When the TARDIS finally stopped and stood in silence, Lila remained firm on her grip on the railing as her legs trembled from the rumbling within the TARDIS. Theodore trying to use the console, but to no avail, as it's refusing all command, no matter how much he tried every trick his father taught him.
Unable to bring them back, Theodore uneasily looked towards Lila as she finally unhanded the railings, her legs still trembling while she tried walking.
She jumped when the door opened on its own and looked towards Theodore for guidance as she's out of her element.
Theodore stepped away from the console as he's trying to answer his own question, only for him to respond with, "It needs me."
Some reason, the TARDIS came to him, but he doesn't think it's because he looks like his father. It's too smart to become confused that easily and it would've gone to his father, no matter where he went, rather than badger Theodore.
It's rather obtuse to a human, but the TARDIS doesn't just show up anyone. It only shows up for those that matched signatures in its database as potential candidates, of sorts.
The tradition started after his father gave up traveling. He wanted the idea that, he's still traveling, but a different coat of paint, so-to-speak. He made up the idea that he's eternal, ever changing, but always there, no matter what, and it's what he stuck with.
He made sure that the TARDIS doesn't just pick someone random off the street and turn them into the next iteration of the Doctor. There's methods of which it uses to sort out the appropriate candidate for the job.
The TARDIS, in it's infinite ways, knows how to gauge and find the perfect one, and it's a matter of how the chosen person reacts to having been picked by the machine.
If you told someone that a machine picked you as the one to helm it, to go through time and space, dealing with challenging enemies and dangerous adventures, they'd think you're mad.
Of course, that's the idea.
His father's shamelessly known for his random outbursts, it's no different from his successors.
You'd have to be extraordinary mad to go into a machine and have it take you wherever you're needed, knowing that you might never return home for a long time.
Hence, why the TARDIS searched out people to helm it, knowing that they're perfect for the job, and that's where the dilemma starts.
It showed up in Theodore's life, no one helming it, bent on capturing him and accidentally, Lila, trying to force him into the job, one way or another, and it's stubborn that it won't take "no" as an answer. He can't use the console because it locked him out of it until he gives it an answer it likes.
Very forceful, for a reason, his father's adamant that he didn't want the concept of the Doctor dying. Without a Doctor, hope's lost in the worlds at large, and without that hope, all's lost, something his father wanted to avoid at all cost.
Unfortunately, this in return meant that Theodore's hounded by the TARDIS bent on him helming it, whether he likes it or not. That said, he doesn't know how to think of this other than Hammond's not going to like it one bit and neither their sister.
His hands tied, it left Theodore in a situation he's unsure how to maneuver.
Their father's sure that the TARDIS wouldn't come back after sending it away, with enough people, it's astronomical that it'd pick Theodore. Even with his heritage.
"What do we do?" Lila jolted him from his deep thoughts as he stared at her, weary as she looked towards the opened door, afraid of going near it on the account she didn't know what the TARDIS planned next. For all she knows, it would've left them as soon as they stepped through the doorway outside. Wherever that be. Then, they're stuck in a situation, where they can't get home. That's not exactly something Lila's able to explain away.
Wracking his mind with ideas, Theodore gritted his teeth before he finally said to her that they'll have to go outside and see where they are and go from there. The TARDIS won't let them leave until they do it and it's not like he can make it take them back to her flat, anyhow.
"What about your Sonic Screwdriver?" Lila asked him as he shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked towards the opened doorway.
While that's a tried and true formula for some, using it won't change the TARDIS' mind. It'll only agitate it and if there's one thing Theodore knows best, it's never to agitate the TARDIS. The one thing that stands between home and somewhere dangerous. Do what you want, it's getting its way. It's one of the principles of being the Doctor, the TARDIS gets its way, 95% of the time, no exceptions.
It's only generous with the 5% as long as the Doctor does what it wants.
Lila raised a finger as she looked at Theodore with confusion as she asked, "Pardon my French, but since when the hell're you a doctor?"
It never came to her attention that Theodore's a doctor. Hammond would've brought it up and she expected Theodore to flaunt it whenever he's getting into an argument with Hammond.
Instead, Theodore informed her that he's not a real doctor. He's the Doctor. There's a difference. Lila wanted an explanation and Theodore gave it to her where he explained that the principle his father instilled just before he gave up traveling's that the person chosen becomes the titular Doctor.
They don't have to be a doctor, it's just a title that his father passed around to those worthy. It's meant to encompass everything that it means to be the Doctor.
Doctors help everyone and everything. No matter race, creed, whatever nonsense there be, and the point of being the Doctor's that the person chosen's able to do things no other's able to do. Some of those, people fortunate they're never in the position of doing, as it's not all fun and games. As the title comes with a list of caveats that needed adherence, no exceptions.
His father wanted it simple enough that it's easy to follow, but enough for him to get his point across.
For every adventure the Doctor does, there's always a chance they're forced to do something, and that something's bound to gnaw on them for the rest of their time.
It's hard, leaves a terrible taste in their mouths, but that's the point of it all, it's not all fun. The Doctor doesn't just go have a tram ride on a planet made of glass, there's work that needed doing, and even the smallest situations bound to become even worse ones down the line if not dealt with sooner. Even vacations turned into unexpected adventures, that's the nature of the Doctor, always expect the unexpected when you're the Doctor.
Or risk having your vacation ruined by the impolite Daleks who don't understand or care about packaged deals and complementary drinks.
"Fine, fine, whatever, what does that mean for us?" Lila drew attention back to the focus.
What does that mean for them?
Theodore told her, "Like I said, we'll have to see why it took us here, figure it out, deal with it, and it'll let us go home."
Lila looked doubtful as she pointed out that it's possible that the TARDIS would've sent them away elsewhere after they figure out this adventure, then where'd they be, then?
Thinking, Theodore wracked his brain as he then told her that it's what he said. They'll have to go and see what the TARDIS wants them to deal with. When they complete the task at hand, in theory, the TARDIS won't stop them from going home.
It's not much, but it's all they have, and they can't afford agitating the TARDIS. There's no telling what'll do and for all intents and purposes, it could send them on a wild goose chase in retribution for the slight, and they'll never return home.
"We haven't got a choice," Theodore told her as she looked dismayed as she tried to find some sort of answer, yet nothing came, and she's forced to concede that they're stuck here until they find out why they're there.
Exhaling sharply, Lila joined Theodore at the doorway, and as she's behind him, Theodore spun around to face her briefly as he went over the rules.
He's the Doctor. That's it. Lila can't use his name. Ever. If anyone asks, he's the Doctor. Until they returned home, he's the Doctor. He cannot afford anyone knowing his real name. It'll break the illusion. It'll also be dangerous for everyone knowing his real name on top of the usual suspects.
Lila's able to keep her name as she's his companion and she's not chosen by the TARDIS.
"Okay, you're the Doc, got it," Lila affirmed Theodore's rules. "
Behind Theodore, Lila followed him out of the TARDIS. She clung to the back of Theodore as the door closed behind them, locking them out until they completed their tasks.
Surveying their new surroundings, Lila spotted a six-inch metal pole stuck, but loose, in the gray ground adjacent to her, before grabbing it. A few tugs, she yanked it out of what felt like loose cement, before rejoining Theodore as they're walking ahead of the TARDIS, silently pushing them forward.
Her eyes adjusting to the change in lighting, Lila sees they're somewhere in what appeared to look like a town, but something's wrong. There's gaping holes in the brickwork of buildings, rubble on the ground, everything looked like it came out of a war movie.
In the air, it smelled heavily of brimstone, and Lila kept close to Theodore.
"Where are we?" Lila inquired as Theodore surveyed the area, his icy blue eyes moving across the horizon of destroyed buildings.
It's hard to say, Theodore's father always said that after the umpteenth adventure, things started blending together, and outside something unique, he always sees it as the same backdrop.
"I don't know," Theodore frowned.
Wielding her pole, about as thick as a small pipe underneath a sink, Lila stood guard as Theodore rummaged through rubbish, seeking whatever clues it held. Not much considering, but he managed to find clippings describing aerial attacks by UFOs.
"What's that?" Lila looked over his shoulder, seeing a blurry image of something in the air.
Theodore eyed it and his mouth dropped as he uttered, "No."
Oh, how predicable.
One of his father's "favourites," the psychopathic Daleks.
"Dal-what?" Lila turned to him with confusion.
Theodore summed with, "Space Nazis in flying rubbish cans."
Lila oh'd and said, "Makes sense. Why'd they come here?"
Many reasons why the Daleks would've made a mess of things.
His father.
Other Doctors.
Resources.
Slaves.
They rolled out of bed wrong.
Another enemy of the Daleks present.
Take your pick, it's dealer's choice.
Either way, they're hateful little buggers with no remorse and no end in sight. His father likened them to space cockroaches more than anything. Kill a fragment of them, within hours, more of them show up, and it gets very tiring having to deal with them over and over, again.
"I'm guessing negotiations aren't a thing with them?" Lila cautiously asked.
Theodore snorted, his large nose wrinkling, as he stated, "If you call shooting everything in sight "negotiations," then certainly!"
Made sense when he put it that way and good to know that she won't have to try to come up with some sort of deal in order to keep her head. Just trying to survive their attacks.
Looking at the clippings in his hands, Theodore's bedeviled by the reappearance of the Daleks. His first time in the TARDIS and it takes him to deal with those.
The mere sight of Theodore meant he's not going to have a good time, they burn the images of the Doctor into their very cores, just so they can remember each one, and try to kill them at any point in time.
Striking resemblance to his father, meant they'll think he's one and the same.
"You think they're still around?" Lila wanted to know if there's a possibility that the Daleks haven't left the rubble alone, and Theodore frowned as he clicked his tongue against his teeth as he's thinking.
The TARDIS wouldn't give him such an easy task of looking at the destroyed ruins of a city. Rather, it wanted him to come here because there's still something to do, and that meant that the Daleks haven't left. They're still around.
If they're still here, that means they're either harvesting resources or slaves. Perhaps both, if there's anything left.
"Come on, Lee, we have to get a move on," Theodore motioned as he dropped the clippings back in the rubbish. "Stay close to me."