Chapter 4

"DOCTOR!" I yell but it's no use. Whatever surrounds me must block out sound because the Doctor doesn't look at me. I can't even try kicking my way out because I'll risk getting electrocuted. The others are secretly trying to undo the ropes that bind them together but they are not having much luck. I can't hear a word that is being said. I can only imagine and the scared looks from the others aren't helping me to think positive. Only when I see the Doctor get knocked onto the floor and not get back up is when I break down crying. I huddle up on the floor and silently beg the Doctor to wake.

Suddenly, I am being dragged to my feet. The electric tube is gone and I am roughly pushed to the floor next to an unconscious Doctor. I shake his shoulders but he doesn't wake.

"Get up" the man snarls at me. I shakily get to my feet, being careful to hide the sonic screwdriver that I managed to get from the Doctor's pocket.

"Anything you'd like to ask me?" the man says. This takes me back. Of all the things I was expecting to hear, that was not one of them, which makes me even more wary of the stranger before me.

"Um, why exactly do you want to control the country using the Queen?" I ask.

"Isn't it obvious?" he says, appalled. I shake my head.

"If the Queen says something should be done, the country will do it. They won't do it if a stranger forces her off the throne."

"But surely you would have to get near the Queen to get that creature near her?"

"No, the creature can fly. I control it with my voice"

"Well have you looked at it recently? The poor thing was lying in that box with no sign of life in it at all" I say, now angry that someone has hurt a defenceless creature.

"It's merely resting. I gave it some of my DNA so that it would recognise me as its master. That creature can register DNA with a single touch and will immediately control their mind. So I reversed the process so that a single touch from a human would control its mind. Whatever I tell it, that creature will do. That's why it's in the box. So no one else will touch it"

I think my eyes widen. Oh no.

"Ok, I think that concludes this Q + A session thank you" I say. The man turns away.

"Wait! I just have one more question! Can you let my friends go please?"

"No"

I frown and he turns away again, giving me enough time to slide the sonic screwdriver across to Rose who smiles at me and conceals it under her leg. I then take the spare Tardis key out of my pocket and signal to the others that I won't leave them behind and that they should cut the ropes. I stand right next to the Doctor and hold the key tight in my hand, repeating the mantra come to me over and over.

"What the-"the man stutters as the Tardis slowly surrounds me, the whooshing noise drowning out the sound of the sonic screwdriver. I open my eyes and I'm in the Tardis, the Doctor still out next to me although slightly more alert than he was a few minutes ago. I shake him awake and he suddenly leaps up.

"Sophie, wait... where are the others?" he says, looking around madly.

"We're still in the warehouse. The others are outside although I managed to get the sonic screwdriver to Rose so she could cut the ropes. Look, he didn't tell me why but that man is going to use that creature to control the mind of the queen and the country"

"Yeah, we know that" the Doctor mutters.

"But, he told me that the creature can register DNA with a single touch and will immediately control their mind. So he reversed the process so that a single touch from a human would control its mind. Whatever he tells it, that creature will do. But, you touched it Doctor, so maybe it listens to you now" I say. The Doctor shakes his head sadly.

"I'm not human Sophie. I'm a Timelord, an alien species. That creature will listen to him and only him"

I hang my head in defeat when we hear shouting coming from outside. We both rush out and Rose, Jack and Jade are free but there is no sign of the stranger.

"We... we tried to take him... but he ran before we could" Rose pants. Suddenly, Jade laughs and we all turn to see the creature flying around her head.

"Jade, how did you get that?" Jack asks.

"Oh please, dad, I've been wearing your teleporter this entire time and you never noticed!" Jade giggles as the creature floats next to her. "This little guy listens to me now and I want to set it free" Jade says. I smile at her and then turn to the Doctor.

"Can we?" I say. The Doctor nods.

"Of course. Now that we've got it, we don't need to worry about that man, whoever he was"

We all go back to the Tardis and the Doctor wastes no time in finding out about the strange little creature.

"It's called solitarios cognoscente which is basically Latin for lonely knower. It comes from the planet Aridius which was a planet that used to be covered in oceans but is now a desert. Last I heard of Aridius, the remaining inhabitants were just amphibians and octopuses but never mind. It's this little guy's home and we'll get him there"

I set the course and we reach the planet in no time. Jade sets the solitarios cognoscente free and we watch as it floats about before joining a group of a few others which then fly off into the sky. Suddenly, we are travelling through the time vortex again and me and Rose struggle to shut the doors.