Ties Between Freedom and Love

✦21✦ - The Long Game

Chapter Twenty-one
The Long Game

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The TARDIS stopped and the Doctor and Emma walked out, he shut the door behind them and began rambling as she glanced around.

"So, it's 200,000. It's a spaceship..." he looked up, "no, wait a minute... it's a space station and, er... go and try that gate over there," he pointed. "Off you go," he urged.

"200,000?" Emma asked, grinning.

"200,000," he nodded, gleefully.

She smiled as she pushed the TARDIS door open and Rose stepped out, she looked to be coaxing Adam out like a cat hiding under a bed. "Adam, out you come."

He stumbled out and his eyes widened, "Oh my God!"

"Don't worry you get used to it," Rose reassured.

Emma shook her head, "You really don't."

"Where are we?" Adam asked.

"Good question," Emma praised as she pretended to assess where they were, looking around and scanning everything as she sent the Doctor a wink. "Let's see... well, um... judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year 200,000," the Doctor scoffed in amusement and she grinned while Rose tried her best not to laugh at the look on Adam's face as nodded, absolutely gobsmacked. "If you listen-" Emma said.

"Yeah?"

"Engines," she replied, smiling proudly and the Doctor's smirk widened. "We're on some sort of space station. Yeah, definitely a space station," she confirmed, nodding.

"It's a bit warm in here," Rose added, "they could turn the heating down," she said grabbing at her jacket collar uncomfortably.

"Well, let's go and try that gate over there," Emma suggested and took off toward it. "Come on!" she called and the three followed obediently. She pulled the gate open and they walked up the small steel ramp onto a platform overlooking a view of the Earth. It reminded her of their first adventure to the year five billion, at least this time she wasn't watching her planet explode, Emma thought.

"And here we go," Rose said, smiling as she stood in front of the Doctor and Emma, Adam behind them. "This is... I'll let the Doctor describe it."

"The Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. And there it is," the Doctor nodded, "planet Earth at its height. Covered with megacities, five moons; population, 96 billion." Emma heard Adam gulp and shift on his feet. "The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle!"

They heard a gasp before Adam fainted behind them, Emma sighed while Rose kept her eyes on the view and the Doctor smiled in amusement none of them even looking back at the boy.

The Doctor leaned over and whispered to Emma, "And he wanted to be your boyfriend."

"Not a chance," she replied and he grinned.

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Finally, Adam woke back up and they exited the platform to walk down the halls, "Come on, Adam," the Doctor encouraged, "open your mind." He slung his arms over Emma and Rose's shoulders as they walked. "You're gonna like this - fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent - culture, art, politics this era has got fine food, good manners and-" as he said it someone almost pushed Emma over as they walked past.

"Move out of the way!"

Simultaneously things started bustling, people started opening food carts and little shops. Talking and mutterings filled the air as well as the smell of food and every other thing they had going.