The creature stepped down from its podium. The Doctor backed away, ending up front of Amy, taking her back with him. They retreated around the room, the liquid metal monster slowly advancing on them. It struggled to make each step. It was still trying to get used to the novelty of being able to walk.
''Doctor,'' Amy began, ''you might not have noticed – understandable, you've got a lot on your plate – but um, there's no door.''
''I'm a little preoccupied with the metal man-woman-thing, Amy,'' said the Doctor calmly. He suddenly got a little afraid.
''…also what do you mean there's no door?'' he added.
''I mean, there was a door, but now there's just a whole heap of not-a-door-in-sight,' Amy huffed.
The lack of door in question had transformed into a wavy wall of liquid metal.
''Well that hasn't stopped us before,'' asserted the Doctor. ''Don't worry, Pond.''
''Worry? Oh, I'm not worried,'' said Amy sarcastically. ''Big metal monster; no way out; a sonic screwdriver that doesn't work. What have we got to be worried about? As long as you're calm, I'm calm.''
''See, now you're getting it,'' the Doctor jested.
''But also if you don't get us out of here soon, my spirit will haunt you forever.''
''Hang on, why does it always fall on me to save the day?''
''Twelve years,'' stated Amy simply.
''Oh, you're not still holding that against me, are you?'' sighed the Doctor.
''Twelve years,'' said Amy again, innocuously.
''Okay fine,'' the Doctor conceded, ''but next time, you come up with a plan.''
He suddenly stopped and took a step forward towards the machine-like monster.
''Repeat all major status reports since the ship crashed into 'The Vaconian'!'' he commanded. Like clockwork, the android stood up straight and started spitting out statements one after the other.
''Status report: dimensional transporters are ineffective. Journey home will require sufficient amounts of energy for transporters to be operational.''
''That should slow it down for a while,'' chirped the Doctor. The android fought back; the live side of it opposing the programming. It took more steps towards the Doctor and Amy and reached out its hand, before freezing.
''Well, kind of,'' sputtered the Doctor.
''Status report: ground level inaccessible until aftermath of event classified by humans as 'Disaster' is cleared,'' screeched the monster, before tearing through its protocol and advancing on the pair. ''Entering hibernation mode.''
''Any progress on that 'way out' plan yet, Doctor?'' asked Amy timidly.
''Don't rush me,'' the Doctor replied coolly.
''Status report: aftermath cleared. Ten year hibernation ceased,'' said the android. It broke fiercely through the Doctor's trick to transform its hand into an oddly shaped weapon. A bulge of liquid metal flowed down its arm and with slight recoil, launched out of the weapon and narrowly missed the Doctor and Amy. It hit the wall behind them, causing a relatively large hole.
''No pressure,'' said Amy.
''Scanning ground level surface area for suitable energy substitute,'' said the metal woman, weakly circling the room. Amy and the Doctor had run to the other side of the panels.
''Expanding search radius. Energy identified: planet's dominant species, human. Suggested method of acquiring energy: trap.''
''Oh that's a bit rude,'' exclaimed the Doctor, ''humans aren't that stupid.'' He looked at Amy. ''Are you?''
Amy scowled. The monster fired another blob of liquid metal that made another hole in the wall that went so far through the side of the ship that a cascade of dirt tumbled into the room and ended up in a heap, blocking the pathway and overflowing onto the panel in the centre. The monster changed directions; the Doctor and Amy could no longer escape it by running in circles.
''Status report: Final twenty-four hours… of con-...construct accessible through video, video, video feeds captured upon atmospheric entry,'' stammered the metal woman, battling for control of itself. ''Interactive m-m-m-memories available for use.''
The wall where the only door once rested was now completely smooth. It was like the room itself was unwilling to let them escape. The Doctor held up the scanner and pressed his sonic screwdriver onto the top of it, trying desperately to get it to work.
''Come on, come on,'' he slurred irritably as the sonic whirred on and off. Finally it sparked to life and a splash of red emanated from the scanner, lighting up the room with a laser-like glow and revealing the gap in the wall where the door once resided. ''Right then. Now we just need to blow it up.''
He switched off the sonic and thusly the scanner. He dashed over to the not-door and waved his arms feverishly about.
''Over here you big metal lump!'' he cried with glee, signalling the creature over to him. ''Come on, come on. This is the one time I'll encourage the use of a gun, don't pass up the opportunity!''
The thing turned its disquieting head and lunged towards the Doctor, lashing out its weaponized arm. It fired off a few shots, all of which missed the Doctor completely; instead they narrowly avoided Amelia who had to jump around to evade getting hit. More huge dents shattered the wall, but promptly healed themselves like the surface of a pool after somebody had dived in. All of the previous holes followed suit.
The alien menace composed itself, stood up straight and took careful aim at the Doctor, who braced himself to duck.
''Status report: Commence hotel reconstruction,'' it said dispassionately, before blowing a gaping hole in the side of the room that led to the passageway outside. The force of the shot blew the woman backwards while the Doctor had dropped to the floor just in time to let the blob of metal fly over him.
The wall began to recover. The parts that weren't destroyed oozed into the gap. Amy ran through before the Doctor had a chance to get up. He pushed himself to his feet and observed the panels in the centre lighting up once more to show another hologram. The same kind of substance that the monster was made up of rose out of the dirt that suffocated the bottom panel, and rose all the way up to the top in the vague shape of a building.
Amy's arm reached back inside the room to pull the Doctor out before the wall closed in on the door. They stumbled to the floor outside just as the gap sealed completely. Pulling each other up, they raced back down the tunnel, lit up weakly by the efforts of the sonic.
''I know you're tired,'' said the Doctor. ''Not long now before this is over.''
''Doctor!'' Amy cried, ''will you stop talking to your screwdriver?!''
The Doctor put the sonic back in his pocket. They made it to the end of the tunnel in no time and thumped the door open at the other end. Slamming it shut from the other side, they had a few moments to catch their breath before another threat emerged from the ceiling. Several other threats. An armada of threats. They had forgotten all about the Raxillion, whose lair they had chosen to take a breather in.
Roof panels from dispersed parts of the room were clawed open or knocked straight to the floor one by one as the malicious hounds entered the room upside down, their paws sticking to the ceiling effortlessly while their forked tails grimly wagged about.
The Raxillion paced across the ceiling, occasionally barking or growling when another crossed their path, but remained focussed on Amy and the Doctor. As the pair stood silently and without moving an inch, a humming awkwardly broke the silence. The sonic screwdriver grew louder and louder until it clicked and the buzzing stopped. A bright green spark shot out of the Doctor's pocket and a grin spread across his cheeks.
''Now,'' he purred, ''who wants to play?''