La découverte
The golden light of the TARDIS pulsed gently, casting amber reflections on the coral walls of the control room.
Rose Tyler, leaning against the railing, let her gaze wander across the flashing screens of the dashboard. Her slightly wavy blonde hair brushed her shoulders as she watched the Doctor with an amused expression.
He was in constant motion, hopping around the control panel, his red bow tie slightly askew and his long brown coat swirling with every gesture.
"So, do you think Pond Junior liked her gift ?" Rose asked, crossing her arms.
The Eleventh Doctor, his eyes sparkling, tapped one last lever before turning to face her.
"A doll that changes appearance depending on its owner's mood ? Of course, she loved it! Melody Pond is officially the only child in the universe with a toy that can turn into a miniature dragon when she has a nightmare."
Rose chuckled softly and shook her head.
"You're going to make her want nightmares. Rory's not going to like that."
The Doctor shrugged, then pointed a finger in the air, his eternal mischievous smile on his lips.
"But tell me, Rose Tyler, what would you say to a little culinary stop on... mmmh... Fleuvios Prime ?"
"Fleuvios Prime ?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh yes! A little floating paradise above a sea of clouds! And most importantly, they have a fruit... ah, the fruit of the velvet star! Sweet, juicy, with a hint of acidity that tickles the tongue! Perfect for a pie! We should make a pie! Why don't we ever make pies ? It's a scandal! I really should institute an Official Pie Day."
Rose opened her mouth to respond, but a violent jolt threw her against the TARDIS console.
"Okay, that wasn't planned!" the Doctor exclaimed, grabbing onto a lever.
The ship rocked like a vessel in the middle of a storm, the lights flickered, and with a loud scraping noise, it crashed abruptly.
Silence fell, interrupted only by the crackling of a few circuits.
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Rose and the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS to find themselves standing on a ground covered with fallen leaves. A dense, silent forest surrounded them, bathed in a gray-blue glow.
Rose took a deep breath and spun around.
"Wait... this is Earth. This is clearly Earth. Doctor, your driving is disastrous. I told you to keep that damn manual."
The Doctor, hands in his pockets, raised an eyebrow.
"A manual? I don't know what you're talking about. The TARDIS and I have a relationship based on trust and intuition."
Rose crossed her arms, skeptical.
"You mean you threw it away."
He opened his mouth, thought for a second, then admitted with a sly smile:
"Absolutely. But that's just a minor detail, darling."
Then he knelt down and touched the ground with his fingertips before sniffing the air and sticking out his tongue slightly, tasting the breeze.
Rose watched him, her expression one of amusement mixed with exasperation.
"I'm going to say it: this is weird."
The Doctor frowned.
"It’s Earth, yes, but there’s something... An anomaly. Do you feel it?"
A burst of energy suddenly passed through the air, vibrant, almost tangible. Rose jumped and looked at the Doctor.
They exchanged a knowing look, then moved slowly through the trees.
Suddenly, they stopped in front of a massive tree, its trunk covered in swirling patterns.
"That one’s different," Rose murmured.
The Doctor circled it, observing the structure, while Rose, curious, placed a hand on the bark.
A shiver ran through her body.
Then, her eyes glowed with an incandescent golden light.
The air around her seemed to vibrate, as if an ancient force were awakening.
A door suddenly appeared on the trunk, sculpted directly into the wood.
The Doctor let out an exultant laugh.
"Oh, I love it when this happens!"
Without hesitation, he pushed the door open.
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Inside, there was nothing but a small, curled-up figure.
A baby.
A tiny, fragile thing, crying, with a tuft of blonde hair and wrapped in a blanket.
Rose, stunned, immediately knelt down and took the baby in her arms to calm it.
"Oh my God... Doctor, it's a baby. A real baby. Who leaves an infant in a tree?"
The Doctor squatted beside her and stared at the child with intense eyes. Then, slowly, he tilted his head and, without hesitation... he licked its cheek.
Rose's eyes widened.
"You just... licked a baby?!"
He looked up, his eyes sparkling with a mixture of excitement and seriousness.
"She's only four hours old."
Rose hugged the child tighter and looked down at the blanket.
A word was embroidered in delicate letters.
Emma.
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Rose tightened her embrace around the baby, feeling her warm breath against her skin. Emma had calmed down, nestled against her, her tiny hands gripping the fabric of her leather jacket.
The Doctor, still squatting, observed the scene with a fascination tinged with concern. He placed a hand on the tree's bark, then immediately withdrew it, shaking his fingers.
"The tree... is alive."
Rose looked up, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, yes, it’s a tree. By definition, it’s alive."
He rolled his eyes.
"No, not just alive. Conscious. It has an energy field that vibrates at a frequency far too high to be natural."
He took out his sonic screwdriver and activated it. The device emitted a series of frantic beeps before buzzing and turning off.
"Oh, that's a bad sign. It doesn’t like that at all."
Rose sighed, gently rocking the baby.
"Then, Doctor, tell me... how did a newborn end up in a tree that decides to show a magical door just when we arrive?"
He crossed his arms and tapped his chin, his gaze darkening slightly.
"Good question. Very good question. Usually, I’m the one asking the questions, but here, you’re doing an excellent job."
"Doctor."
He looked up, sensing the seriousness in Rose’s voice.
"We need to understand what happened. We can’t leave a baby here, alone, in a forest in the middle of... where are we exactly?"
He took a deep breath and looked up at the dense canopy.
"We're on Earth, yes, but not on an ordinary Earth. There’s a distortion, something... displaced. It’s as if this place belongs to multiple realities at once."
He turned to Rose and gave her a half-smile.
"And you know what that means?"
She sighed, nodding.
"That we’ll have to search this forest, look for answers, and as always, avoid dying?"
He clapped his hands.
"Exactly!"
The baby gave a soft whimper against Rose, and she looked down at her with tenderness.
"Emma. That’s her name. It’s embroidered on her blanket."
The Doctor leaned slightly closer, a softer smile on his lips.
"Emma, huh? Well, Emma, welcome aboard. You’ve just met the two most curious people in the universe."
Rose looked up at the tree and tightened her embrace around the child.
"Doctor... If this world belongs to multiple realities... Do you think she’s from here?"
His smile faded slightly.
"That’s what we’re going to have to find out."
He held out his hand. She took it, Emma still nestled against her.
And together, they ventured deeper into the forest.
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The wind had risen, biting and dry, as Rose and the Doctor continued their walk through the forest. The ground was covered with a blanket of fallen leaves, and each step sank slightly into the damp soil. The Doctor, as enthusiastic as ever, scrutinized their surroundings with attention, but after hours of walking, he reluctantly had to admit they were going in circles.
"Alright, I’ll concede that we might be lost."
Rose raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe?"
He gave her a mock-indignant look before observing the darkened sky.
"What’s fascinating is that we haven’t found any clues, no civilization, no signs saying Exit this way. Which makes me think we’re in a parallel world. Or maybe an alternate reality."
Rose tightened her hold on Emma, feeling her shiver slightly under the blanket.
"It’s fascinating, really. But it’s starting to get cold, and Emma looks like she’s hungry."
The Doctor leaned down to look at the little one, who was softly sucking on her fist.
"Do you think we’ll find something to feed her in a pharmacy or... do you think the old girl has what it takes?" Rose asked, vaguely pointing to the place where they had left the TARDIS.
The Doctor snapped his fingers.
"Excellent question! But since I was just about to restock on bananas, I’d say... let’s go grocery shopping!"
Rose rolled her eyes.
"You’re incorrigible."
"Bananas are a great source of potassium, Rose!" he replied, his enthusiasm that of a teacher trying to convince a rowdy class.
She burst out laughing and quickly kissed his cheek.
They made their way to the TARDIS, and as soon as they stepped inside, the Doctor carefully took Emma from Rose, a wide grin on his face.
"Emma," he exclaimed with theatrical grandiosity. "Let me introduce you to... the TARDIS! Bigger on the inside, often temperamental, but always reliable in a crisis!"
Emma gurgled joyfully, which made the Doctor beam.
Rose, for her part, moved toward the controls.
"Alright, my turn. Let’s head into town. And, if possible, without a crash landing."
The Doctor opened his mouth, but before he could protest, Rose smoothly activated the controls. The TARDIS hummed with its usual noise, but this time, the journey was smooth, without any bumps, and they landed gently.
Rose turned to him, a sly smile on her face.
"See, it’s not that complicated. You should take a page from my book."
The Doctor placed a dramatic hand on his chest.
"Take a page from you? Me? After centuries of experience?! It’s a scandal, a shame, a betrayal!"
He turned to Emma and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper
"See, Emma, it’s always like this. I get bullied, mocked... Luckily, you’re here to support me."
The little one cooed again, which seemed to please him immensely.
They stepped out of the TARDIS and realized they had landed in a park. The streetlights slowly flickered on, bathing the pathways in a soft glow. A few passersby strolled by, indifferent to the sudden appearance of a blue police box.
After a quick look around, they headed towards the nearest grocery store.
Once inside, Rose took charge of picking up everything Emma needed: diapers, wipes, powdered milk. Meanwhile, the Doctor rushed to the fruit aisle.
When Rose joined him at the checkout, he was holding an enormous bunch of bananas, his face beaming with satisfaction.
She rolled her eyes.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
They paid for their purchases and left the store, Emma nestled against Rose, who was already thinking about what to do next.
"Alright, now we need to figure out why we're here and why Emma was in that tree."
The Doctor nodded, biting into a banana.
"Absolutely! And I have a feeling the adventure is just beginning."