"The grass is greener!" shouted Annette, glancing to the staircase in hope that Mary would hear that she was all right.
"Of course it is!" replied the Doctor, cheerfully. "On the other side. Now, do you mind passing me a hair pin?" He gestured to the old, heavy lock hanging on the wooden door before them.
Annette pulled a pin from her brunette hair as a spiral of curls descended over her right shoulder. She passed the pin to the Doctor. "Do you realise how many times I scolded my younger siblings for this act?" She put her hands on her hips.
The Doctor casually looked up at her with a small smile. "Several! But, with very good reason. What lies in this cellar could be either boxes falling over or a mutant rat. However, judging by the sound witnessed earlier; I doubt either option to be relative to the source of the sound"
A brow rose. "I'm concerned as to what could be lurking in the cellar. You say you are a Time Lord from Gallifrey. Is that some kind of..." she thought for a moment "...pest exterminator?"
The Doctor fiddled with the lock and looked over his shoulder again with a chuckle. "Oh, Annette! Exterminating pests is the least of my problems." He heard a few gears click and turned his attention back to the lock. "Come on! I doubt even a key accessed this old thing. It's all rusted!"
"Then, what are you?" Annette asked as suddenly the heavy lock fell to the floor at the green boots of the Doctor. "A scientist? A Government official? A secret society member?"
The Doctor shoved the lock aside and outstretched his hand containing the pin. "Just the Doctor will do. You wouldn't have given me your hairpin if you didn't trust me."
Annette was lost for an answer. The Doctor was absolutely right, and nor would she have given Mary their secret phrase. She picked the pin from his palm and pocketed it in her dress pocket. "Very well." Annette uttered shakily. "Open the door, Doctor. My father was always rather secretive. I'm actually curious to see what's down here."
The Doctor turned as Annette took the chance to briefly distract herself with the complicated patterns of fabric on the back of his coat. She found herself reaching out and touching a complicated mix of fabric with threads even she hadn't seen before sitting next to the green felt. They seemed to sparkle oddly at times. She lowered her hand as the Doctor opened the door.
He took a few steps forward. The Doctor painfully knew his new companion was not indeed Peri but her Great-Aunt, and it struck a dagger through both hearts. He could feel the Valeyard mocking him. The whole Trial did seem to make sense after all. He clenched his fists, feeling the human soul walking behind him but soon quickly paused. No! There was a more realistic threat here. Yes, she wasn't Peri. But – there was no reason why he couldn't shape her to be like Peri. No! He had to stop thinking this way.
A dim blue light covered the pair, and he felt Annette's breath on the back of his neck as she gasped.
The blue light seemed to come from the end of the room and their first point of call was a desk. The Doctor dusted off a leather bound file with his right hand and held it up, peering at the stamped title.
"Interesting," The Doctor called, hearing Annette wandering around behind him but not too far from his range. He liked that. "It seems your father was dealing in robotics."
Annette whirled around as dust picked up. She cleared her throat. "Robotics? What are you talking about? It sounds like something only Jules Verne would think of..." She scoffed at the last statement and the Doctor grinned.
"Ah! Robotics is very real indeed my dear. Although, you're not as well-informed as you should be, but robotics is alive during the war!" The Doctor unbound the file by pulling the strings on the side.
Peering over the Doctor's shoulder, Annette's eyes absorbed a letter addressed to her father. "Torchwood?" She asked the Doctor, and paused as the gears grinded in her mind and a light bulb switched on. "Yes! I remember. One night about ten years ago, a man came to the house to have a private dinner with my father. I never did catch his name, however; he made several passes at me – which I point blankly refused, but this was when the whole nonsense with the cellar began."
The Doctor was too busy reading the letter while Annette was speaking. He drew away from her and picked up the letter as some dust settled around his green boots. "Hmm?" Was his typical response to indicate his mind was elsewhere. "Very odd. It seems to be a letter of employment. The Director's name has faded as well as his signature." He set the letter aside when suddenly the blue light switched off.
Annette let out a squeal, and the Doctor heard footsteps. He fumbled around for Annette's wrist to ensure she was still there and grabbed it as the footsteps grew closer and seemed to cause a beat the Doctor had heard many times before.
"Tea, Master?" A robotic voice sounded.
"Tea? What...?" The Doctor echoed, and Annette used her free hand to switch on a light switch. The glow fell eerily on the figure before them. "Impossible!"
"Tea, Master?" The robot repeated.
"Annette, get out of here. Now. Now!" The Doctor started to shove Annette up the stairs.
"Would Master like some tea?"
"Doctor! What's going on? What is it?" Annette cried as she scrambled up the stairs and the robot started to march closer toward them.
"It's a Cyberman!"