xx. ʜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇ
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Juliet, Sexy and Winnie are racing down a bright hallway.
"I think we lost them. For now.", Juliet adds to her sentence after a moment. The other two nod.
"Sexy?"
"Yes, Dove?"
"Why are my visits so short and vague?"
"That's will change one day, I can assure you of that. For now, this is hat you can handle and what I can give you. It is extremely exhausting for us both to do even these short visits."
"I understand. Actually, I'm not feeling so.. so... so-", Juliet's eyes roll back into her head as Winnie catches her as always.
"Ready?", The brunette grins.
"Geronimo!", Sexy grins as Winnie laughs.
They run off, Juliet still in Winnie's arms. Everything was as it should be.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The lights flicker.
"Zach? Have we got a problem?", Ida asks.
"No more than usual. Got the Scarlet System burning up. Might be worth a look.", His voice is heard.
"You might want to see this. Moment in history.", She opens the shutters.
"There. On the edge. That red cloud. That used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Peluchi, a mighty civilisation spanning a billion years, disappearing forever. Their planets and suns consumed. Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed its passing.", She points as the Doctor gets a good look.
"Er, no, could you leave it open? Just for a bit. I won't go mad, I promise.", He tells her.
"How would you know? Scooti, check the lockdown. Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me. ", Jefferson and Scooti leave by door 17 or 19. Ida uses door 18.
"Open door 18."
Suddenly, Juliet gasps and sits up.
"Jules! How are you, Sweets?", Rose asks her, immediately by her side.
"Better. I'm really, better.", She grins as the Doctor offers her a hand so she can stand up.
"I've seen films and things, yeah. They say black holes are like gateways to another universe.", Rose comments as they all three are now watching the black hole.
"Close door 18."
"Not that one. It just eats.", The Doctor informs her.
"She knows, you idiot!", Juliet rolls her eyes as she slaps the back of his head.
"Long way from home.", Rose laughs a little at their interaction. Blimey, did she live those two idiots.
"Go that way, turn right, keep going for er, about, er, five hundred years, and you'll reach the Earth."
Rose turns her phone on.
"No signal. That's the first time we've gone out of range. Mind you, even if I could. What would I tell her? Can you build another Tardis? Both of you, together?", She asks them both.
"They were grown, not built. And with our own planet gone, we're kind of stuck.", The Doctor shrugs, not really knowing what to do.
"Well, it could be worse. This lot said they'd give us a lift."
"And then what?", Juliet asks.
"I don't know. Find a planet, get a job, live a life, same as the rest of the universe.", Rose shrugs.
"I'd have to settle down. Get a house or something. A proper house with, with doors and things. Carpets. Me, living in a house. Now that, that is terrifying.", The Doctor's eyes are wide at the mere thought of such a 'horrible' life.
"You'd have to get a mortgage."
"No."
"Oh, yes.", Rose nods.
"I'm dying. That's it. I'm dying. It is all over.", He decides.
"What about me? And Jules? We'd have to get one, too. I don't know, could be the same one. We could both, I don't know, share. Or not, you know. Whatever. I don't know. We'll sort something out.", She shrugs looking at the Brunette who nods at her, simply happy that they don't have to be stuck apart from one another.
"As long as we're together. I couldn't live without you.", Juliet sighs.
"Anyway."
"We'll see."
"I promised Jackie I'd always take you back home. Both do you.", He points out, looking at Juliet.
"Everyone leaves home in the end.", Rose says, nonchalantly.
"Not to end up stuck here."
"Yeah, but stuck with you two, that's not so bad.", She insists.
"Yeah?"
"Yes.", Rose's phone rings.
"He is awake.", The deep voice that has been speaking to Toby one's through the phone.
Toby's eyes are red.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Evening.", The Doctor nods.
"Only us."
"The mysterious trio. How are you, then? Settling in?", Danny asks them.
"Yeah. Sorry, straight to business, the Ood how do they communicate? I mean, with each other.", The Doctor asks with no further warning.
"Oh, just empaths. There's a low level telepathic field connecting them. Not that that does them much good. They're basically a herd race. Like cattle.", The Ood are sitting on benches down below Danny's catwalk.
"This telepathic field. Can it pick up messages?", Juliet questions, biting her lower lip. Meanwhile, Rose is watching on, swallowing hard as she stares at her girlfriend.
"Because I was having dinner, and one of the Ood said something, well, odd.", She quickly finds her breath once again.
"Hmm. An odd Ood."
"And then I got something else on my er, communicator thing."
"Oh, be fair. We've got whole star systems burning up around us. There's all sorts of stray transmissions. Probably nothing. Look, if there was something wrong, it would show. We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them. They're so stupid, they don't even tell us when they're ill.", Danny waves it off as nothing.
"Monitor the field. That's this thing?"
Reading basic 5.
"Yeah. But like I said, it's low level telepathy. They only register basic five.", Danny tells them.
Basic 7, 8, 9
"Well, that's not basic five. Ten, twenty. They've gone up to basic thirty.", The Ood lift their heads.
"But they can't.", Danny scoffs.
"Doctor, the Ood. What does basic thirty mean?", When he doesn't answer, Juliet responds.
"Well, it means that they're shouting, screaming inside their heads."
"Or something's shouting at them.", The Doctor mutters on in addition to her explanation.
"But where is it coming from? What is it saying? What did it say to you?", Danny asks.
"Something about the beast in the pit."
"What about your communicator? What did that say?"
"He is awake.", Rose repeats the message she was relayed.
"And you will worship him.", All the Ood say in unison.
"What the hell?"
"He is awake.", The Doctor mutters.
"And you will worship him.", The Ood repeat themselves.
"Worship who? ", When he gets no reply, he asks again.
"Who's talking to you? Who is it?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Toby, I've got your expenditure.", Scooti says, but the room is empty.
"Open door 41. Close door 41."
"Forty one?", She mutters.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Forty one is at right angles to forty two.
"Close Door 40."
"Computer, did you open and close door 41?", Scooti asks the device.
"Confirmed."
"But that's the airlock. Why would you open the airlock? It's the night shift. We're not allowed outside. Has someone gone out?"
"Confirmed."
"But who was it?", She asks.
"Cannot confirm."
"Okay. But hold on. I know. Tell me whose spacesuit's been logged out.", Scooti thinks a moment before asking the question.
"No spacesuit has been logged out.", The computer informs her.
"But you're not making any sense. You can't go outside without- Zach, I think we've got breakdown on door 41. It's saying somebody's gone outside onto the planet's surface. Zach? Zach! Computer, trace fault."
"There is no fault."
"Tell me who went through that door.", She demands.
"He is awake.", The Computer is now rekeying the message as well.
"What?"
"He is awake.", It repeats.
"What's that supposed to mean?", She asks.
"He bathes in the black sun.", Scooti looks out of a window by door 41. Toby is standing with his back to her, then turns, very much alive and smiling, and covered in symbols.
"Toby. But there's no air, there's no-", Toby beckons to her.
"No! Stop it! You can't be!", Toby clenches his fist, and the glass in the window begins to crack.
"Open door 40! Open door 40! Open door 40! Open door 40! Open door 40!", The glass breaks. Scooti screams.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The base shakes.
"Emergency hull breach. Emergency hull breach."
"Which section?", Danny asks.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Everyone, evacuate eleven to thirteen. We've got a breach. The base is open. Repeat, the base is open!", Zach orders.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Open door 19.", The Doctor, Juliet, Rose and Danny run in.
"Close door 19."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I can't contain the oxygen field. We're going to lose it.", Zach informs the crew.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Come on! Keep moving!", The crew are converging from different directions.
"And you too, Toby!
"Breach sealed. Breach sealed.", The computer announces.
"Everyone all right?! What happened? What was it?"
"Oxygen levels normal."
"Hull breach. We were open to the elements. Another couple of minutes and we'd have been inspecting that black hole at close quarters.", Jefferson sighs as he explains the situation to the Doctor.
"That wasn't a quake. What caused it?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"We've lost sections eleven to thirteen Everyone all right?", Zach asks.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"We've got everyone here except Scooti. Scooti, report. Scooti Manista? That's an order. Report."
"She's all right. I've picked up her biochip. She's in-"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Habitation three. Better go and check if she's not responding. She might be unconscious.", Zach tells him.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"How about that, eh? We survived."
Toby's skin is normal again.
"Habitation three. Come on. I don't often say this, but I think we could all do with a drink. Come on.", Jefferson sighs.
"What happened?", Juliet asks.
"I don't. I don't know. I was working and then I can't remember. All that noise. The room was falling apart. There was no air.", Toby tries to remember.
"Come on. Up you get. Come and have some protein one.", Rose says to him.
"Oh, you've gone native.", The Doctor laughs.
"Oi, don't knock it. It's nice. Protein one with just a dash of three."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I've checked Habitation four. Can you hear me?", Ida asks.
"There's no sign of her. The biochip says she's in the area. Have any of you seen Scooti?", Jefferson asks.
"No, no, no, I don't think so.", Toby shakes his head as Ida tries to each her again.
"Scooti, please respond. If you can hear this, please respond. Habitation six."
"Nowhere here. Zach? We've got a problem. Scooti's still missing."
"It says Habitation three.", Zach insists.
"Yeah, well, that's where I am, and I'm telling you she's not here."
"I've found her.", The Doctor mutters. They look up through the open shutters.
"Oh, my God.", Rose gasps before hiding her head in Juliet's shoulder as the brunette holds her close.
Scooti is drifting away, towards the black hole.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Captain. Report Officer Scootori Manista PKD, deceased. Forty three K two point one. ", Jefferson says over the comms.
"She was twenty. Twenty years old.", Ida closes the shutters. Jefferson quotes Horatius, by Thomas Babington Macaulay.
"For how should man die better than facing fearful odds? For the ashes of his father and the temples of his Gods."
"It's stopped.", Ida realizes. The base falls silent.
"What was that? What was it?", Rose asks.
"The drill."
"We've stopped drilling. We've made it. Point Zero."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"All non essential Oods to be confined.", Zach orders over the tannoy.
"Capsule established. All systems functioning. The mineshaft is go. Bring systems online now.", Ida, Juliet and the Doctor are in spacesuits.
"Reporting as a volunteer for the expeditionary force.", The Doctor and Juliet are standing ready for action.
"Doctor, Juliet, this is breaking every single protocol. We don't even know who you are. Either of you.", Zach sighs.
"Yeah, but you trust us, don't you? And you can't let Ida go down there on her own. Three is better than two. Go on. Look us both in the eye. Yes you do, I can see it. Trust.", The Doctor says to him.
"I should be going down."
"The Captain doesn't lead the mission. He stays here, in charge.", Juliet assures the man.
"Not much good at it, am I? Positions! We're going down in two. Everyone, positions! Mister Jefferson! I want maximum system enhancement."
"Oxygen, nitro balance, gravity. It's ages since I wore one of these.", The Doctor mutters.
"I want that spacesuit back in one piece, you got that?", Rose sniffles as she stand in front of Juliet.
"You too, Mister!", She point at the Doctor.
"Yes, sir.", The Doctor and Juliet put on their helmets. .
"It's funny, because people back home think that space travel's going to be all whizzing about and teleports and anti gravity, but it's not, is it? It's tough."
"I'll see you later.", The Doctor tells her.
"Not if I see you first.", Rose smiles at her goes off.
"Be careful. Come back to me.", She says to Juliet before kissing where her forehead is on the glass of the suit.
"I always do.", The Brunette grins.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"You will remain here. No command can override this. Have you got that? My instructions only.", Danny orders. The Ood are sitting, quietly.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Capsule active. Counting down in ten, nine..", Zach starts the count.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Eight, seven, six.."
The Doctor, Juliet and Ida go into the capsule. Jefferson closes the door.
"Five, four, three, two, one. Release."
The capsule is lowered on its cable. Toby keeps checking his palms. Rose checks their progress on the screen whilst clutching the microphone.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"You've gone beyond the oxygen field. You're on your own."
Ida, Juliet and the Doctor turn on their life support.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Don't forget to breath. Breathing's good.", Rose reminds them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Rose, stay off the comm.", Zach tells her.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"No chance. That's my girl, down there.", She mutters.
The capsule shudders even more than usual then suddenly drops. The Ood all stand up and turn to look up at Danny and a guard. Crunch!
"Jules? Doctor, are you all right?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The screen says the capsule has reached Point Zero.
"Ida, report to me. Doctor? Juliet?", Zach asks.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"It's all right. We've made it. Getting out of the capsule now.", The Doctor informs them.
"What's it like down there?", Rose asks.
"It's hard to tell. Some sort of cave. Cavern. It's massive.", Juliet comments as she tries to get a good look.
"Well, this should help. Gravity globe.", Ida throws up a ball that illuminates the cavern.
"That's, that's. My God, that's beautiful.", She mumbles, in amazement.
"Rose, you can tell Toby we've found his civilisation.", The walls of the cavern are carved into pillars and statues.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Oi, Toby. Sounds like you've got plenty of work."
"Good, good. Good.", Toby nods.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Concentrate now, people. Keep on the mission. Ida, what about the power source?", Zach gets everyone back on track.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"We're close. Energy signature indicates north north west. Are you getting pictures up there?", Ida tells them.
"There's too much interference. We're in your hands."
"Well, we've come this far. There's no turning back."
"Oh, did you have to? No turning back? That's almost as bad as nothing can possible go wrong, or this is going to be the best Christmas Walford's ever had.", The Doctor groans.
"Are you finished?", Ida snaps slightly at him.
"Yeah. Finished.", He nods.
Juliet snickers at him finally being called out for rambling by someone other than her and Rose.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Captain, sir. There's something happening with the Ood.", Danny stammers.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"What are they doing?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"They're staring at me. I've told them to stop, but they won't."
"Danny, you're a big boy.", Zach encourages him as if talking to a child.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I think you can take being stared at."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"But the telepathic field, sir. It's at basic one hundred. I've checked. there isn't any fault. It's definitely one hundred."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"But that's impossible.", Zach scoffs as Rose asks a question.
"What's basic one hundred mean?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"They should be dead.", Danny says with wide eyes as he stares at the creatures.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Basic one hundred's brain death.", Jefferson elaborates.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"But they're safe. They're not actually moving?", Zach confirms.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"No, sir."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Keep watching them. And you, Jefferson?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Keep a guard on the Ood.", Zach tells him.
"Officer at arms!"
"Yes, sir."
"You can't fire a gun in here. What if you hit a wall?", Rose suddenly pipes up.
"I'm firing stock fifteen. It only impacts upon organics. Keep watch. Guard them.", There are at least three Ood there. A woman replies.
"Yes, sir."
"Is everything all right up there?", Juliet asks, getting a sense something is amiss.
"Yeah, yeah.", Rose lies.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"It's fine."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Great.", Zach and Danny go along with her lie.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Doctor, Juliet and Ida have gone between a pair of massive pillars into an area with a lot of rubble and a big round decorated door in the floor.
"We've found something. It looks like metal. Like some sort of seal. I've got a nasty feeling the word might be trapdoor. Not a good word, trapdoor. Never met a trapdoor I liked.", The Doctor informs them.
"The edge is covered with those symbols.", Juliet mutters.
"Do you think it opens?", Zach asks over the comms.
"That's what trapdoors tend to do.", Juliet responds sarcastically.
"Trapdoor doesn't do it justice. It's massive, Zach. About thirty feet in diameter.", Ida scoffs looking at the 'door'.
"Any way of opening it?"
"I don't know. I can't see any sort of mechanism."
"I suppose that's the writing. It'll tell us what to do. The letters that defy translation.", The Doctor surmises.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Toby, did you get anywhere with decoding it?", Zach asks.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Toby, they need to know that lettering. Does it make any sort of sense?", Rose asks him how.
"I know what it says.", He reveals.
"Then tell them."
"When did you work that out?"
"It doesn't matter, just tell them.", Rose urges him.
Toby is covered in the symbols again.
"These are the words of the Beast. And he has woken. He is the heart that beats in the darkness. He is the blood that will never cease. And now he will rise.", Toby starts talking like the Ood and the computer had previously done as well.
"Officer, stand down. Stand down.", Jefferson orders.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"What is it? What's he done? What's happening? Rose, what's going on?", Juliet starts to panic for the blonde being up there alone with people she barely knows.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Jefferson? Report. Report!", Zach demands.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Officer, as Commander of Security, I order you to stand down and be confined. Immediately!"
"He's come out in those symbols all over his face. They're all over him.", Rose tries to explain to Juliet and the Doctor.
"Mister Jefferson. Tell me, sir. Did your wife ever forgive you?", Toby asks the man in front of him.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Let me tell you a secret. She never did."
"Officer, you stand down and be confined.", Jefferson orders him again.
"Or what?"
"Or under the strictures of Condition Red, I am authorised to shoot you.", Jefferson tells him.
"But how many can you kill?", Toby opens his mouth. The symbols leave him and float over to the Ood, who jerk to attention. Toby collapses.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"We are the Legion of the Beast.", All of the Ood say in unison.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Rose? What is it, Rose? I'm going back up.", Juliet insists.
"Report. Report!", Meanwhile, Zach is still waiting for a report.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Jefferson, report. Someone, report!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"The Legion shall be many, and the Legion shall be few.", The Ood spew more of the nonsense.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"It's the Ood.", Rose realizes.
"Sir, we have contamination in the livestock.", Jefferson informs Zach at last.
"Juliet, Doctor, I don't know what it is. It's like they're possessed."
"They won't listen to us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"He has woven himself in the fabric of your life since the dawn of time. Some may call him Abaddon. Some may call him Kroptor. Some may call him Satan or Lucifer.", The Ood continues to speak in unison.
"Captain, it's the Ood. They're out of control!", Danny cries.
"Or the Bringer of Despair, the Deathless Prince, the Bringer of Night.", One Ood walks up the steps to the catwalk. It releases its globe, which flies to the guard's forehead and electrocutes him.
"These are the words that shall set him free."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Back up to the door!", Jefferson says.
"I shall become manifest."
"Move quickly!", He exclaims.
"I shall walk in might."
"To the door! Get it open!"
"My Legions shall swarm across the worlds."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The centre of the trapdoor sinks. The ground shakes.
"Doctor, Juliet, it's opening!", Ida points.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"We're moving! The whole thing's moving. The planet's moving.", The overhead shutters open. The Doctor and Juliet run back to Ida as the whole trapdoor opens its segments.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I am the sin and the temptation and the desire. I am the pain and the loss and the-", The Ood are still speaking in unison as Jefferson struggles to escape.
"Get that door open!"
The open trapdoor reveals a deep shaft.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"The gravity field. It's going! We're losing orbit! We're going to fall into the black hole!", Zach cries.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I have been imprisoned for eternity. But no more."
"Door sealed."
"Come on!"
"Door sealed.", The computer announces again.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"The Pit is open. And I am free. Bwahahahahahaha!", The deep voice laughs manically.
To Be Continued