The Game

The Game

Chapter One

Bumpy Landings

Stepping out of the Tardis' door, the Doctor glanced around trying to figure out where, when and why he was. It didn't help that he'd set an entirely different co-ordinate but the Tardis had had other ideas, deciding to alter course while still within the Vortex and voila! Here he was...where ever here was.

A young man wanders up to eye the new ship, he is nameless, faceless, that's the best way to be out here, no one knows you, no one can sell your feet out from under you if they don't know you well enough to have a reason to. He watched the man emerge, saw his chance and took it.

"A strange craft you have there stranger."

The Doctor's eyes flicked from the young man to the Tardis, a small grin spreading across his face. "Weeell...it's not much...looks can be deceiving and all that" he intoned, shrugging slightly.
"Mind you...it still gets me where I need to be..." 'where ever that may be...' he added thoughtfully to himself, casting a quirked eyebrow at the Tardis, still wondering what she knew that he didn't.

The young outposter smirked slightly. "A funny time too." This stranger was obviously a fool to come here now, with things coming to such a head. This was a key opportunity and he wasn't about to lose it.

"Oh?" The Doctor quicked an intrigued eyebrow at the man. "Why's that then?"

The outposters' unpleasant grin widened further. Another fool, another stay of execution for the rest of them "You can earn big money on strangers this time 'o year, only a week or so til the game restarts...The Dianarans like to check the outposts for new sport."

The Doctor tilted his head to one side thoughtfully, "Dianarans...Diiiaannarans...why does that sound familiar?" He frowned as he turned the species name over in his mind, before his eyebrows rose at the outposter's words. "Wait! The Game? What type of game?"

The smirk widened to a snarl, and the outposter's tone was dark when he spoke next. "It's almost better if you don't know. That's the thing with The Game, they always need fresh prey." He turned to address the crowd who had begun to gather attracted by the landing of the TARDIS, and the stranger who had come among them. "Isn't that right lads?"

"Really? That's...well...that's interesting...very interesting indeed." The Doctor turned also, his eyes widening ever-so-slightly at the sight of the crowd. "Ahh...weell...hello there.." he said, offering them a small wave and a half grin - at the same time, discreetly checking to see if he could reach the TARDIS if needed.

The man's tone became almost mournful as he continued, aware that the stranger had probably caught on by now. "Not that we want to be taken what with the not coming back and all."

"Don't come back?" The Doctor narrowed his eyes, not liking where this seemed to be heading. He also didn't like the way the crowd were starting to deliberately move between himself and the TARDIS.

A middle aged woman elbows her way through to the front of the crowd, all urgency but when she gets there she stops and eyes the stranger in a practised manner. She is the only person not to have lost a family member to The Game, and views strangers as a farmer might view sheep.

Thrusting his hands into his pockets with a casual air, The Doctor started to edge away from the crowd - and unfortunately further away from the Tardis also. "Weeelll...that's unfortunate to hear" he intoned pleasantly, as if talking about something mundane like the weather. His eyes wandered around, taking in the surroundings, noting a tall electrical pylon directly above the ever-growing crowd. "So. This Game...what's the prize?"

The older woman smirked. "For them prestige, for you...a quick death, if you're lucky" Her tone was frighteningly commonplace, a fact the Doctor didn't miss...or like much.

"For me? Oh noo no...I'm not...a 'game'...type of person" he replied, over exaggerating the word 'game'. "I'm not too keen on death either" he added, thinking now would be a very good time to stop chatting and start running.

The young man stepped forward again, his sorrowful tone a direct contrast to his aggressive body language. "No one is, but the good woman here speaks the truth. No one survives up there."

"That is indeed most unfortunate." Of course the Doctor had never been very good at the whole stop talking thing, and this regeneration was one of the worst for it. "Perhaps there are some authorities I can…talk…to...or an information type individual...maybe there's a programme I can buy?" he spluttered out, casually edging backwards with each word he spoke.

"Little too civilised for them." The woman said her tone dark. She'd sold many and with them her soul to save her husband and sons.

"Oh, is it?" Yep, definitely less chat and more running now. It was quite clear that these individuals were quite happy to hand over any old person to these Dianarans to save their own skins; not that the Doctor couldn't understand this but if they put as much thought into helping others and putting a stop to whatever this 'Game' was, then they would probably not be in this situation. And as much as he wanted to help, he did not want to be 'sold' by these people.

The smiles on the loud man and woman at the front of the crowd widened. "You run you die." Intoned the man.
"You stay you die" Joined the woman. At this mantra the gathered crowd surged forward, as if whipped wild by the words.

"Oooh...I dunno about that" The Doctor mused, rocking backwards on his heels slightly, "I'm actually very, very, very good at...running." No sooner were the words out of his mouth, he had levelled his sonic screwdriver towards the pylon. The pylon fizzled, sending a shower of sparks down on the crowd below it and the Doctor turned and ran.

"Too little too late friend!" The woman called, as with a whining sound a Dianarian scout ship landed. It was heavy, a dark, sleek metal and armorments were much in evidence. Not a race to be messed with.

The Doctor skidded to a halt as the ship landed, frowning at it as a hint of recognition stirred in his brain. "Ahh! Now that. That...looks familiar."

A Dianarian detatchment leaves the ship. Bullish and well built bipedal approximations of Bull Mastiff dogs left the ship. The one in front, known as The First barked at the assembled, jostling crowd. "We need three. Who submits?"

" Ooohhhh...Dianarians! Canine-Species...ok...not good." The Doctor's eyes had widened as full blown recognition flooded his brain and he grimaced - this was not going to be a pleasant experience. Now if he could just avoid saying something offensive, he should be perfectly fine. He quirked an eyebrow at The First's choice of wording, "Excuse me. Yes, Hello...ahh...what exactly would they be submitting to..?"

The Dinanaria lunged at The Doctor, his ravenous smile trailing strings of drool. "An honourable death, little man"

"Ohhh, I don't think so" he deftly moved out of the Dianarian's reach, holding up the sonic screwdriver threateningly. "And little man!? I'll have you know that I've been much smaller than this before," he added in an indignant tone.

The Danarian waved a large electricity based weapon at The Doctor. "Mine's bigger."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and groaned. "Oh it's always about size isn't it...no matter the species." He was quite glad Jack wasn't around anywhere, he could just imagine what the American would come out with in response to this conversation.

The Dianarian shrugged and turned away, snapping orders to his team, with an almost careless flick of the wrist. "Seize two more...and this one...he'll make an interesting addition."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," the Doctor replied, all traces of humour gone from his face as his eyes narrowed and jaw set.

The First rolled his eyes, and watched as five of his team broke off and seized the man and woman who had been taunting The Doctor. Five more broke off to deal with the man himself.

The Doctor backed up another couple of steps, as the five approached. "I'm guessing we can't talk about this?" he offered with a sheepish grin, figuring he couldn't pull the pylon trick twice in one day.

The woman turned to glare at the Doctor before turning to plead with the First "We gave you an off worlder two cycles ago...I hear she's still going strong"

The First sneered. "And last cycle you were let off, not this one I grow sick of your whining."

"You gave them an off-worlder?" The Doctor wasn't particularly surprised that he had been correct in his assumption that these people would gladly hand over a stranger to save their own hides, but it wasn't a comforting thought and he wondered who and what this off-worlder was.

A Dianarian who was holding the Doctor spoke almost conversationally, even as he moved his prisoner along. "Pretty little thing, strong...convinced someone's going to save her...the tonics are taking care of that...Now move."

"Tonics? You drug them?" The Doctor exclaimed, planted his feet firmly in the ground to stop from being moved. "That's hardly sporting" he added, tilted his head to one side, "although...this whole thing doesn't sound at all sporting to me."

The Dianarian guard growled. "Move!"

"I'm sorry, did you say something? Must've been speaking out of my hearing range? Or would that be me speaking out of your hearing range?" The Doctor mentally grimaced, so much for not saying anything offensive.

The young man who had started all this leaned forward and hissed at the Doctor "Move, or they'll kill you anyway and take another one of us."

The Doctor's eyebrows rose, for one thing he really didn't want to die in that way in this body - what a stupid way to die that would be, tenth body talked self into being shot to death - but also what would he accomplish by letting them take another? Not a great deal...except for adding more guilt, which he was carrying an awful lot around of late anyway.
"Weeeell...when you put it like that...take me to your leader?" he said the latter to the Dianarians with his best grin. "Oh no! I've used that once already! Ahh well...can never over do a cliché I guess" he added with a sheepish shrug.

The Dianarian First led the unit and their three new prisoners into the hold of the ship and once the new 'cargo' had be loaded, he buzzed the pilot. "Full load for today, to the containment carrier."