Wanderer of Time (doctor who)

Chapter 15: Museum Terror

The mobile started to ring as Rose ran up the flight of stairs. Adam gave her a brief glance as he ran up two steps at a time. Rose fumbled with the mobile from her pocket, trying to answer it. Pulling it to her ear, she panted from exhaustion as she continued to run up the stairs.

"This isn't the best time," she panted out.

"Where are you?" the Doctor asked her hurriedly. She looked around her to see which level they were on. They had passed through so many it was difficult to keep up where they were and how long it was until they reached the end. She hoped it was soon. Her body was worn out from all the running she had been doing this day. And that Dalek that she had unleashed was not going to have mercy on her if she faltered now in her pace.

"Level forty-nine," she answered quickly when spotting the large black numbers on the wall.

"You've got to keep moving," the Doctor commanded to her. "The vault's being sealed off up at level forty-six."

Rose began to panic when hearing this, speeding up her pace as she ran even faster. "Can't you stop them closing?"

"I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait, and I can't help you. Now, for God's sake, run."

Dread filled Rose after she heard this. She pressed her mobile tightly to her ear as she pushed herself even harder. Running faster than she ever had in her life.

The Doctor quit talking with her, too focused on his task to continue on with a conversation. Typing away madly at the main computer in van Statten's office. Both men worked frantically together to send enough power for them to be able to close the bulkheads. He was determined to seal the Dalek in the vault and to let it rot down there for an eternity. He would never let that creature see the light of day. Not ever.

"Done it, we've got power to the bulkheads," van Statten announced to him. The Doctor glanced to the computer monitor to see the power there. He watched on the screen the moving dots on the map, showing Rose and Adam running ahead.

"The Dalek's right behind them," said Goddard, van Statten's assistant. The Doctor glanced further down the map to see she was right. The Dalek dot zoomed through the different levels, moving closer and closer to Rose.

"We're nearly there! Give us two seconds!" came Rose's shouting voice in the mobile earpiece lying in the Doctor's ear.

"Doctor, I can't sustain the power. The whole system is failing," van Statten said quickly. The Doctor stared at the screen, seeing that the man was right. The power was slowly draining from the bulkheads. Soon, they would not be able to close the vault. This would allow the Dalek's escape. Leaving millions on Earth doomed.

"Doctor, you've got to close the bulkheads," van Statten said firmly. The Doctor glanced to him then back to the screen.

He looked down to the key to activate the bulkheads. He hesitated for a moment, staring to the key. Could he do this? Lock Rose away forever to her demise? He had made a promise to Wanda to keep Rose safe. But to this cost? To sacrifice putting an end to the last Dalek just to save one girl? No one was that important to allow the Dalek to escape. He stared firmly to the enter key. Wanda would understand. She would know why he did it. She might be angry for a while, but, in the end, she would forgive him. She had said so herself once. He was always forgiven by her. That would never change.

"I'm sorry," he spoke in a hard tone as he pushed the button.

Down below, Wanda stumbled slightly as she tried to gain her bearings. The white light always did disorient her. She blinked away the spots as she looked around to see where she had landed this time. It seemed to be just a plain, gray metal hallway. She turned when she heard a loud grinding sound coming right beside her. A large, thick, steel door slowly made its way down towards the ground to shut off the hall she currently stood in. Above the doorway was the number forty-six. Brows furrowed, she wonder where exactly she had been brought to.