Nightmares of Steel - A Ninth Doctor Adventure - Prologue

"Fat lot of good you were" Rose told Mickey as she calmly walked to where he was gibbering, trying to hide behind pallets.

"Nestene Consiousness?" the Doctor clicked his fingers "Easy."

"You were useless in there" replied Rose slightly smugly. "You’d be dead if it wasn’t for me"

"Yes. I would" After centuries of time-travel, much of that time alone, the Doctor found it hard to admit that sometimes he really did need other people’s help. "Thank you."

Rose grinned, happy to have been involved in something so exciting, so different from her normal life.

"Right then, I’ll be off" The Doctor had something on his mind, it was obvious. But what? "Unless er.. you know... you could come with me?" It was hard inviting someone along. Usually they asked him, or they just stowed away. But he really wanted Rose to join him. She’d been a great help. He began to explain that the TARDIS could take them anywhere – not just London. Was she listening? Really listening? Rose seemed to hear his words, but she was pre-occupied. "...free of Charge"

"Don’t!" Mickey’s voice snapped Rose’s mind into focus. "He’s an Alien... he’s a thing!"

Emphatically the Doctor pointed out "He’s not invited." The Doctor had to get an answer, he needed to know. "What d’you think?" Rose still couldn’t make her decision. Pushing the point the Doctor continued "You can stay here. Fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go er... anywhere!" She was definitely considering it. But something was getting in the way.

"Is it always this dangerous?" Rose asked the Doctor, her face betraying the fact that she was torn.

"Yep!" The Doctor grinned as he replied.

Rose gulped, and nodded her head. Before she could make a decision Mickey grabbed her. "Yeah, I can’t." Rose suddenly realised what was really holding her back. Stopping her from taking the plunge. "I’ve erm..." she struggled to find the words to use to let him down. "I’ve got to go find my mum, and someone’s got to look after this stupid lump." She patted Mickey’s back.

The Doctor was hurt. Disappointed. Felt let down. He couldn’t hide it, although he tried. "OK" he gulped back the disappointment. They looked at each other, both knowing that she should be travelling with him. "See you around."

Rose looked at him, her disappointment at her lack of guts showed. How could she have confronted those aliens, the Autons & Nestene, but not have the courage to go travelling with this man? But how could she leave everyone behind? Her mum, her boyfriend, her friends? She watched the Doctor slowly step back into the TARDIS and close the door, never taking her eyes off him.

A strange whirring noise started, a sound she'd only heard a very few times before. The TARDIS light flashed and the TARDIS itself started to fade. Rose was buffeted by a strong, yet isolated, wind. And in a moment the TARDIS was gone, and the Doctor with it.

posted by Unknown @ 4:33 PM