Rewritten, Chapter 15
The Doctor and Rose hugged the walls as they moved stealthily through the Largarian ship. Their first priority was finding Amelia and Jack, but as they checked one empty cell after another, they realized it might not be an easy task.
“I don’t understand why Roger would put them someplace else,” Rose said in frustration as they came upon another abandoned room.
The Doctor leaned his head back out the door and then pushed Rose against the wall with a finger to her lips. They waited as a unit of Largarian guards went by before resuming their conversation.
“I’m starting to think Roger is much cleverer than I first took him for,” the Doctor admitted. “I’m not even sure they’re on this ship. One thing’s certain though. We need to get off of it!”
Rose nodded and folded her arms thoughtfully. “How long do you think Roger can withhold the scroll without the aliens becoming suspicious?” she asked him.
The Doctor shook his head. “Maybe a day…” he speculated. “But they will realize what’s going on.”
“When they do, Roger will need a plan. No doubt he’s already formulated one,” Rose mentioned. “I can’t help but think Jack might be an integral part of that plan.”
The Doctor checked the hallway before pulling Rose behind him, and the two navigated their way through the endless corridors silently. At last, the Doctor was able locate their point of entrance onto the ship. For the moment it was completely unguarded, and the two of them were able to probe the walls for an exit undisturbed. The hastily assembled TARDIS was standing neglected in the corner. It wasn’t going to be able to take them anywhere useful, however, so they left it where it was.
“Rose,” he whispered after looking at his ship wistfully. “I think you may be right. After all, Jack is a millionaire at the center of a transportation monopoly. Perhaps the railway gave Roger some inspiration?”
“Oh god,” Rose mumbled. “That makes perfect sense. Roger probably believes he can use the scroll to rewrite history with himself in the place of Jack. Roger would be rich beyond imagination, and powerful to boot.”
“Except he doesn’t know the addendum,” the Doctor reminded her. “Wherever the scroll goes, the Largarians go. He’d be annihilated as soon as they caught up with him.”
“We still can’t let it happen!” Rose protested. “We’d be thrown back in time and I’d be rewritten all over again. I don’t want to lose you, Doctor. Not again.”
The Doctor smiled as he located a panel that would allow them to leave the ship. With a soft click, a hidden door materialized and he pulled her through it.
“You won’t lose me, Rose,” he said soothingly. “I’m as bad as the Largarians. Wherever you go, I’ll be right there. And if I have to remind you how much we mean to one another again…well…I suppose I wouldn’t mind.”
The Doctor cleared his throat embarrassedly as Rose smiled tenderly at him. “More importantly,” he continued, “what worries me isn’t what Roger intends to do with the scroll so much as what he’s plotting in the meantime. He would have used it already if he could, which tells us he doesn’t know how. Perhaps he’s keeping Jack somewhere else because he’s trying to get the answers out of him. He wouldn’t want the Largarians to know what he’s up to, obviously. But where would Roger take him so that he could operate in private?”
Rose furrowed her brow in thought, and followed the Doctor as he ducked down a nearby alleyway. Eventually, they were able to put a comfortable distance between themselves and the cloaked ship, and they resumed their normal gaits. They mixed in easily with locals trading goods at the bazaar.
The Doctor was obviously still occupied with his last question as they walked past a food vendor and Rose dug in her pocket, extracting a small coin and exchanging it for a ripe orange.
“Doctor!” Rose said suddenly as she dug a thumb under the peel of her fruit. “I think I’ve got it! Roger kept a small office on Taulud. He usually met all business appointments in Asmara, so the office was hardly ever used. I don’t even know exactly where it is, but I think I know someone who does!”
The Doctor flashed a brilliant smile at his companion and grasped her shoulders happily. “Allons-y!” he said with a grin. “Just lead the way!”
--
Rose snuck into the Dahlak and left the Doctor behind, much to his dismay. She assumed the chances of Roger having this place watched were minimal, but didn’t want to draw any more attention than necessary. She kept her hair over her face as she walked, and was fortunate enough to find her target without having to knock on her previous apartment door.
“Jumaane!” she called in a loud whisper.
The servant turned around, but gave a confused smirk when he saw his mistress hiding behind a large fern.
“Mrs. Hunt!” he said in a normal voice. “What are you-“
Rose cut him off by pulling on his arm, and signaled for him to follow her quietly. The two of them left the hotel unharassed, but Rose could tell the man was completely bewildered. The Doctor stepped out of a shadowed breezeway as they came close, and the three of them fell into step as if they had been walking together the whole time.
“I need your help,” Rose began. “I need you to take me to Roger’s office on the island.”
Jumaane frowned at his mistress and the eccentric inventor. “Is Mr. Hunt alright? I haven’t seen either of you for days!”
“Of course we’re fine!” Rose said a little too brightly. “Just ran off to one of Mr. Harkness’ parties…you know how those always turn into week-long affairs. Roger just needed to entertain an important representative from the rail line and forgot some important paperwork at the office. I’m just running a simple errand for him.”
The Doctor twirked an eyebrow. He was clearly impressed with Rose’s quick backstory.
Jumaane seemed to buy it and led his mistress to a nearby camel yard. After a brief exchange in the Tigrinya language, Jumaane was able to secure a small caravan for their party. They were soon on their way to the easternmost island, and one step closer to finding Jack and Amelia. Rose only hoped they wouldn’t be too late.
(Next Chapter)