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Transcript

Record of Surveillance Droid TP-76 (Reviewed by Technician Lawrence Kearsley)

Location: Arctica Prison, Level 24, Corridor 6, Cell D

Time: 3562nd Year /14th Month /36th Day /13th hour – Earth Standard Time

Arrival: Prisoner 6564 occurred 5.36 minutes before the arrival of Prisoner 6565.

Prisoner Number: 6564

Species: Humanoid Male
Age: Approx. 33 Earth Standard years
Condition: Fit
Manner At Arrival: Subject held head up while four guards escorted into Cell 24-6D. Did not struggle, and did not appear concerned. Held arms in coat pockets. (TECH NOTE: TP-76's emotion-detection software in need of upgrade.) Once in Cell 24-6D, subject sat against the right to wall of the room and closed eyes. Heartbeat was abnormally fast and irregular. Respiration ceased completely for approximately 10 min. before resuming to standard humanoid range. Data indicates that humanoid's require oxygen. Record marked as anomalous and in need of review. (TECH NOTE: Modify TP-76's data to account for Time Lords. Make changes system-wide.)

Prisoner Number: 6565
Species: Humanoid Female
Age: Approx. 38 Earth Standard years
Condition: Undetermined
Manner At Arrival: Subject held head up while four guards escorted into Cell 24-6E. Did not struggle. Held arms folded across chest. Detection of blood smeared on garments over torso. Spoke to the guards about their lack of hygiene and unsatisfactory appearance. Once in Cell 24-6E, subject sat on cot and leaned against wall. 9.8 minutes later, heartbeat and respiration indicated sleep.

4.67 hours after arrival, Prisoner 6564 opened eyes and looked toward wall adjoining Cell 24-6E.

TRANSCRIPT

6564: Donna? Donna? Are you there?

6565 (Roused herself, apparently with some difficulty. Leaned head back against wall. Voice slower than Humanoid standard.): I'm here, Doctor.

(2.3 seconds silence)

6565: You should have listened to me.

6564 (auditory exhalation): You want to go into this now?

6565: You should have listened.

6564: You're the one who should have listened to me. I told you stay in the TARDIS. I told you that this planet doesn't take kindly to people who–

6565: You still should have listened to me. Then poor Sam wouldn't be…

6564 (volume of voice raised): Stop it! Talking about it won't change anything. Next you'll be complaining of all the other things you don't like about me. Probably right down to the fact that I never get anywhere on time.

(5.4 seconds silence)

6565 (volume of voice lowered): Well, you don't.

6564: What?

6565: You don't. If I want to get anywhere on time I have to do it myself.

6564: Donna, I was being facetious.

6565: It's true though. You never listen to people who don't agree with you.

6564: Donna!

(10.3 seconds silence)

6565 (voice modulation indicating emotional duress): You can talk back, you know. Tell me all the things that are wrong with me. I know there are a lot.

(3.2 seconds silence)

6565: I'll get you started. Too snarky. Too Inappropriate. Too impulsive and headstrong. Too stubborn. Unable to form steady relationships. Shall I go on, or can you take it from there, Spaceman?

6564: Stop it, Donna. The only one I care about now is why you didn't listen to me! When I told you, I told you what was going to happen.

(Prisoner 6565 stiffly laid down on the cot, closed eyes. As if aware of this movement, Prisoner 6564 stood and walked over to wall, leaning against it on one hand.)

6564: That's the one you don't want to discuss, isn't it? I don't understand. I told to stay behind for a reason! A good reason! Why didn't you listen to me?

6565 (voice quiet, slow): We've been over this too many times, Doctor. I told you: I had to be there.

6564: No, you didn't. If you hadn't come—if you had listened to me—you wouldn't be here. You would be free. You'd be able to rescue me.

6565 (voice nearly inaudible): If I had listened to you, you would be dead.

(4.3 minutes of silence. Prisoner 6564 turned his back to the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. Facial expression indicated shock.)

6565: I couldn't let that happen, Doctor. I'm sorry, but I couldn't let it happen.

6564 (volume of voice lowered): Why are you so sure?

6565: I saw it. That grenade? I saw the man who was going to throw it.

6564: You stopped him? You could have told me.

6565: No I couldn't. Doctor, in order to stop him I had to… all I had was the knife that Sam gave me, and I had to… I had to… I couldn't let it happen.

6564: Oh Donna, (auditory exhalation), I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.

(2.5 minutes silence. Prisoner 6564 leaned head back against wall. Prisoner 6565 shifted on cot, wrapping arms loosely about torso.)

6565 (voice gentle, almost wandering): It's funny . . . When I saw the terrorist start to pull the pin on that grenade, and I threw my knife at him... All I could think about was Madoni. You remember that the planet, don't you? We had get away from the capital, and wound up hiding with a nomad tribe.

6564: I remember.

6565 (short laughter): That first night, while we were sleeping like the dead, a sandcat gave birth to a litter in your suit jacket, lying in a heap on the floor. And you didn't mind. You said the sandcat needed your jacket more than you did, and you cooed over the kits, and borrowed a poncho from a nomad. It wouldn't have been that hard to move the sandcat to a better nest, but you insisted that we leave them alone.

6564 (smiling): They were adorable little kits.

6565: And that's what I was thinking when the terrorist pulled the pin, and I threw my knife, and the grenade exploded anyway. I couldn't let him kill you. I just couldn't.

(15.6 seconds silence)

6565: And Doctor? I don't really care about arriving on time. I'll arrive anywhere anytime so long as you're driving.

6564: Donna… as soon we get back to the TARDIS, will go get the biggest chocolate cake you've ever seen. Only this time, maybe you can help me, so I get there on time.

6565: I'd like that. If we ever get back to the TARDIS.

(16.4 minutes silence. Prisoner 6565 closed eyes, though rapid, irregular respiration did not indicate sleep. Prisoner 6564 looked at opposite wall, did not otherwise move.)

6565 (voice very low, should have been inaudible through wall): Doctor? Are you angry with me.

6564: No Donna, of course I'm not angry.

6565: I thought–I was afraid–you might be.

(Prisoner 6565 shivered, curling up on the cot. Prisoner 6564 suddenly stood, placing both hands against the wall.)

6564 (volume of voice raised): Donna? Are you injured?

6565: It's not . . . it's not bad.

6564: Donna! Why didn't I check on you before? Yes, I would say it's bad. That explosion caught you on the left side, didn't it? You've lost blood.

6565: Just a little.

6564: Be still, Donna. We're not going to wait for any rescue from the rebels.

(Prisoner 6564 walked around the cell, looking at the walls. Movements were sharp and agitated, indicating distress.

6565: I'm fine, Doctor, really.

6564: Donna, you always use that tone of voice with me when you're lying.

6565: Yes, Doctor. Whatever you say, Doctor. I'm absolutely miserable and I want to go home, Doctor.

(Prisoner 6564 stopped pacing, looking up at the surveillance unit. He pulled a small silver rod out of his pocket.)

6564: Don't worry, Donna. I'll get you back to the TARDIS. We have chocolate cake waiting for us.

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(TECH NOTE: Record ends in gibberish. TP-76's was disabled through some sort of sonic disruption we could neither detect nor inhibit. Prisoners 6564 and 6565 disappeared without a trace. If we intend to keep them imprisoned in the future, major system-wide changes must be effected.)