Well, after surviving the numerous death threats I have received, here I am to update again! In this chapter we find out where she is, what is going on (partially) and a few other things. Enjoy!

Chapter 17: Old Friends Who Need Help

The next thing I knew, I was standing in a street. Well, stumbling actually. The teleport or whatever it was had left me dizzy. Definitely Earth, was my first thought. I looked around. The sky was cloudy and dark, the street around me was dull…but I recognised it. This was London. I felt a stab of fear fill me; what had happened? Why was I here? Did the TARDIS do this?

A rustle caught my ears and I turned to see a newspaper floating in the breeze along the ground. The breeze was slight, but chilling to the bone. Something evil, something wrong was going on. I walked over and picked up the paper.

The headline was huge: NEW RESTRICTIONS TO BE IMPOSED UPON PUBLIC. I started reading after a brief glance at the date; exactly a year after the Doctor and I had last stopped in on Earth.

Over a month after the public execution of the infamous traitor to the Rulers, the Doctor,…

The first line made me gasp in shock and I almost dropped the paper. The public execution? The Doctor…was dead…? I started to get a suspicion that the TARDIS had somehow sent me to this other world…dimension…universe…something…but I couldn't fathom why?

"Psst!"

I turned, the paper still in my hand. A metal lid had lifted from the ground about ten metres away and a smooth brown hand reached out and beckoned.

"Who are you?" I asked, whispering for some unknown reason. Another rustle sounded behind me, as well as a rasping, wheezing breath. I gasped.

"Just come on!"

My eyes widened; it was Martha.

"Wh…?"

"Don't ask questions! What's happened to you? Get in here!" she snapped, slightly louder.

Considering the dreadful sound from behind me was getting closer, I figured I'd better go with her. I ran over, dropping the newspaper and quickly climbed down into the hole. She replaced the lid above us.

The next thing I knew I was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh my God! We thought you were dead! What were you doing out there? Did you have a death wish?" she gushed.

I hugged her back but then gently pushed her away. "What are you talking about? What was that thing?" It was the first chance I got to study her. She seemed worn, tired and less strong-spirited than the Martha I knew. She must have been through much.

She looked at me strangely. "What d'you mean? This isn't the time for a joke, Talia."

Ok. So there was obviously a version of me in this universe…but how was I going to tell her that I wasn't her?

As I contemplated that, several other people walked out of the dark tunnels behind Martha. I gasped upon recognising all of them, and noticing several missing persons. They also reacted, each running over to hug me just as hard as Martha had. I did the same, though now even more confused.

"So you managed to get her inside then. Is she alright?" One asked.

"I think so…but she's acting like she doesn't remember much." Martha responded.

"Amnesia?" another wondered.

"No…I reckon if anything, she would have lost her mind a bit. She was there, during the execution. She saw it. That's why you ran away, isn't it, Talia?" the first asked me.

I frowned at her. "Listen, I don't know what you're talking about. I just arrived here, out of nowhere, and the paper was next to me. I read it. Is the Doctor really dead?"

They all nodded. The one who had been doing the talking approached and looked me square in the eye. "Talia, do you know who we are?"

"Of course." I nodded. "Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Mickey Smith, Sarah-Jane Smith and River Song…but…where's Donna, and Jack, and…your Doctor, Rose…or doesn't he…" I was going to say exist but that would sound strange.

"She really has forgotten. Oh man! Maybe they did something to her!" Mickey exclaimed.

I figured the truth was better than trying to act as though I had amnesia.

"Look, I'm really sorry to tell you this…but I'm not your Talia."

Gasps all around met my words.

"What do you mean, not our Talia?" Sarah-Jane asked.

"I mean I'm from a different universe, or dimension, or whatever." I said calmly.

"Then is your Doctor here?" Rose questioned, accepting my words quicker than the others.

"No. Let me explain." I added to combat the sighs of annoyance. "My Doctor and I were in our TARDIS in our world when she went nuts. She started flailing around so we went to the console room. A hatch on the console released some sort of energy at me, which, as near as I can tell, teleported me here. I guess the TARDIS wants me to help, though how she knew about you is beyond me, though, of course, if she had sent the Doctor he would have been captured."

River was the one to approach me, this time. She placed a hand on my cheek. "You're so much like her. I think our worlds must be very similar."

I smiled at her. "Looks like it. So, as I said, I think I'm here to help you…but I don't know how. Why don't you start by telling me everything that's happened. What was that thing outside?"

"Come this way." Martha said, beckoning and walking back the way the others had come. "We'll talk easier in the lounge."

They made me go first, with Rose next, then River, and the others trailing. It was a good thing I wasn't claustrophobic.

"Have you got tunnels like this under the whole of Armidale?" I asked.

"Yeah, took us a while but far quicker than normal, back when we had the Doctor helping." Mickey answered.

It was still strange to think of a world without the Doctor.

I had to admit; they had done well considering their limited supplies. Their 'base' was entirely sealed in metal. It could have been the inside of a spaceship, if I hadn't been pulled underground.

Martha indicated one of the chairs, which I took. Rose went off to make tea and the others gathered around, ready to explain.

"Alright, we'll start from the beginning, yeah?"

I nodded.

"12 months ago, the Xenomorphs invaded. That's what nearly got you on the surface."

"Xenomorphs?" I asked, astounded. "Like the ones from the Alien movies?"

"Exactly." River answered. "They didn't just make those up, you know. Only these are slightly more advanced; they can speak English, even without the TARDIS translator, and they've got incredible technology."

"There were so many of them that the Doctor could do nothing more than get most of us out, to begin with." Martha continued, her voice going quieter.

I sensed what she wasn't saying. "What happened to the others? What about my parents, yours, Rose's?"

Martha frowned, looking down, as though she didn't want to tell me. River again obliged. "Donna…was killed during the first raids. She's part Time Lord, which is why she was targeted and why you, me, Rose and the Doctors had to be kept safe. Jack's immortality was quickly discovered, he's in prison. Martha's parents were taken captive, but her brother and sister changed names and live their lives. Jackie…well, we don't really know. Pete's dead…"

"And my Mum and Dad?" I pressed.

River moved closer, looking me directly in the eye. "The Doctor tried to get you all out. You were with him, when the Xenomorphs arrived. He went straight to your house, but by the time he arrived they had already put up anti-TARDIS defences all around the property. I'm afraid your parents were killed due to their connection with you."

I gasped, clapping my hands to my mouth. Tears filled my eyes and overflowed.

"No…" I whispered, despite the fact that they weren't actually my parents.

"Remember that this is an alternate universe to yours." Rose said gently, walking in with two cups of tea.

I nodded, wiping my eyes. "Yeah…continue."

As Rose went back to get the other cups, Martha resumed the story. "We established ourselves underground as the Xenomorphs begun killing. Just like in the movie…they need hosts to breed in. They killed millions of humans in doing so, until finally an accord was set that the remaining humans would keep their lives in servitude while all animals were used and bred as hosts."

"It became the punishment for those who obeyed." Mickey added grimly. "To bear a Xenomorph offspring."

"Both Doctors worked for months and months to try and figure out their weakness. The Doctor had almost worked it out when he was captured. They destroyed his work. That's when Rose's Doctor and you disappeared. Both of you were out on separate missions and never returned. We've been hiding ever since, only ever going to the surface to get newspapers and such; anything for wind of you or the Doctor." Martha finished sadly.

"Where's the TARDIS?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.

"With the Xenomorphs. They've turned the university into a base. It's there, we saw them take it." Sarah-Jane answered.

I looked down. "Did…were…did you watch? When it happened?"

I didn't even want to ask, didn't want to know. But, then again, maybe I did.

"Didn't have a choice." Rose sighed. "They psychically beamed the whole thing into every single human's mind. We all watched it." She paused, and her next words were quiet and thick. "It was terrible. I practically fainted."

"We all try not to think about it." Martha agreed.

"But the problem is, it's replayed every week on the same day at the same time, so no-one can ever forget it." River said bitterly. "And you've arrived at just the wrong time. They beam it into our minds in about five minutes."

I frowned, looking around at the faces which had suddenly turned grim. "What? No, no that's not fair! I don't want to see that!"

"I'm afraid you've got no choice. Even I can't help it." River came over and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Brace yourself."

WARNING! This will not be pretty. If any of you have seen Alien, you'll know what I'm talking about. WARNING! If you are a David Tennant/Tenth Doctor lover, shock, horror and tears may ensue. lol.