked half-heartedly, directing it towards the Doctor. The Doctor held his gaze to hers for a moment and extended his hand. With a slightly trembling hand, she placed the phone in his palm.
The Doctor answered. "Hello!" he exclaimed in fake enthusiasm. "Got a pretty good signal there. How come?" he asked casually.
"He is awake," the voice in the phone said. Rose felt a shiver go down her spine.
The Doctor only furrowed his brows. "Who is?" he asked darkly, but got no answer. The phone went off.
"Who was that?" Jack asked, concerned.
"Well, supposedly..." the Doctor inhaled, his eyebrows raised as he watched the phone. "Someone just woken up from their lethargic sleep," he breathed, his lips pressed together.
Int. Ood Habitation
The Doctor, Rose and Jack bound down the stairs to see Danny in Ood Habitation.
"Evening!" the Doctor exclaimed casually.
"Only us!" Rose added with a smile.
"The mysterious trio. How are you, then? Settling in?" Danny asked, working on the computer. The trio formed a circle around the man.
"Yeeeah, sorry, straight to business," the Doctor said. "The Ood - they communicate with a low level telepathic field connecting them, right?"
Danny glanced him over. "If you know, why ask."
"This telepathic field - can it pick up messages?" the Doctor asked.
"'Cos I was having dinner, and one of the Ood said something..." Rose trailed off. Danny gave her a prompting look. "Well, " she continued. "Odd."
"Oh. An odd Ood," Danny said, feigning understanding.
"We also got a message on one of our communicators," Jack added.
"Oh, be fair. We've got whole star systems burning up around us." Danny paced about. "There's all sorts of stray transmissions. Probably nothing." He dismissed them.
The trio only stared at him, far from convinced.
"Look..." Danny continued, after picking up their gazes. "If there was something wrong, it would show. We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them." He turned to look down at the sitting Ood. "They're so stupid, they don't even tell us when they're ill."
"Monitor the field - that's this thing?" The Doctor nodded to the computer, steadily going towards it.
The reading on the screen said 'Basic 5'.
"Yeah. But like I said, it's low level telepathy. They only register Basic 5," Danny said casually.
While he was speaking, the reading had risen to Basic 6.
"Not for long," Rose sang in a whisper.
"It's jumping over 5," Jack said, looking at the screen, concerned, as the number went up and up.
"10..." the Doctor announced. Rose had her gaze fixed on the Ood, who suddenly raised their heads in unison as the reading ascended.
"20..." the Doctor read. He then turned to Danny. "They've gone up to Basic 30," he whispered half-humorously.
"But they can't..." Danny said, suddenly alarmed.
"Doctor, the Ood..." Rose breathed, as the Ood turned, as one, and looked up at the four of them on the balcony.
"Basic 30 would mean that they're..." Jack trailed off. "Screaming inside their heads," Jack stated, with his brows furrowed.
"Or something's shouting at them..." the Doctor said quietly, resting his arms on the railing, his fingers entwined.
"But... where's it coming from?" Danny asked, tapping on the keyboard. "What is it saying? I mean-" He turned to look at Rose. "What did it say to you?"
Rose looked at the man, and down to the Ood, debating with herself what to say.
"Rose," the Doctor said her name in a prompting gesture.
"But-" She shook her head.
"What you don't know - you don't. Leave it as that. But we need every bit of information you can give us now," he said in a quiet, but convincing voice.
Rose swallowed. She held her eyes to his for a moment, then cast them downwards. "It said... that the beast in the pit would rise for the battle," she said, her voice wavering, purposely leaving a few things out.
Danny only blinked. "What about your communicator? What did that say?"
Rose pulled herself together, watching the Ood. She then opened her mouth. "He is awake."
At once, the Ood spoke together, as one. "And you will worship him!"
"What the hell?" Danny asked, shocked. The Doctor and Jack had similar expressions of curiosity and alarm.
The Doctor propped himself on the railing with his hands. "He is awake," he addressed them.
"And you will worship him!" the Ood repeated.
"Worship who?" the Doctor asked, but got no reply. "Who's talking to you? Who is it?" he asked urgently.
The Ood refused to reply, like they were not able to. "Rose?" the Doctor asked her, locking his eyes with hers.
"Something inside the pit," she said warily.
"It's a living thing?" Jack asked in disbelief.
"Who are you, people?" Danny asked, feeling completely lost.
"Someone who might or might not be the only hope for you," the Doctor replied a bit harshly. "Now shush." He narrowed his eyes, supporting himself on the railing, looking at the Ood intensely. "Why would I do that? Why would I make myself forget- This is such an inconvenience," he muttered.
Jack glanced at Rose to confirm his suspicions. Rose only nodded to him slowly. "What about unlocking them?" Jack suggested casually.
The Doctor glanced at Jack like he said the most stupid thing in the universe, but still considered it.
Suddenly the entire base started shaking. The Doctor glanced around, as alarm sounds echoed inside the place.
"It's a bit of an urgent situation for me to have a buzzy head," the Doctor breathed, concerned. Sparks were flying off.
"Emergency hull breach. Emergency hull breach," the computer announced.
"Which section?" Danny asked into wrist device, scared.
"Everyone... evacuate 11 to 13, we've got a breach! The base is open. Repeat: the base is OPEN," Zach announced from the control room.
"No," Rose breathed, her eyes wide. "Scooti," she whispered, alarmed, making her way for the opposite door, where everyone else were heading.
"Rose!" the Doctor called after her.
"Where are you going?!" Danny yelled. "We've got to evacuate!"
"No- I've got to... Scooti..." Rose stammered, when the Doctor caught her by her arm, not letting go.
"We will meet with everyone-" he began firmly.
"No, she-" Rose broke off, words stung in her throat. The Doctor stared at her for the moment, taking her silence as the fact and closed his eyes for a second. Rose was looking frantically to the space where she could be running off to right about now, but the firm hand holding her in place preventing that.
She turned around to face the Doctor, who had a hollow look on his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry. But it was her time," he breathed. "It was a fixed point."
Rose stared at him in disbelief.
He swallowed. "Now come on," the Doctor said urgently, dragging her after him, out of the danger.
Int. Habitation Area Three
"Open Door 19," the computer announced.
The Doctor and Rose burst back into the canteen area, running towards another door.
"Close Door 19," the computer announced.
"I can't contain the oxygen field, we're gonna lose it!" Zach spoke through the communicator.
Int. Corridor
"Come on!" Jefferson was yelling while struggling to open a door. "Keep moving!"
The Doctor and Rose, after catching up with Jack and Danny, came from one direction and Ida and other crew members from the other.
"And you too, Toby!" Jefferson yelled, pulling Toby through the door, letting him fall flat on his face.
"Breach sealed. Breach sealed," the computer announced as the doors fell shut.
Rose sprung around to face Toby, lying prone on the floor. They shouldn't have let him in here...
"Everyone all right?! What happened? What was it?" the Doctor asked, dashing over to them.
"Oxygen levels normal," the computer announced.
"Hull breach!" Jefferson began, panting. "We were open to the elements. A couple of minutes and we'd have been inspecting that black hole at close quarters."
Rose stood firm on her feet, looking warily at Toby, who was sweating and panting on the floor.
"That wasn't a quake. What caused it?" the Doctor asked urgently.
"We've lost sections 11 to 13. Everyone all right?" Zach announced through the communicator.
"We've got everyone here except Scooti," Jefferson said into his wrist device. Everyone glanced around in search for her. Rose had her face blank. The Doctor only swallowed, glancing sideways. "Scooti, report," Jefferson ordered.
Static and a beep on the communication device was heard.
"Scooti Manista?" Jefferson tried again. "That's an order. Report."
Again, he only came up with the blank beep and the static.
"She's all right," Zach's voice came through the device.
Rose wrinkled her forehead, pressing her lips hard together. Everyone except her, the Doctor and Jack, who read his both friends' concerned faces, breathed a sigh of relief.
"I picked up her bio chip, she's in Habitation 3," Zach announced.
"Better go and check if she's not responding, she might be unconscious," Jefferson replied.
"How about that, eh? We survived," Zach said.
"Habitation 3... come on," Jefferson urged everyone. "I don't often say this, but I think we could all do with a drink. Come on."
Everyone but Toby, the Doctor and Rose went to follow Jefferson down the corridor. The Doctor giving Jack a prompting gesture to follow them. When everyone were finally out of the picture, the Doctor cast Rose a questioning look of her avoiding the man, who appeared severely shaken. With his eyes narrowed, he crouched down to him. Rose hitched a breath.
"What happened?"
"I- I don't- I don't know," Toby began, speaking very fast, flustered. "I- I was working and then I can't remember. All- all that noise, the room was falling apart, there was no air-"
"You are the brain," Rose suddenly said coldly, taking attention of the Doctor. "You can speak. So talk! Why did you kill her?!" she shouted in desperation.
The Doctor glanced between her and Toby. He then stood up. "Rose..." He tried to approach her, but Rose stepped back.
"No. I want to know why would he do that. He didn't need her!" she cried in desperation.
"Wh-why, what, I don't know... what are you saying? Killed? Killed who? Did I kill someone? Oh, God... I- I don't know. I swear!" Toby was shaking.
"Don't lie!" Rose shot back harshly.
"Rose." The Doctor came to stand beside her, wrapping his arms around her. "Rose," he tried to soothe her.
"He's-!" she began, her voice cracking. "We can't just let him... be!" She weakly gestured towards Toby.
"I know," the Doctor said in a hollow voice. "But he's not aware of it," he said, holding her close to his chest, his one arm around her shoulders, another on her middle back, burying her in his embrace.
"How- how could he not?" Rose tried to protest, but the Doctor only held her closer to him, watching the man with a cold stare, making Toby duck his head.
Int. Habitation Area Three
The canteen, was slightly chaotic - they were all looking for Scooti, all talking over each other.
"I've checked Habitation 4..." Ida said. "There's no sign of her. The bio chip says she's in the area," Jefferson added.
Rose and the Doctor came through the door, Toby timidly following by.
"Have you seen Scooti?" Jefferson asked Toby.
"No, no, no, I don't think so," Toby said hurriedly and sat near the table.
"Scooti, please respond, if you can hear this please respo- Habitation 6," Ida said in her wrist device.
"Nowhere here," Jefferson breathed. "Zach?" he called into wrist device. "We've got a problem. Scooti's still missing."
"It says Habitation 3." Zach's voice.
"Yeah, well that's where I am, and I'm telling you she's NOT HERE," Jefferson shot back.
The Doctor paced about in the room, his hands in his pockets, until his gaze went upwards, through the overhead window.
"I've found her," he breathed, his expression grim. They all looked upwards, following his gaze. Rose slowly lifted her eyes to meet the horrifying sight. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
"Oh, my God..." Jack breathed.
Scooti's body was floating eerily just outside the window.
"Sorry. I'm so sorry," the Doctor whispered in a low, quiet voice. The rest of them just stared, horrified.
"Captain... " Jefferson began into his wrist device, quietly. "Report Officer Scootori Manista PKD... deceased. 43K2.1"
"She was twenty... " Ida breathed. "Twenty years old." Not able to watch the sight any longer, she went over to the controls. The Doctor continued to stare up at Scooti's body, grave and silent.
Ida pulled the lever to close the shutters. Scooti was drifting further and further away towards the black hole as they close. Everyone watching in silence. Rose supporting herself on the table.
"For how should Man die better than facing fearful odds?" Jefferson spoke quietly. "For the ashes of his father... and the temples of his Gods," he ended in barely a whisper.
The shutters closed completely, leaving the room noticeably darker and gloomier than before. The Doctor stepped away from the view, his eyes on the ground.
A strange silence fell in the room.
"It's stopped..." Ida said, listening. A distant crash echoed in the room.
"We've stopped drilling. We've made it." Ida looked around. "Point Zero."
The Doctor and Rose locked their gaze to each other. The moment she dreaded had come.
They all had been waiting for this moment and at the same time praying for it to never come. But here it was.
Int. Exploration Dec
The crew were preparing to go down the mineshaft.
"Capsule established!" Ida was shouting through the noise. "All systems functioning... the mineshaft is go... bring systems online now."
The Doctor, already garbed in a spacesuit, approached Zach. Zach only stared at him.
"Reporting as a volunteer for the expeditionary force," the Doctor announced.
"Doctor." Zach eyed him uncomfortably. "This is breaking every single protocol." He glanced him over. "We don't even know who you are.
"Yeeah," the Doctor agreed casually. "But you trust me, don't you?" Zach only turned his head sideways, swallowing. "And you can't let Ida go down there on her own. Go oon..." The Doctor urged him. "Look me in the eye... yes you do, I can see it. Trust."
"I should be going down," Zach said.
"The Captain doesn't lead the mission. He stays here. In charge," the Doctor said seriously.
"Not much good at it, am I?" Zach said bitterly. The Doctor didn't answer, but simply titled his head to the side, looking at him. Zach sighed.
"Positions!" Zach addressed everyone. "We're going down in two. Everyone, positions!" As he walked off.
Rose caught the Doctor's eye and they walked over to each other. This was the hard part.
The Doctor ducked his gaze to check a device on the wrist of the spacesuit. "Oxygen... nitro-balance... gravity," he said to himself, then turned to look at Rose, who was standing a step away from him. "It's ages since I wore one of these!" he exclaimed in a light mood, beaming at her.
Rose couldn't hide her worry. "I want that spacesuit back in one piece, you got that?" She poked him casually.
"Yes, sir," the Doctor replied eagerly. They smiled at each other. He caught her worried line on her forehead.
"I have to go," he said in a low voice. Rose looked up to meet his eyes.
"I know you do." She nodded. "I know, it's just..." She pulled a string of her hair under her ear. "It's tough." Her voice barely a whisper, her hand down.
The Doctor simply stared at her, unsure what to say himself. Rose gave him a weak smile.
This could be it. She could never see him again. Not ever. The last contact with him. And then... just nothing. Losing him forever...
She bit on her lower lip, watching his eyes for some sort of answer and she just couldn't stop her own body. She took a firm step forward, closing their distance and pulled on his spacesuit, taking him towards her. She titled her head to meet his lips as the Doctor closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her back, flushing her close to him. He inhaled her breath, his fingers grazing her back, kissing her with desperation, reassurance and most of all... his feelings.
She locked her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer to him as her hands began to roam in his hair, on the back of his neck.
The moment was broken apart by Zach's voice. "Capsule ready to activate! Everyone! Stand by!"
The pair broke apart, their mouths inches from each other, breathing slightly laboured. They locked their eyes with each other and grinned, chuckling, moments later. The Doctor slowly retreating his hands from her back, letting her stand properly on the ground as Jack walked over, smirking, giving him his helmet, which he previously so carelessly tossed to the Captain, back.
"Here you go," Jack said casually, feigning ignorance.
"Thanks," the Doctor muttered, avoiding eye contact with him. He took the helmet from Jack and put it on his head, locking it securely on.
"I'll see you later," the Doctor told Rose with confidence.
"Not if I see you first." She laughed, grinning. She took his helmet-head in her both hands and put a soft kiss on his to-be-forehead and let him walk into the capsule.
"Capsule active. Counting down in 10... 9..." Zach's voice booming out over the tannoy. "8... 7... 6..." The Doctor and Ida going into the capsule as Rose stood by, watching them together with Jack. Jefferson closing the door after them.
"5... 4... 3... 2..."
Jefferson saluted them and walked away, leaving only Rose in the full view and Jack right beside her, saluting to the Doctor.
"1..."
Rose held her hand up, waving, her eyes locked to the Doctor, desperately trying to smile. The Doctor waved back, returning the smile. Rose lowered her hand, putting her both hands in her pockets.
"Release," Zach announced, and then the capsule began descending the shaft.
to be continued...
Tell me what you thought about it. Would be grateful.