Title: Unnatural Disaster

Rating: PG/K+

Summary: The Doctor and Donna find themselves in San Francisco in the aftermath of the great earthquake of 1906, but they soon discover that this natural disaster may have a very unnatural cause. Contains something for everyone – action, adventure, romance, whump, h/c…

Characters: Ten, Donna, OC

Disclaimer: Only the OC is mine. Ten, Donna and the TARDIS are all the property of the BBC. Thanks to Wikipedia for the many facts of this historical event, since they're not mine either.

"San Francisco! 1966!" announced the Doctor as he entered the coordinates and started off, "Peace, love and hippies, war protests, Haight-Ashbury, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Tune in, turn on…"

"Hang on," said Donna, "I thought the Summer of Love was 1967?"

"Aw, that was when it all got trendy," the Doctor explained, "we'll be there just before, back when it was still considered a counterculture and socially unacceptable, just how I like things. We're explorers Donna, on the cusp of discovery, always ahead of the curve. Where's the excitement if you're late to the party? With a time machine you don't just experience history, you can anticipate, be there as it happens...or, just before it happens and be the first. Trendsetters, that's us."

"1966 it is then," she said, jumping in just as the Doctor paused for breath. She looked down at her conservative tunic top and leggings. "I'd better get my beads and put flowers in my hair."

Donna was about to repair to the wardrobe room when the Doctor announced they had arrived. The time rotor began its usual wheezing as it did when it materialised and Donna braced herself because these times could be notoriously bumpy. She held on to the rail and felt a rumble beneath her feet.

The gentle vibration that she was used to however gave way almost immediately as the rumble grew in intensity, traveling up her legs straight through her joints and rattling her whole body like a maraca. Next the floor shifted visibly from side to side, quite unlike the up and down motion of a dodgy landing. Donna held on tighter, looked over and saw the Doctor holding on as well, gripping the console with a confused look on his face.

"Another example of your driving skills?" she asked him as the TARDIS shook.

"It's not the TARDIS," he said, pointing up at the stilled time rotor for just a second before holding on again, "we've stopped."

It lasted less than a minute, and then abruptly the shaking ceased. Exchanging glances, the Doctor and Donna released their grasps. The Doctor checked his scanner, turned and headed for the door with Donna close behind, his expression serious as though he already suspected what was wrong.

"Doctor, what is it?" she asked him as he reached the door.

"I might have made a slight miscalculation," he explained, "dropped a digit in the coordinates. It's not 1966, it's 1906."

"Yeah, so what?" asked Donna, still confused, "I'll just break open my hat box and trade in my beads for a corset, it wouldn't be the first time you've put us down in the wrong era."

The Doctor turned to look at her. "I don't think you'll find many shops open today," he said, swinging open the doors.

He stepped aside and a confused Donna exited the TARDIS. What should have been a beautiful city situated on a bay of the Pacific Ocean was a total and utter ruin. The TARDIS stood at the top of a long steep street that overlooked complete devastation. The sounds of screaming surrounded her. People were running everywhere in suits, long frocks and hats.

Down the sides of the road were homes and shops that had collapsed like houses of cards, lying on top of one another, in the street or just straight down in on themselves. Smoke rose from several of the structures and Donna could see more in the distance. From her viewpoint it looked as though the majority of the city had been affected.

The Doctor's voice startled her, as he suddenly spoke from behind.

"It's April 18, 1906," he said in a grim tone, "the day of the Great San Francisco Earthquake."

"That shaking we felt," said Donna breathless, still staring at the destruction, "that did all this?"

"Over eighty percent of the city destroyed by the earthquake and subsequent fires," said the Doctor, sounding like a textbook as he often did, "and over three thousand people dead, even though the city will claim it was far less."

Donna wondered why and was about to ask, but was shocked into silence by the sheer scale of it all. It felt almost disrespectful to carry on a conversation in the face of all this suffering. Men on the street had begun to congregate and search for others trapped in the rubble as sobbing women looked after each other and their children. The men were forming hasty assembly lines, removing bricks one at a time and entering dangerous dodgy structures in a desperate search for survivors.

One group was working near where the two of them stood. Donna walked over hoping she could help. The Doctor followed but maintained his dark expression as though he knew their efforts were useless. It was only when they heard the muffled shouting from under a pile of concrete that the Doctor sprang forward quick as lightning and suddenly he was all business. He stood on top of the pile, first in line, removing large slabs of plaster and barking out orders to the haphazard crew below to increase efficiency.

"Who's down there?" he asked into the crowd as they worked.

"The McMahon family," one man explained, "They live here. James, Edna and their three children."

The voice the Doctor heard was that of a terrified young woman. "Mrs. McMahon!" He shouted down into the heap, "Just relax, we're going to get you out, all of you!"

They worked for over an hour and Donna helped until she was sweating and exhausted. She thought of the McMahon family and wondering how many countless others there were trapped at this moment throughout the city, and the task of rescue suddenly seemed insurmountable. She supposed when the earthquake hit many people instinctively took refuge in their cellars, which was a huge mistake. They became deathtraps as the buildings collapsed and buried them. Donna suspected that was why it was taking them so long to find the McMahon's -- they had to dig through several floors of the home to reach the lowest level.

After the first hour the Doctor suggested the men work in shifts so some could rest. Someone asked after him but the Doctor insisted he was fine and indeed he never appeared to grow tired. Donna could see that his clothes were now covered in dust and his knuckles were scraped and bloody from the labour but other than that he hadn't even broken a sweat. The shouts from the trapped family below had died down long before. Donna hoped it was because they knew help was on the way.

It was two more hours until they saw their first body part. It was the arm of a small child, reaching up through a tiny crack that their efforts had made. Tiny fingers splayed out in a blind reach and the crowd erupted in a deafening cheer. The Doctor smiled and grasped the hand.

"I've got you," he said, "Just a bit more."

Within minutes he was reaching down and pulling a four year old girl out from the rubble like a potato from the soil. The girl was filthy and looked dazed but otherwise unharmed. A head full of golden curls, she grabbed tight onto the Doctor's shoulders and buried her face in his chest. Gently, he passed her off to one of the men.

"That's Claire, the youngest," the man told him, taking the frightened child, "They must be handing the children up first."

The Doctor nodded and turned back to the now larger hole just as the next child was being passed up. A six year old boy emerged and was given over to Donna to look after. Next came a girl of about ten and finally the McMahon's themselves, first Edna and then James. Only James appeared to be injured, he held one arm close to his side as the Doctor pulled him free. He looked frantically around, and when he was certain his family were safe he agreed to be seen by a friend in the crew with some medical training.

While the McMahons were being attended to, Donna sat down heavily on a pile of concrete and a moment later the Doctor joined her, stretching his aching limbs and inspecting his raw hands.

"Well done," she told him, as for the first time Donna noticed the Doctor slightly out of breath.

"And you," he said, smiling as he looked upon the children sitting in a small huddle with their mum.

One of the men from the crew came over and extended his hand, "Name's Robert Grier. I wanted to thank you for your help, Mister…?"

The Doctor took his hand and shook.

"The Doctor," he replied, "and this is Donna."

"We've organized a rescue team and we'll be heading west looking for more victims," he explained, "You're welcome to join us, you and the missus both."

"Oh we're not married," the Doctor and Donna said simultaneously.

"You're not from around here either," the man noticed with a wry smile, "Your timing is either perfect or it stinks."

"Bad day for sightseeing," the Doctor agreed, returning the grin. "How's your family Robert, everyone all right?"

"Ain't no one but me. I work for the grocery, I was out making deliveries when the quake started or that might have been me in one of those cellars," he shrugged and turned to head off, back to the waiting group of men, speaking over his shoulder as he went. "City's full of people that need help though. At least I still got a wagon I could lend. Sorry to spoil your vacation."

"Well, what do you think?" Donna asked the Doctor after the man had left, "I know we weren't meant to be here but you heard him. It's a whole city full of people that need our help."

The Doctor sighed, "They'll be at it for a long time. We should go and let them sort it out for themselves. They'll be all right."

"Three thousand dead you said," she reminded him. "This isn't one of those fixed points in time like Pompeii is it where we can't interfere?

"Well, the earthquake's already happened," he said. "Still, saving one family is all well and good but we don't want to interfere too much with history. We really should go."

"But look at them," said Donna, pointing to the makeshift rescue team, loading up a single horse drawn cart with whatever tools they could find. "They're shell shocked, no diggers or heavy equipment, they need help. More hands could make a huge difference."

"That's just it," he argued, "we ought not to make a huge difference here. But, I get your point. With destruction on this sort of scale I don't see the harm in staying a few more days and lending whatever assistance we can provide, so long as it's small."

"Thank you," she said, rising to her feet. "I'll talk to the women. Maybe we can set up an area for the injured. We'll also need food and water."

"Yes ma'am," the Doctor replied with a quick salute and went to join the rescue team.

~*~

Several days later, the number of people being pulled alive from collapsed buildings had started to dwindle. At the same time, they were seeing more and more fires. Some were caused by broken gas mains but the Doctor told Donna that wasn't the only cause.

"Arson?" said Donna in disbelief as they strolled down a ruined street. "After all this destruction, they'd set fire to what's left?"

"Homeowners burned their own houses for the insurance because the companies would cover fire damage but not earthquakes," he explained, "Some fires were also started by firefighters using explosives to try and create firebreaks and control the blazes. With water mains broken there was no other way to fight them."

Donna looked around her at the now abandoned structures burning out of control. "And they're going to rebuild from this?"

"Oh yes," the Doctor assured her, "Within ten years the city will rise from the ashes, in time for the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915."

"Hard to believe," she said, "it looks like the end of the world."

As if to demonstrate, suddenly from behind them there was a massive explosion. The Doctor and Donna both ducked for cover, arms up over their heads. Donna felt a shower of rocks and debris rain down around her, but their distance saved them from the heat and force of the blast. Slowly, they straightened, brushed their clothes off and looked back.

One of the homes that they had only just passed was now engulfed in an inferno. The explosion had blown the windows and doors outward, littering the road. Steps away from the fire, Donna saw a man fallen in the street, next to what remained of a splintered front door. He was writhing on the ground, clutching his knee. Without hesitating Donna ran to help him. The Doctor was about to follow but before he could take a step he smelled something – gas leaking from another broken pipe.

"Donna!" he yelled, "Wait!"

Donna didn't stop; she kept going until she reached the man. The Doctor knew there was going to be another blast but since it was too late to stop her, he ran to help.

Reaching the pair of them the Doctor helped Donna lift the man up by the arms. As soon as he was between them they began to run, the man struggling to keep up despite his injured knee to avoid being dragged. They made it about twenty feet before the rest of the block erupted with a deafening noise, sending all three of them flying and landing together in a heap in the road. Burning bricks and wood shingles came down everywhere.

After a moment the three groaned and rolled over in unison. The Doctor's ears were ringing.

"Ow," he complained, flat on his back, "Everyone all right?"

"Yeah," said Donna, clutching her head.

The man they had rescued lay very still on the cobblestone between them, eyes open, breathing heavily and white as a sheet.

"Oi," said Donna, shaking his shoulder gently, "Are you okay?"

The man looked at her and then at the Doctor and slowly came to his senses. He gave a slight nod and they helped him sit up.

"Th-thanks," said the man, still shaken.

He was in his mid-thirties, and quite handsome, with dark wavy hair and a tweed suit. Donna silently chastised herself for even noticing in the midst of the chaos that surrounded them but truth be told he was a looker.

"I'm Donna," she said a bit too quickly, "and this is the Doctor."

"Clyde Hoskins," the man replied.

"How's that knee, Clyde Hoskins?" asked the Doctor. "Can you stand?"

"Just bumped it I think," he said, and they helped him up to test it out.

He slowly put his weight upon it until it could support him, and then limped along slowly. The Doctor and Donna joined him and they conversed on their way.

"A fine mess this is," Clyde said as they walked, "The largest city on the West Coast, with the busiest port, the center of finance, trade and culture. 'Gateway to the Pacific' they call it. Look at it now, destroyed."

"It's awful," agreed Donna. "You love this city, don't you?"

Clyde swallowed. "Kind of hard to admit now that it's going down in flames."

Donna put a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be all right. You'll see. You'll rebuild."

The Doctor gave her a cautionary look and she hushed. He helped her by changing the subject.

"So, Mr. Hoskins, what do you do for a living?" The Doctor asked.

"It's Clyde," said the man, "Anyone who saves my life gets to call me by my first name. And to answer your question, I'm a freelance journalist."

"You must be busy then," the Doctor noted, "I expect there's a lot of news to report."

"And a lot of reporters," Clyde replied, "Newsmen are coming in from all over the country, reporting for their papers back home or selling their stories locally. That means more competition than ever before. To get noticed you need an angle, something that sets your story apart from the rest. That's what I was doing back there when that house exploded, investigating."

"Well no mystery there," said the Doctor, "it was a gas leak. I smelled it."

"Not the gas," he said, "I was interviewing the residents to see what kind of assistance they've been getting since this started. No one has been here. They pooled together all their food but still they're running out. One man said they hadn't seen a single firefighter in their street."

"They must all be so busy," said Donna.

"I don't think it's that simple," he told her. "I spoke to some of the reporters from out East. They said they were shocked at what they found here because where they were from they heard the damage was minor. So they came to see for themselves."

"Minor?" gasped Donna, "You could hardly call this minor."

"Exactly," said Clyde, "and none of them are able to get official figures on the death toll. No one will talk to them. It's as if the city wants to downplay the whole thing."

"This is a lot of damage to hide," said the Doctor, "One way or another the truth will get out."

"But don't you see," Clyde continued, "It's all connected. The government is keeping the damage and death toll quiet for fear of harming real estate prices and driving away investors who could help rebuild. But the result is that while they're busy worrying about tomorrow, here and now the people don't get the assistance they need -- Food, water, basic emergency supplies. There's not enough aid coming in because no one knows the true extent of the catastrophe. That's my angle. I want to sell that story, a big front cover exposé."

Just as he finished speaking, the ground shook beneath their feet. They grabbed onto one another, tense and silent, until it passed after a few seconds.

"It's all right," said the Doctor, as he released his hold on Donna and Clyde, "Just an aftershock."

Clyde let out a breath and they walked on. Then he continued, "So, what about you two? What's your story?"

Donna paused to allow the Doctor to field that awkward question but he was silent. She looked over at him to find him distracted. He had stopped walking and stood still with his head tilted back and a furrowed brow.

"Doctor?" she asked, "Is it more gas?"

"No," he replied, sniffing and looking around.

"But you're sniffing," she argued.

"I know," he said absently.

Clyde watched them both, confused. He sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything."

"No, you wouldn't," said the Doctor, then all at once he dropped to the ground and started sniffing at the pavement.

"All you'll smell down there are horse droppings," said Clyde.

The reporter looked to Donna for assistance with her strange friend, though Clyde supposed they were both pretty strange. Donna, at the moment looking as clueless as he felt over the Doctor's behaviour, was dressed in what to Clyde appeared to be brightly coloured nightclothes. Neither of them wore hats, though it was possible they had lost them. He himself had lost everything when the apartment building he had been living in had come down, and he was now taking refuge in a tent like so many others.

The Doctor rose up again from the street. "There was something. It was faint when we arrived and I wasn't sure, but since that aftershock it got stronger. I'm looking for the source. Then I'll know if I'm right."

"Right about what?" asked Donna.

The Doctor chose a direction and went off following his nose, sniffing the air like a bloodhound. Donna and Clyde followed, and then stopped when the Doctor approached two houses that had fallen against one another.

"You're not going in there," Clyde protested, "it's not safe."

The Doctor turned around, ignoring Clyde's warning, "It's this way. You two wait out here."

Turning sideways he disappeared into a narrow alley of the space that remained between the two structures. Donna looked up. Up above the buildings leaned in to one another forming a tight triangle shape that was just big enough for the Doctor to slip through below. Neither building looked particularly stable; there was gravel and small bits of concrete coming down from one that must have been knocked loose in the aftershock.

She stepped closer so she could peer down the alleyway. The Doctor could no longer be seen from the street. If anything happened to him she'd have no way of knowing from where she stood. It was clear he might need her help, so there was really only one thing to do.

"Stay here," she told Clyde, "I'll be right back."

"Oh no you don't," said Clyde, his investigative instincts kicking in as he went to follow her, "I want to know what he's up to."

Carefully they crept along. As they went it grew darker, the collapsed buildings blocking out the sun overhead. Donna kept her hands outstretched on the walls as she went, as if she could hold them back like Superman if she had to.

"Ever feel like the walls are closing in around you?" joked Clyde from behind her, and for a moment she felt more relaxed.

It was so dark ahead that a visual search was useless, so she called out, "Doctor!"

She heard nothing for an agonising moment during which Donna imagined all sorts of horrible things that lurked in the dark, to say nothing of the more obvious danger of being buried alive. Her heart began to race. She was about to call again when she heard his response.

"Over here."

Donna felt the walls tightening in the direction of the voice until her head bumped brick. Protesting verbally she crouched down and crawled, the way open just enough for her to get through a small opening at ground level. She passed through with Clyde close behind and when she came out, the first thing she saw was a hand, reaching down to assist her.

Donna smiled with relief and grasped it. The Doctor helped Donna up and then Clyde. They stood in what looked like a cave, though Donna knew it wasn't. It was more like a cave made out of buildings, all leaning on top of one another until there was no sky left. The area wasn't large, just a patch of dirt in the centre where the three of them now stood.

"Where are we?" asked Clyde.

"Looks like a garden," replied the Doctor. "Well, I say a garden, it's more like a shared courtyard… or it was. Now it's more like being inside someone's tool shed."

Donna felt something land on her shoulder. She looked up and was rewarded with gravel in her eyes. Bits of building were raining down on top of them, punctuated by ominous creaks and groans. She wondered what would happen were there to be another aftershock while they stood there.

"Okay," she said, hoping to move things along, "Now why are we here?"

The Doctor took a step to the far end of the open area and crouched down.

"Because of this."

They joined him and looked. Separating the ground from one of the buildings was a large crack, about two feet wide. By itself it wasn't unusual; there were similar cracks all over the city caused by the earthquake. She peered in but there was nothing to see but inky blackness.

"It's a fissure," explained the Doctor, apparently pleased with his find, "That smell. It's coming from down there."

"What smell?" asked Clyde.

The Doctor paused to look at the reporter, as if only just remembering he was there and now he wondered how much he should tell him. Something in his expression told Donna that the source of the smell was not of this world. Finally, he sighed and pressed on.

"Trisotronic residue," the Doctor replied to them both, "from an energy weapon. There's something down there, and it doesn't belong on Earth."

With those words the Doctor swung his feet around and stuck them down the opening. It all happened so fast that Clyde didn't have time to ask him what he was talking about which was in all likelihood the Doctor's intention. Donna didn't seem to be at all bothered by the Doctor's strange pronouncement but was more worried about what he was doing now.

"You're not going down there?" she said.

"I need to see what it is," he explained innocently.

"But what if you get stuck?" she said.

"I won't," he assured her. "There's a breeze and I can smell the oxygen. There's a larger opening at the bottom."

Before she could respond the Doctor lowered himself down and began to scale the sloped inner wall, rock climbing in reverse. When he had disappeared Donna began to follow. Clyde took hold of her arm.

"Are you both out of your minds?" he asked her.

"Possibly," said Donna, "But it's all right. I don't know what's down there but I trust the Doctor. As long as he's nearby we'll be safe. You can do what you like but I'm going."

Clyde lowered his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "Donna, what is it with this guy? What did he mean about a smell and some weapon?"

Before she could answer a voice echoed up from the chasm.

"Donna! Are you coming?" said the Doctor. "It's all right, it's not that steep and there are rocks to grab on to."

"Coming Spaceman," she called without thinking, and then glanced at Clyde sheepishly, wondering what he would make of her extraterrestrial nickname for her friend.

Without another word she slowly began her descent. Clyde watched her until her ginger hair was completely swallowed up by the darkness. He listened but heard no sounds of distress. Then he sat down to think.

Above his head bits of concrete continued to fall. He knew it wasn't safe to stay there. On the other hand if something did happen to seal up this opening he would be leaving the Doctor and Donna to certain death. He could run and get help but he already knew that help of any kind was in short supply these days.

He didn't know what to expect down that fissure but the Doctor did seem to have knowledge that went way over his head. Clyde wondered if he was some kind of geological expert. Donna said she trusted him. He looked around him at the ruined courtyard and shivered in the chill. No place was safe anymore.

His mind kept wandering back to what mysteries lay underground. He could go back, forget about these two and continue investigating that story he had been working on for the papers, the same one that dozens of other reporters had no doubt already picked up on, or he could forget about that and find himself a bigger story, a real exclusive. Whatever the Doctor was searching for felt like it was worth taking a risk – it could be the kind of story that makes a career for a starving young journalist and as of now, no one else in San Francisco knew about it but him.

The options weighed, the potential reward combined with his own curiosity called to him from the depths.

Clyde crawled back to the hole, stuck his legs out and started down. Using both feet and hands he felt for the holds and worked his way along. After about ten feet the vertical wall started sloping towards him making it easier as the Doctor had indicated.

He was just getting into a rhythm when there came another aftershock, nearly jolting his hands loose. He felt the shaking all around him as he pressed himself against the wall and counted the seconds, praying that the chasm wouldn't close and squash him like a pancake. Then a tremendous noise nearly caused him to fall again. It was the sound of the already precarious buildings falling down right over his head. Small bricks and other bits fell down the chasm all around him and Clyde fought to hold on.

Then everything stopped. Clyde looked up and saw nothing but blackness and knew that there was no way back.

~*~

Donna had just reached the bottom and stood when the aftershock hit, throwing her into the Doctor's arms. It was more intense underground, and she could feel the Doctor tighten his grip on her as he spread his stance to steady them both. When it was over they parted and heard screaming from up above.

"That's Clyde!" said Donna.

They looked up into the chasm. Donna could just make out a darker shadow high up on the wall. He was clinging to the spot and shouting for help.

"Clyde!" shouted the Doctor, "We're right below you! You can climb down! It's not much further!"

Donna thought he was going to protest but to his credit after a moment he steeled himself with a deep breath and began to shift. The Doctor was there with words of encouragement as he progressed.

"There now," he said, "Easy does it. You're nearly there. Oh, well done Clyde Hoskins!"

Clyde reached the bottom and stood, a bit embarrassed for his hysterics. He knew he wasn't normally so fearful but it was the sight of being trapped from above that triggered some irrational sense of terror. The Doctor and Donna didn't look nearly as concerned as he felt, and he wondered whether they even realised that their way in was now blocked.

"We're trapped!" Clyde told them, pointing up the way they came. "That last aftershock took the buildings down in the courtyard. We won't be able to get out!"

"Nah," said the Doctor, hands in his trouser pockets, "What you mean is we won't be able to get out that way. We'll find another way, come on."

The Doctor spun on his heels and bounced off. Clyde was shocked at the Doctor's cavalier attitude over their predicament. He looked to Donna for support but she seemed almost as nonplussed and merely gave a shrug and followed the Doctor on down the tunnel they had found themselves in. Clyde was truly dependent on these two now, so he had no choice but to bring up the rear.

The Doctor thrust a hand into his coat pocket and removed a small torch. The tunnel was dim and littered with loose rocks, so he shined it at their feet to mark a clear path.

"What is that?" asked Clyde, marveling at the portable light source.

"This?" asked the Doctor, holding up the torch, "Oh nothing, just a useful tool."

"I read about these hand held electric lights that run on dry cell batteries – flashlights I think they called them, because they only light up for short flashes before they have to rest again. I've never seen anything like that," he said.

"Really, it's nothing," said the Doctor, "Same principle, better design."

The Doctor could see light coming from further down and knew this tunnel was leading somewhere. He put the torch away and followed the new light source. A short walk later they heard voices.

"What's that, people?" asked Donna, "There are people down here?"

"Maybe we're in a working mineshaft," suggested Clyde, "There's a lot of mines underground leftover from the gold rush years, but I had thought they were abandoned."

The Doctor held a finger up to silence them and listened. He heard at least three distinct voices, discussing what sounded like strategy.

"They've crossed over into sector Alpha, if we want to corner them we have to move in on two fronts. We can bring the tunnel down here…"

"How many squadrons are available for this mission?"

"At the moment, none sir, but the tenth squadron is on its way back from a skirmish. They should be here within the next cycle."

"What losses do you anticipate? Can we spare them?"

The discussion continued. The Doctor turned back to Donna and Clyde.

"It sounds like there's a war going on down here," he said.

"A war?" said Clyde. "Under the city? That's impossible!"

"It does sound like they're planning a battle," agreed Donna.

Clyde looked at her, "How do you know that? All I heard was gibberish."

Donna knew that she and the Doctor could understand the alien language being spoken but that Clyde, who had never travelled in the TARDIS, could not. It was one thing to know it, a trickier thing to explain it.

"You'll just have to trust us," she told him, "We can understand them. They're talking about a war."

Their conversation was cut off by a high pitched whirr followed by an immense explosion. The three of them were thrown off their feet again, slamming into the tunnel wall. The air was suddenly thick with dust. The Doctor tried to speak but instead inhaled a lungful of it and began choking. Donna was rubbing at her burning eyes to clear them. Clyde was curled up on his side moaning something about dying.

The Doctor overcame his coughing fit, and spoke, "Something tells me this was no ordinary earthquake."

"What gave you that idea?" said Donna.

"Oh…," began the Doctor, and then he paused as the muzzle of a trisotronic rifle appeared through the dust cloud as it was thrust into his face. A click told him it was ready to fire.

"…just a hunch," he said.

"Get up," a soldier commanded them.

~*~

"Commander, I captured three prisoners," said the soldier who held the Doctor, Donna and Clyde at gunpoint. "They were caught spying on our meeting."

The Commander looked up from his table of maps to eye the strangers.

"Are they Fini?"

"Unknown sir," the soldier replied, "they're not in uniform but they could be undercover."

"Take them away for a DNA scan and interrogation," ordered the Commander with a wave of his hand, returning to his maps.

"No need for that," said the Doctor, "We're not spies, we can explain…"

"Yes you will, but not here," interrupted the Commander, "Sergeant, follow my orders. They are to tell you nothing until their words can be analysed."

Analysed?, thought Donna, apprehension growing.

The Doctor gave Donna a reassuring glance and then looked over at Clyde. He was pale as alabaster. The journalist had no idea what the aliens had said and that likely made the whole situation even more frightening. To be captured like this was bad enough, but throw in a heaping helping of fear of the unknown and you get a recipe for panic. It was a good job that their captors were humanoid in appearance at least, the Doctor thought. He didn't know how Clyde would have reacted had they been blue, had two heads or resembled the Ood.

"Keep it together Clyde, they're just going to ask us some questions," the Doctor told him, "I'm sure they have translator technology they'll use so you can understand them. Just tell them the tr…"

His words were cut off by a cry of pain as the Doctor was punched in the back with something hard. He stumbled and was pulled upright by the same soldier who had hit him with the butt of his rifle.

"No talking," he ordered.

The Doctor rubbed at the painful spot and growled, "All right, you made your point."

They continued on in silence until they reached a corridor with several rooms carved out of the rock. The Doctor could tell immediately that they were meant to be separated. Another guard appeared and he was brought into the first room. He tried to look back at Donna and Clyde as they were taken away but he was pushed through the doorway too quickly.

The guard led him to the only chair in the room. It seemed comfortable enough but the restraints made him nervous.

"Torture is a violation of the Eighteenth Convention of the Shadow Proclamation," he said with authority as he was strapped in. "What race are you? Your Commander said something about the Fini. Who are they?"

The guard looked unimpressed, "We'll ask the questions if you don't mind. And it's not a torture device, it's meant to scan your DNA and analyse your statements for truth. As long as you tell the truth no harm will come to you or your friends."

"Well that's reassuring," he muttered, equally unimpressed.

~*~

"I'm telling you we're from Earth!" said Donna, strapped into her analyser and as indignant as ever, "We came from the surface! Have you seen what it's like up there? You've destroyed the city with your war, why don't you take it someplace else?"

The soldier she was shouting at had confirmed her planet of origin and determined that the woman called Donna Noble was telling the truth. As far as her raving went, he was tuning her out, interested only in the fact that she was not a spy. Information about her planet was of no interest to him.

"Your statements confirm you were here by accident and are not a Fini sympathizer," he replied, sounding bored, "You will no doubt be released shortly, assuming your friends are equally truthful and your stories match. We don't concern ourselves with Earth matters."

"How can you say that, it's all your fault! People have died up there!" Donna protested.

"People are dying down here too," he replied, "That's the cost of war."

"The Doctor will stop you," she told them, "He won't allow this."

"Well he can take it up with my Commander but he'll be wasting his time," said the soldier, "We are within our rights to be here according to our Articles. This is our legitimate fight for freedom and it won't end until the Kwa are independent of the alliance."

~*~

Clyde Hoskins was beginning to wish he had never met those two. He had never been so scared in his whole life. Even the trauma of the earthquake didn't match what he had been through today with the Doctor and Donna. At least that had been something he understood. Plates shifted, buildings crumbled – a natural disaster, horrific but explainable.

But this was something he had no words to describe outside of an H.G. Wells novel. Strange machines, foreign languages, even the Doctor's flashlight was bizarre. He was probably one of them, he decided. And Donna too. She also claimed to understand these people. Maybe they all came from the same place.

And maybe that place wasn't Earth.

Clyde wasn't even sure what that meant but he had no better explanation for the things he was experiencing. As soon as he was strapped into his chair he saw a blue light pass up and down his body. He flinched, expecting pain, but felt nothing and relaxed. A soldier looked at a small glass window and said something unintelligible.

Clyde trembled. "Look," he said, remembering the Doctor's words, "If you're going to ask me questions I'm gonna need a translator."

The soldier turned around and calmly placed what appeared to be a necklace over his head. The charm on the chain glowed and pulsed. Then the soldier spoke and to his surprise it sounded like English.

"Scans reveal you to be human," said the soldier, "indigenous species to planet Earth."

"Well, yes," said Clyde, "I'm a reporter, from San Francisco, the city aboveground. I'm sorry we interrupted your war. We were just investigating."

"Investigating?" asked the soldier.

"The cracks in the ground," Clyde explained, "We just thought we'd check them out. We were curious, that's all."

The soldier looked at him oddly and Clyde wondered whether it was a good thing to admit to curiosity in a place where information was no doubt kept classified for security reasons. At the moment his only thought was getting out of there alive.

"But," he started, "That doesn't mean that I'll tell anyone about this! Honest! What you people do down here is your own business. No one has to know. You let me go and I won't tell anyone."

Then Clyde had a thought and he added, "That is, unless you want me too."

"Why would we want that?" asked the soldier.

"Well," Clyde shrugged in his restraints, "What are you fighting for? Do you have legitimate grievances? Every good war needs a propaganda specialist. If you need someone to tell your side of the story, I'm your man. I can get the word out and sway public opinion in your favour. I'm a respected journalist."

The soldier sneered, "We don't desire human publicity."

Clyde sagged, "No, I guess not. It was just an idea. I'm kind of homeless these days and I could use a good story to sell. I thought maybe we could help each other. Look, forget it, maybe you could just let me go."

"That will depend upon what your friends have to say," said the soldier, leaving the room.

"They're not my friends," Clyde muttered to himself when he was gone.

~*~

"State your name," commanded the soldier.

"The Doctor," he replied simply.

"The scanner is unable to identify your species, though your companions register as human. State your planet of origin," the soldier demanded.

The Doctor hesitated. Without knowing more about his captors and what he was dealing with he was reluctant to identify himself as a Time Lord. Too many wars were fought over territory, property and power. He didn't much fancy the idea of the TARDIS becoming a prize.

"I…have no planet of origin," he said.

A surge of power lit up every nerve in his body. The Doctor jerked his head back and screamed, as much from surprise as the pain. After a few seconds the sensation dissipated, though his skin still felt charged with a fuzzy sort of vibration.

"You said this wasn't a torture device," he said through clenched teeth.

"It isn't," replied the soldier, "as long as you tell the truth like I said. Every species has a planet of origin. What is yours?"

"It doesn't exist anymore," he tried.

The Doctor flinched but this time the chair didn't react, apparently judging his response to be truthful. He relaxed a bit and took the opportunity to seek information, before the soldier could ask any more questions he might not wish to answer.

"Look," he said, "It doesn't matter where I'm from. What matters is I can help you. If you tell me who you are and who you're fighting, I can help."

The soldier simply stared, considering the Doctor's words.

"You know I'm telling the truth," the Doctor pressed, "I'm not a spy, and I'm not a threat to you. I just need to know why you're here, fighting a war on Earth."

"This planet is a neutral battleground," began the soldier, "We are Kwa, and our sister race are the Fini. Our shared home planet is Fini-Kwa. For the last hundred cycles the Kwa have been fighting for independence. We have been an oppressed minority on our planet for generations and we no longer desire an alliance. The Fini rely on us as a workforce and are reluctant to let us go, but would rather we perish."

"Okay, I get that," said the Doctor, "But why here? Why don't you fight on your own planet?"

"In the event of a civil conflict our Articles require that we select a neutral territory in which to engage warfare, and this planet was chosen," he explained, "Since the Earth was inhabited regulations require that all battles be conducted underground, where we would not be detected."

"You should have done your homework," said the Doctor, "Because you've chosen a spot near the San Andreas Fault, and every time you blow up a tunnel or discharge an energy weapon you're causing the plates to shift. San Francisco has just had a massive earthquake because of your war! The city is destroyed and thousands are dead! Do your articles say anything about that? You've got to stop this and take it somewhere else!"

The soldier looked disturbed for the first time, "I'm sorry, but that is up to our leader to decide."

"Well, tell your leader I want to talk to him," said the Doctor. "Because if this continues, the quakes will spread, travelling down the fault line. If that happens, much of California will break off and sink into the Pacific. You'll be responsible for the deaths of millions, and I can't allow that."

The soldier quickly stood, taken aback by the prisoner's forceful nature despite the position he was in. Even though he clearly was not of this planet, he seemed to care about the welfare of the indigenous species a great deal, from his companions captured alongside him to the many strangers up above, and yet he did not appear to be the sort that desired conquest. This man was like none he had ever met.

Judging by the lack of reaction from the analyser, the soldier knew that everything this man called the Doctor had told him was true. They were causing untold damage to the host planet in a manner that he was quite sure was a violation of the Articles. Still, it was not in his power to take action, all he could do was inform the Commander.

The soldier went to leave but was stopped at the door.

"Wait!" called the Doctor.

He turned back and the Doctor said, "I want to know my friends are all right. Will you bring them here?"

The soldier nodded and left the room.

~*~

The Doctor waited alone, still tied down, for what seemed like an hour. He began to think that the soldier had been lying about getting the Commander or perhaps they had simply forgotten about him and had gone off to fight their war.

He tested his bonds but they were still tight, and the chair was bolted to the floor. His fingers still tingled from their truth analyser, and he felt a surge of anger. If anything had happened to Donna or Clyde these Kwa were going to have a real war on their hands, he decided.

When he was about to start shouting for someone the door opened and the Kwa Commander they had seen in the war room appeared. He was flanked by two more soldiers, and behind them was a third soldier, the one the Doctor had spoken to. He was escorting Donna and Clyde.

The Commander stepped into the room, nodded at one of the soldiers and the man released the Doctor from the chair. As soon as he was free the Doctor stood and his friends joined him at his side, both appearing relieved to see him but otherwise fine. The Doctor noticed that Clyde now wore a translator charm around his neck.

"All right?" the Doctor asked them both with a glance.

They nodded and the Doctor turned his attention back to the Commander. He was a large man wearing a highly decorated uniform. When he spoke he was forceful but not unkind.

"I am Om-Nee-Wa, Commander of the Kwa resistance. My officer tells me he has been unable to determine your species," he said.

"Yeah, but he gave it his best shot, not his fault," replied the Doctor. "I need to know what you plan to do about the damage you're causing to this planet."

"The loss was unintentional," said the leader, "This planet and this site were on a list of approved neutral locations and as such we cannot be held responsible. If an error was made it was not by us. That being said we have no wish to cause harm to the indigenous species. We would consider relocation but it would require agreement from both sides."

"Why?" asked Donna, "What would happen if you just refused to fight and left?"

"If either side ceases fire unilaterally and retreats they will forfeit," he explained, "We would lose our bid for freedom and we refuse to do that, it would dishonour the memories of those we have given their lives for our cause."

"So if the Fini agree to move you will too is that it?" asked the Doctor.

"Indeed," said Om-Nee-Wa. "But our enemy is obstinate. I'm afraid you may find his agreement more difficult to obtain than you imagine. Our war rages on because the Fini refuse to negotiate on any grounds."

"Oh I like a challenge," the Doctor replied.

"Then you are authorized to mediate on our behalf with regards to relocation of the conflict only, so long as you do not cede our demand for independence," said the Commander.

"You can fight all you like so long as you do it someplace else where no innocent people are hurt," said the Doctor, "but you seem like a clever leader, perhaps you might even come up with a better way to settle your differences. That's up to you."

The Commander turned to his soldiers and ordered them to escort the Doctor, Donna and Clyde out. In the distance they could hear the sounds of fighting and weapons discharging. The ground rumbled constantly beneath their feet and rock dust filled the air.

"How are we going to reach the other side?" asked Donna.

"Good question," the Doctor turned to the soldier escorting them, "Can we reach the Fini camp from here?"

"Not without crossing through the front lines," he said, "it's too dangerous; there's been heavy fighting for the last three cycles. I can take you back to where we found you. It would be safer to reach the Fini camp aboveground. It lies directly east of here."

"We can't go back that way," Clyde pointed out, "The fissure was sealed by that last quake remember?"

"We have many tunnels under our control that lead to the surface," replied the soldier, "I will take you to another one."

They were led to a tunnel that connected to an abandoned mineshaft. The soldier left them at the entrance and wished them luck. Following the path, they walked until they emerged out of what looked like the side of a small hillside. Night had fallen and the only light they saw was in the distance where the city lay, so they followed it.

The Doctor was silent as they walked, contemplating just how he was going to convince the Fini to move their war. Donna was more concerned about Clyde though, the young reporter had hardly said a word since they were released. He no doubt was a bit overwhelmed.

"Clyde, do you want to talk about it?" she asked him gently, slowing down to match his pace, leaving the Doctor several steps out in front.

Clyde looked at her, confused, "About what?"

"You know," said Donna, "all of this. It's a lot to take in. I know it's not what you were expecting when you followed us down that hole. To be honest it's all a surprise to me too, and I'm used to this sort of thing. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now."

"Yeah," said Clyde, fingering the translator he still wore, "I'm not really sure how I feel… or what to think, except…" He trailed off.

"What?" Donna prompted.

"What a great story this'll make!" he exclaimed suddenly. "Forget government conspiracies, no other reporter in the city is going to have a scoop this big!"

"Whoah, whoah, whoah! Wait a minute!" said the Doctor, stopping short in front of them and turning.

Donna didn't think he had been listening, he seemed so deep in thought, but then it didn't surprise her that with that Time Lord brain of his he could multitask.

"I'm sorry Clyde but right now this is a delicate operation," he told the reporter, "You can't tell anyone about this. Not a soul. Do you get that? Until we get the Fini and the Kwa off this planet any knowledge of their existence puts everyone in danger. At the very least you'll cause nothing but panic, and this city is panicked enough."

Clyde was shocked by the Doctor's outburst. To Donna's surprise, the reporter did not back down.

Straightening himself up, Clyde challenged, "I've discovered the cause behind the earthquakes. The public have a right to know. A story like that could make my career."

"I don't give a damn about your career," said the Doctor, matching his glare, "You want a story explaining the cause? Tell them it was mining. Past mining activity caused the ground to erode and become unstable."

"You want me to lie?" he asked him, affronted.

"I want you to use your best judgement and think!" countered the Doctor.

Donna watched them. If these had been two ordinary men in a pub she'd expect a punch-up to start right about now. Still, she sensed that she was going to have to play good cop to the Doctor's bad one if they were going to convince Clyde of anything.

"Clyde, please," said Donna, stepping between them, "We let you come with us. The least you can do is trust us now. We've got experience with these things. The Doctor is right, telling anyone about what you've seen will do more harm than good, and that's assuming they even believe you. They might lock you away. If you're concerned at all about your career and reputation think of that."

Clyde looked at Donna and stepped back. He unclenched his fists and relaxed.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he said. "It's just…this is the most amazing thing I've ever seen and to not be able to share it with anyone…It goes against everything that I am. But I tell you what, let me go with you when you meet with the Fini, just to give me the chance to learn all I can, satisfy my own curiosity. I know this city like the back of my hand I can help you find their camp. Just let me come and I promise I won't say anything."

The Doctor's impulse was to refuse but then he quickly realised he didn't have much choice. If he said no Clyde would likely go running off to his editor and print the story of the subterranean civil war faster than it took to say alien invasion. He wasn't sure he could trust Clyde's promise but if nothing else, having him along meant that he could keep an eye on him.

They had reached the city, only a block from where they had descended belowground.

"All right," said the Doctor. "Meet us here tomorrow morning and we'll head east."

Clyde smiled, jubilant. "You got it! And one more thing!"

"What is it now?" asked the Doctor, eager to be rid of their clingy new friend.

"Not you," said Clyde, turning to Donna, "Donna, would you go out with me tonight?"

Donna smiled, "What, like a date?"

"You two are the only ones I have to talk to about this," he explained. "Besides, after the day I've had, I just need something normal. Let me take you somewhere. It'll give you a chance to get to know me, and I'd like to get to know you too. What do you say?"

Donna turned to the Doctor who was waiting a few steps away. She looked at him and he just shrugged, indifferent.

"I suppose if it would keep you out of trouble," she joked, "Yeah, all right."

Clyde offered his arm and Donna took it. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a proper date, and she quite enjoyed the feeling.

Before they left she called to the Doctor, "Don't wait up!"

The Doctor put his hands in his pockets and headed off in the direction of the TARDIS.

"You two kids behave yourselves!" he called back to them as he went.

"So Clyde," said Donna when they were on their own, "Tell me about yourself."

~*~

They strolled through the empty streets for a while, with Clyde pointing out places of interest as they went. For all his personal ambition, Donna sensed an enormous heart in the handsome journalist. She smiled at the way his expression lit up when talking about this once great city, one that Donna knew if Clyde had anything to do with it would be great again.

He nattered on like a tour guide, clearly nervous around her, as Donna listened politely. She could tell he had questions for her, and was just waiting for the right moment to ask them. In the meantime, Donna prompted him to tell her all he could about his life in San Francisco before the quake.

"There's not much to tell," he told her, "I'm originally from Topeka, Kansas. I came out here five years ago to find work like everybody else and this city sort of adopted me. No one cares where you come from, so long as you got a pair of hands or a mind and can contribute something. I've sold stories to every paper in this city, always on the lookout for the next one. It's what I was born to do."

"You're lucky to get to do what you love," said Donna. "Not many people can say that."

"And how about you Ms. Noble," said Clyde, "You and this Doctor are the strangest pair I've ever seen."

"We're not a couple if that's what you're getting at," Donna assured him, "It's like you said, we just do what we love, and we love travelling. That's all we do, travel together -- go places, meet people and sometimes help out when we can."

"Well I don't know what planet you're from," he said half joking, "but around here, no man and woman travelling together would just be friends if you pardon my meaning."

Donna wondered how much she should tell him about exactly where – or when – she was from, but then it couldn't be much worse than what he had already learned to be true, and it might even help him to make sense of it all.

"I am from Earth," she said, "I'm as human as you, just not this place…and not this time. Where I come from, well I won't say what we do is normal but a man and a woman can be friends. That's not unusual at least."

Clyde looked at her, trying to make sense of her words and instead just shook his head, "I might not ever understand but after what I've seen today, I'm ready to accept anything."

"So where are we going now?" she asked him, lightening the mood.

"I thought I'd take you back to my place," he said.

Clyde's place turned out to be a canvas tent in Golden Gate Park. Donna had heard of such tent cities that had been erected as temporary shelters for the displaced but she never imagined the size of it. There were many such sites all over the city, and this was one of the largest, set on several acres of open grassland, as far as the eye could see.

Donna looked around at all the refugees and was glad that the climate was warm at least, or these poor people would be frozen to death. All that was needed was a campfire to take the evening chill out of the air, and Clyde set about to make one as soon as they reached his tent, which was identical to all the others.

"How do you know which one is yours?" she asked him.

"I was one of the first. Three tents over, two tents back," he said easily as he piled up scraps of wood and an old newspaper and lit a match to it. "That's my new address."

Donna thought of what the Doctor would say if he saw this place. It would likely cause him to pontificate on the adaptability of the species and the irrepressible human spirit. She knew it was among the things the Doctor loved most about humans.

"It's amazing," she remarked, "These people have got nothing left but the clothes on their backs. How do you do it?"

"I meant it when I told you my work was everything to me," he told her, "I have nothing else."

Donna felt a surge of compassion for this man, scraping to get by like all the others on so little, starting their lives over from scratch. She came closer and sat down next to the fire. Clyde put a dented coffeepot on a rusted iron stand over the flames and they watched it together.

The coffee was bitter and there was no milk or sugar but she drank it anyway, warming her hands on the tin cup. Clyde sat next to her looking nervous again, and Donna was reminded of Saturday nights at the cinema, just before your date tried to make a move.

She was about to make more conversation when an aftershock hit. They dropped their cups and lay on the ground. Clyde threw himself on top of Donna. People were screaming and some poorly pitched tents caved in, but out in the open they were mostly protected from any real danger. Still, they stayed where they were until the shaking passed.

"Clyde," said Donna, still on her back when the ground was calm again, "You can get up now."

"I'm protecting you," he said, looking down at her, not moving.

"We're in a field," she pointed out, "I don't think we're in danger of anything falling on us."

Clyde looked around quickly, still propped up over her on his elbows. "There are trees. I had to protect you from the trees."

"Right," said a dubious Donna, "So is that the reason you're still on top of me?"

He studied her, all pretense gone. "Who are you Donna Noble?" he breathed, before leaning down to kiss her.

Donna relaxed and returned his affection. His kiss was gentle and soft. Afterwards they lay entwined comfortably for the rest of the evening, lacing fingers, stealing small kisses as they talked about nothing. Clyde was smitten but ever the gentleman; this was still 1906 and he never pressed his advantage, showing her proper respect and great care. She felt as safe with him as she did with the Doctor.

When it grew late and she began to feel tired she told him it was time for her to go. He helped her to her feet and happily escorted her back to the corner from where they had first set off.

"Are you sure I can't walk you all the way home?" Clyde asked her, "Where are you staying anyway? I never asked."

Donna didn't know how the Doctor would feel about her bringing Clyde to the TARDIS just yet so she exercised caution.

"Its fine, I'm just around the corner from here," she told him. "Thank you for tonight Clyde, I had a nice time."

"Nice huh?" he said, grinning, "Maybe next time it can be more than nice."

Donna smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"You can count on it," he told her, lifting her hand and kissing it before departing with a spring in his step.

Donna sprang off too, feeling like a teenager. She knew the moment couldn't last, she and the Doctor would eventually move on from this place as they always did, but for now she was determined to live in the moment, as so many San Franciscans were doing these days. She thought perhaps she had gone native.

She reached the TARDIS and inserted her key. The Doctor was sitting in the pilot's chair with his feet on the console, reading. He looked up when she came in.

"Did you have a good time?" he asked her, with a cheeky grin.

Donna just smiled. "You're not waiting up for me are you? I told you not to," she said.

"Of course not," he said, looking back down at his book. "I was just in the middle of a really good chapter that's all."

Donna wasn't convinced, but just said goodnight and skipped off to her room.

~*~

Clyde felt so energized after his date with Donna that when he returned to his tent that night he couldn't sleep. His mind raced with thoughts of the lovely Ms. Noble, of this mysterious Doctor and armies from another planet. He checked the time and found that it was just after ten o'clock. If he got started on that mining story he might still make the morning edition of the paper.

He put his hands in his trouser pockets and came away with a nickel. It was all he had left. The sooner he sold a story the sooner he would eat, so he scrounged up some paper and a chewed up pencil and got to work.

By two am he was on his way to the news desk of the San Francisco Chronicle, story in hand. Clyde was brimming with confidence. He had good contacts there and the editor liked him. He imagined himself presenting his story and being rewarded with a front page and a bundle of cash.

True the story may not have been one hundred percent accurate but it wasn't a lie either, he told himself. Mining had long been suspected as a cause of earthquakes in the region and Clyde had carefully worded his article to make sure he was not making any claims that could not be proven. He had seen the mineshafts himself, that he could confirm, and people were anxious to read about anything these days that could explain why their lives had been turned upside down. Even if it wasn't entirely true, he was helping to comfort them and protect them at the same time. For now that had to take priority over his journalistic integrity.

"How are you, Hoskins?" greeted the man at the front desk when Clyde entered the offices.

"Just fine, Jackson," Clyde responded. "Is Mr. Hathaway in? I've got a story for him."

"Give it to me, I'll take it in to him," Jackson offered. "Have a seat."

"Thanks," said Clyde, and he waited in the outer office.

After a few moments, Jackson returned. "Mr. Hathaway wants to see you, go ahead in."

Clyde nodded and proceeded into the smaller office that had Edward L. Hathaway, Editor-in-Chief on it. Since the quake, the newspapers had been working in shifts nearly round the clock to keep up with the news and get the latest stories out on time. Even the big wigs like the editors were pitching in.

Clyde had known Ed Hathaway almost as long as he'd lived in the city. He had given Clyde his first big break and Clyde returned the favour by giving The Chronicle first rights to every major scoop since. But since the earthquake had destroyed the offices of The Examiner, the three major city papers -- The Chronicle, The Examiner and the San Francisco Call were publishing joint editions, with Hathaway put in charge of the whole operation. That meant one stop shopping for the freelance journalist.

The editor was seated at his desk under a mountain of papers, his shirtsleeves ink stained and rolled up to his elbows.

"Mr. Hathaway," said Clyde as he entered, extending his hand.

The man took it and sighed.

"Hoskins," he began, and then reached for a thick pile of paper.

Clyde looked and noticed his own story on the top. He waited for the editor to speak.

"Do you know what I have here?" Hathaway asked him.

Clyde looked and shook his head, "No, sir."

"I have here twenty three stories that claim that mining caused the earthquake," he said, waving the papers and dropping them back down on his desk. "I'm sorry to say we went with the one that landed on our desk five hours ago, and it's already gone to print."

"I'm sorry too," said Clyde, his shoulders sagging, "I could really use the money Mr. Hathaway."

"This city's got more writers than rats right now," said the editor, "and they're all coming to me, like I'm the damn Pied Piper. I got stories on mining, government cover-ups, corruption, building code violations…I think by now I truly have seen it all."

I bet you haven't, thought Clyde.

"Look," said Hathaway, "most of these hacks are from out of town. You and I go way back. I'd like to help you out, really I would, but this joint venture is only temporary. The other papers are already rebuilding and soon it will be business as usual, the competition worse than ever before. This stuff I got here is tame, and my name is at the top of it. You want money? What I need from you is something big and exclusive, something no one else is giving me. You think you can do that?"

Clyde's stomach rumbled as if in response. He had eaten little more than a piece of bread and some stale coffee in the last day. He fiddled with the nickel in his pocket.

"You'd be willing to pay for a scoop like that?" Clyde asked.

"Hoskins, you bring me a front page exclusive and I'll have you out of that tent you're living in and back into an apartment so fast you'll think you've died and gone to heaven."

He knew he had made a promise. All he could see when he closed his eyes was Donna's face, and how disappointed she'd be in him. But he was just so hungry, and work was scarce. How could he sit on a story that was worth real money? He thought of what the editor would even think if he told him what he had seen, but then Hathaway was desperate too. The man may not care how crazy it sounded so long as it sold papers.

And boy would this story sell.

"Okay," said Clyde finally, "You want an exclusive? I got your exclusive."

~*~

While Donna had been out on her date the night before the Doctor had busied himself by scanning below the surface of the earth for life forms. Although he was able to detect the armies below now that he knew what he was looking for, the trouble was that the Fini and the Kwa were the same species and therefore indistinguishable on his scanners.

The best he could do was to make an educated guess based upon what they had been told – that the Fini camp lay to the east of the Kwa. He pinpointed the location of where they had gone down through the fissure, estimated how far they traveled to reach the Kwa camp and the most likely direction and then chose a direction due east. There was a cluster of life signs furthest away from the Kwa and he assumed that was the Fini. Now all he had to do was superimpose a map of the city on top and find a way down there.

By the time Donna awoke and had her breakfast he was ready to go.

Donna for her part was looking forward to meeting Clyde. She thought about him long after their date had ended, and how hard it would be to say goodbye. The thought made her toy with the notion of asking him to come along with them, though she wasn't sure how the Doctor would feel about that. But she tucked it away in the back of her mind for later, just in case. It was an option at least, as was staying on in 1906 but Donna knew she could never do that, leaving her family behind forever. It seemed as though Clyde had fewer attachments and she already knew he had an adventurous spirit like her. They were quite compatible really, but there were more pressing matters at hand at the moment and that was the alien war going on below ground.

The Doctor grabbed his coat and bounded to the door when Donna appeared.

"Ready to stop a war?" he asked her in typical enthusiastic fashion.

"Lead on, Spaceman," said Donna, smiling.

It was a clear, beautiful morning with cloudless skies. They reached the corner and waited for Clyde. While they waited, the Doctor told Donna about the scans and his best guess about the location of the Fini.

"I know we need to head that way," he pointed, "and find another crack in the ground."

"And you really think you'll convince them to just pack up and move?" she asked him.

"I can be very persuasive," he said.

"Maybe, but in my experience I've found that people never know what's good for them," she replied, thinking of her ex-fiancée Lance, and the deal he made with the Empress of the Racnoss. "Just because it makes sense doesn't mean they'll want it."

"In that case I'll just have to give them an offer they can't refuse," he replied.

Time passed and the Doctor looked up at the sun.

"It's getting late," he said, "Where's your friend?"

"I don't know," said Donna, "He told me last night he'd be here. Maybe something held him up. We should give him a bit longer."

As they stood they watched the morning crowds assembling in the streets. Clean up was continuing, as was the daily search for food and supplies. Some relief agencies had set up stations and people were queuing up. Others were catching up with the daily news, through the rumour mill or the papers.

Another thirty minutes passed and Donna began to worry. She couldn't imagine Clyde having second thoughts about meeting them, so she grew concerned that something might have happened.

"Something's wrong, he should be here," she said.

"You're right but we can't wait any longer," said the Doctor, "I've worked out the route on my own so we should go."

"No, but I can't," said Donna, "not without knowing if something's happened. Let's stop by his tent first and try to find him, just to see if he's all right."

The Doctor would have been happy to have just moved on but he could see the depth of Donna's concern and agreed. She led the way to the park and he followed. As they went the Doctor noticed that the throngs of people gathered around the newspapers were getting thicker. Each person that held a paper had a crowd around him, peering over his shoulder. Some had gasped out loud, while others were shaking their heads in denial. In one group a man burst into laughter and an argument had broken out.

The Doctor put a hand on Donna's shoulder and stopped her when she was halfway across the street. She turned to look at him confused, and then followed his gaze to the people surrounding them. Her head had been so filled with thoughts of Clyde that she hadn't even noticed, but something in the headlines was grabbing everyone's attention.

"What's everyone on about?" she asked.

The Doctor stepped into the nearest huddle. The crowd parted only slightly but just enough for him to glimpse the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle. When he saw the headline he pulled the paper from the man's hands. Then he turned it around and with a frown showed it to Donna. The typeset lettering that spanned the page was three inches tall in big bold characters.

ALIENS UNDERGROUND!

Under the sensational headline was written, Proof that aliens from outer space are among us and were the cause of the earthquake, by Clyde Hoskins.

Donna gasped and felt the sting of betrayal.

"He wouldn't," she protested, "He promised."

The Doctor gave the paper back to the man in the crowd after quickly scanning the contents and stormed off in the direction Donna had been heading.

"Come on, let's go find him," he said, furious, "I'd like a word."

The Doctor walked in a heavy silence, while Donna tried to remain optimistic, hoping that Clyde could not possibly have done as much damage as the Doctor had feared.

"Do that lot even understand about aliens?" asked Donna. "Maybe it's all nonsense to them."

"H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds was published only eight years ago," he said as they went, "This may seem like early days but the language of alien invasion is something with which they were quite familiar by now. The seeds of fear have already been sown."

Donna led the rest of the way to Clyde's tent where they found him, packing his things. She felt an ache in her heart at the sight of him standing near the campfire they had shared the night before, now nothing more than cold, grey ashes and blackened sticks. That wonderful memory had now been sullied and she wanted an explanation as much as the Doctor did.

All the way over they saw people preoccupied with the news. Donna knew it would make their job that much more difficult with the entire city vigilant, watching out for alien activity. She had believed Clyde when he said he wouldn't tell anyone, and now she felt decidedly foolish for letting her heart rule her head.

Clyde's back was turned where he stood half inside the tent opening. Donna sensed the Doctor about to speak to get his attention.

But before the Doctor could say anything Donna blurted out, "You used me."

Clyde spun around and his eyes went wide.

"Donna," he began, "I…"

"You used me," she repeated louder, "All you were after was a story. It was all a lie!"

"No," he protested, "That's not true, I swear! I had the mining story, it was all ready to print, but the paper didn't want it. They were willing to buy an exclusive, but it had to be big."

"So this was all about money," spat the Doctor.

"I'm flat broke!" Clyde said. "I needed this story to lift myself out of the mud and get my life back! Surely you could understand that. What good are your principles when you're starving?"

"They're all you've got," replied the Doctor, "That's when you find out the sort of man you really are."

The Doctor turned and walked away. Donna stayed, tears in her eyes, torn.

"Donna… last night… with you," Clyde stammered, "I meant every word. It was never a lie. I had to do it, but I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry."

"Yeah," she said sadly, "so am I."

He watched her leave until she caught up to the Doctor and then they were both gone.

~*~

"I told him this would happen, didn't I?" complained the Doctor as they continued east, pushing their way through the crowded streets where all around them they heard talk of aliens. "All of this public scrutiny is going to make it that much harder for us, which means more earthquakes and more death and destruction, but did he listen? Noooooo! Humans!"

Donna had been silent since leaving the park. The Doctor was too enraged to notice at first, but after several minutes of ranting he remembered his companion.

"Are you all right?" he asked her.

Donna looked up sharply, "Yeah, fine, just feel a bit stupid is all."

"You couldn't have known," he said. "But if it helps I don't think he used you."

"Does that mean you believe him?" she asked, "You believe he was really under pressure to sell that story?"

"Most likely," the Doctor replied. "From where I stood it seemed like having to face you was the worst bit for him. He cared, Donna."

"I can't believe you're defending him," she said.

"Well, only where you're concerned," he said, "He's still not off the hook with me."

"Fair enough," she said.

According to the Doctor's calculations they had several miles yet to travel to reach the Fini camp. Already they were being slowed down by the crowds. The news combined with the gorgeous spring day meant people were congregating everywhere and the possibility of slipping underground unnoticed seemed less likely as the day wore on.

"Maybe we ought to wait a bit," Donna suggested, "Until all the commotion dies down. They'll find something else to occupy them soon enough."

"Yeah, suppose you're right," the Doctor agreed. "In the meantime, we could at least do some damage control. Start some rumours of our own."

They talked it over and then chose a spot in a public square. Facing each other, Donna said a little too loudly, "Well you know what I heard? He made it all up!"

"Really?" said the Doctor.

A small group of three nearby stopped their own chatter and leaned in.

When Donna sensed she had their attention she continued, "I was with that reporter last night and he told me. He said he was going to sell some phony story about aliens because he was living in the park and needed money. He didn't even care if it was all a lie."

"What's that you say?" said one of the men in the adjacent group. "I couldn't help but overhear."

"I don't mean to spoil someone's reputation but there are people panicking about this alien rubbish. Will you help us spread the word and tell them that there's nothing to fear?" Donna asked him.

"You say you know this Hoskins who wrote the story?" the man asked.

"She does," verified the Doctor, "We both do, and if you want my opinion he seemed a bit of a nutter. We told him not to do it, that it would cause a riot but he didn't care. In fact, I think that was what he wanted. To make his career, he said."

"I'd like to give that guy a piece of my mind," said another man with a raised fist. "My wife hasn't stopped crying all morning. She thinks we're being invaded by Martians like in that book."

"Yeah, who does he think he is?" said a third, "Like we don't have enough to worry about right now!"

By now a larger group had gathered around them and the murmurs increased. Donna sensed the growing tension and feared that their plan may have backfired and they were inciting a lynching.

She raised her hands to calm the crowd and said, "Please, don't hurt him! He's lost everything like most of you have. If you really want to help, just tell people there are no aliens from another planet in San Francisco. Tell them they can go back to rebuilding their lives and everything will be all right."

There were nods of assent and the crowd dispersed. The Doctor turned to Donna, satisfied.

"There, that should help," he said quietly. "Now let's get on with finding those aliens."

They had barely left the square when the ground shook again, and the Doctor knew they were running out of time.

~*~

The crowds of people were the first signs of trouble, the army was the next.

Looting had become a serious problem since the quake, and the U.S. Army troops had first been called in to discourage it, and to guard certain sites such as the U.S. Mint, post office and county jail. They were also helping to shelter, feed and clothe the tens of thousands of displaced residents of the city. So the squadrons of uniformed men on horseback were already a common sight, but to the Doctor it seemed as though their numbers had practically doubled in a single day.

He and Donna reached the eastern side of the city when they saw the troops, blocking off roads and buildings with wooden barriers. One officer was posting proclamations on walls down a wide main street.

Waiting until the officer had moved on before creeping forward to take a look, the Doctor went around the corner. Donna read over his shoulder and nearly gasped out loud. It was a statement issued by the city Mayor:

The Federal Troops, the members of the Regular Police Force and all Special Police Officers have been authorized by me to kill any and all persons found engaged in Looting or in the Commission of Any Other Crime.

"Authorised to kill?" repeated Donna, "Are we still in America?"

"They're scared," said the Doctor, "Any city official who saw that newspaper headline could have contacted the Army and asked for reinforcements. They're not killing people over looting. It's a pretense, a cover story for the real threat."

"Do you mean they believe the story?" asked Donna.

"The government has known about the existence of extraterrestrials for longer than you think," the Doctor explained. "Their efforts to cover it up are extraordinary, recorded throughout history in secret documents and hidden away in bunkers and locked storage sites. I think a story like this would have gotten their attention. They're here to make sure it can't be proven true."

"Well isn't that what we want," asked Donna, "to make sure no one believes it and starts looking for aliens?"

"As long as we can still reach the Fini camp without getting shot then I'd say we're in luck," he replied.

Donna glanced down the street and saw armed officers patrolling. Despite the warm day a chill crept over her skin.

"Is this what luck feels like?" she asked.

"Come on," said the Doctor, leading her away.

She followed him to an alley that ran behind a row of houses. The Doctor searched until he found a crack in the ground and followed it. As they went the crack grew wider, and Donna began to recognize that lucky feeling. Then they heard a shout and footsteps coming toward them.

"You two! Stop!"

An armed soldier was running. Looking left and right quickly, the Doctor grabbed Donna and pulled her inside the back entry of the first building within reach. Shutting the door, they stood absolutely still on the other side, listening for the soldier. Donna glanced back over her shoulder at the room in which they hid.

"Doctor," Donna began, but the Doctor shushed her, his ear pressed to the door.

"He's just outside," he whispered to her.

"Yeah, about that," she said, lowering her voice, "I don't think it will look very good if he finds us in here."

"What?" he asked, straightening up.

At the same time the door they were standing behind flew open. A burst of sunlight came in through the doorway, illuminating the room. The Doctor turned and followed Donna's gaze at the long shelves filled with food. They were in the back stores of a grocery. The soldier's expression turned hard and he raised his rifle.

"Oh that's just not fair," said the Doctor.

Suddenly the ground shifted and with it came whatever wasn't nailed down. The shelves tipped, and a tin wash basin fell and landed on the soldier's head, stunning him. The Doctor and Donna put their hands up to deflect sacks of flour and boxes of soap and made for the exit, slipping past the prone man as he scrambled for his weapon on the floor.

"There we are," said the Doctor gleefully as they ran, "lucky again!"

A rifle shot buzzed like a bee past Donna's ear. "You had to say that didn't you?"

The Doctor tugged on her hand and pulled her along, "Faster!"

Behind them the soldier had recovered and was pursuing them, firing his weapon as he went. They ducked their heads and concentrated on the split in the ground that ran the length of the alley. Another shot went by, this one a bit wider.

"Come on, come on," The Doctor urged to no one as he inspected the ground, "Bigger! Bigger!"

He was looking for an opening wide enough to go down, Donna knew, but they were running out of alley. She saw the dead end up ahead where the crack was topped off like a T heading in both directions. All the while, the soldier was blowing a whistle for assistance and taking more shots as fast as he could reload, which thanks to the days before automatic weapons, wasn't very fast. One bullet bounced off the wall ahead of them and the Doctor flinched as bits of brick flew in his face.

Reaching the end, the Doctor looked left and saw that the crack ended under another wall. Then Donna turned to her right to see where her path led.

The trail went another few yards and ended in a large sinkhole.

Another rifle shot too close for comfort told them they had made their choice. They both made for the hole and then stopped at the edge. It was large and obviously deep, Donna looked down and saw nothing but black. Her heart pounded. She couldn't even see the wall or anything to grab onto.

She looked at the Doctor, who had a wild look in his eye, and it worried her that she had gotten to know him so well that she knew exactly what he was thinking. Behind them, the soldier had reached the end and turned the corner. Slowly he smiled, raised his rifle again and took aim.

The Doctor grabbed Donna's hand and jumped.

~*~

They fell down the opening together, Donna screaming, swearing she'd kill him if she survived this. It began as a few seconds of freefall, and then the wall sloped towards them and they hit dirt and rolled. Donna lost her grip on the Doctor and they tumbled separately all the way down to where the ground leveled off.

The moment they landed, the Doctor was on his feet. He spun back around, pulled the sonic screwdriver from his jacket and pointed it at the opening above them. With one long sharp blast the walls of the sinkhole gave way and began to collapse in on each other.

Satisfied, the Doctor helped Donna up off the ground and pulled her along down the tunnel, away from the coming avalanche. Once again their way in was sealed off, this time to keep out their pursuer. The rumble of falling rocks echoed down the shaft and they kept running. Finally the last of the rock gave way in an enormous slide giving off a large dust cloud and a shockwave that sent them both flat down on the ground.

Donna lay still, aching and fighting for breath. Next to her, she felt the Doctor reaching out blindly, checking to see that she was all right. He was also breathing heavily, unable to speak. She reached back and they touched. Then another weapon clicked over their heads.

"Not again," moaned the Doctor.

"Identify yourselves," came the command.

"Okay, okay," said the Doctor with one hand raised, still lying face down at the man's feet, "I'm just going to take out my identification, don't shoot."

Slowly, he reached into his coat pocket and removed the wallet containing the psychic paper. Waving it around, the Doctor pushed himself to his knees and looked at Donna, who was now also getting up. When he was satisfied she was all right he opened the wallet and showed it to the guard.

"We're designated official mediators for the Kwa," announced the Doctor, "We're here to speak with the Fini Commander."

The man took the wallet, read it and returned it to him.

"Come with me," he ordered, pointing down the tunnel with his weapon.

The Doctor and Donna stood, brushed themselves off and followed. Once again, they heard weapons fire in the distance as the alien war raged on. They were led into a heavily guarded room and presented to a man in highly decorated uniform not dissimilar from the Kwa Commander's.

"Sir," said the guard to the leader, "they identify themselves as mediators from the Kwa camp."

"Had enough 'ey?" smirked the Commander, "Have you come to surrender?"

"I don't have that authority," the Doctor began, "but let's start with names. I'm the Doctor and this is Donna Noble, and you are…?"

The Commander's smirk faded into a frown, "I am Ho-Hee-Sek of the Fini regime."

"We're here to negotiate a mutual relocation of this conflict to another approved site," the Doctor explained. "This is an inhabited level five planet and you're causing death and destruction to the cities above you. This war needs to move to a better neighbourhood and the Kwa have agreed to it if the Fini will."

The Commander looked speechless for an instant, and the guards flanking him were tensed and at the ready. Donna thought he was going to have them executed on the spot. Instead he did something that surprised her even more.

He laughed.

He let out a big explosive belly roar of a laugh and his guards relaxed and began to chuckle along with him. Donna looked at the Doctor confused. It was as though they had come in and just told the Commander the one about the man in the pub with the wooden leg.

"I'm sorry, is something funny?" asked the Doctor.

The laughter stopped and Ho-Hee-Sek's face went dark and threatening, like a sudden storm cloud passing over a beautiful blue sky.

"Kwa scum do not make the rules and we do not follow," he said. "This war is being fought on our terms and it will be won."

"Fine," said the Doctor stepping closer to challenge him, "Just win it somewhere else!"

"We are close to victory," he explained, "To leave now might shift the momentum in the Kwa's favour and that cannot be risked. In fact, I have no doubt that is what they want. The Kwa are losing this futile attempt to secede from the alliance. Having suffered great losses they are now using you to play the last hand they have. We have no wish to cede to the Kwa's request, there is simply no profit in it for us."

The Doctor's expression turned fierce, and Donna noticed as he prepared to answer back the guards were readying their weapons.

"Now you listen to me," the Doctor said, "either you relocate or I'll have to stop this war myself."

The Commander was unperturbed. He matched every bit of the Doctor's ferocity and replied, red-faced, "No, you listen to me. I'm going to win this war and wipe out every last useless Kwa. Now you go back and tell them that! If they decide to send you back here with their unconditional surrender I will accept it. In the meantime you can tell Commander Wa that his choices are to fight or die!"

Donna could see the guards' fingers on the triggers, so she gently reached for the Doctor's arm to signal that he should back off for now. They were getting no further with the Fini at this point, and perhaps it was time to regroup.

The Commander ordered them to leave, but the Doctor couldn't resist a final threat before slipping through the door.

"This isn't over," the Doctor told him, "We'll be back."

The Commander watched them go. Sending them back to the Kwa with a message of surrender would accomplish nothing, it was clear the Kwa were determined to see this conflict to its end. No, he thought, they were not the real threat here; he did not fear the Kwa.

It was that Doctor.

There was something about him and the weight of the words in his threat. It felt different, more personal, like he wasn't acting on behalf of the Kwa at all. Quickly the leader determined that it was the Doctor that was the true danger, and that he and his companion could not be allowed to leave.

He addressed his guards. "Kill them and seal their bodies in the tunnels. Under no circumstances are they to reach the surface."

The guards nodded and went after the mediators.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Donna were walking back down the tunnels searching for another exit and reformulating their plan.

"That…could have gone better," said Donna.

"It couldn't have gone worse," agreed the Doctor. "How do you stop a war?"

Their conversation was cut off by a blast of laser fire high over their heads. They stopped and turned back to see the Commander's armed guards running down the tunnel behind them in pursuit.

"I see its 'Chase the Doctor and Donna' Day," said the Doctor as they took off, "I had a feeling they weren't going to just let us go."

"Oh well thanks for telling me," said Donna.

"I was trying to stay optimistic," he explained.

More shots came, hitting the rock walls all around them, but mainly above their heads as they went deeper down the tunnel. The Doctor felt the vibration, looked up and suddenly he understood.

"And here I was thinking they were just really bad shots," said the Doctor, slowing down.

"What?" asked Donna.

"It's a trap," he explained, "get down!"

They fell together as the rocks poured down on top of them, sealing off the tunnel. It was the last sight that Donna remembered.

~*~

She woke slowly, feeling the cold hard ground beneath her cheek before remembering where she was and what had happened. Opening her eyes, it was nearly dark apart from a small shaft of light coming from somewhere up above. Her back hurt, and she was afraid to move without knowing if she was injured, so she started by testing her fingers and toes and then working her way up. All of her limbs moved freely for the most part, apart from the pile of loose rocks on top of her that fell away when she rolled over.

Donna groaned, felt around and found a large bump on her head. Sitting up, she looked at the piles of collapsed rock, her thoughts fuzzy, and waited until the haze lifted. When it did it came as a painful shock of clarity.

The Doctor.

Panic rose in her chest and she looked around her. They had been chased into a dead end and the cave had been brought down over their heads. He had been in there with her, but she couldn't see him now.

"Doctor!" she called.

She searched the small open area on her hands and knees. The cave-in had sealed nearly the whole of the tunnel, leaving only the tiny crawlspace where she now was. The light was so dim she could only scan a few inches around her, feeling her way as she called out.

"Oh no you don't Doctor, don't you do this to me. You answer me!" she cried.

She was nearly to what she thought was the far wall when she felt something soft. It was a bit of cloth poking out from what wasn't a wall after all but a large pile of rocks. The Doctor's coat, she realised, and she followed the hem until she found the rest of him, face down nearly buried under the wall. Only his head and left arm were visible. He was bleeding from a cut above his eye.

Donna set to work trying to shift the rocks, starting at the top. The work reminded her of the first day they had arrived in San Francisco, when they had worked to save the McMahon family and so many others. The Doctor had saved so many lives that day; it couldn't end like this for him. She wouldn't let that happen.

After much effort she had freed his upper body and the Doctor stirred for the first time.

"Donna," he muttered with a wince.

She took his hand and squeezed it. "I'm here," she told him. "Don't move. I'm trying to free you."

He closed his eyes again and she returned to the task, but the rocks that covered his lower back and legs were much larger and wedged together. She pushed, pulled and lifted, but they were too heavy for her and wouldn't budge.

She knelt beside him after struggling for several minutes.

"Doctor," she began, "I can't shift the rock. Will your sonic screwdriver help?"

"Can't," he said after a minute, "Too dangerous…could bring the rest of the cave down."

"Then what do we do?" she asked desperately.

His eyes began to drift closed again. She shook him gently.

"Doctor, don't leave me," she pleaded, "You have to stay awake. I'll think of something and I'll get you free but don't you dare leave me."

He struggled to give her a reassuring smile but it was clear he was fading fast. She looked down at the dirt that covered her clothes and sat beside him.

"When I said I wanted to walk in the dust this isn't quite what I meant," she joked.

He made a sound that might have been a laugh but at least it told her he was listening. She kept at it, hoping to keep him alert.

"That Christmas seems like a lifetime ago now," she said, "I said you scared me to death, do you remember? But you didn't, not really. I wasn't afraid of you, I was afraid to live. You saved my life then. And then you went away. But we found each other again and that's got to mean something. We're destined for something you and me, and it's not to die in a cave in 1906. We'll get out of this, you'll see."

The Doctor had gone quiet again. From far outside the cave Donna heard the sound of weapons fire. The war was raging on, the one they were determined to stop somehow, and more people were dying every day above and below. The task seemed as impossible as the one before her now. But the Doctor was determined to succeed at his task and move those armies off world. If he was ever going to get that chance she had to keep trying at hers.

She got up and put all of her weight against the uppermost rock and pushed. With all of her strength it rolled just a bit and then rolled right back. She tried again with the same result. She was wearing herself out and getting nowhere. In frustration she sank to her battered knees and screamed at the top of her lungs.

And then she heard someone calling her name.

"Donna? Is that you?" came a distant voice, familiar but muffled.

Donna got up and followed the shaft of light that came through the top of the nearly sealed cave. Grabbing hold, she pulled herself up so that she was closer to the opening.

"Help! We need help!" she shouted.

"I'm coming," said the voice. Donna heard the sound of hands working to clear the rock, "It's me Clyde!"

"Clyde!" said Donna in surprise. "Help us please! It's the Doctor, he's trapped!"

"I'll get you out, just stay back," he told her.

Donna went back to the Doctor and sat beside him. She placed a hand on his head and he woke.

"It's Clyde, Doctor," she told him. "He's here to rescue us."

The opening at the tunnel entrance slowly got bigger as the rocks gave way. Donna watched until Clyde's head poked in over the top. He smiled at her and then returned to work, clearing the rest until the space was large enough for him to climb over and in. As soon as he made it inside Donna sprang up and hugged him, her relief overtaking her anger of earlier.

She led him over to the intractable rock wall. Clyde got straight to work. He positioned himself on one side and Donna took the other. He counted to three and together they pushed and pulled until the rock on the top came loose. Once that happened, the rest came more easily, though each rock still required two people to shift it.

"Donna," Clyde said as they worked, "I'm sorry I broke my promise. I felt so bad about it, I came looking for you."

"How did you ever find us?" she asked.

"I followed you, but I thought you'd send me away so I hid," he explained. "Then I saw that soldier chase you down into that hole and I figured you might need my help. I found another crack and climbed down it, like we did before. I was just looking around down here and trying to avoid those aliens when I heard you call out."

The last of the rocks gave way and the Doctor was freed. Donna looked him over, checking for broken bones. Luckily, he had been pinned but not crushed; the way the rocks had rested against each other had left for some space at the bottom. The Doctor was moving again, trying to push himself up. Donna and Clyde reached down and helped him, but he was still only semiconscious and nearly fell again when upright. His arms around their shoulders, they were supporting him almost completely as he sagged between them.

"He'll never make it back to the surface," said Donna, "He's too hurt to climb."

"I passed some rooms on the way here. I'll show you," said Clyde. "Maybe we can find someplace he can rest for a while."

They went along until they came to a set of doors placed in the rock. Donna tried the first one but it was locked.

"Sonic," slurred the Doctor, "Setting thirty-two."

"What?" said Clyde.

But Donna simply reached over with one hand and removed the instrument from the Doctor's jacket pocket. Fiddling with the settings, she pointed at the door and pressed the button. The lock clicked open.

"What the hell is that?" asked Clyde.

"Not now," said Donna as they entered the room.

It was a combination communications room and storeroom. There were cots, blankets and supplies along one wall and a bank of cabinets and blinking computer terminals along the other.

"Perfect!" said Donna.

The Doctor perked up slightly. "Lock the door," he told them, and Donna did.

"Doctor, are you all right?" she asked him.

"Tired," he said. "I need sleep to recover."

They brought him to one of the folding cots and lay him down. Donna took a flannel from the shelf, soaked it in water from a container and pressed it to the gash on his head.

"Go on, you just sleep then," she told him, "We'll watch over things."

"You've got work to do," he told her, "Those computers. Use them. We need to find out how Earth was chosen and anything else about the rules of this war that might help us stop it. If Clyde wants to redeem himself, he could lend us his investigative skills."

Donna looked over at Clyde. The reporter was facing the computer equipment with a wide-eyed expression, struggling to make sense of what he was looking at. Donna knew that while she could use his investigative skills, it was going to be up to her to give him a quick computer lesson.

She turned back to the Doctor. "I thought he redeemed himself when he saved you," she said, smiling.

"Yeah," he admitted, eyelids getting heavy, "Tell him thanks from me."

He was drifting off again, and this time Donna let him.

~*~

Donna waited until the Doctor was sleeping comfortably and then she covered him with a blanket and turned to Clyde. The reporter was still ogling the machinery. She placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

"Ready to get to work?" she asked him.

"How?" he asked. "It's all in gobbledygook."

Donna looked at the computer keyboard and saw perfect English, thanks to the TARDIS.

"I can understand it," she said. "Have you still got that translator they gave you?"

Clyde fished in his pocket and pulled out the charm necklace. "Will this work with writing?" he asked.

"I don't know, put it on and see," she told him.

He put the necklace on over his head and it lit up. Donna hit a few keys on the keyboard and brought up a screen with writing on it.

"Can you read that?" she asked.

Clyde squinted at the glass. After a moment the lines and circles seemed to change, becoming something more familiar. It was as if the writing was blurred and then came into focus and when it did, it looked like English.

"Yes," he said, barely believing his own eyes, "It's English! I can read it! How does that work?"

"Don't worry about that now let's just make the most of it," she said. "We need to find a way to make those armies leave. Now that Kwa soldier mentioned something called the Articles. Let's see if we can find them, and see what they say."

The Fini-Kwa Articles of Engagement was quite a long document using heavy technical language. Donna's eyes were glazing over after the twenty seventh page identifying everything from the armaments and ammunition allowed to the type of uniforms worn to the food served to troops and prisoners in excruciating detail.

"This lot sure like their rules," she said as they read.

"Yeah, but the more requirements there are the easier it is to get something wrong," Clyde noted, "Keep looking, there must be something we can call them out on."

They read on, looking for the subsection that spoke about the choice of location. Then they found it, on page eighty six, under article seventeen, subsection a: The Selection of Neutral Location in Which to Engage Warfare.

"That's it!" said Donna, "What's it say, does it mention the Earth?"

Clyde read. He had some experience with legal documents in his work as a reporter, researching the public records in the Courthouse for stories on criminal and civil cases. He was able to decipher the arcane language quickly, sifting through the nonsense to get to the true meaning underneath.

"It essentially says that both sides are required to select and agree upon a location from the list of approved neutral locations attached to the Articles. I'm not sure where that list is though."

Donna pointed to the small icon at the end of the sentence. "That looks like a link. It should take us to the list."

She touched the icon on the screen and a long list appeared. They scanned the list of names.

"Do you see the Earth?" asked Donna, scanning again, "I don't see the Earth, unless they call it something else. And look at this. Is that the system each planet is located in? I don't see our solar system."

Clyde wanted to verify her findings but he couldn't get past the list. This was a list of planets and systems beyond their own, other worlds that were out there, and it was by no means exhaustive. As approved locations for warfare, they may only be the sparsely inhabited ones within traveling distance of the Fini-Kwa. There could be thousands more that contained life. Suddenly he felt very small.

"Clyde?" asked Donna, "Did you hear what I said?"

Clyde came to attention. "Yeah, sorry Donna, it's just…this is amazing."

"Isn't it?" she agreed. "It's why I travel."

He reviewed the list in more detail. "Nothing here sounds even remotely Earth like to me but I'm no expert. Maybe the Doctor would know for sure. We should show him this."

"This can't be it though, there's something else…" Donna thought.

"Like what?" asked Clyde.

"I don't know," she said, "but that Fini Commander was nasty. There was just something about him. The Kwa Commander seemed to show more concern for his own rules, but this bloke acted like the Articles didn't matter to him, that all he cared about was winning the war and killing the Kwa."

"Didn't the Kwa say they were oppressed?" countered Clyde, "Maybe the Fini are all like that and that's why they're fighting for their freedom."

"Still, we should see what we can find out about him," said Donna.

"Okay," said Clyde, "Try checking the personnel records for this guy's file."

Donna typed in the Commander's name and Ho-Hee-Sek's file came up, but that wasn't all. Attached to the file were several news reports, legal documents, and a list of criminal charges and outstanding warrants.

"He's no war hero," said Donna, astonished, "He's a criminal!"

"A fugitive by the looks of it," agreed Clyde as they read, "wanted by his own people."

"But he's fighting their war," she said, confused, "Something's not right."

"It says in this news release he forged documents to fool the Kwa with a phony list of approved locations and then he ran off with his own private army of fighters," said Clyde, "He's not fighting their war at all, this war is illegal and the Kwa don't even know it."

There were quotes from Sek, excerpts from his past writings, showing that he had made it his personal mission to destroy the Kwa.

"He's nothing more than a racist," said Donna.

"Look at this," said Clyde, "turns out the Fini-Kwa government have been ready to negotiate with the Kwa separatists for months for their independence, but they haven't been able to find them."

"So the war's not just illegal," said Donna, "The Kwa are fighting and dying here when they don't even have to. If they only knew…"

"They're gonna know," said Clyde, smiling, "because we're going to tell them. This is just what we needed. Talk about an exposé, but this one is not going to wind up in The Chronicle."

Donna smiled back and they waited together until a short time later, the Doctor woke. The cut on his head had faded to an almost invisible line that Donna knew in another day would be gone altogether. The Doctor stretched once and bounded off the cot, full of renewed energy.

"That's better!" he declared, "So what did you find out?"

"Doctor!" cried Donna, giving him a hug. He returned the embrace and laughed.

Clyde just stood back and stared. He had never seen such a recovery in such a short time. Realisation dawned.

"You're…you're not human, are you?" he stammered.

The Doctor smirked, "That's strictly off the record."

"Oh absolutely," Clyde agreed, nodding, "I've learned my lesson, I swear."

He listened as they told him everything they discovered about Ho-Hee-Sek.

"You two are brilliant," the Doctor said as he popped on his glasses and reviewed the documents, "This is better than I'd hoped." He leaned over the keyboard and started typing. "Just give me a few minutes and then we can go and find Sek. I'm declaring a cease fire today."

A short while later they were working their way back down the tunnels, heading for the Fini camp. As the Doctor had expected, they were captured at the border and brought straight back to Sek. The Fini Commander seemed surprised at first to see the Doctor and Donna alive but he hid it quickly.

"Have you returned with your surrender?" he feigned.

"Nope," said the Doctor, "Something much better."

"And what is that?" Sek asked.

"Knowledge," said the Doctor, "Because you see Commander, knowledge is true power. And I just learned that this war is unauthorized. So I suggest you pack it up and take it elsewhere or I'll inform the Fini-Kwa government of your location. It seems they're looking for you. You're a bit old to be running away from home aren't you?"

Sek's face turned purple. "I can have you all executed right now and the truth can die with you."

The Doctor tugged on his ear, "Yeah you could, I suppose, but you see I anticipated that, which is why I've already prepared an encrypted communiqué to the Fini-Kwa government. Make a move to harm us and I activate and send the message remotely in an instant. The truth will out. You have no way of stopping it but to leave here."

Sek considered the Doctor's offer, "You say the Kwa have agreed to relocate. So if we go the Fini need not learn of this, correct?"

"Your politics are your own business," said the Doctor sternly, "while this planet is mine. All you have to do is go."

He was left with no option if he was to avoid his own arrest. The Fini Commander agreed and a message of a temporary cease fire for relocation purposes was sent to the Kwa. Their task complete, the Doctor and his companions left the tunnels.

As they made their way back to the city, Donna thought about the poor Kwa and their ongoing conflict.

She asked the Doctor, "Was it right to just let Sek go like that when the man's a criminal and the Kwa don't need to fight?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" replied the Doctor, "I took care of that. I may have agreed not to send that communiqué to the government but I said nothing about telling the Kwa. I sent all of the information you and Clyde discovered to the Kwa leader. Whether they keep fighting now is up to them. If they choose, they can turn Sek in and return to their homeworld to negotiate a treaty. Either way, they're leaving here so the tremors will stop and San Francisco can finally start to recover."

"You're a genius," said Clyde, "An absolute genius!"

"Well…" said the Doctor with a modest shrug. "I couldn't have done it without you two."

"How can I thank you for everything you've done?" the reporter said.

"Just focus on rebuilding your city," said the Doctor, "Return it to its former glory. That bit's up to you."

"I will, I promise," he said.

And this time he meant it.

~*~

Donna went out the next morning to meet Clyde for coffee and to ask him a question.

"Will you come with us?" she asked.

Clyde took her hand and looked at her, "Nothing would please me more than to travel the stars with you, Donna. But I promised the Doctor I'd help rebuild this city and that's what I'm going to do. I'm needed here, too many people have abandoned this place, and I just can't."

"Then I guess this is goodbye then," she said sadly.

They kissed one last time, and lingered a while longer over their coffee.

She returned to the TARDIS with the morning paper. The Doctor was at the console, preparing to be off.

"Look at this," she said, showing him the headline.

Alien Hoax! How one Reporter was Fooled, by Clyde Hoskins

The Doctor smiled, "Just another story. So is he coming then, your Clyde?"

"No," said Donna, "He's a bit like you he's got that streak of responsibility."

"Right," said the Doctor. "Off we go then."

"You really would have let him come along wouldn't you?" she asked him.

The Doctor grinned at her. "For you I would have."

He pulled the brake and they were off to where ever the winds took them next. After several long minutes in which Donna was uncharacteristically silent the Doctor asked her, "Are you all right?"

"All those goodbyes," Donna said, seated in the chair behind him, "how do you bear it?"

It was the Doctor's turn to be silent. He pretended to be very interested in the scanners. Then after another moment, still hovering over the console with his back to her he said, "Some are harder than others."

"But they never get any easier do they?" she pressed.

He turned to face her.

"No," he said.

"So, Spaceman," said Donna, "where to next?"