The Doctor felt a jolt quiver through the TARDIS as he tried to park the TARDIS back in the base. He quickly checked the scanners.
"Ah." He said. "He's shut off the trans-dimensional drive. We can't park where we were."
"What do we do now then?" Rose asked, a mixture of curiosity and concern about the Doctor's altered mood since he came back from Amy's room. He was back in serious mode again, almost tinges of anger in his movements, or maybe frustration. He seemed to be taking it out on the TARDIS.
"Not to worry," He promised, quickly pressing the blue stabilisers, or boringers, on the panel. "He doesn't know we have a big fancy time machine." A hint of excitement coloured his voice, despite what had happened a few minutes before. An adventure never failed to excite him.
He steered the TARDIS through the vortex, landing silently. "We've landed at the same second we took off." He told them. "In fact, if you listen carefully, you can hear it."
They all stood silently, trying to catch the sound of the machine, but the Doctor grabbed Arthur's pack and quickly began walking towards the door. "Of course, we are soundproofed." He continued, and opened the door, just in time to catch the tail end of the last wheeze. "Out we go."
Amy entered the console room, limping slightly, as The Doctor held the door open for Rose and Arthur to leave. She walked over and looked at her friend straight in the eye.
"I'm coming too." She told him defiantly.
"Always knew you would." He countered. They held each other's gaze for a few seconds, before Amy left the machine, followed quickly by the Doctor, who shut the door behind him, before looking to see where they had landed. "Perfect." He said.
They had landed a few feet away from the large metal door, which lay slightly ajar.
"Not perfect." Rose muttered, remembering what was inside.
"Arthur," The Doctor called. "I need you to wait for Scotson and get that gun off of him. And bring him in here." He said as he strode towards the door. "And don't do anything stupid, like shooting him. I know what naughty video games can do to your judgements."
Arthur retreated, waiting at just past the junction in the corridor, as Rose, the Doctor and Amy entered the room. The lights were still on, and the deformed man was still visible, pacing in his cell.
"What do you think he did?" Amy whispered and looked to the Doctor.
"What makes you think he did anything?" He asked.
"Well, he's a prisoner, isn't he?" She guessed. "And the General's punishing him in some disgusting way."
"Oh, he's a prisoner." The Doctor replied. "But I think he's more of a science experiment than a criminal." He placed a palm on the window and looked at the man. "I'm so sorry."
"Can he hear us?" Rose asked.
"I don't know," The Doctor presumed. "But he heard Scotson earlier."
"How do you know?" She asked as the man sat down on the floor, shuddering with every movement.
"He only started howling when he spoke."
Amy wasn't paying attention to the conversation, and had sat down to relieve the pressure on her leg. After a few seconds she gave into her morbid curiosity, and pulled the ring out of her pocket again, staring at it. She felt tears begin to leave her eyes, and was shocked by the sense of relief, relief at being able to feel the sadness that had been repressed for weeks. She kept quiet, though; understanding now was not the time to cause a scene.
The Doctor turned away from the man, back to the complicated looking control panel behind him. Giving it the close scrutiny he hadn't had time for earlier, he quickly noticed a thin drawer built in, designed so it blended well into the metal casing. He caressed the compartment with his fingers, and after finding no obvious way in, he quickly pulled out his sonic screwdriver, opening it in the usual fashion, and it popped out with a hollow thunk.
Nothing was in it but a small book, a diary. The Doctor, never one for respecting people's privacy, grabbed it and rifled through the pages quickly, reaching the end of the book in seconds.
"Ah." He said, worry entering his eyes, and Rose turned round to look.
"What?"
"Worse than I thought." He said, more to himself than anyone else.
"How?" She demanded. Amy looked up as well now, placing the ring on a surface nearby.
"He's a weapon," He explained, each word followed by a small pause, as he digested the information.
"How is he a weapon?" Rose questioned sceptically, walking over to look at the diary. The Doctor shut it with a snap, seemingly oblivious to Rose's intentions, and a look of worry crossed over his face.
"Scotson is experimenting on him," He explained. "making him into the ultimate soldier, stronger than anything else and will kill anything he finds in his path."
"He's a weapon." Rose surmised, and the Doctor nodded, his eyebrows creasing.
"But an unfinished weapon. He's not done yet." He explained, anger infusing itself in his tone, his voice breathy. "Something about the mindset of a killer, but not yet the body." He recited, scolding himself for skim reading again.
"But still a weapon." Rose finished, receiving a worried nod from the Doctor.
"Yes."
They all turned to look at the man behind the glass, none of them knowing quite what to do, until their attention was diverted to a noise in the hallway.
All quiet on the review front from the last chapter... that makes me nervous.