Chapter Text
The Doctor circled around the TARDIS console as Rose sat in the seat behind him, watching as his tan jacket twirled as he spun around, clumsily flipping switches. “So Doctor, where are we going to and eventually running from today?” Rose asked, with that signature tongue-against-the-teeth smile she always seemed to have on her face. “I have no idea. Rose, any ideas?” She shrugged. At that moment, the main screen above the console went to static. The Doctor frantically pulled out his sonic screwdriver. “Nonono it's ok I can fix this!! It's ok, it's ok!” He switched on his sonic screwdriver as the sapphire blue light buzzed to life.
A bit of sonicing later, the static cleared up, presenting coordinates, a time, and a male voice started speaking: “This is an Aperture Science automated distress call. Please go to the shown coordinates, or contact this number if you believe there is a mistake,” followed by a phone number. Rose and The Doctor exchanged looks of confusion. The Doctor was reaching for the phone to call the number when he felt something. The psychic paper. “Hold on, getting a message on the psychic paper! Which is either entirely unrelated, or a VERY sophisticated distress call!”
“How'd you know that without looking at it?” Rose asked.
“Well, since it's psychic paper, and it's psychically linked to me so that I can show people what I want but also what they want- look it's complicated!” The Doctor attempted to explain.
“Right. Well, plug in the coordinates, let’s see where it takes us!” Rose exclaimed.
“Right!” The Doctor began typing on the keyboard on the TARDIS console.
“So, what is this ‘Aperture Science’ place?” Rose asked, curious and up for an adventure.
“Well uh, That’s the thing. I’m not actually sure. The coordinates suggest it’s on Earth, but I’ve never heard of a place by that name, and certainly not one with the technology to transmit a distress call this sophisticated.” The Doctor started to respond. At that moment, however, the TARDIS shook as it spun through the vortex, and Rose and the Doctor were jolted sideways. They were on their way, though to what they weren’t sure.
The TARDIS finally began to calm down as it landed in a small town in Michigan, year 2056. Earth, of course. They were in a lobby-type room, although it was completely overgrown and overrun with greenery. “Doctor?” Rose spoke up after looking around for a bit. “Is there a way out of here?” The Doctor scoffed as he pointed to the TARDIS.
“Um…. hello? Space and time machine? Sure it’s not great at short jumps but I mean… really?” Rose rolled her eyes.
“I meant out of this room. This can’t be the only room of ‘Aperture Science’ can it?” She had a point.
“Oh.” The Doctor looked at the floor. “I’m sure there must be. Let me just see…” he said as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver.
After scanning around for a bit, he found an old rusted panel under some vines. He moved the vines out of the way and soniced the circular door open. It opened to a once-white hallway, now brown and rusted with time. He gave Rose that look he gets when he’s about to get into some more exciting trouble. Rose rolled her eyes with a giggle and followed as The Doctor walked through the door.
They came to an elevator, broad and just as faded as the rest of the facility. They stepped into the elevator to see dusty padded walls and a flickering light. Rose instinctively grabbed onto the bars as the elevator creaked and the doors shut. “Doctor, what’s happening?”
“I don’t know.” The Doctor pulled out his sonic. “Maybe a motion or a heat sensor? From the looks of this place it’s amazing anything still works” he said, scanning the doors. The elevator creaked again and began moving down, rapidly. Rose could feel her stomach jump as they descended rapidly.