Post by Oldmankrondas on May 2, 2009 22:11:53 GMT
'Henry what the hell has been going on here?' The Doctor, Anna and Professor Sterling all turned to the door to see a tall bespectacled man in a blue pinstripe suit, white shirt and purple tie. He was younger than Sterling, Anna thought, and more handsome, unruly black hair with a stubbly and square jaw. She suspected he may be the one in charge of charming the government types, he was pale though, clearly upset about something. 'Claire tells me Mitchell is missing, and who are these two?'
'I'm the Doctor!' replied the Doctor, outstretching a hand and grinning. The man in the suit ignored this and kept his eyes fixed on Sterling who was struggling to form a reply, his throat drying up. 'Professor Sterling's very sorry, but he's got a bit of a dry throat.' The man turned to the Doctor and looked him up and down suspiciously, not sure what to make of him. 'I'm the Doctor and this is Anna, we're here to stop you.' The Doctor said as politely as possible, outstretching a hand again which, the bewildered man in the suit shook.
'To be honest...Doctor...I'm not about to disagree with you. I'm Professor Ryan by the way.'
'Pleased to meet you.' the Doctor replied, kneeling down and producing a small torch from his pocket and flashing it in Sterling's eyes. He made a few concerned sounds before turning to Ryan. 'Professor Sterling here has been infected, something inside him is disintegrating anything it touches and once it converts the good Professor it will proceed to run riot across our universe, disintegrating everything it touched.'
Ryan was dumbstruck, and looked to the blonde girl who was standing next to the Doctor as if this were the most normal thing in the world. 'I'm not sure I understand, and what's happened to Mitchell?'
'MITCHELL!' the Doctor cried out, slamming his palm against his forehead. 'Okay, Professor Ryan, you need to get your security men to bring my TARDIS here.' The professor shrugged. 'Blue police box at the top of the hill, some of your men unfortunately ran into the late Mr Latham nearby, but if I'm right...and I really really hope I am, then the TARDIS should still be there.' Sterling slumped forward on to the floor. 'Come on Professor Ryan! Quickly!'
Ryan nodded and produced a mobile phone from the pocket of his labcoat, punching in the number for the security office. Anna knelt down beside the Doctor, who was trying to check Sterlings pulse. 'What do we need the TARDIS for?'
'The Timelords...we...sort of existed out of normal time and space, so the TARDIS should be impervious to attack from these creatures, if I lock Professor Sterling in there...'
'Wait, you're not going to help him, you're just going to let him turn into one of these creatures?'
'Of course not, but I need to come up with some sort of solution which is going to take time, of which Professor Sterling doesn't have much left of. This is just a precautionary measure in case I don't get back in time.' The Doctor got to his feet and walked over to Professor Ryan. 'Professor, I want to see how you're powering these experiments.'
The creature surveyed the feast that lay before him, there was so much here that he was eager to share with his brothers, but the doors must be opened again, he had got lucky latching on to that creature, the creature that tasted so good when he had turned it inside out. The creature that now allowed him to stand here and plan his next meal.
The Doctor and Professor Ryan made their way back out into the car park, passing the security box and out into the fields outside. 'The mansion's just down here.' Ryan said as they made their way down a hill towards a narrow and winding country road below.
'How did you know you'd find an other-worldly power source here of all places?' the Doctor asked, now wishing he'd waited for the TARDIS to get back so he could retrieve his overcoat. He put his collar up then forced his hands into his trouser pockets as the rain began to pour.
'We were just canvassing for building a research facility in the area a few years ago, got invited in and found this box in the cellar of the old mansion. It was like nothing I've ever seen....' Ryan caught a look in the Doctors eyes, and knew there was something he wanted to ask. 'What is it?'
The Doctor stopped in his tracks, thought for a moment then shook his head. 'No...no not yet.' They carried on walking in silence, strange theories beginning to form in the Doctor's head.
George Burnett was tired, if it was not for a promise he had made so many years ago he would have moved into the village. The twenty minute drives to and from the shops were starting to become more and more difficult. Still, it was good to be kept busy at his time of life, and Gloria relished the chance to cook for their houseguests. The young security boys from the research facility were good, army lads like those Burnett had been serving with when he met John and Kathryn so many years ago. He was about to go down to the cellar and talk to Lewis, he knew the lad only listened to his old war stories to keep him happy but he enjoyed the company. As he pulled open the door however, the doorbell rang. Thinking it strange for the time of day, he turned on his heel and pulled the front door open. 'Oh good afternoon Professor Ryan, we've not seen you round these parts for a wee while.'
'Hi George, keeping well?'
'Can't complain.'
'Can't or won't?' Ryan chuckled, fulfilling his role in their tried and tested greetings routine. 'This is the Doctor, I'm taking him downstairs to have a look at the generator.' He indicated to a middle aged man with short black hair in a three piece tweed suit, white shirt and red tie who was staring at the house with a strange look on his face. 'Doctor?'
The Doctor snapped out of it and walked towards the doorway, outstretching a hand and grinning at George. 'Hello, pleased to meet you.' He paused a moment, that strange look coming over his face. 'Have you owned the house for a long time?'
'For a few years since John, the old owner died and left us it.'
'I see...' the Doctor replied, trailing off and looking behind George into the hallway.
'Anyway, come away in it's pouring down out there!' Burnett exclaimed ushering the two men inside. 'I trust you know where you're going Professor Ryan?'
The Doctor couldn't shake the strange feeling he'd had since he approached the mansion house, feelings of familiarity, of recognition, of sensing something. The feelings seemed to grow stronger and stronger as Professor Ryan led him into the cellar. At the bottom of the stairs, a young man with blonde hair and freckles in one of the guard uniforms was on his feet, a hang up from his army days presumably. Ryan waved him away and then turned to the Doctor. 'Here it is.'
'Here it is...' the Doctor repeated, knowing now the source of his strange feelings. For here, in the centre of this dusty old cellar stood a metallic box, the size of a cupboard, wide open to display its interior. An interior which appeared much larger on the inside than the outside.
'I'm the Doctor!' replied the Doctor, outstretching a hand and grinning. The man in the suit ignored this and kept his eyes fixed on Sterling who was struggling to form a reply, his throat drying up. 'Professor Sterling's very sorry, but he's got a bit of a dry throat.' The man turned to the Doctor and looked him up and down suspiciously, not sure what to make of him. 'I'm the Doctor and this is Anna, we're here to stop you.' The Doctor said as politely as possible, outstretching a hand again which, the bewildered man in the suit shook.
'To be honest...Doctor...I'm not about to disagree with you. I'm Professor Ryan by the way.'
'Pleased to meet you.' the Doctor replied, kneeling down and producing a small torch from his pocket and flashing it in Sterling's eyes. He made a few concerned sounds before turning to Ryan. 'Professor Sterling here has been infected, something inside him is disintegrating anything it touches and once it converts the good Professor it will proceed to run riot across our universe, disintegrating everything it touched.'
Ryan was dumbstruck, and looked to the blonde girl who was standing next to the Doctor as if this were the most normal thing in the world. 'I'm not sure I understand, and what's happened to Mitchell?'
'MITCHELL!' the Doctor cried out, slamming his palm against his forehead. 'Okay, Professor Ryan, you need to get your security men to bring my TARDIS here.' The professor shrugged. 'Blue police box at the top of the hill, some of your men unfortunately ran into the late Mr Latham nearby, but if I'm right...and I really really hope I am, then the TARDIS should still be there.' Sterling slumped forward on to the floor. 'Come on Professor Ryan! Quickly!'
Ryan nodded and produced a mobile phone from the pocket of his labcoat, punching in the number for the security office. Anna knelt down beside the Doctor, who was trying to check Sterlings pulse. 'What do we need the TARDIS for?'
'The Timelords...we...sort of existed out of normal time and space, so the TARDIS should be impervious to attack from these creatures, if I lock Professor Sterling in there...'
'Wait, you're not going to help him, you're just going to let him turn into one of these creatures?'
'Of course not, but I need to come up with some sort of solution which is going to take time, of which Professor Sterling doesn't have much left of. This is just a precautionary measure in case I don't get back in time.' The Doctor got to his feet and walked over to Professor Ryan. 'Professor, I want to see how you're powering these experiments.'
*
The creature surveyed the feast that lay before him, there was so much here that he was eager to share with his brothers, but the doors must be opened again, he had got lucky latching on to that creature, the creature that tasted so good when he had turned it inside out. The creature that now allowed him to stand here and plan his next meal.
*
The Doctor and Professor Ryan made their way back out into the car park, passing the security box and out into the fields outside. 'The mansion's just down here.' Ryan said as they made their way down a hill towards a narrow and winding country road below.
'How did you know you'd find an other-worldly power source here of all places?' the Doctor asked, now wishing he'd waited for the TARDIS to get back so he could retrieve his overcoat. He put his collar up then forced his hands into his trouser pockets as the rain began to pour.
'We were just canvassing for building a research facility in the area a few years ago, got invited in and found this box in the cellar of the old mansion. It was like nothing I've ever seen....' Ryan caught a look in the Doctors eyes, and knew there was something he wanted to ask. 'What is it?'
The Doctor stopped in his tracks, thought for a moment then shook his head. 'No...no not yet.' They carried on walking in silence, strange theories beginning to form in the Doctor's head.
*
George Burnett was tired, if it was not for a promise he had made so many years ago he would have moved into the village. The twenty minute drives to and from the shops were starting to become more and more difficult. Still, it was good to be kept busy at his time of life, and Gloria relished the chance to cook for their houseguests. The young security boys from the research facility were good, army lads like those Burnett had been serving with when he met John and Kathryn so many years ago. He was about to go down to the cellar and talk to Lewis, he knew the lad only listened to his old war stories to keep him happy but he enjoyed the company. As he pulled open the door however, the doorbell rang. Thinking it strange for the time of day, he turned on his heel and pulled the front door open. 'Oh good afternoon Professor Ryan, we've not seen you round these parts for a wee while.'
'Hi George, keeping well?'
'Can't complain.'
'Can't or won't?' Ryan chuckled, fulfilling his role in their tried and tested greetings routine. 'This is the Doctor, I'm taking him downstairs to have a look at the generator.' He indicated to a middle aged man with short black hair in a three piece tweed suit, white shirt and red tie who was staring at the house with a strange look on his face. 'Doctor?'
The Doctor snapped out of it and walked towards the doorway, outstretching a hand and grinning at George. 'Hello, pleased to meet you.' He paused a moment, that strange look coming over his face. 'Have you owned the house for a long time?'
'For a few years since John, the old owner died and left us it.'
'I see...' the Doctor replied, trailing off and looking behind George into the hallway.
'Anyway, come away in it's pouring down out there!' Burnett exclaimed ushering the two men inside. 'I trust you know where you're going Professor Ryan?'
*
The Doctor couldn't shake the strange feeling he'd had since he approached the mansion house, feelings of familiarity, of recognition, of sensing something. The feelings seemed to grow stronger and stronger as Professor Ryan led him into the cellar. At the bottom of the stairs, a young man with blonde hair and freckles in one of the guard uniforms was on his feet, a hang up from his army days presumably. Ryan waved him away and then turned to the Doctor. 'Here it is.'
'Here it is...' the Doctor repeated, knowing now the source of his strange feelings. For here, in the centre of this dusty old cellar stood a metallic box, the size of a cupboard, wide open to display its interior. An interior which appeared much larger on the inside than the outside.
