Chereads / Red Like Roses / Chapter 31 - The Impossible Planet

Chapter 31 - The Impossible Planet

(Jared's POV)

Storage area 6…

The Tardis materialises in a very tight space.

"I don't know what's wrong though. She's sort of queasy. Indigestion, like she didn't want to land." The Doctor said.

"Oh, if you think there's going to be trouble, we could always get back inside and go somewhere else." Rose said.

"Like that is ever gonna happen." Weiss said, angrily. "Between you and me, you guys would rather go into the action."

"They don't." Yang said, crossing her arms. "You could say, that she didn't want to land. Because she landed well."

"Don't." I said, starting to laugh with the Doctor and Rose. "Well, we did land inside a closet, Now come on, ladies."

Junction…

"Open door 15." The computer said.

"This must be a base." Weiss said, walking in between Yang and I. "Is it a moon base? A base you get underwater? Or one out in outer space?"

"It is kind of base-ic." Yang said, coming up with another bad pun.

"Well, they build these things out of kits." The Doctor said, smiling.

"Close door 15." The computer said.

"Glad we're indoors. sounds like a storm out there." Rose said.

"Open door 16."

Corridor…

"Human design. You've got a thing about kits. This place was put together like a flat pack wardrobe, only bigger. And easier." The Doctor said.

Habitation 3…

Three steps down into an area with tables and chairs. There is a big 3 on the wall.

"Open door 17." The computer said.

"Oh, it's a sanctuary base." The Doctor said, his eyes widening.

"And a sanctuary base involves what?" Weiss asked, her Myrtenaster in its holster.

"It involves deep Space exploration, ice queen. We've gone way out. And listen to that, underneath. Someone's drilling."

"Talk about a nice welcome." Yang said, walking over to a wall. "Welcome to hell. Why do I have a feeling it's hella bad?"

"Oh, it's not that bad."

"Doctor, over here!" I said, looking at the wall with Weiss and Yang.

The words are painted on the wall in big block letters, and a vertical alien script underneath.

"Hold on, what does that say? That's weird, it won't translate." The Doctor said.

"But I thought the Tardis translated everything, writing as well. We should see English." Rose said.

"Exactly. If that's not working, then it means this writing is old. Very old. Impossibly old. We should find out who's in charge." The Doctor said, and he starts to spin the wheel on another bulkhead door. "We've gone beyond the reach of the Tardis' knowledge. Not a good move. And if someone's lucky enough…"

"Open door 19." The computer said, when aliens with tentacles where our noses and mouths are, are standing outside the door.

"They look really creepy." Yang said, when the aliens all have a tube going in behind the tentacles, and carry a white globe in their right hands which they use for communication. "Are they supposed to be like that?"

"They have spaghetti running down their faces." Weiss said, hold out her Myrtenaster. "And they're holding a ball. This is far beyond normal."

"Ooo, I love this moment." I said as Yang enables her Ember Celica. "This is a nice base, Squidward."

"We must feed." All the Ood said.

"What have you got to feed?" Weiss asked.

"We must feed."

"Yeah. I think they mean us." Rose said.

The Ood enter and Rose, the Doctor, Weiss, Yang, and I back away.

"Those things are really getting annoying." Yang said, looking at the Ood.

"We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed." All the Ood said, when more Ood enter from other doors.

The Doctor gets out his sonic screwdriver while Rose picks up a chair, as Yang has her Ember Celica and Weiss has her Myrtenaster out.

"We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed." All the Ood said.

"We must feed." An Ood said, and it taps the globe. "You, if you are hungry."

"What just happened?" Weiss asked, looking at me.

"We apologise. Electromagnetics have interfered with speech systems. Would you like some refreshment?"

"Um, this was one adventure I haven't watched in a really long time." I said, sadly. "If there is one thing I like to do, it's pressing buttons."

"Stop acting like a kid!" Weiss said, when humans entered the room. "Like seriously, you have to act your age!"

"What the hell? How did?" Jefferson asked, when the Ood make way for us. The lead man uses a wrist-comm. "Captain, you're not going to believe this. We've got people. Out of nowhere. I mean, real people. I mean five living people, just standing here right in front of me."

"So, you know where we are." Weiss said, walking over to me. "In this time and place."

"Yup." I said, smiling away.

"Is it somewhere worth noting for?"

"Someone will die in battle."

"Who?" Yang asked, her hands on her hips. "Who is that?"

"Spoilers."

Jefferson opens a door, "Through here, now. Quickly, come on! Move!"

Corridor…

Conduits go bang overhead.

"Move it! Come on! Keep moving. Come on! Quickly! Move it!" Jefferson said, angrily.

Control room…

Steps down into another room full of people working at control panels.

"Oh, my God. You meant it." Zach said.

"People! Look at that, real people!" Scooti said, shocked.

"That's us. Hooray!" The Doctor said, excitedly.

"We are real." Weiss said, walking over to Scooti. "I'm Weiss, Weiss Schnee. That blonde with the revealing outfit is Yang, that idiot wearing the suit is the Doctor. That blonde wearing pink is Rose, and that man wearing the hoodie is Jared."

"Come on the oxygen must be offline. We're hallucinating. They can't be. No, they're real." Danny said.

"Come on, we're in the middle of an alert! Danny, strap up. The quake's coming in! Impact in thirty seconds! Sorry you lot, whoever you are. Just hold on, tight." Zach said.

"Hold on to what?" Rose asked.

"Anything. I don't care. Just hold on. Ood, are we fixed?"

"Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated." The Ood said.

"What's this adventure called anyway?" Weiss asked.

"The Impossible Planet." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Is this a two parter?"

"Yeah." I said, when the whole place shakes for a few seconds.

"Ren and Nora went against Cybermen." Yang said, and the whole place shakes again, but much worse.

"We has to end up in a place that got hit." Weiss said, annoyed.

"This place really got hit, man." Yang said, when the consoles burst into flames.

"Okay, that's it. Everyone all right? Speak to me, Ida." Zach said.

"Yeah, yeah!" Ida said.

"So, we don't know where we are." Weiss said, crossing her arms. "Where are we exactly?"

"We're in a space station near a black hole." I said, smiling. "And there's writing near a pit where the Devil is contained."

"The Devil? You're lying, there's no such thing."

"The Impossible Planet." Yang said, sadly. "And the Satan's Pit. Why do I feel like those are episode titles?"

"Because they are, Yang." I said, happily. "Not too fond of them. Especially if we had to split up."

"Split up and look for clues?" Yang asked.

"No, we are not doing this Scooby Doo style." Weiss said, being all grumpy again. "I get that you love that show. Bad things always happen when you split up."

"Especially to the comic relief."

"We're fine, thanks, fine. Yeah, don't worry about us." The Doctor said.

"The surface caved in." Zach said, looking up at a schematic of the base. "I deflected it onto storage five through eight. We've lost them completely. Toby, go and check the rocket link."

"That's not my department." Toby said.

"Just do as I say, yeah?" Zach asked, and Toby left the room.

"Oxygen holding. Internal gravity fifty six point six. We should be okay." Ida said.

"Never mind the earthquake, that's, that's one hell of a storm. What is that, a hurricane?" Rose asked.

"You'd need an atmosphere for a hurricane. There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum." Scooti said.

"Then what's shaking the roof?"

"You're not joking. You really don't know. Well introductions. F Y I, as they said in the olden days. I'm Ida Scott, science officer. Zachary Cross Flane, acting Captain, sir. You've met Mister Jefferson, he's Head of Security. Danny Bartock, Ethics committee." Ida said.

"Not as boring as it sounds." Danny said, scoffing.

"And that man who just left, that was Toby Zed, Archaeology, and this is Scooti Manista, Trainee maintenance. And this? This is home." Ida said, pulling down a lever.

"Brace yourselves. The sight of it sends some people mad." Zach said, as the shutters overhead pull back to reveal a white hot, angry, disc with a black centre and black dots falling into it.

"That's a black hole." Rose said.

"But that's impossible." The Doctor said.

"I did warn you." Zach said.

"This is unbelievable." Weiss said, shocked. "Is this humanly possible?"

"No, it isn't." I said, looking around the room. "But somehow it is."

"I guess you can say, this plan has holes." Yang said, coming up with a bad pun.

"Do you think we can get this whole?"

"Nope."

"This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in. Discuss." Ida said.

"And that's bad, yeah?" Rose asked.

"Bad doesn't cover it. A black hole's a dead star. It collapses in on itself, in and in and in until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too. Nothing in the universe can escape it. Light, gravity, time. Everything just gets pulled inside and crushed." The Doctor said.

"So, they can't be in orbit. We should be pulled right in."

"We should be dead."

"And yet here we are, beyond the laws of physics. Welcome on board." Ida said.

"But if there's no atmosphere out there, what's that?" Rose asked.

"Stars breaking up. Gas clouds. We have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads, before falling into that thing."

"So, a bit worse than a storm, then."

"Just a bit."

"Just a bit, yeah." Rose said, and the base shook again.

"So, what now?" Yang asked, walking around the room. "Do we just wait until something happens?"

"Yeah." I said, taking out a bottle of water. "We do."

"Close door 1." The computer said.

"The rocket link's fine." Toby said, over the speaker.

Zach calls up a hologram over the central console, "That's the black hole, officially designated K three seven Gen five."

"In the scriptures of the Falltino, this planet is called Kroptor, the bitter pill. And the black hole is supposed to be a mighty demon. It was tricked into devouring the planet, only to spit it out, because it was poison." Ida said.

"Ooo, the bitter pill." Yang said, smiling. "It's catchy, I like it."

"We are so far out. Lost in the drifts of the universe. How did you even get here?!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"We flew in. You see, this planet's generating a gravity field. We don't know how. We've no idea. But it's kept in constant balance against the black hole. And the field extends out there as a funnel. A distinct gravity funnel, reaching out into clear space. That was our way in." Zach said, recalling what happened.

"You flew down that thing? Like a rollercoaster." Rose said.

"By rights, the ship should have been torn apart. We lost the Captain, which is what put me in charge."

"You're doing a good job." Ida said.

"Yeah, well, needs must."

"So, what will we do now?" Weiss asked. "Since we're in the most dangerous situation ever."

"I don't know, maybe admire the view." I said. "I really don't know."

"How about we just high tail out out here here?" Yang asked, "See the rest of the universe."

"We can't."

"Sure. Help yourself." Ida said.

An Ood gives Rose a plastic cup of drink, "Your refreshment."

"What are those squid things?" Weiss asked. "With those balls."

"They're the Ood." I said, walking around the room. "I know an Ood. Ood Sigma, won't meet him for a while though."

"How do you know those things?"

"The show of course."

"Right, Doctor Who."

"Will we go back to our world?" Yang asked. "The both of us?"

"Yeah, I'll not let one thing happen to either of you." I said, happily. "I promise."

"The Ood." Danny said.

"Well that's ood." Rose said.

"Very ood, but handy. They work the mine shafts. All the drilling and stuff. Supervision and maintenance. They're born for it. Basic slave race."

"You've got slaves?"

"Don't start. She's like one of that lot. Friends of the Ood." Scooti said.

"Well maybe I am, yeah. Since when do humans need slaves?"

"But the Ood offer themselves. If you don't give them orders, they just pine away and die." Danny said.

"Seriously, you like being ordered about?" Rose asked.

"It is all we crave." The Ood said.

"Why's that, then?"

"We have nothing else in life."

"Yeah, well, I used to think like that, a long time ago."

"There we go. Do you see? To generate that gravity field, and the funnel, you'd need a power source with an inverted self extrapolating reflex of six to the power of six every six seconds." The Doctor said.

"That's a lot of sixes." Rose said.

"And it's impossible."

"It took us two years to work that out…" Zach said.

"So, we're stuck here." Weiss said, rolling her eyes. "For how long?"

"A while." I said, smiling. "That's why I didn't want to be here."

"And you brought us. Why?"

"Because you have nothing better to do!"

"Yes I do. Just studying and stuff!"

"Boring." Yang said, scoffing. "Why bother with that? When we can see all of time and space!"

"It's buried beneath us, in the darkness, waiting." Toby said.

"What's your job, chief dramatist?" Rose asked.

"Well, whatever it is down there is not a natural phenomena. And this, er, planet once supported life eons ago, before the human race had even learned to walk."

"I saw that lettering written on the wall. Did you do that?" The Doctor asked.

"I copied it from fragments we found unearthed by the drilling, but I can't translate it."

"No, neither can I. And that's saying something."

"There was some form of civilisation. They buried something. Now it's reaching out, calling us in." Toby said.

"And you came."

"We're dealing with a crew who just came to this place for curiosity." Weiss said, annoyed. "And something down in the pit."

"Yeah, you know what's next." Yang said, smiling. "Who will go where?"

"Yang, you're staying up here and shooting up bullets." I said, happily. "And Weiss, you'll be going down in the pit. I'll stay up here with Zach."

"We're splitting up." Weiss said, excitedly. "But why do I have to go to the pit?"

"Because you're Weiss Schnee. And you are amazing."

"Here we go. Come on, then." The Doctor said, hugging Zach. "Oh, human beings. You are amazing! Ha! Thank you."

"Not at all." Zach said.

"But apart from that, you're completely mad. You should pack your bags, get back in that ship and fly for your lives."

"You can talk. And how the hell did you get here?" Ida asked.

"Oh, I've got this er, this ship. It's hard to explain. It just sort of appears." The Doctor said.

"We can show you, we parked down the corridor from er. Oh, what's it called? Habitation area…" Rose said.

"Three."

"Three. Three."

"Do you mean storage six?" Zach asked.

"It was a bit of a cupboard, yeah. Storage six. But you said. You said. You said storage five to eight." The Doctor said, running out of the room.

Corridor…

"Don't tell me we lost our only way out." Weiss said, running next to me and Yang. "That being the TARDIS."

Habitation 3…

"Open door 19. Close door 19." The computer said.

"Open the door! Come on!" The Doctor said, angrily.

"Open door 17."

Corridor…

"Open door 15. Door 16 out of commission." The computer said.

"No way." Yang said, her eyes widening. "It can't be."

"Our only way out is gone." Weiss said, sadly. "I blame the earthquake for that."

"Me too, and the TARDIS is down there." I said, letting out a sigh. "I don't like this."

"The earthquake. This section collapsed." The Doctor said.

"But it's got to be out there somewhere." Rose said, looking through the porthole in the bulkhead door.

"Look down."

Control room…

"The ground gave way. My Tardis must've fallen down right into the heart of the planet. But you've got robot drills heading the same way." The Doctor said.

"We can't divert the drilling." Zach said.

"But I need my ship. It's all I've got. Literally the only thing."

"Doctor, we've only got the resources to drill one central shaft down to the power source, and that's it. No diversions, no distractions, no exceptions. Your machine is lost. All I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place, and that is the end of it."

"I'll er, put you on the duty roster. We need someone in the laundry." Ida said.

"So, we can't ever go back to Beacon." Weiss said, frowning. "We don't even know the future, you do."

"We'll make it out of here." I said, as I'm left alone in the room with the Doctor, Rose, Weiss, and Yang, except for an Ood. "I know we will."

"Open door 1. Close door 1." The computer said.

"Rose, I've trapped you here." The Doctor said.

"No, don't worry about me." Rose said, when the base shook. "Okay, we're on a planet that shouldn't exist, under a black hole and no way out. Yeah, I've changed my mind. Start worrying about me."

(Open POV)

Outside the base…

"Entering night shift. Your chosen track for transition is Ravel's Bolero." The computer said.

Jefferson wanders among the Ood as they work.

Scooti is at work on the planet's surface, "All finished. Coming back inside."

Corridor…

Danny checks off the Ood as they walk past him.

"Ood 7 Gamma 10. Ood 7 Gamma 11. Ood 7 Gamma 12." Danny said.

Control room...

"So, what was our future supposed to be anyway?" Yang asked. "Besides us saving the day."

"I can't tell you." Jared said, frowning. "The future, our future together. It isn't bright."

"What's wrong with us saving the day?"

"Nothing, we don't make it out the way we are right now."

"Spoilers much." Weiss said, angrily. "Someone's gonna die. I can tell by the way you've been avoiding the subject."

"Maybe, maybe not." Jared said, as Weiss and Yang walked away from him. "I'll see you ladies back here later."

Habitation 3…

The Doctor is examining the alien script.

"Danny, check the temperature in Ood Habitation. It seems to be rising." Zach said, his voice over the intercom.

"This is just great." Weiss said, when Rose goes to get something to eat. "We're far away from home. And stuck on an impossible planet."

"It's not that bad." Yang said, looking over to see Rose taking her tray to the serving window. "We have each other."

"Would you like sauce with that?" The Ood asked.

"I'll have a go, yeah. I did that job once. I was a, a dinner lady. Not that I'm calling you a lady. Although, I don't know, you might be. Do you actually get paid, though? Do they give you money?" Rose asked.

"The Beast and his Armies shall rise from the Pit to make war against God."

"I didn't just hear that." Weiss said, crossing her arms. "What did it say?"

"I don't know." Yang said, sadly. "It was weird."

"Yeah." Rose said, walking away from the Ood to sit next to Yang and Weiss.

Control room…

"Drill head now at point sixteen. Drill head speed increasing." The computer said.

"Keep pressure at sixty." Zach said, turning away from the console.

"What is that?" Yui asked, looking at the hologram in the middle briefly turn into an image of a roaring horned beast. "Is that the Devil?"

"Yeah." Jared said, when Zach looks back, it disappears. "It was."

"You're just gonna stay here with me." Zach said, looking at Jared. "Don't want to check up on your friends or anything?"

"Nope, I'm all good."

"What will do here with me?"

"Make sure you're safe. And I'm good with technology."

"You want to help me then."

"Yup."

"I don't know if you're even qualified for that. I barely know you."

Habitation 3…

"What will we do here anyway?" Weiss asked. "Besides waiting around here."

"We don't have the TARDIS." Yang said, laughing a lot. "Like we don't even need it. We could leave if we wanted to."

"Our way back home, it's in the TARDIS. That portal, remember?"

"It's portable now."

"Portable. Jared used it as a way against the Cybermen."

"You're right, we're trapped here."

"I don't know how long though." Weiss said, when the lights flicker.

"Zach? Have we got a problem?" Ida asked.

"No more than usual. Got the Scarlet System burning up. Might be worth a look." Zach said, over the intercom.

"You might want to see this. Moment in history." Ida said, opening the shutters. "There. On the edge. That red cloud. That used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Peluchi, a mighty civilisation spanning a billion years, disappearing forever. Their planets and suns consumed. Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed its passing."

"Er, no, could you leave it open? Just for a bit. I won't go mad, I promise." The Doctor said.

"How would you know? Scooti, check the lockdown. Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me."

Jefferson and Scooti leave by door 17 or 19. Ida uses door 18.

"Open door 18." The computer said.

"I've seen films and things, yeah. They say black holes are like gateways to another universe." Rose said.

"Close door 18."

"By the looks of it, that black hole isn't a way back to our universe." Weiss said, scoffing. "I think it just eats."

"Long way from home." Rose said, sadly.

"Go that way, turn right, keep going for er, about, er, five hundred years, and you'll reach the Earth." The Doctor said, coming up with an estimation.

Rose turns her phone on, "No signal. That's the first time we've gone out of range. Mind you, even if I could. What would I tell her?"

"I don't know, it's your mom." Yang said, laughing. "This may sound crazy. Can you build another Tardis?"

"They were grown, not built. And with my own planet gone, we're kind of stuck." The Doctor said.

"It could be worse, Doctor. These guys can give us a lift, and we can high tail it out of here."

"And then what?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know. Ask your girlfriend."

"Maybe find a planet, get a job, live a life, same as the rest of the universe." Rose said, coming up with an idea.

"I'd have to settle down. Get a house or something. A proper house with, with doors and things. Carpets. Me, living in a house. Now that, that is terrifying." The Doctor said, angrily.

"The Doctor living in a house." Weiss said. "That may not be bad after all."

"You see, it's not that bad." Yang said, smiling. "We can handle it, ice queen."

"For the last time, I'm not an ice queen!"

"I'm dying. That's it. I'm dying. It is all over." The Doctor said.

"What about me? I'd have to get one, too. I don't know, could be the same one. Doctor, we could both, I don't know, share. Or not, you know. Whatever. I don't know. We'll sort something out…" Rose said.

"Anyway."

"We'll see."

"I promised Jackie I'd always take you back home."

"We'll end up back home someday." Yang said, excitedly. "Not today. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Besides Ruby doing something childish." Weiss said. "Or the Doctor bringing us into more trouble."

"Fair point. What do you think Jared is playing right now?"

"Probably the new Animal Crossing game."

"Yes." Rose said, and her phone rings.

"He is awake." A voice said, and Toby's eyes are red.

Ood habitation…

"Evening." The Doctor said.

"Only us." Rose said.

"The mysterious pentatonic, while one is with Zach. How are you, then? Settling in?" Danny asked.

"We are, even if I don't like it." Weiss said, crossing her arms. "How do the Ood communicate with each other? Is it by telepathy or something?"

"Yeah, they're just empaths. There's a low level telepathic field connecting them. Not that that does them much good. They're basically a herd race. Like cattle."

The Ood are sitting on benches down below Danny's catwalk.

"This telepathic field. Can it pick up messages?" The Doctor asked.

"Because I was having dinner, and one of the Ood said something, well, odd." Rose said.

"Hmm. An odd Ood." Danny said.

"And then I got something else on my er, communicator thing."

"Oh, be fair. We've got whole star systems burning up around us. There's all sorts of stray transmissions. Probably nothing. Look, if there was something wrong, it would show. We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them. They're so stupid, they don't even tell us when they're ill."

"So, you monitor the monitor the field." Yang said, looking at the reading that's st basic 5. "That's what that is."

"Yeah. But like I said, it's low level telepathy. They only register basic five."

"Um, that's not basic five. It's going up to basic 7, 8, 9. It's increasing fast to basic 10, 20. They've just gone up to basic 30." Yang said, as the Ood lift their heads.

"But they can't." Danny said.

"Doctor, the Ood. What does basic thirty mean?" Rose asked.

"Well, it means that they're shouting, screaming inside their heads." Danny said.

"Or something's shouting at them." The Doctor said.

"But where is it coming from? What is it saying? What did it say to you?"

"Something about the beast in the pit." Rose said.

"What about your communicator? What did that say?"

"He is awake."

"And you will worship him." All the Ood said.

"What?" Weiss asked, shocked. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Oh, let me try." Yang said, smiling. "He is awake."

"And you will worship him." All the Ood said.

"Worship who?" The Doctor asked, and he got no reply. "Who's talking to you? Who is it?"

Control room…

"So Yui, since I'm stuck here, I want to take down some bosses." Jared said, looking down at Yui. "With your parents."

"With mommy and daddy?" Yui asked. "Really?"

"Yeah, there is not much going on for a while. God knows what will happen next. Probably not much really."

"Jared." Weiss said, her voice coming out of the Augma. "Are you sure about this? Leaving me and Yang here."

"Positive. I'll be back before then."

"What will we be doing then?"

"Keep the Doctor and Rose company." Jared said, closing his eyes. "Link Start."

Ood habitation...

"Yui." Weiss said, looking at the pixie AI. "I'm gonna kill him when he comes back."

"Why?" Yui asked, looking at Weiss. "What are you gonna do?"

"He's leaving me and Yang here in the middle of nowhere. In that pit is the Devil. What do you think I'm gonna do?"

"Ooo, how about you go with him?"

"Me with him? You think I've got a thing for Jared?"

"You think you hate him. But you secretly like him. Like with Ruby. If you want to spend some time with him, you should."

"Just go with him before I do something to Asuna."

Yui disappeared in a flash of light to join Jared in Gun Gale Online with Kirito and Asuna.

Gun Gale Online…

"You left them there." Kirito said, running across a field with Jared and Asuna. "What about those Ood things?"

"They'll be fine." Jared said, deflecting bullets with Kirito and Asuna. "They're Weiss and Yang. They can handle themselves."

"You can't just leave them there."

"Everything is gonna be fine. I'm just in the control room with Zach. The captain of the base."

"If Jared says it's gonna be fine." Asuna said, looking at Kirito. "It will be. No need to worry. What will happen in that base?"

"The Doctor is a trouble magnet." Kirito said, getting another kill. "You sure about this? Us not being there with you."

"Yeah. I love you guys so much."

"What will happen to me in the future?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me."

"It's been a while since I watched your show." Jared said, logging out. "I'll be back, something happened."

Ood Habitation…

The base shakes.

"Emergency hull breach. Emergency hull breach." The computer said.

"Which section?" Danny asked.

Control room…

"Everyone, evacuate eleven to thirteen. We've got a breach. The base is open. Repeat, the base is open!" Zach said, terrified.

Habitation 3…

"Open door 19." The computer said, as the Doctor, Rose, Weiss, Yang, and Danny run in. "Close door 19."

Control room…

"I can't contain the oxygen field. We're going to lose it." Zach said.

Corridor…

"Come on! Keep moving!" Jefferson said, and the crew are converging from different directions. "And you too, Toby!"

"Breach sealed. Breach sealed." The computer said.

"What could possibly go wrong you say?" Weiss asked, angrily. "You and Jared just had to say that."

"It wasn't my fault I didn't see this coming." Yang said, happily.

"You totally saw this coming."

"So, what now?"

"I don't know."

"That wasn't a quake. What caused it?" The Doctor asked.

Control room…

"We've lost sections eleven to thirteen Everyone all right?" Zach asked.

Corridor…

"We've got everyone here except Scooti. Scooti, report. Scooti Manista? That's an order. Report." Jefferson said.

"She's all right. I've picked up her biochip. She's in…" Zach said, his voice over the intercom.

Control room…

"Habitation three. Better go and check if she's not responding. She might be unconscious." Zach said.

(Jared's POV)

Corridor…

I appeared as a hologram in front of Weiss and Yang, looking around at my surroundings, smiling.

"You dunce." Weiss said, while Toby's skin is normal again. "We could have died!"

"But you didn't." I said, looking at Weiss. "You're fine. You and Yang are fine."

"What happened?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't. I don't know. I was working and then I can't remember. All that noise. The room was falling apart. There was no air…" Toby said.

"Come on, get up." Yang said, lifting Toby off the ground. "You've had a long day deciphering the text."

"Come and have some protein one." Rose said, agreeing with Yang.

"Oh, you've gone native." The Doctor said.

"Oi, don't knock it. It's nice. Protein one with just a dash of three."

Habitation 3…

"I've checked Habitation four. Can you hear me?" Ida asked.

"There's no sign of her. The biochip says she's in the area. Have any of you seen Scooti?" Jefferson asked.

"No, no, no, I don't think so." Toby said.

"She's…" I said, sadly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"What happened?" Weiss asked.

"She's gone."

"Oh." Yang said, frowning.

"Yeah, well, that's where I am, and I'm telling you she's not here." Jefferson said.

"I've found her." The Doctor said, and we looked up through the open shutters.

"Oh, my God." Rose said, as Scooti is drifting away, towards the black hole.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Captain. Report Officer Scootori Manista PKD, deceased. Forty three K two point one." Jefferson said.

"She was twenty. Twenty years old." Ida said, closing the shutters.

Jefferson quotes Horatius, by Thomas Babington Macaulay, "For how should man die better than facing fearful odds? For the ashes of his father and the temples of his Gods."

"It stopped." Weiss said, walking around the room when the base falls silent.

"What was that? What was it?" Rose asked.

"It was the drill, Rosie." I said, sadly.

"We've stopped drilling. We've made it. Point Zero." Ida said.

Drilling area…

"All non essential Oods to be confined." Zach said, over the speaker.

"Capsule established. All systems functioning. The mineshaft is go. Bring systems online now." Ida said, as she, the Doctor, and Weiss are in spacesuits.

"Reporting as volunteers for the expeditionary force." The Doctor said.

"Weiss, be careful down there." I said, looking over at Weiss. "I, oh you know."

"You're lucky you're like Ruby." Weiss said. "I'm only keeping the Doctor out of trouble. If he goes down there, then I'll follow him."

"But won't you fall?"

"I've got my glyphs. I'll be fine. And my Aura is at max health." Weiss said, looking down at her Scroll.

"What will you do to help the Doctor?"

"Whatever is down in the pit. I'll face it with him. Only because he needs me."

"Yes, sir." The Doctor said, as he and Weiss puts on their helmets.

"It's funny, because people back home think that space travel's going to be all whizzing about and teleports and anti gravity, but it's not, is it? It's tough." Rose said.

"I'll see you later." The Doctor said.

"Not if I see you first."

(Open POV)

Ood Habitation…

"You will remain here. No command can override this. Have you got that? My instructions only." Danny said, as the Ood are sitting, quietly.

Control room…

"Capsule active. Counting down in ten, nine…" Zach said.

Drilling area…

"Eight, seven, six…" Zach said, as the Doctor, Ida, and Weiss go into the capsule. Jefferson closes the door. "Five, four, three, two, one. Release."

The capsule is lowered on its cable. Toby keeps checking his palms. Rose checks their progress on the screen whilst clutching the microphone.

Control room…

"You've gone beyond the oxygen field. You're on your own." Zach said.

"Weiss, you'll be fine." Jared said, as Ida, the Doctor, and Weiss turn on their life support. "Just stay calm."

Drilling area…

"Don't forget to breath. Breathing's good." Rose said.

Control room…

"Rose, stay off the comm." Zach said.

Drilling area…

"No chance." Rose said, as the capsule shudders even more than usual then suddenly drops.

"Those two will look after each other." Yang said, when the Ood all stand up and turn to look up at Danny and a guard. "Right?"

"Yeah." Rose said, and the two blondes heard a loud noise. "Doctor? Doctor, are you all right?"

Control room…

The screen says the capsule has reached Point Zero.

"Ida, report to me. Doctor? Weiss?" Zach asked.

Point Zero…

"It's all right. We've made it. Getting out of the capsule now." The Doctor said.

"So, is everything fine down there?" Yang asked, her voice over the intercom.

"No one got hurt?" Jared asked, his voice over the intercom. "I hope no one did in there."

"We're fine." Weiss said. "This cave is big. Really big. Kinda dark, though."

"Well, this should help. Gravity globe." Ida said, throwing up a ball that illuminates the cavern. "That's, that's. My God, that's beautiful."

"Rose, Yang, either of you can tell Toby we've found his civilisation…" The Doctor said, as the walls of the cavern are carved into pillars and statues.

Drilling area…

"It looks like we've done some good work." Yang said.

"What kind of work?" Yui asked.

Control room…

"Concentrate now, people. Keep on the mission. Ida, what about the power source?" Zach asked.

Point Zero…

"We're close. Energy signature indicates north north west. Are you getting pictures up there?" Ida asked.

"There's too much interference. We're in your hands." Zach said, over the speaker.

"Well, we've come this far. There's no turning back."

"You had to say that." Weiss said, annoyed. "Saying that there's no turning back. It's like saying what could possibly go wrong."

"Or this is going to be the best Christmas Walford's ever had." The Doctor said, agreeing with Weiss.

"Are you two finished?" Ida asked.

"Yeah. Finished." The Doctor said.

Ood Habitation…

"Captain, sir. There's something happening with the Ood." Danny said.

Control room...

"What are they doing?" Zach asked.

Ood Habitation...

"They're staring at me. I've told them to stop, but they won't." Danny said.

"Danny, you're a big boy." Zach said, his voice over the intercom.

Control room...

"I think you can take being stared at." Zach said.

Ood Habitation...

"But the telepathic field, sir. It's at basic one hundred. I've checked. there isn't any fault. It's definitely one hundred." Danny said.

Drilling area...

"But that's impossible." Zach said, his voice over the intercom.

"What's basic one hundred mean?" Rose asked.

Ood Habitation...

"They should be dead." Danny said.

Drilling area...

"Basic one hundred's brain death." Jefferson said.

Control room...

"But they're safe. They're not actually moving?" Zach asked.

Ood Habitation...

"No, sir." Danny said.

Control room…

"At least we're all safe for now." Jared said, smiling. "Nothing could possibly go wrong."

Drilling area...

"Keep a guard on the Ood." Zach said, his voice over the speaker.

"Officer at arms!" Jefferson said, angrily.

"Finally, some action." Yang said, enabling her Ember Celica. "Taking down an Ood should be easy. Even if I never fought them before."

"You can't fire a gun in here. What if you hit a wall?" Rose asked.

"I'm firing stock fifteen. It only impacts upon organics. Keep watch. Guard them." Jefferson said, and there are at least three Ood there.

A woman replies, "Yes, sir."

"Is everything all right up there?" The Doctor asked, his voice over the intercom.

"Yeah, yeah." Rose said.

Control room...

"It's fine." Zach said.

Ood Habitation...

"Great." Danny said.

Point Zero…

The Doctor, Ida, and Weiss have gone between a pair of massive pillars into an area with a lot of rubble and a big round decorated door in the floor.

"This is impressive." Weiss said, looking around. "Anyway, we've found something. It might be a metal seal. Ones you would find on envelopes."

"I've got a nasty feeling the word might be trapdoor. Not a good word, trapdoor. Never met a trapdoor I liked." The Doctor said.

"The edge is covered with those symbols." Ida said.

"Do you think it opens?" Zach asked, his voice over the intercom.

"That's what trapdoors tend to do." The Doctor said.

"Trapdoor doesn't do it justice. It's massive, Zach. About thirty feet in diameter." Ida said.

"Any way of opening it?" Zach asked, his voice over the intercom.

"I don't know. I can't see any sort of mechanism." Ida said.

"I suppose that's the writing. It'll tell us what to do. The letters that defy translation." The Doctor said.

Control room..

"Yang, be careful." Jared said, frowning. "I don't want to lose my pun queen."

Drilling area…

"I'll be fine." Yang said, smirking. "You just press some buttons, like you do when you play video games."

"How did you know I was gonna say that?" Jared asked, his voice over Yang's Augma.

"I just do. Okay?"

"When did you work that out?" Jefferson asked.

"It doesn't matter, just tell them." Rose said.

Toby is covered in the symbols again, "These are the words of the Beast. And he has woken. He is the heart that beats in the darkness. He is the blood that will never cease. And now he will rise."

"Officer, stand down. Stand down." Jefferson said.

Point Zero...

"What is it? What's he done? What's happening? Rose, Jared, Yang, what's going on?" The Doctor asked.

Control room…

"Jefferson? Report. Report!" Zach said, angrily.

Drilling area…

"Officer, as Commander of Security, I order you to stand down and be confined. Immediately!" Jefferson said.

"He's come out in those symbols all over his face. They're all over him." Rose said.

"That doesn't look good." Yang said, loading up her bullets in her Ember Celica.

"Yang, you're armed and ready." Jared said, his voice coming out of Yang's Augma. "You'll be fine."

"I can handle that."

"Just stop the Ood. You can handle the Devil later."

"Or what?" Toby asked.

"Or under the strictures of Condition Red, I am authorised to shoot you." Jefferson said.

"But how many can you kill?" Toby asked, opening his mouth.

The symbols leave him and float over to the Ood, who jerk to attention. Toby collapses.

Ood Habitation…

"We are the Legion of the Beast." All the Ood said.

Point Zero…

"Rose? What is it, Rose, Yang, Jared? I'm going back up. Let's go Weiss." The Doctor said, walking away with Weiss.

"Great, when I wanted to check out that pit." Weiss said, annoyed. "What is going on up there?"

Control room...

"Jefferson, report. Someone, report!" Zach said, angrily.

Ood Habitation...

"The Legion shall be many, and the Legion shall be few." All the Ood said.

Drilling area..

"Why can't you shut up?" Yang asked, sending bullets to the Ood but they won't stop. "Why can't you go down?"

"Sir, we have contamination in the livestock." Jefferson said.

"Doctor, I don't know what it is. It's like they're possessed." Rose said.

"They won't listen to us." Jefferson said.

Ood Habitation...

"He has woven himself in the fabric of your life since the dawn of time. Some may call him Abaddon. Some may call him Kroptor. Some may call him Satan or Lucifer." All the Ood said.

"Captain, it's the Ood. They're out of control!" Danny said.

"Or the Bringer of Despair, the Deathless Prince, the Bringer of Night." One Ood said, walking up the steps to the catwalk. It releases its globe, which flies to the guard's forehead and electrocutes him. "These are the words that shall set him free."

Drilling area…

"Back up to the door!" Jefferson said.

"So, we're stuck here." Rose said, sadly. "Against some Ood."

"Rose, stay behind me." Yang said, standing in front of Rose. "I'm the only one who's taken down Grimm."

"With some help now and again. You've got a temper tantrum. That's your semblance."

"Every attack I get, it makes me stronger. I can take down all of the Ood if I wanted to."

"My Legions shall swarm across the worlds." All the Ood said.

Point Zero...

The centre of the trapdoor sinks. The ground shakes.

"Doctor, it's opening!" Weiss said, her eyes widening. "We have to get back to Ida."

Control room...

"We're moving! The whole thing's moving. The planet's moving." Zach said, while the overhead shutters open.

"At least I'm safe in here." Jared said, when the Doctor and Weiss run back to Ida as the whole trapdoor opens its segments.

Drilling area...

"I am the sin and the temptation and the desire. I am the pain and the loss and the…" All the Ood said.

"Get that door open!" Jefferson said, as the open trapdoor reveals a deep shaft.

Control room...

"The gravity field. It's going! We're losing orbit! We're going to fall into the black hole!" Zach said.

Drilling area…

"I have been imprisoned for eternity. But no more." All the Ood said.

"Door sealed." The computer said.

"Come on!" Rose said, annoyed.

"Door sealed."

Point Zero...

"The Pit is open. And I am free. Bwahahahahahaha!" A voice said.