Thorn Bush (Doctor Who Story)

Chapter 13: The End of Time Part Two

In Joshua Naismith's study, Kathy and the Doctor have been bound and gagged, strapped upright to two trolleys. Wilf is tied to a chair nearby.

The Master leans toward the two of them. "Now then, I've got a planet to run." He walks away. "Is everybody ready?"

Joshua Naismith-Master appears on the screen in the room. "Six billion, seven hundred and twenty seven million, nine hundred and forty nine thousand three hundred and thirty eight versions of us awaiting orders."

Barack Obama-Master then appears on the screen in the room. "This is Washington. As President of the United States, I can transfer all the United Nations protocols to you immediately, putting you in charge of all the Earth's defences."

"UNIT HQ, Geneva reporting. All under your command, sir." Says a Master in a general's uniform on the screen.

"And this is the Central Military Commission here in Beijing, sir, with over two point five million soldiers, sir. Present arms!" Says another Master in a different uniform.

"Enough soldiers and weapons to turn this planet into a warship. Nothing to say, Doctor? Kathy? What's that? Pardon? Sorry?" The Master mocks their inability to be heard.

"You let him go, you swine," Wilf warns.

"Oh, your dad's still kicking up a fuss."

"Yeah? Well, I'd be proud if I was."

"Hush, now. Listen to your Master." He turns away but his attention is diverted back to Wilf when the man's phone rings. "But that's a mobile."

"Yeah, it's mine. Let me turn it off." Wilf tries to dismiss.

"No, no, no, no, no. I don't think you understand. Everybody on this planet is me." The Master argues. "And I'm not phoning you, so who the hell is that?"

"It's nobody. I tell you, it's nothing. It's probably one of them ring-back calls." Wilf tries again.

The Master searches Wilf's pockets and finds the revolver. "Oooh, and look at this. Good man!" He tosses it on the floor and gets the phone. "Donna. Who's Donna?"

"She's no one. Just leave it." Wilf tries.

"Gramps, don't hang up. You've got to help me. I ran out, but everyone was changing." Donna sobs through the phone once the Master presses to answer.

"Who is she? Why didn't she change?" The Master demands. While she's concerned for Donna, Kathy bides her time, waiting.

"Gramps, I can't hear you."

"Well, it was this thing the Doctor did. He did it to her. The Metacrisis." Wilf replies.

"Oh, he loves playing with Earth girls. Ugh!" The Master grumbles.

"Are you there?"

"Find her. Trace the call." The Master tells the Joshua Naismith-Master.

"Trace the call."

"Are you still there? Can you hear me?" Donna continues.

"Say goodbye to the freak, Granddad." The Master presses the phone to Wilf's ear.

"Donna, get out of there! Just get out of there. I'm telling you, run!" Wilf instructs.

"She's on Wessex Lane, Chiswick. Open the phone lines. Everyone on Wessex Lane. Red alert." Joshua Naismith-Master reports.

"What do I do?"

"Run, sweetheart, that's all. Run for your life!" Wilf tells his granddaughter.

"There's more of them," Donna tells him.