A/N: I'm a proud activist of FOTO. Much love to you awesome viewers! You guys make my days so much brighter *n_n*
Chapter 9: Planet of the Ood Part 1
The next day the Doctor decided to treat the ladies to a trip to another classical city. It was the least he could do for them to make up for the madness that occurred in Ancient Rome. Taking a pause from the dramatics that were constantly being thrown at them was necessary. Well, at least not from the thespian types, that is. He took them to Ancient Athens around 429 BC. Taking in the sights and sounds the trio visited the Parthenon and the Athenian Acropolis, even dressing in togas provided to them by the TARDIS. The Doctor had stressed that their normal apparel would be apt for their location and would allow them to blend in, but he allowed it. Of course he had a notion that Rose had induced the Old Girl to send those stolas because just so she could give him a once-over in the garment.
Despite their interest they were hoping for some entertainment, so he took them to see a play written by one of the most popular playwrights during the Greek times—Sophocles. Since only a handful of his works were recovered, there weren't many selections to choose from when they suggested a show. So they went to see the very first performance of Oedipus Rex. Suffice to say both Rose and Donna were a little ambivalent about the play—the latter saying that she preferred Shakespeare's work. After the show the Doctor decided to take them into town to observe the pedestrians and, much to each of their relief, no one was in danger of dying.
But one thing none of them were expecting was a woman who was supposedly the gods, Aphrodite and Peitho, or perhaps a member of their cults they had formed when the city came to fruition. Just what they needed. Apparently the woman had said the three of them had displayed such looks that intrigued her and tried to seduce them into joining them back at the temple where they could perform some kind of liturgy and set up Rose and Donna with prospective suitors. Knowing this the Doctor was quick to clarify that he and the former were already taken and even showed the verification of that, displaying their commitment to each other with their jewelry. Donna, however, was taken in and was told that one day she would be able to wield and hold the persuasive skills that often determined their future success with a swain.
And, it was with then, the trio thought it was best to make their leave before any available men flooded down the streets in an attempt to cajole them into…things. Now they were back in the TARDIS and changed out of the cultural garb and into their modern outfits.
"We really have a habit of runnin' into cults," Rose commented as she slipped on a maroon scoop-necked camisole.
"That wasn't intentional," the Doctor said with a sigh as he stood by the mirror, changing into his blue suit and discarding his tie altogether. "But then again I should've known better. Ancient times, ancient practices and…factions, for that matter. Mind you, it's better than having to run into a group of sibyls telling you about the future. Allegedly."
"Yeah, I'd take the temptresses over them any day," she said with a snort as she retrieved her navy blue leather bomber jacket. "Although, they are more flirtatious with you…dunno if that's really better."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Not my fault this body's pretty."
She chuckled, coming up to him to wrap an arm around his shoulders from behind. "Don't I know it?" She pressed a kiss to his cheek while he clicked his tongue and winked. Freezing for a moment she stepped back, moving to his side. "D'you really believe any of that, though? Those…predictions, whatever they meant. From the Sybils."
The Doctor turned to her, his face neutral. "It was all superstition, Rose. Just nonsensical fallacies made to worry us and tear our heads apart for the sake of knowing the meanings behind them." His hands rested on her upper arms. "That's just it, they're nothing but meaningless words. There's nothing to worry about, okay?"
Rose studied him for a moment before nodding. "Alright," she said before pointing a finger at him, her face serious. "But the second you see something crawling on my back you better tell me."
He chuckled through his nose and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Promise. And I see we're matching again. Well, somewhat, I should say. At least with the color scheme. Quite the occurrence this is becoming."
"This wasn't intentional, either," she replied with a tongue-touched smile. "What's life without whimsy?"
"Definitely not our life," the Doctor said pleasantly as they both made their way out of their room and into the corridor.
As they came into the console room they noticed Donna already there, waiting for them and in a new outfit. "If I hadn't already known you two were a couple, then you matching all the time would give it away," she remarked. "Almost as much as your googly eyes."
"We don't always match, Donna," Rose told her as they rounded the console. "'S just…coincidental."
The other woman snorted. "Maybe you should've done that before those…followers got a hold of each of us. Mainly me."
"So," the Doctor spoke up, his hands moving around the controls. "Nearly sacrificed to the Temple of Sybil and almost arranged to be another man's woman as decried by the Temple of Aphrodite. How's it feel, Donna?"
"Great," she answered sarcastically. "I'm crossing it off my bucket list. And if I were to be made someone's wife, it certainly wouldn't be by throwing myself at someone in an arranged marriage in Ancient Greece."
"That's fair," Rose remarked before turning to the Doctor. "So, where we off to next?"
"Dunno," he said with a shrug before a wide grin spread across his face. "You know what…how 'bout we leave it up to…"
He spun around the console in a flash of speed before the three of them jostled one another through the near-violent jolt that rocked through the TARDIS. Both the Doctor and Rose were in front of the jump seat one second then sent flying into it, only to lunge forward as the ship began teetering like a seesaw. Donna was on the opposite side of the console closer to the door, but soon ended up bumping into a coral strut. Another jolt sent Rose into her husband's lap before gently easing her aside before pushing himself forward to flip a switch, causing the turbulent seas to come to a stop. Rose and Donna exchanged a look before the former turned to her husband.
"Y'know that would'nt've happened if you let me drive."
"And you say I have an ego," he remarked.
"At least mine won't ever be as large as yours."
"Ehh…give it time, you've got a long way 'til then."
She swatted his arm. "So, where are we then?"
He shrugged, a huge grin on his face. "Dunno. Set the controls to random. Mystery tour!"
Rose's eyes lit up. "Yeah? It's been a while since we did the magical mystery tours."
"Yep! If I remember correctly, our last one ended up in Sharjaunee. Remember that, Rose? The yellow planet?"
"And that ended well," she snorted. "Almost ended up being arrested by bloody chauvinists because the color of the TARDIS was forbidden."
The Doctor scratched his neck, a sheepish look on his face. "Weeell…slight mishap there. But! I assure you it won't be that place again. And even if it was, that's all part of the anticipation, innit? Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide—" He cut himself off for a second when he looked at Donna. "Are you all right?"
The other woman was flitting her widened eyes between them and the doors. "Terrified. I mean, history's one thing, but an alien planet…"
"I could always take you home," he offered.
Rose elbowed him in the ribs. "Rude," she muttered. "Donna, we know what it's like."
"Everything you're feeling right now; the fear, the joy, the wonder—we get that!" the Doctor added happily, both of them moving around to stand in front of her as he buried his hands in his pockets and rocked on his feet. "We get that!"
"Seriously?" Donna asked. "After all this time?"
"Of course!" Rose said with a grin of her own. "Why do you think we keep going? The anticipation to see whatever the universe has to offer."
"Oh! All right, then, let's go!" she said happily. "This is barmy!" she chirped as she walked down the ramp to stand by the door, facing them as the Doctor reached over to grab his coat from the strut and shrug it on. "I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever done package holidays. Now I'm here. This is—I mean, it's—I dunno. It's all so—I don't even know what the word is!"
She opened the door and stepped through, the Doctor and Rose close behind. They were immediately greeted with a bitter coldness whipping them in the face in a howling gust of wind. Blankets of snow coated the ground as small flurries danced in the breeze.
"Oh, I've got the word," Donna said, holding her arms close to her frame. "Freezing."
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Rose commented as she took in the surroundings.
"Snow! Ah! Real snow!" the Doctor cried in delight as he stepped out to join them. "It's been a while since we've seen actual snow, Rose."
"Since Noel," she said. Luckily it wasn't as nippy as the conditions on that Christmas planet, so she supposed she was alright. "Doesn't really feel like that long ago, though."
"Well, yeah, that's true," he said with a nod. "But still, all the same, it's lovely!"
"Don't suppose they have hot maxa-chocolate here?"
He chuckled. "That's only found in one place, and it's certainly not here. We'd be able to smell that richness from miles away." He inhaled deeply. "Nope. Definitely not Noel."
"Could figure that out since there's no Christmas related customs of any sort around."
"True." He bent down to gather some snow in his palm, brushing it through his fingers and showed it to his wife. "What do you think?"
"Bit cold," Rose remarked, noting that Donna was shivering from where she stood by the TARDIS doors.
"Look at the view!" the Doctor chirped, thrusting an arm out towards the barren landscape.
In the distance of the winter wonderland were towering snow capped mountains, icy and white. A stone arch made to resemble a bridge wasn't far away as icicles dangled from it, hanging above a deep chasm.
"Yep," Donna said from behind. "A beautiful…cold view."
"Could build another snowman or have another one of our snowball fights," Rose suggested, nudging the Doctor. "I'm still entitled to that rematch."
"Thought we settled that was a stalemate," he said with a smile as he dusted his hands.
"Only 'cause I started to freeze and you were boasting about your 'superior physiology'."
"Weeell…to each is own. Still though, millions of planets, millions of galaxies and we're on this one. Molto bene! Belissimo!" He reached for Rose's hand, placing his other in his pocket as they began to walk away from the TARDIS. "Says Donna, born in Chiswick. You've had a life of work and sleep, telly and rent, takeaway dinners, birthdays and Christmases, two weeks holiday a year and then you end up here! Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How about that, Donna?"
"Doctor," Rose said, tugging on his hand and causing him to turn around. "She's gone."
He frowned just before the other woman came back out of wearing a heavy coat with a fur-lined hood over her head. "Sorry. You were saying?" Donna asked.
"Better?" he said, arching an eyebrow.
"Lovely, thanks."
The Doctor turned to Rose. "What about you? Aren't you gonna bundle up?"
She waved it off. "'M fine."
He raised his brows at her, his voice serious. "Rose. You're shivering, I can feel it. I don't want you to come down with pneumonia."
"Alright, hold on," she said with an eye roll as she slipped inside the TARDIS. She returned a few moments later wearing a heavy parka zipped all the way up with the hood over her head.
"You both comfy?" the Doctor said with a smile.
It mirrored on her face. "Yep."
"Yep," Donna responded.
"Can you hear anything inside of those?" he asked, bending over to peer through their hoods to see if they would break their poker faces.
Rose giggled right away. "Sorry?"
"Pardon?" Donna said, surprisingly with a straight face.
He sighed and shook his head. "Right. Anyways, I was saying, citizen of the Earth—"
His sentence was cut off by a loud whirring from overhead. The three of them craned their necks up to see a large rocket flying by.
"A rocket," Donna breathed out in wonder, lightly slapping the Doctor on the arm. "Blimey, a real, proper rocket. Now that's what I call a spaceship. You've got a box—he's got a Ferrari." She began to skip off in the vessel's direction. "Come on, let's see where it's going."
Rose turned to the Doctor, who was pouting as he looked back at his beautiful ship with offense. Manly pride shattered for a few moments. "To be fair, you did once say She was like a sports car," she said with a giggle.
"That was being compared to one of those bloody space hoppers," he muttered, the petulant expression on his face not easing up. "And I'm making an effort to not be offended by those remarks."
Rose rolled her eyes. Nine hundred and three year old child. She grabbed his hand and tugged him along to follow Donna. "Come on, you old grump. We'll walk it off."
Catching up with their companion the other woman turned to them as they walked across the snowy landscape. "How are you dealing with the cold?" she asked the Doctor. "I mean, I know you got lots of layers on, but it's freezing out here!"
"Superior physiology," he boasted while Rose groaned. "Can withstand many weather conditions."
"Right," Donna said with a snort. "Rubbing it in my face. But even aliens should get cold. Look at Rose."
She chuckled. "Still mostly human, Donna."
The other woman shrugged. "Whatever you say, spacegirl. Still pretty alien to me. But I stand by my point in saying that even aliens freeze from the cold."
"He has a cooler body temperature," Rose explained, patting his arm with the hand not gripping his own. "Much lower than humans. Although…there are ways of warming him up," she added with a sly grin.
The Doctor cleared his throat. "Discretion?"
Rose giggled again. "Not sorry."
"Neither am I."
"Oh, you two," Donna said dramatically from the side. "And I thought you were gooey before you were married."
The trio laughed as they crossed the bridge naturally placed over the chasm. Once they came near the end of it, Rose came to a stop when something came to her ears. Something sounding like…an ethereal melody of some kind.
"D'you hear that?" she asked the Doctor as she lowered her hood.
He glanced around the area. "Yeah. Where's it coming from?"
"Hear what?" Donna asked. "I can't hear anything."
"Take your hood down, Donna," he told her.
Lowering her hood Donna looked at them. "Alright. What is it? What are we listening to?"
"That noise," he said. "Can't you hear it?"
"It sounds like…a song," Rose remarked, the tune never leaving her ears. It was beautiful, almost as melodic and serene as the one the TARDIS would play soothingly when trying to sleep. But she felt a cold shiver shoot down her spine, and it wasn't from the weather.
"Hold on…" the Doctor drew out slowly, his eyes scanning the plain until he exclaimed suddenly. "Over there!"
Spotting something in the distance he broke into a run, the girls close behind him. Whatever the source to the song was must have been close by. Rose noticed a figure half-buried in the snow, appearing immobile, but when they came closer to the body she let out a gasp when she was able to identify the species. It was an Ood, the slave race that she and the Doctor encountered on Krop Tor and were possessed by the Beast. This one appeared to be injured.
"What is it?" Donna asked quietly.
"An Ood," Rose answered as the Doctor knelt by its side and pulled out his stethoscope. "He's called an Ood. But…how did he make it out here? This is far away from where we met them last time."
"But its face…"
"Donna, not now," the Doctor snapped. "It's a 'he', not an 'it'. Rose, give me a hand."
"Sorry, yeah," Rose said, kneeling on the Ood's other side.
He moved the stethoscope around the creature's chest, a crease forming on his brows. "I don't know where the heart is," he muttered. "I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him. Keep him going."
Nodding, Rose bent over and tried to comfort the creature, her hand resting on his shoulder and her voice soft. "Hello. My name's Rose, and this is the Doctor. What's…your name?"
The Ood raised its translator ball a bit and it lit up. "Designated Ood Delta 50," he replied weakly.
Rose offered it a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Delta 50. Everything's gonna be okay, yeah?"
"You've been shot," the Doctor said, concerned as he moved the diaphragm down to Delta 50's abdomen.
"The circle—" the Ood began to say as he tried to sit up, only to fall back with a groan. "The circle must be broken."
Rose exchanged a look with the Doctor. That wasn't a phrase they had heard these creatures say when last they saw them. Of course they were possessed by the devil then.
"The circle? What do you mean?" the Doctor asked curiously, dropping his stethoscope. The creature was unresponsive, his eyes slipping shut. "Delta 50, what circle?" he tried again, more firmly. "Delta 50? What circle?"
It was then Delta 50's eyes shot open, but the color of them changed and turned into a deep ominous red. The Doctor and Rose quickly scrambled back as the Ood growled fiercely and sat upright. They studied him for a moment before his growling faded away and his body collapsed back, his eyes slipping shut again. Both the Doctor and Rose exchanged a look. That was definitely a difference from last time. Or…was it?
"He's gone," Donna breathed out as she stepped closer to the Ood.
"Careful," the Doctor warned as both he and Rose cautiously approached the motionless body, kneeling down to examine him.
Donna knelt by the creature's head, gently stroking it. "There you are, sweetheart. We were too late. What do we do, do we bury him?"
"The snow will take care of that," the Doctor said with a frown, standing to his feet and burying his hands in his pockets as the ginger woman came to step over to them.
"Who was he?" Donna asked. "What's an Ood?"
"They're servants - of humans in the 42nd century," he answered.
Rose snorted. "Slaves, is the word. They don't get paid for the jobs they did. Well…that was up at the base on Krop Tor. What they're doing around here is another question."
The Doctor regarded her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, brushing his thumb over her parka. "I wasn't aware of that then," he said softly in her mind. "How could I have missed that?"
"To be fair, that day was pretty chaotic," she reasoned. "Lots of things goin' on. You lost the TARDIS, you were concerned."
"That's true. But the main thing on my mind that day was trying to get you out of there. I…never really stopped to realize that about the Ood."
Rose patted his chest as the memories of that day came back to them. She noticed Donna staring at them, frowning that she was unaware of their silent communication.
"Anyways," the Doctor said aloud. "As I was saying, they're mildly telepathic. That was the song—it was his mind calling out."
"I couldn't hear anything," Donna said sadly as she walked away from the body to stand by them. "He sang as he was dying."
Rose stared at the motionless body of the Ood, a little warily. "But…Doctor, his eyes turned red."
"I know," he said with a nod. "That's a change."
"What's that mean?" Donna asked.
"If I had to take a guess…trouble. Come on."
He reached for Rose's hand and the trio began to continue their trail down the snowy plain, still in the direction of the rocket. By some chance maybe it was headed straight to some sort of facilities that could explain what exactly an Ood was doing way out here and could lead to answers to why the creature had done something so bestial and unnatural for such a benign personality.
"You see, the Ood are harmless and usually good-natured when they're themselves," Rose told Donna as they walked. "Except the last time we met them there was this…force. Like a stronger mind that took them over and controlled them."
"What sort of force?" Donna asked curiously.
She waved it off. "Long story."
"Long walk," the other woman pointed out.
"It was the Beast," Rose answered. Donna looked at her, still confused by her response.
"It was the devil," the Doctor said evenly.
"If you're gonna take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up," the ginger woman snapped.
"Well, I don't believe it was the actual devil," he added. "There's representations of the Horned Beast all across the universe—myths and legends from a million worlds. What was down in the pit was merely an idea that bled out."
"An idea who said I would die in battle," Rose blurted out quietly.
The Doctor closed his eyes, hearing the ominous words the Beast had said about his wife that day in the pit, a prediction that would soon become the truth over a year later…
He shook his head, denying the visions access to flood through. They were past all of that. They were healed. Or…still healing, rather. But they were here, and they had other things to take care of and think about
"Don't think about that," he thought to her hoarsely, though still firm. "Ever. You're here, and that's all that matters." She sent him an accepting wave as a response and his tension eased up. He let out a deep breath. "Yeah…that was the last time. "Must be something different this time, though. Something closer to home." They reached the edge and peered over a bluff, a sprawling complex below. "Ah-ha! Civilization!" he exclaimed, gesturing at the base.
"You think that's where the rocket was headed?" Donna asked.
"Must be," Rose remarked, eyeing the compound. "Fancy some investigating?"
"Why not?"
She turned to the Doctor, who arched an eyebrow. "You really have to ask?"
She grinned cheekily. "I know. Rhetorical question."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
With some use of persuasion the trio was able to convince the guards to let them through. Of course it had helped that Rose used her blatant and natural charm to make it even easier which, no surprise, made the Doctor roll his eyes. Cheeky woman. But still, they managed to get their way through and into the compound.
"How about that?" Donna commented. "Lettin' your wife charm the guards like that. Never imagined that since you're so possessive."
Rose snorted. "I don't always do things like that. But this one on the other hand…" she nodded to her husband. "Has a habit of flirting."
"What?" he asked incredulously, his brows furrowed. "Not me. If anyone has that habit it's one Captain Jack Harkness. Most definitely not me."
The women chuckled at his affronted expression. "I was kind of expecting some kind of spy stuff."
"Maybe next time," Rose said with a shrug as they noticed a crowd of people ahead, who seemed to be buyers. They each broke into a run to catch up.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a woman was saying, sounding like she was giving a sales pitch. "Welcome to the Ood-Sphere and isn't it bracing? Here are your information packs with vouchers, 3D tickets and a map of the complex. My name's Solana, Head of Marketing. I'm sure we've all spoken on the vid-phone. Now if you'd like to follow me—"
"Sorry, sorry!" the Doctor said as they came up to the group, heading up front to the woman. "We're late! Don't mind us! Hello. The guards let us through."
"And you would be?"
"The Doctor and Rose Tyler," Rose answered as they both held out their psychic papers in synchronicity.
"And this is Donna Noble," he added, nodding to the ginger woman.
"Representing the Noble Corporation, PLC Limited, Intergalactic," Donna said, stepping forward.
"We're very well known," Rose put in. "We sent an associate out to book us a visit. We should be on there."
Solana looked between the three of them, looking nonplussed before regaining her professional poise. "Must have fallen off my list," she said with a smile. "My apologies, it won't happen again. Now then, Miss Noble, Dr. and Mrs. Tyler, you would like to come with me."
"Brilliant improvisation there, Lewis," the Doctor said through their bond."Both you and Donna."
"Thanks, Shake," she replied. "I'm usually good with lists."
He snorted. "Oh, is that so? Gee, I wonder where you got that from."
"Pretty self-explanatory, innit?"
"Here is your information pack. Vouchers inside," Solana said, handing it to the Doctor before addressing the whole crowd. "Now, if you'd like to come with me, the executive suites are nice and warm."
The executive opened the door, but before the crowd could be escorted inside the sound of an alarm blared across the area.
The Doctor paused at the door. "Ooh, what's that?" he said acutely, looking at the woman who seemed a bit shaken up from the alert. "Sounds like an alarm."
Solana composed herself again, waving it off dismissively. "It's just a siren for the end of the work shift. Now then, this way! Quick as you can!"
As the group was ushered inside they were thankful that the area was, indeed, much warmer than the outside. Rose unzipped her parka a little as they made their way into a guest suite. Upon entering she felt a wave of disgust rest in the pit of her stomach when she noticed a row of the Ood standing on pedestals for display as if they were shop window dummies. Some others were standing in the corners holding serving trays, and she shook her head. This was wrong. The whole lot of it.
"Like bloody mannequins," she muttered in her mind.
The Doctor glanced at her after slipping his specs on and pressed his lips together, reaching for her hand and squeezing it as the three of them moved to the back of the room while Solana stood at a podium in front of a large screen covering the entire wall and poster art images of the Ood.
"As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve and we keep them in facilities of the highest standards," she said. "Here at the Double O—that's Ood Operations—we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends. We keep the Ood healthy, safe and educated."
"'Friends'," she repeated with distaste, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is that what they're calling them instead of slaves?"
"We don't just breed the Ood, we make them better," Solana continued with a smile, making Rose that much more irritated and angry. "Because at heart, what is an Ood…but an extension of us? If your Ood is happy, then you'll be happy too."
Everyone in the room applauded, save for the three travellers. Rose wouldn't dare take part in something where people actually supported this. All she kept hearing were the comments said from the crew back on Krop Tor, when the Ood were referred to as stupid and useless cattle that were used as slaves, saying that it was all they lived and died for. She never believed that. That wasn't a lifestyle anyone could just be accustomed to and live by.
"Now, if I can introduce you," she continued when the clapping eased up. "He's only just flown in. We're very lucky to have him with us today. The Chief Executive of Ood Operations, Mr. Klineman Halpen."
The crowd began to applaud once again as a professional man with a receeding hairline made his entrance and his way over to the podium. "I bet that's Ferrari boy," the Doctor muttered.
"Bet he's worth a bit," Donna responded.
"Are you travelling the universe to find a husband?" he replied with a scowl.
She grinned. "You got a problem with that, skinny?"
Rose scoffed. "Seriously, Donna?"
The ginger shrugged and the Doctor rolled his eyes. "Women," he murmured. Rose elbowed him in the side and he feigned hurt. Maybe. "Sorry, I…wasn't referring to you."
"Flattering."
"'Bout for over two centuries now," Mr. Halpen began, getting their attention. "Ood Operations has licensed the Ood to the point where fifty percent of all houses across Galactic Central possess at least one domestic Ood." Rose scrunched her nose in annoyance as the man kept on. "And it's onwards and upwards as the Double O looks to expand into new and alien territory—"
"Can I just ask?" the Doctor interjected with a raised hand.
"We'll be taking questions later," Solana told him, looking a bit fidgety.
"Well, we're asking questions now," Rose said.
The Doctor turned to her and winked before returning his attention to the executives. "'Cause our ship landed off-course beyond the ice field. And we found an Ood…in the snow. He'd been shot."
Mr. Halpen briefly turned to Solana, his mouth moving nervously as he began to stammer. "Well…that's terrible," he replied, showing sincerity. "I really must apologize, Mr.…?"
"Doctor," he corrected.
"Doctor," Halpen repeated before hesitantly adding. "Ood pirates, I'm afraid. They steal the Ood for the black-market. And if a prisoner escapes…" he paused as if to show compassion, but they weren't buying it. "Well, poor soul."
"Have you got any problems with the Ood?" Rose spoke up. "Anything serious, maybe something involving…oh, I dunno, red eyes or things like that?"
Both Halpen and Solana looked uncomfortable by her question. "I have no such reports, Miss…" he replied evenly with a head shake, but his body language was clear.
"Tyler. Rose Tyler," she replied, placing a hand on her husband's arm. "And that's 'Mrs.'"
The Doctor glanced at her and smirked, and she grinned.
Mr. Halpen let out a nervous chuckle. "Right. Well, Mrs. Tyler, you and your husband sound like members of FOTO."
"What's FOTO?" the Doctor asked, puzzled.
"Friends of the Ood," Rose supplied mentally.
"Oh!" he said with a grin, nodding as he looked at her and Donna. "Friends of the Ood, I like it. FOTO, yeah. Is that such a bad thing, then?" he asked the executive sharply.
"We're all friends of the Ood here," he replied, holding his arms out before fixing his attention to a device on his wrist. "Oh…unfortunately, I've been called away. How sad. But, uh, nobody move. You've got some first class entertainment coming up. Now if you'll excuse me."
He stepped down from the podium, the applause much lighter than it was during his arrival as he made his way over to the trio, followed by an Ood with a sigma symbol on his jacket. "Well, Dr. and Mrs. Tyler, we'll continue this conversation another time."
The Doctor leaned forward. "D'you know, I think we will."
"Yeah, we'll take you up on that," Rose remarked, looping her arm through her husband's.
Halpen eyed them up and down before turning to Donna, almost in a disparaging manner. "Nice coat."
"Nice rocket," she told him.
He raised an eyebrow, considering her compliment before walking off with the Ood. The Doctor had a grimacing expression at the mention of the man's means of transportation again, taking it as another insult to his magnificent ship.
"What?" Donna asked when she noticed his look.
"Really?" he asked incredulously.
"Oh, come off it," she replied.
Rose rolled her eyes and rubbed his arm. "Donna, don't mind him. You just wounded his ego again. And, for the record, that man isn't worth any commendations whatsoever. Not when he's part of this enslavement."
She held her hands up innocently. "Sorry."
"And, besides that, we know the TARDIS is much better."
The Doctor's attitude changed, his eyes lighting up. "Most definitely."
Donna shook her head. Men and their possessions.
As the members of the group spread out some, Solana stepped down from the stage to walk over towards the three Ood that were on display in the center of the hall. The Doctor exchanged a look with Rose, then looked over at Donna as they approached them.
"I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations," she said, gesturing at the first one. "We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting. How are you today, Ood?"
The Ood raised its translator ball. "I'm perfectly well, thank you," it replied normally.
"Or perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen," she continued, moving on to the next Ood. "How are you, Ood?"
"All the better for seeing you," it replied with a sultry female voice.
Both the Doctor's and Rose's brows shot up in surprise.
"Bet you'd love it if Rose talked to you like that," Donna snorted from behind.
A wicked grin spread across the Doctor's lips. "Oh, she already has before," he said with a low voice. "Still does. Not in those words exactly but…in so many other ways. And they're much more…amatory," he added slyly, his voice low.
She rolled her eyes playfully and elbowed him. "Priorities, you old lecher."
He leaned over and waggled his eyebrows at her, transferring a reel of salacious images from the night before of their usual circumstances. All six rounds. Rose felt her cheeks blush but she grinned cheekily behind her hand while he chortled out loud.
"Oi, keep it in your pants, you randy aliens," Donna murmured, tapping both of their arms, causing them to blush and wink at each other.
"And the comedy classic option," Solana continued onto the third Ood, breaking their little…moment. "Ood, you dropped something."
The Ood raised its translator ball. "D'oh!" it spoke, impersonating Homer Simpson and causing everyone in the room to chuckle. Once again, everyone except for the trio.
"All that for only five additional credits," the executive told them, that plastered smile still on her face. "The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back."
The occupants in the room began to mingle, moving around and picking up nibbles from the trays the Ood were serving. Usually the Doctor was always first in line to grab as many of the servings as possible, but he was uncomfortable with the current surroundings as well. Donna went off and got herself a drink while he and Rose stood where they were. She elbowed his side to indicate the large screen behind the podium.
"Presentation?" she inquired. "Maybe we'll be able to find out more about the Ood's origins before the humans showed up."
He cocked his head to the side and sniffed. "Hopefully."
Moving over to the control board he glanced over to see Rose reaching into her jacket to pull out her specs and smirked. He then pressed a few keys and switching the screen on, showing them their location.
"Ah, got it," he said, burying his hands in his pockets. "The Ood-Sphere. I've been to this solar system before—years ago. Ages. Close to the planet Sense-Sphere." The picture zoomed out to show the further three areas around the Ood-Sphere in space, spanning three galaxies shown outlined in red connecting to small dots on the edges across the view. "Let's widen it out…the year 4126. That is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire," he added, pointing to it.
"4126?" Donna asked, surprised as she came over to them. "It's 4126? I'm in 4126?"
The Doctor grinned. "It's good, isn't it?"
"Hold on," Rose said, leaning closer at the screen then back a her husband. "Did you say the second? So they've got a long way until Platform One."
"Pretty much," he responded with a nod, placing a hand on her back as he observed the screen with her. "Not the year 5.5/apple/26 yet, but even if so, you know we can't go back to that year now."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, crossing into established events is forbidden. Like I haven't heard any of that before."
"You two have a habit of speaking about paradoxes and other things," Donna remarked. "Most of the time I don't understand half the things you two say."
They both chuckled. "That's us," Rose said with a wide smile.
The other woman looked between them. "Alright, putting aside…whatever you two were blabbing about…what's the Earth like now?"
"A bit full," the Doctor answered. "But you see, the empire stretches out across three galaxies."
"It's weird," Donna said. "I mean, it's brilliant, but…back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live—global warming, flooding, all the bees disappearing."
"Yeah," Rose said with a frown. "That thing about the bees is odd."
"But look at us—we're everywhere," Donna said with widened eyes as she stared at the screen. "Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers or more like a virus?"
"Sometimes I wonder," the Doctor murmured.
Rose glanced over at him before pointing at the picture. "So what're those red dots, then?"
"Ood distribution centers," he replied.
"Across three galaxies?" Donna asked. "Don't the Ood get a say in this?"
"No, they don't," Rose said with a hard voice, glaring at the people mingling happily. "From the way they were treated the last time we met them, at least."
Donna shook her head before walking over to one of the Ood on the pedestals on 'display'. She gently tapped him to get his attention. "Um…sorry, but…hello. Tell me, are you all like this?"
"I do not understand, miss," he answered evenly.
"Why do you say, 'miss'? Do I look single?" she asked, offended by the remark.
The Doctor rolled his eyes and Rose bit back on a laugh. "Went a little off track there, Donna," she said.
"Yeah, back to the point," he added.
"Sorry, yeah," Donna said before turning back to the creature. "What I mean is, are there any free Ood? Are there any Ood running wild somewhere like wildebeest?"
"All Ood are born to serve," the Ood said. "Otherwise we would die."
"But you couldn't have started like that," Rose stepped in. "No one could be born into that. What were you like, before the humans?"
The Ood jerked his head slightly, twitching a little at the mention of humans. But…he seemed controlled. Maybe. "The circle," he strained.
"What do you mean? What circle?" the Doctor asked, alerted.
He began to stumble over his words, trying to force them out. "The circ-the circle…the circle is—"
"Ladies and gentlemen," Solana addressed, cutting him off and gaining everyone's attention. "All Ood to hospitality stations, please."
The Ood blinked a bit, recovering from his strenuous efforts to speak and walked off, joining the others as they left.
The Doctor studied them with an arched eyebrow before taking off his glasses. That was odd. Something about this circle was connecting them, some kind of force. Something different for sure. But what was it? Social hour was over. Time to return to their sleuthing.
"I've had enough of the schmoozing," he remarked, reaching into his pocket to pull out the map of the complex and showing it to the women. "D'you girls fancy going off the beaten track?"
"Goin' out of bounds?" Rose quipped. "Why not?"
"A Rough Guide to the Ood-Sphere?" Donna asked, observing the paper. "Works for me."
Response to Guest: Glad you enjoyed it! ;)
Response to newboy: And I always look forward to your feedback :D You always make great points about future events. Definitely. Over 900+ years of scars and memories lodged inside that big mind of his. And that's very true about Davros.