Always and Forever

The End of the World

Rose shuts the door behind her and runs to the console.  "Right then, Rose Tyler, you tell me, where do you want to go?" the Doctor asks her.  "Forwards."  "How far?" Jane asks.  "You know how to pilot the TARDIS?" the Doctor asks her.  "Yes, and I was taught by the best pilot ever."  "One hundred years."  The Doctor goes to pull a lever as Jane goes to turn a knob and presses a few buttons.  "There you go, step outside those doors, it's the 22 century," he says.  "You're kidding."  "That's a bit boring though, do you want to go further?" he asks her.  "Fine by me!"  The Doctor and Jane start up the engines and they stop.  "Then thousand years in the future.  Step outside, it's the year 12005, the New Roman Empire," he says.  "You think you're so impressive?" Rose says to him.  "I am so impressive."  "You wish!" the two girls say.  "Right then, you two asked for it.  I know exactly where to go.  Hold on!" he says to them.  "So where exactly are we going?" Jane asks him.  "You'll see."  The TARDIS stops.  "Where are we?" Rose asks the other two.  The Doctor simply points at the door.  "What's out there?"  He smiles as Rose walks through the door.  Jane gives him a smile.  "What?"  "Nothing," she says letting out a small laugh as he smirks.  The two walk out into a room.  The window opens and the Earth appears.  "You lot.  Spend your time thinking about dying.  Like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids.  But you never take time to imagine the impossible.  Maybe you survive.  This is the year 5.5/apple/26.  Five billion years in your future.  This is the day...hold on..." he says looking at his watch then back at the Earth.  There's a rumbling noise and a flash of light.  "This is the day the sun expands.  Welcome to the end of the world."  Jane looks on amazed at what she sees.  Even though she's travelled with him for awhile this kind of thing still takes her breath away.  The intercom comes on and says, "Shuttles five and six now docking.  Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation, and religion..  Earth death is schedule for 15:39, follow by drinks in the Manchester Suite.  The three walk down a hallway and talk.  "So, when it says 'guests' does that mean people?" Rose asks.  "Depends on what you mean by people," Jane says to her.  "I mean people.  What do you mean?"  "Aliens."  "What are they doing on board this spaceship?  What's it all for?" she asks as the Doctor opens a door.  "It's not really a spaceship.  More like an observation deck.  The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn," he says.  "What for?"  "Fun," Jane answers as they enter an observatory.  "Mind you...When I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich," he says to them.  "But, hold on, they did this once on "Newsround Extra", the sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years."  "Millions," Jane says.  "But the planet's now property of the National Trust.  They've been keeping it preserved. See down there?  Gravity satellite.  That's holding back the sun."  "The planet looks the same as ever.  I thought the continents shifted and things."  "They did.  And the trust shifted them back.  That's a classic Earth.  But now the money's run out, nature takes over," Jane says to her.  "How long's it got?"  "About half an hour.  Then it gets roasted," he says clapping his hands.  "Don't get to excited," Jane says rolling her eyes.  He gives her a look and she returns it.  "Is that why we're here?  I mean, is that what you do?  Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?" Rose asks.  "I'm not saving it.  Time's up," the Doctor says.  "But what about the people?"  "It's empty.  They're all gone.  No one left."  "Just me and Jane, the?"  Jane looks at the Earth letting that last statement sink in.  "Who the hell are you?"  The three turn and see a blue man walking toward them.  "Oh!  That's nice, thanks," the Doctor says.  "But how did you get in?  This is a maximum hospitality zone.  The guests have disembarked!  They're on their way any second now!"  "That's me.  I'm a guest, look!  I've got an invitation!" he says flashing his psychic paper.  "Look, there you see?  It's fine, see?  The Doctor plus two.  I'm the Doctor, this is Jane Smith, and this is Rose Tyler.  They're my plus two.  That alright?"  "Well...obviously.  Apologies, et cetera.  If you're on-board, we'd better start.  Enjoy."  Jane lets out a laugh and the Doctor smiles as the Steward walks away.  "The paper's slightly psychic.  Shows them whatever I want them to see.  Saves a lot of time," he explains to Rose.  "He's blue," she says staring at the man.  "Yeah," Jane says.  "Ok."  "We have in attendance the Doctor, Jane Smith, and Rose Tyler.  Thank you!  All staff to their positions," the Steward says clapping.  A ton of blue men walk around getting ready.  "Hurry now!  Thank you, as quick as we can!  Come along, come along!  And now, might I introduce the next honored guest, representing the first of Cheam, we have Trees.  Namely, Jane, Lute and Coffa.  There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace.  If you can keep the room circulating, thank you.  Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, the Moxx of Balhoon."  Jane and the Doctor smile as all of the different aliens walk in but Rose just looks on bewildered at what she is seeing.  "And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme."  The Doctor laughs at the look on Rose's face.  "The inventors of the hyposlip travel systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen.  Thank you!  Cal 'Spark Plug'.  Mr. and Mrs. Pakoo.  The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light."  Jabe approaches the Doctor handing him a plant with little shoots.  "The Gift of Peace.  I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather."  "Thank you!  Yes, gifts...erm...I give you in return, air from my lungs," he says blowing gently onto Jabe's face.  "How...intimate."  "There's more where that came from."  "I bet there is."  Behind him Jane has a look of sadness flash across her face.  Rose meanwhile just gives him a look of shock and disgust at what she just saw.  "Sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe."  Jane looks up at the huge head in a jar with a smile at seeing an old friend.  The Moxx of Balhoon greet the three.  "The Moxx of Balhoon."  "My felicitations on this historical happenstance.  I give you the gift of bodily saliva."  Jane takes a slight step behind the Doctor knowing what the gift will probably.  He then spits into Rose's left eye.  "Thank you very much."  Rose rubs the spit out her eye.  "Ah!  The Adherents of the Repeated Meme.  I bring you air from my lungs," the Doctor says breathing on them.  "A gift of peace in all good faith," one of them says holding out a large silver egg.  He hands it over to Rose.  "And last but not least, our very special guest.  Ladies and Gentlemen, and Trees and Multiforms.  Consider the Earth below.  In memory of this dying world, we call forth The Last Human.  Jane and Rose give each other a confused look as what looks to them like a trampoline made of skin is wheeled into the room.  The both give it a good look over and see it has eyes, a mouth and wearing lipstick.  "The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen."  "Oh, now, don't stare.  I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it?  I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference!  Look how thin I am.  Thin and dainty!  I don't look a day over 2000."  Jane and Rose share a look of shock at what passes for a human now.  "Moisturize me, moisturize me."  One of the men next to her sprays her with something.  "Truly I am the last human."  Rose walks over and looks at the thin piece of skin.  "My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert.  They were both born on the Earth and they were the last to be buried in its soil.  I have come to honor them and to say goodbye," she says about to cry.  Jane rolls her eyes at the dramatics of it all.  "Oh, no tears.  No tears.  I'm sorry.  But behold!  I bring gifts.  From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg.  Legend says it had a wingspan of 50 feet and blew fire from its nostrils," the apparent last human says earning a raised eyebrow from Jane.  "Or was that my third husband?" she says getting a laugh from everyone but Jane and Rose.  "Who knows!  Oh don't laugh.  I'll get laughter lines!"  A group of servants wheel in a jukebox.  "And here, another rarity.  According to the archives, this was called an iPod.  It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers.  Play on!" she says starting the music.  Jane shakes her head in disbelief of what she just heard come out of the skin trampolines mouth.