The trio were sitting in a lab, looking at the results of Lazarus' DNA on a computer screen.
"Amazing." Galaxy said, not entirely sure if she should feel impressed, or horrified. "What?" Martha asked, confused. "Lazarus' DNA." The Doctor said. "I can't see anything." Martha said. "Look at it!" The Doctor said, pointing as the computer flickers and changes appear on the DNA.
"Oh, my God! Did that just change? But it can't have!" Martha gasped. "But it did." Galaxy said. "It's impossible!" Martha said. "That's two impossible things we've seen tonight." Galaxy said and saw the grin on the Doctor's face. "Don't you love it when that happens?"
"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns." Martha gasped. "Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure, then a metagenic programme to manipulate the coding in the protein strands." The Doctor explained but Martha didn't seem to be following.
"Basically he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate." Galaxy simplified for her. "But they're still mutating now." She said, shaking her head. "Cos he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilise. Something that's trying to change him."
"Change him into what?" Martha asked. "We don't know but I think we need to find out." Galaxy said. "That woman said they were going upstairs." Martha said. "Let's go."
-9-
"This is his office, alright." Martha said as they stepped out of the lift. "So, where is he?" The Doctor said, frowning. "Don't know. Let's try back at the reception." Martha said when she suddenly caught sight of a skeleton leg with a lady's shoe on it, sticking out behind the desk. "Is that Lady Thaw?"
"Used to be." Galaxy said as they looked at the dried up skeleton of Lazarus' partner, "It's just a shell now. All of the life energy has been drained out, like squeezing the juice out of an orange." Galaxy said. "Lazarus?" Martha asked. "Could be." The Doctor said. "So, he's changed already?"
"Not necessarily. You saw the DNA fluctuating, the process must demand energy but I doubt this would've been enough." Galaxy told her. "So he might do this again?" Martha asked, her eyes widening in horror.
The two nodded before they ran back to the lift, needing to warn people and get them out before it was too late.
-9-
They got back to the reception and quickly started looking around for Lazarus, but they weren't having any luck.
"I can't see him." Martha said as they looked around. "He can't be far. Keep looking." The Doctor said. "Hey, you alright, Martha? I think Mum wants to talk to you." Leo said as he walked over to them. "Have you seen Lazarus anywhere?"
"Yeah, well, he was getting cozy with Tish a couple of minutes ago." Leo said. "With Tish?" Martha exclaimed. "Ah, Doctor." Mrs Jones said as she moved toward them. "Where did they go?" Galaxy asked, looking at Leo. "Upstairs, I think. Why?"
"Doctor..." Mrs Jones started but he grabbed Galaxy's hand and they ran past her, bumping into her hand, causing her drink to spill, "I'm speaking to you!" She shouted as Martha followed them. "Not now, Mum."
They ran back to the lift and quickly made their way back up to Lazarus' office.
"Where are they?" Martha asked, looking around but seeing no sign of her sister. "Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature." Galaxy said as she used her sonic key to track the signature, "We might be able to pick it up...Got him."
"Where?" Martha asked and Galaxy pointed her key upwards. "But this is the top floor. The roof." She said and the three ran off to the roof.
"I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect. There's always something to surprise you. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act...'"
"'Falls the shadow,'" The Doctor finished as the three stood behind Lazarus and Tish. "So, the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed." Lazarus said as they turned to them. "Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish demanded. "Tish, get away from him." Martha said. "What? Don't tell me what to do."
"I never thought you'd have the time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and everything." Galaxy said, shrugging. "You're right, Galaxy. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two or three or four?"
"Doesn't look like that. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person." The Doctor said. "But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be." Lazarus remarked. "Or a curse. Just look at what you've done to yourself." Galaxy said, shaking her head.
"Who are you to judge?" He asked, glaring at them. "Over here, Tish." Martha said and thankfully, her sister listened. "You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find a fault." Tish grumbled.
"Tish, he's a monster!" Martha argued as Lazarus started collapsing to the ground, convulsing. "I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones." Tish said.
But suddenly, the sound of growling got her attention and she slowly turned to see Lazarus was in fact a monster. His form now resembles a cross between a skeleton and a scorpion.
"Run!"
They all ran toward the door that led to the stairs and the Doctor soniced the door shut and they ran down the stairs and Martha pushed the button for the lift.
"Are you okay?" She asked her sister. "I was gonna snog him." Tish said in horror. The lights flickered then as the creature tried breaking in and a siren went off.
"Security one. Security one. Security one."
"What's happening?" Martha asked as the lights went out. "Uh, an intrusion. It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts. Seals the exits." Tish explained. "He must be breaking through that door." The Doctor said. "We take the stairs then. Come on." Galaxy said.
Just as they got down the first flight, the sound of crashing then growling came from behind them.
"He's inside!" Martha shouted. "We haven't got much time!" The Doctor shouted as they continued to run and they didn't stop until they reached the reception again. "Tish, is there another way out of here?" Galaxy asked her. "There's an exit in the corner. But it'll be locked now."
"Martha, setting fifty-four. Hurry." The Doctor said, throwing his sonic to her and she rushed off with Tish behind her while the Doctor and Galaxy stood on the platform in front of Lazarus' machine.
"Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!" He shouted. "Don't be ridiculous." A snooty woman remarked, "The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."
Suddenly, glass shattered on the second floor and Lazarus appeared, leaping down onto the reception floor.
"He looks so much like an olive, doesn't he?" Galaxy remarked, rolling her eyes.
People began to panic and run for the exits and Galaxy went to help some people that had fallen down from shock at seeing Lazarus' appearance.
"Mum! Get back!" Leo shouted and Galaxy looked just as Lazarus pushed a table with his tail and it hit Leo, knocking him out. "Leo!"
"Over here! This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!" Martha shouted as she got the door open.
Galaxy pushed some people toward the door before catching sight of Lazarus closing in on the snooty woman, who was standing there in fright.
"No! Get away from her!" The Doctor shouted but it was too late, Lazarus attacked the woman and her body fell to the floor, drained of life and then he turned his sights on Mrs Jones who was by a barely conscious Leo. "Lazarus! Leave them alone!"
Suddenly, one of the tables flew across the room and hit Lazarus' back. He turned around as he roared in anger, trying to see who had thrown the table but because of the chaos he couldn't find the culprit but with his back turned, Martha ran to her brother's side, helping him up.
"Martha." Her mother breathed but Martha focused her attention on her brother's injuries. "C'mon, stay with me." Martha said and then pulled him and her mother away before Lazarus could turn his attention back on them.
"What's the point if you can't control it?" The Doctor shouted, getting the monster's attention to him, "The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool, a vain old man who thought he could defy nature. Only nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!"
The Doctor ran then with an enraged Lazarus following behind him and Galaxy was leaning against the wall and decided that she was going to kill the Doctor for baiting the monster, that would be after the pain in her head had disappeared.
-9-
"What's the Doctor doing?" Tish asked Martha who was studying their brother's head. "He's trying to buy us some time. Let's not waste it. Leo, look at me. Let me see your eyes." Martha said and looked at her mother, "He's got a concussion. You'll need to help him downstairs." She said, putting some ice cubes in a napkin and she noticed something in the reception area, "This'll keep the swelling down. Go! I'll be right behind you! Tish, move! We need to get out of here!"
She pushed her family toward the stairs and she went into the reception area and over to the machine where Galaxy currently was, she was sitting through the doorway of it and she had some wires out while her sonic key was in her lap.
Martha was going to ask her what she was doing but noticed something that caught her attention. "Galaxy, you're bleeding." She said and Galaxy glanced up at her. "It's nothing. Just a nosebleed." She told her, wiping the slight trail of blood under her nose and went back to working.
"Galaxy, you could have a concussion or something. At least let me examine..." Martha started but Galaxy cut her off. "Martha. There are others that need help more than you need to be worrying about me. I'll be fine." She told her and looked at her to see her not moving, "I mean it. Go."
Galaxy gave her a smile and Martha hesitated before running out of the room, she knew Galaxy had a point, there were a lot of people that were still in a state of panic and needed to get to safety and she knew she could head back to the Time Lady once she was done.
Galaxy was in deep concentration as she worked on the wires in the machine, when she had seen it earlier an idea popped into her head and she hoped that it would work, otherwise she didn't know what else to do to stop Lazarus.
Well, she did have another idea but there were too many risks and she didn't want Astro to have a go at her for pushing her body to use the implants.