THE SCAVENGER HUNT
Chapter Thirty Four "Let me out!" Donna screamed as she pounded on the door that led into the Fairy Tale room. "Come on, Doctor, let me the hell out! This isn't funny!" She had managed to escape the Princess and the Pea room but now the door to Sleeping Beauty was standing wide open, beckoning her in which was the last thing she wanted. She had been pounding on the door for the last twenty minutes screaming for the Doctor or Rose or Donna or anyone to come and rescue her. But so far, no luck. She considered running into the Sleeping Beauty room to see if she could find something to pick the lock but she knew the moment she stepped inside, the door would close and she'd be trapped even further. So she kept on yelling and screaming hoping someone would hear her. Meanwhile, Martha was also looking for her friends. She was trying to navigate the TARDIS corridors but there were so many doors, she wasn't sure where to begin. Finally, she had the idea that maybe she could ask the ship to move herself around so she could find someone. That's when she sensed someone behind her at the same time she heard a click, click, click and she turned to see Esther following her with her walking frame. She sighed angrily. "Look, go away, I'm not watching any more of that naff film," Martha said to her. "I'm afraid we can't let you wander the halls like this, Sweetie," Esther said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Oh yeah, and what are you gonna do about it?" Her eyes widened when Esther reached into her pouch, took out a revolver and pointed it at her. Martha gasped and she sprinted away when Esther left the walking frame behind and started shooting at her while she pursued her. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Rose were having the same problem as Donna. They tried everything they could think of to get out of the room but they weren't having any luck. The Doctor pounded his fist against the door while he let out a frustrated yell. "I swear once I get out of here, I'm gonna rip those robots limb by mechanical limb," he said. "What about the TARDIS, can't she help us?" Rose asked. "I tried asking her but I think the robots used my memories to block her from doing it. Believe me, she's been trying to contain these insane bots for several hours now and she's having no luck. I think we're on our own. We'll probably have to wait till your other self comes back in here and try to ambush her somehow. Though I'm sure she's expecting that. If only I could get one of my robots to assist us…" He trailed off and thought for a moment. He looked up at the ceiling. "Girl, can you try to summon one of our bots to come and get us out? I know you can't assist us directly but perhaps you can do that indirectly?" The TARDIS grunted out a reply and the Doctor took Rose's hand and they sat back down on the bed. The Doctor put the curtain back over his exposed parts while they waited to see if the TARDIS could help them. Meanwhile, the Rose bot was in the console room, staring at the console and running her hand along the rim. "At last, we have control of his ship," she said. "And once we've eliminated him and his beloved companions, we can use this ship to go to any point in time and space and spread out all over the universe. Then the Cybomats will rule…" She paused when she heard the TARDIS groaning and laughed. "Still trying to help them? You're powerless, accept it!" she said to the ceiling. "I've blocked you from helping your master and now all you can do is just watch as I torture him and his friends to death. Then once they are dead and gone, I and my brother and sisters will rewire you and make you our slave." But unbeknownst to the Rose bot, the TARDIS managed to make contact with all the bots that the Doctor had originally programmed for his TARDIS and she managed to give them instructions to fight the other bots and save the Doctor, Rose, Martha and Donna even if it meant sacrificing themselves. All over the TARDIS, the Doctor's robots stirred and began to leave their rooms in their search for the Doctor and his companions. Martha gasped for air as she opened a door and went inside a room. For one heart stopping moment, she was terrified it'd be another wacky robot thing but it was just a storage cupboard. She closed the door; trying to keep her breathing quiet while she listened for Esther. She had managed to get enough of a head start on her that she didn't see her run around the corner and go into the room but she figured that the robot would probably start searching all the rooms and find her eventually. She clicked on the light in the cupboard and found an old coat hanging up. She stuffed it against the crack under the door so no light could get out before she examined the contents of the room, hoping to find something to use against the robot. Donna was exhausted. She stopped pounding on the door, her throat now hoarse from screaming. She stepped back and looked at the door, her spirits shrinking when she realized she might have to go into the Sleeping Beauty room and go through it in order to get out. But then, to her surprise, she heard the front door unlocking. She stepped back further, preparing herself in case it was another insane robot but the door opened and she saw the smiling face of the gift shop proprietor. "I noticed you were stuck, Miss, and I came to free you," he said to her. "Oh, thank God, I'm glad you did. Do you know where the Doctor, Martha and Rose are?" "No, Miss, but if you follow me, I think we can find them together." "Sounds good to me," Donna said, walking out of the room. "I just wanna find the Doctor and get an explanation about all this." "There are rogue robots on the loose, Miss, the TARDIS told me about them." "Oh yeah?" Donna said. While they walked, the shop owner filled her in on what was happening. Meanwhile, Martha heard Esther opening and closing doors near her. "Where are you, you bitch?" Esther said as she closed a door. "You're not gonna get away from me. You humans are no match for us and I swear you're gonna die like the pathetic weakling you are." "Cybomats?" Martha whispered to herself. She had managed to find a black bowling ball. It was the only thing she could think of to defend herself with. She figured if Esther opened the door, she might have enough time to rush out and possibly slam it down on her head and render her inoperative. It was a long shot but it was the only hope she had right now. She heard Esther open the door beside her and she tensed her muscles, preparing for her to open hers next. She gripped the ball tightly and raised it slightly over her head when she heard her closing the door and moving on. She saw the doorknob turning and she kicked the coat away so there would be no barrier between her and the bot. Then suddenly, she heard someone else outside with Esther and the doorknob stopped turning. "Who are you?" she heard Esther saying. "Get away from me, you son of a bitch!" "Doctor! You found me!" Martha said in a hushed voice. Then she heard the sound of metal hitting metal and gasped when something got slammed up against the door. Then something was slammed up against the door again, slightly cracking it. Then there was silence and Martha felt her heart running nearly out of her chest. Then she saw the doorknob turning again and she readied herself. When the door opened though, it wasn't Esther but the ice cream shop proprietor who was smiling at her. "Hello again," he said, bowing. "The TARDIS summoned me, thought you might need help." "Yes, I do," Martha said, putting the ball down. She saw past him and saw Esther was lying in a heap, her head slightly smashed in and smoking while sparks came out of it. Overjoyed, she threw her arms around the ice cream shop proprietor who chuckled and hugged her back. "Can you take me to the Doctor and Rose and Donna?" Martha asked. "I shall certainly try, Miss. Just follow me and we'll find them." "Thank God," Martha said as she turned off the cupboard light and shut the door. The Doctor and Rose looked up when they heard something at the door. The Doctor stood up and squeezed Rose's shoulder. "Let me handle this," he said to her. Then suddenly, they both heard something ramming the door. Rose jumped up and the two of them headed to the back of the room while the door was continually rammed. They stood in the corner, watching as the door cracked and bent and finally with one more hard ram, it fell into the room and both the Doctor and Rose were shocked to see Lungwei peering in at them. "Oh yes!" the Doctor said while Rose breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew you could do it, Old Girl. Thank you for summoning my robots to help us. And now that we have Lungwei here, I think it's time to go find that evil version of you and her friends and put them out of commission once and for all!"
Back Home Doctor Who Main Page Next