Entry tags:
Doctor Who Fic: Without a Doubt, Jack/Nine/Rose 1/3
Title: Without a Doubt
Author: Joolz
Genre: Slash, Het, Threesome, Angst, First Time
Pairing: Jack/Nine/Rose
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 11,000
Season/Spoilers: Doctor Who Series 1, takes place some time after The Doctor Dances, then rejoins canon for Boom Town. No explicit spoilers.
Summary: It’s all very Greek Tragedy: the wrath of the gods, desperate decisions, heroic sacrifice, fated lovers. Oh, plus sex.
Notes: Rose is part of the pairing, but it’s more of a Jack/Doctor story, so expect her to be in the background.
Many thanks to betas![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladyra and roquentine. No British beta, that’s all on me.
Disclaimer: Not my lovely characters, just playing with them.
Warnings: Violence, graphic m/m, m/f, m/m/f sex
Link to the story in one file on my web site
Author: Joolz
Genre: Slash, Het, Threesome, Angst, First Time
Pairing: Jack/Nine/Rose
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 11,000
Season/Spoilers: Doctor Who Series 1, takes place some time after The Doctor Dances, then rejoins canon for Boom Town. No explicit spoilers.
Summary: It’s all very Greek Tragedy: the wrath of the gods, desperate decisions, heroic sacrifice, fated lovers. Oh, plus sex.
Notes: Rose is part of the pairing, but it’s more of a Jack/Doctor story, so expect her to be in the background.
Many thanks to betas
ladyra and roquentine. No British beta, that’s all on me.Disclaimer: Not my lovely characters, just playing with them.
Warnings: Violence, graphic m/m, m/f, m/m/f sex
Link to the story in one file on my web site
++++++++
Without a Doubt
The guard manhandled Jack forward down the hall. It was unnecessarily awkward, because the guard was holding onto Jack’s elbows, pulling them nearly together behind his back, and was treading on Jack’s heels every few steps.
This method of handling a prisoner opened a lot of escape options for said prisoner, but the other guards had Rose and the Doctor similarly restrained, and while Jack could easily get loose he knew he couldn’t free both of them before being stopped.
They had been so close to getting away altogether. The Doctor had made the mistake of sitting on the ‘God’s Throne’, and the locals had gone crazy. It wasn’t like it was labelled or anything, and really, not even the Doctor could be expected to know every primitive superstition on every backward planet in the universe. They had made their usual mad, exhilarating run for the Tardis, and were almost there when they had been ambushed by the guards.
Now they were being ushered roughly back into the presence of the Chief Plenipotentiary, a middle-aged blond man with a permanently constipated expression. He was awaiting the trio in a large stone chamber, seated on something much grander and gaudier than the God’s Throne that had started all the trouble.
Jack was thrown face down onto the hard floor. He flipped over quickly, ready to jump to his feet, but found the point of a spear a few inches from his chest. He frowned at it then looked up at the giant of a man standing over him.
“I usually prefer to be introduced before getting into the rough stuff,” Jack said, then used his bedroom smile. “I’m Captain Jack Harkness. And who might you be, big fella?”
The man didn’t react at all. When Jack used that look on people they usually blushed or grinned; occasionally they got angry. Jack had thought a person would have to be dead for it to have no effect. His smile faltered.
“Jack,” the Doctor said disapprovingly. “Try to behave, please.”
“I was!” he protested.
The Doctor stood to his right, in front of the Plenipotentiary, and Rose was on the floor in the same position as Jack, on his left. He winked at her. “Hey, kid.” She pulled a face at him, but didn’t look overly concerned. They got out of things like this all the time.
The local leader drew everyone’s attention by standing up suddenly, his robes spreading out around him in what was probably meant to be an impressive manner. It went right along with the blatant display of dominance involved in keeping him and Rose on the floor. Jack whispered, “Drama queen,” and Rose snickered.
The man flung his arms wide and pronounced in a loud voice, “Blasphemers! You have committed the gravest offence against our Holy Noble God.”
“Ah! About that,” the Doctor said, holding up a finger. “Sorry. No offence intended. Just felt a bit knackered and had a sit down. No harm done.”
“Silence!” the leader bellowed. “Reparation must be made, or the Holy Noble God will withdraw his protection from my people and we will be annihilated by our enemies.”
Jack didn’t hear that kind of thing often. In an age of relatively easy interstellar travel, most societies kept religious observance private and practiced some degree of tolerance toward off-world faux pas. While these people didn’t seem to utilise much advanced technology, Jack knew they were regularly visited by space traders. They shouldn’t be this sensitive.
“Oh, I see,” the Doctor deadpanned. “Annihilation. That is serious. I’m sure we can manage some reparation. I’m really quite handy. Fix things all the time, sort of my raison d’etre, you could say. What can I give you a hand with, then?”
The man glowered at the Doctor. “Blood,” he replied. “A life will be forfeit in payment. Nothing less will appease our god. Since you were the one to commit the offence, you will not be allowed the easy path of death yourself. One of your companions will die. You must decide which one, and then live with your responsibility.”
Jack hadn’t noticed them come in, but there were now at least a dozen burly guards with spears, swords and knives surrounding the three of them. The whole thing didn’t seem quite as amusing as it had a moment ago.
The Doctor frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, his leather jacket gleaming in the lantern light. “Now, Your Most Majestic Excellency, we’re certainly glad to compensate for any inadvertent lapse on our part, but that’s starting the negotiation at a bit of an extreme. What’s next on your wish list?”
Jack looked up at the Plenipotentiary and let his legs fall open. He knew the dark blue t-shirt and blue jeans displayed his body in a very favourable way. Giving his seduction voice another try, he said, “Surely there’s something we can do to make it up to you.”
The man was not swayed. He addressed the Doctor, “Nothing else. One will die. If you do not choose, both will be killed.” He looked smug, clearly enjoying the position of power.
The Doctor changed tack. “That’s a big decision. How about I sleep on it and get back to you in the morning?”
“No. Now. Decide or lose both. No more delays.”
Jack waited to see what the Doctor would do to get them out of this, but the Doctor didn’t move.
A sudden pain startled Jack, and he stared at the spear point that had cut through his shirt and pierced his skin. To his left Rose squeaked, and he looked over to see blood staining the pink hoodie where the other guard’s spear had sliced into her just below her sternum.
Jack regarded the man standing over him and saw no hesitation or compunction. He would kill Jack without remorse if ordered to, just as the other would kill Rose.
There seemed to be more armed men than ever surrounding them, crowding forward, eager for blood. Adrenalin flooded through Jack as he evaluated strategies to fight past them and get his friends to safety. He didn’t see any way for it to work. Even with the Doctor’s help, Rose was too vulnerable.
“Decide,” the leader commanded with finality.
Jack looked at the Doctor and met his eyes. Jack nodded slightly, giving his blessing, if the Doctor needed it, to make the only choice possible. Then he lay back, closed his eyes and took a deep relaxing breath, as much at peace as he could be under the circumstances. There were worse ways to go.
“Who will die?” the leader asked the Doctor.
“Rose.”
Jack’s head whipped around and his eyes flew open to gape at the Doctor. “What!” he cried. “No! Not Rose!” It didn’t make any sense. There was no way the Doctor would let Rose die. It was inconceivable. What was he thinking?
The Doctor was staring straight ahead, his face blank and his eyes cold. He couldn’t be serious!
“So be it,” their captor said and nodded to Rose’s guard.
In the space of a second Jack glanced at Rose, noting that her eyes were wide with shock and fear, and then looked at the spear resting against his chest. The other guard raised his weapon to deal the killing blow to Rose, and Jack grasped the shaft of his own guard’s spear, pushing it a few inches so that it wouldn’t be deflected by his ribs, then lunged up as he pulled the spear down. It cut into him easily, plunging into his chest at an angle that brought it to his heart.
There was pain, there most certainly was. But he could hear Rose shrieking hysterically, which meant she was still alive. That was good. That was the important thing. He had succeeded. Calmness descended over him as his awareness faded to black.
+++++++
The Doctor opened his eyes to see a white ceiling with institutional florescent lighting. It was startling, but not entirely surprising. He’d been somewhere completely different moments before, but it hadn’t felt right.
He tipped his head to the side and saw Jack lying on a medical table next to him, and Rose lying on another just beyond, with tears running down the sides of her face. They both had wires attached to various points around their heads which led to a box at the top of each table, and he realized that he had them, too.
Jack shifted slightly, scrunched his forehead and made a small noise. Rose opened her eyes and gasped, then gasped again. She was still crying.
Three men in simple white uniforms moved into the Doctor’s line of vision, clustering around Jack, removing the wires and the small pads that attached them to his head. They tried to pull him into a sitting position, but Jack remained slack under their manipulations. The Doctor fought his own lethargy to push himself up to lean on one elbow so he could watch the others more easily, and brushed his own wires away like flies.
The tallest man chattered, “Captain Harkness, sir. Please wake up now, sir. The Chief Plenipotentiary wishes to speak with you. It’s a great honour.”
Jack’s eyes opened and swept the room, not entirely focused. He said, his voice slurred, “I don’t understand.”
Their arms supporting his back, the men propped Jack up. The middle-height one said, “The Chief Plenipotentiary is going to present you with an award and a medal. Few have been given this honour. You need to come with us now.”
Frowning, Jack blinked in confusion as he looked around. Meeting the Doctor’s eyes, Jack stilled, then looked the other direction to see Rose. Again, he said, “I don’t understand.”
The shorter one answered, “The Chief Plenipotentiary will explain everything. Come along now, please.” They began manoeuvring Jack’s body off the table.
The Doctor ordered, “Leave him alone.”
The men looked at him dismissively. The short one said, “You can come too, if you like, but the ceremony is for Captain Harkness.”
They pulled Jack to his feet and supported him as his knees tried to buckle. After a moment Jack shook them off and staggered forward. The Doctor pushed himself to a sitting position, swung his legs over the side of the table and caught Jack as he crashed against him.
Letting the Doctor steady him, Jack murmured, “Oh, man. This is so weird.”
The Doctor saw that Rose was lying on her side, her arms wrapped around herself, reddened eyes fixed on Jack. He could tell that more had happened to the two of them than he knew, something that he didn’t like one bit.
One hand on Jack’s still shaky back, the Doctor asked compellingly, “Rose, can you walk? Can you come over here?”
She nodded sadly and, pulling the wires away from her head, climbed off the table to make her way towards them, supporting herself by leaning on the furniture she passed. When she joined them, she pressed her forehead against Jack’s shoulder.
Jack wrapped an arm around her and asked, “Are you all right, sweetie?”
She responded by shaking her head no, her face against his shirt. Frowning, Jack pulled her close and held her tightly.
The Doctor climbed off the table and put himself between his friends and the men who were watching them anxiously. “Now,” he said, “who’s going to explain what this is all about?”
Middle-height guy was practically wringing his hands. “As we said, His Excellency will explain everything. It’s taken longer for you all to come around than we expected, you were supposed to be there already. Please come with us, sir,” he finished, again speaking to Jack.
The young man studied them uneasily, but suggested to the Doctor, “That may be the only way we find out what’s going on. I guess we should go.”
The Doctor concurred, nodding slowly. “For now.”
One of the men led the way, while the other two herded the three travellers from behind. They were all steadier on their feet than they had been, but Rose still hadn’t spoken, which wasn’t like her. She hadn’t looked the Doctor in the eyes, either.
The room they were ushered into was quite different from the stone chamber in which they had met the leader before. If that had actually happened – the Doctor was less sure all the time. This was like a large conference room with buffet tables, people milling about as if at a cocktail party. When they walked in the crowd began to applaud.
The man he recognized as the Chief Plenipotentiary approached them, but now he was wearing a high quality dark suit that would be appropriate on any number of worlds. Rose cringed and took a step back, and Jack went with her, putting his arm around her again. The Doctor approved of his protective stance – the young man was useful that way.
The leader tried to walk around the Doctor to address Jack, but the Doctor stepped into his path. “Explain yourself,” he snapped, not feeling particularly diplomatic at the moment.
“Ah, Doctor,” the man said ingratiatingly. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but it was important that you take part in our rite of testing. Bit of a formality these days, but required of all visitors. It rarely results in anything of note, but your Captain Harkness,” he beamed over the Doctor’s shoulder at Jack, his face shining with approval, “received the highest rating possible. It is our honour to honour him.” He tried to move around the Doctor again, but the Doctor maintained his position as an obstacle.
“That’s not an explanation,” the Doctor countered.
Annoyance flashed over the leader’s face, but then he waved away the obsequious toady who tried to scold the Doctor for his lack of due respect. “Come in and have something to eat, get a drink. We’ll start the award ceremony and all your questions will be answered.” The man swept away towards the front of the room, followed by his retinue.
The Doctor looked at Jack and Rose, neither of whom seemed to be in immediate distress. He motioned with his head and led them further into the room, to where they could see the podium at the front. None of them made a move toward the snacks.
The Chief Plenipotentiary’s voice surrounded them, amplified by speakers. “Citizens, fellow Decartians, welcome to this celebration.”
When he heard the name, slips of memory started to come back to the Doctor. The planet Decart. They had arrived and were greeted in a room similar to the one they were currently in - no low-tech stone throne room, no swords or spears, but he couldn’t remember what had happened next. He shook his head to try to clear it.
The man at the podium went on, “Many first-time visitors have had the opportunity to undergo the rite of testing. These three amongst us now were all presented with a similar scenario. Their individual characters determined the outcomes.”
Beside the Doctor, Jack growled, “A virtual reality.” His face held a mixture of shock and anger. The Doctor put a calming hand on his arm.
“While the other two’s scores were unremarkable, Captain Harkness achieved the highest distinction possible, a rare occurrence. I would like to share the Captain’s response with all of you, so that you may be edified by his example as I have been.” A view screen was lowered down out of the ceiling.
The Doctor felt Jack’s muscles tense under his hand. His face ashen, Jack shook his head in negation. The Doctor tightened his grip.
An image appeared on the screen, and the events the Doctor remembered began to play out. They matched his experience in some respects – Rose and Jack on the floor held at spear tip, himself facing the ruler, an ultimatum put to him. From that moment on the scenario diverged from what the Doctor remembered.
As the Doctor watched, his blood ran cold. In less than two minutes it was over, and the Doctor felt sick to his stomach. His hand dropped from Jack’s arm and he stalked away, unable to speak.
Applause and calls of appreciation rose through the room. From a safe distance, he looked back at his companions. Jack was staring at the floor, his hands clenched by his sides, a handsome sculpture etched with fury. Rose was facing the screen, her eyes vacant and her shoulders slumped.
At the podium, the leader began speaking again. “Captain Harkness, it is my pleasure to award you this medal of the Rising Sun,” he held up a gold medallion on a chain, “the highest honour that may be bestowed upon an off-worlder, in recognition for your remarkable, exemplary, act of self-sacrifice. I would like to be able to say that anyone would exhibit this level of bravery, but unfortunately you are among the noble few. Please come forward and accept my personal congratulations. Perhaps you would favour us with some words of wisdom.”
Jack looked like he was going to lose it and start punching people, so the Doctor swallowed his own feelings and walked back to his companions, placing himself in front of and facing Jack.
“Captain,” he said softly but with authority. “What is our primary objective right now?”
Jack’s gaze focused on him. After a moment he answered, “To get the hell out of here.”
The Doctor nodded, “Right,” and stepped to Rose’s side.
“I can help with that,” Rose whispered. She closed her eyes and went limp, and the Doctor lunged to catch her before she hit the ground. Jack knelt beside them as a murmur of alarm went up from the crowd. Around them the Doctor heard a chorus of, “Poor girl, the excitement was too much for her, she’s ill, call a medic.”
The Chief Plenipotentiary hovered over them. “Oh, dear, how unfortunate. The court physician is on her way. The young lady will be attended.”
The Doctor caught Jack’s eyes, and Jack nodded his acknowledgement. Standing, Jack bared his teeth, an expression that in no way resembled the warm smiles he usually gave away so freely.
“Your Excellency,” Jack said in fawning manner, crossing one arm over his waist and bowing slightly, the other hand gesturing a flourish, “worthy people of Decart. I am deeply moved by the honour you do me, and I am, humbly, at your service.”
The Doctor tried not to grimace at the show Jack was putting on, because the crowd was eating it up.
“Unfortunately,” Jack continued, “my friend is ill and needs the specialized medical facilities on our ship.”
The Doctor stood, lifting Rose in his arms.
The Chief Plenipotentiary grasped Jack’s shoulder firmly. “But you cannot leave us yet! The ceremony hasn’t concluded.” It was an order as much as a protest.
Jack looked horrified – fake, dramatic horrified. “Oh, no, Your Worship. I’m not leaving. You have all been so gracious and generous, I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with you.” His face went sultry for a moment. “I want to get to know each and every one of you much better, and express my gratitude personally. And I should probably change into something more formal, as befits the occasion.” He waved his hand down the length of his body, and most of the eyes in the room followed appreciatively. “As soon as I have overseen the young lady’s medical treatment I’ll return to pick up where we left off.”
If Harkness wanted to start a career as an actor, or a politician, the Doctor thought, he wouldn’t need any training. He could give lessons in smarmy. The Doctor reminded himself that until recently Jack had been a con man, and probably a bloody successful one at that.
The leader opened his mouth, clearly looking for a way to object, but the Doctor didn’t give him the chance.
“Right!” he said brightly. “If someone can point out the quickest way back to the Tardis, we’ll get this little inconvenience taken care of and have Captain Harkness back with you in no time. Believe me, no one knows better than I how very much he deserves every bit of your attention.”
Jack’s smile, incredibly, became even more brittle.
One of the onlookers volunteered, “Oh, your ship is quite close. It’s just through there and into the courtyard.” He gestured toward tall French doors.
The ruler glared, but the Doctor started immediately toward the exit. “Lovely, very helpful. Cheerio, then.”
Jack followed closely, waving to the crowd regally. He grinned flirtatiously at them and pointed a finger. “Now don’t go away, not even one of you. I’ll be right back.”
It didn’t take long to find the Tardis and Jack used his key to unlock the door, which he then held open so the Doctor could carry Rose inside. As the Doctor set Rose on her feet he heard the Tardis door close and the interior lock click home. He looked down at Rose and asked, “Are you all right, really? Don’t need the medical bay?”
She gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine.” Now why didn’t he believe that?
In any event, the Doctor went directly to the console and set the controls for a holding pattern in the Vortex. The engine engaged, and they left Decart behind.
part two
Without a Doubt
The guard manhandled Jack forward down the hall. It was unnecessarily awkward, because the guard was holding onto Jack’s elbows, pulling them nearly together behind his back, and was treading on Jack’s heels every few steps.
This method of handling a prisoner opened a lot of escape options for said prisoner, but the other guards had Rose and the Doctor similarly restrained, and while Jack could easily get loose he knew he couldn’t free both of them before being stopped.
They had been so close to getting away altogether. The Doctor had made the mistake of sitting on the ‘God’s Throne’, and the locals had gone crazy. It wasn’t like it was labelled or anything, and really, not even the Doctor could be expected to know every primitive superstition on every backward planet in the universe. They had made their usual mad, exhilarating run for the Tardis, and were almost there when they had been ambushed by the guards.
Now they were being ushered roughly back into the presence of the Chief Plenipotentiary, a middle-aged blond man with a permanently constipated expression. He was awaiting the trio in a large stone chamber, seated on something much grander and gaudier than the God’s Throne that had started all the trouble.
Jack was thrown face down onto the hard floor. He flipped over quickly, ready to jump to his feet, but found the point of a spear a few inches from his chest. He frowned at it then looked up at the giant of a man standing over him.
“I usually prefer to be introduced before getting into the rough stuff,” Jack said, then used his bedroom smile. “I’m Captain Jack Harkness. And who might you be, big fella?”
The man didn’t react at all. When Jack used that look on people they usually blushed or grinned; occasionally they got angry. Jack had thought a person would have to be dead for it to have no effect. His smile faltered.
“Jack,” the Doctor said disapprovingly. “Try to behave, please.”
“I was!” he protested.
The Doctor stood to his right, in front of the Plenipotentiary, and Rose was on the floor in the same position as Jack, on his left. He winked at her. “Hey, kid.” She pulled a face at him, but didn’t look overly concerned. They got out of things like this all the time.
The local leader drew everyone’s attention by standing up suddenly, his robes spreading out around him in what was probably meant to be an impressive manner. It went right along with the blatant display of dominance involved in keeping him and Rose on the floor. Jack whispered, “Drama queen,” and Rose snickered.
The man flung his arms wide and pronounced in a loud voice, “Blasphemers! You have committed the gravest offence against our Holy Noble God.”
“Ah! About that,” the Doctor said, holding up a finger. “Sorry. No offence intended. Just felt a bit knackered and had a sit down. No harm done.”
“Silence!” the leader bellowed. “Reparation must be made, or the Holy Noble God will withdraw his protection from my people and we will be annihilated by our enemies.”
Jack didn’t hear that kind of thing often. In an age of relatively easy interstellar travel, most societies kept religious observance private and practiced some degree of tolerance toward off-world faux pas. While these people didn’t seem to utilise much advanced technology, Jack knew they were regularly visited by space traders. They shouldn’t be this sensitive.
“Oh, I see,” the Doctor deadpanned. “Annihilation. That is serious. I’m sure we can manage some reparation. I’m really quite handy. Fix things all the time, sort of my raison d’etre, you could say. What can I give you a hand with, then?”
The man glowered at the Doctor. “Blood,” he replied. “A life will be forfeit in payment. Nothing less will appease our god. Since you were the one to commit the offence, you will not be allowed the easy path of death yourself. One of your companions will die. You must decide which one, and then live with your responsibility.”
Jack hadn’t noticed them come in, but there were now at least a dozen burly guards with spears, swords and knives surrounding the three of them. The whole thing didn’t seem quite as amusing as it had a moment ago.
The Doctor frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, his leather jacket gleaming in the lantern light. “Now, Your Most Majestic Excellency, we’re certainly glad to compensate for any inadvertent lapse on our part, but that’s starting the negotiation at a bit of an extreme. What’s next on your wish list?”
Jack looked up at the Plenipotentiary and let his legs fall open. He knew the dark blue t-shirt and blue jeans displayed his body in a very favourable way. Giving his seduction voice another try, he said, “Surely there’s something we can do to make it up to you.”
The man was not swayed. He addressed the Doctor, “Nothing else. One will die. If you do not choose, both will be killed.” He looked smug, clearly enjoying the position of power.
The Doctor changed tack. “That’s a big decision. How about I sleep on it and get back to you in the morning?”
“No. Now. Decide or lose both. No more delays.”
Jack waited to see what the Doctor would do to get them out of this, but the Doctor didn’t move.
A sudden pain startled Jack, and he stared at the spear point that had cut through his shirt and pierced his skin. To his left Rose squeaked, and he looked over to see blood staining the pink hoodie where the other guard’s spear had sliced into her just below her sternum.
Jack regarded the man standing over him and saw no hesitation or compunction. He would kill Jack without remorse if ordered to, just as the other would kill Rose.
There seemed to be more armed men than ever surrounding them, crowding forward, eager for blood. Adrenalin flooded through Jack as he evaluated strategies to fight past them and get his friends to safety. He didn’t see any way for it to work. Even with the Doctor’s help, Rose was too vulnerable.
“Decide,” the leader commanded with finality.
Jack looked at the Doctor and met his eyes. Jack nodded slightly, giving his blessing, if the Doctor needed it, to make the only choice possible. Then he lay back, closed his eyes and took a deep relaxing breath, as much at peace as he could be under the circumstances. There were worse ways to go.
“Who will die?” the leader asked the Doctor.
“Rose.”
Jack’s head whipped around and his eyes flew open to gape at the Doctor. “What!” he cried. “No! Not Rose!” It didn’t make any sense. There was no way the Doctor would let Rose die. It was inconceivable. What was he thinking?
The Doctor was staring straight ahead, his face blank and his eyes cold. He couldn’t be serious!
“So be it,” their captor said and nodded to Rose’s guard.
In the space of a second Jack glanced at Rose, noting that her eyes were wide with shock and fear, and then looked at the spear resting against his chest. The other guard raised his weapon to deal the killing blow to Rose, and Jack grasped the shaft of his own guard’s spear, pushing it a few inches so that it wouldn’t be deflected by his ribs, then lunged up as he pulled the spear down. It cut into him easily, plunging into his chest at an angle that brought it to his heart.
There was pain, there most certainly was. But he could hear Rose shrieking hysterically, which meant she was still alive. That was good. That was the important thing. He had succeeded. Calmness descended over him as his awareness faded to black.
+++++++
The Doctor opened his eyes to see a white ceiling with institutional florescent lighting. It was startling, but not entirely surprising. He’d been somewhere completely different moments before, but it hadn’t felt right.
He tipped his head to the side and saw Jack lying on a medical table next to him, and Rose lying on another just beyond, with tears running down the sides of her face. They both had wires attached to various points around their heads which led to a box at the top of each table, and he realized that he had them, too.
Jack shifted slightly, scrunched his forehead and made a small noise. Rose opened her eyes and gasped, then gasped again. She was still crying.
Three men in simple white uniforms moved into the Doctor’s line of vision, clustering around Jack, removing the wires and the small pads that attached them to his head. They tried to pull him into a sitting position, but Jack remained slack under their manipulations. The Doctor fought his own lethargy to push himself up to lean on one elbow so he could watch the others more easily, and brushed his own wires away like flies.
The tallest man chattered, “Captain Harkness, sir. Please wake up now, sir. The Chief Plenipotentiary wishes to speak with you. It’s a great honour.”
Jack’s eyes opened and swept the room, not entirely focused. He said, his voice slurred, “I don’t understand.”
Their arms supporting his back, the men propped Jack up. The middle-height one said, “The Chief Plenipotentiary is going to present you with an award and a medal. Few have been given this honour. You need to come with us now.”
Frowning, Jack blinked in confusion as he looked around. Meeting the Doctor’s eyes, Jack stilled, then looked the other direction to see Rose. Again, he said, “I don’t understand.”
The shorter one answered, “The Chief Plenipotentiary will explain everything. Come along now, please.” They began manoeuvring Jack’s body off the table.
The Doctor ordered, “Leave him alone.”
The men looked at him dismissively. The short one said, “You can come too, if you like, but the ceremony is for Captain Harkness.”
They pulled Jack to his feet and supported him as his knees tried to buckle. After a moment Jack shook them off and staggered forward. The Doctor pushed himself to a sitting position, swung his legs over the side of the table and caught Jack as he crashed against him.
Letting the Doctor steady him, Jack murmured, “Oh, man. This is so weird.”
The Doctor saw that Rose was lying on her side, her arms wrapped around herself, reddened eyes fixed on Jack. He could tell that more had happened to the two of them than he knew, something that he didn’t like one bit.
One hand on Jack’s still shaky back, the Doctor asked compellingly, “Rose, can you walk? Can you come over here?”
She nodded sadly and, pulling the wires away from her head, climbed off the table to make her way towards them, supporting herself by leaning on the furniture she passed. When she joined them, she pressed her forehead against Jack’s shoulder.
Jack wrapped an arm around her and asked, “Are you all right, sweetie?”
She responded by shaking her head no, her face against his shirt. Frowning, Jack pulled her close and held her tightly.
The Doctor climbed off the table and put himself between his friends and the men who were watching them anxiously. “Now,” he said, “who’s going to explain what this is all about?”
Middle-height guy was practically wringing his hands. “As we said, His Excellency will explain everything. It’s taken longer for you all to come around than we expected, you were supposed to be there already. Please come with us, sir,” he finished, again speaking to Jack.
The young man studied them uneasily, but suggested to the Doctor, “That may be the only way we find out what’s going on. I guess we should go.”
The Doctor concurred, nodding slowly. “For now.”
One of the men led the way, while the other two herded the three travellers from behind. They were all steadier on their feet than they had been, but Rose still hadn’t spoken, which wasn’t like her. She hadn’t looked the Doctor in the eyes, either.
The room they were ushered into was quite different from the stone chamber in which they had met the leader before. If that had actually happened – the Doctor was less sure all the time. This was like a large conference room with buffet tables, people milling about as if at a cocktail party. When they walked in the crowd began to applaud.
The man he recognized as the Chief Plenipotentiary approached them, but now he was wearing a high quality dark suit that would be appropriate on any number of worlds. Rose cringed and took a step back, and Jack went with her, putting his arm around her again. The Doctor approved of his protective stance – the young man was useful that way.
The leader tried to walk around the Doctor to address Jack, but the Doctor stepped into his path. “Explain yourself,” he snapped, not feeling particularly diplomatic at the moment.
“Ah, Doctor,” the man said ingratiatingly. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but it was important that you take part in our rite of testing. Bit of a formality these days, but required of all visitors. It rarely results in anything of note, but your Captain Harkness,” he beamed over the Doctor’s shoulder at Jack, his face shining with approval, “received the highest rating possible. It is our honour to honour him.” He tried to move around the Doctor again, but the Doctor maintained his position as an obstacle.
“That’s not an explanation,” the Doctor countered.
Annoyance flashed over the leader’s face, but then he waved away the obsequious toady who tried to scold the Doctor for his lack of due respect. “Come in and have something to eat, get a drink. We’ll start the award ceremony and all your questions will be answered.” The man swept away towards the front of the room, followed by his retinue.
The Doctor looked at Jack and Rose, neither of whom seemed to be in immediate distress. He motioned with his head and led them further into the room, to where they could see the podium at the front. None of them made a move toward the snacks.
The Chief Plenipotentiary’s voice surrounded them, amplified by speakers. “Citizens, fellow Decartians, welcome to this celebration.”
When he heard the name, slips of memory started to come back to the Doctor. The planet Decart. They had arrived and were greeted in a room similar to the one they were currently in - no low-tech stone throne room, no swords or spears, but he couldn’t remember what had happened next. He shook his head to try to clear it.
The man at the podium went on, “Many first-time visitors have had the opportunity to undergo the rite of testing. These three amongst us now were all presented with a similar scenario. Their individual characters determined the outcomes.”
Beside the Doctor, Jack growled, “A virtual reality.” His face held a mixture of shock and anger. The Doctor put a calming hand on his arm.
“While the other two’s scores were unremarkable, Captain Harkness achieved the highest distinction possible, a rare occurrence. I would like to share the Captain’s response with all of you, so that you may be edified by his example as I have been.” A view screen was lowered down out of the ceiling.
The Doctor felt Jack’s muscles tense under his hand. His face ashen, Jack shook his head in negation. The Doctor tightened his grip.
An image appeared on the screen, and the events the Doctor remembered began to play out. They matched his experience in some respects – Rose and Jack on the floor held at spear tip, himself facing the ruler, an ultimatum put to him. From that moment on the scenario diverged from what the Doctor remembered.
As the Doctor watched, his blood ran cold. In less than two minutes it was over, and the Doctor felt sick to his stomach. His hand dropped from Jack’s arm and he stalked away, unable to speak.
Applause and calls of appreciation rose through the room. From a safe distance, he looked back at his companions. Jack was staring at the floor, his hands clenched by his sides, a handsome sculpture etched with fury. Rose was facing the screen, her eyes vacant and her shoulders slumped.
At the podium, the leader began speaking again. “Captain Harkness, it is my pleasure to award you this medal of the Rising Sun,” he held up a gold medallion on a chain, “the highest honour that may be bestowed upon an off-worlder, in recognition for your remarkable, exemplary, act of self-sacrifice. I would like to be able to say that anyone would exhibit this level of bravery, but unfortunately you are among the noble few. Please come forward and accept my personal congratulations. Perhaps you would favour us with some words of wisdom.”
Jack looked like he was going to lose it and start punching people, so the Doctor swallowed his own feelings and walked back to his companions, placing himself in front of and facing Jack.
“Captain,” he said softly but with authority. “What is our primary objective right now?”
Jack’s gaze focused on him. After a moment he answered, “To get the hell out of here.”
The Doctor nodded, “Right,” and stepped to Rose’s side.
“I can help with that,” Rose whispered. She closed her eyes and went limp, and the Doctor lunged to catch her before she hit the ground. Jack knelt beside them as a murmur of alarm went up from the crowd. Around them the Doctor heard a chorus of, “Poor girl, the excitement was too much for her, she’s ill, call a medic.”
The Chief Plenipotentiary hovered over them. “Oh, dear, how unfortunate. The court physician is on her way. The young lady will be attended.”
The Doctor caught Jack’s eyes, and Jack nodded his acknowledgement. Standing, Jack bared his teeth, an expression that in no way resembled the warm smiles he usually gave away so freely.
“Your Excellency,” Jack said in fawning manner, crossing one arm over his waist and bowing slightly, the other hand gesturing a flourish, “worthy people of Decart. I am deeply moved by the honour you do me, and I am, humbly, at your service.”
The Doctor tried not to grimace at the show Jack was putting on, because the crowd was eating it up.
“Unfortunately,” Jack continued, “my friend is ill and needs the specialized medical facilities on our ship.”
The Doctor stood, lifting Rose in his arms.
The Chief Plenipotentiary grasped Jack’s shoulder firmly. “But you cannot leave us yet! The ceremony hasn’t concluded.” It was an order as much as a protest.
Jack looked horrified – fake, dramatic horrified. “Oh, no, Your Worship. I’m not leaving. You have all been so gracious and generous, I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with you.” His face went sultry for a moment. “I want to get to know each and every one of you much better, and express my gratitude personally. And I should probably change into something more formal, as befits the occasion.” He waved his hand down the length of his body, and most of the eyes in the room followed appreciatively. “As soon as I have overseen the young lady’s medical treatment I’ll return to pick up where we left off.”
If Harkness wanted to start a career as an actor, or a politician, the Doctor thought, he wouldn’t need any training. He could give lessons in smarmy. The Doctor reminded himself that until recently Jack had been a con man, and probably a bloody successful one at that.
The leader opened his mouth, clearly looking for a way to object, but the Doctor didn’t give him the chance.
“Right!” he said brightly. “If someone can point out the quickest way back to the Tardis, we’ll get this little inconvenience taken care of and have Captain Harkness back with you in no time. Believe me, no one knows better than I how very much he deserves every bit of your attention.”
Jack’s smile, incredibly, became even more brittle.
One of the onlookers volunteered, “Oh, your ship is quite close. It’s just through there and into the courtyard.” He gestured toward tall French doors.
The ruler glared, but the Doctor started immediately toward the exit. “Lovely, very helpful. Cheerio, then.”
Jack followed closely, waving to the crowd regally. He grinned flirtatiously at them and pointed a finger. “Now don’t go away, not even one of you. I’ll be right back.”
It didn’t take long to find the Tardis and Jack used his key to unlock the door, which he then held open so the Doctor could carry Rose inside. As the Doctor set Rose on her feet he heard the Tardis door close and the interior lock click home. He looked down at Rose and asked, “Are you all right, really? Don’t need the medical bay?”
She gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine.” Now why didn’t he believe that?
In any event, the Doctor went directly to the console and set the controls for a holding pattern in the Vortex. The engine engaged, and they left Decart behind.
part two