Chapter 20: Planet of the Ood
Dropping off Jack for the second time went much smoother. Then they were off. The Doctor had a wide grin on his face, bouncing around the console room of the TARDIS as he rambled a mile a minute.
"Set the controls to random. Mystery tour! Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, any when in the whole wide universe!" the Doctor cheered. But Donna wasn't excited.
She looked worried.
Ianto looked apprehensive as well.
"Are you two alright?" Freya asked, laying a hand on her husband's shoulder to stop his bouncing for a moment.
"Terrified," Donna said with a shaky breath, "I mean, history's one thing but an alien planet?"
"It could be anything," Ianto said solemnly, keeping his hand near his pocket.
The Doctor noticed.
"Oi! What's that?" he asked, moving closer to Ianto.
"Safety," Ianto supplied. The Doctor's jaw tightened and he shook his head.
"No. That's not how I do things. No weapons. Never," the Doctor said.
"And what if something happens to Freya? Or Donna? You just let it happen?" Ianto shot back at him.
"I use words. That's the only weapon I need. And the only weapon you'll have, while travelling with me," the Doctor said firmly.
Ianto lifted his head and stared directly at Freya. Freya swallowed.
He wanted her to argue his point.
The Doctor seemed to realize that that was what was going on and he turned to Freya as well, waiting to see what she would do, what she would say.
"Give me the weapon, Ianto," Freya said quietly. Ianto pulled it from his pocket dutifully and placed it in Freya's waiting hand. She knew what it was – she'd been forced to carry one when she lived with Ianto. She examined the controls before pulling out her sonic screwdriver and changing the settings.
"There. It's jammed on stun. Never kill. You can't kill anyone with it. It's about the force of a tazer," Freya explained.
Ianto's jaw tightened but he nodded. She still held onto it.
Hesitating.
You won't need it. You won't want him to have it.
The TARDIS's voice floated in her head, making her tilt her head. It'd been ages since she'd heard from the TARDIS – the voice was so achingly familiar it made Freya want to curl up in a ball under the console and spend weeks speaking with the old girl.
"Safe mystery tour?" Freya asked aloud.
Safe is relative.
She was the Doctor's TARDIS, after all.
Freya sat the weapon on the console.
"You won't need it on this adventure," Freya said.
"How do you know that? The Doctor doesn't even know where we are?" Donna argued.
"Because I'm the TARDIS's favorite, and she just told me it would be relatively safe," Freya explained.
"Safe?" the Doctor complained.
"Relatively?" Ianto asked sharply. Freya gave him a reassuring smile.
"We'll be fine. Let's see what alien planet we're on," Freya said, redirecting their attention.
"Alien planet. I just. …wow," Donna said. Her hands were shaking slightly, something the Doctor caught on to.
"I could always take you home," he offered, only to receive a glare from Donna.
"Yeah, don't laugh at me," Donna ordered.
"I know what it's like. Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder? I get that," the Doctor explained, a grin gracing his face once more. He slung an arm around Freya's shoulders, pulling her into him.
"Seriously? After all this time?" Donna wanted to know.
"Yeah. Why do you think I keep going?" the Doctor asked with a grin.
"What about you?" Donna wanted to know. Freya shrugged.
"I go because he does," she said.
Those words were the wrong words to say. She realized that the moment they left her mouth. The Doctor's shoulders sagged slightly at her words, and Ianto gave her a hard stare. Even Donna seemed to realize the tension her words created.
"Well then, let's go out there!" Donna said, pulling their attention from Freya and back to herself. Freya gave her a grateful smile.
The Doctor and Donna made a dash for the door, leaving Freya and Ianto trailing behind.
"You don't have to stay. If you don't enjoy it," Ianto told her.
"I don't," Freya agreed, "But I want to. I love the Doctor more than anything, and he can't stay still. Trust me. We spent three months together in the same place once and he went absolutely crazy."
Ianto didn't look too happy with her words, but didn't push it.
"Come on now," she told him, only for Donna to stomp back inside.
"Let's go get coats. It's bloody freezing out there!" Donna complained.
"Does the Doctor not want a coat?" Freya asked.
"He didn't even notice me leave. He's still telling me all about something," Donna said, rolling her eyes.
"Sounds like my husband. Go down that hall. Bring me back a coat as well, will you?" Freya said.
"Where are you going?" Ianto asked.
"Someone has to listen to my husband. Might as well be me," Freya told him with a smile.
Ianto nodded and followed Donna out of the console room. Freya tucked her sonic screwdriver in her pocket and tugged on the door, stumbling out right behind the Doctor. He spun around, stopping mid-sentence.
"Where'd Donna go?" he asked.
"To get a coat. Ianto's with her. Hopefully they'll bring me one as well. Donna was right. It's bloody freezing out here!" Freya complained.
The Doctor immediately shrugged his coat on and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"That wasn't what I was getting at," Freya pointed out.
"I know," the Doctor said. He was silent for a moment, staring intently at her.
"You don't like travelling with me, do you?" he wanted to know.
"I enjoy the adventures. I can't run as much as I wish I could, that's true, but I'd rather be with you than anywhere else," Freya told him.
"You don't need me," the Doctor said quietly.
"That's true," Freya agreed, "But you need me."
"I do."
But the words only seemed to stricken him even more.
Donna and Ianto chose that moment to barge out of the TARDIS, both in obscurely large winter coats. Donna threw another at Freya, who gave the Doctor his coat back on before joining the others in their fur coats.
"Better?" the Doctor asked.
"Lovely, thanks," Donna said with a grin. The Doctor just stared at the fluffy fur coat before helping Freya with the jamming zipper on her coat.
"Comfy?" the Doctor asked sarcastically.
"Yep!" Donna agreed.
"Cn you hear anything inside that?" the Doctor inquired.
"Pardon?" Donna asked. Ianto just stared blankly at them.
"She's right. With the hood up, nothing's audible," Freya agreed, pulling her hood back down.
Just as she did, a giant rocket flew overhead.
"Rocket. Blimey, a real proper rocket. Now that's what I call a spaceship. You've got a box, he's got a Ferrari. Come on, let's see where he's going," Donna ordered, marching off in the snow. Ianto quickly followed her. The Doctor just turned and stared at his box, then up at the spaceship.
Freya moved closer and placed a small kiss on the door.
"She didn't mean that," Freya reassured the TARDIS.
"She's just jealous she's not a blue box," the Doctor agreed. The two of them shared a grin before Freya slid her hand in the Doctor's and they waded through the snow as rapidly as they could to catch up with Ianto and Donna.
In no time they'd caught up and were walking side by side.
"This place is almost as beautiful as Woman Wept," Freya said to the Doctor.
"What's that?" Donna wanted to know.
"It's a planet we went to ages back. We got engaged there," Freya reminded the Doctor.
"That kid tried to kidnap you and force you to be one of his wives," the Doctor said flatly.
"It's where I got my necklace from," Freya reminded him.
"It was," the Doctor agreed.
They approached a beautiful rock bridge and had made it halfway over when Freya heard some sort of music. The Doctor stopped in his tracks.
"Hold on, can you hear that? Donna, Ianto, take your hoods down," the Doctor ordered. Donna fumbled with her hood, but Ianto's was down seconds later.
"What?" Donna asked.
"That noise is like a song. Over there," the Doctor said, pointing to a spot in the distance. He took off running, leaving the others to chase behind him. As they get closer, Freya realized that what she mistook for a pile of rocks was actually an Ood.
Freya sank to the ground next to it, resting her hand on its shoulder.
"What is it?" Donna asked, staring at it with slight disgust and a bit of empathy.
"An Ood. He's called an Ood," the Doctor said.
"But it's face," Donna protested.
"Donna, don't. Not now. It's a he, not an it. Give me hand," the Doctor ordered.
"Actually, we aren't sure of gender. I call them its but I mean it in the kindest way," Freya related to Donna. Donna nodded, giving her an anxious smile.
"I don't know where the heart is. I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him, keep him going," the Doctor ordered as he pulled a stethoscope from his pocket.
Freya had no idea where he got it from.
"It's all right," Donna said, leaning closer to the Ood, "We've got you. Er, what's your name?"
The Ood's translation ball lit up.
"Designated Ood Delta 50," it said.
Donna reached down for the translation ball and spoke towards it.
"My name's Donna," she said.
"No, no, no, no, you don't need to," the Doctor pushed the ball down away from her.
"Sorry," Donna said.
"It's okay. He uses that as a translation. We don't need to speak into it," Freya tried reassuring her.
"He's been shot," Ianto said from above them.
"This is the Doctor. Just what you need, a doctor. Couldn't be better, hey? He can help you," Donna reassured the Ood.
"I don't know if I can," the Doctor said as he put his stethoscope away.
"The circle," the Ood said.
"No, don't try to talk," Donna tried calming the Ood, but the Ood struggled on.
"The circle must be broken."
Freya felt as if she'd been doused in cold water. She stood abruptly and took a few steps back.
The last time she'd seen an Ood, it had said that. Right before they went crazy.
But what if it wasn't them going crazy? What if there was something wrong?
What circle?
"Freya?" the Doctor called her. Freya turned around.
"He's gone," Donna whispered.
"Careful," the Doctor helped Donna up before walking over to Freya.
"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked her.
"The circle. I've heard of it before," she said.
"Really? Where?" the Doctor wanted to know.
"The last time we met the Ood. One of them told me the circle must be broken," Freya said.
"You never told me that," the Doctor said.
"It was right before they went crazy and started trying to kill us," Freya pointed out. The Doctor nodded.
"Fair enough," he said.
"Doctor? Can we bury him?" Donna asked.
"The snow'll take care of that," the Doctor told her.
"What was that? The red eye thing it did before it died?" Ianto asked.
"I don't know," the Doctor said.
"Who was he? What's an Ood?" Donna wanted to know.
"They're servants of humans in the forty-second century. Mildly telepathic. That was the song. It was his mind calling out," the Doctor said.
"I couldn't hear anything," Donna said sadly.
"I couldn't either," Ianto told her.
"I heard a hint of it. Not as strong as I heard last time I saw the Ood," Freya mentioned.
"His eyes turned red," the Doctor muttered, repeating what Ianto had just said.
"Yes. What does that mean?" Donna wanted to know, shooting a glance at Ianto.
"Trouble. Probably trouble. Come on. The Ood are harmless. They're completely benign. Except, the last time I met them, there was this force. Like a stronger mind, powerful enough to take them over," the Doctor tried explaining.
"What sort of force?" Donna wanted to know.
"Oh, long story," the Doctor waved her off.
"I don't even know for sure what it was, and I was there," Freya reassured Donna.
"Long walk," Donna tried to counter. The Doctor let out a sigh.
"It was the Devil," he said.
Freya nearly choked.
"What?!" Freya shouted at him. He shrugged at her
"I thought it best not to worry you at the time," the Doctor tried.
"If you're going to take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up," Donna protested, giving him a glare.
"I've met something similar to the Devil. It was not a fun fight. I hope that isn't what we're up against again," Ianto said grimly.
"I'm sure it's not," Freya tried reassuring him.
"Must be something different this time, though," the Doctor mused, "Something closer to home. Aha! Civilization!" the Doctor cheered.
"I don't know. I was enjoying the scenery," Freya said, glancing around herself fondly.
"And you know what they say. Civilization always has a way of messing things up," Ianto told her.
"Stop blogging back there and come on!" the Doctor called to them.
"We'd bettered catch up or he'll leave us behind," Freya pointed out.
"True," Ianto said.
And the two of them jogged through the snow to catch up with the Doctor and Donna.
The area ahead of them appeared to be a factory. Freya slowed as she glanced around. The Doctor interrupted a tour almost immediately. Freya wished he hadn't. She felt they could have snuck around easier if they hadn't followed a tour first – but he was the Doctor. She wasn't about to tell him she thought he was doing it wrong.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry! Late! Don't mind us. Hello! Guards let us through," the Doctor said. Freya glanced behind them, surprised to see that there were, indeed guards.
Why were there so many guards at a factory?
"And who would you be?" the tour guide asked, her suspicious eyes passing over each of them in turn.
"The Doctor and Donna Noble. And my wife, Freya. And Ianto Jones," the Doctor introduced. He pulled Freya to his side as he did, effectively cutting off her ability to look around without calling attention to herself.
"Representing the Noble Corporration PLC Limited, Intergalactic," Donna immediately added on without blinking.
Freya was impressed.
So was the Doctor.
"Must have fallen off my list. My apologies. Won't happen again. Now then, Doctor Noble, Mrs. Noble, Miss Noble, Mr. Jones, if you'd like to come with me," she said, gesturing ahead. The Doctor opened his mouth but Freya quickly covered it.
"Just go with it," she murmured.
The tour guide then handed each of them a packet.
"Here are your information packs, vouchers inside. Now, if you'd like to come with me, the Executive Suites are nice and warm," she said, just as an alarm began to sound. Freya jumped at the sudden sound and Ianto began to look around quickly.
"Oh, what's that? That sounds like an alarm?" the Doctor asked, glancing about as well before settling his gaze on the tour guide. She gave them a wide smile.
"Oh, it's just a siren for the end of the work shift. Now then, this way, quick as you can," the tour guide said.
"I wish we had that at our corporation. Might serve to wake some of the 9-5s up," Freya murmured to the man next to her. He chuckled and nodded in agreement.
They were all led into a building, away from the alarms. The tour guide led them into a room where three Oods were standing on small platforms to be showcased, while other Ood carried trays of drinks around. There was also a buffet-style table lined up for them. The tour guide took her place at the front of the room.
Freya opened her packet and started skimming it as the tour guide talked.
"As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve, and we keep them in facilities of the highest standard. Here at the Double O, that's Ood Operations, we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends," she began.
Freya skimmed over the history of the plant, then the current prices.
"We keep the Ood healthy, safe, and educated. We don't just breed the Ood. We make them better. Because at heart, what is an Ood but a reflection of us? If your Ood is happy, then you'll be happy too," she finished with a wide smile.
Freya couldn't shake the ominous feeling she had at the words. The packet, she realized as she finished skimming, mentioned nothing about the red-eye.
So it was something they were trying to cover up. Which would explain why they'd shot the other one.
But what she'd said. The Ood was a reflection of us? Did that mean that the humans raising the Ood had become corrupted? Was it something more than that?
"I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations. We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting. How are you today, Ood?" the tour guide asked the first Ood. It took its translation ball in hand and pulled it down, the ball lighting up.
"I'm perfectly well, thank you," it said.
"Or perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen. And how are you, Ood?" she asked the second.
"All the better for seeing you," the second Ood said, its voice husky. Freya blinked, eyes wide. She didn't think anyone could enjoy hearing that voice come from an Ood. The appearance itself was enough to set someone off of the Ood.
At least, she hoped it was.
"And the comedy classic option. Ood, you dropped something," she said.
"D'oh!" the third Ood exclaimed, its voice imitating Homer Simpson. Freya could only shake her head as she stared at it.
"All that for only five additional credits. The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back," she said before turning on her heel and leaving out the side door.
"We're on limited time. She kept giving us suspicious glances," Ianto warned.
"Should I schmooze?" Freya asked.
"Ask around. See if you've heard anything about the red eye," the Doctor agreed, allowing her to wander off. He kept Ianto and Donna at his side as he pulled up big screen from the place the tour guide had been talking.
Freya moved swiftly towards a small group of men. She grabbed a drink from a nearby Ood tray, sipping it slowly as she slid into the group.
"All I'm saying is, the Ood appear to be more hassle than they are worth," One guy was saying.
"Are they really?" Freya asked. The men all turned to look to her.
"I'm sorry. See, my husband and I, we were looking to put Ood in our main building. As a start-up idea, before transferring them all over. Figured it'd save us in human labor cost," Freya explained.
"I didn't know anyone still used humans for simple labor," another man said.
"Yeah, well, our planet unfortunately had a bit of a dry spell for jobs. People were working dirty cheap, if you know what I mean. Jobs are a bit more common now and they're demanding raises. We were feeling around for the cheapest option," Freya lied.
"I don't know. We've been having problems with them lately. Dumb creatures," the first man said.
"I don't know. We've never had a problem with them, and never had to pay them a credit. For us, they've been ideal," the second man explained. Freya nodded, noting that the Doctor was leading the other two towards a door.
"Thank you. I'll have to confer with my husband," she said. The other men all nodded as she left.
"Ladies and gentlemen. All Ood to hospitality stations, please," the tour guide spoke up. Freya slid into the back of the Doctor's small group.
"I've had enough of the schmoozing. Do you lot fancy going off the beaten path?" he asked.
"You haven't even schmoozed," Freya complained, giving him a small grin. He grinned right back at her as he brandished his map. Behind them, the tour guide continued talking.
"Rough guide to the Ood Sphere? Works for me," Donna said with a small cheer.
"Yeah!" the Doctor agreed, holding the door for them. They slipped from the back of the group unnoticed.
The Doctor took off, fingers linked with Freya's. He left Donna and Ianto to trail behind them as they headed out into the open. The Doctor unlocked a gate and led them in just as a group of Ood were marched across the grounds.
"Do you really not enjoy travelling?" the Doctor murmured.
"I don't enjoy trying to keep up with you. I have a hard time, sometimes. It's been better, lately," Freya admitted.
"We could stop. You know. If you wanted. We could stop travelling for awhile. Or I could leave you at the Torchwood Estate," the Doctor suggested as an Ood fell in front of them.
"Get up! I said, get up!" a man shouted before whipping the Ood until it stumbled to its feet.
"Servants? They're slaves," Donna gasped in horror.
"Last time we met the Ood, I never thought. I never asked," the Doctor muttered.
"I tried. But it…it didn't work, even to ask them," Freya said sadly.
"We were so busy. Too busy to save them even. I had to let the Ood die. I reckon I owe them one," the Doctor decided.
"That looks like the boss," Ianto pointed out, pointing at a balding man.
"Definitely the boss," Donna agreed, scrunching up her nose.
"Let's keep out of his way. Come on," the Doctor commanded, pulling them all along. They'd been pulled along a bit before Donna whistled at them to stop. The Doctor spun to see Donna standing by a door.
"Where'd you learn to whistle?" the Doctor asked in disbelief.
"West Ham, every Sunday. This looks promising," she suggested. The Doctor nodded as he sonicked the door.
The entire place was filled with shipping containers. Freya's head hurt slightly upon entering the room.
"Do you feel that?" Freya murmured, moving closer to the Doctor.
"Oh yeah. Not good," he responded, his lips barely moving.
"Ood Export. You see? Lifts up the containers, takes them to the rocket sheds, ready to be flown out all over the three galaxies," the Doctor said grimly.
"What, you mean, these containers are full of…" Donna drifted off.
"What do you think?" the Doctor asked as he stepped to one and unlocked it. He pulled the door open to reveal it packed full of Ood. All standing silently in rows, blinking occasionally.
Donna coughed.
"Oh, it stinks. How many of them do you think there are in each one?" Donna wanted to know.
"Too many," Ianto said grimly.
"Hundred? More?" the Doctor guessed, a frown set on his face
"A great big empire built on slavery," Donna said bitterly.
"Aren't they all," Ianto said with a sigh.
"He's right. It's not so different from your time," the Doctor said.
"Oi! I haven't got slaves," Donna protested.
"Who do you think made your clothes?" the Doctor shot back.
"Is that why you travel around with a human at your side? It's not so you can show them the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots, " Donna said angrily. Freya moved to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay. He's like this, when he's upset. The more upset he is, the more gruff and insulting his gets," Freya tried to explain. Donna shook her head, moving closer to the Ood.
"I don't understand. The door's open. Why don't you just run away?" Donna asked the Ood.
"For what reason?" an Ood asked her.
"You could be free," Donna tried, but the Ood just blinked back at her.
"I do not understand the concept," the Ood said.
"What is it with that Persil ball? I mean, they're not born with it, are they? Why do they have to be all plugged in?" Donna asked.
"It's like a circuit," Freya realized.
"Ood, tell me. Does the circle mean anything to you?" the Doctor asked. All of the Ood's balls lit up at once.
"The circle must be broken," each Ood said simultaneously.
"Exactly like a circuit," Ianto agreed.
"Oh, that is creepy," Donna commented, moving closer to Freya.
"But what is it? What is the circle?" the Doctor pressed.
"The circle must be broken," the Ood repeated.
"Why?"
"So that we can sing."
"Doctor, the one was singing, when he was dying," Freya reminded him.
"Oh. OH! It has something to do with their minds. Their telepathic abilities!" the Doctor realized.
In the main shipping area behind them, an alarm started ringing.
"Oh, that's us. Come on!" the Doctor said, quickly pulling them all out of the container.
He started pulling them along, but Donna pulled out of his grip. Freya turned and Ianto fully stopped.
But the Doctor continued running, dragging Freya along.
"Doctor, we've lost them!" Freya warned him.
"We've got to keep running. Were they together?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Then we can break them out later. Come on!" he urged, pulling her along faster.
And then the yard seemed to go silent.
"Donna? Where are you?" the Doctor shouted, slowing. He turned around a few times, releasing Freya's hand as he did.
"I have a bad feeling," Freya began, only to see a giant claw start moving towards them.
"Run!" the Doctor shouted at her. He gripped her hand once more and pulled her along as he ran through a maze of cargo.
"We…may need to split up," Freya warned, "It can only go after one of us."
The Doctor's jaw tightened. It was hard to notice, especially when they were running. But she did.
"I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself to get me out of here," he informed her. The claw was gaining on them.
"Who said that was what I'd do? I was hoping it'd get you," Freya teased, her breath coming out in a huff. The Doctor barked out a quick laugh before he tripped.
Taking Freya with him.
The two tumbled to the ground. The Doctor threw himself over Freya as the claw snapped down towards them.
And then it just stopped.
The Doctor tensed, then let out a breathy, nervous laugh.
He didn't even have time to roll off of her before the guards arrived back in the room once more, dragging both of them to their feet.
The two of them were dragged back to where they had entered the hold at. Donna was shouting from inside one of the containers.
"Doctor, get us out of here!" she shouted furiously.
"If you don't do what she says, you're really in trouble. Not from me, from her," the Doctor warned them.
"Unlock the container," the guard standing in front of them ordered.
The tour guide was standing next to him.
An extra soldier moved forward and pulled open the container, only for Donna and Ianto both to come running out.
Followed closely by red-eyed Ood.
"Doctor," Donna said, eyes wide. She threw himself at the Doctor, wrapping her arms around him.
Ianto was less hurried.
"I'm not going to throw myself at you. Sorry," Ianto told Freya, who could only crack a smile.
"There we go, safe and sound," the Doctor reassured Donna.
"Never mind about me. What about them?" Donna asked, pointing towards the guard the guard been standing by the container.
The Ood killed him with the communication ball.
Just as the ones had done, back on the satellite.
"Red alert! Fire!" the head guard ordered frantically as more Ood walked out of the container, all with eyes blood red in color.
"Shoot to kill!" the guard ordered. Freya pushed forward, trying to stop them, but there was nothing she could do. The Doctor grabbed her and jerked her back with him.
"We need to get out of here so we can figure out how to stop this," the Doctor urged her. Freya allowed him to pull her into the courtyard, where Ianto, Donna, and the tour guide were already waiting.
Donna spun on the tour guide.
"If the people back on Earth knew what was going on here," Donna threatened.
"Oh don't be so stupid. Of course they know," the tour guide spat.
"They know how you treat the Ood?" Donna asked, almost surprised.
"They don't ask. Same thing," the tour guide said with a shrug.
"Solana," the Doctor interrupted the two of them, "The Ood aren't born like this. They can't be. A species born to serve could never evolve in the first place. What does the company do to make them obey?"
The tour guide, Solana, gave him a look.
"That's nothing to do with me," she said automatically.
"Oh, what, because you don't ask?" Ianto spat at her.
"That's Doctor Ryder's territory," Solana defended herself.
"Where's he? What part of the complex? I could help with the red eye. Now show me," the Doctor ordered her. She hesitated, staring at him for a moment.
"There. Beyond the red section," she finally said, pointing in a direction for them.
"Come with me. You've seen the warehouse. You can't agree with all this. You know this place better than me. You could help," the Doctor urged her. But she didn't look like she wanted to help.
"They're over here! Guards! They're over here!" she shouted instead. The Doctor cursed under his breath.
"Come on!" he urged them. They hurried away in the direction she had pointed them.
"How do we know she was telling the truth?" Ianto demanded.
"She wanted to help us. She's just scared," the Doctor tried defending her.
They ran for a bit, the Doctor guessing at the directions. And then Freya could hear something, something whispering in the back of her head.
"Oh, can you hear it? I didn't need the map. I should have listened," the Doctor said as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He quickly unlocked the door and pulled them in before locking it back.
"Hold on. Does that mean we're locked in?" Donna asked.
"We should have looked for an exit first," Ianto berated him, but the Doctor made it a point to ignore him.
"I can see why you brought this one. He's a right stick in the mud," the Doctor said dismissively.
"He's smart. Like your past self," Freya corrected him.
"Oi! Are you saying I'm not smart?" the Doctor protested. Freya shook her head.
"What is that noise?" Freya asked, redirecting the subject. Because the singing in her head had grown exponentially louder.
And much sadder. It was almost too sad to bear listening to.
"Oh, my head," the Doctor complained.
"What is it?" Donna asked.
"Can't you hear it? The singing?" the Doctor asked her.
Ianto had a frown on his face. As if he too could almost hear it.
Freya moved from the Doctor, coming quickly to one of the cages. The Ood inside huddled away from her, almost fearfully cowering in the far corner from her.
The singing was coming from them.
"They look different from the others," Donna observed.
"That's because they're natural born Ood, unprocessed, before they're adapted to slavery. Unspoilt. That's their song," the Doctor said grimly.
"I can't hear it," Donna said sadly.
"You don't want to," Ianto murmured. The Doctor shot him a curious look before turning to Donna.
"Do you want to?" he asked her. Donna nodded, murmuring a simple yeah.
"It's the song of captivity," the Doctor warned her.
"Let me hear it. Everyone else can," Donna argued. The Doctor nodded, motioning for her to come closer to him. He placed his hands on her temples, closing his eyes for a second.
And then Donna began to cry.
"Take it away," she begged.
"Sure?" the Doctor asked.
"I can't bear it," Donna said with another sob. The Doctor quickly removed his hands and Donna's tears slowed.
"I'm sorry," Donna apologized.
"It's alright," the Doctor reassured her as he roped an arm around Freya's waist, pulling her closer to him.
"But you can still hear it. All of you can," Donna realized, her broken heart reflecting in her face.
"All the time," the Doctor agreed mournfully.
Behind them, the door sounded like it was being pried open. The Doctor ignored it in favor of unlocking the cage.
"Sir, they're breaking in. It might be time to search for an exit," Ianto suggested, casting a hurried look at the door.
"Ah, let them come in," the Doctor waved it off as he climbed into the cage. He neared he cowering Ood slowly.
"What are you hiding? Show me. Friend. Doctor, Donna, Freya, Ianto. Friends. Let me see. Look at me see," the Doctor urged. The Ood slowly approached him. Freya climbed into the cage too, as did Donna.
"That's it. That's it, go on. Go on," the Doctor continued. The Ood slowly opened its hand to reveal a brain.
"Is that?" Donna stopped, unable to say it.
"It's a brain. A hind brain. The Ood are born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotions. You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna anymore. You'd be like an Ood. A processed Ood," the Doctor said, his face becoming calm.
"So the company cut off their brains?" Donna asked in horror.
"And they stitch on the translator," the Doctor agreed.
"Like a lobotomy. I spent all that time looking for you, Doctor, because I thought it was so wonderful out here. I want to go home," she said, biting back another sob as the door was broken down. Ianto looked like he was a second from fleeing, but Freya pulled him into the cage with them.
"They're with the Ood, sir," a voice called out. The Doctor locked the cage door with them inside. As the guards all piled in, the Doctor pressed himself against the door.
"What are you going to do then? Arrest me? Lock me up? Throw me in a cage? Well, you're too late. HA!" he shouted angrily at them.
They didn't even bother saying anything to them, Freya observed. Merely unlocked the cages and roughly escorted them to an office, where they were handcuffed to some pipes along the back wall.
A balding man walked in the room, glaring at the four of them.
"Why don't you just come out and say it? FOTO activists," the man said, shaking his head dismissively.
"If that's what Friends of the Ood are trying to prove, then yes," the Doctor agreed, his face stony.
"The Ood were nothing without us, just animals roaming around on the ice," the man stated.
He truly seemed to believe that.
"That's because you can't hear them," the Doctor hissed at him.
"They welcome it. It's not as if they put up a fight," the man pointed out.
"You idiot," Donna seethed, "They're born with their brains in their hands. Don't you see? That makes them peaceful. They've got to be because a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets."
"Oh, nice one," the Doctor breathed.
"Thank you," Donna responded, a small smile starting to curl up in the corner of her lips.
"The system's worked for two hundred years. All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection is about to be sterilized. Mister Kess, how do we stand?" he asked, pressing something on his watch. A second voice filled the room.
"Canisters primed, sir. As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it two hundred marks and counting."
"You're going to gas them?" Freya asked in horror.
"Kill the livestock. The classic foot and mouth solution from the olden days. Still works," the man said with a shrug.
"You don't have to kill them. They're good. They're good at heart. If you don't do anything to them, they won't hurt you," Freya tried reasoning, feeling a panic for the creatures rise up inside of her.
She'd promised to save the Ood. She needed to do that.
An alarm interrupted whatever the man was going to say.
"What the hell?" he asked, spinning around. None of the guards looked to have any clue as to what was happening either. He hurried outside, leaving them in the room alone with a few guards.
"That can't be good," Donna murmured.
"No. I'd reckon it isn't," the Doctor agreed. The man ran back in, followed by another man and a few more guards.
"Change of plan," the balding man said.
"There are no reports of trouble off-world, sir. It's still contained to the Ood Sphere," the second man said.
"Then we've got a public duty to stop it before it spreads," the balding man said firmly.
"What's happening?" the Doctor asked.
"You can't kill them all! That's genocide!" Freya protested, pulling on the cuffs. The balding man observed her for a moment before staring at the others.
"No doubt there'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilized. I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you all to the mercy of the Ood," the man said, giving Freya a vindictive look.
"But Mister Halpen, there's something else, isn't there?" the Doctor asked him. Freya wasn't sure how he kept pulling everyone's names from seemingly thin air.
"Something we haven't seen," the Doctor continued when it was clear Mister Halpen, the bald man, wasn't going to respond.
"What do you mean?" Donna asked.
"A creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hind brain. They'd' be at war with themselves. There's got to be something else, a third element, am I right?" the Doctor directed his question to Mister Halpen.
"And again, so clever," the man said.
"But it's got to be connected to the red eye. What is it?" the Doctor pressed.
"It won't be around for very much longer," he said. He stared at Freya once more.
"Still believe they won't hurt you if you don't do anything to them?" he asked her.
"They wouldn't do anything if you didn't attack," Freya agreed. Mister Halpen gave her a grin that made her stomach flip with unease.
"Guards, cuff her to the front door. Leave the others here. If she thinks the Ood won't attack her, we'll let the Ood have her first," the man said.
"No. No, no, no, don't do that," the Doctor said, tugging on his restraints. The guards ignored her and uncuffed her, dragging her out of the room.
"Freya!" the Doctor shouted after her, a real look of alarm flashing across his face. Freya tried to shoot him a smile before the door slid close.
The guard hurriedly dragged her into the next room over, handcuffing her right next to the door before hurrying out. He barely made it out of the room before the Ood began flocking into the room. A handful continued walking, while a few more headed straight for her.
"I'm your friend! I'm here to help," Freya tried, but the red-eyed Ood advanced.
"I promised I'd break the circle. You've told me the circle must be broken. More than one of you have, so you all share thoughts to some degree. Please. I can help you break the circle," Freya pleaded. The Ood approaching her pulled their translation balls off of their shirt, just as they did before they electrocuted people before.
Freya squeezed her eyes shut and thought as loudly as she could. About the circle. About breaking the circle. About helping them.
And about the Doctor.
The sting didn't come.
She cracked one eye open to see the Ood still in front of her, still red-eyed with the translation balls in hand. But they just blinked at her.
Telepathic. They were slightly telepathic. She thought once more about the circle.
"I can help," Freya said aloud.
The Ood closest to her blinked and his eyes turned to their normal color.
"Can you get me out of this?" she asked him. It took him a few seconds to undo the handcuffs.
"Right. Now. Where do I need to go, to break the circle?" Freya asked.
The Ood said nothing, but it turned to leave. Freya turned as well, following it out of the building and into the courtyard. She followed it into a building, where Mister Halpen and the other man from before were setting up explosives around the wiring of….a brain.
A giant brain, encased in a circle of electricity.
The circle.
She slid along the edge of the room, sticking to the shadows. She could see the control box, it was just not quite reachable without giving up her positon. And she'd need a moment to make sure she could find the right lever. She didn't want to accidentally hit the wrong button.
Sure enough, there was a lever on 'on'. It could be pulled to off.
She moved quickly, darting out of the shadows. She could hear a shout behind her, but she pulled the lever quickly. There was a sharp crack and then an explosion of pain. She spun around.
Mister Halpen was holding a gun, a gun that was pointed directly at her. Her eyes drifted down.
Blood. There was blood.
But the pain was already fading.
She quickly pulled her shirt up.
No wound. But the blood was hers. She pressed on her stomach, only to wince. It was sore.
He'd shot her.
And she'd already healed.
"What are you?" Mister Halpen asked in horror as the door was thrown open, the Doctor, Donna and Ianto hurrying inside.
"Freya!" the Doctor shouted, rushing straight for her.
"I'm fine," Freya said, her voice a bit breathless. Mister Halpen and the other man continued to stare at her.
"You're covered in blood," the Doctor pointed out. Freya lifted her shirt to show them the woundless stomach.
"Mustn't be mine. See? No wound," she pointed out, forcing her lips into a smile.
Behind them, Mister Halpen coughed.
"What did you do?" Ianto asked her as he hurried over. He quickly disarmed Mister Halpen, who didn't even register it. The other man looked relieved at the change of situation.
"I'm a FOTO activist. I've been infiltrating this company for decades, trying to accomplish what she just did," the man said, pointing at Freya.
"I broke the circle," Freya said with a smile at the Ood behind Mister Halpen.
"Thank you. We can now sing," the Ood told her as Mister Halpen coughed once more.
"What's wrong with him?" Freya asked, glancing back at the Ood.
"He is becoming Ood-kind," the Ood said.
"Wait, what?" Donna asked in horror as the man reached up and tore the skin off his face. He made some sort of gasping sound, as if he were sobbing in horror at what was happening to him. And then tentacles fell from his mouth.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Donna announced.
And then he coughed up his extra brain.
"He is Ood-kind now. We will take care of him," the Ood explained.
"How did you get here? What happened to you?" the Doctor asked Freya.
"They showed me the way. And I snuck in and flipped the switch," Freya explained.
"And the blood?" the Doctor demanded.
Freya shrugged.
"There was a lot of shooting in the courtyard. It must've gotten on me then," she lied.
The Doctor's eyes narrowed but he didn't call her out on it.
The Ood in the room walked them out of the factory and back to the TARDIS. It was a peaceful walk through the snow-covered mountains – even though Freya could feel the Doctor's stares on her the entire walk.
When they finally approached the TARDIS, the Doctor turned to face the Ood.
"The message has gone out. That song resonated across the galaxies. Everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home," the Doctor said joyously.
"We thank you, Doctor Donna Ianto Freya, friends of Oodkind. And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you," the Ood offered.
"Oh, I've…I've sort of got a song of my own, thanks," the Doctor said.
"I think your song must end soon."
The Ood's voice was so matter of fact that Freya jerked up, staring in shock at the Ood. The Doctor also was staring in shock as well.
"His song isn't ending," Freya objected, stepping closer to him.
It couldn't be. She'd seen him older. Multiple selves older. And he was the same person.
He had to be.
"Meaning?" the Doctor asked.
"Every song must end," the Ood said diplomatically. The Doctor nodded, still looking uneasy before turning to Donna.
"Yeah. Er, what about you? Do you still wanna go home?" he asked her. Donna gave him a smile and shook her head.
"No. Definitely not," Donna reassured him.
"And you?" the Doctor asked Ianto.
"I see worse things every day in Cardiff. I'm fine," Ianto said with a scoff.
"Then we'll be off," he said with a fake grin. The Ood nodded to him.
"Take this song with you," he said. The Doctor nodded to him.
"We will," Donna reassured the Ood.
"Always," Donna agreed.
"And know this, Doctor Donna. You will never be forgotten. Our children will sing of the Doctor Donna, and our children's children, and the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever," the Ood said. The Doctor, Donna, and Ianto entered the TARDIS.
Freya glanced over her shoulder at them before taking a step towards the Ood.
"His song can't end. I've seen his future," Freya protested.
"Every song ends. Some continue as a different melody," the Ood informed her. Freya's eyes lit up.
"Okay. That…that makes sense. Thank you," she told him.
"Thank you. You broke the circle. As you promised," the Ood told her.
"Do you have a name?" Freya asked him.
"Ood Sigma," the Ood told her. Freya gave him a smile.
"I'm glad I was able to help," she admitted to him.
"If you need help, and we are able, we will help you as well," Ood Sigma reassured her.
"Thank you. So much," she said. And then hesitated.
"Do you know what happened to me?" she asked him. Ood Sigma blinked at her a few times.
"Your song continues to change, but it also stays the same. As if it is on a loop. Your song is stuck, the melody forever unchanging while the supporting voices ebb and flow along," the Ood explained.
Forever unchanging.
She couldn't die then.
Ever.
"Freya? You coming?"
Freya turned to the Doctor, not even having a chance to mask her face. He stepped out of the TARDIS instantly.
"What's wrong?" he asked. He quickly placed a hand on her forehead, a frown marring his face.
"I'm…I'm fine," she said.
"Bye," she told Ood Sigma before heading for the TARDIS, the Doctor hot on her heels.
"What was that?" the Doctor asked as he closed the door. Freya closed her eyes, leaning against a pillar.
Then opened them once more.
"Spoilers. Future events. I can't tell you," she said.
The Doctor's eyes flashed.
"Are you sure it's that big?" he asked. Freya nodded.
"It could cause a paradox," she said apologetically. He stared hard at her for a moment before jerking his head in a brief nod.
"Alright," he said, his voice hard, "Allons-y!"
Sorry about the terribly long wait. I'm supposed to be leaving the country to teach in a month, and I have yet to get any of my paperwork to apply for a VISA! That, and I've been sick the last few weeks. It's been a stressful summer so far!
I hope everyone enjoys this. These chapters take so long to write anymore, that I'm trying to get them to you as soon as I can, but it's taking a lot of time. I've been having to write some original works lately as well, and that also takes up a lot of time.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to drop a review!
Andi