Chapter 10: G.R.E.E.N.
"Genetic Resource Engineering and Enhancement Network." The building had an insignia of a D.N.A. double helix that unwrapped to become a leaf. I don't know. To me, it looks like they were trying very hard to make it spell out "Green." But here we are on another alien planet. This one covered in lots of vegetation. We reached this "G.R.E.E.N." research facility and were welcomed by two young scientists. Students or something. A little blue guy and an orange girl awaited us at the door the facility. They both had those white eyes. The same as the other possessed people we had run into. The place was HUGE! Multiple buildings made up this lab, with the center one being a large dome-shaped building. Between them we could see wild vegetation rampaging. Vines and trees stretched up, penetrating and hiding different labs.
"Erin," The Doctor whispered over to me. "Can I keep her?" he said referring to the young orange scientist.
"Now behave yourself Doctor, or no gift shop for you!" I joked.
The tour we were on took us to multiple buildings and multiple types of labs. We first entered a floor that had equipment designed to change precipitation to allow different types of vegetations to grow. The orange girl skipped in front of us. We followed the white tails of her lab coat as we entered the next building. She was super bubbly and super annoying. Smiling at The Doctor with her little dimpled cheeks.
"And the inner module releases the molecules when it reaches the upper atmosphere?" The Doctor asked the orange scientist girl curiously.
"Yes! That is completely correct," said the Orange girl with a wink. "You are so smart!" She winked at him! The nerve! I mean, come on - have some respect for yourself sister. But whatever. Why should I care? He can keep his little orange zombie girlfriend. And them and his new blue girlfriend can all fly through space together!
"Hey Erin, you are falling behind the tour," said Dow. This tiny blonde nerd kid we picked up on the last planet. I used to beat up people like him back in high school. Well, that was before I became a beautiful and sophisticated woman. I guess he was kind of adorable, in like an unassuming, quirky, genius-y way.
"Yeah yeah, whatever."
There were other scientists walking around the buildings, seemingly aimless. They walked around, and would mindlessly press buttons on computer screens or continue repeating phrases like, "We need to recalibrate the specs," or "Mondays are the worst." I even saw one scientist continually open and close a cabinet door.
"Keep in up Cissel," said the male blue tour guide to the "Monday" man.
The next building brought us into a large auditorium. The lights went out, and we were expected to find our seats. Our two guides left us as the projection started. I sat down in the front, next to The Doctor. Dow quickly sat on the other side of me. I looked back to find Cera finding a seat in a back corner. She had that same, stuck up look on her face. I mean, come on - you can smile sister. Fornicks took a seat on the other corner of the auditorium. The movie started.
"Hello and welcome to the G.R.E.E.N. Labs facility on planet Chloranto," an older, but beautiful scientist woman with purple skin began to speak in the projection. She had dark black hair tied back, with strands loosely falling over her lab coat collar. Her beautiful orange eyes were framed on her face by a set of sharp bangs.
"Hey Fornicks, look its Leppi!" screamed The Doctor to the back of the room. Just great! Another colorful alien girl for The Doctor to swoon over... Not that I care.
The scientist from the movie was named Doctor Leppi Pterra. I wondered how The Doctor knew her. Is the universe really that small? The speaker explained that this lab was concerned with a science called Geo-engineering. Pretty much, the idea was that they used some scientific flying-probe thingy to fly into the clouds and make it rain so that crops could grow. The video was long. I drifted in and out of sleep maybe five times. But what I do remember from the video was that G.R.E.E.N. Labs is usually working on modifying vegetables so that they can grow in different environments on different planets. Something about ending hunger on planets that have harsh environments. Other than that, they did lots of other research projects like investigating the flora and fauna of other planets. I remember waking up for this one part where there were these giant ant-like things walking around and grooming a giant ant queen.
Loud applause woke me up. I looked up to see that the video had ended. The Doctor was now wearing 3-D glasses. I'm pretty sure that none of the movie was in 3-D, he must have brought them himself. The orange girl re-entered the auditorium.
"Any questions?" she asked.
At this, The Doctor and her must have gone back and forth about a million times. The Doctor eventually asked her about Nanomachines, which the Orange Girl denied any knowledge of. Dow then chimed in with a few questions, and it was back to sleep for me. A tap on my shoulder woke me up. It was Dow again, smiling down on me awkwardly.
"Leppi is here," said a voice in our head. It was kind of terrifying the first time that Fornicks spoke to us through our minds, but now I thought it was pretty cool.
"OOH! Is she!" exclaimed The Doctor.
"Oh yes. Dr. Pterra is the head researcher of this lab," responded the girl. "She is in the next building. Follow me."
We followed her into the next building. It was like a parking lot for spaceships. No, I have to get the lingo correct. It was a "Hangar Bay." There were multiple ships of different shapes and sizes, all with the G.R.E.E.N. insignia on it. In the middle stood that purple scientist woman.
"Hello Fornicks! Doctor!" exclaimed the woman. We were close enough to see that she was indeed the woman from the video. Except, she did not have those large and bright orange eyes. Instead, she had the same white eyes that our tour guides. She stood alone in the hangar as we approached her.
"Look at you Leppi!" said The Doctor with a whistle. "You are a full-fledged Scientist! They grow up so fast."
"Doctor!" I screamed. "She is one of them!"
"Now don't be rude Captain," he replied.
"No Doctor she is right," said Leppi as she approached. "And soon so shall you. I will have you Doctor, Fornicks, and your Tardis."
Cera stepped forward in front of The Doctor and whipped out her lightsaber.
"No Cera!" The Doctor screamed as he grabbed her lightsaber wielding hand.
"Leppi, are you in there?" said that voice in our heads. I could hear honest concern in Fornick's message.
"My dearest Fornicks, you will come with me," said Leppi as she extended her arm.
"I don't think so," said The Doctor.
"Yeah, and why would he want to go with you!" I said with my arms crossed.
"He will come with us because it is in his instincts." Leppi said as she snapped her fingers. At this, a black cloud rushed into the hangar and above us. The black cloud started to shift, and images started to appear. In the image we saw that giant ant queen, the one from the video. Except she didn't look well. She was hunched over and not being attended to by the other ant-creatures. The image zoomed out to reveal a giant black pillar that was penetrating her middle section. The giant black pillar swirled and flowed into the queen's back like flowing water. It seemed like it was alive. Fibers exploded out of the pillar like smoke from a column of fire. The queen wailed in agony.
"Fornicks, we will go together. But you have to trust me," pleaded The Doctor.
"Can you trust him Fornicks?" started Leppi. "To get here, The Doctor was most likely inputting into his computer, planets where he knew we visited."
"You left a trail of breadcrumbs right to your door," joked The Doctor.
"Yes Fornicks, but while he was putting in planets - did he once say Hymeno? Did he once mention your planet?"
"What is going on Doctor?" I asked.
"Fornicks! Don't listen to her," The Doctor pleaded again.
"He knew that we had been to your planet. He knew that we had your queen. That psychic field your species communicate with was important in the evolution of our nano-machines. They allowed us to spread ourselves all throughout the universe. The Doctor knew this the whole time, and did not tell you."
Fornicks stood silent for a while and no one said anything. Dow was busy in awe, looking at the black cloud that produced the image of the ant queen, and then looking into his little robot, arm-glove thingy.
"Fornicks. I will save your colony. I will save all the Velum on your planet!" The Doctor exclaimed, but it did not work. Fornicks made up his mind and started to walk towards Leppi.
"Good choice my old friend," said Leppi. "We will be taking this ship here to Hymeno."
"I won't let you take him!" The Doctor protested, and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, pointing it at Leppi. That grey mist then surrounded Fornicks again and shot out in all directions knocking us back. It knocked the wind right out of me. The Doctor was the first to get up. I looked up to see Leppi and Fornicks entering a small silver spaceship with that G.R.E.E.N. insignia. Cera began to run towards the ship but The Doctor stopped her again.
"No, let them go."
The Doctor stood there thinking for about a minute. Our two tour guides stood in the middle of the hangar with their arms crossed.
"And that concludes the tour," said the girl excitedly. "Please stop by the gift shop!"
We followed The Doctor through the facility. He didn't say a word, he just walked determinedly. Fornicks had left with that woman, and The Doctor was not okay with this. We left through the main building and reentered the rain. The Doctor was so determined that he forgot his umbrella. I had to run and catch up to him to shield him from the rain. We reached The Tardis and The Doctor disappeared inside for a second.
Cera and Dow stood behind me, sharing an umbrella of their own. The Doctor's head quickly popped out of the open Tardis doors.
"Okay crew, I am going to go get Fornicks," said The Doctor with his head bobbing out of The Tardis. I'll catch you guys later." He winked and vanished back into the doors of The Tardis.
"Wait what! You are leaving us here?!" I screamed.
He reappeared. "Yeah, you guys got this." He went back inside.
"Got what!" I screamed again.
He popped out again and threw my lacrosse stick to me. I caught it. I forgot I even brought it. We left right after the match, so I still had my gear on me. And boy, do I love my lacrosse stick. My stick's name was "Regina." She was all black except for red tape at my favorite hand positions. She was a little bit shorter than a normal attacker's stick, but she had no equal. The best one I have ever used.
"Captain Crehan, I'm couting on you," said The Doctor. "Lead this team to victory."
"What?! Counting on me to do what!"
"How did you guys beat the New Jersey University Herons?" he asked.
"Well, they are big on passing... So zone defense?" I replied.
"Hahahaa! Not those Herons," he laughed. "The imposters."
"Oh? Um... We... destroyed their school bus?"
"Yes!" exclaimed The Doctor.
"Yes?" I had no idea what he expected of me.
I heard the slam of The Tardis doors.
"Doctor!" I screamed as I pounded on the door. And then I heard that noise.
::Weehee - Yoo::
::Weehee - Yoo::
He was leaving without us! I pounded on the door! I pounded as hard as I could, until The Tardis was gone. I was left knocking on thin air. I was soaking wet. I don't remember when I dropped my umbrella, but I was alone on this planet. Well, not alone. I had Cera and Dow. He said to lead this team? Destroy the school bus?
"OH!" I screamed. I had it. I looked down at Regina, and then at Cera and Dow. "We need to find their school bus!"
Chapter 11: Purple