Doctor Who fic: Time Bound, Part 1: Fracturing (5/7)

[gentlehobbit]

Banner made by 'D', my amazingly talented RL artist friend.

Characters: 10.5 ("Ten")/Rose, Eleven/River
Genre: Drama, action and romance
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up to Wedding of River Song
Warnings: None
Length: 25,000 words (Part 1: Fracturing). Both parts total = 43,000 words

Summary: A planet's distress call prompts Eleven to invite Ten and Rose to adventure with him and River. But as fractures appear on the planet, so do they in Ten and Rose's relationship.

Chapter 5 Summary: Rose and River's investigation begins to yield some answers. Meanwhile, River has noticed Rose and Ten's difficulties. She finds time to discuss Time Lord birds and bees with a resentful Rose.



Disclaimer: This story takes place within the Doctor Who universe. This story is a way of re-interpreting concepts and ideas already present in Doctor Who. All Doctor Who characters within belong to the BBC. All other characters are fictitious. This story is for fun and for sharing, but not for profit.

Time Bound, Part I: Fracturing

Chapter 5: Investigation

The owner of the pub was still alive. He had not left although his premises lay only three blocks from the time-fracture and the rest of the area was deserted. When Velki pulled what looked like an old-fashioned bell-pull and a chime sounded within, the owner peeked out of a small circular window in the middle of the door. Almost immediately, he opened the door and pulled Velki in.

'Friends of yours?' he asked, peering at Rose and River curiously. 'They don't look like Allack.'

'No!' said Velki. 'Let them in. They are trying to help.'

Rose looked around her as they passed through the ubiquitous protruding entrance. It reminded her a little of a large entrance to an igloo, except that the interior was just as richly painted with the colours of the outside. The large room inside was well lit, but the lighting was soft and slightly reddish. The walls were made of a rich, wood-like substance, and seating, although a little different in style from Earth, was clearly meant for the same purpose. Even stools lined a counter behind which paraphernalia for drink mixing could be seen. The stools were similar to those of Earth, except that several wooden and metal carved decorations dangled from the back half of each seat.

'Some things never change,' murmured Rose.

River heard her and grinned. 'The best things never do,' she said. She turned to the owner. 'It sounds like you don't trust the Allack.'

'No, I do not.' The owner was quite tall with gangly limbs. He folded himself into a chair and gestured at the chairs across the table from him. They all sat. 'I am Vorran. You are?'

'I'm Rose and this is River. We've come to help, or try to. Though it seems the Allack beat us to it.'

'Yes.' Vorran pulled a face. 'Are you with a bigger group? When did you come?'

'Just one other... friend. Only an hour ago,' said River. 'As soon as we got your planet's mayday.'

'I saw the friend,' offered Velki. 'He crossed the line.'

'Do not be daft,' Vorran snapped. 'No one can cross the lines.'

'He can,' Rose assured him. 'That's why we came. He understands time. He can tell when it's safe to cross. He's going to try to stop whatever this is that's breaking up your planet.'

Vorran looked at her and River, mulling the information over. 'All right,' he said at last. 'Velki, do you trust them?'

Velki slowly wound her fingers in her hair, pulling at it slightly. 'I think so,' she said and shook her head. 'They do not try to tell me what to do, and they do not tell me they have all the answers. Except their friend who knows how to cross the lines. But even he does not know what he will find. Their behaviour rings true to me.'

'I have always found Velki to be a good judge of people,' said Vorran. 'Do not betray that trust, all right?'

'We won't,' Rose promised. 'But... could you tell us about the Allack? Why don't you like them?'

Vorran scowled. 'There are so many of them. They came immediately. Almost the moment the lines appeared. Even before our communications systems were knocked out, there were broadcast announcements that they were here and set up to help us. How would they know to come? And they have all this equipment. First aid stations, food, medicine. Everything all right for our people. Again, how would they know? It seems like they were prepared already. Like they knew this was going to happen. It has only been a few hours since the time fractures and the tremors came, and now they are everywhere.'

'Yeah,' said River. 'I can see why you're suspicious. Have they made any hostile move?'

'Not as far as I know,' admitted Vorran. 'All I have heard is that they have been helping. Everyone is flocking to them. It is like we have handed over our trust to them. They have told us not to trust any other aliens--that you are only here to take advantage of us.'

'That would explain that crowd's reaction to us,' said River.

'What about your government?' asked Rose. 'Did they accept the Allack's help?'

Velki nodded her head rapidly. 'No, they cannot. They are stuck in the slow places. I told you this.'

'Oh,' said Rose. 'Right. But isn't anyone--'

'The fractures divide the city in half,' explained Vorran. 'This is the working section. Not the government section. No-one from the government was here when the fractures happened.'

'How many fractures are between this area and your government?' asked River.

'Many,' said Vorran. 'Some people brave enough to come near the lines have written messages on large paper. They say there are more lines, and people behind other lines write the same thing. But the further down the fractures they go, it seems fewer people come to communicate. No-one has seen anyone come out of the government area. They are behind many fractures. This is all from people I trust. I have heard a lot more, but a lot of that seems like crazy rumours from panic. And this is not the only problem. All the warehouses and storage are on the other side of at least one fracture. So are most of the bigger restaurants and food stores. There will soon be no food here, if this goes on for more than a few days.'

'Have you had any looting?' asked River.

'Not yet,' he answered. 'I never have much here at any time anyway. I usually have fresh supplies delivered each morning. But this morning, it never happened. I have a bit left over from yesterday, but it will not last beyond today.'

'Thanks,' said Rose and she stood up. River followed suit. The room shook from another tremor, and Rose held on to the bar edge. The ornaments on the edge of the seats tinkled and chimed. 'I think I'd like to find out what these Allack are up to.'

'Where are they?' asked River.

Vorran shrugged. 'Anywhere. Not so close to the lines since people have already abandoned this area. Besides, this was supposed to be a holiday. Not so many people down here among the businesses. Only for entertainment, and no-one wants that now. So, head further away from the red line. Soon the buildings will change from businesses to tall multi-dwellings. You will see them there.'

Rose nodded. 'Thanks. We'll find out what we can.'

She and River left, Velki opting to stay behind with her friend.

As they followed Vorran's directions and followed a street westward away from the time fracture, Rose looked at River.

'What do you think? Allack friendly or not?'

River shrugged. 'Hard to say. There are organizations out there who help when they can.'

'But they came so soon. Sooner than us, even.'

'There are other people who have time travel ability,' River reminded her. 'It's rare, but Time Agents have helped organizations. Tipped them off when something is about to happen.' She gestured at her Vortex Manipulator.

'So, they could be just what they claim to be,' mused Rose. 'Rather like a universal Red Cross.'

'Could be. But I never judge a book by its cover.' River grinned at Rose. 'Shall we investigate?'

'Let's!'

They continued in silence. Both women instinctively kept to shadows, near to edges of buildings rather than walking in the middle of the mostly empty streets. Soon they began to hear some hints of activity ahead of them. Half a block later, they could discern tents in the distance--tents erected in the middle of the road.

'One of the Allacks' emergency stations?' guessed Rose.

'Could be,' murmured River.

Two blocks later, they caught sight of two beings turning down a side street. They were tall with unusually white, gleaming hair.

'Allack?' whispered Rose.

'Think so,' River whispered back. Rose noticed that she slurred her 's' into a 'th', even though they were still at least a block away from the beings. Nevertheless, she nodded appreciatively at River's care not to give them away by the sibilant sound.

By unspoken agreement, they both followed the beings, careful to keep to shadows, watching where they stepped so as not to inadvertently kick a piece of debris and give away their presence.

Soon the beings ahead of them entered a glass-fronted two-storey building. By the time the women reached the location and peered around the edge of the front, the beings had disappeared into the further reaches of the interior.

River twiddled with her vortex manipulator for a moment, then turned to Rose. 'They're both in the back and accessing a computer system. Safe to go in.'

Rose nodded, cautiously went to the door and opened it. They slipped in and made their way through a lobby-like area and down a narrow corridor to the back. They heard a murmur of voices through a door at the end of the corridor, and they edged around a corner away from direct line of sight of the doorway.

It was not long before the beings emerged. From a closer vantage point, it seemed to Rose that everything about these beings was elongated. They had narrow faces and long, shimmering white hair, and tall, slender white-robed bodies. Their low voices were smooth and liquid-sounding. They did not show any awareness of the women's presence and simply left. After a moment, the sound of the front door opening and closing came to them.

'Right,' said Rose. 'Let's take a look.'

Inside the room, a row of computers adorned the left side of the room. Rose gulped. The control banks were on sloping surfaces with the screens inset in the walls. There was absolutely nothing familiar about what passed for keyboards.

'Right,' she repeated. 'I'll keep a look-out. Can you access these things? Can you tell what they were doing?'

'No problem,' said River. She swiftly settled herself down at a terminal and rapidly moved her fingers over the controls. Rose returned to the door and peered out. She could just make out the front door in the distance. The coast was clear.

After a few minutes, River called her over. Several maps were displayed on the screen.

'These were the last things accessed.' She pointed out each item as she spoke. 'Seems like they were looking for geological fault lines and population centres. And hospitals.'

'So they could be friendly,' said Rose.

'As far as I can tell.' But River frowned. 'Hang on, there's something happening...'

Rose peered over her shoulder but she saw nothing. 'What?'

River shook her head. 'I don't know. It seemed like the computer was doing something, but whatever it was is finished now. Maybe some automated function.' She wiped the maps from the screen. 'Let's go. Nothing more to see here.'

Rose nodded, but she felt unsettled. River seemed to share her sentiment for they both moved quickly back through the building, checked to see if the coast was clear and left the premises.

'Where to, now?' asked Rose. 'I don't feel like joining these Allack. I get the sense that we're not welcome if we're not either inhabitants or Allack ourselves.'

River nodded and pursed her lips. 'They seem to have the trust of the locals and are well-organized, so best leave them at it for now. Though, if we find out anything dodgy...'

'Look,' mused Rose. 'There might still be people alive near the fractures, hurt from the earthquakes--er, planetquakes--instead of the lines. Velki said that everyone else ran away, so they wouldn't've had help. We could at least bring them in to the Allack stations.'

River nodded. 'Good idea. Maybe then they'll see us as allies. At the very least, we'd get to look around a bit at their aid stations. See if they're up to anything.'

They turned back eastward towards the pub and, by unspoken agreement, pushed their pace. Except for the aid station in the distance behind them, the roads were utterly deserted. Wind howled through the streets and between the tall buildings. The ground trembled under their feet, but it felt more like an afterthought, and Rose paid it no mind.

She shivered and zipped up her jacket. 'It's a lot colder than when we first arrived.'

'The climate is going to pieces,' murmured River. 'It's going to get worse as time goes on.'

'What about the Doctor? Is it going to be the same for him?'

'Ten?' River considered this. 'Yeah. Well, except, for him, it's going to get hotter. Drier. He's going to get a wicked sunburn.'

Rose stared at her. 'Sunburn?'

'Effect of the fractures. Our side, colder and foggy. Did you notice the mist near the fracture?'

Rose nodded.

'Well, on his side, he's going to get winds stronger each time he crosses a line. Enough of a difference and he'll be walking into hurricane-force winds.'

'Oh.' Rose bit her lip.

River watched her with curiosity. 'I don't mean to pry but...' She chuckled then. 'Well, of course I do. What am I saying. But, really, is everything all right between you two? I know you're worried about him, but it seems to me there's something else going on.'

Rose looked straight ahead as they walked back along the road. 'We're fine.' She quickened her pace again.

River easily matched it. 'No, you're not. I saw how you two acted in the Tardis. Also, you refused to answer my question during the target practice.'

'That was awfully personal,' was the muttered response.

River nodded. 'Yeah. But...' She cocked her head to one side and then straightened. 'Look, maybe I have no business talking to you about this, but I'm the only one who can.'

'Why?'

'Why? Because we're the only two involved with Time Lords. I have a... unique perspective.'

Rose kicked at a small piece of debris. It skittered to the side.

River continued. 'I know how hard it is to get the Doctor to talk about his past or... or anything personal. If Eleven is like that, and Ten came from him, I think I have a pretty good idea of what you're up against.'

Rose's shoulders slumped. 'He talks, more than he ever used to when he was still fully Time Lord. More than Eleven, I think. But...'

'You still don't feel as if you're being let in.'

'Yeah.' She looked at River then. 'Don't get me wrong. Anything now, anything new, he's all right. He'll talk, share, whatever. But it's like you said. Anything in his past... deep stuff...'

'Locked away.' River smiled wistfully. 'Don't I know it. But...' and she brightened. 'There's one thing I can help with. Now, Rose, you're not gonna like me talking about this--maybe you don't think we know each other well enough, but, hell, I'm going to anyways. About sex--'

Rose scowled.

'--just hear me out. I'm not going to ask you anything. Just listen, all right?' She didn't wait for Rose to answer. 'Look, it took a while for me and Eleven. In the end, I had to--' Here, River's gaze became unfocused and she laughed gently. '--persuade him.'

'What is it with that?' Rose burst out. 'I mean,' she continued, a little sheepishly, 'he's interested, or he tells me he is, but it's all up to me to get the mood going. Then something happens--aliens or whatever--and... it's gone. He's so easily distracted. I've tried so many times. Now I feel like I'm almost nagging.'

River laughed merrily, but stopped at the wounded look on Rose's face. 'Sorry. It's just that... It's their culture. Gallifreyan. I mean, I might be part Time Lord, but I'm not Gallifreyan. I'm human, like you. We have different needs, psychologically and biologically.'

'He's human now,' Rose reminded her.

'Part human only. And that part only biologically. Which might make him begin to be, er, interested in things. But culturally? He's still mostly Gallifreyan, and he's had almost a millennia of only having been Time Lord. The human thing is still a mystery to him, I bet. Strange quirks he's noticing in himself that he doesn't really understand. Poor fellow. A human sexual drive must be utterly confusing to him.'

Rose threw her hands up in the air. 'Don't they ever have sex?'

River made a face. 'Not really. Everything became so scientific and clinical... I don't know details--it's hard to find out anything even from the Tardis. But telepathic connection is considered more important between mates. See, anything physical, undignified... it's just not a part of their culture. It hasn't been for a long time.'

'How long did it take you to, er, persuade him?' asked Rose. 'Er, Eleven.'

'200 years.'

'What?'

River chuckled. 'Don't worry. Not 200 years for me. For him.'

'Wait... 200 years? How long have you been together? How many... incarnations?'

'Not that long,' said River soothingly. 'For me, at any rate. And, only one--at least as far as I know. But... when was the last time you saw him?'

'Just after Amy and Rory's honeymoon,' Rose answered.

'Amy and Rory...' River smiled softly. 'Right... That was 200 years ago.'

Rose gaped at her, and then shut her mouth. Her mind reeled. 200 years ago, or close enough, was the Battle of Trafalgar. She had only seen Eleven last year, but she was as distant in the past to him as Nelson's victory was to her.

'I didn't... I didn't know,' she stammered. 'I'm ancient history to him.'

'No, you're not.' River took her by the shoulders and faced her. 'He's a Time Lord. 200 years doesn't mean anything to him. And... he still loves you. I know, and I'm fine with that. It doesn't affect our relationship. It doesn't need to. That's the way he is. But... he's moved on. He's had to. He always has to.'

Rose nodded. 'Right. Yeah. I know.' She stared at the ground, mind racing.

'Meanwhile,' River continued after Rose remained silent, 'I did persuade him in the end.' She elbowed Rose playfully. 'Once I got him to do it--and never, ever let him know I told you this, but we girls have to stick together--he found out that he really, really, rather liked it. Much more than he had imagined. He became a lot more interested after that, I can tell you! No problem getting him in the mood again.' She winked. 'I can't speak for Ten... after all, he's become his own person now, but... he does have that dash of human genes. I think it's just making him do it for the first time.'

'That's the problem,' mumbled Rose. 'It's been a year. I don't know what else to try.'

By this time, they had reached the street with the pub. The road they had been walking on continued on towards the time fracture. Mist swirled between the fractured buildings and the areas beyond glowed red.

As they approached the debris near the fracture, the dreadful smell assaulted them. Rose gagged. 'That's getting worse.' She tried not to think of the cause, but it was to no avail. A feeling of nausea rose within her. She avoided looking directly at the bodies.

'Hang on,' muttered River. 'There's an easier way to do this.' She fiddled with her vortex manipulator. 'Just going to scan...' After a few moments, she looked up, satisfied. 'No need. No-one alive here.'

Rose clenched her hands. 'Then let's go to the next block.' She turned and headed north. River followed her and reset the scanning radius.

They tried for an hour, scanning block after block, but no-one was left alive.

'Either the inhabitants or the Allack already took the injured, or they've already died,' said River.

'Yeah.' Rose's shoulders slumped and she scuffed the toe of her shoe. 'I hope they already took them.' She sighed. 'What do we do now?'

'Go back to that pub,' River declared. 'It's a base, of sorts. We share what information we have. It's the least we can do. After that? Perhaps the direct approach might be best with these Allack. If they are friendly, fine. If they're not...' She patted her gun slung on her right hip. 'There are other ways of communicating.'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'Thank you,' said Vorran. 'for coming back and letting us know what you have learned. I agree, it is not much, but it is something.'

'Yes,' agreed Velki who sat beside Rose at the bar. 'This is all so strange and we don't know about aliens.'

Rose twisted back and forth on the bar stool. The dangling ornaments tinkled and chimed softly. Her legs dangled, too short to reach the supporting rail around the lower part of the stool. She looked under the bar and found pairs of holes in the under-facing of the bar, in front of each stool. She rested her feet on the cushioned lower edges gratefully.

Vorran watched her from behind the counter, his fingers drumming on his chin. 'For children,' he said, pointing under the bar to the holes from his side. He straightened. 'There is something else I think you need to know.'

River crossed the room from where she had been looking out the window. 'What?'

'Two of my friends came by while you were gone--not long before you came back--and they told me that the Allack have been asking people about two aliens seen in this area.'

'Oh?' Rose stared at him. 'Us?'

Vorran shook his head in agreement. 'The descriptions matched yours. Orders are to tell the Allack immediately if you are found, and, if possible, to bring you in.'

'Orders,' murmured Rose. 'Doesn't sound very friendly.'

'No, it doesn't,' said River with a gleam in her eye. 'This is more like it. Something definite.'

'Though....' Rose pondered. 'If they're working with the Shadow Proclamation, maybe they know about us and want to work with us.'

'But if they're not and are up to something...' River sat down on a stool next to Rose. 'They could see us as a threat. The Proclamation didn't mention any other organizations helping.'

Velki leaned forward on her crossed arms. 'Shadow Proclamation?'

'Galactic police agency,' responded River.

'Did you tell your friends you'd seen us?' asked Rose.

Vorran shook his head. 'No. But they did say that you had been seen near here.'

'Hm.' She got off her bar stool. 'Is there a back door?'

'That way.' He pointed back to an opening to a passageway behind the left end of the bar. A dark blue curtain split up the middle hung down to waist height.

'I'll check the front,' said River and she slid off her own stool. Vorran and Velki watched them, bemused.

Rose followed Vorran's directions and, ducking through the curtain, she passed down a narrow hallway to another rounded vestibule. It protruded much like the front did, but it was much smaller with only room for one or two people. Small windows in the sides and in the door afforded her a view in all directions. She peeped out, careful not to show herself fully through the panes of glass.

The alley between the buildings was empty save for the universally similar collection of dustbins and other restaurant paraphernalia. She checked each direction, but there was nothing to be seen. Other than the muffled sound of the keening wind, there was no noise.

She turned back and reentered the passageway. Half way down the corridor, soft, electronic noise reached her ears and she froze. Diffused pulses of blue light reflected on the walls, coming from the main room of the pub.

Rose pressed herself against the wall, listening. Within seconds, harsh voices shouted out orders and booted feet stomped about. Shouts of protest came from both Vorran and River as well as a sound of a weapon being fired. Someone, possibly Velki, screamed. Rose edged towards the room. Just ahead of her came the noise of Vorran being dragged out from behind the bar.

'No-one else here,' barked one gravelly voice. 'The other female is missing.'

'Secure the back,' came a sharp answer.

The stomping of heavy boots approached.

To be continued...

On to Chapter 6: Conspiracy and Revenge

Chapter 4, Chapter 3, Chapter 2, Chapter 1