Chapter 29

The Doctor sat in the awkward silence of the room, now that half the bird people were gone, along with Lilly. A hawk person was pointing a sword at the Doctor just in case she got any funny ideas.

The Doctor liked funny ideas, was good at them, even if some people said her idea of funny wasn't universal. But right now, she was more worried about Lilly getting funny ideas. This was a precarious situation, one she doubted Lilly knew how to play.

"Well that was awkward," the pigeon person said at last. "What now?"

"You could take me with her," the Doctor suggested. "We're friends you know."

"I doubt they'll let us just waltz in there with you," the bluebird said.

"I doubt a sun deity has friends. And we're not letting you wander around unwatched," the hawk person said, even as skepticism coated his voice. He turned to the pigeon person. "Pess, why don't you take this one to join the other prisoners?"

Pess bowed her head. "Yes boss."

She tied the Doctor's hands up. (The Doctor tensed and angled her wrists just right, so slipping out of them would be easy.) Then she helped the Doctor stand, pulled out a dagger, and pushed her along.

"You know, you really don't have to threaten me," the Doctor conversationally as they moved down the hall. (She noticed they seemed to moving underground.) "I know how to walk, and I'm sure I'd come along if you just asked. I'd kind of like to see what's going on anyway."

"I'm sure you already have some idea," Press said.

"Me? No. Just a traveler."

Pess was silent. Apparently, she didn't know what to make of that.

The hall they were in was transporting them, so they could travel a lot further than their small steps suggested. It was also complex technology. Despite the bladed weapons, these people were technology advanced, which meant they hadn't shown all they could do yet.

"So, the Sun Cult people," the Doctor started.

Pess sighed quietly, but not quietly enough.

"Not a fan?" the Doctor asked.

Pess actually looked around before speaking. "It's not that I don't appreciate them. They pull most of the weight in this war, both in the fighting and information. But they exist outside the system, for lack of a better explanation. They benefit from the status without the responsibilities."

Before they could say anything more, the weird hall came to an end. Pess opened the door, and the two stepped into a very small room, overlooking a much larger room below them. The room below was full of people who looked far more human, but the Doctor sincerely doubted that was what they were. All of them were doing work of some sort, and all had a monitor around their neck. The Doctor saw one of the monitors electrocute one of the people when he slowed down. He spasmed painfully, blood coming up from his mouth. From what the Doctor could see, that device certainly didn't hold back.

The Doctor spun back around to Pess, glaring. "That could've killed him," she said.

"It couldn't actually. He's already dead," Pess said. She was clearly trying to keep her voice unaffected, but she took a small step back with the look the Doctor was giving her. "These people, when they die, they come back to life after a few hours and start aging backwards. Nothing seems to kill them a second time, except sometimes burning them until there's no trace. Would you prefer we do that? Or burry them alive, and can't die, so they're out of the way. We've held some of them in stasis but that's a lot of time and resources. We had to do something. Can you imagine an army of these already dead people? We'd lose in seconds."

"Maybe you should."

Pess actually scowled herself at that, her tone becoming less desperate. "I'd be careful if I were you. If you are an outsider, then unlike these people, if I kill you, you really will die."

Oh I doubt that. "If you were going to kill me, you would've already. You don't have to do this. Why are you at war anyway?"

The Doctor had no doubt she could break these people out, but there must still be people locked in stasis somewhere, and it would really help to have an insider when going through that tunnel. And if she didn't convince someone to try for peace, the prisoners were just going to slaughter everyone here once they were free.

Pess seemed to agree. "Doesn't matter. I doubt they'll forgive us just like that."

"Have you tried asking them?"

"Do you really think they'll be honest?" Pess asked.

"You tell me. You don't sound too certain."

"Look, I've got better things to deal with than debating with you. There's a war on, and I'm supposed to be in a meeting. So get moving."

Pess continued to lead her away with the tip of her blade, moving towards a staircase.

"Pess, please, I know you don't really like this."

But it seemed, Pess was done talking to her.