*I know it's been ages since I posted. I haven't forgotten the story... I've just been in a bit of a lull. I'll try to get you another update by the end of the month. I just didn't realise how difficult it can be writing when you're trying to keep with a canon storyline. Here is a bit for you until then.

Coffa scanned the room for the steward. The tree groaned when he realised that the man was nowhere to be seen, though he wasn't surprised. The steward on these automated platforms was never around when you needed them... and there was the fact they were generally rather useless. He could feel the bark on his face harden at the thought to the stupidity of these ships. There was rarely any staff to call for, and even though the platform was the height of the alpha class, there were always glitches, and they always seemed to lack competent crew. He shook his head, he really couldn't see why Jabe thought so highly of them. He glanced briefly to see the Rose human attempting to speak with a group of the small Crespallions and frowned. He knew they wouldn't be of any help. As useless as he was, he'd need to speak with the steward.

"Where have you been?" Coffa's attention was drawn to the sound of Lute's voice. "You look troubled." Lute studied the face of his friend with concern.

"Has Jabe returned with the Doctor?" Coffa asked.

"No..." Lute told him, concern evident in his tone. "Is something wrong, is Jabe in some danger from this Doctor?"

Coffa rubbed one of his branches across his face. "It is the lady. The lady with the eyes... eyes like the ancient grandfathers."

Lute immediately knew of whom Coffa was speaking and the corners of his lips lifted. "Found a human that you can tolerate? Female at that?" To an outsider, Lute's face might have seemed severe; however, to those of tree-kind, it was obvious the tree was amused.

Coffa frowned, hoping his friend would be serious. He could feel it in his branches, something was very wrong. "She's missing. Disappeared down a maintenance duct after a... cat." His face looked as though he'd tasted something foul.

Lute grimaced. He hated cats, they had a tendency to be clingy and irritating, especially the females. He quickly dismissed his thoughts on cats and asked, "And you think there is something more?"

Coffa nodded. "Her friend, the Rose human..." He looked around for Rose and realised she was missing. The tree's bark seemed to pale slightly and appear rougher, as though his the whole of his body was frowning.

"What?" Lute asked.

"The Rose woman, she's gone." Coffa turned in place to take in the whole room. He was just in time to see Rose leaving the observation deck. He frowned. Two of the darkly cloaked aliens had left their grouping to follow her.

Lute followed the direction of Coffa's gaze. "We could contact the..."

Whatever Lute was about to say was cut off, because, in a blink, Coffa was already following after the Rose female. Lute sighed and grumbled, his deep voice groaning with a heavy weight. He took a step forward and called out to his friend, "Where are you going?" He halted when Coffa turned back around.

"Stay here and wait for the Doctor," Coffa directed, "if you see him, tell him that The Lady may be in danger. I'm following after Rose."

Lute nodded and let the older tree disappear down a hallway. Had it been any other tree, Lute might have been offended at being ordered about; however, this was Coffa... and it was so unlike him. Had the situation not been so serious, he would have found the other tree's actions amusing. After all, the woman Vivian was lovely... for someone so... human.

Coffa hurried down the hallway that Rose had disappeared through. Unfortunately, by the time he caught up, Rose couldn't be seen, and the corridor had split into three different passages. With a sigh of relief, he happened to notice one of the memes disappear down a bend in the rightmost hallway. The hallway leading back towards the duct where Vivian had been.

The tree followed behind the meme at a distance, careful not to be seen. Coffa was growing concerned moment by moment. Rose was nowhere to be seen, and the other meme had disappeared. He'd taken the wrong turn. The memes had split up, and he'd followed the wrong way.

Coffa momentarily considered returning to the observation deck; however, he knew something more was going on. Something involving the dark cloaked figures. He watched from a distance as the figure slowly typed, one number at a time with its long silver claws. It wasn't difficult to determine the code from Coffa's distance, considering the enhanced eyesight of tree-kind. He observed closely until the doors of the locked room opened, and the creature disappeared into the dark room ahead.

Vivian groaned as she slowly came to. The first thing she noticed was that it was once more extraordinarily dark and hot... sweltering. A wave of déjà vu washed over her, and for a moment she was back in one of the Tchorlian caverns; however, she soon came to her senses when she noticed a grated panel high above. "Hello!" She called out and tried to stand. "Is someone there?" She quickly realised standing had been a very bad idea. The pain in her head flashed through the rest of her body. "Ohhhh," she cried as the pain throbbed. She swayed unsteadily as she lifted her hand to feel the hot flesh where she'd been knocked out. She could feel the rise on her skin already, and she wasn't sure if the dampness she felt there was sweat of blood. "Please?" She called out once more towards the grating; however, the sound hurt her ears so much that she quickly quieted... she silently sobbed, occasionally drying her throat with hot breaths of air.

There was no reply.

She sank to the ground, ready to just give up.

"Earth Death in ten minutes," the observation deck computer echoed from high above her, a reminder that the end of the world was coming soon. She let out a choked laugh. "Earth death," she mumbled. The earth was about to die. She was going to die. The laugh became a sob. It was then she saw it. Or... at least thought she saw it… an opening in the wall. No, a door. A door that was opened, just a crack. She blinked and then widened her eyes, allowing her pupils to take in every bit of light within the room. She wasn't mistaken. An exit.

"Thank you... thank you..." she cried out to whatever was looking out for her and hurried forward... and promptly fell flat on her face, tripping over something on the floor. A large something. A body.

The Doctor pushed on the door, and it swung open to reveal a cavernous room, it's dark metal walls and smooth marble floors shining darkly in the filter light that broke through the walls.

"Well that's a bit dramatic and sort of nice and old-fashioned." He grinned at Jabe. "Bet they call it retro just to charge a bit extra for you lot." He winked at the tree, causing her to quirk her lip flirtatiously at him.

He then gave a bit of a shiver. "Is it me, or is it a bit nippy?" He turned to face the fans rotating over a dimly lit catwalk. "Fair do's, though," he nodded to the fans, "that's a great bit of air conditioning." He then spun back around and began examining the wall closest to the door.

Jabe watched as the Doctor ran his sonic along three of the panels making up what she assumed was some sort of control board. She couldn't help but feel an excited jolt of adrenalin when he found what he was looking for.

"Gotcha!" He grinned at Jabe before focusing back on the panel.

She watched him draw his screwdriver around the edges and then pull the panel off. Both were taken back slightly when a metal spider scuttled out of the control area and hurried up the wall to get away. "What the hell's that?" The Doctor followed the spider's progress.

"Is it part of the retro?" Jabe asked, though she very much doubted it was.

"I don't think so, but Hold on." He raised his screwdriver to attempt to immobilise it; however, it was too far away. The Doctor feared it would get away; however, from behind him, a long vine shot passed him and pulled the spider down towards them. Just as quickly, the Doctor reached out and grabbed it, immobilising with his sonic.

Once the spider was safely subdued, the Doctor turned and grinned at Jabe. "Nice liana."

Jabe blushed. "Thank you. We're not supposed to show them in public."

The Doctor smirked. "Don't worry," he winked at her, "I won't tell anybody."

Jabe blushed and was about to say something; however, any comment she might have made was literally nipped in the bud as the Doctor returned to business. "Now then," the Doctor said as he examined the mechanical spider, "who's been bringing their pets on board?"

Jabe leaned in to get a better look. "What's it for?" she asked.

"Sabotage."

"Earth Death in ten minutes," the computer announced.

"And, the temperature's about to rocket." The Doctor warned before rushing towards the door, Jabe hurrying behind.

Rose groaned in pain as she slowly became aware of her surroundings once more. She wiped her hair out of her face and winced at the soreness along her cheek. Suddenly remembering what had happened, Rose shot to her feet, which was a really bad idea. She promptly tumbled to the floor in a heap once more, this time falling hard upon her knees, letting out another long groan followed a string of curses. She pressed herself up slowly and looked around the room. She was in the same room that they had arrived in. She looked towards the door, in hopes of seeing the TARDIS; however, it was gone. She began to panic. How long had she been out? Had the Doctor left? In her fear, she quickly tried to stand once more. Though the pain was still there, the dizziness had passed, and only panic remained. She hurried to the door and pressed the button for it to open. It remained fixed. She pressed it again. Nothing. She let out a cry and pushed on the door. It didn't move at all. "Let me out! Help me! Let Me out!" She banged on the door. She looked around in a panic, the TARDIS was gone, and she was locked in a room. And, somewhere those robed aliens were wondering around with their large metal claws. Rose absentmindedly rubbed the side of her face as she tried to remember what had happened. She frowned. The last thing she recalled was a sharp looking metal hand rising and then moving quickly towards her face. She could feel a bruise forming along her cheekbone. Great.

The sound of the computer announcing, "Earth Death in ten minutes," drew her attention to the large viewing window. She hurried over and let out a sigh of relief. There it was. The Earth. The Earth was still there, just as she knew it. Surely the Doctor wouldn't have left until after the end of the world. Unfortunately, her relief was short lived when she heard the computer's voice once more, "Sun filter descending." She could suddenly feel the room beginning to get really warm, where only moments ago, she had actually been chilled; she could feel beads of sweat beginning to appear on her forehead. "Sun filter descending," the computer taunted, just before the glass on the window began to crack. Rose's eyes widened, and she ran to the door and began banging with all her might once more. "Let me out! Help! Let me out!"