Hi gang, my apologies for the huge delay in updating, but I've had a crazy fortnight and haven't had any time to sit and write!

This next installment is shorter than the last, but time between updates won't be so long again. Again, please do R/R, it's great to know what you guys think!

The Doctor turned this way and that, heading down corridor after corridor, through rooms filled with desks and papers, through large chambers filled with crate-laden storage racking, and then onto more corridors. The conclusion he had come to so far was that he was alone here… but there was something nagging at the back of his mind, as if to tell him that though he was alone, the ship wasn't deserted…

From the architecture of the ship itself, the Doctor estimated that it was human, and from the thirty-second century. From the files and documents scattered around the offices he had passed, he assumed that the ship was here for research purposes. He racked his brain. There was no particular significant historical event at this rough time concerning research in space as far as he could remember. He sighed, more than a little intrigued by it all.

No signs of fights or attacks, no signs of rapid and panicked evacuations… There were mugs of tea left at desks, half drunk and stone cold, and some computers were still running, open documents left onscreen. Whatever had happened here had happened suddenly. Where had everyone gone? He had to fight the interested grin that was on its way to his face. He couldn't help loving a good mystery.

He was looking around a small office room with four or so desks in it, scanning things here and there with his screwdriver when he heard a sudden typing sound. The gentle clicking of the keyboard on the desk nearest him. The screen of the computer had a mostly blank document open on it. He sat down at the desk and leaned forwards to look at the screen. The page contained only three words:

'Please help us'

The Doctor stared at the words for a long time, then he sat back, cracked his knuckles and typed a message into the keyboard.

'Hello. I'm the Doctor. What can I do for you?'

"I've never stopped long enough to get a good look at one of them," Andrea explained fearfully. "But they're big, and they're fast. They're more animal than humanoid. They move in and out of the same plains as the rest of us and they're usually very hungry."

Amy swallowed nervously. "How many of them are there?"

"I've no idea," Andrea shrugged. "Lots. And they seem to be attracted to the signal being emitted by the frequency machine because every time I've headed up that way, I've heard several of them moving about around the corners…"

Amy sighed deeply, thinking carefully about the situation. Well obviously if there was anyone who could fix the machine on their own it was the Doctor. But there was no telling where he was, or if he even had any idea what was going on.

"If only living things are affected, does that mean I can leave a message for people on other plains to read?" Amy asked suddenly.

"Yeah you can do that," Andrea shrugged. People have already tried. I've found odd messages here and there but there's no way to know if the person who left it is still there, or even still alive… Plus there's the added annoyance of when you're holding a pen that suddenly drops through your hand because you've shifted frequencies mid-message."

"What about a… tannoy system or something?" Amy continued. "A way to send a message all throughout the ship?"

Andrea shook her head. "Nothing like that. Messages to all crew members used to be distributed via computers. Of course now there's no way of knowing where anybody is in order to get a message to them…"

Amy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to think of a solution. There had to be a way to get a message to the Doctor. As far as she saw it, the most important thing now was to make sure the Doctor knew what she knew. It was crucial if there was to be any chance of him fixing the frequency machine.

"There must be some way of relaying a message everywhere, or leaving a message in an obvious enough space…?" she ventured desperately.

Andrea looked thoughtful for a moment. "If there was any way of getting near the frequency lab then you could use the all frequency sensor…" she trailed off with a grim sigh. "Of course that's a non-starter considering it's right next to the machine…"

"What frequency sensor?" Amy asked urgently, dismissing for the moment the problem of a potential army of animalistic aliens.

"It's the testing sensor for the frequency machine," Andrea explained. "It can pick up living beings on all plains. The sensor is a sort of all frequency camera that's rigged to the computer. If you were to record the sensor session then it could sort of work as a play-back message."

Amy's heart lifted somewhat. "And that's in the lab where these animals are?"

Andrea nodded. "You're not seriously considering trying it out?"

Amy god to her feet. "The lab is a sure enough bet for somewhere the Doctor might wander," she replied. "And I have to try to reach him. How do I get to the lab?"

"You'll have to be damned quick," said Andrea, "And that's just getting into the lab… The sensor is a kind of containment unit. Even if you make it in and shut the door then by the time you've recorded your message I doubt you'll be alone out there…"

Drawing a deep breath, Amy closed her eyes and considered everything. It might get her killed. She might not succeed and even if she did, it might not work. There might be another option, but there was no guarantee and the chances of finding the Doctor by hoping to bump into him at some point were severely small and reduced considerably more by the fact that time spent wandering these empty corridors also brought the risk of bumping into one of the animals… And then there was the Doctor himself to consider. He would be trying to figure it out. He would always be investigating the situation, and sooner or later his investigation might take him to the lab. She could just leave him to figure it out himself? Just wait here in this lift until it was all over?

She knew it wasn't an option.

"Tell me how to set the sensor to record," she demanded.

Andrea quickly relayed the process of running the recorder and gave a brief instruction of how to get to the lab. Then she hit the button for the appropriate floor number and the elevator juddered into motion once again. Amy stood facing the door, breathing deeply and bracing herself for what she was about to do.

"I may never see you again," Andrea said simply, as they approached the relevant floor.

"If things go the way I hope they do, then I'll make a point to find you," Amy said flatly. She held out a hand, which Andrea shook warmly.

She smiled. "Good luck," she said. "You're on your own from here."

Amy nodded, giving the woman one last parting smile.

The door opened.