Doctor Who: One by One

Scene 9 - The Reactor

The ship orbits over another planet, heading well over the rocky surface of this unknown, undesignated lump of gravel across the entire planet. The Doctor still runs down the seemingly endless corridors to the reactor. He stops a moment to catch his breath and sort out his directions.

Doctor:

This is like the TARDIS.

There are now two more corridors. Indecisive, the Doctor takes out a coin from his jacket and flips it. Catching it and slapping it onto his hand, revealing a tail. He then charges down to the right-hand side. The Black Guardian was down the other side! His hands were behind his side, almost watching over the Doctor. The Time Lord then rushes back and looks back shocked down the other passage – now there was nothing. The Black Guardian seemed to have gone. Or perhaps it was his imagination or a foreshadowing? Nevertheless, the Doctor rushes down the corridor again. This is the right corridor, the CCTV monitor the Doctor, displaying him at the control deck.

Nyssa:

You're almost there, Doctor.

The Doctor has finally reached the entrance to the cargo holder, and the Stethesor's dead body slowly beginning to rot. He takes up the communicator and holds it up.

Doctor:

I'm outside the cargo holder. How do I get in?

Summer:

I'm overriding the doors from here.

Captain Chen:

It's going to be dangerously hot in there, Doctor.

Doctor:

Don't worry, I'm expecting that.

Whilst the Doctor takes off both his coat and white jumper, Summer programs in the input and numbers to allow access to the reactor. The Time Lord then rolls his sleeves up and braces for the heat, expecting the unexpected.

Summer:

Ok, it's open.

Security Detector:

Identification – override! Clear to proceed! Identification – override! Clear to proceed!

The Doctor then enters. Once inside, he begins to sweat buckets as smoke begins rising from the reactor and the Doctor struggles to breathe in the heat.

Doctor:

Alright Summer, where do I go to first?

Summer:

You need to head back around the other side of the reactor.

With just enough strength, the Doctor rushes over to the other side of the blazing inferno. Stepping over the dead bodies, he turns to the temperature gauge, which is increasing all the time. Currently, it sits at 180 degrees, now passing into the red section. 200 is the maximum, which could only mean the end of the ship.

Captain Chen:

We must keep that reactor intact!

Tegan:

Well, if we don't there will be no reactor to get back to Earth.

Captain Chen:

Just shut up and fly this ship! You're only an air hostess!

Tegan:

Well I'm more used to the Doctor than you are, if you want to save your precious reactor then perhaps you should have gone down there yourself. Or are you too scared?