Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who
The Crimson Horror – Part One
The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and looked around at the cobblestone alley they'd landed in. It was the right year at least…not so much the right place. "Okay, so. Not London 1893" he admitted, "Yorkshire 1893. Near enough".
It was Laura's turn to pick a destination; she'd picked Victorian London, so they could visit the famous Crystal Palace, but it didn't look like that was happening. "Never mind" she sighed, stepping out of the TARDIS. She, Charlotte and Laura were all dressed for the times, their hair done up…they'd all worn dresses that reached just past their ankles, but didn't drag on the ground. No sense in tripping over since they'd undoubtedly end up running.
"You're making a habit of this, getting us lost" Clara remarked lightly as they headed out of the alley.
"Sorry" the Doctor sighed, "It's much better than it used to be. Ooh, I once spent a hell of a long time trying to get a gobby Australian to Heathrow Airport".
"What for?" asked Clara, mystified.
"Search me. Anyway"- whatever he was about to say, was cut off by a scream. "Brave heart, girls" the Doctor grinned, running off towards the source of the noise. His companions rolled their eyes at each other and chased off after him. A little ways away, a small crowd was gathering at the edge of a canal, whispering and pointing at something floating in the water. They squeezed through and looked over the edge, seeing a body floating in the water, the skin bright red.
Local policemen tried to usher everyone away from the scene; one man refused to budge, shouting "It's another one. Don't you see? Another victim. Why won't any one of you listen?" he demanded desperately. The Doctor looked at his companions, particularly Laura; this was supposed to be her trip, after all. She nodded, as did Clara and Charlotte…he smiled and stepped forward, saying "We'll listen".
The man looked grateful; he led them away from the canal, and introduced himself. "My name is Edmund Thursday. Pleased to meet you" he greeted, shaking the Doctor's hand.
"Likewise!" the Doctor grinned, "I'm the Doctor, and these are my…apprentices…Clara, Laura and Charlotte. Don't worry, whatever this is, they can handle it" he assured the man. After all, his Victorian sensibilities might make him think this wasn't 'work for a woman' or something.
"What happened to that person in the canal?" Clara inquired, curious and worried. Whatever it was, judging from the state of the body, it wasn't human. Edmund looked grave; he beckoned for them to follow him, and on the way, he explained what had happened so far. "It started a few months ago, bodies turning up in the canal…as you saw, their skin solid and devil red. What's more, none of the victims drowned. According to the coroner, they'd all died before they ended up in the river".
He showed them a factory set apart from the town, with no sign of any workers visible through the large front gates. "Mrs Winifred Gillyflower" he explained, "An astonishing woman. Prize winning chemist and mechanical engineer… So why…?"
"Why has she decided to open up a match factory in her old home town" the Doctor finished for him. Edmund nodded, and informed them, "And no one who ever goes to live there ever seems to come out. Come on; they should have taken the body to the morgue by now. Perhaps if we examine it…"
The undertaker, Amos, showed them the body of a woman. "Same as the rest" Edmund sighed regretfully, "All dead from causes unknown and their flesh glowing".
"Like something manky in a coal cellar. They keep turning up in t' canal" Amos remarked in a gruff, less than respectful tone, "The Crimson Horror".
"Ooh, good name" the Doctor said appreciatively, looking up from the body, "Hey, that's good, isn't it? The Crimson Horror. I wonder what it is…" He pulled a magnifying glass out of his pocket and looked the body over. He stopped on the face and asked, "Do you know the old Romany superstition? That the eye of a dead person retains an image of the last thing it sees. Nonsense, of course, unless the chemical composition of the body has been massively corrupted" he said, handing the glass to Clara to have a look.
There was an image in the dead woman's eyes, of an elderly woman…the Doctor wiped the skin with his white glove, and a crimson residue was left behind. He used Amos' chemistry lab to determine the composition. "Wow, this is nasty. An organic poison. A sort of venom. And you think it's connected to Sweetville?" he asked Edmund.
"I do".
"Well then, we need a plan" he decided, getting to his feet. He and Edmund left the morgue, and found his companions waiting for him out in the sunlight, which was even more pleasant after being inside the rather dank and gloomy building.
Before the Doctor could open his mouth, Clara stepped forward and asked, "So, what's the plan?"
To give him credit, the Doctor barely hesitated before replying "Something's going on inside that factory, and we need to find out what it is. So, we're going undercover" he grinned at them, before turning to Edmund and asking, "How do people normally get into the factory?"
Edmund explained that Mrs Gillyflower gave sermons at the local chapel, encouraging people to come and live in a model community she was building. They'd then be led inside the factory, but he had no idea what happened to them in there…only that they never came out. "Well, that isn't ominous at all" Charlotte quipped sarcastically, before inquiring, "What if they try to capture us?"
The Doctor eyed her, realising that she and Laura might already know the outcome of this adventure. He'd promised himself to listen if they ever asked to not go on an adventure, he'd do the same for Clara even though she had no reason to be cautious…but neither of them had mentioned anything by now. "Do you think that's likely?" he asked her, trying to gauge how much she knew.
Charlotte shrugged non-committedly. "It might be better if Laura and I stayed behind, y'know, just in case" she suggested.
Clara frowned a bit suspiciously and asked, "Why? What do you think happens in there?"
"Nothing the four of us can't handle" Charlotte smiled, "So long as two of said four are on the outside…trust me, it'd come in handy…" she trailed off and bit her lip, looking torn about something, before taking a deep breath and nodding resolutely.
"Okay" the Doctor nodded, coming to a decision, "Clara and I will go in first, and if we're not back by tomorrow morning, come and find us…but be careful, yeah?"
"Obviously; where do you want us to wait for you in the meantime?"
Edmund cleared his throat and volunteered, "Ah, you're welcome to stay with my wife and I for the night. She's such a kind soul, always offering a room to passing travellers…" he smiled fondly, making the others smile in return.
"That's very kind of you, Mr Thursday" Laura replied politely, "But are you sure we should let them go in alone?" she asked Charlotte worriedly.
"Laura, sometimes, you've got to know when to pick your battles. If something did happen to the Doctor and Clara, and given his track record it's highly likely something will"-
"Oi!"
"I'm just saying, it's better to have someone on the outside, y'know, as a back-up" Charlotte explained her reasoning. She had…other reasons, for wanting to stay behind, but she didn't mention them…mostly because they wouldn't be believed or understood…or allowed.
The Doctor clapped his hands together, excited. "Infiltration and espionage, what could be better, eh?" he asked cheerfully, putting an arm around Clara's shoulders. "Geronimo".
/
Later on, Clara and the Doctor stood before Mrs Gillyflower herself, the elderly woman eyeing them appraisingly. "Doctor and Mrs Smith" she smiled at them, using their hastily chosen aliases (Clara had given the Doctor an odd look when he'd called her his wife…he'd sheepishly muttered that it was the first thing that came to his head). "Oh yes, you'll do very nicely" she nodded in satisfaction.
The Doctor beamed and did a great imitation of a Yorkshire accent, saying "Oh, grand. Smashing. Eh, the missis and I couldn't be more chuffed, could we, love?" he asked Clara.
She simply smiled and nodded; he'd warned her beforehand not to try and pull off the accent, and she knew her accents were terrible. Gillyflower led them down between a row of terraced houses, all looking very neat and prim and proper. "Sweetville will provide you with everything you need. You won't have to worry about a thing ever again" she explained to them.
"The name, Sweetville…" Clara ventured.
Gillyflower paused and turned to her. "Yes?"
"Why not name it after yourself?" she inquired, "After all, it is your creation".
"Gillyflower-town" the Doctor suggested brightly, "Gillyflower-land! You could have roller coasters".
"It is named in tribute to my partner" Gillyflower explained.
"Your late partner?" the Doctor hazarded a guess.
"No, my…silent partner" she smiled, patting her chest, "Mister Sweet likes to keep himself to himself. Shall we move on?" she suggested, leading them to one of the houses.
"Who lives here?" the Doctor inquired.
"Oh, names don't matter here" she said dismissively, "All you need to know is we only recruit the brightest and the best" she smiled, opening the door. The Doctor and Clara caught a glimpse of a bell jar, housing a man and woman sitting at a tea table, both of them stiff and frozen; that was all the warning they had before they were set upon by well-dressed men and women, who grabbed and chloroformed them, and knocked them out…
Then the Doctor jerked awake, gasping, finding himself in underclothes and dangling helplessly on a rack with several other unconscious men. He struggled, but he couldn't pull himself up before they were all submerged into a red liquid, which burned… he could feel it sticking to his skin, hardening around him painfully, stiffening his movements…The rack was lifted up and the men were removed, though the Doctor was left lying at one end, in the 'reject pile'.
Mrs Gillyflower moved along the rows of preserved people. "Like pretty maids all in a row" she smiled at the frozen women, including Clara, "The process improves with every attempt. Mister Sweet is such a clever old thing. Oh, into the canal with the rejects, Ada" she told her blind daughter.
"Yes" Ada acquiesced, feeling her way forward towards the bodies of the people who hadn't survived the process. She wasn't expecting one of them to grab her hand, and gasped, "Ma"-
The Doctor squeezed her hand, desperate for her not to give him away…she spared him, which he was grateful for, even if she did end up chaining him up in a room. "Sometimes the preservation process goes wrong" she explained to him quietly, "Only Mister Sweet knows why, and only Mama is allowed to talk to Mister Sweet. But if you're very good, you can stay here. You'll be my secret. My special monster. Shush".
Chained up, barely able to move, and without a plan, all the Doctor could do was hope that Charlotte and Laura had a plan…because, he now knew for certain, they'd stayed behind for a reason.
/
The next morning, Charlotte awoke early, but could already hear someone moving around downstairs. For a moment she was tempted to go back to sleep, but then she remembered where they were and what needed to be done. Yawning and stretching, she sat up in the spare bed that she'd shared with Laura, and shook her friend awake. "Come on, Laura, we can't lie awake today. We've got friends to save".
"Hmm…okay, I'm up" Laura nodded sleepily. The two of them scrambled somewhat reluctantly from the warmth of the bed, dressed quickly, and made their way downstairs. Edmund was standing in the living room by the window; he jumped, startled, when they came into the room. "Oh! Forgive me, Miss Richards, Miss Seamer. I thought you were still asleep" he explained.
"Well, we've got a busy day ahead…they haven't come back, have they?" Charlotte asked knowingly.
Edmund sighed and shook his head. "No; I waited for them all night, but there's no sign of your friends. I do not wish to alarm you, but…I fear the worst".
"You've been up all night?" Laura frowned in concern, "You must be exhausted".
"No, no, I'm…" he yawned, "Quite fine, I assure you".
Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Quite…well, Mr Thursday, you and your wife have been very kind to us. If we might trouble you for three more things?" she inquired hopefully. He nodded, so she continued, "Breakfast, for a start. Then a carriage to London, to 13 Paternoster Row, and"-
"London?" Edmund interjected in surprise, "It will take you two days to reach the city, let alone one street".
"Hence the early start" Charlotte nodded, "Unless…you know a quicker way?"
"Well, yes" he nodded, "If you were to travel to York first, and take the train to King's Cross station, then take a carriage on from there…though if I might ask, why is it you wish to go to London?"
"We have friends there; friends of the Doctor, also. We'll need their help to rescue him, Clara, and probably everyone else too. Which brings me to the third thing…please, Mr Thursday, don't go in search of the Doctor and Clara. It isn't safe in there" she implored him.
Edmund frowned. "Surely you can't expect me to just leave a fellow man in danger?"
Charlotte smiled at him and replied, "We appreciate the thought, really; but you don't know the Doctor like we do. If he was captured, then whatever Mrs Gillyflower is doing, it's worse than we thought. If you went in alone, you'd be risking leaving your wife a widow. If you took her with you, you'd be risking her. With all due respect, sir, I'd wager that neither of those outcomes is exactly agreeable".
Just then, Effie herself entered the room. "Oh! You're awake already? Has there been any sign of your friends?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned. They were both such nice people, which only cemented Charlotte's determination to save them further in her mind. After all, what was the point of having foreknowledge if you didn't tweak it now and again?
"No, sadly not…Miss Richards fears that they might be in need of rescue, and she wishes to travel to London, to recruit friends to help".
"Really?" asked Effie, "Well then, I'd better get some food in you. I'll give you some for the journey as well" she decided, heading to the kitchen.
"Thank you, Mrs Thursday" Laura called after her, before turning to Edmund and saying, "And thank you as well. We really do appreciate this, Charlotte and I".
"Mm, yes, and we're sorry for troubling you. We're happy to pay you for your services…" Charlotte began, patting the pouch sewn onto her dress, disguised as part of the fabric…she'd had a good reason to choose this dress in particular, even if she did have to search for hours to find a suitable outfit in time. The TARDIS hadn't taken her 'toddler' comments well…and the mess with the shower yesterday meant that she hadn't been able to wash her hair…she hoped she didn't look too much of a mess.
Edmund shook his head. "No, no, it's no trouble, my dear. Save the money for the carriages and train…and take care not to lose it to highwaymen" he warned gravely.
"We will. If you wouldn't mind finding us a carriage, after breakfast…"
"Yes, yes, of course…are you certain these friends of yours can help us?"
Charlotte smiled. "Trust us, Mr Thursday. This sort of thing is very familiar to them…"
/
Later that very morning, they had managed to board the train to London, and were sitting beside each other in the carriage. "Charlotte?" Laura called softly, eyeing her best friend as she stared out of the window at the rolling countryside.
"Yeah?" replied Charlotte, not looking round.
"Why did…why did you tell Mr Thursday not to go into the factory?"
Charlotte turned to Laura and raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think? To save his life! And Effie's, of course" she added.
"Oh, right…but um, won't that change the timeline?"
"Yeah, for the better" Charlotte nodded, "Besides, we've already changed the timeline just by being here, and nothing's happened yet".
"Yeah, but…I thought if you knew what was going to happen, it was a fixed point…didn't we promise we'd ask the Doctor about this sort of thing?" Laura asked doubtfully.
"Well, the Doctor's not here…besides, what's the point of having foreknowledge if you don't use it from time to time?"
"But what if it's like with Rose and her dad? What if you make the Reapers come back?"
"The Doctor's fought Reapers before".
"No, he got eaten" Laura corrected, frowning, "Pete stopped them, by dying".
"Look, it's fine" Charlotte said confidently, "I worked it out last night. In the episode, Edmund dying is what gets his brother to alert Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax, just like Pete had to die to stop the Reapers…but now we're here, we're on our way to get them instead. So there's no reason, as far as maintaining the timeline is concerned, for them to die…so it's not a paradox if I tell them not to go into the factory. It's just…part of the alternate timeline we're creating".
Laura frowned and admitted, "I don't like this, Charlotte. It seems like a really bad idea…"
Charlotte sighed and looked out the window again. "There's nothing I can do about it now" she pointed out. Laura fell silent again, and Charlotte bit her lip nervously. Had she made a mistake? Would her actions summon the Reapers?
No! She told herself firmly, The timeline has already changed, and nothing's happened. If they live, it's just part of the changed timeline. It's not a paradox! They don't need to die in this version of events. I'm right, I know I am…
/
Strax grumbled under his breath when Madame Vastra sent him to get the door; he'd been about to test out a new incendiary device he'd been building, just a little one, the most it would do would level a wall…but Madame Vastra had refused to let him detonate inside the house, and then someone had started knocking on the door and she'd sent him to find out who it was. They were still knocking now. "I'm coming, puny human!" he called crossly, yanking the door open.
Standing on the front step were the two boys…or were they girls, he could never tell the difference…that had stayed with them at Christmas last year. The brown haired one said bluntly, "We need your help".
The blond haired one then added, "The Doctor is in trouble!"
"Strax, who is at the…Miss Richards?" Vastra asked in surprise, coming up behind the Sontaron and seeing the Doctor's companions there, "Miss Seamer? What are you doing here?"
Charlotte sighed impatiently. "Hello Madame Vastra, long story, the Doctor and a friend of ours were captured and we need your help to rescue them. So, can you get Jenny, please?"
Madame Vastra blinked at her, before telling Strax to fetch Jenny and beckoning them both into the house. Laura started to step inside, but Charlotte tensed and insisted, "We don't have time". She didn't want to leave the Doctor and Clara, especially the Doctor, in that place for any longer than necessary; she didn't know if Clara had been aware whilst she was being preserved, she got the sense that the woman had not, but the Doctor had been aware, and in pain, and she was his companion now, she had to do more than just feel sorry for him, she had to help him.
"Then be swift in your explanation" the Silurian retorted, walking away and leaving the door open. Laura and Charlotte looked at one another; the latter sighed, and went inside the house. They needed the Paternoster Gang's help, and not just because of what happened in the episode, but they would have to explain as much as they could, although Charlotte would prefer it if they could have explained everything on the train ride back.
They went to the drawing room, finding Vastra, Jenny and Strax waiting for them. "It's so good to see you again" Jenny smiled at them, the pair had been great company for the few weeks they'd stayed there last Christmas; it had been nice to have other humans in the house, even ones from the future…and a different universe. "What's goin' on?"
"We were going to Victorian London, to see the Great Exhibition, but we ended up in Yorkshire instead, in this little town called Alderthorpe" Laura began to explain, "There was a body in the canal, the skin was bright red, and stiff; we met a man who told us about this match factory, called Sweetville, how people went in but no one ever came out".
Charlotte continued, "The Doctor went in undercover because the bodies in the canal seemed to be connected to the factory, but Laura and I stayed behind in case something happened, and it did. He didn't come back last night, so I think he's been captured".
"How d'you know they didn't end up in the canal?" Jenny asked worriedly.
"I – we're just hoping" Charlotte said vaguely; she and Laura tried not to let on too much about their foreknowledge.
Madame Vastra shook her head, eyeing them closely. "No, you know. I can see it in your eyes…you've seen this happen before".
Laura and Charlotte looked at one another, unsurely, and back at the Silurian. "Um, I don't know what you mean…" Laura began uncertainly.
"We're not supposed to give you spoilers" Charlotte explained, "Why can't you just trust us?"
Vastra looked at her for a long moment, and then nodded. "Had you a plan in mind?" she asked.
"I had a thing…Mrs Gillyflower, the owner of Sweetville, apparently she only recruits the 'brightest and the best' for her community. She holds recruitment drives in the local chapel" Charlotte began to explain.
Strax interrupted them, declaring to Vastra, "You may rely on me, ma'am".
She stared at him a moment and remarked, "I believe she was, in fact, referring to herself, Laura and Jenny".
"I see" Strax said in distaste, "If these weak and fleshy boys are to represent us, I strongly recommend the issuing of scissor grenades, limbo vapour and triple blast brain splitters".
"What for?" asked Vastra.
"Just generally. Remember, we are going to the North" he said ominously.
Charlotte gave him a mock offended look and said, "Oi! We're from the North".
"…Oh, sorry, boy" he apologised.
"Eh, close enough".
/
They returned to Alderthorpe post-haste; Strax was asked to wait behind with the carriage, so that he wouldn't alarm the townsfolk with his strange appearance and belligerent attitude; much to his irritation. Laura and Charlotte led the others back to Mr Thursday's house; the latter knocked on the door, and waited until it was opened by Effie. "Hello, Mrs Thursday. We're back, is your husband in?"
"Yes, yes, come on in" she smiled, ushering them all inside to the drawing room, where Edmund was waiting for them. "This is Madame Vastra, and her maid Jenny. Madame, Jenny, this is Mr and Mrs Thursday. Mr Thursday is the man who first warned us about Sweetville" Charlotte explained. She was smiling, feeling very pleased with herself. Her gamble had obviously paid off, Edmund and Effie were still alive and well, and there wasn't a Reaper in sight!
Effie made tea, and they discussed their next plan of action. It was decided that Edmund would show Madame Vastra to the morgue, so she could have a look at the victims of 'the crimson horror', as the locals were calling it, whilst Effie took the three young women to the chapel, where Mrs Gillyflower was holding a recruitment drive that very afternoon.
They sat through a long and rather boring (especially to Charlotte, who was resisting the urge to roll her eyes for most of it) sermon by Winifred Gillyflower, the woman going on and on about moral decay and the coming apocalypse. "Bradford, that Babylon of the moderns with its crystal light and its glitter, all aswarm with the wretched ruins of humanity" she ranted passionately, "Men and women crushed by the devil's juggernaut".
The congregation murmured and nodded in agreement. "And moral turpitude can destroy the most delicate of lives. Believe me, I know. I know" Gillyflower continued, drawing back a curtain to reveal a young woman, scarring on her face, her eyes milky. Charlotte tensed, glancing at Laura to see that she was frowning. "Me own daughter, blinded in a drunken rage by my late husband. Her once beautiful eyes, pale and white as mistletoe berries" Gillyflower lamented. They both knew she was lying, and it sickened them.
Ada stood up from her chair and tapped her way over to a covered board. "And what, my friends, is your story?" Gillyflower addressed the congregation, "Will you be found wanting when the End of Days is come, when judgement rains down upon us all? Or will you be preserved against the coming apocalypse? Do not despair. I offer a way out. There is a different path. Sweetville!" she cheered, as her daughter pulled away the cloth, revealing an illustration of the ideal community; the factory with rows of terraced homes, a chapel and bandstand and gardens.
"Join us. Join us in this shining city on the hill" she implored them, before starting to sing, "Bring me my bow of burning gold. Bring me my arrows of desire…"
After the hymn, many in the audience (including Jenny, Laura and Charlotte) got in line to sign up for a place in Sweetville. Gillyflower smiled at Jenny as she approached the pulpit. "You wish to join us, my dear?" she asked.
"With me cousins, if it's all the same to you ma'am" Jenny said modestly.
"Let me see them" Gillyflower urged, and Jenny stepped aside. The elderly woman looked Laura and Charlotte up and down, the two of them doing their best to smile and seem polite. At last, Gillyflower nodded and remarked, "Oh, yes, dears. You three will do very nicely".
They gave her fake smiles, and signed their names in the book.
/
Edmund had to attend to some other business before he showed her the morgue, so Vastra took the opportunity to return to the carriage and fetch her 'butler', Strax. "If our stratagem succeeds, Jenny, Charlotte and Laura will infiltrate deep into the black heart of this curious place".
"And how will they locate the Doctor?"
"To find him, they need only ignore all keep-out signs, go through every locked door, and run towards any form of danger that presents itself".
"Business as usual, then?"
"Yes, business as usual".
/
Ada made her way up a staircase, tucked away in the factory, carrying a plate of food. She opened the hatch at the bottom of a metal door at the top of the stairs, and slid the plate through. "Did you think I'd forgotten you, dear monster, hmm?" A crash and banging noise emerged from within, and Ada swiftly took her leave.
/
Edmund came to find Madame Vastra and Strax, talking beside their carriage. "Mrs Thursday, allow me to introduce my butler, Mr Strax" the Silurian said calmly.
"Sir" Strax greeted, giving the man a traditional Sontaron salute. Edmund stared at him, bewildered and bit nervous. Then he seemed to realise he was being rude, and cleared his throat.
"Pleased to err, to make your acquaintance" he said nervously, before hesitantly inquiring, "Forgive me, I don't wish to be rude…but your err…your neck is…" he trailed off, unable to think of how to ask about Strax's neck, or rather lack thereof.
"My butler suffers from an unfortunate deformity" Vastra swiftly cut in, before Strax could launch into a tirade about how the mighty Sontaron race was far superior in terms of biology and physical strength to the weakling humans, or some other nonsense, "We do not like to speak of it".
"Oh, of course, my apologies. I came to tell you that I've sorted my other affairs for the day, so I can show you the way to the morgue when you're ready".
"Thank you" Vastra nodded, "Please, return to the town, I will be with you shortly".
Edmund nodded and left them alone. Vastra turned to Strax and informed him, "I will investigate this 'crimson horror', and attempt to glean more information about Sweetville and it's owner. Whilst I'm gone, ensure no one steals the carriage – without violence, mind – and bring it to the factory when we go in after the girls. I wonder how they're getting on" she mused.
"If they haven't make contact by nightfall, I suggest a massive frontal assault on the factory, madam. Casualties can be kept to perhaps as little as eighty percent" Strax suggested.
"I think there may be subtler ways of proceeding, Strax".
"Suit yourself" he muttered as she left.
/
Jenny, Laura and Charlotte were waiting in line with other prospective employees, separated into two lines, men and women. A redhead standing in front of Jenny turned around to ask her, "I'm dead nervous, aren't you? They have to be sure, you see. Only the best for Sweetville. I hope me teeth don't let me down" she said worriedly, for she did have rather bad teeth. "I'm Abigail" she introduced.
"Jenny, and these are me cousins, Charlotte and Laura" she introduced, gesturing to the pair behind her, who waved at Abigail.
She smiled back before remarking to Jenny, "You're not local, are you?"
"Nah, up from London".
"Different here, I bet".
"Yeah. Like a bleeding horse market" Jenny scoffed, before asking curiously, "Do you know anyone who's come to live here? In Sweetville, I mean".
"I had a pal who come here three month back. She wrote to tell me how perfect it all were" Abigail told her, before frowning. "Funny, though. I've not heard a peep from her since".
"Next, please!" someone at the head of the line called.
"Hang on, we're moving" said Abigail, stepping forward. She frowned when she saw Jenny sidle over to a locked door, and pull out a roll of lock picks. "What're you doing?" she hissed.
"Do us a favour" said Jenny, fiddling with the lock, "Cause a distraction".
"What?"
"Swoon. Have a funny turn. Fit of the vapours".
"Are you crackers?"
Charlotte stepped forward and held up a gold coin. "I'll give you this guinea" she offered.
Abigail smirked. "Done" she agreed, taking the coin, before pretending to be short of breath. She 'fainted' into one of the men's arms; the girls took advantage of the worried people to slip through the door and into the factory. There wasn't actually anything to the factory, just a large room where the sounds of heavy machinery were being played through large gramophones. The three of them hid behind some crates, and watched as two men carried a large glass flask of red liquid into a lift. "That's our best bet" Charlotte whispered.
/
The undertaker, Amos, remarked to Vastra and Edmund as they stood in the morgue's chemistry lab, "Them new manufacturers can do horrible things to a person. Horrible. I've pickled things in here that'd fair turn your hair snowy as top of Buckden Pike".
"You know what I'm looking for" she replied shortly, having no patience for his little spiel and attempt to frighten her. Edmund cleared his throat and nodded resolutely, declaring "Yes, with all haste, if you don't mind. I'd rather spend as little time as possible in this ghastly place" he muttered.
"Oh, aye" Amos nodded, handing Vastra a large glass bottle, half full of red liquid, "All them bits found in t'canal. The Crimson Horror" he leered.
Vastra ignored him and turned away, throwing her veil back to get a better look at the contents of the bottle. "It hardly seems possible…" she murmured, unable to believe her senses. Out of all that she'd expected, this was most certainly nothing of the sort.
"I beg your pardon?" Edmund inquired, ever the gentleman. The woman's tone was one of disbelief, even fear, and he couldn't help but feel concerned that the situation was even worse than they'd thought…though he wasn't sure how it could be, people were being coated in poison, for goodness sake.
"I think…I think I've seen these symptoms before" she replied.
"Oh, aye?" asked Amos.
"A long time ago…"
"How long, may I ask?" Edmund questioned with a frown.
Vastra turned to face them, smirking, not caring that she was unveiled. "About sixty five million years" she announced…the two men stared open mouthed at her just as she was expecting. Surprisingly, however, Edmund managed to force his jaw shut, and managed to eke out the words, "Th-th-that's a…a…a long t-time"…then his courage gave out and he fell backwards, fainting.
/
Ada and her mother sat eating soup, the young woman sitting prim and proper as befitting a lady of Sweetville. "I trust you had a pleasant day, Mama?" she inquired politely.
"Tolerable" Mrs Gillyflower replied rather curtly, more focused on her meal than on her daughter.
"Will Mr Sweet ever join us for dinner, Mama?" Ada wondered. She might have been blind, but she could hear, and she couldn't remember ever hearing someone introduce themselves as Mr Sweet. Her mother had told her much about Mr Sweet, of his ambitions and the vision they were creating together, but she'd never actually met the man…which was rather strange.
"Mister Sweet is rather tired tonight, I fear" Gillyflower explained, glancing over at a third place set, with no one to sit at it. She reached for the salt and inadvertently knocked over the shaker, spilling white grains over the tablecloth. "Dear me, how clumsy I'm getting" she remarked, taking a pinch of salt and tossing it over her shoulder, "To keep the Devil at bay".
Her eyes met those of a servant, who nodded stiffly and left the women to their privacy. Mrs Gillyflower smirked as, unnoticed by Ada, she sprinkled some sugar down the front of her dress, and patted her chest.
/
Jenny, Laura and Charlotte emerged from the lift to find themselves in a grey corridor, with an ominous red glow coming from a door at the end. Laura looked around and spotted a spiral staircase. "This way" she stage whispered to the others, leading them to the steps. They could hear a banging, rattling noise coming from somewhere at the top of the staircase. "What're we doing up 'ere?" Jenny asked curiously.
Charlotte looked over her shoulder and replied, "Rescuing the Doctor, of course". They made their way to a door at the end of the corridor, one with a metal closed hatch at the bottom. The banging was louder now, and they could make out faint groans of pain emanating from the room inside. "You think the Doctor's in there?" Jenny frowned, disturbed by the noise.
"No, we know the Doctor's in there" Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Here, I'll prove it" she offered, kneeling down and opening the hatch. A red skinned, stiff hand shot out and grabbed at her, forcing her to jerk back. "Hey! It's us, you idiot!"
The banging fell silent, and the hand slowly withdrew back through the hatch. "That's better. Now move back, okay, we're coming in" Charlotte instructed. She listened carefully, hearing a shuffling, chinking sound, and slid the hatch shut again. "If you'd like to do the honours" she said to Jenny, stepping aside. Jenny picked the lock and pushed the door open…
"Doctor!" she cried, staring in horror. The poor man was soaked in the poison, stiff and blood red, his mouth gaping, eyes wide and pained. He was dressed in white trousers and a shirt, manacles around his wrists, chaining him to the wall. "What happened to you?" she asked, rushing up to him, "Can you speak?"
"We told you, he was dipped in poison, and of course he can't speak, his mouths frozen open" Charlotte replied impatiently, scooping up his clothes and telling the other two, "Now help him out, before someone comes up here".
"Right" Jenny nodded, unlocking the manacles, "Right, we're getting out of here".
Once the Doctor was free, Jenny and Laura supported him on either side as they made their slow and painful way down the corridor, down the staircase, and towards the red glow room. Charlotte went ahead, keeping a look out and beckoning the others on when she saw the coast was clear. "Come on" Jenny muttered, wincing at the weight the Doctor was putting on her; she couldn't blame him though, it was obviously taking him a tremendous effort to walk, stiff as he was.
The lift began to rise, but by then they'd gone past it. "Just a bit more" Laura added encouragingly. They froze as the lift doors opened…only for Ada to step out, cane in hand, making her way towards the staircase. Charlotte peered in through the window of the red glow room, and tugged on the handle, but it was locked. She took Jenny's place supporting the Doctor, tucking his clothes under her arm, whilst Jenny picked the lock.
Once inside, they found several metal stalls, a covered vat – the same vat that Edmund would have fallen into, if she hadn't saved him, Charlotte thought with a small burst of pride – and a large window. Through it, they could see men and women being dipped into the Crimson Horror, unconscious and helpless. "Oh, my God" Jenny breathed, stunned.
The Doctor struggled to point at the metal stalls nearby; Charlotte nodded reassuringly and told him, "We know, you need to go in there. Jenny, little help?" she asked. The three of them guided the Doctor over to the nearest stall.
/
Meanwhile, Ada had reached the secret room, and spoke through it. "You are all I have, monster, but all will be well. Imperfect as we are, there will be room for us in the new Jerusalem" she smiled, reaching out for the door…only for it to fall open at her touch. Confused, and more than a little alarmed, she walked inside and tapped around with her cane until…her cane hit metal, and she knelt down to feel it, realising it was the manacles. "No. No! Where are you, monster? Where are you?"