Ties Between Time and Space

✦38✦ - The Impossible Planet

Chapter Thirty-Eight
Not A Ood Situation

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The Doctor held the door open as he and Emma stepped out of the TARDIS. He turned back around and rubbed the blue panel. "I don't know what's wrong though. She's sort of queasy. Indigestion, like she didn't want to land."

Emma frowned, her hand resting on the door. "What's wrong girl, huh?" she asked gently and the TARDIS hummed lowly in response. "Well, if you think she's trying to tell us there's going to be trouble... do we listen?" Emma asked.

The Doctor looked at her before the two suddenly burst out laughing. Yeah, like that was going to happen. Every adventure so far was trouble. That was part of the fun. The running, the danger, the saving the world before it could change history or so history could be changed.

The laughter calmed down and the Doctor glanced around. "I think we've landed inside a cupboard. Here we go," he said and walked straight.

"Open door 15."

The Doctor pushed a yellow metal door open before stepping through the archway. Emma followed after, her eyes darting around the place curiously. She closed the door behind them and heard a loud whirring and rushing sound coming from outside.

"Close door 15."

"Some sort of base," the Doctor said. "Moon base, sea base, space base. They build these things out of kits."

"We should be happy we're inside. It sounds like a storm's outside," Emma muttered.

"Open door 16."

The Doctor opened another door, and he and Emma walked through it to explore wherever they landed up and for whatever reason. There was always a reason. Emma had been with the Doctor for almost three years now, and wherever the TARDIS took them they needed to be. She'd learned that a very long time ago. They want to go to a paradise planet but instead, they're stuck in the middle of deep space somewhere.

"Human design," the Doctor said, his hands in his pockets as they walked down a long hallway. "You've got a thing about kits. This place was put together like a flat-pack wardrobe, only bigger. And easier."

"Open door 17."

Entering through yet another door, the Doctor smiled when he realized what kind of base this was. "Oh, it's a sanctuary base."

"Close door 17."

Emma looked around at the chairs, the table, and what looked like a fireplace. It looked space-cozy, to be honest.

"Deep space exploration. We've gone way out," the Doctor said, stopping beside Emma. "And listen to that, underneath," he instructed. "Someone's drilling."

Emma felt a humming from below them and heard the faint sound of buzzing. She then noticed something written on the wall in front of her. It wasn't a sign or a poster but black paint with weird symbols spread out underneath it.

"Welcome to hell," Emma read.

"Oh, now, angel. It's not that bad," the Doctor looked at her.

"No," Emma laughed at his bewildered expression. "No, sweetheart. Look, over there," she pointed at the wall.

The Doctor turned to look, his eyes narrowing. "Hold on, what does that say?" he asked and jumped the step to get to the wall before crouching down. "That's weird, it won't translate."

"But doesn't the TARDIS translate everything? Including writing. Shouldn't we be seeing English?" Emma asked.

"Exactly," the Doctor agreed as Emma knelt beside him. "If that's not working, then it means this writing is old. Very old. Impossibly old," he stared at it with his nose scrunched. He got to his feet and leaped over to the closest door. "We should find out who's in charge," the Doctor said as he started spinning the wheel on the bulkhead door. "We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS's knowledge. Not a good move. And if someone's lucky enough- " he threw open the door only for him and Emma to jump back in surprise.