Chapter 10: Angel in her eye
[Tunnel]
"Up. Look up."
The Doctor was already up and scanning the floor as everyone struggles to their feet on an artificial surface.
"Are you okay?" River asked the two sisters.
Emily rubbed her pounding head. "What happened?"
"We jumped."
"Jumped where?"
The Doctor passes them, still scanning the area. "Up. Up. Look up."
"Where are we?"
"Exactly where we were."
Emily looked up, somewhat realising what the two geniuses meant. "Oh. Up."
"No we're not." Amy said, still confused.
"Move your feet." The Doctor sonics a circular hatch in the floor, with six inset lights around it.
"Doctor, what am I looking at? Explain."
"Oh, come on, Amy, think. The ship crashed with the power still on, yeah? So what else is still on?"
Emily, still looking up, answered uncertainly. "Artificial gravity?"
The Doctor tapped her nose, causing her to look back down at his proudly grinning face.
"Exactly. The artificial gravity. One good jump, and up we fell. Shot out the grav globe to give us an updraft, and here we are."
"Doctor, the statues." Octavian called. "They look more like Angels now."
"They're feeding on the radiation from the wreckage, draining all the power from the ship, restoring themselves. Within an hour, they'll be an army."
The circular hatch opens and a light goes bang.
"They're taking out the lights. Look at them. Look at the Angels. Into the ship, now. Quickly, all of you."
"How?"
The Doctor drops through the open hatch into a circular corridor. From Emily's point of view, he was standing on the side of a vertical tube.
"Doctor!" Amy called.
"It's just a corridor. The gravity orientates to the floor. Now, in here, all of you. Don't take your eyes off the Angels. Move, move, move."
[Corridor]
"Okay, men. Go, go, go!"
The Doctor works on a control panel.
"The Angels. Presumably they can jump up too?" Octavian asks.
The hatch closes.
"They're here, now. In the dark, we're finished."
A bulkhead further along the corridor starts to close.
"Run!"
"This whole place is a death trap."
They don't make it. Emily tries her hardest to block out everyone's rising panic.
"No, it's a time bomb. Well, it's a death trap and a time bomb. And now it's a dead end. Nobody panic. Oh, just me then. What's through here?"
"Secondary flight deck."
Amy tried make sense of the situation. "Okay. so we've basically run up the inside of a chimney, yeah? So what if the gravity fails?"
"I've thought about that."
"And?" Emily asks hesitantly, somehow knowing he wouldn't give them a reassuring answer
"And we'll all plunge to our deaths." She closes her eyes in frustration. "See? I've thought about it. The security protocols are still live. There's no way to override them. It's impossible."
River and the Doctor continue working on the control panel.
"How impossible?"
"Two minutes."
The outer hatch opens.
"The hull is breached and the power's failing."
The lights go out. An Angel's arm was silhouetted against the open hatch.
"Sir, incoming."
"Doctor? Lights." Emily warns.
The Angel was starting to enter. Another flicker, and four are inside and the hatch is closed behind them.
"Clerics, keep watching them."
"And don't look at their eyes." The Doctor warns. "Anywhere else. Not the eyes. I've isolated the lighting grid. They can't drain the power now."
"Good work, Doctor."
"Yes. Good, good, good. Good in many ways. Good you like it so far."
Emily almost didn't want to know. Almost.
"So far?"
"Well, there's only one way to open this door. I guess I'll need to route all the power in this section through the door control."
"Good. Fine. Do it."
"Including the lights. All of them. I'll need to turn out the lights."
"How long for?"
"Fraction of a second. Maybe longer. Maybe quite a bit longer."
"Maybe?"
"I'm guessing. We're being attacked by statues in a crashed ship. There isn't a manual for this." He snapped.
"Doctor, we lost the torches." Amy said. "We'll be in total darkness."
"No other way. Bishop?"
"Doctor Song, I've lost good Clerics today. You trust this man?"
"I absolutely trust him."
"He's not some kind of madman, then?"
River hesitated. "I absolutely trust him."
Emily smiled slightly. Appropriate response.
"Excuse me." The Doctor said.
Octavian lowered his voice to speak to to River. "I'm taking your word, because you're the only one, apart from her, that can manage this guy. But that only works so long as both of them don't know who you are. You cost me any more men, and I might just tell them. Understood?"
"Understood."
"Okay, Doctor." Octavian said louder. "We've got your back."
"Bless you. Bishop."
"Combat distance, ten feet. As soon as the lights go down, continuous fire. Full spread over the hostiles. Do not stop firing while the lights are out. Shot gun protocol. We don't have bullets to waste."
"Amy, Emily, when the lights go down, the wheel should release. Spin it clockwise four turns."
"Ten."
He looked at Emily sharply. "No, four. Four turns."
"Yeah, four. I heard you."
"Ready!"
The Doctor plunges his sonic screwdriver into a control unit.
"On my count, then. God be with us all. Three, two, one, fire!" Octavian ordered.
The lights go out and the Clerics start shooting at the approaching Angels.
"Turn!"
"Doctor, it's opening. It's working."
Amy and Emily get the bulkhead open just enough to squeeze through.
"Fall back!"
The Doctor was last through the bulkhead and clangs shut again. They run along a short corridor and into the Secondary Flight Deck.
[Secondary Flight Deck]
"Doctor, quickly."
"Doctor!" Emily shouts.
The Doctor dodges inside at the last second, the door closing behind him and he runs to the controls. The Angels thump on the door and the wheel starts turning.
"Doctor! What are you doing?" Amy asks.
Octavian places a device on the door. The wheel stops turning.
"Magnetised the door." He said. "Nothing could turn that wheel now."
"Yeah?" The Doctor challenged.
The wheel turns.
"Dear God."
"Ah, now you're getting it. You've bought us time though. That's good. I am good with time."
"Doctor." Emily warned.
The wheel on a second door to the right of the main one starts to turn.
"Seal that door. Seal it now."
The clerics obey and place another device down.
"We're surrounded."
And now the door to the left.
"Seal it. Seal that door. Doctor, how long have we got?"
"Five minutes, max."
"Nine."
Doctor looked Emily sharply and searched her face. "Five."
"Five. Right. Yeah."
"Why'd you say nine?" He asked getting closer, his face practically only centimetres from her own. Her heart beat a little bit faster, accompanied by a little wiggle in her stomach.
She ignored her body's weird reaction. "I didn't."
"We need another way out of here."
"There isn't one."
"Yeah, there is." The Doctor said, finally moving away from her. "Course there is. This is a galaxy class ship. Goes for years between planet falls. So, what do they need?"
"Of course." River realised.
"Of course what? What do they need?"
"Can we get in there?" Octavian asked the Doctor, ignoring Amy.
"Well, it's a sealed unit, but they must have installed it somehow. This whole wall should slide up. There's clamps. Release the clamps."
"What's through there? What do they need?"
"They need to breathe." River answered.
The rear wall of the flight deck slides up to reveal trees.
"But that's. That's a-" Amy stuttered
"It's an oxygen factory."
"It's a forest." She exclaimed.
"It's brilliant." Emily breathed.
River laughed lightly. "Yeah, it's a forest. It's an oxygen factory."
"And if we're lucky, an escape route."
"Eight."
River frowned. "What did you say?"
"Nothing."
"Is there another exit?" The Doctor said. "Scan the architecture, we don't have time to get lost in there."
"On it. Stay where you are until I've checked the Rad levels."
"But trees, on a space ship?" Emily asked.
"Oh, more than trees. Way better than trees. You're going to love this. Treeborgs. Trees plus technology. Branches become cables become sensors on the hull. A forest sucking in starlight, breathing out air. It even rains. There's a whole mini-climate. This vault is an ecopod running right through the heart of the ship. A forest in a bottle on a space ship in a maze. Have I impressed you yet, Emily Pond?" He asked excitedly.
She laughed. "Seven."
"Seven?"
"Sorry, what?"
"You said seven."
"No. I didn't."
"Yes. you did."
"Doctor?" Octavian called. "There's an exit, far end of the ship, into the Primary Flight Deck."
"Oh, good. That's where we need to go."
"Plotting a safe path now."
"Quick as you like."
"Doctor? Excuse me? Hello, Doctor? Angel Bob here, sir."
"Ah. There you are, Angel Bob. How's life? Sorry, bad subject." He said, sitting in the chair.
"The Angels are wondering what you hope to achieve."
"Achieve? We're not achieving anything. We're just hanging. It's nice in here. Consoles, comfy chairs, a forest. How's things with you?"
"The Angels are feasting, sir. Soon we will be able to absorb enough power to consume this vessel, this world. and all the stars and worlds beyond."
"Well, we've got comfy chairs. Did I mention?"
"We have no need of comfy chairs."
He looked at Emily. "I made him say comfy chairs."
She giggled and he smiled goofily at her. "Six."
He abruptly stopped smiling. "Okay, Bob, enough chat. Here's what I want to know. What have you done to Emily?"
"There is something in her eye."
"What's in her eye?"
"We are."
Emily sucked in a sharp breath. "What's he talking about? Doctor, I'm five." She blinked. "I mean, five. Fine! I'm fine."
"You're counting." Amy said.
"Counting?"
"You're counting down from ten." The Doctor replied. "You have been for a couple of minutes."
"Why?"
"I don't know." He admitted.
"Well, counting down to what?"
"I don't know." He hated not knowing.
"We shall take her. We shall take all of you. We shall have dominion over all time and space."
"Get a life, Bob. Oops, sorry again. There's power on this ship, but nowhere near that much."
"With respect, sir, there's more power on this ship than you yet understand."
There was a screeching sound.
"What's that? Dear God, what is it?" River asked.
"They're back."
"It's hard to put in your terms, Doctor Song, but as best I understand it, the Angels are laughing."
"Laughing?"
"Because you haven't noticed yet, sir. The Doctor in the Tardis hasn't noticed."
"Doctor." Octavian warns.
"No. Wait. There's something I've missed."
There was a steaming W crack in the bulkhead above the entrance, and was is widening.
"That's, that's." Emily stuttered. "That's like the crack from my bedroom wall from when I was a little girl."
"Yes. Two parts of space and time that should never have touched."
"Okay, enough. We're moving out." Octavian ordered.
"Agreed." River said. "Doctor?"
"Yeah, fine."
"What are you doing?"
"Right with you."
He scans the crack.
"We're not leaving without you."
"Oh yes, you are. Bishop?"
"Emily, Miss Pond, Doctor Song, now!"
"Doctor?" Emily asks.
"Come on!"
"So, what are you? Oh, that's bad. Ah, that's extremely very not good." He turns around to find himself surrounded by Angels.
"Do not blink."
One grabs the back of his jacket collar.
"Argh!"
[Forest]
Emily stopped. The pounding in her head was worse, accompanied by everyone's out of control emotions. Her vision blurred.
"Emily? Emily, what's wrong?" Amy asks.
[Secondary Flight Deck]
"Why am I not dead then?"
The Angels were reaching towards the crack.
"Good, and not so good. Oh, this isn't even a little bit good. I mean, is that it? Is that the power that brought you here? That's pure Time Energy. You can't feed on that. That's now power, that's the fire at the end of the universe. I'll tell you something else."
The Doctor slips out of his jacket and runs into the forest.
"Never let me talk!"
[Forest]
"Emily, what's wrong?" River asks.
"Four."
Emily sways and sits down, then lies on the mossy tree trunk.
"Med scanner, now." River demanded.
"Doctor Song, we can't stay here. We've got to keep moving."
"We wait for the Doctor."
"Our mission is to make this wreckage safe and neutralise the Angels. Until that is achieved-"
"Father Octavian, when the Doctor's in the room, your one and only mission is to keep him alive long enough to get everyone else home. And trust me, it's not easy. Now, if he's dead back there, I'll never forgive myself and neither will She. And if he's alive, I'll never forgive him. And, Doctor, you're standing right behind me, aren't you?"
"Oh, yeah."
"I hate you."
"You don't. And who's 'She'. No, never mind. Not important. Bishop, the Angels are in the forest."
"We need visual contact on every line of approach."
"How did you get past them?"
"I found a crack in the wall and told them it was the end of the universe."
"What was it?" Amy asked.
"The end of the universe. Let's have a look, then."
He started scanning Emily.
"So, what's wrong with me?"
"Nothing. You're fine." River reassures.
"Everything. You're dying." The Doctor said, trying to keep his panic and fear at bay.
"Doctor!"
"Yes, you're right." He snapped. "If we lie to her, she'll get all better. Right. Emmy, Emmy, Emmy. What's the matter with Emily? Something's in her eye. What does that mean? Does it mean anything?"
Emily's vision got worse and more emotions crashed into her. Her head pounded painfully.
"Doctor." She almost whimpered.
"Busy."
"Scared."
His hearts twisted. "Course you're scared. You're dying. Shut up."
"Okay, let him think."
"What happened? She stared at the Angel. She looked into the eyes of an Angel for too long-"
"Sir! Angel incoming."
"And here."
"Keep visual contact. Do not let it move."
"Come on, come on, come on. Wakey, wakey. She watched an Angel climb out of the screen. She stared at the Angel and, and-"
Emily tried to get a grip on her powers, but her head was pounding and she could barely see. "The image of an Angel is an Angel."
"A living mental image in a living human mind. But we stare at them to stop them getting closer. We don't even blink, and that is exactly what they want. Because as long as our eyes are open, they can climb inside. There's an Angel in her mind."
The Doctor grabs Emily's face and peers into her eyes. The face of an Angel is visible in her pupil.
"Three. Doctor, it's coming. I can feel it. I'm going to die."
His hearts pounded painfully. "Please just shut up. I'm thinking. Now, counting. What's that about? Bob, why are they making her count?"
"To make her afraid, sir."
"Okay, but why? What for?"
"For fun, sir."
The Doctor throws the communicator away in annoyance and disgust. He felt powerless.
"Doctor, what's happening to me? Explain."
He looked at her sadly. "Inside your head, in the vision centres of your brain, there's an Angel. It's like there's a screen, a virtual screen inside your mind and the Angel is climbing out of it, and it's coming to shut you off."
"Then what I do?"
"If it was a real screen, what would we do? We'd pull the plug. We'd kill the power. But we can't just knock her out, the Angel would just take over."
"Then what? Quickly." River demanded.
"We've got to shut down the vision centres of her brain. We've got to pull the plug. Starve the Angel."
"Doctor, she's got seconds." Amy pleaded.
"How would you starve your lungs?"
"I'd stop breathing."
"Emily, close your eyes."
She shook her head. "No. No, I don't want to."
"Good, because that's not you, that's the Angel inside you. It's afraid. Do it. Close your eyes."
She shook her head again and the Doctor cups her cheeks.
"Please." He whispered.
Emily squeezes her eyes shut. The med scanner changes from red to green and Amy hugs her little sister.
River sighed in relief. "She's normalising. Oh, you did it. You did it."
"Sir? Two more incoming."
"Three more over here."
"Still weak. Dangerous to move her."
"So, can I open my eyes now?"
"Emily, listen to me. If you open your eyes now for more than a second, you will die. The Angel is still inside you. We haven't stopped it, we've just sort of paused it. You've used up your countdown. You cannot open your eyes." The Doctor said firmly.
"Doctor, we're too exposed here. We have to move on."
"We're too exposed everywhere. And Emily can't move. And anyway, that's not the plan."
"There's a plan?"
"I don't know yet. I haven't finished talking." Emily smiled faintly. "Right! Father, you and your Clerics, you're going to stay here, look after Emily. If anything happens to her, I'll hold every single one of you personally responsible, twice. River, you and me, we're going to find the Primary Flight Deck which is-" He wets a finger and holds it up. "A quarter of a mile straight ahead, and from there we're going to stabilise the wreckage, stop the Angels, and cure Emily."
"How?"
"I'll do a thing."
"What thing?
"I don't know. It's a thing in progress. Respect the thing. Moving out!"
"Doctor, I'm coming with you. My Clerics'll look after Miss Pond. These are my best men. They'd lay down their lives in her protection."
"I don't need you."
"I don't care. Where Doctor Song goes, I go."
"What? You two engaged or something?"
"Yes, in a manner of speaking. Marco, you're in charge till I get back."
"Sir."
"Doctor? Please, can't I come with you?"
"You'd slow us down, Emily." Octavian said.
"I don't want to sound selfish, but you'd really speed me up."
"You'll be safer here. We can't protect you on the move. I'll be back for you soon as I can, I promise." The Doctor promised.
"Five minutes?" She asked timidly.
He chuckled. "Yeah, give me five minutes." He kissed her forehead. "I'll always come back. Good luck, everyone. Behave. Do not let that girl open her eyes. And keep watching the forest. Stop those Angels advancing. Emily, later. River, going to need your computer! Amy?"
"I'll stay with Em." She said.
"Okay."
"Amy, go. I'll be fine."
Amy shook her head. "I'm not just going to leave you, my little sister, alone and blind in a forest full of stone angels of death."
Emily sighed. "Amy, go. I won't be alone."
She remained unconvinced and Emily sighed yet again. She really didn't want to have to do this.
She grabbed her sister's hand and focused her powers.
"I'll be fine." Calmness.
"You can leave me here." Reassurance.
"Stop wasting time and go." Willingness.
Amy hesitated, so Emily poured more of her power out and used her last resort, hating herself for it.
"Amy, go." Obedience.
She kissed her sister's forehead. "See you later Em."
"Yeah. Later."
Emily frowned as another set of hands replaced Amy's, not soon after she left.
The Doctor. But he felt different somehow. Sadder. Lonelier.
"Emily, you need to start trusting me. It's never been more important."
"I do trust you. I always have. Even if you don't always tell me the truth."
"If I always told you the truth, I wouldn't need you to trust me."
"Doctor, the crack in my wall. How can it be here?"
"I don't know yet, but I'm working it out." He placed a hand on her cheek and she involuntary leaned into it. "Now, listen. Remember what I told you when you were seven?"
"What did you tell me?"
His hand left her cheek and she frowned.
"No. No, that's not the point. You have to remember."
"Remember what? Doctor? Doctor?"
•|•
The Doctor catches up with Octavian and River, and inputs the readings from his sonic screwdriver into her mini-computer.
"What's that?" River asked.
"Er, readings from a crack in the wall."
"How can a crack in the wall be the end of the universe?"
"Don't know, but here's what I think. One day there's going to be a very big bang. So big every moment in history, past and future, will crack."
"Is that possible? How?"
"How can you be engaged, in a manner of speaking?
"Well, I'm a sucker for a man in uniform."
"Doctor Song's in my personal custody." Octavian interrupt. "I released her from the Stormcage Containment Facility four days ago and I am legally responsible for her until she's accomplished her mission and earned her pardon. Just so we understand each other."
"You were in Stormcage?"
The computer chirps.
"What? What is that?
"The date. The date of the explosion, where the crack begins."
"And for those of us who can't read the base code of the universe?"
26.06.2010
"Amy's time."
[Back at the Mossy Log]
"So, what's happening? Anything happening out there?"
The Angels push their hands into the Treeborgs, and the light starts to flicker.
"The Angels are still grouping. Are you getting this too?"
"The trees? Yeah."
"What's wrong with the trees?" Emily asks.
"Here too, sir. They're ripping the Treeborgs apart."
"And here. They're taking out the lights."
"What is it? What's happening? Tell me. I can't see." Emily demanded.
"It's the trees. ma'am. The trees are going out."
•|•
Okay, so it's still Amy's Time because, well, it's Amy's Time.
. . . . . Yeah. Excellent explanation, I know.
I wrote the end of this while eating an Extra Hot Classic Wrap from Nandos. Irrelevant, I know, but it was SOOO good.
So, is anyone else excited for the next chapter?
I am. But that's probably because I know what's going down. As the Author and all.
Also, do you like the moments between Emily and the Doctor?
I try to make them as emotionally destroying as possible and I don't know if it's working.
Anywho, enjoy the next chapter!