Jessie ran out of the TARDIS to look around, the Doctor close behind her. "It's fine," he said numbly. "Everything's fine. Nothing'g wrong. All fine." He shouted to a milkman. "Excuse me!" he called. "What day is it?"
"Saturday," the milkman replied incredulously.
The Doctor nodded. "Saturday. Good. Good. I like Saturdays. I like Sundays better, though."
Jessie grinned. "You're so whipped."
"I know I am."
"So I just met Saleen Harper?" Donna asked, closing the TARDIS door behind her.
"Yeah," Jessie nodded. "Which makes sense, with what Lucius said. 'While the fire burns strongly in you, the cold is returning to you as well.' Saleen has power over ice. She's the cold that's returning."
"And the other part of what Lucius said?" Donna asked. "He said the protectors were returning, too."
"Protector," the Doctor muttered. "Protector, protection . . . wards." His eyes widened. "You said there was a man with her, too?"
"Yeah, black hair."
"The wards are returning. The Wards are returning." He looked at Jessie. "Grant and Skye. They're coming back."
"But didn't you say they were locked away in a parallel world?" Donna asked.
"Exactly," the Doctor nodded. "If they can cross from their parallel world to your parallel world, then that means the walls of the universe are breaking down, which puts everything in danger. Everything. But how?"
"Is it something like Torchwood was doing before?" Jessie asked as they went back into the TARDIS.
"I think Jack would know better than that, wouldn't you?"
"Well, I wouldn't put it past UNIT."
"The thing is, no matter what's happening, because I'm sure it's bad, I get that . . . but Saleen and Skye are coming back." Donna looked at Jessie. "Isn't that good?"
And despite herself, she grinned. "Yeah."
There was a sharp bang, and the TARDIS shook. "What the hell was that?" Donna asked as they steadied themselves.
The Doctor ran to the doors and opened them, and Jessie's eyes widened when they stared at space. "What in the name of the Nine Realms?" she sputtered.
"But we're in space!" Donna protested as the Doctor ran back to check the scanners. "How did that happen? What did you do?"
"We haven't moved," the Doctor said incredulously. "We're fixed! It can't have!"
"The TARDIS is still in the same place, but the Earth is gone," Jessie said, looking at another scanner in surprise. "The entire planet! It's just . . . gone!"
***
In New York City, Martha Jones struggled to raise her head as she looked around the now wrecked floor of UNIT. "What was that?" she asked weakly.
"Emergency systems online!" someone reported from nearby.
"Was it some sort of earthquake, or . . . " She checked someone next to her. "Jalandra, you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm OK," the man answered.
"Is anyone hurt?" Martha asked, standing up and looking around. "We've lost power. Someone get the lights back on! DaCosta, see to it right now." She checked the other woman. "Suzanne? Are you all right?"
"Martha, look at the sky," Suzanne whispered.
"Why? What is it?"
"Just look at the sky!"
Martha hurried to the window.
***
In Cardiff, Captain Jack Harkness and Jenny Nightshade, as she was calling herself now, were thrown to the floor. "Whoa!" he shouted. "What happened? Was it the Rift?" He looked up and around. "Jenny? You OK?"
"Yeah," Jenny mumbled, sitting up. "'M all right."
"Gwen? Ianto? Natasha? Clint?" Jack called as he helped her up. "You OK?"
"No broken bones," Ianto Jones reported as he stood, too, giving Natasha Romanoff a hand. "Slight loss of dignity."
"No change there, then," Clint Barton joked lightly as he and Gwen Cooper got up.
"The whole of the city must've felt that," Gwen remarked. "The whole of South Wales!"
"I'm going to take a look outside," Jack said, running out, Jenny going with him.
Natasha typed into a computer screen, and her eyes widened when she saw the readings. "I think it's a little bit bigger than South Wales," she told Gwen.
***
Sarah Jane Smith shook her head as she numbly straightened up, and she blinked. "Luke?" called, looking around. "FitzSimmons? Are you all right?"
"Felt like some sort of cross-dimensional spatial transference," her son, Luke Smith, mumbled as he sat up.
"But it's night outside!" Jemma Simmons gasped as she looked outside. "It wasn't night!"
"It was eight o'clock in the morning!" Leo Fitz agreed.
Sarah Jane turned to a brick wall. "Mr. Smith, I need you!" she called. The brick fireplace turned into a master computer with a cheery fanfare. "Can you just stop giving that fanfare?" she asked with a huff. "You just tell me what happened!"
"Sarah Jane, I think you should look outside," the computer replied. "I think you'll find the visual evidence most conclusive."
Sarah Jane ran to the window with FitzSimmons.
***
Wilf Mott shook his head as he adjusted himself. "It's gone dark," he realized. "It's them aliens, I'll bet my pension! What do you want this time, you green swine?" he bellowed, waving his cricket bat.
Sylvia Noble ran to his side. "Dad!"
"Look, you get back inside, Sylvia," he told her. "They always want the women."
"No, Dad, just look," she insisted, tugging his arm and looking up. "Oh, my God. Look at the sky!"
***
Jemma gasped in shock.
"That's impossible!" Sarah Jane denied.
***
"That's just impossible," Jack denied as he and Jenny stood outside of Torchwood, Jenny's eyes wide as she looked up.
***
Martha swallowed. "It can't be!"
***
The milkman turned around in the middle of the road, hearing an electric sizzle. There was a flash of light, and a brunette woman with bangs in black leather and Kevlar appeared, carrying a large gun. She stared straight at him for a moment before looking up. "Right," Skye Ward nodded, not looking surprised at all. "Now we're in trouble." She cocked the gun, powering it up. "And it's only just beginning."
Instead of the stars in the sky, 26 planets were in close proximity.
***
"But if the Earth's moved, they've lost the sun," Donna panicked as the two Time Lords ran around the console. "What about my Mum? And Granddad? They're dead, aren't they? Are they dead?"
"I don't know, Donna," the Doctor told her, shaking his head. "I just don't know. I'm sorry, but I don't know."
"That's my family," Donna whispered. "My whole world!"
"Mine, too," Jessie reminded her. "We'll find a way."
"There's no readings," the Doctor muttered, looking them over. "Nothing! Not a trace! Not even a whisper!" He ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, that is fearsome technology."
"So what do we do?" Donna asked.
"We've got to get help."
"From where?"
Jessie began to grin. "Do I finally get to meet this organization you oh so proudly use all the time?"
"Yes, you do," the Doctor said with a grin. "Bad Wolf, Donna, I'm taking you to the Shadow Proclamation. Hold tight!"
***
Jenny frowned as she watched Ianto flick through channels on the TV. "Why're you watching this?" she asked.
"Maybe seeing what's going on," he answered.
One man was joking, "I thought, what was I drinking last night, furniture polish?"
Both Ianto and Clint burst out laughing at that while Jenny blinked at Natasha. "Why would he drink furniture polish?"
Natasha smiled and shook her head. "You really have been hanging around Steve for too long, haven't you?"
"Time and a place, you two!" Jack called.
"He is funny, though," Clint complained.
"Gwen, come and see!" Jack called.
"Rhys, I have no idea," Gwen told her husband as she walked down the stairs. "Just stay indoors. And can you phone my mother? Tell her . . . er, oh, I don't know. Just tell her to take her pills and go to sleep. I'm going to come home as soon as I can, I promise. I love you, you big idiot."
"Someone's established an artificial atmospheric shell, keeping the air and holding in the heat," Jack told them, pointing to the scanner showing the planets.
"Whoever's done this wants the human race alive," Ianto remarked. "That's a plus."
"We hope," Natasha muttered.
"Twenty seven planets, including the Earth," Clint added.
Jenny frowned. "But what's that?" she asked, pointing to a blinking red dot between the orbits. "That's not a planet, is it?"
***
"The reading seems to be artificial in construction," Mr. Smith told the SHIELD agents and the Smiths.
"Some sort of space station sitting at the heart of the web," Sarah Jane murmured.
"They're fine," Luke said, coming up with his cell phone. "Maria and her dad, they're still in Cornwall. I told them to stay indoors. And Clyde's all right. He's with his mum."
"Sarah Jane, I have detected movement. Observe," the computer said.
Luke's eyes widened in excitement. "Spaceships!"
Jemma and Sarah Jane exchanged looks behind the boy's back.
That wasn't always a good thing.
***
"Tracking two hundred objects," General Sanchez said as he observed on monitors. "Earthbound trajectory. Geneva is calling a Code Red. Everyone to battle positions." He turned. "Doctor Jones, if you're not too busy."
Martha turned, putting a hand over her phone. "I'm trying to phone the Doctor and the Bad Wolf, sir."
"And?"
"There's no signal." She shook her head. "This number calls anywhere in the universe. It never breaks down. They must be blocking it, whoever they are."
"We're about to find out," Sanchez said. "They're coming into orbit."
***
Skye stepped out a subway, quirking an eyebrow at all of the shoplifting going around her. "The end of the world, darling!" a drunk man slurred from nearby. "End of the stinking world!"
Skye just nodded. "Have one on me, then," she said.
There was a wail behind her, and she turned to see two boys in a computer and TV store. She headed in through the front door. "Right, you two," she said firmly. "You can put that stuff down or run for your lives." She smirked, powering the gun up. "Do you like my gun?"
The two high tailed it out, and Skye smirked, sitting down and typing away at a computer, watching the red blips approaching Earth.
***
"We're now getting confirmed reports of spaceships," the BBC News reporter said as Sylvia watched. "The Pentagon has issued an emergency report saying that two hundred objects - "
"Dad, come and see," Sylvia called.
" - are now heading towards Earth in a regular pattern."
"They're saying spaceships. Did you find her?"
"Organized flight plan - "
"No, no, there's no reply," Wilf replied, staring at his phone before looking out the windows. "Where are you, Donna?" he asked.
"And stay indoors."
"Where are you, sweetheart?"
***
"Three thousand miles and closing," Gwen reported. "But who are they?"
Jack looked down as his phone rang, and he answered with a beam. "Martha Jones!" he greeted. "Voice of a nightingale. Tell me you put something in my drink."
"But she's too far away," Jenny said in confusion. Natasha just smiled and patted her on the back.
"No such luck," Martha said. "Have you heard from the Doctor?"
"Not a word, from him or J," Jack answered. "Where are you?"
"New York."
"Nice for some," Clint remarked.
"I've been promoted. Medical Director on Project Indigo."
"Did you get that thing working?" Natasha asked.
"Indigo's top secret! No one's supposed to know about it!"
"SHIELD, Martha," Clint reminded her. "We know."
"And I met a soldier in a bar," Jack began when Ianto and Gwen both looked over, and he winced. "Long story."
"When was that?" Ianto asked.
"Strictly professional!" Jack protested.
"Fifteen hundred miles and accelerating," Gwen reported. "They're almost here."
***
"I'm receiving a communication from the earthbound ships," Mr. Smith announced. "They have a message for the human race."
"Put it through," Sarah Jane nodded. "Let's hear it."
"Exterminate!" a voice rang through, and Sarah Jane's face drained of all color, as FitzSimmons looked at each other in shock. "Exterminate! Exterminate!"
***
"Exterminate!"
Jenny's blood froze at that voice, and her eyes widened as she saw Jack began to blanch. Something deep inside of her was boiling, like she was meant to fight the owners of that voice.
But what was it?
***
"Exterminate!" Martha's eyes widened, and she spun to face the monitors where the message was being relayed. "Exterminate!"
***
"No," Jack whispered, lowering the phone.
"Exterminate! Exterminate!"
"Oh, no!" Jack shook his head, pulling Jenny to his side protectively.
"What is it?" Gwen asked nervously, never having seen him look like that before. "Who are they?"
"Jack, do you know them?" Natasha asked, but the Captain just pulled them all in.
"Exterminate! Exterminate!"
***
"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"
"No," Sarah Jane pleaded.
Jemma put a hand over her mouth. Were these creatures who she thought they were?
***
"Exterminate!"
"There's nothing I can do," Jack told them.
"Exterminate!"
"I'm sorry," he apologized, kissing the top of Jenny's head. "We're dead."
***
"Exterminate! Exterminate!"
"Oh, God," Sarah Jane wept, hugging Luke close to her as Fitz hugged Jemma close. "You're so young!"
***
Skye's face remained expressionless as she heard the voices of her nightmares, the creatures who were responsible for her being trapped in another universe for so long. "Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"
She stood with her gun and walked outside to see a flying saucer pass by overhead, firing. She turned on her heel and strode off. She didn't flinch when a shop nearby exploded.
***
"Battle stations!" Sanchez shouted as alarms began wailing. "Geneva declaring Ultimate Code Red! Ladies and gentlemen, we are at war!"
Martha ran to a window, watching the Dalek saucers take out skyscrapers everywhere.
***
"So, go on then," Donna said as they clung to the console. "What is the Shadow Proclamation anyway?"
"Posh name for police," the Doctor answered. "Outer space police."
Jessie blinked. "What, and that's it?"
"I know, sorry to disappoint," the Doctor told her, flipping a final lever. "Here we go!"
They headed out the doors, and Jessie blinked when she saw familiar looking aliens. "Oh, great, the outer space rhinos."
"Sco bo tro no flo jo ko fo to to," the lead Judoon ordered.
"No bo ho sho ko ro to so," the Doctor answered.
"Bo ko do zo go bo fo po jo," Jessie added quickly when she saw them go for guns.
The Judoon came to attention, and Jessie smirked at the Doctor. "Booyah."
He smirked as well. "Ma ho," he told them with a nod.
***
"Time Lords are the stuff of legend," the Architect told them as they stood in the hall of the Shadow Proclamation. "They belong in the myths and whispers of the Higher Species. You cannot possibly exist."
"Yeah," the Doctor said impatiently. "More to the point? We've got a missing planet."
"Then you're not as wise as the stories would say," the Architect told them. "The picture is far bigger than you imagine. The whole universe is in outrage, Doctor. Twenty four worlds have been taken from the sky."
"How many?" Jessie squeaked in astonishment.
"Which ones?" the Doctor asked. "Show me."
The Architect tapped at a computer screen. "Locations range far and wide, but all disappeared at the exact same moment, leaving no trace."
Both Time Lords looked over her shoulder. "Callufrax Minor," the Doctor muttered. "Jahoo . . . Shallacatop . . . Woman Wept . . . " He blinked. "Clom? Clom's gone? Who'd want Clom?"
"Get to the point, dear," Jessie cut in.
"All different sizes," the Architect said. "Some populated, some not. But all unconnected."
Donna blinked. "What about Pyrovillia?" she asked.
The Architect narrowed her eyes. "Who is the female?"
"My friend," Jessie retorted as Donna looked down. "My brilliant friend, and I don't care if you're all high and mighty, but I will knock you out if you insult someone as fantastic as her."
Donna smiled as the Doctor looked at Jessie in nothing short of pride. "Donna," she put in. "I'm a human being. Maybe not the stuff of legend, but every bit as important as Time Lords, thank you." She looked at the Doctor. "Way back, when we were in Pompeii, Lucius said Pyrovillia had gone missing."
"Pyrovillia is a cold case," one of the Judoon said. "Not relevant."
"How do you mean, cold case?" Donna asked.
"The planet Pyrovillia cannot be part of this," the Architect denied. "It disappeared over two thousand years ago."
"No, no, let her go on," Jessie said with a frown. "There's more, isn't there?"
"Yeah, because there was the Adipose breeding planet, too," Donna nodded. "Miss Foster said that was lost, but that must've been a long time ago."
"That's it!" the Doctor cheered. "Donna, brilliant! Planets are being taken out of time as well as space. Let's put this into 3D . . . " Jessie punched a button, and a holographic diagram of the planets appeared. "Now if we add Pyrovillia and Adipose Three . . . something missing. Where else, where else? Where else? Where else lost . . . "
"Poosh!" Jessie shouted, typing it in. "Dee Dee's Lost Moon of Poosh!"
The planet appeared, and suddenly, all of them reorganized. "What did you do?" the Architect asked.
"Nothing," the Doctor replied. "The planets rearranged themselves into the optimum pattern. Oh, look at that! Twenty seven planets in perfect balance. Come on, that is gorgeous!"
"Back on point again, dear," Jessie warned.
"What does it mean?" Donna asked.
"All those worlds fit together like pieces of an engine. It's like a powerhouse. What for?"
"Who could design such a thing?" the Architect wondered.
"Someone tried to move the Earth once before," the Doctor said, eyes wide. "Long time ago. Can't be!"
***
"The shields are down," someone called over the comms. "There's too many of them! Abandon ship!"
"The Valiant's down!" Jack shouted.
"SHIELD's going underground," Clint reported. "New Mexico's down."
"Triskelion's under heavy fire," Natasha added.
"Air Force retreating over North Africa," Ianto called out. "Daleks landing in Japan."
"We've lost contact with the Prime Minister's plane," Gwen added before blinking. "Jack! Manhattan!"
Jack took a look and cursed before lifting the phone to his ear. "Martha, get out of there!"
***
"I can't, Jack," Martha said, working on a bandage on a fellow UNIT member's head. "I've got a job to do."
"They're targeting military bases, and you're next on the list!"
"Doctor Jones," Sanchez said, and Martha looked up at him. "You will come with me. Project Inigo is being activated. Quick march."
Martha blinked as she ran after him. "But we can't use Project Indigo! It hasn't been tested, sir. We don't even know if it works!"
A UNIT member opened a storage unit, and Sanchez nodded at the backpack inside. "Put it on, fast as you can," he ordered.
"Martha, I'm telling you, don't use Project Indigo," Jack warned. "It's not safe!"
"You take your orders from UNIT, Doctor Jones," Sanchez told her. "Not Torchwood."
Martha swallowed, then put it on. "But why me?" she asked.
"You're our only hope of finding the Doctor and his wife," Sanchez answered. "But failing that, if no help is coming, then with the power invested in me by the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, I authorize you to take this." He held out a computer chip. "The Osterhagen Key."
Martha blanched. "I can't take that, sir."
"You know what to do for the sake of the human race."
Martha swallowed and took the chip. "Daleks one five reaching north corridor," a Dalek announced.
"Exterminate! Exterminate!"
"Doctor Jones, good luck," Sanchez said.
Martha swallowed as the Daleks appeared around the corner. "Bye, Jack," she whispered before pulling the ripcords.
***
"Martha, don't do it!" Jack shouted, but cringed when he heard a small warp. "Don't!" When he got no reply, he cursed and kicked the side of a chair.
"What's Project Indigo?" Ianto asked.
Jenny swallowed. "Steve said it was an experimental teleport salvaged from the . . . Sontarans?" She looked at Natasha, who nodded. "But they haven't got coordinates or stabilization."
"So where is she?" Gwen asked.
"Scattered into atoms," Jack answered. "Martha's down."
***
Donna watched as the Doctor and Jessie talk to the Architect before she blinked, hearing a heartbeat pound in her head. She snapped out of it when a bowl was shoved at her. "You need sustenance," an albino woman told her. "Take the water. It purifies."
"Thanks," Donna mumbled, taking it.
"There was something on your back."
"How do you know that?"
"You are something new."
"Not me," Donna scoffed. "I'm just a temp! Shorthand, filing, hundred words per minute. Fat lot of good that is now. I'm no use to anyone."
The albino woman's pink eyes widened. "I'm so sorry for your loss," she whispered.
"Yeah," Donna sighed. "My whole planet's gone."
"I mean the loss that is yet to come." The woman trembled. "God save you!"
Donna turned to watch her go up the stairs before turning back as the Time Lords returned. "Donna, come on, think," the Doctor told her. "Earth. There must've been some sort of warning. Was anything happening back in your day? Like electrical storms, freak weather, patterns in the sky?"
"Well, how should I know?" Donna snapped before thinking. "Er . . . no. I don't think so, no."
"Oh, OK," the Doctor nodded. "Never mind."
Jessie blinked. "Wait, what was it you said to us when you first saw us?"
Donna thought. "Well, there were the bees disappearing."
"The bees disappearing," the Doctor muttered. "The bees disappearing." He brightened. "The bees disappearing!" he cheered.
"How is that significant?" the Architect asked.
"On Earth, we had these insects," Donna explained. "Some people said it was pollution or mobile phone signals."
"Or they were going back home," the Doctor suggested.
"Back home where?"
"Planet Melissa Majoria, right?" Jessie asked.
"Are you saying bees are aliens?"
"Don't be so daft," the Doctor huffed. "Not all of them." Jessie burst out laughing at the surprised look on Donna's face. "But if the migrant bees felt something coming, some sort of danger, and escaped? Tadocca!"
"The Tandocca Scale," the Architect realized.
"Tandocca Scale is the series of wavelengths use as a carrier signals by migrant bees," the Doctor explained. "Infinitely small. No wonder we didn't see it! It's like looking for a speck of cinnamon in the Sahara - "
"I'd love to see someone try that," Jessie giggled.
"But look! There it is." He held out his arms, gesturing to the planets. "The Tandocca trail. The transmat that moved the planets was using the same wavelength. We can follow the path."
"And find the Earth?" Donna asked. The Doctor nodded. "Well, stop talking and do it!"
"I am," the Doctor replied with a grin and took off running. He ran into the TARDIS, followed by Jessie, and they both began typing. "We're a bit late," the Doctor told them. "The signal's scattered, but it's a start."
Jessie nodded and went to the door. "We've got a blip," she told the Architect. "Just a blip, but it's a start."
"Then according to the Strictures of the Shadow Proclamation, I will have to seize your transport and your technology."
Jessie blinked. "Seriously?"
"The planets were stolen with hostile intent. We are declaring war, Bad Wolf, right across the universe, and you and your husband will lead us into battle."
Jessie stared. "Right," she said slowly, nodding. "Yes. 'Course we will. Just . . . give me a minute. I'll get you the key."
She stepped back, then snapped her fingers. The doors slammed closed, and the Doctor took them into the Vortex.
***
Sylvia and Wilf poked their heads around the corner. "Dad, please, come home," Sylvia begged. "They're leaving our street alone!"
"Yeah? I've got a weapon," Wilf said, holding up the said weapon.
Sylvia stared at him. "It's a paint gun."
"Exactly," Wilf nodded. "Them Dalek things, they've only got one eye. A good splodge of paint, they'd be blinded."
They watched the Daleks send a whole house up in flames, and Wilf's jaw dropped. "They're monsters," he whispered.
"Please, Dad," Sylvia begged. "Come home!"
They ran around the corner, and ran smack into a single Dalek. "Halt," it ordered. "You will come with me."
"Will I heck!" Wilf huffed, firing a yellow paintball right into the Dalek's eyestalk.
After a few seconds, the paint boiled off. "My vision is not impaired," it declared.
"I warned you, Dad!" Sylvia hissed.
"Hostility will not be tolerated! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exter - "
Wilf looked away when the Dalek exploded. When he looked back, he looked straight into the expressionless brown eyes of a brunette woman with bangs in black leather and Kevlar, holding a huge gun. He eyed it appraisingly. "Do you want to swap?" he asked, holding up his paintball gun.
"You're Donna Noble's family, right?" she asked, walking forward. Wilf nodded, noting her American accent. "I'm Skye Ward, and I need you."
***
"Yeah, I've tried calling her, but I can't get through," Wilf told Skye as she sat by the computer. "But she's still with the Doctor and the Bad Wolf, I know that much, and the last time she phoned, it was from a planet called Midnight, made of diamonds."
"What the hell are you two on about?" Sylvia demanded.
"Look, she's out there, sweetheart," Wilf said. "Your daughter. She's traveling the stars with those two. She always has been."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"Oh, come on! Open your eyes! Look at the sky! Look at . . . look at the Daleks! You can't start denying things now!"
"You're my last hope," Skye told them. "If we can't find Donna, I can't find my little sister. Where are they?"
***
Jessie's head jerked up when the time rotor paused. "It's stopped," she whispered.
"What do you mean?" Donna asked. "Is that good or bad? Where are we?"
"The Medusa Cascade," the Doctor replied, looking at a scanner. "I came here when I was just a kid, ninety years old. It was the center of a rift in time and space."
"It's beautiful," Jessie whispered, looking at the many colors.
"So where are the twenty seven planets?" Donna wondered.
"Nowhere," he answered simply. "The Tandocca Trail stops dead. End of the line."
"So what do we do?" Donna asked, but the two Time Lords looked at each other. "Doctor? Bad Wolf? What do we do?"
Jessie swallowed. "I have absolutely no idea," she spoke for both of them.
***
Skye put her head in her hands as she listened to the reports. "This is the Commander General of the United Nations calling the Dalek Fleet. We surrender. Repeat, we surrender. Planet Earth surrenders."
"Humans selected for testing will follow Dalek instructions," a Dalek responded. "The Daleks reign supreme. All hail the Daleks. You will obey Dalek instructions without question. You will obey your Dalek ma - "
Skye frowned when a slightly familiar voice broke through with a ton of beeping. "Can anyone hear me?" a female voice asked. "The Subwave Network is open. You should be able to hear my voice. Is anyone there?"
Skye blinked as the computer showed a fuzzy outline. "I know that voice," she realized.
***
"Who's that?" Luke asked, hearing the voice.
"Some poor soul calling for help," Sarah Jane guessed.
"Can anyone hear me?" the voice asked.
"Sarah Jane, Mr. Smith!" Fitz told her.
"Processing incoming Subwave," Mr. Smith said as the same fuzzy image came on the screen.
***
"This message is of the utmost importance," the voice came through to Torchwood. "We haven't much time. Can anyone hear me?"
"Someone's trying to get in touch," Jenny spoke up.
"The whole world's crying out," Jack muttered. "Just leave it."
One of the screens flickered on, revealing Harriet Jones. "Captain Jack Harkness, shame on you," she said. "Now stand to attention, sir."
Jack blinked, jumping up and running over. "What? Who is that?"
Harriet held up her ID. "Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister."
"Yeah, I know who you are," Jack laughed.
***
"Harriet, it's me," Skye begged, seeing her image come up before she dug through her backpack. "Oh, the one thing I don't bring!" She looked up. "Do you have a web cam?" she asked.
"No, she wouldn't let me," Wilf answered, nodding at Sylvia. "She said they're naughty."
Skye sighed in defeat. "Then I can't speak to her."
***
Sarah Jane looked up when the image resolved on Mr. Smith. "Sarah Jane Smith, 13 Bannerman Road," Harriet said. "Are you there?"
"Yeah," Sarah Jane replied, standing up and running over with Luke and FitzSimmons. "Yeah, we're here! That's me!"
"Good," Harriet said. "Now, let's see if we can talk to each other."
***
Skye smiled when Harriet appeared in just one box, Jack and a blonde girl in a SHIELD uniform in another, and Sarah Jane, Luke, and FitzSimmons in another. "The fourth contact seems to be having some trouble getting through," Harriet remarked.
Skye brightened when she saw the static box. "That's me!" she called. "Harriet, that's me!"
"I'll just boost the signal," Harriet said.
"Hello?" another voice called, and a black woman appeared.
"Ha ha!" Jack laughed in delight. "Martha Jones!"
Skye smiled. "Martha Jones," she repeated with a small laugh. While Saleen and Grant had been working on the dimension cannon, she had balanced her time with her son, Alex, and researching other companions of the Doctor. Martha Jones had caught her eye the most, due to the woman helping Jessie so much after she regenerated. The maid of honor at her wedding as well, apparently. "I want to get through," she whispered.
"Martha, where are you?" the blonde asked.
"I guess Project Indigo was more clever than we thought," Martha answered. "One second I was in Manhattan, next second . . . maybe Indigo tapped into my mind, because I ended up in the one place that I wanted to be."
An older black woman appeared behind her. "You came home," she said, Martha's mother, apparently. "At the end of the world, you came back to me."
"But all of a sudden, it's like the laptop turned itself on."
***
"It did," Harriet said with a nod. "That was me. Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister."
Jenny grinned as Martha restrained herself from rolling her eyes. "Yes, I know who you are," she said.
"I thought it was about time we all met given the current crisis. Torchwood, this is Sarah Jane Smith."
"I've been following your work," Jack said. "Nice job with the Slitheen."
"Yeah, well, I've been staying away from you lot," Sarah Jane told them. "Too many guns."
"All the same, might I say looking good, ma'am?"
"Really?" Sarah Jane asked in interest. "Ooo."
"There's a time and a place, Jack," Jemma warned before waving. "Jemma Simmons, Agent of SHIELD, and that's Fitz."
"Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, and Jenny Nightshade, also SHIELD," Natasha introduced them.
"And Martha Jones, former companion to the Doctor," Harriet added.
***
"Join the club, Jones," Skye laughed.
"But how did you find me?" Martha asked.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, this is the Subwave Network," Harriet answered. "A sentient piece of software programmed to seek out anyone and everyone who can help to contact the Doctor."
"Oi! And my mum!" Jenny called.
Sarah Jane frowned. "Did you say your name was Nightshade?" she asked.
Natasha grinned. "Sarah Jane Smith, meet Jenny, the daughter of the Doctor and Jessie," she beamed.
"Daughter?!" Skye and Sarah Jane gasped at the same time.
"Progenation machine," Martha tried to explain. "Basically, their DNA got mixed together, and out came Jenny, fully grown."
"But . . . " Sarah Jane looked confused. "The Battle of Canary Wharf - "
"Oh, you'd be surprised what Time Lords do to the people they love," Clint joked.
Jack punched him in the shoulder. "Would you rather the alternative?" he asked sharply.
Clint cringed. "Ah, no. I wouldn't."
"But what if the Daleks can hear us?" Martha asked.
"No, that's the beauty of the Subwave," Harriet said. "It's undetectable."
"And you invented it?" Fitz asked in surprise.
"I developed it," Harriet corrected. "It was created by the Mr. Copper Foundation."
Jemma grinned. "I know that name! Mr. Copper and Astrid, his friend. The Doctor and Jessie saved them from that Titanic replica thing."
"Yeah, but what we need right now is a weapon," Jack said. "Martha? Back there at Unit, what did they give you? What was that key thing?"
"The Osterhagen Key," Martha answered.
Natasha narrowed her eyes. "You can't use that!"
"That key is not to be used, Doctor Jones, not under any circumstances!" Harriet told her.
"But what is an Osterhagen Key?" Jenny asked.
"Forget about the key, and that's an order," Harriet told them. "All we need is the Doctor."
"And my mum," Jenny put in.
"Only . . . " Sarah Jane gave a small smile. "Excuse me, Harriet, but . . . well, the thing is, if you're looking for the Doctor . . . didn't he depose you?"
"He did," Harriet conceded. "And I've wondered about that for a long time, whether I was wrong. But I stand by my actions to this day, because I knew, I knew that one day, the Earth would be in danger, and the Doctor would fail to appear. I told him so myself, and he didn't listen."
"but I've been trying to find him," Martha spoke up. "The Doctor's got my phone on the TARDIS, and so does the Bad Wolf, but I can't get through."
"Why didn't we think of that?" Skye wondered.
"That's why we need the Subwave," Harriet said. "To bring us all together. Combine forces. The Doctor's secret army."
"Wait a minute," Jenny said, thinking and knitting her eyebrows. "Can we boost the signal?"
Jack beamed. "That's it!" he cheered, kissing the top of her head, making Jenny make a face. "We transmit that telephone number through Torchwood itself, using all the power of the Rift."
"And we've got Mr. Smith!" the boy with Sarah Jane said in excitement. "He can link up with every telephone exchange on the Earth. He can get the whole world to call the same number, all at the same time! Billions of phones, calling out at once!"
"Brilliant," Jack agreed before blinking. "Who's the kid?"
"That's my son," Sarah Jane said proudly.
"Excuse me," a man in a suit behind Jack said, pushing forward. "Sorry, sorry. Hello. Ianto Jones. Er, if we start transmitting, this Subwave Network is going to become visible. I mean, to the Daleks."
"Yes, and they'll trace it back to me," Harriet nodded. "But my life doesn't matter. Not if it saves the Earth."
Jack nodded, throwing up a salute, and Jenny followed suit. "Ma'am," he told her.
"Thank you, Captain, but there are people dying out there on the streets."
"Marvelous woman," Wilf said with a smile. "I voted for her."
"You did not!" Sylvia hissed, slapping him in the arm, making Skye snicker.
"Now, enough of words," Harriet said. "Let's begin."
***
Jenny ran to type away at a rapid sped. "Rift power activated!" she called.
"All terminals coordinated," Natasha reported as she and Gwen adjusted monitors.
Ianto and Clint worked with a huge power cable. "National grid online," Ianto called out. "Giving you everything we've got!"
***
"Connecting you to Mr. Smith," Sarah Jane said.
"All telephone networks combined," Luke announced.
***
"Sending you the number now," Martha shouted, punching in the number.
***
"Opening Subwave Network to maximum," Harriet said.
"Mr. Smith, make that call," Sarah Jane ordered.
"Calling the Doctor," the computer said.
***
"So am I," Skye muttered, digging out her cell phone.
***
"And sending!" Jack whooped, releasing the Rift energy.
***
Jessie's head shot up when she heard a ring. "PHONE!" she shouted, running around.
"Doctor, phone!" Donna pleaded.
Jessie found Martha's phone before her husband did, opening it. "Martha, is that you?" she asked before frowning and looking at it. "Hang on. It's a signal!"
"Can we follow it?" Donna asked.
The Doctor grinned. "Oh, just watch us!" he crowed, taking out his stethoscope.
***
Jack ignored the sparks flying behind him. "I think we've got a fix!" he called.
***
"Mr. Smith now at two hundred percent," Sarah Jane said as the computer sparked as well. "Oh, come on, Doctor!"
***
Skye tapped in the number on the screen as fast as her hacking fingers could go before she closed her eyes, lifting her phone up higher. "Find me, Jess," she whispered. "Find me!"
***
"Got it!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Locking on!"
***
"Harriet, a saucer's locked onto your location," Gwen said. "They've found you!"
"I know," Harriet nodded. "I'm using the Network to mask your transmission. Keep going."
"Exterminate!" a Dalek's voice called.
***
Jessie checked a monitor as the Doctor worked to track the call. "We're traveling through time!" she announced. "One second into the future. The phone call's pulling us through!"
***
"Captain, I'm transferring the Subwave Network to Torchwood," Harriet said. "You're in charge now. And tell the Doctor from me . . . he chose his companions well. It's been an honor."
Jenny swallowed when she heard cries of "Exterminate!" before Harriet's box faded to static.
***
"Three!" Jessie shouted. "Two! One!"
She screamed when the TARDIS shuddered and bucked, and she fell crashing to the floor, hearing two identical crashes around her. After the TARDIS settled, she sat up, checking the monitor and smiled. "There they are!" she said. "All twenty seven planets!"
"And there's the Earth," Donna added. "But why couldn't we see them?"
"The entire Medusa Cascade has been put a second out of sync with the rest of the universe," the Doctor explained. "Perfect hiding place. Tiny little pocket of time. But we found them." He narrowed his eyes when the scanner turned to static. Oh, oh, oh. What's that? Hold on, hold on . . . some sort of Subwave Network . . . "
Jessie's eyes widened when the screen separated into four sections, the three of them in the top. "Jenny!" she called happily when she saw the blonde girl in one box with none other than Captain Jack Harkness, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton with her. "There's my girl!"
"Mum!" Jenny cried happily, a wide smile on her face. "Dad!"
"Jenny!" the Doctor grinned.
***
"Where the hell have you been?" Jack demanded. "Doctor, J, it's the Daleks!"
"Oh, he's a bit nice," Gwen remarked. "I thought he'd be older."
"He's not that young," Ianto reminded her.
"And he's also taken," Natasha warned, glaring at them.
***
"Hey, Sarah Jane," the blonde woman with the Doctor smiled, waving. "Good to see you again!"
Sarah Jane frowned. "I don't - " It suddenly came to her, and her eyes widened. "Oh, my God . . . Jessie?!"
"New and improved," the blonde laughed. "What do you think?"
Sarah Jane's eyes widened. "Oh, my God," she breathed.
***
Skye smiled, tears in her eyes as she took in the Doctor and Jessie, both of them beaming away. "Back on topic," Fitz said, pushing past. "Doctor, it's those Daleks. They're taking people to their spaceship."
"It's not just Dalek Caan," Martha added.
"It's Donna!" Sylvia gasped, pointing to the ginger.
"That's my girl!" Wilf whooped.
***
"Sarah Jane," the Doctor greeted. "Who's that boy? That's FitzSimmons . . . and if the infamous Black Widow and Hawkeye are there with you, Jack, that must be Torchwood." He beamed. "Oh, they're brilliant. Look at you all, you clever people!"
"Extraordinary," Jessie agreed.
Martha smiled at that, tears in her eyes. This . . . this was a much different Bad Wolf than the one she'd traveled with. This one was so much more confident, full of confidence - not that she hadn't had that much before, she just had so much more now - that it made her feel proud to say that she was best friends with her.
"That's Martha!" Donna gasped, pointing. "And who's he?" she asked, pointing at Jack.
"Captain Jack Harkness," Jessie answered, playfully slapping her hand away. "And don't ask for him to say hello. Just don't."
"It's like an outer space Facebook," Donna remarked.
Jessie's smile faded a little. "Everyone except Skye and Saleen," she whispered under her breath.
But Jemma must have heard her, because she blanched. "What did you say?" she gasped.
Before Jessie could say anything else, the scanner went black. "Oh," the Doctor said.
"We've lost them," Donna said.
"No, no, no, no, no, there's another signal coming through," the Doctor said, messing around. "There's someone else out there. Hello? Can you hear me?"
"Skye?" Jessie asked hopefully. "Saleen?"
"Your voice is different, and yet its arrogance is unchanged," a gravelly voice spoke.
***
Sarah Jane blanched. "No," she whispered, causing the four others to look at her. "But he's dead!"
***
Jessie watched as an alien she recognized from the Doctor's dreams, memories, and nightmares, Davros, appeared on the scanner. "Welcome to my new Empire, Doctor. It is only fitting that you should bear witness to the resurrection and the triumph of Davros, Lord and Creator of the Dalek race."
"So you're Davros," she said, ignoring the Doctor's stunned expression. "Funny. I thought you'd be more terrifying."
"Ah, so you are the woman once dead," Davros said with a nod. "The Bad Wolf girl."
"Hey, I'm famous!"
"Don't get him going," the Doctor warned.
"Have you nothing to say, Doctor?" Davros asked.
"Doctor, it's all right," Donna told him. "We're . . . we're in the TARDIS. We're safe."
"But you were destroyed," the Doctor said, shaking his head. "In the very first year of the Time War, at the Gates of Elysium! I saw your command ship fly into the jaws of the Nightmare Child! I tried to save you!"
"But it took one stronger than you," Davros acknowledged. "Dalek Caan himself."
Jessie blanched when a blown-apart Dalek appeared, one obviously mad. "I flew into the wild and fire," he giggled. "I danced and died a thousand times!"
"Emergency Temporal Shift took him back into the Time War itself," Davros explained.
"But that's impossible," the Doctor denied. "The entire War is time locked!"
"And yet he succeeded. Oh, it cost him his mind, but imagine! A single, simple Dalek succeeded where Emperors and Time Lords have failed. A testament, don't you think, to my remarkable creations?"
"And you made a new race of Daleks."
"I gave myself to them, quite literally. Each one grown from a cell of my own body." Jessie felt a wave of nausea pass when she saw Davros's skin torn from his body, just ribs, nerves, and organs remaining. The Doctor was quick to support her before she lost her balance. "New Daleks. True Daleks. I have my children, Doctor. What do you have now?"
"After all this time," the Doctor whispered, shaking his head. "Everything we saw, everything we lost, I have only one thing to say to you." His face hardened. "Bye!" he barked, before throwing a lever and sending the TARDIS off.
***
"Gwen, Dalek saucer heading for the Bay," Ianto called. "They've found us."
"Martha, open that Indigo device," Jack ordered as he ran to and fro, Jenny running as well to get her stuff ready. "Now listen to me: lift the central panel. There's a string of numbers that keep changing, but the forth number keeps oscillating between two different digits. Tell me what they are."
"It's a four and a nine," Martha answered as Jack got into his greatcoat. "We could never work out what that was."
"Yeah, that's the teleport base code," Jack said. "And that's all I need to get this thing working again." He punched the numbers into his Vortex Manipulator. "Oscillating four . . . and nine. Thank you, Martha Jones." Jenny walked up, one huge gun over her shoulder, Jack's in her other arm. "Jenny," he began.
"That's my mum and my dad," she interrupted. "I'm going with you."
Jack eyed her, then sighed. "As stubborn as your mother," he told her before accepting his gun, holding out his wrist. "We're going to find them. We'll come back."
"Don't worry about us," Natasha said. "Just go."
"We'll be fine," Ianto added.
"You'd better be," Jack warned before the two of them disappeared.
There was a bang, and rubble fell from the ceiling. "Exterminate!" voices called. "Exterminate!"
Gwen shuddered. "They're here."
***
"TARDIS heading for vector seven," Mr. Smith announced as FitzSimmons gathered their gear, Sarah Jane running for the door. "Grid reference six six five."
"But there are Daleks out there!" Luke protested.
"I know," Sarah Jane whispered, getting down to eye level. "I'm sorry, but we've got to find the Doctor and Jessie. Don't move. Don't leave the house. Don't do anything."
"I will protect the boy, Sarah Jane," Mr. Smith promised.
"I love you," Sarah Jane told Luke, kissing his forehead. "Remember that."
Jemma opened the door, and the three of them ran out of the house to Sarah Jane's car.
***
"Control?" Skye called into her phone as she swung her gun over her shoulder, heading to the center of the room. "I need another shift. Lock me onto the TARDIS, now." She hung up, turning to Wilf and Sylvia. "Right. I'm going to find them. Wish me luck."
"Oh, good luck," Sylvia nodded.
"Yeah," Wilf nodded, saluting. "Good luck, sweetheart!"
Skye saluted back as light enveloped her, making her vanish.
***
Jessie ran out of the TARDIS as it landed, looking around and blinking. "There's no one here," she said.
"Like a ghost town," Donna commented as they looked around.
"Sarah Jane said they were taking the people," the Doctor muttered. "What for?" He turned. "Think, Donna! When you met Saleen and Grant in that parallel world, what did they say?"
"Just the darkness is coming."
"Anything else?"
Jessie listened to the two of them bicker and go at it, looking around and trying to see anything suspicious. She gazed down the street, and her eyes widened in shock.
Skye stopped at the end of the street as well, an enormous gun over her shoulder, her hair now in bangs, but she still looked the same. She grinned, and Jessie gave her one back. "Skye," she whispered, taking off.
"Who's that?" Donna asked in surprise as Skye took off running as well.
The Doctor opened his mouth to reply when he heard a familiar warp nearby. His eyes widened in fear. "Jezebel!" he shouted, running towards her. "Look out!"
Jessie slowed, looking behind her, but she whipped around when there was a call from now behind her. "Exterminate!"
Skye skidded to a halt, reaching for her gun, but the Dalek slid out of the shadows too fast. It fired, and Jessie quickly tried to summon the Aether to form a wall, but the Dalek's shot broke it down easily, hitting her in the chest. Jessie screamed, thrown back into the car behind her, crumbling to the ground as fire raced through her chest, and she faintly heard the Doctor's matching cry of pain, seeing him stop where he was running before he sank to the ground, clutching his chest in the same area where she'd been shot.
There was a flash of light nearby, and a man in a greatcoat and a blonde woman in a SHIELD uniform appeared. Both immediately fired their matching great guns, the Dalek exploding from the force of both energy weapons.
Jessie lolled her head as Skye dropped down next to her. "I've got you," Skye breathed, gathering her up. "It missed you." She smiled weakly. "Look. It's me, Jess."
"Skye," Jessie breathed.
The hacker smiled. "Hi," she offered.
"Long time, no see," Jessie joked.
"Yeah." She shrugged casually. "Been busy, you know." Jessie grinned before grimacing and screaming again when bolts of pain were sent through her nerves. "Don't die," Skye demanded, clutching her tighter as Jenny ran to her side, Jack going to the Doctor as Donna tried to help him up. "Oh, my God, don't die! Oh, my God, don't die!"
"Mum!" Jenny sobbed.
"Get them into the TARDIS, quick," Jack ordered. "Move!"
***
"Here," Gwen said, dumping a heap load of machine guns onto the ground.
"But they don't work against Daleks!" Ianto protested.
"Yeah? Well, I'm going out fighting. Like Owen, like Tosh. How about you?"
The three other agents looked at each other before nodding. "Yes, ma'am," Clint said, grabbing one.
***
"What . . . what do we do?" Donna panicked as Skye laid Jessie down on the floor, the Doctor collapsing next to her, the two Time Lords scrambling for each other's hand.
"I'm sorry," Jessie gasped out. "I didn't see it . . . "
"Not your fault," the Doctor ground out.
"Just step back," Jack replied, before turning. "Skye? Do as I say, and get back. They're dying, and you know what happens next."
"Both of them?" Skye asked. "But the Dalek didn't hit him!"
"You weren't there at their wedding. You don't know what the blood bond does!"
"What do you mean?" Donna asked before her eyes widened. "Oh, my God, do you mean like what happened at Canary Wharf?"
"Oh, no," Skye shook her head. "I came all this way!"
"Is it that regeneration thing?" Donna asked.
Jessie lolled her head, raising the Doctors' hand with her own, grimacing as golden orange light glowed from his, white gold shining from hers. "It's starting," she whispered.
***
"Watch out!" Jemma screamed from the back seat.
Sarah Jane slammed on the brakes as they nearly crashed into two Daleks. They swung around. "All human transport is forbidden," one said.
"We surrender!" Sarah Jane sobbed, holding up her hands as the SHIELD agents did as well. "I'm sorry!"
"Daleks do not accept apologies. You will be exterminated!"
"Exterminate!"
"Exterminate!"
Jemma took a deep breath, closing her eyes, waiting to die.
***
"Exterminate!" the Daleks cried as they entered Torchwood. "Exterminate!"
"Fire!" Clint shouted.
The four agents let loose all of the bullets they had.
***
"Here we go," Jack said, pulling Skye and Jenny back to Donna as the Doctor managed to get to his feet, arm around Jessie, hauling her up as well. "Good luck, you two!"
"What is it?" Jenny asked worriedly. "What's happening?"
"When Time Lords die," Skye tried to explain, "their bodies, they repair themselves. They change." She shook her head. "But you can't!"
"I'm sorry," Jessie wheezed.
"Don't blame yourself," the Doctor told her.
Jessie shook her head. "I'm sorry," she repeated out loud to Skye.
"It's too late," the Doctor added. "We're regenerating!"
With that, Jessie grabbed one of the Doctor's hands in hers before she threw back her head, arms out, as the regeneration energy burst out of both of them, the energy shielding their view.
Jack, Donna, Jenny, and Skye turned away, unable to look at both of them, the force of both regenerations making it hard to see.
***
You have no idea how long I have waited to start writing this part. :) I enjoy it so much, and you can only imagine FitzSimmons's reactions not just to seeing Saleen again, but then Grant and Skye! O.O
But you'll have to wait a bit for the next part. I'll let this cliffhanger sit with you all while you wait! But it'll be worth it (I hope), so keep an eye out for the fix-it of "Journey's End!"