Chapter 4
When Martha entered the Tardis the Doctor sent it up to hover just above the city. Martha walked and stood opposite him.
The Doctor ran his hand through his head. "I can't believe I didn't see it before."
"See what?" Martha asked.
"Sometimes I can be so thick," he said hitting his head. "It was staring right at me."
"What was?" Martha said.
He paused and tilted his head, "But it should be impossible, no it is impossible."
"Doctor," Martha called but he continued.
"But anything is possible given time," he said thoughtfully.
Putting her hands on her hips Martha said, "Doctor are you going to tell me what's going on or are you going to rambling on for the next five minutes?"
The Doctor stopped and stared at her, "Yes, sorry."
"What are you doing?" Martha asked going to stand next to him
"I'm scanning the city below," he said.
"Why?"
"Because I need to find them before they invade this planet," he said
"What are they after?" Martha asked.
"It's not what they are after its who," the Doctor said with emphasis. "They want to make this their new breeding planet."
"Breeding planet?" Martha asked confused.
"Yes," he agreed.
"Doctor," Martha said, "You're going to have to explain more than that."
The Doctor gave her that condescending look he always gets when he has to explain something which was obvious only to him.
"The Mannar breed using hosts," he began "They used to have planets where they did this. But their enemies destroyed them. As their population dwindled the separate clans fell into civil war over the last remaining hosts. Eventually they destroyed themselves and they destroyed their world."
"But what do you mean by hosts?" Martha asked.
"The Mannar are a biologically engineered race, and they use other species to breed," the Doctor replied.
"So what does that mean for us?" she asked.
"Humans are, or were, incompatible as hosts but it seems they have found a way to change that," the Doctor said.
Martha pondered what he said for a moment, "So what you're saying is they want to make us into one big breeding factory?"
"I'm afraid so," the Doctor said.
"We can't let that happen?"
"Of course not, I just need to find them." The Doctor stared at the console screen and frowned.
"Any luck?" Martha asked.
"No," he said.
Martha decided to voice a niggling thought which had bothered her for a while. "Doctor the woman who died in the hospital, she supposedly walked into the hospital on her own. But how did she get there when she was so sick and none of the cameras saw her."
The Doctor looked at her for a moment thoughtfully then lit up.
"Martha Jones you are brilliant," he said hugging her. When he pulled away his smile had dropped.
"What?" Martha asked surprised by the sudden change in his demeanor.
He smiled again and sent the Tardis in motion.
Once the Tardis had landed Martha asked, "So where are?"
"Go and find out," he said.
Martha looked at him skeptically but went to open the doors. When she stepped out, she looked around confused, "Why are we in the hospital basement?"
The Doctor came out behind her, "Because this is where the Mannar are?"
He took his screwdriver out and scanned the air.
Cynically Martha said, "Don't you think someone would have noticed if there were aliens in the basement?"
"Not if there were hidden," he replied. He walked down the hall way and Martha followed him.
After a while the Doctor stopped at a door. He looked it over and opened it. Instead of an entrance way a solid wall stood on the other side. He examined it again and proceeded to lick it.
"Is that sanitary?" Martha asked wrinkling her nose. "I'm sure there is an easier way of finding things out than licking them."
The Doctor changed the setting on his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the wall. The wall vibrated and opened. They stepped inside and looked around. Though they were in the same building, the walls were lined with vein like cords emitting a blue afterglow. They were in a circular room with three separate passageways leading off into different directions.
Martha dryly stated, "I think we're in the right place."
The Doctor walked to the centre of the room and aimed his screwdriver down the passageways. When he pointed it at the third passageway it gave a buzzing sound.
"Lucky door number three it is," the Doctor said.
They walked down the passageway until it led them into a large open room. The room was lined with women laying on beds hooked up to medical equipment.
Martha approached the woman closest to her, "Their all pregnant."
The Doctor approached another woman on the opposite side, "Not exactly, but yes."
The Doctor took out his glasses and put them on. The woman was unconscious and had an oxygen mask over her mouth. An IV was attached to her pumping a purple liquid. The Doctor spotted an unconnected bag of IV so grabbed it and put it in his larger on the inside pockets.
"Doctor there is no way that all this equipment could go missing from the hospital without anyone noticing," Martha said walking to check another woman.
"It was so obvious they were here, I can't believe I never realized it sooner," the Doctor said walking to check on another woman. He scanned her as well.
"I guess a hospital is the perfect place," Martha said. "You have all the equipment and drugs you need, but how are they still alive?"
"They are pumping them with something," the Doctor said distracted.
"But how do the people get infected and how did they get here?" Without waiting for an answer Martha answered her own question, "They all came to the hospital before they went missing, but it can't be airbourne or everyone would be sick. They had to be injecting, entering their bloodstream, that's how Shelley got sick when she bruised her chin. Then after a couple of days when they get sick they come back to the hospital or someone brings them here and they get taken."
"Martha, sorry to interrupt your brilliant train of thought but its time we leave," the Doctor said seriously.
"Why," she asked confused. She turned and saw a Mannar at the opposite door. She cautiously made her way to the Doctor's side.
"Sorry for dropping in unexpected, but we will just be leaving now," the Doctor said cheerily.
"You will stay," it commanded with its shell flashing.
"We'd rather not, if you don't mind," the Doctor said taking Martha's hand to shield her from the telepathic messages it was transmitting.
The Doctor stepped in front of Martha and whispered to her, "Leave now, I'll catch up to you."
Martha turned and ran out the room. She sprinted until she reached the circular room again and made for the door. But the door was solid wall again and she couldn't get it opened. Martha turned when she heard foot steps approach and saw the Doctor running towards her with three Mannar on his tail. He aimed his screw driver at the wall and it opened. Martha dashed out and headed for the Tardis with the Doctor and the Mannar gaining on her. The Doctor caught up to her and grabbed her hand pulling her on. As they reached the Tardis he let go of her hand and ran to reach the doors first and open them. Martha didn't slow down but ran in only stopping once inside. The Doctor locked the doors behind him.
Martha bent over panting trying to catch her breath. This was the part of the Doctor she did not miss she thought gasping for air. Her lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen.
"You're out of practice," the Doctor teased.
"What," she asked confused.
"If that little jog leaves you breathless I'm afraid I can't take you on any more trips," the Doctor teased.
"Oi mister, everyone doesn't lives their lives running from danger." They both realized the hypocrisy of her statement and burst out laughing.
the Doctor walked over, lifted Martha up and placed her in the pilot's chair. She smiled appreciatively and collapsed back into the chair.
Martha's sleeve had ridden up revealing a bandaged wrist.
"What happened to your wrist?" the Doctor asked.
"Just a scratch," she answered dismissively pulling down her sleeve again.
The Doctor gave her a questioning look but said, "I have most of what I need."
"So where to now?" she asked.
"We need to go back to UNIT," the Doctor said.