Gasp! Another update? So soon? Who are these people and what have they done with ladyawesome45321 and sparkle123tt?
All questions you're probably asking. But in truth we were just really motivated to update after making y'all wait so long. So, what are you doing still reading this dumb thing, enjoy the chapter!
~ Elsie
Perhaps, Deserey should have been used to everything going to complete shit by now. At the very least, it shouldn't have shocked her as much as it did when she found herself trapped on a bloody spaceship.
Something went wrong with the Doctor's thingamabob. One minute it looked as though she were about to get rid of all the strangeness for good... And then of course something strange just had to occur.
The Doctor and Clarity were holding hands by the machine, when Clarity's hands began to spark uncontrollably, electricity running up and down her arms. Clarity's eyes widened with horror, which only made the electricity that much worse. "No, no no, not again!" Clarity shook her head, flashing back to the accident she had accidentally caused a few hours earlier.
The Doctor turned to her, squeezing her hand lightly in an attempt to reassure her. "Clarity, look at me," she tried. "It's alright." But Clarity wasn't hearing her. She was too busy panicking, which only caused the electricity to get worse. Bursts of lightning erupted from her body, licking at anything and everything around her violently which forced the Doctor to let go of Clarity's hand.
Graham, Grace, and Ryan ran forward, each looking worried for the brunette girl.
"Clarity!" Ryan shrieked swatting at the sparks. "Calm down!"
"It's alright love!" Graham tried. "Just take it easy."
"Deep breaths, that's all you got to do to get control,love" Grace said. "Just like the Doctor said, yeah?"
Dez cursed under her breath as she watched the scene unfold. She would have left before any of that insanity could touch her, but Yaz started forward too, leaving her no choice but to run after her. "Yaz -"
Before she could finish the sentence, a spark of electricity hit the Doctor's thingamabob, causing it to explode. The explosion erupted outward, forcing the five humans and time lady to shield their eyes to protect themselves from the flying debris. The group was knocked off their feet.
The next time Dez opened her eyes she was laying on a cold, hard, metal floor. She quickly got to her feet, realizing she had no idea where she was. The walls were metal, and there was a massive bulkhead door a few feet in front of her. A small window was at the opposite end of the room; Clarity was already standing in front of it, peering outside with wonderment in her now glowing blue eyes.
Deserey rolled her eyes. Of freaking course! She stomped over to the other girl, steam pouring out of her ears. "You messed up the machine with your powers!" Dez accused. "You...you glitch!" It was an odd insult, but it was the best she could come up with in such a distraught state of mind, and it seemed completely accurate, all things considered.
Clarity turned and frowned back at Deserey. Out of all the names she could have picked to call her she chose that one? There was a slight pout on her lips, a guilty look in her eyes masking the hurt she really felt . "I...I didn't mean to," Clarity said, looking down at her feet. "I'm really, sorry."
"Yeah, just like you didn't mean to make that car crash and didn't mean to get me suspended," Deserey huffed. "I'm sorry isn't going to cut it. You're a walking disaster."
"Alright," Grace said from somewhere behind them. Deserey hadn't noticed she'd been there before. "That's enough of that. It's not going to get us out of here any faster. Besides, Clarity's still learning."
Clarity nodded, thankful for Grace's defending her. But she still felt the sting of Dez's insult. Glitch. Was that all she was now? A glitch? A mistake? Something broken that needed to be fixed?
Deserey just stalked off, slumping against the wall, folding her arms over herself with a huff. She couldn't believe this. "Where are we anyways?" she hissed in annoyance.
Clarity perked up at this, despite still being upset over the insult. She pointed at the window, a bit of excitement in her voice. "We're in space!"
"Space!" Grace said, her eyes widening as she came over to peer out the window for herself. "Blimey, that's amazing!"
"What?" Deserey scoffed. "Amazing my ass! I didn't sign up to go to space!" She stood up, panicking a little. There wasn't anyone waiting for her on earth. No one would miss her if anything happened to her, but that didn't mean she appreciated being whisked away from her home without even so much as being asked if she wanted that to happen!
"Whoa! From the sound of things back here you've all woken up. That's good. Thought you might never come round." A new mystery voice said. The bulkhead door opened and out stepped a being with tan skin covered in brown cheetah like spots. This being's face was outlined with two rows of blue scales. The first row arched from where the eyebrows are supposed to be to the cheek, and the second row just behind it arched from just in front of the temple stopping just before their chin. Small blue horn like appendages jutted out along the being's nose and forehead. A red Mohawk of webbed horns sat atop the being's head. Something reminiscent of barnacles seemed to be growing from the side of this being's head. It started blue at the base but grew red the further it grew out. The being's eyes were a reddish orange and their lips were a bright blue color it's teeth as sharp as a sharks.
"Oh my god you're a fish!" Grace's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock. "Blimey, now that looks like a proper alien."
"Lost in Space with a fish thing...great." Deserey deadpanned. "As if things couldn't get any weirder."
"Hello! Uh, Who are you? Is this your spaceship? Not quite sure how we got on it. We were with our two friends and my family you wouldn't happen to know where they are would you? Are they in another room or something?"Clarity attempted to peer around the fish alien but the doors had already closed behind them before she could see in the room next store. She gave a little wave in an attempt to cover up her snooping. She couldn't help it she was curious but at the same time she didn't want to offend this alien person. "I'm Clarity by the way."
"Aye, this is my ship. The name's Callidoroha . I didn't see anyone else but you three floating out there." As they spoke the fish alien adjusted their belt which swished a bit signifying that there was a sort of liquid inside.
"Are you sure? Maybe you just couldn't see them because an asteroid was in the way. We have to go back and check." Clarity told them.
Callidoroha looked at Clarity in confusion. "There aren't any asteroids in this sector and I would've seen your friends if they were there. My vision is 99/100. How'd you end up floating in space?"
"Clarity, messed with the teleport. Must have made the location go all wrong too." Dez glared.
"Were you meant to land on final planet?" Callidoroha asked.
"Why do you ask?" Grace asked them.
"It's the planet that was supposed to be where you were. The planets not where it should be, but I've found where it is now." Callidoroha stated proud of their achievement.
"Hear that, Springs? You moved a whole damn planet." Dez commented though her general tone sounded impressed.
"I did...?" Clarity breathed out confused looking down at her hands wiggling her fingers. "But how could I have done that? I'd never seen it before."
"Your teleport was set for there right? Must have done a bit more to it than bring us along. You could have made the planet teleport as well." Deserey walked her through it more than a bit annoyed. She wasn't stupid.
"Why's it called Final planet?" Grace asked switching the topic before Dez could say anything else.
"If someone goes there. No one comes back. People of this galaxy have labeled it desolate or at least that's what all the pictures and scribbles say. There are all kinds of warnings, and rumours. That's where I'm headed now or I should say we are. It's the final planet in this thing. That rally maker can't resist a good danger pun." Callidoroha grinned her webbed hands coming up to cover her mouth as she laughed. As the sleeves of her shirt fell down more blue horns were revealed going all the way up to her elbow which was capped with a blue scale.
"What? Like hell. I'm not going to a place like that." Dez protested. "Take us somewhere else. Take us back to where we were. My partner is there."
"I can't. I'm in third place as it is, so we've got to hurry. I've got you three which means three bonuses. The others you were with are probably with the other two in front of me. I'm lucky I got ya, they were rushing."
"Sorry, Just uh, Third place for what exactly?" Clarity asked confused.
"As if you don't already know." Callidoroha laughed. "Sabotaging the rally makers teleport was a pretty dumb move. You could have landed on the planet and gotten scooped up there."
"We don't know what you're talking bout, love." Grace said.
"What's that dinging noise?" Clarity asked hearing a small beeping sound coming from the other room. The vibrations of the ship felt strange all of a sudden.
"That would be the autopilot failing." Callidoroha winced racing back through the doors sliding into a brown leather chair, leather roller coaster like straps over the front strapping down over their chest. A bunch of blinking dots of varying colors lit the screens.
"Is that the planet?" Clarity pointed to a rather drab looking planet. Very brown and blue-ish green. Nothing like how beautiful earth looked from space.
"Yeah, sure-oh no..." Callidoroha breathed out a strange message flashing red appearing on the screen.
"What is it?" Grace asked. "Something wrong, love?"
"Big red flashing light's gotta be something bad. Do you not remember the bombs in our necks a few nights ago?" Dez complained rubbing at her neck. She was still a bit freaked over that.
"Uh, things aren't bad now, but they're going to be on re-entry." Callidoroha said sounding nervous.
"Why just re-entry?" Clarity asked. That sounded a little strange.
"When I scooped you all up my grabber claw tore a hole in the gas main, when we re-enter the atmosphere it's gonna explode." Callidoroha stated.
"The ships gonna blow up!?" Dez exclaimed and banged her head against the back of the fish woman's chair. "Damnit! I am so sick of exploding."
"There has to be a way to stop it." Clarity bit her bottom lip closing her eyes hugging herself tightly. 'Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic.' She chanted in her head. ' The bad stuff always happens when you panic.'
Grace turned to her, doing her best to give her a reassuring look. "Just take deep breaths, love. It'll all be alright." She spoke calmly somehow, as if she were already getting use to the weirdness that surrounded the Doctor and those who dared to go near her.
Clarity nodded, doing as her gran instructed. She was thankful Grace was here with her to help calm herself. Though she definitely preferred Graham, Grace was a close second. Despite the two of them not being blood related Clarity did accept Grace as her gran.
The ship began grinding and sparking as they neared closer to the planet's atmosphere. Grace, Dez, and Clarity were thrown to the floor. Lightning whirring across Clarity's body as ship trembled with effort.
Dez's heart hammered in her chest, especially when Clarity began sparking with electricity again. She was sure that she'd inadvertently cause yet another disaster.
"What are you lot doing layin' on the floor!? Get up! We've got to move!" Callidoroha yelled to three women pressing a blue blinking button on the side door already out of her chair. "We've entered the atmosphere,"
The door sprung open and she pulled out a backpack clipping it on. A loud boom echoed throughout the ship. A fire broke out in the back of the vessel where Clarity, Dez, and Grace had first awakened. Warning alarms blared from the ship's systems the metal inside growing hot to the touch.
"Are you insane!? Close the damn door!" Dez screamed as Callidoroha slid open a side door the wind whipping in. It bit at their skin, and sand swirled into the craft.
"We've got to jump!" Callidoroha hollered back at them.
"What!? No, no no no." Clarity trembled in fear her lightning only increasing. Her blue eyes glowing bright with power as her terror grew. "I-I can't do this again. There has to be another way, please."
"If you want to live, you'll jump. Hope I see you down there. Oh, and just so you know, I think I see some people. Might be your friends." With that said Callidoroha leapt out of the burning ship with an excited whoop. Grace and Dez scramble over to the edge peering out after her.
"This is crazy..." Clarity's lower lip quivered her eyes welling with tears. Grace and Dez were already standing near the door peering out at The deathly drop. They had seconds at best.
"Sand looks soft." Dez rocked on her feet getting ready to jump. That was definitely Yaz and the rest of them down there.
"Was that something positive out of you?" Grace smiled widely.
"Don't get used to it." Dez replied, peering back over her shoulder to see Clarity was still laying down. "Springs, we've got to jump."
"I-I can't." Clarity shook head. "Not again, Please, I don't want to fall again."
"We're already falling!" Dez exclaimed grabbing the girls sweater pulling her to where they stood.
Grace pulled her up into a standing position.
"On the count of three we all jump together. Okay?" Grace asked both of them.
"Okay." They agreed.
"1...2...3...!" Grace chanted as she jumped.
Clarity stumbled back away from the edge as Grace jumped out. Deserey shook her head cursing herself for caring. Deserey glared at Clarity. She had run out of patience. "You'll thank me for this."
"Thank you for-" Whatever Clarity was about to say turned into a shrill shriek as Deserey shoved Clarity out of the ship sending her plummeting to the sand below. Dez winced as sand whipped in her eyes leaping out herself.
Dez and Grace fell on a sand dune the beige colored dust floating up in a cloud around them. The two coughing and groaning. For them it hadn't been so bad, but for Clarity it was an entirely different story. Lightning had whizzed across her as she fell and when she hit the ground the lightning had struck the sand before it made contact with Clarity's skin. So, she ended up crashing into a mountain of glass shards.
Dez winced in sympathy. She had been giving her a hard time, sure, but that still looked very painful. Grace ran over to her granddaughter at once, worried out of her mind. "Clarity, are you alright?"
"Ow...ah" Clarity sat up tears pricking at her eyes. Annoyingly small cuts now all over her body. Grains of sand now grains of glass imbedded in her skin in multiple places but thankfully the wounds all seemed to be superficial. Clarity tried to brush the glass off with her other hand but winced as that just cut her other hand a bit making it stingy.
"Here, try this." Dez told her squatting down beside her pulling up a nearby rag imbedded in the sand.
"Thank you." Clarity told her smiling up at her as she took the offered rag using it to wipe off the grains of glass sniffling slightly. She wiped at her tears smearing the bloody cut on her cheek as she did so.
Grace helped Clarity up to her feet as soon as she dusted herself all off. She took the rag from the young woman, dabbing at the cut on her cheek in a motherly fashion.
"There we go all better now." Grace smiled at her.
"Clarity! Grace! Dez!" The Doctor yelled her voice filled with worry sprinting over to them kicking up sand as she went. Yaz, Ryan, and Graham a few feet behind her unable to keep up with the time lady's superior agility but they were running all the same.
"Doctor! Over here!" Clarity called back waving her hand as soon as she reached the top of a sand dune and became visible to them. She was glad that the time lady was alright. She had been scared her snaffu with the teleport made them all go somewhere else.
"Are you all alright? Oh! Clarity you're bleeding! Let me have a look." The Doctor slid down the dune glass crunching under her feet.
"Mind the glass, love." Grace warned the timelady. "Don't need anyone else getting cut up."
"Right yes, will do." The Doctor nodded at her as she fussed over Clarity's injured state. Pulling out her sonic and scanning her up and down.
"That's a lot of glass." Ryan commented as he slid down the hill with Yaz and Graham.
"Sorry about the mess. Clarity made it with her lightning. Fascinating actually, well dangerous, well only if you land in it like she did." The Doctor babbled Ryan and Yaz rolling their eyes.
"Dez! You're alive." Yaz grinned hugging her partner.
"We thought you were dead." Dez told her hugging back.
"We thought you were dead." Ryan told her.
"Doctor please stop, I'm fine really, just some scrapes and cuts. I just landed in glass when I fell that's all." Clarity grabbed her hand lowering the sonic away from her injured cheek. The Doctor hummed slightly in disapproval clearly wanting to sonic her more, but she obliged the humans wishes put her sonic away.
"Is it too much to ask for you not to fall from high places anymore? I don't know if my heart can take it." Graham told his granddaughter after he hugged his wife happy the fall hadn't injured her.
"There wasn't any other options. It was jump or explode." Dez told him. "At least that's what the crazy fish thing said."
"Sorry, crazy fish thing?" The Doctor asked in confusion.
"Callidoroha." Clarity explained. "The captain who saved us."
"Ah, were they the first jumper?" The Doctor asked.
"Sure was." Grace nodded.
"Right, quick update. Clarity's powers caused a terrible mistake with the teleport. We shouldn't be here. I'm gonna fix it and get you guys home. I promise. As soon as I figure out where we are."
"How you gonna do that?" Graham asked pulling his jacket sleeve over his hand wiping off the glass shards that were still in Clarity's hair. Knowing his granddaughter she'd forget about the glass go to play with her hair and get a whole hand full of glass again. Graham was not taking any chances.
"Not it as a chance to surprise myself. Oh! By the way, welcome to what I presume is your first alien planet." The Doctor grinned.
"It's a bit less magical than I was expecting. Bit sandy." Clarity looked around her. "Three suns are pretty cool though but I really hope I don't get a sunburn." Clarity looked down at her pale lily white skin.
"You and me both." Graham agreed. "Wish I brought some sunblock. Would've if I knew where we were going."
"Oh, quit your fussing you two. You'll be fine." Grace told them. "I doubt we'll be here long."
"They're definitely gonna burn..." Ryan whispered to Yaz who nodded muttering an "oh yeah" in reply.
Dez looked right at home though. She was messing around in the sand a bit in the place she had found the rag. The girl appeared to be somewhat happy in the blazing heat. Or at least as happy as someone like Dez could manage to be.
"Oh, that reminds me. Don't touch anything." The Doctor advised.
"Bit late for that." Dez muttered burying the rag she had passed Clarity deeper into the sand so the blonde woman wouldn't notice it.
"Come on! Let's try this way." The Doctor grinned grabbing Clarity's hand the two leading the way.
"Oi! No mixing up our bonuses you two!" Callidoroha yelled popping up out of the sand pointing wildly at Epzo and Angstrom as they stood up. "I won't stand for it! I had three!"
"Callidoroha, didn't think you would have survived that jump." Angstrom commented adjusting her jacket. "And just look at you, Epzo. So, you can't even control your own ship now? At least they had the decency to crash away from us. You nearly killed us!"
"Yeah, well, I'll try harder next time, eh?" Epzo smirked beginning to walk after the bonuses.
"Where's Kornlite and Phydon?"
"Failed hyper-jump. Both of them. It's just us three left." Angstrom looked between the two.
"You're kidding me. Well, now, you have got so lucky. How did you even make it this far, Angstrom, eh? You're nothing. And you Callidoroha, you're not even that, you won't even make it a day in this climate. Still makes the next bit easy." Epzo smiled.
Callidoroha hissed at him baring her shark teeth. The horns on her nose extending in her anger. The tips turning from blue to red before reverting back to blue as she calmed. "My three bonuses say otherwise."
"You would really love that, wouldn't you?" Angstrom laughed at Epzo. "But I've got two bonuses, same as you."
An alarm blares through the air and the three racers spring into action heading in the direction the sound was coming from. Clarity's head snapped in the same direction as she felt a sort of humming feeling. She didn't quite understand it but she figured it must have something to do with her new abilities.
"What's that?" The doctor asked turning to the three racers for answers.
"Here we go!" Epzo grinned hopping over a rock.
"What do you mean "Here we go"? Here we go where? To what?" The Doctor asked but the three ignored the time lady's questions.
"Yeah. Where are we actually going?" Ryan demanded.
"Hey! We asked you a bloody question!" Dez hollered at the alien trio but she too went ignored by the racers.
"Come on." The Doctor called back to the humans lagging behind her. As she walked the Doctor stuck her free hand in her pocket only to mutter to herself in surprise. "Oh! I forgot I put stuff in these pockets."
"All this sand is getting in my eyes something rotten." Graham complained as sand kicked up in his eyes.
"Want to borrow my shades?" The Doctor asked pulling out a pair of cheetah print glasses from the pocket.
"Oh ta." Graham took the offered glasses putting them on. Clarity giggling at the sight of her grandad in women's sunglasses. She couldn't deny he actually pulled them off quite well. She wished she hadn't destroyed her phone. What she wouldn't give for a camera.
"When did you get those?" Grace asked liking the pair.
"Oh, back at the salon, forgot I put em in there." The Doctor explained. "They're like an old pair of mine. I say "mine". I can't remember who I borrowed them off now. It was either Audrey Hepburn or Pythagoras." The Doctor attempted to recall the similar pairs original owner.
"Eh? Pythagoras never wore shades." Graham shook his head.
"You obviously never saw him with a hangover." The Doctor remarked only to pause as Clarity tripped over something getting herself a face full of sand as she fell facedown. Her hand slipping right out of the Doctor's loosened grip.
"Are we sure your cousin has the dyspraxia?" Dez asked Clarity who was currently attempting to spit out a mouthful of sand.
Ryan laughed a bit. "Nah, Clari's just got two left feet a lot of the time. Trips over anything really."
"You okay?" Yaz asked her.
"Yup, brilliant." Clarity replied dusting the sand off of her face as she sat up. "At least it was just sand this time."
"Hey, these are actually kinda cool." Dez commented sifting around in the sand picking out a pair of goggles. The strap having caught around Clarity's ankle making her fall.
Dez untangled the goggles before dusting them off and putting them over her head.
Clarity smiled at Dez. "They suit you." Clarity told her happy that her little tumble produced something good. If Dez found something that she liked Clarity definitely thought it was worth the face full of sand.
"Huh? Oh, uh, thanks," Dez said, laughing awkwardly. It was odd that Clarity could be so nice to her even after Dez had been so brutal to her, especially considering they both knew it most likely wouldn't end any time soon.
"Do you three know what that is?" The Doctor asked as they finally made it up the hill where the other three waited.
"It's a tent." Epzo stated looking at the Doctor like she was some kind of idiot.
"Well, obviously it's a tent. I meant Oh! Never mind." The time lady huffed. She should have asked what a tent was doing all the way out wherever they were, but she was still a little scatter-brained today. "Come on. No dawdling." The Doctor waved at the group to follow. The group of them moving down the hill in the direction of the tent.
"Doctor, can you feel that?" Clarity frowned tugging on the blonde's trench coat sleeve.
"Hmm feel what?" The Doctor asked her confused as they all walked down the hill.
"The tent it's making this... this humming feeling. I'm not really sure how to describe it. I-I don't think it's a normal tent." Clarity told her.
"Well, it might not be. Could be a projection or maybe a hologram." The Doctor theorized. "I'll look into it. Don't worry, you just try to avoid tripping again yeah?"
"I'll try." Clarity replied.
"Losers first." Angstrom looked to Callidoroha as they reached the tents opening.
"I've got three bonuses. That moves me up a place." Callidoroha denied looking at Epzo who laughed with a smile journeying into the tent. The other two following in after him.
"Be careful.I still don't know what's going on.
It could be dangerous. Well, probably is dangerous." The Doctor informed her new friends and hopefully one day family.
"Can I ask, if we are on an alien planet, with aliens, how can we understand 'em? Ain't they talking Alien?" Graham asked.
"Let's have a look." The Doctor spun Graham around pulling down the back of his shirt collar revealing a blinking light pink dot. "Yeah. Medi-pods have put implants into each of you. Standard for a universal translator, implants one if you don't have one."
"Eh? Well, can people and things stop putting stuff inside me without my permission?!" Graham exclaimed feeling more than a bit violated. Dez mentally agreed with Graham's statement. She was getting sick of it too.
"If I had my TARDIS, you wouldn't need them." The Doctor informed the humans.
"Really why not?" Clarity wondered.
"My ships telepathic. It translates everything in
your head." The Doctor answered.
"That's even worse than these things." Dez commented fiddling with her goggles. She didn't want anything going into her mind. As if invading her body was bad enough now she had to worry about aliens gettin in her brain, her very thoughts.
"Anyway, shall we?" The Doctor asked guiding the O'Brien-Sinclair family + Yaz and Dez into the tent. The interior had a bit of an Indian vibe to it. Very posh, with red glowing light fixtures hanging from the ceilings. Colorful curtains of blue's and golds lined the walls. A man looking to be of Indiana decent sat on a throne of silken pillows with tassels.
"This is lavish, for a tent." The Doctor commented taking in her surroundings before making introductions. "I'm the Doctor. These are my new best friends: Clarity, Ryan, Grace, Graham, Dez, and Yaz."
"I'm not your friend. Scratch my name off whatever mental checklist you've got up there." Dez protested barely holding back the urge to scowl. She wasn't this woman's friend, and she certainly wasn't a best friend either. She was at minimum an acquaintance and that was stretching it. What part of she didn't want anything to do with her did she not get?
"Doctor, that guy he's not..." Clarity trailed off in confusion, unsure of how to put what she was sensing into actual words. This man felt more like the tent than he did anyone else in the room. He should feel like every other living breathing creature in here but he didn't. "He doesn't feel right."
"Now, let's see what's putting my bestest friend here off." The Doctor reached out her hand swiping it straight through the man. The entire tent along with him disappearing for a moment before reappearing again.
"Ah! I see. Hologram. Thought it might be. Good one, though just not good enough to fool her." The Doctor gestured to Clarity. "I love a good hologram. I was a hologram once, for three gossip I picked up!" The Doctor chatted to her besties before turning back to Hologram man. "What are you? Projection reality or AI interface? 'Cause if you're interface, those are excellent nose hairs." The Doctor peered into the man's nose as if that would give her all the answers she was asking for.
"Who are these people?"The Hologram man asked the contestants feeling more than a bit uncomfortable at his nose hair problem being scrutinized. He would have to schedule another therapy appointment as soon as this meeting was over.
"Bonuses." Angstrom answered.
"No." The Hologram man denied.
"What?" Epzo asked not understanding.
"Your pullin' our legs right? Your joshin' us?" Callidoroha stepped forwards their Mohawk fin flopping down to the left side as they saddened.
"I told you. Bonuses and snake traps are over." The Hologram man stated his tone serious and unjoking. The man didn't even look like he was capable of telling a joke.
"They were hanging in the starfield when we exited you saying we scooped them for nothing?" Epzo demanded.
"Yes." The Hologram man stated his tone holding no emotion whatsoever.
"I sacrificed my ship!" Epzo exclaimed. Callidoroha joining in with a hiss of rage her teeth baring and horns extending. Her Mohawk snapping upright again.
"They interefered with the race. That one messed with the teleport and moved our destination." Callidoroha pointed a finger at Clarity. "We should get compensation for third party sabotage."
"We didn't even know about your shitty little race. You would've been in third regardless because these two stopped too." Deserey spoke up. None of this was her fault. All she had done was stand in that damn warehouse. What a mistake that had been. She wasn't about to let herself get lumped in with those two.
"Yeah, sorry. Some of this is my fault too, not just her." The Doctor told the contests, gesturing to Clarity, before turning to speak to The Hologram man. "Hi. We were loads of solar systems away. I was trying to find my own ship. I got a fix on it here And then it all went quite badly wrong, actually. These six have been very good, not going on about it. Especially, you Dez, you've been fantastically good. Very grateful you came along."
"Yeah, well didn't have much of a choice now did I?" Dez crossed her arms.
"Now then, can I ask, what is actually going on here? 'Cause I'm confused." The Doctor told the Hologram man before turning back to her human companions. "Are you confused?"
"Pretty confused." Yaz answered.
"Proper confused." Ryan told her.
"Extremely confused." Grace stated.
"I'm way beyond confused." Graham shook his head taking off his glasses as if that would emphasize his point.
"What is there to be confused about? They're all racing each other." Dez gestured to the three racers before gesturing to the Hologram man. "And he's the host or whatever."
"Yeah, But there's gotta be more to it than that. I mean this race already seems really life threatening. What's so special about it to make someone want to risk their lives?" Clarity wondered.
"You're intruding on the final stage of the last ever Rally of the 12 Galaxies." Hologram man informed clearly growing fed up with the unwelcome guests.
"So, what, like a race? Like Paris-Dakar in space? Are you three space-racing each other?" The Doctor asked even though Dez had already basically spelled that out herself. Never hurt to get confirmation.
"We're the finalists." Angstrom told her.
"4,000 entered, three are left. Only one will claim the prize." The Hologram man informed.
"He means me." Callidoroha stated with pride fist banging over her chest. Her fellow competitors rolled their eyes at her overconfidence.
"What's the prize?" Ryan asked. It must be something really good if these people were risking their lives. His guess was money. He wouldn't mind winning some money.
"For the final-ever race? 3.2 trillion krin." Hologram man answered.
"3.2 trillion what?" The Doctor asked confused.
"Krin." Hologram Man repeated. The human each exchanged confused looks; the Doctor didn't seem as if anything had been cleared up for her either.
"How much is krin?" The Doctor asked hoping to get an answer that would make sense. All three competitors offered different types of alien type cash. "200 kavlons." "94 volars." "4,000 trinities. In old money." But The Doctor couldn't really make sense of any of that.
"Bit behind on my exchange rates."the female timelady admitted. Usually her psychic paper did the conversions for her. She could do the math fine on her own but knowing things like inflation really messed with the numbers. She wished she had her psychic paper.
"Enough to provide a lifetime of comfort on a safe world for the winning pilot and their entire clan." Hologram said.
"Are we eligible too?" Ryan asked sounding a bit hopeful.
"No. You're irrelevant." Epzo told him in annoyance. What a bunch of useless people. They all weren't worth losing his beloved ship, Damnit.
Dez scoffed at this. She rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. "Story of my life," she mumbled to herself. No one seemed to have noticed her comment though.
"Can't we enter last minute? We are here. Bonus competitor's." Grace attempted to haggle with the man. She didn't know how many pounds 3.2 trillion krin was but it sounded like a hell of a lot. They could use that money, maybe have that vacation to Aruba afterall.
"No." Hologram man denied her request. "I will not break tradition. You being here is unfortunate but the race shall not be delayed any further."
"Get on with it. Tell us the task." Epzo told him growing impatient. They were losing daylight. He wanted to get his 3.2 trillion krin, lay in the sand and smoke his beloved cigar by now. These people were getting in the way of that.
"The final challenge is to cross the terrain, survive the planet, make your way to the other side of the mountains, and the first one to get to the site marked as the Ghost Monument will be crowned the winner and transported off this planet. The losers will not."
"You can't leave two of us here! The ships are out of fuel!" Angstrom objected his claim.
"At least you still have a ship! Mine blew up! You can't do this to us after everything we've been through!" Callidoroha protested.
"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do with my own race." Hologram Man hissed. "You knew the risks when you joined. Biggest-ever prize, biggest-ever risk."
"3,997 people died for this!? And you're just gonna make it 3,999? What is wrong with you?" Clarity demanded.
"It's the way of the rally." Hologram man stated. "Has been for generations."
"Wait! Hang on! What about us?!" Graham spoke up looking between all the alien's.
"Shut up. You're not part of this." Epzo told him.
"Excuse me! We are human beings. Show a bit of solidarity." Graham told his fellow man.
"I'm Moxturan. She's Albarian." Epzo told him nodding to Angstrom.
"Never even heard of 'mooman beans'." Angstrom shook her head slightly.
"Beings. Human beings. Earth." Ryan emphasized each word to the aliens.
"You look just like us..." Clarity attempted to back her cousin up.
"No." Epzo shook his head. "Definitely not, your eyes are freaky."
Clarity's hand flew up to her left eye her fingertips resting lightly just below her eye socket. She closed her eyes and shook it off lowering her hand. She had almost forgotten how abnormal they had gotten. Almost.
"Pretty cruel race. Leaving the loser stranded." The Doctor glared at the Hologram man.
"Well, the rally is a test of survival. How far will we go? How will we react when challenged? It's the ultimate test."
"Interesting use of the word 'we', seeing as though you're not here." The Doctor pulled out her sonic and soniced the Hologram man her arm moving up an down a bit as she did so. "Projected in from a very long way away."
"I started the rally. I competed and I won. And now I'm going to end it. No sabotage, no injuries, and no killing each other." Hologram man addressed the Doctor then advised the three competitors.
"Shame." Epzo sighed.
"Instant disqualification applies." Hologram man reminded the gun-ho male. "Now, take your meds, don't travel at night, and don't drink the water, in fact, don't even touch the water. This entire planet has been made cruel." Hologram man ordered tacking on a small bit of advice.
"Made cruel how? And by whom?" The Doctor asked only to be ignored yet again. The Doctor sighed in annoyance making a 'seriously?' motion to her companions.
"This stage must be completed before one full solar have one single piece of assistance. Transport. Provided by the water. Get across the water, through the ruins, and the site of the Ghost Monument is on the other side of the Mist Swamps." Hologram man said summing up the journey.
"Mist what?" Yaz asked hoping she had heard wrong. A swamp? In this desert climate? That made no sense.
"Your route trackers are over there. Good luck." Hologram man told the three competitors sending them on their way. Enough time had been wasted already.
"I know you prefer to ignore me, but what is it, this Ghost Monument?" The Doctor asked.
"The site was named by the ancient settlers. It appears in exactly the same place every thousand rotations." Hologram man told her not answering the question at all.
"That didn't answer anything." Grace shook her head.
"Sounds like my old maths professor." Clarity frowned. "You remember, Mr. Cooper, Grandad?"
"Don't mention that man." Graham shook his head at her. "Telling you to click the help button stead of actually teaching. Still makes my blood boil."
"I've got my tracker. I'm good to go." Angstrom stated picking up a triangle device.
"See you for the prize, Ilin.I'll finally get to light my Althusian cigar. Saving it for the win." Epzo grinned showing it off.
"Smoking kills." Grace called after him.
"I think I'm gonna get a pillow just like this when I win." Callidoroha commented pointing to an intricate blue swirl pillow that looked reminiscent of the sea. "Oh, sleeping on a real bed. Just imagine that. Wonder what it would feel like. Can't wait to find out."
The three competitors leaving to complete their rally.
"What does it look like, this monument?" The Doctor continued to pester the holographic man demanding answers. She needed to know more and it seemed like he was the only source of intel she had. She wasn't about to just let it go.
"What does it matter?" Ilin asked walking straight through the Doctor. His form turning bright red as he did so.
"Look at us. Seven people who barely know each other, stranded on a planet called Desolation. No route trackers, no way off, and judging by what you've just told us, very little hope of survival. I need all the information I can get, including, but not limited to, what this Ghost Monument actually looks like when it appears." The Doctor told him laying out all the facts.
Ilin took pity on the blonde and those with her raising his hands, a holographic image appearing atop the table. A blue police phone box appeared to be sitting atop a hill.
The Doctor's mouth dropped open and a shocked gasp left her lips. Her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and wonder. She didn't think she'd ever see her beloved ship again. She took a step backwards bumping into Clarity. Clarity grabbed the doctor's hand noticing the blonde's shock at what was being displayed. "Something wrong?"
"No, something right, something very very right." The Doctor replied a breathless smile on her face. Ilin looking at the ghost monument in admiration beside her.
"That's an old police box." Graham observed.
"Yeah. Like the one on Surrey Street." Yaz recalled.
"Looks a bit off though doesn't it?" Grace asked.
"Yeah." Graham agreed.
"It's the coloring." Dez commented. Noting the shade difference between this one and the one in town.
"The one in town's don't make any sense." Yaz frowned looking to the Doctor for answers.
"It makes sense to me." The Doctor nodded her head still a bit breathless. "Oh, thank you so 'll do."
"Well, I'm sorry I can't be of any more help." Ilin told the group.
"I don't think you are." The Doctor called Ilin out on his bullshit.
"You're right." Ilin replied turning away and the Hologram shut off. The entire tent disappearing.
"Oh. Bye, then! He was a bit full of himself."
"I was really liking that shade." Clarity sighed as she felt the three suns beating down from the sky.
"Yeah, well some vitamin D might do you good, Springs." Dez replied basking in the sunlight a rare smile up on her face as she faced away from the group.
"I've got a couple of questions." Yaz spoke to the Doctor.
"A couple? I got a book full." Graham stayed putting on his glasses. "But shouldn't we keep up with those three before they get too far away?" Graham pointed to where the three contestants were walking.
"Yes." The Doctor nodded before she turned around and paused thinking better of it. Better ease the human's nerves a bit before they started out.
"Now, I know this is a bit of a shock."
"Well, you could say that. I mean, we have been dumped in space. We've got spaceships crashing all around we are marooned on a planet that everyone else is racing to get away from."
"Don't forget, the water's toxic and it's a bloody desert out here. Bet we'll die of dehydration before this planet can kill us." Desery joined in on Graham's little spout of pessimism.
"Alright. Anyone can focus on the negatives." The Doctor stated in a bit of annoyance. Moral was lower than she had expected.
"Well, what are the positives?" Graham challenged.
"We're all still alive," Grace told him. "We're still together."
"What he called the Ghost Monument, that's my ship, it's here!" the Doctor grinned.
"What? The old police box?" Graham raised his glasses.
"Didn't look all that." Ryan stated.
"It's very all that, thank you very much." The Doctor stook up for her Tardis. "Don't you see? We got it mostly right.I tracked my TARDIS here. But the planet had fallen out of orbit. We landed where the planet should have been. It looks like the engines are stuck in a loop, phasing in and out of time and space. If we get to it when it phases in, I should be able to stabilise it. Then I can get you back home and fix Clarity right up."
"Definitely? If we get there, you can get us off this planet alive?" Yaz asked her wondering if this woman really was their best bet.
"Yaz, I promise.I will keep you alive and I will get you back home.I'm really good in a tight spot. At least, I have been, historically.I'm sure I still am. If we stick together, if you trust me, we can get out of this. 's get shift on." The Doctor ordered beginning to walk Clarity's hand in hers.
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Aaaaannnddd end! Chapter 7 woohoo! We finally made it to episode two peoples! Isn't that exciting!? I think that's exciting! Anywho I hope you're happy we updated. Here are some questions for you all to answer. Every read, vote, and especially comment inspires us to keep writing and updating. We love hearing your thoughts!
1. What did you think of this chapter?
2. What is something you want to know more about Clarity and Dez?
3. Did you like our addition of Callidoroha?
4. What did you think of Dez finding her goggles in the sand?
5. Are you shipping anyone? If so who and why? And list a few reasons if you can.
6. Do you think Clarity and Dez will ever become friends?
7. How do you think everyone's going to react to seeing the Tardis for the first time?
8. How do you think the Tardis will like Clarity and Dez?
9. If you had to kill one of the Tardis fam who would you pick?
10. If the Doctor could have a companion from any other fandom who would it be?
11. If Thirteen's fam could meet any of her past selves who would you want it to be?
12. What do you think Clarity and Dez would think of the past Doctors?
13. Was there anything you originally disliked about the ghost monument episode? If so what was it?
