Chapter One: Distress Signal
A hoarse alarm shrilled and a mauve light flashed within the TARDIS. The Doctor paused from fiddling with something behind an access panel and hurried to the center console. "Distress signal—Priority One," he mused, and quickly rammed a lever down.
The TARDIS shuddered, and Martha came careening out of an open doorway. "Ow! Doctor, what are you doing?"
In blue suit, with glasses stuck on his head, the Doctor turned, looking almost surprised to see her. "Ah, Martha. Did you get that ionic crystal?"
"Yeah, I think so," Martha replied, "but it looks broken." She handed the Doctor a pale green crystal that was chipped and cracked.
"Hmmm," the Doctor surveyed it. "So it is." He tossed it aside negligently, and turned back to the console. "Twenty seconds," he nodded.
"Twenty seconds to what? Doctor, what's going on?"
The Doctor gave Martha an insane smile. "Just your normal everyday distress signal, which, being a good citizen, I feel obliged to answer. We are in a police call box after all." He suddenly looked up. "Whoa, hang on here, might be a bit of a rough—" the TARDIS suddenly shook violently, lifting both Martha and the Doctor off their feet, and bursting sparks from the central console, the lights fluttering briefly.
Martha pushed herself upright. "Let me guess: landing," she finished.
"That," the Doctor replied, "would be absolutely correct." He ran to the central console and sliced open a panel with the sonic screwdriver. Instantly a cloud of thick smoke exhumed out, covering the Doctor. He pulled his head out, coughing. "Well, that's not good."
"What? What's wrong?" Martha was instantly on alert.
"Well, my ion crystal's burned out, so until I can find my good ones, which are hidden somewhere in this old girl," he waved a hand around, "we can go through time, but not space. So we'll wind up at this point in space-time, but it'll be throughout time. Which I imagine will get boring after a while. So let's look at these people's distress signal, then I'll just have to find myself a good crystal."
"So we're stuck here for a while?" This brought up a few bad memories for Martha.
"Yeah, I think that pretty much covers the situation," the Doctor said amiably. "So let's go and solve this problem."
The Doctor opened the doors of the TARDIS and stepped out with a smile. Seconds later there was a dull thud! sound. "Doctor!" Martha ran out to find the Doctor holding his forehead. "Who puts cooling pipes this low? Honestly!" the Doctor asked indignantly.
Martha grinned and put out a hand to help the Doctor. "Why don't you watch where you're going?" she suggested.
"Really now," the Doctor said. "Wait here a moment; all the steam in this engine room is going to ruin my suit unless I put a coat over it." He disappeared back into the TARDIS, and Martha smiled. Sometimes the Doctor just… Behind her there was a metallic sound.
She spun, and saw a silhouette through the steam. "Hello?" she called. "Hello? We're here to help you!" Instead of answering, there was a flash of light, and an orange beam hit her, and for a second Martha felt peculiarly warm, then she knew nothing more.
The Doctor emerged from the TARDIS, coat on, and all smiles. "There we go. Better already Martha—Martha!" The Doctor rushed to his companion, but a voice from beyond the steam commanded, "Him too," and the beam flashed again.