Chapter 24: The Impossible Planet
The Tardis materialises in a very tight space. The Doctor and Rose come out as he comments that the TARDIS is sort of queasy, like she didn't want to land.
Ten let out a soft breath as this adventure comes flooding back to him. That thing had truly challenged beliefs he had held his entire life and he had come to realise exactly how much strength Rose gave him. Sure he had known he loved her, even if he couldn't voice it, and trusted her but this had been something different and maybe even more scary.
Rose states that if he thinks there is going to be trouble they can always go somewhere else but they both start laughing.
"Like that would happen." Donna laughs.
"Trouble is half the fun." Nine smirks.
The Doctor comments they have landed inside a cupboard. A door with 15 on it opens and they step into a corridor as he states it is some sort of base. Rose comments it sounds like a storm outside.
"Something like that anyway." Ten mumbles. He would much rather have had a storm. That would mean being nowhere near a black hole!
They open door 16 and march down a longer corridor. Three steps down into an area with tables and chairs. There is a big 3 on the wall. They come through door 17 which Rose closes behind her. The Doctor realises it is a sanctuary base doing Deep Space exploration. He points out someone is drilling underneath and Rose comments welcome to hell.
"Hell's a bit strong surely? You've been to worse places." Sarah-Jane laughs. Rose shrugs, surprised at her own comment.
"Definitely seen worse." She agrees. Ten laughs knowing he said something similar.
The Doctor tells her it isn't that bad. Rose laughs and points out it is painted on the wall in big block letters, and an alien script underneath.
"Wonder why anyone would write that?" Martha frowns.
The Doctor realises the writing won't translate.
"What?" Nine looks startled. "That would make it...impossibly old." Ten nods.
"Yep."
Rose states she thought the TARDIS translated everything. He agrees, saying that if it isn't then the writing is impossibly old. He starts to spin the wheel on another bulkhead door. He states they have gone beyond TARDIS knowledge and that is not good.
"Definitely not." Nine agrees fervently. "Beyond my knowledge, sure, beyond the TARDIS', that's not a good plan."
"Careful, that almost sounded like you don't know everything." Rose teases with a smirk.
"Course I don't know everything. Day that happens, might as well stop." Nine grins.
"It'd be dead boring knowing everything." Ten agrees.
The door opens and aliens with tentacles where our noses and mouths are, are standing outside the door. They all have a tube going in behind the tentacles, and carry a white globe in their right hands.
"Oh it's the Ood." Donna exclaims with a smile.
"Where I first met them." Ten nods to her.
"So they are still slaves here then?" She asks, grin fading slightly. He nods again.
Both of them jerk back in surprise and the Doctor regains himself, saying hello and he was just saying it's a nice base. The Ood all say we must feed.
"What?" Mickey looks edgy. "Feed what?"
"Better question might be feed on what?" Jack corrects nervously.
The Doctor frowns in confusion asking they have to what. The Ood repeat themselves. Rose states she thinks they mean them and the pair back away. They keep saying they must feed. More Ood enter from other doors. The Doctor gets out his sonic screwdriver while Rose picks up a chair.
"Well isn't this just a fantastic start." Donna notes dryly.
"At this point the chair is probably more use than the sonic." Jack looks at Ten with a raised eyebrow. Ten shrugs.
"Didn't need either."
The lead Ood taps the globe and adds 'you, if you are hungry'. The Doctor lowers the sonic slightly and looks confused again. The Ood apologises saying electromagnetics have interfered with speech systems and asks if they would like some refreshments. Rose puts the chair down.
"I think that interfered with more than just speech systems." Jack frowns. "His demeanor is completely different now."
The Doctor simply gapes open mouthed until a door opens and humans enter.
"Never seen you so speechless." Rose giggles.
"Enjoy it while it lasts." Donna advises with a laugh.
"Oi!" Ten complains.
The first man is completely surprised to see them. The Ood make way for the newcomers. The lead man uses a wrist-comm. He tells the captain they have real living people there.
"What other kind of people was he expecting?" Martha asks.
"Might not have been expecting visitors." Mickey offers.
"No, he's putting way too much emphasis on them being human." Sarah-Jane notes.
Through the comm the Captain tells him not to be stupid, that's impossible. The man replies he suggests telling them that. Rose interrupts to say that as a base they must have visitors. The man is more taken aback, asking if they don't know where they are. The Doctor smiles, saying it's more fun that way.
"Not always." Ten corrects himself.
A woman's voice makes a broadcast, telling everyone to buckle down as they have an incoming. Jefferson opens a door, ushering them through quickly.
Ten tries to hide his wince knowing his poor ship was about to have quite the fall.
Conduits go bang overhead. The whole place shakes as Jefferson keeps ushering them on. Steps down into another room full of people working at control panels. Everyone looks up and stares in surprise. The man, obviously the Captain, tells Jefferson he actually meant it. Rose introduces them and another man says the oxygen must be offline and they must be hallucinating.
"It's definitely not good they are this assured no humans could be visiting." Nine twitches nervously, pulling Rose closer to him.
The captain reminds them they are in the middle of an alert before telling the two travellers to hold on tight. Rose asks to what and he tells them just anything but to hold on tight. He then asks the Ood if they are fixed to which is replies his kindness is much appreciated.
"What kindness?" Donna bursts out. "He hasn't done anything for them."
The Doctor asks what the planet is called and a woman tells him not to be stupid. The planet doesn't have a name before asking if they really don't know. The Captain calls out impact and the whole place shakes for a few seconds. The Doctor stands up saying that wasn't so bad.
"Not a good idea I'm guessing. They wouldn't be that worked up over something so small." Jack sniggers. Ten huffs.
"This episode might actually be good for your ego." Mickey smirks happily.
"I don't have an ego." Ten protests weakly.
"Sure you don't, Spaceman." Donna rolls her eyes.
And again, much worse. Consoles burst into flames. Once it's over the Captain calls out everyone's names to check they are ok. When he doesn't ask Rose and the Doctor, the Doctor calls out they are fine, not to worry about them. The Captain states that the surface caved in. He looks at a schematic and then directs Toby to go and look at the rocket link. He protests that isn't his department but the Captain orders him to go.
"He seems a bit grumpy." Rose notes, looking at the frozen picture of Toby.
"Well it can't be much fun there at the moment." Ten mutters quietly. "Not sure I blame him."
Toby leaves. Rose comments that it is one hell of a storm outside. Scooti remarks you need an atmosphere for a hurricane.
"How can they not have an atmosphere but be making all that noise outside?" Sarah-Jane asks.
"Won't be anything good." Nine sighs.
Rose asks what is shaking the roof then and Ida realises they aren't joking. She introduces the crew and calls the base home. Then she pulls a lever. Zach tells them to brace themselves as the sight can send some people mad. The shutters overhead pull back to reveal a white hot, angry, disc with a black centre and black dots falling into it.
"That's...that's...what the hell?" Nine struggles to form coherent sentences. Jack doesn't look much better.
"How is that even possible?" Jack asks Ten.
"Ancient, ancient power." Ten tells him gravely.
I can't believe you actually saw a real black hole." Martha looks at Rose in awe.
"I haven't yet but that really is amazin'." Rose smiles.
"Dangerous is what it is." Nine tells her sharply.
Rose states it is a black hole. The Doctor says that's impossible. Zach reminds them he did warn them. The Doctor insists they can't be standing under a black hole. Ida points out they are, he can see it for himself that they are in orbit.
"I'm not sure the word impossible actually means anything at all." Ten mutters. "Every time I think it, something proves to me nothing is impossible."
Ida tells him the lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in and then asks them to discuss. Rose mutters to the Doctor that this is bad. He agrees that bad doesn't even cover it. He explains what a black star is and Rose notes they should be pulled right in. The Doctor bluntly states they should be dead.
"Well aren't you a killjoy. Be glad you aren't dead." Donna shakes her head.
"Of course I was glad not to be dead. However, as it should be impossible, I needed to know how it was being made possible." Ten shrugs.
"What are they even doing there?" Sarah-Jane asks. "I don't imagine it's for a jolly holiday."
"Well something has to be generating enough power to keep that planet from falling into a black hole. I imagine they want to find the power source and use it themselves." Nine rolls his eyes. "You humans, always sticking your nose into business that doesn't concern you."
Rose asks what is making that noise then. Ida tells her it is stars breaking up and solar systems being ripped apart before being sucked into the black hole. Rose remarks it's a bit worse than a storm then.
Everybody burst out into surprised laughter.
"Bit of an understatement there Rosie." Jack chortles.
Ida agrees just a bit. Toby enters a corridor with door 28 at the end, with scrolls tucked under his arm. A voice calls out his name and the lights flicker. Toby looks around assuming someone is pranking him.
"This lot don't seem the type to be playing jokes on each other." Rose frowns,
"Besides, everyone else is back with you two in the control room." Martha adds.
When he hears nothing afterwards he returns to the group and tells Zach the rocket link is fine. Zach calls up a hologram over the central console. He tells them the official name of the black hole. Ida then tells them the planet is called Krop Tor and what that name means. Rose smiles a bit saying she likes that name.
"Seem fitting." Mickey agrees.
The Doctor asks how they got there and Zach tells him about the gravity funnel.
"Whatever is stopping that planet falling into the black hole must want people to reach it." Nine looks astonished and horrified. "Either that or whoever originally found the power source used it to ensure they had a way out but they can't have made it out or everyone would know about it."
Rose looks impressed they flew down the tunnel. Zach admits the ship should have been torn apart and they did lose their captain. Ida assures him he is doing a good job. Danny points out that if the funnel closes they have no way out.
"Well isn't that comforting." Donna remarks sarcastically.
Scooti puts in they had fun speculating about that. Danny sarcastically tells her that's the word he'd use. The Doctor then points out how much power would be required to do that. He asks if he can borrow a calculator.
"If even you need a calculator then I don't even want to know how high those numbers must be." Rose shudders theatrically.
"I'm sure I could do it in my head, just a bit quicker with a calculator." Nine assures her smugly
An Ood gives Rose a plastic cup, telling her it is her refreshment. As it is about to leave Rose asks the Ood what it's name is. It tells her they have no titles. She moves over to ask Danny what they are. He is surprised, saying everyone has one.
"Not anymore." Donna state triumphantly.
"Good for you." Rose grins at her.
"I had some part in it too." Ten protests.
"I'm sure you did. You took Donna there didn't you?" Rose smirks at him and he pouts in return.
"I do more than just drive Donna around you know." He tells her.
"If it makes you feel better,Spaceman." Donna grins widely at him.
Rose says she doesn't have one and asks what they are. Danny tells her they are the Ood. He continues they are a basic slave race. Rose tries the drink and doesn't look impressed before asking if they have slaves. Scooti tells her not to start, calling Rose Friends of the Ood.
"Nothing wrong with that." Rose scowls at the screen.
"Definitely not." Ten agrees quickly. "If I hadn't been so distracted I'd have been right behind you on that. I regretted it later."
Rose agrees that maybe she is. Asking why humans need slaves. Danny simply says the Ood offer themselves, without orders they pine and die. An Ood comes over and Rose asks it if it likes being ordered about. The Ood replies it is all they crave. Rose asks why and it states they have nothing else in life. Rose frowns, saying she used to think like that a long time ago.
Nine squeezes Rose gently, kissing the top of her head. "You'd have been fantastic, no matter what you did." He tells her quietly.
"Not on Earth." She shrugs slightly.
"Those stupid apes don't know brilliance when it's right in front of them." Nine snorts derisively.
"Good job you do then." Rose smiles a little.
"Course I do." He agrees, puffing out his chest with a goofy grin on his face. She laughs and settles her head back on his chest.
The Doctor has worked out the amount of power required.
"That's not possible." Nine frowns. "Nothing can produce that much power."
"Well apparently it is possible. It's happening, already happened to you." Donna gestures at Ten.
"Guess he was right about nothing being impossible." Jack mutters, watching the screen with wide eyes.
Rose comments that is a lot of sixes. The Doctor adds it's impossible. Zack remarks it took them two years to work that out and the Doctor just says he is very good.
"Watch that head of yours Spaceman." Donna rolls her eyes. "It's inflating again."
Ida points out that is why they are there. That power source is ten miles below them and they are drilling to find it. Zach adds it gives off readings over ninety stats on the Blazon scale. Jefferson says they can use it to fuel the Empire. The Doctor takes off his glasses as he says or they could use it to start a war.
"Sounds more like humans." Nine grumbles.
Toby says it is buried beneath them, waiting in the darkness. Rose asks if his job is chief dramatist.
Everyone laughs again.
"You go Rosie." Jack snickers.
The Doctor grins at her as Toby continues that whatever is down there isn't natural. The planet once supported life eons ago. The Doctor asks if he wrote the lettering on the wall earlier and Toby agrees he did, having copied it from fragments they found by drilling. He adds he can't translate it. The Doctor states he can't either, which is saying something.
They all snigger harder.
"Still not good the TARDIS can't translate." Nine mutters.
"Buzzkill." Mickey laughs.
"Realist." Nine shoots back.
Toby adds that there was some form of civilisation that buried something that is now calling out to them. The Doctor smiles as he states they came. Ida agrees, how could they not. The Doctor seems very pleased by this and hugs Zach.
"Wow. That's a bit of a different reaction to 'stupid apes sticking their noses in things that aren't their business'." Rose laughs. She laughs even harder when she catches Nine muttering something about regeneration and brain damage. Ten obviously heard as well because he looked over at his younger counterpart, rather offended.
"Oi! I did not damage my brain thank you very much."
He calls humans amazing. He then tells them they are completely mad and should pack their bags now. Ida remarks that he can talk before asking how they got there. The Doctor says he has this ship and Rose offers to show them. Zach asks if they mean storage six. The Doctor nods saying it was a bit of a cupboard before looking horrified and saying Zach mentioned storage five to eight.
"Oh crap!" Everyone realises at the same time what that means.
"But it can't be gone. He had the TARDIS when he found me and Donna." Martha points out. Nine relaxes slightly at this reminder but his grip on Rose is rather tighter than usual, not that she minds.
The Doctor runs out. Rose goes with him into the corridor, asking what is wrong. The Doctor desperately opens doors until he gets to one that won't open. The computer says door 16 is out of commission. The Doctor states it can't be, frantically pressing the button to open the door. Rose asks again what's wrong, pointing out the TARDIS is in there. The Doctor stands back and mutters the TARDIS is gone. He reminds her about the earthquake and that section collapsed. Rose points out it has to be out there somewhere. Rose looks through the porthole in the bulkhead door. The Doctor tells her to look down. Everything just drops off into nothingness.
"They are drilling to the bottom. Can't you go down and fetch it once they get to the bottom?" Sarah-Jane asks.
"Depends where they are drilling. Might be a completely different section." Jack reminds her.
"Well, he must get it back somehow. Might as well watch and find out." Donna points out reasonably. Both Doctors still look rather morose despite knowing the TARDIS would be fine.
They go back to the control room and the Doctor tried to persuade Zach to divert the drilling which he won't. The Doctor points out his ship is all he has. Literally the only thing.
"Oi! What am I?" Rose asks mock indignantly.
"The only thing I have left of home." Ten corrects gently and her face softens in sympathy.
Zach tells him they only have the resources to drill one shaft. He states all he can do is offer them a ride back. Ida awkwardly tells them she will add them to the duty roster, they need someone in laundry.
"Oh fantastic." Rose mutters sarcastically.
The Doctor and Rose are left alone, except for an Ood. He softly states he trapped her here. Rose shakes her head telling him not to worry about her.
"Besides, we could have left. Neither of us wanted to, not like you forced me to stay. You couldn't have known." Rose assures him.
The room shakes again and Rose says she has changed her mind. They are on a planet that shouldn't exist, under a black hole with no way out so he can start worrying about her. She tries for a half laugh and he just pulls her into a hug.
"Not like I'd ever stop worrying about you anyway." Nine tells her.
"I know." Rose smiles softly. "But worrying is different from feeling guilty. One is ok, the other is not."
Jefferson wanders among the Ood as they work. Scooti is at work on the planet's surface. Scooti says she is finished and coming back inside. Danny checks off the Ood as they walk past him. Toby is examining a fragment of a scrolls beneath a magnifying glass. The music stops unexpectedly. The same voice from earlier calls his name again. He assumes it is Danny. When he goes into the corridor to check nobody is there. He tells Danny to stop it.
"We just saw Danny checking off the Ood." Martha points out.
"Everybody else is doing their jobs too. Although I'm still not sure what happened to the two people who first came to see us with Jefferson." Rose frowns. "Haven't seen them since and they were never introduced. It's like they just vanished."
The Doctor is examining the alien script. On the comm, Zach tells Danny to go and check the temperature in Ood habitation. Rose goes to get something to eat. Scooti tells to help herself but not to have the green or blue. Rose takes her tray to the serving window and points at something. A mixture that looks like blue beans is dumped on her tray.
"That looks disgusting." Donna wrinkles her nose.
"Scooti just warned you not to have the blue stuff." Nine rolls his eyes.
"Least I didn't go for green and blue." Rose smirks.
The Ood asks if she would like sauce and Rose agrees to try it.
"Rather you than me." Mickey shudders.
Rose comments she used to be a dinner lady. She comments on the Ood gender.
"It's rather hard to tell. Never actually worked it out." Ten frowns.
She then asks if the Ood get paid. It replies that the Beast and his army will rise from the pit to make war against God.
"What?" Jack looks confused. "Looks like those electromagnetics are interfering with speech systems again."
Rose looks surprised and asks what it said. The Ood taps its ball again and says it hopes she enjoys her meal. She doesn't look convinced but takes her tray over to the Doctor. In the control room Zach is working alone. He turns away from the console, and the hologram in the middle briefly turns into an image of a roaring horned beast. When he looks back, it disappears.
"What the hell!" Rose exclaims.
"Something bloody weird is going on. How do you two get into these messes?" Jack groans.
"No idea." Nine looks both concerned and baffled.
In a corridor, Danny is trying to open a door. The computer tells him to close door 3. He tells it he has. The computer says he is awake. Danny looks taken aback before asking what it said. The computer repeats to close door 3.
"Whatever is down there is alive." Nine realises. "It can interfere with the Ood because they are a bit telepathic and it can get into the computer system."
"How is this situation still getting worse?" Jack asks in frustration.
In Toby's room the voice calls his name. As he is about to turn it tells him not to. Toby realises it is not Dan doing this and makes to turn around. The voice tells him again not to. He asks who it is and it replies it has so many names. It states that if he looks, Toby will die. When he asks who it is, the voice tells him it is right behind him.
"How the heck is he supposed to not look when you say that." Martha winces.
"This is creepy." Mickey mutters.
The voice continues that one look and Toby will die but it is reaching out for him. Don't turn around but it can touch him. Toby turns. There is no one there.
"Jeez that was a bit intense." Rose mutters.
He puts down the pieces of pot he was looking at and rips of his latex gloves. The alien symbols are on the palms of his hands. He picks up a mirror and they are on his face, too. He falls to the floor.
"What the heck? Is it possessing him?" Sarah-Jane asks.
"Possession doesn't usually draw on people." Nine comments.
In Habitation 3 the lights flicker. Ida asks Zach if they have a problem. Zach replies no more than usual but they have Scarlet System burning up and suggests it might be worth a look. Ida opens the shutters. It is a beautiful sight.
"It's so beautiful. I see why it's called the Scarlet system." Rose smiles sadly.
Se goes to close the shutters but the Doctor asks her to leave it open, promising he won't go mad.
"Well, seeing as you are already thereā¦" Donna smirks.
"Oi! I am perfectly sane thank you." Ten huffs indignantly.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Nine eyes his future self warily.
"Even you agree with me." Donna laughs at Ten.
Ida asks how he would know. He grins and she gives Jefferson and Scooti jobs to do, leaving the Doctor and Rose alone. Rose tells him she's seen films where black holes are gateways to another universe.
"Don't need gateways as such." Nine tells her. "Definitely not black holes."
The Doctor tells her that that one just eats. Rose comments she is a long way from home. The Doctor looks at her for a second before pointing out how to get to Earth from where they are. Rose checks her phone and sees no signal which she comments is a first. Then she asks if he could build another TARDIS.
"They aren't built." Ten tells her.
The Doctor tells her they were grown and with his planet gone they are kind of stuck. Rose points out the others have offered them a lift. The Doctor asks then what. She says she doesn't know they'd have to settle down and live life like the rest of the universe. The Doctor looks unimpressed as he realises he would have to settle down and get a house with doors and carpets.
"Urgh." Nine cringes. "Now that is a properly terrifying thought."
"For you or the poor neighbours you ended up next to?" Donna asks with a half laugh.
"Neighbours! Even worse. Nosy people always sticking their nose into your business." Nine groans.
Rose laughs at the idea of him living in a house and teases he would have to get a mortgage. He flatly replies no and she replies he would. The Doctor states he is dying, it is all over. Rose adds she would have to get one too. Then offers the idea they could share and the atmosphere gets awkward and they both look away.
"Of course we'd share. I'm not doing domestic if you're not with me." Ten tells her firmly. "Besides if we ever got stuck somewhere in the same place I'd never let you be off living somewhere other than with me unless you specifically wanted to."
"Course I'd want to share with you." Rose looks at him as if he were stupid.
After a moment the Doctor says he promised Jackie he would always bring her home. Rose points out everyone leaves home eventually. He replies that they don't end up stuck there. She states that being stuck with him isn't so bad. He looks at her and asks if she means that. She firmly states yes.
"If you thought anything else then you're dafter than I imagined." Rose tells him.
"You'd never go home again. Never see your mother to say goodbye." Nine points out.
"Alright, I didn't say it was ideal but I made my choice the second I stepped foot in the TARDIS. Then again after the Slitheen in Downing Street. You're not getting rid of me that easy Doctor."
"I wouldn't want to." Both Doctors tell her firmly.
Rose's phone rings.
"I thought you just said you don't have any signal?" Jack asks cautiously.
"I did." Rose agrees.
She answers it and the same voice Toby heard says he is awake.
"I suppose if the computer system was affected it makes sense Rose's phone would be too." Sarah-Jane points out calmly. Jack and Nine both nod.
Toby wakes up and his eyes are red. The Doctor and Rose enter Ood habitation and greet Danny. He asks how they are settling in. The Doctor disregards this, saying straight to business, asking how the Ood communicate. Danny tells him they are empaths with a low level telepathic field connecting them. He adds that they are almost like cattle.
"I'm gonna smack him." Rose and Donna say at the same time. Both of them blink in surprise and then grin at each other.
The Ood are sitting on benches down below Danny's catwalk. The Doctor asks if the field can pick up messages. Rose tells him about the Ood that served her dinner and on her phone. Danny dismissively tells her they have star systems buring up around them, there are all sorts of stray transmissions.
"Not that Rose's phone would pick up." Nine frowns.
"Why?" Martha asks.
"Because of all the travelling we do there are stray transmissions everywhere. When I upgraded the phone I made it so only people who are actually phoning that phone should be able to get through." Ten explains.
Danny tells them they monitor the telepathic field to see if there is something wrong as they are so stupid they wouldn't tell them when they are ill.
Rose and Donna both scowl heavily.
The Doctor looks at a screen that monitors the telepathic field. It reads basic 5. As Danny explains they only register basic 5 the reading starts going up until it reaches basic 30. The Ood all lift their heads as the Doctor points out the new reading to Danny. As he goes to look, Rose calls to the Doctor. She then asks what basic 30 means. Danny tells her it means they are shouting or screaming inside their heads. The Doctor adds that it could be someone shouting at them.
"Well that's so comforting." Jack laughs.
"We've already established this thing is powerful but telepathic also...that's just wonderful." Rose sighs.
Danny asks what the Ood said to Rose and she tells him it was something about the Beast in the pit. He then asks what her communicator said and she replies it said he is awake. The Ood then say 'and you will worship him'.
"That could be a problem if it can control all the Ood." Nine frowns anxiously. He already suspects not everybody is getting out of this alive.
The Doctor straightens against the railing and calls out 'he is awake'. The Ood reply again 'and you will worship him'. The Doctor asks worship who but the Ood don't reply this time. He asks again who is talking to them. Still no reply. In Toby's room, Scooti comes in saying she has his expenditure but the room is empty. Outside the computer opens and closes door 41 and Scooti realises that is the airlock.
"Why would someone be going outside?" Mickey asks.
"Might be letting something in." Jack points out.
Scooti goes out into the corridor and asks the computer if it opened and closed door 41. It confirms it did. She states that is the airlock and asks why it would open the airlock as it is the night shift and nobody is allowed out. She asks if someone has gone out. The computer confirms this but it cannot confirm who.
"Oh very helpful." Donna mutters.
Scooti tries asking who's suit has been logged out but the computer says none of them have.
"Nobody could survive out in no atmosphere without a suit." Jack frowns.
She tries to communicate to Zach there is a problem with the door but only gets static. She asks the computer to trace the fault but it states there is no fault. Getting frustrated she demands to know who went through the door. It replies he is awake.
"Is there no window she can just look through to see if someone is outside?" Sarah-Jane asks.
She asks what that is supposed to mean and the computer continues that he bathes in the black sun. Scooti looks out of a window by door 41. Toby is standing with his back to her, then turns, very much alive and smiling, and covered in symbols.
"Holy hell." Jack exclaims. "I'm guessing the real Toby is dead then. That's beyond possession. Normal possession can't make a human survive that kind of environment."
Toby beckons to her and her hand stretches out. She shakes her self out of it screaming at him to stop. Toby clenches his fist, and the glass in the window begins to crack. She runs down the corridor yelling for the computer to open door 40. It refuses to open and the glass breaks. She screams.
Everyone looks down sadly.
The base shakes. The computer reports an emergency hull breach and Danny asks which section. In the control room Zach tells everyone to evacuate eleven to thirteen as the base is open. The Doctor, Rose and Danny all run into habitation 3. Zach states he can't contain the oxygen field. The crew are converging from different directions. Jefferson pulls Toby in last, his face normal again, and shuts the door. The shaking stops.
"He looks normal again." Rose points out.
"Probably just to blend in. His body should be dead and whatever possessed him is keeping him alive." Jack tells her. "But if everyone saw him with those marks on his face they would realise something was wrong."
The computer announces the breach is sealed and the Doctor asks if everyone is alright and what happened. Jefferson tells him it was a hull breach and the Doctor points out it wasn't an earthquake that caused it. Zach asks if everyone is alright and Jefferson reports they have everyone except Scooti, before asking her to report in. After a few moments of no response, Zach tells them he has picked up her biochip, saying she is in habitation 3.
"We were just there, we would have seen her if that was true." Rose points out quietly.
Zach tells them to go and check as she might be unconscious. Toby looks down at his hands which are normal again. Jefferson says they could all do with a drink and leads the group towards habitation 3. The Doctor crouches by Toby and asks what happened. He states he can't remember. Rose helps him up and suggests he goes and has some Protein one.
"You got used to that quick." Sarah-Jane smiles.
"It's amazing what you'll eat when there's no other choice." Rose laughs. "But after eating blue beans I think you owe me some chips." She grins at Ten.
"Your wish is my demand." He smiles back.
The Doctor accuses her of going native. Rose tells him not to knock it. They all reach habitation 3 but no sign of Scooti. Jefferson tells Zach this who replies that her biochip says she is there. Everyone starts talking at once until the Doctor looks up and says he has found her. They follow his gaze and Scooti is outside, drifting towards the black hole. Jefferson quietly reports her death to Zach while Ida mourns that she was only twenty.
"That poor girl." Sarah-Jane sighs sadly.
Ida closes the shutters. Jefferson quotes Horatius, by Thomas Babington Macaulay. Then the base falls silent. Rose asks what it is and the Doctor tells her it's the drill. Ida confirms it has stopped drilling, they have made it. At the drilling centre Ida is in a spacesuit and calling out instructions. The Doctor appears, also in a suit, and tells Zach he volunteers to go with Ida.
"I'd better be going with you!" Rose exclaims. Ten looks at her and she knows immediately that she isn't.
"With everything that's going on, those strange messages, the Ood acting out and Scooti being dead, you want to separate?" Jack asks him, half furious and half shocked.
"Of course I don't want to." Ten snaps back. "A hundred thousand things could have gone wrong and I'd never have forgiven myself but I had to go. It was the only way to find the TARDIS and therefore the only way to get Rose away safely." Jack subsides a little at that.
"Why couldn't she have gone with you?" Mickey asks.
"Only two suits and Ida wasn't going to be missing out. Nor would Zach send two strangers and none of his crew on the mission they've been working on for years." Ten points out.
Zach claims this is breaking every single protocol, especially as he has no idea who the Doctor is. The Doctor points out that despite that, Zach trusts him and he can't let Ida go down alone. Zach states he should be going down and the Doctor point out the Captain doesn't lead, he stays up top and in charge. Zach mutters he isn't much good but calls for everyone to get into position.
"Not like he had anyone else to send." Martha sighs.
"Always better with two." Rose agrees half heartedly. Ten takes her hand and twines their fingers. He wasn't sure what had gone on after they lost communication. Rose had never told him in much detail, they had both wanted to forget and rejoice in being alive.
Rose goes over to the Doctor who comments it has been ages since he wore a suit like that. Rose tells him she wants that spacesuit back in one piece. The Doctor agrees and then puts on his helmet. Rose then comments on how people back home think space travel is all about whizzing around and teleports when it is actually tough.
"Reality never meets up to the imagination." Mickey tells her.
"You're right. It's far better than I could ever have imagined. It's beautiful and wonderful and fantastic. But it's also hard and tough and horrible in some parts. You just gotta take the good with the bad and try to enjoy it all." Rose smiles. "Even while running for your life." She adds with a grin.
"Especially the running part." Nine agrees, smirking at her.
The Doctor says he will see her later. Rose laughs and says not if she sees him first. In Ood habitation, Danny tells them all to stay there, no command can override his. They are to obey him only.
"They weren't deliberately disobeying earlier so that won't work. Good try though." Jack nods in approval.
The Ood are sitting, quietly. Zach goes back to the control room and says the capsule is active. He begins counting down from 10. The Doctor and Ida go into the capsule. Jefferson closes the door. Once Zach reaches one the capsule is lowered on its cable. Toby keeps checking his palms. Rose checks their progress on the screen whilst clutching the microphone.
"I get the feeling nobody else is going to be getting near that microphone." Jack laughed.
"I should think not." Rose sniggered. "Besides, nobody else would want to listen to him babble."
"Too true." Donna agreed.
Zach tells them they have gone beyond the oxygen field. Ida and the Doctor turn on their life support. Rose tells them not to forget to breath as breathing is good.
They all snicker except Rose who flushes slightly. Nine chuckles and kisses her hair.
Zach tells Rose to stay off the comm. Rose tells him there is no chance.
"Didn't think there would be somehow." Mickey rolls his eyes fondly.
The capsule shudders even more than usual then suddenly drops. The Ood all stand up and turn to look up at Danny and a guard.
"Ut oh." Nine muttered.
Rose calls into the comm, asking if the Doctor is alright. In the control room the screen says capsule has reached Point Zero. Zach asks Ida to report. The Doctor replies they have made it and are getting out of the capsule. Rose asks what it is like down there but the Doctor replies it's hard to tell.
"Can create loads of power but not light." Donna laughs.
Ida throws up a gravity globe that illuminates the cavern.
"Wow." Nine and Jack both whistle appreciatively.
"Looks like you found that civilisation Toby was talking about." Martha notes in awe.
"Wonder what happened to them?" Sarah-Jane asks.
Ida comments that it is beautiful and the Doctor tells Rose they found Toby's civilisation. The walls of the cavern are carved into pillars and statues. Rose calls to Toby that it sounds like he has plenty of work. He mutters good but it paying more attention to his hands.
"He seems normal there. No need to act with nobody really paying attention to him." Rose frowns.
"Maybe whatever was possessing him has let him have some control back. It's possible it created an air pocket outside. It's powerful enough to keep a whole planet from falling into a black hole." Jack suggests with a shrug. "But it's probably still inside him."
"Well isn't that cheerful." Rose mutters.
"Just realistic." Nine tells her.
Zach tells them to focus on the mission. He asks Ida about the power source and she reports that they are close. She asks if they are getting pictures but he tells her there is too much interference. Ida states they have come this far there is no turning back.
"Those are some killer last words." Donna winces.
The Doctor asks if she had to say that, complaining it's almost as bad as 'what can possibly go wrong'.
"Yeah, that's just asking for trouble and you definitely don't need to do that." Martha agrees.
Ida asks if he is finished and he agrees. Danny tells Zach the Ood are staring at him despite him telling them not to. Zach tells him he is a big boy and can take being stared at.
"I'm not sure that's the point. If they are supposed to take orders they should have stopped staring. They aren't under control anymore, something is controlling them." Jack points out.
"Well we know that." Nine shrugs. "They don't. Or haven't thought of it yet."
Danny adds that the telepathic field is at basic 100.
"Well that's definitely not good. Given that they run at basic 5 and basic 30 is screaming, I'm going to assume that something that high should be brain dead." Nine frowns.
"So that's the second time someone should be dead but they aren't because they are being controlled by this thing. That's incredible amounts of power considering what it is sustaining at the same time." Jack adds.
"Well, you see something new everyday." Rose tries to sound enthusiastic but she is wondering how many more Scooti's there will be before they get away safely.
Zach states that's impossible. Rose asks what basic 100 means and Danny replies that they should be dead. Jefferson tells her it means brain death. Zach asks if they are actually moving and Danny tells him they aren't. Zach tells Jefferson to guard the Ood and Rose protests he can't fire a gun in there. He tells her the bullets only impact on organics.
"Doesn't mean you won't hit somebody by accident in such a confined space." Mickey notes anxiously. Making it out alive doesn't mean Rose wasn't injured.
The Doctor asks over the comm if everything is alright. Rose, Zach and Danny all reply that everything is fine.
"That was the most unconvincing thing I've heard for a while." Ten laughs.
"Don't need you worrying about me while there's nothing you can do about it." Rose shrugs.
The Doctor and Ida have gone between a pair of massive pillars into an area with a lot of rubble and a big round decorated door in the floor. The Doctor reports that they have found something metal that seems to be some sort of seal. He has a feeling the word is trapdoor.
"That is one hell of a big trapdoor." Donna remarks.
"Fits right in with the rest of the place then." Sarah-Jane tells her.
He adds that he has never met a trapdoor he likes. Ida notices the edge is covered in the symbols nobody can translate. Zach asks if they think it opens and the Doctor comments that that is what trapdoors tend to do. Ida adds that trapdoor doesn't do it justice as it is about thirty feet in diameter. Zach asks if there is anyway of opening it and she replies there doesn't seem to be a mechanism.
"The writing is probably the instructions." Rose points out.
"Or a warning not to open it." Nine puts in.
"Which means you'll find a way to open it then." Rose laughs.
The Doctor guesses the writing would tell them what to do. Zach asks Toby if he made any headway translating the letters. Rose asks Toby if he made any sense out of it and he agrees he knows what it says.
"Oh dear. Whatever it is, is back." Donna sighs.
Rose urges him to tell them what it means. Jefferson asks when he worked that out and Rose tells him it doesn't matter, Toby should just tell them.
"I think Jefferson has a point Rose." Jack tells her.
"I see that now." She nods, annoyed she dismissed something so obvious.
Toby is covered in the symbols again. He states they are the words of the Beast and he has woken. He will rise. Jefferson moves forward and points his gun at Toby telling him to stand down. The Doctor frantically calls into the comm, asking what is happening. In the control room Zach is doing the same thing. Jefferson tells Toby to stand down and be confined while Rose mutters into the comm that Toby has come out with the symbols all over his face.
"Well this is just fantastic." Nine groans.
Toby asks Jefferson if his wife ever forgave him. He tries to say he has no idea what Toby is on about but Toby insists she never did.
"Basic mind reading." Nine mutters.
"Just enough to see surface fears and use them." Jack nods.
Jefferson repeats for him to stand down and Toby asks or what. He states that he is authorised to shoot but Toby asks how many he can kill. Toby opens his mouth. The symbols leave him and float over to the Ood, who jerk to attention. Toby collapses.
"I thought they were already possessed?" Mickey frowns.
"It may have just been shouting into their minds. Now it is truly controlling them." Nine tells him.
In Ood habitation they say in unison that they are the Legion of the Beast. Below, the Doctor calls for Rose to tell him what is going on before telling Ida he is going back up.
"Good plan." Sarah-Jane agrees.
"I get the feeling it isn't going to be that easy." Martha sighs. "It never is."
"Too true." Ten mutters bitterly.
Zach frantically yells for people to report. The Ood continue talking about the Legion while Jefferson tells Zach they have contamination of the livestock.
"They are not livestock!" Rose burst out angrily.
Rose talks into the comm telling the Doctor the Ood are possessed and Jefferson adds they won't listen. In Ood habitation they start walking towards the stairs saying that he has many names such as Abaddon, Satan or Lucifer.
"Those are all names for the Devil." Sarah-Jane notes, eyes widening in surprise.
One Ood walks up the steps to the catwalk. It releases its globe, which flies to the guard's forehead and electrocutes him. Danny looks on on horror and then runs.
"Oh my god!" Rose gasps, her hand not holding Ten's flies up to cover her mouth in horror.
They all say that the words shall set him free. Jefferson tells everyone to back up to the door as the Ood advance. They keep talking while the group moves back to the door. Rose puts the comm down before going with the others. Jefferson makes sure to stay between everyone and the Ood. Below, the centre of the trapdoor sinks. The ground shakes. Ida calls to the Doctor that it is opening.
"Still never met a trapdoor I like." Nine mutters.
Zach calls that the whole planet is moving. The overhead shutters open. The Doctor runs back to Ida as the whole trapdoor opens its segments. Jefferson keeps yelling for them to get the door open and the trapdoor reveals a deep shaft.
"You still haven't reached the bottom yet then?" Jack asks in surprise.
Zach realises the gravity field is going and they are going to fall into the black hole. The Ood keep talking saying that it has been imprisioned for eternity but no more. In the drilling area the computer says the door is sealed. Rose yells at it to come on but it repeats the door is sealed. Below a voice comes from the trapdoor saying the Pit is open and it is free before a loud laugh echoes from below and the screen goes black.
"Dammit! I hate these two part ones." Rose groans. Ten is inclined to agree as he realises it is looking more and more likely his separation from Rose is likely to also be in two parts, drawing out the inevitable for as long as possible. As that thought occurs to him, he suddenly hates this plan.
