13 Novella 1

Taken

TW: torture scene

You sit on the sloped deck just watching The Doctor at work, arms wrapped around your knees and leaning against a golden shard.

You liked to watch her alone with The Tardis, it made you feel comfortable the way she spoke to the beautiful machine, and it was even funnier when the Tardis or her were sulking, like today.

"I don't care that you think I'm incompetent, I know what I'm doing and that's that!" The Doctor argues typing frantically on a keyboard. There is a loud thrum from the bowels of the ship that sounds remarkably like a scoff.

You giggle as The time lady pouts and flicks a switch impatiently.

"Oh stop sulking, we'd be done so much quicker if you just stopped fidgeting and let me get on with it" she complains, head bent low over the controls and rolling her eyes. Another slightly sly thrum and The Doctor straightens suddenly, a dull flush appearing across her cheeks, apparently avoiding your eyes.

"That's none of your business" she hisses, and you are intrigued as to what could bother The Doctor into this level of embarrassment and awkwardness.

"What did she say?" You ask, intrigued.

"Nothing nothing" mutters The Doctor impatiently, looking flustered.

She punches a button sulkily, and you feel the entire ship lurch alarmingly. You slide towards the back wall, colliding with it painfully, and look up to see The Doctor has tumbled to her knees and is scrambling to her feet.

"Doctor what's happening?!" Yaz shouts above the deafening pulses emanating from the red flashes on the screen.

"Oh no oh no I took the shields down! Hold on (Y/n) I'll sort it out, don't-" with that a blinding light surrounds you and you feel a dreadful weightlessness engulf your entire body, like gravity no longer exists.

Your eyes close against their will, and you feel cold unconsciousness engulf your body.

                             *          *           *

You open your eyes wide, blinking furiously to gain focus. You can no longer feel the warmth and subtle sounds of the Tardis, so you realise you must have moved.

You lift your hand to rub your eyes but find they are bound onto the arms of the metal chair you are sat on, and your ankles to the chair legs. You struggle for a second before realising it is futile. You force yourself not to panic and instead assess your situation.

You are sure you've never been here before as you believe you are in a large dark chamber, and because of the chill, probably somewhere deep underground.

You are still processing when icy water is thrown over you from above, leaving you gasping and shivering in sopping wet clothes.

"I'm glad you awake, I want to get started" comes a cold voice from in front of you. It almost sounds bored. You squint and note a smallish man, probably human, with a bald head and bulging muscles.

Fear as cold as the water dripping from your clothes plunges in your stomach.

"Sorry for the rough transport" he says quietly, raising the hairs on the back of your neck.
"You see, I had to take my chance, it's not often he lets the shields down, and naturally I couldn't miss this perfect opportunity."

You remain silent, shaking as he drags a metal pole into the middle of the room and it clicks into three legs. Unexpectedly he places an old video camera atop, adjusting it until you were perfectly in view. Dread washes over you in waves as the red light begins to glow.

"I need him to understand what is at stake if he refuses to come quietly, so I thought we could make a little video for him, to show that I'm serious? Mmm?" He asks politely, inclining his head to you. You decide he can only be talking about the Doctor, presumably under the impression she was still a man. He had a shock coming.

"He should be grateful, I got the idea from him after all. Clever, very clever staying out of frame, but I always know." He mutters to himself.

He turns to the camera and grins maliciously. "Hello Doctor, you don't know me but oh I certainly know you. I have a favour to ask. I need you to appear at these exact coordinates 188-628-292-907 at 87V domino time according to the Hersha time zone. I understand you are wondering why, and I have a little persuasion should you feel the urge to decline."

He steps out of the way, leaving you in full view of the camera.

"This pretty little thing is, I believe, a friend of yours? If I'm not mistaken? Now I would really hate to spoil the surprise of what will happen to her if you fail to show, so instead I'll offer a sneak preview of what she will be enduring until you arrive as I ask, alone and unarmed." To your horror, he strides out of your eyeline, as you hear a sound of a metallic clunk.

You scream in agony as white hot electricity burns through your soaked skin, the water conducting it so not part of you is untouched. Your body convulses as you scream and sob accordingly, feeling every lick of energy as it stabs you.

Suddenly it stops, and you tip forward panting and shaking your head, fighting to remain conscious.

"Dear dear that looked unpleasant" he says right behind you, talking again to the camera.

"Time's ticking Doctor, I won't wait forever." He says sharply, finally losing the charade and grinning menacingly.

"Anything you'd like to say before you go?" He asks you sweetly.

"Don't... Don't come Doctor" you slur uncomprehendingly. "Not... not worth the risk... I'm not" you say before your head lolls back and your eyes shut. They open blearily after as you register the click of the camera, the red light no longer flashing.

"If you've ruined this for me, I swear I'll kill you" he hisses at you, and you sense him turn on his heel and seize the lever again.

You brace but it does nothing to prepare you for the second round of agonising pain, barely hearing your own screams over the fight you are losing to stay alive.

Consciousness is again retreating, and you thank the stars that The Doctor has not come, ignoring the selfish part of you that hoped she could save you one more time. Your eyes close and pain sends you into raging insentience.