The Doctor, Maddie and Rose were standing in the Tardis, the Doctor stood by the console. “Right then, Rose Tyler, Maddie, you tell me. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?”
“Forwards.” Rose replied.
The Doctor looked at her. “How far?”
“One hundred years.” Rose replied.
“That easy.” Maddie comment.
The Doctor glanced at her with a frown on his face, but then he pulled down some levers. “There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the 22nd century.”
Rose had her eyes widen. “You're kidding.”
“That's a bit boring, though.” The Doctor looked at them. “Do you want to go further?”
“Fine by me.” Rose replied.
“Yes.” Maddie added.
The Doctor pulled more levers. “Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire.”
Rose looked at him. “You think you're so impressive.”
“He thinks he is.” Maddie added.
The Doctor looked at them. “I am so impressive.”
“You wish.” Rose comment.
“Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!” The Doctor shouted as then he pulled some more levers. The Tardis shook and the almost fell to the ground as then it landed.
“Where are we? What's out there?” Rose asked.
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They all went out of the Tardis and they went down a flight of steps and a large shutter in the wall descended to reveal an orbital view of the Earth. “Wow.” Maddie comment.
“You lot, you spend all 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, that maybe you survive. This is the year five point five slash apple slash twenty six. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day...” The Doctor looked at his wrist watch. “Hold on.” The sun flared and turned red. “This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world.”
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“Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine. Followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite.” The Computer told them all.
The Doctor, Maddie and Rose walked along a corridor. “So, when it says guests, does that mean people?” Rose asked to the Doctor.
“Depends what you mean by people.” The Doctor replied to her.
Rose looked at him. “I mean people. What do you mean?”
“Aliens.” The Doctor replied.
“Bloody hell, only aliens?” Maddie asked.
The Doctor nodded. “Yes.”
“What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?” Rose asked to him.
“It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn.” The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on a wall panel.
“Lovely.” Maddie comment.
Rose frowned. “What for?”
“Fun.” The Doctor replied to her.
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Now they were by a large area with a few display cases and a view of space to the front and above. “Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich.” The Doctor told them.
“Of course, the bloody rich.” Maddie comment.
Rose held her hand up. “But, hold on. They did this once on Newsround Extra. The sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years.”
“Millions.” Maddie told her.
The Doctor looked at them. “Millions, but the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved.” He pointed at the gravity satellites. “See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun.”
“The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things.” Rose comment.
Maddie looked at her. “It does.”
The Doctor nodded. “They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over.”
“How long's it got until...?” Maddie asked.
The Doctor looked at her. “About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted.”
“Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?” Rose asked to him.
Maddie looked at the Doctor. He shook with his head. “I'm not saving it. Time's up.”
Rose frowned. “But what about the people?”
“It's empty. They're all gone. No one left.” The Doctor replied to her.
“Just me, then.” Rose comment.
“And me.” Maddie added.
Just then a blue-skinned person with golden slit eyes strode towards them. “Who the hell are you?”
They turned around and looked at him. “Oh, that's nice, thanks.” The Doctor replied.
The steward looked at them. “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. Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor plus two. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler and Maddie...” He glanced at Maddie.
“Brown.” She finished.
The Doctor looked back at the steward. “They are my plus two. Is that all right?” Then he put away the piece of apparently blank paper he was showing to the steward.
“Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy.” The steward went over to a lecturn.
The Doctor let them show the paper. “The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time.”
“Its blank.” Maddie told him.
The Doctor looked at her. “You are something else.”
“No.” Maddie shook with her head.
Just then Rose spoke up. “He's blue.”
“Yeah.” He nodded.
Rose shrugged. “Okay.”
“We have in attendance the Doctor, Rose Tyler and Maddie Brown. Thank you. All staff to their positions.” A lot of small people appeared. “Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along. And now, might I introduce the next honoured guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa.” A bark-skinned woman entered with two larger male escorts. “There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon.” Another blue alien, this time mostly head and body, was sitting on a transport pod. “And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.” A group of black-robed bipeds. “The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you.” Fur clad reptilians. The announcements of variations on the biped theme continued. “Cal Spark Plug. Mister and Mrs Pacoo. The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light.”
Just then the trees went up to the Doctor. “The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather.” She gave the Doctor a rooted twig in a small pot.
YOU ARE READING
Lost Souls (1)
FantasyAu from Home, the long way round. Where Maddie met the 9th Doctor instead of the 11th Doctor, but her family is also different. Read to find out! What's up with Bad Wolf? Why does it follow them? What would that mean for Maddie and the Doctor?
