Well, dreamingofsunshine, you're the only one reading it, so this is specially for you. It's a wee bit shorter, but if I'd put in the next bit the chapter would've been about 4000 words, and that's too much, so I'll save it for next time. Also, Flinch wants to do some bet thing with writing 30,000 words in a week, so I may not be able to update for a while.
The lithe figure of Mhror opened the heavy door separating the travellers from the Temporal Division's headquarters. Nadrin was surprised by the construction of the door - the entirety of the building, in fact. Unlike most of the places they'd visited, the building wasn't metal and glass, it was a green stone - the material of the plains had been compressed to form bricks. A staircase, again comprising green bricks, led downwards, illuminated only by the light through the doorway. The Doctor waited for the two Erythraeans to lead the way, then stepped down a few steps. He turned back to Nadrin, who was yet to move inside.
"This race seems on par with humans in terms of development," the Doctor whispered into her ear, and she stepped gingerly into the darkness. The passage was now lit solely by the luminous glow emanating from their hosts.
"Our headquarters is underground to detract from the attention of others," Sarine said, her long cloak hiding her gait.
Captain Mhror nodded in agreement. "Ordinary Erythraeans do not know of other intelligent life. You are the first we have encountered with no visible hostility."
The Doctor grinned widely. "Hostile, us? We're about as hostile as a packet of biscuits."
The mauve light they were following faded, before flaring back orange. "Term 'biscuits' does not register."
Nadrin tutted. "You don't have biscuits? But biscuits are amazing! Especially the Plinis Snax we had a while ago. But Earth do the most amazing biscuits, particularly Custard Creams and Jaffa Cakes."
"What?" the Doctor cried, outraged. "Jaffa cakes aren't biscuits!"
"Yes they are, they're always with the biscuits in shops. AND in the TARDIS kitchen."
"So? I keep my sonic screwdriver with my underwear, doesn't make it a sock."
"Prove it, then."
A blue glow was added to the orange. "Ever seen a sock do that?"
The Doctor yelped in pain as Nadrin elbowed him. "I meant prove that Jaffa Cakes aren't biscuits, idiot."
The Doctor sniffed. "Fine, when we get back to the TARDIS, I'll show you that stale Jaffa Cakes go hard, and are therefore-"
The argument ended suddenly as they walked into the backs of Sarine and Mhror, who had stopped before another door. Both Erythraeans had phased out from the conversation when the Doctor started talking about socks, and were in the process of opening another heavy door that barred their path. Said door swung slowly open, and Nadrin shielded her eyes against the sudden bright light. The aliens glided serenely through, with the Doctor and Nadrin trotting in their wake.
"Are there no others working here?" Nadrin asked, surprised to see the cavernous room devoid of life other than themselves.
Mhror nodded slowly. "That is correct, Nadrin. Previously our number was 4 - 2 employees terminated during recent tasks."
Nadrin nodded and opened her mouth to continue, but the Doctor placed his hand over it. He looked around at the base - it was a huge room, with many levels, ladders and staircases leading up to them. The furniture was an oddball mish-mash of different styles - there was some Erythraean made technology - the computers mainly, but there was a few machines that were of different origin, a Melkene-made bioscanner was prominent. Mhror led them to a desk that looked suspiciously as if it had come from Ikea. He picked up a small pen shaped object and pressed one end. The other ended flashed in a blinding array of different colours, and after a few seconds the lights faded out. Mhror suddenly gave off a pale red aura, and dropped the device back onto the desk.
"I apologise for my demeanour. My superiors are demanding reports." The Doctor and Nadrin looked at one another, and the Doctor shrugged. Mhror glided off towards a side door - this one was made of metal. It slid open sideways, and Mhror indicated that the Doctor and Nadrin should enter. They duly did so, and passed through the doorway. Nadrin blinked in surprise at the small, bare room, before spinning round as the door slid firmly shut behind them.
A computer burbled out a series of bleeps and flashes to Sarine, who had sat herself before it. She stared intently at the multicoloured flickering light, absorbing the data it conveyed. When the message was complete she rose and went over to the Captain.
"The computer predicts positive rift spike in 83 seconds, at a location 43.8 metres outside this building."
Mhror's aura became dark orange as he processed the information. "What is the positive-negative spike ration for the past 3 months?"
Sarine thought for a second before replying. "Positive - 237. Daily average - 3.8225806. Negative - 7. Daily average - 0.11290. Suggestion, anomalous period."
Mhror shook his head in disagreement. "Unknown and undefined event is occurring - the difference is too great for natural causes." The computer beeped again as it signalled the rift depositing more material.
"Positive rift spike - lower-range inanimate object detected," Sarine reported, decoding the information.
Mhror nodded in the deliberate manner as was common for his species. "We shall collect the object immediately."
"Pfft, it looks like we're being contained." The Doctor fished out a small torch from inside his jacket pocket and turned it on, dispelling some of the gloom on the cell.
"I thought you said we weren't hostile," Nadrin complained, feeling around for the walls and stability.
The Doctor grunted as she swung her arm into him, utterly disorientated. "I did, but they obviously didn't believe me. Or they think Jaffa Cakes are actually pretty hostile."
"AHA!"
"What?!"
"You said that we're 'as hostile as biscuits', and you were stating the possibility of them finding Jaffa Cakes hostile, and for them to think we're hostile, they'd have to compare us to Jaffa Cakes - hence, you contradicted yourself."
"...What?!"
"Never mind. Just accept that I win, as usual."
The Doctor wisely decided against continuing the argument and turned off the torch, throwing the room back into darkness.
"Oi!" Nadrin shouted, trying to grab the torch from his hands. He resisted, dropping it back into his pocket.
"Why do we need it? We'll be out of here in a few ticks."
"We will?"
"Yep." A familiar blue light and humming noise indicated the Doctor's use of the sonic screwdriver. The door slid open, and Nadrin fell through, having been leaning against it. The Doctor stepped over her and strode over to Mhror's desk, seating himself on the chair beside it.
Nadrin grumpily hauled herself to her feet and perched on the desk in front of him. "What happens now?"
The Doctor leant back and closed his eyes. "We wait, silly."
A light zephyr blew the green dust across the plain's surface, getting caught against the object which had appeared. It was already half buried, the shifting sands covering it. Sarine bent and picked up the object, translucent hands protected by thick gloves. She tapped it to remove the sand and eyed it suspiciously.
"Object of unknown organic composition. It's quite long and thin, geometrically rectangular. Grooved," Sarine reported to Mhror, who took hold of the object from his subordinate.
"Item must be catalogued - we can ask Nadrin if she recognises it."
Sarine nodded and produced a clear bag to contain the object. With a slow nod at one another they made their way back into the Temporal Division headquarters.
"Ah, welcome back!" The Doctor jumped from his seat, surprising Nadrin who fell off the desk. The Erythraeans regarded the two suspiciously, Mhror being a deep orange colour and Sarine a pale shade of grey.
"How did you evade containment?" Mhror asked, producing what seemed to be a cigarette lighter.
"Through the door. Have sonic screwdriver, will open doors," the Doctor said, waving the aforementioned tool before his own face. "Besides, we don't need containing, we're about as dangerous as that dust out there." He paused. "Actually, I have no idea how dangerous that dust is - not very, hopefully."
"Dust can cause minor respiratory problems if inhaled in excess," Sarine responded automatically, before falling silent when Mhror turned to stare at her. He remained silent for a moment, before replacing the lighter-like device back wherever he had produced it from.
"We shall take your word as truth - for the meanwhile. We would request assistance from the more knowledgeable one." The Doctor grinned and leapt to attention, but stopped suddenly as Sarine presented the recently discovered object to Nadrin.
She giggled. "Why, thank you for your confidence in me. How may my services be of use to you?"
Mhror indicated the object with his finger. "State composition and origin of that box."
She giggled again, before shrugging. "Well, it's made of wood. Could be from anywhere, Earth perhaps."
Crestfallen, the Doctor snatched it from her grasp. His dismay turned to derision. "It's not of Earth origin, O Knowledgeable One – the wood's bluish. It's got high copper II content." He passed it back to Sarine and sniffed.
She blinked and took the offered item. "Hypothesis states that Nadrin is the more intelligent."
The Doctor scoffed. "Pah, she can't tell the difference between a Phalarope and a Blenny." He winced, predicting the oncoming smack. Straightening himself, he bowed in Sarine's direction. "Why does the hypothesis state such a thing?"
Mhror answered for her. "She contains the colour of knowledge."
"You what?" Nadrin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You contain the colour of knowledge within your iris."
The Doctor nodded in realisation. "Green signalling understanding?" Mhror nodded, and Nadrin giggled again.
"Well, that's rubbish then. What does the Doctor's iris say?"
Sarine stared intently into the Doctor's face for a short while. "Terror."
The Doctor snorted indignantly at Nadrin's crow of laughter.
Review, or I'll cry, and never write ever ever ever ever again. Pwetty plz?