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The Tenth Doctor took a deep breath, stepping outside of his spaceship for the first time in ages. He hadn’t done much since… since Rose left. All he did was wander aimlessly, which wasn’t all that different from what he had done all his life, but now he felt empty and purposeless. Saving people felt like a chore, and there seemed to be no one to go to, nowhere to go, no place to call home.
The area surrounding him was barren. A thick layer of dark clouds covered the sky, barely letting any light through despite the planet’s close proximity to various stars. Fog surrounded him, helping to hide the ominous glow that came from above. He walked ahead warily but with quick, long strides, making sure he avoided slipping on the uneven rocks beneath him. He continued forward, only able to see a few yards in front of him. So far, there was nothing. A few minutes later, the Doctor saw a cliff. He moved nearer to the edge trying to see beyond it, but the gray haze limited what he could see.
There was a deep rumbling that came from beneath him, causing him to stumble back. He inched away from the edge of the cliff. He instinctively pulled out his sonic screwdriver, ready to face whatever it was. The Doctor heard a slight whoosh from behind and whipped around. The clouds above him were clearing, revealing an almost blinding light from above. It didn’t seem natural. It was soon blocked out by a foreign object descending from the sky. It seemed to be floating down, slowly, but gaining speed as it grew closer and closer to the ground. It was shaped like a box, not much bigger than his own, and landed with a loud thud, sending a cloud of dust into the air. It seemed to be made entirely of a shiny white material, which most likely was the reason he could see it through the fog. It started to tilt forward until it slammed into the rocks, sending small cracks across the ground on impact. It was far away enough that it wouldn’t hurt the Doctor, so he started to move towards it, eager to investigate.
What initially was the top of the box began to shake, as if someone was pounding on it, trying to escape. The Doctor took off, sprinting towards it, as the lid shattered. What was it? What would emerge? Was it friendly or hostile?
It was… a human. That was unusual, given he was nowhere near Earth.
He saw a head peek out, her blonde hair concealing her face. The Doctor stopped, only a few feet away. “Are you alright?” He asked. He didn’t want to startle her. He had no idea as to what she was expecting. He certainly didn’t think this would happen.
She stood up, disheveled, brushing her hands off on her pants. Her slender frame was nearly a foot shorter than the Doctor’s. “Yeah, I think so.” She spoke slowly, the uncertainty clear in her voice. Her London accent sounded so familiar. Could it be? She looked up at him with a confused expression on her face, eyes wide.
He thought he would never see that face again.
“R-Rose?”
She took a step back. Fear flashed through her eyes briefly, but she remained calm. “Who are you?”