"Kathy, hand me my screwdriver." The Doctor said, as he put the finishing touches on the small device he had just made. He scrunched his nose to push his black rimmed glasses up on his nose.
She grabbed the screwdriver from a slot on the control board of the TARDIS and handed it to him. "What exactly are you making?" she asked, frustrated since he had been speaking in riddles ever since he said he knew how to stop them.
The screwdriver clicked into the newly-made device, making it appear like a tiny hammer. The Doctor held it in his hands for Kathy to see. "This is an ultrasound defibrillator," he said, matter-of-factly. "It sends out an ultrasonic pulse to the nearest Gronthaar, which makes them bubble as you saw. You see, the Gronthaars are made of a sort of liquid-gas complex, making it easier to change shapes. However, a wave of ultrasonic sound that is tuned to the right frequency causes the liquid to boil uncontrollably. It doesn't normally cause death, or dust-making, but the Gronthaars are so weak that their biology can't handle too much stress. So, if I administer this pulse inside the house, it would be able to kill any Gronthaars on the island. Of course, then we would have to go catch the others that aren't in the area. And don't worry. The frequency is too high for humans to hear it, so your friends will be safe."
"We're going to kill them?" Kathy asked, since that was the only thing that she could understand.
"Yeah, that's sort of what I just said," The Doctor replied cheekily. He twisted a few pegs on the defibrillator.
"I know that they are pretty dangerous creatures, but they just want to survive," Kathy said. "Don't they deserve a chance to live, at least? There has to be some planet out there where they could live peacefully."
"Gronthaars are the masters of disguise. Even if I did bring them to a different planet, they would find a way back here. After all, this has been their home for centuries now. They're too dangerous to be kept alive."
"And who are you to decide that?" Kathy challenged. "I mean, punishing them is one thing. But you're not God. No one should have to make that decision." After accidently killing that Gronthaar/mother, she didn't want any more deaths.
The Doctor paused and thought about that. It brought him back to Adelaide Brooke. Back when he was stupid and foolish, thinking that he could govern over time. "The Time Lord Victorious is wrong!" She had told him. He hadn't listened to her until she took her own life. It hit him then, what he was becoming, what would happen if he continued. He just wanted to survive, too. It wasn't too much to ask. But he was more important than Gronthaars.
"They have violated certain laws according to the Shadow Proclamation," he replied coldly, going back to his tinkering. "They have to be stopped."
"I can't pretend to know what you just said, but that doesn't matter. You're a Doctor, someone who helps people. You don't execute them without trying to save them." Kathy stated seriously.
He stopped and looked at Kathy. She was right, which seemed to be a reoccurring theme with her. He seemed to be slipping the wrong way again. His mercy was running low. "I will give them a chance. I always give them a chance." He replied. "One chance."
Kathy nodded; still not sure it was the right thing to do. But she trusted the Doctor. She wasn't sure why. They had only just met and she hardly knew a thing about him. But it was clear he knew how these aliens worked better than she could ever hope to be. "Then, what are we going to do?" she asked, getting excited.
"We will go back to that room in the library, this time without the perception filters, and speak to their leader. I'll keep this little dandy tucked safely in my coat," He demonstrated as he placed the screwdriver in his breast pocket. "And will go from there. Simple." I hope, he thought.
"It's just that simple? No running for our lives or something ridiculous like that?" Kathy inquired. Something in the back of her head said that it wasn't going to be that simple.
He shrugged. "Pretty much." The Doctor dashed to the monitor and twisted a few knobs. Hopefully, she would leave it at that and just trust him. And she did. In a way.
Kathy paused and bit her lip, choosing her next words carefully. "And um…" She stammered. "If you don't mind me asking… Who is Rose?"
The Doctor felt the familiar pain and loss instantly. But he refused to let it show on his face. "Oh, she was… just… a friend…" He answered slowly, not taking his eyes off of the monitor, avoiding her eyes.
"Just a friend, huh?" Kathy repeated, licking her lips. It was hard for her to press him, and also be gentle. "She must have been a really good friend."
"She was." He replied. "But she's fine now. She's with her family. And well…. Friends."
"You mentioned… another you. What does that mean?" She pushed a little further.
The awkwardness rose in the air, making it difficult for them to breathe. The Doctor couldn't tell her. He didn't know her, nor did he care tell her his sob story that was his life. He said nothing and finished his adjustments on the control board. Then, he waltzed over to the door, opened it, and gestured to Kathy. "Shall we?" he asked.
Sighing, Kathy strode towards the door. "We're not done discussing this." She told him.
"Aye, aye, Captain." He replied sarcastically.
As soon as her foot touched the floor of the closet they were in, she felt a hand grasp over her mouth and a massive arm grab her from the right. She let out a muffled cry, as a sharp pain sliced into her head, and then, slipping into a deep sleep.
The Doctor heard the cry and ran out in the closet. "Kathy?" he called. She was not in the closet. He dashed into the teenage girl's room and found no trace of her. She was not in the hall either. "Oh, no. Not again." He muttered to himself, kicking himself for being so careless. She was in danger, all because of him.
His Time Lord mind was racing with what had just happened. Unconsciously, he ran his hand through his thick head of brown hair. He had seen her jerk to the right, and disappeared. That was it! The wall! He dashed to the wall and reached for the sonic screwdriver to help him try and find a way through. He pulled it out, but stopped himself. The device was still attached to the end. If he turned it on, it would send the ultrasound pulse, killing the Gronthaars. I have to give them a chance, he told himself. He would have to find a way in without his beloved tool.
Placing the screwdriver back in his breast pocket, he put his hand in his over-sized coat and pulled the stethoscope from it. He listened intently through the wall, searching for any sounds of movement. There was a faint sound of footsteps on the other side of the wall. He let his hands explore the wall, looking for any cracks or ways to get on the other side. It was a tight squeeze as the TARDIS was an inch behind him and he was pressed up against the wall.
Suddenly, his right hand went through the wall. It quite literally went through the wall. A portion of the wall was just a projection, sort of like a virtual wall. As he poked his hand through, the wall glitched and pixelated. That's new, the Doctor thought as he slipped to the other side.
There was a hall that was lined with full bookshelves. Another Persian rug covered the floor and lead to the end of the hall. The Doctor glanced back at the virtual wall. That couldn't have been here back in the day, he concluded. The Gronthaars must have installed that. But why this house? The Doctor listened intently down the hall, listening for footsteps or voices. Nothing. Placing one converse shoe in front of the other with caution, he proceeded down the hall, his Time Lord senses on maximum. The end of the hall turned to the left, but the Doctor pressed his back against the wall and poked his head around the corner. He could see the room that he and Kathy had recently discovered, with the kids on the stasis chamber beds. Steam rose from the beds as the technology of the bed worked to control the temperature of the sleeping teens. Red lights indicated that they were all deep in a coma-like state, and alive. The Doctor searched for Kathy, but did not see her on any of the beds that he saw. However, there were noises off in a corner which was out of the Doctor's line of sight.
"Get her in the cage." One male voice said. The Doctor immediately recognized it as the kid who beat up that other teenager. Carl, that's what Kathy said.
There was a thump, followed by the sound of metal clanking. "That should hold her." Another male voice said. The Doctor did not recognize that voice. "The collection is complete."
"Let the others know of the initiation," Carl said proudly. "After millennia of being inferior, we shall rise to the top."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," The Doctor said, squaring his shoulders and entering the room. When he did, he saw that Kathy was strapped in a large bird cage, chains attached to her wrists and ankles. She was still unconscious.
Carl and the boy turned to face the Doctor, neither showed a hint of surprise. "Well, if it isn't the Doctor," Carl stated with a sneer. Billy looked as though he was going to run towards the Doctor, but Carl put out his arm to stop him. "No, no, Billy," he said. "There's no need for violence. Am I right, Time Lord?"
"How do you know who I am?" the Doctor asked menacingly.
"We, Gronthaars, are psychically connected. One of my dear friends scanned your brain, allowing me to see what goes in that expansive head. No wonder your hair is crazed." Carl stayed very calm, which sent chills up the Doctor's spine. Calm usually meant very evil.
"But that friend of yours met her," The Doctor nodded to Kathy. "You know what they say, 'Never scare a human.'"
"Only Time Lords say that. Even after killing his own race, he keeps Gallifrey alive, as if they were still alive. But you and I know the reality."
"Let Kathy go." The Doctor said, stepping forward, defiance lighting his eyes. The red of the stasis chambers added to the clash of good and evil in the room. "And her friends. Whatever you need, I can help."
"Why would we need your help, when we have exactly what we need here?" Billy snickered, looking from bed to bed.
"I have a TARDIS. I can take you to a planet, where you can live in peace. I can help you find another way of surviving. But you can't steal these children's lives. You're violating the Shadow Proclamation decree 4."
Carl threw his head back, laughing bitterly. He took a few steps towards the Doctor. "You think the Shadow Proclamation has authority over us? We are under exile. And that's where their jurisdiction stops. And anyway, we're not stealing their lives. We're just enhancing their ability to survive and feeding it to our own needs."
"I'm warning you," The Doctor said, reaching in his breast pocket and pulling out the new and improved sonic screwdriver. "I am giving you one last chance. I don't want to have to use this."
"Is that an ultrasound defibrillator? Come on, Doctor. I'm disappointed in you." Carl laughed as he walked to the cage where Kathy laid. "You always choose the fighters. You see, you wouldn't dare use that." He gestured for Billy to open the cage. Once it was open, Carl stepped inside and lifted her arms. The Doctor stepped closer to see clearly. Along her arms were tubes and intravenous chords going into her arms at various points. "We are feeding her the DNA of a Gronthaar." Carl explained. "In a few short minutes, her human DNA will be mutated into Gronthaar DNA. Trigger that defibrillator and you kill your friend. The innocent little American girl, whose only desire is to have an adventure. Now you have to ask yourself, Doctor. I have been inside your head. I have seen those pathetic companions of yours, and their sad endings. Granted you just met this one, but could you kill one girl just to wipe out an entire enemy race? I mean, you did wipe out Pompeii to save the world. But how important is just one soul? Could you really bring yourself to kill her?"
The Doctor swallowed hard, careful not to show any emotion. He glanced down at Kathy with so much sympathy. He thought back to that time in Pompeii when he was wondering whether or not it was worth it to kill a whole city to save the world from the Pyroviles. Donna had been there, like she always was. She was his best friend, and now she couldn't even remember him. When he was contemplating about what to do with his own planet and the Time War, he felt the same way. It was a feeling he could only describe as being God. He chose if someone lived or died, for the sake of all creation. Never had the Doctor expected to make these sorts of decisions in his life.
Carl and Billy stared at the Doctor, seeing the internal conflict in his eyes. Suddenly, the Doctor saw a movement. It was Kathy! She looked deep into his eyes and winked before closing her eyes again, and letting her body go limp. Deep in the back of his mind, the Doctor formed a perfect plan.
Dun dun dun! Ok not so dramatic, i know. But I have always wanted to do that. Anyway, two more chapters to go. Hope you are enjoying it