The Doctor clasps his hands, smiling at Rory and Amy while joyfully gesturing to the console behind him.
"Where to?" he asks with a childish sort of anticipation.
Rory beams at the proposition. "Well uh-"
"No, I already know, you want to go to a place you've never seen before, an alien planet, I know! A planet made of solid gold- which by the way actually exists- of course you want to go don't you!" The Doctor asks, sounding more like a statement.
"Of course!" Amy shouts with the same excitement The Doctor had just moments ago.
Rory looks between the two, both eagerly looking to him for an answer that's already been answered "Yeah, sure, I suppose…" he mumbles with indifference, a bit peeved that The Doctor had interrupted him.
Amy walks up to him and smiles "Come on stupid, lighten up!" she giggles.
Rory laughs in return and looks over to The Doctor "Let's go." he says a little more enthusiastically.
The Doctor grins wildly and taps some coordinates into a console that seemingly does nothing, he turns some valves and rushes about the TARDIS frantically, Amy and Rory hold on to something to stabilize themselves and The Doctor finally pulls a lever that seems to kick-start the TARDIS and send it on its journey, after a few moments of shakily travelling through the vortex the ground finally settles. The Doctor instantly regains his balance with experience while Amy and Rory still look queasy from the ride.
"Get up you two! You're going to love this!" The Doctor says, running over to the exit and gesturing for them to come over. Amy shortly after runs towards him and Rory eventually wanders over. "Are you ready for this?" He says once they reach the door.
"Yes, now open the bloody door you tease!" Amy shouts, still laughing.
The Doctor smiles and opens the door, gesturing to the landscape with one hand, his back facing it "Lady and gentleman, welcome to the planet Aurthemus!"
Amy and Rory look at it, less than impressed but still shocked.
"Well… It sure is alien." Rory says.
"Not very golden for a planet made of solid gold!" Amy scoffs.
"What do you mean-" The Doctor begins, but is interrupted by his own vision of the planet after turning around. "Oh… Well this isn't Aurthemus at all." He looks at the luscious green landscape and strange plants that arise everywhere, mushrooms as tall as trees and a more depressing land in the distance.
Amy and Rory stare at him before Rory notices something in the corner of his eye; he looks to the right of the TARDIS and sees a man leaning on it.
"So where are we then?" Amy asks.
"Judging by the sky, the forestry and the greenery I'd say… I have no idea!" The Doctor says jokingly.
"Well that's a whole lot of use." Amy says sarcastically.
"Come on lets go explore!" The Doctor says, adventure gleaming in his eyes, he walks a few steps out the TARDIS and Amy follows, he then looks to Rory "You coming with us or are you just going to look daft all day?"
"Doctor, who is that?" Rory says, pointing to the man by the TARDIS.
"Who is who?" Amy and The Doctor ask simultaneously. Rory looks at them confused.
"He's right there why can't you-" Rory begins before he's interrupted by the strange man.
"Quiet mortal, don't be such a fool, or be a fool if ya want, it can be rather fun until people feel the need to kill ya. Anyway only you can see me so don't even try and communicate that to your little buddies! It'll make ya seem… Mad." He says in a heavy Scottish accent, chuckling at his last remark.
"Fine then, who are you?" Rory asks nervously.
"Rory who are you speaking to?" Amy asks, getting worried.
"Just a moment Amy this is very important!" Rory says impatiently, Amy seems taken aback by this.
"Let's just say I'm… A lot bigger on the inside than on the outside." He laughs at his comment hysterically, which makes him look like he knows who they really are. With a click of his fingers and a puff of smoke he disappears from Rory's view entirely. Rory shakes his head and ponders what he just saw by staring into the space where the man had stood.
"Are you ok?" Amy asks, placing a hand on his shoulder, this seems to kick him back into reality and he shudders a little at the touch.
"Yeah… Yeah I'm fine. Must be some… time travel after effects or… something…" Rory mutters to her, looking rather ill.
The Doctor walks over to the two and stares at Rory "I've never heard of time travel after effects and I've been around for nine hundred plus years…" He states, looking at Rory with worry "What did that man look like, the one in your vision?" He adds curiously.
"Well he was uh… Kind of old… And he wore a strange suit- you know what does it really matter? He wasn't real and you know that!" Rory snaps uncharacteristically near the end in an empty panic.
"Come on now Rory ya know I'm real, just tell em, or don't, or do both! If that's even possible. You'd do that for yer own uncle wouldn't ya? If I was your uncle that is. Who knows! Maybe I am-" The man rambles on in Rory's head.
"Shut up!" Rory shouts at nothing. Amy and The Doctor look incredibly confused and Rory sighs "Not you just… Forget this happened." Rory says, trying to look strong and regain his grip on reality, which can be rather difficult on an unknown alien planet potentially millions of light years away from Earth.
The Doctor looks at Rory and scans him with the screwdriver, after looking at it there seems to be a normal reading because he stands up straight and looks attentive again. "Right where were we before the outbursts of a maniac? Oh yeah! Exploring! How fun. Amy have you got any paper? We're going to have to make a map!"
Amy scrambles through her pockets and finds a blank crumpled piece of A4 paper and hands it to him "How's this?" she asks.
"Perfect" he says, uncrumpling the paper and drawing a rather crude square and a few trees where the TARDIS has landed. He holds the masterpiece up and looks around, scribbling some rough paths through the trees. "Quick Amy which way is north?" He asks.
"Uhh, have you got a compass I can use?" She asks a little sarcastically.
"There's one in the TARDIS I think, here" He throws her the key to it "It should be in a little metal box under the console, straight ahead as you go in. It looks like a compass!" He instructs.
"Oh alright then." Amy says, slightly surprised that he did have what they needed. She starts walking towards the TARDIS before she's suddenly stopped.
"Fourty-three degrees to the right" Rory says under his breath as he stares at the horizon dreamily. Interrupting Amy's train of thought and stopping her in her tracks.
"What did you just say?" The Doctor asks as he suddenly looks at him.
"Hmm? Oh, fourty-three degrees to your right is north…" He says, still daydreaming.
The Doctor looks around for a moment and uses the screwdriver a few times before gasping. "That was right. How could that have been right! You've never been here before! I've never been here before!" The Doctor shouts.
Rory stares at the horizon for a few moments longer before turning to The Doctor. "The 'mad god' told me… Whoever he is… He says we've all been here before. That we just don't know it because we're used to it being a lot darker… A lot more grim…" He says philosophically "I wouldn't believe him, but this place is way too familiar. Please tell me you feel the same, both of you." He says.
"Rory you're getting delusional, we've never been here before-" The Doctor starts.
"No, listen!" Rory shouts out "Really think about it! Have you been here before? Not even in person, does this place seem even remotely familiar to you?" He shouts, already grasping at straws.
"Yeah" Amy says shakily. "Yeah it does" she falters.
"You're lying to make me feel better aren't you?" Rory accuses. "Just look! Really look!" He shouts, truly expecting something.
"Rory you're getting delusional, it must be something in the air that's making you crazy, some sort of spore or fragrance drifting from these trees." The Doctor assures, scanning some of the plants around him with the screwdriver as if to verify it.
"Yeah, I would say the same but, it feels so real Doctor, like I really have been here before… And I'm scared, I'm so, so scared. He just won't be quiet, how long have we been here? Because it feels like eternity…" Rory admits, starting to cry.
The Doctor grabs him by the shoulders and looks into his eyes, grasping his attention. "Rory I can help you, I don't know what's happening but I will do everything in my power to try and help you" He consoles him.
Rory struggles from his grip and stares at him "All I can hear is a madman constantly ranting about things that don't even make sense!… But I know everything he says is the truth, and I don't know why I believe him, maybe he can only tell the truth or something but I don't know. I really, really don't know." Rory tries to explain, physical signs of stress showing through, tears still gathering at his eyes.
"Sounds a lot like you, Doctor." Amy says half-jokingly.
"Yeah… Yeah it does, doesn't it? Maybe if I get away from one ranting madman the other won't be so bad hmm? Or maybe there was only one all along!" Rory says angrily, storming off into the forest.
"Rory get back here! We don't know what's in there, it could be dangerous!" The Doctor shouts after him.
"Might just be as dangerous as being with you then, eh!" Rory sneers back, walking further into the forest.
The Doctor and Amy watch him walk in and Amy sighs. "Better go after the nut soon then." She says.
"Ah. Why did you have to go and scare him off? Never mind… Yeah sure, we'll follow the crazy man into the alien forest soon." He says, thinking about what Rory had said prior for a moment before dismissing it. "Well… there's a more than likely chance that there are weird monsters in there so we better get prepared!" He says, getting excited by the possibility of monsters shown by jumping up and down on the spot slightly, like a child on Christmas morning.
"Come on you." Amy says, continuing her journey into the TARDIS. The Doctor walks in after her and they begin to look for supplies.