Hi! I'm alive :) I finished up that Harry Potter fanfic I got super into and wanted to update some things everyone's been waiting for so ta-da! Hope you all enjoy it. It was harder than I expected but let me know what you think. Poor Ripley is dealing with some troubles and I'm debating on whether her becoming human will be a thing or not. curious what you all think.
I yawned, jaw stretched wide and lips curling back to show sharp white teeth before I rolled onto my back, keeping my paws perked up and curling my tail towards my belly. Mm, this is the life. The Doctor and Martha had gone off on another adventure, but he'd insisted I stay and rest since I looked dead on my feet by the time we'd settled back down in the Tardis after meeting Shakespeare.
My body tipped to the side, dropping me back down onto the sheets of the bed in my room. The Doctor had laughed when he saw the normal-looking bedroom after going off in search of my own room, but what could I say? I was a human in a dog's body, and even a dog would want a nice, comfy king-sized bed. The Doctor had only given the maps around the room a brief glance though, before stepping out to check on Martha, which was a shame. If he'd paid a bit more attention, he'd have noticed the marks on them with page numbers and gotten curious.
I myself had been rather surprised by the Tardis's generosity. I don't know how she did it, but they were my maps from back home, and tucked away in the closet was my old field notebook. I hadn't dared tried to flip through it, concerned my wet nose or claws would potentially ruin the book—not that it didn't have stains and tears and water damage anyway. And I would have liked to look through it too. I let out a small huff of air, blinking open tired eyes and frowning.
My stomach grumbled then, and I slowly stood up, yawning again and stretching with my front legs out in a bow before pushing myself up and stretching one back foot, then the other. I shook my fur out, smiling a little at the chiming of my collar when I did, and hopped off the bed. I headed for the door, ducking out the dog-door made into it and heading for wherever the Tardis decided to put my bowl. I found it in the console room and laid down beside it with a huff. The bowl being in this room meant I had to wait for the Doctor to fill it. Said Doctor still having not returned with Martha yet.
The Tardis hummed in amusement, reassuring me they'd be along shortly and dropped a rubber chew toy before me. I begrudgingly took it, holding it in my paws and gnawing on it while glaring at the ceiling. Yes, I know I'm teething, but you've got to understand the position this puts me in. The ship hummed out another chuckle and I grumbled around the toy, before my ears perked up and I whipped towards the door as it opened.
The Doctor and Martha stepped in and a quick whiff of the air told me that whatever had happened on their adventure wasn't exactly fun. That, and he smells like something new. I yipped in greeting, dropping the toy and getting to my feet, tail wagging behind me as I bounded over.
"Hey, Ripley. Did you miss us?" The Doctor asked, smiling and kneeling to pet me, only for me to duck around his hand to get a good thorough sniff of him, his shoes, his coat—Hold on, he smells like… like… Ah!
I barked and grumbled in annoyance, jumping up and putting my paws on him with a frown. You saw cats without me! I love cats! Martha raised a brow.
"What's going on with her?"
"Ah, I think she smells Brannigan."
"Who?"
"The Catkind that I was with while trying to find you."
Find her? How the hell did you lose her! Honestly, I can't leave you alone at all, can I? I complained, making the Doctor chuckle sheepishly as he ruffled my fur.
"How about I explain it to you while you eat, hm? I'm sure you're hungry and Martha could probably do with something herself."
"Ah, I'm actually going to go ahead and shower first, if that's all right. Still a bit smoggy."
I felt there was a hidden joke in there somewhere and looked to the Doctor as he stood, grabbing my food bowl along the way.
"Come on, Ripley. Let's get you fed, and I'll fill you in on what happened."
Martha, the Doctor and Ripley stepped out of the Tardis, the two humans grinning.
"Where are we?" Martha asked as the Doctor inhaled deeply.
"Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze. Nice and cold. Lovely. Martha, have you met my friend?" He gestured to the grand Lady Liberty and Martha gaped.
"Is that? Oh, my God. That's the Statue of Liberty."
"Gateway to the New World. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
"That's so brilliant. I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new one."
"Well, there's the genuine article. So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. Now wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."
There was a huff and the Doctor sighed as Martha shot Ripley a raised brow.
"What's up with her?"
"Well, I told her what happened at New New York and I do believe she's upset with me about you getting taken," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ripley come on! I said I was sorry. To you and Martha."
Ripley frowned at him from over her shoulder, making Martha shake her head.
"You sure she's not alien? I mean, she's understanding everything you're saying."
"Right, well, I can talk to her somewhat. I mean, understand her. She's got human thoughts."
"You're joking."
"Nah, look. Ripley, come here."
Ripley rolled her eyes, but headed over, sitting down as the Doctor pulled out his psychic paper and she lifted her paw to touch it. The Doctor looked it over and winced.
"Oi. Language."
Ripley huffed and tapped it again, allowing him to show it to Martha.
"See?"
He's a right idiot for what he did, and I'm not about to forgive him just yet.
Martha looked at the paper and back to Ripley, turning to the Doctor. "You're joking, right? This is you."
"Nah, here." He took it back and put it on the ground, waving for Ripley to try again and the dog did, making more words appear on it.
I mean, honestly. For how confident he talks, you'd think he'd have enough sense to not get you kidnapped in the first place.
The Doctor sighed, giving Martha a tired look. "See? She's holding a grudge."
Martha chuckled. "That is… That is absolutely insane. I mean, meeting Shakespeare, space and time travel, and witches, sure. But a talking dog?"
Ripley barked, giving her a look as the dog nudged the psychic paper. Seriously? Is this amusing to you two? Because as much as I enjoy barking and playing with your stupid paper, we're hardly going to have time to do so when there's trouble.
"She's got a point," Martha mused, and the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, I've got an idea of something I could try but I'm not sure if it'll work."
"What?"
"Well, I'm telepathic and I can already get a sense of her emotions with physical contact, so I wonder if I could maybe hear her thoughts like the psychic paper if I make the bond a bit stronger." He looked at Ripley who tipped her head in confusion, one ear perked slightly. "It wouldn't normally work on animals, but she's obviously capable of higher intelligence."
"And if it works?" Martha inquired.
"Then, through physical touch, I should be able to understand her thoughts. Maybe with a bit of distance? If I concentrate? You won't understand her though. Not unless I can find a way to rig something up to help."
"Could you?"
"Dunno. I'd have to try a few things."
"No, I mean could you do it? The telepathic thing?"
"Right now?"
Martha shrugged. "Why not? Especially since all our trips have turned into trouble at some point. Might as well try it out, yeah?"
"All right. Ripley, you want to give it a go?"
Ripley barked, spinning in a circle before pausing and wrinkling her nose, nudging the psychic paper. This doesn't mean I forgive you for losing Martha.
The Doctor sighed. "Yes, yes. Come over here."
She headed over and he knelt down, placing a hand on her head and closing his eyes.
"Huh."
"What?" Martha asked, seeing his furrowed brows.
"Nothing. It's just… I expected something a bit less… organized? You know, like stray thoughts of squirrels or food or something."
Ripley grumbled as Martha chuckled.
"Seriously?"
"Well, she is genetically speaking, a dog. But it's weird. It's almost as if… No."
"What?" Martha asked as he leaned back and eyed Ripley. "Doctor, what is it?"
"No. no, but you can't. How?"
"Doctor?"
Ripley eyed him though, waiting for him to figure it out, and finally, he turned to Martha.
"She used to be human."
"What!"
"That's what she's saying, anyway," he said, nodding to his hand still on Ripley's head. "And the witch said something similar too. Called her Ripley Newhart."
Ripley barked, tipping her head a bit with her tongue hanging out in joy.
"But that doesn't make any sense. She's obviously a dog."
"She doesn't know how to explain it either. Even I'm a bit stumped. It makes sense though, if you think about it. She's too smart to be just a normal dog."
Ripley rolled her eyes, barking a few times to get their attention and the Doctor cracked a smile.
"Yes, well, I guess we should get going then. Someone's eager."
Ripley huffed before Martha called out to them.
"Hey, look at this. November 1st, 1930. Is that when we are?" She asked, holding up a paper.
"Must be. The Empire State Building's not finished yet, after all. Still got a couple floors to go."
"Eighty years ago. It's funny, because you see all those old newsreels all in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's now. Come on then, you. Where do you want to go first?" Martha asked eagerly, but Ripley let out a whine, drawing her gaze to the dog as she looked up at the Doctor's uneasy expression.
"I think our detour just got longer."
Martha was handed back the newspaper, reading the headline that had caught his attention. "'Hooverville Mystery Deepens.' What's Hooverville?"
The Doctor smiled, though it was a little strained as he pet Ripley's head to comfort the unsettled dog. "I'll show you."
I bounded around the park we walked through eagerly, stuffing my nose into every gap and tree I could. Everything smells so different! New people, new animals, new—I paused, nose having caught the scent of something odd. I sniffed more, circling the tree and the place where the scent was, unknowingly following the trail off a bit before the Doctor noticed my wandering.
"Ripley! Hey! Don't wander off!"
I paused, lifting my head and noticing I had gotten a bit far from him and Martha. The scent I was following was growing cold anyway, so I doubled back and returned to trotting alongside them. The Doctor though, raised a brow.
"What caught your interest? Squirrel?"
I shot him a dirty look, earning a chuckle from him.
"Yes, yes. Sorry. Just a joke. Honest."
I scoffed through my nose, grumbling at him mentally—grateful for this new connection we had, even if it did only work when we were close by. If you must know, it was a weird scent.
"A weird scent?"
"What?" Martha asked and the Doctor gestured to me.
"Talking to Ripley. Said she picked up a weird scent."
"Whatever that means," Martha muttered, making me bark in complaint.
Hey! I'll have you know that my nose is twenty times better than yours and if I say a scent is weird, then it is!
"Now, now. I don't think she meant it like that, Rip," the Doctor calmed me. "Can you be a little more specific?"
Specific? I tipped my head, thinking. It's hard to explain. Like… pork? But also… not? It's just weird, okay. Dog noses are hard to explain.
"Right. Well, let us know if you smell anything else that's… weird."
I glared at him for the tease as we neared a sort of homeless camp in the middle of the park. There was shouting nearby, and my ears flicked back uneasily as we approached to find two men fighting over a bit of bread. I growled, unable to help it as the emotions of people around me tended to mess with my own. It was just how dogs seemed to work, and it didn't help that shouting tended to set me on edge anyway. A hand touched my back and I flinched, before relaxing a little as the Doctor offered a reassuring smile. I leaned up against his leg for comfort as someone came to break up the fight.
"Come on," the Doctor said once the fighting was over, approaching the man who'd stopped it with Martha and I following. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here."
"And, uh, who might you be?" The man—Solomon—asked, eyeing me uneasily, so I offered my most innocent puppy look; my tongue hanging out and head tipped to look a little dopey.
"He's the Doctor. I'm Martha," Martha introduced, making me bark once. "And this is Ripley."
Yup. That's me!
The Doctor offered him a smile. "She's a big teddy bear, trust me. Looks scarier than she is."
Hey! I'm only a little scary, and it's just because I'm big! I can be cute too!
The Doctor chuckled, ruffling the fur on my head good-naturedly.
"A doctor, huh?" Solomon mused, looking more relaxed with me now. "Well, we got stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighborhood gets classier by the day."
"How many people live here?" Martha asked.
"At any one time, hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville. We are a truly equal society. Black, white, all the same. All starving. So, you're welcome, both of you so long as your dog doesn't go sticking her nose in where it don't belong."
Rude, I thought as I scratched at an itch behind my ear.
"But tell me. Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me. That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, when we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"
We followed Solomon to his tent then, but I was told to stay outside. I huffed, sitting by the flap but not exactly thrilled about it. It's cold.
I know. We'll only be a moment, the Doctor replied, surprising me for a moment.
I hadn't expected our little connection to work both ways like this. Still, it was nice that the Doctor had been willing to make a connection like this in the first place. It felt a bit like an invasion of privacy. But it's not like he can sense my thoughts all the time, right? And it's nice, to finally be able to talk to someone normally. I sighed softly, curling into a ball to wait for the Doctor to come back out. I was quick to jerk on my feet though, when a young boy came rushing over. He took a look at me, pausing briefly before shaking his head and bursting into the tent behind me.
"Solomon! Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here."
This must have been important, since the group in the tent was quick to come out where a group of people were gathering. It appeared to be a sort of meeting with the Diagoras guy standing up high over everyone as he spoke.
"I need men. Volunteers. I've got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money."
"Yeah. What is the money?" The young boy questioned.
"A dollar a day."
Grumbles echoed up from the crowd of homeless, letting me know that that wasn't exactly much even in current times.
"What's the work?" Solomon asked.
"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"
"A dollar a day? That's slave wage. And men don't always come back up, do they."
"Accidents happen," Diagoras shrugged, but I could feel the Doctor's intrigue.
"What do you mean? What sort of accidents?"
Diagoras brushed him off. "You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else?"
The Doctor lifted his hand and I flicked my ears back once more. Oh, no. Don't tell me… The Doctor shot me a wink as Diagoras scowled at him.
"Enough with the questions."
"Oh, no, no, no. I'm volunteering. I'll go."
Martha too looked mildly annoyed, but raised her hand as well, along with Solomon and the boy—Frank. We were led to the sewers by Diagoras then and the Doctor scooped me up over his shoulders so that I could get down with him.
The place stank though, making me wrinkle my nose in disgust. While I'd hidden in dark, dank places before, the 1930s weren't exactly well known for their plumbing. And there's something else. That scent again, I think. It's hard to tell with the other smells covering it up. I sniffed around a bit, frowning as I padded along, and our little group was shut in on our own.
"We just got to stick together," Frank smiled, though I could tell he was a little uneasy himself. "It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here."
I headed over to him, surprising him when I licked at his hand in comfort. He smiled though, giving my head a pat fondly before I headed over to join the Doctor. He was talking with Solomon about how things were being run with Diagoras before I smelled something foul and began to bark, moving ahead of them.
"Ripley? Ripley, wait!"
There's a thing! A scent! I called back as he hurried to catch up and I found the source of the foul smell. It was a green glob of something that made me wrinkle my nose, but the sight of it made the Doctor excited.
"Whoa! Good find, Ripley!"
I barked and wagged my tail at the praise while Martha and Frank caught up with us.
"Is it radioactive or something? It's gone off, whatever it is," she complained as he reached for it. "And you've got to pick it up."
"Shine your torch through it. Composite organic matter. Martha? Medical opinion?"
"It's not human, I know that."
That's what the scent is! I barked, drawing the Doctor's attention as he showed the glob to me. I keep smelling strange things. The witches from before too! They smelled like this.
"Hm, that's interesting. I don't smell like it though?"
I tipped my head before sniffing at him. No. You're different than other people, but not like this glob thing. It smells gross.
"Hm. I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in. I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you, Martha? So, why did Mr. Diagoras send us down here?"
I don't like it, I mused, ears flicking back as I eyed the tunnel. There's weird scents down here. It's not right.
"Where are we now? What's above us?" Martha asked.
"Well, we're right underneath Manhattan."
Solomon came up then, looking as uneasy as the rest of us. "We're way beyond half a mile. There's no collapse. Nothing."
"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asked the Doctor.
"Looks like it.
"So, why'd he want people to come down here?" Frank questioned.
"Solomon, I think it's time you took these two back. I'll be much quicker on my own," the Doctor said, and I would have argued if it weren't for the noises I heard approaching.
I barked and growled, alerting the others as I shifted in front of them, hackles raised defensively.
"What is it, Ripley?" The Doctor asked before he heard the strange squealing too.
"What the hell was that?" Solomon questioned, taking a hesitant step back, whereas Frank started to take a step forward before I moved in front of him and barked, startling him back.
"Frank, don't," Solomon warned, but he hesitated even with me blocking the way.
"What if it's one of the folk gone missing? You'd be scared and half mad down here on your own."
"Do you think they're still alive?" the Doctor asked, though his gaze was on me. "Ripley wouldn't be acting like this if it was just someone lost."
Solomon agreed as more squealed echoed through the sewers. "I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that."
"Where's it coming from?" Frank asked. "Sounds like there's more than one of them."
Even more of a reason to leave, I added, but the Doctor gave me a grin.
"Ripley would know best. Think you can lead us to them?"
Why the hell would I want to do that! I argued. They're not human! I'd know if they were!
But you've got to be a little curious, don't you? He mentally asked, raising a brow as he tried to appease to my curiosity. Don't you want to know what those weird smells are? They could be friendly, you know.
They smell bad! A-And not like dirty socks, bad. I mean like this, this— God, I don't know how to explain it, but they don't smell like good people or aliens or whatever!
Well, I'm going, so you can choose whether to come with me or not.
I gaped as he stepped past me, leaving me barking at his back. Doctor! Doctor, stop! Ugh! Why do you have to be so reckless! You stupid, reckless, Martian moron!
He turned towards me as I hurried after him. "Martian?"
If I could've flushed, I would've. W-Well, they're aliens. You're an alien… I needed an insult, okay?
He chuckled before Solomon's light flashed over a shadow on the ground and I hastily jumped between the Doctor and them with a low growl. The Doctor stopped behind me as well, eyeing the figure with a hint of uncertainty. Frank started to move forward too, but my fur stood on end and I growled louder, making the Doctor stop Frank with a hand.
"Stay back, Frank. Let me have a look."
Don't you dare, I growled at the Doctor, who offered me a grimace of a smile and knelt down beside me, running a hand soothingly over my back.
I won't get my closer. I just want to talk.
I begrudgingly stopped growling but didn't relax as he spoke to the figure still hidden in the shadows.
"I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own. We know the way out. Daylight. If you come with us." He paused then as his flashlight revealed his face to be that of a pig, making my body shudder. "Oh, but what are you?"
I smelled that before, in the park. The scent. A bit like pork, a bit human, and very much wrong, I informed the Doctor who glanced at me before nodding.
"I promise I can help. Who did this to you?" He asked the pig-man, before I turned, smelling more pig-humans and starting to growl again as Martha spoke up.
"Doctor? I think you'd better get back here."
I barked loudly as they approached and the Doctor stood back up, backing away as their shadows grew nearer.
"Actually, good point. Well then, Martha, Frank, Solomon, Ripley."
"What?"
"Eh? Um, basically… run!"
Our group took off running and I hastily followed with the Doctor taking the lead. He found a ladder and hastily rushed up it to get the top open, climbing through the manhole cover as the others started up after him. I barked and growled at the pigmen as they closed in and Frank picked up an iron bar to try and hold them back. Everything was rather hectic as Frank soon abandoned the bar and started up the ladder, so it wasn't until I was surrounded that I realized the problem.
I couldn't climb the ladder.
"Oh, no. No. Ripley!" The Doctor called and Frank started to turn back on the ladder, but I barked and snapped at the approaching pigmen.
Go! They don't even want me! Go! I'll be fine!
I heard the cover being slid over and maintained my position to prevent the pigmen from trying to climb up after them. One reached for the ladder and I jumped at him, sinking my teeth into his arm and making him squeal as he swung his arm and grabbed at my fur uselessly. I ignored the foul taste in my mouth as I hung on until others tried to grab at me and I let go. I hit the wall with a yelp, but was back on my feet, shaking it off as I bristled again with a growl.
Another one threw itself at me and I retaliated as best I could, relying on instincts to protect myself now. It was almost frightening how quickly my dog mentality took over and everything sort of went red as squeals of pain rang in my ears and blood slipped between my teeth. Then, a pigman went down as I brought my jaws away from its neck. I must have looked quite the sight, standing on top of its chest with blood dripping from my maw and my fur spiked up on end. The remaining pigmen seemed to hesitate before backing up and disappearing through the tunnels, leaving me to try and regain my own mind as I calmed down and pain set in.
The pigman had sliced decently into my left shoulder and I licked at the wound with a soft whine. I felt disgusting with blood matting my fur and even worse when I saw the aftermath of the pigman who'd attacked me. I'd killed someone again. While I'd been defending myself, it still didn't make me feel any better. My ears flicked back, and I tucked my tail shamefully underneath me, wondering if I should talk to the Doctor about this. It didn't seem right, for my human mentality to just take a backseat to the wild dog within me. Perhaps it was something that was just wrong with me after all those tests Yvonne had done. Maybe it could be fixed.
Maybe I can be fixed. Could the Doctor make me human again? Is it even possible, since I was just reborn like this? Would… Would he want to? After what I've done? I scampered through the tunnels, away from the corpse I'd made and hopefully towards a way out to meet back up with the Doctor and the others. All I could find though, were ladders. I'd expected at least one sort of ramp or tunnel exit into a canal that I could use to go back to the park. Then, a different scent drifted to my nose.
It was foul like the strange pigmen, but closer to the scent of the witches from before. There was something off about it though, which put me on edge. If there was one thing I appreciated about my dog senses, it was the fact that dogs were instinctually good at noticing when there was something dangerous. This was one of those things, but my human curiosity drew me towards the scent and I quietly plodded along, keeping in the shadows. I was nearly there when I heard a familiar voice and perked up, head whipping around towards the sounds before my body followed.
"No! Let me go!"
Martha! I barked once, rounding the corner only to pull to a stop as I eyed the situation uneasily. Martha was looking for me as a pigman shoved her into a lineup of others and I was hesitant about revealing myself. I was only able to scare those others off because I killed one. I'm hurt and I don't think I can handle this many. Causing a distraction is possible, but… Martha spotted me then and I shrank slightly, wishing I could talk to her like I could to the Doctor now. What should I do, Martha? I can help but—She shook her head then, making me lift my ears curiously. She held up a hand I recognized as "Stay" and I nodded my head and laid down, settling in my spot to see what would happen now.
Then, that scent from before came closer and the pigmen started to get anxious. I hunkered down further in my hiding place, ears flicking back as a mechanical voice echoed in the tunnels.
"Silence. Silence."
Martha looked to me as if I would know, but I eyed the approaching creature with trepidation.
"You will form a line," the robot ordered, its voice grating on my ears. "Move. Move."
Martha looked to the other people who hesitated. "Just do what it says, everyone, okay? Just obey."
"The female is wise. Obey," the robot ordered as another rolled up.
"Report."
"These are strong specimens. They will help the Dalek cause."
Dalek? I wondered, tipping my head a little.
"What is the status of the final experiment?"
Experiment? Are they some sort of scientists? Did they make these pigmen?
"The Dalekanium is in place. The energy conductor is now complete."
"Then I will extract prisoners for selection," the Dalek declared and a pigman pulled someone forward. "Intelligence scan, initiate."
I watched as it reached towards the man with a plunger-like appendage.
"Reading brain waves. Low intelligence."
"You calling me stupid?" The man accused.
"Silence! This one will become a pig slave. Next."
The man fought uselessly against the pigmen who hauled him away as I got to my feet, worried for Martha. She's smart though, but if they're separating people based on intelligence, then what happens to those who are smart? I turned then, hearing a woman's voice briefly and sniffing the air. I caught the whiff of perfume, pig and the familiar scent of the Doctor. He's here. He came back! N-Not that I doubted he would, but still. I looked back to Martha as the Dalek rolled up to her.
"Superior intelligence. This one will become part of the final experiment."
"You can't just experiment on people!" Martha screamed. "It's insane! It's inhuman!"
The robot didn't seem to mind. "We are not human. Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory."
The Daleks started to roll my way and I stepped back and tucked myself down into the shadows once more. I didn't dare risk testing if my instincts were wrong. These were alien robots with technology I obviously wasn't familiar with. They could have weapons I don't know about. That other arm looks like it might be a gun. I wouldn't stand a chance against it. They rolled past though, not noticing me and I hurried out and easily slipped between the pigmen to come up against Martha's side. She jumped, having not expected me to brush against her leg, but relaxed when she saw me, though I yelped when the Doctor suddenly bolted from a passageway beside us.
"Sh, it's okay, Ripley," he soothed, cracking a smile. "Glad to see you're all right. Or, well, mostly."
I grumbled a bit as we walked. No thanks to you forgetting dogs aren't exactly great with ladders.
"Yes," he murmured; eyes soft. "I really am sorry."
I wanted to say it was fine, but then I remembered that I could still taste blood in my mouth and hesitated.
"Ripley?"
Later, I eventually told him. I… I don't want to think about it now.
He shot me a concerned look, reaching down and ruffling my fur before we reached the lab where the Daleks were set up.
"Report," a Dalek demanded.
"Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution."
"Scan him. Prepare for birth."
What's going on? I asked, looking up at the Doctor, who's own brows were furrowed.
"I don't know. Evolution? Martha, ask them."
Martha gave him a disbelieving look. "What, me? Don't be daft."
"I don't exactly want to get noticed," he pointed out. "Ask them what's going on."
I made the softest bark I could manage, more of a whisper than anything and she wrinkled her nose at me before huffing.
"Fine." She took a step forward, drawing attention to her. "Daleks, I demand to be told. What is this Final Experiment? Report!"
I shot the Doctor a look. Not the way I'd go about talking to deadly aliens, but okay.
He gave me a small smile until the Daleks responded.
"You will bear witness."
"To what?" Martha asked.
"This is the dawn of a new age."
"What does that mean?"
"We are the only four Daleks in existence, so the species must evolve a life outside the shell. The Children of Skaro must walk again."
What's that mean? I asked the Doctor, but my ears flicked back at the dark look in his gaze. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't good. I could tell he didn't like the Daleks, but that seemed to set him more on edge. Then, the Dalek that was smoking in the center of the room began to open, making me shrink back. Those things open? A shoe stepped out of it and a strange squid-looking alien stepped out in a suit. I let out a whine instinctually, tucking myself behind the Doctor because this thing smelled even worse than the Daleks. It smelled like burnt flesh mixed with something foul and something human. It smelled like Diagoras.
"I am a human Dalek. I am your future."
Music started to play as the Doctor distracted the Daleks and the newly created human-Dalek Sec. The Doctor was glad that Ripley seemed to be keeping her temper for the moment. He'd worried she might act rashly in this situation with Martha being man-handled by pigmen. Yet, the already blood-covered dog (Hers? Someone else's?) was hanging back and stuck to her position near Martha's ankles as the Doctor dealt with the bigger problem. Dalek Sec was willing to talk though, which was a surprise. Perhaps there was something to this new Dalek-human combination.
"What does it feel like? You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn't it? That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you're thinking right now."
Dalek Sec hesitated for a second. "I feel humanity."
"Good. That's good." Could he be…
"I feel everything we wanted from mankind, which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war. Such a genius for war."
The Doctor's hopes fell. "No, that's not what humanity means."
"I think it does. At heart, this species is so very Dalek."
The Doctor turned around with a flash of frustration. "All right, so what have you achieved then, with this Final Experiment, eh? Nothing! Because I can show you what you're missing with this thing. A simple little radio."
"What is the purpose of that device?" A Dalek demanded.
"Well, exactly. It plays music. What's the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it. Unless you're a Dalek of course. Then it's all just noise. Ripley! Ears!"
The Doctor put his screwdriver to the radio as Ripley bolted for the exit with the other people on her heels. The Doctor rushed after them too, catching up with Ripley who was whining softly.
"Up you go, Ripley! Not forgetting you this time!" He scooped up the dog who yelped in surprise as she was hoisted onto his shoulders and they found a letter up and out.
Once safe, the group stopped running and caught their breath as they returned to Hooverville to explain things to Solomon. Ripley though, was quiet. More so than usual, anyway. Something had obviously happened while she was left in the sewers. Either that, or she's still upset about my leaving her behind. I honestly hadn't meant to. I'm not used to having a companion with these sorts of limitations. Currently, said pup was getting a wound on her shoulder stitched by Martha, who was scolding her for being so reckless. I'll have to figure it out later.
"I'm sorry, Solomon. You've got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state. Just get out of New York," he said, but the leader of Hooverville was adamantly against it.
"There's got to be a way to reason with these things."
"There's not a chance," Martha argued, adding to the Doctor's warning before she pointed a stern finger at Ripley. "No licking it."
Ripley shot her a look and huffed. Like I was going to. Honestly.
The Doctor resisted the urge to chuckle, imagining Ripley in a plastic cone for a moment before a sentry came bursting out of the trees.
"They're here! I've seen them! Monsters! They're monsters!"
"It's started," the Doctor breathed.
"We're under attack. Everyone to arms!" Solomon warned the homeless as rifles were handed out and the Doctor spotted Ripley getting up and eyeing the area around them with a low growl.
"Ripley, stay close," the Doctor ordered, drawing her attention to him as her ears flicked back uneasily. "You're already hurt, and I don't want you to get separated again."
She whined lightly but moved to tuck herself up against his leg for safety, licking her chops uneasily. He reached down and pet her, trying to offer her some comfort as screams of pain rang out around the with gunshots and squeals.
"We need to get out of the park!" Martha called out.
"We can't. They're on all sides. They're driving everyone back towards us."
Like sheep for the slaughter.
Ripley, please, he lightly chided, though the statement wasn't entirely wrong.
"If we can just hold them off till daylight," Martha offered, but the Doctor shook his head, knowing it would be impossible.
"Oh, Martha. They're just the foot soldiers."
"Oh, my God," she breathed as the Daleks arrived and began to fire into the crowd.
Ripley whined loudly from behind him, scared of the firefight going on and finally, the Doctor couldn't take enough.
"The humans will surrender," a Dalek declared, and he stepped forward.
"Leave them alone! They've done nothing to you!"
Then, Solomon moved forward, and the Doctor hastily grabbed him.
"No, Solomon! Stay back."
The man shook him off though, prepared to die for his people and, reluctantly, the Doctor backed off as Ripley again tucked herself up against him.
"I'm told that I'm addressing the Daleks, is that right? From what I hear, you're outcasts too."
"Solomon, don't!" The Doctor tried to stop him.
"Doctor, this is my township. You will respect my authority. Just let me try." Solomon brushed him off again and faced the flying Dalek.
He offered a good speech. One that may have moved people, but these were Daleks. The Doctor feared his sacrifice was literally that: a sacrifice. And as the speech finished and Solomon threw down his weapon to offer a hand of peace, he was vaporized.
"They killed him. They just shot him on the spot," Martha gaped, and the Doctor's fury rose, drawing him forward.
"Daleks. All right, so it's my turn! Then kill me! Kill me if it'll stop you attacking these people!"
"I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy," the Dalek preened.
"Then do it! Do it! Just do it! Do it!" The Doctor bellowed.
Suddenly, Ripley was in front of him, barking like mad.
"Ripley. Ripley! Move!" The Doctor ordered, not wanting her to get caught up in this.
"Exterminate!"
The Doctor grabbed her by the scruff and forcefully threw her aside, prepared to take the incoming blast, but it never came.
"I do not understand. It is the Doctor," the Dalek said, having received conflicting orders. "The urge to kill is too strong… I obey. You will follow."
"No! You can't go!" Martha argued, but the Doctor eyed the Dalek with a frown.
"I've got to go. The Daleks just changed their minds. Daleks never change their minds."
"But what about us?"
"One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?" He negotiated with the Dalek who begrudgingly agreed.
"Humans will be spared. Doctor, follow."
"Then, I'm coming with you," Martha said, stepping forward but the Doctor shook his head.
"Martha, stay here. Do what you do best. People are hurt. You can help them. Let me go. Oh, and can I just say, thank you very much." He pressed his psychic paper into her hand before turning to Ripley who shrank away.
Hurt filled his hearts as he knelt down, hating to see her looking at him in fear.
"I'm sorry, Ripley. I didn't mean… I couldn't have you sacrificing yourself like that. Not for me."
She shifted closer, near crawling on the ground before laying in front of him, ears still flat over her head. He reached out and pet her softly, wrapping his mind around hers in comfort.
And I don't what you hurt, she breathed back. You're all I have.
He smiled softly, sadly. You have Martha too. She'll take care of you.
Ripley let out a whine and he stood.
"Take care of her, okay? Don't get into too much trouble. I won't die so easily."
And he walked off with the Daleks following after him, leaving Ripley to howl loudly at his retreating back.
I was sitting where the Doctor had been, waiting, thinking. Martha was with this other woman the Doctor had picked up—Tallulah—and they were helping people who'd been hurt in the fight. I had nothing I could do to help them. As a dog, getting supplies for them was limited to what I could carry in my mouth, which wasn't exactly sanitary. God, why am I so useless? What is the point of putting me in a dog if there's nothing I can do? A whine escaped me as my ears flicked back and that familiar weight of sadness settled in my chest. I can't do anything but hurt people. What's he going to think when I admit I've killed another person? What's going to happen if he forgets about me again and I can't find a way back?
"Ripley!"
I turned at Martha's call, begrudgingly getting up and searching for her scent before I found her with Frank and Tallulah.
"There you are. The Doctor would kill me if I left you," Martha replied, reaching down and petting my head. "I've got a plan, I think. The Doctor gave me his psychic paper and…" She paused. "And I'm talking to a dog."
I frowned, barking. I'm human! Honestly, what's it going to take to convince you? It's not like I want to be a dog right now!
"Right, human, sorry. It's going to take some getting used to, okay?" She apologized, making me huff as Frank eyed her uneasily and I shot him a look.
What? You wanna go?
He cracked a hesitant smile before Martha sighed.
"Look, it's hard to explain. Just think of her as a really smart dog, okay? Come on."
The group seemed to accept that as Martha led us towards the Empire State Building that was currently still being built.
"Where are we headed anyway?" Frank asked once we were in the lift.
"The top, where they're still building."
"How come those guys just let us through? How's that thing work?" Tallulah asked, eyeing the psychic paper that Martha used to get us in.
"Psychic paper. Shows them whatever I want them to think. According to this, we're two engineers and an architect, with a… sniffer dog?" Martha looked at me and I turned my nose up with a huff.
Don't look at me. I'm "just a dog," remember?
"Oh, I wish the Doctor's connection with you worked for me too," she muttered as the lift reached the top and we stepped out into the partially finished office.
"Look at this place, Top of the world!" Tallulah said with a smile, looing around until Martha found some blueprints.
"Okay, now this looks good."
We gathered around and I placed my front paws on the table for a look too.
"Hey, look at the date. These designs were issued today. They must've changed something last minute," Frank pointed out.
"You mean the Daleks changed something?"
"Yeah, could be."
Martha flipped up the papers, seeing the older plans underneath. "The ones underneath, they're from before. That means that whatever they changed must be on this top sheet but not on this one. We need to check one against the other."
Tallulah, meanwhile, was happily commenting on things as she wandered the room, stepping out onto an open area. Martha took down the blueprints though, lying them on the floor to better compare them. Frank offered to keep an eye on the doors as Tallulah returned, saying something about a storm. I can feel it too. The electricity in the air. Makes me feel uneasy being this high up.
"I wish the Doctor was here," Martha muttered then, voice solemn. "He'd know what we're looking for."
I let out a soft whine in agreement, lying beside her and tucking my head close to her leg as she reached over and pet me lightly.
"So, tell me, where did you and him first hook up?" Tallulah asked, as the two chatted about Martha's job and her partnership with the Doctor. "You could be doctors together. Oh, what a partnership. Oh, it's such a shame. If only he wasn't so different. You know what I mean?"
"Oh, you have no idea how different he really is," Martha drawled.
"Yeah, he's a man, sweetheart. That's different enough."
I snorted as Martha's expression faltered.
"He had this companion a while back. This friend. And ever since then he's been on his own. But you know, sometimes I say something or do something, and he looks at me, and I just sort of think that he's not seeing me. He's just remembering."
She's talking about Rose. I mean… yeah. It's a bit obvious that the Doctor liked Rose and he's still upset about it, but… I don't think he means to upset you, Martha. I flipped her hand up with my nose, whining again and resting my head on her lap. He just doesn't understand what he's doing, is all. She sighed softly, scratching behind my ear.
"I'm assuming you're trying to cheer me up, so… thanks, Ripley."
I barked and wagged my tail, glad she'd been able to figure that out. Then, I spotted it, barking to let Martha know as I scrambled up from her lap.
"You see it?"
I moved around to the top of the drawing and dropped a paw onto it with another bark.
"What is it?" Tallulah asked, heading over as she pulled her coat closer around her.
"Ripley spotted what the Daleks added. Look. There, on the mast. Those little lines? They're new. They've added something, see?"
"Added what?" Tallulah asked before her and Martha both seemed to understand.
"Dalekanium!"
There was a hum then and I whipped towards the lift, seeing that it was moving up in our direction. I barked repeatedly, rushing for it and bristling with a growl. Then, the doors opened, and I perked up, doing a quick spin as I barked at the Doctor.
"Doctor!" Martha grinned.
"First-floor perfumery," he said with a smile as I bounded for him and jumped up at him.
He chuckled and scooped me up, letting me lick at his face as I whined and squirmed in his arms in relief. You're okay! I'm so glad you're okay!
"Yes, yes, Ripley! I'm all right," he said, setting me back on the floor with a softened smile as he squished my face between his hands. "Sorry for worrying you."
He pressed a kiss to my forehead and I reached up and licked his cheek again, glad he was alive and well before Martha hurried over for her own hug. The chime of the lift drew our attention back to it though, startling me and making the Doctor cry out.
"No, no, no. See, never waste time with a hug," he said, trying to stop the lift with his sonic. "Deadlock seal. I can't stop it."
What do we do? I asked as Martha asked a different question.
"Where's it going?"
"Right down to the Daleks. And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?" The Doctor asked, and Frank checked a nearby clock.
"Uh, eleven fifteen."
"Six minutes to go. I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits."
What about us? I asked, chasing after him as I realized I'd again be left behind due to the ladders leading up to the mast. What do we do?
"You're going to stay here and keep them safe, Ripley," he said, peering up at where he needed to go. "Oh, that's high. That's very. Blimey, that's high."
"And we've got to go even higher. That's the mast up there, look. There's three pieces of Dalekanium on the base. We've got to get them off," Martha informed him, and he paused.
"That's not we, that's just me."
"I won't just stand here and watch you," she countered, and I felt a hint of jealousy at her ability to actually be able to chase after him if she wanted.
"No, you're going to have your hands full anyway. I'm sorry, Martha, but you've got to fight."
The Doctor started climbing up as I whined in concern, while Martha and the others worried about the pigmen undoubtedly making their way up through the lift. Everyone was armed and I soon joined them, bristled and growling as the lift drew ever closer.
"Tallulah, stay back. You too, Martha. If they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill," the half-pigman, Laszlo, commanded but Martha wasn't about to listen.
"The Doctor needs me to fight. I'm not going anywhere!"
"They're savages. I should know. They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth."
I shifted uneasily at the reminder; my stitched wound throbbing at the thought before Laszlo suddenly collapsed. I eyed him in uncertainty, a whine creeping up through me despite not really knowing him—or caring for the foul smell of pork mixed with something else.
"Laszlo? What is it?" Tallulah asked, concerned as she went to his side.
"No, it's nothing. I'm fine. Just leave me."
"Oh, honey, you're burning up. What's wrong with you? Tell me."
Frank fidgeted in uncertainty. "Great. One man down, we ain't even started yet."
"It's not looking good, Frank," Martha admitted. "We're going to get slaughtered."
I turned my attention back to the lifts uneasily. Martha and Frank might be able to handle one pigman on their own, but there would be a group in the lift. The thought of having to possibly kill someone again made me feel sick. Then, Martha called out.
"Lightening!"
Say what? I mentally questioned before she started gathering pipes and chairs and it clicked. Oh! Like a lightening rod! I hurried to help, dragging out another pipe that she took with a smile before we all ducked behind some nearby columns.
"Is that going to work?" Tallulah asked, concerned.
"It's got to."
Lightening struck and travelled along the piping to the lift just as it opened and pigmen squealed. I cringed, turning away as I fought against gagging at the scent of burnt flesh before everything fell silent and Martha hurried over to check.
"You did it, Martha," Tallulah said, shocked.
"They used to be like Laszlo. They were people, and I killed them," she murmured, making me plod over to her side and lean up against her leg in comfort.
We had no other choice… right?
"No," Tallulah argued. "The Daleks killed them long ago."
Then, Martha jerked. "What about the Doctor?"
She rushed for the ladder up with Frank and I whined as I was again left behind to wait and hope that the Doctor was okay. I let out a whine and then a howl, hoping for some response, before my ears perked up and a set of red Converses appeared over the edge of the ladder.
"Now, now! No more fussing, Ripley!" The Doctor called as I whined again and again until he was back on solid ground.
I'll stop whining when you stop worrying me! I countered, practically tackling him to the ground once he was safely inside.
"Yes, yes. We're definitely going to have to teach you some new tricks to get you to keep up." He chuckled. "Starting with climbing ladders."
I grumbled a bit but allowed him to scoop me up once more as he looked out over the city with the others.
"The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing. They'll be using the sewers, spreading the soldiers out underneath Manhattan."
"How do we stop them?" Laszlo asked.
"There's only one chance. I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping though me first."
"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Martha asked, myself struggling to figure it out as well.
"We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, I need to face them. Where can I draw them out? Think, think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the way. Tallulah!"
"That's me," she chimed, a little surprised at being addressed. "Three Ls and an H."
"The theatre! It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?"
"Don't see why not."
And we were off once again. The theater was rather nice, and I wandered a bit, sniffing at the seats and floor curiously. Beer… sweat… more alcohol…
"Ripley!"
I perked up, putting my paws on a chair arm to spot the Doctor who gave me a look.
"What did I say about wandering?"
I sighed. Not to.
"Then?"
I huffed, grumbling as I plodded back over to where he was checking over Laszlo, who had collapsed in a seat looking ill.
"Stay close," the Doctor told me. "This is going to be a bit risky. I want you keeping them safe, especially since Laszlo can't move. Okay?"
Yeah… Yeah, okay, I muttered, not thrilled with the task before he looked to the others—sonic raised to draw in the Daleks.
"Martha, I want you to go."
"What?"
"I'm telling you to go. Frank can take you back to Hooverville," he said sharply.
"And I'm telling you, I'm not going," she argued, making him bristle as I eyed the two uneasily.
"Martha, that's an order."
"Who are you, then? Some sort of Dalek?"
I whined, tail tucked, and ears flicked back at that, sensing the hurt in the Doctor's hearts before a door was suddenly broken. It was too late to try and leave now.
"Doctor! Oh, my God! Well, I guess that's them then, huh?" Tallulah squeaked out, eyeing the incoming group of newly made human-Daleks.
"Humans with Dalek DNA?" Martha breathed.
"It's all right, it's all right. Just stay calm. Don't antagonize them," the Doctor said, making me wonder.
But, if they're like Daleks, then what would it matter whether we were calm or not? Daleks don't care, right? They just kill so why would they—I stopped, eyes widening as I remembered the Doctor mentioning back at the Empire State Building that he'd gotten in the way of the blast that woke them. Could they… I glanced over at the Doctor for confirmation, but he wasn't listening as two Daleks appeared on the stage with the original human-Dalek Sec crawling along in front of them like a dog.
I growled, bristling as the Dalek called out a command.
"The Doctor will stand before the Daleks!"
The Doctor climbed over the top of the seats and moved onto the stage as I started to crawl under the seats unnoticed. I just want to help. Maybe there will be something I can do.
"You will die, Doctor. It is the beginning of a new age," the Daleks said.
"Planet Earth will become New Skaro."
"Oh, and what a world. With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That's Dalek Sec. Don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new Empire, hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?" The Doctor said, eyeing Sec on the ground with a hint of his own uneasiness making its way towards me.
"My Daleks, just understand this. If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you," Dalek Sec declared; his words falling on deaf ears.
"Incorrect. We will always survive."
"Now we will destroy our greatest enemy, the Doctor."
"But he can help you!" Sec argued.
"The Doctor must die."
"No, I beg you, don't!"
"Exterminate!"
I leapt out in front of the Doctor, growling dangerously even as Dalek Sec fell trying to protect him.
"Your own leader," the Doctor spat. "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him. Do you see what they did? Huh?" He asked the Dalek-humans around us. "You see what a Dalek really is? If I'm going to die, let's give the new boys a shot. What do you think, eh? The Dalek humans. Their first blood. Go on, baptize them. Ripley, get out of the way."
No! No, I-I won't!
"Ripley, that's an order. Go."
I hesitated, the old commands Yvonne ensured were pressed upon me demanding I do as he said or expect punishment. I remembered him scruffing me before and throwing me aside the last time I disobeyed. I worried that he might do the same again. Might leave me behind for good this time. The fear of that betrayal had me shrinking away, tail tucked, and ears flicked back once more at his cold gaze. I crawled away and tucked myself under a chair, hearing the barest whisper as I hid.
Sorry.
The Dalek-humans took aim, but nothing happened when the command was given. Instead, they began to question the Daleks before all hell broke loose.
"Get down!" The Doctor ordered, diving behind the theatre seats as Martha and the others did the same until the gunshots died and he was able to stand and look at the new species standing before him. "It's all right, it's all right, it's all right. You did it. You're free," he reassured, until they all began to clutch their heads and collapse; dead. "No! They can't! They can't! They can't! They can't!"
"What happened? What was that?" Martha asked, making the Doctor grit his teeth.
"They killed them, rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide."
"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed. One of the Dalek masters must still be alive," Laszlo pointed out, making the Doctor feel even more bitter.
"Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one."
The Doctor stormed out, heading right for the Dalek laboratory without thought for anything else. There was one Dalek left and he wasn't about to let it go, but he was willing to give it one last chance. He didn't want to be responsible for another genocide.
"Dalek Caan. Your entire species has been wiped out. And now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated, leaving only you. Right now you're facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion. Because I've just seen one genocide. I won't cause another. Caan, let me help you. What do you say?" He asked the final Dalek who hesitated for only a moment before speaking.
"Emergency temporal shift!"
The Dalek vanished as Martha hurried in with Laszlo leaning heavily on her and Tallulah.
"Doctor! Doctor! He's sick."
Martha helped Laszlo to the ground and the Doctor headed over as she assessed him. "It's his heart. It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it."
Tallulah though, looked to the Doctor in slight hope. "What is it, Doctor? What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe? What is it?"
"It's time, sweetheart," Laszlo breathed.
"What do you mean, time? What are you talking about?"
"None of the slaves survive for long. Most of them only live for a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on because I had you. But now, I'm dying, Tallulah."
"No, you're not. Not now, after all this. Doctor, can't you do something?"
"Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H," the Doctor breathed, before hastily getting up to his feet. "Just you watch me. What do I need? Oh, I don't know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I've got one. Laszlo, just you hold on. There's been too many deaths today. ay too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies. And I'm telling you, I'm telling you right now, I am not having one more death! You got that? Not one. Tallulah, out of the way. The Doctor is in!"
Having everything he needed, he was able to help Laszlo and Frank had managed to talk to those at Hooverville into giving the man a home. The Doctor was finally able to relax a little, even if the thought of the one Dalek who escaped weighed heavily on his mind.
"Do you reckon it's going to work, those two?" Martha asked as they headed back towards the Tardis.
"I don't know. Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York? That's what this city's good at. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and maybe the odd pig slave Dalek mutant hybrid too."
Martha smiled. "The pig and the showgirl."
The Doctor hummed. "The pig and the showgirl."
"It just proves it, I suppose. There's someone for everyone."
"Maybe."
"Meant to say, I'm sorry," Martha blurted out as they reached the door.
"What for?"
"Just because that Dalek got away. I know what that means to you. Think you'll ever see it again?"
"Oh, yes. One day." He opened the door before pausing, brows furrowed. "Hold on. Ripley?"
There was silence and Martha looked around too.
"I thought she was with us. Did she wander off somewhere?"
The Doctor groaned, messing up his hair. "Damn. No. No, this is my fault again. We better go find her. Ripley!"
They headed back towards the park, calling out for Ripley before the Doctor finally caught sight of her.
"Ripley! There you are."
"What are you doing?" Martha asked the dog. "We nearly left without you, ya know."
Ripley stopped walking, but didn't turn to face them, just sitting with her ears flicked back over her head and slightly hunched over. I knew it. I upset her. The Doctor sighed, kneeling down beside her.
"Ripley, I'm sorry for getting upset with you before. I just didn't want you getting hurt. You have to understand what the Daleks are like. They're ruthless and won't think twice before killing you if you're in their way. I didn't mean anything by it, you know. I know you were just worried, but I had it under control."
She didn't do anything, and the Doctor reached out, laying his hand on her head to help him hear her thoughts.
You should've just left.
"Ripley, we wouldn't have gone without you."
You should have, she argued, turning her head away. What difference would it make? It's not like I can do anything like this. I can't help. I just… hurt people.
"Ripley, that's not true," the Doctor pressed, concerned about this sudden negativity. "If this is about the ladders—"
It's not just the ladders! She barked back turning towards him and backing up slightly. Don't you get it? I'm a dog! I was human and now I'm… I'm just a dog! What am I supposed to do? I can't climb ladders. I-I can't talk to anyone but you and only if you're close. I can't even defend myself without… w-without… She let out a whine, turning her head away and clenching her eyes closed, teeth bared in a grimace.
"Ripley, what happened? What's going on? You seemed okay before."
You didn't understand me before, she countered, making him wince.
"Doctor, what's going on?" Martha asked, eyeing the two of them in concern. "What's wrong with her?"
"She's upset about… well, everything, really. She was human once, Martha. Now, she's a dog and it's limited what she's able to do. She's feeling useless."
"Oh…" Martha wasn't sure what she could say to help.
She was still struggling to believe that Ripley was actually human and, while Ripley had done things that had helped, Martha could see where she was coming from. There wasn't much use for a young dog on adventures like this one.
"Ripley, let's just head back to the Tardis," the Doctor offered. "We can figure something out there. Something to help."
Ripley shook her head back and forth, taking another hesitant step back. No. No, I don't deserve… Y-You don't want me back.
"Yes, I do. Ripley, please. I came back last time, didn't I?"
You didn't come for me, she argued in return and again, he cringed.
She was far more attentive than he'd given her credit for. He hadn't known she was human then, and now it was coming back to bite him. His carelessness was coming back to bite him.
"I'm sorry. Ripley, really, I am. I never meant to shout at you. I didn't understand what was happening before when I left you. I've explained that to you a-and I thought you'd forgiven me for it." He swallowed back a bit of emotion. "Please, Ripley. I want to help you and… and if you don't want to travel with me anymore… then at least let me find somewhere safe for you to go."
Slowly, she moved towards him, pressing her head against his neck as he curled his fingers into her fur in a hug. I like going on adventures.
"I know," he breathed.
Really. Really, I do. I like being with you a-and seeing crazy things. Insane things.
"Then, why?"
A whine escaped her, making the Doctor's hearts ache. I'm useless. I'm so useless and scared. I-I can't do anything right in this body. I've hurt people, Doctor. I-I killed someone. Multiple people. I-I've never… I never wanted to b-but I-I just lose control. The Doctor frowned, something about that not seeming right to him.
"It could be something Yvonne did," he murmured, picking up the pup and starting to head back to the Tardis with Martha still eyeing them in concern. "We can look into it, Ripley, okay? Everything will be okay. Give me a chance to help first though, please. I… I don't want to lose you too."
The dog whined softly and he gripped her fur tight as they slipped into the Tardis in a far more solemn mood than before.