Cars honk at us as we drag each other across the road a grin plastered on our faces as we skip down the stairs. Once stopped outside of the London Eye was skid to a stop, slightly out of breathe we gather in a circle.
"Think. Plastic. Everywhere, every artificial thing waiting to be alive. The shop window dummies, phones, wires, cables." The Doctor explains.
"The breast implants." Rose comments, I cackle at the thought.
"The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath." I mutter gazing around our surroundings. another wall draws me away from the group. Leaning over I tuck my hair behind my ear to get a better look. A hatch leading down under the bridge draws my attention. "Doctor!" I hollar drawing the attention of my companions.
"Looks good to me." he comments before rushing down. I follow soon after smiling at the approval. Once down near the hatch we work together to heave it open, the rusted metal screeching at the unusual use. The Doctor moves to go first before I intercept and rush forwards. "I think Rose and I should go first." I state before clambering down, I slowly disappear down the hole watching as the Doctor stutters to reply with pale pink dusting his cheeks. Giggle I climb down the ladders. Red light emitting from ceiling lamps creates a creepy and suspicious atmosphere. Rose follows after me, her shoes thudding against the floor grating. We both wait at the bottom for the alien to follow us.
Once down the three of us make our way towards a door nearby, the Doctor slides it open before venturing further railing prevents us from falling down and off the ledge, I stroll over peering down. A vat full of glowing yellow liquid which was sliding and mixing around is the main thing lighting the large room. The Doctor leans next to me as he explains whatever it was, I had a sneaky suspicion that it was the Nestene Consciousness.
"The Nestene Consciousness. That's it, inside the vat it's a living creature. Living plastic creature."
"Well, tip in your anti plastic and let's go." Rose rushes, her tone panicked and fearful.
"No, we can't kill it. It might want to leave when it realises it's been caught." I ramble, grabbing the Doctors forearm.
Nodding the Doctor agrees with me as he replies, "I'm not here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance like Alula said."
"Please call me Luna I don't like Alula, caused me too many issues in my childhood." I beg facing the Doctor. He just grins shaking his head.
"Sorry no can do Alula."
"Fine then Doc, what do we do now?" he cringes at the nickname before rushing down the stairs to the vat. Rose and I make eye contact, sighing in sync before following.
The three of us pause on a lower level, Doc clears his throat before announcing our arrival to the other alien, "I seek an audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract, according to Convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation." The alien twists and turns creating gurgling noises in reply. What the fuck did it just say? An audience is approved. The thought flits through my brain, only for a second.
"Thank you. If I might have permission to approach." the Doctor requests, a cheesy grin plastered on his face. I giggle at his happiness, although both of our smiles vanish as Rose mutters an 'Oh, my God.' whilst running past us both and towards a huddled figure on another level, the huddle figure being the one and only Mickey.
"God, it's Mickey. Yay!" I sarcastically whisper, tapping my finger against the metal railing nervously. The alien to my left gently takes my hand before leading me down and after Rose, a fowl look smothering his features. Skipping behind the Doctor we walk past Rose and Mickey. The two chattering frantically between themselves.
"Doctor they kept him alive!" Rose exclaims pointing out the obvious.
"No shit Sherlock." I state, as the Doctor tugs me past the couple.
"Yeah, that was always a possibility. They had to keep him alive to maintain a copy." I shake my head at his oblivious thinking, knowing that Rose will attack him for it.
"You knew that and never said?!" she shouts, her face scrunched in exasperation.
"Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you!" the Doctor retorts sarcastically, before turning away from them and continuing down the the vat.
We pause at the edge of a ledge looming above the Nestene Consciousness.
"Am I addressing the Consciousness?" he queries. The plastic twists into a face replying to the question silently. "Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilisation by means of warp, shunt technology." he pauses as the creature replies, angrily spitting molten plastic around.
"Might we suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off!" I quip pissed at the alien. This causes the creature to uproar, rising slightly out off the vat. Rolling my eyes at the dramatics I scoff at its response. Trying to justify its reason for invading. "Fuck off you ugly ass looking slime ball, it's an invasion plain and simple." I snapped. It twists in anger talking over me.
"SHE IS TALKING!" the Doctor bellows. "This planet is just starting. These stupid, little people have just learnt to walk. They are capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go." he requests his voice tired.
"Doctor!" Rose yells, just before we're grabbed by mannequins. A familiar mannequin gripping my left arm.
"Steve! You found a head. Oh and an arm how lovely." I joke, the mannequins grip painfully tight on my wrist. "Ouch you bitch, I was being nice."
"Language Alula." the Doctor reprimands, fighting against the two mannequins holding him. How come I only got one. That's bullshit! One mannequin pulls out the vial of anti plastic from inside his inner pocket. The Nestene Consciousness growling at the discovery.
"Thats was insurance. I wasn't gonna use it!" Doc tries to justify. frantically pulling at the mannequins. I struggle as Steve drags me to the edge. "We were not attacking you. I'm here to help. We're not your enemy, I swear." he begs futilely struggling. The creatures starts spitting at us only the Doctor understanding its sentences. "What do you mean?" We turn together to see the TARDIS. "No, no, honestly no!" the plastic asks another question causing the Doctor to frantically look between the ship, me and the alien. "Yes, that's my ship." The alien rants on about something, only a few of the words was understandable to me. Timewar, your fault, last Eternal, last Timelord.
"That's not true." the Doctor replies, his voice thick with emotions. "I should know, I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't save your world, I couldn't save any of them."
The Nestene Consciousness growls again causing Steve to drag me closer to the edge. I scream out kicking around.
"What's it doing?" Rose asks.
"It's the TARDIS, the Nestene has identified it as superior technology it's terrified. It's convinced that Alula isn't human. It's going to the final base. It's starting the invasion."
"Get out Rose! Run!" I scream, throwing my weight around in an attempt to escape Steve. He struggles to bring me to the edge. Rose turns around from us he hand to her ear, on the phone I guess. I bolt of lightening flies up breaking the ceiling. I pause my struggle to stare in worry at it, fear flooding my bloodstream. Shit.
"It's the activation signal. It's transmitting. Get out Rose. Go!" the Doctor shouts, struggling against the plastic men. The ceiling begins to cave, rubble falling down. My feet reach the edge of the level, only my heels stay on the ground. I grip tightly onto anything panicked as Steve gives one last push. I start to fall, pulling him with me; I grab the edge with one hand, Steve holding the other.
"Fuck off you bastard!" I scream, kicking him in the head sending him into the molten plastic. I struggle to hold the ledge with both hands, my muscles straining.
"Alula hold on!" Doc shouts.
"Well, I'm not gonna let go!" I retort, my fingers slipping. "Hurry the fuck up!"
I hear a thud, a mannequin flies over me the anti plastic following. An eruption causes my fingers to slip more, only holding by two fingers. I scream in exhaustion, painfully holding on. Two hands fling over the side, dragging my up just as I was about to let go. "Took you long enough!" I complain. Hugging the Doctor from the sprawled out position we were in. He hugs me back tightly. Heaving me up we run to the TARDIS, Mickey and Rose close behind.
As the TARDIS stops making her peculiar noise and the Doctor nods to the door a traumatised Mickey runs out with a worried Rose close by. I sat spinning on my new favourite seat whilst inspecting the bruising and burns on my arm from my hardcore scrap with a plastic arm. The Doctor watches me before walking out of the room and down one of the many corridors, he soon comes back holding a small jar containing a pinkish paste. I raise an eyebrow in confusion watching as he opens it and crouches in front of me.
"This will fix you up. From a planet called Kastro which was essentially a really big hospital." he explains before gently taking my hand and pulling my arm towards him, his fingers gentle as he rubs it in. He moves to one of the burns causing my to wince slightly. "Sorry." he mutters. Once finished he smiles slightly at me before placing the jar on the floor and walking to the doors. I follow closely with my sleeve rolled up. We stand side by side leaning on opposite doorways. "Nestene Consciousness. Easy!" he boasts attempting to draw Rose's attention away from her childlike quivering boyfriend. I giggle at her offended look.
"You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me." she retorts smugly.
"Yes we would." I reply sending a grateful smile.
"Yeah, thank you. Right then. I'll be off." he states pausing slightly, "Unless uh, I dunno. You could come with me." he offers looking at both Rose and I. "This box isn't just a Lonon hopper you know. It goes anywhere in the universe, free of charge." his face lighting up with a nervous smile. I nod rapidly going to open my mouth before I'm interrupted.
"Don't he's an alien, he's a thing!" Mickey exclaims, I send a sharp and angry glare at the sorry excuse of a man.
"First of all shut the fuck up, he is a person and it doesn't matter if he's an alien or human; second of all it's up to Rose if she wants to go and third, yes Doctor I would love to come with you." I snap, smiling at the Doctor after expressing my dislike for Mickey.
"He's not invited." the Doctor adds indicating to Mickey. "What do ya think?" Rose pauses, weighing up the options. "You could stay here, fill you life with work and food and sleep; or you could go anywhere."
"Is it always this dangerous?" Rose questions shoving her hands in her back pockets. He nods in reply. Only then Mickey gets into a kneeling position and clings onto her waist, he really is a fucking child. "Yeah, I can't. I've got to go and find my mum, plus someone's got to look after this stupid lump. So..."
The Doctor loses his large grin, a disappointed smile taking style, "Okay. See you around." he states before closing the doors. I look back at him, he is noticeably deflated and had lost his happy aura.
"What if she was told it travels in time as well. Everyone wants to time travel." I offer, his smile returns as he rapidly bustles around the TARDIS I cling to nearby railing I'm going to end up with brain damage. The wheezing sound stops as we arrive, he runs to the door poking his head and saying,
"By the way did I mention it also travels in time?" not to long after Rose enters and a smug looking Doctor winks at me. I chuckle heading over to my favourite seat. Rose giggles as the Doctor stands there all excited. This is going to be amazing.