Storm: Time Jump

End of the World 2

The pair ran back to the observation gallery, and the Doctor growled at her: "Care to tell me what's going on?"

"It's spoilers, I can't tell you." Teresa told him and he snapped: "Oh, you and your spoilers! If you're not going to be useful, why have foreknowledge at all?"

"You know we can't tell people about future events without consequences." Teresa pointed out and he muttered under his breath. She couldn't hear what he said but it definitely did not sound flattering.

She ignored that and she told him: "I can only give hints, and here's one: the last human."

He frowned at her, but they'd arrived and the pair walked into the gallery just as Jabe was saying: "The metal machine confirms. The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of Platform One."

Cassandra demanded: "How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturise me, moisturise me."

The Doctor grabbed the metal spider from Jabe's hand, moving to sonic it as Moxx ordered: "Summon the Steward."

"I'm afraid the Steward is dead." Jabe replied and the whole room filled with gasps and terrified murmurs.

Moxx cried: "Who killed him?"

Cassandra accused: "This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe. He invited us." Boe shook his head as Cassandra cried: "Talk to the Face. Talk to the Face."

"Leave him alone, Cassandra!" Teresa snapped and Cassandra's eyes narrowed at the blonde girl angrily.

But the Doctor interrupted: "Easy way of finding out."

He held up the spider and commented: "Someone bought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to master."

He placed the spider on the ground, and its eye lit up again. It scuttled off across the floor, stopping briefly before Cassandra. The Doctor's eyes narrowed as he put this together with Teresa's words, but he stayed silent, just watching as the spider scuttled away and stopped before the black robed Memes.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. J'accuse!" Cassandra cried as the crowd all began to whisper again, but the Doctor said loudly as he walked over to the Memes: "That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it-" the Meme tried to hit him, but the Doctor grabbed the arm and then pulled it off.

Teresa flinched, shuddering as the metal arm wriggled before dying and the Meme stopped moving. The Doctor continued: "A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are, an idea."

He snapped a wire from the arm, causing the Meme all collapse. The crowd gasped and murmured as the Doctor tossed the arm down and explained: "Remote controlled Droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo."

He nudged the spider with his foot. "Go home."

It scuttled off again and stopped before Cassandra for real this time. Some people gasped again, while Cassandra snapped at the Doctor petulantly: "I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed."

Oh, the irony of that statement later. Teresa thought wryly.

"At arms!" Cassandra ordered and her attendants raised their sprays, making the Doctor ask with fake fear: "What are you going to do, moisturise me?"

"With acid." Cassandra said flatly. She then smiled as she added triumphantly: "Oh, you're too late, anyway."

The Doctor's eyes narrowed as Cassandra explained: "My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just as pretty face."