This one took longer than I would have liked, but here it is. Changed a little bit but meh. It's not my favorite chapter in the world. Ripley makes it hard to do things, given her dog status. Let me know what you think though!
Also, there's a poll on my profile if you want a look as to how I might do things in the future. And I'm a part of a discord if you want to nag me about things or read stuff I haven't posted on here. discord .gg/zGAvS4eHXm (just take out the spaces)
He ran tests as soon as they were back in the Tardis. Anything he could think of. DNA tests, pheromone tests, blood tests. And she just let him do it without complaint. His mind was surprisingly quiet through the whole process and it only served to make him feel even more terrible than before. He already felt guilty for leaving Ripley behind. Despite his promises, it's happened far too often, and yes. He could sit there and use the excuse that he's not used to having a dog around. It had been quite some time since K9 was trailing after him. However, that was hardly a reason to forget someone he considered to be a fellow companion.
He was now just standing in the console room waiting for the results of his tests and hoping that perhaps there might be something in them that would help the current situation. It was understandable that Ripley was upset. Having once been human and now stuck in the body of an animal was frustrating on its own. For him to have abandoned her, causing her to get captured and "trained" by terrible people, he'd basically subjected a human being to torture. The thought made him feel sick. It made looking at Ripley difficult, especially now that he knew she was still carrying bitterness towards him for what happened. More so with the added fact that he put her in the position of having to hurt people—kill people.
He hadn't been there when these instances had happened, only during the aftermath of the one instance with the shapeshifter in the hospital. It was something expected of a dog attack, but it was… brutal. It was something he didn't want to associate with Ripley for multiple reasons. She really was a good dog. She was sweet and worried for people. As a human being—which was something he was learning to associate her with—she was great. He had no doubt that should he have met her before this transformation into a dog, he might have very well taken her in as a companion. She liked adventure, seeing new things. Even as a dog, he'd seen that surprise and awe that he loved. She wasn't afraid to jump into something to help someone. So, why was she attacking people?
He suspected a sort of PTSD related to her training and treatment with Yvonne. He'd seen hints of it when he gave her orders. She would stiffen, hesitating because instinct said to follow the command while her human mind wanted to do otherwise. It became a battle of wills. However, this didn't quite account for actually killing people. Ripley—as a person—wasn't the type to do such a thing. A dog put in the same situation as she was in, might attack a person, but it was in rare instances that they'd kill. They're more likely to bite and run to get away from the situation or bite and hang on. What was happening with Ripley was almost overkill. If what happened wasn't related to her poor training, then his only other suspicion was that something genetically was causing trouble.
This was still something he felt was Yvonne's fault. She'd toyed with Ripley's genetics to make her the so-called perfect guard dog. She didn't understand what made Ripley different. She just wanted to capitalize on it. With Ripley being human, things were going to be extra hard to diagnose and even harder to fix. He really was hoping it was something he could fix. Altering the chemicals a body produces, and even messing with genetics, is far easier than trying to heal psychological problems. Especially since this sort of situation was one that was rather hard to relate to.
He sighed softly, running a hand through his hair until the Tardis let out a chime and he reached for the monitor holding the results. A bit of relief flowed through him, despite what it showed. Her pheromone levels are all over the place. Serotonin is especially high, and any stimulus causes it to skyrocket. He scratched the back of his head, trying to work out what he'd need to help with this. Though I'm sure some of it is psychological, this I can work with. He moved to the med bay to get some things set up, pausing for a moment.
He hadn't seen her since he did the testing. He still needed to explain what he'd found but he also knew that she wouldn't want to do much for a little bit, and he still had to deal with Martha. Perhaps I should take her home. I only promised one trip and Ripley needs my attention right now. He hesitated, rolling a bottle of pills around in his hand before setting it down on a tray with a syringe. I'll explain to Ripley first, then deal with Martha before getting her treatment started. He nodded to himself and stepped out, heading down the hall and waiting to find the door with a dog door set within it. It wasn't hard—though he had been expecting the Tardis to make him walk a bit more, given her attachment to Ripley—and he knocked on the door before poking his head in.
It hadn't struck him initially when he'd seen this room, but now it was painfully obvious how human Ripley was and the signs that were staring him right in the face. Sure, there were some chew toys lying around, a tennis ball, and a rope, but she was sleeping on a king-sized bed and there were bookshelves, maps, a desk. All things a human person would use that she either couldn't use or would have difficulty trying to use. What made him wince was the ladder leading to a loft area that was definitely new.
"Ripley?" He called out softly, part of him hoping she was awake so he could tell her the good news but also hoping she wasn't so he could pretend for a little longer that everything was okay.
Her ear twitched towards him briefly and he slipped into the room, sitting on the bed near her back and running a hand over her.
"The tests came back. It seems something Yvonne did messed with your pheromone levels, which could be a big part of what's been happening. I've got an injection that should help more permanently, and a pill that you'll need to take every day for two weeks to get the levels down properly. They'll help regulate those bursts of aggression you've been having and shouldn't have too many side effects."
Ripley was quiet and unmoving, making him sigh softly as he lay behind her.
"And I'm here if you want to talk about anything, Rip. I know I've messed up, but knowing you're human… I'll try my best to understand what you're going through. I can't say I understand being a dog, but I do understand what it's like to be in a body that doesn't feel like your own. My… My people have this sort of way to cheat death, almost. We… We die, but everything about our bodies change. I know it's not the same, but I don't want you to suffer like this. Not alone."
There was a small sigh before Ripley turned so she was facing him, curling into him with her head pressed to his chest, listening to the two hearts beating away.
I just don't want to keep being useless, dangerous, and scared.
He ran a hand through her fur which was starting to become coarser and wirier as she grew older. "I know but being scared is normal. A lot has happened to you and even more since you've joined me. There's nothing wrong with being scared or worried."
She moved closer with a whine. You don't understand.
"And I'll continue to not understand unless you help me, Ripley. I can't read minds, not really. So, I need you to help me understand what's bothering you."
They sat in silence for a moment before she finally spoke.
Before, when I was human, I… I had a heart defect.
This was news to him. Shocking news. He stayed quiet though, listening as she went on.
My whole life was spent in a hospital. I never had friends or went to school. I didn't do what normal people did. Then… I was given a due date. A-A doctor just came in and said there was nothing more they could do. I-I was going to die. I had a few years… Then a few months. She moved a little closer, burying her face in his shirt and coat. I don't want to spend my life being useless just like before.
His hearts ached for the woman, unable to imagine what it must have been like to be wasting away in a hospital without knowing the world or experiencing it, and then being given a date that she was just due to die. He knew people went through that sort of thing. She wasn't the only one, but to have her right here in front of him and now having this added problem of being a dog?
I left the hospital. My parents were worried, but they didn't want to stop me. I wanted to live. Properly live. So… I went traveling.
The Doctor smiled softly, understanding now why her room was set up the way it was with the various maps scattered around. It was a room for her, not the dog.
"The maps are yours then?"
Ripley let out a rumbling hum. I couldn't stay there with the constant reminder. I-I went all sorts of places. Climbed mountains, lived in a tent, and walked through abandoned towns and temples. I… I died though, exploring the Amazon. My heart just… It finally just gave up. Then… Then, this.
"Like reincarnation?" He wondered, understanding the concept but not expecting anything concrete like Ripley.
I don't know. I just woke up as a dog. I… I thought it'd be fun. I could travel and roam around without rules or restrictions like before. No passports or papers needed. I never thought… I-I guess I just didn't realize… I'm just as useless as before.
"You're not useless, Rip. Not at all. I know it might seem that way, but…" The Doctor hesitated, unsure what to say that would help pull Ripley out of this funk. "But to me, you're the only thing that's making this sort of life easier. Even Time Lords get lonely."
You have Martha. You could find anyone out there capable of doing so much more than me.
"But they wouldn't be you," he argued, fingers combing through the fur behind her jaw and scratching occasionally along the back of her ears. "We can work on things to help you feel more useful if you want. I won't stop you from going out on adventures with me unless I feel there's a moment too dangerous for anyone—human or otherwise. You're important to me, Ripley. You being a dog or being human doesn't make a difference."
She glanced up at him and he offered her a small smile, reaching up to ruffle the fur on her head.
"And who knows? Maybe in our adventures, we'll find a way to reverse this whole 'being a dog' thing."
She didn't look as though she believed him, but he pushed himself up off the bed with a reassuring grin.
"Besides, as a dog, I don't have to wait for you to pick out your clothes before we leave. Oh! And you don't have to wear shoes. I wish I didn't have to wear shoes."
Ripley rolled her eyes but managed a small smile as well, rolling onto her back and swinging herself back and forth as though scratching an itch before she got up onto her feet and shook out her fur.
There's more to being a dog than not having to wear shoes, you know.
The Doctor chuckled, glad he'd perked her up some as she hopped off the bed and plodded over to his side. "You should tell me, sometime, what it's like."
It's not as great as you'd think, she murmured, but he was quick to nudge her lightly.
"Now, don't give me that. Do you see in color or black and white?"
She snorted. I thought you'd be the one to already know something like that.
"Well, scientifically, dogs only possess the cones to discern blue and yellow, but since you're such a genetic mixture of things—"
The two continued to talk things over about dogs and their capabilities versus Ripley's as he administered the medication and injection she needed to keep her pheromones at the appropriate level. From there, they moved into the console room once more and the Doctor remembered something.
"Ah, I think I'm going to send Martha home."
Ripley looked up at him, pausing in her sniffing at the injection site on her paw. What? Why?
"Well, I promised her only one trip and we've gone on… well, more than one. That, and we could do with some rest."
Ripley shot him a look. Rest? Do you know how to do that?
"Hey."
She shook her head with a soft sigh, curling up on her dog bed. It's your ship. Do what you want, I suppose. Just have fun telling her you're leaving her.
The Doctor winced, having not thought about that. Maybe I can ease her into it somehow? Not like I can just push her out the door.
The Doctor had gotten dragged into something again. He went to drop off Martha at her home then came in with a look that was immediately obvious as an apology. Apparently, they were going to some fancy party where some guy was claiming to "change the human race." He didn't think I'd be allowed in even if we pretended I was a service dog and, personally, I wasn't really interested in being trapped in a large room full of bragging rich people. I still felt mildly uncomfortable about crowds, so I licked the Doctor's hand to reassure him I didn't mind being left behind on this one.
The relief from the man was immediate as he ruffled my fur and hurried off to put on a tuxedo. I simply shook my head and stretched my legs before trailing off into the halls to see what the Tardis had in mind. I worked on ladder climbing for a bit, until I got the hang of it, then was brought to the library of all places. I found out when I stumbled upon a pool.
I frowned down at the water and back up at the ceiling as the Tardis chirped and flashed her lights. It was something I hadn't tried as a dog. So, begrudgingly, I tiptoed into the pool. It was… strange, learning how to swim like this. My mind kept trying to swim as if I were human and it took a few times before I was able to figure out the proper doggy paddle that would get me from one end of the pool to the other. When I got out, I shook myself off and accepted the towel the Tardis offered, rolling around on it as best I could to dry off before pattering through the halls. I then moved to the console room to wait for the Doctor.
One lovely nap later and I heard keys in the lock. I didn't move other than opening my eyes and peering from my spot upside-down in my dog bed to see the Doctor talking to someone in the doorway. Martha was staying for more than one trip, it seemed. She stepped in with a grin as the Doctor went toward the console, only to spot me and smile.
"Did you enjoy your alone time, Ripley?"
I barked, wagging my tail and earning a chuckle from him as Martha reached over and scratched my chest, earning a kicking back foot. Oh, that's the spot. They then agreed to have a night off so they could rest before our next trip and the Doctor, being his usual self, didn't bother sleeping and just settled for chatting with me as he put some food down.
"So? Feeling a bit better?"
I nodded, taking my time with my food since gobbling it down too quickly wasn't smart.
"What'd you do while we were gone?"
Swimming, I hummed, earning a raised brow as he pulled his hand away from my head.
"Swimming?"
I nodded, giving him a look as I licked my chops and nudged his hand with my nose. Yeah, swimming. It's not easy, you know. I kept trying to swing my arms out like a person. Doesn't work as a dog.
"Ah, yeah, I suppose not," he mused. "What we did was a bit interesting. You want to hear about it?"
I nodded, interested in hearing what they'd looked into as the Doctor grinned and retold what he and Martha had gone through. A man hell-bent on immortality wasn't something I expected. Him turning into a strange scorpion creature even less so. Some of the science stuff the Doctor mentioned went over my head, but I could tell it was something that worried him. Whether it was the person himself or what he'd tried to accomplish, I wasn't sure, but I rested my head on his lap and he offered me a fond smile before we returned to the console room for him to perform some unneeded maintenance, while I handed him tools.
I took another nap at some point, but Martha was soon up and it was time for our next trip. I was a little hesitant, but the Doctor kept being his usual bouncy and eager self, so I couldn't help but be a bit excited myself. We'd caught onto a distress signal, so the ride was a little more turbulent than usual, but it hardly put a dent in his eagerness as we stepped out.
"Whoa, now that is hot," he complained, looking around as Martha let out a breath of air.
"Whuff, it's like a sauna in here."
I frowned, feet still in the Tardis and eyeing the ground.
"You good, Ripley?" He asked, catching me not leaving the safety of the Tardis doors.
The floor is too hot, I grumbled, showing him this by placing a paw on the ground and pulling it away. Needless to say, I didn't like the amusement on his face as he came over.
"I've got just the thing." He bounded back into the Tardis past me, rambling the whole way back. "Now, I know I said I wouldn't ever have to wait on you tying shoes but… ta-da!"
I looked at the little black boots he held up with a grin and scowled. You're joking.
"Come on then. Can't let you burn your paw pads," he hummed, kneeling and holding out a hand for my paw.
I sighed but offered him my front paws before standing and letting him strap on the boots to my back paws. It wouldn't have been so bad, had my dog instincts not kicked in the second I attempted walking. The muffled laughter was immediate and I glared heatedly at both Martha and the Doctor when I managed to step out of the Tardis. My dog brain was very confused by the shoes and for whatever reason, this meant I walked like a complete fool. I picked my legs up too high and walked rather silly.
Say something. Go on. Say something. I dare you, I growled, making the Doctor clear his throat and pointedly look away from me to eye the room.
"V-Venting systems. Working full pelt, trying to cool down… wherever it is we are. Well, if you can't stand the heat," he shrugged, opening a nearby bulkhead.
I followed after him and Martha, willing my feet to stop lifting so high off the ground because they were just shoes! Once out into a cooler area, I panted and tried to cool down myself, sitting to avoid causing the Doctor or Martha any more pain by trying not to laugh.
"Oh, that's better," the Doctor mused just as I saw the people rushing towards us and bristled with a growl when they shouted.
"Oi, you two!"
"Get out of there!"
"Seal that door, now!"
They rushed right past us though, letting me slightly relax and lick my lips anxiously as the Doctor shifted beside me and patted my head to calm me.
"Who are you?" The woman of the group snapped once the door was shut and I laid my ears back on my head, resisting the urge to growl. "What are you doing on my ship?"
"Are you police?" One of the men asked, earning a raised brow from the Doctor.
"Why would we be police?"
"We got your distress signal," Martha explained, though the Doctor was focused on something else.
"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?"
I thought it was a bit quiet, though I am used to the Tardis, I mused, ears perking a bit as I realized these people weren't a threat to us yet.
"It went dead four minutes ago."
"So maybe we could stop chatting and get to Engineering, Captain," the other man snarled, giving me a glance that made my ears flip back again in hesitation.
"Secure closure activated," the computer announced then, meaning something to the crew who tensed.
"What?"
"The ship's gone mad!"
Another crew member came running in then, the woman looking spooked. "Who activated secure closure? I nearly got locked into area twenty-seven." She spotted us then. "Who are you?"
"He's the Doctor, I'm Martha, and that's Ripley," Martha introduced, getting a bark from me and a wag of my tail.
I found the cute, innocent act tended to work wonders on tense humans and, sure enough, some of them seemed to calm down slightly.
"We'll get out of this. I promise," the captain said as Martha moved away and called out.
"Doctor?"
He wasn't paying attention though, given the computer had just announced a countdown.
"Forty-two minutes until what?"
"Doctor, look!" Martha pressed, drawing him towards the porthole.
Given I couldn't exactly see out of it, even with my size, I stayed put as the captain explained.
"Forty-two minutes until we crash into the sun."
What! I yelped, drawing eyes to me when I got to my feet and made a mad scramble for the Doctor, even with my awkward footing. We're crashing into the sun? I'd rather none of us partake in this adventure, Doctor!
He knelt down and grabbed me, shushing me quiet and calming me down.
Relax, Rip. Remember, your hormone levels are constantly changing and I know this situation isn't great but panicking isn't going to help you or anyone.
I whined but knew he was right and tucked my head into his chest as his hands scratched at my ears and neck. I could tell he was uncertain too. I doubted he was revealing how much the news bothered him, so I had to try and keep calm to help him too.
"How many crew members on board?" He asked the captain, voice surprisingly even.
"Seven, including us."
The other man stepped forward as I pulled my head away and simply leaned into the Doctor's leg when he stood. "We transfer cargo across the galaxy. Everything's automated. We just keep the ship space-worthy."
The Doctor looked at the room we'd come out of and started for it, but even I could tell that was stupid and I bit down on his pant leg, holding him back.
"Call the others and I'll—Ripley! Ripley, stop it!"
"You can't go in there!" The captain snapped back.
"But my ship's in there!"
"In the vent chamber?"
"It's our lifeboat."
"It's lava."
"Temperature's going mad in there. Up 3,000 degrees in ten seconds and still rising," someone else announced and I released the Doctor's pants with a huff.
He glanced at the door then back at me, understanding that I'd stopped him from possibly getting hurt by the heat in that room. He sighed, muttered a thanks, and pat my head as the other man explained.
"Channelling the air. Closer we get to the sun, hotter that room's gonna get."
"We're stuck here," Martha bit out, not looking pleased and my ears flicked back uneasily with a whine.
The Doctor, ever hopeful, shrugged. "So, we fix the engines. We steer the ship away from the sun. Simple. Engineering down here, is it?"
He started off running and I hurried after him, occasionally skipping as one of my feet decided it had enough of the boots, and earning a chuckle from him when he saw.
"Still struggling, are ya?"
Shut up! I don't even know why I'm doing it! I barked in complaint, skidding to a stop in front of a steep set of stairs that the Doctor easily bounded down before he noticed I'd paused.
"You got it?"
Yeah, course I do, I said, though a front paw lifted up off the ground and I glared at it in annoyance. Or, I would if these shoes didn't make my paws do stupid things. The Doctor cracked a grin before opening up his arms.
"Well, come on then! Jump!"
I grumbled, ears flicking back in both frustration at myself and slight uneasiness, but took a small leap and pinched my eyes shut until the Doctor caught me. He let out an "oomph" but didn't drop me and carefully set me down on my feet as I sighed in relief.
"Now, don't get used to that. You're already big. I don't know if I'll be able to catch you so easily in a few months."
I huffed as he chuckled only to turn around and spot the disaster that was the engines.
"Blimey, do you always leave things in such a mess?" He asked as the crew hurried down after us.
"Oh my God."
"What the hell happened?"
"Oh, it's wrecked."
"Pretty efficiently too," the Doctor noted as I moved out of the way and sat idly by, panting a bit. "Someone knew what they were doing."
The captain asked where other crew members were, but went off to summon them when no one knew. That left the Doctor and the rest of us to try and figure out what happened to the engine.
"Do you mean someone did this on purpose?" Marth asked as I moved up beside the Doctor while he looked at a screen.
"Oh, we're in the Toragy system. Lovely," he grinned, ruffling my fur as I propped myself up on the controls to look at the spinning symbols. "You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."
"Yeah, feels it," she said, a bit sarcastically and I trailed over to her for a scratch to help her relax as well, sensing she was not liking this situation at all. "Thanks for the comfort, Ripley. Must be even weirder for you, yeah? You've even got to wear shoes like the rest of us."
I whined with a light bark, earning laughter from her as the Doctor spoke with the captain.
"And you're still using energy scoops for fusion. Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"
The captain spared a look at one of her crew and I paused, ears perking up and ignoring the fingers scratching my head as I somehow caught onto something new.
"We're due to upgrade next docking. Scan all engine reports!" She called out, moving away from him as I let out a bark and bounded to the Doctor to get his attention.
He broke his gaze away from the captain when he saw me scamper over and paw at his foot, placing a hand on my head.
What is it?
Something new.
"New?" He questioned out loud with a raised brow.
Maybe? I don't know, honestly. Dog's are strange, I mused, reaching a back foot up to scratch my ear only to instinctually have to double-take at the feeling of a boot. I stared at the boot for a moment with the overwhelming urge to chew it, before putting the foot back down and shaking the feeling off for now.
Ripley.
Hm? Oh, right! She was nervous. The captain. Something you said, I suppose.
You think she's hiding something?
Definitely.
He cracked a smile and ruffled my fur. "Good dog."
I leaned into the touch as he listened in to what the engine scans and crew were reporting.
"The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."
"Oh, come on," the Doctor drawled. "Auxiliary engines. Every craft's got auxiliaries."
"We don't have access from here," the captain reported. "The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship."
"Yeah, with 29 password-sealed doors between us and them," her crew member scoffed. "You'll never get there in time."
"Can't you override the doors?" Martha asked.
"No. Sealed closure means what it says. They're all deadlock sealed."
"So a sonic screwdriver's no use," the Doctor muttered, making me tip my head curiously. "Doesn't work on deadlock seals… and wood."
Wood? Really?
He nudged me with his leg and a playful frown. "Shush you."
"Nothing's any use," the crew member complained. "We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."
I scoffed, making the Doctor gesture at me.
"Ripley's right! Listen to you. Defeated before you've even started. Where's your Dunkirk spirit? Who's got the passwords?"
One of the men raised a hand. "They're randomly generated. Reckon I know most of them. Sorry. Riley Vashti," he offered as a way of introduction.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Riley Vashti? Get on it."
"Well, it's a two-person job. One, a technish for the questions, and the other to carry this." He lifted a bit of machinery, letting me know there would be no way I'd be of any use on that front. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, he, captain?"
The two joked a bit before Martha offered to go with him to be useful, making my ears flick back. There wasn't much use for a dog in this situation. I couldn't exactly handle the engine given my lack of thumbs which also prevented me from helping Martha and Riley with the door codes. Just as I was starting to feel a bit left out though, there was a call over the comm.
"McDonnell, it's Ashton."
The captain hurried over. "Where are you? Is Korwin with you?"
"Get up to the med-center now!"
She took off and the Doctor hurried after her, calling for me.
"Ripley, with me!"
I barked and hurried after him, faltering for a second on the stairs with my legs acting up but getting used to them now as we entered the med-center.
"Korwin! What's happened? Is he okay?" McDonnell demanded as a man on the platform for an MRI-like device squirmed under the hold of two people.
The Doctor and her quickly helped hold him down as he cried out, but I watched him in uneasiness. He was a danger, a threat, and I wasn't sure what to do.
"How long's he been like this?" The Doctor asked, the medic looking at him.
"Ashton just brought him in."
"Ripley."
I perked at the sound of my name, tearing my eyes from the man as the Doctor nodded at him and pat the table.
"Up you get."
Me? I questioned, head tipped in confusion.
"Use your weight to help hold him down."
I sighed, but backed up and took a running leap to get up on the table. I put my paws on his shoulders before lying down on top of him, helping to hold the man down with the others as the Doctor pulled out his sonic to scan him.
"What are you doing?" The medic demanded but was ignored as Ashton warned the Doctor.
"Don't get too close."
"Don't be stupid. He's my husband!" McDonnell snapped at him, moving closer to the man.
"And he's just sabotaged our ship."
"What?"
"He went mad. He put the ship under secure closure. Then, he sent a heat pulse to melt control."
"No way! He wouldn't do that."
"I saw it happen, captain."
Doctor? He smells funny, I noticed, nose sniffing around the man's sweaty face curiously.
"Smells funny?" He questioned out loud, drawing confused looks. "Hold on. Korwin? Korwin, open your eyes for me a second."
"I can't!"
"Yeah, of course, you can. Go on."
"Don't make me look at you! Please!"
I let out a whine, brows furrowed as I licked at his face in what comfort I could offer but as confused as ever. I was getting mixed signals from him. He felt scared and sad and worried, but also angry and furious. He's warm and I can't place that smell. It's not him, but it is? I really wish I understood my senses better. The man went limp then, drawing my gaze to the Doctor as he set aside a sedative he'd just injected into the man's neck while I'd been busy thinking.
"What's wrong with him?" McDonnell asked as I rested my head on the man's chest.
"Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings, and a weird smell?" The Doctor questioned, giving me a look as I lifted my head to glance at him. "What'd you mean by that, Rip?"
"Are you… Are you talking to your dog?"
"She's telepathic. It'll take a minute to explain," he rattled off as he patted my leg. "Smell? How do you mean?"
I don't know. It's like before with other aliens I think, but it's subtle. It's not him. Not really. I sniffed around the man's face again before tipping my head to the side in thought. Dangerous though, and angry. He was scared.
"Sorry, hold on. Angry but scared?"
I grumbled, standing and hopping off the man and back onto the floor as he settled a hand on my head. No. It was angry. He was scared.
"Two different entities? He sounded normal enough."
I don't know how else to explain this, I complained.
"Well, it's a bit more information than what I had," he muttered, looking at the machine then and grinning. "Stasis chamber! I do love a good stasis chamber. Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature. And, just for fun, run a bio-scan, a tissue profile, and a metabolic detail."
"Just doing them now," she replied, making him hum as I rolled my eyes.
"Oh, you're good. Anyone else presenting these symptoms?"
"Not so far."
"Well, that's something."
You think it's a disease? I questioned, nudging his hand with my nose. Some sort of alien virus?
Dunno. Don't have enough information yet.
"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?" McDonnell demanded.
"Some sort of infection," the Doctor said, sparing me a brief look to say he was just saying that to pacify her. "We'll know more after the test results. Now, allons-y. Back downstairs, eh? See about those engines. Go."
He had to press her a bit more to leave, but she soon did before he perked up.
"Call us if there's news. Any questions?"
"Yeah, who are you?" The medic asked as he started out the plastic curtains and doubled back.
"I'm the Doctor."
I barked, and he grinned, patting my head.
"And this is Ripley. Actually, Ripley? You wanna stay here? See if there's anything more to sniff out."
I barked in agreement, glad to be useful, and he smiled, kneeling down and squishing my face.
"You be careful then. Any sign of danger, you get out of here. Got it?"
I barked once, letting my tongue loll out and he planted a kiss on the top of my head.
"That's my girl."
I blinked in surprise at the action before he ran out, letting out a grumble of complaint. He should really stop doing that. It's a bit rude to get my hopes up, you know. I looked back to the medic then, plodding over to her side and sitting with a wagging tail. I liked her. She seemed nice. More so than McDonnell and her yelling crewmate. She glanced at me in uncertainty though, before sighing and reaching down to scratch my ear, much to my pleasure.
"We're not supposed to let animals in a medical space. Sanitation and all that but… you're not so bad, I guess."
I barked once more in agreement as we both tried to figure out what was going on with Korwin while the others worked on the engines.
"Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bio-scan?"
Abi held up the papers as I plodded over to her side as well, having been sniffing Korwin's hand that was hanging over the side of the table. Though I can't remember if it was already like that or not… I'll just stay cautious, I guess.
"He's under heavy sedation. I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know."
I heard a deep breath then and whipped around to Korwin. The man hadn't moved, but I cautiously approached him anyway. I took a few more sniffs, nudged his hand with my nose to see if he'd react and there was nothing. I frowned, eyeing him for a moment longer before moving back over towards Ari with a soft whine. She patted my head lightly and moved back over to the comm.
"Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me," she said, letting me lean against her leg in comfort.
"What do you mean?"
"Look. Korwin's body is changing. His whole biological makeup… It's impossible."
I jerked away from her hand then, hearing movement behind us and turning quickly. Upon seeing Korwin getting up, my hackles rose on end and I growled low and deep in my throat.
Stay back! I barked loudly and aggressively as Abi called for urgent assistance through the comms. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to! The man didn't listen, moving ever closer with his eyes closed and I could tell by the smell that he definitely wasn't right anymore. I lunged at him when he came too close, but the man didn't so much as flinch when my teeth tore into his shoulder. He grabbed me by the scruff and threw me off, making me hit the wall and hastily shake it off. That didn't work. He didn't even feel it… No, this thing inside him didn't feel it. I need to get Abi safe. We can't fight against this.
"Burn with me."
I hastily moved between him and her again, grabbing at Abi's shirt and pulling her. She looked hesitant but soon let me release her as I herded her out of the med-center. Doctor! We could really do with some help! I occasionally pushed at Abi to keep her moving, uncertain if Korwin was following but not risking the chance to look. The Doctor was close though, I could smell it, and I quickly zoomed ahead of Abi to show her the way, just in time to find the man I was looking for.
"Ripley!" He smiled, looking relieved and kneeling to pet me as my whole body wiggled with my whining and tail wags.
I was just happy to be safe and he looked over at Abi as she was hugged by McDonnell before asking the big question.
"What happened?"
"I-It was Korwin. He got up a-and was going to… to… I-I don't know."
"Ripley?" He asked, looking at me and scratching at my head as I tried to explain.
He was taken over. The smell overwhelmed his completely. He was dangerous. I… I didn't want to hurt him, but I didn't want him to hurt Abi. He didn't even react though. Just pulled me off and threw me, I informed him, whining lightly and licking my lips which tasted like copper.
"No. No, you did good. You defended her and got her out of there when you needed to. You did great, actually."
I leaned into him at the praise, relieved I was alright and actually did something good instead of what usually happened in our adventures.
"You said the readings were different, Abi?"
The woman nodded. "His internal temperature was… it was a hundred degrees. His body oxygen was replaced with hydrogen. I… I don't know how that's possible."
"You're certain?"
She nodded again, more confidently. "T-The reports are back in the med-center, but…"
She wasn't the only one who didn't want to go back into the room and the DOctor readily agreed.
"No, no. I trust you, but if that's what the tests said, then he hasn't just been infected, he's been overwhelmed."
"The test results are wrong," McDonnell argued lightly, looking concerned and unsettled because of her husband's sudden change.
"Kath, that's what I saw on the tests. They weren't wrong. You heard him, didn't you? On the comms?" Abi pressed, making the captain hesitant as the Doctor rambled.
"But what is it, though? A parasite? A mutagenic virus? Something that needs a host body, but how did it get inside him?"
"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!" Mc Donnell shouted, making my ears flick back as the Doctor stood again.
"Where's this ship been? Have you made planetfall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?" He asked, trying to get to the bottom of things.
"What is this, an interrogation?"
"We've got to stop him before he kills someone," the Doctor pressed, urging her for answers.
"We're just a cargo ship."
"Doctor, if you give her a minute," Scannell tried, but the woman waved him off.
"I'm fine. I need to warn the crew," she said, moving to do so as I slowly stepped away from the Doctor.
I could feel his eyes on me, but ignore him because I could tell she was upset. Her husband had just become something dangerous, something unknown. I could feel her conflicted emotions easily and as Ashton responded to her warning, I sat at her side and leaned up against her leg. She flinched a bit, looking down at me in uncertainty, but I pressed myself into her more and nudged her hand with my nose, giving it a lick. Don't worry. We'll figure this out. I felt her hand rest on my head for a moment before she cleared her throat and looked to the Doctor.
"What now?"
"I'd like to look at those scans if I can," he said, giving Abi a glance. "Ripley will let us know if he's still there or getting close. Her nose is good enough, anyway."
I barked happily, doing a little spin for the crew to try and perk them up, and Abi smiled a little before nodding.
"All right. Whatever can help."
The Doctor nodded and looked over at me, offering a hand. "Lead the way."
I let out a yip and bounded to the end of the hall before slowing for them and keeping my ears and nose out for trouble. Korwin had ended up leaving the med-center, thankfully, and the crew was soon just waiting for answers as the Doctor looked over the scan.
"Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?" McDonnell asked mid belly rub and making me roll off my back to nudge her hand and edge myself closer to her to help her unease.
"I don't know."
"Don't lie to me, Doctor. Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest, so I don't want false hope."
The Doctor gave in. "The parasite's too aggressive. Your husband's gone. There's no way back. I'm sorry."
"Thank you," she breathed, taking in a shaky breath as I whined softly and licked her cheek.
She tugged me forward and buried her face into my fur while I just let her, feeling sad myself that this had happened to her. The Doctor allowed her a second of respite from his questioning before he continued though, hoping to find out what was going on in this ship before anyone got hurt.
"Are you certain nothing happened to provoke this? Nobody's working on anything in secret? Because it's vital that you tell me."
McDonnell lifted her head. "I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing."
"Then, why is this thing so interested in you?"
"I wish I knew."
Martha announced that they'd broken through to Area 17 and the Doctor replied before I suddenly heard something. I perked up and whipped towards the door quickly, getting the Doctor's attention.
"Ripley? What is it?"
I was on full alert, ears perched forward on my head and focused as the Doctor moved over to stand near my shoulder.
"Ripley?"
I heard someone scream.
The Doctor turned toward McDonnell at that, a flare of worry flowing through him at the thought of Martha possibly getting cornered by one of these parasite-infected people.
"We need to do a crew count. Now."
"What happened?" McDonnell asked, getting to her feet and sensing the tension in him and his dog, who hadn't stopped staring at the plastic curtains in the doorway—its whole body stiff.
"She heard someone scream. It's possible Korwin went after someone. We need to know who," the Doctor explained, as the group started back for engineering just as the comm went off.
"Doctor! We're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock," Martha's voice called out, making Ripley whip around to the Doctor who'd felt his hearts stop. "One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've got to help us!"
The Doctor turned to Ripley and without even needing to ask, she nodded and bolted out of the room. She would be able to find Martha first. She was the fastest and would at least be able to buy him time to get there himself.
"Stay here. I mean it this time!" The Doctor said sternly, pointing at McDonnell as he started off himself after the direction Ripley took off in. Please let me make it in time. Please, at least let Ripley get there.
Said dog had just sped around the corner and spotted the masked Ashton jabbing at controls to a door. She growled, hair standing on end to appear larger than she was, and barked aggressively but much like before, the man didn't stop or take any notice of her. Upon hearing Martha shouting on the other side of the airlock though, Ripley knew she was running out of time and charged in. Her jaws clamped down on the arm that had been messing with the controls, making the man stumbled back and attempt to tear her off him, but she held firm this time around. She jerked her head, doing anything she could to distract him even as his hand released her scruff and slammed painfully into her ribs, back and shoulder to try and get her off.
He finally grabbed at her jaw then, managing to pull her jaw off and throw her into a wall. She faltered, attempting to shake it off and snarling still with her ears flat against her skull. Ashton turned though, stomping back towards the jettison controls and Ripley lunged again, grabbing him by his ankle and jerking backward to try and stop him. The man roared in complaint, yanking her off again and grabbing her by the throat. Ripley squirmed in his grip as he slammed her against the wall, hand tightening on her windpipe as her feet kicked out at him uselessly and the Doctor rounded the corner.
"Ripley! Let her go!" The Doctor shouted. "What do you want! Why this ship! Let her go and tell me!"
Ashton turned, throwing Ripley to the ground and storming towards him. The dog struggled, whining and choking as she tried to get on her feet and keep him safe, but Ashton stood directly in front of the Doctor, who stared it down with no fear.
"Come on. Let's see you. I want to know what you really are."
Ashton reached up towards the visor on his helmet before suddenly doubling over with a roar of pain. He stopped only a second later and abruptly walked right past the Doctor, who frowned as he left before rushing to where Ripley was as Martha and Riley came through the escape pod doors with breaths of relief. Ripley was hurt, obviously, but the Doctor knew there wasn't much he could do here and it seemed that it was just bangs and bruises. He offered her what comfort he could before pushing past Riley and jabbing at the comm.
"McDonnell? Ashton's heading in your direction. He's been infected just like Korwin."
"Korwin's dead, Doctor," Scannell replied, allowing the Doctor that one small relief before he turned to Martha and hugged her tight.
She did the same in return before they let go and he gave her a once over.
"You okay?"
"W-Was nearly ejected out the airlock if it weren't for Ripley, but yeah. I'm okay."
The Doctor looked at Ripley who was lying on the floor as comfortably as she could with the occasional wince. He offered her a small sad smile and pet her head.
"Can you walk, Rip?"
She let out a grumble but pushed herself up onto her feet only to frown down at her boots once more. The Doctor couldn't help but chuckle at that as she again lifted a foot as though uncertain about the objects strapped to her feet.
"Soon as we turn this ship around, you can take them off. Promise."
She shot him a mildly annoyed look tinged with exhaustion and pain, but let out a soft huff as he lightly scratched at her ear and moved back to the comm.
"We need to meet up. There's something going on here and I feel like I'm right on the cusp of figuring it out. Did anyone else figure out anything?"
"It's killed Erina and hacked into the systems so I can't reroute the generators," Scannell replied. "Korwin came after us, but I used the ice vents to freeze him dead. Thing is, it said this was our fault somehow. We haven't done anything to cause this. No planet falls, nothing."
The Doctor thought of something then and paused, looking down to Ripley and kneeling to place a hand on her head. "You said something before about Korwin. You said it was like there was something inside of him, right?"
Ripley frowned but tipped her head slightly. He's… different. Smells alien but isn't. Like his body is human but the rest of him is alien. Is that possible?
The Doctor grinned, nodding. "Yes. Yes, that's entirely possible. Tell me. The emotions you felt before from him. That anger and fear. Is it anything like when I'm talking with you like this?"
Ripley thought about it, toying with the idea before humming. Yeah… Yeah, it kind of does. You think it's some other telepathic thing? Something talking through people? But then, where did it come from? There are no other people here.
"Uh, Doctor? Mind cluing us into your conversation? We're not all telepathic, you know," Martha said, giving him a look.
The Doctor nodded and stood again. "You and Riley need to get to those auxiliary engines. I have an idea of what's going on, I just need to figure out the source."
McDonnell and Scannell hurried in then, looking concerned as the computer continued to count down how long they had left. The Doctor faced them both then, as Ripley stumbled carefully towards a porthole to see how far from the sun they were.
"You said this thing is blaming you?"
"I don't know what it's talking about," McDonnell argued.
"And you're positive you didn't make planetfall recently, bump into someone last docking, nothing strange like that?"
"Nothing. I can't think of how this thing got on my ship."
There was a bark and a whine then, making the Doctor frown as he looked over to see Ripley shaking her head and dropping into a sort of bowing position with her paws over her nose.
"Ripley? What's up? What's wrong?" He asked, heading over as she dropped her back end and whined more.
Concerned she was hurt, he hurried over and scooped her up into his arms only to frown as her voice echoed in his mind.
Hurt. It hurts.
"Ripley, what's wrong? You have to explain," he said softly, moving towards the med center with McDonnell and Scannell on his tail while the others went to deal with the rest of the doors.
"What's wrong with her?" McDonnell asked, concerned for the dog as it whined and squirmed in the Doctor's arm.
Ripley had gone out of her way to comfort her when she'd found out about Korwin and it was obvious the dog was shy and not typically friendly with new people. So, it worried her that there was something causing it pain.
The sun. It's the sun.
"The sun?"
They took it. They took from it. Give it back. It wants it back.
Realization dropped on the Doctor as he curled more protectively around Ripley. "It's the sun."
"What do you mean?" McDonnell asked, confused as he set Ripley down on the table for the stasis chamber.
"The sun is alive. That's why this thing is so focused on you. The fusion scoops! Did you use the fusion scoops on the sun?"
The woman hesitated and the Doctor groaned.
"Oh, humans. This is why fusion scoops were outlawed," he bit out, digging through what was around for something to help the whining dog on the table. "That sun is alive and you all just scooped out its heart to use for fuel. Of course, it's going to come after you. Anyone would." He ran a quick diagnostic scan with his sonic before relaxing somewhat as he knelt down and brushed his hand over Ripley's head, smoothing back her ears as she whined. "Ripley, you're all right. You're just a bit overstimulated… and a tiny bit more telepathic than I realized."
The dog whined though it was more of a complaint this time around, as the Doctor soothed her and attempted to use his own telepathic abilities to calm her and nudge out the remaining roars from the sun.
"I'm sorry. Telepathic?" Scannell questioned, looking mildly worried about the seemingly innocent pet.
"She's a touch telepath," the Doctor explained as best he could. "Usually, anyway. It's how she and I talk to one another. I didn't expect her to be able to connect to something like the sun. Although, if it's reaching out, it might have just needed a glance to slip in. Hm…"
"So, just looking out the windows can infect us?" He questioned and the Doctor shrugged.
"Dunno. It's possible, though I suppose being a little more sensitive to things like telepathic beings would definitely play a big part." He lightly patted Ripley who had quieted somewhat. "Lucky you, Rip. I don't think you were strong enough for it to try and take you over like the others."
Ripley peered out at him with a small scowl from under her paw; the slightest hint of golden light in her eyes letting him know that it wasn't through lack of trying. The sun had gone after her—dog or not.
"So, what do we do now?" McDonnell questioned, looking nervous now that it had been discovered that she was the person at fault for this.
That people had died because of her.
"We need to vent the engines, let the sun particles in the fuel go back to where it came from, and then it should let us go."
The lights flickered and went out then making McDonnell curse as she tried the comm and got no response from it.
"Power's been cut in engineering."
"Who's down there?" Scannell questioned and McDonnell realized the only person it could be.
"Leave it to me."
"You can't," the Doctor tried to stop her, knowing that it was Korwin waiting down there as well.
"I have to. He's my husband."
There wasn't much he could do given the woman was adamant about dealing with Korwin herself. So, begrudgingly, he nodded and let her go. Scannell hesitated for only a moment before finally deciding to rush for where Martha and Riley would be getting through doors to help and grab Abi along the way. The Doctor gave Ripley a small nudge as the dog panted lightly.
"Can you run or should I carry you?"
He expected more of a complaint about that offer, but Ripley just rolled onto her side and pawed lightly at his arm. She'd rather be carried. He chuckled and picked her up, draping her over his shoulders and offering a pet when she sighed and relaxed over him. She was tired and hurting. This had been quite a lot for just a pup and he felt a bit bad that her next adventure had turned into her having to attack people. Thankfully, it was something she was able to control, but it still wasn't something he wanted to be the norm. With Martha as well, he would like to have a calmer, more normal trip. Maybe the next one will be better.
They hurried through the halls, Ripley barking quietly every once in a while when the Doctor started to take a wrong turn. She could smell Martha and Riley better than the Doctor could figure out the ship layout and when they finally reached them, it was just in time.
"It's not working. Why's it not working?" Riley questioned, jabbing at controls with Scannell.
"Vent the engines and dump the fuel," the Doctor informed, slipping in to start the process himself.
"What?"
"Just do it! Come on, shift!"
The men did as he said and soon the computer announced the fuel dump and the engines started up not a moment late. Scannell immediately started shifting them away from the sun and Riley grinned as the crisis was averted.
"We're clear. We've got just enough reserves."
Martha smiled as well, hugging the Doctor and spinning around as he laughed.
I sighed lightly from the Doctor's shoulders, wincing at the ache it sent through my body. The hits from Ashton hadn't been exactly light and that moment of connecting with the sun's emotions had left me drained. So, I wasn't really listening as he spoke with Scannell and finally felt relief when we stepped into the Tardis who chimed and allowed a bit of fresh, cool air to blow over my fur.
Oh, I love this ship.
The Tardis chirped, pleased and even the Doctor chuckled as he carefully helped me down onto the grating.
"She adores you more than anyone else here, that's for sure."
Good. Though, it's probably because I don't go around fixing things that don't need fixing.
"Hey," he chided, earning a smile from me as I gave him a playful snap of my teeth and a bit of a wiggle until the pain returned and made me tense with a wince. "Come on then. Let's get you something for those bruises."
We headed into the med bay and he started gathering things and humming as I waited patiently on the floor with a slight tail wag. I caught him looking at me though and tipped my head in question.
What?
"Feeling better?" He asked, kneeling down and unstrapping the little boots on my feet before offering a pill that I wrinkled my nose at but ate begrudgingly. "Getting thrown all over the place didn't put a damper on your mood at all?"
I remembered attacking Korwin and Ashton before and hesitated, wagging tail stopping.
"Sorry. I didn't mean—"
No. I… It was different this time, I think. I was a little worried but… I could stop if I wanted. Before it wasn't like that. It was like… like I took a backseat to something else. I paused, thinking about it before my head tipped again. Is that possible?
"I don't see why not, especially if you're more sensitive than I thought."
I frowned, grumbling a bit. Yeah, what does that mean?
"Well, you're talking to me right now and I haven't put a hand on you," he chirped, lifting his hands and wiggling his fingers as I blinked in surprise.
Wha… But before—
"We were in a bit of a situation before, so I didn't really notice, but I caught hints of things before I went to touch you. You connecting to that sun was a bit of a surprise though."
I groaned, sagging to the floor. Don't remind me.
He smiled lightly as he stood and we both started heading back to the console room to find Martha and head out to another location.
Does this mean I'll be able to talk to companions and stuff? I asked, curiously.
"Hm, I don't think so. I think you've just become more sensitive to other telepaths. I might have to teach you a few things, help you figure out how to keep your emotions separate from theirs, and things like that. Ah, sorry," he apologized when he saw that his answer wasn't quite what I wanted.
It just would've been nice to talk to people normally, I muttered, getting a small pat from him.
"I know. I'm sorry there isn't much I can do."
It's not your fault, I sighed, leaning into the fond touch.
"Still, I know it's frustrating."
It's not all bad, I countered earning a raised brow and small smile.
"Oh? That's a change from earlier."
What can I say? I bounce back quick. I offered him a smile myself, tail wagging slightly. I had to, given my previous situation. I had my fair share of wallowing before. Something I learned was that there was no point in dwelling on what I can't do when there were still things I could. I mean, sure, I was upset before, but I've improved, right? I can climb ladders and even swim.
He smiled. "That you can. Though, you can't walk with shoes apparently."
Hey! I'll have you know, I have no idea why that was happening! I-It's this weird dog thing, okay! My feet just did what they want!
He laughed joyfully and I relaxed, tail wagging happily at getting him to laugh, leaning against his leg with a smile as he pat my shoulder. Yeah… this isn't so bad.