HAPPY HALLOWE'EN
IT DOESN'T END THERE - PART 7
Listen to the Doctor
Captain Graham and his cohorts shuffled Donna and the Doctor through into the assembly hall.
"Doctor," Donna commented aside, "you know, I don't mean to pass summary judgment or anything but is the TARDIS's telepathy circuit even trying to make it look unremarkable?"
"It doesn't work on people looking for remarkable things. Plus they've probably got some stolen Time Lord detecting technology so they could easily have found her."
"Right. So it doesn't work on jumble sales fanatics and people with fancy Time Lord divining rods. Pfft; probably found that in a jumble sale too."
"And it wouldn't work on people who've taken a keen interest in Verity Newman's book." He looked up at the middle-aged woman standing at the TARDIS' master console. "Isn't that the case, Ms Angela Galloway-Wormleighton?"
"Quite right, Doctor." She answered with a stiff voice. "Call me Angel One."
"Yeah, okay," Donna acceded, "but how'd they actually get your TARDIS? I mean a right coincidence of you popping up in their line of sight."
Angel One frowned; "there is no coincidence. Finding the correct bait to bring the Doctor's ship here involved a great deal of time and effort. Just as a shark can detect a drop of blood in a million drops of water, the Doctor's TARDIS has a telepathic lock on all who have travelled aboard her. Isn't that so Doctor? She would naturally sail across a million years to aid the rescue of one of her passengers. How are you, Ms Donna Noble? You certainly are quite the favoured one around here." She stated in a cold voice. "My apologies, I seem to have forgotten my manners. Cup of tea?" She gestured blandly to the circular table and the tea setting.
"Thanks." Donna grabbed thirstily for the handle of the teapot.
"Oh, I see." The Doctor started with a triumphant grin.
"What, Doctor?" Donna asked, helping herself to a cup of tea. "You wanna cuppa?"
"Uh, no, thanks, Donna. Must be frustrating, Angel One. I bet you've never encountered an isomorphic security system before? And you know what? I'm not going to help you."
"Perhaps you're not as clever as you think, Doctor." Angel One countered. "I've had quite a bit of success, actually." She stared at Donna. "I'm actually surprised that you didn't think of it. It is your technology."
"Think of what? Doctor, why is she staring at me? Think of what?"
The Doctor frowned. "The TARDIS has a telepathic lock on you, Donna."
"It's made you human again, of course." Angel One replied with a lark in her voice. "Donna Noble. Perfectly human in every way."
"But the Doctor is right. To a point." Angel One waved to her M.I. mock up security guards and the Doctor and Donna now had half a dozen guns pointed at them from all directions. "It is you who has the symbiotic connection with your ship, Doctor, and you will help me. Now, if you two would kindly step this way."
"Well, that's new." Donna noted the funky old-fashioned headset hanging from the TARDIS' control room roof. "What's that thing?" Donna asked as they headed to the central console.
The Doctor looked at the headset. "The Chameleon Arch." He intoned. "Time Lords use it to rewrite their cells to another species-."
"Oh, go on with you; why'd you want to become another species for?"
"It's used to hide, Donna." He answered. "Someone looking for a Time Lord won't find a Time Lord in their place."
Donna suddenly noticed the boy was over at the laptop on a portable computer table. "What's he doing with that computer?" She frowned, connecting the dots, "you guys are barmy if you wanna use that thing!" She gritted, pointing at the Chameleon Arch. "Do you have any idea of how many cells are in a body? It could kill someone in the process."
"The static tests are working now." The boy suddenly reported. Angel One spun around and looked at the computer screen herself.
"I was right." She looked up at the Doctor. "You've been an immense help, Doctor."
"No!" He barked. "Seriously, Donna's right, Donna is unbelievably right!" He gestured savagely at the headset. "Yes, it works on a Time Lord, but it was built by a Time Lord for a Time Lord! It's not designed for human use."
"Not according to the static test." Angel One disagreed. "It's working perfectly now."
"Look, Angel-what's-your-face, let me give it to you straight." Donna said carefully, watching the guards with their guns standing close. "People who don't listen to the Doctor end up dying." Donna gritted. "If he says it's no good, then it isn't. Back off and call it quits. Hang out your laurels, whatever. Please, to help yourself, don't do it."
Angel One paused, hesitating, looking at the laptop screen with reservation. She pressed a few buttons. "Still positive. What do you think, Henry?"
The boy frowned, "I think the question we're asking is 'which one's lying'. The TARDIS or the Doctor?"
"Lie?" The Doctor repeated. "What've you got on the screen?"
"We've gotten this far!" Angel One hissed in frustration; "why would a blessed machine lie? It must be the Doctor."
"And-what-if-he's the one who's right?" Donna demanded aggressively. "It's not worth the risk."
Angel One's eyes suddenly glimmered with an idea. "Stanton Three, if you would be so kind and knock-him-out."
There was a sudden motion to Donna's left and a loud thump. Donna shrieked as she saw the guard behind the Doctor belt him over the head.
She struggled as the other guards grabbed Donna and dragged her forwards. "Geroff me!"
"Since you're perfectly human now, Miss Noble, and the static test shows it works then this should be no trouble. Afterwards we can just transfer it back so I can use it."
"What?" Donna shrieked. "You're off your rocker; the Doctor just said it wouldn't work! How can you just bash him over the head? Oh; you're a right cow, you are!"
"I want immortality, Donna." Angel One said, fitting the device to Donna's head. "And the Chameleon Arch has all the information needed to do it. You see, it already has the Time Lord data extracted from you and its ability to rewrite human cells into a Time Lord's cells."
"Thanks, but I'd rather stay human." Donna said fretfully with the headset and the grip of two guards on her. She watching the Doctor's form begin to stir from the decking. "Doctor? Doc-Ah!" Donna broke off in a scream as a searing pain shot through her head and body. There was a sound of electrical buzzing. Her body felt like it was on fire and the agonizing pain wasn't letting up.
Donna blacked out.