CHAPTER 2
The Doctor awakes before Alice. He quickly examines his surroundings. He is in a cell. They have solid walls all around them made of what looks like brick, but must be a similar looking alien rock. There are bars in the front of them. They are shining blue, which makes the Doctor believe they are electrified. He turns to his left and looks down to see Alice lying on the ground, out cold. He crawls over to her to make sure she is breathing. He reaches for his Sonic Screwdriver, but is unable to find it I his pockets. 'Great,' he thinks, 'they took it.' How will he ever get out of here? The Doctor decides against trying to wake Alice up, because he doesn't know how she will react to the situation.
The Doctor finally looks at her, examining her features. Her dark brown curls are surrounding her squared face. She seems to be only 5 feet tall, her dark jeans and lavender shirt are covered in stains, which look to be chocolate. He will have to ask her about that one later.
It suddenly hits the Doctor like a meteor.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," he says out loud. He brought someone on an adventure with him. Last time that happened, they got hurt. Sent back in time forever. Amy and Rory were the last companions the Doctor had. He vowed to travel alone after that. He never wanted to risk a human life again. Also, he couldn't get over losing them. Amy was his best friend. Rory was nearly the same. The Doctor had been traveling alone for around 10 years, or at least that's how long it felt. He was lonely, with only the TARDIS to keep him company. He thought many times about trying to find a new companion, but eventually, he ruled against it. I'm going to take her home as soon as we get out of here,' the Doctor thinks.
He is interrupted from his thoughts by a sudden gasp for breath. He looks over to see a startled Alice sitting up.
"Where are we?" Alice nervously asks.
The Doctor stands up, "Well, by what I can assume, we are in a cell. I don't know where, because I didn't bother to check the ship's map that the TARDIS gave me. And they took my Sonic Screwdriver, so I can't get us out of here. And are you alright? How are you feeling? Does your head or neck hurt?" The Doctor rambles, then rushing over to Alice to examine her.
Alice nervously laughs, and gently pushes the Doctor away, "I'm alright, just a little sore. Wait, what is a Sonic Screwdriver?"
The Doctor smiles, "It's a screwdriver that is sonic!"
"Thanks for the clarification," Alice replies dryly, rolling her eyes.
"Of course!" the Doctor says, not realizing the sarcasm that was obvious in the sentence.
"So how will we get out of here?" Alice wonders. She looks around the room, and then notices the cell bars that shine blue. "Are those electrified?" Alice asks cautiously.
"I believe so. I haven't checked," the Doctor says, nervously running his hands through his dirty hair.
"They could be tricking us! It might not be electrified. Maybe they, whoever they are, are trying to manipulate us!" Alice ponders the idea.
"Very well, but how-" the Doctor starts before being cut off.
"Do you have anything in your pockets? I have nothing, just my cell phone and some cash," Alice explains pulling her iPhone out of her pocket.
"Well, yes," The Doctor replies with question. He reaches into his many pockets, which, like the TARDIS, are bigger on the inside. He pulls out a doll, a pen, a small rabbit, a book, and a pillow. He continues pulling out object that Alice has never seen before.
"Why do you have all that in your pockets?" Alice whispers, astonished.
The Doctor tells her each one has a purpose, then goes on to explain each one. Alice interrupted when he got to the rabbit.
"Give me the pen," Alice asks, holding out her hand.
"But I might need to write something!" the Doctor protests.
"I will buy you a new pen once we get out of here, but for that to happen you need to hand it over. Now," Alice says nicely. The Doctor reluctantly gives her the pen. Alice tosses it directly into the blue bars. It doesn't affect anything. The pen doesn't melt or get electrified.
"Brilliant!" the Doctor shouts, walking over to put his hand in the blue light. It doesn't affect him at all.
"Now getting out of here is the problem, the doors are locked!" the Doctor yells, banging on the door.
"Maybe they tried to trick us with that, too!" Alice says. She pulls out a Bobbi-pin from her hair. Her bangs fall in her face, but she tucks them behind her ear. Alice proceeds to unbend the Bobbi-pin, until it is straight. She walks over to the lock and places it inside. She twists it and turns it until she hears a 'click'. She pushes lightly on the door. Her face brightens when it moves with her hand. She turns around to see the Doctor's expression matching hers.
"Brilliant! Again!" the Doctor shouts, amazed.
He walks through first, to make sure it was safe, and then allows Alice to go through. They look to both sides to see a never ending hallway. There are many cells, just like theirs.
Without moving from the doorway, Alice asks, "Well, which way?"
The Doctor ponders the question. He has no clue where he is, or where he should be going. He starts to walk towards the left. Alice runs up to his side, not wanting to get lost behind him. They walk past empty cells, at least ten, before Alice speaks up.
"What are we going to do? We have no weapons, and I can tell you have no idea where we're going," she worriedly says.
The Doctor sighs, then says, "Well, once I find my TARDIS, I can locate my Sonic Screwdriver. Next, I will be able to find out where they are hiding the people. Then I can take you home," the Doctor said gleefully, wanting to get Alice home. He didn't want, nor need, another companion. The last ones didn't end well.
Alice snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Yoo who, Doctor? Going to the box thing. Remember?"
The Doctor shook his head, coming back to reality. He nodded his head forward and kept walking. He heard distinct whispers. He looked over to Alice, but of course, she was human. The Doctor had much better hearing. She wouldn't hear anything for a few more minutes. The Doctor put his hands out to stop Alice from walking. He then turned his head and put his finger on his lips, signaling to be quiet. Alice understood, and stood there while the Doctor tried to make out what the aliens were saying.
"It was such a tragedy, Bill. It was awfully sad. My condolences go out to Tom," a high male voice spoke.
"I agree, Margaret made him a pie and we took it over last night. He was a mess, looked like he hadn't taken a shower in days," a huskier male replied.
The Doctor stopped listening. They seemed to be having a conversation like humans. Since when did Gatons eat pie? The Doctor knew it was the Gatons, because even though the TARDIS translates the sound, he can still understand the language being spoken.
"What are you listening for? I hear nothing," the girl beside him whispered.
"I have advanced hearing," the Doctor says to her. He then hears the Gatons talking again, and hurried footsteps heading towards them. "And apparently, so do the Gatons. Run!" he exclaims.
The two head in the opposite direction. They pass many cells, some with odd aliens in them, others with humanoids. After running for 5 minutes, they reach a door. The Doctor is forced to kick it open, and luckily, it swings open right away. The rush through the door at the same time. Alice's sleeve hem gets stuck on the piece of metal that the Doctor broke.
"Damn it!" Alice says, struggling with her sleeve. The Doctor only got a few feet ahead before he missed the presence beside him.
He runs quickly back to the brunette, just in time for her to rip part of her sleeve off of her shirt. Alice and the Doctor smile with relief, and grab each other's hands simultaneously. The Doctor sees the Gatons running quickly at them. They're carrying long spears. The Doctor and Alice run quicker, hoping to make up for time loss. The Doctor is surprised by how well Alice is keeping up, compared to when they first met. 'Probably adrenaline,' he thinks.
The next door they come to is already open. The Doctor is cautious, but goes through the door anyways, not having any other choice. The Gatons are right behind them.
As soon as the Doctor and Alice walk through the door, they are greeted by thousands of Gatons. They're in a stadium. The Gatons are in bleacher-like seats, and the Doctor and Alice are in the center. There is a platform with a microphone, with a Gaton standing upon it. There are four doors, similar to the ones they had just come out of. The doors are all guarded by two Gatons, each holding a spear like the ones chasing them. Those two are now guarding the door they had entered from.
Alice isn't looking at the surroundings; she is looking at the Gatons. They look like humans, except they are covered head to toe in fur. Their fur is purple, varying in shades. They vary in sizes, too, like humans. There are smaller ones, like children. And there are ones with wrinkles, like older men and women. It seems their fur fades into a lighter color as they get older. Alice is astonished, and absolutely terrified at the same time. She grabs on to the back of the Doctor's sleeve. She does not cower behind him, but stands to his side, not letting them see her fear. She looks over to see concentration in the Doctor's expression.
'I hope he's working on a way to get us out of here,' Alice thinks.
The Doctor's expression changes into a smile, like he has an idea. Alice cheers in her head. She then faces forward, to see a Gaton walk of a stage towards them.
"Hello, I see you have escaped. Well, it is okay, we were coming for you in an hour or so anyways. Early is always acceptable." Alice stands bewildered at the words that were just spoken by the Gaton.
'Did he just speak English?!' she thinks.
She turns to the Doctor, and he looks at her.
"It is the TARDIS, she translates the language for you," he smiles, proud.
Alice moves her hand down to the Doctor's and interlocks her fingers with his. She hasn't held someone's hand like that since... she shakes her head. That is a thought for another time. They are probably going to die, she shouldn't be thinking about ex-boyfriends.
The Gaton continues speaking. "We know how smart you are, Alice. We have been watching you. You seem to know a lot, and that is what we want. However, Doctor, you are not human. Therefore, we can't take your mind. So you will have to be destroyed."
The Doctor and Alice stood confused. Alice stood terrified. She grips the Doctors hand tighter. There's no way she is letting go.
"I understand you must be confused. Let me explain. I am Professor Treck. Us Gatons have never been smart. We barely managed to come up with this plan I am about to tell you. We decided to come to Earth, because we have heard of its inhabitants' greatness, and how oblivious they are oblivious to aliens. We have been sending down Arnicks to kidnap specific humans. You see, we watch the humans closely. We find smart ones, then watch to see if they are what we want. We found you Alice through your profile on Facebook. It says you have a medical degree. Although you work in a bakery, you are still very smart. So we chose you! But the Doctor had to come in and ruin it, but you are here anyway. So all is well. When we receive the human we run some tests, then preform a surgery to remove their brains, and place them in our bodies. We get to keep our memories, and we get your knowledge. We also have developed a community. We act like you do; we have funerals, weddings, and children. 'The whole '9 yards' as your people would say," the Gaton, Professor Treck, looked satisfied at the end of his speech.
"I don't want you to take my mind. Please, you don't have to do this!" Alice cries, fighting back tears.
The Professor comes closer, nearly a foot from Alice. The Doctor jumps in front of Alice protectively. "If you get any closer, I will destroy you.
"No Doctor, I can handle this," Alice says. She can't really handle it, but she will not be a coward. She pushes the Doctor to the side. The Professor and her are only 3 inches apart now. He is only an inch taller than her, but feels like more to Alice.
He caresses her jaw with his finger, which is just as furry as it looks. Alice shivers, and feels the Doctor tense up beside her.
"Of course we have to do this. Bravery is also a plus, you know," Professor Treck speaks, his stinky breath hitting Alice's face.
She steps away from him, and walks to the stage. The Doctor begins to follow her, but she stops him.
"Let me do something, stay here," the brave girl tells him. She has no idea what she is going to say, but it is in her mind somewhere.
She walks up to the stage, and picks up the microphone. "Well, hello, I am Alice. I have something to say. What are you people thinking? I don't mean to sound harsh, but why take someone else's brain? First of all, you are a different race. Our knowledge won't help you at all. We have different history, and most likely live different lives. Be who you are! Who cares if you aren't smart? It doesn't matter if you aren't smart! You are unique. It is exciting to be something different! Why try to be something you're not? Don't take humans, ruin their lives, just so you can be smart! That's stupid," Alice finishes her speech.
She has no idea where that came from, considering she isn't good at winging it. She smiles when she hears applause. The Gatons in the audience are all standing, and... cheering?
She looks to the Doctor, who seems just as astonished as she was. She runs over to him, past the Professor, who looks mortified that anyone would ever say such thing.
The Gatons have stopped cheering, and Alice turns to see another Gaton walk through the doors across from them. It is wearing a crown, so he or she must be a monarch.
"I absolutely agree with you!" the very feminine voice proclaims. 'She,' Alice notes.
"You have a wonderful point, I never thought about it like that before. We shall return the brains to all the bodies we have kept, and return them to earth. As for you two, I will show you the way out," the women kindly says.
Alice's eyes widen, "Th-thank you! But- who are you?"
"Oh, excuse my manners. I am Queen Treck, sister of Professor Treck," the Queen says.
"WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME! ALL THIS WORK FOR NOTHING! WE ARE JUST GOING TO BACK DOWN BECAUSE SOME HUMAN SAID SOME INSPIRING WORDS? No, I will NOT stand for this!" Professor Treck shouts. He grabs a spear from one of the guards and heads towards the queen.
"Guards!" the Queen snaps her fingers. The guards rush towards the Professor, tackling him to the ground.
"Follow me," the Queen says. She leads the two astonished visitors out the door they came in. The Doctor can't believe it. He grips Alice's hand, proud of her. But he has to take her home. The Doctor's smile falters, but he made a promise to never have another companion.
"Here is your box, and your device." The Queen hands the Doctor his Screwdriver, and opens a door to a room.
It looks like a storage room, and there are multiple other alien looking devices, such as a glass tube with wings, a giant green fluffy ball, and a metallic plane.
"Oh my baby, thank Gallifrey they didn't hurt you!" the Doctor runs over, hugging his blue box. Alice rolls her eyes at his odd reaction.
The Queen turns towards Alice, saying, "Oh darling, thank you so much. Your words really did help me decide whether this was a good idea or not," The Queen embraced Alice in a hug. The Doctor looked over just in time to see Alice stiffen instantly at her touch.
"You're welcome! It was great meeting you," Alice says, sounding frightened. The Queen did not notice, and held on to Alice for a few more moments. When she finally pulled away, the Doctor quietly laughed at Alice's sigh of relief.
They said their goodbyes and got into the TARDIS.
"You are absolutely brilliant!" The Doctor said, embracing Alice. She stiffened once again at his hug, but knowing he won't hurt her, at least he hasn't yet, she hugs back.
"YOU ALMOST GOT ME KILLED!" Alice shouts, pulling away from the Doctor. She sees a little hurt in his face from her tone of voice, but it needed to be said.
"Well if you would have stayed in the TARD-" the Doctor begin, before the angry girl cut him off.
"Then you would be bloody dead, or most likely still in that cell! You owe me a thank you, and an apology!" Alice forcefully implies, anger dripping off of her tone.
"I am sorry, really sorry about that…" He puts his head down, ashamed. "And THANK YOU SO MUCH!" The Doctor jerks his head up, grabbing Alice into a tight embrace, again.
Alice, still mad, pulls away. "I accept your apology. But I am still mad at you."
"I understand. Let's go," the Doctor walks shamefully towards the controls in the center.
A few short minutes later the TARDIS lands steadily, unlike last time.
"How long has it been?" Alice asks, standing by the door, preparing to leave.
The Doctor looks at a screen on his console. "It has been around four hours. Not too long, but longer than I would have hoped."
"Damn, I missed Chamber of Secrets. It was on the telly, and since I don't own the movie, it's the only time I get to watch it." Alice sighs again, upset.
"Well I have all of the movies, extended versions. You can take them if you want, I know I have doubles somewhere," the Doctor makes an offer that no Harry Potter fan should refuse, but that didn't stop Alice from doing so.
"I should really go…" Alice says, turning to leave. Even though that sounds like an amazing offer, she is too sad to stay. She wants to, but figures the Doctor is a lone ranger. Even though he almost got her killed, she still loved the thrill. It was the first time she every felt alive, and the first time she could be-
Alice's thoughts were cut off by words from the Doctor, the words she was hoping to hear. "Well... you could come with me."