Billion dollar question of the day: does the Apocalypse go wrong where the Doctor did?

Actually, another one . . . when can you guys get to 250 comments? Over halfway there, at 126!

Here's "The Waters of Mars!"

***

The Apocalypse took a look out of the TARDIS and grinned. "The red planet," she told Rose and Jenny, letting them follow her. All three of them were wearing spacesuits, and they crossed one of the craters to look down further.

"That's pretty," Jenny looked at the base below.

"Where are we?" Rose asked. "No, when are we?"

The Apocalypse frowned, thinking, when she jolted forward, something jabbing her in the back. "Ow!" Jenny hissed when she was poked as well.

"Rotate slowly," a robotic voice said, and all three did to stare at the robot behind them. "You are under arrest for trespassing. Gadget gadget."

***

The Apocalypse stared cross-eyed at the gun in her face. "State your name, rank, and intention," the older woman holding the gun ordered.

"Caly Saxon-Tyler," she answered carefully. "Doctor. Fun."

She turned to Rose then. "You?"

"Rose Tyler," she answered. "Companion. Keeping my sister in line."

"Oi!" the Apocalypse whined.

"And you?" the woman turned to Jenny.

"Jenny Tyler," she answered crisply. "Daughter. Running. Now get that out of my face."

"What the hell?" a dark-skinned man asked as he ran in. "It's women! Women on Mars. How?"

"They were wearing these things," a German woman held up their spacesuits, which were from the future. "I have never seen anything like them."

"What did Mission Control say?"

"They're out of range for ten hours with the solar flares."

"If we could cut the chat, everyone," the older woman, obviously in charge, scowled.

"Actually, chat's second on my list, the first being gun pointed at my daughter's head," the Apocalypse frowned, and it swung back to her. "Well, now it's pointed at my head. OK, so now it's my head second and chat third . . . I think. Gun, head, chat, yeah. I hate lists. But you could hurt someone with that thing. Just put it down."

"Oh, you'd like that."

"Can you find me someone who wouldn't?"

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I give you my word, and forty million miles away from home, my word is all you've got."

The woman frowned, but lowered her gun. "Keep Gadget covering them."

"Gadget gadget," the robot answered.

"So you're controlling this thing with your gloves?" Rose asked the young man with huge gloves.

"You got it," he nodded. "To the right . . . "

"Gadget gadget," Gadget shifted.

"And to the left."

"Gadget gadget."

"Does it have to keep saying that?" the Apocalypse frowned.

"I think it's funny!"

"I hate funny robots," she wrinkled her nose.

"Excuse me, boss, computer log says we've got three extra people on site," a woman's voice said over the intercom. "How's that possible?"

"Keep the Biodome closed, and when using open comms, you call me Captain," the older woman answered.

"Yeah, but, who is it?"

The woman just turned off the connection. "They can't be a World State flight, because we'd know about it," the oldest of the men there said. "Therefore, they've got to be some of the independents, yeah? Was it the Branson inheritance lot? They've talked about a Mars shot for years."

"Yes, OK, you've got us," the Apocalypse scowled. "We're Caly, Rose, and Jenny. Who're you lot?"

"What?" Jenny frowned when everyone stared at them incredulously. "Fair question!"

"Oh, come on," the captain told them. "We're the first off-world colonists in history. Everyone on Planet Earth knows who we are."

"First off-world colonists?" Rose asked the Apocalypse.

The blood drained from her face. "You're the first?" she repeated quietly. "The very first humans on Mars? Then this is - "

"Bowie Base One," the two women said together.

"Bowie Base One?" Jenny looked at Rose. Her aunt just shrugged.

"Number one," the Apocalypse blanched. "Founded July 1st, 2058. Established Bowie Base One in the Gusev Crater. You've been here how long?"

"Seventeen months," the captain frowned.

"2059." If it was even possible, the Apocalypse went paler. "It's 2059, right now. You're Captain Adelaide Brooke," she nodded. "And Ed, you're Deputy Edward Gold," she pointed to the oldest of the men. "Tarak Ital, MD. Nurse Yuri Kerenski," she pointed to another man. "Senior Technician Steffi Ehrlich," she nodded to the German woman. "Junior Technician Roman Groom," she looked at the man with Gadget. "Geologist Mia Bennett," she looked at a pretty young woman. "You're only twenty seven years old," she whispered.

"As I said, Caly, everyone knows our names," Adelaide said.

"Oh, they'll never forget them," the Apocalypse nodded. "What's the date, today? What is it? Tell me the exact date."

Adelaide frowned, but answered. "November 21st, 2059."

The Apocalypse's face was then as white as her cardigan. "Right," she nodded slowly. "OK. Fine."

"Is there something wrong?" Steffi asked in confusion.

"What's so important about my age?" Mia asked.

"Mum?" Jenny frowned.

"We should go," the Apocalypse swallowed hard. "We really should go. This is one of those very rare times where we've got no choice. It's been an honor," she started shaking everyone's hands, even though they still seemed dubious. "Seriously, a very great honor to meet all of you. The Martian pioneers. Oh, thank you. Ah . . . " She paused when she got to Roman, then she decided to pat Gadget's head.

"Gadget gadget," the robot told her.

"Thank you," the Apocalypse saluted to Adelaide before frowning. "There's the other two . . . hold on. Margaret Cain and Andrew Stone?"

Ed went to the comms system. "Maggie, if you want to meet the only new human beings that you're going to see in the next five years, better come take a look."

A roar came over the speakers, and everyone jumped. "What was that?" Mia stared at the comms.

"Yeah, we really should go," the Apocalypse started backing up.

"This is Central," Ed said into the comms. "Biodome report immediately."

"Show me the Biodome," Adelaide ordered.

Ed shook his head, trying to get the cameras to work. "Internal cameras are down."

"Show me the exterior." Rose got a glimpse of the lights going out before Adelaide blocked her view. "I'm going over," she said. "Caly, Jenny, with me."

"Yeah, sorry, I'd love to help, but we're leaving, right now," the Apocalypse took Rose's and Jenny's wrists and headed for their suits.

Adelaide pointed her gun back at them, stopping them. "Take their spacesuits, lock them up," she ordered Steffi. "This started as soon as you arrived, so you're not going anywhere. Caly, Jenny, with me. Rose, you're staying here with Ed."

"Why me?" Rose frowned.

"Because quite frankly, I think you're the only one that won't make my people insane."

Rose blinked and looked at the Apocalypse, who shrugged. "Can't argue with that," she said.

***

The Apocalypse tried to ignore Gadget as the robot rolled along behind the group of four. "What's so important about Mia's age?" Adelaide asked. "You said she's only twenty-seven. Why does it matter? What did you mean?"

"Oh, I just open my mouth and words come out," the Apocalypse shrugged. "They don't make much sense."

"Telling me," Tarak huffed.

"Thank you, Doctor," the Apocalypse threw him a look.

"Any time, Doctor," he countered, referring to the rank she'd given.

"Gadget gadget," the robot pitched in.

"I hate robots, did I say?" the Apocalypse scowled at it.

"Yeah, and he's not too fond of you," Roman said from the comms. "What's wrong with robots?"

"It's not the robots, it's the people. Dressing them up and giving them silly voices, like you're reducing them."

"Yeah, friend of mine, she made her domestic robot look like a dog."

"Snap," Rose said smugly.

"Shut it," the Apocalypse sighed. "Dogs are different."

"But I adapted Gadget out of the worker drones," Roman said. "Those things are huge! They built this place when the shell was lowered down from orbit. They've got a strength capacity of fifteen tons."

"The channel is open for essential communication only," Adelaide scolded.

"Sorry," Roman mumbled. "Love those drones."

The Apocalypse considered Adelaide curiously. "I've read all that stuff about you, Captain Adelaide, but one thing they never said . . . was it worth it, the mission?"

"We've got excellent results from the soil analysis," Adelaide shrugged.

"No, but all of it, because they say you sacrificed everything, devoted your whole life to get here."

"It's been chaos back home. Forty long years. The climate, the ozone, the oil apocalypse. We almost reached extinction. Then to fly above that, to stand on a world with no smoke, where the only straight line is the sunlight?" she smiled. "Yes, it's worth it."

"Ah, that's the Adelaide Brooke I always wanted to meet," the Apocalypse smiled back. "The woman with starlight in her soul."

"Is that Maggie?" Jenny squinted, pointing to a figure lying on the floor.

"That's her!" Adelaide ran to the limp woman.

"Don't touch her!" the Apocalypse was right on her heels, Jenny and Tarak behind them.

"I know the procedure," Tarak looked at her before going back to Maggie. "Maggie, can you hear me? It's Tarak. Maggie?" He leaned down to check their breathing. "It's OK, she's still breathing. She's alive."

***

"Yuri, I've got Margaret Cain, head trauma," Tarak's voice came over the comm, making Rose look over at them. "I need a full medpack."

"I've got it," Yuri answered. "Medpack on its way."

"I'm going to help," Ed stood and went for the door. "You, Rose, you're coming with me."

"In the absence of the Captain, you're in charge, sir!" Steffi called, even as Rose scrambled after him. "You've got to stay in the Dome!"

Rose just ran after Ed, hoping she didn't lose him.

***

"Don't touch her," the Apocalypse advised as Yuri, Ed, and Rose arrived, Ed and Rose handling a stretcher, Yuri with the medpack. "Use the gloves."

"Do what she says," Tarak said. "Get her to Sickbay. Put her in isolation."

"We're going on to the Biodome," Adelaide stood up. "Tarak, Caly, Jenny, with me. Yuri can take care of her. Ed, take Rose and go back. Gadget, stand guard. Keep an eye on this area."

"Gadget gadget," the robot answered.

"Captain, you're going to need me," Ed insisted. "Andy is the only other crew member out here, and if that wasn't an accident, then he's gone wild."

"You've deserted your post," Adelaide narrowed her eyes. "Consider that an official warning. Now get back to work." Ed scowled, but walked off. Rose considered the Apocalypse and Jenny before following him. "Tylers?" Adelaide gestured to the airlock.

"Captain, that sound we heard from the Biodome," Steffi said over the comm as they approached. "I've run it through diagnostics. According to the computer, it's . . . it's Andy. It registers as the voice print of Andy Stone."

"Understood," Adelaide frowned as the Apocalypse gave Jenny a very small nod. Jenny nodded and kicked her boot up behind her, reaching inside and withdrawing the handgun she had hidden inside, sticking it in her back pocket. "Double check, thanks."

"Air pressure stabilized," Tarak said.

"Andrew?" Adelaide entered, calling, and the Apocalypse frowned at the dark lights. "It's Captain Brooke. Andy, report! I need to see you! Where are you?"

The Apocalypse pulled out her sonic screwdriver and used it on a computer terminal, and the lights flipped back on. "There you go."

"What's that device?" Adelaide frowned at it.

"Screwdriver."

"Are you a doctor or a janitor?"

"I don't know," the Apocalypse considered. "Sounds like me. The maintenance woman of the universe."

Jenny giggled as Adelaide shook her head incredulously. "You two, with me," she said. "Don't step out of my sight. Tarak, go to External Door South. Make sure it's intact."

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded.

The Apocalypse took the time to look around as Tarak ran off. "Quite an achievement," she said. "First flower on Mars in ten thousand years."

"And you're able to grow veg!" Jenny grinned, investigating some lettuce.

"It's that lot," Adelaide rolled her eyes fondly. "They're already planning Christmas dinner. Last year, it was dehydrated protein. This year, they want the real thing."

"Fair enough," the Apocalypse grinned. "Christmas."

"If we must," Adelaide shrugged.

Jenny gasped when birds tweeted. "You've got birds, too?"

"It's part of the project, to keep the insect population down," Adelaide nodded.

"Good sign," the Apocalypse hummed.

"In what way?"

"Well, they're still alive."

"Captain, good news," Yuri said over the comm. "It's Maggie. She's awake. She's back with us. Hey, how are you, soldier? Just take it easy. Can you remember what happened?"

"I was just working," Maggie answered. "Then I woke up here."

"What about Andy?" Adelaide asked. "We can't find him. Was he all right?"

"I don't know. I just - "

"If you remember anything, let me know straight away."

"What about how she ended up in the tunnel?" Rose asked. "Does she know that?"

"And keep the comms clear!" Adelaide snapped. "Everything goes through me, got that?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rose mumbled, then the comm shut off.

"Put Rose out of the loop, and it's like the Doctor without a banana when the class next door is having samples," the Apocalypse couldn't help but laugh.

"You had bananas?" Jenny blinked. It didn't sound like the Time Lords to have them.

"Well, some teachers made the trip to get them," the Apocalypse shrugged. "Planet culture day. It was agreed all around: bananas are good."

"This is Sickbay!" Yuri suddenly shouted. "We have a situation! Maggie's condition has . . . I don't know. I don't know what it is! It's water, just pouring out - "

"Yuri, calm down," Adelaide ordered. "Just tell me what's happened to her."

"The skin is sort of broken around the mouth, and she's exuding water like she's drowning."

"Tarak, this area's unsafe," Adelaide switched channels. "We're going back." There wasn't an answer. "Tarak? Tarak!"

"Where was he?" the Apocalypse looked around as Jenny took off to find out.

"Yuri, keep her contained," Ed ordered. "Seal the door at maximum. We're on our way."

"Got him!" Jenny called, but her voice sounded strange. "And he's not alone."

The Apocalypse ran to find her daughter and skidded to a halt, seeing her staring in horror at a path in front of them. Tarak was on his knees, the man who had to be Andy standing above him with his hand on Tarak's head. Both of them were gushing water, their skin was cracked, and their eyes were white. "Andy, just leave him alone," the Apocalypse began.

"Step away from him," Adelaide held up her gun.

"I can help, I promise," the Apocalypse said. "I can help. Just leave that man alone."

"I order you to stop! Stop, or I'll shoot!"

"Andy, I'm asking you to take your hand away from him and listen to me." Andy let go of Tarak and turned to consider her. "There, now. That's better, hmm? So, you must be Andy. Hello."

"Mum?" Jenny tugged on her arm as Tarak turned, looking just like Andy.

"Ah," she winced. "We've got to go."

Jenny led the way back to the airlock, the Apocalypse trailing, occasionally telekinetically knocking something to the ground to stall the two, pretending to be clumsy so Adelaide wouldn't get suspicious. "Set the seals on maximum!" she called to Jenny when she got in.

Jenny nodded and started changing the settings, then shut the airlock as the Apocalypse raced in, narrowly avoiding being hit by Andy.

***

Rose gasped when she saw Maggie staring blankly at Yuri, water pouring off of her. "Oh, my God!"

"What the hell?" Ed had a similar reaction.

"That's not Maggie!" Mia said from the comm. "What's happened to her? Yuri, what is she?"

"Captain, we need you back here," Steffi put in.

"Just tell me that Maggie is contained," Adelaide said. "Can you confirm, Ed?"

"Confirmed," Ed checked. "She's locked in."

"Keep surveillance till I get back, and close down all water supplies. All pipes and outlets. Don't consume anything. Have you got that, everyone? That's an order. Don't drink the water. Don't even touch it, not one drop."

***

"Can you talk?" the Apocalypse asked Andy and Tarak, but neither said anything. "Human beings are sixty percent water, which makes them the perfect host," she said.

"What for?" Jenny looked out.

"I don't know," the Apocalypse shook her head. "We never will, because we've got to go. Whatever's started here, we can't see it to the end. We can't."

"Why not?" Jenny frowned. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

The Apocalypse cringed, but she was given a reason to as Andy and Tarak started blasting water at the seals. "This thing's airtight, yeah?"

"And therefore watertight," Adelaide nodded.

"It depends how clever the water is."

Something made a bang, and Jenny jumped, looking at the controls. "They're fusing the system!"

"Abandon ship!" the Apocalypse opened the door to the walkway.

The three women ran as fast as they could, Tarak and Andy right on their heels. The Apocalypse stopped when she reached Gadget and stopped, taking out her sonic screwdriver. "Caly, we haven't got time," Adelaide began.

"They can run faster than us," the Apocalypse shook her head. "We need a lift." She sonicked Gadget a few times, then hopped on. "Get on behind me."

"That thing goes at two miles an hour!" Adelaide stared, even as Jenny did.

"Not anymore, trust me."

"Gadget gadget," Gadget said as Adelaide reluctantly got on.

"Gadget gadget!" Jenny mocked as the robot took off. "Whoa!"

Flames spurted from the exhaust as Gadget went as fast as a rocket. "The Central Dome airlocks have got Hardinger seals," Adelaide said. "There's no way they can get in."

"Come on," the Apocalypse patted Gadget. "Come on!"

"Gadget gadget!"

"Come on!"

"I thought you hated robots," Adelaide frowned.

"I do!"

They arrived at the airlock and got inside, closing it on Andy and Tarak. "We're safe," Adelaide said. "It's hermetically sealed. They can't get in."

"Water is patient, Adelaide," the Apocalypse shook her head. "Water just waits. It wears down the clifftops, the mountains, the whole of the world. Water always wins."

"Cheery," Jenny mumbled as they headed out.

"Biodome Tunnel is out of bounds," Adelaide said as she led them a new way. "Andy and Tarak are infected. Repeat, infected. Make no contact. And if they make the slightest move, tell me. I'm going to the Medical Dome."

"Blimey, it's a distance," the Apocalypse said as they ran. "You could do with bikes in this place."

"Every pound in weight equals three tons of fuel," Adelaide frowned.

"Yeah, I know, but bikes!"

***

"Oh, thank God," Rose sighed as the trio entered Sickbay, Yuri and Ed monitoring Maggie.

"Has that door got a Hardinger seal?" Adelaide looked at the door to Isolation.

"No, just basic," Ed shook his head.

"Then the moment she heads for the door, we evacuate. Got that?"

"Pulse is low," Ed reported. "Electrical activity in the brain seems to be going haywire."

"Can she talk?"

"Don't know," Yuri shrugged. "She was talking before she noticed the change, but . . . "

"Maggie, can you hear me?" Adelaide walked up to the changed girl. "Do you know who I am? Your commanding officer, Captain Adelaide Brooke. Can you tell me what happened?"

The Apocalypse tilted her head, then said, "Hoorghwall in schtochman ahn warrellinsh och fortabellan iin hoorgwahn."

"What language was that?" Ed frowned at her.

"Ancient North Martian," the Apocalypse shrugged like it was nothing.

"Don't be ridiculous," Adelaide rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but she recognized it," Rose pointed out as Maggie focused on the Apocalypse.

"And her eyes are different," the Apocalypse pointed. "They're clear, like she's closer to human."

"Not close enough for me," Ed snorted.

"Where do you get your water from?"

"The ice field," Adelaide answered. "That's why we chose the crater. We're on top of an underground glacier."

"Tons of water," she groaned. "Marvelous."

"But every single drop is filtered," Yuri said. "It's screened. It's safe."

"Yeah, I can see that," Rose pointed to Maggie.

"If something was frozen down there," Ed thought. "A viral life form held in the ice for all those years . . . "

"Look at her mouth," the Apocalypse gestured. "All blackened, like there's some sort of fission. This thing, whatever it is, doesn't just hide in water. It creates water. Tell me what you want," she told Maggie.

"She was looking at the screen," Yuri supplied. "At Earth. She wanted Earth. A world full of water."

Ed stiffened. "Captain, with me," he said, backing off. Adelaide frowned, but followed. The Apocalypse tilted her head, her eyes flashing gold, and she listened in on them. "I'm sorry, but it's an unknown infection, and it's spreading. That demands Action Procedure One."

"You think I don't know that?" Adelaide asked.

"I think you need reminding."

"Yeah."

"Well, at least I'm good for something."

"Now and again."

"That's almost a compliment. Things must be serious."

"Sorry, sorry," the Apocalypse jumped in. "But, Action One . . . that means evacuation, yeah?"

"We're going home," Adelaide nodded. "This is Captain Brooke," she said into her comm. "I'm declaring Action One. Repeat to all crew members, this is Action One with immediate effect. Evacuate the base. Steffi, what's your estimate on shuttle viability?"

"It's a nine month flight," Steffi answered. "It'll take us at least three hours to load up everything we need."

"You've got twenty minutes, and give me a report on Andy and Tarak."

"Still in the Biodome tunnel. They're just standing there, like they're waiting."

"Keep an eye on them . . . and make that twenty minutes fifteen. Ed, line up the shuttle. Go straight to ignition status."

"Doing it now," Ed nodded, leaving.

"But what about Maggie?" Yuri asked.

"She stays behind," Adelaide answered. "We've got no way to contain her onboard. Close this place down. I want the power directed to the shuttle."

The Apocalypse cleared her throat. "Of course, the only problem is - "

"Thank you, Dr. Tyler," Adelaide looked at her. "Your spacesuits will be returned, and good luck to you."

"The only problem is, this thing is clever," the Apocalypse interrupted. "It didn't infect the birds or the insects in the Biodome. It chose the humans. You were chosen, and I told you, Adelaide, water can wait. Tarak changed straight away, but when Maggie was infected, it stayed hidden inside her, no doubt so it could infiltrate the Central Dome. Which means . . . "

"Any one of us could already be infected," Adelaide's eyes widened. "We've all been drinking the same water."

"And if you take that back to Earth . . . "

"Just one drop," Rose turned green.

"But we're only presuming infection," Adelaide straightened. "If we can find out how this thing got through . . . Yuri, continue with Action One. I'm going to inspect the ice field."

"Right," the Apocalypse took a deep breath as Adelaide ran off. "We should leave."

"What?" Rose stared at her.

"Really, we should leave."

"But what if something's in that ice field?" Jenny looked at her. "We've got no idea what can happen to everyone here."

"I already know," the Apocalypse hissed, "and it is not good."

"We can at least see what's in the field," Rose reasoned. "Can't we?"

The Apocalypse growled. "Adelaide!" she shouted, running after her, even as Rose tried to figure out what could be making the Apocalypse so skittish. "All I'm saying is bikes! Little foldaway bikes, don't weigh a thing!"

***

The Apocalypse considered the ice field on a monitor as Adelaide tried to access the computer. "They tell legends of Mars from long ago, of a fine and noble race who built an empire out of snow. The Ice Warriors."

"I haven't got time for stories," Adelaide shook her head.

"Maybe they found something down there?" Rose suggested. "Used what they had to freeze it?"

"We need to find any sort of change in the water process," Adelaide ordered. "We've got to date the infection."

"Access denied," the computer said.

Adelaide huffed and tried again. "You two aren't cowards," she looked at Rose and Jenny. "But you," she looked at the Apocalypse, who stiffened. "You don't look like one, but all you've wanted to do is leave. You know so much about us."

"Well, you're famous," the Apocalypse tried to brush off.

"It's like you know more."

"This moment, this precise moment in time . . . " She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I mean, it's only a theory, what do I know, but I think certain moments in time are fixed." Rose blanched, now knowing exactly why the Apocalypse was acting this way. "Tiny, precious moments. Everything else is in flux, anything can happen, but those certain moments, they have to stand. This base on Mars with you, Adelaide Brooke, this is one vital moment. What happens here must always happen."

"Which is what?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, but she was very tense. "I think something wonderful happens. Something that started fifty years ago, isn't that right?"

Adelaide stared at her. "I've never told anyone that!"

"You told your daughter, and maybe one day, she tells the story to her daughter. The day the Earth was stolen and moved across the universe."

"What happened that day?" Jenny looked at Adelaide. A lot of people had changed because of it. Last she'd heard from Uncle Jack, Owen and Tosh had gotten engaged shortly after.

"I saw the Daleks," Adelaide whispered. "We looked up. The sky had changed. Everyone was running and screaming, and my father took hold of me. He told me to stay and not move. He went to find my mother and promised he'd come back. I never saw him again, nor my mother. They were never found. But out on the streets, there was panic and burning. I went to the window, and there in the sky . . . I saw it, and it saw me. It stared at me. It looked right into me, and then it simply went away. I know, that night, I knew I would follow it."

"But not for revenge," Rose guessed.

"What would be the point of that?" Adelaide asked.

Rose shrugged. "I ask myself the same thing sometimes."

"That's what makes you remarkable," the Apocalypse told Adelaide. "And that's how you create history."

"What do you mean?" Adelaide frowned.

"Imagine it, Adelaide," the Apocalypse leaned on the console. "If you began a journey that takes the human race all the way out to the stars. It begins with you, and then your granddaughter. You inspire her, so that in thirty years, Susie Fontana Brooke is the pilot of the first lightspeed ship to Proxima Centauri. And then everywhere, with her children, and her children's children forging the way. To the Dragon Star, the Celestial Belt of the Winter Queen, the Map of the Watersnake Wormholes. One day, a Brooke will even fall in love with a Tandonian prince. That's the start of a whole new species. But everything starts with you, Adelaide. From fifty years to right here, today. Imagine!"

"Who are you?" Adelaide stared at her. "Why are you telling me this? Caly, why tell me?"

"As consolation," the Apocalypse said. "That's why I haven't told you who I really am."

A maintenance log popped up, and a clean Andy Stone appeared to make his report. "Andy Stone," Adelaide checked the date.

"Maintenance log, twenty one twenty, November 2059," Andy said. "Number three water filter's burst," he held it up. "And guess what?" He held up a new one that was obviously not the same size. "The spares they sent don't fit! What a surprise! Over and out."

"A filter," the Apocalypse rolled her eyes. Bloody typical. "One tiny little filter, and then the flood."

"But that means the infection arrived today, and the water's only cycled out of the Biodome after a week," Adelaide brightened. "The rest of us can't be infected. We can leave!" She activated her comm again. "Ed, we're clean. How are we doing?"

"Shuttle's active," Ed answered. "Stage One."

Adelaide ran back towards the Central Dome, the girls following her. "You were right, Caly," she called.

"What about?"

"Bikes!"

***

"Now, get to your ship," Adelaide handed back their spacesuits. "I'm saving my people, you save yourselves. I know what this moment is. It's the moment we escape. Now, get out."

"Everyone, stay focused," Ed called out.

"I'll swap them round," Mia said. "Roman, what about you?"

"Protein packs thirty to thirty six," he answered.

"Hurry up, Roman!" Ed barked.

As everyone continued packing up, an alarm started going off, and Jenny frowned, seeing a schematic appear. "Mum, what's that?"

The Apocalypse didn't answer. She just silently watched, wanting to see if what happened really would. "Ditch the central containers," Adelaide ordered. "We don't need them."

"Units forty-one, forty-two, and forty-three," Steffi said.

"Unit forty-one is here," Yuri pointed.

"Roman, try to condense the oxygen membranes," Adelaide ordered. "We can lose ten pounds. Faster, come on! Ed, how's the fuel jets?"

"Cooling down in about thirty seconds," Ed checked.

"Captain, we've got all the hard drives," Steffi reported.

A banging noise came from above, and Adelaide noticed. "What the hell's that noise?" she raised a hand, quieting the others. "Mia, you lot, shut up."

"It's the module sensors," Ed checked the alarm. "Exterior twelve. The cameras are down, but there's pressure on top of the module. Two signals, right above us."

"That means they're on the roof?" Steffi gasped.

"How did they get inside the Dome?" Yuri did a double take.

"They used the maintenance shafts," Ed checked.

"The shaft's open, and they haven't got spacesuits," Mia frowned.

"They breathe water."

"But they'd freeze!" Steffi argued.

"They've got that internal fission," Yuri pointed out.

"But we're safe," Mia tried to find a way to think positive. "They can't get through, can they?" Adelaide and Ed exchanged looks. "Can they?"

The roof creaked above them, and Roman cleared his throat. "This place is airtight."

"Can it get through?" Steffi insisted. 'Ed, can it get through?"

"I don't know!" Ed shouted. "Water itself isn't motile, but it has some sort of persistence."

"Everyone, listen to me!" Adelaide took control. "That's ten feet of steel combination up there. We need all the protein packs, or we're going to starve. Now, keep working. Roman, watch the ceiling. Ed, get to the shuttle. Fire it up."

"I can carry more than this lot, Captain," Ed protested.

"That's an order!"

"Captain!"

The Apocalypse finally jerked out of her stupor and left for the airlock. "Come on," she muttered to her family.

"But what about them?" Jenny ran after her.

"Leaving was not the moment in time I meant," the Apocalypse closed the door behind them and jabbed the button to continue to the tunnel leaving the base.

"Access denied." Frowning, the Apocalypse tried again. "Access denied."

"Tell me what happens," Adelaide demanded.

The Apocalypse closed her eyes. "I don't know."

Rose snorted. "Yes, you do," Adelaide insisted. "Now tell me."

"You should be with the others."

"Tell me! I could ramp up the pressure in that airlock and crush you."

"Except you won't. You could have shot Andy Stone, but you didn't. I loved you for that." She chewed her lip. "Imagine you found yourself somewhere," she finally said. "I don't know . . . Pompeii. Imagine you were in Pompeii."

"What the hell's that got to do with it?"

"And you tried to save them, but in doing so, you make it happen. Anything I do just makes it happen."

"I'm still here."

"You're taking Action One. There are four more standard action procedures. And Action Five is?"

"Detonation," Adelaide breathed.

"The final option," the Apocalypse closed her eyes. "The nuclear device at the heart of the Central Dome. Today, on the twenty first of November 2059, Captain Brooke activates that device, taking the base and all her crew members with her. No one ever knows why, but you were saving Earth. That's what inspires your granddaughter. She takes your people out into the galaxy because you die on Mars. You die today. She flies out there like she's trying to meet you."

"I won't die!" Adelaide cried in outrage as Rose put her hands over her mouth, tears in her eyes as she realized what big event they were caught up in. Even though she didn't fully understand the fixed points in time, Jenny looked horrified, too. "I will not!"

"But your death creates the future!"

"Help me," Adelaide ordered. "Why won't you help, Caly?"

"That's not my name."

"What the hell does your name have to do with this?"

"Fitting, isn't it, how my name has a big factor?" the Apocalypse chuckled dryly. "Rose is my sister, and Jenny is my daughter, but my name isn't Caly Saxon-Tyler. I'm the Apocalypse."

"Then why won't you help?" Adelaide demanded. "If you know all of this, why can't you change it?"

"I can't!"

"Why can't you find a way? You could tell me, I don't know - "

"I'm sorry, but I can't," the Apocalypse shook her head. "Sometimes I can, sometimes I do. Most times, I can save someone, or anyone, but not you. You wondered all your life why that Dalek spared you. I think it knew. Your death is fixed in time forever, and that's right."

"You'll die here, too."

"No."

"What's going to save you?"

Well, she could, if she just opened up a portal, but she steeled herself for the final nail in the coffin. "Captain Adelaide Brooke."

And sure enough, the airlock clicked open. "Damn you," Adelaide whispered in defeat.

"Come on," the Apocalypse quickly got into her spacesuit, and the other two followed. "We need to get out of here, now."

Rose frowned as they walked out of the base, listening to the shrieks and screams of everyone trying to work through the threat of the water. "Why did she leave the comms on?"

"I think she's trying to guilt us," Jenny answered, her face twisted in pain as she listened.

"Well, she's doing a bloody good job," the Apocalypse winced, hearing Steffi scream as she was transformed.

"What are we going to do about it?" Rose asked as they sped up.

"Try not to let her succeed," the Apocalypse ground her teeth as they reached the TARDIS.

"But what if she doesn't activate Action Five?" Jenny asked, wincing as worried cries indicated Roman was down now.

The Apocalypse opened the door and stepped inside. "This fixed point cannot be rewritten," she said, but she sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than the others. "If that means we need to activate it . . . we will."

Ed was next to go, and they could feel the shuttle explode from where they were. The Apocalypse quickly turned on a monitor, watching what was happening inside the base. She ground her teeth, watching the panic, then saw Adelaide take a deep breath and go to a computer console. A moment later, Mia and Yuri started panicking, staring at the flashing countdown on the screen. "She's done it," Rose swallowed, hard. "Action Five."

The Apocalypse quickly turned the screen off and set the coordinates for Earth, and they dematerialized just before Bowie Base One exploded.

***

"Everything destroyed," Jenny said as she looked at a paper on the twenty second of November 2059. She was sitting on a park bench in the middle of an empty street, the Apocalypse leaning against a lamppost as Rose watched the breaking news on her phone, synced to the time period. "Shuttle, glacier, everything. Adelaide did it."

"Never doubted her," the Apocalypse smiled slightly.

"You doubted yourself," Rose looked at her.

"I tried to get us to go," the Apocalypse reminded her. "Maybe it was better we stayed so Adelaide knew the consequences. But if we interfered even the slightest bit more - " She shook her head and went for the TARDIS. "Come on. We're getting out of this year."

"Where now?" Rose ran after her, Jenny abandoning the paper.

"Far away from 2059," the Apocalypse answered, checking a date. "I'm wondering if Tosh and Owen have finally picked the date for their wedding. Anyone up for checking in on Jack?"

She got two positive replies. She smiled, checking the date again. If Jack was up to something, to hell with interfering. After today, she was not going to let anyone die quickly.

***

No messing up Bowie Base One! But does that mean no Time Lady Victorious? No Ood Sigma warning?

Three words: Children of Earth. }:)

I can either do one block of three and one block of two (Days 1, 2, and 3 uploaded, then Days 4 and 5) or I can upload them all in a row.

Up to you all! Onto "The Fires of Pompeii!"