Categories > TV > Doctor Who > Doctor Who- the Vanishing of Penelope Kelsey
Rose Tyler opens the bathroom door and finds another world.
She blinks blearily at a scene that doesn't make any sense. She should be looking at the familiar frosted glass shower door and pale blue linoleum tile. What she sees, however, is a snow filled street lined with tall, stone buildings. The sky and windows are dark, the only light comes from flickering gas lamps on high poles.
“John?” She calls, edging a toe toward the snow that has tumbled through the door and is now melting on the carpet.
“I told you, spiders are our friends.” John Smith mumbles from under the blanket.
“John, get up.” Rose doesn't want to take her eyes from the doorway, just in case shifting her attention makes it vanish.
“Isn't it Saturday?” He groans.
“JohnSmithTheDoctorDonna there is a city in our bathroom.” Rose says loudly.
For several seconds there is no response, then John tosses the covers off. “I'm sorry, did you just say a city?”
Rose doesn't bother to answer, since he is already pulling her to the side to peer past.
“Oh, oh my. Now, that's something special, isn't it. Happy birthday to me.” John murmurs.
A cold wind hits her back, and Rose turns around. She grabs John's arm, and he nods, not needing to speak. Their bedroom has vanished, they are now standing in the middle of a snow covered street.
Both of them are barefoot and in their nightclothes, slammed with icy shock the two of them stumble up off of the street and into the shelter of a nearby shop door. John peers through the dark window, then snatches up a boot scraper and smashes one of the glass panels on the door, reaches through and opens the lock.
“Breaking and entering?” Rose hisses, huffing air into her hands.
“Larceny.” John flashes her a grin. “Unless you'd rather freeze.”
“No, no, I'm good.” Rose laughs. “Corsets, oh God, what year is it? I don't have to squeeze my guts up into my rib cage, do I?”
“Define 'squeeze'.” John says. “And, ah, no, not particularly. Looks like...November, 1885, at least that's the last time this calender was changed.”
Rose has worn this sort of complicated clothing before, but it's been years, and it takes her several minutes to assemble outer and inner garments. When she's finished tugging the wool dress into place, John hands her a coat and gloves, and they step back out onto the street.
“That clock says quarter to eleven.” Rose comments. “Where is everybody, I wonder?”
“That's a very good question. And it's not just people, I haven't seen a single animal, either, have you?”
Rose shakes her head. “Nothing. If everybody is gone, then who lit the gas lights?”
“They may have vanished at night.” John frowns. “But, look at how the snow is in even layers on the railings there-” He leans down and pokes his finger into a low drift against the side of a building. “Crunchy- it's been snowing at night, then getting warm enough in the day to just give the top layer that thin sheen of ice. The snow is thinner in the middle of the street, it retained heat, kept it from building up for a day or so. It must have been at least three or four days since anybody, human or animal, has come through here.”
They have been walking for around fifteen minutes, by the church bell that chimes and makes both of them jump, when they finally see signs of life- a single set of footprints meandering down a cross street.
“Female, 5'6, around 120 pounds.” John drops to his haunches to peer at the tracks, touches one and rubs the snow between his gloved fingers. “Blond hair, brown eyes...”
“Oh, come on, how could you possibly know that from a footprint.” Rose huffs.
“She's standing right there.” John jerks his chin and gives her his smart ass smile.
Rose looks around and sees her, leaning casually against the wall of a nearby alley, watching them with an expression of mixed interest and amusement. When she sees they've spotted her, she shoves herself upright and strolls over.
“Well, hello!” The stranger says brightly.
“Hello.” John straightens up.
“I never expected to see the two of you again.” She glances over at Rose. “And you're all fancy, too! You look lovely, my dear.”
“Ah, thank you?” Rose looks over at John in confusion, apparently this person knows them, but she's almost certain she's never seen the woman before.
“How did you get here?”
“We just sort of...” Rose looks over at John for help, but he's still looking at the stranger as though he's trying to x-ray her with his eyes. “were here.”
“Really.” The stranger reaches into her pocket and pulls out something that looks suspiciously like a sonic screwdriver, waves it over both of them. “Well, you're you, I suppose that should come as somewhat of a relief. When did you get here?”
“Ten forty five.” John finally speaks up.
“And you've been walking around since then?”
“Yes.” A smile has started to spread across his face.
“Have you seen anything, animals or...”
Rose shakes her head.”
“Hm, lets run a little experiment. Everybody, still and quiet.”
“What-” Rose starts.
“Sssh!” The stranger puts a finger against her own lips in a silencing motion, gives Rose a slightly irritated look.
Rose raises her own finger almost instinctively, looks over at John who has mimicked the gesture over his widening grin.
For what feels like a very long time they stand there, with nothing but the sound of their own breath and the snow that has begun to fall again. Rose is about to drop her hand and break the silence when there is a sound from somewhere down the street, a sort of soft shuffling.
The snow begins to fall more heavily, obscuring their view. Something large and dark moves out of one of the side streets, is joined by two others. Huge, heavy, shaggy forms. The one in front lifts it's head and emits a deep, wailing howl.
Rose stiffens, takes a step back to press herself against John.
“Easy.” The stranger murmurs, holding a hand out toward her.
The animals begin to move forward, walking slowly, heads lowered. Rose can see their bright golden eyes in the gas lamps.
“Everybody, very calmly now, turn around and walk away.”
Rose hesitates, but John pulls her around and nudges her along. She glances over and sees that the strange woman is moving backwards, watching behind them. After a moment, John and Rose both turn to look over their shoulders.
The shadowy creatures have stopped following them, now they move as one to turn and lope off back they way they had come, quickly vanishing and seeming to take the falling snow with them.
“The wolves are running.” John Smith says in a low voice.
“Indeed.” The stranger says. “But running for who, I wonder?”
“Hello, Doctor.” John says.
“Oh, yes, hello.” She waves a hand at them vaguely.
“No.” Rose says.
“Sorry?” The Doctor blinks at her in confusion.
“You're a girl.”
“What? Oh, yes.” She rolls her eyes. “Yes, yes I am.”
“And you're...you...right? I mean, not some...” Rose falters.
“Yeah.” The Doctor cuts her off.
“So, wait, how are we in the same place? I thought you sealed the dimensions or whatever.”
“I did. And, well, to be perfectly fair, we're sort of...between...I think. It nabbed me right after I stepped out of the Tardis.”
“Where is she?” John asks.
“Aaah, out of sync.” The Doctor sighs.
“So, how do we get out?” Rose asks.
“That,” The Doctor says “is a very good question. If we stop and stand still for long enough, the wolves will come back. The question is, what happens if we don't move on?”
“There's one way to find out.” John says.
Rose reaches out and takes his hand, they fall silent and stand still, waiting. After a few minutes the snow comes up again, the wolves slink out from an alley and begin to approach. Once again, the one in the lead howls. They lower their heads, stalking toward them, hackles raising and bodies dropping closer to the ground, prepared to pounce.
The animals are huge, the size of small ponies, as they draw closer Rose can see snow and ice crystals hanging from the shaggy fur, puffs of steam rising from lolling tongues and sharp white teeth.
When they are perhaps ten feet away, the animals stop moving, the air fills with their heavy, low growl. Rose looks over and sees that the Doctor is standing with her hands in her pockets, eyes locked on the head wolf.
They can't have stood like that for more than ten or fifteen seconds, but it feels like an eternity. Finally, the wolves back away and within moments have vanished again, though the snow is still falling.
“Interesting.” The Doctor says. “Lets see what happens now.”
They have been waiting for almost a full minute before they hear a new sound, heavy metallic footsteps.
“Ah, moving off of the standard intimidation tactics. It's tailoring itself to us.” The Doctor says.
Glowing eyes appear through the snow, then the dark, human shaped outlines.
“Cybermen.” Rose says.
The Doctor nods. There are three of them, tall silver men lift their arms offensively, approach to stop, like the wolves, near to them.
“You will be upgraded.” One of them says.
“No thank you.” The Doctor says.
One of them points to Rose. “You will come with us, you will be upgraded.”
“I'm good, thanks.” Rose says.
The Cybermen hesitate, seeming uncertain. The snow blows up suddenly, very hard, obscuring their view. When it clears the Cybermen are gone, replaced with three deep gray Daleks.
“Exterminate!” One of them screams.
“Go ahead!” The Doctor says. “Shoot us. Come on, you're a Dalek. Exterminate. Do it! Do it! Do it, do-it-do-it-do-it-do-it dooooo iiiiit!”
The Dalek waves it's gun and plunger at them, but seems disheartened by their lack of reaction.
“Ha, you can't, can you! You can't do anything. And you know why? Because-” The Doctor takes a few quick steps, pokes the Dalek to emphasize her words “you're not ree-aal.”
The Daleks dissolve into puffs of snow which blow away and are lost among the other drifting flakes.
“Now what” Rose asks.
“Well, it's found it can't drive us forward from behind- so the next thing should be...”
The snow starts to build again, heavier, and the three draw close together.
A female voice echoes through from somewhere down the street.
“Doctor?” A pause. “Sweetie? Where are you?”
The voice is unfamiliar, but Rose sees the Doctor wince and tense, it must be someone she knows. John shoots her a sideways glance.
“Nice try.” The Doctor calls.
“Please...help me...they're coming!” A note of panic.
The Doctor rolls her eyes. “Oh, please. You should have picked someone else to be your damsel in distress.”
The woman's voice sobs for a moment, the sound is absolutely heartbreaking, but soon fades into silence.
The streetlights begin to go out. The snow is coming down hard enough so it takes a moment for the darkness to work it's way toward them. The line of light seems to form a sharp barrier, behind which there is a deep wall of black.
A horn blasts from behind them, accompanied by a loud clacking sound. All of them turn instinctively to look.
A passenger train is pulling up, billowing smoke and steam into the cold air. The city around them has abruptly vanished, replaced by the wooden platform and building of a train station.
The engine rolls to a complete stop, hisses softly. The doors of all the passenger cars open, but no people get out.
They take a walk up and down the platform, the doors are all locked, interior lights off. The Doctor tries the sonic screwdriver, which unlocks the ticket sales door, and pulls it open. On the other side of the door, they find a steep drop, a sheer dark cliff face, beyond which there is nothing but blackness.
Someone is ringing a bell. It turns out to be a conductor in a navy blue uniform and hat, leaning from one of the doors.
“All aboard!” He calls cheerily when he sees they have noticed him.
“Excuse me, where does this train go to?” The Doctor asks.
“It's not 'to' you should be worried about.” The Conductor says. “It's 'from'.”
“What's it going away from?”
“Them.” The Conductor lifts his chin.
Wolves have appeared again, filling the platform on either side. These are smaller than the spectral animals they had seen before, more real, the smell of hot breath and wet fur drifts over on the wind.
“They're out for blood, those ones.” The Conductor says. “And they'll not stop until they have it.”
“What is this place?”
“This is the Last Train at the Last Station. Overnight express.” The Conductor says, then smiles again. “All aboard.”
The wolves are creeping in, the Doctor looks at Rose and John, then shrugs. “Well, looks like this is our ride.”
“Tickets, please” The Conductor says.
They find themselves holding thin paper slips, which they obediently hand over as they climb the narrow stairs into the car.
The train huffs and jerks into motion, the Doctor turns but the Conductor has vanished.
They work their way down the line of cars, two of them are lined with windows and booth style seats, then a dining car, followed by three sleepers and ending in a luggage car. Like the city, they seem to be the only occupants.
When they come back toward the front, they find that someone has put out dinner, which immediately reminds Rose that she hasn't eaten since last night.
“Do you think it's safe?” She asks, thinking of the first rule of fairy tales: never eat or drink anything from the realm of the little people.
“Mm, I'd imagine so.” The Doctor lifts a biscuit and sniffs it. “Bit stale, maybe.”
The sandwiches are dry, the tea is weak and tepid, and the biscuits are, indeed, stale. The Doctor wanders off while Rose is picking at the food, walks up toward the front of the train.
She is at the door to the locomotive, trying it with her screwdriver, when the Conductor makes his appearance again.
“Passengers are not allowed in the front of the train.” He says with a gentle smile.
“What's up there?” The Doctor asks.
“Please return to the passenger area.”
“What if I don't? What are you gonna do, throw me off?”
The Conductor gives her his placid smile again. “Please return to the passenger area.”
He reaches past her and opens the door to the engine.
The Doctor finds herself looking into the empty luggage car. She turns to look back at the Conductor, but he has vanished again.
The Doctor steps into the cold, rattling car, which is connected to the last sleeper compartment. The Doctor walks up the isle again, windows one one side showing nothing but snowflakes flashing by in the darkness like stars in space.
She pulls the door to the nearest compartment open again, and looks around. Like the others, this one had been completely empty, but now she sees that something has changed. There is a pair of child's gloves sitting on the small bed to the right, thin things made of fine white cotton with a row of little yellow flowers embroidered around the cuff. The Doctor picks them up and turns them over, inspects them before putting them back the way she had found them.
She searches the rest of the compartment, but finds nothing else. The Doctor steps back out and then into the next compartment, but this one is completely empty and just as it had been before.
The rest of the cars are, likewise, untouched, and several minutes later she steps back into the dining car.
“Didn't you leave the other way?” John Smith asks, arching an eyebrow at her.
“Oroborous.” The Doctor makes a circular motion with her hand. “The beginning is the end is the beginning. That Conductor fellow popped up when I started mucking about, though. You haven't seen anybody, have you?”
“No.” John shakes his head. “Why?”
“Some little girl left her gloves in the last sleeper.” The Doctor says. “Alright, lets check this place again, top to bottom, look for any changes, anything, no matter how small. And I think we'd best stay together, just in case. It might not like us messing around.”
They start walking up toward the front of the train. The first public passenger car is empty, though it takes them several minutes to get all the way down the isle as they are checking under all of the seats. Halfway through the second car, though, Rose spots something on one of the seats and walks over to pick it up.
She turns, waving her find. “Somebody lost an umbrella.”
The Doctor takes it, looks it over, hands it to John. “Yep, it's an umbrella, alright. Leave it in here, but put it somewhere different.”
John hangs it on the luggage rack, where it swings in time with the rocking of the train.
This time, the Conductor does not interrupt her, and the Doctor opens the door to the locomotive, steps aside so Rose and John have an unobstructed view of the dark luggage car. The sound of the engine, which had been loud and nearby, is now muffled, all the way at the other end of the train.
“That's weird.” Rose says.
“Kinda.” The Doctor agrees, and steps into the car.
Fully engulfed in shadow, looking around all of them immediately see that something has changed, the storage car is no longer empty. There is a large trunk in one corner, the kind that opens out in the middle and has a large strap for carrying it on your back.
The Doctor and John Smith exchange another look, as though the trunk, like the voice, holds some significance for them that Rose is unaware of.
They walk over together, the Doctor and John tug it out away from the wall a bit. Rose can now see that it has latches on the front and hinges on the back, made to swing fully out. It looks like a marionette case.
“What is that?” Rose asks.
““Grandfather, grandfather, old and gray,” The Doctor flips the clasps up, pulls the screwdriver out of her pocket to work the lock. “carried a Punch and Judy play-”
The lock clicks, and the case pops open, but contains nothing but a few mothballs.
“But the foxy-man came and stole it away.” John murmurs.
A chill seems to come into the already cold air, and Rose wraps her arms around herself. “So, you two know what's going on yet?”
“Sssh-” The Doctor raises a hand, tilts her head.
A child, a little girl, is singing. The sound is faint, but rises clearly above the clattering and creaking of the train.
“Grandfather, grandfather, has a box
keeps it safe with a thousand locks
opens it up when somebody knocks
One, two, three, four,
Penny's knocking at the door
Five, six, seven, eight,
Turn the key and don't be late”
The Doctor starts walking slowly, leading them toward the source of the sound. She pushes the nearest door open but the sleeping booth is empty except for the pair of gloves sitting on the bed.
The next car is empty as well, and when the step out the child has fallen silent.
“We couldn't have heard that from the next car.” Rose says.
The Doctor shakes her head. “No, not if this place adhered to normal physics. Well, since we're stuck here, might as well give it what it wants. It's just going to keep poking us until it gets a reaction.”
As if on cue, the girl starts to sing again. They can hear now that it's clearly coming from somewhere farther up on the train, though the sound shouldn't be able to carry through.
“Grandfather, grandfather, old and gray
carried a Punch and Judy play
'til the Foxy-man came and stole it away
One, two, three, four
the wolves are on the parlor floor
five, six, seven, eight
close the door and lock the gate.”
They open the door to the first compartment, which now appears to be occupied by two people, though neither of them are currently in. A male and a female, and married, given the matching luggage.
“Mom and Dad-” The Doctor says, pulls the next compartment door open. “And the kids.”
There are no children in the car, but it's clear that they have been there, and for long enough to get throughly bored. A boy and a girl, judging by the toys and clothes strewn about. On the bed with the boy's coat are several books, most of them are adventure titles which would appeal to someone of around ten, but the one that is open on the blanket is a large and brightly illustrated copy of 'Alice in Wonderland'.
“Aw, isn't that nice. Reading to his sister.” The Doctor comments.
The next sleeper has both compartments with luggage in them, suitcases and bags and winter coats. The following car is still empty, but the dining car isn't- there are two men seated next to each other in the last booth, facing them.
They don't look like the sort of people who would own any of the expensive luggage they'd seen, at least not through honest means. One of them is rather tall and quite thin, the other shorter and rounder, both wear scuffed bowler hats and slightly threadbare overcoats and have about them a rather greasy and untrustworthy air.
“Hello.” The taller of the two addresses them in a slightly thin, nasal voice.
“Hello.” The Doctor says brightly. “I'm the Doctor, these are-”
“We know who you are.” He lifts a thin, pale hand, interrupting her. “I'm Mr. Lean, this is Mr. Arrow. We've been expecting you.”
“Ah, well, I certainly hope we haven't kept you waiting.” The Doctor says. “Now, if you don't mind to terribly much, who exactly are you, and why have you brought us here? And, where is 'here' for that matter?”
Mr. Lean gives her a thin, weaselly smile. “Oh, we aren't the ones responsible. We are just here to, shall we say, negotiate.”
“Negotiate what?” The Doctor arches an eyebrow at them.
“Your fee.”
“Fee? I'm sorry?” The Doctor looks genuinely puzzled. “You want to...hire me? To do what?”
“To investigate the disappearance of Penelope Charlotte Kelsey,” He reaches into his coat and produces a photograph, offers it to the Doctor. “daughter of Adrian Kelsey. Vanished in 1885 under mysterious circumstances. The address is on the back.”
She takes it, holding it up so that John and Rose can see. A black and white photograph of a girl who looks to be six or seven years old, pale hair done up in curls.
“Penny.” The Doctor says.
“Yes.” Mr Lean arches an eyebrow. “Penny.”
“I take it if I agree you'll return my ship.”
“That would be a reasonable conclusion.”
“What about these two? Why are they here?” The Doctor nods to Rose and John Smith.
Mr Lean flicks his beady black eyes over the pair. “Oh, now, everybody knows the Doctor never works alone.”
“I'll need to speak to your employer.”
“Of course.”
The Doctor twists around to look at Rose and John. “Well, what do you think?”
“I'm game.” John says.
Rose nods. “Sure.”
“Just like old times.” The Doctor winks. “Right then, tell us about this-”
Mr Lean and Mr Arrow have vanished, and the train is suddenly full of sunlight and people. A busboy with a tray edges around Rose, murmuring an apology.
“Ladies and gentlemen-” The Conductor is at the front of the car. “If you'd please collect your bags, we'll be arriving at the station in half an hour. Thank you.”
He comes down the isle, the Doctor lifts a hand. “Excuse me-”
“Yes, miss?” He gives her a polite smile.
“Where does this train go?”
“Victoria Station, miss.”
“In London?” The Doctor says.
“Yes, miss. Long night, was it?”
“You could say that.” The Doctor smiles. “Thank you.”
The Conductor walks on, through the door and into the next car.
The Doctor grabs several packets of biscuits from the table and drops them into a pocket. “Come on, I want to have a look around. You two take the front.”
The other passengers are standing up, returning to their seats or sleeping compartments. The Doctor slides between the moving bodies and within seconds is lost, Rose and John work their way toward the passenger booths and engine.
The umbrella is still hanging where John had left it.
“Please take your seats.” The conductor is coming back up to the front of the train.
“Ah-” John hesitates.
The conductor gives him a slightly suspicious look, and John motions Rose into the seat, hastily plops down beside her.
“Thank you.” The conductor says.
“So much for looking around.” Rose hisses.
“Yes, I guess we'll have to settle for eavesdropping.” John flashes a grin at her.
The Doctor walks with her back pressed against the window side of the car, slipping easily by the other passengers. The two children bound past, followed by their haggard looking parents. The two men who's luggage they'd seen turn out to be brothers in their sixties, eager to chat and happy to inform her that they are headed to their niece's christening.
The last car is still unoccupied. The Doctor checks the small rooms but finds nothing. By the time she has finished snooping around the train has slowed to a rocking crawl, and a few moments later they have pulled under the shadow of Victoria Station.
She finds Rose and John on the platform and waves them over. “Find anything useful?”
“A few of these people are going to some museum exhibit, but aside from that, not much.” John says. “You?”
“It seems that whatever was going on has stopped for the moment.” The Doctor makes a 'come along' motion with her head and starts walking, the other two fall in step on either side.
“So, what do we do now?” Rose asks.
“We investigate.” The Doctor says.
“Using what, a name and picture?” Rose looks around.
“A name, a picture, and-” They have reached the area where several strapping young lads are unloading luggage, among the trunks and crates is a large box covered with a heavy sheet, which the Doctor tugs away with a flourish. “A big blue box.”
She unlocks the door of the Tardis, pushes it open. The interior is dark, as it always seems to be until you get right up close. John nudges Rose, who walks forward, steps over the threshold and inside. John follows, the Doctor comes behind them and closes the door.
A moment later, the engines engage with their heavy, pumping wail, and the Tardis slips behind a fold in space time and vanishes.
She blinks blearily at a scene that doesn't make any sense. She should be looking at the familiar frosted glass shower door and pale blue linoleum tile. What she sees, however, is a snow filled street lined with tall, stone buildings. The sky and windows are dark, the only light comes from flickering gas lamps on high poles.
“John?” She calls, edging a toe toward the snow that has tumbled through the door and is now melting on the carpet.
“I told you, spiders are our friends.” John Smith mumbles from under the blanket.
“John, get up.” Rose doesn't want to take her eyes from the doorway, just in case shifting her attention makes it vanish.
“Isn't it Saturday?” He groans.
“JohnSmithTheDoctorDonna there is a city in our bathroom.” Rose says loudly.
For several seconds there is no response, then John tosses the covers off. “I'm sorry, did you just say a city?”
Rose doesn't bother to answer, since he is already pulling her to the side to peer past.
“Oh, oh my. Now, that's something special, isn't it. Happy birthday to me.” John murmurs.
A cold wind hits her back, and Rose turns around. She grabs John's arm, and he nods, not needing to speak. Their bedroom has vanished, they are now standing in the middle of a snow covered street.
Both of them are barefoot and in their nightclothes, slammed with icy shock the two of them stumble up off of the street and into the shelter of a nearby shop door. John peers through the dark window, then snatches up a boot scraper and smashes one of the glass panels on the door, reaches through and opens the lock.
“Breaking and entering?” Rose hisses, huffing air into her hands.
“Larceny.” John flashes her a grin. “Unless you'd rather freeze.”
“No, no, I'm good.” Rose laughs. “Corsets, oh God, what year is it? I don't have to squeeze my guts up into my rib cage, do I?”
“Define 'squeeze'.” John says. “And, ah, no, not particularly. Looks like...November, 1885, at least that's the last time this calender was changed.”
Rose has worn this sort of complicated clothing before, but it's been years, and it takes her several minutes to assemble outer and inner garments. When she's finished tugging the wool dress into place, John hands her a coat and gloves, and they step back out onto the street.
“That clock says quarter to eleven.” Rose comments. “Where is everybody, I wonder?”
“That's a very good question. And it's not just people, I haven't seen a single animal, either, have you?”
Rose shakes her head. “Nothing. If everybody is gone, then who lit the gas lights?”
“They may have vanished at night.” John frowns. “But, look at how the snow is in even layers on the railings there-” He leans down and pokes his finger into a low drift against the side of a building. “Crunchy- it's been snowing at night, then getting warm enough in the day to just give the top layer that thin sheen of ice. The snow is thinner in the middle of the street, it retained heat, kept it from building up for a day or so. It must have been at least three or four days since anybody, human or animal, has come through here.”
They have been walking for around fifteen minutes, by the church bell that chimes and makes both of them jump, when they finally see signs of life- a single set of footprints meandering down a cross street.
“Female, 5'6, around 120 pounds.” John drops to his haunches to peer at the tracks, touches one and rubs the snow between his gloved fingers. “Blond hair, brown eyes...”
“Oh, come on, how could you possibly know that from a footprint.” Rose huffs.
“She's standing right there.” John jerks his chin and gives her his smart ass smile.
Rose looks around and sees her, leaning casually against the wall of a nearby alley, watching them with an expression of mixed interest and amusement. When she sees they've spotted her, she shoves herself upright and strolls over.
“Well, hello!” The stranger says brightly.
“Hello.” John straightens up.
“I never expected to see the two of you again.” She glances over at Rose. “And you're all fancy, too! You look lovely, my dear.”
“Ah, thank you?” Rose looks over at John in confusion, apparently this person knows them, but she's almost certain she's never seen the woman before.
“How did you get here?”
“We just sort of...” Rose looks over at John for help, but he's still looking at the stranger as though he's trying to x-ray her with his eyes. “were here.”
“Really.” The stranger reaches into her pocket and pulls out something that looks suspiciously like a sonic screwdriver, waves it over both of them. “Well, you're you, I suppose that should come as somewhat of a relief. When did you get here?”
“Ten forty five.” John finally speaks up.
“And you've been walking around since then?”
“Yes.” A smile has started to spread across his face.
“Have you seen anything, animals or...”
Rose shakes her head.”
“Hm, lets run a little experiment. Everybody, still and quiet.”
“What-” Rose starts.
“Sssh!” The stranger puts a finger against her own lips in a silencing motion, gives Rose a slightly irritated look.
Rose raises her own finger almost instinctively, looks over at John who has mimicked the gesture over his widening grin.
For what feels like a very long time they stand there, with nothing but the sound of their own breath and the snow that has begun to fall again. Rose is about to drop her hand and break the silence when there is a sound from somewhere down the street, a sort of soft shuffling.
The snow begins to fall more heavily, obscuring their view. Something large and dark moves out of one of the side streets, is joined by two others. Huge, heavy, shaggy forms. The one in front lifts it's head and emits a deep, wailing howl.
Rose stiffens, takes a step back to press herself against John.
“Easy.” The stranger murmurs, holding a hand out toward her.
The animals begin to move forward, walking slowly, heads lowered. Rose can see their bright golden eyes in the gas lamps.
“Everybody, very calmly now, turn around and walk away.”
Rose hesitates, but John pulls her around and nudges her along. She glances over and sees that the strange woman is moving backwards, watching behind them. After a moment, John and Rose both turn to look over their shoulders.
The shadowy creatures have stopped following them, now they move as one to turn and lope off back they way they had come, quickly vanishing and seeming to take the falling snow with them.
“The wolves are running.” John Smith says in a low voice.
“Indeed.” The stranger says. “But running for who, I wonder?”
“Hello, Doctor.” John says.
“Oh, yes, hello.” She waves a hand at them vaguely.
“No.” Rose says.
“Sorry?” The Doctor blinks at her in confusion.
“You're a girl.”
“What? Oh, yes.” She rolls her eyes. “Yes, yes I am.”
“And you're...you...right? I mean, not some...” Rose falters.
“Yeah.” The Doctor cuts her off.
“So, wait, how are we in the same place? I thought you sealed the dimensions or whatever.”
“I did. And, well, to be perfectly fair, we're sort of...between...I think. It nabbed me right after I stepped out of the Tardis.”
“Where is she?” John asks.
“Aaah, out of sync.” The Doctor sighs.
“So, how do we get out?” Rose asks.
“That,” The Doctor says “is a very good question. If we stop and stand still for long enough, the wolves will come back. The question is, what happens if we don't move on?”
“There's one way to find out.” John says.
Rose reaches out and takes his hand, they fall silent and stand still, waiting. After a few minutes the snow comes up again, the wolves slink out from an alley and begin to approach. Once again, the one in the lead howls. They lower their heads, stalking toward them, hackles raising and bodies dropping closer to the ground, prepared to pounce.
The animals are huge, the size of small ponies, as they draw closer Rose can see snow and ice crystals hanging from the shaggy fur, puffs of steam rising from lolling tongues and sharp white teeth.
When they are perhaps ten feet away, the animals stop moving, the air fills with their heavy, low growl. Rose looks over and sees that the Doctor is standing with her hands in her pockets, eyes locked on the head wolf.
They can't have stood like that for more than ten or fifteen seconds, but it feels like an eternity. Finally, the wolves back away and within moments have vanished again, though the snow is still falling.
“Interesting.” The Doctor says. “Lets see what happens now.”
They have been waiting for almost a full minute before they hear a new sound, heavy metallic footsteps.
“Ah, moving off of the standard intimidation tactics. It's tailoring itself to us.” The Doctor says.
Glowing eyes appear through the snow, then the dark, human shaped outlines.
“Cybermen.” Rose says.
The Doctor nods. There are three of them, tall silver men lift their arms offensively, approach to stop, like the wolves, near to them.
“You will be upgraded.” One of them says.
“No thank you.” The Doctor says.
One of them points to Rose. “You will come with us, you will be upgraded.”
“I'm good, thanks.” Rose says.
The Cybermen hesitate, seeming uncertain. The snow blows up suddenly, very hard, obscuring their view. When it clears the Cybermen are gone, replaced with three deep gray Daleks.
“Exterminate!” One of them screams.
“Go ahead!” The Doctor says. “Shoot us. Come on, you're a Dalek. Exterminate. Do it! Do it! Do it, do-it-do-it-do-it-do-it dooooo iiiiit!”
The Dalek waves it's gun and plunger at them, but seems disheartened by their lack of reaction.
“Ha, you can't, can you! You can't do anything. And you know why? Because-” The Doctor takes a few quick steps, pokes the Dalek to emphasize her words “you're not ree-aal.”
The Daleks dissolve into puffs of snow which blow away and are lost among the other drifting flakes.
“Now what” Rose asks.
“Well, it's found it can't drive us forward from behind- so the next thing should be...”
The snow starts to build again, heavier, and the three draw close together.
A female voice echoes through from somewhere down the street.
“Doctor?” A pause. “Sweetie? Where are you?”
The voice is unfamiliar, but Rose sees the Doctor wince and tense, it must be someone she knows. John shoots her a sideways glance.
“Nice try.” The Doctor calls.
“Please...help me...they're coming!” A note of panic.
The Doctor rolls her eyes. “Oh, please. You should have picked someone else to be your damsel in distress.”
The woman's voice sobs for a moment, the sound is absolutely heartbreaking, but soon fades into silence.
The streetlights begin to go out. The snow is coming down hard enough so it takes a moment for the darkness to work it's way toward them. The line of light seems to form a sharp barrier, behind which there is a deep wall of black.
A horn blasts from behind them, accompanied by a loud clacking sound. All of them turn instinctively to look.
A passenger train is pulling up, billowing smoke and steam into the cold air. The city around them has abruptly vanished, replaced by the wooden platform and building of a train station.
The engine rolls to a complete stop, hisses softly. The doors of all the passenger cars open, but no people get out.
They take a walk up and down the platform, the doors are all locked, interior lights off. The Doctor tries the sonic screwdriver, which unlocks the ticket sales door, and pulls it open. On the other side of the door, they find a steep drop, a sheer dark cliff face, beyond which there is nothing but blackness.
Someone is ringing a bell. It turns out to be a conductor in a navy blue uniform and hat, leaning from one of the doors.
“All aboard!” He calls cheerily when he sees they have noticed him.
“Excuse me, where does this train go to?” The Doctor asks.
“It's not 'to' you should be worried about.” The Conductor says. “It's 'from'.”
“What's it going away from?”
“Them.” The Conductor lifts his chin.
Wolves have appeared again, filling the platform on either side. These are smaller than the spectral animals they had seen before, more real, the smell of hot breath and wet fur drifts over on the wind.
“They're out for blood, those ones.” The Conductor says. “And they'll not stop until they have it.”
“What is this place?”
“This is the Last Train at the Last Station. Overnight express.” The Conductor says, then smiles again. “All aboard.”
The wolves are creeping in, the Doctor looks at Rose and John, then shrugs. “Well, looks like this is our ride.”
“Tickets, please” The Conductor says.
They find themselves holding thin paper slips, which they obediently hand over as they climb the narrow stairs into the car.
The train huffs and jerks into motion, the Doctor turns but the Conductor has vanished.
They work their way down the line of cars, two of them are lined with windows and booth style seats, then a dining car, followed by three sleepers and ending in a luggage car. Like the city, they seem to be the only occupants.
When they come back toward the front, they find that someone has put out dinner, which immediately reminds Rose that she hasn't eaten since last night.
“Do you think it's safe?” She asks, thinking of the first rule of fairy tales: never eat or drink anything from the realm of the little people.
“Mm, I'd imagine so.” The Doctor lifts a biscuit and sniffs it. “Bit stale, maybe.”
The sandwiches are dry, the tea is weak and tepid, and the biscuits are, indeed, stale. The Doctor wanders off while Rose is picking at the food, walks up toward the front of the train.
She is at the door to the locomotive, trying it with her screwdriver, when the Conductor makes his appearance again.
“Passengers are not allowed in the front of the train.” He says with a gentle smile.
“What's up there?” The Doctor asks.
“Please return to the passenger area.”
“What if I don't? What are you gonna do, throw me off?”
The Conductor gives her his placid smile again. “Please return to the passenger area.”
He reaches past her and opens the door to the engine.
The Doctor finds herself looking into the empty luggage car. She turns to look back at the Conductor, but he has vanished again.
The Doctor steps into the cold, rattling car, which is connected to the last sleeper compartment. The Doctor walks up the isle again, windows one one side showing nothing but snowflakes flashing by in the darkness like stars in space.
She pulls the door to the nearest compartment open again, and looks around. Like the others, this one had been completely empty, but now she sees that something has changed. There is a pair of child's gloves sitting on the small bed to the right, thin things made of fine white cotton with a row of little yellow flowers embroidered around the cuff. The Doctor picks them up and turns them over, inspects them before putting them back the way she had found them.
She searches the rest of the compartment, but finds nothing else. The Doctor steps back out and then into the next compartment, but this one is completely empty and just as it had been before.
The rest of the cars are, likewise, untouched, and several minutes later she steps back into the dining car.
“Didn't you leave the other way?” John Smith asks, arching an eyebrow at her.
“Oroborous.” The Doctor makes a circular motion with her hand. “The beginning is the end is the beginning. That Conductor fellow popped up when I started mucking about, though. You haven't seen anybody, have you?”
“No.” John shakes his head. “Why?”
“Some little girl left her gloves in the last sleeper.” The Doctor says. “Alright, lets check this place again, top to bottom, look for any changes, anything, no matter how small. And I think we'd best stay together, just in case. It might not like us messing around.”
They start walking up toward the front of the train. The first public passenger car is empty, though it takes them several minutes to get all the way down the isle as they are checking under all of the seats. Halfway through the second car, though, Rose spots something on one of the seats and walks over to pick it up.
She turns, waving her find. “Somebody lost an umbrella.”
The Doctor takes it, looks it over, hands it to John. “Yep, it's an umbrella, alright. Leave it in here, but put it somewhere different.”
John hangs it on the luggage rack, where it swings in time with the rocking of the train.
This time, the Conductor does not interrupt her, and the Doctor opens the door to the locomotive, steps aside so Rose and John have an unobstructed view of the dark luggage car. The sound of the engine, which had been loud and nearby, is now muffled, all the way at the other end of the train.
“That's weird.” Rose says.
“Kinda.” The Doctor agrees, and steps into the car.
Fully engulfed in shadow, looking around all of them immediately see that something has changed, the storage car is no longer empty. There is a large trunk in one corner, the kind that opens out in the middle and has a large strap for carrying it on your back.
The Doctor and John Smith exchange another look, as though the trunk, like the voice, holds some significance for them that Rose is unaware of.
They walk over together, the Doctor and John tug it out away from the wall a bit. Rose can now see that it has latches on the front and hinges on the back, made to swing fully out. It looks like a marionette case.
“What is that?” Rose asks.
““Grandfather, grandfather, old and gray,” The Doctor flips the clasps up, pulls the screwdriver out of her pocket to work the lock. “carried a Punch and Judy play-”
The lock clicks, and the case pops open, but contains nothing but a few mothballs.
“But the foxy-man came and stole it away.” John murmurs.
A chill seems to come into the already cold air, and Rose wraps her arms around herself. “So, you two know what's going on yet?”
“Sssh-” The Doctor raises a hand, tilts her head.
A child, a little girl, is singing. The sound is faint, but rises clearly above the clattering and creaking of the train.
“Grandfather, grandfather, has a box
keeps it safe with a thousand locks
opens it up when somebody knocks
One, two, three, four,
Penny's knocking at the door
Five, six, seven, eight,
Turn the key and don't be late”
The Doctor starts walking slowly, leading them toward the source of the sound. She pushes the nearest door open but the sleeping booth is empty except for the pair of gloves sitting on the bed.
The next car is empty as well, and when the step out the child has fallen silent.
“We couldn't have heard that from the next car.” Rose says.
The Doctor shakes her head. “No, not if this place adhered to normal physics. Well, since we're stuck here, might as well give it what it wants. It's just going to keep poking us until it gets a reaction.”
As if on cue, the girl starts to sing again. They can hear now that it's clearly coming from somewhere farther up on the train, though the sound shouldn't be able to carry through.
“Grandfather, grandfather, old and gray
carried a Punch and Judy play
'til the Foxy-man came and stole it away
One, two, three, four
the wolves are on the parlor floor
five, six, seven, eight
close the door and lock the gate.”
They open the door to the first compartment, which now appears to be occupied by two people, though neither of them are currently in. A male and a female, and married, given the matching luggage.
“Mom and Dad-” The Doctor says, pulls the next compartment door open. “And the kids.”
There are no children in the car, but it's clear that they have been there, and for long enough to get throughly bored. A boy and a girl, judging by the toys and clothes strewn about. On the bed with the boy's coat are several books, most of them are adventure titles which would appeal to someone of around ten, but the one that is open on the blanket is a large and brightly illustrated copy of 'Alice in Wonderland'.
“Aw, isn't that nice. Reading to his sister.” The Doctor comments.
The next sleeper has both compartments with luggage in them, suitcases and bags and winter coats. The following car is still empty, but the dining car isn't- there are two men seated next to each other in the last booth, facing them.
They don't look like the sort of people who would own any of the expensive luggage they'd seen, at least not through honest means. One of them is rather tall and quite thin, the other shorter and rounder, both wear scuffed bowler hats and slightly threadbare overcoats and have about them a rather greasy and untrustworthy air.
“Hello.” The taller of the two addresses them in a slightly thin, nasal voice.
“Hello.” The Doctor says brightly. “I'm the Doctor, these are-”
“We know who you are.” He lifts a thin, pale hand, interrupting her. “I'm Mr. Lean, this is Mr. Arrow. We've been expecting you.”
“Ah, well, I certainly hope we haven't kept you waiting.” The Doctor says. “Now, if you don't mind to terribly much, who exactly are you, and why have you brought us here? And, where is 'here' for that matter?”
Mr. Lean gives her a thin, weaselly smile. “Oh, we aren't the ones responsible. We are just here to, shall we say, negotiate.”
“Negotiate what?” The Doctor arches an eyebrow at them.
“Your fee.”
“Fee? I'm sorry?” The Doctor looks genuinely puzzled. “You want to...hire me? To do what?”
“To investigate the disappearance of Penelope Charlotte Kelsey,” He reaches into his coat and produces a photograph, offers it to the Doctor. “daughter of Adrian Kelsey. Vanished in 1885 under mysterious circumstances. The address is on the back.”
She takes it, holding it up so that John and Rose can see. A black and white photograph of a girl who looks to be six or seven years old, pale hair done up in curls.
“Penny.” The Doctor says.
“Yes.” Mr Lean arches an eyebrow. “Penny.”
“I take it if I agree you'll return my ship.”
“That would be a reasonable conclusion.”
“What about these two? Why are they here?” The Doctor nods to Rose and John Smith.
Mr Lean flicks his beady black eyes over the pair. “Oh, now, everybody knows the Doctor never works alone.”
“I'll need to speak to your employer.”
“Of course.”
The Doctor twists around to look at Rose and John. “Well, what do you think?”
“I'm game.” John says.
Rose nods. “Sure.”
“Just like old times.” The Doctor winks. “Right then, tell us about this-”
Mr Lean and Mr Arrow have vanished, and the train is suddenly full of sunlight and people. A busboy with a tray edges around Rose, murmuring an apology.
“Ladies and gentlemen-” The Conductor is at the front of the car. “If you'd please collect your bags, we'll be arriving at the station in half an hour. Thank you.”
He comes down the isle, the Doctor lifts a hand. “Excuse me-”
“Yes, miss?” He gives her a polite smile.
“Where does this train go?”
“Victoria Station, miss.”
“In London?” The Doctor says.
“Yes, miss. Long night, was it?”
“You could say that.” The Doctor smiles. “Thank you.”
The Conductor walks on, through the door and into the next car.
The Doctor grabs several packets of biscuits from the table and drops them into a pocket. “Come on, I want to have a look around. You two take the front.”
The other passengers are standing up, returning to their seats or sleeping compartments. The Doctor slides between the moving bodies and within seconds is lost, Rose and John work their way toward the passenger booths and engine.
The umbrella is still hanging where John had left it.
“Please take your seats.” The conductor is coming back up to the front of the train.
“Ah-” John hesitates.
The conductor gives him a slightly suspicious look, and John motions Rose into the seat, hastily plops down beside her.
“Thank you.” The conductor says.
“So much for looking around.” Rose hisses.
“Yes, I guess we'll have to settle for eavesdropping.” John flashes a grin at her.
The Doctor walks with her back pressed against the window side of the car, slipping easily by the other passengers. The two children bound past, followed by their haggard looking parents. The two men who's luggage they'd seen turn out to be brothers in their sixties, eager to chat and happy to inform her that they are headed to their niece's christening.
The last car is still unoccupied. The Doctor checks the small rooms but finds nothing. By the time she has finished snooping around the train has slowed to a rocking crawl, and a few moments later they have pulled under the shadow of Victoria Station.
She finds Rose and John on the platform and waves them over. “Find anything useful?”
“A few of these people are going to some museum exhibit, but aside from that, not much.” John says. “You?”
“It seems that whatever was going on has stopped for the moment.” The Doctor makes a 'come along' motion with her head and starts walking, the other two fall in step on either side.
“So, what do we do now?” Rose asks.
“We investigate.” The Doctor says.
“Using what, a name and picture?” Rose looks around.
“A name, a picture, and-” They have reached the area where several strapping young lads are unloading luggage, among the trunks and crates is a large box covered with a heavy sheet, which the Doctor tugs away with a flourish. “A big blue box.”
She unlocks the door of the Tardis, pushes it open. The interior is dark, as it always seems to be until you get right up close. John nudges Rose, who walks forward, steps over the threshold and inside. John follows, the Doctor comes behind them and closes the door.
A moment later, the engines engage with their heavy, pumping wail, and the Tardis slips behind a fold in space time and vanishes.
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