Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. This story is based on the Doctor Who characters and universe.

Science Assassin: Chapter seventeen

Donna stared at the lifeless form on the bed, and gulped. Here she was, looking at her own dead body. How had she died? She had seemed fine only earlier that day. It was so sudden. Could it have had anything to do with meeting herself? Had the shock been too great?

Donna tentatively walked up to the bed. She recalled the Doctor's words, Whatever you do, don't touch yourself! You'll create a time paradox! Time paradox? Donna still had no idea what would happen. Anyway, the future her was dead. Surely it wouldn't matter now?

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Wanda stood by the desk, watching the motroid file papers. She had to stop it from getting to its leader. If they didn't know the results, maybe they would delay future killings until information was received. The motroid was almost finished. She would have to think up some way of delaying it.

"I am finished now miss. Can I go?" the motroid put a last paper in the tall, metal filing cabinet and turned to Wanda.

"No." Wanda stood up straight, trying to look important. "There is more work to be done."

"What?" whined the motroid, it's pale face twisting into a sour scowl. "I have to ring my boss. I need to tell him I ordered stock!"

"Stock or no stock, I don't care. If you want to work here, you work when you're meant to work. If you don't want to work here, you can leave." Wanda reached for a resignation file on the reception desk. She knew the motroid relied on its job at the hotel for getting information to its leader.

"No no no no no no no! I stay!" exclaimed the motroid, grabbing the form. "I no leave! I stay! I do work!"

"Thank you." Wanda smiled. "Now, the front windows are looking rather grimy. They could do with a good wash."

"But that takes so long..."

Wanda waved the paper in the air.

"I go! I go!" The motroid scurried into a walk in cupboard and soon ran out brandishing bucket and cloth. Wanda watched it hurriedly polish the windows, rubbing vigorously on the glass. "Slow down!" she called. "I don't want any windows broken. They've been here ever since Miss Noble founded the hotel." Miss Noble! The same name as Donna! And Miss Noble who had founded the hotel was also called Donna! Was it a coincidence? Wanda suddenly felt worried. The Doctor was a time traveller. He could be from the past. What if it was the same Donna? What if- what if she met herself? That would be chaotic; even Wanda could figure that out. She had sent Donna to a nursing home, the biggest one in the country, where she could avoid suspicion, but where had Miss Noble gone when she retired?

Wanda ran to the filing cabinet and pulled open a drawer, shuffling through the papers at top speed. She knew that the hotel kept most of its old articles and files. Selecting one, she frantically read it. It was a newspaper, quite old, printed when Wanda was still a young girl. After her recent retirement, Miss Donna Noble has moved to the London aged care nursing home out in the country. She says she looks forward to a quiet, peaceful retirement away from the chaos of her famous hotel, the Hotel Noble. During her life, Miss Noble made the hotel a great success. It is passing into the hands of Mr John Anderson, chief manager of the hotel.

Wanda knew Mr Anderson. He was her employer, but already he was thinking of retirement. There was a picture of Donna Noble on the newspaper clipping. One was of her in her old age, her wrinkled face smiling. Another was of when she had first opened the hotel, and this made Wanda sick with worry. She looked exactly like the Donna who travelled with the Doctor. What have I done? Thought Wanda. What if I make time trouble? And where is the Doctor?

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Arthur Dales sat in the taxi as it drove speedily towards the hotel. He was stunned by the recent events. Another terrible assassination attempt. Poor Mr Long was in hospital in a coma. It was unsure as to whether he would survive. He suffered a punctured lung and brain damage.

Arthur Dales was puzzled. How could the Doctor have done this when he was in jail? Wanda had run off after the accident. He had seen her chasing a car. An ambulance had arrived, which had quickly taken Mr Long to hospital. The other scientists were having lunch at a restaurant, after hiring two motroid body guards. Arthur wasn't hungry. He had volunteered to go and find Wanda.

Now, he was sure the Doctor wasn't guilty. But then who was it? Was it the motroids like he had suggested? A sudden thought made Arthur sit up straight. The motroids were under suspicion, and the science committee had just hired two motroids body guards! That had been half an hour ago.

"Driver, turn around! Go back to the restaurant!" As the taxi swung around and headed back into the city, Arthur Dales waited, hoping that he wasn't too late.

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Donna stared at herself. She felt sick. What should she do? Should she raise the alarm? Should she escape? She wasn't even meant to be at the nursing home. Before she could make a decision however, there were footsteps down the corridor. A motroid doctor looked in, followed by two motroid nurses. "Well, here she is, doctor," one of the nurses said.

Donna felt immediately better. The Doctor had finally come! And he was dressed as a motroid, like he had said. She wondered who the other two nurses were. Maybe one was Wanda, but who was the other one? The Doctor seemed to trust them, so she decided it was alright.

"It's about time, Doctor," she said as the motroid walked into the room. "Bit late though, the future me died."

"Future you?" the Doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise.

His voice sounds a bit different, thought Donna. Probably part of his disguise. He likes putting on accents. "Stop it! You know what I mean! This is me from the future." Donna stepped back from the bed and pointed to herself. "I don't what happened, but I didn't touch her."

One of the nurses whispered something to the Doctor, who nodded. "I see." He looked from Donna to the old Donna. "Gertrude, go and get one of the human nurses to see to the body. Donna, come on. We're going back to the hotel."

"Now?" Donna couldn't believe it. "But, aren't you going to find out why she died?" She pointed to the future her. "I mean, it was very sudden."

"No, no, no, no." The Doctor began walking out the door. "Come on Donna. We have to get back to the hotel and find the science committee. NOW!"

His unnatural commanding voice surprised Donna. She followed him out and down the corridor to the lifts. "Nice costume by the way," she remarked. "Where'd you get it?"

"Bought it. You like?"

"Very, motroidish. But I think you should have dressed up as something else. Those aliens freak me out, with their icky skin and yellow eyes."

The two nurses and the Doctor turned to look at her. One of the nurses growled menacingly. Donna stepped back. "Um, no offense meant. Who are these nurses anyway Doctor? Is one of them Wanda?"

"This one is Wanda," the Doctor pointed to one of them. "And this one is Gertrude, Wanda's sister." His voice was cool and unfriendly.

"Oh, I see." Donna and the others entered a lift. "Wow. Wanda and Gertrude must have used so much makeup. I would never know you were really dark skinned." The nurses merely smiled. Donna felt a twinge of terror. This didn't seem normal. The Doctor didn't seem normal. He wasn't even interested in the future Donna. HIs voice, his manner, it was all different.

"Come on Donna." The Doctor led Donna out to a waiting bubble car. He opened the door, but Donna hesitated. For the first time she feared the Doctor. What was wrong with him?

More to come...

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