Planet of the Ood
At this precise moment in time if anyone walked into the console room of the TARDIS they wouldn't be surprised to see the Doctor with a large thick wire flung around his neck, his sonic screwdriver in his mouth, hair in disarray as he tried to do different jobs all at once. He wanted to try and repair the TARDIS as much as he could before Donna bounced into the room full of life, ready for their next adventure. After all; the last one had been rather tiring, including emotional, he couldn't forget emotional. He had been working for no more than 6 hours as he dotted around the TARDIS, going into the store room, pulling out instruments he hadn't used in months, running around the console as it sparked or groaned in frustration. All the while the Doctor would smile to the ceiling, rubbing parts of the console as he encouraged his ancient time machine to let him repair her.
His wife had been helping him for most of the night, but considering she was still new to the not needing much sleep, and as her body got used to the advanced brain and alien physiology she now possessed her body still needed to recharge her batteries. So at this moment in time the Doctor sat cross-legged on the floor, poking and prodding at the tangle of tubes and pipes that wound their way through the coral like growths and protuberances of the central console. Above him the huge glass and crystal column of the time rotor rose and fell in steady progression, keeping time like the tick of a huge clock, or the beat of a heart. The lights in the console room were dim and low, the huge curving walls in shadow, the indented roundels glowing softly with emerald light. Rose now curled up on the battered control room chair, the Doctor's long brown coat draped over her like a blanket fast asleep, her breathing slow and measured, keeping time with the rotor.
The Doctor peered round the console over at his wife's sleeping form, a small soft smile on his lips. After all it was rare to see her so quite and still; she was usually such a bundle of tireless energy, always keen to head off to the next adventure, to find somewhere to explore.
But the steady background hum from the console suddenly changed pitch for a moment and there was a faint moan from Rose as she stirred on the chair. The Doctor frowned and clambered to his feet pulling the wire from his neck as he went to peer over at the TARDIS computer screen. He pulled a pair of thick rimmed glasses from his jacket pocket and leaned towards the screen, his nose almost touching the monitor. But his face moved into a frown when he looked at the gallifreyan symbols being shown to him.
"Why are you showing me that?" the Doctor complained with a frown on his face. His eyes then darting towards a small cluster of lights flashing at him on the other side of the console. The Doctor hurried around to where a new set of lights had blinked into life, twisting controls as he went. A cluster of symbols flickered onto one of the many screens that littered the surface and there was a low electronic burbling from somewhere deep in the machinery below him.
Rose twisted in her sleep again, her brow furrowing. And with this the Doctor's gaze went from the console to Rose a look of concern flashing over his features before he stood back up to his full height, pulling off his glasses chewing on one of the arms thoughtfully
"Now what are you two talking about?" He questioned with a frown, placing his glasses back into his pocket, the Doctor leaning forward and starting to tap at the controls.
Rose knew she was dreaming. She knew because as far as her eyes would show her there was nothing. Not a sound or a scrap of light. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The quietness and stillness of the placed unnerved her. Was she in an underground basement? Was she in a dark closed off box? All these thoughts popping into her mind, but even then there was a sense of unease in the back of her mind. The idea which had been placed into her mind could not cause the darkness to be this dark. This empty.
So this was how Rose started to walk forward. Her shoes clicking against the floor she couldn't see. Her body moving forward into the space she didn't know existed. Was anyone else trapped here? Was she the only one? Was there anyway out? But that's when something started to happen. Rose could hear a sound. The sound of ripping. Of material being pulled apart. Rose closed her eyes and tried to home in onto the sound just for it to get louder and louder. Before she could register this new information the floor under Rose's feet collapsed underneath her. Her hands moving out in front of her as she tried to catch something. To catch anything but her eyes were still blinded into complete darkness.
However something felt familiar in her mind. The feeling of creation, of providing power fogged her mind. There was only one time she had felt that. The Daleks. Rose started to scramble on the ledge she had caught. Her legs flying underneath her as she tried to find something to give her some kind of leverage but she couldn't find anything, her body hanging loosely and dangerously over the edge. Rose's breathing had become rapid, her muscles in her arms shaking due to them trying to hold her weight. Rose took a sneaking glance behind her shoulder to see a golden light falling behind her. The shells of broken Daleks floating amongst the bright orange glow. The Dalek bodies deformed and mutated as their robotic voice called her to them. The strange sense of familiarity, of prophecy filling Rose's mind.
But Rose snapped her head back in front of her when she felt a hand pressed onto her arms. Her air breathing from her lungs when she came face to face with herself. The second Rose's face right in hers, her eyes wide with terror, her eyes old and distraught. Rose could do nothing but stare at herself. What was going on? But the Rose in front of her leaned in and Rose attempted to listen. The Darkness falling away from her other self, her face visible for her to see. But what she said disturbed her
"The Darkness is coming" She whispered before grabbing hold of Rose's arms and pushing her from the ledge. Rose's hands failing around her, trying to right herself but nothing helped. She was falling, falling into the pit, falling to her death and life of torment with the Daleks.
But Rose woke with a start, almost falling from the captain chair. Her breathing heavy, hearts beating rapidly in her chest as she looked around at her surroundings. The Doctor looked up from his screen, concern etched into his eyes as he looked over at her
"Are you alright?" Rose simply ran a hand through her hair, her eyes flickering around the shadows that pooled in the corners of the console room.
"Yeah, a dream, that's all. A nightmare actually" She shivered, pulling the Doctor's coat around her shoulders. But when Rose looked up at the Doctor and the concern written in his features she knew more was going on than she realised. She stood up slowly, shuffling her feet over to where the Doctor was prodding the console, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before placing her arms through the sleeves of her husband's coat, his smell rising into her nose, comforting her slightly. She had arrived at the Doctor's side that was now standing at his full height, angled towards her as he continued to look at the computer monitor showing him various gallifreyan symbols. Rose walked over to him and placed her arm around his waist, pulling him closer while he placed his arm around her shoulders out off comfort while the pair of them looked down at the console.
"Can you remember what your dream was about?" The Doctor enquired as he peered over to her. Rose simply shivered slightly as pictures and images of her dream flooded back to her dream.
"Daleks, and a room completely pitch black" Rose stated as she looked up at her husband, his coat falling from her skinny and small frame.
"Daleks?"
"Yeah, I arrived in a room... well a place I believed to be a room. I couldn't see very clearly. But as I walked forward I was uneasy about how quiet and still the whole place was until I could hear a sound of ripping. The floor I was standing on fell away from my feet causing me to fall. I was hanging, afraid of falling 5000 meters into a golden glow holding deformed Daleks, my mind falling back to Manhattan." Rose trembled as she looked up at her husband who was listening intently, his eyebrows in a frown as he tried to picture what she had seen.
"Is there anything else?" he asked her. She simply nodded before looking away and then back up to him, her eyes showing her how difficult it was for her to relive the images she had seen
"Someone gripped hold of my arms. Another me" Rose said, the Doctor simply raising his eyebrows in surprise "She was the only thing I could see, the blackness falling away from her. But she said something. Only one thing. She said the Darkness was coming" Rose said up to the Doctor shakily. The Doctors frown simply deepened, causing Rose some slight unease. She just looked up at him puzzled "Why? What's the darkness Doctor? It was just a dream wasn't it?" The Doctor just nodded at the screen in front of him
"We picked up some odd readings while you were asleep. The TARDIS became panicked slightly, advancing her travel through the vortex. Nothing I can't handle but it shouldn't happen" The Doctor said down to her. Rose simply looked up at him with a small frown
"Why do you think she did it?" Rose asked him. The Doctor simply smiled slightly
"I think it's because the pair of you are so close she could sense your unease, your emotions she reacted to it. Trying to comfort and sooth you she took a glimpse into what you were seeing. And I guess what she saw troubled her too" The Doctor said with a smile. Rose simply smiled up at him again. "Nothing to worry about" The Doctor chimed happily before pressing a kiss to her lips before pulling away "Now you can help me with the TARDIS's navigation circuits" The Doctor said happily as he help out a few tangled and frayed wires towards her. Rose simply chuckled; smiling the smile she only saved for him and moved to help him.
Donna came to abrupt awakening when she could hear the loud humms from the TARDIS. Donna simply pressed her hands to her face and stretched her tired skin. Her hair had fallen around her and was spread out across the pinky white pillows while the curtains of her bed were drawn. The small light filling her beautiful room as she woke. But Donna wasn't happy. She could have easily gone a few more hours of slumber but once again the stupid ship had woken her up. Donna simply rolled her eyes frustrated and flung the covers from her form. Muttering to herself angrily as she headed towards the bathroom.
Donna emerged from her bedroom after about 40 minutes. Her hair was down, curled slightly as it hung loosely over her shoulders, she was wearing a pair of jeans, a nice purple top and jumper to finish it off. So she was stalking the corridors of the time ship while she went looking for the kitchen. Hoping her friends would be there. She was over the moon when she had finally been reunited with the Doctor. She was at last able to travel the stars and help the galaxy, seeing things she thought she never would. But she was so shocked when she saw Rose. The beautiful blonde who had saved the Doctor in so many ways. A woman who spoke her mind, who protected what she believed in and without doubt, a woman who loved her husband with every inch of her life. Seeing the change in the Doctor when he was with her was astounding. After all she had been there just after he lost her. She wouldn't know how she would react if she lost a man she loved or was even married too. Watching the pair of them interact, the way they spoke to each other, even in the way they looked at each other she knew they lived and breathed each other. You think of the Doctor you think of Rose. The pair of them so in love it was brilliant. But Donna wondered if they knew that.
But as Donna walked into the kitchen she noticed Rose and the Doctor sitting with their breakfasts in front of them. Rose as usual in a pair of jeans, a pair of black boots on her feet while a brown long sleeved top was covering her torso. The Doctor having changed his suit so he was in his blue one, a brown polo t-shirt underneath a chocolate brown shirt, the top of the t-shirt poking up from the top through the opened collar on his shirt. When she walked into the room they looked up at her and smiled. Rose holding her spoon to her bowl while the Doctor was enjoying a banana, the peels hanging over his hands while the middle part of the fruit was half eaten.
"Hey Donna" Rose chimed happily as she spooned another spoonful of coco pops into her mouth
"Good Morning" The Doctor said happily with a smile on his face, Donna simply glared at her
"Why are you guys so happy?" She muttered before stalking towards the fridge to pull out the milk.
"Oooh someone got out of the wrong side of the bed!" The Doctor exclaimed just for Donna to glare at him and Rose giving him an elbow to the ribs.
"Hey be more considerate, after all we don't need that much sleep, Donna does" Rose said to him. All the while Donna was about to yell at him
"Well if you're stupid alien ship hadn't been humming in my ear I wouldn't be this grumpy spaceman!" She yelled before slamming a bowl on the surface, pouring the cornflakes into the bowl and then searching for a spoon.
"Well it wasn't her fault; she was just talking to me!" The Doctor defended, sending comforting words to his ship telepathically, Rose smiling slightly as she looked back down to her bowl, filling her spoon with the chocolate milk and small coco pops. Donna still searching for the spoons.
"Ah Donna" The Doctor said nervously, his torso rising slightly
"What?" She snapped spinning her body around and glaring at the Doctor, he just shrieked back slightly, his mouth scrunched up
"The spoons are in the draw by the sink" He said to her a small smile on his lips. She simply glared at him before stalking to the draw, grabbing a spoon and coming to sit next to Rose, not being able to stand the Doctor in the mornings. The Doctor simply looked around his wife who had a smile on her lips as she continued to eat her cereal. Donna now doing the same when the Doctor muttered something in her ear.
"She's almost as bad as you were in the mornings" He said, Donna just dropped her spoon with a clang and gave the Doctor an angry snarl
"Doctor, your making it worst" Rose chimed, motherly and comfortingly, trying to make sure her husband and friend did not get into a fight.
"So where are we going today Doctor?" Donna asked sickly sweat as she smiled sweetly over to the Doctor, still eating her cornflakes. The Doctor simply looked at her with one of his eyebrows raised, looking over at her unsure.
"I thought we would set the controls to random, let the TARDIS chose where to take us" HE said once he had over come his nervousness.
"Well then what are we waiting for?" Rose chimed as she shot to her feet noticing that the three of them had finished their breakfast. The Doctor and Donna smiled to each other before rising from their stalls and moving from the room. Rose falling in line behind Donna and in front of the Doctor but she then skidded to a stop.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait" Rose said quickly and she moved slightly from the Doctor and lunged forward towards the fruit bowl and grabbed hold of an orange. The Doctor simply looking at her with revulsion, Donna smiling at her. "Right we can go" She said as she walked behind Donna, Rose looking at the Doctor's face as she passed.
"What?" She asked feigning miss belief and shock.
"You and your stinking oranges" He said to her, Rose simply laughed and the corridor was filled with the trio's laughter as they walked down the corridor towards the console room.
The TARDIS was bolting thought the vortex. Snapping left and right causing the inhabitants of the ancient time machine to be jostled about. Donna clinging onto the railings, her body being bashed and shoved from the railings, she kept loosing her hold a few times just for her to fall to the floor. Rose and the Doctor bolting around the console pressing relative leavers and buttons. The pair of them working together, their bodies moving and stumbling with the movements of the TARDIS. Rose sometimes getting her legs entwined together, her body falling on the railings, the Doctor shoved to the captain's chair. All three of them experiencing a bumpy ride before materializing. The Doctor pressed on the TARDIS break causing both Rose and Donna to stumble. The Doctor rubbed his hands together while talking over to the.
"Set the controls to random! Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet," The Doctor started pointing towards the door, causing Donna to look over at the object, her mouth hanging open while Rose had a smile of excitement on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes "anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide- are you all right?" The Doctor finished, his hands moving for his sentence to suddenly change and his eyebrows moved into a frown. Donna simply flung her head back towards the Doctor.
"Terrified." She cried, "I mean, history's one thing, but an alien planet..." Donna exploded, her hands shoving down to the ground. Rose was simply smiling at her
"I could always take you home." The Doctor voiced playfully, his lips scrunched up together, one of his hands in his pockets, the other showing his thumb cocked in a different direction
"Yeah, don't laugh at me." Donna stated happily pointing her hand towards him which caused him to walk over at her while he spoke
"I know what it's like - everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder - I get that!" His eyebrows moving into raised position, the biggest smile he had smiled in a long time, his shoulders shrugging slightly as he stood in front of her.
"Seriously? After all this time?" Donna questioned, her voice still holding a raised pitch
"Why do you think he keeps going?" Rose smiled as she leant forward slightly. Her hands pressed onto the console so her weight was balanced. The Doctor smiling at her while Donna was looking at the pair of them eagerly.
"Oh! All right, then, you and me both! This is barmy!" Donna breathed before walking to the door. Rose had a smile on her face as she walked over to the Doctor who also had a very contented smile on his face as he passed his wife her dark brown coat. The Doctor grabbing his own trench coat "I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever done package holidays. Now I'm here. This is- I mean, it's- I dunno. It's all so- I don't even know what the word is!" She bellowed. The pair of the time beings smiling. The Doctor sorting out his collar while Rose sorted out her own coat. The Doctor had bought her this coat a while back but she never really wore it. But looking down at it now she wished she had. It was a dark brown trench coat which ended mid thigh and held a stylish waist belt. It didn't have any breast pockets but it had a large collar which was raised around her neck, the buttons done up which helped her keep warm.
Donna opened the door and stepped out onto the planet where it was snowing heavily, the wind howling, snow as far as the eye could see.
"Oh, I've got the word. "Freezing"." Donna muttered; her face scrunched up while the Doctor and Rose joined her. Rose's face completely lit up, a golden glow around her as she looked up at the air, her eyes sparkling with so much life and happiness, her face held up into the sky, a big smile on her face as she looked at the real snow she had seen in such a long time.
"Snow! Ah! Real snow! Proper snow at last! That's more like it." The Doctor chimed, his own face scrunched up in amusement, watching his wife take in her new surroundings.
"Finally" Rose said cheekily, her face looking back towards the Doctor, her tongue sticking out between her teeth, her cheeks holding some colour from the cold air, her hair bellowing behind her, her coat hugging her figure keeping her warm. The Doctor could do nothing but smile at her lovingly, admiring her excitement.
"Hey!" The Doctor cried feigning hurt. Rose just laughed her tinkling laugh
"I'm just messing" She smiled before pressing a kiss to the Doctor's cheek, her own hands going to her pockets. The Doctor simply beamed a crooked smile while he moved on his feet.
"Bit cold." Donna stated with a shiver.
"Look at the view!" The Doctor exclaimed moving his hands our at his sides looking down at his friend, his face scrunched up as they looked over at the ice and snow covered barren landscape.
"Millions of planets, millions of galaxies and we're on this one. Molto bene! Belissimo! Says Donna, born in Chiswick. You've had a life of work and sleep," The Doctor chimed happily walking away from Donna and the TARDIS, the wind whipping at his hair and his being but he took no notice, Rose smiling as she watched Donna walking back into the TARDIS, Rose looking down, not wanting to disturb the Doctor from his little speech. "Telly and rent, takeaway dinners, birthdays and Christmases, and two weeks holiday a year and then you end up here! Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How about that, Donna?" The Doctor asked as he turned around and she was gone "Donna?" He asked. Rose was simply smiling at him gently "Where she go?" He asked her. Rose simply looked at him shrugging her shoulders smiling. Not wanting to tell him, his eyes narrowing towards her. But at that moment Donna chose to walk out of the doors wearing a large warm navy coat with a fur-lined hood.
"Sorry. You were saying?" She chimed, walking out of the door and over to him, her arms swinging from her movements. Rose smiling out of amusement as she looked down at her feet walking over to the Doctor and Donna.
"Better?" The Doctor asked in a high pitch voice, his eyes squinting, and hair falling over his forehead which was creased from his frowned eyebrows
"Lovely, thanks."
"Comfy?"
"Yep."
"Can you hear anything inside that?" The Doctor inquired shaking his head towards her
"Pardon?" She asked, her mouth pared, Rose simply smiled at them, the Doctor trying to hide his smile as he looked up slightly away from them
"Right. I was saying, citizen of the Earth—" But before they could say another thing a large rocket flew over head. All of them looking up to the sky and up at the ship.
"A rocket. Blimey, a real, proper rocket. Now that's what I call a spaceship." She admired as she slapped him on the arm "You've got a box - he's got a Ferrari. Come on, let's see where it's going." She cried before looking after her a little surprised and a bit upset. The Doctor looked down at Rose who held the same expression and he looked down at her
"I... I don't want a Ferrari" He chimed in a high pitch defending voice. Rose simply laughed slightly before placing her hand to his arm
"I know hun" She soothed before heading after Donna, her coat much smaller than Donna's showing her figure but still managing to keep her warm. The Doctor looked back at the TARDIS sending her some love telepathically before following Donna a little dishearten at her statement. The three of them were walking happily through the snowy landscape, each one of them laughing enjoying themselves before they walked over a little bridge and into a little open area. The Doctor and Donna walking on while Rose started to slow, her eyebrows in a frown at the sound of ethereal music.
"Hold on-can you hear that?"Rose asked making her husband turn, but Donna continued to walk forward a smile on her face.
"What?" Her husband asked her with a frown. Rose simply walked over to him, standing so their bodies were almost touching, her hand on his arm
"That music" She said looking up at him, the Doctor extending his hearing before his own face turned into one of confusion
"Yeah, I wonder what it is. Donna, take your hood down." The Doctor snapped for Donna to take her hood down and snapping her body in their direction.
"What?" She whined.
"That noise-it's like a song." Rose whispered like she was enchanted both her head and the Doctor's looking around before her husband spotted something in the distance
"Over there!" He said loudly before his body bolted from the spot, his companions looking at each other before breaking into a run. They followed him for them to find the body of an Ood half-buried in the snow. The Doctor and Rose going straight to its side while Donna was left to stand at its head.
"What is it?" Donna asked
"An Ood. He's called an Ood." The Doctor said from his kneeled position as he pulled out a stethoscope.
"But its face..."
"Donna, not now. It's a "he", not an "it". Rose give me a hand." The Doctor said up to her, for her to nod and go straight to his other side, kneeling down.
"What do you want me to do?" She asked gently while the Doctor moved the stethoscope over the Ood's chest.
"I don't know where the heart is. I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him. Keep him going." The Doctor chimed, as his hands got to work, all the while the Ood was blinking at them
"It's all right. We've got you." Rose said gently a very comforting and motherly smile on her face "What's your name?" Rose asked, taking the aliens hand, not knowing if it would receive comfort this way or not, having seen them before
"Designated Ood Delta 50." He chimed, blinking, moving his face from the Doctor over to Rose who was smiling encouragingly down at him, her brown coat clinging to her kneeling body.
"My name's Rose and this is Donna." She said while moving her head in the direction of Donna, her eyes looking up at her friend who was also smiling down at him, coming to kneel at Rose's side.
"Hello"
"And this is the Doctor, just what you need a Doctor. Can't find anyone better." Rose smiled again
"You've been shot." The Doctor cried his hand moving to his wound
"The circle—" Odd Delta 50 said, his translator ball lighting up in his hand, the wind still blowing around them, the Doctor's lapels of his jacket blowing in the wind.
"No, don't try to talk." Donna said
"The circle must be broken."
"The circle? What do you mean? Delta 50, what circle? Delta 50? What circle?" The Doctor asked as the Ood began to close his eyes. But suddenly Delata 50 opened his eyes and bolted upright, his eyes blood red. The Doctor and his friends scrambling back. The Doctor grabbing Rose around the middle as he tried to protect her. Her eyes wide, mouth open, the Doctor's in a frown, Donna looking shocked. But the Ood's growling faded away and collapsed back to the ground dead.
"He's gone." Rose said sadly taking a few steps towards the body.
"Careful." The Doctor said warningly, grabbing hold of her arm. She just turned around and looked at him
"I'll be alright" She said to him with a smile. She walked over to the body of the Ood and knelt back down to his side she placed a hand to his chest as she looked down at him with a sad smile
"There you are, sweetheart." She said gently before stroking his head "We were too late. "
"What do we do, do we bury him?" Donna asked from her spot looking up at the Doctor who was watching his wife.
"The snow will take care of that." The Doctor said to her, looking over at her
"Who was he? What's an Ood?" Donna asked quietly, as Rose continued to look at the Ood sadly
"They're servants - of humans in the 42nd century. Mildly telepathic. That was the song-it was his mind calling out." The Doctor said to her, his eyes travelling back to his wife, removing the stethoscope from his neck, his hand moving towards his head at the mention of telepathy.
"I couldn't hear anything." Donna voiced sadly
"He sang as he was dying." Rose stated as she stood from her position walking over to the Doctor and taking his hand.
"His eyes turned red." The Doctor said, his face still holding a frown
"What's that mean?" Rose asked looking up at her husband who looked down at her.
"Trouble. Come on." He said as they begun to walk away, Rose being pulled by the Doctor, her eyes lingering on the now dead Ood. "The Ood are harmless and completely benign. Except the last time I met them, there was this force, like a stronger mind, powerful enough to take them over." The Doctor explained as they continued to walk forward. The Doctor still clinging onto Rose's cold hand.
"What sort of force?" Donna asked
"Long story." The Time Lord said shaking his head
Long walk." Donna stated back
"It was the devil." The Doctor said down to her
"If you're gonna take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up." Donna complained her hands in her pockets. The Doctor and Rose simply smiled
"He's right. We were stuck on a planet falling into a black hole. But as we got closer things started to happen. The Ood started to behave strangely. Until a man called Toby, the voice of the devil corrupted them, turning them against us." Rose explained, her mind falling back to the memories of Krop Torr, one of the last adventures she had with the Doctor before she was taken from his side.
"Must be something different this time, though. Something closer to home." The Doctor muttered for the three of them to run slightly over a bluff. The Doctor having his hand rested on the snow, Rose and Donna leaning down on all fours "A-ha! Civilization!" HE cried for them to look at the base of Ood Operations
The small group found themselves running towards the group of people which were preparing to go into the complex. Guards standing around them, as well as trained Ood.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ood-Sphere and isn't it bracing? Here are your information packs with vouchers, 3D tickets and a map of the complex." The small black lady with straight black hair, and a black coat said while the Ood began to hand out the packs "My name's Solana, Head of Marketing. I'm sure we've all spoken on the vid-phone. Now if you'd like to follow me—" But suddenly the three of them had moved around the group and in front of the woman who was so small she literally had to look right up at the Doctor.
"Sorry, sorry! We're late! Don't mind us! Hello. The guards let us through." The Doctor said with a smile
"And you would be—" She said, giving Rose a bit of an eyeing. Rose simply looking at her back. Her hearts beating slightly as she thought about what this woman could be thinking. Was she gunna turn out to be one of those people who sold her out and sold her like she did the Ood. Memories of the valiant and what the Master did to her suddenly filled her mind. Anxiety filling her mind and it must have been sent to the Doctor via their link because he suddenly clasped hold of her hand out in comfort, squeezing it tightly out of comfort while the other hand took out the Psychic paper
"I'm The Doctor and this is my wife Rose Smith along with our friend Donna Noble." The Doctor said
"Representing the Noble Corporation, PLC Limited, Intergalactic." Donna said with a smile, all the while Rose was looking around slightly worried, eyeing the guards and the neighbouring people hoping and convincing herself they wasn't going to hurt her. The Doctor's grip on her hand never lessening.
"Must have fallen off my list. My apologies, it won't happen again. Now then, Dr and Mrs Smith, Miss Noble, if you'd like to come with me. Here is your information pack. Vouchers inside." She said handing the Doctor the booklet of information "Now, if you'd like to come with me, the executive suites are nice and warm." She smiled but suddenly an alarm started to blare causing everyone to look around in curiosity, making hte Doctor pause before he entered the building.
"Ooh, what's that? Sounds like an alarm." The Doctor voiced before Solana motioned them forward, not answering the Doctor's question.
Donna was talking to one of the other people on the tour which meant the Doctor could have a private word with Rose about the earlier incident. He had felt her anxiety and sudden fear via their link and immediately felt worried for her. But she was still uneasy, but she seemed to have calmed down a lot more since it happened.
"You ok?" The Doctor whispered concerned, moving his body down slightly so he was closer to Rose so she could hear him better. She simply squeezed his hand and nodded as she looked up at him.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Rose asked looking up at him, a smile on her face. The Doctor simply smiled a small smile. He knew she didn't want to talk about it, but he needed to know why she was suddenly so anxious.
"What made you so jumpy all of a sudden?" The Doctor asked soothingly. Rose simply looked down before cocking her head towards Solana
"She glared at me, making me uneasy and then the guards were looking threatening and I just lost it. Stupid I know but it just crept up on me and I couldn't stop it" Rose whispered slightly defeated. The Doctor simply smiled at her before moving his arm around her shoulders and bringing her closer, pressing a kiss to her head as she relaxed into his embrace.
"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you" He whispered to her, and then the final feelings of anxiety vanished from her hearts. A small contented smile formed on her lips. Donna's own face holding a small smile as she watched the pair of them interact as she walked a few paces behind them.
"As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve and we keep them in facilities of the highest standards. 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 an extension of us? If your Ood is happy..." Solana said to us with a smile, the rest of the people in the room clapping while Donna joined in. The Doctor and Rose looking at each other and then to Donna with small smiles on their faces.
"I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations. We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball." Solana stated from her pedestal. The buyers walking around having a look at the Ood standing in the middle of the room while Rose had the brochure open in front of her, both her hands clinging onto it. She was standing in the middle of her friends so they could see the information while they listened to the small woman who was now making her way towards the closest Ood towards her "You can now have the standard setting - How are you today, Ood?" She asked with a smile.
"I'm perfectly well, thank you." The Ood said in its normal voice, bowing slightly, its translator ball lighting up as it spoke. The Doctor was now leaning against one of the walls, his legs holding his body at an angle, his arm across his chest, Donna standing next to him, her coat unzipped while Rose was still present in hers.
"Or perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen. How are you, Ood?"
"All the better for seeing you." It said in a sultry female voice. Rose simply rolled her eyes at the voice while the Doctor had his eyebrows raised, eyes wide, and mouth in a line in amusement, small laughs filling the room causing Donna to look around her.
"And the comedy classic option. Ood, you dropped something."
"D'oh!" Ood 3 voiced like Homer Simpson, everyone chuckling slightly.
"All that for only five additional credits. The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back." Solana said before The Doctor and Rose moved forward slightly, both of them knowing exactly what the other was doing. The Doctor pulling out his glasses as he and his wife headed towards the control board where he switched on the screen while Donna was getting a drink. Rose and the Doctor holding frowns when Donna moved over to their new location.
"Ah, got it. The Ood-Sphere. I've been to this solar system before - years ago. Ages. Close to the planet Sense-Sphere. Let's widen it out..." The Doctor said a frown on his face, but he pushed a few buttons for the screen to change and red dots on the screen popped up, Rose and the Doctor moving around to look at the screen "the year 4126. That is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire."
"4126? It's 4126? I'm in 4126?" Donna said admiringly
"It's good, isn't it?" Rose smiled, looking back over to her slightly.
"What's the Earth like now?" Donna asked with a small smile on her face, shaking her head slightly as she asked her questioned
"A bit full, but you see, the empire stretches out across three galaxies." The Doctor chimed, moving his hand from one of the dots to the other, his hands then going back in his pockets.
"It's weird. I mean, it's brilliant, but... back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live - global warming, flooding, all the bees disappearing."
"Yeah. That thing about the bees is odd." Rose said speaking up, a frown on her face as she looked over at Donna with her arms crossed over her chest. The Doctor looking down at her with a small smile on his face as he watched her use her advanced mind.
"But look at us - we're everywhere. Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers or more like a virus?" Donna enquired
"Sometimes I wonder." The Doctor said darkly, looking back at the screen
"What are the red dots?"
"Ood distribution centres."
"Across three galaxies? Don't the Ood get a say in this?" Donna asked before walking over to the first Odd. "Um... sorry, but..." Donna voiced, not sure what to say, the Ood not looking at her while the Doctor and Rose went to stand behind her listening to what she wanted to say. "Hello. Tell me, are you all like this?"
"I do not understand, miss." The Ood replied
"Why do you say, "miss"? Do I look single?" Donna snapped rather defensively.
"Back to the point." Rose said rolling her eyes and head over to Donna, her eyebrows raised
"Yeah. What I mean is, are there any free Ood? Are there any Ood running wild somewhere like wildebeest?" Donna asked, the Ood's eyes narrowing at her question, Rose's eyes flickering to her friend ever now and then.
"All Ood are born to serve. Otherwise we would die."
"You can't have started like that. Before the humans" Donna started not noticing the Ood's head jerking slightly "what were you like?" Rose and the Doctor's eyes snapping towards the Ood
"The circle."
"What do you mean? What circle?" The Doctor asked in all seriousness. His eyes hard behind his glasses as he looked at the Ood.
"The circ- the circle- is—" The Ood tried to say. Rose looking with her mouth open, frown on her face but their attention was then brought to Solana who was standing at the front
"Ladies and gentlemen. All Ood to hospitality stations, please." She said as all the Ood left. Rose noticed the Doctor taking off his glasses and reaching into her pocket for the map of the complex.
"I've had enough of the schmoozing. Do you fancy going off the beaten track?" The Doctor whispered, leaning down to Rose and Donna's height showing them Rose's map
"A Rough Guide to the Ood-Sphere? Works for me." Donna said cunningly
"I thought you would never ask" Rose said with a smile, the Doctor returning her smile
"Yeah." The Doctor whispered before guiding Rose from the room, Donna following after them.