Chapter 3: The Frankenstein Place
The sonic was getting louder and louder as the Doctor and Rose journeyed further down the dirt road.
"How much longer until we get there?" Rose asked.
The Doctor examined his sonic. "Not too much longer now," he replied.
"I hope we get there before it starts—" A bolt of lightning pierced the sky as a clap of thunder rattled the ground. Rain began pouring from the clouds.
"…Raining," Rose finished.
They continued walking as the rain became a downpour. The Doctor looked at his companion; she looked miserable in the rain. All he could do was take out the small newspaper he had in jacket pocket, and give it to Rose to block the rain. She took the paper gratefully, and held it above her head.
Before long, a rattling, booming sound came from behind the two.
"That doesn't sound like thunder," the Doctor remarked. They turned around to face the noise. Several lights were coming at them from the distance. As the lights drew closer, Rose and the Doctor could see that they were motorcycles. The pair scrambled to the edge of the road as the bikers zoomed by, indifferent to the rain. They turned left, off the road, and the rumbling of the engines ceased.
"Where did they come from?" Rose asked. "The only thing behind us is a dead end. We haven't passed a single house."
The Doctor, however, was looking ahead. "More importantly," he mused, "Where are they going?"
As the two neared the place where the bikers left the road, they could see a huge, Gothic style mansion. The sonic was at its loudest.
"It looks like this is our destination," the Doctor said.
At the front of the property was a huge iron gate. A sign reading "Enter at your own risk!" was nailed to the bars.
"Well, that's a bit ridiculous" Rose laughed nervously. The Doctor opened the gate and warily walked through, Rose trailing behind.
As the duo neared the mansion, they saw dozens of motorcycles parked in the huge yard. To Rose, they looked like normal vehicles, but the Doctor couldn't help but notice something strange about them. He put his glasses on, and began to examine the bikes. And, just as he suspected, every single motorcycle had an activated chameleon circuit. The Doctor wondered what the motorcycles looked like under their disguises.
"In the market for one?" Rose teased.
The Doctor could not tell her his suspicions, that there were Time Lords near. That would pose too many questions, most of which he could not, or would not, answer. So he straightened up, grinned at his companion, and walked toward the door of the mansion.
"Shall we see who lives here?"
The Handyman rolled his beady eyes. He could hear laughter and singing from the ballroom. The master was having another one of his affairs.
Since when did the Scientist become his slave-driver, he wondered. When the Handyman traveled to earth with his sister and his good friend, they had all been on equal terms. But the Scientist's position of power had finally gotten to him. Now the Handyman and the Domestic were no more than their names suggested.
There was a knock at the door. The Handyman groaned. Not more guests.
The couple at the door were not at all who he expected to see. They looked very Earth. He doubted they were even Transylvanians. But they looked like no companions he had ever seen.
"Hi," the male said cheerfully, sticking his hand out forcefully. The Handyman scrutinized the strange man. He was very tall with glasses, and was smiling stupidly at the Handyman. "My name is, uh, Brad Majors, and, uh, this is my fiancée, um, Janet Weiss."
The Handyman looked at the female. She was blond and was admittedly very cute.
The male continued. "Our car broke down, and we were wondering if we could use your phone."
"You're wet," the Handyman observed, glancing at their dripping clothes.
"It's raining," the female spoke. There was silence.
Finally, the Handyman spoke again.
"I think you had better both come inside."