Including this chapter, there are only seven chapters of this book left. The Doctor gets slightly protective in this chapter and we finally see Jack again. I love this episode. :D

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"Where are we going?" Martha questioned walking into the console room seeing the Doctor moving around the console with the Stone. 

"Cardiff!" The Doctor exclaimed before Martha could ask any questions about the subject. Pulling a lever he then sent them through the vortex.

"Cardiff?" she questioned looking at him frowning.

"Ah, but the thing about Cardiff, it's built on a rift in time and space, just like California and the San Andreas Fault, but the rift bleeds energy." He explained.

"Every now and then he needs to open up the engines, soak up the energy and use it as fuel," Rita explained. "Sometimes I help." She shrugged.

"So it's a pit stop."

"Exactly. Should only take twenty seconds."

"Doctor?" Rita looked at the monitor. "The rift's been active."

"Wait a minute." Martha interrupted. "They had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple of years ago. Was that you two?"

"Wasn't me." Rita shrugged. "I was off in a parallel universe back then. Although I think I faintly remember you talking about that at one point... Was it the Slitheen Doctor?"

"Mhm." He hummed. "Bit of trouble with the Slitheen. A long time ago. Lifetimes. I was a different man back then." He muttered.

"I wish I got to meet that you, the only Doctor I haven't met." She hummed resting her chin on his shoulder grinning, she then frowned looking at the monitor seeing someone run towards the TARDIS, she pulled the lever to start the TARDIS to dematerialise as fast as she possibly could having a bad feeling when she looked at the man, breathing out a sigh she rested her head back on the Doctors shoulder as he slightly nodded. The console then began to spark forcing the three to the ground as a loud bang echoed in the room.

"Whoa! What's that?" Martha asked pulling herself up.

The Doctor and Rita pulled themselves up as well and looked at the monitor reading the Gallifreyan in shock. "We're accelerating into the future. The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion."

"Fifty trillion?" Rita gasped.

"What? The year one hundred trillion? That's impossible." The Doctor looked to her.

"Why?" Martha asked slightly worried. "What happens then?"

"We're going to the end of the universe." The Doctor said taking the brunette's hand. The TARDIS continued to shake for a few moments before coming to a stop. "Well, we've landed."

"So what's out there?" Martha looked over at the doors.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Neither do I, slightly worries me."

"Say that again," Martha told them. "That's rare."

"Not even the Time Lords came this far. We should leave. We should go. We should really, really go." He looked to Rita then Martha and the Time Lords both wildly grinned at Martha before running to the doors both grabbing their coats and then exited the TARDIS.

They stepped outside into what looked like the night and looked out at the view before Martha gasped running over to a body causing the Time Lords to spin around. The Doctor looked down with an unreadable facial expression. Martha felt the man's neck trying to find a heart. "Can't get a pulse. Hold on. You've got that medical kit thing." She ran back into the TARDIS.

"Is that?" Rita looked up at him and he nodded silently placing an arm around her waist having explained who he was to her before.

"Hello again. Oh, I'm sorry." He looked down at his friend before looking at the brunette giving her a look to tell her to stay behind him as he let go of her. She rolled her eyes however complied with his wish and stepped behind him looking over his shoulder.

Martha then ran out of the TARDIS holding medical equipment and kneeled beside the man. "Here we go." She then pushed the Doctor aside. "Get out of the way. It's a bit odd, though. Not very hundred trillion." She said bringing out a stethoscope. "That coat's more like World War Two."

"I think he came with us." The Doctor informed her.

Martha then looked up her face not showing belief in what he said. "How do you mean, from Earth?"

"Must have been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex. Well, that's very him."

"What, do you know him?" She asked in shock.

"Friend of mine. Used to travel with me, back in the old days before the Stone came back."

"Before I met you as a human." She added.

"But he's." She took the stethoscope away sadly looking up at the Doctor. "I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat. There's nothing. He's dead." A moment later the man gasped for air gripping hold of Martha's arms as she screamed in shock.

"Oh, so much for me. It's all right. Just breathe deep. I've got you." She reassured him after calming down herself.

The man then calmed down looking at Martha. "Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?"

"Martha Jones." She replied smiling.

"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones."

"Oh, don't start." The Doctor groaned.

"I was only saying hello." Jack protested.

"I don't mind," Martha said smiling while helping Jack up.

"Doctor." He nodded.

"Captain."

"Captain Jack Harkness" He flashed a grin looking behind the Doctor at Rita, the Doctor tensed up as Rita raised a brow. "And who you might be beautiful?"

"The Stone," Rita replied stepping out from behind the Doctor who had his arm firmly around her waist. "Theta I'm fine." She glared at him momentarily for being so protective over her. "Why do I feel like this is going to become a tug of war match and I'm the rope." Rita let out a groan looking at Martha who laughed.

"You mean like him?" Jack ignored her previous comment looking at the Doctor.

"You mean the like one of the last Time Lords?" Rita rhetorically asked. "Yeah, that's me." She shrugged.

"Ah." He nodded. "Wait I thought you were the last?" He frowned at the Doctor.

"It's a long story." He muttered tightening his grip.

"Anyways, Good to see you, Doctor." 

The Doctor then let out a quiet sigh seeming to relax a little slightly letting go of the brunette, his hand resting on her waist unlike before where it clung on to her side."And you. Same as ever. Although, have you had work done?"

"You can talk." He raised a brow.

"Oh yes, the face." He nodded. "Regeneration. How did you know this was me?"

"The police box kind of gives it away. I've been following you for a long time. You abandoned me."

"Did I?" The Doctor asked then coldly added. "Busy life. Moving on."

"Just got to ask," Jack muttered. "The Battle of Canary Wharf. I saw the list of the dead. It said Rose Tyler." The Doctor looked at him for a moment. Rita placed a hand over his one resting on her waist and gently rubbed it in comfort.

The Doctor then broke out into a smile. "Oh, no! Sorry, she's alive." He exclaimed.

"You're kidding." Jack grinned stepping backwards slightly.

"Parallel world, safe and sound. And Mickey, and her mother."

"Oh, yes!" Jack laughed running up to the Doctor and hugging him. Rita looked over at Martha who sadly mumbled: "Good old Rose."

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The four began to walk in a direction, the Doctor and Rita walking ahead as Jack spoke about himself to Martha. "...So there I was, stranded in the year two hundred one hundred, ankle deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me. But I had this." He tapped the bracelet on his wrist. "I used to be a Time Agent. It's called a vortex manipulator. They're not the only ones who can time travel."

The Doctor spun around clearly annoyed and started to spit at Jack. "Oh, excuse me. That is not time travel. It's like, I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper." Rita chuckled along with Martha.

"Oh ho. Boys and their toys." Martha commented now laughing.

"All right, so I bounced." Jack hissed. "I thought 21st century, the best place to find the Doctor, except that I got it a little wrong. Arrived in 1869, this thing burnt out, so it was useless."

"Told you." The Doctor smirked at Rita who just playfully hit his arm signalling for him to be nice and behave.

"I had to live through the entire twentieth century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me."

"But that makes you more than one hundred years old." Martha looked at him in shock.

Jack flashed her a grin. "And looking good, don't you think? So I went to the time rift, based myself there because I knew you'd come back to refuel. Until finally I get a signal on this detecting you and here we are." He pointed to his backpack.

"But the thing is, how come you left him behind, Doctor?" Martha asked.

The Doctor flatly replied as Rita glanced up at him. "I was busy."

"Is that what happens, though, seriously?" Martha asked. "Do you just get bored with us one day and disappear?"

"Martha," Rita warned. "I wouldn't say that seriously you don't know what happened." She said calmly not to cause an argument.

"Not if you're blonde or a Time Lady it seems." Jack hummed having been eyeing the way the Doctor practically was glued to the Stones side.

"Oh, she was blonde?" Martha asked ignoring Rita who sighed. "Oh, what a surprise!"

The Doctor groaned spinning around and pointing at Jack and Martha. "You two! We're at the end of the universe, all right?" He snapped. "Right at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy.... blogging!"

Rita chuckled finding the Doctor being angry quite hilarious. "Doctor please calm down." She whispered, he shook his head at her then muttered. "Come on."

They soon stopped walking seeing a cliff and a high-tech construction looking a lot like a ravine. "Is that a city?" Martha asked looking.

"A city or a hive, or a nest, or a conglomeration."

"Conglomeration." Rita nodded. The Doctor looked at her raising a brow. "Oh come on don't tell me you never saw what a conglomeration looked like. 900 years and you still don't listen." She shook her head.

"I was busy." He protested.

"Busy dreaming of the stars?" She raised a brow grinning. "Then again after I met you so was I, not near enough as you were though."

"Must have been some sort of life, long ago." The Doctor brought the topic back to the Conglomeration.

Martha looked up at the Time Lords. "What killed it?"

"Time." The Doctor sighed. "Just time. Everything's dying now. All the great civilisations have gone."

"Martha this isn't just night. I don't even know if it is night." She pointed upwards. "All the stars have burned up and faded away into nothing."

"They must have an atmospheric shell. We should be frozen to death." Jack stated.

"Well, Martha, the Stone and I, maybe. Not so sure about you, Jack." The Doctor sighed looking at him.

"What about the people?" Martha questioned. "Does no one survive?"

"I suppose we have to hope life will find a way."

Jack frowned slightly then nodded down below where a man was running. "Well, he's not doing too bad."

They watched for a moment before what looked like a tribe came into view. "Is it me, or does that look like a hunt?" The Doctor asked them. "Come on!" He shouted as they ran heading in the direction of the man to help.

"Oh, I've missed this," Jack said sprinting with laughter.

They skidded to a stop before the running man who Jack grabbed reassuring him. "I've got you."

"They're coming! They're coming!" He cried running behind Jack. The Doctor pushed Rita behind him as Jack stepped in front of them all aiming a revolver at the tribe's people.

"Jack, don't you dare!" The Doctor shouted. Jack hesitated for a moment before aiming the revolver into the air and firing multiple shots scaring the tribe into a stop with the echoing noise of bullets.

"What the hell are they?" Martha asked in shock and fear slightly shaking behind Rita.

"There's more of them. We've got to keep going." The man told them.

"I've got a ship nearby." The Doctor looked at the man holding his shoulder so he would listen and hopefully understand. "It's safe. It's not far, it's over there." He pointed just as more tribesmen appeared on the cliff.

"Or we don't." Rita sighed.

"We're close to the silo." The man breathed. "If we get to the silo, then we're safe."

"Silo?" The Doctor asked looking at the three.

"Silo." Jack nodded.

"Silo for me." Martha nodded.

"Make that four for the silo!" Rita nodded in agreement, the five then ran following the man towards two large gates as he shouted at the top of his lungs

"It's the Futurekind! Open the gate!" They then collided with it.

"Show me your teeth!" The guard ordered. "Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth!" He repeated.

"Show him your teeth." The man told them. The Time Lords along with Jack and Martha then showed their teeth to the guards as he shouted. "Human! Let them in! Let them in!" The gates then opened and the five ran through to safety the gates then closed again. A guard started to spray his machine gun at the ground in front of the tribe pushing them back

"Humans." A tribesman hissed. "Humani. Make feast."

"Go back to where you came from." The guard shouted waiting for them to move. "I said, go back. Back!"

"Oh, don't tell him to put his gun down." Jack looked at the Doctor angrily.

"He's not my responsibility."

"And I am? Huh, that makes a change."

"Not now you two." Rita groaned. "You can argue to your heart's content back on the TARDIS."

"Kind watch you. Kind hungry." The tribesmen said again before backing away.

"Thanks for that." The Doctor looked at the guard who nodded.

"Right. Let's get you inside."

The man from before walked beside the guard as the four trailed behind. "My name is Padra Toc Shafe Cane. Tell me. Just tell me, can you take me to Utopia?" He pleaded.

"Oh yes, sir. Yes, I can."

The Doctor and Rita glanced at each other than followed the guard Martha and Jack slightly behind them.

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"It looks like a box, a big blue box." The Doctor explained to the guard. "I'm sorry, but I really need it back. It's stuck out there."

"I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the silo." Padra interrupted desperate to find his family. "Did they get here?" The man pressed on questioning the guard. "My mother is Kistane Shafe Cane. My brother's name is Beltone."

"The computers are down but you can check the paperwork." The guard then shouted. "Creet! Passenger needs help."

A young boy holding a clipboard walked around the corner and walked up to Padra the man who was running from the tribe. "Right. What do you need?"

The guard turned to the Doctor who was standing beside Rita. "A blue box, you said."

"Big, tall, wooden."

"Says Police on the front," Rita added. The Doctor nodded as the man jotted the information down on some paper.

"We're driving out for the last water collection. I'll see what I can do." He finished the notes then walked away.

"Thank you." The Time Lords smiled in appreciation.

"Come on." Creet the small boy began to walk off with Padra.

Martha then reached out stopping the boy. "Sorry, but how old are you?"

"Old enough to work." He replied causing Martha to glance at Rita raising her brows at his reply. "This way." He ordered. They then followed the boy down a corridor. There were people lying on the sides of the corridor huddled together in blankets with their belongings scattered around them.

"Kistane Shafe Cane." Creet called out loudly. "Kistane Shafe Cane. Kistane and Biltone Shafe Cane? We're looking for a Kistane and Beltone Shafe Cane."

"The Shafe Canes, anyone?" Padra asked around. "Kistane from Red Force Five? My name's Padra."

"Anyone? Kistane and Beltone Shafe Cane?" Creet spoke louder this time looking at the people. "Anyone know the Shafe Cane family? Anyone called Shafe Cane?"

"It's like a refugee camp." Martha quietly said to the Time Lords and Jack.

"Stinking." Jack coughed then saw a man looking at him. "Oh, sorry. No offence. Not you."

"Don't you see that?" He looked at Rita who grinned nodding in agreement. "The ripe old smell of humans. You survived. Oh, you might have spent a million years evolving into clouds of gas, and another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental humans."

"Kistane Shafe Cane."

The end of the universe." Rita said in awe looking around at the people below. "Amazing."

"End of the universe and here you are." The Doctor laughed. "Indomitable! That's the word. Indomitable! Ha!" He cheered.

"Is there a Kistane Shafe Cane?" Creet asked again. A woman then stood up raising her hand. "That's me."

"Mother?" Padra asked shaking out of shock.

"Oh, my God. Padra." The woman gasped holding a hand to her mouth.

"Beltone?" He asked running up to his mother embracing her in his arms.

"It's not all bad news." Martha smiled.

The Doctor and Rita walked over to a door. He used his sonic to try and open it. Rita sighed taking her out and attempting to unlock the door when the Doctor wasn't able to.

"Captain Jack Harkness." Jack introduced himself as a man stood up. "And who are you?"

"Stop it." The Doctor warned. "Give us a hand with this. It's half deadlocked. I need you to overwrite the code." The Doctor asked. Rita stepped out of the way allowing Jack to try. "Let's find out where we are."

Jack opened the door and the Doctor stepped out before clinging onto the side from the sudden drop.

"Gotcha." Jack grabbed him helping the Doctor back.

"Thanks." He muttered as Rita took a deep breath helping Jack pull the Doctor back in.

"How did you cope without me?" Jack asked.

"Well, I've got the Stone." He shrugged.

"You don't need me half the time sweetheart." She laughed.

"Now that is what I call a rocket." Martha cut in, poking her head out and glancing down blow then back up at the rocket.

"They're not refugees, they're passengers."

"He said they were going to Utopia," Martha recalled.

"The perfect place." The Doctor looked out. "Hundred trillion years, it's the same old dream. You recognise those engines?" He asked Jack who shook his head.

"Nope. Whatever it is, it's not rocket science. But it's hot, though." They then shut the door and stepped into the corridor again.

"Boiling. But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?"

An older man then walked up and looked between the Doctor and Jack before pointing at Jack. "The Doctor?"

"That's me." The Doctor raised his hand.

"And the clever woman?" The man looked at Rita

"Clever?" Rita raised a brow. "Some could say clever, I like to say logic."

"I prefer brilliant." The Doctor chuckled.

"But yeah if you want to call me clever then so be it I prefer being called the Stone, however."

"Good!" He beamed then started to drag them both away. "Good! Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good."

"It's good apparently." The Doctor chuckled following the man.

"Very." Rita nodded in agreement being dragged away with the man.

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"Chan welcome tho." A blue skinned alien politely welcomed them into what looked like the man's laboratory as the Doctor and Rita have dragged around to different areas of the room.

"Now, this is the gravitissimal accelerator." He showed them. "It's past its best but it works."

"Chan welcome tho." The woman smiled at Martha and Jack.

The older man then dragged them in another direction. "And over here is the footprint impellor system. Now, do you know anything about end time gravity" He looked at them both questioningly.

"Hello. Who are you?" Martha asked.

"Chan Chantho tho."

"But we can't get it to harmonise."

"Captain Jack Harkness." He flashed a grin stepping closer towards Chantho.

"Stop it." The Doctor looked at Jack.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?" Jack groaned.

"According to him, you can't." Rita chuckled, the Doctor gave her a look to tell her to not encourage him and she rolled her eyes.

"Chan I do not protest tho." Chantho smiled.

"Maybe later, Blue." Jack winked at Chantho then walked over standing beside the Doctor and Rita. "So, what have we got here?"

"And all this feeds into the rocket?" The Doctor asked looking at him.

"Yeah, except without a stable footprint, you see, we're unable to achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonise the five impact patterns and unify them, well, we might yet make it. What do you think, Stone? Doctor? Any ideas?"

The Doctor and Rita shared a look before he started to talk scratching the back of his head in the process. "Well, er, basically, sort of-"

Rita then cut him off before he could ramble anymore. "Neither of us have a clue how we could get this to work, sorry."

"Nothing?"

"We're not from around these parts. We've never seen a system like it. Sorry."

"No, no. I'm sorry." He shook his head "It's my fault. There's been so little help."

"Oh, my God." Martha gasped pulling out a hand in a bubbling liquid from the bag Jack had. "You've got a hand? A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in your bag." Jack looked at them sheepishly as Rita walked over laughing bending down next to it.

"I always wondered where that went, mystery solved I guess."

The Doctor frowned crouching beside the brunette. "But that, that, that's my hand."

"I said I had a Doctor detector," Jack told him.

"Chan, is this a tradition amongst your people tho?" Chantho asked looking at Martha.

"Not on my street. What do you mean, that's your hand?" Martha asked the Doctor. "You've got both your hands, I can see them."

"Long story. I lost my hand Christmas Day, in a swordfight."

"Now he has a 'fighting hand'" Rita quoted laughing.

"What? And you grew another hand?" Martha asked shivering a little.

"Er, yeah, yeah, I did." He shrugged. "Yeah. Hello." He grinned and waved at her.

"Might I ask, what species are you?"

"Time Lords, last of." He gestured to himself and Rita, the man looked at them baffled with no idea of them. "Heard of them?" He continued to give them a strange look. "Legend or anything?" Rita raised her brows and he shook his head. "Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling."

"Chan it is said that I am the last of my species too tho." She spoke up smiling at them.

The Doctor looked over at her. "Sorry, what was your name?"

"My assistant and good friend, Chantho." Yana explained. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge."

"The city outside, that was yours?" The Doctor then asked.

"Chan the conglomeration died tho." She sadly said.

"Conglomeration. That's what I said." Rita groaned hitting his arm in annoyance. "Sorry, Chantho." She sympathetically said glaring at the Doctor who then muttered. "Oh, yes. Sorry."

"Chan most grateful tho." she nodded.

Martha continued to stare at the hand mumbling. "You grew another hand?"

He smiled and waved at her again. "Hello, again." Seeing the terror on his face he stood up and softly spoke shaking her hand. "It's fine. Look, really, it's me."

"All this time and you're still full of surprises."

"First fifteen hours of regeneration." Rita interrupted. "It isn't that hard, I cut off my own foot once."

"You cut your foot off?" The Doctor turned to her. "When? How? Why?" He quickly bombarded her with questions.

"my 2nd regeneration. I was locked in my room, my parents refused to let me out and literally chained me up by my right foot to my bed, this was after I had come back just before we were exiled, since they obviously couldn't exile after just regenerating with me being asleep, my second incarnation, being stubborn, as well as determined, decided to cut off my right foot so I could escape. Kind of humiliating when you think about it."

"Didn't it hurt?" Martha asked.

"Oh, it only stung like a bee sting. Wasn't that bad."

"Chan you two are most unusual tho. "

"Well." The Doctor smirked.

"Makes life more interesting at times." Rita shrugged.

"So what about those things outside?" Jack crossed his arms looking at Yana. "The Beastie Boys. What are they?"

"We call them the Futurekind, which is a myth in itself, but it's feared they are what we will become unless we reach Utopia."

"And Utopia is?"

"Oh, every human knows of Utopia." Yana looked at him in shock. "Where have you been?"

"Bit of a hermit."

"A hermit with friends?" Yana looked at them.

"And a girlfriend." He winked at Rita who lightly hit his arm before he continued to speak. "Hermits United. We meet up every ten years and swap stories about caves. It's good fun, for a hermit. So, er, Utopia?"

Yana then pulled them over to a monitor. "The call came from across the stars, over and over again. Come to Utopia. Originating from that point." He pointed to it.

"Where is that?" The Doctor asked sticking his glasses on.

"Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness, out towards the Wildlands and the Dark Matter reefs, calling us in. The last of the humans scattered across the night."

"What do you think's out there?"

"We can't know. A colony, a city, some sort of haven? The Science Foundation created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind, to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now perhaps they found it. Perhaps not. But it's worth a look, don't you think?"

"Of course it is, you have to go for any chance of hope, even the tiniest. bit."

"Oh, yes." The Doctor grinned at her.

"And the signal keeps modulating, so it's not automatic. That's a good sign someone's out there. And that's, oh, that's a navigation matrix." The Doctor noticed the equiptment. "So you can fly without stars to guide you."

Rita looked over at Yana and frowned crouching down to his height since he was sitting down. "Professor?" She asked, the Doctor stopped and looked at the man crouching down beside the brunette, "Professor? Professor."

Yana shook his head and stood up looking slightly sick and dazed. "I, er, ahem, right, that's enough talk." He walked over to a monitor. "There's work to do. Now if you could leave, thank you."

The Doctor looked at the brunette who shook her head. He then walked over to Yana and asked in a soft tone: "You all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He shrugged off. "And busy."

"Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it?" The Doctor crossed his arms leaning against a table. "This footprint mechanism thing, it's not working."

"We'll find a way," Yana said without looking at the Time Lords.

"And you're stuck on this planet." Rita softly added. "They have no idea that it doesn't work. That lot out there, they still think they're going to fly."

"Well, it's better to let them live in hope."

"Quite right, too." The Doctor smiled. " And I must say, Professor er, what was it?" He asked throwing off his coat in Rita's direction, rolling her eyes she caught it.

"Yana."

"Professor Yana. This new science is well beyond me."

"And me, sadly."

"And that is saying something if it's beyond her, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost."

"So, I do really, really wonder, what might just happen if I did this" Rita grinned pulling her sonic out of her pocket before flashing it at the cables. The machines then started to power and light up creating the noise of working machines in the room as she chuckled twirling her sonic around in her fingers before placing it back in her pocket.

Chantho and Yana looked around in shock and awe beaming at the sight. "Chan it's working tho!"

"But how did you do that?" Yana looked between them.

"Oh, we've been chatting away, I forgot to tell you." The Doctor grinned. "The Stone is brilliant."