"Right then, Rose Tyler, you're the human here. You tell me. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?" the Doctor asked as he strolled around the TARDIS console, partly self-conscious about how Adalyn thought the interior his TARDIS decided for him, looked like.
Rose thought for a second, this was supposed to be their first trip, and briefly thought about how she didn't quite know how old Adalyn was, "Forwards," she said, going with the safe answer. She wanted Adalyn to experience something new.
"How far?" the Doctor asked.
"One hundred years," Rose said.
"Bit boring," Adalyn commented bluntly as the Doctor had excitedly ran around the console, momentarily pausing and his expression dropping at the answer, "Of an answer, continue Handsome, you were being adorable," Adalyn added, taking a sip of the iced coffee she brought when she drove her bike onto the TARDIS. Somehow it hadn't melted.
"There you go, Rose. Step outside those doors, it's the 22nd century," the Doctor spoke, after he had run around, his face now lightening from the blush that had been on his face. Making him blush is now Adalyn's favorite pass time.
"But I do have to agree that it is a bit boring," the Doctor finally admitted. At first he had wanted to show off, but Adalyn was right. A hundred years into the future would be interesting for a human, but boring to the two non-humans.
"What about ten thousand?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow. She saw Adalyn start to look interested in her choice. Carter, the oldest Ghost Rider, wasn't even that old, Rose knew that.
The Doctor moved around the console again, now stopping right next to Adalyn (he couldn't help himself) and looked at Rose, "Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire," he said with a smile.
"You think you're so impressive," Rose teased.
"I am so impressive," the Doctor argued.
"I'm sold," Adalyn said with a shrug.
"But how much further could you go?" Rose asked, her arms crossed.
Adalyn gestured her head in Rose's direction, "That's the question. Handsome, how far will you go?"
The Doctor momentarily paused, 'These two would be challenging,' he thought with a smile, "Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!" he told the two who grab the railing as the TARDIS shook more. Adalyn's motorcycle was parked in the corner, the TARDIS providing a chain to keep the bike standing up.
The TARDIS stops, "Where are we? What's out there?" Rose asked excitedly. The Doctor gestures them out. Adalyn took his hand to follow the excited blonde out the door.
They see they landed in an empty room with a big viewing window that showed the Earth in the distance. "You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying—,"
"I don't," Adalyn said, interrupting the Doctor.
"Humans spend all their time thinking about dying, like they're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids," the Doctor started, correcting himself first, "But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year five point five slash apple slash twenty six. Five billion years in your future, this is the day..." the Doctor trails off looking at his watch, "Hold on," he adds as the sun starts to flare around the planet, glowing red, "This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world," he said.
"Cooooool," Adalyn said, looking at the Earth and the red flare in amazement. She may be a punisher of sinners, but she did love destruction.
"Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation, and religion. Earth death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine," the computer calls over an intercom, "Followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."
Adalyn, Rose, and the Doctor walk down a corridor, Adalyn walking ahead as if she owned the place. She was keeping to herself that she felt something off; she wanted to know who was giving her that vibe. "So, when it says guests, does that mean people?" Rose asked from behind the Ghost Rider. She knew Adalyn was thinking about something, but didn't know if something was on her mind or she sensed something. All Rose knew was the Doctor was slightly pouting that Adalyn wasn't paying attention to him.
"Depends what you mean by people," the Doctor countered.
"I mean people. What do you mean?" Rose asked.
"Aliens," the Doctor bluntly said. Rose rolled her eyes, she should've thought of that.
"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?" Rose asked.
"It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn," the Doctor told her.
"What for?" Rose asked.
"Entertainment, obviously," Adalyn said, startling the two. They hadn't known she was listening.
The Doctor used his sonic on a wall panel to let them through, "Yep. Fun," he agreed. They walked through to an observation deck, more like a museum with a giant window, "Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich," the Doctor added.
"Makes sense," Adalyn said with a nod.
"You're best friends with Tony Stark, of course you figured that out," Rose countered. The Doctor momentarily stiffened. If he was thinking about when he picked Adalyn up from, he hoped she didn't ask him to change things. "But, anyway," Rose continued, "I remember this once on Newsround Extra. The sun is expanding, that takes hundreds of years," Rose said.
"Actually the Earth was slowly getting closer to the sun and it made global warming worse," Adalyn said, recalling Johnny, Robbie, and Carter's complaints about the weather changes.
The Doctor nodded at both explanations, "Millions," he told the two, "but the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there?" he pointed to a couple big spacecrafts around the distance between the sun and the earth, "Gravity satellites holding back the sun," the Doctor told them.
"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things," Rose said.
"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over," the Doctor said.
"You would think they would've shifted it back to look like how did before our time if they were gonna do that," Adalyn mentioned.
"How long's it got?" Rose asked.
"About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted," the Doctor said.
"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?" Rose asked.
The Doctor shook his head, "I'm not saving it. Time's up," he told her.
"But what about the people?" Rose asked.
"It's empty. Humans migrated to other planets and then eventually died out," the Doctor said, "The weather changes got too much," he added.
"So I'm the only human then," Rose said, looking sadly at the planet. The Doctor spotted Adalyn's frown. He knew the Ghost Rider species could live on other planets, but he knew if she had been living with Carter and Johnny then she probably worried for them. Then he remembered her friend, he was human, but he supposedly died on another planet, but then again, one of the Avengers, a team Tony Stark would one day come a part of said there was no sign of his body. As the Doctor couldn't tell her, as much as he wanted, he kept it quiet and grabbed Adalyn's hand in an attempt to comfort her.
"Who the hell are you?" someone rudely asked behind them and startling the trio in the process. They turned to find a golden eyed alien with blue skin strutting towards them with purpose.
"Oh, that's nice, thanks," the Doctor sassed, reaching for his pocket.
"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now," they were told.
"That's me," the Doctor said, wrapping an arm around Adalyn's shoulders, "That's us. We're the guest. Look, I've got the invitation," he held up the psychic paper Adalyn had previously seen, "I've got the invitation. Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor and Adalyn (I HAVEN'T EVEN WORKED ON TWO HEARTS AND TATERTOTS YET AND I ALMOST WRITE ANNIKA) plus one. I'm the Doctor, this is Adalyn, this is Rose Tyler, she's our plus one. Is that all right?" he asked, putting his "invitation" away.
"Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy," the stranger, who seemed to work there, told them before walking away.
Rose looked at the pocket the paper came form in confusion, "The paper's slightly psychic," he said pulling it back out, "It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time," the Doctor explained.
Rose then looked at Adalyn, "Why didn't you react to psychic paper?" she asked.
"How do you think the Doctor snuck into the back of the restaurant to get Fake Mickey?" Adalyn countered.
"Oh. Good point," Rose realized.
"Surprised you didn't say anything about the man being blue," the Doctor told Rose honestly.
"My best friend turns into a flaming skeleton and told me about Frost Giants," Rose told him.
The Doctor then looked at Adalyn, "Carter's mate found out they're actually a Frost Giant that's just been under a glamour and they were confused because Carter didn't burn him until Carter explained that we can't burn our mates," Adalyn explained.
Rose paused, "Robbie hasn't found his, right?" she asked.
"No he has not, neither has Johnny. He had this thing with this chick Roxanne, but that was it. She wasn't his soulmate so he wasn't heartbroken when she left the relationship," Adalyn explained. Granted, he was sad a little, but Adalyn hoped Johnny and Jackie would at least be good friends.
"We have in attendance the Doctor, Adalyn, and Rose Tyler. Thank you. All staff to their positions," the employee from earlier ordered. More employees show, "Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along. And now, might I introduce the next honored guest? Representing the Ghost Rider Nation, Roberto Reyes," Adalyn cackled as Rose suddenly choked on air.
The man known as Roberto "Robbie" Reyes-Slade walked in and straight to the trio, "Fake niece!" he greeted in happiness.
"Fake uncle!" Adalyn greets back.
"Hello my dear flower," Robbie says with a flirty smirk to Rose who turned bright red.
"Hello," Rose greets back in a small voice, slightly hiding behind a highly amused Adalyn.
"I thought you wanted to meet him. He clearly knows you," Adalyn teased.
"Shut up!"
"Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute, and Coffa," was announced. The quartet saw a woman made of bark and wearing a red dress with the guards walking in, looking warily at Robbie who smiled innocently.
"What was that?" Rose asked him.
"Well, Flower, they heard me be announced as a Ghost Rider, a creature of fire. They're made of bark and wood," Robbie explained.
"There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace, If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon," was announced and another blue alien floated in on a hoverboard as the Moxx of Balhoon looked like it had no legs. "And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme," and a robed group walked in.
"Do you feel something off here?" Adalyn asked Robbie, now letting the Doctor and Rose hear her.
"Yep, since I arrived," Robbie said nonchalantly.
"What are you sensing?" the Doctor asked.
"Don't know," the two respond with shrugs.
"The Adherents feel empty though," Adalyn added.
"The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you," was announced next and reptilians dressed in furs came in next, "Cal Spark Plug. Mister and Mrs. Pacco. The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light," was announced next.
Gifts were starting to be given out and the Doctor jumped as a hand was suddenly next to his face. He looked back at Robbie, "So you don't breathe on a tree's face to gift them oxygen so Adalyn won't burn said tree," he said, holding out crafted bracelets.
The Doctor looked down at Adalyn who looked back up at him with a raised eyebrow, nodded, and grabbed the bracelets as the mentioned trees walk over.
"The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather," the female, Jabe, say, handing over a potted twig to the Doctor.
"Thank you, these are bracelets of protection," the Doctor said after Robbie very quickly mentioned what else the bracelets were for. The Doctor, Adalyn, Rose, and Robbie were all also wearing one.
"Why thank you," Jabe smiled accepting the bracelets, handing two more to Lute and Coffa. The Doctor did briefly notice the three at the front of the stack of bracelets Robbie gave him had more runes on them and the ones at the back had none. The ones with none would go to the Adherents but Robbie was also told they would be here, so what else did Robbie know? The bracelets with the more runes could've very well been because they were for the trees and they're close to the sun. Or, was it something else?
"From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe," the employee, or the steward, said. Adalyn noticed the sad smile Robbie gave the Face of Boe as a giant head in a giant casing wheels in, looking at the quartet. Adalyn's eyebrows raise, did the Face of Boe know them?
The floating blue alien flies over, "The Moxx of Balhoon," the Doctor greets with a smile.
"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily salivas," the Moxx replies in a higher monotone voice and poor Rose was the victim of the saliva.
"Thank you very much," the Doctor says, continuing to smile.
"Ah, that's why I was told to bring a cloth," Robbie says in realization and amusement, pulling out a rag and giving it to Rose who turned around to wipe her face.
"Ah! The Adherents of the repeated Meme. I bring you bracelets of protection," the Doctor said, handing of runeless bracelets to the robed group.
One of the robed beings hand over a metal ball with its metal hand. Robbie nudged Adalyn who was watching, 'Robots?' he mouthed and she nodded in agreement. She had to think for a moment. She still wonders how Tony got his robots to feel emotion, because she feels an emotion all over and knew JARVIS was in the building, and she felt it with his other robots too. These Adherents, though, were completely blank.
"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen," was announced and stretched out skin flap with visible veins stroll through the door with men dressed and masked in white holding pump sprays following.
"What the fuck?" Adalyn questioned.
"What the fuck indeed," Robbie added.
The Doctor just looked with wide eyes while Rose's jaw dropped.
"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me. Moisturize me," Cassandra demanded.
'My flower doesn't look a day over two thousand,' Robbie thought as he watched one of the men holding a pump spray, spray something over Cassandra.
"Truly, I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the earth and were the last to buried in its soil I have come to honor them and say goodbye. Oh, no tears, no tears. I'm sorry. But behold, I bring gifts. From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband? Oh, no. Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines. And here, another rarity," Cassandra pauses as a juke box is wheeled in.
"I loved smashing those," Adalyn commented quietly. Robbie let a little snort. The Doctor and Rose both look at the two and notice both of them had stiffened and they were watching Cassandra with reddening eyes. The Doctor and Rose share a look and know Cassandra will be the problem.
"I need to step out," Rose whispers to the Doctor who nods, "We'll join you soon," he whispers back. As Rose leaves, she can't help but see that Cassandra is actually paper thin.
"According to the archives, this was called an iPod," Cassandra starts.
"I liked destroying those too," Adalyn adds.
"It stores classical music form humanity's greatest composers. Play on!" Cassandra commands as the "iPod" starts playing.
"Refreshments will now be served. Earth death in thirty minutes," the steward announces as people start getting into the music.
"Rose stepped out, let's go," the Doctor told the two Ghost Riders who had been watching Cassandra. They nod and follow behind.
"Doctor? Adalyn?" Jabe's voice was heard. The two turn around, Robbie doing the same and they all blink as a flash goes off in front of them. "Thank you," Jabe says and walks away.
*******
"Identify species. Please identify species," Jabe begged to her device as it malfunctioned, "Adalyn is a Ghost Rider?!" she almost squealed in fright, "What about the Doctor? Now stop it. Identify his race," she argued with the device, "Where's he from?" she gasped as she received an answer, "It's impossible," she argues with herself as she hurries away knowing Lute and Coffa were probably searching for her, leaving the sphere she was given behind.
*******
"Earth Death in twenty five minutes," the computer announces.
"Would the owner of the blue box in private gallery fifteen please report to the Steward's office immediately. Guests are reminded that use of teleportation devices is strictly forbidden under Peace Treaty five point—," "NO!" the Steward jumped hearing the sharp yell through the hallway.
*******
Robbie and the Doctor rubbed their ears as they calmed their heart rates at the sudden loud response from Adalyn towards the Steward's announcement. They already found the TARDIS being wheeled away, "Oi, now, careful with that. Park it properly. No scratches," the Doctor calls.
The Doctor is handed a card and then they hurry past as they hear a screech resembling Rose's voice. They hurry and find her, "The spheres became a metal spider," Rose told them in a panic. She had curled up on the steps she was sitting on. Robbie came forward, "Can I?" he asked, opening his arms. Rose nods and Robbie wraps his arms around her and holds her close.
After a moment of everyone thinking of what these spider were for, Rose suddenly asked, "Why do I hear English?"
"The TARDIS helps whatever companion I have understand the languages by translating so I don't have to play translator and you don't have to carry a translation device or something," the Doctor explained.
"That's handy," Rose said after a moment. "What are you?" she asked.
The Doctor tensed as Robbie and Adalyn paused.
"Nothing you need to know," the Doctor gritted out. Rose opened her mouth but Robbie and Adalyn shook their heads so she kept quiet. The Doctor went to go look out the observation window and Adalyn went and stood with him. She leans her head against his shoulder and sees him look down at her briefly; relaxing his shoulders, and looks back out.
"Okay," Rose said, getting up from Robbie's arms, "I can assume something happened and brings bad memories so I won't ask," she said. She pulled out her phone seeing the lack of signal, "Can't exactly call for a taxi. There's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit," she said.
The Doctor turned around, "Tell you what," the Doctor said, grabbing her phone and taking the back off, "With a little bit of jiggery pokery," the Doctor starts.
Adalyn laughed a little, "Jiggery pokery?"
"I came first in it, can't say the same about hullabaloo," the Doctor countered with a big grin, messing with the phone before closing it up again. "There you go."
Rose notices a time period now shows up on her phone and she puts in the date for after she left, "Hello?" Jackie answered.
"Mum?" Rose answered.
"Hi Rose, did you time travel or different planet?" Jackie asked, showing that Mickey did talk to her.
"We're watching the end of the Earth millions into the future," Rose answered as she watched the Doctor try to figure out how to adjust Adalyn's phone. Tony Stark had made fireproof phones for the Ghost Riders. He hadn't needed to, but he wanted a break from making weapons.
"...I hope I'm dead by then," Jackie answered.
Rose snorted, "If you were somehow alive, you would've been on another planet," she said, not seeing Robbie's smile grow even more.
Adalyn finally got her phone fixed and went and called Johnny who had been on his way to Britain. "Am I finally meeting Jackie?" Johnny had asked.
"She'll probably run in with an aluminum bat if she hears someone in the apartment next to her, so yes," Adalyn replied.
"Oooo, fun," Johnny responds making Adalyn roll her eyes with a fond smile before the said bye to each other.
"That was five billion years ago," Rose realizes when she hangs up, "So, she's dead now. Five billion years later, my mum's dead," Rose said.
"Bundle of laughs, you are," the Doctor said while Adalyn now notices her fake uncle's smile. She would questioned it if the space station didn't start shaking. "That's not supposed to happen," the Doctor said with a big smile. "We should find those spiders," he adds, grabbing Adalyn's hand.
"Sun filter deactivated," they hear making them four of them pause, "Sun filter descending," the computer announces.
"Cassandra is hacking the station," Robbie concluded and they hurried out to the observation gallery where everyone else is gathered other than Cassandra.
Robbie moves past and pulls out a band like the bracelets and puts it on the tank, "Here you are, old friend," he says with a smile. Boe couldn't make a lot of expressions but those who knew him saw the emotion through his eyes and his eyes smiled. 'Thank you,' he hears in his head, 'Now go help Doc and the skeletal princess,' Boe added.
"Indubitably, this is a Bad Wolves scenario. I find the inherent laxity of the on-going multiverse," Moxx said. Rose momentarily paused, 'No, it can't be,' she thought.
"That was a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that," the Doctor told the two Ghost Riders and the human, he turned to Jabe, "What do you think, Jabe? Listened to the engines. They've picked up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?" he asked, getting her involved. He knew very well he could've asked Adalyn or maybe Robbie.
"It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me," Jabe answered back honestly.
"Where's the engine room?" the Doctor asked.
"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you and your wife," Jabe asked, looking between the Doctor and Rose.
"She's/I'm not my/his wife," the Doctor and Rose say shaking their heads. Adalyn wasn't paying attention, her and Robbie were trying to figure out what was going on.
"Partner?"
"No," the Doctor answered
"Concubine?"
"Nope," the Doctor answers again.
"Prostitute?"
"I haven't sex yet, so no," Rose answered bluntly and if Jabe could blush, she would.
"Not much longer," Robbie sung under his breath and Adalyn harshly elbowed him.
"I don't share and I'm not afraid to burn a tree," Adalyn said with a fake happy smile, "And I like you, don't make me burn a tree," she added, looking at Jabe. The Doctor blushed again and Robbie smirked, 'All of them are completely smitten with her,' he thought. The Doctor and Adalyn's relationship always fascinated Robbie because Adalyn always had to figure out each Doctor's personality, like how Ten was more touchy, or how Twelve was a bit standoffish.
"Well, while you three do your thing, Robbie and I are going to catch up with the skin flap," Rose said, grabbing Robbie's hand as he asked, "We are?"
"Don't start a fight!" the Doctor called.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Rose countered.
"I'm so proud!" Adalyn called to Rose, wiping a fake tear.
Rose laughed loudly, "Be home by midnight!"
"Earth Death in fifteen minutes. Earth Death in fifteen minutes," the computer announces as Jabe, the Doctor, and Adalyn part with Rose and Robbie.
*******
Arriving at the Maintenance Duct, Adalyn is looking up at the piping, the Doctor catching little plinking sounds above them. "Who's in charge of Platform One? Is there a Captain or what?" the Doctor asked.
Jabe looked confused, "There's just the Steward and the staff. All the rest is controlled by the metal mind," she responds.
"You mean the computer?" Adalyn asked. Jabe nods.
"Who controls that?" the Doctor asked.
"The Corporation. They move Platform One from one artistic event to another," Jabe answered.
"Definitely art," Adalyn said, a big smirk appearing on her face.
"But there's no one from the Corporation on board," the Doctor repeated, making sure he heard correctly.
Jabe shook her head, "They're not needed. This facility is purely automatic. It's the height of the Alpha class. Nothing can go wrong," she said.
Adalyn spun around making the two stop, "Jabe, you should never say 'nothing can go wrong' something usually does," she warns.
"So they make it unsinkable?" the Doctor
"If you like. The nautical metaphor is appropriate," Jabe said, "I hope nothing goes wrong," she added after recalling what Adalyn just told her.
"Something's going wrong," Adalyn and the Doctor said.
"I was on board another ship once. They said it was unsinkable. I ended up clinging to an iceberg. It wasn't half col—"
"YOU WERE ON THE TITANIC SHIP?! WERE YOU ALRIGHT?" Adalyn screamed in a panic.
"Adalyn, dear, I was okay," the Doctor said, calmly, grabbing her hand now as they stood there. The Doctor then turned back to Jabe, "So, what you're saying is, if we get in trouble there's no one to help us out?"
"I'm afraid not," Jabe answered.
"Fantastic," the Doctor said sarcastically.
"Fascinating," Adalyn said, also in sarcasm.
"I don't understand. In what way is that fantastic and fascinating?" Jabe questioned.
They continued walking, both Adalyn and the Doctor listening for the scuffling of the spiders they saw, "So tell me, Jabe, what's a tree like you doing in a place like this?" the Doctor asked.
"Respect for the Earth," was her answer.
"Oh, come on. Everyone on this platform's worth zillions," the Doctor said, turning to Adalyn at the last bit. She gave him a flattered smile, knowing he was flirting, but also speaking the truth. Ghost Riders were rare to come across.
"Well, perhaps it's the case of having to be seen at the right occasions," Jabe suggested.
"In case your share prices drop?" the Doctor questioned, "I know you lot. You've got forests everywhere, roots everywhere, and there's always money in land," he said.
Jabe shrugged, "All the same, we respect the earth as family. So many species evolved from that planet. Mankind is only one. I'm another. The Ghost Riders being another. My ancestors were transported from the planet down below, and I'm a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest," Jabe explained, sounding proud of her ancestry.
Adalyn looked impressed, "Nice," she complimented and got a smile from Jabe.
"Excuse me," the Doctor said, scanning a panel to get the Maintenance Log up, only to be denied access.
"And what about your ancestry, Doctor? Perhaps you could tell a story or two. Perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there's nothing else left. I scanned you earlier. The metal machine had trouble identifying your species, but identified Adalyn as a Created Ghost Rider just fine. It refused to admit your existence. And even when it named you, I wouldn't believe it. But it was right. I know where you're from. Forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable that you even exist. I just wanted to say how sorry I am," Jabe said in sympathy. She was about to put a hand on his shoulder when a heated presence made her jump back and she turned to find a smoking red eyed Adalyn next to her. "His mental health didn't need that. He has me and the blonde human we were with to help him and yes, you are intruding," Adalyn said with a fake smile, knowing she is threatening to Jabe as she knew what Adalyn was. Adalyn put a smoking, bright red hand on the Doctor's neck and Jabe noticed him physically untense his shoulders instead of be burnt. Her eyes widened, she upset a Ghost Rider's mate. The Doctor, while more relaxed, was more internally going haywire, just getting the confirmation that Adalyn was his Bonded and he was her mate. Then, he gets the door open.
They enter to see a platform with three giant fans with sharp blades spinning so fast they blurred in front of them, separating them from the switch. "Oh, how convenient," Adalyn spoke in a flat tone.
"Accurately said," the Doctor said, "It's a bit nippy."
*******
"So how are Ghost Riders born? I was curious and Adalyn never said," Rose asked Robbie. They had just left Cassandra after Rose got snotty with the bitchy trampoline.
"Well," Robbie started, "You have two kinds, the Created and the Born. There's no difference truly between them, it's just how they came to be. Surprisingly Ghost Riders can be very good parental figures, I think it's our angelic side," Robbie sniffed, "Carter, Johnny, Adalyn, and I are all Created ones, we just come into existence as babies," he revealed making Rose look surprised, "Your parent depends on who finds you and we're placed with whoever Zarathos thinks would raise us best. Carter first found Johnny and then when Johnny was a teenager, Carter found me. For all intents and purposes, he is our Dad even if we don't call him that. We have a father-son bond with him. And then two hundred years later, I've grown up and get a surprise phone call from Johnny saying he found a baby Ghost Rider girl," Robbie said.
"And so Adalyn was supposed to be raised by Johnny?" Rose assumed.
"Exactly. Now, you also have the born ones. Even though we are created into existence, if we have found our destined one, our mate, we can reproduce. That was made for the safety of the female non-Ghost Rider soulmates," Robbie said.
"Why?"
"Because if a male Ghost Rider were to have sex with a female that was not their mate and they got pregnant and sinned, the mother will burn from the inside out and the baby will die with the mother," Robbie revealed.
"Oh my God," Rose gasped.
"Exactly," Robbie said, "Now if you're actually a mate, then you can support the baby," he revealed.
"Do you have children?" Rose asked.
Robbie paused, "I have been warned not to reveal things that would involve the future," was all he said, before stopping. The adherents were behind then, one whacked Rose in the head while the other sprayed Robbie with water before also knocking him out.
*******
"Fair do's, though, that's a great bit of air conditioning. Old fashioned," the Doctor said, observing the fans, and noticing Adalyn kind of standing behind him as if he was shielding her from the wind. "Bet they call it retro," he added and heard a snort behind him from the joke and smiled successfully.
The Doctor scanned another panel and heard the padding inside and saw Adalyn's chain slip out from under her sleeves making Jabe move away. "Gotcha," he says pulling the panel up. A metal spider scurries out of it and up the wall as Adalyn grabbed it with her chain and pulls it down.
"Is that part of the retro?" Jabe asked innocently.
Adalyn and the Doctor shook their heads. "Nope, these are coming out of the spheres, we saw one come out of Rose's before the station shook," the Doctor said, slightly lying. They saw it before and it registered to all of them that something was going to happen, but they didn't know what.
"Wonder who brought their puts on board?" the Doctor questioned.
"What does it do?" Jabe asked.
"Sabotage," the Doctor said.
"These things can get anywhere and everywhere in this station," Adalyn added, making Jabe realize the severity of the situation.
"Earth Death in ten minutes," the computer said. Adalyn could feel her inner Rider acting up, somebody was plotting murder.
"And the temperatures about to rocket and the Ghost Riders won't have caused it. Come on," the Doctor said, urging Jabe out. He grabbed Adalyn's hand, hoping he could at least get her from turning.
"Earth Death in ten minutes."
They reach the stewards office, only for Adalyn to stop and hold her hand out enough for Jabe to stop but not for her to hurt the humanoid tree. "There's extra heat in there," she said. The assistants were gathered around the door, moving away as Adalyn approached, "The Steward is dead," she said, her voice deepening on the last word.
"How do you know?" Jabe asked in worry.
"Ghost Riders can sense a murder. And you can smell him," Adalyn said. The assistants looked down sadly as they now knew a Ghost Rider just confirmed what they thought, "Hey," Adalyn said to them, "You need to find protection from the sun," she tells them. They all nod and scurry away before the Doctor, Adalyn, and Jabe run off too after the Doctor found another sun filter.
*******
"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending," Rose hears as she wakes up in a very bright room. She finds Robbie unconscious next to her and hurries to his side, "Robbie! Wake up!" she urged, shaking him awake. His eyes snap open and he takes in the area they were in.
"The door, will it open?" he asked.
Rose hurried over and pulled on the doors, "No," she said, "Do you think you can get us out?"
Robbie shook his head, "I have to dry," he said motioning to his body still covered in water. He gets up moves closer to the glaring sun beams.
"Robbie?! What are you doing?" Rose asked, almost hysterically.
"Flower, I will be fine. Ghost Riders stand high heats. I need to dry," Robbie said, "Call and see if my niece and the Doctor show," he added pointing to the door.
Rose hurried back to the doors and pounded as Robbie stood in the sun light, "LET US OUT!" she yelled, banging on the door. "LET US OUT!" she screamed again. Then she took a deep breath, summoning up the air and energy she could, "ADALYN!" she screamed.
"Sun filter descending."
*******
Adalyn paused, suddenly moving in front of the Doctor as the Doctor followed behind, going to the panel, "Rose?" she called making the Doctor pause.
"Addie! Robbie and I are stuck in here. The adherents knocked me out and then drenched Robbie in water before doing the same," Rose said through the door.
"What's Robbie doing?" Adalyn asked as she motioned for the Doctor to do what he needed to do.
"He's standing in the sun beams," Jabe gasped at that, "trying to dry off."
"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending."
"Oh my God that computer is annoying," Adalyn groaned, "Can you get them out?" she asked the Doctor.
"The computer's getting clever," the Doctor responds in urgency.
"Stop mucking about!" Rose yelled.
"I'm not mucking about," the Doctor yells, "It's fighting back!"
"The locks melted!" Rose yelled through the door.
"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there!" the Doctor yells.
"Hold on," Adalyn spoke. "How dry is Robbie?"
"Close," Adalyn heard Robbie say.
"Okay, I'm gonna try to break down the door some, so Robbie can get you guys, okay?" Adalyn said.
"Okay," Rose said.
Adalyn looked at the Doctor and pointed down the hall, "Go gather everyone and confront Cassandra, I'll meet you," she told him before turning back to the door, "Rose, step away," she called as the Doctor and Jabe leave.
"I'm away," Rose says through the door. A familiar heated feeling overcomes Adalyn as her skin melts away into a fiery skeleton. She kicks the doors causing dents and dark footprints where the door started melting from her foot. When a separation eventually started she grabbed the two sides of the door and started pulling.
"Adalyn!" the Doctor calls.
"I got it," a deep voice inside the doors spoke. Adalyn stepped away as skeletal hands peak through the door and she walks away, her flames dying down and skin reappearing. She didn't want to appear threatening to the trees. She stormed her way through the crowd who all were in awe of the sudden shield appearing around them and followed the Doctor and Jabe.
"Heat levels rising...Heat rising...Earth death in two minutes. Earth death in two minutes...Heat levels critical...Heat levels critical."
"Oh, guess where the switch is?" Adalyn hears the Doctor say.
"Again, I say conveniently placed," Adalyn said, announcing her presence.
"Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising..."
The Doctor walked over to a panel, pulling down on a lever and the fans slowed, only to speed up when he let go.
"External temperature five thousand degrees," the computer informed them. Jabe had move forward but Adalyn stopped her.
"I will hold down the lever," Adalyn said, "I won't burn from that, but Jabe that bracelet will protect you from this heat, I need you to block the wind from me," she said. Jabe nods. The Doctor took off his jacket and handed it to Jabe who held it out in front of her as she faced the wind, the jacket helping her shield Adalyn. Adalyn held down the lever and the Doctor stared, "Get moving, Time Lord," she told him.
"Heat levels rising...heat levels rising...Heat levels hazardous..."
*******
The shielded passengers were now shocked as a flaming skeleton in a leather jacket with a white stripe marched into the room, his bare skeletal hand holding a shocked Rose's. 'I'M HIS MATE?!' she internally screamed.
*******
"Heat levels critical...heat levels critical..." the Doctor looked back at Adalyn. Even if she said she wouldn't burn, he still didn't like it. He took a deep breath and calmly passes the first fan. Jabe's bracelet shield activated.
"Heat levels rising...heat levels rising..."
The Doctor passes the next fan.
"Planet explodes in, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five," the Doctor passes the final fan, "Four," the Doctor flipped the switch in the reset breaker, "Raise shields!"
He hurried back over and Jabe smiled as Adalyn shook out her hands, hiding them quickly. "Let me see," the Doctor said calmly.
"Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair..."
"They're fine, already healing," Adalyn said, holding out her hands where the tissue was already forming around the tendons on her bones.
Jabe, the Doctor, and Annika enter the gallery where everybody applauded them. Rose stood hand in hand with a flaming Robbie.
"You all right?" Rose asked them.
"Oh, you're mates?" the Doctor questioned in happiness, "We're just fine. I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them," the Doctor said as Adalyn's Rider form came back out, startling everyone as they didn't she was one. "Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Iea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby," The Doctor said, smashing open the 'ostrich egg' and revealing a device in it, "Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed," he added.
"Oh, you should've seen their little alien faces," Cassandra's voice was heard as she was beamed back in. "Oh," she muttered in realization and then let out a very loud scream upon seeing the Ghost Rider she knew about was still alive, but there was a second Ghost Rider.
"The last human," the Doctor spat.
"So, you passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join, er, the Human club," Cassandra tried to play off, but if she could jump in fright, she would have from the two growls the Ghost Riders let out.
"You've murdered people, Cassandra," the Doctor said.
"It depends on your definition of people," Rose looked offended at recalling her similar earlier words, "and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile and cry and flutter—"
"And creak?" the Ghost Riders question in sync as they interrupt Cassandra.
"And what?" Cassandra asked in shock.
"Creak. You're creaking," the Doctor clarified. Rose nodded in agreement.
"What?" Cassandra asked, now hysterical, "Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturize me, moisturize me! Get away you fire demons!" she screamed at the Riders who teasingly getting closer to her, "Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" Cassandra cried.
"You raised the temperature, the Riders are helping," the Doctor said with a shrug.
"Karma much?" Rose questioned quietly and the Doctor nods.
"I'm too young!" Cassandra cries as the Riders slide back as Cassandra disintegrates with a big splat.
*******
The trio said goodbye to the trees and Robbie. Rose blushed when she remembered Robbie wouldn't admit if he had children to not reveal something of the future. He hadn't denied it. 'Do we have children one day?' she asked herself as she watched the remains of Earth float by.
"The end of the Earth, and we didn't even get to see it," Adalyn said, a bit disappointed and resulted in a laugh from Rose.
"Come with me," the Doctor told the two.
*******
They landed back on Earth in a busy street of people minding their own business. "You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky. My planet's gone," the Doctor revealed to Rose while Adalyn had her arm entangled with his as she held his hand, "It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust before it's time," the Doctor explained.
"What happened?" Rose asked.
"There was a nasty war. His planet lost, but he prevented the enemies from getting elsewhere," Adalyn said making the Doctor look at her with wide eyes.
"A war with who? What about your people?" Rose asked softly.
"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own 'cos there's no one else," the Doctor said.
"Well, now you got your Bonded and your new friend," Rose said in assurance. The Doctor let out a smile at the mention of his Bonded.
"I smell fries," Adalyn said.
"Oooo, I want chips," Rose said.
"Alright, lets go," the Doctor agreed, holding his other arm out for Rose as they all walked to get fries/chips.
*******
The Doctor watched Adalyn as she searched through the library before sitting down, "Are you going to continue standing there or are you going to sit?" Adalyn asked, startling the Time Lord. He slowly made his way to go sit with her making the Ghost rider watch him. "You're insecure about something," she noticed.
The Doctor thought momentarily and then spoke, "It's just my own actions towards my planet and the fact you're a Ghost Rider, it makes me think if I haven't had been your mate then you would've..."
"Killed you?" Adalyn asked softly after the Doctor paused. The Doctor had looked heartbroken when he nodded in response.
Adalyn put her chosen book down. Facing him, she spoke, "When we see someone's memories, we can very quickly detect if they intentionally did it, as if it was their first option, or if it was a benefit for something else. What you did against—what was it? Gallifrey?" the Doctor nods, "What you against Gallifrey caused Daleks to not escape, but I need you to keep in mind one thing," he looks at her, "You only stopped the Daleks of that time, you are likely going to run into more," the Doctor sighed sadly, Adalyn moved closer as she continued, "I also know the time that version of you, while not so emotional, did feel an extreme amount of guilt of what he had to do, but it protected the galaxy of that time. You had no other option Doctor. My Rider knows that. My Rider also knows that while you have a dark side, so do we, but we have an intention for the greater good—God I just sounded like Dumbledore, ew—You are a good person and if you feel like you're going to go off the rails, you have me," she told him, placing a hand on his leg.
"So, you wouldn't care if my body changes when I regenerate?" the Doctor asked a bit shyly, "Like if I'm physically older or even a woman?"
"I went into this already knowing your body changes because of Johnny and Carter. I know I have to adjust when you change, but don't think any less of yourself and make sure your future selves know that. It's just a part of you," Adalyn told him. "Do you care that I turn into a flaming skeleton woman with a very awesome flaming motorcycle and a chain for a weapon? Or that I kill sinners? Or that I have a temper?"
"I knew what Ghost Riders do when I met you and that you do kill, but it is for people that have done bad with no remorse. I'll admit the chain and motorcycle is fantastic and I have a temper too, at least this me does," the Doctor answered honestly.
"Then just remember, we will work on it during each incarnation of yours," Adalyn said and the Doctor smiled as she moved closer, grabbed her book and leaned into his side, getting comfortable as she began to read with him looking over her shoulder.