Never let me go [2]

Chapter 7 - The Rebel Flesh

Loud music was throughout the Tardis. ‘I'm told it is called Supermassive Black Hole’ by Muse. Whatever. Rory and Amy were playing darts. “46. Rubbishy, rubbishy, rubbish.” Amy mocked to Rory.

“Hello? It's a double top.” Rory countered.

“Wrong side of the wire, mister.” Amy argued.

“You're on the oche, Red.” Rory smirked as he pointed on the board and throws a dart.

Then the Doctor and Maddie looked at the scanner that can’t still cannot decide whether Amy was pregnant or not. Then Maddie thought to the Doctor. ‘Is it still doing that?’

The Doctor looked at her. ‘Yeah, it is still doing that. I need to figure something out, but Amy and Rory need to go to earth, for fish and chips, maybe?’

Maddie looked back at him. ‘Yeah it’s a good idea.’

‘Your gonna go with them.’ The Doctor thought to her. ‘I need to do this alone.’

‘No.’ Maddie thought back to him. ‘You are not, cause I will go with you, sweetie. I don’t want you to go alone.’

The Doctor sighed and turned off the music. “Who wants fish and chips?” Rory raised his hand. “I'll drop you both off. Take your time. Don't rush.”

Rory looked at the Doctor and Maddie. “Er, and you two?”

“Things to do. Things involving other things.” The Doctor replied to him.

Amy and Rory walked towards them. “Well, we'll stay with you two.” She comment to him. “We'll do the other things.”

“Nope.” The Doctor comment to her.

“Whatever you're up to, I'd personally like to be a part of it. What?” Amy asked to them, raising an eyebrow as then a klaxon blared, then everyone gets thrown around.

Then the Doctor and Maddie were busy around the console, then the Doctor shouted. “Solar tsunami. Came directly from your sun. A tidal wave of radiation. Big, big, big.”

“Not good, not good.” Maddie muttered, scared.

Rory hang into the sealing. “Oh Doctor, my tummy's going funny.” He comment, he was not happy.

“Well, the gyrator disconnected. Target tracking is out.” The Doctor shouted to them all.

The Tardis headed for Earth as Maddie looked at the screen. “Assume the position!” She laid down on the ground, the Doctor beside her as Amy sat down on a chair, Rory also laid down on the ground, they all put their heads between their knees, then it all went still.

“Textbook landing.” The Doctor comment as they all looked up and then stood up.

“Sweetie, it wasn’t a nice landing.” Maddie scolded him.

~00~

The Doctor opened the doors from the Tardis they all went out. “Behold, a cockerel! Love a cockerel.” He exclaimed. “And underneath, a monastery. Thirteenth century.”

“Oh, we've gone all mediaeval.” Amy comment.

“I'm not sure about that.” Rory comment back as he heard music coming somewhere.

“Really?” Amy raised an eyebrow. “Mediaeval expert are you?”

“No, it's just that I can hear Dusty Springfield.” Rory replied to her.

‘You Don't Have To Say You Love Me.’ Then the Doctor inspected a hole in the ground with a pipe running through it. The pipe was labelled Danger Corrosive. “These fissures are new. Solar tsunami sent out a huge wave of gamma particles. This is caused by a magnetic quake that occurs just before the wave hits.”

“Another wave like that and its broken.” Maddie added.

Amy looked at the pipe. “Well, the monastery's standing.”

The Doctor took a snow globe out of his pocket and shook it. “Yeah, for now.”

“Doctor, look.” Rory pointed at the pipe.

“Yeah. It's a supply pipe. Ceramic inner lining. Something corrosive. They're pumping something nasty off this island to the mainland.” The Doctor explained it to him.

“My mum's a massive fan of Dusty Springfield.” Rory comment.

“I’m not.” Maddie muttered, hearing the music, remembering about her time with her adopted parents.

“Who isn't?” The Doctor looked at Rory as then he put his stuff away. “Right, let's go. Satisfy our rabid curiosity.”

Then they walked further, until they were in the courtyard. “So where are these Dusty Springfield loving monks, then?” Amy asked to them.

"Well, it’s in ruins." Maddie comment, looking at the building that was in ruins. There was a larger part from the building that well habitable for use. “But not all of it.”

The Doctor looked at the door. “I think we're here. This is it.”

“Doctor, what are you talking about?” Rory looked confused. “We've never been here before.”

The Doctor seemed not to hear him. “Hmm?”

“We came here by accident.” Amy replied to him.

“Accident? Yes, I know. Accident.” The Doctor said, not very convincing.

“Not very convincing, sweetie.” Maddie comment as then she thought to him. ‘Tell me what’s going on?’ She was very demanding.

The Doctor winced at her voice as he stood on the stairs. Then he thought back to her. ‘Sorry, but Amy is pregnant, I think and she is an double ganger or something, that why I’m here to find out.’

Maddie sighed. ‘Oh, that’s not good.’ She looked at him. ‘Should have told me, so I could help you, dimwit.’

The Doctor looked back at her. ‘Sorry, dear.’

‘We need to talk about this later, now I will help you. Though I don’t have a screwdriver like you have, sweetie.’ Maddie thought back as Amy and Rory looked at them.

‘Slime ball.’ The Doctor thought back. ‘I’m almost ready with it and then, it’s yours.’

Maddie smiled at him. ‘Sweet, sweetie.’

Then Rory reached out for a pipe and touched it, causing him to hiss in pain. “Ow!”

“Acid. They're pumping acid off this island.” The Doctor told him. “That's old stuff. Fresh acid, you wouldn't have a finger.” Then Amy looked at his finger.

Just then an alarm went off. “Intruder alert. Intruder alert.”

“There are people coming. Well, almost.” The Doctor comment to them.

“Almost coming?” Amy asked confused.

“Almost people.” The Doctor replied to her.

“I think we should really be going.” Rory told them all.

“Come on!” Amy pulled him as the Doctor and Maddie went first into the doorway after they were upstairs.

“I'm telling you.” Rory grumbled. “When something runs towards you, it is never for a nice reason.”

~00~

There were people that were reclining in harnesses in the alcoves. Then Amy asked as she saw them. “What are all these harnesses for?”

“The almost people?” Rory guessed it.

Maddie shook with her head. “No, I don’t think so.” She replied to him.

Amy looked at the people, who were in things. “What are they, prisoners, or are they meditating, or what?”

“Well, at the moment they fall into the or what category.” The Doctor replied to her.

Then Maddie whispered to the Doctor. “Double gangers?” He nodded to her.

“Halt and remain calm.” The man commanded.

“Well, we've halted.” The Doctor looked at him. “How are we all doing on the calm front?”

“Don't move!” Another man ordered them.

“Stay back, Jen.” Another man looked at a woman, named, Jen. “We don't know who they are.”

“So let's ask them. Who the hell are you?” Jen asked them as Amy looked around at the same people in the harnesses.

“Well, I'm the Doctor, and this is Maddie, Amy and Rory, and it's all very nice, isn't it?” The Doctor introduced them, pointing at each person.

“Hold up. You're all. What are you all? Like identical twins?” Amy asked to them.

Just then two more people walk in wearing acid suits. The woman seemed to be in charge. “This is an Alpha Grade industrial facility. Unless you work for the military or for Morpeth Jetson, you are in big trouble.”

“Actually, you're in big trouble.” The Doctor took out the psychic paper and held it up for the woman to see.

“Meteorological Department? Since when?” The woman, leader asked to him.

“Since you were hit by a solar wave.” The Doctor replied to her.

“Now we are in trouble.” Maddie muttered, sighing. “Why can’t something go quiet in and out for ones.”

They didn’t hear her, but the Doctor did and said nothing as he sighed as well, it wasn’t their fault or his that they be in trouble as the woman spoke, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Which we survived.”

“Just, by the look of it. And there's a bigger one on the way.” The Doctor told her seriously.

“Another hid and everything will be in ruins.” Maddie spoke up, concerning her thoughts. “We need to leave.”

“Which we'll also survive. Dicken, scan for bugs.” The woman ignored her.

“Backs against the wall. Now.” The man Dicken ordered them as he pulled something from behind his back.

They went to the wall as the Doctor remarked. “You're not a monastery, you're a factory. Twenty second century army-owned factory.”

“You're army?” Amy asked to her.

“No, love. We're contractors, and you're trespassers.” The woman, leader replied to her.

Dicken looked at the woman and put away the device. “It's clear, boss.”

“All right, weatherman, your ID checks out.” The woman, leader looked at the Doctor. “If there's another solar storm, what are you going to do about it? Hand out sunblock?”

“I need to see your critical systems.” The Doctor replied to her.

“Which one?” She asked to him.

He looked at her. “You know which one.”

~00~

In the Flesh room, there was another vat, this time filled with bubbling milky liquid as the Doctor comment, looking at it. “And there you are.” He had pulled Maddie with him, she looked at it also.

“Meet the government's worst kept secret.” Cleaves told them all, basically pointing at the flash in the vat. “The Flesh. It's fully programmable matter. In fact, it's even learning to replicate itself at the cellular level.”

Amy looked confused. “Right. Brilliant. Lost.”

“Okay.” Cleaves nodded and started explaining. “Once a reading's been taken, we can manipulate its molecular structure into anything. Replicate a living organism down to the hairs on its chinny chin chin. Even clothes. And everything's identical. Eyes, voice…” Then she was interrupted by the Doctor.

He looked at her as Maddie looked at the flesh still, like she was in hypnosis. “Mind, soul?”

“Don't be fooled, Doctor.” Cleaves replied to him. “It acts like life but it still needs to be controlled by us, from those harnesses you saw.”

“Wait, whoa.” Rory looked at her and the others. “Hold it. So, you're Flesh now?”

“I'm lying in a harness back in that chamber.” Cleaves replied to him. “We all are, except Jennifer here. Don't be scared. This thing, just like operating a forklift truck.”

“You said it could grow. Only living things grow.” The Doctor told her as then he glanced at Maddie, he was getting worried about her. She was still looking at it.

“Moss grows.” Cleaves told him. “It's no more than that. This acid is so dangerous we were losing a worker every week. So now we mine the acid using these doppelgangers. Or Gangers. If these bodies get burnt or fall in the acid…” Then she was interrupted by Buzzer.

He looked at Jennifer. “Then who the hell cares, right, Jen?”

“Nerve endings automatically cut off like airbags being discharged. We wake up and get a new Ganger.” Jennifer replied to him.

“It's weird, but you get used to it.” Jimmy comment to them. They seemed not to notice that Maddie was still staring at it, but the Doctor did and had moved to stand next to her.

Then she thought to the Doctor. ‘Sweetie, it’s alive, I don’t know how I feel it, but it’s definitely alive.’

The Doctor looked at her with eyes widen. ‘Are you sure?’

Maddie looked back at him. ‘Yes, I’m sure.’

Just then, Cleaves told to Jennifer. “Jennifer, I want you in your Ganger. Get back to the harness.” Jennifer leave as the Doctor scanned the Flesh.

Buzzer looked at the Doctor. “Hang on, what's he up to? What you up to, pal?”

“Stop it.” Maddie ordered to the Flesh as it had still hold on the Doctor.

Just then it let go and the Doctor told them all. “Strange. It was like for a moment there it was scanning me.”

“Doctor.” Cleaves warned as the Doctor's hand was pulled to the surface of the Flesh. “Get back, Doctor. Leave it alone.”

Finally he pulled his hand back. “I understand.”

“Doctor? Are you all right?” Amy asked worried.

“Incredible.” The Doctor ignored her as then he looked at the others. “You have no idea. No idea. I mean, I felt it in my mind. I reached out to it, and it to me.”

“Don't fiddle with the money, Doctor.” Cleaves comment.

The Doctor looked at them. “How can you be so blinkered?”

“It's alive. So alive.” Maddie added. “You're piling your lives, your personalities directly into it.”

Just then there was a bang, flash, the storm was getting closer. Then the Doctor told to them as he took out the snow globe again and shook it. “It's the solar storm. The first waves come in pairs. Pre-shock and fore-shock. It's close.”

Cleaves looked at Buzzer. “Buzzer, we got anything from the mainland yet?”

Buzzer shook with his head. “No, the comms are still too jammed with radiation.”

“Okay.” Cleaves looked at them all. “Then we'll keep pumping acid until the mainland says stop. Now why don't you stand back and let us impress you?”

Then a smaller tank was filling with Flesh as then a face appeared in it and a few moments later a new Jennifer sat up. Then the Doctor comment. “Well, I can see why you keep it in a church. Miracle of life.”

Maddie was embarrassed. “Omg, Doctor.”

“No need to get poncey. It's just gunge.” Buzzer comment, making a face.

“Guys, we need to get to work.” Cleaves ordered her men.

“Okay, everybody, let's crack on.” Jimmy comment as he walked over to a machine.

“Did I mention the solar storm? You need to get out of here.” The Doctor told them all.

Jimmy looked at him. “Where do you want us to go? We're on a tiny island.”

“We can get you all off it.” Maddie pointed at the Doctor and herself, smiling at them.

Cleaves looked at them. “Don't be ridiculous. We've got a job to do.”

“It's coming.” The Doctor warned them.

Just then an alarm went off and Jennifer comment. “That's the alarm.”

“How do you get power?” The Doctor asked to them.

“We're solar.” Cleaves replied, looking at him. “We use a solar router. The weathervane.”

“Big problem.” The Doctor comment.

“Oh, oh.” Maddie muttered.

“Boss, maybe if the storm's back we should get underground.” Jimmy suggested to the leader. “The factory's seen better days. The acid pipes might not withstand another hit.”

“We have two hundred tons of acid to pump out.” Cleaves told him stubbornly. “We fall behind, we stay another rotation. Anyone want that?”

“Please, you are making a massive mistake here.” The Doctor looked at Cleaves, who wasn’t looking at him but working. “You're right at the crossroads of it. Don't turn the wrong way. If you don't, if you don't prepare for this storm, you are all in terrible danger. Understand?”

“My factory, my rules.” Cleaves said stubbornly.

The Doctor shook his head to her as then he looked at the others. “I need to check the progress of the storm. Monitoring station? Monitoring station.”

“Three lefts, a right and a left. Third door on your left.” Jennifer replied to him as then he already left.

“Thank you.” Maddie told her as she and Amy and Rory followed the Doctor quickly behind him.

~00~

When they arrived in the Monitoring station was a big storm lighted up in the sky. Then the Doctor told them. “Waves disturbing the Earth's magnetic field. There is going to be the mother and father of all power surges. See this weathervane, the cock-a-doodle-do? It's a solar router feeding the whole factory with solar power. When that wave hits, ka-boom. I've to get to that cockerel before all hell breaks loose. I never thought I'd have to say that again. Amy, breathe.” Then he looked at Maddie. “Maddie, you stay with them.”

Maddie nodded, seeing how serious he is. “Okay.”

He nodded to her as then he walked out of the room.

“Yeah! I mean, thanks. I'll try.” Amy called after him.

~00~

After a while  when everyone was down and knocked out from the hit, they all began to wake again. Maddie sat straight up, concerned about the Doctor as then she that Amy and Rory were awake and they went to the Harness room. When they arrived there, they saw that Buzzer was being helped down from his harness. “I feel like I been toasted.”

“What the hell happened?” Jimmy asked confused, after Buzzer was out of his harness.

“The tsunami happened.” Amy replied to him.

“Are you hurt?” Maddie added.

“It feels like the National Grid's run through my bones but apart from that.” Jimmy replied to Maddie.

“I hope the meter's not bust.” Buzzer comment. “I still want to get paid.”

Then Rory saw Jennifer was hurt and rushed over to her. “Jennifer! Jennifer. Hey, all right?”

“It hurt so much.” Jennifer whimpered.

“Hey. Hey, it's okay. It's over.” Rory comforted Jennifer as Amy doesn't look happy about it. Then Maddie comforted Amy, she didn’t like how Rory was helping Jennifer.

Jennifer looked at him. “I couldn't get out of my harness.”

“Shush.” Rory was still comforting her.

Jennifer had now tears in her eyes. “I thought I was going to die.”

“Welcome to my world.” Rory told her somewhat sarcastically.

Then the Doctor and Cleaves ran in as Amy looked at them. “Doctor, these are all real people, so where are their Gangers?”

Cleaves looked at her. “Don't worry. When the link shuts down the Gangers return to pure Flesh. Now, the storm's left us with acid leaks all over, so we need to contact the mainland. They can have a rescue shuttle out here in no time.”

Just then the Dusty Springfield song started up as Jimmy comment very confused. “That's my record. Who's playing my record?”

“Your Gangers. They've gone walkabout.” The Doctor replied to him.

“No, it's impossible.” Cleaves told him in disbelieve. “They're not active. Cars don't fly themselves, cranes don't lift themselves and Gangers don't…”

~00~

When they were in the Dining hall, Buzzer looked around him and told them all. “No way.” Everything was on the ground, all of their stuff. The closets were open. It was just a mess.

Cleaves looked in shock. “I don't, I don't believe this.”

“They could've escaped through the service door at the back.” Jimmy told them, looking in shock as well.

“This is just like the Isle of Sheppey.” Buzzer comment, looking in disbelief.

“It would seem the storm has animated your Gangers.” The Doctor told them all.

“They've ransacked everything.” Cleaves said as she looked at her own stuff.

“Not ransacked, searched.” Maddie told them.

“Through our stuff!” Cleaves nearly shouted.

Maddie looked at the leader. “Their stuff, too. You know.”

Jimmy looked confused. “Searching for what?”

“Confirmation.” The Doctor replied to him. “They need to know their memories are real.”

“Oh, so they've got flaming memories now.” Buzzer comment.

“They feel compelled to connect to their lives.” The Doctor told him.

Cleaves shook with her head. “Their stolen lives.”

“No, bequeathed. You gave them this.” Maddie told them.

“You poured in your personalities, emotions, traits, memories, secrets, everything.” The Doctor explained further. “You gave them your lives. Human lives are amazing. Are you surprised they walked off with them?”

“I'll say it again. Isle of Sheppey.” Buzzer told them a quick story. “Ganger got an electric shock, toddled off, killed his operator right there in his harness. I've seen the photos. This bloke's ear was all hanging.”

Jimmy looked at his leader. “Even if this has actually happened, they can't remain stable without us plumbed in to them, can they, boss.”

“Guess we'll find out.” Cleaves told him.

Then Jennifer felt not good as Rory checked on her. “Are you okay? Do you need some water?”

“I feel funny. I need the washroom.” Jennifer replied to him.

“I'll come with you.” Rory told her as then he followed Jennifer out.

Them Dicken sneezed as it make Amy jump. “Sorry.”

“Oh! Okay.” Amy shrugged it off. As then Maddie laughed a little at her and the Doctor examined a card tower on the table.

Then Buzzer noticed him looking and he told him. “That's me. It's good to have a hobby. So what, my Ganger did that all on its own?”

“Who taught you to do this?” The Doctor asked to him.

“My granddad.” Buzzer replied to him.

“Well, your Ganger's granddad taught him to do it, too. You both have the same childhood memories, just as clear, just as real.” The Doctor explained it to him.

“No.” Buzzer disagreed.

“Scared, disorientated, struggling to come to terms with an entire life in their heads.” The Doctor explained further.

~00~

Later they were still in the Dining hall as then Jimmy suddenly comment. “We need to protect ourselves.”

Then the Doctor popped a meal into the microwave. “Are you a violent man, Jimmy?”

“Hmm, food.” Maddie muttered as she moved to the Doctor.

Jimmy shook with his head. “No.”

“Then why would the other Jimmy be?” Maddie asked, looking at him as she glanced at the food in the microwave, it was still warming up. Jimmy didn’t reply to her.

Cleaves looked at him in disbelief. “Don't tell me you can eat at a time like this, Doctor.”

“I can.” Maddie held her hand up as Amy smiled and shook with her head at her friend.

“You told me we were out cold for a few minutes, Cleaves, when in fact it was an hour.” The Doctor looked at Cleaves.

“Sorry, I just assumed…” She was interrupted by the Doctor.

“Well, it's not your fault. Like I said, they're disoriented.” He told her as then he looked at his soulmate. “Maddie, when you got to the alcoves, who was in harness?”

“Uh, Jimmy and Dicken were helping Buzzer out.” Maddie replied to him.

“Jennifer?” The Doctor asked to her.

“She was standing on her own when we got to her.” Maddie replied to him.

Then the microwave dinged as the Doctor handed the plate to Cleaves. A moment later, he told her. “It's hot.”

Then Cleaves dropped the plate as Maddie muttered. “Not the food, not the food.” Then she looked at the Doctor. “Sweetie, have you something?” She asked to him as then he responded with a chocolate bar. Which she happily accepted and began to eat, Amy looked at her and smiled, thinking that she was also a child still sometimes. Maybe she was rubbing it off from the Doctor. All the others looked at her as if how could she eat like a time like this?

“Trans-matter's still a little rubbery.” The Doctor looked at Cleaves. “Nerve endings not quite fused properly.”

“What are you talking about?” She asked confused.

“It's okay.” The Doctor reassured her.

“Why didn't I feel that?” Cleaves asked out loud, looking very confused.

“You will. You'll stabilize.” The Doctor wanted to reassure her, but then she didn’t want it.

She looked at him and shouted. “No, stop it. You're playing stupid games. Stop it!” Then she turned around, she didn’t want to look at them.

“You don't have to hide. Please, trust me. I'm the Doctor.” He told her as then Cleaves turned around with a Ganger face.

Then Buzzer grabbed a knife and Jimmy held him back. “Where's the real Cleaves, you thing? What have you done with her?”

The Doctor looked at Cleaves, who couldn’t stabilize. “That's it. Good, you remember. This is early Flesh. The early stages of the technology. So much to learn.”

“Doctor, Maddie, what's happened to her?” Amy looked at them.

“She can't stabilize.” Maddie replied to her. “She's shifting between half-formed and full-formed, for now at least.”

“We are living.” Cleaves hissed at then she runs out of the room, screaming.

The Doctor looked at the others and told them. “Let her go.”

Then Amy realized something. “Doctor, Rory.”

The Doctor looked at her confused. “Rory?”

“Rory!” Amy shouted as then she ran out of the room.

“Oh, Rory. Rory! Always with the Rory.” The Doctor muttered bitterly.

But, Maddie heard him and scolded. “Rude.”

“And still not ginger.” The Doctor told her as then they followed Amy. Then Jimmy followed them as well.

~00~

In the Monastery was their way was blocked by the contents of some broken drums. “Explosion must've ruptured the acid feeds. We're going to need the acid suits.” Jimmy told them all.

“No, no, no. We haven't got time. Back, back, back!” The Doctor shouted.

~00~

Somehow they have managed to get to the Washroom as Amy shouted for her husband. “Rory.” Then she noticed that there was a hole punched in the wall to the outside.

The Doctor looked at the hole in the wall. “Of course, Jennifer's a Ganger too.”

“Doctor, you said they wouldn't be violent.” Amy told him.

The Doctor turned and looked at her. “But I did say they were scared and angry.”

“And early technology, is what you said.” Jimmy looked at him. “You seem to know something about the Flesh.”

“Do you? Doctor?” Amy asked to him suspicions.

Jimmy looked suspicions. “You're no weatherman. Why are you really here?”

Then Maddie grabbed the Doctor’s hand as he replied to him. “I have to talk to them. I can fix this.”

Then they walked out of the Washroom. “Wait. What's going on? Where's the real Jennifer?” Jimmy asked confused.

Then they were in the Corridor as then they saw another pipe ruptures. “It is too dangerous out here with acid leaks.” The Doctor told them.

“We have to find Rory.” Amy sighed.

“Yes, we are going back to the Tardis.” The Doctor basically pointed at himself and Maddie. “Wait for me in the dining hall. I want us to keep together, okay. No more wandering off.”

“And what about Rory?” Amy asked to them.

“Well, it would be safer to look for Rory and Jennifer with the Tardis.” Maddie replied to her as then they leave.

Jimmy looked at Amy. “Here we go. Distress flares.”

Then they were back again. “Exit?” The Doctor asked, looking at him.

“Keep going straight.” Jimmy replied to him. “Can't miss it. But you're never going to get your vehicle in here.”

“I'm a great parker.” Maddie told him as then they leave for real this time. Earning an ‘Oi” from the Doctor as they went to find the Tardis.

~00~

They went to the Flesh room as the Doctor scanned the vat with his sonic screwdriver, then leaves. A pair of lips appeared in the vat. Neither of them heard. “Trust me.” Then they walked further and they were outside on the St. Johns Island and saw that Just the top of the Tardis was visible, sticking out of the ground. “Oh. What are you doing down there?” He asked to the Tardis.

“She doesn’t answer you.” Maddie replied to him. Then he noticed that his shoes were dissolving as were from Maddie as well. Then they abandoned their shoes and runs back into the monastery.

~00~

Then they arrived in the Acid room as they find the acid suits, and the Gangers. “Hello. How are you all getting on?” The Doctor asked to them.

G-Cleaves looked at them. “Why don't you tell us?”

“Well, we have two choices.” The Doctor replied to her. “The first is to tear each other apart. Not my favorite. The second is to knuckle down and work together. Try to work out how best we can help you.” Then they lead them to the Corridor as he told them. “Now, I know it’s hard for you to hold your fully human form. That's why you keep shifting between the Flesh stages, but do try. It'll make the others less scared of you.”

~00~

Then they arrived in the Dining hall as Maddie finished Amy’s sentence. “Until the Doctor gets here.”

“Hello.” The Doctor greeted them all.

The Gangers looked fully human, so this was going to get confusing. “This is..” Jimmy trailed off as he looked at his Ganger.

G-Jimmy looked back at him. “You're telling me.”

Then G-Cleaves turned to looked at the Doctor and Maddie. “All right, Doctor, you've brought us together. Now what?”

“Before we do anything, I have one very important question.” The Doctor replied to her. “Has anybody got a pair of shoes I could borrow? Size ten. Although I should warn you, I have very wide feet.”

“And I need size six.” Maddie added to them.
~00~

Later in the Dining room, The Doctor and Maddie have boots and shoes as the Doctor explained to them all. “The Flesh was never merely moss. These are not copies. The storm has hardwired them. They are becoming people.”

“With souls?” Jimmy asked to him.

“Rubbish!” Dicken comment as then he sneezed. “Achoo.”

“Bless you.” The Doctor looked at him as then he comment to them all. “We were all jelly once. Little jelly eggs sitting in goop.”

“Yeah, thanks. Too much information.” Amy comment with her face in disgust.

Maddie made a face. “Yeah, me too, sweetie.”

“We are not talking about an accident that needs to be mopped up.” The Doctor looked at the humans and Ganger a like. “We are talking about sacred life. Do you understand? Good. Now, the Tardis is trapped in an acid pool. Once I can reach her, I can get you all off this island, humans and Gangers, eh? How does that sound?”

“Once we can reach her, sweetie.” Maddie raised an eyebrow as he nodded to her as if saying that she’s right.

Jimmy looked at the Doctor and Maddie. “Can I make it home for Adam's birthday?”

G-Jimmy looked at Jimmy. “What about me? He's my son too.”

“You? You really think that?”

“I feel it.”

“Oh, so you were there when he was born, were you?”

“Yeah. I drank about eight pints of tea, then they told me I had a wee boy and I just burst out laughing. No idea why. I miss home, as much as you.”

“Look, I'm not going to lie to you.” The Doctor told to them all. “It's a right old mess, this. But as you might say up North, oh well, I'll just go to't foot of stairs. Eee by by gum. Or not.” They all gave him a look. “Good. Right. First step is we get everyone together, then get everyone safe. Then, get everyone out of here.”

“But we're still missing Jennifer and Cleaves.” Amy added.

“I'll go and look for them.” Jimmy told them.

“I'll give you a hand, if you like. Cover more ground.” His Ganger suggested.

Jimmy nodded. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”

Just then Cleaves walked into the room with a device in her hands. “This circus has gone on long enough.”

“Oh, great. You see, that is just so typically me.” Her Ganger comment sarcastically.

“Doctor, tell it to shut up!” Cleaves snarled.

“Cleaves, no. No, no.” The Doctor warned her.

“Circuit probe.” Cleaves held up the device that is a weapon. “Fires about ooo, forty thousand volts? Would kill any one of us, so I guess she'll work on Gangers just the same.”

“It's interesting you refer to them as it, but you call a glorified cattle prod a she.” The Doctor comment to her.

“Strange.” Maddie muttered to the Doctor.

Cleaves rolled with her eyes. “When the real people are safely off this island, then I'll happily talk philosophy over a pint with you, Doctor.”

Amy looked at Cleaves. “What are you going to do to them?”

“Sorry. They're monsters. Mistakes. They have to be destroyed.” Cleaves replied to her.

“Give me the probe, Cleaves.” The Doctor told to her, before she would do something stupid.

“We always have to take charge, don't we, Miranda.” Her Ganger told her as she shook with her head. “Even when we don't really know what the hell is going on.”

Then G-Buzzer tried to rush her as then Cleaves zapped him. He fell to the ground, not moving as the Doctor and Maddie rushed over to him. Maddie felt by his neck if he had a pols, there was no more. Then she shook her head to the Doctor as then he looked at Cleaves. “He's dead!”

“We call it decommissioned.” Cleaves hissed at him as she held her device to G-Jennifer, who went behind Rory.

“You stopped his heart.” The Doctor stood up, followed by Maddie. “He had a heart. Aorta, valves, a real human heart. And you stopped it.”

“Jen?” Rory asked to G-Jennifer, who was still behind him.

G-Jen looked at the Doctor. “What happened to Buzzer will happen to all of us if we trust you.” Then Cleaves wanted to attack her.

Then the Doctor looked at her. “Wait, wait, just wait.” He shouted to her.

“No!” Rory shouted as he jumped on Cleaves and disconnected the power from the probe. Then the Gangers ran away.

“You idiot!” Amy scolded to Rory, who was on the ground.

“Wait!” The Doctor shouted to the Ganger, but they were already gone. Then he looked at Cleaves. “Look at what you have done, Cleaves.”

“If it's war, then it's war.” Cleaves told to the Doctor. “You don't get it, Doctor. How can you?” Then she looked at her team. “It's us and them now. Us and them.”

Dicken nodded. “Us and them.”

Jimmy sighed as he said to her. “Us and them.”

~00~

Sometime later, Rory was pacing and wanted to look for Jennifer. Then he looked at Amy. “Look, I just wanted to help her.”

“Well, we all do, okay?” Amy didn’t really know how to react to him.

“Don't be like that.” Rory looked at her, in disbelief. “Listen, she's…”

“I said I agree with you. Drop it.” Amy told him, shutting him up.

Then the Doctor looked the others as he said. “The most fortified and defendable room in the monastery.” Then he looked at Cleaves, Maddie stood next to him. “Cleaves, the most fortified and defendable room in the monastery.”

“The chapel.” Cleaves told to him.

He nodded to her. “Thank you.”

“Only one way in.” Cleave explained it to him. “Stone walls two feet thick.”

“You've crossed one hell of a line, Cleaves.” The Doctor told her.

Then Maddie finished him. “You've killed one of them. They're coming back, in a big way.”

~00~

“What about the flares?” Jimmy asked as they run towards the Chapel.

“We'll worry about the flares when we're locked inside.” Maddie replied to him.

Then the Doctor looked at Rory and Amy. “Rory, Pond.”

Just then there was a scream as Rory hesitated to go on. “Rory, come on.” Amy tucked on his arm.

“Jen's out there.” Rory shook with his head at her. “She's out there and she's on her own.”

“Well, if she's got any sense, then she's hiding.” The Doctor shouted to him at the end. “Rory!”

Rory shook with his head again. “I can't leave her out there!”

“Come on.” Maddie shouted as they close to the Chapel.

The Doctor looked at him. “Rory.”

“I know you understand that.” Rory glanced at Maddie.

Maddie nodded. “Go, help her.”

Amy ignored Maddie as she shouted. “Get in here. Get in here!”

Just then the Gangers approached as Rory ducked down a side corridor. Then then G-Cleaves shouted. “There they are.”

“Amy.” The Doctor shouted to her.

“Rory!” Amy shouted, but Rory was already long gone, to find Jennifer.

~00~

When they all were inside of the Chapel, they wanted to barricade the door as the Doctor looked at Amy. “Amy, they are not after him, they're after us.”

Just then there was a voice. “Why? Why?”

“Show yourself.” The Doctor shouted. “Show yourself!”

“Doctor!” Amy shouted to him, to get his attention.

Cleaves looked at her team. “Pass me the barrel.”

“We need something heavy.” Dicken looked at the others. “Anything you can find.”

Then they found something and they barricade the door. Then Jimmy looked in disbelief. “This is insane. We're fighting ourselves.”

The Doctor looked at him. “Yes. Yes, it's insane, and it's about to get even more insanerer. Is that a word?”

Then they heard the voice again as Maddie shouted. “Show yourself, right now!”

“Doctor, Maddie we are trapped in here and Rory's out there with them.” Amy looked at the Doctor and Maddie. “Hello? We can't get to the Tardis and we can't even leave the island.”

Just then a G-Doctor came into view, with a Ganger face still on. “Correct in every respect, Pond. It's frightening, unexpected, frankly a total, utter splattering mess on the carpet, but I am certain, one hundred percent certain, that we can work this out. Trust me. I'm the Doctor.”