Plans Change
The Doctor's Daughter
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“Ah!” I screamed as they pushed my hand into the machine.
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A male walked out. He had my black hair, but styled like Ten’s. His eyes were a golden yellow, curiously looking about. His head was Ten shaped too, but he had my round cheekbones. He was, maybe six feet? He wasn’t thin like Ten, more like me. He was wearing the same clothes as everyone else. There was a tingling sensation in my spine, and a knot at the base.
He was like me.
They gave him a gun, letting him look it over before guiding him to the side.
I gaped at the boy. They pulled my hand out of the machine, then roughly back in. “Gah!”
I felt the skin be ripped off a second time. The rest of the process was kinda blurry as I noticed another soldier come out of the machine.
She was very much like me, more so than her brother. Her hair was long, and chestnut brown. Her eyes were blue, like an ocean. She was my height.
I loved them already.
They were both armed. They were dangerous.
They were Spencers.
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I glared at the General. “You send my babies out there, and I will execute you.”
He looked down at me. “Is that a warning?”
“It’s a promise.” I said. “And when I promise something, I keep that promise.”
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“You follow my orders!” The General ordered.
“You listen to your mother!” I barked.
The two kids froze. In a blink, they turned around and marched to my side.
“You will obey me!” The General ordered.
“We obey Mom.” The boy corrected.
“She’s scary.” The girl admitted. She had an accent.
My jaw dropped. “Hold up. Why does she get the cool Scottish accent?”
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“Take them all to the Brig.” General ordered.
Soldiers grabbed our arms, dragging us away.
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==PC==
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(A large room with a slightly domed roof and a gallery. There are more clone chambers here. The ambient lighting is red.)
The Doctor: “So, where are we? What planet’s this?”
Cline: “Messaline. Well, what’s left of it.”
TANNOY: “Six six three seventy five deceased. Generation six six seven one, extinct. Generation six six seven two, forty six deceased. Generation six six eight zero, fourteen deceased. Generation six-”
Donna: “But this is a theatre.”
The Doctor: “Maybe they’re doing Miss Saigon.”
Donna: “It’s like a town or a city underground. But why?”
(A man with a neatly trimmed white beard approaches.)
The Doctor: “General Cobb, I presume.”
Cobb: “Found in the western tunnels, I’m told, with no marks. There was an outbreak of pacifism in the eastern zone three generations back, before we lost contact. Is that where you came from?”
The Doctor: “Eastern zone, that’s us, yeah. Yeah. I’m The Doctor, this is Donna.”
Jenny: “And I’m Jenny.”
Cobb: “Don’t think you can infect us with your peacemaking. We’re committed to the fight, to the very end.”
The Doctor: “Well, that’s all right. I can’t stay, anyway. I’ve got to go and find my friend.”
Cobb: “That’s not possible. All movement is regulated. We’re at war.”
The Doctor: “Yes, I noticed. With the Hath. But tell me, because we got a bit out of circulation, eastern zone and all that. So who exactly are the Hath?”
(The Hath take Martha to a very similar room, complete with clone chambers, but the ambient lighting is blue.)
Cobb: “Back at the dawn of this planet, these ancient halls were carved from the earth. Our ancestors dreamt of a new beginning. A colony where human and Hath would work and live together.”
The Doctor: “So what happened?”
Cobb: “The dream died. Broken, along with Hath promises. They wanted it all for themselves. But those early pioneers, they fought back. They used the machines to produce soldiers instead of colonists, and began this battle for survival.”
Donna: “There’s nothing but earth outside, why’s that? Why build everything underground?”
Cline: “The surface is too dangerous.”
Donna: “Well, then why build windows in the first place? And what does this mean?” (601707 something on a plaque.)
Cobb: “The rites and symbols of our ancestors. The meaning’s lost in time.”
The Doctor: “How long’s this war gone on for?”
Cobb: “Longer than anyone can remember. Countless generations marked only by the dead.”
Donna: “What, fighting all this time?”
Jenny: “Because we must. Every child of the machine is born with this knowledge. It’s our inheritance. It’s all we know. How to fight, and how to die.”
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(The same thing is going on.)
The Doctor: “Does this show the entire city, including the Hath zones?”
Cobb: “Yes. Why?”
The Doctor: “Well, it’ll help us find Martha.”
Cline: “We’ve more important things to do. The progenation machines are powered down for the night shift, but soon as they’re active, we could breed a whole platoon from you two.”
Donna: “I’m not having sons and daughters by some great big flipping machine. Sorry, no offence, but you’re not. Well, I mean, you’re not real.”
Jenny: “You’re no better than him. I have a body, I have a mind, I have independent thought. How am I not real? What makes you better than me?”
Cobb: “Well said, soldier. We need more like you, if ever we’re to find the Source.”
The Doctor: “Ooo, the Source. What’s that, then? What’s a Source? I like a Source. What is it?”
Cobb: “The Breath of Life.”
The Doctor: “And that would be?”
Cline: “In the beginning, the great one breathed life into the universe. And then she looked at what she’d done, and she sighed.”
Jenny: “She. I like that.”
The Doctor: “Right. So it’s a creation myth.”
Cobb: “It’s not myth. It’s real. That sigh. From the beginning of time it was caught and kept as the Source. It was lost when the war started. But it’s here, somewhere. Whoever holds the Source controls the destiny of the planet.”
(The Doctor makes the map buzz.) The Doctor: “Ah! I thought so. There’s a suppressed layer of information in this map. If I can just-” (He uses his sonic screwdriver on it, and up come more tunnels and chambers.)
Donna: “What is it, what’s it mean?”
The Doctor: “See? A whole complex of tunnels hidden from sight.”
The Doctor’s ears perked. He could hear someone...singing.
“That’s singing.” Donna pointed out. “Why is there singing? Didn’t think you boys had a choir.” She joked.
“The Songbird.” The boy explained. “She’s been here for generations, fallen from the sky like a star. According to General Cobb, she’s been here longer than him.”
“How?” Jenny asked. “And why is she singing?”
“They say ‘because her songs mean victory’.” The boy answered.
The Doctor listened closer.
“Hold me close, from now until forever. I’ll be unafraid. Hold me close. Give me back my reason to believe. Come and save me.”
The Doctor wondered on this Songbird, just as much as the Breath of Life.
“They also say she knows the end of this war.” The boy commented. “She knows who will get the Source.”
Cobb: “Tell them to prepare to move out. We’ll progenate new soldiers on the morning shift, then we march. Once we reach the Temple, peace will be restored at long last.”
The Doctor: “Er, call me old-fashioned, but if you really wanted peace, couldn’t you just stop fighting?”
Cobb: “Only when we have the Source. It’ll give us the power to erase every stinking Hath from the face of this planet.”
The Doctor: “Hang on, hang on. A second ago it was peace in our time. Now you’re talking about genocide.”
Cobb: “For us, that means the same thing.”
The Doctor: “Then you need to get yourself a better dictionary. When you do, look up genocide. You’ll see a little picture of me there, and the caption will read, over my dead body.”
Cobb: “And you’re the one who showed us the path to victory. But you can consider the irony from your prison cell. Cline, at arms.”
Donna: “Oi, oi, oi. All right. Cool the beans, Rambo.”
Cobb: “Take them. I won’t have them spreading treason. And if you try anything, Doctor, I’ll see that your woman dies first.”
The Doctor: “No, we’re, we’re not a couple.”
Donna: “I am not his woman.”
Cline: “Come on. This way.”
The Doctor: “I’m going to stop you, Cobb. You need to know that.”
Cobb: “I have an army and the Breath of God on my side, Doctor. What’ll you have?”
The Doctor: “This.” (His brain.)
Cobb: “Lock them up and guard them.”
Cline: “What about the new soldier?”
Cobb: “Can’t trust her. She’s from pacifist stock. Take them all.”
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“...when you’re gone, I don’t belong. An empty wallet with the gas tank full. Taking our chances here we go.” A familiar voice sang.
The three arrived at the cell, seeing three more people inside. The first was a male, with wild black hair and yellow eyes. The other two were women. The first was laying down, her head in the lap of the first. Her hair was a dark shade of brown, curling all over. Her eyes a lovely shade of ocean blue.
The third was the most familiar. Her raven black hair was long, held back in a ponytail. Her amber eyes were looking down at the brunette. She was dressed in bellboy-wear. A dark red shirt, gold bands, and long black pants.
She was the girl who had been singing.
“We’re singing to the radio, and there’s no place that I would rather be. Cause you’re home to me.” She sang.
“Terra?” Donna asked.
The woman looked up, still brushing the brunette’s hair. “Donna? Doctor?” She smiled. “Jenny.”
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“You got kids!” Donna gaped.
“This is Max.” I introduced. “And this is Jane.”
“Hello.” My son greeted.
“Good ta meet you.” My daughter greeted, still laying her head in my lap.
“Jane?” Donna chuckled. “You named her Jane?”
“It means a gift from God.” I said, hugging my daughter. “Her middle is still iffy. Got any ideas?”
“Mom, I told you, I don’t need a middle name.” Jane said.
I clapped my hands. “Jane Darling! You are Jane Darling!”
“Mom!” Jane blushed from embarrassment.
I leaned over to Donna. “I named her after Jane from those Peter Pan movies. Cause I’m Wendy and he is Peter Pan.” I pointed at the Doctor. “And Wendy’s daughter is named Jane.”
“If she’s your daughter, why is she Scottish?” Donna asked.
“I was asking myself the same thing.” I admitted, looking down at Jane. “I ain’t even mad, that’s impressive.”
“Why Max?” Jenny asked.
“Cause I’m goofy, and Goofy’s son is Max.” I explained, grinning at my boy.
Jenny frowned, confused. “What does that mean?”
My eyes widened in horror. “First thing after this, ultimate Disney marathon. My kids will not be ignorant on Disney.”
“But, Jenny’s not your daughter.” Donna said. “She’s the Doctor.”
I smirked. “I know.” A quick glance from the Doctor told me everything. He was switching between the three newborns in the room. He looked at them with trepidation.
“They said you’d be here generations.” The Doctor commented. “Longer than General Cobb.”
“Do they? Wonder why.” I said. “Hey, Donna, you know anything about those?”
(A large cage, numbered 60120716.)
Donna: “More numbers. They’ve got to mean something.”
The Doctor: “Makes as much sense as the Breath of Life story.”
Jenny: “You mean that’s not true?”
Donna: “No, it’s a myth. Isn’t it, Doctor?”
The Doctor: “Yes, but there could still be something real in that temple. Something that’s become a myth. A piece of technology, a weapon.”
Donna: “So the Source could be a weapon and we’ve just given directions to Captain Nutjob?”
The Doctor: “Oh, yes.”
Donna: “Not good, is it?”
The Doctor: “That’s why we need to get out of here, find Martha and stop Cobb from slaughtering the Hath. What, what are you, what are you, what are you staring at?”
Jenny: “You keep insisting you’re not a soldier, but look at you, drawing up strategies like a proper general.”
The Doctor: “No, no. I’m trying to stop the fighting.”
Jenny: “Isn’t every soldier?”
The Doctor: “Well, I suppose, but that’s, that’s. Technically, I haven’t got time for this. Donna, give me your phone. Time for an upgrade.”
Jenny: “And now you’ve got a weapon.”
The Doctor: “It’s not a weapon.”
Jenny: “But you’re using it to fight back. I’m going to learn so much from you. You are such a soldier.”
The Doctor: “Donna, will you tell her?”
Donna: “Oh, you are speechless. I’m loving this. You keep on, Jenny.”
(The Doctor sonics Donna’s phone and calls Martha.) Martha: “Doctor?”
The Doctor: “Martha, you’re alive!”
Martha: “Doctor! Oh, am I glad to hear your voice. Are you alright?”
The Doctor: “I’m with Donna. We’re fine. What about you?”
Donna: “And, and Jenny. She’s fine too.”
The Doctor: “Yes, all right. And, and Jenny. That’s the woman from the machine. The soldier. My daughter, except she isn’t, she’s, she’s.”
I snatched the phone. “Hiya Butterfly. Guess who’s here?”
“Terra!” Martha cheered. “When did you get here?”
“Not important.” I brushed off. “I’m here with my kids. I got two.” I smugly grinned at the Doctor. “I beat him.”
“Were we just used to help Mom win a bet?” Jane asked her brother.
“Contest.” Max corrected. “And I’m actually okay with that.”
“Two kids?”
“Max and Jane.” I said. “I’ll introduce you later.”
The Doctor took the phone back. I rolled my eyes. “Anyway. where are you?”
Martha: “I’m in the Hath camp. I’m okay, but something’s going on. The Hath are all marching off to some place that’s appeared on this map thing.”
The Doctor: “Oh, that was me. If both armies are heading that way, there’s going to be a bloodbath.”
Martha: “What do you want me to do?”
The Doctor: “Just stay where you are. If you’re safe there, don’t move, do you hear?”
Martha: “But I can help.”
SOLDIERS: “To war!”
The Doctor: “They’re getting ready to move out. We have to get past that guard.”
Jenny: “I can deal with him.”
The Doctor: “No, no, no, no. You’re not going anywhere.”
Jenny: “What?”
The Doctor: “You belong here with them.”
Donna: “She belongs with us. With you. She’s your daughter.”
The Doctor: “She’s a soldier. She came out of that machine.”
Donna: “Oh yes, I know that bit. Listen, have you got that stethoscope? Give it to me. Come on.”
Jenny: “What are you doing?”
Donna: “It’s all right. Just hold still.”
(Donna listens to Jenny’s chest.) Donna: “Come here. Listen, and then tell me where she belongs.”
The Doctor: “Two hearts.”
Donna: “Exactly.”
Jenny: “What’s going on?”
Donna: “Does that mean she’s a, what do you call a female Time Lord?”
Jenny: “What’s a Time Lord?”
The Doctor: “It’s who I am. It’s where I’m from.”
Jenny: “And I’m from you.”
The Doctor: “You’re an echo, that’s all. A Time Lord is so much more. A sum of knowledge, a code, a shared history, a shared suffering. Only it’s gone now, all of it. Gone forever.”
Jenny: “What happened?”
The Doctor: “There was a war.”
Jenny: “Like this one?”
The Doctor: “Bigger. Much bigger.”
Jenny: “And you fought, and killed?”
The Doctor: “Yes.”
Jenny: “Then how are we different?”
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Jenny: “Hey.”
Cline: “I’m not supposed to talk to you. I’m on duty.”
Jenny: “I know. Guarding me. So, does that mean I’m dangerous, or that I need protecting?”
Cline: “Protecting from what?”
Jenny: “Oh, I don’t know. Men like you?”
(Jenny kisses Cline through the bars whilst taking his pistol.)
Jenny: “Keep quiet and open the door.”
Donna: “I’d like to see you try that.”
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(There is a guard on the lower flight of metal stairs.)
The Doctor: “That’s the way out.”
(Jenny raises the pistol.)
The Doctor: “Don’t you dare.”
Donna: “Let me distract this one. I have picked up a few womanly wiles over the years.”
The Doctor: “Let’s save your wiles for later. In case of emergency.”
(The Doctor rummages in his coat pockets, and a few moments later a clockwork mouse grinds to a halt behind the guard. He picks it up and Jenny karate chops him from behind.)
The Doctor: “I was going to distract him, not clobber him.”
Jenny: “Well, it worked, didn’t it?”
The Doctor: “They must all have a copy of that new map. Just stay there. Don’t hurt anyone.”
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(The Doctor checks the map he took from the guard.)
The Doctor: “Wait. This is it. The hidden tunnel. There must be a control panel.”
Donna: “It’s another one of those numbers. They’re everywhere.”
(60120714.)
The Doctor: “The original builders must have left them. Some old cataloguing system.”
Donna: “You got a pen? Bit of paper? Because, do you see, the numbers are counting down. This one ends in one four. The prison cell said one six.”
Jenny: “Always thinking, both of you. Who are you people?”
The Doctor: “I told you. I’m the Doctor.”
Jenny: “The Doctor. That’s it?”
Donna: “That’s all he ever says.
Jenny: “So, you don’t have a name either? Are you an anomaly, too?”
The Doctor: “No.”
Donna: “Oh, come off it. You’re the most anomalous bloke I’ve ever met.”
(The Doctor gets into the control panel.)
The Doctor: “Here it is.”
Jenny: “And Time Lords. What are they for, exactly?”
The Doctor: “For? They’re not, they’re not for anything.”
Jenny: “So what do you do?”
The Doctor: “I travel through time and space.”
Donna: “He saves planets, rescues civilisations, defeats terrible creatures. And runs a lot. Seriously, there’s an outrageous amount of running involved.”
(The door opens.)
The Doctor: “Got it!”
Cobb: “Squad five, with me.”
The Doctor: “Now, what were you saying about running?”
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(The Doctor stops running just before the array of laser beams criss-crossing the passage.)
Donna: “That’s not mood lighting, is it?”
(The Doctor tosses the clockwork mouse into the lasers. It gets disintegrated.)
Donna: “No, I didn’t think so.”
The Doctor: “Arming device.”
(He works on a blue box nearby.)
Donna: “There’s more of these. Always eight numbers, counting down the closer we get.”
(60120713.)
The Doctor: “Right, here we go.”
Donna: “You’d better be quick.”
Cobb: “Corridor.”
Jenny: “The General.”
The Doctor: “Where are you going?”
Jenny: “I can hold them up.”
The Doctor: “No, we don’t need any more dead.”
Jenny: “But it’s them or us.”
The Doctor: “It doesn’t mean you have to kill them.”
Jenny: “I’m trying to save your life.”
The Doctor: “Listen to me. The killing. After a while, it infects you. And once it does, you’re never rid of it.”
Jenny: “We don’t have a choice.”
The Doctor: “We always have a choice.”
Jenny: “I’m sorry.”
The Doctor: “Jenny.”
SOLDIER: “This door, now.”
(Jenny runs around the corner and readies a machine gun at the approaching voices.)
SOLDIER: “There she is. At arms. Fire!”
(Jenny exchanges gunfire with Cobb and his soldiers.)
The Doctor: “I told you. Nothing but a soldier.”
Donna: “She’s trying to help.”
(Jenny ducks out of sight to think.)
The Doctor: “Jenny, come on.”
Jenny: “I’m coming.”
Cobb: “Cease fire. Cease fire.”
(The lasers go out.)
Donna: “That’s it.”
The Doctor: “Jenny, leave it! Let’s go.”
(The Doctor and Donna run down the corridor.)
Cobb: “You’re a child of the machine. You’re on my side. Join us. Join us in the war against the Hath. It’s in your blood, girl. Don’t deny it.”
(Jenny stands and takes aim, then shoots a hole in a steam pipe above Cobb before running back.)
The Doctor: “Jenny, come on. That’s it.”
Donna: “Hurry up.”
(The lasers reappear.)
The Doctor: “No, no, no, no, no, no. The circuit’s looped back.”
Donna: “Zap it back again.”
The Doctor: “The controls are back there.”
Jenny: “They’re coming.”
The Doctor: “Wait. Just. There isn’t. Jenny, I can’t-”
Jenny: “I’ll have to manage on my own. Watch and learn, Father.”
(Jenny throws away the weapon and somersaults her way through the laser beams.)
Donna: “No way. But that was impossible.”
The Doctor: “Not impossible. Just a bit unlikely. Brilliant! You were brilliant. Brilliant.”
Jenny: “I didn’t kill him. General Cobb, I could have kill him but I didn’t. You were right. I had a choice.”
(Cobb and the soldiers appear at the other side of the lasers. Donna and Jenny run.)
Cobb: “At arms.”
The Doctor: “I warned you, Cobb. If the Source is a weapon, I’m going to make sure you never use it.”
Cobb: “One of us is going to die today and it won’t be me.”
(The Doctor runs away from the hail of bullets.)
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Jenny: “So, you travel together, but you’re not together?”
Donna: “What? No. No. No way. No, no, we’re friends, that’s all. I mean, we’re not even the same species. There’s probably laws against it.”
Jenny: “And what’s it like, the travelling?”
Donna: “Oh, never a dull moment. It can be terrifying, brilliant and funny, sometimes all at the same time. I’ve seen some amazing things though. Whole new worlds.”
Jenny: “Oh, I’d love to see new worlds.”
Donna: “You will. Won’t she, Doctor?”
The Doctor: “Hmm?”
Donna: “Do you think Jenny will see any new worlds?”
The Doctor: “I suppose so.”
Jenny: “You mean. You mean you’ll take me with you?”
The Doctor: “Well, we can’t leave you here, can we?”
Jenny: “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. Come on, let’s get a move on.”
The Doctor: “Careful, there might be traps.”
Donna: “Kids. They never listen. Oh, I know that look. I see it a lot round our way. Blokes with pushchairs and frowns. You’ve got dad-shock.”
The Doctor: “Dad-shock?”
Donna: “Sudden unexpected fatherhood. Take a bit of getting used to.”
The Doctor: “No, it’s not that.”
Donna: “Well, what is it then? Having Jenny in the TARDIS, is that it? What’s she going to do, cramp your style? Like you’ve got a sports car and she’s going to turn it into a people-carrier?”
The Doctor: “Donna, I’ve been a father before.”
Donna: “What?”
The Doctor: “I lost all that a long time ago, along with everything else.”
Donna: “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me? You talk all the time, but you don’t say anything.”
The Doctor: “I know. I’m just. When I look at her now, I can see them. The hole they left, all the pain that filled it. I just don’t know if I can face that every day.”
Donna: “It won’t stay like that. She’ll help you. We both will.”
The Doctor: “But when they died, that part of me died with them. It’ll never come back. Not now.”
Donna: “I tell you something, Doctor. Something I’ve never told you before. I think you’re wrong.”
(Gunfire. Jenny runs back.)
Jenny: “They’ve blasted through the beams. Time to run again. Love the running. Yeah?”
The Doctor: “Love the running.”
(Up on the surface, Martha can see the protruding construction of the Temple.)
Donna: “We’re trapped.”
The Doctor: “Can’t be. This must be the Temple. This is a door.”
(60120712.)
Donna: “And again. We’re down to one two now-”
The Doctor: “I’ve got it!”
Jenny: “I can hear them.”
The Doctor: “Nearly done.”
Donna: “These can’t be a cataloguing system.”
Jenny: “They’re getting closer.”
The Doctor: “Then get back here.”
Donna: “They’re too similar. Too familiar.”
Jenny: “Not yet.”
The Doctor: “Now! Got it.”
(The Doctor gets the plain door open and they go through. A similar door opens for Martha on the surface.)
Jenny: “They’re coming. Close the door.”
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(The Doctor locks the door.)
Jenny: “Oh, that was close.”
The Doctor: “No fun otherwise.”
Donna: “It’s not what I’d call a temple.”
Jenny: “It looks more like-”
The Doctor: “Fusion drive transport. It’s a spaceship.”
Donna: “What, the original one? The one the first colonists arrived in?”
The Doctor: “Well, it could be, but the power cells would have run down after all that time. This one’s still powered-up and functioning. Come on.”
(They head up a flight of stairs to see someone is cutting their way through another door.)
Jenny: “It’s the Hath. That door’s not going to last much longer. And if General Cobb gets through down there, war’s going to break out.”
The Doctor: “Look, look, look, look, look. Ship’s log.”
(The screen says Messaline Leader One mission log designation XG2482942-372.)
The Doctor: “(reads) First wave of Human/Hath co-colonisation of planet Messaline.”
(Core subterranean deployment successful. Online and active. Phase one initiated. Construction drones deployed. Construction of sections 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3C & 3D complete. Phase one in progress. Construction drones active. Construction of sections 1C, 1D, 2C, 2D, 3A & 3C complete.)
Jenny: “So it is the original ship.”
Donna: “What happened?”
The Doctor: “Phase one, construction. They used robot drones to build the city.”
Donna: “But does it mention the war?”
(The Doctor scrolls down through Phase One in progress. Construction of western quadrant complete. Phase two initiated. Commencing colonisation protocol 0.7. Designated pioneer progenation in progress. Mission commander quarantined due to eruption of byzantine fever. Prognosis negative.
The Doctor: “Final entry.” (reads) “Mission commander dead. Still no agreement on who should assume leadership. Hath and humans have divided into factions. That must be it. A power vacuum. The crew divided into two factions and turned on each other. Start using the progenation machines, suddenly you’ve got two armies fighting a never-ending war.”
Jenny: “Two armies who are now both outside.”
Donna: “Look at that.”
(60120724 on a display above a screen showing the whole planet.)
The Doctor: “It’s like the numbers in the tunnels.”
Donna: “No, no, no, no. But listen, I spent six months working as a temp in Hounslow Library, and I mastered the Dewey Decimal System in two days flat. I’m good with numbers. It’s staring us in the face.”
Jenny: “What is?”
Donna: “It’s the date. Assuming the first two numbers are some big old space date, then you’ve got year, month, day. It’s the other way round, like it is in America-”
The Doctor: “Oh! It’s the New Byzantine Calendar.”
Donna: “The codes are completion dates for each section. They finish it, they stamp the date on. So the numbers aren’t counting down, they’re going out from here, day by day, as the city got built.”
The Doctor: “Yes. Oh, good work, Donna.”
Donna: “Yeah. But you’re still not getting it. The first number I saw back there, was sixty twelve oh seven seventeen. Well, look at the date today.”
The Doctor: “Oh seven twenty four. No.”
Jenny: “What does it mean?”
The Doctor: “Seven days.”
Donna: “That’s it. Seven days.”
The Doctor: “Just seven days.”
Jenny: “What do you mean, seven days?”
The Doctor: “Seven days since war broke out.”
Donna: “This war started seven days ago. Just a week. A week!”
Jenny: “They said years.”
Donna: “No, they said generations. And if they’re all like you, and they’re products of those machines-”
The Doctor: “They could have twenty generations in a day. Each generation gets killed in the war, passes on the legend. Oh, Donna, you’re a genius.”
Jenny: “But all the buildings, the encampments. They’re in ruins.”
The Doctor: “No, they’re not ruined. They’re just empty. Waiting to be populated. Oh, they’ve mythologised their entire history. The Source must be part of that too. Come on.”
(Further along, they meet up with Martha for a joyous reunion.)
Martha: “Doctor!”
The Doctor: “Martha! Oh, I should have known you wouldn’t stay away from the excitement.”
Martha: “Donna.”
Donna: “Oh, you’re filthy. What happened?.”
Martha: “I, er, took the surface route.”
Cobb: “Positions.”
The Doctor: “That’s the General. We haven’t got much time.”
Donna: “We don’t even know what we’re looking for.”
Martha: “Is it me, or can you smell flowers?”
Cobb: “Maintain defensive positions.”
The Doctor: “Yes. Bougainvillea. I say we follow our nose.”
Cobb: “Squads seven to ten, advance. With me.”
(More)
==PC==
(More)
(It’s on a spaceship and it is filled with plants. What else should I call it?)
The Doctor: “Oh, yes. Yes. Isn’t this brilliant?”
(They walk up to a glowing globe on a pedestal with wires running to it. There is a control panel and screen nearby.)
Donna: “Is that the Source?”
Jenny: “It’s beautiful.”
Martha: “What is it?”
The Doctor: “Terraforming. It’s a third generation terraforming device.”
Donna: “So why are we suddenly in Kew Gardens?”
The Doctor: “Because that’s what it does. All this, only bigger. Much bigger. It’s in a transit state. Producing all this must help keep it stable before they finally-”
(The Hath and the soldiers run in from opposite sides.)
The Doctor: “Stop! Hold your fire!”
Cobb: “What is this, some kind of trap?”
The Doctor: “You said you wanted this war over.”
Cobb: “I want this war won.”
The Doctor: “You can’t win. No one can. You don’t even know why you’re here. Your whole history, it’s just Chinese whispers, getting more distorted the more it’s passed on. This is the Source. This is what you’re fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet’s ecosystem. It’s nothing mystical. It’s from a laboratory, not some creator. It’s a bubble of gases. A cocktail of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids. It’s used to make barren planets habitable. Look around you. It’s not for killing, it’s bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and into the bright, bright sunlight. No more fighting, no more killing.”
(The Doctor takes the globe.)
The Doctor: “I’m the Doctor, and I declare this war is over.”
(He throws the globe onto the floor, where it smashes and releases gas and energy. Everyone watches it slowly rise up, then they start to put down their weapons. All except Cobb.)
Jenny: “What’s happening?”
The Doctor: “The gases will escape and trigger the terraforming process.”
Jenny: “What does that mean?”
The Doctor: “It means a new world.”
Jenny: “No!”
*BANG*
The crowd looked to Cobb in shock, the rifle still in his hands. I glared at him, eyes burning in rage. Jenny still stood in front of the Doctor, protecting him. She would be dead right now. My daughter would be dead protecting her own, like in a pack.
The barrel of his gun was in my hand, my other was trying to pry his hand off the trigger. The gun was hot, just on the edge of scalding. The general didn’t even look remorseful. He was proud of what he had done.
I was too.
The barrel was pointed skywards. I had just enough time to mess up his aim before the gun fired. Just enough time to save Jenny.
The Doctor might never know Jenny almost died, but I knew. I knew. She was alive. I could save somebody.
I yanked the rifle out of his hands, throwing it to the ground. The world around us bloomed, filling this new world with life and fresh chances.
Cobb looked between the gun and I, wanting it back in his control so he could kill the Doctor. Then Jenny would step in the way and the Doctor would think she was dead for the rest of his life.
“I said.” I seethed. “That if you want to hurt my kids, you gotta go through me.”
(Jenny takes the bullet Cobb intends for the Doctor. He lays her on the ground.)
Jenny: “A new world. It’s beautiful.”
The Doctor: “Jenny, be strong now. You need to hold on, do you hear me? We’ve got things to do, you and me, hey? Hey? We can go anywhere. Everywhere. You choose.”
Jenny: “That sounds good.”
The Doctor: “You’re my daughter, and we’ve only just got started. You’re going to be great. You’re going to be more than great. You’re going to be amazing. You hear me? Jenny?”
(Jenny dies in the Doctor’s arms.)
The Doctor: “Two hearts. Two hearts. She’s like me. If we wait. If we just wait.”
Martha: “There’s no sign, Doctor. There is no regeneration. She’s like you, but maybe not enough.”
The Doctor: “No. Too much. That’s the truth of it. She was too much like me.”
(The Doctor lays Jenny down and kisses her forehead, then goes over to Cobb. Cline and another soldier are holding his arms and making him kneel. The Doctor picks up the pistol and points it at Cobb’s head for a very long time before putting the safety back on.)
The Doctor: “I never would. Have you got that? I never would. When you start this new world, this world of Human and Hath, remember that. Make the foundation of this society a man who never would.”
(More)
(More)
==PC==
(More)
(Jenny is lying in state when sunlight beings to stream through the stained glass windows.)
Martha: “It’s happening. The terraforming.”
Donna: “Build a city, nice and safe underground, strip away the topsoil and there it is. And what about Jenny?”
Cline: “Let us give her a proper ceremony. I think it’d help us. Please.”
(More)
==PC==
(More)
The Doctor: “Jenny was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here. It just got here too soon, which then created Jenny in the first place. Paradox. An endless paradox. Time to go home?”
Martha: “Yeah. Home.”
(More)
“Doctor, promise me something.” I asked.
The Doctor turned to me, almost hesitant. “Yes?”
I gulped. “I can’t bring Max or Jane into this life. I won’t let their first years of experience be bouncing around the universe on the whim of a broken toy.” I held up the manipulator. “Or, an alien who failed his driving test.” The Doctor scoffed. “I need you to take them someplace. Someplace I know they’ll be safe. Someplace you can show me and let me know they won’t be hurt.” I gave him a warning glance. “Cause I can go to your future. If my kids are hurt in any way, Pinstripes, I won’t be afraid to smack future you into regeneration.”
The Doctor smirk, as if I was joking. I kept my face stern. Then his smile dropped. “You aren’t joking.”
“A mother nevers jokes about her children’s safety.”
(More)
The Doctor grabbed the sides of my head. He pulled me up to him, his brown eyes looking into my amber.
Then he...
The Doctor...
Ten kissed me.
It was a quick kiss, so I couldn’t really enjoy it.
He pulled himself off me. His eyes were wide, then he smirked. I could only blink. “You...what?”
“Not too often I get to stun you into silence.” The Doctor gloated. I blushed. The kissing was still new to me.
This guy thought he could get a one up on me? Not a damn chance of that going on. I grabbed his head, pulling him down to me. This time, I made the kiss long and deep.
There was some snickering off to the side. Then a groan or two from the kids.
“Mom, Dad, you can stop any time now.” Max offered.
“Is this what embarrassment feels like?” Jane asked.
The Doctor and I kept kissing. It was really good. He was running his fingers through my hair, I gripped the lapels in his pinstripe suit. Too bad honest, I wanted to flip the kids off, but Momma shouldn’t act that way.
The only reason we stopped is because of my manipulator.
I groaned. “I wanted to kiss you for much longer.”
“You’re not the only one.” The Doctor said.
We were still so close. It felt kinda awkward to be this close to the Doctor after such a big kiss.
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