Home, the long way round [1]

Chapter 2 - Beast Below

Maddie saw Amy floated amongst the stars in her nightie and her hair flying around her, outside of the Tardis as the Doctor held her ankle. “Come on, Pond.” He said as he pulled her back inside of the Tardis. “Now do you believe me?”

“Okay, your box is a spaceship. It's really, really a spaceship.” Amy replied, then she shouted happily out the door. “We are in space! Whoo!”

“What are we breathing?” Maddie asked curious.

“I’ve extended the air shell. We're fine.” The Doctor replied to her.

Then Maddie looked down. “Oh, Doctor, you want to look at that.”

“Now, that's interesting. Solar flares roast the earth, and the entire human race packs its bags and moves out till the weather improves. Whole nations…” The Doctor explained to them as he walked to the console as Maddie followed him.

Suddenly Amy called. “Doctor?” Maddie looked into the direction, where her voice came, it was by the doors. ‘Now’s he forgetting Amy.’ She thought.

“…migrating to the stars.”

“Doctor?”

“Isn't that amazing?”

“Doctor!”

Then the Doctor finally heard Amy too, so he walked to the TARDIS doors as he opened them as then he saw Amy floating, she has her hands on the TARDIS. “Well, come on. I've found us a spaceship.” He said to her as he pulled Amy back inside of the TARDIS. Then he and Amy walked back to Maddie as then he began explaining and had the screen on, so they could the ship. “This is the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland, all of it, bolted together and floating in the sky. Starship UK. It's Britain, but metal. That's not just a ship. That's an idea. That's a whole country, living and laughing and shopping. Searching the stars for a new home.”

Amy looked at the screen. “Can we go out and see?”

“Course we can, but first, there's a thing.” The Doctor replied to her.

“A thing?” Maddie asked this time.

“An important thing. In fact, thing one, we are observers only.” The Doctor replied as he walked to a monitor and picked up magnifying glass and looked through to it and then put it away as he continued to talk. “That's the one rule I've always stuck to in my travels. I never get involved in the affairs of other peoples or planets.” He put the monitor screen on and they all looked to the screen. “Ooh! That's interesting.” They saw a little girl crying as Amy began to say something.

“So we're like a wildlife documentary, yeah? Cos if they see a wounded cub or something, they can't just save it - they've got to keep filming and let it die. That's got to be hard. I don't think I could do that. Don't you find that hard, being all, like, detached and cold?” Then the Doctor appeared on the screen with the girl as then the girl ran away. “Doctor?” Then the Doctor waved at them to join him.

They stepped out of the TARDIS as they hear a loudspeaker. “Welcome to London Market. You are being monitored.” Then they walked to the Doctor.

“I'm in the future. Like hundreds of years in the future. I've been dead for centuries.” Amy breathed out.

“We are really in the future, Ha, ha.” Maddie laughed nervously.

“Oh, lovely. You're a cheery one. Never mind dead. Oh, don’t be nervous it’s fantastic to be here in the future, look at this place. Isn't it wrong?” The Doctor asked to them as they walked around the market.

“What's wrong?” Amy asked confused as Maddie frowned at the question.

“Use your eyes, notice everything.” The Doctor replied as then he asked to them. “What's wrong with this picture?”

“Is it the bicycles? Bit unusual on a spaceship, bicycles.” Amy replied as she pointed at the bicycle as Maddie smiled as then she looked around the market.

“Says the girl in the nightie.” The Doctor comment as Maddie looked back as them and started laughing.

‘Oh, my God! I'm in my nightie.” Amy looked at her clothes as then she looked at Maddie. “Oi, don’t laugh. You are in you pajamas too.”

“I know that, but I wearing pants not a dress.” Maddie comment to Amy and she was about to say something as the Doctor interrupted her.

“Now, come on, look around you.” He said to them. “Actually look.”

Then they hear the loudspeaker again. “London Market is a crime-free zone. Life on a giant starship, back to basics.”

“Bicycles, washing lines, wind-up street lamps. But look closer. Secrets and shadows, lives led in fear. Society bent out of shape, on the brink of collapse. A police state. Excuse me.” The Doctor explained as he walked over the a table with a two people on the table and he picked up a glass and put it on the ground and looked curiously to it before he putted back on the table.

“What are you doing?” Someone asked to the Doctor.

“Sorry. Checking all the water in this area. There's an escaped fish.” He replied to the people as then he tipped his nose and then he walked back to Amy and Maddie. “Where was I?”

“Why did you just do that with the water?” Amy asked confused.

“Don't know. I think a lot. It's hard to keep track. Now, police state, do you see it yet?” The Doctor asked to them.

“Where?” Maddie asked, she was flabbergasted what the Doctor just did with the two people.

“There.” The Doctor replied to her as he pointed to a little girl crying on a bench.

~00~

They moved to a bench to sit closer to the little crying girl. Amy looked at him. “One little girl crying. So?”

“Crying silently. I mean, children cry cos they want attention, cos they're hurt or afraid. When they cry silently, its cos they just can't stop. Any parent knows that.” The Doctor explained to them.

“Are you a parent?” Maddie asked curiously, but also she could feel him, he’s sad. Which was weird, she never felt anyone.

“Hundreds of parents walking past and not one of them's asking her what's wrong, which means they already know, and it's something they don't talk about.” The Doctor explained further as he ignored the question. “Secrets. They're not helping her, so it's something they're afraid of. Shadows, whatever they're afraid of, it's nowhere to be seen, which means it's everywhere. Police state.”

Then Amy noticed that the girl was gone. “Where'd she go?” She asked to them.

“Deck 207, Apple Sesame block, Dwelling 54A. You're looking for Mandy Tanner. Oh, this fell out of her pocket when I accidentally bumped into her.” The Doctor replied to her as he reached his pocket to grab something. “Took me four goes.” He had a walled in his hands as then he gave it to Amy. “Ask her about those things, the smiling fellows in the booths. They're everywhere.”

“But they're just things.” Amy comment as she have the walled in her hands.

“They're clean.” The Doctor said to her. “Everything else here is battered and filthy, look at this place. But no-one's laid a finger on those booths. Not a footprint within two feet of them. Ask Mandy, Why are people scared of the things in the booths?”

“No. Hang on, what do I do?” Amy shook her head. “I don't know what I'm doing here and I'm not even dressed!”

“It's this or Leadworth. What do you think? Let's see. What will Amy Pond choose? Ha-ha, gotcha! Meet me and Maddie back here in half an hour.” The Doctor said to her as he checked his watch as Maddie looked surprised at the nickname. She never thought he would use it.

“What are you going to do?” Amy asked in a weird voice.

“What I always do.” The Doctor replied to her in the same weird voice. “Stay out of trouble. Badly.” Then he grabbed Maddie hand so that she would also stood up and they walked away as Amy called after them.

“So is this how it works, Doctor? You never interfere in the affairs of other peoples or planets, unless there's children crying?” Amy asked as the Doctor and Maddie turned around to face her.

“Yes.” The Doctor replied simply, before they turned around and walked away.

~00~

The Doctor and Maddie climbed down from the ladder to go underneath the ship. Then the Doctor looked around as then he placed his head to the wall and listened to it. “Can't be.” He comment as he pulled away from the wall and pulled out his sonic and scanned the wall as then he looked at results.

“Doctor, what’s wrong?” Maddie asked to him as he didn’t answer instead he grabbed her hand and place it on the wall. “Whoa…” Then she did what the Doctor did and she also didn’t hear anything. “It’s just silent.” She comment as she backed away from the wall. Then they turned around and saw a glass with water in it. “Huh?” The Doctor laid down to look at the glass as then they hear a voice.

They both turned around to the voice as they saw a woman standing there with a mask on her head. “The impossible truth in a glass of water. Not many people see it. But you do, don't you, Doctor? Maddison?” She looked to the both of them.

“You know us?” The Doctor asked confused at her as Maddie wondered how the woman knows her.

“Keep your voice down. They're everywhere. Tell me what you see in the glass.” The woman demanded to them.

“Who says he sees anything?” Maddie demanded back to the woman as the Doctor looked at her, like he could feel her, she was getting angry. He walked closer to her and grabbed her hand. He knew why he could feel her.

“Don't waste time.” She replied to Maddie as then she looked at the Doctor. “At the marketplace, you placed a glass of water on the floor, looked at it, then came straight here to the engine room. Why?”

“No engine vibration on deck. Ship this size, engine this big, you'd feel it. The water would move. So I thought I'd take a look.” Doctor let go of Maddie’s hand as she was calmed, then he walked to the boxes and opened one of them. “It doesn't make sense.” He’s fiddling with the cut cables. “These power couplings, they're not connected. Look. Look… they're dummies, see?” then he walked to another box as then he walked to a wall and knocked on it. “And behind this wall, nothing. It's hollow. If I didn't know better, I'd say there was… No engine at all.” He and the woman said it together. “But it's working. This ship is travelling through space. We saw it.” The Doctor walked back to Maddie and the woman.

“The impossible truth, Doctor. We're travelling among the stars in a spaceship that could never fly.” The woman said to them.

“How?” The Doctor asked confused as Maddie thought the same, who was also confused. 

“I don't know. There's a darkness at the heart of this nation. It threatens every one of us. Help us, Doctor. You're our only hope.” The woman replied as she tossed a device to the Doctor. “Your friend is safe. This will take you to her. Now go, quickly!” She walked away from them.

“Who are you? How do I find you again?” The Doctor called after the woman as she stopped with walking and turned around to face them.

“I am Liz 10. And I will find you.” She said as the lights began to flicker and went back to normal as they looked were the woman just stood.

“Weird.” Maddie comment as the Doctor agreed with her as then he looked at the device.

~00~

The Doctor and Maddie arrived where the device told them to go as they the little girl Mandy sitting on a bench as the door opened and they walked to the doorway as the Doctor asked to Amy. “Amy?” Amy turned the screen off. “What have you done?” Amy looked confused at him as she didn’t say anything.

“What happened?” Maddie asked to her.

“I don’t know.” Amy replied as the Doctor walked inside the room and pulled his sonic and jumped on the chair as then he scanned the lamp.

Then he looked at the results as he said to Amy. “Yeah, your basic memory wipe job. Must have erased about 20 minutes.” Then he jumped of the chair.

“But why would I choose to forget?” Amy asked confused.

Mandy walked to the door and replied to Amy. “Cos everyone does. Everyone chooses the "forget" button.”

“Did you?” The Doctor asked to her.

“I'm not eligible to vote yet. I'm 12.” Mandy explained to them. “Any time after you're 16, you're allowed to the see the film and make your choice. And then, once every five years…”

“And once every five years, everyone chooses to forget what they've learned.” The Doctor said to her. “Democracy in action.”

“How do you not know about this? Are you Scottish too?” Mandy asked confused to him.

“Oh, I'm way worse than Scottish. I can't even see the movie. Won't play for me.” The Doctor replied as he was busy with the screens.

“It played for me.” Amy told them.

“The difference being the computer doesn't accept me as human.”

“Why not? You look human.”

“No, you look Time Lord. We came first.”

Maddie walked to the screen as the Doctor pushed a button for to let her see the film, but it also didn’t play for her. “That’s strange it should play for me.” She looked at the Doctor confused as then his eyes widened. “I’m human, it should play for me, but it wouldn’t, why?” She asked angry.

“Don’t worry, I will figure it out, Maddie.” The Doctor tried to reassure her.

“I hope so.” Maddie comment, bitterly.

Then Amy suddenly asked to the Doctor. “So there are other Time Lords, yeah?”

“No. There were, but there aren't… Just me now. Long story. There was a bad day. Bad stuff happened, and you know what? I'd love to forget it all, every last bit of it, but I don't. Not ever. Cos this is what I do, every time, every day, every second. This. Hold tight. We're bringing down the government.” The Doctor replied as he pounded down the “protest” button. Then the door closed sealing Mandy outside as the smiler turned from happy to very angry. Then the Doctor grabbing Amy and Maddie by their arms and pulled them back to the corner of the room as the floor began to slide to open. “Say, "Wheee!"

“Aaargh!” Amy screamed.

~00~

They fell down via a pipe into a large, smelly room. The Doctor fell first into the room as then Maddie followed and she landed on the Doctor as they looked at each other as they were lost in each other’s eyes. Then the Doctor brushed it off and pushed her off him as he stood up and he pulled out his sonic and scanned the room. Then Maddie stood and looked at the Doctor confused as then Amy came through the pipe screaming and she landed in slimy dirt. “High-speed air cannon. Lousy way to travel.” The Doctor comment to them.

“Where are we?” Amy asked to him.

“600 feet down, 20 miles laterally, puts us at the heart of the ship.” The Doctor replied to her. “I'd say Lancashire.” Then he thought out loud. “What's this, then, a cave? Can't be a cave. Looks like a cave.”

“Well, its look like someone spits out on the ground.” Maddie replied as she looked around the place and didn’t look at the Doctor anymore.

“It's a rubbish dump, and it's minging!” Amy assed as she threw something away from her.

“Yes, but only food refuse. Organic, coming through feeder tubes from all over the ship.” The Doctor told them as he sat on the ground and sniffed at something, then he throw it away.

Then Amy came beside him as Maddie fell on ground into the slimy dirt. “The floor's all squidgy, like a water bed.”

“A great water bed it is then.” Maddie muttered as she lay in the slimy dirt.

“But feeding what, though?” The Doctor asked to him himself.

“It's sort of rubbery, feel it.” Amy replied as she didn’t realize that he asked to himself. “Wet and slimy.” She touched the slimy dirt as they hear a distant moaning.

“Err…” The Doctor stood as then he saw Maddie laying on the ground and helped her also to get up. Then he turned to look at Amy, who had also stood up. “It's not a floor, it's a…” He looked at them. “So…”

“It's a what?” Amy asked to him.

“The next word is kind of the scary word. Take a moment.” He replied to them as he grabbed each one a hand. “Get yourself in a calm place. Go "omm".”

“Omm.” Amy and Maddie said almost on the same time.

“It's a tongue.” The Doctor comment as he was trying to hid his excitement as then he let go off their hands.

“A tongue?” Amy asked confused.

“This is a tongue?” Maddie asked to be sure as she looked at the Doctor.

“A tongue. A great big tongue.” The Doctor said now with more excited.

“This is a mouth? This whole place is a mouth? We're in a mouth?!” Amy freaked out a little.

“A mouth.” Maddie added loudly as she pointed it out all around her.

“Yes, yes, yes, but on the plus side, roomy.” The Doctor said to them.

“How do we get out?” Amy asked to the Doctor.

“How big is this beastie? It's gorgeous! Blimey! If this is just the mouth, I'd love to see the stomach.” The Doctor replied as they hear grunting as then he added. “Though not right now.”

“Doctor, how do we get out?” Maddie asked this time.

“Okay, it's being fed through surgically implanted feeder tubes, so the normal entrance is…” The Doctor replied as they turned around to see sharp teeth form the mouth and it was closed. “Closed for business.”

“That’s nice, how are we going to out of here, then?” Maddie asked a bit sarcastic.

“We can try, though.” Amy replied to her as she started to walk forwards.

“No! Stop, don't move!” The Doctor said to the as she stopped with walking as the mouth started to have in agitation. “Too late. It's started.”

“What has?” Amy asked confused.

“Swallow reflex.” The Doctor replied to her as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and started to make circles.

“What the hell are you doing?” Maddie asked to him.

“I'm vibrating the chemo-receptors.” The Doctor replied to her as he was busy to make circles.

“Chemo-what?” Amy and Maddie asked confused almost on the same time.

“The eject button.” The Doctor replied simply to them.

“How does a mouth have an eject button?” Amy asked confused as Maddie looked like she understood what the Doctor was saying.

“Think about it!” The Doctor replied as the creature growled and he stopped with he was doing as they saw a flood of water. “Right, then. This isn't going to be big on dignity. Geronimo!” Then he shouted as they saw the flood of water coming closer as Amy and Maddie screamed.

Then there was a grunt and splash and everything went black for them.

~00~

The Doctor checked the girls if something was wrong, but there was nothing wrong as then he moved over to the door and checked it out as them the girl started to wake up and sat up. Then the Doctor noticed that they were awake, because of the coughing and said to them. “There's nothing broken, there's no sign of concussion and yes, you are covered in sick.” He was still busy with the door.

“Where are we?” Amy asked to the Doctor.

“Overspill pipe, at a guess.” The Doctor replied to her as the girls began to stand up.

“What’s the awful smell?” Maddie asked to the Doctor.

“Oh, God, it stinks.” Amy agreed with Maddie.

“That's not the pipe.” The Doctor relied to them.

“Oh. Whoo!” The girls smelled themselves. “Can we get out?” She asked to him.

“One door, one door switch, one condition. We forget everything we saw. Look familiar?” The Doctor turned to face them. “That's the carrot.” He pointed at the forget button. “Ooh, here's the stick.” Then he pointed at the smilers. “There's a creature living in the heart of this ship. What's it doing there? No, that's not going to work on me, so come on.” The smilers turned from happy to angry faces. “Big old beast below decks, and everyone who protests gets shoved down its throat. That how it works?” Then the faces become angrier. “Oh, stop it. I'm not leaving and I'm not forgetting and what are you fellows going to do about it? Stick out your tongues?” He added and then the booths began to open and the smilers came out of it as it’s started walking to them.

“You had to say it, didn’t you?” Maddie asked a little sarcastic to the Doctor as they walked backwards.

“Doctor?” Amy asked a little scared as then they looked behind them to see Liz 10 walked forwards as they backed away from her as she shoot the smilers.

“Look who it is. You look a lot better without your mask.” The Doctor comment to Liz 10.

“You must be Amy.” The woman looked back at them all as she saw Amy. “Liz. Liz 10.”

“Hi.” Amy said speechless as she shook her hand.

“Eurgh!” Liz 10 said as she took her hand back and wipes it on her cape. “Lovely hair, Amy. Shame about the sick.” Then Mandy appeared and she walked to Liz 10. “You know Mandy, yeah? She's very brave.”

“How did you find us?” The Doctor asked to her.

“Stuck my gizmo on you. Been listening in. Nice moves on the hurl escape.” Liz 10 replied as she tossed another device over to the Doctor. “So, what's the big fella doing here?”

‘You're over 16, you've voted. Whatever this is, you've chosen to forget about it.” The Doctor replied as he looked up from the device.

“No.” Liz 10 said to him. “Never forgot, never voted. Not technically a British subject.”

“Then who and what are you, and how do you know me?” The Doctor asked. “Uhh... Us.” He pointed at Maddie and himself.

“You're a bit hard to miss, love. Mysterious stranger and his companion, MO consistent with higher alien intelligence, hair of an idiot. About Maddie wasn’t not much to tell. I've been brought up on the stories. My whole family was.”

“Your family?” The Doctor asked confused as he didn’t understand how she knows about Maddie as she thought. ‘Something I haven’t done it yet, clearly.”

“They're repairing.” Liz 10 looked at the smilers. “Doesn't take them long. Let's move.” She said to them as they began to walk away from the smilers.

~00~

They walked around as Liz 10 talked. “The Doctor. Old drinking buddy of Henry XII. Tea and scones with Liz II. Vicky was a bit on the fence about you, weren't she? Knighted and exiled you on the same day. And so much for the Virgin Queen, you bad, bad boy!”

“Liz 10?” The Doctor asked as he began to understand who she is.

“Liz 10, yeah. Elizabeth X. And down!” Liz 10 demanded as they bend down and quickly she grabbed her guns and shoot the smilers as they fell down on the ground. “I'm the bloody Queen, mate. Basically, I rule.” She said as she held her guns high in the air.

They stand all up again as they continue to walk and they ended up by another corridor, past a vator shaft that was blocking off. “There's a high-speed Vator through there.” Liz 10 said as she closed the door behind her as she noticed the Doctor looking the creatures. “Oh, yeah. There's these things. Any ideas?”

“Doctor, I saw one of these up top.” Amy told to the Doctor. “There was a hole in the road, like it had burst through, like a root.”

“Exactly like a root.” The Doctor pulled out his sonic and scanned it as he looked into the results. “It's all one creature, the same one we were inside, reaching out. It must be growing through the mechanisms of the entire ship.”

“What?” Liz 10 asked to the Doctor. “Like an infestation?” He nodded to her. “Someone's helping it. Feeding it. Feeding my subjects to it. Come on.” Liz 10 said as walked forwards as Mandy already followed her. “We've got to keep moving.”

“Doctor?” Amy and Maddie asked almost on the same time.

“Oh, Amy, Maddie.” The Doctor said to them as the banging of the creatures continued. “We should never have come here.” Maddie looked at the Doctor, who had a sad look in his face, then she grabbed his hand as then they walked away as Amy stood there a moment in thought as then she followed them also.

~00~

They all were at the room of Liz 10 as she sat on her bed as Amy stood for a mirror doing her hair in a top knot as Mandy standing beside her and as Maddie sat on the edge of the bed as her hair was in a hair tail and as the Doctor walked by the glasses. “Why all the glasses?” He asked to Liz 10.

“To remind me every single day that my government is up to something, and it's my duty to find out what.” Liz 10 replied to him.

“A queen going undercover to investigate her own kingdom?” The Doctor asked as he walked away from the glasses and walked to her mask that was lying next to her bed and he grabbed the mask up.

“Secrets are being kept from me. I don't have a choice. Ten years I've been at this, my entire reign, and you've achieved more in one afternoon.” Liz 10 replied to him as she sat up straighter in her bed.

“How old were you when you came to the throne?” The Doctor asked to her.

“40, why?” Liz 10 asked as she looked confused at why he asked that.

“What, you're 50 now? No way!” Amy said surprised as she walked to a bench to sit on it as Mandy followed her.

“Yeah, they slowed my body clock. Keeps me looking like the stamps.” Liz 10 replied to her.

“And you always wear this in public?” The Doctor asked as walked to her bed and sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Maddie.

“Undercover's not easy when you're me. The autographs, the bunting.” Liz 10 replied to him.

“Air-balanced porcelain. Stays on by itself, cos it's perfectly sculpted to your face.” The Doctor said as he held her mask for her face.

“Yeah. So what?” Liz 10 asked a little bit confused.

“Oh, Liz. So everything.” The Doctor replied to her.

Then the door opened and came four men with black robes entered to room. Liz 10 looked at them. “What are you doing? How dare you come in here?”

“Ma'am, you have expressed interest in the interior workings of Starship UK.” One of the hooded men replied. “You will come with us now.”

“Why would I do that?” Liz 10 asked to them as the four men turned into angry smilers. Then she looked at the Doctor. “How can they be Smilers?”

“Half Smiler, half human.” The Doctor replied to her.

“Whatever you creatures are, I am still your queen. On whose authority is this done?”

“The highest authority, Ma'am. I AM the highest authority.”

“Yes, ma'am. You must go now, Ma'am.”

“Where?”

“The tower, Ma'am.”

~00~

They were escorted to another room as then they walked inside of the room and saw a high-tech machine that was working on something. “Doctor, where are we?” Amy asked, she looked at the creatures that were trapped.

“The lowest point of Starship UK.” The Doctor replied, spinning with his arms around. “The dungeon.”

“Ma'am.” A man said as he bowed for Liz 10.

“Hawthorne!” Liz 10 said to him. “So this is where you hid yourself away. I think you've got some explaining to do.”

“There's children down here. What's all that about?” The Doctor asked as he stood next Hawthorne.

“Protesters and citizens of limited value are fed to the beast.” He replied to him. “For some reason, it won't eat the children.” Maddie’s eyes widened at that. “You're the first adults it's spared. You're very lucky.”

“Yeah, look at us. Torture chamber of the Tower of London. Lucky, lucky, lucky.” The Doctor began to look around the room as well as walking. “Except it's not a torture chamber, is it? Well, except it is. Except it isn't. Depends on your angle.” Then he walked to an open well in the middle of the floor with a railing around it, a pink lump moving inside it.

The others also walked around it as Liz 10 asked. “What's that?”

“Well, like I say, depends on the angle.” The Doctor began. “It's either the exposed pain Centre of big fella's brain, being tortured relentlessly…”

“Or?” Liz 10 swallowed.

“Or it's the gas pedal, the accelerator, Starship UK's go-faster button.”

“I don't understand.” Liz 10 said confused. 

“Don't you? Try, go on. The spaceship that could never fly, no vibration on deck. This creature, this poor, trapped, terrified creature. It's not infesting you, it's not invading, it's what you have instead of an engine. And this place down here is where you hurt it, where you torture it, day after day, just to keep it moving.” The Doctor walked to another, sort of well, with a creature trapped in it and he let it free. Maddie could basically feel that he was getting angry as well she saw it on his face. “Tell you what. Normally, it's above the range of human hearing. This is the sound none of you wanted to hear.” He said as he uses his sonic screwdriver and held it for the creature as they all hear screaming. Maddie looked sadly at the creature, she could feel her eyes teary as Amy looked shocked at it.

Liz 10 bowed her head as then she ordered to the Doctor. “Stop it.” Then she looked at Hawthorne. “Who did this?”

“We act on instructions from the highest authority.” He replied to her calmly.

“I am the highest authority. The creature will be released, now. I said now!” No one moved from its place. “Is anyone listening to me?”

“Liz.” The Doctor said to her to her attention. “Your mask.”

“What about my mask?” Liz 10 asked to the Doctor confused.

“Look at it. It's old. At least 200 years old, I'd say.” The Doctor explained as he throws the mask to her.

She grabbed it and looked at it. “Yeah, it's an antique, so?” 

“Yeah, an antique made by craftsmen over 200 years ago.” The Doctor began…

“And perfectly sculpted to your face.” Maddie finished, she understood it.

“They slowed your body clock, all right, but you're not 50. Nearer 300.” The Doctor said to Liz 10 as he had glanced at Maddie. “And it's been a long old reign.”

“Nah, its ten years.” Liz denied. “I've been on this throne ten years.”

“Ten years.” The Doctor told to her. “And the same ten years over and over again, always leading you here.” Then he pulled her along to show her a voting booth of her own.

“What have you done?” Liz 10 asked to Hawthorne as he had a horrified look on her face.

“Only what you have ordered. We work for you, Ma'am. The Winders, the Smilers, all of us.” Hawthorne replied as he turned on the screen as they saw a video recording of Liz 10.

“If you are watching this, if I am watching this, then I have found my way to the Tower Of London.” Liz 10 sat down to better look at the video. “The creature you are looking at 'is called a Star Whale. Once, there were millions of them. They lived in the depths of space and, according to legend, guided the early space travelers through the asteroid belts. This one, as far as we are aware, is the last of its kind. And what we have done to it breaks my heart.” They all watched in silence. “The Earth was burning. Our sun had turned on us, and every other nation had fled to the skies. Our children screamed as the skies grew hotter. And then it came, like a miracle. The last of the star whales. We trapped it. We built our ship around it, and we rode on its back to safety. If you wish our voyage to continue, then you must press the "forget" button.” Liz 10 looked at the forget button. “Be again the heart of this nation, untainted. If not, press the other button.” Then she looked at the other button. “Your reign will end, the Star Whale will be released, and our ship will disintegrate. I hope I keep the strength to make the right decision.”

“I voted for this? Why would I do that?” Amy asked in shock.

“Because you knew if we stayed here, I'd be faced with an impossible choice.” The Doctor swallowed. “Humanity or the alien. You took it upon yourself to save me from that. And that was wrong.” He pointed at her. “You don't ever decide what I need to know.”

“I don't even remember doing it.” Amy was still in shock.

“You did it. That's what counts.”

“I'm… I'm sorry.”

“Oh, I don't care. When I'm done here, you're going home.” The Doctor said as he walked away from them and was going to the machine as he began to work at it.

“Why? Because I made a mistake?” Amy walked to the Doctor. “One mistake? I don't even remember doing it. Doctor!”

“Yeah. I know.” The Doctor didn’t even look at her. “You're only human.”

Liz 10 walked also to the Doctor. “What are you doing?” She asked to him.

“The worst thing I'll ever do. I'm going to pass a massive electrical charge through the Star Whale's brain. Should knock out all its higher functions, leave it a vegetable. The ship will still fly, but the whale won't feel it.” The Doctor explained to them all.

“That'll be like killing it.” Amy gasped.

“Look, three options.” He looked at them as Maddie also walked to him. “One, I let the Star Whale continue in unendurable agony for hundreds more years. Two, I kill everyone on this ship. Three, I murder a beautiful, innocent creature as painlessly as I can. And then I find a new name, cos I won't be the Doctor anymore.”

“There must be something we can do, some other way.” Liz 10 said as she trying to argue to the Doctor.

“Nobody talk to me.” The Doctor shouted at them. “Nobody human has anything to say to me today!”

~00~

They were all looking at the Doctor as he was busy working at the machine. Then came children in to the room as Mandy walked to a little boy.

“Timmy! You made it, you're OK! It's me, Mandy.” Mandy said to the boy, but he didn’t reply to her.

Amy and Maddie watched them as the creature came out of the well and gently tapped on her shoulder. Mandy looked at it and began the pet it as then the little boy joined to petting it. Then they understood it. “Doctor, stop.” Maddie shouted as she walked to the Doctor. “Whatever you're doing, stop it now!”

Amy walked over to Liz 10 as she grabbed her and said to her. “Sorry, you’re Majesty, going to need a hand.” They walked to the voting machine.

“Amy, no! No!” The Doctor shouted but it was the late the whale roared and the ship shocked, then a moment later it stopped. “Amy, what have you done?”

“Nothing at all. Am I right?” Amy asked. Maddie smiled.

“We've increased speed.” Hawthorne replied as he looked at a screen.

“Yeah, well, you've stopped torturing the pilot. Gotta help.” Amy comment.

“It's still here?” Liz 10 frowned. “I don't understand.”

“The Star Whale didn't come like a miracle all those years ago.” Amy replied to Liz 10 as Maddie let Amy have this thing as she talked to Liz 10 as she looked over at the Doctor. “It volunteered. You didn't have to trap it or torture it that was all just you. It came because it couldn't stand to watch your children cry. What if you were really old, and really kind and alone? Your whole race dead, no future. What couldn't you do then? If you were that old, and that kind, and the very last of your kind…” Amy looked back at the Doctor. “You couldn't just stand there and watch children cry.”

~00~

The Doctor was standing alone on the observation deck of the ship as then Amy and Maddie walked to him. “From Her Majesty.” Amy said as she held out the mask from Liz 10. “She says there will be no more secrets on Starship UK.”

“Amy, you could have killed everyone on this ship.” The Doctor told to her seriously.

“You could have killed a Star Whale.”

“And you saved it. I know, I know.”

“Amazing, though, don't you think? The Star Whale. All that pain and misery and loneliness. And it just made it kind.”

“But you couldn't have known how it would react.”

“YOU couldn't. But I've seen it before. Very old and very kind, and the very, very last. Sound a bit familiar?” Amy said as the Doctor pulled her into a hug. “Hey.”

“What?”

“Gotcha.”

“Ha! Gotcha.” The Doctor said as they continued hugging.

Maddie watched then as they stopped hugging, then the Doctor turned to look at Maddie as he pulled her also into a hug, then Amy joined us as they were having a group hug. Then they all went apart from the group hug they were having as they decided to walk back to the Tardis.

~00~

They walked through the market, making their way to the Tardis as then they now were standing by the door of the Tardis. “Shouldn't we say goodbye? Won't they wonder where we went?” Amy asked to him.

“For the rest of their lives.” The Doctor replied to her. “Oh, the songs they'll write! Never mind them. Big day tomorrow.”

“Sorry, what?” Amy asked confused.

“Well, it's always a big day tomorrow. We've got a time machine. I skip the little ones.” The Doctor replied as he unlock the TARDIS.

“You know what I said about getting back for tomorrow morning. Have you ever run away from something because you were scared, or not ready, or just… Just because you could?” Amy asked to him.

“Once a long time ago.” He replied to her. Maddie looked curiously.

“What happened?” Maddie asked to him.

“Hello!” The Doctor replied sarcastic as they walked into the TARDIS.

“Right.” Maddie comment as she rolled her eyes.

“Doctor, there's something I haven't told you.” Amy said to him as they hear a phone ringing. “No. Hang on, is that a phone ringing? People phone you?”

“Well, it's a phone box.” The Doctor replied to her as he started working on the TARDIS. “Would you mind?” He looked at Amy.

“Hello? Sorry, who? No, seriously. Who? Says he's Prime Minister.” Amy looked at the Doctor. “First the Queen, now the Prime Minister. Get about, don't you?”

“Which Prime Minister?” He asked to her.

“Er, which Prime Minister?” There was a pause before answering the Doctor. “The British one.”

“Which British one?” He asked again to her.

“Which British one?” There was a pause. “Winston Churchill for you.” Amy gave the phone to the Doctor.

“Oh! Hello, dear. What's up?” The Doctor asked over the phone.

“Tricky situation, Doctor.” Churchill replied to him. “Potentially very dangerous. I think I'm going to need you.”

“Don't worry about a thing, Prime Minister. We're on our way.” The Doctor hang up the phone and pulled the lever down as they were off to go into the time vortex.