"Did you hear something?" Christina asked them as they both were busy with the phone trying to send the photos. "Hold on. Busy."

"There was a noise, like a sort of... Doctor, Stone."

The fly-like creature moved towards the three chittered and clicked pointing its weapon at the three mostly the Doctor who had gently pushed the Stone behind him and stepped in front being the closest to the creature before he started to click and chitter in reply to it. "That's wait." The Doctor informed. "I shout wait, people usually wait."

"You hope at least." The Stone added grinning at him.

"You speak the language?" Christina looked at him.

"Every language." He corrected then clicked some more. "That's begging for mercy."

"The one lesson I am grateful you paid attention in." The Stone patted his arm. "I was never really that good at other languages. "I know most of Earths, however." The alien then gestured it's weapon to the left.

"That means move." Christina said.

"Ooo, you're learning." The Doctor looked at her then look the Stones in front of him as they walked, he wearily turned round slightly checking to see that the creature was still there.

"These fly things, they must be responsible. They brought us here." Christina said.

"No, no, no, no, no." The Time Lords shook their heads. "Look at the ship. It's a wreck." The Doctor pointing at the giant spaceship half destroyed.

"They crashed, just like us." The Stone added.

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh, but this place is freezing." Christina shivered. The Time Lords and the human woman were being brought through the ship with the alien behind them.

"Mmm. The hull's made of photafine steel."

"Turns cold when it's hot." The Stone cut in. "Boiling desert outside, freezing ship inside."

"Since we met you, Christina, we've been through all the extremes." The Doctor frowned.

"That's how I like things, extreme."

"If I didn't know any better it sounds like someone likes you." The Stone whispered to him through her laughter.

"And how do you find that amusing?" The Doctor raised a brow. "I never understand how you don't get jealous.

"Sweetheart when your husband has a massive ego that makes every woman practically throw themselves at him you would understand, plus you asked to Unify with me." She chuckled. "You may be an idiot at times but you would never ask me to do that if you weren't sure yourself."

"And that is why you are completely brilliant." He grinned kissing her cheek. "But look at this." The Doctor then said no longer whispering. "Oh, this is beautiful."

"Intact, it must have been magnificent." The Stone breathed looking around the ship.

"proper streamlined deep spacer."

"I'll remember that as I'm being slowly tortured." Christina sarcastically looked at them. "At least I'm bleeding on the floor of a really well-designed spaceship."

"Who said anything about torturing?" The Stone looked at her then the alien fly who was now stood with another as they clicked and chittered. One of them then tapped a small device the other was wearing.

"Oh, right, good." The Doctor nodded. "Yes. Hello. That's a telepathic translator." He informed Christina. "He can understand us."

"Still sounds like gibberish to me."

"That's what he said." The Stone looked at the woman. "He can understand us. It doesn't work the other way round."

"You will suffer for your crimes, etcetera." The Doctor translated. "You have committed an act of violence against the Tritovore race."

"Tritovores." The Stone nodded. "They're called Tritovores."

"You came here in the two hundred to destroy us. Sorry, what's the two hundred?" The Doctor frowned.

"It's the bus. Number two hundred. They mean the bus."

"Oh. No, look, I think you're making the same mistake Christina did." The Doctor smiled. "I'm the Doctor and this is the Stone by the way." He gestured to himself and the Time Lady. "And this is Christina. The Honourable Lady Christina. At least I hope she's honourable."

The Stone rolled her eyes at him then went to explain. "We got pulled through that wormhole."

"The two hundred doesn't look like that normally." The Doctor cut in. "It's broken, just the same as you." The alien then lowered their weapons.

"What are they doing?"

"They believe us." The Stone said.

"What, as simple as that?"

"I've got a very honest face." The Doctor said making the Stone roll her eyes again. "The Stone is good at getting people to trust her. And the translator says we're telling the truth. Plus the face." He then added. "Right. So, first things first. There's a very strange storm heading our way. Can you send out a probe?" He asked as they clicked. "Oh, they've lost power. Stone?" He looked at the Time Lady grinning knowing that she would enjoy this.

"Now the crash knocked the mainline crystallography out of synch..." she muttered. "Perhaps..." she then clicked a button and looked up. "No...?" She then tried another. "Nothing? Well okay maybe if I can move if back..." she then kicked the machine wincing after hitting it.

"Yes, she is." The Doctor grinned at something the alien flies said. "Frequently. Okey dokey, let's launch that probe." He then looked at an image which then zoomed in on the planet. "The Scorpion Nebula. We're on the other side of the universe. Just what you wanted. So far away."

"The planet of San Helios." The Stone added.

"And that's us?" She pointed. "We're on another world."

"We have been for quite a while." The Doctor pointed out glancing at the woman.

"I know, but seeing it like that." She breathed staring at the hologram of the planet.

"It's good, isn't it?" The Doctor grinned.

"Wonderful."

"The Tritovores were going to trade with San Helios." The Doctor said. "Population of one hundred billion. Plenty of waste matter for them to absorb."

"By waste matter, you mean..."

"Yeah he does... they basically feed off what others leave behind... literally leave behind. It is perfectly natural for them though." She shrugged.

"They are flies." The Doctor added.

"Charming," Christina muttered. "Just remind me never to kiss them."

"San Helios City." He then announced.

"That's amazing. But you've both seen this sort of thing before, haven't you?"

"Thousands of times." The Doctor nodded.

"That Lordship of yours. The Lord of where, exactly?"

"Of Time. We come from a race of people called Time Lords."

"You're an alien?"

"Yeah. But you don't have to kiss me either that's the Stones job." He winked at the Time Lady who shook her head at him. "She's also a Time Lord." He informed wrapping an arm around her waist.

"You both look human."

"You look Time Lord." He counted. "Anyway."

"So if that's San Helios, all we need to do is find that city," Christina stated. "They can help us."

"I don't think it's that simple." The Stone hummed. "We're in the city right now."

"But it's sand." She looked at the blonde. "That first image, the temples and things, what's that then, ancient history?"

The flies then chittered. "The image was taken last year." The Doctor said.

"It became a desert in one year?"

"He said there was something in the sand." The Stone muttered. "The city, the oceans, the mountains, the wildlife, and a hundred billion people turned to sand."

"All those voices in Carmen's head. She's hearing them die." The Doctor at the Stone pulling her closer, just the thought of handling the sand which held millions of people made her a little sick and he could clearly see that she felt horrible about the whole ordeal.

"But I've got sand in my hair." Christina cried. "That's dead people. Oh, that's disgusting. Oh."

"Something destroyed the whole of San Helois." The Stone breathed.

"Yes, but in my hair." She looked at the Time Lady who rested her head on the Doctors shoulder before jolting her head up at the ringing phone. She then dived into her pocket and took the phone out placing it to her ear.

"Malcolm, you might as well tell us the bad news." She muttered before placing it on speaker for the Doctor to hear without placing his head next to hers.

"Oh, you both are clever." He said. "It is bad news. It's the wormhole, Doctor, Stone. It's getting bigger. We've gone way past one hundred Bernards. I haven't invented a name for that."

"How can it get bigger by itself?" The Doctor muttered glancing at the Stone who was in thought.

"Well, that's why I'm phoning. You'll work it out, if I know you, sir, ma'am."

"Doctor, Stone we estimate the circumference of your invisible wormhole is now four miles heading upwards. I've grounded all flights above London we can't risk anyone else falling through."

"Good work, both of you." The Doctor nodded.

"But I have to know. Does that wormhole constitute a danger to this planet?" She asked. The phone then beeped as the Stone breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing UNIT if either of them told the danger they would try and close it down trapping the Time Lords and the humans trapped on the planet, neither of the Time Lords wanted to die of old age, especially not here. "Sorry, we have a call waiting." The Stone informed pressing the button.

"Yeah?" The Doctor said into the phone.

"Doctor, it's Nathan. We got those duckboard things down, but..."

"It's my fault." They heard Angela cry through the phone alarming both Time Lords.

"No, it's not," Nathan said, "don't say that."

"Why, what's happened?" The Doctor asked.

"We kept on turning the engine, but, we're out of petrol. Used it all up. Even if we can get those wheels out. This bus is never going to move." He said. The Doctor stared into the distance his grip tightening on the Stones hand who swallowed hard.

"What is it, what's wrong? Doctor, Stone, tell me."

"You promised you'd get us home. Doctor? Stone?"

"Are you still there?"

"Doctor, tell me. What did he say?"

"Sorry going to have to call you back." The Stone quickly ended the call before Nathan can reply, slightly wincing at having to end it like that before she put the phone back into her pocket. They then looked up as there was a beeping.

"It's the probe." The Doctor said. "It's reached the storm."

"And what's he saying?"

"It's not a storm." An image from the probe's view then appeared showing stingrays flying through the air.

"It's a swarm. Millions of them."

"Billions. Oh, we've lost the probe." He said just as the screen cut out. "I think it got eaten. Everything on this planet gets eaten."

"How far away is that swarm?"

"A hundred miles."

"But at that speed, it'll be here in twenty minutes." The Stone added. "No, no, no, they're not just coming for us." She realised. "They want the wormhole and guess what is just in front of that wormhole." She groaned.

"They're heading for Earth?"

"Show the analysis." The Doctor looked at the flies. "Incredible." He breathed. "They swarm out of a wormhole, strip the planet bare, then move on to the next world. Start the life cycle all over again

"So, they make the wormholes?"

"They must do."

"But how?" Christina asked. "They don't exactly look like technicians. And if the wormhole belongs to them, why are they a hundred miles away?"

"Because they need to be?" He guessed then shook his head. "No, that's bonkers."

"No Hang on." The Stone shook her head. "Do you see? Billions of them, flying in formation, all around the planet. Round and round and round, faster and faster and faster, till they generate a rupture in space. The speed of them, and the numbers, and the size, all of that rips the wormhole into existence."

"Oh yes!" He looked at her. "Of course."

"And the wormhole's getting bigger?" Christina looked at them.

"Because they're getting closer."

"But how do they get through? Because that wormhole's a killer. We've seen it."

"No, no, no, look. See the exoskeleton." The Doctor pointed at the stingray on screen.

"Metal?" She frowned.

"They've got bones of metal. They eat metal and extrude it into the exoskeleton. So their velocity makes the wormhole, then their body makes it safe. Perfect design."

"Those things are going to turn the entire Earth into a desert. So why exactly are you both smiling?"

"Worse it gets, the more we love it." They both grinned the Doctor wrapping an arm around the Time Lady. Happier that she looked better than before.

"The thing is, Doctor, Stone, you're missing the obvious." Christina looked at them. "We came here through the wormhole, yes? But our Tritovore friends didn't. They came here to trade with San Helios. Therefore, the question is, why did they crash?"

"Ah, good question." He nodded. "Like she said, why did you crash?" The Tritovores gestured for the Time Lords and human to follow taking them to a large hole in the spaceship in a room resembling what the Stone guessed to hold the engine.

"Gravity well." The Stone nodded. "Look, goes all the way down to the engine. So what happened?" She asked then looked at the Doctor. She really wished the TARDIS was here, being on the other side of the universe and the wormhole most likely messing with it stopping the translation.

"He says the drive system stalled." The Doctor said. "Ten miles up, they fell out of the sky. But what caused that?" The Tritovores shrugged

"Which means no idea." Christina guessed.

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded. "But wait a minute. That's a crystal nucleus down there, yes?" He said the Time Lady nodded knowing from being made to help build ships for the Time War. "And it looks like it survived the crash."

"And If the crystal's intact? Oh, yes. That's better than diesel." The Time Lady grinned high fiving the Doctor.

"What, you can use the crystal to move the bus?" Christina asked.

"I think so." The Time Lady nodded. "The spaceship's a write-off, but the two hundred's small enough."

"How does a crystal drive a bus?"

"In a super clever outer-spacey way." The Doctor cut in before the Time Lady who rolled her eyes at him. "Just trust me. There's the crystal!" He shouted looking at a hole. "It's fallen to the bottom of the well. Have you got access shafts? All frozen? Well, maybe we can open them. Ah! Internal Comms. Put that on." He handed her a Bluetooth unit before placing one in his ear as the Stone did so in hers, not that the Doctor was planning on leaving her alone on a planet where a giant swarm was on the way it was still better to be safe. "You stay here." The Doctor said. "Keep an eye on the shaft. Tell us if anything happens." They ran back through the spaceship as Christina sat on the edge of the gravity well.

"If we use that sunlight to start the automatic maintenance. Christina? If you see a panel opening in that shaft, let us know."

"Nothing yet." As the Time Lords started to mess with the controls.

"Anything now?" The Time Lady asked.

"Afraid not."

"Any sign of movement?" The Doctor asked again.

"Nope."

"How's that?" He asked after plugging a few cables.

"Nothing."

"Any result?" The Stone asked changing a couple of the cables and grabbing a few more.

"Not a dickie bird." She replied then paused for a moment. "So let me get this right. You need that crystal? Then consider it done."

"Why, what do you mean?" The Doctor asked. "Christina?" The Time Lords questioned after no reply. "Christina!" They both took off running to where Christina was to see her standing on the edge attached up to a pulley with a harness around her.

"The aristocracy survives for a reason. We're ready for anything." She dived just before the Time Lords reached her as they shouted for her to stop. "No!" The Doctor then soniced the pulley to make a sudden stop. "Come on. Come on, come on, come on." He muttered before seeing the wire come to a halt. "That's better."

"I decide when I stop, thank you."

"You're about to hit the security grid." The Stone snapped breathing out a sigh. "Look."

"Excellent." She said a little fearfully. "So what do I do?"

"Try the big red button."

"Well done." She commented hitting it.

"Now come back up." The Doctor said. "I can do that."

"And I can't?" The Stone raised a brow at her.

"Not with me here." He grinned at her not about to let her go down there.

"Oh, don't you wish." Christina muttered staring again as the Doctor warned for her to go slow.

"Yes, sir." She replied.

"Quite the mystery, aren't you? Lady Christina de Souza, carrying a winch in her bag." The Doctor hummed in thought circling the hole as the Stone eyed the bag.

"No stranger than you, spaceman." She retorted. The Doctor slumped down next to the Stone as she took his hand. "We had this friend, once." He sadly replied resting his head on the Stones as she softly drew circles on the back of his hand with her thumb. "She called me spaceman."

"And was she right? Do you zoom about the place in a rocket?"

"A little blue box." The Stone corrected smiling fondly of the TARDIS. "Travels in more than space."

"It can journey through time, Christina." The Doctor cut in smiling. "Oh, the places the Stone and I have been. World War One. Creation of the universe. End of the universe. The war between China and Japan." The Stone then raised a brow eyeing the bag that was slightly open and taking out a goblet as the Doctor frowned slightly looking at the goblet now she handed to him. "And the Court of King Athelstan in 924 AD. But I don't remember you being there. Stone?" He raised at the Time Lady.

"Ah that was when I almost was married to the King, now that was an exciting day." She chuckled. "Still I stand with almost. I'm happily married."

"That was before we were even together." He protested.

"Doesn't mean I wanted to be queen." She laughed. "Anyways back to the point, I also don't remember seeing you, Christina."

"So what are you doing with this?" The Doctor asked.

"Excuse me." She said sounding annoyed. "A gentleman never goes through a lady's possessions."

"Ah well unless the Stone is a gentleman then you should have no issue with that." He grinned to himself. "It's the Cup of Athelstan, given to the first King of Britain as a coronation gift from Hywel, King of the Welsh. But it's been held in the International Gallery for two hundred years, which makes you, Lady Christina, a thief."

"I like to think I liberated it." She corrected.

"Don't tell me you need the money." The Time Lady retorted.

"Daddy lost everything. Invested his fortune in the Icelandic banks."

"No, no, no, no, no." The Doctor almost laugh with the woman either taking him for an idiot or just having a joke. One of which was correct at points from the Stones view. "If you're short of cash, you rob a bank. Stealing this? That's a lifestyle."

"I take it you disapprove?"

"Absolutely." He said. "Except. That little blue box, we stole it from our own people." He hummed.

"Well done." She chuckled sounding proud of them both. Suddenly there was a roar making the Time Lords jolt upright the Stone almost hitting the Doctors head with her own at the sudden movement.

"What the blazes was that?" They heard Christina gasp through the comm.

"We never did find out why the ship crashed." The Stone muttered

"Christina, I think you should come back up." The Doctor suggested.

"Too late. I can see it."

"Careful. Slowly." He warned then looked to the two Tritovores. "Have you got an open-vent system?" They both chittered as the Doctor nodded. "I thought so."

"What does that mean?" Christina asked. The Stone ran a hand through her hair having a small idea of what created the roaring sound.

"It's like when birds fly into the engines of an aircraft." The Doctor said.

"One of the creatures," Christina whispered.

"It got trapped in the vents, caused the crash." The Doctor said before they both warned. "Christina, get out."

"It's not moving. I think it's injured." She guessed.

"No, it's dormant because it's so cold down there, but your body heat is raising the temperature." The Doctor shook his head.

"I tend to have that effect. Almost there." She muttered.

"Not just the crystal." The Stone cut in. "We need the whole bed, the metal plate." She said bringing out her sonic.

"I've got it!" She shouted a moment later the Stone soniced the pulley pulling Christina back up as fast as she could as the Doctor ran to the screen watching Christina move up as the Stone continued to sonic it while they heard the Stingray hitting the walls below trying to get to the woman.

"Come on, come on. Come on, come on, come on, come on." The Doctor muttered as the Stone gritted his teeth in hope. "It's going to eat its way up. Ooo, she's good." He commented a moment later seeing her hit the red button from before reactivating the security grid electrocuting the stingray. Christina then appeared at the too as the Doctor ran over to help pull the woman back to the ground. "That's it, that's it, that's it. We've got you. We've got you." He cooed helping her out before the Doctor took the Stones hand running out to the Tritovores. "Commander? Mission complete. Now, we've got to get back to the two hundred, all of us." They then started to chitter. "Oh, don't be so daft. A captain can leave his ship if there's a bus standing by." The Stone nodded trying to get the Tritovores to agree. There then was another loud bang.

"What the hell was that?" Christina gasped. "Is this place safe? It's the creature. It's not dead."

"Maybe you didn't hit just one of them." The Stone muttered. "If you hit a swarm?"

"Do you mean if there's more on board?" Christina gaped at her in horror.

"This ship's built inside a metal sleeve." The DOctor informed. "They can move through the infrastructure, all around us. And those things wake up hungry. Commander, you've got to come with us right now."

"Come back to Earth. We'll find you a home." Christina said.

"And that's the word of a lady. Come on." One of the Tritovores moved over to the control panel just as a stingray appeared eating and killing the creature as the other raised its weapon.

"No, don't." The Time Lords warned just before the Tritovore took the same death as the other. The Doctor grabbed the Stones hand taking Christina's with his other. "There's nothing we can do." He told the human before both Time Lords shouted at the top of their lungs: "Run!"

They ran out of the spaceship sprinting in the direction of the bus scrambling up the small sand hills suddenly the phone in the Stones' pocket rang. grumbling she let go of the Doctors hand to answer putting it on speaker. "Doctor? Stone?"

"Not now, Malcolm!" They shouted. The Stone then ended the call putting it back in her pocket and grabbing the Doctors hand again as they ran to the bus which came into view over another small hill.