Doctor Who - Whispers

Chapter Two - New York

Group Captain Kate Stewart stepped through the crooked door. It was only her second time off the desk, and last time she did missionary work for UNIT she found herself caught up in some sort of flirtation with two Doctors, and was fearing that she would once again. Kate was the daughter of Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, a war hero who worked for the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, an organisation bent on investigating the affairs of aliens on human soil. Naturally, with a father like the Brigadier, Kate was born into a career just like her father's. She had been made group captain for UNIT, and was only just getting used to it when she had bumped into an old friend of her father's- The Doctor. He had been talked about by her father for many years, and it had taken her aback to have finally met him. Soon enough there were two Doctors, and it was all quite a mess, but Kate did what she was best at, and helped clear it up.

Now she was on another mission, and had been sent to South Hill Manor, an old hotel that the locals said was haunted. UNIT had just finished clearing up the wreckage from the 2020 apocalypse, but Kate had jobs elsewhere. She was told to investigate the haunted hotel by her superiors, and was not looking forward to the job. She had heard of many tales about this hotel; creaking floorboards, glitching lights, and the whisper of unearthly voices at night. No one had dared to go near the place, and Kate was frankly surprised that the place was still open.

She had been waiting at reception for some time when a tall woman wearing horn-rimmed glasses had appeared in front of her. She had large dark eyes, and long brown hair that seemed immaculate. The same went for her clothes, as she was wearing the most smart business suit that Kate thought must have cost a fortune.

"Can I help you?"

The Receptionist's voice was slightly nasal, and completely without emotion. Her face did not show any means of kindness. She was as still and as emotionless as a brick wall, and something about her put Kate Stewart's hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"I'm sorry?" Kate said, rather uncomfortably.

"Welcome to South Hill Manor, the finest hotel in Queens. May I take your bags?"

Still no emotion in her voice or physicality.

"I'm not carrying any bags."

The Receptionist tilted her head slightly, as if studying her. She still said nothing.

"We're in New York. You're not American." Kate said, puzzled. There was something odd about this place. If it wasn't the tales of ghosts surrounding the hotel, then there was definitely something odd about this woman.

Suddenly, the Receptionist perked up, as if hearing unspoken orders from somewhere. She looked Kate right in the eye, and spoke to her with command in her voice.

"You will go to your room."

For some reason, Kate didn't argue back. Something within her stopped herself, like her voice had been trapped in her head. She could feel the evil of some unearthly force ready to pounce on her, and took her orders from this strange woman without question. She began to walk up the stairs, dread filling her heart.

*

The TARDIS had landed in the corner of a narrow deserted street. Smoke was billowing out of the doorway as The Doctor swaggered out, peeved and coughing like a man who smoked fifty a day. Jess followed behind him, a little crestfallen.

"Well, you seemed to enjoy that" The Doctor spat at her.

"No I didn't!" Jess raged back at him.

"You just set the old girl on fire!"

"How was I supposed to know that was the emergency self-destruct button?! It's not like you ever let me touch the controls! And who the hell has a self-destruct button? Why would you need one?"

The Doctor huffed, walking away from his annoyed companion.

She went on "If you had trusted me and given me lessons on the TARDIS then maybe I would have been able to help!"

"I don't need your help!" The Doctor thundered, his voice cracking again. "Whatever qualifications you have, Jess, what you don't understand is the my perhaps antiquated TARDIS is that it's fully equipped and completely reliable."

"Completely reliable?" Exclaimed Jess in disbelief.

"Nine times out of ten. Well, seven times. Five times. Oh, look, this isn't important, lets just see where we are."

They had reached a hill from which an entire city could be seen in the view. They were looking over a desolate city of ruins, tall skyscrapers that seemed to have been ripped apart by a huge blade. Rubble surrounded the buildings, and a musty stench filled the air.

"Where the hell are we?" Jess breathed, disturbed.

"New York, America, 2020." The Doctor confirmed. "Well, if my guess from the taste of the air is right."

"2020? That's so close. What happened here?" Said Jess, panicking at the thought that this was her near future.

"The great apocalypse of 2020. The government collapsed, riots started up. The whole of New York was destroyed, along with Boston and New Jersey. An absolute panic of crazed people, tired of day to day life whilst being forced to work by unworthy superiors. Luckily, the human race get through it. A few casualties, but a whole new society is risen up from these ruins. Anarchy at it's finest."

Jess was appalled.

"You mean, this is what happens in my future? Riots in New York? Riots so violent that cities are destroyed?"

"You're only human."

Jess was sad. After all her travels in The TARDIS, hopping from one world to another, she had see such beautiful things, and yet such horrors beyond her darkest nightmares. But nothing was more terrifying to see her own people destroying eachother with such vile hatred. She had seen so much death in so many far flung times and places, she was sort of hardened to it. Now, she had seen what would become of her future, and had no idea how to relate to it.

The Doctor breathed in a long breath of air, trying to sound as positive as he could. He could tell how scared Jess was, and despite his usual moody persona, he hated seeing his best friend in such emotional agony. He tried to change the subject in hope of making her feel better.

"So, The TARDIS has crashed, and we're in the middle of nowhere. Which means, I need to make a very important phone call."

"A phone call? To whom?"

"An old friend."

The Doctor straightened the collar of his brown leather trench coat. He always did this whenever he wanted to look clever and important, and Jess knew this and found it hilarious.

"Come on!"

They began to walk to the nearest building, a tall red-brick building labelled 'South Hill Manor'...