The doctor, Liz, and I tried different components, measurements, and other methods in trying to figure out what the half orb was made of and so far, there had been nothing.
"Are you getting reading", Liz asked the Doctor, "No", he told her, "How about you", she asked me, "There's nothing", I told her lifting my head from the microscope.
"Oh well, that it", Liz said frustrated, "I can't think of anything else we can try!"
"Well, don't worry my dear, we tried our best", the Doctor told her, "I can't understand it, we've tried a dozen different analysis and haven't identified a single element", Liz complained.
"Yes, what results can you expect from primitive equipment", he told her, "Because the elements aren't part of Earth", I asked, "Exactly", the Doctor said confirming.
"Primitive? Elements that are not part of Earth? We've lasers, spectrographs, micro probes- ", "Yes, yes, I know all that. At least from Acacia's time we would have more technology options. What we need is a…lateral molecular rectifier", the Doctor told her.
"What on Earth is that", Liz asked, "Not on Earth unfortunately…but I think I have one in my Tardis", the Doctor told Liz who looked skeptical, "In there", she asked, pointing towards the Tardis.
"Yes, well I'm sure I used one sometime in the past…or was it the future…", Doctor trailed off confused as to which time he had used the contraption.
"Doctor do you really have scientific equipment in there", she asked him, "My dear Liz…I have an entire laboratory", the Doctor told her and she chuckled shaking her head.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you have", Liz said not believing what she was hearing, "It's true", I told her, "Oh, don't encourage him", she whispered to me, which obviously, the Doctor heard, as he gave her a look.
"What? You think the Tardis isn't big enough, don't you? That's why you keep looking at it as simply as a police box", the Doctor told Liz.
"Well, isn't it just a police box", she asked and I sighed, "No, no, not once you get inside it, it isn't ", he told her, "It's just as Acacia said: Time And Relative Dimension In Space; the Tardis is dimensionaly transcendental", the Doctor told her.
"Oh...I see", Liz asked amused and confused.
"Yes, well…it would take too long to try and explain that to you. The important thing is that we've got to get this material analyzed", the Doctor said then moved to stand in front of the Tardis.
"And you can do that with your equipment", Liz asked, "Child's play", she commented, "We still need the key from Brigadier before we do that however", I told them.
"Yes…without the key from Lethbridge Stewart…we can't get inside", the Doctor added.
"Well…I suppose it is your property", Liz said reluctantly, "Yes…of course, there is the possibility that…" the Doctor said stopping right in front of Liz, "That you may be able to persuade him to part with it", he said turning around and pointed towards me.
"What", I squeaked raising my eyebrows in surprise, "Yes…I can't tell you why… you'll just have to trust me", the Doctor said as he approached me, patting me on the shoulder.
Liz just rubbed her eyes, she couldn't believe what was happening, "O-okay…" I said nervously and a bit unsure, "Do you know where he could be", I asked Liz who was glaring at the Doctor, he turned around and gave her a look.
She sighed, "I can't believe I'm going along with this… turn right, all the way down the corridor, and it's on your right", she told me.
"Thank you", I said and stood up, "Good luck", the Doctor told me and I nodded nervously before I left.
Following Liz's direction, I went down the hall and stopped right in front of the Brigadier's office and I was blushing now out of nervousness. I was tense and my face felt hot as I hesitated to knock on the door, but as I did so…I instantly regretted it…now wanting to run back down the hall. The door finally opened and I looked up to see the Brigadier on the other side of the door.
He looked at me in surprise, "Miss Wood", he said confused.
"May I have a word, it's very important", I asked tilting my head in the doorway, "U-um, not now…I'm busy", he told me politely glancing back at the man in his office, who seemed to be looking around nervously.
"Yes, I can see that…but it won't take very long, you see the Doctor- ", "The Doctor…", Brigadier said shaking his head, "Always you and the Doctor, eh", he told me slightly upset, raising a brow at me.
I knitted my eyebrows in confusion as he sighed, "I'm sorry…that wasn't fair, was it? I'll speak to you in a moment. Please be patient", Brigadier told me the turned around to face the man.
"You say the creature was armed", Brigadier asked the man walking across the room distracted, then I noticed the Tardis key on Brigadier's desk. I quickly grabbed the Tardis key before Brigadier turned around to face the man again, turning around to leave, then I suddenly stopped, and whispered before I could stop myself, "Whatever I did, I'm sorry", then I left Brigadier's office closing the door behind me.
When I came back with the Tardis key in hand, I told the Doctor, "He was very mad with me, "Yes, I'd imagine he would be", he said and I sighed, why would he tell me to go instead of Liz then.
Then I thought about the apology I said, before I left, "I-I apologized for something I haven't done yet…is that…normal", I told the Doctor who just smiled kindly and nodded.
"But, now I'm afraid he's going to be awfully cross with you", he told me, showing me the Tardis key that I took.
"Well, if you're quick, he might've missed it", Liz told him as the Doctor put the key into the Tardis and it turned, "You know the key didn't turn when Brigadier tried to open it", she told us confused, as the Doctor opened the door.
"Well, that's because the lock has a metabolism detector", he told her, before pulling me inside with him and shutting the door. He then dragged me to the console, then let go as he pressed multiple buttons, switches, and turned a couple of knobs. Until the Tardis started to smoke.
"You're trying to leave", I asked upset as I coughed, "I don't think we're going anywhere", the Doctor told me, coughing as well.
"You think", I yelled angrily as I started hacking. My lungs were beginning to hurt and I pounded my chest trying to breathe. Then the Doctor ran over, quickly covering my face with his coat, as we exited out of the Tardis coughing.
As soon as we were out, I walked away from him and leaned against the table as I coughed as I breathed in out, "Just testing", the Doctor told Liz awkwardly. I turned around to face them and noticed Brigadier was there as well, with his arms crossed.
"I wanted to see if the controls...if the controls- ", "Doctor…you and Acacia tricked us", Liz said upset, "Acacia didn't know…and yes…I did", the Doctor told her apologetically.
I felt something wet fall down my nose and I quickly wiped it with a napkin I found on the table and hid it behind my back before anyone could see.
"The temptation was too strong, my dear", the Doctor said, glancing between Liz and I, "And I see you didn't hesitate taking Acacia with you", Liz told him angrily, but it wasn't anything hostile towards me.
"Well, she's just as much part of the ship as I am", he told her, both Liz and Brigadier sighed angrily at that.
"Yes…it's just, I couldn't bear the thought of being tied to one planet and one time, and I couldn't in good conscience leave Acacia behind. I'm sorry", the Doctor told them, then glanced over at me before he sat and looked down.
"It won't happen again", he told us sadly and Brigadier sighed, before walking up to him, "It won't", he asked. The he held out his hand, "Give me the key, Doctor", Brigadier ordered softly.
"Must I", the Doctor asked looking up at him, "As you can see, the Tardis no longer works as you saw…and Acacia didn't disappear."
So, he dragged me into the Tardis fully expecting me to disappear, I thought angrily as I crossed my arms and looked crossed at the Doctor as he glanced at me apologetically.
Brigadier noticed this and nodded in understanding, "Well, will you give me your word: Not to try to escape again", Brigadier asked both the Doctor and I, "I couldn't escape even if I wanted to…I've been trapped here", the Doctor told us.
"By who", I asked, "By that mean, despicable, underhanded lot. They've changed the dematerialization code", the Doctor told me.
"The what", Brigadier asked, "The demateri…it doesn't matter, you wouldn't understand anyway", the Doctor said sulkily.
"There's a great deal that I don't understand, but one thing I did understand Doctor…was that you two promised you would help", Brigadier told him.
"We've tied", I told him, "Yes…we need more evidence to go on", the Doctor told the Brigadier as he stood to lean against the table.
"Well, I think I might be able to help you", Brigadier told us, lowering his arms, "Follow me", he said, then walked out of the room, I lifted a brow at the Doctor who just shrugged as we followed him out. We walked down the hall to Brigadier's office, first he let the Doctor and Liz go in first before he stopped in front of me.
"We'll talk later", he told me as I raised my brows, before he let me go inside, "What did he say", the Doctor asked me as soon as I came in. "He said he'll talk to me later…if I didn't know better I'd say I was just scorned by a principle", I told the Doctor.
"It isn't much different", he whispered to me, just as Brigadier walked over to his desk after shutting the door behind him.
Brigadier lifted a brow at us and we went silent as he sat at his desk, the man that I saw from before was still here, I noticed.
"What made you go back into the factory", Brigadier asked the man, "Well…I wanted to try to talk to George on my own…and I wanted to get a look at that security area", the man said nervously.
"You think he's afraid of somebody", Brigadier asked him, "I don't know, but…but this other man came in…" the man trailed off in thought and fear.
"Did you find out who the other man was", Brigadier asked, "Yes, his name was Channing. Now, he seemed to have some sort of mental hold over George, almost as if he was hypnotized", the man told us, and my eyes narrowed at this.
"Brigadier, perhaps a visit to that plastics factory would be in order, don't you", the Doctor said, "Agreed", I said.
"Brigadier", we heard a radio say, "Yes, go ahead over", Brigadier said, as he pressed a button on his radio that sat on his desk, "We might have found someone who's found one of those meteorites. Over", said the man over the radio, "On my way over", Brigadier said, then pocketed a large radio that sat on his desk.
"Looks like we need to make a stop along the way", he told us as he stood.
We left the building in a car to go a tent that the soldiers had set up where the meteorites had landed, around where the Tardis had materialized. Going inside of the tent we saw an older man being interrogated by two soldiers, both soldiers glanced back at us and then walked over after giving the older gentleman an annoyed look.
"This man, sir, he's found one of the meteorites", a soldier told Brigadier, "Where is it", Brigadier asked, "At my house", the older man said.
My eyes widened in horror at this, those things were dangerous, and someone's been collecting them…and he's brought one to his house?!
"I was about to bring a party to collect it", said a solider, "Right, we'll take my car", Brigadier told everyone.
"You know the way, M. Monroe", and the soldier nodded, "Mr. Ransom, would you mind staying here", Brigadier told another soldier just as we exited the tent to get into his car. "Brigadier, I think we'll some with you if you don't mind", the Doctor said as we walked up to him.
"Good, might be as well", Brigadier told him as he glanced between the Doctor, Liz, and I; we all got into his car and drove to the older man's house. I had a bad feeling, when we finally did pull up to the man's house. We got out of the car and went up to the house, I felt myself pleading that whoever was inside would be alright.
"Mrs. Seeley", Brigadier called, just as the Doctor pushed the door to show us that it was already open. By the look of the door, it looked like it was forced open since it had cracks and rips along the side of the archway.
Upon entering the house, we saw a large mess inside of the living room and everything had been turned over or smashed to pieces.
"What did this", I asked frightened for the owner, "I don't know. Check the- ", Brigadier began to say, before we all heard a strange noise. We all ran to the back of the house to see a man with his back turned towards us. When we moved closer the man turned around to reveal that he wasn't a man at all, but a mannequin!
The statue had no eyes and a permanent smile which looked menacing from affair, I quickly ducked as he lifted his hand to shoot at me through his fingers.
"What the hell is that", I asked as the soldiers were shooting at it and it shot back, "A living mannequin, obviously", Liz told me.
"Why is there a living plastic statue in the middle of London", I said irritated as it kept shooting at us. "Good question, let's find out after it stops shooting at us.", the Doctor told me.
"Get a platoon out here fast", Brigadier ordered as they soon found out that their bullets weren't working, then I noticed there was an elderly woman who was passed out not too far from us.
"Watch where you fire, Brigadier", I yelled as soldier brought a platoon over to Brigadier, "I won't miss", he told me and before he could use it, the mannequin retreated.
As soon as it was gone, I ran to check the pulse of the elderly woman as Liz placed a pillow under her head that she had found.
"Is she alright", the Doctor asked me, "She's alive, no thanks to that mannequin. We need to get her to a hospital", I told him.
"Agreed", he said, "Right, I'll go call an ambulance", said a solider before walking off as another chased after the mannequin.
"You know…this is most interesting", the Doctor said, pulling a sphere out of a chest nearby and I walked over to see what he was talking about.
"What is", I asked, "…Well, I was right about the shape, the signal must have been muffled b the metal inside of the trunk…it's most interesting. We must examine it further in the laboratory", the Doctor said, before placing the sphere in my hands, as I examined it.
"Suppose it explodes…like the other one", Liz asked and my eyebrows raised in shock at this and then I looked over at the two.
"There's no reason why it should, if we treat it gently", the Doctor explained as he found me holding the ball nervously, humorous.
"Unless, of course…" the Doctor said and trailed off, "Unless what", both Liz and I asked, "It has a built-in destruct impulse", the Doctor told us and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"You're enjoying this aren't you", I said, "Oh no my dear, I'm quite serious", he told me and I gulped looking at the sphere again.
"Doctor...much as I'm enjoying the show, there's more pressing matter at hand. Suppose that…thing comes after it again" Liz asked concerned.
"In that case we'll just have to risk it", the Doctor told her just a Brigadier and a soldier ran up to us.
"The creature got away sir", he told the Brigadier, "Monroe, I want a cordon round that plastics factory", Brigadier ordered and the soldier left to do just that.
"We must make our move very cautiously Brigadier", the Doctor told him, just as Brigadier's radio went off as a soldier yelled the frightened man that we spoke to in Brigadier's office was gone. Brigadier picked up his radio and told the soldier were on our way.
Once back at the tent, the Doctor examined the hole where the men had said that the frightened man had left out of.
"He must have cut his way out", I heard Monroe say as I walked up to the hole as well.
"No, he didn't cut his way out…someone cut their way in", the Doctor said as I looked at the ground to see a distorted image of a man lying there in fear and then he disappeared.
I walked away as my nose started bleeding again, whatever was happening to me…it was accelerating, then I placed the napkin back into my pocket.
"So, they took him from under our noses", Brigadier commented, as I walked over to the bench that had fallen over and placed my hand on the ground. There was a feeling of a slight pain, a scream, and then nothing…did he evaporate…or turn to ash? I wondered as I had my eyes closed.
"If Mr. Ransom is anywhere, he'll be at the plastics factory, so I suggest we…go…immediately…Acacia", I heard the Doctor say and felt a hand on my shoulder. At first I had trouble opening my eyes and when I did I could see some different shades of colors and light that I couldn't before, then I quickly closed my eyes again as I slowly stood.
Slowly, I opened my eyes again as everyone else was working…but the Doctor kept a close eye on me. "Are you alright", he asked me, "Yeah", I said a little sleepily, "We're going to the factory, right?"
As I said this, I had a bit of trouble walking a few feet as my legs wobbled…I can get to the car, I thought as my eyes started to blur with tears as my head ached. Suddenly I felt my ribs began to hurt as I grabbed them, then I felt my spine stretch, and I cried out as my legs buckled beneath me. I fell knelt to the ground and wrapped my arms around myself and I cried as I felt like I was being torn apart.
My head, my ribs, my skin, bones, muscles, and organs all ached to the point where it was unbearable, I heard distant yells surrounding me just as I felt someone press their forehead against mine. The pain slowly faded as I opened my eyes again, I blinked away the fogginess and noticed the Doctor knelt beside me, he was leaning over me.
"What's wrong with her", Brigadier asked the Doctor, but he ignored him as he rubbed his forehead stress-fully.
"We need to bring her to a hospital", Liz said, "We can't take her to a hospital", the Doctor told her and sighed.
"Why not", Liz asked. "We just can't", he told her frustrated, "If my Tardis was up and running, I could take her…but they've banned me and changed the dematerialization code. So, now we can't go anywhere where it might help her", the Doctor said angrily.
"I'm okay…you don't have to worry about me", I said hoarsely, "No…you're not, if you keep pushing yourself you'll…", the Doctor paused then covered his face.
"Well, we can't just leave her here. This base has been compromised", Brigadier told him, "Yes, of course", the Doctor said removing his hand and the back at me, "Can you get up and walk?"
"I can try", I told him as I stood, I was determined to show everyone that I was alright and that I could still go to the factory with them. When in reality that couldn't have been far from the truth.