Over in the Pacific Ocean, an island rested. No native humans lived there…but titans of old, some woken by human weapons testing, some by carelessness, some by duty assigned from the very earth itself. Humans had set up a base there to study these creatures. They had called in help from another organization, UNIT. Dr. Martha Jones Smith and Commander Mickey Smith arrived and met with Dr. Sato, the scientific advisor of UNIT’s Japanese branch. “Welcome to Monster Island, Martha-san,” she said as she bowed. “I apologize for pulling you two away from your shared plans.”
“It’s all right,” assured Martha. “We still made it to a pacific island.”
“I was hoping to get us to Japan proper,” remarked Mickey.
“That may come later,” replied Dr. Sato. “In the meantime, perhaps we should see our EDF liaisons?”
“Sounds like a plan,” confirmed Martha.
“This way, please,” said Dr. Sato. She led the two European UNIT members to a lab where two men worked. One was busy with research, the other was standing guard. “Martha-san, Mickey-san,” introduced Dr. Sato, “meet Professor Yoshimura and Commander Takahashi.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll get right on it as soon as I untangle the base pairings,” remarked Professor Yoshimura.
“…Absorbed in his work, huh?” Mickey asked Takahashi.
“He needs someone to remind him to eat and sleep!” replied Takahashi.
“Martha and I knew a man like that,” chuckled Mickey. “Too busy building something and forgetting to rest for some reason. I mean, he built things that helped save our planet but…well…” Mickey shrugged.
“Does he also make long-winded explanations?” asked Takahashi.
“And then looks at you like you dribbled on your shirt?” continued Mickey. Takahashi grinned.
“Same with Yoshimura here!” he said.
“Making a new friend, Mickey?” asked Martha.
“I’ve got a can of the stuff below my workbench,” remarked Yoshimura, “industrial grade, that stuff, Takahashi-san.”
“I think we’d better leave him to his work, Mickey-san,” chuckled Takahashi. As they were about to leave, though, they heard a noise in the corridor. Mickey and Martha strained their ears, then their eyes widened in surprise.
“It can’t be!” whispered Mickey.
“You hear it too?!” asked Martha.
“What IS that noise?” asked Dr. Sato.
“DOCTOR!” called Martha as she and Mickey ran down the corridor to follow the noise.
The TARDIS arrived in a corridor of the EDF base. The Doctor and William left the TARDIS wearing winter-wear. “Here we are! Planet Arctica! Home of the most beautiful glaciers in the universe!”
“Er, Doctor,” muttered William as he saw people approaching.
“Though, I have to admit, this doesn’t look like the Arctican main base,” continued the Doctor, oblivious to the people approaching her and William.
“Doctor!” insisted William.
“And the air…it doesn’t feel right.”
“DOCTOR!” By now, the Doctor had her attention grabbed.
“Why are you shouting, William?” she asked. “There’s no need to-.” She then saw the soldiers. “Ah. Hello there. Um, you’re not Arcticans. I mean, your ears are round, your skin tone looks human, and-.”
“DOCTOR!” called a voice. The Doctor’s eyes widened.
“…Martha?!” she asked. Martha and Mickey then arrived.
“Doctor, it’s so good to-!” Martha trailed off. “…Okay, so he’s still in the TARDIS.”
“Martha Jones!” said the Doctor. “Great to see you again!”
“Hang on a minute!” protested Mickey. “Doctor? Is that you?!”
“And Mickey the idiot! Good to see you too!” continued the Doctor.
“…A woman now?” asked Mickey.
“…Oh yeah, you learned about regeneration during Christmas of 05!” remembered the Doctor.
“Hang on, Doctor?! That’s really you?!” asked Martha.
“Count the hearts, Martha,” replied the Doctor. “We first met facing a Judoon Platoon upon the moon!”
“Oh my god! Mickey, you weren’t kidding!”
“I told you the Doctor could change his…or rather, HER face,” replied Mickey.
“How’s it been, you two?” asked the Doctor. “Last I saw you, you were teasing each other while fighting a Sontaran!”
“Just one of those potato heads?” asked William. “You two were luckier than us.”
“Oh, you met more Sontarans?” quizzed Mickey.
“Erm, we’re getting off track here,” interjected Martha. She turned to the soldiers. “It’s all right! She’s a friend! Scientific advisor, UNIT European branch!” The soldiers stood down. “Sorry about that, Doctor. We didn’t expect you here on Monster Island.”
“So we’re on Earth?” asked William. “Doctor, the TARDIS seems to love leading us astray.”
“OI! I can’t help that!” protested the Doctor.
“So, you’re the new companion, eh?” Mickey asked William.
“Dr. William Davies, at your service,” replied William as he and Mickey shook hands.
“Commander Mickey Smith, UNIT Europe. And this is my wife, Dr. Martha Jones Smith.”
“Ah, so I’m not the first doctor to travel with the Doctor?” chuckled William. “Doctor, how many companions were doctors?”
“Look, I think we have more important matters to discuss,” remarked the Doctor. “Chief of which being…Martha, did you say Monster Island? Off the coast of Japan?”
“That’s right,” replied Martha. “This way.”
The Doctor and William were led to the lab where Yoshimura was still working. “EDF uncovered some remains,” explained Martha, “of a life-form that used to exist here on the island. The skeletal structure is humanoid like ours, but we can’t make heads or tails of the surviving DNA.” Yoshimura still toiled over the readings.
“…I think the H goes with the U,” remarked the Doctor.
“Does it?” asked Yoshimura. He tried it, then his face lit up. “It does! And the J goes with the L while the remaining base pairs are the same as ours! We have a-!” he stopped his celebrations and finally looked up from his work. “…I beg your pardon, but who are you?”
“I’m the Doctor, scientific advisor for UNIT Europe. This is Dr. William Davies of New York City.”
“Hi there,” said William.
“Are you that same Doctor that Sato says is an expert on all things alien?” asked Yoshimura.
“Well, I don’t know about every alien species, but I appreciate Dr. Sato’s praise,” replied the Doctor. She then studied the base pairs more closely. “…Then again, that DOES look like a familiar genome.”
“Erm, Doctor, is there anything we can do?” asked William.
“I think Professor…erm…I’m sorry, I don’t think I know your name, Professor.”
“Oh! I’m Professor Yoshimura!” replied Yoshimura. This time, it was the Doctor’s turn to be impressed.
“The same Yoshimura that dedicated his life to mapping out Kaiju DNA?!” she asked.
“The very same!” replied the professor.
“William, I think Professor Yoshimura and I are going to be a bit busy in talking shop about mapping out genomes,” said the Doctor. She and Yoshimura began talking.
“…Typical,” muttered Martha.
“This happens every time the Doctor meets a good scientist?” asked William.
“More often than not,” replied Mickey. “It was like that with the Slitheen at Downing Street.”
“Oh, it’s not just scientists,” remarked Martha. “Sometimes it’s proper historical figures like Shakespeare…and you learn something about how bi that playwright is.”
“Hang on, you met Shakespeare?!” asked Michael.
“…Have you had any goofiness with the Doctor yet?” asked Mickey. William grinned, then Martha and Mickey followed suit.
“Let me tell you about how goofy my first adventure with her was!” he said. As they walked away, the Doctor shuddered.
“My companions,” she said, “all talking about my more embarrassing moments. …Just like with Martha and Donna.”
“Sounds like she must have just regenerated when you met her,” remarked Mickey once William finished his story.
“Regenerated?” asked William.
“Apparently Time Lords can change their face when they’re dying. First time I met the Doctor, he had a shaved head, big ears, and sounded like he came from northern England. Then he changed into a skinny bloke with spiky hair and a totally different accent.”
“That’s the same Doctor I met,” said Martha. “Though, he WAS still grieving over the loss of Rose Tyler. Unrequited love and all that.”
“I used to date Rose, then the Doctor came into our lives and she chose him,” explained Mickey. “Now Rose is in another universe with a more human Doctor…and I have this lovely lady as my wife!” He pecked Martha on the cheek.
“Hang on, she…sorry, he stole your girlfriend, lost her in another universe,” summarized William. Then he pointed at Martha. “Then you traveled with him and were burdened with unrequited love for her…sorry, him. …So, how did you end up leaving the TARDIS?”
“I was a third wheel at the time,” said Mickey, “then stayed behind in another universe before coming back twice, the latter of which being a more permanent return.”
“I just got out after a year of hell by Harold Saxon, or, as the Doctor knew him, the Master,” replied Martha. William took some time to take it in.
“…Don’t get us wrong,” said Mickey, “the Doctor is a wonderful person, always eager to show us something beyond our planet and time…”
“But one thing you have to remember,” warned Martha, “is that the Doctor is a lonely alien. She’ll do things that would seem inhuman, but ultimately save us all in the long run.”
“…I suppose the Time War will do that to someone,” muttered William.
“Heard about the war with the Daleks?” guessed Mickey.
“Have you met one?” asked Martha.
“No, but I take it they’re…bad?” Martha was about to answer, but the click of a gun’s safety being undone interrupted her.
“If you’re quite finished,” hissed a woman’s voice. The three companions turned to see a tall Japanese woman pointing a gun at them. “I heard everything. So, there’s a Time Lord here? I wonder how well she’d handle you three being my prisoners!”