All the color drained from both Tegan's and the Doctor's faces. "What?" they gasped together.
Rina sighed. "You won't have a choice in the matter. Either of you. No one does. I'm truly sorry to have to tell you this, but Lils is right: it's best for you not to have any big surprises. Whether or not you two are actually together doesn't matter."
"It bloody well matters to me!" Tegan exploded. "We won't! We simply won't!"
Rina looked pained. "Tegan, I am sorry. I know what that prospect is like, mating on demand to produce a child. Lils and I have already had two children."
"And where are they?" the Doctor asked softly.
Lils bowed his head. "After birth, the children are taken by the Azim. They raise them as part of their culture."
"But surely your own children, anyone's own children, would recognize their real parents and rise up against the Azim!" Tegan protested.
Rina shook her head. "Their secondhand technology must include some sort of brainwashing device. Once a child is taken, it's over."
Tegan swallowed hard. For the first time since their arrival she was looking beyond the troubles she and the Doctor were facing, beyond problems they had already faced. Somehow Cybermen just didn't seem to measure up to being forced to have a child and then having that child taken from you and raised by your captors.
Hesitantly she put a hand on Rina's arm. "I'm sorry," she said gently. "I'm so sorry."
Rina nodded and gave a bleak smile. "Thank you. The children are well treated and not used for horrid experiments or cannibalized as on some worlds. That's a small comfort, but it's all we have."
The four of them stood in silence then, each lost in their own private pain. After a moment Lils shook his head. "Well. At any rate, the schedule is simple here. You get up in the morning, bathe, eat, and work all day. In the early evening you have dinner. If you're a model prisoner, you're allowed to go walk in the compound when it's your turn. Small groups of 6 or 8 are allowed to socialize for a while three nights a week. If you have a special interest like sewing or carving, there's what we call a crafts room where you can go twice a week if you want. Again, it's all scheduled. Other times, it's just you and your mate in your cell after dinner til in the morning."
The Doctor nodded. "Very efficient," he commented. "And very socially oriented."
"I know it sounds insane, but in some ways we're very well treated," Rina agreed. "I guess they figure we're more productive that way, less likely to cause trouble if we're given some measure of an existence."
Tegan snorted. "Obviously they've never dealt with humans."
"Not Aussies, at any rate," the Doctor smiled.
Tegan was trying to decide if she should frown or grin when two guards came to the door. "You two, come," one ordered, pointing at them. "Time for you to eat and bathe, then tests begin."
"Lovely," Tegan huffed. They were led from the room and escorted to a new area through an endless stretch of hallways. Brought to a halt in front of a door in a hall lined with a number of identical doors, they were pushed inside when it was opened.
"Déjà vu," The Doctor said as they looked around.
The room was almost a copy of the one they'd spent the previous night in, except the bathroom had a larger shower. There was no mirror and no metal of any kind. Even the bathroom fixtures were made of some type of plastic. The Doctor wondered if this was coincidence or design.
He didn't get to ponder for long before food trays were placed on their table along with a pitcher of water. Clean clothes were thrust into their hands. "Eat and bathe," one Azim growled. "When the light blinks you will have five minutes left to finish what you're doing." They departed without another word and the Doctor and Tegan were alone again.
"Well! That was not very nice. I'm glad I didn't tip," the Doctor said.
Tegan giggled, then frowned. "You don't seem to be taking this seriously, Doc!"
"On the contrary, Tegan. I am taking this very seriously," he responded with an answering frown. "I was reasonably sure I could get us out of here today until they put these on us," he said, tugging in vain at his collar. "But now..."
"Now you're not so sure," she finished.
"Yes."
She shrugged, trying to seem unworried. "Good plans take some doing, don't they? We'll knock heads tonight and see what we come up with."
Her bravado was rewarded with a genuinely warm smile. "Tegan, did you know that at times you're a treasure?" he asked.
She shrugged again. "I did offer to try not arguing today!"
"And you're doing a wonderful job," he answered. "But since we don't know how much time we'll be given, I suggest you go bathe while I eat, and then I'll bathe while you eat."
She nodded, gripping her clothes more tightly than she realized as she headed into the bathroom. The Doctor sat down, put his clothes aside, and looked at the food on his tray. A bright blue vegetable of some type, what seemed to be a thin slice of meat, and a thick dark brown stick that he took to be bread. He hesitated, then shrugged. Hopefully the Azim had ways of knowing what foods their prisoners could and could not eat. He began to eat and was surprised to find that the food, although unappealing to the eye, tasted good and was not over or under cooked.
He had just finished when Tegan came out, her short dark curls wet and shining. "Go on, then," she said as she sat down.
He nodded and went into the bathroom. She heard the shower being turned on and glanced at the Doctor's tray. He'd eaten all his food, which either meant that it was halfway decent or he thought they'd need the energy later. Tegan decided to follow suit.
She had only taken a few bites of food when she heard a deep spluttering sound from in the bathroom. "Are you all right?" She called.
There was no reply, but the water shut off. She shrugged and kept eating. When the Doctor came out a few minutes later he looked rather unhappy.
"YOU are a hot water hog," he informed her as he dried his hair.
She spluttered. "What? Come off it! You know I wasn't in there very long!"
"Long enough, it seems, to have used it all up," he replied from beneath the towel.
"Come on, didn't you have any at all?"
"O, yes, I did," he said as his head emerged form the folds of the towel. "About a minute worth!"
"Sorry?" she said meekly.
He nodded and sighed. "Not your fault, you really weren't in there all that long. But it was a pain not to get a proper shower."
"I thought you liked it cold," she said, unable to resist teasing him.
"Not in the bath!"
The light flickered, and Tegan swore. "Great. Now I won't get to finish eating. There, are you satisfied? You're half dirty, and I'm going to be hungry. We'll both be suffering."
"Why don't you eat what you can instead of making sarcastic comments?" he asked sweetly.
She glowered but wolfed down about a third of the food before the guards arrived. "Come, time for tests," one said. The other tapped his stick as though eager for them to disobey.
"Coming along," the Doctor said cheerfully. "I do hope it's not multiple choice," he said in a low voice to Tegan. "I'm dreadful with those."
She rolled her eyes.
"By the way," the Doctor continued in a conversational tone to the guards, "I noticed that we didn't get much hot water to take our showers. I do so hate to complain, since our room and board is free, but I rather dislike having to jump out before I'm actually clean. Rather negates the purpose of showering, you know."
One guard laughed, and the other one joined him. "What?" the Doctor asked. "Why was that so funny?"
"This new stupid one?" one asked the other.
"This new stupid one."
"I am a bit tired of that appellation," the Doctor said in a peevish tone. "All I want to know is why don't we have enough hot water for showers?"
"Didn't get told," one Azim muttered. "Not TOO stupid."
The other one turned to look at the Doctor and Tegan. "Water hard to come by sometimes, and hard to heat. Takes long time. Not much for use by prisoners."
"You are supposed to shower together," the other guard added. "That way you both have hot water."
"The hell we will!" Tegan snapped without thinking.
A moment later the Doctor was supporting her from the aftereffects of being stunned by a guard's baton. "Mate not want to shower with mate? That strange," the guard who'd assaulted her said, eyes narrowing.
"No, it isn't that," the Doctor said hastily. "We just... we haven't learned all of the way yet. It's our first day," he added in what he hoped was a slightly pleading tone.
Both guards nodded. "That explains," one answered. "But now you know. You want hot water, you shower together."
"Even we shower with our mates to conserve the water," the other one added.
"Yes, yes, thank you for telling us," the Doctor said quickly. "Can we go take our tests now?" he asked.
"Doc, I don't think I can walk just yet even with you helping," Tegan moaned, wincing as searing pain stabbed through her leg.
He picked her up and swung her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest. "Then I'll carry you," he said calmly as he looked at their guards. "Now, can we go on?"
Rina sighed. "You won't have a choice in the matter. Either of you. No one does. I'm truly sorry to have to tell you this, but Lils is right: it's best for you not to have any big surprises. Whether or not you two are actually together doesn't matter."
"It bloody well matters to me!" Tegan exploded. "We won't! We simply won't!"
Rina looked pained. "Tegan, I am sorry. I know what that prospect is like, mating on demand to produce a child. Lils and I have already had two children."
"And where are they?" the Doctor asked softly.
Lils bowed his head. "After birth, the children are taken by the Azim. They raise them as part of their culture."
"But surely your own children, anyone's own children, would recognize their real parents and rise up against the Azim!" Tegan protested.
Rina shook her head. "Their secondhand technology must include some sort of brainwashing device. Once a child is taken, it's over."
Tegan swallowed hard. For the first time since their arrival she was looking beyond the troubles she and the Doctor were facing, beyond problems they had already faced. Somehow Cybermen just didn't seem to measure up to being forced to have a child and then having that child taken from you and raised by your captors.
Hesitantly she put a hand on Rina's arm. "I'm sorry," she said gently. "I'm so sorry."
Rina nodded and gave a bleak smile. "Thank you. The children are well treated and not used for horrid experiments or cannibalized as on some worlds. That's a small comfort, but it's all we have."
The four of them stood in silence then, each lost in their own private pain. After a moment Lils shook his head. "Well. At any rate, the schedule is simple here. You get up in the morning, bathe, eat, and work all day. In the early evening you have dinner. If you're a model prisoner, you're allowed to go walk in the compound when it's your turn. Small groups of 6 or 8 are allowed to socialize for a while three nights a week. If you have a special interest like sewing or carving, there's what we call a crafts room where you can go twice a week if you want. Again, it's all scheduled. Other times, it's just you and your mate in your cell after dinner til in the morning."
The Doctor nodded. "Very efficient," he commented. "And very socially oriented."
"I know it sounds insane, but in some ways we're very well treated," Rina agreed. "I guess they figure we're more productive that way, less likely to cause trouble if we're given some measure of an existence."
Tegan snorted. "Obviously they've never dealt with humans."
"Not Aussies, at any rate," the Doctor smiled.
Tegan was trying to decide if she should frown or grin when two guards came to the door. "You two, come," one ordered, pointing at them. "Time for you to eat and bathe, then tests begin."
"Lovely," Tegan huffed. They were led from the room and escorted to a new area through an endless stretch of hallways. Brought to a halt in front of a door in a hall lined with a number of identical doors, they were pushed inside when it was opened.
"Déjà vu," The Doctor said as they looked around.
The room was almost a copy of the one they'd spent the previous night in, except the bathroom had a larger shower. There was no mirror and no metal of any kind. Even the bathroom fixtures were made of some type of plastic. The Doctor wondered if this was coincidence or design.
He didn't get to ponder for long before food trays were placed on their table along with a pitcher of water. Clean clothes were thrust into their hands. "Eat and bathe," one Azim growled. "When the light blinks you will have five minutes left to finish what you're doing." They departed without another word and the Doctor and Tegan were alone again.
"Well! That was not very nice. I'm glad I didn't tip," the Doctor said.
Tegan giggled, then frowned. "You don't seem to be taking this seriously, Doc!"
"On the contrary, Tegan. I am taking this very seriously," he responded with an answering frown. "I was reasonably sure I could get us out of here today until they put these on us," he said, tugging in vain at his collar. "But now..."
"Now you're not so sure," she finished.
"Yes."
She shrugged, trying to seem unworried. "Good plans take some doing, don't they? We'll knock heads tonight and see what we come up with."
Her bravado was rewarded with a genuinely warm smile. "Tegan, did you know that at times you're a treasure?" he asked.
She shrugged again. "I did offer to try not arguing today!"
"And you're doing a wonderful job," he answered. "But since we don't know how much time we'll be given, I suggest you go bathe while I eat, and then I'll bathe while you eat."
She nodded, gripping her clothes more tightly than she realized as she headed into the bathroom. The Doctor sat down, put his clothes aside, and looked at the food on his tray. A bright blue vegetable of some type, what seemed to be a thin slice of meat, and a thick dark brown stick that he took to be bread. He hesitated, then shrugged. Hopefully the Azim had ways of knowing what foods their prisoners could and could not eat. He began to eat and was surprised to find that the food, although unappealing to the eye, tasted good and was not over or under cooked.
He had just finished when Tegan came out, her short dark curls wet and shining. "Go on, then," she said as she sat down.
He nodded and went into the bathroom. She heard the shower being turned on and glanced at the Doctor's tray. He'd eaten all his food, which either meant that it was halfway decent or he thought they'd need the energy later. Tegan decided to follow suit.
She had only taken a few bites of food when she heard a deep spluttering sound from in the bathroom. "Are you all right?" She called.
There was no reply, but the water shut off. She shrugged and kept eating. When the Doctor came out a few minutes later he looked rather unhappy.
"YOU are a hot water hog," he informed her as he dried his hair.
She spluttered. "What? Come off it! You know I wasn't in there very long!"
"Long enough, it seems, to have used it all up," he replied from beneath the towel.
"Come on, didn't you have any at all?"
"O, yes, I did," he said as his head emerged form the folds of the towel. "About a minute worth!"
"Sorry?" she said meekly.
He nodded and sighed. "Not your fault, you really weren't in there all that long. But it was a pain not to get a proper shower."
"I thought you liked it cold," she said, unable to resist teasing him.
"Not in the bath!"
The light flickered, and Tegan swore. "Great. Now I won't get to finish eating. There, are you satisfied? You're half dirty, and I'm going to be hungry. We'll both be suffering."
"Why don't you eat what you can instead of making sarcastic comments?" he asked sweetly.
She glowered but wolfed down about a third of the food before the guards arrived. "Come, time for tests," one said. The other tapped his stick as though eager for them to disobey.
"Coming along," the Doctor said cheerfully. "I do hope it's not multiple choice," he said in a low voice to Tegan. "I'm dreadful with those."
She rolled her eyes.
"By the way," the Doctor continued in a conversational tone to the guards, "I noticed that we didn't get much hot water to take our showers. I do so hate to complain, since our room and board is free, but I rather dislike having to jump out before I'm actually clean. Rather negates the purpose of showering, you know."
One guard laughed, and the other one joined him. "What?" the Doctor asked. "Why was that so funny?"
"This new stupid one?" one asked the other.
"This new stupid one."
"I am a bit tired of that appellation," the Doctor said in a peevish tone. "All I want to know is why don't we have enough hot water for showers?"
"Didn't get told," one Azim muttered. "Not TOO stupid."
The other one turned to look at the Doctor and Tegan. "Water hard to come by sometimes, and hard to heat. Takes long time. Not much for use by prisoners."
"You are supposed to shower together," the other guard added. "That way you both have hot water."
"The hell we will!" Tegan snapped without thinking.
A moment later the Doctor was supporting her from the aftereffects of being stunned by a guard's baton. "Mate not want to shower with mate? That strange," the guard who'd assaulted her said, eyes narrowing.
"No, it isn't that," the Doctor said hastily. "We just... we haven't learned all of the way yet. It's our first day," he added in what he hoped was a slightly pleading tone.
Both guards nodded. "That explains," one answered. "But now you know. You want hot water, you shower together."
"Even we shower with our mates to conserve the water," the other one added.
"Yes, yes, thank you for telling us," the Doctor said quickly. "Can we go take our tests now?" he asked.
"Doc, I don't think I can walk just yet even with you helping," Tegan moaned, wincing as searing pain stabbed through her leg.
He picked her up and swung her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest. "Then I'll carry you," he said calmly as he looked at their guards. "Now, can we go on?"