ashes ➝ Doctor Who²

XXXXII

"The human harvest will commence."
- Daleks, The Stolen Earth

"This message is of the utmost importance. We haven't much time. Can anyone hear me?" Everyone was sat around, avoiding interaction. No one could get in touch with family anymore, so they were just waiting for the inevitable. Jasper and Penelope sat together at the monitor. There was still some quiet hope between them that the Doctor would show up at the last minute.

Gwen called out, somewhere behind them, about the calls that they all heard. Several voices had come through, all of them asking for help.

"Someone's trying to get in touch." Penelope sighs, pulling a necklace from her jacket and running it over in her hand.

"The whole world's crying out. There isn't anything we can do now." Slowly, Penelope reached round and clasped the necklace, finally feeling the cold metal on her chest again. Finally feeling whole. Then the static on the monitor started to clear, which made her sit up, confusing Jasper.

"Penelope Adaams, shame on you. Now stand to attention, ma'am." She stood aghast, if she had gotten through the DALEK's channel, they would know where she is eventually. Jack came round a corner, even more confused than she was.

"What? Who is that?" The woman held up her ID - not that she needed it - and introduced herself.

"Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister."

"Yeah, I know who you are." She started to talk about other people, seeing who else she had gotten in contact with. Their little Torchwood group all crowed into the frame; this was their hope. This was a beacon for the future.

"Let's see if we can talk to each other." Two other people join, the second box remaining static. It was a woman that Penelope didn't recognise, Harriet Jones and them. "The fourth contact seems to be having some trouble getting through, I'll just boost the signal."

"Hello?" It was Martha, Penelope elbowed Jack out of the way to talk to her, their phone call had been dropped not long after New York was attacked.

"Martha! I was so worried, where the hell did you go?"

"Sorry, portable travel got me a little stranded. I'm okay. Project Indigo was more clever than we thought. One second, I was in Manhattan, next second. Maybe Indigo tapped into my mind, because I ended up in the one place that I wanted to be."

"I'm sorry, you had portable travel? Like the vortex manipulator? Martha that's so dangerous." She looked guiltily at the ginger woman on her screen, amazed that she could still tell her off, miles away from her

"I know, but it got me home. Then all of a sudden, it's like the laptop turned itself on."

"It did. That was me. Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister." This poor woman really had to prove who she was for years, or at least she was forced to find herself some kind of standing. No one should follow up a greeting with an ID card this often, especially not the former PM.

"Yes, I know who you are."

"I thought it was about time we all met, given the current crisis. Torchwood, this is Sarah Jane Smith."

"I've been following your work. Nice job with the Slitheen."

"Yeah, well, I've been staying away from you lot. Too many guns." The woman gestured to -who Penelope assumed was her son - next to her, a disapproving look on her face. So, Penelope gave a sheepish smile, standing on Jack's foot to get the man to stop flirting with this lady.

"I promise you we've changed ma'am, made sure of it after everything." She looked closely at the screen, as if trying to uncover something.

"You're Penelope, aren't you?"

"Uh, yes ma'am?"

"Please just call me Sarah, especially since I heard so much about you from the Doctor. It's lovely to put a person to the stories. Although I will say, his companions have gotten a lot younger since he changed his face." Penelope smiled wider; it was good to hear about the Doctor for once. And Sarah seemed so nice, it was hard not to like her immediately. Jack leaned into frame again, almost smirking at her.

"All the same, might I say looking good, ma'am?" She smacked his shoulder at this, wishing she could seriously bury this man. Making sure she made a mental reminder to absolutely kill him later.

"Really? Ooh." Even Harriet had enough, frowning at him down the screen.

"Not now, Captain. And Martha Jones, former companion to the Doctor."

"But how did you find me?"

"This, ladies and gentlemen, this is the Subwave Network. A sentient piece of software programmed to seek out anyone and everyone who can help to contact the Doctor." She seemed very proud of it, and in all honesty, even Penelope thought it was a good idea.

"What if the Daleks can hear us?"

"No, that's the beauty of the Subwave. It's undetectable." Jasper butted in, a little apprehensive of the whole thing, especially with Daleks actively invading Earth right now.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." He pulled Penelope away from the screen, still unsure about it.

She didn't mind, luckily, this was the kind of interruption she needed at a moment like this. It was hard to think about anything other than the Daleks. Harriet had been a welcome distraction, until it all became about the Doctor. Then old memories flooded back once again. This was a hard day.

They stayed away from the screen, whispering about who else they might be able to contact. It was a very short list, everyone they knew was either dead, in another universe or already in the room. Unfortunately, there wasn't much they could do to help, it felt defeating.

Penelope had never felt more annoyed that she had agreed to work for Torchwood. Right now she could be peacefully waiting for the world to end.

Although, thinking that, she knew that if she was called to help, she would've come.

Nothing changes.

"All we need is the Doctor." Sarah Jane gave her a look, thinking the same as everyone else that had watched her downfall.

"Only, excuse me, Harriet, but. Well, the thing is, if you're looking for the Doctor, didn't he depose you?"

"He did. And I've wondered about that for a long time, whether I was wrong. But I stand by my actions to this day, because I knew, I knew that one day, the Earth would be in danger, and the Doctor would fail to appear."

It was hard to argue against her, they all felt the same at the moment. Almost all of them had tried or thought about contacting the Doctor, but he hadn't turned up anyway, how were they supposed to go against one of the Universe's biggest foes.

Even Penelope, as she played with the silver ring around her neck, had doubts he would turn up for them this time.

"I told him so myself, and he didn't listen."