Control (Doctor Who)

Control is the first episode of the second series of Doctor Who produced by The 56Studios. Its story concludes in Freedom.

Story
The city of London never slept. As night fell, the city became aglow with luminous lights. It buzzed with the sound of activity; the sound of life. People walked the streets, with humming cars passing by. Parties were heard from inside nightclubs and apartment buildings. The city was as alive as the people in it.

The same was true tonight, and that could prove to be a problem.

In a tall office building, lights went out on every floor. The sight from the street was ominous and foreboding. This continued until the entire building went dark. Silence hung in the air for a moment the glass doors at the front of the building suddenly swung open. Several heavily armored soldiers came marching out. A man wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist walked between them.

There were three black SUVs parked along the curb outside the building. One of the soldiers went ahead of them and opened the door to the middle vehicle. Quickly, the man climbed inside, joined by three soldiers. Closing the door, the remaining soldiers climbed into the other vehicles.

“Let’s go,” one of the soldiers barked into a radio.

Immediately, the convoy of vehicles pulled away from the curb and drove down the road. Pedestrians looked at the black vehicles with intrigue as they rode past. Inside, the man held tight to the briefcase. The contents held within were of the utmost importance, and he could not allow anything to happen to them. If they fell into the wrong hands… it could start a war. A war to end all wars.

“Doing alright, Agent Callahan?” one of the soldiers asked, seeing the perspiration on his forehead.

He looked up and wiped the sweat with his sleeve. “Oh yes,” he nodded. “Just nervous.”

“Nothing to fear here, sir,” the man said. “You’re safe with us. We’ll get you to headquarters in one piece.”

“That’s good,” Callahan nodded. “This information needs to be secured. Immediately.”

The other soldier eyed the briefcase. “What is it?” she asked.

“I’m afraid that’s classified,” he replied, unconsciously tightening his grip on the case. “But I can tell you that if this information got out, it would change the course of human history.”

“So just another day, then?” the first soldier chuckled.

Callahan was not amused, however. “Yes. It is.”

“Well, we’ll be arriving at HQ in about ten minutes, so sit tight,” the second soldier assured.

The man glanced at him before staring out the window. The city was a blur of light as they passed. He held the briefcase tighter. They could not get there any sooner. What he carried was more important than anything in the world right now. It gave him an importance; a purpose.

He turned back towards the soldiers.

“Is the director going to meet us there?”

“Yes sir,” the woman replied. “She’ll meet us as soon as we arri-.”

She was cut off as a large semi-truck came barreling through the intersection and struck the vehicle. The force of the impact flipped the SUV, sending it rolling across the road. The windows shattered with each roll, glass flying around inside the vehicle. Finally, it came to a stop, resting on its side. Smoke rose from under the hood.

Immediately, the other vehicles in the convoy screeched to a halt and soldiers poured out. They had their assault weapons at the ready and were aiming them at the semi. Silence hung in the air for a long moment as the soldiers watched the motionless truck.

Suddenly, the undamaged SUVs exploded in balls of fire. The soldiers turned to look at them. This proved to be a fatal error, however, as a dozen armored individuals emerged from the back of the semi. They were heavily armored and carried strange, powerful looking weapons.

Again, the soldiers turned at their arrival, but before they could react, the combatants raised their weapons and opened fire. Beams of blue energy shot from the barrels of their guns. They struck the soldiers, who screamed on impact. Their skeletons were illuminated by the light, before their bodies went dark again and they fell to the ground, dead.

With military precision, the arrivals quickly dispatched the soldiers, all of them falling at their feet. One soldier managed to strike down one of the attackers, but he was abruptly hit by a beam of energy, sending him to the ground.

As the soldiers lay in smoking heaps on the ground, the soldiers advanced on the vehicle. Smoke trailed from the overturned SUV as the soldiers surrounded it. Two of them, with the help of the others, were hoisted up onto it. Finding their footing, they smashed in one of the windows and looked down inside.

The two soldiers on the inside were dead; killed in the crash. The driver was also dead. The only one who was alive, barely alive, was Agent Callahan. Blood glistened on his face, with a large and serious gash on his forehead. In his hands was a silver briefcase, which glittered in the light of the nearby fires.

Slowly, the man’s eyes fluttered open. Dazed, he looked around. He saw the dead soldiers around him, and then the two looking down at him. His eyes widened in terror as he saw their guns.

“What… who… who are you?” he gasped.

Without answering, one of the attackers aimed their alien weapon at him. Blue energy crackled in the barrel. His eyes widened further.

“No… no please… NO!” Callahan screamed as a beam of energy was unleashed from the gun. It consumed him in a blinding light.

With the man dead inside, the soldier set to work. Crouching down, she slung her gun over her shoulder and climbed in through the broken window. Climbing over the broken bodies of the soldiers, she came to the man whom she had just killed. Taking out a small device from one of the pockets in her vest, she ignited it, producing a small blade of energy.

Bring it down, she used it to sever the links in the handcuffs on the briefcase. Taking the case, she climbed back out of the car and hopped onto the ground, where her fellow soldiers were standing.

“Got it,” she said, presenting the briefcase.

“Good,” said one of them. “Time to go.”

Together, the soldiers walked back to the semi-truck. They came around to the back of the trailer and climbed inside. Closing the door, they heard the rumble of the engine as it roared into life. A second later, they were moving. They made their way through the bodies that littered the roadway and drove down the street further into the city, leaving the burning scene behind.

Petronella Osgood bolted down the tunnel-like hallway of the U.N.I.T. base. She passed startled agents and administrators, but she couldn’t stop. She had to find Kate, because everything was about to change.

Weaving her way through the complex maze of tunnels, Osgood took a sharp right and ascended a ramp that led towards the surface. Coming to a large circular door on the platform at the top of the ramp, she scanned her badge on a nearby pad. There were clanking noises before the door slid away, and she immediately slipped through and down another corridor. She ran down this hallway and to a set of double doors, which she was able to push open with ease.

She was hit with the cold air as she came out into the front of the building. There were a number of U.N.I.T. soldiers standing sentry outside. Kate Stewart and Darren James were among them. They all turned at the woman’s arrival.

“Osgood?” Kate asked, surprised. “What is it?”

Osgood was catching her breath. Gathering enough to speak, she looked up.

“The briefcase… is gone…” she wheezed.

“What?” Colonel James stepped forward.

“There was an attack,” Osgood straightened her glasses. “Everyone’s dead, and the briefcase was stolen.”

“Who? Who did this?” panic seemed to seep into Kate’s voice.

“We don’t know, but whoever took that case obviously knew what they were doing.”

Pacing, Kate ran a hand through her hair. “We have to call the Doctor,” she said, looking to Osgood. “Tell him that the treaty is in jeopardy.”

She nodded and moved to run back into the base, but she was stopped as Kate called after her.

“Petronella,” she called.

She turned to look at her.

“And call the other one. We’ll need all hands on deck for this.”

Osgood nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

And then she disappeared back into the base. Kate put her hands on her hips, looking out over the dark city. Darren walked up to her.

“You know… if you the treaty breaks down, we only have one option.”

The woman nodded. “I know, but that should only be a last resort.”

“Our job is the safety of the world,” the Colonel replied. “If the Zygons are behind this, and if they intend harm, then we must act decisively.”

Kate looked at him, and after a long moment, she nodded.

Darkness.

It is said that, before the world was formed, there was darkness. Before the first planets, stars, and galaxies began to come into existence, the only thing there was was the deep and lovely dark. It was the natural order, and all anyone ever knew.

And then came the light, to divide the night and the day. To bring order to the chaos. This then became the new order. This was all anyone ever knew. And as civilizations rose from the dirt and ashes, grew and evolved, all they saw was the light and the dark.

The light was seen as good and pure, and the dark was seen as evil and corrupt. Everyone wanted to live in the light and hide from the dark. People feared the dark and cherished the light. This was the divide. Of course, it’s not as though they were hurting anyone. The dark wasn’t alive, after all.

…Or was it?

Maybe, all this time, something has been living in the dark. Waiting. Watching. Seeing the grow and change of the universe, waiting for its moment to come forth and take back its rightful place as the only thing in the universe.

Perhaps, it’s already begun.

Clara knelt down and picked up the dirtied doll abandoned on the charred ground. It looked as though it had been lying there for years, and considering the wreckage and remnants of the settlement around them, it probably had. Whoever the owner of the toy was was long gone, like everyone else. Somberly, she replaced the doll on the ground and stood up.

“There’s nothing here,” Clara turned to the Doctor, who was inspecting a pile of ancient provisions.

“Yeah,” April agreed, looking through an overturned crate. “Just a bunch of dust.”

“The fact that there is nothing is why we’re here,” the Doctor replied. “This research settlement was once filled with scientists and their families, and now it’s a pile of a rubble, with no trace of what happened to them.”

“So the whole settlement just… vanished?” Clara asked.

“Looks like they left in a hurry,” April said.

“They didn’t vanish,” the Doctor knelt down and picked up a small object, which resembled a disk drive. Using the sleeve of his coat, he dusted it off.

“Then what happened to them?” Clara crossed her arms.

He looked at her with his piercing eyes. “They were taken.”

“Taken? Taken by whom?” Clara raised an eyebrow.

“Darkness.”

Clara’s eyes widened. April, however, was confused.

“What do you mean? Are you being dramatic?”

But the Time Lord’s expression was grave. “I’m not. I mean that the Darkness took them.”

April still wasn’t understanding. “How can ‘the Darkness’ take anyone?”

Clara sighed. “There’s some kind of… entity, that can control the darkness. We’ve encountered it a couple times. The Doctor’s said that it is the actual darkness, but we don’t know. We do know that it’s incredibly dangerous, though. It almost killed us. Twice.”

“That’s insane. That can’t be real,” April replied in disbelief.

“After everything we’ve seen,” the Doctor held his hands behind his back, “is there anything that is impossible?”

April thought for a moment. “So you don’t know anything about it?”

“Hard to learn about something that literally embodies the shadows and doesn’t really want to give us information outside of a god complex,” he replied. He then looked at the drive that he had recovered.

“Hopefully this will give us some answers.”

They looked around the decimated settlement. Storm clouds were rolling in from the east. A gentle breeze rustled their clothes.

“Come on,” the Doctor said. “Time to go.”

He turned and walked back to the large blue that stood shining like a beacon in the gloom. The woman continued to watch the desolation as he entered the box before turning away and following the Doctor.

Inside, they were met with the warmth of the TARDIS. The console room hummed with life, as the lights pulsated around them. The Doctor was already at the controls, pushing buttons and pulling levers. Casting a sideways glance to make sure they were inside, he stopped at a distinct lever, and wrapping his hand around it, he pulled down. There was a loud clunk as the engines started and the TARDIS began to dematerialize.

The woman came up to the console as the strangely comforting wheezing filled the room. Above them, a series of panels attached to roundels, decorated with Gallifreyan symbols, rotated. Already, the Doctor was fiddling with the device he found. Opening a slot in the console, he began connecting wires to inputs in the drive.

Immediately, one of the screens lit up and showed the apparent progress of the TARDIS decoding the information stored on it. They watched as Gallifreyan symbols flashed on the screen.

“Where are we going now?” Clara asked.

He was about to answer when the phone started ringing. Crossing to the opposite side of the console, the Doctor picked it up.

“Yes? Who is this?” he said quickly, obviously impatient.

“''Doctor? It’s Osgood. The treaty is breaking down'',” the voice on the other side replied.

The Doctor’s eyes widened. “I’m on my way.”

Setting down the receiver, he began flipping switches and pulling levers. The woman looked around in the surprise as the room shuddered, signaling that they had just changed direction.

“What’s going on?” April asked. “Who was that?”

“There’s trouble,” the Doctor replied. “And where there’s trouble, so are we.”

Slamming another lever down, they hurtled through the vortex.

Outside the Tower of London, Kate Stewart and Darren James stood, watching the water on the Thames.

After a while, the Colonel got bored. “Is he going to show up?”

“He’s the Doctor,” Kate replied. “He always shows up.”

“Yes, but we phoned him hours ago, and he hasn’t come yet.”

“He’ll come,” she assured him. “My father could always rely on him, and so do I. Whenever there’s trouble, he’s there. Whenever the world is in danger, he’s on the front lines.”

He sighed. “I wish I had the same faith you do.”

Silence fell between them and they continued to watch the waters. The city hummed across the river. The wind rustled their clothes.

Was the Doctor coming? Kate thought to herself. She knew that he wasn’t going to abandoned them. He knew the stakes involved, and what would happen if the treaty did break down. If the treaty broke down, the world would burn.

He had to come.

The two U.N.I.T. officers were watching the waters when they heard a strange groaning noise coming from behind them. Looking at each other, they turned to look at where the sound was coming from. To their surprise, a large blue box was fading in and out of existence before them. Energy radiated from it like a shining beacon. They watched as it became more and more solid before there was a loud noise and the glowing stopped.

Kate was smiling broadly. “Better late than never!”

The door to the TARDIS opened and the Doctor emerged, followed by Clara, and then and April, whom they did not recognize. Together, Kate and the Colonel walked to meet them.

“Doctor,” she greeted.

“Kate,” he returned, looking around. “What’s happened?”

She sighed. “You’d best come inside.”

Kate Stewart and the Colonel led them through the underground tunnels that made up the hallways of the U.N.I.T. base. After quickly winding their way through the corridors, they entered the main command room. There was the hustle and bustle of daily operations around them. April looked in awe at the wealth of technology that filled the room.

A woman then approached them, wearing large glasses, a lab coat, a shirt with a bowtie, and infinitely long multi-colored scarf.

“Doctor,” Petronella Osgood said.

“Osgood,” he replied. “Good to see you.”

“Good to see you, too,” she smiled.

He nodded. “What’s going on?”

Her expression changed to grim. “I’ll let my sister explain.”

Clara raised an eyebrow. “Your sister?”

“Yes. Her sister,” a familiar voice came from behind them.

Turning, they saw a woman identical to Osgood standing before them. Only she wore a regular tie underneath a sweater covered in question marks. She smiled at them as she stepped towards them.

April was confused. “Are you twins?”

“In a sense, yes,” she answered.

“During the Zygon invasion, one of them duplicated Osgood,” Clara said. “Meaning one of you is a Zygon, yeah?”

“You could look at it that way,” the first Osgood nodded, “but I don’t see it as such.”

“Then how do you see it?” she inquired.

“I-,” the second began, but was cut off.

“We don’t have time for that,” the Doctor snapped. “The treaty with the Zygons is breaking down, and we need to act quickly.”

“What the hell is a Zygon?” April asked, obviously bewildered.

“Big orange aliens covered in suckers that can duplicate anyone or anything. They invaded the world a few years ago and now they’re hidden across the world,” the Doctor explained to her quickly, before turning to the second Osgood. “But there’s no time.”

“Right,” she said before clearing her throat. “Last night, a convoy transporting documents containing information on the Zygons here on Earth was attacked. Everyone was killed and the documents were stolen. From surveillance footage recovered from street cameras, we can tell that the people who attacked them have incredible technology at their disposal.”

“What kind of technology?” April asked.

“They had energy weapons, and the blasters were consistent with those from Dalek weaponry,” the first Osgood explained.

“Where would they have gotten that kind of technology?” Clara’s eyes widened.

“The invasion,” the Doctor said. “They must have recovered some from the debris left by the Daleks.”

The second Osgood nodded. “That’s what we think, too.”

“Any idea where they took the documents?” he then asked.

“No. They came in a large semi-truck, killed our soldiers, took the documents, and left,” Kate stepped forward. “After that, they’re ghosts.”

“If they’re able to break through the encryption on the files, and if they do what we think they’re going to do and go after the Zygons,” Darren said, “they’ll send the world into chaos.”

“So what are we going to do now?” April looking a little panicked.

“We’re going to meet with the Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State,” the first Osgood explained. “England and the United States have the biggest involvement in the treaty, so we’re going to need their help.”

“Good,” the Doctor nodded.

“But,” Kate put her hands on her hips, “if there is a significant threat to the world and humanity, it is my duty to use the Osgood Box.”

Silence fell in the room as the Doctor’s eyes widened. Both Osgoods were surprised. Slowly, the Doctor approached her.

“The Osgood Box is only to be used as the last resort. The very last line of defense after everything else has fallen,” he said. “It must not be used unless there are no other options.”

“We’re quickly running out of options, Doctor,” Darren crossed his arms.

“As long as we still have options, we are not using the Osgood Box,” the Doctor gazed at them with his piercing glare.

“Believe me, Doctor,” Kate replied, her voice giving off the slightest indication of a shake, “I don’t want to use the Osgood Box if I don’t have to. But I certainly will.”

The two stared at each other for a long moment. Clara, desiring to ease the tension, stepped forward.

“So. When do we meet with the Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State?”

“In about an hour,” the second Osgood replied, relieved, checking her watch.

“They’re expecting to talk with you, Doctor,” the first said to him.

“Well the world’s in danger,” he looked at her. “Who else are they going to talk to? Each other? Now, when has that ever worked?”

“Come on, Doctor,” Kate said, gesturing towards her office on the far side of the room. “We’ve got to catch you up on everything that’s happened before you meet with the government.”

“If you insist,” he sighed, before striding forward past her towards the room. The group watched him go before following.

A warehouse. London.

The two soldiers, a man and a woman, entered the large door to the warehouse. The woman was carrying the silver briefcase. Around them, men and women assembled weapons, body armor, and strange devices. The weapons themselves were bizarre, with many components appearing to be alien in construction. Crates of more weaponry littered the stone floor. They looked as though they were preparing for war.

Together, the two of them marched through the rows of armaments towards the far side of the warehouse, where a small office stood. As they approached the structure, two armed soldiers left their posts on either side of the door to the structure and stopped them.

“What do you want?” one of them asked.

Holding up the briefcase, the woman smiled. “We’ve got it.”

Realizing what its contents were, the soldiers stepped aside to let them through. She nodded, her smile still wide.

“Thank you,” she said, before walking past them, followed by her partner. Grabbing the door handle, she pushed it open, and entered through it.

Inside, standing in front of a large screen which displayed a map of the city, was a short woman. She turned at their arrival, her arms crossed. She raised an eyebrow at them.

“Do you have it?”

“Yes ma’am,” the woman smiled. She set the briefcase on the desk in front of the other woman.

The woman then took it and unlocked the case. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the lid and looked inside. A broad smile crossed her face as she saw the shining data drive secured inside.

“My friends,” Olivia said, her voice trembling with excitement, “today is the day we change everything.”

The stylish glass doors were pulled open for them as they walked to the conference room. Inside the large circular room, armed soldiers lined the walls. They were not U.N.I.T. soldiers, but United Nations soldiers. They eyed them suspiciously as they entered and took places around the circular table.

After a few moments, the Doctor grew impatient.

“What are we waiting for?” he asked. “Where are they?”

Kate checked her watch. “They should be here any minute.”

“Don’t they know what’s at stake?” April pondered.

“You know bureaucrats,” the Doctor replied. “They have time for parties but not time for doing their jobs.”

“They’ll come,” one of the Osgoods said. “We’ve worked with both of them closely in establishing the treaty and relocating the Zygons. They’re good men.”

“Well, I hope they show up soon,” the Time Lord crossed his arms.

“They’re here,” Colonel James abruptly said.

Looking to the door, they saw two well-dressed men being escorted by aides and heavily armed soldiers approaching. As the doors were pulled open for them, they entered and approached them.

“Hello,” the first man said. “Eugene Gaiman. Foreign Minster for the United Kingdom of Great Britain.”

“I’m Brandon O’Connor,” the second man had a distinct northern American accent. “Secretary of State of the United States of America.”

Kate and Darren shook their hands. The men then held out their hands to the Doctor, but he didn’t take them. After a few moments, they retracted their hands, awkwardly. Kate, noticing the tension in the air, cleared her throat.

“Down to business?”

“Ah yes,” Minister Gaiman replied. “Of course.”

“Where do we start?” Secretary O’Connor said as they gathered around the circular table.

The Osgoods nodded. One of them stepped forward. “It has been six hours since the briefcase containing the documentation for every Zygon currently hidden by the peace treaty was stolen. We have no idea who took it or why exactly it was taken.”

The second Osgood placed a small device in a receptacle on the table and pressed a button next to it. Suddenly, a large holographic map flickered into view above the table. It showed the city of London, a red beacon indicating a certain intersection.

“Here is where the assault happened,” she elaborated. “The attackers were well trained and well prepared. They took down our U.N.I.T. soldiers like they were nothing, and carried formidable and advanced weaponry.”

“Dalek weaponry,” the Doctor said.

“So they have access to alien weapons?” O’Connor inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes sir,” one of the Osgoods replied. “We believe they acquired some of the wreckage of the Rani’s invasion last year.”

“Is that the only alien technology they have?” Gaiman leaned on the table.

“Unclear,” Kate interjected.

“Well, obviously, if there is a group out there that possesses technology that is not possessed by an entity within the United Nations, then we want to make sure that they are stopped,” Secretary O’Connor stared at the map.

“And to make sure that people are safe,” Clara added, crossing her arms.

“Oh! By all means!” he looked at her. “Miss…?”

“Oswald,” Clara replied, her arms still crossed.

“Well, miss Oswald,” the Secretary smiled, a look of slight annoyance behind his eyes. “It is the desire of the President of the United States that the existence of Zygons remain secret and that these weapons and their originators are arrested.”

“And their weapons procured by the United States, I presume?” April asked.

“I doubt a civilian of the United Kingdom would understand American politics,” he brushed her off.

“My mother is American, actually,” she retorted, her eyes flashing. “And I study American politics for a living. So don’t lecture me about not understanding, sir.”

He stared at her with obvious contempt. She did the same. The others stood on the sidelines and watched the tense exchange. Finally, the Secretary sighed and turned away from April. He looked to the Osgoods.

“Is that all the information you have from the assault?” he asked, adjusting his glasses.

“All that we know so far,” the first Osgood nodded.

“Alright. I’ll report to the President. See if we can get the CIA involved,” he said.

“And I’ll inform the Prime Minister,” Minster Gaiman concurred.

The two men began to leave the room. As they did, O’Connor looked over his shoulder.

“Stay here. We’ll be back soon,” he said. “Stay put.”

They watched the two men as they disappeared through the glass doors. Once they were gone, the Doctor turned to them.

“We can’t wait until they come back,” he said. “We don’t have the time.”

Colonel James stepped towards him. “We need them. U.N.I.T. has many global assets, yes, but for this, we need the support of England and the United States.”

“If there’s one thing that has been less reliable in my thousands of years of time and space,” the Doctor’s expression grew grim, “it’s nations.”

“Well,” Kate sighed. “We need those nations if we’re going to save the world.”

Shaun Duban had just poured himself some tea, sat down, and was about to read the paper. The radio buzzed in the background, indistinguishable voices spouting indecipherable nonsense. He mainly kept the radio on to quench the silence. He hated the silence. Normally, he would have the television on, but it was far too distracting these days.

He flipped through the paper, occasionally sipping his tea. Work didn’t start for a few hours, so now was his time. Kicking his feet up, he got more comfortable. It was time to relax.

The doorbell rang. He dropped the paper and got up. Who could be calling this early in the morning? Not anyone he knew, that was for sure. Regardless, he would see who it was.

Shaun strode across his house and down the hallway. Reaching the front door, he saw the silhouettes of two figures behind the glass of his front door. He thought this was odd. They’d better not be salesmen, he thought.

Pulling the door open, he saw two men standing before him. They wore jeans, regular shirts, and leather jackets. They didn’t look like any salesmen he had never seen. They looked him with unnerving smirks.

“Yes? What is it? What do you want?” he asked impatiently, eager to get back to his paper.

“Are you Shaun Duban?” one of them inquired.

“I am. What’s it to you?”

The other pulled a small pistol-like weapon from inside his coat. It has strange prongs around the barrel. He pointed the gun at him, and he looked at it with wide eyes.

“Wait, what ar-,” he tried to say, but a blast of blue energy erupted from the weapon and consumed him. He screamed in pain as his skeleton was illuminated under his skin.

As the light faded, he fell to the ground, dead. His open eyes stared blankly at the ceiling above him. The two men watched him for a moment before his body began to change. Suddenly, what had once been the body of Shaun Duban was replaced by the large form of a Zygon.

“Confirmation,” one of the men said. “The Zygon has been eliminated.”

The other man returned his gun to his jacket. “Time to move.”

Together, the two men turned and walked away from the door. Still, the body of the Zygon laid on the floor, waiting to be discovered.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State returned to the conference room. The group gathered to hear what they had to say.

“I’ve just spoken with the Prime Minister, and he has agreed to provide U.N.I.T. with any resources you need,” Eugene Gaiman reported.

“The President has agreed to the same,” Brandon O’Connor nodded.

“Then it’s settled,” Kate said. “We need to search the entire island. Every possible hiding place for these rebels. We know that they haven’t left the country, and that makes it easier. We will not stop until we find them and stop whatever they’re planning.”

“I can help make arrangements,” Gaiman offered.

“Same here,” O’Connor smiled.

One of the Osgoods was about to say something when suddenly someone’s phone rang. It was Colonel James’, and extracting it from his pocket, he looked to see who it was.

“My apologies,” he said, holding it to his ear and turning away.

As he spoke on the phone, the conversation resumed.

“What if they’re not based in England, and they’re just waiting to be able to leave the country?” Clara inquired.

“Yeah,” April agreed. “They may not be able to leave, but if it’s just a handful of people, then it could be pretty hard to track them down.”

“They’re definitely based in the United Kingdom,” the second Osgood said. “Their attack was too sophisticated to be foreign in origin.”

“Finding them is paramount, regardless,” the other Osgood added.

“Which is why we have to get moving,” the Doctor was growing more and more visibly anxious.

“Hey,” Clara grabbed his arm. He looked into her large brown eyes with his piercing blue and gray eyes.

“It’s going to be okay,” she assured him, smiling.

He looked at her for another moment before the Colonel interrupted.

“No, it’s not.”

They all turned to look at him. He had gotten off his phone, and his expression was grim. Immediately the Doctor knew what had happened.

“Where?” he asked simply.

“A suburb,” he replied. “Not far from here.”

“What’s going on? What’s happened?” April stepped forward.

The Doctor turned to her. “It’s started.”

They ducked under the yellow tape, which had large black letters spelling ‘U.N.I.T.’ printed across it, and stepped onto the sidewalk. There were several uniformed officers walking to and fro, with a tent constructed outside the house in question to block what was inside from view. Together, the Doctor and his companions, escorted by their U.N.I.T. colleagues, were led into the tent.

Inside, they gasped as they saw the body of a Zygon laying in the entryway to the house. It was staring aimlessly at the ceiling, and there appeared to be no injuries on its body.

“What is that?” April covered her mouth.

“That is a Zygon,” the Doctor replied, extracting the sonic screwdriver and approaching the corpse.

“That’s what a Zygon is?” she said is disbelief. “My god.”

“I assume it was a person before it was killed?” Clara asked one of the Osgoods.

“Of course,” one of them answered. “That’s the whole point.”

The Doctor began scanning the body with his instrument. After a few moments, he pulled it back and read the results.

“Radiation. Consistent with that of a Dalek blast,” he sighed, standing up and pocketing the screwdriver.

“That explains the lack of wounds,” Kate put her hands on her hips.

“So they were able to open the drive,” Colonel James said.

“Evidently,” the Doctor replied.

“Then no Zygon is safe,” Kate ran a hand through her hair. “We need to put a protective detail on all of them immediately.”

“Do we have the resources for that?” Darren asked.

“Both England and America have just agreed to provide us with resources,” she replied. “Time to take them up on it.”

“Why would someone want to do this?” April stared at the corpse.

“Hate. Revenge. Fear,” the Doctor said. “All good motivators for genocide. When something doesn’t fit, you wipe it out. That’s how every great species has gotten to where it’s at.”

They were all looking at the body when the Colonel’s phone rang again. They all looked at it with dread as he pulled it out and answered it. As he listened, his face dropped. He swore a number of times before responding appropriately.

“I’ll be right there. Thank you,” he said before hanging up.

“Another?” Clara asked.

He nodded.

“This means war, then,” Kate looked to the Doctor. “And I’m going to stop it.”

“No,” he replied, his voice cracking with anger. “You will not use the Osgood Box!”

“I don’t have a choice, Doctor! They’re targeting the Zygons! We have to act!”

The Doctor stared at her for a moment before nodding. “Yes. We do have to act. But not like that.”

She crossed her arms. “Then how?”

He looked back at the body on the floor. “We need to get back to the TARDIS.”

“And go where?” April asked.

The Doctor smiled. “To the top.”

They had returned the Tower of London. Colonel James had gone to the other crime scene, leaving the women with the Doctor. Together, the six of them walked alongside the Thames towards the blue box parked near the railing.

“So, where are we going?” Clara asked, trying to keep up with the Doctor, who was walking at a considerable pace.

“I’m done with bureaucrats,” he replied. “Time to go to source.”

“What do you mean?” April inquired.

The Osgoods realized. “You want to go to the President and the Prime Minster!”

“Exactly.”

“Oh my god,” Kate gasped. “You can’t be serious! You’d start a war!”

“A war’s already starting,” they reached the TARDIS. The Doctor, inserting his key, opened the door. “Besides. A domestic scuffle is much preferable to the genocide of the Zygons.”

There were no further arguments as the Doctor stepped inside, followed by Clara, April, and the Osgoods. Kate stared at the box for a moment before entering herself. She stopped in the entryway, taking in the voluminous space of the TARDIS. Already, the Doctor was at the console, pulling levers and flipping switches. The engines started to hum in the walls around them.

Readying a lever, the Doctor looked to her.

“Close the door, will you?” he said. “You’ll let in a draft.”

Coming back to herself, Kate turned and shut the door. She then went and joined them at the console. As she did, the Doctor pulled down on the lever. The ship shuddered around them as the familiar wheezing filled the air. Lights flickered outside the windows. Kate looked up at the panels rotating above the console.

“So what? Are we just going to go to two of the most powerful people in the world and demand they help us?” Clara leaned on the console.

“That’s the plan,” he threw down another lever.

“And what makes you so sure that’ll work?” Osgood asked.

“Because I’m the Doctor.”

As the Time Lord continued to pilot the ship through the time vortex, Kate was standing on the side by the railing, taking in all of it. Clara saw this, and walked over to her.

“Doing okay?” she asked.

Kate took a deep breath. “I had always known that it was bigger on the inside, but actually seeing it… it’s amazing.”

“It definitely takes some getting used to,” Clara replied.

“My dad used to talk about the wonders of the TARDIS, and it’s more amazing than anything I could have ever imagined.”

“That’s the Doctor for you,” she looked to him as he danced around the console. “More amazing every day you know him.”

“So you’ve gotten used to his regeneration?” Kate inquired.

“Basically,” she sighed. “It’s been hard, but in the end, behind the cynicism, sarcasm, and wit – and the face, of course – I can tell that he’s the same man.”

“He’s always the same man,” Kate smiled. “That’s what makes him the Doctor.”

Clara returned the smile. A moment later the Doctor pulled a lever back up, the ship shuddered and the rotating panels and lights stopped. They looked around as the Doctor stepped away from the console. He walked towards the doors, straightening his jacket.

“We’re here,” he pronounced, striding forth.

They followed him as he opened the door and stepped outside. They were in a large oval room, paintings of important figures lining the walls. Flags also lined the room. The ceiling rose high above them, and there seemed to be an energy in the air. One that could only be described as… reverence.

There were also over a dozen men and women in black suits and ties surrounding them, guns in hand. Clara, April, and the Osgoods raised their hands, while Kate backed against the TARDIS. The Doctor, however, strode forward. The men and women trained their aim on him as he stepped closer.

“Identify yourself!” one of them barked.

“How about you lower your guns first?” he asked, his expression serious. “Because I don’t quite fancy having guns pointed at me.”

“You’ve just appeared in one of the most secure buildings in the world,” one of the women said. “You’re in not position to demand anything!”

They continued aiming their guns at him. The Doctor was about to say something more when a voice came from behind them. It was the voice of a woman, and she had a commanding tone.

“Hang on,” she said, somewhere out of view. “I want to speak to him.”

The agents looked at each other with concern. “Madam President,” one said, “I wouldn’t advise that.”

“I want to speak to him,” she repeated, fiercer this time.

There was a moment as they hesitated, and reluctantly, they stepped aside. Behind the Resolute desk, which was now visible, they saw a woman standing there. She stood there for a moment before stepping out from behind the desk and approaching them. The agents stood on the sidelines, ready to act if they were needed. The women lowered their hands.

She stopped a few feet from the Doctor, looking up at him.

“You’re the Doctor, aren’t you?” she asked, staring at him with her green eyes.

“I am,” he held his hands behind his back.

She nearly giggled in delight, but stopped herself.

“Oh my god,” she said. “It’s an absolute honor to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you!”

He seemed mildly irritated by this fanfare. “Since I couldn’t care less about human political affairs; which President are you?”

The President seemed to gather herself. “Ah yes. I’m President Alexandra Garcia Morales.”

“Good. Now that we’re acquainted, I need your help,” he said.

“Wow. You really get right down to business, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“A man after my own heart,” she smiled.

He scowled. She saw this and nodded. Putting her hands in her pockets, she starting striding around the Doctor. He turned his head to watch her.

“So, Doctor,” she said, stopping after completing a full circle around him. “What do you need from me?”

“I need you to help me save the world,” he replied.

“Well, the United States does have a considerable reputation when it comes to saving the world,” Alexandra said proudly.

“Of course. Yes,” he rolled his eyes.

She disregarded this, and stepped closer to him. The Secret Service agents flinched as she came this close to the Doctor. She looked up at him, since she was considerably shorter than him.

“So. How can the United States help you save the world?”

“I need you and the Prime Minister of England to meet with me and the Zygon representatives to salvage the peace treaty. It is breaking down, and I fear that it will end in war.”

Her expression changed from playful to serious.

“And where do you suggest holding such a summit?”

The Doctor thought about it for a moment, before turning to look at Kate.

“Is the Valiant still in service?” he asked. “I love the Valiant.”

“Well, the Valiant was destroyed in the Dalek Invasion,” Kate answered.

“Ah. Oh well,” he replied, turning away.

Kate smiled. “But the Valiant II is fully operational.”

Turning back towards her, a broad smile broke across the Doctor’s face. “Fantastic.”

Olivia Angstrom was in her office, watching the map again. As she did, a smile broke across her face. Her plan was working. With the documents taken from U.N.I.T., they had finally put her plan into motion. The alien contagion would finally be vanquished from the Earth, and they would be the dominant species again.

Aliens had plagued the Earth for as long as she could remember. Countless times had they invaded the Earth, and attempted to wipe them out, and despite being stopped, had just continued the growing continuance of alien insurrection on their planet. On their land. Their home.

And yet, humanity just kept going on. Forgetting about how they continued to grow increasingly close to extinction. Soon it would be too late, and they would cease to exist.

But she remembered. Oh yes, Olivia Angstrom remembered. Her parents had been killed during the Battle of Canary Wharf, and her brother during the Dalek invasion a few years later. Just last year had they been attacked yet again by the Daleks and the Cybermen, and those Replicators.

That’s why she was doing this. That’s why she had organized this group of people. These warriors who want to protect their world from these alien scum. Now it was the Zygons, hidden illegally by their governments. She had decided that they would be the first to fall. The first casualties in her righteous crusade.

And she thought it good.

There was a knock on the door. Turning around, she saw it open and a man stepped into the room. He looked desperate, like he had something that he needed to tell her.

“What is it, Simmons?” she asked, sensing his urgency.

“They’re holding a summit with the Zygons!” he gasped.

“Who’s ‘they?’” Olivia raised an eyebrow.

“U.N.I.T. The United States. England. They’re meeting on the Valiant. They’re going to try and stop the civil war before it begins! Our plan is goi-,” he continued, but was cut off by the woman.

“-Our plan is going to be fine,” she smiled, holding her chin. “Actually… this could really change everything.”

She looked at the bewildered man.

“Do you have a way to get me onto that ship?”

“Uh… I think so?” he replied, uncertain.

Olivia’s smile broadened. “Good. We’re going get on the Valiant and tip the scales into full war.”

Two days later, the Doctor, Clara, April, Kate, the Osgoods, and Colonel James walked through the corridors of the aircraft carrier Valiant. The ship had been destroyed during the Dalek invasion several years prior, and had not been rebuilt until last year, just after the last invasion. It was decided that the Earth needed it again, and so the Valiant II was commissioned. And now it was being used to save one of the most important treaties in human history.

“Ah,” the Doctor looked around. “The Valiant. I have some fond memories of this place. Well, maybe. Not really.”

“What happened here?” April asked.

“Watched one-tenth of the population wiped out by cannibalized humans from the end of the universe, the President assassinated, and saw the Master take control of everything.”

“I don’t remember that,” Clara raised her eyebrow.

“And you shouldn’t. It never happened. At least, for anyone who wasn’t on the ship. The Year That Never Was,” his eyes glassed over in remembrance. “That was lifetimes ago. I was a different man then.”

“Well, let’s try to not have any incidents like that here,” Colonel James remarked.

They continued walking through the industrial-looking corridors before reaching a set of stylish wooden doors. There were two soldiers stationed on either side of it. As they approached, the glossy doors slid open and they walked through into a large room. It appeared to be a combination of a conference room and a flight deck, with the ship navigation on the far side.

At the table in the middle of the room, two important looking figures were in deep conversation. One of them was President Garcia Morales, and the other was Prime Minster Lewis Austin. They turned and looked a them as they arrived.

“Ah, good,” the Prime Minister smiled, stepping towards them. “Now we can begin.”

“Yes. I look forward to restoring peace,” the President nodded.

“The Zygon delegation should be arriving momentarily,” Kate said.

“What’s their position on all of this?” Lewis crossed his arms.

One of the Osgoods sighed. “They’re furious that we haven’t done more to stop the attacks, but they’re glad that we’re trying. We’ve put all Zygons under protection, so that helps.”

“As long as we can avoid a war or genocide, I’ll be happy,” Garcia Morales replied.

“Same here, madam President,” Kate nodded.

A moment later, the doors to the room slid open, and six Zygons entered the room. They were flanked by soldiers, who left their side and took positions around the room. The delegation took in the environment before moving towards the table.

“Doctor,” the lead one hissed when he saw the Time Lord.

“Kalek,” the Doctor replied, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Good for you to finally check up on us while we’re on the brink of genocide,” the Zygon leader snarled.

“We’re doing everything we can to help,” Kate said.

“Thirteen of my people have been executed in their own homes,” Kalek growled. “The rest are in danger, all because of your negligence!”

“Please,” Alexandra stepped forward. “I’ve been working with U.N.I.T. to hunt down these terrorists.”

“And yet we are here! How hard is it to hunt down a group of human scum?” he roared. “You’ve defeated alien invaders faster than you’ve defeated them!”

“They’re not as open about their intentions as you were,” the Doctor replied.

“They are slaughtering us!” Kalek stepped towards the Doctor. Around the room, the soldiers tensed.

But the Doctor stood his ground. His pale blue eyes burrowed into the Zygon’s, the everyone around them could’ve sworn that they saw the big orange alien shudder. Yet, he too stood his ground, facing off against the Doctor.

“I promise you,” the Time Lord said, his gaze unwavering. “I will protect you and your people.”

“You stopped our conquest and forced us into this treaty, which has brought us to the present crisis!” Kalek replied. “How can I trust you to fix what you have broken? You’re the very reason that this has happened!”

“Please,” he tried to look sympathetic. “I want to help.”

“No!” Kalek snarled. “I will not make another treaty that disadvantages my people and subjugates them to human tyranny! I will not! The treaty ends today!”

He abruptly stepped forward, followed by the other Zygons. Immediately, the soldiers around the room raise their weapons and aimed them at the aliens. The politicians stepped back, as did the U.N.I.T. personnel. The Doctor’s companions also retreated, but the Doctor himself stood in the crossfire, looking around at the rising tensions in the room.

“Don’t!” he yelled. “No one fire!”

“I’m tired of suffering under human tyranny! I will have no more of it!” the alien snapped.

Electricity crackled in the Zygons’ claws. The Doctor’s eyes widened as he watched the flickering glow. He was about to say something when a gunshot suddenly rang out. A moment later, one of the Zygons swayed on their spot, before it fell to the ground, dead. The Zygons turned and looked at their fallen comrade. Seeing the maroon blood spreading across the floor, they turned to the soldiers. Their eyes blazed with pure hatred.

“You… will… die!” Kalek roared.

Raising their hands, bolts of electricity shot from their fingers. They flew at the soldiers, and they immediately returned fire. Bullets and energy whizzed through the air.

“Down!” the Doctor yelled.

Immediately, everyone who didn’t have a gun around him dove to the ground. Colonel James, however, pulled his own firearm in joined the soldiers in firing at the Zygons. The others ducked as the battle raged on. Around them, as soldiers were hit by the bolts, they were disintegrated into balls of skin and hair.

“Wipe them out!” Kalek ordered his comrades. “Leave no human alive!”

The soldiers seemed to be missing the Zygons with their fire, as they were continually be struck by the aliens. They screamed as they were either blasted across the room or turned into balls of biological material. Looking around, the Doctor saw the door on the far side of the room. It was their only way out.

“Follow me!” he said to them.

“Where are we going?” the Prime Minister asked, ducking under the table.

“Survival!” he replied, producing the sonic screwdriver. “Now come on!”

Getting to his feet, but ducking low, the Doctor bolted across the battlefield for the doors. Clara and April followed, then the Osgoods, then Kate, the President, Prime Minster, one of their aides, and only three of both their security details. The group rushed across the room towards the door. As they reached it, the Doctor activated the controls, and the doors split open.

They moved through and into the corridor outside. As they did, two of the security detail were struck by bolts of energy. Immediately, they were transformed into balls of skin and hair, hit the ground and rolling to a stop. The others took cover in the hallway.

Kate looked back and saw Colonel James pinned down.

“Darren!” she yelled.

He looked up at her.

“Come on!”

Jumping to avoid a bolt, he saw an opening, and gathering his wits, he shot forward. He was nearly there when a bolt of electricity hit him. He immediately fell to the ground, unmoving.

“No!” Kate yelled, but the Doctor grabbed her arm.

“Come on!” he snapped.

Together, the group ran down the hallway. The sounds of electricity, gun shots, and screaming followed them as they went.

“Shouldn’t we help them?” Clara asked.

“There’s nothing we can do!” he replied. “Run!”

They continued running. Eventually, they reached a large doorway. The Doctor rushed to a panel beside it. He aimed the screwdriver at it, and with buzz and a spark from the controls, a massive blast door slid across the open doorway. With a loud clank, it locked in place. They fell against the walls, breathing heavily. Suddenly, red lights began to flash all around them. A siren rang through the air.

“What do we do now?” April ran a hand through her hair.

“I don’t know,” he said, looking at them, “but the revolution has begun. And we have to move.”

Inside the room, the last of the humans were dead. As the alarms sounded, the Zygons looked around the room.

Kalek, walking around the room, breathed heavily. There was a look in his eye; a look of raw hatred. The other Zygons watched him.

“What now, commander?” one of them asked.

“It is time we had our freedom,” he growled, his teeth glistening. “It is time we had our triumph! It is time that we wipe humanity off the face of the Earth!”

Characters

 * Twelfth Doctor
 * Clara Oswald
 * April Leigh-Morgan
 * Kate Stewart
 * Petronella Osgood
 * Darren James
 * Olivia Angstrom
 * President Alexandra Garcia Morales
 * Prime Minister Lewis Austin
 * Foreign Minister Eugene Gaiman
 * Secretary of State Brandon O'Connor
 * Kalek
 * Agent Callahan
 * Shaun Duban
 * Simmons
 * U.N.I.T.
 * Zygons
 * United Nations soldiers
 * Secret Service agents
 * Olivia Angstrom's soldiers

Trivia

 * This story is based on The Zygon Invasion and The Zygon Inversion, but shows a different form of events, stemming from the alternate timeline that the series takes place in.
 * It also draws inspiration from Spyfall.