Purple Vortex [II]

Gridlock Pt2:

Galaxy was by a communications system that she was hacking into and when she had she gave the microphone to the Doctor who was standing behind her.

"I need to talk to the police." He said after he took it. "Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold." The computer said. "But you're the police." He said. "Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold." The computer repeated. "Is there anyone else? I once met the Duke of Manhattan. Is there any way of getting through to him?"

"Oh now, ain't you lordly?" Brannigan remarked. "We need to find our friend." Galaxy told them. "You can't make outside calls. The motorway's completely enclosed." Valerie answered. "What about the other cars?" Galaxy asked. "Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah. Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list. Now, let's see. Who's nearby? Ah, the Cassini sisters!"

The screen by the front lit up and showed an image of two older women and the series of numbers: 3-1-7-a-1.

"Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here." Brannigan said through the mic and Galaxy was reminded of how Jack would greet ladies. "Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace." Alice said. "Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"You know full well we're not sisters. We're married." Alice told him. "Ooo, stop that modern talk. I'm an old-fashioned cat. Now, I've got two hitchhikers here, calls themselves the Doctor and Galaxy."

"Hello, sorry, we're looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been carjacked." The Doctor said. "She's inside one of the vehicles, we just don't know which one." Galaxy added. "Wait a minute. Could I ask what entrance did they use?" May asked. "Where were we?"

"Pharmacy Town."

"Pharmacy Town, about twenty minutes ago."

"Let's have a look."

"Just my luck, to marry a car-spotter." Alice said. "In the last half-hour, fifty-three new cars joined the Pharmacy Town junction." May told them. "Is there anything more specific?" Galaxy asked. "All in good time. Was she car-jacked by two people?"

"Yes, she was, yeah." The Doctor answered. "There we are. Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board. And the car number is four six five diamond six." May told them. "That's it! So how do we find them?"

"Ah. Now there I'm afraid I can't help." She told them. "Call them on this thing. We've got their number. Diamond six." The Doctor said to Brannigan. "But not if they're designated fast lane. It's a different class." He said. "You could try the police."

"They put us on hold." Galaxy said. Something she still thought was odd. "You'll have to keep trying. There's no one else." Alice said. "Thank you." Galaxy said with a slight smile.

"We've got to go to the fast lane. Take us down." The Doctor said. "Not in a million years." Brannigan said. "But you've got four people. That's more than enough." Galaxy argued. "I'm still not going. He told them. "Okay, look, Martha's alone and lost. She doesn't belong on this planet, she's just here because of us. I'm asking you Brannigan to take us down."

"That's a no. And that's final. I'm not risking the children down there." Valerie said and Galaxy frowned slightly. "Why not? What's the risk? What happens down there?" The Doctor asked, also frowning. "We're not discussing it. The conversation is closed." She told them. "So, we keep on driving?"

"Yes we do."

"For how long?"

"Till the journey's end." Brannigan told them and the Doctor grabbed the radio handset. "Mrs Cassini, this is the Doctor, tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?" He asked. "Oh, we were amongst them. It's been twenty three years now." Alice said. "And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?"