MISSING PERSONS
Chapter IV
The Anderson look-alike walked down the stairs slowly. "I won't be needing this ridiculous disguise any more," he said and reached into his coat. There was a bleeping sound and Anderson wavered, like a bad TV reception. He then vanished, to be replaced with a slightlyshorter, more rotund man with slicked back hair, orange eyebrows and blue spots across his face. He still wore Anderson's uniform.
"Holographic disguise," said the Doctor. "A wolf in sheep's clothing. And, now that I see your true colours, I recognise the ship. You're an Androgum, aren't you?"
The stranger smiled. "Yes, Doctor. You've met my people before then?"
"Just once," said the Doctor. "On two separate occasions." Before anyone could comment on that non sequiter, the Doctor continued. "But that ship was a bit advanced for any Androgum technology I remember. Self-vaporisation, engrammatic generators, holo-disguises. You must have got them from someone else."
"There is no progress quite like the progress made during wartime," said the Androgum. Using his gun, he gestured Rose and the Doctor to the back of the room. They complied. There was a row of empty capsules at the back.
"The Androgum are at war? My history's a little outdated. With who?" said the Doctor.
"The Sontaran Empire," sneered the Androgum as he tapped at a capsule.
The Doctor simply nodded. Rose spoke up. "What are you doing to all these people, Anderson?"
"My name is Veln," he replied. "A year ago, I was on a scouting mission when a Sontaran battleship intercepted me. I was shot down on this miserable little rock. When Anderson and his friends came looking for me, I captured them and took Anderson's likeness."
"But why?" said Rose. "What are you doing with all these people?"
"The Androgum love the taste of humans," said the Doctor coldly. "They're food for you, aren't they?"
Rose looked at Veln in disgust. "Some of us do not share our more primitive counterparts' lower urges…" he said.
"So you're an Augmented Androgum. That's even worse. An intelligent Androgum."
Veln sneered. "Unfortunately, being stranded in this moronically boring town has driven me to extreme measures. At first it was the homeless - people no one would notice - but then I had to start… branching out. I have tried to repair my ship repeatedly to no avail, but when I saw your odd ship in the field, I knew I had a another way out."
"W-What are you gonna do to us?" said Rose.
"You will be put into suspended animation like the others," said Veln. "Then you will all come with me as I take your ship back to Androgum Prime. You will serve as an 'in-flight meal' as you would say."
"You can't do this!" said Rose. "These are human beings! People, just like you."
"They're nothing like me," said Veln. "I am an Androgum, I'm better than they are. Besides, no one will miss them, no one will come looking for them."
"How can you say that?" said Rose.
"Because no one came looking for me!" yelled Veln. He lowered his voice considerably. "Not my colleagues, not my friends, not even… not even my own family. I'm no one. I'm lost. I'm just another missing person."
The Doctor stepped forward. "It doesn't have to be like this. I can take you back home."
Veln looked up at him. "You… You'd do that?"
"Like Rose told you," said the Doctor. "Helping people's what we do best."
Veln, still pointing the gun at them, considered his options. A look of conflict and indecision was on his face.
"Last time I met your people," said the Doctor, "you were allied with the Sontarans."
"Yes," said Veln. "We were conducting experiments into time travel for them. When we didn't provide the results they wanted, they declared war on us."
"In their eyes, the Sontarans have no equals, no allies. Everyone is inferior to them. They treat other races like slaves, or annoyances to be wiped out. By doing this," the Doctor swept his arm across the room, "how would you be any better?"
There was a heavy silence. Eventually Veln put the gun down on a capsule. "Take me home, Doctor," he said. "Please…"
The Doctor grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "All you had to do was ask."
"What about all these people?" asked Rose.
"I can activate the master awaken sequence. They willall recover within minutes."
"Perfect," said the Doctor. "We won't wanna stick around though. Too many questions. They can sort themselves out easily enough."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Once they had begun the process to awaken everyone, Rose, the Doctor and Veln entered the TARDIS and left.
"Next stop: Androgum Prime," said the Doctor.
"You exited?" Rose asked Veln.
"I have been away for so long," he replied. "I wish only to see my family and the skies of home once again."
The time rotor stopped moving. "We're here," said the Doctor. He frowned as he checked the scanner screen, but Rose and Veln were already on their way out.
They had materialised on top of a high building. Veln walked over to the edge and looked out below him.
They were in the middle of a vast city. All around them was devastation. Buildings were in ruins, roads were strewn with debris, smoke filled the air. The building they stood upon was one of only a handful still standing.
"Oh my god," gasped Rose.
"The war," said Veln quietly. "The Sontarans won."
Behind them, the Doctor slowly exited the TARDIS and approached them.
"Doctor," said Rose, "what happened?"
The Doctor looked at Veln, his face grim. He spoke slowly. "There is evidence of Sontaran weapons fire all over the city. I scanned the whole area, but I can't find any life-signs. I'm sorry…"
Veln turned back to the devastated city. "There's no one left…"
The Doctor stepped forward and put his hand out. "I know how you feel…"
Veln batted his hand away in anger. "How can you possibly know how I feel?"
Without responding to the outburst, the Doctor continued. "My people were wiped out in a war with a xenophobic race as well. I'm the last of my kind."
Veln looked down. "Does is get any easier?"
"No. But the pain is important."
"What now?" asked Veln, almost to himself.
"There may be other survivors. Off-world. In ships, space stations, colonies. I can help you search for them."
"What's the point?" said Veln. "All I wanted was to go home… I have nothing left…"
"You have yourself," said the Doctor. "You can't give up now. I've thought about packing it in hundreds of times since I lost my people - my family - but you've got to keep going because you're all that's left. Your people live on in you. As long as you survive they survive. That's why the pain is important. It's a reminder of them. More importantly than that, it's a warning. A warning not to let the same thing happen again."
Veln considered the Doctor's words. "You are right, Doctor," he said. "I will search for my people. And even if I find no one, it is as you say: At least I have myself."
The Doctor put his hand on Veln's shoulder. "Can we drop you off anywhere?"
He shook his head. "No, thank you, Doctor. I shall start looking here."
The Doctor nodded and shook Veln's hand. "Good luck."
"And to you, Doctor," said Veln. "I hope you find your people someday."
The Doctor said nothing as Rose hugged the man who, mere minutes ago, had been ready to kill them.
Veln watched as Rose and the Doctor entered the TARDIS which then vanished before his eyes. He walked down the stairs, out into the streets and began the long search for his missing people.
The end.
Author's Note: The Doctor last met the Androgum "Just once... On two seperate occasions" in The Two Doctors where his Second and Sixth incarnations run into them. Look out for my next story, a Doctor Who crossover, but with what I shan't say... yet.