〖 GRIDLOCK 〗
THE DOCTOR AND VALARIE WASTED no time after Martha's abduction. They made their way back to the corner were emotions were sold in patches, and the Doctor banged angrily on one of the venders shut stalls. It opened to show the female merchant, her arms folding as a knowing smile teased her lips.
"I thought you'd be back. Want some happy-happy?" She offered, but the Doctor ignored her offers as if they were never spoken to begin with.
"Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?" He demanded, wanting no hesitation for a solid answer.
"They've taken her to the motorway." One informed him, as another formed her opinion. "Looked like carjackers to me."
"I'd give up now darling. Your never seeing her again." One sighed, almost as if this was a common occurrence and nothing more then that.
"Used to be thriving, this place. But they all go to the motorway in the end."
"Three, he kept saying they needed three what did he mean?" The Doctor demanded.
"What do you mean they go to the motorway in the end?" Valarie questioned, her hands balled into tight fists. Her mind was racing; every worst case scenario playing like a horror film in her mind. The woman danced around the question seemingly, taking more attention to the Doctor's question.
"It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel. You get special access if you're carrying three adults. " She said, raising three fingers and wiggling them before folding her arms again. Valarie took notice in everyone's avoiding of answering the simple question; what happens on the motorway?
"The motorway, how do I get there?"
"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You can't miss it. Now, darling," she said, turning her focus to a frowning Valarie, "could I get you some happy happy? You look like you could use a good pick-me up! Here." He said, holding a patch out. Valarie frowned, eyes examining the patch. The Doctor's hand grasped her upper arm.
"Not interested." He grumbled, quickly pulling her along towards the alley way.
"Oh, don't be daft! You'll be back later, I can see it in his eyes." One cried, before the Doctor quickly turned.
"Word of advice, cash up and close your doors. Because when I find her alive and well, this street is closing. Tonight!" He bellowed, obviously fed-up with their constant attempts to seek them the drugs. He then forced Valarie along with him down the alley way.
_________
The alleyway lead to a metal door, and upon a few jiggles of the handle, it was evident it was locked. The Doctor nudged the smaller human out of the way, briefly sonicing the door and opening it then with ease. Valarie and he then slipped out into whatever waited behind the door.
Floating cars, similar to the one Martha vanished in, floated over a seemingly bottomless pit. It was the motorway.
Quickly the fumes filled her nose quickly, and within moments he was coughing, covering her nose and house with her jacket sleeve. The Doctor raised a hand over his mouth. The motorway was fuel of the smell of gas, as Valarie's eyes burned from it.
"Hey!" A voice cried, as the door to the nearest car opened. "What are you doing out there?! The fumes will kill you, get inside!" He beckoned, the two waisting no time to make towards the car. The man patted their backs as they piled in.
"The masks." The man said, as the two gagged and coughed. A woman from the front seat leaned forward, handing a oxygen mask to the Doctor.
"We only have the one." She sighed, as he quickly inhaled as deeply as he could for a few moments, and then pulled it off and holding it over Valarie's face. Her eyes fluttered shut in relief.
"The two were just standing there! There's a story, ya know." He sighed. "There's this story, says back in the old days, on Junction forty seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet. " he told the two the tale as if he was warning his own children. The Doctor's breathing had returned to normal, except for a few coughs here and there. Valarie still inhaled the oxygen mask deeply.
"Oh, your making it up." The woman scolded. Valarie's eyes opened, flickering to the man who had undone his scarf around his face. The face of cat peered at the front passenger. Valarie's eyes widened, and her calmed breathing hitched again. The Doctor's hand patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"A fifty foot head! Imagine picking that nose!"
"Oh, that's disgusting!"
"What, you never picked your nose?" The man chuckled, as the woman motioned him to the seat beside her.
"C'mon Bran," she scolded, "we are moving." The man took a seat, and took control as the vehicle barely moved.
"Twenty yards. We're having a good day. And who might you be, sir? Very well-dressed for a hitchhiker." He asked, turning to the Doctor who watched the motorway through the windshield.
"I'm the Doctor." He introduced. "And this is Valarie." He motioned back towards where he had left it. She had seemingly vanished behind a curtain. The Doctor stepped towards it, gently tugging it back to expose the scene.
Valarie kneeled at a animal bed's side. In it was a small litter of kittens; one of which had boldly crawled towards Valarie.
"Medical man! Names Thomas Brannigan." The cat-like man introduced. "And this is the lovely Vicky." He purred as he gazed lovingly to his wife. "It appears your friend found the rest of the family." He laughed gently upon seeing Valarie holding one of the kittens.
Valarie peered to the Doctor who moved before her. "These are their children?" She silently asked. He shushed her with a smile, and set his large hands on the head of the one she held. They silently gushed over the kittens.
"How old?" The Doctor asked, and more of them began to want the two strangers attention. "Two months." Bran replied.
"Never known the ground beneath their paws, poor souls. Children of the motorway." Vicky sighed.
"They were born in here?" Valarie asked, obviously horrified of the idea of giving birth in the cramped car.
"We couldn't stop. We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance." Bran sighed. The Doctor turned to him, with a white kitten in hand.
"You've been driving for two months?"
"Do we look like teenagers? We've been driving twelve years!" Bran laughed, obviously shocked at the twos idea.
"We started out as newly weds. Feels like yesterday." He sighed dreamily. "Feels like twelve years to me." Vicky mumbled.
"You've been driving twelve years? How far have you came?!" Valarie asked, now setting their children down and stepping forward.
"Oh, we started five miles back."
"Five miles in twelve years?!"
"I think she's a bit slow." Vicky mumbled.
"I'm sorry. We need to get off and get to the TARDIS. Our friend was taken hostage and is in one of these cars." The Doctor quickly imputed, making way for the exit.
"Sorry, we already passed the lay-by. Your a passenger now, both of you."
__________
The Doctor sonicked the screen at the front; a sign with 'Police' appearing.
"Thank you for your call. You are being placed on hold."
"What do you mean on hold? Your the police!"
"Thank you for your call. You are being placed on hold."
"I've meet the Duke of Manhattan, can I get through to him?!"
"Thank you for your call. You are being placed on hold.""
"No service. The motorway is completely enclosed." Vicky sighed. "But we can contact other cars." She did suggest.
"Well let's try that!" Valarie encouraged, obviously scared at the thought of being stuck in this car for twelve years.
"We can try the Cassini sisters." Bran suggested, before exiting the police call and contacting another car. Two older women appeared on screen.
"Go away Bran! Your a pest and a menace!" One cried at him.
"Oh, c'mon sisters, you love me!" He laughed lightly, flushed at their comment.
"You know we aren't sisters; we are married!" The other shouted. Bran waved it off. "You know I'm an old fashioned cat." He chuckled, before switching the topic.
"Listen, I have some people here; The Doctor and Valarie. They are looking for their friend, Martha Jones." Bran informed. One of the older women sighed and reached for a thick leather book.
"She was kidnapped, we have to find her. You have to help us." Valarie pleaded. "She was carjacked and is in one of these cars." The Doctor explained.
"Could I ask what entrance they used?" The other older lady asked as the docker took the mic to speak to them. "Pharmacy Town."
"Just my luck to marry a car-spotter." The other one laughed lightly.
"In the last half hour, fifty-three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction. Was she carjacked by two people?"
"Yes, she was!" Valarie responded.
"There we are! Only one car was permitted to the fast lane. Car number is four-five-six-diamond-six!" The old lay kindly informed him. The Doctor's eyes light up in hope.
"Where are they?"
"I'm afraid I can't help you with that."
"We've got the number," he turned to Bran, "can't we call them?" He questioned. Bran clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Fast lane is another class. Can't."
"You can try the police." One of the older women offered. "We tried. They put us on hold." Valarie explained. The other old lady sighed. "You'll have to keep trying. No one else can help you."
After the call was hung up, the Doctor looked at Bran with urging eyes.
"You've got to take me to the fast lane."
"Not in a million years!"
"What? You have more then three people. Listen, she's alone and she lost and she doesn't even belong on this planet and it's my fault. You've got to take us."
"No," Vicky input, "I'm not risking the children down there."
"Why? What happens down there that could hurt us." Valarie demanded. Vicky shook her head as she stared intensely at her husband.
"We aren't discussing it!"
Valarie quickly reached forward and jerked up the microphone as it was obvious that Bran and his wife were content staying in the slower lane, with Bran announcing "It'll take however long it takes!"
"Mrs.Cassini, how long have you been driving?"
"Oh, we were among the first. It's been twenty-three years now."
"And in that time, have you seen one police car?" She questioned her. All eyes in the car flew to Valarie.
"I'm, not sure." The other wife mumbled. "Look at your notes." Valarie demanded.
"Not such." She gravely responded.
"What about a ambulance? Fire truck? What if there's no one out there, what if there's nothing." Valarie announced, before Bran yanked the microphone from her hands.
"Stop. The Cassini's were doing you a favor." He scolded, as Valarie had forced them all to question their suddenly grave situation.
"You may no want to talk but it's there, in your eyes. What if the traffic jam never stops?" The Doctor asked leaning towards Bran.
"There's a whole city above us. The mighty city-state of New New York. They wouldn't leave us!" His eyes waters as if on the brink of crying.
"What if this is it?" Valarie asked silently. "There isn't any help from above coming, is there? You're all sealed in here, in this motorway stuck going around and around like hamsters stuck in wheels?"
"Shut up! Just shut up!" Vicky shouted at Valarie's accusation. Suddenly, the screen buzzed to life with the same news reporter on-screen.
"This is Sally Calypso. It is that time again; the sun is blazing high above the New Atlantic. The perfect setting for the daily recantation." Humming began from the screen, like a choir.
"You two think you know us so well. But we aren't abandoned, as long as we have each other." Bran silently informed them. Singing began to erupt from all around; it was a hymn. So many voices sang together, it was impossible to tell what was being said. But they were all in union. Valarie slowly looked at the Doctor, who looked to her with furrowed brows.
Valarie's eyes began to water as she suddenly felt panicked. What if they two were stuck; what if Valarie would have to live her days out in this car. The Doctor noticed this, and pulled to to his side. "I'm gonna get us out of here. Everyone." He mumbled into her ear. She nodded slowly, wanting to believe him.
"If you won't take me down, I'll go down." He announced to the car; pulling his trench coat off and throwing it to Bran. "Take care of this and Valarie. I'll be back." He told them. Valarie gawked
"As if your going alone." She argued. He pulled a panel on the floor up, dangling his legs out of it. "I am. Bye then!" He announced before jumping onto the car below.
"He's completely insane." Vicky responded. "Yeah," began Valarie before turning to them.
"So am I." She announced before climbing down the hole herself and jumping onto the car below next to him. His eyes darted to her; wide and somewhat angry. He began to cough and as did she, so he made haste to open the car's roof. He then shoved Valarie in first.
"They're both mad!" Vicky cried, as Bran watched them vanish into the car below.
Valarie found herself in a white, pristine car. A solid white man darted around to see the two strangers in his car suddenly.
"Told you not to follow!" He cried as he worked on the next panel in the bottom of the car. "You know that wouldn't stop me." He laughed. The man watched them, dumb founded as he opened the panel. Before he could move, Valarie pushed herself down the open hole and hung from it until the car below came to a halt. She then let go, and watched the Doctor follow.
She began to cough again, and pulled her sleeve over her mouth. The two kept this repeating cycle, o t stopping briefly in a brightly colored car to ask to borrow two pieces of cloth. Once tied around their mouths and nose, the Doctor and Valarie jumped to the next car.
"You look like a train-robber from a western film." She snorted as he opened the next car. "You do too." He commented as she dropped into it. In the front, a naked man and woman scattered to cover themselves. The Doctor's hand clamped over Valarie's eyes as he pulled the panel on the floor open.
"Don't mind us!"
The two continued this car hopping for what seemed forever; jumping from one above to one below, and then from that one to below. Valarie lost count of how many cars they had broken in and out off, but she would never forget the strange people she saw in those cars.
They came to a halt in a car, were the diver announced upon seeing them "Is that legal?!"
"Motorway patrol or, whatever- got any water?" The Doctor asked, as both of them were new gagging and coughing. The man nodded, and quickly handed the two bottles of water.
"Is this the last layer?" The Doctor asked. The man nodded.
"Right above the fast lane."
"Can you take us to the fast lane? There's three of us." He asked. The man shook his head. "No." he said, going pale.
The Doctor rolled his eyes, then opened the car's panel on the floor.
"You can't jump! It's one thousand feet down!"
"Not junking, just looking." Valarie scooted next to him, watching the fog below. She swore, she saw shapes curling in it. Like something was alive in the fog. The Doctor spring to the control panel of the car, and began to tear into it.
"Maybe I can shift the vents. Move some of the fog! I just need to see."
As the Doctor worked, Valarie watched below. Suddenly, the fog rolled. To her horror, several large pitchers were below. They looked like large crabs.
"The hell are those?" She asked him as he knelt to take a look. "Macra ." He responded deeply. The macra roared and pinched towards their car.
"They lived off gas. The filthier the better. Used humans as slave Sand killed those who got too close." Suddenly, a fourth body began into the car. Valarie watched, as what appeared to be a cat nun dropped into the car.
"Doctor! I've searched long for you!" She sighed as the Doctor observed her. "I'm sorry?" He asked, not recognizing her.
"You haven't aged a day." He gasped, upon realizing who it was. He hugged her tightly. "Novice Thames!"
"Wait," he pushed her away, "last time I saw you you were breeding sick humans!"
"I've sought forgiveness. For so many years, under his guidance. And if you come with me I maybe able to redeem myself."
"No way! Have you seen under us!?" Valarie cried.
"He's got to come with me right now!" She said as she grabbed his hand. Valarie grabbed onto his arm tightly.
"This situation is more grave then you could imagine!" Thames announced as she rolled her sleeve up to reveal a device. The Doctor recognized it as a transporter immediately.
"Don't you dare, don't you dare!" He cried out as Valarie gripped his arm tighter. Thames pressed a button, and the three vanished from the car.