In And Through The Body [ Doctor Who | sequel to A Man With Sins ]

TWO

We found ourselves walking through one of the five tunnels that made up Bowie Base One, though it was somewhat against our will, I did enjoy the sight. This base had everything you needed to live. With my fingers tangled between the Doctor's, there was a feeling of discomfort that rolled over my shoulders. I couldn't help but wonder why the TARDIS had brought us here in the first place. Out of all the places to end up, we ended up here with a potential problem in our lap. After all, Adelaide had just taken away our only means of leaving the base. Our space suits were now locked up god knows where, and we really shouldn't be here. Even as Timelords, we were taught that fixed points in time are to remain as such, now, and forever.

In my head I couldn't help but wonder what the Doctor was thinking. Why didn't he seem as ready to go as I did? Did he not know how bad things could be if we stuck around? "I've read all that stuff about you, Captain Adelaide." The Doctor hummed. "But one thing they never said. Was it worth it, the mission?" True curiosity twinkled in the Doctor's eyes as he spoke, and Adelaide spared him but a glance as we continued our way through the tunnel. "Because they say you sacrificed everything. Devoted your whole life to get here." For someone who seemed to know everything about this situation like I did, there was no way he didn't realize our time to get out of here was starting to run thin. 

Soon, for whatever unknown reason, this base would be destroyed, leaving no one left alive. "It's been chaos back home." Adelaide responded, "Forty long years. The climate, the ozone, the oil apocalypse. We almost reached extinction. Then to fly above that, to stand on a world with no smoke, where the only straight line is the sunlight?" Watching her speak, I could see the love she held for her job, for what she had dedicated her life to. "Yes. It's worth it." As those final words left the captain's mouth, it wasn't long before we heard the woman gasp in shock. "It's Maggie!"

Looking down at the floor in front of us, there was a body, but something was very wrong. "No, don't touch her!" I cried out, and Adelaide halted in her tracks. "something's not right." I whispered to the Doctor as we surrounded Maggie, "We shouldn't be here." Seeing the body and then seeing my distress, the Doctor held tighter to my hand for reassurance. Of what? I wasn't sure. Dropping down to my knees to examine Maggie from afar, I watched as her chest slowly expanded. She was still breathing. "Adelaide, she's still alive."

"We need a full med pack to the tunnel please, we found Maggie." Adelaide's voice echoed over the comms, and the Doctor was standing there staring off into space. It wasn't long before the sound of feet echoed from the other end of the hall. Coming as fast as they could with stretcher, it was Ed and Yuri.  

"Don't touch her," I spoke quickly, watching Ed and Yuri closely. If they were to touch her, I wasn't quite sure what would happen. Tarak said the same thing to them both, making sure they heard what I'd said with clarity. Whatever this was, it was bad. 

Adelaide looked panicked as she looked around at her crew. "We're going on to the Biodome. Tarak, with me. Yuri can take care of her." Standing up from her squatting position, she continued, "Ed, go back. Gadget, stand guard. Keep an eye on this area." Looking over at the little robot, I wrinkled my nose at it as everyone starting to follow the given command. 

Ed however, stopped in his tracks. It took him a few moments to pull his eyes away from Maggie, and I couldn't even imagine what was going through his mind. This was one of his crewmates, a part of his family. "Captain," he breathed, "you're going to need me. Andy is the only other crew member out here, and if that wasn't an accident, then he's gone wild." The look Adelaide gave the boy stirred a pot of worry in my stomach. 

"You've deserted your post, Ed." Adelaide's voice was thick and stern as she spoke, narrowing her eyes at Ed from the other side of Maggie. "Consider that an official warning. Now get back to work. Doctor, and what was your name again?" Looking at me with those dark blue eyes, Adelaide wasn't playing any games. This was serious, but she had no idea just how serious it was going to get.