Child of the Doctor

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Doctor POV

The trapdoor just opened up. Ida and I can't hear anything from the others. I can feel Ayla but there is psychic interference. This beast can't do anything to her psychically.

"I recommend strategy nine" Ida and I can finally hear from the people upstairs.

"Strategy Nine" confirms Zack, "Agreed. Right, we need to get everyone together. Rose? What about Ida and the Doctor, Any word?"

"I can't get a reply. Just nothing. I keep trying, but it's..." Rose says and I interrupt her.

"No, sorry, I'm fine. Still here"

"You could've said, you stupid..." Rose says angrily and tone full of worry.

"Whoa. Careful! Anyway, it's both of us. Me and Ida. Hello. But the seal opened up. It's gone. All we've got left is this chasm" I tell them.

"How deep is it?" I hear from Zack.

"Can't tell. It looks like it goes down forever" I say.

"The pit is open. That's what the voice said" replies Rose.

"But there's nothing. I mean" says Zach, continuing "There's nothing coming out?"

" No, no. No sign of the Beast" I confirm.

"It said Satan" said Rose all worried.

"Come on, Rose. Keep it together" I tell her, I don't want Ayla to panic, I have to keep Rose as calm as possible in order to do this.

"Is there no such thing? Doctor?" She asks. I can't really answer that.

"Doctor, tell me there's no such thing"

Ida and Zach talk about this strategy 9 when she switched off the comms.

"What do you think?" Ida asks me.

"I think they have an order" I reply.

"Yeah, but what do you think?" She asks again.

"It said, I am the temptation" I say to her.

"Well, if there's something in there, why is it still hiding?" She asks. I like this human, she is quite smart.

"Maybe we opened the prison but not the cell" I tell her.

"We should go down. I'd go. What about you?" She says.

"Oh. Oh, in a second, but then again, that is so human. Where angels fear to tread. Even now, standing on the edge. It's that feeling you get, eh? Right at the back of your head. That impulse. That strange little impulse. That mad little voice saying, go on. Go on. Go on. Go over. Go on. Maybe it's relying on that. For once in my life, Officer Scott, I'm going to say retreat. Oh, now I know I'm getting old. Rose, Ayla , we're coming back" I say.

'I can't risk Ayla, I have to get to her. This thing, I have never encountered anything like him before. I can't risk her and Rose's life'.

"Best news we've heard all day. Ayla is doing alright as well Doctor, we've kept her safe" Rose assures.

"What's strategy nine? I ask Ida as we head to the lift.

"Open the airlocks. We'll be safe inside the lock down. The Ood will get thrown out into the vacuum" she says.

"So we're going back to a slaughter?" I ask her.

"The devil's work" she says.

"Okay, we're in. Bring us up" Ida says over the comms.