OK . . . 49/100 comments right now, and we still have nearly half a dozen chapters to go. Can we bump the goal up to 120? If we don't get that high, I'll still count the 100 as full reveal, but can we try and get to 120? A little bit of a challenge. ;)

Also, the Series 2 sneak peek of my new OC after this, so stick around! ALSO, read the author's note after the sneak peek for opinions about what you all want to see in "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood" this time around!

And enjoy a slight fix-it of "42!"

***

"Right, there we go," the Apocalypse smiled later after she used her sonic screwdriver on Martha's phone. "Universal roaming." She tossed the phone back. "Never have to worry about a signal again."

+++

There was a slight snort from the Apocalypse, and Rose pulled out her phone, looking at it. "Can't exactly call for a taxi," she joked. "There's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit."

"Here." The Apocalypse held out her hand, and Rose handed it over. "With a little bit of jiggery pokery," she muttered, taking the phone apart and using the sonic screwdriver on her battery.

"Is that a technical term?" Rose asked. "Jiggery pokery?"

"Yeah," the Apocalypse replied before giving her a slight smile. "I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?"

"Nah," Rose replied with a grin. "I failed hullabaloo."

+++

"No way!" Martha gasped, eyes wide, looking down at her phone. "This is too mad! You're telling me I can phone anyone, anywhere in space and time on my mobile?"

"As long as you know the area code," the Apocalypse nodded. "Frequent flier's privilege. Go on, try it!"

Martha was pondering who to call when the TARDIS shuddered, knocking her off balance. The Apocalypse ran to check a screen. "Distress signal," she explained. "Locking on. Might be a bit of - " They fell to the ground, knocked off their feet. "Turbulence!" she finished, standing up as the TARDIS settled. "Come on, Martha. Let's take a look."

"Distress signal transmitted," a computer voice said as they stepped outside into a steamy room that glowed red.

"Whoa!" the Apocalypse gasped, taking off her cardigan and throwing it into the TARDIS. "Now that's hot!"

"Automated distress signal transmitted."

"Whuff, it's like a sauna in here!" Martha agreed, doing the same with her jacket.

"Venting systems," the Apocalypse looked around. "Working at full pelt, trying to cool down . . . wherever it is we are." She shrugged and opened the bulkhead door and stepped out. "Well, if you can't stand the heat - "

"Oi! You two!" a young man's voice shouted as he, another man, and a woman ran towards them.

"Get out of there!" the woman yelled.

"Seal that door, now!"

The Apocalypse quickly closed it shut. "Who are you?" the woman asked, narrowing her eyes. "What are you doing on my ship?"

"Are you police?" the young man asked.

"Why would we be police?" the Apocalypse asked, confused.

"We got your distress signal," Martha quickly said.

The Apocalypse nodded. "If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" she asked, looking around.

"It went dead four minutes ago," the captain answered.

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to Engineering," the older man suggested before quickly adding, "Captain," when she looked at him sternly.

"Secure closure active."

"What?" the captain asked, looking around in surprise.

"The ship's gone mad!" the older man said.

The faint sound of closing bulkheads approached as a young woman ran towards them. "Who activated secure closure?" she demanded as she stopped, the last bulkhead closing behind her. "I nearly got locked into Area 27!" She blinked, staring at the two new women onboard. "Who are you?"

"She's the Apocalypse, and I'm Martha," Martha answered with a smile. "Hello."

"Impact projection forty two minutes, twenty seven seconds."

"We'll get out of this, I promise," the captain promised.

Martha took a look out of a porthole, and her eyes widened. "Apocalypse," she began.

"Forty two minutes until what?" the Apocalypse asked suspiciously.

"Apocalypse!" Martha shouted, making the Time Lady look over. "Look."

The Apocalypse walked over and took a look, her eyes widening when they saw the sun they were hurtling towards. "Oh."

"Forty two minutes until we crash into the sun," the captain answered.

"How many crew members onboard?" the Apocalypse asked, turning.

"Seven, including us," the captain answered.

"We transport cargo across the galaxy," the older man explained. "Everything's automated. We just keep the space spaceworthy."

"Call the others," the Apocalypse ordered, heading for the bulkhead door. "I'll get you out."

"What's she doing?" the young man asked nervously.

"No, don't!" the captain shouted.

The Apocalypse ignored them and opened the bulkhead door, but quickly flinched away when steam got blasted in her face, extremely hot. She backed away, for the first time thanking the Experimenting program she wasn't burned.

+++

"What're they doing?" CS asked as they were escorted into a large chamber, the two of them looking around nervously like the four other Time Ladies were doing. "Where are we?"

"I think it's some sort of heat chamber," the Apocalypse answered, looking around. "Deadlocked."

The door slammed shut, and CS frowned. "But why are we here?"

"I don't know."

They got their answer a few seconds later when heated steam started pouring in. CS gasped. "But we can't survive this!" she wailed as the steam kept pouring in, a few of the other Time Ladies already starting to stumble, the heat too much for them. "We can't!"

The Apocalypse just closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tight around herself, feeling the heat burn her skin, but refusing to die because of it. She saw faint orange gold regeneration energy already start up on some of the weaker Experiments, but she just stayed tight as she was, watching as light burns appeared on her skin, but nothing else. She wasn't going to die here. Not this way.

She wasn't about to let this program be the end of her.

+++

"But my ship's in there!" the Apocalypse protested, jolting herself out of the memory as the younger woman put on a welding mask to protect her face and closed the bulkhead.

"In the vent chamber?" the young man asked, stunned.

"It's our lifeboat."

"It's lava," the older man shook his head.

"The temperature's going mad in there," the woman reported, checking the monitor. "Up three thousand degrees in ten seconds, and still rising."

"Channeling the air," the young man sighed. "The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's going to get."

"We're stuck here," Martha said angrily.

"So we fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun," the Apocalypse nodded. "Simple." She pointed. "Engineering down here, is it?" she asked.

"Yes," the captain nodded.

"Impact in 40:26."

***

The Apocalypse had just managed to get the captain and the older man's names before they made it to Engineering. She blinked, looking around in surprise at the mess of engines in front of her. "Blimey, do you always leave things in such a mess?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, my God," the captain, McDonnell, stared.

"What the hell happened?" the older man, Scannell, asked.

"Oh, it's wrecked!" the young man sighed.

"Pretty efficiently, too," the Apocalypse nodded, investigating. "Someone knew what they were doing."

"Where's Korwin?" McDonnell asked, looking around. "Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No," Scannell shook his head.

"You mean someone did this on purpose?" Martha asked in disbelief.

McDonnell activated the intercom. "Korwin, Ashton?" she asked. "Where are you? Korwin, can you answer?" There was nothing. "Where the hell is he?" she huffed as the Apocalypse activated a monitor nearby. "He should be up here!"

"Oh, we're in the Torajii system," the Apocalypse grinned. "Lovely! You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."

"Yeah, feels it," Martha nodded.

"And you're still using energy scoops for fusion?" she frowned. "Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"

"We're due to upgrade next docking," McDonnell explained. "Scannell, engine report."

"No response," the man said, checking the controls.

"What?"

"They're burnt out. The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."

"Oh, come on," the Apocalypse rolled her eyes. "Auxiliary engines! Every craft's got auxiliaries!"

"We don't have access from here," McDonnell shook her head. "The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship."

"Yeah, with twenty nine password sealed doors between us and them," Scannell pointed out. "You'll never get there in time."

"Can't you override the doors?" Martha asked curiously.

"No," Scannell shook his head. "Sealed closure means what it says. They're all deadlocked sealed."

"So a sonic screwdriver's no use," the Apocalypse groaned, flipping it end over end.

+++

As Rose distracted students from entering the classroom, the Apocalypse attempted to hack into the CPU. "I can't shift it," she muttered.

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah Jane protested.

"Anything except a deadlock seal," the Apocalypse informed her.

+++

"Nothing's any use," Scannell shook his head. "We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."

"Oh, listen to you," the Apocalypse snorted. "Defeated before you've even started. Where's your Dunkirk spirit? Who's got the door passwords?"

"They're randomly generated," the young man answered. "Reckon I know most of them." He held out a hand. "Sorry, Riley Vashti."

She shook his hand. "Then what are you waiting for, Riley Vashti?" she smirked. "Get on it!"

"Well, it's a two person job. One, a technish for the questions, and the other to carry this." He held up a huge clamp. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh, Captain?"

"Reliable and simple, just like you, eh, Riley?" she smirked.

"Try and be helpful, get abuse," Riley muttered, making a face as he put on a huge backpack. "Nice."

"I'll help you," Martha volunteered, taking the clamp. "Make myself useful."

"It's remotely controlled by the computer panel," Riley explained. "That's why it needs two."

"Oi," the Apocalypse called, making Martha turn. "You be careful."

Martha smiled. "You, too," she answered.

"McDonnell, it's Ashton," a voice called from the intercom.

She ran over. "Where are you?" she asked. "Is Korwin with you?"

"Get up to the med center, now!"

McDonnell ran past the others with the Apocalypse behind her, the two of them heading for the med center.

"Impact in 34:31."

***

"Argh!" a man was screaming when they got inside, another man and a woman in a lab coat trying to put him into a stasis chamber. "Stop it!"

"Korwin, it's Abi," the woman soothed. "Open your eyes. I need to take a look at you."

"Korwin!" McDonnell gasped, running over. "What's happened? IS he OK?"

"Help me!" Korwin screamed. "It's burning me!"

"How long's he been like this?" the Apocalypse asked, pulling out her sonic screwdriver.

"Ashton just brought him in," Abi answered.

"What are you doing?" McDonnell asked as the Apocalypse scanned Korwin.

"Don't get too close," the Apocalypse warned.

"Don't be stupid," she snorted. "That's my husband!"

"And he's just sabotaged our ship," Ashton said.

McDonnell stared. "What?"

"He went mad. He put the ship into secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls."

"No way," she shook her head. "He wouldn't do that!"

"I saw it happen, Captain."

"Korwin?" the Apocalypse asked softly. "Korwin, open your eyes for me a second."

"I can't!" Korwin shook his head.

"Yeah, of course you can. Go on."

"Don't make me look at you, please," Korwin begged.

The Apocalypse sighed and took a hypo gun from a tray. "All right, all right, all right. Just relax." She held the gun up. "Sedative?"

"Yes," Abi nodded.

The Apocalypse injected Korwin, and he slumped unconscious. "What's wrong with him?" McDonnell asked.

"Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings," the Apocalypse answered. "Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber. They were lovely after massive blasts of heat."

+++

"BJ?"

The Apocalypse tilted her head back and forth, moaning softly, feeling a hand on her face. "She's waking up," another voice said.

"Yeah, I can see that."

" . . . Master?" the Apocalypse mumbled.

"I'm right here," he promised, taking her hand. "So's the Doctor."

"We're not going anywhere," the Doctor promised, taking her other one.

The Apocalypse blinked her eyes open, seeing she had just been pulled out of the stasis chamber after the heat training. "How many others came out?" she asked.

"Without regenerating, you mean?" the Master asked, a scowl on his face. "Just you."

The Apocalypse blanched. "The others died?"

"And you survived," the Doctor nodded. "You're the only one advancing with the program."

The Apocalypse whimpered, her face dead pale, both boys putting their arms around her in comfort. They knew how close she'd been to CS, and now she had been taken out.

And the Apocalypse was advancing into even more danger.

+++

"Keep him sedated in there," the Apocalypse ordered. "Regulate the body temperature, and, just for fun, run a bioscan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail."

"Just doing them now," Abi nodded to her running monitors.

"Oh, you're good," the Apocalypse smiled. "Anyone else presenting these symptoms?"

"Not so far."

"Well, that's something."

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?" McDonnell asked in frustration.

"Some sort of infection," the Apocalypse answered patiently. "We'll know more after the test results. Now, allon-sy! Back downstairs." They didn't do anything. "Hey, see about those engines. Go! Hey, go!" McDonnell and Ashton reluctantly headed back down, and the Apocalypse turned to Abi. "Call us if there's any news," she said, heading out. "Any questions?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Who are you?"

The Apocalypse grinned. "I'm the Apocalypse!" she answered with a wave before heading off.

"Heat shield failing. At twenty-five percent. Impact in 32:50."

***

"Hurry up, will you?" Martha asked, her arms getting tired from holding the clamp onto the bulkhead door.

"All right," Riley nodded, working on his computer. "Fix the clamp on."

Martha readjusted, fixing the clamp on. "What are you typing?"

"Each door's trip code is the answer to a random question set by the crew. Nine tours back, we got drunk, thought them up. Reckoning was if we're hijacked, we're the only ones who know all the answers."

"So you type in the right answer - "

"This sends an unlock pulse to the clamp. But we only get one chance per door. Get it wrong, the whole system freezes."

"Better not get it wrong, then."

"OK," Riley nodded, rubbing his hands together as a question appeared. "Date of SS Pentallian's first flight. He grinned. "That's all right." He typed it in. "Go."

The clamp lights turned green, and the bulkhead opened. "Yes!" she cheered.

"Twenty eight more to go!" Riley whooped, heading in.

***

"Abi, how's Korwin doing?" the Apocalypse asked when they got back to Engineering. "Any results from the bioscan?"

"He's under heavy sedation," Abi answered. "I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes, and I'll let you know."

"Martha?" the Apocalypse switched comms. "Riley? How're you doing?"

"Area twenty nine, at the door to twenty eight."

"Yeah, you've got to move faster."

"We're doing our best."

"Find the next number in the sequence 313, 331, 367," Riley read off. "What?"

"You said the crew knew all the numbers!" Martha protested.

"The crew's changed since we set the questions!"

"You're joking!"

The Apocalypse thought for a moment, then answered. "379."

"What?" Martha asked.

"It's a sequence of happy primes. 379."

"Happy what?"

"Just enter it!"

"Are you sure?" Riley asked. "We only get one chance."

"Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number," the Apocalypse rattled off. "Any number that doesn't isn't. A happy prime is a number that is both happy and prime. Now type it in! I don't know, talk about dumbing down!" She huffed. "Don't they teach recreational mathematics anymore?"

She heard a door hiss. "We're through!" Martha reported.

"Keep moving, fast as you can, and Martha, be careful. There may be something else on board this ship."

Martha snorted. "Any time you want to unnerve me, feel free."

"Will do, thanks for your permission," the Apocalypse smirked.

"Impact in 30:50."

***

"I can't believe our lives depend on some stupid pub quiz," Martha grumbled, putting the clamp on the door. Riley stared at the computer screen in shock. "Is that the next one?"

"Oh, this is a nightmare," he groaned. "Classical music, who had the most pre-download number ones, Elvis Presley or the Beatles? How are we supposed to know that?"

***

"We need a backup in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time," the Apocalypse told the others. "Come on, think! Resources! What have we got?"

"Apocalypse?" Martha came back on.

The Apocalypse groaned. "What is it now?"

"Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles? That's pre-download."

"Elvis," the Apocalypse answered before frowning. "No, the Beatles! No, wait! Er . . . what was that remix? I don't know! I'm a bit busy!"

"Fine," Martha sighed. "I'll ask someone else."

"Now, where was I?" the Apocalypse asked, turning back to the crew. "Here comes the sun. No, resources! So, the power's still working, the generator's going . . . if we can harness that . . . oh!"

"Use the generator to jumpstart the ship!" McDonnell realized.

"Exactly," the Apocalypse beamed. "At the very least, it'll buy us some more time."

"That is brilliant!" McDonnell praised.

"I know," she smiled smugly. "See? Tiny glimmer of hope."

"If it works," Scannell just had to drop the mood.

It earned him an angry look from McDonnell. "Oh, believe me, you're going to make it work."

Scannell faltered, and the Apocalypse offered a fist bump. "That told him."

McDonnell smiled faintly and returned it.

"Impact in 29:46."

***

Martha dialed a number on her phone, and her mother answered. "Hello?"

"Mum?" Martha grinned. "It's me, it's Martha. Wow!"

"Where are you? Don't you check your messages? I've been calling you!"

"Actually, a bit busy. Need you to do something for me."

"No, listen to me. We have to talk about this Apocalypse - "

"Mum, please, not now. I need you to look something up on the Internet."

"Do it yourself. You've got a computer."

"Oh, just do it, will you?" Martha snapped before adding a softer, "Please?" at the end.

"When did you get so rude?" Francine huffed. "I'll tell you when. Ever since you met that woman."

"I need to know who had more number ones, the Beatles or Elvis."

"Hang on, the mouse is unplugged. OK, I'm on. What is this, a pub quiz?"

"Yeah, a pub quiz."

"Using your mobile is cheating."

"Have you found it?"

"There's over four hundred thousand results. Give me a minute."

"Impact in 28:50."

***

"Apocalypse?" Abi's voice came over the intercom. "These readings are starting to scare me."

The Apocalypse quickly moved over. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Korwin's body's changing. His whole biological make up. It's impossible." After a second, she started to scream. "This is med center. Urgent assistance requested! Urgent assistance!"

"Stay here!" the Apocalypse ordered the others as McDonnell leaped to her feet. "Keep working!"

"Urgent assistance!" Abi screamed.

"Abi, they're on their way," Erina, the last woman, promised.

"Captain?" Scannell asked, running after them as well.

"I told you to stay in Engineering!" the Apocalypse shouted.

"I only take orders from one person round here!"

She huffed. "Oh, is he always this cheery?"

***

"Elvis."

Martha perked up. "What? Really?" She turned to Riley. "Elvis." She grinned when the door opened. "Mum, you're a star!"

"Now, we need to have a serious - " Someone screamed over the intercom, and Francine heard it. "What was that?"

"I've got to go," Martha said quickly, hanging up and going to the intercom. "Apocalypse, what were those screams?"

"Concentrate on those doors!" she shouted. "You've got to keep moving forward!"

"Impact in 27:06."

***

They looked around the med center in a hurry. "Korwin's gone," McDonnell said tightly.

"Oh, my God," Scannell breathed, and the Apocalypse turned, seeing a figure's image burned into the x-ray shield. "Tell me that's not Lerner!"

"Endothermic vaporization," the Apocalypse muttered. "I've never seen one this ferocious. Burn with me," she remembered from the intercom.

"That's what we heard Korwin say," Scannell nodded, gulping.

"What?" McDonnell shook her head. "Do you think - ? No way. Scannell, tell her. Korwin is not a killer! He can't vaporize people! He's human!"

The Apocalypse picked up Abi's reports. "His bioscan results. Internal temperature . . . one hundred degrees! Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen. Your husband hasn't been infected. He's been overwhelmed."

"The test results are wrong," she denied.

"But what is it, though?" the Apocalypse wondered. "A parasite? A mutagenic virus? Something that needs a host body, but how did it get inside him?"

"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!"

"Where's the ship been? Have you made planet-fall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?"

"What is this, an interrogation?"

"We've got to stop him before he kills again!"

"We're just a cargo ship!"

"Apocalypse, if you give her a minute," Scannell began.

"I'm fine," McDonnell shook her head. "I need to warn the crew." She moved over to the intercom. "Everybody, listen to me. Something has infected Korwin. We think he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him. Is that clear?"

"Understood, Captain," Ashton answered.

"Impact in 24:51."

"Is the infection permanent?" McDonnell asked the Apocalypse.

She hesitated. "I don't know," she lied.

McDonnell sighed. "Don't lie to me, Apocalypse. Eleven years, we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest, so I don't want false hope."

Slowly, the Apocalypse shook her head. "The parasite's too aggressive. Your husband's gone. There's no way back. I'm sorry."

McDonnell took a deep breath. "Thank you."

"Are you certain nothing happened to provoke this? Nobody's working on anything secret? Because it's vital that you tell me."

"I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing."

"Then why is this thing so interested in you?"

"I wish I knew."

"Apocalypse, we're through to Area 17," Martha's voice came over the intercom.

"Keep going," the Apocalypse told her. "You've got to get to Area 1 and reboot those engines."

"Heat shields failing. At twenty percent."

***

"Come on!" Riley huffed, banging on his computer. "Everything on this ship is so cheap." The bulkhead behind them to Area 18 slid open, and he frowned. "Who's there?" he called.

Martha looked over her shoulder at the figure appearing through the smoke, wearing a helmet on his head. "Is that Korwin?" she asked.

"No, wait a minute," Riley squinted, then sighed. "Oh, Ashton, what're you doing?"

"Burn with me," Ashton's deep voice answered.

Riley blinked. "Well, if you want to help - "

"Burn with me," Ashton interrupted, raising a hand to lift his visor. "Burn with me."

Martha's eyes widened. "Move!" she told Riley, grabbing him and pushing him towards a small area nearby. "Come on!"

"What is happening on this ship?" Riley huffed when they were inside.

"Never mind that," Martha shook her head, looking around the cramped space. "Where are we?"

"Airlock sealed. Jettison escape pod."

Martha gasped. "That doesn't mean us?" she asked before banging on the door. "APOCALYPSE!"

"Pod jettison initiated."

***

"Apocalypse!" The Apocalypse spun at Martha's voice. "We're stuck in an escape pod off the Area 17 airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've got to help us! Tell me you can stop it!"

"Why is this happening?" McDonnell asked as they ran through the storage areas.

"Stay here," the Apocalypse pointed at them. "I mean it this time! Jump start those engines!"

***

Riley worked at the keyboard, then the computer said, "Jettison held."

"Thank you," he sighed in relief.

"Jettison reactivated."

Martha screamed, banging on the door some more as Riley worked. "Come on!" he shouted before grinning. "Tsilpinski sequence. This'll get him."

"Jettison held. Escape pod stabilized."

Martha sighed in relief. "You're pretty good."

***

The Apocalypse ran into Area 17 to see Ashton wearing a helmet, working on the keypad. "That's enough!" she called, making him turn to her. "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me!"

Ashton just smashed the keypad, an alarm going off. The Apocalypse shook her head, walking up. "Come on," she said. "Let's see you. I want to know what you really are."

Ashton started to lift his visor when he suddenly doubled over. "Airlock sealed," the computer said.

Ashton headed past to the ship, and the Apocalypse ran to the intercom. "McDonnell?" she called. "Ashton's heading in your direction. He's been infected, just like Korwin."

"Korwin's dead, Apocalypse," Scannell answered instead.

***

"He's smashed the circuit," Riley panicked. "I can't stop it. I can't stop it!"

"This thing's locked!" Martha banged on the door.

"Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod."

Martha tried to look out the porthole to see the Apocalypse desperately trying to open the door. "Apocalypse!" she cried.

The Apocalypse bit her lip, trying to get a good view inside the pod. "Hang on!" she called. "Just hold on a second, Martha!"

Martha shook her head. "You can't stop it!"

"No, but I can get you out of there!"

Before Martha could ask what she meant, a gold and silver portal suddenly appeared in front of her. She gawked, before laughing in relief and pulling Riley through. The Apocalypse beamed at them as they stumbled right back out almost into her. "Ta da!"

"Oh, my God, you're amazing!" Martha cheered, hugging her tightly.

"Now, you two work on getting further through," the Apocalypse ordered. "I've gotta handle the others."

They nodded, and she ran off. Finally, Riley spoke as they headed back to the clamp and computer. "The wonderful world of space travel." He looked out the porthole at the escape pod heading for the sun. "The prettier it looks, the more likely it is to kill you."

Martha looked over at him. "Have you got a girlfriend?" she asked. "Boyfriend?"

"The job doesn't lend itself to stable relationships," Riley shook his head.

"Family, then?"

"My dad's dead, and i haven't seen my mum in six years. She didn't want me to sign up for cargo tours. Things were said, and since then, all silent. She wanted to hold on to me, I know that. Oh, she's so stubborn."

"Yeah, well, that's families," Martha chuckled.

"What about you?" Riley asked.

"Full works. Mum, Dad, Dad's girlfriend, brother, sister. No silence there. So much noise." She stopped. "They wouldn't have known," she breathed. "Oh, God! I'd have just disappeared, and they'd've always been waiting!"

Riley checked how much time they had before setting his pack down and nodding at her. "Call them."

***

"Decompression initiated. Impact in 12:55."

The Apocalypse ran into Engineering to see just Scannell there. She blinked, stopping. "Where's McDonnell?" she demanded.

"She distracted Ashton," Scannell shook his head. "I dunno where they went off to."

"Go help Martha and Riley," the Apocalypse ordered. "I'll help her out. And don't you dare argue."

Scannell, for once, just nodded and headed off, the Apocalypse running to find McDonnell.

***

Martha dialed her mother's number again, and Francine picked up yet again. "Hello."

"It's me again," Martha said with a small smile. "Sorry about earlier."

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"Martha?"

Martha bit her lip before taking a deep breath. They had about twelve minutes left to get to the auxiliary engines. "Mum, I . . . you know I love you, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Francine blinked. "What's brought this on?"

"I never say it. I never get the time. I never think of it, and then I really love you. Tell Dad, Leo, and Tish that I love them."

"Martha, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she shook her head. "I promise."

"Where are you?"

"Just . . . " She shrugged helplessly. "Out."

"With anyone nice?"

Martha smiled at Riley. "Some mates."

He smiled back. "What mates?" Francine asked.

"Mum, can we not just talk?"

"Of course. What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. Anything! What you had for breakfast, what you watched on telly last night, how much you're going to kill Dad next time you see him." Riley smirked a bit. "Just . . . anything."

"Is the Apocalypse with you? Is she there, now?"

Martha sighed. "Mum, just leave it!"

"It's a simple enough question!"

"I'd better go."

"Er, no, Martha, wait!"

"See you, Mum." She hung up and turned to Riley and hugged him, only to be interrupted by Scannell running up to them. "Get a move on!" he shouted. "We've got to get to the auxiliary engines!"

Martha quickly pulled up the clamp, and Scannell helped her fasten it to the next door as Riley cracked his knuckles and got to work.

"Impact in 11:15. Heat shield failing. At ten percent."

***

The Apocalypse ran into the med center to see McDonnell standing over a dead Ashton, frozen. "You got him?" she asked.

"Yeah," McDonnell sighed. "I got him."

"Now, I just wonder . . . " The Apocalypse walked over and put her fingers on Ashton's temples, closing her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"If he was possessed, there has to be some sort of connection . . . " Her eyes flew open in shock, and she turned to McDonnell. "You mined that sun! Stripped its surface for cheap fuel!"

"What?" McDonnell blinked.

"Why they were interested in you, it makes sense! It's your fault, that's what the voice said! That sun is alive! A living organism. You scooped out its heart and used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!"

"What do you mean?" McDonnell shook her head, confused. "How can a sun be alive? Why are you saying that?"

"Because it was living in Ashton, and judging by how strong the presence was, it's still alive in Korwin."

McDonnell stared at her in horror. "Oh, my God!"

"Humans," the Apocalypse huffed, shaking her head. "You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry. Why didn't you scan?!"

"It takes too long!" McDonnell protested. "We'd be caught. Fusion scoops are illegal."

"Impact in 7:30."

The Apocalypse shook her head. "We need to find Korwin," she said. "He's not dead yet."

***

After getting through a few areas, Scannell took a look at the next question, having swapped with Riley for a while. "What's your favorite color?" he asked.

Martha blinked. "What?"

"It's the question!"

"Purple!" Riley answered before pausing. "Or did I say orange?"

"Come on!" Scannell groaned.

"Heat shields failing. At five percent."

***

The power suddenly cut out in the stasis chamber, and both women looked over. "What happened?" the Apocalypse frowned.

"Power's been cut in Engineering," McDonnell answered, looking at the reports.

The Apocalypse frowned. "We need to get down there," she said, and they headed off.

"Impact in 4:47."

***

"Are we going to do it in time?" Martha fretted as they made it to Area 4.

"Impact in 4:08."

"Martha!" the Apocalypse came over an intercom. "Scannell, Riley, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," Scannell answered.

"Get to the front, and vent the engines."

"What?" Riley gawked.

"Sun particles in the fuel. Get rid of them!"

"That's our fuel!"

"We don't have time to argue! Give back what you took!"

Riley shook his head as the intercom cut out. "What the hell was she on about?"

"Impact in 3:43."

***

The Apocalypse stepped out in front of Korwin when he stood up. "We know what's wrong," she said calmly. "We know what's happened."

"And you were right," McDonnell admitted, stepping up behind her. "It was my fault."

Korwin started to raise the visor, but the Apocalypse gave McDonnell a small shove, and the two ran off, Korwin following.

***

"It's the last door," Riley said when they made it to the last bulkhead. "We've got to keep going."

"Impact in 2:17. Primary engines critical."

***

Korwin ran smack dab into the Apocalypse, the woman raising her hands and blasting him with all of the ice she could manage. She kept steadily blasting him, keeping the man unconscious. "Keep an eye on him," she ordered McDonnell before going to the intercom.

"Repeat. Primary engines critical. Survival estimate projection zero percent."

***

"Impact in 1:21."

"Got it!" Riley shouted, the door opening.

"Life support systems reaching critical. Repeat. Life support systems reaching critical. Impact in 1:06." Riley and Scannell quickly started working on the controls, but nothing happened. "Collision alert. Collision alert."

"It's not working," Riley frowned in confusion. "Why's it not working?"

"Collision alert. Fifty eight seconds to fatal impact."

"Martha!" the Apocalypse's voice called. "You have to dump that fuel! Vent the engines! There are sun particles in the fuel! You have to get rid of them! Do it, now!"

"Do it!" Martha cried.

Scannell and Riley quickly started working. "Fuel dump in progress. Fuel dump in progress."

Scannell stared in shock. "There! The auxiliaries are firing!"

The ship lurched, then pulled away. "Impact averted. Impact averted. Impact averted."

"We're clear!" Riley laughed. "We've got just enough reserves!"

***

The Apocalypse turned to see Korwin gasp and hunch over in pain, McDonnell running over to him. "Korwin?" she asked softly, taking his helmet off.

Korwin blinked, his eyes perfectly normal, and he stared at McDonnell in shock. "Kath?" he gasped.

McDonnell nodded, biting her lip as she started to cry, hugging her husband tightly as the Apocalypse watched with a small smile, happy one thing had gone right in this entire scheme.

***

Scannell shook his head as he looked at the TARDIS later. "This is never your ship."

"Compact, eh?" the Apocalypse winked, patting the TARDIS's doorframe. "And another good work, robust. Barely a scorch mark on her."

"It's impressive," Korwin admired, his arm around McDonnell.

"We can't just leave you drifting with no fuel," Martha told them.

"We've sent out an official mayday," Riley told her. "The authorities'll pick us up soon enough."

"Though how we explain what happened," Scannell frowned.

"We tell them the truth," McDonnell finally said. "The sun needs care and protection just like any other living thing."

"Good woman, Captain," the Apocalypse told her, holding out a hand, the other woman shaking it. "You all take care."

"Apocalypse," Korwin began before smiling and holding out a hand. "Thank you for saving my life."

"I lost my brother and my husband in the same war," the Apocalypse told him with a sad smile, shaking his hand firmly. "I don't like seeing anyone else lose a loved one. People like you two deserve a second chance."

+++

The Apocalypse eyed her, seeing how tense she was. If anything she was not all right. But she let it go, nodding. "Off we go, then. Always moving on."

"Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius," Jack announced before chuckling. "Now, you don't often get to say that."

"We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery," the Apocalypse decided. "Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again. A second chance."

"That'd be nice," Rose said with a smile as she watched them work.

+++

"Thank you," Korwin told her again.

The Apocalypse nodded and stepped inside the TARDIS. Riley approached Martha with a smile. "So, er . . . you're off, then. No chance I'll see you again?"

"Not really," she shook her head. "It was nice, not dying with you. I reckon you'll find someone worth believing in."

Riley smiled. "I think I already did."

Martha blushed, biting her lip, when the Apocalypse stuck her head out the door. "Oh, just kiss him!" she huffed.

The other three members of the crew laughed, making the two blush, before Martha finally did. The Apocalypse winked at Scannell, who chuckled, and Martha smiled at Riley. "Well done," she nodded. "Very hot."

"Oh, really?" the Apocalypse whined. "A pun?"

"Shut it, you," Martha blushed even redder, playfully swatting the Apocalypse in the arm as she went inside. The Apocalypse just laughed and waved at the four remaining crew members before heading inside. Martha turned to the Apocalypse was she walked up to the console. "It's a shame about Erina and Abi and Ashton," she said. "Guess we couldn't save them all."

"Once in a while, nobody lives," the Apocalypse told her. "More often, some people live. But the most rare of times? When everybody lives."

+++

She grinned. "Oh, I know I can still dance, Rose. You want to see? I'll give you moves." She threw out her hands, sending the nanogenes straight at the patients, all of them falling to the ground. "Everybody lives, Rose!" she cheered. "Just this once, everybody lives!"

+++

"So, what do you say?" she grinned, turning around, hoping it didn't look too forced with that certain memory. That was when she'd had both of her siblings together. "Ice skaing on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha. Fancy it?"

"Whatever you like," Martha laughed, nodding.

"Oh, by the way . . . you'll be needing this."

Martha's eyes widened when the Apocalypse held up a chain, a Yale key dangling from it. "Really?!"

"Frequent flier's privilege," she winked, dropping it into her open hand. "You did brilliant today."

Martha beamed at her before gasping. "Oh, no. Mum!"

The Apocalypse chuckled as she ran off.

***

Francine picked up her phone when it rang again. "Hello?"

"It's me again," Martha's voice said.

"Three calls in one day."

"I'm sorry about earlier. Over emotional. Mad day."

Francine frowned, looking at the blonde woman listening in on the conversation in front of her. "What are you doing tonight?" she asked. "Why don't you come round? I'll make something nice, and we can catch up."

"Yeah, tonight, do my best. Er, just remind me. What day is it again?"

Francine frowned. "Election Day."

"Right, of course. I'll be round for tea . . . roughly."

"And what about - ?" Francine began.

"Anyway, I've got to go. See you later. Love you."

Francine sighed as Martha hung up. The blonde woman smiled and pulled out her ear buds. Francine dropped her phone into the evidence bag offered. "That's all?" she asked.

"For now," the woman nodded. "Have you voted?"

"Of course," Francine nodded. "Just don't expect me to tell you who for."

"Thanks for all you're doing, Mrs. Jones," the woman smirked. "Mr. Saxon will be very grateful for your help in trying to find the Apocalypse. He is very . . . interested in her."

Francine frowned as the woman exited with her men.

She wasn't sure she liked the sound of that.

***

Bit of a fix-it for you all. :) It's nice when Caly has these very convenient powers, don't you think? Save Martha, saves herself. Saves herself, is able to save not one, but two other crew members. Not only that, but the husband and wife. :) Two more people live after the 42 minutes. Poor Abi, Ashton, and Erina, though. :(

But . . . in at least one story . . . all seven will make it out alive. }:) You'll have to wait for Time Lady 5 for that to happen, though. As soon as I finish up this series, I'll probably start on her.

Speaking of future stories, here's the Series 2 excerpt I chose to put!

+++

"It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths," the Doctor said, sonicking hers and Rose's cuffs off. "Did it say what it wanted?"

"The Queen, the Crown, the throne." Rose shrugged. "You name it."

"I like Fred," the girl nodded, blinking when both looked at her. "What?" she protested. "You said to name it!"

"Figure of speech, sweetheart," the Doctor chuckled.

She pouted. "One day I'll get it right."

 +++

*chuckles* One day, sweetheart. One day.

Stay tuned! I bet you're all excited for what comes next . . . "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood!" :D What do you think, would you like to see a guy fall for the human Caly, or not? I think it'd be interesting to see her reaction to it, but at the same time, I have a pretty solid plan for not having one. What are your opinions?

Keep watching, though! After "Vincent and the Time Lords," I'll start writing that out!