Chapter Eighteen: The Impossible Planet


[TARDIS]

The TARDIS materializes in a cramped storage room, barely fitting inside.

The moment the shaking subsides, the Vortex speaks, their voice unusually direct.

'Shroud their minds from the Chosen and the bond we share. Fortify your barriers to their fullest.'

The Alchemist frowns. They're not even being cryptic this time. That alone is unsettling.

'Understood, Teacher,' the Time Lady replies.

She doesn't know why yet, but she won't question it. They've never steered her wrong before.

The Doctor and Rose push themselves up from the floor, already making for the doors when the Alchemist halts them.

"Hold on a moment," she says.

They turn, standing side by side.

"What is it?" Rose asks warily, watching as the Alchemist reaches over and tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear—a small, seemingly affectionate gesture.

But beneath the surface, it's a telepathic touch, hiding the memories away. To cover for it, the Alchemist pretends to check for injuries.

"Just making sure you're both alright," she explains, "That was a rough landing."

Rose offers a smile, kinder this time, unaware of what's just been taken from her. The Alchemist turns to the Doctor next, her fingers brushing his temple, her palm resting against his cheek. Removing his memories is harder. She lingers a second too long before finally pulling away.

She lets her gaze sweep over them, squinting slightly, "Well, you both appear to be in one piece this time."

The Doctor rolls his eyes but smirks, sharing a look with Rose, "She's mothering us again," he mutters.

Rose grins, "She's not wrong, though. That was a rough one."

Together, they turn toward the doors, neither noticing how the Alchemist stiffens.

The moment they open, a massive telepathic force slams against her mental defenses, testing their strength. Her eyes darken, lips pressing into a firm line.

This is not going to be a fun adventure.

She schools her expression into something lighter and moves to follow them out.

"I don't know what's wrong, though," the Doctor muses, stepping forward, "She's feeling a bit queasy. Indigestion, maybe. Like she didn't want to land."

Rose smirks, "Oh, if you think there's going to be trouble, we could always hop back inside and try somewhere else."

They exchange a mischievous look before laughing.

Inside her mind, the TARDIS's voice cuts through the noise, 'My Thief, you needed the black hole closure device.'

The Alchemist stops mid-step. It's stored right by the console.

Without a word, she pivots, dashing back towards it. She kneels, pries open the grating, and pulls out the device, setting it atop the console before straightening again.

"Are you coming or what, Ally?" the Doctor calls.

She exhales sharply, "Yep, yep, just grabbing something real quick," she says, speed-walking back to them.

The Doctor steps out first, glancing around, "I think we've landed in a cupboard."

Rose follows, shaking her head with a grin.

The Alchemist pauses in the doorway, spotting the exit to the storage room.

"Here we go," she murmurs, stepping out and pulling the TARDIS doors shut behind her.

A frown flickers across her face.

The black hole closure device is still sitting on the console.

[Space Base]

The three of them make their way through the junction, forcing open each bulkhead as they go.

"Open door 15," the computer announces.

The Doctor glances around as the door unlocks, "Some sort of base. Moon base, sea base, space base," he explains to Rose, "They build these things out of kits."

"Close door 15."

A low rumble vibrates through the walls.

"Glad we're indoors. Sounds like a storm out there," Rose comments, glancing around warily.

"Open door 16."

"Something like that," the Alchemist murmurs, already distracted.

A black hole closure device means there's a black hole nearby—one she needs to close. Lovely.

"Close door 16."

The Doctor continues, oblivious to her hidden thoughts, "Human design. You've got a thing about kits. This place was put together like a flat-pack wardrobe, only bigger. And easier."

"Like an IKEA base with better instructions," the Alchemist quips.

They all laugh as they step into the Habitation area, descending three short steps into a space furnished with tables and chairs. A large "3" is painted on the wall.

"Open door 17."

The Doctor's face lights up, "Oh, it's a sanctuary base!"

The Alchemist scoffs, "Mm, some sanctuary."

Rose grins at her tone, "Problem?" she teases.

"Knowing us? Yes," the Alchemist replies flatly.

Knowing there's a black hole she has to deal with? Definitely, yes. But she's not about to tell them that.

"Close door 17."

The Doctor hums thoughtfully, "Deep space exploration. We've gone way out. And listen to that underneath—someone's drilling."

"Deep drilling," the Alchemist confirms, her senses tingling, "The vibrations are resonating from far below."

Rose scans the room before her eyes land on something.

Her brow furrows, "Welcome to hell," she reads aloud.

The Doctor scoffs. "Oh, it's not that bad."

"No, over there," Rose corrects, gesturing to a wall.

They all move closer. Painted in large, blocky letters are the words "WELCOME TO HELL," with an alien script beneath.

The Alchemist narrows her eyes. She recognizes the fragmented script—it's Agelice. And though much of it is incomplete, one crucial word stands out: Chosen.

She rolls her eyes.

She tilts her head as she pinpoints their location. Kroptor. The floating rock left behind after Agelicia was destroyed.

The Doctor frowns at the writing, "Hold on, what does that say? That's weird—it won't translate."

Rose looks just as puzzled, "But I thought the TARDIS translated everything? Writing too. We should see English."

"Exactly," the Doctor replies, his expression tightening, "If that's not working, it means this writing is old. Very old. Impossibly old. We should find out who's in charge."

He moves to spin the wheel on the next bulkhead.

The Alchemist waves him off, "Nah. Well, sort of, yes—it is very old. Ancient, really. I just never programmed it into the translation matrix when I updated the TARDIS. Didn't see the point."

The Doctor stares at her blankly, then glances around, "Great. We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS' knowledge because Ally was lazy."

"Oi!"

The Time Lord smirks, continuing, "Not a good move. And if someone's lucky enough…"

"Open door 19."

The three of them turn as the bulkhead door hisses open.

Beyond it, humanoid figures stand in eerie stillness. Their faces are dominated by writhing tentacles where a mouth and nose should be. Each carries a glowing white sphere in their right hand, a tube connecting it to their faces.

The Alchemist's eyes darken as she crosses her arms. Ood, she thinks bitterly. Enslaved Ood.

The Doctor falters, caught off guard, "Oh! Right. Hello. Sorry. I was just saying—uh—nice base."

The Alchemist gives him an odd look. Does he seriously not recognize an Ood? They were standard knowledge at the Academy. She remembers her brother's frustration about what had been done to them—he never had much patience for humans.

The Ood speak in eerie unison.

"We must feed."

The Doctor gapes as the Alchemist tilts her head, asking, "You've got to what?"

"We must feed."

Rose lets out a nervous laugh, "Yeah. I think they mean us."

More Ood step into the room, their glowing orbs in hand. Rose and the Doctor instinctively back away. The Alchemist, however, merely sighs and reaches into her pocket for her sonic screwdriver.

The Ood continue, their voices rising.

"We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed."

The Doctor whips out his sonic screwdriver, holding it like a weapon. Rose grips a chair defensively, eyes darting between the approaching figures.

The Alchemist snorts at their reaction, already adjusting her sonic's settings.

"We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed."

The Doctor reaches out, grabbing for her arm when she moves toward the Ood. She deftly dodges his hand.

An Ood steps closer, its orb glowing as it speaks, "We must feed."

Without hesitation, the Alchemist raises her sonic and points it at the Ood's communicator. A sharp frequency shift hums through the air.

A beat of silence.

Then, the Ood speaks again—this time, its voice clear.

"You, if you are hungry."

The Alchemist smirks over her shoulder.

"Sorry?" the Doctor asks, looking between his wife and the Ood.

"We apologize. Electromagnetics have interfered with speech systems. Would you like some refreshment?" the Ood asks.

The one the Alchemist helped turns to her and bows slightly, "We thank you for the repair."

She smiles kindly, "Not a problem, Ood."

The Doctor stares at her, brow furrowing.

'You could have told me,' he says, his mental tone dripping with sarcasm.

The Alchemist grins at him, 'Could have. Didn't. Should have known yourself,' she replies cheekily.

Before he can respond, the computer chimes: "Open door 18."

The bulkhead unlocks, sliding open to reveal a group of startled humans.

"What the hell?" one of the men blurts out, eyes wide as he takes in the unexpected newcomers, "How did...?"

The Ood step aside, making way for the new arrivals.

The lead man quickly taps his comm, "Captain, you're not going to believe this. We've got people. Out of nowhere. I mean, real people. Three living, breathing people just standing here right in front of me."

A crackling voice answers over the comm, "Don't be stupid, that's impossible."

The man scoffs, "I suggest telling them that."

Rose frowns, "But this is some kind of space base, right? You must get visitors now and then. That can't be that impossible."

The man studies her, his confusion deepening, "You're telling me you don't know where you are?"

The Doctor grins brightly, "No idea. More fun that way."

The Alchemist laughs, "Oh, I know."

A voice suddenly crackles over the station's comm system, a woman's tone firm and urgent.

"Stand by, everyone. Buckle down. We have incoming. And it's a big one. Quake point five on its way."

The man's eyes widen in alarm and without hesitation, he swings the door open wider and gestures frantically, "Through here, now. Quickly, come on! Move!"

Overhead, conduits rattle and bang as the base shudders.

"Move it! Come on! Keep moving! Quickly!" the man urges.

The two Time Lords and Rose break into a run, rushing through the door as the station quakes around them.

[Control room]

As they step over the bulkhead into the control room, they find themselves in a space bustling with people working at control panels.

"Oh, my God. You meant it," the Captain says, staring at them in disbelief.

A young woman, equally astonished, calls out, "People! Look at that, real people!"

The Doctor deadpans, "That's us. Hooray!"

His dry tone makes the Alchemist chuckle lightly.

"Yeah, definitely real," Rose chimes in brightly, "My name's Rose. Rose Tyler. And this is the Doctor and the Alchemist."

A man steps forward, looking skeptical, "Come on, the oxygen must be offline. We're hallucinating. They can't be…" he pokes the Doctor's chest, eyes widening, "No, they're real."

Before they can respond, the Captain quickly cuts in, "Come on, we're in the middle of an alert! Danny, strap up! The quake's coming in! Impact in thirty seconds!" he glances at the newcomers, "Sorry, you three… whoever you are. Just hold on tight."

The Doctor grins and playfully wraps his arms around the Alchemist's waist. She rolls her eyes fondly but laughs, dragging them over to a nearby support bar and holding onto it herself.

Rose frowns, "Hold on to what?"

"Anything. I don't care. Just hold on," the Captain snaps before turning to the Ood. "Ood, are we fixed?"

One of the Ood responds, "Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated."

As Rose grabs hold of another bar, the Doctor calls over to the crew, "What's this planet called, anyway?"

A woman scoffs, "Now, don't be stupid. It hasn't got a name. How could it have a name? You really don't know, do you?"

The Alchemist smirks, "Not much of a planet anymore, but it does have a name."

"And impact!" the Captain shouts.

The entire base jolts violently.

The Doctor loosens his grip slightly, "Oh, well, that wasn't so bad…"

Before he can finish, the base lurches again, this time much worse. Consoles spark, small fires erupt, and the crew exchange nervous glances.

The Alchemist groans in annoyance as the TARDIS grumbles in her mind, 'I'm going to fall.'

'You're the one that brought us here, Bluette,' she responds dryly.

She hears an oof in her head.

Scoffing aloud, she adds, 'I bet you landed on your side. If you did, I want a nice trip next time.'

The TARDIS hums in irritation, 'A nice trip was taken. Good thing you replace my positional shifter.'

The Alchemist smirks, 'Well, if Thief Number Two hadn't broken it so badly with his dumb hammer, I wouldn't have needed to.'

The TARDIS grumbles at the mention of the hammer, a sound of pure musical disdain.

A voice clears nearby, bringing the Alchemist's attention back to her surroundings.

"Okay, that's it," the Captain announces, checking over a console, "Everyone alright? Speak to me, Ida."

"Yeah, yeah!" Ida confirms, breathless.

"Danny?"

Danny quickly checks himself over, "Fine."

"Toby?"

"Yeah, fine," the young man replies.

"Scooti?"

Scooti smiles, "No damage."

"Jefferson?"

The first man the trio had spoken to calls out, "Check!"

"We're fine, thanks, fine. Yeah, don't worry about us," the Doctor says, still holding on to the Alchemist even after she's let go of the bar.

Zach ignores him, focused on his console, "The surface caved in," he looks up at a schematic of the base, "I deflected it onto Storage Five through Eight. We've lost them completely," he turns sharply, "Toby, go and check the rocket link."

Toby groans, "That's not my department."

"Just do as I say, yeah?" Zach orders.

Muttering under his breath, Toby huffs and exits through a bulkhead.

"Oxygen holding. Internal gravity fifty-six point six. We should be okay," Ida reports with a nod.

Rose, still looking around, finally takes in what's happening, "Never mind the earthquake, that's… that's one hell of a storm. What is that, a hurricane?"

Scooti raises an eyebrow, "You'd need an atmosphere for a hurricane. There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum."

Rose looks up at the trembling ceiling, "Then what's shaking the roof?"

The Alchemist crosses her arms, "Not a hurricane, that's for sure."

Ida studies them for a moment before shaking her head, "You're not joking. You really don't know. Well, introductions. FYI, as they said in the olden days. I'm Ida Scott, science officer. Zachary Cross Flane, acting Captain, sir. You've met Mister Jefferson—Head of Security. Danny Bartock, Ethics Committee."

Danny interjects, "Not as boring as it sounds."

Ida ignores him, "And that man who just left, that was Toby Zed—Archaeology. And this is Scooti Manista, trainee maintenance. And this?" she gestures around, "This is home."

Stepping over to a console, she pulls down a lever.

"Brace yourselves," Zach warns, "The sight of it sends some people mad."

The shutters overhead slide open, revealing a burning white-hot disc with a black center, an abyss swallowing countless specks of light.

The Doctor finally releases the Alchemist and ambles toward the window.

Rose's voice is barely above a whisper, "That's a black hole."

"Yep," the Alchemist says with a nod.

"But that's impossible," the Doctor breathes.

"Nope," the Alchemist counters with a smirk.

Zach observes them, "I did warn you."

The Doctor doesn't take his eyes off the sight before him.

"We're standing under a black hole," he says, his voice full of disbelief.

"In orbit," Ida confirms.

"But we can't be," the Doctor insists, shaking his head.

Ida gestures toward the window, "You can see for yourself. We're in orbit."

"But we can't be," he repeats.

The Alchemist rolls her eyes.

Ida continues, unfazed, "This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in. Discuss."

Rose looks between them, her concern growing, "And that's bad, yeah?"

Still staring at the black hole, the Doctor explains, "Bad doesn't cover it. A black hole's a dead star. It collapses in on itself, in and in and in, until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in, too. Nothing in the universe can escape it. Light, gravity, time—everything just gets pulled inside and crushed."

Rose glances at him, concern knitting her brow, "So, they can't be in orbit? We should be pulled right in."

"We should be dead," the Doctor agrees, tilting his head sharply.

"Nope," the Alchemist mutters under her breath.

The Doctor, too absorbed in his analysis, doesn't hear her.

Ida raises a hand as if presenting undeniable proof, "And yet, here we are—beyond the laws of physics. Welcome on board."

Rose, still staring out at the cosmic devastation, asks, "But if there's no atmosphere out there, what's that?"

"Stars breaking up. Gas clouds. Whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads before falling into that thing," Ida answers grimly.

Rose shudders, "So… a bit worse than a storm, then."

"Just a bit," Ida confirms.

"Just a bit, yeah," Rose echoes, her unease growing.

Another tremor rattles the base.

The Alchemist narrows her eyes as she senses something—something massive, shifting, stretching. A presence. What is it doing? Then, she feels it latch onto something—no, someone. Her gaze flicks across the room. Not here. Not in this room. Which means… Toby. The archaeologist.

Of course. It had to be the archaeologist. She really hates archaeologists.

"Close door one," the computer announces.

"The rocket link's fine," Toby's voice crackles over comms.

Zach activates a hologram above the central console, revealing a swirling abyss in space, "That's the black hole. Officially designated K37 Gen 5."

"In the scriptures of the Falltino, this planet is called Kroptor—the Bitter Pill," Ida adds, "And the black hole is supposed to be a mighty demon. It was tricked into devouring the planet, only to spit it out because it was poison."

The Alchemist exhales softly. That's certainly one way to describe what occurred here.

"The Bitter Pill," Rose muses, "I like that."

"You shouldn't," the Alchemist says darkly, her gaze fixed on the hologram.

Rose shoots her a questioning look, but the Alchemist ignores it. There are things she can't reveal yet. Not until they get out of here.

The Doctor rakes a hand through his hair, making it stick up even more, "We are so far out. Lost in the drifts of the universe. How did you even get here?"

Zach exhales and gestures at the hologram, "We flew in. This planet generates a gravity field. We don't know how. No idea. But it's kept in constant balance against the black hole. And that field extends outward—like a funnel, a distinct gravity funnel reaching into clear space. That was our way in."

"You flew down that thing? Like a rollercoaster?" Rose asks, eyebrows raised.

"By rights, the ship should've been torn apart. We lost the Captain, which put me in charge," Zach admits, his voice tight with the weight of responsibility.

"You're doing a good job," Ida tells him gently.

Zach shrugs, "Yeah, well. Needs must."

Danny finally speaks up, "But if that gravity funnel closes, there's no way out."

"We had fun speculating about that," Scooti says with a tight smile.

"Oh yeah. That's the word. Fun," Danny replies dryly.

The Doctor's eyes light up with curiosity, "But that field would take phenomenal amounts of power. I mean, not just big, but off the scale! Can I?" he gestures toward the calculation device Ida is holding.

Ida, not thinking much of it, shrugs and hands it over, "Sure. Help yourself."

The Alchemist smirks as the Doctor starts typing furiously. She steps behind him, resting her back against his so he knows she isn't looking, and begins her own calculations in her head.

"I'll beat you to it," she murmurs, smirking.

"Competition?" the Doctor asks, grinning as he continues typing.

"If I win, we're going to Paris to pick up macarons from Ladurée. And I'm eating them all this time—no stealing," she decides.

"Deal," he says, not looking up, "And you get… a new set of lace. I pick."

She huffs a quiet laugh, "I think we both win there."

The Doctor shrugs, and they both continue their silent race.

An Ood enters, handing Rose a plastic cup, "Your refreshment."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks. Thank you," Rose says, then hesitates, "I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"We have no titles. We are as one," the Ood replies.

Rose glances at the crew, "Uh, what are they called? Ally said before, but I was, uhm, distracted."

Danny scoffs, "Oh, come on. Where have you been living? Everyone's got one."

"Well, not me," Rose retorts, "So, what are they?"

"They're the Ood," Danny tells her.

"The Ood?" Rose repeats, frowning.

"The Ood."

Rose looks at the alien, "Well, that's Ood."

Nodding, Danny replies, "Very Ood, but handy. They work the mine shafts—all the drilling and stuff. Supervision and maintenance. They're born for it. Basic slave race."

The Alchemist lets out a sharp scoff. The Ood aren't a slave race—they're kind, intelligent beings forced into servitude, shipped across the universe by whoever is running this company now. The casual way Danny speaks about them only fuels her frustration. At the same time, she finishes her calculations, her eyes narrowing slightly at the answer. Six-six-six. Really? She decides to wait for the Doctor to finish before saying anything—both of them should claim their prize.

"You've got slaves?" Rose asks, incredulous.

Scooti rolls her eyes, "Don't start. She's like one of that lot—Friends of the Ood."

"Well, maybe I am, yeah," Rose shoots back, "Since when do humans need slaves?"

"But the Ood offer themselves," Danny says, unbothered, "If you don't give them orders, they just pine away and die."

"Wrong. Very wrong," the Alchemist interjects, her voice laced with cold certainty.

No one acknowledges her except Rose, who glances at her before stepping toward an Ood.

"Seriously, you like being ordered about?" Rose asks, frowning.

"It is all we crave," the Ood responds.

The Alchemist shakes her head, recognizing the restraint in his voice. He isn't truly speaking his mind—the control device forces obedience, suppressing whatever it really wants to say. The scene unsettles her, a familiar weight settling in her chest. She knows what it's like to have no choice in what you can say, to have your own voice taken from you.

"Why's that, then?" Rose presses.

"We have nothing else in life," the Ood answers.

"Yeah, well, I used to think like that. A long time ago," she murmurs, glancing back at the Doctor.

The Doctor, finally finished with his calculations, straightens. "There we go! Do you see? To generate that gravity field and the funnel, you'd need a power source with an inverted self-extrapolating reflex of…"

"Six to the power of six… every six seconds," the Alchemist echoes at the same time, lips curving into a smirk.

The Doctor hesitates, turning his head slightly toward her, eyes narrowing in suspicion. She had figured it out first, hadn't she?

"When did you work it out?" he asks.

Rose blinks, "That's a lot of sixes."

The Alchemist casually leans back against the nearest console, "Right when Danny called the Ood a basic slave race."

The Doctor exhales, running a hand through his hair, "And it's impossible."

"Clearly not," the Alchemist counters smoothly.

Zach watches the exchange, obviously stunned. His gaze lingers on the Alchemist, something like disbelief in his eyes. She hadn't even looked at the device, yet she'd worked out the answer just as fast—maybe faster—than the Doctor.

"It took us two years to work that out," Zach finally says.

The Doctor, grinning, hands the device back to Ida.

"I'm very good," he says, not even trying for humility, "But the wife? She's better. Didn't even need anything—definitely finished before me. We had a bet going, and now we've tied."

The Alchemist smirks, arms crossed.

Ida, shaking off her own surprise, says, "But that's why we're here. This power source is ten miles below—through solid rock. Point Zero. We're drilling down to find it."

Zach confirms, "It's giving off readings of over ninety stats on the Blazon scale."

"It could revolutionize modern science," Ida says, excitement clear in her voice.

"We could use it to fuel the Empire," Zach adds.

The Doctor frowns, "Or start a war."

"It's buried beneath us, in the darkness, waiting," Toby murmurs.

The Alchemist glances at Toby, observing the way his posture stiffens and how his eyes seem distant yet hyper-focused. The presence that has latched onto him is strong—too strong. His mind is no longer his own. Whether he knows it or not, he is becoming a walking puppet. She sighs heavily and shakes her head.

"What's your job, chief dramatist?" Rose asks, giving Toby an odd look.

Toby straightens as if snapping back to himself, "Well, whatever it is down there, it's not a natural phenomenon. And this, um, planet once supported life eons ago, before the human race had even learned to walk," he quickly covers, brushing past his slip.

The Doctor tilts his head slightly, studying him, "We saw that lettering written on the wall. Did you do that?"

"I copied it from fragments we found unearthed by the drilling, but I can't translate it," Toby admits.

The Doctor frowns, "No, neither can I. And that's saying something," he turns to his wife, "Can you read it?"

She shrugs, "It's fragmented like Toby said. I recognize it, but I'd need to see more to put together my theory on it."

The Doctor huffs out a small, amused breath, "You and your theories," he mutters, his tone laced with fondness.

Toby looks between them, the flicker of something unreadable in his gaze, "There was some form of civilization here. They buried something. Now it's reaching out, calling us in."

Calling me in, the Alchemist realizes. The weight of the thought settles over her, and she frowns.

"And you came," the Doctor says, a bright smile spreading across his face.

The Alchemist chuckles, already sensing where this is going.

"Well, how could we not?" Ida says.

The Doctor's smile widens, "So, when it comes right down to it, why did you come here? Why did you do that? Why? I'll tell you why. Because it was there. Brilliant," his eyes flick to Zach, "Excuse me, uh, Zach, wasn't it?"

"That's me," Zach confirms.

The Doctor nods, "Just stand there because I'm going to hug you. Is that all right?"

Zach blinks but shrugs, "I suppose so."

"Here we go. Come on, then," the Doctor says, stepping forward and pulling Zach into a firm hug.

The Alchemist watches, lips twitching into a smile.

"Oh, human beings," the Doctor exclaims, pulling away with a laugh, "You are amazing! Ha! Thank you."

"Not at all," Zach says, slightly bemused.

Then, just as quickly, the Doctor sobers, "But apart from that, you're completely mad. You should pack your bags, get back in that ship, and fly for your lives."

Ida rolls her eyes, "You can talk. And how the hell did you get here?"

The Alchemist shifts her gaze to the Doctor, sensing his hesitation before he answers.

"Oh, we've got this, uh, ship. It's hard to explain. It just sort of appears."

Rose jumps in, "We can show you. We parked down the corridor from, er… Oh, what's it called? Habitation area..." she trails off, trying to recall.

The Alchemist sighs, "Three."

"Three," Rose repeats with a nod, "Three."

Zach frowns, "Do you mean storage six ?"

The Alchemist stiffens at that, her connection to the Time Vortex humming with an all-too-familiar presence.

Cautiously, she asks, 'Teacher, can I at least tell him the TARDIS is safe and that we'll get out?'

The answer comes, distant yet firm: 'Our Chosen must keep Other Half unaware for now. The Jealous Heart Stealer rages upon escape. She may be informed then.'

Her lips press into a thin line, 'Meaning she's not going to believe me, basically?'

'Indeed.'

She exhales slowly, already calculating possible outcomes, 'Fine. I'll just knock her out if I have to.'

The Doctor's expression changes—realization dawning, "It was a bit of a cupboard, yeah. Storage six," his eyes go wide, snapping to the Alchemist's, "But you said. You said. You said storage five to eight."

And just like that, he bolts, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. Rose follows, confused but not hesitating.

In the corridor, she calls out, "What is it? What's wrong?"

[Habition Three]

Reaching the dining area, the Doctor slams his hand against the bulkhead controls, voice urgent, "Open the door! Come on!"

"Open door 19. Close door 19."

The door opens, and they push forward.

"Open door 17," the computer drones.

They keep running.

"Open door 15. Door 16 out of commission."

The Doctor freezes mid-step, his breath catching.

His hands tangle into his hair, and his voice rises in disbelief, "It can't be. It can't be!"

The Alchemist swiftly pulls him into her embrace, wrapping her arms around him as if to shield him from the weight of reality. One hand moves gently up and down his back in a soothing rhythm. He clings to her in return, arms tightening around her waist, as though afraid that if he lets go, he might lose her too. His forehead presses into the crook of her neck, and he breathes in her scent— grounding himself in her presence.

"What's wrong? What is it? Doctor, the TARDIS is in there. What's happened?" Rose demands, her voice edged with distress.

The Doctor remains silent, unable to form the words.

"The TARDIS is gone," the Alchemist states, her voice quiet but firm.

Her fingers drift to his hair, threading through it from the base of his skull in a familiar, calming motion.

"Door 16 out of commission," the computer repeats; its cold, mechanical tone in stark contrast to the moment.

"The earthquake," the Doctor mutters, still holding onto her, "This section collapsed."

Rose swallows down the surge of jealousy clawing its way up at the sight of them, their closeness, their effortless understanding. Instead, she forces herself to focus.

"But it's got to be out there somewhere," she insists, grasping onto hope.

She steps toward the porthole in the bulkhead door, pressing her hands against the frame as she peers through. But all she sees is emptiness.

The Alchemist inhales sharply, her keen senses picking up on the rising scent of Rose's jealousy. It makes her grimace.

"Look down," she instructs darkly, her patience wearing thin.

The frustration isn't from Rose's concern—it's from the girl's inability to let go, to accept the truth.

Even now, despite everything, she still hasn't given up on the idea of separating them. The human child will never understand the kind of bond she and the Doctor share. She never could. And she never will.

[Control room]

As they step back into the control room, the Doctor and the Alchemist make a beeline for Zach.

"The ground gave way. Our TARDIS must've fallen straight into the heart of the planet. But you've got robot drills heading the same way," the Doctor asks, his voice tight with urgency.

Zach shakes his head, "We can't divert the drilling."

"But we need our ship. It's all we've got. Literally the only thing," the Doctor pleads, his grip tightening around his wife's hand.

Rose watches, her frown deepening. Forgotten again. Unimportant.

Zach exhales, firm but unmoved, "Doctor, we've only got the resources to drill one central shaft down to the power source. That's it. No diversions, no distractions, no exceptions. Your machine is lost," he meets their eyes with finality, "All I can do is offer you a lift—if we ever get to leave this place. And that is the end of it."

An awkward silence lingers until Ida speaks up, hesitant, "I'll, um, put you on the duty roster. We need someone in the laundry."

And just like that, the conversation is over.

The Doctor, the Alchemist, and Rose are left standing in the now-empty room, save for a silent Ood.

"Open door 1. Close door 1."

The Doctor exhales, his expression dark, "I've trapped you both here."

Through their bond, the Alchemist reaches out, her presence a soothing tide against his restless thoughts.

'We have each other, and we're very good at getting out of traps, Theta,' her silent voice is warm, steady.

Love and reassurance ripple through their connection into him.

The Doctor nods slightly, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction.

Rose, oblivious to the exchange, quickly chimes in, her voice light but forced, "No, don't worry about me."

The ground trembles beneath them.

Her forced bravado vanishes.

"Okay," she blurts, eyes wide, "We're on a planet that shouldn't exist, under a black hole, with no way out," she lets out a shaky breath, "Yeah, I've changed my mind. Start worrying about me."

[Habitation 3]

The Alchemist and the Doctor are examining the alien script; the Time Lady is tearing up pieces of the copies and placing them here and there, spinning them about.

"See anything else familiar?" he asks as he watches her work.

She hums and moves pieces about and around.

"It's really chopped up. It's less of a puzzle and more of a plate that's been smashed over and over," the Time Lady mutters.

Zach, over tannoy, calls out, "Danny, check the temperature in Ood Habitation. It seems to be rising."

The Time Lady pauses then and tilts her head, listening.

'What do you hear,' the Doctor asks.

She sighs and goes back to ripping up the papers and refitting them.

'Scooti just returned from the surface, and they're at point sixteen in the drilling process. I think that means they're close to their goal,' she tells him.

The Alchemist also heard a computer say, 'he is awake,' so that's just fantastic for her, and on top of Toby's mind deteriorating through verbal responses to the psychic entity, now the Ood are being affected.

She steps back and rounds the table while the Doctor watches with quirked lips.

The Alchemist shifts eleven more pieces in different directions and nods to herself.

"Anything interesting?" the Time Lord asks knowingly.

She huffs, "It doesn't make much sense, honestly. I still mostly have fragments here, but I have one sentence that... sort of works; it just doesn't fit."

"What is it?"

"In the space where time stands still, they rekindle," she mumbles.

The Doctor shrugs, "It must mean here, Kroptor."

"We're not standing still. We're being held in orbit," she points to three full glyphs, "These also read as 'space,' 'frozen,' 'fire,' and 'return' separately. Together, they make the whole line, meaning they could be fragmented themselves."

He sighs, "There's too much missing then."

"Exactly," the Alchemist confirms.

The lights flicker overhead, drawing their attention upward.

"Zach? Have we got a problem?" Ida calls over the comms.

"No more than usual," Zach replies, "Got the Scarlet System burning up. Might be worth a look."

She nods, "You might want to see this. A moment in history."

Ida presses a button, and the metal shutters slide open. A vast expanse of space is revealed, dominated by a swirling red cloud at the edge of the black hole's pull.

She gestures toward it, "There. On the edge. That red cloud—that used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Peluchi, a mighty civilization spanning a billion years. And now, it's gone forever. Their planets and suns consumed. Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed its passing."

The room is quiet for a moment before the Doctor speaks up, "Uh, no, could you leave it open? Just for a bit. I won't go mad, I promise."

Ida gives him a knowing look, "How would you know?"

"He's already mad," the Alchemist mutters, earning herself a playful nudge before the Doctor settles into a seat.

Ida chuckles, then shifts back into command mode, "Scooti, check the lockdown. Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me."

Jefferson and Ida exit through door 19 as Scooti opens door 18.

"Open door 18."

Rose sinks into a seat opposite the Time Lords, "I've seen films and things, yeah. They say black holes are like gateways to another universe."

"Close door 18."

"Not that one," the Doctor tells her as the Alchemist settles beside him, "It just eats."

Rose exhales, staring out into space, "Long way from home."

The Doctor points dramatically, "Go that way, turn right, keep going for, uh, about five hundred years, and you'll reach Earth."

Rose checks her phone, frowning, "No signal. First time we've gone out of range," she hesitates, "Mind you, even if I could call her… what would I even say?"

A thought occurs, and she looks to the Time Lords, "Can you build another TARDIS?"

The Alchemist sighs, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. The ship acts of her own will, referred to as she —and yet, somehow, Rose still doesn't understand.

"They were grown, not built," she explains quietly, "The TARDIS is alive."

"And with our planet gone, we're kind of stuck," the Doctor adds.

Rose, trying to lighten the mood, shrugs, "Well, it could be worse. This lot said they'd give us a lift."

The Doctor raises an eyebrow, "And then what?" he slides an arm off the table, resting his hand on the Alchemist's thigh.

"I don't know," Rose says, "Find a planet, get a job, live a life. Same as the rest of the universe."

The Alchemist's eyes snap open, and she and the Doctor exchange a horrified look.

"We'd have to settle down," the Doctor declares in mock horror, "Get a house or something. A proper house with— with doors and things. Carpets. Us , living in a house. Now that is terrifying."

The Alchemist smirks, "You act like we've never had a house before, Doctor. Absolutely no carpets, though."

Rose hesitates. It never really occurred to her that they had lives before she met them. She supposes it was on their planet. She knows they had children—but beyond that? She never thought about it.

The Doctor laughs, "Yeah, but our Great House didn't have four walls. It was bigger on the inside! And we had carpets! There are carpets in the TARDIS," he scoffs, "Also— working? What even are jobs?"

The Alchemist smirks, "Gallifreyan technology, Doctor. Those carpets are self-cleaning, and you know it. Regular carpets? Disgusting. Full of mold, dirt, skin cells, dust mites…" she shudders. "Unless you plan on donning a French maid's outfit and vacuuming 24/7, we are not getting carpets."

"Cheeky," he mutters, giving her thigh a squeeze.

She grins, "Also, unlike you, I do have a job."

The Doctor pauses, "You do?"

Resting her elbow on the table, she props her chin in her hand, "I write and publish scientific articles. Right now, I'm focused on the study of new life forms."

"Huh," he muses, "And you're getting paid ?"

She gives him an incredulous look, "No, I'm doing it for free. Of course, I'm getting paid, you idiot."

Rose, snapping out of her thoughts, smirks, "You'd have to get a mortgage."

The Doctor groans, "No."

"Oh, yes," Rose teases.

"I'm dying," the Doctor announces, clutching his chest with mock agony, "That's it. I'm dying. It's all over."

Rose, ignoring that the Alchemist is there, says, "What about me? I'd have to get one, too. I don't know… could be the same one. We could, I don't know…"

"What, share?" The Alchemist smirks, unimpressed, "Mm, no. We always have access to our funds. We'd just buy a house outright if we needed to. You can live in the apartment above the garage, though."

Rose stiffens, the veiled rejection hitting its mark, "Garage?"

"Garage," the Alchemist repeats smoothly, "We'd need the space. Not to mention…" she casts a brief glance at her Bondmate, "Soundproofing in this era isn't great ."

Rose swallows hard, suddenly aware of her mistake. The Alchemist isn't just dismissing her—she's reminding her precisely who the Doctor belongs to.

The Doctor, meanwhile, is still trying to process the real revelation, "Wait—since when do we have access to our accounts?"

The Alchemist waves him off, "Later pile."

"Ugh, fine … Right, anyway," he exhales, moving on.

Rose bites her cheek, holding back whatever she was about to say.

The Doctor shifts, his voice softer now, "I promised Jackie I'd always take you home."

Rose shrugs, "Everyone leaves home in the end."

"Not to end up stuck here," he counters.

She smiles, "Yeah, but stuck with you two? That's not so bad."

The Time Lady raises an eyebrow, incredulous, "Yeah?"

"Yes," Rose affirms.

Just then, her phone rings. Confused, she answers, and a chilling voice cuts through, " He is awake."

The phone slips from her fingers.

The Alchemist's eyes darken.

'The young one,' she hears the Vortex call out.

The Doctor straightens, "We should check in on the Ood."

The Time Lady stands as well, "I'm going to speak with Scooti while you do that."

"You sure? We could do it together," the Doctor offers.

She shakes her head, "No. I need to speak with her alone," a pause, "You… good luck with the Ood."

Without another word, the Alchemist turns and exits Habitation Three, heading towards Scooti's location. The pull of instinct tells her exactly where to go.

[Corridor]

The Alchemist steps through the Vortex, materializing just outside Toby's quarters. She waits, listening.

'Amara, the Ood are at Basic 30,' the Doctor calls out, 'They just said, 'You will worship him.''

She exhales sharply, 'Something strange is going on.'

'No kidding.'

The door to the corridor slides open, and Scooti steps out, looking uneasy.

"Scooti, come with me," the Time Lady orders.

Scooti blinks, startled, before she laughs, "I need to check Door 41. It's the airlock. No one should be outside since it's the night shift."

"Exactly why you need to come with me," the Alchemist counters.

She doesn't wait for an argument—just grabs the girl and slings her over her shoulder before taking off down the corridor.

"Put me down! " Scooti shouts, squirming against her hold.

Further down the corridor, outside on the planet's surface, Toby stands motionless, his body covered in the eerie black symbols. The glow of Kroptor casts his shadow long against the outpost.

Slowly, he turns, his gaze locking onto the airlock door.

His fist clenches.

A crack splinters through the glass.

He tightens his grip.

The glass shatters.

[Ood Habitation]

The base begins to quake.

"Emergency hull breach. Emergency hull breach," the computer calls out.

Danny runs over, "Which section?"

Rose looks at the Doctor, terrified.

[Control room]

"Everyone, evacuate eleven to thirteen. We've got a breach. The base is open. Repeat, the base is open!" Zach calls out over comm.

[Habitation 3]

"Open door 19."

The Doctor, Danny, and Rose rush through the open door, panicking.

"Close door 19."

[Control room]

"I can't contain the oxygen field. We're going to lose it," Zach says, his voice tight with urgency.

Suddenly, the Alchemist appears, rushing through the door with Scooti in tow. She drops the girl unceremoniously to the ground. Scooti gasps, eyes wide in horror and confusion as the realization of her near-death sinks in.

"Move, Zach!" the Time Lady commands.

He barely has time to react before she zaps the screen with her sonic.

"Breach sealed. Breach sealed," the computer announces.

Zach exhales heavily, "You did it. Thank you."

She waves him off, already kneeling beside Scooti. Gently, she takes the girl's face in her hands, blocking the memories before they can fully take hold.

"You just…" Scooti whispers, alarm creeping into her voice.

The Alchemist shakes her head, pressing a finger to the girl's lips in silent warning. Scooti hesitates, then nods—agreeing but still confused.

"Oxygen levels normal," the computer reports.

The Alchemist turns to Zach, her gaze sharp, "Tell them you fixed the seal. Not me."

He frowns, "Why?"

She sighs, stepping forward. With a light touch to his temple, she erases the memories tainted by the Beast, then leans in to whisper in his ear.

"Because you're the Captain. And I'm Lady Ally Starlight-Smith. No one here can know I'm around. That's an order."

Zach's breath catches. His eyes widen in shock before he gives a single, stiff nod. She pulls her hand away.

The Alchemist really, really wants to know why that works every time.

Scooti, oblivious to the exchange, sits curled in the corner, still trembling but slowly beginning to calm. The Time Lady reaches out, helping her to her feet.

Scooti doesn't hesitate. She throws her arms around the Alchemist in a tight, grateful hug.

[Corridor]

"Come on! Keep moving!" Jefferson barks as the crew sprints in from different sections of the ship, their footsteps echoing through the corridors.

"And you too, Toby!" he orders, his voice sharp.

"Breach sealed. Breach sealed."

The Doctor spins, eyes scanning the room frantically, "Everyone all right!? What happened? What was it? Where's the Alchemist!?" his voice rises with each question.

"Oxygen levels normal."

Jefferson exhales, steadying himself, "Hull breach. We were open to the elements. Another couple of minutes, and we'd have been inspecting that black hole at close quarters."

The Doctor barely acknowledges the explanation, his focus elsewhere.

"Ally!?" he calls again, urgency laced in his voice; his jaw tightens as he turns back, "That wasn't a quake. What caused it? Where's my wife!?"

'Amara, where are you!?' he mentally cries in desperation.

He can feel her presence and knows she's safe—but after something like that, he needs to see her with his own eyes.

[Control room]

Zach says over comm, "Ally is here in the Control room. We've lost sections eleven to thirteen. Everyone, alright?"

[Corridor]

The Doctor's shoulders sag with relief when she reaches out, 'Theta, I'm here. I'm safe.'

"We've got everyone here except Scooti. Scooti, report. Scooti Manista? That's an order. Report," Jefferson calls, scanning the room.

"She's alright. She's with me and Ally," Zach confirms over the comms.

"Good. Ally, you okay?" the Doctor asks, his voice still edged with concern.

"Just fine, Doctor," the Alchemist reassures him over the tannoy.

"How about that, eh? We survived," Zach's voice is steady, but the lingering tension says otherwise.

"Habitation Three," Jefferson suggests, straightening up, "Come on. I don't say this often, but I think we could all do with a drink."

The Doctor turns to Toby, his expression sharpening, "What happened?"

"I don't... I don't know. I was working, and then—I can't remember. All that noise. The room was falling apart. There was no air..."

"Come on. Up you get. Come and have some protein one," Rose coaxes, offering him a hand.

The Doctor winces, "Oh, you've gone native."

Rose grins, "Oi, don't knock it. It's nice. Protein one with just a dash of three."

[Habitation Three]

The base falls into an eerie silence.

"It's stopped," Ida announces.

Rose looks around, uneasy, "What was that? What just happened?"

"The drill," the Doctor replies, his gaze fixed ahead.

A slow grin spreads across Ida's face, "We've stopped drilling. We've made it. Point Zero."

The Alchemist exhales quietly, rolling her neck and stretching her arms as if preparing for battle.

"Some timing," Scooti mutters, her voice barely above a whisper.

[Corridor]

"You're going down," the Alchemist states, watching him closely.

The Doctor turns to her with a knowing grin, "You knew I would. Is that really so surprising?"

She shakes her head, "No. But if you need me, reach out—mentally."

"I will. I always need you," he smiles, taking her hand.

[Drilling area]

Zach's voice comes over the tannoy, "All non-essential Ood to be confined."

"Capsule established. All systems functioning. The mineshaft is go. Bring systems online now," Ida announces.

She and the Doctor stand suited up in bright orange spacesuits, ready for descent.

Grinning, the Doctor approaches Zach, "Reporting as a volunteer for the expeditionary force."

Zach exhales sharply, already exhausted, "Doctor, this is breaking every single protocol. We don't even know who you are."

The Time Lord tilts his head, a knowing look in his eyes, "Yeah, but you trust me, don't you? And you can't let Ida go down there on her own. Go on, look me in the eye. Yes, you do—I can see it. Trust."

Zach hesitates, then frowns, "I should be going down."

"The Captain doesn't lead the mission," the Doctor reminds him, "He stays here, in charge."

Zach scoffs, shaking his head, "Not much good at it, am I?" despite his self-doubt, he turns to the crew, "Positions! We're going down in two. Everyone, positions! Mister Jefferson! I want maximum system enhancement."

The Doctor beams, inspecting his suit excitedly, "Oxygen, nitro balance, gravity—it's been ages since I wore one of these."

The Alchemist steps forward, giving him a quick kiss and a playful wink. He smiles back, nodding.

Rose crosses her arms, "I want that spacesuit back in one piece. You got that?"

"Yes, sir," the Doctor replies with mock seriousness, giving her a little salute before securing his helmet.

Rose frowns, watching him, "It's funny… people back home think space travel's all whizzing about and teleports and anti-gravity, but it's not, is it? It's tough."

The Doctor nods, "I'll see you later."

"Not if I see you first," the Alchemist quips, stepping closer, "One last kiss for luck."

She presses a kiss against his helmet, deliberately ignoring the waves of frustration and jealousy radiating off Rose.

'Keep your visual open; I want to see everything,' the Alchemist orders silently.

With a final nod, he steps into position.

[Control room]

"Capsule active," Zach announces, "Counting down in ten, nine..."

[Drilling area]

"...Eight, seven, six..."

The Doctor and Ida go into the capsule, and Jefferson closes the door.

"...Five, four, three, two, one. Release."

Rose holds the microphone as she monitors the screen to track their descent of the capsule on the cable as Toby keeps checking his palms, confused.

The Alchemist is eyeing Rose and Toby in concern and frustration. She's also keeping an eye on the Doctor's visual perspective.

[Control room]

"You've gone beyond the oxygen field. You're on your own." Zach informs them.

[Drilling area]

"Don't forget to breath. Breathing's good," Rose begs over comm.

[Control room]

Zach grumbles, "Rose, stay off the comm."

[Drilling area]

"No chance," Rose replies defiantly.

The Alchemist huffs. "Yeah, good luck with that one."

Rose shoots her a glare, but the Time Lady meets it with a harder, unwavering stare. The girl flinches, looking away.

Experiencing heightened tremors, the capsule unexpectedly plunges and collides forcefully with the ground.

"Doctor?" Rose calls out, panic creeping into her voice, "Doctor, are you all right?"

The Alchemist doesn't even blink, "He's fine. They've reached ground level now."

Rose glares at her again, but the Alchemist meets it with full force, unyielding.

[Control room]

The display reads that the capsule has reached Point Zero.

Zach calls out, "Ida, report to me. Doctor?"

[Point Zero]

"It's all right, just like Ally said. We've made it. Stepping out of the capsule now," the Doctor reports.

"What's it like down there?" Rose asks over comm.

The Doctor frowns, scanning his surroundings. "Hard to say. Some sort of cave... a cavern. It's massive."

"Well, this should help—gravity globe," Ida announces, tossing the sphere into the air. It ignites, flooding the cavern with light.

She exhales sharply. "That's... that's—My God, that's beautiful."

The Doctor takes in the sight, his eyes wide with wonder. "Rose, you can tell Toby—we've found his civilization."

Around them, the cavern walls rise, carved into towering pillars and statues, ancient and imposing.

[Drilling area]

Rose calls over, "Oi, Toby. Sounds like you've got plenty of work."

"Good, good. Good," he says, rubbing his hands.

The Alchemist side-eyes him. The Long-Lived One is spreading out again, trying to reach something or someone. Perhaps multiples.

[Control room]

"Concentrate now, people. Keep on the mission. Ida, what about the power source?" Zach calls out.

[Point Zero]

"We're close." she replies, "Energy signature indicates north northwest. Are you getting pictures up there?"

"There's too much interference. We're in your hands," Zach informs them over comm.

"Well, we've come this far. There's no turning back," Ida quips.

The Doctor groans, "Oh, did you have to? No turning back? That's almost as bad as nothing can possibly go wrong, or this is going to be the best Christmas Walford's ever had."

"Are you finished?" she deadpans.

He shrugs, "Yeah. Finished."

[Ood Habitation]

"Captain, sir," Danny alerts, "There's something happening with the Ood."

[Control room]

"What are they doing?"

The Alchemist closes her eyes and adjusts her senses. The creature has taken over the Ood. All of them. That's the Ood and Toby now that are gone and lost to it.

[Ood Habitation]

"They're staring at me. I've told them to stop, but they won't," Danny mutters, worried.

"Danny, you're a big boy," Zach tells him, "I think you can take being stared at."

[Ood Habitation]

"But the telepathic field, sir. It's at basic one hundred. I've checked. There isn't any fault. It's definitely one hundred," he replies in alarm.

[Drilling area]

"But that's impossible," Zach responds, not believing him.

"What's basic one hundred mean?" Rose asks.

"Death," the Alchemist darkly replies.

[Ood Habitation]

"She's right, they should be dead," Danny confirms.

[Drilling area]

Jefferson nods, "Basic one hundred's brain death."

"Danny, get yourselves out of that room. Now!" The Alchemist orders.

[Control room]

"Ally, are you sure?" Zach asks.

"Yes, positive," she replies.

There are standing orders to follow everything Lady Ally Starlight-Smith says when she appears on a mission.

The man nods, confirming the order, "Keep watching them as you head out of the room. And you, Jefferson?"

[Drilling area]

"Keep a guard on the Ood," they hear over comm.

"Officer at arms!" Jefferson calls.

A crewman confirms, "Yes, sir."

They point their guns towards the Ood, holding steady.

Rose calls out, "You can't fire a gun in here. What if you hit a wall?"

"I'm firing stock fifteen," Jefferson informs her, "It only impacts upon organics. Keep watch. Guard them."

There are three Ood currently in the space.

"Yes, sir," a female guard says.

"Is everything alright up there?" the Doctor calls out.

Rose grabs the comm, "Yeah, yeah."

'Whatever it is, I'll handle it,' The Alchemist says telepathically, 'Just focus on finding what's down there for now.'

'I can come back…' the Doctor goes to reply when she interrupts.

'No.'

[Control room]

"It's fine," Zach replies.

[Ood Habitation]

"Great," Danny says.

Danny and the guard slowly leave the room, eyes on the Ood the entire time before shutting doors and running down the corridor towards the Drilling area.

[Point Zero]

Between two colossal pillars, the Doctor and Ida find themselves surrounded by rubble, their attention drawn to an enormous, ornately decorated circular door embedded in the floor.

"We've found something," the Time Lord reports; his eyes narrow as he steps closer, "It looks like metal. Some sort of seal. And I've got a nasty feeling the word for it might be trapdoor. Not a good word, trapdoor. Never met a trapdoor I liked."

Ida nods, studying the edge, "It's covered with those symbols."

'Show me, Theta. I need to see it from right to left,' the Alchemist instructs him.

He moves carefully, showing her the symbols on the floor as if he were reading them.

She reads them silently, "It speaks its oath, and the Chosen One rises higher while the Long-Lived One finally falls."

"Do you think it opens?" Zach's voice crackles through the comm.

The Doctor frowns, "That's what trapdoors tend to do."

Ida exhales, shaking her head, "Trapdoor doesn't do it justice. It's massive, Zach—about thirty feet in diameter."

"Any way of opening it?" Zach presses.

"I don't know," Ida admits, "I can't see any sort of mechanism."

"I suppose the writing will tell us what to do," the Doctor muses, "The letters that defy translation... Ally and Toby might know."

"I don't know," the Alchemist lies smoothly.

'I do, but I can't say yet,' she tells the Doctor privately.

'Amara, this isn't the time for putting off the truth,' he counters, irritation creeping into his tone.

'It's absolutely one of the times I must, Theta Sigma,' she replies firmly.

The Doctor falls silent, wary.

[Control room]

"Toby, did you get anywhere with decoding it?" Zach calls out.

[Drilling area]

Rose turns to the man, "Toby, they need to know that lettering. Does it make any sort of sense?"

"I know what it says."

She rolls her eyes, "Then tell them."

"When did you work that out?" Jefferson asks.

"It doesn't matter, just tell them," Rose says, waving him off.

"Trust me, Rose, it matters," the Alchemist mutters, glaring at 'Toby.'

The black symbols appear all over Toby, his eyes blood red.

"These are the words of the Beast. And he has woken. He is the heart that beats in the darkness. He is the blood that will never cease. And now he will rise," he says, voice echoing.

"Officer, stand down. Stand down," Jefferson orders, frantic.

[Point Zero]

"What is it? What's he done? What's happening?" the Doctor demands, "Ally, Rose, what's going on!?"

[Control room]

"Jefferson? Report. Report!" Zach calls out.

[Drilling area]

Jefferson shouts, "Officer, as Commander of Security, I order you to stand down and be confined. Immediately!"

Rose grips the comm tightly, "He's come out in those symbols all over his face. They're all over him."

The Alchemist stays silent, focusing on holding back her desire to pull up the Vortex, glaring between Toby and the Ood.

"Mister Jefferson. Tell me, sir. Did your wife ever forgive you?" Toby smirks.

"I don't know what you mean," he replies, alarmed.

Toby continues, "Let me tell you a secret. She never did."

Jefferson glares, "Officer, you stand down and be confined."

"Or what?" he snarks.

"Or under the strictures of Condition Red, I am authorized to shoot you," Jefferson exclaims.

Toby raises his arms, "But how many can you kill?"

He opens his mouth wide, and the symbols shift away from his body, floating over to the Ood, who jerk to attention like puppets on strings. Toby collapses to the ground in a heap.

[Ood Habitation]

"We are the Legion of the Beast," all of the Ood call out.

[Point Zero]

The Doctor alarmed, calls out, "Ally? Rose? What is it, Ally? I'm going back up."

"Report. Report!" Zach yells

'Stay down there, I have this handled,' the Alchemist orders.

He growls back, 'I can't stay here when you're in danger!'

'I. Have. It. Handled,' she replies, irritated.

[Control room]

Zach shouts into the comm, "Jefferson, report. Someone, report!"

[Ood Habitation]

The Ood call out, "The Legion shall be many, and the Legion shall be few."

[Drilling area]

"It's the Ood," the Alchemist says dryly.

"Sir, we have contamination in the livestock," Jefferson says.

Rose calls into the comm, "Doctor, I don't know what it is. It's like they're possessed!"

"They won't listen to us," Jefferson confirms.

"Because they're brain-dead," the Alchemist reminds him, and he meets her stern gaze, frowning.

[Ood Habitation]

"He has woven himself in the fabric of your life since the dawn of time. Some may call him Abaddon. Some may call him Kroptor. Some may call him Satan or Lucifer," the Ood say in unison, "Or the Bringer of Despair, the Deathless Prince, the Bringer of Night."

One Ood walks up the steps to the catwalk, and they all begin to exit the Habitation area.

"These are the words that shall set him free."

[Drilling area]

"Back up to the door!" Jefferson orders.

The Alchemist stays where she is and shouts, "Do not open that door!"

"I shall become manifest," the Ood continue.

"Move quickly!" Jefferson shouts, and the security team and Rose rush to the door.

"I shall walk in might."

"To the door! Get it open!"

"My Legions shall swarm across the worlds."

The Time Lady demands again, "Do not open that door!"

[Point Zero]

The center of the trapdoor begins to sink in, and the ground quakes.

Ida backs up, "Doctor, it's opening!"

[Control room]

"We're moving! The whole thing's moving," Zach shouts into the comm, "The planet's moving."

The overhead metal shutters fly open.

[Point Zero]

The Doctor sprints back towards Ida as the segmented sections of the trapdoor open.

[Drilling area]

"I am the sin and the temptation and the desire. I am the pain and the loss and the..."

"Get that door open!" Jefferson orders again, ignoring the Time Lady.

The open trapdoor reveals a colossal deep chasm leading into darkness.

[Control room]

"The gravity field. It's going!" Zach shouts, "We're losing orbit! We're going to fall into the black hole!"

[Drilling area]

"...I have been imprisoned for eternity. But no more."

The Alchemist rolls her eyes but sighs in relief when she hears the computer.

"Door sealed," it alerts.

"Come on!" Rose says, prying at the door and pressing the buttons over and over.

"Door sealed."

"Do not open that door, Rose Tyler!" the Alchemist shouts, furious, and the girl backs up.

She asks, "Why not?"

"Because I said so, and that's rule one!" she snaps.

[Point Zero]

"The Pit is open. And I am free!"