Bad Wolf From Space

13. The Mad DALEK

Something had changed and I could feel the TARDIS's sense of expectation in the air, as if she were waiting for something.

I could feel her 'touches' more accurately after our visiting home and our trip to the Næfre System. She'd brush up against me with her warmth as soon as I entered the main console room and I could feel her almost nudging me closer to the Doctor. Sometimes I'd catch this look in his eyes, his brows furrowed, his gaze piercing as if he were trying to see into my very heart.

Things changed even further when we were led back to Earth following a signal the Doctor had intercepted.

"So, do you know what the signal is from?"

The doors opened and we looked out into what seemed to be some sort of exhibit. The Doctor peered around curiously, only silence meeting my first question.

"Well if we don't know what, then what about when?"

"Earth, Utah, somewhere underground. 2012." He peered into one of the cases, "An alien museum it would seem. Someone must have paid a fortune for this."

I looked around a shiver running down my spine as I saw so many decapitated alien heads or other limbs on display in glass cases.

"It's kind of creepy. Like some warped taxidermy museum."

I watched as the Doctor reached out to touch an exhibit with a silver robot head, "Don't touch...it." I metered off as I was too late, alarms sounded.

Dark clothed soldiers with guns pointing at us felt like deja vu all over again.

We were brought into a lift going up and then into lit tunnels.

When we reached our destination I couldn't help my disgusted scoff.

A rich narcissistic man's office, complete with glass desk and a huge portrait of himself behind where he sat.

The Doctor and him went back and forth for a while as I took in our surroundings including the wall of monitors on the other side of the office.

"The question is how did you get in 53 floors down, with your little cat burglar accomplice."

A door cracked open in my mind, giving wisps of a memory from another life, and I grinned, "Oh, how did you know?"

The Doctor looked at me curiously as the narcissist smiled, his too white teeth shining.

"Oh and she's English, too. Little Lord Faunteloroy, I got you a girlfriend."

I looked at the young woman barely no longer a teen,

"Sorry, but you're not my type."

The grinning man smiled wider, "Yes it seems you like them older, don't you?" He looked between the Doctor and I suggestively.

I didn't bother correcting him. After all, it was true. I was always more partial to Colonel Brandon or King Arthur, over the Lancelots of the world.

The teen stepped forward gesturing towards his boss, "This is Henry Van Statten. He owns the internet."

I shook my head, I wasn't even going to bother giving that a response.

The Doctor spoke up, "So you are just about an expert on everything except the things in your museum, things you don't understand you lock up."

"You speak as if you are so smart and yet I captured you. Right by the Cage. What were you doing there?"

"You tell me."

"The Cage contains my one living specimen."

The two men had a stare down before Van Statten spoke up,