I stepped out of the TARDIS with The Doctor following me. I looked around at the hallway with a frown, "Why did we stop here?" I asked. "Don't know," The Doctor replied, "Some kind of signal drawing the TARDIS off course."
"Huh . . . So, where are we?" I asked. "Earth. Utah, North America. About half a mile underground," He informed. "What year is it?" I asked. "2012," He said. "So I should be 24," Sam said. The Doctor turned on a light, reviling that the room was a big museum. "Wow. It's a great big museum," I said.
"An alien museum," He corrected before we started to look around, "Someone's got a hobby. They must have spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust. That's the milometer from the Roswell spaceship."
My eyes stopped at something that looked very familiar; A Slitheen's arm. "Hey, look at this," I said, "That's a bit of Slitheen. That's a Slitheen's arm. It's been stuffed."
"Oh, look at you," The Doctor breathed out as I walked over to him. "What is it?" I asked staring at the glass box that had a robot's head inside. "An old friend of mine," He replied, "Well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old."
"Is that where the signal's coming from?" I asked. "No, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help," He said. Suddenly, an alarm went off and guards came in, surrounding us. "If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A," I said quietly to The Doctor.
A woman named Diana Goddard led us to a room, where there was a young man and an older man. The older man was holding something and The Doctor shook his head, "I really wouldn't hold it like that."
"Shut it," Diana said. "Really, though, that's wrong," He said. "Is it dangerous?" The younger man asked. "No, it just looks silly," The Doctor replied and I chuckled. The older man stood up from his chair and gave him the item.
"You just need to be," He said as he strokes the item and it made a note. "Delicate." He play several different notes. "It's a musical instrument," The older man said. "And it's a long way from home," The Doctor said.
"Here, let me," The older man said and grabbed the instrument. He touch it harsher, making a not nice sounds produced. "I did say delicate. It reacts to the smallest fingerprint. It needs precision," The Doctor said.
The older man made a sound and The Doctor nodded, "Very good. Quite the expert," He said. "As are you," The older man said and then he threw it onto the floor. "Who exactly are you?"
"I'm The Doctor. And who are you?" The Doctor asked. "Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake," The older man said. "Pretty much sums me up, yeah," The Doctor said.
"The question is, how did you get in? Fifty three floors down, with your little cat burglar accomplice. You're quite a collector yourself, she's gorgeous," The older man said and he winked at me.
I gave him a look, "She's going to hit you if you keep calling her like that," I warned. "She's English too!" The older man said and turned to the younger man, "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy. Got you a girlfriend."
"I'm not English," I said, rolling my eyes. "This is Mister Henry Van Statten. Mister Van Statten owns the internet," The younger man said. "No one owns the internet," I said. "And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?" Henry said and winked at me again.
"So you're just about an expert in everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up," The Doctor said. "And you claim greater knowledge?" Henry said.
"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am," The Doctor said. "And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?" Henry asked. "You tell me," The Doctor said. "The cage contains my one living specimen," Henry said.
"And what's that?" The Doctor asked. "Like you don't know," Henry said. "Show me," The Doctor said. "You want to see it? Fine," Henry said, "Goddard, inform the Cage we're heading down. You, English. Look after the girl. Go and canoodle or spoon or whatever it is you do. But, tell me if it doesn't work out. And you, Doctor with no name, come and see my pet."
... ...
I followed the younger man, Adam, to another room. "Sorry about the mess. Mister Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing, so long as I deliver the goods," Adam said, "What do you think that is?"
He held up an object and I walked closer to him. "Um, a lump of metal?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, but I think, well, I'm almost certain, it's from the hull of a spacecraft," He said, "The thing is, it's all true. Everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet, spacecraft, aliens, visitors to Earth. They really exist."
"That's amazing," I said. "I know it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe the whole universe is just teeming with life," He said. "I bet," I said, smiling a little, "So you just sit here and catalogue it?"
"Best job in the world," Adam said. "It nicer if you could get out there. Travelling amongst the stars," I said. "Yeah. Better then anything but I don't think it's ever going to happen. Not in any lifetime," He said.
"You never know. What about those people who said they've been in spaceships and talked to aliens?" I asked. "I don't think it matters," He said. "Yeah, I guess you're right," I said, sighing, "So, how'd you end up here?"
"Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit," Adam replied. "Yeah, you're a genius," I agreed. "Sorry, but I am. I can't help it. I was born clever," He said, "When I was eight, I logged onto the US Defence System. Nearly caused World War Three. You should've been there just to see them running about. Fantastic."
"Wow, you sound like The Doctor," I scoffed, shaking my head. "Are you and him . . .?" He trailed off. "No, we're just friends," I replied. "Good," He said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Why is it good?" I asked with a smile. "It just is," He said with a smile.
I looked down, smiling before back to look around the room, "So, wouldn't you rather be downstairs? No that it isn't interesting, but there's a living creature down there," I said. "I did asked, but he keeps it to himself. Although, if you're a genius, it doesn't take long to patch on the comm," He said.
I smiled and nodded. He turned on the computer, "It doesn't do much, the alien. It's weird. It's kind of useless. It's just like this great big pepper pot." We looked at the screen and it showed the alien being tortured. It's robotic voice was screaming and I stared in shock. "It's being tortured. Where's The Doctor?" I asked, worried. "I don't know," Adam said. "You have to take me down there," I said, "Please."
With that said, he lead me downstairs and we walked into the Cage. "Don't get too close," Adam said. I stared at the alien; it was some kind of machine. I swallowed as I walked closer to it. "Hello. Are you in pain?" I asked, "My name is Sam. I've got a friend, he can help. He's called The Doctor. What's your name?"
"Yes," The machine said. "What?" I asked, frowning slightly. "I am in pain," The machine replied for my first question, "They torture me, but still they fear me. Do you fear me?"
"No," I said, shaking my head slightly. "I am dying," The machine said. "We can help," I said. "I welcome death," The machine said, "But I am glad that before I die I have met a human who was not afraid."
"Isn't there anything I can do?" I asked softly, feeling bad for this alien. "My race is dead, and I shall die alone," The machine said. I reached over and touched the machine's head. "Sam, no!" Adam shouted.
I felt a sting and pulled my hand back before looking at the machine to see a golden hand print. "Genetic material extrapolated. Initiate cellular reconstruction!" The machine said and broke through it's chains.
"What the hell have you done?" Simmons, the man who was torturing the machine, said as he rushed back inside. The machine raised what looked like a plunger. "What are you going to do? Sucker me to death?" Simmons asked before that was exactly what it did.
Adam and I ran out and went up to a guard. "It's killing him! Do something," I said. "Condition red! Condition red! I repeat, this is not a drill!" The guard spoke over the intercom.
"You've got to keep it in that cell," The Doctor said in the screen of the computer. "Doctor, it's all my fault," I said. "I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations," The guard said. "A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat," The Doctor said.
I looked over at the door, waiting for the Dalek to come out. Two guards had raised their guns. The door opened and there was the Dalek. "Don't shoot it! I want it unharmed," Henry said. "Sam, get out of there!" The Doctor said.
"De Maggio, take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?" The guard said. "You, with me," The female guard said and me and Adam started running with her.