Just to let you know, the actions of Doctor Who characters in this story might be... different than the show. Most of this is written based off what I remember from the episodes and a transcript of the dialogue because I write it at work where there's no internet. Shouldn't change too much. I write enough Doctor Who fanfics to remember most of it and look up anything that I have no idea about.

And this is the last chapter I have typed up. The rest is written down, so I'll try to get it typed up as soon as I can. :) Thanks to those who've reviewed/favorited/followed.

The Doctor looked over his new charge as Rose attempted to show off to Adam where they were. He was suspicious of Ornias, and for good reason. Based on what little he knew of the man, he wasn't impressed. Everything he did seemed to only be out of curiosity, but not the good kind. More like the psychopathic kid who killed animals out in the woods just to see what it was like. And the way he seemed to just disappear into the background sometimes unnerved the Doctor. Nobody was that stealthy. The way he interreacted with the Tardis though, gave him some hope, but not much. His comment about adjusting himself made the Doctor wonder just how powerful Ornias was, that even his ship was having trouble. At least with the deal they had going, he could be sure that Ornias wouldn't do anything wrong. If he wasn't lying about the binding of the contract anyway. The one plus-side to things was how genuinely Ornias seemed to be interested in things.

"—Doctor describe it."

He hastily plastered on a grin and jumped in to help Rose out in explaining where they went, hoping no one had noticed his daze. "The Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire! And here it is, planet Earth at its height. Covered with megacities, five moons, population ninety-six billion. The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle."

Adam promptly fainted, and the Doctor's smile fell as he looked to an unimpressed Rose.

"He's your boyfriend."

"Not anymore," she muttered as Ornias knelt down and prodded Adam's cheek.

"To think this is what those ancient human warriors turned into," Ornias hummed with a shake of his head. "What a waste. Don't know what God was thinking."

Is he religious? Sure mentions God a lot, the Doctor mused as Ornias looked to him.

"Humans in space though, how fun. Fact number three, I've been on your Earth since the first humans."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "But that'd make you—"

"Ridiculously old, I know," Ornias sighed. "My poor figure. All that exercise and hunting really turned me to skin and bones."

Rose gave him a once-over. "You look fine to me."

"Oi," the Doctor grumbled. "One boyfriend at a time."

Ornias waved them off. "Oh, no worries. I'm not interested in humans, especially not the good ones."

Adam groaned, finally waking up and the Doctor went ahead and led the way.

"Come on, Adam. Open your mind. You're going to like this. Fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent. Culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners—"

"Out of the way!" A man interrupted as a load of people rushed by to get in line for food.

"Fine cuisine?" Rose questioned at the greasy burgers being handed out.

"Mm," Ornias hummed, licking his lips. "I'll tell you what. It's a feast to me. Not a good manner in sight and the frustration in this place is delectable."

"My watch must be wrong," the Doctor mused, checking it with a frown. "No, it's fine. It's weird."

"That's what comes of showing off," Rose commented with a cocky smirk. "Your history's not as good as you thought it was."

"My history's perfect," he argued.

"Well, obviously not."

Even Adam had to disagree. "They're all human. What about the millions of planets, the millions of species? Where are they?"

"Good question. Actually, that is a good question." The Doctor draped an arm over Adam's shoulder. "Adam, me old mate, you must be starving."

"No. I'm just a bit time sick."

"No, you just need a bit of grub. Oi, mate! How much is a kronkburger?" The Doctor asked the chef of the food truck nearest them.

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now, join the queue."

"Money. We need money. Let's use a cashpoint."

He led the group over and pulled out his sonic, much to Ornias's curiosity.

"More than a scanner then?"

"Sonic screwdriver," the Doctor informed. "Way more than a scanner. There you go. Pocket money." He handed one to Adam and another to Ornias, who eyed the plastic card. "Don't spend it all on sweets."

"How does it work?" Adam asked, the Doctor having to stop Ornias from taking a bite out of the card.

"Not by eating it. Go and find out. Stop nagging me. The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers. Or is that just me?" The Doctor gave him and Ornias a nudge. "Stop asking questions, go and do it. Off you go, then. Your first date," he teased Rose.

"You're going to get a smack, you are," she said as they walked off, but Ornias stayed put.

"Aren't you going?"

He shrugged, passing the card back. "Not interested. Fact number four, eating and sleeping are luxuries to me, not needed otherwise."

"Suit yourself," the Doctor mused, taking the offered card. "I take it, the fact was for the sonic?"

Ornias nodded. "A screwdriver that uses sonic waves to do all assortments of thing. It's mildly interesting. Paris though was slightly less… enjoyable for me."

"Oh, you've been?"

Ornias hummed idly. "Less kissing, more… Napoleonic Wars. He wasn't as short as you think, but his need for recognition was delicious."

"Huh, don't think I'll get used to the whole 'tasting feelings' thing. Is it like eating? Are there flavors of feelings?"

Ornias wrinkled his nose. "Hell no. It's either good or sour. No scents or flavors. Death doesn't taste like an ice cream sundae, and joy doesn't taste like sour grapes."

"Just a thought," he mused. "Though, your sense of good and bad seems a bit backward."

Ornias shrugged. "It'll make sense if I tell you what I am."

The Doctor raised a brow. "You don't think I'll figure it out?"

He earned a snort for that.

"You? No way. I do believe I'm quite a bit out of your range of understanding."

The Doctor frowned at that, offended and not believing him as he approached a couple of women, schooling his expression into a friendly one. "Er, this is going to sound daft, but can you tell us where we are?"

The darker women scowled, pointing to a large set of numbers on the wall. "Floor 139. Could they write it any bigger?"

"Floor 139 of what?"

"Must've been a hell of a party," the woman scoffed, only for Ornias to step forward.

"Like you wouldn't believe, sweetheart. Must have mixed up our shuttles and took a road trip. Surely a nice thing like you could help a couple of fellas out, hm?"

The woman looked absolutely awestruck, snapping out of it quickly. "Y-Yeah, course. You're on Satellite Five."

"Ooh, a satellite? Haven't been on one of those before," Ornias purred, sliding an arm around her shoulders as she flushed. "Mind showing us and our friends around? What sort of interesting things do you do here, Miss…"

"Cathica."

"Lovely."

"Hold on," the other girl questioned. "Is this a test? We were warned about this in basic training. All workers have to be versed in company promotion."

Cathica rolled her eyes, pulling away from Ornias. "Of course. Right, fire away. Ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor 500 I'll do anything."

"Why? What happens on Floor 500?"

"The walls are made of gold. And you should know, Mister Management. So, this is what we do." She moved over to a wall of screens. "Latest news, sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day. Space lane seventy-seven closed by sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Boe has just announced he's pregnant."

"I get it. You broadcast the news." Bad Wolf again?

Ornias smirked, licking his lips. "And what news it is."

"We are the news. We're the journalists. We write it, package it and sell it. Six hundred channels all coming out of Satellite Five, broadcasting everywhere. Nothing happens in the whole human empire without it going through us."

Ornias turned then, eyes flashing gold briefly as he frowned, turning a monitor elsewhere to static. The Doctor didn't notice the interaction, too busy calling Rose and Adam over for the tour Cathica and Suki were willing to give them. Once in the quote-on-quote "newsroom" Cathica led her employees through the process.

"Okay. So, ladies, gentlemen, multi-sex, undecided or robot. My name is Cathica Santini Khadeni. That's Cathica with a C, in case you want to write to Floor five hundred praising me, and please do. Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy."

"Actually, it's the law," Suki corrected, earning a glare from the other woman.

"Yes, thank you, Suki. Okay, keep it calm. Don't show off for the guests. Here we go." Cathica settled back on a chair in the center of the circle of employees who had their palms on the tablets in front of them. "Engage safety." She snapped her fingers, opening a door in her forehead. "And three, two, and… spike."

A beam of light passed into her brain, catching Ornias's interest to the point where he looked about ready to climb over the railing to interfere.

"Compressed information, streaming into her," the Doctor explained to both him and the humans around him. "Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer."

Once he finished explaining it to them, and how it was definitely a sign of trouble, he looked to Ornias.

"What were you doing before, with Cathica? I thought you didn't go for humans."

"Since you're showing me humans with doors to their brains, I suppose I could tell you," Ornias mused, finally turning away from the process going on. "Mild hypnosis: fact number five. Flirting with human females is just the easiest way to establish the eye contact needed to make it work."

"Which is why Suki interrupting made her more reluctant."

Ornias hummed. "Harder to do more than one at a time. Possible, mind you, but I don't usually have the need."

Suki jerked then, hands flying off the tablet and shutting down the process, much to Cathica's frustration.

"Come off it, Suki. I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?"

"Sorry. It must've been a glitch."

"She's lying."

The Doctor looked to Ornias, who was now picking at his nails in disinterest now that the process was over. "What's that?"

"She's lying. About a lot, actually, The innocent bit's an act. Spy in the ranks, perhaps?"

"And you know this because of your… tasting feelings?"

"Hm."

"What reason would she have to lie?"

Ornias didn't answer as a projection lit up a wall, promoting Suki to Floor 500.

Adam had left after Suki went up to Floor 500, leaving Rose and me to trail after the Doctor as he went to question Cathica about things.

"God, it's boiling in here," Rose complained, eyeing my black jeans, long-sleeves grey shirt, hoodie, and coat. "Aren't you dying in that?"

I looked down at myself and back to Rose. "No."

She shot me a look at the one-syllable response. "That's it? Just no? You're not gonna explain or anything? It's the Doctor you've got a contract with, not me." She smirked then, nudging me with her elbows as we returned to the newsroom. "I'll even keep it secret if you want."

So innocent, I mused, tucking my hands into my pockets. "I have no internal temperature. I can feel hot and cold, but it doesn't bother me like humans. Drastic temperature changes cannot kill me if that's what you're asking."

"Wow. That must be nice."

I shrugged. "Indifferent." I thought about something then. "You shouldn't bother with that male."

"Male? You mean Adam? Why?"

"He doesn't taste like you."

She wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, could you not say it like that? I know you're talking about feelings and all, but it sounds a bit gross."

I rolled my eyes. "He is not… a bright soul. There's darkness in him and he's a terrible liar."

"Wow. I don't know whether to feel glad you called me a… a bright soul or wonder if you're looking out for me." She smirked, hugging my arm. "I'm starting to think you like me, Ornias."

I begrudgingly let her continue to cling to me. "I enjoy interesting things. As much as I'd enjoy seeing the Doctor's reaction to something befalling you, his interesting actions will only continue while you're around and… happy."

She took a second to think that over before squeezing my arm with a grin. "I'll take that as a 'Yes, I do like you.'"

I sighed lightly. "Humans."

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen in," Cathica argued with the man. "We see everything."

I snorted, earning a glare from the woman. "You must be blind then, 'cause even I can tell something's off. Any place I enjoy has to have something wrong with it. Did you even consider that Satellite Five itself is a part of the conspiracy?"

The Doctor agreed. "We can see better. This society's the wrong shape, even the technology."

"It's cutting edge!"

"It's backwards. There's a great big door in your head. You should've chucked this out years ago."

"So, what do you think's going on?" Rose jumped in.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The Great and Bountiful Human Empire's stunted. Something's holding it back."

"And how would you know?" Cathica grumbled.

"Trust me, humanity's been set back about ninety years. When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

Cathica paused, looking slightly worried now. "Ninety-one years ago."

Ooh, scarily accurate. He must study human history like a religion. Or perhaps he has an uncanny sense of time… Or both. I hummed idly as the Doctor led us back to the lift and began to dig into the computer controls and wiring.

"We are so going to get in trouble. You're not allowed to touch the mainframe. You're going to get told off."

"Ooh, how scary. A slap on the wrist from the big man upstairs?" I cooed. "Trust me, babe, I've had worse."

"You can't just vandalize the place. Someone's going to notice!"

"They already have," I mused, leaning against the wall beside the Doctor, who shot me a look. "I've already fried one of their cameras." I cracked a smirk. "Technology doesn't like me."

"Remind me to keep you away from the Tardis controls then," the Doctor muttered.

"Nah, she likes me. I upset technology when I want to. The camera was annoying, that's all."

He let out a short chuckle as Cathica huffed.

"This is nothing to do with me. I'm going back to work."

"Go on, then. See you!" The Doctor chirped, making me sigh.

"Are you trying to get her to leave or stay?"

He smirked at me as Cathica hesitated.

"I can't just leave you, can I!"

"If you want to be useful, get them to turn the heating down," Rose complained, tugging at the neck of her t-shirt. "It's boiling. What's wrong with this place? Can't they do something about it?"

"I don't know," Cathica replied. "We keep asking. Something to do with the turbine."

"Something to do with the turbine," the Doctor mocked.

"Well, I don't know!"

"Exactly. I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Rose. Look at Rose. Rose is asking the right kind of question."

"Oh, thank you." Rose smiled proudly.

"Why is it so hot?"

"Not good for business," I added. "Keep things hot, humans get temperamental. Fun to watch though. Watching the Egyptian Pyramids get made in boiling hot weather?" I kissed my fingers. "Mwah! Perfect entertainment."

Rose shook her head with a chuckle as Cathica gaped.

"One minute you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!"

"Well, never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing's very important." The Doctor pulled out a monitor, showing us schematics of said plumbing. "Look at the layout."

"This is ridiculous. You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange and you're looking at pipes?"

"But there's something wrong," he pressed as she looked closer.

"I suppose."

"Why, what is it?" Rose asked.

"The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out channeling massive amounts of heat down."

"All the way from the top."

"Floor 500," Rose concluded.

"Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat."

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?" Rose grinned.

"You can't. You need a key."

"I can open it," I offered with a wiggle of my fingers.

"No need. Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here." The Doctor showed us the screen. "Override 215.9"

"How come it's given you the code?"

The Doctor looked to the camera I'd been trying to ignore. "Someone up there likes me."

The lift opened up and Rose asked Cathica to join us, but she left.

"That's her gone," the Doctor mused as we traveled up the lift. "Adam's given up. Looks like it's just us three."

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Bit cramp."

Rose smacked my arm with a laugh as I rubbed it.

"Always the hitting with you. You'd think twice if you knew what I was."

The threat didn't even phase her.

"Then, tell us."

"Nah, no fun. Life's too long to give up something like this right away."

"How long?" She asked, pretending to be innocent despite knowing the Doctor was right there listening eagerly.

"Hm, nice try, but no. Not giving that up without proper payment."

The Doctor cracked a smile. "Well, let's hope whatever's up here gives me another tidbit," he said as the doors opened to a floor covered in ice. "The walls are not made of gold." He gave Rose a glance. "You should go back downstairs."

"Tough."

We moved into the next room to find a pale white man with blue hair smiling at our arrival; people typing away at monitors nearby.

"I started without you," the man hummed. "This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you two, you don't exist. Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"

"Easy for me," I hummed, barely giving Rose a look as she rushed over to Suki's typing corpse. "She's dead, Rose."

"She's working," the blonde argued, confused.

"They've got chips in their heads, and the chips keep going, like puppets," the Doctor explained.

"Oh, you're full of information," the pale man cooed. "But it's only fair we get some information back because apparently, you're no one. It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter, because we're off. Nice to meet you." The Doctor gave Rose and me a look. "Come on."

Suki grabbed Rose though, and other corpses grabbed the Doctor and me.

I raised a brow, looking to the Doctor. "Does our contract apply to corpses?"

"Yes," he fumed, making me pout.

"You're no fun. Rather risk your life than let me break an arm of someone already dead."

"Life or death situation only," the Doctor amended, making me smirk.

"Condition accepted, but on your head be it."

"Tell me who you are," the pale man asked again.

"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly going to say, am I?" The Doctor countered.

"Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?"

"It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire."

"Not really interested, if I'm being honest," I replied but he went on anyway.

"In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live," he said before there was a growl. "Yeah. Yeah, sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client."

At his gesture, we turned our gazes overhead where a snarling pink blob with teeth wiggled about.

"Mildly disappointing," I mused.

"What is that?" Rose gaped as the Doctor did much the same.

"That thing, as you put it, is in charge of the human race. For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news, edited by my superior, your master, and humanity's guiding light, the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe. I call him Max."

"Not my master, in any case," I hummed as we were forced into a set of manacles. "Oh, look. Imprisoned again, what joy."

"Your sarcasm's not helping," Rose grumbled.

"Hey, we'd be gone and out of here by now if it weren't for Mr. Too-Kind-To-Hurt-A-Corpse."

"As I was saying," the Editor continued. "Create a climate of fear and it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote."

"So all the people on Earth are like slaves?"

"Well, now, there's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

"Yes," the Doctor and I both responded, glancing at each other in mild surprise.

"Oh. I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? 'Yes'?"

"Yes," the Doctor repeated.

"You're no fun."

"Let me out of these manacles. You'll find out how much fun I am."

"Ooh, you made him angry," I hummed, cracking a smile. "I think I owe you a fact for that."

"Later."

"Course."

The Editor eyed us curiously. "But isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit."

"You can't hide something on this scale," Rose pointed out. "Somebody must have noticed."

I sighed. "They got chips in their head. Easily controlled."

The Editor nodded in agreement as we spotted Cathica just out of sight.

"What about you?" Rose asked, determined to keep the Editor's attention. "You're not a Jagrabelly—"

"Jagrafess."

"Jagrafess. You're not a Jagrafess. You're human."

"Yeah, well, simply being human doesn't pay very well."

"Tell me about it," I drawled, getting bored as he was being kept talking by the Doctor. Could've gotten us out of here by now, but no. Gotta play by the Doctor's rules.

A surge of electricity went through the manacles then, tightening my muscles and enticing pain as Rose cried out before it stopped. Painful, mildly annoying, but I've dealt with worse. I eyed the Doctor as he yelled at the Editor to try and get us out. Why doesn't he just tell me to? I can act on my own. Getting out would be easy enough. What were the rules again? Can't hurt anyone? Which means I can't get caught. Should be fine then. They're keeping him distracted. I slipped my hands from the manacles easily, strolling around the room unnoticed until the creature above growled.

"Time Lord."

I turned my attention back to the Editor, closing the frozen file in my hand curiously as the Doctor paled.

"Oh, yes. The Last of the Time Lords in his traveling machine. Oh, with his little human girl from long ago."

"You don't know what you're talking about," the Doctor bit out, but I could taste it: fear, worry, anger.

"Time travel."

"Someone's been telling you lies."

"Young master Adam Mitchell?" The Editor cooed, calling up a hologram of said man stuck in a chair with a door in his head feeding them information.

"Told you so," I whispered in Rose's ear, making her whip around to me as I eyed the screen.

She knew better than to draw attention to me, but the Editor was occupied.

"They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything!"

"And through him, I know everything about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your T-A-R-D-I-S. Tardis."

"Well, you'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first."

My eyes flashed yellow at that, letting me smirk as the bonds of our contract loosened. Life or death situation. That's the signal.

"Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key."

A key floated up off Adam's neck and the Doctor whipped around to complain to Rose only to find her free and standing just out of sight behind me.

"Today, we are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing."

"Tell me then," I hummed, easily pulling the Editor's attention to me as I leaned up against the monitors and corpses; already disposed of with snapped necks. "What's good ol' Adam have to say about me?"

"How did you—" The Editor looked to the manacles, but even the Doctor was free now. You escaped! How!"

"Oh, come now. I asked first," I purred, sliding just out of his sight only to appear behind him. "Come on, then. What's he think about me? I'm sure he's seen some things."

The Editor snapped around, stumbling back as his eyes widened in fear. "No. No, impossible. Y-You can't be. How could you be human and not—"

"Who said I was human?"

"Stay back! I mean it!"

"Or what?" I questioned, edging ever closer. "You've seen it, haven't you? The torture, the experiments. All inconclusive. All saying the same thing."

"You can't die."

I cracked a wicked smirk. "There ya go. Was that so hard? Better yet, I'll tell you a secret. I can feel pain, but I've gotten so used to it, most stuff is just a little tickle. Honestly, if you puny humans could understand what punishments I went through just to end up here… Well, I think it might just turn your brain to goo." I reached out, hand pressed to his forehead as he quivered violently under my gaze. "Shall we try it out?"

"Ornias."

My band tightened, hinting at the pain that would come if I broke the rule of our contract and I reluctantly took a step back, hands raised in surrender.

"Your funeral."

Water dripped down then, alarms ringing out as the Jagrafess above thrashed and growled.

"It's getting hot," the Doctor commented. "It's Cathica and she's thinking. She's using what she knows. She's venting the heat up here. The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano. Massive heat in a massive body, massive bang. See you in the headlines!"

We grabbed Cathica and made a bolt for the lift, soon back down to Level 139 and watching people returning to their lives.

"We're just going to go," the Doctor informed Cathica. "I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage."

"You'll have to stay and explain it. No one's going to believe me."

"Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now. The human race should accelerate. All back to normal."

"What about your friend?"

The Doctor's expression darkened, making me run my tongue over my lips. "He's not my friend."

"Now, don't." Rose tried to calm him down as he moved towards Adam waiting by the Tardis.

"I'm all right now," Adam blabbered, trying to act as though he hadn't just betrayed us. "Much better. And I've got the key."

The Doctor promptly snatched it back, moving to unlock the Tardis doors.

"Look, it's… It all worked out for the best, didn't it? You know, it's not actually my fault, because you were in charge."

Oh, the audacity of this boy. Does he have no sense of self-preservation? I wondered, walking into the Tardis after the Doctor had shoved him in. No words were said to Adam as the Doctor flew his ship, though even I was mildly annoyed enough to place myself as close to Adam as possible, just to unnerve him. Once we landed, he was shoved out again, only to falter at the living room we ended up in.

"It's my house. I'm home! Oh, my God, I'm home! Blimey. I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock."

"I would've," I hummed, wandering the house and eyeing the furniture.

"Is there something else you want to tell me?" The Doctor asked him.

"No. what do you mean?"

"Liar," I chirped, smirking at Adam's small glare and turning it into a nervous look of fear. "A terrible one at that."

The Doctor played a message on the answering machine from Adam, who was quick to wilt. "Ornias, if you would?" He unplugged and threw me the device, which was quick to spark and explode into dust the moment it touched my hands.

"Whoops~"

"That's it then. See you." The Doctor grinned, us moving back towards the Tardis.

"How do you mean, see you?"

"As in goodbye."

"But what about me? You can't just go. I've got my head. I've got a Chip Type Two. My head opens."

"What, like this?" The Doctor snapped his fingers and Adam was quick to snap again, closing the door that had opened in his forehead.

"Don't."

"Don't what?" I asked innocently, snapping as well.

"Stop it!"

"All right now, you two," Rose cut in. "That's enough. Stop it."

"Thank you."

Rose snapped her fingers though, giving him a tongue-in-cheek grin. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

"The whole of human history could have changed because of you," the Doctor said sharply to Adam.

"I just wanted to help."

"Liar~" I said again. "Help yourself, perhaps."

"And I'm sorry. I've said I'm sorry, and I am. I really am, but you can't just leave me like this."

"Yes, I can," the Doctor countered. "Coz if you show that head to anyone, they'll dissect you in seconds. You'll have to live a very quiet life. Keep out of trouble. Be average, unseen. Good luck."

"But I want to come with you."

"I only take the best. I've got Rose."

Adam jammed a finger in my direction. "What about him? He's evil! He, he's a terrible… just… thing!"

I raised a brow as he Doctor huffed.

"And what does that say about you, when I'd rather have him onboard?"

It was odd to hear something like that, something nice being said about me and as I stepped into the Tardis after him, I couldn't help but question it.

"Why would you say that?"

"Hm?" He glanced at me as he started up the ship and Rose slipped in behind me. "What? Wanting you onboard over him? It's a bit obvious, don't you think?"

I blinked, not understanding and he turned around, brows furrowed and folding his arms over his chest as he leaned against the console.

"What? You really think you're worse than him?"

"Absolutely," I responded without hesitation.

"Well, from what I've seen so far, that's not true. You could have killed the Editor, but you didn't."

"You stopped me, reminding me of the rules of the contract."

"Which you could break if you really wanted."

Now, my own brows furrowed. What's he getting at? "With a high amount of pain as punishment."

"Just a tickle for you." He shrugged, remembering my previous words.

Is this a test? "Fact number six, I've killed numerous amounts of people without remorse," I stated coldly, watching his reaction. If he wants to challenge me, then so be it.

His gaze narrowed slightly as Rose's eyes bounced between us uncertainly.

"For what reason?"

I shrugged. "Fun, to defend myself, to eat. It was my job for a long while." And to think, it used to be my job to save them too.

"But… not anymore, right?" Rose asked.

"Because of the contract, no. Though it's allowed in life or death situations now," I added.

"No remorse…"

My eyes flickered back to the Doctor's, flashing yellow briefly. "None."

"Hm," was his response, earning a raised brow from me.

"That's it? 'Hm'?" I scoffed.

"Yup. Past events. So long as none of it happens again while you're with me, it stays in the past." He shrugged, turning back to the controls. "People change."

I frowned but had nothing more to really say. The Doctor was a strange one, and even when I tasted the air to see if he was lying in some way, all I felt was a hint of sorrow and guilt.