Terry wiped her face of the soot and grime as she landed, sighing deeply. She just had to hope her words and Donna's pleas would move the Doctor into action to save Caecilius and his family. At any rate, she needed to trust the Doctor to do the right thing, and focus on where she was now. And try to forget that tiny detail of how his kiss had felt...
'Focus!' Terry scolded herself as she physically shook herself and looked around, partly hoping it would be the Doctor's future so that she could grill him on the kiss...
'I said, focus!' Terry exclaimed to herself as she finally took in her surroudings.
She blinked rapidly as she did, all thoughts of the kiss with the Tenth Doctor immediately flying out of her head. She stared ahead, hoping and praying she was so, so wrong about where she was, as she stood in the middle of a mess of cables in an eerily familiar blue-lit spaceship.
It had just clicked for her when she was, when Terry saw the Doctor – who hadn't noticed her arrival - began to lift his sonic towards the Tardis.
"No!" Terry shouted, and Nine spun to look at her in alarm.
"Terry, what-?" He began, but Terry flew passed him as she ran for the Tardis doors.
She slammed her fists on it, trying to get it open just as the engines started and Rose called in alarm: "Terry, is that you? Doctor, what's happening?"
"Doctor, let me in first!" Terry begged desperately, but his face was impassive as the Tardis began to dematerialize.
"No!" Terry screamed in horror.
"Let me out!" Rose shouted from inside as she pounded on the doors, but it didn't even budge.
"Let me out!" Rose screamed in a panicked voice. "Doctor, what've you done? Terry!"
"Rose!" Terry yelled as the Tardis disappeared completely. "NO!"
"Terry, let it go." The Doctor said softly, grimly. "She's gone, I've activated-"
"Emergency Programme One, yes, I know, but you don't understand!" Terry cried, whirling to face him as she shouted despairingly: "You did it to keep her safe, but she's not!"
"What do you mean?" The Doctor frowned, and Terry said desperately: "Is there any way we can bring her back?"
"No." The Doctor answered, his frown deepening. "And even if I could, why would I? She's safer away from here, this is-"
"Satellite Five." Terry interrupted impatiently. "And yes, I agree, sending Rose away was the best idea, theoretically, to keep her safe! But let me go with her, you have no idea-"
"I can't!" The Doctor exploded at her, his confusion and worry getting the better of his temper. "Emergency Programme One means I sent the Tardis away so that it can never fall into the wrong hands! Emphasis on 'never'."
Terry stared at him, aghast. The Doctor calmed himself down forcefully, concerned by the ashen expression on the Time Lady's face.
"Why?" He asked in a more controlled voice. "Why do you need to be with Rose?"
"Because she..." Terry hesitated for a fraction of a second, before she answered: "I'm sorry, Doctor. Spoilers."
He frowned, and he complained angrily: "You know, I really hate that word. Have I mentioned?"
"Yes, well, let's hope spoilers stay spoilers." Terry said gloomily.
The Doctor glanced at her, but she was staring at his machine, nowhere near completed and with wires still strewn everywhere around it.
"Do we-?" The Doctor began quietly, but he cut himself off immediately as Terry glanced at him.
His curiosity had gotten the better of him in the moment, and he'd almost asked a question he knew she must never answer. A question about his future. She stared at him before she finally said: "Rose doesn't die, Doctor."
He raised a brow, but didn't press any further; instead, he nodded and went back to his work at the machine he was building while Terry stood for a moment staring back at the place the Tardis had been just moments before. She couldn't tell the Doctor, but she'd hoped so badly that she could prevent Rose from taking the Tardis's Time Vortex inside her body when she attempted to get back to the Doctor.
But it wasn't meant to be, clearly, and Terry shook her head before glancing over as Jack's voice called over the comms: "Rose, I've called up the internal laser codes. There should be a different number on every screen. Can you read them out to me?"
Terry came over towards the screen they were using as a communications link, as the Doctor replied flatly: "She's not here."
"Of all the times to take a leak." Jack complained. "When she gets back, tell her to read me the codes- who's that?"
He blinked, startled as the Time Lady appeared in his line of sight on the screen, and he called: "Well, hello, ma'am! Captain-"
"Jack Harkness, I know." Terry cut in, raising a brow. "And you know me, too, Captain."
"I do?" He asked, his own brow rising. "I think I'd remember a lovely lady such as yourself."
"It's Terry Storm, Jack." Terry explained, and Jack's eyes widened in surprise. "I regenerated."
"Terry?" Jack asked, brightening up. "Well, it's certainly been too long! Didn't recognize you." He winked. "Get it?"
"Not now, Jack." Terry sighed. "I mean, it's good to see you too." She admitted. "But... this isn't exactly the best time."
"Yeah, things are looking a little bleak." Jack agreed as he glanced around. "But, can't give up hope right?"
"Yeah..." Terry said, glancing down at the Doctor who'd just silently been working beside her.
"Oh, what's got him grumpy now?" Jack asked impatiently. "Honestly, Doctor, just because Rose stepped out for a bit-"
"She didn't step out." The Doctor snapped, and Jack raised a brow as he demanded: "Then where'd she go?"
"Just get on with your work." The Doctor replied evasively, and Jack realized: "You took her home, didn't you?"
He looked to Terry for confirmation, and she nodded even as the Doctor muttered: "Yeah."
"And you didn't take Terry home?" Jack demanded, outraged, and Terry interjected quickly: "I arrived after he sent Rose home, so don't blame him."
The Doctor glanced at her while Jack took a deep breath before he asked bluntly: "The Delta Wave - is it ever going to be ready?"
The Doctor looked back at his machine evasively, but Terry's eyes widened in terror as the Dalek Emperor appeared on the large screen at the end of the room, saying darkly: "Tell him the truth, Doctor."
The Doctor's jaw set as he also looked up at the screen while the Emperor continued: "There is every possibility the Delta Wave could be complete, but no possibility of refining it. The Delta Wave must kill every living thing in its path, with no distinction between human and Dalek. All things will die by your hand."
The Doctor just stared at the Emperor grimly as Jack stated in a low voice: "Doctor, the range of this transmitter covers the entire Earth."
"You would destroy Daleks and Humans together." The Emperor said scathingly. "If I am God, the creator of all things, then what does that make you, Doctor?"
"There are colonies out there." The Doctor answered. "The Human Race would survive in some shape or form, but you're the only Daleks in existence. The whole Universe is in danger if I let you live."
Jack slowly drew back in understanding as the Doctor turned to him, asking: "Do you see, Jack? That's the decision I've got to make for every living thing. Die as a human or live as a Dalek. What would you do?"
"I would've sent Terry home, too." Jack replied firmly. "But seeing as we have no choice now..."
"I am home." Terry answered suddenly, and both Jack and the Doctor looked at her in surprise. "I was told home is where my heart is," she chanced a glance at the Doctor, "and that's where I am."
"I thought you wanted to follow Rose?" The Doctor questioned telepathically, and Terry replied: "Doesn't change where my home is."
He frowned slightly, but let the subject go as Jack said determinedly: "And at least Rose is safe. Keep working, you two."
"But he will exterminate you!" The Emperor tried to taunt, but Jack replied firmly and with a slight grin: "Never doubted these two. Never will."
"Good luck, Jack." Terry told him, and he winked: "And you, Terry. But first: can you read me those codes?"
"Of course, Captain." Terry answered, and Jack smiled.
As Terry began to read the codes, the Doctor turned to the Emperor and he walked over to stand right before the screen as he demanded: "Now, you tell me, God of all Daleks, because there's one thing I never worked out. The words 'Bad Wolf', spread across time and space, everywhere, drawing me in. How'd you manage that?"
There was a moment's pause before the Dalek Emperor replied: "I did nothing."
Terry paused in her reading to Jack to glance at the Doctor, who was scoffing: "Oh, come on, there's no secrets now, your worship."
"They are not part of my design." The Dalek Emperor answered and the Doctor's jaw dropped a little. "This is the Truth of God."
'It can't be.' The Doctor thought, before he asked Terry telepathically: "Terry, is he telling the truth?"
"Yes, Theta." Terry answered softly in his mind. "Look up."
He looked up and his eyes widened in horror as he read the 'BadWolf Corporation' sign that hung above the screen on the wall.
"It can't be." The Doctor whispered.
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The Doctor was back to work on his machine, on the Delta Wave, and Terry helped him as they rushed desperately against time.
He'd given up grilling her for questions on the message, on 'Bad Wolf' when she'd reminded him of the Dalek army that was on its way. Instead, he focused all his energy on the Delta Wave, as Terry desperately tried to do the same and not think about what Rose was probably doing at that moment. Well, what she was doing two hundred thousand years in the past, from their point of view.
Suddenly, the whole satellite base shook, and both the Doctor and Terry stumbled around for a bit. They both looked up sharply when it settled, and Terry nodded.
"They're here." She said grimly, and the Doctor's lips pursed.
"Get that wire connected here." The Doctor ordered, and Terry quickly ran with it along to the machine as the Doctor soniced another part of the machine.
They continued to work, hurrying to finish.
"Doctor!" Terry called, and he answered: "Here!"
He tossed the sonic to her and she began working on a different part of the machine while the Doctor moved to the screen and switched communications back on.
"Advance guard have made it in," the woman the Doctor had saved, Lynda, called anxiously, "to four nine five."
"Jack," the Doctor called instantly, "how're we doing?"
"Four nine five should be good." Jack replied. "I like four nine five."
Terry glanced up sharply, and she winced when Jack crowed: "Yes!"
The Doctor saw her, though, and he asked her telepathically: "Terry?"
"That was the floor with Anne Droid." Terry explained, and he asked quickly: "Did it work?"
"The first time." Terry answered sadly, just as they saw Jack wince on screen.
"They're flying up the ventilation shafts." Lynda called anxiously.
The Doctor grit his teeth in frustration before he looked up sharply as he heard Lynda gasp: "No, wait a minute. Oh, my God. Why're they doing that? They're going down."
"No." The Doctor gasped, but Terry said softly: "We couldn't have saved them, no matter which floor they were on. I'm sorry."
"Theta." Terry finished in their minds, and the Doctor slowly nodded.
"Thank you." He said quietly, and Terry asked in surprise: "For what?"
"For saying that." He answered as he turned back to the machine.
"Floor Zero." Lynda called, her voice breaking. "They killed them all."
The Doctor's hands stilled for a second, as Terry's head bowed momentarily, but then both Time Lords resumed their work grimly, knowing they were losing time they didn't have.
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"Lynda!" The Doctor called as he ran up to the screen, almost done with the Delta Wave machine. "What's happening on Earth?"
"The Fleet's descending." Lynda answered faintly. "They're bombing whole continents. Europa, Pacifica, the New American Alliance. Australasia's just gone."
The Doctor's eyes became steely, while Terry paused for a brief moment. It was always, always, so hard when she knew it was real lives at stake, real lives being lost. But when it was the whole world...
She shook her head, knowing she had to be strong. Stronger than this.
Both Terry and the Doctor's heads shot up as they heard gunfire from the doorway, echoing from the corridor just a few paths down from the room they were currently in.
"Jack." Terry whispered, but the Doctor's determination was renewed as he dashed to plug in a giant power cable.
Terry ran to plug in a different wire, when suddenly Lynda's voice called softly over the comms: "I've got a problem."
The Doctor looked up sharply, and Terry's hearts sank as Lynda called fearfully: "They've found me."
"You'll be all right, Lynda." The Doctor called reassuringly. "That side of the station's reinforced against meteors."
"Hope so!" Lynda replied faintly, trying to sound positive. "You know what they say about Earth workmanship."
"Lynda." Terry interjected sharply. "Lynda, if you can, try and find a button that will lower blast shields or something on the window!"
"Terry?" The Doctor asked, shooting her a confused look, while Lynda began: "Why the window-?"
She cut off abruptly, and Terry's hearts plummeted.
"Lynda?" She called, and then her blood ran cold as there was the sound of breaking glass and Lynda screamed, just once, before she broke off abruptly.
"Lynda!" Terry screamed, while the Doctor's face contorted in sorrow.
"You knew?" He asked quietly, and Terry looked over at him with tearful eyes.
"I forgot." She whispered. "Until this moment, I forgot about the window. That there might have been a chance..."
She trailed off, her throat clogging as she fought her tears. She expected him to shout at her, but to her surprise he answered quietly: "You can't be expected to remember everything. Keep working."
She blinked, but then swallowed back her tears and nodded. They started to work faster, making the finishing touches when they heard rapid gun fire coming towards them, and then Jack's voice over the sound of his gun as he shouted while he ran closer to their room: "Last man standing! For God's sake, Doctor, finish that thing and kill them!"
"Finish that thing and kill mankind." The Emperor taunted on their screen.
The Doctor looked up sharply, before he turned back to the machine and raced to finish while Terry faltered. The Emperor's words rang in her mind as Jack called desperately from not too far outside their room: "Doctor, you've got twenty seconds maximum!"
"No." Terry whispered as she looked at the door, where Jack would soon meet his end. "Jack."
The Doctor finished his machine as Terry heard Jack's bullets run out.
"Jack!" She screamed, just as a Dalek called: "Exterminate!"
Terry froze.
Exterminate. Exterminate. Exterminate.
The voice echoed in her mind, and suddenly she was struggling. Struggling to remember who she was, and where she was. Why she was here.