The Oncoming Storm ²

The Time Of The Doctor

"Once, there was a planet, much like any other, and unimportant. This planet sent the universe a message. A bell tolling among the stars, ringing out to all the dark corners of creation. And everybody came to see. Although no one understood the message, everyone who heard it found themselves afraid. Except one man and women. The two who stayed for Christmas."

*Spaceship*

The Doctor and I beam in to a large dark space, the Doctor is carrying a Dalek eye-stalk.

"We bring proof of courage and comradeship. What is this ship and why are you here? Identify yourselves by species and planet of origin" the Doctor says, its silent for a moment.

"Exterminate!" I start talking to someone.

"Handles?" I ask.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" the angry Daleks start firing.

"Handles? Argh. Wrong ship, Handles?" I ask, we are both beamed away.

"Exterminate!"

*TARDIS*

"Every ship we go on, they just shoot at us. Handles, I said, put us on a ship. I didn't say, put us on a Dalek ship" the Doctor is talking to a damaged Cyberman's head attached to a stand on the console, I look at the scanner "don't put us on a Dalek ship when I'm holding a broken bit of Dalek!" the Doctor hits the head with the eye-stalk "ow!"

"You did not indicate a preference."

"Use your head" he takes it off the stand and walks over to me "It's not like you've got a lot of alternatives."

"They're all here. Daleks, Sontarans, Terileptils, Slitheen. And they're not even fighting, they're just parked. Why?" I ask.

"The message was received throughout the universe."

"Yes, yes, the message, the message. Even we can't translate it. I mean, why is everyone here if they don't understand it?" I ask.

"You're both here."

"Well, you know, we're OCD. What's their excuse? What does this message mean?" the Doctor asks, the emergency phone outside rings. The Doctor puts the head back on its stand.

"Oh, no. And remind me I've got to patch the telephone back through the console unit. This is getting ridiculous" the Doctor says.

"Attention. Information available."

"Ok!"

"You must patch the telephone device back through the console unit."

"No, no. No, no, no, no. No, not now. Remind me later."

"When?"

"I don't know. Just later. Just pick a time."

"When?"

"I don't know. Just any old time. When you think I've forgotten."

"When?"

"Just pick a random number, express that number as a quantity of minutes, and when that time has elapsed, remind me to patch the telephone back through the console unit" I walk over to the TARDIS door and opens it.

"Affirmative."

"How those Cyber-evenings must fly."

"Hello, the TARDIS" I say, coming back inside.

"Emergency. You're my girlfriend" Clara says frantically.

"What? ok, brilliant. I may be a bit rusty in some areas, but I will glance at a manual" I reply.