Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who that goes to the BBC
Outside of the Tower of London, a Beefeater opened the door of a car that the Doctor, Rose and Amy were in as nearby there was a black coloured SUV with the words 'TORCHWOOD' being written on the side of the vehicle.
"Sir. Ma'am," the beefeater said as he saluted both Gallifreyans.
"Every cube across the whole world activated at the same moment," Kate told both Gallifreyans as she walked with them and Amy down a hall in the Tower of London with Jack, who had a communications earpiece in his right ear.
"And it's a fight for survival, Doc," Jack added, "But I'm still shocked that UNIT and Torchwood are working together for once."
"Now we're in business," the Doctor stated, "You sent me a message to our psychic papers. You know, I'm almost impressed."
"Me too," Rose said, agreeing with her husband, "I never knew that UNIT or Torchwood had technology like that."
"Secret base beneath the Tower?" Amy muttered with surprise in her voice, "I hope we're not here because we know too much."
"Yes, I've got officers trained in beheading," Kate told her, "Also, ravens of death."
"Torchwood Three has a hub quite similar to this," Jack stated as he looked at his mother-in-law with a hint of pride in his voice as Kate walked away from them, "Even before the 456 incident, we had a state-of-the-art base beneath Cardiff. And the one we're rebuilding there now? It's going to be better. We've learned from the past and we're making sure we're prepared for whatever comes next."
"I like her," Amy told her son-in-law and both Gallifreyans before the four of them followed Kate.
Kate and Jack then brought Amy, Rose and the Doctor into a room where the cubes are being monitored in sealed rooms with multiple UNIT and Torchwood personnel working at computers within the room including Jenny and Jack's second-in-command, Gwen Cooper.
"There are 50 being monitored and more coming in all the time," Kate told them, "I don't know how useful it is. Every cube is behaving individually. There's no meaningful pattern. Some respond to proximity, some create mood swings."
The Doctor and Rose both stood in front of one of the sealed rooms as Kate said that and saw a woman with dark skin, brown eyes and black hair sitting in front of one of the cubes and was crying.
"Kate's right, it's like trying to solve a puzzle with pieces that keep changing," Jack added, his gaze focused on the cubes, "But that's what Torchwood does best. We've faced the unknown before, and we'll do it again."
"What's this one?" Amy asked them as she stood in front of one of the sealed rooms.
"Try the door," Kate answered before Amy opened the door to the chamber with her left hand, only to hear 'The Chicken Dance' playing from the cube inside the sealed room, causing the Doctor to plug his ears with both of his index fingers, "On a loop!"
"Ah, the Chicken Dance. Now that's a tune I haven't heard in a while," Jack said, laughing despite the seriousness of the situation, "These cubes have a weird sense of humour. But don't worry, we've dealt with stranger things at Torchwood. We'll get to the bottom of this." Amy then quickly closed the door to the sealed door that had the cube that was playing 'The Chicken Dance'.
They then entered a large room lined with banks of computer screens where Jenny and Gwen were working at.
"This is the latest," Kate told them.
"Oh, dear," the Doctor muttered as he typed on a keyboard, "Systems breach at the Pentagon, China, every African nation, the Middle East."
"Looks like these cubes are causing more trouble than we thought," Rose stated, her eyes fixed on the screens as she pulled out her glasses and put them back over her eyes, "But we've faced bigger threats before, and we've always found a way. We need to figure out what these cubes are really after, and fast."
"Wait a minute, are you two new recruits?" Gwen asked them, looking at the Doctor and Rose with a puzzled expression on her face, "I don't recall seeing you before. And you seem to know a lot about what's going on here."
"They're my parents, Gwen," Jenny told her.
"But aren't they… supposed to be the bloke in pinstripes and the blonde in her early 20s?" Gwen asked with confusion in her voice as she continued to stare at both Gallifreyans with shock, "You're telling me they're the Doctor and Rose? But he looks like he's just a kid wearing bow ties and she… she looks different. More mature, and her hair is brown. This is a bit much to take in."
"They've regenerated," Jack explained, "It's a process that all Time Lords and Ladies go through. I've even seen it happen myself. Didn't you see anything different with Rose before we brought Earth back to its proper place in time and space after it was moved across the universe?"
"I did notice some changes, but I thought it was just the stress of the situation," Gwen answered as she looked at both Time Lords with understanding, "Her eyes, and accent at the time, they were different. That's… that's incredible. And it's a bit hard to wrap my head around, to be honest."
"So was my chameleon-arched self when he regenerated into his previous body," Rose told her as she removed her glasses from her eyes and placed them back inside her jacket's pocket, "At that time, I thought I was a human."
"Anyways, we've got governments screaming for explanations and no idea what to tell them," Kate stated, "I'm lost, Doctor and Rose. We all are."
"Don't despair, Kate. Your dad never did," the Doctor assured her, causing Kate to stare at him, "Kate Stewart. Heading up UNIT, changing the way they work and now having the organisation work with Torchwood. How could you not be? Why did you drop Lethbridge?"
"I didn't want any favours," Kate answered, "Though he guided me, even to the end. 'Science leads,' he always told me, said he'd learnt that from an old friend."
"I wish I had a chance to meet your father," Rose muttered with a hint of regret in her voice, "From everything I've heard, he was an extraordinary man. His legacy lives on in UNIT, and in you, Kate."
"We don't let him down," the Doctor told Kate, "We don't let this planet down."
"You got that right," Rose said, agreeing with her husband when an alert beeped.
"They've stopped," a male UNIT technician with light skin, blue eyes and brown hair, wearing glasses stated, "The cubes. Across the world. They just shut down."
"Active for 47 minutes and then they just die?" Kate said with confusion in her voice.
"Typical. Just when you think you're getting a handle on things, they throw you a curveball," Jack muttered as he shook his head, "But that's the nature of the unknown. Keeps you on your toes."
"I've seen a lot of strange things in my time with UNIT," Jenny added, "But this is definitely up there. It's like they're playing a game with us."
"And we're left with picking up the pieces," Gwen stated, her voice filled with determination, "But we won't let it beat us. We'll figure this out, just like we always do."
"They're dormant maybe," the Doctor surmised.
"Then why shut down?" Amy asked them.
"That's an excellent question, Amy," Rose told their ginger companion, "Why would they activate for 47 minutes before shutting back down?"
"I don't know," the Doctor told them, "I don't know. I need to think. I need some air. Who has an underground base? Terrible ventilation!"
"Oi, Doctor! Some of us like our underground bases," Jack told the Time Lord with a mock-offended expression on his face as the Doctor began to stride out of the room, "And for the record, the ventilation in the Torchwood hub is top-notch!" Rose and Amy then began to run after the Doctor to catch up with him.
On top of the Tower of London, Amy, the Doctor, and Rose were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on a wall overlooking the Thames. As they sat there, Rose seemed a bit more thoughtful than usual, occasionally rubbing her temples as if dealing with a mild headache. She also appeared slightly more fatigued, although she attributed it to the stress of the situation.
"The moment they arrived, I should've made sure they were collected and burned," The Doctor told them, "That is what I should've done."
"How?" Amy asked him, "Nobody would've listened."
"She's right, no one would've listened to you or me if either of us did those things, Doctor," Rose said, agreeing with Amy.
"You're thinking of stopping, aren't you, Amy?" The Doctor asked their ginger companion as he looked at her, "You and Rory."
"No, no," Amy answered, "I mean, we haven't made a decision."
"But you're considering it," the Doctor stated.
"Maybe. I don't know. We don't know," Amy confirmed, "Well, our lives have changed so much. There was a time, there were years when I couldn't live without either of you." She then chuckled, "Um, when just the whole everyday thing would drive me crazy. But since you both dropped us back here, since you both gave us this house, you know, we've built a life. But I don't know if I can have both."
"It's a difficult balance, isn't it?" Rose stated as she stared at her, "Trying to live a normal life when you've seen the stars, when you're a Time Lord or a Time Lady. We're not just observers, we're a part of this vast universe, forever intertwined with the fabric of time and space."
Suddenly, Rose seemed to zone out for a moment, her gaze distant. It was as if she was listening to something far away, or perhaps something that hadn't happened yet.
"Rose, are you alright?" The Doctor asked Rose as he turned towards her with a concerned look on his face as he noticed her distant look.
"Just a bit tired, that's all," Rose answered as she snapped back to reality and gave him a small smile as she shrugged off his concern, "It's been a long day. And…" She then paused and looked slightly confused, "I thought I heard... Never mind."
The Doctor looked at Rose for a moment longer, his eyes filled with concern. But then he seemed to decide not to press the issue further. He turned back to Amy, his expression shifting back to the matter at hand.
"Why would you think that, Amy?" The Doctor asked Amy, continuing their earlier conversation.
"Because they pull at each other," Amy answered, "Because they pull at me and because the travelling is starting to feel like running away."
"That's not what it is," the Doctor argued.
"Oh, come on, look at you," Amy said with disbelief in her voice, "Four days in a lounge and you go crazy."
"I'm not running away," the Doctor told her, "This is one corner of one country, on one continent on one planet that's a corner of a galaxy, that's a corner of a universe that is forever growing and shrinking and creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond and there is so much, so much, to see, Amy. Because it goes so fast. I'm not running away from things. I'm running to them with Rose, before they flare and fade forever. It's all right. Our lives won't run the same. They can't. One day, soon, maybe, you'll stop. I've known for a while."
"So have I," Rose said, agreeing with her husband.
"Then why do you both keep coming back for us?" Amy asked them.
"Because you were the first," the Doctor answered, "The first face this face saw aside from Rose's fourth incarnation. And you were seared onto my hearts. Amelia Pond. You always will be. Me and Rose are running to you and Rory before you fade from us."
"And I'm running with him, Amy. Because there's so much to see, so much to do," Rose added, "And being married to the Doctor, and as a Time Lord and Time Lady, it's about sharing those experiences, growing together. We want you both with us, for as long as you want to be."
"Don't be nice to me," Amy pleaded with them as she put her head on his right shoulder and began crying, "I don't want either of you to be nice to me."
"Yeah, you do, Pond," the Doctor argued as he leaned his head on Amy's head, "And you always get what you want."
"And that's why we love you, Pond," Rose laughed, softly, "You know how to keep us on our toes."
"They got what they wanted," the Doctor muttered as he realised what was happening as he slapped his cheeks with both of his hands.
"What?" Amy asked him as she sat up, "Who did?"
"The cubes, Amy. The Doctor means the cubes," Rose answered, "They went active for 47 minutes before shutting down. And now we know why.
"Exactly, Rose. The cubes went active, did what they were programmed to do, and now they've stopped," the Doctor said, agreeing with her as he nodded his head, "That's their purpose fulfilled. Come on."
"Kate! Jack!" The Doctor called out to Kate and Jack as he, Rose and Amy caught back up with them in the hall of the Tower of London, "Before they shut down, they scanned everything, from your medical limits to your military response patterns. They made a complete assessment," the lights around them then suddenly went out, "of planet Earth," he then pulled out his sonic screwdriver with his right hand and scanned the area with it, "and its inhabitants. That's what the surge of activity was. Problem with the power?"
"Not possible," Kate argued as she took out a torch with her right hand and switched it on, "We've got backups."
"We've seen things that turn off power even if there is a backup generator," Rose told her.
"Everything happened at once," Jack stated, "It's like they're connected."
"They are, Jack," Rose told him.
"Hmm," the Doctor muttered before he reactivated his sonic screwdriver and walked away from them as the five of them reentered the room of the Tower of London with the cubes in their individual chambers each now bearing the number 7 in blue light.
"Doctor? Rose? Look!" Amy called out to both Gallifreyans, causing the Doctor to deactivate his sonic screwdriver as he and Rose walked over to her.
"What?" The Doctor asked her.
"Why do they all say seven?" Amy asked them.
"Seven. Seven, what's important about seven? Seven wonders of the world," the Doctor surmised, "Seven streams of the River Ota. Seven sides of a cube."
"A cube has six sides," Amy told him.
"She's right, cubes have six sides, not seven," Rose said, agreeing with Amy.
"Not if you count the inside," the Doctor argued as he scanned the cube with his sonic screwdriver when the number on the cube suddenly went from seven to six before they walked away from the sealed rooms and the cubes, "It has to be a countdown."
"Not in minutes," Kate stated.
"Why would it be minutes, Kate?" The Doctor asked her, "We have to get humanity away from those cubes. Rassilon knows what they'll do, if they hit zero. Get the information out any way you can: news channels, web sites, radio, text messages. People have to know that the cubes are dangerous. And Jack, you better help her."
"And we need to act fast," Rose stated, "The countdown has already started."
"Okay, but why is it starting now?" Amy asked the Time Lord, "I mean, the cubes arrived months ago. Why wait this long?"
"Because they're clever," the Doctor answered, "Allow people enough time to collect them, take them into their homes, their lives. Humans, the great early adopters. And then wham! Profile every inch of Earth's existence."
"They've been studying humans and the Earth, learning the patterns of the planet's population," Rose added as she nodded her head, "Now, they're ready to strike."
"Couldn't have said it better myself, Mum and Dad," they heard Jenny say from behind them as she stood with Gwen as they walked towards them.
"That's right. We've seen this pattern before, haven't we? The enemy waits, watches, learn about us. And when we least expect it, they strike," Gwen said, agreeing with her, "We'll get the word out, Doctor. We'll make sure everyone knows about the cubes."
"Discover how best to attack us," Kate added.
"Exactly, Kate. And we won't let them down," Jack muttered, agreeing with her as he nodded his head, "Torchwood and UNIT, we've faced threats like this before. We'll do whatever it takes to protect the Earth."
"Get that information out any way you can. Go," the Doctor told them as he and Rose went over to the tech station again, "Right, every cube was activated. There must be signals, energy fluctuations on a colossal scale. There must be some trace. There can't not be." He then turned back to look at Rose, Amy, Jack, Jenny, Gwen and Kate, "We need to think of all the variables, all the possibilities, okay? Go go go go go!"
"Do as he said and get the news out!" Rose said, agreeing with her husband before Kate, Jack, Jenny, Gwen and Amy rushed off to do as both Gallifreyans ordered.
In a corridor of the hospital that Rory works at, a nurse was gathering cubes from a tray as they all now have the number 4 on them as Rory walked by, his arm on the shoulder of another nurse.
"Right, get them out of the building. Just away from here, as far as you can," Rory told the nurse, "And get back here before it hits zero." He then walked over to Brian, who was looking at an IV, "Dad, could you go and get me a box of tape for dressings? It's just the cupboard round the corner."
"Yes, boss," Brian replied as he moved to another corridor that was completely empty as he looked back and was nearly run over by two nurses that were pushing a gurney and had masks covering their faces, "Sorry, excuse me." The nurses then stopped, "I'm looking for the supplies cupboard. I said, 'I'm looking for the supplies cupboard.'" The two nurses slowly turned around and began to approach Brian.
The Girl in the hospital's waiting room was still sitting on the chair as the cube on her lap changed from 4 to 3.
Back in the hospital's corridor, Rory was looking for Brian as he ran over to the nurse that he was with earlier.
"Have you seen my dad?" Rory asked the nurse.
"No, sorry," the nurse answered.
Rory then walked away from her before he found himself in the same corridor that his father entered. He looked down one way of the corridor and saw no one. He then looked the other way and saw Brian on the gurney being pushed by the two men.
"Hey. Dad," Rory said before he began running after the men, "Hey! Hey!"
The men ran for the lift as Rory chased after them. They entered the lift and one of them pressed a button. The doors closed as Rory arrived at the end of the corridor. They were lined with tape that read 'Do Not Use.' He then pressed the lift's call button with his left hand, causing the doors to open and reveal that the lift was empty.
As Rory entered the lift, the doors closed shut before the nurse pounded on the lift's side walls. He then faced the back wall and tentatively reached out his right hand and touched the back wall, causing it to shimmer and ripple. Knowing his father was on the other side, Rory walked through the wall.
As Rory walked through the wall, he found himself on a large ship in orbit above the Earth and in a room that had patients from the hospital lying on plinths around the edge.
Back inside the Tower of London, the Doctor was looking through the window into one of the chambers with the cube inside reading 3 with Rose, Amy, Jack, Jenny and Gwen standing around him.
"Doctor, please, you don't have to do this," Amy told him.
"Yeah, you don't have to do this, love," Rose said, agreeing with Amy.
"They're right. You don't have to be in there," Kate told the Time Lord, agreeing with them, "We can do this remotely."
"Doctor, there's no need to risk yourself," Jack added, his tone serious.
"We're all here, Dad," Janny stated, "We can handle this."
"And Torchwood has dealt with worse," Gwen told him, "We've got your back."
"Remotely isn't my style," the Doctor stated as he turned around to face them, "See you after."
The Doctor kissed his right hand's fingertips and tapped Amy and Rose on their heads before opening the door to the chamber as the cube now had the number 2 on it. He sat in the chair and gave the cube a spin as he waited. He looked at Rose, Amy, Jack, Jenny, Gwen and Kate who all put on fake, hopeful smiles.
After a few seconds of waiting, the Doctor leaned back against the wall as the number on the cube changed from 2 to 1.
Meanwhile in the waiting room of the hospital that Rory works at, the Girl was still sitting on the chair with the cube on her lap with it now also having the number 1 on it.
Back in the Tower of London, the cube changed from 1 to 0 before going dark as the Doctor looked over at Rose, Amy, Jack, Jenny, Gwen and Kate before the lid to the cube slid open.
"Geronimo," the Doctor muttered as Rose, Amy, Jack, Jenny, Gwen and Kate leaned forward to see what was happening.
"What's happening?" Kate asked the Time Lord.
The Doctor leaned forward and looked inside the cube, only to see that it was empty.
"Well, what's in there?" Amy asked him.
"Yeah, what's in the cube, Doctor?" Rose said, agreeing with their companion.
"Well?" Jack asked him.
"There is nothing in here," the Doctor answered.
"Well, that's good?" Amy asked him, "You know, it's not a bomb, it's not aliens."
"So, it's not a threat then?" Jenny said, agreeing with her parents' companion.
"Why? Why is there nothing inside?" The Doctor asked himself, "Why? It doesn't make any sense!"
"Doctor, we'll figure this out. We always do," Gwen assured the Time Lord as he left the chamber.
The Doctor strode into the room where the UNIT tech was watching a variety of screens with views from street cameras with Rose, Amy, Jack, Jenny, Gwen and Kate following him. People on the screens were just walking past the cubes on the ground, ignoring them.
"Glasses, is it the same?" The Doctor asked the UNIT technician, "Is it the same all around the world?"
"They're empty," Kate stated, "We're safe, right?"
"I very much doubt it, Kate," Rose answered.
"No. No, no, no, no. Rose is right. We are very far from safe," the Doctor said, agreeing with his wife, "All along, every action has been deliberate. Why draw attention to the cubes, if they don't contain anything?"
"Doctor, Rose, look," Amy told both Gallifreyans as she looked at the screens before they all did the same and saw that the monitors were showing people on the streets gripping their chests and collapsing to the ground.
"They're CCTV feeds from across the world, showing the same," the UNIT technician explained.
"People are dying," Kate realised.
"But how?" Jack asked them.
"No. What? They can't be dying," the Doctor said with disbelief in his voice, "How? How are they dying?"
"I want information on how people are being affected," Kate requested.
"Me too," Jenny said, agreeing with her.
"The cubes brought people close together," the Doctor stated, "They opened and…" He then screamed in pain and grabbed his chest with both of his hands as he fell into the chair as he rolled backwards in the chair.
"Doctor, what's the matter?" Amy asked the Doctor as she followed him.
"Yeah, what's wrong, Doctor?" Rose said, agreeing with her.
"Uh! Ah! I don't know!" The Doctor answered when they suddenly heard a beeping sound from the computers.
"Hospitals are logging a global surge in heart failure, cardiac arrest," the UNIT technician reported.
"That's it. Ah! Ah!" The Doctor realised, "Oh. Only one heart. Other one's not working." He then pounded his chest with his right fist.
"But why is it only affecting one of your hearts?" Rose asked him, "We and Jenny have a binary vascular system. So why's it only affecting one of your hearts instead of both of them?"
"That's a brilliant question, Mum," Jenny said, agreeing with her mother.
"Could it be because the cubes might have been designed to target human physiology?" Gwen suggested, "Humans only have one heart, so the cubes might only be programmed to stop one heart, not considering species with two hearts like Gallifreyans."
"Gwen's got a point. The cubes might not be sophisticated enough to differentiate between species," Jack said, agreeing with his second-in-command, "They could be defaulting to human physiology, hence only affecting one of the Doctor's hearts."
"Okay!" Amy said as she grabbed the chair, "I'm going to get you to the hospital."
"No, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor protested as Amy began spinning the chair around, "Just a second. Turn around, turn around, turn around." Amy then pushed the chair back towards the desk, "Come, show me 10 seconds after the cubes opened. Show me the patterns in their electrical current." They then saw the electrical wavelengths of the cubes on the screen spike, "See?"
"No!" Kate muttered with disbelief in her voice.
"Yes, the power cut. They sucked the power and then…" the Doctor began to explain before he screamed in pain, "They're signal boxes! People, wham! Pure electrical surge out of the cube, targeted at the nearest human heart. The heart." He then slapped the UNIT technician's chest with his right hand, "An organ powered by electrical current, short-circuited. How to destroy a human? Go for the heart. Ow! Crikey Moses!"
"That's a terrifyingly efficient strategy. The cubes have essentially weaponised our own biology against us," Jenny stated, agreeing with her father, "But if we understand their method, we can start working on a countermeasure. We need to find a way to block or reverse the electrical surge."
"Doctor, the scan you set running," Kate muttered as she looked at the screen, "The transmitter locations, it's found them."
"Oh, look at them all, pulsing, bold as brass. Seven of them, all across the world," the Doctor stated as he was still fighting the pain before he pounded his chest with his right fist again, "Ow! Seven stations, seven minutes. Why is that important? Ah-aaah! Ha ha ha ow! Ow!" He then looked at Amy, "How do you humans manage one heart? It is pitiful!"
"Doctor, remember, I was human for 20 years in my second incarnation when I was chameleon-arched," Rose reminded her husband, "For those years till I opened my fob watch, I managed just fine with one heart. It's not pitiful, it's human."
"Rose is right, Doctor. Humans may only have one heart, but they've proven time and again just how resilient they can be," Jack said, agreeing with the Time Lady, "It's not about the number of hearts, it's about the strength within them."
"Anyways, the wormhole bridging two dimensions," the Doctor muttered, "Seven of them, etched onto this planet, But-but-but where's the closest one? Glasses, zoom in." The UNIT technician then zoomed in on London and further in on a building.
"That's the hospital where Rory works," Amy told them.
Back on the spaceship, Rory looked around and spotted the gurney that was bearing Brian.
"Dad. Dad!" Rory said as he ran towards his father before he stopped when he saw the two 'nurses,' "Just get away from him." The 'nurses' then pulled out weapons that resembled hypodermics and advanced on Rory.
Inside the hospital, the Doctor, Amy, Rose, Jack, Jenny, Gwen, and Kate entered the hospital as the Doctor had his right hand over the left side of his chest.
"How many deaths have been recorded?" The Doctor asked them.
"We don't know," Kate answered, "We think it could be a third of the population."
"We need to find a way to stop this," Rose stated.
"Kate, me and Rose have to find the wormhole," the Doctor told Kate, "But the attacks could still happen. Tell the world. Tell them how to deal with this. The world needs your leadership right now."
"And Torchwood is ready to support UNIT in any way we can," Jack added.
"We'll do whatever it takes to help, Dad," Jenny assured her father.
"We've faced tough situations before," Gwen stated, "We can handle this."
"We'll do our best," Kate assured the Time Lord.
"Yeah, of course you will," the Doctor muttered, "Good luck, Kate." Kate, Jack, Jenny, and Gwen then left to do as the Doctor said when the Time Lord suddenly groaned in pain and fell against a wall next to him.
"Okay, how long are you going to last with only one heart?" Amy asked him as she put his right arm over her right shoulder as Rose did the same with his left arm and put it over her left shoulder as they helped him walk.
"Not much longer, I imagine," Rose surmised, "Both hearts are crucial to our bodies. If one is damaged, it could trigger regeneration. But if one is shut down, it could lead to death, like with human kidneys."
"You're right, love, I won't last much longer without my left heart," the Doctor said, confirming Rose's suspicions before he pulled out his sonic screwdriver with his right hand and activated it, "I need to locate the wormhole portal. Hello, Hello." He then flicked it open as he turned it towards the girl, "Oh. Hello." He walked over to the girl, "You are giving off some very strange signals."
The girl's face and eyes then glowed blue, revealing that she wasn't even human or a living thing for that matter.
"Oh, my God!" Amy muttered to herself as she and Rose stared at the girl.
"That looks like a robot," Rose stated.
"You're right, Rose, it's an outlier droid monitoring everything," the Doctor said, confirming his wife's suspicions, "If I shut her down, I can…" He then aimed his sonic screwdriver at the left side of the girl's neck, causing her to make an electronic warbling sound, "Ah. It's all right. It's all right." The girl swayed as he tried to gently lower her to the floor, "Rose, Amy, I can't, Rose, Amy!" He then slid to the floor, "I can't do it. I need both hearts. Ah! Aah!"
Amy and Rose both looked around in desperation before they found a defibrillator on the other side of the hall.
"All right," Amy muttered as she grabbed the defibrillator with both of her hands, "Desperate measures."
"Amy, we need to act fast. The Doctor's life is at stake," Rose told her and the Doctor's ginger companion, "Let's use that defibrillator to jump-start his other heart. It's a long shot, but it just might work."
"What?" The Doctor said with disbelief as he saw what Amy was doing as he was now lying on the floor, "No! No, no, no, no. That won't work. I'm a Time Lord! Ah, hey!"
"All right, clear!" Amy exclaimed as she opened the Doctor's shirt and applied the defibrillator's charge.
"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!" The Doctor muttered as Amy dropped the defibrillator as he sat back up quickly before he stood invigorated, "Welcome back, Leftie. Whoa-ho! Two hearts." He then began dancing, "Whoo!" He struck a 'Saturday Night Fever' pose, "Back in the game." He then kissed Amy's forehead, "Never do that to me again." He then kissed Rose on the lips, causing her to blush, "But love, that was great thinking of yours." He then walked down the hall with Rose and Amy following him.
As the Doctor, Rose and Amy approached the lift that Rory went through earlier, the lift's doors slid open as the Doctor, Rose and Amy peered inside.
"Oh, portal to another dimension in a goods lift?" Amy said, disappointedly as the Doctor took his sonic screwdriver out from his jacket's pocket as he opened and activated it as he scanned the lift with it.
"Well, Amy, the universe has a funny way of hiding the extraordinary in the ordinary," Rose told her, "After all, who would suspect a goods lift?"
"The energy signals converge here," the Doctor stated as he deactivated and closed his sonic screwdriver before placing it back inside his jacket's pocket, "Does seem a bit cramped, though."
They then stepped into the lift before the back wall of the lift rippled before the Doctor poked it with his right hand's index finger before the three of them shared a smile.
"Through the looking glass, Amelia and Arkytior," the Doctor told them before he grabbed hold of Amy's right hand with his left hand and Rose's left hand with his right hand before they stepped through the portal.
"Where are we?" Amy asked both Gallifreyans as they arrived in the same room on the ship that Rory did earlier.
"We're in orbit," the Doctor answered, "One dimension to the left."
"And invisible to Earth's scanners," Rose added.
RORY is lying unconscious on a table at the end of the row. BRIAN is on the gurney next to him.
"Rory!" Amy exclaimed with worry in her voice as she saw Rory lying unconscious on a table at the of the row in the room with Brian on the gurney next to him with Rose following her as the Doctor reached into his pocket and took out a small jar from it as he walked over to the other side of Rory.
"Seborean smelling salts," the Doctor explained as he tossed the small jar to Amy, "Outlawed in seven galaxies." Amy then held the smelling salts under Rory's nose, causing him to immediately regain consciousness and sit up at the very moment the smelling salts before they were shot at, causing them to duck behind the table, "Whoa-hoa! Whoa! What kind of a welcome do you call that?" He then spoke to Amy, "Get them out of here. You too. Now."
"Amy, do as he says and get Rory and Brian out of here!" Rose said, agreeing with her husband.
"What are you both going to do?!" Amy asked both Gallifreyans.
"Absolutely no idea," the Doctor answered as he pushed the gurney towards Amy as she used the salts on Brian, causing him to regain consciousness and sit up, "Get him through the portal."
The Doctor and Rose both helped push the gurney until they were fired at again. The Doctor and Rose then stopped pushing the gurney as they saw a lone bald humanoid figure dressed in a black cloak with its skin being pale white and was heavily cracked and wrinkled along with blue eyes.
"So many of them, crawling the planet, seeping into every corner," the being stated, causing Rose to stare at it with surprise on her face.
"It can't be," the Time Lady muttered to herself.
Amy and Rory pulled the gurney out of the room as Brian sat up with a stunned expression on his face. The being suddenly disappeared in a flash of light, only to reappear at the computer screen, revealing that it was only a hologram. The Doctor stood on the other side of the screen with Rose as they looked at the Being.
"It's not possible," the Doctor said with disbelief in his voice, "I thought the Shakri were a myth. A myth to keep the young of Gallifrey in their place."
"Doctor, you're right," Rose muttered, agreeing with her husband, "The Shakri were always spoken of in hushed tones back on Gallifrey. If they're real, we're up against something formidable."
"The Shakri exist in all of time and none," the Shakri explained, "We travel alone and together. The Seven."
"The Shakri craft, connected to Earth through 7 portals in 7 minutes," the Doctor realised, "Ah, but why?"
"Serving the word of the Tally," the Shakri answered.
"Why the cubes?" The Doctor asked the hologram, "Why Earth?"
"Not Earth, humanity," the Shakri corrected him, "The Shakri will halt the human plague before the spread."
"Erase humanity before it colonises space," the Doctor realised before he walked over to the same side of the screen as the hologram was, "We thought the cubes were an invasion, the start of war."
"The human contagion only!" The Shakri added, "Must be eliminated."
"But why? Why would you want to wipe out humanity before it even has a chance to spread?" Rose asked the hologram, "What threat do you perceive them to be?"
"Humanity is a plague, a disease spreading through the universe," the Shakri explained, "We, the Shakri, serve the Tally. Our purpose is to halt the spread before it begins. It is not a matter of want, but of necessity."
"Humanity is not a plague," Rose argued as she walked over to the other side of the screen as well, "Sure, there are bad people, but there are also so many good ones. People who show kindness, bravery, and compassion. Humanity has the potential to bring so much good to the universe. You can't just wipe them out based on a one-sided view."
"Who are you calling a contagion?" Amy asked the Shakri as she and Rory came back towards both Gallifreyans and stood on both sides of them.
"Oi! Didn't we tell you two to go?" The Doctor asked them.
"Yeah, didn't we tell you both to go?" Rose said, agreeing with her husband, "We can handle this by ourselves."
"You both should've learnt, by now," Rory told them.
"Yeah, and what is this 'Tally,' anyway?" Amy asked both Gallifreyans.
"Some people call it 'Judgment Day' or 'the Reckoning,'" the Doctor answered.
"That's right, Doctor. In fact, many human religions have similar concepts. They often speak of a day of reckoning or judgement, a time when deeds are accounted for," Rose added, "It's a common theme across cultures, a reflection of humanity's innate sense of justice and morality."
"Don't you both know?" Amy asked them.
"I've never wanted to find out," the Doctor admitted.
"Me neither," Rose said, agreeing with him.
"Before the Closure, there is the Tally," the Shakri stated, "The Shakri serves the Tally!"
"The pest controllers of the universe," the Doctor added, "That's how the tales went, isn't it?"
"Yes, Doctor. And if we're talking about tales from Gallifrey, let's not forget the Toclafane," Rose reminded her husband, "The word itself is Gallifreyan for 'boogeyman.' It's another example of how our people used myths and legends to teach lessons and maintain order for our young."
"Wow, that's a seriously weird bedtime story, Doctor," Amy told the Time Lord.
"You can talk. Wolf in your grandmother's nightdress?" The Doctor reminded her, "So!" He then clapped his hands before he walked back over to the other side of the screen to face the hologram of the Shakri, "Here you are, depositing slug pellets all over the Earth, made attractive so humans will collect them, hoping to find something beautiful inside. Because that's what they are. Like my wife said, they're not pests or plague, creatures of hope, forever building and reaching. Making mistakes, of course, every life form does. But… But they learn. And they strive for greater and they achieve it." He then walked back over to Rose, Amy and Rory, "You want a tally? Put their achievements against their failings, through the whole of time. I will back humanity against the Shakri every time."
"Doctor, I couldn't agree more. Humanity, with all its flaws and virtues, has always shown a remarkable capacity to learn, grow, and reach for the stars. They may stumble and fall, but they always get back up and keep going. That's not a plague. That's resilience. That's hope. And it's worth fighting for," Rose said, agreeing with her husband, "And just like my husband I'll always back humanity as well. Their spirit, their resilience, their capacity for love and hope, it's something truly remarkable. No matter the odds, no matter the challenge, I believe in them."
"The Tally must be met," the Shakri chuckled, "The second wave will be released." It then tapped on the keypad.
"What does that mean?" Amy asked them.
"It's going to release more cubes to k*ll more people," the Doctor answered.
"Tell the Secretary-General it's not just hospitals and equipment, it's people," Kate told somebody with her mobile as she was using it as she stood in one of the hospital's corridors with Jack, Gwen and Jenny standing with her, "Our best hope now is each other."
"The human plague, breeding and fighting," the Shakri went on from the ship as it walked towards both Gallifreyans, who were now standing in the centre of the room as Amy walked next to the Doctor and Rose, "And, when cornered, their rage to destroy. You're both too late, Doctor and Rose. The Tally shall be met." The hologram of the Shakri then disappeared.
"He's gone?" Amy said with confusion in her voice.
"He was just a hologram, Amy," Rose explained to her and the Doctor's ginger companion.
"She's right, he was never really here. Just the ship's automated interface, like a talking propaganda poster," the Doctor said, agreeing with Rose before he ran over to the computer with Rose, Amy and Rory following as he took his sonic screwdriver back out of his jacket with his right hand, "I can stop the second wave." He then used the sonic on the computer, "I can disconnect all the Shakri craft from their portals, leave them drifting in the dark space. Ah, but all those people who were near the cubes, so many of them will have died."
"I restarted one of your hearts," Amy reminded the Time Lord as he put his sonic screwdriver back in his jacket's pocket again.
"But it's not as simple as that, Amy," Rose told her, "You'd need something more than just a defibrillator."
She's right, you'd need mass defibrillation," Rory said, agreeing with the Time Lady.
"Of course. Ah. Beautiful. But…" The Doctor muttered as he realised what they were getting at, "Arkytior, Ponds, we're going to go one better than that. The Shakri used the cubes to turn people's hearts off. Bingo!" He then clapped his hands, "We're going to use them to turn them back on again."
"Will that work?" Amy asked him as the Doctor took his sonic screwdriver back out and used it on the computer again.
"Ah, creatures of hope," the Doctor stated, "Has to."
"Doctor, if there's one thing I've learned from our adventures, it's that hope is powerful. Humanity has shown us time and again their capacity to hope, to dream, to strive for better," Rose told him, "If there's a chance this could work, then we have to take it. For them, for all of us. Let's do this."
The Doctor then flicked his sonic screwdriver open as the readout on the screen changed as the Doctor continued to use his sonic screwdriver on it.
"Thirty seconds," the Doctor muttered to himself, "Don't let me down, cubes. You're working for me, now." The ship then began to shake violently, "Oh, dear. All those cubes. There's going to be a terrible wave of energy ricocheting around here, any second. Run." He then ran out of the room.
"Like he said, come on!" Rose said, agreeing with her husband as she ran out of the room as well.
"I'm going to miss this," Rory admitted before Amy squealed as the two of them ran after the Doctor and Rose as they also left the room and left the ship through the portal they came through.
The ship then suddenly exploded from the inside from all the energy from the cubes ricocheting back into the ship.
The Doctor, Rose, Amy and Rory all fell to the floor of the lift as they were forced through the portal from the destroyed Shakri ship.
On the computer screens in the computer room in the Tower of London, the people on them were getting up slowly as different techs were standing around them and watching the footage.
A while later outside the Tower of London, Kate, the Doctor, Rose, Jenny, Jack and Gwen walked towards the car.
"Doctor, you, uh… You really are as remarkable as Dad said," Kate told the Doctor before she hugged him, "Thank you."
"My! A hug from a Lethbridge-Stewart. That is new," the Doctor muttered to himself as he laughed.
"And Rose, thank you for helping him save the Day," Kate said as she looked at the Time Lady.
"It was a team effort, Kate. We all played a part," Rose replied, "Including Jack and his Torchwood team. And remember, we're always here if you need us. The Doctor and I, we're only a phone call away."
"And don't forget about Torchwood, Kate," Jack added as he smiled at them, "We're always ready to lend a hand."
"Like Kate said, Mum, Dad, thanks," Jenny told her parents with a smile on her face.
"Seeing you both here, working together, it's clear to me now. That Jack and Jenny are correct, you're both the same Doctor and Rose that I met during the twenty-seven planets incident," Gwen admitted with a smile on her face, "Different faces, same spirit. It's a bit mind-boggling, but then again, isn't everything when it comes to you two?"
"Thank you, Gwen. It's been quite a journey, hasn't it? Different faces, same spirit, that's a good way to put it," Rose said with a smile on her face, "And remember, no matter how mind-boggling things get, we're all in this together. Here's to more adventures!"
"Oh, dear," the Doctor muttered as he laughed for a quick second and checked his watch, "We're late for dinner." He then held out his right hand before Kate reached for it, only for him to pull away before she could shake it and laughed with Jack, Gwen and Jenny laughing as well, "Come on, Rose!"
"Right behind you, Doctor!" Rose replied as she laughed, "And remember everyone, the universe doesn't stop for dinner. Stay vigilant and keep in touch. Until next time!" The two of them then walked towards the car and gave them salutes with Jack, Gwen and Jenny saluting them back as Kate waved them goodbye.
Later that night at Amy and Rory's house, the Doctor, Rose, Amy, Rory and Brian were seated at the table having Chinese by candlelight and were laughing over a story.
"Mmm, dear me," the Doctor said with a mouthful, "We'd better get going. Things to do. Worlds to save, swings to... swing on."
"Indeed, Doctor. The universe doesn't pause for dinner. But it was lovely to have this moment of peace and laughter," Rose told them, agreeing with her husband, "Thanks for the wonderful meal, Amy and Rory. Until our next adventure!"
The Doctor then grabbed a fortune cookie as he and Rose both stood back up and began to head for the door as Amy looked over at Rory before both Gallifreyans turned back and leaned over the couple as the Doctor placed his arms over their shoulders.
"Look, I know, you both have lives here, beautiful, messy lives," the Doctor told Amy and Rory, "That is what makes you so fabulously human. You don't want to give them up. I understand."
"And I couldn't agree more with the Doctor. Your lives here, they're real and they're wonderful. It's what makes you both so uniquely human. And while we love having you both on our adventures, we understand the value of the life you've built here," Rose said, agreeing with her husband, "Always remember, no matter where you are, you're a part of this big, beautiful universe we're all exploring together."
"Actually, it's the two of you they can't give up, Doctor and Rose," Brian told them, "And I don't think they should. Go with them. Go save every world you can find. Who else has that chance? Life will still be here."
"You can come, Brian," the Doctor said as he looked at him.
"He's right. Why don't you come with us, Brian?" Rose asked Brian.
"Somebody's got to water the plants," Brian refused, "Just bring them back safe."
'So that was the year of the slow invasion, when the Earth got cubed and the Doctor and Rose came to stay,' Amy thought to herself as she, the Doctor, Rose and Rory walked back towards the TARDIS before they paused outside the ship and looked back at Brian, 'It was also when we realised something the Shakri never understood, what me, Rory, the Doctor and Rose actually were when combined and when we work together in sync. The power of four.'
Rory and Amy then entered the TARDIS as both Gallifreyans nodded at Brian, who waved goodbye at them with his right hand before Rose entered the TARDIS followed by the Doctor with him closing the TARDIS door behind him.
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