Chapter One

Running his hand over the rough surface of the mine wall, Frederick Wells sighed. He hadn’t found a thing in this mine for weeks now. No more diamonds were left, he was sure of it, or if there were, he wasn’t going to be the one to find them. Out of the corner of his eye, his torch caught his discarded watch. It was late now, time he got himself home, back to his family, though he knew his wife would complain anyway, always saying he spent too much time at work, not enough with her and their children. He rolled down his sleeves, picking up his watch and strapping it on. The second hand didn’t work, it was stuck hovering above the 6, but the watch itself was still working perfectly. Frederick ran a finger over the face. It was a little scratched through years of wear and tear, and the gold paint around the edges was slowly peeling away, but it was his father’s watch, he didn’t plan on getting rid of it anytime soon. He made his way up the mine, towards the exit, the air becoming clearer, lighter with every step. The warm January air hit his face as he reached the outdoors. It was already dark out, and the sky was glittered with a million stars. Frederick inhaled deeply, glad to be out of the dusty mines in which he spent most of his day. As superintendent, he found he arrived earlier, and left later than all his miners but he didn’t really mind. It was a job. It paid pretty well. He set off walking home, it was only ten minutes down the road, after all, just as a pink streak flashed across the sky, falling to earth. A large ship, mistaken by the locals as an asteroid, crash landed ten miles from the nearest civilisation.

“DOCTOR!” Donna Noble’s voice boomed over the TARDIS intercom, causing the Doctor to roll his eyes.
“Donna! I’m busy!” he continued fiddling about with the wires in his hands, placing his sonic screwdriver in his mouth.
“DOCTOR, GET IN HERE! NOW!” Donna yelled. The Doctor rolled his eyes once more, dropped the wires, and transferred the sonic screwdriver from his mouth to his hand. Donna did have a habit of making him roll his eyes.
“What is it? This better be important” The Doctor made his way along the TARDIS corridor, stopping next to the second room on the right. The door was open and he stepped inside, glancing around. In the far corner of the room, Donna Noble was hanging from the ceiling, her foot caught in an old rope.
“Get. Me. Down. Spaceman!” she growled, attempting to rotate her body to face him. The Doctor pursed his lips, trying to hide his laughter. It didn’t last long and he burst out laughing, walking the distance of the room in three strides.
“Oi!” Donna growled, frowning, as the Doctor pressed his sonic screwdrivers to the rope wrapped around her leg
“Sorry Donna, but that was just very, very funny” he grinned as she dropped onto a pile of pillows that he’d placed below her.
“I’ll show you funny..” she picked herself up, dusting herself down. The TARDIS lurched, shuddering gently. Donna grabbed hold of the rope she had just been hanging from, trying to stop herself falling.
“Donna! Quick!” The Doctor yelled, grabbing her hand and running with her into the console room.
“What? What is it?” Donna asked before the TARDIS lurched again, throwing her towards the jump seat. She threw out her hands, clinging to the old, battered chair, as the Doctor struggled to reach the console.
“I don’t know…” he pulled himself around the console, flicking switches, pulling levers and pressing buttons at the speed of light while Donna continued to cling to the jump seat. With a gentle growl, the TARDIS threw Donna off the chair and onto the floor.
“OW!” she exclaimed, pulling herself to her feet as the TARDIS landed “What happened?”
“A disturbance of some sort.. Can’t work out what… but we’re.. somewhere” he glanced to Donna before his concerned look turned to one of excitement and he pulled on his brown coat, striding towards the door. Donna dusted herself down, looking slightly annoyed and made her way, a little more slowly than the Doctor, to the exit.