By torchlight, Mia and the Doctor ventured furthered into the ever-broadening tunnel. Shards of metal and wood littered the floor, while dark streaks and Gallifreyan symbols crisscrossed the walls. Above their heads, a vein of water leaked through the mass of earth, mingling with the stench of decay and age.
Mia's head constantly swung back and forth, regarding blotches of dried food splattered amidst the gouges produced by the debris. Paintings, clothes, bloody writing, skeletons, and food. I think the evidence is finally beginning to come together now…
Their footsteps produced an echoing sound when the tunnel sloped downward. With each step, the dirt became mire, and she and the Doctor slogged through several inches of stagnant water. The flame threatened to give out; however, when the ground flattened it returned to a steady flicker, though it was unnecessary now.
Electric lights illuminated a partially constructed TARDIS tilted precariously on its platform, almost grazing the surface of the water. Hasty sketches of the machine had been tacked in several different positions on both wall and ceiling. An assortment of furniture languidly floated about, along with fragments similar to those they had previously witnessed further back.
"Who would have built this?" The Doctor asked in awe.
"Who could have built it?" Mia corrected, surveying the devastation.
"Yes, both questions need answering, don't they?" He declared, stepping forward. Beneath his trainers, the sludge squealed and for a heartbeat, Mia was afraid that the ground might be unstable. But the Doctor remained upright, examining the scene. "But who was it?"
Mia cleared her throat. "I think it was you, in the future. Look, there's scarring all over these walls. That could mean a very powerful regeneration sequence took place here – and it may have destroyed the TARDIS."
"Perhaps," he muttered, wading in further; now submersed almost to his knees. "No, it can't be."
"Be careful!" She warned, envisioning a steep drop-off. Gradually evaluating the ground's stability, Mia cautiously took another step after him. "I'm not sure it's…"
I don't think it's safe here at all.
"Mia!" The Doctor cried breathlessly, floundering through the water. "I've found something." He passed her a document printed on worn paper with frayed ends. "A long time ago, a friend of mine gave this to me. She told me not to open it until I had reached my last regeneration. It could have been you."
"What do you mean?" Mia queried, puzzled. "Me? I'm certainly not a Time Lady. I mean, I haven't got a fob watch."
"No, but you've got a locket."
"Oh, the locket?" Voice trembling, she unclipped the locket from about her neck and delicately handed it to the Doctor.
Could he be right?
There was a muffled click and Mia tensed, bracing for unbearable agony and a surge of memories to come rushing back. But golden light never spilled from within the locket and all that was inside were tiny images of her parents.
Mia felt tears welling at the corners of her eyes. Blinking them away, she sorrowfully announced, "I thought… you might have been right."
We were so close!
Don't cry… there will always be another day.
Before she entered the TARDIS, Mia glanced over her shoulder. Now that the skies had cleared, what appeared as either a gaping rift or a nebula was absolutely lovely in the midst of the night. Yet she felt intrigued by it.
The console pitched and lurched aggressively. She crashed into the controls, screeching both in terror and in pain. Fire erupted, a mere metre from her face, and as she turned, the TARDIS rocked once more, bashing her body against the rails.
"Keep her steady!" The Doctor bellowed above the tumult. Though he had aged considerably in the painting, he was clearly recognisable.
"I can't!" A woman with messy brown hair shouted in response, clawing at the controls so as to regain her footing.
"She's gone mad, I tell you!" A man exclaimed, his grip on the rails so rigid that his knuckles were frosty white.
"Well, try your hardest!" The Doctor snapped. He madly darted around the console, his dark green eyes reflecting the inferno.
"I don't want to die!" The woman wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"We're not going to die!" The Doctor assured her. "But we are going to crash, so brace…"
Reeling dreadfully, the TARDIS became berserk. All control was lost and thus she bucked and thrashed, flinging the company against her console, rendering them unconscious.
