To Be a Time Lord

Chapter 23 - The God Complex

The God Complex, part 1 -

They arrived in a European-style old-fashioned hotel and looked up and down the staircase. The Doctor had an excited grin on his face, the Oracle smiled with slight confusion, knowing they were certainly not in Europe, not even Earth if she was guessing correctly. Amy and Rory on the other hand were fully confused, even a little annoyed at where they had landed.

"Let's go to Ravan-Skala, he says", Amy complained, "The people are six hundred feet tall. You have to talk to them in hot air balloons and the Tourist Information Centre is made of one of their hats, he says. I'm sorry, but I don't see any huge hats."

The Doctor stood between them and shook their shoulders, "Amy, Beaky, this could be the most exciting thing I have ever seen."

"You're kidding", Rory raised an eyebrow as the women couldn't contain an amused smile over the Doctor's new nickname for Rory.

"How can you be excited about a rubbish hotel on a rubbish bit of Earth?", Amy asked while he already ran further up the stairs.

"Because, assembled Ponds", he gestured to all three of them, "This is not Earth. This has just been made to look like Earth. The craftsmanship involved. Can you imagine?"

"You know, by his logic, he's a Pond too", the Oracle muttered to Rory.

"What? Then where are we?", Amy asked.

"I don't know", he led the way to a reception area and observed the decorations, "Something must have yanked us off course. Look at the detail on that cheese plant!", he held a leaf to his nose and sniffed it intently, then picked up an apple from a glass bowl.

"Right, but who would mock up an Earth hotel?", Rory asked.

"Colonists maybe, recreating a bit of home, like when ex-pats open English pubs in Mallorca", he bit into the apple, "No, whoever did this, I am shaking his/her hand/tentacle."

"Have you seen these?", Rory was looking at pictures on the wall, "Look at the labels underneath. Commander Halke, defeat."

"Sontaran, maybe this is some form of punishment. Defeat is rather humiliating to their species", the Oracle shrugged.

"Tim Heath, having his photo taken", he gestured to another one, "Lady Silver-Tear, Daleks."

"Paige Barnes, other people's socks", Amy continued, "Tim Nelson, balloons. Novice Prin, sabre wolves. Royston Luke Gold, Plymouth? Lucy Hayward, that brutal gorilla. Doctor, what does it mean?"

"I don't know", he shrugged but looked at the pictures intrigued.

The Oracle nudged him, "Let's find out."

He rang the bell on the reception desk and three people dashed around the corner. A woman in blue scrubs with dark hair, armed with a chair leg; a young man with wavy dark hair and spectacles, armed with some other wooden piece, and a man the Oracle recognised as a Tivolian, obviously waving a white handkerchief in surrender.

"Blimey, that was a bit quick", the Doctor called out as they all jumped back.

"We surrender", the Tivolian started to repeat.

"No it's okay, we're not- We're nice", Rory tried.

"She's threatening me with a chair leg", the Doctor accused the woman in scrubs.

"Who are you?", she demanded.

"Oh god, we're back in reception", the boy realised.

"I've never been threatened with a chair leg before", the Doctor continued.