The Orphan and Her Family

Chapter Fifty-Three

They have to avoid hordes of futurekind on their way to the lab. It doesn't take them long to get there, but when they arrive, the doors are locked. The Doctor presses his hands against the glass of the small window, "Professor! Professor, let me in! Let me in! Jack, get the door open now!" Jack pulls off the front of the door control panel, and starts pulling out wires. The Doctor continues to bang on the door, "Professor! Professor, where are you?! Professor! Professor, are you there? Please, I need to explain. Whatever you do, don't open that watch."

Sophie turns around, and slips a hand into her backpack. She extracts her sword, and faces backward, "The futurekind are coming!"

The Doctor ignores her, as he presses his his head against the glass, "Professor! Open the door, please! I'm begging you, Professor. Please, listen to me. Just open the door, please."

Jack gives up on pulling out the cords, and instead grabs his gun, and slams the panel with the butt of his gun. The door slides open, and the Doctor runs into the room, the others following him. Jack presses his body against the door, trying to hold it closed. Sophie rushes over, and adds her weight to the door. "Thanks," he says.

The Doctor stands outside the TARDIS, and continues to try to talk to the professor. "Let me in. Let me in!" Martha moves over, and joins Jack and Sophie at the door, "I'm begging you. Everything's changed! It's only the two of us! We're the only ones left! Just let me in!"

Golden light glows from within the TARDIS, and the Doctor looks up at it with fear in his eyes. Sophie sighs, and leans further against the door, "I'm sorry, Doctor," she whispers.

"Doctor!" Jack shouts, "You'd better think of something!"

From within the TARDIS, a voice calls out, "Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Oh. Now then, Doctor." He hesitates, and clears his throat, "Ooo, new voice. Hello, hello. Hello. Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me, I don't think."

Martha pulls away from the door for a second, "Hold on. I know that voice."

The Doctor takes a step closer to the box, "I'm asking you really properly. Just stop. Just think!"

"Use my name."

The Doctor sighs, "Master. I'm sorry."

The Futurekind are pushing harder and more fervor against the door. Jack, Martha, and Sophie are bucking against the weight, trying their hardest to keep the door closed. Jack almost gets knocked over, and shouts, "I can't hold out much longer, Doctor!"

The Time Lord pulls out his sonic, and points it at the ship. The time rotor activates, and the wheezing, groaning of the ship fills the group's ears. "Doctor! Help us. They're getting in!" Martha shouts!

The Doctor turns around, and runs over. He grabs Jack's arms and pulls his Vortex Manipulator forward. "Hold still! Don't move! Hold it still!"

"Doctor! Hurry!" Sophie grumbles.

He shakes his head, but stuffs his screwdriver back into his pocket, "Martha, Sophie, grab hold, now!"

The Doctor presses a button, and time goes wibbly. As soon as she feels ground against her feet again, she rests her head on Jack's shoulder, "Bl**dy h*ll. That's not good to do on a concussion."

Jack grabs her forearms, and studies her eyes, "You okay, you're not gonna pass out or anything, right?"

"No, I'll-I'll be alright."

Jack nods, and then looks around the group, "Still, at least we made it. Earth, twenty first century by the looks of it. Talk about lucky."

"That wasn't luck," the Doctor snorts, "that was me."

They start off down the street, the Doctor wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "The moral is, if you're going to get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-Time Agent and his vortex manipulator." He flicks the device on his wrist.

"But this Master bloke," Martha starts, "he's got the TARDIS. He could be anywhere in time and space."

"No, he's here. Trust me."

"Who is he, anyway? And that voice at the end, that wasn't the Professor."

Sophie tunes out the rest of the conversation, watching the Doctor's emotions flit across his face. She takes a few fast steps forward, and grabs the Time Lord's hand.