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I was bored. Completely and utterly bored. Nothing in my life ever changed. Nothing!
The off white rooms in my small apartment never changed, the dust that clung to my
shelves never changed, my job never changed, nothing new ever happened to me. I had
fallen into the trap of human routine, a trap of never ending boredom. This was the reason I
had moved to London from the U.S, but I had got stuck in a routine again. I hate routines.
This morning I was particularly frustrated with my life because I had gotten almost no
sleep due to the constant pounding and odd droning noise that kept coming from the
apartment next door.
My alarm clock went off at exactly 6:30 am as it always did and I started my usual
routine; dragged myself out of bed, ate a quick breakfast of cereal, showered, got dressed,
brushed my teeth, then headed to work. I walk to work on the usual route every day since
it’s only five blocks away. As I was hurrying along the sidewalk hoping not to be late the rain started up.
There was nothing unusual about that as it was London after all.
As I was just about to enter the building I worked in, a law firm, I noticed that the
people walking down the street all started to turn and walk in the same direction. I thought this was odd but dismissed it
so I wouldn’t run late to work. When I got inside I noticed that
everyone in the building was starting to walk out and head in the same direction as the
others on the street. I couldn’t ignore this, so I followed them out and down the street.
The farther we went the more people collected in the street wearing nothing to protect themselves from the persistent rain.
“Excuse me,” I said to a police officer who was walking cloudy eyed and
unresponsive. “Excuse me,” I repeated louder but to no avail.
I was baffled by his drone-like state and was sent into somewhat of a panic weaving
around the crowed of people trying to get a reaction from someone.
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself just like I do before I go into court and
looked around with my head now a little more clear.
I heard a strange beeping noise coming from behind me and I whirled around to see
a man examining a beeping object that I had never seen before. Carefully I approached him.
“Hello,” I said with an anxious smile.
“Hang on I am trying to analyze the….” he trailed off and looked up at me with a
confused face that turned into a smile. “How are you not affected by the rain?”
“I um- should I be, its just rain?” I replied taking a cautious step back.
“Well, it contains a telepathic element that puts who ever that comes in contact with
it under hypnosis” he explained so quickly I barely caught it.
“So where are they going?” I asked looking around at the hypnotized people.
“Your accent, is it American?” he asked examining his beeping device again.
“Is that really important right now?” I exclaimed.
“Follow me!” he yelled taking off down an alley to my left. Go with him! My mind
urged. I don’t even know him, the other side argued. Then the other side said change! and I
took off after him. I caught up quickly thanks to my college basketball days.
“What’s your name?” I ask falling into stride with him.
“Oh its The Doctor,” he came to an abrupt stop looking up from his beeping device
at a warehouse that all the people on the street seemed to be entering.
“What is that thing?” I questioned him, looking from the warehouse to the beeping device.
“Its a homing device.. you know it homes, on things” he looks at me “A better question is
what I am homing in on?” he looks at the warehouse again.
“So you don’t know?” I frown.
“Well.. No.”
“Oh great, you’re helpful.” I fold my arms doubtfully.
“Oi!” he protests.
“Fine, let’s go find out then.” I step into line with the marching people.
“Reminds me of the Cybermen” he comments studying a person next to us.
“The what?”
“Oh… nothing.”
We follow the people inside of the warehouse and I see people walking into crates of
a sort that are bigger than anything I have ever seen. I was gawking at the crates when a
hand grabs me and tugs me into the shadows.
“Hey!” I shout and fling my arm out instinctively.
“Ow!” I see The Doctor rubbing his arm where I must have hit him.
“Sorry, attack first instinct” I apologize.
“Well how about you ask first next time,” he finishes rubbing his arm and looks
around curiously.
“Shall we find out who’s behind this whole operation?” he asks. Before I have time
to reply he steps out into the open “Hello anyone home?”
Without thinking I follow him into the open.
“Who are you?” came a booming voice from above.
“I am The Doctor and this is… um..” he looks at me
“Alexandria, call me Lex” I say more confident than I feel.
“Glad you’re not freaking out” he whispers to me.
“I am freaking out” I let out a half laugh.
“You have me fooled” he winks at me.
“So” he says to the voice “what are you doing with all these people?”
I am amazed at how cool he is talking to a booming voice like this is the sort of thing
he sees every day.
“Who are you?” I hiss
“I told you I am The Doctor” he whispers back “Hello there anyone home?” he says
again to the voice.
“Well Doctor I am taking the humans to be sold as slaves,” replies the voice in an
almost smug way.
“Hmm… We can’t have that now can we” says the mysterious “Doctor” as he pulls a
silver device out of his pocket and points it like a sword at the wall. A weird whistling sound
erupts from the blue tip. To my amazement the whole wall drops away revealing three
humanoid-like creatures with dog heads.
“What are they like Egyptian gods, are Egyptian gods real?” I asked The Doctor
“No, what are you talking about? They’re aliens” he looked at me as if it was very
“Look, its not like this is common knowledge” I glare at him.
“Where are you from?” he turns to the dog headed men again.
“We are the Marlivians, from planet Marlive” all three reply together as if they are
“What do Marlivians from the planet Marlive need Human slaves for?”
“We do not need slaves we need money.”
The Doctor nods “You know I can’t let you do that.”
“How are you going to stop us?”
The Doctor starts to walk toward what appears to be light switches off to our left.
“You see I haven’t work that bit out yet” he looks and me and whispers, “I am going to turn
out the lights. When I do, point the sonic screwdriver at that control panel over there and
push that button,” he pauses and points to the biggest button on the device he just handed
me then continues. “When I say ‘now’ turn the lights back on.” With that he flicks off the
lights and the warehouse goes black. I feel for the button and find it quickly then aim it in the general
direction of the control panel he pointed out. I see it explode in sparks and the whirring of the crates and other machines in the warehouse stops.
“Now!” I hear The Doctor shout and I flick the lights back on. From then on it was
complete chaos, everyone was running and screaming from the warehouse and I got swept
away from The Doctor and out into the street.
As soon as I could I slipped into the alley and searched the running horde of people
for funny hair and a trench coat but saw no such person. I waited for the last of the people to go by but still didn’t see
The Doctor. My heart sank, my last chance for adventure and he was gone, swept away in a mass of people. Just as I
stepped out of the alley I heard a deafening boom and the whole warehouse exploded.
“No” I gasped taking a step back. Could he still have been inside? My heart pounds
as I race towards the warehouse but before I get any closer I am stopped by a Police Officer.
“I am sorry, I can’t let you through.” He stands in my way.
“But my…” I trail off I barely knew the Doctor could I call him a friend?
“Sorry, you need to stay back.”
I turn away from him sadness swelling inside me and I run away not really knowing
where I am going.
Eventually I end up back at my apartment and flop down on my couch feeling fed up
with the world. Suddenly I hear that annoying drone and banging start again next door as well as a familiar whistling noise.
Frustrated I march out to the hall and pound on my neighbor’s door. The door opens and there standing in front of me is The Doctor.
“What?!” I shout stunned for a moment, then, regaining my senses I slap him on the
arm as hard as I can. “What did you do that for?! You left me then blew up the warehouse! I
thought you were dead!” I shout so most of the other people in the building can hear.
“Jeez you can shout,” he replies staring at me. “Would you at least like to come in?”
he opens the door more and beckons me in. I look at him suspiciously but step inside. In the
corner of the room is a big blue box that reads “Police Box” in big letters. Other than that
the room is empty except for a couch and small chair.
“I held on to this sonic-thingey you gave me in the warehouse,” I state and hold out the small silver marker-like magic device.
“Thanks.” He replies. That was my back up but it is good to have a spare,” he comments nonchalantly and tucks the thing into his coat pocket.
“Funny decorations” I say examining the box.
“That is my TARDIS” he replies “I have been trying to fix her as she has been acting
up,” he opens the door and steps inside the box motioning for me to follow.
“Won’t it be a tight squeeze?” I ask taking a step forward.
“I am sure we’ll manage,” he smiles a playful almost mischievous smile and disappears inside it. I follow, but as I get closer I start to feel strange
like my every move is being observed and watched closely as if by a teacher. I take a step inside and the whole thing opens up around me like a whole other room.
“It’s like stepping into another dimension.” I gasp my angers forgotten.
“Actually it is pretty much exactly like that,” he flips some switches on what looks like
a control panel, “But most people just say it’s bigger on the inside.”
“I’m not most people,” I reply joining him at the control panel.
“No you’re not,” he spins a dial. “Now Alexandria who goes by Lex, do you want to
come with me?”
“Where to?” I look around the bigger on the inside box.
“Anywhere.”
“Any where?” I raise my eyebrows skeptically.
“Well?” he asks his hand resting on some sort of lever.
“Why not?” I reply.