Thea glanced from Amy and Rory who were busy concentrating on their game of darts, to the Doctor as he stood at the console, frowning from the scan to Amy herself.
They had almost figured it out now, why the TARDIS was so confused if Amy was pregnant or not. Something must have happened to Amy in America, she had been taken by the Silence and had tried to tell them she was pregnant but she showed no symptoms, if she had been taken and replaced by a clone still connected to her real body then the TARDIS wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
"One little hop to confirm." The Doctor murmured, sighing and he flicked the monitor off.
"Say no more." She nodded moving round the console and railing on the railing near Amy and Rory, "who's hungry?" She raised her arm in the air as Rory did the same.
"I'll drop you lot off." The Doctor nodded, "take your time."
"And what will you be doing?" Amy squinted at the Doctor, suspicious.
"Things to do." He waved them off, "Things involving other things."
"Well, we'll stay with you. We'll do the other things."
"Nope."
"Even I'm not allowed to be a part of it." Thea defended. It was a lie, of course, but it was less suspicious if she still went off with Amy and Rory and left the Doctor to complete his suspicions.
"Whatever he is up to, I'd personally like to be a part of it." Amy scoffed, seeing him looking reluctant, "What?"
Before the Doctor could come up with an excuse, a klaxon blared, the TARDIS thrashing.
Amy and Rory grabbed onto the railings as Thea stumbled back into the jump seat while the Doctor dashed around the console, trying to fly them out of whatever was caused the TARDIS to react so badly.
"Solar tsunami!" The Doctor called, "Came directly from your sun. A tidal wave of radiation. Big, big, big."
"Oh, my tummy's going funny." Rory groaned.
"Well, the gyrator disconnected. Target tracking is out." He tried to pull a lever but nothing happened.
"Assume the position!" Thea warned, tucking her head between her knees.
Amy and Rory got on their knees, covering their heads as the Doctor crouched before the console.
The TARDIS jolted to an abrupt stop and the Doctor jumped up, "textbook landing!" He cheered.
"If you read the manual, you'd know otherwise." Thea countered, standing up and instantly moving to the doors.
She knew where they were, if the TARDIS had to make an emergency landing, caught in a solar tsunami or whatever, she would landed as safely as she could at the last coordinates that had been put in.
Which was the exact place they needed to go, just the Doctor hadn't wanted the Ponds there.
"Come on!" She grinned, rushing outside onto the small island, an old monastery in the middle, a giant whether vane with a spike sticking out the top above them.
"Behold, a cockerel!" The Doctor announced, throwing his arms wide, "Love a cockerel."
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" Thea laughed.
"And underneath, a monastery."
"Built in the 13th century."
"Oh, we've gone all mediaeval." Amy commented.
"I'm not sure about that." Rory frowned.
"Really? Mediaeval expert are you?"
"No, it's just that I can hear Dusty Springfield."
They fell silent, listening, able to hear 'you don't have to say you love me' playing in the distance.
"That means there's people." Thea grinned, "lets go find them." She grabbed the Doctors hand, the man chuckling as they ran to a stairway with a hole in the ground, a bit of pipe exposed in it.
The Doctor stopped to look at it, "These fissures are new. Solar tsunami sent out a huge wave of gamma particles. This is caused by a magnetic quake that occurs just before the wave hits."
"Well, the monastery's standing." Amy pointed out.
"For now." Thea murmured.
The Doctor glanced at her, pulling out a snow globe from his pocket, giving it a shake as he watched the snow fall.
"Look at that." Rory pointed to a piper labelled 'Danger corrosive.'
"It's a supply pipe." The Doctor scanned it with the sonic, "Ceramic inner lining. Something corrosive. They're pumping something nasty off this island to the mainland."
"Acid." Thea said.
"My mum's a massive fan of Dusty Springfield." Rory said after a moment.
"Who isn't?" The Doctor stood, "Right, let's go. Satisfy our rabid curiosity."
"Carefully not to step in any acid." Thea half-sang as she skipped up the steps.
The other three paused a moment, quickly glancing down to check there wasn't a puddle of acid nearby before dashing after her.
"So where are these Dusty Springfield loving monks, then?" Amy wondered.
The Doctor scanned around with the sonic, "I think we're here." He said quietly to Thea, "This is it."
"Absolutely." She agreed, "I feel it."
"What are you talking about?" Rory shook his head at them, "We've never been here before."
"We came here by accident." Amy agreed.
"Accident?" The Doctor muttered, "Yes, I know. Accident."
Thea reached out, stopping Rory from touching a pipe running along side them, "that's acid too."
"They're definitely pumping acid off this island. Right as always." The Doctor grinned at Thea as she gave a deep bow, "That's old stuff. Fresh acid? You'd have lost a finger."
An alarm blared, "Intruder alert. Intruder alert."
"There are people coming..." Thea murmured, furrowing her brow, "almost..."
"Almost coming?" He frowned.
She shook her head, "Almost...people..." She blinked, "that sounds amazing!" She gushed, "lets go!"
She ran off, the Doctor rushed after her, leaving the humans no choice but to follow.
~.~
Thea led the others into a room, stopping and tilting her head at the harnesses in the alcoves, four of the five of them with people in orange jumpsuits.
"What are all these harnesses for?" Amy asked, watching Thea as she stepped closer to a man.
"The almost people?" Rory guessed.
"What are they, prisoners, or are they meditating, or what?"
"Well, at the moment they fall into the or what category." The Doctor remarked.
"Halt and remain calm." A computerised voice ordered.
"Well, we've halted." The Doctor glanced at the others, "How are we all doing on the calm front?"
"I'm always calm." Thea replied, "cool, calm, collected, clever."
Three humans, two men and a woman, ran into the room, the men holding lances as the Doctor tugged Thea behind him, "Don't move!" The older of the two men threatened.
"Stay back, Jen." The other man glanced at the woman, "We don't know who they are."
"So let's ask them." She huffed, turning to glare at them, "Who the hell are you?"
"Well, I'm the Doctor," He started to introduce, "this is my daughter Thea," She waved at them, "and this is Amy and Rory, and it's all very nice, isn't it?"
"And you are?" Thea asked.
"I'm Jen." The woman returned, "Buzzer," she gestured to the younger man, "and Jimmy," the older one.
"Hello." She waved again.
"Hold up." Amy frowned, pointing between the three people and two men in the harness, the men identical to each other, "You're all...what are you all? Like identical twins?"
Two more people rushed in, another man and woman, both in thick acid suits, "This is an Alpha Grade industrial facility." The woman stated, "Unless you work for the military or for Morpeth Jetson, you are in big trouble."
"Actually, you're in big trouble." The Doctor stepped forwards, pulling out the psychic paper.
"Meteorological Department?" She scoffed, "Since when?"
"Since you were hit by a solar wave."
"Which we survived."
"Just, by the look of it."
"There's a bigger one on the way." Thea informed them.
"Which we'll also survive. Dicken," she turned to the man who came in with her, "scan for bugs."
He stepped forwards, a device in his hands, "Backs against the wall. Now."
The four travellers moved back to the wall.
"You're not a monastery, you're a factory." The Doctor realised, "22nd century army-owned factory."
"You're army?" Amy gaped
"No, love. We're contractors," the woman corrected, "and you're trespassers."
"It's clear, boss." Dicken stepped back as the scan finished.
"All right, weatherman, your ID checks out. If there's another solar storm, what are you going to do about it? Hand out sunblock?"
The Doctor gave a fake laugh, "I need to see your critical systems."
"Which one?"
"You know which one."
~.~
The woman, Cleaves, led them into a room with a large vat on a raised platform, an open tub the size for a humans before it filled with a milky liquid.
"Ooh, amazing." Thea breathed, rushing to the edge of the tub, staring down at the bubbling liquid.
"And there you are." The Doctor murmured as he joined her, observing the liquid.
"Meet the government's worst kept secret." Cleaves sighed, "The Flesh. It's fully programmable matter. In fact, it's even learning to replicate itself at the cellular level."
"Right." Amy nodded, "Brilliant." She shook her head, "Lost."
"Ok. Once a reading's been taken, we can manipulate its molecular structure into anything. Replicate a living organism down to the hairs on its chinny chin chin. Even clothes. And everything's identical. Eyes, voice."
"Mind." the Doctor added.
"Soul." Thea supplied.
Cleaves scoffed, "Don't be fooled. It acts like life but it still needs to be controlled by us, from those harnesses you saw."
"Wait, whoa." Rory frowned, "Hold it. So, you're Flesh now?"
"I'm lying in a harness back in that chamber. We all are, except Jennifer here. Don't be scared. This thing, just like operating a forklift truck."
"You said it could grow." The Doctor recalled, "Only living things grow."
"Moss grows." Cleaves deadpanned, "It's no more than that."
"That pretty much what most of the universe thinks about you lot." Thea muttered.
"What us?" Amy gestured around, "or humans?"
"This planet isn't very popular across the universe."
"Oh, great." Rory rolled his eyes, somehow that didn't even surprise him.
"This acid is so dangerous we were losing a worker every week." Ganger Cleaves continued, "So now we mine the acid using these doppelgangers. Or Gangers. If these bodies get burnt or fall in the acid..."
"Then who the hell cares?" Ganger Buzzer finished, "right, Jen?"
Jen ignored him, "Nerve endings automatically cut off like airbags being discharged. We wake up and get a new Ganger."
"It's weird," Ganger Jimmy admitted, "but you get used to it."
"Jennifer, I want you in your Ganger." Ganger Cleaves ordered, "Get back to the harness."
The Doctor scanned the liquid with the sonic as Jennifer left the room.
"Hang on, what's he up to?" Ganger Buzzer demanded seeing the vat starting to bubble, "What you up to, pal?"
"Its bubbling!" Theas eyes widened in delight.
"Stop it!" the Doctor grunted, struggling to pull the sonic away, "Strange." He frowned as it was released, the liquid calming, "it was like for a moment there it was scanning me."
"Interesting." Thea mused, running her hand over the liquid before dropping it in as it began to bubble again, "it tickles." She giggled, straining a moment to pull her arm back, staring at her hand.
"Really." The Doctor frowned, placing his own hand in the liquid as it bubbled again.
"Doctor," Ganger Cleaves glared at him as he seemed to struggle to get his hand back, "Get back, Doctor. Leave it alone."
He struggled a moment longer before managing to pull his hand back with a gasp, "do you understand?" He looked at Thea.
"Yes." She answered, "did you feel it in your mind?"
"Oh, yes."
"Amazing!"
"Doctor?" Amy glanced between them, "Are you two all right?"
"Incredible." The Doctor breathed, "You have no idea. No idea. We reached out to it, and it to us!"
Cleaves rolled her eyes, "Don't fiddle with the money, Doctor."
"To bring out the mad scientist in me..." Thea began, "its alive!" She threw her arms up, "its ALIVE!" She blinked as they stared at her, unimpressed, "that would have been more impressive with lightning."
"It is alive." The Doctor added, "So alive. You're piling your lives, your personalities directly into it..."
"Its ALIVE!" Thea cut him off, throwing her arms up again as lightning struck, "that's better."
The Doctor had to chuckle at her, knowing she had sensed the lightning and just had to repeat herself for the dramatic flare. He pulled out his snow globe, shaking it, as the ground shook, "it's the solar storm. The first waves come in pairs. Pre-shock and fore-shock. It's close."
"Buzzer, we got anything from the mainland yet?" Ganger Cleaves turned to the man.
"No, the comms are still too jammed with radiation." He replied.
"Ok. Then we'll keep pumping acid until the mainland says stop. Now why don't you stand back and let us impress you?"
They stepped back and watched as the Flesh began to pour out the vat and into the tub, slowly taking shape, a human shape, the mouth forming first, then eyes, clothing forming out of it as it take the form of Jen, almost identical though the face was too smooth.
A moment later she sat up with a gasp, fully formed, identical to the Jennifer now in her harness.
"Well, I can see why you keep it in a church." The Doctor remarked, "Miracle of life."
"No need to get poncey." Ganger Buzzer rolled his eyes, "it's just gunge."
"No." Thea stated, "its so much more."
"Guys, we need to get to work." Ganger Cleaves reminded them.
"Okay, everybody, let's crack on." Ganger Jimmy called.
"Did I mention the solar storm?" The Doctor shook his head at them, "You need to get out of here."
"Where do you want us to go? We're on a tiny island."
"Well, we can get you all off it."
"Don't be ridiculous." Ganger Cleaves scoffed, "We've got a job to do."
"It's coming..." Thea breathed.
A moment later the alarms blared.
Ganger Jennifer looked up as Ganger Jimmy helped her out the tub, "That's the alarm."
"How do you get power?" The Doctor asked.
"We're solar." She told him, "We use a solar router. The weathervane."
"Big problem."
"Boss, maybe if the storm's back we should get underground." Ganger Jimmy suggested, "The factory's seen better days. The acid pipes might not withstand another hit."
"We have 200 tons of acid to pump out." Ganger Cleaves sighed, "We fall behind, we stay another rotation. Anyone want that?"
"Please," the Doctor grabbed her arm and pulled her aside, "you are making a massive mistake here. You're right at the crossroads of it. Don't turn the wrong way. If you don't, if you don't prepare for this storm, you are all in terrible danger. Understand?"
"My factory, my rules." She yanked her arm back and followed her crew out.
The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, "I need to check the progress of the storm." He snapped his fingers at Jen, "Monitoring station?" She hesitated so he snapped his fingers again, "Monitoring station."
"3 lefts, a right and a left." She said, "3rd door on your left."
"Thank you." He took Theas hand, pulling her off with Amy and Rory quickly following.
~.~
They ran into the monitoring station, a rather basic room with a circular bank of instruments in the middle, as the building shook.
"Waves disturbing the Earth's magnetic field." The Doctor said, "There is going to be the mother and father of all power surges. See this weathervane, the cock-a-doodle-do? It's a solar router feeding the whole factory with solar power. When that wave hits..."
"Kaboom!" Thea shouted.
He pointed at her, "I've to get to that cockerel before all hell breaks loose." He ran to the doors, stopping and giving a small chuckle, "I never thought I'd have to say that again."
"Amy, breathe!" Thea called as she took off running after the Doctor.
"Yeah!" Amy could only shake her head, confused, as they ran off.
"I got it!" Thea grinned, rushing to the ladder when the Doctor tugged her back.
"Absolutely not." The Doctor countered, pulling her back as she pouted, crossing her arms as he climbed the ladder to the power box, pulling out the sonic, managing to open the box.
"Watch out!" Thea shouting in warning as lightning stuck the tower...
...and the Doctor went flying of the tower to the ground.
~.~
The Doctor scrunched his face at the odd feeling on his cheek. Oh, he knew what that was.
He swatted his hand at the finger poking him, "stop that."
"Wakey wakey," Thea spoke as she sat on her knees besides him.
"Come on." He pulled her to her feet, "best check on the others." He took her hand and they ran back inside, down the stairs, finding Cleaves looking around, bewildered.
"Cleaves, you're not in your harness." The Doctor hurried down to the woman.
"I'm sorry, Doctor." She whispered, "You were right."
"You've lost all power to the factory."
"Doctor, I abandoned my team."
"Then let's go get them." He took her hand and they ran off.
Thea frowned at the woman as they went, when they had been knocked out Cleaves had been in her harness, in another part of the building, it was highly unlikely she would have been able to get out and meet them in the time they had made it down stairs.
"How long would you say we were unconscious for, Cleaves?" the Doctor asked her.
"Not long. A minute, 2 minutes?"
"An hour." Thea stated bluntly.
"I've seen whole worlds turned inside out in an hour." The Doctor sighed, "A lot can go wrong in an hour."
"Doctor," Amy called as soon as they stepped into the harness room, "these are all real people, so where are their Gangers?"
"Gangers are real people too." Thea pointed out.
"Don't worry. When the link shuts down the Gangers return to pure Flesh." Ganger Cleaves answered.
"So you say." Thea murmured.
Cleaves ignored her, "Now, the storm's left us with acid leaks all over, so we need to contact the mainland. They can have a rescue shuttle out here in no time..."
"I have a question." Thea raised her hand.
"What?" Cleaves demanded.
"If all the 'real' people are here." She made air quotes with her fingers.
"Yes?"
"Who's playing that record?"
The group fell quiet, the Doctor standing with a small smirk as they heard Dusty Springfield playing again.
"That's my record." Jimmy straightened, he knew he had turned that off before the storm hit, "Who's playing my record?"
"Your Gangers." the Doctor answered, "They've gone walkabout."
"No, it's impossible." Cleaves argued, "they're not active. Cars don't fly themselves, cranes don't lift themselves and Gangers don't..." She trailed off, realising it was the only possible answer for the music to be playing.
~.~
The group cautiously stepped into the dining hall, finding it empty of their gangers, but it was obvious they had been and gone.
"No way..." Buzzer breathed, eying the things that had been moved about.
"I don't..." Cleaves shook her head, "I don't believe this."
"They could've escaped through the service door at the back." Jimmy stepped over to check.
"This is just like the Isle of Sheppey." Buzzer muttered.
The Doctor moved to sit at the table, eying the house of cards built before them, "It would seem the storm has animated your Gangers." He remarked.
"They've ransacked everything." Cleaves frowned around the room.
"Searched." Thea corrected as she opened cupboards and shut them again, "I've seen ransacking, I've ransacked plenty, this is not ransacking."
"And when have you ransacked, exactly?" the Doctor turned to her, eyebrows raised.
She turned back to the cupboards, "That's nothing for you to be concerned about."
"As your father I think it is, actually."
"This was before you." She waved him off, "therefore I don't remember it."
Which wasn't true, she remembered it fine, but it was before she knew the Doctor, and the girl she was back then wasn't really someone she wanted to remember or be now.
"Searching for what?" Jimmy frowned.
"Confirmation." The Doctor shrugged, "They need to know their memories are real."
"Oh, so they've got flaming memories now." Buzzer complained.
"They feel compelled to connect to their lives."
"Their stolen lives." Cleaves nearly sneered.
"No, bequeathed. You gave them this. You poured in your personalities, emotions, traits, memories, secrets, everything. You gave them your lives. Human lives are amazing. Are you surprised they walked off with them?"
"I'll say it again. Isle of Sheppey." Buzzer said, "Ganger got an electric shock, toddled off, killed his operator right there in his harness. I've seen the photos. This bloke's ear was all hanging..."
"Even if this has actually happened," Jimmy cut Buzzer off, "they can't remain stable without us plumbed in to them, can they, boss?"
"Guess we'll find out." Cleaves sighed.
Jennifer gasped, stumbling back, drawing Rory's attention to her, "Are you okay? Do you need some water?"
"I feel funny." She moaned, "I need the washroom." She ran out the room.
"I'll come with you." Rory followed her out.
Thea moved to follow when she caught the Doctors gaze, shaking his head, not wanting her to go. She rolled her eyes and moved back to raiding the cupboards. "bless you." She murmured.
"What?" Amy shook her head, only to jump as Dicken sneezed.
"Sorry." Dicken apologised.
Buzzer glanced over to the Doctor seeing him looking at the house of cards, "That's me. It's good to have a hobby. So what, my Ganger did that all on its own?"
"Who taught you to do this?" The Doctor asked him.
"My granddad."
"Well, your Ganger's granddad taught him to do it, too. You both have the same childhood memories, just as clear, just as real."
"No." He knocked the cards down.
"They're scared." Thea told the humans, "and disorientated."
"And they're struggling to come to terms with an entire life in their heads." The Doctor added.
"Fear leads to anger." Thea stated, "anger leads to hate, hate leads to the dark side...which has cookies!" She cheered, pulling out a container with the sweet treats from a cupboard.
"Seriously?" Amy rubbed her head.
She ignored her, finding a plate of food and starting to cook it in the microwave.
"We need to protect ourselves." Jimmy said.
"Why?" Thea asked, biting a cookie as she waited for the food to cook.
"Are you a violent man, Jimmy?" The doctor looked at him.
"No." he replied.
"Then why would the other Jimmy be?"
Cleaves eyed Thea as the microwave went off and Thea tested its warmth before pressing a few more buttons.
"Don't tell me you can eat at a time like this." She frowned.
"You should try comfort eating." Thea bit another cookie, "helps a lot. The sweeter the better."
"Cleaves," The Doctor called, getting her to look over, "You told us we were out cold for a few minutes, when in fact it was an hour."
"Sorry, I just assumed..." She frowned.
"Well, it's not your fault." Thea shrugged, checking the food once more and putting it back in for longer.
"Like she said, they're disoriented." The Doctor turned to Amy, "Amy, when you got to the alcoves, who was in harness?"
"Jimmy and Dicken were helping Buzzer out." Amy answered.
"And Jennifer?" Thea glanced over as the microwave dinged and use grabbed a towel to remove the hot plate, she turned to Cleaves, "could you hold this a second, please?"
No one seemed to notice as Cleaves took the plate, the HOT plate, and held it with her bare hand.
"She was standing on her own when we got to her."
"Cleaves," The Doctor called, "It's hot, isn't it?"
Cleaves seemed to realise that, staring at the hot plate on her bare hand, hissing and dropping it as it smashed on the ground.
The Doctor hurried over as Cleaves stared at her hand, seeing no burns, "Trans-matter's still a little rubbery. Nerve endings not quite fused properly..."
"What are you talking about?" Cleaves demanded.
"It's ok."
"Why didn't I feel that?"
"You will." The Doctor assured her, "You'll stabilise."
"No, stop it!" She shouted, "You're playing stupid games. Stop it!" She turned around, staring at her hand.
"You don't have to hide." The Doctor cautiously stepped closer, "Please, trust me. I'm the Doctor."
Ganger Cleaves turned around, hissing, her face half formed.
Buzzer grabbed a knife from the table as Jimmy held him back, "Where's the real Cleaves, you thing? What have you done with her?"
"That's not helping." Thea sent him a glare.
The Doctor focused on Ganger Cleaves, "That's it. Good, you remember. This is early Flesh. The early stages of the technology..." he reached out to touch her hand, "So much to learn."
"Doctor, what's happened to her?" Amy eyed the woman warily.
"She can't stabilise. She's shifting between half-formed and full-formed, for now at least."
'We are living." The Ganger growled, lunging at the Doctor as Thea tugged him aside and she ran from the room, screaming.
Thea moved to follow after her when the Doctor held her back, "Let her go." He told her and the others.
"Doctor!" Amy gasped, "Rory."
"Rory?"
"Rory!" She gestured to the doorway, certain he had run off after an unstable ganger.
"Oh, Rory. Rory! Always with the Rory."
"He's fine." Thea furrowed her brows, "for now." She could feel he was alright at this moment, but she knew there had to be a reason she had wanted to go with him.
~.~
Jimmy, the Doctor, Thea and Amy walked down the corridors having left the Dining hall to find Rory, only to find their way blocked by acid bubbling on the ground.
"Explosion must've ruptured the acid feeds." Jimmy sighed, "We're going to need the acid suits."
"No, no, no." The Doctor shook his head, "We haven't got time. Back, back, back!"
"This way." Thea turned and led them down another corridor.
"Be careful!" The Doctor shouted, rushing after Thea, "there is acid everywhere!"
"Yeah, and I can see where it is!" she countered, "and avoid it."
Amy shook her head as she and Jimmy followed after them. If she wasn't so worried about Rory, she may have laughed.
~.~
Thea crossed her arms as she stared at the whole in the washroom door, "knew I should have gone with him."
"Rory..." Amy breathed, fearing that whatever caused it had harmed Rory.
"Of course, Jennifer's a Ganger too." The Doctor realised.
"We know." Thea rolled her eyes.
"Doctor, you said they wouldn't be violent!" Amy pointed an accusing finger at him.
"But Thea did say they were scared and angry."
"And early technology, is what you said." Jimmy added, "You seem to know something about the Flesh."
"Do you?" Amy eyed them, "Doctor?" She narrowed her eyes, "Thea?"
"You're no weatherman. Why are you really here?"
"I have to talk to them." The Doctor said, "I can fix this."
He turned and ran out the room, Amy and Thea quickly behind him.
"Wait!" Jimmy called as he followed them, "What's going on? Where's the real Jennifer?"
The Doctor led them down the corridors, stopping at the top of a set of stairs, seeing a burst pipe, acid dripping to the ground.
"It is too dangerous out here with acid leaks." The Doctor remarked.
"We have to find Rory." Amy insisted.
"Yes. I'm going back to the TARDIS. Thea get them safely to the dining hall and wait for me there. I want us to keep together, okay. No more wandering off."
"You're wandering off just now." Thea pointed out.
"And what about Rory?" Amy demanded. "Thea, can you..."
"It would be safer to look for Rory and Jennifer with the TARDIS." The Doctor cut in. Not about to let Amy finish and suggest she and Thea went roaming the acid leaking monastery looking for Rory.
"Here we go." Jimmy turned to a box on the wall, opening it and pulling out a large container, "Distress flares." he shut the box, jumping to see the Doctor right behind him.
"Exit?"
"Keep going straight. Can't miss it. But you're never going to get your vehicle in here."
"I'm a great parker." he replied, heading off.
Thea snorted, "so great he parked in acid."
"He hasn't really, has he?" Amy turned to her, only to roll her eyes as the girl took off after the Doctor.
~.~
"Boo!" Thea grinned, jumping on the Doctors back as he made his way to the Flesh room.
"Thea!" he gasped, instantly shifting to keep her on his back, "I told you to wait for me in the dining hall."
"Yeah, but did you really think I would?" She countered.
"That is on me." He sighed, his arms moving under Thea legs. If she was on his back she couldnt get in too much trouble. He reached into his pocket pulling out the sonic to scan the flesh when Thea grabbed it, "oi!"
"I wanna do it!"
"Well use your words." He huffed.
Thea rolled her eyes, scanning the vat as the liquid bubbled, "interesting."
"Come on." The Doctor turned and hurried out the room.
Thea looked back, just missing a face form in the vat, but swore she hard a voice whisper.
~.~
The Doctor stopped at the top of the stairs they had come up through, seeing the TARDIS slowly sinking into the ground, parked in a puddle of acid.
"Such a great parker." Thea said, sarcastic, "you parked in acid. Oh!" She whacked his arm, "I saw this happening! I said to Amy you parked in acid."
Oh, she was getting do good at this! Everyday she was getting better and better. She was seeing more and understanding things. It was brilliant! It was like after talking to the TARDIS it just made everything snap into place, or maybe it was just her confidence was growing with just made everything seem more understandable.
The Doctor shook his head, rummaging through his pockets.
"We should probably go back inside before your shoes are completely dissolved by acid." Thea commented.
The Doctor stiffened, feeling Thea tense on his back, both looking down to see the Doctor was stood in a puddle of acid, slowly eating away at his boots.
Thea jumped down onto her feet as the Doctor jumped back, kicking off his boots before the acid could eat his socks and feet, pointing warningly at Thea as she laughed and running back inside.
"Its not funny." He huffed.
"It is a little bit." She giggled, biting her lip as he ran through the monastery in his socks.
It was also very annoying. How had she seeing the TARDIS in acid, but not seen that coming?
Made no sense.
~.~
It wasn't hard to know where the Gangers must have gone, what with all the acid around, they would want to get the acid suits to easily move around. All of the Gangers, except Jennifer were glaring at them as they hurried inside, faces half formed.
"So, how's it going?" Thea asked.
"Why don't you tell us?" Ganger Cleaves spat.
"Well, we have two choices." The Doctor began, "The first is to tear each other apart."
"Which will not end well." Thea cut in.
"Nor is it my favourite. The second is to knuckle down and work together. Try to work out how best we can help you."
"Which will end better...I think."
"Now, I know its hard for you to hold your fully human form." The Doctor spoke as he and Thea led the Gangers, now fully formed, to meet with their counterparts, "That's why you keep shifting between the Flesh stages, but do try. It'll make the others less scared of you."
~.~
Thea rubbed her arms able to hear the humans bickering inside the dining hall. Clearly Amy had gone searching for Rory (they knew she would) and Rory had brought Ganger Jen with him, but no one had yet to see the other Jen, which only made her nervous.
Where was she?
Why had no one run into her yet?
All these people running about and not a single one had found the other Jennifer. It worried her.
"Okay," Amy spoke, trying to be the voice of reason, "let's not do anything at all..."
"Until the Doctor gets here." The Doctor, Amy and Thea said at once, the latter with a small eye roll.
"Hello." Thea waved as they stepped in the room and she grabbed another cookie from the container on the side.
"This is..." Jimmy stared at his Ganger.
"You're telling me." His Ganger agreed.
"All right, Doctor," Ganger Cleaves, turned to him, getting straight to the point, "you've brought us together. Now what?"
"But first this one needs some shoes." Thea gestured to the Doctor standing in his socks, "he stood in a puddle of acid. Size 10, wide as you can. He stretched out the last pair I brought him."
She let out a small huff at that. It had been the first time she had tried to celebrated Fathers Day. She had asked Rani for help on what to get, she had suggested some funky socks, which she did get but thought it odd to just get socks and so got some boots for him as well.
That's when she realised just how wide his feet were. She was never getting him boots and socks again. Next time she will just get him a mug.
"But they were great while they lasted." The Doctor chuckled lightly.
He had loved them, exactly the same as his usual pair but she had brought them. The first official Fathers Day gift she had given him. He still had them, didn't wear them but kept them in a box in the wardrobe.
"Brown if possible," Thea added, seeing Jimmy moving off to find some shoes.
"Why brown?" The Doctor asked quietly.
She shrugged, frowning, "they might look better?" She offered, shaking her head.
He shook his head, accepting the shoes from Jimmy and moving to sit at the edge of the table to put the brown boots on, "The Flesh was never merely moss." He looked between the two sides, the originals on one side of the table, the Gangers on the other, "These are not copies. The storm has hardwired them. They are becoming people."
"With souls?" Jimmy frowned.
"Rubbish!" Dicken scoffed before sneezing.
"Bless you." His Ganger called, adding, "what?" At the look Ganger Cleaves sent him.
"We were all jelly once." The Doctor continued, "Little jelly eggs sitting in goop."
"Yeah, thanks." Amy grimaced, "too much information."
"We are not talking about an accident that needs to be mopped up. We are talking about sacred life. Do you understand? Good. Now, the TARDIS is trapped in an acid pool."
"Told ya." Thea said to Amy.
"Once Thea and I can reach her, I can get you all off this island, humans and Gangers, eh? How does that sound?"
"Can I make it home for Adam's birthday?" Jimmy asked.
"What about me?" Ganger Jimmy glanced at him, "He's my son too."
"You? You really think that?"
"I feel it."
"Oh, so you were there when he was born, were you?"
"Yeah. I drank about 8 pints of tea, then they told me I had a wee boy and I just burst out laughing. No idea why." The Ganger laughed at the memory, "I miss home, as much as you."
"Ooh, speaking of tea," Thea rose and moved to the counters recalling seeing a kettle, "I'll put the kettle on."
That was so British of her, whenever there was an issue to resolve, just put the kettle on. Sort the trouble out over a nice cup of tea and biscuits.
"Look," the Doctor sighed, "I'm not going to lie to you. It's a right old mess, this. But as you might say up North, oh well, I'll just go to't foot of stairs." He put on some sort of accent, "Eee by by gum."
"No." Thea shook her head.
"First step is we get everyone together, then get everyone safe. Then, get everyone out of here."
"We just need to find Jennifer and Cleaves." Thea hoped on the counter and looked at the groups, "anyone seen either of them?"
"I'll go and look for them." Jimmy volunteered.
"I'll give you a hand, if you like." his Ganger offered, "Cover more ground."
Jimmy eyed his Ganger a moment before smiling, "Yeah, okay. Thanks."
With everyone watching the two Jimmys getting on, no one saw Cleaves enter. Though Thea stiffened at what she held in her hand.
"This circus has gone on long enough." The woman shouted.
"Oh, great." her Ganger scoffed at her antics, "You see, that is just so typically me."
"Doctor, tell it to shut up!"
"Her." Thea corrected automatically.
"Cleaves, no." The doctor shook his head, "No, no."
"Circuit probe." Cleaves remarked, "Fires about oh, 40,000 volts? Would kill any one of us, so I guess she'll work on Gangers just the same."
"So that's a girl," Thea eyed the probe in her hand, "but your Ganger, is an it? Wow."
"When the real people are safely off this island, then I'll happily talk philosophy with you." Cleaves remarked.
"What are you going to do to them?" Amy asked.
"Sorry. They're monsters. Mistakes. They have to be destroyed."
"Give me the probe, Cleaves." The Doctor stepped closer.
"Before you kill someone." Thea agreed.
"We always have to take charge, don't we, Miranda." Ganger Cleaves sighed, done with herself, "even when we don't really know what the hell is going on."
Ganger Buzzer charged at Cleaves and she fired at him three times. He fell to the ground.
The Doctor ran to his side, quickly scanning him with the sonic, "He's dead!"
"We call it decommissioned." Cleaves smirked, moving the probe to the others, making Hanger Jen gasp and duck behind Rory.
"You killed him." Thea swallowed.
"You stopped his heart," The Doctor glared at her, "He had a heart. Aorta, valves, a real human heart. And you stopped it."
"Jen?" Rory looked at her as she back up.
"What happened to Buzzer will happen to all of us if we trust you." Ganger Jen cried.
"Wait!" The Doctor turned to her, "wait, just wait."
"No!" Rory shouted, throwing himself at Cleaves as she moved to fire on Ganger Jen, knocking her to the ground and taking the probe. The Ganger taking the chance to flee and run from the room.
"You idiot!" Cleaves sneered at him.
"You're the one who ruined the chance of peace and understanding." Thea countered,
crossing her arms as she looked at Cleaves.
"If it's war, then it's war." Cleaves defended, "You don't get it. How can you? It's us and them now. Us and them."
"Us and them." Dicken nodded, sounding like a soldier following orders.
Jimmy sighed, even less happy with the events, "Us and them."
"Us and them." Buzzer agreed, the only one who seemed to actually agree with Cleaves on this.
~.~
The Doctor moved to Theas side as she leaned against the counter, a cup of tea forgotten in her hands as she watched Amy and Rory cover Ganger Buzzers body with a sheet.
He knew where he mind had gone, blaming herself for being unable to stop Cleaves killing the man. She had said it, about Cleaves killing someone. Anyone of them could have said it but because it had been her she assumed it was a feeling and blamed herself to not act on that.
He didn't speak as he wrapped an arm around her in a sideways hug.
"We need to find somewhere better." Thea murmured, "for when they retaliate."
The Doctor nodded, rubbing her back, "Cleaves!" He called to the woman, "the most fortified and defendable room in the monastery."
"The chapel." Cleaves answered.
"Thank you."
"Only one way in. Stone walls 2 feet thick."
"You've crossed one hell of a line, Cleaves." he warned her, "you've killed one of them. They're coming back, in a big way."
~.~
Cleaves led the way down to the chapel, carefully avoiding any acid leaks.
"What about the flares?" Jimmy questioned.
"We'll worry about the flares when we're locked inside." The Doctor urged them inside. The group rushing in leaving the Doctor, Thea, Amy and Rory outside still, the latter stopping and looking back hearing Jennifer screaming, "Rory Pond."
"Rory, come on." Amy huffed.
"Jen's out there." Rory reminded them, "She's out there and she's on her own."
"Well, if she's got any sense, then she's hiding." The Doctor argued, "Rory!"
"I can't leave her out there!" Rory snapped.
"Rory..." Thea murmured.
He turned to her, "I know you understand that."
She nodded, "just be careful. Don't let them trick you."
"Don't listen to her!" Amy shouted, "Get in here. Get in here!"
The Gangers appeared at the end of the hall and Rory slipped down a side corridor, "There they are!" Cleaves shouted.
The Doctor grabbed the ginger woman and pulling her in as Thea slammed the door behind them. "Amy, they are not after him, they're after us." The Doctor reminded her as the humans tried to barricade the door with whatever they could find.
"Hell be fine..." Thea trailed, staring into the dark corner of the room.
"Why?" A voice whispered in the darkness, "Why?"
The Doctor frowned, stepping closer to the shadows, "Show yourself."
"...no..."
He frowned at the second voice, "Show yourself!"
"Doctor!" Amy called, ignoring the others trying to find something to barricade the door.
"This is insane." Jimmy laughed, "We're fighting ourselves."
"Yes. Yes, very insane." the Doctor agreed.
"And it's about to get even more insanerer." Thea murmured.
"Is that a word? Insanerer."
"It is now. I just invented it."
"Show yourself," He demanded into the darkness, "right now!"
"Out you come." Thea knelt, patting her knees as though trying to persuade a stray cat to come closer, "come on."
"Doctor, we are trapped in here and Rory's out there with them," Amy moved to his side, "Hello? We can't get to the TARDIS and we can't even leave the island."
"Correct in every respect, Pond." the Doctor said except it didn't come from his mouth, "It's frightening, unexpected, frankly..."
"Amazing!" Another voice cheered.
"But I am certain, 100 percent certain, that we can work this out."
From the shadows, stepped out a half form Ganger of both the Doctor and Thea.
"This is going to be so much fun!" Ganger Thea cheered.
"Trust me," the Ganger Doctor tugged on his bowtie, "I'm the Doctor."