Rose had been running for about ten minutes when the Doctor seized her arm and dragged her down behind a rock.
"What is it?"
"Look," the Doctor pointed up ahead. Rose looked but all she could see was a bit of grass and more desert. There was a slight heat shimmer though which Rose thought was odd as it was still freezing cold.
"The heat shimmers?"
"The heat shimmers," grinned the Doctor.
"So, why aren't we going to have a look at them?"
"Rose, since when have I rushed into something that's unknown just to satisfy my curiosity?"
"All the time really."
"Well, it doesn't mean I'm going to do it this time."
"Uh hu?"
"What are your orders, sir?"
"Patch this into the control system and scan the ship again. Then send any patrol teams near them to engage and bring them in."
"There is a surveillance team near their location. Shall I send them?" the oily voice asked.
"No. The team must be fully equipped. Don't take any chances."
"Very good, sir."
The Doctor fiddled with his sonic screwdriver, adjusting the settings so the hum coming from the device changed pitch slightly. He pointed it at the heat shimmers and took some readings.
"Just as I thought," he bounded out happily from behind the rock and hurried over to the heat shimmers.
"Static bydused telocort reaction."
"What?"
The Doctor seemed to consider this for a moment and then answered, "In very simple explanatory human terms," Rose let that slide, so the Doctor continued, "it's a teleportation device that leaves a heat residue in the air that comes across as static electricity when you touch it."
"And the 'bydused'?"
"Ooh, just a fancy word really."
"What is the state of the scan?"
"We are still having trouble with the back up circuitry."
"Well, fix it," the confident voice was angry now and it obviously sent terror into the other in the room as the whisper became urgent:
"Computer, recheck the back up circuitry."
Back. Up. Circuitry. Unresponsive.
"Have surveillance teams check in."
There was a moment's pause and then a fuzzy image of a man in a balaclava appeared on the screen.
"Report."
"There's nothing wrong with the transmitter, generator or circuits," the man on the screen shouted. He had to shout because the quality of sound was so poor.
"None of us can explain it. Everything's functioning fine. It should be coming through."
"Should is not good enough, captain," the angry voice had now turned smooth and direct. "You will find the problem and fix it." There was a short pause. "Won't you?"
"I don't know how we can, sir?" The captain was terrified, practically shaking in his boots but if he said it could be done and then didn't come through, the punishment would be a lot worse than the one he would get now.
"Very well." The man in the camera suddenly stepped back and shuddered, in the background was his team doing the same. As one they stumbled and fell to the ground, convulsing, and they were still.
"If you think that punishment is second, I would love to have seen the first," laughed the voice.