"Let me out!" Rose screamed at the top of her lungs, beating on the door of the blank white room where the men had landed with her. She was only alone for a few minutes though, when a woman wearing a coveralls and face mask entered the room. She looked like she were trying to avoid catching some kind of disease.
"Who are you?" Rose demanded, backing away from her when she saw that the woman held a syringe in one hand.
"I'm not important. You won't be conscious long enough for it to bother you." The woman replied coldly before lunging at Rose ad stabbing her arm with the needle. Rose had no chance to move out of the way or fight the woman before she was completely knocked out.
Rose woke slowly, rising out of the fog of sleep just enough to understand that there were more people in the room with her. She felt paralyzed, unable to move even enough to open her eyes. "She's lovely. She'll do just fine; Thank you boys." A strange, raspy voice said just beside her.
"Do for what?" Rose thought, listening closely, hoping they would say something that would help her escape. She had no doubt the Doctor would come for her but she had no intention of just sitting and waiting until he found her.
"She is lovely. Of course, you are far lovelier. I am sorry, my queen, that you should have to change so much." Came another sniveling voice from further away.
"Thank you." The raspy voice answered dryly. Rose could practically hear the eye roll in her tone. must be the queen. what's she want with me? Why will she have to change?" Her thoughts were going a million miles an hour and she wanted so desperately to be able to see her captors and scream at them that if they knew what was good for them they'd let her go.
Unfortunately as she listened she heard the queen rasp, "Take care she stays asleep until she is needed." and just as quickly another sharp poke in her arm. Rose's last thought before the blackness took her again was of the Doctor, running.
The Doctor was running as hard and fast as he could. Inside the pain was fierce, multiplied by the physical excercise but pain didn't matter. Nothing mattered, not when Rose was in trouble. When he finally reached the first stone building he slammed his fists against the door with all the force he could muster. The door opened and immediately a large hand clapped over his mouth and pulled him inside.
"Are you tryin to get killed? Be quiet!" The huge man ordered before releasing the Doctor.
"Who would kill us? Who are you hiding from and where are they?" The Doctor demanded to know.
"Guards, scientists, doctors, royals, sycophants...take your pick." snorted a woman who stood to the back of the room.
"Where do they take prisoners?" He asked urgently. The man looked at hm for a moment, taking in his wild eyes and the desperation in his voice
"They would take any prisoners to the tower."
"What tower? All these buildings look just the same!" The Doctor exploded. He didn't care at all if he were caught by any guards. In fact, he hoped he would. That would only make it that much easier for him to find Rose.
"The tower isn't tall. It's deep. It goes underground instead of into the sky." The sarcastic woman explained now with pity in her voice. She'd been watching the doctor and could see that he was very near his breaking point.
"Please, take me there or show me the way. I have no time to waste."
The big man held out a hand to the Doctor. "I'm Harmon and this is my wife, Lyra. There probably isnt' anything we can do to help you but we are willing to try. What is it about the prison you seek?"
The Doctor was still for a moment. The felt so strange inside, as if he could actually feel the foundation of his being separating and crumbling into pieces. It would not be much longer before he had to regenerate and if he waited too long it would too be late for even that.
"They took her," He gasped. He still hadn't recovered from racing to the village and he had to fight for air.
"Who?" Asked Lyra. She thought she probably knew the answer and was afraid she was right.
"Rose. She's my... my friend. Men just appeared in front of us and took her. I know they're here and I have to find her. Do you know who took her and why? I'm the Doctor and I can help you but you have to tell me what you know."
" This Rose, is she young? Pretty?" Lyra continued questioning with a sinking feeling in her gut.
"She's beautiful." The Doctor breathed, feeling the same sense of foreboding.
"The queen's men took her then and she wouldn't be held in the tower. She'll be in the Lab. " Harmon announced grimly.
" And why is that?" asked the Doctor as he began to feel strength returning to him and put his hand on the door, ready to storm into any battle.
"Because Her Highness needs a new outfit." Lyra answered bitterly.
"Explain!" The Doctor demanded, feeling the regeneration energy soaring through his bloodstream more every minute.
Lyra sighed, "The Queen and all the Royal family do not die. They create clones of themselves and transfer their consciousness to new bodies when the current one gets injured or sick or too old. But, they have been cloned too many times and they are starting to die much more quickly. The queen needs new genetic material. I don't know if she'll use your friend for material or simply trade bodies with her entirely but your friend won't exist anymore."
"Come on," Harmon announced, watching the doctor's face carefully and seeing the rage begin to blaze from his eyes, "Let's go. I'll take you to the Lab. I cannot get you in but I'll get you as close as I can."