Eva looked around, partly in curiosity and partly in worry as Yana dragged them into his lab.
"Chan, welcome, tho," the alien Eva remembered to be named Chantho said as they passed her.
"Now, this is the gravitissimal accelerator," Yana told the Doctor. "It's past its best but it works."
"Chan, welcome, tho," Chantho said once more and Eva turned around to see Jack and Martha walking into the lab, as well.
A small tug released her arm from the Doctor's grasp and she walked to Jack, making sure to stay away from Yana, who kept explaining things neither she nor the Doctor understood.
"And over here is the footprint impellor system. Now, do you know anything about endtime gravity –"
"Hello," Martha said politely, looking at Chantho. "Who are you?"
"Chan, Chantho, tho."
"You okay?" Jack asked quietly, pulling Eva closer.
"No," Eva whispered back, making Jack's grasp on her shoulder tighten as he pulled her closer.
"But we can't get it to harmonise –"
"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack said, smiling at Chantho and the Doctor's head turned to look at him, though his expression turned less annoyed when he saw the other man was making sure Eva was safe.
"Stop it," was all he said.
"Can't I say hello to anyone?" Jack questioned.
"Chan, I do not protest, tho," Chantho said.
"Maybe later, Blue," Jack told her with a wink.
"Eva, come here," Martha said, marking at the sofas at the corner of the room. "I want to give you a more thorough check-up."
"So, what have we got here?" Jack asked, letting go of Eva and coming to stand by the Doctor, who looked at the systems curiously.
"And all this feeds into the rocket?" he asked.
"Dizziness?" Martha asked, and Eva shook her head. "Nausea? Headaches?"
"Yeah," Yana replied, "Except without a stable footprint, you see, we're unable to achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonise the five impact patterns and unify them, well, we might yet make it. What do you think, Doctor?" he asked hopefully. "Any ideas?"
"Well," the Doctor started, "Er... basically... sort of... not a clue," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck.
"Nothing?" Yana asked.
"I need something to check your blood pressure, or at least heartbeat..." Martha muttered. "Reckon Jack's got something in his bag?"
"I'm not from around these parts," the Doctor said. "I've never seen a system like it. Sorry."
"No, no," Yana sighed. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. There's been so little help."
"Oh, my God!" Martha called out as she opened Jack's bag, pulling out a jar filled with blue liquid and... "You've got a hand?" she asked Jack. "A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in your bag."
"But that, that..." the Doctor stuttered, staring at it. "That's my hand!"
"I said I had a Doctor detector," Jack shrugged.
"Chan, is this a tradition amongst your people, tho?"
"Not on my street!" Martha exclaimed. "What do you mean, that's your hand? You've got both your hands, I can see them."
"Long story," the Doctor said, moving closer to her. "I lost my hand Christmas Day, in a swordfight."
"What? And you grew another hand?"
"Er, yeah, yeah, I did," the Doctor smiled at Martha as he raised his hand and waving it slightly, making Eva laugh. "Hello."
"Might I ask, what species are you?" Yana questioned.
"Time Lord," the Doctor said. "Last of. Heard of them? Legend or... anything? Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling."
"You could do with a bit of an ego knockdown," Eva said and the Doctor beamed at her, happy that she was once again responding.
"Chan, it is said that I am the last of my species too, tho," Chantho said.
"Sorry, what was your name?" the Doctor asked.
"My assistant and good friend, Chantho," Yana introduced, causing Chantho to blush slightly – as much as it was possible for someone blue to blush. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge."
"The city outside, that was yours?"
"Chan, the conglomeration died, tho."
"Conglomeration!" the Doctor called out. "That's what I said!"
Eva stood up, slapping the back of his head.
"You're supposed to say sorry," she hissed.
"Oh, yes," the Doctor said, rubbing where she hit him. "Sorry."
"Chan, most grateful, tho," Chantho replied, and the Doctor smiled.
"You grew another hand?" Martha asked, still disbelieving something like that was possible.
"Hello, again," the Doctor said, waving his hand once more. "It's fine," he told his companion, taking her hands in his. "Look, really, it's me."
"All this time and you're still full of surprises," Martha laughed.
"Chan, you are most unusual, tho," Chantho told him.
"Well..." the Doctor said, faking modesty but winking at Eva when the others weren't looking.
"So what about those things outside?" Jack asked, steering the conversation back to the land of helpful information. "The Beastie Boys. What are they?"
"We call them the Futurekind," Yana told him, "Which is a myth in itself, but it's feared they are what we will become, unless we reach Utopia."
"And Utopia is...?" the Doctor asked.
"Oh, every human knows of Utopia," Yana said. "Where have you been?"
"Bit of a hermit."
"A hermit with friends?"
"Hermits United," the Doctor supplied. "We meet up every ten years and swap stories about caves. It's good fun, for a hermit. So, er, Utopia?" he asked.
Eva let out a small laugh once more, but it died as soon as Yana marked them to get closer to one of his screens.
"The call came from across the stars, over and over again," he explained. "Come to Utopia. Originating from that point."
"Where is that?" the Doctor asked, putting on his specks.
"Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness," Yana replied. "Out towards the Wildlands and the Dark Matter reefs, calling us in. The last of the humans scattered across the night."
"What do you think's out there?" Eva asked, her voice shaking.
"We can't know," Yana told her. "A colony, a city, some sort of haven? The Science Foundation created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind, to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now perhaps they found it. Perhaps not," he added solemnly. "But it's worth a look, don't you think?"
"Oh, yes," the Doctor replied, smiling. "And the signal keeps modulating, so it's not automatic. That's a good sign someone's out there. And that's, oh, that's a navigation matrix. So you can fly without stars to guide you. Professor?" he asked when he saw the scientist wasn't listening to him. "Professor? Professor," he all but called out, snapping Yana from his trance.
"I, er, ahem," Yana muttered as he came back to focus. "Right, that's enough talk. There's work to do. Now if you could leave, thank you."
"You all right?" the Doctor asked, and Eva's eyes focused on the cob watch in Yana's hands.
"Yes, I'm fine," Yana snapped. "And busy."
"Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it?" the Doctor asked, making Yana pause. "This footprint mechanism thing, it's not working."
"We'll find a way."
"You're stuck on this planet," the Doctor went on. "And you haven't told them, have you? That lot out there, they still think they're going to fly."
"Well, it's better to let them live in hope," Yana defended.
"Quite right, too," the Doctor smiled. "And I must say, Professor... what was it?"
"Yana," the Professor supplied.
"Professor Yana," the Doctor started, "This new science is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost. So, I wonder, what would happen if I did this?" he asked, using his sonic screwdriver on one of the cables and making power surge through the machines.
"Chan, it's working, tho!" Chantho said in disbelief.
"But how did you do that?" Yana asked.
"Oh, we've been chatting away, I forgot to tell you," the Doctor beamed, winking at Eva again. "I'm brilliant."
EMH
Some time later, Eva was curled up to a ball on the couch. Martha had ordered her to rest as much as she could – which meant she was doing nothing while the others ran from one corner of the room to the other.
The Doctor stopped by one of the wires, sniffing it slightly.
"Is this?" he started in disbelief.
"Yes, gluten extract," Yana explained. "Binds the neutralino map together."
"That's food," the Doctor said. "You've built this system out of food and string and staples? Professor Yana, you're a genius."
"Says the man who made it work," Yana replied, brushing off the compliment.
"Oh, it's easy coming in at the end," the Doctor told him. "But you're stellar. This is, this is magnificent. And I don't often say that because, well... because of me."
"Rude!" Eva called out, sticking her tongue out when the Doctor rolled his eyes at her.
"Well, even my title is an affectation," Yana sighed. "There hasn't been such a thing as a university for over a thousand years. I've spent my life going from one refugee ship to another."
"If you'd been born in a different time, you'd be revered," the Doctor said. "I mean it. Throughout the galaxies."
"Oh, those damned galaxies," Yana joked. "They had to go and collapse. Some admiration would have been nice. Yes, just a little," he said, the smile falling off his face. "Just once."
"Well, you've got it now," the Doctor told him. "But that footprint engine thing. You can't activate it from on board. It's got to be from here. You're staying behind," he said in realization.
"With Chantho," Yana nodded. "She won't leave without me. Simply refuses."
"You'd give your life so they could fly?" Eva asked, an odd feeling crossing her.
This wasn't the Master – not yet, at least. The Master was nothing more than a consciousness trapped inside a watch right now. This was Professor Yana, a human, a good human who was willing to scarify himself for others.
"Oh, I think I'm a little too old for Utopia," Yana shrugged, and Eva allowed herself a small smile. "Time I had some sleep."
"Professor, tell the Doctor we've found his blue box," a voice came from the speakers.
"Ah!" the Doctor called happily.
"Doctor?" Jack asked.
"Professor," the Doctor said, "It's a wild stab in the dark, but I may just have found you a way out!"
Soon enough, the TARDIS was brought into the lab and the Doctor pulled cables from his ship out to Yana's machine's and back.
"Extra power," he explained. "Little bit of a cheat, but who's counting? Jack, you're in charge of the retro feeds."
"Oh, am I glad to see that thing," Martha said as she walked into the room, smiling at the TARDIS.
"Chan, Professor, are you all right, tho?" Chantho asked worriedly, noticing the Professor seemed to zone out again.
"Yes, I'm fine," Yana said. "I'm fine. I'm fine," he snapped when she didn't let go. "Just get on with it."
"Professor?" Eva asked carefully. "Are you sure you don't want to take a break?"
"You don't have to keep working," the Doctor added. "We can handle it."
"It's just a headache," Yana dismissed. "It's just, just noise inside my head, Doctor," he said, looking into the air as if he saw something the others didn't. "Constant noise inside my head."
"What sort of noise?" the Doctor asked, glancing at Eva worriedly and noticing the nervous way she was playing with her necklace.
"It's the sound of drums," Yana said. "More and more... as though it's getting closer."
"When did it start?"
"Oh, I've had it all my life. Every waking hour. Still, no rest for the wicked," he added, smiling at Eva slightly.
"I sure hope I've been good, then," Eva said, breaking the tense atmosphere. "I'm exhausted."
"Well, Martha did say you needed to rest," the Doctor said. "Go to sleep."
"I'll be fine," Eva tried to dismiss, but a single look from the Doctor shut her up.
"That's what you said last time," he told her. "How well did that go? Go to sleep, Evie," he said again, kissing the top of her head softly. "I'll be here when you wake up."
"Promise?" Eva asked, already resting her head on a cushion behind her.
"Cross my hearts," the Doctor promised and Eva closed her eyes.
Things may go downside very quickly soon but for now, everything was okay. She'll just take a short nap, and the Doctor will wake her up soon. He'll be there when she woke up. He promised.
EMH
He promised.
These were the first words that crossed Eva's mind when she woke up to an empty laboratory. Or, rather, almost empty.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Chantho looking at Yana with worry visible in each and every of her features. Yana was standing in the middle of the room, looking at his watch. There was no Martha. No Jack. And no Doctor.
He promised.
"Chan, Yana, won't you please take some rest, tho?" Chantho said carefully. Yana pressed something on his watch and golden energy streamed out of it, making Eva's breath hitch in her throat. "Chan, Professor Yana, tho?"
Chantho might as well have been talking to the wall. There was no Professor Yana anymore, the man who stood in the middle of the room wasn't Professor Yana – he was the Master. And the Doctor wasn't here.
But he promised.
Slowly, Yana reached out a hand, pulling a lever, and even though the screens weren't working, Eva knew what happened.
"Chan, but you've locked them in, tho."
The Master looked at her for a moment before turning to look at Eva. An odd look crossed his face and Eva shuffled back on the couch, trying to stay as far away from him as possible.
"Not to worry, my dears," he said coldly. "As one door closes, another must open."
He pulled another lever, and Chantho rushed forwards.
"Chan, you must stop, tho," she said. "Chan, but you've lowered the defences. The Futurekind will get in, tho."
The Master ignored her, stepping closer to Eva and grabbing her hand. He pulled, jerking her up and looking at the TARDIS with something that could only be described as hunger.
"Chan, Professor, I'm so sorry, but I must stop you. You're destroying all our work, tho."
Eva and the Master looked up to see Chantho holding a gun, and Eva's insides lurched as the Master smiled.
"Oh," he laughed. "Now I can say I was provoked." He pushed Eva behind him, making her fall on the floor. She looked in horror as the Master grabbed a live cable, slowly nearing the woman who was his assistant for almost two decades. "Did you never think, all those years standing beside me, to ask about that watch?" he asked. "Never? Did you never once think, not ever, that you could set me free?"
"Chan, I'm sorry, tho," Chantho cried, the hands that held the gun shaking with fear. "Chan, I'm so sorry –"
"You, with your 'chan' and your 'tho' driving me insane!"
"Chan, Professor, please –"
"That is not my name!" he exclaimed. "The Professor was an invention. So perfect a disguise that I forgot who I am."
"Chan, then who are you, tho?" Chantho asked in fear.
"I am the Master!"
He thrust forwards, the live cable touching Chantho and electrocuting her. Eva let out a small scream but the Master quickly grabbed her, putting a hand over her mouth.
"Shh," he whispered in her ear as he grabbed the jar with the Doctor's hand and started dragging Eva towards the TARDIS. "Wouldn't want anybody to think there's something wrong, would we?"
As if he heard him, the Doctor's voice came through the door.
"Professor! Professor, let me in! Let me in! Jack, get the door open now! Professor! Professor, where are you?! Chantho, are you there? I need to explain. Whatever you do, don't open that watch. Eva? Eva, can you hear me? Eva!"
The Master pulled Eva to the TARDIS, stopping only to take a piece out of the circuits before disconnecting the cables from the TARDIS.
"Open the door! Open the door, please! I'm begging you, Professor, please listen to me! Just open the door, please!"
There was a buzzing sound and the Master doubled back as he was hit with a shot from Chantho's gun. The assistant fell on the floor, now truly dead, just as the door opened.
For a moment, Eva looked at the Doctor in fear, as he stared back in shock. She opened her mouth, no longer covered by the Master's hand, but no words came out. Then, the Master pulled her into the TARDIS and locked the doors, all but throwing her on the floor as he headed to the console.
"Deadlocked," he said, flipping a switch and even though Eva was sure the Doctor kept talking, she could no longer focus on his words.
"Killed by an insect," the Master said. "A girl. How inappropriate. Still, if the Doctor can be young and strong, then so can I. The Master reborn," he said, smiling as golden energy flowed through him, changing him to the man Britain will soon know as Harold Saxon. "Ha, ha!" he laughed. "Ha, ha, ha! Now then, Doctor – Ooo, new voice. Hello," he said in a high tone. "Hello," he tried again in a new one.
"No," Eva whispered. "No, no, no."
She was here in the TARDIS with the Master while the Doctor was out. She was too scared to move – almost too scared to breathe – and the only hope she had was that her locket would take her away.
"Hello," the Master said once more. "Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me, I don't think!"
"I'm asking you," the Doctor said. "Really properly. Just stop. Just think!"
"Use my name."
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, the Doctor spoke.
"Master," he breathed out. "I'm sorry."
"Tough!" the Master called out, running around the console.
"Doctor!" it took Eva a moment to hear the scream, and another moment to realize it was coming from her throat. This couldn't be happening, she couldn't be stuck here, with the Master – the Doctor promised he'll stay with her! He promised he'd keep her safe! "Doctor!" she called out again. "Doctor, please! Please!"
Eva's locket started glowing and she almost breathed out in relief when the Master noticed it, too. "Oh, no you don't!" he called out, all but tearing the locket from her neck. "End of the universe. Have fun. Bye, bye!"
"Eva!" the Doctor called out, banging on the TARDIS's doors as the ship dematerialized. "Eva!"
"Doctor!" Eva called out in fear as the TARDIS shook, throwing her from side to side. "Doctor! Doctor!"
A sharp turn made her fly halfway across the Console Room, hitting her head on the railings when she landed upside down. For a couple of second, the whole world seemed blurry.
After that, came the darkness.
To Be Continued...
A/N: Oh my god. Oh my god. I can't believe this is finally up. WOW...
This story is 136,644 words, that sum up to 413 pages and 43 chapters, as well as the two accompanying one-shots.
It's covering Six Classic Who Stories (19 total episodes I've used), Nine New Who Episodes, Two Original Stories that sum up to Three Original Chapters and One Torchwood Episode.
We have a representation of 11 out of 13 Doctors (Including the War Doctor, as this story's timeline is all before our lovely Jodie Whittaker took upon the role of the thirteenth Doctor), 19 Companions and Four different Regenerations of the Master.
This is the biggest project I had ever taken, and I am now glad to announce its sequel, At the Eve of Change, which already has 95,623 words in 26 out of planned 58 chapters and will be published on August 2nd.
For those of you who are interested, I will be posting the trailer for the story on my tumblr (Mayalr96, Fandoms All Day).
Hope you liked it :-)