She stepped out of her Tardis and came face to face with an endless metal corridor, stretching far to the left and right. From the steady vibrations in the floors, and the constant humming all around her, The Doctor guessed she had landed on a spaceship. Or a plantation. Possibly both but who knew.
After some deliberation she decided to go left. Left was always the good starting point, wasn't it?
Keeping her Sonic Screwdriver close in hand, she started up the corridor. Her footsteps echoed loudly, and it didn't take The Doctor very long to realise that she was the only one around. There didn't seem to be another soul on board. Some of the lights were still flickering although most had died out, and litters of scrap metal lined the edges between the walls and floor. Clearly this was some scavenger hunt. But for what?
The Doctor was suddenly stopped in her tracks as the corridor opened up to an equally dark and dingy room, the opposite wall taken up by a large window looking out onto the planet. A control console as wide as the window, and taking up half the space in the room, sat in front of it.
The Doctor took a moment to peer out. The universe never ceased to take her breath away. Outside this place was a vast desert, a dark sky with its neighbouring constellation sparkling, and its three moons. There was no one outside, not even a guard.
She turned her attention to the console next. It was coated in dust, clearly had not been used for years.
Hold on, there WAS something odd about this console. The Doctor peered closer. Yes, definitely odd, but then that would mean -
Her thoughts were cut off as she heard a noise coming down the corridor, which continued on from the room.
Straightening up, The Doctor readied her Sonic Screwdriver in front of her, braced herself, and walked forward.
The corridor was much more lit up here, yet there were still obvious traces of scrap metal lying everywhere. This place was getting more interesting, and more dangerous, by the minute. Up ahead the corridor turned right
Steadying her breathing, The Doctor listened more intently. She could hear just the faintest shuffling coming from round the corner. Whatever they were, they had better be ready for her.
No sooner had The Doctor finished this thought that a loud BANG echoed along the whole corridor. Nearly jumping out of her skin and almost dropping her Sonic, The Doctor took a second to compose herself.
"Hello?!", she cried.
When no answer came, The Doctor turned on her Sonic, pointing it more furiously.
"Is someone ther-" She nearly screamed as a humanoid form suddenly fell past the point where the corridor turned right, and lay there stunned, right in the middle of the floor.
Lowering her Sonic slightly, The Doctor watched as the figure shakily stood up, and leaned against the wall. It was a young woman, with flowing copper hair and dishevelled clothing. She was breathing heavily, and clearly in a lot of pain.
She looked up, sensing someone watching her.
"Please help me", she gasped, before her legs gave way beneath her.
The Doctor didn't even hesitate. She ran forward and caught the woman just before she hit the ground again.
"Hey it's alright", she soothed. "I've got you"
She looked at the woman's face and was surprised to see how young she looked. In human age, she looked to be in her mid to late 20s.
The Doctor suddenly gasped as she noticed the familiar glow of regeneration energy coursing under the woman's skin. Gathered around her hands it was now flowing up her arms, like an electric current.
"It was you", said The Doctor. "You're the one who sent the distress signal!"
The Doctor's eyes suddenly caught the attention of a dog tag around the woman's neck. Inspecting it The Doctor could only make out what looked like a name. Lea.
"Lee-ah? Leia?"
"Actually it's pronounced 'Lee', like the male human name", said the woman.
"I'm guessing that's your chosen name?", The Doctor said, smiling a little.
The young woman, now Lea, nodded.
"Nice to meet you, Lea. I'm The Doctor", she grinned.
"The Doctor?", gasped Lea. "As in, The Doctor from Gallifrey? THE Doctor?"
"The very same", The Doctor smiled warmly.
Lea gaped at her, a mixture of both pure joy and disbelief on her face. A moment after she cried out as the regeneration energy flared into life again
"Please! Please make this stop", she said, very near tears.
"I can't, lovely. I'm so sorry", replied The Doctor. It hurt her so to see a fellow Time Lord in pain like this.
Holding the young woman firmly, The Doctor backed up until she found the wall, and gently lowered them both to the ground so they were sitting. Lea pinned her knees up to her chest, gasping and clutching her arms, her nails digging into her skin.
The Doctor knew it wasn't the wisest choice to stay here, but she knew she couldn't make it back to the Tardis with Lea in so much of a state. In her experience, it was best to wait it out.
"You're being such a brave girl", The Doctor soothed. She wrapped one hand around Lea's shoulders while the other stroked her hair. It seemed to calm her, for Lea's breathing had evened out a little. Her head lolled to the side and fell on The Doctor's shoulder.
"I don't like this", Lea sobbed. "I don't like this at all!"
"I know, lovely, I know", The Doctor continued to stroke her hair. "It's alright, just let it happen"
"I don't want to! It hurts so much. Is this really what after regeneration feels like? All this burning?"
"Oh! You're a Newborn!", exclaimed The Doctor. She mentally kicked herself for not figuring it out sooner. Now it made a lot more sense. Newborns were Time Lords who had regenerated for the very first time. They were often never truly prepared for what exactly happened after. It was certainly much more uncomfortable…..
"Don't worry", said The Doctor, trying her best to sound a bit more chirpier. "First time regeneration is usually the most trickiest"
"First time?!"
Oh dear.
"Err never mind that", said The Doctor dismissively.
Lea leaned against The Doctor again, exhausted.
"I never wanted this", she sobbed. "I did something wrong, and I'm paying the price"
The Doctor held her firmly, stroking her hair again.
"What happened?", she asked softly.
"I…don't remember"
The Doctor frowned.
"That's just probably the regeneration, making you go all looping. Happens sometimes"
Yet deep down, she knew this couldn't be true.
Lea had her eyes tightly shut, desperately trying to remember. It all seemed so far away from her. If there was a something.
Why could she only remember one image? An image, of being inside a machine? Why could she hear the sounds of manic laughter as she felt like she was being put through a blender?
Lea gasped and clutched her head. She curled up, head between her knees, as the laughing in her head got louder and louder.
"No!", she cried. "No please! Not this!"
"Lea?" LEA?!", she felt The Doctor shaking her. "What is it what's wrong?!"
The laughing in her head stopped. Lea opened her eyes, but remained crouched over on the cold metal floor.
"I severed my regeneration"
The Doctor had to lean in closer to hear that, for Lea's voice had barely whispered above a pitch.
"I'm…I'm sorry?", said The Doctor, puzzled.
She didn't have time to ask anything else. A noise just ahead had caught her attention. Bracing herself over her new friend, The Doctor brandished her Sonic Screwdriver, mentally challenging whatever was there to dare come closer.
She soon got her wish, as four heavily armoured figures, came charging round the corner towards them.