I'm gonna have to make one episode 3 chapters. My plans of 2 chapters per episode have failed. oof. Also I'll need to fully reupload previous chapters with some grammar fixes. I organized my drive so that all chapters have a separate doc, chapters are in one folder, there's a chapter index with links to all the chapter docs and there's a folder with all the info and links for characters. I've been busy.

"We're finding our own way out." Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the edges of the hatch on the floor, "I usually do." He opened the hatch and let in the air that tasted like garbage.

"Capsule open." The van spoke, or maybe the computer in the van.

I looked over his shoulder, at the endless rows of cars below us. Another car zoomed into the spot directly below us.

"Here we go." The Doctor huffed and pocketed the sonic screwdriver in his pants pocket. He took off his coat and tossed it to Valerie, "Look after this. I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat." He looked at the coat longingly and eyes full of memories.

"We're jumping?" I asked, wrapping Doctor's scarf around my arm so that none of it was loose.

"You can't!" Valerie exclaimed.

The Doctor looked down and then at her, "If it's any consolation, Valerie, right now, I'm having kittens."

I tilted my head, not completely understanding him.

Brannigan spoke in a low voice, "This Martha. She must mean an awful lot to you two."

I shrugged, "I just met her, not sure about Doctor."

"Hardly know her." The Doctor said, "I was too busy showing off. And I lied to her. Couldn't help it, just lied. Bye then." The Doctor dropped himself out the hatch and onto the next car.

I paused before joining him, "Thank you for the lift, by the way."

I jumped onto the roof of the lower car, landing right behind Doctor. Nearly falling off, too. I coughed as soon as we began to breathe in the smog again. The Doctor scooted towards the hatch on the roof and opened it. He hopped in first and I followed. This van was white. The floor and the drapings, even the man driving it was as pale as his white suit.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked with near disbelief.

I coughed harder, "Sorry."

The Doctor went up to his seat, "Motorway Foot Patrol. I'm doing a survey. How are you enjoying your motorway?" He walked back to me and worked on opening the floor hatch.

"Well, not very much." The man answered honestly, "Junction Five's been closed for three years."

Doctor opened the hatch and shoved the sonic screwdriver into my arms, "Hold onto that," He looked at the man, "Thank you. Your comments have been noted. Have a nice day!"

"Good luck with the traffic," I smiled and jumped out with Doctor.

I guess the rush and the air was getting to the both of us because the Doctor was coughing more. I unwrapped the scarf from around my arm and rewrapped it around my mouth and nose. I looked at Doctor, there wasn't going to be a way for him to cover his airways. I handed him his screwdriver and he opened the hatch.

"Smart aren't you?" He asked sarcastically.

I smiled and nodded as we dropped into the next car. That car had a yellow floor and played loud music with fabrics and blankets laying everywhere. The Doctor went through the fake identification thing and opened the hatch.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Your comments have been noted." He noticed a blue bandana and picked it up, "Do you mind if I borrow this?" He tied it around his face, just above his nose. "Not my colour, but thank you very much." We dropped to the next car.

"Look at you," I joked, "being smart."

We dropped through more cars, all different on the inside.

"I am clever." The Doctor replied.

We continued on and on, car after car. Eventually, I felt like there wasn't any way that there was an end to the cars. That we would choke to death on smoke on someone's roof. We dropped into a regular looking car, one with a kitchen and a little space for a bed. The driver wore a suit and a bowler hat. I nearly fainted when we'd stopped. I guess we were at the bottom, finally.

"Excuse me, is that legal?" The man asked in a very proper voice.

I kneeled over, pulled off the scarf and started coughing. It didn't really help much when we were out there for so long.

The Doctor went over to the driver and slipped off the blue bandana, wiping his face with it.

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol. Whatever."

"Does he have water?" I choked out.

"Certainly." The man looked at us and leaned over to the water dispenser that sat in place of his passenger seat. He poured out a little water in one of those triangle cups and passed it to me. "Never let it be said I've lost my manners."

"One for me, too." The Doctor waved his hand, leaning on the seat.

I swished the water in my mouth and sighed.

Meanwhile, the Doctor gulped it down and started talking. "Is this the last layer?"

"We're right at the bottom." The man nodded, still thoroughly confused, "Nothing below us but the fast lane."

I staggered over to the water dispenser and took more water. I nodded at the man and smiled.

"Can we drive down?" Doctor asked and nudged me with the hand that held his cup. I filled it and gave it back.

"We could, but it might take awhile to get permission." The man said. "I don't even know if that one counts as an adult." He nodded towards me.

I let go of the button that was giving water and sipped politely. I guess I didn't look like an adult then.

"Then you'll have to excuse us." The Doctor went to the floor hatch.

I took my water and inched my way to him. "We're not dropping to the bottom, right?"

"You couldn't." The man said, "It's a thousand feet down."

"No," the Doctor opened the hatch, "I just want to look."

A loud growl echoed from below the smog that gathered at the bottom like fog. It wasn't really like fog, it looked heavier and was a brown color.

"What's that noise?" I asked, my mouth still on the rim of the triangle cup.

"I…" the man hesitated, "try not to think about it."

"What are those lights?" The Doctor asked. There were tiny white dots within the fog. "What's down there?" He waved at some of the smog coming in, coughing. I backed away, towards the water. "I just need to see."

The Doctor looked up like an idea had hit him. He dashed over to the front computer and pointed the sonic screwdriver at it. "There must be some sort of ventilation. If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze."

I shrugged, "The smoke might be too thick to see anything, even with a breeze."

"We just need to shift the fumes then." The Doctor tore off a piece of the metal and started messing with wires. "That's it! Could give us a good look."

The Doctor rushed back to the hatch, I was still looking down. He squatted and held onto the wall. The driver joined us and took a peek. Of course, the breeze only helped in the slightest way. Now we were able to see a faint body shape. Suddenly, a thousand claws poked their way out of the fumes, grabbing at the air.

"What are those shapes?" The man asked.

"They're alive." The Doctor growled.

I tilted my head, "Doctor, is there a species of giant crabs in the future?"

"They're Macra." The Doctor stared with wide eyes. "The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy." Doctor looked up at us, "Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better." He looked back down. "They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"They don't exactly look like empire builders to me." The man noted.

"So, are they here on purpose?" I asked. There wasn't possibly a way that they hopped on a spaceship and browsed planets. Right?

"Well, that was billions of years ago. Billions. They must have devolved down the years. Now they're just beasts. But they're still hungry and my friend's down there." The Doctor sighed.

We were interrupted by a loud clang from the roof. We all looked up, the driver must have not been used to company.

"Oh, it's like New Times Square in here," He stood up, looking at who was coming in, "for goodness's sake!"

"I've invented a sport!" The Doctor joked and stood up to greet the newcomer.

A lady in a silver-ish blue dress dropped in. I looked up, examining her. She was a cat lady! Another cat person! There were more cat hybrids! Only this one was carrying a glowing gun. A cat lady dressed as a nun, carrying a gun. What a day that had been.

The lady smiled at Doctor, "Doctor, you're a hard man to find."

The driver noticed the gun and exclaimed, "No guns. I'm not having guns."

She was quick to defend herself, "I only brought this in case of pirates." She turned back to Doctor, "Doctor, you've got to come with me."

"Do I know you?" The Doctor's face was covered with confusion.

"You haven't aged at all. Time has been less kind to me." The lady sighed and bowed her head.

Apparently, the Doctor remembered who she was because he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into a hug, "Novice Hame!" Then he quickly pulled out of the hug, "No! Hold on, get off! Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation."

"Doctor?" I asked and stood up.

"Ah," the Doctor glanced at me, "This is Novice Hame. Long story but I met her last time I was here."

I nodded.

"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor, for so many years, under his guidance." She looked into his eyes, "And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

The Doctor's eyebrows raised, "I'm not going anywhere. You've got Macra living underneath this city. Macra! And if my friend's still alive, she's stuck down there."

"You've got to come with me. Right now." Hame demanded.

"No! We're going to get our friend." I exclaimed, stepping forward to stand next to Doctor.

She shook her head, "I'm sorry, Doctor and Doctor's companion. But the situation is even worse than you can imagine."

She grabbed Doctor's wrist and I grabbed Doctor's arm at the second she said, "Transport."

"Don't you dare!" The Doctor shouted, "Don't you dare!"

"Thanks for the water!" I shouted before we were teleported.