"47045", the Doctor uttered thoughtfully with a click of his tongue as he looked to Donna with a large grin. "47045!"
"What?" She began, peering at him curiously as she held up another dress. "Are they lotto numbers or something? What do you think of this one?" It was a pretty purple dress, similar to the colour she sported in Pompeii. They were planning a new trip now, and the Doctor wasn't exactly sure where they were going. So, Donna Noble wanted to be ready for anything. "Doctor?"
"Oh! Right". He trailed off again and barely even noticed Donna throwing different outfits in his face, instead those same numbers kept on rolling about in his mind. "What could it mean?" he asked himself, as he typed in the numbers on the keypad and all of a sudden, an image of a spaceship refuelling showed up on the view screen. "Ah!" The Tenth Doctor announced with a grin. "Here we are, Donna Noble. This is our next destination!"
"A space ship?" Donna asked curiously. "A space ship? That's a real live space ship and I'm here in a little blue box?"
"Oy, don't knock it! It may not be shiny like that but... hang on. Would you honestly prefer flying about space in time in that big, obvious looking space ship compared to my blue box?, the Doctor sniffed, his pride hurt a little bit.
"Who wouldn't!" Donna gasped with a large grin. "I'm kidding, Doctor. This is wonderful. Thank you. So, what do you reckon the weather is like on a space ship... hot, cold, bit of in between, oh boy I hope there's a couple of randy looking men on board!" Donna hurried off into the direction of her bedroom, leaving the Doctor alone in his thoughts.
"Something tells me there are no life forms on board let alone randy men". He thought aloud, and hurried around the console, as he pushed a few buttons, pulled a few levers and then the Time Vortex kicked in. "Steady, girl. Ahh... there's the problem! Looks like a void of some sort, the numbers aren't coordinates but something else entirely, which revolve around this space ship! Donna, I suggest you dress warmly!" He shouted from the control room, but doubted she heard him.
The TARDIS materialised into view on the lower deck of the space ship, which should've been receiving the fuel. The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and poked his head out, a large toothy grin sporting a rather excited looking face.
"Donna!" He called to his companion, as the human female next to him popped her head out and gasped.
"It's dark!" Donna exclaimed. "I forgot to pack a torch!"
"Oh, don't worry about a torch, Time Lord eyes – ate a lot of carrots you see... right, then. You ready? I have a hankering this ship is lacking not only randy men, but life itself... yet oxygen levels seem to be steady", the Doctor nodded as his sonic screwdriver scanned the area and he pocketed it quickly upon confirmation. "Brilliant! This way!" He took off in the direction he had indicated with a tilt of his head, and Donna quickly followed, grabbing onto his arm so he could be her eyes.
"Slow down! I didn't win the last London Marathon you know!" Donna shouted, her voice echoing down the hall and suddenly a very eerie feeling filled her. The Doctor stopped running, and Donna slammed into him, the pair falling into a heap on the ground.
"Steady on!" The Doctor said, as he rolled away and helped Donna to her feet once he was on his own. "Creepy, yes, very creepy... ooohh... did you hear that? Sounded like metal banging on mesh, very creepy, I can see a light down there, are you still with me, Donna?"
Donna, furious that she had made herself run into the Doctor, was busy smoothing down her dress and flicking back her hair. "My dignity seemed to get a bit lost on the way. Oy, what was that? Did you feel that?"
"Feel what?"
"It was as if... something breathed on my shoulder", Donna looked around slightly, trying to squint through the darkness. "You better find a light at the end of this tunnel, Doctor, or else you'll get more than a slap to the face when I'm through with you!" Donna was clearly sounding fearful and the Doctor swallowed her threat as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and ran it over her shoulder.
"You're right about that", he began, and frowned. "Not exactly a human breath, though... but what could it be, what wiped out these ships, I could've sworn they were military craft... the latter being transport for cargo to perhaps the planet Massurlion but this is very strange". The Doctor continued to look around Donna for any obvious evidence, and when satisfied, he continued on down the hall toward the light at the end of the tunnel.
Donna realised what was happening and followed him, still distressed about the strange breath she had felt on her shoulder, and the previous mention in Pompeii of 'something being on her back'. Donna didn't fully understand what that meant, naturally, she'd look for a long time, trying to find something that could've been an obvious sign to other people stuck to her back. Yet, her searches came up with nothing. No scars when her shirt was taken off. Nothing. She hated to bother the Doctor with this strange thought, with so many other strange thoughts running around in his mind – why would that bother him?
"Donna!" The Doctor called, sensing she was dawdling.
"Right behind you!" Admitted the red-haired Noble woman, muttering something about dark tunnels and wishing she had a high beamed torch when suddenly... "Oh... my... GOD!" a brilliant bright light shone in front of her and the Doctor blinked.
He rose his arm to shield his eyes, as did Donna, ducking behind him for extra protection.
"What the hell is that?" Donna asked her tone no longer fear but a curious one. She peeked out from behind him to notice something odd in front. "Doctor, you said this was a cargo ship..."
"Yes, I did", he frowned, as the light died down, aided by a brief tampering of the wiring he had done in that split second. "For prisoners. But there's nothing left, surely there should be some sort of trace here!" He jumped forward as he opened up one of the cell doors and poked around, sniffing the air, crouching to the floor and letting his fingers run over it. "It's as if their slates were wiped clean. Not even a skin cell left. The warship above must've been refuelling it but at the same time unleashed some sort of virus, Donna, we have to get back to the..." He turned, but Donna was gone. "Donna? DONNA!" He shouted, but no sound returned to him except for his own voice.
Donna didn't even feel the presence of whatever had taken her. One minute she was surrounded in blinding light, hearing the Doctor mutter something of what it could've been, and the next she felt herself strapped to some sort of table.
"Hello!" shouted Donna, struggling briefly against the restraints. Metal, as well, they rubbed harshly against her skin. "Doctor!"
It didn't take long for the Doctor to find her, thankfully. He skidded into the room and glanced at his companion with a dropped jaw. "Is it just me or do you have that 'strap me to a table and kill me' impression on people?" he joked, and Donna looked at him, furious.
"Get me out of this thing!" She struggled a bit more against the restraints and then the Doctor hurried forward, and ran his sonic screwdriver over one of them around her right wrist. They all came undone, and the pair then heard something bang against the metal above their heads.
"Sounds like it came from the warship. Come on, Donna. Are you hurt?" The Doctor helped Donna to her feet and she shook her head, brushing herself down. "We've got to get back to the TARDIS and get on the warship, I have a feeling we'll find our answers there".
"Good plan, sunshine. What if whoever took me follows us, eh?" Donna folded her arms, tossing her hair briefly in anger. "Who knows, next time they'll probably do more than just simply strap me to a table".
"Stick close to me. Don't stray very far behind, and I'll make sure nothing happens to you, okay?" The Doctor promised, giving Donna one of his famous 'trust me', looks with those deep brown eyes of his. He realised he was holding her wrist for reassurance, and he let go quickly before Donna slapped him. "Right, off we go then!"
Donna sighed and ran off after the Doctor, all the time wondering. Whoever captured her in the Prison Ship must have been waiting for their Master to arrive from the Warship. She hated to think what this Master person could look like. If half human-half spider creatures and living rocks and fire were one thing... this was something else entirely.
"