First of all... I want to like give a BIG Hug to everyone! I just couldn't believe how immense the feedback of the previous chapter was! I was like very pleasantly stunned. Hehe. Keep the good work "winks winks". Nah, but seriously. Thank you! You made me happy.
Now, I hope this one won't fall too short. ^^
P.s. this is the cross-chapter between The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit so = The Impossible Satan. ;D
The capsule was steadily descending the shaft. It going down and down, out of the reach. She paced in place for a moment longer and then rushed towards the comm, holding it in her palm tightly. A diagram on a computer screen showed the descent of the capsule into the depths of the planet. Rose licked her lips nervously, calming her breath.
She had been through this before, oh yeh, but it was far from the reassurance she needed.
When Zach informed them that- "Gone beyond the oxygen field. You're on your own." – she hitched a breath.
They were on they're own. Oxygen provided only by their suits. If anything went wrong they would not have oxygen. Without oxygen would be no breathing. No breathing-
Her pulse quickened and she found herself blurting out. "Don't forget to breath. Breathing's good." Her voice a bit shaky. She then demonstrated taking a calming breath, which she obviously needed more for herself. She was going in a panic mode.
"Rose, stay off the comm," Zach said from the control room.
"Fat chance," Rose said at once. There was no way she would step out from it.
But then, she suddenly felt a warm hand resting on her shoulder. Her shaky breathing stopped for a second, taking into account the hand, which was squeezing her shoulder in comfort. She turned around and found a gentle smile on their Captain's face.
"He's going to be fine. The Doctor is a tough guy, you should know." Jack chuckled, making her smile a bit. "You can breathe now. Stop squeezing the life out of the comm. Your fingers got white." He gestured towards the object.
It came as a surprise to her. She hadn't expected herself doing so. Must be worried way more than she thought. "Oh," she breathed and loosened the grip on the comm.
"Thanks." She smiled at him.
"Anytime."
Suddenly the whole base began shaking. Rose quickly glanced at the diagram on the computer screen and saw that the capsule had reached Point Zero. Not a second longer after she had managed to steady herself, she was back on the comm.
"Doctor?" she called out in the device.
No reply.
"Doctor, are you all right?" She tried again.
"Ida, report to me..." Zach said.
Silence.
"Doctor!?" With more force.
"It's all right... we've made it... coming out of the capsule now." The Doctor's voice.
Rose breathed a huge sigh of relief. "That's right... This happened the last time too," she muttered. Jack glanced to her side. "Yeh, this happened before, it's alright… Maybe I should have made a list of some sort?" She glanced at Jack, her voice starting to get hysterical again. "I should have written everything down, to know where not to worry, you know-"
"What are you on about?" Zach's voice.
"Rosie. Breathe. You forgot to breathe. You're becoming hysterical again." Jack rubbed her back, smiling softly at her.
"Right. Yeh." Rose shook her head to gain her concentration back.
"Roose?" The Doctor's voice came through. "Get an air tank, if you can't breathe. I need you alive."
Rose rolled her eyes. "Well maybe if you replied when asked, I would be able to without any extra help!" she said in an edgy voice.
"We've reached some sort of… cave," the Doctor began, ignoring Rose's last sentence. "It's hard to tell...cavern... maybe…it's massive," he went on.
"Well, this should help. Gravity globe," Ida said.
After a few seconds they spoke again. "That's..." Ida began, her voice faltering. "That's... my God, that's beautiful," she breathed.
"Rose... you can tell Toby," the Doctor began. "If he had sorted his head out by now," he muttered. "We've found his civilisation..."
"I don't know about that…" Rose trailed off, looking at the timidly looking Toby, who sat a few meters further than the computer screen.
He smiled slightly at the group near the comm. "Good. I-I'll be sure to check it out…"
Rose kept her suspicious glance at him, but after Toby ducked his head, she turned hers back on the screen, pressing the comm near her mouth.
"Concentrate now, people. Keep on the mission," Zach spoke from the control room. "Ida... what about the power source? "
"We're close," Ida began. "Energy signature indicates north, north west. Are you getting pictures up there?"
"There's too much interference. We're in your hands," Zach said.
"Well... we've come this far," Ida said. "There's no turning back."
"Ooh, " the Doctor groaned. "Did you have to? No turning back?" he began in a disappointed voice. "That's almost as bad as "nothing can possible go wrong" or "this is is gonna be the best Christmas Walford's ever had-" he rambled on.
"Are you finished?" Ida's steady voice.
After a few seconds. "Yeh," the Doctor breathed. "Finished." In a faint voice.
Rose had a small smile on her face. It gave her the needed reassurance, just hearing the Doctor being… the Doctor. They will be alright. She had to believe that.
Rose chuckled softly. She could feel her insides warm a bit up. It didn't last long, though.
"Captain, sir," Danny whispered from the Ood habitat. "There's something happening with the Ood."
Jack and Rose glanced at each other, after hearing him.
"What are they doing?" Zach asked.
"They're staring at me," Danny continued, keeping his voice low. "I've told them to stop, but they won't."
"Danny, you're a big boy. I think you can take being STARED at," Zach replied.
"But the telepathic field, sir," Danny persisted. "It's at Basic 100! I've checked - there isn't any fault. It's definitely 100."
"But that's impossible," Zach said in a concerned voice.
Rose gulped, staring at the distance for a moment then snapped her head towards Toby, who appeared to be listening to the conversation in wonder, his brows wrinkled. He even appeared to be worried! She was so not buying that.
"Hey," Jack exclaimed, this whole thing taking his attention. "100 is brain dead."
"Exactly," Danny breathed.
"But they're safe? They're not actually moving?" Zach asked, concerned.
"No, sir," Danny announced.
"Keep watching them," Zach instructed. "And you, Jefferson - keep a guard on the Ood."
"Officer at arms!" Jefferson announced, going to ready his gun.
"Yes, sir," some crew member replied.
"You can't fire a gun in here," Rose said, stopping Jefferson's movements. "What if they hit a wall?" she asked. She needed to know if anything changed.
But just as the last time, Jefferson only replied with- "I'm firing stock 15, only packs upon organics." He then turned to security guard. "Keep watch. Guard them," he instructed.
"Yes, sir."
"Don't worry. I'll take care of us both," Jack told them calmly.
"Is your gun suitable for this base?" Jefferson eyed him suspiciously.
Rose glanced at Jack. "You can't use yours, Jack," she began softly, putting her hand on his forearm gently.
"Got other means. Don't worry. I won't let Doc down." He winked at her. She smiled at him slightly.
"Is everything all right up there?" The Doctor's voice came through.
"Yeah, yeah," Rose replied quickly. Couldn't make him worried.
"It's FINE," Zach replied in a fake voice.
"Great! " Danny exclaimed sarcastically.
"We've found something," the Doctor announced. "It looks like metal. Like some sort of seal," he exclaimed. "I've got a nasty feeling the word might be 'trapdoor'," he said in a low voice, his forehead wrinkled. "Not a good word, 'trapdoor'. Never met a trapdoor I liked," he went on. Somehow the metal thing gave him a bad feeling. He was sure he came in contact with it the previous time and that didn't necessary mean a good thing.
"The edge is covered with those symbols," Ida said, shining the torch around the edge.
"Do you think it opens?" Zach's voice.
"That's what trapdoors tend to do," the Doctor replied, eyeing the thing suspiciously.
"'Trapdoor' doesn't do it justice," Ida exclaimed, hurrying around it. "It's massive, Zach. About thirty feet in diameter."
"Any way of opening it?" Zach asked.
"I don't know. I can't see any sort of mechanism," Ida replied.
"I suppose that's the writing, that'll tell us what to do," the Doctor exhaled casually. "The letters that defy translation." Was this the way out? Did he have to open the trapdoor in order to get to the TARDIS? The Doctor couldn't help feeling that something… something was going to happen.
"Toby, did you get anywhere with decoding it?" Zach asked.
"He should know," Rose breathed, clutching the comm to her chest.
"I…" Toby shook his head. "I-I don't know… I'm sorry… I can't help…"
Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "Come off it, alright?" she exclaimed, her voice raised.
"Rose, if Toby doesn't know, then he doesn't-" Zach began.
"No. The thing is, he knows. You do know," Rose said, locking her gaze to Toby, after she made a step forward.
Jack had his eyes firm on her in case the man would make any sort of move on her.
"I-I don't!" Toby exclaimed, his hands shaking. "What do you want me to say!?" He ducked his gaze.
Rose swallowed tightly. What was he playing at? Thought he could fool her? Oh no, mister Devil. Not this second time round. "Stop mucking about! Show yourself. Why're you hiding?"
"Rose… calm down." Jack tried to soothe her. No matter what, getting suspicious glances on themselves wouldn't help them in any way.
"Look," Jefferson began. "If the boy doesn't kno-" he was cut short by a low, hideous voice.
"These are the words of the Beast."
Jack immediately had his hand on his gun, Jefferson's eyes widened in shock, Rose couldn't keep her confusion out of her face.
"And he has woken," the Ood continued.
Jefferson got his gun out, pointing it at the Ood. He narrowed his eyes, ready to shoot-
"He is the heart that beats in the darkness." Suddenly another Ood, on the other side of the row began talking in the same hideous manner.
"What the…" Jefferson quickly snapped his head towards it, pointing his gun at the second Ood now.
However, yet another Ood, in the middle, started. "He is the blood that will never cease."
Rose had her eyes widened, backing away towards Jack. "Jack," she began in a faint voice. "This wasn't supposed to happen…" She pressed her lips together. Jack aimed the gun at the one in the middle and the very first one now with his second gun.
Then suddenly a loose Ood, standing inches from Rose, right behind her, started talking. "And now he will rise."
Rose jumped at once, her heart-rate quickening. Jack swung around and fired his gun.
The Doctor could hear half of the conversation as the comm from Rose's side was shifting from on to off, but he had definitely heard a sound of a blaster.
"What's happening? Jack? What've you done? Rose? What's going on?" His voice was growing in urgency as he paced about.
There was no reply.
The Doctor began taking calming breaths. What the hell was going on? He had heard Rose tell Jack that it was not like how it was the last time. Something had gone wrong… And he didn't know what! He couldn't remember! Why on Galliffrey would he even try such a stupid stunt like locking his memories down? He should be aware of the situation, but now he was not. He was just standing there, down on some rock, helpless.
"Tell me what's going on!" He tried again in desperation and frustration. He began counting time it would take him to get his head sorted after unlocking his memories down. That would depend on the amount. One adventure's worth was not much. It would take a few moments, but anything was better now than just standing still.
The problem was… he was not so sure if it was only one adventure.
"It's the Ood…" After a very nerve-wrecking while, finally Rose replied.
"Rose… I need you to be honest with me. I need to ask you something," the Doctor said, taking calming breaths.
After a short while, she replied. "What is it?" In a faint voice.
"How much of memories have I locked down?"
Rose felt her breath hitch. She was not expecting that. Were they seriously having this conversation now? With the Ood going crazy? And Toby… what the bloody hell was wrong with him? He surely couldn't be innocent.
"Rose, I need to know," the Doctor urged her.
She swallowed. She tried to think of a way out, but somehow all of the possibilities seemed to have abandoned her. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes.
"Since run," she whispered.
To the Doctor it felt like a cold bucket of water. His mouth went dry. Since… run? Since run run?
Since the beginning?
"If you thought of unlocking your memories down, then it's a bad idea. You know that. So stop. We'll handle this here," Rose ended in a soft voice.
The Doctor could only keep silent.
"Stand down. Stand down!" Jefferson was shouting, taking attention of Rose.
"I'll just shoot every each one," Jack announced calmly, his eyes narrowed.
Another Ood, in the corner, began talking. "How many can you shoot? Are you fast enough?"
Jack and Jefferson both aimed their weapons at the Ood who had already spoken and both fired. The Ood went down.
But it was far from the end. And Rose knew that. The black smoke came out from the already possessed Ood, now laying dead, and quickly went into all of the Ood present in the room.
"We are the Legion of the Beast." They spoke as one.
"Rose? What is it? Rose?" the Doctor spoke in a an urgent voice. His both hearts stopped for a moment, when he heard a gun echoing from the comm, who was being a stupid thing, not working properly!
After he yet again got no reply, he turned to Ida. "I'm going back up." There was no way he was leaving her there in the middle of whatever the hell shooting was going on up there.
"The Legion shall be many. And the Legion shall be few..." The Ood spoke again, holding their orbs.
Rose watched them with a guarded expression. She held her comm device tightly. "The Ood got possessed.. all of them," she spoke in it.
"Sir," Jefferson began into his wrist device. "We have a contamination in the livestock."
Rose turned around to watch Toby. "But I know who's responsible," she said in a faint voice.
"They won't listen to us," Jefferson continued his report.
Jack was holding his both guns at different sides at the Ood, when Rose came from his side and snatched one of them from him. She immediately positioned herself to face Toby, pointing the gun threateningly at him.
It was not the same as sending him flying off down the black hole. Far from it. It was more cold blooded, but if it came to that, she had to do that.
"Hey there, what are you doing!?" Jefferson asked, feeling more lost of the situation than he was before.
"Rose..." Jack began. "You don't want to do this. This is a blaster you're holding. You can't pull the trigger."
Rose gave a small smile, but kept her stance. "You think?" she replied, her voice slightly shaky.
Jefferson who was watching the whole situation, could not stand it any longer. "Captain. We've got an issue here."
"What? Is it the Ood again?" Zach's voice came through.
"No. This time it's humans," Jefferson replied, keeping his eyes on Rose and a shaken Toby.
"What are they doing? Don't tell me they got possessed!"
"I didn't see it happen... But I wouldn't bet on that. They just might have been. One of them is threatening to shoot our crew mate."
"Whatever you do, don't let that happen," Zach said.
"Lower the gun, miss," Jefferson began in a warning voice.
Rose took a side-way glance at Jefferson, who was now pointing the gun at her. "You don't understand. He's the one controlling them!"
"We don't know what are you talking about. Toby, come here," Jefferson urged him.
"Don't!" Rose warned and made to grab Toby, but Jefferson shouted out in commanding voice. "Don't move! Any move you make towards him, I got the permission to shoot."
"Look where you're pointing your gun," Jack exclaimed and was already holding his towards the man.
"Wh-hy are you trying to shoot me?" Toby asked timidly. Rose glared at him in a pained expression. How could he do this to her? She glanced at Jefferson who had his eyes firm on hers and was more than certainly ready to pull the trigger if she made any hasty movements.
"I don't know what game you're playing here, but I know who you are," Rose said, watching Toby again, the gun firm in her hold. "You're not fooling me."
"I'm asking you again to lower your gun!" Jefferson commanded. "We saw him do nothing to make him suspicious. Though, you three. Appeared out of nowhere. And you're the most suspicious of all." He indicated towards Rose.
"Rose," Jack began in a whisper. "Are you absolutely certain it's him?"
Rose snapped her head towards him. "Don't tell me you're doubting me too..." She could feel her legs go numb.
"I would always be on your side, Rosie. But you said yourself - things change. It could not be him. I can shoot him right this very moment, if you want. We both know yo wouldn't be able to." He made a pointed look at her. Rose held her gaze to his for a moment and with a gulp, lowered her gun. "But are you sure you want this?" Jack asked and turned his gun to Toby.
"Captain!" Jefferson spoke into his wrist device. "They're both uncontrollable!"
Rose hitched a breath when she saw the real outcome of things. She so wanted to save everyone from the Devil that she didn't stop for long enough to think that maybe, just maybe it wasn't Toby. Maybe it was only the Ood this time round. Or worse. Maybe it was someone else. Someone they least expected.
She glanced at Toby, who appeared severely shaken. It was the first time she actually looked at him. He was a young man. What IF he was only a young man. She would have killed in cold blood (well, Jack may have been right, she may have not been able to pull the trigger... not with a gun at least)...so in the end she would have let her one of the best friends do the job.
She felt her stomach roll upside down. She felt sick. From herself and her whole situation.
It was the worst curse of all.
"Let him go," she finally breathed, handing the gun over to Jack. He sighed in relief and Jefferson relaxed a slightly bit.
A short silence echoed in the room.
Jack eyed the room suspiciously. "Don't you think it's a bit strange, though?"
"The silence," Rose breathed, getting worried herself.
"It didn't speak the whole time we argued," Jack said, narrowing his eyes.
"Not interfering," Jefferson noted.
"Maybe...That's what he wants." Rose licked her lip. "For us to turn against each other."
Everyone turned their heads at the Ood, whose orbs suddenly lit up and they spoke in a hideous synchrony.
"He has woven himself in the fabric of your life since the dawn of time."
One Ood separated from the others and was advancing towards the guard.
"Some may call him Abaddon. Some may call him Kroptor. Some may call him Satan.." every Ood continued.
The loose Ood came to stand before the guard, who was standing a bit away from the group.
"Or the Bringer of Despair..." the Ood army spoke and then the separate one held up his orb towards the woman's face as it flew right onto her forehead and electrocuted her.
Everyone's eyes widened at once. Jack didn't take second chances and fired his gun at the Ood, it going down on the ground together with the, now dead, woman.
"These are the words that shall set him free."
The Ood started advancing. Everyone at once, their eyes burning red. Jack gripped on his guns more tightly, reading to make his weapons work any moment needed.
"Back up to the door!" Jefferson shouted. "Quickly! And you, miss, keep your distance from Toby! Any sign of trouble coming from you, I shoot," he warned. Rose made a quick nod and went for the door.
"I shall become manifest."
"Move quickly!" Jefferson together with Jack stood on the front line, ready to shoot whichever tried to strike. Rose and Toby moved towards the door with quick speed.
"I shall walk in might."
"To the door!" Jefferson yelled.
They tried to get it open, but it was going too slow.
"Get it open!"
"My Legions shall swarm across the worlds..."
The Doctor was advancing towards the exit to the capsule, when the ground around them started to shake, nearly making them loose their footing.
"Doctor! It's opening!" Ida spoke through the noise.
Rocks began showering down on the Doctor and Ida. He could see Ida looking terrified and he knew... he knew what he was supposed to do. But he still couldn't help looking back towards the capsule. She had Jack. He knew that. But the guns! The guns! What if she was hurt? She had Jack. He would protect her. But what if he failed?
He needed to see for himself that she was alright, but he couldn't! And with those self loathing and pained thoughts he stumbled back to Ida, falling over as the ground shook.
The trapdoor was opening more and more, the ground shaking violently until it opened fully, both of them nearly falling in it.
"The gravity field... it's going!" Zach announced, frantic. "We're losing orbit! We're gonna fall into the black hole!" he exclaimed. The whole base shaking.
Rose and Toby were desperately trying to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Jefferson had his gun aimed at the advancing Ood, but they ignored it completely.
"I have been imprisoned for eternity. But no more." The red eyes were watching them nearly face to face.
"Door sealed," the computer announced.
"Just gotta shoot as many as you see!" Jack shouted out, wincing at the thought that his death may cause Rose her life. No mistakes allowed. He positioned his both guns at each side. They had three arms. It may just be enough. He was Captain Jack Harkness after all.
"Come on!" Rose banged on the door, swirling the wheel, but it wouldn't open no matter what.
"Door sealed," the computer announced.
Billows of smoke rose from the pit, the ground still shaking. The Doctor and Ida could only stare at the deep depths of it.
"The Pit is open. And I am free."
The Ood were getting closer and closer by the second towards the group.
Taking a deep breath, Jefferson commanded. "Open fire!" Him and Jack began shooting at the Ood, Jack doing it pretty smoothly, whilst Rose and Toby cowered.
After a while of shooting, Zach's voice came through. "We're stabilising...We've got orbit!" he announced.
Just as the shaking of the base lessened and the fire dead down, Rose ran down the stairs, practically jumping over the dead sea of bodies of the Ood. She took the communication device once more, barely holding in her worry.
"Doctor?" she called out.
Static, no reply.
Rose blinked a few times. "Doctor, can you hear me?" Her voice desperate. "Doctor? Ida? Are you there?"
"Open Door 25," the computer announced.
Jefferson and Jack span around, guns raised and ready for whatever was coming through the door-
"It's me!" Danny held his both hands in defence. "But they're coming," he said in a scared voice, whirling the door close.
"Close Door 25," the computer announced.
"It's the Ood. They've gone mad," Danny exclaimed in a frantic voice.
"We know," Jack replied calmly.
"How many of them?" Jefferson simply asked, standing still.
"All of them!" Danny exclaimed in a high pitched voice, clearing panicking. "All fifty!"
Jefferson made his way for the door. "Danny, out of the way," he breathed. When Danny didn't move an inch, Jack grabbed him by his lapels and pushed him aside.
"If you're not going to fight. Move it," Jack warned Danny and it was all the warning he needed. He stepped aside, moving down the stairs and nearly tripping over the dead bodies of the Ood. He gasped.
"Open door 25," the computer announced.
Once Jefferson opened the door, they came into a full view of the Ood, standing on the other side, their eyes flashing bright red. One of them immediately advanced and was already aiming for Jefferson's head, when Jack stepped in by reflex. He gasped in pain as the electricity went through his body and he soon fell on the floor. Jefferson at once fired his gun, closing the door after him.
"Damn," Jefferson cursed, watching the laying body. Danny hitched a horror filled breath.
Hearing Danny's breath, Rose turned her head and her eyes widened. "Jack!" she squalled, running towards him.
"He's out dead. I'm sorry," Jefferson said and went towards the computer screen.
"Jefferson, what's happening, there?" Zach's voice.
"I've got very little ammunition, sir. How about you?" Jefferson said into his wrist device.
"What about Jack?" Zach asked.
Jefferson glanced at the top of the stairs where his body laid with Rose clinging to him, muttering something.
"Deceased," Jefferson breathed.
Zach inhaled a deep breath. "All I've got is a bolt gun. With uh...all of one bolt. I could take out a grand total of one Ood. Fat lot of good that is."
"Given the emergency..." Jefferson began. "I recommend Strategy Ni-" he cut himself short after witnessing the awakening of a certain Jack Harkness.
"For the love of..." Danny exhaled. "How did you manage that?" He quickly went over to help him stand up, together with Rose.
"Captain, reporting. Jack Harkness is alive," Jefferson announced.
"Jefferson, you just told me he was dead!" Zach was clearly sounding annoyed.
"I thought so too... But he is standing up right before my eyes." Jefferson spoke into his wrist device with disbelief in his eyes.
"Right. Next time make sure someone is dead before reporting," Zach said. "Okay. Strategy Nine agreed. We need to get everyone together. Rose? What about Ida and the Doctor? Any word?"
Rose rushed over the comm device, taking it back into her hold. "No, not yet. But they will get back in touch. Soon. Yeh, just a bit longer. They will... they just will." She was trying hard to keep herself calm.
Just then, the communication device crackled and the Doctor's voice came through.
"Yeh! Sorry, I'm fine," he announced casually. "Still here!" he ended in a light manner.
Rose took a deep breath. She was clearly so relieved, but that stupid! "You could've said, instead of making me worry, AGAIN! You stupid b-!"
The communication device screeched loudly, blanking the rest of the word out. The Doctor winced.
"WHOA! Careful!" The Doctor tried to cover his ears, but obviously failed with his helmet on. "Anyway." Back to conversation. "It's both of us, me and Ida. Hello!" he exclaimed in a half-humorous way. "But the seeal, opened up. It's gone." He kept his eyes on the pit. He could feel where it was all coming to. "All we've got left is this chasm."
"How deep is it?" Zach's voice.
"Can't tell. It looks like it goes on forever," the Doctor breathed. He had no idea how he was supposed to go down there. It could go down miles and miles. Even with his Time Lord self, there was no way he could survive that big of a fall.
"The Pit is open," Jack said meaningfully into the comm device, which Rose was holding close to her.
"Hello, Captain. Good to hear from you too," the Doctor said casually. "Heard some shooting. Mind telling me?"
"Nothing to worry about, Doc. Everything's under control."
"Yeh, especially you coming back from the dead bit," Danny said sarcastically, stepping near the comm to talk into it too.
"What, already?" the Doctor exclaimed in disbelief. "Can't you stay put, alive, for a mere hour?" He mocked him.
"Anyway!" Zach interrupted their bickering-talk. "The pit... is there... I mean... nothing is coming out?" he asked, a bit unsure of himself.
"No, no," the Doctor began casually. "No sign of 'the Beast'." He mocked. Though it was all a facade. He was more than sure that there was just something down there. Something he would meet first hand.
"Ida? I recommend that you withdraw. Immediately," Zach instructed.
"But... we've come all this way!" Ida refused to budge.
"Okay, that was an order." Zach changed tactics. "WITH-DRAW. With that thing open, the whole planet's shifted. One more inch and we fall into the black hole. So this thing stops right now!"
"But it's not much better up there with the Ood," Ida persisted.
"I'm initiating Strategy Nine, so I need the two of you back up top immediately, no ar-"
The end of that sentence was never heard, when Ida just went and turned off her wrist device. The Doctor raised his eyebrows.
"What do you think?" Ida asked, looking at the Doctor.
"I think they've an order," the Doctor said, looking down to the pit.
"Yeah, but... what do YOU think?" Ida asked again.
The Doctor put one foot on the edge of the pit, staring down into it.
"I have got to go down. My ship should be there," the Doctor breathed.
"What makes you so sure?"
"Weeell, she is not here, so the only place left is thaat-" He pointed towards the pit. "The real problem here is... How do I go down there?" he asked casually, his eyebrows raised in wonder.
"Jump in?" Ida joked. The Doctor looked at her in amusement.
"Oh! Oh, in a second," the Doctor exclaimed blithely. "But then again..." He considered, giving a half-laugh. He turned to Ida.
"That is so human. Where angels fear to tread. Even now," he breathed in a low voice. "Standing on the edge. It's that feeling you get. Yeah?" he asked her, prompting. Then his gaze went back again into the pit as though mesmerised, musing.
"Right at the back of your head," he continued on. "That impulse... that strange little impulse..." He began bouncing back and fort on his feet. "That mad little voice saying "go on... go on... go on... go over, go on..." maybe it's relying on that." To meet him there.
"For once in my life... Officer Scott..." the Doctor said, taking attention of Ida. "I'm going to say..."
Ida glanced at him in anticipation. The Doctor opened his mouth.
"I need a plan. A well detailed plan, which would actually keep me alive." He glanced down at the pit. After all, he had someone to come back to.
"So, yeh. I'm staying heeere, sitting or standing, or rolling over, imagine that." He laughed a bit, amused by the thought. "Anything really to think of a way to reach down there."
"Alright then. Let's... sit!" Ida suggested.
The Doctor turned to look at her. "That's where comes the second part of the plan. You're going up."
"You must be joking, if you think you can stay here on your own. I have the purpose to be here same as you," Ida said firmly.
"I would have said retreat, if not for my ship," the Doctor sang.
"I would have said okay, if not for my life," Ida countered him.
The Doctor sighed. "It's hard with you, humans."
Ida laughed. "You talk like you're not."
"Well," the Doctor exhaled. "You never know." He turned on his wrist device. "Rose."
After a short second, the reply came. "Yes, Doctor?"
"I'm... staying," the Doctor breathed. Then looked at Ida, who was giving him a warning look. "Well, I guess, we are staying."
No reply.
"Rose?" the Doctor spoke again.
"Yeh. Yeh, I know," Rose said softly.
Suddenly Rose was disturbed by the sight of Jack, pointing a gun at Toby. "Jack? What're you doing?"
Jack kept his intense gaze on Toby, who looked terrified.
"Jack?" Rose asked again.
"Nothing. Was just checking if nothing coming out of him."
"Obviously, nothing," Jefferson intervened, watching the scene warily. "So put your gun away. No pulling stunts on the crew. Is that clear?" Jefferson eyed Rose and Jack suspiciously.
Rose let her eyes wander from Toby to Jefferson, until she settled with- "Yeh."
The Doctor and Ida were steadily making their way towards the capsule to check if maybe there was something they could use to the pit.
"You can still back away now, you know," the Doctor suggested casually.
"Not happening." Ida held her ground firm. "This is one in a lifetime chance," she breathed.
"Hmm..." the Doctor hummed. "So... What's Strategy Nine anyway?" he asked nonchalantly, keeping the conversation going.
"Open the airlocks... we'll be safe inside the lockdown... the Ood will get thrown out into the vacuum," Ida explained.
"So basically slaughter," the Doctor noted.
Once they had finally reached the capsule, Ida turned to him.
"The devil's work," she explained.
The Doctor didn't make any effort to argue with her on that point. "Captain? Is there some sort of.. um, extra piece we could use? Anything you got hidden in the capsule? No?"
"After defying my orders do you really think I would help you?"
"Well, you could," the Doctor said nonchalantly.
"Well, get this, Doctor. You're not hearing it from me."
"Oh, come on," the Doctor groaned. "It's not even my fault! Well, not entirely," he muttered. "I offered her to go up! More than that. I actually told her to go up. But did she listen? Oh, no. You humans just can't listen. That curious nature, getting deeper and deeper into trouble. You even have a perfect example on board - Rose Tyler-"
Suddenly the lights started flickering until they completely went out.
"This is the Darkness. This is my domain," a voice, echoing from all around, spoke.
The display on the screen changed to that of several of the Ood standing together - the Beast using them to communicate.
The Doctor barely blinked an eye, watching them, Ida was captivated.
"You little things that live in the light... clinging to your feeble Suns...which die in the..."
"That's not the Ood. Something's talking through them," Zach said, feeling anxious.
"Only the Darkness remains."
"This is Captain Zachary Cross Flane of Sanctury Base Six representing the Torchwood archive. You will identify yourself."
"You know my name."
"What do you want?"
"You will die here. All of you. This planet is your grave."
"If you are the Beast, then answer me this," the Doctor dug in casually. "Which one? Hmm? 'Cos the universe has been busy since you've been gone. There's more religions than there are planets in the sky. The Archivits... Pordonity, Christianity... Pash-Pash, New Judaism... Sanclar... Church of the Tin Vagabond - which devil are you?" he asked in a wonder.
"All of them."
"What, then you're the truth behind the myth?" the Doctor said in a mocking manner.
"This one knows me - as I know him. The killer of his own kind."
The Doctor furrowed his brows. "How did you end up on this rock?" he asked in a more serious voice.
"The disciples of the Light rose up against me. And chained me in the pit for all eternity."
"When was this?" the Doctor asked in a faint, casual voice.
"Before time."
"What does THAT mean?!" the Doctor exclaimed, grimacing.
"Before time."
"What does 'before time' MEAN?" the Doctor asked with more force in his voice.
"Before light and time and space and matter. Before the cataclysm. Before this universe was created."
"That's impossible," the Doctor breathed. "No life could have existed back then."
"Is that your religion?"
"It's a belief," the Doctor said, a bit unsure.
"You know nothing. All of you. So small."
"The Captain, so scared of command. The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife. The scientist, still running from daddy. The little boy who lied...The virgin... The agent cursed with eternal life..."
He made a meaningful pause.
"And the lost girl, so far away from home. Running through time and dimensions, just to reach her love. The valiant child who will die in battle still."
"What... What do you mean?" Rose asked into the comm.
"Rose, don't listen," the Doctor said quietly.
"What do you mean?!" Rose asked more fiercely. She had been through all that only to be left "dead" again? She knew what her death meant, it meant trapped in the parallel universe. No. She could not accept that kind of fate. Satan could not be right. He was inaccurate the first time too!
"You will die... and I will live."
The footage of the Ood suddenly was cut and instantly replaced with a roaring horned beast, which caused everyone but the Doctor, Rose and Jack to gasp and stumble backwards.
"What the hell was that?" Danny asked, voice shaky with fear.
The humans began to panic.
"You thought I was that thing," Toby said shakily.
"Still..." Rose shook her head. "It said still." She bit her lip to prevent the sob.
"What do we do? Jefferson?" Danny asked frantically.
"Captain? What's the situation on Strategy Nine?" Jefferson asked into his wrist device.
"Zach, what do we do?" Danny doubled.
"What if I can fix it? ... the black hole, everything's true," Zach breathed.
"Captain, report," Jefferson demanded.
"We've lost pictures-" Zach began.
"Jack, it's..." Rose looked at him helplessly.
"It won't." Jack tried to assure her.
"Did anyone get-" Ida began
"Stop-" The Doctor tried, feeling the panic overwhelming humans way over the top.
"Jefferson?" Zach's voice.
"Everyone just stop-" The Doctor tried once again.
"What do we do?" Danny asked.
"Report," Jefferson asked.
Having just about enough, the Doctor took hold of the communication device and put it close to the speaker, making it screech loudly. The babble immediately stopped and silence fell.
"If you want voices in the dark, then listen to mine," the Doctor began in an urgent voice. Just leave them for a moment and they go to panic mode. "That thing is playing on very basic fears. Darkness - childhood nightmares, all that stuff." The Doctor tried to make his point.
"But that's how the devil works," Danny said the obvious.
"Oor a good psychologist," the Doctor stated simply.
"But... how did it know about my father?" Ida asked, concerned.
The Doctor glanced at her. He didn't really have an answer. "Okay, but what makes his version of the truth any better than mine? Hmm?" he spilled. "Cos I'll tell you what I can see: humans. Brilliant humans!" he exclaimed in enthusiasm.
"Humans who travel all the way across space. Flying in a tiny little rocket into the orbit of a black hole! Just for the sake of discovery, that's amazing!" He wasn't hiding his admiration. "Do you hear me? Amazing. All of you. The captain - his officer - his elder - his genius - his friends."
"All with one advantage," the Doctor said in a lower voice. "The Beast is alone," he stated slowly. "We are not. If we can use that to fight against him-"
The Doctor was cut sharply by a loud bang, the cable for the capsule snapping. It was quickly falling down the shaft.
"The cable's snapped!" Ida exclaimed, looking up.
"Get out!" the Doctor shouted out, pushing Ida out and diving out of the capsule himself just as the cable landed inside it with force.
Only dust wafted onto the exploration deck.
Rose could feel hear heart-rate pick up. This couldn't be it. Was this the last time they spoke? No, it couldn't be. How could she had missed it!
"Doctor! We lost the cable! Doctor, are you all right?" she kept on asking in the comm.
No reply.
"Doctor?" She tried again.
"Comms are down," Zach announced.
"Doctor? Doctor, can you hear me? No, not yet, please." She was still trying, but she knew that she would not get an answer.
"I've still got life signs, but... we've lost the capsule." Zach's voice.
"He's lost... Jack..." Rose said in defeat, her hand falling limp to her side. Jack took the comm from her grip.
"Doctor? IF you can hear me, say something. Anything. Don't make us worried!"
"There's no way out," Zach said. "They're stuck down there."
to be continued...
well, well.. what did you think? Would really like to know. And.. if you could. Besides the plot.. Could you express your thoughts regarding the writing style?(bold,italic,simple) It had so many conversations going that I had to separate them somehow. If some places were confusing, tell me. I hope not all were...