Amongst the Stars
Chapter 2: This Shattered World
"Look at everything as though you were seeing it for the first or last time."
- Betty Smith; A Tress Grows in Brooklyn
"Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth-Death is scheduled for fifteen-thirty-nine, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."
Rose's eyebrows pulled together as she followed the Doctor down a corridor. The TARDIS had taken them five billion years into the future to the day the world ends. Rose was about to witness the end of the Earth with the Doctor and apparently many others from a spaceship.
"So, when it says guests, does that mean...people?" she asked the Doctor, her gaze dancing around the corridor. She was on a spaceship. An actual spaceship.
The Doctor shrugged. "Depends what you mean by people."
"I mean people, what do you mean?"
The Doctor gave her a cheeky smile. "Aliens."
"But what are they doing on board this spaceship?" The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and waved it over a control panel on the wall. "What's it all for?"
"It's not a spaceship, it's more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn."
"What for?"
"Fun."
The Doctor strolled off and Rose hurried after him into a huge room, it looked like a modern art gallery, all floor space and no furniture.
"Mind you," said the Doctor. "When I say the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich."
At the end of the gallery-like room was a large window – the length of the floor to the ceiling – through it, Rose could see the Sun and it's flames flickering.
"But hold on, they did this once on Newsround Extra. The Sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years."
"Millions." The Doctor corrected. "But the planet's now the property of the National Trust, they've been keeping it preserved – see down there?" The Doctor pointed at a tiny glint of light that was orbiting the Earth. "Gravity satellites, holding back the Sun."
"The planet looks the same as ever, I thought the continents," Rose made a gesture with her hands. "Shifted and things."
"They did. And the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, and nature takes over."
"How long's it got?"
The Doctor looked at his watch. "About half an hour. Then the planet gets roasted." He turned to Rose and smiled.
"Is that why we're here?" Rose asked. "I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?"
"I'm not saving it." The Doctor told her bluntly. "Time's up."
Rose glared. "But what about the people?"
The Doctor shrugged. "It's empty. They've all gone. No one left."
Rose looked at the empty planet she used to be on. "Just me then," she murmured.
"Who the hell are you?"
The Doctor and Rose turned around and saw a blue-skinned, alien Steward hurry towards them.
"Oh that's nice, thanks." said the Doctor.
"But how did you get in?" the alien demanded. "This is a maximum hospitality zone, the guests have disembarked, they're on their way any second now-"
"No, that's me, I'm a guest, look I've got an invitation-" the Doctor took a leather wallet from his pocket, and held it up to the Steward. "Look, there, you see? It's fine – 'The Doctor plus one' – I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler," the Doctor nodded at Rose who gave the Steward a smile. "She's my plus one, that all right?"
The Steward stared awkwardly. "Well, obviously. Apologies, etcetera. Right, if you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy."
The Steward hurried off, and the Doctor showed Rose his wallet, inside was a piece of white paper, no writing, no photo, just blank white paper. "The paper's slightly psychic, it shows them whatever I want." The Doctor put the psychic paper back in his pocket. "Saves a lot of time."
"He's blue."
"Yep."
Rose paused and stared at the Steward who stood behind a glass lectern.
"...Okay,"
"We have in attendance," the Steward spoke into a microphone. "The Doctor and Rose Tyler." the Doctor smiled and waved over to the Steward. "Thank you – all staff to their positions!"
The Steward clapped his hands and dozens of blue skinned children in uniforms hurried around the room. Rose stared in awe.
"And now, might I introduce," The Steward gestured towards the door. "Representing the Forest of Cheem, we have Trees; namely Jabe, Lute and Coffa-"
Three human-like trees made their way into the room; two male guards following a woman in a long red and orange gown. The woman – Jabe – glanced over at the Doctor and Rose.
"There will be an exchange of gifts to represent peace, if you could keep the room circulating, thank you – next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon-"
A small blue alien sat on a robotic chair, rolled into the room.
"Next, from Financial Family Seven, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme-"
Five cowled, monk-like figures, with hooded faces entered. Followed by the inventors and copyright holders of hyposlip travel systems, Brothers Hop Pyleen; Mr and Mrs Pakoo; the ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light; the Face of Boe. Rose was still staring at the arrivals when Jabe appeared, holding out a plant pot to the Doctor.
"A gift of peace," she presented. "I bring you a cutting of my grandfather."
The Doctor looked down at the tree branch with respect. "Thank you, yes, um gifts," The Doctor handed his gift to Rose and began patting his jacket. "I give you, in return, air from my lungs," The Doctor softly blew air towards Jabe.
"How intimate,"
"There's more where that came from," the Doctor flirted.
Jabe gave him a quick glance up and down. "I bet there is." She smiled and moved on, the Moxx taking her place in front of the Doctor and Rose.
"My felicitations upon this historical happenstance, I bring you the gift of my bodily saliva," The Moxx spat right in Rose's eye. The blonde flinched in disgust, while the Doctor merely smiled.
The Adherents arrived next, handing the Doctor a stainless-steel orb. "A gift of peace. In all good faith."
When the Adherents walked away, Rose looked back to the doors, a man – an actual human man – blonde and smirking as he strutted into the room.
"The last of the heavenly force," said the Steward. "The Archangel Gabriel."
The Doctor grinned as Gabriel made his way over to them. "Gabriel!" he greeted. "I'm the Doctor, this is Rose."
"Hell-o," said Gabriel in a flirty tone, giving Rose what Sebastian called 'sex eyes'. "This party has certainly started."
Rose blushed and smiled shyly. "Hi,"
Gabriel turned back to the Doctor and said coolly, "My present to you is my presence," he turned back to Rose and wiggled his eyebrows. "And I can give you an even better present later."
Rose watched as Gabriel swaggered off towards the other aliens. "Gabriel, as in the Angel-Gabriel?"
"Yup."
"So, there's not just aliens, there's angels as well?"
The Doctor shrugged. "Looks like it."
"And last but not least, our very special guest," The other guests in the room, stopped mingling and turned to face the Steward. "Ladies and gentlemen and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth, the last human."
The doors opened.
"The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen."
Two men in white coats and masks and carrying hoses walked on either side of Cassandra, the last human. But this wasn't a human. This was a face stretched across a metal frame and held in tightly in place. Rose looked on in disgust at how thing the skin was and the purple veins she could see cracking the white. Two eyes and bright red lips were the only human features about her – Cassandra was like a trampoline.
"Oh now don't stare!" Cassandra said coyly "I know, I know, it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away, and look at the difference, look how thin I am! Thin and dainty - I don't look a day over two-thousand!" Cassandra's tone turned to hushed panic. "Moisturise me! Moisturise me!"
The men at her sides lifted their hoses and sprayed a fine mist over her.
"Truly, I am the last human." Rose edged around the room, staring at Cassandra. "My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert." Rose looked at the back of Cassandra – the piece of skin was so thing that Rose could see the lips moving. "They were born on this Earth, and they were last to be buried in it's soil. I have come to honour them, and say goodbye," Cassandra sniffed. "No tears, no tears," One of the moisturising men leaned over with a tissue, wiping the non-existent tears away. "I'm sorry."
Cassandra perked up as one of the blue staff children entered the room. "But behold! I bring gifts! For Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg!" The guests muttered to each other in awe as the child presented the egg. "The ostrich was made extinct in Great Bird Flu of two-thousand-and-fifty-one. Legend says it had a wing-span of fifty feet, and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband?" Several guests – including Gabriel and the Doctor – laughed with Cassandra. "Oh, no, don't laugh, I'll get laughter-lines, stop! Stop!" Cassandra calmed down and another gift was brought into the room. "And here! Another rarity, some Old Earth entertainment," Rose smiled a little at the jukebox that was wheeled in. "According to the archives, this was called an I-Pod, it stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!"
Sometimes I feel I've got to – dun-dun – run away, I've got to – dun-dun – get away
"Refreshments will now be served," said the Steward. "Earth-Death in thirty minutes' time."
Rose gripped at the plant pot and steel ball in her hands tightly, her throat seemed to be closing up and her head was spinning. The aliens around mingled with each other as the music played. Feeling suddenly ill, Rose hurried out of the room.
The Doctor who had been watching her frowned and made his way through the crowds to follow.
"Doctor?"
The Doctor turned to Jabe who held up a small screen and took his photograph. "Thank you." She smiled.
Despite the unsettling feeling that grew in his stomach, the Doctor hurried out of the room to find Rose. Jabe watched him leave.
"I can't even identify him, what makes you think you'll be able to?" Jabe turned to face Gabriel as he approached her.
"It is worth trying, Gabriel." she said. "What do you think his species is?"
Gabriel stared at her. "No idea."
"Earth-Death in twenty-five minutes."
Rose frowned. "Oh, thanks," she muttered.
Rose sat in the viewing gallery, the closest she could get to privacy. The situation in the hall had overwhelmed her, like when she was a kid at school and they had to do the Nativity, Rose didn't feel too good about situations like that.
Bored out of her mind and wishing she had someone – particularly Sebastian – to talk to. Rose wondered what Sebastian was doing, she wondered if Mickey had told him that Rose had vanished with some weird alien from the north. Sebastian would have told Mickey to do one, thinking that he was drunk. Rose wondered what Sebastian and Jackie would do when they realise that Rose had actually run off with an alien. She really should have thought things through before she ran into the TARDIS.
She picked up Jabe's plant and observed the gift. "Hello?" she said to it. "Can you speak?"
The plant was silent.
"My name's Rose. That's a sort of plant. We might be related." Rose paused and moved the plant away from her. "I'm talking to a twig."
"Would you like some real company?"
Rose jumped and turned to the voice in the doorway. Gabriel leaned against the wall with one ankle crossed over the other, a flirty smirk plastered across his face.
"Y'know what?" Rose smiled, happy that someone sort-of human was there. "I would love some."
Gabriel walked forwards with confidence, he didn't need to focus on his steps or what was around him, he knew he'd get to where he wanted to be. He sat down on Rose's left.
"So, Rose, where you from?"
"Earth, well, the Earth from two-thousand-and-four,"
"You're a time traveller?"
Rose struggled to find words for a moment. "Sort of, I suppose. I travelled here with the Doctor, and I only met him the other day. I just left my family behind and took off."
"Who's in your family?"
Rose glanced at Gabriel, he had a look of genuine interest on his face, she was surprised that he was interested at all. The Doctor didn't ask Rose about her family or what she was leaving behind. "There's my Mum and my big brother – well, he's my half brother. My Dad died when before I could remember him. Seb always said he was great, like – that's my brother by the way – he wasn't even his Dad, and Seb loved him."
A short silence fell between the two. Rose perked herself up a bit. "So, you're an angel?"
"An archangel," boasted Gabriel.
"What's the difference?"
"Archangels are more important. And I'm the last one. Between you and me, I took off for a couple of centuries, pretended to be a trickster." Gabriel laughed a little. "Loki was no pleased,"
"Who's Loki?"
"No one, just some jackass, who...anyway, there were four of us. Archangels – myself and my big brothers Michael, Raphael, and Lucifer."
Rose's eyes widened. "Lucifer?" she repeated. "As in the devil-Lucifer?"
"How many Lucifers do you know? Yes, the devil-Lucifer. He and Michael wouldn't stop fighting over the Lego, and now they're both in hell. Raphael's dead, got himself killed by our littlest brother. But, of course, little brother Cas was God at the time." Gabriel looked at Rose and pointed a finger. "Never complain about your family being messed up, 'cos I'll find you and introduce you to mine."
Rose laughed loudly, not noticing the Doctor entering the gallery.
"Aye, aye!" He greeted. "What's this then, you two flirting? Rose I thought you had a boyfriend?"
"Shut up!"
"You know that won't stop me, Doctor." Gabriel winked.
The Doctor's eyebrows pulled together. "You flirting with me now?"
Gabriel laughed, "I'll catch you later," he winked at Rose, standing up, "You too," he winked at the Doctor and left.
The Doctor smiled. "He's nice isn't he? First time meeting an angel and I can honestly say that they are lovely. So, what d'you think then?" The Doctor sat down across from her.
Rose's glee had died down, and the overwhelming feeling had taken over again. "Great," Rose blurted. "Yeah, fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper...They're just so alien! The aliens are so alien, you look at them...and they're alien."
"Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South." Rose couldn't tell if that was a joke or not.
"Where are you from?" The question had been burning in Rose ever since she discovered the Doctor was an alien – he didn't look alien, he looked human.
The Doctor shrugged and looked at the floor. "All over the place."
Rose remembered what Sebastian had taught her about body language, people who look anywhere but you when talking about something personal, clearly have something they don't want to talk about. Rose thought it best not to dig any deeper into the Doctor's history.
"They all speak English." She got back on the topic of the other aliens.
The Doctor looked at her then. "No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the TARDIS. Telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates."
"It's inside my brain?"
"Well, in a good way."
"Your machine gets inside my head?" said Rose coldly. "It gets inside and changes my mind and you didn't even ask?"
The Doctor frowned. "I didn't think about it like that-"
"No, you were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South! Who are you, then, Doctor?" He looked away again. "What are you called? What sort of alien are you?"
"I'm just the Doctor." he tried to stay flippant.
"From what planet?"
"Well it's not as if you know where it is."
"Where are you from?" Rose had never wanted answers more in her life. She wanted answers from the Doctor more than when she knew Sebastian had been up to something dodgy and she wanted to know what.
"What does it matter?" the Doctor raised his voice and Rose followed suit.
"Tell me who you are!"
"This is who I am!" the Doctor's face shaded red with anger. "Right here, right now, this is who I am, all right? All that counts is here and now, and this me!"
"Yeah, and I'm here too, 'cos you brought me here, so tell me!"
The Doctor stood up angrily and walked towards the large window, his back to Rose.
"Earth-Death in twenty minutes."
Rose took a deep breathe, she wasn't going to get any answers. "Okay," she said slowly. "As my mate Shareen says, don't argue with the designated driver. Mind you, my brother Seb would say push them out and nick the car." Rose pulled her phone out. "Can't exactly call for a taxi. There's no signal."
"Tell you what – with a little bit of jiggery-pokery," the Doctor took the phone and replaced the battery with a similar black one.
"Is that a technical term, jiggery-pokery?" joked Rose.
"Yeah, I came first in jiggery-pokery, what about you?"
"No, I failed hullabaloo."
The Doctor handed the phone back, now with full signal. Rose knew exactly what she wanted to do. Quickly she dialled the number and held the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"...Mum?"
"Oh, what is it, what's wrong, what have I done now? You phoning about Seb? He's fine – he just told me he got off lightly, we'll order a takeaway tonight to celebrate – oh, this red top's falling to bits, you should get your money back – go on, it must be something, you never phone in the middle of the day."
Rose couldn't help but laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, you all right though?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? Things went fine at court with you brother, we should go down the pub tonight as well."
"What day is it?"
"Wednesday. All day – you got a hangover? I told you not to go out drinking with Mickey last night. Oh, tell you what – put a quid in that lottery syndicate, I'll pay you back later."
"Yeah, look, um, I was just phoning 'cos...I might be late home."
"Is there something wrong?"
"No I'm fine," Rose grinned. "Top of the world."
"I hope you're not drinking on the job – we're not going through what we went through with Seb when he worked at the supermarket."
"No, no, I'm not, I'll see ya later, yeah?"
"All right, darling."
The call ended, and Rose turned to the Doctor, gobsmacked. Not only had she been able to phone her mum but she had been able to phone her the day she had met the Doctor.
"Think that's amazing, wait till you see the bill."
"That was five-billion years ago," Rose's eyes grew sad, "She's dead now. My Mum's dead."
"Bundle of laughs, you are."
Suddenly the ship shuddered and jerked. Rose held her hands out to keep her balance, the Doctor looked at her and smiled. "That's not supposed to happen."
"That wasn't a gravity pocket," Rose followed the Doctor into the main hall where the guests were huddled together discussing the disturbance. "I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What d'you think Jabe? Gabriel?"
Rose turned as the tree woman and angel approached.
"Listen to the engines," the Doctor said. "They've pitched up about thirty hertz, that dodgy or what?"
Jabe shrugged. "It's the sound of metal, it doesn't make any sense to me."
"It's probably just a glitch in the machines, Doctor – it'll be nothing to worry about." said Gabriel.
"Machines." murmured the Doctor. "Machines. Where's the engine room?"
"Sorry," said Gabriel sarcastically. "Was I speaking enochian?"
Rose frowned. "E-what?"
"Jabe," said the Doctor. "Any ideas?"
"I don't know," said Jabe. "But the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you. And your..." she looked over at Rose. "Wife?"
The Doctor stepped closer to Jabe, not noticing Gabriel's smirk. "Oh, she's not my wife."
"Partner?"
"No."
"Concubine?"
"Nope."
"Prostitute?"
Gabriel snorted in laughter as Rose glared. "Whatever I am, it must be invisible, d'you mind? Tell you what, you two go and..."
"Pollinate," supplied Gabriel.
"Yeah that – I'm gonna stay here with Gabriel and catch up with the family." Rose pointed over at Cassandra. "Quick word with Michael Jackson."
"Don't start a fight." the Doctor warned her. He offered his arm to Jabe. "I'm all yours."
Jabe took his arm and the pair made their way towards the door.
"Wait a second!" Gabriel stopped them. He glanced around and lowered his voice. "Listen if you need anything, any stuff," The Doctor rolled his eyes and left.
Rose laughed and pulled on Gabriel's arm. "Come on, introduce me to the supposed human."
Gabriel chuckled and guided Rose across the room. "Lady Cassandra, might I introduce you to, my very lucky lady, Rose Tyler."
"This facility is purely automatic, it's the height of the Alpha Class, nothing can go wrong." Jabe explained the ship's operation as she followed the Doctor down the maintenance corridor.
"Unsinkable?"
"If you like. The nautical metaphor is appropriate."
"You're telling me – I was on this other ship once with my friend Irene – they said that was unsinkable. I ended up clinging to an iceberg, wasn't half cold." Jabe was fascinated by the Doctor, she wanted to ask him about his past, to find out if the identity results she received were true. "So what you're saying is, if we get into trouble, there's no one to help us out."
Jabe thought for a moment then shook her head. "I'm afraid not." She said aetiologically.
The Doctor suddenly grinned. "Fantastic!"
Jabe frowned. "I don't understand, in what way is that 'fantastic'?"
Rose stood in between Gabriel and Cassandra looking out on the Earth.
"Soon the Sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die." Cassandra dramatically explained. "That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy. Down there. Mummy and Daddy had a house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevasse." Cassandra sighed. "Oh, I'd have such fun."
"But what happened to everyone else?" asked Rose. "The Human Race, where did it go?"
"They say mankind has touched every star in the sky."
Gabriel snorted and muttered "You have no idea."
"So you're not the last human."
"I am the last pure human." said Cassandra haughtily. "The others...mingled."
"Moved on," corrected Gabriel. Cassandra ignored him.
"They call themselves new humans and proto-humans and digi-humans, even human-ish, but you know what I call them? Mongrels."
"Right," Rose smiled sarcastically. "And you stayed behind?"
Gabriel's familiar smirk returned to his face at Rose's words.
"I kept myself pure."
"Mmm, how many operations have you had?"
"Seven-hundred-and-eight." said Cassandra. "Next week, it's seven-hundred-and-nine, I'm having my blood bleached."
Gabriel pulled a face and made a gesture to indicate that Cassandra had lost her mind – Rose fought back the laughter.
"Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flattened." Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You've got a little bit of a chin poking out."
"I'd rather die." said Rose.
"And no one likes a flat girl," Gabriel wise-cracked.
"Honestly, it doesn't hurt-"
"No, I mean. I would rather die. It's better to die than to live like you a bitchy trampoline."
"Oh, that was too good," praised Gabriel, he held up his hand. "Come on, show me some love."
"Oh well," said Cassandra. "What do you know?"
"I was born on that planet. And so was my Mum, and my brother, and my Dad – and that makes me, officially, the last human being in this room. 'Cos you're not human. You've had it all nipped and tucked and flattened till there's nothing left, anything human got chucked in the bin. You're just skin, Cassandra. Lipstick and skin. Nice talking." Rose gave Gabriel's still raised hand a high-five and left the room with dignity.
Gabriel chuckled. "Hell hath no fury,"
"So tell me, Jabe, what's a tree like you doing in a place like this?"
Jabe smiled at the flattery. "Respect for the Earth." She and the Doctor were still making their way through the maintenance corridor.
"Come on," the Doctor said dismissively "Everyone on this platform's worth zillions."
"Well," confessed Jabe "Perhaps it's a case of having to be seen at the right occasions."
"In case your share prices drop?" The Doctor mocked, but not in a cruel manner. "I know your lot, you've got massive forests, roots all over the place. And there's always money in land."
Jabe playfully glared at him. "All the same, we respect the Earth, as family. So many species evolved from that planet, mankind is just one. I'm another." The Doctor faced her at every moment he could, truly interested in her words. "My ancestors were transplanted from the planet down below, I'm a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest."
The Doctor nodded, impressed. "Excuse me," he said politely as they came to a door. The Doctor took out the sonic screwdriver and whirred it over the door panel.
"And what about your ancestry, Doctor?" Jabe asked as he worked. "Perhaps you could tell a story or two. Perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there's...nothing else left."
The Doctor didn't speak. He didn't even look at her.
"I scanned you earlier." Jabe confessed. "The metal-machine had trouble identifying your species. It refused to admit your existence. And when it named you, I wouldn't believe it. But Gabriel confirmed it. He could hardly believe it either but it was right." She edged closer and the Doctor paused his work. "I know where you're from. Forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable that you even exist. I just wanted to say...how sorry I am."
Jabe's wooden hand gripped the Doctor's arm in comfort. The Doctor looked at her through glossy eyes, and gently placed his hand over hers. A tear slowly fell down the Doctor's cheek. The door unlocked, and the Doctor and Jabe hurried inside, saying no more on the matter.
Inside was a long bridge that led to what appeared to be switches. Spinning over the bridge, however, were three giant fans.
"Is it me or is it a bit nippy?" joked the Doctor, he looked up at the fans. "Fair do's though, that's a great bit of air conditioning. Sort of nice and old-fashioned. I bet they call it retro." The Doctor ran the sonic over another panel on the wall, a ping indicated when it had been unlocked. "Gotcha!"
The panel came loose, and the Doctor heaved it off the wall, exposing wires and circuity and – a silver spider. It scampered out, stunning the Doctor and Jabe, as it made it's way up a wall.
"What the hell's that?" the Doctor muttered.
"Is it part of the 'retro'?" asked Jabe.
"I don't think so, hold on..."
The Doctor held up the sonic at the spider, but the distance is too far for the Doctor to aim well. Jabe pulled her arm back behind her head and whipped it out fast – a leafy creeper shot out of her wrist and whipped the spider off the wall, right into the Doctor's hand.
"Hey, nice liana."
"Thank you." Jabe blushed. "We're not supposed to show them in public."
"I won't tell anyone." the Doctor promised. He studies the spider. "Now then, who's been bringing their pets on board?"
"What does it do?"
"Sabotage."
"Earth-Death in ten minutes,"
"And the temperature's about to rocket,"
"The planet's end!" Cassandra called to the other guests. "Come gather, come gather! Bid farewell to the cradle of civilastion, let us mourn her with a traditional ballad."
One of the staff children started up the jukebox, and the room was filled with music.
"Baby, can't you see? I'm calling, A guy like you, Should wear a warning"
Gabriel sighed. "Well I can't bust my sexy moves without there being someone to impress," he told the Moxx. "I'm gonna go find Rose – and some stronger drink."
Gabriel wandered out to room in the direction of the viewing gallery, suspecting Rose to be hanging out there. As he rounded a corner that led to the gallery he bumped into a very frantic Doctor.
"Woah! What's up with you?"
"The sun filters," the Doctor explained quickly, running down the corridor with Gabriel in tow. "They're descending."
They arrived at the viewing gallery door, the sound of knocking came from inside.
"Anyone in there?" the Doctor asked.
"Get me out!"
"Rose?" Gabriel called.
"Oh, well it would be you, wouldn't it?" said the Doctor.
"Open the door!" she cried.
"Hold on, give's two ticks..." the Doctor ran the sonic over the panels but nothing seemed to be working. "Can't you zap in and get her?" he asked Gabriel.
"No, not while the wards are up around the ship – there's no teleportation of any sort on the ship."
Suddenly, a computer voice from inside the gallery announced; "Sun filter rising, Sun filter rising,"
The Doctor smiled over at Gabriel, but-
"Sun filter descending, Sun filter descending,"
"Just what we need," muttered the Doctor. "The computer's getting clever."
"Stop mucking about!"
"I'm not mucking about!"
"Rose – it's fighting back!" explained Gabriel.
"Open the door! Get me out!"
The Doctor pushed the sonic further into the panel.
"Sun filter rising, Sun filter rising,"
Gabriel and the Doctor went to open the door, but it was stuck – the sun light had burned the other side of the door.
"The whole thing's jammed!" the Doctor called to Rose. "I can't open the door – right, Rose stay here with Gabriel!"
The Doctor ran off.
"The metal-machine confirms. The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of Platform One." Jabe stood in the centre of the main hall, addressing the other guests. The Doctor entered the room and took the spider from Jabe, fiddling with it.
"How's that possible?" said Cassandra. "Our private rooms are connected by a code wall – moisturise me, moisturise me."
"Summon the Steward!" suggested the Moxx.
Jabe hesitated. "I'm afraid the Steward is dead."
The guests and staff muttered to each other in shock.
"Who killed him?"
"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe, he invited us!" exclaimed Cassandra. "Talk to the face!"
"Easy way of finding out," said the Doctor, he held up the spider. "Someone brought their little pet on board. Let's send it back to master."
The Doctor put the spider down on the marble floor and it glanced around at the guests. It crawled around and the froze in front of Cassandra but then it crawled over to the Adherents.
"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme! J'accuse!" said Cassandra.
"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious," said the Doctor strolling over to the group of Adherents. "But if you stop and think about it-"
The leader of the Adherents shot out it's metal claw of a hand, the Doctor grabbed it and ripped the claw apart from the body, revealing glowing tubes for limbs.
"A repeated meme is just an idea, and that's all they are, an idea-" The Doctor ripped out one of the tubes and the Adherents dropped to the ground – lifeless. "Remote control droids, nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo." he said to the spider. "Go home."
The spider scuttled up to Cassandra, who sneered at the Doctor.
"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed. At arms!" The moisturisers stepped forward with their sprays raised at the Doctor.
"What you gonna do?" he mocked. "Moisturise me?"
"With acid. You're too late anyway, my spiders have control of the mainframe. Ohh, you all carried them as gifts, tax-free, past every codewall, I'm not just a pretty face."
"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it, how stupid is that?"
"I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation." Cassandra explained. "With myself as one of the victims, the compensation would have been enormous."
"Five-billion years and it still comes down to money." the Doctor spat.
"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human, Doctor, me. Not that freaky, little kid of yours."
The Moxx spoke up. "Arrest her!"
"Oh, shut it, pixie! I've still got my final option-"
"Earth-Death in three minutes,"
"And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I've got shares in your rival companies, they'll triple in price as soon as you're gone. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn."
"Then you'll burn with us!" spat Jabe.
"Ohh I'm so sorry, I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders! Activate!"
The ship jolted, and small explosions came from the vents. The guests jumped, and Cassandra smiled wickedly.
"Force fields gone, with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me!" Cassandra and her moisturisers began to fade. "Bye-bye, my darlings!" And in a flash they were completely gone.
"-you'd think the sociopath father and psycho boyfriend would enough but nope. Ellie always wanted more." Gabriel sat with his back to the door, talking to Rose about his encounters with the human race. The corridor was empty, the Doctor still hadn't returned. "I think she was a bit of an adrenaline junk-"
The ship jerked, and explosion came from a vent close to the angel. Gabriel stood and as he did he could sense the wards around the ship being washed away.
"Rose," Gabriel called.
"Yeah?"
"Don't freak out."
In less than a second, with nothing but the sound of flapping wings, Gabriel vanished from the corridor and appeared in the viewing gallery. Rose let out a small scream and pressed her back further against the wall.
"I said not to freak out." Gabriel pouted.
"Earth-Death in three minutes,"
"What...how...what did you-?" Rose stuttered.
"I'm an archangel, I can do pretty awesome crap." He held his hand out to Rose who grabbed it quickly. "Don't worry, the art of zapping in and out of places doesn't hurt."
Rose closed her eyes tightly regardless, waiting for them to exist the room. Gabriel was silent and Rose opened her eyes – expecting to see Gabriel's smirking face and the corridor, but instead they were still in the gallery.
"What are you waiting for – zap us out!"
"I can't," said Gabriel. "The wards are back up."
"Heat levels rising,"
"And the safety systems have been messed with."
The Doctor and Jabe stood in the ventilation chamber, facing the bridge and fans. On the other side was the system restore switch and they only had two minutes to get to it. The only way to it was across the bridge and for that the fans needed to slow down and for the fans to slow down someone needed to keep hold down a metal lever – a metal lever that would heat up to the highest of temperatures with the ship. But the Doctor needed to get to that switch.
"You can't," the Doctor told Jabe as she held down the lever. "The heat's gonna vent through this place."
"I know."
"Jabe, you're made of wood."
"Then stop wasting time." Jabe gave the Doctor a flirty smile. "Time Lord."
The Doctor couldn't help but smile back. He ran across the bridge, pausing when he came to a fan to be sure to get passed it safely. He'd make the switch in time, Jabe won't die. She might get hurt, but she won't die – there was only one more fan to pass. But that's when he heard the agonising screams. The Doctor turned around and saw Jabe to be nothing but flames. He had failed to save her. And now the fans were back to their original speed – too fast for a person to get passed.
But the Doctor wasn't a person. Closing his eyes, the Doctor focused all his senses on the fan. With his eyes still closed the Doctor stepped through safely and ran to to the switch.
"Raise shields!"
Rose was gripping Gabriel's hand when they arrived in the main hall – the aliens around them were dealing with their shock, the staff going around with drinks – Rose couldn't believe how close she had come to death. No hope seemed to exist until the shields seemed to repair themselves, she knew it was all thanks to the Doctor. Gabriel didn't let go of Rose hand once – he had even hugged her when they believed that they were about to die. Despite his flirty, slightly cold nature, Gabriel had comforted Rose and she was grateful.
The Doctor stormed into the hall and through the crowds without even glancing at Rose. He made his way over to Jabe's friends – Lute and Coffa. He spoke to them quietly, and the trees began to cry.
"Jabe's dead," Gabriel explained to Rose softly. "She died saving everyone on the ship."
"How do you-?"
"Super hearing." He smiled. "Perks of being an angel."
With a grim expression, the Doctor paced over to Rose and Gabriel.
"All right?" Rose asked him.
"Yeah I'm fine." said the Doctor angrily, Rose tightened her grip on Gabriel's hand. "I'm full of ideas – bristling with them! Idea number one: teleportation through five-thousand degrees needs some sort of Feed. Idea number two: this feed must be hidden nearby – am I getting warmer, Gabriel?"
"I'd say so, Doc." muttered the archangel.
"Idea number three," The Doctor picked up the ostrich egg that Cassandra had brought as a gift and smashed it, revealing the feed. "If you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed."
He twisted the dial on the feed and Cassandra appeared back in the room.
"The last human."
"So. You passed my little test. Bravo!" stuttered Cassandra. "This makes you eligible to join, um, the human club-"
"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them."
"That depends on your definition of people. And that's enough technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court then, Doctor, and watch me smile and charm and-"
"And creak?"
"What?"
"Creak. You're creaking." explained the Doctor.
"Like a mattress in a cheap motel room," said Gabriel.
Cassandra was drying up and cracking, and it clearly pained her.
"Moisturise me! Moisturise me!" the moisturisers weren't with her. "It's too hot!"
"You raised the temperature," the Doctor mocked.
"Have pity! Moisturise me! Oh, oh, Doctor!"
Rose let go of Gabriel's hand and stood by the Doctor. "Help her." she begged quietly.
"Everything has its time." said the Doctor coldly. "And everything dies."
"I'm...too...young!" Cassandra wailed as her skin stretched and then it snapped and Cassandra exploded over the hall.
Rose stared at the now empty space, horrified, and the Doctor walked away.
"What will you do now?"
"Go visits some planets. Old friends. I think Ellie and Jim live on Mars now-"
"Seriously, Gabriel?"
Rose and Gabriel stood in the viewing gallery, watching the expanded sun. The archangel shrugged.
"Don't worry about me, Rose. I have places to go."
"Yeah, but..." Rose trailed off. She was going to ask Gabriel to travel with her and the Doctor, but it wasn't her place to offer.
"You could come with us." The Doctor walked towards them. "We've got plenty of room."
Gabriel chuckled. "No thanks. I've got some girls waiting for me on Mars anyway." He smirked at Rose. "But you, Rose Tyler. You will always be my one true love."
Rose laughed. "Shut up!"
Gabriel nodded at Rose and the Doctor. "See you two round." And without looking back, Gabriel walked out of the room.
Rose and the Doctor stood together in silence.
"That's it then." said Rose. "The Earth's dead. It's all gone. And we were too busy saving ourselves, no one saw it go. All these years, all that history, and no one was looking. It just..."
The Doctor held out his hand. "Come with me."
Rose walked out of the TARDIS into the crowds of Piccadilly Circus. She looks around at the people and the buildings, listening to the chatter and the cars, it's all so ordinary, so normal. It's nothing like she has experienced.
"You think it'll last forever," said the Doctor standing beside Rose. "People and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day, it's all gone – even the sky."
Rose glanced around, letting the Doctor's words soak in.
"My planet's gone." Rose snapped her head to face him. "It's dead. It burnt like the Earth, it's just rocks and dust. Before it's time."
"What happened?"
"There was a war. And we lost."
"A war with who?" The Doctor just stared ahead. "What about your people?"
"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. Just like how Gabriel's the last angel. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own, 'cos there's no one else."
"There's me."
The Doctor gave Rose a serious look. "You've seen how dangerous it is. D'you want to go home?"
Rose thought about that hard. Go home and live safe with her Mum and Sebastian and Mickey...or travelling throughout time and space?
"I don't know. I want..." Rose paused, a familiar scent swam around her. "Can you smell chips?"
The Doctor smiled, "Yeah."
"I want chips."
"Me too."
"Right – before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay."
"No money."
"What sort of date are you? Come on, tightwad, chips are on me." Rose grinned. "We've only got five-billion years till the shops close."
.14:
Thank you so much! It's been a long and slow process figuring out how to link everything together – I'm still struggling with it now! - but I'm glad that for now, everything seems to be flowing nicely. I have recently finished the official plan for Sherlock and company's first appearance, but I hoped you liked the little teaser in this chapter ;) Thanks for your review, I really hope you liked this chapter!
CallMeAnonymous9:
Thanks! Hopefully I can somehow manage to keep things smooth throughout the story! Hope you liked this chapter, it was the best one to write so far.
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