 Back on the ship , the Doctor and his companions find several additional time windows and learn that each leads to a different moment in Madame de Pompadour 's life . In one of them , the Doctor sees another clockwork creature menacing her and steps through the window to defend her . The Doctor tells Reinette to give the android orders , and it obeys her . It tells her that it is a repair android and that their spaceship was damaged in an ion storm . The androids did not have the parts necessary to repair the ship and killed the crew to use their organs for parts . The androids need one last part ; Reinette 's brain . Confused , the Doctor creates a telepathic link with Reinette , but is startled to find that she can also see into his mind . The androids capture Rose and Mickey and are about to harvest them for parts when the Doctor rescues them . The Doctor discovers that the androids plan to open a time window to Reinette 's life at the age of 37 , believing that her brain at that age will be compatible with the ship 's systems . The clockwork androids appear at a costume ball and take Reinette and her guests hostage . At one end of the room is an enormous mirror , which is actually a time window . The Doctor and his companions can see through it , but they cannot enter without smashing the window and breaking the connection as the androids locked it after the Doctor 's previous interruptions . 
