The Littlest Timelord: Cracks in Time

Chapter 25

They made it to the laboratory and the Doctor sealed the door. "Elliot, you and your dad keep your eyes on that screen. Let me know if we get company". The Doctor tossed the stopwatch to Amy. "Amy, keep reminding me how much time I haven't got".

"Okay. Um, er, twelve minutes till drill impact", Amy told him.

The Doctor walked up to Tony. "Tony Mack. Sweaty forehead, dilated pupils. What are you hiding?"

Tony opened his shirt to reveal green veins crawling up his neck.

"Tony, what happened?" Nasreen asked.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pressed it to the veins, scanning them.

"Alaya's sting. She said there's no cure. I'm dying, aren't I?" Tony asked.

The Doctor transferred the results to the machine in front of him. "You're not dying, you're mutating".

"How can I stop it?"

"Decontamination program. Might work. Don't know. Eldane, can you run the program on Tony?" Eldane nodded and helped Tony into one of the decontamination pods.

"Doctor, shedload of those creatures coming our way. We're surrounded in here", Mo told him.

"So, question is, how we do stop the drill given we can't get there in time? Plus, also, how do we get out, given that we're surrounded? Nasreen, how do you feel about an energy pulse channeled up through the tunnels to the base of the drill?"

"To blow up my life's work?"

"Yes. Sorry. No nice way of putting that".

"Right, well, you're going to have to do it before the drill hits the city, in..."

"Eleven minutes forty seconds", Amy supplied.

"Yes. Squeaky bum time!" the Doctor said, running over to the controls.

"Yes, but the explosion is going to cave in all the surrounding tunnels, so we have to be out and on the surface by then", Nasreen told him.

"But we can't get past Restac's troops", Rory reminded them.

"I can help with that. Toxic Fumigation. An emergency failsafe meant to protect my species from infection. A warning signal to occupy cryo-chambers. After that, citywide fumigation by toxic gas. Then the city shuts down", Eldane said.

The Doctor turned away from him and ran a hand through his hair.

"You could end up killing your own people", Amy told him.

"Only those foolish enough to follow Restac".

Elise walked over to the Doctor and took his hand in hers. He gave her a soft smile. She was so innocent and didn't understand. He was the one who had killed the Timelords. Her family. Her. He'd have to tell her eventually.

"Eldane, are you sure about this?" he asked. Someone else was about to make the same decision he did.

"My priority is my race's survival. The Earth isn't ready for us to return yet".

"No".

"Ten minutes, Doctor", Amy told him.

"But maybe it should be. So, here's a deal. Everybody listening. Eldane, you activate shutdown. I'll amend the system, set your alarm for a thousand years time. A thousand years to sort the planet out. To be ready. Pass it on. As legend, or prophesy, or religion, but somehow make it known. This planet is to be shared".