"You?" the woman frowned at the Doctor. She looked at Clara. "What's he talking about?"
"It's his way of joking," Clara said apologetically. "He doesn't like when I say mysterious things."
"Yes, well, if we could continue. You said you knew who it was?"
"I do. You'll have to allow me to handle this on my own. It's a delicate matter." Back to imperious Clara. She did it so well.
"But—we must know who it is. We've been attempting to trace the biodata to a source, but other than the fact that it is unmistakably female and alien in nature, we have nothing to go on."
Female? The Doctor tried to peer over Clara's shoulder at the datatablet again, but the woman gave him a nasty look, so he desisted. A female version of him wasn't inconceivable, he supposed. It was bound to happen once in a while in an infinite number of parallel universes.
"I will have my office send you more information," Clara said shortly. She stood up. "Good day."
The woman grudgingly shook Clara's hand, and allowed them to leave the conference room without another word.
In the corridor, Clara giggled. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her.
"You, as woman." She giggled some more. "C'mon Doctor, imagine it. It's funny."
"I am imagining it."
"No, imagine you. As a woman. You'd kill yourself in high heels."
The Doctor shook his head. "Why is that funny?"
That was when she careened into the blue Police Box parked in the middle of the corridor. She was laughing so hard she didn't see it, and by the time she had, she was falling towards the floor. The Doctor caught her and set her back on her feet.
"Thanks," she said. "Even if you have no sense of humor."
"I have a sense of humor, but not for things that aren't funny!"
"Yeah, okay." Clara leaned against the blue box. "So why did we have to get back to the TARDIS so quickly, anyway? Why is the universe going to explode?"
The Doctor took a step back. "Clara, get away from it."
"Get away from—"
"The Police Box. That isn't my TARDIS."
Clara jumped back. "Then whose—"
The door creaked open and a woman stepped out. She wore a floor-length purple skirt with a ruffled jacket. Her hair was pinned up underneath a hat adorned with fruit.
She stood in the doorway of the box, staring at the Doctor.
The Doctor stared back at her.
Of all the people who could have stepped out of a TARDIS that was stuck as blue police box, the Master was last he would have expected.