"Rose," The Doctor called out, "Hand me the new scanner monitor." Rose obliged, and then decided it was time to voice her concern about something.
"Isn't about time we invested in a Spike Protector?"
The Doctor looked up, an innocent look on his face. "Why, whatever for? The Tardis has been going well enough all these years without one."
Rose shrugged her shoulders absently as she replied, "Sooner or later it's going to lightning near the Tardis when it materializes." The Doctor got finished whatever work he was working on.
"I was thinking Rose, how would you like to visit the USA? Fly the Tardis above California State? Just float there and see things from above?"
"Yeah, my mum always wanted to visit L.A. She says it looks good on the Telly."
"Off we go then," The Doctor began cheerfully. He put in the coordinates and soon they were hurling through the Time Vortex. The Doctor was standing at the new scanner monitor when he looked concerned.
"Wait, something's not right," He began, muttering. Rose's heart almost stopped; something was threatening the USA! "There is an energy signature in Los Angeles. I can't get an exact location, but-"The whole monitor got grey static and started jumping around. Rose caught the image so quick she was sure the Doctor didn't; the image of an ugly grey thing that vaguely resembled a statue! It was gone quickly and a series of glitches popped up, then the monitor went black.
"Doctor," Rose asked, nervous, "What is going on?" The Doctor bustled around, trying to pinpoint the signature.
"I got it narrowed down to an area by the sea." The image of the area popped up on the monitor as the Tardis dematerialized above the structure. It was tall, imposing and a grey color.
"Oh my god," Rose breathed, making the Doctor look at her in puzzlement. "I've heard about this place. Back in the 90s, some bloke put on a party during the night there. Some crazy girl kept saying ghosts killed them. People nick named it Hill House, but it was a sanitarium back in its day."
"Ghosts or not," The Doctor began, looking for more read outs, "The signature is here. It dropped down, it's weaker now."
Rose hopped down from her seat and stated, while opening the front Tardis doors, "Well let's get a better view." She looked down, marveling at the sight of the ocean and of the tall, lighthouse like structure.
"Rose," The Doctor called out in a worried tone. "I think the energy field is gearing up to blast another round!"
Rose had just stepped back when the Tardis shook with a booming noise! The floor jerked wildly, sending the Doctor and her to their feet! When The Doctor scrambled up to the monitor, his blood ran cold. The screen was black, and blood red letters were being typed across the screen! The signal definitely had a language and a purpose; the signal was asking questions of the Tardis! Who are you? What are you? There was another boom and the previous readouts came back to the monitor. They were loosing altitude; they were heading toward the ocean!
"We're crashing; pull the levers when I do!"
They ran to the console, yanking on the pairs of manual flying levers. The Tardis started taking a curving direction away from the ocean and straight towards the Sanitarium! The Tardis spun around as it made its flight path. It grazed the side of the building, making sparks and chips of stone fly! It veered off, lowered even more, and clipped some metal fencing and trees. When the Tardis landed, The Doctor and Rose stumbled from the Tardis, dazed. They took stock of the damage; Trees were felled, thankfully away from the driveway. Rose saw that part of the metal fencing and a plaque titled The Vannacutt Psychiatric Institute for the Criminally Insane were tossed around like confetti and smashed.
Oops, my bad, Rose thought, feeling slightly guilty. "Hey, what did you people do?" A man's indignant voice made something jump inside of Rose and she turned around. This man was running over to the Doctor and her, an angry look on his face.
The man wore an unassuming suit that was a sickly yellow color. A tag on his lapel read, 'Hi, I'm Dick' and Rose struggled not to laugh. Trust that sense of Humor from hanging around the Doctor!
"We had an accident," Rose tried explaining.
"I saw what happened!" The man yelled. He was only slightly taller than her, but shorter than the Doctor. "What did you people do; push a Police Box out of an airplane?"
"Sir," The Doctor began, "The cargo hold got triggered." He tried lying to this irate man. "There was some sort of EMP signature. It tripped the switch and dropped us." He sighed as he looked over at the devastation. "I'm really, really, sorry."
The man walked around to the side of the building that they bumped and slid across. Rose looked up and even from this distance she could see a deep, jagged groove in the stone! On the ground, huge pieces of stone laid.
"I should have you people arrested!" He bellowed. Then, in quieter voice, he added, "but I won't; not unless you show me the Police Box." Rose couldn't help but shudder, for the last part sounded evil somehow coming from this man. She didn't like him and the hairs wanted to rise on the back of her neck.
The Doctor sighed unhappily, and stated, "Rose, let's go and show this gentleman the Police Box." She walked with the Doctor, and with the other man in tow.
"Doctor, I might be paranoid, but there is something about him. I do not like him."
"Don't worry; I don't get a good feeling from him. My teeth are itching too, that signal power is permeating this place." Pulling a face, he added," Psychic energy mixed with something else.
"Say, Mister?" Rose called out, getting the man's attention, "How long have you been here?" She knew from the Doctor telling her that if any alien tech was generating psychic energy and anyone was in its range for along time, they'd be dosed with it. The Doctor was telling her of an adventure, about a year or so ago; Martha Jones and he went to a town that had an alien ship underneath it.
"I'm in Real Estate; this place is under my charge." He replied. He seemed calmer now, friendlier. "I come here frequently to see if the place is ok and needs any new work." His expression darkened and Rose knew why. He had to answer for the newest property damage!
The trio reached the Tardis and the Doctor explained cheerfully,"see nothing but a Police Box. Let's go into your house and try to call relatives."
"I can call my mum; tell her where we are at." Rose pulled out her cell phone and tried turning it on. "It won't work!"
"That happens," Dick explained somewhat sadly. "Some days and nights phones work, but other days-"He rushed forward so suddenly that it took the Doctor off guard. He rushed past the Doctor and ran into the Tardis. He instantly ran back out again, looking awed. He looked the outside of the Tardis over. "What kind of madness is this?"
He did this a couple of more times before coming back outside. He froze and turned to the house, fixing it with a glare that seemed like he was hearing someone far off. He closed his eyes, nodded and went back into the Tardis. As they were waiting, Rose wondered if the man had any mental problems; someone in normal mental health does not act like they hear voices! When he didn't come back out, The Doctor and Rose walked in to find Dick walking around the console, poking and prodding at the bits and pieces of controls.
"Sir," The Doctor called out, making Dick jump and glare at them in surprise.
"Please don't touch. It's very old and very delicate." The Doctor bent down and retrieved his Sonic Screwdriver from the floor. He test ran it, and found it still worked. "Rose, I am going to go outside and scan with the Sonic; don't worry, I'm not going inside the house." He left and it was up to Rose to make sure Dick didn't go too far in the Tardis. They hardly knew him and didn't know what he might break!
"Dick," She called out. "You do mind if I call you Dick, right?" he nodded. "So how long exactly have you been coming out to Hill House?"
"A very long time," He replied, not giving a number of years," and I would appreciate it people would stop calling it Hill House. It's built on a cliff, not a hill." He continued, gazing at the middle pillar distantly, "It is a grand place, bunches of mazes in there. You can get lost easily." The blue light from the pillar hit his face just right and Rose found herself thinking of this man as attractive in some weird way. Her eyes told her yeah, but her mind and everything else still had the major creeps from him. He had a proper moustache; not too bushy or long. He had sensitive green eyes and she found herself liking them. She found herself walking and standing next to him, studying the pillar as well. He turned to look at her, "What is this used for?"
She could feel his eyes boring into her as she continued looking at the pillar. It made her feel uncomfortable. "Time travel," She began and when she heard a snort of derision, she added, "Seriously. There is a Time Vortex and The Doctor uses this to travel in it. Times, worlds, he can go there."
"Do you know how it works?"
"Nah, he never shows me. He has all the knowledge of the Time Lords." She caught herself. Why was she spilling out her guts to this stranger, to this man?
"What is he a Doctor of?" Dick asked, curious.
"It isn't a Doctor title," Rose replied, while shrugging. "It's his name."
Dick almost laughed, "He has you calling him Doctor? What proper name is that?" he sounded friendly and Rose cracked a grin. "I can see you are an intelligent young lady," Dick began. Rose looked up into his face. "I can't see you falling for someone like that." As Rose looked at him at the shock of what he'd said, a thought filled her mind so quick it seemed like a flash of light. Rose was slightly older and living in a regular house with a dog. Dick was kissing her while they stood on their front lawn. The thought ended with a lightning quickness. Cobwebs filled Rose's mind. When they cleared, Rose was shocked to find that Dick was kissing her passionately!
It was a kiss that made all sorts of wrong feelings to uncurl in her gut! Dick moaned in appreciation as she acknowledged these jumping feelings! It made it seem as if he knew what she was thinking about, and that made her remember how he felt wrong! She gently broke the kiss and replied, dazed, "Um that was sudden."
"I know," Dick responded kindly, laughing a little. "Rose, I know this Doctor might be able to take you places, but wouldn't you want a life where you can stay in one place?" He was almost pleading. "I know I don't have nowhere near the looks this man has, but I promise you stability."
Rose was sure the way they gazed at each other, anything else would break this spell. They started bringing their heads together, wanting to kiss each other again. The sound of a throat clearing made them jump away from each other. The Doctor stood in the doorway of the Tardis.
"Rose," The Doctor began, blushing a bit at seeing that scene. "Can you please come here? I have something to show you." Quickly, he mouthed. She complied, standing next to the Doctor. "I have calibrated the Sonic to conflict with the energy signature. It should disrupt the signatures we can get lift off."
"Couldn't you have done that with the Tardis first?"
"I wanted to see something. Something doesn't feel right, and I think I know why."
He pointed the Sonic at Dick. Dick looked at it disdainfully.
"See Rose, he caught us together. Now he's trying to scare me-." Dick doubled over in pain, yelling. "Rose, please stop him, he's killing me!"
"Doctor, you're killing him!" The Doctor just continued to focus the Sonic at the man. Before Rose's horrified gaze, the man's suit twisted and turned. Standing before them, Dick was now wearing a Doctor's operation outfit!
"No," Her Doctor began, "Something tells me he's been dead for awhile." Dick stood before them, a deep scowl on his face. He glared at the Doctor with hatred and Fury! He strode over to the Doctor, now holding a scalpel at ready! "No you don't, Richard Vannacutt. You see, I have many settings on this gizmo." Vannacutt stopped in his tracks. "I have the signature you seem to be made of. So who knows what will happen to you if I jerk up the settings?" Richard stewed in anger at being played. He strode past The Doctor angrily. He turned around to face the duo once he cleared the Tardis.
"I kissed a dead man?" Rose felt like she was going to be sick. "Why did you do it; why did you kiss me at all?"
Vannacutt looked at her with a look of disdain that could only come from someone truly evil. "You think I had feelings for you?" He laughed and added, "Silly girl, you wouldn't tell me more about the Tardis, so I was trying to get you to trust me! There is still time, I will drag you back with me and get the knowledge I want!" He tried to lunge back in the Tardis, doing this weird jumping walk. However, the Doctor was ready. He blasted the Sonic again, making Vannacutt glitch and gasp in pain, and be tossed back out of the Tardis.
He glared at the Doctor "This isn't over," Vannacutt stated menacingly. His voice no longer sounded cheery, or filled with the warmth of life, "Time Lord!"
"Yep, I think it is," The Doctor said cheerily, unfazed. He turned to Rose, who was still shaking, "Don't you think it is over?"
Rose began, staring terrified at the long dead Vannacutt, "so over." An evil smile played on Vannacutt's lips when he saw her looking at him. His handsome features were set with pure evil and he blew kiss to Rose. The Doctor just made a noise of scorn and slammed the Tardis doors in his face.
As they dematerialized, the signature outside kept trying to spike, to keep the Tardis there. Lines of threats and gibberish appeared on the monitor inside the Tardis. It was summarily ignored. Rose was calmer.
"Let me tell you," She began, talking to her Doctor, "Invest in a spike protector!" They looked at each other and laughed. It felt good.
Outside, Vannacutt stood, seething in impotent rage as the Tardis started vanishing, fading back and forth from existence. There was a horrible grating noise that irritated his last nerve!
"This isn't over," He continued yelling in fury. "I will find you, Time Lord! I will make you and your friends suffer in agony the next time we meet!" When the Tardis was no more, Vannacutt mentally vowed that if even one more person came here, no matter what the reason, he was going to send them on a ride of misery and pain they'd not soon forget!