The Doctor's Daughter
Tardis…
Jared is sitting on the TARDIS jumpseat with Tsuruno Yui, the Mightiest Magical Girl of Kamihama City, or what the brunette likes to call herself, "So, how's your restaurant doing?"
"It's doing great!" Tsuruno said, happily. "The poisonous fog slowed down business a bit. But we've gotten back on track."
"Good, that's really good. I want some ramen when I visit Banbanzai later."
The door slams shut on its own and the time rotor activates, throwing everyone around.
"What? What?" The Doctor asked.
"Doctor, Jared, don't you dare!" Martha said, angrily.
"Martha, we didn't touch anything. I was busy talking with Tsuruno." Jared said, getting off the jump seat with Tsuruno.
"And we're in flight. It's not us." The Doctor said.
"Where are we going?" Tsuruno asked.
"I don't know. It's out of control!" The Doctor said.
"Doctor, Jared, just listen to me. The both of you, take me home. Take me home right now!" Martha said.
Everyone is hanging on to the console.
"What the hell's it doing?" Donna asked.
"The control's not working." The Doctor said, and he gets thrown about and gets a look at the jar at the base of the time rotor. "I don't know where we're going, but my old hand's very excited about it."
"I thought that was just some freaky alien thing. You telling me it's yours?"
"Well."
"It got cut off. He grew a new one." Martha said.
"On Christmas Day, 2006. The Doctor lost his hand in a sword fight against the Sycorax." Jared said, happily.
"And that involved people standing on top of rooftops too. You are completely impossible." Donna said, looking at the Doctor.
"Not impossible. Just a bit unlikely." The Doctor said.
There's a bang, and sparks, then stillness and peace. I opened up a portal back to Earth and I pulled Felicia Mitsuki out of it. The Doctor runs outside.
(Jared's POV)
Tunnel entrance…
"This place looks like a total dump." Felicia said, as her hands her behind her head.
"Yup." I said, as if looks like a junk yard in a railway arch at night. "It does. And it's a bit sad."
"Why would the Tardis bring us here, then?" The Doctor asked.
"It's our first alien planet!" Tsuruno said, happily.
"It looks like a war zone! Did Witches come here?" Felicia asked.
"Witches coming here?" I asked. "You two are the only magical girls at the moment."
"True." Tsuruno said, happily.
"Don't move! Stay where you are! Drop your weapons." Cline said.
Three men are pointing rifles at us, so we raise our hands.
"We're unarmed. Look, no weapons. Never any weapons. We're safe." The Doctor said.
"Look at their hands. They're clean." A soldier said.
"All right, process them. Him first." Cline said, as two soldiers take the Doctor.
"Oi, oi. What's wrong with clean hands?" The Doctor asked.
"What's going on?" Felicia asked.
"Not telling you." I said, while the Doctor is taken to a machine and his right arm is pushed inside it.
"Leave him alone." Donna said, as something inside grabs the Doctor's arm.
"Something tells me this isn't about to check my blood pressure. Argh!" The Doctor said.
"That has to hurt." Tsuruno said, as the Doctor is in pain.
"What are you doing to him?" Donna asked.
"Everyone gets processed." Cline said.
"It's taken a tissue sample. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow. And extrapolated it. Some kind of accelerator?" The Doctor asked, as he is released.
"Are you all right?" Martha asked.
"What is that?" Tsuruno asked, looking at the graze on the back of the Doctor's hand.
"What on earth? That's just…" The Doctor said.
"One of the best things to ever happen to you." I said, as a pair of glass and metal doors open and a figure steps out from the steam of the brightly lit interior. "And for me to witness, Spaceman."
"Is that another soldier?" Tsuruno asked, looking at the skinny blonde woman in combat boots and trousers, and a khaki t-shirt.
"Arm yourself." Cline said, handing the newcomer a rifle.
"Who is that?" Felicia asked, looking at Jenny.
"That's Jenny." I said, taking out a box of Pocky to eat them. "Basically someone cool."
"Cool as in Boosh! Or cool as in ratatata!" Felicia said, looking at me.
Jenny checks the rifle is ready for use.
"The first one!" I said, happily.
"Really?" Tsuruno asked. "How is she that cool?"
"You primed to take orders? Ready to fight?" Cline asked, looking at Jenny.
"Instant mental download of all strategic and military protocols, sir. Generation five thousand soldier primed and in peak physical health. Oh, I'm ready." Jenny said, taking her place with Cline and the other soldiers at a barricade.
"Did you say daughter?" Donna asked.
"Mmm. Technically." The Doctor said.
"Technically how?" Martha asked.
"Progenation. Reproduction from a single organism. Means one parent is biological mother and father. You take a sample of diploid cells, split them into haploids, then recombine them in a different arrangement and grow. Very quickly, apparently." The Doctor said.
"Something's coming." Jenny said, as there are shadows on the tunnel wall.
"Shit." I said, as the shadows come into view, the figures start firing. "This is bad."
"It's the Hath!" Cline said.
They return fire.
"Get down!" Jenny said.
The Doctor, Martha, Donna, Tsuruno, Felicia, and I take cover.
"Bang! Bang!" Felicia said, looking up for a peek. "What's going on? In terms of the war."
The Hath are wearing breathing masks, but I can see that they have big fish eyes and very wrinkled necks.
"Nothing much." I said, laughing a lot. "A week flies by so quick."
"We have to blow the tunnel. Get the detonator." Cline said.
"I'm not detonating anything." The Doctor said.
"Are you okay?" Tsuruno asked, getting a nod from the soldier.
The Doctor and Tsuruno goes to help a wounded soldier. The Hath breach the barricade and three grab Martha, Felicia, and I.
"Let go of me!" Felicia said, angrily.
"I don't like this." I said, looking at Tsuruno who's next to Jenny. "Why did I end up with this side?"
Jenny takes on another hand to hand, then gets the detonator.
"Blow the thing! Blow the thing!" Cline said.
"Martha! Jared! Felicia! No. Don't." The Doctor said, as Jenny hits the button. A klaxon sounds and everyone runs before the big KaBOOM brings down the roof. "You've sealed off the tunnel. Why did you do that?"
"They were trying to kill us." Jenny said.
"But they have our friends." Tsuruno said, holding up her arm.
"Collateral damage. At least you've still got them. He lost both his men. I'd say you came out ahead."
"Their names are Martha, Jared, and Felicia. And Martha and Jared are not collateral damage, not for anyone, except maybe Felicia, but that's besides the point. Have you got that, GI Jane?" Donna asked.
"I'm going to find them." The Doctor said.
"You're going nowhere. You don't make sense, you three. No guns, no marks, no fight in you. I'm taking you to General Cobb. Now, move." Cline said.
The other side of the tunnel blockage...
"Felicia, nice thinking." I said, looking up to see Felicia in her magical girl form, and she has her hammer out protecting me. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it." Felicia said, holding her hammer. "So, is Martha okay?"
"She's fine." I said, as Martha woke up to hear us and a bubbling sound. It is an injured Hath. "Martha! Forgot to mention, a Hath is hurt!"
"Right." Martha said, running over to the Hath. "Hold on, I've got you. Is it your arm, yeah?" The Hath bubbles its green breathing liquid. "Is that a yes? Let me examine it. Keep still. Still, yeah? No move."
The Hath nods.
"Hey, is that thing half fish?" Felicia asked. "Or is it half human? Is it a mermaid?"
"How am I supposed to know? Is that a shoulder? Feels like a shoulder. I think it's dislocated." Martha said, and more armed Hath arrive. "I'm trying to help him. I am a doctor and he is my patient, and I'm not leaving him. Now, this is going to hurt. One, two, three."
Martha puts the shoulder back into its place. The Hath cock their weapons, then the injured one intervenes, bubbling the explanation. Everyone relaxes again.
"Now, then. I'm Doctor Martha Jones, this is Jared Shay and Felicia Mitsuki. Who the hell are you?" Martha asked, looking at the Hath.
(Open POV)
Tunnel…
Deeper underground.
"Hi, I'm Tsuruno Yui, the Mightiest Magical in Kamihama City." Tsuruno said, happily. "That's Donna. What's your name?"
"Don't know. It's not been assigned." Jenny said.
"Well, if you don't know that, what do you know?" Donna asked.
"How to fight."
"Nothing else?"
"The machine must embed military history and tactics, but no name. She's a generated anomaly." The Doctor said.
"Generated anomaly." Tsuruno said, standing still.
"Generated. Well, what about that? Jenny." Donna said.
"Jenny. Yeah, I like that. Jenny." Jenny said.
"What do you think, Dad?" Donna asked, looking at the Doctor.
"Good as anything, I suppose." The Doctor said.
"Not what you'd call a natural parent, are you?"
"They stole a tissue sample at gunpoint and processed it. It's not what I call natural parenting."
"Rubbish. My friend Nerys fathered twins with a turkey baster. Don't bother her."
"You can't extrapolate a relationship from a biological accident."
"A Child Support Agency can!" Tsuruno said, lifting up her arm.
"Look, just because I share certain physiological traits with simian primates doesn't make me a monkey's uncle, does it?" The Doctor asked.
"I'm not a monkey. Or a child." Jenny said, angrily.
Camp...
A large room with a slightly domed roof and a gallery. There are more clone chambers here. The ambient lighting is red.
"So, where are we? What planet's this?" The Doctor asked.
"Messaline. Well, what's left of it." Cline said.
"Six six three seventy five deceased. Generation six six seven one, extinct. Generation six six seven two, forty six deceased. Generation six six eight zero, fourteen deceased. Generation six." Someone on the speaker said.
"But this is a theatre." Tsuruno said, looking around.
"Maybe they're doing Miss Saigon." The Doctor said.
"It's like a town or a city underground. But why?" Donna asked.
A man with a neatly trimmed white beard approaches.
"General Cobb, I presume." The Doctor said.
"Found in the western tunnels, I'm told, with no marks. There was an outbreak of pacifism in the eastern zone three generations back, before we lost contact. Is that where you came from?" Cobb asked.
"Eastern zone, that's us, yeah. Yeah. I'm the Doctor, this is Donna and Tsuruno." The Doctor said.
"And I'm Jenny." Jenny said.
"Don't think you can infect us with your peacemaking. We're committed to the fight, to the very end." Cobb said.
"Well, that's all right. I can't stay, anyway. I've got to go and find my friends." The Doctor said.
"That's not possible. All movement is regulated. We're at war."
"Yes, I noticed. With the Hath. But tell me, because we got a bit out of circulation, eastern zone and all that. So who exactly are the Hath?"
The Hath take Martha, Jared, and Felicia to a very similar room, complete with clone chambers, but the ambient lighting is blue.
"Back at the dawn of this planet, these ancient halls were carved from the earth. Our ancestors dreamt of a new beginning. A colony where human and Hath would work and live together." Cobb said.
"So what happened?" Tsuruno asked.
"The dream died. Broken, along with Hath promises. They wanted it all for themselves. But those early pioneers, they fought back. They used the machines to produce soldiers instead of colonists, and began this battle for survival."
"There's nothing but earth outside, why's that? Why build everything underground?" Donna asked.
"The surface is too dangerous." Cline said.
"Well, then why build windows in the first place? And what does this mean?" Donna asked, looking at 601707 something on a plaque.
"The rites and symbols of our ancestors. The meaning's lost in time." Cobb said.
"How long's this war gone on for?" The Doctor asked.
"Longer than anyone can remember. Countless generations marked only by the dead."
"Wait, you've been fighting all this time?" Tsuruno asked. "Why?"
"Because we must. Every child of the machine is born with this knowledge. It's our inheritance. It's all we know. How to fight, and how to die." Jenny said.
Hath camp…
"This looks like a map." Felicia said, her hands behind her head.
"Yup." Jared said, happily. "It is."
The Hath show Martha, Jared, and Felicia a holographic map of the tunnels and chambers.
"Right. So we're here?" Martha asked.
Camp…
"A map!" Tsuruno said, looking at the map. "That's cool."
The same thing is going on.
"Does this show the entire city, including the Hath zones?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes. Why?" Cobb said.
"Well, it'll help us find Martha, Jared, and Felicia." Tsuruno said, happily.
"We've more important things to do. The progenation machines are powered down for the night shift, but soon as they're active, we could breed a whole platoon from you three." Cline said.
"I'm not having sons and daughters by some great big flipping machine. Sorry, no offence, but you're not. Well, I mean, you're not real." Donna said, angrily.
"You're no better than him. I have a body, I have a mind, I have independent thought. How am I not real? What makes you better than me?" Jenny asked.
"Well said, soldier. We need more like you, if ever we're to find the Source." Cobb said.
"Ooo, the Source. What's that, then? What's a Source? I like a Source. What is it?" The Doctor asked.
"The Breath of Life."
"And what's that?" Tsuruno asked, her eyes widening.
"In the beginning, the great one breathed life into the universe. And then she looked at what she'd done, and she sighed." Cline said.
"She. I like that." Jenny said.
"Right. So it's a creation myth." The Doctor said.
"It's not myth. It's real. That sigh. From the beginning of time it was caught and kept as the Source. It was lost when the war started. But it's here, somewhere. Whoever holds the Source controls the destiny of the planet." Cobb said.
The Doctor makes the map buzz, "Ah! I thought so. There's a suppressed layer of information in this map. If I can just…"
The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver on it, and up come more tunnels and chambers.
"What is it, what's it mean?" Donna asked.
"See? A whole complex of tunnels hidden from sight." The Doctor said.
Hath camp…
"Um, more stuff appeared." Felicia said.
They appear on the Hath's map, too.
"You're right, Felicia. Look." Martha said.
Camp...
"That must be the lost temple. The Source will be inside. You've shown us the way. And look, we're closer than the Hath. It's ours." Cobb said.
Hath camp…
"A new map." Jared said, leaning against the wall. "With a different set of tunnels. Okay, this is awesome."
Camp...
"Tell them to prepare to move out. We'll progenate new soldiers on the morning shift, then we march. Once we reach the Temple, peace will be restored at long last." Cobb said.
"Wait, you wanted peace, I think." Tsuruno said. "Can't you stop fighting?"
"Only when we have the Source. It'll give us the power to erase every stinking Hath from the face of this planet."
"Hang on, hang on. A second ago it was peace in our time. Now you're talking about genocide." The Doctor said.
"For us, that means the same thing." Cobb said.
"Then you need to get yourself a better dictionary. When you do, look up genocide. You'll see a little picture of me there, and the caption will read, over my dead body."
"And you're the one who showed us the path to victory. But you can consider the irony from your prison cell. Cline, at arms."
"There is no way I'm getting shot!" Tsuruno said, determined. "Put the gun down, and stop being angry."
"Take them. I won't have them spreading treason. And if you try anything, Doctor, I'll see that your woman dies first." Cobb said, looking at Donna.
"No, we're, we're not a couple." The Doctor said.
"I am not his woman." Donna said.
"Come on. This way." Cline said.
"I'm going to stop you, Cobb. You need to know that." The Doctor said.
"I have an army and the Breath of God on my side, Doctor. What'll you have?" Cobb asked.
"This." The Doctor said, pointing to his brain.
"Lock them up and guard them." Cobb said.
"What about the new soldier?" Cline asked.
"Can't trust her. She's from pacifist stock. Take them all."
Hath camp…
"Oh, what did we do?" Felicia asked, as the Hath are celebrating something.
"But we didn't do anything." Jared said, sadly. "We didn't mess with the map. It was an old idiot that did."
The Hath congratulate Martha, Jared, and Felicia nicely.
"I think we just started a war." Martha said, looking between Jared and Felicia.
Cell…
"There are more numbers here." Tsuruno said, as they're in a large cage, numbered 60120716. "Look."
"You're right. They've got to mean something." Donna said.
"Makes as much sense as the Breath of Life story." The Doctor said.
"You mean that's not true?" Jenny asked.
"Oh, it's a myth." Tsuruno said, holding a fist in the air. "It has to be."
"Yes, but there could still be something real in that temple. Something that's become a myth. A piece of technology, a weapon." The Doctor said.
"So the Source could be a weapon and we've just given directions to Captain Nutjob?" Donna asked.
"Oh, yes."
"But that isn't good." Tsuruno said. "Why did we give him the way to get to the Source?"
"That's why we need to get out of here, find Martha, Jared, and Felicia, and stop Cobb from slaughtering the Hath. What, what are you, what are you, what are you staring at?" The Doctor asked, looking at Jenny.
"You keep insisting you're not a soldier, but look at you, drawing up strategies like a proper general." Jenny said.
"No, no. I'm trying to stop the fighting." The Doctor said.
"Isn't every soldier?" Jenny asked, and she studied Tsuruno closely. "And it looks like she is a soldier too."
"Well, I suppose, but that's, that's. Technically, I haven't got time for this. Donna, give me your phone. Time for an upgrade." The Doctor said, taking out his sonic.
"And now you've got a weapon." Jenny said, as Donna handed the Doctor her phone.
"It's not a weapon."
"But you're using it to fight back. I'm going to learn so much from you. You are such a soldier."
"Donna, will you tell her?" The Doctor asked.
"Oh, you are speechless. I'm loving this." Donna said, happily. "And I bet if Jared was here, he would be loving this too."
"Yeah. He would." Tsuruno said, happily.
"You keep on, Jenny."
The Doctor sonics Donna's phone and calls Jared.
Hath camp…
"Doctor?" Jared asked, answering the call through his Apple Watch. "What's up, Spaceman?"
Cell...
"Jared, you're alive! Is Martha and Felicia too?" The Doctor asked.
Hath camp…
"Yeah, they are." Jared said, transferring the call from his Apple Watch to his iPhone X, and he put it on speaker mode. "You're on speaker mode."
"Doctor! Oh, am I glad to hear your voice. Are you all right?" Martha asked.
Cell...
"I'm with Donna and Tsuruno. We're fine. What about you?" The Doctor asked.
"Don't forget Jenny!" Tsuruno said, smiling.
"She's fine too." Donna said, happily.
"Yes, all right. And, and Jenny. That's the woman from the machine. The soldier. My daughter, except she isn't, she's, she's. Anyway. where are you?" The Doctor asked.
Hath camp…
"Well, we're with the Hath." Jared said, taking out some milk tea to drink it. "We're fine. None of us got hurt."
"But something's going on. The Hath are all marching off to some place that's appeared…" Martha said, recalling what happened.
Cell...
"On this map thing." Martha said, her voice over the phone.
"Oh, that was me. If both armies are heading that way, there's going to be a bloodbath." The Doctor said.
Hath camp…
"You idiot!" Jared said, lowering the cup for a sec, before he continued drinking the milk tea. "You messed with something you shouldn't have. Anyway, what's the plan? It's been a long day."
"Just stay where you are." The Doctor said, his voice over the phone.
Cell...
"If you're safe there, the three of you, don't move, do you hear?" The Doctor asked.
"But…" Martha said, her voice over the phone.
Hath camp...
"We can help." Martha said, as Jared's phone battery dies.
"Shit." Jared said, looking down at his Apple Watch. "This thing isn't a super phone. Unlike my iPhone. He didn't upgrade it."
"So, we lost our only connection to the Doctor." Felicia said. "Why did you let it die?"
Camp...
"The doors that have been closed will be open to us now. The door to the Temple, to the Source, and to victory." Cobb said, and people are cheering on. "Come the dawn cycle, we march."
Cell…
"To war!" The soldiers said, outside.
"They're getting ready to move out. We have to get past that guard." The Doctor said.
"I can deal with him." Jenny said.
"No, no, no, no. You're not going anywhere."
"What?"
"You belong here with them."
"Nope, she doesn't." Tsuruno said, happily. "She belongs with us."
"More than that, she belongs with you." Donna said, agreeing with Tsuruno. "She's your daughter."
"She's a soldier. She came out of that machine." The Doctor said.
"We know." Tsuruno said.
"Listen, have you got that stethoscope? Give it to me. Come on." Donna said, grabbing the stethoscope from the Doctor.
"What are you doing?" Jenny asked.
"It's all right. Just hold still." Donna said, listening to Jenny's chest. "Tsuruno, what do you think?"
"I think she should be with us." Tsuruno said, as she listened to Jenny's chest after Donna handed her the stethoscope. "Like she does!"
"You're right. Doctor, come here. Listen, and then tell us where she belongs." Donna said, as Tsuruno handed the Doctor the stethoscope.
"Two hearts." The Doctor said.
"Yeah." Tsuruno said, smiling.
"What's going on?" Jenny asked.
"Does that mean she's a, what do you call a female Time Lord?" Donna asked.
"Jared said that they were called Time Ladies." Tsuruno said, looking at Donna.
"What's a Time Lord?" Jenny asked.
"It's who I am. It's where I'm from." The Doctor said.
"And I'm from you."
"You're an echo, that's all. A Time Lord is so much more. A sum of knowledge, a code, a shared history, a shared suffering. Only it's gone now, all of it. Gone forever."
"What happened?"
"There was a war."
"Like this one?" Jenny asked.
"Bigger. Much bigger." The Doctor said.
"And you fought, and killed?"
"Yes."
"Then how are we different?"
Hath camp…
"This is so boring!" Felicia said, looking at Jared. "Why doesn't your phone have power?"
"Because I used up all my battery." Jared said.
"Use a power bank."
"Left it in the TARDIS."
"Aw, come on."
One Hath has stayed behind with Martha, Jared, and Felicia.
"Jared, I'm happy that you're here." Martha said, as Jared walked over to her. "We just have to charge this up."
"Yeah. A bit of power." Jared said, smiling. "Okay, Hath-y, know what we're saying?"
The Hath rotates the map into 3 dimensions. The circular Temple now has a pointed roof and goes down a very long way.
"There's more tunnels. Are you kidding me?" Felicia asked, annoyed. "Why do we have to walk through that."
"At least it's in 3D." Martha said, looking back at the Hath. "Oh, you're a clever Hath. So this is where everybody's headed? But look, those tunnels sort of zig-zag. If we went up and over the surface in a straight line, we'd get there first."
"We can't." Jared said, sadly.
"Why not?" Felicia asked, as Jared brought up a graph. "We can just trudge up there."
"Are these readings for the surface?" Martha asked.
"Yup." Jared said. "And it's not that bad, now that I think about it."
"That's true. Nitrogen and oxygen about eighty twenty. That's fine. Ozone levels are high, and some big radiation spikes. But as long as we're not out there too long." Martha said, hearing bubbles come from the Hath.
"It won't take long to get there!" Jared said, excitedly. "We can find the others easily."
"Come on." Felicia said, leading the way. "It's boring in here."
Cell…
"Hey." Jenny said.
"I'm not supposed to talk to you. I'm on duty." Cline said.
"I know. Guarding me. So, does that mean I'm dangerous, or that I need protecting?"
"Protecting from what?"
"Oh, I don't know. Men like you?" Jenny asked, kissing Cline through the bars whilst taking his pistol. "Keep quiet and open the door."
"Wow, she's good." Tsuruno said.
"I'd like to see you try that." Donna said, looking at the Doctor.
Stairs…
"Oh, a guard." Tsuruno said, looking at the guard on the lower flight of metal stairs. "That must be our way out."
Jenny raises the pistol.
"Don't you dare." The Doctor said.
"Let me distract this one. I have picked up a few womanly wiles over the years." Donna said.
"Let's save your wiles for later. In case of emergency." The Doctor said, as he rummages in his coat pockets, and a few moments later a clockwork mouse grinds to a halt behind the guard. He picks it up and Jenny karate chops him from behind. "I was going to distract him, not clobber him."
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Jenny asked.
"They must all have a copy of that new map. Just stay there. Don't hurt anyone." The Doctor said.
Staircase…
"Felicia?" Jared asked, and Felicia transformed into her magical girl form.
Felicia used her hammer to knock down a doorway with the Hath.
Martha, Jared, Felicia and the Hath arrive at a brick-build set of stairs up to a hatch in the roof.
"You can stay down here and live your whole life in the shadows, or come with us and stand in the open air. Feel the wind on your face. What's it going to be? It's up to you. But nothing's going to stop us." Martha said.
Planet surface…
"This place really is a dump." Felicia said, as Martha pushes open the heavy hatch and climbs out onto a cold, dark, windswept planet lit by the reflected light of three moons.
"But it is beautiful." Jared said, looking back at Felicia. "Bang bang!"
The Hath follows Martha, Jared, and Felicia.
"I knew you couldn't resist it." Martha said, getting some bubbles coming from the Hath. "Er, language. Come on."
Cell...
Cline has been tied up with rope, and gagged. A soldier removes it, "It was the girl. She tricked me. They, they got away. I'm sorry."
"I've waited all my life for this moment. No one's going to get in my way. Certainly not this Doctor. At arms! We march to war." Cobb said.
Tunnel...
The Doctor checks the map he took from the guard, "Wait. This is it. The hidden tunnel. There must be a control panel."
"More numbers." Tsuruno said, looking at the numbers 60120714. "Oh, they're all over this planet."
"The original builders must have left them. Some old cataloguing system." The Doctor said.
"You got a pen? Bit of paper?" Donna asked, as the Doctor handed her a notepad iwth a pen. "Because, do you see, the numbers are counting down."
"They are." Tsuruno said, her eyes widening. "This one ends in one four. The prison cell said one six."
"Always thinking, the three of you. Who are you people?" Jenny asked.
"I told you. I'm the Doctor." The Doctor said.
"The Doctor. That's it?"
"That's all he ever says." Donna said.
"So, you don't have a name either? Are you an anomaly, too?" Jenny asked.
"No." The Doctor said.
"Oh, come off it. You're one of the most anomalous blokes I've ever met. But at least Jared's normal sometimes." Donna said.
The Doctor gets into the control panel. "Here it is."
"And Time Lords. What are they for, exactly?" Jenny asked.
"For? They're not, they're not for anything." The Doctor said.
"So what do you do?"
"I travel through time and space."
"He saves planets, rescues civilisations, defeats terrible creatures." Donna said.
"Don't forget the running!" Tsuruno said, happily. "I do that too as a magical girl. But we save people, we help fellow magical girls, and we also defeat terrible creatures."
"Yeah, Tsuruno does things differently with her fellow magical girls. Even so, things are the same, and there's a lot of running. Seriously, there's an outrageous amount of running involved." Donna said, and the door opens.
"Got it!" The Doctor said.
"Squad five, with me." Cobb said, nearby.
"Now, what were you saying about running?" The Doctor asked.
Passageway…
"Oh." Tsuruno said, turning into her magical girl form.
The Doctor stops running just before the array of laser beams criss-crossing the passage.
"That's not mood lighting, is it?" Donna asked, as Tsuruno took out her fans and aimed some fireballs into the lasers. It gets disintegrated. "No, I didn't think so."
"Arming device." The Doctor said, working on a blue box nearby.
"There's more of these. Always eight numbers, counting down the closer we get." Donna said, looking at the numbers 60120713 with Tsuruno.
"Yeah. I know this. I do." Tsuruno said, standing still. "Why is this so familiar?"
"Right, here we go." The Doctor said.
"You'd better be quick." Donna said.
"Corridor." Cobb said, nearby.
"The General." Jenny said, about to run off.
"Where are you going?" Tsuruno asked, looking at Jenny.
"I can hold them up."
"No, we don't need any more dead." The Doctor said.
"But it's them or us." Jenny said.
"It doesn't mean you have to kill them."
"I'm trying to save your life."
"Listen to me. The killing. After a while, it infects you. And once it does, you're never rid of it."
"We don't have a choice."
"We always have a choice."
"I'm sorry." Jenny said, running off.
"Jenny." The Doctor said.
"This door, now." A soldier said, while Jenny runs around the corner and readies a machine gun at the approaching voices. "There she is. At arms. Fire!"
Jenny exchanges gunfire with Cobb and his soldiers.
"I told you. Nothing but a soldier." The Doctor said.
"She's trying to help." Donna said.
"She is." Tsuruno said. "Have faith in her."
Jenny ducks out of sight to think.
"Jenny, come on." The Doctor said, nearby.
"I'm coming." Jenny said.
"Cease fire. Cease fire." Cobb said, and the lasers go out.
"Yes!" Tsuruno said, happily.
"That's it." Donna said.
"Jenny, leave it! Let's go." The Doctor said.
The Doctor, Donna, and Tsuruno run down the corridor.
"You're a child of the machine. You're on my side. Join us. Join us in the war against the Hath. It's in your blood, girl. Don't deny it." Cobb said.
Jenny stands and takes aim, then shoots a hole in a steam pipe above Cobb before running back.
"Jenny, come on. That's it." The Doctor said.
"Hurry up." Tsuruno said, while the lasers reappear.
"No, no, no, no, no, no. The circuit's looped back."
"Zap it back again." Donna said.
"The controls are back there." The Doctor said.
"They're coming." Tsuruno said. "Hurry up."
"Wait. Just. There isn't. Jenny, I can't…" The Doctor said.
"I'll have to manage on my own. Watch and learn, Father." Jenny said, throwing away the weapon and somersaults her way through the laser beams.
"No way." Donna said.
"Wow." Tsuruno said, in shocked. "How did she do that?"
"But that was impossible."
"Not impossible. Just a bit unlikely. Brilliant! You were brilliant. Brilliant." The Doctor said, happily.
"I didn't kill him. General Cobb, I could have killed him but I didn't. You were right. I had a choice." Jenny said.
Cobb and the soldiers appear at the other side of the lasers. Donna, Tsuruno, and Jenny run.
"At arms." Cobb said.
"I warned you, Cobb. If the Source is a weapon, I'm going to make sure you never use it." The Doctor said.
"One of us is going to die today and it won't be me."
The Doctor runs away from the hail of bullets.
Planet surface…
"So much walking!" Felicia said, as the ground is rough and hard going.
"It can't be much further." Martha said, as she and Felicia fell down a slope and lands with a splash in a bog.
"Felicia!" Jared said, as he and the Hath goes to help Martha and Felicia.
"Help me! I'm sinking. I'm sinking. Help me, Peck. Help me. Help me, Peck. I'm sinking. I'm sinking." Martha said, as Hath Peck cannot reach her hand, so he jumps in beside her and pushes her to solid ground before sinking below the porridge-like surface himself. "Oh no! No!"
Jared took out his bow and used it to pull Felicia out of the quicksand, "I'm sorry I took so long."
Corridor…
"So, you travel together, but you're not together?" Jenny asked.
"What? No. No. No way. No, no, we're friends, that's all. I mean, we're not even the same species. There's probably laws against it." Donna said.
"And what's it like, the travelling?" Jenny asked.
"Oh, never a dull moment. It can be terrifying, brilliant and funny, sometimes all at the same time. Jared and I have seen some amazing things though. Whole new worlds."
"Oh, I'd love to see new worlds."
"You will. Won't she, Doctor?"
"Hmm?" The Doctor asked.
"Will Jenny see any new worlds?" Tsuruno asked.
"I suppose so."
"You mean. You mean you'll take me with you?" Jenny asked.
"Well, we can't leave you here, can we?" The Doctor asked.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. Come on, let's get a move on." Jenny said, running off with Tsuruno.
"So, do you know what Magical Girls are?" Tsuruno asked.
"From what you've told me. They sound pretty cool." Jenny said, happily.
"We hunt down Witches."
"Witches? What are they?"
"They're magical girls who fell into despair."
"Despair?"
"Yeah."
"What do Witches look like?" Jenny asked.
"Jared said they look like nightmare fuel." Tsuruno said. "But I don't know how they look like it."
"Witches are a part of you, yeah?"
"Yeah. I do want to get stronger."
"Stronger how?"
"I want to become stronger. For my friends." Tsuruno said, as she and Jenny looked on to see what is going on with Cobb.
Jenny and Tsuruno runs back to the Doctor and Donna.
"They've blasted through the beams. Time to run again. Love the running. Yeah?" Jenny asked.
"Love the running.��� The Doctor said, happily.
Up on the surface, Martha, Jared, and Felicia can see the protruding construction of the Temple.
"We're trapped." Tsuruno said.
"Can't be. This must be the Temple. This is a door." The Doctor said.
"Those numbers." Tsuruno said, looking at the numbers 60120712.
"And again. We're down to one two now…" Donna said.
"I've got it!" The Doctor said.
"I can hear them." Jenny said.
"Nearly done."
"These can't be a cataloguing system." Donna said.
"It can't be." Tsuruno said. "I've seen this layout before."
"They're getting closer." Jenny said.
"Then get back here." The Doctor said.
"They're too similar. Too familiar." Donna said.
"They are. Maybe I should have more time to think." Tsuruno said, tilting her head.
"Not yet." Jenny said.
"Now! Got it." The Doctor said.
The Doctor gets the plain door open and they go through. A similar door opens for Martha, Jared, and Felicia on the surface.
"They're coming. Close the door." Jenny said.
(Jared's POV)
Spaceship…
The Doctor locks the door.
"Oh, that was close." Tsuruno said. "Really close."
"No fun otherwise." The Doctor said.
"It's not what I'd call a temple." Donna said.
"It looks more like…" Jenny said.
"Fusion drive transport. It's a spaceship." The Doctor said.
"What, the original one? The one the first colonists arrived in?" Donna asked.
"Well, it could be, but the power cells would have run down after all that time. This one's still powered-up and functioning. Come on."
They head up a flight of stairs to see someone is cutting their way through another door.
"It's the Hath. That door's not going to last much longer. And if General Cobb gets through down there, war's going to break out." Jenny said.
"Look, look, look, look, look. Ship's log." The Doctor said, as the screen says Messaline Leader One mission log designation XG2482942-372. "First wave of Human/Hath co-colonisation of planet Messaline."
Core subterranean deployment successful. Online and active. Phase one initiated. Construction drones deployed. Construction of sections 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3C & 3D complete. Phase one in progress. Construction drones active. Construction of sections 1C, 1D, 2C, 2D, 3A & 3C complete.
"So, this is the original ship." Tsuruno said, looking around.
"What happened?" Donna asked.
"Phase one, construction. They used robot drones to build the city." The Doctor said.
"But does it mention the war?" Donna asked.
The Doctor scrolls down through Phase One in progress. Construction of western quadrant complete. Phase two initiated. Commencing colonisation protocol 0.7. Designated pioneer progenation in progress. Mission commander quarantined due to eruption of byzantine fever. Prognosis negative.
"Final entry." The Doctor said, reading the entry. "Mission commander dead. Still no agreement on who should assume leadership. Hath and humans have divided into factions. That must be it. A power vacuum. The crew divided into two factions and turned on each other. Start using the progenation machines, suddenly you've got two armies fighting a never-ending war."
"Two armies who are now both outside." Jenny said.
"Wow." Tsuruno said, looking at the numbers 60120724 on a display above a screen showing the whole planet. "Look at this."
"It's like the numbers in the tunnels." The Doctor said.
"No, no, no, no. But listen, I spent six months working as a temp in Hounslow Library, and I mastered the Dewey Decimal System in two days flat. I'm good with numbers. It's staring us in the face." Donna said.
"And I work at Banbanzai." Tsuruno said, happily. "I should have seen this sooner. Like, I really should have."
"What is?" Jenny asked.
"It's the date." Tsuruno said.
"Assuming the first two numbers are some big old space date, then you've got year, month, day. It's the other way round, like it is in America…" Donna said.
"Don't you mean like how it is back home for me." Tsuruno said. "America does it month, day, year."
"Oh! It's the New Byzantine Calendar." The Doctor said, his eyes widening.
"The codes are completion dates for each section. They finish it, they stamp the date on. So the numbers aren't counting down, they're going out from here, day by day, as the city got built." Donna said.
"Yes. Oh, good work, Donna, Tsuruno." The Doctor said, looking between the super temp and magical girl.
"Yeah. But you're still not getting it. The first number we saw back there, was sixty twelve oh seven seventeen."
"Look at today's date." Tsuruno said, smiling.
"Oh seven twenty four. No." The Doctor said.
"What does it mean?" Jenny asked.
"Seven days." The Doctor said.
"That's it. Seven days." Donna said, happily.
"It's only been seven days." Tsuruno said.
"What do you mean, seven days?" Jenny asked.
"Seven days since the war started." Tsuruno said.
"This war started seven days ago. Just a week. A week!"
"They said years." Jenny said.
"No, they said generations. And if they're all like you, and they're products of those machines…" Donna said.
"They could have twenty generations in a day. Each generation gets killed in the war, passes on the legend. Oh, Donna, you're a genius." The Doctor said. "And Tsuruno, you're brilliant. Even if you're reckless."
"But all the buildings, the encampments. They're in ruins." Jenny said.
"No, they're not ruined. They're just empty. Waiting to be populated. Oh, they've mythologised their entire history. The Source must be part of that too. Come on." The Doctor said.
Further along, the Doctor, Jenny, Donna, and Tsuruno meet up with Martha, Felicia, and I for a joyous reunion.
"Tsuruno!" I said, running up to Tsuruno. "Hi."
"Why do you stink?" Tsuruno asked.
"It's a long story."
"We took the most annoying route." Felicia said, angrily. "The surface."
"Positions." Cobb said, nearby.
"That's the General. We haven't got much time." The Doctor said.
"We don't even know what we're looking for." Donna said.
"Is it me, or can you smell flowers?" Martha asked.
"Maintain defensive positions." Cobb said, nearby.
"Yes. Bougainvillea. I say we follow our nose." The Doctor said.
"Squads seven to ten, advance. With me."
Hydroponics…
"Now this is what I call beautiful." I said, looking around the spaceship filled with plants. "This area. I love it."
"Oh, yes. Yes. Isn't this brilliant?" The Doctor asked, as we walked up to a glowing globe on a pedestal with wires running to it.
"It is." Tsuruno said, and there is a control panel and screen nearby.
"Is that the Source?" Donna asked.
"It's beautiful." Jenny said.
"What is it?" Felicia asked.
"Terraforming. It's a third generation terraforming device." The Doctor said.
"So why are we suddenly in Kew Gardens?" Donna asked.
"Because that's what it does. All this, only bigger. Much bigger. It's in a transit state. Producing all this must help keep it stable before they finally…" The Doctor said, and the Hath and the soldiers run in from opposite sides. "Stop! Hold your fire!"
"What is this, some kind of trap?" Cobb asked.
"You said you wanted this war over."
"I want this war won."
"You can't win. No one can. You don't even know why you're here. Your whole history, it's just Chinese whispers, getting more distorted the more it's passed on. This is the Source. This is what you're fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mystical. It's from a laboratory, not some creator. It's a bubble of gases. A cocktail of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids. It's used to make barren planets habitable. Look around you. It's not for killing, it's bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and into the bright, bright sunlight. No more fighting, no more killing." The Doctor said, taking the globe. "I'm the Doctor, and I declare this war is over."
The Doctor throws the globe onto the floor, where it smashes and releases gas and energy. Everyone watches it slowly rise up, then they start to put down their weapons. All except Cobb.
"This is cool." Tsuruno said, happily.
"It is." I said, holding Tsuruno's hand.
"Why is this taking so long?" Felicia asked.
"Give it some time, cow girl."
"No!" Jenny said, taking the bullet Cobb intends for the Doctor.
The Doctor lays Jenny on the ground, "Jenny? Jenny. Talk to me, Jenny."
"Is she going to be all right?" Donna asked, as Martha shakes her head.
"A new world. It's beautiful." Jenny said.
"Jenny, be strong now. You need to hold on, do you hear me? We've got things to do, you and me, hey? Hey? We can go anywhere. Everywhere. You choose." The Doctor said.
"That sounds good."
"You're my daughter, and we've only just got started. You're going to be great. You're going to be more than great. You're going to be amazing. You hear me? Jenny?" The Doctor asked, and Jenny dies in his arms. "Two hearts. Two hearts. She's like me. If we wait. If we just wait."
"There's no sign, Doctor. There is no regeneration. She's like you, but maybe not enough." Martha said.
"No. Too much. That's the truth of it. She was too much like me." The Doctor said, laying Jenny down and kisses her forehead, then goes over to Cobb.
Cline and another soldier are holding his arms and making him kneel.
The Doctor picks up the pistol and points it at Cobb's head for a very long time before putting the safety back on, "I never would. Have you got that? I never would. When you start this new world, this world of Human and Hath, remember that. Make the foundation of this society a man who never would."
Camp…
Jenny is lying in state when sunlight beings to stream through the stained glass windows.
"I forgot, I forgot that Jenny was gonna die." I said, looking down at Jenny. "I should have saved her."
"You're too important to have dead." Tsuruno said, happily.
"Yeah. You're just as important as us magical girls." Felicia said. "Even if you're an idiot sometimes."
Tardis...
"Jenny was the reason for the Tardis bringing us here. It just got here too soon, which then created Jenny in the first place. Paradox. An endless paradox. Time to go home?" The Doctor asked, looking at Martha.
"Yeah. Home." Martha said.
Street…
"Felicia, Tsuruno, it was fun." I said, looking between the two magical girls.
"It was." Tsuruno said, holding her fist up. "When are we gonna go on our next adventure?"
"I don't know."
"How about we go to the arcade?" Felicia asked. "Or spend some time at Yachiyo's."
"Maybe. Someday." I said, walking on with the Doctor and Martha.
"We're making a habit of this." The Doctor said. "The three of us."
"Yeah. And you'd think it'd get easier. All those things you've been ready to die for. I thought for a moment there, Doctor, you'd finally found something worth living for." Martha said. "Like how Jared finally found something worth living for, that being magical girls."
"Oh there's always something worth living for, Martha." The Doctor said.
"There is. Right now, the magical girls in Kamihama City and Mitakihara are worth protecting." I said, hugging the Doctor and Martha. "And I have to check up on Team RNJR. I miss my Little Red."
"Bye, Doctor, Jared." Martha said.
"Goodbye. Doctor Jones." The Doctor said.
Donna and the Doctor walk back to the Tardis. I opened up two portals with my sling ring, one to Kamihama City which Felicia and Tsuruno went through, and the other portal brings me to Team RNJR. Martha looks at her engagement ring then goes into her home.
Camp…
"Ruby!" I said, running up to Ruby for a hug.
"Where have you been?" Ruby asked.
"Oh, you know. Went somewhere a bit too early."
"Hi." Jaune said, looking at me. "How are you?"
"Good. I lost someone I could have bonded with."
"Who?" Nora asked.
"Is it someone we know?" Ren asked.
"I think she's still alive." I said, letting go of Ruby. "I know she is."