Chapter 9
At gunpoint, The Doctor and Martha walked through the catacombs ahead of The Sontaran, back toward where the main chamber room.
"How did you know I was the Doctor. Let me guess, heat signature scan, regeneration radiation, sonic screwdriver emissions, eccentric dress code and behaviour?" The Doctor said in an attempt to break the silence while walking ahead.
"UUhhh, no, I just heard your companion refer to you as Doctor actually. But I will note those other features for when we need to detect you in future. Thanks for that." The Sontaran responded showing his manners.
The Doctor sarcastically smiled, "no problems. Remind me to email the TARDIS temporal signature to you once we're done here." The Doctor suddenly felt something blunt and metallic hitting the middle of his back, it was the Sontaran's butt of the rifle.
"Sarcastic retort also noted."
The Doctor rubbed the middle of his back, wincing and looking ahead, "that was a little nasty."
Walking alongside him, Martha looked to him, "no…no you deserved that one."
The Doctor remained silent until they were walked out into the main room, the Sontaran announcing triumphantly, "I found them snooping around in the corridor. It's definitely the Doctor."
The Zygon observed, "he looks radically different than the last documented sighting. His hair…it's so slick. Not to mention the absence of all the long clothing."
"Its because he's regenerated multiple times since when you last saw him. I'm willing to bet he's needed to do that a few times since that particular incarnation. Would I be right, Doctor? How many lives did you have to waste during the Time War? Best not include those which you claimed yourself otherwise we'll be here for the entire New Year," menaced the Silurian female.
A dark, hurt look crossed the Doctor's face which articulated his feelings accurately without actually having to say anything.
The Silurian further taunted, "don't be so bashful. You get to play god once again, as you've done for the previous 900 years." Nodding to Martha she asked, "dare I ask how much she knows? Or is she blinded by the charm and handsome physique? I suppose that gets the younger ones than the middle aged man routine?"
Martha paid close attention to the exchange between the pair and took particular note of the reference to the war and the lives claimed. The 900 years part made her head spin.
The Darjyn finally interjected, "we could discuss old scars and skeletons in closets for some time to come, but that is not the purpose for which we are gathered. My people are dying Doctor and you are the final cog in the machinery which can propel us from the grave in which we stand."
He affirmed her request with a nod and replied in turn, "you've travelled a long way. There's no other species that could host you?"
"Nothing that wouldn't keep us searching in another two years for a more compatible race." The Darjyn then looked to Martha and back to the Doctor, "they're a feeble but utilitarian race are they not?"
"Watch it," cautioned Martha.
The Doctor gestured to her to remain quiet, for her own good, he then looked back to the Darjyn. "You realise that in hosting a former living human being, that for you to exist on the planet wouldn't be possible. It goes far against the customs and believes of the planet."
"We have considered this and have located a hospitable planet millions of light years from here. The environment is habitable and suits the vegetation of this planet adequately."
"How many bodies do you require?" Martha interrupted with some abrasion in her tone. The Doctor shot her another disapproving look.
"Somewhere…as you humans would say…in the ballpark thirty bodies."
Martha looked away at what she felt was the absurdity of the concept.
Suddenly, the Darjyn representative looked up and raised her hand to her temple and shot a direct stare to the Sontaran. "Why have your ships raised shields?"
"As long as the Darjyn have something to gain, that gives us the strategic advantage we need to exploit this situation. We have some demands to make for this to go ahead. We demand a share in the resources you take from this planet. We also wish to learn the way of consciousness transference." The Sontaran demanded.
"Absolutely absurd. We're in a position of need, this isn't a trade dispute."
The Doctor looked cursively to the Sontaran, "you have no grounds on which you can raise hostility. Even before discussing that, there is clearly no honour in your tactic here."
The Sontaran looked to the Doctor contrarily, "but I'm afraid that is where you are wrong. We have evidence to suggest that the need of The Darjyn exceeds the thirty they speak of. They are amassing hundreds more. The thirty are merely a stepping stone." He then tapped his wrist and in the middle of the circle, a holographic image emerged of thousands of native Darjyn floating around in their ethereal form, hundreds of voices coming through.
"This transmission has been falsified!" The Darjyn protested.
The Doctor folded his arms, looking to the Darjyn. "There always was talk of a Darjyn underground after The Time War. They had to hide like everyone else. I sincerely doubt you have the spiritual energy between thirty of you to come all this way."
The Darjyn representative looked darkly to The Doctor, "then so be it. If we cannot get an agreement, then we will need to take a more persuasive mode of action." She then looked to the ceiling and took a deep breath, the energy building up within her produced a white light flowing from within her, out through her eyes and mouth.
Three more Sontaran then transported into the chamber with them, taking aim.
The Doctor looked panic stricken, "NO! IF you shoot her you would have killed all of The Darjyn travelling through her."
"We are left with little option, Doctor." One of the Sontaran asserted. "If we let allow her to proceed, they would have broken through with the numbers they need and will become even more of a threat."
The Doctor swallowed nervously, internally conflicted. "We can't justify the deaths of all those over one turncoat."
Martha ran to the Doctor's side and took his hand, looking to him, the Doctor stared straight ahead to The Darjyn intently.
"The problem is Doctor, you're not the one holding the gun. Sontaran, get ready."
"We should get out of here!" Martha cautioned.
The Doctor turned to her, reaching inside his pocket, he took out his sonic screwdriver and handed it to her, "get back to the entrance point, press this button and waive it at the ceiling, it should open up and take you to the surface."
"I'm not leaving you here!" she protested.
"TAKE AIM," the Sontaran took their stance, the Doctor ran his hand through his hair. As this was happening, the room was filling with spirits.
The Doctor had no choice, he stepped into the middle of the room, "I AM YOUR NEW HOST – CLAIM ME!"
Martha looked straight to him, "Doctor! You'll die!"
"STAY BACK!" he shouted to her darkly, he then looked to the Darjyn. "You're about to all be killed by the Sontarans. Become one with me."
Like a moth to the flame, the spirits then headed toward the Doctor, he looked to the ceiling and widened his arms, the energy filled him, white light filling him.
He then entered an alternate dream like state where he could see them all in the white void. This would have killed him but his organs were still undergoing the regeneration process.
Meanwhile, outside of this state, the Sontaran turned to face the Doctor. "The Doctor is aiding and abetting the enemy. He must be deemed as the enemy also." They took aim.
The Doctor was able to communicate with them in the subconscious. In an abstract, interdimensional mode of existence, he excised them back, "the people of this Earth do not consent. I can send you back on your journey without the Sontarans killing you. They won't be able to catch up with you, but you must leave NOW. Don't be fooled and think you can infiltrate the corpses, the Sontaran will just kill you when you adopt those forms."
Martha was left to look on, a tear rolling down her eye, suddenly, the light from his body shot up into the ceiling and the Doctor was set free. But, suddenly, the cavern started to shake, the ground between them was cracking and opening. The Doctor ran and leapt over to Martha, "now would be a good time to leave!"
The Sontaran took aim and fired, narrowly missing the Doctor and Martha as they sprinted for the exit. The Doctor could hear the voice of the Darjyn but in unity, "We thank you Doctor, now we will save you as you have saved us. We just hope we have enough time." Suddenly, a white light surrounded both Martha and the Doctor and they appeared back in the park. The ground in front of them collapsed in, the Earth sucking it in, only for the ground to now just be a large patch of soil and leaves.
The Doctor dropped to his knees, breathing heavily, Martha knelt down beside him. "I can't believe you survived that."
The Doctor looked to her, "I was on the tail end of my regeneration cycle, all the energy is gone now. The regeneration process is over, I just got lucky." The Doctor started to get the strength to stand up again. "Otherwise, I would have been killed."
Martha stood up with him, "what about all those other aliens?"
"They would have transported out before the collapse and most likely presume us dead. They'll be thinking of ways to pursue The Darjyn. They won't have much luck though."
Over the park, fireworks started to ignite, cheering from all around the city could be heard. Martha turned to the Doctor with a smile, "happy new year, Doctor."
"Happy New Year to you!"
Martha leaned in a little, but stopped and instead hugged him, the Doctor hugged her back.