She awoke, eyelids fluttering open as she grasped at the nearest object to pull herself up. Immediately she noticed the change in surroundings. She was no longer on the ground of the booth as she had thought, but on a bed. How could I have gotten here? She thought as she stretched her legs and stood. She was still in the clothes she had arrived in, her favourite red flannel shirt and her worn-out jeans. Her hand immediately went to her pocket, relieved to see that her wallet was still firmly tucked there.

She felt less dizzy than before, but she knew that she was still weak. Her mind continued to be fuzzy and her steps were wobbly, and she had to stretch out a hand to grasp any object nearby. It was then when she had a good look at the room she was in. The room was fairly spacious, and she wondered whether she was still in the little booth she had collapsed in earlier. Circular panels filled the walls, forming a neat yet artistic pattern. Art, She recalled. I used to work with that. She sighed as she shook her head. Other than the fact that she liked art, there wasn't much else that she remembered.

The rest of the room was rather simple and neat. There was nothing more than a desk and chair, and a hat rack by the door. She felt calm and at ease here – the whole atmosphere was quite homely, in her opinion. Within just a few minutes of being here, she already felt at home.

Then she remembered the footsteps.

Hurried, brisk footsteps. The ones she heard before she went unconscious. Did that mean there was someone else nearby? And was she in danger?

Ignoring all the thoughts buzzing around in that brain of hers, she pushed open the door of the room, relieved to find it unlocked. A maze of twisting corridors greeted her, and with small, cautious footsteps, she peeked around the corner, hoping to find her way out of this labyrinth. Her heart palpitated as she glanced around, trying to find a way out of these corridors. She held her breath – it felt rather claustrophobic, in this space. She wished she could be out in the fields again, without the walls, without the boundaries.

"Oh, you've woken up."

She jumped, taking a sharp breath as she spun. She backed up towards the wall, clenching her fists as she slid down the wall, coming to a stop on her knees. She breathed hard, blinking hard.

"I'm sorry, I must have given you quite a shock."

"A shock?" She spat, looking up again. "You almost gave me a bloody heart attack!"

"I'm sorry for that." The voice came again, gentler, softer this time. The speaker bent down, and she was able to get a better look at him. A young chap, around thirty years old perhaps. Fair, floppy blonde hair, and blue eyes that seemed to hide more beyond. A sweet smile. He had some sort of a boyish charm surrounding him, a warm air. But she still couldn't understand how he fit into all this.

"Look, you're safe now, here in the TAR-"He started, placing a comforting hand on her arm. Immediately she tensed, shifting away. It took her a few seconds for her to regain her composure, before apologizing.

"Sorry," She shrugged. "I'm not one for physical contact. Sudden physical contact."

He nodded understandingly before pulling away. She relaxed, studying him as she dusted off the patch of her clothing where his hand was.

"Why don't we go back to the console room and have a chat?" He offered his hand. Hovering near hers, but not making contact yet. Her mind raced as she took a while to process the whole situation. She licked her lips and took a breath before shakily extending her right hand out to him, her heart beating so loud she could hear the pulsing in her ears. He pulled her to her feet, but before he could lead her to wherever he wanted to lead her she withdrew her hand from his, running the tips of her fingers against the skin of her thumb. Once again she apologised, but he did not say anything, but suggested that she follow him to the console room.

"Where exactly are we?" She asked, curious. She wondered how he could remember how to navigate this place. It seemed impossible, unless this was something he did regularly.

"It's my TARDIS." He responded, and she frowned at the term.

"What exactly is your 'TARDIS', sir?" She enquired.

He breathed. "It's a little hard to explain. To put it simply, it's a time machine." He threw it out casually, as if expecting her to believe him immediately.

"Impossible. Time travel doesn't exist." She spat, crossing her arms as she walked just a few steps behind him, her footsteps echoing before his.

"Then you'll be surprised to know that it does really exist." He responded. They walked in silence for another few minutes before they reached the console room. Watching his coat tails swish as he walked, she noticed how peculiar his attire was. A beige overcoat, over what seemed to be cricket attire (that was the most she could guess just by looking at his back) and she remembered distinctively the stalk of celery that sat on his lapel, which really puzzled her. As they reached the room, she couldn't help but be marvelled by the design of the room. More of the round panels covered the room (in fact, these motifs seemed to be everywhere,) and in the centre was a console, which captivated her in all its complexity. It looked like a cross between a computer and a chandelier. Switches and levers, so many of them it was impossible to count them all, were spread across the main console. In the centre there sat a glass cylinder encasing some glass shards in geometric shapes, stacked on top of each other (to her, it looked like the world's most transparent birthday cake).

"Sir, you mentioned that this was your TARDIS...does it stand for anything?" She asked, as she hovered over the console, admiring the glass structure that sat in the centre. It fell and rose, like the breathing of an animal or human being. It seemed to move in a systematic rhythm, as if the entire machine were a living being in its own.

"Yes. Indeed it does. It stands for 'Time and Relative Dimension in Space'." He explained.

"Oh." She scratched her head, as if something deep in her conscious was coming back to her.

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Is there something wrong?" He prompted, with a concerned expression on his face.

She bit her lip, steadying herself with both hands on the console. "I'm fine. I think I'm starting to remember something..." She turned back to him. "It's alright. I'll sort it out myself."

"You seem rather confused. Maybe you'd like to tell me how you got here." He suggested.

"I don't remember how I ended up in that field." She started.

He offered a thought. "Honestly, I think you didn't quite belong there, the place I picked you up."

"Would you explain, sir?" She raised an eyebrow. She didn't quite understand. Did he mean that she wasn't supposed...to be where she ended up? How did she arrive there in the first place? And why couldn't she remember a single thing about herself?

"Well, I found you in the year 1860. The clothes you're wearing...I think I'd put you at around the late 20th century, or even the early 21st century. And plus, I found you in England. I don't think...an Asian girl like you would be likely to be there at that time and place." He attempted to explain. As he spoke she studied her reflection in the glass casing. It had been the first time she saw her face since she arrived in the field. The whole thing seemed perplexing to her. At that time, why couldn't she remember what she looked like?

"You do have a point. Sir, how do you think I ended up there in the first place?" She inquired curiously.

He took a breath. "I'm not sure, to be honest. What else do you remember?"

She shook her head. "Hardly anything else. Except that I..." She closed her eyes, deep in thought. "I think I'm missing something of mine. Something important. But I can't remember what it is."

"Maybe you'll remember more along the way. Hm, don't you remember anything about yourself?" He questioned, flipping a switch on the console.

She opened her eyes and pondered for a while, taking a few steps, rubbing the tips of her fingers together. She liked that feeling. It helped her to calm down.

When she was done, all she could do is return a very confused look. "Not much. I can't even remember my own name. E-" She started, remembering something deep in her memory. It came back to her as if she had never forgotten in the first place. "Elisabeth. Elisabeth Choo." She pronounced her name. It felt...strange. Unfamiliar. It didn't seem real to her, more like something that was made up. Oh well, she sighed. She'd focus on the matters at hand first, like getting back to her old life and getting her memory back. Whoever she was, she could discover that later. Elisabeth. That's how she would call herself. For now.

"If my memory serves," She continued, "I think the last place I was before I ended up in that field in the 1860s was probably...South East Asia, perhaps?" She squinted. "No, that can't be right."

"Never mind then, Elizabeth." He said, looking her in the eye. "Welcome aboard."

"Welcome aboard where?" Elizabeth exclaimed. He flicked another switch, and the screen on the wall started to display an image. An image of a galaxy. In space.

"Is that what's out there?" She strode over to the screen. "That's what's out there, right now? Outside your TAR...something of yours?"

"Yes indeed," He smiled. "That's what's out there, beyond my TARDIS." He pulled a lever, and the doors opened. Elisabeth couldn't believe her eyes.

"We're really floating in space." She gulped in pure shock and awe, looking back at him to confirm it. "Sir, we're really in space!" She turned back to the doors. The stars. Oh, the stars. Shimmering and shining in all their beauty. They flickered on and off, glittering as the whole sky was full of these little glimmering lights. They seemed so close now, much closer to her than when she was back on earth. They seemed oh so close, so close she could almost reach out and grab a handful.

"Oh, yes." He closed the doors, bringing her to her senses.

"Where are we off to?"

"Somewhere." He threw out. "You never know what you might get, with the controls all gone a bit..."

"Sir?" She piped up.

"Yes, Elisabeth?" He stopped. "Oh, may I call you Elise instead?"

"I've no problem with that." She smiled. "How may I address you?"

"Oh, I've been known by many names, but they just prefer to call me the Doctor."

She raised an eyebrow. "Just the Doctor? No name, or anything?"

The Doctor sighed. "There'd be terrible circumstances." Elisabeth didn't know what he was saying, but she decided to keep silent and not question further. After all, she'd just met this man. She wasn't ready to open up fully to him.

The craft grounded to a halt, throwing the Doctor and Elisabeth off their feet. Elisabeth tumbled over, just barely missing the console. When the craft was steady, she pulled herself up, gripping the console, panting as she did so.

"What was that?" She gasped, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Oh, it's just some turbulence. We've landed." The Doctor explained, hitting the switch to open the doors again.

"We're supposed to go...out there?" She breathed, taking a few seconds to stare at what was beyond the doors.

"Why not?" The Doctor walked to the doors before stopping, turning to her. "Let's go, Elise."

She grinned as she followed his lead, her heart racing, anticipating the big adventure before her.