Time Book I

The End of the World

CHAPTER 7| FIRST TRIP

   "Right then, Rose Tyler, you tell me. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?" (Y/N) asks standing next to the Doctor. He smiles and wraps his arm around (Y/N)'s waist. Rose is utterly confused as if they are dating, married, or just friends.

   "Forwards," she answers, forgetting the question in her mind.

   "How far?" the Doctor asks.

   "One hundred years!" she answers. The TARDIS is in motion for a few seconds then (Y/N) speaks.

   "They you go. Step outside, it's the twenty second century."

   "You're kidding."

   "That's a bit boring, though. Do you want to go further?"

   "Fine by me." 

   "Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire."

   "She thinks she's so impressive," the Doctor says.

   "I am so impressive."

   "You wish." 

   "Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!" She runs around the console, they travel through the time vortex.

   "Where are we? What's out there?" Rose asks (Y/N). Rose goes down a flight of steps and a large shutter in the wall descends when the Doctor uses his sonic on a panel on the wall. It reveals an orbital view of the Earth.

   "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-" she looks at her watch, "Hold on." The sun flares and turns red. "This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."

   "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," a speaker says over an intercom. "Followed by drinks in the Manchester suite."

   "So, when it says guests, does that mean people?" Rose asks, as the trio are walking down a corridor. (Y/N) in the middle of the two to answer Rose's questions.

   "Depends what you mean bu people."

   "I mean people. What do you mean?"

   "Aliens."

   "What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?"

   "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 is using his sonic screwdriver on a wall panel.

   "What for?" Rose asks still in the middle of the hall with (Y/n).

   "Fun." They follow the Doctor into the Observation gallery, 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."

   "But, hold on. They did this once on Newsround Extra. The sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years."

   "Millions, but the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun." The Doctor watches (Y/N) as she speaks to Rose.

   "Th planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things."

   "They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. but now the money's run out, nature takes over," the Doctor finally speaks up.

   "How long's it got?"

   "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 to save the Earth?"

   "We're not saving it. Time's up," (Y/N) says taking Rose's hand in her's smiling gently.

   "But what about the people?"

   "It's empty. They're all gone. No one left."

   "Just me then." A blue-skinned man with golden slit eyes strides towards them.

   "Who the hell are you?" the man asks.

   "Oh, that's nice, thanks," the Doctor says.

   "But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guest have disembarked. They're on their way any second now."

   "That's us. we're a guest. Look, I've got an invitation. Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? (Y/N) and the Doctor plus one, I'm (Y/N), he's the Doctor, and she's Rose Tyler our plus one. Is that alright?" (Y/n) says holding out a leather pouch holding a blank paper, at least that's what it should have been. "The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time."

   "He's blue" Rose says.

   "Yeah"

   "Okay."