THREE

 “We’ve got a runner! Move aside!”  

 I looked into the distance and observed that “the runner” was being chased by two huge and intimidating men. They must have been figures of enforcement as they were dressed unmistakably in uniform. The crowds obediently parted like waves as the guards continued their pursuit. I looked at the woman, her eyes desperately locked with mine with a look of wild entreaty towards the Doctor and myself. She recognized us as outsiders and yet somehow instinctively knew we would help.

 “A lone and defenceless woman being chased by two big brutes, well that’s good enough for me …” The Doctor uttered in an aside, beckoning the runner towards us. Without knowing the whole story, the Doctor instinctively wanted to help the loner being persecuted.

 The woman finally reached us, stumbling with exhaustion into the Doctor’s arms. She looked in her late thirties, older than I thought but there was a childlike fragility about her. Though her eyes they blazed with so much passion and life as she breathlessly asked.

 “Did Alaric send you? Did he and the others reach the surface?”  

 The Doctor shook his head. We both looked at the fast approaching guards, the one in front glared at us with outright hostility, which suggested that if they were also under the influence of mood controls they were allowed to have full reign of their aggression.

 “Right I think it might be time to go…” The Doctor began anxiously taking the stranger’s hand and pulling her away, towards the locked door we had just come through. The Doctor set to work on the door, I turned my head with apprehension towards our pursuers. Luckily the one who was slightly behind, appeared to have randomly lost his footing, crashing into the back of the leading pursuer, causing them both to crash heavily on the ground. It bought us some valuable time as the Doctor opened the door and closed it, the three of us ran through to the original eerie dream chambers. Then an alarm began to blare very noisily, there was no doubt that we had captured the attention of the menacing authorities. It might have been my paranoia but the computerized voice definitely had a more threatening edge to it as it told us to-

 “Desist from running and await assistance. Desist from running. You are breaching the forbidden zone!”

 The Doctor with raised eyebrow glanced over to me and exchanged a knowing look, our suspicions were right, there was something wrong going on in this nightmarish city. With even more determination we continued to run, my accelerating heart beginning to beat hard against my chest. The Doctor strode on ahead to reach the other locked door which would lead us to the corridor and yet another door, then to the gravity platform and the chance to form some kind of a plan…

 “My name is Ava Berowne… Are you from the surface?” The wide eyed woman suddenly gasped, tugging at my sleeve with an air of desperation.

 I nodded an affirmative and then glanced behind again, wondering where our pursuer’s had got to. But then things started to get nasty…The Doctor was within touching distance of the door, he had his sonic screwdriver at the ready. And due to his haste he was completely oblivious to any danger… I screamed out as the Doctor ran into an invisible but deadly force field of what could only be described as a wall of electricity. The Doctor let out a yell and shuddered, his body convulsing horribly for what seemed like an eternity but was only seconds. He then flew backwards in the air towards myself and Ava and landed a crumpled heap on the floor, his coat smoking and singed. For a second I was paralyzed with fear as I stared down where the Doctor’s motionless body lay; tears started to run down my face as I carefully turned the Doctor over…

 The sense of relief was instantaneous when I discovered he was still breathing, I then placed my head to his chest and in turn listened to his hearts beating. Just at that moment, the Doctor with whiplash speed sat up, his hair comically sticking upright. I placed a steadying arm around him, amazed at his miraculous recovery, a shock like that would have surely have killed Ava and myself stone dead.

 “Oh that was a bit unexpected.” The Doctor sniffed, musing vaguely to himself. “But it’s livened the old synapses up no end! Lovely jubbly!” Wiping a stray tear from my face, the Doctor then smiled kindly at me and suddenly leapt to his feet all cat like. If I thought he was fired up before it was nothing compared to how he was behaving now. The Doctor’s eyes glinted defiantly with that dangerous edge which I had seen his enemies underestimate at their cost. The Time Lord was full of fight.

 “There’s no way out.” Ava sunk with exhausted despair on the ground and placed her head in her hands. I looked up and saw the original two guards running towards us, with even more following and they all had their guns raised.

 “Oh every time…” The Doctor uttered disapprovingly under his breath as he exchanged a quick glance with me.

 The Doctor managed to convey a disconcerting mixture of reassurance that everything would ultimately be “ok” in the end but at the same time his expression was tinged with regret, that I would probably have to prepare myself for tough times ahead. The Doctor then proceeded to pat down his crazy hair and shake the dust from his dishevelled coat; with heavy sighs we both wearily raised our hands.

 “Hello… I’m the Doctor. Hello big fellows!” The Doctor beamed, then his eyes narrowed as he regarded with cool detachment the armed enforcers. “Right I think we need to calm down before someone else gets hurt. Don’t you hmm?”

 The Guards all stared nervously at each other, uncertain how to react to this strangely gregarious man whom they were surprised to see standing on his feet after the assault on his body. The Doctor challenged them as he spoke with such authority. They were the ones holding the weapons but there was actually a look of fear and indecision in their eyes. I tried to help Ava to her feet but she was only going to be moved by force. Standing alongside the Doctor, I stared defiantly at the men with their guns as I straightened my shoulders back and held my head high.

 “Let’s be civilized there’s no need for any violence, we‘ll come quietly. I think you had better take us to someone in charge and then we can all sit down and have a little chat… Though do you know what?” The Doctor paused, seemingly lost in contemplation as he finally retorted knowing his humour would be utterly lost on these joyless men. “It’s the worst holiday camp I’ve ever visited…”