Draw Down the Moon

Two of Cups closer comes, crowned by the Magician.
Sometimes Knight, Fool, Thief, but always the Physician.
Who is the Shadow man, The World upon his heel,
Tossing Ace of Coins on edge, stopping Fortune's Wheel.

Safe in The Priestess columns, Queen of Cups is musing.
Hanged-Man and Hermit speak, they keep it all confusing.
Hermes shadow stretches long, The Chariot comes a'callin
Rise The Moon, Reverse The Devil, The Tower goes a'fallin

Shadow Man! What have you done? Rainbows in the sky
Inverse The Star, The mill chase cease, the Silver River dry

 

I ran outside. The Doctor was jabbering to fierce looking witches, some of whom were the ones we encountered before. I ran up beside him.

 "It's important to keep them occupied here. Let me handle the fleet ship. Keep those trees secret and safe," he ordered.

I looked at the sky and didn't see anything. "Doctor, I don't see a ship."

 He turned and pointed at me. "Fortune teller, you're with me." The shadow Doctor turned away and fled towards the TARDIS.

I ran after him. "Doctor! There isn't a ship..." There was a rumble in the sky. A huge dark cloud formation developed and pushed away the mackerel sky. An enormous ship appeared from within the formation and let loose a rain of flying black dots that showered like confetti to the ground below. I looked back to my static Doctor. "All right then! Doctor, there is a ship in the sky!"

"Yes! Thank you for joining the show!"

As we neared the doors of the TARDIS, he raised his hand and clicked his fingers. The doors opened wide, and we fled into them. The Doctor ran to the console. I turned to shut the doors. "Doctor, how? Why?"

"That hardly matters now!" He danced around the console. "Come on, sexy! Do your thing and make me proud!" Flipping the lever, the TARDIS wasted no time and made no complaint. Her wheezing engine sound started up right away. "That's my girl!" He laughed and patted her glass cylinder.

 I ran to the console and held on. "Doctor, what are Daleks?"

"You're about to find out," he replied. The landing thud resounded clearly. He came closer to me and grabbed my hand. "Whatever you do, do not show them your arm. Am I clear?"

"Like glass, beggar man. Let's go save the sisters," I said. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver with one hand and yanked me towards the doors with the other.

 

We stepped out and ran down a corridor. There was a sound coming from the T-intersection ahead. The Doctor threw himself and me against the wall, just out of sight. Three rolling garbage cans rolled by, each of them sporting what appeared to be a sink plunger and a cooking whisk. I could not believe my eyes. "Doctor," I whispered. "What are they?"

 "A rampaging army hell-bent on consuming the universe," he said. "Nazis in a tin can with advanced technology and weapons that disintegrate their enemies."

 "And anyone who isn't like them is an enemy, right?"

"Yes."

"Oh bother," I sighed. "How are we going to stop them from taking the planet. Talking to them will not work."

"Usually, I get captured, distract them, and a plan presents itself," he said, offhandedly. He stepped away from the wall and faced me. "I don't believe you are a Fortune teller, Jessica. But I think you know more than you think you know. Tell me, how would you handle the tin problem? Make it funny."

 I shook my head. "That's...I can't...how could I possibly make this funny?"

The Doctor turned away. "You're probably right. Your jokes aren't funny away."

"Not as funny as your faces, begger man," I replied, defensively. "There is not enough humor in the universe to cover all your faces."

"Oh, that's original. A face joke," He rolled his head.

 "I'm not a comedian. I'm not witty."

"Now, there's a statement."

"Why don't you come up with something," I demanded. "Can't you do a hive mind thing. All those faces, all those Doctors. They are all you. Ask them."

"It doesn't work like that."

"Why not? Even humans have a version of it."

"Version of what?"

"A hive mind. Twitter, Facebook, you know, social media. They have a question, and they post it up. Haven't you heard of Reddit?" The Doctor fell silent. "I guess you haven't then. It's okay you're an alien. You wouldn't be on social media."

 "No, you're wrong. Now, Take off your helmet," he said. He came at me, reaching out his hands. "Let me help you."

I stepped back and grabbed my helmet. "No way!"

"Yes, yes, quickly now," he insisted. "I need to get at your module. The helmet is in the way." He brandished his screwdriver at me. "I need full wi-fi."

"Just do it through the helmet."

"Jessica," he said. "Please. Trust me."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "I'll be angry if I get another head injury." I unstrapped the helmet. Then, I took it off and handed it to him.

He took the helmet with one hand and pointed his screwdriver at me with the other. "Define head injury." The screwdriver whistled at me. "Brace yourself. I am repolarizing the damper into an amplifier."

It was too much to describe. I could see worlds and knew all living things within it. I heard a far-off female voice, sing to me. Suddenly, I knew the answer. This was too much for my human mind to process. I needed to diversify.

 My mind exploded into many parts of a whole. I could see through the eyes of the witches on the planet below. I felt what they felt; fear, pain, courage, and determination. They all rallied around one idea, protect life. I understood why the Carrionites were all women. What other force in all creation would be better than a mother protecting life?

"I need the fourteen," I said, in multiple voices. The bus lines on my body pulsed with a green-yellow glow.

"Why do you need fourteen?" asked the Doctor.

I turned to the Doctor, my eyes burning. "To draw down the Moon."

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