Until We Burn | Dr Who

Chapter Thirteen: New Earth

We are met with a strong gust of wind as soon as the Tardis doors open, emerging onto a grassy cliff. Just across the glistening water is a city of tall spires and domes. Thousands of flying vehicles surround it in a shadowed halo.

The Doctor steps out, drawing in a breath of the new air. "It's the year 5,000,000,023," he says as Rose and I stare around in awe. "We're in the Galaxy M87 and this— this is New Earth."

"It's just— That's just..."

He nods. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Chuckling, Rose glances back at us. "That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never." She jumps up and down, almost giddy with excitement. "Different ground beneath my feet, different sky. What's that smell?"

He crouches down and tears off a small piece of the ground. "Apple grass."

The blade stands proudly between his fingers, still swaying in the breeze. I lean closer and inhale, taking in the fresh, fruity scent of it. "Apple grass," I repeat, completely content.

"Oh, I love it! Can I just say, travelling with you — travelling with both of you — I love it."

"Me too."

A hand grips onto mine and I let out a yelp of surprise as the Doctor drags Rose and I along, racing across the hills.

—

It doesn't come as a surprise when Rose and I have to come to an eventual stop, not half as energetic as our friend. Sometimes he comes off as more of a puppy than a person.

We settle on the soft lining of his trench coat, panting. The clouds are so much like the ones on Earth. It's as if we never left. I still can't wrap my head around all of this. It's all so incredibly strange, and yet so beautiful.

Letting my head fall back, I rest my hand on the ground beside me. The Doctor's is already there. He smiles up at the sky, his fingers interlacing with mine before I can pull away. Now I don't really understand why I wanted to. He continues as if nothing happened, leaving me a little surprised as I glance back down at our hands. "So, the year 5,000,000,000, the Sun expands, the Earth gets roasted."

Rose grins wistfully. "That was our first trip."

"We had chips." Pulling my hand away from his, I hug myself tightly and turn my focus back to the sky. He pauses for a moment. "So, um, anyway... planet all gone — all rocks and dust — but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. As soon as the Earth burns up, oh, they all get nostalgic. Big revival movement. They find this place, same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. The call goes out, the humans move in!"

I feel a pang of jealousy when I see the towering buildings in the distance. Once again, humanity had found a way to escape destiny. I doubt the native inhabitants of this planet stood a chance. I say nothing but he is looking at me again. I don't need to see him to know his expression; pity, yet again. But we are not the same. We never will be.

"What's the city called?"

"New New York."

Rose scoffs, oblivious, "Oh, come on."

Just like that, the look is gone and he is laughing like it never even happened. "It is! It's the City of New New York. Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. What?"

She pauses, meeting his gaze with a frown. "You're so different."

"New new Doctor."

Our hands connect again and I rest my head against his shoulder. There is silence for a moment as we watch the clouds roll by, and I reach out for Rose so that this doesn't feel as odd. We lock our fingers, arms arched over the Doctor's head. They soon grow tired but it doesn't matter. It feels right. A grin spread across her face once more and she says, "Can we go and visit New New York, so good they named it twice?"