In The Still Places
Chapter2
Rose stared out into the endless stars. The doors of the Tardis had been flung open, so as to provide the most astounding view she had ever come to see. She looked behind her to see the Doctor, in his long trench coat and faded converse trainers. A smile was creeping across his face, he knew what she was thinking, the utter amazement at the enormity of the Universe always had this effect. The wide open eyes, the slightly ajar mouth, the limp limbs, the stunned silence; creating an air of relaxation, just showing the difference between a life lead on Earth, and a life spent amongst the stars.
Rose slowly turned around, and then stood stock still, gazing into the Doctor's deep brown eyes; eyes which had seen the ends of the universe, the death of his race, and yet still survived to this day. The stars had drawn her in; but she knew that whilst holding beauty and clarity, those formidable stars also held danger, and in some parts certain death. "Doctor," her muffled voice, dampened by the awesome sight she had just seen, "Doctor, is this what you see, I mean, is this what you see everyday?", "Yes," He stated, "Well, not this exact view; difficult to get the same place every time, you see; but, well... yes." his speech faded off, as he saw that she wasn't really looking for an answer, but just consolidation that she was not dreaming.
"Right, where to next?" The Doctor exclaimed with a sudden burst of energy, "The Planet of Apalapucia? Nothing to get the heart racing like the mirrored Glasmir mountains! Or maybe some time in Earth history; or its future, the death of the planet maybe? Or even better London during the War Of The Roses, that blood bath, whoo! Couldn't get the stains out of this suit for weeks!" The Doctor was voicing his inner ramblings, and Rose knew that he was just saying all these things to impress her.
He seemed to have come to a decision, flicking some switches, and turning some dials he shouted, "Oh you're gonna love this one! Haven't been here in a couple of centuries, best time I checked in; don't ya think!" And with a final pull of a lever, the Tardis plunged and bucked, causing both Rose and the Doctor to twirl and fall, only just managing to hold onto the small dials and knobs which littered the centre control station.
The Tardis stopped, and suddenly there was silence. Rose turned to stare at the Doctor, whilst that same famous smile appeared on his chiselled face. "Come on then!" He cried, "I wonder what's out there, maybe a new race, maybe, just maybe, a whole new type of weather! Who knows! C'mon!". As the doors of the Tardis swung open, sunlight fell in rays onto the threshold, but something was wrong. The Doctor suddenly stopped, stared, and then his eyes went out of focus. "This isn't Arcateen V! This, why this is... No... It can't be... But yet it is..." His speech slowly faded away. "Doctor? What is it? What's wrong?... Where are we?" Rose enquired. " This, why this is Earth!" Exclaimed the Doctor, "and by the faint scent of fast food and metal, I'd say we're in the 21st century! London to be precise! I would say welcome home Rose, but I'm afraid that this isn't a very warm welcome.". "What on Earth do you mean?" Rose demanded, "What I mean is, that this is central London, in the height of it's productivity, right? And yet... where is everyone?". Rose stepped out of the Tardis behind the Doctor, and suddenly a wave came over her. This was a part of London she had never been to before, and yet, there was something oddly familiar about her surroundings; as though she'd been here before, in a dream, or maybe, a nightmare.