Planet of the Dead
I'm feeling quite excited for the trailer for the Doctor Who Christmas episode this year so I did a lot of writing and editing and now I have two chapters ready, due to that here is the first part to Planet of the Dead.
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The Stone walked into the bedroom she now shared with the Doctor almost tripping on a box of her items that she still had not found a place for. The Time Lady glanced overseeing the Doctor lying in bed pouting at the Stone making her feel a little guilty. At first, the Time Lord thought she had run away embarrassed and regretting what they did last night. That was until she returned looking completely fine. "I thought you ran off." He continued to pout at her as she looked guilty, slowly making her way towards the bed and sitting on top of the covers since she was back in her normal clothing of her white blouse, black blazer, black trousers and black vans.
"Sweetheart the only time I run off is to either find you after you disappear or run away from something with from you." She promised cupping his cheeks in her hands before plopping on the edge of the bed. "If you must know then yesterday while we were taking everyone home there was a signal on the scanner. Search for rhodium particles. Guessing that was you?" She raised a brow.
"Ah yes, we can sort that out later..." he trailed off pulling her closer. "I don't know how you were distracted..." He grinned as the Stone laughed.
"Ego." She said between laughter.
"Yesterday you said you liked it, therefore I win." He smugly grinned at her. "Now please come back to bed..." he looked at her with a mischievous look in his eye before pulling her ontop of him, the Doctor trapping her in his arms.
She chuckled at his childish behaviour. "Doctor let me go please." She asked after trying to get up on her own, only to be pulled back on top of him.
"No this is nice."
"Doctor-"
"I like cuddling you." He protested nuzzling her neck. "Please."
"Doctor you were searching for rhodium particles on Earth, it's obviously important."
"It can wait." He replied in a muffled voice on her neck. "I'm comfy and we rarely do this."
"Doctor we cuddle when we read all the time." She rolled her eyes at him.
"But that's reading." He said in protest. "It isn't ever just you and me. The Doctor and the Stone."
"It's always just you and me." She replied looking at him cupping his cheek after he allowed her to move her arm knowing that she wasn't trying to escape his grasp just yet. "The two best friends who ran away from home with only each other." She chuckled. "Never stopping once."
"Look at us now." He smiled softly at her pecking her lips before being caught off guard his arms suddenly empty as the Stone jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom locking it shut before he had the chance to even attempt to chase after her.
"Stone." He moaned looking at the gap between the door and the floor.
"Rhodium particles." She reminded him. "Later I promise." She said through the door.
"But-" he whimpered.
"Sweetheart you won't win." She cut him off mockingly.
"Yes dear..." he sighed.
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"Want a bit of easter egg?" The Doctor offered popping a small chunk in his own mouth.
"How long had you have that for?" She raised a brow eyeing the half-eaten chocolate egg. "Did you steal that from the queen?" She looked at him, not at all surprised.
"Brought it when you were busy in the TARDIS making the device, I did say I was going to go and have a look around." He explained.
"I thought you meant around Buckingham Palace." She rolled her eyes. "Since when did you have money?" She looked over at him as they wandered down the London street in the night.
"Who said I did." He winked at her handing her a piece which she gladly accepted. "You know." He said eyeing the large London bus that was parked on the busy London street in the night. "Perhaps we should take the bus. Make the search easier and faster."
"Doctor you know us and human transport don't mix, may I remind you of your atrocious driving of Bessie..."
"Oi!" He narrowed his eyes at her wiggling a finger. "I was great at driving Bessie and you know it." He pointed at her playfully.
"If you say so" she grinned then opened her mouth as the Doctor gave her another piece of chocolate before chuckling the two of them taking the other's hand walking towards the bus then stepping on.
"You're just in time, mate." The driver stated as the Doctor swiped his psychic paper on the Oyster card scanner before they both sat down behind a dark-haired woman, the Doctor then held out his chocolate egg grinning. "Hello, I'm the Doctor. Happy Easter."
"Oh, just ignore him." The Stone groaned sending the Doctor a pointed look. "Sorry, I'm the Stone. I wouldn't blame him though, never found Easter... last time I did was with Lila..." she trailed off in thought as the Doctor spoke up.
"It's always at a different time." He said as the woman looked at the two annoyed and slightly anxious. "Although I remember the original. Between you and me, what really happened was...." he then stopped hearing a beeping coming from his pocket. "Oh. Sorry, hold on to that for me." He apologised handing the chocolate egg to the woman as he brought out the device he had been looking after for the Stone. "Actually, go on, have it. Finish it. It's full of sugar and I'm determined to keep these teeth."
"I was enjoying that." The Stone pouted.
"I quite like your teeth Stone." He grinned pointing at her. "No chocolate" he then turned his attention to the device in his hand. "Ah. Oh, we've got excitation." He said.
"It's picking up something very strange." The Stone hummed staring at the device.
"I know the feeling." The woman muttered.
"Rhodium particles, that's what we're looking for." The Doctor said to the woman. "This thing detects them."
"That dish should be spinning..." the Stone furrowed her eyebrows flicking the dish on the little device.
"Right now, a way out would come in pretty handy. Can you detect me one of those?" The woman muttered.
"Ah, the little dish is going round." The Doctor beamed at the Stone.
"I did say, sweetheart." She laughed at him.
"Fascinating."
"And round... Whoa." Sparks then flew off the small device falling on the blonde woman two seats up.
The blonde woman then brushed it off her hair. "Excuse me. Do you mind?"
"Sorry." The Time Lords apologised. "That was our little dish."
"Can't you turn that thing off?"
"What was your name?" The Doctor asked now tightly holding the Stone around the waist
"Christina."
"Christina, hold on tight." The Doctor warned grabbing onto a railing as the Stone did so on the other side keeping a tight hold on the Doctor. "Everyone, hold on!" Suddenly there was a jolt and everyone was thrown down to the ground as sparks flew and windows in the bus broke.
A bright light then flooded in. The Stone let out a groan the Doctor lying right on her from the fall almost completely crushing her. He suddenly jolted his head up at the sound then quickly checked over her placing a kiss on her forehead as she tried to get up but failed with the Doctor still on top of her. "Sweetheart." She raised a brow at him. "I'm a little stuck here." He then slowly stood up helping her up in the process.
They then blinked looking around. "I think we found that hole..." The Stone telepathically told him looking out of the broken windows staring at the orange sand going on for miles and miles. The Doctor took her hand and they headed outside of the bus.
"End of the line." The Doctor said glancing back seeing Christina following them. "Call it a hunch, but I think we've gone a little bit further than Brixton."
"I think it's more than a hunch." The Stone said eyeing the sand on the ground.
"It's impossible. There are three suns." The blonde woman gasped stepping outside the bus. "Three of them."
"Like when all those planets were up in the sky." A young dark skinned man added looking up.
"But it was Earth that moved back then, wasn't it?" Another young man said.
"Oh, man, we're on another world."
"It's still intact, though." The driver patted the side of the bus. "Not as bad as it looks, and the chassis's still holding together. My boss is going to murder me."
"Can you still drive it?"
"Oh no, no, no. The wheels are stuck. Look at them, they're never going to budge."
The Stone knelt to the ground taking a bit of the sand and rubbing it against her fingers then placed it in the palm of her hand.
Carrying a large rucksack Christina brought out sunglasses and placed them on. "Ready for every emergency."
The Doctor then brought out his glasses and flashed his sonic at the lenses tinting them. "Me too."
Rolling her eyes the Stone brought out her own glasses the Doctor raised a brow at her. "Just because I don't always read with these when I am really meant to doesn't mean I can't make them sunglasses." She laughed at the Doctor flashing her own sonic at her glasses then slipped them on the Doctor smirking at her.
"And what're your names?"
"I'm the Doctor. She's the Stone."
"Name, not rank."
"The Doctor."
"And the Stone."
"Surname?"
"The Stone."
"And the Doctor."
"You're called the Doctor?"
"Yes, I am."
"And you're called the Stone."
"Yep."
"That's not names. That's a psychological condition and another name for a rock." She looked at them.
"Funny sort of sand, this." The Doctor hummed ignoring the woman while crouching beside the Stone eyeing the sand in her hand. "There's a trace of something else." He then dabbed his finger in her palm then dabbed the small amount of the content on his tongue then started to pull a face sticking his tongue out in disgust making the Stone shake her head at him. "Glah. Not good."
"Well, it wouldn't be. It's sand." Christina looked at him.
"No, it tastes like..." he looked at the Stone having an idea of what it was. "Never mind."
"What is it?" Christina asked. "What's wrong?"
"Hold on a minute. I saw you two." The young dark-skinned man walked over to the Time Lords who stood up. "You had that thing, that machine. Did you make this happen?"
"Oh, humans on buses, always blaming us." The Doctor groaned.
"If it really is important that device which I made was being used to help us. We were tracking a hole in the fabric of reality." She shrugged.
"Call it a hobby. But it was a tiny little hole. No danger to anyone. Suddenly it gets big, and we drive right through it." The Doctor added.
"But then where is it?" The driver looked at them. "There's nothing. There's just sand."
"All right. You want proof? We drove through this." The Doctor walked over to the end of the bus and grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into the air. A wobbly sort of barrier then appeared.
"And that's...?"
"A door." The Doctor said. "A door in space."
"So what you're saying is, on the other side of that is home?" The driver pointed. "We can get to London through there?"
"The bus came through, but we can't." The Stone said.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" The driver ran towards the barrier.
"No, no, don't." The Doctor warned holding out an arm.
"I'm going home, mate!"
"He said don't!" The Stone shouted a moment before the driver walked through and screamed briefly burning as his smoking bones passed through.
"He was a skeleton, man." The young man gasped. "He was bones. Just bones."
"It was the bus." The Doctor said. "Look at the damage." He turned around. "That was the bus protecting us. Great big box of metal."
"Rather like a Faraday cage?" Christina asked.
"Like in a thunderstorm, yeah? Safest place is inside a car, because the metal conducts the lightning right through. We did it in school."
"But if we can only travel back inside the bus? A Faraday cage needs to be closed. That thing's been ripped wide open."
"Well, slightly different dynamics with a wormhole." The Doctor and Stone slightly tilted their heads to the side in thought.
"There's enough metal to make it work, I think... I hope."
"Then we have to drive five tons of bus, which is currently buried in the sand, and we've got nothing but our bare hands. Correct?"
"I'd say nine tons..."
"Nine and a half tons..." the Stone muttered eyeing the broken bus. "But the point still stands, yes we can." She nodded.
"Then we need to apply ourselves to the problem with discipline," Christina said. "which starts with appointing a leader."
"Yes." The Doctor nodded. "At last. Thank you. So..."
"Well, thank goodness you've got me." Christina cut in making the Doctor blink and the Stone snort trying to hold in a laugh. "Everyone do exactly as I say. Inside the bus immediately."
"Is it safe in there?"
"I don't think anything's safe anymore, but if it's a choice between baking in there or roasting out here, I'd say baking is slower. Come on. All of you. Right now." She then turned to the Time Lords. "And you two. The Doctor and the Stone."
"Yes, ma'am." The Doctor nodded taking the Stone's hand and heading inside the bus. The two of them sitting down placing their legs on the edge of the chairs in front.
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...Point five. The crucial thing is, do not panic. Quite apart from anything else, the smell of sweat inside this thing is reaching atrocious levels." Christina said standing at the front of the bus. "We don't need to add any more. Point six. Team identification. Names. I'm Christina. This man and woman are apparently the Doctor and the Stone." She gestured over to them both who waved at the group of other people in the bus. "Hello."
"And you?" The Christina looked over at a young man wearing a red t-shirt.
"Nathan."
"I'm Barclay." The dark skinned man added.
"Angela." The blonde woman who sat two seats in front of the Time Lords introduced. "Angela Whittaker."
"My name's Louis." An older man sitting beside his wife nodded looking at the group. "Everyone calls me Lou. And this is Carmen."
"Excellent." Christina smiled. "Memorise those names. There might be a test. Point seven. Assessment and application of knowledge. Over to you two, the Doctor and the Stone."
"I thought you were in charge." The Doctor frowned.
"I am." She stated. "And a good leader utilises her strength. You both seem to be the brainboxes. So, start boxing."
"Right." The Doctor nodded. "So, the wormhole. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was just an accident."
"No, it wasn't." Carmen shook her head. "That thing, the doorway? Someone made it for a reason."
"How do you know?" The Stone asked.
"She's got a gift." Lou smiled. "Ever since she was a little girl, she can just tell things. We do the lottery twice a week."
"You don't look like millionaires," Christina spoke up.
"No, but we win ten pounds. Every week, twice a week, ten pounds. Don't tell me that's not a gift."
"Tell me, Carmen. How many fingers am I holding up?" The Doctor asked holding a hand behind his back the Stone glancing at his hand intrigued.
"Three." He then changed. "Four."
"Very good." He nodded.
"Low-level psychic ability, exacerbated by an alien sun." The Stone muttered. "What can you see, Carmen? What's out there?"
"Something, something is coming." She told them looking terrified. "Riding on the wind, and shining."
"What is it?"
"Death. Death is coming."
"We're going to die." Angela sobbed.
"I knew it, man," Barclay said. "I said so."
"We can't die out here. No one's going to find us." Nathan added.
"This isn't exactly helping," Christina said.
"You can shut up too." Nathan pointed at Christina. "We're not your soldiers."
"That's not doing any good." She countered.
"Quiet." Lou tried.
"Will we be bones, like the bus driver?"
"Stop whimpering, all of you." Christina spat.
"All right now, stop it." The Doctor said as the Stone jumped up loudly whistling making the bus silence. "Angela." She moved over holding the woman's shoulders. "Angela?" She looked at the woman making her sniff and turn to the Time Lady. "Answer me one question, Angela. Just one question." She said in a calm soothing voice making the Doctor softly smile at how well she was handling the situation with the woman. "When you got on this bus, where were you going?"
"Doesn't matter now, does it?" She sniffed.
"Angela of course it matters, it's so important."
"Just home."
"And what's home?" The Doctor stood behind the Time Lady a hand on her shoulder.
"Me and Mike. And Suzanne. That's my daughter. She's eighteen."
"Suzanne. Good." He slowly nodded. "What about you?" He looked at Barclay.
"Don't know." He shrugged. "Going round Tina's."
"Who's Tina? Your girlfriend?"
"Not yet." He grinned.
"Good boy." The Doctor said back as the Time Lady laughed. "What about you, Nathan?" The Doctor looked at the young man.
"Bit strapped for cash. I lost my job last week. I was going to stay in and watch TV."
"Brilliant. And you two?"
"I was going to cook," Lou said.
"It's his turn tonight," Carmen spoke up. "Then I clear up."
"What's for tea?"
"Chops. Nice couple of chops and gravy. Nothing special."
"Oh, that's special, Lou." The Doctor scoffed thinking about the food. That is so special. Chops and gravy, mmm. What about you, Christina?" He looked at the woman who blinked.
"I was going so far away."
"Far away. Chops and gravy. Watching TV. Mike and Suzanne and poor old Tina."
"Hey." Barclay looked at him.
"Just think of them because that planet out there, all three suns, wormholes and alien sand, that planet is nothing. You hear me? Nothing, compared to all those things waiting for you. Food and home and people. Hold on to that, because we're going to get there. I promise. The Stone and I are going to get you home."
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The Doctor and the Stone were outside the bus as Nathan and Barclay brought out seats from the bus. "Here we go."
"That's my boys." The Doctor nodded. "See, we lay a flat surface between the bus and the wormhole, like duckboards, and we reverse into it."
"Let some air out of the tyres. Just a little bit. It spreads the weight of the bus, gives you more grip against the sand."
"Oh, that's good." The Stone nodded.
"Holidays in the Kalahari."
"Yeah, but those wheels go deep."
"Then start digging."
"With what?" Barclay frowned.
"With this." Christina then took out a spade from her rucksack and handed it to Barclay the Doctor and the Stone eyed the bag.
"Got anything else in there?" The Doctor raised a brow.
"Try that." She handed Nathan an axe. "It might help with the seats."
"Thanks." The Doctor and the Stone then headed to the engine. "I can't find the keys," Angela told them from the driver's seat.
"Oh no, buses don't have keys." The Doctor informed. "There's a master switch, then it's one button to start, the other one to stop, yeah?"
"Right. Hold on." She said. "Oh, I've got it. Here we go. Hold tight. Ding, ding."
The engine started then began to grumble before cutting out making both Time Lords frown. "Ooo, that doesn't sound too good." The Doctor muttered opening the front of the bus looking at the engines. "Oh, never mind losing half the top deck." The Doctor said.
"You know what's worse?" The Stone cut in lightly dusting the sand from the engine. "Sand. Tiny little grains of sand. The engine's clogged up."
"Anyone know mechanics?" Christina looked up.
"Me." Barclay moved over. " I did a two week NVQ at the garage. Never finished it, but..."
"Off you go, then." The Doctor said. "Try stripping the air filter. Fast as you can. Back in two ticks." He then walked off the Stone following.
"You know I could help." She looked at him.
"Every single bone in my body is telling me to get out of here, I'm not leaving you alone." He said.
"I have that feeling as well..." the Stone said to him nodding.
"Wait a minute." Christina quickly followed them. "You're the man and woman with all the answers. I'm not letting either of you out of my sight."
The Time Lords continued strolling up the small mountain of sand the woman behind them.
"Easier if you left that backpack behind." The Doctor called over his shoulder.
"Where I go, it goes."
"A backpack with a spade and an axe." The Doctor hummed in thought.
"Christina, who's going so far away, and yet scared by the sound of a siren." The Stone added. "Who are you?"
"You two can talk." She looked at the blonde and then the Doctor. "Let's just say we're two equal mysteries. Come on then." She looked at them. "Tell me. If Carmen's right, if that wormhole's not an accident, then what is it? Has someone done this on purpose?"
"I don't know, but every single instinct of mine is telling me to get off this planet right now." He informed tightening his grip on the Stone's hand.
"And do you think we can?"
"I live in hope."
"That must be nice. It's Christina de Souza. To be precise, Lady Christina de Souza."
"Ooo, that's handy, because I'm a Lord, she's a Dame." He nodded at the Stone who grumbled.
"Seriously?" She looked at them. "The Lord and Dame of where?"
"It's quite a big estate." The Stone shrugged continuing to glare at the Doctor who just sheepishly grinned at her.
"No, but there's something more about you two. That device you were carrying, and the wormhole. Like you knew. And the way you both stride around this place, like..."
"Like?"
"Like you're not quite..." she looked at them for a moment. The Stone then spoke up. "Anyway, come on."
"Allons-y." The Doctor grinned pulling her away.
"Oui, mais pas si nous allons vers un cauchemar."
"Very good." The Stone nodded. "I'm impressed."
"Ah, don't like the look of that." The Doctor said looking at what looked like dust and a storm.
"Storm clouds. Must be hundreds of miles away."
"But getting closer." The Stone muttered.
"If that's a sandstorm, we'll get ripped to shreds."
"It's a storm." The Doctor said. "Who says it's sand?" He said quickly taking off with the Stone running back to the bus.
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"Closer, and closer, and closer," Carmen whispered.
"Where is it?" The Doctor asked Barclay.
"There." He pointed. "There on the seat."
"You're hardly going to get a signal. We're on another planet."
"Oh, just watch me. Right. Now, bit of hush, thank you." He said holding out the phone with the Stone peering over his shoulder. "Got to remember the number, very important number." He dialled then waited.
"Hello, Pizza Geronimo?"
"And again." He quickly ended the call. The Stone rolled her eyes and took the phone from him entering the correct number. "Ah. seven six, not six seven." He nodded.
"This is the Unified Intelligence Taskforce. Please select one of the following four options. If you want to..."
"Oh, I hate these things."
"Last time that happened to me I did it to them." The Stone laughed.
"If you keep your finger pressed on zero, you get through to a real person," Angela told them. "I saw it on Watchdog."
"Thank you, Angela." The Doctor nodded as the Stone did just that.
"UNIT helpline. Which department would you like?"
The Stone sat down on the seat her ear pressed up against the other side of the phone as he held it to his head. "Listen, it's the Doctor and the Stone. It's us. They heard the woman gasp before music suddenly began to play. The Stone chuckled a little as they sat there waiting for a minute before they heard a female voice through the speaker.
"Doctor, Stone? This is Captain Erisa Magambo. Might I say, sir, ma'am." She paused making the Time Lords raise a brow. "It's an honour."
"Did you just salute?" The Doctor questioned glancing at the Stone who nodded slightly her face a little grim as there was a pause. "No."
"Erisa, it's about the bus." The Doctor then said. "I'm guessing you're in the tunnel, yeah?"
"Yeah. And where are you?"
"We're on the bus." The Stone informed. "But apart from that, not a clue, except it's very pretty and pretty dangerous."
"A body came through here. Have you sustained any more fatalities?"
"No, and we're not going to, but we're stuck. We don't have the TARDIS, and we need to analyse that wormhole."
"We have a scientific advisor on site. Doctor Malcolm Taylor. Just the man you need. He's a genius."
"Oh is he?" The Stone raised a brow. "Compared to the Doctor?" The Doctor smirked at her comment.
A moment later they heard Magmbo through the phone. "It's the Doctor and the Stone."
"No, I'm all right now, thanks. It was just a bit of a sore throat. Although I've got to be honest, a cup of tea might be nice. And why would I need a rock?"
"It's the Doctor and the Stone."
"Do you mean the Doctor, Doctor? And Stone Stone?" They heard a man gasp.
"I know. We all want to meet them one day, but we all know what that day will bring."
The Stone winced. "Do you realise we can hear everything you're saying."
"Hello, Doctor, Stone. Oh, my goodness!" He gasped hearing the blonde making the Doctor hold the phone away from them.
"Yes, we are. Hello, Malcolm."
"The Doctor and the Stone Cor blimey. I can't believe I'm actually speaking to you both. I mean, I've read all the files."
"Really?" The Doctor smirked. "What was your favourite, the giant robot?"
"Sweetheart we can discuss that later, we need to get out of here first." She reminded him as he nodded at her.
"Right sorry. Let's sort out that wormhole. Excuse us." They then stood up moving to the front of the bus. "Malcolm, something's not making sense here. we've got a storm and a wormhole, and I can't help thinking there's a connection. we need a complete full range analysis of that wormhole." He said
"The whole thing." The Stone added.
"Well, I've probably got the wrong idea, but I've wired up an integrator. I thought it could measure the energy signature."
"No. No, no, no, no, no." The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose. "That'll never work. Listen..."
"It's quite extraordinary, though I'm measuring an oscillation of fifteen Malcolms per second." He cut in.
"Fifteen what?" The Doctor frowned.
"Fifteen Malcolms. It's my own little term. A wavelength parcel of ten kilohertz operating in four dimensions equals one Malcolm."
"You named a unit of measurement after yourself?" The Stone asked.
"Well, it didn't do Mister Watt any harm. Furthermore, one hundred Malcolms equals a Bernard."
"And who's that your dad?" The Doctor joked making the Stone snort a laugh.
"Don't be ridiculous. That's Quatermass."
"Right. Fine. But before we die of old age, which in our case would be quite an achievement, so congratulations on that is there anyone else we can talk to?" The Doctor said into the phone.
"No, no, no, no, but listen." Malcom protested. "I set the scanner to register what it can't detect and inverted the image."
"You did what?" The Time Lords blinked at the phone.
"Is that wrong?"
"No." The Stone took the phone off the Doctor. "Malcolm, that's brilliant. So you can actually measure the wormhole. Okay, I have to admit that is genius, not as good as the Doctor but still brilliant."
"That is genius." The Doctor breathed.
"The Stone called me brilliant." Malcom breathed. "The Doctor called me a genius."
"I know. I heard." They heard Magmbo through the phone as the Time Lords glanced at each other.
"Now, run a capacity scan. We need a full report. Call us back when you've done it. And Malcolm?
You're my new second best friend."
"Second?" They heard the confusion in his voice.
"Well, the first is the Stone." He grinned. "Best friends for centuries."
"You know I think he's both of our second best friends." The Stone laughed.
"And you're both mine too, sir, ma'am."
"Barclay, we're going to hold on to this." The Stone said placing the phone in her pocket.
"Hey, you'd better bring it back." He warned as the Time Lords headed off leaving the bus with Christina following them.
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"Send this back to Earth." The Doctor told Christina what they were doing after the Doctor took a couple of photos of the storm. "See if Malcolm can analyse the storm."
"There's something in those clouds." She frowned. "Something shining. Look."
"Like metal." The Stone hummed squinting her eyes to see.
"Why would there be metal in a storm?" The Doctor said in thought.
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