A/N: Yeah, yeah, okay. So, this isn't Stalking Horse. I know. But! This is a brand new story to tide you over until I finally get back to writing Stalking Horse. Honestly, rewriting episodes is harder than it looks. Anywho, this one is going to be a bit scarier than most of my others. (I love getting scared! Yeah, I know. They never really stop telling me how weird I am.) My sisters and I were just sitting in the dark one time (don't ask me why) and I scared them half to death by telling them this. Btw, before I go, I want to make clear that the monsters in this story have nothing to do with the Vashta Nerada. It will seem so at first, but as the story goes on, you'll get more of an insight as to what exactly they are. But, you guys don't care about stupid author's notes, do you? Go ahead and read the story. Oh! And just as a warning, don't read this in the dark. ;)
Disclaimer: The Whoniverse belongs to the BBC. I own all the other characters and the plot. Oh, and a TARDIS necklace, Ten action figure, 2 sonics, and Trivial pursuit. But other than that, nada.
Sitting alone in the ship while the others went to go explore this new planet was not what Joni had in mind when she volunteered for the mission. But that's what you get when you're a physicist/pilot/doctor. And when you're the only one, too. Everyone else got to go out and see the brand new environment, but she had to stay inside and monitor for lifeforms and any changes in the atmosphere. At least they had the comm lines, so she could hear what was going on when they got out there.
"Joni," a male voice crackled through the comm speakers. "Have you got those readings yet? Is it safe to open the door?"
She took a glance at the largest screen on the wall in front of her. Everything looked safe. Oxygen levels were fine. The atmosphere looked almost identical to Earth's. It's odd that no one from the Corps had ever come to Lunae Lux before. It was obvious that someone had been here for something, just not for a long, long time. The Night Shield around the planet was proof enough for that.
"Yeah, it all looks good," she replied. "I'm opening the door for you guys now, Ted." She pressed a few buttons to open the door to let her crewmates outside. The ship creaked as it lifted its heavy, metal door.
"Right, we're off, then." Ted replied and signed out.
Joni spun around in her chair, preparing for the boredom that was sure to come. The controls on the interior of the ship were blinking and chirping. There was probably something she should be doing, like repairs or whatever, but at the moment she was too lazy to actually get up and do anything.
She switched on the comms line again, making a point to be quiet so she could hear and not be heard. One of the younger ones was speaking then.
"It's pitch black out here. How're we going to see anything?"
"That's the Night Shield doing that," said another. "Basically, it's this barrier that makes it look like it's constantly nighttime inside, but the planet is still orbiting its sun and gathering heat."
"Why's it there?" The young one asked.
"Who knows? It's been here for as long as anyone's known about it.
"Who's got the gravity globes?" Joni heard Ted ask.
"Here," someone offered. "We've got two of 'em, but I don't think we'll need more 'an one. We'd have to switch to torches once we got t' them trees, anyways. Too dark to see anythin' in there."
"Well, give it here," Ted answered. There was a whoosh sort of noise that sounded like something whipping through the air; most likely Ted throwing the gravity globe into the air. "Alright, only go as far as the trees for now. Wait for me to tell you what to do before going in. Keep comm lines open and if anyone finds anything let me know. Clear?" The captain asked. "Right. Move out."
There was a bit of rustling as they all made their way around the lit area to search for anything and to ensure that they had landed in a safe area. After a few minutes of utter boredom for Joni, the comm crackled back to life.
"Anyone find anything?" The Captain asked. When no one answered, he gave them the order to turn on their torches and start into the forest. About ten more minutes passed before anything happened. Ted's voice came over the comm and he didn't sound quite right.
"Joni," He started and she spun her chair around to look at it, even though looking did nothing for her hearing. "Make a scan for lifeforms."
"Do you hear something?" She asked excitedly, wishing even more that she was outside surveying the new world too. "What do you see?"
"Just make the scan and let me know the results." He ordered agitatedly.
"Yessir, Captain Ted." Joni answered annoyingly, doing her best imitation of a western American accent, which, frankly, wasn't that great. They always bite down so hard on their "R's."
She picked up what she liked to call "the-hand-held-scanner-that-shouldn't-be-hand-held-'cos-it's-so-bulky" and instigated the scan.
"Have you got those results yet?" There was a slight shake in Ted's voice when he asked again and it made Joni wonder if everything was okay.
"Keep your shirt on. It'll be done when it's done."
She stared at the scanner until it beeped and the results came up. There was a map of the area surrounding the ship with little yellow dots showing where any lifeforms were. It showed a red dot for where the scanner itself was located and a blue outline for where the ship was.
"Here it is." She told Ted.
"What does it say?"
She studied it closely, squinting her eyes. "How many of us were there?" Joni asked.
"Nine out here."
She furrowed her brows. "That's not what it says here. There are about twenty lifeforms outside the ship." She thought for a second and relaxed. "That is, unless you guys meddled with my equipment again and this is a prank to make me look like a fool." Joni frowned as she remembered the last time they did that. She had almost dived out of the ship, thinking the whole time that it was going to blow up until someone stopped her, laughing at her gullibility.
"So, there's some sort of other lifeforms that are out there. Maybe they're sentient. We'll move in further and try to make peaceful contact. Sign off for now and this time, keep off."
She huffed out a breath of exasperation and shut the comms off. "Sure, he needs everyone else's comm lines open, but not mine. Well, guess what, Buster," She put her face up to the powered-off comm. "I'm not falling for any of your stupid practical jokes this time. So, you can suck it!" She stared at it a few more seconds before plopping back down in her chair. "Well, that felt good."
Suddenly, a high-pitched shriek of terror came from outside the ship. Joni jumped to her feet and slammed her hand down on the comms button. "What was that?!"
"Nothing! Just stay where you are! Don't worry about it," Ted replied a little louder than perhaps was necessary, as if he was hurrying somewhere.
Two more blood-curdling screams came from outside and a few gun blasts rang out. Joni snatched the scanner. There were way fewer yellow lights now than there were before. She hit the comms button again.
"Tell me what's going on, now!" She demanded of anyone who had their lines open to her. Static. She tried again. "Tell me! What's happening?!"
There was just crackling. With determination, Joni ran over to Storage Locker 08, which held their weapons and ammunition, and grabbed one of the extra blasters. She ran back to the control panel and opened the door, then made her way out quickly.
The first thing she noticed when she exited was how dark it was. Even with the gravity globe up above her head, which was flickering from a gun blast that must have hit it, it was only just so bright. There was no light from a moon or stars to even make it look dim. Once the light from the gravity globe hit the trees, it just stopped. It was as if there were a black veil stopping any brightness from getting through, not allowing a look into what lay beyond the barrier.
Joni looked around for any sign of her colleagues, but none was found. She ran around the entire ship frantically, yelling their names and pausing the slightest moment to listen for a reply.
Her breathing was heavy and her actions panicky. Where had the others gone? There was nothing out here except for the woods, the outline of which could barely be seen as the light seemed to be gobbled up before it reached them.
Out of nowhere, there came a noise, a quiet noise almost like whispers. Hold on, no. It wasn't out of nowhere. It was coming from the trees. Of course it would.
She held up her blaster and pointed it towards the source of the haunting sound. "Hello?" A thought came into her mind and she stopped where she was, lowering her weapon. They were playing another joke on her. Oh, she was so going to kill them. "Alright, whose idea was it? Was it Jake? Or Carmen? It had to be Carmen," Joni added the last part to herself. She squinted to see better and found herself gradually getting closer. "Come on, guys! It's no time for a joke. We've got work to do!" The only sound was the whispers. And they were getting louder each second.
Something in Joni's mind was telling her, despite how sure she was, that this was by no means a joke. Something about this was too wrong to be considered funny even by the people who orchestrated it. So notwithstanding however much she wanted it to be a joke now, Joni erased the thought and raised her gun again.
Her heart was beating so fast now and the whispers were so loud now that it felt like they were shouting in her ear. Every now and then, she'd hear another noise that made her jump and turn around, but as soon as she would she spin back, not wanting to have her back to the darkness for one second.
Peering in as far as she could see, she edged towards the black shade as if it were instinct now. She couldn't stop. For some reason, she didn't want to.
In the back of her mind, Joni was aware that she really shouldn't be entering an area which they knew absolutely nothing about without first running some tests or something, but . . . it felt like something was drawing her in. The whispers translating into vague biddings in her mind. Begging her to come closer, to just walk a little deeper into the night.
She inched little by little to the edge of the light, reaching out her hand to the darkness. For just a moment, and only that, a miniscule amount of sense creeped into her mind, causing her to hesitate, but it shrank back before she could give any more of a thought to it.
Her hand disappeared into the blackness.
And the scream she let out as she was dragged into the forest was a warning to anyone else who dared to follow her.
Run.