Chapter Five: Silent Tears

Emma sat on the glass floor of the Tardis, watching Amy float in space. The Doctor held onto their new companion's ankle, smiling fondly at the red head. "Come on Pond," he called, pulling Amy back inside.
"Now do you believe me?"
"Okay, your box is a spaceship," Amy agreed. "It's really, really, a spaceship. We are in space! What are we breathing?"
"I've extended the air-shell. We're fine."

Rising to her feet, Emma strolled over to them, wrapping her arms around the Doctor. He twisted his head, grinning down at her. She grinned back before looking over the edge of the Tardis.
"Look, Doctor," she murmured, gazing out into the vastness of space. She pointed down to a floating city.
"Now, that's interesting," the Doctor said. "Twenty ninth century. Solar flares roast the earth, and the entire human race packs its bags and moves out 'til the weather improves. Whole nations…"

Racing back to the console, the Tardis doors closed with Amy outside.
"Doctor!" Emma called in exasperation. She moved to the doors, trying to pry them open. He didn't hear her, continuing with his previous trail of thought.
"… migrating the stairs. Isn't that amazing?"

Managing to get the doors open, Emma reached for Amy. She was unable to grab her. Amy kept a tight trip on the Tardis as the Doctor strolled over to them. He grabbed Amy's leg, gently yanking her back into the Tardis.
"Well, come on," he told her. "I've found us a spaceship. This is the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland. All of it, bolted together and floating in the sky. Star ship UK. It's Britain, but metal. That's not just a ship, that's an idea. That's a whole country living, laughing, and shopping. Searching the stars for a new home."

Curious, Amy asked if they could go out and see.
"Course we can!" the Doctor exclaimed. "But first, there's a thing."
"A thing?" He nodded hurriedly.
"An important thing. In fact, Thing One. We are observers only. That's the one rule I've always stuck too in all my travels. I never get involved in the affairs of other peoples or planets."

A loud scoff left Emma and the Doctor slammed a hand over her mouth, frowning at her. She gave him a teasing look and he released her, only to tug her into his side.
"Stop teasing," he muttered as Amy began rambling.
"So, we're like a wildlife documentary, yeah? Because if they see a wounded little cub or something—"

Her voice faded into the background as the Doctor noticed something on the scanner.
"There's a girl crying," he remarked.
"Go find her," Emma encouraged softly. "You know you want too." He squeezed her side lightly before bolting out of the Tardis. Amy didn't notice, directing a question that Emma wasn't expecting.
"Don't you find that hard?" she asked Emma. "Being all, like detached and cold?"
"Well…"

Emma trailed off as Amy caught sight of the Doctor on the scanner. He was speaking to a small weeping girl with brown hair. She brushed him off, running away.
"Doctor?" Amy asked. He turned as if having heard them, guesting at the camera to bid them to join him.

The two women stepped out into the street, a greeting playing on an announcement.
"Welcome to London Market. You are being monitored." Amy stared around in shock.
"I'm in the future. Like hundreds of years in the future. I've been dead for centuries."
"Oh lovely," Emma said. "You're a cheery one." Amy flushed lightly.
"Never mind dead!" the Doctor said."Look at this place. Isn't it wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Amy asked.
"Come on, use your eyes. Notice everything. What's wrong with this picture?"
"Is it… the bicycles?" Amy questioned, seeing a pair of cyclers go by. "Bit unusual on a spaceship."
"Says the girl in the nightie," Emma remarked.

Brown eyes went wide.
"Oh my God, I'm in my nightie!" The Doctor rolled his eyes, looking sternly at Emma and Amy.
"Now, come on, look around you. Actually look! Life on a giant star ship. Back to basics. Bicycles, washing lines, wind-up streetlamps. But look closer. Secrets and shadows, lives led in fear. Society bent out of shape, on the brink of collapse. A police state… excuse me."

At a nearby table, he picked up a woman's glass of water.
"What are you doing?" her male companion asked.
"Sorry," the Doctor said, placing the glass of water on the ground. "Checking all the water in this area. There's an escaped fish. Where was I?" Amy tilted her head to the side as he pulled her away.
"Why did you just do that with the water?"
"Don't know. I think a lot. It's hard to keep track. Now, police state. Do you see it yet?"
"Where?"
"There," Emma replied, seeing the weeping girl alone.

The observation confused Amy.
"One little girl crying. So?"
"Crying silently," the Doctor said. "I mean, children cry because they want attention, because they're hurt or afraid. But when they cry silently, it's because they just can't stop. Any parent knows that."
"Are you a parent?"
"Hundreds of parents walking past who spot her and not one of them is asking her what's wrong," Emma remarked. "Which means they already know, and it's something they don't talk about. Secrets." She shook her head sadly at the last word.
"They're not helping her," the Doctor said. "So, it's something they are afraid of. Shadows, whatever they're afraid of, it's nowhere to be seen, which means it's everywhere. Police state."

In their conversation, the girl disappeared.
"Where'd she go?" Amy asked, looking around.
"Deck two oh seven," the Doctor replied. "Apple Sesame block, dwelling five-four a. You're looking for Mandy Tanner." He pulled a small colour wallet from his pocket. "Oh, er, this fell out of her pocket when I accidently bumped into her."
"Accidently?" Emma repeated.
"Took me four goes. Ask her about those things. The smiling fellows in the booths. They're everywhere." The Doctor handed Amy the wallet as Amy tilted her head to the side.
"But they're just things."
"They're clean," the Doctor said. "Everything else here is all battered and filthy. Look at this place. But no one's laid a finger on those booths. Not a footprint within two feet of them. Look, ask Mandy. Why are people scared of the things in the booths?"
"No, hang on. What do I do? I don't know what I'm doing here, and I'm not even dressed!"
"It's this or Leadworth," he shrugged. "What do you think? Let's see. What will Amy Pond choose? Ha! Gotcha! Meet me back here in half an hour."
"What are you going to do?" Emma questioned.
"What I always do. Stay out of trouble." He straightened his bowtie with a crooked grin at the look Emma gave him. "Badly."

He took off down the street, leaving the girls alone. Amy looked over to Emma with a confused expression on her face.
"So, is this how it works? He never interferes in the affairs of other peoples or planets unless there's children crying?" Emma laughed but nodded her head.
"Yes… and other things."
"Other things?"
"Spoilers. Now, shall we find Mandy?"

{Deck 207}

Finding Mandy was not that difficult. In fact, she ended up revealing herself to the two women with a frustrated expression.
"You're following me," she said. "Saw you watching me at the marketplace." Amy held out the wallet.
"You dropped this." Mandy snatched it back.
"Yeah, when your friend kept bumping into me."

In front of them, something caught Emma's attention.
"What's that?" she wondered. It was a striped workman's hut with yellow flashing lights and a 'keep out' sign.
"There's a hole," Mandy said. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "We have to go back."
"A hole?" Emma repeated. She moved forward and Mandy grabbed her arm.
"Are you stupid?" the little girl hissed. Emma gently pulled the girl's hand off her. "There's a hole in the road. We can't go that way. There's a travel pipe down by the airlocks if you've got stamps." Mandy frowned as Emma continued towards the hut. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, don't mind me. Never could resist a keep out sign. What's through there?"
"Yeah!" Amy said, "what's so scary about a hole? Something under the road?"

Kneeling beside the hut, Emma pulled out a hairpin to start picking the lock.
"Nobody knows," Mandy told them. "We're not supposed to talk about it."
"About what?" Amy asked.
"Below." At the terrified tone, Emma stopped picking the lock. She pulled away from it, watching as Mandy's shoulders visibly relaxed.
"And because you're not supposed to, you don't?" Amy questioned. "Watch and learn." She took the hairpin from Emma and continued picking the lock.

Mandy leaned over to Emma.
"You both sound Scottish."
"She is Scottish," Emma said. "What's wrong with that? Scotland's got to be here somewhere."
"No," Mandy said, shaking his head. "They wanted their own ship."
"Good for them," Emma chuckled. "Nothing changes."
"If you aren't from Scotland and you aren't from England… then how did you get here?"
"Oh, we're just passing through, you know, with a guy."
"Your boyfriend?" Emma blushed but shook her head.
"He's not quite my boyfriend yet."
"Why not? Has he kissed you?"

Emma knelt, looking the girl in the eyes. She searched them closely before smiling.
"You are an awfully curious child," Emma said. "But no, he hasn't kissed me. It's complicated."
"Then you should uncomplicate it." They shared a grin as Amy called out to them.
"Hey! Hey! Result! Coming?" Emma nodded, but Mandy grabbed her hand.
"No!"
"Hmm, you go ahead, Amy. I'll catch up."
"Suit yourself."
"You mustn't let her do that!" Mandy cried. She threw her arms around Emma.

Confused at the girl's terror, Emma held her tightly.
"Amy, come back," she called out. She startled as Amy came stumbling back out. Amy froze, staring at something behind Emma. Emma turned to see a masked group surrounding them. She held a bit tighter onto Mandy as a strange gas surrounded them.

{Voting Cubicle}

Her eyes opened staring at a screen. Four screens to be exact. She looked around, seeing one of the creepy booths behind her. She turned back to the screens, seeing two large buttons labelled Forget and Protest. She pushed her chair away from the screens as they started up.

Welcome to voting cubicle three-thirty C. Please leave this installation as you would wish to find it. The United Kingdom recognises the right to know of all its citizens. A presentation concerning the history of star ship UK will begin shortly. Your identity is being verified on our electoral roll.

Name: Emma Grace Williams

Age: Unknown

Marital Status: Unknown

You are here because you want to know the truth about this star ship, and I'm talking to you because you're entitled to know. When this presentation has finished, you will have a choice. You may either protest or forget. If you choose to protest, understand this. If just one percent of the population of this ship do likewise, the programme will be discontinued with consequences for you all.

If you choose to accept the situation, and we hope that you will, then press the Forget button. All the information I'm about to give you will be erased from your memory. You will continue to enjoy the safely and amenities of star ship UK, unburdened by the knowledge of what has been done to save you. Here then, is the truth about star ship UK, and the price that has been paid for the safety of the British people. May God have mercy on our souls.

The next thing Emma remembered; she was pressing the forget button. She felt horror dawn on her as she realized she forgot exactly what she was forgetting. In front of her, a play button was awaiting her. She reached forward, pressing play.

She startled to see herself on the other side. She had puffy eyes as if she had been crying and when Emma reached up, she could feel the remains of tears. Why had she been crying? Her video-self gave her a simple order.

Find the Doctor. He'll know what to do.

The door opened and Emma turned to see the Doctor hurrying to her. Amy and Mandy followed behind her. Mandy stopped just in the doorway.
"Emma!" the Doctor exclaimed. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"Why was I crying?" she questioned.
"You choose to forget," the Doctor answered. "Everyone chooses."
"But why? I don't understand." The Doctor sighed, squeezing her tight before releasing her. He grasped her hand instead.
"You choose to forget, Emma. What's done is done. However, you did remember one thing."
"And what's that?"
"I'll know what to do." He reached forward and slammed his hand over the Protest button. The doors slammed shut and Amy hurried over to their sides.
"Say wheee!" the Doctor cried. Emma let out a scream as the door dropped out below them.

{Waste Disposal}

Emma gasped as the doctor caught her at the bottom of the chute. He gently set her down onto the wet, slippery ground. Amy crashed to the ground beside them.
"High speed air cannon," the Doctor mused. "Lousy way to travel."
"Where are we?" Amy asked.
"Six hundred feet down, twenty miles laterally, puts us at the heart of the ship. I'd say Lancashire. What's this then, a cave? Can't be a cave. Looks like a cave."
"It's a rubbish dump, and it's mingling!"
"Yes, but only food refuse. Organic, coming through feeder tubes from all over the ship."
"Doctor, the floor's all squidgy," Emma said.
"It's sort of rubbery, feel it," Amy said. "Wet and slimy."

There was a noise in the distance and Emma looked up tot eh Doctor.
"Er, it's not a floor," the Doctor said. "It's a… so…"
"It's a what?" Amy prodded him to continue.
"The next word is kind of a scary word. You probably want to take a moment, get yourself in the clam place. Go omm."
"Omm?"
"It's a tongue."
"A tongue?"
"A tongue. A great big tongue."
"Oh," Emma murmured.
"Oh, is correct."
"This is a mouth," Amy stated. "This whole place is a mouth. We're in a mouth?"
"Yes, yes, yes. But on the plus side, roomy."
"How do we get out?"
"How big is this beastie?" the Doctor wondered. "It's gorgeous. Blimey, if this is just the mouth, I'd love to see the stomach." Emma elbowed him gently and he smiled sheepishly down at her. "Yes, though not right now."
"Doctor," Emma said. "How do we get out?"

The Doctor pursed his lips, looking around.
"Okay, it's being fed through surgically implanted feeder tubes, so the normal entrance is closed for business." He gestured to a wall of teeth. Emma stared at it, but turned before she could start picturing the giant teeth chewing them up.
"We could try, though," Amy said. She walked towards the teeth but stopped when the Doctor called out to her.
"No, stop, don't move!"

The floor began to vibrate, and Emma grasped tighter to the Doctor's hand to keep her balance.
"Too late," he sighed. "It's started."
"What has?" Amy asked.
"Swallow reflex." He pulled out his sonic, pointing it to the ground.
"What are you doing?" Emma asked.
"I'm vibrating the chemoreceptors."
"Chemo-what?" questioned Amy.
"The eject button."
"How does a mouth have an eject button?"
"Oh, Doctor," Emma grumbled, understanding what he was doing. "Think about it, Amy." Amy's eyes went wide as a wave of vomit came up the throat towards them.
"Right, then," the Doctor said. "This isn't going to be big on dignity. Geronimo!"

All rights belong to BBC