DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP
Chapter 5
As the train creaked to a halt, the Doctor, Rory and Flick warily got off unsure of what exactly to expect. Like its predecessor along the Underground, Farringdon was just as empty. Somehow though, it felt more eerie and spooky than King's Cross St. Pancras, and no-one could explain why. It just had that feeling about it, and not a good one at that.
"Hmm..." sighed the Doctor. "The signal's weakened as soon as we got off the train..."
"I guess that suggests something about these trains then?" said Flick. "Was that a ploy aswell, do you think?"
"It would seem so..." replied the Doctor as he saw Rory looking down at the tracks in horror.
"Oh my God..." he said simply as he noticed something on the tracks just ahead of the train. The Doctor and Flick soon looked over and immediately saw lying there lifeless was Una.
"Oh dear God...please do not say we hit her..." mumbled Flick to herself. "I can't bear the thought of that..." The Doctor didn't look convinced at all though with Una's body seemingly lying on the tracks like it was. In the short time he'd known her, he didn't think she'd try something as risky as this again, but he'd obviously been proven wrong. Taking a closer look, with the added help of Rory's glasses once more, the Doctor then began to notice something very strange about Una's body.
"It's not her..." he then concluded.
"How can it not be her?" asked Rory. "You can clearly see that its Una..."
"Its a Una..." replied the Doctor. "Not a clone or a copy...but a Semi-Ghost of Una..."
"A Semi-Ghost?" said Flick. "Now I've heard everything..."
"So was that really Una we were talking to not that long ago?" asked Rory who'd now joined the Doctor by his side. The Doctor took a while to think through his answer as he wasn't all that sure himself.
"A Semi-Ghost is the inbetween stage of death and a ghost..." began the Doctor.
"But you don't believe in Ghosts?" cut in Rory.
"For the benefit of you and Flick, they are Ghosts...They are far much more than 'ghosts', but for you two, I'll call them that!" replied the Doctor. "A Semi-Ghost holds roughly the last 9-10 Months worth of knowledge and memories of the deceased and acts in a way to keep them going. Keeping them in society for as long as possible..."
"So, Una's been dead a little while then?" asked Flick. "I'll just have to check this out..." she added as she then spoke into her communicator. "Boys, I need you to check out on the possible obituary of a Una Corset..."
"Can we ask why, Ma'am?" came the reply.
"Don't Ma'am me..." retorted Flick taking her commanding tone once more. "Just do as I say..."
"Yes Ma'am..." came the voice before the communication ended. Taking it all in, the Doctor, Rory and Flick just had a breather for a moment or two and then when they looked back in the direction of where Una's 'body' was, it had suddenly disappeared. The Semi-Ghost had either moved or vanished.
"That's not right..." said Rory as it most certainly wasn't...
"What the hell are you?" asked Derek after he awoke after his sudden disappearance some time earlier from his office. Whatever the thing was infront of him, it wasn't in the mood for talking. Derek didn't even know if it could talk, so this was a worry. The only thing he could compare it to in appearance was that of the Gruffalo, but Derek knew it was a children's story. He'd read that to his children when they were younger, so how could something so similar in appearance be real?
"You...are...human..." spoke the beast suddenly infront of Derek as it lauded over him. Its fur hid most of its monstrous features but the eerie voice terrified Derek to the core.
"I am indeed..." said Derek quickly to keep on the beast's side.
"You...are...perishable..." continued the beast eerily as Derek could only look on in horror.
The puzzle of Una's 'body' going missing as it had was now another question for the Doctor to ponder over. The main issue though was still the Landrossos Crystals and ofcourse where had Captain Albatross gone. The Doctor's priorities were obviously different to those of Flick's, but he knew getting him back, whether it was sooner or later would still be appreciated. Then, his Sonic picked up a signal again.
"Were back in business!" he smiled widely as soon ran down the platform where coming towards him was Derek. Rory and Flick couldn't work this out either. They tried to gain Derek's attention but he passed by as if they weren't there. He was running fast and then the three of them heard pounding footsteps seemingly chasing after him, but there was nothing else to be seen.
"What the hell is doing that?" asked Rory. "And why can't we see it?" The Doctor immediately racked his brains and got out one of the Landrossos Crystals from his jacket pocket and saw that it had changed colour.
"The colour of a Fairytale..." he muttered to himself. "Hmmm...interesting..."
"The what?" asked Flick. "Why's it changed colour?"
"Oh, because its fab, Flick!" smiled the Doctor. "Brilliant, infact! When the being whose done all this passed by the Crystals, they attached to its soul and changed to its colours. The Midnight Purples and Hues of another Realm can only mean its one being..."
"And what's that?" asked Rory.
"The Langhorn..." smiled the Doctor. "The Fairytale Beast!" he added before he started to chase the thumping footsteps.
"You...are...perishable..." repeated the Langhorn once more as it chased after Derek. He couldn't keep the chase up for much longer but insisted on carrying on so that in his own mind, he'd done his best. As he'd passed through Farringdon station, he was sure there were people trying to get his attention, but he couldn't be certain. He thought that in the rush of all things, his mind was playing tricks on him.
"Why is this happening to me?" he said. "Why not pick on Una? She deserved this! You took her stupid Sister, now take her!"
"You...are...perishable..." spouted the Langhorn once more. "You...are...most certainly...perishable..."
"What the hell is a Langhorn, Doctor?" asked Flick as she struggled to keep up with the Doctor and Rory who were chasing the thunderous footsteps very fast.
"It creates Mythical Worlds...alternate Realities...stores life-forms in them and leaves them to die..." he replied as his Sonic bleeped louder and louder with each footstep forward.
"Why does it do that though?" asked Rory as he breathed heavily throughout the run.
"Because that's its job!" said the Doctor. "Its doing as its told! Albeit by how hungry it is..."
"Does that explain the 12 year gap then?" panted Flick as she was really struggling to catch up by now. Despite being only 26, and the Doctor and Rory presumably being older than her, Flick had never been that energetic. Being a Colonel doesn't help matters as a lot of the time she's sitting down planning strategies and not actually taking part. She was enjoying all this action, but was shocked at how much it was affecting her.
"I think that explains it all!" smiled the Doctor as the chase suddenly came to a halt. Flick had to be careful that she didn't collide into the back of the Doctor through his sudden stop. Rory almost tumbled over until the Doctor pulled him back.
"Why have we stopped?" panted Rory as he tried to regain his breath. The Doctor took a moment to reply.
"Because the Langhorn is just there...covered by a Shimmer...just like the I-Ox..." he said. "...but with something like a Sonic Screwdriver, I can easily get rid of that!" and as the Sonic glowed green, the true detail of the Langhorn came into existence. It was extremely similar in appearance to a Gruffalo and none of them really knew what to make of it. With its protective Shimmer now gone, the Langhorn turned round and regarded those who had removed its shield from most of Earth's society. It grunted loudly before slowly making its way towards the Doctor, Rory and Flick.
"You...are...perishable...You...are...perishable..." it began to chant.
"Oh my God..." cried Flick. "Get back!" she then commanded to the Doctor and Rory as she pulled out a gun as defence for the three of them.
"You...are...perishable..." repeated the Langhorn once more as it lured the three of them into a little alcove along the walkways between Farringdon and King's Cross St. Pancras. "You...are...perishable..." it said again as all that could be done now was scream...