A/N: Thanks for all the awesome reviews. I am not sure if I care for this chapter that much, as I kept writing it and then re-writing it because I didn't care for the way it was turning out. The only thing I am pleased with is the way this chapter ended. Enjoy. Also a slight credit to Hitch Hiker's trilogy, if you're a Hitch Hiker's fan, you'll see it when you read this chapter.
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Chapter Five: Adventures in Fine Dining
Martha walked around the planet. This planet seemed to be a pure city. Hover cars, similar to the ones found on New New York drove by overhead. Tall buildings loomed above her. Neon lights glowed everywhere; it was like being in Las Vegas minus the casinos. But there was not one ounce of wildlife on this whole planet. It was slightly alarming to her, what about global warming? Plants provided oxygen, without plants how did this planet survive without depleting its own oxygen. Yet the air seemed alright, perhaps something cleaned the air, as it didn't seem too polluted. Maybe she was thinking way too much. She had found out as she walked around that this planet was called Patmos VII. Despite the fact, she got funny looks when she asked she had found out that it was the year six billion and forty-three. Yikes, she thought, I am a long way and a long time from home. My home doesn't even exist anymore.
Her stomach was growling and she thought maybe she should get back to the TARDIS and get something to eat. She had no money or anything like that for this time frame and she ached for the Doctor's sonic screwdriver and his psychic paper. If she had either one, she could have managed to get something to eat. She had seem him use it before for such things. She wished she knew where the Doctor was and she hoped that he wasn't dead or worse. She thought she smelled something good inside what looked like a pub or a restaurant of some sort. A flashing sign in red and purple neon shone above it showing the name of the establishment. Martha read it, Milliways. Martha thought what an odd name for a restaurant, but considering the fact that she was in the year six billion, it could be worse. She entered within; maybe she could work out a deal with the owners or something. She could work for food or something, as her stomach was grumbling terribly. The restaurant was moderately filled with all sorts of people, if you could call some of them people. Some looked like lizards, others vaguely like the cats she had seen back on New Earth. And among the other various assorted aliens were humans. Finding a spot, she sat down at the bar and found a man sitting there tears coming down his face and various empty glasses. His hair was mussed up and he smelled strongly of alcohol. He wore an old fashion brown suit that seemed slightly off with the times and then barked out an order for a Hyper Vodka. He then muttered lightly, "She'll kill me. Lord knows she'll kill me."
Martha over heard the man's words and said, "Who will kill you, mate?"
The man looked at Martha and sighed, "What does it matter? When Ms. Lai gets it in her head to do something, she does it."
Martha frowned, she had never heard that name before and she said, "Who's Ms. Lai?"
The man frowned, "Only one of the wealthiest women in the seventh billionth century. You know she has had so many suitors try and claim her and her wealth. From presidents, Emperors, and Princes, her family made their fortune in various mining, space exploration, and real estate ventures. When her parents died, a couple of years ago, she pretty much inherited everything. There was a whole article about it in Galactic Weekly. I am surprised you haven't heard of her."
She sighed, "I don't read Galactic Weekly and I am a bit out of my neighborhood."
He nodded and as his drink was placed before him he swallowed it in one quick draught. Martha shook her head, "Look Mate, you're going to make yourself sick drinking that much."
"I don't care; I'd rather die in the gutter than let Ms. Lai get a hold of me."
"Must be bad then? I wish my friend was here, he'd help you."
He looked at her sadly, "I doubt it and I wouldn't want him to risk his life for me. As the old saying goes, hell hath no fury as a woman's scorn."
"So you think she'll try and kill you tonight?"
"I wouldn't doubt it. That or I'll end up in her menagerie, food for one of her exotic pets."
"Sounds sadistic."
He chuckled lightly, "You have no idea. Let me buy you a drink, Ms…."
"Martha Jones and you are?"
"Charles Wilden."
Martha sighed, "Actually, I am a bit hungry rather than….thirsty and I really shouldn't drink on an empty stomach."
Wilden nodded, "Then let me buy you something to eat first then I'll offer you that drink."
Martha really didn't want to take advantage of a guy who was down on his luck, but her growling stomach wasn't complaining to the fact that she could get a meal out of this. "Alright…"
He smiled and said, "I'll charge it to her account, along with my drinks. If it's going to be my last meal, she can pay for it."
She frowned, "Is that smart? If you use her account won't she find you and kill you?"
He sighed, "I can't escape her, Martha. She has her hand in everything and pretty much everyone. If I left this planet, she'd find out about it eventually. She has lots of 'friends' and business associates. I am already pretty much screwed. So what do you want? Altraian Lobster? Caviar? It's not my money. Let's see if we can make her go nuts before she decides to kill me."
"Sounds insane and incredibly reckless, reminds me of my friend. I am incredibly hungry so you order it, I'll eat it."
He smiled, "And who is this incredibly insane and reckless friend? You have already mentioned him twice. Is he your boyfriend?"
Martha wrinkled up her nose, "Like Hell he is. Everyone seems to think we're a couple or something and we're not."
Charles laughed lightly, "Sounds a bit like me and Ms. Lai."
Martha frowned, "How exactly did you get together with 'I-want-to-kill-you' anyway?"
Charles sighed, "I knew her family. She wasn't always so sadistic and cruel. I loved her. I thought she did, but I am just an accountant. I counted the credits that came flowing in and out of the house. I thought what would a girl like that want with a guy like me? I am a nothing, a cipher. But somehow I won her affection. Although, now I am not so sure. I thought it was love at one time. But now she treats me like I am belonging instead of a person."
Martha sighed, "Yea, I actually know women like that." She thought about her father and his girlfriend Annalise. If her mum were here, she would have probably told this guy that this Ms. Lai was nothing but another Annalise, toying around with any guy she met. Of course her mum would be bias around it. Although, Martha struggled to be polite, even though Annalise was annoying and pretty much questioned her sanity over what had happened to her that first day she had met the Doctor. Martha was feeling slightly homesick. Not that she was complaining about meeting the Doctor, from going back in time to see Shakespeare to going back to the 1930's. Martha loved every moment of it, now that the Doctor was missing; the homesickness was slowly creeping its way in.
He sighed, "And?"
"Look Mate, I am not going to judge a relationship you had with a woman. I have seen some really interesting couples before." Martha thought about Tallulah and Laszlo, after all who was she to judge about love and things like that. Even the Doctor seemed to have someone that he cared about, but she wasn't going to judge him on it.
"I am sorry; I shouldn't be blubbering about my love life."
Martha gave Charles a friendly pat on the back, "It's okay, it's all those drinks you have been drinking. Plus I asked."
Charles managed to get a menu from a waiter that was passing by; he showed it to Martha, "Anything you like."
Martha looked at the menu, she raised her eyebrow, and some of the foods looked a bit questionable. She wished the Doctor was around, he would have told her what was good and she wouldn't sound so daft, "Uhhh will any of this make me sick?"
He shook his head, "You act like you haven't ordered food before. It's all good. Although don't order Kai'cha food, not unless you want to go to the hospital and have them give you a new stomach. It will burn your stomach out, too much spice. The Kai'chaian race like their food good and spicy, plus generally it's raw."
Martha made a face, "I think I'll stick with the Altarian Lobster. Since you mentioned it earlier and I know that's safe. "
He laughed lightly, "I have never met a person who was confused over a menu before."
Martha knew her next words would be a lie, she stated, "I don't get out much."
"Obviously, I find it rather refreshing actually. So what brings you to Patmos VII?"
"I am looking for my friend. He went missing. I think he might have been kidnapped."
"That's unfortunate, but you know how times are these days. It's a huge universe, people decide to relocate or travel elsewhere and then….they just disappear and you don't even know if they are alive or dead."
"That's why I have to find my friend. We were traveling together and I just lost him…."
"Who is this friend? What's his name?"
Martha sighed, "My friend's name is the Doctor."
Charles Wilden's face went pale.
"Mr. Wilden are you alright?"
He suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, "Martha Jones, you have to leave Patmos VII. It's not safe for you here. If she finds out that you're here, you're life won't be worth anything."
"I can't leave, Mr. Wilden, not without the Doctor."
His voice went cold, "Don't you understand. She's got him. You might as well forget it."
"Who's got him?"
"Ms. Lai, Ms. Lora Lai. I have seen your friend, Martha Jones. He's fine, I assure you. Ms. Lai takes good care of her exhibits."
Martha glared at him, "Exhibits!! He's a person, Mr. Wilden."
"I know, but that doesn't stop her from collecting rare things. And your friend is rare. He's the last of the Time Lords. And I can assure you there are twenty others just like her that have wanted him as well, just because he's rare."
Martha was angry and upset. She thought that people would be more enlightened in the future and it was beginning to dawn on her that it was clearly a misconception, "I don't know how you do things in the seventh billionth century, Mr. Wilden but you don't hold people as if they are an animal in a zoo."
He bowed his head low as if he was ashamed, "I know, Ms. Jones. I know; God how I know it. But that doesn't stop the elite of the galaxy from doing it."
Martha sighed and she said firmly, "You have to take me to him, Mr. Wilden."
"I can't. My life is already in danger as it is."
"Didn't you say you were going to use her account for our food and your drinks, earlier? And you won't take me to my friend. You're a coward, Mr. Wilden, a bloody coward. You're willing to die for food and alcohol, but not for a person. If you won't take me to him, I'll find him myself, without your help."
Martha rose up to leave, but a light hissing sound was heard. It sounded a lot like laughter and at the front of the door were three lizard reptile-like aliens.
Mr. Wilden paled, "It's the Kai'cha. More specifically, it's her Kai'cha. They are here to kill me and more than likely they'll kill you as well."
Martha grabbed an empty bottle and smashed it against the pub table, and Martha held onto the end of the smashed bottle. As she smashed the various patrons turned around noticing the scene. One of the managers yelled out, "Take it outside."
The Kai'cha hissed violently at the manager and he paled. He decided to keep silent, better to stay alive than to be eviscerated by three lizards. But these three Kai'cha were known to be part of Ms. Lai's staff. Ms. Lai held a great deal of business interests on this planet and even if these Kai'cha weren't part of her staff, she hired a lot of them to do her dirty work and it was better to not let them get in the way. Several patrons shook their heads regretfully; many of them had seen this scene before. Someone had angered Ms. Lai. She was after all a patron to this city and she dispensed her own form of justice. Someone was going to die tonight and they slowly filed out, if someone was going to die, it had better not be one of them.
The Kai'cha in the center spoke, his hissing like laugh filled the air, "Little hummman. Sssssoo eageeer to dieeee."
Mr. Wilden grabbed up a chair, "It's me you want, Bra'ka. Leave the girl alone."
Bra'ka grinned, "The creeedit countinnng cowwward hummman has fouuund hisss nerrrve. How amussssing."
This brought forth a load of hissing laughter from Bra'ka and his friends and he continued. "Ssssooon you will be deeead and my brotherssss and I will enjoy your raaaaw flessssh."
Martha shivered. She remembered Mr. Wilden saying something about the Kai'cha liking raw food. It obviously extended to human flesh as well.
She said firmly, "I am not dead yet. So before you decide to eat my flesh, I suggest you shut up and fight."
Bra'ka stuck out his lizard like tongue tasting the air, "Braaave feeemale. You'rrrre a creeedit to yourrr rrrrace. I look forrrward to eaaating yourrrr hearrrrt."
Martha gulped, if that was suppose to unnerve her, it did. It wasn't pleasant to think that if she lost these filthy lizards were going to eat her heart. She and Mr. Wilden slowly began to advance on their attackers. This was not going to be pleasant.
