ashes ➝ Doctor Who²

XXXXIII

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

Penelope stood off to the side, hugging her arms and pretended she knew exactly what they were doing.

Hooking up the national grid? She understood. Getting every phone in the world to call the Doctor at once? She understood that too. She even knew how they all connect. But actually how they're doing all this is completely foreign to her.

Penelope Adaams genuinely doesn't know how to use a computer beyond the internet. It's not something she ever thought about learning. Which is really backfiring on her now. Jack sped past her, Gwen nearly hitting into him.

"Rift power activated."

"All terminals coordinated." Ianto was dragging a cable over to their power source. And Penelope truly wished she knew what was going on.

"National grid online. Giving you everything we've got." Penelope decided to reside over the monitor, to keep updates on what everyone else was doing. She was met with a determined Sarah Jane and son.

"Connecting you to Mister Smith."

"All telephone networks combined." Watching closely, Penelope was amazed to see how well everyone was working together. From her mother's living room, Martha sent out the TARDIS' number.

"Sending you the number now." It felt like all Penelope could do was take her phone from her pocket and dial the TARDIS number herself. She had deleted it from her phone, in a moment of anger all those years ago now, but she couldn't ever truly forget it.

"Opening Subwave Network to maximum." She watched Harriet sadly through the screen, knowing what was coming for her after this. Nothing they could do either. And Sarah Jane, her son looked so young - so like felicity - and yet they were still helping.

"Mister Smith, make that call."

"And sending."

It felt like violent pulses of energy came from the base of Torchwood as that call was made, Penelope holding onto her phone as it rang. She was so nervous that this wouldn't work. There were too many people on this planet she couldn't bear to lose.
She also knew that these pulses of energy wouldn't go unnoticed, they were also putting themselves at risk for this. But it was for the better, whatever happened to them now.

Something sparked close to the generator, energy overload, or some other thing Penelope wished she knew about. Jack smirked at her, her confusion at this time was entertaining. Especially since all she was doing was gripping onto her phone and watching her surroundings.

"I think we've got a fix." Gwen, still at the monitor, looked up to Harriet. She shot a look to Penelope, one that made her finally start moving. It wasn't a good look.

"Harriet, a saucer's locked on to your location. They've found you."

"I know. I'm using the Network to mask your transmission. Keep going." The screen shook a little as the Daleks blew through the wall. The two women looked on, helpless, as Harriet essentially became trapped. "Penelope, I'm transferring the Subwave Network to Torchwood. You're in charge now. And tell the Doctor from me he chose his companions well. It's been an honour."

Three Daleks stood in the space that was once her wall, and Harriet Jones faced them head on.

She even showed them her ID card, ever the same even at the end.

"Harriet Jones. Former Prime Minister."

"Yes, we know who you are."

"Oh, you know nothing of any human, and that will be your downfall."

"EXTERMINATE."

Her screen dissolved to static, and it was quiet between the three others. Aside from the occasional spark, there wasn't much else.

Penelope knew it was coming, they all did, but knowing never made it ever easier. This was living proof. Jasper was standing across the room, watching her. She could feel his stare, but she couldn't look, every now and again she would still get flashes of him.. from then. He had a gaping chest wound and was bleeding everywhere.

It was everywhere, she couldn't look at him still.

"Alright," she had to break the silence, it was killing them, "we're boosting the signal from here now. Let's get through, for Harriet."

Her square continued to remain static as Penelope stood at the monitor, her people working to boost the signal. And whatever Harriet had made worked as the Doctor and a face she didn't recognise fizzled into the square that she had left behind.

Penelope beamed; she'd never been happier to see his face. Excitedly, she grabbed onto Jasper's sleeve, it felt like hope again. It was hard not to smile with her.

Jack sidled up to the couple, smiling at the Doctor.

"Where the hell have you been? Doctor, it's the Daleks."

"It's the Daleks. They're taking people to their spaceship." Sarah Jane was smiling, all despite what she was saying. It was strange to see him again - good but strange. He always seemed to be right around trouble. Martha was a little panicked still, however, reasonably so. The Daleks were still taking people.

"It's not just Dalek Caan."

Of course, he paid no mind to Martha, eager to talk to his companions again after quite a while. Jack nudged her, saying something about being replaced, gesturing to the woman beside the Doctor. She was about to smack him again, but the Doctor talking about them stopped her quickly.

"That must be Torchwood. Oh, they're brilliant." She smiled at him, leaning forward properly into the frame.

"Had a change of heart then Doctor?" He gave her a playful look and continued on; it was a small gesture but one that made her nearly melt. It was making her giddy, despite the end of the world, he always did.

Jasper watched her closely, noting the way her ears started to turn red and the smile was unlike any he'd ever received. All the time they had together, she never blushed at anything he did. But all the Doctor had to do was give her a look and she was unrecognisable. Why did it feel like he was losing her?

"Look at you all, you clever people." The ginger woman next to the doctor was pointing at the screen, supposedly to the other people recognised.

"That's Martha." She then seemingly spots Jack on her screen, smiling at him. It made Penelope wince. "And who's he?"

"Captain Jack. Don't. Just don't."

"Is that Penelope? Is it? It's like an outer space Facebook."

She was so confused as to how this woman knew her. Penelope was sure she would remember someone like her, she wasn't exactly subtle. Although she watched the Doctor's face closely, something seemed off.

The Doctor looked around the screen, heart dropping a little at Penelope's smiling face as he realised. She wasn't there.

"Everyone except Rose."