Toast stood to the side, watching with a curved eyebrow as Nicolette and The Doctor duked it out. She rolled her eyes, glanced at the far end of the ramp. Ugh. She hated fights, whether she was part of them or not. Time could be spent doing so much more than fighting with someone.

She picked at the dirt under her nails for a moment, glancing down at the wide ramp as it moved and shifted with the waves. Toast stared at it, watching, agh, so bored. Moving on from the couple, she silently walked around them to examine the Tardis. The color shone a royal blue, like any other dignified police ship, very nice, very nice indeed.

Toast froze as she reached the back of the Tardis, eyes widening. When her and the others exited the box, it seemed they were on an island, but now she saw. . . the ramp they rested on stretched far, far out as a solitary path. The material seemed a dark pavement, like fresh road pasted out, yet it was light and moved with the waves like wood. It continued out through the water and curved into what appeared as a canyon of dark rocks jutting from the moving ocean. The road disappeared from her view, so she couldn't see where it led to.

Peering on her toes, she stared along the pathway, casting one more sly glance to the arguing couple beyond her. Okay, weigh the options. They were apparently trapped on an island, which was on another planet. This Doctor guy didn't seem to say anything about it being dangerous, so it would be okay to walk around, just a ways, right?

Deciding to go for it, she tiptoed off.

Sure not to make any sound as she walked away, Toast took the time to take in her surroundings, which mainly consisted of water. She stared at the different shades of blue, green and white as the waves moved with the path; she felt excitement jump inside her as the pathway began to turn towards the black rocks. Behind her, she could still hear on the wind the sound of talking, the scattered conversation leaving her presence out of the picture.

I'll just be behind these rocks a little, right around the bend. I'll just be in reach of them. It's not like I could go anywhere, she reasoned with a smile, quickening her pace.

Toast gazed at the brilliant orange sky, the lighter toned clouds and the muted sun which seemed to warm this planet. She stared out over the water for any signs of life, though she didn't find so much as a whale's spout or pot a dolphin leap. It was a different planet after all, so things couldn't be completely the same.

Toast's eyes widened as the path finally opened up, and she gawked in amazement. A castle, or what appeared to be a castle from where she stood, towered far above anything else she saw today. It looked to be made of coral, possibly painted. The texture was rough and spongy in appearance. The walls were colorful in shades of blue, pink, yellow and green. Flags waved on the tower tops, and Toast needed to lean back to see the full extent of them.

"Well then, there must be something enchanted about it to make it not visible from back there," she speculated with a smile. Confidently, she continued towards it.

While approaching, Toast began to respect how really big it was. The pathway to it wasn't too far, and the castle overwhelmed it by comparison. At last she reached the door, not a soul in sight. She couldn't see anyone else, no one to guard the doors. Was it abandoned?

Curiosity outweighing caution, she reached her hand to the door and slowly pushed against it. Nearly no strength required, the door swung open easily and she entered into the dazzling, breath-taking room. She noticed the details; the walls, for one. They were stunning. Plating of silver and gold lined every inch of the room. The floor, wall and ceilings were completely adorned with the shining material.

Stands of items were laid in orderly procession along the embellished walls. Some resided in cases, while others were left for full examination. At once, Toast identified it was a museum.

"Maybe it's closed," she voiced to herself, carelessly walking forward without a thought. She walked through the halls freely, stopping for a moment when she heard the silent clack of keys against a typing board. Pausing and discerning where the sound was coming from, she paced off in the right direction.

Not long after, she found a large room, the ceiling high and shining glory as she stared at a coral-created desk. At it sat a lady, though different than she expected. By human standards, the woman was odd. Gills stretched from both sides of her face, and her lips were puckered in a shade of green. Her hair held a distinct gray-emerald sheen, and as Toast approached closer, her skin almost seemed to glimmer like a thousand scales.

Another planet, another species, she looked at the lady who typed with scaly fingers, tipped with long, dangerous claws. A fish lady? The woman paid no heed to Toast, too immersed in whatever work she continued to give any attention to the normal human girl.

Now standing at the desk, Toast stared up at the sign above the woman's head. In big capital letters, it read SCFUWE. No subtitles donned beneath it, Toast went with the simple approach. She stood with her arms resting on the desk and asked in her most innocent, compliant voice. "So what is this place?"

Deciding to listen after being addressed, the woman looked up at her, flaps of skin on her face quivering back and forth as she spoke. "We are the Service Center for Underwater Exploration."

It took a moment for Toast to absorb this as she sat her chin on her arms, staring blankly at the woman. "Okay."

The fish lady raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any questions?"

Toast shook her head, "Um, no, not really . . . why? Should I?"

The poor woman seemed to be having a tiring day. She sighed long and slow before droning out, "If you wish to go with the procedure provided by the SCFUWE, you need to watch the video, fill out the form of consent, and pay the fee."

Deciding to play along (like she had any money on her-HA!) she asked in a friendly voice, "Okay. Can I watch the video then?"

The woman seemed to perk up a little more. She smiled, though it felt fake, "Of course. Follow me." She stood, and Toast followed as the fish lady led her to a darkened room with several seats aranged before a blank screen. She let herself be seated, and the woman walked to the back of the room, starting the intro DVD.

It started out with a fish-lady, kind of like the one Toast met, though her skin sheened a different shade. She talked of what SCFUWE stood for and how there were many positive reviewers from their tour. It escalated from there. Toast watched with raising eyebrows and her mouth dropping open in shock as the video finally concluded after several minutes. The lights flicked back on, and Toast felt herself twitch, as if she couldn't believe what she saw.

The fish-lady came back, and she asked with a slightly more interested voice, "So, would you like to proceed?" When she showed her teeth, they were all needle-sharp in lines like a shark.

Toast felt a sense of regret in her. "I don't have any money with me." She pulled a hand through her chestnut hair.

The woman smiled kindly. "Oh. Too bad."

Feeling this was a gesture for her to leave, Toast stood from the seat, adjusted the scarf, and began to head out the door. She thought of the Doctor and Nicolette back at the Tardis, how they were probably missing her by now. It would probably be best if she went back. . .

"Wait!" the fish-woman called. Toast turned as the woman faced her, and smiled kindly. "Tell you what, it's on the house today."

Toast's eyes widened. "Wow, really?"

She smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, sure. It's okay. And it's not too much for me."

Common sense prodded her insides. "I probably shouldn't. I have friends waiting for me and-"

The fish-lady looked all enthusiastic now, "Didn't you pay attention to the video? You can come back any time you're ready before the time runs out."

More confidence began to irk its way in Toast, making her consider the rash. She paused silently, thinking of the consequences. The effects were only temporary, so she would be back to herself in several hours, even less if she decided to come back early. It would be okay. . .

"Does it hurt?" she asked, voice sounding meager and small.

The woman smiled with her needle teeth. "Not a bit."