AN: Hello, my sweets! I'm so sorry there's been such a gap between chapters - medical school has been kicking my ass AND to top it all off I got covid over Christmas, so for a while I haven't really been in a state to write. Here's hoping I keep finding time to work on things for you, hey?

Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Planet of the Ood

"The Ood. They came from a distant world. They voyaged across the stars, all with one purpose."

The focus shifted, showing the front view of the Ood as it raised it's communication globe.

"Do you take milk and sugar?"

The narrator finished. "To serve."

Sitting at his desk, the man nodded, speaking into his wrist-comm unit. "That's good. That's excellent. I like it, sir. Buy one now. Direct. Straight to the point."

His colleague replied. "We play that across the Tri-galactic for two weeks, then introduce this."

With the click of a button, a new clip played. "Now only fifty credits."

The man at the desk raised an eyebrow. "Fifty? We're reducing the price to fifty credits?"

"Sales are down. We've got to reposition ourselves. So get going."

The communication link closed with a chirp, and he scoffed.

"Idiot. Bleeding us dry. You, there. Get me last month's military export figures. The army always need more grunts."

Standing in the corner, the Ood who he had snapped at nodded serenely. "Yes, sir."

Another call came through the intercom. It was a young woman, and she sounded a little nervous.

"Mr Bartle, you asked me to call you?"

"Solana, when those buyers arrive we're going to pitch like never before. I want those Ood flying out of here."

Cutting off the call, a folder landed on his desk.

"That - I said military figures. That's the domestic files. Get me the military."

The Ood slammed the file down with more force this time.

"The file is irrelevant, sir."

"Oh? And why's that?"

He turned to look up at his servant, only to have the communication globe shoved into his face. Electricity flooded through it, and the Ood above watched emotionlessly as the man convulsed, slumping dead against his desk.

"Have a nice day."

As usual, the Tardis was heaving back and forth in the vortex like some kind of deranged rocking horse. Donna was clinging so tightly to the rails that her knuckles felt like they'd burst out of her skin. She watched in a mix of concern and wonder as the Doctor and Eris worked the controls, moving around each other in movements so graceful it looked like dancing. With one final flourish, the Doctor stilled the ship, and the three of them just about managed to stay upright.

"Set the controls to random. Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide univ- Are you all right?"

He'd stopped mid-sentence, a little bemused by the look on Donna's face. Her jaw was practically on the floor, and he could practically hear her muscles creaking under the tension. It took her a moment to actually get the words out.

"Terrified. I mean, history's one thing but an alien planet?"

"I could always take you home."

The look of contempt on her face said it all. "Yeah, don't laugh at me."

Eris sauntered over, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "Oh trust me, we're both exactly the same as you. We just hide it better because we've had practice - the first few hundred times, I reacted just the same way as you."

Joining them, the Doctor grinned.

"I know what it's like. Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder? I get that."

"Seriously? Both of you? After all this time?"

"Yeah. Why do you think I keep going?"

"Oh. All right then, you and me both. This is barmy. I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever had package holidays. Now I'm here. This is so... I mean it's... I don't know, it's all sort of... I don't even know what the word is!"

Clapping her hands gleefully, she ran for the doors.

"Oh, I've got the word. Freezing."

She regretted being so hasty the second she got outside. Although the view was beautiful - colossal grey snow-capped mountains and statuesque rock formations - the snow was falling heavily around them, and every flake melted into an icy kiss against her bare arms. The Doctor seemed completely unbothered; although, he was wearing his trench coat.

"Snow! Oh, real snow. Proper snow at last. That's more like it. Lovely. What do you think?"

"Bit cold."

"Look at that view."

Icicles the size of skyscrapers hung over vast ravines, hanging from impossibly thin rock structures. Eris grinned, spreading her arms and twirling on the spot.

"Oh, this is just incredible! It almost reminds me of Calufrax - but this is so much prettier."

Donna nodded, "Yep. Beautiful, cold view."

He slipped into one of his usual monologues. "Millions of planets, millions of galaxies, and we're on this one. Molto bene. Bellissimo, says Donna, born in Chiswick. All you've got is a life of work and sleep, and telly and rent and tax and takeaway dinners, all birthdays and Christmases and 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?"

The whole time, he'd been entirely unaware of Eris snickering next to him. He turned, only to see that Donna was no longer there. His face dropped a little.

"Donna?"

"Sorry, you were saying?" She stepped out of the doors again, this time swamped by a giant black fur coat.

"Better?"

"Lovely, thanks."

"Comfy?"

"Yep."

"Can you hear anything inside that?"

"Pardon?"

Both her friends rolled their eyes, and Donna took a proper look at Eris' outfit for the first time.

"How are you not frozen to death already?"

She shrugged. "I'm just not that cold."

"Seriously?!" Her friend was standing there in the snow, wearing grey jeans and a faded navy jumper that looked as though the wrong touch might put a hole in it.

"Yep, this old thing is surprisingly warm."

Sighing, the Doctor offered an arm to each of them.

"Alright, I was saying, citizen of the Earth-"
Again, he was cut off - but this time, it was by a huge spaceship. It flew serenely above them, gliding gracefully through the air. As it soared towards the horizon, Donna looked impressed.

"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 go see where he's going."

And she started walking again, leaving Eris to smirk at the offended expression on her dad's face before moving to catch up with the redhead.

The three of them padded through the thick snow, enjoying the soft crunch under their feet as they followed the direction the rocket had taken. As they came over a thin rocky ledge, the Doctor stopped dead, an odd look on his face.

"Hold on, can you hear that? Donna, take your hood down."

"What?"

Eris cocked her head to one side, concentrating hard. The faint strains of soft music made their way to her ears, almost inaudible it was so quiet. But judging by her dad's expression, he could hear it far louder.

"That noise is like a song." He squinted, looking for anything out of place in the white landscape - and saw something. "Over there."

Making their way towards the dark shape, the Doctor and Eris realised what it was: an Ood. It lay there, eyes fluttering slightly, half covered by the snow. Donna couldn't take her eyes off it.

"What is it?"

"An Ood. He's called an Ood."

"But... it's face."

He knelt by the creature, pulling the stethoscope from his pocket. "Donna, don't. Not now. It's a he, not an it. Give me a hand."

"Sorry."

"I don't know where the heart is. I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him, keep him going."

Eris laid a hand on the top of it's bald head, stroking softly and keeping her voice low.

"It's alright now, we're here. Everything's going to be okay."

Donna, still a little apprehensive, tried to help too.

"We've got you. Er, what's your name?"

With a shaking hand, the Ood activated his translator ball. "Designated Ood Delta 50."

"My name's Donna." She reached for the device herself, and the Doctor put a hand on her wrist.

"No. No, no, no. You don't need to."

"Sorry. Oh, God. This is the Doctor. Just what you need, a doctor. Couldn't be better, hey?"

Having completed his assessment, he sighed. "You've been shot."

"The circle."

Eris hushed the alien gently. "No, don't try to talk."

"The circle must be broken."

The Doctor frowned. "Circle? What do you mean? Delta 50, what circle? Delta 50? What circle?"

With a sudden snarl, Delta 50 sat up, eyes burning crimson. The others backed away sharply, tensed and ready to run if needed. But the poor creature merely huffed out one last breath and slumped backwards, lying still on the ground.

Donna watched for another moment before feeling safe enough to step forwards.

"He's gone."

"Be careful." Eris warned.

She knelt down, gently closing the Ood's eyes and laying his gloved hands against his stomach.

"There you are, sweetheart. We were too late. What do we do, do we bury him?"

The Doctor shook his head. "The snow'll take care of that."

"Who was he? What's an Ood?"

"They're servants of humans in the forty second century. Mildly telepathic. That was the song. It was his mind calling out."

She shook her head. "I couldn't hear anything. He sang as he was dying."

Eris frowned, picking at her sleeves thoughtfully. "His eyes turned red."

"What's that mean?"

"Trouble. Come on."

They continued on their way, the Doctor taking the time to explain things to Donna as much as possible.

"The Ood are harmless. They're completely benign. Except, the last time we met them, there was this force, like a stronger mind, powerful enough to take them over."

"What sort of force?"

"Oh, long story."

"Long walk."

"It was the Devil."

She scoffed. "If you're going to take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up."

"Must be something different this time, though. Something closer to home."

Eris, seeing a shape in the distance, picked up the pace, coming up to the crest of the small hill and seeing the sprawling complex below.

"Aha! Civilisation."

As they approached the entrance to the factory, concocting a cover story in hushed voices, they caught the welcome spiel being given by a pretty Asian woman in a sleek dress.

"Ladies and gentlemen, 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 vidfone. Now, if you'd like to follow me."

Picking up the pace - they didn't want to get locked out in the cold - the three of them skidded to a halt. The Doctor put on his most charming smile.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry. Late. Don't mind us. Hello. The guards let us through."

"And you would be?"

"The Doctor, Donna Noble and Eris Stewart."

Donna matched his expression.

"Representing the Noble Corporation PLC Limited, Intergalactic."

She stood quietly for a fraction of a second, before politely recovering.

"Must have fallen off my list. My apologies. Won't happen again. Now then Miss Stewart, Doctor Noble, Mrs Noble, if you'd like to come with me."

Once again, the two of them tried frantically to correct her while Eris cackled gleefully.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. We're not married."

"We're so not married."

"Never."

"Never ever."

Looking between the two of them, Solana decided not to ask any further questions. "Of course. And here are your information packs, vouchers inside. Now if you'd like to come with me, the Executive Suites are nice and warm."

As the group of company delegates filed into the building, an alarm started to sound nearby - and Eris noticed the look on the woman's face.

"Oh, what's that? That sounds like an alarm."

She brushed it off, badly covering up her obvious concern.

"Oh, it's just a siren for the end of the work shift. Now then, this way, quick as you can."

Inside, three of the Ood were standing on small raised platforms while others milled around the room, holding large round trays of drinks. Each of them wore the same clothing as the one they had encountered in the snow - a thin, plain grey jumpsuit. Once everyone had accepted at least one drink, Solana launched the sales patter.

"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. 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."

There was scattered applause as she moved onto the second part, moving to each raised Ood in turn.

"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?"

It responded neutrally. "I'm perfectly well, thank you."

"Or perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen. And how are you, Ood?"

The second had a soft, feminine voice that was probably meant to be sultry - it just made the trio cringe. "All the better for seeing you."

"And the comedy classic option. Ood, you dropped something."

"D'oh!"

"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."

As she left, they split off from the crowd so the Doctor could use the computer. Quickly, he pulled up an image of the area of the universe they were in.

"Ah, got it. The Ood Sphere, I've been to this solar system before. Years ago. Ages. Close to the planet Sense Sphere. Let's widen out. The year 4126. That is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire."
Eris looked impressed. "I remember the Tardis telling me about that! I would say, let's hope this trip is less eventful than that one, but knowing you…"

"Oi!"

Ignoring them, Donna stared at the display on the screen.

"4126? It's 4126. I'm in 4126."

"It's good, isn't it?"

"What's the Earth like now?"

"Bit full. But you see, the Empire stretches out across three galaxies."

"It's weird. 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."

Pulling a face, Eris crossed her arms. "Yeah. That thing about the bees is really weird, if you ask me."

"But look at us. We're everywhere. Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers? Or more like a virus?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder."

"What are the red dots?"

"Ood distribution centres."

"Across three galaxies? Don't the Ood get a say in this?"

A little perturbed by the idea, Donna approached one of the Ood.

"Er, sorry, but… Hello. Tell me, are you all like this?"

Although it's words expressed confusion, it's tone remained flat.

"I do not understand, Miss."

"Why do you say Miss? Do I look single?"

Eris nudged her. "Ah, single isn't always a bad thing. You're free to flirt with everyone. Trust me, it's far better."

Rolling his eyes, the Doctor poked each of them in the shoulder. "Back to the point."

"Yeah. What I mean is, are there any free Ood? Are there Ood running wild somewhere, like wildebeest."

"All Ood are born to serve. Otherwise, we would die."

"But you can't have started like that. Before the humans, what were you like?"

"The circle."

"What do you mean? What circle?"

"The circle. The circle is-"

Becoming aware of the disturbances, Solana gestured to one of the doors.

"Ladies and gentlemen. All Ood to hospitality stations, please."

The Doctor pulled a map out of one of his pockets.

"I've had enough of the schmoozing. Do you fancy going off the beaten track?"

"Rough guide to the Ood Sphere? Works for me."

Eris grinned, linking their arms together. "Sounds far more entertaining than this. Come on."

Using the sonic to unlock a gate in the wire fencing, the Doctor led them onto a walkway as an announcement came over the tannoy.

"Ood shift eight now commencing. Repeat. Ood shift eight now commencing."

The three of them watched, somewhere between intrigued and upset, as a stream of Ood marched out of one building in double ranks and headed towards another. They were flanked by armed guards dressed in all black. As they observed, one fell to it's knees, clearly exhausted. Less than a second after it had come into contact with the ground, one of the guards cracked a whip across it's shoulders.

"Get up. I said get up."

Donna's heart sank. "Servants? They're slaves."

The Doctor shook his head, a little embarrassed. "Last time I met the Ood, I never thought. I never asked."

"That's not like you."

"I was busy. So busy I couldn't save them. I had to let the Ood die. I reckon I owe them one."

Eris nodded, squeezing his shoulder. "This time, we'll get it right."

A mid-height balding man in a suit left one of the buildings to speak to a group of the guards, and Donna squinted down at him.

"That looks like the boss."

Nodding, the Doctor pulled her back from the railing. "Let's keep out of his way. Come on."

As the three of them left to continue exploring, they missed what happened below. The boss and a slimmer man in a white coat made their way towards a plain door. It was clear that the smaller man was anxious around his superior.

"How long since you went inside, Mr Halpen?"

He shrugged. "Must be ten years ago."

He input the code, and the door unlocked with a clunk.

"Warehouse Fifteen."

"My father brought me here when I was six years old."

"Security protocol initiated."

"God, the stench of it. Come on, Doctor Ryder."

The three of them wandered through the complex, taking a glance at anything remotely interesting as they passed. Donna saw something that looked promising, and stopped to take a closer look. The others kept on, and when she realised that they hadn't noticed, she put two fingers to her mouth and whistled. Her friends whipped around on the spot, looking rather impressed. As the Doctor moved to unlock the door, Eris grinned.

"Where'd you learn to whistle?"

"West Ham, every Saturday."

It unlocked with a thud, and they ventured inside.

The space in front of them was colossal, a dingy grey warehouse packed with shipping containers. The metal boxes were stacked two or three high in long ranks. If you were to look at them from above, the floor would appear checkered by the shapes.

Hands deep in his pockets, the Doctor wandered over to one of the closest containers.

"Ood export. You see? Lifts up the containers, takes them to the rocket sheds, ready to be flown out all over the three galaxies."

Donna felt her heart sink. "What, you mean, these containers are full of...?"

"What do you think?"

Unlocking it with the sonic, he let the doors swing open, revealing neat rows of Ood standing calmly inside. She raised a hand to her mouth.

"Oh, it stinks. How many of them do you think there are in each one?"

Eris sighed, chewing at the inside of her lip. "A Hundred? Maybe more?"

"A great big empire built on slavery."

He shrugged. "It's not so different from your time."

"Oi. I haven't got slaves."

"Who do you think made your clothes?"

Rounding on him with a harsh gleam in her eye, Donna jabbed a finger into his chest.

"Is that why you travel round 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?"

He had the decency to look ashamed. "Sorry."

"Don't… Spaceman." A smile caught her lips, and he knew he was forgiven, for now.

Taking a step forward, Eris spoke to the Ood. "Here's the thing I don't understand. The door is open. Why don't you just run away? Leave? Take the chance while you've got it and get out?"

An Ood in the front row answered. "For what reason?"

"You could be free."

"I do not understand the concept."

Donna's feeling of unease was growing by the minute. "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?"

The Doctor thought for a moment, then asked; "Ood, tell me. Does the circle mean anything to you?"

This time, they answered in unison. "The circle must be broken."

"Oh, that is creepy."

"But what is it? What is the circle?"

"The circle must be broken."

"Why?"

"So that we can sing."

Their interview was interrupted by the blare of an alarm from high above, and Eris grinned.

"I wonder who that's for."

They broke into a run, soon hearing the footsteps of guards overlaying the sound of the klaxon.

Donna skidded to a halt as she spotted a potential way out.

"Doctor, there's a door!"

Unfortunately, that option was quickly shot down as a stream of guards flooded through it

"Don't move!"

Eris and the Doctor made it another three sections before realising that things behind them were suspiciously quiet. They both turned, and groaned at the lack of Donna behind them.

"Where've you gone? Donna? Where are you?"

Hearing something from above, Eris looked up - and grabbed his arm.

"Never mind that for now, we need to move!"

Hearing the urgency in her voice, he followed her gaze. A large claw, most likely used for moving the shipping containers, was swinging towards them at high speed. They were being targeted.

And they broke into a run.

They turned left, then right, then left again, trying to throw off whoever was following them. But the person navigating the claw was clearly quick with their hands, and it gained on them by the second. A collision with a barrel sent the two of them sprawling to the ground. Eris stumbled to her feet again, watching on in dismay as the claw descended towards the Doctor where he lay. Less than a foot away from him, it stopped dead, swinging gently. Extracting himself from beneath it, he got ready to start running again - but that plan was quickly scuppered by the appearance of a group of guards.

These were the same guards that, upon finding Donna and realising the others were out of their grasp, had shoved her quite rudely into one of the shipping containers and sealed the doors on her so they could set off after the rogue duo. Having spent the last minute banging the door and calling them every name under the sun, Donna turned to the crate's residents in the hope that they could be of assistance.

"Can you help me?"

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, she registered the crimson glow from each Ood's eyes.

"Oh, no, you don't. What have I done?" In unison they started to approach. "I'm not one of that lot. I'm on your side. Stay where you are. That's an order. I said, stay."

Pressing her back against the doors, she started to bang at them again, shouting as loud as she physically could.

"Doctor? Doctor! Eris, Doctor, get me out!"

The pair in question were being escorted out of the warehouse, and as they were led towards the exit their friend's plight became obvious.

"Doctor, get me out of here!"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the chief guard, who had joined them from the crane operation platform. "If you don't do what she says, you're really in trouble. Not from me, from her."

He hesitated for a moment, before nodding at one of his subordinates.

"Unlock the container."

Donna ran out, the relief clear on her face. "Oh, am I glad to see you."

Eris grinned. "There we go, safe and sound."

"Never mind about me. What about them?"

She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, and the rest of them followed her motion just in time to see the first Ood leave the container, raise it's communication orb, and strike one of the guards down. The chief shouted,

"Red alert. Fire! Shoot to kill."

As some of the Ood continued the killing, others moved to release the locks on the other containers. Realising how swiftly they were about to be outnumbered, the rest of the guards secured their weapons - and released their prisoners. Taking the chance, the three of them legged it out of the nearest door, followed by Solana.

Once they'd made it far enough away that they felt safe, they stopped, all breathing heavily. The moment there was enough air in her lungs, Donna rounded on the young representative.

"If people back on Earth knew what was going on here."

She scoffed. "Oh, don't be so stupid. Of course they know."

"They know how you treat the Ood?"

"They don't ask. Same thing."

The Doctor cut in. "Solana, 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?"

"That's nothing to do with me."

"Oh, what, because you don't ask?"

"That's Doctor Ryder's territory."

"Where's he? What part of the complex?"

She faltered, and Eris pulled the map from her dad's hands.

"Solana, please. We might be able to help with the red eye, sort out all this mess and make things safe again."

Another pause, and the woman tapped the right area on the paper.

"There. Beyond the red section."

He smiled, grateful for her help. "Come with us. You've seen the warehouse. You can't agree with all this. You know this place better than me. You could help."

Seeing a flash of movement in the distance, Solana made her decision.

"They're over here! Guards! They're over here."

The three of them made a break for it, faintly hearing their pursuers as they tried to catch up.

"Suspects escaped. West ridge corridor."

Solana put a call through to her boss.

"Mister Halpen, I found the Doctor and his friends. He's heading for Ood Conversion."

Halpen groaned, acknowledging her update, before switching the channel to speak to his head of security.

"Mister Kess, what's the situation?"

"We've contained it, sir. Fenced them in. But the red eye seems to be permanent this time. It's not fading. Worse than that, sir, there's more of them going rabid. In my opinion, sir, I think we've lost them. The entire batch contaminated."

"What's causing it? Why now? What's changed?" He ran a hand over his head anxiously and a tuft of hair came away in his fingers. Brushing it to the floor, he continued. "How many Ood in total?"

"I'd say about two thousand, sir."

"We can write them off. That's what insurance is for. We've plenty more on the breeding farms. Let's start again. Fetch the canisters. No survivors"

Kess' glee at that order was audible. "My pleasure, sir."

Making their way through the factory complex as quickly as possible, the Doctor stopped dead outside a door.

"Oh, can you hear it?"

Eris nodded, a slight frown crossing her face. It was the same sound, louder than it had been earlier, but still too indistinct to identify. He sonicked the door.

"I didn't need the map. I should have listened."

Once all three of them were through, he turned and zapped the lock again. It sealed with a thunk, and Donna felt her insides churn.

"Hold on. Does that mean we're locked in?"

He completely ignored her, tilting his head to one side and scrunching his eyes.

"Listen. Listen, listen, listen, listen. Oh, my head."

"What is it?"

"Can't you hear it? The singing?"
He led the way through the corridor and into the next room, making a beeline for a series of cages. The others followed, Eris rubbing at the spot just above her right ear as the pressure increased. As they got closer through the gloom, they could see groups of Ood huddled in the cages. The three of them knelt by the nearest set of bars, and Donna sighed.

"They look different to the others."

The Doctor nodded. "That's because they're natural born Ood, unprocessed, before they're adapted to slavery. Unspoiled. That's their song."

"I can't hear it."

"Do you want to?"

"Yeah."

He shifted to face her, giving her one last warning. "It's the song of captivity."

"Let me hear it."

"Okay." And he rested his fingertips on her temples. "Open your mind. That's it. Hear it, Donna. Hear the music."

And she heard. It was hauntingly beautiful, filled with raw pain and anguish. It was the sound of a species weeping for what they had lost. Tears started to flow, and she felt Eris put an arm around her.

"Take it away."

"Sure?"

"I can't bear it."

A couple of seconds later, the noise faded away, and she let out a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry."

Eris rubbed her back gently. "It's okay. There's nothing to be sorry for."

"But can't you both still hear it?"

"Sort of, not clearly. I've got a nasty headache being in here, but I can't hear anything clearly."

The Doctor rested his head against the bars, grateful for Eris' hand on his shoulder.

"I can hear it all the time."

Suddenly galvanised, he started working at the lock with fast fingers and a healthy dose of the sonic screwdriver, quickly getting them inside. As the door swung shut behind them and the three dropped to be on the Ood's level, they heard similar noises from the distance.

Donna groaned. "They're breaking in."

"Ah, let them." He extended a hand to the Ood crouched in the furthest possible corner. "What are you holding? Show me. Friend. Eris, Doctor, Donna. Friend. Let me see. Look at me. Let me see. That's it. That's it, go on. Go on."

Receptive to the gentle coaxing, the closest Ood opened his hands - sat there, was a small greyish pink lump, attached by something very reminiscent of an umbilical cord among the rest of his facial tentacles.

Donna felt her jaw drop. "Is that…?"

Eris nodded. "That's a brain."

"A hindbrain. The Ood are born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotions." The Doctor explained. "You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna anymore. You'd be like an Ood. A processed Ood."

Her disgust bloomed by the second. "So the company cuts off their brains?"

"And they stitch on the translator."

Extending a hand to the Ood, Eris tried to control her fury as much as possible. It wasn't their fault.

"It's like a lobotomy. Oh, no wonder they do everything their told to."

Getting to her feet, Donna backed away.

"I spent all that time looking for you two, because I thought it was so wonderful out here. I want to go home."

There was a crash, and all three of them turned to see a flurry of guards streaming through the door.

"They're with the Ood, sir."

Moving fast, the Doctor locked the cage again, pressing his face between the bars and snarling at the armed men.

"What are you going to do, then? Arrest me? Lock me up? Throw me in a cage? Well, you're too late. Ha!"

"Why don't you just come out and say it? FOTO activists."

Halpen stood on the other side of the room sneering at them while his cronies handcuffed them all to a set of vertical bars. The Doctor glared.

"If that's what Friends Of The Ood are trying to prove, then yes."

"The Ood were nothing without us, just animals roaming around on the ice."

"That's because you can't hear them."

"They welcomed it. It's not as if they put up a fight."

Donna spat. "You idiot. They're born with their brains in their hands. Don't you see, that makes them peaceful."

He stood there, stunned for a second, and Eris went for the next swing.

"They've got to be, don't you see? They can't be any other way. Because a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets."

The Doctor murmured across, "Nice one you two."

"Thank you."

Recovering, Halpen shrugged. "The system's worked for two hundred years. All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection is about to be sterilised. Mister Kess. How do we stand?"

Kess' voice crackled over the bad connection. "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?"

"Kill the livestock. The classic foot and mouth solution from the olden days. Still works."

In the lounge, Solana was becoming acutely aware of the rising tension in the room, and she did her best to maintain her professional guise as she addressed the potential buyers again.

"I'm sorry. If I could ask you one more time, could all the reps please come through to the Education Suites."

One man - who had clearly had more to drink than he should have done - pulled a face.

"Why move now? It's a free bar."

"Could I ask all the Ood to withdraw. It's feeding time."

But the Ood hunched forwards, putting their hands to their heads and trembling.

"Ah, you've upset them. Leave them alone."

"I have to insist. If all the Ood could please leave."

It was too late - the first of them straightened up, and it's red eyes were clear to see.

"Ladies and gentlemen, change of plan. If you could leave by the fire exits."

Noticing the change, the man's inane smile widened.

"I could sell this. You could offer different colours!"

His glee was short lived, however, as the closest Ood lifted it's translator ball and slammed it into his face, electrocuting him on the spot.

Naturally, panic ensued.

An alarm started to blare, and Halpen flinched.

"What the hell?"

It continued, and through the open link they could hear Kess' confusion.

"What's going on out there?"

The tannoy boomed, and the message it had for the staff was anything but encouraging.

"Emergency status. Emergency status. All exits sealed. All Ood declared hostile. Ood distribution centre now."

The end of the message was obscured by a loud bang that had clearly been caused by something very combustible.

Ryder stood there with a look on his face that looked like badly veiled delight.

"It's a revolution."

The three of them watched as Halpen pulled Ryder aside for a hushed conversation.

"Change of plan."

"There are no reports of trouble off-world, sir. It's still contained to the Ood Sphere."

"Then we've got a public duty to stop it before it spreads."

The Doctor called out to them. "What's happening?"

Happen scoffed. "Everything you wanted, Doctor. No doubt there'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilised, so I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood."

"But Mr Halpen, there's something else, isn't there? Something we haven't seen."

Donna frowned. "What do you mean?"

"A creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hind brain, they'd be at war with themselves."

Eris carried on. "There's got to be something else, a third element. Something to keep the other two working in harmony. Right?"

Halpen raised an eyebrow. "And again, so clever."

The Doctor kept going. "But it's got to be connected to the red eye. What is it?"

"It won't exist for very much longer. Enjoy your Ood."

The man and his goons left, and the three of them were alone in the room again. They had barely been out of the room for ten seconds when they started working against the cuffs, doing their best to pull free.

"Come on. We can do this."

Except it was starting to look like they couldn't. The rattling of the cuffs against the poles was mixed with their groans of frustration. Donna was losing her temper.
"Well, do something. You're the one with all the tricks. You must have met Houdini."

Eris shook her head. "Nah, he was a bit past my time."
The Doctor conceded. "These are really good handcuffs."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh well, I'm glad of that. I mean, at least we've got quality."

Three Ood entered, eyes glowing scarlet and communication globes held aloft. Exchanging panicked looks. The three of them started talking over one another, trying to get through to the peaceful creatures beneath.

"Eris, Doctor, Donna, friends."

"The circle must be broken."

"The Ood must sing."

"Eris, Doctor, Donna, friends."

"Friends."

"The circle must be broken."

"Eris, Doctor, Donna, friends."

"The circle must be broken."

Soon their words became unintelligible as the Ood got closer and closer, very nearly pressed against them before - a pause. Falling back, faltering, hands coming up to cover their eyes. Shaking uncontrollably before falling still again. The central Ood looked up, eyes back to their usual clear grey state.

"Eris. DoctorDonna. Friends."

All three sighed, sagging in relief.

"Yes. That's us. Friends. Oh, yes."

"I can't believe that worked."

"Well, don't complain."

After a bit of manoeuvering, they managed to retrieve the sonic from the Doctor's pocket and unlock the cuffs. Breaking out into the courtyard, they worked their way around the soldiers struggling against the affected Ood, giving them the widest berth possible. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Halpen.

"I don't know where it is. I don't know where they've gone." The Doctor turned on the spot, looking for anything that might help.

Donna peered through the smoke. "What are we looking for?"

"It might be underground, like some sort of cave, or a cavern, or-"

He didn't get to finish the sentence - something close by exploded, knocking all three of them to the ground. Eris pushed herself to her knees, eyes scanning over the others.

"Are either of you hurt?"

"No, I don't think so."

They pulled themselves upright as the smoke cleared, stiffening as the fading of the haze revealed one of the Ood. The letter Sigma was faintly stamped onto the front of it's jacket, and it's eyes were clear.

The four of them stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Then, the Ood gestured towards a door in the next block along.

"Please, follow me."

Halpen rummaged through a large storage box as Doctor Ryder watched, anxious.

"It's always been an option. My grandfather drew up this plan. That's the advantage of a family run business, Doctor Ryder. The personal touch."

"But we should evacuate. If we can get to the rocket sheds, we can-"

"No need. We've got this." He held up a small star shaped black device with a light flickering in the centre. "Detonation packs. Place them around the circumference. We're going to blow it up. This thing dies, so do the Ood."

Unhappy with the plan, but unwilling to argue with Halpen, Doctor Ryder helped him to install the devices on the catwalk.

Above, the Doctor sonicked the door controls and the three of them crept inside followed by Ood Sigma, very aware of their footsteps ringing loud on the metal. When they reached the lowest catwalk, it was empty, and they were able to stand and observe the incredible sight below.

It was a brain. A huge, pulsating brain, surrounded by a loop of harsh white electricity generated by a set of pylons. He stared down at it, the Ood song growing slightly louder in the back of his mind.

"The Ood Brain. Now it all makes sense, That's the missing link. The third element, binding them together. Forebrain, hind brain, and this, the telepathic centre. It's a shared mind, connecting all the Ood in song."

Eris looked a little nauseous. "This is wrong. It's so, so wrong."

A voice from the shadows made them turn - Halpen had been watching the whole time.

"Cargo. I can always go into cargo. I've got the rockets, I've got the sheds. Smaller business. Much more manageable, without livestock."

Doctor Ryder emerged, gesturing to the shapes on the metal fencing. "He's mined the area."

Donna was horrified. "You're going to kill it?"

Halpen sneered down at the giant organ. "They found that thing centuries ago beneath the Northern Glacier."

The Doctor nodded. "Those pylons. In a circle."

"The circle must be broken." Eris murmured, gripping the handrail tightly.

"Damping the telepathic field. Stopping the Ood from connecting for two hundred years."

For the first time, Halpen saw who had guided them there.

"And you, Ood Sigma, you brought them here. I expected better."

"My place is at your side, sir."

"Still subservient. Good Ood."

Donna frowned. "If that barrier thing's in place, how come the Ood started breaking out?"

He shrugged. "Maybe it's taken centuries to adapt. The subconscious reaching out?"

Doctor Ryder spoke up. "But the process was too slow. It had to be accelerated." He scoffed at the baffled look on Halpen's face. "You should never give me access to the controls, Mr Halpen. I lowered the barrier to its minimum. Friends Of The Ood, sir. It's taken me ten years to infiltrate the company, and I succeeded."

"Yes. Yes, you did."

The man extended a hand, as if to concede a great defeat with a handshake. Grabbing hard, he fisted a hand in the back of Dr Ryder's jacket and tossed him over the catwalk railing. There was nothing they could do to help as the man plummeted onto the surface of the brain below, squirming there for a few moments before being absorbed by the pink mass.

Donna clenched her fists, ready to fight Halpen. "You murdered him."

He raised an eyebrow. "Very observant, Ginger. Now, then." And he pulled a gun from his pocket. "Can't say I've ever shot anyone before. Can't say I'm going to like it. But er, it's not exactly a normal day, is it? Still."

As Eris and the Doctor moved to shield their friend, Ood Sigma held out a hand, holding a small glass full of clear liquid.

"Would you like a drink, sir?"

"I think hair loss is the least of my problems right now, thanks."

"Please have a drink, sir."

"If, if you're going to stand in their way, I'll shoot you too."

His voice was starting to crack, and he tugged at his collar like it was too tight.

"Please have a drink, sir."

The answer was becoming obvious.

"Have… have you poisoned me?"

Ood Sigma almost sounded scandalised. "Natural Ood must never kill, sir."

Having his suspicions, the Doctor asked. "What is that stuff?"

"Ood graft suspended in a biological compound, sir."

As Eris and her dad repressed quiet snorts of realisation, Halpen was growing angrier by the second.

"What the hell does that mean?

"Oh, dear."

"Tell me!"

The Doctor couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Funny thing, the subconscious. Takes all sorts of shapes. Came out in the red eye as revenge, came out in the rabid Ood as anger, and then there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy, focused on Ood Sigma. How's the hair loss, Mr Halpen?"

Halpen raised a hand and pulled, another tuft of hair coming away.

"What have you done?"

"Oh, they've been preparing you for a very long time. And now you're standing next to the Ood Brain, Mr Halpen, can you hear it? Listen."

"What have you...? I'm not…"

His face went blank, and the gun slid from his grasp, clattering to the floor. He hunched forwards, raising shaking hands to his head and curling his fingers. The skin peeled downwards, stripping away his scalp and face in two thick strips, gagging slightly until a bundle of pink tentacles flowed outwards, replacing his mouth and nose. Standing upright, he looked at them through small, watery grey eyes.

Donna's jaw dropped. "They, they turned him into an Ood?"

Eris put an arm around her. "Yep."

"He's an Ood."

"Well, I had noticed."

The new Ood flinched, heaving a little, before making a sound that could only be described as a sneeze. Another tentacle descended, this time with the small pink hindbrain attached.

Sigma seemed completely unfazed.

"He has become Oodkind, and we will take care of him."

Donna looked up at the Doctor.

"It's weird, being with you. I can't tell what's right and what's wrong any more."

He shrugged. "It's better that way. People who know for certain tend to be like Mr Halpen."

There was a beeping sound, and he grabbed the sonic.

"Oh!" The explosives made a slight pop as they deactivated. "That's better. And now, Sigma, would you allow us the honour?"

He stepped back. "It is yours, Doctor."

"Oh, yes! Stifled for two hundred years, but not any more." His hands flew over the controls as Eris adjusted a few bundles of wiring. A cloud of sparks made them both cheer, and the Doctor slammed his hand down on the last button. "The circle is broken. The Ood can sing!"

The current around the brain was cut off, the streams of electricity vanishing. With every second, the Ood song swelled, filling every crack and corner of the space. This time it was a glorious, happy sound, filtering through every cell and making every atom dance. Donna felt herself smiling.

"I can hear it!"

Linking their arms, Eris grinned back.

"Everyone can. The Ood are free to make themselves heard again. Their servitude is over."

A small delegation of Ood returned to the Tardis with them, thanking them every step of the way. Stopping outside the doors, he nodded to them.

"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."

Ood Sigma stepped forth.

"We thank you Eris, Doctor Donna, friends of Oodkind. And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you."

"Oh, I've, I've sort of got a song of my own, thanks."

"I think your song must end soon."

He tensed. "Meaning?"

"Every song must end. And some must change. Yours is changing too, Eris."

She patted her dad's shoulder, managing a smile.

"That's alright. Change can be a good thing."

"Yeah." Turning, he looked at Donna. "Er, what about you? You still want to go home?"

She was quiet for a moment, then smiled. "No. Definitely not."

"Then we'll be off."

Sigma nodded. "Take this song with you."

"We will, always."

"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."

He stepped back to fall in line with the semicircle as the trio stepped inside, watching as the blue box faded away, leaving them standing in a flurry of white and grey once again.

See you soon, and happy reading!

Much love,

Azzie xx