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Footsteps echoed down the sterile corridor, three sets, brisk and purposeful, the squeak of rubber soles betraying their urgency. Overhead lights flickered slightly, humming with static. Dr Ellis felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her face. The inspection hadn’t been scheduled. It wasn’t even clear they could be inspected. Maybe someone had caught wind of the rumours. About the science chief walking out mid-trial. About the cover-up. But then, were they really rumours, if no one knew exactly what had happened?
“Dr Ellis?” The younger inspector’s voice was soft but sharp. “You’re looking a little tense.”
Dr Ellis straightened her back.
“We weren’t informed of any audit. It’s been… busy here since-” She hesitated, unsure how much to say.
“Since what?” The Chief Inspector asked.
Her tone was polite, but something in it suggested she wasn’t asking twice. Ellis glanced between them, then exhaled.
“Personnel changes. Not many quantum physicists in the Highlands, as it turns out. We’ve all been stretched. Just the five of us here these days.”
The younger woman offered a disarming smile.
“Loch Eagal’s not exactly a commuter’s dream. You don’t sound local - what brought you here?”
Ellis relaxed, if only slightly. The inspectors seemed friendly enough.
“The science,” she said, smiling now. “Where else would I get to work on something like the Casimir effect? And the facilities here, wow, honestly, top notch. It was a no-brainer.”
The Chief Inspector’s expression shifted, a glimmer of curiosity piercing the formality.
“Always good to meet another enthusiast. Tell me, Dr Ellis, where do you stand on the boundary condition debate?”
Ellis blinked.
“Oh, uh, well, I don’t think perfect conductor models reflect reality. Materials have impurities, finite conductivity, thermal drift. Leave those out, and your force predictions are way off.”
“Exactly!” The inspector grinned. “I once met a man who tried to ignore conductivity in his equations. Ended up inside-out. Briefly. Messy business.”
Before Ellis could react, they reached the door to the vacuum chamber control room. As she entered, a stocky, balding man intercepted them, his purple face making his mood clear .
“Dr Ellis!” he barked. “What are these people doing here? You know visitors aren’t allowed. I’ll have to report this.”
Ellis flinched.
“Professor Gorach, they’re here on official business. Auditors. Department of Energy and Technological Advancement.”
“We’re exempt from DETA oversight.”
The Chief Inspector stepped forward, matching his height but eclipsing him in presence. Her voice was calm and measured, but it landed with weight.
“Clearly, Professor , you’ve not been updated on the latest Parliamentary Subcommittee protocols on off-ledger experimental containment. Not your fault. It’s a multi-agency audit, triggered by elevated zero-point readings flagged by the Particle Stability Index.”
The junior inspector stepped in smoothly, flashing a polite but firm smile.
“In short, you’ve caught our eye. We just need to make sure you haven’t, you know, torn a hole in the universe. Can’t be too careful after recent events .”
Gorach paled. He wasn’t sure how these two could know about the incident at Longdendale Valley. They’d kept it entirely in-house. His jaw tightened, but he forced a diplomatic tone.
“Very well. What do you want to see?”
Professor Gorach's jaw tightened, but he forced a diplomatic tone. “Very well. What would you like to see first?”
The Chief Inspector gave a bright, winning smile. “The people, Professor. Always the people first. We’d like a full introduction; who’s working here, what they’re responsible for. That’ll help us decide where to focus our audit.”
Gorach grunted but nodded. “Fine. Follow me.”
They were led through a secure bulkhead and into a low-ceilinged operations hub, where a handful of staff worked at terminals or observed readings on wall-mounted monitors. One by one, the scientists and personnel were introduced, each giving clipped names and roles. Dr Carran, environmental risk mitigation. Dr Beru, electrodynamics specialist. Then a broad-shouldered man with alert eyes and a military bearing introduced himself.
“Lance Corporal Oluso, head of internal security.”
The Doctor tilted her head.
“No security cameras?”
“Too sensitive.” Oluso crossed his arms. “As I’m sure you know, the tests interfere with them. Baseline electromagnetic fields, or so I’m told. We can get funding to make the scientific equipment work down here. But getting people to stump for modified cameras? Harder than you’d think”
The Doctor’s smile didn’t fade, but something in her eyes sharpened.
“Curious,” she murmured. “Nothing like good old-fashioned plausible deniability baked into your architecture.”
Finally, Gorach gestured back to their guide. “And of course, Dr Ellis - research associate, materials science, and… other duties.”
Ellis nodded politely. “I work on the tunnel - uh, the -”
Gorach snapped around.
“She means the tunnelled particle dispersion model, obviously. Poor girl’s been pulling double shifts. Tongue tied.”
The chief inspector frowned ever so slightly, exchanging a glance with her junior inspector, who raised an eyebrow. Then a voice cut cleanly through the tension.
“She meant what she said.” Dr Beru’s tone was calm, almost amused.
Everyone turned. Beru gave a sardonic smile before continuing.
“She does work on the quantum tunnel. We all do.”
Ellis’ eyes widened.
“Dr Beru, please-”
Beru stepped forward. Tall and athletic, he loomed over Ellis. Dark hair flopped as he leant down menacingly into her face.
“Tell them what it does, Dr Ellis.” Beru snarled “Tell us all about Project Threshold and the Quantum tunnel.”
“Leave her alone, Beru” Dr Carran chastised. “The accident wasn’t her fault.”
Ellis’ mouth twitched, torn between fear and something else. Her lips began to move. Gorach lunged forward.
“Don’t you dare -”
But suddenly, he choked. His hands flew to his throat as if gripped by invisible fingers. Beru didn’t move. He just looked at him, head cocked.
“Hey!” The junior auditor stepped forward instinctively.
Beru turned his gaze on the young auditor, and in an instant, everyone in the room cried out - clutching their heads, stumbling back, dropping to their knees. Everyone, except one.
The Doctor stood tall, unaffected. The lights flickered wildly. Screens cracked with static. Beru’s brow furrowed.
“Why can’t I read you?”
Everyone else in the room stilled, frozen in the weight of Beru’s frustration.
“I’m not from around here.” Her tone was light, but her eyes were sharp.
She glanced sideways, Yaz had dropped to one knee, breathing raggedly.
“Whatever you’re doing to them, stop it.”
Beru’s head tilted.
”You’re being evasive. I don’t like that.” He turned toward Yaz, curious. “Huh. Your partner doesn’t like it either.”
Beru’s gaze darkened. He strode over to Yaz and roughly hauled her upright by the arm. She winced, still dazed, but conscious.
“Then let’s be very clear.” He looked the Doctor dead in the eye. “I can see her thoughts. Her instincts. I’ll know if you lie - like you lied about being inspectors. I’ll know if she thinks you’re about to make a move I won’t like. Believe me, if she even thinks you’re about to cross me, she’ll feel the full weight of my displeasure.”
His fingers hovered near Yaz’s temple. A flicker of pain crossed her face, sharp and involuntary. The Doctor’s fists clenched.
“All right,” she said tightly. “You’ve made your point. Leave her alone.”
She took a breath, steadied her voice.
“You clearly want something with Project Threshold. So tell me, what is it? Maybe there’s another way. Something I can help you with. Something that doesn’t involve hurting people.”
Beru didn’t answer at first. But something flickered behind his eyes.
“We’re testing quantum tunneling,” he said, voice low, almost reverent. “Transport, communications, weapons. But during a test there was an accident. Too many unknowns. I was struck by raw psionic discharge. It should’ve killed me. Instead it changed me. I evolved .”
The Doctor stepped forward, tense.
“Beru, the human mind isn’t built for that kind of energy. The more you use it, the more it corrodes you. I can help. Come with me now, before it’s too late. I can stabilise the damage-”
Beru laughed, hollow and joyless.
“No. You’d contain me. Diminish me.” His voice darkened. “UNIT protects Earth, that’s why I joined. But what if the best way to do that is to make us stronger? Make us superior . Evolve beyond those who wish to harm us.”
The Doctor stared at him. The sick weight of it settled in her gut.
“You’re not evolving, Beru. That energy is devouring you. It’s stripping away your mind, piece by piece. If you open the tunnel, it won’t be transcendence. It’ll be chaos. You’ll lose control if you try to expand the tunnel. It’ll destabilise more than it did during your accident. You could rip this planet apart.”
Beru’s eyes narrowed.
“You intend to stop me.”
The Doctor stilled. But he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at Yaz.
“She knows it. Believes it. In you.” He said, quietly.
He reached out and brushed Yaz’s cheek with the back of his fingers. A gesture so gentle it became grotesque. She flinched. The Doctor tasted bile.
“Remember what I said. If she thinks, for a second, that you’re taking action to stop me, I will make her suffer.”
“Okay.” The Doctor’s voice was clipped, cold with fury.
Beru smiled thinly.
“See? We’re not so different, Doctor. We’d both do anything to protect the things we care about.”
Beru spun on the spot and pointed to Dr Ellis.
“Rachel. I want the tunnel activated.”
The scientist stirred weakly nearby. She coughed, pushing herself up on shaking elbows.
“You can’t,” she rasped. “You know this. We need… Kate Stewart. The system’s locked. Her DNA key is hardwired into the launch sequence. We couldn’t open the tunnel even if we wanted to.”
Beru’s eyes darkened. But then he smiled, satisfied this was the truth. His head flicked to Yaz. A grin broke out on his face.
“Doctor, you can use your sonic to bypass the lock.” Beru’s voice was giddy.
He suddenly broke out into laughter.
“Oh poor, Yaz. She feels so guilty, giving all your secrets away.”
“I can’t open the lock.” The Doctor looked pained. “Or at least… not quickly. The lock’s bio-encoded. Kate and I aren’t on good terms at the moment. She’s knows I’d try to stop this so she had the DNA key embedded in the central vault. Made it sonic-proof, too. There’s no backdoor. It’s days of work to bypass. Even for me.”
Yaz screamed in agony as her knees buckled.
“I’m telling the truth!” The Doctor rushed over to Yaz. “Stop this! I’m telling the truth!”
Beru crouched down next to Yaz, brushing loose strands of hair from her face. The Doctor’s stomach churned.
“Tell the Doctor what you were thinking.”
Yaz shook her head. She strained, clearly trying to prevent Beru from psychically compelling her.
“You haven’t even seen the lock. How do you know all that?” Yaz blurted unwillingly.
“Kate knows we’re snooping around Project Threshold. I saw a memo sent out to the engineers requesting they sonic-proof stuff. This is not the only place she has sonic-proof DNA locks installed.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Yaz’s hurt was palpable.
“You need to recover, Yaz! Look at what you’ve been through these last few months. I didn’t want to add to your stress. I didn’t want you looking over your shoulder or being scared.”
Beru slinked over to the Doctor.
“She’s scared alright, Doctor. Scared you’ve gone back to your old ways. Scared you don’t trust her with the truth. Is there anything else you’re telling us?”
“No! I promise.” She turned to Yaz. “I’m sorry, Yaz. I should have told you.”
Beru smiled. Eyes full of malice. He dropped his voice low.
“She doesn’t believe you.”
Yaz screamed before she began to convulse on the floor. Foam erupting from her mouth. The Doctor lunged forward, cradling Yaz in her arms.
“Please! I promise you - both of you - there’s nothing else.” The Doctor’s eyes began to leak tears. “Please!”
Beru waved his hand as Yaz fell slack. The Doctor manically checked Yaz over as Beru walked calmly over to Gorach.
“Get Kate on the phone. Now.”
The Doctor cradled Yaz as Beru loomed over Gorach, waiting for Kate to pick up the call. Guilt twisted in her gut. She scanned Yaz surreptitiously with the sonic. The brunette’s breath was shallow, her face ashen. The Doctor could feel a faint psychic residue clinging to Yaz’s skin like smoke.
“Small capillary bursts… no lasting damage…”
“I’m fine.”
Yaz’s voice was soft but final. The Doctor froze as Yaz weakly pulled away, wincing as she dragged herself upright and slumped against the wall.
The Doctor followed, sitting beside her. Not too close. Her hands twitched, aching to offer comfort, apology, something, anything , but she forced them still. She clenched her fists in her lap, heart hammering with shame. She’d promised. After everything Yaz had endured, she swore she wouldn’t shut her out again. Wouldn’t let her feel alone. But she had. And now Yaz was paying the price.
“You knew they were onto us.” Yaz’s voice was raw. “You knew . And you didn’t say anything.”
“I didn’t want you carrying it.” The Doctor hung her head in shame. “That UNIT’s watching us. I didn’t want you constantly looking over your shoulder until you absolutely had to. I thought… I didn’t think we’d need to open the tunnel. Or that the lock would be a problem. I just wanted to take one thing off your shoulders. One less weight. I thought I was protecting you. Really.”
“Well, congratulations. You did the exact opposite.” Yaz laughed, bitter and tired.
The Doctor flinched.
“I needed to know , Doctor. You said you’d stop doing this. Promised. You said we were equals. Partners.”
“We are. ”
“Then stop deciding what I can handle. I’m not scared of UNIT or the monsters.” Yaz turned to her, pain blazing in her bloodshot eyes. “I’m scared of you creating this gulf between us. I’m scared of not knowing what’s in your head when you shut me out.”
The Doctor felt something collapse in her chest. She looked at Yaz. The dark circles under her eyes. The tremble in her jaw. The strength it took just to sit upright and say this. The Doctor slowly reached out to wipe the blood from Yaz’s face. The human didn’t pull away.
“I’m sorry, Yaz. I’ll do better,” the Doctor said softly. “I swear. I do trust you. With my life. With the truth. I need to earn your trust back. Right now, that might be the most important thing I’ve ever had to do. We cannot give Beru a reason to kill everyone before we figure out how to stop him.”
Yaz didn’t speak. She leaned her head back against the wall, jaw tight, eyes closed. The Doctor hesitated.
“If you believe anything I tell you,” the Doctor continued, her voice low, “believe this: I will do whatever Beru says to keep you safe. I told you before, there can’t be a universe with no Yaz. I meant it. Still do. If anything, I mean it more now, if that’s possible. I would let the world burn if it meant more time with you-”
“Doctor, no! If he kills me, the stones - I'll come back. You don’t have to-” Yaz could barely form a sentence as the weight of the Doctor’s words hit.
“No, Yaz. You need to understand.” The Doctor’s voice broke. “He can do worse than kill you. He could erase you. Hollow you out. Wipe your mind so completely there’ll be nothing left to bring back. I’m terrified, terrified , I’ll lose you to that.”
Yaz stared at her in shock.
“I cannot let that happen.” The Doctor reached up, gently brushing Yaz’s temple with her fingertips. “So here’s the unvarnished truth. I would risk the whole universe to keep you safe. Let civilizations collapse to save you an ounce of pain. Even if it makes you hate me. Even if it costs me everything else . I’m not a good person Yaz. Not a hero. I’m selfish and dangerous. I love you so much. Too much. And it’s terrifying.”
Silence. The Doctor searched Yaz’s face. Then Yaz lunged forward, pulling the Doctor into a desperate, crushing hug.
“I don’t want you to risk everything.” She whispered into the Doctor’s shoulder. “Not for me.”
“I know.” The Doctor let out a strangled laugh. “That’s the worst part. I know .”
Yaz held on, arms locked tight around the Doctor, as though holding her together too. But after a moment, she pulled back, just enough to look her in the eye.
“I believe you,” she said quietly. “That you’d risk it all. That you love me like that.”
The Doctor’s eyes swam with tears. She tried to speak, but Yaz held up her hand.
“But you have to trust me to make my own choices. Otherwise it’s not love, it’s possession.”
The Doctor frowned, hesitant.
“I don’t want to be your weakness,” Yaz continued, voice firm despite the pain. “I want to be your equal . If I get hurt fighting for this, for you, for the people Beru’s threatening, then that’s my choice. Not yours.”
“But Yaz-”
“You’re not the only one who gets to be brave.”
The Doctor’s throat bobbed.
“I can’t promise I won’t be scared,” she said finally. “But I can promise I won’t let my fear for you destroy our partnership. I trust you, Yaz. With my life. With the world.”
Before the Doctor could respond, every human in the room went stiff as boards, bodies locking up mid-breath. The Doctor’s hearts seized as she caught Yaz and gently lowered her to the ground. Beru’s voice echoed across the room, cold and self-satisfied.
“Glad to see I finally have your attention, Kate.”
Beru stood at a terminal, a live video call open on the screen. From the Doctor’s angle, the feed was just out of view, but the audio was unmistakable.
“Beru? What is this?” Kate Lethbridge-Stewart’s voice crackled through the tinny speakers, sharp and commanding. “What are you doing?”
Beru smiled lazily, and with a theatrical flourish, dragged Garoch into view of the camera.
“I need you to unlock the DNA key and open the tunnel. Or I’ll kill everyone here.”
“UNIT does not bow to threats.” Kate snapped.
“You mistake this for a negotiation.”
Without warning, Garoch’s body spasmed. His hands flew to his skull, clawing at his temples as silent screams twisted his face. Blood streamed from his nose and ears. His knees buckled, and he crumpled, lifeless, at Beru’s feet. Kate’s gasp was audible in the absolute silence of the lab.
“You have one hour.” Beru said, voice now flat. “Or I will kill everyone here. Then I’ll come to UNIT and finish the job.”
He ended the call with a flick of his wrist. Around the room, the humans stumbled back to motion, gasping for breath. The Doctor's gaze snapped to Beru. Beneath his smug calm, she caught the faint twitch in his jaw. The gleam of sweat at his brow. His hand, barely trembling, slipped quickly into his pocket. He was overexerting. Losing control. Not just of them, of himself.
She wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. Oluso moved fast, but not fast enough. Oluso whipped out his sidearm, pointing it at Beru. Suddenly, the soldier froze, eyes wide, muscles straining against invisible chains.
“Oh, naughty, naughty Lance Corporal,” Beru crooned. “You should’ve stayed obedient.”
The Doctor watched in horror as Oluso's arm jerked toward her, but the gun didn’t fire. It continued to move. To Dr Carran. She gave Oluso a sad smile.
“It’s okay.” Her voice wavered, knowing what was about to happen.
“NO!” Oluso shouted as he fired.
Carran crumpled, blood soaking her coat as Dr Ellis screamed and scrambled to her side. The barrel turned onto the young scientist as she tried in vain to save her friend.
“Stop this!” the Doctor shouted, rising to her feet. “Beru, enough! ”
Beru didn’t answer. But the way he stared at her - measured, narrowed, calculating - said more than words. He didn’t like that she’d spoken with such authority.The Doctor saw it clearly now. Beru was getting paranoid. And paranoia was dangerous . She raised her hands in a placating gesture.
“Keep the gun on me,” the Doctor said, calm only on the surface. “Not her. Please.”
Beru tilted his head, curious. A flicker of amusement twitched at the corner of his mouth.
“Why?” he asked softly. “You think I won’t shoot you?”
“No,” the Doctor said, her voice quiet but steady. “If you're going to shoot anyone, I’d really much prefer it was me.”
Her eyes darted to Yaz, who was slumped against the wall, chest rising in shallow, ragged bursts. Still recovering from the last psychic blow. Still so pale. The Doctor’s hearts twisted at the sight. She knew Yaz would hate this but she didn’t care. Not now. Beru’s gaze flicked between them. Something dark and searching flickered behind his eyes.
“She thinks you’ll win.” He murmured, pacing. “You’re planning something. Plotting against me.”
“Beru.” The Doctor said, trying to keep her voice cool and calm. “I just want to get everyone out of here alive. That includes her. That includes you.”
“You’re lying.” Beru’s voice sharpened. “You must be. Why can’t I read you?!”
He raised a trembling hand. Yaz’s body jolted. Her hands flew to her throat. She clawed at the air, gasping, choking.
“No! Stop! ” The Doctor cried, lurching forward. “Beru, please, you don’t have to do this!”
Yaz’s face went red, then a deeper mottled crimson. Her lips were turning blue.
“Fascinating,” Beru muttered, eyes fixed on her like she was a specimen. “She believes you’d rather help me than let her die.”
“I will!” the Doctor choked, voice cracking with panic. “I’ll help you. Just - please let her go!”
A flicker of movement caught the Doctor’s eye, behind Beru. Oluso. His gun was raised again.
It happened in a blur.
Yaz dropped like a stone just as Beru whirled around. Oluso didn’t speak. Didn’t shout. Just turned the gun to his own temple. The Doctor flinched when it happened.
Beru staggered back, breath hitching like he’d taken the shot himself. His hand dropped. Sweat streaked his temple, mingling with Oluso’s blood which had splattered all over him. For the first time, Beru looked shaken.
The Doctor didn’t wait. She dropped to Yaz’s side, frantically checking her pulse, watching her chest rise, shallow but steady. The colour returned to her. Alive. Panting, Beru reeled back a step. His hands trembled. He muttered to himself like a man trying to fight voices only he could hear.
“Idiot. You don’t need hostages. You don’t need them. Just kill them all. Clean. Simple.”
“You do need them,” the Doctor said, standing, voice dark with something that frightened even her. “You need them alive.”
Beru turned, startled.
“Why?”
The Doctor stood up and looked him dead in the eye.
“Because if you kill them... I will kill you.”
Beru blinked at the Doctor’s words. His breathing was erratic now. Chest heaving. Eyes unfocused. He turned his gaze to Yaz, who had begun to stir faintly, still curled on the ground, her fingers twitching against the floor.
“She believes you.” Beru said, more to himself than anyone else. “She believes you’d kill me… if I hurt them.”
The Doctor didn’t answer. Her silence said enough.
“But she also believes,” he continued, voice rising in pitch, “that you lie to her. Again. And again. And again.”
His eyes snapped back to the Doctor.
“I can feel it. That deep, aching vein of hurt. Oh, you tell yourself it’s kindness. Protection. But it’s control, isn’t it? You withhold. You hide. You say ‘trust me’ but never offer it back. And still… still she wants to believe in you.”
He laughed, sharp and bitter.
“No-” Yaz’s words were cut off.
“Shush now.” Beru said with glee.
The Doctor’s jaw tightened.
“Pathetic. Such a weak mind.” Beru sneered.
“Don’t.” The Doctor’s voice was dangerous. “You don’t get to talk about her like that.”
She took a step towards the man. He began circling around the Doctor, like a shark circling its prey.
“Oh, but I do.” Beru laughed, drunk on his own revelation. “I see her. I see all of them. Their doubt. Their pain. And I see how weak they are. How they aren’t strong enough. Not worthy of evolution. This is survival of the fittest, Doctor.”
He raised his hands. The humans gasped, then convulsed. One by one, their bodies violently jerked, their eyes rolling white, limbs seizing as invisible pressure slammed through their minds. Yaz let out a strangled cry. Her body arched in pain.
“No!” The Doctor rushed forward.
Beru barely acknowledged her. Sweat now poured down his brow. His whole body was shaking with effort.
“I’ll free them from their weakness. Give them peace. Only the strong will evolve.”
“Beru, stop-” the Doctor pleaded, voice rising. “You’re hurting them!”
“I’m helping humanity!” he screamed, trembling violently. “We can’t afford their weakness”
The Doctor darted forward, fury and fear colliding in her. His hands were still raised, veins bulging at his temples, eyes glassy with strain. He didn’t sense the danger. Not this time. The Doctor grabbed his head with both hands. Beru screamed.
“You want to see my mind?” she spat. “Then look.”
She slammed her mind into his, an overwhelming flood of rage, grief, loneliness. Her fury, yes, but also the pain of endless failure. Civilisations lost. Companions buried. The ache of living too long. She drove it all into him like a blade through the heart. All the while the Doctor searched, finding the knot of psychic energy he had twisted and ripped it. Around her, the humans dropped like marionettes with their strings cut. Conscious. Gasping. Alive.
Beru staggered back, face twisted in agony, knees buckling. But the Doctor didn’t let go. Beru shrieked, blood spilling from his nose. He tried to pull away, but she held firm.
“You hurt her.” She growled. “You hurt my Yaz.”
“Get out… Please… you’re killing me.” His voice cracked.
The Doctor didn’t blink. She could feel his heartbeat fluttering like a dying moth. One final push and it would be over.
“Doctor!”
Yaz’s voice was raspy, barely audible. She was trembling, propping herself up on the lab wall.
“Doctor! Stop!”
The Doctor turned. Yaz’s face was pale, but not with pain. With fear. Not for herself. For the Doctor. Slowly, Yaz reached for her, fingers curling around her wrist. The Doctor offered no resistance as the human peeled her hands from Beru’s head. The man collapsed, gasping, semi-conscious. She stared. Hollow.
“He would’ve turned you into a shell. A Husk..” the Doctor whispered, eyes avoiding Yaz’s. “I can’t… I can’t lose you. Not like that.”
“I know,” Yaz said, pressing her forehead gently to the Doctor’s. “But you almost lost yourself.”
“I was going to kill him.”
“But you didn’t.”
The Doctor flinched.
“Why are you being so kind to me?”
Yaz gave a weak, lopsided smile.
“Because I love you. And because you’ve carried too much for too long. I’m not here to punish you for it. I’m here to remind you you’re still someone worth saving.”
The Doctor let out a shuddering breath.
“I’ve hurt you.”
“You’ve healed me too. I told you I’d be patient. You’re allowed to be a work in progress.”
The Doctor didn’t reply. Just collapsed into Yaz’s embrace, held like she hadn’t allowed herself to be held in centuries. A moment passed. Then another.
“No one can know,” the Doctor murmured. “We wipe it. All of it. The research. Our presence. UNIT can’t track us here. Not again.”
A beat of silence. Then, a voice from the edge of the room.
“You don’t have to do it alone.”
Dr. Ellis had overheard. She stepped up to the duo.
“I’ll handle the tunnel, the notes, the data, everything. I’ll erase it. I understand what’s at stake. You stopped him. Saved me. You both did. Let me help you now.”
The Doctor looked at them, raw and speechless. Yaz gave her hand a squeeze.
“It’s okay. Let them help. You don’t always have to bear the whole burden.”
As Dr. Ellis moved to disable the final systems, the Doctor turned back to Beru.
He lay crumpled on the floor, chest barely rising, eyes fluttering in and out of focus. Blood still dripped from his nose. The arrogance was gone. The madness, dimmed. But behind his eyes something lingered, a final flicker of the man he’d once been. He coughed, a wet, red-tinged sputter catching on his chin.
“You think you’ve won?” he rasped, his voice a ghost of its former command. “You think this changes anything? Destruction is coming.”
The Doctor crouched beside him. No longer angry. Just… tired.
“I’m sorry, Beru. The energy, it’s done too much damage.”
His lips twitched into a cracked smile.
“You’ll see. You’ll see what’s waiting. I looked through the tunnel. And it looked back.”
His eyes rolled back. His body slumped, lifeless but not dead. The Doctor scanned him with the sonic. Her face tightened.
“He’s alive. But his neural pathways are shredded. The energy dissipated, but it burned out his brain. There’s barely a person left.”
“So he’s trapped,” Yaz said softly. “In his own mind.”
The Doctor stood slowly, gazing down at him with quiet horror. Neither of them spoke. The lab was silent, machines powering down one by one.
Then Yaz reached out and gently took the Doctor’s hand.
“Let’s go home.”
Rain pattered softly against the windows on the rented cottage. A blanket was draped around Yaz’s shoulders as she sipped too-sweet tea from a mug. The Doctor sat on the floor, cross-legged and leaning back against Yaz’s legs. She peered at a laptop perched on the coffee table displaying scrambled UNIT footage. Neither of them spoke for a while.
“Do you think Beru really saw something?” Yaz asked. Her voice was low, hesitant. “Before the end. That warning he gave… about destruction coming.”
The Doctor didn’t answer straight away.
“He was already broken by then. But,” she paused, “that doesn’t mean he was wrong. A quantum tunnel’s like a gate. You can step through, but so can something else. It opens both ways.”
Yaz frowned. “So you think he saw a real threat?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. But that much psionic energy… it does things to your mind. Can we trust what he thought he saw?” The Doctor looked up at her. “He lost himself. Completely. I nearly did too.”
Yaz leant forward.
“But you didn’t.”
“You stopped me.”
Yaz shrugged as the Doctor turned to look at her.
“You’d have done the same for me.”
The Doctor offered a flicker of a smile, but her eyes didn't soften. She spun the laptop toward Yaz.
“I bugged Kate’s office,” she said bluntly. “Microburst relay, cloaked to internal frequencies. Took me five minutes.”
Yaz raised an eyebrow, but didn't protest. They both understood this was the Doctor trying to make amends by revealing a secret.
“She’s hiding something, Yaz. I can’t prove it yet, but I can feel it. The Arcane Grid, the Quantum Tunnel, even that warehouse with the Pting... She's unaccountable, well-resourced and scared. It’s a bad mix.”
“You think UNIT’s building something worse?”
“I think,” the Doctor said slowly, “Kate thinks she’s preventing something worse. Which makes it so much more dangerous.”
Yaz exhaled.
“So what do we do?”
“We keep watching. Keep digging. We protect who we can.”
They both jumped as the doorbell rang, they hadn’t realised it had been forty minutes since they’d ordered pizzas. The Doctor scuttled to the door as Yaz started grabbing plates from the kitchen, leaving the laptop unattended. They didn’t see the feed as it showed Kate return to her office, slumping in her seat, eyes sunken with exhaustion. Kate rubbed her temples. A faint crackle bled through the laptop speakers. Kate twitched as a faint whisper could just about be heard.
“ Are you listening Kate? I’ll tell you how to save them all. ”
Kate’s pupils dilated and her breathing slowed. A low vibration hums through the laptop speaker. The whisper returned, softer, seductive.
“ They will never understand. But you do. ”
With that, the screen flickered and the laptop died.