The TARDIS was smoking, her control panels glaringly bright and sizzling. All around, her lights were flickering, failing... dying? It was as if she was sending a distress signal, but the only person who would ever see it was lost. The Doctor, in his mangled frustration, raced around the center of the room, frantically pressing buttons and flipping levers which, to the outsider, would have appeared to do nothing.

And to be perfectly honest, it had no effect. The Doctor did all he could think to do, but it was to no avail. No matter what drastic measures he took, nothing changed the dire status of the TARDIS; in fact, it seemed to make matters worse.

The TARDIS jerked to the left—or was it the right?—sending the Doctor soaring through the air and into the nearest wall. Then everything stopped. Every light dimmed, and as the Doctor rose, the TARDIS groaned one last time and became still.

Without any hesitation he made a mad rush for the controls, finding them too hot to handle. The TARDIS had settled into a state of hibernation. There was no reason for it; no trauma or notable interference had enacted this change in her. He had been on his way to visit Argolis long before the war for a rendezvous with an unnamed contact. He still had the note in his pocket.

"Meet me before the 20 minutes on the highest peak, Doctor. Now, before it's too late."

Naturally his curiosity got the best of him. But now he was stranded in God-knew-where, and there was only one way to fix that.

Straightening his favorite bow tie, the Doctor made for the exit. One hand in his pocket, fingering his screwdriver, he pushed open the door.

A crowd had gathered, some daring to touch the boiling-hot side of the strange object. When the door opened, they all cowed back.

With a lick of his lips, the Doctor offered a half-smile. "Ah, hello there. Would anyone be kind enough to tell me... where I am?"

For a moment, all was silent. Some blinked. Others paled. Then someone broke the silence.

"Human!" And upon hearing this, the crowd flew into a frenzy, screaming and running about. Some flew through the walls, others into them. Some fainted on the spot.

And the Doctor looked on at the mismatched creatures in wonder, before attempting to get their attention. They were mistaken, after all.

He wasn't a human. He didn't know what they were. And that was enough for him.