"WHOO!" Donna screamed on the top of her voice as the TARDIS rocked violently, if it wasn't for the fact she had a firm grip onto the console she would have landed on her backside now.
Rose was flung back into the captain's chair and then flung out; she laughed joyfully and patted the console as the TARDIS began to slow down.
"Seven controls in random" Rose said the moment the TARDIS stopped. "Mystery ride, outside could be any planet, anywhere, any when in the whole entire universe. Blimey I haven't done one of these in ages" she looked at Donna who was breathing deeply and looking rather pale. "Are you all right?"
"Terrified" Donna admitted "I mean history is one thing but an alien planet?"
"Can always take you home" Rose said smiling slightly.
"Yeah don't laugh at me" Donna said still trying to catch her breath.
"I know what its like" Rose said walking closer to Donna. "The fear, the joy, the wonder, I get that"
"Seriously?" Donna asked her voice going high. "After all this time?"
"Yeah why do you think I keep going? On my very first trip, all them aliens it freaked me out and I ended up running off but in the end oh it was so worth it"
"Aw!" Donna squealed. "All right then you and me both" she walked down freely and cheerfully down the ramp, as Rose picked up her leather jacket and put it on. "This is barmy! I was born in Chiswick; I only ever had package holidays. Now I'm here! This is all...I don't know...it's all...doesn't have a word for it!" she then ran to the door and opened it, stepping out.
Rose followed Donna out to see the most beautiful snow and ice view, almost as beautiful as Woman's Wept...one of the best days of her life. "Snow!" she said gleefully, she turned to face Donna all prepared to challenge her to a snowball fight to see Donna wearing a sleeveless top. "Go back in there and put a coat on" she said.
Donna ran in quickly. Rose looked out and smiled when Donna came back out wearing a very thick fake fur coat.
"Better?"
"Lovely thanks"
"Comfy?"
"Yep"
"Can you hear anything inside there?" Rose asked sticking her tongue out slightly unable to keep her amusement at how thick the coat was hidden. She was so glad that she had a lower temperature and could cope more than Donna.
"Pardon" Donna said jokingly. A large red rocket flew over their heads. "A rocket!" Donna exclaimed. "Blimey, a real proper rocket. Now that's what I call a spaceship" she punched Rose lightly in the arm. "You got a box, he's got a Ferrari, come on lets see where it's going"
"You know Donna you should be careful with what you say about the TARDIS, she might get into a hissy fit and do something to you. Every time Martha called her a machine she would hide her books or make her lost or even stop supplying her hot water" Rose said feeling rather annoyed. She then bent down and picked up some snow moulding it into a ball and threw it at Donna's head.
"OI!"
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
They walked across a bridge made of ice and rock, giggling. They had only finished the snowball fight where they decided to call it a draw. Suddenly Rose froze when she heard someone singing, she closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them.
"Can you hear that?" she asked Donna.
"What?"
"it sounds like a song" she always has a song going through her mind, the one the Doctor never told her about, the one that she had to work out herself. I sang a song and they ran away but the song wasn't him was it? It was all her. This one was sadder, not constantly flowing but high whistled and even more eerily. And then she saw the body. "Over there!"
They ran over to the body and Rose fell to her knees in disbelieve, she yanked out the handy stethoscope that she kept in her pocket.
"What is it?" Donna asked.
"An Ood, it's an Ood" Rose said.
"But it's face!"
"Donna not now, it's a he not an it"
Donna got on her knees on the other side of the Ood. "Sorry" she whispered.
Rose was trying to find the Ood's heart. "I can't find his heart...I don't know if he even has a heart. Keep him talking Donna"
"It's all right, we got you" Donna said gently brushing some snow of the Ood. "Erm...what's your name?"
The translator that the Ood was holding turned on. "Designated Ood Delta 50" he said.
Donna plucked the translator out of his hands and raised it to her lips. "My name is Donna" she said into it.
Rose looked up and gently took the translator out of Donna's hand. "They can understand English Donna they just need that to speak"
"Oh sorry" Donna mumbled. "Oh god! This is Rose she's going to help, that's what you need some help"
Rose found a bullet wound in the Ood's abdomen. "You've been shot!" she exclaimed. "Who would shoot a peaceful race...well usually I haven't forgotten that incident"
"The circle..."
"No don't talk" Donna said to the Ood.
"The circle...must be broken"
"Circle what circle? Delta 50 what circle?" Rose asked.
Delta 50 turned his head to Rose and opened his eyes to reveal blood red. He let out a large roar causing Rose to jump over and drag Donna away. The roar died down and Delta 50 fell back onto the snow...dead. And the song stopped playing.
"He's gone" Donna whispered, she stepped forward and knelt by Delta 50 and she began to stroke his head. "there you go sweetheart, we were too late" Rose was filled with admiration for this woman, no one else would do that not even Rose but then again Rose had issues with Ood. "Should we bury him?"
Rose shook her head. "The snow will take care of him"
"What's an Ood?" Donna asked.
"Servants for humans in the 42nd century. Mildly telepathic that was what I could hear, his mind, his song."
"I couldn't hear anything" Donna said getting up. "He sang while he was dying"
"His eyes turned red"
"What does that mean?"
"Trouble, last time I met the Oods their eyes went red and everyone almost died. In fact all the Ood did along with a handful of people. One of the most terrifying experiences ever" Rose said. "A force took them over, made them the way they were acting then" as the pair began to walk away.
"What kind of force?"
"The devil"
"Be serious"
"Oh but I am Donna, the devil existed. Gone now the Doctor and me chucked him into a black hole. So something else must be doing this to the Ood"
The pair climbed up a hill and saw a metal dome.
"Ah civilisation" Rose said.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
"Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to the Ood Sphere and isn't it freezing?" a perky woman in black said to the crowd. "Here are your information packs with vouchers, 3D tickets and a map of the complex. My name is Solana head of marketing, I'm sure we all spoken on the big board. Now if you all like to follow me"
"Sorry, sorry we're late" Rose said running up the woman with Donna tailing behind her. "Hello don't mind us the guards let us through"
"And you would be?" Solana asked.
"Rose Tyler and Donna Noble" Rose said flicking the psychic paper up.
"Representing the Noble/Tyler Corporation PLC Limited intergalactic" Donna finished off smoothly.
"Must have fallen of my list. I apologise it won't happen again" Solana said smiling. "Well then Ms Tyler, Ms Noble here are your information packs, vouchers are inside" she then waved an arm to the crowd. "Now then if you would all like to follow me and I'll show you to the executive suite where it's nice and warm inside"
Suddenly a loud beeping noise could be heard.
"What's that?" Rose asked. "It sounds like some sort of alarm"
"Oh it's just a siren, end of the work shift" Solana said quickly. "Now then this way as quick as you can" she called out herding everyone through the door.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
"As you can see the Ood are happy to serve" Solana said standing at the podium. "And we keep them in the facilities at the highest standard. Here at the double O that's Ood Operations, we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends. We keep the Ood healthy, safe and educated. We don't just breed the Ood, we make them better because at heart what is an Ood? But a reflection of us, if you're Ood are happy then you'd be happy too"
The people in the room began to applaud; Donna made a dull attempt while Rose out right refused to put her hands together. Everything Rose knew about the Ood contradicted what this woman said. The Ood here aren't healthy or safe and Rose doubted that they needed education.
"I would now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations" Solana said walking towards the three Oods that stood still in the middle of the room. "We now introduce a variety pack in the Ood translator ball, you can now have the standard package, and how are you today?" she turned round and asked the first Ood.
"I am perfectly fine, thank you" the first Ood said in a monotone male voice.
"Or after a stressful day a little something for the Gentlemen" Solana said as she walked to the second Ood. "And how are you Ood?"
"All for the better now seeing you" the Ood purred in a female voice. Rose bit her lip from laughing while Donna looked disgusted.
"And the comedy classic version" Solana walked up to the third Ood. "Ood you dropped something"
"Doh!" the Ood said in a static version of Homer Simpson. There was scattered laughter and Donna looked ready to slap somebody.
"All those for just five extra credits" Solana said "details are in your brochures. Now there's plenty of food and drink so don't hold back" she then left the room, as everyone started to help themselves to food Rose went to the green and silver switchboard and typed in a few random codes managing to get the screen on.
"Ah got it" she mumbled as Donna joined her side, munching on something. "The Ood Sphere, been to this solar system before, years ago. Most of the planets are seminal. Lets wind it up" she tapped in another code and the screen went back showing the clouds of the solar system red dots appeared and red lines connected them to make shapes. "The year 4126 that is the second great and bountiful human empire"
"4126" Donna repeated "its 4126, I'm in the year 4126"
"Good isn't it?"
"What is the Earth like now?" Donna asked.
"A bit full but as you can see the empire stretches out through three galaxies"
"It's weird" Donna breathed. "Brilliant...but back home on the telly and the papers, they keep saying we haven't got long to live. Global warming, flooding, about the bees disappearing"
"Yeah that bit with the bees is just plain weird" Rose said.
"But look at us! We're everywhere! Is that good or bad; are we explorers or more like a virus?"
Rose shrugged. "Bit of both probably"
"What are the red dots for?" Donna asked.
"Ood distributions centres"
"Across three galaxies?" Donna began to walk away. "Don't the Ood get a say in this?" she walked up to one of the Ood. "Erm...sorry" the Ood didn't notice her so she reached out and tapped his arm; he turned to look at her. "Hello! Tell me...are you all like this?"
"I do not understand Miss" the Ood said politely.
"Why did you say Miss? Do I look single?" Donna asked.
"Back to the point!" Rose hissed not wanting Donna to start a fight or give the poor Ood a heart attack.
"Yeah...what I mean is, is there any free Ood?" Donna said. "Are there Ood running wild somewhere? Like wilder beasts"
"All Ood are born to serve otherwise we would all die" the Ood said.
"You can't have started like that! Before the humans, what were you like?" the Ood flinched but Donna didn't seem to notice, Rose frowned slightly.
"The circle" the Ood said.
"What do you mean?" Rose asked. "What circle?"
"The circle, the circle is..."
"Ladies and Gentlemen" Solana called cutting the Ood off. "All Ood hospitalities go back to station please." The Ood walked off.
"Enough with this" Rose murmured pulling out the map. "Fancy taking a detour?"
"Rough guide to the Ood Sphere" Donna muttered back.
"Yeah"
"Works for me"
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
Rose used her sonic screwdriver to open up the gate and slipped in Donna by her side. The snow seemed grey under their feet and crunched loudly as they walked. They ran up some silver frozen stairs to a balcony and watched the Ood be marched into the courtyard. One of the Ood fell to the floor, a guard went up to him and pulled out a whip and began to whip the poor creature.
"Servants" Donna whispered. "They're slaves"
The Ood got up slowly and they began to march again.
"Last time I saw them" Rose whispered. "I only asked once, I should have asked and thought about it..."
"That's unlike you" Donna commented.
"I was busy, in the end we couldn't save them. They were about to kill us and the men knocked me out and chucked me into a rocket. Good thing the Doctor was there..."
A man walked out onto the courtyard dressed in a suit being trailed by a man in a white coat and an Ood.
"That looks like the boss" Donna said quietly.
"Let's keep out of his way, c'mon" Rose herded Donna away, glancing briefly over her shoulder.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
Rose strolled pass a door as she looked down at the map, Donna stopped at it, glanced at it and then gave a high pitched whistle causing Rose to flinch before she turned round and ran to Donna.
"Where did you learn to whistle?" she asked.
"West ham every Saturday" Donna replied.
Using the sonic screwdriver they got into the building to find large blue metal boxes and a large claw hovering in the ceiling. "Ood export" Rose said. "See!" she pointed to the claw "takes the boxes to the rockets and they'll be flown out to the three galaxies"
"What you mean these containers are filled with...?"
"What do you think?" Rose said raising an eyebrow. She went to a blue box and opened it to reveal a crowd of Ood standing still.
"Oh it stinks!" Donna hissed. "How many of them do you think there are in each one?"
"Hundred or more" Rose said.
"Great big empire built on slavery" Donna said bitterly.
"Not so different from our time" Rose said calmly.
"Oi! I don't have slaves" Donna snapped.
"Who do you think made our clothes?"
"Is that why you travel with a human by your side? It's not so you can show the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots!"
"No! Remember I used to be human, I'm just pointing out we're not so different to them, that's all"
"Well you're Space-Girl now!" Donna said smirking slightly; she then turned to the Ood. "I don't understand, the door is open why don't you run away now?"
"For what reason?" one of the Ood asked.
"So you could be free!" Donna cried out.
"I do not understand the concept" the Ood said.
"What's with it with that plastic ball?" Donna asked. "I mean they're not born with it are they? Why do they have to be plugged in?"
"Ood tell me does the circle mean anything to you?" Rose asked ignoring Donna's question.
Suddenly all the Ood's balls lit up and they chanted in unison. "The circle must be broken" the balls went out and they stood there.
"Oh that's creepy" Donna whispered.
"What is it? What is the circle?"
"The circle must be broken"
"Why?"
"So we can sing"
Suddenly an alarm echoed through the hall.
"That's our cue!" Rose shouted grabbing hold of Donna's hand and yanking her out of the box, running as fast as she could. They ran round the boxes, Donna's hand slipped from hers and she continued to run when Donna shouted;
"Rose! There's a door!"
She ran round the corner and turned to see Donna was gone. "Where is she?" suddenly guards came running round the corner and Rose began to run again.
She managed to lose the guards but she couldn't find Donna anywhere, when suddenly a large claw came down for her. She dodged it and threw herself round the corner but the claw followed her. She began to run through the maze of the blue boxes with the claw following her every step.
"Fucking twats" Rose muttered under her breath as she barely missed the claw and some metal barrels fell to the floor with a clang. The claw came down on her and she rolled onto the floor and landed on her feet perfectly. "Still got it" Rose said remembering the last time she did that move she was seven.
She tripped over some metal barrels and landed flat on her back. "Bugger" she whispered as the claw was coming down on to her, suddenly it froze. She panted as she kept her eyes trained on it.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
Two guards were dragging her along when she heard Donna screaming from a box.
"ROSE GET ME OUT!"
"If you don't do what she says you're really in trouble" Rose warned the guards as they made her face the head guard. The guards let her out and Donna ran into Rose's arms. "There we go safe and sound"
"Never mind about me" Donna said. "What about them?" she nodded to the Ood that was marching out and killing a guard with its translator ball.
"Oh fuck not this again!" Rose swore. The guards began to shoot the Ood and Rose grabbed hold of Donna's hand and herded her out quickly. Solana followed them, as the three got out safely Donna turned and glared at her.
"If people on Earth knew what was going on here"
"Don't be so stupid of course they know" Solana snapped glaring at Donna.
"They know how you treat the Ood" Donna said in disgust.
"They don't ask! Same thing"
"Solana the Ood are born brainless? They can't be a species born the serve can't evolve in the first place. What does the company do to make them obey?" Rose asked.
"That's nothing to do with me!"
"Oh what because you don't ask"
"That's Doctor Rider's territory"
"Where is he?" Rose asked pulling out the map. "Just point out the place" Solana didn't move. "I can help with the Red Eye now show me!"
"There" Solana said pointing down on a spot on the map. "On the red section"
"Come with me" Rose said quietly "you seen the warehouse you can't agree with all this. You can make it better, you can help"
Solana stared at Rose for a brief moment before she pulled her gaze away and called out. "They're over here! Guards they're over here!"
Rose and Donna began to run.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
They hid in another warehouse; Rose used the sonic screwdriver to make the controls explode.
"Hold on does that mean we're locked in?" Donna asked looking worried.
"Shh...Listen" Rose whispered, she walked away using the sonic screwdriver as a torch to go down some stairs. Donna's footsteps could be heard behind her. Rose winced. "My head!"
"What is it?" Donna asked worriedly.
"Can't you hear it?" Rose asked. "The singing?" Rose shone the light to see a cell and Ood kneeling in it. She stepped forward and found a light switch. Flicking it on she could see the Ood shuffling away looking terrified.
"They look different to the others" Donna said.
"Because they're natural born Ood" Rose whispered. "Before they're adapted to slavery...that's their song" it was that high pitched disjointed whistling and yet it was beautiful.
"I can't hear it" Donna said.
"Do you want to?" Rose asked.
"Yeah..."
"It's the song of captivity" Rose warned.
"Let me hear it."
"Face me" Rose ordered gently, Donna faced her looking a bit scared. "I never done this before" Rose said quietly. "But I know how it works" she pressed her hands on Donna's temples like the Doctor did to her in that year that never was one night long ago. "Open your mind...that's it" Donna saw a flash of golden light and the most beautiful song, she shivered. "Don't worry Donna that's just me, can you hear it?"
Donna sat there looking horrified as she heard the Ood's song. She turned to face the Ood, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Take it away!"
"Are you sure?" Rose asked quietly.
"I can't bare it!" Donna sobbed. She felt Rose put her hands on her temple and the golden light and the two beautiful songs were gone. "I'm sorry"
"It's ok" Rose whispered.
"But you can still hear it?"
"All the time"
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
They discovered that the Ood held their brains in their hands and that the humans had chopped them off and replaced it with the translator; the Ood had even let the pair of them hold it for a while. Then the guards the boss came in. Rose went berserk and locked her and Donna in the cage, shouting at them. The boss merely got them dragged out and handcuffed them to the wall in his office.
"Why don't you just come out and say it? Photo activists"
"If that's what the friends of the Ood are then yes" Rose spat out.
"The Ood were nothing without us, just animals roaming wild on the ice"
"That's because you can't here them!" Rose cried out.
"They welcome it! It's not like they put up a fight" the man said in disbelieve.
"You idiot!" Donna spat "they were born with their brains in their hands, don't you see that makes them peaceful! They got to be to trust everybody it meets"
"Nice one" Rose whispered.
"Thank you" Donna whispered back.
The man stepped forward. "The system has worked for a hundred years; all we got is a rogue batch. The infection is about to be sterilised." He held his wrist up to his mouth and began to speak into the device strapped to it. "Mr Kess how do we stand?"
"The Red Eye is at its prime sir; once we're ready we'll release the gas. In two hundred marks, they'll all die" a voice came from the device.
"You're going to gas them!" Rose shouted in horror.
"Kill the life stock, the classic foot and mouse situation from the old days. Still works" suddenly an alarm went off. Rose and Donna looked around them as the man turned round. "What the hell?" he went out for a roughly five minutes before coming back in. "change of plan"
"No reports of it happening off world sir" the scientist said. "It's still contained to the Ood Sphere"
"Then we have a public duty to stop it before it spreads"
"What's happening?" Rose asked. The two men turned to stare at her.
"Everything you wanted Ms Tyler, no doubt there would be a police investigation once this is over so I can shoot you. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood"
"Mr Harpin, wait there's something else, am I right?" Rose asked quickly.
"What do you mean?" Donna asked.
"There's something else here" Rose said quietly. "A third element"
"There she goes again, so clever" Mr Harpin said.
"But it's got to be connected to the red eye, what is it?"
Harpin walked up to her "it won't exist for very much longer" he hissed in the Rose's face, he then looked at them both "enjoy your Ood"
Harpin, Dr Rider and the two guards strolled out of the room leaving them there. The two immediately started to wiggle and yank against their handcuffs.
"C'mon!" Rose growled in frustration.
"Well do something!" Donna said. "You're the one with the tricks, you must have met Houdini!"
"These are really good handcuffs!" Rose groaned.
"Oh I'm glad about that, at least we got quality" Donna said sarcastically.
The doors opened and three Oods with red glowing eyes came in.
"Err...DonnaRose friends!" Rose shouted.
"The circle must be broken!" Donna shouted.
"DonnaRose friends!"
"Circle must be broken!"
"DonnaRose friends!"
"Circle must be broken!"
"DonnaRose friends!"
"Circle must be broken!"
"DonnaRose friends!"
"Circle must be broken!"
"FRIENDS! FRIENDS!"
"CRICLE MUST BE BROKEN!"
The Ood held their translators close to their faces when they paused. Rose opened her eyes and stared back wondering what was going to happen. The Oods dropped their heads and shuddered, the red light left their eyes and they looked up.
"Donna, Rose friends" the middle Ood said.
"Yes that's us, yes, yes, that's us!" Rose said happily.
"That's me!" Donna said sighing in relieve.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
A large giant brain, the one that bonded the Ood together and there surrounding it a blue electronic circle. Rose explained to Donna about the telepathic link, when Mr Harpin came in ranting about what business he could do and how he was going to destroy the brain. The watched in disgust when the scientist tried to defend the brain only to be pushed over the railing by Mr Harpin and they watched in horror when he turned into an Ood.
"He is now Ood kind, we will take care of him" the Ood said
"This is all weird, I can't tell what's wrong or right anymore" Donna said
"Better that way" Rose said "less confusion and less guilt in most cases" There was a loud beeping noise and Rose ran over to the side and flicked the switch down stopping the bombs. "That's better and now!" she ran to the controls and turned to the Ood. "Sigma will you allow me the honour?"
"It is yours Rose"
"OH YES!" Rose shouted "stifle for two hundred years but not anymore the circle is broken. The Ood can sing!"
The blue circle round the large brain disappeared. Donna looked round in wonder as a beautiful happy song could be heard.
"I can hear it" she said in a child like voice.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
"The message is out, that song resonated throughout the galaxies everyone heard it" Rose said "everyone knows the rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home"
"We thank you DonnaRose, friends of Ood Kind" the Ood said. "And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in our song for you"
"Oh I got a song of my own thanks" Rose said.
"I think your song must end soon" the Ood said.
Rose frowned. "Meaning?"
"Every song must end"
"Erm, yeah" Rose said uncomfortably. "Well best be off!"
"Take this song with you" the Ood said.
"We will" Donna promised.
"Always" Rose said.
"And know this DonnaRose you will never be forgotten. Our children will sing about the DonnaRose and our children's children. And the wind and the snow and the ice will carry your names forever"