Tegan stumbled after the Doctor, her sight at a loss in the dark. The night was at its height and there were clouds in front of the moons. She had to rely on the Doctor. As they entered the building, she blinked. They were in almost complete darkness.
His hand tightened on hers. "Brave heart..." he said, in that voice of his and suddenly she felt better.
"Wonderful," she sighed. "A manipulator by day, give you a bit of voice lessons and suddenly you're bloody Rasputin by night."
"At least I'm on your side," he replied. "Now, hush, Tegan."
The room they stopped in was similar to a one that might be found in a thatched house, like an all purpose room. It grew even darker to her eyes.
"I can't believe they actually engineered a bipedal blood former. But then again, I wouldn't believe a great deal of what's been going on in the last standard year around here." Tegan could tell it was the male speaking. "Have you tasted the blood? Like ambrosia? I had heard that it's the way the blood would have to be taken that would make it better."
Tegan felt the Doctor turn slightly to look down at her. "Ah well, yes...yes, I have tasted her blood..."
She frowned and tried to stamp on his foot.
The woman approached her and stopped, holding out her hand. Tegan felt the icy touch on her cheek. "So warm, but cooler than our animals, I would say. Sweet is it? Her blood, I mean."
"An acquired taste. I'm the Doctor, by the way. Look, she doesn't have the same visual cortex that you and I do...would it be acceptable to allow a small bit of light? I don't wish to keep her in the dark..."
"Oh, I don't know," Tegan whispered. "You seem to do that all the time."
His sigh was overwhelmed by the sound of a light flickering on. Tegan blinked to steady her vision. The girl came into focus first. She was medium tall with dark hair and a lanky body. She smiled at Tegan and her incisors were very visible. Attempting to minimize her fear, she stepped forward, even with the Doctor and held out her hand. "I'm Tegan."
"Tegan? Interesting name. Did he name you?"
"Hardly."
"I'm Umbria. Sorry if we seem a bit caught up in your...existence."
Tegan lifted her chin. "Yeah, well...born or made out of testtubes, I'm still a person."
"Quite," the Doctor responded. "Tegan, as I've tried to say, is a friend. I have tasted her blood, but she doesn't exist strictly for my sustenance."
"Well said," the male answered. "I'm Lukan. Bria and I are on leave from the Dome. We work on the research there...maybe you've heard of it? Rather hush hush...not many in the viziership talk about it or pass it on. But we've been rather...caught up in our work...we've heard about other work projects but not..."
"Understandable."
Tegan frowned. The Doctor's voice still had not changed; it still had that overwhelming pull to it, making her itch to stand near him.
"You say your transport went down. That's a bit of a bother. Not hurt were you?"
"Not in the least..." the Doctor responded and then looked at Tegan. "You're from the Dome, you say? That's where I was heading with...Tegan, here. I was to show the extent of genetic engineering to the powers that be."
"Then it was a bother the transport went down," Bria replied. "You would have had a bit of a walk if you had bypassed the village; it's almost a half a day by standard transport. Would have been days on foot." With a gleeful glance at Lukan, she continued. "Look, we're heading back in two days. That's when leave ends. We'll take you back with us. Would that be soon enough?"
"I'd be grateful," the Doctor responded. Tegan could see the relief in his eyes and was sure it was two fold. One, they had been accepted; two, they were getting taken to a place of power. It was almost too easy in her estimation.
Bria smiled widely. "I'd better find you a place to batten down then, for the day."
"It'll be soon, will it?"
"Quite soon. The Day comes sooner here than at the poles, admittedly. Been a while since you were in the Inhabitable Zones, eh?" Lukan joked. He stepped to behind Tegan and reached to play with her hair. "Unbelievably believable. You even have hair texture down....amazing..."
Tegan squirmed, but Lukan's hand landed heavily on her shoulder. "Hey..."
"I know she's a friend, as you say, but couldn't I taste the blood, old man? After all, it has been synthetic for as long as I can remember."
A lead lump formed in her stomach and she quickly knew it was the result of fear. She wanted to reach out and grab anything, a weapon, a plate, something to hit him over the head with it. A feverish glance at the Doctor showed that he was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. But it wasn't fear inspiring. Rather, she felt an odd sense of peace washing over her. With a gasp, Tegan tried to step forward, but the hand restrained her. "Doc..."
The Doctor's hand grasped hers and pulled her forward towards him. "Lukan, was it? Look, I'm sorry, but I'm to bring her to the Dome with most of her blood in tact. If I let you feed, I'd have to let Bria feed and then, well..." He smiled. "It's only fair. The poor girl's only got so much blood in her, you know."
Lukan appeared disappointed. Tegan watched the blue in his eyes swirl and twist. In her gut she felt the pain acutely, as if he were putting the pain there physically. She tried to shake the feeling. "Yeah, and although I'm replenishable, it takes time, doesn't it, Doc?"
"Yes," he drew the word out. "Tegan's a bit tired; we've had a rough day...."
"Hmm and she'll need nourishment. We've some greens that we've been growing for the blood beings. Can she eat it?" Bria asked while turning to the door. "Lukan...show them the extra room in my parents' house. I'll bring the nourishment there."
Tegan warily glanced at Lukan, but the Doctor bestowed his most congenial smile on the lot of them. "Too kind!"
"It's a tomb!"
Tegan waited until the door had shut before she made the comment. The Doctor didn't make a comment using his energy otherwise to find a candle. It flickered on in the quiet and she got a better look at the room. Sparse was the only word that she could think of to describe what she saw. There was only something that would constitute a bed in the room: a small collection of linens that looked more like a nest than a bed. The dull plaster walls were devoid of windows or art.
The Doctor hummed and contemplated the room. "It's how they live, Tegan."
"No creature comforts?"
"As I told you, vampires exist in a fugue state during the day...they don't really sleep. The waking schedule is driven by the rise of the sun." He looked at the 'nest' and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Yes, well...it's manageable...for you. Tomorrow, Tegan...we shall have to find you shoes."
"Too right," she replied. She frowned and turned about to spear him with a glance. "Why on Earth did they listen to you?"
"Hmmm...interesting, isn't it? I rather think it was my voice."
"Yeah," Tegan agreed as the door opened behind her. Bria stuck her head in.
"I'll have to apologize for Lukan earlier...he's rather upset with the synthetic blood supply we're given at the Dome. And he is quite interested in the idea of bipedal engineering. The poor lad is tied up with work...he doesn't get out much." She entered the room and shut the door. "I've brought those greens for you, Tegan. I'm afraid it's all we have..."
The Doctor intercepted the greens before they could be placed into Tegan's hand. Tentatively, he sniffed at the small plant. "In the legume family? To which of your blood feeders do you give this?" He tilted back his head to see it from a different angle. "Hmmm. It does seem safe enough."
Tegan huffed. "It could poison me for all you know. No 'bipedals' as you've put it...eat it."
"Yes, well..." the Doctor sighed as he lowered the branch from in front of his face to stare at Tegan. "There is no other way...our food stuffs for you were...decimated in the crash. If you wish to eat, this is what they have. And graciously offered too, I might add."
She took the branch and gave a weak smile to Bria. "Thank you. I'm sure it's delicious..."
"It's meant for nourishment, not taste, I'm afraid."
"Adds flavor to the blood, I gather," the Doctor replied. "Interesting."
"You don't have similar..."
"Oh heavens no," he responded. "We can't grow anything in the polar regions, I'm afraid. It's all synthetic for us. But thank you...I'm sure it will do the job it is supposed to. "
Bria nodded. "I'd like to talk to you more about your research. May we speak at moonrise? You can join my family in the feast."
Tegan watched the Doctor's face. To one that did know him, the minute wincing in his jaw muscles, the change of twinkle in his eye spelled his disdain for the topic mentioned, but outwardly, to one that did not know him, nothing would seem amiss. "Nothing would please me more, Bria. In the evening, then?"
With a wide smile, Bria nodded and closed the door.
There was a space of silence between the friends. Only the sound of their feet shuffles and breath disturbed the perfect quiet of the grave. That thought made Tegan shiver. In a tomb, because that was where the Doctor needed to be; the thought almost made her physically hurt.
"I don't much like being treated like this, Doctor. You're going to discuss a genetic project you know nothing about, have me eat food that we have no clue what it is and join the family in a feast?" Tegan lowered her hands and the food so that she could look at him fully. "I just want to make sure I understand this. Hell's teeth, Doc...the first two make sense, but the third? Are you really going to eat with them?"
The Doctor's eyes darkened. "I am rather hungry, Tegan, but you're right. I don't think I'll be able to stomach that eventuality, but there's no use in thinking about it until I have to deal with it, is there, hmm?"
Tegan wrapped her arms around her and went to the collection of blankets. With a grunt, she sat down heavily.
"Regardless, Tegan, those greens do look harmless. If they are indeed in the legume family, you should be fine, unless, of course, you have an allergy to nuts. No? I thought not. Go ahead and eat them." He rubbed his temples. "The sun is coming up, I can feel it. I'll have to go into a state soon."
With a sour look, she lifted the food to her mouth and began to nibble on the leaves. After a moment, her face eased. "They're sweet!"
The Doctor nodded as he walked around their room, his hands firmly in his pockets. "Ah, well...people on your planet add corn to the diet of bovines to increase the tenderness of the meat; the vampires here add sweet food to the diet of their animals to raise the sweetness level of the blood. Makes perfect sense."
She glanced at the leaves in agitation. "Oh great. And what about that voice of yours? Planning on being a snake charmer? Why are they listening to you?"
"Yes, well, I could experiment to see if the theory I'm formulating is correct, but it would present a great deal of personal danger to myself..."
"Which is?"
"That compared to this lot," he remarked as he turned around to glance at her. "I'm old. To test that I should wait until the sun comes up and see what damage it does to my skin and systems."
"Oh no," she shook her head as she finished the greens that were brought for her. "No, Doctor. I might want you to rush out and take care of things at times, but this isn't one of those. You're bloody well staying put. Right here. Out of the sun. What if it would..."
"Hush, Tegan. Yes, I know..." he responded. He talked over her easily. "I'm not going to do that." He rubbed at his temples again, wincing. "And although I like our little argument here over virtually nothing, Tegan, I do feel the need to...hibernate as it were."
With interest, Tegan watched as the Doctor sat down on the blankets next to her and began to unlace his shoes. "You'll pass out again?"
"Quite. Out like a proverbial light." He gave her a glance. His eyes were weary, their blue depths a dark gray and his brow wrinkled in concentration. "Are you tired?"
"Exhausted, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep. That door doesn't have a lock on it, you know. And Lukan seems to think I'm dinner," she protested. With a firm shake of her head, she sighed. "I'll just stay awake, I suppose. Was never a day sleeper..."
The Doctor frowned and waved his hand towards the wall. There were pillows piled along it's rough surface. If Tegan didn't know better, she would have given them silk any day. "Lie down, Tegan. Sleep is the best for the both of us. You'll need the energy, I think."
"I'm not.."
"That's a simple matter of suggestion," he murmured. His eyes were dark in the coming dusk of daybreak. "Lie down, Tegan."
Although he didn't use the voice, she hesitantly and bad temperedly did as he said. As she stretched out, he turned to glance down at her. "I'll sleep closest to the door, Tegan; you'll be perfectly all right."
"I thought vampires needed something or someone to watch over them while they sleep..." she responded hotly.
"Don't worry, Tegan," he muttered. The tone on to tone in his voice had reappeared and had some bass and force behind it. "Go on...close your eyes...sleep..."
She yawned and gave him a sour glance. "You're getting too good with that...and I hate that I have to listen to you."
The last thing she saw as her eyes slipped closed was the Doctor gently smiling at her.
...and when she awoke, he was sitting beside her and was lacing up his cricket boots. She came awake as if someone had flicked on a light in her mind. It was amazingly sudden. There was no slight haziness of thought that sometimes accompanied her wakefulness. With a deep breath, she looked accusingly to her friend. "You're responsible for that, aren't you?"
"Good evening," he said quietly. "And yes..."
She rose and stretched. "That was to keep me from over sleeping, I suppose. Bloody hell...like an alarm clock, you are..." Her feet ached from the cold and she stomped them on the ground to bring feeling to them. "Doc...good Lord, are you feeling all right?"
A weary gaze met hers. In the light of the single candle, the Doctor looked deathly pale. His hair, normally very healthy and clean looking hung limply over his forehead. There was an almost albaster gleam to his skin and, as he laced his shoes, his hands shook.
"Yes, yes...Tegan, perfectly all right..."
"Bullshit."
The statement made him start and frown. When his gaze returned to her, she was shocked to see that he couldn't concentrate his sight on her. "Yes, thank you for your thoughts on the matter, Tegan."
"Doc..." she breathed and stepped forward towards him.
He rose abruptly and turned his back on her. The body language was exclusive and Tegan fought to respect it. "I shall have to meet with Bria today to talk about the genetics program..."
"I'll come along with you," she stated. It wasn't a question in her mind.
"Tegan..." he sighed. His shoulders slumped in what could have been dejection. "I would prefer if you found other things to keep you..."
She hardened her expression. "Hell's Teeth! Have you forgotten that they could use me as meal d'jour? I want to stay with you because you're the only one I can trust right now." Her eyes widened. "Seriously, Doc...you know I'm not usually one that..."
When the Doctor turned and faced her, she gasped. He looked old. Yes, he was still the young man she knew, but the look in his eyes seemed older than time. His face looked pained, pale and lined. "Tegan...I don't know if staying with me is the of action."
"Good Lord..." Tegan did come forward this time and reached for him. He almost flinched from her touch.
"Please, Tegan..." he responded, allowing only the gentlest touch to his arm. He stilled and then with an inhale he straightened his spine. "Yes, yes, of course, you can stay with me." He led the way from the room with her hand on his arm. Bria smiled at them from across the room and rose from the table to cross to them. "But Tegan, if I begin to behave irrationally...with anger or...out of...hunger..."
"Cripes!" She gripped his arm.
"Not now, Tegan..." he warned under his breath and rubbed at his brow with his other hand. He gave her a tentative smile at her shocked expression. "I doubt it will come to that. I've been invited to the feast this evening...yes, Tegan, I know, but I do believe I'm being physically affected by lack of hemoglobin. I'll have to eat...no, don't look at me like that." He nodded. "It is strictly a scientific observation at the state of my health." His eyebrows went up. "Interesting. Whereas usual hunger causes similar responses only after a few weeks...the need for food is greater under this genetic influence-"
"Always bloody science," Tegan muttered. Bria was drawing near. "I'm staying with you. I wouldn't last a bloody hour."
"Good nightfall, you two," Bria greeted them. Tegan smiled in return and glanced at the family. They looked almost similar to the girl in front of her. "The feast will be in a few hours. Let me tell you, Luke is practically foaming at the mouth...by Pyrithra, Doctor....are you well?"
"Perfectly, although a little hungry..." He gave a weak smile. "But that will be taken care of soon enough. I believe we have a discussion to have, Bria. Tegan will be with us..."
"That's very smart," Bria agreed. "Until tonight, everyone will be looking for blood."
"Tegan's been given approximately 80% similarity genetically with our race," the Doctor explained quietly. "The other experiments weren't as successful. In order to manage bipedal movement, we had to incorporate that much of our genetics. The body temperature was raised in order to allow an easier maintenance. Additionally, for space exploration, this particular body would be the most moveable and adaptable."
The Doctor nodded and waved a hand absently toward Tegan. She fought the urge to cover herself with her hands although she was fully clothed. And she doubted her frown of discomfort was noticed by the Doctor or Bria. "Similarity in form also allows for some form of compatible and easy blood letting."
The urge to say thanks Doc almost made Tegan growl under her breath. The response made Bria smile. "She has complete emotional capability?"
"Ah," the Doctor responded as he cast a quick glance at Tegan. "Yes."
"And the logic of that? Surely blood letting if one were to do too much would be terrifying to her."
"Too right," Tegan muttered. The Doctor gave her a reproachful look.
"Yes, yes it might be," the Doctor began. He rubbed at the back of his neck with a weary hand. "But our ability to blood let allows for the production of certain enzymes to decrease pain. Tegan's ability to feel emotion would allow the pleasureable feeling, the possible euphoria that the bleeding would allow. One cannot have the pleasure without the possible pain or fear..."
Tegan couldn't say a word as the Doctor slipped his glasses on his face and neared her. "You see the closeness of the neck arteries to the surface?" he asked. "That would allow for quick ease and could be misconstrued as an erotic-"
"Erotic..." Bria approached Tegan and sized her up. Tegan felt like she was under a microscope and tried hard not to growl. "By the light! You've made her so she can carry young?"
"Well, yes..." the Doctor responded as he looked over his glasses at Bria. Tegan stifled a smile; the Doctor seemed at a loss for words for a moment. His recovery was quick and was heralded by a small pinkening of his cheeks. "Of course...they are expendable with shorter life spans. We need to have a refreshable source of movable blood. When with child, the female will be unable to be used for blood letting, but at the end of gestation..."
"Excellent point," Bria agreed. She stepped back from Tegan. With a smile, she nodded to the Doctor. "Upon our return to the Dome, I'll show you our work."
"That would be absolutely wonderful," the Doctor said quietly, reaching out to take Tegan's arm.
With squinted eyes, Tegan contemplated the village. It seemed like quite a few people were milling around. There was less light than there had been the night previously; the dousing of the candles and torches, she decided. She shivered; there was an air of joviality that chilled her; like hunters before a kill. "The feast will be..."
"In the central courtyard outside my family's house," Bria responded. "And will be beginning soon. Tegan, I think it would be in your best interest to stay inside the room allotted to you and the Doctor until later. Some might get a little...carried away with your presence." A look of pain crossed her features. "Luke and I included. It has been awhile since good food was put in front of us."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Tegan agreed.
"Very good, Tegan," the Doctor remarked as he led her about the village when Bria left them. She barely heard him. She was watching the surrounding people. It seemed as though they were going about their daily lives, as strange as that life seemed to her. There were animals hung over low poles propped in between two posts. Had she been somewhere else, she would have thought them to be tanning the hides. What it looked like, however, was a very crude method of blood letting. The viscous liquid poured from the wounds into metallic containers. She stopped almost despite herself and stood staring at the collection. The Doctor passed her and then turned. "Tegan?"
She shivered and gripped her arms as she crossed them over her chest. Ignoring most of what he was saying, and she was sure there was more that he had said she hadn't responded to, she sighed. "I would have thought they were curing the meat, but they want the blood. It seems so common place; like preparing the lambs for slaughter for dinner. Is it ceremonial, do you think?"
The Doctor inhaled and a quiver worked through his body. She shut her eyes with the truth of that image. One of her hands rubbed at her temple. "Don't talk, Doc...not now...I can tell you're nearly beside yourself with hunger. Look...you got past the questioning of my 'genetic origins' well enough. Cripes, I'm glad someone paid attention in science class. And I suppose you got your sums right. Is there anything else we can do? Here? Now? We're going..."
"Late tomorrow," he mumbled. It wasn't enough and Tegan came forward, one foot unsteadily in front of the other, as if drawn to him like an opposing magnet to a positive charge. He sighed and shook his head, backing away from her equally unsteadily. With a sharp clearing of his throat, he spoke again. "Stop. Tegan. Ignore my voice."
She had formed fists and slowed her walk and shook her head. "I'm trying. Doc...you have to eat...one day of you like this and I can barely stay where I am. And you were weak this morning...er...evening."
"I will," he responded darkly. "This evening. And to answer your original question, no there is nothing else we can do right now. We have to see what else is going on around here."
"Isn't it enough to know that they're making...people like me?" she whispered. She drew near to him anyway as others bustled around them. "Rabbits, that's horrible as it is, isn't it?"
"Well, yes," he agreed. He reached out to lay his hands on her shoulders. The touch was familiar, but Tegan was wary. "But only a piece of a rather gruesome puzzle. We need to find out the whole picture."
"Rabbits," she sighed.
"I quite agree," he replied. "Let's get you comfortable; I do believe that they're getting close to the meal."
