Arising From the Fall [4] (The Parallel Series) ✓

The Waters of Mars - Two

"You should be with the others." She protested against it as the Doctor stared into the distance in thought.

"Tell me!" She shouted before taking a breath. "I could ramp up the pressure in that airlock and crush you both."

The Doctors eyes flicked to her on the monitor. "Except you won't. You could have shot Andy Stone, but you didn't. I loved you for that. Imagine, imagine you knew something. Imagine you found yourself somewhere. I don't know, Pompeii." The Stone looked at him startled. Of course, she thought of that adventure once or twice while they were here but she never expected the Doctor to bring it up. "Imagine you were in Pompeii."

"Doctor please." She begged.

"What the hell's that got to do with it?" Adelaide hissed at him.

"And you tried to save them. But in doing so, you make it happen. Anything I do just makes it happen."

"Doctor." The Stone looked at him. "Now you know it isn't just you sweetheart, I do that as well. I was with you." She said trying to desperately help him because she knew what was happening. She had seen it before, only once and she couldn't bear seeing it again not with him.

There was a short pause before Adelaide spoke up again after they faintly heard Steffi. "I'm still here."

"You're taking Action One. There are four more standard action procedures."

"Doctor." She now hissed. "Don't do this please."

He swallowed looking at the Time Lady then back at the wall daring to not look at her, not with what he planned to say. "And Action Five is?"

"Detonation."

"The final option. The nuclear device at the heart of the Central Dome. Today, on the twenty-first of November 2059, Captain Brooke activates that device, taking the base and all her crew members with her. No one ever knows why. But you were saving Earth. That's what inspires your granddaughter. She takes your people out into the galaxy because you die on Mars. You die today. She flies out there like she's trying to meet you." The Stone started to pace around running a hand through her hair mumbling words no Time Lord should hear. Ever.

"I won't die." Adelaide denied. "I will not."

"But your death creates the future-"

"Help me." She begged. "Why won't you help, Doctor? Stone?" She asked. "If you know all of this, why can't you change it?"

"We can't." He said.

"Why can't you find a way? You could tell me, I don't know-"

"I'm sorry, but we can't. Sometimes we can, sometimes we do. Most times we can save someone or anyone. But not you. You wondered all your life why that Dalek spared you. I think it knew. Your death is fixed in time forever. And that's right."

"Doctor!" The Time Lady shouted her fists clenched. "Please." She looked at him her eyes hurting. "Please just stop."

"You'll die here too," Adelaide said to the Doctor.

"No." Was all he replied with.

"What's going to save you?"

"Captain Adelaide Brooke."

She then released the airlock. "Damn you."

The Time Lords exited the airlock the Stone not even looking at the Doctor. She was angry that he did that. He told her that she died today. After being told that her own foreknowledge when she was human was dangerous and then he did this!

"Water!" They heard Roman scream. "We've got water!"

"Captain! Get back!" Mia cried. "Get back! Captain! Don't touch it, Roman. Get back. Get back."