Mother, Gaia (A Thasmin Fanfiction)

Chapter Seven-- Made A Map From the Powerlines

Death with Dignity by Sufjan Stevens (Ryan's Theme)

They leave under the light of the five moons. For once, the encampment is silent. The vast sprawl of tents sits atop the nearest hill, motionless. Light rain taps on the leather tapestry, falling from sporadic dark clouds. The sky breaks through now and then, revealing distant stars. The white tents glow blue under the moon, framed by strands of grass that blow in the breeze. The aurora dances above them, as always, watching their travels in the dead of night. Yaz watches the little makeshift city grow smaller in her rear-view mirror. Her chest aches with more distance she puts between her and the Doctor, who is unaware of the world outside her pod. Her foot presses down on the ATV's accelerator, speeding them off into the grass. Ryan grips one of the safety bars for dear life, his body tossing and turning in the passenger's seat. Graham managed to squeeze himself into the back trunk, now lying down and holding his knees. He squints hard, looking past the two younger humans and into the distant fields beyond.

She tries to keep the vehicle in a straight line, but it's nothing like her police car back home. Rocks hidden in the grass make the wheels twist and turn, and the vehicle sways to one side on occasion. It always makes her hold her breath, but she's able to correct the ATV most of the time. She looks back into her rearview mirror. The tent encampment has been swallowed by the horizon, and their world turns pitch black. She can only look forward, the next several yards ignited by bright headlights. They look out to the canyons on their left, and Yaz is careful to drive a good distance alongside them. Only a week or so ago, the Doctor and Yaz sat in the dirt there, gazing up at the aurora above. It had seemed so magical to her then, but now, it only serves to light the path ahead. She can't look up at the sky without thinking of the woman who fell from it.

"I think we turn here," Graham calls out from the back. Yaz takes a hard right turn, feeling one of the wheels begin to spin out of control. There's a yelp from Ryan as mud sprays from his side of the vehicle. She turns the wheel hard, only to have the ATV jump back from the mud embankment. The engine sputters for a moment, then they carry on into the distant fields. The steady drum of the engine mixes with chirping insects and grass shuddering under the wind. A line of evergreens marks the start of the forest, a wall in front of them. The TARDIS is hidden somewhere inside, not to far in from the start of it. On most days, Yaz would be content here, letting the light drizzle soak her coat as she listened to the night life around her. This planet doesn't feel real, not without the Doctor beside them.

"Hey, look! See the blue?" Ryan chimes in. He lets out a sigh of relief, loosening his grip on the safety bar. Sure enough, headlights strike the first stand of pines. Blue stands out in the forest green—the old police box sits far back into the woods, waiting. The droning engine sputters for a moment, then dies as Yaz turns the ignition key. The headlights shut off, sending them all into the dark. Yaz rummages through her coat pockets, careful to pull out her flashlight. A single beam spills out into the night, illuminated the police sign on the TARDIS. Ryan is the first to hop out of the ATV, his boots crunching the wet grass underneath. He does a little dance, prancing about the edge of the meadow before running towards the trunk. Yaz heads back to join him. Both take an arm from Graham, heaving him out of the trunk. It doesn't come without a few gruff complaints from the older man, but he ends up on his feet despite it all. Some sort of animal howls in the distance, making the three of them hold their breath. The howl subsides, allowing the rest of the night ambience to filter through.