stay calm. it will be okay. you have my word. Episode Fifteen: Ignoring stuff is always an option, up until it kills you
This is episode fifteen! To start reading from the beginning, check out Pilot : The Season Two Ending We Deserved
Story Summary
Turn off “The Reality War” at 40:15 and start here instead. This is the story of what happened after—the story where the Doctor, Bel, and their extraordinary daughter Poppy get to live the life they deserve.
It’s about finding family across time and space. It’s the Doctor and Bel co-parenting like the besties they are, Poppy growing up splitting her time between 21st-century London and the far-future of the Preservation Alliance, and a Sanctuary Moon fanclub that spans across the universe. It’s Rogue getting the ending he deserves, Jenny finding her fathers, Murderbot reluctantly acquiring more humans, and a universe where love, in all its forms, is the most powerful weapon we have.
This is a fusion-fix-it full of gratuitous wish fulfillment, because sometimes the best way to heal is to rewrite the story. 💕💕
Episode Summary:
Poppy’s first research expedition without either of her parents went pretty well. So of course disaster strikes just before they make it home.
Notes:
The way I actually finished writing this chapter like. three weeks ago and yet for reasons I cannot explain it took me this long to post it 😭
In any case, happy new year! (They say, already 13 days into 2026).
This chapter is where we really start to get into the thick of Network Effect spoilers, so if you haven’t read the book either go do so now and come back (which I highly recommend because it’s an excellent book) or continue and accept you’ll be spoiled. I think I’ve done an alright job of not completely copying the book and making things boring for the people who have read it while also making sure that things are understandable for people who haven’t read the book, but it’s a delicate balance so please do let me know what you think in the comments! It’s also a long one, and a bit of a doozy if I may say so myself, so buckle up.
As always, Thanks so much to everyone who has left comments and kudos, and special thanks to Fire_Phoenix2305 and tinysugacube for their beta work/tolerating me blowing up the group chat on a daily basis as I come up with ideas for this fic, and to Marvin for his seal of approval!
Episode Fifteen: Ignoring stuff is always an option, up until it kills you
“Honestly, if you had listened to me in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” Poppy told Amena with a raised eyebrow. “I did warn you that he was bad news.”
“You’re not supposed to take its side.” Amena scowled. “You’re my friend.”
“Yes, I am your friend, which is why I’m being honest with you in saying that it wasn’t wrong to scare him away. That guy was super sketchy.”
“Maybe,” Amena sighed. “But I still don’t like that it was following me.”
“It has charged itself with your second mom’s protection. That means, by extension, you. Now hand me that multitool. I need to adjust something here.”
“Here.” Amena tossed the tool across the room. “I’m glad you came with me on this trip.”
“Of course I did.” Poppy grinned before turning her attention to her task. “It’s been fun—I mean, aside from getting attacked by raiders and everything.”
“That was a low point, yes. But SecUnit handled it.”
“See, maybe SecUnit isn’t so bad after all,” Poppy teased.
“I never said it was bad. I’m just being caut—” Amena’s words were cut off as there was a ping on the team feed from SecUnit.
Dr. Arada, we’re being approached by a potentially hostile vessel. A boarding attempt may be imminent.
Poppy and Amena exchanged a look of alarm even as the team feed exploded with chatter.
“We need to try to get into a more secure location,” Poppy urged, even as she set down the sensitive equipment she had been working with.
“You’re not wrong. We need to clean this up, though—it’s dangerous to leave things unsecured.” They rushed around the room together, making sure that there wasn’t anything out that could present a danger if left alone. Pilot Roa made a more general announcement communicating the same as what SecUnit had already told them, and they had just finished locking everything down and were about to make their way out of the room when they felt it.
The ship was hit. The ship not so much shook as surged with power. The lights flickered before going out, only the glow of the emergency lighting providing a way to see in the dim room. The artificial gravity fluctuated enough to cause everything not nailed down—including themselves—to float briefly before slamming back into the floor. It was a good thing they had taken the time to secure everything, or the sensitive chemicals they had been working with might have done additional damage beyond the general equipment crashing to the ground, glass shattering. That could be easily fixed. What was less easily fixed was how Amena was now pinned down by a lab bench that made it impossible to substantially move her leg.
“Amena!” Poppy shouted in alarm, running over to where her friend was stuck. “Are you alright?”
“I’ve been better.” Amena winced. “Yeah, that’s not moving any time soon.”
“I’m trying to call for assistance, but the whole comm system is down,” Poppy frowned.
“At least the ship seems more steady.” Amena shrugged. “You should be able to go try and find everyone in person.”
“And leave you here, trapped and helpless? When we’re going to be boarded by hostiles any minute?” Poppy scowled. “Not an option.”
“Poppy, this isn’t the time to be stubborn. Our best chance of getting out of this is for you to find help. I’m not moving any time soon.”
“…I hate that you’re right,” Poppy huffed. “Fine, I’ll go find out what’s going on.” She strode over to the hatch… and realized that she couldn’t open it.
“The manual release got blown with the power surge,” Poppy huffed, all her attempts at opening the hatch proving futile. “I can’t get it open.”
“Well, there goes that plan,” Amena groaned.
“Someone will find us; they’ll be doing a headcount soon and they’ll find us, especially with hostiles incoming. Now, let me see about moving that bench.”
“Poppy, no, you need to focus on getting that door open, the hostiles might—”
“Amena, the hatch is fused, and we don’t have the tools to open it. And yes, the hostiles might get here first—but if we’re to survive that, you’ll need more freedom of movement.”
Poppy went digging through the fallen equipment and found one of the tools they used for chipping rock samples. After taking a moment to figure out where and how Amena was most stuck, she started trying to use it to pry up the strut that was pinning Amena down. The stress of her attempts to pull was causing her own hands to bleed; but try as she might, it felt impossible to get leverage—and from the way that Amena was making small whimpers of pain, she worried that she was actually making things worse.
After what felt like an eternity but was actually likely only a few minutes, the hatch release clunked; and the hatch was dragged open to reveal SecUnit, along with a few of its drones. Poppy’s body flooded with relief.
“The hatch wouldn’t open,” she gasped. “And Amena is stuck, can you—”
It pulled her out of the room and into the corridor before striding towards Amena. “Get to the gravity well, now!” SecUnit insisted.
“Poppy, go!” Amena cried out.
“Absolutely not.” Poppy scowled. “I’m not leaving you!”
Don’t be a stupid human, SecUnit told her in the feed, even as it managed to pull Amena free.
I’m not human, she shot back, stepping back into the room. It scowled even as it used its strength to pull up the bench, allowing Poppy to pull Amena free.
I have to run, I can’t carry you both.
Good thing I’m fast then. It was true, Poppy was fast. She and SecUnit had raced at more than one point, and it knew she could keep up with it.
They glared at each other for a moment before SecUnit sighed, picking up Amena, who was still unsteady on her feet. “Hold on,” it said to Amena, who dizzily wrapped her arms and good leg around SecUnit’s torso in what 21st century humans called a piggyback ride. “And you, keep up,” it told Poppy before taking off at a run. It wasn’t at all SecUnit’s top speed; and Poppy was easily able to keep pace, even with the debris scattered around the narrow corridor. They had almost made it to the end when the hatch blew with a loud pop, the smell of melted metal and ozone flooding the corridor. SecUnit took a silent step backward, then another, and Poppy followed in tandem, both of them keeping the motion smooth and slow. Amena was silent, holding herself stiff and immobile against SecUnit’s side. Poppy’s hearts were pounding, and she assumed it was the same for Amena.
They eased back around the curve of the corridor, and stepped into the first open hatch. No noise, SecUnit said to them through their feeds, and they both nodded immediately. Its face was as reassuring as Poppy had ever seen it—SecUnit had a severe case of resting bitch face, and rarely did it make an effort to look otherwise. Still, it shifted to concentration as they stood together, Poppy and Amena both holding their breath. Close the hatches, Arada. Do it now. They have drones. Poppy and Amena exchanged nervous looks, but said nothing, not even over the feed.
There was a burst of feed static before Overse—one of their team members and wife of their team’s leader, Arada—broke through into the relay SecUnit had set up to replace their broken comm system. SecUnit, SecUnit, can you hear me? We’ve jettisoned the facility from baseship and are in the safepod, about to launch. Can you get to the EVAC suits in the lower secondary lock? Baseship can catch you in their tractor.
Copy, we’ll go for the EVAC suits, Sec Unit replied as it picked up Amena again. It gestured for Poppy to follow, and they carefully made their way to the engineering outer hatch foyer. The light from the emergency markers led them to the EVAC suits. Poppy helped Amena tie back her hair and hop into hers before getting on her own suit. SecUnit had ordered its remaining drones to go dormant on its person and was fully suited up by the time that Poppy and Amena were securing their helmets. A secure feed connection engaged, and SecUnit pinged them both through it. Don’t use your comms.
Poppy and Amena both nodded and exchanged nervous looks before taking each other’s hands.
Got it, Amena replied. She was steadier on her feet now that the suit was doing more of the work to support her.
We’re ready, Poppy added. SecUnit instructed the suits to follow it and opened the airlock.
It went out first, towing Amena and Poppy behind it, and pulled them along the hull. It tapped the baseship’s feed.
We’ve got you on visual, Roa said hurriedly. I’m sending coordinates, and Mihail will pull you in with the tractor.
Where is Overse? SecUnit sent after downloading the projected path and beginning to take them along it. She reported that she was in the facility safepod with other survey team members.
What does that mean? Amena asked.
Is Overse and everyone okay? Poppy added.
Before SecUnit could respond or do anything else, their scans picked up an energy surge, their imaging going down and the suits’ helmet plates going dark, protecting their eyes against a flash, not that Poppy’s or SecUnit’s needed it, though it was a good thing for Amena, who made a startled noise. Static blotted out the feed connection for a moment, and then Copilot Mihail said That was a miss, repeat, attacker fired and missed—
Rajpreet, a specialist and part of the ship’s crew, came in more faintly as he said, Are they aiming for the safepod? The rest was lost in static. The three of them ordered their suits to clear their visors to see the approaching ship. The hull was big and dark, reflecting the light from Preservation’s distant primary star.
That’s— SecUnit began, before stopping. Poppy could only barely see the edge of its face, and was surprised by how blatantly it was displaying shock.
That’s what? Poppy asked, but then the ship fired again.
It was another miss! Roa said. No damage.
The vector was way off, I don’t even think— Mihail paused. Maybe a warning shot?
Baseship, are you still ready to catch us? SecUnit asked.
Mihail, are you— Roa began before saying, Yes, yes, SecUnit, go, we’re ready!
They only had a short while longer to go before suddenly something grabbed their suits and tugged them. It was so gentle they would not have even realized the danger except for the way the suits’ emergency alarms were going off and Mihail was frantically cursing through the feed. The hostile ship had them in a tractor beam and was pulling them towards the hull.
Amena’s voice was high with distress. They’ve got the facility, why do they want us?
I don’t know, SecUnit replied. Poppy’s mind was whirring as she tried to reason what was going on. Clearly these hostiles were not there for the facility, not if they were making intentionally wide shots at the baseship and were abandoning their research labs to take three people hostage. Amena, lovely and smart and talented as she was, was still only a baseline human, her parents having forbidden any augments until she was of age; and she had yet to decide on which to get despite now technically being a legal adult. Poppy’s status as anything other than the same was a secret. So the question was, had that secret been uncovered? Were these hostiles in search of a Time-Lord-human hybrid? Or did they want SecUnit?
As the tractor pulled them into the ship’s large airlock, Roa’s voice yelled over the feed, It’s accelerating toward the wormhole! We’re losing it— As the hatch slid shut, the baseship feed dropped.
The lock cycled, air whooshing in, and the hatch slid open. Still, there was no feed available, no comm activity. The wide corridor beyond the inner lock was empty, lights on medium strength. It was quiet and empty on visual, scan, and audio. A transparent locker built into the bulkhead held a row of empty EVAC suits, dormant and ready for emergencies. Their suits were reading the air system level as full. Safe for humans, augmented humans, half-humans, and constructs. In other words, the three of them would be safe to breathe here.
As they stepped into the corridor, the lights brightened. Poppy’s mind continued to whirr as she took everything in, analysing their surroundings and doing her best to try and puzzle together why they had been taken here.
Where are the crew? Why did they do this? What do they want with us? Amena asked. When neither of them responded, she added in a small voice, Will at least one of you please talk to me? Poppy felt guilty, realizing she had switched her brain to her typical “adventures through time and space” mode, with a twinge of extra anxiety borne from the fact that this was her first time adventuring into the unknown without one or both of her parents present. Still, she made an effort to turn towards Amena and squeeze her hand in as much comfort as she could through their suits.
“I think I recognize this ship,” SecUnit said before Poppy could come up with anything. “But it’s not supposed to be here.”
“What—what ship is it?” Amena asked, sniffling.
“What do those patches on the EVAC suits say?” SecUnit asked.
Amena and Poppy stepped closer to the locker, hands still tightly clasped together. “Perihelion,” Amena said aloud. “Pansystem University of Mihira and New Tideland.”
“This must be a stolen survey ship,” Poppy mused. “The raiders must have armed it.”
“It was already armed,” SecUnit told them. Poppy raised her eyebrows. SecUnit was familiar with a university survey ship that happened to also be armed. Armed and after them. Even as her anxiety spiked, part of her was also calmed. It was statistically unlikely for this to be a coincidence, meaning that her own secret was relatively safe. “It’s a deep space research and teaching vessel with a full crew and passenger complement. Between missions it travels as a bot-piloted cargo vessel, but Preservation isn’t on its route.”
“Research and teaching vessel,” Amena repeated slowly, taking in SecUnit’s words. Poppy was taking them in as well, but even more than that taking in its tone. SecUnit was deeply upset. Something was wrong, beyond just the fact that they had been attacked and captured against their will. “If the raiders had a ship this big, with weapons, why bother with us?” Amena was asking. “Maybe they thought we had something valuable on board?” Or someone, Poppy thought, keeping her eyes on SecUnit. “Or do they just go around attacking research ships? They just hate research?” Poppy snorted at Amena’s sarcastic tone. She could tell that her friend was scared, and truthfully she was as well. But a small part of her was also thrilled at this chance for a real adventure. Part of her missed the feeling of comfort that doing this sort of thing with her dad always filled her with, but she also couldn’t help but be excited at the opportunity to have her own dance with danger without her parents around.
“Wait, you know this ship.” Amena’s voice had turned suspicious, and Poppy couldn’t help but agree. “Did you do something to them? Are they here after you?”
“Of course not,” SecUnit said, almost automatically. A lie, but Poppy let it slide. SecUnit was clearly on the verge of panic, though to be fair it was hiding it so well that she didn’t expect Amena would be able to tell.
SecUnit’s EVAC suit helmet opened and it released its drones. Two took up guard positions at either end of the corridor, with the others going farther, presumably to engage in sweeps. Then it opened its suit and stepped out.
“Is that a good idea?” Amena asked, even as Poppy also began to step out of her suit.
Poppy shrugged. “I don’t have a better one.”
“I guess we can’t stay in these things forever,” Amena muttered, opening her suit. Poppy helped her out until she was standing unsupported, albeit shaking, sweating, and favoring her uninjured leg.
They slowly made their way through the corridor, none of them making a sound. Suddenly, the ship’s comm chimed, an automatic response to a ping. Keeping its voice low, SecUnit told them, “That was me.”
“Why?” Amena asked, before sighing. “Right, I suppose they already know we are here, seeing as they kidnapped us.”
Before she could continue or either of them could respond, something appeared in their peripheral vision, though not soon enough for them to do anything about it. The object slammed into SecUnit, and it was thrown against the wall, eyes shutting automatically as it suffered a system crash. Poppy scrambled to pick up its fallen weapon, even as Amena stood in shock.
“What was that?” Amena gasped. “Who—”
She abruptly stopped as two people walked into the room. They were both tall and thin, and appeared more or less human, though Poppy knew that didn’t always mean that they were. They both had multiple augments, and their skin was a dull gray. They were wearing form-fitting protective suits and partial helmets.
“What do you want with us?” Poppy asked, accusingly, lifting the weapon. She had no idea how to use it, but they didn’t know that.
“We only need one of you, really,” one of the unknowns said. Before Poppy could react or even figure out how to use the weapon, she was hit with an energy blast and fell to the ground—by all appearances, dead.
End Notes:
*insert evil laughter*
Listen, I am a lil 🤏🏽 sorry, and promise that the next chapter will be released soonish. It’s not quite finished yet, but almost there. And what I will promise is that it picks up with Poppy & co. so you will get your cliffhanger resolved next chapter instead of switching POV back to one of the other protagonists in this ensemble cast of a fic.
Also, if it makes you feel any better, I wrote a fluffy TimeRogue oneshot as part of a Secret Santa Exchange that is set in this universe. You can read i’d fall for you in every dimension by either clicking on that hyperlink or going forward to the next fic in this series. 😊