FIVE:
SAM LET'S OUT A YELP AS SHE FALLS DOWN the chute and on top of someone. Both people groan. "Sam, where were you?" She hears the familiar voice of the Doctor.
"In a voting cubicle." She responds as she stands up and helps Amy stands up. "Where were you guys?" She asks the duo.
"In a voting cubicle as well." Amy responds as she takes a look at her friend. "Are you ok?" She questions her friend.
"I'm fine just got a little migraine." She says. "Where are we?" She turns to look at the Doctor.
"600 feet down, 20 miles laterally - puts us at the heart of the ship. I'd say... Lancashire. What's this, then - a cave? Can't be a cave. Looks like a cave." The Doctor informs.
"It's a rubbish dump, and it's minging! Amy groans as she throws a piece of rubbish towards Sam who throws some back at her.
"Yes, but only food refuse." The Doctor sniffs. "Organic, coming through feeder tubes from all over the ship." He says adds.
Both Amy and Sam get down on hands and knees. "The floor's all squidgy, like a water bed." Amy says as she feels the floor.
"Oh, it's bouncy as well." Sam giggles as she bounces lightly on top of whatever their on.
"But feeding what, though?" The Doctor mumbles.
"It's sort of rubbery, feel it. Wet and slimy." Amy notes.
The Doctor hears a distant moaning and stands. He realizes where they are. "Er... It's not a floor, it's a..." he trails off as he puts screwdriver away. "So..." he adds.
"It's a what?" Sam questions as she and Amy stand up.
"The next word is kind of the scary word. Take a moment. Get yourselves in a calm place." He says as he takes their hands. "Go 'omm'." He informs them.
"Omm." They both hum in unison.
"It's a tongue." He tells the two of them.
"A tongue?" Amy asks in disgust whilst Sam looks around with a pale face.
"A tongue. A great big tongue." He laughs.
"This is a mouth? This whole place is a mouth? We're in a mouth?!" Amy exclaims.
"I'm gonna be sick." Sam groans.
"Yes, yes, yes, but on the plus side, roomy." The Doctor states.
"How do we get out?" Amy questions the alien.
The Doctor takes out his screwdriver and uses it. "How big is this beastie? It's gorgeous! Blimey! if this is just the mouth, I'd love to see the stomach." He hears grunting. "Though not right now." He utters.
"Doctor, how do we get out?" Sam questions as she looks around.
"OK, it's being fed through surgically implanted feeder tubes, so the normal entrance is..." The alien trails off as he sees the sharp teeth of a closed mouth. "closed for business." He finishes.
"We can try, though." Amy says as she heads forward.
"No! Stop, don't move!" The Doctor says as the mouth begins to heave in agitation. "Too late. It's started." He adds.
"What has?" Sam raises her brows.
"Swallow reflex." The Doctor responds.
They slip and fall back into the refuse. The Doctor uses the screwdriver on the mouth walls. "What are you doing? Amy asks.
"I'm vibrating the chemo-receptors." The Doctor informs them.
"Chemo-what?" Sam questions as she and Amy keep falling over.
"The eject button." The Doctor says.
"How does a mouth have an eject button?" Amy questions.
"Think about it!" The Doctor says.
"Oh." Sam grimaces.
"Yeah." The Doctor mutters. "Sorry." He adds.
They hear the creature growl, and, on their knees, look to see a wave of bile coming towards them.
"Right, then." The Doctor says as he straightens his bowtie. "This isn't going to be big on dignity. Geronimo!" The Doctor says.
Both of the women scream as the bile gets closer and closer to them. As soon as her eyes open up she find that they're out of the mouth and back in the ship again.
"There's nothing broken, there's no sign of concussion and yes, you are covered in sick." The Doctor informs them as he examines the door.
"Where are we?" Amy questions as she sits up.
"Overspill pipe, at a guess." The Doctor states.
"Oh, God, it stinks." Amy complains as she stands up.
"That's not the pipe." The Doctor informs them.
"Oh." Amy sniffles as she smells herself.
"Whoo! Can we get out?" Sam says after smelling herself.
"One door, one door switch, one condition." He states as he moves to show the button on the door. "We forget everything we saw. Look familiar? That's the carrot." He states as the lights come on to reveal two Smilers. "Ooh, here's the stick. There's a creature living in the heart of this ship. What's it doing there? No, that's not going to work on me, so come on. Big old beast below decks, and everyone who protests gets shoved down its throat. That how it works? Oh, stop it. I'm not leaving and I'm not forgetting and what are you fellows going to do about it? Stick out your tongues?" He rants.
The booths open and the two Smilers stand and walk towards Sam, Amy and the Doctor who back away. "Doctor?" Amy shakily says.
Behind them a woman appears behind them and shoot the Smilers. She twirls her pistol before placing it back in its holster.
"Look who it is. You look a lot better without your mask." The Doctor smirks.
"You must be Amy. Liz. Liz 10." Liz greets the ginger haired woman. "And you must be Sam." The woman smiles at the blonde.
"Hi." The two girls greet her.
"Eurgh!" She sighs as she wipes hand on cloak. "Lovely hair, Amy. Shame about the sick. You know Mandy, yeah? She's very brave." Liz says putting her arm around Mandy's shoulder.
"How did you find us?" The Doctor questions her.
"Stuck my gizmo on you." Liz remarks throwing her device at him. "Been listening in. Nice moves on the hurl escape. So, what's the big fella doing here?" She questions.
"You're over 16, you've voted. Whatever this is, you've chosen to forget about it." The Doctor says.
"No. Never forgot, never voted. Not technically a British subject." Liz replies.
"Then who and what are you, and how do you know me?" The Doctor questions her.
"You're a bit hard to miss, love. Mysterious stranger, MO consistent with higher alien intelligence, hair of an idiot..." She says as the Doctor points like he's about the argue then runs his hand through his soaked hair instead. "I've been brought up on the stories. My whole family was." She informs him.
"Your family?" The Doctor questions.
One of the Smilers begins to move. "They're repairing. Doesn't take them long. Let's move." She orders as they leave the overspill.
"The Doctor. Old drinking buddy of Henry XII. Tea and scones with Liz II. Vicky was a bit on the fence about you, weren't she? Knighted and exiled you on the same day. And so much for the Virgin Queen, you bad, bad boy!" Liz laughs.
"Liz 10?" The Doctor questions.
A Smiler rises from a booth in the corridor. Sam let's out a gasp as another one joins the other Smiler following them. "Liz 10, yeah. Elizabeth X. And down!" She bellows turns and fires both pistol at the Smilers. Both fall. "I'm the bloody Queen, mate. Basically, I rule." She smirks.
Liz takes them to another corridor. It is the base of a vator shaft. "There's a high-speed Vator through there." She says as the enter the shaft.
The Doctor looks into a caged area where there are two of the tentacles things Amy and Sam saw earlier. "Oh, yeah. There's these things. Any ideas?" She looks at the Doctor.
"Doctor, we saw one of these up top. There was a hole in the road, like it had burst through, like a root." Amy tells him.
"Exactly like a root. It's all one creature - the same one we were inside - reaching out. It must be growing through the mechanisms of the entire ship." The Doctor says.
"What? Like an infestation?" Liz inquires.
"Someone's helping it. Feeding it." The Doctor realises.
"Feeding my subjects to it. Come on. We've got to keep moving." She snaps as she storms off in anger and Mandy follows her.
"Doctor?" Sam calls softly.
"Oh, Sam." He looks sympathetically at creatures as they bang against the bars. "We should never have come here." He tells them.
As they enter the woman's chambers,
The Doctor walks carefully through the maze of glasses on the floor of Liz 10'S room. "Why all the glasses?" The Doctor questions.
"To remind me every single day that my government is up to something, and it's my duty to find out what." Liz says as she lays on her bed.
"A queen going undercover to investigate her own kingdom?" The Doctor inquires.
"Secrets are being kept from me. I don't have a choice. Ten years I've been at this - my entire reign - and you've achieved more in one afternoon." Liz rambles.
"How old were you when you came to the throne?" The Doctor prys.
"40. Why?" Liz questions.
"What, you're 50 now? No way!" Amy says as she and Sam sort their hair out.
Amy and Mandy sit on the chaise at the foot of the bed. "Yeah, they slowed my body clock. Keeps me looking like the stamps." Liz retorts.
The Doctor sits on the bed, still holding the mask. "And you always wear this in public?" He questions her.
"Undercover's not easy when you're me. The autographs, the bunting." Liz retorts.
"Air-balanced porcelain. Stays on by itself, cos it's perfectly sculpted to your face.
"Yeah. So what?" Liz smiles.
"Oh, Liz. So everything." The Doctor responds.
The door opens and four hooded men enter. One is the same from the marketplace. "What are you doing? How dare you come in here?" She interrogates
"Ma'am, you have expressed interest in the interior workings of Starship UK. You will come with us now." The hooded man states.
"Why would I do that?" She questions him.
The hooded man's head spins to show the face of an angry Smiler. "How can they be Smilers?" Amy breathes.
"Half Smiler, half human." The Doctor notes.
"Whatever you creatures are, I am still your queen. On whose authority is this done?" Liz demands.
"The highest authority, Ma'am." The Smiler responds.
"I AM the highest authority." She snaps.
"Yes, ma'am. You must go now, Ma'am." The Smiler responds.
"Where?" Liz questions.
"The Tower, Ma'am." The Smiler states.
The group is escorted to a large stone room containing high-tech machines. Sam walks behind Mandy and in front of the Doctor. The young woman looks around the room in curiosity, her eyes dance from each machine.
As they enter Sam notices that there is a grating through in which she and Amy can see more of the creatures.
"Doctor, where are we?" Amy questions.
"The lowest point of Starship UK." The Doctor says as he spins around with his arms out. "The dungeon." He finishes.
"Ma'am." A grey haired man speaks.
"Hawthorne! So this is where you hid yourself away. I think you've got some explaining to do." Liz glares.
"There's children down here. What's all that about?" The Doctor says as he watches the children walk in.
"Protesters and citizens of limited value are fed to the beast. For some reason, it won't eat the children. You're the first adults it's spared. You're very lucky." Hawthorne tells them.
"Yeah, look at us. Torture chamber of the Tower of London. Lucky, lucky, lucky. Except it's not a torture chamber, is it?" The Doctor explains as he examines equipment. "Well, except it is. Except it isn't. Depends on your angle." He says.
The Doctor joins Liz 10 by an open well with a railing around it. Inside seems to be something alive. "What's that?" She questions
"Well, like I say, depends on the angle. It's either the exposed pain centre of big fella's brain, being tortured relentlessly..." The Doctor trails off.
"Or?" Liz raises an eyebrow.
"Or it's the gas pedal, the accelerator - Starship UK's go-faster button." The Doctor adds.
"I don't understand." Liz replies in confusion.
"Don't you? Try, go on. The spaceship that could never fly, no vibration on deck. This creature - this poor, trapped, terrified creature. It's not infesting you, it's not invading - it's what you have instead of an engine. And this place down here is where you hurt it, where you torture it, day after day, just to keep it moving." The Doctor rants.
An intermittent electrical beam shoots down into the creature's exposed brain.. "Tell you what." The Doctor says as he moves to another well and lifts the grate. "Normally, it's above the range of human hearing." He explains.
Sam watches as one of the extensions of the creature breaks free. "This is the sound none of you wanted to hear." The Doctor says as he uses the screwdriver and the others hear the creature's call.
Sam puts her hands to her ears. "Stop it." Liz says as she turns to Hawthorne.
"Who did this?" She interrogates him.
"We act on instructions from the highest authority." Hawthorne informs her.
"I am the highest authority. The creature will be released, now. I said now!" Liz snaps and watches as no one moves. "Is anyone listening to me?" She questions.
"Liz. Your mask." He says as he is still holding Liz 10's mask.
"What about my mask?" She inquires.
"Look at it. It's old. At least 200 years old, I'd say." He states as he tosses the mask to Liz.
"Yeah, it's an antique, so?" Liz questions.
"Yeah, an antique made by craftsmen over 200 years ago and perfectly sculpted to your face. They slowed your body clock, all right, but you're not 50. Nearer 300. And it's been a long old reign." The Doctor informs her.
"Nah, it's ten years. I've been on this throne ten years." Liz denies.
"Ten years. And the same ten years over and over again, always leading you..." He says takes her by the hand and shows her to the voting area. "here." He says as the buttons read forget and abdicate light up.
"What have you done?" Liz questions him.
"Only what you have ordered. We work for you, Ma'am. The Winders, the Smilers, all of us." He says as he turns on the screen.
"If you are watching this...If I am watching this, then I have found my way to the Tower Of London." The recording starts as the real Liz 10 sits. "The creature you are looking at is called a Star Whale. Once, there were millions of them. They lived in the depths of space and, according to legend, guided the early space travelers through the asteroid belts. This one, as far as we are aware, is the last of its kind. 'And what we have done to it 'breaks my heart."
The Doctor, Hawthorne, Amy, Sam and Mandy watch in silence. Sam wipes her cheek as a single tear falls down it.
"The Earth was burning. Our sun had turned on us, and every other nation had fled to the skies. Our children screamed as the skies grew hotter. And then it came, like a miracle. The last of the star whales. We trapped it, we built our ship around it, and we rode on its back to safety. If you wish our voyage to continue, then you must press the forget button." The onscreen Liz states as the current Liz looks at the button. "Be again the heart of this nation, untainted. If not, press the other button. Your reign will end, the Star Whale will be released, and our ship will disintegrate. I hope I keep the strength to make the right decision."
"I voted for this?" Amy questions the Doctor. "Why would I do that?" She asks him.
"Because you knew if we stayed here, I'd be faced with an impossible choice. Humanity or the alien. You took it upon yourself to save me from that. And that was wrong. You don't ever decide what I need to know." The Doctor snaps.
"I don't even remember doing it." Amy says.
"You did it. That's what counts." The Doctor responds with a glare.
"I'm... I'm sorry." Amy whimpers.
"Oh, I don't care. When I'm done here, you're both going home." He snaps as he walks away.
"Why? Because I made a mistake? One mistake? I don't even remember doing it. Doctor!" Amy states.
"And I didn't even press the forget button." Sam exclaims.
The Doctor starts examining instrument panels. "Yeah. I know. You're only human." He glowers at them.
"What are you doing?" Liz questions.
"The worst thing I'll ever do. I'm going to pass a massive electrical charge through the Star Whale's brain. Should knock out all its higher functions, leave it a vegetable. The ship will still fly, but the whale won't feel it." The Doctor states.
"That'll be like killing it." Amy replies.
"Look, three options. One: I let the Star Whale continue in unendurable agony for hundreds more years. Two: I kill everyone on this ship. Three: I murder a beautiful, innocent creature as painlessly as I can. And then I find a new name, cos I won't be the Doctor any more." The Doctor rants.
"There must be something we can do, some other way." Liz asks.
"Nobody talk to me. Nobody human has anything to say to me today!" The Doctor bellows causing Sam to flinch.
Amy and Mandy sit against the wall and watch helplessly as the Doctor works. Sam places her head on Amy's shoulder as she watches the alien. Amy holds onto Sam's hand as they've watch the Doctor.
Three children enter the room. "Timmy!" Mandy exclaims as she goes to her friend. "You made it, you're OK!It's me - Mandy." She says but Timmy doesn't respond to her.
They've stopped in front of one of the feelers and Mandy has her back to it. The feeler reaches towards Mandy and Amy starts to move forward. Instead of hurting her, it gently taps Mandy on the back and lets her pet.
Sam watches Amy closely and notices her staring at both Mandy and Timmy, who are still petting the feeler.
"Doctor, stop. Whatever you're doing, stop it now!" Amy orders as she goes to him. "Sorry, Your Majesty, going to need a hand." Amy says as she leads Liz to the buttons.
"Amy, no! No!" The Doctor exclaims as he rushes over to try and stop her.
Amy forces Liz's hand down on the abdicate button. The whale bellows and the whole ship shakes, causing havoc on every level. Sam let's out shriek as she's thrown to the floor.
"Amy, what have you done?" The Doctor questions the ginger.
"Nothing at all. Am I right?" She asks Hawthorne.
"We've INCREASED speed." The man gasps.
"Yeah, well, you've stopped torturing the pilot. Gotta help." Amy smiles.
"It's still here? I don't understand." Liz mumbles.
"The Star Whale didn't come like a miracle all those years ago. It volunteered. You didn't have to trap it or torture it - that was all just you. It came because it couldn't stand to watch your children cry. What if you were really old, and really kind and alone? Your whole race dead, no future. What couldn't you do then? If you were that old, and that kind, and the very last of your kind," she trails off turning to look at the Doctor, "you couldn't just stand there and watch children cry." She smiles softly at him.
Sam watches as the Doctor leaves the group as they celebrate. Her eyes then wander towards one of the feelers which seem to be coming towards her. She places her hand out and strokes the feeler.
She lets out a giggle as Amy joins her in stroking the feeler. "Come on you." Amy says. "We need to find the Doctor." She says dragging her friend away.
"But I was stroking the Star Whale's claw." Sam whines.
"Stop whining." Amy laughs.
They find the Doctor standing alone whilst looking out onto the starship. Amy and Sam join him.
"From Her Majesty." Amy says as she holds out the mask. "She says there will be no more secrets on Starship UK." She adds.
"Amy, you could have killed everyone on this ship." The Doctor states.
"You could have killed a Star Whale." Amy replies.
The Doctor turns to face her. "And you saved it. I know, I know." The Doctor mutters.
"Amazing, though, don't you think? The Star Whale. All that pain and misery... and loneliness." She says as she looks sideways at the Doctor. "And it just made it kind.." she adds.
"But you couldn't have known how it would react." The Doctor tells her.
"YOU couldn't. But I've seen it before. Very old and very kind, and the very, very last. Sound a bit familiar?" She smiles at him as they hug. "Hey." She whispers.
"What?" The Doctor whispers back.
"Gotcha." Amy whispers.
"Ha! Gotcha." The Doctor says hugging her tightly.
"Oi, get back here." Amy yells at her best friend.
Sam let's out a whine as she turns around and faces them both. "I need something to eat." She tells them. "I haven't eaten for the last five hours." She adds.
"Come on, you." The Doctor chuckles breaking out of the hug. "Let's get you something to eat." He says spinning Sam around.
As soon as they find a stall, Sam picks something out and the Doctor pays for it. Amy let's out laugh at her friend eating on the way back to the TARDIS.
The Doctor, Amy and Sam head back to the TARDIS. "Shouldn't we say goodbye? Won't they wonder where we went?" Sam questions.
"For the rest of their lives. Oh, the songs they'll write! Never mind them. Big day tomorrow." The Doctor states causing Amy falter behind him.
"Sorry, what?" Amy questions him as Sam stares at.
"It's always a big day tomorrow. We've got a time machine. I skip the little ones." He says as he unlocks the TARDIS.
"You know what I said about getting back for tomorrow morning... Have you ever run away from something because you were scared, or not ready, or just... Just because you could?" Amy says causing Sam's eyes to widen.
"Once...a long time ago." He mutters.
"What happened?" Sam asks him throwing her rubbish in the bin.
"Hello!" The Doctor says spinning around.
A phone begins to ring. "Right. Doctor, there's something I haven't told you. No. Hang on, is that a phone ringing?" Amy questions him.
They enter the TARDIS. "People phone you?" Sam questions in surprise.
"Well, it's a phone box. Would you mind?" He nods to the phone. He prepares to dematerialize the TARDIS.
Amy answers the phone which sat on the console. "Hello? Sorry, who? No, seriously. Who?" She questions, she muffles the phone against her shoulder. "Says he's Prime Minister. First the Queen, now the Prime Minister. Get about, don't you?" She smirks at him.
"Which Prime Minister?" He motions for Amy to pull a lever.
Amy pulls lever before speaking into the phone. "Er, which Prime Minister?" Amy asks. "The British one." She turns to the alien.
"Which British one?" He tells her to asks.
"Which British one?" Amy says down the phone, the answer causes her eyes widen and she passes the phone to the Doctor. "Winston Churchill for you." She says causing Sam to cough in surprise.
"Oh! Hello, dear. What's up?" He greets. "Don't worry about a thing, Prime Minister. We're on our way." He says smiling at Amy and Sam as the TARDIS dematerializes.