High above the Earth floated a ship that looked like a Stealth Bomber, which wavered and flickered in the golden light of temporal flux. It was two football fields wide and one football field long, with fang-like protrusions extending from the ship's nose. And on the other side of the bow, a blue Police Box slowly landed and seemed to affix itself to the side like a suction cup.

The Doctor urgently opened a trapdoor in the floor of the TARDIS. "Sailing, sailing, over the bounding main..." He pointed his sonic screwdriver at the solid black surface underneath.

There was a whirring sound, a slight hiss, and then a flap opened. The thrumming of engines could be heard, and a soft red glow emanated from within.

The Doctor whistled the next few notes, and put away the sonic screwdriver in his coat pocket. "Breaking and entering today!" he sang, before sliding his skinny form through the hole and entering the ship.

*****

Aboard the Kedron spaceship, Michelle was pinned to a chair. "Please, let me go...I swear I don't know anything!"

Chanter Rusk paced slowly back and forth before her eyes. "Nonsense. Though we hear your protests unfurled, no doubt you wish to avoid the destruction of your home world?"

A brief look came over Michelle's face. "Oh, so that's the plan. I thought this was a bad action movie. By all means, blow it up. Earth has never been particularly good for me."

"You play pretend, prepare to defend," growled Rusk. "No human is capable of melding with the Jewel, and hiding their discovery for this long." He slapped a gloved hand alongside Michelle's head and yanked her hair back. A fiery pain shot through her neck.

"Ow, watch the whiplash!" What looked like a stick of light was passed quietly over her face. Michelle winced as the glow penetrated her eyes.

Whatever the device was, it seemed to awaken the old feeling. The whispers and humming of before began to echo in her head. It was just like Stonehenge. "The music...God help me, it's the same melody as before." Michelle's heart pounded in fear.

"Ahhh..." A ghastly smile came over the face of Chanter Rusk. "She senses it. The Jewel is nearby. More specifics you will speak, or your future will be bleak."

"Stop this!" begged Michelle. "I can't tell you anything more!"

"Liar!"

"I mean it, I'm telling the truth! I don't know how to give you any more information!"

There was a hissing coming from the snake head in the mouth of Chanter Rusk. "This is the truth. Nonetheless...bring the instrument, physician."

"What instrument? What instrument??" Sweat dripped down Michelle's forehead.

Chanter Rusk chuckled evilly and patted Michelle on the shoulder in a repulsive fashion. ""Be not afraid. We are merely going to...enhance your ability to tell us the location of the Jewel."

An awful mechanical-drilling sound began. The physician held up the tool, and Michelle went white. It appeared to be a cranial saw, like those used to open the skulls of corpses.

Chanter Rusk appeared to notice the terrified recognition on Michelle's face. "Very close in your guess. However, this tool, it is not so forgiving, it only operates on the living."

"But, but..." Michelle started to hyperventilate in panic. "Novocaine! Anaesthetic! I need it to live!!"

"You will survive. Our technology can compensate for the weakness of the human brain. Pain is irrelevant."

The physician began to advance toward Michelle slowly.

"No, please...no!!"

*****

Among the Kedron that shuffled back and forth in the spaceship, a close observer would have noticed that one of them was wearing Converse sneakers and quietly placing devices on every reachable surface possible. The Doctor had stolen a robe from the cloak room and was surreptitiously rigging the spaceship with temporal charges. The resulting explosion would not kill the aliens, but would send their spaceship back to the very beginning, the Big Bang. Poetic justice, he thought.

The detonator for the devices was in one coat pocket and the Jewel in the other. He intended to use it to negotiate the release of Michelle, if he could find her. Along the corridors he walked, glancing in every direction and calling her name softly.

Mike and the Mechanics - Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)

Take the children and yourself
And hide out in the cellar
By now the fighting will be close at hand
Don't believe the church and state
And everything they tell you
Believe in me, I'm with the high command

Can you hear me, can you hear me running?
Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?
Can you hear me, can you hear me running?
Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?

There's a gun and ammunition
Just inside the doorway
Use it only in emergency
Better you should pray to God
The father and the spirit
Will guide you and protect from up here

Can you hear me, can you hear me running?
Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?
Can you hear me, can you hear me running?
Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?

Swear allegiance to the flag
Whatever flag they offer
Never hint at what you really feel
Teach the children quietly
For some day sons and daughters
Will rise up and fight while we stood still

Can you hear me running (can you hear me calling you?)
(can you hear me) hear me calling you?
(can you hear me running) hear me running babe?
(can you hear me running) hear me running?
Calling you, calling you

*****

Minutes later, the damage was done. Michelle slowly rocked back and forth in the chair like a mental patient. A bloodied band traced the circumference of her skull, and wires strung from her head to the console.

"The operation is complete," hissed the physician.

"Well done," complimented Rusk. "Now...do you hear us, human?"

"Hear you," repeated Michelle, her eyes blank. "Hear you, hear you. Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you? Doctor? Michelle, where are you? Can you hear me? Can you hear me running?"

Rusk frowned, puzzled. "Who is the Doctor?"

"No name, no name, no name...just the Doctor. Spanners! Oi, watch it spaceman! Watch it Earth girl!"

"Adjust the frequency, physician." The physician turned a dial on the console, and Michelle suddenly froze in place. A wicked leer came over her face.

Her head lolled over and she spoke to Chanter Rusk. "He is here. The Doctor is on board. You had better find him...he has the Jewel, and he plans to destroy us. He is almost here, Chanter! On the deck above with his bombs and the Jewel!" She burst into manic laughter.

Chanter Rusk grabbed Michelle by the shirt collar and yanked her out of the chair. "Identify this Doctor!"

She stopped laughing. "Your enemy. The last of the Time Lords. Bring him to me. I have...words for him."

Chanter Rusk accessed the comm system. "Security to all decks. The Time Lord is aboard! Locate him and arrest him."

Like a swarm, the Kedron dashed about the ship.

*****

The swiftness and accuracy was almost sickening. A group, similar to the one that had captured Michelle led a form down the stairs. They chanted in unison, "The intruder is caught, the intruder is found, the intruder is caught, the intruder is found..."

Michelle cackled, "Your shoes give you away, Doctor! What had you planned? Never mind, it does not matter now. Your plan has failed. Bring him!"

Chanter Rusk nodded. The security team thrust the form in front of Michelle and yanked off his hood. The Doctor glared angrily at the Kedron surrounding him.

Then he saw Michelle and the rage turned to pain and anguish. "What have you done to her? I demand you tell me what you've done to her!"

Michelle only rested her head against her chest, eyes looking cruelly upwards at his face.