"All passengers prepare for boarding. I repeat all passengers prepare for immediate boarding." The voice through the speaker ordered signalling for everyone to head to the rocket. "Destination, Utopia." He announced while everyone in the lab rushed around.
The Doctor and Rita connected wires on a large clear circuit board. The Doctor looked at a wire fiddling with it in his hand before sniffing it. "Is this?"
"Yes, gluten extract." Yana nodded from the other side of the circuit board.
"It binds the neutralino map together," Rita muttered while nodding, impressed by the work.
"That's food." The Doctor stated looking at Yana. "You've built this system out of food and string and staples?"
"I'm very impressed." Rita breathed.
"Professor Yana, you're a genius."
"I second that." Rita chuckled.
"Says the two that made it work."
"Oh, it's easy coming in at the end, but you're stellar. This is, this is magnificent. And I don't often say that because, well, because of me, well unless you're my Stone here."
"Since when have I been your Stone?" Rita looked at him raising a brow.
"Since I met you all them years ago." He smiled kissing her cheek.
Yana coughed lightly bringing the attention back over to him. "Well, even my title is an affectation. There hasn't been such a thing as a university for over a thousand years. I've spent my life going from one refugee ship to another."
"If you'd been born in a different time, you'd be revered," Rita said only gaining a chuckle and a shake of Yana's head. "I mean it." He added. "Throughout the galaxies."
"Oh, those damned galaxies. They had to go and collapse. Some admiration would have been nice." He then muttered quietly. "Yes, just a little, just once."
"Well, you've got it now." The Doctor smiled before his face became serious again. "But that footprint engine thing. You can't activate it from onboard. It's got to be from here. You're staying behind."
"With Chantho," Yana explained said then added. "She won't leave without me. Simply refuses."
"You'd give your life so they could fly," Rita said sadly.
"Oh, I think I'm a little too old for Utopia." Yana sighed. "Time I had some sleep."
"Don't think you're ever too old for anything Professor, my best friend taught me that." She chuckled nudging the Doctor who laughed.
The Doctor opened his mouth the speak just as a voice came through the large speakers. "Professor, tell the Doctor and the Stone that we've found their blue box."
"Ah!" The Doctor beamed.
"Not mine." She shrugged.
"Oh, she's just as much as mind as she is yours." The Doctor took her hand as Jack beckoned them over to him nodding at the monitor. The Doctor grinned placing a hand on Yana's shoulder. "Professor, it's a wild stab in the dark, but we may just have found you a way out." He then pulled Rita away to help connect the wires as Yana continued to stare at the blue box.
A little while later the TARDIS appeared in the lab, The Doctor pulled out a large thick wire from under the console. "Extra power." Both Time Lords beamed rushing over.
"Although she might not like you after this for a while Doctor."
"What about you then?"
"She likes me." Rita grinned. "This is a little bit of a cheat." She frowned as the Doctor shrugged.
"But who's counting?" He plugged the cable in then ran over to a monitor. "Jack, you're in charge of the retro feeds." He ordered just as Martha and Chantho entered the lab.
"Oh, am I glad to see that thing." Martha beamed noticing the TARDIS in the room.
Chantho noticed the Professors distress and walked over to him full of concern. "Chan Professor, are you all right tho?"
He waved her off his hands resting on his knees while his eyes looked in thought. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. Just get on with it." He ordered.
"Connect those circuits into the spar, same as that last lot." Jack said to Martha before adding in a slightly louder tone: "But quicker."
"Yes, sir," Martha muttered heading over to where she was told.
The Doctor and Rita noticed the Professor and walked over to him. "You don't have to keep working. We can handle it." The Doctor stated crouching a little.
"It's just a headache." Yana frowned shaking his head. "It's just, just noise inside my head, Doctor, Stone. Constant noise inside my head."
Rita looked at the man wearily, she swallowed deeply and then asked: "What sort of noise? When did it start?"
"It's the sound of drums." He replied. Rita shivered slightly her face draining of the little colour on her naturally pale skin as he continued to speak not noticing the woman beside him. "More and more, as though it's getting closer. I've had it all my life. Every waking hour." He then muttered standing up and walking away. "Still, no rest for the wicked."
Rita watched him walked off her face showing slight fear. "Are you okay?" The Doctor whispered into her mind wrapping an arm around her waist.
"I." She shook her head. "No, it's impossible." She chuckled lightly at the thought. "I'm fine sweetheart." She kissed his cheek in reassurance
"Are you sure?" He asked kissing hers.
"Theta I'm fine." She reassured him. "We have work to do." She grinned. The Doctor nodded as they went about the lab assisting Yana.
----------------------------------------------------------------
"God sake! This equipment." Yana groaned hitting the keyboard in anger. "Needs rebooting all the time."
"Anything we can do? I've finished that lot."
"And the Doctor doesn't need my help at the moment, keeping getting distracted when I'm around, I have no idea why. Plus I'm great with computers, not as good as him." She glanced over to the Doctor who was fiddling with some wires. "But I know a thing or two."
"Brilliant." He nodded moving out the way, allowing Martha to sit down as Rita stood behind her. "If you could. Just press the reboot key every time the picture goes."
"Ah nice and simple, always good that way." Rita grinned. "Just don't ask Martha to do shorthand."
"Not very good at it," Martha added.
"Right." Yana nodded starting to walk off.
The picture then reappeared and the man on the monitor started to talk. "Are you still there?"
Yana then rushed back to the monitor. "Ah, present and correct. Send your man inside. We'll keep the levels down from here." The man nodded turning his head to the side before turning back to the monitor. "He's inside. And good luck to him."
Yana then moved away heading over to Jack. "Captain, keep the dials below the red."
"Where is that room?" The Doctor asked interestedly.
"It's underneath the rocket. Fix the couplings and the footprint can work. But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation."
"Stet?" Both Time Lords looked up frowning. "Never heard of it."
"And I learnt about loads of different types of radiation," Rita added. "Never ever came across one called Stet."
"You wouldn't want to," Yana informed her. "But it's safe enough if we can hold the radiation back from here." They then looked at the monitor watching the man connect the equipment. They suddenly looked up as an alarm started blaring.
"It's rising!" Yana ran around the room. "Naught point two. Keep it level!" He shouted at Jack.
"Yes, sir."
"Chan we're losing power tho!" Chantho cried out.
"The radiation is rising!" Rita shouted running around the lab trying to stop it.
"We've lost control!" Jack shouted desperately trying to lower it.
"The chamber's going to flood."
"Jack, override the events!" The Doctor shouted at him.
"Get out! Get out of there! Jake!"
Ignoring his words Jack pulled out two sparking power cables. "We can jump start the override."
"Don't!" The Doctor shouted. "It's going to flare!"
Not telling him fast enough Jack connected the two cables together and cried out in pain with the electricity surging through him killing him dead.
"I've got him!" Martha ran over as Chantho came over as well pushing the cables away.
"Chan don't touch the cables tho."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Yana gasped.
"I wouldn't say that just yet," Rita said watching Martha try to help Jack.
"The chamber's flooded with radiation, yes?" The Doctor asked as Martha started to give Jack mouth to mouth resuscitation.
"Without the couplings, the engines will never start. It was all for nothing."
"Oh, I don't know." The Doctor shrugged.
"Martha." Rita slowly walked over to her and started to pull her away. She snapped her arm back, the Time Lady sighed using more force this time. "leave him, Martha."
"You've got to let me try." She cried out trying to break free.
"Come on, come on, just listen to the Stone." The Doctor helped pull Martha back. The Doctor removed his glasses looking at Yana. "It strikes me, Professor, you've got a room which no man can enter without dying. Is that correct?"
"Yes." He nodded.
"Well..." Jack then gasped sitting up.
"I think the Doctor has just the man for the job." She grinned patting the Doctors arm.
Continuing to gasp Jack looked up frowning. "Was someone kissing me?"
Welcome back Captain." Rita laughed.
The Doctor and Jack ran through the corridors and entered the control room. "Lieutenant, get on board the rocket!" The Doctor ordered the man sitting at the desk. "I promise you're going to fly."
"The chamber's flooded." He informed him.
"Trust me. We've found a way of tripping the system. Run!" He shouted. The man got up and headed for the rocket. The Doctor then turned to Jack seeing him taking off his outer shirt.
"Wh... What are you taking your clothes off for?" He asked.
"I'm going in."
The Doctor glanced back at the room seeing the suit lying on the floor. "Well, by the looks of it, I'd say the stet radiation doesn't affect clothing, only flesh."
"Well, I look good though." Jack grinned moving to the door.
"You know I can see why you're worried about me being near him." The Doctor blinked for a moment then heard Rita's laughed which told him that she was joking. Sighing he shook his head looking at Jack.
"How long have you known?"
"Ever since I ran away from you." He replied pausing for a moment, the Doctor then nodded. "Good luck." Jack nodded back and entered the radiation chamber.
Martha began to type on the keyboard trying to get the signal to the control room back.
"We lost picture when that thing flared up." She said. "Doctor, are you there?"
"Receiving, yeah." He replied. "He's inside."
"And still alive?" She asked.
"Oh, yes." The Doctor said back.
Yana frowned for a moment. "But he should evaporate. What sort of a man is he?"
"Sadly my memory isn't as good as it used to be... in areas, me and Martha only just met him, the Doctor and I sort of travel through time and space."
"They pick people up," Martha added before shaking her head. "God, I make us sound like stray dogs."
"Good thing I like dogs, glad you didn't mention cats, someone doesn't like them anymore." Rita hummed.
"I said this before and I'll say if again once you've been threatened by one in a nun's wimple, it kind of takes the joy out of it."
Rita laughed shaking her head at his comment.
"You travel in time?" Yana asked slightly shocked.
"Don't ask me to explain it," Martha said.
"That's the TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space, the Doctors pride and joy." Rita hummed looking back at the blue box. He calls it 'The sports car of time travel', I however quite like it as just the blue box." She smiled not noticing Yana's sudden change in expression.
"When did you first realise?" The Doctor asked from the controls room.
"Earth, 1892." Jack pressed the buttons. "Got in a fight in Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart. Then I woke up. Thought it was kind of strange. But then it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World War One, World War Two, poison, starvation, a stray javelin." Rita and the Doctor both winced at the thought. "In the end, I got the message. I'm the man who can never die. And all that time you knew."
"That's why I left you behind." The Doctor admitted. "It's not easy even just looking at you, Jack, I know the Stone knew something was wrong when she first saw you because you're wrong."
"Thanks."
"You are. We can't help it. We're Time Lords. It's instinct. It's in our guts, I know for a fact that the Stone felt it stronger, she forced the TARDIS to go as soon as she saw you. You're a fixed point in time and space. You're a fact. That's never meant to happen." He explained. "Even the TARDIS reacted against you, tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you."
"So what you're saying is that you're, er, prejudiced?"
"I never thought of it like that."
"Shame on you both." He laughed.
"Yeah."
"Last thing I remember, back when I was mortal, I was facing three Daleks. Death by extermination. And then I came back to life, what happened?" He asked.
"Rose."
"I thought you'd sent her back home." He questioned.
"She came back. Opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the time vortex itself." He explained.
"What does that mean, exactly?"
"No one's ever mean to have that power. If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god. A vengeful God." He sighed. "But she was human." He paused then continued again. "Everything she did was so human. She brought you back to life but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life."
"I bet the rest of the Time Lords wouldn't be happy with that, the final act of the Time War created by a human." Rita hummed.
"Do you think she could change me back?" Jack questioned.
"I took the power out of her." The Doctor paused before sighing leaning his head against the glass of the door. "She's gone, Jack. She's not just living on a parallel world, she's trapped there. The walls have closed."
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah."
"I went back to her estate, in the nineties, just once or twice. Watched her growing up." Rita's eyes widened slightly. "Never said hello. Timelines and all that." She breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Do you want to die?"
"Oh, this one's a little stuck."
"Jack?"
The man sighed answering his question. "I thought I did. I don't know. But this lot." He started to grin widely. "You see them out here surviving, and that's fantastic."
"You might be out there, somewhere."
"I could go meet myself."
"Well, the only man you're ever going to be happy with." The Doctor laughed.
"This new regeneration, it's kind of cheeky."
"That's what the Stone keeps telling me." He laughed.
"Don't make me come up there and hit you round the head," Rita said knowing that the Doctor could hear her.
"I never understand half the things he says." Martha laughed looking at Rita and Chantho. Her face noticing Yana crying in the corner of her eye. "What's wrong?"
"Chan Professor, what is it tho?" Chantho, Martha and Rita walked up to him concerned.
"Time travel." He muttered. "They say there was time travel back in the old days. I never believed. But what would I know? Stupid old man."
"Don't say that," Rita told him. "You did all of this all on your own."
"Never could keep time." Yana continued to mumble looking into space. "Always late, always lost. Even this thing never worked." He brought out a fob watch. Rita slightly stepped back out if shock her hearts hammering in her chest.
"Time and time and time again. Always running out on me."
Martha stared at the watch the same worry on her face as the Time Lady's. "Can I have a look at that?"
"Oh, it's only an old relic. Like me."
"Where did you get it?
"Martha." Rita quietly whispered for her to stop.
"Hmm?" He hummed. "I was found with it."
Martha either ignored or did not hear the brunettes plead to stop. "What do you mean?"
"An orphan in the storm." He explained. "I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned, with only this."
"Have you opened it?"
"Why would I?" He chuckled shrugging. "It's broken."
"How do you know it's broken if you've never opened it?" Martha suggested.
"It's stuck." Yana started to mumble. "It's old. It's not meant to be. I don't know."
Martha slowly turned the watch over. Both girls gasped at the sight slightly stepping back, they glanced at each other knowing that they had to find the Doctor, Rita had a feeling of who this man was and didn't like it one bit.
"Does it matter?" Yana asked looking at them.
"No." Martha shook her head sounding a little too cheery. "It's nothing. It's." She stuttered.
"We're just going to go and check to see if the Doctor need's any help." Rita chuckled out of fear then sprinted off out of the room with Martha behind her running straight to the control room.
"Ah, nearly there." The Doctor beamed kissing Rita's forehead not noticing the fear struck across her face. "The footprint, it's a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive. It'll take the both of us to keep it stable." Martha slammed her hand on a button.
Martha swallowed glancing at the shaken Time Lady. "Doctor, it's the Professor." She calmly said. "He's got this watch. He's got a fob watch." The Doctor froze staring at her. "It's the same as yours. Same writing on it, same everything."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"I asked him, the Stone tried to stop me but I asked. He said he's had it his whole life."
"So he's got the same watch," Jack said no understanding the situation.
"Yeah, but it's not a watch. It's this chameleon thing."
"No, no, no" Both Time Lords shook their heads. "It's this, this thing, this device, it rewrites biology. Changes a Time Lord into a human." The Doctor said taking the brunette's hand tightly seeing the frightened look on her face.
"And it's the same watch."
"It can't be." The Doctor frowned.
"That means he could be a Time Lord. You two might not be the last."
"Jack, keep it level!" The Doctor shouted taking the terrified brunette into a hug resting his chin on her head while rubbing her back.
"But that's brilliant, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. Course it is. Depends which one. Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they died, the Time Lords. All of them. They died." He then mumbled into Rita's hair. "Except for the Stone and I."
"Not if he was human," Jack remarked.
"What did he say, Martha?" The Doctor asked then shouted at her repeating himself. "What did he say?!"
She jumped slightly seeing the fear now in his eyes. "He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it. Like that perception filter thing."
"What about now? Can he see it now?"
"Doctor," Rita mumbled into his chest. "It's him." She tightened her grip on him afraid to let go. "It's the Master."
"I know, I know" He mumbled tightening his grip on her before kissing her hair, brushing it out of the way and kissing her head. "I know, I know."
"If he escaped the Time War then it's the perfect place to hide," Jack explained. "The end of the universe."
"Think of what the Face of Boe said." Martha muttered looking at the two Time Lords with worry. "His dying words. He said-" The Doctor turned the last switch still holding the brunette tightly in his arms as if when he let go something would happen to her.
"He always survives." Rita whimpered. "Every time, he survives."
The Doctor gently rubbed her back before grabbing what looked like a phone and shouting down it. "Lieutenant, have you done it? Did you get velocity?" He then shouted louder after gaining no answer. "Have you done it? Lieutenant, have you done it?"
"Affirmative. We'll see you in Utopia."
"Good luck." The Doctor then grabbed the brunette's hand and they ran to the door which then slammed shut on their faces.
"No, no, no!" Rita shouted hitting the door as the Doctor tried to open it with his sonic screwdriver as he screamed: " Get it open! Get it open!"
They managed to get the door open, the Doctor and Rita sprinted down the hall following Jack. They skidded to a stop and started to bang on the door. "Professor! Professor, let us in! Let us in!"
"Please, Professor!" Rita screamed hitting it as hard as she could.
"Jack, get the door open now!" The Doctor shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Professor!" The Doctor shouted louder and louder hitting the door harder and harder. "Professor, where are you?! Professor! Professor, are you there? Please, we need to explain. Whatever you do, don't open that watch!"
"Please don't!" Rita screamed.
Martha looked behind screaming as the futurekind were running towards them. "They're coming!"
"Professor!" Both Time Lords shouted.
"Open the door, please! We're begging you, Professor. Please, listen to us!" He cried his hands aching from slamming them against the door. "Just open the door, please." He begged.
Jack smashed the control panel allowing the door to open. The Doctor and Rita ran inside standing face to face with the Master who held his chest in pain. Grinning at them he stepped back inside the TARDIS carrying the jar as they ran up to the door. The Doctor frantically brought out his key. The Master locked the door before the Doctor inserted the key, he then stumbled over to the console and flicked a switch as the Doctor and Rita brought out their sonics' to open it.
"No!" Rita screamed now banging on the door.
"Let us in. Let us in!" The Doctor cried hitting the doors of the TARDIS with Rita.
"She's dead." Martha gasped checking Chantho's heartbeat.
"I broke the lock." Jack cried. "Give me a hand!"
"We're begging you." The Doctor cried out pulling Rita back from the TARDIS "Everything's changed! It's only the three of us! We're the only ones left! Just let us in!" He shouted.
"Doctor! Stone!" Jack shouted as the futurekind forced the door partly open. "You two better think of something!"
"Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!" The Master cackled now regenerated. "Oh. Now then, Doctor, Stone." He paused for a moment. "Ooo, new voice. Hello," He said in a high pitch then again in a lower pitch before going to his normal one. "hello. Hello. Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you two all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me," He laughed as Rita watched in horror standing beside the Doctor I don't think so!"
"Hold on. I know that voice."
"Just stop!" Rita screamed.
"We're asking you really properly." The Doctor then shouted. "Just stop. Just think!"
The Master coldly replied. "Use my name."
"Master." The Doctor and Rita breathed quietly. "I'm sorry."
"Tough!" he shouted laughing.
"I can't hold out much longer, Doctor!" Jack shouted. The Doctor raised his sonic trying to stop the Master. Rita did the same hoping to boost the signal.
"Oh, no you don't!" He shouted from inside the TARDIS as it dematerialised. "End of the universe. Have fun. Bye, bye!"
"Doctor, Stone, stop him!" Martha shouted then screamed as the futurekind opened the door even further. "Help us. They're getting in!"
The Time Lords helplessly watched as the TARDIS disappeared staring horrified at where the beloved blue box once stood awaiting the futurekind to break in.
-----
And now it gets interesting...