As I opened my eyes, I heard a man say, "Ah, Acacia! Someone's who always up for an adventure", then I looked over to him smiling at me.
"Doctor", I said as I pointed at him, "You'd be correct", he told me as he pointed back; I lifted a brow and smiled as I lowered my hand.
"This is Acacia", a woman with curly red hair asked, "Yes", the Doctor replied, "But…she's young and blonde- ", "Shh", the Doctor hushed her quickly as I crossed my arms.
Then I narrowed my brows in confusion, I've noticed that each time I meet a different version of the Doctor there's a slight change to my personality.
I tried to shake off the feeling as I asked, "So...um, where are we going", as I looked awkwardly at the pair.
"Paradise Towers, oh and my name is Mel", Mel said excitedly as she ran up to me and then shook my hand, I raised my brows in surprise and then glanced over to the Doctor who just shrugged.
The Doctor pressed a couple of buttons on the console, "We're nearly there and you might want to lie by the pool doing nothing all day, but we intend to explore", the Doctor told the woman as he gestured between himself and I.
"So, what exactly is Paradise Towers", I asked, "Well, Paradise Towers is supposed to be a remarkable architectural achievement I'm told. Won all sorts of rewards back in the 23rd century and it is quite hot", the Doctor told me as he looked at the thermometer scale on the console.
When we materialized onside Paradise Towers, Mel was excited to leave and go to the pool, "You seem excited", I told her, "Excited? I can't wait", she told me impatiently and I smiled at her eagerness.
"Yes", the Doctor said as he pulled a lever on the console to open the doors, "And here we are," then Mel ran out and raised my brows in surprise.
"Are you ready", the Doctor asked me, "Um…yeah, sure", I said amused and then we walked out. However, upon exiting the Tardis, we noticed the entire area around us had been trashed, we didn't see a pool at all, and the walls had been vandalized.
"Oh, no", Mel exclaimed as the Doctor kicked a bucket and then rat scurried out, then ran away. We wondered around as the Doctor poked and looked at the trash around us and then greeted a tall mechanical object.
"Doctor…", I said, "What? Don't you it could be something", he asked me, "It could be, but-", "Don't encourage him", Mel told me, cutting me off.
Then the Doctor huffed as we continued on our way, "You two don't happen to know another planet with a swimming pool, do you", Mel asked us.
"Oh, why did I have to jettison the pool from the Tardis", the Doctor complained, "There was a pool", I asked, "Oh, yes. Until I got rid of it", the Doctor told me.
"Why", I asked, "Well, there was a leak…we had to get rid of it", Mel told me.
"Yes…well, there's a rather spectacular swimming pool on the planet Griophas, I understand", the Doctor said as he turned to face us.
"Oh, we could try there", Mel said eagerly, "Just one snag", the Doctor said, "And what's that", I asked as I lifted a brow.
"It's for the exclusive use of the Golmoreels", he told us, "The what", I asked, "Who are they", Mel asked.
"A rather nasty breed of flesh eating octopi", the Doctor told us as he wiggled his fingers in front of our faces. Mel shivered at that as I crossed my arms and gave him an amused expression, the Doctor in turn lifted his brow at me before we continued on our way as I shook my head.
"Personally, I'd rather stay here and explore. I wonder what happened", the Doctor said as we all looked around.
"It must have been a while since you saw the ad to Paradise Towers then? Assuming you guys saw one", I asked.
"Yes", the Doctor commented, "It's definitely seen some better days…still, now that we're here. I suppose I might as well see what the pool is like", Mel said as she slimily walked towards us.
"That's the spirit Mel, this could be fascinating. Are you coming", the Doctor asked, looking behind him; Mel was slowly walking behind us, before she jogged to catch up.
"Yes", she said once she was by our side, "But, if anything goes wrong and we get separated…shall we all meet by the pool", Mel asked.
"Oh…very well, but we've only just arrived. There's no need to worry yet", the Doctor said and then a group of women dressed in red surrounded us, pointing their crossbows.
We tried going around them, but they wouldn't move, "Don't move", one of them ordered, "Look, we mean you no harm", I told them.
"You're trespassers and trespassers get shot", another said, "But you haven't", I pointed out as one of them pointed their crossbows right at me.
"Yeah", she warned, "At least tell us who you are", the Doctor asked, "We're the Kangs! The Red Kangs! Red Kangs are the best", the all said.
"There are other colored Kangs I gather", the Doctor asked, "Yeah, the Blue Kangs, but they're cowardly cutlets and the Yellows…but there's only one now", the women told us.
"Why's that", the Doctor asked, "Just is", one of the Red Kangs told the Doctor, "You don't have enquiring minds, do you", the Doctor asked as he stepped forward.
"Are you blue", one of the women asked Mel and then turned her head towards me looking at my clothes, "And what are you", she asked.
I realized my clothes don't particularly match any sort of group, so I just the first thing that came to mind, "Something…new", I joked.
She seemed to smirk at that, "Someone unsure more like", she told me and I looked away flustered.
"I'm Mel and that's Acacia…we don't even know what Kangs are", Mel told them, "We're the Red Kangs", one them told her like it was obvious.
"Who are of course are the best", the Doctor said, "Um…yeah, of course", I said awkwardly and the woman from before turned to look in my direction.
"So, you agree to join the Red Kangs", she asked, "I…" I said unsure, before the Doctor nodded towards me, from behind the Kangs.
"Sure…why not", I agreed and they all cheered, "Bin Liner", the woman from before introduced as she patted her hand on her chest.
"Ah! Now, we're getting somewhere. I'm the Doctor", the Doctor greeted as he lifted his hat, "Fire Escape", another girl introduced as she patted her chest, "How do you do", the Doctor greeted.
"It's nice to meet you", I greeted, these women seemed a little intimidating; especially when they were holding their crossbows.
"What is Mel's color", one of the Bin Linear asked me, "Oh, I don't have a color and I don't want to be a Kang", Mel replied and then crossed her arms.
"We don't want you to be a Kang…not a Red Kang", Fire Escape told her, as they grabbed the Doctor and my arms as we started walking away from her.
"Hold on", the Doctor said, and we stopped, "We're visitors to Paradise Towers, only just arrived, so you really can't expect Mel to understand what you're talking about", the Doctor told the Red Kangs.
"We don't get visitors", Bin Linear told him, "What", I asked, "No visitors, no ball games, no fly pasts, nothing", she told me.
The Doctor and I looked at them all confused, "You mean visitors aren't allowed", the Doctor asked, and they shook they're head.
"Not ever", she told him, "There have never been visitors until now", Fire Escape added.
"Well, there's always a first- ", "Why not? Why has never been a visitor? Who's in charge", I asked rather quickly, cutting off the Doctor. That was strange, I wondered.
"There's the old ones, the care-takers, and the- ", "Reta", Bin Linear said, interrupting Fire Escape by using her real name.
"Who are the Care-Takers", the Doctor asked, "They wipe away our wall scrawl, chase us down corridors, and catch us...if they can", Bin Linear said as she gloated about the last part.
"I see…and all the young ones are Kangs", the Doctor asked, "Yes", they replied, "Are there no male Kang members", I asked as I realized their group was entirely made of girls and young women.
The Doctor glanced at me as he wondered the same thing, "Male", Fire escape asked, "There are the Old Ones, the Care-Takers, the Kangs, and the- ", "That is all", Fire Escape or Rita said before Bin Linear stopped her from continuing.
I lifted my brow at this and wondered why she didn't want Fire Escape from mentioning the name that their apparently not supposed to say.
"I see…well, I must say it's been nice meeting you, but I think it's time we must be on our way. Don't you think so, Mel and Acacia", the Doctor told us, before the Red Kang members blocked us from leaving.
"We heard you talk about the pool", Bin Linear told us, "The Great Pool in the Sky", Fire Escape added.
"Did you? Oh, I'd expect your ears were playing tricks on you", the Doctor told them and at this suggestion, this made them quite upset.
"You're coming with us to our hide in", Bin Linear told us, before they restrained our hands behind our backs and I sighed at this as we were being dragged away.
"I thought they liked you", Mel complained, "They liked my clothes and Acacia only recently joined, which is clearly not enough", the Doctor told her.
"Are you done", Bin Linear asked, "Yes", Fire Escape replied, suddenly we heard over the intercom that the Yellow Kangs had been wiped out. Then Bin Linear and Fire Escape started whispering to each other.
"Excuse me? Is that true? Did a whole tribe of Yelow Kangs just get wiped out", the Doctor asked and they nodded.
"But why", I asked, "You didn't kill them did you", the Doctor asked, "Doctor", I said upset.
"To kill another Kang, is not the Kang way", Fire Escape told the Doctor, "Then who did", I asked, "Yes…was it the Care Takers or the one you must not mention", the Doctor asked.
"We can't stay out for too long", Fire Escape told him, "Why? What happens", I asked.
"We've been out in the open for too long, we must go", Bin Linear suddenly said as they took us away.
"Sorry about the pool", the Doctor apologized, "It's fine Doctor", I told him, "It's quite alright", Mel added.
They pulled us along a long hallway, then we ran into some guards, and we immediately started running away as one of the cops yelled, "We have you now!"
As we were running away, the Kangs accidently bumped the Doctor and I into a pile of trash. We groaned in pain as one of the cops came up and pulled us to our feet.
"Now, who are you", one of the cops asked, "That doesn't matter…are you the Care-Takers", the Doctor asked the cop, "Yes", he replied.
"You take care of people", the Doctor asked, and the Care-Taker glanced at me, before looking back at the Doctor, "Maybe", the Care-Taker replied. Suddenly, I felt uncomfortable underneath the gaze of the Care-Taker.
The Doctor glanced at me, before turning his attention to the Care-Taker, "Well…you seem to be our best bet so far, don't you think Acacia and Mel...Mel? Where's Mel", the Doctor asked me.
"I think she went with "them"", I whispered to the Doctor, making sure I didn't reveal that Mel went with the Red Kangs. I didn't trust these so called "Care-Takers."
"No, no, no sunbeam and starlight…you're coming with us", the Care-taker said, before he dragged us away. "Not again", I said quietly as I groaned in annoyance.
Two Care-Takers were put in charge of guarding us as the others went off in search of the Red Kangs, they told us we could stop every three thousand steps to rest. Which prompted me to quietly call them assholes as the Doctor retorted something sarcastically as they untied us. Then we continued down the hallway, which surprisingly looked a lot cleaner, then the other hallway that we were just in.
"It must be boring trying to keep these corridors clean and tidy like this", the Doctor asked,
"Oh, yes...especially with the wall scrawlers", one of our guards told us.
"Oh? Is that what you call them, "Wall Scrawlers", the Doctor asked, "Yes. Dirty pests…just look at it", the Care-Taker complained as we passed the walls that were covered in drawings.
There was one that looked like a Kang was getting attacked by some claw as it grabbed her head, the claw was attached to some big machine that had a drill and a nozzle as it soaked things up.
"I wonder what it means…what made them draw them", I asked, "I don't know", the Doctor told me.
"Yes, well…the Wall Scrawlers make up silly pictures", the other guards told us, "Let's just hope that's all they are", the Doctor told him.
"What's that", the Doctor said as we both heard some strange noise in the distance, "What", one of the Care-Takers asked.
"It's a strange noise", I replied, "I don't hear anything. Look, if there was anything wrong, there's be instructions here on how to deal with it, wouldn't there", the Care-Taker told us annoyed.
"Sshh", the Doctor said, trying to hush the Care-Taker, "For the last time, it's nothing", the Care-Taker said angrily as the Doctor and I looked around a corner, then down the hall to see some sort of large sweeper machine.
There was a slight sting in my head as I saw a vision of a Yellow Kang and a Care-Taker being killed, then stored in this exact Sweeper.
"Oh, I see it's some sort of robotic cleaner with auto-motive, bi-carbon scraping blades. How impressive", the Doctor said as he walked closer to the machine, examining it.
"Uh, Doctor…it doesn't seem friendly", I said as I tried to pull the Doctor away from it, the Care-Taker tried to warn him too, but the Doctor wasn't listening.
"Let's have a closer look at these auto-motive blades, shall we Acacia", the Doctor said, before grabbing my hand and dragged me over to the machine.
"Doctor", I warned again, and he ignored me as he examined the blades, "Ah, yes…oh", the Doctor said as the machine moved its claw towards the Doctor as it tried to grab him.
We were backing away from it as it started to go faster and faster, "I suppose this is the part where you tell me, "I told you so"", the Doctor joked.
"Now, wouldn't be the time", I told him, "Right…run", he yelled as all ran away from the machine as it chased us down the hall.
"Quick the lift", one of our guards told us as we ran inside an elevator, "I thought they didn't work", the Doctor asked, "They don't", he told him.
"Then why are we in here", I asked upset, "Here, let me", the Doctor said before jamming in the buttons with his umbrella and the doors closed just as the machine was about to reach the door.
"Going up", the Doctor joked and we all sighed in relief, "That was pure luck", I said as I laughed breathlessly, "Maybe", he replied.
When the doors opened, the Care-Takers escorted us into the Care-Taker's Station and then we walked into the Chief's office.
"Chief- ", "Later, Deputy", the Chief said cutting off the other Care-Taker, "Release them. Greetings, I am Chief Care-Taker", the Chief Care-taker told us as the others took their hands off the Doctor and I.
The Doctor lifted his hat in greeting as I said, "Hello, we're- ", "No, need to tell me, I know who you two are. This man is the one who brought Paradise Towers to life and you are…his young wife, but you hardly important", the Chief told me as I raised my brows offended as my cheeks turned a little pink.
"Excuse me- ", "Now, it's this man", the Chief said cutting me off as he walked over to the Doctor, "The visionary who dreamed up it lifts, pools, and squares…and now you've returned to your creation. You will make those dilapidated lifts rise and fall as they've never done before. All signs of wall scrawl will disappear from the corridors of Paradise Towers. The floors will gleam, the windows will shine, and all will be made as new. Fellow Care-Takers, do you know who this is? The Great Architect returns to Paradise Towers, with his wife no less. Bid them welcome. All hail the Great Architect. All hail", the Chief said, but I had a feeling he didn't mean it genuinely.
"All hail the Great Architect", the men said in union, "What should we do with them now, Chief", the Deputy asked, "Kill them", the Chief ordered, before walking away.