Chapter Eleven
The Doctor paced around his cell, like a lion in a cage. After witnessing them shocking Rose, he was ready to bust down the door. He didn't know what they were doing to them, but he couldn't sit around and wait to find out. He had heard the door to the interrogation room slam earlier, and he shuddered to think what was going on behind it.
He ran to the door and looked out the window. He cursed when he couldn't see anyone nearby.
"I have to get out of here and find them. If they crack under torture and talk, then that's it for all of us," he muttered.
He let out another curse knowing that they had taken his sonic screwdriver from him. He felt sure that they didn't know what it was, only that they were taking it from him as a precaution. Still, if there was one thing he hated, it was to be without his screwdriver. He laid his head against the cold steel of the door while he tried to come up with a plan.
"Think, think, think," he muttered, lightly banging his forehead on the door.
He leaned his head up when he heard voices and looked out the tiny window. He turned his head to the side and saw that two men, a fat, balding one and thin, brown haired one, were walking down the corridor towards him. He waited until they were passing by before he yelled at them. The two men nearly jumped out of their skins and glared at him.
"Oi, settle down, you!" the fat one said.
"For your information, I requested to be taken to the interrogation room twenty minutes ago, and no one has come to get me," the Doctor replied.
The guards looked at each other.
"Really? You in that big a hurry to get interrogated?" the thin one said, amused.
"Yes, I am. I'm a busy man, and I haven't got all day to proclaim my innocence and explain my side of things. Now, could you two kindly escort me to the interrogation room, so I can get this nonsense over with?"
The fat one looked at the thin one.
"What you think, Lock'na?" he asked him.
"I don't know, Re'lian, I didn't get any orders to move any prisoners."
The Doctor feigned exasperation.
"You are guards, are you not?" he said, giving them a patronizing look.
They nodded.
"Then, surely, you can escort me down to the interrogation room, so I can clear my name and get out of here in time for supper."
I don't know," Re'lian said, rubbing the back of his neck, "we might get in trouble."
The Doctor let out another sigh.
"Oh, come on, do you honestly think I'm gonna try to run away from you? I know better than that, especially since I'm in here trying to prove my innocence. I'm not gonna jeopardize that, so will you please open the door and take me down to the interrogation room?"
They looked at each other.
"What do you think, Lock'na?"
"I don't see the harm in it. We can take him down there and lock the door, so he can't get out."
"Yeah, but we didn't get any orders to move him."
"I assure you, gentlemen, I am supposed to be moved. The warden, himself, agreed to it, and I will vouch for you. Now, please, open the door and move me."
"You promise to explain this to To'qa?" Re'lian said.
"I give you my word, gentlemen. I will take the blame if To'qa gets angry at you."
Lock'na shrugged.
"I see no harm in it."
"No, me neither."
The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, gentleman," he said.
He stepped back and waited patiently, while Re'lian unlocked the door. He had to time this whole thing right and wait until the right moment to make his move. Luckily, he had centuries of experience at this kind of thing. He only hoped that his friends would be all right in the meantime.
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The guards stopped in front of a door and held fast to Rose, Martha, and Mickey while another one opened the door. They looked in and noticed there were five chairs side by side. Each of them had a huge, metal box positioned over them.
The guards dragged them inside before they could move. Martha noticed that Rose was still a bit dazed from the effects of the shock stick, and she was half dragged to the chair. All three of them were forced to sit and were strapped in. They pushed a button on each box, and a green force field surrounded them in a circle. The man who had been interrogating them walked inside and stood in front of them.
"These are truth chairs. The force fields around you are monitoring your brain waves and vital signs. I will ask you questions, and any abnormal change in either will result in the force field shocking your entire body. So, once again, I will warn you not to lie if you know what is good for you.
He nodded at a guard who walked over to a nearby table, opened a drawer, and pulled out a thin, silver device that had a small, silver pencil attached to it. He sat down, grabbed the pencil, and held it over the device, waiting patiently for the questions to begin.
"Are you ready, Interrogator Ut'serion?" he asked the man.
"Yes, Minister Za'tok, you may proceed."
"Excellent," Za'tok said, "then, we'll begin."
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"It's really nice of you to do this," the Doctor said, amicably, as he followed the two guards down the hall, "I really don't want to spend all day sitting in a cold, cramped cell when I'm completely innocent."
"Oh, really?" Lock'na said, "and what are you being accused of?"
"Oh," the Doctor said, waving his hand dismissively, "breaking and entering or something stupid like that. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's an unfair cop."
"Yes, I'm sure it is," Re'lian said, rolling his eyes, as Lock'na snorted.
"Why, gentlemen, I'm shocked. You act like you don't believe me."
"No, we don't," Lock'na said, "we get that whole; I'm innocent thing, all the time."
"Uh-huh, so you ever stop to think all those people might be telling you the truth?"
"The Terserian government never makes mistakes," Re'lian replied.
"Indeed. Well, you know, that is rather shocking to hear since I, obviously, was a mistake. I guess there's a first time for everything, right?"
"Yeah, right," Lock'na said.
They stopped in front of the door to the interrogation room. Lock'na stepped in front of him and reached into his pockets for the keys while Re'lian guarded him from behind. He cleared his throat when he heard the door unlock.
"By the way, gentlemen," he said, casually, "have either of you ever heard of Venusian Aikido?"
Lock'na opened the door.
"No, I haven't," he said, not looking back at him.
The Doctor glanced back at Re'lian.
"You?" he asked.
"No, never heard of it."
"Ah, well, it's a fascinating martial art. Very difficult to learn because the Venusians have five arms, but I mastered it. Which is a major achievement, since I only have two arms."
"Well, goody for you," Lock'na said, dryly, "now if you'll just step inside, we can lock the door behind you."
"I have a better idea. How about if I give you both a demonstration of my proficiency in Venusian aikido?"
Before they could react, the Doctor raised his arms and brought his hands down hard on the back of their necks. He smiled when they both fell to the floor, unconscious.
"Fascinating martial art," he said, to them, "simply fascinating. You oughta study it sometime. That way, you will be better prepared the next time someone like me gets the drop on you."
He reached down, grabbed Lock'na's keys, and both their shock sticks. He had a thought, made a quick search, and sighed angrily when he couldn't find his screwdriver. He leaned back up, put the keys and shock sticks in his coat pocket, and smiled at them.
"Well, it's been a lovely time, but I have to go and save my friends. Thanks so much for aiding in my escape. You were both good sports for doing that. Toodles."
He turned and sprinted down the corridor beside him, hoping that nothing would happen to his companions before he reached them.