I'll Keep You Save No Matter What.
Chapter Two.
Night Whisper666
Addison jumped back as the Phoelasak roared in their faces, sending a cloud of breath out that smelled of metal and raw meat. It curled and uncurled short, but pointed claws threateningly and ground its fangs at them. The Doctor grinned as the thing bellowed again and Addison started at him in disbelief.
"Do you think this is funny? That... that thing is about to eat us!" The Doctor spun around on her with an irritated squint.
"That thing? That thing , as you call it, is a very rare species of alien! And a prime fit example of one at that. A lot of people would kill for a chance to see one..." He ranted while pointing a finger at her. Addison pressed a hand to his mouth, frantic with fear.
"Okay, okay I get it. Once in a lifetime opportunity and all that; great stuff. We have bigger things to worry about right now!" She yelled and jerked his head around with her hand.
"Oh, that? No problem. I'll just talk to it and see if we can arrange some kind of rendezvous with their leader. Hello old chap. I was wondering if we could possibly meet with whoever is..." The alien roared again, droplets of sticky mucus spraying the Doctor in the face. He scrunched his face up as soon as the monster's spit landed, and reached a hand up to wipe it away. Addison would have flipped her lid complaining about all the germs, but the Doctor had seen (and done) things way worse. Guts, gore, slime; he had seen it all. And this didn't phase him in the slightest. "...in charge." He finished his sentence and then laughed. "It's mute! All those fine muscles and body and it can't say a single word. It's intelligence level must be very low, but that doesn't make sense! How would you have been smart enough to come up with the genius of those kid's capture if you can't even talk?"
He pulled out the sonic screwdriver and pointed it the creature who was now growing increasingly angry at not being answered. The Doctor looked down at the blue light and then turned back to the Phoelasak. "No psychic reading whatsoever, so you aren't communicating with your fellow crew members. At least not with your mind. But how do you take orders? Wait a second, let's try this."
He took out a small brown book with blank pages on the inside and turned to show it to Addison before thrusting it into the face of the beast. Addison cocked her head, more confused than anything. How was a blank paper going to help get them out of this?
"What is it Doctor?"
"Psychic paper. To the normal eye it looks completely empty. But it shows anyone you want to see something different. Anything you want: ID papers, passport, verification. From any country, planet or time period." He winked and showed the little book to the evil red eyes.
With a hiss, it shot out a paw and tired to knock the Doctors hand away. He laughed and jumped back. "Whoa there big boy! You're illiterate too! Wow! It just doesn't make any sense... Unless! Unless you're just a pawn! One part of a great big system all wired and connected to each other. But where does this system lead. Oh, hahaha this is fantastic. Absolutely fantastic! Right Addison? ...Addison?"
"Doctor!"
He whirled around to see two aliens identical to the one they'd encountered dragging off a kicking fiery headed girl. Her green eyes locked with his blue ones and she screamed again. "Doctor! You promised!"
"I'll get you out of this I swear!" He shouted back and lunged forward, but two gargantuan hands held him back. Ripping the leather jacket in the process of tearing out of the monster's grasp. He leveled his gaze with glowing embers and said in a voice dripping with malice, but deathly calm. "Take me to your center of operations. Now."
Stupid as the thing was, it seemed to understand the Doctor's steely tone and eyes like flint. One alien in front and one behind him, that was the formation they took the lead the way through a maze of tunnels and doorways. Each narrow corridor was painted a different color, probably for the many diverse species these slave traders were keeping. That's what the wranglers did. They had excellent maps of the entire universe and sketches of each planet. Capturing scores of the citizens and finding another society that would pay to use them. Whether for workers, servants or food, the traders didn't care. As long as they got what they were promised.
The wall in front of them slid into the ceiling and the Doctor was ushered to the bottom off what could only be a huge throne. Another Phoelasak was seated atop the gold colored metal. He looked the same as all the others, but was draped in blue and black fabrics that shimmered every time he moved. The Doctor snickered as he noticed Alenian craftsmen ship, probably a form of payment for some cargo or another. These beings had nothing of their own invention, they were completely dependent on foreign technology.
"What are you to demand audience with me, Earth walker! And how did you possibly manage to get onto my ship undetected? Answer me truthfully or we'll kill that pretty little girl of yours."
The Doctor narrowed his eye browns in confusion when the obvious ruler spoke to him. His voice was clear, but with an exaggeration of all the vowels. Could they all speak, or was it just certain ones?"
"Who am I? I'm the Doctor. Nice to meet you. My ship got me into your own because frankly, I have better technology than you. Now, I want to know what you're planing to do with all those human teenagers you kidnapped. I've racked my brain and I can't figure out what planet would order such a big shipment of slaves. So where are you taking them." Satisfied with his questions the Doctor just watched when the Phoelasak started laughing. At first it was only the leader, but it spread like ripples on a pond until the whole room vibrated with there chuckling. Still, he waited. The sound began to face and finally died.
"I am Scherrik, head of the face of Phoelasak. WE travel from solar system to solar system, cultivating the prime stock from each planet and selling them to prosperous civilizations. Our strength and intelligence far exceeds yours and all your human counter parts."
"Ha! Intelligence? Every one of your officers and staff are mute and illiterate, without any understanding of the human language. They blunder around this ship all bellow and no bite. Bah, intelligent. I doubt they even dress themselves!" The Doctor spat and threw his hands up in the air. They obviously considered themselves far superior to everyone around them, especially this Scherrik. Talking to them was going to prove a challenge.
"Silence! How dare you speak...I'm sorry. I've lost my temper in front of an honored guest. One of my assistants has just informed me of whom I address. The last of the Time Lords. A very prosper bous and respected race. We've never had a problem with the Time Lords. They left us to go about our own business and we didn't bother them. Forgive me for my rudeness Doctor, and please overlook the stupidity of my brothers and sisters. They are, as you have labeled them, completely dumb. All they know is a simple roar to summon help, but i have learned the eloquence of speech and how to plan things out. This skill quickly earned me domination of my species. that is one of your questions answered I believe. Now I will explain the rest. The human cattle we have attained will not be sold on other planets or in slave markets."
The Doctor crossed his arms over his chest and squinted suspiciously.
"The what is going to happen to them? You must need them for some kind of profit, but if not slaves or factory workers, what are humans good for. I find them quite helpful, but I don't think my business is the same as yours."
"Oh they can do lots of things! Or, rather their bodies. Their bones make excellent tools and their skin is quite smooth and very soft. It can be used for making many different materials like blankets or even clothing! But that's not why we took them this time. This entire batch, including the one one we confiscated from your possession, will be taken back to our own planet. While we are on the subject, why did you intend to take that little girl? If you need a wife or even a consort we can provide you with many services far greater than that one."
"What?" The Doctor exclaimed, his face folded in disbelief. His head started to jerk around and shake when he talked, embarrassment and slight anger inflaming his cheeks. "Why would you jump to the conclusion that I take a companion for my own physical indulgences?"
Sherrik leaned forward and clasped his paws together. "Well a grown man traveling on his own must get very frustrated every once in a while. She is a very pretty young female with valuable assets, we had just assumed that..."
"Well that's why you don't assume things! You just, you just don't. Drop it okay? Let's just let it go and move on." The Time Lord settled one hand on his hip and clasped his temples with long bony fingers. "Why are you taking the children back to your own planet. Do you need free labor for some sort of project? Are you finally attempting to fabricate your own technology? That leads me to wonder, why start now? You've never wanted to build your own things, is this generation different?"
"We aren't Doctor. We've always had so much trade with other planets that there was no need to make our own. Also, as I have already said, my race is an extremely insensible and stupid one. It was an extreme rarity that I was born. We do not have the mental capacity to come up with new machines, buildings, or gadgets. Our cities architecture has been copied from planets like earth, even our language and appearance have been influenced by some of their animals. Nothing we have is of our own design, and there is no reason for me to try and force them to think more than they have to when we are fully supported on all sides. As to the matter of slaves, we have no factories to put them in. Or fields for them to sow. All the work is done by our own kind, and we take great pride in that. No, the humans are to be taken to the great banquet hall in our main city."
"Banquet hall...but that means... No. I wont let that happen. These kids are young and defenseless; they have their whole lives ahead of them. You have no right to steal a whole population's future for food! Your people are not starving, and even if you were all you had to do would be sell the aliens you've already poached! That would get you enough money to buy the entire international market. Let these people go. I'm asking you nicely once, then I'll use force."
Scherrik jumped from his throne and landed with a thud in front of the Doctor. A fearsome howl tore from his throat and immediately pulled all his minions around him. They all turned starving eyes and mouths dripping foam towards the Doctor, who stood with a look of pure indifference. The leader leaned down until his foul breath mingled with the Doctor's and whispered. "You and what army?"
The Doctor smiled. "Here's the thing Scherrik. I've researched your species. I never go into anything unprepared. The Phoelasak are a tribal species; primitive. Their brains are almost equal to that of an earth monkey. They know how to eat, sleep, clean, mate, and breathe. That's about it. But every once in a while, one of you is born that doesn't fit in that category. One that is far superior in intellect and strength. When this happens, the rest of the community do a strange thing." He paused and began to pace back and forth.
"They all link their stupid, simple minds to the little baby genius. They all work together to raise him like a king, all the while making their connection stronger. Eventually the child takes his role as leader. He governs them and shows them what to do so they prosper. They grow so accustomed to having orders given to them, that soon they are no longer individuals. They are one mind with hundreds of bodies, doing whatever thought pops into that one's head. And without that mind, they wouldn't know how to survive. They would all die." He reached down and picked up a short, metal rod. Turning it over in his hands, he walked forward.
Then in one swift motion, he jammed it into Scherriks throat. Blood welled up around the bar and the creature began clawing at his throat. All of the Phoelasak fell to the floor, paws at their throats. The Doctor watched it all with a grim smile.
"So if you kill the leader..."