Terry stood reading the analysis of the poison gas that Clone Martha had pulled for her while the dark-haired woman explained the conclusions and the Doctor spun around in his chair nearby.
"There's carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, but ten percent unidentified." She tapped the clipboard Terry was holding, indicating the readouts. "Some sort of artificial heavy element we can't trace. Have you two ever seen anything like it?"
"No, but it doesn't seem to be just poison." Terry answered as she handed the clipboard to the Doctor. He just dumped it aside as Terry mused, "It must be something the Sontarans invented. What do you think, Doctor?"
"Hm." The Doctor hummed as he leapt out of his seat and strode up to the cylinder with the gas sample that was on display in their corner of the room. "They need this gas for something else. But what could that be?"
Suddenly, something beeped from behind them and the two Time Lords turned as Captain Price called out, "Launch grid online and active."
"What?" The Doctor asked but Colonel Mace was already speaking to his troops.
"Positions, ladies and gentlemen, Defcon One initiatives in progress."
"Show time." Terry thought to the Doctor even as both Time Lords strode angrily toward the Colonel. It wasn't exactly feigned fury on their parts; both were unhappy with the soldier for his chosen tactic. But even while knowing the Colonel's plan was going to fail, the pair milked the moment for the benefit of the dark-skinned woman that was watching them like a hawk.
"I told you not to launch!" The Doctor snapped at Colonel Mace as he came to stop right next to the human.
"The gas is at sixty percent density." The Colonel answered sharply, surveying the two Time Lords coldly. "Eighty percent and people start dying, Doctor. We've got no choice."
"That's a coward's answer." Terry shot back. "There's always a choice."
"Oh, and you would know, would you?" Colonel Mace asked scathingly.
At once, Terry's eyes darkened and an old - much too old for someone who looked so young - fury swirled in the golden depths of her irises.
"You have no idea the choices we have sometimes been faced with, Colonel. A child like you," she scoffed. "There is no way you could understand what that's really like. But even in those times, there was always a choice."
Colonel Mace stared back at Terry for a moment, his expression never changing. "Well, then, Miss Storm - this is my choice."
He and Terry stared at each other, neither backing down as Captain Price announced, "Launching in sixty. Fifty nine."
The Doctor turned to stare at the screen where they could see the missiles being aimed at the Sontaran ship, despair written all over his features.
"Fifty eight, fifty seven, fifty six. Worldwide nuclear grid now coordinating."
"You're making a mistake, Colonel." The Doctor warned. "For once, I hope the Sontarans are ahead of you."
The Colonel glanced at the Time Lord at that, but his attention was brought back to Terry as the Time Lady asked, "How do you sleep? Knowing you have blood on your hands?"
"I do my duty, Miss Storm. Even if it means I don't sleep." Colonel Mace replied grimly.
"Good. At least you're not completely heartless."
With that, Terry turned to stare at the screen as well as the countdown continued around them.
"Fifty four, fifty three. North America, online."
At the same time as Price's announcement, they saw the red dots appear on the world map that had been pulled up onto the screens.
"United Kingdom, online. France, online." More dots appeared on the map, corresponding to Price's reports. " India, online. Pakistan, online. China, online. North Korea, online. All systems locked and coordinated."
Terry reached over and grasped the Doctor's hand comfortingly as Price started the final countdown.
"Launching in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five-"
"God save us." The Colonel murmured, his eyes remaining fixed unwaveringly on the screen.
"-Four, three, two, one."
The Doctor squeezed Terry's hand.
"Zero."
The main screen flickered. The room was so silent, the sound of a pin dropping would have been deafening. No one even seemed to be breathing, when suddenly the screen switched off and the map they had all been watching disappeared.
"What is it?" Colonel Mace demanded as he stared at the black screen. "What happened? Did we launch?"
Terry meanwhile glanced furtively in the direction of Clone Martha. She saw the woman holding her mobile phone open loosely in her hand, as though just fidgeting absently. Only Martha never fidgeted, least of all absently. And certainly not when the whole human race was at stake. But Terry said nothing as Colonel Mace continued to address his confused troops.
"Well? Did we launch?"
"Negative, sir." Captain Price's voice was puzzled as she tried to restart the controls. "The launch codes have been wiped, sir. It must be the Sontarans."
"Can we override it?" Colonel Mace demanded while the Doctor slid over to stand beside Clone Martha.
"Trying it now, sir." Captain Price answered. She flipped switches and typed at her computer, trying to override the Sontarans and Terry leant back.
"Missiles wouldn't even dent that ship," the Doctor commented loudly, although he was still largely ignored. "So why are the Sontarans so keen to stop you?"
He turned to Clone Martha expectantly. "Any ideas?"
"How should I know?" Clone Martha answered defensively.
"Is that so?" The Doctor murmured as he scrutinized the other woman for a second before he turned away.
"She's the one with the controls, isn't she?" The Doctor asked Terry telepathically.
"What do you think?" Terry answered. The Doctor smiled faintly before he straightened up once again as the communications within the UNIT headquarters crackled.
"Greyhound Forty declaring absolute emergency!"
Terry closed her eyes as soon as she heard Jenkins' voice. The Doctor instantly walked over to Terry and he took her hand as Jenkins continued to report urgently, "Sontarans within factory grounds. East corridor, grid six."
"Absolute emergency." Colonel Mace barked. "Declaring Code Red. All troops, Code Red."
"Get them out of there." The Doctor argued as he felt Terry's hand tremble just slightly.
'You can't save everyone.' She reminded herself as she wrestled again with the truth she had accepted when she left Jenkins to return to his post after he'd dropped them off.
'Yeah, so why does it feel like I'm no better than Mace?'
With the heavy thought weighing on her, Terry watched as Colonel Mace ignored the Doctor.
"All troops, open fire."
'I can't do it after all. I have to try.'
The thought had no sooner entered her head than Terry was letting go of the Doctor's hand.
"Angel?!"
The Doctor's shout followed her as Terry ran out of the war room and headed straight for the ATMOS factory.
"Seal the doors! Quickly!"
"ANGEL!"
Terry could hear the Doctor start to follow her while Colonel Mace barked orders. She knew the Doctor wouldn't be able to catch up; Terry heard the doors lock behind her at the Colonel's orders. The Doctor was trapped inside with the others. But at least he would also be safe. While Terry…
'Help me. I can't stop them on my own.' Terry thought in her mind as she ran toward the factory where she could hear gunshots. Sontaran laser gunshots. The human soldiers' weapons were obviously deactivated; it was going to be a blood bath.
'Help me!'
A sudden sharp stabbing pain in her head made Terry reel. She stumbled and her vision blurred. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was a flash of gold light.
Meanwhile, still inside the war room, the Doctor stormed over toward Colonel Mace. He was about to demand that the other man unlock the doors so he could follow Terry when Jenkins called across the comms again.
"Guns aren't working. Inform all troops, standard weapons do not work."
His words were echoed by the screams and cries of pain as the rest of his fellow troops were murdered in the background. The Doctor's hands fisted as he realized why Terry had run - she had seen this coming. And she couldn't stand aside, despite her best efforts. He loved and hated for that as he listened to Jenkins continue in an unwavering, brave voice.
"Tell the Doctor it's that cordolaine signal. He's the only one who can stop them- wait. What? Miss Storm! Look out!"
The Doctor's eyes widened while Colonel Mace sucked in a sharp breath as they heard Jenkins shout.
"No-!"
There was the sound of a laser blast and then static over the comms. And then, nothing.
"Greyhound Forty, report." The Colonel called. "Over."
No answer.
"Greyhound Forty, report."
Still nothing. But the Doctor turned sharply as Clone Martha let out a surprised gasp.
"What?"
The Doctor turned and he was very tempted to blow the Clone Martha's cover. But he barely reigned himself in. She was the only hope he had of finding Martha and keeping Donna alive. It was what Terry would want too. Even if she was…
"Greyhound Forty, report."
"Where are we?"
Everyone jumped as Jenkins' voice sounded again quite suddenly over the comms.
"Greyhound Forty! Report!" Colonel Mace barked, but he couldn't hide the relief in his voice.
"Ross?" The Doctor added, speaking over the Colonel. "Ross, are you there?"
"Doctor? Hang on, Miss Storm, what are you-?"
"Doctor."
The Doctor paused as he heard the deeper, female voice - like Terry's voice had suddenly dropped an octave.
"... Are you okay?" The Doctor asked, his tone more careful now.
"We're alive, but can't talk. I'm sure you'll figure it out - in the meantime, do find a way to actually stop a war this time, Doctor. Now, goodbye. I'm destroying this comm unit."
"Wait a second, Miss Storm-!" Colonel Mace started in protest. But he was silenced as static once again played over the comms. The Colonel growled at the Doctor.
"Where is she? What is she doing, and with my man?"
"You know," the Doctor mused as he stared thoughtfully at the black screens ahead. "I don't know."
High above the Earth, Jenkins stared at Terry as she looked down at her foot as though surprised. She then lifted her foot to examine the remains of the comms unit she'd smashed to bits against the floor of the Sontaran spaceship and Jenkins thought he looked momentarily confused before her expression cleared. Terry sighed.
"Oh, Daemon, you really don't like him."
"Who's Daemon?" Jenkins asked, confused as Terry's voice sounded normal again instead of deep like it had been before. "And what did you do that for-?"
He was cut off as Terry shushed him. Together, they peered around the corner before ducking as a Sontaran walked by.
"You couldn't bring us into the Tardis?" Terry muttered under her breath. Jenkins was starting to think the woman might be crazy, when Terry started off.
"Wait-!" Jenkins hissed before silencing himself in case he alerted the Sontaran still standing nearby to their presence.
Instead, he watched incredulously as Terry snuck behind the Sontaran, reached into her pocket, pulled out a black walking cane, and then whacked the handle of the cane hard against the back of the Sontaran's neck. The alien went down like a sack of potatoes and Terry twirled her cane triumphantly.
"Knew this would come in handy again one day."
"How did that fit inside your pocket?" Jenkins asked as he joined Terry.
"The real question you should be asking is why I was carrying this inside my pocket. I don't usually, you know. It just so happened that I hadn't taken it out after the last time I used it. Unfortunately, that is a long story involving some Moulin Rouge dancers and maybe a French aristocrat, but we don't have time for that right now. Come on, and keep quiet."
With that, Terry stepped over the unconscious Sontaran and started down the hallway. Jenkins however paused beside the Sontaran's discarded gun.
"Don't even think about it."
Jenkins glanced over to see Terry watching him, having not moved further down. As though she'd known what he was going to do; what he was thinking. Jenkins gestured down at the weapon in the unconscious Sontaran's hand.
"Our weapons don't work against them. We should at least take this as protection-"
"I saved your life. You owe me, so you will leave it." Terry answered sternly. Jenkins hesitated and he cast one more longing look at the gun. But at last, he moved to join Terry.
"So, how did you get us up here? I just remember you running out at the Sontarans and then a golden light. And then we were here."
"Let's just say I got some help." Terry answered vaguely as she peered around a corner to make sure the coast was clear before she moved on.
"Well, thanks. Really." Jenkins said awkwardly. "I almost died back there-"
"You did."
At Terry's blunt statement, Jenkins paused. "And, uh, well, you saved my life. If you weren't there, I could have died."
"Yeah, you would have." Terry replied absently.
Jenkins stopped. "Right."
At the young man's tone, Terry also paused and looked back.
"What is it?" She asked. Jenkins coughed awkwardly.
"It's, it's nothing."
"Just say it, it's clearly something bothering you."
Jenkins hesitated before he blurted out, "It's just, I don't mean to sound ungrateful. You did save me. But, I don't know, the way you say that I would have died if you hadn't been there, it, you know, it just…"
He trailed off before he added quietly, "When I saw those aliens coming and I knew I was going to die, I wasn't afraid. Not really. But I was scared when I thought about my parents who would have to answer the phone to hear I had died before them. So, I don't know, I guess…"
"It sounds like I'm belittling your life when I just say you almost died like it's trivial. Even though I saved you." Terry murmured.
"I don't mean to sound ungrateful." Jenkins repeated quickly. But Terry stopped him.
"No. No, you're right." She stared at the young man thoughtfully. "You're right. I can see now why the Doctor is the way he is sometimes. When you've seen as much as I have, let alone what he has, it's easy to sometimes forget. To be focused on other things and not think about the individual. But you're right. Nothing is trivial. Least of all a precious life."
Terry clasped Jenkins's shoulder.
"Thank you, Jenkins, for reminding me of that."
"Oh. Uh, you're, uh, you're welcome." Jenkins mumbled.
Terry released him and she started off once more. Jenkins trailed behind and for a moment they walked in silence. But when Terry paused and appeared to sniff the air, Jenkins couldn't suppress his curiosity any longer.
"So, uh, how did you do that gold thing? When you, um, saved me?" He asked.
"Teleport. One use only though, I'm afraid." Terry muttered as she felt a shadow shift in the back recess of her mind.
"Oh. That's pretty cool."
Before Terry could answer, a familiar redhead rounded the corner right in front of them. Donna started to shriek in surprise but Terry, having anticipated this, hurriedly slapped her hand over the redhead's mouth to silence her.
"Sh! It's me!" Terry hissed. Donna went quiet as soon as she realized who she'd run into and the redhead hugged the Time Lady in relief.
"Oh, angel! About bloody time." Donna said happily.
"It's great to see you too, Donna." Terry smiled before she glanced around. "Still booking for the external junction feed to the teleport?"
"Yeah. I think I've gotten lost." Donna admitted, but Terry shook her head.
"No, you were on the right path. It's just around here."
She started forward when Jenkins asked in a puzzled tone, "How do you know where it is?"
"Oh, can't you smell it?" Terry answered with a glance back over her shoulder and a flash of a cheeky smile. "That faint smell like burnt toast is the teleport. When in doubt, Jenkins, always follow your nose."
"You're starting to sound like the Doctor. Even if you wanted to follow your nose, you'd have to know a teleport smelled like burnt toast first." Donna mumbled.
Terry pretended not to hear her friend as she trotted down the hallway and finally they came upon the teleport controls.
"Right. Now for the hard part." She muttered as she examined the teleport.
"Why? Is it difficult to start? Why would the Doctor trust me to fix this if it was difficult, you know I can't even mend a fuse?"
"Stop talking about yourself like that, you know you're far better than you give yourself credit for, Donna." Terry answered, glancing back at her friend.
"Besides," she looked back at the controls. "This is easy. We just take off this covering," she removed said covering as she spoke. "Flip all these blue switches up like a fuse box… and…"
Terry stood back.
"The teleport's working again."
"Oh." Donna looked at Jenkins. "You'd think they'd make it harder."
Jenkins shrugged while Donna looked back at her friend.
"So why did you say this is the hard part?"
"Because," Terry sighed before plonking down to rest on the back of her heels. "Now… we have to wait for the Doctor."