The Tardis was dark and quiet. The Doctor moved around it solemnly, trying not to think about the last few weeks. Trying not to remember everything that had happened. It'd been so hard, this last regeneration. It had hurt worse than any of the others. Mostly because this time, when he woke up, he was completely alone.
He hated being alone.
He wished River was here. Or Rose. Or Sarah Jane. Or Jamie. Or even Ian and Barbara. But they were all off, all the better for being away from him. Maybe he shouldn't have regenerated. He only had one more left now, so he wouldn't have been cutting his life too short. Just a few hundred years, a thousand if he stayed out of trouble. He smiled half-heartedly at the thought. He could never stay out of trouble. Mostly cause he went looking for it. He needed the distraction.
A sigh escaped his lips as he flipped a switch on the console absent-mindedly. BANG! The room exploded. Sparks were flying everywhere and the room was shaking chaotically. The Doctor was forced to cling to the railing to avoid being tossed around. The shaking slowed and he managed to clamber to the monitor. He punched a few buttons but the screen stayed black. "Come on old girl. Where are you going?"
SLAM! The Tardis landed hard, throwing him to the ground. He stood up gingerly. It felt like he'd bruised a rib or two but his hearts were still beating away, so that was good. He grabbed an old red fire extinguisher from below the console and darted about the room, dousing the flames. Task finished he threw it aside with a metallic clatter and dashed back to the monitor. He typed furiously, trying to figure out what'd gone wrong and where they'd ended up. The screen still stayed black. "Oh come on!" He smacked the screen.
It flickered a couple of times before staying on. "Where are we?" The Tardis looked to have landed in some sort of abandoned warehouse. He could see stacks of wooden boxes and furniture covered in dusty white sheets. He couldn't help but feel disappointed. For a moment he thought this was going to be an adventure. "Just a boring old warehouse." He muttered with a sigh, turning to flop into one of the pilot's seats.
He had barely moved when an all too familiar voice crackled over the scanner.
Sometimes the universe seemed to have a cruel sense of humour. He had wished for an adventure, but not this. Not to meet one of them. Not here, not now. He closed his eyes, hoping he had heard wrong but a woman's scream told him otherwise. He grabbed his coat off the coat rack and sprinted from the Tardis, making sure to lock it behind him, as the metallic screech came again.
"Exterminate!"