Through Thick and Thin
The Sontaran Stratagem
Thanks to Sage1988 and raerasala for favouriting and following this story
Donna and Shareen stood at the TARDIS console, both women actually piloting the box under the Doctor's supervision. "I can't believe we're doin' this!" Donna grinned
"No, neither can I." the Doctor muttered, giving the console a whack with the mallet. "Donna, left hand down. Shareen, right hand up. Getting a bit too close to the 1980's."
"What's wrong with that?" Shareen retorted. "We're not gonna put a dent in 'em are we?"
"Well, someone did." the Doctor shrugged
"Huh, wouldn't surprise me if it was you." Donna snorted
Just then, a mobile phone began ringing. "Oh, sorry, that's me." Shareen said, taking her phone out of her pocket. She checked the screen to see who the caller was. "Ah, it's Martha." she told the others and answered the phone. "Martha Jones. Oh, am I glad to hear from you again!" she grinned
"You too, Shareen." Martha said. "Where are you? Is the Doctor with you?"
"Yeah, he's here right now." Shareen replied. "We're in the TARDIS. Why? What's up?"
"I'd prefer to discuss it in person." Martha told her. "Tell the Doctor I'm bringing him back to Earth."
~8~
Martha Jones stood in an alleyway dressed in black. She heard a familiar noise and turned to see the TARDIS materialise behind her. The door opened, Shareen flew out and practically launched herself at Martha. "Oh, I've missed ya, Martha." she said
"You too, Shareen." Martha laughed as they both hugged. "You look great."
"You too." Shareen reciprocated and they broke apart
The Doctor then stepped out of the TARDIS. "Martha Jones." he greeted
"Doctor." Martha smiled
"You haven't changed a bit."
"Neither have you."
"How's the family?"
"Oh, you know, not so bad. Recovering." Martha replied. Her family were getting over The Year That Never Was, with her parents back together and the whole family closer than ever. "How about you, Shareen?" she asked. "How's the, you know?" She nodded to Shareen's chest.
"Healing." Shareen replied.
Just then, Donna stepped out of the TARDIS. "Right. Should've known." Martha chuckled. "Didn't take you two long to replace me."
"Now, don't start fighting." the Doctor cautioned, remembering what happened when Rose and Sarah Jane met. "Martha, Donna. Donna, Martha. Please don't start fighting."
"You wish." Donna snorted, and shook Martha's hand "I've heard all about you," she said, "Shareen talks about you all the time."
"I dread to think." Martha remarked
"No, no, no, no. Nice things." Donna reassured her. "Good things. Nice things, really nice things."
"Didn't take ya long to get over Peacock, eh, Martha?" Shareen said suddenly. "Who's the lucky man?"
"What man?" the Doctor questioned. "Lucky what?"
"She's engaged ya prawn." Donna scoffed as Martha held up her left hand, which had an engagement ring on it.
"Really? Who to?" the Doctor asked
"Tom." Martha replied. "That Tom Milligan. He's in paediatrics. Working out in Africa right now, and yes I know, I've got a doctor who disappears to distant place. Tell me about it."
"Is he skinny?" Donna asked
"No, he's sorta... strong." Martha replied
"Oh, I remember him." Shareen nodded. "Yeah, he was alright. Needed a shave if ya ask me, but I'm happy for ya, Martha. Hey, can I be bridesmaid?"
"Of course ya can!" Martha laughed
"He is too skinny for words." Donna remarked, pointing to the Doctor. "Ya give him a hug, he gives you a paper cut!"
"Tell me about it." Shareen agreed, and all three women shared a laugh.
"Oh, I'd rather you were fighting." the Doctor sulked
The reunion was cut short by a voice over a radio saying, "Dr Jones, report to base please."
"Speaking of fighting." Martha remarked, pulling out a radio. "This is Dr Jones. Operation Blue-sky is go, go, go, go. Repeat this is a go." she lead the trio down the alleyway towards a large factory, just as a platoon of soldiers in black uniforms with red berets, jeeps and a large lorry approached the factory.
Once they'd reached the building, the soldiers stormed it. "This the Unified Intelligence Taskforce." one ordered. "Raise that barrier now!"
"All workers, lay down your tools and surrender." another one ordered through a megaphone
"Greyhound 6 to Trap 1." Martha said into her radio. "B section, go, go, go! Search the ground floor, grid pattern delta."
"What're you searching for?" the Doctor asked her
"Illegal aliens." Martha replied, then turned back to her radio, giving more orders
"This is a U.N.I.T operation. All workers lay down your tools and surrender." a soldier ordered over a megaphone, and the Doctor, Shareen and Donna could only watch as the soldiers aimed their weapons at factory workers, forcing them to their knees.
"Is that what you did to her?" Donna questioned the Doctor. "Turned her into a soldier."
"She's not a solider, she's a medical officer." Shareen told Donna. "At least that's what she told me."
Just then, Martha returned. "You're qualified now?" the Doctor asked, noting Martha's nametag. "You're a proper doctor."
"U.N.I.T rushed it through given my experience in the field." Martha replied, then led them towards the lorry. "Here we go. We're establishing a field base on site. They're dying to meet you." she told the Doctor
"Wish I could say the same." the Doctor muttered.
~8~
The inside of the lorry had been set up as a mobile office, with banks of computers and a large screen on the wall, while a small conference area had been set up in one corner. Martha approached a man in an officer's uniform. "Operation Blue-sky complete, sir." Martha reported. "Thanks for letting me take the lead. This is the Doctor. Doctor, Colonel Mace." she introduced
"Sir." Mace saluted
"Oh, don't salute." the Doctor rolled his eyes
"Well, it's an honour, sir." Mace said. "I've read all the files on you and, technically speaking, you're still on staff. You never resigned."
"What, you used to work for 'em?" Donna asked the Doctor
"Yeah, long time ago. Back in the 70's. But it was all a bit more homespun back then."
"Time have changed, sir." Mace said
"That's enough of the 'sir'." the Doctor grunted. He wasn't too happy about how much U.N.I.T had changed since his day.
"Huh, normally you can't get enough people kissin' ya arse." Shareen remarked. "What's the matter with ya?"
"Nothing." the Doctor waved her off.
"Come on now, Doctor," Martha said, "you've been on board the Valiant. We've got massive funding from the United Nations, all in the name of homeland security."
"A modern U.N.I.T for a modern world." Mace added proudly
"What, and that includes arrestin' ordinary workers?" Donna scowled. Ever since the Oodsphere, she'd been somewhat wary of her own species. "In the streets? In broad daylight? It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there. Donna, by the way. Since ya didn't ask. I'll have a salute."
Mace looked at the Doctor who nodded, then he saluted Donna. "Ma'am."
"Thank you." Donna nodded
Mace then turned to Shareen. "And you must be Shareen Costello. Good day, ma'am." And he saluted Shareen too.
"Ooh, a salute. Didn't think I'd ever get one of them." Shareen laughed
"Tell me, what's going on inside the factory?" the Doctor asked, getting to business
"Yesterday, 52 people died in identical circumstances right across the world, in 11 different time zones." Mace explained, bringing up a map on the screen with red dots blinking at various spots. "5am in the UK, 6am in France, 8am in Moscow, 1pm in China..."
"Ya mean they all died simultaneously." the Doctor cut in, getting the picture.
"Exactly." Mace confirmed. "52 deaths, at the exact same moment, worldwide."
"How did they die?"
"They were all inside their cars." Mace answered
"They were poisoned." Martha added. "I checked the biopsies, no toxins. Whatever it is, left the system immediately."
"What've the cars got in common?" the Doctor asked
"Completely different makes." Martha replied. "They're all fitted with ATMOS. And that..." she pointed to a display of the factory they were at, "is the ATMOS factory."
"And what's 'ATMOS' when it's at home?" Shareen asked
"Oh, c'mon. Even I know that." Donna rolled her eyes. "Everyone's got ATMOS."
"I've been outta the loop for a while." Shareen shrugged. "So what's 'ATMOS'?"
~8~
"Stands for Atmospheric Emission System." Martha explained as she led the Doctor, Shareen and Donna through a corridor in the factory. "Stands for Atmospheric Emission System." she explained "Fit ATMOS in your car, reduces CO2 emissions to zero."
"Zero?" the Doctor questioned. "No carbon at all?"
"Oh, yes." Donna said. "And ya get sat-nav an' 20 quid in shoppin' vouchers if ya introduce a friend. Bargain!"
"And this is where they make them." Mace said as he joined them. "Shipping worldwide. 17 factories across the globe, but this the central depot, sending ATMOS to every country on Earth."
"And you think ATMOS is alien?" the Doctor questioned
"It's our job to investigate that possibility." Mace replied. "Shall we?" And he led them into an office where a technician was setting up a silver device on a table. "And here it is, laid bare." Mace explained. "ATMOS can be threaded through any and every make of car."
"You must've checked it, before it went on sale." the Doctor said
"We did, we found nothing." Martha replied. "That's why I thought we needed an expert."
"Really? Who'd you get?" the Doctor asked stupidly
Martha didn't answer and just looked at him meaningfully. So did Donna and Mace.
"Oh, right! Me! Yes, good." the Doctor blustered
Shareen meanwhile had been looking at the technician who had set the ATMOS up. It was her estranged sister, Zara Whitland. "Zara?!" she stared in disbelief.
Zara gave Shareen a fixed look. "Hello, Shareen." she said coldly. "Long time no see."
"You're working for U.N.I.T?" Shareen furrowed a brow
"Yes, for about three years now." Zara answered briskly. "'Course, you'd know that if you hadn't walked out on us. No need to ask what you've been doing." she finished condescendingly
Shareen fixed her sister with a death glare but before she could retort, Mace intervened. "Miss Whitland, Dr Jones, with me." he said, and he left with Martha and Zara to check on how the military operation was going.
"Was that your sister?" Donna asked Shareen once they were alone.
"Yeah. Martha didn't say anything about her being here." Shareen grunted. "I wouldn't have come if I'd known."
"What happened between the two of ya, anyway?" Donna probed. "You said you an' ya family fell out, but why? What happened?"
"I don't wanna talk about it, Donna." Shareen waved her off
"Ok, suit yourself." Donna shrugged and turned to the Doctor. "Ok, so why would aliens be so keen on cleanin' our atmosphere?" she asked him
"Very good question." the Doctor replied
"Maybe they want to help. Get rid of pollution an' stuff."
"Huh, somehow I doubt that." Shareen said darkly. "After all, those Adipose pills turned out to be too good to be true."
"D'ya know how many cars there are on planet Earth? 800 million." the Doctor told both women. "Imagine that. If you could control 'em, you'd have 800 million weapons."
~8~
Presently, Mace and Martha returned, the latter carrying some files. This gave Donna an idea and she quietly slipped out of the room while the Doctor began scanning the ATMOS device with his sonic screwdriver. "Ionising nano membrane carbon dioxide converter," he noted, "which means that ATMOS works. Filters the CO2 at a molecular level."
"We know about that." Mace said. "What's it's origin? Is it alien?"
"No. Decades ahead of it's time." the Doctor replied, and he and Mace leaned over over the ATMOS device. "Look, d'ya mind?" the Doctor said grumpily. "Could ya stand back a bit?"
"Sorry, have I done something wrong?"
"You're carrying a gun." the Doctor answered. "I don't like people with guns hanging around me, alright?"
"If you insist." Mace grunted, and left the room.
"Tetchy." Shareen commented dryly
"Well, it's true." the Doctor defended
"He's a good man." Martha scolded
"People with guns are usually the enemy in my book." the Doctor told her darkly. "You seem quite at home."
"Huh, says the man who spent two months teachin' schoolboys how to play with guns." Shareen retorted
That knocked the Doctor off his high horse. "Now that's not fair." he protested
"It never is when you're the one being criticised." Martha rolled her eyes. "If anyone got me used to fighting, Doctor, it's you."
"Oh, right, so it's my fault." the Doctor huffed
"Yes, it is!" Shareen snapped. "Don't forget, Peacock, you made it possible for that monster to become Prime Minister in the first place! You made us go through that year of hell!"
"I've said I was sorry!" the Doctor blustered
"You got me this job, Doctor." Martha said sternly. "Besides, look at me. Am I carrying a gun?"
"Suppose not." the Doctor conceded
"It's alright for you." Martha continued, more softly. "You can just come and go, but some of us have got to stay behind. So I've got to work work from the inside, and by staying inside. maybe I stand a chance of making them better."
"Yeah?" the Doctor said, cheering up. "That's more like Martha Jones!"
"I learned from the best." Martha said
"Well..." the Doctor shrugged, his ego swelling up again.
"Thanks, Shareen." Martha laughed, and she and Shareen high-fived while the Doctor sulked.
Just then, Donna came back in carrying a binder. "Oi, you lot." she called, Mace and Zara following her in. "All ya stormtroopers an' ya sonics... rubbish! You should'a come with me!"
"Why? Where've you been?" the Doctor asked her
"Personnel." Donna replied. "That's where the weird stuff's happenin', in the paperwork. Cos' I spent years workin' as a temp, I can work my way round an office blindfold, and the first thing I noticed is an empty file."
"What's supposed to be inside it?" Shareen asked
"Sick days." Donna said, flipping the binder open to reveal blank pages inside. "There aren't any. Hundreds of people workin' here, an' no one's sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shoppin' trip, nothing. Not ever! They don't get ill."
"That can't be right." Mace frowned
"You've been checkin' out the building, should've been checkin' out the workface." Donna said simply
"I can see why they like you." Martha praised. "You are good."
"Supertemp!" Donna grinned
"Bet you never thought to check the personnel files." Shareen smirked to Zara, who gave her a sour look in response.
"Dr Jones, set up a medical post, start examining the workers." Mace ordered. "I'll send them through."
"Come on, Shareen, Donna. Give me a hand." Martha said
"Oh, running away again are ya, Shareen?" Zara said nastily as Shareen began to follow Martha and Donna.
Shareen swung round sharply with an angry look and she was about to retort when Martha intervened. "C'mon, Shareen. Don't mind her." she counselled. "Let's go." And the trio left the room.
"B*tch." Shareen muttered as she, Donna and Martha made their way along the corridor. "Five years since I last saw her and she's still a total b*tch."
"Take no notice." Martha soothed. "She's just jealous that you get to travel with the Doctor and she doesn't."
"Huh, she has no idea what it's really like." Shareen scoffed. "Bloody aliens tryin' to kill us every day, Peacock being an obnoxious git and us gettin' covered in crap. Bet she wouldn't be so jealous if she saw all that. Ya know, ever since I got shot, I've been thinking about gettin' in touch with them all again, but now Zara's gone an' given me good incentive not to."
~8~
The Doctor meanwhile was walking along another corridor with Mace and Zara. "So, this ATMOS thing, where did it come from?" the Doctor asked
"Luke Rattigan himself." Mace replied
"And 'himself' would be...?" the Doctor asked.
~8~
The Doctor, the colonel and Zara were soon back in the lorry looking at Luke Rattigan's profile on the computer. "He's a child genius." Zara explained. "He invented the Fountain 6 search engine when he was 12 and became a millionaire overnight. Now he runs the Rattigan academy."
"A private school, educating students handpicked from all over the world." Mace finished
"A hothouse for geniuses." the Doctor noted. "Wouldn't mind going there."
The two Humans looked confused.
"I get lonely." the Doctor shrugged.
~8~
Meanwhile, Martha, Donna and Shareen were preparing to set up a medical post. Martha and Donna were reading through binders while Shareen set up the chairs. "D'ya think I should warn my mum?" Donna asked. "About the ATMOS in her car?"
"Better safe than sorry." Martha replied
"I'll give her a call." Donna said, and turned to leave
"Donna..." Martha called after her, causing her to turn around. "Do they know where you are? Your family? I mean, that you're travelling with the Doctor?"
"Not really." Donna replied. "Although... my granddad sorta waved us off. I didn't have time to explain."
"Ya just... left him behind?"
"Yeah." Donna breathed, the full magnitude of what she'd done hitting her.
"I didn't tell my family." Martha told her. "Kept it all so secret, it almost destroyed them."
"The Master." Donna nodded. "What happened to them?"
"They ended up imprisoned." Martha replied. "They were tortured, my mum, my dad, my sister. It wasn't the Doctor's fault..."
"Not directly at least." Shareen chimed in.
"But... you need to be careful." Martha told Donna seriously. Cos' you know the Doctor, he's wonderful, he's brilliant, but he's like fire. Stand too close and people get burned."
"Yeah, remember I told ya how I got shot?" Shareen added
Donna nodded, mulling over the other two women's words.
"Actually, I think I'd better tell my nan and gramps about ATMOS." Shareen said, and went off to make the phone call.
~8~
Meanwhile, the Doctor was preparing to head to the Rattigan Academy. "You are not coming with me!" he told Colonel Mace irritably. "I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him."
"It's 10 miles outside London." Mace pointed out. "How will you get there?"
"Well, then get me a jeep." the Doctor answered
"According to the records, you travel by TARDIS."
"Yeah, but if there is a danger of hostile aliens, I think it's best to keep a super-duper time travel machine away from the front lines." the Doctor retorted. Ever since The Year That Never Was, he'd been more cautious in who he showed the TARDIS to and where he left the box.
"I see. So you do have weapons, but you choose to keep them hidden." Mace smirked. "Jenkins?"
"Sir?" a young soldier answered, coming over.
"You will accompany the Doctor, take orders from him." Mace ordered him
"I don't do orders." the Doctor muttered
"Any sign of trouble, get Jenkins to declare a code red." Mace told him. "And good luck, sir." And he saluted the Time Lord again.
"I said no salutes!" the Doctor grumbled
"Now you're giving orders." Mace retorted as he walked away
"Oh, you're getting cheeky, you are." the Doctor remarked
Just then, Donna arrived. "Doctor..." she began
"Oh, just in time." the Doctor said. "Come on, come on, we're going to the country. Fresh air and geniuses, what more could you ask?"
"I'm not coming with you." Donna told him. " I've been thinking. I'm sorry. I'm going home."
"Really?" the Doctor asked
"I've got to."
"Well, of that's what ya want. I mean, it's a bit soon." the Doctor sighed, disappointed. "I had so many places I wanted to take you and Shareen. The Fifteenth Broken Moon of the Medusa Cascade, the Lightning Skies of Cotter Palluni's World, Diamond Coral Reefs of Kataa Flo Ko. Thank you. Thank you, Donna Noble, it's been brilliant. You've, you've saved my life in so many ways. You're..." He tailed off as the penny dropped. "You're just poppin' home for a visit, that's what ya mean."
"You dumbo." Donna snorted
"And then you're coming back." the Doctor said flatly
"Know what you are? A great big outer-space dunce." Donna teased
"Yeah." the Doctor muttered, embarrassed at his mistake.
"Ready when you are, sir." Jenkins called from inside a jeep
"What's more you can gimme a lift." Donna said to the Doctor. "C'mon." And she walked off towards the jeep.
Just then, Shareen arrived. "Oi, not plannin' on ditching me are ya, Peacock?" she asked
"No, of course not." the Doctor replied, and they joined Donna and Jenkins in the jeep.
"Did ya speak to ya nan and gramps?" Donna asked Shareen.
"Yeah, they haven't got ATMOS in their car yet." Shareen replied. "I told 'em not to bother until we've found out if it's safe or not."
~8~
Meanwhile, Martha was running medical checks on ATMOS staff. "And your name's Trepor, yeah? she asked the man she was currently checking. "Is that Polish? Listen, we're not checking passports, it's not about that, but did ya come across from Poland just to work?"
"I came to do my job." Trepor replied in a monotone voice
"Ok." Martha nodded slowly, "I need to listen to your heartbeat. This might be a bit cold." She produced a stethoscope. "Lift." Trepor lifted up his shirt and Martha placed the scope on it. She listened and heard a very fast heartbeat. "Are you on any medication?"
"I'm here to work." Trepor said in his monotone voice
"How many hours a day do you work?"
"24."
"You work 24 hours a day?" Martha frowned. "Down." Trepor lowered his shirt. "Mr Trepor, have you ever had any form of hypnosis?"
"I'm here to work."
"Ok." Martha muttered, concerned. "Um, if you could just wait here." She got up and left the room.
As she walked down the corridor, two soldiers, Privates Gray and Harris, approached her. "Dr Jones?" Harris called
"Not now, I'm busy." Martha waved him off
"Just one question, do you have security clearance level one?" Harris asked
"Yes I do. Why?"
"Colonel Mace wants to see you."
"Oh good, cos' I wanna see him. Where is he?"
"Come with us." Harris said, and Martha followed them.
~8~
Meanwhile, the U.N.I.T jeep paused at the bottom of Wessex Lane, Chiswick, and Donna got out. "I'll walk the rest of the way." she said to the Doctor and Shareen. "I'll see ya both back at the factory, yeah?"
"Ok, see ya later." Shareen answered
"And you two be careful." Donna called as Jenkins drove off. She watched until the jeep was out of sight then she turned and walked down Wessex Lane.
On the way, one of her neighbours passed her. "Haven't seen you for days." the neighbour said
"Yeah... been away." Donna replied as she continued on her way. As she reached the Noble house, she saw her granddad in the driveway taking out the rubbish. Wilfred looked up and his face lit up at the sight of his granddaughter. He waved and Donna raced over to him, then they embraced in a bear hug.
~8~
Meanwhile, Gray and Harris had led Martha to the factory cellar. "What's he doing down here?" Martha frowned
"He asked to see you." Gray answered in a monotone voice
"Why? Has he found something?" Martha asked. Neither soldier answered; they just opened a door at the end of the corridor. Martha walked through it and looked around in puzzlement at what was inside. There was a basin full of a green liquid that was bubbling. Smelling a rat, Martha turned to leave, only to find Gray and Harris blocking her way. The door slammed shut behind them, and they began to advance on her.
~8~
At the Noble house, Donna and Wilfred were sat at the kitchen table. Donna was telling her grandad about her adventures with the Doctor. "I said so, didn't I?" Wilfred grinned. "Aliens. I said they were real! I just didn't expect 'em to be inside a little blue box."
"It's bigger on the inside." Donna smiled
"Yeah, but is it safe, then?" Wilfred asked seriously. "This... Doctor, are you safe with him?"
"He's amazing, Gramps." Donna replied. "He's just... dazzling. And never tell him I said that."
"No." Wilfred agreed
"But I'd trust him with my life."
"Hold up, I thought that was my job."
"You still come first." Donna reassured him
"For gawd's sake, don't tell ya mother." Wilfred advised
"I dunno." Donna frowned. "I mean, this is massive. Sorta not fair if she doesn't know."
Just then, Sylvia entered, having been in the back garden collecting the washing. "Doesn't know what?" she questioned. "And who's she? The cat's mother? And where have you been these past few days, lady? I phoned Veena and she said she hasn't seen hide nor hair."
"I've just been... traveling." Donna answered
"Oh, hark at her, Michael Palin." Sylvia scoffed. "Are you staying for tea? Cos' I haven't got anything in. I've been trying to keep your granddad on that macrobiotic diet, but he sneaks off and gets pork pies at the petrol station." Wilfred opened his mouth to protest, but Sylvia cut him off "Don't deny it, I've seen the wrappers in the car. Don't miss a trick." she turned back to her daughter "Now then, what were ya gonna tell me? What don't I know?"
"Nothing." Donna waved her off "Just... nothing."
"Good, right then. You can sit there and cut those coupons out. Every penny helps. This mortgage doesn't pay itself. Dad, kettle on."
"Yeah, kettle on." Wilfred said, standing up. As he passed Donna, he winked at her, telling her he would keep stumm about her secret.
~8~
Meanwhile, Jenkins was driving the Doctor and Shareen to the Rattigan Academy. "U.N.I.T's been watching the Rattigan Academy for ages." he explained. "It's all a bit Hitler Youth: exercise at dawn and classes and special diets."
"Sounds a bit like that school Peacock here taught at in 1913." Shareen remarked
"Turn left." the ATMOS sat-nav instructed
"Ross, one question." the Doctor said. "If U.N.I.T think ATMOS is dodgy..."
"How come we've got it in the jeeps?" Jenkins finished, anticipating that question. "Yeah, tell me about it. They're fitted as standard on all government vehicles. We can't get of 'em until we can prove something's wrong."
"Turn right."
"Drives me round the bend." Jenkins joked as he made the turn
"Nice one." Shareen smirked
"Timed it perfectly." Jenkins smiled
"Yeah! Yeah, you did." Shareen agreed. "See, Peacock? That's how ya make a joke." she told the Doctor.
"This is your final destination." ATMOS announced as they pulled up outside a large manor house.
The Doctor, Shareen and Jenkins approached the house on foot to find a young man, Luke Rattigan, waiting for them. As they approached him, a group of students in red tracksuits sprinted past. "Is it P.E?" the Doctor asked. "I wouldn't mind a kick round, got me daps on."
Luke eyed him with distain. "I suppose you're the Doctor."
"Hello!" the Time Lord waved. "And this is my companion, Shareen."
"Alright, mate." Shareen nodded to Luke.
"Your commanding officer phoned ahead." Luke told the Doctor
"Ah, but I've haven't got a commanding officer." the Doctor retorted. "Have you?"
Luke eyed him darkly
"Oh, this is Ross." the Doctor continued, gesturing to Jenkins. "Say hello, Ross."
"Afternoon, sir." Jenkins nodded
The Doctor rushed off towards the entrance. "Let's have a look then, I can smell genius! In a good way."
~8~
One of the Academy's classrooms was full of students working on a number of advanced looking projects. The Doctor was like a kid in a sweetshop as he rushed about looking at everything. "Oh, now, that's clever. Look." He pulled on his glasses and examined something closely. "Single molecule fabric, how thin is that?! You could pack a tent in a thimble. Ooo! Gravity simulators. Terraforming, biospheres, nano-tech steel construction. This is brilliant. D'ya know, with equipment like this you could, ooo, I don't know, move to another planet or something?"
"If only that was possible." Luke said
"If only that were possible." the Doctor corrected, pulling his glasses off. "It's a conditional clause."
Luke looked annoyed at being corrected. "I think you'd better come with me." he grumbled and led the trio to a recreation area. The Doctor's attention was immediately drawn to a large cube-shaped object with an alcove inside it. "You're smarter than the usual U.N.I.T grunts, I'll give ya that." Luke begrudgingly admitted to him
"He called ya a grunt!" the Doctor said to Jenkins, then turned back to Luke. "Don't call Ross a grunt! We like Ross! Look at this place..." he said as he began wandering around
"What exactly do you want?" Luke huffed
"I was just thinking, what a responsible 18-year-old." the Doctor replied. "Inventing zero-carbon cars, saving the world."
"Takes a man with vision." Luke said smugly
"A misguided vision." Shareen said sweetly. "Cos' ATMOS means more cars on the road an' that means the oil's gonna run out even faster."
"Hmm, good point." the Doctor nodded. "The ATMOS system could make things worse."
"Yeah, well, that's a tautology." Luke said bitterly. "Ya can't say 'ATMOS system' since it stands for Atmospheric Emission System. So ya saying, 'Atmospheric Emission System system.' Do ya see, Mr Conditional Clause?"
"Don't like being told ya wrong, do ya?" Shareen smirked
"I'm never wrong!" Luke scowled
"Whatever you say, Joe 90." Shareen snorted. "Hey, you haven't met my sister have ya? You an' her would get on like a house on fire."
"Not easy, is it? Being clever." the Doctor said to Luke. "You look at the world and connect things. Random things an' think: why can't anyone else see it? The rest of the world is so slow."
"Yeah." Luke muttered
"And you're all on ya own."
"I know."
"But not with this." the Doctor said, pulling an ATMOS device from his coat pocket. "Cos' there's no way you invented this single-handed. I mean, it might be Earth technology but that's like findin' a mobile phone in the middle ages." He tossed it to Jenkins who caught it "No, no, I'll tell ya what it's like, it's like findin' this in the middle of someone's front room." He gestured to the cube-shaped object behind him. "Albeit a very big front room."
"Why?" Jenkins asked. "What is it?"
"Yeah, just looks like a thing doesn't it?" the Doctor said, going into the object's alcove. "People don't question things, they just say, 'Oh, it's a thing'."
"Leave it alone." Luke growled
"Me, I make these connections too." the Doctor said, eyeing a control panel in the alcove. "And this, to me, looks just like a teleport pod." He pressed a button and promptly vanished.
The Doctor found himself inside a large futuristic spaceship, lit with dim purple lighting, and there were lots of squat aliens in blue armour milling about. One of them turned and spotted the Doctor. "We have an intruder!" it said, pointing a staff at him.
"How did he get in? In-tru-da window?" the Doctor joked.
The aliens began to advance on him.
"Bye bye!" the Doctor said, hitting a control in front of him. He disappeared from the ship and reappeared at the Rattigan Academy. "Everyone get out!" he warned, running out from the teleport pod. "Luke, you'd better come with us."
At that moment, the alien with the staff appeared in the room. "We've got company!" Shareen warned.
The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to disable the teleport before any more aliens could join it. "Sontaran!" he said to the alien, hoping to stall it. "That's your name, isn't it? You're a Sontaran. How did I know that, eh? Fascinating, isn't it? Isn't that worth keeping us alive?"
Jenkins aimed his pistol at the Sontaran. "I order you to surrender in the name of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce." he demanded
"Well, that's not gonna work." the Doctor told him lamely. "Cordoline signal, am I right?" he said to the Sontaran. "Copper excitation stoppin' the bullets." he explained to Shareen and Jenkins.
"How do you know so much?" the Sontaran demanded
"Well..." the Doctor shrugged. He'd had a fair few dealings with Sontarans in his long lifetime, and knew how they worked.
"Who is he?" the Sontaran asked Luke, causing the Doctor and Shareen to each raise a brow as the penny dropped.
"He didn't give his name." Luke answered
"But this isn't typical Sontaran behaviour, is it?" the Doctor questioned. "Hiding, usin' teenagers, stoppin' bullets. A Sontaran should face bullets with dignity. Shame on you!"
"You dishonour me, sir!" the Sontaran responded angrily
"Then show yourself!" the Doctor demanded
"I will look into my enemy's eyes." the Sontaran said, and removed it's helmet to reveal a domed, brown-skinned head with no neck and a fierce scowling expression on it's face.
"Oh, my God." Jenkins gasped
"It's Mr Potato Head." Shareen sniggered
"And your name?" the Doctor questioned the Sontaran
"General Staal of the 10th Sontaran Battle Fleet." he answered proudly. "Staal the Undefeated!"
"Huh, conceited much?" Shareen snorted
"Well, that's not a very good nickname." the Doctor remarked. "What if ya do get defeated? Staal the Not-Quite-So-Undefeated-Anymore-But-Never-Mind?"
"He's like a potato, a baked potato." Jenkins remarked, still in shock from Staal's appearance. "A talking baked potato."
"Yeah, there's some weird-lookin' aliens out there, Ross." Shareen concurred, slapping Jenkins' shoulder
"Now you two, don't be rude." the Doctor chided. "You look like pink and olive weasels to 'im."
"And you look like a broomstick in a coat." Shareen retorted. "Go on then, Peacock, enlighten us. What are Sontarans?"
"They're the finest soldiers in the galaxy, dedicated to a life of warfare." the Doctor replied, playing with a squash ball and tennis racket he'd found.
"Like Jem'Hadar." Shareen nodded. "What? I watch Deep Space Nine." she shrugged as the Doctor and Jenkins looked at her.
"Anyway, they're a clone race," the Doctor continued, "grown in batches of millions with one weakness..."
"Sontarans have no weakness!" Staal insisted
"No, it's a good weakness." the Doctor said casually
"Aren't you meant to be clever?" Luke said scornfully. "Only an idiot would provoke him!"
"No, but the Sontarans are fed by a probic vent in the back of their neck." the Doctor explained to Shareen and Jenkins. "That's their weak spot, which means they always have to face their enemies in battle. Isn't that brilliant? They can never turn their backs."
"We stare into the face of death!" Staal said
"Yeah, well. Stare into this." the Doctor retorted, tossing the ball into the air. He hit it with the racket, causing it to whizz over Staal's head and hit the teleport. It promptly ricocheted off the pod and hit Staal's probic vent, causing him to collapse to the floor. "Out!" the Doctor urged, and he, Shareen and Jenkins ran from the room.
~8~
Meanwhile, Martha was strapped to a metal platform in the hidden room at the factory with a device strapped to her head. In the corner was a teleport pod exactly like the one at the Rattigan Academy. "Is someone gonna tell me what the hell is going on?" she demanded. Just then, another Sontaran teleported in and approached Martha. "Oh... kay. So listen, you're not the first aliens I've met. Just tell me who you are.
"Commander Skorr of the 10th Sontaran Battle Fleet." the Sontaran answered. "Known as Skorr the Bloodbringer!"
"What've you done to those two?" Martha asked, nodding towards Gray and Harris, who were both just stood there like statues.
"Simple hypnotic control, as with the factory drones." Skorr answered. "But with you, we need something more complex." He messed with some controls and the liquid in the basin began to bubble.
Martha stared as an arm emerged from it. "What is that?" she gaped
"Soon that will be you." Skorr smirked
"You're not gonna get away with this!" Martha vowed, struggling against her bonds.
Skorr was amused by her struggles. "It is inadvisable to struggle." he said callously. "The female has a weak thorax."
"But what are you doing?"
"Completing mental transfer. The clone needs full mental access."
"Clone?" Martha stared, and looked at the basin as a figure emerged from the liquid. She gasped as she saw that it was a perfect replica of herself. "You can't..." She struggled furiously to get free as the clone reached behind itself, pulling out an umbilical cord. "That's not..."
"You will sleep, girl." Skorr said, messing about with some more controls. "Sleep and keep the memories alive." Martha began to fall asleep. "Memories we can use in battle."
~8~
Jenkins was now driving the Doctor and Shareen back to the factory. "Greyhound 40 to Trap 1., repeat, can you hear me? Over." the Doctor said into a radio, but he received no answer.
"Why's it not working?" Jenkins wandered
"Probably Mr Potato Head's done something to block it." Shareen realised
"If they can trace that, then they can isolate the ATMOS." the Doctor agreed
"Turn left." the ATMOS instructed
"Try going right." the Doctor told Jenkins.
"It said left." Jenkins replied
"I know, so go right!" the Doctor told him.
Jenkins tried to go right but the steering wheel wouldn't budge and when he let go of the wheel, the jeep swerved left all by itself. "I've got no control, it's driving itself!" Jenkins hollered. "It won't stop!" He and Shareen tried the doors while the Doctor tried to stop the ATMOS with his sonic screwdriver. "The doors are locked!" Jenkins cried
"Ah, it's deadlocked, I can't stop it!" the Doctor groaned as his sonicing proved fruitless too. "Shareen, try ya pen!"
Shareen patted her pockets. "I left it in the TARDIS." she realised
"Turn left." the ATMOS said, and the jeep turned left all by itself.
"The sat-nav's just a box, wired through the whole car!" the Doctor said as he messed about with the sat-nav in an attempt to stop it.
The jeep swerved off the road and demolished a chain link fence. "We're heading for the river!" Jenkins realised, seeing the Thames up ahead.
"The stupid thing's gonna drown us!" Shareen realised, then decided there was only thing for it. "Hey, ATMOS, anything we say you do the opposite, right?"
"Confirmed." the ATMOS answered
"Then drive straight into the river!" Shareen ordered, causing the Doctor and Jenkins to stare at her. "I'm orderin' ya to drive into the river!" Shareen demanded to the ATMOS. "Do it! Put ya foot down an' drive into the river!"
The jeep screeched to a halt just inches from the river bank. The doors unlocked and the trio all scrambled out as the ATMOS began to short-circuit. "Turn right... left... right... left..."
"Get down!" the Doctor hollered and the trio all hit the deck.
"Left, right, left, right, left, left, right, left, right." the malfunctioning ATMOS said before it blew in a tiny puff of smoke.
"Oh, was that it?" the Doctor commented as the trio picked themselves up.
"Huh, makes a change." Shareen remarked as she brushed some dirt off her jeans.
"How did you know reverse phycology would work?" Jenkins asked her
"I didn't." Shareen replied. "Just got lucky. Now then, is there a bus stop around here?"
~8~
The doorbell of the Noble house rang and Donna answered the door to find the Doctor and Shareen there. "You would not believe the day we're havin'." the Doctor remarked. He was soon walking around the Nobles' car, bending down to examine the ATMOS fitting underneath while Donna, Shareen and Jenkins looked on, Shareen trying to contact Martha on her mobile.
"I'll requisition us a vehicle." Jenkins said shortly
"Anything without ATMOS." the Doctor told him as he opened the bonnet to examine the fitting to the engine. "And don't point ya gun at people!"
Jenkins saluted and hurried away just as Wilfred came out of the house. "Is it them?" he asked
Shareen did a double take as she recognised Wilfred as the man running the newspaper stall she and the Doctor had spoken to on Christmas Eve.
"Is it them?" Wilfred asked as he came over. "Is it the Doctor and that Shareen girl?" He then saw the two time travellers. "Oh, it's you two!" he said, recognising them as two of the three people he'd spoken to on Christmas Eve.
"Who?" the Doctor asked then looked up from under the bonnet at Wilfred. "Oh, it's you!" he remarked
"What, have you met before?" Donna asked, pointing between the three of them.
"Yeah, Christmas Eve." Wilfred replied. "They disappeared right in front of me!"
"Yeah, sorry about that." Shareen muttered
"And you never said." Donna grumbled to Wilfred
"Well, you never said." Wilfred retorted, then he turned to the Doctor and Shareen. "Wilf, sir, ma'am. Wilfred Mott. You must be one of them aliens." he said to the Doctor
"Yeah, but don't shout it out." the Doctor chuckled as he shook Wilfred's hand. "Nice to meet ya properly, Wilf."
"Oh, an alien hand." Wilfred smiled
"And now for a Human hand." Shareen said and shook Wilfred's hand too. "I'm Shareen Costello. Sorry about the whole disappearin' in front of ya thing. I should'a known you were Donna's granddad. I can see the resemblance."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Costello." Wilfred nodded
"Any luck with Martha?" the Doctor asked Shareen
"No, she's not picking up." Shareen replied, holding her phone back up to her ear. "C'mon, Martha, answer will ya?"
"What is it, Sontorans?" Donna asked
"Sontarans." the Doctor corrected. "But there's gotta be more to it. They can't be just remote controlling cars. That's not enough. Is anyone answering?"
"Oh, hang on." Shareen said as she heard someone picking up on the other end.
"Don't tell me... Shareen Costello." Martha's voice said
"Oh, Martha, at last!" Shareen replied. "Listen, the Doctor wants to talk to ya. I'll just pass you over." And she handed the phone over to the Doctor.
"Martha, tell Colonel Mace it's the Sontarans." he told Martha. "They're in the file; Code Red, Sontarans. But if they're inside the factory tell them not to start shooting. UNIT will get massacred. I'll get back as soon as I can, you got that?"
"Code Red Sontaran. Gotcha." Martha answered and hung up.
~8~
The Sontaran's clone of Martha hung up just as Colonel Mace joined her. "Doctor Jones, found anything yet?" he asked
"No, sir. Nothing to report." the Martha clone lied.
~8~
The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and began scanning the ATMOS fitting on the Nobles' car. "But you tried sonicing it before. You didn't find anything." Donna reminded him
"Yeah, but now I know it's Sontaran, I know what I'm looking for." the Doctor replied
"Well, better hurry up an' find it," Shareen said, "before they go an' send any more cars into the river."
"The thing is, Doctor," Wilfred spoke up, "that Donna is my only grandchild. You gotta promise me you'll take care of her."
"She takes care of me!" the Doctor snorted
"Oh, yeah that's my Donna." Wilfred laughed. "Yeah, she was always bossing us around when she was tiny. 'The Little General' we used to call her."
"I can imagine." Shareen laughed
"Yeah, don't start." Donna muttered, embarrassed.
"And some of the boys she used to turn up with." Wilfred continued. "A different one every week. Yeah, who was that one with the nail varnish?" he asked Donna
"Mathew Richards." Donna replied. "He lives in Kilburn now, with a man."
The Doctor meanwhile was continuing his scanning of the ATMOS device. Suddenly, large spikes shot up out of it. "Whoa. It's a temporal pocket!" the Doctor realised. "I knew there was something else in there. It's hidden just a second out of sync with real time.
"But what's it hiding?" Donna wandered
Just then, Sylvia came out of the house, having seen them all gathered around the car. "I don't know, men and their cars." she remarked. "Sometimes I think if I was a car..." Then she saw the Doctor and Shareen. "Oh, it's you two!" she scowled. "Shareen and Doctor... what was it?"
"Yeah, that's me." the Doctor waved, too busy examining the spikes to look up.
"What, have you met them as well?" Wilfred asked his daughter
"Dad, it's the man and the girl from the wedding." Sylvia told him. "When you were laid up with Spanish flu. I'm warning you, last time those two turned up it was a disaster!"
"Oi! That wasn't our fault!" Shareen said indignantly. "Lance was the one who sided with Spider Lady, not us!"
Suddenly, the spikes on the ATMOS device started spurting out a cloud of white gas. "Get back!" the Doctor warned everyone, and the Humans all complied. The Doctor then aimed his sonic screwdriver at the device, which sparked and the gas stopped. "That'll stop it."
"I told you!" Sylvia grumbled. "He's blown up the car! Who is he anyway? What sort of doctor blows up cars?"
"The doctor who might have just saved you life, ya haughty cow." Shareen retorted
"Listen to me, you rude girl..." Sylvia began
"Oh, not now, Mum." Donna rolled her eyes
"Oh, should I make an appointment?" Sylvia scoffed and stalked off back towards the house.
"Peacock, what the hell was that?" Shareen asked the Doctor as the last of the gas dispersed
"That wasn't just exhaust fumes." the Doctor replied seriously. "Some sorta gas. Artificial gas."
"And it's aliens, is it?" Wilfred asked. "Aliens?"
"But if... if it's poisonous, then they've got poisonous gas in every car on Earth!" Donna breathed horror.
Shareen meanwhile looked at the parked cars in the street. All had ATMOS stickers in the windows. "Cosmic." she breathed, realising that all these cars had ATMOS fitted too; ticking time bombs that could go off at any moment.
"It's not safe." Wilfred said as he climbed into the car. "I'm gonna get it off the street."
Suddenly, the car door slammed shut behind him and locked itself, then the engine started on it's own accord and started spewing out gas again. "Turn it off!" Donna urged Wilfred. "Granddad, get outta there!"
"I can't, it's not locked!" Wilfred told her, showing her the keys in his hand. "It's them aliens again!"
"They've activated it!" the Doctor realised, knowing that it was the Sontarans' handiwork
"Well, de-activate it, then!" Shareen urged him as she and Donna began pulling at the locked doors.
"There's gas inside the car!" Donna cried as Wilfred began to gag and choke on the gas that was seeping into the car. "He's gonna choke! Doctor!"
The Doctor rushed over and tried to sonic the doors open but it was no good. "It won't open!" he groaned, then turned and looked at the street around them. Every car was spitting gas out into the air. "It's the whole world..." he breathed.
~8~
The parked U.N.I.T jeeps at the factory were spewing out gas too. "Turn them off!" Colonel Mace urged. "Turn them off! Turn off the engines!"
"It's all of them, sir." Zara told him grimly. "Every single car on the planet."
~8~
"Help me!" Wilfred cried as gas flooded the car
The Doctor ran back to the car and tried shutting the ATMOS down, but it was no good. Seeing that doors weren't going to open, Shareen decided there was only one thing for it and hurried over to the Nobles' rockery.
"Doctor!" Donna cried as she continued to struggle in vain with the uncooperative door. "Do something!"
As the mayhem continued, the Doctor stood in the middle of the street, powerless to stop the world from being consumed in the choking thick smog being produced by the gas that was pouring relentlessly out of every ATMOS-fitted car on the planet.
To be continued...
Author's notes: And here's The Sontaran Stratagem. Note that Shareen's estranged sister Zara has turned up and an awkward reunion has ensured between her and Shareen. I decided that this episode was the perfect opportunity for Zara to show up, with her working as a U.N.I.T technician. I know she doesn't appear much in this chapter but I aim to give her more of a role in The Poison Sky. Regarding Zara's appearance, I picture her as looking like Selena Gomez. It's occurred to me that both Selena and Victoria Moroles could pass off as sisters. A more pleasant reunion is that between Martha and Shareen, with both women putting the Doctor in his place. So, hope you like this chapter and hope to see ya next time for part 2.
