Chapter 9: The Long Game
The Tardis materialises, and the Doctor and Rose step out. He gives her a quick run down of when and where they are so she can show off to Adam. Rose goes to the TARDIS door and opens it calling for Adam. He emerges and his jaw drops. When he asks where they are Rose tells him what the Doctor told her adding in bits so it sounds like she worked it out herself.
"Very nice going." Nine grins smugly.
"You didn't try showing off for me." Mickey winks over at Rose.
"Didn't need to." She shrugs and grins at him. He sticks his tongue out. "Besides, you know me better than Adam and would probably have realised what was going on."
Rose leads the men through the metal gate to a massive viewing window. Then she lets the Doctor take over the describing part and he tells them it's the fourth great and bountiful human empire. Adam faints and the Doctor disdainfully tells Rose he is her boyfriend. She quickly claims not anymore.
"You saying he was your boyfriend then?" Jack asks with a grin.
"Well, more a little my responsibility as I was the one who wanted him along. Became a lot less bothered very quickly." Rose shrugged.
The space station has a central hub with three wheels turning. They walk into floor 139 and the Doctor is telling Adam to open his mind and that in this period of history the human race is at its most intelligent. Just as he is saying they have fine food and manners, people suddenly start bustling about and opening up food stations.
"Fine cuisine? Good manners?" Donna scoffs.
"Did you get the time wrong again?" Mickey asks Nine with a smirk.
"No, I did not." He replies indignantly.
Rose questions the fine cuisine and the Doctor checks his watch is working, which it is. She tells him that's what comes of showing off, saying his history isn't as good as he claims.
"Oi!" Ten and Nine yelp at the same time. Mickey and Donna both snigger.
Adam asks where the aliens are and the Doctor seems taken aback that he asked a good question. He states Adam must be hungry and he protests that he's actually feeling a bit sick. The Doctor presses and asks one of the chefs how much a kronkburger is. Then he says they need money and goes to find a cashpoint. The Doctor goes to a Credit Five cashpoint and uses his sonic screwdriver. It produces a plastic card which the Doctor hands to Adam.
I don't suppose that trick works on Earth does it?" Rose asks with a grin.
"Course it does. Works anywhere." Nine states proudly.
"So technically, you've always got money?" She stares at him slyly and he nods.
"That's useful. Unless you lose your screwdriver." Jack says.
"Getting a new screwdriver isn't too difficult. I've broken a few in my time." Ten grins.
Adam asks him how it works and the Doctor tells him to go find out on his own and to stop nagging him. He tells them both to go off and have their first date. Rose tells him he is going to get a smack but she heads off with Adam.
"It's not a date. Wanting to show someone the stars is not asking them on a date." Rose points out. "I figure it would be nice to have another human to talk to about all the amazin' things we see out there. Given that he fainted so easily I don't think he's cut out for this life."
"Definitely not. Even Mickey the idiot didn't faint." Ten laughs.
"Oi! Watch it boss." Mickey grins.
The Doctor approaches a pair of women and asks where he is. One of them tells him they are on floor 139. He asks floor 139 of what and she comments it must have been one hell of a party.
"You didn't actually know where you landed?" Martha asks, raised eyebrows.
"More fun that way." Nine shrugs.
The other woman tells him they are on satellite five. When he asks what that is the first woman asks how he could get on board without knowing where he is.
"Happens a lot." Nine grins widely.
The Doctor just states he is stupid.
"Got that right spaceman." Donna sniggers.
"Ah, never thought I'd hear you say that." Mickey laughs.
"Good to know your ego isn't irreparably big." Sarah Jane smirks while patting Ten's hand.
The second woman asks if this is a management test and the Doctor agrees, holding up the psychic paper. She says that they were warned about tests in basic training. The first woman tells him to fire away, anything to get her to floor five hundred. He asks what happens on floor five hundred.
"Nothing good." Ten mutters quietly.
"Nothing good is ever happening when we arrive somewhere." Rose teases. He looks at her and smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.
The first woman tells him the walls are made of gold.
"Somehow I'm not sure I believe that." Mickey comments.
"I remember watching a movie where these people were desperate to win a prize to go to some island. Ended up that they were actually clones and when they won they actually were used as body parts for their counterparts above." Jack grins.
She goes over to a wall monitor and tells him all the latest news. She tells him they are the news and broadcast six hundred channels. Up on floor five hundred a pale-skinned man with white hair and goatee watches them on a monitor. There is frost on the walls. He says something is wrong and tells a frost encrusted operator to do a security check.
"Are they dead? Why is so cold up there?" Martha asks.
"Yes they are dead. Or at least they might as well be, they can't be saved." Ten bites out angrily, still staring at the screen.
"It was just a question, no need to snap." Mickey glares at Ten. He turns around, glances over at Mickey who is sat with his arm around Martha and raises an eyebrow.
"Sorry. Satellite five just puts me on edge." He apologises. "Not my favourite place."
"This trip is that bad?" Rose asks, eyes wide.
"Not so much this one. I visit more than once." Ten avoids her eyes and refuses to expand on his explanation.
Down on floor 139 Rose is trying to persuade Adam to try something like a slush puppy. He asks tentatively what flavour. She takes a sip and says it's sort of beef flavour. Adam doesn't take any and focuses on the fact that everything he knows is gone. Rose takes out her phone and offers to let him phone his parents.
"I really do love being able to do that. Not that I actually phone mum much but it's comforting to know I can." Rose sighs.
He points out they lived a fair few thousand years ago and she tells him to just try it. A phone rings in a house with a For Sale sign outside. An answerphone sounds and Adam leaves a message and as he hangs up an alarm sounds. Everyone grabs their things and starts to leave. The vendors close up shop. The Doctor calls them both over. Adam keeps the phone.
"Oi!" Rose protests at the screen angrily.
"He's going to do something stupid. You better not want to keep him long." Nine grumbles.
"I don't want to keep him at all." She replies, still annoyed.
"Maybe he just wants to be able to phone his parents again a bit later?" Martha suggests.
"He could still have asked, either to keep the phone or to phone them again later. It's not like I'd say no to him calling them again."
On floor 500 the computer says the security check was cleared and the editor tells it to double and triple check. Screen cuts to a new room where seven people are seated at an octagonal desk around a central chair with wires coming out of it. The Doctor, Rose and Adam stand to one side, observing. One of the women the Doctor was talking to tells everybody they have a management inspection and introduces herself as Cathica.
"I wonder what else they've been told about floor 500. The walls definitely are not made of gold." Donna comments.
"There must be more to it. Cathica seems absolutely desperate to get up there. It can't be just because walls are made of gold." Jack shrugs.
She comments that the process of news gathering must be open, honest and beyond bias as it is company policy. The other woman the Doctor was speaking to puts in that it is actually the law. Cathica settles into the central chair telling the others to engage safety. The seven hold their hands over palm print on the table in front of them. Lights start to come on around the room. Cathica clicks her fingers and a portal opens in her forehead.
"What the hell is that?" Donna bursts out.
"They have a chip in their head to process information." Ten explains.
"Process information?" Sarah Jane frowns. "What information?"
"You're about to find out." He gestures to the screen.
The seven put their hands into the palm prints. A beam on light shines into her forehead.
"That beam is compressed information. He brain is acting as a computer." Nine explains at the same time as he onscreen counterpart.
"Blimey. You two are so alike." Rose snickers. "Good to see you don't change that much."
The Doctor explains that she wouldn't remember any of the information and as soon as the thing in her forehead closes she forgets it all. Rose asks about all the others around the circle and he explains they have a chip in their head connecting them to her and transmitting six hundred channels.
"That's crazy. They just sit around all day and at certain points beam information into their heads and out to the world. That's not journalism." Sarah Jane scoffs.
"There is also Adam's earlier question. Why are there no aliens around? Humans must have met some by now." Mickey points out.
"Something's not right." Jack frowns.
"Coulda guessed that just by the fact we landed there." Rose laughs.
"Oi!" Nine protests.
"Oh come off it. You get excited when there is trouble around." Mickey tells him.
On floor 500 the computer states there is a security breach. It brings up the room Rose, the Doctor and Adam are in on screen. Rose is asking Adam if he is alright. He points out he can see her brain so she asks if he wants to get out. He rejects the idea saying the technology is amazing. The Doctor says it's wrong. Rose asks if that means trouble and he agrees.
"See?" Mickey points at the Doctor on screen. "No need to sound quite so pleased about it."
"I don't like boring." He shrugs.
The editor spots the liar and the screen zooms in on Suki. Suki pulls her hands away as if she has just received an electric shock. The other six lift their hands and the information beam shuts down. Cathica's portal closes. She asks what's wrong with Suki and she replies it must have been a glitch.
"Wonder what she is doing there then?" Jack frowns.
"Didn't get a chance to ask." Ten looks on grimly.
The editor says she has a secondary biography hidden. There is a snarl from above him and he points out there is no way they could have found her sooner as her data was encrypted. Another snarl and the editor apologises, telling someone to get Suki up there now.
"Are they going to make her one of those icey people on the computers?" Donna asks.
"Probably." Sarah Jane nods sadly.
In the newsroom the wall lights up with the word promotion. Cathica hopes it's her but it calls out Suki's name. Cathica is upset and Rose asks what floor 500 is. The Doctor just says the walls are made of gold. Suki thanks the Doctor and he says he didn't do anything. She calls him her lucky charm.
Both Doctors flinch. "Nothing lucky about being called up there." Nine mutters.
He says he will hug anyone while Rose talks to Adam. He claims everything is freaking him out and he needs to go cool down. Rose asks what he means and he says he wants to go sit on the observation deck to soak it in.
"He thought it was amazing a few minutes ago." Sarah Jane frowns.
"First rule of being with the Doctor...don't wander off." Martha adds.
"Good riddance." Rose snickers.
Rose asks if he wants her to go with him and he quickly declines, telling her she'd rather be with the Doctor.
"Quite right too." Ten grins smugly.
"Well, now that's true, but Jack must be meeting us at some point. Maybe I wanna keep him." Rose smirks.
"Don't blame ya." Jack winks at her.
"Too bad. You can keep him if you want, but you're still mine." Nine states firmly but he is grinning widely.
"Seems like we pick up a lot of strays." Rose laughs, glancing over at Jack.
"You calling me a stray?" He asks indignantly.
"Yep."
"Oi!"
Rose gives him the TARDIS key in case he can't cope on the observation deck. Adam says it's still weird in there. He leaves with the key, grinning to himself.
"Oh great." Nine groans loudly. "He's going to cause trouble. This is why we shouldn't pick up strays." He glances down at Rose.
"I'm sure Jack won't get in the way too much." She pats his arm.
"Oi!" Jack cries again. "You assuming I'll get in the way at all?" Rose just shrugs and winks at him. He watches he as a smile breaks over his face. He could tell he had absolutely no chance as soon as he saw her with the Doctor on the adventure they had just had. The two of them had been dancing together when he got sucked out, as if he wasn't even there. Watching their past adventures made him see clearly exactly why she liked the Doctor, and he knew he wanted to stay with these two and do what he could to help them in the new future. Assuming they wanted him along. Rose was almost like a younger sister in the way she teased him so easily when she had never actually met him before this room. She simply accepted the fact that he had been on an adventure with them and therefore was part of the group. It was a nice change.
Suki goes up in the lift and Cathica says good riddance. The Doctor comments they they are talking like they'll never see her again. Cathica tells them once you go up to floor 500 you don't come back. They walk back through the cafeteria as he asks if she has ever been up there.
"Didn't she just say when you go up you don't come back down? If she had gone up then she wouldn't be talking to you." Donna points out. Both Doctors ignore this.
Cathica explains you need a key for the lift and you only get a key with a promotion. Up on floor 500 the lift door opens onto an empty, frost covered area. Suki picks up her bag and walks out, and the lift closes behind her. She gets a torch from her bag and starts to explore. There are other footprints in the grime on the floor. Behind some shredded plastic curtains she finds a corpse with its forehead portal open and other skeletons seated around it, just like in the broadcast area down on floor 139. A doorway opens and she walks into the light.
"That's horrible!" Rose cries.
"She's obviously begun to think for herself." Nine states quietly. "They can't have that."
She sees the editor waving at her from next to a row of computers with more bodies working on them and asks who he is. She asks about the bodies.
"So, every time someone doesn't conform to the rules and has a brain of their own they get promoted and taken up there?" Sarah Jane frowns. "Not exactly a great and bountiful empire if they are mindless drones."
"Excellent point." Nine grins.
The editor asks her confirm her name. He snaps his finger and a holographic monitor appears and shows Suki saying her name and application to work for Satellite Five. He keeps calling her a liar and then the image changes to a woman in camouflage. The editor names her as Eva and a member of Freedom Fifteen.
"Good old human race. Never go down without a fight." Ten beams.
She draws a gun and asks who control the Satellite. She says Freedom Five have been monitoring the transmissions and have proof the facts are being manipulated. When she asks who he represents, the editor claims to be a humble slave answering to the editor in chief. Suki asks who and where he is and the editor points upwards where something growls.
"I guess we found the alien on board." Mickey tries to joke.
"That means an alien is in complete control of every single thing humans see on the news. No wonder it's all wrong. The fourth great and bountiful human empire isn't even run by a human." Nine rolls his eyes.
"It's useful this film, showing us stuff going on that we wouldn't see even when this adventure happens to us." Rose grins.
Suki asks what it is and the editor tells her it is her boss. She fires her gun at whatever is on the ceiling and then screams as it appears to have no effect. The screen cuts back to Adam who tries to use a vertical console, telling it to give him access. He realises he can learn anything and asks it about computers and data rolls down the screen.
"Oh great." Nine complains.
"What?" Martha asks.
"He is going to try and get a load of information to take back home with him." Ten explains with a sigh. He had been very glad for an excuse to drop Adam off straight away.
In the newsroom Cathica is telling the Doctor to give it a rest. He persists, asking if she's been to any floor other than 139, taking a seat in the broadcast chair. She tells him she went to floor 16 which is medial to get her head done but that's it.
"So what the hell is on all the other floors? 500 floors and she's been to two in her entire time there?" Donna frowns.
Cathica finally realises they aren't from management and tells him not to involve her in anything. The Doctor wants to know why she doesn't ask and points out she is a journalist. He then asks about the all human crew and she is unsure, stating that aliens aren't banned. She goes on to name many small reasons aliens stopped coming and the Doctor points out all the little things add up to one big fact that nobody noticed. She points out if there was a conspiracy Satellite would spot it.
"Not if Satellite Five is the conspiracy." Rose mutters darkly. "Don't ask questions and you won't spot anything."
"Exactly." Nine beams at her.
The Doctor tells her that society is wrong as is the technology. Cathica says it's cutting edge and he corrects her, stating it's backwards. He thinks someone is holding back the human race by about ninety years and then he asks when Satellite Five started broadcasting. She says in was ninety one years ago.
"Nice guess Doc." Mickey smirks.
"Was not a guess." Ten protests.
Back with Adam he is phoning home again and telling them to keep the message he is leaving. He starts talking about the microprocessor when the display is replaced by a message Floor 16. Adam tries getting the information to come back and then asks what is on Floor 16.
"Oh don't tell me he is going to get one of those chips in his brain?" Rose groans.
"He fainted almost as soon as we got here. He doesn't have the stomach for that kind of surgery." Nine scoffs.
The lift doors to reveal Adam on floor 16. He walks to the one desk where there isn't a conversation going on. He asks what they cover and when she says medical problems he announces his is technical. The nurse corrects him saying there must be something wrong with his chip. He admits he doesn't have one and she asks if he is a student. Adam pretends to be from the University of Mars.
"Bit of a lucky guess." Nine smirks.
"There's a university on Mars?" Martha asks.
"By then? Humans are all over the universe." Ten grins happily.
She tells him he will need chipping and he asks if she means brain surgery. She agrees and tells him he will need to pay for it. Adam starts to leave before putting his hand in his pocket and drawing out the stick the Doctor gave him earlier. He asks if he can use that and the nurse agrees.
"Is it permanent?" Donna asks.
"No, but if I don't realise he gets one I'll drop him off home with it which would be a bit of a problem." Nine shrugs. "21st century humans would want to dissect him unless he learnt to keep a low profile."
Adam is sitting in an operating chair. The nurse puts a circular device above his head. She begins telling him about the two types of chips. When she tells him the prices he assumes he can't afford it and the nurse tells him he has unlimited credits.
"That was a stupid idea." Nine berates himself.
"Nice to know you're not quite as clever as you think you are. Superior race and all that, still prone to stupid ideas." Rose sniggers.
"I've clearly been hanging around with stupid apes for too long." He counters.
"Oi!" Donna warns.
Adam keeps coming up with excuses why he can't get a chip but the nurse counters every argument. Eventually he gives in. Back to the Doctor when he uses the sonic screwdriver on a pair of double doors while Cathica stands around saying they will get into trouble. The Doctor asks Rose to tell her to button it.
"I'm impressed you didn't tell her just to shut up yourself." Sarah Jane laughs.
The doors open and the editor is watching the three of them on the monitor. Suki is seen working on one of the computers nearby. The editor is confused because they did a security check and found Suki to be the problem. There were no indications about the Doctor. The thing above growls and he immediately tells the workers to recheck him.
"I think you'll be getting an invite up there soon." Jack says.
"If he doesn't get an invite, he'll find a way up there anyway." Donna adds.
The Doctor is having fun making things go sput amongst the mare's nest of wiring. Cathica says she is going back to work but then decides she can't just leave the two of them. Rose tells her to get the heating turned down and asks what's wrong with the place. Cathica says it's something to do with the turbine and the Doctor mocks her for it.
"Useless." Nine groans.
He says he gives up on her and praises Rose for asking the right questions about the heating. Cathica is confused as to why it's so important and he tells her never to underestimate plumbing. Up on level 500 the computer says that the Doctor is no one. The editor asks if it means he has a fake ID but it keeps repeating he is no one. He asks about Rose and it says she is no one.
"But if they have the history of the entire human race, how do I not show up?" Rose asked with a frown.
"They may have the history of the human race but the computer will be scanning for people who are alive. You are from so far in the past it probably won't register." Ten explains. "|You won't be registered on any census that Satellite Five has done."
The editor says that as non-entities they get promoted and tells the workers to get them up to floor 500.
"Oh look at that, I was right." Jack grins.
"Had to happen once I suppose." Donna shoots back. He gives her an offended look before joining in her laughter.
The Doctor produces a monitor with a schematic on it. He announces it to be Satellite Five pipes and plumbing. He points out there is something wrong. Rose asks what it is and Cathica says that the ventilation system are all working flat out to channel heat down. The Doctor confirms that something on floor 500 is generating tons of heat. Rose says she thinks they are missing out on a party and asks the Doctor if he fancies a trip.
"That's the spirit. Not exactly a party up there though." Martha says grimly.
Cathica tells them they can't get up without a key and the Doctor says keys are just codes and on the screen a number comes up. She asks how come it gave him the codes and he states that someone up there must like him.
"Like may be the wrong word." Mickey laughs.
"It usually is with him." Rose grins.
"Oi!" Both Doctors protest.
It goes back to Adam who is looking at his forehead which looks the same as before.
"Oh he did. Of course his stomach would be strong enough for causing problems." Nine rolls his eyes.
He asks how he activates it and the nurse tells him it is set to default which is a click of the fingers.
"He couldn't even have gone for the chip in the back of his head. The unnoticeable one. No! He had to go big and obvious." Nine groans.
"He could at least set it to something that doesn't happen every day on Earth. When he goes home he is going to have to avoid anyone clicking their fingers." Rose sniggers.
Rose tells Cathica to come with them but she declines and tells them not to mention her name. Once she is gone the Doctor comments that she went and Adam has given up so it's just the two of them. Rose agrees and he says this is good.
"Much better that way." Rose grins. Nine squeezes her gently.
In the operating room Adam clicks his fingers and the portal opens up in his forehead. He clicks it shut again and says he is going to be sick. He retches and then pulls an ice cube out of his mouth. The nurse tells him it was a special offer and they installed the vomitomatic which freezes the vomit on the way out.
"Nice. That would make partying much better." Mickey laughs. "No mess to clean up."
"As long as you don't throw up in front of anyone. Vomiting ice cubes would be a little difficult to explain." Donna laughs.
"Would make my job much nicer." Martha admits.
The Doctor and Rose arrive on floor 500. He comments the walls are not made of gold and says Rose should go back downstairs.
"You don't really think that will work do you?" Rose looks up at him in astonishment. He sighs.
"No but I can hope. It'd be nice to be able to keep you out of danger for once."
"It wouldn't be nice if you're in danger."
"I can regenerate if things go wrong."
"Not if they go wrong too quickly. Regeneration takes time." Sarah Jane puts in.
"Still far more chance than you humans have." Ten shrugs. "Superior biology all round." She hits him on the arm. "Ow!"
"Either way, I'm not leaving you to get in trouble all by yourself." Rose states firmly.
They find the Editor and his staff. The editor says he started without them and wants to know how the two of them can walk through the world without leaving a single footprint. Rose spots Suki and runs over to her, asking what he has done to her. The Doctor says she is dead but Rose points out she is still working. He tells her the chips in their heads are still working, the actual people are dead.
"That's sick." Donna scowls.
The editor is surprised that he knows so much and wants some information in return. The Doctor turns to leave but two of the workers grab him while Suki holds Rose. The editor asks who they are and the Doctor says that as the information is keeping them alive he is unlikely to tell him anything.
"You know he might just kill you anyway." Mickey points out.
"Naa. He's used to knowing everything. He wouldn't kill us without knowing who we are." Ten tells him confidently. "Man like that can't stand anyone knowing more than him."
The editor tells him that the Editor in Chief might convince him otherwise. He says the human empire isn't actually human. Humans just live there. There is a growl and he corrects himself, saying humans are allowed to live there by kind permission of his client. He gestures upwards and they see the Jagrafess.
"That is even more disgusting than those Slitheen." Rose wrinkles her nose.
"That great lump is controlling all the human race?" Mickey asks in disgust.
"Apparently." Jack shrugs. "I'm sure the Doctor will sort it out.
The Doctor asks if the thing is in charge and the editor confirms that. He names it the Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe, saying he calls it Max.
"He's got a pet name for his master?"
Down on Floor 139 Adam avoids Cathica as she goes to take another look at the schematic that the Doctor called up. Then she goes to the lift and punches in the code for Floor 500. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Rose have been placed in hefty sets of manacles.
"Ohh, nice." Jack winks at both of them.
"Shut up."Rose glares at him.
"That's no fun though, Rosie." He laughs.
The editor explains how easy it is for them to manipulate the human race and Rose states that the humans are slaves. The editor asks if a slave is a slave is he doesn't know he's a slave.
"Yes." Most of the room spoke at the same time.
The Doctor says yes. The editor is upset at the short answer, saying the Doctor is no fun. The Doctor says to let him out of the manacles and he'll find out how much fun he is. Rose says that somebody must have noticed what he was doing and the editor agrees saying the computer chips allow him to see inside their brains and crush any doubts.
"So any doubts he can't crush get promoted and turned into zombies." Mickey scowls.
Cathica arrives on floor 500 as Adam makes it into the broadcast room. As the editor is talking the Doctor and Rose spot Cathica behind him. Rose asks about the editor saying he's human. He says that being human doesn't pay very well. She points out he couldn't have done it on his own and the editor admits he represents a consortium of banks. The Doctor asks about the creature's life span and he says it's three thousand years.
"That's a rather long lifespan to run to human race." Martha notes.
The Doctor continues talking about its metabolism generating the heat. He calls Satellite Five one big life support system. Downstairs Adam is phoning home again, telling them not to delete the message because he can translate it and then settles in the broadcast chair and calls spike. The editor asks who they are again and snaps his fingers causing energy to surge through the manacles.
Nine scowls and holds onto Rose a little tighter.
"Wait...didn't the editor say he can read everything in people's minds through the chips?" Donna asks. Ten nods. "Well, Adam now has a chip and he's just connected to that information thingy."
"Oh great. So much for not telling him who we are." Rose groans. "Alright, you win, I'm not bringing any more pretty boy strays on board except Jack." She tells Nine in resignation.
"You saying I'm a pretty boy?" Jack winks.
"Yes, yes, you're very pretty." Rose tells him sarcastically.
Back at Adam's house, the little dog watches energy encircling the telephone answering machine. The Doctor yells at him to leave Rose alone, telling him that he is the Doctor, that they are just wandering. The editor demands to know who they are, when the Doctor says he just told him, the editor asks who they work for. Just as he is asking another question he stops and states Time Lord. The Doctor's eyes narrow briefly in confusion and he asks what.
"That stupid ape." Nine growls. "Donna was right."
"Been known to happen." Donna smirks.
The editor continues that he is the last of the Time Lords. The Doctor denies it. In the newsroom Adam screams as the information is sucked out of his brain instead of into it. The Doctor tries to tell the editor that whoever told him that lied but he brings up a monitor showing Adam in the broadcast chair. The Doctor is horrified that Adam is now telling them everything. The editor mentions the TARDIS and the Doctor says he'll never get his hands on it, he'll die first. The editor tells him he can die all he likes because he has the key which rises out of Adam's pocket.
"Seriously?" Mickey laughs grimly.
"Even Mickey the Idiot would be better company." Nine rolls his eyes in exasperation.
"Gee, thanks." Mickey replies dryly.
"Least he called you Mickey." Rose laughs.
The Doctor groans out 'you and your boyfriends' to Rose.
"Oi! He is definitely not my boyfriend." Rose yelps. "I denounced him as soon as he fainted."
The editor says that they can rewrite history and prevent mankind from ever developing and the Doctor states nobody can stop him because he has bred a race of humans that don't ask questions. Cathica is shown listening as the Doctor keeps ranting and then she moves off to the floor 500 newsroom. She throws the corpse off the chair and sits down.
"Yes! Go Cathica." Rose grins.
"Someone is thinking and that's dangerous." Sarah Jane agrees happily.
Cathica disengages the safety and overrides floor 139. Adam is disconnected and the TARDIS key falls to the floor. The editor calls up the monitor and sees Cathica. He tells the workers to terminate her access as the Doctor realises she is using what he told her to reverse the ventilation. Ice is shown to be melting.
"Brilliant." Martha grins.
"Might wanna move, that's going to cause a nice explosion." Jack snickers at Nine and Rose.
The editor frantically tells Suki to burn out her mind but Cathica keeps going muttering that he should have promoted her years ago.
"Oh yes, being promoted to zombie has always been top of my list." Donna snorts.
"I'm sure I can work something out for you." Ten looks over at her innocently.
"Watch it spaceman." She glares.
The consoles explode and the dead operators collapse. Alarms sound in the rest of Satellite Five and people panic. Rose gets out of her manacles. The editor takes Suki's seat to try and fix the problem while Rose feels around in the Doctor's jacket for his screwdriver. She eventually finds it and asks him what to do with it. He tells her to flick the switch. They finally get free and run. The editor says he resigns and tries to get away but Suki grabs his ankle leaving him unable to escape. The Jagrafess explodes.
"Lovely." Martha wrinkles her nose.
"At least that one didn't explode all over my kitchen." Mickey mutters. "Definitely wouldn't fancy cleaning that mess up.
The Doctor snaps his fingers and closes Cathica's portal. Then the screen cuts to floor 139 where people are helping the injured. The Doctor says they are just going to go because he hates cleaning up. Cathica tries to get him to say, saying nobody will believe her. Then she asks about his friend and he vehemently denies Adam is his friend.
"And I thought the two of you were just starting to get along." Jack laughs.
"Shut it." Nine scowls.
Rose starts to tell the Doctor not to do something but he strides over to Adam who his babbling on that it all worked out and how it wasn't technically his fault because the Doctor was in charge.
"Oi! Don't you blame it on him that you decided to get brain surgery." Rose cries out indignantly. "Not the kind of brain surgery you needed obviously. Some genius."
"It's alright, we will be dropping him straight off home." Nine assures her.
The Doctor pushes Adam into the Tardis. They emerge in Adam's front room. He is delighted to be back, saying he thought he was going to be chucked out of an airlock.
"Good job he said that once he was already home or he might just have given the Doctor an idea." Jack sniggers.
"I wouldn't throw anyone out of an airlock." Ten protests.
"Besides, we needed to go back and wipe the phone messages he left for himself." Nien adds.
The Doctor asks if there is anything else Adam wants to tell him, which he declines very quickly. The Doctor picks up the answering machine and Adam looks resigned as he sonic screwdrivers the machine so that it explodes. He says that's it. Adam asks what he means and the Doctor informs him it's goodbye.
"You're really going to leave him with that thing in his head?" Martha asks, eyebrows raised.
"I couldn't get rid of it." Nine shrugs.
Adam points out he has a chip in his head. The Doctor clicks his fingers. Adam tells him not to and then closes it. He asks 'don't do what' and then opens it again. Adam closes it again and Rose tells the Doctor to stop it.
"Rooooose. You ruin all my fun." Nine whines.
"If I didn't stop you then you'd play around like that all day." She grins.
Adam thanks her but then she clicks her fingers and Adam protests, closing it again as Rose says she couldn't resist.
"Thatta girl." Jack laughs.
"So you only want to stop my fun so you could have some of your own?" Nine asks in mock annoyance.
"Yep. Difference is I would only do it once." Rose pokes his side.
"OI!"
The Doctor states that the whole of history could have changed because of Adam and he protests that he only wanted to help. The Doctor corrects that he wanted to help himself. Adam apologises and says they can't just leave him. The Doctor says the can, telling him to keep out of trouble. He says he wants to go with them and the Doctor tells him he only takes the best, then stating that he has Rose. Just then the front door opens and Adam's mom comes into the house. She's pleased to hear Adam is home. He begs Rose to let him come but she simply goes into the TARDIS and the engines start up.
"Nice quick escape." Rose smiles.
"Don't need to be slapped by another mother." Ten grins.
His mom comes in and says that time flies, clicking her fingers and opening Adam's forehead. The screen goes black.
Everyone bursts out laughing.
