Fic: Solid Skies, Chapter 19/19
Aug. 18th, 2009 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
veldeiaTitle: Solid Skies
Author: Veldeia
Series: Sequel to Hollow World
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: 10th Doctor, Martha Jones, OCs. Gen.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~40 000
Disclaimer: If you've seen it on TV, it isn't mine.
Summary: After surviving one big cave, the Doctor, Martha and a caving team from the Sixties find themselves in even more trouble on a planet full of caves.
Epilogue: First Nest
Martha hesitated at the TARDIS doorstep. Even though Nest Town had been declared completely clean and safe, and even though the Crystal Plague now had a cure, she still couldn't help feeling apprehensive about going to the site where the epidemic had begun.
The Doctor stepped beside her. "Come on, they're waiting for us," he said.
Side by side, they pushed open the doors, and left the safety of the TARDIS. Jess, Brian, Joseph and Grant followed them in silence.
Martha had seen several cave chambers larger than the one they'd materialised in, but the khirindal which filled most of it was without doubt the biggest she'd ever seen, a crystal castle almost as big as the Chairperson's Palace. It was also dead - perfectly empty and abandoned.
The room around the khirindal was far from empty. Lining the walls was a large crowd. The Chairperson and her bodyguards stood together with several members of the Fifteen. Not far from them were Jess's sister, her mate and their son, and right next to them stood Jess's parents, her uncle T'ig, and a few other relatives whose names Martha had already forgot. Khif, Meg and K'iem were there, too, as well as countless Khiandrians Martha had never met. They were all smiling, but they stayed still and quiet, knowing full well how delicate the event they were witnessing was.
The Doctor and Martha propped the TARDIS doors open, and Jess stepped inside again, calling the petromites in a strange, soft chant full of clicks and chirps. The alien insects had remained in their hibernation through the short trip, perfectly unmoving and far less glowy than before. As Jess coaxed them out of the dormant state, Martha could see through the doorway how they began to stir, the pale glow growing brighter, antennae waggling and tiny feet carrying them to and fro.
When Jess stepped out again, she was holding the petromite queen in her hands. Slowly, cautiously, she made her way to the khirindal, and a steady procession of petromites followed in her wake. They disappeared between the tall crystal pillars.
Everyone waited with baited breath, watching the continuous line of petromites creeping out of the TARDIS and into the khirindal. As they waited, Martha thought back to the days that had passed since the Chairperson's speech at the Great Chamber of Justice.
Not surprisingly, there had been riots, but they hadn't been very big nor violent. A few people suspected of working for Contrast had been injured, as had a few guards who'd been struggling to arrest some of the more aggressive conspirators. Still, none of that had been major, and many members of Contrast had given themselves up voluntarily. All in all, things had gone incredibly smoothly.
People really had listened to the Chairperson's words, and taken them to heart. During the trip from Maze City to the City of Lights and the awaiting TARDIS, Martha had seen very few people wearing buttons of any colour. The news had reported a significant rise in Dusk popularity in general, and the current Chairperson's government was more popular than it had been in over a year. It seemed certain that T'aikh would get re-elected. If there were Contrast agents still on the loose, they'd probably have a hard time finding anyone sharing their ideals.
To balance the uncertainty and worry about what was happening on the planet, there had been a number of parties. The Chairperson had arranged a small formal gathering at the Palace, to award the Doctor and the humans honorary citizenship - a rare honour, and something that hadn't happened in years. On the following day, they'd had the more domestic affair celebrating Jess and Brian's engagement. Even Jess's parents had shown up to give their approval. Of course, Jess had apologised to her mother for taking her space ship all those years ago. Her mother had smiled, and said that had she known what it would eventually lead to, she wouldn't have been angry about it at all.
The Doctor had skipped most of the celebrations, dedicating his time to the effort to clear Nest Town of the Plague, which hadn't surprised Martha in the least. She was more surprised he had not insisted that they should leave the planet right away. Martha herself had enjoyed the parties thoroughly after all the trouble they'd been through. She had learned, among other things, that not all Khiandrian food was green, and that they did have plenty of drinks stronger than tea.
Now, all that remained was this one last event. They must've been waiting for at least fifteen minutes when Jess re-emerged without the queen, a wide smile on her lips. "The primary queen has accepted this place as her new home," she said, her voice soft but clear.
A wave of relief passed through the room. It had been far from certain that this would work - petromites preferred to build their own khirindals, and they rarely moved far from their home. To these particular petromites, Khiandria was actually an alien place, since they'd been born on Earth. Luckily, Jess had been able to convince the nest that this would be a good place for them.
Bringing the petromites here had been an important symbolic thing, a new beginning, not just for Nest Town, but for the entire planet. It had also been Jess's first task at her new job. She was going to be an apprentice caretaker of this nest. Since she lacked the official training and qualifications, but had a definite talent for the work, she was going to learn the ropes from an older, more experienced caretaker. Later on, once the nest had grown, she would be able to move on to take care of a nest of her own.
Jess and Brian were going to settle in Nest Town, in Jess's late grandmother's home, among the first people to return there after the Plague. Brian would be spending his first months learning the local language and customs. The Chairperson had already promised him a position at the Foreign Ministry as soon as he had mastered those.
For the rest of the caving team, and for Martha and the Doctor, it was time to return to Earth. They exchanged their fond farewells in the shadow of the khirindal, which was now teeming with the tiny lights of the petromites. Everyone spoke in hushed tones, so as not to disturb the creatures, who were just getting to know their new home. Martha hugged everyone - even the Chairperson, since Jess had told her it was a perfectly normal thing to do on Khiandria.
Looking at Brian and Jess, who were standing amongst Jess's relatives, as radiant as only a young couple deeply in love could be, Martha suddenly found herself blinking back tears. She wasn't sure she had ever believed that things could work out this well - that an interstellar love story could actually reach such a very happy end. It had been a long and difficult journey, but it had definitely been worth the trouble.
Martha glanced at the Doctor. He was leaning on the wall of the TARDIS, his hands in his pockets, looking more thoughtful than glad. She knew he hated goodbyes, and considering how many he'd faced during his long life, she couldn't blame him. In some stories, the happy ends always felt bittersweet. She wondered what he was thinking about, but she was also certain that he wouldn't tell her even if she asked.
After one last look, smile and wave at all those who were staying on Khiandria, Martha turned her back to the crowd, and walked over to the Doctor. They entered the TARDIS together.
"So, we cured a plague, prevented a civil war, and brought together a broken family. Not a bad day's work," Martha noted.
The pensive look lingered on the Doctor's face a little longer. Then, he broke into a wide grin. "Not bad at all!"
"What do you think, will things be all right on Khiandria after this?"
"I know they will. There will be bad times, too, of course, but give them a few hundred years and they'll build a society that's widely known as one of the most egalitarian in this corner of the universe. Oh, and T'aikh will be remembered as a chief architect of it all, a renowned historical figure, like Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela or, or... John Lennon! Hey, we could go and meet him! What do you think?"
"Yeah, it'd be great! Anyway, right now, I'd be over the moon anywhere with an open sky."
"The Moon! Oh, very good, I almost forgot about that."
A little later, Grant and Joseph joined them in the TARDIS, both looking sad and serious.
"Dear kids..." Grant said, shaking his head. "I'll miss them both."
"So will I," Joseph agreed. "And we'll never be able to really talk about this to anyone, nor to tell anyone what really happened to the two of them."
"To think that you spend all your time like this..." Grant said, looking from the Doctor to Martha, his expression more sympathetic than anything Martha had seen on his face before. "It must be very hard."
"It's not easy," Martha replied truthfully. "But we're not all alone, and neither are you."
The Doctor didn't say a thing to that. He was already working at the controls. "So, now that we've got the taste for peace, love and understanding, where better to go than the Sixties! Besides, we have a Moon landing to catch!"
Author's Endnote: Well, this is it. We've come full circle. This is the end of the story, as well as the end of the series that began with Hollow World. It's been quite a journey, both in the fic and for me as an author - especially since Solid Skies ended up being the second-longest thing I've ever written. Whew.
Once again, thanks, love & hugs to everyone who's been following this fic!
Author: Veldeia
Series: Sequel to Hollow World
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: 10th Doctor, Martha Jones, OCs. Gen.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~40 000
Disclaimer: If you've seen it on TV, it isn't mine.
Summary: After surviving one big cave, the Doctor, Martha and a caving team from the Sixties find themselves in even more trouble on a planet full of caves.
Epilogue: First Nest
Martha hesitated at the TARDIS doorstep. Even though Nest Town had been declared completely clean and safe, and even though the Crystal Plague now had a cure, she still couldn't help feeling apprehensive about going to the site where the epidemic had begun.
The Doctor stepped beside her. "Come on, they're waiting for us," he said.
Side by side, they pushed open the doors, and left the safety of the TARDIS. Jess, Brian, Joseph and Grant followed them in silence.
Martha had seen several cave chambers larger than the one they'd materialised in, but the khirindal which filled most of it was without doubt the biggest she'd ever seen, a crystal castle almost as big as the Chairperson's Palace. It was also dead - perfectly empty and abandoned.
The room around the khirindal was far from empty. Lining the walls was a large crowd. The Chairperson and her bodyguards stood together with several members of the Fifteen. Not far from them were Jess's sister, her mate and their son, and right next to them stood Jess's parents, her uncle T'ig, and a few other relatives whose names Martha had already forgot. Khif, Meg and K'iem were there, too, as well as countless Khiandrians Martha had never met. They were all smiling, but they stayed still and quiet, knowing full well how delicate the event they were witnessing was.
The Doctor and Martha propped the TARDIS doors open, and Jess stepped inside again, calling the petromites in a strange, soft chant full of clicks and chirps. The alien insects had remained in their hibernation through the short trip, perfectly unmoving and far less glowy than before. As Jess coaxed them out of the dormant state, Martha could see through the doorway how they began to stir, the pale glow growing brighter, antennae waggling and tiny feet carrying them to and fro.
When Jess stepped out again, she was holding the petromite queen in her hands. Slowly, cautiously, she made her way to the khirindal, and a steady procession of petromites followed in her wake. They disappeared between the tall crystal pillars.
Everyone waited with baited breath, watching the continuous line of petromites creeping out of the TARDIS and into the khirindal. As they waited, Martha thought back to the days that had passed since the Chairperson's speech at the Great Chamber of Justice.
Not surprisingly, there had been riots, but they hadn't been very big nor violent. A few people suspected of working for Contrast had been injured, as had a few guards who'd been struggling to arrest some of the more aggressive conspirators. Still, none of that had been major, and many members of Contrast had given themselves up voluntarily. All in all, things had gone incredibly smoothly.
People really had listened to the Chairperson's words, and taken them to heart. During the trip from Maze City to the City of Lights and the awaiting TARDIS, Martha had seen very few people wearing buttons of any colour. The news had reported a significant rise in Dusk popularity in general, and the current Chairperson's government was more popular than it had been in over a year. It seemed certain that T'aikh would get re-elected. If there were Contrast agents still on the loose, they'd probably have a hard time finding anyone sharing their ideals.
To balance the uncertainty and worry about what was happening on the planet, there had been a number of parties. The Chairperson had arranged a small formal gathering at the Palace, to award the Doctor and the humans honorary citizenship - a rare honour, and something that hadn't happened in years. On the following day, they'd had the more domestic affair celebrating Jess and Brian's engagement. Even Jess's parents had shown up to give their approval. Of course, Jess had apologised to her mother for taking her space ship all those years ago. Her mother had smiled, and said that had she known what it would eventually lead to, she wouldn't have been angry about it at all.
The Doctor had skipped most of the celebrations, dedicating his time to the effort to clear Nest Town of the Plague, which hadn't surprised Martha in the least. She was more surprised he had not insisted that they should leave the planet right away. Martha herself had enjoyed the parties thoroughly after all the trouble they'd been through. She had learned, among other things, that not all Khiandrian food was green, and that they did have plenty of drinks stronger than tea.
Now, all that remained was this one last event. They must've been waiting for at least fifteen minutes when Jess re-emerged without the queen, a wide smile on her lips. "The primary queen has accepted this place as her new home," she said, her voice soft but clear.
A wave of relief passed through the room. It had been far from certain that this would work - petromites preferred to build their own khirindals, and they rarely moved far from their home. To these particular petromites, Khiandria was actually an alien place, since they'd been born on Earth. Luckily, Jess had been able to convince the nest that this would be a good place for them.
Bringing the petromites here had been an important symbolic thing, a new beginning, not just for Nest Town, but for the entire planet. It had also been Jess's first task at her new job. She was going to be an apprentice caretaker of this nest. Since she lacked the official training and qualifications, but had a definite talent for the work, she was going to learn the ropes from an older, more experienced caretaker. Later on, once the nest had grown, she would be able to move on to take care of a nest of her own.
Jess and Brian were going to settle in Nest Town, in Jess's late grandmother's home, among the first people to return there after the Plague. Brian would be spending his first months learning the local language and customs. The Chairperson had already promised him a position at the Foreign Ministry as soon as he had mastered those.
For the rest of the caving team, and for Martha and the Doctor, it was time to return to Earth. They exchanged their fond farewells in the shadow of the khirindal, which was now teeming with the tiny lights of the petromites. Everyone spoke in hushed tones, so as not to disturb the creatures, who were just getting to know their new home. Martha hugged everyone - even the Chairperson, since Jess had told her it was a perfectly normal thing to do on Khiandria.
Looking at Brian and Jess, who were standing amongst Jess's relatives, as radiant as only a young couple deeply in love could be, Martha suddenly found herself blinking back tears. She wasn't sure she had ever believed that things could work out this well - that an interstellar love story could actually reach such a very happy end. It had been a long and difficult journey, but it had definitely been worth the trouble.
Martha glanced at the Doctor. He was leaning on the wall of the TARDIS, his hands in his pockets, looking more thoughtful than glad. She knew he hated goodbyes, and considering how many he'd faced during his long life, she couldn't blame him. In some stories, the happy ends always felt bittersweet. She wondered what he was thinking about, but she was also certain that he wouldn't tell her even if she asked.
After one last look, smile and wave at all those who were staying on Khiandria, Martha turned her back to the crowd, and walked over to the Doctor. They entered the TARDIS together.
"So, we cured a plague, prevented a civil war, and brought together a broken family. Not a bad day's work," Martha noted.
The pensive look lingered on the Doctor's face a little longer. Then, he broke into a wide grin. "Not bad at all!"
"What do you think, will things be all right on Khiandria after this?"
"I know they will. There will be bad times, too, of course, but give them a few hundred years and they'll build a society that's widely known as one of the most egalitarian in this corner of the universe. Oh, and T'aikh will be remembered as a chief architect of it all, a renowned historical figure, like Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela or, or... John Lennon! Hey, we could go and meet him! What do you think?"
"Yeah, it'd be great! Anyway, right now, I'd be over the moon anywhere with an open sky."
"The Moon! Oh, very good, I almost forgot about that."
A little later, Grant and Joseph joined them in the TARDIS, both looking sad and serious.
"Dear kids..." Grant said, shaking his head. "I'll miss them both."
"So will I," Joseph agreed. "And we'll never be able to really talk about this to anyone, nor to tell anyone what really happened to the two of them."
"To think that you spend all your time like this..." Grant said, looking from the Doctor to Martha, his expression more sympathetic than anything Martha had seen on his face before. "It must be very hard."
"It's not easy," Martha replied truthfully. "But we're not all alone, and neither are you."
The Doctor didn't say a thing to that. He was already working at the controls. "So, now that we've got the taste for peace, love and understanding, where better to go than the Sixties! Besides, we have a Moon landing to catch!"
Author's Endnote: Well, this is it. We've come full circle. This is the end of the story, as well as the end of the series that began with Hollow World. It's been quite a journey, both in the fic and for me as an author - especially since Solid Skies ended up being the second-longest thing I've ever written. Whew.
Once again, thanks, love & hugs to everyone who's been following this fic!
