Dancing Across Time (Book Two of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Chapter Two: New Earth

The Doctor poked his head out of the TARDIS, seeing Jessie standing with the team at the bottom of the ramp. "We're ready!" he told her.

Jessie nodded, giving him a thumbs up. "Alright!"

"Have you got everything?" Skye asked worriedly as Jessie swung her duffel bag onto her shoulder.

Jessie grinned at her. "I've got everything. Don't worry."

"Be careful," Saleen told her.

"Careful's my middle name!" she joked before hugging the team. "Love you all."

"Love you!" they chorused after her as she ran into the TARDIS, closing the door behind her. She set her bag down by the console and joined the Doctor as he began fiddling with levers and switches. "So, where are we going?" she asked.

He grinned at her. "Further than we've ever gone before."

Jessie raised an eyebrow in curiosity as the TARDIS materialized. The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and looked outside, nodding in satisfaction as they stepped out. "It's the year five billion and twenty three," he began, and Jessie's jaw dropped as she watched cars fly overhead. "We're in the Galaxy M87, and this - " He grinned, holding out his arms. "This is New Earth."

"That's just . . . " she sputtered, turning around and taking it all in. "That's just - "

"Not bad," the Doctor laughed. "Not bad at all."

"That's amazing," she finally managed to say, hugging him tightly before holding onto his arm. "I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet, different sky . . . " She sniffed, then looked around. "What's that smell?"

"Apple grass," he replied casually.

"Apple grass," she repeated slowly.

"Yeah," he agreed, grinning. "Yeah."

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "Oh, I love this." She grinned up at him. "Can I just say . . . traveling with you? I love it."

"Me, too," he told her before grabbing her hand. "Come on!"

***

"So," the Doctor said as they laid back on his coat, looking towards the massive city in front of them. "The year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted - "

"Our first date," she told him.

He smiled fondly at the memory. "We had chips." They exchanged smiles before he continued. "So, anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, oh yeah, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but then find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in."

"What's the city called?" she asked.

"New New York."

Jessie raised herself onto her elbows and stared at him. "You're kidding me. Come on!"

"It is!" he assured her. "It's the city of New New York. Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it - " He rattled off all of the news, and Jessie burst out laughing by the end of it. He raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"You're so different."

He grinned. "New New Doctor."

Jessie stood up, looking at the city. "Well, then, can we go and visit New New York, which is so good that they named it twice?"

"Well, I thought we might go there first." He pointed to a pair of curved skyscrapers.

"Why?" Jessie asked, putting on her sunglasses so she could see. "What is it?"