Halfway Out Of The Dark || The Doctor

Human Nature

The Artist raced into the TARDIS, pulling Martha with her. "Get down!" the Doctor yelled as he raced in behind them. All three hit the deck as a green bolt of energy whizzed overhead. The Doctor slammed the door shut and helped the two women up. "Did they see you?" he asked Martha urgently.

"I don't know." Martha replied.

"But did they see you?!"

"I don't know, I was too busy running!"

"Martha, this is important, did they see your face?" the Artist asked her.

"No, they couldn't have." Martha replied.

"Good, and they didn't see mine either, so we've got a chance." the Artist said, and she and the Doctor went over to the console.

"Off we go." the Doctor said as they both worked the controls, sending the TARDIS into the Time Vortex. Suddenly, the monitor began to beep. "Ah! They're following us." the Doctor groaned.

"But how can they do that? You've got a time machine." Martha pointed out

"They must have a Vortex Manipulator." the Artist replied, "They can time travel too."

"They can follow us wherever we go." the Doctor added, "Right across the universe. They're never gonna stop. Unless... I'll have to do it."

The Artist realised what he was thinking. "No." she groaned, "Please don't."

"We've no choice." the Doctor told her, "We've only got one bio-damper, and you're gonna need it." He turned to Martha. "Martha, you trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I do." Martha replied.

"Cos' it all depends on you." the Doctor said, reaching under the console for something.

"What does? What am I supposed to do?" Martha asked.

"Take this watch." the Doctor replied, handing her a fob watch with Galifreyean symbols on it, "Cos' my life depends on it. This watch, Martha, this watch is..."

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John Smith jerked awake, he shook his head, dismissing the dream he'd just had and got out of bed. There was a knock at the door. "Come in." he called, and Martha entered, wearing a 1910's maid's uniform and carrying a breakfast tray.

"Pardon me, Mr Smith." she said when she saw him in his pyjamas, "I can come back later."

"No, it's alright, it's alright." John waved her off, putting on his dressing gown, "Put it down." Martha complied. "Today's the day." he continued, "Nancy arrives today. I've missed her."

"Me too, sir." Martha replied.

John thought for a moment. "I was, um.. Sorry, sorry. Sometimes I have these extraordinary dreams."

"What about, sir?" Martha asked, opening the curtains.

"I dream I'm this... adventurer. This daredevil, a madman. 'The Doctor', I'm called. Nancy's in them too, only she's called, 'The Artist'. And last night, I dreamt that you were there. As our... companion."

"A teacher, his wife and a housemaid, sir?" Martha questioned, "That's impossible."

"Nancy and I were from another world." John continued.

"That can't be true, because there's no such thing."

John went over to the mantle and picked up the fob watch with the Galifreyean symbols. "This thing. The watch, it was.." he murmured, considering it for a moment, then put it down again. "Yeah, it's funny how dreams slip away. But I do remember one thing, it all took place in the future. In the year of Our Lord 2008."