Author's Note: I am so sorry for taking so long to post this new episode, I have moved house and I don't have the internet yet. Anyway, here it is; the second episode of the new series. What can I say, Sally has joined the team and it is going to go well. Well, as well as you can really go in the TARDIS, I suppose... Anyway, enjoy!

Episode Two: The Cannibal Machine

Sally Brenner stared around the centre console room of the Doctor's strange blue box in a mix of fear and adoration. The Doctor and Bella looked on with amused faces as Sally took small, slow steps towards them, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open slightly.

"Well," Bella asked with a grin.

"This is incredible," Sally managed to say eventually, earning a warm smile from the Doctor. "I mean, it's completely and utterly barking mad," she added before turning to look at the Doctor and her best friend.

"But still brilliant," Bella finished and Sally smiled at her somewhat sheepishly.

"Yeah," Sally admitted.

"So," the Doctor said as he clapped his hands then rubbed them together enthusiastically. "Now, I know I said I was going to show you aliens, but Bella and I were in the middle of some fantastic adventures before we were rudely interrupted –"

"We were basically holidaying," Bella told Sally with a small smile.

"No, no we weren't," the Doctor said looking down to Bella beside him, sounding slightly hurt – almost as if he were offended by what she had said. "We were professionally adventuring remember? Anyway," he continued, now in his usual, happy tones. "Bella, I do believe I promised you giant sea turtles, Fiji and the year 2150."

Sally watched as Bella's face lit up with excitement.

"I hope you packed your swimming costume," the Doctor added lightly to Sally who nodded enthusiastically.

"Come on," Bella said as she bounded over to Sally to take her heavy bag that she'd forgotten about from her. "I'll take you down to my room so we can get changed."

"Your room?" asked Sally with a frown. "You mean there is more to this box than this room too?"

The gentle hum that the TARDIS always emanated suddenly changed for the slightest moment into a much darker – if not angry – tone.

"Her name is the TARDIS, Sally," Bella reminded her, also hearing the slight change in the TARDIS at Sally's comment. "Calling her a box is a bit rude, she does have feelings you know."

Bella pulled on Sally's arm to get her to follow her across the room to the stairs that descended into the rest of the TARDIS.

"When we get back from Fiji I will show you around properly because there are so many amazing rooms in here, and I am fairly certain that I haven't even discovered them all yet. I mean, there's the library, which is probably my favourite, but then there's also the swimming pool and the garden –"

Sally looked incredulously over to the Doctor at this point as Bella continued to talk excitedly at a hundred miles an hour as she continued to walk down the stairs. The Doctor grinned ant shrugged, leaning against the centre console casually.

"I think she is a little bit excited to have you here," he said with a smile.

"You think?" she laughed before quickly making her way down the stairs after Bella. She emerged in a hexagonal-shaped corridor that was of similar design to that of the control room. Bella was halfway down the corridor, still talking as though Sally was right beside her. She quickened her pace to catch up with Bella.

"Bella, are we really going to Fiji?" Sally asked in a very unsure tone over the top of Bella.

Bella fell silent and looked to her best friend. "Of course we are – why wouldn't we be?" she asked, looking genuinely puzzled.

"I don't know, it's just –" Sally said, hesitating, feeling as though all of this were a practical joke that her brother, Dylan, had come up with. "Well, this isn't some kind of trick, is it?"

Bella's face broke into a warm smile. "You still think that none of this is actually real don't you?"

"No, no it's not that," Sally said quickly. "I mean, look at what just happened; there was a tall green, baby-like man living inside a human being who was working for a creepy faceless guy and now I am in a spaceship that is bigger on the inside and an alien is driving it!"

"I'm so sorry Sally," Bella said as she came to a sudden stop, her expression quite serious now. "Are we taking all of this too quickly for you?"

Sally shook her head adamantly, hearing the concern in her best friend's voice. "I'll deal with it eventually, I guess. But can we stay away from the really scary aliens for a bit?"

"I can't promise you anything," Bella laughed as she started to walk again.

"Why doesn't that surprise me," Sally smiled as she started walking again too. "So, you and the Doctor…"

"Let's not go there, Sally." Bella said, her cheeks flushing. "You are as bad as Jack!"

"Why not?" asked Sally, eager to find out as much as possible.

"Because it's all slightly complicated –"

"So start talking," Sally instructed firmly as they turned a corner and Bella stoped beside one of the doors.

"You're asking the wrong questions," Bella stated.

"Oh really?" said Sally sceptically.

"Mmm," Bella murmured.

"What questions should I be asking then?"

"How exactly do you ride a giant sea turtle?" Bella said with a crooked smile before opening her bedroom door and walking into the room.

Sally seemed to think about this for a few moments before gasping "Wait – WHAT?" and following her into her room, Bella laughing loudly at her best friend's surprise.

The two girls emerged in the console room twenty minutes later in high-waisted short-shorts and their swimming costumes; Bella's being much more modest and old-fashioned than Sally's was.

"About time," the Doctor complained, but Sally could detect a distinct warmness in his voice.

"Aren't you getting changed?" Bella asked him as she went to stand beside him, taking off her big sunglasses.

"I'll change when we get there," he said dismissively. "Besides, someone has to drive." He added, winking at Bella.

"Drive?" repeated Sally. "Doesn't this ship have auto-pilot or something?" she added, flicking one of the closest switches.

The TARDIS gave a great lurch like they were falling downwards at alarming speeds. The Doctor cried for them to grab hold of something as they were thrown around with such force they all nearly were knocked of their feet. The Doctor quickly pulled levers, hit parts of the console with a mallet and pressed multiple buttons and eventually the TARDIS became still again.

"Sorry," Sally whispered, looking guiltily to the Doctor.

"I forgot to mention," the Doctor said quietly, panting ever-so-slightly and looking across to Sally with piercing eyes. "Don't touch the control panel."

Sally nodded, feeling sick; she could have gotten them all killed, she thought, horrified with herself.

"Sorry," she said again and she received a reassuring look from Bella.

The Doctor gave her a small, forgiving nod and Sally looked down to her feet.

"Doctor, something has come up on the screen." Bella said suddenly, and Sally looked up in time to see the Doctor move to computer screen around so he could gaze intelligently at the strange circular writing.

"It's a distress signal," the Doctor told her. "We have materialised in a different solar system."

"Play it," Bella said instantly, motioning Sally to go and stand beside her.

"There is no visual link, it's just the audio," the Doctor said before pushing another button.

Static noise suddenly filled the TARDIS and a distraught male voice could only just be heard.

"We are experiencing great difficulty," they heard the man say. "I have ordered for the passengers and most of the crew to –"

The man's voice was drowned out by the overpowering static and the Doctor fiddled with more buttons.

"Come on!" he said.

"- will be in charge of the ship, we need immediate assistance, I don't know how long the engines will last and I cannot guarantee the safety of the ship's passengers and crew, not while the monster is on the loose –"

The man broke off again and the Doctor exchanged a quick, worried glance with Bella.

" - I cannot stress enough – please, I am begging anyone who can hear this message, we need your help, please!"

"Sorry Sally, but we are going to have to miss Fiji for now," the Doctor said quickly, pulling another lever and the TARDIS gave a shudder and the klaxon began to screech.